#historian zuko

[muffinlance]

druk gets into zukos coffee supply

"Uncle."

Uncle raised his tea cup to his lips.

"Uncle, how did he get in."

Uncle took the most delicate of sips.

"Uncle I am not turning another storeroom into tea storage."

"How unfortunate to waste the space," said Uncle. "After all, it is quite hard to keep a dragon out once they have acquired the taste!"

"Uncle."

[fanfic-gremlin-ft-trauma]

I HAVE BEEN INFORMED VERY LATE THAT IT IS THE PRINCE AND THE FOOL ANNIVERSARY. (school has been kicking my ass I am a bit behind 😭) how people saw this and STILL think zukka is an ‘out of the ass’ and ‘nonsensical’ ship is amazing to me

anyway is that all you and sokka were, or were to one another?

no, i think not

iroh said:

[gotticalavera]

|||Next part of this HC|||

The Fire Nation went from depicting grotesque, stereotypical, racist caricatures of Air Nomads for 100 years... to depicting the sole surviving Air Nomad as if he were a muse or divine entity.

Aang's portrayal was so impactful on the Fire Nation art world that he became a character trope for contemporary media.

An Aang-esque character trope; he would be a lovely, kind, funny, calm, and fairly trustworthy character. He would be the best friend of the protagonist in a novel or the romantic interest of the protagonist in a shojo manga.

[wileycap]

Selected Correspondence of Fire Lord Zuko

As preserved by the Royal Archives

1.

My good hotman Zuko,

It's Aang! Sokka let me borrow Hawky. Please feed him before sending him back.

I'm writing to ask if it's okay for me to drop by. Except I'll probably be there by the time you get this, because Appa flies faster than Hawky. Still, it's polite to ask!

Write back (or don't.)

Hot regards

Your friend Aang

-

Revered Avatar Aang

Hawky arrived two hours after you left. Never send me "hot regards" again. Like I keep telling you, language has changed in the past 100 years. It doesn't mean what you think. Future historians will think we were having an affair.

It's always okay to drop by. Hawky has been fed.

May your inner fire warm you (write that down somewhere)

Fire Lord Zuko

2.

Hi

need 3 fire benders (zappy) + few construction workers + a lot of copper

Delivr to harbor

sokka

-

Honorable tribesman Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, son of Chief Hakoda, Hero of the 100 Year War

No.

May your inner fire warm you

Fire Lord Zuko

-

Dear Jerk Lord of the Jerk Nation, Master Jerkbender and All-Around Jerk

quit being stingy and send me what i need. seriously. the fate of your nation is at stake. LOOK:

[drawing of two pickles, a stick figure and waves]

Hot regards

Sokka

-

Sokka

Your drawing makes no sense. I'm writing a law which bans you from owning a messenger hawk.

I found you three volunteer firebenders who can lightningbend. They'll be there in a week with four carts of copper. If you need construction workers, beg Toph, don't bother me.

Feed Hawky better. He's malnourished, he keeps begging me for more food.

And don't do that.

Fire Lord Zuko

3.

Dear Honorless Usurper

My, how the time flies. It seems as if it was only yesterday that I was supposed to be crowned Fire Lord, and here we are, celebrating the first full year of your doomed reign. I salute you.

Know this: you won't know peace for long. I have entered into an alliance with Admiral Noboru. He is a true patriot and has kindly offered me three ships and 2000 men to retake the throne. He has also generously offered to serve as my consort, "despite my mental deficiency."

I am writing as a courtesy, as it is obvious that the throne will soon be mine. I might even let you live.

May Agni's light shine on you*

Azula

Fire Lord-in-exile

[* common benediction for the dead during Fire Lord Zuko's reign]

-

Dear Sister

Thank you for writing. I spoke with Noboru. I told him that I was allowing an Agni Kai and that you were on your way.

Noboru has fled the country. He gifted you his whole estate, see the enclosed list. He said to tell you he's sorry and not to come after him.

Please come visit any time. I hope your healing is going well.

May your inner fire warm you

Your brother Zuko

[enclosed: A list of assets including a home in the 5th Province, a vacation home on Ember Island, 20 acres of farmland, a substantial amount of gold and silver and assorted property]

4.

Zuko

this is the worst copper i've ever seen??? i want a refund. you're the worst copper merchant ever.

sokka

-

Sokka

You didn't even pay for the copper. I'm not giving you a refund. And I'm not a copper merchant. I didn't even buy it, somebody else did. What's wrong with it?

I can send you more if you need?

Fire Lord Zuko

-

Sokka

I sent you two more carts of copper. This is the best copper we have, so if it's not good enough, you can get your own and stop mooching off of me.

Fire Lord Zuko

5.

[on a thin sheet of metal]

Sparky! Earth Rumble 8 is two weeks from now. I'm coming to pick you up in the morning two days before.

Check it out: I can write now. Katara helped me with the characters but I've got it now. Hawky isn't strong enough to carry these, but Katara's dad is letting me borrow Seabreeze.

It's TOPH.

-

Dear Lady Beifong

You can't just come pick me up! I'm the Fire Lord. Two weeks isn't enough time for me to arrange days off.

I'd like to come watch you knock some heads, but I can't. Sorry.

Feed Seabreeze. Seriously. What's wrong with you people? Every bird you send me is starving.

May your inner fire warm you

Fire Lord Zuko

-

[on a thin sheet of metal]

Sparky. Thanks for sending me a sheet of paper but my privy is stocked. I can guess what it says though: "I can't go I'm so busy and I'm too much of a wimp to clear my schedule"

I'm coming to pick you up. Tell your guards they can either get out of my way or get CRUSHED. It's gonna be fun.

It's TOPH.

-

A painting of Fire Lord Zuko, Lady Beifong, Master Katara, Avatar Aang, Suki of Kyoshi Island and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. Lady Beifong is sitting on the Fire Lord's shoulders, holding up a decorative belt and smiling widely.

[zuko-always-lies]

If I were writing a later "in-universe historical analysis" of Zuko's reign as Firelord (not treating Korra as canon here)

Future historians have no idea about what happened between Ursa, Ozai, and Azulon. They know something odd happened but they don't know the details.

Zuko's banishment is comparatively well understood, but still confusing.

Even sympathetic historians essentially view Zuko as a power-hungry person who allied with the Gaang to seize the throne. The "official narrative" is too strange and too convenient for Zuko.

Adding to that sense is the fact that Zuko and the Gaang largely fall out after the war, and Firelord Zuko gets into a variety of conflicts with the Earth Kingdom, although the full-scale 100 years war never restarts.

Zuko's regime was a time of political instability and conflict within the Fire Nation, rising to outright civil war sometimes, and this is seen as one of the largest reasons why the 100 Years War ended and stayed ended.

Azula is largely seen as awesome (the rise of feminism only makes people more interested in her), while the most negative stories about her are largely dismissed as propaganda.

Azula's line ends up on the throne in the end, and Zuko's entire reign is ironically (and probably wrongly) seen as sort of prelude to that.

[discordiansamba]

kou makes frequent visits to the caldera after the war, even though he doesn't actually live there. rumors quietly spread after the war that the privateer fire lord iroh hired is actually prince zuko, who was revived by the ocean spirit and given the gift of waterbending. kou does not see any reason to dispute these claims. it's more dramatic than what actually happened, at any rate.

he doesn't find druk, but he does find the egg of a sea dragon- a creature long rumored to exist, but have remained elusive until now. he just shows up at the caldera one day with a little blue dragon coiled around his shoulders. iroh just stares at it like. nephew. where in the world did you find that.

kou does not elaborate. :)

you know who does find a baby dragon? azula. therapy through raising your critically endangered pet.

thinking about the pirate zuko au again. kou in the northern water tribe continues to be the single funniest scenario to me. the chief lets this asshole pirate walk free and there's nothing anyone can do it because not only did chief arnook sign off on this, he has the avatar's support as well.

kou: aren't you tired of being nice? don't you just want to go apeshit?

yue: hmmmmmmm.

arnook: young man, i will send you back to prison if you continue to be a bad influence on my daughter.

kou: sure. i'll keep that mind.

(he does not change his behavior in the slightest. as far as kou's being concerned being a bad influence is the same as being a good influence where yue's concerned. he can spot a member of the royal family struggling with their role in it from a mile away.)

when the fire navy arrives, kou goes with aang to help take down as many ships as possible. nobody knows more about raiding fire nation ships than he does, after all. he wonders if any of the soldiers even recognize him, and then decides he doesn't care.

[lphoenixspiritl]

I cannot for the life of me find the post that inspired this 😥

After much debate and none to few threats to his council Zuko threw open the doors to the vaults and hunted down every prize brought back to his forefathers as trinkets of conquest. 

Jewels and swords and gold, the accountants and historians spent days identifying items that had sat forgotten in the dust and the dark for nearly a century. Piece after piece was meticulously researched and documented over the next weeks and months as each one found their way home. 

It was the right thing to do after all, right? 

To apologize, right his father's wrongs and build faith in the new brow that bore the crown. 

It was a task he was proud to take on until they found it, nearly forgotten at the bottom of a chest, that dusty glint they almost missed. That small unassuming knife is what broke him. A strange curved blade set in bone carved with the moon set amongst the waves, if anyone would know it would be the ambassador.

Bursting through her door nearly breathless he set it in her hands. Eyes wide her fingertips brushed along the worn bone settling into the grooves as if they were made for her. The ulu fit in her palm melting into the shape of her grip. Then the tears began to fall and with it came the weight of the sins of the father's before him.

He could do nothing but hold her as she wept for those that were taken from her and those she would never meet, the parts of her she would never know. The sins of the father could not be undone but like that blade forged in fires neither of them would ever know, he could forge a promise that this would never happen again, that he would breathe his last breath before he ever committed the same sins as his forefathers.

[fanboyzuko]

Water Tribes OCs guide

Southern

Notable parts: Dispersing Ripples, Ripples Make Waves

Atka: Kya’s cousin, aunt to Katara and Sokka, and leader of the Southern Water Tribe spies. She led the SWT women out to gather information and secure funding/support from the Earth Kingdom before the warriors set out. She’s set up base in a small Earth Kingdom port town and settled with a lovely wife and three children <3

Ticasuk: one of Atka’s spies, a fisherwoman in Earth Kingdom and neutral waters. She first met Zuko when he was trying and failing to sail solo for the first time and gave him some pointers. 

Tapeesa: an adept sailor who was too young to join the initial wave of spies, but has been sailing with her mother as a messenger through the years. She recently reached adulthood and her mother let her loose to sail by herself. She’s gotten into a bit of trouble from Atka for running messages in dangerous waters and helping Fox craft a Water Tribe identity lol. She has become one of Fox’s apprentices through the Wings and SWT alliance

Yutu: a young warrior on Hakoda’s ship

Northern 

Notable parts: Forged in Ice

Elder Ikiaq: a council member and respected historian. She is one of Yue’s closest mentors and helped Zuko and her spend time together while Zuko was in the North Pole.

Kunnik: Yue’s live-in narwolf :3

Historical

Rampant Hunter: from NWT stories of old about an arrogant hunt who was responsible for the extinction of the puffinfoxes and the disappearance of the narwolves. Zuko suspects the forgotten prey mentioned in the story are other mixed-bending creatures

Nukilik: an icebending chief who revived the NWT’s traditional stories of mixed-bending (also, Huizhong and Siniq’s child, refer to Yangchen’s group)

Back to Main Guide

[avatar-legends-confessionblog]

One of the lesser spoken parts of Aang's tragedy is that he doesn't feel like he was an expert in his culture. He lived the day to day, he loved it, he cherished it, he holds dear the memories of it and he's so happy for every chance he gets to share the parts of it that he has experienced. He pours love into the food he recreated and alters to Katara's tastes to share the experience he got from their desserts and he and Katara have those matching couple's colors they implement for each other in their wardrobes, he was as excited and thrilled to tell Kya about how free-loving and accepting the Air Nomads were when she came to him as Gyatso was to talk about how trans monks are supported and accepted, he's happy to play his old games with Sokka, he tells stories about the animals that they used to see regularly to Zuko.

There's so much love in every aspect of his culture that Aang shares with the new community he comes to love.

But Aang knows that he doesn't have a full study and grasp of all the history and teachings that he hadn't gotten to yet. There's even a seen of dramatic irony Gyatso telling Aang that he has time to learn the history gradually. Records were whipped, and sacred cultural places are still being desecrated, and people keep screaming at Aang to just let everything go.

Aang knows that he wasn't a historian. He's just a sole survivor and can only do what small things he can to hold onto something beautiful and worth remembering that was cruelly destroyed.

But he tries, because he feels like he owes that both to the people he used to love and the people he loves now, and the people his legacy will lead to that he'll never meet but whose love will reach them in this way. Because that's what inheritance and tradition and culture means to him.

X

[yikes-kachowski]

Hey Yikes! I hope you're doing well!

What's the world like by the time Sakari ascends to the throne?

Hello friend! This is long and detailed so, settle in, get some water, maybe a snack. I consulted my esteemed colleague and co-writer/lore master to make the most comprehensive post possible since I've got a lot of ideas. If you have any further questions you can ask either of us :)

Here goes:

They are primarily working through economic and parliamentary reform. While they’ve been slowly liberalizing and democratizing, officially getting a parliament eight years after the war, the Fire Nation under Fire Lord Zuko is still fundamentally an autocracy (Zuko will later be known as an ‘enlightened despot’ by future historians, as will King Kuei), a Parliament works to delegate certain tasks to, and field research. All laws and reforms are still ultimately up to the Fire Lord, though Zuko has been putting in place laws that have been slowly decreasing monarchic power and influence in the Fire Nation.

The Parliament (and other official positions) are appointed through an examination process, which is completely free, and open to anyone in the country who chooses to try it. The examinees are numbered, so there can be no bias when grading, or when they are brought to officials to be appointed into whatever roles they may qualify for. Local officials—like mayors—are elected, but there is rigorous oversight in the election process, because elections are still pretty new to the Fire Nation, and a lot of people don’t see the point in voting. The oversight is to try and mitigate local lords/landowners from pitting elections to be in their favor. Elections will expand under Sakari, though democratization is a decidedly slow process in the Fire Nation.

The Fire Nation has traditionally been a command economy, since the times of Fire Lord Yozor. Currently, they are trying to find a balance between privatization and socialization. Either way, the Fire Nation invests most of its resources into infrastructural development and social services. A big recent push has been outreaches to the Outer Islands, that have been traditionally overlooked by the monarchy, and tended to get far less funding than they needed, even under Zuko. Sakari is looking into simplifying they’re bureaucratic and bloated social service programs, and simplifying (some of them) into a universal basic income.

They’re also working on reforming their tax system into a far more simple land value tax. The dividends made with this system will be used for a universal basic income.

They are converting to a decimal monetary system, since they’re current system is incredibly complicated, and much harder to do international trade with.

Sakari will probably be remembered as having strong environmental protections, which will be somewhat of a roadblock to economic development in the industrial sphere, and for Cultural Demilitarization. Meaning, kids aren’t expected to go to military schools from the ages of 11 through 16.

True democratization won’t be implemented until the next Fire Lord.

And coronation sketches that I probably won't finish but never say never

[captainkirkk]

I don't have any strong opinions about ATLA ships, however I desperately want Zuko/Sokka/Suki to be a thing so that centuries later historians will be pulling their hair out trying to figure out what the fuck was up with these three

[paulgadzikowski]

[Image description: Preview panel for the comic strip at the link below. Adult Zuko, Katara, and Aang of Avatar: The Last Airbender stand talking. Zuko has something tucked under his arm and is saying, “My historians have been cataloguing the junk we were carrying when we arrived here after the Comet.“ Aang is saying, “Anything fun?” Unfortunately there are not image descriptions at the main Hero Of Three Faces site. End description.] 

The Hero of Three Faces is fanfiction crossovers, but it’s comic strips with stick figures, but they’re triangles. Preview panel only. Click here for full cartoon. Or see the on-site navigation tutorial. Or see this blog’s FAQ, or my archive tumblog’s FAQ. Cartoons may contain unmarked spoilers. Cartoons linked from Tumblr 10:00 (Central US time) daily are the previous day’s new update and the posts are pinned to the top of this blog. Cartoons linked from Tumblr 22:00 daily are from the archive and the posts are pinned only during annual summer hiatus of new updates.

Thanks for reading.

[wileycap]

Things that definitely happened Post-War in ATLA a.k.a. assorted headcanons that really boil down to "wouldn't it be neat/funny if...":

Zuko fought an inordinate amount of Agni Kais, to the point that some of the junior officials ended up thinking that it's custom to fight the Fire Lord every once in a while. He was notable for both never losing, and never seriously injuring his opponent.

Aang and Katara helped with the reformation of Ba Sing Se. They became friends with Joo Dee. Katara helped her regain her own memories, and her own name. Some of the women formerly known as 'Joo Dee' formed a theatre troupe, which produced highly subversive counterculture plays. Their anti-authoritarian nonconformist plays became a huge cultural movement, though they did face a fair amount of criticism from the more traditional groups. Aang loved them, and the patronage of the Avatar definitely helped them grow. They also produced a play on the history of the Air Nomads, at the request of Aang. Aang, of course, helped write it.

Sokka once hit his thumb with a hammer. This led to the invention of the nail gun, powered by pressurized air. Aang spent over four days bending air into canisters and pressurizing them. The invention never saw widespread use. The day after it was complete, Sokka drove a nail through his thumb.

That one old guy who ratted out Haru for being an earthbender stubbed his toe every single day for the rest of his life.

Lieutenant Jee resigned his commission. He requested that Zuko accept his resignation in person, and Zuko was happy to oblige. The moment his resignation was official, he went on a 45-minute tirade attacking the Fire Lord, which was never written down in its' entirety, but was described as "extremely vulgar, even for a sailor" by attendees, and mostly had to do with their time on Zuko's ship.

Toph actually ended up having a great relationship with her mom after a long and harrowing process. She competed in a couple more Earth Rumbles, and her mother was in the audience, cheering. She never really got along with her father, after the whole "hire two guys to kidnap her by any means necessary"-thing.

Momo started several diplomatic incidents. Future historians would forever puzzled by the many mentions of this mysterious 'Momo' in official documents, with the theory that Momo was the Avatar's pet being dismissed by the leading historians. Clearly, Momo was some sort of rebel leader - perhaps a Water Tribe extremist?

[babieshowclown]

Thinking about plays in the atla and i think somewhere down the line there should be a play about ursa. Like in the universe of atla there would be a historical play about how the wives of the fire nation royal family during the 100 year war and ursa being the star because she helped kicked off the beginning of the end of the war, she was constanly fighting with ozai trying to protect her children and also SHE KILLED THE FIRE LORD. I imagian that zuko kept the information about his mother under very tight lock and key so once he stepped down (or hell maybe even died since jinora was asking about ursa in korra) that a nosy historian found all the secrets about ursa and it because a huge public thing and they end up making a play about her. I just dont know if the play run time would last from her childhood to her banishment or like all the way till she was found in the search, they would prob have to add a bunch of zuko context despite zuko being a huge historical figure already and having most of his life public knowlage already. idk i just think ursa deserves an in universe stage play

[discordiansamba]

the gaang's running joke of calling kou's particular style of waterbending 'fire nation style'. kou argues that one person who has been half making up shit as he goes along doesn't constitute a 'style'.

when iroh shows aang the dragons, he brings kou along anyways, even though he's not a firebender. he thinks seeing living dragons will be just as important for his nephew, though aang is obviously the only one who takes the trial.

mai seeing what piracy has done for zuko and just thinking to herself. hmmmmm.

(iroh you'd better stop them, or your nephew is going to run off with mai, ty lee, and toph to start his own pirate crew. what, you thought he'd return to the caldera and be a prince again? absolutely not.)

(teo and the duke and pipsqueak would also join the fun. haru is a loser who wants to have a respectable job.)

extremely funny to think that long feng recognizes kou only as one of the pirates who has been raiding earth kingdom ships and not as you know. a former prince of the fire nation. and only learns this later because azula tells him as much.

kou wishes there were more he could to help katara after the fall of ba sing se, but he's not a healer. he can't help her with aang.

(he's also very excited to be back on a ship again after so long. agni, he's missed this. he's gotten terribly fond of the ocean.)

kou's the one who suggests to sokka he should go study under master piandao. piandao looking at his former student and pretending like he doesn't actually recognize him.

naturally, there's no mention in the ember island production that the waterbending pirate who joins team avatar is fire lord ozai's son. they still get his scar on the wrong side.

kou: ...why do they think I start all of my sentences with ARRRR? I've literally never said that.

kou: ...except for just then. that doesn't count.

good thing mai joins the group so someone can actually inform them of ozai's plan to burn the earth kingdom to the ground during the comet.

kou: that's horrifying but i'm not really surprised.

if anything ursa was probably even closer to her son in this au than she is in canon. ozai's brother iroh was always kind to his nephew, but she never knew how much she could really trust him to protect zuko.

azulon's request here is for him to kill azula, leaving zuko as ozai's only child- a clear message that he never intended to let ozai have the throne by leaving him only with the child that cannot inherit the throne.

kou: i'm not worried about what my mom will think of me being a fully fledged waterbender. i'm worried about what she'll think of the piracy.

(the rest of the gaang is just vaguely surprised that even crosses his mind.)

ursa voice: i assassinated the previous fire lord so i'm fine with the piracy actually.

iroh: ursa. no. i need someone to be a good influence on zuko.

some more general spitballing for the pirate zuko au:

once katara gets over her rough start with him, she's actually glad to have another waterbender around. kou's status as Most Experienced Waterbender in the group is a temporary one, but he enjoys it while he can.

local pirate still steals things on the regular. it's just a habit at this point.

kou picked his new name by using the last half of his old one, because he's not very creative when put on the spot. it's a total coincidence that it sounds like koh, but he feels like it's vaguely appropriate, given that he's already had half of his face stolen from him.

traveling via appa has him missing the ocean.

neither aang, nor katara or sokka think to tell toph that kou is fire nation. they think it's obvious- but of course, toph is blind, so she just assumes that since he's a waterbender, he's water tribe. it's kou who has to clear up this misunderstanding.

they forge a tight bond. former rich kids who were forbidden to learn their element and who embraced a less than legal lifestyle in secret? hell yeah. they've got one eye between them and they're ready to be absolute menaces.

aang has to step in so many time because people keep trying to arrest kou. his reputation as a pirate proceeds him.

sokka, as they're being attacked by the sea serpent at serpent's pass: i know! kou should try talking to him. they're kin, right?

kou: NO?????

(toph's nickname for him is, inevitably, sea serpent.)

the gaang just learns to accept that roughly 80% of kou's proposed plans involve illegal activity. you can take the pirate off of his ship, but you can't take the pirate out of the boy.

if you think kou isn't still incorporating breakdancing into his waterbending well. you'd be wrong. pretty sure it drives pakku nuts whenever he does it. that is NOT even remotely a proper waterbending form, young man.

kou: and yet. it works.

zuko's status as a waterbender was likewise hidden from mai and ty lee. when it comes out in the open, they have plenty of questions for azula. she just shrugs and says that her brother is a freak of nature.

learning that his great-grandfather was avatar roku finally clicks things into place for kou. that's why he's a waterbender.

imagine everyone's surprise when the person who gets arrested in chin village is aang, not kou.

local pirate still carries two water skins to go with his dual dao. just absolutely dedicated to the art of dual-wielding. at least it means they have a little more water on them when they're traveling through the desert.

kou meeting the swampbenders and realizing that there are other waterbenders out there who aren't water tribe.

whenever kou brushes off his high society skills, it always throws everyone for a loop. like. oh yeah. you were a prince at one point, weren't you?

it is a beautiful day in ba sing se, and you are a horrible pirate.

the dai li hate him! local pirate infiltrates their base and sets the avatar's sky bison free and departs with plenty of physical proof of their underhanded activities. thanks for keeping meticulous records long feng!

the gaang is jut like. we left you alone for FIVE MINUTES.

the gaang arrives in the fire nation and immediately sets to work spreading rumors that a.) prince zuko is alive and b.) was born a waterbender.

kou's just offended toph started the scams without him. hello? you didn't think to ask the pirate to do scams with you?

kou has zero talent for healing. he has no idea why it's so looked down on and dismissed as 'women's work' when it's actually incredibly difficult to learn.

(hama touches kou's cheek and says it's such a shame. he could have been such a handsome young man. kou is keenly aware she's touching the right half of his face.)

the day of black sun like. your prince has returned. he's a waterbender now. the solar eclipse has taken away your bending, but it hasn't taken away his.

(he still gets to confront his father. he winds up having to dodge his lightning because he can't redirect it.)

he and katara tag team that final fight against azula. kou picks the palace courtyard on purpose. there's water that runs underneath it. it's the perfect place to fight a souped up firebender.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

I Am Blackened Bones (Part 30)

It is strange to see her again. The real Azula. The Azula that he has always known.

It is stranger still to talk to her again. Without the spirit to intervene. 

And strangest yet to see the Azula that he has always known with her rigid, stiff posture and her well-articulated speaking patterns. But at the same time see someone else, with a more welcoming aura and a twinkle of curiosity in her eye—he can see it every time she spots one of the Fire Nation’s newer innovations, a building with a different material make, a new type of machine, newer forms of firebending…

“What do you think?”

Azula gives the street another up and down glance. “It’s different.” She replies. “That building wasn’t there before. And those statutes.” 

He wonders if it stings at all for her to see that there isn’t one of her standing near the other golden likenesses of he and his friends. If it does she makes no mention of it. “I can probably have them make one of you…”

“Huh?” 

“The statues. I could have one made…”

“What for?” 

“What do you mean? To commemorate your memory…”

“I’m still alive.”

“Your legacy.” He corrects. 

“I’m still making that?” She tilts her head. 

He almost laughs. He can’t believe that enough time has passed for him to forget that she has such a blunt manner of speaking. That she thinks so differently than the way he does. He holds that laugh back lest she get the wrong idea. 

“At any rate, statues are creepy. I don’t understand the appeal.”

“How so?”

“Why do people enjoy staring at their own faces so much? It’s uncanny. That barely even looks like you.” She pauses. “Well it does but there is something off about it. Something that isn’t quite right. That doesn’t bother you?”

Zuko shakes his head. “I never really saw it that way. I think that it’s a nice gesture of respect. A way to remember my accomplishments.”

“You can’t just remember them in your own brain?” She pauses. Before he can speak she adds, “I suppose that I am the wrong person to speak about remembering things that are important.” She pauses again. “From a historical standpoint I suppose that means of commemoration are useful.” She nods more to herself than him. “I’d rather just have a my accomplishments inscribed and then that scroll can hang in a pretty little frame on a wall somewhere.”

“What about portraits?” He asks. “You never minded those.”

“As far as you were aware. I don’t like having to sit for them; there are better uses for my time. Especially since I don’t look at them often.” She sighs. “But it would be quite bizarre if there isn’t a face to put to inscribed stories. I should probably go for an updated portrait, lest future historians think that I died as a child.”

“But no statues?”

“If you erect a statue of me I will personally see to it that it is taken down. If I want to look at my face I will do so in a reflection in a pond as nature had intended.” 

“You have a mirror at home… you’re joking right now.” He states. “You made a joke?”

“I am capable of doing that now and again, yes.” She replies. “I was not, however, joking about getting rid of any statute that resembles me.” 

This isn’t the way that he imagined that his first conversation with her since her arrival would go. Frankly he had imagined stress. He had imagined shouting and scowls and maybe tears. He hadn’t imagined jokes and laughing. He hadn’t imagined feeling a flutter of joy upon seeing her curiously observing the town that she had been deprived of for too long.

And he realizes that he doesn't need an apology just yet. Not vocally, anyways. She has her own way about apologizing. A way that makes her feel safe and he supposes that he shouldn’t push her to do it his way.

It is rather nice talking to her now that father isn’t whispering in her ear.

Now that father isn’t whispering in his ear.

Now that she has had at least a little bit of time to become Azula instead of just an extension of their father. He supposes that he should share this with Mai. Ask her to be patient with Azula. She’ll find the words eventually. Right now, her ability to joke with him and speak mundanely is good enough.

“Are you ready for your homecoming ceremony tonight?” He asks. “I figured that while we were here we can find something new for you to wear.” 

Azula shrugs. “It’s just a homecoming ceremony, there isn’t too much to worry about.” 

He knows that she is lying. If only because his homecoming after three years had been one of the most stressful moments of his life. He puts a hand on her shoulder. “I saw this one hair piece that I thought that you’d like.”

“Alright.” 

.oOo.

Azula smooths her hand down the front of her silks. And she is decorated under layers and layers of it. Pretty red and gold fabrics in varying patterns that drape her arms and flow out and voluminously from beneath the golden sash a her hip. A large ruby with a gold filigree frame pins it in place. 

She hadn’t realized just how long her hair had grown until a team of servants, mostly new faces but one or two that she recognizes, begin pilling it up and fixing it in place with ribbons and hair sticks. The style is quite elaborate, more so than she is used to. And they assure her that they will have it styled twice as elegantly—with hair sticks with dangling crystals and dragon accents and golden hair combs—when it comes time to reinstate her title and place a crown back on her head. She can only imagine what the robes will look like then. There will probably be enough layers and components to make walking a challenge. 

They promise the same of her makeup. Of which they currently tint her lips with. The look is quite simple, they wing her eyeliner the way that she likes and add a touch of red to make it pop. The pat color onto her cheeks. They insist that she has grown quite pale since her trip to the Water Tribe and that they need to add some sunlight back to her complexion. 

It is more lavish than she had been dressed in a very long time, she had forgotten that these dresses make her feel uncomfortable. As terribly as she had missed her spa and the pampering that came with it, she very much does not enjoy the heavy robes. 

It shouldn’t be so hard, Lo and Li will do the talking for her. All she has to do is stand and look poised and presentable. Has to make it look as though she had been through nothing extraordinary.

It is a rather dull affair in spite of the pomp. Lo and Li are enthusiastic and speak with life in their voices but tend to draw speeches out just long enough for the excitement to start to wane. Azula looks down upon the crowd. It is more colorful with a dotting of blue and green with a field of red. It isn’t just her own people that welcome her back home. And maybe some people in the crows are also being welcomed home, for some of them this very well could be their first time standing in Royal Plaza. Their first time seeing Fire Nation royalty in person. 

Everything is so different now. She has been gone for so long. 

But she thinks that she is finally ready to be back. 

Yes, looking down upon the crowd, she thinks that she is. 

If an entire nation can change and change so beautifully then so can she. 

Lo and Li fall silent and revel fills the plaza. Cheers. Claps. Lively chatter. 

Her nation welcomes her with more warmth than the Fire Nation had ever had in the past. She finds herself smiling if only slightly. 

“Welcome home, Azula.” Zuko drapes his arm around her neck. 

“Thank you.” 

He holds his arms out and she sighs. “Fine. Once. Just this once.” He gives her a small squeeze. Just a quick little hug. She supposes that she didn’t hate it. The crowd certainly didn’t. Their claps begin a new. And that is how she knows the long time citizens from the newcomers; a good many of them had probably been waiting for a good long while to see the royal family whole and undivided. 

Whole and undivided like herself. 

.oOo.

“How do I look, Katara?”

“I told you that…”

“I look great.” Azula finishes. “But are you just saying that to get me to relax and move on or do you actually mean it. I don’t enjoy it when people say things just to spare my feelings.” Maybe it is comparison that does her in; she had been dressed so lavishly the night before that the outfit that she has picked for herself feels frumpy and dull. Her hair, loose and unstyled save for the brush she had let Katara run through it, falls to her hips. At least it looks nice.

“While I am very much hoping that we can move on with this, I also actually do mean it. You’ve always been really good at dressing yourself and taking care of yourself.”

“But I was in a jungle for years.” Moreover she was crawling around on all fours, covered in fire for a good portion of those years. She imagines that at least one or two crucial details about Caldera city fashion, she certainly isn’t up to date on the latest styles in Caldera City. Frankly she thinks that she has stuck too rigidly to the way that she used to dress. 

Katara pulls her in and kisses her on the cheek. “We’re having a double date with Zuko and Mai, you’re not making a big speech.”

Azula grimaces. “Not yet.” She is almost angry that she is so nervous. She has never had a problem with speeches and public appearances in the past. 

She had always been so deeply integrated in societies norms, had always been prepped and coached on exactly what to say, what people wanted to hear. Her words were seldom her own and now they want her to, in a sense, speak from the heart. 

Katara massages her shoulders. “You’re getting really tense again; don’t think about that right now.”

“But this speech is going to be a very pivotal one. It is going to shape how everyone views me going forward.” And she is going to need one mighty eloquent, competent, and pretty speech if she is going to undo the damage done to her reputation on the day of the comet.

“They seemed perfectly happy with you during your homecoming ceremony. And besides you have two whole weeks to prepare. One thing at a time, okay.” She offers Azula’s shoulders a firm squeeze. “Tonight let’s get through dinner and making up with Mai.”

Azula cringes.

Making up with Mai…

The prospect is thrice as intimidating as the prospect of making a re-coronation speech. At least she has some framework for what a good speech will sound like.

“You’re going to do fine. Tonight and during your coronation speech.” Katara promises. “Now let’s head out. I know that you like to be punctual.” In a grumble she adds. “And by that you usually mean at least an hour early.”

She does indeed. “I would like to leave ample time in case I see something that catches my eye. Caldera has changed so much.” 

“Are you admitting that you might get distracted?”

“I am admitting that it would only be proper to adequate re-familiarize myself with the city that I rule over…but yes perhaps there might be one or two things that I simply find fascinating.”

Katara flashes her a smile. “Alright then. Fair enough.”

They will probably still arrive an hour early. She had accounted for that.

.oOo.

She hasn’t been to this restaurant since she was a child. It had been her favorite at some point or another. It was always a delight when they handed her the ingredients and let her do some of the cooking. Not that she was particularly good at it. Mostly she liked watching the flames dance. Zuzu’s meals alway came out burnt. Hers did too…probably worse. And so it was up to mother and father to make an edible meal. Most of the time father burned his food too and they were one torched chunk of hippo-cow meat away from calling their chef back to do all of the work.

Mother was good at cooking…

Azula wraps her arms around herself. She is starting to wish that she and Katara hadn’t arrived first. Starting to wish that she had let herself get more distracted. Or that the two of them should have joined Mai and Zuko at the botanical garden but she needed the time to get dressed. Needed time to prepare herself to see her former friend. It is admittedly overwhelming to do, having just gone through her homecoming ceremony and the accompanying dinner the night before. Not that she isn’t pleased to be having plenty of fine Fire Nation cuisine again with all of the spices and all of the richer flavors. It tastes like home. It tastes like normalcy. It is nice to have at least a touch of that after so very long.

Just when Azula is getting comfortable, the figures of Mai and Zuko appear in the doorway. Azula finds herself relieved to know that Mai hasn’t changed all that much. Her hair is longer but she hasn’t changed the way that she puts it up and her bangs are cut exactly the same way. She still has the same somewhat downcast gaze. But she is taller now, much taller. Taller than Zuko even. And she wears dark lipstick. She stands with her hands in her pockets and her lips pressed together. 

“So you got yourself turned into some type of spirit.” Mai says in a way of a greeting. Azula swears that there is a hint of humor in her voice. “That must be quite a story.” 

Azula thinks for a moment. “I don’t remember it all too well.” She thinks that she may never recall all of the details. And maybe that is for the best. Maybe she isn’t supposed to know exactly who or what had put the spirit curse on her. She can’t imagine that the memory would be all too friendly. “Just that it had been storming one night and I came by this old, abandoned temple. It had a spirit protecting it…or it could be that the temple was made for that spirit. Either which way it wanted an offering of some sort for intruding in its temple. I didn’t have anything to give…” She trails off. 

“And…?”

Azula shrugs. “And then a blank space where a memory should be. I think that I had argued with the Spirit. Possibly.” 

Zuko pulls out a chair. “How was your walk?”

“I found this shop that sells little handmade dragon egg sculptures…”

“I thought that you said that you didn’t like…”

“Statutes, Zuzu. Those are unsettling. Sculptures are fine. Especially the egg shaped ones that would make for a very lovely homecoming gift.” She reaches for her tongs as their server places raw ingredients on the table. At its center is a somewhat large pit full of coals. “I understand that you enjoy honor…”

“I do not talk about honor that much.”

“...So I invite you to do the honor of lighting our cooking fire.”

“I haven’t seen you firebend in ages, you can light the fire, the blue would create a nice ambiance.”

“Yes. About that…” 

“Your fire is orange now?” Mai frowns slightly. 

Azula ignites the coals in a brillant flare of white.

“When did that happen?” Mai asks. 

“When I merged with the fire spirit.” This, of course requires a lengthy explanation that she gives while the four of them fight to make an at least semi-appetizing looking meal.

“I think that your fire is too hot, Azula.” Katara frowns. 

“That or you aren’t a good chef.”

“I have never burnt a single meal in my life! Not until now!” She insists. 

Azula rolls her eyes. “Alright, fine.” She snuffs her own flames and gestures for Zuko to set the pit ablaze once more. “But don’t blame the spices when you still can’t create a good meal.”

“Some of these Fire Nation dishes are more complicated then what I’m used to cooking.” Katara insists. 

“We’re going to be eating poorly tonight, aren’t we?” Zuko grumbles.  

“So, why Katara?” Mai asks. “I never imagined that the two of you would get on so well.” 

“Katara can tell you that one. My throat is growing sore. Unlike Katara’s brother, sometimes I get tired of talking.” By the end of Katara’s recanting of their adventure, she finds herself picking at her plate with slightly pinkened cheeks. 

Zuko’s mouth hangs agape so it is up to Mai to confirm, “so the two of you are…dating?

Azula nods. 

“Good luck.” Mai mutters. 

“Who are you wishing luck to, Mai? And why would Katara need it?”

“And good luck to you, Mai. That whole family is a handful.”

“Trust me. I know.” 

They are laughing. All four of them are laughing. She had never imagined that she would be laughing with Mai again. With Mai and Zuzu. To be frank, there had been a time when she didn’t think that she would be able to laugh or smile again. Let alone, mostly untroubled. Maybe next time TyLee will be sitting with them too. Katara cups her hand over Azula’s.

They never do make an edible looking meal.