"Crossroads from Destiny" (ᴀᴍᴏɴxʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ)

Ⅰ ; "conflicted"

Previously on another book..

"..I think our daughter might be the next Avatar.."

"..You're the one for not noticing this power, how is it that you didn't notice after all this years?.."

"..you have bending that has only been seen by the last Avatar.."

"..I'm.. an airbender?"

•

Years ago..

After the days turned into weeks, the conflicted feelings within her didn't stop one bit. Everything was strange now, working, feeding her pet, even talking to Katara normally was conflicting now that she was.. well, a bender. It's not like anything physically happaned.. it's just so sudden. Why her? So many people would've loved this blessing, not her. Being a bender was anything that she didn't want, and it brought.. difficult, memories.
Even right now, playing with Momo didn't raise her mood, and the townsfolk could tell she was down, which is unusual to see.

This even caught Katara's attention, whom approached her slowly and gently taps her shoulder, startling the (H/C) girl.
—"Ah—! Ka— Katara! I'm so sorry.. I should've been on the grocery store by now..!"

(Y/N) quickly tried walking away, only to be stopped by the elderly lady by a tug on her coat.

—"(Y/N).. dear, what's wrong? Everyone in town is worried about you. Your mood has even upset Momo.." she pointed out, causing the girl to look away shamefully.

—"I'm sorry, Katara.. I-I just.. been thinking a lot. About.."
She tried thinking a quick excuse, but this one was something she was curious about for a while.
—"I've wanted to.. travel. Travel the world and be famous somewhere. I-I know it sounds ridiculous but—" she was quickly interrupted by Katara's giggling, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

—"That's why you've been so sad lately? You could've said so, dear. I was an Avatar's wife after all." She stated the obvious, now leading the girl somewhere else while Momo looked over confused and followed them.

Katara led the girl to the small library in her home, pulling out some small books and placed them on (Y/N)'s arms.

—"This is to help you understand the world better. If you're going out, you'll have to understand how each nations is and how it runs now. Each one has their own set rules, how you should behave and many more.. also, this one is to understand any benders you might be forced to fight."
She handed a pretty massive book, weighing the poor girl down and the lady simply smiled innocently.

—"If you've understood it all, meet me in a few days.. I'll ask you anything to see if you're prepared now. And also, my son and his family will arrive soon." She says happily, in which both of them smiled.. although, (Y/N) was dreading it.
—"It'll be an honor to meet him in person, I've never seen any of your children.. but anyways, I better study now tho! Hahaha.." her laugh slowly quiets, now quickly dashing with the heavy books on hand, confusing Katara a bit.

꧁꧂

Momo followed behind her now, finally arriving in her own room and placed the books on a nearby table.
—"Momo! What will I do?! I-I can't simply face them like nothing happened! Or I'm I overthinking this? They can't know I'm a bender.." a frustrated groan came out of her "Ugh, why is this so complicated?!" She was tired of this, until her eyes set on the book and quickly opened it. The book was "How to recognize a Bender from a Non-Bender" which was convenient for her.
—"Oh.. so they can't tell unless I do it or.. if their a waterbender? Why?" Then her eyes set on a dark and red page near the watebending side, quickly opening it to see the word "Bloodbending" in it, creeping her out.

—"B-Bloodbending? I thought Water was a healing element.. actually, doesn't healing technically uses the veins to pump up the healing? .. nevermind." She sighed, all this bending business was way too much for her. Although.. she wondered, are their still bloodbending users now? Who are hiding? She knew Katara did it once to fight, even tried asking her further but the older women refused each time.

Actually, the words bloodbending brought a thought from her childhood.. or, well, it was a rumor. On how one of them was a hidden blood bender who tried living a normal life, get married and have children.. before he started forcing his kids to do it as well.
The worst part? She was friends with those mentioned in the rumor..

But, where they still friends? It's been forever since she left her home to join Katara. Would her friend be angry at her?
Even with these insecurities sprouting inside of her, (Y/N) remembered the half lie she told Katara, traveling. Traveling towards the mountains of the earth nation, through the organized and chaotic fire nation.. and especially to visit Republic City! It was her dream to go there ever since she's heard of it.

—"Focus, (Y/N)! You'll decide after meeting Katara's family.. perhaps they'll tell me about the City. Will I like it? I wouldn't know.. although.." she looked down at her hands, closing her eyes and took a deep breath. Seems she was trying to summon her powers, no matter if it was small or big.. she needed to confirm if she really had Airbending, or her pet poisoned her accidentally to cause such hallucinations.

Not even seconds later, her hands created a big gust of air in her hand, a gasp had abrupt her sudden power.
—"Ah..! So, I wasn't dreaming after all. I really am an airbender? Can people really be late bloomers like these..?" So many questions, yet no one to ask about. Why not ask the late Avatars own son about it? She was afraid. Afraid to be judged and casted away, even if she knew Katara would never do that. Yet, she also didn't want expect the most gentle and motherly women to have been a brutal waterbender and bloodbender.

For now, (Y/N) will keep it for herself. It has to be her secret to protect herself and the family. Besides, if she has been a girl without powers since she was born, what difference does it make if she simply ignore the bending? A normal job, a normal life on the city, with no worries of her powers.

Before (Y/N) would decide to rest and get ready for tomorrow, she went outside to grab a book well-kept in her living room, the history of the Airbenders, told from Aang himself. Some details will be lose and hypothetical, considering this came from his own memory and others nations information, but it's better than being clueless of her potential lineage with the dead nation.

—"Oh, are you learning about the Air Nation? I didn't know you were interested." Katara says with a small smile, startling the (H/C) for who knows how many times. She huffed, holding the book on her hands.
—"I've always heard stories of it.. so, yeah, I want to know more than the depressing topic of their deaths and Aangs hope.." she mumbled the last part, but Katara understood. Even if still mourning her late husband, she knew there where moments to stop dealing with the past and focus on what you can bring to the future. Katara can't do much from where she lives now, but being a role model for past waterbenders, who have now become her citizens and warriors, satisfied—no, relieved her.

—"Well.. seems it's a bit late to read, no? Look at the sun." Katara points out, which made (Y/N) blush in embarrassment at how fast the time passed.
After a bit of chit-chatting, the two ladies bowed respectfully and headed their own ways, their rooms. (Y/N) still held questions to Katara, and she knows the old women knows as well.. but she'll let it pass for now.

—"Life is complicated, isn't it, Momo? I wish I could be you. No thoughts, and endlessly catch my pray with little to no worries.." she sighed, "And I think I'm going insane staying here, I don't really have any other friends in here.. what should I do?" She asked Momo, who was already laying on her bed with a confused look.
—" Nevermind.. good night." She mumbled, laying down at long last,

꧁꧂

Just as (Y/N) seemed to wake up from her never needing confines of her bed, she could hear the sound that's barely heard in this place, a noise she was fearing.

The arrival of a flying bison and the arrival of the only airbending family in the world.