#azula saw that being liked and being loved did nothing to protect zuko

[seawitchkaraoke]

I still have so many emotions about Azula, specifically 11 year old Azula, who gets left behind by her brother and her uncle and is then, for the next three years, entirely alone in the palace with her father.

Like sure, the servants are there and she has Ty Lee and mai (though both of them must have left at some point in those three years, we don't know when), but that's not what I'm talking about. She is entirely, entirely without any protection from her father - not that she ever had all that much.

Here's the thing: Imagine you are Azula. You grow up and you know your mother loves your brother more than you (''my own mother thought I was a monster''). You know she cares about Zuko, she will comfort Zuko, she might even protect Zuko. You are certain she will not protect you (is Azula right about this assessment? It doesn't matter. Ursa's actual intentions aren't relevant in the face of what Azula perceives as true).

Your uncle isn't there and in his letters and gifts he shows that he too, does not care about or understand you. He sends Zuko a knife and a thoughtful message. He sends you a doll, that you burn.

Your father is ambitious and cruel and will not accept less than perfection. Luckily, you are a prodigy. Luckily, your brother is not. In contrast to him you can shine, you can burn so bright, you are safe as long as Zuko falls behind you. You are two years younger but you have to be better, you can never allow yourself to make a mistake where your father can see. It's okay though. Zuko is really bad at bending and even worse at lying. He should hide his mistakes if he can't stop making them. He's an idiot,, so he doesn't. You convince yourself you are happy about this.

Your father miscalculates and your grandfather orders your brother killed. You could let this happen. But if you do, you'll lose your shield against your father plus you like seeing him mess up. You pretend that's the only reason you warn him. It's not like you actually care about him.

Your mother does Something and the next day she is gone, your grandfather is dead and your father is on the throne. It's fine. She was useless anyway. She killed Azulon to protect your brother. You try not to wonder if she would have done the same thing for you. You are 9 years old.

Iroh comes back and does nothing. You continue to be perfect and Zuko continues not to be. It's going great. You are a prodigy and your father loves you. As long as you don't mess up.

Zuko is an idiot. Iroh is a worse idiot. Your uncle let's your brother into a war meeting and of course Zuko can't keep his mouth shut.

When your father burns your brother's face, your uncle looks away. Your brother, who is kind and thoughtful and liked by the servants and loved by his uncle gets half his face burned off and no one steps in.

Your uncle looks away, but you can't afford that kind of weakness. You look and you smile. This is good. You want the throne. With your brother disgraced, no one will stand in your way.

Your brother gets banished and with him goes your only protection against your father. Your uncle leaves too, but it hardly matters. He didn't care enough to protect Zuko, he wouldn't have protected you anyway. You'll just have to be even more perfect to make your father proud of you.

You are 11 years old and you are alone.

[the-genius-az]

Azula in this turns most of what she feels into anger, a quiet and cold anger, but anger nonetheless (she's taught that anger is what fuels firebending, and she needs to be the strongest firebender in history).

Azula is my blorbo, my little dragon, half of my fic ideas have her deeply traumatized, terribly injured or just actually dead.

Azula loses her pack, her destined mate and her cub. So she dresses up as the Kemurikage and basically goes out there taking orphan cubs and raising them with other people that lost as much as her. They're an unofficial pack (because neither her or the other alphas can claim a pack after their trauma), hurt adults taking care of children so these pups will never be hurt like them. See, I can make it heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

I'll send a different ask about the whole "Mai loves or doesn't love Azula" of this AU (and actually of all the AUs where Maizula is a thing but Mai still betrays her).

The Boiling Rock is the worst day in Azula's life, poor girl.

Here's the thing: it's as happy as I can give Azula in this context. Because she'll never be "normal", not with childhood trauma, war trauma, asylum trauma. She's inherently a tragic character, her happy ending can be bittersweet at best.

Mai is pretty hurt, but she can understand. She knows that Azula even giving her a chance is much, much more than what she deserves after the boiling rock. So then Azula marries her, is willing to have a couple of kids, be present and ask for nothing but the possibility of Mai not leaving her again. Despite her bad days, despite the past, Azula is a good parent, a good mate, and Mai is thankful that Azula is in her life.

The thing with Zuko is that even breaking the bond, there's still something there, deep down. Zuko was the first person Azula claimed, the first person she wanted to protect. She still loves Ozai, after everything. She still loves Zuko, after everything. It's unconditional, her love is unconditional. All you need to do is exist. And Zuko regrets for the rest of his life for not loving her the same way, for being the person that abandoned her pack twice and being the reason she's so closed to having a pack again.

Yes. In this Aang is the first to come around and understand what she feels, since he also lost his entire pack (I'm not sure what he is, but losing a pack does affect anyone). The circumstances are different, but it's the same sense of broken emptiness. They meditate together a lot, silently grieving together. Aang is the closest to someone she feels safe around. A less tragic version and they'd be platonic mates, bonding over loss and mutual peace.

(I just really like post-war Azula befriending Aang.)

My name's Ash with A of "Angst" ☺️

- Ash 🔥🍌

Azula is my blorbo, my little dragon, half of my fic ideas have her deeply traumatized, terribly injured or just actually dead.

I'm like you! I am the same! everyone can check it! 🎶

So she dresses up as the Kemurikage and basically goes out there taking orphan cubs and raising them with other people that lost as much as her.

I can already imagine the first time Mai saw her Alpha dressed as a kemurikage, maybe that was why they had a second puppy.

See, I can make it heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

I saw, shut up now. 🤧

Mai is pretty hurt, but she can understand. She knows that Azula even giving her a chance is much, much more than what she deserves after the boiling rock.

How did Mai feel when she saw how Azula accepted her again?

I bet in shock.

Despite her bad days, despite the past, Azula is a good parent, a good mate, and Mai is thankful that Azula is in her life.

What does Azula think of Mai? I know she loves him enough to accept him.

But I want to know about those good days, where both love each other regardless of the past.

After everything. It's unconditional, her love is unconditional. All you need to do is exist.

Ha! What does Iroh think about his niece and her OBVIOUS unconditional love that not even he and his beloved nephew have?

They meditate together a lot, silently grieving together. Aang is the closest to someone she feels safe around.

They meditate a lot together, they cry together in silence... they get drunk together while listening to bands, they almost get high on marijuana... it's difficult. 😮‍💨

A less tragic version and they'd be platonic mates, bonding over loss and mutual peace.

In this and that version Mai gets a little jealous, but she doesn't make a fuss because Aang is the other side of Azula's coin.

My name's Ash with A of "Angst" ☺️

Now I understand everything...Pay me for therapy, Ash! I'm not asking you, I'm ordering you!

I cried for two hours! and I wasted a lot of paper! My face hurts from crying so much, ash! 😭

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Hi! I'd like to hear your opinion about this:

https://www.tumblr.com/burst-of-iridescent/742859432096120832/of-course-zuko-would-have-taken-the-lightning-for?source=share

Let's go through this piece by piece, because there's good, mixed, and bad points all mixed up with each other.

"Katara needed to be there"

100% true. After all, Nickelodeon doesn't want to traumatize the 7-year-olds by making them get attached to Zuko, see him redeem himself, be told he will be Fire Lord - only for the boy to die horribly. They absolutely needed a character to save him, and as the healer of the team Katara was the logical choice.

"Katara needed to be there for the SACRIFICE to make sense. Imagine if it was SOKKA there - ridiculous, right?"

Aaaand there is the bullshit. Sokka could not replace her on that moment because he is the person in the Gaang Zuko has the least meaningful connection with. But Aang and Toph? Either of them could have easily fit the role in a different circumstance and the only problem would be there was no one to come to the rescue when it was time to shout "MEDIC!"

"She has to heal the wound at the core of her character — the agony and helplessness of being unable to protect someone she loved from a firebender — by successfully saving another person she cares about from the narrative embodiment of fire nation aggression and destruction"

*casually ignores that she already did that for Aang in book 2, full on bringing him back from the dead*

"the agni kai isn’t zuko and [insert companion here] alone, it's ALSO about Azula"

The fuck you mean ALSO? The larger battle on that moment might be between Zuko + Katara against Azula, but the agni kai itself is between just the Fire Siblings. We literally hear Azula say "Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be."

Much like the bit with Katara healing Zuko is about their dynamic, the main battle so to speak is about Zuko's dynamic with Azula. About them being siblings who ended up in opposing sides of a war after being life-long rivals because of their abusive father. Can we not treat this epic, meaningful, tragic moment that has been foreshadowed since the first episode of book 2 as an after-thought just for the sake of a ship? Especially since said ship will be thrown a bone moments later?

"Katara is the one person connected to both Zuko and Azula"

Katara has a connection with Zuko, yes, they are friends. And she has lots of parallels with Azula, enough that I can understand the claim that they are narrative foils.

But they have ZERO true meaningful connection. They never talked. They were never told anything that would make them think they have anything in common. Azula is just another dangerous foe to Katara, Katara is just another peasant that means nothing to Azula.

Parallels and one fight before it doesn't put that dynamic (or rather, the lack there of) on the same level of Zuko and Katara's enemies-to-friends dynamic, and it sure as fuck doesn't put it anywhere near the complex mess that is Zuko and Azula's relationship.

"Katara is the only one who touches his scar, and she and Zuko saw each other's darkest moments"

1 - Mai was nuzzling that scar all the time, in actual intimate personal moments. Katara touched it to try to heal it. A meaningful act of kindness, sure, but it's still just a doctor trying to help someone, not physical affection.

2 - She did NOT see Zuko's darkest moments, that was Iroh, she didn't even see the worst of him acting like a dick. As for Zuko, he encouraged Katara to embrace violence because that's what he was taught his entire life, and it led to her doing something she felt was fully against her true vallues and who she was as a person.

"The scene is easy to romanticize"

Yup, big dramatic moments tend to be like that. And if Zutarians weren't constantly insisting that is the ONLY valid interpretation of the scene, no one (except the typical "only canon/what the writers says is valid" people every fandom has) would complain about shippers watching the scene with romance goggles on.

[eagleidiot]

Toph’s Treatment in canon and fanon

one thing I realised is: despite how poorly she was treated by her parents Toph never stopped loving them once, she felt guilty for leaving them behind despite them treating her more like a prisoner then a loving daughter. Toph’s parents were only being protective yes, but they were being damagingly protective helicopter parents not letting her be herself and express herself in a safe way, instead fully embracing her when they found out she could earthbend, they instead hired someone to only teach breathing exercises and stances. Toph is very quick to forgive people and she does not actually hold a grudge unlike Katara does, she just like any other kid and just wanted to have love and affection for who she was, herself, TOPH BEI FONG: Master Earthbender. not Toph the “Bei Fong Daughter”

she was perfectly happy with listening to people she respected, she doesn’t blindly hate authority. She adored Iroh because he treated her no different then he treats others, with undying kindness. She crushed on Sokka because of how he pretty much treated her like a capable person and sometimes even forgot she was blind because he saw her as a person and not “The blind girl” Katara treated Toph like her little sister, which of course at first annoyed Toph but when she realised that Katara loved her, not the fake perfect blind girl she had to pretend to be, she stopped being annoyed and loved her back.

Aang of course got on her nerves by basically disrespecting her lessons, which in her eyes were fair but challenging, She does not coddle, she doesn’t sugar coat it. once Aang stood to her and stared repeating what she said and did, she showed right back and forgave him. Zuko is a fun case because she barely knew him at his worst but she does know his uncle who has nothing but kind things to say about him, how misguided he was, and how he was so poorly treated. She had a kindred spirit of being in broken homes, but unlike hers, which was out of misplaced love, Zuko was out of pure spite, and the many times she did meet him she could tell by his heartbeat how scared, honest, or confused he was, unlike Azula who was always calm and collected. She even comforted him and assumed him that Iroh is proud of him despite everything he did to betray his uncle. It’s sad how LOK seems to forget how emotionally intelligent Toph is and instead made her forget every other thing she’s learned so far just to basically flush it down a toilet. I do think she’d give her kids the freedom she never had, but to the expense of them feeling alone and uncared for. Do I think she’d be perfect? Hell no, she’s the most likely to make mistakes in this manner, but to think that perfectionist Toph wouldn’t try to figure what she did wrong right away is silly.

[sokkastyles]

Remember that long post that caused a bunch of discourse a while ago? I found this tantalizing reblog which I'm not sure if you might have seen because they might have blocked you, or you might have blocked them. It's a response to this addition by OP btw. It's one of the more prolific stans too. If you're looking for bad takes, you'd love this.

The first paragraph is about the claim that Azula was abused in the asylum because Gene Yang said so, even though he didn't say that at all. What he said was "we'll see what a year in a fire nation asylum does to her" which could mean absolutely anything. Add on to that the general public's view of mental health institutions as awful places little better than prisons that you put people in to forget about them, plus the fact that Azula doesn't want to be there and is angry about losing her freedom and doubly angry about the idea that she needs help from anyone, and it's very obvious why he said that. This idea that Gene Yang said that as a confirmation of abuse happening in the asylum is bizarre, especially when it's combined with the insistence that Yang thinks Azula being abused is a good thing. Do these people think he was like, cackling evilly and steepling his fingers like Mr. Burns while he said that?

But even if Yang did say that Azula was abused in the asylum, what OP says is still true. If the author says something that contradicts what is actually shown in the text, then interpreting the text based on what is presented is valid. Nothing Yang said did contradict what is shown, though, because we do see that Azula is worse for the wear in the asylum. But that's because she's been stewing in her rage for a year after being defeated, driving away all her friends and allies, losing all of her political power and strength, and being haunted by hallucinations that no one knows about, because she doesn't tell them. These hallucinations are also manifestations of her own guilt. She did harmful things and is paying the price for it. It would be very out of character if we saw her happy in the asylum when her brother who she thinks is beneath her and is now firelord comes to visit her. Just like we don't expect Ozai to be happy and doing well in prison. Is Ozai being abused as well? Because I will remind everyone reading this that abuse does not have to do with how much sympathy you have for the victims or what they deserve, it has to do with someone who is in a position of power taking advantage of someone they have power over. Azula having to be restrained to protect those around her is not abuse, just as Ozai being imprisoned to protect those around him is not abuse. If Zuko were to, like, have Ozai tortured while in prison, that would be abuse. Or if Azula were forced to be in a straight jacket 24/7, but we don't see that happening or have any evidence that it happened.

Lol at "the difference between abuse and toxicity." The difference is that people on tumblr think "toxicity" is a buzzword to pull out to excuse abusers because it's not a term with a specific definition the way abuse is and can be applied to a wide number of situations to make it look like the victims of abuse are equally at fault.

And actually, the atla wiki says that agni kais actually were not as brutal before Sozin's reign, and traditionally were supposed to be a last resort to settle a dispute. And Azula does not slightly smirk, she smiles and holds up her fist in triumph. Also lol @ this person telling OP they don't understand abusive dynamics and then trying to argue that Zuko's agni kai with Ozai was just tradition, when even according to the tradition, it was very obviously an abuse of power on Ozai's part. The wiki also says that traditionally, the firelord was not often challenged, because he is among the most powerful firebenders. For the firelord to trick his son into fighting against him is most certainly abuse, especially given the already existing dynamic of emotional abuse. And the cover of "tradition" adds to the abusiveness of it, because abusers know how to make their behavior look socially acceptable and will often use tradition as an excuse. Why do you think Ozai never raised a hand against Zuko before it was in a socially sanctioned duel? Ozai used the agni kai because he knew he could get away with it.

Azula was smiling and holding her fist up in triumph at seeing her father abuse her brother. It doesn't make Azula evil, but it is part of a pattern of her joining in on Ozai's abuse of her brother and using the fact that she had Ozai's favor and he did not against him, and that she enjoyed this dynamic. These are inferences, yes, but they are inferences drawn from what is explicitly shown in the text, and part of a whole, and consistent with everything else we see about Azula's character and her dynamic with Zuko and Ozai.

I would not say Mai "cheerily" went with Azula. Part of her motivation was boredom, but Azula still chose to threaten her baby brother to make sure she had Mai's loyalty, and Mai clearly did not like being ordered around by Azula and there's a clear power dynamic there that is being taken advantage of by Azula. Just like there is a clear power dynamic between Azula and Zuko, and Zuko preventing Azula from harming him and others does not make her his victim. Plus the fact that Azula abused Zuko and had power over him throughout most of their childhood, and mutual abuse doesn't exist and is an invention of abusers to try and shift blame.

It's also just really laughable that this person then goes on a tirade about holding characters "accountable" that already stopped being villains, then insists that the OP really just wants Azula to suffer, even though they said nothing about her suffering. They don't seem to understand that this is not about who needs to be punished for their actions, it is about how Azula is not and never has been sorry for her actions and continues to do harm to others, and that calling other characters abusive for defending themselves from her is disgusting.

The final plea to "let Azula move on with her life" is also hilarious. As if the OP who said that Zuko did not abuse Azula is somehow preventing the very fictional Azula from "moving on." Azula can't move on because she is a villain and continues to be one.

Also, that person could not be civil to begin with. I've only ever seen them in the context of incoherent rage rants on other people's posts about how Zuko is the real abuser, actually.

[peony-pearl]

I’m still going through The Promise but I’ve finally articulated one thing that I’m so mad about

Zuko really started withdrawing from the support group he FINALLY made after after everything he went through just to begin seeking out Ozai’s advice??? His father who BURNED HALF OF HIS FACE??? The man he tried so hard to impress for two and a half seasons until he finally accepted he didn’t need him?? and then he found his worth in others loving and supporting him and giving him advice and he just??? THROWS IT AWAY IN THE YEAR BEFORE THE RESTORATION MOVEMENT???

Also his behavior towards the guards and even to Kori and her parents feels like we’ve missed a LOT of context for his downgrade; there’s no buildup to his change in behavior because it cuts to ‘1 year later’ and he’s acting paranoid about assassins (even if there had already been attempts on his life, Zuko has been in worse situations. I can understand that he’s the Fire Lord now and he deserves to sleep peacefully and have guards; but he’s also THE FIRE LORD and a capable warrior and knows how to protect himself and blaming his guards comes off as old Zuko behavior) and then when he tells Morishita ‘I should burn this place to the ground’ for something ONLY KORI IS GUILTY OF sounds... wildly excessive.

Saying ‘I should burn this place to the ground’ comes off to me as an Ozai line in terms of context; Zuko, by now, should have learned to understand to listen to other’s pov’s; yes the colonies need to be addressed, and what Kori did wasn’t right, but a year after the agreement the work is obviously VERY sloppy.

Even if Zuko doesn’t have the Gaang and if Iroh is in Ba Sing Se (who we know would drop EVERYTHING to go help Zuko if he knew he needed it), giving Zuko some new support system just wasn’t in the equation?? Mai pops up to remind him she’s his girlfriend and is the first to be like ‘ay you look awful babe wtf’ and she’s the first character I see legitimate GROWTH from post-series. She’s showing true concern and care for Zuko and it’s sweet to see her acting out of love instead of being detached, it feels like she’s actually accepting her own emotions and I LOVE that! Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere bc I know she ends up breaking up with him.

But like, does Zuko not have any kind of new support system? New aids or consultants or even friends that he’s made in his new time as Fire Lord?

Or even JUST friends? Azula had Mai and Ty Lee; we never saw Zuko with friends until the Gaang (I don’t count Mai and Ty Lee bc they were there on account of Mai being his eventual girlfriend and Ty Lee was there bc of Azula) and it’s kind of sucky to see he’s still just alone after everything he’s dealt with. Zuko has been isolated in so many ways for so long, putting him back in that situation just to show him emotionally rotting does NOTHING but regress that huge arc he endured and does a disservice to him.

But no we have to watch him slide backwards, and while it’s not a bad thing to have characters have a regression moment, Zuko kind of already had his in Crossroads of Destiny. Zuko was forced to go backwards on people all over again and it’s OLD now.

Let. The characters. GROW.

[seyaryminamoto]

1. Oh, I also think it was a great idea to make Sokka and Azula agents of white lotus. I think my favorite trope for sokfics is Zuko sending Azula on a mission so she can do something helpful to protect the world and atone for her evil actions. And she accepts it, because anything is better than being locked up in the asylum. And Sokka begrudgingly agrees to go with her, because they’re still distrustful of her and someone has to make sure she won’t cause more problems.

Yeah, I've seen this trope many times, though while I started several fics that versed around Zuko doing that, I can't say I remember seeing a fully finished one x'D Maybe they do exist these days, I don't know, maybe they did get finished and I just haven't checked, I dunno.

But yeah, I do think Azula's redemption can take many shapes. Missions to fix the world subtly, direct hard work of the sort, is a good way of going about it. I definitely went with a darker take for it in my last story in Leap of Faith, because they're basically assassins, the ones who have to clean up the world from the very worst of the worst, the people who will absolutely jeopardize the tenuous balance the world is striving for right now. Obviously, Zuko didn't send them this time (not intentionally anyway :'D), but in principle it's largely the same thing.

Azula's redemption would be strongly benefited from letting her see more of the world. She saw some of it, yes, in Book 2... but she didn't seriously see it, I'd say. Traveling in a train-tank doesn't really feel like she would get to see lifestyles and ways of existence that are completely different from everything she knows. I just feel like Azula is such a fundamentally intellectual person and that means she'd be intrigued by experiencing life in different ways once she grows out of the misery of losing the lifestyle she clung to before. Learning that there's more to life than Ozai-sanctioned success would be such a good thing for her, and I feel like that's something she'd be better off experiencing away from the Fire Nation. The fact that this girl isn't shown or treated by the show as a firebending supremacist, that she will genuinely value the combat potential of two non-benders and an earthbending army, tells you that the firebending supremacy doesn't run as deeply with her as it does in many other Fire Nation characters. Starting from that point and expanding it in a positive direction could really yield results, with Azula learning to appreciate things that aren't what her father wanted her to appreciate.

Which, of course, is one of the fun things about Sokka being her love interest. The Water Tribe non-bender who, even while being a chief's son, was raised as a commoner and not as royalty...? He's everything Ozai would deem unworthy of his daughter. Ozai would absolutely underestimate him, treat him with disgust and disdain... and that's exactly why I find it so beautiful if Azula grows to love someone who's everything her father taught her to destroy. Nothing says more clearly that she has grown out of his toxic teachings than her willingness to spend her life with someone Ozai would never want to approve of :'D

Anyway. I digressed xD point in case being, yes, Azula and Sokka being on a long road trip together is a loooot of fun. There's a lot of room to work with, so much development possible for them... their potential as traveling buddies/partners in the White Lotus is just incredible. Even if someone didn't want to ship them romantically, their potential as allies and as teammates would be amazing to witness.

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Sokka x Zuko and Azula’s sister series: Part One

Imagine being Zuko and Azula’s younger sister and Sokka having a crush on you. You reject him worried about his intentions but slowly find yourself falling for the water tribe boy.

Part two here

You were Zuko and Azula’s younger sister, the twin of Azula but with no fire bending abilities and so both your siblings were fond of you. Zuko because he saw the way your father treated you because you couldn't bend and Azula because due to your lack of bending she didn’t see you as a threat but just as her sister. You were always in the middle of your two siblings, the one who they came to settle arguments and petty disputes. You loved your siblings a lot and the feeling was mutual so they were just a tad overprotective of you, particularly when their friends started taking an interest in you...

Sokka’s POV

"Remind me why we've never met your younger sister before?" Toph asked and Zuko sighed "y/n never felt welcome here because of our father and so she avoided the capital and lived in the colonies with family friends most of the time. She really likes travelling and just stayed out of the war entirely. This will be her first time in the capital in years". "You must be happy to see her huh?" Katara asked and Zuko grinned "you have no idea!".

As soon as your ship arrived the gang watched as Zuko turned from Firelord into a happy older brother. "Y/n!" Zuko cried and he ran forwards to hug you. Sokka followed him with his eyes and then gaped "that’s Zuko’s sister?". "Yeah so?" Toph asked confused. "She looks nothing like him she’s....hot!" Sokka cried with a large grin on his face. Zuko had been holding out on him. 

Still reeling from this revelation Sokka tried to catch Zuko alone but it was hard. Zuko had thrown you a large welcome home party and he’d hardly left your side for hours. However finally Azula ousted him claiming twin time and Sokka snook up beside him. "So your sister...why did you never tell me about her before?" Sokka asked "i’m insulted?". Zuko frowned "I told you about y/n before". "Yeah but why did you never introduce me to her?". "You want to meet her?". "Duh??? I mean I knew your family had good genes and Azula’s pretty and all but y/n is something else!". Zuko narrowed his eyes "wait you want me to introduce you because you like her?". "Yes! Fire nation girls are always good but wow your parents did wonders on this one". Zuko attacked Sokka and Sokka yelped caught off guard. "She’s my baby sister!" Zuko cried "you are going nowhere near her!". "Aww come on Zuko, you know me! Don’t you trust me?". "I trust you but nobodies good enough for my sister, imagine it I asked your permission to date Katara!". Sokka started to laugh "I'd honestly wish you luck, you may be the Firelord but Aang’s the avatar. You really think you can compete with that?". Zuko blushed "that wasn't my point, the point is wouldn’t you be protective of Katara?". "Yes but I also know she’s her own person and I can’t control who she dates". "You're just saying that because you want to date my sister". "Maybe a little bit" Sokka admitted "but I also think we’d really get on”. Zuko scoffed going to turn away but Sokka grabbed his arm "no really! Zuko think about it! Me and your sister are a lot alike. Firstly we’re both non-benders with powerful siblings who overshadow us. Secondly were both from nations who put a lot of pressure on us and thirdly we both know you!". Zuko groaned loudly "what's it going to take to make you give this up?". "How about, you let me talk to her tonight and watch us. If you don’t think she likes me or don’t like how I act around her then I'll stop seeing her". "Fine" Zuko agreed "but i swear Sokka you hurt her at all and I'll..". "Yeah yeah burn me, banish me..hunt me down with your army, whatever...y/n’s waiting for me!" and he rushed away.

Your POV

The palace had changed a lot since you’d last been here and you were pleased. It reminded you less of your childhood and more of somewhere pleasant. Zuko had made everywhere brighter and removed most of the flags and portraits which used to haunt every wall. It was nice to see that the palace wasn’t the only thing that had changed, Azula and Zuko were different too. They were no longer at each other’s throats and were more confident. Zuko was the happiest you’d ever seen him and Azula had a much healthier attitude without your father’s abuse. She was still your older sister though and she stepped away to go scold Ty lee for doing handstands on the furniture leaving you alone. You were admiring how much nicer the ballroom looked without all the heavy drapes when someone appeared in front of you.

"Hi i’m Sokka" the boy said and you blinked "hi...Zuko’s friend right?". Your brother had told you all about his journeys and that name sounded familiar so you took a guess. Thankfully you were correct and Sokka nodded "so you've heard of me?". "Yeah Zuko writes to me all the time! Water tribe right?”. Sokka nodded and you smiled "if the hair, eyes and everything didn’t give it away. So Sokka how are you enjoying the fire nation?". "Very much" he smiled glancing at you but you didn’t seem to notice. "How’s your return been?" he asked. You sighed "it’s okay, just a bunch of idiot guys thinking they have a chance with me either because they're a non-bender or they know my brother". Sokka gulped as you looked at him "but anyway did Zuko ask you to talk to me? I'm pretty sure he wants me to become friends with all his friends so i’m guessing he sent you over?". Sokka shook his head "i came on my own i err wanted to meet you". "Ow really?" you asked suspiciously and Sokka nodded "Zuko talks so much about you i wanted to see the real deal, I feel like I already know you". You smiled and Sokka just stared. "That’s sweet, would you like to dance?". Sokka paused "what?". "A new song is starting and i’d love to join in and now i know you're my brother’s friend who won’t try anything i feel safe asking you, so care to join me?". You held out a hand and Sokka took it immediately "okay".

Zuko’s POV

Zuko glowered watching you and Sokka dance and Azula chuckled appearing beside him. "Leave it alone brother you’ll only make it worse by disapproving". "So what we just let this happen?" he asked outraged at the very idea. "They're dancing not getting engaged but either way i’d let it happen". "What?" Zuko yelled "you approve of her and Sokka?". Azula shrugged "of all your friends Sokka is the best, i think y/n and him would get on". Zuko glared "y/n is not being forced into anything". "Did i say that?' Azula asked annoyed "if i thought he was pressuring her at all i’d kill him myself but look how he’s looking at her, our sister has ever inch of power and it’s wonderful".

Sokka’s POV

Sokka was worried you’d be too advanced a dancer for him but luckily you were a skilled and thoughtful partner. You led Sokka around effortlessly and helped him feel at ease. Soon enough he stopped feeling out of place and was beginning to enjoy it. You chatted to him softly and the song slipped away quickly.  After dancing you grabbed a drink and carried on talking together. Sokka was surprised how conveniently he'd got to spend time with you and so he wasn’t upset when it came to an end. Ty lee and Mai suddenly called out to you and you smiled "sorry i promised Ty lee i’d spend time with her, you can come too if you want?". "No it’s fine i should probably find my friends, they'll be thinking i ditched them for a pretty face". Sokka was building up to asking you out but you shattered that with your next sentence. "Just tell them i’m Zuko and Azula’s sister and they’ll realise there’s no way this could be romantic" you laughed. Sokka laughed loudly "ha ha! Ha ha! Yeah good one! See you later y/n!" and rushed away to hide the large blush on his face.

Your POV

After the party you returned to your family's wing of the palace to find Zuko, Mai and Azula all waiting for you and based on the expression on Mai’s face they’d been waiting a while. "So how was it?" Zuko asked and you looked from him to Mai confused "how was what?". "Sokka? the boy you were dancing with...are you two a thing now?" Mai asked. You laughed "Sokka? We’re just friends! What am i dating every guy i talk with?". "No but...he didn’t ask you out?" Zuko asked. You shook your head "no of course not, why would he?". "Because he fancies you" Zuko said and Mai hit him "Zuko!". "No he doesn’t" you laughed "he was just being a friend". Azula shot you a look and you paused "ow...i didn’t even realise". “Yep...there it goes” Azula smirked and you frowned “I...I’m going to bed” and you stormed into your room angrily. You slammed your door and sighed sinking onto the floor. Just when you thought you’d made a real friend it turned out he wanted more from you. You were sick of being pursued just because of your title or looks, why couldn’t anyone just want to be your friend? You slumped into bed with this angry thought while a certain boy’s face lingered in your mind. 

The next day Sokka appeared before you at breakfast just as he had last night.  "Hey y/n" Sokka smiled but you didn’t return his greeting or smile. "Zuko told me what you told him" you replied coldly. Sokka paled "y/n I can explain...". "Why did you lie to me? Were you pretending to be genuinely interested in me as a friend just to get my guard down or something? God you're just like all the other fire nation guys". Sokka shook his head "no that's not it! Y/n I did like you...a lot! That's why I talked to Zuko about asking you out but when i started getting to know you and you mentioned how so many guys think they have a shot with you just because they know Zuko and how you felt safer with me because you could trust me not to have any bad intentions...I decided to just be your friend". "That seems pretty convenient" you replied and Sokka nodded "I know it sounds like that but it’s true, as much as I think you're very interesting and beautiful I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Zuko mentioned how you didn’t like the capital and I guessed not knowing which men you can trust can’t help so I figured being your friend would be better than trying anything with you. I promise all I want from you is a friendship, you can trust me. I won’t try anything". You eyed Sokka suspiciously but he saw a glimmer of truth there and got the instinct to believe this boy, you decided to trust it. "If I do you can turn me over to your brother and sister” Sokka carried on and you opened your eyes wide. "Wow you are telling the truth". Sokka smiled "I really am". "Okay fine we can be friends" you agreed and Sokka sighed in relief "great! Fancy a walk in the gardens?". “Lead the way” you smiled and Sokka started down the corridor.

Zuko’s POV

Zuko was glancing out of the window above the gardens when something caught his eye. Zuko’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he saw who you were with. "Why are they still together?" he yelled and Mai frowned coming to stand beside him "why? Did you do something to wreck Sokka’s chances?". Zuko paused "well not really but I do happen to know y/n hates guys trying to get close to her so I may have left slip Sokka’s true intentions with that in mind but I was only doing it to protect her”. Mai frowned "well y/n clearly doesn't care. Your plan failed I guess". Zuko sighed massaging his temple and Mai frowned "don’t you trust Sokka?". "Of course I do just not with my sister". "Well y/n’s not a kid anymore Zuko, you can’t scare guys away from her, leave them be. Y/n’s smart if she trusts him then you should so don't do anything else to mess with them, okay?". "But..." Zuko started when Mai shot him a glare and he sighed "fine".

Your POV

After that day you started spending lots of time with Sokka. It was nice knowing he was never going to try anything with you and so you didn’t have to always be on your guard like you normally were. You could be natural and that helped the two of you get closer. When the time came for Sokka to leave you were genuinely upset. You weren’t sure what you’d do for fun without him and realised you’d enjoyed your time at home for the first time in years because of him. When he wasn’t here...you worried all that would melt away.

2 months later

Sokka had left a while ago and while your home didn’t transform into a horrible place you felt Sokka’s absence profoundly and realised you’d actually formed a pretty strong bond there. You wrote to each other regularly but it wasn’t the same. You figured you’d stop missing him after a few weeks but as time passed and you still wanted to see him you contemplated there might be more behind this than you thought...maybe you missed the water tribesmen for a particular reason.

You’d never had romantic feelings for anyone before and so had no idea if what you felt for Sokka was more than just a friendship or not. However you knew there was only one way to find out, you had to see him again.

Zuko was planning a diplomatic trip to the water tribe for a festival they were having and you caught him in the last minute planning stages with your sister. You figured it’d be easier to make your request with a short time frame, that way your siblings would be blindsighted and wouldn’t work out your true intentions for wanting to come with them. “Y/n” Azula said spotting you first and Zuko’s head jerked up “hey what brings you here?” he asked softly. “Not much I just wanted to ask you about something”. Zuko nodded setting his papers down “of course, ask me anything”. You smiled awkwardly and hovered in front of them "Can I come with you both to the water tribe?". Zuko paused "why on earth would you want to come with us to the Water Tribe?". You shrugged "I've never seen the water tribe before that's all...and you know I love travelling". Zuko shrugged "of course you can come! Why didn’t I think to invite you...It’s a bit last minute but I’ll go tell the captain the change of plans and work on getting you some warm clothes, I’ll have it all ready by tonight” he smiled and patted you before walking away. You smiled at how easy that was when you heard a cough. Your sister smirked at you from the far end of the table and you winced "ow hey Azula I forgot you were there". "Figures" she smiled "so want to admit the real reason you asked Zu Zu to tag along?". You paused "I have no idea what you mean" and Azula smirked. "Well he's got blue eyes, brown hair he usually wears in a ponytail and he’s very goofy for a princess to have a crush on". You blushed "what Sokka? That's not why I'm going at all". Azula sighed "and people say you're the sibling who got all the social skills...y/n you're very obviously blushing right now! Not to mention your letters to one another come and go a thousand times a day". You sighed "fine I want to see Sokka again but Azula please don’t tell Zuko! He won’t let me come if he knows”. Azula smiled "relax, I have no intention of telling our brother". "You don’t...why? Are you gonna try and get me to convince Zuko to give you and Ty lee that holiday again? Because i already told you i tried...". "No” Azula said sharply "you're my little sister, I like the idea of you sneaking around behind Zuko’s back like I did so I won’t tell him". You raised an eyebrow "weird but for our family not too weird, thanks I guess?". Azula nodded "no problem but be careful y/n, from what i’ve seen that boy of yours is quite the charmer and he isn’t inexperienced with princesses either". You frowned but were too embarrassed to ask what she meant so just fled from the room. What on earth were you getting into?

You looked into the stuff Azula said and saw it was true. Apparently Sokka had quite the dating history He’d dated a water tribe princess, a kyoshi warrior, had the affection of the world’s only metal bender and even Ty lee had found him attractive. This all played on your mind the whole journey to the water tribe and you were worried you’d underestimated Sokka. You’d been so focused on working out if you liked him you didn’t pay a second thought to what would happen if you did....you’d be way out of your depth dating someone like Sokka and the thought made you wary. However there was no time for that now, the ship was pulling into the dock on the other side stood your water tribesman.

 ___

So I totally forgot Kiyi exists until after I wrote this, so in this universe Azula and Zuko only have one other sibling. 

[evienyx]

I just saw your withered lotus au and immediately devoured all the content for it I could find and it was amazing I love Azula being protective of her brother!!

Please please please can the fire siblings hide out with Piandao, I think the guy could definitely stonewall Iroh

Iroh: have you heard from Prince Zuko?

Piandao: not directly, Last I heard Young Sokka had heard he was still in the Earth Kingdom

Literally just feeds Iroh’s own misinformation back to him

"You once trained Prince Zuko, did you not?" Iroh asked. Piandao's face stayed carefully neutral. "Forgive me if I do not believe that you know nothing."

"I speak the truth," Piandao said curtly, "Fire Lord."

"As I said, forgive me if I don't trust your word on this matter," Iroh replied.

Piandao hummed and bowed his head. "Of course, my Lord."

"I'm sure, then, that you wouldn't mind allowing me and my men inside to look around?"

Piandao allowed his lips to turn down into a frown. "I presumed that you were a man of your word, Fire Lord Iroh."

Iroh blinked. "I like to think that I am."

"You remember our deal, then," Piandao said, raising an eyebrow. "And you know that you are going back on it?"

Iroh pursed his lips, recognition flashing in his eyes. "Of course I remember, Master Piandao. These are... extenuating circumstances, however. Unprecedented."

"Our deal," Piandao said, speaking up to ensure that the White Lotus members flanking Iroh would be able to hear, "Was that you would leave me be. I take my leave from the Order, I stop questioning and arguing against your decisions at the Table, and you allow me to go back to my home and live in peace."

Iroh opened his mouth, but Piandao simply raised his voice and continued to speak.

"Additionally, you agreed to not contact me unless it was an emergency, and you agreed to respect my privacy. I believe I have proven myself a trustworthy man, Fire Lord Iroh. If you break your end of the deal, though, I will be forced to break my own."

Iroh's eyes narrowed, almost imperceptibly. "Do you really want to go down that path, Master Piandao?"

"I don't know," Piandao said, eyes locking with Iroh's own. He raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"

Iroh stayed silent.

"You were his swordsmaster," Iroh said after a few moments. "It is not much of a stretch to believe that you will be helping Prince Zuko. Or Princess Azula."

Piandao took in a steady breath. "How do I know that you yourself do not know where Prince Zuko is, Fire Lord?"

Iroh leaned back a bit, his eyes widening. "Why would I be here if I did?"

"A cover-up." Piandao shrugged. "Looking for someone on whom to place blame."

"Blame for what?"

"You tell me."

Silence.

"Why would I be helping him?" Iroh asked. "You know as well as I that Prince Zuko has proven himself a threat."

Piandao's eye twitched. It didn't seem that Iroh noticed, thankfully. "Why would I be helping him?"

"I know nothing about where he is. I would not be here if I did," Iroh said firmly.

Piandao was quiet for a moment. Then, he spoke one more time.

"He was your nephew, was he not?" Piandao asked. "Forgive me if I do not believe that you know nothing."

Iroh said nothing more, and made no move to stop Piandao as he closed the door.

Piandao sighed, hanging his head as his fists rested against the closed doors. After a moment, he turned to Fat, hanging off to the side, and said, "Make sure they stay out. Call me if you need me." The butler nodded, and Piandao moved away and back into the depths of the estate.

"Master Piandao?"

He glanced at the face peeking out from behind a pillar. "Yes, Sokka?"

"Can you come tell Azula that using her firebending in sword training is cheating? Zuko refuses to, and she won't listen to any of the rest of us."

Piandao let out a small huff of air and nodded. "I'm on my way."

Sokka grinned and slipped through one of the doors, and Piandao followed him quietly, his sword resting at his hip and the tiniest of smiles playing on his lips.

[mohluskiepedard]

Rating ATLA Characters literally only from what I’ve seen in fandom

or: posts that probably shouldn’t be on my writeblr except I don’t have a sideblog

the context here is it’s half midnight and I have never seen ATLA except I have opinions now apparently so here we go whoop de do- 

I’m also not actually rating them like numerically that’s too much work i’m just stating opinions I know I’m a fraud

AANG

- A child?  - A son?  - he is Baby. but also. he has had It Rough  - would make the updog joke - has unspeakable power or smth and everyone says he’s better than the Korra girl who comes after him but honestly tastes like sexism to me - doesn’t kill people because he’s like twelve, right? he’s like twelve so he refuses to kill people - I stan honestly - less twelve year olds should kill people - Some people say his name WRONG and they are BAD but i don’t actually know what the right way or the wrong way is so. have fun w that yall - lived in peace unTIL THE FIRE NATION ATTACKED 

KATARA

- She is also like twelve???  - Is everyone here twelve - Cortana?? Katana?? Catbug??  - She has good hair, - Her mother is dead??? her mother is dead n she has a brother but she cares about her mother being dead WAY more than him (or apparently the entire fandom??) - Badass - She seems soft. good. sweet - she’s a water breather or whatever??? her brother is NOT but he is a meme - I love her 

SOKKA

- NGL looks like a fuckboy  - The meme brother! does not do the water things, but he has an aXe???  - dates BAMF lady - ngl until I talked to my ATLA watching friend I thought he canonically dated Zuko  - kinda mad he doesn’t - I haven’t actually seen anything about him except like. in zuko ship posts and also Suki appreciation posts - joined the white lotus not-a-cult by accident???  - dark ATLA tumblr show me more Sokka posts - is his name prounounced the same way as Soccer or isn’t it I need to know - HIS FIRST GIRLFRIEND TURNED INTO THE MOON - (AND THAT’S ROUGH, BUDDY) - He and Suki are a good ship, but also, Sokka Has Two Hands

SUKI

- the BAMF herself - she says STOP in that photo but also to sexism - Rlly all I see of her in fanon is abt her teaching Sokka to drink his respect women juice and I appreciate her doing that but also it’s sad she never gets talked about outside of what she did for a man - I hope she has other badass moments w/o him it would suck if she didn’t - she is NOT the girlfriend who turned into the moon, she is the one who didn’t - I don’t know much else about her ATLA Fandom y’all should appreciate her more

ZUKO

- Look at him... my son... - He has a good redemption arc - he and his sister are evil lesbian and redeemed gay guy??? - has a straight canon ship but should’ve been with Sokka this boy is gay - I Want To Protect Him - That’s literally it - he has a cool uncle and his dad sucks  - people ship him with Katara and I Do Not Get It that’s his sister in law except not really - “We don’t trust Zuko’s change of heart” [the next day] “so Zuko is my closest friend now,”  - His dad was like “fuck up the avatar to prove your worth to me” and Aang was like “counter argument you already have worth and we should fuck up your dad” and I think that’s beautiful - he becomes the fire man and he’s very good at it - Zuko for President 2020 - in the words of myself, half an hour ago: “ I was like "that kid with the burn on his face seems like a sad but then happy mlm who needs found family" and I was RIGHT” - took too long to find a happy picture of him :( Zuko rights NOW please - His mother’s story got compared to an OC of mine and all I can say is oh no and they deserve better based on that alone - I have had Zuko for five minutes but if anything else happens to him I will kill everyone in this throne room and then myself

TOPH

- She is badass but like also will murder you while laughing maniacally? - for some reason reminds me of Nott from Critical Role, another show I Have Not Seen - Is blind but gets more out of making jokes abt being blind than she would from being able to see - “Sight is just a cheap tactic to make weak benders stronger!!!” - Literally the opposite of Aang and has killed many people?? - She Can Tell When You’re Lying. But I do not know how and Am simply mildly threatened by this - Therapist: Toph’s ability to know if you’re lying isn’t real and can’t hurt you. Toph’s ability to know if I’m lying:  - She and Zuko.... buddies???  - if not they should be - tiny sad boy needs friends like toph

AZULA

- Evil Lesbian Culture - [BDG Voice] You committed a war crime! Oopsie! - took be gay do crime too literally - her and Zuko have accurate sibling writin except instead of “you ever want to murder your sibling for breathing in the same space as you,” being a Joke Azula took it seriously - okay but with a name like azula she should be the blue bender this ANNOYS me she should NOT be red bender - AZULa  - AZUL - IT MEANS BLUE - She was half of y’alls gay awakenings and it SHOWS - Should have maybe been redeemed too??? Jury is out no one knows - Was she gay for Ty Lee or wasn’t she I can’t tell how much of that Audio is a joke - IS SHE ALSO TWELVE??? IS EVERYONE HERE TWELVE?? IS THIS TWELVE YEAR OLD COMITTING ATROCITIES? 

UNCLE IROH

- A Good Man - Finally, Some Good Fucking [Adult Figures]  - he has the tea. literally and figuratively - Ozai is like “and I will permanently disfigure my son and throw him out” and Iroh is like “What The Fuck, Ozai,” thus voicing the entire audience’s thoughts - Literally the only adult in this that I trust - I? I love him. this is all I have to say. my love for him is unending. Some1 protect this man from all harm   - he’s Zuko’s uncle (and also Azula ig) but he does not seem related to Ozai. is it just a theme in this family that one sibling is chill and one sibling commits horrendous atrocities against your fellow human beings or  - something happened to his son???? :((((( I Don’t Want Him To Have Suffered Like This

OZAI

- A BAD MAN - Uh Oh (stinky)  - THE WORST OF THE MEN  - I do not like him - Bastard man. nasty. committed war crimes and then went “but what if - get this - i also abused my son,”  - I would like him to Not Be Like This - by Like This I mean present and alive  - :/ 

TY LEE

- She’s NOT the There Is No War In Ba Sing Se lady and I don’t know why i thought she WAS but until I looked up her photo I thought that was her  - She looks like a sweetheart tho - I hope nothing bad happens to her????  - talks about auras??? or smth??? let her vibe - She would talk animatedly to me about warrior cats if she was in my year seven class and I was sat alone and I would understand none of it but appreciate her anyway - if azula bullies her I’ll be :( at Azula and Azula will not care because she has Mommy Issues and therefore is slightly unhinged - She seems like that one kid with no trauma vibing at the edge of [every other kid having trauma] and not really getting it but trying her best - Is she also twelve?????? She maybe looks twelve

CABBAGE MAN 

- HIS CABBAGES - fulfills my favourite trope: ordinary person repeatedly has life disrupted by the inconveniences of relying on actual children to save the world - probably has a campaign post canon for letting trained adults fix the worlds’ problems in the future - or sets up the Very First Cabbage Insurance Company - look at him. he loves his cabbages so much. you go you funky lil cabbage man

ALSO THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES MOMO

- LOOK AT HIM HE’S SO GOOD - small. fluffy. big ears - Lord Momo of the Momo Dynasty: his Momoness - a Good Boy...

APPA

- he looks so soft... - he can fly but he just does it by??? vibing through the air?? motionless??? iconic - I saw that one post about mishearing it as Abba and thinking he was Aang’s dad and he looks like he would be a good stand in dad ngl - he’s so LORGE - a chonky boy - love him

that is everyone I have heard of it and if I left someone out it’s a sign that y’all should talk about em more bc I have no clue they exist put more ATLA On my Dash ig I’ll do Legend of Korra ig maybe apparently that one has canon wlw and i love me some canon wlw

[hello-nichya-here]

PART 2! I COULDN'T WAIT ANY LONGER!

Angst Warning. Trigger Warning. Self Harm Mention. Suicide Attempt Mention.

After the incident Zuko was going through it. Like, full on depression. He wouldn't eat, sleep, talk, work, nothing! He would just sod in his pillow during the night time and go and ugly cry in Azula's old room at the day time. He couldn't help it, he was missing his sister like crazy.

Ursa was extremely worried and angry at herself for not being able to do anything to ease her son's pain. He was getting unhealthily skinny and the scars that appeared in his arms were the worst kept secret in the palace. She tried her best to comfort him herself but after she found him in the balcony late at night, ready to do something he would surely regret she decided that enough was enough.

The Gaang got straight into work as soon as they received the letter that contained the information about the Fire Lords current mental situation. They searched for Azula like maniacs. Day after day, they would knock on each and every door they found to ask if anyone had seen the lost princess.

After a couple of weeks they got ahold of a man who claimed to have seen a beautiful spirit woman firebending in the woods. He described her fire as burning water and that was enough to fill the small group with hope. Funny, a year later none of them could imagine that there would come a day when they would pray to stumble across Azula.

Apparently, some spirit had heard their prayers because that same night, when the blue lights appeared, they run into the woods like their life was depending on it and there they found her, beautiful and intimidating as ever.

They probably should have prepared a little speech or something because when their eyes met, they all started talking nonsense about Zuko, his mental health, his Fire Lord duties that were falling behind and his relationship with her. Azula didn't make out any of the words they said but knew that something had gone terribly wrong by the panic on their phases.

Finally, Aang decided to take the lead and explain the situation but when he did Azula wished he hadn't. She could have sworn that the sound of her heart shattering to peaces could turn the average human deaf.

Her Zuzu had missed her. Really really missed her. She doesn't understand how she didn't realize that during his gut wrecking, heart pounding, toe curling, soul ascending, ear ringing, lug crushing confession but she sure as hell did now. How could she not when the Kyoshi Warrior technically proposed to her for Zuko?

Appa had never flied faster in the past...

Azula had never run so fast...

The fire princess' footsteps could be heard loud and clear as she moved towards her brothers chambers faster than eyes could follow. After she almost unbolted the door Azula felt her heart freeze when she met his eyes.

Zuko couldn't believe it. Had he gone crazy like the girl he though was infront of him? He stood up and approached her hesitantly. Time was going by painfully slow as he raised his hand to touch her and he immediately recognized the familiar sence of skin touching skin.

She was there! Spirits, she was truly there standing infront of him on all her glory. Both siblings burst into tears and Zuko held his baby sister close, whispering to her ears all the things he had promised to say to her if he ever saw her again. All the I'm sorry's, all the I love you's, all the We'll be fine's, all the I'm never letting you go again's.

Her embrace was soft and gentle like he would break if she held him any tighter yet Zuko's arms were wrapped around her firmly and protectively as if she would disappear into thin air the moment he let go of her. They both sat there and cried until they had no more tears left but even then, they couldn't let go. They didn't want to let go. Not now and not ever.

They wasted no time into seeling their love publicly and swearing to stay and protect each other until their very last breath. Zuko got better with time but he never stopped clinging into Azula, almost like he was trying to make up for all the years he spend not loving her enough. He made sure to dedicate every bit of his free time and spare energy into making sure his sister knew she was loved to no end. Azula herself tried hard to make this right either by rescheduling his meetings to steal some of his time or by staying up all night kissing the scars in her brothers arms that thankfully healed quickly and faded away.

When he learned he was going to be a father Zuko made an oath to never make the same mistake again. He wouldn't allow himself to let his daughter feel unloved the way he did with his sister and wife. This time, he would love and protect both his girls forever.

Here's the happy ending I wouldn't have written if Nichya weren't so intimidating. Might send a second version of part 2 with a sad ending. Might actually find the motivation to write a full fanfic based on that.

Amazing!

And you see, everyone? Threatening people works!

[xsugarysweetsx]

Request; from @tsundere-cherry-girl

Hello there! I love your writings btw, especially the Levi ones. I’ve seen you write scenarios like this before so I was gonna ask if you could do Zuko x pregnant reader. If you’ve read the comics, she becomes pregnant around the time of the Promise and goes into labor after the final battle in Smoke and Shadow. The child being Izumi. If you haven’t read the comics you don’t need to do that. I just want to see some Zuko and reader with baby Izumi fluff UwU

A/N: I changed it up just a tiny bit to fit the comic but also be it’s own story as well, ALSO! I’m sorry this took so long! 

Warning; Long, had to be cut for length

Please enjoy~🍰

*******************************************************

The night was calm, quiet, and warm. You laid in your husbands arms as you both slept. After so much chaos, hatred and war you were finally able to rest. Well, almost, Zuko has been very jumpy since being crowned fire lord. Although some of his hunches did turn out to be true, he was very set on someone trying to kill him 

“Guards!“ he had woken you from your sleep calling for the guards again, “Someone is here, secure Y/N and search the area!“ he ordered them as he jumped from bed. You following him to bring him back to bed

“Fire Lord Zuko, there is no one here, you’re safe“ one explained rushing to the door where he was ready to fight. Sometimes you thought he had too much trauma as a child that it will forever effect him

“Zuko sweet, please come back to bed. The guards have been here the whole night“ you said laying a hand on his chest attempting to keep him in a calmer state 

“You highness I can assure you no one is here-“

“There have been 5 attempts already on my life! Next thing you know they’ll come for my wife“ he grabbed the guard by the front of his uniform to make the message clear as to how serious he was 

“Sir we’ve-“ just as the guard spoke his head had been hit by an object knocking him out to the floor. Zuko pushes you behind him and gets into his fighting stance ready to defend you 

“Who’s there?! Show yourself“ just as commanded the intruder shows themselves whirling around what seemed to be a metal ball with spikes. Right before your eyes they go at it. Taking swings at each other, sooner than expected Zuko has his opponent at his mercy being taken away by his guards. He comes back to check on you

“Hey are you alright? Are you hurt?” he checks your face, you hands anything that could have gotten a scratch. You were physically okay but mentally you didn’t feel so well. You haven’t been feeling 100% for some time now and you were getting suspicious 

“I’m not hurt but, I don’t feel well Zuko“ you said leaning your head on his shoulder “Can you help me to bed please?“ You ask him, he wraps an arm around you and helps you walk to the bed and lay down. Walking back to the door his guards wait for his order

“I want double the guards here tonight and tomorrow I need the royal healer here for Y/N“

“Yes Sir!“ he closes the door and walks back to your side of the bed. Kissing your head he watches over you through the night. For one, you might not feel well, and the other being of what just happened. It was going to be a very long night....

~~~

The next morning the healer came as asked and took some time to check up on you while Zuko got ready for the day. He had given you some medical tea blends and told you to get rest. Turns out you were pregnant. Now you needed a way to tell Zuko, and with all the stress he’s under you wouldn’t know how to react. You had just finished getting dressed when he had walked in 

“Y/N, I’m heading out into town to settle last nights incident. What did the healer say?“ he asked coming over to where you sat

“Well, it’s nothing to be worried about but, something that will change everything“ you said fiddling with the tips of your hair 

“Well?“ he urges you “Come on Y/N, if I hear you’re okay it’ll make my day better“ he offered a soft smile which he knew, you melted for. You said and take his hands into yours and look into his eyes

“I’m pregnant...“ his jaw went slack almost as if he were frozen in time. It scared you “Zuko...?“ anything, he could just make a sound but you needed to hear him say something. 

“I....I have to go. I’ll see you later.“ he said kissing your forehead and leaving without saying another word. You were, hurt. You didn’t blame him completely because expressing his emotions wasn’t exactly his forte. Instead while he was out you went to the other person you trusted the most.

Knocking softly on the entrance to the garden Iroh was sat drinking some tea. 

“Ah Y/N, good morning come have some tea. I heard Zuko went to town to settle some things“ he said as he poured you a cup “I’ve also heard you’ve got something on your hands“

You simply nod and take the tea he held out to you

“So, why don’t you tell me about it“ he said with a kind smile. Iroh was probably the wisest, kindest soul you knew.

~~~

Later that afternoon Zuko came back and if anything looked more tired than before. You had a hunch as to where he was but you were hoping it wasn't true. Walking to him you cup his chin with both your hands and make him look at you in the eye

“You need to relax more...“ you said running your thumb over the bags under his eyes “You’re going to be tired before the baby gets here..and stop visiting your father, it’s not good for you“

His larger hands come up to hold yours “I’ll try, and I’m sorry about before...I’m happy” he offered a soft smile 

“Are you really?“ you pout slightly making him peck your lips 

“Yes I am, I know I’m not the best person for a father or husband..”

“Zuko“ you bring his forehead to rest on yours “You are the best person to be my husband and the father of my children. I couldn’t want anyone else“

-

As time went on things only weighed in his shoulders more. You were probably the only thing that kept him sane. You were also starting to show, your baby was growing nicely and very restless as well. On days when Zuko would have trouble sleeping the baby would get restless leaving both of you tired. But he had figured it out, if he lays in bed with you and talks to your bump, the baby calms down.

“What do you think it’ll be Zuko?“ you asked 

“Hmm, I think it’s a girl. They refuse to listen, and gets upset when I don’t talk to it, I’d say it’s you any day“ you gently wack his shoulder causing you both to laugh “I don’t mind what they are, if they’re healthy and we can make them happy is all I care about“

“You’re going to be a great father Zuko“ you said kissing his forehead 

“But...what if-“

“I’m going to stop you ahead of time. You are NOTHING like that man and you will never be. You are the kindest, strongest, best man I have ever met and our baby is lucky enough to have you as a father” 

Yes, he was terrified to make the same mistake this father make the same mistake his father made. You knew him better than anyone and if he were half as back as his father, you wouldn’t be there at that moment.

~~~

By the time you were almost due it seemed as if war had never left. From Azula attacking once again, to disagreements and even almost a Fight with Aang. Things were heavy on his shoulders, he’s tightened security because of your baby. The last thing he wanted was for anything to happen to you both.

Finally a day where everything was being settled, calmly he felt some kind of relief. That was until a guard barged into the meeting room to announce you had gone into labor. The funny thing about Zuko is that he’s fast and for some reason no one sees him. As soon as people looked away from the door and back to Zuko, only his chair was in their sight.

“Do you think he left that fast when he heard you were alive?” Sokka asked as the room became quiet

Rushing to the healers room at the door he was told he wasn’t allowed inside.

“What do you mean?! My wife is giving birth to our baby and I need to be with her!” This was going to be an old rule he was going to get rid of...

“I-I apologize sir but it’s been a tradition for generations-“

“ZUKO!!” Next thing you knew one of the midwives came to the door and saw Zuko and said

“The lady wishes for you to be with her Fire Lord Zuko” she said timidly. It took him less than a second to trip of his cape and run to your side. This was it, the end of your pregnancy, labor, the day your baby would finally be in your arms. It was a very difficult day for you, she took all day to be born and finally when the moon was high in the sky she made her appearance. She was just perfect, and for a moment the world seemed so at peace.

“She looks like you“ you whisper to Zuko as you both gaze down and admire her 

“Yeah but, she’s beautiful like you“ he whispered back, he truly felt something he’s never felt. It was happiness, excitement, protectiveness, and everything in between. He doesn’t remember the last time he was this happy, this was the best day right next to your wedding day.

Just as you expected he really was a wonderful father. During the first few weeks he wanted you only on bed rest. At night he would help care for Izumi and calm her when she needed it. He was actually the one who taught her to walk. When Aang and the rest of your friends met her, he was secretly super proud and cocky about it. They couldn’t get over how much she looked like him and just how cute she was.

He also liked to have her sleep in the same bed as you guys while she was still young. When he couldn’t sleep he would just gaze at her and talk to her, even though she couldn’t answer back.

“..and you could be anything you want to be, and you could rule the kingdom your way. If you’re like your mother I know you’ll be a kind and smart ruler. You probably can’t understand me right now but, I love you and your mother so much“ you felt your hear swell while you pretended to be asleep. 

Although your favorite memory was him showing her how to bend when she first made a flame. She was around 6 when she first bended and he felt the flame of pride light in his chest. He showed her how to meditate and control it instead of training. He was always patient and gentle with her. It was very safe to say he was never the same as his father was with him.

Izumi and Zuko were nothing more than the center of your universe, the apples of your eye. And you knew it was the same for Zuko when he looked at you. 

*******************************************************

I hope this was okay!❤️

[bonesbuckleup]

Lord, this answer got long. I’m a little embarrassed about it, but I wrote it, so it’s getting posted. It’s a literal essay. Sorry but also not?

TLDR: Yes, the show is arguably unfair to Sokka about Kya, but it also follows a pattern where Sokka stays quiet about Bad Feelings and plays by the rules established for his character. Katara, meanwhile, grieves loudly and often, and appears to be under the impression that because Sokka’s grief is silent it doesn’t exist, which also fits her character/interactions completely. Neither of them are right or wrong, but it sets them up on inevitable collisions.

Now. If you want to join me on a cactus-juice fueled descent into madness, proceed below the cut.

Number one. We’re referring to this exchange in “The Southern Raiders,” where the Gaang is talking about Zuko and Katara going after the man who killed Kya, which is vicious and brutal and never reflected on:

Aang: You sound like Jet. Katara: It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster. Sokka: Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right. Katara (angry, yelling): Then you didn't love her the way I did! Sokka (visibly hurt, softly): Katara.

And that’s it. Upon returning, Katara apologizes to Aang and not, as Anon is absolutely correct in pointing out, to Sokka, who is 100% the more injured party. Now. Is it possible this is one of the rare missteps from the atla writers? Yes. Absolutely. Is that the answer I’m about to write a literal fucking essay about? No. Because it’s more painful fun to take it as face value and talk subtext.

First, a reminder that this show is fucking good at what it does. It teaches you how each character grieves as we go: Aang explodes, often triggering the Avatar state, usually crying or angry, and when he does try to repress his Bad Feelings it rarely lasts longer than a day; Toph either shuts down or gets mad, but either way she doesn’t like people seeing her having Bad Feelings and often storms away, knowing that she can’t control it no matter how much she might want to; Zuko yells at the sky in a rainstorm or yells at his dad in an underground tunnel or challenges Zhao to an Agni Kai or yells at his uncle in a jail cell and generally is an emotive nuclear bomb because the boy has feelings and if he keeps them inside for more than three seconds he might explode okay.

Then we have Katara and Sokka.

Let’s start with Katara, since she has the most textual and straightforward displays of grief. She’s really the only one to talk about Kya’s death in Book 1. If Sokka mentions it, it’s barely in passing. I don’t think we hear Hakoda address her death at all (which I’ll return to in a moment.) Katara’s grief is loud. It’s angry. It’s still very much a living thing for her. She thinks she sees Kya in the swamp and breaks down crying, and tells Aang and Sokka about it with no hesitation. When she’s angry and sad at Hakoda for leaving, she acts out and is visibly upset with him, yells at him, cries at him. She out-loud hates Zuko when she comes to the conclusion that he told her about Ursa and got her to talk about Kya to manipulate her. It isn’t that her grief is performative, because it’s a very real and terrible thing, but it’s a grief that’s to be witnessed.

Then, Sokka. Sokka’s grief is more complicated because it exists almost entirely in subtext, especially in regard to Kya. We really only hear him talk about Kya twice, both in Book 3. First, to Toph, when he tells her that he can’t remember what Kya looks like. Worth noting, however, that even though it is Sokka talking, this is still centered on Katara and Katara’s grief. The next time is when Zuko asks what happened to Kya, and Sokka tells the story that leads into the initial flashback. Sokka doesn’t talk about his mom. This is a fact of the show. It’s such a fact of the show that, in “Southern Raiders,” after the exchange at the start of this post, while Katara and Zuko are on the hunt, Sokka doesn’t bring up Kya again and is messing around with Aang. Like nothing has happened or is currently happening--which I’ll come back to in a moment.

So while we can use Kya as a perfect example of how Katara grieves, we can’t really use her for Sokka. So let’s use Yue instead. Moments we see (or don’t see) Sokka grieving Yue:

In the opening to Book 2, we briefly have a shot of Sokka with the moon imposed behind him.

“The Swamp,” where Sokka’s vision is of Yue accusing him of not protecting her. This one is one of the more textual moments of grief--”I think about Yue all the time”--but what’s awful great about it is how Sokka tells Aang and Katara. Aang, obviously, has no qualms about sharing his vision. Katara openly talks about seeing Kya. Sokka only tells them about Yue when explicitly asked. Even then, he doesn’t mention what she said to him. From this, we can assume that Sokka is still holding onto a lot of guilt over her death--guilt that he won’t let Aang and Katara see. Anyway. Moving on.

“The Serpent’s Pass.” After spending all day panic protecting Suki, he tells her that he lost someone, but doesn’t go much further into detail, just saying that he can’t when she tries to kiss him. Of course, this is all happening in front of the moon. Again, though, Sokka stays vague. He doesn’t tell her any details.

“The Puppetmaster,” Toph posits that maybe the moon spirit has gone mean and is kidnapping people. Sokka snaps at her, in a moment definitely meant for laughs, saying, “The Moon Spirit is a gentle, loving lady. She rules the sky with compassion and ... lunar goodness!” It is a funny moment, but here’s what we can take from it: Toph doesn’t know about Yue. Toph is a Feral Bastard a lot of the time, but she also knows where the line is, and I don’t think she’d’ve said that if she’d known.

“Boiling Rock,” in arguably the most quoted (and well deservedly so!) line in the entire show. “My first girlfriend turned into the moon.” “...that’s rough, buddy.” COMEDIC GOLD. Also, weirdly, the literal only time that Sokka explicitly tells someone about Yue in the course of the show.

“Ember Island Players” which I haven’t hit in my rewatch yet, but I definitely remember a moment where Suki asks Sokka when he was gonna tell her he made out with the moon, and he tearfully shushes her. Again, played for laughs, but the implication is that he still hasn’t told Suki about what happened.

This plays perfectly into the same way that Sokka (doesn’t) talks about his mom. When the Bad Feelings come, Sokka either avoids them and finds a distraction (Goofs with Aang--see, told ya we’d come back to that) or stays silent. When someone explicitly asks him about the Bad Feelings--what he saw in the swamp, what’s eating at him in “Sokka’s Master,” why he’s panic-protecting Suki--he’ll answer, but often talks around the actual issue. (Interestingly, it’s in regard to Suki we see the most explicit manifestation of Sokka grieving as Azula taunts him during the invasion: he cries, he attacks Azula, he yells and questions her despite the fact he knows she’s wasting their time. I think this one hits him because, as this beautiful post points out, Suki’s the protector in the relationship, and Sokka can actually chill out for 2 seconds. But he let his guard down, and Azula got Suki. Anyway. That’s probably a different essay: back to the matter at hand.) We even see this in “Boiling Rock.” There’s a moment where they think Hakoda is not with the other political prisoners. Sokka’s tense, drawn tight, but the only thing he says is, “No.”

Basically, we’ve got Katara, who grieves loudly and rages and is kinda like white-water rapids that churn and churn and churn. And we’ve got Sokka, who, to quote John Mulaney, looks at his grief and says, “I’ll just keep all my emotions right here and then one day I’ll die.” Iceberg grief, to keep the water metaphor going.

And where did these come from? Yup! Water Tribe gender roles! What we know from the show is that, while the South is typically more progressive (women can train as benders and marry who they want, at least) than the North, it’s still very rigid: the men are warriors/hunters/protectors, the women stay home to cook/clean/child-rear.

Now: subtext! And why I think they are this way!

We’ll start with Katara. The last waterbender in the South Pole. She no doubt grew up doted on. If I say she’s most likely a little spoiled, I don’t mean it in a bad way--I mean it in a she’s the last living remnant of this aspect of their culture kind of way. When raiders come, she’s probably the first priority to protect. Kya dies to keep her safe. Her needs are generally put before the community as a whole. (This isn’t to say that Katara doesn’t contribute or care about her community, because she 100% does). But! Especially in Book 1, we see Katara often considering her opinions as facts (trusting Jet, the waterbending scroll) and doesn’t always pause to consider the larger impact that her actions will have (scroll and Jet again, challenging Pakku, dressing up as the Painted Lady despite the fact the factory will hold the village responsible). And many of these actions are good! But we see a lot of Katara being pretty self-centered--what can I do, how does this impact me, how do I feel about this? And this isn’t a bad thing! This aspect of her character makes her complicated and complex! Katara loves her family and protecting people and caring for them! She’s extremely empathetic! But she also struggles to meet people where they’re at when they emote in a different way than she does (see: her clashes with Toph, her initial problems with Zuko joining the group, the above interaction with Sokka). It’s also worth talking about how Katara witnessed her mother’s death, which no doubt makes her grief about it a sharper thing.

Then, again, Sokka. Also loved in his community! But a normal kind of love, I’d assume. He probably was raised on stories of the Fire Nation dragging waterbenders away. No one exemplifies the Water Tribe ride-or-die mentality quite as well as Sokka, or the gender roles of the man as the warrior/protector, so you gotta believe Hakoda raised that kid to look after his sister at all costs, which we see throughout the show (already preparing to go after Aang in the South Pole because he know Katara’s going anyway, “You burned my sister!”) And he isn’t there when his mom dies. He finds out later. He goes from feeling like a victor who helped chased the raiders away to the worst realization of his life. I have to imagine he’s ashamed by the fact that he thought everything was going to be okay, which leads into his worldview of assuming that nothing is okay ever in any circumstance.

Finally, Hakoda. Who never, unless I’ve forgotten something, talks about Kya. All we know is that their family fell apart after her death (per Sokka in “The Runaway,” learning how Katara stepped up to hold everything together) and sometime after he took the warriors and straight up left. He apologizes for leaving but doesn’t address the fact that he left Katara and Sokka with no parents at all, only the war. This is, uh, not exactly echoing a healthy coping mechanism?

My theory: Kya dies. Since the Water Tribe is so embedded in gender roles, Hakoda probably shut down and/or checked out emotionally for a while. This leaves his kids on their own to deal with their shit, and we learn Katara does everything she can to keep her family going. As the most protected individual in the South, Katara’s probably been taught that emotions equal attention, and uses her temper/caring/sadness to help bring her community closer. Meanwhile, Sokka, who hero worships his dad, watches Hakoda go stoic and learns that “real men” shove their shit down. Additionally, Katara’s grief is deafeningly loud, and Sokka’s number 1 role is to keep Katara safe. He’s taught that the Bad Feelings only get in the way and make things worse, and so he learns to be fine no matter what kind of terrible is going down around him.  Basically, Katara learns to use grief as a needle and thread, and Sokka learns to bury it as deep as he can and avoid it at all costs. Opposite reactions to the same trauma. Katara gets mad and demands to be heard and listened to and seen, and Sokka gets sarcastic and prepares himself for the day the Fire Nation ships come back for his sister.

So. Back to those above lines from “Southern Raiders.”

From a writing standpoint, I do wish the final moment was between Katara and Sokka versus Katara and Aang. They could’ve had an almost identical interaction, but it would’ve been more nuanced. I don’t think that Katara needed to apologize, but I think we needed some acknowledgement from both of them: Katara continuing the lesson she’s learned about how her pain doesn’t entitle her to hurt other people (including Sokka, who is there no matter what she says or does), and Sokka that Katara’s process of grieving had to involve this catharsis.

Or. Maybe not. Because again--subtext. Their grief works in such different ways that I have to imagine this isn’t a new fight. It was probably brutal and vicious for a very long time. Maybe that’s part of what made Sokka try and go with the warriors. Maybe that’s part of why Katara gets mad so quickly in the first episode of the show. But eventually, unable to find an answer, they just...stop talking about it. Because the two of them don’t talk about it. Katara only talks about her mom with people who aren’t Sokka, and Sokka does exclusively to Toph and Zuko.

The only time I can think of Katara and Sokka talking about it together is the exchange at the top of this post, and it gets ugly fast, and it isn’t brought up again. It’s a fight that will never be resolved, because they fundamentally can’t react to one another in a way that can be universally understood.

“You didn’t love her the way I did!” Katara yells, loudly, because if Sokka loved her then why isn’t he raging? Why isn’t he getting his sword and coming to help her? Why doesn’t Sokka want to burn this firebender to the ground and make him see and hear and look at what he’s done to the world? To their family? He must not understand. He must not care as much or he’d be screaming with her.

“Katara,” Sokka says, much quieter, and adds nothing else. Not because there isn’t anything else to say, but because Sokka can’t talk about this kind of thing. Not doesn’t want to, but can’t, because it’s his job to protect people, protect Katara, and if he lets all those old hurts come boiling up he can’t do that, because that ends with losing focus and losing control and people getting hurt or going away. Why can’t she understand that?

And then they do what they always do. They don’t bring it up again.

[the-velvet-worm]

We need to talk about Mai.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender fandom is one that’s seen better days, that’s for sure. Even in its better days, it was full of ship wars and shit takes. It’s always been like that, despite how near-perfect the show is, and that’s nothing that can be helped. We all consume media differently, and that’s what makes so many movies and TV shows so great. Differing opinions are what create discussion and debate, and we should almost always at least entertain them to help get a better understanding of the thoughts and opinions of others. So… let’s dive into one of my most unpopular opinions.

Mai. We all know her as the knife-wielding goth girl, friend to Azula and girlfriend to Zuko. Many have come to the false conclusion that she’s all surface and no substance, that she never cared enough for Zuko, that she was too passive and uncaring and didn’t cater enough to the emotions of the people around her. She turned on Azula to save Zuko, and Ty Lee turned on Azula to save Mai. It’s one of (in my opinion, at least) the most badass and iconic moments of the show. Mai stealthily pinning down all the prison guards without spilling a single drop of blood, buying Zuko, Sokka, Suki and co. just enough time to escape the Boiling Rock is one of the best action scenes in all of ATLA, that much isn’t up for debate. But it’s also one of the most profound and selfless acts of love in the entire series. Zuko, whose mother poisoned his grandfather to save his life, who betrayed his uncle just as he was going to make a major heel turn as a person, was saved by a girl he broke up with… in a letter. I’ll get into the letter later. But for now, I want to unpack Mai’s sacrifice.

She knew exactly what she would be facing by saving Zuko. Azula was right there. And Mai still did it. She resigned herself to the fact that she would have to face Azula’s fury — and her lightning. Mai’s only defense? Her knives. It was a test of speed and precision. Or at least, it would’ve been, if Ty Lee hadn’t stepped between them and taken Azula down. The important part was that Mai was willing to die to save Zuko’s life. “I love Zuko more than I fear you,” is one of the most powerful lines of dialogue I’ve ever heard in my life. It confirmed two things: Mai loves Zuko (which she said with her actions as much if not more than her words) and Mai has only been friends with Azula as long as she has because she actually feared what Azula would do to her otherwise. It was never any secret who had the true power in the Fire Nation royal family — Mai knew that better than most. And still, even after Zuko ditched her in the middle of an invasion, she would’ve traded her life for his without a second thought.

Which leads me to my next point — the letter. Mai read a portion of it out loud. We saw Zuko write it just a few episodes prior. We know from context and dialogue that he didn’t want to leave her, he tells Sokka as much on their way to the Boiling Rock. In Zuko’s mind, he left Mai behind to protect her. But flipping it and looking at it from Mai’s perspective is so key to understanding why she was so hurt. This wasn’t just a case of a jerk boyfriend breaking up with his girlfriend through a text message. This was two traumatized teenagers who fell in love despite all odds, who were separated for three years, and were finally reunited… just for him to leave again. The first time Zuko left, he didn’t have a choice, as we all know. That’s fair. The second time? He did have a choice. He made the right choice. He knew it. We as the audience know it. But who didn’t know it was Mai — she expresses as much. She doubts herself and her relationship with Zuko because of it. She more or less infers that she feels their relationship has been built on a lie — and in truth, it partially has been. Zuko withheld information from her and withheld his feelings. Remember ‘The Beach’, toward the beginning of book 3? That episode where Mai and Zuko (and Azula and Ty Lee) all addressed their childhood trauma and finally began to be able to work through it? Mai didn’t shut down Zuko’s feelings — she actively encouraged him to share with her how he was feeling. In the same scene, Zuko claimed Mai didn’t care about anything, and at the end of the episode, she affirmed that although she had difficulty expressing her true emotions, she did care about Zuko. And I think it says a whole lot about her that even after having her heart broken by him, after opening up to him and offering a safe place for him and getting hurt as a result of that, she still couldn’t let him die.

What I’m getting at is… would a girl who REALLY didn’t care do that? I see a lot of people claim she didn’t listen to Zuko… when was that? In ‘Nightmares and Daydreams’, when she constantly tried to affirm him, comfort him, reassure him, and was met with silence? In ‘The Beach’ when he dumped all of his trauma on her and she sympathized with him but still held him accountable for his actions? She did nothing wrong in those instances. She was never in the wrong to demand decency from her boyfriend — he accused her of cheating because another man looked at her. In what world doesn’t she have a right to be upset about that?

Circling back to the first episode of book 3 — in a scene that many blow wildly out of proportion — Zuko is being his usual angsty self, having a moment of reflection and self-doubt. He’s afraid his father won’t accept him, that going home to the Fire Nation might be a mistake. It’s easy to forget that Mai wasn’t present for the death of Aang, so she has no idea what happened during that scene. She has no idea that Zuko wasn’t the one that killed Aang. She has no idea what Zuko’s been doing in the three years he’s been gone. So… in her head, she assumes Zuko’s just being his usual dramatic self, and makes a joke about not wanting to know his life story to put his mind at ease and assure him that his worries were misplaced. She wanted the same thing she thought Zuko wanted (and I say thought because, well… he never told her what he really wanted because *he* didn’t even know) and encouraged him to strive toward that. She waited for him for hours outside the war chamber in ‘Nightmares and Daydreams’, and when the meeting finally ended and he came back out, she enthusiastically congratulates him on it, she’s happy for him because with her limited knowledge of what’s actually going on in her boyfriend’s head, this is what he wants. Earlier in the same episode, he’s lamenting about not being invited, and then decides the meeting is dumb and he doesn’t want to go to it. And she agrees with him, again, simply just trying to affirm him and make him feel better. She supports him in all things — all things that she can to the best of her understanding of the things.

At the end of it all, communication is a two-way street — Zuko was shitty at expressing himself and so was Mai. That was something they both needed to work on separately in order to be able to come back together. Their separate and individual personal growth does not hinge on their relationship. Mai was not Zuko’s therapist, nor should she have been. She tried to be supportive and be there for him in the only ways she knew how with her very limited (but expanding) sense of sympathy. Mai was a person who never let herself care, at least not outwardly, lest she get her feelings hurt in the process. She did open up to Zuko, and encouraged him to do the same with her, offered him support, unconditional love, and a safe place, and he needed to do some growing away from her, and that’s fine. He should’ve communicated that to her a little better, and she should’ve tried to be more understanding from the start, but they’re still just teenagers. I don’t know many teenagers who can take what they know they are capable of emotionally handling and applying it to their interpersonal relationships as well as Mai does. I was a hell of a lot farther behind in my own emotional development than Mai was at 15.

[reinerispretty]

little moments. zuko x f!reader rotations bonus

HI UM!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 2K!!!!! i love each and every one of u with my WHOLE HEART!!!! 

i was trying to think of something special to do that everyone would enjoy, so why not a good callback to the reason why most of us are here hehehe

when i wrote rotations, there were lots of avenues that i thought of taking after the fall of ba sing se! in the fic, (y/n) is arrested, and i posted a bonus already of how it would have ended if she had escaped with sokka and the rest of the gaang. HOWEVER, i did think of her taking azula up on her offer of going back to the fire nation and being there with zuko (insert side eye emoji) 

so that’s what this is! a little rotations bonus to say thank you so much for sticking with me!!

She had contemplated it as she was in her room on the ship. Of running away and finding Sokka, Katara, and Toph. She would tell them that she couldn’t do it. She wasn’t strong enough.

But as she lie awake that night, she thought of everything Aang had sacrificed in order to ensure that they would have a better life. If he was truly gone, it would a disservice to their entire cause if she couldn’t risk something the way her beloved friend had.

The weight of what she had done settled into her stomach as soon as (Y/N) opened her eyes. She stared up at the ceiling of one of the guest bedrooms in the Earth King’s palace, needles dancing behind her eyes. For the first time in months, she was completely alone. 

Azula had offered her immunity if she chose to join her. All would be forgiven if (Y/N) would just join them and return to her home, her real home. The mainland of the Fire Nation and the inner workings of palace life. It would be like nothing had changed. And (Y/N) had said yes. 

It wasn’t as if she wanted to betray her friends. It was something that Sokka had discussed with her, in the event that she was captured. 

A knock sounded against the heavy green door. (Y/N) sat up against the fluffy green pillows and called whoever it was in. Servants filtered in, carrying bundles of clothing, brushes, soaps, and dishes of water. One stopped at the foot of her bed. “The Princess has asked that you ready yourself to see her in the throne room.” 

(Y/N) nodded silently and slipped out of the bed. The servants guided her to a chair in front of a vanity where they worked at her appearance.

Looking in the mirror was difficult. (Y/N) couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, as she was dressed in the traditional clothing of her nation, she kept her eyes cast downward and remained silent as the servants scrubbed the dirt from her nails and face and brushed the knots from her hair. It was as if, little by little, evidence of her time with Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka was being erased. 

Sokka. She thought back to their conversation on the floor of their house in Ba Sing Se, shrouded in darkness as they whispered to each other. “Do what you can to keep yourself safe,” He had said quietly. “Pretend that you like them or something. When you can, meet back up with us and tell us about the Fire Lord’s plan.”

“I’m not leaving you guys,” She had scoffed, hoping that Sokka’s request of her was fake. Did he really expect her to leave her friends? The people who had become her family?

Sokka had turned over on his stomach to look at her. “You’re our best chance at gathering intel about the Fire Nation. They know you there, they trust you.” 

“Not anymore,” She pointed out. Sokka shrugged. 

“They have a soft spot for you. You’re one of our advantages, (Y/N). If given the opportunity, I need you to take it.” 

She had turned over, staring straight into his sky blue eyes. She rested her chin on her palm. She wasn’t taking Sokka seriously, so she had humored him. “Fine,” She agreed. “If Azula wanders up to me and asks me to go back, I’ll play spy.” 

Sokka’s face remained serious despite her joking tone. “I don’t want you to do this either,” He had told her. “If you get into any serious danger, just come back to m--us.” 

(Y/N) had laughed. “Danger? In the Fire Nation? No way.” 

In the present, (Y/N) dared to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair was done in the traditional Fire Nation topknot, flowing freely down her back. She looked as she had over a year ago. Beloved daughter of the Fire Nation with a miserable glint in her eye. Was this who she had always been? She swallowed thickly to press down the tears. 

She had learned to trust Sokka’s judgment overtime. It was a good plan. She was the only one that could do it. But it hadn’t been a day and she already couldn’t wait to be reunited with her friends. In the meantime, she would have to do her best to pretend that this was the life she wanted. One of cruelty and submission. 

She had sat in the palace the night before, as Zuko and Azula fought Katara and Aang in the caverns below the city. She had watched Appa fly away, with no knowledge of how her friends had fared during the fight. 

Once she was done getting ready, (Y/N) dismissed the servants. She walked quietly to the throne room, her head down. When she entered, Azula was sat in the Earth King’s throne, still wearing her Earth Kingdom disguise. Mai and Ty Lee were seated at the steps beneath her. The one person she was expecting to see was absent. 

Ty Lee’s face lit up when she saw (Y/N), and as soon as she finished her bow, the young acrobat cartwheeled over to her and gave her a hug. (Y/N’s) first instinct was to stiffen, but she fought it and squeezed Ty Lee as hard as she could. 

“It’s so good to have you back!” Ty Lee exclaimed, clasping (Y/N’s) cheeks between her hands. “I’ve never seen your aura look better!” 

“That’s...great?” (Y/N) questioned, furrowing her brows. Her eyes drifted over to Mai, who picked her nails with the blades of her darts. 

“Hey.” Was all she said. Well, that was alright. Mai and (Y/N) had never been very close. 

“Good morning,” Azula drawled, a smile curling on her lips. (Y/N) was unsure if it was genuine or menacing. Both were to be expected when dealing with Azula. “I’ve talked to Father. He’s willing to fully pardon you for your crimes.” 

“That’s--” (Y/N) swallowed. “That’s very generous of the Fire Lord.” 

“Yes. I told him all about the poison the Avatar and his friends put into your head. Without guidance from me, you were easily influenced.” Azula adjusted her position in the throne, tucking her legs beneath herself. She looked like she belonged there. “Father and I both agreed that it would be best if I kept you close. You need support from your real friends.” 

(Y/N) knew what this was, and Azula did too. It was not something from the kindness of the young princess’s heart. It was a way to control (Y/N), to make sure that she wouldn’t stray. A single misstep and it was likely that she would be six feet under. It was even more likely that Azula would put her there herself. 

(Y/N) tried as hard as she could to smile gratefully. “Thank you, Azula. Please give your father my thanks.” The doors to the throne room opened then, revealing Zuko. He was dressed in a royal Fire Nation robe, but his green Earth Kingdom clothes still poked out from beneath the red fabric. (Y/N) liked to think that she had become very vigilant in her time running from the Fire Nation, so she noticed the way Mai’s face lit up just slightly at his appearance. 

He looked over at (Y/N), his eyes widening in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak, then immediately shut it. She stared back at him, her eyes boring into his. While it may appear that she and Zuko were on the same side, she had no intention of forgiving him for turning on Iroh. For throwing away all the progress he had made in his time away from the Fire Nation. He was so close to becoming the version of himself that she always believed he could be and he had thrown it all away for trivial acceptance. 

Zuko was the first to turn away and (Y/N) looked back to Ty Lee. 

“Can you tell me about the boy you were traveling with?” Ty Lee questioned. “The one with the ponytail?” 

“Yes, (Y/N),” Azula said. “Do tell us all about your time with the Avatar and his friends. I’d like to know what they’re planning.” 

“His name is Sokka,” (Y/N) told Ty Lee, trying her hardest to not show any amount of affection in her voice. “And I don’t know what they’re planning. They never trusted me enough to share.” She stared straight into Azula’s golden eyes. Azula was a skilled liar, but (Y/N) had grown up with her. She had a lot more tricks up her sleeve than the princess would anticipate. 

Azula narrowed her fine eyebrows. “That’s quite alright. I suppose we don’t have much to worry about, considering Zuko killed the Avatar.” 

(Y/N) had to hold in her gasp or else she would be jeopardizing everything she was here for. There was no way Aang could be gone. He was the connection between the Spirit World and the Human World. Wouldn’t they be able to feel it? 

She curled her hands into fists, her nails pressing crescent shaped marks into her skin. “You should be thanking him,” Said Azula. (Y/N’s) eyes slid across the room to Zuko. He stared at his sister, his own brow furrowed in confusion. “Go on. Say thank you.” 

“Thank you,” (Y/N) said quietly to Zuko. She hated how silent he was being. If Aang was gone, then Zuko would now be dead to her. He had done something unforgivable. If he didn’t understand the weight of his actions now, then he never would. 

“Our ship leaves tonight,” Azula announced, standing up and stretching her body. “We should be back home by morning. (Y/N), you’ll be staying in the palace with Zuzu and I, since your parents failed to protect you from the Avatar.” 

“Thank you,” (Y/N) repeated, perhaps because her brain couldn’t think of anything else. 

“Father also wants to have an audience with you,” Azula said as she skipped down the steps. She strode over to (Y/N), the same mischievous glint in her eye. “Something about loyalty.” Azula’s smile was menacing. 

(Y/N) swallowed. She was in way over her head. 

---

Their ship docked in the royal port, just below the palace. Guards escorted (Y/N) off of the ship, which was horribly embarrassing. Truly they couldn’t think of her as that big of a threat to require guards? Perhaps they had thought she might try to escape. She had contemplated it as she was in her room on the ship. Of running away and finding Sokka, Katara, and Toph. She would tell them that she couldn’t do it. She wasn’t strong enough. 

But as she lie awake that night, she thought of everything Aang had sacrificed in order to ensure that they would have a better life. If he was truly gone, it would a disservice to their entire cause if she couldn’t risk something the way her beloved friend had. It was intimidating, being surrounded by those she had fought for so long, but (Y/N) was different now. She wasn’t the girl that they thought they knew. Her time with her friends had changed her for the better. 

So, (Y/N) stepped off the ship and back onto the Fire Nation mainland with her chin held high, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. If she were to be believable, she had to exude confidence, even if she was scared out of her mind. Her confidence began to falter as the guards walked her past Zuko and Azula, past Mai and Ty Lee, and to the room that she remembered to be the Fire Lord’s throne room. 

She had not set foot into this room since she was nine, when she had exhibited her firebending skills for Fire Lord Azulon. So much had changed since then. If she had thought Azulon was intimidating then, Ozai was something to be feared. 

He sat on his throne, red flames shooting up in columns on either side. As soon as she was before him, the guards left, and (Y/N) fell into a bow. She absolutely despised groveling, but she knew it was what needed to be done in order to survive beneath the Fire Lord’s nose. 

She tried her best to bring back all the information of Fire Nation etiquette that had gathered dust at the back of her mind. After a few moments of silence, she rose and sat on her knees, hands folded in her lap as she stared forward at Ozai. Her eyes were downcast, avoiding her gaze. (Y/N) tried her best to come across as shameful. 

“You have grown since the last time you were in these halls,” The Fire Lord spoke. His voice was calm, too calm for someone who was talking to a traitor. (Y/N) inhaled a deep breath. 

“My lord,” She said, her voice shaky from nerves. “I am so, so sorry for betraying our nation. I deserve to be thrown into prison and never let out.” 

“Is that what you want?” Ozai questioned. “To be rotting in a cell?” (Y/N) curled her fingers into her dress and made a rash decision. She looked at the Fire Lord and stared directly into his amber eyes. 

“I want to prove myself to the nation. And to you. I was a foolish girl. After Zuko’s banishment, I was heartbroken. I let my feelings get the better of me.” There was some truth to her lies. She wasn’t foolish, nor did she want to prove herself, but Zuko’s banishment had only been a catalyst for how she felt about the Fire Nation. 

“I don’t give second chances.” (Y/N) felt a tugging at her heart. She couldn’t report to her friends from jail. Or if she was dead. “But perhaps you can redeem yourself after your punishment.” (Y/N’s) eyebrow quirked up curiously. 

Ozai plucked a metal rod from his side and stood, walking down to meet her. (Y/N) knew what it was. Their words for ‘traitor’ were cast into iron at the end of the rod, which was already heating up from Ozai’s touch. The brand was given to those who had betrayed the nation, so that all would know of their treachery. They considered it to be a better option that rotting in jail or being executed. 

(Y/N) gulped. She had never seen a branding performed, but she had heard the screams as Ursa had ushered her, Azula, and Zuko away from the palace when they were young. It was a practice that not even Azulon had instituted. It was purely of Ozai’s crafting. 

“Your arm,” Ozai said, gesturing to her right arm. (Y/N) pulled up her sleeve. She could feel her body getting hot, the fight or flight instincts kicking in and begging her to run. As a native to the Fire Nation and a firebender, she was able to withstand a great amount of heat. Which meant that the poker needed to be thousands of degrees hotter than the average in order to brand her skin. “This is a punishment for your own actions,” Ozai sneered. “You brought this upon yourself.” 

The hot poker pressed into the skin of her forearm and (Y/N) had to bite down as hard as she possibly could on her bottom lip to keep herself from shouting, but it was no use. The pain was unbearable, shooting up her arm and reverberating on every nerve within her body. She couldn’t control her shrill screams as they echoed in the massive hall. Hot tears streamed down her face as she watched what Ozai was doing to her. She should have escaped when she had the chance, should have told Sokka no, she couldn’t return to the Fire Nation. She had been a child then, she wouldn’t be safe from the horrors that Ozai inflicted on others. 

He removed the iron from her skin and (Y/N) collapsed in on herself, her body shaking with sobs. She knew that showing weakness was even more dangerous now than ever before, but this was a treatment that was reserved for seasoned war criminals, not fifteen year old girls. She looked up at Ozai through cloudy eyes, barely able to see through her tears. “Thank you, my lord,” She said, her voice shaky and small because her throat was clouded with sobs. 

“You are dismissed,” He said as he returned to his position on his throne, not bothering to look back at her. (Y/N) stood on wobbly legs and bowed once more before walking slowly out of the throne room. As soon as she was beyond its doors, she started running. She couldn’t even see where she was going, but her feet carried her to the only place she knew would help. 

She sobbed heavily as she reached the turtle duck pond, dropping to her knees and shoving her arm into the cool water. The turtle ducks quacked and flapped away from her, but (Y/N) couldn’t care. She wanted Katara, whose healing powers would ease the burning pain shooting up and down her arm. She wanted to be held, to be reassured that everything would be alright. She cried, her tears dripping into the pond water. It probably wasn’t the most sanitary situation, but the coolness of the water helped ease her pain just slightly. 

“(Y/N)?” Zuko’s voice sounded far away in her ears. “What happened?” 

(Y/N) couldn’t bring herself to look any farther up than his boots. She felt so tired, but she couldn’t afford to pass out. She couldn’t let her guard down once while in this place. “Just go away,” She said meekly, the fingers on her other hand clawing into the soft grass. 

“Father gave her her punishment,” Azula said from the other side of (Y/N). Having the both of them here was the absolute last thing she wanted. Azula pulled her arm from the pond and wrapped cool towels around her burn. (Y/N) hissed in pain, but she had to admit that it was better than the pond water. “If it makes you feel any better,” continued Azula nonchalantly. “You passed his test.” 

“You knew about this?” Zuko demanded, his eyes wild with anger. Azula scoffed. 

“Relax, Zuzu. It’s just a little burn.” Delirious, (Y/N) laughed bitterly. Her ragged breathing was starting to even out. 

Zuko bent down at her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. (Y/N) shrugged it off and stood, refusing to look at him. She wiped the tears from her eyes and removed the towels from her arm. ‘Traitor’ was beginning to blister on her skin. It would be something that remained with her for the rest of her life. 

She looked up at Azula. “Can you take me to my room?” 

“You should probably go to the infirmary,” Zuko suggested. 

“Zuko, I heard that Mai was looking for you,” Azula’s voice was laced with spite that stung both Zuko and (Y/N). Azula linked her arm with (Y/N’s) good one and led her back into the palace. 

“Father said it was necessary for you to understand the damage you’ve done,” Azula said lowly to (Y/N). “You weren’t only a nuisance to me, you know. The whole Fire Nation was ashamed of you.” Azula giggled. She had a way of making jokes out of insults, but once she saw (Y/N’s) face, her own softened. “It will heal.” 

“Will there be more tests to prove my willingness?” (Y/N) questioned. “If they’re worse than this, I don’t know if I’ll survive.” 

“That’s all Father had planned for you.” (Y/N) noticed how Azula failed to mention if she had any tests for her. With a deep sigh, (Y/N) hoped that her friends were better off than she was. 

---

A nurse had visited (Y/N’s) room to tend to her wound. The expression on her face had been a mixture of disgust and pity. (Y/N) hadn’t had the energy to leave her bed for a few days, which she recognized was putting her mission in jeopardy. She was supposed to be gathering information, not wallowing beneath the blankets. 

After the nurse had dressed her bandages, (Y/N) decided it was best to finally roam about the palace. There was still a stinging sensation on her skin whenever it rubbed against the fabric of her dress, but she tried her best to ignore it as she walked through the halls of the Royal Palace, as well as memory lane. The place had become considerably more focused on Ozai rather than the greatness of the Fire Nation. Servants scampered about in fear, careful not to cross her path. She didn’t recognize anyone that she saw. (Y/N) used to know everyone by name. She guessed that they had either fled the palace or had been fired. Or worse. 

Being there felt like being out of place in your own home. Thinking back on her past felt like looking into someone else’s life. 

She paused at the tapestries of the Fire Lords, staring up at Ozai’s looming figure. He looked the most menacing, and perhaps that was because he was the most dangerous. There was only a month until the Day of the Black Sun, but that seemed like such a short amount of time to figure out how to defeat Ozai. 

“It’s different,” Zuko said at her side, and (Y/N) jumped in surprise, clutching a hand to her heart. “Being back here after so long,” He elaborated. 

(Y/N) hummed. If she were being honest, she avoided Zuko as much as she could. She felt as though she couldn’t stand to be around him. If she were alone with him for too long, she might end up beating him senseless. 

“Why did you come back?” Zuko questioned. “I thought you were happy with them.” 

“I guess we both don’t know each other as well as we thought,” (Y/N) said, keeping her voice as level as possible. She looked at Zuko, her face devoid of emotion. “I’m not here for you.” 

Zuko frowned. “I didn’t think you were.” 

“Good.” She turned to walk away, but Zuko grabbed her by the sleeve of her robes. 

“If you’re here, why are you mad at me? You’ve forgiven everyone else.” 

“You killed my friend,” She said quietly. “How could I ever forgive you for doing that?” 

“That wasn’t--” Zuko huffed, lowering his voice. “I didn’t kill Aang. Azula used her lightning on him.” 

(Y/N) narrowed her eyes. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” 

“You would trust Azula over me?” 

“You of all people should know that you can’t trust anyone here.” She crossed her arms over one another, wincing at the contact of her wound. “Why would Azula lie?” 

“Azula always lies,” Zuko said, repeating the mantra they had created when they were kids. “Why would it matter to you what happened in the underground city? You left them. You betrayed them.” (Y/N) flinched. 

“And you feel so confident after abandoning your uncle?” Zuko’s eyes sparked with anger. After all this time, at least she knew exactly what buttons to push. “I cared about them,” She said, choosing her words very carefully. “I spent months with them, it was impossible not to. If they had killed you, I would be feeling the same way.” (Y/N) swallowed. “But they wouldn’t have. They’re different from you and me.” 

She left him then, her heart pounding against her chest. Part of her wished that she could reach out to Zuko, to make him see all the wrong that their nation was causing the world, but she knew it would be too dangerous. Zuko’s loyalties lay with his family and Mai now. He might have been (Y/N’s) once, but he was no longer. 

---

“Are you really going to stay under that umbrella the whole time?” Ty Lee pouted, grabbing (Y/N) by the arm. ��The whole point of going to the beach is to get some sun!” 

(Y/N) poked her feet from beneath the umbrella, wiggling her toes in the warm sand. She pointed at them. “They’re getting sun.” Ty Lee sighed, retreating back to her towel on the beach, where dozens of boys were already waiting for her. (Y/N) adjusted on her own beach chair, wrapping her shawl tightly around her shoulders. The words etched into her arm would be a dead giveaway to the children of Fire Nation aristocracy that littered Ember Island. It would cause more trouble than it was worth. 

“I’m surprised you’re not running into the water,” Mai said in her monotonous voice. “I thought you loved to swim.” 

“Yeah, I’d just rather not draw attention to the ugly branding on my arm,” (Y/N) said offhandedly, digging into her beach bag for a pack of fire flakes. She offered some to Mai, who took a few and shook them into her palm. The girls ate together quietly. 

“It’s better than getting sent to Boiling Rock,” Mai said and (Y/N) snorted. 

“That’s what I keep telling myself, but it didn’t feel like it in the moment.” Mai’s dark eyes glanced at (Y/N’s) arm, ‘traitor’ slightly visible beneath the sheerness of her shawl. 

“I didn’t think they were actually going to do it,” Mai admitted. “Azula begged her dad not to execute you.” 

(Y/N) coughed from surprise and also from the heat of the fire flakes. “Well, I’m glad to hear I was saved from a worse fate.” Zuko returned then, taking a seat between Mai and (Y/N). He handed his girlfriend ice cream, which promptly fell on her lap. 

She hadn’t been on Ember Island for many summers, but things rarely changed on the tourist destination. Her family used to have a house on the opposite side of the island. She wondered who occupied it now. 

Azula squatted at (Y/N’s) other side. “We’ve been invited to a party,” She announced, a triumphant smile on her face. (Y/N) sighed. 

“I don’t really think I’m up for a party,” She said, and Azula’s fingers wrapped around her arm, pressing into the healing skin. 

“Please? You have to come!” Azula demanded, but her smile seemed genuine. (Y/N) coughed. 

“Azula? My arm.” Azula lifted her hands immediately, giving her a look that was almost apologetic. 

“You have to come,” Azula repeated. “I already told them to expect the five of us.” 

So (Y/N) was forced to attend a Fire Nation party. If the children of these diplomats had annoyed her as kids, she couldn’t stand them as teenagers. (Y/N) kept to the wall, preferring to people watch and nibble on the stacked plate she had snagged from the food table. She had traded her shawl for a long-sleeved shirt that had been buried in the back of Lo and Li’s closet. It was definitely old fashioned, but (Y/N) didn’t really care. 

As she watched, (Y/N) thought of how she had never actually been to a party. Growing up, there were certain obligations and expectations that she needed to uphold. Being betrothed to Zuko meant taking lessons and maintaining appearances. She had gone to an all girl’s school for a short amount of time before being pulled out of her lessons to be tutored at the palace. Really, her entire childhood had consisted of Zuko, Azula, and other adults. 

“Hey, how’s it going?” One boy asked, walking up to her and leaning against the wall. (Y/N) jumped in surprise, nearly spilling her food. When did she get so jumpy? Perhaps it was a side effect of constantly being on edge. 

“Uh, hi,” She said, unsure why this boy was talking to her. Is this what happened at parties? People just walked up to other people without formal introductions? She felt so lame. 

“I’m Lee,” He said, and (Y/N) snorted, because the Fire Nation had a million Lee’s and Zuko had been one of them. Her eyes cut over to the prince, who stood brooding in a corner as he watched his girlfriend. 

“Sorry,” (Y/N) apologized, turning back to the boy. “I have so many friends named Lee. I’m (Y/N).” She took a bite of a carrot to punctuate her sentence. 

“Is this your first time on the island?” Lee asked, resting his back against the wall as she had. His eyes were a nice light brown, his hair black and shoulder-length and tied half up in the back. He was likely a whole foot taller than (Y/N). 

She shook her head. “I used to come here all the time when I was a kid. But y’know, life gets in the way so I haven’t been back in a few years.” 

“So where are you from?” He had a lot of questions. 

“The mainland,” (Y/N) answered. She wanted to be honest, as keeping up lies tended to be difficult, but she didn’t want to tell him that she was currently living at the palace. “And you?” 

“I’m from a smaller island off the coast of the mainland. My dad’s the mayor there.” 

“Oh, that’s nice.” (Y/N) realized she had a hard time talking to boys that she didn’t know almost everything about. She set her empty plate in the trash can and extended her hand to him, watching carefully so that her sleeves would not roll up. “Do you want to dance?” 

“Dance?” He questioned. (Y/N) smiled. 

“There’s music and an empty floor. That implies dancing.” 

“I don’t think--” She grabbed him by the hand anyway, leading him to the middle of the floor. 

“My grandfather taught me this one,” She told him, and she started dancing. It was another lie. Aang had taught her the traditional Fire Nation dances from his childhood, one night while their group was camped by a river bank and feeling incredibly bored. She had had no idea that her culture had once had a history of anything other than war, but learning the dance moves had excited her. 

“Like this?” Lee asked, repeating her movements. (Y/N) nodded her head excitedly. 

“Exactly!” She looked around the room and locked eyes with Ty Lee, who was always willing to have a fun time. She gestured for her to join her and once Ty Lee ran to the middle, other boys started flocking to the center to dance with them. 

For a while, (Y/N) forgot about her mission and the friends she had left behind. Later, this would make her sad. But for right now, she felt like a regular girl in the Fire Nation. 

Lee had pulled her close and spun her around so fast that she had been practically thrown from the crowd of dancers, spinning around the room until she eventually bumped into someone. (Y/N) laughed out an apology as the person gripped her forearms to steady her balance. When she looked up, she stared straight at Zuko. 

She had allowed herself to stare, for a few seconds. The last time they had been this close, he had been preparing for his Agni Kai. The pink and red skin of his scar might have been off-putting to some, but (Y/N) thought he looked as lovely as the first day she had met him. She wanted to reach her hand up and touch him, to feel the contrast between soft cheek and rough scar tissue, but as soon as she had that thought, she pushed it away. 

“Sorry,” She repeated as she separated herself from Zuko. The mood was ruined. She remembered everything that he had done, everything that she had left behind, and soon she went back to her spot on the wall, watching as the others danced happily. 

---

They had left the party, but really they had been thrown out. Zuko had been jealous of boys talking to Mai, so they had broken up, but then Zuko had started a fight? (Y/N) wasn’t necessarily sure what had happened. One moment she was moving back toward the snack table, the next Azula was pulling her out of the house by her collar. 

They sat on the beach now, surrounding the fire that (Y/N) had started. She remained quiet as they listed their qualms with each other, and with the universe. Her eyes remained focused on the flames as she processed the information and thought of any way that Sokka might be able to use it against them. But then a pit settled in her stomach. These were personal things that they were sharing, and it didn’t seem right to expose them so viciously. 

“You’re just going to be quiet?” Zuko demanded, his voice rough and laced with annoyance. Her eyes snapped toward him, a frown placing itself upon her features. 

“We’re all sharing,” Ty Lee said gently from her right. “Even Azula shared something.” (Y/N’s) eyes cut to Azula, who looked at her expectantly. 

“I think I’m alright.” She didn’t want to risk exposing herself. She wasn’t even sure what was safe to say. These were her childhood friends, but who knew what would happen if she revealed even a fraction of how she really felt. 

“Do you think you’re too good for us?” Zuko questioned, staring down at her. His voice was hard, laced with attitude as it normally was, but he seemed curious. “You spend time with the Avatar and his buddies and now you’re stuck with second rate friends?” 

“I chose to come back,” (Y/N) narrowed her eyes at Zuko. 

“It feels like you picked second best,” Azula said. (Y/N) locked eyes with her from across the fire. “We’re not idiots, we know you enjoyed your time with them. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have abandoned the life you had.” 

“You all seem to forget that the life I had wasn’t the life that I wanted,” (Y/N) said, staring at each of the people that surrounded her. “I was sent away from the only home I had ever known, from the only people that I had ever known, to live in an Earth Kingdom colony. My father thought I was a disappointment and my mother hated everything I did, and the people that I thought cared about me left me behind without a second thought.” She paused, turning to Zuko. “Did any of you even think about me? Even bother to consider how I might have felt? You’re all so concerned with your own lives, you always have been. I was alone. I might have made mistakes, but that’s what happens when you’re desperate for someone to care about you.” 

She firebended into the dying flames, causing them to shoot toward the sky. 

“Why come back then?” Mai asked. 

(Y/N) hesitated for a split second, but it was just long enough for Zuko to notice. “People fighting against the Fire Nation aren’t always eager to have someone from the Fire Nation with them.” She shrugged. “I just wanted to belong somewhere.” 

Ty Lee scrambled over to her, wrapping her arms around (Y/N). “You belong with us!” (Y/N) insisted. “We never wanted to fight you. We would always feel so horrible about it after.” 

(Y/N) gave her a light smile. “I would, too.” She risked casting a glance over at Azula, who refused to meet her eyes. (Y/N) couldn’t tell if she had messed everything up or if she was still in the clear. 

They let the fire die eventually, and one by one, each of the teenagers began returning to the house, until (Y/N) was the last one left. She had moved further down the beach where the tide splashed against the sand. It was a warm summer night on Ember Island, and the water was just right. The only light surrounding her was the light of the full moon, which cast a lovely silver glow on everything. 

“Hi, Yue,” She sighed, splashing her fingers into the water. “I wish there was a way that you could tell me they were okay.” 

She heard shuffling from behind her and turned around, surprised to see Zuko walking toward her. She turned back, facing the water once more. “I’ll be back to the house in a few minutes, I just wanted to sit for a while.” 

He sat in the sand, just a foot away from her. (Y/N) held in her sigh. Zuko was the last person she wanted sitting with her right now. She wanted to hate him for everything that he had done, but then she looked at him and all she wanted to do was talk to him. The inner conflict that he gave her was enough to put her in a sour mood for hours. 

“I didn’t know where you were,” Zuko said quietly. (Y/N) turned to him and furrowed her brows. “No one would tell me.” His eyes met hers. “Or else I would have written.” 

“Oh,” (Y/N) said, feeling her cheeks become hot. “It was years ago. It doesn’t really matter anymore.” 

“If it didn’t matter to you, you wouldn’t have said it.” Sometimes it hit (Y/N) that just as she knew the inner workings of Zuko, her knew her as well. “I meant it, when I said that I thought of you every day.” 

“I meant what I said too,” (Y/N) said quietly. “But things are different now. You’re Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, not Lee from the tea shop.” 

“I’m still who I was in Ba Sing Se.” She shook her head. 

“You think that, but we both know what being back here really means.” Being back in the Fire Nation meant Zuko had reverted back to who he once was, someone eager to please his father, no matter the cost. 

Zuko was quiet, as if he didn’t know what to say. She was surprised with how calm he was being. Perhaps the full moon had an odd effect on everyone. 

“Can I ask you something?” (Y/N) questioned, and Zuko nodded. “Was Azula really the one to kill Aang?” 

He hesitated, but then he nodded. “He was in his Avatar State and she struck him with lightning.” 

(Y/N) pushed back the tears that threatened to spill over. Even with Zuko, she couldn’t truly show herself. “Why’d she tell everyone it was you?” 

“To get me in my father’s good graces.” He scoffed. “To save herself in case it didn’t work.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“When Katara and I were trapped in the caves, she told me that she had water from the Spirit World pool in the Northern Water Tribe.” Zuko shook his head. “I-I don’t know what could have happened, but there’s something telling me that no one really knows what happened to Aang.” 

That gave (Y/N) all the hope that she needed. Aang was safe. He was alright.

“So, if Aang is alive and your father thinks you failed...” She did not want to finish her sentence. She met Zuko’s golden eyes once more. “After everything he’s done, why did you come back?” 

“Same reason as you, I guess. I wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere.” 

She had never considered that Zuko had been feeling alone during his time with Iroh. She had been conflicted over her loyalties, but it had only lasted a few moments until she made the choice to join Team Avatar. She was confident that she was doing the right thing, but there was more at stake for Zuko. 

“You didn’t swim today,” he said suddenly. 

(Y/N) shrugged. “I didn’t want anyone to see my arm,” She said simply, but Zuko winced. 

“I...I didn’t know he was going to do that. If I had, I would’ve--” (Y/N) shook her head to stop him. 

“We both know firsthand what he’s capable of. I wouldn’t have wanted you to put yourself in a position like that.” She touched her arm, where beneath the fabric of her sleeve lay the raised marks of the brand that was still healing. “Who knows, maybe I’ll be laughing about it in a few years.” 

Zuko glanced at the water, then back to (Y/N). “Do you want to go swimming?”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to protest, but Zuko didn’t seem to be having it. “You love swimming.” And it was true, she did love to swim. She had spent hours in the water during their trips to this island as children. Her mother had had to practically drag her from the beach. 

(Y/N) stood and removed her top layer of clothes, revealing the bathing suit beneath. Without hesitating, she ran into the warm water, diving beneath the calm waves. When she resurfaced, Zuko was only a few paces away from her, the robe that he had been wearing left in a pile beside her own clothes on the beach. 

“The water’s colder than I remember,” Zuko called out to her, just as she dove beneath the waves once more. 

“It was definitely like this when we were young, we were just stubborn,” (Y/N) laughed. Zuko swam over to her. She stood on her toes as the water came to her shoulders, but it only reached Zuko’s chest. “Your hair is still dry,” She pointed out and Zuko rolled his eyes, plugging his nose and dipping beneath the surface for a few seconds. When he came back up, he was significantly closer to (Y/N) than he had been before. 

“Is that better?” He asked, shaking out his hair so water droplets splashed on her face. She laughed and shoved him backward to get him to stop. 

He staggered backwards and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her under with him. (Y/N) opened her eyes beneath the waves, feeling the familiar stinging sensation that had been a staple of her childhood. Zuko’s eyes were closed as he held his breath. He had never gotten used to opening his eyes underwater, it had seemed. 

(Y/N) pulled them up toward the surface, both inhaling a sharp breath of air. As she went to settle on her feet, she bobbed beneath the waves. They had traveled much farther from the shore than she had expected. 

Zuko reached out for her, wrapping his arm around her middle to keep her above the water. He could still stand, which (Y/N) hated. “The last time we swam here, I was taller than you,” (Y/N) said, staring up at him. He smiled down at her, the corner of his eyes crinkling. The skin of his scar tried to repeat the action of its counterpart, but it couldn’t quite do it. 

(Y/N) couldn’t keep her eyes off of his scar. She knew it wasn’t entirely polite, but she was curious. He had left the Fire Nation before it had healed. When they encountered each other, she was never very close to him. Even at the party, she had only seen it up close for a few seconds. 

“I’ve never seen it this close,” She told him, her voice as soft as the moonlight that surrounded them. Zuko’s cheeks flushed. 

“It’s pretty bad, huh?” His eyes were trained on her, but she wasn’t noticing. She furrowed her brows and shook her head.

“I like it,” She said simply. It was Zuko’s turn to furrow his brows. 

“You can’t be serious.” (Y/N) shrugged, lifting her right hand to touch his cheek like she had wanted to at the party. Zuko stiffened and nearly dropped her into the ocean. Her thumb, light as a feather, traced over the pink and red skin. Some areas felt smooth and silky, while others were rougher. She traced over the brow bone where his eyebrow had once been. 

His eyes fell to her forearm, where his father’s punishment was still healing on her skin. He wrapped his fingers around her arm, lightly tracing the word with his own thumb. 

“For the record,” He said, eyes still focused on her arm. “I don’t think you’re a traitor.” 

A few moments passed before he looked up at her again. Her eyes were soft, sparkling in the reflection of the moonlight that bounced off of the water. The corners of her lips were turned upward in a soft smile. Her hand remained cupping the side of the face and Zuko sighed, leaning into her touch. 

“You’re really beautiful,” She told him, stroking his scar once more. “I don’t think I ever told you that.” Her heart was beating so hard against her chest. This was the stupid power that Zuko had over her. She had been so mad at him just a few hours ago, but if she allowed it, he wormed his way back into her heart. 

Zuko’s eyes widened in surprise at her statement. He parted his lips to say something, but no words would come to mind. She dizzied him, jumbled his thoughts until he was a mess of unspoken words and dumbfounded faces. 

It was slow as it happened, thoughtful. He rested his forehead against hers, their noses just barely touching as he stared at her through half-lidded eyes. He would give her time. If she wanted to pull away, she would. 

She didn’t. Her other hand took its place on his bicep, fingers curling gently into his skin. Her lips parted, her lashes batting upward as she stared into his amber eyes. Zuko was all that she could see and feel. Her heart continued to pound against her chest. If he wanted to do something, he would. 

Zuko’s eyes fluttered shut as he closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss. They were softer than he had ever imagined. The little gasp she let out made him pull her closer. He didn’t want any space between them. His hand left its place at her arm and traveled up to where she caressed his cheek, wrapping his fingers around her palm. 

(Y/N’s) eyes had remained open for a split second before she closed them, pressing into Zuko as she kissed back. She was completely thoughtless. Everything else in the world was absent as she melted into him, the hand at his arm moving to the back of his neck to pull him toward her even more. She had thought of this moment many times, but nothing could compare to the warmth that encompassed her heart as she kissed Zuko. 

When they pulled apart for air, it was as if (Y/N) had been pulled back into the real world. She stared at Zuko, her eyes wide as she realized what they had just done. 

“Mai,” They said at the same time, horrified looks reaching both of their faces. (Y/N) hated herself. She had gotten caught up in the moment and taken something that didn’t belong to her. (Y/N) scrambled out of Zuko’s arms. 

“We don’t speak of this ever again,” She told him, her voice stern. Zuko nodded silently. “This was a mistake. That’s all it was.” With that, she dove into the waves, swimming as fast as she could back to the shore. 

---

She avoided Zuko during the rest of their time at Ember Island, and once they had returned to the palace as well. If they ended up in the same corridor, one of them would turn around and walk back from where they had come from. It made (Y/N’s) heart ache, but she knew it was for the best. She felt horrible for doing something like that to Mai. She didn’t know what had become of her, and now she didn’t trust herself to be around Zuko at all. 

So, she focused on her mission. Every little snippet that she heard walking through the hallways would be recorded on a scroll, which would then be kept on her person at all times. She had witnessed on more than one occassion Azula leaving her room and looking particularly pleased with herself. (Y/N) would never leave anything incriminating lying around.

Still, she needed to figure out how to get a message to Sokka. The palace had messenger hawks, but she needed to know where to send one and she had absolutely no idea where her friends were. The Day of the Black Sun was the next day. To (Y/N), it seemed as though her best bet would be to leave the mainland quickly and rendezvous with one of the groups they had recruited for the invasion. If she could steal one of the palace’s boats, she could row herself to one of the islands off the coast and either find someone she knew or find someone who knew how to get a message out. 

Guards were not posted outside of her doors during the day, so (Y/N) made a hasty knapsack from one of her robes and began shoving a few belongings in it. Bread she had sneaked from the kitchens, a piece of parchment and a pen, and a map all fit securely inside. She was packing it once more when her door opened suddenly and she yelped, scrambling to cover her belongings with her bedsheets. 

“I need to tell you something,” Zuko said as he shut the door behind her. (Y/N) felt her face heat up. 

“You can’t be in here!” She hissed, reaching forward to shove Zuko out of her room. The last thing she needed was Azula seeing them alone together. She would undoubtedly tell Mai, which would cause more problems than (Y/N) needed on her last day in the Fire Nation. 

“Just wait a second!” Zuko demanded, keeping his voice low. “I just got out of one of my father’s war meetings. They’re planning to burn down the towns of those who haven’t surrendered yet.” 

(Y/N) halted her movements of trying to get him out of her room. She eyed him warily. “What does that have to do with me?” 

“I know you’ve been working with the Avatar.” (Y/N’s) body stiffened, but she rolled her eyes. 

“This again. Zuko, I already told you--” 

“You don’t have to lie to me anymore. I know that’s the real reason you’re here is to get information for your friends. I can’t let my father or Azula do this. I want to help you.” 

(Y/N) narrowed her eyes. “How do you know?”

“I know you wouldn’t come back unless you had a really good reason. As soon as I heard you say that they were suspicious of you, I knew that was a lie. I saw how you guys were with each other. They care about you.” 

(Y/N) swallowed. In a whisper, she said, “I’m leaving tonight. I can tell them about this before--” 

“The invasion,” Zuko finished. “My father and Azula know about that, too.” 

(Y/N) felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Everything that they had been working so hard for would be for nothing. She had to get to her friends and let them know they had been exposed. “I need to leave now.” She moved to go back to her knapsack, but Zuko grabbed her by the arm. 

“They’re suspicious of you, too. If they catch you, it’ll be much worse than a burn.” 

“I can’t just stay here and watch my friends fail!” 

“I have a plan,” Zuko assured her. “You just have to trust me.” 

(Y/N) eyed him. His hand still held her arm. Zuko stared up at her. She had never seen him look so sincere. With a deep breath, she nodded. 

---

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[sokkastyles]

Just saw this take which was like "People will excuse Zuko for making Azula face Ozai, her abuser, but will then blame Azula for taking Zuko back to the Fire Nation and his abuser. If you want to say that Zuko was not abusing Azula and was being nice to her by doing that, you have to say the same for Azula, since she did what she did for Zuko because she cared for him." This is paraphrased, but it's the jist of it. What do you think?

And since we're on the subject, do you think Azula taking Zuko back was in any way because she cared for him? You probably have addressed this before, but I'd love to get your thoughts on the topic.

I'm assuming by "making Azula face Ozai" they are talking about in the Search? Like I said on that ask about it, Zuko didn't make her, she agreed to it and lied to Zuko about her motivation for doing so.

There's also an entire world of difference between those two things and the difference is power. When Zuko goes back to the Fire Nation, he is at Ozai's mercy. Plus the fact that everyone around him, and chiefly Azula, is telling him that this is fine, that he has no reason to be afraid of his father and that if he was hurt before, it was because he deserved it.

When Zuko takes Azula to talk to Ozai, it's through prison bars. Azula doesn't realize the truth about her father but Zuko does, and there are also guards around that are closely watching both of them. This is completely different from Azula taking Zuko back to the palace where Ozai has free access to him and then telling him that this is normal and that he has nothing to worry about, and if he is worried it's his own fault. It's Azula who gets Zuko to let her be alone with their father, which Zuko was reluctant to do.

I have addressed this before and I really don't see any evidence that she took him back out of caring, when there are plenty of other reasons the show gives us that we can point to, but I've also said that even if she thought she was being caring, she still isn't. She doesn't care that Zuko is scared that he won't be forgiven by Ozai. She doesn't care that she's separating him from an adult who does care for him. In fact, that's something she specifically aimed to do was separate him from Iroh, because she knew from before that Iroh would foil any attempts she made to manipulate Zuko. She doesn't care that regardless of whether Ozai restores Zuko's honor or not, she is putting him in very real danger, and she doesn't care that she's also further putting him in danger by lying to Ozai about what happened in Ba Sing Se and not letting Zuko find out from Ozai that she lied. Not only does she not care, she knows exactly what she is doing, because the lie to Ozai was a strategic move made so that she can make sure she has leverage over Zuko just in case.

Azula NEEDS Zuko to be in that position where he is Ozai's scapegoat in order to maintain her own position as the golden child, so of course she's aware that she's hurting Zuko by doing these things. That's what she wants. I think she believes that she doesn't need to care about Zuko because that's how she was raised, but that's quite common in cases of abuse, especially in cases where an abusive parent ropes other children in the household into participating into the scapegoat's abuse.

When Zuko takes Azula to see Ozai, that dynamic is completely absent. Zuko doesn't want to control Azula, he wants to get information about his mother. He also clearly cares about her because he says several times that he wants her to be comfortable and to have dignity, he listens to her when she asks for things from him (even when he shouldn't), and he protests when Ty Lee chi blocks her (even though she was protecting him).

What Azula does for Zuko, in comparison, is insult him and threaten him, all while telling him that she knows what's good for him.

The difference between Zuko's caring and Azula's "caring" is that Zuko constantly feels guilty for Azula's discomfort and gives in when she manipulates him into giving her more freedom, and gets hurt in the process. When Azula "cares" for Zuko, he's still the one who ends up getting hurt and the one feeling guilty. That's one of the biggest signs that it's abuse, and that Azula is the abuser. That Zuko is always the one being hurt, the one who feels guilty, while Azula is the one telling her brother that she knows best.