Destiny Diverted

Disclaimer: Avatar:the Last Airbender duly belongs to Bryke. The Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The movies result from the vision of Peter Jackson. No profit is made from this story other than the sheer gratification of reviews. And there is no way in Hell that I can write even a fraction as well as J.R.R. Tolkien, so no very high expectations of writing quality, please.

NOTE: Now, this is officially the end of the road. All thanks and last messages to follow after the chapter.

EPILOGUE

"Now come the days of the king," Gandalf had said, "may they be blessed."

The crown was laid upon the ranger's head and he became who he was destined to be, the king of Gondor.

"This day does not belong to one man but to all," Aragorn declared, "let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of peace."

Resounding applause followed these words from all who were present on that momentous occasion. That day all had gathered at Minas Tirith to witness the return of the king and the restoration of peace into a troubled land.

Standing hand in hand, Zuko and Katara attended the ceremony with bright smiles on their faces. The feeling of completion and joy that filled them on that day was such as they had never experienced before.

For they stood in a world that was no longer in turmoil, that had endured many struggles but emerged victorious in the end. And they stood together, bound by a love they had never expected to find but would grow stronger as time passed.

Earlier that week, Zuko and Katara had encountered another happy couple, whom they congratulated wholeheartedly since both were their dear friends.

Faramir and Eowyn were likewise glad to see that the two benders had come together at last and that all was resolved between them.

They were all to witness the reunion of yet another couple, when the Lady Arwen arrived at Aragorn's coronation.

Before this event, Zuko and Katara also made the acquaintance of the two hobbits who had been responsible for the salvation of Middle-Earth. Once Frodo and Sam had significantly recovered from their injuries, they were glad to meet the two young foreigners who had great powers.

Grand celebrations followed all this and merriment was abundant in the stone city. But when the euphoria died down, they all realized that it would soon be time for many partings.

All visitors to Gondor prepared to return to their own lands, the hobbits to the Shire, Eomer and the Rohirrim to Rohan, and so on and so forth. And of course, Zuko and Katara were finally going back to the Four Nations.

The two benders found that though they were eager to return home, they were also reluctant to leave all the friends they had made in Middle-Earth, especially in such a happy time. They had also come to love the land where they had spent so much time and had so many adventures. But they knew that they could not stay there forever.

Their friends were likewise sad to see them go. Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship, as well as Eowyn and Faramir, so wanted to learn more about the fascinating young strangers and the world they were from. But they understood the need for separation, and so bestowed upon the two benders many grand gifts from armor and weapons to clothing, Elven bread, healing herbs and ointments, and other objects to show their gratitude and affection.

It was Gandalf who told the others to stop giving so many presents. But even then, Zuko and Katara already had a cartload of items to bring back with them.

The two benders expressed their immense gratitude and appreciation for all these gifts, and for all that they had learned during their adventure in Middle-Earth. They would take back with them so many stories to share with their friends and family.

"I'm really going to miss this place," Katara said sadly, "and all the people in it."

Zuko felt the same way but he was also preparing himself for the complications that would arise once they returned to the Avatar and his friends. Already he was anxious about the reception he would have in the group of his former enemy, especially with his newly established relationship with Katara.

"We're going to have a lot of explaining to do when we get back," Zuko said anxiously.

"Don't worry about it," Katara reassured him, "I'll be with you all the way."

"It is time for me to keep my promise to Iroh," Gandalf announced one day, "Zuko and Katara must go home."

All the necessary preparations had already been made but it took some time before Zuko and Katara had properly bid farewell to all their friends. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli had expressed their great regret at seeing them go. Faramir and Eowyn expressed similar sentiments. The hobbits were all so sorry to see their new friends go and were the most vocal about their sentiments on the matter.

Gandalf too was sad, for he had grown extremely fond of the two and they had come to love him too. The old wizard smiled at them affectionately and told them that they would be able to use all they had learned to fix their own problems back in their world.

"Although your world is not as mired in evil and despair as this one had been," the wizard told them, "it is still in need of saving, and you have learned the means by which that can be achieved. With your help and guidance, the Avatar shall be able to fulfill his destiny and bring the peace that your world so desperately needs."

On the day that the portal was to be reopened, many of the benders' friends arrived in order to personally bid them farewell. The Fellowship of the Ring was there as well as Eomer, Eowyn, and Faramir. Some of the healers had also arrived to say good-bye to Katara, who had become a great friend of theirs. And some of the soldiers from both Rohan and Gondor had come as well, out of deference and admiration for Zuko and Katara's help during the war.

"Thank you for everything," Katara and Zuko told all those present there, "we will never forget you."

"Neither will we forget you," Aragorn told them, speaking for the others, "and we shall be eternally indebted to you for the part you played in restoring our world."

"We were happy to help," Katara said with a smile.

"If there is any way that we can repay you, we shall readily do so," Aragorn continued.

Zuko and Katara thanked them but did not answer the king immediately. They considered the offer carefully and looked at Gandalf with a question in their eyes.

"Do you think that you and the Avatar will not be able to handle the situation on your own?" the wizard asked them slyly, giving them a very serious look.

"Not exactly," Katara conceded.

"But it really would be a big help if some of you could come along," Zuko added hopefully.

All eyes were now on the white wizard but the expression on his face was non-committal.

"Who can move from world to world is not under my control," Gandalf said simply.

Zuko and Katara sighed and then shrugged. It had been worth a try.

They waved good-bye once more to their friends who were there, and the portal soon appeared before them. Already they could see the figures of Iroh, Aang, Toph, and Sokka waiting eagerly on the other side.

Before going in, however, the two benders gave Gandalf some warm hugs. The old man smiled as he let them go.

"But wait a minute," Zuko realized before stepping into the portal, "you can travel between worlds, right? And you've done it before."

"Why don't you come with us, Gandalf?" Katara asked eagerly, and everyone suddenly turned their attention to the white wizard.

He furrowed his brows pensively for a time before he answered.

"Do you think I spend all my time shuffling from one world to another?" he asked them, "but perhaps, when all is settled here, I might have some time to spare."

For he knew that his time on Middle-Earth was coming to an end. He had been an enemy of Sauron and now the Dark Lord was no more. Perhaps there would be an opportunity for something before he took the last ship to the Grey Havens. Perhaps. There was a world of possibility.

Zuko and Katara looked thrilled at the prospect and expressed their great excitement for having Gandalf help Aang restore balance to the world.

"No, no," Gandalf said, "if your world is to be saved, it will be by your efforts alone, and not through the interference of a tired old man from another world."

"We know that," Zuko answered, "and we don't want to have to rely on someone else to fulfill our own destinies."

"But we will be really happy to see you again," Katara told the old man.

"I can make no guarantees at this point," the wizard warned them, "except that if you don't go now, the portal will be closed forever. So off with you!"

He gave them a small shove and Zuko and Katara found themselves standing in front of their astonished friends and family. They looked behind them to see their friends in Middle-Earth waving good-bye for a brief moment, and then the portal disappeared completely.

"But you would do well to remember this," they heard Gandalf's voice echo beyond the portal.

"Destiny is a funny thing."

-FIN-

The die is cast. I can sleep at last.

A big THANK YOU to all my readers! I'm so glad that you took a chance on this wild, silly crossover of mine and I'm thrilled to have found fans of both my favorite series.

Although my journey was not as epic as either "Avatar" or "The Lord of the Rings", this was a fun and tiring project. I'm a little sad that it's over but I'm also relieved. Now, I can move on with my life (and focus more on my studies!)

No sequel to this one. I'm sure of that.

Thanks to the person who added this to the Greatest Crossover Fiction C2. I'm flattered.

Thank you to all those who added this to their list of Favorites: Aralys, Crazy-Psycho-Anime-Lover, DorySquishy, gunitatsuhiko, KipaZen, Lozzien Lavender, Mashy-Gaara4life, Nessa Telemnar, Rya Three Saber, and Writer of the Revolution.

Thank you to everyone who waited patiently for updates and added this to their Story Alert list. You shall wait no longer: AnimeIceFox, Aralys, BrokenAvenger21, Derra, , Elevanya, Fyre Flye619, gunitatsuhiko, Kaydreams, kraken5, Larrasss, Luiz4200, Moon Mage Goddess, nannals, reader13lovesbooks, Rugglet, Shadow Zeranion, taterbug0491, Tervuren, and The-piro-16.

And a huge thank you to all those who took the time to review every chapter. Without your feedback and support, I would not have found the drive to finish this so quickly: Aralys, Mashy-Gaara4life, AnimeIceFox, Kesshichan, FireChildSlytherin5, TPOC1, DorySquishy, WriteroftheRevolution, Kaydreams, kraken5, Thirteen, and gunitatsuhiko.

Special thanks to NorthernLights25 and Luiz4200 who reviewed every chapter and who have been with me for years, since my first Zutara stories. Thanks for your continued support!

Sorry if I misspelled any names or if I missed anyone! I'm still grateful!

This is my last long, multi-chapter Zutara story, I'm afraid. As I said before, I have studies to attend to, and frankly, I'm out of ideas for any long stories (which is a relief to me because I can finally sleep more).

But I will still be writing, as I have said before, for this year's Zutara week – July 26-August 1. Don't expect anything from me until then, though, since I'm still brainstorming on what to post.

Beyond Zutara week is a land unknown to me (at least in terms of Avatar/Zutara fanfic writing). I plan to finish up my long-neglected Escaflowne stories as well as post a Jane and the Dragon story that has been nagging me to be written for quite some time. But, we'll see.

And I hope that all those who read this story even after this enjoy it in all its crazy glory. If you can, please leave a review, as well. I assure you, every little word you leave is much appreciated by this sleep-deprived author.

Thank you so much again for taking this journey with me!