#katara who mastered water bending in like -3 days

[blluespirit]

there are so many amazing and powerful benders in atla but what i love about zuko is that whether or not he can use his bending in that moment has zero (0) bearing on how much he’s going to absolutely kick your ass. no bending? that’s fine - he’s got swords. no swords or bending? that’s fine - he’s literally just going to beat you up. if you’re REALLY unlucky then you get all three. as a treat.

[marymary-diva17]

A marriage of peace and political (3)

zuko x reader x male mai

The daughter that had been gone for many years had finally come home, arriving back at the nation of her birth. It had been so many years she had laid eyes on her people and they had laid eyes on her. She was no longer the young woman that had been married off for peace, she was a woman,wife, and mother, lady or fire nation and southern water tribe. She had become that is respect and trusted by all of the nation, she had master her skills in bending and ruling a nation as well.

Y/n " ......."

Sokka " there have been reports of former fir nation prisoners being released in numbers"

y/n " well yes it had been discussed those how didn't commit crimes that are very bad and make them a danger to the public, have been released and allowed to start over"

sokka " oh"

y/n " yes most of them have started brand new lives in earth kingdom"

katara " you seem to know alot about this"

y/n " I was the on who made the idea and spoke about to the fire nation council, and they have approved of it"

aang " that a wonderful idea y/n giving other a chance in life again"

y/n " yes"

earth king " lady y/n I will like to ask you about trade between the earth kingdom and fire nation, as my nation will like to use more metal in our stuff"

y/n " well your majesty you are in luck there are some companies that will, love to do with you company with a great deal in to them as well"

earth king " we can make that happen"

bato " it seems like thing have been going well for you in the fire nation, four sons and the title of lady y/n"

y/n " yes after the war had ended change had to come it was not easy, and slow at first but we are getting there"

hakoda " if you don't mind me asking how has the former fire lord been after that fight between him and the avatar" there had been uprising because of ozai which ended bad for him in the end, and good for everyone else.

sokka " yes the fire nation had taken him away"

y/n " he been placed under arrest in the nation watched closely, he can no longer bending after aang had taken it away"

aang " sorry about that"

y/n " it okay zuko and azula rule together as one"

toph " wow you think they will be fighting for the crown and title"

y/n " they haven't it seems like they came to terms that their father had used them"

katara " that good"

hakoda " has he meet the boys"

y/n " yes he has under the watch of zuko,azula, and iroh they don't trust him and either do I"

noble man " so the evil fire lord got to see the grandchildren before her own father"

y/n " my dear sir will you like to say that louder"

noble man " oh no I didn't mean it like ..."

y/n " I know how you meant it dear sir"

sokka " sister sorry about that"

y/n " it okay"

squire " excuse me the kyohsi warriors have arrived"

hakoda " that kyohis warriors"

squire " yes chef they ar the guards of your daughter and grandchildren"

sokka " that means suki with them let them in please" soon the door open and soon walked in suki and some of her warriors.

y/n " suki welcome I'm guessing my husbands sent you to come"

suki " y/n hello and yes I and some of the women came to, see you and my nephews where are they"

y/n " being their usual selves like always"

sokka " sukki welcome"

suki " sokka it good to see you are doing well" sukki had given sokka a cold glare.

hakoda " welcome ladies you will be our guests while you are all here guarding my daughter and grandson, I have warriors here if you need help"

kyohsi warrior " where has been for the last couple years oh yes here"

suki " I and my warriors are honored to be here and if we need help we will ask"

sokka " well I think we can call the meeting of day one to an end"

hakoda " yes I hope to have discussions with the fire lords and other fire nation officials"

y/n " you will father I will make sure of it" you had looked at your father and bowed your head in respect to the room and they did the same as well. You soon left the room with the kyoshi warriors following you as well.

suki " we have thought you will need some support against them"

y/n " thank you it going to be a very long time here"

y/n " let go find the boys" you soon started walking down the steps towards the village center.

????? " hey y/n wait up" you had heard your name getting called your siblings and their friends soon showed up, they race to meet you on the finally step.

katara " we were wondering if we can come with you"

y/n " oh"

sokka " well we haven't been with you in so many years we missed so much in your life"

toph " yes snow princess and it seems like sugar queen and boomerang boy have been dying to get to know their nephews, a bit more"

aang " yes we will love to get to now them knowing that I might be their uncle in the future"

katara " yes aang speaks the truth"

suki " i don't thin that a good idea...."

y/n " it okay suki you all can come with us to find the boys" you soon stepped off the finally step along with everyone else, you were trying to see the boys.

kid " hey come on we have to go see this match"

kid 2 " I'm coming I'm coming"

kid 3 " this will be so cool"

sokka " hey what going on here"

kid 4 " there this battle going to take place between some of boys here and some boys that arrived here for the event" you right away knew the other boys are your sons.

katara " we should go see what this is all about"

y/n " I have a feeling" the group of adults made their way to see what was the matter, and soon saw your four boys across from some other kids.

sokka " what going on here"

teen " just a friendly match that all we have been doing it all day while the adults are talking"

sokka " oh my spirts"

hakoda " what with all the chaos here"

sokka " dad it seems like the kids have found a way to keep themselves entertained by some matches"

hakoda " you all wish to battle these boys form fire nation"

crowd " fire nation boys"

hakoda " yes these boys are from very high rank family"

teen 2 " so they are nobility"

Muko " well yes and no"

hakoda " are you boys sure about this match this is way different here as it being snow, you might not be used to the environment"

izo " well I think we will do well"

uze " it seems like a good match as we been watching the rest and study"

man " study my boys here are good benders from our family they can take on anyone"

hakoda " boys are you sure about this"

muko,izo, and uze " yes" the three boys looked at their mother brother who seem, not to care that much about this whole situation.

zoja " I don't care it will be fun to knock down egotistical people down a bit"

teen 3 " you think you are going to beat us"

zoja " maybe"

muko " maybe we enter the battle sir as this is your tribe" hakoda looked at you as you nodded your head.

hakoda " sure"

y/n " boys remember what you father, aunt, uncles, and mother have helped you learn"

the boys " yes lady y/n"

suki " this is going to be interesting" everyone had taken their seats and started watching the battle began.

teen " we will go easy on you four"

zoja " oh we will make sure to go easy on you not wishing to humiliate you all front of everyone watching"

teen " huh ... ahhh" the first teen had soon been pinned against a ice wall by some draggers. These draggers belong to uze who was now smiling at the boy.

izo " lets go" izo and muko soon went after two of the fire bending at them, making the boys lost thier balance and soon fall down a small hole.

zoja " now are you going to give up or do we have to fight"

teen 4 " I will never back down" zoji had tossed some draggers at the boy but he missed it, which was part of zoja plan as the man had ran at him soon hitting his legs soon sending the boy falling to the ground.

teen 4 " hey I can't move what did you do"

zoja " found your pressure points dont worry I will fix it" zoji had undone what he did, the boy could move his legs again but had soon been pinned down a dragger in his shirt sleeve.

muko " mother did we make your proud" everyone was looking at you as the boys looked at you.

y/n " good job"

katara " that was amazing they moved so fast like it was nothing"

sokka " wait so muko and izo can bend fire while uze and zoja are no bender but fight like Mao and ...."

suki " ty lee had taught all the boys here skills of taking down enemies"

katara " those were some water bending moves"

y/n " yes I taught them that"

aang " that amazing"

hakoda " that was amazing boys"

y/n " yes I proud of you all and it seems like iroh has helped you all learn some new moves as well"

zoja " yes and over some tea and wisdom" the boys soon help the other boys up and free from their traps.

muko " good match maybe in our rematch you can beat us"

teen " you have a deal and you taught us a good lesson thank you"

uze " your welcome"

suki "good jobs it seems like you are taking our lessons well"

the boys " aunt suki" the boys had ran to go greet thier aunt happy to see she was here.

sokka " wait so you knew of them this whole time"

suki ' yes as guard to the royal family I got to be there for your sister and them, when you were here helping the world"

uze " aunt suki had helped us learn some combat skills, wait so you are the guy she meet many years ago that was being rude and mad at women had beat him in combat"

sokka " oh you kids have bene told about that"

zoja " yes we have heard many things about you all from our mother and others"

katara " I hope they were all good things"

Muko " oh yes some good thing here and there"

y/n " come on children there is some place I wish to take you all" the kids had nodded their heads, and soon followed you outside form the village and towards some grave sites.

y/n " hello mother and gran gran I have come home it has been so long, since I was here but I haven't come alone I have brought my children as well .... I have a wonderful marriage and wonderful family as well" you had bowed your head toward the two graves and the kids had done the same as well.

katara " mom will be so proud of you sister she will be proud of us all"

y/n " yes she will be proud"

hakoda " yes she will be proud of our family and now we have four new members to add to the family" the boys had looked at each other and soon back at hakoda.

katara " dinner will be served later today will you and the children care to join us"

y/n " kids do you feel like having a family dinner"

muko " we will love that mom"

y/n " well then it agreed on we will love to come"

aang " good there will be meat options and vegetation as well, so there will be many cheese"

izo " thank you for telling us that avatar aang"

aang " you can call me aang boys" the boys had nodded their heads later on family dinner had been served, the boys seem to be having a good time.

katara " y/n are you really happy in your relationship with zuko and Mao, you did marry them after all that happened between the avatar team and them"

y/n " yes I'm happy with them katara and I was there as well during some of the moments of war, I have learned to forgive them and see them in good light"

katara " oh"

y/n " so when we will be expecting another but for you and aang this time around"

katara " we have been talking about marriage but the question hasn't been asked yet"

y/n " don't worry he will ask soon and I know your marriage will be good"

katara " thank you sister and when I get married I will love you and your family to be there as well, and maybe the boys will have cousins to play with in the future"

y/n " yes that will be wonderful"

katara " are you planning to have another kid or this four enough"

y/n " well yes I will love one more kid to added to my family and I have a feeling this time it will be water bender"

katara " that will be amazing to see my sister"

y/n " yes it will be" you had smiled while driving some tea and keeping up conversation with your sister and the others. It was easy to tell there was some unspoken tension between suki and sokka. The feast had come to end and everyone was heading back to their rooms they will be staying.

Hakoda " y/n I'm really happy you came home it has been to long, since you were here"

y/n " yes it has father"

sokka " maybe when you are here to we can see if you can talk you into staying here a bit longer"

Izo " staying here"

y/n " thank you brother but I will need to have that discussion with my husbands and the kids, before think about a matter of moving and them being the heirs of nation will not be easy"

sokka " yes we understand sister"

suki " we will be taking you back to where you are staying and it not far from us as well"

y/n " thank you good night everyone" you soon bowed your head toward your family and the rest of avatar team, as you had been escorted to where you will be staying with the kids. The boys had bene helped out of their clothes by the servants and soon went off to bed.

suki " what are you doing"

y/n " writing a letter to my husbands, my sister in law, and Iroh giving them an update of what happen today and hoping one of them will come a day sooner"

suki " that a good idea"

y/n " so you and sokka is that still a close scroll or no"

suki " i don't know things didn't end well between me and him, and I still haven't found a way to forgive him"

y/n " I understand suki but thank you for coming here"

suki " anything for my friend I will be retiring for the night but not far away, I also made a route for the guards to switch shifts tonight ... but we also have water tribe guards as well"

y/n " thank you suiki sleep well" suki soon left you had gotten done with the letters and rolled them up, as you walked towards the message hawk and place the rolled up letters into it hold.

y/n " be safe flying back home friend to the fire nation palace" the hawk soon took off into the air leaving the southern water tribe and the freezing north. You had soon got dressed for bed and laid in the bed, praying the rest of the time here will be good. There had been some news you had kept from everyone, that was meant to be shared later on but that might not go to plan after all. Right now your duty was to keep the peace for the two nation, and make sure you children stay safe as well. Just maybe you will be able to rebuild your relationship with your family and tribe, and everything will be god juts mayeb indeed.

[sleepingdeath-light]

and then there was fun ; platonic gaang

requested by ; anonymous (26/06/22)

word count ; 597

content ; platonic fluff

fandom ; avatar: the last airbender

pairing ; platonic season 3 gaang x gender natural reader

read also on ; ao3

After everything you’d been through, it was easy to forget that you and your friends were still just kids. That through all of the battle strategies, assassination attempts, kidnappings and near death experiences that none of you had even reached a point where you could be deemed adults (well outside of the perceptions of those that revered you). That you weren’t just ‘war heroes’ and ‘masters’ and ‘specialists’ and ‘the avatar and his companions’ and ‘the fire lord and his advisors’ but that you were also ‘friends’ and ‘idiots’ and ‘teenagers just trying to grow up and live your lives’.

Though you couldn’t blame strangers for forgetting that fact when you yourselves often lost sight of it as well. Nor could you blame yourselves for losing your innocence to a war and wanting to protect yourselves from the horrors around you, for being hardened and aged by it.

But all of that was over now, and it was about time that the seven of you reclaimed your childhoods once and for all.

And, thankfully, Zuko had a beach house that was more than fit for the task.

————

Oh what fun you’d had: trying desperately to keep pace with Katara further out to sea, legs trembling as you attempted to stay balanced on your makeshift boards only to end up collapsing under the water each and every time (much to her unending amusement); the lot of you trying to catch Zuko as he effortlessly weaved in and out of the various pillars and plants that decorated his home, with the game only ending after Suki and Toph teamed up and tackled him to the ground, all while laughing near-manically at his disgruntled expression; playing volleyball in teams of three, with you alternating who was the referee, mixing bending-moves with fighting techniques with dance to form a beautiful amalgam of moves and a game that was pretty much always rigged in Aang’s team’s favour (can’t beat the avatar, after all) but none of you cared; gorging yourselves on fresh fruit and cold water until your teeth and cheeks were stained watermelon-red and your stomachs ached from being so full; laying down on a small outcropping of grass near the summer estate and describing the clouds and sky (and later, the stars) to Toph as she bombarded you all, but especially Sokka, with questions. It was lively and enjoyable and weird and then peaceful and private and quiet; it was exactly what you needed it all to be.

A vacation, a holiday, a break. A reminder that the war was finally over and you had survived.

And now as you found yourself staring at your friends you were overcome with a familiar bittersweet feeling. You were all alive, yes, but this wasn’t all of you and days like this were a reminder of that unfortunate fact.

Yet, as you looked up at the clear night sky you could have sworn that the moon was shining twice as brightly as usual, and despite yourself and your aching cheeks you found yourself smiling. Not grinning. Not laughing. Not smirking. Just smiling: genuinely, sadly, peacefully, quietly.

… and then Toph elbowed Sokka in the side and another argument broke out followed by a string of groans and a half dozen voices all piping up at once. Some annoyed, some entertained, some unsurprised and the last one being a very offended sounding Sokka who was complaining (rather animatedly, at that) about Toph ‘ruining the moment’.

It seemed as though some things never change, and you could only hope that life would stay this way forever.

[bruhstation]

a few questions about the avatar au: 1. what are the roles of everyone? is lady aang, thomas katara, percy sokka, gordon zuko and henry toph? 2. what bending power does duck have? 3. how will the last agni kai play out?

yessss a question for the avatar AU…. :D a bit of rambling ahead because I am incredibly autistic about this new AU of mine. I've also answered your second question through the first question, if you don't mind :)

like I've mentioned before, this AU is set in an alternate universe where the air nomads are still alive and there's no hundred year war. there's still conflict though. this isn't really an "X in Y's place" AU -- I'm fitting the ttte/cstm characters in the atla universe. I'll tell you what the steam team is doing in the AU! (art of some of them here)

thomas is a young, amateur waterbender from the southern water tribe. he spends most of his time hanging out with edward and percy. he always gets into trouble -- stuck on ice floes, buried underneath snow, and drenched in water after a failed waterbending attempt. this was also one of the ways he encountered lady, which is after an avalanche near a cave. thomas proposed the idea that all four of them travel the world together and find bending arts teachers for lady ("I need to train too and become a really great waterbender!")

edward is a waterbending master from the southern water tribe. although he still has a lot of fire in him, he displays little interest in fighting and spends his free time brewing tea and writing in his journal. despite not revealing much about his past prior to living in the south pole, he teaches thomas waterbending and is some sort of father figure to him. edward's respected by a lot of tribespeople, though they tend to poke fun at him for being too old. after the formation of team avatar and getting his two old friends to join (after visiting the earth kingdom and fire nation consecutively), they said that edward is able to bloodbend, but edward entertained the silly idea by saying that "he's too old and small for that". he is also VERY quick and agile in chi-blocking techniques.

henry is a strong yet sickly, cynical yet gentle earthbender from gaoling, earth kingdom. after noticing the rising tensions in politics in ba sing se and witnessing how corrupt the dai li has become after a life-threatening accident, henry resides in the quieter part of the earth kingdom and manages his own flower/tea shop. after team avatar witnessed his immense strength in apprehending bandits wreaking havoc in his shop, lady asked henry to get on board the team. henry initially refuses, not wanting to get caught up in any weird life-threatening avatar business, but after being convinced by edward, he eventually folds. thomas does notice that his teacher acts awkward around their team's newest earthbending teacher.

gordon is the youngest son of a nobleman from the fire nation. he had a disgraceful agni kai -- stemming from a difference in political beliefs regarding their family and their relations to the fire nation army -- between him and his older remaining brother, scott. gordon lost, but not officially, as scott refused to scar him, disgracing both him and gordon. he then ran away to the boonies of the fire nation where he honed his lightningbending skills -- his signature bending arts -- in order to restore his pride. he first met team avatar when he challenged lady in an agni kai (gresleys loooove their agni kais) until edward had to chi-block him before he even launched an attack. as prideful as ever, gordon believes lady needs a firebending teacher (true) and joined team avatar. he doesn't seem too thrilled to see his old distant friends on board with him, though.

james is an ember island theater actor who believes he deserves more than what he's paid. he's very passionate about acting but is dissatisfied with the scripts given to him. team avatar encountered him when he was playing gordon in one of the plays (and horribly butchering his character). james joined because he wanted to learn more about their journeys and thought that he's essential to lighten up everyone's spirits. james is still his vain self and once told lady that being the avatar isn't THAT hard but he's a genuinely caring person. he's also the "bard" of the group and has some sassy yet well-meaning pick-me-ups. his favorite songs to cover are "girls from ba sing se" and "secret tunnel". also he and gordon once got drunk off cactus juice and the group never let him live that down.

percy is a nonbender from the southern water tribe. he's a known charmer for both his cute-ish face and determined personality. his mother was duck's sister, an earth kingdom noblewoman, while his father is a south pole tribesman. since there's no hundred year war in this AU, percy trains as a south pole tribe warrior just to guard the south pole village. since there's no threat (until d10's army invaded because he heard that lady is there), he spends most of his days helping out the tribespeople with whatever task they have or getting himself dragged into thomas' antics, including being the avatar's playful "bodyguard" in their world-cross journey.

toby is a waterbender from the northern water tribe and is the first person to be recruited in team avatar after they had left the southern water tribe. he was initially mavis' (the north pole princess) caretaker and one of the waterbending masters, but after an attack from d10's fire army, she turned into the moon to preserve waterbending. toby then joined team avatar out of guilt but found himself to be entertained by thomas and percy's antics and lady's curiosity about the world outside the air temples, which gives him hope for the youth. toby also has a strong dislike towards the fire nation army and the earthbending soldiers, particularly the dai li, and is well-versed in the militaristic structures of the two big countries and their weaknesses.

duck is an earthbender from one of ba sing se's noble families. he's really loyal to his city and the earth kingdom itself. although many people consider him charming and intelligent, he's really adamant about following laws, though this is mostly because of his family's influence. the little western (don, doug, oliver, toad) is kinda his body guards/personally recruited soldiers that work for him loosely and their primary target is to watch over diesel, a suspected spy from d10's army. duck senses that d10 is planning something bad for ba sing se. this is also his reasoning to join team avatar (despite initially distrusted by the strike trio). even though he doesn't always follow them around, he provides updates regarding the fire nation and earth kingdom.

and that's all for the famous 8!

as for the final agni kai, I'm still thinking about that one. at first, I was thinking the final agni kai wil be between spencer and gordon instead of between scott and gordon because the two brothers never genuinely hated each other while the two cousins are seconds away from blowing each other up. but, in what reason would spencer be working with diesel 10? why would he side with a nonbender who wants to abandon the old ways of bending and bring forth a new era in an extreme way? then I thought of spencer just being a massive fire nation glazer (and having thrown scott in jail or injured him) and how his dislike for team avatar turned into hate after they freed the prisoners from the boiling rock prison (including hiro). I'll get back to the idea later because I LOVE gresley family drama

thanks for the ask, anon! this was really fun to answer :]

[pocketramblr]

For 5 ask game: how about an au where zuko and aang are both the avatar

1- "how does that happen" well, Aang half died in the ice burg. The subsequent water and earth benders were noticably weaker than previous ones, though this helped the water bender hide from the fire nation, and led to the earth bender one being killed by them... Just as Ursa goes into labor for the first time. Unfortunately, Ozai wants to use his avatar son and is very disappointed when Zuko turns thirteen without a sign of airbending- the sages promised this boy was the avatar!

2- Zuko is invited to war meetings, but when he tries to speak he is silenced- when he is actually the avatar, master of elements, he will be allowed to advice, trusted, but not yet. He can sit in silence for only so long, and finally breaks to say they cannot sacrifice the children of the fire nation like that- and he is sent away to the sages, who suggest investigating the Air Temples and seeing if anything there sparks bending in him.

3- it does, the barest bit exploding when he gasped at the sight of the bodies, when he caught the glimpses of spirits in the corner of his eyes. Zuko can't stay here and orders the ship to take him to the southern water tribe instead, so he can unlock water bending. That doesn't work, (and the village says there's no water benders left) but it's marginally easier to practice fire and air bending outside of the graveyard the temple had become. He trains for years, knowing there is no point in returning home unless it's as the avatar.

4- and then one day, Katara wakes Aang up. Zuko gets close hoping the light are spirits that will help him learn water bending, and then we get to the first real problem of them both being the avatar: only one of them can be it at a time. So, when Aang starts bending, Zuko suddenly can't, unless he can overpower Aang and leave him unable to bend as well. (Which he only manages with the highest levels of anger) um, the avatar state is the opposite - if one of them goes into it, the other is dragged along.

5- Zuko is now chasing them because he wants an airbender and waterbender teacher, and also see if he can figure out from the spirits why his bending keeps vanishing. Iroh keeps asking him how he's going to actually convince them to teach him after he captures them, and Zuko says he'll just figure it out then. Katara thinks Aang is proof that awful firebending prince was only ever a mock Avatar and the bending vanishing is just a side effect of being in an ice burg for a century. Sokka thinks they're all crazy. And Aang actually figures out what's happening very early but no one believes it because "that's not how the avatar works" even though as 50% of the avatar, he should be considered an expert!

[theowritesfiction]

How’s it going? I wanted to inquire about two things with the Azutara Kitchen nightmare au. The firs, is how does Azula approach cooking?

Is it more a meticulous and tedious task that’s she’s be trained to do and to be damned good at, but does not personally enjoy?

Or is Azula’s approach to cooking similar to her approach to fire-bending in canon? Where she is a prodigy that loves cooking so much, that it becomes a part of Azula’s identity. This love for cooking, is raised by Ozai’s praise in a sense. Yet, is not complete dependent on him. (At least that’s how I interpret Azula’s relationship to Fire-bending in canon).

If answering this question hits spoiler territory though, please don’t answer! But also please do. (Paradigm of fiction you love no?)

Second inquiry is about a recipe. I know that you have posted about playing Baldurs Gate III before. In a similar vein, what is your opinion about the Elder Scrolls series of games? And in relation to the Kitchen nightmare fic I found a recipe blogpost by Taste of Tamriel. The “Rumare-Slaughter fish pie” recipe. I saw this and thought of the fic, after all what better way for Azula to get to Katara’s or Yue’s hearts than by their stomachs? Azula has already captivated Katara, Yue, and Suki via aesthetics (and who can blame them?) getting to the water tribe girls by making a delicious fish pie might work. It could also make up for Azula’s… interesting flirtation skills.

Plus there is a certain allure (so to speak) in making a video game lore dish. At least I find it so. Not that I can cook worth a damn myself.

If you are curious, I have provided a link to the recipe below.

-745th voice of the people

Ps: Thanks for writing (another) awesome Azutara story. Your stories, @juniperhillpatient and other Azutara stories helps brighten the day, and lesson the pain from college class and homework. Along with the lessening the pending doom of dealing with real world!

https://www.tumblr.com/tastesoftamriel/176571528529/rumare-slaughterfish-pie-anyone-whos-been

Hey, it's going well, thank you - alternating between work, writing and playing some Baldur's Gate 3 mostly.

I'm obviously always happy to ramble about my writing, so thank you for your questions. :)

Azula's relationship with cooking is an interesting question to think about. Most modern AU's will have Azula being useless in the kitchen because she's very spoiled and privileged, and it makes sense that she has little idea about what goes on in the kitchen. But what if her father was a world famous chef?

The way I imagine this, at first cooking for Azula (and Zuko too) was something they identified as a way to get their father's approval. I don't see cooking as something that Azula just instantly loved and was great at. It's something that she has worked on tenaciously over the years, and in the process, she has learned to love it.

And some might say, wait, cooking just doesn't sound like something Azula would be into. Well, ignoring the obvious parallel with firebending of heat/flame being involved, I think Azula has that kind of personality where once she gets immersed in something, she wants to learn everything there is to learn and become the best ever at it. At the top level, cooking is a very involved skill of great intricacies and many amazing techniques to master. I just think it's a challenge that someone compulsively obsessive like Azula would enjoy.

Anyway, those are my thoughts about Azula's relationship with cooking.

Quick answer about the Elder Scrolls or Bethesda style games in general. I think they're great games, however, I have never been able to really get into the whole genre of open world RPG's. I often feel like narrative gets lost among all this freedom to explore. I prefer more sandbox-y RPG's with tighter narratives, even if exploration tends to get sacrificed in the process.

Anyway, as far as Azula cooking something for the other girls in the Kitchen Nightmares story, that's an excellent suggestion and I'm happy to tell you that I already have some plans for it - if perhaps not exactly Azula making a delicious sounding fish pie for the girls. We are definitely going to see Azula in the kitchen and cooking, perhaps not in the next chapter, but very soon.

I don't think it will occur to Azula to purposefully try to impress Katara, Yue and Suki with her cooking skills, but you should expect that to happen anyway once the other girls see how Azula works and get to enjoy the results of her work.

Anyway, I'm glad that my stories serve as a helpful distraction from the drudgery of everyday life. :) As a reader, I find that stories by our friend @juniperhillpatient really brighten my day and provide a wonderful distraction, so to know that my stories do something similar for my readers is very flattering, thank you!

[chocomd]

Snow Demon

Rating: T (cw: minor character death, implied suicide)

Story summary: When the Fire Nation asks Katara to accept Hama back to the Southern Water Tribe, Katara must face the woman who betrayed her—and whose fate is intertwined with her own.

Chapter 3 written for @katara-week Day 4: Bending Master

Read on AO3 or Fanfiction.net

————–

Chapter 3: Dilemma

Katara carefully made her way down the hallway of the Fire Nation cruiser. Her hand glided along the metal wall, keeping balance against the roll of the ocean waves. She would never get used to the dark steel that wrapped around her like a tomb, or the way that noises clanged through the body of the ship. But her unease came from more than her surroundings.

Every Fire Nation steamship was the same—steeped in the aroma of machine oil. Acrid and bitter, the smell coated her lungs just as it had one year ago, when she healed Aang through hopeless days and endless nights and yet he still would not wake up.

Travel from the Fire Nation to the Southern Water Tribe would be faster if they flew on Appa. But that would mean sharing the saddle with Hama. Katara would rather endure a longer journey on a Fire Nation ship if that meant she didn’t have to spend much time in Hama’s company.

Continue reading on AO3 or Fanfiction.net

[kataraslove]

Hey got some headcanon on my head and it's bothering me as devoted katang fan, I'm no writer or content creator but I've loved this ship for so long now, first before giving you the headcanon I must tell you how I got it, so it goes like this within the Hindu yogic culture of Indian or Buddhist culture there lives an understanding that energy is seen as a serpent and that the rising of this serpent threw the Chakra leads to different quality of experience and perception, energy in yoga is called Shakti or kundalinin, shiva is her equal, shiva means nothingness or the beyond, now to the headcanon, I've looked at Ang potential as an energy bender and tryed to recreate this process in my head by using this yogic tradition threw the serpent kundalini, but changing the serpent name to katara,

Headcanon

1 Angs an energy bender and by that has the potential to master the 4 elements without the spirit of raava, but by using his own serpent energy he names after he's beloved katara,

2 threw Ang learning energy bending end up creating a serpent who's quality and potency of power is the closest to katara personality and has merge her energy with his energy signature thus Ang giving the serpent a name, after his most beloved, or Angtara or katang or katara,

3 katara and Ang create a new form of martial art and bending, music, Art and dance but for healing just for them two, by using air water and energy bending, and Ang allows katara threw the connections of the dance and energy bending to allow katara to experience the 4 elements, and ther children learn and create there own style of the same art music bending martial art dance, healing,

4 katara and Ang create a place just like the two lover, in the SWT and air temple island,

5 Ang and katara children and descendants can be energy bender also but it take alote of training and spiritual discipline to master one element to the next, thus there energy serpent is still growing, and because of there love for there mother and grandmother they have immortalized her as a goddess and carry her energy signature, thus katara lives on energetically in her descendants,

6 Ang ask katara to write the laws and constitution and values for her descendants that will continually create glorious nation in her name threw out the 4 nation just like Republicans city, but better

7 katara descendants who will one day create a nation that will unify the four elemental nation under the flag that represent her quality strength and moral and values,

8 katara is given statue were ever her descendants go, people love her worshipp her creates holidays for her, and seeks to create a better world for her, names a city after her and a flower,

9 Ang established an secret order dedicated to creating a better future, that ends up help established all these nation were katara descendants wave her flag

Okay I do have more but that's all I can remember, it mostly has to do with energy bending and how I'm trying to immortalized katara threw this by having Ang love and devotion and unwavering love for her be reincarnation as a force that could help create possibilities for her descendants and the future story, im noo writer or content creator but I'm passionate and in love with this ship and its possibilities but I'm only using energy bending here but we can alway weaves everything together, I've always wanted to hear a katang fanfic with these quality and headcanon in it, I've carried these ideas in my head for so long and I didn't know what to do with it, please do with it as you please, my mission is done

my love and respect thank you so much for being there for the katang community and our beloved couple, merry late Christmas and have a happy new years

oh wow! you learn something new everyday!

i assume that the process of aang unlocking his chakras to master the avatar state with guru pathik is a representation of awakening the kundalini serpent, to achieve ultimate enlightenment and master the avatar state. and so when azula shoots him with lightening at the base of the spine, she removed his ability to access the kundalini serpent/the avatar state.

but his slamming of his back into the rock unlocked his ability to connect with this power and reawaken the kundalini serpent (aka the avatar state).

as for your headcanons, those are beautiful! i love the notion of katara and aang’s descendants honouring their love and of katara being worshipped and revered by the next generations. i always believe that she should be considered as the matriarch of the new air nation by future airbenders. so thank you for sharing this with me, it’s so sweet!

[flameohotwife]

As a writer of mixed race can you talk a little bit about why you feel there are so few stories that deal with the fact that Aang and Katara are in an interracial relationship? The blending of cultures of the Water Tribe and the Air Nation/Nomads doesn't seem to be an easy one judging by how in the Kyoshi book it was mentioned that Air Nomads didn't often travel to the Water Tribes. Someone told me that it didn't matter because Aang didn't go to school with girls so he didn't really have a frame of reference for Water Tribe girls being any different than Air Nomad girls but that doesn't really make sense to me. Is it because he's the Avatar and since he can bend all the elements he's considered an honorary Water Tribe/Earth Kingdom/Fire Nation resident?

Hi anon! It seems like you’re asking a few different questions here, so I’ll try to address them all as best I can. If I misinterpreted anything please feel free to reach out and correct me. It’s been a long day and my brain is kinda frazzled haha. Also this got long so continuing under a cut…

1. Why are there so few fics that deal with Aang and katara being in an interracial relationship? Well, anon, honestly I think it’s kind of a difficult topic to tackle, especially if someone doesn’t come from a mixed-race background or hasn’t been in a serious interracial relationship themselves. It’s one thing to casually date someone from another culture or have friends from different cultures but once you’re in a long term relationship you start having to make sacrifices and big decisions about how you’re going to live your life as a couple/family. Which traditions are the most important? Which things will you do together and which things will you do on your own? How will you involve your children? There are no right answers, it’s just what works best for you, your partner, and your family. And it might change over time. I’ve thought about writing a fic about this but also I’m more interested in exploring it from the cloud-babies’ perspective as a mixed kid myself. Because my own racial identity has been complicated and heavy at times and I cannot even imagine throwing in multiple near-complete genocides into that mix.

2. Is the blending of Air Nomads and Water Tribes as difficult as it sounds in the Kyoshi novels? I have not yet read the Kyoshi novels (though they’ve been sitting beside my bed since Christmas), so I’m not sure! I will say that the fact that so much of Water Tribe culture revolves around hunting and meat and animal skins is probably difficult for many Air Nomads to get around, as would the Air Nomads’ pacifism and detachment from even their own children be big obstacles for someone from the Water Tribes. It seems pretty rare in the avatar (AtLA-era) world for mixed race couples to exist anyway, though. I imagine after the war, and especially after the founding of republic city, with Aang and Katara (and Sokka and Suki) as examples, this would become more accepted. Still probably not very common, and they still probably faced a lot of adversity… but more accepted than it would have been during the war.

3. Did Aang have any frame of reference for WT girls being different from AN girls since he didn’t grow up with them? Uh… I think the person who told you that is forgetting a really important thing that I addressed in the previous two questions. It’s not about the girls being different, it would be about culture shock/clash and deciding what things are most important to you in a relationship. Aang might not have known a lot of air nomad girls that well (or maybe he did! Canon doesn’t say one way or the other!) but he did know his own culture. He did visit the Eastern Air Temple at least once to pick out his bison, and he would have been aware of their customs. Not only that, but once he masters the avatar state, he has endless female air nomad avatars to ask. So whether or not he had a frame of reference at 12 for what was “normal” for girls in his culture (and I think he had a pretty good idea), that really has no bearing on how kataang’s relationship pans out, because they are still going to feel those culture clashes every once in a while and have to make those decisions for themselves. And this isn’t a bad thing—mixed relationships are NOT bad! This shows how much they love each other and are devoted to the other that they would each sacrifice things to be together. Their different cultures absolutely matter a great deal.

4. Do their different cultures not matter because Aang is an “honorary member” of each nation as the avatar? Just because Aang can bend all the elements does not mean he comes from each of those cultures. He was still definitely raised as an Air Nomad and is an Air Nomad avatar. His culture is still very dear to him, not just because he is the last surviving member, but certainly that weighs heavily on him throughout the series as he decides how to proceed. How to keep living. So while each of the nations may accept the Avatar as one of their own (or not, I really don’t think ozai would have felt that way about Aang), and Aang can respect each culture in its own right, Aang is still an Air Nomad. Having a relationship with someone outside his culture (which is obviously necessary in at least some way—even if he had chosen to be with an air acolyte they still would have been raised in a different culture and it would have involved some level of culture clash even if they mostly or entirely accepted his culture as their own) is going to be a struggle on some level. BUT obviously both he and Katara decide it is worth the struggle. Because they love each other that much.

*I will also add here that I personally do not feel qualified to write on the cultures that inspired the Water Tribes and Air Nomads with the depth necessary to explore something like this. It would require an intense amount of research and Im honestly not sure it’s something I can handle. This is what has kept me from writing the cloudbaby fic as well. And the birth fic I want to write. Even if I tried my best to be respectful it would still feel appropriative and I would be afraid of accidentally offending someone. Perhaps that is what keeps other authors from writing fics about this, too. I am still hoping to get something written for the cloudbaby fic because I think their mixed-ness *needs* to be explored more in fic (AND CANON but that’s a different story), but it’s going to be a while I think.

Thanks for the ask, anon! Sorry this got so long! I hope this answer is helpful ❤️

[loopy777]

What's your favorite, and least favorite episodes from each of atla and LOK 3 respective seasons?

I think I've answered an Ask like this before, although perhaps not broken down by seasons like this. I'm purposefully not looking at that post because I'm sure my answers are going to shift a little. Even AtLA's worst stuff isn't so bad that I won't watch it, and it has so much good stuff that it's hard to be certain of favorites.

AtLA: Book 1 - Water

Favorite: Jet I make this choice under duress. I grimaced as I glanced over the list and saw "The Storm," "The Blue Spirit," and "The Waterbending Master." And I don't even think "Jet" is flawless. But the work it did for Sokka's character, solidifying him as a favorite in the cast for me, as well as the greatness of that final act, make it currently my personal favorite.

Least Favorite: The Great Divide I know- big surprise, right? I even think this episode has some good lines, and I love how Aang solves the main conflict with a blatant lie. But it's just so weak, and unlike the weak early episodes in the season (looking at you especially, "The King of Omashu"), it doesn't introduce a fun character.

AtLA: Book 2 - Earth

Favorite: Zuko Alone Honorable mentions to "The Chase" (it's paced perfectly and gives every character in the main cast a solid moment, capped by a great final fight), "Appa's Lost Days" (the entire fandom agreeing this episode is heart-wrenching perfection might be the one thing we're all united on), and "The Crossroads of Destiny" (which I shouldn't have to explain). But I have to go with "Zuko Alone" for being my favorite kind of cowboy story, making its points in a minimalist style that doesn't need dialogue, and perfectly setting up the backgrounds of our antagonists to show how they've been harmed by Fire Nation society and why they do what they do. This episode is a master-class in character exploration, and it looms over the entire franchise with the quality and grace of its writing.

Least Favorite: The Swamp Ask again in a few months and it will be "Avatar Day." Both of these episodes are pointless for the gAang, both contain just enough progress for Zuko's subplot that you can't skip them, and both do something critical for the wider themes of the show that really make the stupidity of the main plots stand out. But today I'm more annoyed at the completely unnecessary prophecy about Toph than I am at Avatar Day's silliness. And the scene with Kyoshi is really cool, even if it's not as profound as the lesson about connections and the tree.

AtLA: Book 3 - Fire

Favorite: Avatar Aang The ending is just so good. Aang finishing the fight by taking away Ozai's bending is perfect. Katara's defeat of Azula by turning her aggression against her is perfect. The drama and music and animation is great. It's almost unfair that material like this has to go against the other hits in this season.

Least Favorite: The Beach I'm sorry, I know it does good stuff with the Fire Teens, but it's done in a ham-handed way that it should be ashamed to be in the same series as "Zuko Alone" and "The Southern Raiders." It's so bad that there are major fans here on Tumblr who claim that Mai and Ty Lee are lying through their teeth with every word they say during the big 'confession' scene. (Honestly, the fandom talk about Ty Lee these days has nearly killed my drive to do that 'Mai and Ty Lee in Samurai Champloo' road trip adventure idea.) And I just. Don't. Find. It. Funny.

LoK: Book 1 - Air

Favorite: The Voice in the Night This might be my favorite Korra-centric story in all of LoK. Later attempts to focus on her character were damaged by the terrible writing and plots, and the earlier stuff lacked some weight due to just getting to know the cast. This episode is at the sweet spot where we're familiar with the cast and the story can make the most of the potential, before the later burden of the terrible story can drag things down. This episode is focused on Korra dealing with her fear while having to be a hero to the city, relying more on character dynamics than plot, and all the stronger for it.

Least Favorite: The Spirit of Competition What if 'The Beach' starred less interesting characters, focused more on immature romance, and tried to squeeze drama out of tired old cliches of character dynamics? And the sense of humor was equally flat? This episode.

LoK: Book 2 - Spirit

Favorite: Beginnings, Part 1 Despite the problems with the whole 'Good Light Spirit vs Evil Light Spirit' thing, I like most of the setup and depiction. I just wish it had been treated as a legend, and the events and visuals hadn't been confirmed. Imagine if we could have had multiple versions of the story of Wan and Raava, each one slightly different depending on the point of revisiting the story!

Least Favorite: Civil Wars, Part 1 This might be the most grating episode of LoK, ever. Between the childishness of the whole Water Tribe troubles and the extra-childishness of Tenzin and his siblings screaming at each other, I think it's possible for a viewer to have a headache by the end from clenching their teeth so much.

LoK: Book 3 - Change

Favorite: The Stakeout This is the only good season of LoK, and I think my favorite scene in the whole thing is Korra's conversation with Zaheer. I love a villain who can convincingly argue his point, even if you know he's willfully blind to the failures of his perspective. The staging, the delivery, the dialogue- it's all the very peak of LoK.

Least Favorite: Old Wounds This episode wanted to be "Zuko Alone" and failed so, so hard. The framing story -- Lin being subjected to literally painful memories by acupuncture -- is awkwardly and pointlessly implemented. The finale is just Lin and Suyin screaming their feelings at each other and then feeling better, something even more dumb than "The Beach" by not even being an homage to a beloved 80s movie. And even aside from the quality, I cannot abide anything that doesn't acknowledge Suyin as a terrible person as both a child and adult. The whole thing makes everyone involved less compelling, and it's a chore to sit through when the rest of the season is so good.

LoK: Book 4 - Balance

Favorite: Beyond the Wilds I'll admit that I've only ever watched most of LoK once, so I don't remember much of this book. But this episode has the scene with Zaheer in it, so that's why I picked it. Despite the fandom reputation, I think this season is back to being terrible, and while I don't have any real complaints about "Korra Alone," by that point I was so tired of Korra as a character that I bounced off it pretty hard. I still overall like Korra as a character, but I can only care so much about her pain and suffering after being forced to watch "The Spirit of Competition." There's a reason horror movies go with immature teenagers as their victims of choice- it's not like they're real people we can feel empathy for.

Least Favorite: The Calling Again, I'm not familiar with how most of this season breaks down, and I was very tempted to ding the finale for that stupid giant mecha and the emptiness of everything with Mako in it. And if I remembered better which episodes have the most Prince Wu in them, they would have been major contenders. So, in the end, I picked the one with the most Meelo in it. I hate that kid.

[likealittleheartbeat]

I deeply appreciate how ATLA depicts all the main characters responses to trauma. Aang’s, for me, however, stands out for its rareness in media. And we are not hammered over the head with the idea that Aang (or any other characters) repeatedly act certain ways because of a single traumatic event. Sure, there are key moments in our lives when a certain event comes to the forefront, but no one experiences the world as constant flashbacks. Rather, we see only in retrospect the way our sarcastic sense of humor or our heightened friendliness were protective responses to a deep emotional injury. Being able to understand Aang’s approach to loss is essential for the show. The structure of the series is founded on his arc (despite an incredible foil provided by Zuko). Our little air nomad initially confronts the loss of his people with a full-on meltdown in the episode “The Southern Air Temple,” where Katara’s offering of familial belonging soothes him. But this kind of outburst is not Aang’s primary response (and actually the literally out-of-character apocalyptic tantrums align with Aang’s overall process of grieving). Instead of constantly brooding (hey Zuko!), Aang leans heavily toward the monk’s pacifist teachings and toward his assumed destiny “to save the world.” He becomes overtly accommodating and joyful, constantly trying to see “the good” in everything with a perfectionist’s zeal. This is not to ascribe his bubbliness only to his trauma. Rather, he comes to emphasize this part of his personality for reasons related to the negative emotions he struggles to face.  Book 1: Water

In the first season, Aang is simply rediscovering his place in the world. “Water is the element of change. The people of the water tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together.” This is vital to Aang as he initially faces his experience. He won’t get through this if he is not prepared for his life to change. Even if he hadn’t been frozen for 100 years, his world would never be the same. This fact involves eventually finding new people that he feels safe with. After such a massive loss, he’s learning who to trust, and also often making mistakes; not only does he find Sokka and Katara (and I’d argue he’s actually slow to truly open up to them), this is the season where he helps save a fire nation citizen who betrays him to soldiers, befriends the rebel extremist Jet, and attempts to befriend an actively belligerent Zuko (his moral complexity had only JUST! been revealed to the kid!). He’s constantly offering trust to others and seeking their approval in opposition to the deep well of shame and guilt he carries as a survivor of violence. This is also the season where Aang swears off firebending after burning Katara in an overeager attempt to master the element (one will note how fire throughout the series is aligned with, above all else, assertiveness and yang). Aang is so eager to be seen as morally good to others that he refuses to risk any possible harm to them.  And asserting himself carries a danger, in one sense, that he might make a mistake and lose someone’s positive regard, and, in another sense, that he is replicating the anger and violence he’s witnessed. He has no relationship to his anger at this stage of his grief, so it comes out uncontrollably, both in firebending and the Avatar State. It’s through the patience of his new family that he can begin to feel unashamed about his past and about the ways his shame is finding (sometimes violent) expression in the present. Book 2: Earth In the second season he begins to trust himself and stand his ground. Earth, after all, is the element of substance, persistence, and endurance. The “Bitter Work” episode encapsulates how Aang must come to a more sturdy sense of his values. First, there is the transition of pedagogical style. While Katara emphasized support and kindness, Toph insists on blunt and threatening instruction, not for a lack of care towards Aang. Instead, it’s so Aang learns how to stop placing the desires of others above his own--to stop accommodating everyone else above his own needs. Toph taunts Aang by stealing one of the few keepsakes from the monastery that he holds onto. This attachment to the lost airbending culture is echoed in the larger arc with Appa. And, by the end of this episode, it is Aang’s attachment to Sokka that allows him to stand firm. This foreshadows the capital T Tragic downfall in the “Crossroads of Destiny.” Aang gives up his attachment to the other member of his new found family, Katara, despite his moral qualms. Although he has access to all the power of the Avatar state, his sacrifice is not rewarded. Season 2 illustrates Aang coming to terms with his values. He is learning about what he stands for, what holds meaning to him. Understanding himself also includes integrating his grief, and there’s a lonely and dangerous aspect to that exploration. We see Aang’s anger and hopelessness over longer stretches rather than outbursts in this season. It’s hard to watch and hard to root for him. That depressive state leads to actions that counter his previous sense of morality, as he decisively kills an animal, treats his friends unkindly, and blames others for his loss. Letting these harsher feelings emerge is an experiment, and most people discover their boundaries by crossing them. Finding ways to hold compassion for himself, even the harm he causes others, is the other side of this process. Our past and our challenging emotions are a part of us, but they are only a part. Since Aang now has a strong sense of community and is learning to be himself rather than simply seeking validation, we also see him having more healthy boundaries with new people. He’s no longer befriending villains in the second season! He’s respectful and trusting enough, but he’s not putting himself in vulnerable situations nor blindly trusting everyone. Instead, he’s more likely to listen to his friends’ opinions or think about how the monks might’ve been critical towards something (they’re complaints about Ba Sing Se, for example). By knowing what he cares for, he can know himself, the powerful, loving, grief-struck monk. And he can trust that, though he might not be everyone’s favorite person, he does not need to feel ashamed or guilty for who he is or what he’s been through. Book 3: Fire However, despite a sense of self and a sense of belonging, Aang and the group still find themselves constantly asking for permission throughout their time in Ba Sing Se. It’s in the third season, Fire, that initiative and assertiveness become the focus. And who better to provide guidance in this than the official prince of “you never think these things through,” Zuko. It’s no longer a time for avoidance or sturdy defensiveness. It is the season of action. Fire is the element of power, desire, and will, all of which require us to impact others.  We see the motif of initiative throughout the season: the rebels attempt to storm the Firelord on the Day of the Black Sun; Aang attempts to share his feelings and kiss Katara; Katara bends Hama and a couple of fire nation soldiers to her will. In each of these examples, the initiators face disgrace. Positive intent does not bring forth success, by any means, only more consequences to be dealt with. This is perhaps Aang’s biggest challenge. He is afraid that his actions will fail, or worse, they will succeed but he will be wrong in what he has chosen. The sequencing in the series, here, is important. We have already seen how Aang has worked to care for (and appreciate) the well-being of others and how he has learned to care for his own needs. With this in mind, he should be able to trust that his actions will derive from these wells of compassion. But easier said than done. Compassion can also trap him into indecision, hearkening back to his avoidant mistake in the storm, in which the whole mess began. Aang’s internal conflict, here, becomes more pronounced as the finale draws nearer. I think it’s especially significant that we witness Aang disagreeing with his mentors and friends. He must act in a way that will contradict and even threaten his sources of support if he is to trust his own desires. Even the fandom disagrees about the choice Aang makes, which further highlights the fact that making a decisive choice is contentious. There is no point in believing it will grant you love or admiration or success. For someone who began (and spent much of) the series regularly sacrificing himself just to bring others peace, Aang’s decision to prioritize his own interests despite the very explicit possibility of failure is the ultimate growth his character can have and the ultimate representation of him processing his trauma. (This arc was echoed and made even more explicit in many ways with Adora in the She-ra finale.) The last significant time Aang followed his desire, in his mind, was when he escaped the Air Temple in the storm. To want something, to trust his desire and act on it, is an act of incredible courage for him, and whether it succeeded or failed, whether anyone agrees or disagrees with it, it offered Aang a sense of peace and resolution. Now I appreciate and love Zuko’s iconic redemption arc, but Aang’s subtler arc, which subverts the “chosen one” narrative and broke ground to represent a prevalent emotional experience, stands out to me as the foundation for the show I love so much.

[beifongsss]

flirt [zuko]

Pairing: Zuko x earthbender!reader baybeeeeee

Summary: An anon request <3 “ zuko and a super outgoing/confident/flirty reader? all the fics i’ve seen so far are super shy reader x zuko, they’re super cute, just not very relatable to me lol”

i hope i do your request justice :3 also i’m sorry that I keep making the reader a bender but this fits bc they have to fight Zuko lol

.masterlist.

~

You don’t even know how you ended up traveling with the Gaang.

One day you had been living in a small Earth Kingdom town, helping out the Beifongs as Toph’s etiquette tutor and the next, you found yourself being tugged away from your home by the youngest Beifong. You couldn’t deny the fact that you finally felt free flying on the (abnormally cute) sky bison as you headed to who-knows-where.

You had nothing left for you back in the Earth Kingdom town you had been born in. You were the only daughter of a well-known family who had always been loyal to the Earth King. Unfortunately, they had been captured on a trip to Ba Sing Se and subsequently killed by the Fire Nation. With no family left to turn to, you proceeded to accept the Beifong’s offer to stay with them in return for you teaching Toph about high class etiquette.

Toph was an interesting girl and you found yourself being impressed with everything she did. You were always her number one supporter, especially when it came to her being The Blind Bandit. She was an extremely talented bender and in return for you tutoring her, she was your bending instructor and you became her only most promising student.

Eventually, Aang, Katara, and Sokka all filled you in about the banished Fire Nation prince and how he had chased the Gaang everywhere they had gone in an attempt to capture the Avatar. You and Toph were upset at the stories and were immediately anti-Zuko, promising to help Aang master earthbending as fast as possible.

You got along well with everyone, especially Sokka who was almost as talkative as you were. Of course the good vibes didn’t last long and you all found yourselves arguing as you found yourselves being chased by Azula and her friends. The situation had culminated in a battle at a small, abandoned town. You had arrived to see Aang being cornered by two people, each of them throwing fire towards the young Air Nomad.

Engaging with the person closest to you, you thrust your hands out, shooting a pillar of earth out and tossing the person into the closest building. Sharing a look with Aang, you waved him off. “Go! I’ll hold him off.”

“Be careful,” Aang warned, looking towards Azula uncertainly. “That’s Zuko.”

Your eyes widened as Aang ran off before turning your attention back to the boy in front of you. He struggled to get up before a burst of fire left him, sending rock debris everywhere. Quickly, you sent up another wall of earth, protecting yourself from the flying rocks before breaking it apart and sending it towards Zuko. The banished prince grunted before throwing a few fireballs towards you, causing you to stumble back and fall.

Eyes narrowing, Zuko made his way to you, pulling back his fist as fire formed around it. Groaning, you sat up, finally getting a good look at the boy in front of you. Almost immediately, a flirty smirk made it’s way onto your face. You quickly scrambled to your feet, bouncing up to him without any hesitation. You dodged his attacks, fighting back as you bit your lip.

“So...you’re Zuko?” you asked, dodging another punch. At this point, you were engaging in hand to hand combat instead of relying on your earthbending. Zuko didn’t reply, his eyes narrowing as he kept sending blasts of fire again.

“Aang told us about how you haven’t been able to capture him,” you continued, blinking innocently as Zuko became visibly angry. “But he failed to mention just how handsome you are.”

At your words, Zuko’s eyes widened and he misstepped, losing his focus at your words. You took that opportunity to step back as well before taking a strong step and raising your hands, encasing the banished prince in a slab of rock.

“Let me go!” Zuko cried out, steam coming out of his nose as he struggled. You stood in front of him, arms crossed as you stared at him. He truly was handsome, with piercing gold eyes and soft-looking black hair. You opened your mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Sokka.

“(Y/N)! A little help here?” the Water Tribe boy yelped, narrowly dodging a blast of blue fire from Azula.

“Coming!” you replied, eyebrows furrowing in slight concern before you addressed Zuko once more. “It was real nice meeting you Prince Zuko. I hope to see you again under more pleasurable circumstances.”

With a wink, you sprinted away, jumping in front of Sokka and sending up a wall of earth as Azula struck again.  You continued to sprint around, helping out whenever called out to you. The fight came to an end when you all had Azula cornered, and you sent a brief smirk to Zuko as you saw him standing near you. “Finally made it out huh?”

He had glowered at you and you simply rolled your eyes before turning back to Azula. “The whole tough guy act is hot but something tells me you’d look better with a smile.”

You missed his surprised look as Azula shot a blast of fire towards an older man, who you later learned was Zuko’s uncle Iroh. In the ensuing chaos she escaped, and you were left with a shaken Zuko and an injured Iroh. At Zuko’s threats insistence, the five of you left, looking back at him as you flew off on Appa. It was silent for a few minutes before you finally spoke up. “So, why didn’t you guys mention that Prince Zuko is hot?”

The only sound that was heard was Sokka slapping his forehead.

~

The next time you saw Zuko was in Ba Sing Se. You had been walking around with Katara, having stayed behind with her to plan the invasion. She was talking quietly as you looked around the city, pretending to be listening to her. On your shoulder, Momo was chattering quietly, also looking around with his large eyes.

You sighed softly as you entered a cozy-looking tea shop. You looked around in appreciation before you heard Katara gasp. Quickly, she grabbed your hand and whirled around hurrying out of the shop. You felt yourself crash into someone else, losing Katara’s hand and falling to the ground. You looked at the door before looking at Momo, shaking your head at Katara’s weird behavior.

“Are you alright?” a soft voice ask. You pushed yourself up, ignoring the hand in front of you before looking up. Your eyes widened in surprise as you found yourself staring at Zuko’s uncle. Iroh, you recalled vaguely. Recognition flashed in his eyes as he looked at you, remembering you as the earthbender who had trapped his nephew. Bracing yourself for the worst possible scenario, you nodded in response to his question, holding Momo to your chest.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” the retired general asked, a warm smile on his face as he guided you to a table. “You look like a jasmine type of girl.”

Sensing no ill intentions from the smiling man, you nodded. “Jasmine happens to be my favorite.”

“I see. It is my nephew’s favorite as well,” Iroh continued, gesturing to the boy behind the counter. You smiled as you noticed Zuko standing behind the counter, his back to you as he focused on whatever he was doing. Noticing your smile at the sight of his nephew, Iroh smiled as well. “I’ll send him over to give you your tea.”

“I would greatly appreciate that,” you said, your eyes not leaving the handsome boy.

You played with Momo when Iroh left, silently speaking to the winged lemur as you waited for your tea. You placed Momo in your lap when you heard someone set down a tray on your table, looking up to see Zuko standing there. “Hey handsome.”

Zuko glanced at you, doing a double take when his eyes met yours. “Y-You!”

He grasped your hand, pulling you out of your seat and towards the back as you struggled to hold on to Momo.

“Ow! Ow! Can you stop?” you hissed, pulling your hand away from him. You placed Momo on your shoulder before rubbing your wrist. You glanced down at it, noticing how raw it looked. “You really need to learn how to control your temper Zuko.”

“What happened here?” Iroh’s asked before Zuko could speak again. He gently took your hand in his inspecting the burn before turning to his nephew. “Now Lee, is this any way to treat our customers?”

“She isn’t a customer uncle,” Zuko replied bluntly. “She’s traveling with the Avatar. She is the earthbender who fought me the day you were injured.”

“You’re the earthbender who trapped my nephew?” Iroh looked at you in surprise. You nodded, causing the older man to chuckle. “You are a very talented bender.”

You blushed at the compliment before answering, thinking about Toph. “Thank you, I was trained by the best.”

“We must get this wrapped up. Come with me,” Iroh led you to a back room, where he proceeded to get some type of salve and some wrappings. “Zuko if you could please do this for me, I’m afraid I have to get back to the customers.”

Iroh left the two of you, but not before stopping and handing Momo a few litchi nuts. Momo chittered before jumping off your shoulder, landing on a windowsill as he began eating the fruit. You glanced at the burn once more before looking back at Zuko. “You know, you just gave the term ‘too hot to handle’ a whole new meaning.”

Zuko tried to hold his blush back at your words as he sat in front of you. He grabbed your arm, applying the paste and then gathering the wrappings, beginning to tie them around your wrist.

You hissed when he tightened it a little too much, pulling away from the boy. “Ow! If I wanted you to be rough with me I would’ve told you.”

This time, Zuko could not hold his blush at your double entendre. A faint smirk appeared on your face as you began to wrap your wrist.

“Let me do it,” Zuko muttered reaching for your arm.

“No,” you replied leaning away. “Trust me I can do it myself.”

“Why are you being so difficult,” the boy groaned, lunging for the wrapping. You leaned back too far, falling onto your back as you reached out for something to grab on to. The only thing you succeeded in doing was pulling Zuko down with you.

You stared at the boy above you. “When I told you that I hope we’d meet under more pleasurable circumstances, this wasn’t what I had in mind. Not that I’m complaining.”

Zuko stuttered for a few second before deciding to scowl at you instead.

“If I had known I was interrupting, I would’ve stayed outside. Prince Zuko, I never knew you were so good with the ladies,” Iroh’s voice floated in. You sat up immediately, only succeeding in getting closer to the prince. You tried to ignore the blush that you knew was visible on your cheeks.

“I would be honored to be wooed by such an attractive man,” you said, looking up at Zuko through your eyelashes. Iroh raised an eyebrow. “Unfortunately, I simply fell back and pulled your nephew down with me.”

“Well, as an apology on his behalf from earlier, let me offer you a nice warm cup of jasmine tea,” Iroh said, setting down a tray. “On the house.”

You smiled as you pulled yourself up, leaving Zuko on the ground. “It smells delicious but I am afraid I must get going. Katara must be wondering where I am. Thank you very much for the offer.”

You bowed before whistling sharply, causing Momo to fly to your shoulder.

“My nephew will walk you out. It was nice to met you...” Iroh trailed off as he realized that he had never asked for your name.

“My name is (Y/N),” you supplied, smiling.

“A truly beautiful name,” Iroh said, stepping away from the door. “It was nice to meet you (Y/N). I hope to see you again soon. Zuko, please walk her out.”

You bowed once more before you followed Zuko back out to the store. When you reached the steps, you turned around and faced him once more. “It was nice to see you again handsome. Let’s do it again sometime.”

Zuko’s reply was lost as you stepped forward, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to his scarred cheek. “Have a nice evening.”

Momo’s chittering was the only thing that could be heard as you walked away. Zuko stood on the steps until he could no longer see you, the blush on his cheeks only intensifying when he remembered how your lips felt pressed against his cheek.

“It seems to me that she is the one wooing you,” Iroh said, hiding a smile.

“Shut up uncle.”

~

You didn’t see the handsome prince again until you had all safely escaped to the Western Air Temple. You had been trying to talk to Aang about learning firebending when you and Toph had felt someone arriving.

“Aang, I think we should be making some plans about our future!” Sokka exclaimed, trying to get Aang to pay attention.

“Okay, we can do that while I show you the giant Pai Sho table! Oh, you're gonna love the all-day echo chamber!” the air nomad replied, already preparing to run off.

Aang came to an abrupt stop when you sent up a wall of earth in front of him.

“I think that’ll have to wait,” Toph said, turning to face the newcomer.

“Hello, Zuko here,” the prince said, raising his arms up in greeting. Immediately, everyone except you took a fighting stance. You didn’t really pay attention to most of the conversation, too busy staring at Zuko’s hair. It had grown out some and to be honest, you thought it looked really good.

“Wait,” you interrupted, stepping forward slightly. “You look really good with your hair like that. Not to say you didn’t look good before but this, wow. you’re even hotter.”

“(Y/N)!” Sokka and Katara exclaimed at the same time. Sokka pulled you back before smacking you lightly. You smacked him back, the two of you bickering nonstop. You missed Zuko’s bewildered expression, along with most of the conversation.

“There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done,” Aang spoke, catching your attention. “We'll never let you join us.”

“You need to get out of here,” Katara added, a hard expression on her face. “Now.”

Zuko looked at you, his eyes pleading.

You sighed before speaking, your arms raised in surrender. “Look, I think you’re probably the most attractive guy I’ve ever seen-”

“Hey!” Sokka cried indignantly.

You ignored him. “But to be fair, you did send an assassin after us. Not to mention everything else you’ve done. I can’t help you handsome.”

“If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner,” Zuko said, kneeling with his hands out. You looked at Katara, a suggestive smirk on your face.

“(Y/N), stop,” she sighed before turning back to Zuko and bending some water. “No, we won't! Get out of here, and don't come back! And if we ever see you again, well, we'd better not see you again!”

Zuko bowed his head and turned to walk away, glancing back once more. For once, you didn’t meet his eyes.

~

“Has anyone seen Toph,” you asked as you rushed into the courtyard. “I haven’t seen her since yesterday.”

“I haven’t seen her since she stormed off yesterday,” Sokka said, polishing his sword.

“Maybe we should go look for her,” Katara said, noticing your distress.

“We’ll look for her!” The Duke said, rushing off with Haru and Teo.

You whirled around when you heard a loud rumble, only to see a gaping hole in the wall. Toph tumbled out of it, her eyes wide.

“Toph!” you exclaimed, wrapping her up in a hug. “What happened?”

“My feet got burned,” she replied, pushing you off of her.

Her feet were an angry red and you felt your anger rise up as you realized who had done it. “The next time I see Zuko I swear to the spirits that I will-”

“It was an accident,” Toph interrupted you, placing a hand on your arm. You bit your lip as Sokka carried her over to the fountain.

“Ah that’s the stuff,” Toph said, closing her eyes as she dipped her feet in. Soka opened his mouth to say something only to be cut off by an explosion. Being the closest to the source, you were flung back, metal and stone landing on top of you.

“(Y/N)!” you heard Aang yell as everyone else ran away.

“I’m fine!” you called back. “Go I’ll be okay.”

You bended as much earth as you could away from you, only to still be stuck when you realized you couldn’t move the metal.

“We have to get (Y/N),” Toph said, worriedly grabbing onto Katara.

“We will. Hold on,” Sokka said, staring at the blasts Combustion Man was sending their way. After a few more blasts, he was able to tell where he was and aimed his boomerang. The boomerang met it’s mark and they all ran out, Sokka and Toph immediately going over to you.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thanks Zuko,” Aang spoke softly.

“Hey! What about me?” Sokka asked, helping you up. Your leg was injured but luckily nothing had been broken. Sokka was fussing over you, looking at the nasty bruise that had been left from the metal and you were trying to push him away, claiming that you didn’t need his help.

“...I’d like for you to teach me,” Aang’s words gained yours and Sokka’s attention. Zuko bowed.

“Thank you. I’m so happy you’ve accepted me into your group.”

“Not so fast,” Aang said. “I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them. Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?”

“Go ahead and let him join,” Toph said as the pounded her fist into her palm. “It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet.”

“Sokka?” Aang asked.

“Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord,” the Water Tribe Boy shrugged. “If you think this is the way to do it, then, I'm all for it.“

“Katara?”

“I'll go along with whatever you think is right,” she said simply, glaring at Zuko.

“What about you (Y/N)?” Aang asked, already knowing what your answer would be.

“You’re telling me I’m going to have to see him every day?” you asked, gesturing towards Zuko. “That sounds like a dream come true.”

“Thank you,” Zuko said, redder than a tomato. “I won’t let you down.”

“I’m sure you won’t,” you replied. Groans were heard from everyone else.

~ “Come on (Y/N)!” Toph yelled at you. “Do it!”

You stared at the metal in front of you, trying to concentrate on it. You were in the courtyard, a few days after Combustion Man’s downfall. Zuko and Aang were firebending a few feet away from where Toph was trying to teach you how to metalbend. Ever since you had gotten trapped, she had been insistent on teaching you.

With a loud huff, you closed your eyes. You reached out focuising as much as you could and turning the pieces of metal in front of you into smooth, shiny balls. You opened your eyes when you heard clapping, turning to see Aang cheering softly for you. Zuko stood behind him, shirtless.

“That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” Toph taunted, bending the balls of metal back into scraps. “Do it again. This time concentrate harder. I don’t know why you’re so distracted today.”

“You don’t know why I’m distracted?” you said turning to face Aang and Zuko. “Prince Handsome over here is training shirtless and you expect me to not be distracted by that?”

“I don’t get distracted by that,” Toph countered.

“Of course not,” you said, facing her again. “You’re blind.”

Aang snickered and Zuko coughed as he tried to choke back his laughter.

“Do it again,” Toph barked. “Zuko come stand next to me.”

Zuko complied and crossed his arms as he stood next to Toph. You found yourself blushing lightly as you stared at the way his arms flexed before focusing on the metal once more. You struggled for a few minutes, feeling Zuko’s eyes on you. You glanced at him once more, watching his arms flex once again as he shifted in place. Looking up at his face, you saw him already looking at you, a smirk on his face.

You looked back at the metal trying not to look at the prince again. He knew exactly what he was doing to you.

~

It wasn’t until Ember Island that you got to spend more time around Zuko. After the day Toph had made him stand next to her as she trained you, you made sure to train as far as you could possibly get from the prince. That didn’t stop you from flirting with him every other chance you had though, always commenting on how you couldn’t train around him because he made you flustered.

Your comments seemed to make him equally, if not more, flustered.

The day you guys went to see the play, you had sat next to him, intertwining your fingers when the lights went off. He had stiffened up, an unreadable look on his face when he felt your hand in his. Thinking he had been uncomfortable, you pulled back your hand, only to blush when he pulled it back towards him this time taking it upon himself to intertwine your fingers.

Your hands remained intertwined for the rest of the play, even when you exited the private box for the intermission. You didn’t miss the smug looks from everyone else and while Zuko blushed, you had simply leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek the same way you had back in Ba Sing Se.

When the second half of the play started, you proceeded to lean on Zuko, nestling your head in the crook of his neck. His heart racing, Zuko disconnected your hands before wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you in closer. You closed your eyes as you leaned into him, enjoying the warmth that seemed to radiate from him.

~

The next few days were spent watching Aang and Zuko training as you lounged around the beach house. You spent most of your time with Toph as she kept drilling metalbending into you until you could do it with your eyes closed.

A few nights before Sozin’s comet, you found yourself sitting on the roof of the house, staring up at the moon. You jumped slightly when you felt someone sitting next to you, the warmth emitting from them telling you it was Zuko.

“What are you doing up so late?” he asked, his eyes never leaving you.

“I could ask you the same thing,” you hummed, still looking at the moon. You looked at him to see him scowling. “I couldn’t sleep so I came out here to look at the moon.”

“Sokka’s first girlfriend turned into the moon,” Zuko said, fidgeting under your gaze.

“That’s rough,” you said, looking back up.

It was silent for a few minutes before Zuko spoke up again. “Why do you like teasing me so much?”

You looked at him, bewildered. “Teasing you?”

“Yeah,” Zuko said, turning to face you. “All the compliments and the kisses and everything. Why?”

“It’s called flirting, Prince Zuko,” you said with a smile. “People typically do it when they’re attracted to or like somebody.”

“So why do you do it to me?”

You stared at him in disbelief, wondering if he was joking or if he was truly that oblivious. “Because I like you!”

Zuko’s eyes widened in surprise at your words. “You like me?”

“I thought you knew! I thought that’s why you kept flexing the day Toph kept trying to get me to metalbend,” you hissed poking his arm.

“I was joking around,” Zuko replied, swatting your hand away. “I thought you saying I was distracting you was a joke so I kept flexing to tease you.”

“Well you did tease me,” you mumbled. “Just not in the way you’re thinking of.”

“So,” Zuko said, not meeting your eyes. “You really like me?”

You rolled your eyes before leaning forwards, pressing a firm kiss to his lips. His eyes widened in shock before he closed them, his hand reaching up to cup your face as he melted into the kiss. You pulled back and giggled as his lips chased yours, pecking him once more before leaning back. “Does that answer your question?”

Zuko nodded quickly before grabbing your hand. “I like you too.”

You smiled as you shuffled closer to him. “Good. I’d be pretty upset if you didn’t.”

You gasped lightly as Zuko pressed his lips back to yours, sliding his arms around your waist and pulling you into his lap. Your arms wound around his neck, hands tangling in his hair as you eagerly kissed back. Zuko pulled away first, a chuckle escaping him.

“What?” you asked leaning your head against his shoulder.

“I can’t believe uncle was right,” he replied. At your questioning gaze, he explained.

“You did end up wooing me.”

~

AHAHAHAHAAHHHH i hope this is good i spent a lot of time on this one and i’m not too proud of it but i hope you enjoy <3

[lottienatyellowjackets]

mai and katara friendship headcanons? i saw them alluded to in another post!! (also i love ur takes on maiko!)

dkdhsksjsksjs i love them so much!!! thank you for the ask <3 n thank you so much!! so sorry this is so late!!

•katara and mai do not start off as friends post war. katara is wary of mai (rightfully so!!) and mai is cold to katara. while she slowly begins to befriend the rest of the gaang, she does not interact with katara and the younger girl doesn’t understand why. it’s not until sokka cracks a joke about the boy in the iceberg and mai’s entire mood changes for the night does katara realize mai does not know much of her and zuko’s FRIENDship. she clears the air with her right away and says that she would never like zuko and he loves mai. and mai awkwardly does admit she was jealous because she’s trying to be more open with her feelings.

•they are a year apart and slowly realize they have more in common than expected. they’re both masters at their craft and have dreams and ambitions of their own, but both already find themselves reduced to their boyfriends and their accomplishments by others. “the avatars girl” and “the fire lords girlfriend” are what some refer to them as, as if katara is not a master waterbender and mai not a extraordinarily talented knife thrower.

•katara is very radical in her politics (saw a post on this once!!) whereas mai definitely has more conservative ideas on money and states of the nation. their discussions often end in debates with both girls needing to cool off. but it’s always stimulating and they both just want the best for all the nations.

•there is a camaraderie when both your partners are world leaders. both girls sometimes wonder where they fall in the line of priorities for their boyfriends, and if they will spend the rest of their lives with these insecurities. it’s comforting to know they are not the only ones with these thoughts.

•they spar together and mai tries to whip her knives through water (i’m not sure if this is possible, i don’t know physics whatsoever!!)

•trying food from each other’s cultures!!

•mai loved learning (what she could) about the other nations as a child and katara takes her to the southern water tribe. they go penguin sledding and mai will deny it but she smiled the entire time and felt free for once!!

•when mai and zuko break up, katara and mai stay in touch via letters. also, when mai goes to republic city post smoke and shadows (another hc of mine <3) katara visits her often and they go out for dinner. she thinks mai breaking up with zuko was totally justified and applauds her for taking time to figure her life out and who she is.

•mai and zuko marry at 19 and 20 as opposed to 23 and 25 for katara and aang. it was just how each couple chose to do it! but on mai’s wedding day, katara helps do her hair and on katara’s, mai paints her nails.

•(besides aang), mai is the first person to know bumi is a nonbender. katara and aang love their son regardless of if he can bend or not, but they both know the world will see it differently and katara just wants to protect her son. also, she knows that some will be angry she did not have an airbender. she knows mai will relate in some capacity, because she and zuko have been married for eight years without a heir(which is a long time for royalty). mai is oddly comforting and reminds katara he’ll have so many ways to defend himself with all his awesome aunts and uncles.

•on the topic of mai and katara and families, they strongly relate to each other due to the immense pressure on their shoulders. katara knows the world needs an airbender, aang would love an airbender to continue their legacy, she wants an airbender to ensure aang is no longer the last one. mai knows the fire nation needs a heir for the line of succession, zuko wants a child, she wants a child. they’re both ripped apart by misogynists who blame all the problems on the women and despite constantly fighting for themselves, it is so tiring.

•katara helps deliver izumi <3

•mai and katara end up attending many of the same diplomacy meetings throughout the years and love to take down misogynists together!!! they always celebrate with some rice wine or tea or whatever they want that night after another successful day of being wonderful and intelligent woman.

•maiko and kataang double dates <3

•overall, they are unlikely friends and while it takes them a bit to find their footing, they become very close and stay that way until their dying days.

•also, the constant comparison between the two is just :( they’re both such wonderful, complex characters that don’t need to be brought down to tear the other up!!

[comradekatara]

spare ming-hua headcanons? (if you want)

oooh! i wish we knew more about the red lotus and their respective backstories; they’re such fascinating characters (frankly, way more compelling than most of lok’s oversized ensemble...) my only real Headde Canonne for ming hua is that she was one of katara’s most talented pupils, and i think the fact that katara wasn’t in book 3 at all was such a missed opportunity to explore that... like, there’s so much potential there!! so yeah i wrote a backstory for her here u go: 

when ming hua was born without arms, her parents immediately assumed that she couldn’t be a waterbender. but despite being presumed a non-bender, ming hua was obsessed with watching the other kids her age practicing their waterbending, and studying everything she could ever learn about the artform. 

she was born in the southern water tribe even though her family came from the north, because they wanted to give her older sister the best possible waterbending education she could get, and as everyone knows, that’s in the south pole, at master katara’s waterbending school. 

ming hua grew up in her older sister’s shadow. she was a waterbender who had the privilege of studying under master katara, and ming hua was just her disabled little sister. how sad, how pitiful. ming hua’s disability was just a sob story that made her sister popular among her classmates, whereas ming hua’s classmates didn’t pity her exactly... they just ostracized her.

ming hua loved joining her mom to pick up her older sister from waterbending classes because it meant she got to watch katara and her students perform waterbending forms. one day, ming hua overheard katara chatting with her mom. katara asked her mom if ming hua would be joining classes soon too, but her mom was like “oh well she’s not a bender, so no...” but katara was like “well she’s a little young for you to know that definitively.” her mom explained to katara in hushed tones that ming hua doesn’t have any arms (it’s hard to tell when her entire tiny body is eclipsed by a huge fluffy parka), so it’s highly unlikely that she would ever bend. but for the rest of the day, ming hua couldn’t get the thought out of her head that she could, maybe, be a bender. 

she spent the entire night trying to get water to move with her mind. she just stared at it really hard to no avail. but then, she crouched down and sprung up on her feet really fast, and a jet of water shot into the air. “MOOOOOOOOOOOM......”

she had to plead with her parents to enroll her in waterbending school. even though she had finally proven to them that she could waterbend, they were still skeptical that she could ever be a competent bender, so why bother. but katara promised to train her personally, so they had to agree. 

katara mastered waterbending arms by the time she was 14. ming hua mastered it by the time she was 8. tiny and desperate to prove herself, ming hua was rapidly becoming one of katara’s favorite students. 

ming hua idolized katara, and was convinced that katara was the only person in the world who truly understood her, and that, in fact, katara knew everything. she absorbed all of katara’s beliefs about the world—that monarchies are flawed and unjust, that radical change is needed to improve the world, that sometimes blowing up factories is necessary and sick af actually—like a sponge. 

she wanted to be just like katara when she was older, to help people and to improve her community, not be mention become the greatest waterbender in the world. she was on track for all of those things, and katara was so very proud. 

by the time ming hua was a teenager, she and katara had a mentor/mentee friendship, in which they discussed not only advanced waterbending techniques, but also politics, art, culture, and their personal lives. despite never having actually met him, ming hua harbored an almost defensive disdain for sokka. older siblings really are the worst. 

when ming hua found out that katara was literal best friends with firelord zuko, it felt worse than her first heartbreak. it was a betrayal of the highest order, and a paradigm shift. “why did you never tell me that you’re friends with the firelord???” she demanded, tears in her eyes. and, infuriatingly, katara laughed. she explained to ming hua that just because she’s anti-monarchy doesn’t mean she hates every individual monarch. ming hua was furious. “you should!!!!” she insisted. who was this woman and what had she done with her beloved mentor??? 

eventually, katara finally managed to explain to ming hua that her history with zuko was more nuanced than a simple political connection. she even introduced zuko to ming hua when he was in the south pole, and since he seemed nice enough, ming hua relented that fine, maybe katara is allowed to have some piece of shit 1% colonizer friends. katara bit her cheek trying not to point out that ming hua’s family is literally northern water tribe old money. clearly, ming hua’s heart was in the right place.

ming hua also thought it was quite suspect that katara wanted to be chief. didn’t katara always say that the best change was made through radical action and grassroots organizing in the community? why would katara want power if she believed in democracy? 

katara was just like “well.... you see.... the thing about that is.....”

since katara was never a member, it was actually suki who recruited ming hua to the white lotus. she’d heard katara gush about her incredibly clever and talented waterbending student who showed great promise, and once suki met ming hua, she knew that inviting her into the white lotus would be a great step in helping her achieve her dream of helping the world. ming hua was delighted. 

it was in white lotus meetings that she met ghazan. he didn’t say much, but he didn’t need to. he was an extremely powerful bender, and she liked his quiet stoicism and good-natured sense of humor. he grew up in poverty (read: self-reliant and resilient) and always had his head in a book (read: knowledgeable and intelligent), which ming hua found incredibly attractive. 

it was merely speculative at first, the kind of theory one reads to learn how the “other side” thinks, but ghazan couldn’t help but find xai bau’s philosophy compelling. 

ming hua was never an avid reader, because she had yet to find a way to turn the pages without getting the ink wet, but she liked it when ghazan would read aloud to her. when listening to him read from xai bau’s manifesto, she couldn’t help but feel inspired. 

she had been growing evermore disillusioned with the white lotus the more time she spent with these plebs & poindexters. some of them were good at pai sho and little else, some of them were literal warmongers (who the fuck let the dragon of the west join???) and even that sexist guy katara fought as a kid (one of her favorite katara stories) had been a member. not to mention katara’s stupid older brother (and no, ming hua still had not actually met sokka). katara had wholeheartedly supported suki’s decision to recuit ming hua, but she also called the white lotus “a nerd club for losers,” so maybe she’d been right... 

when ming hua met p’li and zaheer, she knew she’d made the right choice. 

the four of them were their own little gang, comrades in arms (so to speak), and ming hua finally felt like she had peers who weren’t afraid of her, for her disability or her power. they cared about each other, and they cared about the people of the world and wanted to change it for the better. they made plans for the future, but for now, they were just happy they could finally be themselves. 

when the identity of the new avatar was revealed, a girl from the south pole named korra, they knew their vision for the world could finally be achieved. their plan was foolproof. the one problem was what would happen if chief katara got involved; she may be past her prime, but she was still extremely powerful. ming hua assured her friends not to worry; she could handle her. 

only, when the time came, they found out all too late that katara was not currently acting as chief, because she was currently in the earth kingdom for some reason, and the interim chief was her stupid brother sokka (nepotism much?? what had he ever done to be worthy of the title???) and zuko, the ex-firelord, was also, inexplicably, there. ming hua was not counting on them fighting her instead of katara. she hadn’t even been expecting a fight. she just wanted to talk to katara long enough to distract her. but she had absolutely no idea what to say to sokka and zuko that wouldn’t be suspicious. she suddenly regretted never having met sokka prior to this moment. for one thing, he wasn’t as stupid as ming hua had always assumed. and like that, the air-tight plan ming hua had dedicated her life to crumbled before her eyes.

of course sokka would advocate for killing ming hua and her friends. ming hua was furious, but zaheer said that sokka was right; it was more humane, cost-effective, and practical to execute them than to construct four separate prisons specifically designed to contain them, keep them in solitary confinement their entire lives as they lose their minds or inevitably escape. and, fine, ming hua could kind of see his point. but ugh. sokka. 

when katara learned that her precious baby avatar korra had nearly been kidnapped by a small group of terrorists, she was beside herself, and immediately returned home. sokka explained to her that they’d managed to subdue the threat and were now deciding the fates of the attackers. “aang isn’t here anymore,” sokka said. “for once in your life, be practical about this.” 

and katara was inclined to agree. it was the more logical solution. but then she learned their names. ming hua.... no, it couldn’t be the same ming hua..... the same...... extremely talented waterbender....... who didn’t have arms.......... oh.

ultimately, sokka was outvoted. it wouldn’t be right to tarnish aang’s legacy like this so soon after his death. that’s what katara said, anyway. 

[thatsgay-writes]

Can I request a Azula x female reader? Say Azula wins the agni maid and reader is there by her side watching her burn nations down

“Perfect.” You say as you do the finish touches to Azula’s hair. She had gotten angry earlier and snapped at the maids, kicking them out. You had known Azula since you were babies, growing up together with the rest of her friends. You had liked her for a while but never acted on your feelings until the vacation you and your friends took on emerald island. This boy had flirted with her at the party you all attended and you set his pants on fire with a candle. You were what kept Azula calm when she was about to go crazy, you were her anchor. You were there to hold her close and reassure her after Mai and Ty Lee betrayed her. You were the calm to her rage, the water to her fire... Literally, you were a water bender. You had been dropped on your parents doorstep one day, no note or anything. No one, including yourself, had known you could water bend until you bended away the water under a turtle duck before Azula could throw bread at it.

After finding out, Fire Lord Ozai accused you of being a spy... Yes, 9 year old y/n, a spy. He was ready to put you down before Azula intervened. She pled your case and convinced her father that you could be useful once you mastered your bending. So you were sent out of the fire nation to find someone to teach you water bending, Ozai having the full expectation that you wouldn’t return, who would want to train a fire nation water bender? Well, you did find someone to teach you water bending and a sub style called blood bending. You spent almost 5 years with Hama mastering your abilities before returning to the fire nation. Now at 14, you looked way more mature and fit from the years of training. When you saw Azula again for the first time she just gave you a simple nod, barely paying attention to you. Until later the same day she pulled you into her room and hugged you like her life depended on it.

You never told anyone of your blood bending and planned to keep it that way until today. “Zuko...” Azula sneered as he and Katara rode in, interrupting her coronation. “Sorry, but your not going to become Fire Lord today... I am.” Zuko says as he jumps off the bison. Azula lets out a laugh mockingly, you had to stifle your own. “You’re hilarious.” Azula says, not taking Zuko seriously. “And your going down.” Katara says, voice full of conviction. You growl under your breath at Katara. “Control your attack dog Zuko.” You sneer causing Katara to glare at you. “You want to do this... Let’s Agni Kai!” Azula announces with a wide grin and you smirked next to her as Zuko agreed causing Katara to give him a worried look. You knew Azula was more powerful than him and you had full confidence that she would win.

You watch as blue and red flames dance across the sky and cut through the air as Azula and Zuko battle. It was already taking longer than you had hoped but you knew Azula would win and you knew that if need be, you could take Katara. The only people that knew of your water bending was Azula, Fire Lord Ozai, and Hama. “No lightening today? Afraid I’ll redirect it!?” Zuko yells, getting a little to confident as he knocks Azula down once. Azula shoots you a look and you smirk a little, knowing she had something up her sleeve. You watched as she created lightening and sent it straight at Katara, who froze in shock. You watched as Zuko caught the lightening before sending it into the air and you cringed as you watched him twitch after he hit the ground. “Zuko!” Katara yelled about to run to him before having to dodge fire sent at her.

As the two girls fought, you walked up slowly to Zuko and poked the new scar on his chest to make sure he was still alive. He let out a loud gasp before twitching again. You nodded your head and moved forward again to watch Azula and Katara fight. You were ready to step in when you noticed Katara hovering over an open water source and as soon as Katara froze water around herself and Azula, you stepped in. You focused all your energy and started blood bending Katara away from the water source. Katara looked at you with wide eyes displaying shock and fear. “Someone get the container!” Azula barked out to the guards that you had managed to get back after Azula went on a firing rampage. The guards brought out a full body cage made of pure platinum. Once she was locked in, you released her from your hold and smiled as she glared at you. “How do you know how to blood bend!?” Katara yells out enraged, “It isn’t even a full moon!” “You don’t spend 5 years learning for nothing.”

---

Azula had been officially crowned Fire Lord and now the two of you were waiting for the Avatar to arrive. Katara was locked in the deepest dungeon that the fire nation had that you had changed to have dessert like qualities. Zuko was being healed by a healer but was still incapacitated. “Shouldn’t be much longer now...” You mumbled as you stood next to Azula’s throne. “A fire nation balloon has been spotted!” A guard yelled as he ran into the room. “Show time.” You stated as you hid behind the throne as Dai Li agents hid on the ceiling. The door to the throne room busted down as Aang sent a wave of air towards it. “Where is Katara! And Zuko!?” Aang asked as he, Sokka, and Toph stood in fighting positions. “Who’s behind the chair?” Toph asked and you moved next to Azula with a smirk. “Oh it’s just a non bender.” Toph says tauntingly trying to get a reaction from you but gets one from Sokka instead. “Hey!” Sokka says and crosses his arms.

You shake your head and let out a small laugh. “Tsk tsk tsk, a non bender?” You ask with fake disappointment. “Wrong.” You say as you blood bend Toph, causing her to be lifted under the ground as Dai Li agents use the ground to move another full body case around Toph, sealing her in. You release your hold and watch as Top starts to panic as she kicks the cage. “I can’t see anything outside of this thing!” She yells out causing Aang and Sokka to worry. You watch as Azula raises a finger, signaling the Dai Li agents who send out the rock gloves at Sokka immediately holding him down and capturing him. Now all that stood in Azula’s way was Aang. Aang almost immediately goes into the avatar state and glares at the two of you as Azula stand up, slowly removing her robe and getting into a fighting stance. “I’ve never blood bended a avatar before.” You state as you crack your neck and knuckles, getting into a fighting stance.

Azula stood from the throne and nodded her head as the Dai Li agents started attacking the avatar. “Find a way to get him open.” You nod your head in response. “Remember if he dies in the avatar state, the cycle ends.” You say to Azula as you kiss her cheek and join the fight. The fight was a lot harder than you thought it would be. Aang had beaten almost all the Dai Li agents and you haven’t been able to blood bend him long enough for Azula to hit him with lightening. You watched from the sidelines as Aang took out the last Dai Li agent and let his defense down for a second. A second long enough for you to attack. “Azula!” You yell as you blood bend the avatar, barely being able to keep focus on Aang. You let out a breath of relief as Aang falls to ground and you let your body finally slump down. “Y/n?” Azula asks worriedly. “I’m okay... I just haven’t had to blood bend so much before.” You responds as Azula helps you stand and rest your body against hers.

---

The last week had been a whirlwind. You and Azula announced to the world that the Avatar was dead and that the cycle was over before sending out fire nation blimps to all the major cities in the other 3 nations. After healing from his injuries, Zuko, Sokka was sent to join Ty Lee and Mai in Boiling Rock. The prison had been updated and made practically impenetrable from the outside and inside. Katara and Toph were kept in special cells, Katara’s was deep below the fire nation castle while Toph’s was as far away from the ground as possible. 

You watched with a smirk from the inside of blimp as waves of fire nation soldiers stormed the walls of the Northern Water Tribe while you sat on the arm of Azula’s chair. You both got up and stood on a platform as the blimp stopped above the front of the castle. The platform lowered slowly towards the ground where your soldiers held back water nation soldiers. The platform lowered all the way to the ground and you and Azula walked towards the leader of the northern tribe. “Surrender now and we wont burn your town to the ground.” Azula demanded as the chief glared at her. “How do I know you won’t hurt the moon spirits?” Azula let out a humorless laugh. “As much as that would make things easier... Someone I know needs the moon spirit alive.” Azula says as she rubs her hand against your cheek. “Now do you accept the terms or not?” Azula asks getting annoyed at how long it was taking. You watched the Chief’s eyes as he looked behind you and you turned around just in time to stop a ice spear heading straight for Azula. You catch the spear and turn it into hundred of mini icicles before sending it back at the man who threw it in the first place. “Pakku!” The chief yelled as he watched his friend fall.

You sent a hard glare at the chief before yelling out, “Burn it to the ground!” Causing your soldiers to let out a cheer before melting houses and setting whatever they could on fire. You and Azula returned to the platform and let it start rising up. “Long live the Fire Lord!” You yelled out causing the soldiers to yell the same thing in agreement. “Are you okay?” You ask as you looked down at Azula who had been silent since the attack on her life but had an arm wrapped around your waist. “That was... hot.”

[writings-of-a-british-fangirl]

Changing Spirits (Zuko x Reader) [Everything Has Changed Part 3]

Title: Changing Spirits Summary: You settled in with the gang, but are confronted by a very real issue when Zuko reveals that he's 'lost' his fire bending ability. You also relive memories of the past Warnings: None really Request: Some of you wanted part 3 so here it is!!

A/N: Been recieving a lot of positivity and love on the last two parts so thank you for that! xx

PART 1: EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED PART 2: CHANGE IS GOOD PART 3: CHANGING SPIRITS PART 4: A HEART OF CHANGE

Zuko~Changing Spirits

Waking up in a new environment was strange. It was colder than the fire nation, a gentle breeze could be felt through out the temple. It wasn't unwelcomed, however. You shifted in your bed, and glanced over at Zuko. He was still asleep, and for the first time in forever he looked relaxed. You gently rise and prop yourself up with one hand, and slowly take in the room.

     It felt weird to be in a place like this.

    The fire nation had always taught you growing up that it was the most glorious nation in existence: that it had the best architecture, the most clever scientists, the only worthy culture- and yet you find yourself almost in awe here. How different would've it have been had it not been for your people 100 years ago... You try not to think about it.

    Taking one last look at Zuko, you get out of bed. You decide to leave him sleeping. He looks so peaceful, it would be a shame to disturb him. And, besides, you know he needs the sleep. He hadn't slept well in the fire nation; he told you himself. He couldn't sleep, not with the guilt he felt. You wished you could sleep longer too; you know you need the rest. Hunger calls you, though, and so does curiosity. Although you feel nervous about how the gang will react to you, you know that they wouldn't deny you food. Or, at least, you hoped they wouldn't.

---

"Hi," you awkwardly say as you leave the temple, approaching the group of misfit teens in front of you, "Uh, I just wondered if I'd missed breakfast..."

    You feel stupid now after saying it out loud, and you want the ground to swallow you whole as there is no immediate reply from the gang. Your heart begins to sink, and you want to back away, but you lift your head as you hear Toph speak.

    "I thought you and moody were never going to get up," Toph teases with a smile on her face, "Breakfast is over there."

     "Thank you," you murmur, "Zuko is sleeping in- yesterday was quite a long day."

     You sit down next to Sokka, making sure to leave enough space between the two of you so that you don't offend him or make him uncomfortable. You grab a bowl of breakfast- it smells delicious. Doing your best to be quiet and let the others speak, you listen to their conversation. It's hard to imagine less than a year ago this is who you were hunting. So much has changed. You were deep in thought, only to be brought from it by Sokka's voice.

    "So what's the deal with you and the prince of darkness anyway? Are you dating or something?" Sokka asks and you are kind of taken aback. `      You look up, a blush on your face.

     "Ur, no... No, it's not like that," you insist.

     "Your heart rate says otherwise," Toph laughs.

     You shoot her a look that you're sure she can feel.

     "We're just friends. We've been friends since we were kids. His mum... She took me in when my parents died. My father- he lost his life in the war and my mother... She was very ill for a long time. I owe Zuko and his mother my life," you open up to them, "I'm sorry I overshared I didn't-"

     "-I'm sorry that happened to you," Aang says, "That can't have been easy to share."

    "I don't think I've told anyone else that. Showing emotion in the fire nation is weakness," you tell them, "I know it's no excuse but I was brain washed from a young age. I'm glad I'm out here, doing the right thing."

     "You're right it doesn't excuse the things you've done," Katara says, "And, it can never undo the things you've done."

     "Katara, I-"

    "-But, I'm glad you've joined us."

    "You are?"

    "I saw how hard you fought to save us from-"

    "-Combustion Man," Sokka interrupts.

    Katara glares at him before continuing, "Yes, Combustion Man, and I don't entirely trust you or Zuko yet because that comes with time but I'm glad you chose the right side."

    "I know I can never undo what I've done, but I have changed. I'm sorry for what the fire nation did to your village- to all of your homes, and all of your families... The fire nation did a lot more than attack other nations- first they started with their own. I don't want the fire nation to be seen like that anymore.

      My grandmother used to tell me stories of what the world was like before the war: all I want is to do my part in restoring that world. "

    You and Katara share a look, and for the first time since you joined the Avatar, you finally have a moment of understanding.

---

When Zuko wakes up, he is alone. Panic sets in and he thinks something is wrong. But, then he waits and listens; he calms down when he hears your voice. It sounds like you're talking to the gang. Zuko can't help but smile when he hears your laughter. He hesitates for a second, before getting out of bed, and following the sound of your voice down the halls.

---

You hear footsteps and your head turns. It's Zuko: you smile at him and gesture for him to come over. He follows your lead cautiously and sits beside you. You serve him a bowl of breakfast, and go back to listening to the group talk. From one side, you can feel Zuko looking at you. When you gaze towards him, he looks away.

    "How did you sleep?" you murmur to Zuko.

    "Good..." Zuko replies, "What about you? You weren't there when I woke up."

    "Oh, sorry," you say, putting your bowl of breakfast down, "I didn't want to wake you up. You looked like you needed a few more minutes."

     Zuko blushes, but doesn't say anything else.

     The day rolls on, and Zuko begins trying to teach Aang how to how to fire bend, which was proving more and more difficult by the hour. You decided not to watch them train. You'd sparred with Zuko on many occasions, and you thought your presence wouldn't make the situation any better. So, you decided to try and bond with the girls of the group.

     Meanwhile, Sokka was dedicated to annoying Zuko.

    "Come on Sifu Hotman," Sokka teased, "Where's your giant flames now?"

    "I'm trying Sokka," Zuko said through gritted teeth, "Maybe it's that I can't concentrate when the only thing I can hear is the sound of your voice!"

    "Maybe we should get your girlfriend to come and give you a pep talk," Sokka laughed.

    Aang suppressed a laugh under his hand.

    "Y/N isn't my girlfriend," Zuko yelled back.

    "I never mentioned anything about Y/N- but if the shoe fits..."

    "Go away!" Zuko fumed, resisting the urge to grab Zuko.

    "I think it's best if you leave, Sokka," Aang says trying to diffuse the situation.

    Sokka glanced at Aang and then gave a shrug. He made his way over to the rest of the gang, ignoring the glare he could feel in the back of his head- mostly likely from Zukko. ...Who was he kidding? It was definitely from Zuko. For some reason talking about you was a really good way to push Zuko's buttons. Sokka didn't mean anything malicious by it, but it was a small revenge to annoy him about you.

    The water tribe boy sat down beside his sister with a huff.

    "Got bored of watching the fire bending did we?" Katara asked.

    "No, mostly because there wasn't much fire bending going on," Sokka said, before looking at you, "And, by the way your boyfriend is being extra moody today."

    "He's not my- You know what, never mind," you stop yourself, "Wait, what do you mean by there wasn't much fire bending going on? Zuko's an excellent fire bender. You've all seen it- ah sorry Toph, I mean experienced it."

     "No sweat," Toph reassures.

     "I don't know," Sokka says, "All I know is that Sifu Hotman wasn't very hot."

     "...That's strange," you murmur.

---

When Zuko and Aang come back later, you can tell something is off. Zuko seems upset, and angry... And, disappointed. You paused for a moment before saying anything. Something big was off. You'd seen Zuko grumpy before, but this wasn't just some small irritation. This was something huge.

     "Listen everybody," Zuko announced, "I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff."

     He sighs and looks down. 'His what?' you thought.

     "Don't look at me," Toph exclaimed folding her arms, "I didn't touch your stuff."

     "I'm talking about my fire bending. It's gone," Zuko corrected.

     No, it couldn't be. That didn't make any sense. Zuko couldn't have lost his fire bending. He needed to teach Aang fire bending. Aang needed to master all four elements to defeat the Fire Lord. Oh, this was bad this was really bad. Part of you heard the others speak, but you weren't really listening. You were too busy panicking.

     You interrupt them, "There's got to be a way to get it back though right?"

     Zuko just kept his eyes to the ground.

     "He just needs to go back to the original source of fire bending," Toph says confidently, "I learned earth bending from the badger moles. They were the original earth benders."

     "The dragons," you murmur, "They were the original fire benders."

     "And, they're extinct," Zuko huffs.

     "How? What happened? Roku had a dragon," Aang says.

     "They just are extinct okay?" Zuko snaps, turning away from the group.

     Even though the dragons were extinct, the culture that worshipped them still had ruins. And, they weren't too far away. It was worth a shot. Anything was at this point. It was Zuko's destiny to teach Aang fire bending, you know it was- and, yet it was getting so difficult so early on. You sighed and put your head in your hands. No. No, it was too early for defeat. Zuko and Aang needed to visit the Sun Warrior's ruins. It was at least worth a shot.

     Zuko and Aang had packed basic supplies and set off for the Sun Warrior's ruins. You tried not to feel too worried for them, but it was hard not to when you barely knew anything about the Sun Warriors. ...But, they went extinct so nothing good could've happened to them.

     "Try not to miss me too much," you say to Zuko.

     Zuko gives a small smile.

     You hesitate then bring him in for a hug.

     "Stay safe, okay?" you murmur more seriously.

     You feel him hug back.

     "I'll do my best to come back in one piece."

     "You better."

---

You were thinking about Zuko all the rest of the day. They were gone too long for your liking.  Sleeping alone in the room without Zuko didn't feel right. You tossed and turned and settled on your back. Your eyes stared up at the ceiling before your forced yourself to close them. You think back to all the times you spent sleeping beside Zuko- from sleep overs as a child, to on his war ship, to the small room in Ba Sing Sei... It didn't feel right: being without him.

     You thought back to when you were children and you had snuck into his room.

~~~

    "Zuko!" you yelled out, "Help me up."

    The little prince ran to his window to see you clutching at his balcony. You'd scaled the side of the building, and had your hand wrapped around one of the rungs of the balcony. Zuko grabbed at your hand, and hauled you onto the balcony. You laughed as you fell into a lump onto Zuko.

    "What the hell are you doing?" Zuko whisper-yelled, "Are you trying to wake everyone up?"

    "No," you smiled, "I was trying to see you."

     Zuko rolled his eyes.

    "You could just use the door you know," he said, cracking a smile.

    "Where's the fun in that?" you beamed, "Besides it was a very important mission: I hadn't seen you all day. I had to sneak in to make sure no enemies caught me."

     "Yeah, sorry about that... I had 'royal stuff' to do with my father. I'd much rather spend time with you."

      You smiled and begin telling him about your day, and your plans for tomorrow. Soon, it got later and later. The sun had set and you were both getting tired. You told Zuko you were going to go back to your room, but Zuko insisted you stay in his. You know- in case any enemies caught you. You caved in and clambered into his bed with him. It was your first sleep over ever!

     And, it wouldn't be your last.

     Zuko's mother opened the door, to check on her son. She smiled softly as she saw you and Zuko tucked up into bed. She didn't want to disturb you both so she just whispered good night, and gently closed the door. She always knew you and Zuko shared a life long bond.

      If only she could see you now...

~~~

You hadn't mean to sleep in... It just sort of happened. It was probably a sign though; you needed the rest, and you had finally let the weight of everything sink in. The reality of your situation was finally settling in, and despite the conflict you had initially faced, you were here. Alive. And, for now well.

     You'd were finally drawn from your sleep from a commotion. Voices.

     Your ears practically pricked up at the sound of footsteps. Were Aang and Zuko finally back? Your question was answered when Zuko stepped into the door frame. You chucked your bed sheets off and ran to him. It was him this time that brought you in for a hug.

     "You were gone so long."

     "I know, I'm sorry," Zuko murmured.

     "I hope this means you found something there," you say, breaking contact with him, "And, that you're a fire bending master again?"

      "You could say that. Let's just say the dragons aren't as extinct as we thought."

      "Good, because I was getting worried I was going have to take up the role of the grumpy fire bender in the group," you teased.

      "Oh, so what role do you take?"

      "I'm obviously the fun fire bender," you smiled, "Who brings the life to the party."

      "Oh yeah, obviously."

      Little did you know, Zuko had been thinking of you all the time he had been gone. As he learned about the original source of fire bending, he couldn't help but think back to you. And, he took you into his heart. Once, he was driven by anger and the desire to catch the Avatar.

     That had changed: his motivations had changed. His very spirit had changed. He now wanted to save the world.

     And, protect you.