"Are you crazy?" Sokka demanded. "You want to go after that Fire Nation dude?"
The three of them—Katara, Aang, and Sokka—were back in the igloo where Aang had recovered. Katara was sitting in the hammock, rocking gently and trying to ignore the turmoil going on inside her, as Aang and Sokka argued. Someone from the Fire Nation—royalty of the Fire Nation, no less, since that old man had called him "Prince" Zuko… He was the Avatar.
Katara's fragile hope, the one she'd held onto all these years, that the Avatar would reappear and end the war, that she would one day see the world the way it was meant to be, with everyone free to travel and practice their bending—she felt it crumbling away at this news. She tried to grasp at it, but it was no use. All hope was lost. With the Avatar on their side, the Fire Nation would never lose this war.
"He may not realize it yet," Aang was saying, "but he needs me. He needs all of us. Can't you feel it?"
"No," Sokka said flatly. He looked over at Katara, probably expecting her to agree with him. Aang looked over at her too.
Katara glanced between the two of them, weighing the decision in her mind. "I don't know, Aang," she said honestly.
Aang and Sokka's expressions both morphed into frowns, but very different kinds. Sokka looked concerned, maybe noticing for the first time how despondent Katara felt, though she was trying to hide it. Aang just looked disappointed.
"We just need to convince him," he insisted, while Sokka took one step toward Katara.
"Are you okay, Katara?"
"I'm fine." She waved away Sokka's attempt to reach for her arm.
"It's just too much of a coincidence, don't you think?" Aang asked. "We all happened to end up in the same place, and the Avatar ran into the only person in the world who could possibly teach him airbending? And Katara, once he's done with airbending, he'll need to learn waterbending, too, just like you. Once we find him, I can teach him while I'm taking you both to the North Pole. Maybe you'll even be able to pick up some waterbending along the way. I've always heard that travel is one of the best ways to learn new things."
"Hold on a second—you were going to the North Pole?" Sokka said. "Since when?"
"It wasn't a sure thing," Katara said. "It was just something Aang had offered earlier. I hadn't said yes yet, but… you know how badly I want to be a real waterbender, Sokka."
Sokka shook his head. "You're not seriously considering this, are you, Katara? You would just abandon your family like that, to go off with some stranger?"
Katara looked down. There on the floor next to the hammock was the bowl of soup she'd been feeding to Aang less than an hour ago. She swooped her hand up and willed the liquid to rise into the air. It did, but it was wobbly and uncertain under her control, the edges rippling.
Her emotions warred inside her as she stared at it. She was still in shock, still grappling with the fact that her entire worldview had been shattered. But Aang seemed determined…and if Aang left without her, he took with him the last chance she would probably ever have at becoming a real waterbender.
"I think I have to," she said finally. "You're right, Aang. This all does feel like too much of coincidence. There has to be a reason for it."
Aang's expression lit up, while Sokka sighed heavily. Katara turned to her brother.
"You don't have to come with me," she said, "but I have to go."
"Are you kidding me? Of course I have to come with you! There's no way I'm letting my little sister go out there without me. Do you have any idea what Dad would do to me if I did? Or Gran-Gran?"
Katara looked away. "Gran-Gran… there's no way she'll let us go, will she?"
"Perhaps you could ask her." All three of them jumped and turned sheepishly at the sound of the old woman's voice. She was standing in the doorway, watching them with arms crossed.
"Gran-Gran," Katara and Sokka said at the same time.
Katara rose from her seat and crossed the room. "I'm sorry—"
Gran-Gran raised a hand. Her eyes were full of pain, but also determination. "I heard the whole thing, child. I have always known that you two were destined for something great; it was only a matter of time before that destiny reared its head. I think the young airbender is right. There is a reason you were all brought together on this day, and I do not think it would be wise to ignore it. As much as I will hate to see you go, I think you need to."
"Gran-Gran…" Katara brought her hands together, clasped in front of her. Her eyes pricked a little. "I don't know what to say. Thank you so much."
She came forward and wrapped her arms around her grandmother, who hugged her back with arms that were thin but strong. "You'll do great things, my little waterbender." She pulled away from Katara and gave Sokka a stern look. "And you, my brave warrior." She placed a hand on Sokka's cheek, and her expression softened a little. "Keep your sister safe."
Katara could tell Sokka was trying to put on his brave face, but she didn't miss the way light glinted off the water pooling at the corners of his eyes. He covered Gran-Gran's hand with his own. "I will, Gran-Gran. I promise."
"I'll help you pack," Gran-Gran said, "but you must move quickly. The Avatar is getting farther away every second." She turned and left the room.
The little trio looked at each other in silence for a long moment.
"Well, I guess we're doing this," Sokka finally said.
Aang held his hands out to both of them. "We're in this together, right?"
Katara took his hand, then reached out and grabbed Sokka's, who reluctantly took Aang's other hand.
"Together," they agreed.
The candle flames expanded and shrank with Zuko's breath. Normally, this was his favorite form of meditation, focusing on his breath and the way the fire moved in tandem with it. Today, though, focusing on his breath just reminded him of other things his breath had done today. Things that shouldn't have been possible.
For the past several hours (he had no idea how long it had been) since they left the Southern Water Tribe, Zuko had been trying to convince himself that he'd imagined the whole situation. The last known Avatar had been from the Fire Nation. Avatar Roku. So unless three Avatars had come and gone with no one ever finding them, there was no way he could be the one.
Of course, it had been over 100 years since Roku died, and those 100 years had been full of war and strife. It wasn't that far fetched to believe that perhaps three Avatars had come and gone in between, having never discovered what they were… but no. He couldn't let himself consider that.
There was no way it could be him. He was already a failure, the screw-up of the family. If he turned out to be the Fire Nation's greatest threat, their worst enemy…. he'd never get his honor back. His father would never trust him again.
At best, he'd spend the rest of his life in prison. At worst, he'd be killed. And he would deserve it.
Zuko snapped open his eyes, huffing in frustration.
At that moment, a soft knock sounded at the door. "Prince Zuko?"
It was his uncle. Zuko considered telling him to go away. He didn't want to talk. But after a moment of silent debate, he said, "Enter."
His uncle entered the room backward, using his back to open the door while his hands balanced a tray laden with food and drink.
"You missed dinner, so I took it upon myself to bring you something to eat," Iroh said. "You really should show up to meals more often, Zuko. The cook is beginning to think you dislike his food." He pushed the door closed with his hip.
"I was distracted."
"Too distracted to eat? That's crazy talk." Iroh unceremoniously moved Zuko's candles aside and set down the tray. "You should always remember to eat."
Zuko picked a small piece of bread and took a reluctant bite, if only so Iroh wouldn't continue to nag him about it.
His uncle didn't leave, though. Instead, he sat down on Zuko's bed and regarded him.
"You didn't come here just to bring me food, did you?" Zuko asked.
"No," Iroh admitted. "I came because we need to talk about what happened today."
"Nothing happened, Uncle."
"You and I both know very well that's not true."
"And what if it isn't?" Zuko snapped. "If something really did happen out there, I'm ruined. If Father ever finds out what… what I am, I'll never be able to redeem myself. I'll be a traitor to my entire country."
"There were no flames, and no heat. There is nothing else it could have been but airbending."
Zuko shook his head, staring at his piece of bread. "What if it's… is it possible for someone to be born with more than one type of bending, but not have them all?" His voice sounded desperate even to himself.
"You know the answer to that, Zuko."
No. That was the answer. Bending genetics may be mysterious in many ways, but that was one rule that was always true. If you were a bender, you could either bend all the elements or only one. There was no in between.
Even if it were possible, it would probably require some sort of mixed heritage, and with the way the Fire Nation Royal lineage was carefully tracked, combined with the famously secretive and insular Air Nomad societal customs, Zuko very much doubted there were any airbenders in his family tree.
"I've spent three years tracking the Avatar," Zuko whispered. "Three years searching to regain my honor. And yet now that I've found him, I'll never have it. What a cruel joke."
Iroh rose from the bed and crossed to rest a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Prince Zuko, you must never give up hope. Remember, honor is something you create for yourself. It cannot be given or taken away."
Zuko pressed his lips together and turned away. "There is no honor left for me now, Uncle."
"You're just in shock. Today has been a long day full of surprises. After some food"—he emphasized the word with a gesture toward the tray that was still mostly untouched—"and a good night's sleep, I think you'll find that everything looks much brighter."
Zuko forced himself to swallow the last bite of bread, then stared at the tray of food, unsure how eating could make him feel better at a time like this. As he did, though, a thought occurred to him.
"Maybe you're right, Uncle," he said. "Maybe I can find the hope in this situation."
"Good," Uncle Iroh said, removing his hand from Zuko's shoulder.
"I'm going to prove that I'm not the A… that I'm not what you think I might be."
Iroh frowned. "That's not what I—"
"I understand now. There has to be some kind of mistake. The—the airbender was standing next to me. He must've airbent, not me."
"Zuko, you need to face this. You cannot keep denying the truth."
Zuko shook his head, rising to glare at his uncle. "Why are you so sure that it's the truth? Do you want me to be disowned, locked up, maybe even killed? Do you even care at all?"
Iroh met Zuko's rage-filled gaze with his eternally calm one. Somehow, that just made Zuko angrier.
"I care more than you can imagine," Iroh said.
Zuko snorted. "You know what I think? I think you're a lazy, selfish old man who only cares about what you want. If you won't help me, then I'll just have to handle it myself." Zuko did his best to ignore the way his uncle winced at his words.
"Zuko, I know you're scared," Iroh tried. "Please, just—"
"Leave!" Zuko roared, turning away.
There was a beat of silence, and then Zuko heard the cabin door open and close as his uncle left.
He waited a few seconds before going to the door and making sure it was locked. Then he pressed his ear against it and listened as the sound of his uncle's footsteps retreated down the hall.
Once he was sure no one was nearby, he crossed the room, sat on his bed, and finally let himself cry.
