#Sokka also never really had a temper to my knowledge

[hybrid-angelic]

Okay here me out in this okay- me and my man watch Elemental recently, and like- one of the key point yanno was like “oh yeah temper can be from something you aren’t ready to hear or something you don’t wanna do blah blah blah” right, got it- good….

I’m

Then I realized… there is a specific set in of characters… in a really specific show…That fit this perfectly.

These three, while they aren’t the only ones. These are perfect examples of it!!!

Katara’s temper was always there, up until she FINALLY came to terms with her Moms death, with Tophs antics, and with her father leaving. When she FINALLY spoke on those issues and worked through them, and finally said what she didn’t want to hear. That violence and revenge wouldn’t fix what happened to her mother, that Toph had just as rough of a time, but in a different way and was coping in her own way too, and that her dad didn’t want to leave, but that he was so proud of who his children had become and wished so badly that he coulda been there. She’s the perfect example of someone who could function with the temper, but didn’t want to face it.

Zuko constantly argued with his uncle, and even when he admitted that his uncle might be right, he did so begrudgingly. All through season 1, he was hotheaded and angry, because he, unbeknownst to him, was fighting for something he didn’t agree with, never taking the time to ask what he wanted. In ba sing se, his temper went away because finally, he could be a kid, he could do casual life stuff, he could relax! But- it came back when he went back home. To where he was expected to live a life he didn’t want. Zuko NEVER wanted to fight on this side of the war, he did so because that’s what his father wanted for him, he did so because that’s what was expected of him. Iroh was right. He did lose his way. And it took a lot of work, but he found it again, and realized the reason he was truly happy after his fever had passed in ba sing se, was cause he did something not just for the good of himself, but for the good of someone who was, in all accounts, innocent. He found his purpose again, and found what he truly wanted. Not his honor, but to be loved, and to love.

Azula though? She’s never got that arc. Her temper came from a very similar place that Zuko’s did, but was groomed and honed at a very young age, drilled and taught that no matter what, she had to do what was expected. She was 14, and already using fear and violence to get what she wanted. But- she was always angry. Even if she didn’t show it. But it didn’t truly take hold until after their vacation to ember island. She was snappy and rude when talking to Ty Lee, but then admitted she was jealous. A lot of people chalk that up to manipulation but, I think that was genuine- she genuinely wanted advice, and even used it with Chen! Chen rejected her after she tried to use fear again though, and she snapped at Zuko shortly after, until she confided in her view on her mom. But then the Boiling Isles happened. When Mai told her she loved Zuko, more than she feared Azula. Azula didn’t want to hear it. She couldn’t fathom that love could beat fear and hate. Because that’s not what she was told her whole life. Because, again, that’s how she thought her own mom thought about her and zuko. So, she started doubting what she wanted- she even seemed hesitant to accept the role as firelord, and became more angry, more unstable. Because she never had that person to bring her back. She was groomed to be a monster at such a young age, so when her world view was challenged, she had no where to go, no support to tell her what she needed to hear. A temper that flared out of control-

I stand by the fact that this show is fucking genius.

[beifongsss]

playing with fire pt. 5 [sokka]

Pairing: Sokka x reader

Summary: You’re a Fire Nation citizen who saves Sokka and Katara from some angry villagers. Aang “convinces” you to come along with them, finding your knowledge of the nation useful. Not everything is smooth sailing though as both Water Tribe siblings have their doubts about you.

this will be a series :D this takes place during The Chase!

w.c.~5.1k

prologue. one. two. three. four.

.masterlist.

~

Toph was a breath of fresh air. She was unapologetically herself, and you loved it. 

However for Katara, it was a little stressful. 

“Hey you guys picked a great campsite!” Toph exclaimed, digging her toes into what she thought was grass. “The grass is so soft!”

You snickered at Sokka’s displeased expression as he looked down at the ground before turning to face Toph. “Sorry shortcake, that’s not grass you’re standing on. Appa’s shedding.”

“Oh gross!” Katara exclaimed, raising her foot as she examined the fur. 

“That’s not gross!” Aang chirped. “It’s just a part of spring! You know, rebirth, flowers blooming, and Appa gets a new coat!”

“Ah, the beauty of spring,” Katara replied sarcastically, earning a muffled laugh from you. Aang gave you a betrayed look and you simply shrugged, trying to keep the smile off of your face. 

“She’s right,” you said, looking at the Air Nomad apologetically. “It’s a little disgusting.”

Appa chose that moment to sneeze, sending up plumes of fur all around you. You coughed lightly, feeling some of the fur land on your tongue. 

“Stop! Appa, stop! Ugh!” Katara cried out, trying to brush off the fur that now clung to her clothes. 

“It’s not that bad Katara,” Sokka said, his back facing Katara as he bent over. He turned around proudly, meeting Katara’s unsettled face. “It makes a great wig!”

Katara looked at you expectantly, a disgusted look on her face. Her expression dropped when she saw you laughing and egging her brother on before bending down and creating a mustache out of fur. 

“Look! It also makes a great mustache!” you exclaimed, causing Aang to laugh along with you. Sokka looked at you dreamily, happy that the two of you shared a sense of humor. 

“And a great beard!” Aang added, stroking the beard he had created. Katara looked at all of you with disappointment before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

“I’m just glad we have another girl in the group, because you three are disgusting,” Katara said, brushing off the last of the fur from her clothes.

“Excuse me, does anyone have a razor?” Toph asked innocently, walking up behind you. “Because I’ve got some hairy pits!”

The three of you cackled loudly as Toph raised her arms, revealing the fur she had stuffed into her sleeves. Katara shook her head as she watched the four of you, a smile tugging at her lips. Aang chose that exact moment to sneeze, flying back into Appa’s side and sending up another cloud of fur. This just caused you all to laugh even harder, Sokka patting your back when you breathed in some fur. Even Katara chuckled lowly, and eventually you began to set up camp. 

Sokka was out looking for firewood as you and Aang set up the tent. Katara sat a few yards away from you, getting started on dinner. Toph was lounging on the ground a few feet away from Katara, lazily chewing on a piece of wheat. 

“So, you and Sokka?” Aang asked, drawing your attention to him. Sokka entered the clearing as if on cue, walking over to the weak flame near Katara and setting the firewood down next to her. He straightened and shot you and Aang a confused look, noticing your glances. You looked away immediately, a blush spreading across your cheeks.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you muttered in response, rolling your eyes when Aang giggled. 

“We can all tell that you like each other,” Aang said, unfolding the tarp. “He even got you that necklace to show you how he feels!”

You absentmindedly reached for the pendant that hung delicately from your neck, running your fingertips over it as you smiled at Sokka. The Water Tribe boy noticed and shot you a dazzling smile in return before turning to watch over the pot Katara had left unattended.

“And we can all tell that you like him back,” Aang said casually, smiling when you opened your mouth to reply but shut it, knowing he was right. “I think you should go for it. It’s not like he’s gonna say no.”

The conversation stopped before you could reply as a loud rumbling reached your ears. You turned to see Toph laying under an earth tent, Katara fuming as she walked away. You exchanged a worried look with Aang before continuing to set the tarp up in silence, occasionally shooting a glance at Katara who seemed to be trying to control her temper. 

There was a tense atmosphere surrounding the campsite for the rest of the afternoon and all of you tiptoed around Katara as you tried to not set her off. Things only got worse when Katara attempted to apologize and Toph made a comment about how tired she seemed. Katara’s eyes twitched for the next few minutes. Night fell soon enough and you found yourself drifting off to sleep, only to be awoken by Toph’s voice.

“There’s something coming towards us!”

“What are you talking about, shortcake,” you grumbled, rubbing your eyes as you sat up. Toph gave you an irritated look.

“What is it?” Aang asked.

“It feels like an avalanche, but not an avalanche,” Toph replied, pressing her hand against the ground.

“Your powers of perception are frightening,” Sokka said sarcastically, smiling down at you when you hit him softly. 

“Should we leave?” Katara asked worriedly.

“Better safe than sorry,” Aang replied, already packing up his stuff. The rest of you followed his lead, climbing onto Appa and taking off. You sat next to Sokka, digging your face into the crook of his neck as you tried to relax. Sokka could feel his heartbeat speed up as he looked down at you, blushing when he noticed Aang’s knowing gaze. 

“What is that thing?” Katara asked, gazing at something in the distance. Sokka followed her gaze, being careful not to disturb your position. Down below, a tank-like machine was making its way through the land. No one answered Katara and soon enough, they landed. 

Toph was the first one to hop down from Appa, sighing in relief as her “sight” returned to her. “Ah, sweet land! See you guys in the morning!”

“Actually, can you help us unload?” Katara asked as you all made your way down to the ground.

“Really?” Toph asked in disbelief. “You need me to unload Sokka’s funky-smelling sleeping bag?”

You let out a laugh at Toph’s words, biting your lip when Sokka looked at you in mock-anger. 

“Well, yeah,” Katara said lightly. “That and everything else. You’re a part of our team now and-”

“Look! I didn’t ask you to help unload my stuff,” Toph interrupted Katara. “I’m carrying my own weight!”

“That’s not the point!” Katara cried angrily, taking a step towards Toph. “Ever since you’ve joined us, you’ve been nothing but selfish and unhelpful!”

“What?” Toph screeched. “Look here, sugar queen. I gave up everything I had so that I could teach Aang earthbending. So don’t you talk to me about being selfish!”

“Should we stop them?” you asked sleepily, leaning against Sokka’s side. Sokka looked down at you, smiling as you yawned before wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close. Aang and Sokka flinched as Toph raised another earth tent around herself, blocking Katara out. 

“Maybe we should do something,” Aang said nervously. 

Sokka looked at his sister before glancing as you, your arms now wrapped tightly around him as well as you rested your head on his chest. “Nah, I’m fine just watching the show.”

Aang smiled at the sight in front of him before walking away, ready to try and calm Katara down. Sokka gently led you over to the sleeping bags, gently setting you down before turning to walk away. Your hand shot out, grasping the sleeve of his shirt and bringing him to a stop. 

“Stay,” you mumbled, your words slurred by sleep. “You’re warm.”

Sokka looked around hesitantly before letting himself be dragged down by you. He settled into the space next to you and you automatically drifted closer to him, burying your face into his chest once again. His arms wrapped around you, bringing you close and causing you to sigh softly as you felt his warmth envelope you. 

Of course, good things never last long and as soon as Sokka found himself drifting off to sleep, the ground began to shake. 

“Hey!” he called out, sitting up and looking at Toph. “How’s a guy supposed to sleep with all this earthquaking going on?”

“The thing is back!” Toph cried, letting her tent fall. 

“Well how far is it?” Sokka mumbled, laying back down and holding you close. “Maybe we can close our eyes for just a few more minutes.”

“I don’t think so Sokka,” Aang replied sadly, noticing the smoke cloud that seemed to be getting closer. 

You whimpered softly as Sokka untangled himself from you, earning yourself a soft look from the Water Tribe boy. “Sorry (Y/N/N), we have to go.”

You all boarded Appa, eyes drooping as you flew over the mountainous terrain. You leaned against Sokka yet again, curling up on the saddle with your head in his lap. His hands ran through your hair, lulling you into a hazy, half-asleep state.

“Seriously, what is that thing?” Katara asked.

“And how does it keep finding us?” Toph added.

“I don’t know,” Aang said, the bags under his eyes more prominent. “But this time, I’m going to make sure we lose it.”

Appa flew a great distance before landing. Sokka immediately climbed off of the sky bison, spreading a blanket and laying down with you as the two of you ignored the arguing. Aang was playing mediator again, trying to calm the two girls down while asking the right questions. 

“Come on guys, there's something after us and we don't even know what or who it is.”

“It could be Zuko,” Katara mumbled. “We haven’t seen him since the North Pole.”

“Who’s Zuko?” Toph asked, her interest piqued. 

“Just some angry freak with a ponytail who’s tracked us all over the world,” Sokka muttered in response, rolling on to his back when you sat up. 

“What’s wrong with ponytails, ponytail?” Katara asked teasingly. You bit back a smile.

“This,” Sokka said, pointing at his hair. “Is a warrior’s wolf tail!”

“Well it certainly tells the other warriors you’re fun and perky!” Katara joked. You couldn’t hold your laugh back this time. 

“Zuko is the prince of the Fire Nation,” you explained to Toph. “He was banished by his father, the Fire Lord, and sent on a quest to capture the Avatar.”

“How do you know that, princess?” Toph asked.

“Gossip travels quickly in the colonies, shortcake,” you replied, laying back down and curling into Sokka’s side. The peace and quiet didn’t last long and soon enough, you found yourselves standing on the edge of the cliff. Aang wanted to see who was in the tank-like machine, and so you found yourselves staring unamusedly as three komodo-rhinos emerged from the machine. 

“It’s Azula,” you whispered, suddenly wide awake. “And Mai and Ty Lee.”

“We can take them,” Toph said, suddenly determined. “Four on three.”

“Actually Toph, there’s five of us,” Sokka said, annoyed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t count you,” Toph replied, not sounding sorry at all. “You know, no bending and all.”

“(Y/N) can’t bend either!” Sokka proclaimed, ignoring Top’s questioning gaze. “And I can still fight.”

“Okay, four on three, plus Sokka,” Toph said, a smirk on her face.

Sokka’s groan was ignored as Toph tried to slow down the girls to give everyone enough time to reach Appa. The sky bison flew away immediately, missing a plume of blue fire from Azula. You stayed in the air for a while, all of you wincing when the sun began to rise. The tiredness was getting to you and you leaned against the saddle, closing your eyes for just a minute. 

The next time you opened your eyes you were falling. 

“Aang!” you yelled loudly, waking Toph. 

“What’s going on?” Toph asked frantically. 

“Appa fell asleep!” Aang yelled back, a panicked look on his face. He did his best to wake the sky bison up as the rest of you clung onto the saddle. You reached for Toph, pulling her close as she tried to not panic. Appa leveled out for a few seconds as Aang managed to wake him up. He flew closer and closer to the ground, the exhaustion getting to him before he crashed into the ground. 

You landed on the ground roughly, toppling off of the saddle. You were still clutching Toph in your arms, letting her go as she scrambled to her feet.

“You okay, shortcake?” you asked warily, knowing that being in the air was daunting for Toph.

“Just peachy, princess,” she grumbled back. “Thanks.”

You didn’t reply, instead focusing on Katara who was now back to yelling. “Of course we could’ve gotten some sleep earlier, if Toph didn’t have such issues.”

The earthbender went red with anger before stomping over to Katara. “What?!”

Sokka sidled up to you as the argument grew. “What should we do?”

“I don’t know anymore,” you groaned, flopping onto the ground. You listened lazily as Toph insulted Appa, blaming his shedding as the reason Azula kept finding you. You couldn’t help but agree with her; Appa was losing a lot of fur. 

“That’s it!” Toph suddenly yelled. “I’m out of here!”

You shot up straight, running to stop the girl. “Toph, wait. Don’t do this.”

“No!” Toph said, pushing you to the side. “I know when I’m not wanted.”

She stomped away, sending a wall of rock up behind her to prevent anyone from going after her. You turned to Aang, a disbelieving expression on your face. “Aang! Why?”

Aang sat on the ground, upset. “What did I just do? I can’t believe I just yelled at my earthbending teacher! Now she’s gone.”

“I know,” Katara said sorrowfully. “We’re all just trying to get used to each other. And I was so mean to her.”

“Yeah, you two were pretty much jerks,” Sokka said, coming up beside you and throwing his arm over your shoulder. 

Katara gave him a dull look. “Thanks Sokka.”

“No problem!”

“We need to find Toph and apologize,” you said, meeting Aang’s sad gaze. 

“Okay, but what are we going to do about the tank full of dangerous ladies chasing us?” Sokka asked.

Aang bent down and picked up a handful of fur before letting the wind blow it away. “I have a plan.”

~

The plan consisted of you giving Appa a bath. 

The sky bison grunted happily as you and Sokka brushed him, Aang and Katara bending water to douse the bison. Momo was lounging around on your head, occasionally flying away when the water got too close to him. Appa was napping happily as he sat in the river, letting the four of you do your thing. Once you were done, the four of you lounged on the riverbank, watching as Appa dried himself off. 

“Toph was right,” Aang said, breaking the silence. “The fur was leaving a trail right to us. But now that he’s clean, no more trail!”

“Are you sure he’s okay to fly?” Katara asked quietly. You all turned to look at the sky bison, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. 

“He'll be fine as long as we leave his saddle and all our stuff here,” Aang said. “I'm going to use Appa's fur to make a fake trail to lead the tank off-course. (Y/N) will come with me and you two will lead them away!”

The four of you separated as you readied yourselves, with you walking down to the river to splash water on your face to wake yourself up. You stiffened as you felt someone stand next to you, relaxing when you realized it was Sokka. 

“Stay safe out there, okay?” Sokka stated, his eyes peering intensely into yours. You nodded silently.

“You too,” you finally replied, trying to calm your heart as you noticed Sokka step closer. “We can’t have either of you getting hurt because we still have to find Toph.”

Sokka nodded before cupping your cheeks and pressing his lips to yours. You let out a strangled gasp, your breath hitching in your throat as you realized what was happening. You kissed back urgently, your heart racing incredibly fast. Sokka smiled into the kiss at your reaction before pulling away. “Be careful.”

You opened your mouth to reply before being cut off by Aang, who was standing a few feet away and had witnessed the whole thing. “Hey! Are you two ready to go?”

Katara stood next to the Air Nomad, a small smirk on her face as she took in her brother’s blushing face. She couldn’t deny that she wasn’t too fond of the Fire Nation, but you had proven yourself to them various times. If you made her brother happy, who was she to argue. 

You swallowed harshly, nodding softly before walking over to Aang. The four of you said your goodbyes before the Water Tribe siblings climbed onto Appa, holding on tightly as they set off without the saddle. You stood there with Aang, watching them disappear before you turned and set off down the other path. 

“So,” Aang said a while later, dropping a clump of Appa’s hair onto the ground before repeating the same words from a few days ago. “You and Sokka huh?”

Aang’s laugh rang out loudly as he was met with a groan from you. 

~

After a while, you and Aang found yourselves sitting in the middle of a road in an abandoned town. Neither one of you spoke, both of you way too exhausted and anxious for the fight you knew was about to come. The sun was setting, covering the both of you in a subtle glow as you awaited the arrival of the Fire Nation Princess. In the distance, you could see something moving and you straightened, nudging Aang with your elbow in the process. 

A mongoose lizard became visible as it neared, a cloud of dust surrounding the animal as it hurried. The princess dismounted, her feet landing on the dusty ground, a clump of fur being crushed under her foot. Aang looked at her tiredly, glancing at you to see a hard glare on your face. 

“Alright, you’ve caught up to us, Azula,” he said calmly. “What now?”

“You know who I am?” Azula asked, mildly surprised. She glanced at you, cocking an eyebrow before turning her attention back to Aang. “Of course you do. (Y/N) always did ruin the surprises.”

You stayed quiet, your gaze never leaving Azula. 

“Now? Now, it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go,” Azula continued. “You can run, but I'll catch you.”

“I’m not running,” Aang stated, determined to make his stand. Azula nodded in satisfaction, her eyes drifting over to you before she tilted her head in a silent question. 

“Neither am I,” you said, standing up. Azula smirked, brushing her bangs to the side as she noticed the way you gripped your sword.

“Do you really want to fight me?” Azula asked, taking a step towards you. 

“Yes I do!”

“Zuko!” you and Aang yelled at the same time, eyes widening as they landed on the young prince. His ponytail was gone, his hair shorter than it had been in a long time. 

“I was wondering when you’d show up, Zuzu,” Azula remarked. 

“Zuzu?” Aang asked, trying to stifle his laughter. You let your laugh out, drawing Zuko’s attention to you. 

“(Y/N)!” he called out, taking a step forward before being blocked by the princess. “Back off, Azula. He’s mine!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she replied, getting ready to fight. There was tense silence for a minute, the four of you looking at each other as you waited for someone to strike. You noticed Azula’s arm twitch and you lunged forwards, using the flat side of your sword to move her arm as she fired off a blue blast at Zuko. 

You landed in front of Zuko, blocking him from Azula as you held your sword out. Azula’s shocked expression easily melted away, being replaced by one of annoyance. She raised her hand to strike once more, turning away from you when she realized Aang was attempting to fly away. 

“Not so fast,” she growled, sending a stream of fire towards the young boy. You were too late to block her, watching worriedly as Aang went down. You were knocked down as Azula ran after Aang, Zuko following closely behind her. You stuck your leg out, managing to trip Zuko and laughing as he fell face first. 

The two of you sprung to your feet quickly, watching each other with wary eyes. You glanced behind Zuko worriedly, noticing that Aang and Azula had disappeared. Shaking your head, you brought your gaze back to Zuko. At least you could hold back one of the troublesome Fire Nation siblings. 

“Why are you doing this?” Zuko asked, breaking the silence as he lunged at you. You ducked uner his arm, hitting his back with the flat of your sword and sending him sprawling onto the ground. 

“You know why, Zuko,” you replied. “Aang is the only one who can end this war! Why are you doing this?”

“I need to regain my honor,” Zuko stated simply, brushing himself off before throwing himself at you again. The fight went on for a while, the two of you too well-versed with each other’s fighting styles for either one of you to get the upper hand. It was just like when you were children, the two of you dancing around each other as you tried to find each other’s weak spots. The fight ended when Zuko sent a blast of fire at you, hitting the ground before you and sending you flying. 

A loud ‘oof’ left your lips as you crashed into the side of a building, debris falling all around you and trapping you. You caught sight of Zuko’s apologetic glance before he ran away, shaking his head as he left. You didn’t know how long you were stuck there, hearing the blasts and explosions that were most likely a result of the two siblings. 

“Katara!” Aang’s voice cried out faintly. Your struggle lessened slightly, knowing that Aang now had help. You kept trying to push the debris off of you, gasping lightly when it was all suddenly thrown off of you. 

“Need a hand, princess?”

You looked up to see a smirking Toph, sighing in relief when you realized you were free. Thanks, shortcake.”

Toph’s smirk turned into a scow and she turned away from you, ready to join the battle. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Now let’s go kick some butt!”

You followed the small girl to the heart of the town, noticing Katara and Sokka fighting alongside Aang. They were trying to gang up on Azula, a plan you knew would fail. The princess sent an arc of fire out, throwing them all backwards. Without hesitation, you threw yourself at Azula, ignoring the shocked yells from your friends. You tackled the princess, the two of you rolling as you each tried to get the upper hand. You stood up first, noticing that you were a few yards away from your friends. Azula stood up quickly, smiling maniacally as she met your eyes before composing herself. 

“Well (Y/N/N), that’s no way to greet me is it?” Azula taunted, fire dancing among her fingertips. She angled her body away from you, ready to head back to the group. She was stopped when you smacked her calf with your sword. 

“Leave them alone Zula,” you said. She turned to you, her eyebrow raised. “Just me and you. Maybe this time you can finally prove you’re better than me.”

Your words caused her eye to twitch and you smiled, relieved that you had gotten her attention. She turned to face you completely, her fire growing as she took a menacing step towards you. 

“(Y/N)! What are you doing?” Katara shouted. You glanced at the group, noticing all of them (except Toph) looking at you worriedly. “You’re gonna get hurt!”

You ignored Katara��s words, deciding to strike first. Your sword came down towards Azula quickly, causing the younger girl to dodge and roll away. She snarled as she realized you had cut off a few locks of hair, looking at you with disdain. She rushed at you, aiming a blast at your chest. You stood your ground, ignoring your friends’ panicked shouts. You sidestepped slightly, once again bringing up the flat of your blade to move her arm off course like you had earlier. 

The fight continued like that, with Azula getting more and more angry as you kept blocking her hits. She got the upper hand when you jumped up, landing badly on your ankle and stumbling. Azula’s blast grazed your arm, causing you to collapse to the ground before you rolled over and leapt back up to your feet.

“C’mon!” Azula screamed, stalking closer to you. “Bend at me! Do it! Prove that you’re the best.”

Your eyes widened at her words, backing away as her fire began to spark. Your friends exchanged confused looks at Azula’s words. You weren’t a bender, you had proven that already. They watched as Azula’s attacks became fiercer, turning into lightning as she got closer to you.

“Bend at me!” Azula shouted again. “You can’t prove you’re the best without your fire. I refuse to be bested by you if you’re not giving it your all!”

She lunged at you and you brought your leg up, kicking her in the chest. She tumbled back, yelling in frustration at your actions. She ran at you again, this time being tossed to the side by a fire blast as Zuko ran in. He turned to face you and the two of you stood silently, watching each other with sad eyes. He crouched down, flames engulfing his hand as he prepared to fight you as well. 

“Prince Zuko,” Iroh’s voice rang out. “Don’t.”

“Why not?” Zuko answered brashly. “I’ll show her how much my bending has improved. We’re finally on the same level.”

The fight was over before it began as Azula stood back up. Everyone crowded around, much more focused on the girl than the fight that was about to take place. She looked at all of you, her eyes lingering on the burn she had left on your arm. She smirked, holding her hands up in surrender. 

“Well look at this,” Azula said, her gaze drifting from person to person. “Enemies and traitors working together. I’m done. I know when I’m beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor, isn’t that right (Y/N/N)?”

You froze, watching her carefully as you tried to catch the double meaning in her words. You felt Iroh’s eyes on you, carefully watching as you stared down Azula. Everyone was tense, looking at Azula even though she was only staring at you. You heard Toph let out a tiny gasp, knowing that you were right. 

It happened in a second. Azula stepped forwards and aimed a bolt of lightning at Iroh. You had already predicted her move and threw yourself into the lightning’s way, ready to take the hit. Your plan failed however, when you were pulled back by someone.

“N-No!” you yelled struggling against the person’s hold. A large blast went off as everyone else attacked Azula, dust going everywhere. 

“Stop struggling (Y/N/N),” Zuko whispered into your ear, holding you tightly as you watched Iroh twitch as the lightning ran through his body. 

Everyone went silent when they realized Azula had disappeared, turning to see Iroh on the ground and you sobbing into Zuko’s chest as he held you tightly. 

“Let me go!” you cried, weakly punching Zuko. “Zu, please. He’s i-injured.”

“Take her and leave,” Zuko said, pushing you away from him and towards Sokka. Tears were beginning to stream down his face as he knelt down besides Iroh and hugged him. 

“Zuko, I can help,” Katara said softly, stepping closer. She was stopped when he sent out an arc of fire, sending them all stumbling back. 

“Leave!” Zuko shouted gruffly. They complied, walking away as you struggled against Sokka’s fold.

“Zu! Please, Zu!” you yelled out. “Let them help Iroh. Please.”

No one listened to you, instead choosing to pull you away from the injured general and the prince. By the time you had reached Appa, your sobs had lessened. The short flight was silent, the only sound being your occasional hiccups. You landed on a mountain, far away from anyone else. It was quiet; almost peaceful. However that didn’t last long and soon enough, you found yourself being pinned to the rocks behind you by Katara. 

“What was that?” she hissed. Her hold wasn’t strong and she looked more worried than upset. Aang’s eyes were wide as he stared at the two of you.

“Katara! What are you doing?” Sokka squawked, coming up to his sister and trying to pull her off of you. She dug her forearm into your throat just a little bit harder.

“Don’t defend her, Sokka!” Katara yelled out, her eyes still sad. “You heard what they said. She’s a bender.”

“No I’m not” you said, trying to push Katara’s eyes away. “I’ve already told you guys everything!”

“She’s lying,” Toph’s voice rang out. Everyone turned to look at her in confusion. She sighed before elaborating. “When someone lies, their heart speeds up. I can hear it with my feet.”

Everyone’s attention turned back to you, Katara’s stare hard this time. “So you’ve been lying. I knew we couldn’t trust anyone from the Fire Nation. I bet (Y/N) isn’t even your real name!”

“It is,” you whispered softly. You slipped out of Katara’s hold, handing her your sword before sitting down. “Look, I may have lied about who I am but I promise you that I was honest about my intentions. I really do want to help Aang defeat the Fire Lord.”

They all looked at Toph, who simply nodded softly. You weren’t lying. Katara crossed her arms, standing in front of you and taking a deep breath. “Tell us everything. Now.”

“Look, I told you my name. I didn’t tell you my title,” you said. You could feel everyone’s curious stares on you. Taking a deep breath, you mentally prepared yourself for what you were about to say before looking up.

“My name is (Y/N), Crown Princess of the Fire Nation.”

~

taglist!

atla: @musicalkeys, @mywigglybaby​​, @aangsupremacy​, @iguessthefloorislava​​, @dekahg​​, @boxofteenageideas​​, @bottledcostcowater​​, @butterflycore​​, @coldlilheart​​, @the-firebender-girl​​, @ajediherowitchrunner​​, @lammello​​, @astroninaaa​​, @samsmultifandomblogs​​, @sadskater25, @oddment-niwit-blubber-tweak​​, @eternallyvenus​​, @emberislandplayers​​, @sunflowerazula​​, @moonnei​​, @stilllivindue2spite​, @knaite-solo​, @riespage​, @wastelandbbyg​

pwf: @ilovespideyyy, @binaryssunsets, @a—-rag, @existing-but-nonexistent, @milk-n-cheese, @itsthatsadbitch, @nin-tendou, @honey-ruel, @reclusive-chicken-nugget​, @teenbiology​, @davnwillcome​, @fandomarchiveilyd​, @minninugget​, @sukifans​, @nugget-barnes​, @vintageroses1014516, @donteatmycookiesplease​, @fanficdepot​, @birdlovinghyena​, @cipheress-to-k-pop​, @my--shitty--art​, @woohoney​, @castalette​, @lozzybowe​, @spacelesbianfanclub​, @macymafia​, @deadsunflower01​

[rumbelle18]

Searching for Katara gets called out Fanfics

Don't get me wrong. I love Katara. I think she is a great character just doing her best.

Some like to bash or hate on her because she isn't perfect, because she had flaws like every human being. But that, to me, is what makes her great.

I like that she stands up for what she believes in. I like that she sees the way things are, and refuses to accept that when she knows they could be better. I like that she doesn't let anyone tell her who she should be or that she can't just because of her age or gender. I love Katara's loyalty and compassion. (And yes. Even if she mentions her mom a lot, which I WILL address in a bit, that doesn't mean she doesn't have compassion for others. Her compassion is what made her help and join Aang in the first place. Its what made her decide to help Haru and the other imprisoned earth benders. It's what made her decide to help a FIRE NATION village by impersonating the Painted Lady. Its also what made her trust Zuko in the caves before he turned on her.). I like that Katara can be fierce and gentle.

I even enjoy her flaws. I like that while she can be kind, she is also wrathful when crossed. ( Ex. Her attitude toward Zuko when he finally joins the Gaang.) I also like that she has a hot temper. To me this is kind of ironic considering she's is a water bender, yet has a hot temper like a fire bender. (Which, if you look at Azula in this way, is another example of a contradictory nature) I also like that she can at times be too trusting and naive (Ex. Jet. Face it, she fell for a pretty face and sob story. It happens. She's only 14 after all.) I like all these things about Katara. Because they make her more real and relatable. She's a 14 year old girl just doing her best to help save the world.

BUT. There is one thing that genuinely bothers me that I would enjoy being addressed. It really bothers me the way she trivilizes other peoples grief in comparison to her mother. I understand she misses and is grieving for her mother. I really do. But it really BOTHERS me the way she handles it. The biggest and most clear example is when she tells Sokka "well you didn't love her the way I do/did". Like, Katara, that is HIS mother too. And you can visibly hear the grief in his voice as he talks about her. Sokka has consistently been there for Katara (and later the Gaang) and stepped up as a protector of the tribe when their Dad left. Examining his attitude and the expectations put upon boys/men of the time, I doubt he was ever allowed to properly grieve for his mother. And yet Katara is never judged for her grief or anger about her mothers death, and even supported through it. Yet Sokka, from my view, was not allowed this same privilege. To me she just went to far. And it bothers me that she never acknowledged that she went to far or apologized. Or that no one called her out on it further. I get wanting to respect her valid emotions about it, but that doesn't mean someone shouldn't step up and call her out in it either. Another example is when she tried to tell Aang "I knew you wouldn't understand. " Aang literally (from his perspective) woke up to everything he knew and loved gone. (You could argue that Bumi was too in a way. The Bumi he knew is gone and old at this point) His entire people, his culture and all his friends he had are GONE. He never even got to say goodbye. And now the blame of the entire war is being rested at his feet, he has to be on the move constantly because most everyone wants to kill or capture him, and he is given basically a year to save the world. And yet, Aang "wouldn't understand" her grief. 😐 Zuko. Shit. Zuko's mother was 'killed' (yes I know she was banished, but he didn't know that for a long time), his father was an abusive piece of shit who BURNED HALF HIS FACE for trying to protect their people, and was promptly banished on a basically ( to Ozai's knowledge) pointless and impossible mission. Oh. And his sister is BATSHIT CRAZY. And Toph, her parents literally tried to kidnap her for wanting to be independent and tried their hardest to make her feel weak and vulnerable for her disability. (I don't even want to go into Katara's treatment of Toph about a lot of things. That's another thing I didn't really enjoy)

But in Katara's mind, no one can understand her grief.

I just want one fanfic to read about one or all of the Gaang calling her out on this, making her understand that while she has a right to grieve and be angry, that doesn't mean she can trivialize other peoples trauma or grief. I'd really like to see one where she apologizes to Sokka. Sokka did not deserve that. Or even apologizes to all of the Gaang for the times she went just a bit too far.

To be clear, I DON'T want Katara bashing. Just a small Canon fix-it, so to speak.

If anyone knows a fix like this, please tag me or post a link.

[secret-kkh-fics]

Spark Before the Flame | Chapter 2

Due to this not being posted anywhere else yet, please like but DON’T REBLOG my fics.

Chapter Summary:

Old Zuko is sent back into his younger body, and Young Zuko is surprised not just by it happening, but by how much he seems to have changed in 70 years. He’s not the only one who notices the difference, and Old Zuko sits the Gaang down to explain.

Like Falling Dominoes 

"So, what if they had a lot of accurate knowledge," Toph scoffed, rice flying from her mouth as she spoke. "Half of that play was bogus anyway, it was all word of mouth. And it's not like they can suddenly tell the future, so stop complaining. We're going to kick that asshole's butt."

Around the table, the gang looked a little more relieved at her words. The future was still uncertain, but Toph's brash attitude helped pick them all up a little after watching that stupid play. There were even a few small smiles as they returned to eating.

"Yeah, it was bogus," Katara agreed. "Like the part where we flew right over the Great Divide without stopping. We had a whole adventure helping two feuding tribes through there on foot!"

"And how I use sound and vibrations in the air to see. Do I look like an airbender to you?!"

Aang chuckled. "Y-yeah. And the scene with Katara and Zuko in the catacombs?! What was with that?"

"Oh yeah. That was totally fake," Toph scoffed sarcastically, earning some confused looks.

"Well, we were trapped in the catacombs, but that wasn't what we talked about."

"So, no talking at all. Gotcha!"

"Toph!" Katara exclaimed in annoyance.

"W-we actually talked about our mothers," Zuko said awkwardly.

Toph just huffed and muttered under her breath. "Damn. Just make out already, the tension is killing me!" Katara was the only one to hear her and she looked at the girl stunned, her mouth hanging open.

However, no one got the chance to ask her why she was looking at Toph like that, because the next moment, they noticed a bright light racing through the sky towards them. Right towards them. It was so fast that they didn't even have time to move out of the way or even attempt to defend themselves. The light crashed down, landing right on Zuko. As everyone other than Toph shied away, they panicked, worried for their friend, making Toph cock her head in confusion. But when the light cleared, he was sitting there exactly as he had been, unharmed.

They watched as he blinked and then looked around at them all in surprise. He looked down at himself, and then, oddly, at his hands, flexing them. Maybe something had happened to his vision? There didn't... seem to be anything wrong with him. Still, he began stretching, lifting his arms up over his head and groaning as the muscles stretched pleasantly. He had an oddly happy surprised expression on his face and let out a quiet chuckle. The entire group froze. They had never heard him laugh like that before.

Okay, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, but he was acting... strange.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?!" Toph finally asked.

"Ah, Zuko, are you okay?" Katara was the first to ask.

He looked up at her, as if he was surprised to hear her speak, then looked around at everyone else's concerned faces. As he did, a warm smile lit up his face and his eyes watered.

"Better than you could ever imagine," he told her breathlessly.

"What was that weird ball of light?" Sokka said, a hint of panic still in his voice. "Are you sure you're okay? It didn't hurt you? Did make you extra strong or give you super powers?!"

"Superpowers?" he questioned, raising an amused brow. "You mean firebending doesn't already count?"

"No, that's bending. Of course, it doesn't count."

"Wait, so some ball of light hit Sparky, here?" Toph questioned.

"Yeah, it was really weird," Katara said. "I don't think I've seen something like that since..." Her eyes widened.

"Since what?" Aang asked when she didn't continue.

She blinked, startled by the question, then narrowed her eyes at Zuko slightly before shaking her head. "No, never mind. That was something else."

"Then what was it?" Suki asked. Zuko just shrugged indifferently before seeing his food and happily digging in again.

"You know, palace food in amazing," he told them, "but nothing beats Katara's cooking." He was met by looks of surprise, and Katara's mouth fell open slightly and she blushed.

"Um, thank you. But it's just simple rice..."

"I know... Hey, we should go to the market place tomorrow. We can get some more food, some spices. I could show you some tradition Fire Nation dishes. You'll love the komodo-chiken."

"That... sounds nice, actually," she said. "But, um, won't... we be too noticeable."

The way she hesitated and tried to nicely phrase what she meant made him snort in amusement. "Don't worry, Katara. I've had this scar since I was thirteen. I know how to hide it."

"Th-that's not what I-"

"Yes, it was. But it's fine. I understand. I'm the Fire Prince and we're in the fire Nation. If it makes you feel better, not everyone knows what we look like... Wanted posters and play aside. The other month I came to Ember Island with Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. There were some boys who had no idea who we were and invited us all to a party. It was interesting seeing how they treated us not knowing who we were. Of course, I was in a really bad place at the time and they didn't really like me much. We wrecked their house."

"Because you got angry?" Aang asked, somewhat shocked.

"No, because they were jerks and it was fun," he chuckled, earning more surprised looks. "I got angry and left the party. Broke in here and burnt some of our stuff in a bonfire. Then we all yelled at each other and got some issues off our chests. Then we got bored and went back and wrecked their stuff. Probably not the best move, but very therapeutic at the time."

Toph chucked. "Don't piss off the Fire Nation royals."

"Always a good decision. Get on my father's bad side and he's likely to burn half your face off!" He said it jokingly, but at his words, the entire group fell silent and looked at him in shock. "What? You can't really be shocked he'd do something like that."

"No, I'm not," Katara said darkly. "But did he... Did he..." Her eyes glanced to his scar before settling uncomfortably on the table. He seemed surprised by her unspoken question and a look of resignation came over his face.

"I'm suddenly not feeling so well," he told them, not looking at anyone. "I think I'm going to go lie down for a while." He quickly stood and left the room, his head down.

"Wait, Zuko! I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." Katara faded out behind him.

The last thing he heard was Toph's blunt but sad, "I guess that means yes."

And Sokka's, "...His dad is a dick."

 It wasn't until Zuko was in the room he'd used as a child and closed the door that he let out a deep breath and spoke again.

"Alright, alright! Would you stop yelling?" He said aloud.

'No!' said the voice in his head. 'Who are you? What the hell is going on? What have you done to my body? And how do you know about my life?!'

"I will answer all your questions, Zuko," he told the voice. "But please take it down a notch, you're giving me a headache. I forgot how short-tempered and petulant you were." The last part was muttered, but the voice reacted none the less.

'Excuse me?!' he cried.

Zuko chucked and sat on the bed. "Let's sit down, shall we? It's a long story..."

  Zuko rose with the sun, as he always did. He stretched and groaned, for a moment surprised about how good he felt. Then he remembered why. He was in the body of his younger self. It seemed that his younger self had forgotten too, because he sensed alarm from the boy.

'What the...? Oh, right...'

Zuko chuckled. "Good morning, young Zuko," he said.

The younger man sighed mentally. 'Yeah, you too, old man.'

The talk the night before had been interesting. He had originally planned to just tell everyone who he was that night, but the boy had been shouting in his head so much it was making it hard to concentrate. When he had hinted to the others about the origin of his scar, the boy went into hysterics. He had come to terms with what had happened long ago, and it was no longer a struggle for him to speak freely of it. The young Zuko, however, had not. And he had desperately begged and threatened him not to tell the others. Instead, he had excused himself, deciding it was wiser to let him know first, since apparently, they couldn't actually hear each other's thoughts.

He had told the boy everything, or at least... all the important bits. It had taken recalling not only certain events in his life, but also his thoughts and feelings at the time to convince him that he really was an older version of himself. And the boy had grudgingly resigned himself to his situation, allowing him to fulfil his task. Older Zuko had expected nothing less. Most of his life he had been nothing if not dutiful.

Of course, that didn't stop the young Zuko from sarcastically commenting on everything. It wasn't until he gave him a very brief and understated view of what the world was like in his time, and some of the sad things that were yet to come that he had sobered up and stayed quiet.

Sighing, he pulled on some clothing, only bothering to properly tie up the pants, since he planned to discard his shirts the moment he reached the courtyard anyway. He grabbed a towel on the way and headed out to the courtyard where there was a perfect view of the sun starting to rise over the sea towards the east. He sat down, crossed his legs, and began to meditate. As he cleared his mind, relaxed and focused on his breathing, he could feel Young Zuko doing the same thing, bringing a small smile to his lips.

It wasn't until the sun had risen over the horizon and into the sky that he stood once more. Going by the silence in the house, he knew that the others weren't up yet, but for a moment he was sure he saw a flash of blue at one of the widows. Remembering Katara's confession from long ago that she had secretly watched him train early in the morning, he grinned, shucking off his shirts and folding them off to the side before beginning on some basic forms. Slowly, he added more and more complicated moves to his routine. He didn't stop until Young Zuko's voice practically shouted in his head.

'Holy crap, how did you do that?!'

Old Zuko smirked. "Years of study and practice. I suppose if you want to start learning early you should pay attention." His smirk turned into a full-on grin. "I haven't had this much energy or ease of movement in years. This is going to be fun!”

And with that, he continued, showing his younger self just how powerful he had become over the span of 70 years, leaving the boy speechless. It made him both proud to realise just how far he had come, but sad to remember that back then, he never thought that such a thing was possible. Growing up with a physically and emotionally abusive father as well as having an inferiority complex because of his little sister had rather fucked him over. It was only his friends and his uncle who had allowed him to realise just how wronged he had been, and just how much better he could be. For too long, he had blamed himself for everything. But he guessed that perspective came with age, as well as wisdom.

He didn't know how long he trained for, but when he finally stopped, pushing his hands downward to release the energy and calm himself he was met by the sounds of whooping and cheering. He looked over in shock to see the entire gang sitting on the steps watching him in awe.

"Damn, Zuko!" Sokka said with a grin. "You've been holding out on us."

"That was incredible!" Aang cried. "Can you teach me those moves?!"

"Some of those were waterbending moves," Katara said in wonder, sounding a little confused by this. "And were there some earthbeding moves in there?"

"Oh yeah, looked real impressive to me," Toph said casually. When he looked at her with a flat expression, she chuckled. "Okay, okay. So, I can't see the fire. But it felt hot, and your forms have improved so much it's insane."

It was Katara that he chose to answer as he grabbed the towel and wiped sweat from his face and neck. "Yeah. Uncle taught me that the divide between elements and nations were just an illusion, and he was right. He created a way to direct lighting by studying waterbending, and since then I wondered how else other bending styles can influence each other. I watched what you lot were doing and tried to see what would happen if I do those moves while channelling my fire. I can't believe you didn't notice before. I was using waterbending moves back in Ba Sing Se. You should try it; multiple style bending has yielded some pretty amazing results."

"I'll say!" Katara said. "Now I want to try some firebending moves."

"Damn, Sparky, that's pretty cool."

"Very resourceful," Sokka agreed. "It's like having a boomerang as well as a sword and a club." He grinned as he compared his own weapons to Zuko's bending styles.

"Zuko can use swords too," Aang piped up. “He’s crazy talented with the dao swords.”

“Yeah, I know. He even studied with Master Piendao!" He looked a little disheartened at this, but it quickly fell away to be replaced by one of excitement and determination. "Hey, Zuko. How about a little swordbending rematch?!"

The made-up word brought a huge smile to Zuko's face as he remembered back to the time Sokka had made it while challenging him to a 'swordbending kai'. It was so stupid, and so silly, and it brought tears to his eyes. He knew he missed Sokka. It had broken his heart when news came that his best friend had died. He and Katara had been devastated, and they did not hear from Toph again after that until they received news of her own death. He had missed him so much... but he didn't realise just how much until now.

Without even thinking, he strode up to the boy and threw his arms around him, pulling him in tight.

"Aah!" Sokka cried, his arms splaying out at odd angles. "He's attacking me! He's attacking me!"

"He's hugging you, Sokka," Katara deadpanned.

"Ughhh! Dude, get off me! You're all sweaty!" He protested instead.

"I missed you, buddy," was all Zuko said, his voice rough.

"Ahh... Yeah. I missed you too?" Sokka gave him an awkward pat on the back, but drew back with an 'ugh!' and wiped the sweat onto his tunic with a disgusted look, then pushed him off.

He noticed that the others were looking at him oddly, and he remembered how back at this point, he hardly ever initiated contact, and the only one he ever willingly hugged without hesitation was Katara. Instead of making him feel awkward, it just made him realise how much he had missed them all, and before he knew it, he was drawing each of them into a hug and telling them so. Suki seemed perplexed, and Aang excided, Toph, of course, protested very loudly, and ended the hug by punching him hard on the arm... He'd forgotten how much that hurt. Of course, Young Zuko was protesting the entire time. Asking what he was doing, utterly baffled.

"Don't I get a hug?" Katara teased when he didn't immediately scoop her up in a hug like he had the others.

With a gentle smile, he pulled her into him, holding her tightly. "I always miss you when you're not around," he whispered in her ear.

Pressed this close to her, he could feel her breath get caught in her throat, and she squeezed him tighter. He couldn't help a wide grin when he felt her fingers spread out, feeling the muscles on his bare back. Katara drew back quickly when she realised what she was doing, a blush on her face. Her eyes flicked to the ground, then back at him, widening as they roved over his torso. Then her cheeks flamed brighter and she looked firmly at the ground again. He glanced down and remembered that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

'Agni, is she blushing?!' Young Zuko exclaimed in his head. 'You made her blush! Why is she blushing?!'

The young man was far from clueless, but he was rather oblivious to his own charm and how he affected women. This came double when it came to Katara, and he seemed baffled that he could make Katara blush. But to Old Zuko, who had become comfortable in his own skin knew exactly why. He had bulked up as he got older, gaining more muscle and broadening out. But even now, as a seventeen-year-old, he was still decently muscled, despite his leanness.

Trying to hide a grin, he picked up his robe and wrapped it around himself, tying the sash. When he looked back up, everyone was looking at him a little oddly.

"What?" he asked, confused about their expressions.

"Um... are you okay?" Sokka asked him.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're acting really weird!"

'No shit!' Young Zuko grumbled.

"What he means," Suki interjected, "is that we haven't really seen you act like this before. We were wondering what was with the change in attitude..."

"Ah." He sighed. It was probably time he told them. "Why don't we all sit down?"

He took the lead and sat down where he was. Cautiously, the others joined him, sitting down in a circle. Katara sat to his right and Sokka to his left, with Suki beside him, and Aang sitting opposite him. Toph was sitting between Katara and Aang, her hands resting on the ground and supporting her weight. It made her look like she was lazing back and didn't overly care about what was going on, but he knew that it was so she could secretly listen to everyone's heartbeats easier.

"Well, this is looking to be a light-hearted conversation," Sokka said, his tone light, but clearly sarcastic.

Zuko just sighed. "Far from, Sokka. I was thinking best how to tell you all, but I suppose this is as good as any... I'm not Zuko." He was met by wide eyes, full of shock and confusion. He felt them all tense and saw Aang start to rise, so he held his hand up to still them all. "Sorry, that's probably a bad way to put it. I am Zuko. Just... not your Zuko. I am him from seventy-five years in the future."

"Riiiight... Looking pretty good for a 90-year-old there, Buddy," Sokka laughed nervously.

'Great. Now they think I'm crazy.'

He just rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not going crazy. And yes, I am 90, well, 91. I don't look it because the spirits only sent my soul back into my past body."

They all looked at Toph for confirmation of his story and she gave them a slight nod with wide, shocked eyes.

"Then where's our Zuko?!" Katara demanded. She looked angry and afraid, so he smiled reassuringly at her.

"He's still up here," he told her, tapping his head. "For a lack of better explanation, I am the one in control of the body, and he is stuck in his own mind making sarcastic comments. Not the most ideal situation, and I can't imagine it would be very pleasant.-"

'It's not.'

"-But he has accepted it, so I am able to do what I came back to do."

"And what's that?" Aang asked warily.

"Change the future," he said simply, earning many raised eyebrows. He chuckled. "I'm afraid it's a little more complicated than such an easy answer, but that's the gist of it. I come from a future that is... well, falling apart. Many things have gone wrong and it has led to the worlds almost destroying themselves. And it is all a cause and effect from this time. Like falling dominoes."

"Dominoes?" Katara questioned.

"I love dominoes!" Aang exclaimed. "It's this game with these tiles and you have to match up the symbols on them, but it's more fun to stack them on their ends side by side, then knock them over! You tip over the first one and it hits the next and the next and the entire line falls over! It's really fun, but you have to be careful not to knock any down when you're setting it up or you have to start again. Some of the monks used to make art with it!"

"Exactly," Zuko said. "It was just like that. One thing in this time went wrong, and because of it something else went wrong, and another, and another... Things are not good. The devastation from the war never healed. And even worse, it's impacting the spirit world. The spirit world is dying, so the spirits came to me, asking for my help. And, here I am."

"What makes you so special?" Toph asked him. "Is it something to do with your family? With us? Why couldn't one of us do it? Not that I'm complaining, but this sounds nuts!"

"In a way it's about both. I suppose others in Team Avatar could have done it..."

"Ha! Told you Team Avatar works!" Sokka crowed.

"But I was the only one left."

"Hang on, what?!" Everyone's expressions had turned to looks of horror.

"You forget that I am an old man. Almost everyone had died years before. The only one other than me was Katara, and she died when I accepted the task." Katara grew pale. "So, I suppose we died at the same time."

"Wait, died... you died too?" Katara was clearly confused and a little upset.

"To send me back, they had to send back my soul. The only way to do that was to rip my soul from my body, which is not something you survive. I was aware of this from the start. The spirits made sure I was fully aware of the repercussions for me, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make."

“But why?!” Aang asked. “What is so bad that you got sent back?!”

Zuko huffed. “Didn’t you hear me? The Spirit World is dying. Our world is dying. Everything is dying. Things were supposed to get better after the war, but instead the world fell into chaos. The nations still stood divided, reconstruction programmes fell through, the wealthy fell into poverty while the already impoverished died. What was happening in our world was so bad, it started to affect the Spirit World. And as the spirits died, so did the nature and forces that they protect. The dragons are gone, almost all the spirits are gone from our world, there are fewer benders born every year, … Everything is gone or dying. There is no way to bring it back. The only solution was to go back to a time there was still a way to fix it all.”

“And… and only one thing happened, that caused all of that?” Katara said aghast.

“It’s more complicated than that, but in a sense, yes.”

“What was it?” Suki asked quietly.

“Katara, the Spirits and I discussed everything over many times, trying to pin point the exact moment that things started going wrong. We tried to figure out what was the original domino that toppled the rest, so to speak. It took us months of thinking back through everything that had happened in the last 70 years, but finally we figured out the one single mistake. Everything bad started happening when Aang killed the Fire Lord.”

Author Note:

The idea for this was ‘what if Old Zuko was from the darkest timeline?’ Basically, everyone in the Gaang and the world in general had some of the worst luck. This is, of course, purely for plot. I don’t think any of these things would have happened for sure because of certain decisions, but Aang killing Ozai seemed like a decent catalyst.

Chapter Index  |  First Chapter  |  << Previous Chapter  |  Next Chapter >>

[dvrksiider]

multiples of 3 for the OC questions

Super detailed questions about your OCs || Not Accepting (thx nida :p) 

@errantson​

3. Did they have a good childhood? What are fond memories they have of it? What’s a bad memory? 

Main Verse: Nyla had an average childhood. Not necessarily good or bad (I don’t know if neutral is the best word here). The few fond memories were her warrior training before her Force sensitivity kicked in at full throttle. 

Light Side Au: Corryn feels she had a good childhood. Of course it was difficult for her because of her sensory overload and the intense training she began as a little kid. She fondly remembers spending time with her mother and father and how proud they were of her. 

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

Main Verse: She kept to herself and was distant. During her short time at the praxeum, she made very little friends. She was a bright kid with a lot of potential but the sensory disorder combined with her Force connection made her learning environment toxic and agonizing. Nyla finished her training with Snoke; out of her 17 years of training, 14 years were dedicated to darkness. During this time Nyla learned the ins and outs of pain, what made people tick and how a person could be broken. She also discovered she had a knack for Sith Alchemy.

Light Side Au: Corryn was shy and distant at first before finally feeling comfortable enough around the other students. She grew to love the academy as well as Luke and most of her peers. Before her 18th birthday, she went to Coruscant to start her sentinel training where they were busy restoring the Jedi Archives. Corryn stopped her training for a year once she discovered the praxeum had been destroyed. After that, she went back to Coruscant for another two years to study under her second master. She studied the old Jedi texts in great detail and learned how to strengthen and maintain control of her connection to the Force.

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals? 

Main Verse: Nyla is mean so therefore animals are like “uh no way.” She doesn’t particularly care for them either. There’s probably an unspoken agreement between her and creatures of the galaxy which involves both parties staying out of the other’s way. 

Light Side Au: Corryn loves animals. Most animals seem to like her as well. She helped Mara Eclipse take care of a smuggled Porg and the little guy has now won just about everyone’s heart around base. (eron wants to eat him??!! but he’s a good boi!!) 

 12. What is their favourite food? 

Main Verse: Traditional Mandalorian dishes. Whatever will give her the strength and nutrients needed to ensure her survival. Alcohol is nice too. 

Light Side Au: Corry loves meat ( a la Sokka), but really give this girl anything. She has a crazy metabolism and is a bottomless pit. 

15. Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

Main Verse: Nyla could survive on her own if need be, but because she’s aligned with the Order, she usually does not make her own meals unless away from her regiment or on some solo mission. In short she is adequate. 

Light Side Au: Corryn can cook decently. She’s actually better at baking and likes to surprise her friends and fellow Resistance members with something sweet every now and then. Most people would say she can make a good enough meal. 

18. What’s their favourite genre of: books, music, tv shows, films, video games and anything else

Main Verse: (gonna sound edgy but...) everything dark and macabre honestly. In a modern setting, Nyla would be all into horror and the supernatural.

Light Side Au: Corry enjoys action, adventure, mystery and comedy. She would be a fan of classic NES games and other pop culture phenomenon. 

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper?

Main Verse: Yes and no. Nyla’s secret is that she’s always seething. Unlike another dark sider, she’s gotten very good at masking it and keeping it under control. Nyla understands that there is a time and place for such anger- too much freedom will turn her into a loose canon. So in her right mind she is very selective about when and how she displays her anger. When she is angered enough, nothing is off limits; no words, no actions. The juxtaposition between her level persona and her rage induced state is incredible. It makes her all the more terrifying. 

Light Side Au: Corry can get a bit of a temper now and again. It’s nothing like that of her dark side self, but it can still be destructive in its own right. She’s been known to dig deep and say things that she knows will shut others up; ie something that might negatively resonate with someone. As she’s continuing to grow and learn, she’s always trying to develop more patience and finding healthier ways to express her anger. 

24. What is their sleeping pattern like? Do they snore? What do they like to sleep on? A soft or hard mattress?

Main Verse: Nyla only sleeps when it is required. (kinda like Leo Di Vinci) She has her own unique circadian rhythm. Some periods of time she gets adequate sleep. Other times she’s awake for days. Nyla’s silent breathing can be heard if listened closely, she prefers some level of comfort so a mattress in between soft and hard. 

Light Side Au: Depending on what’s going on in the Resistance determines Corry’s sleeping habits. She could be well rested some nights and then running on two-four hours other nights; nothing a good cup or twelve of caf can’t fix. She totally snores (nothing loud just noticeable. Mara can attest to it) and because of her sensory thing she likes soft things

27. What makes them sad? Do they cry regularly? Do they cry openly or hide it? What are they like they are sad?

Main Verse: The last time Nyla cried was when she was 10. So...I mean. As an adult, she doesn’t feel or experience sorrow the same way as she did in her youth. Things are just repressed before they can even be processed in real time. 

Light Side Au: The thought of never reuniting with her parents makes her sad. The thought of losing the war against the First Order makes her sad. The possibility of her friends and comrades dying makes her sad. Corry just feels a lot, okay? And while she’s not overly emotional, she will cry if she’s worked up enough and at that point she doesn’t care if people are around. She gets quiet and distant when she’s sad.

30. Do they exercise? Regularly? Or only when forced? What do they act like pre-work out and post-work out?

Main Verse: Nyla exercises pretty regularly (when she’s not in the middle of a mission that is). She’s very focused pre-work out and likes to tune out most things. She focuses only on herself and improvement. After work out, she’s calmer than usual and almost in a bit of a daze.

Light Side Au: Corryn tries to exercise regularly, but sometimes other things come up that are more important. She tries to be happy and positive before working out so she doesn’t give up halfway due to effort. Post work out, she’s tired and needs a shower and a nap tbh.

33. What underwear do they wear? Boxers or briefs? Lacey? Comfy granny panties?

Main Verse: Nyla wears bikini style and sometimes hipsters. 

Light Side Au: Corry wears hipsters and boyshorts most of the time. O my god corry you so gay

36. What are they good at? What hobbies do they like? Can they sing?

Main Verse: Well Nyla is good at murder. Not sure if that’s a hobby exactly...she is an exceptional duelist (her warrior training on Mandalore helped prepare her for this). She is also a very gifted psychometrist and performer of other dark Force powers; force storm, drain knowledge, memory walk, etc. I would pay to see Nyla sing. 

Light Side Au: Corryn is good at absorbing a lot of information in a small period of time. She is skilled with her lightsaber as well as Light side Force powers; battle meditation, Force concealment, Force protection, etc. Corryn isn’t a bad singer, of course when she’s drunk it is truly a spectacle. When sober she can carry a tune. 

39. Do they like letters? Or prefer emails/messaging? 

Main Verse: Nyla prefers holo messages. Gets the point across much faster and usually more effective (her methods are beyond brutal). 

Light Side Au: Corryn prefers letters because they are more personal. Growing up, she did her best to preserve her writing so she would never forget her mother tongue. 

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition?

Main Verse: Nyla wants power and control and she’s willing sacrifice her humanity for it. Her secret ambition is to kill her dark side master and take his place. But beyond that, Nyla desires to extend her reach beyond the First Order and to become the most powerful and formidable entity in the galaxy. 

Light Side Au: Corryn wants to become a self actualized Jedi Knight (grey jedi later). She would sacrifice herself for the Resistance and for her friends. It’s not a secret ambition, but Leia is currently helping her rise the military ranks so that she can become a well respected leader and teacher. 

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves? 

Main Verse: People see Nyla as cruel, evil and diabolical. She can’t exactly dispute any of it and quite frankly she doesn’t care. She knows what she is and she revels in the darkness. 

Light Side Au: Most people think Corryn is a sweet girl determined to do the right thing. Sometimes she has self doubt but then she is reminded of who she is by result of her actions and feedback from those she fights alongside. 

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend? 

Main Verse: Nyla would rather not. She only attends gatherings because it is expected from someone of her position. It’s all political and even she must save face and play along with the hierarchy of the Order. 

Light Side Au: Corryn enjoys smaller parties because too much going on overloads her senses. If it’s with people she likes and trusts then she’s bound to let loose and have a great time. If the party is huge then the poor kid becomes a wallflower.