A/N: Yes. A very strange, thoughtful ficlet. Just read it.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
The Balance
"One thing," he states wisely, "cannot be possible without another."
His proverb confuses me somewhat. He must read the look on my face, for he explains:
"It is like this, nephew: there cannot be light without darkness, cannot be good without evil, cannot be love without hate. It is the natural order of things; all things need an opposite to exist; all beings need an opposition to live."
Yes. Yes, that does make sense. But beings? I could live if Death did not exist, could I not? I could Firebend if there was no such thing as Waterbending, could I not?
"Not all things need opposites," I respond, "I can live without opposites."
He sighs, putting a hand to his forehead. "I thought you were ready for this lesson, nephew. I was wrong, I think."
"Uncle," I coax, "please, continue: I will listen." I will understand.
He sighs once again, stroking his beard. "Very well," he comments. "If there can't be darkness without light, or love without hate, or good without evil, then it should apply to all things, if one thought over it enough. Goodness and love and light and evil and darkness and hate are perhaps the strongest forces of this world, of all worlds. If such a nature applies to the strongest forces, why not the weaker forces, the Fire Prophets reckoned."
Inhaling deeply, he reaches for his tea cup and takes a small sip. I frown, impatient. He takes too much time fiddling with useless things such as tea. Finally, he continues.
"You must understand, nephew, that if all great forces must be in perfect balance, then all elements must be in perfect balance—and that balance, nephew, do you know what that balance is?"
Thinking about it, it suddenly comes to me. Of course. The balance between the four elements.
"The Avatar," I whisper, more to myself than my uncle.
"Yes," he responds. "And if that balance is disturbed or is absent, then there will be chaos."
Yes, of course. The Avatar disappeared, and there was war, no peace.
"But uncle," I protest softly, "the nature would apply to yet another thing as well: there cannot be peace without war."
He nods, and I am surprised. "You are right. There can never be absolute peace, and there can never be absolute war, either. Even in chaos, there is balance. Even in war, there is balance."
"And that is why the world is still alive?"
"Precisely."
He confuses me very much. It is almost as if he were against war and yet for war—how can one be both? You are either or, not in the middle. There is no gray area, only black and white.
"Uncle," I argue again, "there will always be opposition, like you say, in perfect balance, but surely there can't be anything in the middle?"
"Ah," he replies, "ah. The exception that has befuddled so many. Many have tried and failed to understand it—and yet, at the same time, perfectly understand it, but don't realize it—nephew, my dear boy, it is not the opposing sides in a matter that form a balance, but the things in the middle. Can you understand that?"
Yes. Yes, I—I think I understand it. The thing in the middle—the balance. The Avatar, able to bend all four elements—the balance. Grudging respect, not hate, yet not love—the balance.
I understand it. I understand it! It's—of course. I've never hated her, have I? But I'm not in love with her—I think? But… It is possible, it is alright—
It is possible to love your enemy.
A/n: And there ya go. I hope that was a bit insightful for you, and perhaps to explain how ZukoxKatara can even be...
Reviews are appreciated.