change of fate

The Dancing light

Lol, super sorry you guys my dad died :/
New Chapter!

She hears it, in the distance.
The crunch of snow always somewhere behind her as she pushes forward. The huffs of breath, harsh and fast, like it already knows what she taste like and it wants to finish it's meal.
In front of her, behind her, up, down, it makes no difference to her. All she can see is white, not even her hand infront of her face. She can't tell if the howling in her ears is the beast, the wind, or her own blood rushing.

'Katara' the wind says quietly at first. Then louder, 'Katara!'

A symphony of wailing desperate voices, surrounds her. More and more voices join the rising chorus. Katara falls to her knees, her scream unrecognizable from the rest. Her frostbitten fingers cover her ears, her hands and ears both so numb she can barley feel the contact.

The voices didn't stop. Beating down on her from every direction, echoing in her head.

Then silence.
Silence so loud that she had to look to be sure of it.
Then a light.
A beam of light so brilliant and pure that the blizzard cleared as it shot up from the ground only paces in front of her. Katara threw herself back and watched in terrified awe.

Just as quick as the light had shown it disappeared.

A boy no older than 13 stood where the beam had been. Dressed in yellow and decorated with arrow tattoos on his hands and shaven head.
He frowned and turned in a circle, surveying the landscape with confusion. When his gaze found Katara he jumped before his frown deepened with worry.

'Are you okay?' He said stepping closer to her, hand out like he was comforting a cornered animal. 'You're not hurt are you?' He took another step

A knock at her door woke her abruptly. Katara's heart beat already rapidly calming. Who was that boy? What was that light?
Sometimes instead of sending her to sleep dreamlessly, Iroh's herbal tea concocted bizarre and vivid dreams. But never that. She shuddered trying to remember the thing that had pursued her.
Another knock, the clang of metal impatient.

'What?' She barked as she threw the think covers and furs off of her, storming to open the door.

'Something is happening above deck, Zuko requests you immediately.' Came the urgent voice from inside the armored face plate.

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The arctic air was bitting as Katara stepped out onto the main deck in little more than her dressing gown.

The men where all turned the same direction, their heads bent toward the sky. A beam of light shot out from the ice into the heavens above. It must have been miles away but the brilliant white blue glow was still blinding. The glow was sickeningly familiar and there was a stabbing feeling in her gut.

Katara can barley rip her eyes away from the colum.

Across the deck Zuko stood stock still, his face turned up toward the sky. The beam reflected an harsh blue on his face that cast him in a sickly pale hue. The planes of his face hungry and intense. Iroh was next to him looking between the boy prince and the light. As Katara got closer she could see the strain in Zuko's posture, the tightness of his hands on the rail.

'This is it Uncle! What we've been waiting for!' Zuko says feverishly.

Iroh's is much less enthusiastic, hesitant even as his eyes dart from Katara back to Zuko. 'We do not know for certain what this is nephew. This might be nothing at all.'

'What would it be if not the Avatar!' Zuko insists. The light finally fading on the horizon. He finally turns and seems Katara. "What would you call that? The Aroras? In the middle of the day? No that's him!" He urges her to agree.

Katara remembers her dream with an uneasy churn in her stomach, and the boy with the tattoo's that stepped out of that light in it. She bites her tongue on the matter, not keen of Zuko's frenzied zeal.

'Whatever that thing is it's miles away
And far too deep into the ice fields to maneuver the ship.' Katara observes coming to the rail in the space that they make for her.

They both turn to face the frigid water. The look in Zuko's eyes is a determination that she'd seen many a time on this ship. The youth had been shaved off his face the past years in favor of sharp lines of manhood. The zealous blaze in his eyes far too close Ozai's own madness filled one.
He wants this to be it. Needs this to be it. To finally be done scouring the globe for a myth. To go home to his life and legacy before the world forgets of the little banished prince. He refuses to open that part to her but she sees it.

"Then we'll search in smaller parties!" Zuko reasons. 'Take the landing vessels into the ice and search from there. We'll scour the entire ice sheet if we have to, he's here."

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The Captain informs them that under no circumstances save the inevitable sinking of their vessel would he put the crew in that kind of peril.

"These waters haven't been safe in years! You want to damn every man on this ship boy?" The Captain bellows, red-faced. Half leaning half lunging over the map in the center of the room. Katara might have felt alarmed was it not for Zuko. Who himself was ready to jump across the table as well. A vein bulging at his unscathed temple.

"You will do as you are bid! Every man do as he is bid or he will be found in Mutiny!" Zuko threatens, knuckle white with exertion from gripping the table.

Captain Genji bristles and rears back ready to defend his honor. This is where Katara jumps in hands raised to either man's chest.

"Zuko, you should show more respect to you acting Captain of the last five years." Katara starts to diffuse the rage of the Old bull, Zuko in turn bristles at the side she chose.
"Captain Genji, you are an honorable man and we understand and respect you guidance. Now if you will excuse me might we have the room?"