Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Can't Fight This Feeling" by Bastille
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Chapter 13 - Destiny Arrives
And I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars, forever
'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore
When she stepped out into the storm, something changed inside of her. Her first thought was, I can't do this. I can't do this alone. I can't save anyone.
And then, a second later, a thousand voices said back to her, But you're not alone. And you're destined to save everyone.
She instinctively knew what to do, as if she'd done it a thousand times before. She raised her arms to control the waves. She twirled and changed the wind patterns. She deflected the oncoming lightning. Her mind had no idea what her body was doing, so she stopped thinking. She let her body take control.
The whole time, she sensed those voices in her mind. They feel connected to her, though she's not sure how.
She remembers lowering her arms when the skies became clear again. She remembers the presence of those voices leaving, and with them all of her strength. She remembers collapsing on the deck, and Zuko being there for her.
Now she dreams of the universe. She's standing in the middle of the stars, not a planet in sight. She turns around, confused, looking for someone, anyone. But she's alone.
You're never truly alone, the voices say, and suddenly the universe lights up. A thousand people appear around her. She recognizes them as the source of the voices.
"Who are you?" she calls out, turning around and taking them all in. "Where am I?"
A woman with a receded hairline and a bright blue arrow painted on her forehead steps forward. She's wearing simple orange and yellow robes.
"I am Saura," she says in a voice that's calm and filled with wisdom. "And I am you. We all are you."
Katara feels her head spin. "What? What does that mean?"
Saura smiles comfortingly. "It is time, child, for you to learn your destiny. Too long have you stayed hidden away. The world needs you now more than ever."
"My destiny?" Katara shakes her head. "You have the wrong person. I'm just a girl."
"You are Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, the last Waterbender." Saura clasps her hands together. "Tell me, Katara, do you know of the Avatar?"
Katara tries to think. "The Avatar is the protector of the four nations, right? He keeps balance. And he is the only one who can master all four elements."
The woman nods. "Exactly. Except it is not always a 'he'. I was the last Avatar."
Her jaw drops. "Really?"
Saura nods. "And you, Katara, are my reincarnation. You are the Avatar now."
Now Katara is lost. "I don't understand."
"I know it's confusing. They didn't identify you for a long time. They assumed the Avatar would come from the North Pole. By the time they realized who you were, it was too late. The Fire Nation attacked and you were frozen in the ice."
Katara remembers the day of the attack. The tribe was gathered for an important announcement by the Elders. Were they about to announce that she was the Avatar?
"Why tell me now?" she asks. "Why not when I first woke up from the ice?"
"Traditionally, the Avatar is told who they are on their sixteenth birthday. You haven't been keeping track, but today you turned sixteen years old." Saura smiles. "Happy birthday, Katara."
She scowls back. This has to be the worst birthday of her life. No family, no friends, a hurricane, and learning that she has to save the world. Not the best of presents.
"How am I supposed to save the world? I only know waterbending. I don't even know what's going on in the world, other than that there's a war going on started by the Fire Nation."
"You must master the four elements. Water, earth, fire, air. That's the cycle."
"So I have to find a Earthbending Master? How will I know who to pick? There are lots of Earthbenders."
Saura touches her chest. "You will know who the right one is when you meet them. I suggest you start travelling through the Earth Kingdom. Find a small group of people that you can trust to accompany you."
Katara's first thought is of Zuko, but she dismisses it. He has his mission to complete; she has hers. That's why he told her she needed to leave after she finds her brother. He knew they weren't meant to be together for long. Circumstance brought them together, but fate is separating them.
It still hurts. At least Katara will have her brother with her. There's no one else she'd rather travel the world with.
"What do I do after I master the four elements?"
"You must kill the Fire Lord."
Katara takes a step back. "Kill? I don't want to kill anyone."
"He's too strong and intelligent to be left alive. He will escape any prison you put him in. He won't show you any mercy. He doesn't care that you're a girl. He's ruthless, and the world will only be in balance when he's gone." Saura looks at her sadly. "I do not envy your position, child. But it is your duty as the Avatar."
Katara doesn't feel convinced, but she nods anyway. That's a problem for another day. "And if I need your guidance again? How can I talk to you?"
Saura touches her chest, right above her heart. "We are always with you, Katara. You will find a way."
The former Avatars start disappearing around them. Katara reaches out to Saura. "Wait! That's not an answer! Don't leave!"
Of course they don't listen to her. They all fade away until Katara is left in the middle of the universe, completely alone.
She doesn't quite believe it all yet. This is just some crazy dream her mind is conjuring up. Like, Oh, I saved the ship from the hurricane! I'm powerful enough to be the Avatar! Then she's going to wake up and by breakfast she's going to have completely forgotten about all of it.
But it doesn't feel like a dream. It's all too real. She knows that some other force took over her body to save the ship. She was doing more than just waterbending. If she's mastered all four elements in past lives, it makes sense that a small part of her conscience still remembers how to do everything. Maybe it comes out when she's in extreme peril.
But...the Avatar. It's too much. The Avatar is a figure of myth and legend. She's just a girl from the Southern Water Tribes.
No. She's always been more than that. She's the last Waterbender. If she isn't the Avatar, then the Avatar is dead and there's no hope for those little villages like the Earth one she visited a week ago. She remembers how depressed the mood of the village was. How wary they were of outsiders. The people need an end to the war; if what Saura said is true, then she is the one who will end the war.
The Avatar isn't just a warrior. The Avatar is a symbol of hope and strength. The people of the Four Nations have been without that hope for a hundred years; Katara could be the one to restore it.
She isn't sure she's up to the task. She's never been one for attention. She was the only Waterbender under the age of fifty in her village, and she hated the attention that came with it. People were constantly trying to compliment her or give her things or host celebrations for her, and she was always refusing the gifts and the accolades. If she's the Avatar, then she's going to have to be in the public eye for the rest of her life.
It's all too much to think about right now. Whether she is or isn't the Avatar. Whether she should or shouldn't accept her responsibility. What she must or must not do. Right now, all Katara wants is to rest and then find her brother. Sokka will know what to do. He's really smart, even though he hides it under a layer of goofiness and general obliviousness.
She forces herself to relax and think of other things. The feel of the blankets against her skin. The slight rocking of the boat. The spacing between her breaths.
Gradually she falls into a restful, dreamless sleep.
Zuko changes into dry clothes and then rounds up the officers on the ship. He gives them instructions for cleaning up and repairing the ship and then he announces that they are to start heading back to the Southern Water Tribe.
"If I may ask, sir," the captain says, "why are we going back? There was nothing there."
"We missed something," Zuko replies shortly. "Now get to work. We have a long journey ahead of us."
Next he finds his uncle, who is straightening up his room. The general turns and smiles.
"Zuko. You came just in time to help me." Iroh holds up a shelving unit. "This fell down during the storm. You're taller than me."
Zuko grabs the shelve and hangs it back on the wall. In the corner of his eye, he can see Iroh watching happily.
Crazy old man. But he's the only one who's seen Zuko's worst and for some reason stayed. Even Zuko wouldn't want to stay.
"We're going back to the South Pole," he says.
"I thought you didn't find anything there," Iroh says.
"Katara remembered more. She believes her brother was frozen in the same ice block we found her in. We're going back to find him."
Iroh seems pleasantly surprised. "Another guest! And if he's anything like she is, a welcome addition to our ship. Have I ever mentioned how glad I am that you let her on board?"
Zuko turns away so he doesn't have to see the disappointment on Iroh's face. "I told her she had to leave when she found her brother."
"I thought you two were starting to get along well."
"Yeah. Too well. I'm becoming distracted."
"Or perhaps you have found something worth giving up this search for."
Zuko clenches his hand into a fist at his side. He knew his uncle would say that. He had even thought it to himself briefly. But his honor is everything is him.
"This is a warship on a mission, not a shelter for homeless children. It's time for Katara to find a new home. And it's time for us to continue our quest."
Behind him, Iroh sighs. "If that is what makes you happy, Zuko. I'm going to miss having her around."
"Me too," Zuko says, too quietly for his uncle to hear.
Zuko is watching the horizon through his telescope when Katara returns. After the incident with the hurricane, he wants to make sure they don't get any more potentially-lethal surprises.
He doesn't turn to look at her when he asks, "Feel better?"
She nods. He sees it in his peripheral vision. He's not sure if she's being quiet because she's still upset about him telling her to leave or if she's still tired from fending off the storm. He suspects it's a mixture of the two.
He knows he only has a few days left with her. Then he'll probably never see her again. Knowing that their time together is short gives him the liberty to be honest with her.
"I don't want you to leave. But there's no future for you on this ship."
She nods again. "I know."
"And even if you could stay, you wouldn't be able to go back to the Fire Nation with me when I complete my mission and return home. I'm a prince. I don't have the freedom to be friends with whoever I want."
She turns to look at him. "What is like, knowing your destiny? Knowing the duty you have to perform?"
He takes a moment to think it over. "It can be hard," he admits. "I'm expected to act a certain way. When I don't, I disappoint people. Like my father," he adds bitterly.
"But you're still trying to fulfill your destiny. If it's so hard, why not just give up?"
He realizes the truth even as he speaks. "It gives you a purpose in life. So many people live and act without knowing why they do. I do know. And I know that my life is important. I am going to do big, important things. I matter."
She's silent for a long time, staring out into the sunset. "So if you gave up this mission, you wouldn't have a purpose anymore?"
He thinks is over. "Yeah. I guess. What would I do? Serve tea in some Earth Kingdom city?"
The thought is ridiculous to him. He's a trained and hardened warrior. He's a strong Firebender. He's a prince by blood. He was literally born to rule. He can't imagine a future where he's anything other than Fire Lord.
He didn't spend his entire life trying to please his father only to end up as just another commoner.
"I'm the last Waterbender," she says quietly. "I survived for one hundred years in that ice for something. I'm just not sure I want to surrender to destiny. I want to control my own life, you know?"
There was a time he might have agreed with her. That time was long before his father scarred him, long before his mother left him. Zuko has given up to fate. He's accepted his lot in life. It was a lesson hard learned.
"We don't control our own destinies. The faster we run from them, the harder we fall."
Katara sighs and leans against the railing. "Why does the universe care so much about people who live such short lives? Why can't it just leave us in peace?"
It's a good question. Zuko wishes he had an answer to it.
"My uncle claims that we make our own destinies. But he used to be a mighty general and now he drinks tea and plays Pai Sho all day. I wish I could believe him."
Katara smiles a little. "Doesn't sound too bad a life to me."
He can't help the way the edge of lip twitches upwards in response. He can't seem to imagine her living such a simple, domestic life. Not after seeing her fight krakens and fend off hurricanes. She's a warrior through and through.
"You're meant for more than that," he says. She looks at him with a seriousness that borders on solemn.
"You really think so?"
"I know it."
He has no idea how true his words are going to ring - and how much he's going to wish they weren't.