#before the responsibilities ozai put on them. before all that. they were siblings. they loved each other.

[multifandombullshitbabes]

have we ever thought abt the fact that zuko is literally azula's older brother. like she's his little sister. that's his little sister. throughout a big, big part of atla plot, he was actively running away, scared of his little sister killing him because he KNEW she would/could. can you imagine that? your little sibling, wanting more your father's approval than your companionship to the point of death? every time they fought, zuko was fighting his baby sister. azula was fighting her big brother. this is making me so sick. they were 16 and 14 years old.

[hello-nichya-here]

Azula's mommy issues how it does (and doesn't) affect her personality and theoretical redemption

Ah, Ursa and how she ties into a possible Azula redemption. I recommend you get a snack and some water, because this answer is gonna be a long one XD

Before we even get to the dynamic between these two characters and how it informed Azula's actions, let's remember THE main thing that is responsible for Azula being the way she is: Indoctrination.

Her nation had been waging war against the rest of the world for 100 hundred years. Azula is 14. For 86 years her family had been telling everyone, including themselves, that the war was just, it was for the good of the world and of the Fire Nation, it was "sharing their glory", it was just them taking over land that was rightfully theirs because of "divine right to rule" (something Azula herself says to Lu Fang when she's taking over Ba Sing Se).

We see children cheering for a puppet version of Fire Lord Ozai in a festival, as he defeats an "evil" Earth Kingdom general. We are explicitly shown that Fire Nation schools lie about things like the Air Nomads, a pacifist culture, having an ARMY that Sozin's men attacked, framing it more as a mutual conflict between equals in which the Fire Nation won, instead of a sudden attack against an entire group of people that were just minding their business.

We see IROH write a letter about how he hopes his family can see Ba Sing Se IF THEY DON'T HAVE TO BURN IT TO THE GROUND to conquer it - and not only do Zuko and Azula both laugh, URSA is also laughing.

Azula was raised to believe her nation had every right to do all the attrocities it commited. And just like Zuko, she is still a teenager, not an adult like her dad, uncle or mom - and while they had less excuse than the Fire Siblings for not knowing any better since they were already grown, they do still have more excuse than Azulon and especially Sozin, since they were ALSO raised to believe that stuff was perfectly normal.

Even if Ursa had been a perfect mom, Azula would likely still be a villain, though maybe less bitter and insecure over feeling unworthy of love (but that would not disappear completely, since Ozai was still an abusive dad that very clearly expected perfection from his children at all times, which is way too much pressure to put on anyone, let alone on two kids. And since she was his favorite, she'd obviously try to copy him, so she wouldn't end up like Zuko, so her more cruel, ruthless side would also be very present).

HOWEVER, that does not change the fact that Ursa's flawed parenting had a deep impact on her daughter.

For starters, even the creators/showrunners and writers of the show have said Zuko is her favorite child - and a parent playing favorites is NEVER good, even if they don't downright abuse the one they don't like as much. And for a kid that is in an abusive home, seeing her brother be treated as completely worthless because he is not the favorite, it isn't that hard to understand how Azula concluded that, if her mom didn't like her as much as she liked Zuko, it's because she didn't like her AT ALL. Add in Ursa's concern over Ozai's influence over Azula and how it's shaping her personality, plus the fact that she said "What's wrong with that child?" WITH AZULA IN THE ROOM, and we have the source of her belief her mom didn't just dislike her, but also saw her as monster.

Because yeah, let's not forget Azula had TWO parents. Two parents that clearly wanted very different things from their children. Ursa was cool with all the imperialism stuff, but she was horrified at the thought of the family being at war with itself, fighting for the crown. She was a bad guy, but she had standards. Meanwhile Ozai was clearly on team "stab everyone in the back to get what you want, then rule by fear." Once her mom was out of the picture, Azula naturally felt like her dad had essentially proven his method was better, since he ended up getting everything he wanted (though Azula does question that in the finale, when she imagines Ursa of all people trying to make her see trying to use fear to force people into supporting/loving her would only further isolate her, showing some part of her DID internalize a point of view that did not align with Ozai's).

But even before Ursa was forced to disappear from her daughter's life, she was already failing to connect with her, but not solely because of Ozai. Think about it. We see lots of scenes of Ursa spending time just with Zuko, and some of her with both of her kids - but never do we get even a single scene just between her and Azula.

When Zuko immitates Azula's bad behavior (because he thought it was cool and funny) and throws bread (not a rock like the fandom insists, BREAD) at the turtleducks, Ursa is visibly shocked and distressed, but she EXPLAINS to Zuko why what he did was wrong (it hurt the baby turtleduck, and thus made the mother mad) in a VERY light-hearted way that he clearly remembers fondly. When Azula says things about Azulon being likely to die soon or Iroh being pathetic, Ursa is shocked and distressed - and either just says "Azula, we don't speak like that" or a very angry "Young lady, not another word" but without ever trying to explain to her why what she did was wrong.

Meanwhile, ZUKO actually says things like "How would you like it if Lu Ten wanted dad to die?" or explaining that Iroh gave up on conquering Ba Sing Se out of grief for his only child. Those two scenes were the CLOSEST Azula got to having someone actually try to explain things to her in a way she could understand - but obviously she's not gonna take her brother as seriously as she would an adult, and Zuko has his own stuff to deal with so he can't step up and be a replacement parent to her like Iroh was to him (and considering how young he was at the time, expecting him to do so would be unreasonable - hell, he likely didn't even notice just how badly Azula needed help until she had her breakdown).

Things get worse if we take the comics as canon (which I don't, but I know a lot of people do). On that version of the story, Ursa goes from "Making effort, but screwed up along the way" to "Neglectful/abusive piece of shit that should have her kids taken away."

Comics!Ursa's idea fo "quality time with her kids" involves talking solely to Zuko and ignoring Azula, instead of interacting with both of them. She doesn't encourage them to spend time with each other like she did in the show. When she is banished, she visits both her kids - but only wakes Zuko up. He gets a sweet farewell so he always gets to remember that, no matter what happened, his mom loved him and did not want to leave him. Azula doesn't get a single word, and is left to believe her mom didn't even bother with her.

Worse of all, Ursa CHOOSES TO FORGET HER OWN KIDS. After she had explicitly said she does not believe they are truly safe living with Ozai. After she explicitly said to Zuko "Never forget who you are." Not to mention, she writes a letter with the fake claim that Zuko is actually NOT Ozai's kid - because she knows he will read it and get mad. She risked putting her son in danger just to piss off her husband. That's what she did to the kid she LIKED. How low would she go if the kid in danger was the kid she didn't care for? Oh, wait the comics answer that too. She never bothered asking ANYTHING about what had happened to her all those years (nor to the kid with a scar on his face, mind you), showed more empathy towards her when she COULDN'T remember who she was (and even then it was just a "If I really am your mom, I'm sorry I didn't love you enough." That's it. That's all Azula gets), and she doesn't do ANYTHING about Azula running away. No asking Zuko or someone else to find her, no crying about losing her again, no indication that she is worried about her safety even though she is all alone and mentally unstable.

The comics really did Azula dirty, and I HATE Ursa in it. It reached the point of "I don't want these two to make up, I want Azula to give a whole speech about how much her mom sucks, just like Zuko did with Ozai" because that's what she deserves. Show!Ursa made mistakes, Comics!Ursa IS a mistake. The sympathy for Azula despite her bad actions grows significantly on that version of the story, because how the fuck can we speak her to not be so mad at the world after all that?

But at last, we need to make an important distinction clear here: It doesn't matter if we are talking about the comics or the show, if we like or dislike Azula, if we do or don't want her to be redeemed, the simple fact still is that she WAS screwed over her entire life, her troubled relationship with her mom had a deep and longlasting impact on her mental health, and there was no way in hell she would have EVER been an innocent little angel that is 100% against everything her evil father does. It's just impossible considering her backstory.

And there is a very clear double-standard in how people talk about the idea of a redeemed Azula VS the reality of a redeemed Zuko. Both start with the premise of "This bad guy has understandable, sympathetic reasons to do bad things, since they were indoctrinated from birth and had a terrible family life", both include the character having to see how their actions are hurting them AND others (including those they care about, Zuko's "victim" being Iroh, while Azula's are Mai and Ty Lee. Plus, they've both hurt each other in some ways, some more deliberate than others), and both culminate with the character turning their life around, confronting those who wronged them, and finding a support system for themselves.

Yet one is treated as revolutionary despite not being the first redemption arc ever (nor the only redemption arc in the story itself), nor being perfectly written (because perfect writting doesn't exist), while the other is labelled as lazy, out of character, or "making excuses" for bad people just because they had a tough life (like Azula is an actual person). There is no thematic or moral difference between redeeming Zuko and redeeming Azula, especially in a show that says "EVERYONE has the potential for great good and great evil" and ends with Zuko telling his abuser he hopes he'll also have a change of heart someday, even if he is not sticking around to witness or actively try to make it happen.

Redeeming Azula is no different than redeeming Zuko. It's perfectly fine to want to just one of these things instead of both, but it is NOT a superior choice in anyway, and it's very hypocritical of the same fandom that criticizes the idea of a redeemed Azula because "mommy issues isn't a good enough reson" when they can't stop praising the redemption arc that has "the villain had daddy issues" as it's core premisse. Personal preference is one thing. Being a dick about it is another.

[fire-lady-ilah]

I would be fascinated in any ideas you had about how the hunt for Aang would go with 'good parent Ozai' AU!

Ask and ye shall receive! (@tiktokonaclock, here’s that part two you asked about). This continues from where I left off in part 1.

At first, Ozai says no. He has good reason to do so, Zuko is the Crown Prince, should he and Azula die then he will be heirless— he doesn’t know if Ursa would be able to bear another child, nor does he wish for another. In a less logical way, his mind protests because that is his son. Sixteen, yes, but still very much a child. That isn’t even the age of conscription.

He knows that the Avatar is a child, Commander Zhao’s report said that he appeared to be twelve, travelling with two other children that were closer to Azula’s age. He knows that his children make a formidable pair, he has no doubt that, together, they could be able to take on entire battalions of soldiers.

They are his children and they are Ursa’s children. How could he just let them go out to face an enemy such as the Avatar?

Zuko has Ozai’s charisma and awkwardness (as they come together, though few remember the way the Fire Lord used to stumble over his words as a teenager). Zuko looks so much like his father that sometimes older servants even refer to him by his name. But Zuko is equal parts his mother. He has his mother’s kinder nature, and he has her drive. Ursa’s persistence is one of the only reasons the Fire Nation is flourishing as it is now. Ozai knows that it had been suffering near the end of his father’s rule, he knows that he is an amazing military leader, just as he knows that it is better to leave his wife in charge of the majority of domestic policies.

It is that persistence combined with Azula’s carefully crafted wording that she also got from her mother that makes both Ozai and Ursa cave and give permission for their children to hunt the Avatar. Sometimes, Ozai wonders if his life would be easier if he didn’t love his family so much.

Zuko and Azula leave the Fire Nation together. Zuko is sixteen and looks the very image of a Crown Prince, even if a few hairs escape his top knot and fall across his face. Azula is fourteen and looks every bit the Princess she is. A single hair escapes it’s place and she leaves it be. She would not dare call attention to imperfections, just as Ozai himself wouldn’t. He is full of pride as he watches his children board the ship (the second newest design, as advanced as possible while having already been tested. He would not let untested technology take his children from him permanently). Captain Jee stands on the deck, greeting them. Apparently he had been demoted from his position at some point for assaulting an Admiral.

(He remembers the day he discovered the Captain’s existence well. Zuko had been eleven and helping him look over military documentation that had been sent to him to approve. One of such documents had been Jee’s demotion to lieutenant.

“I remember him. He was Lu Ten’s friend.” He heard his son mumble as he touched the included portrait of Jee. Closer examination showed that it had been drawn by his nephew himself. His son had loved his cousin, and he was not against doing things to make him happy. If Jee was loyal to Lu Ten, it only meant he would be more likely to be loyal to Zuko.

“I will have him transferred to the palace guard.”)

He proved to be honourable in the guard and had quickly been promoted back to captain after Ozai heard the true reasoning of the assault through Zuko’s horrified voice. He himself cared little for the affairs of military officers, but if it made his son happy to sign the papers for the Admiral’s dishonourable discharge and imprisonment, so be it.

That action had only solidified Jee’s loyalty to his son (and by extension, his daughter).

Now, I’m conflicted on whether or not Iroh would go with them. I’m leaning toward yes. Neither of them have been hurt by their father, but Zuko is still the most naturally kindhearted person in the royal family and he is destined to be Fire Lord. Azula has more empathy than she does in canon (although that’s not saying much), I doubt Iroh would comment that she’s “crazy and needs to go down”. After all, Ozai loves both his children here. That means that he doesn’t intentionally harm their mental health, nor does he encourage competition between them. They both want to make both their parents proud. If nothing else, Iroh would go with them so that he could stop them.

Thus, shortly after the Crown Prince and Princess of the Fire Nation step onto the ship, the Dragon of the West follows. It is filled with the best of the Fire Nation to seek the only bender of all four elements.

A stark contrast to canon, no?

The hunt progresses somewhat like in canon, though not. Lo and Li instruct further Zuko and Azula in lightning bending.

(“Only a hair out of place, Princess Azula.”

“That means I shall achieve perfection soon.”)

Iroh takes over his nephew and niece’s firebending training, though Azula is a master in her own right and Zuko is nearly a master as well. He forces them back to their basics.

Zuko yells and stomps and Iroh is reminded of his brother at the same age, back before his brother became the monster he is now. The same brother he sees glimpses of when Ozai is alone with his wife and children, the same brother that he sees none of in the Fire Lord. Azula is silent and moves to do her basics without complaint. She unnerves him, but he still loves her.

He loves them both. And he loves what remains of his brother in Ozai, even if he would choose the balance of the world over the Fire Lord in an instant.

They visit Admiral Zhao first. He declares that he has already captured the Avatar and that he would be more than willing to transfer his prisoner onto the royal family’s better equipped ship.

The siblings visit the chained Avatar. Zhao speaks of what he plans to do.

That is the thing about Ozai loving his children. Loving them means protecting them from certain cruelties, at least more than he did in canon. Zuko and Azula both see the Avatar, only twelve, and Zhao’s words overlap with Azulon’s orders to their father when Lu Ten dies. After all, Zuko had been only a year younger then.

That night, the Blue Spirit and the Dragon Emperor break the Avatar out of the stronghold with dual dao and twin daggers as the Prince and Princess sleep in their luxurious cabins. If that isn’t completely the truth, no one says anything to suggest as such. The Blue Spirit is knocked out by an arrow to the forehead. The Dragon Emperor does not allow the Avatar to remove the mask.

(“How did you not see that coming, Zuzu?”

“In my defence, you were supposed to be watching my back while I pulled the Avatar away.”)

They meet the Avatar’s companions briefly before the Emperor gestures to the rising sun and they disappear.

It is only after the escape of the Avatar that Iroh begins to consider the siblings further.

They pen a letter to their father.

Ozai reads between the lines and wonders, just once, if perhaps he had sheltered his children from the reality of war too much. He does not wonder again because he knows the alternative would have been far worse.

Instead, Ozai speaks with his wife. Ursa is a complex woman, but the Avatar is the reincarnation of her grandfather and she has an actress’s mind (and thus she has a politician’s mind).

As their children chase the Avatar, the Fire Lord and Lady put their own plan into motion. Canon Ozai may be content to lay all responsibility on his children, but this Ozai is actually a decent dad.

The siblings are free to enter Fire Nation territory as they wish and have no reason to sneak into the temple, even still they do. They watch as a Fire Sage, one of the highest religious authorities in the Fire Nation, disobeys the Fire Lord to help the Avatar.

Zuko’s quick fingers undo the water tribe boy’s restraints as Azula’s undo the girl’s. They share playful smirks, after all, neither of them are in any danger. They are a powerful team and they have their father’s unwavering support.

(“Why did you just untie us?”

“Zhao’s a dick.”)

Avatar Roku emerges in place of Avatar Aang. He pauses in front of the children, the girl that has Rina’s smile, the boy that has her hair (his own hair), always trying to escape from its confines.

They do not waver. They do, however, run when the Avatar begins to destroy the temple.

The siblings believe the Fire Nation is the greatest in the world. They believe that it is their duty to spread their glory to the other nations. But, late at night, taking tea together, they consider that perhaps Fire Lord Sozin went about it in the wrong way.

(Great-grandfather says hi, Ursa reads aloud from their children’s letter. Not for the first time, Ozai regrets sending his children on such a dangerous mission. He knew that Avatar Roku had been spotted on Crescent Island, he knew that he had blown up the temple. How close had his children come to being blown up?)

The Avatar sets course for Omashu. The siblings make a stop in the Fire Nation while they’re nearby. They have a friend to pick up.

Parts: [1] [3] [4]

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

I find it really intriguing how the ATLA writers could have gone a “brotherly love” route with Zuko and Aang, but they never did. Even in LOK, the only thing that I remember Iroh saying about their relationship was that they canonically became the best of friends and that Zuko knew Aang better than anyone, even more than Katara and their children. I find the direction of their relationship a contrast to how often the bond between the male protagonist and the male antagonist that are spiritually linked in other media is reduced to “they were like brothers” and put aside for the respective heterosexual romances of the leads, even though the relationships between the leads often have homoerotic subtext and can be interpreted through a queer lens. I guess what I’m wondering is: would you classify Zuko and Aang’s relationship as brotherly? Do you support interpretations where their relationship is viewed as brotherly? And finally (I’m sorry for all of the questions): why do you think the ATLA writers - who seem to mostly be composed of cishet men - never took the “brotherly love” route and left the nature of their relationship ambiguous?

This ask has been in my inbox for a Hot Minute 💀 my apologies, my friend. And since I haven’t seen LOK, I won’t try to speak on the front. Before I continue, though, @likealittleheartbeat has an AMAZING analysis here about the interpretation of Aang and Zuko’s relationship through a queer-platonic lens that I found to be an incredible read and arguably could answer this ask on its own, lol!

I guess the general “issue” that must be addressed to answer these questions is simply how we define brotherly. That “we” can be divided into the viewers and the writers, only adding another layer of complexity. Because the reality is that we can’t jump into the creators minds and see exactly how they intended Zuko and Aang’s relationship to be interpreted. We can make deductions, e.g. the existence of Kataang and Maiko suggests Zuko and Aang were not intended to have a romantic relationship within canon (duh, lol). In fact, you could even add another division to the “we” - the writers, the viewers, and the characters themselves (i.e. interpretation through the cultural lenses that inspired the show).

All of this is to say that there is not going to be one agreed-upon definition of “brotherly,” lol! Since you seem to be asking for my personal opinions, I’ll go with my personal definition. If anyone has differing thoughts in response to these questions, please feel free to add them in a comment or rb! I think there’s a lot to explore here and my sole opinion is Not the be-all and end-all, lmao.

So, what is my personal definition of “brotherly”? I’m not going to try to make a formal definition, lol, but the gist of my interpretation is a platonic relationship akin to that of siblings. To me, there is a difference between having a “brotherly relationship” with someone versus a “friendship” (I almost used “friendly relationship” but that didn’t feel right jskdfhakdls). I think these two can overlap and/or be the same, but - for example - I have friends who I would say without hesitation that I am incredibly close with, but I also would not classify that friendship as “sisterly.” (Again, these are strictly my personal thoughts, and I encourage further discussion in comments/rbs!)

I’ll take your questions one at a time:

Would you classify Zuko and Aang’s relationship as brotherly?

Personally? Probably not. To me, there is a sense of superficiality associated with the term “brotherly” that in my eyes can be reductive to platonic relationships between men (can be, not always lol). I think with Zuko and Aang, the relationship just runs much deeper than “brotherly” can connote. For one, they are the primary narrative foils of the show! The only relationship that comes close to theirs in terms of narrative significance is Kataang (which is a very different dichotomy, btw, I’m not trying to compare them lol). We have numerous episodes dedicated to the parallels between Aang and Zuko, including but not limited to “The Storm” and “The Avatar and the Fire Lord.” I mean, this is an actual quote from the latter episode:

Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?

We see variants of this line and the notion of friendship itself associated throughout that episode explicitly with Roku and Sozin, Roku and Gyatso, and of course the Gaang at the end, but implicitly we also know it’s about Aang and Zuko, too. Aang says, “Everyone, even the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation, have to be treated like they’re worth giving a chance.” One common take with this line that I’ve seen is interpreting it as foreshadowing for Aang’s decision to spare Ozai - which obviously is a fair assessment - but we cannot also ignore how much it applies to Zuko joining the Gaang. Specifically, Zuko reconciling with Aang.

We all know Aang was the first person to extend friendship to Zuko back in “The Blue Spirit” and tbh, after he saw Appa licking Zuko, you can tell Aang was nearly willing to extend a second chance to Zuko then and there lol. Aang and Zuko’s friendship, them being drawn together, is a relationship that transcends lifetimes, transcends social norms/expectations, transcends a loss greater than anyone can imagine (for Aang) and offers a new opportunity arguably far more than deserved (for Zuko). I think ascribing a qualifier of “brotherly” to their relationship therefore limits this transcendence because of how much their dynamic encompasses.

Do you support interpretations where their relationship is viewed as brotherly?

Of course! One of the reasons I love A:TLA - especially my small corner of the fandom - is how many interpretations that every relationship presents, be it a small “difference” (such as calling Zuko and Aang’s relationship “brotherly”) or a more drastic one (exploring fanon possibilities with rarepairs, let’s go #AangRarepairWeek 😎). So even if this interpretation isn’t one I’m inclined to in the literal sense (i.e. it’s the “brotherly” qualifier I feel I dislike, because I do love platonic Zukaang as much as romantic Zukaang), I absolutely encourage others to make the most of their fandom experience and product/support content that they enjoy!

Why do you think the ATLA writers - who seem to mostly be composed of cishet men - never took the “brotherly love” route and left the nature of their relationship ambiguous?

I will say that we don’t really have any way of knowing the sexualities and gender identities of every single A:TLA writer, lol. I’m not saying they were all queer in some way, of course, but I just want to establish that we don’t and can’t know unless told. If that makes sense 😂

As I mentioned earlier, I have no way of getting inside the writers’ minds to determine their intentions when they were writing Zuko and Aang’s relationship, so all you’re gonna get here are my best guesses lmao! For one, there wasn’t really a need to outright label Zuko and Aang as having a “brotherly” relationship. The existence of Kataang and Maiko again speak for themselves. Most viewers - especially casual watchers - don’t need the show to state “these two only love each other in a brotherly way” to conclude that the relationship was platonic (or rather, was not romantic), especially considering that the show was made in the mid-2000s (i.e. sad but true, most people weren’t watching A:TLA with a queer lens 😔). So I wouldn’t say they left the relationship “ambiguous” so much as there wasn’t need to qualify it further than simply being platonic.

Of course, I do think there is an ambiguity that comes with Aang and Zuko’s relationship, which I love to exploit in my Zukaang fics 😌. Was that ambiguity intentional? Again, I’m inclined to say no. But I can’t speak with certainty and - as I discussed earlier - I truly think Aang and Zuko’s relationship would be limited by being called “brotherly” when their connection runs so deeply and is intertwined so heavily with the spiritual themes of the show. Thus, it’s possible the writers were purposefully emphasizing that spirituality by not labelling them as “brotherly”! But as I said, there’s really no way to be sure.

At the end of the day, I don’t think it matters how someone chooses to label Aang and Zuko’s relationship. I mean, I’m always a little horrified when a person completely overlooks their narrative significance as foils (because I personally can’t imagine dismissing either of their importance to the other), but hey, to each their own. Brotherly, queerplatonic, romantic, and hell, anything in-between - these interpretations are anyone’s for the taking. Have fun with it! 💛

(I hope this at least kind of resembles the answer you were looking for, anon 😂)

[beifongsss]

playing with fire pt. 2 [sokka]

Pairing: Sokka x reader

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

this will be a series :D this marks the beginning of book 2.

w.c.~5.7k

prologue. one.

.masterlist.

~

The four of you spent the next few days in the Northern Water Tribe to help the community rebuild and to pay your respects to Princess Yue.

Arnook had held a festival to celebrate Yue’s life, claiming that she would hate to see her tribe in such a sullen mood. Deep down you knew he was right, but that didn’t change the fact that your heart ached whenever you heard her name. A lot of your time was spent walking around alone, helping out whenever you could. You still felt immense guilt over what had occurred even if Arnook had publicly declared you to be an ally of the Northern Water Tribe.

You grunted softly as you helped an old woman clean up her shop, the fallen sign being just a bit too heavy for you due to your injuries.

“Woah! Hey, let me help you.”

The weight lessened as the sign was taken from you. You glanced up to see Sokka, holding the sign with ease.

“You shouldn’t be lifting heavy things. Not when you’re injured,” Sokka stated before turning to the old woman. She smiled at him, directing him where to put the sign and he nodded before doing ass told.

She came up to you next, patting your shoulder softly as a smile spread across her face. “You have a good boy. Don’t let him go.”

You blushed at her words, shaking your head immediately. “He’s not- We’re not...together.”

The woman’s eyes widened but before she could say anything, Sokka returned. She thanked the two of you before turning around and heading back into her shop, leaving you alone. You started to walk away, Sokka rushing to catch up to you before falling into step with you. A silence enveloped the two of you, but it wasn’t awkward. Ever since Yue...

Ever since you had lost the princess, the two of you had begun to spend more time together, much to Katara’s annoyance. It had been an accident, to be honest. Both you and Sokka had trouble sleeping after losing Yue, feeling as if you had failed both her and the Northern Water Tribe. He had joined you on one of the bridges in the city one sleepless night, the two of you enjoying each other’s company as you stared up at the moon.

The two of you eventually began to talk. There was something about standing on the empty bridge in the middle of the night that made baring all your feelings easier. It was during these midnight chats that Sokka revealed why he was so full of guilt.

He told you all about how he felt inadequate in the Southern Water Tribe; the only son of the chief who couldn’t even protect his home when Zuko arrived looking for the Avatar. He told you about how he tried to be the best warrior possible, desperate to protect his home and Katara, his sister and his tribe’s last waterbender. After a few more nights, he revealed that the reason he was so torn up about Yue wasn’t because of the brief fling he had had with her. No, it was because his failure to save the princess had brought back all those feelings of inadequateness. Sure, his heart ached slightly due to the feelings he had held for her but he was old enough to know that what he felt was mere infatuation. He had admitted that her words kept replaying in his head, wondering what was the “change” she had mentioned and telling you that he wasn’t too worried. He was already traveling with the Avatar and being hunted by the Fire Nation. At this point there was no “change” that could scare him. You pretended not to notice that he didn’t talk about the whole “being afraid to love” part of Yue’s goodbye.

In return, you opened up to him about your feelings as well. The main topic was always your guilt; the guilt you felt at being part of the nation that had ruined so many lives, guilt at running from home, guilt from knowing that no matter what you did, you would never be able to make up for the mistakes of your past. You told why meeting Yue was so important to you, telling him about how it was the first time someone from another nation had treated you normally and trusted you. And you had let her down. You hadn’t been able to stop Zhao from killing Tui. You told him a little bit more about you running away from home, telling him that you feared ever going back because you knew that you would be punished severely. You had run away from your responsibilities and that was not something to be taken lightly in your family.

The two of you made your way back to your campground silently, earning yourself a smile from Aang and a glare from Katara when you arrived. You packed up your things, knowing that it was time to leave, and prepped Appa after bowing to Master Pakku as he said his goodbyes. Within a few minutes, you were off to Omashu to find King Bumi so that he could teach Aang earthbending.

The only pit stop you made was at an Earth Kingdom outpost, where General Fong tried to convince Aang to fight the Fire Lord in the Avatar state. The issue had caused a lot of disagreement within your group, with Sokka and Aang agreeing with the General and you and Katara wanting Aang to wait until he had mastered all four elements.

“I told the general I’d help him,” Aang said, entering the room where you were all staying. “By going into the Avatar State.”

“Aang, no!” Katara exclaimed, standing up. “This is not the right way!”

“Why not?” Sokka asked, placing his arms behind his head while he laid on the bed. “Remember when he took out the Fire Navy? He was incredible!”

“There's a right way to do this,” Katara said sharply, glaring at her brother. “Practice, study, and discipline!”

“Or just glow it up and stop that Fire Lord!”

“(Y/N), what do you think?” Aang asked, turning to face you with a lost expression. You stared at him wide-eyed, not knowing what to say. Aang noticed and walked up to you. “You’re a part of our group now, and I want to hear your opinion.”

The Water Tribe siblings stopped their bickering as they turned to face you as well. Sokka had a smug smile on his face, coming up and wrapping his arm around your shoulders as you kept your gaze on Aang. Katara stood with her arms crossed, glaring at you as she waited to hear your response.

“Um, well,” you stuttered for a bit before taking a deep breath. “Aang, I agree with Katara.”

Immediately, Sokka’s arm dropped from around you and he stared at you with betrayal. Katara’s jaw dropped before she gave you a tiny smile, glad that someone was taking her side. Aang simply looked at you curiously before motioning for you to continue.

“Aang, there’s a reason the Avatar has to master all four elements,“ you said, avoiding Sokka’s gaze. “You can’t rely on the Avatar State because what if something goes wrong? I want the Fire Lord defeated as much as you do but the correct way to do it is by mastering the rest of the elements. Besides, you yourself said that you don’t know how to control the Avatar State. Don’t do something just because some bossy old general wants you to.”

“People are getting hurt or dying because of this war,” Aang said. “And it’s all my fault. You don’t understand.”

It was silent for a moment before you placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to catch his gaze. “Aang, people have been dying long before you were alive and they will continue to die long after you’re gone. This war is not your fault. You have a choice about how to confront the Fire Lord and whether or not you choose to use the Avatar State, just know that I will be there to support you, okay?”

Aang stayed silent for a few seconds before nodding and leaving the room. Katara followed after him, pausing for a few seconds to turn around and look at you. “Thanks.”

You stared after her in shock. Sure, she had said one word but in your eyes that was much better than all the glares you had been receiving from her.

“What was that?” Sokka asked once you were alone, still gaping at you.

“What was what?” you asked, walking to your bed.

“I thought you were going to have my back, not my sister’s,” Sokka proclaimed, following you.

“Sokka,” you sighed, turning to face the boy. “We both know that the Avatar State is a large gamble. What if he can’t access it when he confronts Ozai? He’s the Avatar for a reason. He’ll learn how to master all four elements and he will succeed.”

“You’re just trying to delay us,” Sokka said. “You don’t want to see the Fire Nation fall.”

Your eyes widened before they narrowed dangerously, your glare making the Water Tribe boy shift in discomfort. You stepped forwards, poking a finger into his chest harshly. “I don’t need any of this from you. I thought we were friends Sokka. I’m sorry for thinking about Aang’s well-being. Did you know that he has nightmares about being in the Avatar State?”

This time it was Sokka’s eyes that widened at your words. He knew that Aang hadn’t been sleeping well but he had no idea what his nightmares were about. He winced slightly as he remembered his earlier words, stuttering as he tried to apologize.

“Next time,” you began, effectively shutting the boy up. “Worry less about where my loyalties lie and worry more about your friend.”

You stormed out before he could say another word, leaving him to sigh deeply and throw himself on to his bed as he thought about how to apologize.

Katara had yelled at him when he told her what he had said, not that she’d ever admit to defending someone from the Fire Nation.

~

A few days had passed since you had left the outpost. Much to yours and Katara’s relief, Aang had declined the general’s suggestion after his tactics to activate the Avatar State had gotten a little too aggressive.

You hadn’t spoken to Sokka since the day of your argument, even though he had tried to corner you multiple times. You weren’t angry with him anymore, just upset over what he had said. Aang and Katara had noticed the distance between the two of you, especially when you began speaking to Momo. The two of you always spent your free time together. As nonbenders, you often had nothing to do while Aang and Katara trained which resulted in a lot of quality time with each other.

Currently, all of you were relaxing in a lake surrounded by tall cliffs. Aang and Katara were practicing their waterbending while Sokka floated on a large leaf, Momo curled up on his stomach. Appa was in the water as well, floating on his back as you sunbathed on his stomach.

You tuned out Sokka’s nagging as you enjoyed the warmth, occasionally getting splashed when Aang and Katara sparred.

“Da, da, da. Don't fall in love with the traveling girl. She'll leave you broke and brokenhearted. Hey, river people!”

You sat up when you heard a new voice, panicking slightly when Appa began to roll over onto his feet.

“Appa, wait!” you cried, trying to scramble off the sky bison. “Don’t t-”

Your words were cut off as Appa disregarded your words, rolling over completely and dropping you into the water. You fell onto Sokka’s legs, causing him to tumble into the water as well. Momo screeched in panic as he managed to get away. 

Sokka yanked you out of the water, making sure you were okay before guiding you over to Katara and Aang. He looked at the newcomers suspiciously. “Who are you?”

“I'm Chong and this is my wife, Lily,” the man with the lute-like instrument said. “We're nomads, happy to go wherever the wind takes us!”

You slinked away, eager to change into dry clothing while everyone else was distracted. When you got back to the group, Aang patted the space next to him and smiled widely. You sunk into Appa’s soft fur, smiling as Aang excitedly put on the flower crown they had made for him. Lily sat next to you soon after, asking if she could place flowers in your hair. You nodded softly, allowing the woman to decorate your hair as she wished. When she was done, she did the same thing to Katara, weaving flowers into her dark strands as she braided it.

“Hey, Sokka, you should hear some of these stories. These guys have been everywhere!” Aang said happily as Sokka approached.

“Well not everywhere, Little Arrowhead,” Chong said as he stopped playing his lute. “But where we haven't been, we've heard about through stories and songs.”

“They said they'll take us to see a giant night crawler!” Aang exclaimed.

“On the way, there's a waterfall that creates a never-ending rainbow!” another nomad, Moku, said dreamily.

“Look, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara is busy,” Sokka said shortly, shooting a glare at his sister as she shot one back. “I guess it's up to me. We need to get to Omashu. No sidetracks, no worms and definitely no rainbows.”

“Wow, sounds like someone has a case of destination fever. You're worried too much about where you're going,” Chong said easily.

“You got to focus less on the ‘where’ and more on the ‘going’,” Lily added, accidentally tugging Katara’s hair as she gestured with her hands.

“Yeah, Sokka!” Aang said, leaning back on Appa. “Relax for a bit. Look at this flower crown they made me! And look at (Y/N)’s hair! Doesn’t she look pretty?”

You smiled at the Air Nomad softly, being met with a large grin. Sokka, on the other hand, sputtered for a moment as he tried to hide his blush and avoid looking at you.

“O. Ma. Shu!” Sokka finally enunciated, cheeks still blazing and keeping his stern gaze on Aang.

“Sokka’s right,” you finally said, patting Aang’s head and missing the grateful look Sokka shot at you. “We need to find King Bumi, so Aang can learn earthbending somewhere safe.”

“Sounds like you’re heading to Omashu,” Chong stated, causing Sokka to facepalm in frustration. You held back a giggle at the situation. “There's an old story about a secret pass right through the mountains.’

“Is this real or a legend?” Katara asked skeptically.

“Oh, it's a real legend. And it's as old as earthbending itself.” Chong stated before strumming his lute. “Two lovers, forbidden from one another, the war divides their people and the mountain divides them apart! Built a path to be together! Yeah, I forget the next couple of lines, but then it goes ... Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountains, secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel! Yeah!”

You all looked at each other uncertainly before Sokka crossed his arms and turned to Chong. “I think we'll just stick with flying. We've dealt with the Fire Nation before. We'll be fine.”

“Yeah, thanks for the help, but Appa hates going underground,” Aang added, flashing a smile. “And we need to do whatever makes Appa most comfortable.”

The four of you bid the nomads goodbye and took off... only to return when you ran into an army of Fire Nation soldiers.

“Secret lovers cave,” Sokka muttered as you rejoined the nomads, annoyance clear on his face. “Let’s go.”

~

Aang was way too confident for someone who was trapped in an underground labyrinth. After you had reached the tunnels, the Fire Nation had caught up to your group and blown up the entrance, effectively shutting you all in. On the bright side, Chong had remembered the rest of the song.

After taking inventory of all your supplies, Sokka had suggested making a map to keep track of your steps. You had immediately agreed, stating that it was a smart choice. Everyone else had agreed as well, not having any better ideas. After the tenth dead end, however, you began to regret letting Sokka take the lead.

“Sokka, this is the tenth dead end you've led us to!” Katara cried exasperatedly. You nodded along with her statement, feeling a bit frustrated.

“This doesn't make sense. We already came through this way,” Sokka said, looking at the map in confusion. You peered over his shoulder to get a better look and he angled the parchment towards you. He looked at you before swallowing and looking away hurriedly. You were closer than he had thought you were.

“He’s right,” you chimed. “According to this, we’ve been through here already.”

“You don’t need a map,” Chong said as he breezed past. “We just need love. The little guy knows it.”

“Yeah, but I wouldn't mind a map also,” Aang said meekly.

“There's something strange here. There's only one explanation,” Sokka said, turning to face the group. “The tunnels are changing!”

You opened your mouth to tell him off, not getting the chance to do so as the tunnel began to shake.

“The tunnels, they're a-changin',” Chong said frantically as you all began to get closer together. “It must be the curse! I knew we shouldn't have come down here!”

“Right, if only we listened to you,” Sokka said sarcastically. You swatted his arm.

“Everyone be quiet,” Katara yelled suddenly. “Listen.”

Momo settled onto your shoulder, chittering softly as he gripped your hair. You stood next to Sokka, the two of you staring into the dark tunnel. You tensed when you heard a growl coming from the darkness, Momo flying away and landing on Appa who was farther away. Sokka grabbed your wrist and pulled you behind him, raising the torch to get a better look. Everyone panicked when something flew out from the tunnel. You stayed still, Sokka’s hand still on your wrist as everyone else began to run around.

“It’s a giant flying thing with teeth!” Chong yelled, rushing past you.

“No!” Moku replied, ducking onto the ground. “It’s a wolfbat!”

The wolfbat flew around, occasionally diving down towards the group. When it dove towards you, Sokka panicked and swung the torch at the creature. The sudden movement caused cinders from the torch to land on Appa, who began to panic and run around.

“Watch out!” you cried, tackling Katara as a chunk of earth fell where she was standing.

“Hey! What-” her words died down as she saw the chunk of earth, her face losing color as she realized what had happened. “Oh, thanks.”

You nodded in return before running off, pushing Lily out of harm’s way as well. Appa was still running around and he managed to hit the ceiling hard enough to make the tunnel collapse completely.

“(Y/N)! Watch out!” Aang cried. You looked up to see the ceiling begin to fall, panic taking over and rooting you to the spot. Aang watched in horror, unable to airbend you out of the way as the tunnel began to collapse around him as well.

A strangled gasp left your throat as someone threw you to the side before landing on top of you. The tunnel completely collapsed afterwards, leaving the two of you separated from the rest of the group.

“Are you okay?” Sokka asked roughly, scrambling to his feet before helping you up. You nodded wordlessly, rubbing at your shoulder before looking around. Sokka walked over to the torch he had dropped when saving you, picking it up before turning and walking to the pile of rocks. You watched silently as he tried to dig his way out of there, knowing that there was no way the two of you were going to rejoin the group without an earthbender. Or a badgermole you thought to yourself.

“Sokka, stop,” you whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. He tensed up under your touch, causing you to immediately retract your hand. You turned around, facing the dark tunnel behind you. Seeing no other option, you began to walk forwards, hoping that the tunnel would lead you somewhere.

“What are you doing?” Sokka asked, grabbing your hand and pulling you back. “We have to get back to the others.”

You pulled your hand away from him, shooting him a lazy glare. “Look, unless Aang magically happens to master earthbending in the next five minutes, we’re trapped. Our best choice right now is to continue walking.”

Sokka grumbled under his breath before walking away, lighting the path with the torch. The two of you walked in tense silence for a few minutes, both of you too awkward to start a conversation.

“(Y/N)-”

“Sokka-”

The two of you spoke at the same time, flushing slightly when you met each other’s eyes before chuckling softly.

“(Y/N) I wanted to apologize for what I said at the outpost,” Sokka said, coming to a stop in front of you. “I know you’re angry but I wanted you to know that you were right. I wasn’t concerned about Aang’s well-being even though I should’ve been. It was wrong of me to not listen to you or Katara because you had a point; Aang still has time to master the remaining three elements and he’ll be able to do it. I just- it just sucks that we’re caught in a war, y’know? I want it to end before I lose anyone else I love. I’m sorry.”

“Sokka, I wasn’t angry at you,” you whispered, not meeting his eyes.

“You weren’t?”

“Ok... I was,” you admitted, glancing at him. “But I got over it pretty quickly. I was just really upset because you questioned my loyalty. I know that the Fire Nation can be evil. They’ve done so many things to the other nations but they’ve also ruined things within their own nation. I’m from the capital city, Sokka. There’s a reason I ran and it’s because things just kept getting worse. Yes, I’m Fire Nation, but that doesn’t mean that I’m the enemy. I accept your apology, you dork. Now, we should probably keep walking before that torch burns out.”

Sokka gave you a sheepish smile before turning around and moving forwards. You stayed close to him hoping that nothing else would crawl out of the tunnels.

“(Y/N), can I ask you something?” Sokka asked, breaking the silence once again. You nodded silently, motioning for him to continue.

“This has been bugging me since the North Pole, but I didn’t want to bring it up so soon after-” Sokka paused for a second, not wanting to mention Yue. “Um, why did Zuko’s uncle recognize you? And why did he tell Zhao he had to listen to you? And most importantly, how do you know Zuko?”

You flinched slightly. You knew he was going to bring that up, it had only been a matter of time. Sighing, you looked at him. “The truth?”

“The truth,” Sokka replied, nodding his head firmly.

“The truth is that I was trained to be a Fire Nation soldier from the day I was old enough to hold a sword,” you said quietly. “My father is a well-known admiral, Ozai’s right-hand man. When I showed an interest in combat, Ozai decided to do us a favor and let me train with the best of the best. I was good with a bow and arrow but I really stood out with sword fighting. When I was old enough, I joined the army.”

“That still doesn’t explain the whole Zhao situation,” Sokka stated softly.

“When I was fifteen, I stumbled upon some battle plans of my dad,” you continued. “They contained a lot of flaws, even if he couldn’t see them. I fixed them for him and when Ozai found out, he had me join a group of high-ranking officers to plan invasions. Zhao was one of them. I don’t know why I was so good at planning invasions, but whenever Zhao and I disagreed, he would go to Ozai. The Fire Lord would always agree with me, which pissed Zhao off to no end.”

Sokka chuckled at your words. “So that’s why? Zhao had to listen to you because you were ‘Fire Lord approved’?”

“I guess so, yeah,” you replied, chuckling along with him.

“What about Zuko?” Sokka asked. “How do you know him?”

“I already told you, Sokka,” you replied. “I trained with the best of the best. That meant training in the palace. Zuko was my sparring partner growing up.”

Sokka’s jaw dropped. “You had to spend time with the angry prince?!”

“He wasn’t so bad growing up,” you said, laughing lightly. “We were pretty good friends up until I left.”

“Why’d you leave?” Sokka asked suddenly. You continued to walk in silence for a few seconds, causing Sokka to think he had made a mistake by asking. The two of you reached a cavern, the path you were on separating into two tunnels. You looked at each other uncertainly before glancing at both tunnels. You squinted at the tunnel on the right, seeing a faint glow coming from it.

“Let’s go this way,” you said, nudging Sokka. He looked at you and then at both tunnels before sighing and nodding. He was just about to apologize for his question when you spoke up.

“I left because of my father,” you admitted quietly. Sokka stayed silent, keeping his eyes forward as he allowed you to speak. “He once took me with him when he was leading an invasion. He said that I had to experience battle if I was ever going to take his place. It- It was awful, Sokka.”

Sokka glanced at you, seeing the downcast expression on your face. You glanced at him for a second before continuing. “It was a small Earth Kingdom town. The soldiers were barely older than I was. They had surrendered, the Fire Nation had won. But they said that their surrender was dishonorable and they slaughtered them anyway. I couldn’t stay there, not when I knew that was what my nation was doing. So I ran. I settled into the town you found me in and stayed there for a few months. And now I’m here. Stuck in a cave with you.”

Sokka smiled slightly. “It could be worse, you could be stuck with Chong and his group.”

You laughed at his words and bumped him with your shoulder. “I guess you’re right. You’re not the worst person to be stuck in a cave with.”

Sokka’s cheeks burned at your words and he distracted himself by looking at the torch, which was running dangerously low. You followed his line of sight, biting the inside of your cheek as the torch began to dwindle down to nothing. A few minutes later, it went out, a curl of smoke rising up into the air.

“Now would be a really good time for you to say you’re a firebender,” Sokka jested, stopping to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. You chuckled weakly, bumping into him by accident.

“Spirits! I’m so sorry,” you whispered, grabbing onto Sokka’s arm. You swallowed harshly before sliding your hand down his arm, reaching his hand and intertwining your fingers with his.

“I-It’s okay,” Sokka said. He was glad it was dark in the tunnel, that way you wouldn’t see his blush. You did, however, feel him stiffen up.

“I’m sorry,” you apologized, slipping your hand out of his. “It’s silly but I’m a little scared of the dark and the torch went out so suddenly and-”

“It’s alright,” Sokka whispered, tugging your hand back to his. “I’m right here okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

You nodded before realizing he couldn’t see you. The two of you kept walking hand in hand, trying to feel your way through the tunnel. You could feel your fear intensifying, gripping Sokka’s hand more tightly as you moved forward.

“Did I ever tell you how we met Aang?” Sokka asked suddenly. He squeezed your hand softly, waiting for you to answer.

“N-No,” you replied.

“Well it happened because I made Katara angry,” Sokka said, laughing breathlessly. He could feel you loosening up and smiled softly, glad that he was managing to distract you. “We were out fishing and we got caught in the current. Our canoe got destroyed and we were stranded on a small iceberg. I made some dumb comment about her causing us to get stranded and Katara got angry, telling me that I was rude and sexist. Her waterbending got out of control and she shattered this huge iceberg that was floating behind her. Inside of it was Aang and Appa.”

You smiled at his voice. He was pretty good at storytelling. He continued to keep you distracted as you walked through the tunnel, telling you stories about his childhood in the South Pole and talking about his mother and father before telling you about all the adventures the Gaang had had before you joined. He was in the middle of telling you about their adventures at the Northern Air Temple when you reached another cavern. The words died in Sokka’s throat as you looked around, the ceiling of the cavern covered in various glowing crystals.

“Wow,” you breathed, looking around in amazement.

“What are these?” Sokka asked.

“These are our way out,” you said in realization. Sokka looked at you confused. “This is how the two lovers found their way through the tunnels! By letting the crystals guide them!”

Sokka’s eyes widened in realization before smiling and wrapping you up in a hug. “We’re finally going to get out of here!”

You laughed as he twirled you around before putting you down.

“The two lovers put their trust in their love and by doing so they were able to find their way through the tunnels by using the crystals as guides,” you said. You looked up at Sokka giving him a teasing look. “I guess Chong was right. Love does lead the way.”

Sokka looked at you as you laughed at your words, thinking about all the time he had spent with you over the past few weeks. Your words rang in his head as he thought about just how well he had gotten to know you. He knew about your past, about your qualms with the way the Fire Nation operated. He knew about your little quirks, especially after all the time spent together while Aang and Katara trained. He thought about how you sat and listened to him, genuinely caring about what he had to say and always knowing what to say in response.

All of a sudden, the fact that the two of you had gotten trapped in the Cave of Two Lovers together was no coincidence.

“Sokka?” you asked quietly, noticing that the boy had suddenly gone quiet. “Sokka, are you okay?”

Sokka nodded, his eyes searching your face for a few seconds before he leaned down. Your eyes fluttered shut as his face neared yours, his arms still wrapped around you from the hug you had shared earlier. You felt yourself melt into his touch, your heart speeding up when you felt his lips brush over yours. You were just about to lean up and fully press your lips to his when the cavern began to rumble.The two of you quickly separated, eyes widening when the cavern walls fell to reveal a large animal.

“Quick! Get behind me!” Sokka yelled, trying to shield you from the flying rock. You peered over his shoulder, eyes widening when you saw the badgermole.You ducked under Sokka’s arm, walking up to the giant creature. Sokka’s eyes widened at your actions. “(Y/N)! What are you doing?”

“This is a badgermole, Sokka,” you explained, walking up to the animal. You paused for a moment, not knowing what to do. You hesitantly extended a hand, giggling when the badgermoles pressed its snout into it. “It’s our ticket out of here.”

Sokka gaped at you as you climbed onto the badgermole, only turning to wave him over. He quickly got on behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist to steady himself. You ignored the heavy blush on your cheeks as you stroked the badgermole’s back.

“Hey, Mister Badgermole?” you asked, ignoring Sokka’s bewildered gaze. “We’re kind of stuck in here. Do you think you could help us get back to our friends?”

“Really?” Sokka asked, giving you an amused look. You shrugged, a bashful look on your face. All of a sudden, the badgermole began to move and you held on tightly. Within a few minutes, you were surrounded by bright light.

“(Y/N)! Sokka! You guys got out.”

You looked down, seeing Aang, Katara, and the nomads. You gave them a cheesy grin, sliding off of the badgermole. “Sure did! Sokka and I got out by letting love lead the way.”

“Really?” Aang asked excitedly.

You and Sokka glanced at each other briefly, both of you looking away with rosy cheeks before you replied. “The badgermole was a huge help too.”

Katara looked at the two of you suspiciously as you approached them. You went over to pet Appa and Momo as Aang went to say goodbye to the nomads. When she was sure you weren’t paying attention, she turned to her brother. “So, what actually happened in there?”

Sokka’s eyes widened and he floundered for a few seconds before opening his mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by Chong.

“Nobody react to what I'm about to tell you,” the nomad said before pointing at Aang. “I think that kid might be the Avatar!”

You looked over at Sokka just in time to see him facepalm, causing you to giggle quietly. Sokka shot you a halfhearted glare before smiling softly at your laugh. 

All he could think about was what had happened in the cavern.

~

taglist!

atla: @musicalkeys, @mywigglybaby​, @bubblebars​, @iguessthefloorislava​, @dekahg​, @boxofteenageideas​, @bottledcostcowater​, @butterflycore​, @coldlilheart​, @the-firebender-girl​, @ajediherowitchrunner​, @lammello​, @astroninaaa​, @samsmultifandomblogs​, @sadskater25, @oddment-niwit-blubber-tweak​, @eternallyvenus​

pwf: @ilovespideyyy​, @binaryssunsets​, @a----rag​, @existing-but-nonexistent​, @milk-n-cheese​, @itsthatsadbitch​, @nin-tendou​, @honey-ruel​, @reclusive-chicken-nugget​, @teenbiology​, @davnwillcome​

[imnotusedtobeingloved]

EQUALLY LUCKY

(PLEASE DON’T REBLOG!)

Warnings: Internal conflict / Mental struggles.

Pairing: Azula x f!Reader

Characters: Azula, Zuko, Izumi.

Requested: Yes!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor the gif. Credit to the owners.

Summary: You get a glimpse into Azula’s life years after Sozin’s Comet, with you by her side.

A/N: This was my first time making an x reader with Azula, so i’m very nervous to post this lol. It got way more angsty than i intended it to be, but i also wanted to try and stay true to Zula’s character to some extent. And i very much hope i did. Thank you for the great request @the-desert-shewolf​ i hope this is what you were looking for.

“Zuzu, you don’t look so good!”

The last Agni Kai. It was a day that was forever branded into your mind. You could still remember the heat of her flames. How her patient, strategic mind slipped into a rash and impulsive demeanor. She’d fataly wounded her own brother. Ready to do the same to Katara, if she hadn’t stopped her. And that was when you’d found her. Chained to a grid on the floor like an animal, crying in despair and spitting fire like a dragon. Nobody dared to go near her for hours. Nobody but you. “You need to stop, Azula,” You’d cried tears of your own as you forcefully hugged her, body winding against yours. Still trying to free herself. Still trying to fight. Still trying to win. “Please... I’m begging you...” Her whimper broke your heart. You were all that she had left.

There were times when not even a heartfelt “I love you,” could save her. Instead it was interpreted as a further manipulation through her mother. The so called ‘Puppetmaster’. She felt so far out of reach.

But not all days were bad. Sometimes Azula remembered. In the bright hours she recalled your supportive actions and words. You always hoped they would give her some kind of strength. And it wasn’t any easier to face those hardships yourself. To love someone who was hurt so very deeply.

“Being damaged doesn’t give you the right to abuse others,”

A lot of people called her crazy. Called you crazy for feeling affection towards the princess. But what were you supposed to do? You couldn’t just ignore them. Or turn them off. It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t what you wanted. All you were trying to do was to care for a person you’d known since you were a kid. A childhood friend, teenage crush and an adult lover. Where Zuko had been saved by Iroh, Azula had been saved by you. But it wasn’t quite the same. You'd just been a little kid yourself at the time.

“Are you going to see Azula?” You nodded, smiling at Zuko over your shoulder. The robes of the Fire Lord really suited him. “I am. I want to surprise her with a picnic,” He raised a brow, curiously leaning over the little basket on the table before you. You’d spent hours picking out different kinds of tarts and snacks, trying not to get in the way of the cooks.

It was a perfect summer day. The climate was warm and mild. Your timing couldn’t have been better.

Years had passed since Sozin’s Comet occured. Years full of anxiety and anger. But finally you’d arrived in a part of your life, where things were looking up again. The time spend supporting Zuko as the Fire Lord hadn’t been wasted. Both of you worked together on a daily basis. Especially when it came to his sister. Despite everything she had done, he couldn’t deny that he held a soft spot for her. So it was no wonder that she resided in one of the finest suites of the palace. After being monitored and treated for ages, her mental heatlh finally regained stability.

“She’s lucky to have you, (Y/N),” He said, attempting to steal one of the tarts only to earn a slap on the hand. Grumbling he retreated, watching as you checked the contents again, before closing the lid. “Maybe,” You turned around to face your friend. “But i’d like to think we’re equally lucky,”

Your picnic was set up in the gardens, by the fountain, under the old apple tree.

Her whole life Azula only gained approval from two people. Her father and you. The few moments of empathy she experienced were supported by you. If she had a nightmare late at night, you’d crawl into bed with her. When you reduced the choice between you two to physical affection, Ozai couldn’t keep up with you. The mixed messages her parents gave her as a child were what lead her into misery. But her best friend, someone of the same age, stuck by her.

Eventually you’d won her over. Relationships were rekindled. Needs were met.

And right this moment, you were beyond glad that you had. “There you are, sugarplum,” An involuntary grin spread on your face. You’d been so busy with displaying everything perfectly that you hadn’t heard her come up behind you. “I see you haven’t grown tired of the petnames,” That nickname would truly stick with you for life. She’d once used it mockingly, back when you visited Ember Island. And she did ever since. It was always used with an edge of sarcasm, but never empty of love.

“You wouldn’t have it any other way, would you (Y/N)?” You turned around to her, reaching for one of her hands. Her fingers intwined themselves with yours. “Of course not, Azula,” Pulling her towards your little arrangement, you sat down on the blanket, leaning against the strong stem of the tree and patting the spot beside you.

Since her recovery she’d formed a habit of over-sharing her feelings and often apologizing more than nessecary. Those were new sides that you had to grow accustomed to, but that weren’t unwelcome. Nevertheless you were relieved that she also kept some of her wit. She knew she could be free with you. Didn’t need to fear any jugdement. Some days were harder than others. On those Azula would cry a lot. And so would you. You couldn’t stand seeing her so broken.

“Keep it together, (Y/N),” She would say at first, making you laugh through your tears. “It’s okay,” You’d reassure her time and time again. “Healing takes time,”

It was hard to face all those bottled up emotions after such an amout of time. It wasn’t her favorite way to deal with things at first, but she quickly found it helped. And it didn’t take long for her to tell you.

“Sharing your tears doesn’t make you weak,” She’d repeat your words in her darkest times. It brought her comfort. Kept her from going back to her old ways.

The princess moved to sit in the spot next to you, but she never made it that far. Small feet rushed through the grass, running straight into her legs. A tiny, little person curled around them, hugging her as far as she could reach. “Zula!” They squeaked.

The so-called ‘Zula’ raised a brow and crossed her arms, looking down at the little troublemaker. “What do you think you’re doing here?” The girl only lifted her hands in response. You stiffled a smile as Azula picked her up. “Where is your father? Didn’t he want to spend time with you?” Yes he did. And he arrived right on time. “Izumi?” Zuko looked around, searching for her, until he spotted you. The princess was snuggling into her aunt’s chest, a place that always felt warm. You knew it best. “There you are!” His sister raised a brow, tapping her foot on the ground, when he walked up to the three of you. When they stood next to each other, the family-resemblance was undeniable. They shared the same shade of amber eyes, the soft umber strands, and the fair, spotless skin.

It was another person that had helped Azula on her journey. Izumi.

The girl got to experience the childhood the siblings never had. She was proof that princesses didn’t have to be perfect all the time. Nobody did. And she loved her aunt without any doubt or fear.

“You really need to keep better watch on her, Zuzu. This is already the fifth time this has happened,” The Fire Lord nodded, holding his hands out. “Of course. It won’t happen again, i promise,” Azula tried handing her niece over, who whined, clinging to her neck. “But i mean, now that we’re already here, we could also just join you on your picnic,” He argued, pointing to his daughter who held onto Azula’s clothes with all her might. “Izumi seems to like the idea,” You squinted your eyes at him. This was definetely not a coincedence. Accidents don’t repeat themselves that often. “Admit it, Zuko. You’ve purposefully told Izumi that her aunt is here, only so you could get your clutches on our food again!” You’d connected the dots and read the situation. He’d taken a glimpse into your basket every time before you went out the past times. Particular interest always occured when it contained those delicous fruit tarts. With rose pedals on top. He gasped. “No, i didn’t!” 

“He’s lying,” Azula said, rolling her eyes. Izumi proceeded to tell her father that “Lying is bad!” which earned her a gentle pat on the head from her aunt.

Nevertheless they swayed you to share some of the ‘goodies’ as Izumi liked to call them. Finally you had Azula were she belonged. Next to you. Her niece sat in her lap, munching happily as your lover ran her hand through her hair. It had taken some time until she’d been allowed to see Izumi at first. Zuko and her mother hadn’t let them meet each other until his sister was completely stabile. Additionally he didn’t want to put Azula through something she couldn’t handle at the time. Their first meeting had been nervewracking for everyone who watched, but an eye-opening event for the two princesses. They seemed comfortable. Content with each other. Sometimes Azula would act as if Izumi bothered her. But she couldn’t deny that she was fond of the girl.

It was also no secret that Azula was clearly the ‘coolest aunt’. At least from Izumi’s perspective. She looked up to her as the strongest female firebender, to be known. Of course she was still too young to fight. But that didn’t stop her from constantly begging the siblings for stories. “Can you tell me a story?” She’d ask, making a pout. “I’ve told you stories countless times,” Her aunt replied, booping her upturned nose. “Another one, pleeease?” Azula sighed. Zuko chimed in, coming to her aid. He started telling the tale of the ‘Dance of Dragons’ in great detail, paying no mind to his sisters sarcastic comments interrupting the tale. Izumi was exstatic about both of them engaging in the narrative. When the story was completed, he beamed at Azula. “Remember when mother used to take us to watch the Ember Island Players perform this play? Afterwards you and i would reenact every scene. I don’t get why i always had to be the dark water spirit, tough,” His sister scoffed, not hiding her gleefull smirk. “Clearly, i made a better dragon emperor,” Her niece laughed at their antics, clapping her little hands. You could comprehend her joy. It was hilarious to have them both participate.

Unfortunatly, Izumi couldn’t escape her duties forever. “Bye, auntie Zula! Bye auntie (Y/N)!” She waved when Zuko carried her back inside. Upon her loopsided smile, Azula couldn’t help but grin, waving back. It wasn’t a sneer or a grimace. It was a genuine expression of so much beauty, that it took your breath away. When she turned back to face you, she furrowed her brows. “Why are you looking at me like that?” There were a ton of reasons. You didn’t even know were to start. So your delight had to be expressed differently. Her lips weren’t far from yours. It took a mere second to connect them. They were soft, as always. She tasted sweet, like the pastries she’d eaten before. “You’re my everything,” you mumbled, her lips still brushing yours. You see her eyes watering as she struggled to speak her next words. They reminded her of all that she’d endured. And yet you’re important enough for her to pull through. “I love you, (Y/N),”

A moment later the tears were replaced by a smile. Her hands came to rest on your cheeks, one of her thumbs running over your bottom lip, removing the lipstick hers had left. You yelped as she abruptly grabbed your shoulders, pulling you to rest your head in her lap.

She worked to untangle your locks, massaging your scalp in the process. Her nails lightly scraped your skin every so often. It felt relaxing. Heavenly. The smell of smoke and leather teased your senses. Something so familiar that it was like home. You allowed yourself to close your eyes for a moment, being at peace with just... feeling her. Being in her presence.

“Agni, you look just as self satisfied as my niece,” She playfully remarked.

The slight breeze made the leaves rustle softly. “Why wouldn’t i?” You chuckled, slowly opening your eyes to look up at her. Her slim fingers hadn’t stopped spoiling you. She looked stunning in the midday sun. Her eyes glowed like molten gold, framed by long, dark lashes, casting shadows on her cheeks. “I’m being pampered by the princess herself. I consider myself to be very lucky,” Her lips pulled into a smile as she caught your gaze.

“You’re right, (Y/N). We are lucky,”

Because everything you did for her, she would return tenfold.

Despite all the hardships, neglect and abuse she’d suffered, Azula had managed to get out on the other side.

Stronger, and better than ever.

Reconnected to the world around her, she remained one of the most powerful fire benders. Her blue flames offering protection wherever you’d go.

When she’d first felt affection towards you, she thought you were her weakness.

Now she knew you were her strength.

[ssaltbending]

Ok, guys, hear me out: Zuko is a Capricorn, Katara is a Cancer —and here’s why (it would be so poetic).

Part 1: Zuko

TW: explicit mentions of child abuse.

I know this statement might seem weird and out of place, but in the last couple weeks I’ve been digging a lot into astrology and, in order not to forget my roots, I thoroughly felt the need to combine both of my most recent obsessions in one post, given that this headcanon hasn’t been able to leave my mind ever since I came up with it: if we applied astrology to the Avatar world, I’m sure Cancer and Capricorn would be Katara and Zuko’s signs, respectively. And I don’t say this in a superficial way, just by looking at zodiac memes and associating Katara with the crybabies Cancers are portrayed as or saying Zuko is a Capricorn buzzkill as people who know astrology on a surface level would assume they are —those are some of the most common stereotypes about the signs. No, I’m saying that they embody those signs on an archetypal leve: in the way their stories, especially Zuko’s, resemble the myths that originate the zodiac signs and their respective traits.

Therefore, without further ado, let me explain.

The Capricorn archetype: the sins of the father...

As any casual astrology enthusiast may probably know, the sign of Capricorn is connected to qualities such as perseverance, integrity, resilience and ambition, typically treated as the CEO or boss of the zodiac. However, the sign itself has a richer and much more complex story as we look at the deities it is associated with as well as the planet that rules it: Saturn, linked to the Roman god of the same name and the greek gods Cronus, Zeus, Hestia and Pan. Some astrologers choose Cronus as Capricorn’s patron god and others prefer his children, but that can be explained very easily.

The myth goes like this: Cronus, a giant and father of what we would know as some of the main greek gods (Hestia, Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, Hera and Zeus), was actually the son of Uranos, who he subverted thanks to the advice of his mother Gaia to use an agricultural tool to kill him. But as time went by and Cronus had started having children with his partner, Rhea, the fear of his descendants becoming stronger than him and doing the same thing he had done to his father took over him, which led to his decision of swallowing them all whole. He started with Hestia all the way back to Zeus, whom he couldn’t swallow right after he was born, unlike his other children, because this time Rhea had hid him in the island of Crete to protect him from his father. To deceive him, Rhea then covered a rock in cloth to make it resemble a baby for Cronus to eat it, thinking that it was a newborn Zeus.

Time passed and Zeus grew stronger until he was ready to confront his father and save his siblings from his womb, and when he finally did it, he managed to force Cronus into disgorge them one by one, in the reverse order they had been swallowed —which left Hestia as the last sibling to be disgorged.

After that, Zeus was left with a prophecy, where he would also be possibly overthrown by a son of his. And after Métis, the woman he was told would bear said child, gave birth he swallowed the newborn whole just like Cronus had done with his brothers and sisters. The child in question, however, started giving him headaches as it grew older and bigger inside of him and would become the goddess we know as Athena. What Zeus did with her was the repetition of a cycle perpetuated by his forefathers, a cycle of abuse and trauma that seems inescapable. What this part of the duality of the Capricorn archetype shows one of the ways in which those ideas of tradition and legacy can be carried on (a very negative one, to be honest), but that’s not the only way they can manifest, which gives the archetype this… almost cinematic quality, in my opinion. (And if we take this into account, I might headcanon Azula as a Capricorn rising due not only to the archetypal coincidences but the overall mastermind outlook she has and how much of a natural, domineering and calculating leader she is, but that’s besides the point.)

Now, let’s talk about the other side of the archetype, which gives it this incredible dual quality: Hestia’s path. Unlike her brother Zeus, Hestia was the one who not only had been devoured by her father, but she had spent the most time inside him as well. This is often associated with the emotional isolation many Capricorns experience in their youth, the lack of warmth and love by one of their parents, along with the desire not to become the abusive parent they were exposed to. Hestia is the other side of the story, the unspoken leader of the Olympians, the one who broke the toxic cycle running in her family for generations, vowing to become an eternal virgin and protector of the earth. Besides, Hestia means “hearth”: the inner fire, the one that is never allowed to go out.

(art by @elisebrave​)

That is the soul of the Capricorn archetype: the crossroads of destiny, the moment when the child decides whether to become like their parents, or forge their own path like Hestia did. Do you guys see what I see now? Are the similarities clear enough?

As my dear friend @persephobeee​ points out in her Capricorn essay (a crucial source for this one): “The Capricorn archetype is a cycle of stuck parents putting stress on their children at such a young age so then their kid ends up making money in retaliation, but then treat their kids the same as well due to the lack of warmth and freedom they had in their own childhood. The intense pressure put onto them as a child [then] leads to isolation and depression. It’s a cycle. ‘I don’t want to be my parent, but also… how they have ruined me’. The chain can continue with Zeus (projecting sorrows and nightmares onto their own children) or it could break with Hestia (the path of love, light and protection).”

This is why Capricorn’s planetary ruler, Saturn, is also associated with ideas found in this myth: restriction, limitation, order, boundaries, leadership, responsibility… pretty much dad vibes, to be honest. Do you guys see what I see or do I have to dig deeper?

“But isn’t zuko a firebender?? Why would he be an earth sign??”, you may ask.

The way that I might be making headcanons about the Gaang’s western zodiac signs isn’t gonna be based on which element they bend, because that would be quite reductive and restrictive for me as an astrology junkie, but their similarities to each sign’s archetype and overall characteristics. And yes, I do see Zuko as an earth sun, but that wouldn’t be his only sign, there is also the moon and the rising sign, which also have an important impact on the individual. In my opinion, Zuko’s personality embodies the qualities of fire signs as well: competitiveness, drive, passion, impulsiveness and loyalty. But to me those qualities are better shown in his character through his moon sign: an Aries moon, to be specific. See those anger outbursts? The “I don’t need any [fucking] calming tea!!”? The “you never think these things through”? Aries moon behavior, right there. But I’m not going to focus on moon signs right now. Let’s get back to the behavior I am the most well-versed at: Capricorn behavior.

So, the sign of Capricorn is also a cardinal sign, a leader, since they are the ones that begin each season. In the Northern Hemisphere, Capricorn season starts right on the winter solstice, and the opposite happens in the South. However, since all the astrology lore comes from the North thanks to the Greeks, Babylonians and more, the seasonal connections are related to the seasons there. As a consequence, Capricorn is the cardinal sign that brings the coldest, darkest season of the year: winter. And incorporating that into Zuko’s character would be incredibly fitting, in my opinion, because of some stuff I’ve read here on Tumblr saying that making him being born during the coldest time of the year would make it a terrible omen for a firebender, worse in this case due to him being born into the royal family, symbols of the power and “supremacy” of the Fire Nation. The fact that he would be born in winter, if we follow this reasoning, would have made him seem as a disappointment to his father ever since birth. 

… or maybe I’m just cruel, guys.

Moreover, I think Zuko embodies many of the Capricorn qualities in the way he carries himself (because no, not all Capricorns are confident managers with the world in our hands) and how hard he has to work to earn everything he gets. A key part of what this sign represents is “the path of hardships the goat has to overcome in order to reach the top of the mountain”, which along with the myth I have described before, could easily be applied to Zuko. It describes values of endurance, hard work, discipline and drive in order to achieve your goals, something that can be seen in Zuko all throughout the series, but changes its focus as the seasons go by. Besides, uhm… have you guys seen “The Day of Black Sun, Part 2”? That is literally the positive outcome of the Capricorn myth made into animation: the confrontation between an abusive father figure and his abused child who has decided to part ways with him in order to become a better person.

On another note, I think it is important to highlight how the Capricorn in Zuko could be seen based on how the rest of the Gaang treats him as well when he changes sides and he’s accepted into the group. How?, you may be wondering: as a father figure, but in a positive way. In many scenes it can be noticed how he naturally takes a position of leadership within the group as well as he takes care of the younger members such as Aang and Toph but, especially in Aang’s case, tries to ground them and teach them. As examples, take the following: Zuko reminding Aang that soon he will have to face the fact that he might have to kill Ozai, him trying to get everyone to train when the comet is about to arrive; how when Aang gets lost, it is him the one people look to in order to lead the group, etc.

Another thing that is well-known in Capricorns is our resilience and perseverance and, honestly: do I even need to explain that? When it comes to the guy who would get his ass beaten again and again and again for one season straight in order to get what he wanted which would also give him the approval of his father, what he craved most? It screams earth sign behavior to me, but with a heavy saturnian influence due to Zuko’s background which, to me, can be quite an interesting reflection of the Saturn/Cronus myth with his children. Said tenacity could also be exacerbated by the willpower and energy brought by the possibility of him having a fire moon, I don’t know, think about it. I stick to that headcanon.

That perseverance can also be seen when it comes to Zuko’s firebending, given how much he’s always trying to improve his skills. Although it could be argued that in reality he’s doing so due to the expectations put on him to be a proficient bender just like his sister in order to be accepted by his father, and his constant training to the point of exhaustion is just a manifestation of that toxic behavior. I am sorry to tell you, but that’s textbook Capricorn behavior, associated with the symbolism of the hardworking goat in general: working the hardest in order to get what you want is always on-brand when it comes to important Capricorn placements, and in my opinion Zuko is no exception.

Final thoughts.

Anyway, what I think would be most relevant is what I mentioned before about the Capricorn archetype and how it could tie in nicely to Zuko’s character arc with him as a representation of Hestia, who could grow out of the abuse she experienced and got a chance not to make her father’s mistakes and break that horrendous cycle she had been a victim of. I would go into this more deeply, but I think it has been enough for now. However, I’ll be back soon with a part two, talking about my water queen Katara. What do you think about this headcanon? Do you agree? If not, why? 

Thanks for coming to my weird-ass TedTalk at 1am. I needed to vent and I haven’t been able to put the computer down since 9pm, I literally only stopped to eat, lol.

See you soon, 

a Capricorn sun.

[sokkastyles]

Azula and the Mirror

In film, mirrors are used for moments of reflection, obviously, both the physical and emotional kind, but they are also used for moments of deceit, deception, dejection, juxtaposition, contrast and comparison, distortion, delusion, breaking down and breaking through. A persona is never more vulnerable, nor stronger, than when it is staring at itself, and the visual power of these moments have been used in cinematic narratives beginning at the dawn of the medium and continuing to the present day. (source)

It might seem obvious, but mirrors used in film and television have a wealth of meaning, and present a visually striking way to get that meaning across. Mirrors show us who we really are, but they also show us what we want to see. Therefore a mirror can be a symbol of both truth and lies.

This scene in “Sozin’s Comet” is one of the most memorable Azula scenes because of the use of the visual imagery to tell us the story of who Azula is, and it’s one of the most clear pictures we get of her in the entire series. Perhaps Azula is also seeing herself for the first time, but it’s also a moment when she’s at her most self-deluded. Confronted with both the reality of herself and the lie that she desperately clings to.

I think that, more than anything, Azula craves authenticity. Her brother Zuko does, too, and I’ll make a separate post as a follow up to this one because I want to avoid going off on a tangent. I’ll keep this post focused on Azula, although since Azula is an essential part of Zuko’s narrative, it’s hard to talk about them entirely separately. So I am going to cheat a little bit here and talk about what Zuko says about Azula, since it’s one of our biggest introductions to her before we actually meet her.

Zuko (to Aang): There's always something. Not that you would understand. You're like my sister. Everything always came easy to her. She's a firebending prodigy, and everyone adores her. My father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born.

Zuko puts Azula up on a pedestal here, although it’s one that also comes with a lot of resentment. Zuko defines Azula as everything that he is not, successful where he is not, and adored where he is not. The latter is particularly interesting because although we do get a sense that Azula is “adored,” it is most likely in a shallow way. I think Azula would absolutely be the popular girl in school but she wouldn’t have very many real friends. What she would have is power and status, like many bullies do, and that might be enough to gain her a following, as it does in canon, but it’s clear that this is not enough, and I think that she’s beginning to realize it.

Azula believes in the image of herself as the perfect princess, and several other people in her life reinforce this. Ozai, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee, Li and Lo. By the end she loses them all, though, and is left with the one person who did see her for who she was. Ironically, this is the one person she does not want to see, because this is the reflection of herself that she does not want to see.

There are several different parts of Azula at play here. The image she presents to others, the image she wishes she could present, and the image of herself that she denies.

The image she presents to others is the one Zuko talks about in “The Siege of the North.” The powerful princess who can’t even have just one hair out of place.

The person Azula wishes she coulbe, the part of herself that craves authenticity but doesn’t know how to get it, is on full display in “The Beach.”

Azula demanding to be invited to a party that Ty Lee and Mai get asked to tells us a lot about how Azula sees her friendship with the latter two. It shows Azula’s jealousy of their social skills but also her need for control in her relationships. Even before the rift between the three really starts, we get a sense that Ty Lee and Mai aren’t as fully in Azula’s corner as she thinks they are. Azula thinks that fear and control are enough to gain her friends and allies. Deep down, she knows that this is not true, however she does not know another way to be. But the party provides an opportunity to try and embrace this authentic self that she craves.

Zuko: Why didn't you tell those guys who we were?

Azula: I guess I was intrigued. I'm so used to people worshiping us.

Ty Lee: They should.

Azula: Yes, I know, and I love it. But, for once, I just wanted to see how people would treat us if they didn't know who we were.

Zuko’s question to Azula is really interesting, too, and I’ll talk about that and Zuko’s perspective in another post, because I want to keep the focus on Azula here. Azula masks her desire for authenticity in haughtiness, saying that she’s “used to” being worshipped and reinforcing Ty Lee’s comment that they should worship her them, and that she loves it, but it’s clear that what she really wants is to be liked for who she is, or rather, who she might be if she were not Ozai’s daughter, princess of the Fire Nation.

This is also shown in Azula’s jealousy of Ty Lee during the party.

Ty Lee: What? You're jealous of me? But you're the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world.

Azula: Well, you're right about all those things. But, for some reason, when I meet boys, they act as if I'm going to do something horrible to them.

I’ve seen a lot of discussion of this conversation in the context of Azula’s relationship with Ty Lee, and a lot of people cite this as a sympathetic moment for Azula or an indication that she really does care for Ty Lee, although I tend to be less charitable in that regard, since Azula just told Ty Lee that boys only liked her because she was “easy” and made her cry. For me, this scene really highlights the toxic nature of the relationship between Azula and Ty Lee, where Azula boosts her self esteem by bringing Ty Lee down. Azula does admit her jealousy of Ty Lee, and some people read this as Azula comforting Ty Lee, but 1) Azula is the one who made Ty Lee cry in the first place, and 2) Ty Lee is then put in the position of comforting Azula and assuaging Azula’s jealousy, even though Azula is the one who made Ty Lee cry. This is reminiscent of a lot of abusive relationships in which the abuser will harm their victim and then twist the narrative so that the victim has to be responsible for comforting the abuser. Ty Lee knows what is expected of her in this dynamic, and responds by reaffirming Azula’s need to be seen as perfect, Azula agrees, and all is restored in the world again.

Except Azula still craves that authenticity. When she tries it, though, she gets Ty Lee’s advice hilariously wrong, and resorts back to what she knows. Conqueror Azula. Princess of the Fire Nation. Perfect weapon.

There are a lot of moments that people point to in “The Beach” when they analyze Azula, but here’s the moment which I think is really Azula at her most authentic.

Azula: Well, those were wonderful performances, everyone.

Zuko: I guess you wouldn't understand, would you, Azula? Because you're just so perfect.

Azula: Well, yes, I guess you're right. I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could sit here and complain how our mom liked Zuko more than me, but I don't really care. My own mother thought I was a monster. She was right, of course, but it still hurt.

I’m going to take a slightly different approach than what I usually see when people talk about this scene because I do think this is when we are finally seeing a glimpse of Azula’s authentic self, but not in the way a lot of people who discuss her think.

I’ve talked about how Azula presents a mask to others. Here, she calls Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee’s emotional confessions about their deepest trauma “performances.” She uses Zuko’s confession to reinforce her place as the golden sibling, calling him “pathetic.” Zuko expresses resentment and anger at “perfect” Azula. And then Azula reveals a sob story of her own.

Azula in this scene shows deep-seated anger towards her mother, which she tries to play off flippantly, but her words reveal how deep this trauma actually is. She says her own mother thought she was a monster. Do I think that this is a reflection of what Ursa thought about Azula? Absolutely not, and I think what has to be remembered about this scene is that it comes from Azula herself. This scene, plus the mirror scene in “Sozin’s Comet” involving Azula and her mother, both originate from Azula’s thoughts and feelings about her mother. We will never know what Ursa herself really, truly thought about Azula, because all we get from her is either from Zuko or Azula’s perspective. These statements and thoughts and visions from Azula are meant to tell us about Azula, not Ursa. This is not, as the “Ursa is a bad mother” crowd insists, proof that Ursa hated Azula. This is what Azula thinks about herself.

We know that Ursa did scold Azula and try to steer her on a correct path, but that’s because Azula was acting in increasingly worrying ways in the flashbacks. The young Azula we see in “Zuko Alone” had already begun to build her Perfect Princess image, modelled after what Ozai expected her to be, and what Ozai expected her to be was both infallible and monstrous.

And a part of Azula knows that what Ozai expected of her was monstrous. But since she had no choice but to internalize it, she could not reconcile that part of herself with the part of herself that was taught right and wrong by her mother. That part of herself she locked away tightly. But comes out here, because Azula in “the Beach” is trying to achieve an authentic self, which is, in fact, what Lo and Li say at the beginning of the episode that the beach is supposed to do, and Ty Lee bookends that sentiment. Just like in the previous scenes, though, Azula still can’t quite get there. Her feelings about her mother are still couched in condescending language, she belittles the others, and she dismisses her mother in the same paragraph. She embraces the monster because that is who she was taught to be, and monsters cannot be hurt.

And that, that’s it. Azula can’t admit that she was hurt by her mother’s absence. I’ve said before that Azula translated her mother’s abandonment as “she loves Zuko more than me” because Ursa left for Azula and in the world where Azula is perfect and Zuko is nothing, that does not compute. This creates some huge cognitive dissonance which cannot be reconciled.

Azula’s confession here about her mother also is a way for her to reinforce to the group that she’s still the most powerful. She casually dismisses Mai, Zuko, and Ty Lee when they talk about their trauma so that she can talk about herself, in language that blames her mother for the person she is. It’s not that Azula is at fault, it’s not that Azula cannot reconcile her fractured sense of self, it’s that everyone else is pathetic and Ursa is a bad mother who made her feel this way, although really, she was right, so what does it matter?

One of the main reasons that most Azula redemption speculation falls flat is that they don’t acknowledge that in order for Azula to get redemption, she has to take responsibility for the ways in which she has hurt others. This would also be incredibly difficult for her, and in some ways that isn’t her fault, because she was very much a victim of Ozai’s abuse, and one way that she was a victim is because by instilling the need that she had to be perfect, Ozai made it nearly impossible for Azula to acknowledge when she was wrong. She gets perilously close here, but then retreats into blaming her mother, her brother, her friends, and anyone else, then denies that she even wants to change, which is the other thing she has to accept in order to get redemption.

Fast forward to Azula confronting her mother’s image in the mirror, which of course is really herself. This is why I hate where the comics took this particular subplot, because I do not think we were meant to interpret it as Azula actually hallucinating. What Azula is seeing in the mirror is really herself, the part of herself that understands right from wrong, but is too afraid to admit that she’s done so many things wrong. That little girl who can’t even properly mourn the loss of her own mother because she was never allowed to, because her father never let her. Right before Ursa appears, Azula attacks her own image in the mirror, viciously cutting her hair, a symbol of “perfect” Azula and an obvious symbol of Azula’s self-hatred. Just as before, though, she can’t really direct this anger and blame and pain at herself, so she conjurs up the image of her mother, who tells her all the truths she wants to deny about herself, that her mother always loved her, that she has embraced fear and control and that this has left her lonely in the end. This is the closest that Azula has ever come to realizing her authentic self, the little girl who misses her mother. But she rejects it again.

So mirrors represent self-reflection, right? The fractured mirror, then, is a clear symbol for the fractured self. These are all the sides of Azula that she cannot reconcile as one. Whereas Zuko’s narrative deals with the restructuring of the fractured self, Azula’s narrative deals with what happens when the fractured self never becomes whole.

[hogwarts-is-my-wonderland]

Plot Bunny: Yun Hee │Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar Aang was not the last Airbender. When the Fire Nation attacked the Air Temples, dozens of children were smuggled to the Earth Kingdom. But out of forty seven Airbenders, only one survived long.

Yun Hee has always known she was an Airbender. It was impossible to ignore that aspect of herself when she longed for it. Her grandmother was one too, and it was their responsibility to make sure their secret did not get out of their family’s inner circle—certainly not when they lived in the heart of the Fire Nation. 

But Yun Hee’s idyllic life came to an end when she caught Princess Azula’s eye. Years later, the young girl was Prince Zuko’s servant, forever trapped in his hellbent quest for the missing Avatar... until a beam of light shot into the skies of the South Pole.

An Airbender will always recognize another Airbender. And Avatar Aang, the last Air Nomad, desperately wanted to form a connection with Yun Hee, the granddaughter of his best friends. So he makes her the offer of a lifetime: Aang will be her Airbending Master, on the condition that Yun Hee joins him and the Water Tribe siblings on their quest to defeat Fire Lord Ozai. 

Had the question been for someone else, the answer would’ve been an immediate yes. But Team Avatar didn’t take into account Yun Hee’s love for her homeland or her loyalty to Prince Zuko. She may not be proud of the Fire Nation’s history but she was not ashamed of her people nor her prince, misguided as they were. But could she really let the opportunity go? Was she willing to be a caged bird until the last of her days?

•••••

NOTES:

◘ Yun Hee is pronounced yoon-e.

◘ Possible fic title: Song of the Caged Bird.

◘ Sokka/OC. Others: Platonic Zuko/OC, one-sided Azula/OC, slight Zuko/Suki.

◘ Yun Hee’s appearance: Black hair, pixie cut with bangs. By the end of Book 2, it’s shoulder length. By the events of “The Boiling Rock” in Book 3, it reaches her mid back. Also, she has gray eyes and pale skin. As for clothes, she uses reds and browns (in Book 1, due to her position, she wore a regal-looking vest with gold accents—it originally belonged to a younger Prince Zuko). 

◘ Yun Hee’s grandmother—Bu Yong—was a friend of Aang. She survived because their friends Bumi and Kuzon saved her. Then she traveled with them all over the world for many years before settling in the Fire Nation with Kuzon.

◘ According to Aang, Yun Hee physically resembles a younger Bu Yong, except Bu Yong’s hair was brown instead of black. Also, Bu Yong’s defining hairstyle was a long braid accented with a green ribbon (representing her Earth Kingdom origins). The hairstyle is reminiscent to the traditional Korean hairstyle Daeng'gi Meori.

◘ Both Yun Hee and Bu Yong mean “lotus flower”. A lotus flower (or water lily) symbolizes rebirth. In Buddhism, it symbolizes spiritual enlightenment. Also, all the members of Bu Yong’s lineage whose names mean “lotus flower” happen to be Airbenders.

◘ Though initially trained by an untrained teacher (her grandmother), Yun Hee is a prodigious Airbender. Her fighting style leans towards the offensive due to her environment (as Firebenders—and her uncle, an Earthbender—prefer to be on the offensive).

◘ Yun Hee has many characteristics of the Air Nomads: she was born in autumn, has a good sense of humor, does not believe aggression is the answer, possesses hypersensitivity, and snores very loudly. 

◘ Personality-wise, Yun Hee is kind but firm. She believes every living organism are on equal footing, thus explaining her reluctance to write off people as “good” or “evil” (often defending Zuko from the Gaang). The exception to this is Princess Azula and other power-hungry individuals. 

However, Yun Hee’s kindness does not make her naïve: if anyone ever underestimates or tries to take advantage of her, she is quick to put them in place. When someone dishes on her (or topics she is really defensive about), most of the time she has a good argument at hand. 

◘ Yun Hee’s situation [at the beginning of the story] can be blamed on Azula. Technically speaking, however, her position as Zuko’s attendant saved her from a worse fate.

◘ Yun Hee joins Team Avatar at the beginning of Book Two: Earth. 

◘ Though Sokka doesn’t trust her at first, they later become best friends. In fact, they are so sync that whenever one of them has a plan (or is in the middle of one), the other can instinctively predict what will follow.  Yun Hee also trusts Sokka’s plans a lot, so she often defers to his judgment (unless he’s just being an idiot).

◘ Toph refers to Yun Hee and Sokka as “the dynamic duo” because they often come up with moves that compliment the other’s fighting skills (they’ve got a special move involving Sokka’s boomerang and her airbending).

◘ Toph gets along with Yun Hee better than she does with Katara. This is because while Katara has a motherly personality, Yun Hee is an older sister and has experience with rowdy siblings. It helps a lot that she and Toph have a lot in common too (both grew up isolated without the chance of being true to themselves, unable to reveal the real extent of their bending). 

◘ Yun Hee and Azula have got a lot of history together. Azula is, in a way, Yun Hee’s arch-enemy, though Azula feels more strongly for Yun Hee (one can argue Azula was “infatuated” or obsessed with the Airbender). The princess influenced a lot of who Yun Hee is at this point in her life. Also, Yun Hee can always recognize Azula, even from a distance or behind disguises (case in point, Azula wearing the Kyoshi Warriors armor and paint). Sokka dubs it her “Azula-sense”.

◘ Yun Hee’s hometown was far from the Royal Palace, close to the ocean. Her father and uncle were in the town’s business, which was boating. Because of these factors, Yun Hee’s childhood hobby was Windsurfing (in which she secretly airbended).

◘ Yun Hee has two family members around her age: her younger brother Ha Neul and her cousin Ren. Both are Aang’s age. Ha Neul resembles Yun Hee a lot, with people often mixing them up with the other or generally assuming they are twins. SPOILER: This comes into play in the episode, “The Ember Island Players,” where Ha Neul makes an official appearance. Can you guess how he surprises the Gaang?

◘ Yun Hee’s father is Bu-yong’s son. He has a twin brother, who is Ren’s father. The former is an Earthbender, the later a Firebender. Yun Hee’s mother’s ancestors were Waterbenders, though the woman never clarifies whether she came from the South or North Pole.

[shadowhunterdownworlderhybrid]

Youth (Zukaang)

Summary: Zuko Talks to Ozai and he’s pissed remembering the past. Pretty shitty not Enough Zukaang but hey. 🤷🏻‍♀️

_____

‘Don’t let him win, all he’s trying to do is get in your head’

Is what Zuko repeated to himself when he visited his father down at his cell, the new air to the throne couldn’t really remember why he went there in the first place but Suki was kind enough to pull him out of there when he slowly began to lose his temper.

Which he was working on he may add.

Zuko was drained from the burning anger running through his veins, his blood boiling slowly shifting to lava. That’s how angry he was, that's how close he was to losing his temper.

Ozai always had a knack for getting into his son's head; he always knew which part of his insecurities to put pressure on. As you could tell from Zuko's actions in the past. The Fire lord was still not proud of his actions from the past; he was still angry with himself for trying to capture Aang all because his father said that was his only way to restore his honor. Where was the honor in capturing someone?. Especially when the Avatar was apparently a child who trapped himself into a large iceberg to protect himself and his bison from a late night storm and nearly drowning freezing said self for 100 years getting out only because two siblings had to go out and get food for their tribe.

Zuko huffed through his nose, steam coming out frightening a guard that he walked past.

He tried really, he did. But this is Zuko's father we're talking about, the same father who scarred him. Literally for life. The fire Lord continued his journey down the hall letting his feet lead not really paying attention where he was heading his mind on the man who was supposed to love him not treat him as if he was scum, "you're lucky you were born in the first place." His father's harsh words rang clear as day in his mind, remembering the comforting hug his mother had him trapped in. His mother… Silence… that’s all could be heard throughout the hallways of the palace, he didn’t hold her, leaving when he was young against her. She was trying to protect him, trying to protect herself from a monster that she was forced to marry.

Zuko remembers the overwhelming happiness when he found her, when he reunited with her and found out he had another little sister… he was happy that his mother was happy he was happy that she got the life that she truly wanted that she escaped the place that felt like a big prison to her.

Zuko closes his eyes. The image of his mothers smiling face clear as day with tears in her eyes, she was happy. She was happy to see him and she was happy to remember him. Kiyi was happy to meet him and immediately accepted him as her big brother. ‘ZuZu!’ She would call him with the most cheerful voice.

He took a deep breath exhaling. So much has happened for the past eleven years, the war has ended, Zuko and Aang are dating, Azula is in a mental ward, his father is in a cell and he reunited with his mother. His whole life has just been one big roller coaster, and very traumatic along the way. His hand instinctively went to the left side of his eye feeling some of the wrinkles, bumps and small craters from the heat boils that formed that day.

Zuko didn’t understand how the Avatar liked him like this, that will always be confusing to Zuko. Zuko didn’t like his scar; it was a forever physical memory of what happened.

The fire bender shook his head trying to pull himself out of thought. Stop thinking, stop thinking of him, stop thinking of that day. That’s what he wants you to do. You have to be stronger, Zuko.

Zuko stopped at a pair of double doors opening them, his eyes immediately landing on the monk in the middle of the room. Aang back was faced towards him sitting on the floor. He must be meditating. Zuko tried to keep his breathing steady, carefully walking to his bed plopping his butt down. As much as he wanted to burst into flame as much as he wanted to even throw a tantrum from how angry he was deep inside he couldn’t. What his father said was wrong, it wasn’t true— it’ll never be true.

He isn’t his father he isn’t— he won’t— he won’t force anyone into marriage he won’t hurt those he’s supposed to love he won’t mentally abuse someone and fuck up their youth he won’t mess up his future children. He won’t. He won’t he won’t he won’t!.

‘You seem to forget your place Zuko and whose bloodline you’re attached to. You’ll mess up, you'll hurt those dear to you.’

Zuko grits his teeth in rage resting his head against his palms gripping his hair. Before Zuko could lose himself to the blaring fire in his system a soft hand rested against his shoulder. Zuko didn’t dare look up he knew who it was, he just didn’t want to meet the silver eyes of pure concern he hated that look in his love eyes Aang went through enough things already he already had a lot of things on his own silver plater to deal with, Zuko shouldn’t be one of those things.

He's a 27 year old man with issues, issues he should be able to deal with. He’s not a kid no more he isn’t a teenager anymore.

“Zuko.” Aang said softly his deep voice echoing in Zu’s ears.

Zuko just shook his head.

“Zuzu.”

Spirits why?.

Zuko huffed scrubbing his face trying to rub the everlasting hatred he feels looking up at Aang.

The Avatar had a sad concern look, exactly the look Zuko didn’t want to see. When he looks at that face he sees that twelve year old boy he met all those years ago, he was a child up against a war, a war he wasn’t prepared for. He wasn’t twelve though. Not anymore, he was 22 now dating the damn fire lord his title has only gotten bigger and so has he, he’s actually a good 3 or 2 inches taller than the fire lord.

“I’m guessing your little chat with Ozai wasn’t so pleasant?.” He asked curiously, sitting beside Zuko. Zuko just huffed in response only giving Aang the answer he expected.

“What did he say?.”

Zuko just shook his head.

“Baby.”

“It’s nothing, it was nothing because I know it’s not true. I’m not like him and I’ll never be like him and I know you won’t let me turn into him.” Zuko blew out his shoulders relaxing.

He looked at Aang, a gentle smile gracing his lips kissing him on the cheek making Zuko slightly blush. “You know I will bother you about it later right?.”

Zuko snorted letting out a small laugh.

“Yeah, I know. WhichI love and hate about you.”

——

Zukaang: @truekrisstianity

[tev-the-random]

What it Ursa took her children with her? - Pt.1

So I was thinking about that idea I had the other day. And as no one could guide me to a fanfic on the matter, I thought I would try and expand on this idea a bit.

Right! So, if I were to write a full-length story – and I don’t know that I could. Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of time for that right now –, it would go as such:

 Just like in the original, Ozai dares ask his father to revoke Iroh’s birth right, so Firelord Azulon orders him to kill his own son as punishment. Literally what the fuck, both of you.

 And just like in the original, Ursa discovers Ozai’s intentions and makes a deal with him: in exchange for Zuko’s life, she’ll make an odourless, colourless poison for him to kill Firelord Azulon with. Additionally, Ozai demands Ursa to leave the Capital City and never show up again, to which she agrees on the condition that she can take her children with her.

And here’s where things will change: Ozai accepts these terms. There is no reason for him to keep Zuko, and although he can see potential in Azula as a tool for his needs, he can easily think of ways to replace her. If it means he can get rid of the threat Ursa presents (read “he’s scared shitless now that he knows she was a poison-making master this whole time”) and get the throne he wants, he doesn’t give a shit if he has to dispose of the children. And Ursa would be more than relieved to leave that hellish place anyway.

She hurriedly wakes up Zuko, takes a sleepy Azula in her arms and leaves through a secret passageway, as to not be spotted. Ozai watches from a distance as his wife disappears into the night with her children.

The next morning, Ozai puts up a whole act to his father about how he killed Zuko as ordered and how his wife, horrified by what he did, took his daughter and left. Azulon believes this and declares that the man has suffered enough of what he deserved, and that they are to wait for Iroh’s return as if nothing had happened.

(Yes, I do wholeheartedly believe Ozai is capable of fantastic acting abilities and menacing deceit when he really wants to.)

What about the whole thing with connecting Avatar Roku’s bloodline to their own in order to fulfil a great destiny or something? I’ll say Azulon would plan to eventually get Azula back in the picture. And that’s all I’ll say for now.

In the middle of the night, Ursa and her children take a boat to travel to her hometown, Hira’a.

While she goes into a spiral thinking about how her life got to that point, Zuko – who was barely processing anything that was happening – falls asleep by her side, whereas Azula starts to stir on her mother’s lap. She wakes up and silently looks around.

‘Where are we?’ She asks.

‘Azula,’ Ursa calls, snapping out of her thoughtful state. ‘Don’t worry about it. Go back to sleep, sweetie.’

‘What’s happening?’

‘Go back to sleep,’ she repeats. ‘I’ll explain everything later.’

Azula doesn’t go back to sleep, instead pondering about this unusual situation.

Upon arrival in Hira’a, Ursa is concerned about finding them shelter. So, unlike the original, she doesn’t stop after discovering her parents died years ago. She searched for old friends, finding that most of them had left the town at that point. Eventually, she finds the old director of the local acting troupe, Grandma Guchi, who is alive and well, albeit retired.

The old lady is happy to see Ursa again, and even happier to take her in in what seems to be a very difficult time for the Fire Princess and her children.

Guchi breaks the news that Ikem disappeared into Forgetful Valley a long time ago. This isn’t compatible with Ozai’s story, for his assassins couldn’t possibly have found Ikem in Forgetful Valley, could they? Regardless, nobody ever saw the man again.

The moment is interrupted by the sound of Azula indiscreetly opening cabinets around the house.

‘Azula, be respectful of others’ homes,’ Ursa reprehends.

‘I don’t like this place,’ Azula comments, visibly confused by why they’re here, by the fact that – and she noticed – they had spent the past few hours practically begging for a place to stay and by the apparent lack of royal procedures. ‘When are we going home?’

She receives no response.

‘Mom?’ Zuko asks meekly. Part of him hadn’t spoken so far because he didn’t want to overwhelm his mother, who already looked so perturbed. But he, too, was getting preoccupied. ‘What is happening?’

Ursa very carefully explains the situation to them, trying to make it seem as non-terrifying for two kids as possible. So instead of going full “I gave your father the means to kill your grandfather so that you wouldn’t be brutally murdered in your sleep, now he’ll hunt us down if we even think of going back to the capital”, she says Ozai asked her to do something, and the only way to keep them safe after that was to leave the capital.

Azula believes this situation is temporary, and they’ll come back home in due time, even if her mother didn’t know when that was.

Zuko is… uncertain of what to think. He wonders, again and again, if what Azula had said the day before was true; was his father actually willing to kill him? What was it that his mother did? Why did their safety lie in leaving their home?

Ursa is unsure if they’ll stay in Hira’a, but for the time being, she considers finding herself a job there. Grandma Guchi suggests she goes back to working with the local theatre, as an actress or otherwise.

The ex-Fire Princess is then formally presented to the new director of the acting troupe, Noren.

Ursa restarts her theatre life as a part of the production crew.

Noren doesn’t make his true identity known right away, as he doesn’t want to overwhelm her. So he acts as if they just met, and Ursa doesn’t quite notice the overly fond looks he gives her.

He is absolutely delighted to meet Zuko and Azula.

As days go by, the siblings get increasingly… frustrated. This is all new to them. No more servants, no more training, no more studies, no more feeding turtleducks by the pond, no more palace, no more of their friends, no more Ozai… they now have chores to do – which they find a tad bit indignant at first –, but apart from that, life is pretty boring in this remote town of peasants, stuck in this old lady’s house, told to forget their royal identities and customs…

Little more than a week goes by following the trio’s arrival to Hira’a, and word gets around that Firelord Azulon passed away in his sleep, leaving the throne to his second son. As literally no other family member attends to the funeral or to the coronation, Firelord Ozai immediately spreads the idea that he is to be a strong ruler who doesn’t let himself get overwhelmed by emotion, unlike his brother. (Little do they know he probably doesn’t have any emotions at all.)

Ozai took a bit of his time before using the poison so that no one would connect his father’s death to his wife and children’s sudden disappearance. These were two separate and completely unrelated events, and Ozai holds ultimate responsibility for neither.

Azula and Zuko are obviously upset. One would think that after their grandfather’s death, the family ought to stay together.

Azula is the one to reassure her brother. If Azulon wanted Ozai to have the throne after all, it means he was pleased with young man; He probably thought Ozai went through with killing Zuko – ‘don’t you see, Zuzu? That’s why mom brought us here in the middle of nowhere: so that grandfather could see that dad is much stronger than uncle Iroh. But now that grandpa’s gone, it’s only a matter of time before dad sends for us.’ And although they both come to the conclusion that their father loved them, it was also implicit that he needed them. They were his heirs, after all.

But as several weeks go by and there is no sign of them leaving Hira’a anytime soon, Azula starts to get apprehensive. While Zuko kind of likes it here – of course he misses home, but the absence of that watchful eye telling him everything he did was worthless makes him feel a bit more patient –, she is utterly done with the place.

Other kids don’t want to play with her because she’s scary and demanding and burns down things on purpose. She doesn’t want to play with other kids because she considers them to be beneath her.

The first performance of this season’s play comes, and Ursa is glad to see things work out. But of course we have to ruin that, so moody Azula breaks into an argument with her mother. As patient as Ursa tries to be – despite the clever and sassy remarks, this is a child she’s arguing with –, she ends up letting out that they’ll never go back home.

This confirmation is the last straw for little Azula. She can be as precociously mature as it comes, there’s only so much a nine year-old child can take when her entire world crumbles down beneath her. So she runs away.

The girl is determined to return to the Fire Nation capital. But as it turns out, Hira’a is quite far away from Capital City. She can’t firebend her way there, she can’t demand her way there and her manipulation skills only take her so far. By the end of the day, she’s lost, she’s alone and she doesn’t quite know what to do.

Deep down, she’s terrified of the fact she can’t do anything; already at this early age, Azula internalized that she’s supposed to be the “fierce prodigy soldier princess” and forgets that she’s just a child.

Hours later, Noren finds her somewhere in the outskirts of town.

‘Azula! Thank goodness you’re ok, your mother was so worried about you!’

A moment of silence. ‘I want my dad,’ Azula murmurs, almost as if afraid anyone will hear her vulnerability.

Noren takes a second thinking about it, then sits beside her. ‘I know you miss your home and your dad,’ he says. ‘Life is probably very hard right now, and it’s unfair that you never asked for things to change so much. But you know you can count on your mother and your brother, right? They love you-‘

‘No, they don’t. They think I’m a pest.’

‘They don’t.’ Noren sighs before continuing, ‘I know you probably don’t want to hear it from me, but your mother is trying her best to protect you.’

‘I don’t need to be protected,’ Azula retorts. ‘I’m not weak.’

‘Someone wanting to protect you doesn’t make you weak. It makes you loved.’

‘Dad says the only way to be strong is to fend for yourself. Those who don’t have no place in this world.’

‘Maybe he was wrong?’

‘He’s the Firelord!’ She cries.

‘Well, he was supposed to be a father.’

Azula goes silent. After a minute, Noren moves, and the girl flinches – for a split second, she thought she was about to be attacked. But when she raises her eyes, she sees the man was merely offering his hand. ‘Let’s go get your mom,’ he says.

(Excuse me if I can’t help it, but I think Noren is just a Nice Person.)

It takes a little while for them to find Ursa – who was running around the town like crazy searching for Azula –, but when they do, the woman is dishevelled and so, so glad. ‘Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you? Oh, my dear baby, I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you! I was so worried!’

If somewhere inside her Azula actually believed Ursa didn’t care, she’s now just… strangely relieved to be in her mother’s arms.

Cut to sometime in the future, maybe a week or so later: Zuko is watching over Azula. He’s messing with some flowers, whiles she’s pensively looking at the sky.

‘Do you miss dad?’ She asks.

‘And uncle Iroh. And Lu Ten. And the turtleducks. And even your crazy friends-‘

‘Ugh, I just asked if you miss dad!’ Azula rolls her eyes.

‘Yeah…’

Silence.

‘I wish none of this ever happened,’ she comments.

‘You’d rather dad had killed me?’ Zuko asks disheartened.

‘Maybe, yeah!’ She stares at him for a few seconds, then sighs. ‘No.’

‘If it makes you feel better, here’s what I think dad would say:’ he clears his throat and starts making an impression of Ozai, ‘you have to fight for your honour! The children of the Firelord cannot be intimidated by weird situations, so always hold your head high! Now be more like Azula, Zuko.’

The two of them laugh. ‘Well, a princess has to maintain her dignity no matter what,’ Azula admits. ‘But I don’t think he would be proud of us meddling with dirty peasants.’

‘Call it tactical espionage,’ Zuko comments, and places his newly finished flower crown on his sister’s head ‘O, princess of the Flower Nation!’

‘Since when do you know how to do this girly stuff?’ The girl chuckles, taking the ornament from her head.

‘Mom taught me. Do you want me to teach it to you? It’s not hard.’

‘I’m a brave warrior, I don’t do this silly stuff!’ Azula says and proceeds to set the flowers on fire, because that’s still Azula.

Zuko has half a mind to snap at her for burning down his hard work, but he puts on a smug smile instead. ‘Ok. At least that’s something I can do that you can’t.’

She pouts at him. ‘Fine. But I won’t learn from anyone can’t even fight properly. So you better learn some actual firebending before giving me any lessons!’

This is only one scene, but please give me more of Zuko and Azula as children getting to close that gap in their relationship that was being formed by their parents. Quality Sibling Time, if you may.

Meanwhile, Ursa and Noren are overviewing the preparations for the last performance of the season. They chat idly, Ursa commenting on how Love Amongst the Dragons used to be her favourite play.

Basically, Noren takes that cue and says something awfully suspicious, Ursa suspiciously suspects and he ends up telling her that he’s actually Ikem. Yes, with the whole “When we were six you kicked me in the stomach and pushed my face into the dirt. When we were twenty-one, you shattered my heart.” Because I love that line. Heartfelt emotions when she realises the love of her life was alive all along.

Somewhere else: a few months go by and Iroh is finally back from Ba Sing Se. Things in his home are definitely different: his son, his father and (supposedly) his nephew are dead, his sister-in-law and his niece are missing and the throne that was meant for him has been passed to his brother, who rules as a ruthless Firelord and only plans to aggravate the war.

A changed man, Iroh sees the impacts of war very differently. A part of him wants to leave the palace behind and find peace; another part tells him that his brother has literally no one else left. So he vows to stay, not only because he takes pity on Ozai, but also because he is aware that, if left unchecked, the new Firelord would fuck things up even further.

Yes, Iroh becomes the Firelord’s advisor. No, Ozai doesn’t listen to half of what he says.

Back in Hira’a, Ursa is slowly getting to convince her kids that this is their home now. Slowly, very, very slowly.

The siblings are becoming closer, as seen by the fact that Azula has willingly been helping Zuko become a better firebender – both of them see firebending as less of a competition now that it isn’t being held against them anymore. But it’s still no common kids’ play. Don’t tell me they don’t “play” Agni Kai whenever they’re bored – and Zuko is willingly spending time with her and teaching her nice, non-destructive things.

I like to think that Hira’a isn’t a place where many firebenders would like to live, considering the jungle just around the corner and the fact that all houses seem very flammable. But I also like to think that there are two local firebenders, one of which is more erratic than the kids and another who is fairly well-trained, but refuses to teach anything to the Firelord’s children. Of course, eventually he cracks and teaches them one thing or another because he can’t bear to leave these demons to their own devices.

Ursa is having some Quality Time with Azula. Although the girl has the innate ability to say some disturbing things, Ursa finds herself to be more patient as time goes by. Now imagine the two of them by a riverbank as the mother is telling stories that have nothing to do with the royal life; imagine Azula excited to show this new firebending trick she learned and performing complicated yet beautiful moves; imagine the Quality Time.

The kids are being home-schooled by Ursa. And Grandma Guchi. And any willing member of the acting troupe. And any local elder and/or master. Truly, they’re getting some street smarts around the here.

Cue to Azula getting to discover something called “childhood”.

Cue to Zuko getting to be appreciated as a human being and loved by people around him.

So one day Ursa and Noren decide to finally get married – as they planned to do over eleven years ago.

Of course, this is a little disheartening to the kids. Ursa doesn’t quite know how to explain Ozai’s Abusive Husband Shenanigans, but they all know Noren is such a nice person and he’s made it pretty clear that he does not intend on trying to be their father – even though he unintentionally acts like a father every now and again. So the kids are sort of in denial for a while.

Zuko is a little afraid the prolonged company will drive Noren to take over his life and start acting cruel/mistreating him. The poor boy is just so used to the table being ruled over by Ozai that he expects Noren to snap any minute, so it feels strange when all the meals together are so… peaceful?

Azula sees all this as some sort of act. She never quite gives up on the idea that Ozai will come around any day now. Until fateful news come around…

(Cliffhanger, dun dun dun!)

(If you can even call it that)

Ok, so… This got kind of long. Way longer than I expected it to get.

My ideas for what happens next are a bit fuzzy – as in: they’re less structured and more like… just loose ideas –, but I still have a lot to talk about, so I’ll split this into a two-parter and get back to you in a bit.

[bookofjudith]

I received this LOVELY ficlet set in the same AU as ‘a cardinal hits the window’, and it made me cry. thank you so much anon for sending it to me!

                                                 _________

Hi! So. I love your fanfic so much. And I was reading through the comments/threats posted on “Cardinal” and saw one that made a suggestion for a fic set in the same universe that involved Zuko. And the plot bunny attacked. So here it is; self-indulgent and un-edited. Please don’t feel obligated to post this at all! It’s just a thank you for all you’ve written. On the other hand, please feel free to throw this up wherever you want, and to make any changes at all to it. From this point on, it’s fully, 100% yours to do with as you please. May your weekend be lovely!

Warnings: Brief mentions of past character deaths, mentions of injury, mentions of surgery and other hospital things, mentions of child abuse.

It always took long enough for Iroh to register that he was hearing his own mobile phone ringing – there was just always so much background noise in the Jasmine Dragon that he had learned to tune everything but the landline and the words ‘excuse me’ and his name out completely – that it stopped before he got to answer it. Usually, when that happened, he let it be; there was no point dropping things to dive for a call he’d already missed, anyway. But, that afternoon, the phone started up again almost as soon as the last call had died down, and the ringing was close enough to the first that he noticed. Still, by the time he’d carefully set the trays down and fished the device from his pocket, it was silent again. Iroh peered at the screen and felt his eyebrows raise even as his heart clenched suddenly. He had no fewer than eleven missed calls – four from Sokka, and seven from Katara.

The landline rang, but Iroh called for Jin to please answer it, his fingers slow but determined on the phone screen before him. Something was wrong; he could feel it in the very blood his thudding heart was pumping around his body. Something was wrong, because Katara and Sokka wouldn’t be that adamant to get hold of him if it wasn’t. And, oh, hadn’t he had a premonition of ill omens the evening before, when Zuko had asked him to swap out his shift at the Dragon last minute but then had been cagey about why? He should have pressed for more information; should have forced Zuko to tell him why he couldn’t meet his eyes as he mumbled out weak excuses. Meeting somebody who can only make that time Zuko had said. Katara’s coming with. Iroh shouldn’t have let that appease him; shouldn’t have been mollified by the young woman’s presence just because she and Zuko had made such surprising, strong friends in the past few years after their initial rocky start. He should have done more than warn Zuko to take care of Katara, not yet fifteen and therefore more Zuko’s responsibility than any of his other friends, and should have not been so easily reassured by Zuko’s offence at the insinuation that he wouldn’t do all in his power to ensure all those he cared about were safe, but especially the younger ones. He should have –

“Iroh!” Jin stuck her head around the door. “The phone’s for you. It’s Katara. And it sounds urgent.”

Iroh abandoned his attempts to call one of the siblings back and instead half ran to the phone. “Katara?”

“Uncle,” Katara sobbed, her breathing harsh and full of tears. Ice began filling Iroh’s veins as sweat broke out all over him. “Uncle you – you have to come quick.”

“Katara, what happened?”

“You have to get to the h…hospital,” Katara sobbed. “It’s Zuko.”

Iroh’s heart nearly stopped beating on the spot, and he hung up without a proper goodbye.

***

Iroh’s heart didn’t stop beating. But Zuko’s had. If Katara, with her first aid certification, hadn’t been there… If the ambulance hadn’t arrived before he’d crashed a second time…

He’d promised himself, when he’d lost Lu Ten, that he’d never take for granted the spaces a beloved son filled inside his heart and his chest. Never again would he only notice how full he had been because there was suddenly emptiness there. But, despite his promises, he must have still forgotten, because sitting in an uncomfortable waiting room chair while Zuko’s life hung in the balance of the spirits’ and the doctors’ hands, all he could see was the approaching emptiness. What life would be like without Zuko. And he was too numb to even cry.

From Katara, he’d learned this: Zuko had made plans to meet with Azula, to try and convince her to leave Ozai to come to stay with them. He’d been hopeful enough to drop everything to see her, but wary enough that he’d brought Katara along with him as backup. It had started out almost hopeful; Azula had swung between scorn and doubt, between spite and near-broken uncertainty, and Zuko had seemed to really be getting through to her, for once. And then something had changed, and she’d gone on the offensive, dragging Zuko into a fight that had grown worse and worse until Zuko had firmly chosen to walk away. He had told her, out loud, that he was not going to be the person Ozai had tried to make him, that she could contact him if she needed anything or if she was ready to talk, and had begun to walk away. Azula hadn’t liked being left behind. Something in her seemed to snap, and she kept trying to force Zuko to stay. Katara had stepped in, realising it would be easier for her, an outside party, to respond to Azula than it would be for Zuko. Azula had been merciless with her, but Katara had stood her ground. And then Azula had, so quickly Katara still couldn’t understand how or why, brought out a Taser. Zuko had done what he always did – what Iroh had known he would do without thinking about it even as he’d reminded Zuko to take care of Katara: he’d stepped between his friend and harm.

Zuko had gone down, and hadn’t gotten up again, and Azula had zapped him once more in her rage. Katara had shoved Azula off and somehow disarmed her and then fallen to Zuko’s side and had found him unresponsive but panting. And then… then there had been nothing. She couldn’t tell Iroh exactly what had happened after that, but somehow she’d called Sokka on autopilot, and he and Suki had dropped everything to rush over, calling the ambulance as they came. Azula had… disappeared. Katara thought she remembered yelling at Azula to call somebody, and seeing only a face white with shock and horror, staring at her brother’s fallen form. But she couldn’t be sure what had really happened in those moments.

From the doctors, Iroh had learned this: much of Ozai’s complaining about how Zuko was never as fast or strong or energetic or full of endurance as Azula was down to a congenital heart defect. Nobody had picked it up (or so they said, but in Iroh’s head rang Ozai’s voice spitting that Zuko had been lucky to be born) and it had steadily worsened over time, never getting bad enough that it was more than an inconvenience. He would have had mild heart palpitations from time to time, the doctors said. Probably not painful if Zuko had never said anything, the doctors said (but Iroh knew better, he knew his nephew he knew and, oh, Zuko, what more suffering had been kept a secret?). They couldn’t know for sure without a diagnoses, but the worse symptoms would have been that he tired easily, got breathless and/or lightheaded occasionally and had a slightly more rapid heartbeat. Inconvenient, but not truly dangerous. Not until the Taser had been applied directly to his chest.

From the kind nurses he would have flirted with, slightly, if his world wasn’t on the brink of ending, he learned the following: they were doing all they could to fix the underlying damage as well as the damage the Taser had done. They’d tried doing a non-invasive route, first, but had had to resort to opening up his chest. They’d tell him once they heard any other news, they promised.

Katara, Sokka and Suki had been there for an undetermined bit of time at the beginning. Katara, despite being tear-swollen and devastated, hadn’t wanted to leave until she was sure Zuko would be okay, despite the nurses trying to gently but firmly tell her only family was allowed. He is family, she’d snarled at one point, and Iroh had almost had the energy to side with her against the nurse, who hadn’t understood just how true Katara’s words were. Eventually, it had been Sokka who had convinced his little sister to leave. Iroh hadn’t seen it at the time, but sitting in the aching, black eternity of waiting, he suddenly put together the clues he hadn’t recognised before: this hospital haunted that young man in a way that was still viscerally painful. Too much time with his friend who had only recently passed. Too many ghosts, and far too much pain, and his inability to stay, even for Zuko, had finally broken through his little sister’s stubborn fear-love enough for her to agree to leave for the time being. Iroh might have imagined it, but they could possibly have said they’d gather the whole group together in order to wait for news.

It was one of the most coherent things Iroh thought about in that ceaseless agony. The rest of his thoughts were far more incoherent, with only brief flashes of lucidity. No, don’t call his father, I’m his guardian. I will not let his father near him, was the longest sentence he said out loud. The rest were monosyllabic responses coaxed out of some automatic part of himself while his true nature hunkered down like a wounded animal, believing that if he was just quiet and still enough the pain wouldn’t find him a second time.

That wounded animal also had teeth, however, and it bared them in his mind. Why hadn’t a single doctor in the burn unit picked up the heart problems? Zuko had been in their care for months. Why hadn’t Ursa? Why hadn’t Iroh himself? Why hadn’t Zuko just said something? How often had he said I’m tired and meant that his body was unable, unable, unable to do what the world was demanding of it? Why had Zuko gone to meet Azula in the first place, with only Katara with him? Zuko should know by now what a poisonous woman Ozai had made his daughter into. A Taser. Her own brother. Could he arrest her for it? Could he make sure that Azula never again hurt another person? Could he punish her for what she’d done, the way Ozai had punished Zuko so many times?

Shame made him lucid. Shame and guilt and a bowed head of silent apology to his niece. But, even as he meant it, he also did not. There would be time to truly repent for the things he felt toward Azula in those long moments, but that time would come after. He simply… did not have the capacity to forgive and see reason and compassion for his as-abused niece while his nephew – his son, his Zuko – possibly lay dying. Those moments turned him back into the man he’d spent years growing away from after Lu Ten’s death, because, as much as he’d genuinely changed and fought for that change, he was only human. More than that; he was Ozai’s kin.

That shame in him made him think, as the tired doctor walked toward him, that the universe would punish him the same way twice. And all he could think, distorted and desperate, was, please don’t kill him for my transgressions. Nor for Ozai’s or even Azula’s. Please. You’ve done enough. He’s paid enough. He’s done enough reparations for himself that he doesn’t deserve this.

From the tired doctor, Iroh learned this: he was still allowed to keep this son.

Crying loudly in the middle of the hospital was not one of the things Iroh would feel shame about in the days to come.

***

Sweet talking and bribing all the nurses not only meant that Iroh could stay past visiting hours but that he could sneak Zuko’s friends in past the family only rule. Zuko would only be kept in the hospital for a week before being discharged to heal at home, but the kids couldn’t wait that long to see him, and Iroh understood their anxiety. They’d been told to limit it to two at a time, and Katara was almost always one of the two. Some of her tenacity being at Zuko’s side was born of guilt and processing the trauma she’d been through, Iroh knew, but most of it was that near-nameless understanding that had dropped between the two of them, sometime Iroh hadn’t been looking. Suki was second most frequent, Aang and Toph were tied and Sokka… Sokka barely came. Iroh was nearly as anxious to get Zuko home for Sokka’s sake as he was for his own and Zuko’s, because it was obvious that Sokka wanted to be there for Zuko, but just as obvious that the hospital killed him inside.

“It… smells the same,” he’d confessed to Iroh, looking haunted and on the verge of tears.

Zuko whispered something similar to Iroh when he was most inhibited; when calm and focus couldn’t stop the memories of the burn unit from encroaching. That morning, Iroh had found his nephew in one of those moods – anxious enough he was making the nurses frown at his heart rate and anxious enough to snap and snarl to try and get them to stop poking, stop demanding, stop keeping him there – and so he’d made a big show of going to get Zuko his favourite food. It hadn’t helped, much, but it had helped Zuko get his tongue under control a little bit more. Iroh returned with the food to hear murmurs from inside Zuko’s closed curtains, and so he paused and took a peek inside before entering.

Katara was on Zuko’s hospital bed, curled carefully on his left side so that she didn’t jostle or lean on Zuko’s still very broken sternum. One hand was in his hair, and Iroh realised that she was guarding his weaker side as Iroh himself had subtly tried to do countless times. Having somebody trusted there helped Zuko to relax more, and she knew this. Sokka was the other one in the room, and, although he was still in a chair, it was pushed so close to the bed his knees were up to his chest. He was holding Zuko’s hand, and looking utterly unperturbed by that fact.

The most surprising thing was that Zuko was the one speaking; murmuring reassurances and comforts to both of them in a voice still weak and breathy and more raspy than usual. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s going to be fine. You’re both okay. Thank you, Katara. Sokka, buddy, hey… Hey…

Iroh backed away. It wasn’t for him to see. It tasted bittersweet in a sharp way he wasn’t sure he’d ever really experienced, before; Zuko reassuring a friend who had saved his life and a friend who hated hospitals because he’d lost love slowly, painfully, inevitably inside of one. Zuko, surrounded by so much love, this time around, when the first time he’d been so alone and small and quiet and heartbrokenly enraged in a similar bed. That young boy hadn’t even had the pieces to comfort himself, let alone others. And here Zuko was now, being comforted and giving out comfort. Without tripping over himself, without second-guessing, without embarrassment, because that love had become second-nature.

In that moment, Iroh truly began to repent for what he’d thought about his niece. Because he understood all too well why Zuko had gone to meet Azula, and why, even after all this, he’d never stop trying to coax his sister into a proper home.

***

The tense, anxious mood relaxed slightly when Toph began to cackle out of nowhere. “How much does this suck, eh?” she giggled at Zuko.

Zuko rolled his eyes, even though she wouldn’t be able to see it, pinned between Suki and Sokka, who were each gripping an elbow, and hemmed in by Iroh and Katara in the front and Aang at the back, ready to catch him if he fell.

“If I ever coddle you like this, push me down these stairs,” Zuko grumbled at her.

“It’s a deal,” Toph said, cheerfully, even as Suki gently – very gently – flicked Zuko with her free hand.

Katara put her hands on her hips. “Say that without panting or wheezing and when you don’t look white enough to pass out and it might have more weight,” she said, primly.

But they did all ease up some as they continued to slowly shepherd Zuko to Iroh’s apartment. There was no elevator, and the stairs were steep, and despite the fact that they might have been a little over-protective, it was hard going on Zuko’s broken chest and still-healing heart. And so they all stuck close, and caught him when he staggered a little, very careful of his broken bits, and finally managed to ease him down onto the sofa. Zuko’s eye widened a little as he looked up and caught them all looming over him, very close, all huddled together.

“Holy shit, you guys – ” he started, sounding exasperated.

“Okay, okay, yeah, back up and give the dude some space.”

Everybody shuffled maybe a step or two away. Suki kept her eyes carefully on Zuko’s face, noting the things Iroh himself was picking up. Suki met Iroh’s eyes and pursed her lips a little before venturing forward with, “Hey… if you want us to rather go and come back tomorrow…”

Zuko blinked at her. “I thought we were watching shitty movies,” he said, in confusion.

“Yeah, but… if you’d rather sleep,” Katara said, catching on.

Sokka let out a rude noise. “Then he can sleep. But, dude, Movie Night Rules apply to you, too, so if you’re the first to go you know you’ll wake up with a Sharpie ‘stash.”

“As long as Toph doesn’t draw it,” Zuko said, and Toph happily flipped him the bird.

Still, Suki met Iroh’s eyes one more time, seeking permission. Iroh smiled warmly at her and made a gently, slowly motion with his hands where Zuko couldn’t see. And so the group arranged themselves, snacks and extra pillows – most of them for Zuko – and set up Toph’s state-of-the-art laptop. Sokka sat to Zuko’s one side, Suki on the other with her leg casually over Zuko’s, both of them as close as they could be without hurting. Toph and Aang sprawled on a futon nearest the laptop, while Katara had a beanbag chair set up so that her back could press against Zuko’s legs while her legs could be used for Aang to lounge against.

Iroh persisted until he captured a great photo of the moment, because he wanted to remember what quiet, strong love looked like for many days to come.

“Who wants tea?” he called as the opening credits started, and he knew their grunts enough to know who had answered and what, exactly to get each of them.

He, just like Zuko, was also no longer alone.

[wiseabsol]

WA Reviews “Dominion” by Aurelia le, Chapter 14: Two Birds

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6383825/14/Dominion

Summary: For the Fire Nation royal siblings, love has always warred with hate. But neither the outward accomplishment of peace nor Azula’s defeat have brought the respite Zuko expected. Will his sister’s plans answer this, or only destroy them both?

Content Warnings: This story contains discussions and depictions of child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and incest. This story also explores the idea that Zuko’s redemption arc (and his unlearning of abuse) is not as complete as the show suggested, and that Azula is not a sociopath (with the story having a lot of sympathy for her). If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, I would strongly recommend steering clear of this story and my reviews of it.  

Note: Because these were originally posted as chapter reviews/commentaries, I will often be talking to the author in them (though sometimes I will also snarkily address the characters). While I’ve also tried not to spoil later events in the story in these reviews, I would strongly recommend reading through chapter 28 before reading these, just to be safe.

Now on to chapter 14!

CHAPTER 14: TWO BIRDS

Hello everyone! We are now on chapter fourteen, “Two Birds.”

 So first, the A/N. It mentions a fic called “In the Madhouse,” which I should look up at some point, since Aurelia liked it and we have similar tastes in Azula fic. ultranos’ “Salt and Ashes” series is one that we’ve been enjoying lately. There is also a discussion in the A/N about the challenge of addressing and stopping Ozai’s abuse of Azula. One thing that isn’t mentioned there, but that I want to note, is that intervening in a parent-to-child abuse situation is difficult even without the challenge posed by the parent being a powerful political figure. Best case scenario, you get the kid away from their abuser before the abuser realizes what’s happening—because if you don’t manage that, that kid will probably be the one who the abuser takes their anger out on. After all, how could anyone else have known what was happening unless the child told them (which isn’t necessarily true, but it’s what the abuser will think)? This isn’t to suggest that it’s better to leave the child in that situation, but just to point out that you can’t afford to misstep or take half-measures when extracting the child from that environment.

 I think I may have mentioned this before, but Iroh being able to live in Ba Sing Se and run his teashop, even under a pseudonym, feels like a backhand to the Earth Kingdom. Yes, he helped the Order of the White Lotus liberate the city, but does that make up for the 600 Day Siege that came only a few years before? Surely someone must recognize him and want revenge for the lives lost during it?

 Granted, an assassination attempt would cause a diplomatic incident, but I somewhat doubt that the mourners would care? Maybe there were some attempts already, which Iroh thwarted? I could see him thinking of this as a type of penance, to face the loved ones of those his siege killed. I suppose I’m also wondering how much him being an intelligence asset for the OWL would make up for his past colonialism (now cultural imperialism?) in the eyes of the world? Him settling in Omashu or another Earth Kingdom settlement, sure, but BA SING SE? Why was that allowed? I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that some of the Earth Kingdom nobles knew and were hoping that someone would take a crack at him. They’d hand-wring and launch a half-assed investigation afterwards, and when Zuko would inevitably become impatient and send in his own forces to get to the bottom of things (who the EK would then ask to leave, but of course Zuko wouldn’t back down)—well, isn’t that another route to a war of revenge for the Earth Kingdom, which they could hide under the guise of self-defense?

 In short, no matter how Iroh justified this decision to himself, it’s hard not to see this as him mooning the Earth Kingdom and asking them to bite him.

 On to the chapter itself! June and Nyla have arrived with a passenger and have paralyzed poor Ty Lee. Zuko “almost forgot [Ty Lee] was there,” so yeah, putting this in the “they’re not really that good of friends” evidence bin. If my friend faceplanted in the ground after getting whipped, I’d definitely be hurrying over and checking on them. Mind you, this is the Avatar world, so your friend getting knocked to the ground might not be as much cause for concern.

 June calls Ty Lee a twit for not knowing how shirsu venom works, but I’m like, “Chi blocking is way more impressive, you jerk, don’t call her that!” But I’m biased because I adore this Ty Lee to pieces.

 June’s passenger is an Earthbender, given his bare feet, and seems to have fallen onto hard times, given his frayed and faded robe. This man, we soon learn, is a member of the Dai Li, and…I can’t remember what happened in canon, but I believe Azula recruited them for a while after her coop in Ba Sing Se? I wonder if the Earth Kingdom didn’t take that well (that and they were keeping the king in the dark about the war, if I remember correctly). So possibly this one is trying to earn some good favor back by catching Azula.

 Since Nyla was tracking Azula’s scent, the Dai Li agent quickly puts two and two together that Azula’s scent being on Zuko means that they did the naughty. A part of me is like, “Well, it could also be suggested by Nyla targeting Ty Lee that a hug is enough to leave Azula’s scent behind, which is more recent, and…Zuko, did you not take 100 showers after boinking your sister? For real, my dude?” My point being that it seems like a big leap for the Dai Li agent to put together that the siblings had sex…except that this Dai Li agent also saw the beach house, according to Zuko. So yeah, that probably had some more, uh, pieces to add to that puzzle.

 The Dai Li agent is thrilled because he can use this information to take down Zuko. It also turns out that the Dai Li are blackmailing June, rather than paying her. They must be really hard up if they have to resort to that. June was amoral in the show, so she would have leapt at the chance to pursue the bounty on Azula. Though if she had, then the Dai Li couldn’t take the credit for capturing Azula…(sigh).

 Anyway, the Dai Li agent tries to pressure Zuko into calling off his search or he’ll tell everyone his secret (Ty Lee is very confused by this in the background). I can’t help but think, “This is a no-win situation, Zuko. He’s going to tell regardless, and if he does, you, Azula, and probably Mai and Lu Ten are doomed. This is a case where you need to take him out if you want to keep your family safe.” I don’t relish saying that—I’m not a fan of murder—but unless you have the help of certain spirits, there’s no wiping this man’s memory in this setting, and imprisoning and/or executing him would show that Zuko has something to hide. Best to leave him in a ditch somewhere.

 Zuko doesn’t connect these dots yet. He has a bit of a rage-out instead. The Dai Li agent nearly kills Ty Lee in response, but Zuko manages to drag her out of the way of the fight. When the Dai Li agent disappears, June shouts at Zuko, because the Dai Li agent might think that they’re working together, which means that they might execute the hostage they’ve taken—her father. Zuko argues that they should work together to track down the Dai Li agent, who Zuko realizes knows way too much. June is initially reluctant, because the Dai Li agent is sending regular reports to his bosses, so if he vanishes, they’ll know that something is up…but Zuko argues that he can help her find her father (a lot of searching for family in this story) and then he’ll hire her to find Azula instead. June pivots and agrees to this new deal. I wonder if she knows that Zuko was a scarily competent tracker at one point.

 Zuko carries Ty Lee to the steps of the Kyoshi Shrine, and Ty Lee pleads with him not to search for Azula, since she doesn’t want to see him. Zuko, predictably, doubts Ty Lee’s word and then says, “I can’t respect her wishes, Ty. Not with her life at stake.” On the one hand, he does have a point—Azula needs help—but on the other hand, she really doesn’t need help from ZUKO. Chances are that seeing him would be rather…uh…triggering for her, and a mental breakdown isn’t something that Azula can afford right now.

 Zuko tells Ty Lee to go update Mai on what’s going on. That’ll be fun. Ty Lee seems to be considering telling Zuko that Azula is pregnant, but equivocates instead, and we learn that Azula might not know about the death sentence hanging over her. I feel like the Kyoshi Warriors let that slip, and that Azula is smart enough to know that the EK would take her out if they caught her anyway, regardless of the legality of them doing so. Then Zuko and June are off, leaving Ty Lee alone and paralyzed at the shrine. And you didn’t even give her a blanket, you jerks! Also, is there really not a shirsu venom antidote? Seems like something someone should invest in!

 We shift over to Azula, who sailed from Kyoshi Island to the Earth Kingdom mainland during a storm. The good news is that the storm prevented her pursuers from catching her. The bad news is that the storm destroyed her ship, nearly drowned her, and snatched away her supplies, including Rai’s gold. So Azula is not feeling great after that—possibly she was triggered by nearly drowning, being reminded of Katara’s ice prison during the Agni Kai, and she hasn’t eaten in a while either. Her situation reminds me a bit of “Zuko Alone”—he also didn’t have much more than the clothes on his back—but she’s worse off, given the effects of her pregnancy. She’s much more fatigued than she wants to be, sometimes napping for hours in a bush. Azula thinks about the baby being a product of incest—“She would be lucky if it wasn’t born with gills or extra limbs or some crippling deformity.” Which…is something to be concerned about. There is a lot of shared DNA between the two parents, which makes the risk of a genetic deformity or disease more likely to arise. I doubt that it would be something as extreme as the kid having gills, BUT Azula and Zuko have both shown signs of mental illness, so I think there is a high chance that the kid would inherit that. A supportive environment and other resources can do a lot to address how hard mental illness hits someone, though (in Azula and Zuko’s cases, their environment aggravated theirs), so I’m not going to be too worried for this kid just yet.

 Azula considers that she might lose the baby. “This early, and it might not even hurt, she told herself. It might die. Wasn’t that what happened to mistakes?”—Woof to all of that, but also, no wonder Azula is such a perfectionist. When the result of imperfection is dying….

 Azula considers starving the fetus out, since she’s barely getting enough food as it is. This is a terrible idea for two reasons: 1.) Azula has nearly died once already from starving herself, and damaged her organs in the process, and 2.) She’s in enemy territory. She can’t afford to make herself weak, even if she thinks there might be long-term benefits from it.

 At this point, she starts hallucinating Ursa, who unfortunately believes that a fetus and a baby are the same thing, which is very pro-life of her. Boo, hallucination!Ursa! Boo! I’m not sure this actually reflects what real Ursa thinks, though (I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ursa was hypocritical about this point), given that a later chapter will reveal that Ursa knows what plants to use to induce an abortion, and used them as birth control at one point. Azula alludes to this: “You would have done the same to me, if Father let you. He told me the truth you were too craven to admit. You never wanted me.”—Ouch!

 Okay, this is bad, but I couldn’t help but snort at the line, “You only think [that this is a precious baby] because it’s Zuko’s.” It’s so awful that it wraps around to being darkly funny.

 “Something clenched painfully in her chest at the words [I love you, Azula. I do] she had heard too many times to count from this twisted mockery. Azula couldn’t remember anymore if her real mother ever said that to her.”—Yeah, if the child ever doubts that their parent loves them, then the parent has failed, full stop.

 “It wouldn’t matter if she had. It would just be one more lie. Didn’t her abandonment prove that? Didn’t Ursa prove it every time she looked on her daughter with fear or disgust or indifference? Didn’t she prove it with the things she said, the letters she never sent to school, the sparring matches she couldn’t be bothered to attend? The goodbye she said to Zuko and not to her… She had every day of eight years to prove it was a lie, and she proved it.”—This passage is brutal. And Azula is 100% right about it. Even though Ozai undermined Azula’s faith in her mother, Ozai would have had a much, much harder time doing so if Ursa had put some effort in and demonstrated her love for her daughter. Ursa’s neglect made his job so much easier than it should have been, and Ursa is going to have to reckon with that one day.

 Also, as someone who recently escaped some toxic friendships (and grew up with a toxic parent), there is probably nothing more psychologically damaging than people saying that they care about you, but then not demonstrating that with their actions. People who don’t like you being cruel to you is much easier to handle than the lying is. In short, I think this is part of why Ursa’s betrayal, and at one point, Mai’s and Ty Lee’s betrayal, shattered Azula. While Zuko’s betrayal has also affected Azula severely, you get the sense that Ursa’s and Mai’s choices carved deeper scars in her. Ty Lee, fortunately, broke from that pattern and proved how much she loved Azula with her actions.

 Azula tells the hallucination, “I’ll give you your life back [ . . . ] A life for a life, isn’t that how it works? [ . . . ] I’ll get the closure I need to end this, and never have to see you again.” We, the readers, can already tells that it’s not going to be that simple. Yes, Azula needs to confront Ursa, but one confrontation isn’t going to give her closure. It will address the wounds that Ursa caused, but it won’t give Azula the love and support she would need to heal them. That love and support, incidentally, doesn’t have to come from Ursa herself—adoptive family could provide it—but there isn’t anyone except maybe Rai who would be willing to fill that role in this story. Also, given the way this story is structured, that healing will probably come in the form of mother and daughter reconciling instead.

 “Sometimes [the hallucination] left at her command, other times it ignored her. Azula had long since stopped wondering why.”—Because your conscious and subconscious minds don’t agree on whether they want hallucination!Ursa gone, Azula.

 “It was her own business if she wanted it gone. It had no more right to her body than Zuko did.”—Damn right, Azula!

 Azula again entertains the notion of starving herself to induce a miscarriage (a note from the future: we later learn that there was a period where she was starved as a child, so I have to wonder if that stunted her growth and contributed to the eventual damage to her organs). She is understandably anxious about this. “Tears burned her eyes when she hugged herself around the middle in unconscious imitation of the night she lay bleeding in the hall.”—Ouch.

 “Everyone knew that, exceptions like Taku aside”—I forget who Taku was?—“most Earth Kingdom doctors fell somewhere between butchers and medicine men. She would be a fool to trust her health to them, even without the added vulnerability of being a fugitive.”—I wonder if this is true or if this is some racist colonialist bullshit? Given that it’s mentioned that the Fire Nation has been sharing resources with the other countries, I feel like if there WAS a gap in medical knowledge, it’s been closing since the end of the war. But Azula’s concern about being a fugitive still stands, even if I’m skeptical of their doctors being that bad.

 Then we get this gross recollection: “That first time, she was hardly sick until she began drinking the tea. She had only put on a little weight—most of it in the swell of her hips and budding breasts, it seemed then—” So something that most of the adults around her would have overlooked, since she was the right age for that. “—and sought out their court physician for a flu remedy when mild aches and a fatigue one fraction of what she felt now began to impair her training.” Of course she only cared about how it impacted her training, rather than just wanting to not feel sick!

 “And in reply, he told her something incomprehensible. She hadn’t even had her first blood.” I AM SCREAMING! “She didn’t know what to look for then, but she knew now. She was almost four months gone when—” This is so deeply horrifying!

 “No one would ever talk about it afterward—and anyway, who would she talk to?—but Azula suspected this might have been why she hemorrhaged so badly. But she didn’t know. She didn’t know enough to fix this, if it could even be fixed. She didn’t know what to do….”—Boy, it sure would have been helpful if she’d had a midwife to consult, wouldn’t it? I’m sure her actual doctor could have told her this info, too, but unfortunately, Ozai had him killed. Idiot. Seriously, Azula absolutely needs to know this information about her own reproductive health. Especially if she was going to be Ozai’s heir and was expected to have children of her own someday (which, god, I doubt she would have survived long enough for that, given Ozai’s choices, but STILL, SHE NEEDS TO KNOW THIS STUFF).

 “She seemed to vaguely recall her doctors saying, after she starved herself, that she couldn’t have children. Since obviously she was capable of conceiving, she could only guess they meant that she shouldn’t have children. Well, they wouldn’t be the first to hold that opinion. Azula could practically hear Ursa thinking it, when she said things like ‘What is wrong with that child?’ in full hearing of her daughter.”—Listen, Azula, even if it was somehow true that you’d be a bad parent, a lot of people who shouldn’t be parents end up being parents, like your dad and grandad. As it is, if this is something that you’re worrying about, I think you’ll be okay, since you’ll be much more careful with your kid than they were with theirs.

 Azula considers the medical reasons why a full-term pregnancy might be a bad idea, and notes that “her endurance had taken a hit, even three years into her recovery. And she healed slower and less effectively than she used to, as evidenced by the persistence of her injuries from the fight with Zuko.”—Yeah, starving yourself or being starved as a kid can result in some nasty effects, with not reaching your full height being one of the most outwardly obvious ones. It also can trigger a survival mode in your body where your body desperately holds onto fat later, even when you’re getting enough to eat, in preparation for the next lean time. This can have a generational effect as well, with your kids being more likely to hold onto fat, because their parents or grandparents went through that experience. If Azula wasn’t on the run and didn’t go through such strenuous training routines, she’d probably incline towards being pudgy. Which honestly wouldn’t be a bad thing for her, since a fat reserve can be beneficial if you’re someone with a uterus. Buuuut knowing Azula, she would view a little roll as a sign of laziness, which…

(sigh)…isn’t true, but you do you, Azula.

 She considers that she might lose the baby anyway, given the past harm done to her body, and that, “she might die herself. Azula was mildly surprised to realize that after a month of living with the knowledge of her death sentence, and even longer spent knowing she was a fugitive from her own nation, the prospect held little dread for her.”—This is worrying. She should care about whether she dies or not, but I can’t imagine that she’s really recovered from…well, her flirtation with suicide. You don’t get the sense that Azula values her own life very much. Rather, she values what she can provide to others, namely to her father and her nation. She’s been taught that she herself has no value—only what she does is worthwhile.

 “More frightening in some ways was the possibility that this might actually happen. Beyond the violation of her body being given over to another life, her life might be given over to another person. Azula didn’t know how to be a mother, any more than she knew how to be an aunt or a sibling.”—To be fair, I don’t think anyone really knows how to be a parent until it happens. Also, she never got the opportunity to be an aunt to Lu Ten, which is a shame, because her pretending to kidnap him and taking him somewhere fun sounds like good, wholesome mischief. Alas, this is not a soft world where that can happen.

 “She had never had anything like a healthy example.”—Very true. Someday, Azula, you’ll have an aunt figure to look up to in an AU.

 “And if she was honest with herself—something she strived for, even if she lied to everyone else—”—Kiddo, are you sipping Zuko’s Kool-Aid?

 “she knew. It would only grow to hate her. How could it not? She was a monster.”—This is very sad and makes my heart break for her, but…Azula. Babe. You love Ozai. And I’m damned sure that you would be a better parent than he was, so I can’t imagine why your kid wouldn’t love you? Kids also just don’t work that way. It takes a hell of a lot to make a kid stop loving their parent. I’m…honestly not sure if anyone ever really does STOP loving them, even when they know that their parent is an abusive and morally bankrupt person? Love isn’t rational, and even if you hate them, like Zuko does with Ozai, that hatred is still an intense feeling for them. Plus, just because Azula doesn’t love HERSELF doesn’t mean that other people, like Ty Lee and her kid, couldn’t love her. All that Azula’s self-hatred does is make her more inclined to push that love away, because being loved can sometimes be scarier and hurt more than being alone does.

 Azula then has a cry under the moonlight—hi Yue, by the way, I always forget that the moon in the Avatar universe actually has a spirit attached to it—and then decides that she needs to go to town to get some food. Good plan, girl. Get all of the noodles. Also, Azula has this mean thought about the Earth Kingdom: “that meant a return to civilization. Or what passed for it, in the Earth Kingdom.” I hope by the end of this adventure that she learns that the EK isn’t inferior to the Fire Nation. It’s great to love your home, but don’t tear down other people’s (unless they’re unhappy with it, in which case, ask them if they want some help with the tear down and rebuilding).

 Then we move on to Toph, Sokka, and Suki. Toph likes her pillows “rock-hard.” Never change, Toph. Sokka and Suki are arguing about whether Suki should have stayed with the Kyoshi Warriors and enlisted them in the search for Azula. When Toph complains about this, she makes a “think of the children” joke, to which Sokka replies that she’s sixteen, which suggests that age of majority in the ATLA world includes sixteen (though that might depend on the culture). Toph is also super bored because they haven’t had much luck on their manhunt for Azula, so she hasn’t gotten to fight Azula yet. Suki mentions that she should consider herself lucky, because she might have a broken nose or back spasms from chi-blocking and I’m like…Suki. Buddy. Isn’t it telling that the only damage your girls went through is something they might have walked away from a bar fight with? Or a particularly enthusiastic night above the bar?

 Gosh, is Toph calling Azula a “crazy ass” ableist or overly blunt? Because Azula is mentally ill, and it’s not like this is a world where mental illness is well-understood. Let’s call this insensitive of Toph at the very least.

 “She didn’t start when [Sokka] laid a solid hand on her arm. It was hardly the first time he’d done that over the past few days, and Toph was torn between appreciating the gesture—and that it meant he remembered she was cut off from her earthsense up here—and resenting him for babying her.”—I wouldn’t call touching your friend’s arm in support babying, Toph. I do like that Sokka isn’t such a manly man that he would hesitate to give comforting platonic touches.

 “[ . . . ] Toph half-tempted to tear her own hair out by the roots just to relish the sweet, sweet pain”—I feel like someone should give Toph a really obnoxious instrument to pass the time on trips like these. I don’t know if Toph would be inclined to learn it and play it well, buuuuut I also don’t think that she would mind just using it to annoy the hell out of the other passengers. Mind you, terrible music might make the manhunt more difficult, but it’s not like Appa is a sneaky stealth plane anyway.

 It turns out that Zuko sent them a letter, telling them to search the southern part of the continent, since he would wrap up things on Kyoshi Island. That was tone deaf of him, because of course Suki would want to see how her girls are doing and resents being ordered around. Sokka insisted that they press on with the search, though, because it’s “bigger than any one of us,” and for all they know, Azula might be trying to draw them to one location. Which…I get why this is a concern, but since we’ve seen Azula’s POV, we know that her endeavor has barely anything to do with the Gaang. This is a nuclear family drama, full stop.

 We do learn here that Sokka and Suki have only been married for a few months. I wonder if there was any tongue-waggling about that back at the South Pole? In any case, Toph and Sokka are both worried about how sketchy Zuko has been lately and what he might have lied about. Toph points out that, “He might have left something out or told a half-truth. He might have been embarrassed, or nervous or afraid. The physical reaction is basically the same.” I hope that this ambiguity comes up later.

 “And [Toph] was of the decided opinion that when her head hurt, everyone else’s should too.”—Oh Toph. I love you, but you’re a jerk sometimes.

 “She jabbed a finger in what she thought was his general direction, and scowled when Sokka had to reposition her hand to keep the effect.”—That’s so freaking cute? Like damn these two are adorable! They continue to discuss how weird it is that Zuko told them to not believe anything that Azula says, because why would he think they would?

 “[You’re] like Twinkletoes on a moral tangent”—More cuteness from these two, since Sokka cannot let Zuko’s weirdness go.

 “this speculation is pointless until we find her anyway, and hear what she has to say. If she even /has/ anything to say, ‘cause by all reports”—meaning Zuko’s—“she’s been muter than a hermit these past four years!”—I’m glad that they seem eager to hear what Azula has to say, but knowing Azula, there is no way that she will tell them what happened. Not only is she ashamed about it, but she doesn’t think that they would believe her anyway. And she’d be right…if Zuko hadn’t undermined himself by tipping them off to something being up.

 They continue on their flight, and we shift back to Azula. Ooooh, I remember what this section is! I love this section! So Azula has arrived in an Earth Kingdom town, after a night of trying to get her clothes clean and scavenging for more food. I wonder if the cabin she found was a reference to something in canon? Anyway, Azula probably draws some attention to herself by scowling at everyone, and then she steals some clothes so she doesn’t look completely out of place. She sets a building on fire and crashes a public bath to accomplish this. I feel like “Smooth Criminal” should be playing in the background.

 Azula goes to look for food next and stops by a restaurant next to a courtyard labeled, “Master Yu’s Earthbending Academy.” Aaand she realizes that there’s a noblewoman staring at her—specifically, Poppy Beifong, Toph’s mom! Woot! Hey Poppy! Good to see you! I love that the flowers in her hair are present here as they were in canon.

 Azula does note that Poppy has “slanted” eyes, which I’m not sure what to do with. This might be an innocent description and might not have the same racist connotation in the ATLA world as it does in ours, since everyone in the ATLA world could be considered of to be of Asian descent, given the cultures the four nations are based on. Or we could be meant to clock this as racist on Azula’s part, which, given how she was raised, wouldn’t be surprising. Or it’s a blink-and-you-miss-it writing fumble. It’s hard for me to make a call here, but I wanted to make a note of it in case it is the latter.

 Moving on, Poppy thinks that Azula reminds her of someone—maybe Zuko? Azula has a cover story ready: she’s from the colonies and has heard of the Beifong’s involvement in trade. Poppy, bless her, invites Azula to have lunch with her, because her friend didn’t show up. I wonder if she really was meeting a friend there, or if the Earthbending Academy is a real academy space and students practice earthbending there? If so, maybe Poppy watches them earthbend to feel closer to Toph. That’s my headcanon and I’m sticking to it!

 “and I am quite alone,’ she explained, properly not counting the manservant and two maids who stood behind her as company.”—Properly? That classism! (Pats the nobles on their finely-combed heads.)

 Poppy’s laugh sounds like glass breaking. Love that description. “Poppy Beifong would hardly be her first choice of dining companion. But then neither had King Bumi, who proved surprisingly amenable to letting her go, with only a little convincing.”—I still want that side story. Azula decides to take Poppy up on the meal, since she needs to eat when she can and she doesn’t think this is likely to be a trap.

 Poppy immediately clocks that Azula is a noble and just…oh man, “we must forgive [my manservant’s] ignorance.” Bet you he has more common sense than Poppy! Poppy tells Azula to order whatever she likes, even though Poppy already has a ridiculous amount of food on the table. Reading about delicious food in a story at midnight is the worst, by the way. It’s making me want all of it, but there’s no place to get garnished fish and stuffed prawns from at this hour.

 “when one has been born to privilege, it’s easy to recognize in others”—I feel like I need a side-story in which a grifter hits up the Beifong household while Toph is visiting, and Toph totally knows that the grifter is bullshitting and fleecing her parents, but is too entertained by the con to out them. In fact, maybe that grifter could by Lin’s dad, because that kind of irony would be delicious.

 “The etiquette came easily to her when [Azula] bothered to recall it”—See, it’s not like Azula didn’t bother to learn this stuff. It’s just one tool in her arsenal, rather than a set of rules that she feels like she needs to follow.

 Poppy recognizes Azula’s eyes as being a mark of Fire Nation nobility, though she adds that, “They are not the gold of Fire Nation royalty,” which…lol, actually, they are, since Azula is a royal. Poppy asks if Azula is trueborn or a bastard, and Azula tells the truth, knowing that the Earth Kingdom puts even more stock in lineage than the Fire Nation does.

 Then we get this painful bit of questioning from Poppy: “But you must forgive me for observing that you are far from home, and seem to be without your attendants. [ . . . ] What has caused you to forsake the protection of your family?”—Oh Poppy, what if your family is the problem?

 Azula pulls out a story that mixes in some lies to entice Poppy—that she’s fleeing an arranged marriage (since Poppy is a romantic)—with a good dose of truth. Poppy grabs Azula’s hand during this, which Azula is not a fan of. Azula says that her “betrothed” is a “fool and a brute” which…yeah, from her perspective, Zuko qualifies as both.

 “If she was going to fabricate a life story, it would be better not to do it on an empty stomach.”—I love the forethought here. Also, if she needs to bolt, best to bolt down as much food as possible beforehand.

 Poppy wonders if Azula is fleeing into the arms of a secret lover, a “governor’s son or lieutenant in the army.” I guess stableboys aren’t romantic enough for someone with Poppy’s classism.

 “Having no experience of lovers, she didn’t trust herself to lie about an elopement”—This is so depressing. Too bad Chan didn’t work out, though I do think that Azula needs someone much smarter than him.

 Azula admits that she’s looking for her mother, and explains that Ursa had to flee into exile or face execution for a crime that she was “falsely” accused of. We know that Ursa actually did it, but I doubt that Poppy would take that well. Azula says that her dad died of grief shortly afterwards. If only! She adds that her brother lost their fortune by being terrible at business and falling prey to duplicitous advisors, which foreshadows what’s the come with Zuko in the Fire Nation. Zuko really needs remedial lessons on how to run a country and manage the noble court. Azula adds that her “marriage” was supposed to help her family, something the dutiful Poppy would appreciate, but it didn’t work out because her supposed betrothed was violent.

 Which triggers a flashback for Azula. She’s been getting hit with these at unexpected times, and while I’m not qualified to diagnose anyone, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a sign of Azula grappling with PTSD. We get this gross description during it: “Of his hands grasping, bruising, his weight heavy on her, suffocating. Of his arm around her waist, fingers clenched in her hand. The ridges of his scar rubbed against her cheek when he thrusted and panted, filling her. He didn’t stop even when she forgot herself and screamed, when she started to bleed from the violence of his effort—”

 That is not a description that indicates an act of passion or pleasure on Azula’s part. She views it as an assault, and no one should be questioning her on it.

 Azula is so caught up in the memory that she loses her situational awareness, not noticing that Poppy has gotten up to go to her until Poppy touches her wrists (the sensation probably being what brings Azula back to the present, since it grounds her). Poppy almost strokes Azula’s hair to sooth her, which I’m sure Azula would not have known what to do with, since Ursa didn’t give her those maternal touches when she was around. Poppy says that her mother wouldn’t blame her for leaving a man like that, to which Azula bitterly laughs, because Ursa has never been understanding towards Azula before. I do think that Ursa would understand wanting to leave an abusive partner, considering Ozai…but whether she would have actually done it without any external pressure, or supported someone else doing it, is fuzzier. Duty in this case isn’t the death of love so much as self-preservation.

 Poppy wonders if Azula’s rueful reaction means that she’s met Toph, and is judging Poppy based on what Toph has told her. “That was either amazing ignorance or amazing egotism.”—What a line! Poppy’s assumption is off the mark, but Azula confirms that she’s met Toph in passing. I do hope those two will be friends someday, but if not, there’s always “Salt and Ashes.”

 Poppy starts to talk about Toph, while pushing food around her plate, “a nervous habit that spoke of weakness.” Ozai must have broken Azula of that habit, or at least scolded Zuko for it. Poppy and her husband tried to have more children after Toph, but from the sound of it, there were problems with miscarriages, stillbirths, and the babies dying soon after they were born. There’s nothing to indicate what might have been causing that, so we’re going to have to chalk it up to bad luck. Azula is sensitive to this turn in conversation, given her own pregnancy and her worries about the fetus dying or being deformed.

 We get this touching line: “A smile broke over her tear-streaked face then, bittersweet and more genuine than any she had yet shown” as Poppy describes how instead of a daughter she could treat like a doll, she got a strong earthbender, who lived and thrived, unlike her late siblings. But since Toph was also born blind, her parents focused on that for too long, trying to shelter her and keep her safe, rather than respecting Toph’s agency and strength. Which, naturally, Toph didn’t respond well to. Toph and her parents are still estranged, due to a fight Toph and her dad had during her last visit, and Poppy is worried that they’ll never reconcile with their daughter.

 Azula finds all of this hard to stomach, both figuratively and literally. She tells Poppy that she should be telling all of this to Toph instead, and then mentally berates herself for it, because this might backfire on her if Poppy mentions that she had lunch with someone matching Azula’s description. “This was like something Zuko would do,” she scolds herself, even though I’m not sure that Zuko would do this, since it’s Azula’s own estrangement from her mother that subconsciously prompts this. While Poppy makes an excuse that Toph is hard to track down, Azula bolts to the nearest pot and throws up in it. Darn that morning sickness! She also starts crying, due to hormones and to the unpleasantness of the situation. One of Poppy’s servants takes off her belt, which helps relieve some of the pressure on her stomach, and Poppy—who instantly realizes Azula’s condition—tells Azula that she should have run sooner. Again, if only!

 Azula does think that she’ll kill her brother for this, but I don’t think that she really means it, any more than anyone pregnant says that about the one who impregnated them.

 Poppy offers to do what she can to help Azula find her mother, and we shift over to a Zuko scene. Zuko’s crew caught the Dai Li agent, but the Dai Li agent escaped because he’s a metalbender. Bad luck, that. Apparently Zuko thought it was more honorable to let him live after he surrendered, which…(sigh) I do agree with. June points out that the rules of war don’t apply to a witch hunt, to which I also have to agree. While following the rules of war/the civil contract is what you SHOULD be doing, what do you do when your opponent refuses to play by those rules? Especially when the life of your loved one is on the line BECAUSE your opponent betrayed the rule of law to convict her and sentence her to death? The context here matters.

 Zuko tells his crew and Ty Lee to proceed back to the Fire Nation. He and June are going to round up the Dai Li agent themselves. When that happens, June is almost certainly going to kill him. Which, as I’ve said earlier in this review, is the safest thing for Zuko to do, since letting the Dai Li agent contact his superiors would mean that his secret is out, and his family will be in serious danger once it leaks. June also suggests that Zuko needs to become a harder man to survive in their new, dangerous world, and I just have to roll my eyes, because it’s such edgelordy drivel that makes perfect sense coming from her. I don’t know that Zuko needs to be harder—in fact, I think the result of that would be a bunch of unnecessary violence and property damage—but he does need to start being smarter.

 Back to Azula! Azula might not be fond of Poppy on a personal level, but she does appreciate Poppy honoring her word and making sure that Azula is supplied for her journey. We’ve got practical clothes for all temperatures (with an adjustable waistline!), rations, and what amounts to an adventurer’s pack. Azula notes that there’s a scented product in her supplies that smells similar to the abortifacient tea she used when she was…11 or 12, pretty sure…so it makes her feel sick when she smells it. Mint tea has the same effect on her. I called it—she has an aversion response now. I’d say darn you evolution, but it is useful for not ingesting substances that have made you sick in the past and could be poisonous.

 Azula notes that, given how the townspeople behave when confronted with Poppy and her retinue, the Beifongs are practically royalty in this area. I do have to wonder just how many monarchs are on the continent, since we know of at least two, but presumably there could be more, given the size of the Earth Kingdom.

 We also get this: “Azula had to wonder how such a wealthy and influential family had produced someone so loud and coarse as Toph Beifong. But then she would remember the looks Ursa gave her when she insisted on wearing pants instead of dresses, gentle remonstrations spoken from behind pinched brows and wrinkled nose, when Azula would rather practice katas than heat tea with her firebending. And she didn’t have to wonder anymore. Rejection could take many forms, after all. She should know that better than anyone.”—This is really sad and makes me wish that Toph and Azula could become friends and discuss this. Both of them have rejected gender norms and the expectations of their mothers, and while they have found fulfillment in doing so, that disappointment from Ursa and Poppy is still painful for them.

 Poppy also gives Azula an expensive ostrich horse bred for racing, which will draw attention to her. Azula tries to make it look scruffier by getting it dirty and messing with its feathers, but she’s not satisfied that she’s done a good enough job of it, and thinks that she wants to trade it for something practical like an eel hound.

 “The desert dwellers were known to traffic in exotic beasts”—I don’t remember if we actually see any of the sandbenders in this story—I’m thinking not—but I know that at one point, Aurelia was considering an encounter between them and Azula.

 Azula requested a map that led in a different direction than where she’s interested in, in case someone asks after her purchases. She also, when she decides to rest for the night, takes out the passport Poppy gave her and Poppy’s scroll to Toph. Poppy sent a couple more copies out, so if anything happens to this one, Toph will still get her mother’s message eventually.

 “The princess had nodded curtly, half-tempted to reduce Toph’s mother to ashes for the possibility that this peace offering might sic Zuko on her.”—Again, Azula is all bark and no bite, unlike Ozai, who probably would have burnt Poppy for “imposing” on him.

 Azula decides to read the scroll to see if it mentions her. She discovers that it does not, but it is—we can imply—full of Poppy’s love for Toph and remorse for how she treated her. It’s exactly what Azula desperately wants from Ursa. Azula, upset by this, burns the letter and curls up to try to sleep, even though the sun is rising and there’s “an ache in a part of her body she didn’t give a thought to otherwise.” In other words, she’s heartbroken by being confronted with something she doesn’t believe that she’ll ever have.

 And with that, we close out chapter fourteen! Thank you again for the read, Aurelia! And thank you to everyone who has been expressing interest in these reviews. Hopefully I’ll have another one to you within the next week.

 Sincerely,

WiseAbsol

[merakiaes]

Welcome To The Family - Sokka

Pairing: Sokka x reader

Requested: Yes. 

Prompts: #62 from the fluff-list. 

Warnings/notes: A bit rushed and not read through, and I mixed up the prompt a bit, but I hope you like it!

Wordcount: 1645

Summary: Sokka meets your father for the first time. 

“Don’t you think I should be wearing something more… fitting?” Sokka asked doubtfully as he inspected himself in the mirror, pulling at his blue clothes.

Katara frowned behind him. “What’s wrong with your clothes?”

Sokka turned to look at her, throwing his arms out and yelling out like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “They’re water nation clothes!”

His little sister remained confused, eyebrows furrowing together and shoulders shrugging. “So?”

“So?!” He exclaimed. “(Y/N)’s dad is one of the best and most respected firebenders alive.”

“So what?” Zuko’s voice joined in on the conversation from where he stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe and having been quiet up until now. “Were you going to hide the fact that you’re not fire nation for the rest of your life?”

“Yes!” Sokka exclaimed, again as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Zuko rolled his eyes at his attitude and pushed himself off the doorway, walking towards the two siblings. “Her family already knows you’re from the water tribe, and yet, they’ve personally invited you to dinner. Just relax.”

Sokka still wasn’t convinced, despite the fact that Zuko had met your father at least a hundred times before, practically being a part of the family. “I can’t relax! I’m terrified he’s going to torch me!”

“I’m a little offended about your judgement toward firebenders, but I’m going to let it slide this one time because I pity you.” Zuko glared briefly, before softening his face again with a shrug. “You have nothing to worry about. He loves (Y/N) more than anything. Anyone she cares about, is family in his eyes. That makes you family, alright? And he takes family very seriously. Now, if you don’t get going, you’re going to be late.“

Sokka’s heart beat violently in his chest at the thought of being late and making a bad first impression on your father and hurried down form the small step he was standing on. He pointed a finger at Zuko, eyes narrowing into thin slits. ”If you’re wrong and I get burned alive, I’m gonna come back and haunt you.”

“If you actually manage to get on his bad side, then I won’t even try to stop you.” Zuko took Sokka under his arm, starting to steer him towards the doorway. Once they had passed the doorframe, he pushed him toward the exit of the house.

“Just take it easy and you’ll do fine.” Zuko smacked him on the shoulder in a brotherly way, and then turned and walked in the other direction, Katara coming out of the room and following him after offering her brother a smile and a good luck of her own.

Sokka took a deep breath and walked towards the exit. However, before he had reached the door, Zuko called after him. “Oh, by the way! I don’t know if she’s told you, but she has five older brothers, too!”

Sokka froze, every possible bad scenario running through his mind then and there. But nonetheless, he swallowed his fear and forced his legs to keep walking, knowing you would never forgive him for bailing on a promise. And making you upset? That would definitely get him on your family’s bad side.

                                  _______________________________

Your house wasn’t far from the house he usually stayed in when visiting the Fire Nation. He had only left for a short time after the war had been won to see the people in his village, coming back the day before.

The first thing he had done was to meet up with you. You spent most of your days in the palace with Mai and Zuko, so he knew exactly where to find you. You had been at the pond with Zuko, throwing bread to the turtleducks, when he had arrived.

Zuko had left the two of you alone to talk, and that’s when you had told him that your father had personally suggested to have him over for dinner.

Sokka’s blood had ran cold in his veins, terrified to his core. But no matter how much the fear in his body screamed at him to say no, he had accepted with a very forced smile. Everything to make you happy.

You had already met his father during the first attempt to take over the Fire Nation, the Day of Black Sun, and unsurprisingly, you got on perfectly. But he hadn’t gotten a chance to meet your father, as  he had been imprisoned at the time for conspiring against the former Firelord Ozai.

That’s how you had met the Gaang in the first place; you had escaped when your parents and brothers had been arrested, along with the other men from the Fire Nation that had been plotting with them, and brought to the Boiling Rock for the severity of their crimes.

Your father, brothers and their companions had escaped together just in time to be able to partake in the final battle on the day of the comet. Your mother hadn’t made it.

Her death hit you hard, but she had been sick even before the arrest, and so a part of you had kind of always known she wouldn’t make it. It didn’t make you any less sad, but it made it easier for you to accept.

Your father, however, was talked about in the entire world. He was said to be just as powerful as Ozai had been before he got his powers taken away, if not even more. Terrible stories were told about him, despite the fact that he had shown to the world that he had never been on Ozai’s side. And of course, even though you told him several times that your father wasn’t at all what people said, Sokka’s fear drove him to think the worst.

And now there he was, standing on your doorstep with a bouquet of bright red Fire lilies in his hand, mumbling reassuring words of encouragement to himself while he dragged a hand over his hair to make sure his wolf tail was intact.

He swallowed hard one last time, took a shaky breath and nodded to himself, before reaching out and knocking on the big door.

The sound of running could be heard almost instantly through the thick wood, and Sokka smiled softly as he recognized your footsteps. Just a second later, the door had been ripped open and he was face to face with you.

“Just in time!” You smiled brightly at him, pulling him in by his arms and letting the door fall shut behind him.

Sokka smiled at your joyous face and held the flowers out with a sheepish smile. “I got these for you.”

Your eyes widened as they fell on the beautiful and vibrant flowers, your hand reaching out to take them from his grasp and raising them to your nose to smell. You closed your eyes and smiled softly. “I love them, thank you.”

You wasted no time in embracing your boyfriend tightly, taking in the familiar smell of his soap and the feeling of his arms wrapped around your body in a safe and secure embrace. Just then, another set of footsteps approached you from behind, but this time they were heavy and determined, as opposed to your happy and light ones.

Sokka’s eyes instantly shot open, catching sight of your father coming in your direction behind you. You let go of Sokka when you heard your father coming, instead going to stand on his side as he stopped.

You put on a bright smile as you put a loving hand on your father’s arm. “This is my father. Father, this is-“

”You must be Sokka.” Your father interrupted with a small smile, bowing down slowly in greeting.

Sokka gulped nervously, wide eyes staring up at the hulk of a man standing only a few inches away from him. His mouth was dry, making him struggle to find the right words. “I’m Sokka.” He spoke, and instantly cringed. “I mean, uh yes, I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

He clumsily bowed down just like your father had done only moments before, causing the older man to chuckle fondly. “No need for formalities. I can sense you’re nervous and I’m sure you’ve heard a great deal about me and the powers I possess, but I assure you, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, that you have nothing to be worried about.”

You smiled at your father’s words, watching Sokka slowly relax his body where he stood as your father continued. “You’re a part of the family now. And in the (Y/L/N) family, we take care of our family.” He reached a hand out, motioning to the flowers in your hand. “And I must say, you’ve made quite a good impression, bringing my daughter such fine flowers.”

Sokka chuckled nervously, rubbing his neck. “Well, I mean, only the best of flowers for the best girl. Right?”

Your father’s eyes twinkled with amusement at Sokka’s nervous antics, but you could see he truly appreciated his words.

He took a step back and motioned into the house. “Now, let’s go introduce you to the rest of the family, shall we?”

He started walking off without waiting for a response, leaving you and Sokka behind. He looked significantly more relaxed now, but you could see by the way his cheeks were tinted pink that he was far from comfortable.

But you knew he would be when the night was over. You knew your brothers were going to love him just like you did. How could they not? They were exactly like him in every way there was, and Sokka was soon going to see that for himself.

You offered him a comforting smile, taking his hand with the one you weren’t holding the flowers in and leaned in to peck his cheek gently. “Welcome to the family, Sokka.”

Tagged: @edarene @nekodemon73

(If you want to be tagged, send me a message with the character and/or fandom you want to be tagged for)

[zi-i-think]

2 | You’d be an Idiot

Pairing: Zuko x Ama (OC)

Word Count: 6600+

.☽☼☾.

          With Aang gone missing, the Gaang was left with little to no options. Having to ask Jun and her shirshu to help and still given no help with where he was, Zuko asked to find his uncle; their only hope to take down Fire Lord Ozai.

         "We're going to Ba Sing Se?" Zuko sounded disappointed when they landed by the outer wall of the great city that fell to the Fire Nation.

         "Your uncle's somewhere beyond the wall." Jun told him while the shirshu scratched at the fallen rocks. "Nyla's getting twitchy so he can't be too far. Good luck." And with that, she ran off, leaving the group to find him.

         Zuko looked a little annoyed that this was all the help she could give them, but shrugged it off. "It's been a long day. Let's camp and start our search again at dawn."

         No one bothered to set up camp. They were too tired. Instead they snuggled into Appa's fur. All except for Toph who easily set up an earth tent. But the earthbender jolted awake, removing her tent just as the group became surrounded by fire, keeping them from escaping. The rest of the group immediately woke up and looked around.

         Just then, 4 people appeared at the top of the rubble in white and blue uniforms. But not just any people. Old mentors and friends. Piandao, Jeong Jeong, Pakku and Bumi all stood at the top of the wall's rubble, and looked down at them.

         "Well, look who's here." Bumi snorted and laughed.

         Sokka, Katara and Ama were originally worried, but a smile of relief replaced that look and they turned to look at each other. Suki, Toph and Zuko look at the siblings with puzzled expressions.

         "What's going on?" Toph wondered. "We're surrounded by old people."

         "Not just any old people." Katara responded, walking toward Pakku with Ama by her side. "These are great masters and friends of ours. Pakku." She greeted her waterbending master and she and Ama bowed to him.

         "It is respectful to bow to an old master," He bowed in return. "but how about a hug for your new grandfather?" He held open his arms for a hug. The Water Tribe siblings were a bit dumbfounded at first, but Ama and Katara quickly changed to an expression of happiness.

         "That's so exciting." Ama exclaimed and the sisters embraced the old man. "You and Gran Gran must be so happy to have found each other again."

         "I made her a new betrothal necklace and everything." Pakku said proudly, lightly touching his neck.

         "Welcome to the family Gramp Gramp." Sokka excitedly wrapped his arms around the old man's neck.

         "You can still just call me Pakku." The old man pushed the boy off.

         "How about Grand Pakku?" Sokka asked. Determined to have some nickname for him.

         "No." Pakku said simply and Sokka look disappointedly.

         "And this was Aang's first firebending teacher." Ama introduced Zuko to Jeong Jeong.

         "Jeong Jeong." The old firebender bowed and introduced.

         "Master Piandao." Sokka respectfully bowed to his teacher.

         "Hello, Sokka." Piandao greeted back.

         "So wait, how do you all know each other?" Suki stepped forward to ask the question.

         "All old people know each other, don't you know that?" Bumi joked with a laugh.

         "We're all part of the same ancient secret society. A group that transcends the divisions of the 4 nations." Piandao answered more seriously than the cooks earthbender.

         "The Order of the White Lotus." Zuko put together.

         "That's the one." Bumi pointed.

         "The White Lotus has always been about philosophy, and beauty and truth." Jeong Jeong explained. "About a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important."

         "It came from a Grand Lotus, your Uncle, Iroh of the Fire Nation." Pakku told Zuko, who smiled at the information.

         "Well that's who we're looking for." Toph spoke up.

         "Then we'll take you to him." Piando said.

         "Wait, someone's missing from your group." Bumi pushed himself between Piando and Jeong Jeong and looked between the teens skeptically. "Someone very important. Where's Momo?" He pressed his face close to Sokka's

         "He's gone." Sokka said. "And so is Aang."

         "Oh well, so long as they have each other I'm sure we have nothing to worry about." Bumi brushed it off. "Let's go." Bumi slammed his hand against the ground and earth bent a tall column of earth to propelled himself over the gap in the outer wall, laughing maniacally at the same time.

.☽☼☾.

         "So Bumi, how did you end up escaping your imprisonment in Omashu?" Sokka asked the Earthbender while they were walking to the campsite.

         "Escape? I didn't escape, everybody else escaped." He said and started to tell his story. "There I was, back in Omashu, waiting for just the right moment. I didn't know what or when but I knew I'd know it when I knew it..." The old man told the teens his story of how he escaped during the eclipse. Basically just, causing chaos and scaring all of the soldiers out of the city.

         "Wow, you took back your whole city all by yourself." Suki spoke in awe.

         "So what about you guys? Did you do anything interesting on the day of the eclipse?" Bumi asked the teens walking beside him. Zuko and Sokka glanced at each other.

         "Nah." The fire prince said.

         "No, not really." Sokka added.

         At the inner wall of Ba Sing Se they finally arrived at the campsite with sheltered tents everywhere. Bumi earth bent a section of the camp's wall to let them in. "Well, here we are. Welcome to old people camp."

         "Where... where is he?" Zuko had a disappointed tone as he looked around.

         "Your Uncle's in there, Prince Zuko." Piandao pointed at one of the larger tents.

         Zuko looked a little nervous at he walked over to it. Stopping a few feet from the door and sat down.

         "Are you okay?" Ama asked him, standing next to him.

         "No, I'm not okay." The prince responded and Ama lowered herself to the ground. "My Uncle hates me, I know it. He loved me and supported me in every way he could and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?"

         "Zuko, you're sorry for what you did, right?" Ama asked him, already knowing his response.

         "More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life." He looked down regrettably.

         "Then he'll forgive you." Ama told him and Zuko turned to look at her. "He will."

         He smiled at her softly and then leaned in, pressing a quick and soft kiss on her lips. Then he stood up, walked to the entrance and entered. Ama smiled proudly and went off to find her siblings.

.☽☼☾.

         The next day, everyone was up bright and early. Ama was outside, practicing her waterbending with Katara before they'd eat.

         "Hey, waterlily." The girl suddenly heard and two arms wrapped around her waist.

          "Woah." The girl giggled with surprise. She turned around to look at her boyfriend. "I take it things went well with your uncle."

         "They did." He chuckled, cupping her cheek. "We'll be speaking with him at breakfast now." He told her, slowly leaning down to kiss her.

         "Good." Ama said, noticing how close he was getting. "Cause I'm starving." Moving quickly to dodge the kiss, the girl laughed at his pouty face. "You're too easy to tease." Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the food.

         They walked to the spot where Iroh already was seated. When he saw the teens walking over, he stood up to greet them.

         "Good morning. Please have a seat." He walked to stand in front of Ama and immediately wrapped his arms around her. The waterbender was surprised at first, but happily hugged the man back. "I am glad to see that my nephew has finally come to his senses." He chuckled when he pulled away. "He's been enamored with you for such a long time."

         "Uncle." Zuko grumbled, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

         "It's great to see you, Iroh." Ama smiled at the man.

         "You can call me uncle." Iroh told her before walking back to his original spot on the floor. Ama looked over at the fire prince, who was blushing a deep red. She giggled at him before pulling his arm to sit down. Filling their bowls with the breakfast soup, everyone sat in a circle.

         "Uncle, you're the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord." Zuko started to get down to business.

         "You mean the Fire Lord." Toph pointed her chopsticks as she corrected him.

         "That's what I just said." Zuko responded.

         "No it's not." Ama agreed with Toph in a sing-song voice.

         "We need you to come with us." Zuko insisted, ignoring the girls who where correcting him.

         "No, Zuko. It won't turn out well." Iroh refused.

         "You can beat him and we'll be there to help." The firebender tried to persuade him.

         "Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know that I could. It will be the wrong way to end the war." Iroh responded. "History would see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord."

         "And then... then would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko wondered.

         "No." Iroh said and looked at his nephew. "Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko."

         "Unquestionable honor?" Zuko repeated in disbelief. "But I've made so many mistakes."

         "Yes, you have." Iroh said. "You struggled, you suffered but you have always followed your own path, you restored your own honor. And only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation."

         "I'll try, Uncle." Zuko responded, but he didn't seem too sure of himself. Ama saw this and reached over to place her hand on top of his.

         "Well, what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph asked.

         "Sozin's Comet is arriving and our destinies are upon us." Iroh told them. "Aang will face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again."

         "That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus." Suki pieced together.

         "Yes." Iroh replied then turned back to look at Zuko. "Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there, waiting for you."

         "I can handle Azula." Zuko said confidently

         "Not alone." Iroh disagreed. "You'll need help."

         "You're right." Zuko agreed and looked at his girlfriend. "Ama, how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?" It might have seemed like her was asking Ama specifically because of their relationship status, but no one could argue that the two fought well as a pair.

         "You don't even have to ask." Ama scoffed and swatted her hand at the air. "I've been waiting to do that since day one."

         "What about us?" Sokka wondered, referring to the remainder of the group. "What's our destiny today?"

         "What do you think it is?" Iroh asked them.

         "I think that even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet." Sokka slammed his left fist into his right palm.

         "And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if he needs us." Toph smacked her fists together.

         Iroh smiled proudly. Feeling confident and assured that the group in front of him would be successful. But also feared the worst.

.☽☼☾.

        Sokka and Suki were put on one giant eel-hound and Katara and Toph were on another. Zuko and Ama were going to travel on Appa. The waterbender sat in the saddle while Zuko took the reigns.

        "So if I'm going to be Fire Lord after the war is over, what are you going to do?" Zuko asked his uncle.

        "After I re-conquer Ba Sing Se, I'm going to reconquer my tea shop," Iroh flipped the white lotus Pai Sho piece. "and I'm going to play Pai Sho everyday."

        The teens gave each other one final look. This was it. They had to stop the fire nation from destroying everything. Splitting up wasn't ideal. But it was what had to be done.

        "Goodbye, Gen-" Ama stopped herself before she called him General Iroh. "Uncle Iroh." She corrected.

        The old man smiled at her and then turned to look at his nephew. "Goodbye, everyone. Today, destiny is our friend. I know it."

        And with that, the giant eel-hounds took off running, and Appa flew up. The start of a long journey for a tiring fight.

.☽☼☾.

        The sky had turned orange and red showing that the comet was arriving. And somewhere during the journey, Ama had made her way to sit next to Zuko, taking the reins in her hand. He in turn had his arm around her shoulder, with an anxious expression.

        "Zuko, don't worry, we can take Azula." Ama assured him with determination.

        "I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about Aang." Zuko responded. "What if he doesn't have the guts to take out my Father? What if he loses?"

        "Aang won't lose." Ama responded with a serious tone, but knowing that there wasn't certainty in what she was saying. "He's gonna come back. He has to."

        Just as the two were arriving, the fire sages were about to place the Fire Lord headpiece on Azula. But they stopped short, seeing Appa fly down and land in the courtyard. Zuko stood on Appa's head, ready to face his sister.

        "Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today." Zuko announced and jumped off of Appa. "I am."

        Azula found that funny and laughed. "You're hilarious."

        "And you're going down." Ama added, walking to stand beside the fire prince.

        The Fire Sage motions to crown Azula, but she raises her hand, signaling him to stop. "Wait. You want to be Fire Lord. Fine. Let's settle this." The princess challenged. "Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!"

        "You're on." Zuko accepted.

        Ama gave him a surprised look. "What are you doing?" She whispered to him. "She's playing you. She knows she can't take us both so she is trying to separate us."

        "I know. But I can take her this time." Zuko claimed.

        "But even you admitted to your Uncle that you would need help facing Azula." She pointed out.

        "There's something off about her, I can't explain it but she's slipping." He noted, observing the crooked and manic manner of Azula. Then he looked at the waterbender, giving her an assuring smile. "And this way, no one else has to get hurt."

        Ama huffed and crossed her arms. "I'm perfectly capable of fighting Azula." She grumbled.

        "I know." He told her. A tiny smile on his lips when he saw her frown, finding it adorable. "But, this is between me and her." Ama lowered her head. She knew he was right. But that didn't stop her worry.

        The two siblings went to opposite sides of the courtyard. Zuko kneeling on the right end and Azula kneeling on the left end. While Ama stood off to the side. Zuko rose and turned around first, then Azula did to face each other.

        "I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother." Azula faked an apology, taking off the Fire Lord robe.

        "No, you're not." Zuko said, already in a fighting stance.

        Azula just smiled deviously, but standing awkwardly. She then spun and thrust her palm out, shooting a blast of blue flame at her brother. Zuko brought his hands up, jumped forward, and brought his arms down in front of him, bending two waves of flame in each hand that came together and shot forward.

        The blue and orange flames collided into a wall of fire. When the flames dissipated, Azula leaped forward shooting a blast of fire. She then sent out a wave of fire towards Zuko with three spin kicks.

        Ama stood by, watching this all take place. Her eyes reflected the fire. Her heart thumped loudly with every blast.

        Zuko punched forwards, releasing a powerful stream of fire and it collided with a stream of blue fire from Azula. Both attacks pushed against each other for a moment before slipping to one side.

        Then, both Azula and Zuko stopped their attacks. Azula looked back at the plaza behind her, which had caught on fire from Zuko's attack. She turned back to Zuko, both anger and fear in her eyes. She charged forward and leaped upward on a blast of fire, which she swung down at Zuko. Zuko spun his body in a circle and thrust his palms out to the sides, creating a wall of flame that split the blue fire in half.

        Zuko punched forward with his fist, and two immense fireballs were launched at Azula, spiraling and intertwining to create one massive fireball. Azula dodged to the right on a jet of blue fire, just narrowly avoiding the fireball. Thrusting herself forward while in the air, Azula punched forward three times, launching two huge blue fire blasts.

        Zuko placed his hands near the ground and shot a blast of fire, thrusting himself into the air, avoiding Azula's first attack. He spun around in mid air and swung his heel downward, which created an arc of flame that blocks the second fire blast. And as Zuko felt back down, he swung his arms down, creating a blast of fire that destroyed a third blue blast of fire.

        As Azula shot fire to flew herself around on blue fire, Zuko created a large flame, following her trail. Spinning on the ground, the flame created hit her. Azula's fire kept her from getting burned, but she was thrown to the ground.

        Her own momentum rolled her onto the ground. But she wasn't a quitter. Azula picked herself up, breathing heavily and hunched over. Ama thought that things were starting to end, running on the courtyard, but still kept at a distance behind Zuko.

        "No lightning, today?" Zuko challenged with a shout. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll re-direct it?"

        "Oh, I'll show you lightning!" Azula shouted and proceeded to wave her fingertips around in arcs to generate the lightning, but her motions were far more dramatic and irregular than usual. Zuko breathed in and out deeply as he entered his stance and extended his palms out to receive the lightning.

        When Azula finished her motions and positioned herself, she glanced at Ama. The waterbender glared at the princess and had a fighting stance. Azula, still positioned to strike, smirked briefly and then extended her arm and finger tip to Zuko's right, releasing the lighting at Ama.

        No one expected it. Ama froze at the speed of the lightning. Her blue eyes widened in horror, reflecting the sparks of the blue light. It was like she couldn't move. Or waterbend. Or do anything.

        But Zuko reacted quickly. His eyes widened in shock and fear as he sprinted to jump between his sister's attack and the girl he loved.

        "No!" He shouted. His left hand was extended in front of him, absorbing the lighting mid-leap. Ama gasped, still in a state of shock. As Zuko hit the ground the lightning escaped from his other arm, shooting into the sky.

        Still lying on the ground, Zuko twitched as electricity surged through his body. He groaned as he rolled onto his back, holding his chest. Parts of his shirt were burned by the lighting, showing a scar that had been left on his chest.

        Finally regaining her sense, Ama shouted in fear and anticipation. "Zuko!" She ran forward to get to him, but a bolt of lighting struck the ground in front of her and stopped her.

        Azula, hunched over and swaying from side to side, laughed maniacally. She then rushed at Ama. But Ama was more concerned with the fire prince, still in pain and badly hurt. Zuko groaned, trying to get up. Ama gasped and started to run over again. Seeing Azula shoot fire, Ama blocked it with her waterbending.

        Azula laughed hysterically and charged up with lightning. Ama ran off quickly to try to escape Azula's attack and to try and strategize an attack back. Zuko, still on the ground, attempted to get up and stretched his arms out helplessly. Desperate to regain his energy and continue to fight off his sister.

        Ama ran around the perimeter of the plaza, narrowly missing Azula's lighting with a somersault. Azula firebent herself onto the roof and began charging up with lightning.

        "I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu if you don't mind!" She called to Ama, and shot a bolt of lightning at her.

        Ama, again, barely missed the shots of lighting and Azula shot a blast of fire in her direction. Ama ran to hide behind a pillar. Another fire blast hits the pillar and the waterbender cringed with her hands over her head. Standing back up, she looked around the pillar.

        "Zuzu, you don't look so good!" Azula taunted Ama to come out of hiding.

        It worked, because Ama poked her head out more. Azula shot lightning at Ama's pillar. The waterbender ran to hide behind another pillar as the lightning made contact with the previous one. Finally deciding enough was enough, Ama bent the water from a nearby fountain and shot it towards the roof that Azula was on.

        But Azula wasn't on the roof. Instead the princess flew behind Ama, cashing her out into the courtyard. Ama bent a wave of water, surfing on top of it and turning it to ice with Azula closely behind her with her jets of fire.

        Ama escaped inside the plaza, where some drains were. She noticed the drains and then some chains by the door, and started to hatch a plan. Quickly grabbing the metal chain, Azula entered the plaza, leaning on a pillar.

        "There you are, filthy peasant!" Azula insulted, stepping forward.

        Ama stood her ground. Her eyes full of determination and Azula's full of hate. Ama acted first, sending streams of water towards Azula. The firebender dodged them and rolled across the drain.

        Ama walked closer to Azula while she stood up and pointed her fingers at Ama. Seeing this as her chance, the waterbender lurched backwards, bending the water in the drain and freezing it into an ice prison. Keeping her and Azula frozen in their movements.

        Azula's eyes darted around but she was unable to move. Azula's fingers inches away from Ama's face. The waterbender exhaled and the ice around her body melted into water as she proceeded to chain Azula's arms behind her back.

        The area with Ama and Azula turned to water so the Water Tribe girl brought Azula to her knees as she floated behind her. Ama wrapped the chains around the drain gratings before waterbending the water back to the drain.

        The girls coughed and gasped for air as soon as they could. Ama grabbed the chains behind the very annoyed Azula, tightening them. Once knowing the chains were secure, Ama ran off.

        Zuko moaned in pain as Ama skidded next to him. She turned him over so the lightning wound was facing her. She brought up a water gloved hand and pressed it on the wound and it spread out with a blue glow. Zuko grimaced at the feeling before relaxing and opening his eyes.

        Ama focused on healing the wound before looking over at him. Seeing that he was okay, the girl let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

        "Thanks, waterlily." His voice was raspy and tired.

        "I think I'm the one who should be thanking you." Ama teared up, her hand cupping his cheek. "I'm so sorry, I should have moved out of the way faster."

        "Hey, it's okay." He assured her, slowly sitting up with her help. "I'd do it again."

        Ama chuckled lightly. "Well then in that case you'd be an idiot." She still had tears dripping down her face.

        Zuko used his thumb to move aside the tears and placed a short kiss on her lips. "Well then in that case, I'd be an idiot in love." Ama's heart skipped a beat and she froze. "I love you, Ama."

        "I love you, too. Zuko." Ama said back, leaning in again and kissing him. It was filled with passion and kindness and happiness. Pulling away, Ama had the largest smile. For a moment, she forgot that the courtyard was still burning and that his insane sister was just a few meters away.

        She helped him stand up, his arm around her shoulder to lean on her. They turned to see Azula. She was hyperventilating in anger that she lost and firebent out from her mouth. The princess struggled against the chains and continued to firebend at the drain. Realizing that there was no escape she broke down into tears.

        Zuko looked at his sister expressionlessly. Like it was wrong to express emotion to his sister who had tried to kill them moments ago. Ama had a look of relief. Azula wouldn't be a problem anymore.

        But she still felt some sympathy for the girl. She didn't really know what the source of her pain was from. Why she felt such a need for power and to be feared. Still, Ama reminded herself that Azula wasn't going to change. Not like her brother.

.☽☼☾.

        It wasn't until later that night, once the comet had passed, that the other met at the Fire Nation Palace. Seeing her siblings safe, Ama jumped to hug them. Both Katara and Sokka also ran to her to embrace their sister. Well, in Sokka's case he hopped on his right foot.

        "Oh thank the spirits you're all alright." Ama exhaled gratefully, hugging both Katara and Sokka at the same time.

        "Other than Sokka's injured leg." Katara giggled as they pulled away. "What about you, are you guys okay?"

        "Perfectly fine." Ama grinned as Zuko walked over to the group. His injury kept him from running.

        "Zuko!" Sokka shouted, hugging the firebender, but pulled away when Zuko grunt in pain.

        "Well, except Zuko did get shot by lightning." Ama added, forgetting the one little detail.

        "So I assume you did it." Zuko looked at Aang.

        "Nope." Aang shook his head. Ama and Zuko both looked confused, wondering how they won if Fire Lord Ozai wasn't dead. "I took away his bending." Aang said proudly.

        "Wow." Ama gave a surprised look. "Remind me never to piss you off." She said, throwing her arm around the bald boy's shoulders.

        "What about you Sifu Hotman?" Aang asked Zuko. "You Fire Lord yet?"

        Zuko grumbled at the nickname, but still chose to ignore it. "The coronation is in a few days. I want you all to be there." He told everyone in the circle.

        "I don't know, a coronation sounds kinda boring." Toph crossed her arms as she quipped.

.☽☼☾.

        And just as planned, the coronation day arrived. People from all nations arrived. Even people from the Foggy Swamp came. Ama went out into the crowd with her siblings. Sokka using a crutch to support his injured leg. The three scanned the crowd for their dad. Excited to see him.

        "Dad!" Sokka spotted him first, talking to Bato. With the widest smiled, the Water Tribe siblings ran to him.

        Hakoda held his arms out to embrace his kids. "I heard what you three did. I am the proudest father in the world. And your mother would be proud too." Katara lightly touched the necklace passed down from their mother and Ama smiled.

        Suki stepped towards them, dressed in her Kyoshi uniform with four others flanked behind her.

        "There's my favorite warriors." Sokka greeted them. "I have to admit, I kind of missed the face paint. How does it feel to be back in uniform again?"

        "It feels great!" Ty Lee, one of Azula's friends that assisted in hunting down the Gaang, said happily. Her hands intertwined together as she jumped beside Suki.

        A shocked look came upon Sokka's face and he stepped between Suki and Ty Lee, pointing his crutch towards the girl. "Careful Suki! Ty Lee is pretending to be a Kyoshi Warrior again."

        "It's ok." Suki assured him and Sokka relaxed. "She's one of us now."

        "Yeah, the girls and I really bonded in prison. And after a few Chi blocking lessons, they said I could join their group." Ty Lee explained and stood in between 2 warriors, placing her arms around their shoulders. "We're going to be best friends forever."

        Ama chuckled at the scene and Katara leaned her arm on her sisters shoulder. "So, since you're the almost Fire Lord's girlfriend, what are you guys planning to do?"

        "What!?" Hakoda's shocked voice kept Ama from responding. Both the girls jolted in surprise, forgetting that their dad had no idea about Ama and Zuko's relationship.

        "Hehe," Ama, rubbed the back of her neck as she looked at her father. "So, Zuko and I are kinda dating."

        His expression was both a bit confused and shocked, making Katara chuckle. Hakoda took a moment to process it before he smiled at her. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy." He hugging his oldest daughter. "But, Fire Lord or not, I still need to have a talk with him." Ama laughed as she pulled away.

        As the time neared for the coronation, the crowd had arranged into groups based on their nation. Swamp benders, earth benders, Water Tribe warriors and Fire Nation citizens. One of the Fire Sages sounded a gong 3 times and Zuko walked forward as the crowd cheered.

        The firebender raised his arm. "Please, the real hero is the Avatar." He moved aside, revealing Aang as he stepped forward as well in orange robes and a traditional Airbender necklace. Everyone cheered again as Aang scanned the crowd. Catching eyes with Katara. Ama saw how her sister looked at him and nudged her lightly. Getting the young waterbender to blush.

        "Today, this war is finally over." Zuko announced. "I promised my Uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation, and I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path, and begin a new era of love and peace."

        The Fire Sage holding the Fire Lord diadem in his hand stepped forward towards the new Fire Lord. Zuko kneeled down to accept the crown.

        "All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" The Fire Sage proclaimed, placing the diadem into Zuko's top knot.

        The crowd cheered and Zuko lifted his head up as the Fire Sage dismissed himself, keeping his head bowed. Zuko stood back up and walked forward. He urged for Aang to join him up front and the two stood before the crowd proudly.

.☽☼☾.

        Back in Ba Sing Se, the Gaang met up at Iroh's tea shop for a celebration. Iroh played the sungi horn inside the shop with Appa looking at him through the window. Iroh only stopped when Zuko placed a cup of tea beside him. The Fire Lord went around the room, giving everyone their tea. Toph was relaxing with her feat on the table, Aang played with Momo, and Ama and Suki were busy playing a game of Pai Sho while Katara watched.

        "Zuko, stop moving!" Sokka ordered loudly, making everyone stop what they were doing to look at him. "I'm trying to capture the moment." He said with a sophisticated tone before getting back to his ink and water with a soft expression. "I wanted to do a painting, so we always remember the good times together."

        "That's very thoughtful of you Sokka." Katara said sweetly as she and Ama went over to have a look. Katara gave a deadpanned look when she saw the paper and Ama burst out laughing.

        "Wow, Sokka. Next world renowned painter right here." She joked.

        "Why did you give me Momo ear's?" Katara asked, pointing at the painting..

        "Those are you hair-loopies." Sokka justified with an offended tone.

        "Why are my legs so large?" Ama in turn asked, humor in her voice.

        "You wear large pants." Sokka shrugged. That wasn't necessary true. Her pants were as big as Katara's the only difference was that her kimono wasn't long enough to cover up the pants.

        Zuko and Suki went over to the table to check out his drawing, looking unamused. "At least you don't look like a boar-q-pine." Zuko complained, his painting having very large and spiky hair. "My hair's not that spiky!"

        "And why did you paint me firebending?" Suki wondered, her portrayal holding a fan in one hand and a stream of fire from the other.

        "I thought it looked more exciting that way." Momo jumped onto the table and made some animal sounds. "Oh, you think you can do a better job, Momo?" Sokka got offended by the animal's noises.

        "Hey, for all you know, Momo could be complimenting you." Ama quipped, giving a firm slap on her brother's back.

        "Hey, my belly's not that big anymore. I've really trimmed down." Iroh looked at it.

        "Well, I think you all look perfect!" Toph raised her arms into the air. While everyone chuckled, Sokka gave a frustrated grumble.

        Katara looked over at the entrance where Aang just walked out. Ama noticed her sister's look and nudged her. Katara gave her a confused expression.

        "Go get him." She urged her with a soft smile. Katara said nothing, but gave Ama a thankful smile and went out after Aang. Zuko walked over his girlfriend as she watched her sister go out. He wrapped his arms from behind her and placing his head on her shoulder. "Ah, young love." She said dreamily as he chuckled.

        "Yeah." He agreed, drawing her closer to him. His soft smile turned into a frown and he groaned. "Damn it, because of them we're missing the sunset."

        Ama laughed at his reaction. "Oh calm down, dragonfly. There's a sunset every evening. Beside," She placed her hand on his cheek, turned her head, and placed a kiss on his cheek. "We still have the fireworks tonight."

        "Bleh!" Sokka loudly disturbed their moment. Ama and Zuko turned to look at the boy, and also seeing that everyone had turned their attention to the couple. But that was probably just because Sokka had to make it obvious. "Honestly, sis. You're giving me the oogies."

        Ama scoffed. "I give you the oogies? I never complained about you and Suki!"

        Sokka looked like he was backed into a corner with both my comment and Suki's playful glare, but he just waved it off. "Whatever, I'm going to go get Katara and Aang."

        "Should we tell him that-" Zuko whispered in her ear as Sokka walked outside.

        "Oh no," Ama chuckled and shook her head. "let him figure it out." As if on cue, they heard Sokka's shriek. "Serves him right." The girl laughed.

.☽☼☾.

        The thrilled and excited shouts of the group was almost unheard by the citizens of Ba Sing Se as Appa soared straight down. Ama held onto Zuko's arm tightly, laughing with adrenaline and some fear of falling off the bison.

        The animal flew into a curve, leveling out in the sky. "Ha ha! Let's go again!" Aang shouted happily.

        "Wait, guys! The fireworks are starting!" Suki pointed at the sky.

        And sure enough the sky started to be filled in colorful explosions and the booming sounds filling the air. The sparks of purple, yellow, and all the other colors fell slowly from the sky when they were done like embers from a flame.

        "Wow, the view is amazing!" Katara awed.

        "It is! Thanks buddy!" Aang agreed with Katara then thanked Appa for the ride into the sky. The citizens of the Earth Kingdom below them cheered loudly and the Gaang looked down. "Sounds like the Earth King just announced the Harmony Restoration Movement."

        The Harmony Restoration Movement. A new agreement between Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei to get all of the Fire Nation citizens back to the Fire Nation. Removing all the colonies.

        "Hey, wanna know what fireworks are like for me?" Toph asked Sokka. "Close your eyes." The boy listened to her and closed his eye, not really questioning anything. "BOOM!"

        Sokka screeched at the shout in his ear and fell to the ground with his hands covering his ears. The others laughed, not at Sokka's pain, but at how he didn't see it coming. "Oh, Toph! Don't be such a grump!" Katara hugged the young girl. "You're out with friends on a beautiful night, celebrating the fact that the we saved the world!"

        "True." Toph grumbled.

        Ama grinned happily and turned to her boyfriend. The boy had a serious look on his face, like he was in deep thought. "You, too, your new majesty Fire Lord Zuko sir!" Aang joke and put a large grin on his own face. "Turn that frown upside down! It's happy time!" Zuko turned back, with his somber expression. "Zuko?"

        "I visited my father in prison the other day..." He started seriously. "I've been meaning to ask you for a favor, Aang."

        "Sure. Anything." Aang told him, wondering what could be so important that he had to say in the moment.

        "If you see me turning into my father, I want you to..." He paused. "I want you to end me."

        "What?!" Aang asked. Ama gasped and looked over at Katara, who was just as surprised as her.

        "Even now, after everything that's happened, my family's legacy is still a part of me." He explained. "That's why it's my duty to heal the scars that the Fire Nation has left on the world. But the Fire Lord's throne comes with a lot of pressures. And if I'm honest with myself..."

        "I need a safety net. The world needs a safety net. That's what I need you to be, Aang. The safety net." Ama couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all he'd been through to go against what he was taught, he still believed he would be a danger to the world.

        "Zuko, you're not your dad!" Aang told him. "And you're my friend! How can you expect me-"

        "As your friend, I'm asking you. If you ever see me go bad, end me." Zuko said firmly. Every word he was saying was like a stab at Ama's heart.

        Aang hesitated, lowering his head regrettably. "Fine. I promise."

        "You're never going to need to uphold to that." Ama told Aang with determination. Her blue eyes turned to stare into Zuko's gold one. "Because you won't turn into your father. I don't know how you can even think that." Her tone was angry and hurt.

        Zuko looked at her sadly, pulling her into him for a hug. "Just a safety net." He repeated.

        Ama looked up into the sky, the fireworks seemed to have just a little less color in the now gloomy atmosphere.

.☽☼☾.

Please be patient with me, my editing, the writing. I'm doing the best I can and most of my creativity hits at like midnight.

Love you all! Hang loose, amigos 🤙🏼

[ghoultyrant]

Azula: Sympathetic Monster?...

(Cross-posted to Vigaroe)

I was really jarred by how the end portion of Avatar: The Last Airbender handled Azula.

For most of the series, Azula's characterization was very consistent: she was someone whose relationship to socioemotional considerations was that those are a weakness other people have. Azula and Zuko shared parents, but their respective relationships illustrated this dynamic through contrast:

For Zuko, his mother was a warm and loving parent, and when she disappeared this was a bit of trauma that seems to have permanently changed how he interacted with the world. His father was someone he respected and wanted to impress, and even after he was permanently scarred by the man he still seemed to desire to gain Ozai's respect. These relationships mattered to him on a deep and inescapable level, and even his relationship to Azula built on this idea: though virtually every interaction we see between the two is one where Azula makes Zuko miserable, when she first showed up in the show and acted like a caring sibling, he wanted such a scenario to be real desperately enough that instead of being suspicious on the basis of her past behavior he actually bought this inexplicable change completely up until an officer made the mistake of referring to Zuko and Iroh as prisoners.

Zuko can't stop craving positive familial relationships even when there's a persistent pattern of open and deliberate abuse.

Azula, meanwhile, is abhorrent to her mother and doesn't seem terribly bothered by this idea. Her father's unpleasant treatment of her brother is something to smile about, or even help arrange to happen. Zuko's suffering is a game, not something to be bothered by, because she doesn't care about him. She doesn't seem to care about any of them, or indeed about anyone at all except perhaps herself -and that's more assumed than actually illustrated.

This extends much further than just their immediate familial relationships. Azula's 'friends' are minions she coerces/terrorizes into working for her. Zuko starts the series with no peer-type friends that we ever see unless you count the edge case of Mai, but with a sister who treats emotions and social connections as a weakness to be picked on it would be pretty amazing if he did have any friends.

This is a very consistent point of contrast between the two characters, one that tells us a lot about Azula's character, and it's a character that's pretty difficult for most people to sympathize with. She's the kind of character that often gets labeled a psychopath or sociopath, and which is often treated as unambiguously an evil so dark that the audience is not intended to feel even slightly bad if justice comes in the form of a gruesome death or the like.

... and then the end of the series tries to tell us Azula wants the love of her parents. That she tormented Zuko because their mother always loved him and not her, and she couldn't understand why. That she did everything she did because she desperately wanted her father's approval, so much so that when he leaves her behind to go be Phoenix King this is pretty much the last straw for her sanity. That she actually did care about her friends, and tormented and terrorized them because... she thought making them fear her would do a better job of ensuring loyalty than making them love her?...

The whole thing is bizarre. In the first place, it's irreconcilable with literally everything about her character prior to this interpretation being invented. In the second place, the story is actively undermining it as it's introducing the concept: we get a flashback showing that Azula was a horrible little monster all the way into early childhood, and also get flashbacks implying that Ozai was actually a pretty okay father prior to his wife being taken away from him -and these flashbacks are happening after the series has started trying to sell us on the idea that Azula wasn't born evil. The first flashback I'm referring to directly undermines this idea by depicting Azula being a monster for no clear motive in early childhood: the second undermines it indirectly, by making it so you can't explain L'il Azula's awful behavior as being a product of her desire to chase her father's approval, since it goes back to before he was modeling/encouraging awful behavior.

More than the actual plothole/narrative plausibility angle, though, what bothers me most is... a thing that needs a bit more grounding.

So let's get to that.

One of the major background elements of Avatar is being humanizing and sympathetic. Our first 'antagonist' is Zuko, and though he's on the 'bad guy' side the show quickly lets us know what is motivating Zuko and makes it clear he's a figure deserving of sympathy and potentially even pity. He's not simply the enemy who we must defeat/foil/evade/etc, but a person who has good and reasonable reasons for his own actions, and it's just unfortunate they place him at odds with the protagonists.

Zuko is the strongest example of this, but especially in the first season it's fairly typical for entities to start out framed in a manner that suggests straightforward 'bad guy-ness' and then the story reveals that it's not as straightforward as that, or is entirely untrue. A rampaging spirit monster assaulting innocent villagers for no obvious reason turns out to be hurting and angry because of real metaphysical harm done to them, and once they are made to understand that things will get better and that the people they've kidnapped weren't behind it the rampage stops and the kidnapped people are returned. An insane and hostile king turns out to be an old friend playing tricks. Etc.

Unfortunately, the writers seem to have struggled to hold to this consistently. This humanizing, sympathetic approach to people is applied to a fair amount of entities, but... not to everyone, and even the people it gets applied to it gets caveats. With the semi-exception of Zuko's sympathetic backstory not showing up until the episode after the two pilot episodes, generally a hostile character is either revealed to be sympathetic before the episode they were introduced in ends, or the story never tries to humanize them. Zhao is a straightforward gloryhound villain whose karmic death is treated as wholly deserved, and no attempt is ever made to follow up on any possible tragedy in his death. We never meet any of his loved ones, let alone see them being heartbroken by his death. We never see him have any friends, or at least not any friends who aren't themselves treated as fairly one-dimensionally villainous. The one-off Fire Nation officers running prisons in the Earth Kingdom and the like are generally one-dimensional villains we're pretty much supposed to view as deserving a righteous punching. When we meet the Dai Li and their master, the whole thing is an Orwellian nightmare that's never suggested to have a sympathetic reason for existing, and which deliberately keeps its own king out of the loop on important matters because... it's a sinister Orwellian organization, that's just what you do if you're an evil power behind the throne.

Azula and, to a lesser extent, Ozai, end up suffering because the writers seem to have spent most of the story running on Villain Tropes Logic, and only later on remembered that this is supposed to be a narrative in which everyone is a person deserving of humane and sympathetic treatment. Ozai's handling is plausible enough, but this is more due to the fact that while Ozai's influence has been made apparent all the way back to the third episode of the series, Ozai himself has been a largely undefined shadow figure, motives and goals inscrutable enough you could drape just about anything over what we see and end up with something plausible.

Azula doesn't benefit from this murkiness. She's had a strong and consistent character that has been developed consistently and clearly on-screen over a notable number of episodes, and attempting to rework her into being a Terrible But Sympathetic Person is like building a house in a swamp and then when you realize you're not happy living in a swamp you... change the wallpaper.

This is obviously bad practice in the first place, but there's also a subtle dehumanizing element to this attempt to humanize Azula, and that is the thing I'm uncomfortable with. In effect, the story's handling tells us that the Azula we knew is not someone who it's okay to view with sympathy, or treat humanely or with empathy. It has to invent a new version of Azula who, instead of being essentially exempt from the usual socioemotional experience, is actually deeply tied into it and just being awful as part of that.

This is frustrating, because the Azula we knew could be treated in a humane and empathic manner. Just because Azula doesn't really value these kinds of connections and experiences doesn't mean she's inherently destined to be a monster where the only acceptable response is to put her out of everyone else's misery. A different environment could have shaped Azula differently -it's likely that she'd always have had a streak of pragmatism or ruthlessness to her, given what we see, but it's easy to imagine how Ursa could have made more of an attempt to understand why her daughter was eg torturing small animals for fun and then adjusted how she handled Azula's upbringing. The Azula we got has a backstory that paints her as almost feral, with a father who's barely present, a mother that doesn't really want to have anything to do with her, and no evidence of any replacement parental figures to shape Azula into thinking about the world differently.

If you take a girl who isn't all that interested in social connections in the first place, give her tremendous latitude and power simply because of who her parents are, and then never allow her to experience anything like a partnership to see the benefits it brings and understand what is necessary to reap those benefits, is it really a surprise when she ends up viewing the world through a lens that makes human relationships a weakness? She got all the power she could want without ever having to befriend anyone, and she got to see her father become a broken man when her mother was taken away, not to mention see how wimpy Zuko was as a child coddled by their mother.

This is easy to use as a base to keep Azula's awful canon behavior while framing her as a human being we should try to empathize and understand. Restructuring her motives into being pretty much the exact opposite of her entire character up to this point is unnecessary, a bit disheartening, and while the show could potentially have tried to make some 'No So Different' point about Azula and Zuko it... didn't. There's kind of an interesting point that the show is consistent about having them both be Sympathetic Evil when it's framing them as seeking the approval of their father, but it gets lost in just dismissing Azula as crazy where Zuko's behavior was treated as completely sane when he was doing pretty much literally the exact same thing.

It's a frustrating finish to one of the series' strongest characters.