Destiny Diverted

Disclaimer: Avatar:the Last Airbender duly belongs to Bryke. The Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The movies result from the vision of Peter Jackson. No profit is made from this story other than the sheer gratification of reviews. And there is no way in Hell that I can write even a fraction as well as J.R.R. Tolkien, so no very high expectations of writing quality, please.

NOTE: Hope you all liked the last one.

A lot less action in this chapter since it's more of a transition between "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King". It won't be as long either, but a lot shall take place, don't worry about it.

Some dialogue I had to take from the movie, to keep things in context and to put the action firmly in particular scenes. But I will not include all the dialogue, of course, as that would make the story redundant.

Hope you like this one, nevertheless. Thanks.

CHAPTER THREE

"Look to my coming on first light of the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east."

That had been his last message, and Aragorn knew well that the new White Wizard was a man of his word.

A cheer rose from the people of Rohan who stood on the ramparts of Helm's Deep, an unusually happy commotion which caused the leaders of the battle to come out to see for themselves what the fuss was all about. And the sight that met them brought more than hope into their despairing hearts – it brought jubilation.

For there, atop the hill, looking down on the pathetic remnants of the Uruk-hai hordes, was the White Wizard himself, basking in the radiance of the first rays of sunlight, making him look all the more pure and brilliant. Riding on the great steed, Shadowfax, Gandalf smiled down upon the denizens of Helm's Deep, a ray of victory already shining from his very presence.

The orcs raised their hands to shield their eyes from the glare, and even they could not deny the significant effect of Gandalf's arrival. Even if he stood alone in the light, Gandalf's presence beset even the most vicious of Uruk-hai with terror and uncertainty. The higher ranking of the orcs knew more about the matter and knew what they had to fear from him. But even the rank and file among the beasts quivered where they stood, even if they could not fully understand why.

"He's back!" Katara cried joyfully as she and Zuko joined the rest of the people on the top of the wall. The firebender nodded and smiled hopefully.

But soon, the orcs snapped out of the momentary awe that Gandalf had struck in them and began to roar menacingly, threatening him to charge at them. One of the head orcs cried that even a wizard was no match against their still great numbers or something silly to that effect. In a moment they were to realize how mistaken they were.

For behind Gandalf emerged a tall, armor-clad warrior, bearing the full regalia of a man of Rohan.

"Eomer," Theoden whispered with great gladness. He was not alone, after all.

"Rohirrim!" Eomer cried, summoning his army. The entire hillside was then filled with the valiant figures of the loyal men of Rohan, all fresh and ready for battle.

The color drained from the faces of the Uruk-hai and they knew at that moment that all was lost for them. They would put up some pathetic effort at defending themselves but all this would be futile. The battle was as good as lost for them.

"Who?" Zuko and Katara inquired, though they were not complaining about the help that had come.

"The king's nephew and his men," Legolas obligingly explained, "and Lady Eowyn's brother. He had been banished by the king when Theoden had still been under the unfortunate control of Grima Wormtongue, Saruman's dog."

The word "banished" had gotten Zuko's attention and he was more than willing to hear more about this new arrival when he and Katara were reminded that there was still a fair amount of orcs to be defeated.

"Sounds like a long story," Katara commented with interest.

"We shall have time for all that later," Gimli interrupted, "for now, there is orc-slaying to be done."

"Indeed," Legolas agreed, readying his bow and arrow. Zuko and Katara followed suit and rejoined the fighting.

At the signal, the Rohirrim charged down the hill, with Eomer and Gandalf in the lead. The wizard raised his staff and seemed to command even more light to shine upon the shadowy forces.

Theoden and his men charged as well, determined to win. For although they were all exhausted, the reinforcements had given them more courage to continue fighting and they did so with a renewed vigor.

Not wanting to be left behind, Zuko took a deep breath, gathering his strength from the light of the sun, and began blasting through large sections of the orcish army, causing wailing and weeping among the hapless beasts.

Katara joined the fight as well, even if the water she had was limited. With expert use of her water whip, she put down many of the already desolate orcs and then, she still managed to launch several icicles at the rest of them.

There was no escape for Saruman's pathetic army now. The desperate creatures were caught between the forces of Helm's Deep, who were determined to crush them into oblivion, and the fresh, fiercer forces of Gandalf and Eomer, who were more than willing to do the same. They were finished, decimated, annihilated, and slaughtered.

As the sun took its place in the sky, the battle of Helm's Deep was concluded.

Later on, once things had settled down somewhat, and the women and children could at last emerge safely out of their shelter, there was much rejoicing among the people of Rohan and their allies.

For the time being, Rohan was safe, but plans were made to make sure that Isengard would no longer be a threat to them. But before these were finalized, the new arrivals first greeted all the people there and a happy reunion was formed with the royal family.

Theoden welcomed his nephew with open arms, and Eomer was relieved and joyful to see that his uncle was freed from the poison of Grima Wormtongue. Seeing the king looking so alive and strong in spite of his age was a great comfort to the nephew and he resolved to serve his uncle and lord to the best of his ability. He was also happy to see his sister, safe and sound, and still supporting their uncle.

While the family was busy reuniting, some members of the Fellowship of the Ring were busy catching up with each other as well. Gandalf greeted Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas with a smile and asked them how they fared. The wizard also made sure to check on the two benders, for whom he felt particularly responsible.

"I trust you have had quite an experience while I was away," he told them with a wink.

"To say the least," Katara replied with a laugh, "but your timing was perfect. We were seriously running out of options."

"Gandalf has an uncanny talent at arriving at the moment when he is most needed," Aragorn explained with a smile, "that's what makes him so dependable."

"You do me much credit, I am sure," the wizard replied with a humble bow and a wide grin, "I have been wandering on this earth for lifetimes longer than any of you, so I suppose I've developed a knack for coming at the appropriate moments."

Then, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas duly acquainted Gandalf with all that transpired during the siege of Helm's Deep. They also proudly added (in as much detail as they could) how much the two benders had contributed to keeping the defenses up against the masses of vicious orcs.

"We are grateful for all your help," Aragorn told Zuko and Katara, "and for the hope that you gave to all the people here by your presence and support."

Earlier, Theoden had introduced them to his nephew and had also sung praises of their powers and all that they had done to aid in defending the fortress. Eomer had marveled at the tales of the benders' prowess and he expressed a hope at seeing demonstrations of their skills at a more convenient time.

Suddenly, Zuko and Katara felt rather embarrassed about such profuse praise and they accepted all the good words about them with shy humility.

Zuko in particular was unaccustomed to being talked about so highly in a place where no one knew his rank and position (not that any of that mattered now, since he was banished and all that.) But it was amazingly gratifying to hear people say such kind things about him when they hardly even knew him or the kind of family he had come from.

Katara watched him carefully and observed his reactions. She noticed how calm and shy he seemed about the whole matter and began to wonder all about him.

Nevertheless, the two benders were glad that they had been able to be of such help to the people of Rohan and by the look on Gandalf's face, they knew that they had not let him down. At that moment, they had forgotten all about their wondering why he didn't bring an earthbender along although when he had first arrived, they had somehow hoped he had taken another trip to their world to get more benders to help. But they did not dare question the wise old man's methods, seeing as he had a penchant for coming through in the end.

Gandalf smiled at his two new protégés with great pride. He was certain now that he had not chosen wrong when he had brought them to this world. He had a fair idea of the convoluted situation in their world and the similarly complicated relationship they had with one another. But as he observed them now, the White Wizard knew that at the end of this journey, much will have been resolved between them.

"I had no doubt of your being of great help to the people here," Gandalf told them with a knowing glance, "and as the days pass, you shall surely grow stronger than you ever expected to be. But this is but the beginning of the road for you, and what you have seen now is but a glimpse of the whole story."

At this Aragorn suddenly apologized for not having given them too many details about the situation. The two benders hastily assured him that it was no problem at all.

"By and by I shall try to make things clearer to you," Gandalf assured them now, "but you see what you have become involved in is so much more complex than the struggles of the Four Nations, although that is not to say that your world is in less need of your help. Ere the end, you two shall be invaluable allies to the Avatar as he journeys to fulfill his destiny."

Zuko and Katara looked incredulously at the old man and it was Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli's turn to look confused.

"Don't look so shocked," Gandalf told them with a laugh, "I am quite aware of your circumstances, however inactive a part I have played in your world."

"Exactly how much does Gandalf know about our world?" Zuko and Katara thought simultaneously.

As if reading their minds, Gandalf smiled and said, "I will tell you this much. I was there when Sozin and Roku's friendship was broken. And though I tried to dissuade the Fire Lord from continuing his campaign, he would have none of it."

Once again, Zuko and Katara looked at the old man with wide eyes but he was determined to keep them in suspense. Even Zuko had not been aware that Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin had been friends.

Katara was also shocked by the fact that Gandalf had been old enough to give counsel to Zuko's great grandfather. For the wizard to have been around before the war even started meant that he was even older than Aang (and had not had the benefit of being frozen for a century in an iceberg to preserve his youthful looks).

"And I know some interesting things about your heritage, Zuko," Gandalf added mysteriously, "that might really give you some perspective about your destiny. But there will be an occasion for that some other time."

There were other, more urgent matters to attend to and he reminded them of this.

The two benders reserved their questions for a more convenient time – which they hoped to have, although nothing was certain.

By this time, even Aragorn and his two friends were growing more and more curious about the origins of their two guests. And once again, they marveled at the vast amount of wisdom Gandalf possessed – even of a completely different world. The Grey Pilgrim must have indeed traversed some distant roads, far from any of their imaginations.

"Where to next?" Zuko asked eagerly. He had a feeling that this was only the beginning of the adventure. And he was anxious to know what they would have to face after such a trying battle.

"Now, we ride to Isengard," Gandalf announced in a more serious tone, "and to the tower of Orthanc, where Saruman awaits us."

At the mention of the other wizard (of whom Zuko and Katara had heard a little, but enough to make them wary), Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli looked grave.

"Will we have much difficulty in bringing him down now?" the Dwarf asked, already grasping his axe.

"That I cannot say," the wizard replied, "but I sense that we shall cross paths once more with two of our friends from the Shire."

The three members of the Fellowship looked hopeful at this, and once again, Zuko and Katara had no idea what they were talking about. Recalling their guests, Aragorn assured the two that he would explain things on their way.

The small company rode through the Fangorn Forest, which was as eerie as ever but bore evidences of a great struggle. Gandalf observed these changes carefully and surmised what had happened. It seemed that the forest had been awakened at last.

Katara shuddered as they passed silently through the gloomy woods. There was something unsettling about that place, and it seemed almost too sacred for them to be passing through there.

"And I thought the Earth Kingdom swamp was creepy," she muttered as they carefully rode uprooted trees and stray branches. She kept her arm constantly at her water gourd, ready to strike at any plant life that seemed hostile. Fortunately, they had no trouble getting to where they needed to be.

After some time, they emerged into a clearing, and Zuko observed that the so-called stronghold of their enemy seemed a lot brighter than he had expected. In fact, it seemed almost homey. He wondered how things had fared in that strange place.

As the company entered, they were greeted cheerfully by two small men sitting atop some old ruins. The whole place had been flooded quite recently and all of its filth had been purified by the forces of nature herself.

"Welcome, my lords," cried one of the happy little men with pride, "to Isengard!"

Zuko and Katara could not help but stare at the pair of small men even as Gimli began to scold them good-naturedly. The two benders were still surprised even after Aragorn had somehow introduced the concept of hobbits to them.

"We are sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts," the other hobbit said as his companion cheerfully puffed on his pipe.

"Hobbits," Gandalf huffed as he rode past them, although he still seemed happy to see that they were well.

"We're under orders from Treebeard," the hobbit explained, "who's taken over management of Isengard."

It was then that the hobbits noticed the two benders, who continued to stare at them in disbelief. Merry and Pippin then asked Gandalf why he brought a couple of children with them to the battlefield.

"They may be years younger than you, Peregrin Took," Gandalf answered, "but they have proven infinitely more useful."

The two hobbits pretended to be offended at this remark but walked over to the benders for proper introductions. Already Katara was amused by the lively disposition of the two short men and once names were exchanged, she gladly gave a small demonstration of her waterbending – much to their amusement.

Zuko was also persuaded to show them some firebending although he was still slightly wary of them.

Later on, the whole company was greeted by Treebeard the Ent who was one of the few remaining living beings who could refer to Gandalf as "young."

Once again, Zuko and Katara were extremely surprised at encountering such a strange and ancient being. ("The tree is talking," Katara had whispered, "and this time I don't think there's a man inside." Zuko had said nothing but merely stared.)

The Ent was likewise surprise after Gandalf introduced the benders to them and Treebeard wondered how he would be able to include yet another category of creatures to the ancient list of all living things.

By and by the situation in Isengard was made clear to them all and they rode over to the tower of Orthanc where Saruman and Grima Wormtongue hid themselves most carefully.

Zuko and Katara watched the proceedings very carefully, sensible enough to remain silent and discreet. Gandalf had warned against listening to Saruman's persuasive voice, and they all resolved to ignore any promises he might give to lure them out of their senses.

When Gimli suggested that they just get rid of the treacherous wizard, Gandalf warned against it and said that they needed Saruman alive, to be able to give them vital information about their other, greater enemy. They all looked up to see another old man in white, who spoke to each of them in a deep, soothing (and dangerous) voice.

Zuko frowned at the old man atop the tower. For even though Saruman leaned for support on his staff, he was still sly enough to try and trick them all into his bidding. Katara was glad that there was more water around her that she could use to defend herself, although she wasn't sure physical combat would make much of a difference.

They listened as Theoden rattled a list of Saruman's crimes against the people of Rohan. The king had long been enslaved by Saruman's wiles and now he was resisting any other false offer with great fortitude. Theoden would have none of the "peace" the old wizard offered.

Gandalf then spoke to the fallen wizard, trying to convince him to give them information that would save thousands of lives.

"So you have come here for information? I have some for you."

Saruman was not moved and instead brought out a black, glowing orb.

And though they did not know what it was, Zuko and Katara suddenly shivered at the sight of it. They felt a chill come over them and a faint sense of dread as Saruman spoke.

"Something festers in the heart of Middle-earth," he said ominously, "something that you have failed to see. The great Eye has seen it. Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon. You're all going to die."

A great, cold fear settled on all of them as they heard these words, more powerful since they had been spoken in such a menacing tone.

"But you know this, don't you, Gandalf?" Saruman continued, "you cannot think that this ranger can ever sit upon the throne of Gondor, this exile crept from the shadows will never be crowned king."

Aragorn's face grew very grave and Zuko looked sympathetically at his companion. The firebender was growing more and more curious about the story behind the brave and skilled swordsman.

Saruman continued to taunt and ridicule Gandalf, speaking of things which Zuko and Katara did not understand, but which they surmised to be very heavy accusations. Gandalf said nothing.

"I've heard enough!" Gimli cried in outrage, and asked Legolas to shoot the wizard down. Gandalf stopped them.

"Come down, Saruman," Gandalf cried out, "and your life will be spared."

"Save your pity and your mercy!" Saruman shouted in repulsion, "I have no need of it."

And with that he sent a fire blast down from his staff.

Zuko immediately stepped in and easily dissolved it with a wave of his arm. Gandalf expressed his gratitude. Saruman was too livid and shocked at the turn of events that he was rendered speechless.

"Saruman," Gandalf told him calmly, "your staff is broken."

And immediately, the staff in the fallen wizard's hand snapped and he realized at last that he was beaten. Theoden called out to the slimy looking man who stood beside Saruman and tried to coax him to join them.

This only enraged Saruman further and he began to gravely insult Theoden and the people of Rohan. The king could say nothing.

"You are a lesser son of greater sires," Saruman finished contemptuously.

But Gandalf was still determined to negotiate with Saruman. And for a few moments, the traitor finally seemed willing to cooperate.

"If you withdraw your guard, I will tell you where your doom will be decided," Saruman offered.

But things happened too quickly after that. Saruman's servant turned on him and stabbed the wizard several times in the back. Legolas reacted quickly by shooting down the servant but Saruman was already at the edge of his tower and so fell to a gruesome death.

Gone were all prospects of getting crucial information from the traitor. It was a grave loss indeed.

Zuko and Katara, and all those who witnessed this, shuddered at the sight. The two benders had never seen such a grisly death and they hoped that this would be the last of such things, although there could be no certainty of that.

Gandalf, however, was the first among them to recover. He was more serious than ever, and the two benders became aware of a greater urgency.

"Send word to all our allies," Gandalf instructed with authority, "and to every corner of Middle-Earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike."

Theoden and Aragorn nodded at this and they all began to move with more purpose and speed, now that the threat of destruction drew closer. There was still so much to be done before all the allies could be gathered and adequate preparations could be made.

"The filth of Saruman is washing away," Treebeard announced as Saruman's corpse sank into the water.

For all the danger and darkness that awaited them, they were relieved to know that at least one part of Middle-earth was freed from corruption. The Ents assured Gandalf that Isengard would be properly purged of all the impurities that Saruman had brought upon it. Surely, it would never be as it originally was, but it would still be much better.

One of the hobbits waded into the muck and picked something from beneath the water. He stared at it in wonder.

Katara noticed that he had picked up the strangely powerful black orb that Saruman had been holding up. For some reason she could not fathom, she was afraid of that orb, it seemed so unspeakably menacing.

Gandalf noticed this development and soon rode over to the hobbit. He asked the lad to hand it over and the hobbit did so, albeit somewhat reluctantly. The wizard was careful not to touch the thing and wrapped it immediately in the folds of his long robe.

Quicker than they came, Theoden, Eomer, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Gandalf, the two hobbits, and the two benders now quitted Isengard. They left the place in the care of the Ents and all their kinsmen.

Katara and Zuko, after witnessing such a serious exchange now decided not to press Gandalf for any details. The old man was clearly preoccupied with so many other more important things.

Luckily, the shroud of melancholy had been lifted fairly quickly from the two hobbits, who were very eager to know more about the young strangers. Merry and Pippin were friendly and chatty, asking a lot of questions of Zuko and Katara and also eagerly answering some of the questions the benders asked of them. Their conversations were very lively, considering the circumstances, and the two benders soon found themselves growing quite fond of their new friends.

Gandalf paid them no mind for as long as they gave fairly accurate accounts of the situation to the two foreigners. He was relieved that the benders would have some people to talk to while he, Aragorn and the rest began to make arrangements for the coming battles.

The wise wizard felt that it was too much to ask of Zuko and Katara to actively participate in the War of the Ring, but he had no choice since the portal to their world had not yet reopened, meaning that they still had roles to play in Middle-earth somehow. He was certain of their strength, and he would make sure that they would indeed return home safely.

Every now and then, Zuko and Katara had to ask the hobbits to slow down in their explanations. Merry and Pippin spoke so quickly and excitedly about their cousin Frodo and about some ring of power and a dark lord and the benefits of smoking Longbottom Leaf, the delicacies of the Green Dragon, and of a place called the Shire, that the two benders were quite overwhelmed with all the new information.

But Zuko and Katara were also somehow beginning to realize that more challenges and trials awaited them in that world, and an enemy far more sinister than Fire Lord Ozai or any of his ancestors could ever be.

As they rode, Katara found herself once more confiding in Zuko. He listened to her attentively, for he shared the same thoughts. Now that they had involved themselves so deeply into the affairs of Middle-earth, they felt a certain responsibility to keep it from being completely destroyed. In the short time that they had been there, they had somehow grown to love that world and all its strange inhabitants.

After all, Zuko thought, he and Katara would not have been summoned to help if there was absolutely no hope. Limited though their contributions could be, they were still needed in such desperate hours. And this was a destiny that he was more than willing to forge himself, and now, with Katara's help.

"I really hope that Aang and others are all right without us," she whispered, "because it looks like we're going to be here for a lot longer than I expected."