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that-was-anticlimactic · 4 years

Note

Once many moons ago you asked for some avatar writing prompts and I’ve been thinking of it ever since. Anyway I’ve also been thinking a lot about your Tourette’s!Sokka hc and fics and I was wondering if you could write a lil bit about how Toph finds out? I know you mentioned that she’d find out after pulling him out of the hole... but I’d love to read more about it

Anyway no pressure and if i’m totally out of line please let me know

Hi!!! No no, thank you so much! You’re not out of line at all!! I could talk about this forever and this is exactly something I need to procrastinate!

for those who don’t know, they’re referring to this post and this oneshot! It’s a lots of headcanons about Sokka (atla) having Tourette’s Syndrome!

This takes place during Bitter Work (I mean... Sokka is a hole haha) and for purposes of speculation and plot convenience, we’re assuming he’s been in the whole for at least half of the day (I mean, maybe that’s canon??? He had trouble walking when they got him out and it was long enough to make Katara worry...).

I tried writing this in a different way, so if anyone has strong thoughts / feelings / opinions on how I portrayed his tics, let me know! The last thing that I want to note beforehand is that tics are... weird and you can’t plan them. Writing for them is harder than I thought because they are random. I, personally, found it easier to write his verbal tics as the same few words because you don’t think of tics, they just happen? So writing them was weird, haha!

Stuck

Word Count: 2,590

Tw: anxiety attack, tic attack (for those with TS or tics, I do write his tics in. They triggered some of mine, so proceed with caution)

----

“Rah-Rah-Rah-Rumble!”

Sokka sighed. “Maybe going to underground Earth bending tournaments was a bad idea,” the young warrior (nose wrinkle) said to himself. “I’m going to be rumbling-- rah-rah-rumble-- for ages now.”

He laughed. Then laughed again (blink, whistle). Then he shrieked in frustration.

Being stuck in this hole was miserable, and not just (whistle, nose wrinkle) miserable, it was terrifying. He couldn’t move his arms, he couldn’t move his legs, moving his fingers was possible, but he had clenched them so much that it was painful to continue, and he needed to move his arms, he needed to (whistle, whistle, whistle) tic.

The others were off training, and that could take hours. He was alone (blink, “yip yip, rumble rumble”) and they had no idea where he was, all they knew was that he was hunting.

The pain… it was hard for his brain to fathom the pain he was in. His legs (blink, whistle, blink) were numb but his arms (“Rah-Rumble”) were sore, they were aching and longing for the ability to move, to tic. It made his head (whistle, blink, blink, “yip, rumble, yip”) hurt. It was hard to breath.

“That’s-- rumble-- it,” he wheezed. “This is how I’m gonna-- rah-rah-- die. Oh, spirits, I’m gonna die!” Panic, pain, and loneliness were savages, wrecking the sanctuary and peace of his mind and body.

“AANG!”

Sokka’s voice clipped, his body feeling (“yip yip, you need to yip yip”, blink, nose wrinkle) awake once more at the sight of his friend.

The monk turned at his name, his face lighting up upon seeing the water tribesman. “Sokka!” he (nose wrinkle, whistle) cried, running to him. “Are you okay?”

He opened his mouth, prepared to make some witty or sarcastic comment, but (whistle, blink) all that came out was a stifled, relieved sob. “I-I’m-- fah-fah-fine, fine-- I just need to get out of this stupid hole,” he assured, tears of happiness welling up in his eyes.

Aang studied him for a moment (“yip yip”), then grabbed onto what he could of Sokka’s hands, trying to pull him (blink, blink, nose wrinkle, whistle) free.

Pain shot through his arms and up to his fingers. “Ow! Stop, stop! You’re-- rumble, rah-rah-- gonna pull my fingers off! And (whistle) I don’t think the r-- re-rah-rumble, rah-rah-rumble-- rest is coming!”

Aang sat down in front of him, panting. “I would try to airbend you out, but I don’t think that’ll do anything.”

(Blink, whistle) “Oh, you can Earthbend me out!” Sokka cried excitedly (blink, blink, “rumble”). “That’s what you’ve been working on, right?”

“I can’t.”

“Well, what about-- yip-- Toph? Can you get her so she can Earthbend me out?”

“I can’t do that either.”

“W-- Wah-Wah-- Why not? I’m stuck and-and I can’t move and--” Sokka broke off into an unstoppable stream of “yip-yip”’s.

Aang started, reaching his hands out, but drew them back. “Suppose you probably don’t want to be touched right now?” he said sheepishly. “I’m sorry. Toph will just get mad at me if I go back. I’m a terrible Earthbender.”

“I just-- yip yip (whistle, blink, blink, nose wrinkle)-- I just want Katara.” The words stumbled out, and for a second, he felt like that young six year old again, asking for his mom when (blink, blink, blink) he had tic spasms during stressful training sessions.

Aang’s grey eyes were filled with sorrow. “I know you need help. I need to get over myself and just face Toph but… I just don’t want to let anyone down…” he trailed off, and (nose wrinkle, whistle) suddenly Sokka wanted to be out of that hole more than anything so he could give Aang all of the love that he deserves.

“Oh! Is that a baby Sabertooth Moose Lion?” asked the monk, a smile popping up on his face as the creature jumped out from the bushes.

“Aang, Foo Foo Cuddly Poops. Foo Foo-- rumble, rah-rah-- Cuddly Poops, Aang,” Sokka introduced nonchalantly, still mentally going through various ways to encourage Aang to get help.

“Huh, that’s weird,” Aang (“yip yip!”) stated, picking Foo Foo Cuddly Poops up. “Their moms are usually really protective.”

The Spirits must have something against Sokka, and maybe once he’s out of the hole he’ll ask Aang to visit the Spirit World and figure out what it is. Almost as if it were on cue, a loud roar shook the trees surrounding them, and Sokka soon felt overcome with blinking and screaming “yip yip”.

The roar came from behind him, but he couldn't move he couldn’t move he couldn’t move he couldn’t-- Spirits, he was crying. He was blinking so hard and so consistently that he was crying. His throat felt tighter and tighter with each “yip”, but he still held onto that small sliver of hope that Toph or Katara would hear him and come help him.

“Aang, I can’t-- ca-a-an’t yip-- I can’t see! I-- you need to yip yip-- can’t see! Is that- is that-thu-thu-- the mother? What’s happ-- yip yip-- ening? I can’t-- you-you, yip yip yip-- I can’t stop-- yip yip yip yip, RUMBLE-- AANG!” His words flew out of his mouth, they were uncontrollable, a storm that had been building up for the past however long he had been in here, festering and brewing. Sokka didn’t know what he was saying, his tongue was improvising, his words were a script never written. Honestly, he would be surprised if Aang could even understand what he said through his nearly constant stream of tics.

He couldn’t see, and not just behind him. His blinking was too excessive. His eyes hurt, his vision completely blurred. He was crying, from fear, pain, blinking too much, and because he just wanted Katara. The ringing in his ears returned, and he wanted to curl up into a ball, letting his tics run their course, holding his head in his hands.

A gust of wind ruffled his already messy hair, some of the longer strands falling into his mouth, but he barely registered it. Through the ringing, he vaguely heard Aang speak to him. And suddenly Sokka sobbed even harder because Aang was twelve and he shouldn’t have to worry about Sokka having a tic attack. The first time he had one around Aang, he had terrified the kid. Poor Katara had to run back and forth between making sure Sokka was alright and not in any pain and that Aang understood what was going on.

Spirits, Aang was probably scared out of his mind right now because they were being attacked and Sokka could do nothing to help him. They were in danger and it felt like he was cowering while the Avatar worked to save them both.

Moment after moment, he continued to tic, and, as Aang later said, continued to have an anxiety attack. It felt like an eternity when he finally saw the blurred face of Aang in front of him, moving in and out of focus. The monk’s mouth was moving, but no words were coming out.

He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t even think. The world around him had faded, falling into a grey abyss of nothingness where even feelings were numb and cold. He forced his eyes shut.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him began to move, it rumbled (much like he was), and out of nowhere, a hand gripped his hair tightly and pulled.

Freedom. He was free, but he couldn’t register it. He swatted at the hand until it let go of him, letting him crumble to the ground in a hysterical heap. The touch only worsened the feeling of restriction, even though he was no longer confined to the hole. The ringing grew louder and louder still, and through it all he could hear was someone screaming his sister’s name. Maybe it was him. Maybe it was Aang.

The curled into a ball position that he so longed for was finally attainable, and Sokka immediately fell into it. His legs were twitching, his hands continually flying to the sky and flashing the number three (a new tic he had picked up that replaced the fist pumping. Where his body picked it up, he hadn’t a clue, but he supposed it was better than fist pumping at everything).

“I can’t-- yip yip, yip rumble yip-- breathe-- bruh-bruh-bruh--!” he screamed it. How his vocal cords found the strength to scream, he didn’t know. All he knew for certain was that he felt like he was dying.

A tender, cool, calloused hand landed on his shoulder and he shuddered at the touch, desperately trying to shake it off. The hand would not relent.

Oftentimes, the light at the end of the tunnel was his name. The ringing halted to a stop, when through the blaring he heard: “Sokka”. The voice was loud but it was not forceful. It was commanding yet compassionate. “Sokka, can you hear me?”

Eyes still forced shut to calm the blinking, he nodded.

“It’s Katara. I know I’m already touching you, but can I hug you? Is that okay?”

Katara… his sister. His mind halted at once, the thoughts of death and breathing slipping away. Cautiously opening an eye, Sokka found his sister in front of him, one hand on his shoulder, the other hovering near his back.

A relieved sigh fell from her lips as he opened his second eye, blinked a few times, and then met hers. Her beautiful blue eyes felt like home. “Thank the Spirits,” she mumbled. “Can I hug you, is that okay? Aang chased away the mother Sabertooth Moose Lion and Toph got you out of the hole. You can move now.”

Realization hit him in full force. Toph didn’t even know he had Tourette’s yet. The chance to tell her never really came up. She probably hated him now.

He nodded once more, leaning into his younger sister’s touch, wrapping his own shaking arms around her, and letting her hold him as he whimpered.

Her touch was warm, heating the coolness of his fear into oblivion. He always liked when Katara hugged him. She always hugged him loosely, allowing him the room to maneuver or wiggle his way out if he felt uncomfortable.

Peace flooded over him, his tears vanishing with each passing moment and his breathing more stable with each breath.

“I’m-- rumble- rah-- so sorry,” he gasped once he extracted himself from the hug, finally calm and back into reality, as the world came back into sight.

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Katara stated firmly, sitting beside him. “We should have looked for you sooner when you didn’t return. I was just so caught up in Aang learning Earthbending and Toph is kind of a mean teacher--”

“Katara, it’s-- yip yip-- fine, really.”

“You were stuck here for hours, Sokka, hours! I was so worried…”

Hand holding wasn’t his thing, not in the slightest. It made his fingers hurt and he could never get his hands to hold still long enough for it to be comfortable for anyone. Katara, though, was the one exception. He reached for her hand, holding it tightly and rubbing his fingers against the back of it.

“Thu-Thu-- Thank you,” he whispered. “I love you.”

Katara leaned her head against his shoulder, finally allowing herself to breathe, all of her worries and fears slipping away with every exhale.

From the corner of his eye, Sokka noticed Aang slowly inching towards him, Toph lingering at his side. He gulped. “Aang, sorry I f-- fr-fre-fuh-fr--freaked out on you. Did I-- rumble rumble-- scare you again?” he asked.

Aang nodded sheepishly. “A little bit. Sorry I couldn’t Earthbend you out. I should’ve gotten Toph right away.”

Sokka shrugged, careful not to jostle his sister’s head. “Eh. It’s okay. You just started l-- luh-luh-rumbLE, LE, LE-- learning.”

The large grey eyes grew wider by the second. Aang bit his lip and glanced anxiously at Sokka. It was a look that Sokka had learned early on. “Come here,” he sighed, gesturing to his other side. “Not too close, though, okay?”

Aang immediately zoomed over and into his side, scooting away slightly before settling.

Sometimes, Aang just needs to be loved and reminded that he’s just a kid and that it’s okay to feel worried and that it’s okay for him to not believe everything was his fault. That look, that look was one asking for forgiveness, one of asking for affection.

And then there was Toph.

It was funny, really, how quickly Sokka could go between completely freaking out and needing someone to help him to him being the comforter, the calm and collected one. He supposed it was because his tic attacks weren’t very frequent, and this one was more extreme than most (probably due to being stuck for hours and having an anxiety attack), so he was used to jumping back into normalcy.

Toph, on the other hand…

“Hey, you,” he called. “Blind Bandit-- yip yip, you need to yip yip-- come join us!”

The hesitant and frightened look (Spirits, she was only twelve too) on her face was a huge contrast in comparison to her pale and usually uncaring complexion. And for a moment, she faltered. Being new and all, Sokka really couldn’t blame her. She barely knew them.

“I’m f-- fuh-fuh--fine,” he assured her. “I have Tourette’s so sometimes-- rumble-rah-rah-- when I can’t move my body freaks-- yip yip (whistle)-- out and sometimes I panic. Then we got attacked by a Sabertooth Moose Lion, I think? I kinda blanked out for that part-- rah-rah-rah--, but anyways, point is, I’m okay. And, I’m sorry for sc-- yip yip-- scaring you.”

The young Earthbender cautiously took a step forward.

“Don’t worry-- wah-wah-worry--, it’s not usually this bad. I guess me getting trapped in a hole-- rumble, rumble, rah-- wasn’t enough torment for the Spirits so they threw a large animal at me. It’s usually just small, normalish things like making hand gestures or my neck twitching,” he continued to explain, his tone gentle and trying his best to suppress his vocal tics for the moment to coax Toph closer. “Are you okay?”

Toph snorted. “I’m not scared, Snoozles. I just… I just couldn’t see what was going on completely and I was confused!”

“And worried!” Aang piped up from his side. “Don’t forget that you were also worried!”

Sokka smiled while Toph growled. She stomped her foot on the ground and a beam of Earth collided with Aang, sending him flying through the air and roughly hitting a tree.

“Ow,” he mumbled, rubbing his head.

Toph just shrugged, quickly making her way to steal Aang’s spot next to Sokka. The young warrior saw the Earthbender raise her fist towards him, then falter.

“Yes, you can touch-- yip yip-- me now,” he laughed. “Uhh, also, sorry for hitting you earlier.”

A hard blow landed on his arm, but he couldn’t have felt happier about it. The trio learned very early on that punching arms was Toph’s way of showing affection. “No biggie. I can take it.”

Aang came stumbling towards them, pouting. “No fair, Toph! I wanted to sit next to Sokka!”

“Well then, make Sugar Queen move and take her place.”

“But Katara has first dibs, she’s his sister!”

“Snooze you lose, Twinkle Toes.”

“But--”

Katara opened her eyes and then proceeded to roll them. “Just come sit next to me, Aang,” she interrupted, extending an arm for the airbender to lean into.

Aang’s face lit up and he raced to her side.

Sokka sighed. Ah, normalcy.

----

Ahhh okay! I hope you liked it!

In case anyone was wondering, the reason why I stopped writing the tics in during the tic attack is because tic attacks (in my own personal experience) are kind of a constant stream of tics where something is always happening, and it would be really hard to write. So, when he had his anxiety / tic attack, I let it flow from there because there’s no way I could write that well or portray it right!

Thank you for reading! I’m always open to Sokka with Tourette’s questions, comments, concerns, etc...! I enjoy talking about it haha! I would also love to hear anyone’s personal Sokka with TS headcannons or ideas or any TS character stuff!

I am also always up to procrastinate, so if anyone ever has any writing prompts or fic recs, please lemme know!

and as always, Katara is FANTASTIC:)

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quarantineddreamer · 4 years

Text

@zutaraweek 2020 Day 1: Reunion

This is my first Zutara week since I am new to the ATLA fandom. For some reason I am very nervous to post this (I think because I spent my morning scrolling through the tag and OMG THE TALENT!!) but anyways, here it is!

Also posted on my AO3

Rating: G

Summary: “I’ll save you from the pirates” -Zuko Katara

Katara picked nervously at the corner of the scroll she bent over, eyes passing over the familiar handwriting for the hundredth time in the past hour alone. We’re boarding the ship shortly… meeting went really well, I think that any additional negotiations will… I’ve been counting down the days till I get to hold you in my arms again... by the time this messenger hawk reaches you it should only be two more nights spent apart... Love always, Zuko. The letter, detailing the success of the Fire Lord’s diplomatic visit to the city of Omashu where a few restless rebellions had arisen had reached Katara over a week ago.

The waterbender frowned as she reached for her tea -a soothing blend that Iroh had promised would help her sleep despite her worry. Still squinting at Zuko’s hurried penmanship, Katara’s fingertips found the steaming liquid instead of the sides of the porcelain teacup, and she cursed as she flinched, knocking the beverage all over her reading material.

“No, no, no!” she cried, waving her hands, pulling the water from the page rapidly so as to keep the ink from running. When at last she was certain she had managed to save the precious material, she collapsed into her chair with a heavy sigh. As she watched the shadows from the candle on her desk play across the walls of her office, she tried desperately to calm herself.

He’s probably just hit bad weather. An image of Zuko thrashing about in the merciless waves of a storm flashed in her mind. Nope! Nope! He’s, uh, just not caught the right wind. But of course, the Fire Nation vessel Zuko had boarded did not rely on a breeze and they couldn’t have run out of power, not with firebenders like Zuko to provide fuel. Not for the first time, she wished that her friends were not scattered across the globe -wished that, at minimum, Aang had been traveling with Zuko, both of them flying safely on Appa’s soft back. But Aang was with Sokka and Suki in the South Pole at the moment helping with restoration work, and Toph was in Ba Sing Se training a special force of Earth Benders to help take down the remnants of the Dai Li.

The last time Katara had felt anything close to this level of worry for Zuko, he had been lying on the ground motionless, remnants of his sister’s lightning dancing across his body. At least she had been with him then, to look after him. Now, she didn’t know where he was or what condition he was in, but she knew him, and she knew it was not nothing that would keep him from her -not with all they had fought through before...

Katara had never felt so alone, but it was Zuko who had asked that she remain behind. “It’ll only be a month!” She remembered his hand on her shoulder as he gave her a pleading look. “Please... While I am gone Uncle will need help keeping everything in check here. You’re the only person in the world I would trust.” When she had finally reluctantly agreed, the kiss he had given her had banished all sadness at the thought of his absence. What was a month apart when they had a lifetime to look forward to now that the war was over? But he was not here now to erase her fear and dispel the hard knot lodged in her stomach.

The month had gone by fast with plenty of ‘Fire Lady’ duties to take care of, but the days that had passed since his estimated date of arrival had dragged with agonizing slowness as though time itself were taunting her… Her fingers itched to drag the scroll towards her again, to scour its surface for clues. He wouldn’t just disappear, he would tell them if he was going to be late.

A soft knock on the door broke the typhoon of anxiousness tearing through her mind. “Yes?” she called.

Iroh’s face, normally so jovial, was grave as it peered into the room. “A soldier from Zuko’s guard just arrived at the palace.”

“Where is he?” She nearly choked on the question, sensing her worst fears were about to be confirmed.

“Their ship was ambushed by a group of pirates. Zuko has been taken hostage and is being held unless the Fire Nation delivers a significant sum to his captors.”

She barely heard the rest, the where, when, and how. All she knew was she was done waiting, fussing over words on paper as though that could bring him back. She should have trusted her instinct, the tightness in her chest, that had told her something was wrong. Should’ve gone with him to Omashu to begin with... She pushed her chair back and stood. “I’m going after him.”

“Katara, please, we have identified the particular ship that has him, we can send a fleet after him.” Iroh fiddled with the teacup and papers on her desk nervously.

“I can handle some lousy pirates. He’s been gone too long, Iroh! And we can’t have the Fire Nation knowing their ruler has been taken...” Already her heart was racing. She’d never admit it, but a dangerous, secretive, part of her missed this. The raw rush of adrenaline from imminent conflict was intoxicating, addictive. Diplomatic meetings had taken her all over the world, but paperwork and debate had nothing on this.

Iroh hung his head. “Peace is fragile. I am aware…” He hesitated, observing her expression intently before saying, “I suppose no one is better suited to chase down pirates, than the greatest Master Water Bender…”

“Hardly,” she quipped humbly, but he always knew how to make her smile. “I appreciate the compliment.” Already at the door she turned to ask, “May I borrow a small ship from the Fire Nation Fleet?”

“The girlfriend of the Fire Lord can have whatever she wishes.” His tone managed to be light, joking, but his eyes still held great sadness and concern.

Katara stepped towards the older man to give him a brief, strong hug, leaning back afterwards to fix him with an earnest gaze. “I promise I’ll bring him home.”

“Stay safe, brave, Katara. I will handle things here.”

“I know you will.”

Moments later she raced through the palace out into the humid night. She did not stop to catch her breath even as she stole past the guards onto the docks and untied the first boat she saw with sails -one she knew she could manage alone.

Yue watched over her and gave her strength as she furiously bent the ocean around her. Spirits help those damn pirates if they’ve so much as given him a papercut...

-----

Zuko groaned as he came to, vaguely aware of a swaying sensation as though he were about to fall, which he figured had something to do with the massive lump at the back of his head. Or maybe it was the movement of the ship he was on. He blinked, his mind slowly focusing and gaining awareness -and along with it an awful dose of pain. How long had he been out? A fog was beginning to lift inside him, but the lingering grogginess suggested he had potentially been drugged for quite some time.

His most recent memories were of chaos, arrows whistling through the air, latching onto the deck of their ship. He had tried to incinerate most of them, and had been successful, until something had struck him hard across the back and sent him instantly into the void.

Rope rubbed at his wrists and clutched at his chest as he struggled. He tried to bend, but found his movement to be too restricted and clumsy -disoriented as he was. A string of curses tumbled from his lips.

“Tsk, tsk. Not language very fitting of His Highness is it?” a voice called from the shadows of the ship’s hold.

Zuko recognized the voice… One of the advisors that had been traveling with him, Jian… Despite the remnants of drugs in his system it was beginning to become clear how their ship had just happened to fall victim to pirates and who had managed to catch Zuko from behind unexpectedly. “What do you want, Jian?” he asked sharply, glaring as the advisor drew closer.

“You are the last person our great nation should be led by,” he hissed.

Zuko’s lips curled in disgust at the man’s hot breath on his face, his nostrils flared as he exhaled smoke and frustration, pleased when Jian backed away, clearly fighting an undignified cough. “I trusted you. I thought you were helping us work to rebuild… The past year… and last week in Omashu. What changed?”

Jian laughed coldly. “This was always the plan. Your naivety will be the end of you young Fire Lord.”

“To hope for something better is not naive,” Zuko replied fiercely.

The former advisor scanned him for a moment then smirked, eyes shining with mania. “Look at where you are.” He lifted arms clad in elegant red silk to gesture at their dingy surroundings. “You will either die here, or in a cell in a Fire Nation prison unless a ransom is paid.”

Zuko snorted, a small flame escaping his nose. He wished, not for the first time in his life, that he had managed to master more fire breathing than that -something that would be useful in his current predicament- but that had always been more Azula’s specialty despite all of Uncle’s efforts. “Money? That’s what this is about?”

“That is only the beginning,” he whispered conspiratorially. Beady black eyes danced in lantern light as he regarded Zuko with intense hatred. “One day soon, the rightful Fire Lord will return to the Fire Nation throne and he will make you pay for your treasonous actions.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. Great, another Ozai loyalist. Just his luck that one had been insidious enough to work his way to this point. Maybe he was naive, though if Katara and the rest of his friends had taught him anything, it was that trying to find the good in others would never be a bad thing. He had everything to thank for their belief in that. Katara… He shut his eyes for a moment as a wave of longing washed over him. Arguably he had been in worse situations than this, but it had been years since he had faced them without her by his side. If only he had let her come along…but he had been so afraid to leave the Fire Nation unattended with all its troubles placed solely on his uncle’s shoulders.

A knock at the door interrupted Zuko’s thoughts of the Water Bender and the ache that he felt burying itself in his chest knowing she would be worried at his delay. He regretted the stress he would put her through. While Jian went to open the door Zuko tried to subtly tug at his bindings again. If he could just get enough motion in his fingers to firebend and weaken the rope… With Jian distracted he frantically tried to summon enough of the element, fighting the last of the drug’s haze...

“Yes?” Jian asked impatiently of the visitor to the hold, a short, skinny pirate with a large, floppy hat that Zuko could see extended beyond even the width of Jian’s frame that blocked the doorway.

Almost there… Zuko wiggled his wrists in small circles, wincing when a small jet of fire nearly set his pants aflame, missing the ropes entirely. Fortunately the hold’s wood was damp enough that the floor remained unlit. The firebender took a deep breath and tried again, thankful that Jian was still busy discussing something with the pirate at the door.

An image of Katara practicing her bending came to mind. He recalled the graceful, delicate, intention with which she waved every muscle in her hands. On his second attempt to burn the ropes he was careful to control his digits more precisely, and his efforts were rewarded when he felt a small heat pass along his palms and hit the rope.

The sounds of Jian bidding the pirate farewell and closing the door encouraged Zuko to rush his final pass at burning the ropes off. He fought back a hiss of pain as he felt flame pass over the delicate flesh on the inside of his lower arms. Seconds later when he gave the bonds one last tug and felt them fall away his injury was forgotten. He remained carefully still as Jian turned back to him, waiting for the perfect moment.

When the advisor strayed within arm’s reach Zuko suddenly lunged, seizing him by the shoulders and spinning the man, head-first, into the nearest wall. Jian collapsed with a soft, surprised exclamation and a solid thunk of skull colliding with wood, and Zuko, breathed a sigh of relief.

Wasting no time he rushed for the door, throwing himself through the opening and shooting glances down the short hallway. Luckily, it was clear. Quietly, he sealed Jian in the cell and padded softly towards a set of stairs illuminated with pale moonlight. He had no idea what awaited him on the deck. Whatever it was he would handle it then, though he had to shake Iroh’s admonishing tone from his head, ‘You never think these things through!’

When he emerged from the belly of the ship he was prepared for an immediate onslaught of pirate swords and other weaponry, but despite what he was sure were Jian’s desires, these were not Fire Nation soldiers. The crew was gathered around a makeshift table and their drunken cackles and bickering carried loudly above even the sea breeze and persistent slapping of water against the hull.

Zuko crouched behind a wooden crate and scanned the deck. There were more than a dozen pirates playing cards in the moonlight and who knew how many more aboard the ship. With the moon shining brightly in the sky Zuko knew Katara would have been a force to be reckoned with, but he could not say the same for his firebending, and he was disappointed in how weak he felt -from hunger, thirst, likely concussion, and not to mention residual effects of whatever Jian had been using to keep him unconscious.

He was contemplating the slim likelihood of stealing away unnoticed with one of the small boats tied to the side of the ship when the gull-rat squawked at him. At first, he ignored it -at any given moment any seaside town or boat was always under the assault of the persistent creature and its horrible fecal habits- but when it continued to tilt its head at him in curiosity he recalled the companions the pirates he had met several years ago kept…The gull-rat’s call was louder the second time and Zuko swore as its owner, walking away from the card table with a fistful of coins and a drunken grin, blinked at the sight of the prisoner wandering freely.

It was really not his day. Zuko sprinted for the boat he had been eyeing early, bending a blast of flame at the ropes that held it to the main ship and hoping he would not be far behind the vessel as it crashed loudly into the ocean below. The gambling crew were all armed now, and though a few teetered from the effects of what was decidedly not the calming tea Iroh was always drinking, many looked formidable opponents. A circle was already closing around Zuko who searched desperately for an opening.

The Fire Lord managed to dodge two pirates who swung rusty blades at him and pushed back three more with a ball of flame. Seeing an opening in the ranks, he dashed wildly for the side of the ship, glancing back only once when an arrow whizzed past his shoulder.

Once was one time too many. He crashed right into the short, skinny pirate that had stopped by his cell to speak with Jian and they collapsed to the deck in a painful twist of limbs. Before Zuko could roll away the short pirate had pinned him and grabbed both his wrists.

-----

“I’ll save you from the pirates,” she whispered, grinning as the confusion on his handsome face turned to joy when she removed the ridiculous hat she wore so he could see her. His smile was everything, she hadn’t realized just how much she had missed it -instantly warming her from the inside out.

“Katara!” He sat up and pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head and breathing in the smell of her hair.

She was disappointed when he broke away to stand. It was understandable though. The pirates were racing towards them -even the gull-rat was giving chase.

“I knocked a boat into the water, if we can just swim to it…” Zuko eyed the railings of the ship unhappily, no doubt imagining the long drop.

“And then what?” Katara asked, drawing water from the ocean and forming two whips over both her arms.

“We, uh, we go?” Zuko offered.

She fought back a bubble of laughter. “You really don’t think things through. Zuko, they can just chase us! They’d catch us in no time in this larger ship. Was that really your plan?”

He fumbled for words, cheeks flushing furiously with embarrassment.

Katara lashed out at the first wave of pirates, tripping them with one long tendril of water. “Zuko, you’re a firebender, set the ship on fire!” She looked away as a stray pirate broke rank to try and shoot them with his bow. A jet of water aimed sharply by Katara eliminated that immediate problem. “You are the Fire Lord, how did you not think of this?” This time the laughter escaped her, his befuddled expression too cute to take.

“I, uh.. Okay, I’m pretty sure I have a concussion... and potentially still some drugs in my system?” he admitted, punching the air with his fists, sending fire at the pirates and the sails of the ship. Soon the entire deck was dancing with the dangerous orange glow.

“That’s our cue!” Katara declared, and grabbed his hand. “Ready?” She stepped up onto the railing of the ship and he followed.

They balanced precariously for a moment, her hair spinning wildly in the wind, before jumping into the air, stomachs dropping for a brief exhilarating second before Katara froze a wave to slide them towards the empty boat bobbing in the waves. A miscalculation on her part landed them in frigid ocean water that stole both their breaths away.

Katara was first to pull herself into the boat, flopping wetly into the wooden hull. She giggled at the sight of Zuko, hair spiked every which way by the ocean, arms flung desperately over the side of the boat kicking furiously to pull himself into the raft. Taking mercy on a Fire Bender out of his element, she helped him aboard. Together they looked back at the burning pirate ship, observing the frantic shadows of the crew moving about with buckets of water. Still, Katara did not wait long to begin moving their vessel to the small cove nearby where she had anchored her Fire Nation ship.

Only when they were confident that no one had pursued them to the sandy shores and were safely sailing towards home aboard her borrowed ship did they rest, allowing the wind to do the work for them. They collapsed, laying on the deck, staring skyward at a ceiling of stars, and Zuko gently pulled Katara against him. She reveled in the familiar beat of his heart beneath her as she settled her head on his chest.

She felt him shake as he laughed quietly. “I still can’t believe I didn’t think, to... Burn the ship?”

Katara reached for a small bit of water and it glowed as she reached a hand back to touch the side of his head. “Better?” she asked after a moment.

“Yeah, much. Thank you…” he sighed and leaned his scarred face into her healing palm. “I can’t say this was the reunion I was imagining.”

“I don’t know…” She looked up at him, the beginnings of a soft smile tugging at her lips. “We’re even now,” she teased, bumping him playfully. “And it was kind of fun... Reminds me of how far we’ve come.” How different things were since the last time they had encountered pirates -and not just his hair, though thank the spirits for that.

“Just another day in the life of the Fire Lord I guess,” Zuko replied wistfully, a hand playing with the end of one of her curls.

“I mean, I’m not saying you should do it again… ”

“Not without you... “Never without you,” he promised -and to Katara’s delight, sealed the oath by placing his lips against hers.

#zutara #zutara week 2020 #zuko #katara #reunion #zuko x katara #zutara fanfic #zutara week #zutara fanfiction #ao3 fic #b writes #zukos-calming-tea

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pidgebeifong · 5 years

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atla artist au

Aang is a painter. He’s loved painting ever since he was a child and first experimented with finger paints on the walls- which was, in hindsight, maybe not the best idea. He loves the way it detaches him from his worldly concerns. It’s almost like a form of meditation for him- the rest of the universe just falls away whenever he picks up his paintbrush, and all he can see is his canvas and the worlds he will create with a swirl of lemon yellow sun here, a wave of cerulean blue ocean there, a blur of sunset orange clouds at the edges. Everything he owns has been stained with paint in at least three places, which makes dressing for formal events a real pain. Sometimes he’ll deliberately paint his jeans with sunflowers or bees or anything that’s a sunny, bright yellow- his favourite colour- and wear them proudly for days. Katara jokes that she doesn’t even remember what the real colours of his hands look like, because they’re forever stained with paint that’s sunken so deeply into the folds of his skin that it makes it nearly impossible to rub off. People always ask him what his favourite thing to paint is, expecting it to be something like sunsets or mountains, but the truth is his favourite thing to study and paint is his Labrador, Appa, the first thing he ever drew. He started drawing at around five, the same age he adopted Appa, and to this day he can never get the way Appa’s golden fur shines just right under the blinding sunlight. He loves going to nature reserves and parks to study how light affects the leaves and flowers. Sometimes everything will just be too much, and he’ll jam as many paints into his pockets as he can, take a sketchbook, a water bottle and a paintbrush, and get on the bus to a park. He’ll sit quietly for hours, trying to capture moonlight on water or the flapping wings of a hummingbird.

Katara is a writer. She literally can’t remember a time she hasn’t loved to write. She has stacks and stacks of unfinished manuscripts lying around on the floor, tacked up to the walls in her room, and crumpled on the bedsheets. She has easily over a thousand different scenes written for her future novels on the Notes app in her phone, and she has a bad habit of scribbling ideas down on her hands on the rare occasions she doesn’t have her phone on her and there’s no paper in sight. She’s practically nocturnal at this point, because all her best ideas come to her at 3am, when she’s sleep-deprived and half-hallucinating. She always carries at least three pens on her at all times, and gets panicky when she’s forced to remove them whenever she has to dress up for anything formal. She’s really hypocritical whenever she gets on Aang’s case about his hands always being paint-stained, because all her hands are covered in ink, too- half-finished notes and ideas that got left on the cutting board. Katara hates cutting out characters that simply aren’t necessary to the scene and don’t add anything of value to the plot, because they’re her babies damnit and she worked hard on them. One would think that this would make her more sympathetic to her characters, but Aang and Sokka are appalled the first time they’re allowed to read one of her (mostly) finished manuscripts (who is she kidding, she doesn’t have a manuscript that’s even remotely finished for the life of her) and see how much torture and anguish and heartbreak she’s put her characters through. Katara is a huge advocate of making all her characters hit the lowest point they could possibly go, and then instead of making them get back up again, she gives them a shovel and instructions to dig lower. However, she’s a huge sucker for happy endings, and she practically dominates the tag #angst with a happy ending on AO3. She gets around three hours of sleep every night, none of them consecutive, and survives on black coffee and willpower alone. Everyone knows her as an avid reader, but she hasn’t really read an actual book since two years ago, and spends most of her time scrolling through 250k fanfictions at 2am.

Sokka is a photographer. He doesn’t have the skills that Aang has with his paintbrush, or the way Katara can make entire universes come to life with a few words, so for a long time he used to think that he was just going to be the ordinary guy in the group who’d only be known for loving meat to what is frankly an unhealthy degree, and that his only contribution to the team would be a slew of bad jokes and sarcastic remarks. He finds his calling very late in life, but the moment he picks up his first camera at age fourteen, everything just seems to fall perfectly into place. Sokka’s world always moves too fast and changes too quickly, but he can capture moments that will last forever with the click of a button, and he guesses that that’s what he loves about photography- that he can freeze moments in time and always be able to come back to them. Well, as long as he doesn’t lose his camera, but he’s got the photos all backed up on iCloud anyway, so that’s not really an issue. Sometimes, he’ll accompany Aang to nature parks, and Aang will paint the twisting vines of a plant while Sokka captures Aang’s relaxed, happy expression. His favourite photos are the ones he takes of his friends when they’re caught unaware- candid portraits of Suki laughing or Katara ruffling Aang’s hair or Toph trying and failing to hide a grudging smile. He loves old photos, too- loves the aesthetic of black-and-white photos, how they capture a scene that he knows full well happened decades ago but somehow make him feel like he’s living in the same moment. Experimenting with light is one of his favourite things to do- he loves playing with golden hour sunlight or early morning rays, loves hearing the satisfying click of his camera and knowing that he’s got another picture for the album (and his hugely successful Instagram account that has well over 50k followers).

Toph is a sculptor. She was born blind and never really got to experience art the same way the others did, so for a long time she buried her disappointment deep within her and never let jealousy rear its ugly head whenever she heard Katara singing praises about the latest painting Aang had just finished, or the beautiful photograph Sokka had captured of all of them laughing as a group, but then she discovered sculpture. An art she could appreciate from beneath her fingers, an art she could see by running her hands over it and feeling the crevices and curves and edges breathe themselves into life beneath her touch. Despite discovering the term for it late in life, Toph found that she’d actually been sculpting at a very young age. She’d been experimenting with PlayDoh and clay since before she could walk, but she’d never known that there was actually an art form in it that people did professionally until Aang had taken her to a museum and put her hands on a beautiful sculpture of an ancient Greek god. It was one of the only times she’d ever cried in her life, but those had been tears of pure joy- she didn’t want to sound like a sap, but she hadn’t realized that something so beautiful in the world existed until that life-changing moment at the museum. Sure, they’d been chased out by one particularly angry security guard who kept waving his baton around threateningly (‘can’t you two juveniles see that the sign clearly says no touching?!’ ‘actually sir, I’m blind so that would be a hard no’) but it had been worth it. Ever since then, Toph has been addicted to sculpting, feeling things take shape under her capable hands. She’s been told she can replicate faces with an accuracy that’s both astonishing and unnerving, despite not even being able to see (it only took a lot of years and lot of hours spent tracing the lines of Aang’s face) and her work has been proudly displayed on Katara’s bedside table, Sokka’s desks and Aang’s shelves.

Suki is a martial arts instructor who has a degree in badassery. She started her own school at just fifteen years old, and named it the Kyoshi Warrior Academy, in honour of Kyoshi, her late martial arts instructor whom she had a deep respect for. She had black belt status in five different martial arts by the time she turned thirteen, and was a legend for her skill, hard work and talent in the martial arts community. She’s lost quite a few matches, but she’s more than made up for it with every win she’s achieved. The first time she met Sokka, she thought he was trying to steal from her, so she judo-flipped him, pinned him down and tied his wrists together, all of which took a maximum of three seconds. (‘wow, that’s kinky. so are you into that kind of thing?’ ‘shut up, asshole. what do you want from me? my wallet?’ ‘actually, I was going to ask you out on a date, but I mean sure, if you’re offering. I could use a little cash right about now, actually, because I think you just broke all the cards I have in my wallet when you body-slammed me to the ground, along with at least ten of my bones.’) Sokka had severely underestimated Suki’s skill at first, despite their rather unfortunate encounter (during which she actually had broken the bone in his arm, but he’d tried to wave it off and say that he didn’t mind, then subsequently screamed in pain because he’d tried to wave his broken arm), but he knew that he’d have to change his mindset in order to win her over. Eventually, he ended up changing his misogynistic mindset not only to go out with Suki, but because he realized that it was the right thing to do- something Katara was over the moon about. She and Suki have been joined at the hip ever since, and Sokka often jokes whether Suki is only dating him for his sister (‘damn, suki, it’s like you only come over for katara’ ... ‘wait. why aren’t any of you saying anything. katara did you just wink? sUKI DID YOU JUST KISS MY SISTER’S CHEEK-?! oh my god this is the worst betrayal I’ve experienced since toph said that she didn’t need to see my photographs in order to tell that they were ugly’). Jokes aside, Suki adores her boyfriend and his sister, and often teaches them self-defense in her free time. One of her best students is a girl named Ty Lee, who all her friends except Zuko seem to really hate for some reason. However, Ty Lee is a natural at self-defense and she and Suki get along like a house on fire. Katara still refuses point-blank to go to classes whenever Ty Lee is in attendance, but Suki has given up trying to understand why. In conclusion, Suki is one of those movie heroines who can munch a sandwich while apprehending twenty supervillains all twice her size, and still come out victorious.

Zuko is a theatre kid and aspiring actor. (Was anyone surprised by this, really?) His natural melodramatic emo kid personality makes him the perfect role for starring roles in school plays (at least, that’s what Azula always likes to say) and acting to him comes as naturally as breathing. He’s not-so-secretly a Shakespeare nerd and can literally recite Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, two of his favourite plays, word for word. He also loves Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen- and alright, maybe he also harbours a love for High School Musical (he’s never told anyone that, but everyone knows anyway because he made Azula suffer through all five movies with him which eventually led to her becoming so fed-up constantly belting out the lyrics at the top of his lungs that she recorded the audio and sent it to everyone at school, including Mai, whom he couldn’t look in the eyes for a straight two weeks). Before his mother left them, she used to say that Zuko got his acting genes from her, because she used to play the lead role in Love Amongst The Dragons every year in her old high school. Zuko asked Ursa if that meant Azula got her dancing genes from Ozai, and they’d both have a quiet little laugh as they imagined Ozai trying to dance ballet. Although Zuko adores the drama and the poignant atmosphere that comes with performing Shakespeare’s plays, Love Amongst The Dragons holds the top spot for his favourite play by far. He goes to see it every time the ache for his mother is too painful to ignore- even though the new actors, a group called the Ember Island Players, all but butcher it every year- and sometimes, he’ll deceive himself into thinking that his mother’s somewhere in the audience too, watching the play right there with him like they used to do all the time. He once took Azula to see it with him, just like they used to do when their mother was with them, and Azula cried when he told her that the reason he liked it was because it reminded him of their mother. The sight of her crying was so unnerving that Zuko went alone after that. Azula never protested, though, or teased him for liking the play again.

Azula is a dancing prodigy. She specializes in ballet, but she also does contemporary and modern. She tried her hand at tap and jazz, and although she naturally excelled in it, as usual, she decided that it just wasn’t for her. At the age of fourteen, Azula is already a world-renowned dancer and has broken records and made history with how skilled she is at dancing. She moves her body so fluidly that it’s hard to believe she’s even a person and not just a wisp or smoke, delicately floating and twirling and twisting through the air. Azula has a lot of pent-up anger and frustration about having to constantly seem perfect all the time in order to make up for the failure that Zuko is, and she’s found that physical exercise- namely, dance- is the best way to relieve her stress. She also knows a fair bit of martial arts- out of everyone, she and Ty Lee are the only ones who have managed to defeat Suki at hand-to-hand combat. If asked about it, Suki will vehemently deny that such an incident ever happened, which only serves to amuse Azula further. Azula started ballet at age three and advanced much further and quicker than any of her peers, which incited a lot of jealousy and basically ensured that she had virtually no friends in the ballet community, but it wasn’t like she was particularly desperate for companionship in the first place. She’s so famous that she’s a verified account on Instagram with over a million followers- she does some spare modelling work on the side when she can, and her stunning looks combined with her raw talent have made her into one of the most unattainably perfect girls to ever rule Instagram. Somehow, her dancing doesn’t distract her from her grades, because she also has a stellar report card that’s displayed on the wall of her numerous trophies and awards she’s achieved over the years. (Zuko has a half-broken shelf that sports exactly two awards, and one is a certificate of participation.) Azula was born for the spotlight. Whenever she steps onto a stage, the room goes completely, eerily still, as if holding on to her every move. She’s one of the most beautiful dancers to ever perform, and audiences sing praises about her every twirl, her every arch, as if a single pirouette she’s executed is already perfect enough to win her ten awards. She’s mesmerizing on stage, and kind of terrifying in the way that one would find someone too perfect to be terrifying. Her every move is effortless, graceful, as if she’s a weightless feather drifting through the breeze. She’s incredibly captivating and is set to be one of history’s stars.

Mai is a musician/singer. Her parents were extremely traditional and gave her piano and violin lessons for her fifth birthday, but she actually ended up enjoying them a lot. She has a great voice, too, so she started a YouTube channel a while back that features her doing covers and singing her own original songs sometimes. It’s now amassed a few thousand followers. Zuko has an admittedly great voice, too, and sometimes she invites him to her channel and they do these amazing duets. All of their followers ship them together, but Mai always denies that she likes him, despite her cheeks always blushing a bright pink whenever he’s brought up on live-streams. Her parents don’t approve of her channel, which they only found out about because they were being overbearing and went through her phone yet again, and they want her to go to school to study business instead. Mai doesn’t plan on giving up on her YouTube channel anytime soon, though. Before she discovered singing, she was clearly passionless about most everything, but now that she has, it feels like a fire slowly consuming her from the inside out. And she kind of likes it, to be honest. It feels good to be so passionate about something, especially since Zuko likes it just as much as she does. She’ll never admit it, but she knows how to play quite a few My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco songs on the piano (which Zuko absolutely loves her for, because he’s the picture perfect stereotype of an emo boy). Writing and singing songs provides her with some sort of cathartic relief that she can’t really obtain from anywhere else. She’s incredibly musically talented, and was playing grade eight piano material at just eleven years old. She taught herself the guitar and the harp after her parents refused to give her any more lessons for fear that she would become too invested in music (Asian parents, y’all- they provide you with piano lessons but expect you to become a doctor or a lawyer because God forbid you pursue a career in music despite having studied it since you were five) and refuse to pursue a career in business.

Ty Lee is a gymnast. She tried ballet along with Azula, but didn’t like the discipline it took and ran out of patience with all the tedious instructions necessary to follow along with the class, finding that gymnastics was more to her liking. However, she and Azula make an awesome duo whenever they showcase their talents together. Ty Lee’s actually so good that trainees are already speculating that she could achieve a spot on her country’s national gymnastics team. She can do backflips, handstands, cartwheels and splits on a beam one after the other without even needing to catch her breath, and she’s impossibly fit. She loves crop tops- she thinks they show off her figure, which is nearly unattainable for most people. She’s also naturally talented at martial arts, and Suki frequently tells her that she learns faster than Suki can teach. She’s done every form of gymnastics imaginable- rhythmic, acrobatic, artistic- you name it, she’s done it. Originally she only took an interest in it because Azula begged her to join ballet with her, and Ty Lee found that she did like the strenuous physical exertion that ballet entailed, but everything just moved too slowly for her. Ty Lee likes fast-paced action, so gymnastics is the perfect fit for her. Sometimes, Azula will teach her some new ballet moves she learnt in class, and in return, Ty Lee will teach Azula a few gymnastics moves she invented by herself after following the standard textbook forms grew too boring. They once entered a talent show together and blew the crowd away with Azula’s captivating dancing and Ty Lee’s breathtaking gymnastics.

#Avatar The Last Airbender #aang #the gaang #Zuko #prince zuko #princess azula #Azula #atla #atla modern au #avatar the last airbender modern au #modern au #artist au #katara #suki #sokka #toph beifong #mai #ty lee

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beckytailweaver · 5 years

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Avatar: The Last Airbender (fic stuff)

Since I’m trying to work on something (ANYTHING!) and I seem to be in an Avatar mood of late, I’ll throw this up here.

These are fics, potential fics, and mostly-concrete ideas that have existed in the back of my closet for a very long time, since the good old days of watching ATLA when it was shiny and new and cool. Most of them are also so old that LOK didn’t exist yet or was in its infancy.

Note: These are mostly gen fic. If pairings come up they are not the central goal of the piece; they will be mainly canon as it existed at the time the fic was outlined. Treat them like the scenery (no ship war drama allowed in my workroom, that’s what stopped me participating in the fandom years ago).

I’d kinda like to put some feelers out and see what folks think would be most interesting to work on.

Read on:

The End of the Circle Post-canon continuation, my oldest ATLA fic, conceived and outlined before comics or LOK existed. Does some headcanon worldbuilding based on what was available at the time of the original series. Dragons and spirits and legends coming to life, oh my!

Status: outlined, some scenes written, firm endpoint, world built.

Summary: Roku warned Aang that he could not die in the Avatar State, or the cycle would end. Azula’s lightning killed Aang in the Avatar State. To their good fortune, Katara’s spirit water was able to bring Aang back to life, but there are Consequences—for the Avatar and for the world.

Wild Fire Canon AU/semi-rewrite. Also born before LOK was a thing so Druk doesn’t exist. It borrows some concepts from the idea of Toph and her badgermole family. It breaks some TLA canon around the edges but it’s all in good fun.

Status: outlined, many scenes, ending fully plotted.

Summary: The young Fire Prince was burned and disowned by the Fire Lord, cast away and abandoned on the hostile shores of the Earth Kingdom before his kindly uncle could aid him. Disfigured, angry, and lost, young Zuko finds solace in the wilderness when he is taken in by a most unusual protector: A dragon.

Phoenix Legacy Not-a-time-travel “time travel” fic. It was born after seeing Season 1 of Avatar LOK and...kinda liking it but not? (I mostly lost interest in LOK after S1.) And wanting to add some more classic feel to the season. No information from subsequent seasons was used to outline it (thus there is no Druk) but recently I have gone back and “fixed” Zuko’s daughter (giving her the correct name and appearance), and added her nameless daughter (Iroh II’s sister) for lulz. Basically a rewrite of LOK Season 1 with a TLA character along for the ride to shake everything up, because at the time I was disappointed that there was only Katara and no other Gaang members out there kicking the new Avatar into shape.

Status: outlined, a few scenes written, ending plotted; not to be a rehash.

Summary: A phoenix cannot die by fire—it can only be reborn. When Ozai claimed the title of Phoenix King, he had no idea what sort of spirit he might be invoking. When he lost his ancestor’s war and his crown, the spirit’s blessings were unknowingly conferred upon his heir: The hapless Fire Lord Zuko, determined to bring his nation to peace. Seventy years later, there’s a tragic explosion in a tea shop in Republic City, and exiled traitor Fire Prince Zuko wakes up to an unfamiliar world full of unfamiliar faces. The last thing he remembers is an Agni Kai under a Comet, catching lightning to protect a friend.

The Prince’s Prisoner Another ficling born before the comics or LOK were really a big deal and/or I didn’t know about them. Basically during TLA S1, rather than fleeing Prince Zuko’s clutches, Aang decides to remain his prisoner. The original reasoning for this was a kind of modified Peggy Sue: Aang effed up his final battle with Ozai for reasons, his soul is sorta sent back in time to do-over from his iceberg wakeup. The problem is that this is not a perfect process and he doesn’t actually remember everything, only some very important faces, feelings, and concepts. The idea of Zuko as a dear friend/teacher/trusted person is one of these things. Thus, in defiance of all visible logic, Aang trusts S1!Zuko with his life and keeps his promise to go with him. In spite of his Water Tribe friends continuously trying to rescue him, Zhao continuously trying to capture him, and Zuko himself continuously trying to avoid being befriended by his ticket home. (”I’m your prisoner, not anyone else’s.”) Intended to be a funny and heartwarming friendship/journey story taking a different angle at the series.

Status: tentatively outlined with very few scenes skeleton’d out, season 1 definite, endpoint undecided but can continue throughout the series. The premise mechanic is a bit flimsy; it’s less concrete since it’s supposed to be fluff, angst, and friendship.

dragon!Zuko AU fic Everybody has to write one of these, it’s like a law. Here’s mine: Ozai’s cruelty during the Agni Kai with his young son invoked the wrath of Agni, bringing down a magic from a time before memory and no one knows if it’s a blessing or a curse. When Zuko’s face burned, the fire didn’t stop there, and when the flames went out a young dragon was left on the floor of the arena. Uncle Iroh came to his rescue before the rest of Court could gather their wits, and then had to get him on a boat and out of the Fire Nation before Ozai could decide whether to make him into a pet or a trophy. Part 1: Rather than going on a mission to hunt the Avatar, Zuko and Iroh are on a road trip to keep Zuko alive and secret from the world (Ozai wants to usurp his brother’s title of Dragon). Iroh and his crew end up raising this stubborn angsty dragon prince; since he can’t turn back into a human he has to come to terms with being a dragon most of the time (which can’t talk), and he can often be Very Dramatic about it. Part 2: Years later, there’s rumors of the Avatar’s return and Zuko (who has sort of learned to take a human shape again) sees an opportunity to spare his own life and go home by offering his father a bigger prize than a dragon’s head...

Status: very general outline, some scenes conceived and a general plot/endpoint. Part 1 is in the 3 years pre-canon, Part 2 is during canon, including the grumpy dragon hiding out in Ba Sing Se.

Years Gone/Avatar kids AU S1/pre-canon rewrite. Some whim of fate cracks open Aang’s iceberg three years early (a storm, a passing boat, pure chance?) and he tumbles out into the world in the same year that Prince Zuko was banished. Despite befriending some Water Tribe children who would love to go adventuring with him, he’s got to get home to the Southern Air Temple and that’s where he runs into young, angry, raw-wounded Prince Zuko on his first visit. The tiny chase ensues up and down the entire temple. Aang will of course be friendly but escape. And this begins a probably-ill-advised adventure with a lot of kids who are entirely too young to be camping across the world on a bison (but it’s exciting!), chased by another kid entirely too young to be leading a manhunt. The Comet is three years away so there’s plenty of time for adults to tear their hair out over this. Zuko is a tiny ball of determination, rage, and tears. Aang feels bad for him and tries to make with the befriending even as he’s dodging the fire tantrums. Occasionally during adventures Zuko just gets scooped along for the ride in Appa’s saddle, no one’s sure how these weird truces get called, but Iroh sips tea and directs the crew on a new heading and they’ll pick up their prince at the bison’s next stopover most likely after the kid pendulums back the other way and remembers he’s trying to nab the Avatar again. So Zuko spends 50% of the time yelling and chasing the Avatar and 50% of the time sitting in Appa’s saddle learning tentative smiles and being offered berries and seal jerky, all the way from the South Pole to the North. (It’s slightly terrifying to realize that Aang and Zuko are currently the oldest kids in the party and are actually in charge of this terribly irresponsible expedition.)

Status: general outline, a couple of scenes written, particular S1 plot points, no endpoint yet. Possible bonus content: Toph and/or Suki come along for the ride because why not.

The Blacksmith of Ba Sing Se This is a very old Lu Ten Lives! story. Lu Ten always knew Uncle Ozai envied him, but secure in his position he didn’t really care about it until he took an arrow in the back during the final battle of the Siege of Ba Sing Se. With unknown assassins among his own ranks and no safe place to retreat in the melee, the wounded prince decides to fake his own death by hiding in the rubble, and then swapping clothes with a slain Earth Kingdom soldier half crushed in the ruin. At first, it’s only to get to safety until he can get to the bottom of this. But Lu Ten is picked up by the EK medic teams after the surprising withdrawal of the Fire Nation troops, and ends up spirited away into the heart of Ba Sing Se—where he discovers that it’s hard to escape. He also discovers a whole new world, and a whole new perspective, and, keeping out of the authorities’ notice, eventually manages to make a life for himself as Chang the Blacksmith, a humble craftsman with a wife and kids. This...is much nicer than war, death, and Court politics. Years later: refugee Zuko walking home from his job at Pao Family Tea Shop runs across a little boy crying over his broken toy in the dusty street...

Status: nebulous outline with a few particular sketched scenes. Takes place mostly in Ba Sing Se, outcome indeterminate. It could be mixed with the Lineages concept from below.

Lineages / not Ozai’s kid AU Not really a concrete plot so much as a campy idea from long before the Avatar comics blundered through Ursa’s backstory. There was a phase in the fandom (I think the Search comics drew off of that) where it was popular to imagine almost anyone else than Ozai as Zuko’s Secret Real Dad (the boy deserves a better father) and Iroh was often selected as primary candidate. (I know, Iroh is already the real dad and stepped into Ozai’s cold empty shoes like a pro.) Me, deciding that I had to be different, decided to offer up Lu Ten on that altar. Justifications: Iroh and Ozai looked to have a pretty extreme age difference and there was no solid age for Lu Ten at the time of his death, but his picture looks mature enough. Deals with family secrets and the political issues of muddying the lines of inheritance in the middle of a war. Also takes a crack at Ursa having a clever hand with Azulon’s last will and testament on Ozai’s behalf, with provisos.

Status: nothing really more than a vague concept without enough plot to stand on its own. Without a viable framework, it could work better/well folded into The Blacksmith story, above.

I’m open to opinions and/or asks about these. Trying to get a spark going! (I need to be working in a fandom, ANY fandom at this point! ^_^;; )

#atla #avatar #avatar tla #the last airbender #atla fic #fic ideas #stuff becky never got around to writing #but wanted to #except atla fans back in the day could be kinda really scary #sad to say the zutara battleship drove me out of those waters #don't hate the pairing just misliked the attitudes and actions of people involved #there was no chill and it made me sad #but I'm willing to try again!

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mxadrian779 · 6 years

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ATLA fanfiction: draft (3?); WIP

We were just a bunch of kids who had to save the world. What did we know about love?

===

He was madly in love with her. He knew she belonged with him. They had shared so much together, all of their highs and lows, regrets and dreams, weaknesses and strengths. They were made for each other.

He had found the perfect betrothal necklace. He had picked the perfect date. The night was perfect, and their costumes were perfect, and everything was just...perfectly perfect.

It never occurred to him that she might say “no.”

===

It was the second Harmony Festival, the second anniversary of the fall of Ozai. The azure sky was clear, the air was crisp, and the orange Sun was blazing its way toward the horizon. The celebration was going off without a hitch. It was going so well, in fact, that it was held over into its second day. Seems the people couldn't get enough of celebrating an anniversary of their freedom.

The Harmony Festival is a celebration of peace and diversity, but its attendees were largely Fire Nation. This continued to baffle Team Avatar, who assumed most of the nation would still be loyal to the previous Fire Lord and his politics. A lot can change in the space of two years, but it would be understandable if the citizens had not quite adjusted to the younger Fire Lord and his benevolent way. It would take a lot longer than two years to smooth over a century of tyranny.

The members of Team Avatar were now two years older and ten years wiser. Sokka and Suki had been tending to the Earth Kingdom, helping rebuild the kingdom and implement new security measures with Ty Lee and the other Kyoshi Warriors. Aang, Katara, and Toph had been spending considerable time in the Fire Nation, trying to hold the country together as it adjusted to its new rule. Zuko had been hard at work restructuring political and military policy. He had considered creating a peace army to aid the most war-torn areas, but his friends convinced him it might not be well-received. “Knock-knock, hi, I know I wanted to kill you before, but I'm here to help you now,” Aang had commented.

Cheerful chatter filled the air around them as day melted into night. Aang heaved a sigh as he spied the full moon beginning to rise. As moonlight crowned the darkness, the flora of the night started to wake and release their scents. When the breeze picked up, it carried with it the playful and delicate scents of fire lilies mixed with robust ceremonial incense. There was nothing more perfect than this. He knew she must say “yes.”

The teenage Avatar fumbled in his robes and carefully withdrew a little cloth pouch. He checked on Katara out of the corner of his eye. The beautiful waterbender was immersed in the crowd, surrounded by eager young citizens who could never tire of hearing about her adventures. Anxiety started to trickle into Aang's heart—it would only be a short time before Fire Lord Zuko would deliver his closing speech, the celebration would conclude, and the young Avatar would have missed the opportunity to propose to the love of his life.

“Aang!” The Southern Water Tribe girl was heading towards him. “There are some kids here who would really love to hear your stories.”

“Katara!” he almost yelped. He lunged forward and took her hand with a nervous grin. “I'll meet them later. There's something we have to do first.”

“Okay,” she replied hesitantly, spotting a glimmer of fear in his eyes and wondering whether she should be excited or wary. Katara let the airbender lead her away from the crowd to the far end of the palace gardens. They came to a decorated bench placed under the open sky, with a trellis of fire lilies behind them and a sparkling pond ahead. Brilliant moonlight danced on the surface of the water. Katara breathed a sigh as she gazed.

Aang studied her as she closed her eyes and allowed him a moment alone with his panic. He fumbled with his thoughts, struggling to figure out the proper way to do this. “Katara,” he said, rousing her. She fixed her sapphire eyes on him. The Avatar reached out from behind and presented her with a cloth pouch. “What's this?” asked Katara with a puzzled look.

He left it in her hand as he gingerly untied the pouch, then pulled out a carved necklace and held it up to her.

===

“Aang...?” the waterbender started, holding his gaze and trying not to look at the necklace. Her heart beat hard in her chest; she was sure she could even feel it in her throat. Katara tried her best to appear baffled, but she knew exactly where this was going.

Aang held out the betrothal necklace, with smooth wooden beads and an intricately carved crescent moon, from which a crimson tassel hung. “Katara,” he began in an unsteady voice, “I feel like I've waited my whole life to say this, and I can't wait another minute. I love you with all my heart. I know we're meant to be together.”

Katara found herself in a daze, taken aback by the beauty and detail of the necklace and the heartfelt gesture behind it. When she looked back to Aang and traced the next words his lips made, fear shot through her veins like ice water.

“Katara, will you marry me?”

She was sure her heart must have stopped. Marriage...! Katara ceased to hear anything but those five words humming through her mind like an angry buzzard-wasp. She was frozen, unable to think or respond for many long minutes. Marriage...?!

Katara loved Aang. They were best friends. They went through hell and back together, lived and laughed and fought and won for each other. But...marriage? That was something else entirely. That was a universe away from them. She loved him, but...

“Aang,” she said when she finally mustered a voice, “I can't do this.” She placed the necklace in his hands and folded his fingers around it. She held her hand atop his for a moment and squeezed. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she whispered, “I'm sorry, Aang.”

Katara saw the light leave his eyes when Aang stared down at their hands. Just as his face started to wrench into grief, an obscure expression glazed over. He pulled his hand out from hers and let his arm drop to his side. Aang wouldn't spare another look at her as he picked up his glider and walked out of the palace gardens. A few minutes later, Katara saw his silhouette pass over the full moon, dragging a small cloud over it and dimming the night. She threw her gaze back down and sighed, wiping a falling tear. After a few more moments, she stood up, brushed off her skirt, and continued back into the crowd.

===

“Hey, where's Twinkletoes?” asked Toph when Katara fell in beside her. “Zuko's about to start.”

She heard a deep sigh from the waterbender. “He's...out for a walk.”

“Now is when he takes a walk?” Toph started to ask, but caught herself when she noticed the stress in Katara's voice and ground vibrations. She detected anxiety and a hint of deception, but decided against pressing the matter. She'll find out sooner or later.

The crowd roared when Zuko ascended the stage, then quickly fell silent with anticipation. She heard the rustling of the scroll and the clearing of his throat. After the first few sentences, Toph tuned it out. It was the same speech he gave last year, and would probably be the same the next. Zuko had many strengths, but creativity was not one of them.

All the buzzwords hit Toph's ear: “peace,” “love,” “balance.” She'd heard them enough times coming from Aang. Sometimes it still surprised her to hear them come from Zuko. He repeated his promises that the Fire Nation would atone for its sins and would never return to tyranny. He highlighted the progress they'd made thus far and the milestones they've yet to achieve. Toph started tuning back in when she could hear the Fire Lord reaching his conclusion. She couldn't help but smile when the passion in his voice took her back in time to the end of the war. It was their little gang that was responsible for ending a war that had been waged for a hundred years, while no adults could even make a dent in it. Toph gave a sigh of nostalgic satisfaction. Somehow, that felt like a lifetime ago.

Suddenly, her wistful mind snapped back to reality when Toph noticed some distinct vibrations through the ground. While the crowd had mostly been standing in one place, she felt a few jerking steps stealthily weaving their way through. The earthbender threw her senses into the ground to focus on the footsteps. They were light and agile, barely detectable were it not for their rapid movements that drew her attention. They were now such a distance away that she couldn't tell how many there were, but it seemed like more kept coming. Toph did notice they all had one thing in common: they were all darting towards the stage.

===

Tears threatened to fill Zuko's eyes as the crowd erupted in cheers and applause when he finished his Harmony Festival speech. He rolled up the scroll, passed it to one of his sages, and returned for a bow. It wasn't long ago that he would have been unable to imagine a crowd ever cheering for him. For much of his young life, he had been legally considered a traitor to the Fire Nation for nothing more than insulting his father. Zuko had been disgraced and was in fear for his life from all nations, especially his own.

And now?

Now, he was their leader, and they accepted him, and they honoured him.

Zuko was proud—of his people, of his world, of himself. He had long doubted whether there was any good left in the Fire Nation save for his uncle. He couldn't imagine that there was any good left in himself. Now, he and the Avatar had the world back on the right track, and they couldn't be prouder.

Fire Lord Zuko scanned the crowd before taking another bow. He looked back to his sage, who nudged his head towards the palace. Zuko nodded and started following him inside. As he turned his back to the crowd, one cry in particular reached him. He started to turn back to the caller when something exploded before him. Clouds of smoke surrounded the stage, and Zuko lost sight of the caller, the crowd...and everything else. Another explosion of smoke, and something barreled into him, knocking the air out of his lungs. As Zuko fought for a breath and flailed against his invisible attacker, suddenly a cold fire surged through his veins. The Fire Lord cried out with the last of his breaths. Burning, numbing pain ripped through his body and seemed to cluster in his chest. His vision and breaths were quickly leaving him, but somewhere on the fringes of his mind he captured her fearful cry.

“Zuko!!”

===

He remembered blurred sapphire orbs. A glowing light above him. Warmth throughout his body. The thick pain settling in his chest, holding back his gasps for air. The numbness pulsing through him, rendering him unable to move. The moments he spent wondering if he could even remember how.

He could feel the warmth working its way through him. He could feel it pulsing, throbbing, getting caught on its way. It circled around the tightness in his chest. His breaths kept catching in his throat. The warmth couldn't penetrate the tightness. It would have to try again tomorrow.

===

It was soothing in a painful kind of way. He didn't open his eyes. He was afraid to witness what was happening. He could feel the warmth working in his chest again. Somewhere beyond him there was a strained sigh. The warmth pulsated, seemed to start beating through his chest now. It beat faster, harder. He wondered if it matched his heartbeat.

Suddenly, it felt like the elephant-bear had been lifted off his chest, and he was able to draw in a solid breath. His lungs were not used to a full breath yet, and he started to cough, which set his body on fire. Someone somewhere beyond him shushed, and placed a hand gently on his chest to nudge him back down. The warmth radiated freely through his body now, seemingly victorious about defeating the tightness. He couldn't tell anymore whether it felt better or worse. He tried to focus on “better.”

===

Zuko wasn't sure how much time had passed before he had the strength to open his eyes. The warmth no longer beat through his body; now, everything felt stiff and fragile. He couldn't tell how much time he missed. It could have been anywhere from hours to years. He admitted to himself that he felt a hundred years older.

His vision was blurred for several troubling moments. He kept trying to blink away the bleariness to no avail. It was only when he caught sight of a figure beside him that he could begin to focus his eyes.

“Katara?” he mumbled quizzically.

She turned her sapphire eyes on him, and seemed stunned for a moment. Suddenly, she broke into a smile. “Zuko,” she gasped, leaning down to lightly hug him. “You're okay.”

The ache in his bones seemed to suggest otherwise, but Zuko didn't have the energy to contest. “What are you doing here?” he murmured hoarsely. “What happened?”

Her face contorted with worry. “You were attacked at the festival,” she replied. There was more Katara wanted to say, but only whispered, “It was bad.”

===

Katara easily remembered the festival last week. The celebration. The joy of its attendees. The heartbreak between her and Aang. And the attempt on Zuko's life.

Toph had given her a hard nudge and said something, but the roar of the audience swallowed her words. Minutes later, a small, lithe group stormed the stage and attacked the Fire Lord, and then Katara knew what Toph had tried to tell her. Panic flooded Katara, and she made a beeline for the stage. She yelled back for Toph to find Aang as she rushed to Zuko's side. The palace guardians leapt into action and held off the attackers while Katara tended to the Fire Lord. A Fire Sage ushered her and the wounded firebender into the palace for safety.

The last several days had been agonising. Katara's patience and healing abilities were put to the ultimate test. The damage was bad, to say the least, and there were many times Katara was sure her friend wouldn't survive. But still she persisted, sending the healing water along his wounds, imbuing him with healing chi. She had come across several deadly blockages in his arms and especially around his heart, and struggled to release them. Katara only wished she knew what had been done to him.

The waterbender gave a hard blink, and tried to put the terrible event from her mind. Zuko was here and he was awake, and nothing else mattered. He longed to ask her more about what had happened, but she put a warm cloth on his forehead to hold him still. Katara shushed him, held his hand, and calmly threatened that she would never tell him if he didn't just shut up and try to get some rest. Zuko chuckled softly, which turned into a painful coughing fit. Katara readied her healing water and circulated it over his chest, opening his airways and steadying his breathing. Closing his eyes, he sighed his surrender. Katara sighed too, and rubbed his hand.

===

He found himself no longer sure how long he had been sitting under the banyan-grove tree. He had forgotten how long he had been staring into the distance, replaying visions of Katara. He came out here to let her go, but whenever he looked up between meditations, he would see her again, and his heart would break again.

Visions danced in the fog around him, showing Aang again and again his first kiss with Katara, their first dance, even the first time he had ever laid eyes on her. Her soft skin, gentle eyes, and loving smile were all permanently etched in his mind—perhaps sewn into the very fabric of his existence. It anguished him to think that it was all over.

Aang kept trying to pack away these visions, but every time he would start to seal them, they would burst forth and assail him, and he would find tears in his eyes all over again. He gave up this attempt, and decided to close his eyes and try to get some sleep. He took a deep breath, and let his mind fade to black.

“Aang?” an echo came somewhere in the back of his mind. It called again. “Aang!”

The Avatar's eyes flew open to find a slim figure in the distance, carefully crossing a tangle of thick roots. The figure stopped and cried his name again.

Aang squinted and tried to discern the figure. She was still far from him, but he made out the blue attire and long, dark hair. His heart leapt jubilantly and he couldn't spring to his feet fast enough. “Katara!” the Avatar exclaimed, rushing towards her. “Katara, I can't believe you're—” Suddenly, Aang skidded on the dewy grass, and went hurtling into the young woman. Both yelped as they tumbled to the ground. “Hey, what's your problem?”

“Sorry, Katara, I—” Aang gasped and lurched backwards when the girl stood and began brushing herself off.

“Don't you ever watch where you're going?” grumbled Toph.

Aang's mind went numb. His heart squeezed, threatening to break once more. “What are you doing here?” he asked sourly, turning away from her.

“Good to see you too, Sunshine,” she replied. Toph moved to face him, and seemed to actually meet his eyes. Aang was stricken by the emotion in her face. For once in her life, she looked...worried. “What are you doing all the way out here?”

The Avatar heaved a sigh. “I just...had some stuff to work out.”

“What was suddenly so important that you had to leave in the middle of the festival?”

“Katara broke up with me, okay?!” Aang burst out. He paused for a moment, and studied the earthbender for a reaction. She didn't flinch, but her expression seemed to sadden. Aang continued in a softer, almost apologetic tone, “I'm going through a lot right now, and I just want to be left alone.”

Toph was silent for a few minutes, never taking her eyes off Aang. “I'm sorry,” she murmured.

Exhaustion was starting to overwhelm the Avatar, and he sat down on the ground and dropped his head into his hands. Toph came down beside him and pressed close to him. Neither would speak for quite some time.

===

“This isn't really working, is it?”

Zuko pried his eyes from his paperwork and focused on her. “What isn't working?” he asked as he tried to blink away the mathematical figures still floating in his vision.

The nonbender sighed, dropping herself onto the crimson lounge. “Us,” Mai said, her normally plain, emotionless face scrunched into distress.

The Fire Lord frowned at her. This again? It seemed like every other day, his girlfriend was fretting about their relationship. “Mai, can this wait 'til later? I'm trying to work out these new formation plans.”

“Whatever,” she grumbled, pulling out one of her blades. “That's all you ever care about lately.” She absentmindedly dragged her fingertip over the blunted side of her dagger. Mai flung it back into its holster on her wrist and threw herself off the lounge. “Why don't you just marry your work while you're at it?”

Zuko let out an exasperated huff and slammed down his papers. “What is it with you?” He rose from the table and whirled to face her.

Mai met his eyes squarely as she veiled her expression once more. Her voice had become as cool as the look in her eyes. “Well, excuse me for wanting a little attention every now and then. Your plants get more attention than I do.”

“That's because all I have to do is water them once a day, and they'll shut up!” Zuko stepped back and clipped a sigh as he tried to rein in his temper. “What is it you want, Mai?”

The shift in Zuko's response caught her off-guard. She also loosened her anger a little bit and looked away from him. “I don't know,” Mai admitted softly, sitting back on the lounge. “I'm just...sick of being stuck in this awful castle while you get to go out and play.”

“What?” growled Zuko, his lips getting caught between a grin and a snarl. He gave a breath of a chuckle. “You think this is fun for me? Trying to figure out how to put the country back together after my father and grandfather screwed it up? Trying to prove to the world that we're different now than we were a year ago?” He threw his gaze away from her and fell quiet for several moments. “I'm under a tremendous amount of pressure and responsibility. I would think that you could respect that.”

“I do respect that, but Zuko, you have a responsibility to me, too.” Mai mentally cringed as soon as the words left her tongue. She knew what a terrible response that was.

Zuko's eyes widened, and he studied her for several moments.

“That's not what I meant,” she said hurriedly, ad tried to frame it more gently. “I just mean that—”

Zuko sighed heavily, letting his nerves relax a tad. “I know what you mean, Mai.” He didn't, really, so he searched her face for clues. She tried to keep her expression indiscernible, but he knew better. The desolation in her grey eyes was subtle but unmistakable. “You feel neglected, and I understand that, but I don't know what I can do about it.”

“We could take a vacation,” she said hopefully, putting her hand on his shoulder and attempting to nudge him closer.

Zuko paused and considered this for a minute, but the list of responsibilities kept cluttering his thoughts. He shrugged off her hand and turned back to his desk. “You can take a vacation,” he replied curtly. He sat down before his paperwork and resumed studying the figures.

Behind him came an irritated groan. “Fine.” There were several minutes of rustling and shuffling and angry footsteps crossing the room. Zuko snuck a glance over his shoulder to see his girlfriend hastily grabbing her stuff. He heard her throw her knapsack over her shoulder and head to the door.

“Where are you going?” Zuko called, immediately feeling regretful.

At first, Mai was silent, and Zuko almost wondered if she'd heard him. “My parents',” she replied flatly before slipping through the door.

He heaved an infuriated sigh, and stared at his papers. The mathematical figures might as well have been dancing on the page; Zuko's mind was a world away. His heart began to ache as their fight echoed through his head, and the stumbling evolution of their relationship unfurled before him. The two teenagers were no strangers to arguments—it felt like they'd fought every other week for the past several years. But they had long ago decided to give no credit to their fights and to assign them no ultimate meaning or consequence. They'd yell at each other, storm around and stamp their feet, and then resume their relationship as normal, quickly forgetting the bitter words exchanged and the sour feelings evoked. Zuko, however, never forgot all the bitter words and sour feelings passed between them. As much as he loved Mai and treasured their bond, he always knew it must be a matter of time before all the negativity they shared would suddenly stack up and topple over. Arguments were an inevitable part of their relationship, and each time, the young Fire Lord wondered if it would be their last.

But Mai had never left before. Usually it would go like this: they would fight over some ridiculous thing or another, they'd puff out their chests and stand their ground, but within a few minutes or a few hours, they'd end up deflating. They might spend a few hours apart and sulk individually, but they'd be back together afterwards. There might be apologies, there might not—it didn't really matter to them. Their truce would be apology enough.

But Mai had never left before. She would sulk on the lounge, or in her room, or in the gardens, but she would still be there and would still be with him. Zuko almost felt naked, felt raw and numb and cold. Only fifteen minutes had passed, but Mai's absence was burning into him. Zuko gave a hard blink to clear his head, and stared at his papers again. He tried to put their fight from his mind, but it kept rushing back. Zuko released a frustrated grunt and brought his fist down hard upon the desk. After a hiss of pain, he buried his face in his reddened hand. He kept chasing away bad thoughts, but they kept returning fivefold. Scenes from their childhood, friendship, and relationship rolled through his mind. Something behind the scenes—something behind the memories—told him that Mai was gone.

===

Zuko suddenly sucked in a breath, startling both himself and the young woman beside him. His eyes flew open to find Katara hastily readying a stream of healing water. “Zuko,” she sighed when he regained a stable breath. She bent the water back into its pouch and set it aside. “You scared me.”

He scoffed. “Scared me,” he chuckled, relishing in the absence of pain. He forgot what it was like to breathe, let alone laugh, without being sent into an episode of agony. His body still felt stiff, but it didn't feel like it could shatter at any moment, and for that he was grateful. He carefully brought his hand to his forehead, imagining his joints might sound like grinding metal. “How long was I out?”

Katara's face was gentle as she responded, “Some time.” After a thought, she admitted, “A couple of weeks.”

“Wow,” Zuko murmured, absently running his hand down his face and flinching in surprise when his fingers were met with coarse hair.

“Long enough to start a beard,” Katara remarked playfully.

He toyed with his beginner's beard for a few seconds, humorously imagining a royal portrait of him with a full beard. Then, the injured Fire Lord leaned forward and tried to rise. Katara held his arm and slowly guided him to a sitting position. “You okay?” she asked before releasing him.

“Yeah,” Zuko grunted, taking a deep breath and letting his body catch up. He blinked hard, visually devouring his surroundings as if for the first time. His room was still and glowing red as the rising Sun lit up the various crimson effects. Paperwork was stacked neatly on his desk, waiting patiently for his return. On a small table against the window stood several bottles of various medicines and Fire Sage potions. It looked as if they had been hurriedly shoved to the far end of the table to make room for Katara's healing water. Knowing her, Zuko was surprised the bottles hadn't ended up shattered on the floor.

“Do you think you're ready to stand?” asked Katara, studying his face and the halting movement of his limbs. She leaned over to lend her arm.

Zuko hissed a breath as he rolled his weight forward, taking her arm more desperately than he'd have liked. “Just a second,” he muttered. His eyes accidentally met hers as he was readying himself, and it was then that the reality of the situation set in. The Fire Lord had been seriously injured. Without Katara, he would be dead. She saved his life, and here she was, still committed to his care. Zuko found himself gazing at her in admiration. Her azure eyes glittered with concern. Her features were relaxed but focused. The thinly-veiled exhaustion in her face told Zuko that she must not have left his side since the attack. He became acutely aware of the strength of her presence, not merely as friend but as defender, and he felt humbled that such a fierce warrior should swear herself to his side.

He braced himself and let go of her arm, determined that he should rise to his feet himself. Zuko pushed himself slowly off the bed and wobbled to his feet. When he started to stagger, Katara was quick against his side. He resisted leaning on the young woman at first, but he still had little strength of his own. “I'm not hurting you, am I?” asked Zuko, trying to shift his weight independently.

“Don't worry about it,” she replied. “Let's just get you out to the parlour.”

Carefully, they made their way through the long hall and into the next room. What was normally a moment's trip seemed to take half an hour. Zuko was prickling with frustration; he could only imagine how annoyed Katara must have been, but she was never anything less than supportive. Finally, they found the parlour, and Katara helped him down onto a velvet chaise. He sank onto the daybed with a long groan, a combination of pain, stiffness, and disappointment in his diminished abilities. The waterbender came down beside him and helped him adjust his posture. She grabbed a couple of pillows and laid them against his back. “Is this okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Zuko sighed as he leaned back. He caught her eyes and smiled appreciatively. “Thanks.”

They sat together in silence for a small time. Zuko's breathing sometimes still came in harshly, and he noticed Katara tense up. She avoided staring at him, but he knew that she was closely monitoring his condition and his movements. Suddenly, Zuko was stricken by the fact that she was still with him. “Why are you still here?” he asked.

She looked at him, and furrowed an eyebrow in question. “What do you mean?”

“Shouldn't you be out there with Aang?”

===

Katara froze, unable to answer and unable to meet his eyes. She could feel Zuko's gaze burning into her as he awaited her response. She ran her finger along the velvet arm of the chaise before finally saying, “He's been busy.” Katara hoped that would be answer enough, but when Zuko didn't reply, she added delicately, “We decided to spend some time apart.”

“Oh.” Something in his voice, and the fact that he didn't press her further, seemed to indicate an understanding. When Katara glanced at him, his eyes were gentle and almost sympathetic. “Well,” he began with a small smile, “I'm glad you're here. Thank you, Katara.”

She mirrored his smile, and felt her eyes start to moisten. She threw her gaze down to her feet before a tear could form. “You're welcome, Zuko,” she murmured.

===

Toph was ready to scream in frustration. It felt like she and Aang had been sitting in silence for ages. How much longer does he need to pout? Jeesh! “Aang?” she quietly prodded, gripping his shoulder lightly.

The Avatar stirred abruptly, and lifted his head from his knees. “What?” he asked in a surprisingly stable voice, trying to fool Toph into thinking he had not fallen asleep.

“Are you ready to go back?”

He sighed heavily and looked away from her. “I don't know.”

“Well, how much more time do you need?”

“I don't know!” he growled. He looked at her now, and the anger in his eyes quickly melted away to desperation. “Sorry,” he muttered.

She gave a slight grin. “It's okay; I understand. It's gotta be tough.”

“I just...” Aang gave a combination of a sniffle and a gasp. “I just thought we'd always be together.”

“So did I,” remarked Toph in earnest, stunned to think of a time when Aang and Katara wouldn't be a package.

“What went wrong?” he muttered.

“We grew up.”

Aang ignored her and went on. “We seemed so perfect together. It made so much sense to me.”

Toph leaned forward to study him for several seconds. “Maybe that's the problem,” she said, watching his expression closely.

Finally, he looked up at her. “What do you mean?”

“Aang, just because it made sense to you doesn't mean it made sense to her.”

Something glazed over his eyes, and Toph struggled to read his face. She searched his expression for clues to his thoughts and emotions, but came up empty. She continued cautiously, “I mean...maybe it didn't mean as much to her as it did to you. You loved her, but did she love you?”

“Yeah,” he replied strongly. After a moment, his voice seemed to falter. “I know she did,” Aang murmured, more to himself than to Toph. “Why else would we have been together?”

Toph stared at him as she assembled her thoughts. “Well, things change. People grow up.” Becoming confident of her next words, Toph let herself relax a notch. “Think about it, Aang: we were kids. We were just a bunch of stupid kids who had to stop a war. We didn't have time to think about what we wanted. We were too young to even know what we wanted.” She looked over to see Aang staring out into the distance as he processed what she had said. His face wrinkled, then smoothed; his eyebrows furrowed, then relaxed; his mouth started working a response, then stopped. Finally, Aang's shoulders dropped in defeat, and when he met her eyes, his face looked forlorn and empty. “Maybe you're right,” he replied in a small voice. “Maybe it wasn't real.”

Her eyes widened, and she almost lurched forward as if to stop his thought. “Don't do that to yourself, Aang. It was real; we all felt it. But...maybe it just wasn't meant to be forever.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Aang sighed, and forced himself to chuckle. “I mean, what are the odds of marrying the first girl you've ever seen?”

Toph chuckled too. “Pretty impossible, I would say.” She watched as his expression gradually relaxed. “You'll get through this, Aang; I know you will.”

A sliver of sorrow shone in his eyes. “It doesn't feel like it.”

“I know.” Toph snorted as she recalled the past. “Remember that crush I had on Sokka? I was almost crazy about him. When I finally realised that Sokka and I were never gonna happen, I felt so crappy and so silly, but I got past it.”

“How?”

Toph was quiet for a second as she pulled forth her memories. “Well, it took a while to get over it, actually. But I started to realise that we still had a good friendship, and that was all we needed.” She pulled on his shoulder to make him meet her gaze. “You and Katara have a past, and you still have a future as friends, and no one can take that away from you.”

Aang's lips carefully stretched into a smile, and the look in his eyes softened. “Thanks, Toph.” There was still uncertainty and sorrow, but he looked significantly less troubled.

The earthbender let go of his shoulder and started to her feet. “We need to go back,” she said rather suddenly. “There's been some stuff going on out there.”

“What stuff?” he asked as he took her hand and rose to his feet, straightening out his robes.

“At the festival.” Toph paused, debating whether to tell him the truth now or wait for him to find out for himself.

“What stuff?” the Avatar prodded, stress returning to his voice.

“Bad guys crashed the party. Zuko was attacked. The usual.” She struggled to maintain her nonchalance, but her heart started racing as she recalled the events—the intruders, the smoke, the panic in Katara's voice, the alarming stillness of the Fire Lord's vibrations.

“What?!” Aang almost yelled. “Let's go!”

“It's about time,” Toph muttered before falling in behind Aang as he raced to the edge of the grove.

“How do we get out of here?” panted Toph, struggling to keep up with him.

“I know the way,” he called back. He led her through the misty grove, over thick, gnarled roots and under glistening canopies of weeds and branches. Finally, Aang stopped in a still clearing. Spiritual sunlight beamed through the trees, illuminating the tiny particles of dust and mist. The Avatar sat down and brought his fists together. Toph watched with awe as his tattoos started to light up, and the swamp seemed to hum to life. Ribbons of fog swirled around him, and Toph saw Aang's memories dance on the mist. She watched the scenes of Aang and Katara, studying their faces and practically feeling the emotions passed between them. The earthbender felt a pang of jealousy that she had not yet had such a bond. She tore her eyes away and focused on Aang, whose tattoos glowed brighter as the memories on the mist seemed to glare. “Aang?” she said, her voice trembling. The entire swamp was shaking now, and the spiritual energy was heavy in the air. Toph's skin tingled, and the spots of sunlight danced wildly around them. “Aang...!” She lunged forward and gripped the Avatar's shoulder, hoping to rouse him from whatever bad thing might have possessed him. Heat surged through her hand and arm, but she couldn't break herself away from him. Toph looked up, and noticed that now the scenes from the Avatar's mind were starting to break apart. As the spirit swamp shook, the memories on the mist crumbled away, and the light from Aang's tattoos was blinding. Toph tightened her grip on his shoulder just as the world around them exploded in light.

===

The smell of fresh, dewy grass filled her nose, stirring her mind awake. The chatter of various little creatures echoed in the distance of the swamp. Darkness had fallen back over her eyes, and she knew they had returned.

“Aang?” She prodded the boy beside her, and he also stirred to consciousness.

“I'm awake,” he said quickly, and leaned forward to rise. Toph took his hand as he then pulled her to her feet. She staggered for a moment, collecting herself and her senses. The sudden need to rely upon her earthbending again was dizzying. When she was finally steady on her feet, she turned to Aang. “We have to get back to the palace.”

“Was everyone okay?”

Toph was quiet for a minute. “I don't know,” she said weakly. “Zuko was in pretty bad shape when I left. It's been a few weeks, and...” She trailed off, refusing to entertain whatever theory might come next. In an attempt to be optimistic, she added, “Katara's been with him, so I'm sure he's—”

“Katara's with Zuko?” Aang cut in. Toph tried to discern his mood, but his voice was smooth and flat. She immediately regretted having mentioned his ex-girlfriend and the Fire Lord in the same sentence, and could only imagine what must have been churning through Aang's mind now. Toph grabbed his arm and started leading him away, as if to also lead him away from his thoughts. “Let's just get out of here.”

===

It was evening when they returned to the Fire Lord's palace. Aang's heart dropped when he saw the gardens, still bearing signs of the attack. The ground was scuffed and burnt, and the stage Zuko had stood upon was torn apart. The attack had been nearly three weeks ago, but the fear was very fresh. The air was still, eerily so—Aang could almost feel the anxiety and anticipation of another attack. He found himself very aware and cautious of where he stepped, even though his earthbending told him the coast was clear. “What happened out here?”

“I'm not exactly sure,” replied Toph. “I felt a bunch of people rushing through the crowd and homing in on Zuko. There was a commotion. Zuko screamed. Katara screamed. Everyone screamed.” Toph paused as the memories came to the fore of her mind. “I don't know what happened after that. Katara sent me to find you while she went up to help. I don't know who it was, or why, or what happened to Zuko.” Fear tugged at her heart, and Toph quickly tried to shift her thoughts.

Aang and Toph continued through the scarred gardens to the grand front doors of the Fire Lord's palace. Before Aang even had the chance to knock, a palace guardian appeared and stood in front of him defiantly. When he noticed the Avatar's tattoos, he bowed his apology and stepped aside. Aang asked him to bring them to Zuko. A Fire Sage came and led them inside, dropping them off in the foyer as he promised to fetch the Fire Lord.

A few minutes later, a tall figure in crimson robes came limping into the foyer, a crutch on one side and Katara on the other. Aang quickly averted his gaze when the waterbender neared.

“You found him,” she said to Toph as she guided the Fire Lord to a chair. Aang snuck a glance when Katara had her back to him. When Zuko was settled, she turned to Aang. “Where have you been?” she demanded, but her voice was tired and troubled.

Aang ignored her and asked the firebender, “How are you holding up?”

Zuko groaned perfectly on cue, and leaned back to show the bandages around his chest and abdomen. “I feel like hell,” he chuckled. “But I'm still kicking.” Aang tried not to notice the appreciation in Zuko's eyes when he exchanged glances with Katara, and he tried not to notice the jealousy boiling in the pit of his stomach.

“Well,” he began, struggling to keep his tone positive, “I'm glad you're doing better.”

#atla #avatar #avatar: the last airbender #Avatar The Last Airbender #tla #aang #katara #toph #zuko #zutara #taang #fanfic #fanfiction #wip #shewhowalkswiththee

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avatarrewatch · 7 years

Photo

Hello and I hope you have enjoyed your stay in Ba Sing Se so far. I am your host Joo Dee. Remember, everyone is safe. There is no war in Ba Sing Se. Today we watched the following episodes in “Book 2: Earth.” We will also be watching the same episodes tomorrow (Sunday, March 18, 2018) at the same time.

2.13

The Drill

With the Gaang in Ba Sing Se, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee (whom I will dub “the Trio” moving forward) arrive in Ba Sing Se with the Fire Nation military and The Drill the episode is named for. This drill was created to penetrate Ba Sing Se’s impenetrable wall. Ba Sing Se’s General Sung seems to be so comforted by the presence of the wall, that it takes him no time at all to tell Aang that the Avatar is not needed, but the Gaang is not dissuaded. Aang, Katara and Sokka successfully sneak into the the drill to damage it from the inside. While Toph, refusing to be without her bending, commits to slowing down the drill from the outside. The Gaang encounters the Trio and a fight ensues with Aang showing off the earthbending he’s most recently learned. It was pretty impressive! Oh, and Momo got to save the day! I knew I always liked Momo for a reason. It’s not just because he’s cute. The Gaang escapes the Trio and the drill is successfully stopped.

Lee and Mushi (or otherwise known as Zuko and Iroh, respectively) arrive in Ba Sing Se as well. You’d think they were following the Avatar or something! But no, actually, Iroh’s White Lotus contacts decided since the pair are practically refugees, that Ba Sing Se would be ideal for them. Iroh flirts with a ticket seller to get into Ba Sing Se, while Jet (and his wheatgrass!) jeatgrass.tumblr.com flirts with Zuko to try and get him to join the new reformed Freedom Fighters. That’s right folks! Since the last time we saw Jet, he has decided to change his ways and only do what’s right. Let’s see if he’ll live up that goal.

2.14

City of Walls and Secrets

We see the Gaang on an earthbending operated train travelling to the inner wall. They meet me! Joo Dee. I introduce them as their guide and waive off any attempts the Gaang make to meet the Earth King. Because of course, “one doesn't just pop in on the Earth King.” How laughable! We meet the Dai Li (cultural authority of Ba Sing Se) and its leader Long Feng when Toph and Katara dress up like high society girls to sneak into a party in order to meet the Earth King. In the meantime, Aang and Sokka manage to sneak into the party as busboys. We see Bosco for the first time as he voraciously attacks the food in front of him. Long Feng takes the Gaang aside and tells them that the Earth King doesn’t have time to get involved in “political squabbles and the day to day minutiae of military activities. What’s most important to his royal majesty is maintaining the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se.” It is the Dai Li that oversees the military and other resources. The Gaang are warned that they will be watched very closely to make sure they don’t mention the war to anyone lest they be expelled from the city and be unable find Appa.

Jet, knowing Zuko and Iroh are Fire Nation after spotting evidence of Iroh firebending, starts obsessively spying on the two. Zuko and Iroh start working in a tea shop. After repeated attempts to catch Zuko and Iroh firebending fail, Jet decides to attack them at the tea shop in an attempt to force at least one of them to use their firebending. Iroh cleverly insists that Jet is just confused, everyone else comes to the conclusion that Jet is violently crazy and Jet gets taken in by the Dai Li. He is brainwashed to believe: "There is no war within the walls. Here we are safe. Here we are free."

2.15

The Tales of Ba Sing Se

Katara decides to take Toph on a girls day out. After putting on some makeup and taking a stroll, they walk onto a bridge where some girls make fun of their makeup. Toph, ever unwilling to put up with such behaviour, earthbends them into the water. Katara then comforts her friend. I’m glad these two are actually getting along.

Aang, while looking for Appa, sees the state of the animals living in a poorly funded zoo and decides to free them. He causes a massive havoc and ruins the cabbage man’s cabbages again. At least that rabbaroo got to eat though! Aang forces the guards to open the gates and quickly makes a nice habitat for the zoo animals which the zoo keeper thanks him for.

Someone tries to mug Iroh. Iroh, being Iroh, corrects his stance and gives him some life advice. The mugger graciously thanks him and commits to seeking his goal of being a masseur. Just Iroh things! Iroh honours his son’s death as the entire membership of the Avatar Rewatch cries with him.

Zuko gets asked out on a date by a girl named Jin. I rather like her. Unfortunately for Zuko, he makes quite a few awkward and rather gauche moves. The two still end up kissing, but Zuko very quickly decides after that it simply cannot work between them. So sad. But I guess Mai is happy with this decision.

Momo gets chased around by some felines and does some impromptu street dancing before getting locked in a cage beside the same felines. He very easily escapes, and decides to graciously free his former pursuers.

2.16

Appa’s Lost Days

We see Appa being captured by sandsailers and sold to a circus. The animal trainer mistreats Appa, but he bonds with a little boy that feeds him. Appa manages to escape during a show after performing a few tricks. He searches for his air nomad with no luck as he retraces his steps. We are shown a flashback of Appa and Aang meeting for the first time as youngsters. And we see that Appa and Aang are thinking of each other throughout the night. Appa goes through so many hard times with humans and other animals, he grows defensive of anyone that may harm him. Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors find a hungry, dirty and injured Appa. After the Kyoshi Warriors take care of him for a little while, and gain Appa’s trust, the Trio attacks. Appa manages to escape with the Kyoshi warriors help.

Fanart

Joo Dee:

http://superootoro.tumblr.com/post/90039544929/joo-dee-was-scary-as-shit-old-one-from-2010

http://sailortenchi.tumblr.com/post/161387243649/joo-dee-brought-to-you-by-a-collaboration-with-my

http://airbenderbabe.tumblr.com/post/109199937761/hello-my-name-is-joo-dee-i-have-been-given-the

Fancy Earth Kingdom Toph: http://korraquality.tumblr.com/post/79851806814/made-a-fancy-earth-kingdom-toph-to-go-with-the

Appa: http://raphodraws.tumblr.com/post/162362518137/so-my-sister-asked-me-to-make-her-an-avatar-themed

http://biram-ba-gallery.tumblr.com/post/148396635372/book-one-water-ive-been-watching-avatar-

http://angi-pants.tumblr.com/post/168337532892/cute-appa-concept-3-yes-no

Jet: http://istehlurvz.tumblr.com/post/158382341744/i-cant-believe-i-always-come-full-circle-on-old

http://thesearchingastronaut.tumblr.com/post/171707418292/today-i-missed-atla-so-i-drew-jet-because-he-was

The Gaang: http://raphodraws.tumblr.com/post/162442066567/ok-so-after-design-no1-got-rejected-have-design

Bosco and The Earth King: http://zeddfro.tumblr.com/post/166491061201/inktober-day-16-fat-bosco-the-normal-bear

Suki: http://angi-pants.tumblr.com/post/171903584627/sneak-peak-suki-is-finally-ready-for-approval

Suki & Sokka: http://rebel-spore.tumblr.com/post/170879604308/sokka-would-so-be-all-about-valentines-day

Suki, Yue & Mai: http://puffycaveman.tumblr.com/post/120074866296/been-super-busy-lately-but-i-finally-had-some

Iroh’s tea time: https://huckdoodles.tumblr.com/post/171984618446/huckdoodles-sharing-tea-with-a-fascinating

Analysis

Caelum Blue's ATLA Episode Timeline (this is dedication!) https://caelum-in-the-avatarverse.tumblr.com/post/171979806694/caelum-blues-atla-episode-timeline

Discord server: https://discord.gg/dtajJx3

Avatar Rewatch Calendar: http://goo.gl/NUV1Kp

(These beautiful episode title cards were created by the ever talented @ahhhsami)

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Avatar: The Last Airbender – What Can We Expect From the New Avatar Studios?

https://ift.tt/3dNN8KW

If you’re an Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra fan, the long wait is over. Ever since Korra went off the air in 2014 there hasn’t been a new Avatar series on our screens. We’ve gotten comics and books (which have been fantastic) but a return to the screen was always hoped for. The live-action Netflix series is still in the works but after the departure of original ATLA creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko fans haven’t been as excited for it.

Now that excitement has somewhere to go. It has been announced that the newly formed Avatar Studios will “create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.” Not only that, but we may also be getting short-form content and spin-offs!

The first project set to go into production this year is “an animated theatrical film” and it seems like the primary distribution for these projects will be Paramount+ (though they may also run on other Viacom channels) and even theaters.

This is a lot to take in. Obviously not all of these might come to fruition but with Paramount needing shows/movies and ATLA/Korra proving to be very popular on Netflix, fans can have high hopes we’ll get to see a lot more from the ATLA world.

So what could we be getting? All we know for sure is that a movie will be going into production but we don’t know what it’ll be about, nor do we know what any of these other possible series could cover. However, there are some areas of the ATLA world that are ready to be explored so we’re going to go over the ones that would be perfect for the new Avatar Studios.

Adapting the Comics

In 2012 Dark Horse Comics began publishing Avatar: The Last Airbender comics which continued where the original series left off. They not only filled in the gaps between ATLA and Korra but delved deeper into the world, filled out backstories, and even answered the biggest question left dangling at the end of the series: What happened to Zuko’s mom?

Any of these stories would make fine films or miniseries, but the most obvious one to adapt would be the arc about Zuko’s mom. Many new viewers of the series aren’t aware of the comic and it would be a great chance to tell such a critical part of ATLA’s story on screen.

Koh the Face Stealer

Without question the absolute scariest part of the ATLA universe, Koh is an ancient spirit who has the ability to steal any face of any being who shows any emotion to him. Aang memorably faced him down and barely escaped with his face, and he’s been mentioned in various other ATLA stories since then. Still, this creature is largely a mystery and a film delving more into him would provide an excellent big screen villain. After all, he did tell Aang they’d meet again. (This technically did happen in an online game but much of Koh’s appearance in that game has been lost to the sands of Internet time.)

We don’t have to learn or even see his entire backstory (some mystery is good) but getting the opportunity to see more of him is one that’s too good to pass up. Aang doesn’t even have to be the one who faces him! Koh’s line of “we’ll meet again” could apply to any Avatar. Korra could encounter him or even a future Avatar!

The Furthur (Queer) Adventures of Korra and Asami

The Legend of Korra famously ended with Korra and Asami walking into the spirit portal holding hands and it was later confirmed that they were a couple. We’ve gotten a chance to see some of this in the Korra comics (which if adapted would make great movies or miniseries’) but getting a full series that lets Korra and Asam explore the Avatar world and take on new challenges? That would not only just be a great show on its own (especially after those last two INCREDIBLE seasons we got on TV) but it’d be a chance to let Korra and Asami’s queerness be seen on screen.

Queer representation is still far too low, especially in animation, and getting to see queer characters in such a high profile franchise would do a world of good. We don’t even need them to be around the same age as they were in the show. Let’s get the 40-year-old queer and married adventures of these two!

A Whole New Avatar

While of course the easy options for any new Avatar media is just to tell more stories about characters we already know, Avatar Studios has the chance to continue the story well beyond what we saw in ATLA or Korra. Remember how The Legend of Korra jumped 70 years into the future after ATLA and the technology of the world was comparable to the 1920’s? Imagine if we jumped to a world that more or less matches the 1970’s? Or hell, go further! Imagine if it’s more of a sci-fi fantasy mix and we get SPACE AVATAR. Yeah, bending asteroids and using air bubbles to breathe in space.

It’d be a gamble but new Avatar mediums shouldn’t just be banking on nostalgia. It needs to move forward to ensure it’s future and a new generation of kids (or teens, whoever the show is marketed to) deserves an Avatar series to call their own.

Older ATLA Crew

Nostalgia is still powerful though and a no brainer would be getting the adult adventures of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Zuko, and the rest. We briefly saw flashbacks of them as adults in Korra and there’s that famous photo of them all grown up that was released when Korra was airing so why not do an adventure set during that time?

Avatar: The Last Airbender and Structural Perfection on TV

By Alec Bojalad

What Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 4 Would Have Been

By Shamus Kelley

See how the changing world impacted their friendships, what it was like as technology so quickly advanced. Aang trying to be a father and not being all that successful (which we wrote about here and how it enriched his character.) His attempts to preserve air nomad culture. Toph’s lack of a relationship with the father of her children and the further formation of the metal benders. There’s just so much room to explore!

The Rise of Kyoshi Adaption

Released in 2019, The Rise of Kyoshi (and it’s sequel novel, The Shadow of Kyoshi) chronicled the life of, who else, Avatar Kyoshi. It’s a gripping tale that follows her training as the Avatar while on the run and attempting to get revenge for the death of a loved one. Its story would be perfect for two or three films and also, like the further adventures of Korra, would be an excellent chance to see another queer character in the ATLA universe. Kyoshi was established as being attracted to men and women in the Korra graphic novels and the Kyoshi novels ran with it.

Adapting books into movies is still a common practice in Hollywood so this isn’t a huge stretch. The story is already there, let’s just get it on screen!

Past/Future Avatars (Anthology)

Multiple times throughout ATLA and Korra we got to see the long line of Avatars that stretched back before Aang. Some we got to learn about but most were nameless… but what if we got to learn more? Any of these past Avatars could sustain a movie, mini-series, or show on their own but that’s a tall order for such a long line of characters. Instead, imagine an anthology series where every half hour episode could focus on one of those past Avatars. We’d learn a little about their life, see them in action, and get more pieces of the overall Avatar world. This doesn’t even have to be limited to past Avatars. You could jump forward in the future. See the Avatars after Korra, the start of a whole new line!

While these could all be done in the trademark Avatar art style and handled by the original creators, imagine if this took a more Heavy Metal or Animatrix approach? Each episode could be helmed by a different creator and animation team, all contributing their unique takes on the Avatar world in different visual styles. You could of course get famous directors, writers, actors, etc. if you wanted but more worthwhile would be making this a launching pad for new talent. Get people who are just starting out in the industry (especially diverse talent, since Avatar and Korra drew so much from different cultures) and use this as a platform to launch them to fame. With that you also get a new pool of experience to draw from and that diversity would allow all kinds of different and unique stories to be created in the ATLA universe by the people the show has depicted.

The series could even be used as a testing ground for new series, movies, etc. If one episode really hits it out of the park with fans and critics, it could be spun off into its own longer story. With such a rich history and devoted fan following, Avatar Studios could leverage the brand to do something really special that would not only give us more of the ATLA world but develop new underrepresented voices in the business.

The Return of the Super Deformed Shorts

The moment I read that one of the options on the table for Avatar Studios was “short-form content” my mind instantly remembered the adorable shorts featuring the ATLA characters that were included on the DVD’s. These were short parodies of the series featuring chibi style versions of the cast. They were hilarious, zany, and we need more of them! Give us Korra shorts too!

Things We Can’t Even Think Of

The possibilities of stories in the ATLA universe are limitless. The ideas above are only the most obvious. The stories Avatar Studios make don’t all have to involve the Avatar or even benders. They don’t have to all follow the format of the TV series’. We could get action shows, sure, but what about a soap opera? A legal drama? A space opera! Something totally off the wall that defies genre.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Anything is possible and we hope Avatar Studios will let their imaginations run wild. Whatever is made, we’re excited.

The post Avatar: The Last Airbender – What Can We Expect From the New Avatar Studios? appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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mxadrian779 · 5 years

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Working title: “Fire & Ice,” an ATLA fanfic (draft 4?)

I’ve been trying to figure out posting this on Fanfiction (under the same username), but things aren’t going through right, so in the meantime, have my fanfiction as it stands (draft post 4, I think? Sorry for all the separate updates)

........

We were just a bunch of kids who had to save the world. What did we know about love?

===

He had found the perfect betrothal necklace. He had picked the perfect date. The night was perfect, and their costumes were perfect, and everything was just...perfectly perfect.

It never occurred to him that she might say “no.”

===

“Aang!” The Southern Water Tribe girl was heading towards him. “There are some kids here who would really love to hear your stories.”

“Katara!” he almost yelped. He lunged forward and took her hand with a nervous grin. “I'll meet them later. There's something we have to do first.”

He left it in her hand as he gingerly untied the pouch, then pulled out a carved necklace and held it up to her.

===

“Katara, will you marry me?”

===

“Hey, where's Twinkletoes?” asked Toph when Katara fell in beside her. “Zuko's about to start.”

She heard a deep sigh from the waterbender. “He's...out for a walk.”

===

And now?

Now, he was their leader, and they accepted him, and they honoured him.

“Zuko!!”

===

“Katara?” he mumbled quizzically.

She turned her sapphire eyes on him, and seemed stunned for a moment. Suddenly, she broke into a smile. “Zuko,” she gasped, leaning down to lightly hug him. “You're okay.”

The ache in his bones seemed to suggest otherwise, but Zuko didn't have the energy to contest. “What are you doing here?” he murmured hoarsely. “What happened?”

Her face contorted with worry. “You were attacked at the festival,” she replied. There was more Katara wanted to say, but only whispered, “It was bad.”

===

Katara easily remembered the festival last week. The celebration. The joy of its attendees. The heartbreak between her and Aang. And the attempt on Zuko's life.

===

“Aang?” an echo came somewhere in the back of his mind. It called again. “Aang!”

The Avatar's eyes flew open to find a slim figure in the distance, carefully crossing a tangle of thick roots. The figure stopped and cried his name again.

“Sorry, Katara, I—” Aang gasped and lurched backwards when the girl stood and began brushing herself off.

“Don't you ever watch where you're going?” grumbled Toph.

Aang's mind went numb. His heart squeezed, threatening to break once more. “What are you doing here?” he asked sourly, turning away from her.

The Avatar heaved a sigh. “I just...had some stuff to work out.”

“What was suddenly so important that you had to leave in the middle of the festival?”

Toph was silent for a few minutes, never taking her eyes off Aang. “I'm sorry,” she murmured.

===

“This isn't really working, is it?”

Zuko pried his eyes from his paperwork and focused on her. “What isn't working?” he asked as he tried to blink away the mathematical figures still floating in his vision.

The nonbender sighed, dropping herself onto the crimson lounge. “Us,” Mai said, her normally plain, emotionless face scrunched into distress.

Zuko let out an exasperated huff and slammed down his papers. “What is it with you?” He rose from the table and whirled to face her.

“That's because all I have to do is water them once a day, and they'll shut up!” Zuko stepped back and clipped a sigh as he tried to rein in his temper. “What is it you want, Mai?”

“I do respect that, but Zuko, you have a responsibility to me, too.” Mai mentally cringed as soon as the words left her tongue. She knew what a terrible response that was.

Zuko's eyes widened, and he studied her for several moments.

“That's not what I meant,” she said hurriedly, and tried to frame it more gently. “I just mean that—”

“We could take a vacation,” she said hopefully, putting her hand on his shoulder and attempting to nudge him closer.

“Where are you going?” Zuko called, immediately feeling regretful.

At first, Mai was silent, and Zuko almost wondered if she'd heard him. “My parents',” she replied flatly before slipping through the door.

But Mai had never left before. She would sulk on the lounge, or in her room, or in the gardens, but she would still be there and would still be with him. Zuko almost felt naked, felt raw and numb and cold. Only fifteen minutes had passed, but Mai's absence was burning into him. Zuko gave a hard blink to clear his head, and stared at his papers again. He tried to put their fight from his mind, but it kept rushing back. Zuko released a frustrated grunt and brought his fist down hard upon the desk. After a hiss of pain, he buried his face in his reddened hand. He kept chasing away bad thoughts, but they kept returning fivefold. Scenes from their childhood, friendship, and relationship rolled through his mind. Somewhere behind the scenes—somewhere behind the memories—a small voice told him that Mai was gone.

===

He scoffed. “Scared me,” he laughed, relishing in the absence of pain. He forgot what it was like to breathe, let alone laugh, without being sent into an episode of agony. His body still felt stiff, but it didn't feel like it could shatter at any moment, and for that he was grateful. He carefully brought his hand to his forehead, imagining his joints might sound like grinding metal. “How long was I out?”

Katara's face was gentle as she responded, “Some time.” After a thought, she admitted, “A couple of weeks.”

“Wow,” Zuko murmured, absently running his hand down his face and flinching in surprise when his fingers were met with coarse hair.

“Long enough to start a beard,” Katara remarked playfully.

“Do you think you're ready to stand?” asked Katara, studying his face and the halting movement of his limbs. She leaned over to lend her arm.

“Don't worry about it,” she replied. “Let's just get you out to the parlour.”

“Yeah,” Zuko sighed as he leaned back. He caught her eyes and smiled appreciatively. “Thanks.”

They sat together in silence for a small time. Zuko's breathing sometimes still came in harshly, and he noticed Katara tense up every time his breath caught in his throat. She avoided staring at him, but he knew that she was closely monitoring his condition and his movements. Suddenly, Zuko was stricken by the fact that she was still with him. “Why are you still here?” he asked.

She looked at him, and furrowed an eyebrow in question. “What do you mean?”

“Shouldn't you be out there with Aang?”

===

She mirrored his smile, and felt her eyes start to moisten. She threw her gaze down to her feet before a tear could form. “You're welcome, Zuko,” she murmured.

===

The Avatar stirred abruptly, and lifted his head from his knees. “What?” he asked in a surprisingly stable voice, trying to fool Toph into thinking he had not fallen asleep.

“Are you ready to go back?”

He sighed heavily and looked away from her. “I don't know.”

“Well, how much more time do you need?”

“I don't know!” he growled. He looked at her now, and the anger in his eyes quickly melted away to desperation. “Sorry,” he muttered.

She gave a slight grin. “It's okay; I understand. It's gotta be tough.”

“I just...” Aang gave a combination of a sniffle and a gasp. “I just thought we'd always be together.”

“So did I,” remarked Toph in earnest, stunned to think of a time when Aang and Katara wouldn't be a package.

“What went wrong?” he muttered.

“We grew up.”

Aang ignored her and went on. “We seemed so perfect together. It made so much sense to me.”

Toph leaned forward to study him for several seconds. “Maybe that's the problem,” she said, watching his expression closely.

Finally, he looked up at her. “What do you mean?”

“Aang, just because it made sense to you doesn't mean it made sense to her.”

“Yeah,” he replied strongly. After a moment, his voice seemed to falter. “I know she did,” Aang murmured, more to himself than to Toph. “Why else would we have been together?”

Her eyes widened, and she almost lurched forward as if to stop his thought. “Don't do that to yourself, Aang. It was real; we all felt it. But...maybe it just wasn't meant to be forever.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Aang sighed, and forced himself to chuckle. “I mean, what are the odds of marrying the first girl you've ever seen?”

Toph chuckled too. “Pretty slim, I would say.” She watched as his expression gradually relaxed. “You'll get through this, Aang; I know you will.”

A sliver of sorrow shone in his eyes. “It doesn't feel like it.”

“I know.” Toph snorted as she recalled the past. “Remember that crush I had on Sokka? I was downright crazy about him. When I finally realised that Sokka and I were never gonna happen, I felt so crappy and so silly, but I got past it.”

“How?”

Aang's lips hesitantly stretched into a smile, and the look in his eyes softened. “Thanks, Toph.” There was still uncertainty and sorrow, but he looked significantly less troubled.

The earthbender let go of his shoulder and started to her feet. “We need to go back,” she said rather suddenly. “There's been some stuff going on out there.”

“What stuff?” he asked as he took her hand and rose to his feet, straightening out his robes.

“At the festival.” Toph paused, debating whether to tell him the truth now or wait for him to find out for himself.

“What stuff?” the Avatar prodded, stress returning to his voice.

“What?!” Aang almost yelled. “Let's go!”

“It's about time,” Toph muttered before falling in behind Aang as he raced to the edge of the grove.

“How do we get out of here?” panted Toph, struggling to keep up with him.

“I know the way,” he called back. He led her through the misty grove, over thick, gnarled roots and under glistening canopies of weeds and branches. Finally, Aang stopped in a still clearing. Spiritual sunlight beamed through the trees, illuminating the tiny particles of dust and mist. The Avatar sat down and brought his fists together. Toph watched with awe as his tattoos started to light up, and the swamp seemed to hum to life. Ribbons of fog swirled around him, and Toph saw Aang's memories dance on the mist. She watched the scenes of Aang and Katara, studying their faces and practically feeling the emotions passed between them. The earthbender felt a pang of jealousy that she had not yet had such a bond. She tore her eyes away and focused on Aang, whose tattoos glowed brighter as the memories on the mist seemed to glare. “Aang?” she said, her voice trembling. The entire swamp was shaking now, and the spiritual energy was heavy in the air. Toph's skin tingled, and the spots of sunlight danced wildly around them. “Aang...!” She lunged forward and gripped the Avatar's shoulder, hoping to rouse him from whatever bad thing might have possessed him. Heat surged through her hand and arm, but she couldn't break herself away from him. Toph looked up, and noticed that now the scenes from the Avatar's mind were starting to break apart. As the spirit swamp shook, the memories on the mist crumbled away, and the Avatar's glow was blinding. Toph tightened her grip on his shoulder just as the world around them exploded in light.

===

“Aang?” She prodded the boy beside her, and he also stirred to consciousness.

“Was everyone okay?”

Toph was quiet for a minute. “I don't know,” she said weakly. “Zuko was in pretty bad shape when I left. It's been a couple weeks, and...” She trailed off, refusing to entertain whatever theory might come next. In an attempt to be optimistic, she added, “Katara's been with him, so I'm sure he's—”

===

It was evening when they returned to the Fire Lord's palace. Aang's heart dropped when he saw that the gardens still bore signs of the attack. The ground was scuffed and burnt, and the stage Zuko had stood upon was torn apart. The attack had been nearly three weeks ago, but the fear was very fresh. The air was still, eerily so—Aang could almost feel the anxiety and anticipation of another attack. He found himself very aware and cautious of where he stepped, even though his earthbending told him the coast was clear. “What happened out here?”

A few minutes later, a tall figure in crimson robes came limping into the foyer, a crutch on one side and Katara on the other. Aang quickly averted his gaze when the waterbender neared.

Aang ignored her and asked the firebender, “How are you holding up?”

“Well,” he began, struggling to keep his tone positive, “I'm glad you're doing better.”

===

“Who were those people, anyway?” Toph asked, breaking the tense silence that ensued. “What did they do to you?”

Zuko carefully took a breath as he collected his memories. “I...I'm not sure, exactly.” He gave a quick laugh. “You're going to think this is crazy, but...it almost felt like my insides were tied into knots. Like the veins in my arms and chest were just knotted up, and I couldn't move.”

A chill ran through Katara when she heard his description. “Knots?” She shared a horrified glance with Aang. “That sounds like bloodbending.”

“It was a full moon,” Aang pointed out.

Toph scoffed. “Wait, I thought the only bloodbender out here was Hama.”

Katara furrowed her brows. “Maybe not.” She turned to Zuko, whose quizzical gaze passed from Aang to her. “There could be more bloodbenders with a grudge against the Fire Nation.”

A long pause followed as the team mulled over their theories. Could it have been Hama? Katara wondered. But she seems a little old to be involved in something like this. Could she have a gang?

“So, what do we do now?” asked Toph.

“I can send my men out in search of the assailants,” Zuko said.

“Weren't they sent out just after the attack?” Katara asked.

“They couldn't find anyone—”

Toph snorted. “That's some crack team you got there.”

“—but they didn't search that far,” Zuko finished, ignoring the remark. “I'll send them out farther, out to wherever this Hama was.”

Aang shook his head. “I don't think that's a good idea. If it is Hama, then it'll just be like the Fire Nation is hunting her down again, and that won't go over well.” His voice softened as he recalled Team Avatar's run-in with the aged bloodbender. “Besides, you don't know how powerful she is. She manipulated all of us at once.”

Katara shivered, remembering all too well the betrayal of her tribeswoman. She could still feel the knots in her veins and the stiff, mechanical movement of her muscles as someone else controlled her like a puppet.

“We have to find the bloodbenders before the next full moon,” Aang concluded. “Who knows what the next step will be?” He stood and turned to Katara. Toph had already risen beside him. “We'll have to start the search first thing in the morning.” Aang looked at Katara expectantly.

She shook her head. “I have to stay here. If the bloodbenders return, I'm the only one who can take them.”

The Avatar's eyes seemed to glint with sorrow, and he fell quiet.

“Katara,” chuckled Zuko, wincing as he leaned forward to meet her eyes, “I'll be fine. I can handle myself.”

“Not in your condition,” scoffed the waterbender. “I'm not taking any risks.” To Aang, she asserted, “Go without me. I'll stay here and keep an eye on things.”

Aang held her gaze for several moments, seemingly searching her eyes for an alternate answer. Finally, he nodded. “Okay, if you say so. Toph and I will head out and check the colonies first thing in the morning.”

After another twenty minutes of light discussion, it was well into nighttime, and the group decided to disperse. Toph was the first to head out the door. Zuko summoned a sage, who ushered him back to his quarters. Aang and Katara stood alone in the foyer, lost in awkward silence. Katara watched him, trying to figure out the emotions in his face. He kept his expression obscure, except for the sadness still in his grey eyes. Finally, Katara stepped forward. “Aang, I—”

He held up his hand to stop her in her words. “Don't. Katara, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stormed off like that. I just...” Aang heaved a heavy sigh and let his shoulders drop. “I just didn't know how to handle this.”

Katara eyed him carefully. “How are you handling it?”

He paused, lowering his gaze and his voice. “It'll take some time.”

“Are we okay?” asked the waterbender, leaning in to catch his gaze.

Aang stared at her, and let a small smile creep onto his lips. “Yeah. We're okay.” He sat back down on the lounge. Katara followed suit, taking her seat across from him and waiting for him to continue. “I'm sorry about the proposal thing. I didn't mean to push you into anything. I...I thought we were ready.” After a deep sigh, he murmured in a defeated voice, “I thought you wanted to be with me.”

Hearing the defeat and desperation in the powerful Avatar's words made Katara's heart sink. In this moment, she longed to be able to take back the last few weeks. “I thought so, too. But...” She reached back into her mind, running through her thoughts and emotions throughout their relationship. She found herself struggling to identify a moment when she loved, truly loved, the Avatar. There had been many times she loved being with him. She loved who he was—a gifted boy with a kind heart and a strong soul. Katara had great affection and admiration for him. But love?

“I think I just felt kind of obligated.” Katara stifled a sigh as the words left her tongue. Finally, all the questions she struggled to answer and the feelings she couldn't discern came together. She wasn't in a relationship with Aang out of love—it was out of a sense of obligation.

Aang looked puzzled. “What do you mean by that?” he asked defensively.

The waterbender tried to cushion her response with a giggle. “Well, I was a kid. You were the Avatar. I felt honoured at first that you chose me. I was dazzled by it all, I guess—plus, there was a lot going on, and it was hard just keeping our heads on straight.” Katara sighed. “As time went on, I just felt like I was in too deep, and...”

“Basically, you felt roped into a relationship,” Aang offered.

“Well...” Katara hesitated, but couldn't think of a gentler way to put it. “Yeah.”

“I'm sorry,” Aang replied, furrowing his brows. “If I had any idea you felt that way—”

Katara shook her head. “It's okay. I'm just glad we're able to talk about this,” she said with a smile.

“Me, too.” He tried to reflect her smile, but there was still something troubling his face. “So...Zuko, huh?”

Katara raised a brow. “What about him?” she asked, angling her head and peering at him guardedly.

“You're with him now?”

The waterbender lurched backwards and gaped at him. “What?” She wasn't sure whether she should be offended or amused. Her mind reeled at the accusation. “What the hell are you talking about?!” she yelped incredulously. “Are you out of your mind?”

Aang leapt to his feet defensively. “I see the way you two act and the way you two look. I know there's something going on between you.”

Still she gaped at him, unable to believe what he was saying. “Are you out of your mind?!” she repeated. “Zuko and I are just—how can you even think—?!” Katara stammered helplessly for another minute until she finally collected herself. “What is wrong with you? Aang, the only reason I'm here is to help Zuko. He was almost killed. He's still in danger, and I'm the only one who can protect him. That's it.” Katara glared at him furiously, but inside she wanted to break down and cry. How could her best friend be so mistrustful of her? How could he think something so ridiculous?

They stared at each other, glared at each other, neither knowing where to go from there. Finally, Aang backed down. He took a few steps back, and softened his voice, but his words were still clipped with anger. “Fine. You're right; I'm sorry. It was a crazy thought.” He stood awkwardly, shifting on his feet as if trying to work up something else to say. “Never mind,” he muttered. “I should get going.” He turned and shuffled towards the grand doors. A Fire Sage suddenly appeared to usher him out. “Good night,” Aang said over his shoulder.

“Yeah,” Katara huffed. “Good night.”

===

“Am I a monster, Katara?”

===

The eyes. Those amber eyes. They haunted her childhood. And now she was surrounded by them.

She, Aang, Sokka, and Toph had plunged into the heart of the Fire Nation, hiding in plain sight. It was the last place on Earth she wanted to be, surrounded by people who looked like the monster who killed her mother.

Katara knew how important it was for them to be here, so she never let on how much it was destroying her. With every day that passed, every day that they remained in the Fire Nation, Katara felt more and more of herself being chipped away. She felt lost and bare, felt like she had been stripped of her Water Tribe identity. What was she without her necklace and traditional hairstyle? She might as well have just been one of them.

She felt exposed and vulnerable—these were the same people who hunted her tribesmen down, and she always wondered if they would come for her next. Sometimes, she would try to assuage herself by thinking about what Aang must have been feeling. The Fire Nation took his entire race from him, and still he refused to let that skew his perception and judgment of them. There were good Fire Nation people—he had known a few. But Katara had never known a good firebender, and couldn't convince herself that it was possible. Even when she looked around at the children of the Fire Nation, all she could see were little monsters in the making. She hated when she thought like that. She knew they were as much victims in this war as she, but she also knew what they would become. After all, the monster who took her mother away from her was once a child.

Zuko's joining of the group was traumatic, to say the least, for Katara. She didn't know what to make of it. She didn't even know what to make of her feelings about it. She worried that the enemy had infiltrated her group. She knew she couldn't trust Zuko, not ever again. He had been the one firebender Katara thought might have been good, the one firebender she thought she could trust. In Ba Sing Se, she got the impression that he was as lost in this war as she—that he was a lost boy who didn't know how to find his way out of the mess his family created. Katara was sure he had it in his heart to do what was right and to break the cycle of terrorism and tyranny, but then he stood against her and betrayed her trust, and she was certain that nothing good could ever come from the Fire Nation.

Now Zuko was promising he changed, and seemed desperate to make her believe him. Aang, foolhardy optimist that he was, trusted the firebender's word, and Toph assured her that he was honest. But still Katara couldn't bring herself to trust him, or to forgive him for his crimes or the crimes of his people. The monster stole her mother's life, and Zuko stole her trust, and she was never going to let herself be vulnerable to a firebender again.

But then he offered to hunt down the monster for her. He struck a very sensitive chord, and she couldn't turn down the offer. Katara was skeptical, naturally. What was the Fire Lord's son up to this time? Would he lead her into an ambush? Or the opposite—lure her away so he could ambush and kill the Avatar? But Aang had faith in Zuko, and Katara trusted Aang's judgment, no matter how much she might have disagreed with it. Curiosity and a need for closure overrode her suspicions, and Katara took him up on his offer.

Her resentment had festered leading up to the confrontation. The closer they came, the more Katara played with thoughts of killing the monster. She had a few different methods figured out, from drowning him to stabbing him with ice daggers to squeezing his heart with bloodbending. The moon was full, the dark power of her ancestors pulsed through her veins, and she relished being in control of the monster's body. Katara wanted to end him that moment, but it didn't seem proper. She bent her silky stream of water into shards of glittering ice and menacingly held them over his head. Hatred surged through her, and she didn't know why she had paused. But as she suspended the ice over his shivering, cowering body, she remembered who she was, and she wasn't a killer. Something, the glint of terror in his amber eyes, reminded her of her mother. She imagined Kya must have had that same glint, and Katara suddenly saw herself as the kind of monster she'd spent her life despising. She let the ice darts melt and drench the monster, now reduced to nothing more than an empty, pitiful coward.

Katara and Zuko spent most of the night in silence. They lit a fire on the coast and huddled around it. Katara found herself lost, glaring into the flames, hypnotised by the element as she wondered how her mother had suffered at its hands.

“Katara?” Zuko asked after a very long time. When she didn't answer, he inched towards her. “Are you okay?”

She tried to keep her eyes fixed on the fire, but finally looked at Zuko. She was silent at first, just staring at him absentmindedly. “I don't know.” Her mind was blank—or, rather, she wished it were blank. So many thoughts and emotions filled her head, and she couldn't begin to sort through them. One emotion in particular stood out as she suddenly realised how drained and raw she felt. “I've spent my whole life hating that man. My whole life wanting to kill him, and I couldn't do it.”

“You're stronger than I am, Katara,” said the firebender. “Believe me, I understand wanting to kill him, but I'm glad you didn't.”

“I just didn't have it in me,” she said dejectedly. “I'm not like him.”

“That's a good thing,” Zuko replied quickly. “You're not a monster.”

Katara shivered, pulling her knees up to her chin and crossing her arms atop them. “This place is full of them,” she muttered bitterly.

“What about the kids?” he countered. “They're not monsters.”

She gazed back into the fire as a low buzz overtook her thoughts. “But they will be,” she said in a voice as frigid as the night air. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the firebender shift uneasily. He was as unnerved as she by the venom in her words.

“Am I a monster, Katara?” he murmured, angling his head down to catch her gaze.

She looked up from the crackling fire and studied his face. She searched his eyes—they were the same eyes as all the other monsters, but there was something different in his. His amber eyes lit up like the fire before them, but they were softer and gentler than the flame. She remembered them being wild with rage. She remembered fearing him and abhorring him. But now his eyes were kind and his presence was comforting, and it felt like it was a lifetime ago that she hated him. “You used to be.”

===

“Mai broke up with me,” said Zuko one day during a healing session.

Katara let the water fall from her hands and looked at him. “Oh,” she said finally, furrowing her brows as she processed his unsolicited statement. “I'm sorry.” She pulled the water back over her hands and continued. She focused her mind on the pulsing water, hovering it over Zuko's chest as it began to shimmer with healing energy. “Aang and I broke up a couple of weeks ago,” Katara offered in response as she moved the water over him.

“How did that go?”

She resisted a shrug as she pressed the healing water onto his wounds. “Okay, I guess.” Katara bent the element against his skin, running the energy through his wounds and letting it loosen his chi. “I mean, what can you say about a relationship that felt like it lasted a lifetime? Somehow you thought you were supposed to be together, it doesn't work out, and you're not sure what to feel.”

Zuko groaned as the water hit a sore spot. “Empty?” he suggested through gritted teeth. “Like you're suddenly missing half of yourself?”

“Maybe,” she murmured absently. Katara was silent as she pressed her hands gently against his skin. Zuko sucked in a breath, but relaxed as the soothing energy circulated throughout his body. Katara watched the sapphire glow absorbing into and rejuvenating his skin. She smiled when she saw the last of the bruises finally lift, and Zuko's pained expression loosened. “Is that it?” he asked after a time.

“For now,” she replied, helping him sit upright. “There's still a bit of internal damage. I can feel some blockages.”

“So can I,” said the firebender, grunting on cue and gripping his abdomen. “It's like there's a dagger stuck in there sometimes.”

“Sorry about that. There's nothing else I can do right now,” Katara said with a shrug. “We'll have to wait until the full moon. I'll try to unblock the rest of your chi with bloodbending.”

He eyed her. “Is that going to hurt?”

“Probably,” she responded, stifling a grin.

Katara watched him as he shifted uncomfortably on the lounge, trying to find a sitting position that didn't give him a bolt of pain. She searched her mind for something to lighten the mood. “You know, Aang actually was convinced that you and I were—”

“An item?” Zuko guessed.

“Yeah.” Katara started to laugh, recalling its absurdity. “Can you believe that?”

The Fire Lord shared her laughter. “Really? Wow.” He smirked as he added, “It took me this long just to get you to stop hating me. Remember when you wanted to kill me?”

Katara gasped emphatically as heat flooded her face. “I never wanted to kill you!” she replied. After a thought, she added sheepishly, “I just wanted to scare you a little bit.”

“Well, it worked.” He chuckled lightheartedly, perhaps taking joy in her embarrassment. “Good times.”

“Has there been any news on the attackers?” Katara asked, abruptly switching the topic.

The jovial look left his scarred face. “No,” Zuko replied, seemingly embarrassed. “My agents couldn't find anything or anyone. It's like the group just vanished into thin air.”

“They'll be back,” the waterbender said grimly.

Zuko stared into the distance. “Tell me about this Hana.”

“Hama,” Katara corrected. “She was a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. Many years ago, she and a bunch of other Southern benders were captured and imprisoned.” She paused, watching for Zuko's response as she added, “But she later escaped.”

Surprise flickered across his face. “How? Fire Nation prisons are impenetrable.”

“Bloodbending.” Katara shivered at the thought. “She, uh...she figured out how to bend the liquid—the blood—in the elephant-rats in the prison and manipulate them. Then she used that on the guards.” She swallowed against the lump that was forming in her throat. Her memories of that wicked waterbender were fresh in her mind, even nearly three years later. Katara's heart dropped like a stone as she recalled the destructive devices of her element. She gritted her teeth, detesting Hama for corrupting the art of waterbending. “I learned how to bloodbend from her. I thought it was a great resource at first, but after experiencing it for myself...” Katara paused, suddenly feeling a little nauseous at the memory. How she wished she could erase that part of her history, and wished she'd have never learned that corrupted art. “I swore that I would never use it. Fighting people is one thing, but to actually control them like that, to have that kind of power...”

===

Zuko watched helplessly as Katara grappled with her memories. It was deeply unsettling to see the valiant waterbender in such distress as she recounted the past, and Zuko longed to be able to comfort her. He easily remembered his own near-fatal bloodbending encounter a few weeks back, and remembered watching in horror as Katara bloodbent the murderous Yon Rha some years ago. Katara was a fierce but benevolent spirit, and Zuko knew the dark art of bloodbending went against everything she believed. He could see now the trauma it created in her, could see how much she hated and feared having such a power, and he desperately wished he knew how to take away that pain.

“You know,” he said, leaning forward and eyeing the fresh sunlight pouring through the window, “I've been going stir-crazy the last few weeks. Would you want to join me out in the garden?” He looked at her and waited for an answer. Katara met his gaze, but there was a faraway look in her eyes, like her mind was still stuck in her memories. “I bet the turtle-ducks are hungry,” added Zuko with a smile.

Katara blinked as she returned to reality. After taking a moment to absorb what Zuko had said, she too smiled. “Yeah, okay. That sounds like a good idea.”

It was a beautiful early afternoon. Sunlight splashed onto the clouds smudged against the sapphire sky, and the colourful blossoms set the garden aglow. Zuko delighted in hearing the breaths that escaped Katara's lips as she took in the scene. “Nice, huh?” he prodded.

“It's gorgeous,” the waterbender said in awe.

He staggered to the far side of the garden, towards the private park. The front of the gardens were manicured and were the site of many public dealings, but farther behind the palace was a quieter and more natural setting. It was where the Fire Lords and their sages meditated, and where Zuko used to feed the turtle-ducks with his mother and sister (when she was a little less insane). Zuko seldom liked to visit this place because of its history. He hated thinking of his mother and the fate she suffered at the hands of his own father. He hated being his father's son, growing up in the shadow of a tyrant. Zuko often found himself lost in such moments of self-loathing, especially while recuperating from his most recent injuries.

“Zuko, you're not your father,” Katara would assure him. “Ozai was a treacherous coward, but you are brave and strong and kind. In spite of everything, you found your own path, you helped end the war, and you're rebuilding an entire nation. And you've made a lot of people proud. You've made me proud.”

Katara followed him to the pond and helped him to the ground. Soon she knelt beside him and waited. Slowly a small family of turtle-ducks paddled out, squawking as they ran right up to Zuko. He withdrew a small pouch from his pocket and opened it to reveal a mix of seeds and specially baked bread rolls. He held them out to Katara and offered the first pick. She took a roll, broke off a piece, and gingerly held it out towards the pond. She clicked her tongue to draw the attention of the turtle-ducks, but they were more attracted to Zuko and his mother lode of bread. He spotted a flicker of disappointment in Katara's face, so he broke off a piece of bread and tossed it in front of her.

“What—?” Her question was cut off as a swarm of ducklings rushed her. She was stunned for a second, then burst into laughter as the little creatures gobbled up the bread Zuko had thrown and begged Katara for more. The waterbender surrendered her bread roll, letting it fall from her hand and watching as the ducklings dashed for it.

Zuko smiled to himself as he watched, savoring the sound of Katara's laugh, and the way her face crinkled when she smiled, and the joyous glimmer in her sapphire eyes...

Something within him stirred, and in this moment he realised how truly fond of Katara he had become. Of course, Zuko admired her immensely and was grateful for her aid, but there was something much greater at work. He found himself craving her presence, and when she wasn't near he didn't feel quite the same. They'd spent a great amount of time together lately, talking and reconnecting and filling in what their previously strained acquaintanceship forbade. They shared all of their deepest feelings, regrets, fears, and traumas, shared all the darkest things which had never before been unveiled to another. Katara listened patiently and openly as Zuko unraveled his entire history before her, and he in turn listened to hers. Each was quietly in awe of the other's resolve and their ability to overcome their adversity, and each gained a new respect for the other.

Zuko looked on as Katara played with the turtle-ducks, and he realised how content he was. He had managed to salvage some good moments from his childhood and thought about them often. But now it occurred to him that he was never as happy, genuinely happy, as he was in this moment. Observing the glee in Katara's face, the delicate way she handled the turtle-ducks, her melodic laughter—

And the way she seemed to glow as the sunlight hit her, highlighting the gloss of her chestnut-coloured hair and illuminating her blue Water Tribe dress against the dark red backdrop of the Fire Nation palace—

It all looked perfectly natural, perfectly in place, almost as if this was where she belonged.

Some time passed—Zuko wasn't sure how long it had been—and the Sun hung lower in the sky. They had run out of bread to toss and things to say, and reluctantly decided it was time to head back in. Zuko had a meeting in the morning, he reminded himself, and Katara had to reconvene with Aang and Toph. Katara rose to her feet first, and when she leaned down to offer her arm, Zuko insisted on getting up on his own. He struggled to his feet, forgetting how stiff his muscles still were. Katara turned to lead the way back into the palace. Zuko followed at first, then fell back and hovered near a patch of fire lilies. When she hadn't stopped to check on him, he quickly plucked a flower, hid it behind his back, and caught up to Katara.

When they crossed the threshold into the parlour, his eyes hadn't adjusted from the sunlight. The room was dim, and the outer edges of his vision seemed to glare, but he made out a round figure seated in the parlour.

“Uncle?” asked Zuko as the now familiar figure came into view.

The old man stood and turned, a grin appearing on his face when his nephew neared. “Zuko,” he exclaimed, at first opening his arms for an embrace but pulling back as he sized up the young Fire Lord. “You're hurt. What happened to you?”

Zuko exchanged a glance with Katara, hoping she would respond eloquently for him. When she didn't, the firebender said simply, “There was an attack a while back. It's no big deal.” He gave a stiff, awkward shrug.

Iroh's face wrinkled with concern. “Why haven't I heard of this?”

Zuko glanced down for a moment, feeling a twinge of guilt for keeping his uncle out of the loop. “We've been trying to keep it quiet. We still haven't found the attackers, and we don't want to stir the public into a frenzy.”

The elderly firebender tilted his head as he considered this, and nodded approvingly. “Wise move,” he acknowledged before pulling a face and adding, “But you still should have informed me.”

“Next time,” Zuko said with half a smirk.

“What brings you here now?” asked the young Fire Lord.

“I just came down to make sure everything was okay,” replied his uncle, “and to help you with the military meetings.”

Zuko gave a dismissive chuckle. “I think I've got it handled, Uncle.”

“No, you don't. Who's the general here? You might have thousands of men at your command, but you still don't know what to do with them.”

Zuko's cheeks started to redden, and he opened his mouth to argue, but quickly thought better of it. His uncle was right—he was always right. Zuko admitted to himself that he still faltered sometimes in his leadership, and his uncle had more experience than anyone on his staff. He also had to admit that he had not fully recovered from his injuries yet, and wasn't always as sharp as he should be.

Iroh grinned, accepting his nephew's silence as surrender. “We should outline our plans before tomorrow's meeting.”

Katara stepped up beside Zuko and said, “I'll leave you alone, then.” Before turning away, she she advised gently, “Don't overdo it tomorrow, Zuko—take it easy. Remember to listen to your body. If something hurts or doesn't feel right, let me know and we'll schedule a healing session.”

“Thanks, Katara.”

She touched his shoulder lightly before disappearing down the hall.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko noticed his uncle also watching her leave. When she was gone and Zuko turned back to Iroh, he quickly started to feel warm with embarrassment, especially as a curious, knowing glint trickled into the old man's deep, golden eyes. “What?” Zuko cautiously asked.

Iroh's grin seemed to broaden, and he angled his head peculiarly, but whatever was on his mind was determined to stay there. “Nothing,” he answered innocently. “Now, about those outlines. Let's discuss it in the boardroom, shall we?”

===

Iroh let his nephew lead him into a large, bunker-like room at the end of the left corridor. He had been in the council chambers hundreds of times, and it always took him back to when he was a war general. Iroh had a bittersweet feeling about his history. He was proud of his accomplishments, but ashamed of having been on the wrong side of the war. He deeply regretted his role in the war and all the devastation he contributed, but perhaps what Iroh hated most was that he couldn't see the damage until it affected him. The ruins of the war were none of his concern—they happened outside of his world. But when he lost his son in the fray, his eyes were opened, and Iroh saw then everything that was wrong. He partially blamed himself for the death of his son for many years. If he hadn't gotten so swept up in his loyalty to the Fire Nation, he would have seen the havoc it was creating, he would have tried to stop it, and his son would still be alive.

“Uncle.”

Iroh roused from his thoughts and turned to his caller. “Yes, sorry.”

“You were thinking about the war again, weren't you?” his nephew asked sympathetically, casting his gaze around the various nostalgic effects in the room.

The elder frowned and gave a single nod. “Yes.”

“I do that too,” Zuko said somberly. “I wish none of it had ever happened.” He raised his eyes to the Fire Nation map mounted on the wall, staring at it defiantly as he added, “Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is how we correct them.”

Iroh glanced at him, surprised to have heard that come from the troubled young Fire Lord. He's certainly come a very long way, he thought fondly. “How have you been these last few weeks, nephew?”

“I could be worse,” Zuko replied plainly. “If it weren't for Katara, I wouldn't be here at all. She's been amazing,” he finished with a soft chuckle.

“You've become good friends, I gather,” Iroh ventured lightly, putting a careful emphasis on 'friends.'

“You could say that, yeah.”

“Maybe a little bit more, Zuko?”

A trace of alarm flickered across his nephew's face. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Iroh grinned, having already received his answer. “I was watching you in the garden. You seem very happy together.”

Zuko's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “We're not together,” he said, his voice taking on a defensive inflection. “We're just friends.”

Iroh studied him intensely. Zuko had become good at concealing his emotions, but Iroh always knew better. The fresh, rosy tint in his cheeks, a certain gleam in his eyes, and the way the corners of his lips threatened to curve up into a smile, and Iroh knew. “I don't remember the last time I've seen you look so well and happy, Zuko,” said the elder, watching as the Fire Lord allowed himself to relax and smile. “When were you planning on giving her that fire lily?”

“Oh.” Zuko reached back and pulled the flower from his belt. His eyebrows furrowed sadly when he saw the lily had crumpled a little. “I forgot about it.”

“You really like her, Zuko,” said Iroh, not even pretending to frame as a question what he could plainly see.

“I think so,” the younger firebender responded, turning the fire lily over in his hands. “I never expected this to happen.” He sighed. “We've spent our whole lives as enemies. Then I ended up joining the Avatar and trying to prove myself, and she still hated me.” As Zuko studied the lily, he bit his lip and laughed weakly. “I remember when all I ever wanted was for her to stop hating me. All I wanted was to redeem myself for her. And when I did, I was over the moon.” He looked away from the flower as he added quietly, “Now, all I want is to be closer to her, and I don't know how.”

“Have you tried just talking to her?” Iroh asked. “She's a sensitive, intuitive young lady, and talking can work wonders.”

His nephew shook his head. “Earlier today, she laughed at the thought of us being together. She thinks it's ridiculous. I could never talk to her about this.” Zuko was quiet for a couple of minutes as he played with his thoughts. Then, he looked back up to his uncle with an indiscernible facial expression. Iroh couldn't tell whether he looked giddy or desperate. “I'm not even sure it's real,” he said in a lighter tone, sounding almost relieved at this thought. “Maybe I'm just not thinking straight. I have been sick for the last few weeks—”

Iroh frowned as he listened to his nephew try to shove away his feelings. “Zuko, it's not healthy to dismiss something like this. This is the happiest I've ever seen you. I can see it vividly in your face—and in hers. I think she likes you, too, but she may be as afraid as you are.”

Zuko kept his eyes fixed on the flower in his hands, and Iroh couldn't tell whether he was listening. Iroh leaned in, trying to get him to meet his eyes. “Talk to her, Zuko.”

Finally, his nephew did meet his gaze, and gave a curt nod. “Okay,” he said in a small voice. “I will.”

Iroh leaned back, content in his victory. He rose to his feet and ambled to a desk against the wall, pulling open a drawer and digging through its papers. He took a few scrolls back to his nephew, and started unraveling them. “Now, about those outlines...”

===

“I'm sorry, by the way.”

She raised her brows and turned towards him. “What for?” she asked, setting aside her tea.

“For yelling at you,” Aang responded with a sigh, “back in the desert.”

The earthbender stifled a laugh. “Aang, you don't have to apologise for that.”

“Yes, I do.”

“It was a year ago, anyway.” With a shrug, Toph added, “I got over it.”

“I know, but—” He took a breath. “It's something I've been holding onto. I keep replaying that period in my mind. I remember the things I felt.” Aang's voice was suddenly closer, and she knew he had turned to face her. “And the things I said. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. We wouldn't even be here now if it weren't for you.”

“Aang, stop,” she said, holding out her palm. “There was a lot of crap going on then. We all said and did things we regret. But I never blamed you for exploding like that. I didn't like it, but...” Toph paused as she pulled on her memories. She frowned as she let herself relive that moment—as she let herself relive the muscles that ached from holding up the sinking library and the heart that ached from feeling like she'd failed the Avatar. A part of Toph longed to tell Aang just how terrible she had already felt, and how much worse he had made her feel, but she resisted. Instead, she swallowed those words, and sighed. “But I know you were going through a lot, so I already forgave you.”

He echoed her sigh, but his was deeper with relief. “Thanks, Toph. I was miserable. I mean, I—losing Appa was like losing myself. After what the Fire Nation did to my people...” Aang's voice started to crumble as he said, “Appa was all I had left in this world.”

“But you still had Katara and Sokka—and me,” she added in a shy voice. Toph hesitantly reached out and took his hand in hers. “And I'm always here for you.” Butterflies filled her belly and heat filled her face when he unexpectedly placed his hand atop hers and squeezed.

“I know,” Aang murmured.

Time seemed to stand still as Toph's mind went numb and her heart raced, and she was scarcely aware of anything but their joined hands. She could practically feel her heart beating in her throat, and she didn't know why she was so tense and anxious. After what seemed like an eternity, Toph managed to speak. “Aang...”

“Oh,” the Avatar almost yelped, quickly pulling his hands from hers, leaving her feeling cold and empty. “Sorry.”

Toph didn't know how to respond. She wasn't sure she would be able to say “it's okay” because that didn't seem entirely true. She didn't want Aang to feel sorry for having held her hand. In fact, the only thing she wanted right now was to have his hands again. Toph couldn't begin to make her mind work to untangle her thoughts and emotions. All she knew was that her hands felt naked without his.

“Anyway,” Aang started, and Toph knew he could feel the awkwardness in the air. “Thanks.”

“Oh, uh...” Toph finally snapped herself back to reality. She flung her hands to her sides and straightened her back. She willed her voice to be strong and nonchalant as she said, “Anytime, Twinkletoes.”

Later that day, she set aside some time to replay that peculiar event. Toph tried to analyse it and make sense of what was going through her head, and she was as clueless as before. She practically lost her mind when Aang put his hand over hers, and she couldn't figure out why. It was just Aang, and they were just hands. They've held hands before without it meaning anything. Toph had never felt anything before. It was just that second, and all of a sudden...

...all of a sudden, it was like she couldn't live without Aang. It was like she could be content to hold his hand for the rest of their lives. Toph remembered how acutely aware she was of their closeness, and how it felt like it was still too much distance. She remembered how rapidly her heart was beating, but she didn't want it to stop. She was breathless, frightened, anxious in that moment, and she loved it...and she loved Aang.

No!! she mentally screamed at herself. Stop thinking like that. He's got Katara, and they're your friends, and you can't... She couldn't finish her thought. She bit her lip as her eyes moistened with tears. You just can't, Toph.

The earthbender heaved a shuddering sigh. She uncurled her fingers, replaying that moment and imagining his hand in hers one last time. They were friends. Nothing less...and nothing more. Toph packed away the event and buried it far in the recesses of her mind, determined to let it rot like the butterflies in her heart.

===

She heard the stiff, uneven footsteps before he entered the room, and jumped up to pour out a cup of tea for him. She smiled when they locked eyes, and he ambled to a chair. “How was the meeting?” asked Katara as she reached into the cupboard.

“It was okay,” the Fire Lord responded.

Katara handed him a cup of jasmine tea before pouring one for herself. “Just okay?”

He took a sip and shrugged. “It went well. We're finally pulling out of the colonies,” said Zuko. “They're going to form a new government independent of the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.”

“Wow,” Katara breathed. “That's great.” She sat down at the table and waved her hand over the tea, stirring it with waterbending.

“Yeah,” he replied with a proud smile.

Katara held her hands against the porcelain cup, relishing the heat against the chilly air of the evening.

She curiously studied Zuko, who seemed tense and kept averting his gaze. “Is something wrong, Zuko?” she murmured. “You seem...”

“I'm fine,” he replied hastily, still avoiding her eyes. “Just...thinking about...” The firebender trailed off, grasping for the next word. “Stuff,” he finished weakly.

Katara narrowed her eyes at him briefly, scrutinising his expression and trying to figure out what he was hiding. “Oh,” she chirped innocently, “what stuff?”

“Just stuff,” Zuko repeated. After a puzzling ten minutes of silence, he finally lifted his head from his cup and met her eyes. They stared at each other for some time. Katara found his eyes searching hers and his mouth trying to work up something to say, but every time his lips quivered like he might finally speak, he kept quiet instead. Katara tired of waiting for him to say something. “Zuko,” she said gently, “I know something's bothering you. If you need to talk or anything, I'm here.”

Zuko struggled to hold her gaze. She noticed he had suddenly paled, and seemed to be short of breath. “Are you feeling all right?” Katara asked nervously, already reaching for her water skin.

“I'm fine,” he murmured shakily. Zuko glanced down into his tea, and his voice strengthened as he said again, “I'm fine. I...” He shook his head and rose from the table. “I can't talk about it right now.”

Katara gaped at him, thoroughly baffled and worried. “Why not?”

The Fire Lord didn't respond as he shuffled out of the room. Katara leapt to her feet and rushed to the doorway after him, but he had already disappeared down a corridor. “Zuko?” she called, but no one answered.

===

Katara closed the door behind her and collapsed onto the bed. What's wrong with Zuko? she wondered. Is he sick again? Did something bad happen at the war meeting? She couldn't remember ever having seen him look that anxious. He was practically scared sick. The full moon is next week, she realised. Is he thinking about another attack? She thought about his appearance and demeanor. She knew when he first walked in that there was something he was hiding, but it seemed the more Zuko considered talking about it, the more afraid he became. What was he afraid of talking about? Katara was certainly no stranger to peril, and the Fire Lord knew that. If there was something troubling, or if he was worried about an impending attack, why wouldn't he share that with her? They had been sharing so much lately. They had become such close friends. For Zuko to leave Katara in the dark like this was greatly distressing.

Katara surrendered her thoughts for the night. She changed into her nightwear, fluffed up her pillows and folded over her blankets. She laid down her head, willing her eyes to close and her mind to calm.

She didn't know how long she had slept before a clamor outside her room pulled her awake. Katara sprang upright, holding her breath as she listened. More clamor—furniture crashing, wood splintering, fists flying, people yelling and grunting. One cry in particular reached her ears, and Katara bolted out of the room in time to see Zuko being thrown back by an angry blast of fire. He staggered and collapsed to the ground, little wisps of flame eating away at the edges of his clothing. “Zuko!” gasped Katara, diving back into her room and grabbing her water skin. She popped open the top and drew out a few drops of water, bending them to his robes and snuffing out the flames. She scurried beside him and ushered him to his feet, quickly running her eyes over him and observing no serious injuries. “I'm okay,” Zuko breathed as he pulled himself together.

Out of the corner of her eye, Katara saw three dark figures speeding towards them. They were lithe and nimble, and they were wrapped in black. She couldn't see their features, and their eyes all seemed grey. One of them lunged toward her and unleashed a ball of fire. Katara quickly dove out of its way and retaliated with a bolt of water. She bent a stream around the firebender's arm, then pulled back and wrenched him to the ground. Another figure rushed Zuko, drawing up a fist aimed for the Fire Lord, but Zuko swung out and deflected the attack. He pushed the figure back, and leapt into a firebending stance. The Fire Lord threw his fist, but nothing followed. He tried again, adjusting his stance slightly and attempting to throw a firebending punch, but no fire came. Katara saw panic fill his face, and as a burst of flame shot towards him his eyes lit up with fear. Katara dashed in front of him, whipping out a stream of water. Within a blink, the stream was broken, and another figure came before them. They gathered the remnants of Katara's waterbending attack, pulling the stream back together and whipping it against Katara, knocking the breath out of her lungs as she rolled to the ground.

A firebender and a waterbender... Katara thought, mentally sizing up their attackers. Zuko leapt to his feet and hurled himself at an attacker, who humoured him and allowed him a clumsy swing before barreling into him. Katara watched him hit the floor like a rag doll, bruised and breathless and powerless. Her heart ached to see Zuko so defeated. She swallowed hard and focused her attention on the attackers, drawing out a ribbon of water and crunching it into shards of ice. Katara moved her hands out towards them—and froze. The muscles in her arms wrenched tight. She willed herself to move, but she was no longer in her own power. One of the masked figures approached her, their arms angled towards her. She could feel the blood in her body churning, and it felt like her veins were being twisted. Then the figure curled their fingers and raised their hands, and Katara's back arched stiffly and her body was pulled straight. She stared at the figure who was bloodbending her, and slid her eyes towards Zuko, who looked on horrified and helpless. Suddenly he screamed as his body was wrenched upwards, and he too fell under the bloodbender's spell. Katara looked back to the figures, who were now all in the same stance as the first bloodbender. Terror flooded her as she realised they were all in total control...and it's not even the full moon!

Katara shut her eyes and took a deep breath. But they're not the only bloodbenders here, she thought, throwing her senses inward and searching for that dark power within herself. She found it nestled deep inside—as she had promised herself she would never use it again—and called it forth. Katara's blood warmed as she summoned the corrupted art, and she could feel movement returning to her, loosening the bloodbenders' hold on her. She directed her power on herself and started to reclaim her will. Inch by inch, Katara broke free, feeling the dark power pulsing through and releasing her. At last, the waterbender took back her power, and she assumed a defensive bending stance. The figures stepped back, momentarily stunned that Katara had broken their bloodbending spell. She looked back to Zuko, who was still in their control.

The waterbender started to lunge forward with a whip of water. One of the figures took a quick step back, and Zuko yelped as he was yanked towards them. Katara threw a glance to him, and the figures took notice. “Maybe you can escape bloodbending,” they hissed, “but he can't.” With that, all three figures pulled their arms into their bodies, and Zuko flew helplessly towards them. One of the bloodbenders reached out and caught the Fire Lord by the neck. Sheer panic ripped through Katara, and she moved towards them. “Don't hurt him!” She steadied herself and lifted her arm, trying to concentrate on Zuko's blood. She attempted to manipulate him out of the attackers' power, but their hold on him was too strong. Katara saw the bloodbender's fingers tighten around Zuko's neck, and she frantically released a wave of water, hurtling it towards the figures. Suddenly, Katara's arm stiffened and the water dissipated. Her arm wrenched behind her and her knees buckled, and she dropped to the ground. “Katara...!” a voice gurgled. She looked up to see Zuko also being wrenched to the ground, his limbs being bent in grotesque ways. The colour was rapidly draining from his face and his eyes were wide and bloodshot. Katara watched in horror as the Fire Lord collapsed, limp, pale, and gasping for air. The figures stood over him while he struggled to breathe; then, their forms vanished.

Katara regained a little bit of strength, and pulled herself to Zuko's side. Tears immediately came to her eyes when she got close and saw exactly how bad the young Fire Lord's condition was, and how much worse it was getting. His skin had lost all colour save for a bluish tint, and his eyes were glazed over with agony. Katara carefully placed her hand on his chest, and she could feel the beat of his heart and the pulse of his blood slowing. In between ragged breaths, Zuko struggled to speak. But the pain was too much, and no words could come.

“I'm sorry, Zuko,” Katara murmured, taking what little strength she had left to curl up beside him. The pain in his eyes softened, and Katara's heart sank to think that, soon, she would never be able to look into his eyes again. She would never hear his husky laugh again, or share a cup of tea with him, or feed the turtle-ducks with him in the garden. All of their shared memories, the good and the bad, hung in the small space between them. With every shallow, grating breath, their memories fell away, leaving Katara and Zuko alone in darkness. Katara felt his heartbeat falter, and knew that he was leaving her. She gingerly took his hand in hers and closed her eyes, begging the spirits that, if he should die, she would die with him. Katara squeezed his hand as if she could hold him in her world, and willed herself not to cry. But the tears came anyway, and when Zuko's hand finally fell from hers, her heart was shattered, and the world around her crumbled to pieces.

#atla #avatar #avatar: the last airbender #Avatar The Last Airbender #aang #katara #toph #zuko #zutara #taang #fanfic #fanfiction #wip #the ending is not what you think

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