26 - Reincarnation
The year Katara turned 45 was the year the new Avatar was to turn 16 and be revealed to the world. Katara was particularly excited, since they were to be Water Tribe in this incarnation, and awaited each missive from home with baited breath. Zuko teased her that the Avatar might be Northern, but she brushed this off. Kuruk had been Northern: it was the South's turn. Zuko mumbled that that wasn't how it worked, but she ignored him.
But instead of the fanfare and pomp she expected, it was a hasty letter from Sokka in which she heard the news. It's Kassi, her brother wrote, his usual scrawly handwriting worsened by speed and stress. She's freaked out, but the Sages say she can't stay here since she's mastered Waterbending. Can she come to stay with you?
Katara stared at the letter in shock for several minutes. Her niece was the Avatar? Her smiling, easygoing niece who loved her brothers and her pet snow leopard caribou? Of course she would be freaking out: she was only 16 and practically being forced out of her home! A deep protective anger bubbled up inside her and she rushed to her writing desk to answer Sokka. Of course Kassi should come to Ba Sing Se, yes, of course! She should stay with family for as long as possible, and here she could do that and begin to learn Earthbending. And even Firebending, if it came to that! Yes, of course. She wrote the letter and sent it in all of two minutes.
But then she went to gloat to Zuko.
A/N
Aang living to be old enough for the next Avatar to be Korra didn't strike me as realistic (yes I know Kyoshi was 200-something, but we can't all be Kyoshi can we).
E.I. signing out