In a quiet part of the sea, Katara was being led to her grotto by Suki and Toph. They kept ahead of her and would constantly giggle. Whenever Katara asked then why they were taking her there, they would immediately shut up, as if she wasn't there.
It was fortunate that Katara had been cheered up earlier that day, because if she was still in that rotten mood she would have stopped right there and gone back in frustration. The song had raised her spirits enough to be patient with Toph and Suki, even if the wait was aggravating.
When they reached the grotto, Katara opened the door with her waterbending and was led inside by Toph and Suki. They asked her to close her eyes as they approached the grotto and Katara reluctantly did so. Her patience was starting to wear thin as the magical effects of the song were echoing out of her ears.
"Ok Katara," whispered Suki. "You can open them now!"
Katara raised her lids slowly; everything was slightly blurred, but nothing seemed out of place. Then something caught her eyes; something new to her collection. It started as a faint blob of grey, but slowly started to gain definition. Fine details revealed themselves, and shades started to edge out. That's when Katara recognized it: the statue of Zuko from the other night!
Katara's eyelids jumped open in shock, and her jaw seemed to fall with a clank. She had never expected to see the statue again, but it was right there!
Suki and Toph swam before her and cheered to the top of their lungs. "Surprise Katara!"
Katara was left almost speechless if not breathless; the words were nearly lost to her tongue. "I-I, I don't know what to say guys!"
"Well you can say, "thank you Suki", she's the one who found the thing! I just brought it here." Toph stretched her hand to Suki and smiled at the blushing mermaid.
Katara turned her head to both of them slowly before fixing her gaze upon the statue. Every feature, every detail of Zuko was carved to near perfection. Everything that was lovely about him was there, all except for one thing.
She swam up to the statue and got a closer look at its face. It was stern as stone with confidence and determination. That wasn't the Zuko, Katara had adored though.
While this Zuko looked handsome and courageous, he didn't seem like the frightened child Katara remembered. Indeed, this Zuko seemed to resemble a general leading his troops to victory, not the trapped dreamer that Katara had engraved into her mind.
Despite this disappointing factor, Katara couldn't help but feel... touched. It was almost as if something had awoken inside her, a feeling of guilt and longing combined to make an alien emotion that Katara couldn't trace.
Katara slowly turned her head to Suki and Toph, their faces still beaming with joy.
That's when it hit Katara; all this time since the passing of the storm, her friends had been by her side, while she had been sulking away into nothingness. She kept unaware of their toils and suffering, and only focused on herself and her selfish wants. Every attempt they made to make her happy, Katara would blindly snuff away; unwilling to accept the joy she felt, just because she believed that she could never be with Zuko.
Then this happened. Her best friends went to unknown leagues to find a human object to cheer her up, and brought back one of the most important ones.
Katara looked around her grotto and saw that it had changed; there were many new objects that she hadn't seen before. Katara's friends had gone for those too, all for her sake.
What seemed like an impossible dream before had started to seem more and more realistic as Katara looked around the grotto at every new object.
Katara's face slowly began to beam with joy. Her dream hadn't left her at all; it was still there all the time, but she had been so blind before that she was unable to see it. So long as her friends were there, nothing was impossible. They would be by her side at all times, and help her in any way they could.
Then Katara thought of Zuko, and those loving eyes which seemed nearer than ever before. He would always be there, in that kingdom by the sea, and nothing, fins or no fins would change that.
So even if Katara could never be with him, she knew that he would be there, and that she could still watch him grow and mature. As for Katara, she would always have her friends by her side, sharing her laughter and her pain. It was Katara's duty to them, and herself, to continue to smile and be happy, so they could be happy with her.
She turned her head to the little hole at the top of her grotto and noticed that the sky had darkened, and a pale moon was shining through the water.
Then Katara turned herself to Toph and Suki, and gave a huge smile, the biggest she let out in weeks. All emotions flushed out of her as Katara swam to her friends and hugged them. "Oh, thank you guys... this really means a lot to me..."
They were silent for a moment before simultaneously whispering, "You're welcome Katara..."
All was silent for a while; the humming waves rippled through the grotto walls like billowing wind on a hot spring day.
The silence was then broken by the sounds of Katara's laughter, followed by Toph's and Suki's.
It started in low, then it started to grow, and in a short while, the entire grotto, nay, the entire valley echoed with their bellowing laughter. Their joy seemed almost uncontrollable as they just laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
Soon the laughing stopped, and the girls fell silent again, but they stilled smiled at one another.
Katara looked to Suki and Toph and placed a hand over their shoulders. "...Guys, I really want you to know how happy this made me; thank you so much!" They both smiled as Katara continued to speak.
"I also want you guys to know tha-mother!"
And like a flash, the joy stopped, and was replaced with shock and distress!
There she was, Katara's mother, floating in the shadows of the entrance to the grotto. Her mouth was hanging wide open, and her eyes were turning to every nook and cranny. She was holding her trident so tightly, that one could see her veins press to her skin.
Beside Katara's was Match, staring at her with great intent. His head seemed locked on her every move, but still paying attention to what was around it.
The sight that caught Katara's attention though, was her brother and Lan slinking behind her mother. They kept their heads down and fiddled with their fingers, being too ashamed to even look at Katara's reaction.
Then Katara affixed her gaze on her mother, and her mother's on her.
Suki and Toph swam out of the way and watched in silence as Katara's mother crept her way out of the shadows, and towards Katara. "...How long?"
Katara didn't respond; she only bit her lip in anxiety.
Kya repeated the same question, but with a stronger voice and more words. "How long, have you kept this from me, Katara?"
Katara tried to answer, but no words could escape her mouth. She was trapped in a confusing swirl of shock, fear, and betrayal, unable to grasp any sensible words in the common language.
As Katara continued to pursue silence, her mother's face intensified. It turned from horrified shock to stone-hard stern in what seemed like a matter of seconds. Even her voice had grown with a horrible maliciousness. "You try my patience Katara! When I ask you a question, you answer! How long have you hidden this from me?"
Her voice seemed to boom with a bellowing fury, shaking the very foundations of the ocean floor.
Katara found herself unable to hold back any longer; her voice trembled and let out a frightened squeak. "Eleven years..."
Her mother's hard gaze didn't falter an inch, instead, it only hardened even further! "For that long, you've been playing me like a fool!"
"No mother, I don't think you're a fool!" Katara desperately grasped at whatever she could to keep the conflict from escalating.
"It's just that-"
Her mother didn't give her a chance to finish. "Just what? Just that you don't trust me? Just that you hate me? Just that you feel it's funny? I could go on forever! So just what?"
Katara's words slowly became inaudible to the point that it sounded like random gibberish. "..."
"Just What?"
Then Katara's words burst into a bawling shout. "It's just that you wouldn't have understood!"
Her mother's mouth seemed to twist and grind in a confused fury as she tried to grasp Katara's words. It was like watching a person wriggle in place as they tore their skin off. "W-w-wouldn't have understood? You think I wasn't a teenager before? You think I've never felt the sudden urge to disobey my parents? Just like you had the deathly nerve to go and rescue a human from drowning!"
Katara gasped and turned her head towards Lan and Sokka again. They seemed to have shrunken as they quickly averted their gazes.
Something had snapped in Katara at that point. The friends that she had started to ease towards had betrayed her trust, and left her to fend for herself. This left Katara saddened, confused, and in inner pain. Most of all though, she was very, very angry.
Katara turned to face her mother once more, only then, she had her eyes stern with anger. "He would have died, mother, but I don't expect you'd care!"
Her mother noted this defiance, but stood her ground. "Why would I? He's just another human, just like all the others! Spineless, savage, harpooning fish eaters, incapable of any feelings!"
"You should look to yourself for that, you hag! You wouldn't understand a human if one came up to you and smacked you with every bit of knowledge they had!"
"And just what makes you so knowledgeable eh? What is it about this human that makes him different from all the rest? Tell me that!"
"I love him!" Katara snapped out of her trance and clamped her hands to her mouth, but it was too late.
Her mother's eyes seemed to just bulge out of their sockets in confused distress. Even Katara's friends, whom knew the situation by heart, were astonished at this mark of bravery and bluntness.
Katara watched her mother's body part fidget one by one until her entire body was shaking uncontrollably. Whether it was out of rage or confusion, Katara dared not guess. "...Have you lost your senses completely? He's a human, and you're a mermaid!"
"Human or not, I could relate to him better than I ever could you!"
Silence came once more.
"You...you!" The words just couldn't leave though. Katara's mother was left in utter shock. Even Katara couldn't help but wince at the harshness of her own comment.
Then Katara's mother stopped her struggle. Her head lowered, and her eyes fell to darkness. All she could utter were a few saddened whispers. "... You wish to forsake me then..."
For a moment, there was silence. It was a horrible ungodly silence that creeps up on you whenever something feels wrong, yet you can never put your finger on it. You're only left pondering, and dreading whatever may come to you.
Then, Kya raised her head to reveal that her face had dulled, and her eyes were closed shut. "...So be it Katara; I hereby renounce you as my daughter. I never want to see you in my palace again."
Everyone else was left with eyes open and fallen jaws. Even Katara was taken aback by the sudden revelation, but she didn't falter. She stayed upright and firm.
"...Know this however: as a citizen, you have broken my laws, multiple times at that! Therefore, there is only one thing I can do for such an offense... execute firm punishment..." Her mother's final words hummed in a tone drier than a desert in summer.
Suddenly, the trident her mother kept close to her began to glow an eerie blue light. It emanated a chilling radiance, but sparked with a violent fury. The entire grotto was soon coated in a blue hue, and the darkness of the night parted in the wake of the light.
For the first time since the conversation started, Match moved from his position and began to plead to Kya with a trembling voice of desperation. "Wait your majesty, don't do this! I know you're angry, but this isn't the answer! You'll regret this choice forever if you let your rage overcome you! Your majesty!"
She wasn't listening though; Katara's mother was lost in another world.
Suddenly her eyes shot open to reveal that her pupils were now bright blue. And with a roar unlike any in the world, Kya swung her trident to one of the many shelves of the grotto and fired a massive blue bolt.
The bolt flashed across the room with an ear shattering crack, and burst upon impact with the human objects. Each one fell to pieces one by one, as the lighting tore into their very materials, and set off a chain reaction of short bursts.
Match backed away from Kya and let out a final scream. "You're losing control, your majesty! You've got to stop it!"
His words were quickly drowned by more bolts erupting from the trident. Shelf after shelf was slowly destroyed by the awesome power of the trident.
Katara's eyes bulged in shock, but upon the third bolt she swam to her mother and began to plead desperately. "Mother, no, please, stop! Mother please stop it!"
It seemed like nothing could reach her ears, as Katara's mother continued her rampage of utter destruction.
Then, when there was nothing else left, Katara's mother slowly affixed her gaze on the one thing she had left intact... the statue of Zuko.
She raised her trident once more and let it slowly charge up for one final bolt.
Katara clawed at her mother's arm and continued to struggle, but it was no use. Her arm was as stiff as a rock and would not budge, no matter how much Katara tried. All Katara could do was watch, and beg with weakened whispers.
"Please mother..."
A light shone on the tip of the trident, eerie and powerful.
"Don't do it..."
Her mother's arm jerked violently, and let loose the charging blast with awesome speed, and power.
Katara let loose her final scream. "Mother! No!"
The bolt came and went quickly, and the statue was no more.
When the blue aura cleared the grotto was in shambles, and all that was once beautiful was destroyed.
Katara shuddered a bit as she looked to her destroyed collection, then she collapsed on the floor, sinking her head into the comfort of her open arms.
Her mother's eyes returned to their normal state, and her expression softened. She then fainted in exhaustion, with only the cold water to catch her.
Katara did not notice her mother slowly raise her head to look at what she did. What former confidence and anger she had before melted away as she basked in her deed. Her breathes shortened and sped in an almost uncontrollable manner as she turned to face her daughter.
Then, without warning, Katara's mother swam out of the grotto with panicked eyes and shuddering gasps, leaving only Katara and her friends alone in the ever advancing darkness...
ooo
When Kya left the grotto, she stopped just outside to catch her breath and recollect herself.
Kya couldn't believe that she could have ever been that angry; it was as if she had been taken over by a new, more violent, persona. Perhaps it was Katara's defiance towards her, or the fact that she had fallen in love with a human, but something she did had awoken a deep rage. It was so deep, that Kya could barely even remember the words she said.
She pressed her hands to her face and sighed. There was nothing else she could do at that point anyways; the deed was done.
Then Kya noticed a figure laying on the wall beside her. It was Match; he had left grotto while she was in the midst of her rage, and had been waiting for her to come outside. His face was rock stiff, yet there was no anger to be seen, only a lingering disappointment.
"Well you have put your fin in it this time. I hope you are ready for whatever may come after this, but I can tell you now that it won't be pleasant." As he swam over to Kya she noted the stiffness of his body, and a tremble in the sounds of his voice. It was almost as if he was holding back tears.
His dark glasses shone with a glare unlike before. Its penetrating visor stung Kya at her heart. Yet, at the same time, Match's gaze resembled sadness and understanding.
Kya kept her posture though; she poised herself straight and held her head upwards. "Who are you to judge my actions?"
Match then turned away from her, sparing only a short glance behind. "Not a king, but a simple warrior. Not one born for greatness, but one who seeks to live his life. Most of all, I am a parent. I told you of my daughter, and what had dragged her away. Our actions now mirror one another, not in context but in principle. I had hoped you would follow a different path from me Kya, but it seems that no matter what the race, be they Giant, Merfolk, or Human, the bonds of a parent and a child are at their strongest."
"What are you getting at, Match?"
"What I am getting at is something I cannot say. I can no longer be with you Kya, or else this lesson won't reach its conclusion, be it for good or ill. You must now discover the consequences of your actions on your own. Goodbye."
The water around Match suddenly began to heat up immensely. Air bubbles began to form around him, eventually obscuring his entire body. When they cleared, Match was gone and Kya was alone. All that was left was a red heat stain on the ground, which soon faded away into the rock.
This action left Kya uneasy, and with a heavier heart than before. A lingering sense of guilt built up in her as she recalled the last words Match said.
She looked back to the cave and considered apologizing to Katara but decided against it. Now was not an opportune time. Kya could only go home and wait for Katara to return, hoping that she would be willing to listen to reason. At the very least, Kya hoped she would be willing to accept an apology.
ooo
As the discussion outside the grotto died away, the conflict inside was still occurring. Katara's head was face down to the ground, and her breath was skipping with mournful gasps.
Her friends watched over her for a few minutes with sorrowful gazes. The most disheartened ones were Sokka and Lan. Just looking at poor Katara had shattered their morale and self-confidence. They had betrayed Katara's trust, and in the end she was the only one punished for their actions.
They swam up to Katara in attempts to reconcile with her, but she passed a cold shoulder. "Get away from me."
Sokka and Lan looked to one another with guilty stares and sighed. They turned towards the entrance of the grotto and swam away with lowered heads.
Respecting Katara's wishes, Suki and Toph silently left as well. Soon, Katara was left alone.
All was quiet, except for the ripples of the waters which weaved past the objects with estranged whispers. Shadows soon began to creep in, transforming the once blue hue into a lonely grey.
Katara was now beyond broken. Her dreams of being part of the human world had been dashed by reality. When she was ready to accept that fact, she was betrayed by the friends whom, she convinced herself, would always stand by her side.
Darkness began to creep further and further inwards into the grotto, bathing Katara in a horrifying and chilling blanket of utter darkness.
Suddenly, a golden light materialized from the shadows, catching Katara's attention with its hypnotic rhythm. A second light appeared just beside it; more erratic than the first, and yet just as eerie.
Two pale lights shone brightly to her left, like a beam, illuminating her spot. To her right, the water stirred and boiled under the influence of some immense heat.
The mysterious figures in the dark made their ways out of the shadow to reveal themselves to her. One was a mermaid with raven-like hair, but her tail more resembled an eels. There was a similar looking eelmaid to her left, but she had brown hair instead of black, and it was braided into a long ponytail behind her head.
The other two were human-like, but different in certain aspects. One man was cloaked completely in black, and had no eyes in his head, only empty sockets. The other man was garbed in dirty brown robes and a hood. His face had a nose which reminded Katara of Lan's but the difference was that it was more hook-like in appearance.
The robed human constantly fiddled with his beaming eyes, turning them on Katara in a menacing manner. "It's a pitiful thing to be denied a dream." His voice was smooth, but grew progressively deeper as he spoke, like seeping poison.
Suddenly the braided eelmaid appeared from above Katara, and brought her face uncomfortably close to Katara, startling her. "Yeah, losing dreams always sucks." This eelmaid always had a mischievous smile on her face and a voice as cheery as a child's.
The cloaked man then grabbed Katara's attention by bowing to her in a subtle and stiff manner. "A dream's death is a terrible dishonor." His voice was soothing, yet regaled and controlled in tone; all background echo disappeared when he when he finished his sentences, as if by his will.
The raven haired eelmaid was the only one who kept her place, only moving to cross her arms. "Having a dream broken is a waste of time." This eelmaid's face was blank, and her mouth was just as; with a voice that was drier than surface sand.
Katara wanted to be stern and tell them to leave, but the words wouldn't leave her mouth. There was something about these four that unnerved her to the point that her voice trembled to even speak.
"W-who are you?" Those were all the words she was able to muster at that time.
The hooded man was the first to react to her words. He gave her an evil grin that seemed ready to rip out of his mouth, and his eyes gleamed with an even bright spark than before. "Representatives of one who works with dreams."
The braided eelmaid shoved him aside quickly. "And to happy ends!"
"One who makes many deals." As the raven-haired eelmaid followed, she rolled her eyes in annoyance.
The cloaked man followed after her with a solemn frown across his face. "Without stretching less than one gap."
Then they all pointed upwards to the surface with mannerisms befitting statues.
"The illustrious," said the cloaked humanoid.
"But fallen," continued the dark haired eelmaid.
"The wise," spoke the robed humanoid.
"But weird," exclaimed the braided eelmaid.
Katara was left in stupefied confusion. These people were speaking in riddles that gave no hints or leads. It was as if they were purposely messing with her to pique her interest. It worked.
"Who are you talking about?" Katara increased the confidence behind her voice slightly, so as not to seem childish.
"Azula." They all spoke quickly and simultaneously, not sparing a chance to wait.
Katara's heart began to race at the sound of that name.
Yes. Azula was a name she was not ready to forget, for it was the name of the very woman who attempted to assassinate her mother long ago. Though Katara didn't know the whole story, she knew well enough to know that Azula was a very dangerous, and powerful person, who's name still carried this lingering fear to it.
With the revelation of their master, Katara was left very uncomfortable by the people around her. They were most obviously Azula's minions, sent to collect her for some unknown purpose. It would have been wise for her to fight her way past them and to escape, yet she didn't.
Something about those four compelled her to stay. Though their demeanors and history spoke ill, their words rung smoothly in her ears. It was a hypnotic smoothness that drew her towards them and made Katara feel as if they really meant what they said.
They called Azula, "one who works with dreams," and, "one who makes many deals." Those were titles that really grabbed Katara's interest.
Did that mean that Azula would help her plight, or simply lead her into a trap? Katara was unsure which answer was truth, and she was too disoriented from the trauma earlier to think straight.
As Katara was left to thought, she heard the voice of the robed humanoid speak to her. "Pathetic isn't it?"
She looked toward him, unsure how to take that phrase. "Excuse me?"
He smiled, opened his arms and span his body around. "This place." He spoke as if he were singing to a stage.
Suddenly, the voice of the cloaked humanoid caught Katara's attention. "I would suppose this little cavern was a magnificent staple for your dreams until you were robbed of them so quickly."
Then Katara was confronted by the braided eelmaid again, only that time she was right-side-up. "Then your mom just comes in and blows the whole place up like a miniature volcano; Kaboo-boo-boom!"
"And your friends did an excellent job leading her here."
Katara looked around, and noted the truth behind their words. Her collection, once the pride and joy of her adventures, was now a rotting pile of shattered junk on the ocean floor.
Who was to blame for the destruction? Her mother! Her so-called friends! They were all to blame. Katara's sadness had transitioned to rage as she looked to her collection more and more. At the time, she built up so much rage, she had completely forgotten that Toph and Suki weren't involved in the discovery of her grotto.
After taking her time to take in her anger, Katara softened her expression, and looked up to the four strangers. "Could Azula really help me?"
The braided eelmaid was the first to respond; speaking in the same irregular riddles as before. "It depends on your definition of help!"
"It can turn either way unless both buyer and seller work in unity."
"It's a waste of time to guess," duly noted the dark haired eelmaid.
"Don't spend too much of your time thinking, as it's only a suggestion," replied the robed humanoid.
A suggestion. Yes; only a suggestion, yet there was more to that suggestion than any demand could command of her. Already Katara's mind worked around the idea that she had a chance to make her dreams come true. It was a now or never chance, and it seemed clear that it was the best solution of any.
Without hesitance, Katara rose from the floor and nodded to the four strangers. "I'll go."
Their heads turned towards one another and they nodded simultaneously. Then, they each spoke their respective titles.
"Spark!"
"Ty Lee!"
"Mai."
"Flame."
Spark was the last one to speak. "Those are our names. Now follow us."
Without any other words they all began to leave the grotto. Katara followed them without further question.
ooo
Outside the grotto Sokka and Lan were on the receiving end of a scolding from Suki and Toph.
Toph had her hands clenched in fists, but kept them to her side so that she didn't hit the two. "How could you idiots blab? Suki and I had finally gotten Katara in a good mood and then you two came in and ruined it all!"
Sokka's face was twisted with sadness but no tears came from his eyes. "We didn't mean to hurt her; it was an accident!"
Lan's hands were pressed to his face, and his voiced cracked multiple times. "We were having an argument and we didn't even know the Queen was there!"
Toph and Suki wanted to say more, but they only sighed. They realized that there was no point beating up on the two further for what was an accident.
"Well now we've got to think of a new way to cheer Katara up." Suki crossed her arms and sighed with her eyes shut.
Toph brought her hands to her face and growled wildly. "Just forget it! If we show her another human object, she'll break out in more sobs! The only thing that could possibly cheer her up now is a... a miracle."
Suddenly, the area around the group darkened with shadow. They looked up to see a party of strange looking folk swimming overhead, blocking the incoming moonlight. They were initially going to dismiss them, but something suddenly caught their attention. There was someone in the group that seemed familiar to them.
It was Katara! She was in the middle of the formation. As she passed over, she didn't even seem to take notice of her friends below.
None of those other strangers were recognizable, so there was no reason for Katara to be with them. Then, Lan gave out a gasp and pointed to the two strangers with legs.
"Katara! Get away from them! They're servants of darkness!"
Katara didn't respond though. She only continued onwards, ignoring Lan's plea like as if he wasn't there.
They were all taken back by Katara's sudden coldness, but Sokka was the first to snap out of it and swim to his sister. "Katara? What's the matter? Where are you going?"
She only opened her eyes once to pass a glance to Sokka, but quickly turned away. "I'm going to see Azula..."
The mere mention of Azula's name left Sokka and the rest of the group stunned. Never had they believed that the situation would lead to such a conclusion. But, whether it was a choice of madness or despair, they all knew that it was a choice that would lead to an ill fate.
Sokka snapped out of his trance and grabbed Katara by the tail, attempting to reason with her. "Katara, no! You've heard the rumors! Azula is a demon; a monster!"
Lan swam up and offered his support to Sokka. "Katara, listen to him! You don't know what you're doing messing with the likes of them!"
Katara didn't reply to them however, instead she whipped her arms with as much force as she could muster. The power of her waterbending pushed both Lan and Sokka backwards and sent them hurdling into a nearby cliff.
"Keep your dirty noses out of my business! I don't want to have to do with any of you!" Katara raised her head high and turned away from her friends, following her snickering guides to wherever they were taking her.
Toph and Suki swam over to the Sokka and Lan and managed to wrench them out of the cliff. They watched as Katara slowly swam out of site, into the murky sea afar. Night was now in full swing, and the water was nearly inked in the mist of darkness.
"Lan, can you hear me? Say something!" Suki was shaking Lan violently back and forth in some hope he'd respond.
Lan weakly raised his head and put one hand to his nose. "… Does it have to be dirty now?"
Suki frowned and smacked him on the back of the head. "Well, he's alright."
"No time for shaking, wake up Sokka!" Toph raised her fists and relentlessly beat Sokka awake.
Sokka sputtered and stirred as the pain rained down upon his face. "T-T-T-oph! I-I-I'm a-wa-wa-ke! St-stop!"
Toph smacked him one last time before letting him go. "That one was for good measure."
Then she turned to the direction where Katara had disappeared, and urged the others with hand gestures. "Come on, we can't let Katara go and do something stupid! This way!"
Everyone nodded and followed Toph's lead. She led the way as they made their daring journey forwards. They were swimming towards the unknown for the sake of their friend, leaving behind all that happened before in the mist of the night.
ooo
Time hastens; feelings erupt, and a change is to be made.
Stay tuned next Friday for the final chapter in Act 1:
Breaking Water!