Luke

I hated it when she was right.

I hated that it had come to that point.

The last few weeks, and I don't think I had ever been so scared before. Why am I scared? I had never seen so many of us gathered together. 314 Earth Kingdom soldiers, 219 Nip Sea Separatists, and 798 Revanchist Water Tribals, 267 of which were benders. Thirteen hundred soldiers, two Earth Kingdom warships, a Fire Nation destroyer, the advantage of the terrain, hundreds of benders, and the night itself granting those benders the strength they would need.

We had the advantage. Every advantage we could hope for. Well, all except for sheer number. But, save that, we were in the best position we could be. We would attack from different points, surround the enemy, divert their attention, seize control. It was a sound plan.

So why did none of it feel right?

"Why am I scared?"

"You are afraid for your friends?"

"Of course I am!"

It was a dream, I knew. No, not a dream.

The world around me, unlike anything of Earth. It would only be for the night I knew, that of the Summer Solstice, but still, I could not deny that the Spirit World was beautiful.

Her image, ethereal, nothing human about her, hovered above, looking down on me. How appropriate.

"Why are you here?"

Damnit. Really going to make me say it? "I'm here because I want to protect my friends. I'm here because I need your help!"

"What kind of help do you expect from me? I cannot grant you powers, cannot strengthen you. I can only grant you wisdom."

"Okay. Fine. Then grant me wisdom, damnit. I'll take whatever I can get."

"Then you must understand that you possess a duty to the world. What you do now will help to bring balance back to the world, but you must also understand that those who seek to rid balance from the world also are hard at work, and they will oppose you."

"So your wisdom is that I've going to face opposition tomorrow. Wow. Wonderful. Thank you."

"I am not talking about the enemies of your physical realm, but those within you. Everyday, you face a choice, as does everyone, and the choices they make, that you make, they bring the world either closer to or further from balance."

"So what you're saying is that people make choices that are either good or bad. You truly are a font of wisdom, Raava."

She was not done speaking, however, and seemed intent to continue even following my brief interruption. "You, however, you still seem unaware of your importance. The choices you make tomorrow will have consequences. On yourself, the world, and your friends."

"My friends, good, there. How do I help them?"

"You cannot save everybody. Tomorrow, you will make choices between what you know to be right and what to be wrong. You must not allow the consequences of your decisions to break you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"What happens tomorrow will set you on a new path. You may not like it, but it will bring you closer to your destiny."

"Would you like to say what that destiny is, Raava? And don't you dare fucking say to bring balance to the world."

Raava did not speak. She only turned, facing the expanse of the spirit world around her. "The spirit world," she said instead. "It is peaceful, is it not?"

"Yeah, sure," I shrugged. "I guess. Never exactly had much of a chance to look around, but sure, here it looks mighty fine."

"There is no conflict in this world. No war, no hatred, no petty rivalries. We have achieved a state of peace that mankind only knows in brief intervals, the time between them ridden with conflict."

"That's who we are," I shrugged.

"What if it did not have to be? What if balance could be achieved?"

"Through more conflict? Sure, then that balance will be broken, and there will be more conflict, and so on."

"That need not be the case. Nearly 10 thousand years ago, a mistake was made, one that doomed your physical realm to continue this cycle of war and brief peace. The time for change quickly approaches, and the choices you make can be what is needed to set the world on the proper path once again."

"This…path. It will help me protect those I care about?"

"Balance in the world, it will protect everyone."

Always the same bullshit. Restoring balance. "Who the hell do you think I am?"

"You will see." I could feel it fading around me. The world itself as I slunk back into reality. Another worthless visit. What the hell had I been expecting?

"Another bad dream?" I voice asked to my side, one far more grounded in the truth of the world. Zare. "Were cursing quite a lot again."

"Yeah," I admitted. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Don't be," Zek responded to my other side. "Need all the rest we can get."

The waves moved beneath us, the hull of the Earth Kingdom warship all that separated us and the sea. Hundreds of men aboard, all en route to the end of it all. It's coming.

We boarded that morning, en entire task force of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe vessels put together with the Patriot offering support from the rear. The Patriot would not be deploying troops, but guarding our rear, which I suppose was the reason I was not aboard it as I would have much preferred.

Rather, our ground forces were divided between the 2 warships, no shortage of waterbending naval forces aboard their individual skiffs that had been retrofitted to serve on the open sea rather than the condensed swamp.

Our naval spearhead was already in formation. It was here.

The last 2 weeks, all we could have done to prepare for this.

The day we had arrived back to the Separatist encampment, the leaders of the Earth Kingdom Forces, the Separatists, and the Revanchist Tribe had put together a plan, and, eventually, in spite of some small disagreement, we had formed a plan.

It would be a combined effort, every ounce of our strength and power behind the assault.

Perhaps that was precisely what concerned me. What terrified me. It was all or nothing. If this failed, if we failed, it would mean everything on the line.

But we won't fail. We have the advantage. We've done everything we can. So why do I still feel this way?

Her words still hung in my head. Consequences, that word above all others. What consequences?

I had gone in there to try and receive reassurance, to try and learn what I would have to do, but all I got were the same cryptic answers.

What were you expecting, Luke?

I suppose I shouldn't have been seeking anything else. I knew the way the game was played, knew what to expect, but notwithstanding, nothing had been done to make me feel better.

Caravans raided, trade routes established, troops amassed, plans drawn, everything we could do had been done. This was the most ready we would ever be for this, and yet, it felt as though we had no idea what to expect.

I understood how attacking was our only option for victory?

But what is victory if none are alive to see it?

I tried pushing the thoughts aside. Worrying about it now would get me nowhere. This was happening. In only a matter of minutes, we would be enterring their lines of fire. The sun had ceased entering the hull from above around half an hour ago. Night was nearly upon us.

In a matter of minutes, the way would begin.

One way or another, things would end here. For better or worse.

Her words still clouded my mind.I did not know what to expect, what to see coming, but I suppose it made little difference. We would do what needed to be done here.

Today, we end this fight.