Katara has a well-kept secret, and it's one she's never felt the need to tell anyone, not even her brother: she likes getting her clothes dirty during training. A particularly rigorous sparring session with Pakku and Iroh the next day yields the desired result—her dress and pants are soaked with sweat and dirt, as are her face and elbows.

Iroh kindly lends himself to the practice if not for the fact that, save for a few mishaps and run-ins, she's never really fought against any fire benders before, and if she wants to battle with them she'll need to get a better feel for their offensive and defensive strategies. Especially if the upcoming comet is going to give them a pretty incredible advantage.

That's another thing. The comet. Iroh revealed to Sokka and Katara before they retired to bed the knowledge of a once-every-hundred-years comet that grants fire benders unimaginable power. It started the war 100 years ago, and it can just as easily end it for good. There's enough fire benders in the Order of the White Lotus, and this will be what enables them to take the great wall of Ba Sing Se. From there, they can only see.

It's almost folkloric, that this is how the Avatar has to defeat the Fire Lord: while an all-powerful meteorite streaks across the sky. The stakes are so high.

"You think he'll win?" Sokka asked her lowly as they settled down in their tent for the evening.

"He has to." Katara replied. Because he just does.

Iroh deals her a blast of fire that curves, almost getting her in the side. She counter attacks with a wall of water and steals his idea, bending it in a forward jet that arcs so as to take him off guard. Pakku comes at her from behind.

"You're outnumbered, one on each side of you. What do you do?"

I hightail it away, she jokes. Katara draws all the water from the basin across the field and bends it around her body, shaping it into protective tentacles. Every blast of fire Iroh directs at her is doused by strongholds of water, every icicle Pakku sends her way is shattered or thrown right back at him.

"You are indeed a very powerful waterbender." Iroh says. "Still, you could use a few pointers on how to penetrate defensive tactics, and evade offensive ones. Watch me closely."

By the time Pakku and Iroh have lowered their hands in ceremony to mark the end of the session, she's breathing heavily and her muscles feel weak and shifty, like sand. She looks over on the other side of the field, where Sokka and Piandao are having a spar of their own. The old master effortlessly twines his sword around her brother's, effectively knocking it out of his hand. Piandao takes the advantage to bump his shoulder into Sokka's chest, knocking him onto the ground just as easily.

"Ow," Katara winces. "Something tells me Sokka's getting more than he bargained for on this trip."

"He'll survive." Pakku dead pans in his signature voice, sarcastic and wilting.

"There's no way he's going to be ready by tomorrow," Katara realizes almost stupidly. How could she not have realized it? She supposed she didn't even think about it at all. There wasn't a time in her life she could remember where her brother wasn't there, and this didn't feel like an exception. But for safe and practical reasons, it would have to be. It wasn't safe for him to follow the others into battle. She knows her brother, and he wouldn't feel useful-he'd feel like a burden, and hate himself for it.

"He won't be going with us, will he?" She already knows the answer.

"He will not."

"Then why—"

"Things are not always as they seem," Iroh interrupts. "A new opportunity may present itself to your brother before the comet's arrival."

"'New opportunity'"? Katara asks, worry seeping into her voice.

"One advantage of having a bunch of super-important and all-wise benders gathered in one area is that there is a lot of powerful energy in one place," He says good-naturedly. "It tends to attract a lot of...other energy."

Now that she thinks about it, there is lot of energy connected to this place. Her mind seems completely in sync with her body's bending abilities, and she feels almost overly aware. All through the sparring session, focus flowed through her body's chi like a swift stream, and despite her nervousness at facing two powerful masters, she was as good as she's ever been.

"I see what you mean, Master Iroh."

"Please," Iroh chuckles. "Iroh is fine."

"What Iroh didn't tell you is that some of our members have the gift of Sight, and they see visitors in our immediate future."

"Is that good or bad?"

"They don't know. However, Iroh has a pretty good idea of who it will be."

Iroh puts a hand on Katara's shoulder. "It's nothing to worry about, young waterbender."

Katara spends the rest of the day going over plans on how exactly they plan to reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Some of the masters seem reluctant to tell her, even annoyed that she's there in the first place. Despite growing up in the South Pole, where respect for the elderly is pretty much praised above all else, Katara snaps right back at their subtly crafted sexist quips, not taking it for a second. If traveling the past month has taught her one thing, it's that she's no longer the naive little girl who has no control of her own element.

It's late into the evening when she finds the time to sit down by herself and dip her hands in a small natural pool of water. It's not too far off from the camp, but far enough to evade the judging eyes of the older men and maybe even out her constant worrying. Tomorrow is a big day, possibly the most important day of her life.

She puts her hands in the water, enjoying the feel of it cooling her skin, sending chills down her wrists. It's a clear night, and the moon reflects off the pond's surface, illuminating her reflection. She stays like that for a while, until she turns and sees Pakku and Sokka approaching rather quickly.

"Where were you, pipsqueak?"

"I was just washing my hands. What's going on?"

"The visitors will be here soon. I'd think it's best you come meet them." Pakku gestures behind him to the camp.

Katara blanches. "Did they just get here?"

Pakku nods. "You missed our big, dramatic meeting."

"Jeong Jeong bended a ring of fire around them while they were sleeping. Oh, and they have a huge skybison."

Katara stands up. "Skybison?" Wait, does that mean— "Is it the Avatar?"

Sokka snorts. "I'm sure he's got Avatar duties to take care of. It's just his friends."

Zuko, Toph, and Suki are their names, Katara will soon come to find out.

The three strangers stand chatting with Piandao, Jeong Jeong, and Bumi when she makes her way over to meet them. They stand under an enormous furry creature, which she gathers is the legendary skybison. She gapes at its sheer size, and the arrow that adorns its head.

Immediately, her brother is taken with the girl named Suki, his face tightening the way it does when he meets a pretty lady. She is pretty, Katara observes, with short brown hair and skin on the paler side.

The first thing she notices about the boy, Zuko, is the scar. It covers the left side of his face, branding and tightening the skin around his eye. It doesn't detract from his handsomeness, she notices subjectively. Then there's a shorter girl to his left, with eyes staring blankly at the ground, partially hidden under black strands of hair.

Is she...blind? The closer Katara gets, the more she realizes that yes, she is. Her eyes are clouded almost, a grey color that's more silver than grey in the moonlight.

"Toph, Suki, Zuko. I'd like you to meet Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. She's here to help young Aang win the war." Pakku gestures to her, and Katara stands there awkwardly. It's quite the description to live up to.

Zuko and Suki bow. Suki smiles. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you." She bows in return, surprised and flattered at the respect they show her. Pakku then introduces Sokka, who stares stupidly at Suki and babbles about being the only warrior in his village, traveling through the Earth Kingdom with his trusty boomerang, etcetera, etcetera.

"You're only fourteen, huh?" Toph asks her quietly. Katara swivels her head in surprise. She's closer than before.

"Yeah, actually." Her voice is embarrassingly high. "How old are you?"

"Twelve. But I'm told that I look younger. What with the blindness and all." Comically, she waves her hand in front of her face. Katara's eyes dart to the side, unsure of what to say. She goes with: "What's your name?"

"Toph. Or 'Melon Lord,' if you prefer."

There's probably an interesting story behind that. "Right. Nice to meet you." She's about to ask why they're here when Toph says: "Aang had a vision about you in a magic swamp, you know."

"...Sorry?"

"Twinkletoes. Or—wait. I guess you'd only know him as the Avatar. We got stranded in this creepy swamp that gave us visions and stuff—well, not me obviously—and he told me he saw a girl. A girl with a blue dress and long brown hair. Darker skin." She pauses. "You do have all of those things, right?"

Katara's brain is positively scrambled, but she manages to stammer out yeah.

"I thought so. I know people in the Water Tribe wear blue. I don't know what blue looks like, but I know it's what Aang saw on the girl. AKA you."

"How do you know it's...me? I mean, there are plenty of other girls with blue dresses and brown hair."

Toph makes a non-committal noise. "I just know."

"Why would he see visions of me?"

Her new and awfully confusing acquaintance shrugs like it's the most normal thing in the world. "Beats me. Look. To tell you the truth, weirder stuff has happened to our little gang. Wouldn't worry about it too much." With that she turns to follow her friends, who've begun to walk ahead with the masters. Katara stares after her, something familiar stirring in her gut. It's almost how she felt back home when she was getting restless—a feeling of belonging somewhere else. The sense of something greater waiting just ahead. It's a tiny bit frightening.

She follows after them, settling into pace beside her brother, who's innocently wedged himself next to Suki. She rolls her eyes.

After a short walk, the group nears the large boulder obstructing the entrance to the camp. Bumi pushes it back into the earth and ushers the newcomers inside. "Well, here we are. Welcome to old people camp."

"Where...where is he?" From behind, she sees Zuko shifting to survey the camp.

Master Piandao points to Iroh's tent. "Your uncle's in there, Prince Zuko."

For the third time that night, Katara's face freezes in surprise. Prince Zuko? Iroh's nephew? The Fire Lord's son? Her face turns into a look of disbelief as Zuko walks ahead of the others. What exactly can the Fire Lord's son be doing with the Avatar?

"You two look confused." Suki giggles at Sokka, who must have a twin expression on his face.

"Oh, well, you know—I guess I'm just...surprised that the heir to the Fire Nation throne has teamed up with the Avatar." Sokka's voice cracks.

"Yeah, we were too. But he's proven himself. He wants this war to end as much as anybody, and for the right reasons." When Sokka still doesn't seem convinced, she puts a friendly hand on his shoulder. "There's nothing to worry about."

Katara quirks a brow at the deep blush penetrating Sokka's dark complexion, which he tries to play off by scrunching his face and blowing air through pursed lips. "Psshh. Me? Worry? You got the wrong guy."

"That's good, then." Suki doesn't seem fooled, just mildly entertained. "So, how'd you guys end up here?"

Sokka leads her off in another direction, launching into a story that only began a month ago but is one he's sure to drag out. Katara shakes her head in exasperation, and is just about to follow Toph and the other masters when she remembers the stew she left over the fire outside her tent. It should be ready by now, if not slightly overcooked. She hurries to it.

Once she's doused the fire and has taken a bowl for herself, she makes her way through the camp, anxious to find the others and hear the inevitably interesting discussion that's sure to follow. She stops in her tracks when she sees Zuko sitting on his knees outside Iroh's tent, looking...forlorn. Her brow furrows in concern. Out of natural instinct, she walks up to him.

"Are...you alright, Prince Zuko?" She cringes at her use of the formal title. "If you'd like, I can get you some soup. I burnt it, but...it tastes fine."

He looks up at her in surprise, taken aback by her sudden presence. "Oh, um, Zuko. Zuko's fine."

"Right. Sorry."

There's awkward silence for a few seconds, and she debates backing away to give him space, until he says, "I'm alright. Just nervous, I guess."

"Nervous to see your uncle?" Is she overstepping boundaries here? She really hopes not.

His eyes slide down to the ground, shoulders sagging under some invisible weight. "I've let him down many times, and I've made a lot of mistakes when it comes to him. The last thing I deserve is his forgiveness," He closes his eyes. "But I guess it's what I'm here for."

Without a thought she sits down on her knees next to him, cradling her soup in her lap. "You and him were close."

"Yeah. He loved me and supported me in every way in could, and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?" His eyes widen and he looks at her. "That wasn't directed at you. Just thinking out loud."

"You're sorry for what you did, right?"

Zuko nods, his long hair shifting. "More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life."

"I haven't known your uncle for that long, but from what I do know, he'll forgive you. He will." She offers him a hesitant smile. Zuko stands and bows, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Katara." Pulling back the flap from Iroh's tent, he disappears inside.

Later, Katara closes her eyes in the safety of her tent, pulling her sleeping bag over her body. Tomorrow is the big day, she thinks with some trepidation. If the masters are right, and these new guests are the "opportunity" mentioned before, then she doesn't know what the future holds. Either way, she's ready for it.

The next morning finds them sitting in a small circle, eating hot noodles and tea for breakfast. Her eyes shift from Zuko to Suki to Toph and back again, searching for answers in their faces. Answers to what, she doesn't even know. She feels like she knows these people already, or at the very least, has seen them before. It's disconcerting, but for the most part she's simply confused by it.

Having breakfast with them wasn't even planned, really. Sitting with kids their own age seemed kind of natural, and Sokka dragged Katara along so he could plop right next to Suki without raising suspicion. That boat's already sailed, brother.

Iroh sits at the head of their little circle, talking to his nephew. Katara's glad things worked out; she senses much love and respect between them, years of history. Almost a father-son dynamic.

Despite the brightness of the sky and the overall calm attitude throughout the camp, there is no doubt uneasiness. While the Fire Lord is Avatar Aang's fight, important victories lie in the hands of everyone here.

It's only when Zuko brings up the subject of Aang's disappearance to his uncle that Katara realizes how dire the situation may be.

"The Avatar just disappeared? And you don't know where he is?" Sokka seems mildly annoyed. "Do you guys even have the slightest clue what you're doing?"

"Sokka!" Katara whacks his arm.

Toph takes a giant bite out of an apple. "At first we thought he was on one of his mystical-Avatar-spirit journeys. But we couldn't even find his body, and there were footprints leading into the ocean. And to answer your question, no. Most of the time we wing it."

"Now is not the time to wing it!" Sokka's voice rises in pitch.

Zuko turns back to Iroh, earnest. "Uncle, you're the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord."

"You mean the Fire Lord." Toph points her chopsticks at him.

"That's what I just said."

Iroh merely offers a doubtful hum, his eyes closed in contemplation. Zuko leans forward in impatience. Katara guesses patience isn't one of the Fire Prince's strong suits. "We need you to come with us."

Iroh finally opens his eyes, his voice low. "No, Zuko. It won't turn out well."

"You can beat him. And we'll be there to help." Zuko's eyes drift around the circle, not just to Toph and Suki, but to Katara and her brother, too. Katara wonders if he's serious in including them or just being courteous.

Iroh continues, "Even if I did defeat Ozai—and I don't know that I could—it would be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord."

Katara both agrees and disagrees with this. The Fire Lord is the Avatar's destiny, and ideally, Aang should be the one to defeat him. But what if there are no other options? Wouldn't ending the war through any means necessary be worth it, despite possible future transgressions?

"And then...then would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko looks at Iroh hopefully. The way a son would look at his father.

"No. Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart, and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko."

Zuko's eyes widen. "Unquestionable honor? But I've made so many mistakes."

"Yes, you have. You've struggled, you've suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You restored your own honor, and only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation."

His eyes seem lighter when they look at the ground. "I'll try, Uncle."

Toph leans forward. "Well—what if Aang doesn't come back?"

"Sozin's Comet is arriving, and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again."

Just like that, everything clicks into place for Katara. Why and what she's doing here becoming clear as day, the concept of destiny fresh and vivid, like discovering a new color. Which is why when Zuko asks her to help him take down his sister Azula at the Fire Nation capital, she accepts the invitation. She's about to ask if her brother can join them when Sokka suggests that Suki and Toph try to intercept the airship fleet heading for the Earth Kingdom. Suki asks him if he could come with, and she's never seen her brother look so proud.

After breakfast, Katara says goodbye to Pakku, boarding the giant skybison (whose name is Appa) with Zuko's help. Her brother boards Piandao's eel hound, Suki and Toph behind him.

"Goodbye, General Iroh." She nods to him.

"Goodbye, everyone. Today...Destiny is our friend. I know it."

A/N: Tons of dialogue taken from the finale and shoved into the story kind of awkwardly. Lots of pausing and playing and pausing to get all of it right. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review!