"Aunt Wu is expecting you."
Katara whipped her head around to look at her husband, still sitting across the room. "Aang, it's—"
"I know." He pushed himself up off the floor, a movement made unusually graceful by his instinctual use of airbending. He walked over to stand beside Katara, placing a tattooed hand gently at the center of her back.
"Is Aunt Wu expecting us… right now?" Aang asked.
The man nodded, just once.
Aang caught Katara's eye. She shrugged. He turned back to the man standing in the doorway. "Well, ok, then. I guess we shouldn't keep her waiting."
"A wise decision. Follow me," the older man said, and turned to walk back down the hallway.
The man led them through the inn's lobby and out into the dusk-tinged streets. The air was already cooler than when they had arrived in the village, and lanterns had been lit on the corner of each block. Aang and Katara could probably have found the fortune-teller's residence without guidance, but they trailed behind the black-clad man all the same.
A surplus of adrenaline powered Katara's steps as she matched her pace to Aang's long strides. She felt that familiar buzz creeping in, the anticipation of an imminent unknown. She wasn't sure if she was excited or nervous, or both, but either way she was glad to have Aang beside her.
It wasn't long before they were standing in front of the ornate, red-painted doors of Aunt Wu's impressive three-story home. Their guide slid the two semi-circular halves of the door apart and stepped to the side of the entrance. He waited silently for his charges to walk through. Once they did, he pulled the doors shut behind them, resuming his customary post outside the building.
"What's that guy's name again?" Katara muttered to Aang.
"I have no idea," he responded.
The pair took in their surroundings, which were illuminated by a few paper lanterns and a smattering of candles of various heights. The woven rattan floor covering was perhaps a bit more worn than when they were there last, while the cushions on the floor looked newly refreshed, but everything else down to the painted silk screens on either side of the wide hall was virtually unchanged from how it had looked in Katara's memories. The smell of incense filled her nostrils and reached deep into her brain, making her feel like she had been plucked out of time and set back down in her childhood. She heard her own voice say, "Wow."
Katara spotted a shoe rack in the corner. She reached down to remove her boots and Aang, noticing her movements, did the same with his. They placed their footwear neatly side by side on the rack.
"I guess we should sit down and wait?" Katara suggested.
Aang nodded and headed to the line of cushions by the entrance, choosing one and settling into a lotus position. Katara lowered herself down on the cushion beside his, her legs folded beneath her. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do next. Aang fiddled with a tassel on his pillow. They did not have to wait long, however, before a figure emerged from behind the paneled dividers that concealed the rest of the house from the entry hall.
"Welcome, travelers," the old woman intoned.
"Aunt Wu," Katara and Aang spoke at the same time.
Katara stared at the woman standing before them, draped in layers of heavily embroidered robes. This was not a person she had expected to see ever again in her lifetime. As Aang had said, the fortune-teller had seemed ancient to them before, but now the additional near-decade of time showed clearly on her face. Her hair, piled neatly on top of her head, was entirely white.
"I could not allow you to pass through Makapu Village without saying hello. The day the Avatar and his companions stopped the volcano from destroying the town is a much-discussed event, even to this day," Aunt Wu said, her voice more papery than Katara remembered.
"How did you know we were coming?" Katara asked, anticipating a wondrous tale of clouds or tea leaves.
"Innkeeper Lei sent word as soon as you arrived. We have a close working relationship."
"Oh," said Katara, trying to keep the disappointment off her face. "That… makes sense."
"Can I offer you some tea? A shipment of some excellent oolong arrived last week."
"Tea sounds great, thank you," Aang replied. Katara nodded her assent.
Aunt Wu picked up a spare cushion from a bench by the wall and dropped it in front of her two visitors. She slowly lowered herself into a kneeling position.
A young girl appeared shortly, wearing a long dress and carrying a tray with a small teapot and three cups. Katara distantly remembered a different girl, about her and Aang's age, working here. She wondered what had ever become of her.
"Thank you," said Katara as the girl set down the tray at the center of the seated trio. The child smiled shyly, bowed, and disappeared again behind the dividing walls.
Aunt Wu reached for the teapot and poured steaming water over the tea leaves in each of the three cups, then handed one to each of her guests. Katara gave her tea an exploratory sniff; it did smell really nice.
"So, I understand you are traveling to Ba Sing Se for the upcoming trade negotiations," the old woman began.
"Yes, that's correct," Aang said, "and Katara has been invited to give the keynote speech at a prestigious medical conference at Ba Sing Se University." Katara couldn't help but beam affectionately at the pride in his voice.
"How wonderful," Aunt Wu smiled at Katara.
It turned out that, through a variety of methods metaphysical and otherwise, Aunt Wu had been keeping her finger on the pulse of international politics and was eager to discuss the upcoming summit with Aang. "It's something of a hobby of mine. It comes in handy on occasion," the fortune-teller offered by way of explanation. Once his surprise wore off, Aang was more than happy to discuss the minutiae of Earth Kingdom-Fire Nation trade relations with Aunt Wu, who hung onto his every word and responded frequently with predictions of relevance to the negotiations. Once in a while Katara would chip in with an additional perspective, but for the most part she let her mind wander.
At one point, as Aang was talking animatedly with his hands, she thought she noticed Aunt Wu surreptitiously peer into the emptied teacup sitting beside him.
Eventually, it seemed Aunt Wu had gathered up all the information she sought and had relayed any pertinent insights she had to offer. She set her tea cup back on the tray and clasped her hands.
"So," she looked back and forth between her two guests. "Can I interest either of you in reading?" The fortune-teller eyed Aang expectantly.
"Actually," he said, "I really should go check on Appa, my sky bison. I promised him I'd bring him some hay and water and he's already been waiting for a long time."
"Are you sure?" Aunt Wu looked surprised, and maybe even a little crestfallen, Katara thought. "I would be more than happy to read the bones for you again, or perhaps perform a consultation of your astrological chart?"
Aang, who was already standing up from the cushion, nodded. "Yes, I—Appa will never let me hear the end of it if I don't go get him settled for the night, sorry. You have no idea how annoying it is to fly on a sky bison who's ticked off at you." Now he was grabbing his boots from the rack and pulling them on. He then paused, turned back to the fortune-teller, and bowed. "Thank you for the tea and advice, Aunt Wu. It has been an honor to speak with you again. Truly. See you back at the inn, Katara."
With that, he was gone. If Katara didn't know any better, she would have thought he had given himself a slight airbending assist. She watched with a deepening frown as the doors slid closed behind him.
"That leaves you, then, young waterbender."
Katara looked back at Aunt Wu. With Aang gone, she suddenly felt more apprehensive, even if she was not certain why. Somehow having her fortune read felt like a weightier decision than it had when she was younger. But, it seemed to her that any opportunity to back out of this had flown out the door with her husband.
Aunt Wu raised her eyebrows in question. Katara nodded. The old woman arose from her cushion with not inconsiderable effort, then beckoned for Katara to follow her into the main chamber.
As they entered the large, high-ceilinged room, the scent of incense grew even stronger. A small fire burned in the center of the chamber, set into the recessed area that took up the middle of the room. It was warmer here than in the entrance hall in spite of the size of the space. The floor was mostly bare wood, with a few candles, teapots, and other fortune-telling paraphernalia scattered around the room. All was just as Katara remembered it. She padded over to one of the large, earth-toned pillows by the fire and sat down, cross-legged. She tapped the fingers of one hand restlessly on her knee as she waited for Aunt Wu to settle in beside her.
"Are you nervous, Katara?" Aunt Wu asked.
"Oh! Um, no," Katara lied, quickly folding her fingers under her palm. "I think I'm just still surprised to find myself back here after so long."
"Hmm." Aunt Wu sounded unconvinced. She reached into a copper vessel next to her and pulled out a handful of coals, which she added to the fire before them. "Well then, dear, may I take a look at your palm?"
Katara extended her hand out to the older woman, who supported it gently with her own, wrinkled and age-spotted. Aunt Wu began to inspect Katara's palm, smooth except for small calluses on some of the pads from years of holding Appa's reins.
Suddenly, Katara withdrew her hand. "Actually, before we start… maybe this is silly, but I feel like I have to ask…"
The fortune-teller gestured for her to go on.
"So, when we were coming into the village, I noticed the lava – well, I guess it's not lava anymore, but anyway – the structure of rock left over from when Mount Makapu erupted is still standing. I just can't figure out why nobody has ever bothered to remove it. It looks like it's shading some of the houses at the edge of town, and it honestly seems a little dangerous? There are still earthbenders in town, right?" Katara paused for a second to take a breath before continuing. "I asked Chun, at the inn, and she said you had advised the village not to take it down but didn't say why other than 'not messing with fate' or something like that." She felt slightly embarrassed but was simultaneously relieved to get this off her chest. It had genuinely been bothering her all evening. Part of her also recognized that she was stalling.
Aunt Wu looked at Katara calculatingly, as if deciding how candid to be with her. She sighed.
"You are aware that I never charge for a fortune reading, yes?"
Katara nodded tentatively, unsure how this was going to be related to her question.
The fortune-teller looked pointedly around the spacious room, one of many in her grand house. "I do not charge for each reading, but this does not mean that I go uncompensated. When I arrived here, nearly thirty years ago now, I worked hard to gain the villagers' trust. Once the people of Makapu came to recognize the value of my services, I became a sort of public resource. Each year, the villagers contribute a fraction of their income to my living expenses, and in return I provide them with useful and accurate advice on everything from which crops to plant to matters of the heart."
"Furthermore," she continued, "seers of my caliber are not common. Even during the war, people seeking knowledge about their futures would travel great distances to consult with me. Many of these travelers are people of means, who patronize local businesses and spend generously at our markets. And, after one day several years ago, those returning home from their pilgrimages began to bring word not only of a fortune-teller of exceptional talent, but of a fantastic wave of stone at the site of a great battle between a volcano and the Avatar himself."
Aunt Wu looked meaningfully at Katara, who was beginning to understand. "As I am sure you can imagine," the old woman said, "after the Avatar defeated Firelord Ozai and brought an end to the Hundred Year War, people began to travel more freely through the region. Makapu Village became a thriving destination for, well, tourists. It would have been unwise to remove such a successful attraction. It even has a shop selling shaved ice." She smiled to herself. "What is good for Makapu Village is good for me, and vice versa."
"Oh," said Katara, taking this in. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it wasn't that. "Well… why didn't you just tell the villagers the truth? Why give them that line about accepting things they can't change?"
Aunt Wu pursed her lips. "The villagers of Makapu are good people, but on the whole, they are rather simple. I learned very quickly that they prefer to see me as a being of pure mysticism," she waved her hands vaguely, "unsullied by such vulgar, worldly things as 'the local economy.' So, it was simpler to tell them that fate decreed they should leave the stone be."
Katara felt somewhat uncomfortable with this philosophy, but as she opened her mouth to argue Aunt Wu added, "I would ask you not to tell anyone about this but quite honestly they would not believe you if you did."
"Yes, the Avatar's visit those years ago was a boon to Makapu Village in more ways than one. I must admit I am disappointed that he declined another reading. In my line of work it is not so often that we get the opportunity to divine the fortune of someone so… significant." Aunt Wu frowned. "Not that you have not accomplished great things, young waterbender, but with the Avatar… I have never seen the bones react so explosively before or since." Her eyes looked almost hungry with the memory.
"Well then! Allow me to take another look at your palm." Aunt Wu cleared her throat dramatically, holding out her hand to receive Katara's. Once Katara obliged, Aunt Wu extended her jeweled index finger and traced out a crease on the younger woman's hand, close to the base of her fingers.
"The love line, here. So, it seems you have found your powerful bender," she said with a wry smile in her voice.
Katara felt her face flush. "Yes, I – I suppose I have."
Her eyes tracked the movement of the old woman's index finger across her open palm. The heavy smell of incense was making her drowsy in spite of the slight apprehension thrumming through her body.
"Oh… it seems you will not have as much time with him as you would like."
Katara's throat constricted as she processed the words, and she looked up at Aunt Wu, who was regarding her intently. Not with cruelty in her eyes, nor pity, simply with the truth.
"What—what do you mean?" she choked. A million questions sprinted through her whiplashed mind. Should she be worried? Did she need to tell him to be careful? How much time did she have? Was there some new skill she could learn that would help her keep him longer? Would he–no, she couldn't believe he would ever stop loving her.
"Hmm…" Aunt Wu hummed. She touched another spot on Katara's palm. "The signs are not very clear. I see only a slight abbreviation in the primary love line. Usually I can discern a reason but it does not appear to be one of the typical ones."
"What?" Katara jerked her hand out of Aunt Wu's grasp. "How can you just tell me that and not explain yourself?" Her face warmed again, this time with anger. "What kind of fortune-teller are you?" A teapot near the fire began to wobble dangerously.
Aunt Wu said nothing, remaining impassive in the face of the younger woman's temper until Katara's rage eventually deflated with the realization that no further details were forthcoming, no matter how much she yelled.
Katara took a series of long breaths to quiet the wailing in her mind and release the tightness from her chest before she spoke again.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Wu. I… to be honest… I can't think of a length of time that would be enough. To spend with him."
A hint of a smile ghosted across Aunt Wu's lips and her gaze softened. "Yes. That is always the case with a connection such as the one you and the Avatar share. And always will share."
"I can tell that there is a great deal of love in your future," she continued. "More than most. You are fortunate."
"I know," Katara said softly. "I just… I love him more than anything." Although her own were beginning to prick, she sought the fortune-teller's eyes, willing her to understand.
Aunt Wu nodded. "Katara – not everyone can handle knowing the future. The truth of it. If I told the people here some of the things I really see when they come to me for a reading, I would have been run out of this town long ago."
"I have to round the edges for most people – and all children. But you are more resilient than most. This I can see clearly. You will be tested time and time again, and you will persist as the river flows around the boulder."
Katara swallowed back the lump in her throat and stared at the dimming fire. She felt she had already flowed around enough boulders to last a lifetime, frankly. She wondered if there was anything else she should ask Aunt Wu about what she saw in the future. She thought of Aang, off tending to his sky bison, having turned down the opportunity to ask. An image, a lively flock of small children dressed in yellow and orange robes, flashed through her mind. The obvious question to ask a fortune-teller, now that she and Aang were married. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Katara realized that maybe the fortune-teller wasn't strictly correct, that there were some things even she couldn't bear to know in advance, one way or the other. Oh, she thought, as the understanding punched a hole in her chest. Maybe he couldn't, either. She bit her lip, hard, and slowly released it.
"Thank you, Aunt Wu." Katara stood up from the cushion.
She took a few steps toward the door and paused, turning back with one last thought.
"Aunt Wu… does the future ever… change?"
The old woman reached for an ornate poker by the fire and began to stoke the coals lightly before responding.
"The future is always shifting, like the clouds. What I can see clearly at one time can disperse to transparency later on. Other events materialize where before there was clear sky. I read only the patterns written by the dancing of the winds and the water droplets."