With everyone getting the last preparations done for their takeoff in the morning, Katara went down to the docking system to think about what her next step in this journey would be. Everyone was working hard to get the boat or themselves ready. Nami was mapping out the island, chopper was sorting some new herbs he found, Robin was reading some new books she bought on the history of this island. Franky was cataloguing cola barrels. Yet here she was, doing nothing in preparation for their departure.
What did she want to do anyway? She definitely wanted to get back home. To see Aang again. Sokka. Toph. Her family. Her friends.
She missed them. But unlike those quiet nights alone in the dark with her thoughts and foreign noises, she found herself at peace with where she was. This new experience wasn't bad at all. She did (at least she thought) help win the war by fighting Azula. So it's not like this switch did any detrimental damadge to her previous goal of helping Aang defeat the firelord.
Swishing her feet in the water of the docks opening, she sighed, looking up at the slowly setting sun.
She did manage to find joy here. The sea felt nice and there were all sorts of new adventures to have. She could feel it.
This spark of mystery garnished her spirit for more. She liked it here. Everyone was caring to her. Some even a bit sassy like sokka. She lied down, letting her mind drift to the days events and how nice the environment was. The salty breeze. The odd but comforting warmth of the wood below her. The way the water made her skin tingle with a chill.
The next that were to happen was similar to the sensation she would have when she felt a body of water nearby. But something was different. It felt more... powerful?
Looking toward the presence, she saw a large purple being that looked like a different breed of sea king than what she encountered earlier. "Woah!" She pulled her feet out of the water, backing up from the giant, and it's seemingly translucent form.
"What are you?" She wondered aloud, noticing how it's long body it phased through the sides of the ship.
"I am the sea." The voice called.
Katara raised a brow at the declaration, clearly not amused.
"The spirit of the sea." It added.
"A spirit." Katara gasped. She was familiar with spirits but what she couldn't understand was why it was here. Most spirits only ever show themselves when something's wrong. Like that one forest spirit that attacked a town because of the deforestation the fire nation did nearby. "Is something the matter?"
The spirit smiled and chortled, "I see I chose well. Very quick to help others."
"Chose well? You.. chose me for something?" She never would have thought of herself as someone of importance like that. That role was always for Aang. The avatar. Peace keeper. Bridge between worlds. She was just Katara of the southern water tribe.
"Of course. You have a natural sense of duty and miraculous healing abilities. You're able to sway the hearts of hundreds and bring strength back to your community though your strong spirit. I've seen you do it countless times." It paused, gauging how well she was taking everything. Dissimilar to Aang, whom he talked to earlier, she was quick to follow. "I am in need of help. My seas have been struggling with hatred and bloodshed. Many years ago I became angry and vengeful towards people and other greedy creatures of the sort."
She understood the dilemma, finding alikeness in her own world to their story, "What could I do? I'm not the avatar." She couldn't help but ask.
"You miss the point, young one. You may have a long way to go before you think it's true. But I believe, you will save this sea."
Katara nodded quietly to the spirit. It was a lot to take in, and she wasn't exactly sure of herself, but if the spirit of the sea believed in her abilities, the least she could do was try.
"Thank you young one. I am forever in your debt."
Katara pondered for a moment. There was something that just wasn't right about this whole thing. "Hey, spirit?"
"Yes?"
"When you say you chose me... Does that mean you're the one who took Azula and I here?"
"Indeed I am. Your world has not been kind to her, so I brought her over here for a fresh start. I know that such a strong spirit will do well here"
"But spirit, how can you expect me to help you when you took me from my home? From my family??" She stood up with frustration, looking them in the eye.
"I gave you kind people to help you help me. I helped you win the war by getting rid of azula."
Katara waved her hands in the air, pleading, "What about Zuko! He took a lightning bolt for me!" She never even thought back to that moment. Everything happened all so fast and now she felt incredibly guilty, "I don't even know if he's dead or alive! If I was there, I could have healed him!" She cried. "What about Aang?! I love him! We were supposed to live in peace together and you took that away from us!"
"Katara!" Their voice bellowed with command, quieting the worried girl, "Your people are okay. Zuko is recovering smoothly and has become the fire lord. Aang is strengthening his spirit to make the journey across the cosmos to see you. I already talked to him once."
"Are you sure?! Is he okay?! Is he mad that I'm gone?"
The spirit heartily laughed, "He was furious! But eventually he heard my story and accepted that just like himself, you were chosen to bring peace to a world."
Now calming down at the reassurance, she asked, for clarification. "So he's okay with all of this?"
"A little frustrated but yes."
"I know it is a lot to ask if you to heal my spirit. But you are not alone in this crusade. The legend of D holds true. They will take this world by storm and change everything. Rascals and rebels, they all are. Especially with the devil fruits I placed upon the land that regrettably helped make them more rambunctious. It is prime time to even the tides, a calm spiritual healer will be best fit. Not only will your abilities heal the destruction around them, but could also help weaken the other devil fruit users that are fighting against our cause."
"You made devilfruits?" Katara asked astonished, more interested in understanding the mysteries since she was now compelled to help the sea. "Does that mean you can still edit them?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like giving them the ability to swim again."
"Oh? Who do you have in mind?"
"The people in the crew. From what I've seen, they're all good people. You even talked about them positively and put me here with them on purpose."
"I'm not too sure."
"How am I supposed to heal you when my friends are still being affected by your wrath? Dosent that seem unfair?"
"I see what you mean. I will watch over them to see if they are worthy of my grace. I am strongest in the calm belt and able to manifest outside of the spiritual plane there. This is where we will meet for the transaction."
"The calm belt. Got it."
"Now hurry along back to your body, someone's looking for you."
"My body?" Katara looked down where they were gesturing. Sure enough her body was there breathing calmly as if asleep. She looked back at her hands and legs, now realizing that she too was also translucent. Was she really in the spirit realm?
"Yo, little lady! Dinner is ready, let's go eat before it's cold." Franky shouted, opening the door to the docking system, last seeing Katara down here.
Her body lie quietly on the floor, feet submurged in the water and a chill wind flowing in from the now-evening sky.
"Hellooo?" Franky walked in, not loving the lack of response.
"How do I do this?" Katara asked herself as she looked at franky and then down back at her body. "Aang never told me how he did this??" She looked back to the water, expecting to see the spirit, but found that they were gone.
Franky bent down and nudged her gently with his oversized pinky. "Wake up, aren't you hungry?"
He looked over at her legs which were now turning a hue of purple from being in the cold water for so long. "Katara?" Franky asked now worried. He extended his smaller, yellow painted hands and picked up her legs and carefully set them outside of the frigid water. "This isn't super..."
'There's no way she's dead, I can see her breathing. What the hell is going onnnn??' He internally sobbed to himself.
Katara stumbled over herself with no great ideas, "Do I just walk in? How did I get in the spirit realm anyway?" She tried stepping into her body, but it was snatched up into the cyborgs hands.
"Chopper!! Something's wrong with Katara!!" Franky cried, walking towards the stairs trying to be careful with the frail body and also fit into the doorway.
"Spirits, come on!" Katara groaned and ran on over and jumped at the cyborg, not entirely expecting her spirit to phase through him and go back inside his body. Adjusting back into her physical sences was like a flick of a switch. Her eyes shot open and she breathed in deeply. First she moved her fingers and next her wrists and neck. Everything was in order except for the tingling sensation in her legs.
"Oh thank god you're awake. What happened? Why were your feet in the water??" Franky quickly asked, still on his way to the infirmary.
"I'm okay, don't worry. I kinda fell asleep?"
"There is no way you fell asleep in that water."
"I used to live in the South Pole. A winter climate."
"Okay fair but your still weird and getting a checkup with the doc."
"Yeah I can't feel my legs."
"That's not super."
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