Crossing Worlds (Avatar: A Fanfiction)

Chapter 16: And I Come Alive Again

I frown a little. "You're right. People would think I'm crazy."

"You probably are."

I punch his arm lightly.

"So anyway, that means you chose to be reborn on Earth, as me? After you died?" I ask. There are other dimensions? Other worlds we can choose to live in? I have to repeat these facts to myself to remind me that they are true.

The man shakes his head, his eyes lighting up. "Mmm...not really. You see, I chose to be reborn in some other place, a place where the world is divided into four nations, and where people can bend the elements."

I freeze. He...we can choose to be reborn in...that means he chose-

"The Avatar World?" I whisper.

"Yup." He grins.

"Oh." I stand up straight, suddenly feeling breathless. "Oh, my lord. And to think... Wow. And people on Earth made a story about the Avatar World, thinking its all fiction, when in fact it is all real...my God."

The man nods seriously. "Everything was in the brochures. Every kind of World. Only those I deserved, of course."

There's something about his answer that tickles my mind...a question I need the answer to...

"Who were you?" I blurt. "Who are you?" Only now does it occur to me that I have no idea who this person I've been hanging out with is.

He chuckles mysteriously. "In this current form, my name's Robert. I was a single man on Earth. I was rather rich, because of the economy bloom during the time I was born. Actually," Robert continues, scratching his chin. "I can't even remember when I was born...doesn't matter. Anyway, when my time was up, I decided to be reborn into the Avatar world. And I was born as aghijbumfl!"

"Excuse me?"

Robert looks to be in physical discomfort as he tries to unfurl his tongue. When he finally does, he gasps, "Sorry, I- I can't tell!"

"But what do you mean, 'you can't tell'?" I stare at him incredulously.

Robert scratches his head and shrugs. He seems to be recovering from the initial shock. "This must be the work of Fate," he mutters.

I lean in closer to hear what he's talking about. Fate? Did I hear him right? Robert sees me staring. "What?"

"Work of Fate? Are you kidding me?"

"Fate is a real, sentient being, Luna. no," he says when I raise my eyebrow, "I'm not lying. I've seen her in passing, once. From what I've heard, she's rather...eccentric."

"You mean she's weird."

"I did not say that."

"It's alright, I won't tell her," I pat his arm sympathetically.

"What makes you think you will see her? Or even get the chance to talk to her?" Robert challenges, his cheeks lightly pink.

"Gut feeling," I reply, patting said gut.

Robert laughs. "Fine. But don't be disappointed if you don't get to see her. I mean, she has billions of billions of lives to control, after all. To say she's a busy being would be an understatement of an understatement."

"Then I must be really special for her to send specifically me back into the Avatar world. Because I really love it."

Robert shrugs. "Ah, the workings of her Almighty's mind. One can never know."

I rock on the balls of my feet slightly, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that we're having a conversation about a being named Fate and that we're having a conversation about it.