#so zuko's playing it safe

[gascreates]

emotional support frog

who will absolutely eat your hand.

[floatyflowers]

Dark Platonic! Fire Nation Royal Family x Non-bender Reader

With Ozai:

At first he didn't accept the fact that you, his youngest child, is a non-bender, and ignored your existence.

That was until he noticed how his older brother, Iroh, spends time with you, Ozai got extremely jealous.

And decided to spend time with you, only to realize that you are his favorite child, and felt like an actual father.

Yes, you can't firebend nor do you even have the ability to protect yourself.

But why would you need to protect yourself when your father is going to be the Phoenix king of the fire nation?

Ozai will burn down the world for you.

"You, my sweet child, will grow up in the presence of a very powerful father"

With Ursa:

When Ursa found out that you couldn't bend, she became overprotective of you to the point of paranoia.

Since childhood, she refused to allow you to play with anyone except Zuko.

One time, one of her handmaidens scolded you harshly for playing outside without your mother's permission which resulted in you bursting into tears.

The next day, that handmaiden was fired and Ursa made sure that she gets no other jobs.

While thinking of escaping, she thought to take you with her.

However, Ozai has forbidden that from happening.

"When you find out the truth, promise to come find me"

With Azulon

While still alive, he made sure you had the best education and guards.

Azulon also made sure to have you believe that the fire nation is without mistakes or faults.

He tried manipulating you into believing that just your loyalty to your people is enough duty.

However, you are kind, too kind.

Yet, he Azulon didn't hate you for it even if he considered a weak trait to have in the royal family.

He also still has the flower crown you made him stored away safely so it doesn't rot.

It is rumored that the last word he muttered was your name.

With Iroh

Uncle Iroh isn't really as possessive as the other characters, but he focuses on advising you from time to time.

You enjoy drinking tea with him and gossiping about everything.

Even though, Ozai has forbidden him from speaking with you, you would sneak behind your father's back to drink tea with him.

After the loss of his son in the war, Lu Ten, Iroh felt depressed.

Yet you managed to comfort him with your cheerfulness and playful attitude.

It reminded him of his son.

"The best quality in a princess is her kindness, something which your sister clearly lacks"

With Zuko

Zuko thought you would be like Azula but you have proven him wrong.

You are kind, gentle, and nurturing just like your and his mother.

That's why Zuko always found himself by your side, being your playmate...being your protecter.

His mother told him that it's his duty to protect you from danger considering that he is your older brother.

Even though Azula has never hurt you, but Zuko was always wary of her, especially after his mother disappeared.

When Ozai challenged him to an Agni Kai, you were the first to cry out and plead with him to let Zuko off, but Ozai felt jealous of your relationship with Zuko and was determined to teach his son a lesson.

However when your brother got banished, Zuko took you with him in secret not wanting you to be left with Azula.

"I know the journey will take long but once I restore my honor we can return home together"

With Azula

Azula was extremely jealous when you were born, thinking that you will take all the attention from here.

But she realized that you deserve all the attention.

You didn't treat her like a monster, you weren't scared of her.

Instead you showed her love and called her 'big sister'

You would cling to her as a toddler, whenever there was lightning, you would secretly sneak to her room and sleep beside her.

"How can you be scared of lightning, we control it, silly"

Mai and Ty Lee saw how Azula softens whenever you are around.

And when Azula discovered that you have left with Zuko, she destroyed everything in her way and burned a few servants.

"She's mine, and only MINE"

[melzula]

All I Ever Wanted

pairing: zuko x reader

notes: this was originally requested by an anon but i also took inspiration from mitski’s song “your best american girl” while writing this. give it a listen during your read !

summary: as a peasant and servant girl for the palace, you should have known better than to fall for the Prince

The sun is warm against your skin and the grass is soft beneath you as you land on your back in a fit of giggles. Azula is unamused by your antics, but Zuko finds himself laughing right along with you. It’s a peaceful summer’s day in the palace gardens, and you spend it as you would any other day by playing with your friends.

“I caught you,” you tell him with a breathless laugh after turning your head to face him.

“No way, I was just going easy on you,” he argues with playful grin, his nose nearly brushing against your own due to your close proximity on the grass. Your heart beats fast in your rib cage as you try to ignore the rising heat on your face and play it off as a result of your exhaustion and not your nerves from lying with the Prince. You haven’t realized it yourself, but you have a crush on Zuko, a painfully obvious one that he hasn’t seemed to notice yet. What you also don’t realize is that he reciprocates the feeling, and he shares the thrill that comes with being your playmate.

“Are you two done yet?” Azula finally interrupts with a roll of her eyes as she offers you her hand and helps you up from the ground. “It’s my turn to hide this time.”

“I don’t think we can play anymore,” Zuko notes with a frown as his mother makes her way towards your group. You quickly bow in respect to the Fire Lady, but she waves you off with a smile.

“I’m sorry, y/n, but Zuko and Azula must attend their fire bending lessons now. I’m afraid playtime is over for today,” she informs you apologetically.

“Yes, Fire Lady Ursa,” you reply politely before turning to give both of your friends departing hugs. “Bye Zuko, bye Azula!”

“It’s too bad you’re not a fire bender,” Azula remarks after halfheartedly returning your embrace. “Maybe dad would let us play with you more if you were.”

Her words make your body hot with embarrassment and shame, and though you don’t voice your discomfort Ursa is instantly able to pick up on it. With a scolding glare, the Fire Lady quickly urges her daughter to apologize.

“Azula, that is not a nice thing to say to a friend.”

“But it’s true,” the girl mutters under her breath only to have her mother drag her away before she can get the chance to say anything else. Zuko hesitates then, giving you an apologetic look and promising to play with you tomorrow before rushing after Ursa and Azula.

You’ve never really cared about being a non-bender, but there’s something about Azula’s words that has you questioning your worth. As the daughter of a royal family servant with no title or money to her name, you knew you were lucky to be able to grow up in the palace and play with the Fire Lord’s children. However, you never once realized that you weren’t their equal. They were royalty, a Prince and a Princess destined to become powerful benders and ruthless leaders of the Fire Nation, and you were simply a girl who would one day grow up to live a life of servitude. You had no real future or purpose ahead of you, not like they did, and yet you were the only one unaware of your unfortunate fate.

Perhaps it’s because they never treated you in such a way, and your mother did her best to shield you from your true heritage. For now you could grow up blissfully unaware of the fact that your friends would one day outgrow you.

“Mom?” Zuko asks once they’re safe inside the palace. “Do you like y/n?”

“She’s a sweet girl,” Ursa notes with a faint smile, “and she makes you both happy. So yes, I like her.”

“Then why doesn’t Dad?”

The Fire Lady’s smile fades into a remorseful frown, and she simply ushers her son forward with a shake of her head. “Let’s not worry about that now. You’re going to be late for your lesson.”

Zuko isn’t satisfied with her answer, but he isn’t give a chance to discuss it further with her. For now, he remains content with the fact that he likes you, and his mother likes you.

That is enough for him.

~~~

The day is calm as you carefully hang the clothes to dry and enjoy the warmth of the sun basking on your skin. It’s rare that you get tasked with the outdoor chores, so you savor the opportunity for as long as you can. Doing the royal family’s laundry certainly beats scrubbing the floors of the palace, and you are grateful the spirits have taken mercy upon you today.

You’re freshly fifteen and the summer is just beginning. You’ve grown into a well-mannered young woman, and you’re old enough now to be able to take on some of the work that once fell to your mother. One day you will take her place and continue to serve the royal family until you’re no longer physically able. You’ll never get to leave, but you consider yourself grateful to live on the palace grounds. You will forever have a roof over your head, food on the table, and, most importantly, your friends.

You take great care to pin Azula’s dresses down without getting any creases or wrinkles in the fabric, and you’re so lost in thought that you don’t notice the figure carefully creeping up behind you. You’re too busy reciting the words to an old Fire Nation folk song your mother had taught you to pay any mind to your surroundings, and it gives Zuko the perfect opportunity to catch you by surprise.

“Y/n!” He exclaims with a grin as his hands land firmly upon your shoulders. You nearly jump out of your skin at the act, and your reaction has the Fire Prince laughing so hard his cheeks begin to hurt.

“Zuko!” You scold with an irritated scowl as you chuck a handful of clothespins at him in retaliation. “You need to stop doing that!”

“I’m sorry, you just make it so easy,” he teases with a light nudge to your side before taking it upon himself to pick up the pins you’d discarded.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to leave for Ember Island?” You ask him with a quizzical look as you resume your previous work of hanging the clothes.

“That’s actually what I was coming to talk to you about,” he admits with a sheepish smile. “I want you to come with us.”

“What? You’re not serious, are you?” You retort apprehensively, halting your movements to gauge his reaction for any hint of insincerity or humor.

“I am serious. You deserve to have fun once in a while too,” he notes with a careful smile. You’re too oblivious to notice the look of admiration on his face and definitely too concerned with finding a way to let him down gently to realize he’s inviting you because he likes you. Despite your own feelings for the Prince you’ve developed over the years, you’re much too self-depreciating to ever believe Zuko could possibly feel the same. If only you knew.

“I can’t just up and leave! There’s work to be done, a-and my mother would be so upset with me if I abandoned my chores and-“

“Azula will tell our father she wishes to bring you along as a personal servant so you can come with us, and someone else will be tasked with taking on your work while you’re away. There’s no way your mom could be upset with you for serving the Princess, could she?”

“Azula would really do that for me?” You question meekly, a hopeful glint in your eyes as you hang on to his every word. You’re trying your best not to get your hopes up, but you wish for nothing more than to leave the capital city to see the ocean for the first time and feel the sand beneath your feet. As the daughter of a servant and now a servant yourself, you know you’d never get a chance like this if not for the fact that the siblings had grown fond of you over your years of friendship together. You’re lucky, because you know without them you’d truly be nothing more than a floor scrubbing peasant.

“Of course she would, she wants you there just as much as I do,” Zuko assures you. Gently taking your hands in his own, he gives them a comforting squeeze and looks into your eyes with a loving smile. “We leave tomorrow morning. Bring enough clothes to last you three days and a bathing suit.”

“I don’t own one,” you admit with an embarrassed frown, but your friend doesn’t display any sign of judgement in the slightest towards your shortcomings.

“Then I’ll take you shopping myself when we get there.”

Your heart melts at his words, your gaze falling to the ground bashfully as you try not to dwell on the fact that he’s still holding your hands. You’re in love with the Prince, and the Prince is in love with you, and everyone but you has figured out just how much you mean to each other.

Even Fire Lord Ozai, who odiously watches the scene unfold before him from the top of the palace balcony.

~~~

The shores of Ember Island are beautiful.

The waves almost seem to sparkle underneath the moonlight as they crash peacefully against the shore, and down below the lively chatter of your friends carries through the air and fills your heart with contentment. You’ve had the most perfect time here at the beach, and it pains you to know that tonight will be your last night of freedom before you must return home and resume your life as a servant girl.

The wooden doors behind you carefully slide open and closed, and soon a familiar warmth joins you out on the balcony. For a while you say nothing, simply enjoying the closeness of him as you watch Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai practice tricks in the sand below. You don’t know how to thank the Prince for all he’s done for you, for always looking out for you since you were children, for never once treating you as less than for your heritage. You don’t know how to tell him that you love him with your entire being.

So he does it for you.

“I got you something,” Zuko says after a moment’s silence, waiting for you to turn your gaze to him so he may pull out a small clam from beneath his robes. You raise a curious eyebrow at his offering as he gestures for you to take it.

“A clam shell?” You note inquisitively as you turn the gift around in your palms, carefully feeling out its grooves and intricate ridges.

“Open it,” he directs you quietly, anxiously watching your movements with bated breath.

You smile curiously at your friend before delicately pulling the top half of the shell open to reveal the contents inside. Your eyes widen in surprise at the gift that greets you, and you immediately look up to Zuko to ensure this isn’t some kind of joke.

Inside the clam sits a beautiful gold necklace with a dainty sun pendant resting in the center that shimmers under the light of the moon. It’s beautiful, and it’s certainly worth more than your own life, which is why you immediately try to hand it back to him.

“I-I can’t accept this!” You hastily insist with a quick shake of your head as you struggle to return the clam to him. “It’s too nice!”

“You can accept this,” Zuko reassures you as he carefully pushes the gift back towards you. When his efforts fail due to your persistent attempts to give back the shell, he lets out a sigh and carefully removes the necklace from the clam. “Y/n, I want you to have it.”

“But why?” You demand apprehensively, almost flinching away when he moves towards you with the necklace. You’re completely overwhelmed by his gift and unsure of what it means or why you’d ever be deserving of such a thing. You don’t want to take advantage of his kindness or his status, and you feel like he’s done more than enough for you by bringing you along on this trip, so it just feels wrong of you to take it.

“Because you deserve nice things too,” Zuko explains, and after giving you a pointed look you finally allow him to carefully put the necklace on you. The sun rests daintily along your neck, and he thinks it suits you perfectly. “I brought you on this trip because I wanted you to have fun for once, but also because… well, because I love you, and I thought a romantic setting might make it easier to tell you that.”

“You love me?”

“You haven’t noticed?” He retorts with a meek smile. “I’m not the best at words, but I know that I’ve loved you since we were children feeding turtle ducks in the pond and playing tag in the gardens. You have the purest heart of anyone I know, the sweetest smile, you are everything to me. I hope that by accepting this gift, you’ll be accepting me as someone worthy enough to be your boyfriend.”

“Oh, Zuko…” you murmur softly, eyes full of tears as you throw yourself into his arms and hug him as tight as humanly possible. You’re still shocked by the fact that the boy you love will all your heart feels the same, but you try to remind yourself not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Zuko is right when he says that you deserve to enjoy what life has to offer just as much as he does, so maybe it’s time you finally start allowing yourself the chance to finally let your guard down. You can be more than just a servant girl from the palace.

You can be happy.

~~~

You sit quietly before the vanity mirror as your mother tediously brushes through your hair to ensure not a single strand is out of place. The wrinkles in her skin crease with her nerves as she carefully begins to pin your hair back into the perfect top knot. Immediately after your return home from Ember Island, you were informed that the Fire Lord wished to speak with you. You were expected to drop your chores for the day and make yourself decent before presenting yourself to him. His request to see you surprised you considering the fact you previously believed he didn’t even know of your existence, but it made you nervous all the same. If anything were to go wrong during your meeting, you’d be jeopardizing both yours and your mother’s jobs.

“Make sure to sit up straight and no slouching,” she reminds you quietly while stopping to admire her work. “Hold your tongue until he allows you to speak and thank him for all he has done for us. It is a great honor to speak to Fire Lord Ozai, so you must treat it as such.”

“Mother, what could the Fire Lord possibly want to talk to me about?”

She doesn’t meet your eyes at first, looking away as if contemplating carefully what her next words should be. With a sigh, she sets the brush down and looks at you through the reflection. “Word has spread quickly about you and Prince Zuko, and I think he knows.”

You swallow nervously at her admission, absently brushing your fingers against the sun that hangs around your neck. You never once considered what Zuko’s father would think about his son’s choice of a partner; Ursa had always treated you as one of her own, and Azula considered you to be a good friend, but what would Ozai say of the peasant girl who had stolen his son’s heart?

You don’t have much time to mull over it further as a guard arrives to escort you from your quarters to the throne room. All eyes seem to follow you as you walk through the palace, the gold and red hues overwhelming your senses as you do your best to remain calm. You have no idea what awaits you at the end of the hallway, but there’s no escape now as the grand doors open and you’re pushed inside.

Ozai sits on the throne with a wall of flames roaring behind him. His features are stoic but his gaze is menacing as his eyes watch your meager form approach. You immediately bow in respect to the man once you reach him and kneel before his seated figure. Just as your mother instructed, you say nothing until you are spoken to.

“So you’re the girl my son has chosen to be his partner?” He drawls with a raised brow, obviously not impressed by the person before him.

“Yes, sir. It is an honor to present myself to you, my Lord,” you profess as earnestly as possible while adding another bow for good measure. You need his approval not only to continue dating Zuko, but also to ensure you and your mother are both able to continue living behind the palace walls. Even if you are there as servants tucked away in the peasant quarters, it certainly is a better place to be than out in the streets.

“I know who you are, child,” Ozai scoffs callously as he peers down at you from his place on the throne. “You are the peasant girl who managed to worm her way into the lives of my children. You are a lowly servant with nothing to your name and nothing special about you, and yet you have managed to corrupt my only son."

“Fire Lord Ozai, I-I apologize if my actions have upset you,” you quickly try to interject, but he holds a hand up and signals you to halt your pathetic rambling. Ozai does not have the time nor care to hear your excuses or explanations. That’s not what this meeting is for.

“Do you know how poorly it would reflect on me to have Zuko galavanting around the palace with a servant? Do you know how poorly it reflects on him to be seen with you? It’s a disgrace, and it is something I will not tolerate.”

“I know,” you utter quietly, trying to make yourself appear as small as you feel on the inside. Despite what Zuko has told you, you know that his father is right. You are nothing compared to him. He is the sun, the Prince, the heir to the throne. His future ahead is bright, and there is much for him to accomplish. You have no future, no plans for your life, nothing as grand or important as him and Azula. You are not the sun or the moon or even the stars that hang in his sky, you are insignificant, and you will never be worthy enough to be his.

“A future Fire Lord cannot have a maid as a wife. You must break his heart so that he no longer wants anything to do with you, so that he can move on and find a girl more worthy of becoming the future Fire Lady. You must make it appear to be your own doing and not mine, otherwise it won’t work. Have I made myself clear, child?”

“Yes, Fire Lord Ozai,” you whisper softly, a single tear sliding down your cheek as you bow to the cruel man before you. “I understand.”

~~~

The clouds that hang overhead are gray as Zuko makes his way towards the servants’ quarters. It is unheard of for any royal to ever set foot on these grounds, and so all eyes watch the Prince curiously as he approaches your humble home and knocks gently on the door. Movement sounds from the other side, and after a moment he is met with the startled face of your mother. It’s clear that she hadn’t been expecting him, and he takes her by surprise when he bows to the woman in respect.

“I apologize for coming unannounced, but I was hoping I could speak to y/n,” he utters with a look of defeat on his face. His sullen features make his lack of sleep obvious, and his eyes are full of desperation. You’ve been avoiding him for weeks and he has no clue as to why, but he hopes to figure it out soon before he starts to spiral any further.

“She’s…” your mother begins to say, glancing unsurely behind her before looking back to him, “she’s not feeling well. You can come back another time.”

“But-“

“Please, Prince Zuko, we can’t risk you catching whatever it is she’s come down with. You must go.”

She gives him no time to argue before slamming the door in his face. Zuko is stunned, but his shock quickly turns to anger as he lets out a frustrated breath of flames from his mouth before stalking off to cool himself down.

His footsteps fade into the distance as he departs, and you can only sit by the window of your room and watch him walk away. There’s a tightness in your chest that makes you feel as if you can’t breathe, and once he finally disappears over the horizon you break down into an inconsolable mess.

You love Zuko with all of your heart, so it kills you to act as if he means nothing to you. You’re trying to do what Ozai has demanded of you, but it’s agonizing and difficult. You’re too much of a coward to face him and break it off for good, so you’ve resorted to avidly avoiding the Prince at all costs. You hope that by pushing him away he’ll take it upon himself to end the relationship; it would be much less painful that way, but he’s too stubborn for his own good, and he’s persisted despite your best efforts.

The days seem to blend together as you lock yourself in your room while your mother continues to turn Zuko away. You haven’t done any of your chores or worked in days, but Ozai has not faulted you for your incompletion of tasks. Breaking Zuko’s heart is your task, and so long as you keep your word he couldn’t care less what you did with yourself.

After another week has passed, suffocation finally catches up to you and you’re forced to leave your room in order to get some fresh air. You sneak out at nightfall when the palace is quiet and your mother is sleeping so that no one can detect your presence. You retreat to the well out in the back and stare contemplatively into the water below. Clutching the sun that hangs from the gold chain around your neck, you admire the moon’s reflection in the ripples and wish you could be anywhere else but here in the Fire Nation.

“I thought I’d find you here,” a voice utters quietly, causing you to jump in alarm at the intrusion. You turn to meet the solemn gaze of the Prince, and as your back hits the cool stones of the well you find that you are cornered. You can’t avoid him now, and it’s a fact both of you are aware of.

“Zuko, I… I was just leaving,” you stammer hurriedly as you try to push your way past him, but he catches you by the arm before you can get away.

“No, not until you talk to me!” He demands, his eyes full of desperation and despair. “You’re supposed to be my girlfriend, yet you keep avoiding me. Why? Was it something I did?”

“No, Zuko, you didn’t do anything,” you insist despite refusing to meet his gaze. You’re terrified that someone will see you both together and alert Ozai, and you wish he would just release you so you could go back to hiding away in your room.

“Then why won’t you even look at me?”

Slowly, you peek your head up to meet his exasperated face. It seems he’s not going to give up without a fight, so you’re going to have to resort to doing what you’ve been trying to avoid this entire time.

“I don’t love you.”

“W-What?” Zuko stammers in quiet surprise, his hold on your arm loosening slightly. He doesn’t believe what he’s hearing from you, and his mind is scrambling to process your words.

“I don’t love you. I want nothing to do with you,” you repeat firmly, your eyes hardening as you stare up at him and yank yourself free from his grasp.

“Y/n, you don’t mean that-“

“I do mean it! I feel nothing for you, Zuko. I never have. I just felt like I couldn’t say no to you because you’re the Prince, so I had no choice but to say yes to being your girlfriend.”

Hurt flashes across his features and you’re dying inside at having to be so cruel to him. The heart of your childhood best friend is in your hands and you crush it with every word despite how much it pains you. But it’s better for both of you this way, it must be. Ozai will never let you be happy together, but apart he still has a chance to capture the promised future ahead of him. You’re doing him a favor, and you hope one day he’ll be able to see it that way too.

“I don’t understand,” he murmurs weakly, tears beginning to well in his eyes. Then, with frustration clear in his tone, “This doesn’t make any sense!”

“Did you honestly think we could actually be together?” You retort in disbelief. “Azula always said you were a fool, but I didn’t think you were this naive. A servant and a Prince don’t belong together, and you’re the only one who can’t seem to get that!”

“Alright, fine,” Zuko mutters indignantly. His sadness has quickly morphed into anger, and you hate the way it makes you feel. “Can I just ask you one thing?”

You say nothing in response, and he takes your silence as a sign to continue.

“If you don’t love me, then why are you still wearing the necklace?”

Your eyes widen slightly as your hand immediately flies to your neck to clutch the pendant, and your heart slowly begins to sink to your stomach as you realize you’ve been caught in your lie. It’s your turn now to be at a loss for words, unsure what to say as you simply stare up at him with your mouth slight agape.

“You don’t mean what you’re saying,” Zuko says firmly as he moves closer to you. “Someone else is speaking for you, aren’t they?”

“I…”

“What’s going on, y/n?” He presses gently, carefully resting a hand upon your cheek. “Why are you acting this way?”

“I can’t tell you,” you argue weakly, your own eyes becoming full of tears as you allow yourself to melt into his touch. You’ve missed the feeling of his warmth and the comfort of his closeness, and despite your mind screaming at you to remove yourself from him your heart keeps you planted in place.

“That’s nonsense, of course you can. You’ve always been able to tell me anything, so why can’t you now?”

“Can’t you just believe me when I tell you it’s for your own good?” You plead emphatically despite the wavering of your voice.

“How can this possibly be for my own good?!” He retorts in exasperation. “I’ve been miserable without you. Life feels empty when you aren’t around, and I don’t know how to deal with the fact that the girl I’ve loved all my life can’t seem to stand me.”

“It’s not like that!” You cry defensively as the tears finally begin to fall.

“Then what is it?!” Zuko demands, and you can’t seem to take any more of this torture. The lies are killing you, and you can’t help but to finally crack under pressure.

“I’m not good enough for you!” You finally exclaim as you pull yourself away from his touch. You try to choke back your sobs but the ache in your chest makes the task difficult, and you can do nothing but let your words flow freely after keeping them bottled in for weeks. “I-I have nothing to offer you, nothing that makes me special, nothing ahead of me like you do. It’s an embarrassment to the Fire Lord for you to be with me, and it will be an embarrassment for you to have me as your Fire Lady.”

Stunned by your admission, it takes Zuko a moment to process your words. He steps towards you and you flinch, effectively breaking his heart in the process. It’s clear you’re frightened, but not of him. Your fear is geared toward someone else, and the culprit must be responsible for you now feeling this way.

“Who told you such nonsense?”

“Your father,” you admit quietly much to Zuko’s dismay. His eyes immediately harden and his chest is immediately tight with anger, but he does his best to keep his emotions at bay so as to not upset you further. “He spoke to me when we returned from Ember Island and told me we couldn’t be together. Ozai demanded I break your heart so that you can move on and find another girl more suited for this life than I could ever be. I didn’t want to, I still don’t want to, but I’m doing this so that you can have a better future. I’ll only hold you back, Zuko.”

After taking a moment to digest your words, Zuko carefully steps towards you again. You don’t reject his advances this time, so he allows himself the opportunity to carefully wipe away the steady tears that fall down your cool cheeks. Despite how much of a mess you assume you must look like, the Prince still sees you as the most beautiful girl he’s ever laid eyes on.

“I don’t care what my father says,” he assures you gently as he takes your hands in his own. “You’re not an embarrassment, and there’s no other girl that could ever compare to you. I love you, y/n, and I’m not going to let anyone ever get in the way of that.”

“You mean that?” You ask with a quiet sniffle, holding his hands tight as if he’ll leave if you let go.

“Every word. Let my father and anyone else who disapproves of our relationship say what they want to say. I want to be with you, and I hope you still want to be with me too.”

His looks to you with pleading eyes that seek your reassurance, and for a moment you hesitate. Being with Zuko is all you’ve ever wanted, and now he stands here before you professing his loyalty and his love to you. The boy from your childhood had stolen your heart, and you’d be lying if you said you wanted it back.

You know being with him won’t be easy, especially not with his father’s adamant disapproval of your relationship, but you trust Zuko, and so you have to trust that everything will turn out okay. You meet his desperate gaze and gift him a faint smile, and despite knowing you’ll regret this, you wordlessly lean in to meet his lips in a kiss.

You can worry about Ozai’s wrath later. But for now, you allow yourself to melt into his embrace by the moonlit well as you share your first kiss in weeks. It feels right being in his arms once more after spending so much time apart, and you hope you’ll never have to be without his touch ever again.

| zuko tags: @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @taeeemin @livelaughlovekuni @lovialy @alexatiu

[akiizayoi4869]

The thing that I find to be so funny and annoying about Azula hate is that people just do not seem to realize that Zuko could have ended up just like her, if it wasn’t for the fact that he had positive influences in his life. One of the many reasons why Azula is the way she is, is because none of the adults thought that she was worth the time and effort. Which Ozai saw and took advantage of. Thanks to his parenting “skills” and other factors, she learned how to play the game very early on in life in order to survive. Zuko, however, never got the memo, therefore he did not know how to play the game. Azula learned how to play the game and Zuko did not. That’s like, one of the many things that sets these two apart from each other, and what ultimately makes Azula’s character so tragic in the end: she thought that learning how to play the game and playing that game well would be what would protect her and keep her safe, but instead it’s what led to her eventual downfall. Meanwhile, Zuko not learning/knowing how to play the game is what initially put him in harm’s way at the palace, but it’s inevitably what saved him and put him on the better path in the end.

[narrativelysignificantturtleduck]

something that makes sokka extremely adhd relatable is that he's constantly looking for his Thing, the one Thing he's good at or useful for that makes up for any failings or flaws or ways he just can't measure up to others. at the beginning of the show he defines himself by being the oldest boy in the village & best warrior, but then he gets his ass kicked by zuko and suki and sees aang's raw power and he can't exactly think fighting is his special skill anymore. but he still thinks he has to be defined by fighting ('man of the house' daddy issues) so he calls himself the guy with the boomerang bc that's turned out to be his most useful and versatile and unique weapon, the one that other people can't outclass him at (after all, it's his most successful attack in his fight with zuko). when he loses it in "avatar day" he explicitly says it's like losing a key part of his identity and the moment katara goes "hey you're good at solving mysteries" he's like "yeah! i'm a detective! that's my new thing! and gets a new set of objects to signify it ("i believe in the power of stuff"). but detective sokka doesn't last bc throughout the entire episode he and katara are pretty equally matched in detective skills and he gets his boomerang back anyway. failed experiment.

and throughout all of this, he's figured out that people find his insistance on getting them fed & his grumpy comments funny and so he begins defining himself as the meat and sarcasm guy, and when he's a tough spot in "bitter work", bargaining with the universe to get him help, he offers that up as all he's got to give. it's obviously a Joke that he immediately asks for meat after telling the universe he'll give it up but it's also pretty indicative of how much he clings to these identities. it's all he's got (he thinks), of COURSE he can't actually give it up. they stuck that boy in a hole for 22 minutes and it revealed so much about how he sees himself.

at some point (likely around "the library" when he takes initiative to come up with a fire nation invasion plan) he also becomes the plan guy, the idea guy, and the gaang find themselves looking to him for leadership. this is perhaps the closest to fully encompassing sokka that any of his "[blank] guy" labels get, since coming up with plans involves planning when and how to fight (boomerang guy) & how to get everyone fed (meat), and people not following his plans is a major source of frustration (sarcasm).

this all culminates in "sokka's master", where the show finally names the underlying insecurity driving this quest - that he's a nonbender. katara being the last waterbender meant she was in danger and that keeping her safe was top priority, and even though hakoda and kya wouldn't have played favorites sokka probably felt a little like the unfavorite child for not being special like her. he lacks an ability, and believes his life has less value bc of it. almost like somebody with a disability and internalized ableism

(interesting, one of the people who most consistently mocks sokka for being a nonbender is toph, early on. toph has a lot of internalized ableism herself, a fear of vulnerability bc she doesn't want to perceived as weak like her parents thought she was. her bending is her disability aid, the thing that allows her to be stronger than people think, so she dismisses a nonbender until she learns better.)

piandao's response to sokka's lack of self-worth is not to train him to be great at one thing, but to introduce him to a variety of different arts, show him that his value lies not in having any one skill but in his capacity to learn and grow. there's no single thing that makes him worthy. it isn't even the combination of all of them that makes him worthy. he simply is worthy.

and i don't know if this is a unique narrative in fiction or anything but it really means a lot to me that sokka doesn't have One Thing that "makes up" for him not being a bender. he's of course extremely skilled and prodigious at many things he does in the show but there's no one savant talent that "justifies" him being in the group and i feel like so many disability narratives - especially for kids - go that route and i really appreciate that atla doesn't and simply says people are valuable because they are valuable, not because of their special abilities

[weepingchronicles]

yandere azula x reader headcanons this could be read as either romantic or platonic, whatever you wish! tw: yandere, violence, mentions of death, torture, manipulative and controlling behavior, degradation (also maybe a smidge of yandere aang??)

when I say you are fucked if you have this girl yandere for you, you are FUCKED

you are one of the last remaining air nomads, except for aang who is unknown to the world right now and presumed dead

the troubling part is that you have no bending abilities, you were practically raised in the fire nation belonging to azula

you have no spirituality connecting you to your tribe because you know nothing about your culture thus making it hard for you to bend

fire lord ozai had gifted you to azula to keep as a pet basically, only after ensuring you were not the avatar.

growing up with azula has its moments..

azula treats you as bad as zuko, perhaps even worse. she regularly mocks your deceased parents and tribe and knowingly withholds info on your culture in order to keep you dependent on her

you're also not allowed to speak to anyone but azula or a higher rank person.

once ty lee tried to play a game with you since you're both naturally agile people, the outcome was your hair almost catching on fire

as a result, you grew up very fearful of azula but naïve of any outside influence.

the only bright side in your childhood was that you got to keep your life while your parents didn't, and that you somewhat live safely in the palace.

azula likes to keep you on a tight leash, metaphorically (although she wouldn't be against actually doing so-) she has you sleep in your obviously smaller room just across from hers

she doesn't worry about you ever escaping because she has engrained in you that it's impossible, and why bother when you have no family to turn back to, except her? where you get fed pretty well, have a good place to sleep, etc

of course she doesn't mention how she likes to torture you daily

most torture games with azula are psychological, she likes to see you be manipulated to her side and cry but knowing no one else can do that but her

but sometimes her games do get violent

one time she handcuffs your hand to a table, and plays pinfinger on you, enjoying your expression as she pretends to "slip up" and accidentally cut you.

she never majorly hurts you though, she doesn't want her pet to be broken!

you may be thinking that azula doesn't even care for reader! she sees her as only a pet

while that is half true, she cares for you probably more than her own father.

when aang hears one of his last remaining relatives is being held captive, he has no other choice but to save you

when you're greeted by a 12 year old boy who is claiming to be your family and the avatar, you are wary. azula has always said your family is dead, wiped out so how can this be?

it doesn't take much to convince you though after he says he can help you escape.

together you fly away on aang's glider, and for once you feel hope and freedom.

when azula finds out you've been taken by the avatar, she practically breaks

the only thing that stops her from breaking havoc across the nation, is her dad appointing her to capture the avatar

oh she'll capture him alright, and make sure no one puts their hands on you again.

[specialagentlokitty]

Zuko x reader - the right side

Looking at the fire nation Prince, then back at the group on the other side of you, your heart raced in your chest.

“Zuko you can’t hurt them.” You said softly.

“Move out of the way (Y/N).” He snapped.

You shook your head as you turned to fully face him, holding your arms out in order to try block his view on any of them.

They slowly backed away, leaving you and Zuko alone so they could try and get away.

“(Y/N) move!” Zuko yelled.

“No! This isn’t what you’re supposed to do Zuko! You can’t kill the avatar!” You yelled.

“I have to restore my honour! For my father! My nation!”

You shook your head as you lowered your arms, slowly walking over to him you placed your hand on the side of your face.

Just the tiniest bit Zuko leant into your touch, but he quickly snapped out of it and backed away.

“What about me?”

“You’re not of noble blood, you’re not important. Just another cog in the machine, and you’re in. My. Way!”

Zuko raised his arm, and you barely managed to deflect the fire he shot at you.

You were stunned, hurt, upset, angry.

“Zuko stop!”

“You’re a traitor to the fire nation!” He yelled.

Again he fire attack after attack after attack, and you couldn’t keep up, because one of them hit you in the chest, sending you flying backwards in to a tree.

You gasped, screaming in pain as you tried to pat out the fire on your clothes.

You gasped for air, trying to get up. But you couldn’t. You’d just fall back down.

“Nephew we must-“

Iroh stopped talking as he looked at you, then Zuko.

“What have you done?!” He hissed.

Iroh rushed over to you, placing his hands on your shoulder to stop you from moving, he looked at your wounds, then back at Zuko who fell to his knees.

“I don’t.. I didn’t… uncle I didn’t…”

Zuko could only stare in horror, watching as his uncle picked you up.

There was only one person who could save you, and he had no idea which way that you went.

He couldn’t tell Zuko though, he had to get Zuko out of here as well.

“Go back to the ship! I’ll… deal with this…”

“Uncle tell me… please don’t say…”

“Go!” Iroh yelled.

Zuko jumped, quickly nodding his head as he ran the other direction back to the ship and straight to his room where he quickly removed his armour.

He was replying that moment again and again and again in his mind, it was playing in slow motion. In a split second his rage got the best of him, he’s killed you.

Iroh rushed you into the forest, your breathing was ragged, and you were in and out of consciousness.

“I..Iroh.. I.. I..”

“Shush, don’t talk okay? You’ll be fine, just a few more moments.”

Iroh kept running with you in his arms, tears in his eyes.

Through his blurry vision he could see the faint flying bison, and he could see the group quickly getting ready to leave.

“Avatar!” He yelled, “wait! Help!”

They all stopped, and it was Aang that jumped back down, meeting Iroh halfway.

“Please.” Iroh begged.

“Katara! Katara we have to help her!” Aang yelled.

Katara rushed over and took a quick look at your wounds.

“Lay her down.”

Iroh did, taking of his cloak to put under your head, and he took a step back to let her work while everyone stood around watching.

“You must take her with you, please?”

“What? Why?!” Sokka huffed.

“My nephew mustn’t know, he needs time to learn, to control his temper, she won’t be safe so long as she keeps protecting you, she’s been made an enemy of the nation.”

Sokka and Aang shared a look, and finally they both nodded.

Iroh knelt down, brushing some hair from your face.

“Do not hate Zuko for this…” he whispered.

With that Iroh quickly rushed away.

Katara had healed your wounds as much as she could, and with some help she managed to get you on Appa and they quickly flew away.

Aang felt responsible, if they hadn’t have ran like you told them before Zuko found them you wouldn’t be on the brink of death.

Sokka and Katara felt the same thing as well.

They flew to a village and asked for someone to take them in while you healed, but as the weeks passed and you didn’t show any signs of getting better, they weren’t sure what else they could do.

“We can’t stay here, Aangs running out of time.” Sokka said.

“But we can’t leave her here either.” Katara sighed.

“You’re right, do you think it’s safe to keep travelling with her?” Aang asked.

“No, Zuko is closing in on us, but we can’t leave her here either.”

They spent the whole night debating it, and finally they decided it would be best to bring you with them until they could find a safe place and someone who can look after you.

After a few more nights of flying and searching, they set up camp, and while they were sitting around the fire they heard you shuffling about.

“Hey careful.” Sokka rushed.

He sat next to you, helping your weak form sit up, and you looked around afraid.

“It’s okay, you’re safe. Are you hungry?” Aang smiled.

He offered you some food that you inhaled, and you downed them water that Katara gave you.

“I..iroh… I… where’s…?”

You furrowed your brows as you tried to get your words out, but they would only come out as hoarse whispers.

“He asked us to take you with us, to keep you safe.” Katara said softly.

You just nodded sadly and looked down at you hands, and you noticed the blue clothes you were wearing and furrowed your brows even more.

“Sorry, yours were burned, Sokka and I pulled together what we had to spare so your shirt might be a bit big. But I changed you.” Katara smiled.

You nodded again, and she grabbed a bag and came over, pulling out some clothes and a cloak.

She set them in your lap, and let you bury your fingers into the fabric, slowly unfolding it to see the burned fabric.

“When we find a town or city that sells the right colours I can fix it for you.”

Looking at them, you slowly shook your head and took the clock instead, bringing it up to your chest as you held it.

“Do you want to keep wearing what you have on?” Sokka asked.

You gave a small nod.

“That’s cool! Katara can fix the size right?”

“Of course!”

You looked at them and they all smiled, but you didn’t smile back.

In fact, it took months for you to finally smile at them, at it was after Toph joined them that you smiled.

Katara fixed the size of your water nation clothes, but kept your fire nation ones as well just in case, and you kept Iroh’s cloak close by just in case you needed it.

You healed, and you started to train again, working out with Aang or Sokka, and practicing your fire bending alongside Toph or Katara while they practiced theirs.

You quickly fell into a smooth rhythm with them all, and it felt right. You were on the right side of history, though you were still picking up the pieces of what had happened.

One morning when Aang woke up, he saw you stood off in the distance, practicing some moves he had never seen before.

“What’s she doing?” Katara whispered as she sat up.

“I don’t know, she wakes up before us, so I think she’s been doing this every morning.”

The pair of them watched carefully and they stared in shock as lighting shot itself from you fingers and into a nearby cliff side, sending some rocks tumbling down.

They didn’t approach you, but as you came back over they watched you.

“You can lightening bend?” Aang asked.

“I’ve only just learned it, Iroh was teaching me when Zuko was away.”

They heard the sadness in your voice, and they didn’t press the matter any further.

Somehow every fight that they had with Zuko you weren’t there for it, and when it came to them going to the fire nation you stood there and shook your head.

“You have to come!” Toph huffed.

“I… I’m sorry.. but I’ll be a liability, everyone will know what I look like there. I’ll find somewhere to stay while I wait.”

“What about an air temple?” Aang asked.

“Huh?”

“Well it’ll take a few hours out of the journey but we can drop you off there, and then come back for you!” He beamed.

You agreed, it was the best option you guys had at this point. With the fire nation pinning the earth kingdom, Azula on your tail, there wasn’t anywhere else that you could go now.

So they help you buy as much stuff as you can, and finally they dropped you off with the promise they’d be back.

It was peaceful in the empty temple, away from all the people, away from the war.

You focused on yourself, making yourself stronger, healing what was broken and training day and night.

You practiced everything, hand to hand, sword, fire, lightening, breathing techniques to keep yourself warm.

You were meditating when the gang returned to the air temple, this time with a few more people, but you didn’t notice straight away, you stayed there for another hour before you finally opened your eyes.

“There’s more.” You noted.

Sokka laughed and he introduced everyone, and you happily got along with them.

That night, you went to sleep, and while you were asleep you weren’t aware of the guest that had approached, but hearing some hushed whispers outside room you were sleeping in made you wake up.

“Sokka? Aang? Katara? Toph?” You asked.

“We Uhm… we have to tell you something…” Katara mumbled.

“Oh?”

They shall sat down in front of you, taking note of the fire nation cloak clutched tightly in your hands.

“Someone came here last night…” Sokka mumbled.

“Who?”

They shared a look.

“Who came here?”

“Zuko.” Toph replied, “Zuko came here but he doesn’t know that you’re here.”

Your whole world froze, their voices drowned out and all you could hear was the pounding of your heart. Was it fear? Worry? Confusion? You couldn’t tell.

Zuko was here.

He didn’t know you were here, but he was here. They seemed okay with it, so had he changed?

No.

He made it clear he wasn’t going to change.

“Get out…” you whispered.

“(Y/N) let us explain..” Katara whispered.

“Out!”

They nodded and left, and you got up and started pacing.

You paced until your legs ached, thought until you could think anymore, screamed and yelled and threw things, scorching the walls of you temporary home.

All those emotions you had been holding on to for ages, since you woke up you let them coming spilling out.

Finally, you stopped, you looked down at your fire nation clothes, then the water nation ones and tossed them one.

Donned in blue, you left and made your way out to the ledge where you knew everyone would be, and they all went quiet as you approached.

Zuko didn’t notice the silence at first, but when he did he looked around, and followed the gazes of the others.

When his eyes locked with yours, he shot up, bow falling from his hands, shattering as it hit the floor.

“(Y/N)…”

[oneatlatime]

I was thinking about city of Walls and Secrets again (because when I don't like things I want to know WHY) and it occurred to me how much power Iroh has amassed, just by being nice.

We've seen Iroh being nice to strangers, often in situations where he can't receive anything in return for his good manners, since the beginning of the show. I've usually written those occurrences off as Iroh smoothing over for Zuko's awkwardness or awfulness (think him interfering between Zuko and the ship's crew in The Storm), or as simply Iroh being a polite person. I don't think he was lying when he told Toph - while showing Toph - that he enjoys sitting down for tea with new people. He is sociable by nature, and if Azula's comment about him being a tea-loving kook is accurate in Zuko Alone (which is up for debate - she did a lot of lying and/or repeating what the adults around her think as her own opinions that episode), then he's always been a sociable creature. This seems to be a fundamental aspect of Iroh's personality.

So whenever I've seen Iroh being nice to strangers, I've never suspected that it had a purpose beyond the short term (cover for his nephew), or as Iroh being Iroh. But I think he's playing the long game with niceness. Let me explain:

When you're hiding under a false identity while posing as a refugee in a city that probably has a ridiculously large bounty on your real identity's head (and rightfully so), you'd think the smart thing to do would be to keep a low profile. And Zuko and Iroh are doing that! Sort of. They're staying in the lower ring, but they are working customer-facing jobs. And more importantly, a true attempt at lying low would include reproducing the awful tea that was being served at the tea shop before they were hired. But Iroh won't let bad tea stand.

I made a joke in my write up of the Tales of Ba Sing Se that it was a good thing that Iroh came to people's attention as the person who makes the "best tea in the city," because he was going to attract attention one way or another, and being a good teamaker is both less suspicious and more of a currency than just being a nice guy who stops babies from crying and compassionately redirects muggers. But now that I've thought about it for a bit, I think he was going to attract attention one way or the other because he has, all this time, been attempting to attract attention. It's not just his personality, it's not just him cleaning up after Zuko, it's him consciously attempting to build connections. It's a 'nice two birds with one stone' type situation that he can attract this attention while being paid to make tea.

Here's the thing: all these times that Iroh has been polite in situations where there could be no payoff for being so, I think he has been casting seeds. And City of Walls and Secrets is the first episode where we see the seeds of his politeness and (seemingly counterintuitive for keeping a low profile) network building bear fruit.

Jet accuses Zuko and Iroh of being firebenders. He's absolutely right. Given that Zuko and Iroh are members of the Fire Nation royal family, you could argue that they're the most firebenders a firebender could be. But Iroh has been being relentlessly polite to customers, and serving the guards such good tea that they declare he makes the "best tea in the city." Rather than playing it safe and letting people overlook him, he has given people a reason to like him. So the customers, the guards, even his boss, come to his defence when Jet accuses him. The guards are not going to let a man who keeps them fed, keeps them in tea, and keeps them company, be maligned.

Here's the other thing about these seeds of politeness that Iroh casts: they protect Zuko in the long term as much as the do in the short term. Sometimes Iroh's politeness is just covering for a single remark from his nephew, which I always view in the short term as smoothing over offence. But Iroh being polite also goes a long way to protecting Zuko from Jet's accusations. Lest we forget, Zuko steals a guard's swords, at least participates in the destruction of the tea shop's table, and at least participates in the disorderly conduct outside the tea shop. If the law were fair, half of the consequences heaped on Jet would fall on Zuko. And (this is speculation) I would argue that if Iroh had kept his head down and played at being a refugee rather than everyone's friend, Zuko at least would have lost his job for destroying some of those tables. But the goodwill Iroh has generated with customers, guards, and his boss stretches to cover Zuko too. Which is handy, because Zuko is not looking like he's in a place where he can expend much mental energy on anything beyond taking it one day at a time at the moment.

Iroh knows there is power in being nice. The incident with Jet shows that being nice can carry more power than being truthful. A lot of that is down to presentation; Jet didn't exactly endear himself, and frankly season 1 Jet would have been ashamed of season 2 Jet's lack of charm, but that's a post for another day.

All this makes me think two things: first, I wonder if any of the other one-episode characters that Iroh has tossed a throwaway polite comment to are going to come back. Second, Iroh is playing a somewhat risky game by attracting attention; so far it's paid off. I wonder if there will come a point where it causes trouble instead.

[unfriedough]

Hello! Fem reader and Zuko?

- Reader had a scary experience during the day and when night reaches she asks Zuko to spend the night with her

- Zuko says something like “Alright, i’ll stay with you” he’s all awkward standing watching her

- Reader is something like “I can’t feel safe if you’re not close to me, Zuko, please”

- His knees nearly give way and he feels a blush creep up his neck slowly

- He finally gives into his temptation and snuggles up to reader, wrapping his entire arms around reader waist and neck

- Reader sighs in comfort, whispers a quick thank you, places a soft kiss on Zuko’s wrist and they just sleep (No devils tango!)

‘Bandits’- Zuko x female!reader

Masterlist <3

An: Summer is already almost over?? WHY??? Anyways, THIS REQUEST WAS LIKE SUPER DUPER CUTE AND the brackets u added at the end were so cute idek why 😭

Summary:

You get attacked whilst out and about, but maybe it was for the better.

Warnings: half of this is Zuko admiring you LOL, violence.

Zuko was the best fire lord, you think. Perhaps you were a little bias, but letting you stay in the palace rocked. Apart from visiting your hometown, you didn’t exactly have a plan for after the war. You bounced around a little, and then, a golden offer came. Zuko wanted your assistance with royal matters, you’d be the royal advisor. The title was already enough for you to be on board, but it also offered you a place to stay for a while. You just couldn’t pass that up, and hey, maybe since he’s been at this for a few months, the workload would lessen.

You were none the wiser.

You see, his life was nothing but a dumpster fire. From meetings to paperwork to arguments to rebellions to assassins to training and so on so forth, his life was a mess of schedules and poorly planned breaks.

The fire lord confided to you a lot about this, the absolute look of despair on his face as he entered another meeting, or the slow steps from the weight of his armour. He would rest his head on your lap in the library, and whilst you read the latest addition of your favourite book, he dozed off into a 15 minute nap. It was the perfect crime. They couldn’t yell at you, he was asleep right there, and they couldn’t yell at him, he was the ruler.

On a particular day, Zuko suddenly opened the door of your room, which he intentionally planted right by his.

“YN!”

“ZUKO! HASN’T ANYONE EVER TAUGHT YOU TO KNOCK?”

“Uh-“ he flushed immediately, “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight,”

“What brings you to my quarters, your majesty,” you rolled your eyes, adjusting yourself in the mirror on your vanity.

The boy stuck his tongue out at you, “I don’t have anything to do today let’s go out,”

“In this weather? Are you insane?” It was the prime of summer in the fire nation, death by heat stroke at the mere thought of going outside.

“You’ll live,” he mumbled, walking out.

Begrudgingly, you got up, stretching as you picked out the lightest outfit.

The sun burned the top of your head, you groaned, realising you forgot your hat. Zuko offered you his. He was always like that with you. So chivalrous, and yet, so childish.

“M’lady,” he bowed as he passed the large hat to you, moving to grab his spare. He kept it loosely around his belt.

“That seems excessive, but thanks,” intrigued were you, why was there another hat there?

“Maybe, but you literally always forget yours,”

“Cute,” he blushed, “But what kinda belt just has a hat hook?”

“I had it tailor made,” he played with his fingers, this clearly embarrassed him.

You were stunned to silence. Zuko tailor made a belt for me.

“Dork.”

You heaved heavily as you finally reached the market. See, the former prince had no intention of visiting the popularised shops, he opted for the small town one west of the castle. He tipped his hat lower, and you pushed your sunglasses up higher on the bridge of your nose.

“Wow you’re so different and not like other guys,” you mumbled.

“What do you mean?”

“This place looks abandoned,”

“Give it a shot, the stuff they sell is actually nice,”

“Zuko,”

“You’re so close minded, trust me for once,” he looked off to the side, where a few suspicious men were grinning at you two, he grinned to mask his worry, “Just stick close to me and we’ll be fine,”

“If I die I’ll kill you,”

“I’ll take you up on that,”

Despite your ‘friends that work together’ relationship, sometimes you felt he was being a little touchy. Especially around another man, he’d make sure there was distance between you two and him. You chalked it up to this place being shady.

“Just go I’ll be fine,” just as humans do, Zuko really needed the bathroom. Of course, you couldn’t exactly join him, gendered bathrooms are a thing, so you told him you'll just wait in the nearby stores.

“Don’t talk to anyone don’t look at anyone don’t buy anything-“

“You’re not my dad Zuko, chill,” you pushed him lightly, he rolled his eyes and left to do his business.

You were humming quietly when a woman tapped your shoulder. She wore a mask which concealed most of her features, and had a hat almost as big as yours on.

“Hello,”

‘Don’t talk to strangers’ you replayed. You pretended not to understand. You tilted your head to the side, shrugging animatedly.

“Are you a foreigner?” You continued the ‘deer in headlights’ act, and that’s when your eyes finally landed on her left arm. It rested in her pocket, and seemed to be flexed. A funny feeling rose in your stomach.

“Guys, she’s a foreigner,” she yelled out behind her, a few men and women coming up. There were about 4 or 5.

Your eyes kept snapping to the bathroom, willing Zuko to sense the situation. You were severely outnumbered, and judging by the looks of the people in the back, there were for sure a few benders. You thought to use your own powers, but due to the extensive work you perform, you rarely had time to train.

“Just give me your money and we’ll let you go princess,” one of the boys mumbled, coming up to threaten you.

You furrowed your brows, still pretending to be confused. You thought to pretend you were oblivious might actually help. You smiled brightly, turning around and buying a small souvenir for the man. You grinned as you passed it to him, a weirded-out look crossing his barely showing features.

“Is she stupid?” He peered forward into your open wallet, showcasing no money. Zuko was the fire lord. Why would you need anything aside from loose change?

“Probably, look at her, she’s dressed like a tourist,”

“That necklace looks expensive,” a woman remarked, nearing you inquisitively.

“Ah you’re right,” the leader smiled, leaning closer to you, she signed with her hand a necklace around her neck, pointing at yours afterwards, “Nice necklace, where buy?” She dumbed her words down.

You took it off, silently panicking as you removed Zuko’s handmade pendant. It was a gold encrusted heart locket, and inside was a tiny mix of your nation and his’ shades, making a gorgeous concoction. It was a thank you for joining him. The metal that crafted it seemed dainty, but was strong and durable.

You used it to your advantage.

As the mystery lady’s eyes lit up at the sight of it, you spun her around, placing the jewellery on her neck, restricting her airway.

“Nobody move,” you scowled, looking around.

The woman signalled with her hand for them to stay still. She then turned around quickly, using her pocket knife to gnaw at the metal. It didn’t work, but it did leave a few nasty scratches on it. She used the same blade to attempt to cut you, but you dodged, pushing her to the ground under you. You stood in a standstill.

“You’re not a foreigner,” she mumbled.

“You’re trying to rob me,” you narrated.

“Doesn’t take a genius,” some guy yelled. Most tellers hid at this point.

“Just give me the necklace, and all will be good,”

She pounced, pushing you into a pole. Another woman restricted your arms behind it. She walked up to you again, grabbing the jewellery harshly. Using her knife, she guided your chin to look at her.

“Tell me, how much did you buy this for,”

“It’s handmade,” you frowned, wincing as she dug the knife further into your neck, not quite breaking skin.

“It’ll pawn for a pretty penny,” a man rasped, getting closer. Both the bandits were now right in your face.

Thankfully, legs are good for kicking. You sent them both back flying, twisting around to free yourself from the other lady. During the process, your hat fell and sunglasses followed.

“She works with the fire lord, RUN!” As you tried to locate the lady, they scrambled away. You were left without a necklace, and with hurried steps.

You ran up to the stalls, talking to the nearest man.

“Hey!”

“Women’s bathrooms are over there,”

“Cool I need the men’s,”

“You’re not allowed in there,” he looked concerned.

“I know, I’m looking for a man about this tall, wearing a ridiculous hat.”

“Oh, is that him?”

“Hey YN, where’d your hat go?”

“Let’s go home,” you tugged on his hand.

“But you said you wanted to get food?”

“I’m not hungry anymore,”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Whatever you say…”

He continued to try to probe for more information, and you continued to shut him right back down.

When you finally got home and got changed, you were dunked right into another meeting. You sat next to Zuko, resting your head on your palm. Your non dominant hand rose to fidget with the necklace, only to be faced with the intense heartache that its absence brought forth. You sighed.

After what felt like an eternity and a half, the general- admiral(?), whoever, finished his speech and let you all excuse yourself. You matched your friend’s pace.

“Where’d your necklace go?”

You frowned, “probably at some pawn shop by now,”

“Okay ouch,” he furrowed his brows.

“I didn’t sell it,”

“Huh?” You reached your quarters, the moon dominating the dark sky. You pushed your door open.

“I was robbed earlier- at the market,” your feet guided you in, and towards your closet.

“Wait what? Is that why you wanted to leave? Why didn’t you tell me-“

“Zuko there was nothing you could do.” Pyjamas placed on the bed, you flopped on the mattress next to them.

“I could’ve had them imprisoned. I could’ve protected you,” he seemed hurt.

That angered you. You got up suddenly.

“I’m not some damsel in distress Zuko,”

“That’s not what I meant!” He stuttered.

“Oh yeah? Then what did you mean?”

“I just-“

“Forget it.” You pushed him out of the room, locking the door.

He knocked harshly. “Hey! You can’t just do that!”

“Why not?”

“B-BECAUSE?”

The soldiers and staff in the hallway tried to conceal their laughs, they really did, but seeing the fire lord begging his advisor who he’s totally not in love with to open the door was the funniest thing ever. Especially since he was so flustered.

“Yn please,”

“I’m changing don’t be weird,”

“When you’re done,” he rolled his eyes, resting his head against the door.

He practically fell on top of you when you opened it again.

His breath caught in his throat. Seeing you look so peaceful made him feel things. The way your face was illuminated by the dull- almost dead- candle you refused to replace. And how it made your eyes sparkle. And how yo-

“Zuko?”

“Sorry, lost in thought,” he flustered.

“It's okay,”

You stepped back, and he entered your room. It was decorated beautifully, much better than his room, Zuko never quite had the eye for design. And oh, it reeked of you. How the sheets were slightly dishevelled, the curtains weren’t quite closed all the way, the carpet had imprints of where your slippers were, and how all the decorative pillows were strung around the floor, your favourite ones still finding home on your bed.

“Sorry it’s kind of a mess,”

A mess? Surely this was an art piece. A painting of your room should be displayed in a museum.

Maybe you were a little more than his adviser. Just a little though. You sunk into the sheets, covering yourself in the warmth of a weighted blanket.

“Sooooo,” he dragged.

“Yeah Zuko, I got jumped.”

“I don’t understand,”

“What don’t you understand, I was attacked, and since I had basically no money, they took my necklace,”

“Oh,”

“Yeah,”

He paused. “Well are you okay?” He’d notice you looking out of your window frequently, and paranoidly checking your room and halls before entering.

“I’m fine,” you lied, for you were scared. Scared of being pinned with a knife to your neck, with the wrong move being the invitation to your funeral.

He tilted his head.

“Fine I lied. I'm not Fine Zuko,”

He smiled softly, a look of pity on his face. You got up out of bed, going near the window. The boy followed.

Again, your hand went up to play with your necklace.

Zuko kissed his lips. “What happened to you really sucks,”

“I really liked that necklace,”

“I’m not talking about the necklace Yn,” he wrapped an arm around you, pulling you into an embrace, “You were attacked, why're you trying to brush that away?”

You resisted tears, reluctantly replying, “If I think about it too much, it’s like I’m there all over again.” You refused to meet his eyes, until a gentle hand guided your face back to his.

“Yeah, but you can’t just suppress it. You’re safe here, I’m with you,” despite the words being just that, words, they comforted you.

Your eyes were locked with him, bodies intertwined. He hardly clocked in what he was doing, until you pulled away. You crossed your arms, putting distance between you and him.

“I should probably get going- it’s late,”

“Do you have to?” And all his resolve faded, how could he say no?

“I-I mean. I-“

“If you don’t want to it’s okay I just-“

“No I get it it’s j-“ you continued to cut eachother off.

“It’s up to you,” you concluded.

“I’ll stay if it helps you,”

“It does,”

“Alright, I’ll stay here. I’ll be here.” He stayed next to the window while you sunk into the bed.

You hummed as the cool pillow kissed your skin.

Still, you couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling in your stomach. You put a hand on your chest, eyes snapping to where Zuko is to both make sure he was there and that he was asleep. The fire lord was slumped on your desk chair, head falling back.

“You okay?” He asked.

You gasped, not aware he was awake in the first place.

“I’m fine,”

“Then why are you breathing so heavily?”

“Is a girl not allowed to breathe anymore?” He laughed, not because it was funny. Well, everything’s funny when it’s past 12.

“No seriously what’s up?”

“I just don’t feel safe, even if you’re in the room,” you sat up, pulling the other side of the blanket away to show the empty bed.

If your light was burning, you’d see the bright red that burned Zuko’s face, and no, it wasn’t his scar. The thought of being in a bed with you, that close. It shocked him to his core. He knew he was kind of an idiot in the love department, if it was a job, he’d be fired. But what he did know is that he’d stumble on his words and forget how to speak if he got into the bed.

“Please?” You gave him that smile, and how his knees almost buckled below him just at the sight of it, how could he resist?

A different colour of blush gnawed carefully at his neck, tinting the already present one a darker shade of red.

“Yeah okay,” stiffly, he joined you under the sheets. Engraving the image of you next to him, nightwear making you look like a movie he’d spend eternity watching. He clenched his jaw, trying to stay focused.

Again, all efforts simply ditched him as you laid your head on his chest. You used your arms to guide his around your waist, the other your lips. You gave him the gentle-est of pecks, almost just a touch, on his wrist, resting it against your cheeks. The spot burned with warmth, a trail of goosebumps exploring the rest of his arms.

“Thank you Zuko,” but it wasn’t just a thank you Zuko. See, maybe he was delusional, but something was different.

Maybe it was the way you were looking at him, if you gave him those eyes more frequently, he’d bend to your every will. The sweet smile you dawned pushing against his arm, he wished it would leave a mould, a mark, anything, to remember this moment.

Gently, you put his hand onto your neck, and sighed. As you drifted off into a safe, sound slumber, Zuko wondered what it would take for it to all happen again.

An: I love him sm ydu

[ivnxrori]

When Sun and Moon meet - S1

Zuko x Fem!WaterBender!Reader Enemies to Lovers

As one of the Princesses of the Northern Water tribe, you were blessed with a gift by the moon. However you were permitted to be allowed to use the gift at all costs. From many hidden waterbending usages, the aftermath of the avatar visiting the Northern Tribe had led to your beginning journey, hiding yourself as a water bender as a princess from the Northern water tribe

Warnings: fight scenes, reader passes out

Masterlist

҉ * ‧͙ ⋆ ⁺ ༓ ☾ Chapter 2 - Encountering the Sun

Due to the aftermath of Katara allowing females to waterbend, I decided to participate with Katara and her avatar friend. Which is unsurprising for my father and Master Pakku. It felt awkward finally doing waterbend without having to feel the anxiety of getting caught, weirder doing it in front of the people who I have been hiding most. “Well done, Y/N. Feels like you never even stopped waterbending in the first place.” Master Pakku compliments. I felt a shiver up my spine. “Yeah…” I responded with a tinge of guilt. It's because I never even stopped waterbending, I'm more surprised that no one has caught on. But even if they do, they cannot do anything. I close my eyes and sigh breathily. Slowly inhaling but instantly coughed from the smell of…burning…wait. I immediately open my eyes to see the black snow coming from the sky, but that is no snow…it's soot. “The fire nation” I whispered coldy.

Not too long I hear the warning drums against my ears, spreading news to the whole northern water nation. I sat next to Yue in our hideout with all of our people, slightly shivering even though I'm perfectly fine with the cold. I held Sivoy in my arms, silently praying to the spirits over the speech my father was giving. He was most likely saying the same thing as I. I just need my family to be happy and safe, especially Sivoy. I hugged Sivoy even tighter than I already was while he was babbling nonsense, playing with my hair. I wish there was a way to tell Sivoy of how much danger we are in but…there is nothing we can do but fight.

I heard the explosions ringing in my ears. This is real…this is all real. Oh how much I wish my mother was still here, she was taken too soon by the fire nation. I just hope my father, my sister and my brother will live. Another explosion hit, I cover my ears to prevent further ringing and wince. Yue held my shoulders and rubbed them to comfort me, I shouldn't be comforted at this moment, it should have been Yue who needed comfort. Yue was busying herself by telling factual information to Katara and the Avatar about  water bending while I leaned against the ledge to peace my own mind. My ears perked up from the word ‘Spirits’. “Spirits?” I sat up catching the three off guard. “You can talk to the spirits?” I leaned closer to the avatar. “Yeah, Aang can talk to spirits. The Avatar is connected to the spirit world and the real world.” Katara explained. “If that's the case…then follow me” I immediately speed walk towards the needed destination.

  ҉   ☾

“This is the most spiritual place in the North pole, unfortunately you have to go there yourself, but this area should be able to assist you...like it did to Yue and I.” Aang nodded as all four of us walked to the Spirit Oasis. “It's so warm here” Katara examined the area. “It's pretty comforting here” I smiled at the reactions of Aang and Katara, feeling mesmerized by the area. This area was very gorgeous indeed. Aang was able to sit down in front of the pond with the fish circling one another, resembling the yin yang. “Why is he sitting like that?” Yue questioned Katara as we both looked at him strangely. “He’s meditating” Katara answered “He’s trying to cross over to the spirit world, it takes all his concentration.” 

“Is there any way we can help?” “How about some quiet?” Aang retorted snappily. “Come on guys! I can hear every word you guys are saying!”. I held back a laugh as I continued to watch what Aang was doing. Both Yue and I were very intrigued. With a flash, both his arrow and his eyes were glowing. Yue and I flinched from the scene. “Is he okay?!” Yue panicked as I furrowed my brows. “He’s crossing into the spirit world, he’ll be fine as long as we dont move his body. That's his way back to the physical world.” Katara explained, pointing at Aang. I felt shivers up my spine, someone here… I glared at my surroundings while Katara and Yue were talking, trying to see who was approaching us. “Shh someones coming-” “Aw, aren't you a big girl now”. Us three turned around to see a boy. “No…” Katara shakily said “Yes…now hand him over and I won't have to hurt you” He threatened. The boy has a ponytail and a very visible red burn scar on his face. “Who is he?!” I freaked out while holding my stance to attack. “He is part of the fire nation-” Katara couldn't finish her sentence when flames were there the next second. Immediately coming to Katara’s defense as I attempt to push him away with the water given from the Oasis. “I see you made another waterbending friend, however I didn't come this way to lose to you” He got back up again attempting to continue fighting. “Katara froze him, it can keep him restrained” I yell, gathering up as much water as I possibly could. She nodded as we both pushed him against the wall, caging him. “Is it her? Is she your master who has been teaching you these moves?” The boy said spitefully and immediately burst through the ice. “No?” I retorted back, looking at him confused but the confuzzled face didn't stay long until he blasted another flame from the palm of his hands. I move back trying to shield Aang as Katara pushes him against the rock, knocking him out in an ice mountain. I exhale a breath of relief. “Thanks Katara” “I should be thanking you”

However the relief was short lived as we felt the sun rising up and the scar boy, once again getting through the ice. Catching Katara off guard she hit the wooden pole causing her to pass out. “Katara!” I yelled and attempted to push him away from Aang. “Shoot!” I grumbled, feeling my bending growing weaker. I looked at the sky trying to look for the moon, however there was no moon. The shine of the sun reflected off of me while I tried to hold eye contact against the enemy under the bright light. Couldn't the sun come out later? His finishing blow of flames causes me to move back, coughing through the dust swaying it through my vision. “You must have known, You rise with the moon, I rise with the Sun”. I glared at him trying to get back at him, already forming my water but unfortunately I lost all feelings of my legs, colliding with the grassy land, my eyes went from blurry to nothing…

<- Back - Next ->

a/n: Im editing this while watching s3 avatar, I was worried that s3 might clash with my fic but I managed to make do. Im submitting the chapters because this is before Y/N starts her journey, so her real powers will happen in s2 (I THINK). ALSO Zuko is in this chapter wooo!! Sad there is no romance yet and this is a slow burn. I might edit the previous chapters to write slow burn. I really want Zuko and Reader to be enemies and reader to really hate Zuko. Im trying to release a chapter once everyday but one spring break is up im not sure if I would be able to continue, however ill try my best! -- Taglist: @luvkvni @katovano @karmaswitch @someonesmember @velvet-spider @sh3sa1dwhat @nerdisthenewcool @meiraloves2dmen @fqnfics101 @iluvme547

[m1ckeyb3rry]

── THE GLASS PRINCESS // FIFTEEN

Series Synopsis: You wake up in a strange room with no memories, broken glass at your bedside, and a prince named Zuko as your only chance at figuring out who you really are.

Chapter Synopsis: You return to the palace and attempt to tell your brother the truth of the world.

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Chapter Word Count: 5.6k

Content Warnings: complicated relationships (strangers to friends to lovers to enemies to strangers to lovers to enemies to lovers), amnesia, alternate universe, lots of secrets and lying and mystery

A/N: man i’m really going to miss this arc of the story…vibes have been unmatched so far (ba sing se era >> ursa era imo even if the underlying mystery of the ursa era was rlly fun to write)

“Sokka!” you shouted, kicking the front door. You knew the Avatar’s house was under near-constant surveillance by the Dai Li, and the longer you waited outside, the more likely it was that you’d be caught. Yet for some reason, your last three attempts at knocking politely had proven fruitless, and even this more violent greeting went unanswered. Giving up and ramming your shoulder into the doorway, you flinched when it swung open eerily and without protest.

Why was the villa empty? It didn’t look like it had been abandoned in a methodical fashion; a set of clothes you assumed were Katara’s was tossed over a chair, and there were dishes in the sink. All of this spoke to a hasty exit, one that might not have been entirely willing and was certainly made without an advance warning.

From the corner, there was a chittering sound, and you all but leapt out of your skin before realizing it was a tiny, fluffy creature. Stooping down, you recognized it to be a winged lemur, staring at you with wide viridian eyes. You offered it your hand with a smile, but it only sniffed it delicately before skittering backwards, leaping around a corner and then poking its head back like it was hoping you’d follow.

“What is going on?” you muttered to yourself, deciding you might as well follow the shy animal. It made a cooing noise at you, nudging you with its small, wet nose as you reached the room it was waiting for you in. Once it had ascertained that you were safely with it, it leapt onto your shoulder, nipping your ear when you tried to leave.

You were about to chide it for the rude behavior when you heard the front door creak open. Biting your tongue, you pressed your back to the wall by the door, peering through the crack at the new visitors. Based on the winged lemur’s behavior and your own intuition, it wasn’t the Avatar or any of his friends, and your stomach dropped as you saw men wearing the familiar Dai Li uniform creeping into the villa.

“You really think the Avatar’s the one that kidnapped Princess Y/N?” one of them said.

“Who else could’ve killed Captain Chhay?” his partner said. “That man is a legend in the organization. Long Feng thinks that they kidnapped Princess Y/N so that they have some leverage to enter the palace.”

“Poor girl,” the first agent said with a chuckle. “She’s like a toy for the real political powers to play with.”

His partner scoffed. “Right? It’d be depressing if she actually cared, but she’s not exactly done anything to gain any kind of relevance in her kingdom.”

“Her and that brother of hers are making this far too easy.”

“Did you hear that the Lower Ring citizens rioted just from seeing her?”

“At this rate, a peasant uprising isn’t far off at all. The seeds for revolution have been sown, and as long as things continue in the way they have been, it won’t be long before the monarchy is done away with completely and Long Feng can finally, truly assume power.”

“Shh! What if they overhear you?”

“It’s fine. The Avatar and his friends are busy under Lake Laogai. This is only a cursory inspection. There’s no one around to hear us; when else can we discuss this type of thing?”

“I don’t know. You’re just stressing me out. How much longer do we have to stay here, anyways?”

“We have to check for Princess Y/N. Or, at least, pretend like we did.”

“Honestly, I’d say we’ve done our due diligence.”

The voices were growing closer, and you shoved your fist in your mouth to avoid making a sound, staring wide-eyed at the winged lemur, who did not even blink as it returned your panicked gaze with a steady one of its own.

“True. Who really cares if she lives or dies? It’s all the same to our plans.”

“If she dies, though, people might feel some sympathy for the royal family.”

“Nah, just think about it: as long as we can blame the Avatar and his friends for killing her, then we not only get rid of one of the royal family members, we also shake the public’s faith in the Avatar. It’s actually for the best if we don’t find her.”

“You’re right!”

They were right outside the room now. If they took another step and turned, they would see you. You shrank back even more, wishing you could melt into the shadows, meld with the wall, hide in some way that would ensure they never caught wind of you.

“Let’s just go, then.”

“Wait, what if she isn’t dead, though? If she escapes and comes back to the palace, it’ll make us look horrible.”

They took that step, but still they did not turn. You shivered, wanting to squeeze your eyes shut but knowing you could not be caught off guard in case they saw you.

“If she comes back, we can let Long Feng deal with it. She’s been a real pain in his neck, you know? If Captain Chhay were still around, he’d probably be sent after her by this point.”

One of the agents clicked his tongue. “Good old Chhay. I’d never have said it while he was still around, but he was like a polar bear dog. Who else would be that loyal to a person?”

“I don’t know. Rumor has it that Long Feng paid him twice the regular salary. I’d be loyal too, for that kind of money.”

They retreated from the room, and you let go of the breath you had been holding, patting the winged lemur on the head, though you were still careful to be silent.

“That so?”

“Maybe one of us will be promoted to take his place now that he’s gone.”

“Now you’re talking!”

The door to the villa slammed shut behind them, leaving you and the winged lemur alone. You buried your face in your hands, breathing in quick, short gasps, gritting your teeth as you tried to regain your composure.

It went deeper than you realized. This wasn’t just incompetency or confusion — the Dai Li were planning on utilizing the citizens of Ba Sing Se for their own means, using them to overthrow the current government and then instating Long Feng as, ostensibly, a dictator. It was only your own fortune — you were still unsure whether that fortune could be considered good or bad — that you had overheard their plot, but what now?

You were presumed to be dead. At first, this horrified you, but as you thought about it, there was a definite bonus. The Dai Li’s efforts would be focused on the Avatar and his friends, and if you were considered a vanished non-issue, then there would be no eyes scanning the city for you. It left you free to operate as you wanted, given that you employed a modicum of caution.

Digging through the wardrobe of the room you were in, which upon investigation revealed itself to most likely be Katara’s, you pulled out a scarf and wrapped it around your neck and head. Though it did nothing about your stained dress, it concealed your identity well enough that you felt more comfortable walking outside than you had before.

“What about you?” you said to the winged lemur, scratching it behind its enormous ears. “You saved my life, I’m pretty sure. Thank you for that. Where will you go now?”

The winged lemur purred at you, rubbing its cheek against your own and tightening its grip on your shoulder. You giggled and rubbed its forehead.

“Alright, then. You can help me. Come along, but be prepared; it might be dangerous. I don’t think there’s time to rendezvous with the Avatar. I’ll have to storm my own palace and demand to see my brother myself,” you said, squaring your shoulders, finding some irony in the fact that you had finally been given leave to live your life how you wanted and yet you were returning to the very place you had tried so desperately, for so many years, to run from.

After all, if Princess Y/N was considered dead, then that meant you could live in disguise and become someone else. You could leave Ba Sing Se entirely and travel the world, see the sights you had thus far only ever read about. The capital of ice in the North Pole, the city of Omashu, which was commonly referred to as Ba Sing Se’s little sister…it was a possibility. There was no one stopping you anymore.

No one, of course, except for your own conscience. You could not leave when you knew that the Dai Li and Long Feng had killed your father and were planning on overthrowing your brother. You could not leave when your people, the ones who you had been born with a duty to, were being manipulated and taxed and abused by the ones that were meant to have their best interests at heart. And, though it was less grand of a reason, you could not leave the city where Lee was. Not without telling him first.

Though you knew the villa was located in the Upper Ring, it took you a moment to regain your bearings and find the palace. After all, it was far more difficult returning without one of Quynh’s doors to serve as a convenient portal or the Dai Li escorting you with their Earthbending. The sun was already high in the sky by the time you made it to the palace gates, but by the time you arrived, you found another problem facing you.

The royal military, which guarded the palace, was in complete disarray. It was as if a tornado had torn through them. Men were strewn about, staggering to their feet, while others used their own Earthbending to fix their formations. Was the palace under attack? Were you too late? Had Long Feng’s rebellion already begun?

“Who goes there?” a guard shouted at you. You did not respond, picking up your speed from a mere walk to a sprint, holding the scarf over your head so that it did not blow off as you ran. You could not know if you trusted the army or if they were in league with the Dai Li, and unless you were forced to, you did not want to reveal who you were.

“Hey! Answer us!” another guard said. You kept running towards the bridge over the moat. You just needed to cross that bridge, and from there, nothing could stop you. They must’ve had that same thought, though, as the stones of the bridge began to recede, leaving a gaping maw where you should’ve crossed.

Then the boulders began to fly. They weren’t trying to hit you, but they were blocking your path, making your entrance far more difficult. You used one hand to cover the winged lemur’s eyes from the dust pluming in front of you, squinting your own so that you were not blinded by it.

If you did not do something, then the guards would go from obstructive efforts to far more deadly methods. Earthbending against this quantity of offensive parties was a suicidal idea, especially when you were on the palace’s doorstep and there was a high chance you’d get caught, but there was one final card you could play, the one you had been unwilling to part with most of all.

Casting the scarf aside, you pointed at the guard who had been lifting another boulder into the air to throw at you. He paused mid-action, and then he pointed back at you, like he could not believe his eyes.

“I am Princess Y/N of the Earth Kingdom, you fool, and what you are doing right now is treason! If you throw even a pebble more at me, I’ll have you hanged!” you said.

“Princess Y/N?” the guard said, the boulder thudding to the ground before him as he dropped into a bow. “We were under the impression that you were — that you were dead!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Reform that bridge at once,” you said. “Did you think that a girl of Shan’s line could be killed that easily? Perhaps I must remind you: I am the princess. As long as my people need me, I cannot die.”

After that, you walked unchallenged towards the steps leading up to the palace. It confirmed one thing, at least: the army was not allied with the Dai Li. If it was, then you would’ve been seized by now and dragged to Long Feng, but all that the soldiers did was shy away when you stalked past, giving you looks that were equal parts questioning and awed, like they could not quite believe that the shy, delicate little princess was capable of such feats.

It was only a matter of time before the Dai Li caught wind of your presence, if they had not already. You had to make it to the throne room by then. At least for now, they were limited in what they could do while Kuei was watching, for he was still the supreme authority of the kingdom. Now that you had gone and announced who you were, they ought to have done everything they could’ve to stop you, but curiously, there was no one that came to block your path.

Even stranger, the route to the throne room was torn apart and devoid of guards. There had clearly been a fight, but who had broken into the palace and managed to overtake it so quickly?

The walls were crumbling, and entire pillars had been torn in half. There were scuff marks on the carpet, and the stone floors glittered with dampness — it had obviously been a massacre. For the first time, you felt like you actually fit in, your ragged appearance matching the ruined entrance hall perfectly.

“I don’t know if I can trust you,” Kuei’s voice drifted out from the throne room, the door to which was, for some reason, lying on the ground. “I’m sorry, but you have no proof. I’ll have to trust my advisors on this one. Long Feng, what do you say of their claims?”

“Do you think that I could’ve hid a hundred years of war from you?” Long Feng said, his voice cold and flat. “What’s more, I’ve received some disturbing news. It seems that the Dai Li found evidence that the Avatar and his friends were involved in the murder of Captain Chhay, as well as your sister’s abduction.”

“What?” Kuei said.

“What is he talking about?” Katara said.

“I’m an Air Nomad! Killing is against my morals!” Aang said.

“Look, we didn’t kidnap or murder anyone! You have to believe us,” Sokka said. “About that, and about the war. I don’t know why your advisor is lying about all of this, but you have to see through it!”

“Even from the Avatar, this kind of situation is just too fantastical. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to arrest you, at least until Y/N is found and Captain Chhay’s murderer is apprehended,” Kuei said.

“You don’t have to look any further,” you said, pausing in the doorway to catch your breath, hunched over as you wheezed from how much you had pushed yourself. The winged lemur jumped from your shoulder and scampered over to Aang, who made a small noise of surprise at the arrival. “I’m here.”

“Y/N?” Kuei said.

“Your royal highness?” Long Feng said, his innocence clearly feigned, though his surprise likely wasn’t. You glared at him, regaining your composure and straightening before taking the same place as always: below the throne, staring up at those who would always be above you. Your brother, the king. Long Feng, the traitor. You were beneath them both, but this time, you did not allow either of them to intimidate you.

“Where have you been, sister?” Kuei said. “We thought the worst must’ve happened! The servants came in the morning, and all they found was Captain Chhay’s long-dead body. You were gone. Who took you? Did they hurt you?”

“Clearly the princess has been through a horrible ordeal, your majesty,” Long Feng said. “Look at her dress. She needs time to rest and recover from what was no doubt a most harrowing encounter.”

“I’m fine,” you said. “There was nothing harrowing about it. He didn’t even have time to fight back.”

“Of course, you must’ve managed to escape somehow, and thank Quynh for that,” Long Feng said. “But just the mere experience of being kidnapped would’ve been traumatic. Poor princess…I will assign thrice the Dai Li agents to look after you, so that you may rest in peace.”

“I didn’t have to escape, and I wasn’t kidnapped,” you said. “This kind of conduct can be expected of my brother, but I know at least you are smarter than this, Long Feng. In fact, I know a lot of things about you now.”

“No,” Long Feng said.

“Yes,” you said. “You understand, don’t you? I killed him. I killed Captain Chhay.”

Kuei shrieked. “What?”

“It’s true,” you said. “I did it.”

“No way,” Toph said from behind you. “I think I respect you a lot more now.”

“Toph!” Katara hissed.

“Dai Li, seize her at once!” Long Feng said, gesturing towards you impatiently.

“Y/N…how? How did you do that?” Kuei said. “How did you murder someone? No, not just someone — the Captain of the Dai Li himself!”

“Does it matter?” you said as earthen cuffs bound your wrists behind your back once again. “The more important question is why. That’s what you should really want to know.”

“Take her to her chambers and ensure she does not leave!” Long Feng said.

“Why did I do it? What cause could your dear sister have to kill a man? Ask!” you said.

“We will decide what to do with you after we have gotten rid of the Avatar and his friends,” Long Feng said.

“Kuei!” you said. Putting him in this position was the worst thing you had ever done to him, but it was necessary. He had to seek out the information, or else he’d cover his ears and hide away as he always did.

His eyes swam with emotions you doubted he had ever been exposed to before, a veritable maelstrom of thoughts and questions and feelings that he likely did not even know how to handle. Dai Li agents appeared at your shoulders, but you did not take your eyes off of your brother. Your brother, who loved you. Your brother, who was the only family you knew. Your brother, who was the Earth King, the supreme authority in all the kingdom. You looked only at him, and you waited.

“Stop! Release her!” he said. The Dai Li hesitated, but though their loyalty might have been to Long Feng, they still had to abide by Kuei’s commands above all else. The stone restraints crumbled away, and the agents bowed before stepping away from you. “Why did you do it, Y/N?”

“Because Captain Chhay killed our father,” you said. “And he did it on Long Feng’s command.”

“What?” Sokka said.

“This is so complicated,” Aang said. Sokka hummed in agreement.

“That — you cannot just accuse people of regicide without proof!” Long Feng said.

“You sent Captain Chhay after me. He tried to kill me multiple times in Ba Sing Se alone. That’s proof enough! He was your little pet, wasn’t he? It’s what your own agents called him, after all. The beast of the Dai Li, sent to do Long Feng’s bidding. Who else but he would’ve been the one to kill the 51st Earth King?” you said.

“You’re being ridiculous! What motivation would I have to assassinate your father?” Long Feng said.

“Stewardship over the Earth Kingdom isn’t a bad prize,” you said. “Though I’ll admit that luck did play a role. After all, if our mother hadn’t died as well, then she’d be Kuei’s regent.”

“What, did he kill her, too?” Sokka said. “This dude just keeps getting eviler and eviler.”

“No, he — actually, wait,” you said. There was no proof, but for some reason, you didn’t find it too far out of the realm of plausibility. “There’s a chance, though I don’t have any proof for that claim as of right now.”

“You’re going on and on about nothing,” Long Feng said. “I’m not the ruler of the Earth Kingdom. Your brother is.”

“Yet he only implements policies that you approve of,” you said. “Policies which, if I might add, are deliberately harming our people! You’re sabotaging his reign so that our family is overthrown for good. You mean to usurp Kuei, and don’t even try to deny it — I overheard your agents discussing it, and, more importantly, I’ve seen the effects of your suggestions firsthand.

“The only city safe from the war charging exorbitant prices to those refugees which try to enter…thank goodness for that unnamed noblewoman allowing passage through the second southeast gate, right? I won’t speculate about her identity, but I’ll give you a hint: she’s someone you’d recognize.”

“You little wench,” Long Feng said. “You wasted your own money on that? I should’ve known.”

“That’s not all. You refuse to acknowledge the disparity between Upper and Lower Ring citizens, and the Dai Li are closer to terrorists than officers of justice. The people of Ba Sing Se are frightened to speak out about anything, because the Dai Li is always watching. No wonder they hate Kuei and I. No wonder they riot in the streets! But that’s exactly what you planned,” you spat. “Because once they revolt, you will pretend to be on their side and then use the same structures you claim to be against to strengthen your power, your grip on this nation. Kuei and I might be uneducated about the reality of this world and its wars, but at least we care about our people! Can you even claim that much? What sort of an advisor are you?”

“Continuing to speak will only incriminate you further,” Long Feng said. “You have gone mad, princess. There’s no other explanation for why you killed the captain meant to protect you, or for why you are saying such things. They are the ravings of a lunatic! King Kuei, I recommend she be arrested and sent to a correctional facility equipped to handle her case at once.”

You had said all you needed to, and so you just pursed your lips and ducked your head. Your part was done; now, it was up to Kuei to do what was right. If he did not make the proper choice now, then it was hopeless. Then they could take you wherever they wanted, because you could not fight back against your own flesh and blood.

“Dai Li, arrest—” You could not help your shoulders from slumping at Kuei’s declaration. Despite everything, it had not been enough. He still did not have any faith in you. “—Long Feng!”

“What? Your royal majesty, what is the meaning of this?” Long Feng said as the Dai Li agents saluted at Kuei before clicking a pair of metal handcuffs around Long Feng’s wrists.

“Did you really think I’d believe you over Y/N? Did you really think that there’s anyone in the world who I value more than her? It would’ve been more suitable for you to pretend like you actually cared about her. I might’ve been more inclined to agree with you then, but no matter your station, if you dare to speak against my dear sister like that, then you must face the harshest of repercussions,” Kuei said, standing and drawing himself to his full height.

“Kuei?” you said softly. You had never thought that he would be the one who would do something like this. Never in your wildest dreams had you imagined that he would stand up for himself, for you, to this extent. Yet here he was, doing exactly that.

“You are making a mistake! If you do this, you will be remembered as a foolish, empty-minded despot who used his power to rid the kingdom of any who dared to criticize his family,” Long Feng said. “You will be remembered as a tyrant. I swear it to be so!”

“That’s fine,” Kuei said. “They can remember me as a tyrant if that is what they will — as long as I am remembered as a tyrant who loved his sister. Agents, please, take him away at once! I’ve had enough of listening to him. I think it’s time that I take counsel from more qualified parties.”

“You’ll regret this,” Long Feng said over his shoulder. “I can assure you of that!”

“And you’ll regret killing my father,” Kuei said. “I can assure you of that.”

“I didn’t think he had it in him,” Sokka mused, earning him a snort of approval from Toph.

“Are you finally willing to listen to us?” Aang said. Kuei massaged his temples.

“Yes, I am. What’s this talk of war? Who are we at war with?” he said.

“The Fire Nation,” Katara said. “They attacked a hundred years ago. They killed all of the Air Nomads and have been steadily invading the Earth Kingdom; Ba Sing Se is the only place that’s still completely safe from their influence.”

“Because of the walls?” Kuei said.

“Yes, exactly. They haven’t managed to break through yet, which is why so many refugees have been coming here — most of them have lost their homes, and Ba Sing Se is the last hope they have at making new lives,” Aang said.

“The Fire Nation is that strong?” you said.

“That strong, and that dedicated. You know, their prince chased us all of the way here!” Katara said.

“For what reason?” you said.

“Something about capturing the Avatar and restoring his honor, I think,” Sokka said. “I’m not really sure. But! We have a way to defeat them, as long as you lend us your support.”

“We’ll do whatever we can,” Kuei said. “Right, Y/N?”

“Of course,” you said. Without Long Feng there to guide him, Kuei was like a baby animal whose legs were still wobbly and eyes were still barely opened. It would take time before he could stand on his own; until then, he needed someone who he could rely on, someone who could reassure him that he was doing the right thing. And since you’d rather that person be you than anyone more unsavory, you took the role upon yourself with as much grace as you could muster.

“The day of the black sun is coming up,” Sokka said. “The sun will disappear behind the moon for a window of time, and all Firebenders will lose their power. We have to strike them while they can’t fight back. That’s what we need your armies for — while they take care of the Fire Nation forces, Aang and a small task force will infiltrate the palace directly and defeat Fire Lord Ozai for good.”

Kuei glanced at you. You nodded. If they were telling the truth and this day of the black sun was a real event, then it was probably the best chance you had at turning the tides of a war that you had thus far been losing.

“Say, Katara,” you said as you walked her and Toph to the guest rooms they’d be staying in after they had finished briefing you. “Earlier, you mentioned a Prince Zuko and a Princess Azula. What are they like?”

You were fascinated by the thought that there was another pair of siblings not too dissimilar to you and Kuei, albeit younger, of course. Another pair of siblings who bore the burden of a crown. Another pair of siblings who had the weight of a nation looming over them. Would they understand the sense of duty which prevailed in you? The patriotism, the love for your subjects? You would likely never get to meet them and ask, considering you and they were on opposite sides of a war, so you settled for this, for learning about them through Katara’s words.

“They’re the worst of the worst,” Katara said.

“It’s true. They’re pretty crazy,” Toph said. “Though their uncle isn’t that bad!”

“Maybe you shouldn’t say that, considering he did lay siege to her city for six hundred days,” Katara said. “And not too long ago. I mean, it happened in our lifetime.”

It was almost a credit to Long Feng’s dedication, you thought, that he had even managed to hide such a long siege from you and your brother. The fact that Ba Sing Se had been under attack for two of your years of living and yet you had not known a thing about it was actually impressive, if not unfortunate.

“Oh, yeah. Forgot about that,” Toph said. “He’s pretty nice otherwise, though.”

“Naturally,” you said, bemused.

“We don’t know much about Azula, except that she’s Zuko’s sister and the princess of the Fire Nation, but Zuko’s been on our tail pretty much since Sokka and I found Aang in that iceberg. Apparently, he was banished or something, and the only way he can regain his honor is if he captures the Avatar. That’s what we’ve put together from his random speeches and consistent efforts, anyways,” Katara said.

“Although, we haven’t seen him in a bit,” Toph said. “Maybe he’s settled down somewhere.”

“Or he’s in disguise,” you offered. “You could’ve seen him and not even realized who he truly was.”

Katara shook her head. “No, he’s pretty distinctive looking. He has the giant burn scar covering the left half of his face — it makes him hard to miss. If we had seen him, we would’ve known.”

Your mind blanked, your stomach churning as you tried to process what she had just said. Burn scar. Left half of his face. Where else had you seen that distinctive mark before? You didn’t want to recall, but you did.

“Does he really?” you said to Toph.

“I dunno,” Toph said. “I’m blind.”

“Ah, right,” you said.

“Like I said when we first met, though, I can tell when people are lying, and she’s not. I don’t see what the reason to lie about that would even be,” Toph said. “It’s kind of a really specific thing to make up.”

“I’m telling the truth,” Katara affirmed. “Why, what’s wrong? I guess it’s kind of weird for the prince of the Fire Nation to be have a burn wound, but it was probably a training accident or something.”

“Oh, no,” you said. “Oh, no, no, no!”

“What’s wrong?” Katara said.

You did not want to listen to them, but if they were telling the truth, and you knew in your heart of hearts that they were, then that meant only one thing: Prince Zuko hadn’t settled down. He hadn’t given up on his chase or his war. He had moved on to more strategic maneuvers, that was all. Stealth instead of strength. Infiltration instead of invasion.

“He’s here,” you said, stopping and gripping her shoulders. She blinked at you, her blue eyes wide with uncertainty. “Katara, listen to me. All of you need to leave Ba Sing Se at once. If he gets his hands on Aang, then there’s no chance of our plans succeeding.”

“Huh? What’re you talking about?” Toph said.

“Prince Zuko’s here,” you said. “In Ba Sing Se, under an alias. I’ve seen him. I’ve met him. If the Avatar is his end goal, then the Avatar must leave as soon as possible. It’s not safe here.”

“But isn’t the Earth Palace the safest place in the world? There’s no way he can get past all of those guards all by himself,” Toph said. “He’s not that good of a bender, I’m pretty sure.”

You groaned. “No, he can get in. Anytime he wants.”

“How?” Katara said.

“It’s not important,” you said, too ashamed to admit your mistake. “Look, I trusted you all, didn’t I? Now you must trust me.”

Katara seemed uncertain, but Toph nodded at you, her expression set.

“We’ll just leave early,” she said. “I’ll go see my mother, Katara and Sokka will meet up with their father, and Aang can go visit that guru. Hopefully, by the time we’re finished with those errands, things will be dealt with.”

“I am sure it will not be a problem,” you said. “But just in case, you probably should not return to the capital. Unless Kuei or I appear before you ourselves, it would befit you to assume that any summons are deceptive in nature.”

“Are you sure about this?” Katara said. “If it really is Zuko, then he must have some tricks up his sleeve. Will it be okay for us to leave you alone?”

“If Aang is killed or captured, then it will be many years before the next Avatar reaches the level of training necessary to face the Fire Lord,” you said. “It’s too great of a risk for you to stay when it’s all but confirmed that Prince Zuko is here. As for me, I have the might of the Earth Kingdom behind me. No matter what, I’ll be fine.”

“Odds are that he’ll leave Ba Sing Se once we do, too, so there won’t even be any danger to the palace,” Toph said. “Once we go our separate ways, he’ll have to split his forces up as well, so it’ll also then be easier for us to take him on.”

“There’s also that,” you said.

“You have a point,” Katara said. “Alright. Toph, go tell Aang to get Appa ready. I’ll get Sokka and catch him up.”

“Be safe,” you said.

“You too,” Katara said. Toph punched you in the arm.

“Stay sharp, princess. See you around,” she said. “You’re not as much of an idiot as you could be.”

“Thank you,” you said. “I look forward to seeing you all again — if not in Ba Sing Se, then in the Fire Nation, on the day of the black sun, when we finally bring about their downfall for good.”

taglist (comment/send an ask/dm to be added): @rinisfruity14 @c4ttheart @blacky-rose @shizko @marsbars09 @happyplaidpersonfestival @catborglar @camilleverreault @nerdybouquetofkittens-blog @lovialy @heart4hees @stefnarda @ioonatv @vvicaddiction @yukihatesreoyo @yodayyy

[momos-servants]

Older Zukka fics (that are not on Ao3)

Hello there ! I’m obsessed with searching and finding older Zukka content as the show was coming out or buried Zukka content nobody seems to find. S/o @nvergonnajimout and @somethingfoamy for being curious.

This fic list is crazy because fanfic writing back then was… different. But I’ll tell y’all what’s in it. These are some fics that I actually ended up reading and got hooked.

Here’s da list

Dragon’s prey by ajj77subhawk.

Y’all this is just straight smut in some parts. I liked it tho because Zuko is like a spirit dragon thingy?? And it was Sokka-centric. But it has power dynamics definitely so if y’all are okay with all three of those things go for it. Honestly I was hooked the first chapter. I consider it well written for being a fanfic from 2007. But it is not like the classy AO3 literature y’all might be accustomed to. There’s 28 chapters.

FYI this was the one site I was like iffy to be on because I thought my phone was going to get a virus, but it didn’t! It’s a safe site (to my standard). This was the only lengthy fic on the Zukka section on the site, but if you want to explore you will find much more smutty Zukka fics.

Zuko Sokka fic by violet-plude

DeviantArt!!! I miss you.

Anyways this is a collection on one shots I believe? I only read chapter 1 and chapter 4, but both of them are cute. It could be read as a bromance if you want. You can definitely tell it’s DeviantArt literature, it’s so early 2010s I miss this era.

Spirit’s Eve by Captain Peregrine

Halloween festival fic!! Loved this one. I think anyone would love this lil oneshot lol.

Play Nice by Scuttlebutt inc

It’s a bromance fic, but you can read it as Zukka. It’s just them bonding and having fun with sparring.

Quiet by Usagi Youkai

Oneshot !!! It’s a lil over 1,000 words. This author is pretty good, they were definitely carrying Zukka on their back on fanfiction.net back in the day.

Fire Child by Usagi Youkai

So this is probably the biggest warning: it’s mpreg. Which is definitely not everybody’s taste. I was iffy but I still read it and it actually surprised me. There was not over femininzation of Sokka. If you like to read kidfics, this is a good one!! There’s like 3 other fics the author wrote connecting to this fic. There’s 25 chapters. It’s the whole classic cliché where one of them gets pregnant (Sokka) and hides it from the other (Zuko).

Just Let Go by SomniumAngel

If y’all love reading toxic fics, this is for you! It’s a one shot and a song fic.

What's In a Name? by Kalira69

This is actually the youngest fic on the list as it was published in 2017. It’s a soulmate oneshot. The dissection of written language is Chefs kiss.

-

Anyways these are the fics that I have found so far and enjoyed! If I find more, I’ll definitely make another post! :)

[quillthrillswriting]

i think that by far, the most common zutara trope i've seen is zuko freeing katara from her unhappy marriage with the clingy, unappreciative aang.

i've always felt that that aang would genuinely worship the ground katara walked on and be exceedingly kind and respectful, and so i've always thought that this trope would make a lot more sense flipped, with aang in the position of being katara's safe space after zukko reverts back to his angry, sullen, lashing out persona that he was before uncle iroh & the gaang's involvement.

this fic is the result of me having the thought "might f around and write a kataang fic that flips the usual zutara trope of "zuko helps katara escape a failing relationship with aang" 😳"

---

Zuko was all alone, heading an entire empire and facilitating the transition of his nation from a war-bringer to a force for peace. At first, she told herself that it was only because he had needed help that she chose to stay with him, but that wasn’t being entirely honest. After that play on Ember Island, all of the scenes where the two of them were in love had opened Katara’s eyes to the possibility, and try as she might, she couldn’t shut them again. And Zuko, after all that he’d sacrificed to help them, after redeeming himself in her eyes, even fighting alongside her, he had seemed like her best chance at home. 

So she had stayed with him. 

---

Zuko proposed, after just six months, but Katara thought little of the brief timeline. When you know, you know, right? He had given her his mother’s ring, and had her dress in Fire Nation colours for the ceremony. She had been under the impression that the wedding would be a welding of cultures, and so she had spent weeks painstakingly carving a traditional water tribe proposal necklace. 

When she had presented it to him, Zuko had only said that a Fire Lord couldn’t be seen wearing another nation’s trinkets . She had quietly dabbed away her tears when he wasn’t looking.

---

The moon rose and set six more nights before Katara rose with it, slipping outside of the castle during the changing of the guard, draped in traditional water tribe colours for the first night in years. Before anyone had seen her, she had made it, slipping between Fire Nation homes almost silently. She only paused to pull clothes and a cloth head covering from a clothesline, silently apologizing to whatever family she had just stolen from. She tucked a couple of coins and a piece of gold jewellery into one of the pockets of the pants still on the clothesline, an attempt at making amends for her crime, then blended into the night again. 

She hadn’t stopped moving until she’d finally found a small forest, then she’d made herself a bed of moss and curled up as if she was a child back on the tundra, pretending to be a sleeping snow fox alongside Sokka.

She missed her brother. She missed her home.

---

She knew where she would go once the cargo ship reached the land. The last location Aang had been in was the Western Air temple. So that was where she would go. If she needed to, to find Aang, she’d scour every inch of the mainland. She knew he would do the same for her. Which begged the question- why hadn’t he come to her when he began to feel that something was off?

It was that question that Katara started with, as she settled into a comfortable position on Aang’s woven rug, a cup of hot tea curling steam around her body that she absent-mindedly bent into shapes around her.

---

Aang sighed, looking away. “Katara, I hate to give you more reasons to feel distressed, but in case you hadn’t remembered, you told me to stay away. Told me my “juvenile crush” was ridiculous and made you uncomfortable. I felt awful, and so, I backed off. I kept sending letters every couple months, trying to make sure you were okay, but you told me you were too busy, and I respected that.”

Katara’s tone was unsettlingly neutral when she responded. “...What?”

Aang titled his head, confused. “You said, in your letters, that-”

She responded in that same tone. “What letters , Aang?”

♥ the rest of the (completed) fic can be found here!! ->

[sokkastyles]

I was rewatching ATLA and it just occurred to me that Ozai's abuse of Zuko is largely implied rather than shown aside from the obvious abuse in the Agni Kai. When I watched it for the first time as a kid, my first impression in the earlier episodes was that Azula abused Zuko more than Ozai, and I think this is mostly because he was kept largely in shadow for most of the series while Azula had more direct interactions with Zuko. Of course, this is all learned behavior from Ozai, but it's not immediately obvious how exactly Ozai abused Zuko before that. It feels like this can lead one to believe that the Agni Kai was the only instance in which Ozai actually did anything to Zuko, which is unfortunately a take I've actually seen. So I'm just wondering how you feel it was shown in the series (comics excluded) that Ozai's abuse of Zuko was a pattern of behavior that's always been the case? Or just how he abused him in general? I see a lot of takes that suggest more physical violence but I feel like the Agni Kai is the first blatant act of physical violence. But what's your take?

I also think the agni kai was the first blatant act of physical violence. I go back and forth sometimes with my headcanons on it, but I think that if Ozai ever was physical with Zuko before it was subtle, like grabbing an arm (combined with an ability to create fire from one's fingertips, this can get very nasty, though). Mostly I agree, though, Ozai's violence is more psychological. I've also made the point that the agni kai itself is so effective because of the psychological violence of it, not just the physical violence. The way Ozai puts Zuko into an unwinnable situation before burning him is very calculated, the actual act of burning him is just the icing on top. He has to make Zuko believe he deserves to be burned first. And this is really common with a certain type of abuser that is all about control. The violence usually happens in a controlled escalation. This is also why I've said that although I don't think Ozai was physical with Zuko before, after the agni kai Zuko is physically not safe even if he's back in Ozai's good graces, because the violence has already escalated to the point where Ozai is likely to do it again or something worse. Perhaps even especially after Zuko is back under his control in book three. And the next time it happened, Zuko might not have survived it.

And yeah, early on a lot of our reference for what Ozai is like and how he treats Zuko is how Azula treats Zuko, but that's also part of how we know it's a pattern, and one that Azula and Zuko have both internalized. Azula would not have such power to hurt Zuko by saying their father thinks he's a failure if Ozai had not said those things to and about Zuko before.

As far as examples of Ozai's pattern of abusiveness with Zuko, I will point again to the agni kai and not just the violence, but how manipulative it is, because that's where the pattern is. Ozai manipulates Zuko even when he thinks Zuko has "redeemed" himself in book three, in ways that are more subtle but echo the psychological violence of the agni kai. Look at their first scene in book three, the way Ozai heaps Zuko with praise but circles him while Zuko is kneeling on the floor, clearly terrified. I am also convinced that Ozai intentionally sent Zuko to Ember Island to make him stew over not knowing what his father's intentions are and test his loyalty, and that he was doing the same thing by not letting Zuko know whether he was invited to the war meeting, but then telling him he was almost late at the last minute. He's playing mind games with his son's insecurity while claiming that Zuko now has a place of honor. It's a way to let him know that that place can be pulled out from under him at any second, that violence could happen at any time if Zuko says or does the wrong thing, which he will eventually do because Ozai is purposefully keeping him confused.

Just look at the Day of Black Sun. What was Zuko supposed to be doing there, while Ozai was hiding in his bunker and Azula was waiting for Aang and co. to arrive? If Zuko hadn't decided to join the Avatar, shouldn't he have had some role as Fire Nation prince to defend against the invasion? Yet Ozai acts surprised to see him, which tells me he was purposefully keeping Zuko confused and out of the loop yet again, or at the very least does not care where his son is while the palace is being invaded on the most vulnerable day for a firebender.

And when Zuko openly defies his father, and Ozai's attempts to manipulate Zuko by belittling him the way he always did or using his love for his mother against him, then the violence comes, and it's swift and sudden and deadly. Sure, Zuko's acts are outright treasonous now, but the way Ozai does not hesitate at all to act with lethal force towards his son once he realizes he can no longer control him definitely says something. I think for Ozai, the control is more preferable, and you can't control a dead person or someone who hates your guts, not in a way that feeds your ego, and Ozai definitely needs that. But if you've groomed someone to accept violence towards them as natural, it's like putting them in slowly boiling water. Ozai would have never gotten away with burning Zuko if he hadn't first convinced him he did something wrong, if he hadn't been using slow psychological violence to wear down Zuko's self esteem long before that.

[ehliena]

The Gaang coming to visit the Fire Nation, not to see Zuko, but Azula.

It starts with Aang. He came to visit Zuko one time and found out Azula was in an asylum and made an unannounced visit where he finds out she was being mistreated (all the patients there were), so he changes things because he figures that if inner turmoil caused these people harm then who better than an Air Nomad to teach inner peace?

Toph hears about how Azula was treated and couldn't help but relate so she comes to visit too. While she's there, she suggests that Azula learns boxing bc it's helps to beat the anger out.

Katara wouldn't have gone to see Azula, but because she's a healer Aang convinces her to go, telling her that a healthy body is not healthy if the mind is sick. She goes and sees how awful things are and starts bossing around the healers in the asylum and ends up being civil to Azula.

Suki passes by the asylum sometimes to bring Azula some tea (the drinking kind, not the gossip kind). She says it's to make sure their most dangerous enemy is safely where she is, but it's actually a favor to Zuko and Iroh because neither could go as often as they wanted.

Sokka was the last to go visit. He didn't care much for the Princess, but hearing about innovation made him go. (It was healing innovation, but he used that reason to hide the fact that he had major FOMO about being the only member of Team Avatar who hadn't gone to the asylum). When he got there, Azula was a bit less paranoid, a bit more like her old self, still beautiful. He made sure to come back every month to play pai sho with her.

[ultfreakme]

Okay concept; S1 Sokka realizes the Gaang is way too noticeable and tries to reduce Katara and Aang’s involvement in literally every local problem. But one time the three of them almost get caught and Sokka decides to wear the Kyoshi Warrior uniform to go help them for an element of surprise. But every time after that, though he keeps telling Katara and Aang not to mess with local stuff and that they should leave soon, Sokka keeps going out in the Kyoshi Warrior uniform to help people without their knowledge the best he can, and this continues up into S2. When they’re in Ba Sing Se, he decides to investigate wtf is up with the Dai Li by going undercover, and people give him leeway when they mistake him for a girl the times he isn’t sneaking around.

and that’s when he meets the Blue Spirit who is ALSO tracking the Dai Li.

Now Zuko’s doing this just to keep himself and Iroh safe, and he gets a hand on the Appa poster so he’s searching for Appa too and in the middle of all this, he occasionally helps people out. He runs into Sokka, who he does not recognize(that’s not the Avatar so why should he care? He never bothered to remember Sokka, and really only remembers Katara because of how much she beat him up lol) and the two of them decide to track the Dai Li together for the night and help each other hide from them.

Sokka’s super pumped because thank fuck, someone else also thinks the Dai Li and the general functioning of Ba Sing Se is weird. He’s heard stuff about the Blue Spirit who’s rebel that’s been wreaking havoc everywhere. He’s suspicious, but for the moment it’s beneficial so he’s okay with the team-up.

Cue Blue Spirit and the mysterious Kyoshi Warrior meeting up every night to figure out what’s behind Ba Sing Se, the case of the missing Sky Bison, and also helping out people in the lower ring whenever they can(ft. Blue Spirit stealing sparkly stuff that catches Sokka’s eye).

Zuko figures the Kyoshi Warrior isn’t a girl(the voice is a dead give away) but he still doesn’t know WHO it is and tries not to develop feelings but he’s having fun playing vigilante and accidentally does. Sokka also ends up really liking the Blue Spirit because he’s cool, uses swords and teaches him too, mysterious and can kick his ass.