#tell him zuko tell him before you miss your chance

[petricorah]

just some casual early morning fishing and some not-so-casual evening pining after your best friend

mini explanation of how this would take place if it were a prequel to the dangers of not confessing comic

After ozai’s defeat, they finally take a break and go on the fishing trip they lied about. And it’s amazing, and fun, and Zuko’s heart is aching throughout every second of it. Because he’s drowning under the weight of his impending duties as firelord. He has Responsibilities. But all he wants to do is be with Sokka and have the time relaxing with the people he cares about, actions that he was deprived of during his youth. And Sokka’s about to be halfway across the world, back at his home, where he belongs. And it would be selfish to ask Sokka to stay. And even more selfish to tell him how he feels when he knows soon the trip will be over, and it will never work between them, and Sokka probably doesn’t even feel the same way. So he stays silent. 

And misses his chance.

[melzula]

Smoke and Shadow

part two

pairing: Zuko x Princess!reader

notes: final part is here! hope you guys enjoy and thank you for being patient as always

summary: the group is one step closer to finding the missing children and Azula, but that doesn’t mean all of their problems will be solved

~ part of the fire lilies series ~

“We decided to do some investigating after Zuko kicked Aang out of the throne room,” Suki explains to you as your trio runs after the Avatar and Fire Lord. “We wanted to see if there were any clues left behind from Kiyi’s kidnapping or Azula’s Kemurikage attack on the palace last night.”

“And even though we couldn’t find anything, I realized there was something fishy about the way she was able to escape so quickly!” Ty Lee adds with a keen smile. “When we used to play hide-and-seek as kids, she’d always manage to win by hiding in this secret passage way tucked into the palace walls. It must be how the Kemurikage were able to escape so quickly.”

“Good thinking, Ty Lee. Although, I still can’t believe she kidnapped her own sister,” you note with a disgruntled shake of your head. “That’s low even for her.”

“This is Azula we’re talking about,” Suki reminds you, and that in itself is enough of an explanation for her behavior.

You finally skid to a stop after reaching the palace rooftops where Aang and Zuko land. The Avatar carelessly drops your boyfriend on the tile, and you wince on his behalf before offering Zuko your hand to help him back up onto his feet.

“Did you have fun?” You ask with a teasing smile only for the Fire Lord to scowl.

“Don’t ever do that again!” He scolds Aang whilst dusting off his robes.

“Okay, okay, but look!” the boy insists before pressing down on a loose brick that opens up a hidden doorway.

“A secret passageway! So you think this is how Azula and the other Kemurikage escape? How did you figure this out?”

“They searched for clues after you kicked them out of the throne room,” you tell him with a pointed look that has him shrinking guiltily under your gaze. “I think you owe Aang an apology.”

“You’re right,” he murmurs sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I should have been more open to your ideas.”

“Apology accepted!” Aang chirps happily. “Now what’s our next move?”

“Well… Kiyi could be on the other side.”

“Tom-Tom, too. I’m coming along,” Mai interjects firmly, seemingly forgetting Kei Lo’s presence until he corrects her statement with a “We’re coming along.”

Zuko instructs Suki and Ty Lee to stay back and guard the palace, so you bid your friends goodbye before beginning your descent into the narrow passageway. The hallway is cold and claustrophobic, but Aang and Zuko lead the way with their fire bending, cautioning you to watch your step behind them.

You’re quiet for the most part, mulling over your thoughts and insecurities now that you’re given a moment’s silence to think. You’re still feeling a bit insecure about walking in on him with Mai and about his animosity towards Kei Lo, but you haven’t had the chance to talk to him yet. The long distance has been hard on your relationship, and sometimes it’s hard to keep consistent communication when both of you have duties to tend to and entire nations to run, but you never thought it would be a problem. Now, you’re not so sure.

You recall what Azula had told you during your time in the Forgetful Valley, how you and Zuko were an “unnatural” pair that would never work. You hate to admit it or even think it, but what if she’s right? What if you’re just kidding yourself? Maybe Mai really has been the right girl for him all along. After all, she is Fire Nation, and she certainly is more qualified to be dating the Fire Lord than you are. You wish Suki were here to talk to, surely she’d know just what to say and could stop you from spiraling like you are now, but without her it seems it’s just you and your thoughts for now.

“Hey, I didn’t get to introduce myself earlier,” a voice says, pulling you out of your thoughts. “I’m Kei Lo, Mai’s boyfriend.”

“Yes, I’m sorry, everything’s just been so chaotic. I’m y/n, Zuko’s girlfriend.”

“That’s right, Mai told me. Say, aren’t you a Chief? Should I be calling you Chief y/n instead?”

“Just y/n is perfectly fine,” you correct him with an awkward laugh. Unbeknownst to you, Zuko is listening in on every word. He doesn’t trust Kei Lo, not one bit, and he doesn’t want him roping you into any trouble. He doesn’t care if he really isn’t in cahoots with the Safe Nation Society, if Kei Lo so much as looks at you in a way Zuko doesn’t like he’ll be tossed into a cell immediately.

“So how’s a Chief of a water tribe end up dating the Fire Lord?” He asks with a laugh.

“It’s a very long story.”

“Please spare me the details,” Mai says with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, it may not be the best time for that story,” you note with an apprehensive smile.

“You’re probably right. Still, it’s a pretty awkward situation we’ve all found ourselves in.”

“You can say that again.”

After some time group is finally able to reach the end of the passageway, and the only thing standing in your way from the other side is a solid wooden door.

“This must be it,” Zuko announces hopefully. “Behind this door could be Kiyi and Tom-Tom.”

“And Azula,” Aang adds apprehensively before helping the Fire Lord push the heavy wood open. The creak of the old hinges is deafening, echoing in the silent hallway, and you watch with bated breath as the light from the other side slowly begins to seep in. Carefully, you follow the two out the door only to be met with a disappointing site.

There are no missing children and there is no Azula. Instead, you’re faced with a gloomy and desolate graveyard.

“What is this place?” You murmur in awe, your eyes scanning across the expanse of withered headstones. You’ve never seen anything like it.

“I’ve been here before,” Zuko notes thoughtfully, “this is the royal family graveyard.”

“I thought that’s what the Dragonstone catacombs were for,” Aang questions with furrowed brows.

“No, the catacombs are only for Fire Lords. This place is for everyone else. It’s called the Garden of Tranquil Souls.”

“Really? Well, I hate to break it to you, Zuko, but…” the Avatar begins uneasily, and you follow his shifting gaze towards the clouds of smoke that begin to surround the graveyard. Taking a step back, you reach to unclip your water pouch as the dark figures begin to close in on your group. “The souls here don’t seem all that tranquil!”

The group of Kemurikage don’t hesitate to attack, and immediately your group is split apart as you all begin to defend yourselves against their assault. Blasts of fire are shot your way left and right, but you’re able to deflect it every time with your water bending. You manage to take down two of the spirits by encasing them up to their necks in ice, but your progress only seems to make a dent in their ambush. Zuko and Aang are still corned back to back, and Azula has managed to single out Mai and Kei Lo. She holds the boy by the collar of his shirt, eyes full of malice and hand ready to strike him with her blue flames despite Mai’s pleas for her to leave her boyfriend alone.

Before she can harm him, you send a blast of water towards her with an effortful grunt that shoots her across the graveyard and into one of the pillars. The impact is forceful enough to put a crack in the tombstone and disorient Azula momentarily to allow Kei Lo and Mai the chance to escape.

“Are you alright?” You ask him after rushing towards the couple. Mai helps him to his feet before looking to you, her eyes full of gratitude and sincerity.

“Thank you,” she says earnestly, and you give her an appreciative nod in return.

Rising from the ground with a grunt of pain, Azula is filled with rage at your assault on her. How dare you think you can beat her at her own game?

“Helping out your competition? That’s pathetic even for you, dearest,” she insults, irises aflame with fury. “Perhaps you and Zuko are more compatible than I thought.”

“What’s pathetic is the fact that you’re still obsessed with becoming Fire Lord,” you spit back, water cloaking your arms to form tentacle-like limbs for attack.

“Oh, I’m much past that now. I have a new mission,” she notes airily with a passive wave of her hand. Her eyes harden suddenly then and electricity begins to spread across her fingertips. “One that simply won’t work with you in the picture.”

Before she can raise her hands to strike you with her lightening blast, Zuko is quick to send a hail of flames her way to distract her. “Leave her out of this! It’s me you want!”

“Oh, Zuzu, always so dramatic,” she mocks before creating a cloud of smoke to cover her as she runs away.

“You have to go after her!” You exclaim urgently. “I’ll stay back and help Aang handle the rest of the Kemurikage.”

After ensuring you’ll be fine without him, Zuko gives you one final nod before chasing after his sister. You, on the other hand, rush back towards Aang to see if he needs any help. However, it seems he’s been able to manage the assailants just fine on his own.

“Princess! Where’d everybody go?” He asks, perplexed at the sudden disappearance of your group.

“Zuko went after Azula. I’m not sure where Mai and Kei Lo are,” you note as you scan the garden for any sign of them. “What do we do now? We still haven’t found the missing children.”

As if on cue, a shrill voice coming from the passageway calls out for help. You exchange an alarmed glance with Aang before immediately sprinting back into the doorway. A breath of relief leaves you at the sight of Mai’s father with the children in tow, but your ease is short lived at the sight of the two Kemurikage that hold them captive.

“Look!” One of the kids exclaims. “It’s the Avatar and Chief y/n!”

“Hi kids, we’ve been looking all over for you!” Aang says with an overjoyed wave.

“Are you guys alright?!” You call out protectively. “Is anyone hurt?”

“We’re great!” Kiyi calls back prompting you to let out a relieved laugh. You’re so happy to see her and see that she’s okay, but your joyous reunion is quickly cut short by the two spirits who begin to approach the two of you with whips of fire.

“Hang on, kids!” You tell them before beginning to take on the Kemurikage. There’s two of them, so you and Aang each take on one. They’re powerful fighters, but the safety of the children is on the line, so you use all of your might to fight them off as best as you can.

You counter their whip with one of your own, slicing through their weapon each time before it can strike you. While one of your hands controls the water whip, the other sends constant shards of ice hurtling toward the cloaked woman. You can tell she’s beginning to tire, your attacks too much for her to keep up with, but you’re too focused to notice the second figure approaching closely behind you. The Kemurikage’s whip is raised to strike you in the back, but their attack is halted by the blade that slices through the air and pins their hand against the wall.

“What-!” You exhale in surprise, turning just in time to see Mai swoop in and finish the job. The last two spirits have been apprehended, and you’ve been spared a wound that surely could have been fatal.

“Someone had to watch your back,” Mai explains with a faint smile. “You had ours.”

“Thank you,” you utter with a breathless grin. It feels nice to not hate each other for once, and you actually seem to work quite well together.

“Y/n! Y/n!” A voice calls, stealing your attention away from the girl and back to the children. Kiyi sprints towards you with a gleeful smile, and you’re quick to scoop her up into your arms and give her the tightest hug. “You came back!”

“I promised, didn’t I?” You say with a playful smile, carefully pushing back the hair from her face. “I’m so relieved to see you’re okay, and I know Zuko will be too.”

“Guess what? I’m a fire bender now!” She boasts proudly. “I burned a hole through the door so we could escape!”

“That’s incredible!” You praise with a laugh. “Wait until your brother hears this.”

Across the way, Mai cradles her little brother in her arms and watches you speak animatedly with Zuko’s sister. Your interest in Kiyi’s story is completely genuine, and she can see just how much the girl values your opinion. It’s so different from the way Azula used to talk about you, speaking poorly of your character and diminishing you to nothing but a weak Princess. Maybe Mai had judged you too harshly. After all, she might not have been able to get her brother back without your help.

“Thank you again for your help,” she tells you after setting Tom-Tom down to allow him to bid his goodbyes to his new friends. “I was wrong about you, and I shouldn’t have let my resentment cloud my judgement the way I did. I guess I really don’t hate you as much as I thought I did.”

“I appreciate you saying that,” you express with a careful smile. Perhaps things will always be awkward between the two of you, but this is at least a good start.

After making sure all of the children are accounted for, your group exits the passageway just as Zuko emerges from one of the mausoleums. Kiyi is quick to sprint towards her brother, and you watch on with a smile at the way his eyes seem to light up while hugging her close.

“Kiyi! I can’t tell you how worried I was about you.”

“I wasn’t worried at all!” She notes with a grateful smile. “You should’ve seen it, Zuzu! Y/n helped the Avatar take those nasty ladies down!”

“She did, did she?” He asks playfully, glancing over to you with a grateful smile. You simply give him a sheepish shrug in return. “I’ll have to be sure to give her my thanks.”

“And Azula?” You ask him, but his solemn gaze is enough of an answer. “She said she had a new mission, did she tell you what it was?”

“She wasn’t interested in becoming Fire Lord, she was interested in turning me into the type of Fire Lord she would be. The type that rules with fear, ruthlessness. Just like my father. Azula says I can’t escape who I am, and it will only be a matter of time before I’m just like her.”

“You don’t believe that, do you? You’re nothing like Azula,” you say earnestly. “You never will be.”

“I know,” Zuko murmurs softly, but you can see the slightest bit of doubt in his eyes and it saddens to you to know he doesn’t fully believe it to be true. “But either way she escaped. I don’t know where she is or when she’ll return.”

“We’ll be there to help you if she does come back, buddy,” Aang consoles with a comforting hand on the Fire Lord’s shoulder. “For now, let’s just focus on returning these kids back to their families.”

“Good point, Aang. Now,” you say, looking to the children who stare up at you with tired eyes that immediately brighten when you ask, “who’s ready to go home?”

~~~

Peace has been restored in the Fire Nation; the children have been returned safely to their parents, and Zuko has earned the forgiveness of his people for his mishandling of the situation. Everything is almost perfect.

You lean against the balcony of your room for the night and stare up contemplatively at the moon. Yue shines beautifully as always, and you find comfort in her light as you battle against the darkness clouding your thoughts. Your doubts about your relationship still rage on, and you haven’t been able to fight them off no matter how hard you try. You haven’t mentioned anything to Zuko, not wanting to distract him from his duty to his people, but the suffering in silence act you’ve been pulling all day hasn’t been helping your state of mind. Suki had urged you to talk to him, stating you had nothing to worry about because she’s seen firsthand how much he misses you when you’re away, but you were too anxious to follow through. What if you won’t like what you hear when you finally speak to Zuko?

You’re too engrossed in your thoughts to hear your door open or the quiet footsteps that head towards you, and it isn’t until he’s right beside you that you finally feel the familiar warmth that constantly emanates from his body. You don’t have to look to know that it’s Zuko.

“Suki said I should come to talk to you,” he says softly, golden eyes looking to you inquisitively. “Is everything alright?”

“I… I’m not sure,” you admit quietly, nervously fidgeting with your fingers and refusing to meet his gaze.

“What is it?”

His hand sneaks its way in between your own to halt your fidgeting and reassure that he’s right there with you and ready to listen to whatever it is you have to say. Sighing, you finally look to him with uncertainty swimming in your eyes.

“Do you have feelings for Mai?”

He’s stunned to stay the least, eyes widening slightly in surprise at your question. It’s certainly the last thing he expected you to ask him.

“Is this what you were trying to talk to me about earlier?” He presses gently, frowning at the way you slowly nod your head. “I see…”

“Just be honest with me, Zuko,” you plead desperately. “We promised we’d never keep secret from each other anymore, so if there’s something to tell then tell me. I can handle it.”

“I can’t stand here and tell you that it didn’t look bad when you walked in on Mai and I,” Zuko admits with a sigh. “But I can tell you that nothing was going on.”

“I heard you say you care about her.”

“It was out of context. I was trying to make things right for the sake of finding the children- she was obviously still upset over what went down between us, and I was trying to keep the peace so that we could work together to find our siblings. I’ve known her since we were kids, and if it weren’t for her I never would have been able to escape Boiling Rock and come back to you. So in a way I guess I do care for her, but it’s nothing compared to how much I care for you.”

“What about your animosity towards Kei Lo? You seemed… jealous of him.”

“I wasn’t jealous, I just didn’t trust him. I still don’t,” Zuko says adamantly. “I wasn’t exactly thrilled about having to release him because I didn’t want him to try and pull anything. I didn’t want Mai getting hurt, and I especially didn’t want him putting you in any danger.”

“So… so you don’t have feelings for her?” You ask meekly, the slightest bit of doubt still present in your voice.

“I’ve never had feelings for her,” Zuko says earnestly before gently taking your hands in his own. “You’re the only girl for me, y/n. I was stupid enough to let you go once, but I’m never making that mistake again.”

You can’t help but smile at his admission, tears beginning to well in your eyes as you throw your arms around him in a tight embrace that he immediately returns. It feels like a weight has finally been lifted off your shoulders, and all the worry and self doubt you had is finally beginning to melt away.

“I never want you to feel doubtful or insecure about our relationship ever again. I’m going to do everything in my power to do better,” he professes earnestly. “I love you more than you know, and you don’t ever have to worry about someone coming between us again.”

“I love you, Zuko.”

He pulls you in for a kiss, and with the moonlight shining down upon you both, everything is almost perfect.

For neither of you notice the pair of golden eyes that stare down at you from the rooftops with disdain and disgust before disappearing into the shadows.

“Pathetic.”

| atla tags: @sirkekselord @niktwazny303

| zuko tags: @thebluelcdy @royahllty @the-firebender-girl @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @knaite-solo @taeeemin

| fire lilies tags: @emberislandplayers @kikaninchen-2 @music-geek19 @thia-aep @thyunnamed @haylaansmi @nataliahaslosthershit @idkdude776 @aangsupremacy @thirstyforsometea @ihaveaproblem98 @brown-eyed-thang @xapham @misnmatchedsox @chewymoustachio @that-bucket-hat-gal @chilifrylizard2 @kyomihann @kaylove12 @kiwihoee @freggietale @moon-spirit-yue @bubblegum-bee-otch

[attackfish]

So everybody here knows that I'm notorious for being a massive defender of Ursa, and that I have no patience for the "Ursa was a bad mother, she favored Zuko, and was abusive to Azula and abandoned her kids, and made Ozai abuse Zuko," narrative. That narrative is vile, victim blaming, and deeply stupid on a number of levels.

With that out of the way, I want to talk about some really really bad parenting we see Ursa do during the series. And it is to be clear really really bad.

In the Book Two episode, "Bitter Work", Zuko and Iroh have a conversation:

ZUKO: So Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say, she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her-

IROH: No, she's crazy, and she needs to go down.

This scene is a favorite of a certain type of Azula fan who wants to paint Iroh as a big meanie who didn't wave his magic redemption wand over Azula the way he clearly did over Zuko. See? See? He's writing her off here and calling her crazy.

This of course misses the context of that scene, which is that Zuko is taking care of a severely injured Iroh, who was injured by Azula, in what looked a heck of a lot like a murder attempt. Earlier in Book Two, in the episode, "The Avatar State", Azula unambiguously attempts to murder her brother after failing to capture him, and he is only saved by Iroh's quick reflexes.

But let's leave that argument aside for today because what interests me about this scene in the context of Ursa's parenting, is the line Zuko says right before Iroh's infamous declaration: "I know what you're going to say, she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."

Because in the context of Zuko and Iroh's situation, where Azula has recently attempted to kill Zuko, and just put Iroh into a coma that Zuko had to take care of him during, in which he has only just woken up from, this line from Zuko actually demonstrates some really warped thinking. It is not a healthy response to the situation at all. And his assumption is that a good caring parent figure like Iroh is going to respond to this situation by telling him that Zuko needs to get along with his sister, who is actively trying to hunt him down and capture or kill him.

So why does Zuko think that? What adult reacted that way to Azula's violence toward her brother in the past? It wasn't Ozai. Ozai is not going to use the language of getting along with one's siblings, when he is so bent on setting them against each other. So who was it?

The show answers this a few episodes before this scene, in the Book Two episode, "Zuko Alone." The answer is clear and heartbreaking: It was Ursa.

The scene in which this becomes plain, starts with Zuko and Ursa walking together. Mai spots them and smiles and blushes. Azula notices, and then turns to Ty Lee, and whispers, "Watch this!"

AZULA: Mom, can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game!

ZUKO: I am not cart-wheeling.

AZULA: You won't have to. Cart-wheeling's not a game, dum-dum.

ZUKO: I don't care. I don't want to play with you!

AZULA: We are brother and sister. It's important for us to spend time together. Don't you think so, Mom?

URSA: Yes, darling, I think it's a good idea to play with your sister. Go on now, just for a little while.

And then Ursa leaves Zuko alone with Azula and her friends.

There is a lot here that I want to talk about. I have in fact talked about this scene before, and what it tells us about Ursa's eagerness to reinforce Azula's seemingly kind and loving behavior: [Link], and even touched on why this is in fact an example of bad parenting from Ursa: [Link], but I think this deserves its own post, where we examine exactly what went on here, what this tells us about Ursa's parenting, and how this affected Zuko, and to a lesser extent, Azula.

In those previously linked posts, I talk about how this is clearly a pattern, that Azula has learned to predict and manipulate, and because we know it's a pattern, we know that this behavior on Ursa's part is repeated, and something her children have come to expect from her. Zuko and Azula know their mother wants her children to get along with each other, and love each other and have a good sibling relationship with each other so much that if Azula she plays into that, Ursa will force Zuko to spend time with his sister, and worse, that time will be unsupervised.

So, to be clear here, what Ursa is doing is giving Azula unsupervised access to her brother, against his will, as a reward for Azula momentarily acting nice. Or in other words, Ursa forces Zuko to spend time with his abuser against his will because she wants them to get along.

I think we can all see how that is some grade A terrible parenting.

And it does have negative effects on Azula. I think that we can see her learning how to manipulate people, learning how to lie and get what she wants from people, and that Ursa by giving her what she wants here, is showing her that this is a thing she can do to get what she wants. That is not a great lesson to teach your kid. I think it also feeds into Azula's possessiveness of her brother, and sense of entitlement towards him. She has learned that even the people who love and care about her brother, won't protect him from her. And she has learned that no matter what she does to him, he is supposed to try to get along with her.

These are some really terrible lessons, and we see some of the effects of them throughout the course of the show, so why is it that the "Ursa is a terrible mother" crowd never bring this up? I mean of course we know why, it doesn't fit their narrative. Their premise is not simply that Ursa is a bad mother, or even that her bad parenting explains Azula's behavior.

In fact frequently it isn't even about finding someone to blame for Azula's behavior, so that the responsibility isn't Azula's. (Which, to be clear is not how it would work anyway, because even if Ursa were exactly the type of horrible mother they said she was, Azula was still making the choices to do Very Bad Things, in the same way that just because Ozai is an abusive father, this doesn't mean Azula stopped being responsible for her own actions). It's more about proving that she has suffered enough that she deserves all the sympathy, and is allowed to be awful to other people, including Zuko, you know, as a treat.

The narrative that the "Ursa is a terrible mother" crowd are pushing is that Ursa didn't love her daughter, and thought she was a monster, Azula suffered so much, and it's so sad, and this is why she deserves to do very nasty things to everybody else, and no one should ever hold her accountable. Frequently there is some flavor of, "Zuko had a mother who loved him, you guys, unlike Azula, so he doesn't deserve sympathy, not like poor baby Azula!" Which is a deeply warped thought process on many many levels, but we're not going to go into that here.

The point is, that this type of bad parenting that I am pointing out here, doesn't fit this narrative, because this is not the kind of parenting mistake that a mother who doesn't love one of her children, and thinks that child is a monster, is going to make. This is the kind of mistake that a mother who loves her children very much, and wants them to have a good relationship, and doesn't recognize the threat that one of her children poses to the other, is going to make. In fact, the fact that she does it, proves that Ursa does in fact love her daughter and does not think she's a monster. So it does not fit the narrative these people are spinning, so they will never bring it up as an example of how Ursa was a bad mom.

Of course the other reason the "Ursa is a terrible mother" crowd aren't going to bring this part up is because it would mean acknowledging that Zuko deserved to be protected from Azula, and needed to be protected from Azula, when they were both children, which would go against the whole "she's a poor innocent child" thing they like to spin, and also because Azula is getting what she wants here, and Zuko is the one suffering, which is not going to get Azula any sympathy points.

And for the most part, Ursa was an excellent mother, who did the best job she could in horrible circumstances that she had very little control over, but she wasn't perfect, and she did make mistakes, which makes all of this a wonderful example of how even very good parents can make very bad choices that hurt their children and cause serious long-term damage.

I've talked some about the long term damage that Azula faces from this, learning about manipulation, and developing some really nasty entitlement issues with regards to her brother, but Zuko's long-term damage is if anything worse.

When we put this together with Zuko's line from "Bitter Work" quoted earlier, we can see that Zuko learns what Azula learns from the other angle, which is to say that he will not be protected from Azula by anyone, and not only will he not be protected, but he does not deserve to protect himself. Not only can he not defend himself, but he can't even protect himself by avoiding her. That's not allowed either. And in the face of her cruelty and violence towards him, it is still on him to make their relationship work, and to be clear, he should absolutely be making their relationship work. And the adults who love him are going to tell him this, no matter what Azula does to him.

I for one am really glad that Iroh is there to say no, that's a terrible idea, and you do not need to keep trying to get along with your sister who is trying to kill you. And it's significant that throughout Book Two, Iroh consistently protects Zuko from Azula, and teaches him what he needs to fight back.

[unfriedough]

Hi super sorry if your request aren’t open.

I had this thought about Zuko x waterbending reader and maybe they could be related to Hama (like a grandma or something) and r basically it’s difficult to explain but Zuko and reader started dating after the war and he tries really hard to get Hamas approval because he’s from the fire nation and Hama ends up sorta accepting him but is still hella weary about him

‘Dinner’- Zuko x female!reader

An: HIYA! So as to not be annoying I’m leaving my lil disappearance explanation at the bottom, enjoy 🫶

(As usual, thank you for your request and patience it means a lot 💕)

Warnings: fighting/agression but it’s brief dw (this is also a very short piece)

You smiled as a candle flickered in your room, kicking your feet as you read a letter your boyfriend, Zuko, wrote to you. He detailed in it his most recent endeavours as a fire lord, as well as affirmed that he could in fact come for a visit. You had been planning to move to his palace soon, as per his request, but he was afraid your grandmother, Hama, a ruthless fire nation hating blood bender who might just hate Zuko, would not be on board. You decided the easiest way was to have them both over for food, and you’d prepared a huge feast of different delicacies of both nations. Zuko was meant to arrive in about an hour, and Hama was already down stairs washing up. She vaguely knew you were going to introduce her to someone, just not entirely aware of who. You shoved the scroll into another backpack you packed for your move, which was supposed to take place a week from now if all goes well.

You walked over to the window sill and sat on a cushion you placed on the protruding wooden part, sighing. You wandered in an endless maze of thoughts, until a face appeared in front of you. You squeaked, almost falling backwards but you caught yourself. Shaking your head, you unlocked the window and pulled zuko in.

“Dude?” You questioned, pulling him in for a hug.

He smelled like the sea, you noted, originally expecting the smell of a certain beast on him.

“Sorry- I got nervous,” you giggled, pinching his pouty cheeks.

He grinned, dipping you into a passionate kiss that screamed ‘I miss you’ in every language. His hand trailed to your back, and yours his hair. Just as things began to escalate, the door swung open.

“YN!”

Immediately, you pushed him away, and he stumbled backwards. Both your eyes landed on your grandma, who was as pale as a ghost.

“I can explain!”

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

Zuko was frozen, from the long list of things that could've gone wrong, this did not even make the top one hundred list.

“Grandma, this is Zuko,” you calmed down, “My boyfriend,”

He snapped out of his trance and extended an arm to shake with her. She walked out, leaving a small stone to prevent the door from closing again.

“Sorry about her,” you groaned, embarrassed that she left him hanging.

He retreated his arm, shoving it into his pocket, “She already thinks I suck. It’s over.”

“It’s okay she’s easy to win over,” you smiled sweetly, contrasting the lies that currently fled your lips.

Stiff, awkward, weird… all of the above.

You couldn’t relax for this dinner, things were so tense after what just happened. He didn’t even get to say hello before she saw his tongue down your throat and now she probably is a hair away from blood bending him into a ball. And he could tell she hated him- when he asked you to pass him a spoon she threw it at him. She missed…

“So, why don’t you tell her about yourself Zuko,” you broke the silence.

His eyes widened, suddenly being put on the spot, “Well I-uh-um-“ he coughed.

“He helped the avatar end a hundred year war,” you chimed in.

“Yeah so he can start a 200 year war all on his own,” she remarked, glaring at him. “All fire folks are the same,”

“Gram, give him a chance, he’s trying his best,” you held his hand over the table, rubbing your thumb in comforting circles.

Suddenly, a fork came hurling at you, and when you both dodged your hands away, you found it embedded in the table.

“Right…” you breathed out.

She stood up abruptly, folding her arms, “Yn, come outside, now,”

“Yes ma’am,” you replied, looking back at Zuko with a worried expression.

You shut the creaky wooden door behind you and adjusted your garments as you stood by here on the patio.

“A fire nation boy?”

“He’s different… he’s not what you think he is,”

“That’s what they all say Yn, he’s bad news.”

“What about him is bad news?”

“Everything. Especially the fact that he’s a ticking time bomb.”

“He’s a good man.”

“Are you forgetting his past? He attacked the avatar!” Your eyes widened, “That’s right, I did my research… I know every little thing he did and so help me if you dare leave this house with him I will make sure that’s the last time either of you see each other.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Who’s gonna stop me?”

Your eyes brimmed with tears- it was one thing to ban you from seeing him, but a completely other thing to treat you like a child. You were old enough to make these decisions on your own. You huffed, storming back inside and waltzing into your bedroom, slamming the door with a lot of force.

Hama sat back down at the table, smiling before she flipped it onto Zuko. He gasped, standing up quickly to avoid being crushed. She stomped around the table and got up in his face, grabbing the collar of his shirt. She was surprisingly strong for her ancient age.

“What do you want from her?”

“To be with her,”

“Why?”

“Because I love her,”

“WHY?”

“WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?”

She pushed him onto the ground, lifting her arm as if about to bloodbend him. He’d heard the tales of what she was capable of from his friends, and he felt his heart drop.

Zuko froze, waiting, shielding himself and closing his eyes.

“Aren’t you gonna firebend?” She asked, a bitter sounding tone.

“No.”

Just then, you exited your room, finally having collected your bearings. There, you found Zuko almost curled up on himself, and Hama glaring at him. He breathed heavily, and she looked as if a blood vessel was about to pop. You immediately rushed to his side, helping him up to his feet and checking him for wounds. He was fine of course.

Your hand brushed against his cheek and he closed his eyes, humming, “I’m fine,”

“What did you do?” You yelled, looking at the old lady.

“I tested him.”

You laughed sarcastically, “And did he pass,”

“With flying colours,” 2 out of 3 pairs of eyebrows flew upwards, you and Zuko exchanged glances. “For now,”

After a bit of cleaning up, you finished the night with Zuko in your bedroom, sitting at your desk.

“Is everything okay?” You asked, leaning against the table.

“If she doesn’t even want me near you, how on Earth are you going to move in with me?”

“That’s… that’s a great question.”

An: OKAY SO idek where to start I basically obv got back to school and I had exams and then even MORE EXAMS coming up (send help) BUUUT I mainly just lost my spark and interest in writing but it feels wrong to continue to ignore my inbox so I’m gonna try my best to clear it soon. If you have requested I’m genuinely so so sorry it’s taken this long I’m sure you’re mad at me but hopefully not too mad don’t hate me okay bye love you 🩷

[sukidude]

Zukka AU where they’re phone number neighbors...

Sokka follows that dumb trend that was popular last year where you text the person who has the phone number right before or after you and it turns out completely by chance to be Zuko.

It probably goes something like this:

Sokka: Hey, phone number neighbor! Just wanted to say hello and hope you’re having a good day!

Zuko: Kindly, fuck off. 

Sokka: Oh, so that’s how you want to play it, huh? You could have just been nice. You could have just ignored me? Instead, you decided to be an asshole. Prepare for war...

Zuko: I said kindly?

Sokka proceeds to send him like full out novel length texts once a day with pictures about whatever scientific hyperfixation he has that week. (They’re actually very educational and informative tbh) And Zuko, who at first wants to block his ass, doesn’t for some reason. Because honestly he could respect the hustle of being THAT consistently annoying. 

At first he just admires the texts, sometimes sent at 5 AM, sometimes at 3 PM. They started to become a nice part of Zuko’s day at the office. He started to (god forbid) even look forward to them. 

It’s not until about 3 weeks into this ordeal that Sokka misses a day. Zuko, immediately annoyed at himself that he had noticed, finds himself in disarray. Did he... care about this stupid phone troll asshole?

Whatever, he texts him anyway. (out of curiosity, out of boredom, he tells himself)

Zuko: Hey? You didn’t send one of your stupid texts today. Are you like... still alive?

Sokka: HOLY SHIT. YOU- YOU TEXRED BACK??? I’M SJDFHFDSKDFSF

Zuko: Okay, just checking. Goodbye. 

Sokka: WAITBEFORE I LOSE YOU WHATS UR NAME?

And then they proceed to have a very nice conversation over the next few days where they find out they have a lot in common and live in the same neighborhood of the city and Sokka, feeling very bold one day, asks him out on a date.

And Zuko’s like... fine. He doesn’t have much else going on and he had found something charming about the attention to detail the guy had used in all those weeks of stupid texts and they have dinner and its AMAZING bc they immediately fall in love. The end. 

[theerurishipper]

I think anon was referring to what zuko said in response to aang telling katara to forgive yon rha. While aang came across as a bit patronizing even if he meant well and that was obviously unhelpful, I can honestly see why that would count as zuko mocking him. that being said, I agree with everyone else you said and anon shot themselves in the foot when they mocked Zuko;s scar and they engaged in azula apologismwhile using the fact that she's mentally unstable as a shield.

I mostly interpreted that as Zuko saying Aang is being naive rather than his disagreeing with the actual teachings themselves. Zuko isn't one for revenge either, or else he would have killed Ozai, or let Zhao die. And he's never been shown to disrespect the Airbender's teachings in this way before. He's listened when Aang has talked about the monks before. But he understands Katara's feelings in a way that Aang doesn't seem to (which is not to say that Aang hasn't suffered through tragedy or that Aang doesn't understand loss, but Zuko and Katara are specifically paralleled through the fact that they lost their mothers, and it's something they connect over because they feel similarly about it), and it's also a little personal for him in that way. I'm not going to justify what he said, it was a shitty thing to say regardless, but he wasn't being racist. Even Aang doesn't take offence to it because he knows that, and they're on good terms at the end.

I think decrying it as a racist comment simplifies the issue and shifts the conversation. Zuko had a point, but he said it in the worst way. But calling it a racist comment because Zuko think Airbender philosophies are inferior is the wrong interpretation, and it sort of changes the way you view the scene and removes any fault from Aang in the situation. Aang was telling Katara to forgive the man who murdered her mother. That's not really a small thing. And he was quoting the monks verbatim without trying to understand Katara herself and without trying to take into account the real situation they are in, which can't be fixed with a quote that Aang hasn't learnt to put into practice when something comes into conflict with it, as happens in the real world. This is not anti-Aang or anything, this is literally the conflict he deals with at the end of the episode and in the finale, of how to reconcile the monks' teachings with the reality of his situation.

Zuko didn't say Aang was naive because he wanted Katara to get revenge, he did it because he understands her pain, he knows how facing his father gave him closure, and he's angry that Aang is trying to tell Katara to not have the same chance. So when Aang uses "revenge is a two headed rat-viper" line, it makes him angry because Aang clearly doesn't understand. Zuko is saying Aang doesn't understand the reality and is resorting to quotes from the monks, simplifying a complex issue, which is... not wrong. Zuko himself never once pushes Katara towards violence or revenge in this episode. He himself is not that kind of person. If he had been completely wrong or if he had been a bad influence on Katara, pushing her towards a destructive path, the episode shouldn't have ended with her forgiving him, not just by words but with a loving hug. And it also ends with Katara saying she didn't take Aang's advice and ends with Aang being torn between the reality of his situation and his commitment to upholding the beliefs of his people. Simplifying it to "Zuko is racist" just because some people think Aang can never be wrong is reductive and misses the whole point. You're free to disagree, that's just how I see it.

Thank you for your ask!

[picnicbitchsokka]

zuko & sokka learn from each other in the best way possible - and here’s why

here’s the last paragraph from the famous “the prince and the fool” page iroh wrote to zuko talking about sokka

“Your experience with failure and your refusal to give up helped Sokka when he needed it most.”

sokka’s father, hakoda left him to protect his village, his gran gran, and katara

we know sokka can be really hard on himself wanting to prove to his father he’s worthy and this caused him to be brave and the protector

but he has also struggled dealing with failure at the same time

he hates letting the ones closest to him down. even at the day of black sun, he felt like he failed and let everyone down especially his father

sooo when zuko (mr. fail lord) comes along, in boiling rock, he tells sokka you’ll fail a lot in life. and it’s okay to fail over and over again before things work out

and sokka knows zuko never gives up. he listens to him cause he knows the words he’s saying are real and he’s not just rambling like he did about the silver sandwiches

post canon, i feel like when sokka was in certain situations where he knew there was a possibility of failure, he didn’t shy away from the idea as much

his bravery allowed him to take risks even though there’s a chance he might fail

sokka being sokka, he’s of course gonna want to succeed and win all the time…it’s just zuko who taught him that winning isn’t the only option. there’s failure too.

i’m literally praying this all makes sense

ok now for zuko, “And maybe you needed a bit of his foolhardy spirit to remind you that you are human too and trying to do the honarable thing doesn’t always mean doing the right thing.”

while zuko taught sokka how to deal with failure, sokka taught zuko to not be so serious all the time

notice how before boiling rock, zuko never really made…jokes

the only one he made was irohs and it didn’t really land as much as he thought it would sry zuko

it was after boiling rock is when we see him become more close and comfortable with the gaang, and—start making jokes and being sarcastic

hmmm who also makes jokes and is mr. sarcastic in the gaang??🤔 hmmmmm i wonder

he literally made a joke and the gaang laughed?????the gaang laughed. well except katara

zuko is learning he’s “human too” at the same time sokka’s learning that “being brave can mean failing”

they both bring out each others weaknesses and learn together how to grow within those weaknesses

now this is what i call balance

iroh does not miss.

[sokkastyles]

Sigh. I found another bad Zuko/Azula take once again:

"Azula was a better sister to Zuko then he was a brother to her! He only joined the crystal catacombs for his honor and not because he wanted to help her. She gave him a choice for his honor back, approached him when he was didn't seem happy in the beach episode, and she warned him about meeting Iroh! Zuko only went to her if he wanted something from her. Zuko kept betraying people and was never a brother to her. He should've told her the connection to Avatar Roku to change her mind! He's a bad brother and Azula's a good sister!" My apologies if this is really long by the way 😭I just thought it was really funny to see and wanted to hear your thoughts lmfao. However no need to answer this if you don't want to, I understand you've already answered one of my asks from not long ago lmao-

I'm gonna say some of the same things I said before because a lot of this stuff can be immediately addressed by the fact that Azula imprisoned Zuko in the crystal catacombs. By the time she gives him an opportunity to join her, it's either that or going back as a prisoner. Which is why it's not a real choice, it's coercion. What she says about honor is all bullshit meant to appeal to what she knows he wants. She's not really giving him a chance at honor, she is manipulating him, the same as when Ozai tells Zuko he needs to do x, y, or z to restore his honor.

Side note: I've seen many people here credit Azula for giving Zuko the idea that honor is something you can choose for yourself rather than having it bestowed by someone else, but what they miss is that even though Azula is telling Zuko that "he restored his own honor," he isn't really the one making the choice. There can't be said to be a real choice if the other option is imprisonment. And the second part of that that Zuko learns later is not just about choosing honor for yourself, but about choosing what is right. Zuko cannot restore his honor by choosing to side with the fire nation, and that's something he comes to understand later. And even at the end of book two, he is aware that the choice he makes is not really the right one, and is going against his own judgment. So he's not really choosing it for himself, what he thinks is right, he's choosing what Azula has convinced him is right.

The fact that Azula was the one who imprisoned them in the first place is also why warning him about visiting Iroh isn't really her helping him. Visiting Iroh would not be dangerous for Zuko if Azula had not imprisoned Iroh in the first place. But, you see, she could not offer Iroh the same "choice" she does Zuko. First of all because Iroh cannot be manipulated, but second because Azula needs to get Zuko away from Iroh in order to control him. This is something she realizes at the beginning of book two. So warning him to stay away from Iroh isn't about Zuko's safety, it's about keeping him under control.

It's much the same when Azula approaches Zuko at the beach and tries to cheer him up. I actually do think this scene is one where she is rarely genuine towards him, but she's still being manipulative in ways she may not realize because manipulation and control is normalized in the household she lives in. But if we focus on what she actually says, we see a theme continuing from her telling him to stay away from Iroh. She tells him to stay away from the old house because it's "depressing" and come down to the beach with her. Again, she is telling Zuko to stay away from those things that might make him question the abusive and imperialistic environment he is in, to be complacent with things the way they are. She doesn't want him to follow his own line of thinking, especially when that thinking leads him away from her control.

And about those scenes where he goes to her when he wants something, this happens because she positions herself as an authority figure over him, because she wants that control. Every time he goes to her she acts annoyed, but absolutely enjoys dressing him down and talking him in circles. This is also a hallmark of an abusive person. They will often make it seem like you are such a burden on them, but that's all farce because they want you to be dependent. Remember that although Azula acts like Zuko is being irrational for questioning why she lied to Ozai about him killing the Avatar, she created that situation. She forced Zuko to maintain this lie and didn't even tell him she was going to do that. He is right to be suspicious about this and confront her about it. But she sets it up on purpose to keep him confused and then makes it seem like his confusion is him being irrational. This is textbook gaslighting.

As far as "he should have told her about Avatar Roku to change her mind," he does try to. He even asks her when he realizes the history they were taught is not true (and the fact that he goes to her about this is a sign of how much she has gaslit him, because even when he knows the truth, he goes to her and views her as an authority, trusts her over himself.) And she responds by mocking him and insulting his intelligence. She's not going to be willing to listen to what he has to say. And if he had further tried to have a conversation with her about it, she would have done what she always does, and tried to talk him out of it, made it seem like he was the one who was wrong. He realizes this and this is why he's stopped listening to her, by the end. This is also why talking to Azula would not have worked at the last agni kai. Azula is still justifying herself and making excuses in the end, still blaming Zuko for her actions, but he makes it clear he isn't listening anymore because he has learned that this is what he needs to do to protect himself.

Which is sad, but it's not Zuko's fault, and it never was. It is the fault of the people who thought that they could take advantage of him. And Azula was one of those people.

[highfantasy-soul]

Things I LOVED in NATLA Episode 6 - Masks

Opening with Zuko pre-scar getting ready for the war council - you really didn't have to gut-punch me like that, show

Starting the camera from behind his head so we don't know yet and having Iroh's monologue starting up - really really great stuff

Dallas Liu did such a great job acting as a 3-years younger Zuko here! The way he holds himself, the tone of his voice THE WAY HE FREELY SMILES!!!!! Immediately lets you know this is younger Zuko before the most traumatic shit of his life

Damn that transition from young Zuko to him on the shiiipp!!

Zhao is so slimy and is so good at making you hate him

Love Zuko's desperate plea to his crew that they stand by him and then Jee's outburst at the way Zuko treats them

We see both sides (and even more by the end of the episode)

Love the added layers to the 'villains' of the story

"We can solve the world's problems without hurting anyone!?" "We can try"

Such a great back and forth there - already showing where Aang's ideas are at and how he's a pacifist at heart

But he still mentions painful consequences if they fail - consequences those of us who know the animated version know all too well how close that is to Roku

The Mother of Faces! Great deepening of lore and reinforcing the themes of identity and masks for the episode

Though I miss Roku wrecking shop at the temple, seeing the fire sages all taken out by Nyla's paralysis was dooooopppee!!!

June is so cool and so very, very competent. Love her to death

Zuko's resigned 'no' as Aang begs him to let him go save his friends :(

Yet another instance showing that although Zuko's put a mask on to show the world since his banishment, Aang is the one who can see through it because he truly believes the best in people - even enemies

Baby Zuko in the war council not paying attention

Just trying his best but clearly not taking it as seriously as he should - giving plans of attack they'd already discarded

He just wants the approval of his father

Love the added depth from Ozai here

He WANTED Zuko to come up with a good plan, he's DISAPPOINTED he didn't.

This Ozai hasn't written Zuko off from the start, he's 'giving him chances' to be the son Ozai wants him to be - and is failing

Let's be clear here, it's not ok that Ozai is doing this and this doesn't mean Zuko brought his abuse on himself, it means that in Ozai's mind, he can justify it and 'gave chances' - see the cycle of abuse

Zuko's core shining through as, even though he doesn't have a good plan himself, he KNOWS what the other general suggested is wrong

You don't have to be an expert on world affairs or battle plans to know WRONG when you see it - it's basic humanity and anyone who tries to tell you you shouldn't have a say because you're not an expert can eat shit

AAAHHHHH Zhao throwing it back in Zuko's face that defying one of Ozai's generals (admirals), Zuko is defying his own father

AARRRUUGGGHHHHHHHAHAAAAAHHHHAAAA

Zuko strategizing immediately!!

Iroh trying to talk sense into him!!

Everything from this point on is almost directly pulled from the animated series and I think the show knew EXACTLY when to do a 1-1 translation to live-action

Zhao's little smarmy speech to Aang, Aang then blowing him into the door XD

Zhao's absolutely pitch-perfect middle manager 'Our numbers have been great this quarter, here's your pizza party!' energy that's waaayyyy too into this

He's so obsessed with the appearance of power and the rush of shouting accomplishments to uproarious applause, he doesn't care about anything else

Spit in my mouth, that pan over to The Blue Spirit hanging out in the tree and the little head tilt as he hears the wagon rolling underneath - uuuuuuhhhhh that was…good. Yeah, that was good. Ahem, I'm fine, totally normal over here, carry on.

NiNjA sTuFf!!

The whole unseen hallway fight *chefs kiss*

"Who are you?" Head tilt "Right, talk later, run now" while the Blue Spirit is already all the way down the hallway XD

Their heads popping up above the crates to scope out the courtyard XD too cute

"Now is that 'loyal' or 'faithful', sir?" 😭

Zhao's panicked scream after just having been so confident 🙃

SIIIICCKKK sword flourish!

ALL the choreography at the top of the battlement was fantastic - I could see the CGI doubles in a few places, but really, it was so good I didn’t care

Just two cuties stilt-walking across a courtyard full of enemies, nothing to see here

I LOVE how The Blue Spirit holds himself so differently than Zuko does. The mask hiding his features really does let him take on a persona that he can really settle into

The way he holds a stance ready to fight is completely different than Zuko does when he's firebending and I think it was such a good touch to make sure their fighting styles were nothing alike (even barring the difference in weapon)

It's sooo interesting that in this version, you can see through the eye-holes of the mask - looking closely, you can see Zuko's fear and insecurity, even his shallow breaths as he's terrified his plan won't work. It's something you have to look closely for, but it's very very good.

And that little nick on Aang's neck from the swords! Zuko really was holding them tight to him

Zuko slapping Aang's hand away XD it's hilarious in how honest of a teenage reaction that is

So much of what Zuko does is exactly what teens do when they're trying to be badass and edgy, but to us olds, it comes off so try-hard and petulant - it's a mask of confidence and badassery that's so easy to see through

"Can I ask you a question? It might be a little personal - goat hair or rabbit?"

I legit almost cried at that - it's just SO AANG to talk about mundane things with the 'enemy' to try to find common ground. Humanize each other so they can find a way to resolve the issue without threats or violence.

Ugh just, ugh - Aang telling Zuko that the work he did in the notebook was really good and helped him a lot

Zuko has finally heard he did a good job - something he did was worthy of praise. It was unique and impactful and Zuko should be proud of it. And it's his enemy telling him that - a genuine complement, not gloating or digging at him, but genuinely telling him that he did a good job

Zuko breaking and opening up to Aang!!!! Them bonding!!!!

Zuko's little smile at Aang's joke about snoring while meditating!!!

Love this expanded conversation between them - really humanizing each other and seeing the cracks in Zuko's façade, his mask that he thinks he needs to strengthen to be what he's "expected" to be - and how he reacts with anger when people try to lift that mask.

The Agni Kai - just….wow, yeah, it was a lot

Again, I love how they expand these scenes to really delve into character more rather than a quick, frankly a bit surface level, bullet point of character these scenes in the animated show had.

I have a whole essay about the Agni Kai in my analysis of the episode, but cliff notes:

All of Ozai's lines are dripping with depth and nuance to why he's doing this and a deeper meaning to this lesson than just throwing Zuko away as a nuisance

Ozai really wants Zuko to do well, to prove himself

And Zuko tries - he tries insisting that they don’t need to fight, that he does respect Ozai and the military, then he tries to please his father by fighting

The choreography is brutal and stunning

The fight builds, flows, and ends with Zuko showing compassion, unwilling to really strike his own father

And I've again, written an essay on it, but I do like seeing the conflict on Ozai's face as he brands Zuko

He's not any less horrific of a father, but he is more REAL - which makes it all the more terrifying and heartbreaking that we can see people like that in the world, he's not just a character relegated to a cartoon - his type of abuse is very real and present in our everyday lives

Aang talking about Kuzon :'(

"He's hurt" "He'll recover" "But he'll never heal"

WHAT and exchange.

"Sometimes the weak can become stronger. Sometimes, you just have to give them the chance"

Aaahhhhh!! There's Zuko's character thesis right there: he's always had to fight for his abilities, it's never come easy for him - but what 'strength' is will change and grow with Zuko through the story!

Jesus, Daniel Dae Kim's voice is just sooooo goood as the fire lord. It's not fair. Seriously.

Mark Hamill is legendary - there's no doubt about that, but damn if Daniel Dae Kim doesn't do just as good of a job, putting his own, very resonantly deep take on it.

And the 41st reveal!!!!!

I think this was a genius addition by the live-action team

Bringing it all around full circle where everything is connected.

Iroh cupping Zuko's face and him pushing him away, back to the 'petulant' (what he thinks is strong) mask D':

"There actually are a few of us who care about…about such things"

Cue the waterworks

"Our prince has returned"

Again, waterworks

No, it's not 'home' in the Fire Nation, but it IS the home that Zuko and the crew have made over the past 3 years

Enter the trope of home being where you least expect it and all that

"They must have missed you at music night" DX

Coming in again with the fire ending monologue )':

No Gyatzo waiting for Aang DX

Zuko seeing his unscarred, happy face in the mirror DX

"What's hard is knowing that sometimes, the mask is who we really are"

There were a lot of big emotions in this episode - I needed some time to recover

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

[oneatlatime]

The Deserter

How is this the first time anyone's had the bright idea to try disguises?

Sokka's sarcasm coming dangerously close to breaking the fourth wall here. Some pretty strong lampshading.

(edit: going through this just before posting, I realised this line is pretty much a sarcastic thesis statement for this episode, maybe this season.)

This is too cute. This episode both Appa and Momo understand english.

Saviour of the World, everybody.

There must have been a Gang goes to the Mall episode I missed where Sokka and Katara bought their stealth cloaks.

Say what you like about the Fire Nation, they do have gorgeous architecture.

Katara perfecting non-verbal burns with the mask-switching.

Flaming Fire Flakes have the honour of filling this episode's Beat Up Sokka quota.

This is actually less violent than the actual Punch and Judy. Poor puppeteer has to sew a new earth kingdom soldier for every performance.

Dovebending!

I know Aang is characterised as fun and fun-loving, but maybe don't take off your disguise in the middle of a group of your enemies? Is this going to devolve into an "Aang is stupid" episode? Because we just did that last episode.

And now he's sulking because he missed the chance to be outed in front of the whole crowd? Aang has no brain this episode.

Of course the fire nation would have fireworks. I find it interesting that the more artistic methods of bending have survived a century of war. Unless there's a combat style where soldiers bend dragons at the enemy, you'd think that bending for fun and entertainment would have been condemned by now as useless to the advancement of the fire nation.

Raise your hand if you didn't see this coming.

I have very little patience for Idiot Aang, especially when his idiocy revolves around needing to be the centre of attention.

Appa just murdered those guys.

How did Sokka figure out that Chey was a fire nation soldier just from looking at his face? Everyone in this world so far is borderline faceblind, what with the number of times that our main three have passed unnoticed. And yet Sokka gets one look at this Chey guy and clocks him as fire nation? How? Chey doesn't have a different accent, or a giant F on his face, or even a helpful identifying Zuko scar.

"Some say he's mad. But he's not. He's enlightened." Regardless of what he is, this is not how you ought to sell him.

Why doesn't anyone ever listen to Sokka? He's always right when it counts: they did get clocked at the fire nation festival, the fortune teller was a crook, Jet was untrustworthy, Katara was going to get them in trouble with the pirates. Hasn't anyone in-universe noticed the pattern yet?

So Chey is a cross between a fanboy and that one awkward kid that no one likes, and Aang is this episode's idiot. But who are the hat guys? Are they like the third through ninth deserters from the fire nation? They don't seem anything like the people at the festival, so they aren't the locals.

Zhao the asshole is back. An idiot and an asshole this episode. I suspect this episode won't be a favourite.

Ever so fed up with having your good advice ignored that you involuntarily plank?

I have no idea if this deserter guy (NOT going to try to spell that one phonetically) actually has the ability to tell what disciplines someone knows by the way they walk, or if that's Chey's fanboyish tendencies coming out. But if it's true, being able to tell someone's abilities and skill level at a glance would be an incredible advantage in a fight. No wonder they promoted the guy a bunch.

And so rather than do the sensible thing as Sokka suggests and leave, Aang leans even harder into his idiot tendencies. Sigh. You should absolutely go talk to the firebender who just told you to fuck off by proxy. What could go wrong?

I'm grasping about 40% of this fish speech. On the other hand, I'm getting the discipline speech 100%. And agreeing with it too. This episode's whole opening vignette was about how Aang lacks self-discipline. Setting aside the fact that going to the festival was a bad idea in the first place, they could have attended unnoticed if Aang had mastery over himself. This deserter's got Aang clocked.

Do you get the feeling that this deserter's negative experiences with fire are perhaps colouring his view a little? He does make a good point though: mess up with airbending and someone has a bad hair day. Mess up with waterbending and someone gets wet. Mess up with earthbending and someone gets squished. Mess up with firebending and someone gets roasted. There's a bit of a jump in the seriousness of the mistakes between air/water and earth/fire. And we already saw Aang mis-bend water and send all their supplies down the river, so it's not like the deserter is wrong to think Aang's not ready. Plus, of all the elements, only fire does its own thing when you're not looking. I bet the very first thing firebenders learn is not how to make fire, but how to control/snuff out an external fire.

Love this visual. Roku's statement is true, which once again calls into question how much of Aang is a unique person as opposed to a conglomeration of previous avatars. But the deserter's right here - Aang doesn't have the self-discipline to learn fire right now. I don't know if learning water and earth first would get him that discipline, but it would certainly buy him a few more months of maturing.

If I had to be an army deserter on the run from an evil imperial power, this is certainly the place I'd choose to hide. So pretty.

Sokka isn't an oaf!

This is going to go so badly. This deserter guy is 100% right to start with the basics, but Aang is the opposite of a willing student. He's happy to learn, if they do it his way, which is jump straight to flashy fire and burn everybody's eyebrows off. Not to say the deserter is a good teacher - he's certainly not suited to Aang. But people strong armed by spirits generally don't bring their A game.

It seems to me like bending fire is almost more about leashing fire than using it.

Wasting his time? Didn't it take Aang his whole life so far to master airbending? And he thinks spending a couple of hours on the basics of firebending is wasting his time?

Dear Avatar writers: My comment about Aang burning everybody's eyebrows off was supposed to be facetious. Could you dial down Aang's idiocy this episode just a little bit please? Feeling really sorry for the deserter here.

This deserter's got sighing down pat. I get the impression that he's had decades of dealing with hotheaded idiot students.

Zhao was his student? That's a neat way of doing combined backstory and parallel story in the present. I thought it was a flashback but it's actually what's currently going on. Neat.

"Learn restraint or risk destroying everything you love." Good lesson even outside of a bending context.

This golden forest throughout this episode is absolutely gorgeous. Although it seems to be stuck in eternal sunset (not complaining).

I was right! Firebending lesson number one isn't making fire, it's leashing fire.

"But I'm ready to do so much more" Hell no you aren't. The fact that you say that with a straight face after A DAY of lessons proves you aren't.

You mean you failed the lesson. Congrats.

Hey look. Exactly what the deserter said would happen is happening. And so an innocent pays the price for Aang's hubris. Ain't that always the way?

Hell yeah Sokka. You tell him.

Here's a good lesson for Aang to learn, unfortunately at the expense of Katara's arms: sometimes sorry doesn't cut it. Since Katara's arms are injured, is she currently unable to bend? With the amount that her self-image is built around her bending, this is going to double suck.

Katara can auto-bend?!? Instinctively? That was lucky.

Hey deserter guy: while your insight into waterbending healing and the firebending mindset is certainly valuable to Katara and the audience, maybe a recently-burned teenage girl is not the best target for your talk therapy?

Master indeed. That's got to be the single most impressive firebending move yet. Look at that. That's one guy!

See Aang? If only you squatted a little lower, you'd be able to pull this off.

Aang still hasn't learned his lesson. Impulsively firebending should have taught him to be less impulsive. Instead it teaches him to make dramatic blanket prohibitions on firebending and throw himself head first at Zhao with no plan.

If Zhao is an admiral, and the deserter's former student, does that settle Chey's admiral/general debate on the side of admiral? Or do fire nation military branches do cross training?

Now it's Zhao having the hubris problems. Does he really think that 8 guys, only 4 (?) of whom are benders, can take down Mr. Firewall?

The way Zhao's voice actor delivers the line "until I got bored" very nearly redeemed his whole character. Suddenly not just an asshole, but a human too. Given how abrasive the deserter is, I'm almost sympathetic.

Who wins in the fight of Aang's hubris v. Zhao's hubris?

This is a very cool move. It seems that Aang only has hubris problems when he's trying to bend fire - he's back to his usual self when he bends air. Can the element have that much of an effect on the mindset?

I'm really liking this delightfully one-sided fight. Aang really redeeming himself for his early-episode idiocy.

This should not work on a well-adjusted adult.

"I don't know why, but I thought you'd be better than Zuko." Tragically, Aang has no idea how savage that line is.

"Jeong Jeong said you had no restraint" says the kid who, up until this scene demanded it, had no restraint. A stinger of a line that is undermined in context.

Literally.

How many outfits did Aang pack? Because air nomad tailors aren't exactly thick in the air these days.

Was that a whole camp of deserters? And they've all gone into hiding?

Getting the first fishhook out with a second fishhook: when logic goes too far.

Final Thoughts

Zhao really screwed up this time. He and his men are going to have to walk back to their ship.

Roku really screwed up this time. Katara wouldn't have been burned if Roku didn't intimidate the deserter into teaching Aang.

Chey really screwed up this time. If he hadn't brought Aang back to his camp, he'd still have a settlement to live in.

Aang really screwed up this time. If he hadn't insisted on both attending the festival and outing himself at it, he never would have led Zhao to the deserters' camp.

Just a thought: maybe spiritually bullying a scarred veteran into teaching combat basics is a bad idea?

I really want to like this episode. Beautiful setting. What Sokka and Katara stuff there is, is great. Appa and Momo even get a funny joke, and Appa gets to murder some people. And most importantly, the deserter is RIGHT. THE WHOLE TIME. And he was right to insist on not teaching Aang. Roku really blew it. Everything the deserter knew would happen if he taught Aang did happen, because he knows firebending, and he knows how students like Aang approach it (and let's be honest - he's not the right person to teach Aang anything). Now Aang's thrown up a mental block around firebending that will have to be surmounted no matter what he says he will or won't do. At least Katara uncovered a new skill.

I have not seen Apocalypse Now, but this is Apocalypse Now, right? In which case I know why Aang doesn't work for me this episode: he's in the wrong genre. This episode is actually quite serious. Chey may call the deserter enlightened, but Chey's an idiot. What the deserter is, is broken. He's another victim of the fire nation. He's also easily the most skilled firebender we've seen so far, with deep insight into at least part of the nature of his element (I say part because the episode itself suggests that his view is overly negative by having him point out the sun as a source of fire, which isn't inherently destructive - it just is). The deserter is a person you absolutely should listen to, saying things Aang absolutely should hear, albeit he says them rather harshly. But Aang is in peak kid's cartoon mode this episode, and the deserter (and most other characters actually) are in Vietnam-era War is Hell movie mode. It makes Aang jarring throughout, to the point that I was mad at him for most of the episode.

That being said, Aang almost (almost) completely redeemed himself in that last brilliant fight. 'Hoisted by his own petard' has got to be one of my top three favourite narrative devices, and that Zuko dig was the icing on the cake. As I said above, it's a goddamn tragedy that Aang doesn't have the necessary context to know how much that dig hit home. Then again, Sokka and Katara would probably appreciate it more than Aang. I feel like they're more appreciative of petty vindictiveness.

Speaking of Sokka, great to see the continuity from last episode's lesson: ride or die for Aang until it's family on the line. Sokka will gladly take Aang to the north pole until Aang steps between him and his father, at which point he's on his own. Sokka will gladly take Aang to the north pole until he hurts Katara, at which point Sokka will rub his face in the dirt. And, honestly? At that point of the episode, Aang's flaky hubristic 12 year old idiot side was so annoying to me that I was rooting for Sokka in that fight.

We know Aang's a bit of a softie, but someone who didn't know that just saw Sokka face down the Avatar for the sake of his sister. Takes courage.

It was also nice to see Sokka and Katara more united than usual in their opinions. While Katara was willing to give things a chance, neither of them was all that enthusiastic about anything that happened this episode. Usually Katara blindly follows Aang and blindly opposes her brother, so it was nice to see her more (not fully) aligned with both sense and Sokka.

It's not really touched on, but Aang really screwed things up for the various deserters. They weren't exactly comfortable where they were, but they seemed settled, safe, and provided for. Now they're presumably on the run. Oops.

If I could excise Aang from all but the last fight of this episode, it would be a serious contender for my favourite so far. But as I cannot excise him, this one is thoroughly middle of the pack. This episode had some serious stuff to say about the horrors of war from a perspective I defy you to find in any other kids' show, if only Aang would sit down and shut up for a minute.

[nycolewrites]

here’s an exerpt from my day 2 @zukkaweek fic which will cover both the turtleduck pond and second chances themes

Three days after the fall of Ozai, Sokka finds him by the old turtleduck pond. The air is eerily quiet, the water almost unnervingly still. Zuko isn’t focused on anything in particular, simply staring ahead of him as the leaves hang unmoving on their branches and the sun sits precariously on the horizon. This is the first break he’s had since the imprisonment of his father and sister, too busy being hauled from one meeting to the next about what to do next and ‘What color of robes do you want for your coronation, my lord?’ As if he’d be able to wear anything but red and gold.

“I can hear you thinking from across the castle. You’re gonna hurt yourself if you keep that up for too long.” The new voice startles him out of his daze, and he turns a half-hearted glare at the intruder. Sokka simply looks at him, an eyebrow raised in amusement as something else settles in his eyes. “Everyone’s looking for you, y’know. It’s rude to make people who care about you worry.”

 “None of those people care about me. They were ready to help my father take over the world four days ago. My well-being isn’t really a priority of theirs, despite the facades they’re putting on for the Avatar and his friends.” Zuko turns back to the pond. A mother and her ducklings have come out from their nest to drink from it, one of the smaller ones struggling to stay upright. The sight makes him miss his mother dearly, and not for the first time he wishes she was here with him now. He hopes that he’s making her proud.

“Your friends.” Sokka’s voice is much closer than it was before, and when Zuko turns his head he finds that the other boy has made himself comfortable in the grass beside him. He’s looking at Zuko almost pityingly, but something inside him tells him that’s not the right word. Zuko stares at him, tilting his head in confusion. “We’re your friends, too, Zuko. Not just Aang’s.”

Zuko blinks, unsure of how to respond. “Um.” That probably isn’t it.

“We may have started out on different sides of the war, but what matters is where we are now. You turned against everything you ever knew because you were able to recognize the wrongs in what your family did. You taught Aang firebending, helped Katara get her closure—though I’m still not happy with your methods—and…you helped me rescue my father. You’re just as much our friend—our family as Aang is.” Sokka pauses for a moment, a soft smile overtaking his features. There’s a dimple that forms in his left cheek. Zuko wants to reach out and smooth it out with his thumb.

He blinks, mentally shaking the thought from his head. In two days he’ll be crowned his nation’s ruler. He doesn’t have time for wandering thoughts or what-ifs. Distantly, he realizes he’s been quiet too long, but when he pulls his gaze from Sokka’s lips, he finds that Sokka is looking at him just as intently. Sokka doesn’t wait for him to reply as he turns to watch the turtleduck mother try to teach her ducklings to swim. Zuko follows his gaze, not sure about the feeling that’s forming in his stomach.

“You’re worth more than the crown they want to shove on your head, Zuko. Don’t let them take from you who you truly are.”

[zuzu-firequeen]

Fire Queen

Series Masterlist

Zuko x OC

The Day of The Black Sun

~

Aang sits on the stone with his legs crossed, he looks at peace. I walk around him in curiosity. "So, he's just floating around up there? What's he even doing?" Sokka shrugs, "Not sure, he'll giggle every so often. Has to be good." Aang shakes his head and slowly opens his eyes. I stand in his face studying him. "Are you having a freaky ghost experience or something?"

Aang shakes his head and begins to tell all of his adventures in the spirit world. Katara, shocked by the news, speaks, "You mean, after all, Roku and Sozin went through together, even after Roku showed him mercy, Sozin betrayed him like that‌? " Toph shakes her head, her arms crossed, "It's like these people are born bad. No offense, Truble." I shrug, "None taken. They sound like bums."

"No, that's wrong. I don't think that was the point of what Roku showed me at all. Roku was just as much Fire Nation as Sozin was, right? If anything, their story proves anyone's capable of great good and great evil. Everyone, even the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation have to be treated like they're worth giving a chance. And I also think it was about friendships." I smile softly at them. "You guys are the only friends I've ever had." Toph speaks softly, "Do you think friendships can last more than one lifetime?" I grapple at my neck, still feeling the space from my pendant. Katara grabs my hand, I grab Toph's hand, and Aang grabs Toph's other hand. "I don't see why not." Sokka opens his mouth attempting to ruin the moment. "Well, scientifically speaking, there's no way to prove that ..." Katara shouts at him annoyed, "Oh, Sokka, just hold hands." He grabs her open palm interlocking our hands, our friendship. This is great, and I'm happy with these people, but I miss my family, Zori, and even Zuko.

~

Since then, it's been months. Living in the fire nation wasn't all bad. We've faced an assassin who is constantly trying to blow us up, Katara almost got killed by an old woman who taught her how to blood bend and the eclipse is upon us. Aang is hardly ready. He doesn't even try when we're training.

Some koala sheep are sleeping, as Katara, Sokka, Aang, Toph, Appa, and I come out of the bushes. The vase hills of grass look peaceful in the moonlight. Sokka looks at a map, while everyone else looks around. "This is it! The official rendezvous point for the invasion force." "How did you pick this place?" Sokka answers with his eyes glued on the map. "Before we split up, my dad and I found this island on the map. It's uninhabited, and the harbors surrounded by the cliffs seemed like the perfect secluded place." "Nice choice, Sokka. And we're here four days ahead of schedule." I raise my hands in the cheer. "I'm so ready to kick some fire lord butt!" I raise my leg kicking the air. While I'm overjoyed to get this over with, Aang feels differently. "Wait! Four days? The invasion's in four days?" "Yeah! Have you not been counting?"

~

In the Fire Nation Palace, where Zuko is getting dressed and ready, with help from his servants. "Fresh fruit, Prince Zuko?" Zuko puts out his hand and shakes his head respectfully. "May I wash your feet, sir?" Zuko respectfully puts his hand out and shakes his head again. "Head massage?" Zuko shakes his head again. "Hot towel?" Zuko looks at the towels for a moment and takes one. He wipes his forehead before walking out of the room.

Zoir waits outside the door, pouncing on his arm as he exits. "Whoa!" He gasps at the sudden jolt. "Hi!" Zori smiles as she walks next to him. Her hair was up in a bun and dressed in the highest fire nation garbs. She fit right in. "What are you doing?" Zuko asks as they near the front exit. "I wanted to play," Zori states as she runs her finger along to wall. Zuko pushes her hand down as she runs it along an ancient vase. "Don't touch."

"Are you busy? I wanted to feed the turtle ducks." "I'm going to Mai's." Zori rolls her eyes at the mention of his girlfriend. "You said you'd see me today, Zuko." "And I'm seeing you now. Go feed the turtle ducks." Zori stops on her heels, watching him walk away. She crosses her arms in a pout. "I should've stayed with Mom."

Zuko leaves the palace gates, with Fire Nation citizens waiting for him. One woman becomes overly excited at seeing Zuko and is taken away by the palace guards. "Zuko, is something wrong? You didn't take the palanquin." "I'm just going to Mai's house. It's not far." "It's not a prince's place to walk anywhere, sir."

Zuko looks in the distance, walks over, and gets into the palanquin. The servants pick it up and walk over to Mai's house. Zuko looks out of the palanquin's curtains and sees Mai, who is standing by the doors to her house, who waves and walks away. His heart pings as he remembers what Truble looked like when she waved at customers who entered the tea shop. She was so beautiful. Zuko runs his fingers over the golden pendant hidden under his robes.

~

Today was the day. The day we invented the fire nation. The plan was solid, foolproof, and unstoppable! Hakoda stands tall giving the plans to our troops. "Let me just clarify a few points for everyone. Today is the day of the black sun, and I want to thank you all for your self-sacrifice, and your courage. There are two steps to the invasion, a naval stage, and then a land stage. To gain sea access to the Fire Nation capital, we need to get past our first major obstacle here, The Great Gates of Azulon. Next, we hit the land, and we hit hard. We must fight past their battlements and secure the plaza tower. Once we do that, it's up to the Royal Palace. At that point, the eclipse will begin." I look down at my hands in fear. Without my bending what use will I even be? My time pendant is gone, and my fire will be useless.

We get through the wall by using submarines to get under the firewall. Clever if you ask me.

the submarine fleet approaching land. The other end of a periscope emerges above water, looking around. Cut to inside the sub, Hakoda manning the periscope. Realizing where they are he turns around to address the earthbenders.

Toph and other earthbenders climb down a ladder in the sub and get ready. Cut to an overview of the Fire Nation port. An alarm goes off as the subs approach the gate. Several harpoons are launched at the subs, but most miss. One hits, causing a leak which is quickly sealed by a foggy swamp waterbender turning the water to ice, and pulls the attached sub out of the water. Katara quickly responds by piloting Appa out of the water and using water bending to slice through the chain, dropping the sub back down.

Huu launches the torpedo with water bending. Cut outside as six torpedoes make holes in the underwater barrier, making it possible for the subs to pass through.

Toph, the Boulder, and other earthbenders are standing in a metal tank. Cut to Water Tribe warriors and foggy swamp water benders with Sokka among them, he lets out a sigh. Cut to the subs rising from the water, being instantly attacked by missiles. The subs open and several tanks exit while the other soldiers yell and charge out. The battle commences as they make their way inland, destroying battlements as they go. Earthbenders use rocks provided by a truck containing many rocks. Appa arrives and Katara jumps off as Fire Nation tanks appear. Teo is seen inside an earthbender tank before it destroys a battlement by crushing it. Another tank lifts its front to slam down and crush a Fire Nation tank. More Fire Nation tanks arrive as the army pushes on. The swamp benders use water provided to destroy enemy tanks.

Several Fire Nation soldiers on rhinos appear shooting fireballs at a group of Water Tribe warriors. They charge, and Sokka quickly disarms one of the riders and steals his rhino.

Hakoda grunts as he turns and deflects a fireball with his shield. He turns back to disarm a soldier and quickly defeats others before jumping on the rhino to join Sokka. The vehicle full of rocks for earthbenders is destroyed. Huu, inside the seaweed, is shown destroying more tanks. An earthbender tank is destroyed by a battlement above. Cut to Hakoda and Sokka who saw this happen.

Sokka, Hakoda, and Katara are shown riding a fully armored Appa. Sokka draws his sword and slices the end of a missile launcher off. As they fly past one another, Hakoda throws two bombs inside the battlement. Cut to two soldiers running out as it explodes. Cut back to Appa as Katara breaks two barrels of water attached to either side of Appa as it forms around her arms. They fly past another battlement she freezes the soldier and launcher inside. Appa lands between two still operational battlements. The three jump off Appa.

Sokka and Katara, are shown breaking into their battlement, Katara freezing the soldiers inside. Sokka uses his sword to cut through the launcher, causing part of it to fall out and explode outside as Katara and Sokka exit the battlement. They see Hakoda on the roof of his as he climbs inside. They hear noises from the ensuing fight until the launcher shoots and explodes, hearing Hakoda yelling out in pain. Cut to Sokka and Katara's worried faces as Hakoda exits, wounded, and falls to the ground.

the battlefield, a mess of Fire Nation tanks destroyed everywhere. Several raised battlements fire on the army below. Appa lands and takes out an enemy tank as Sokka makes his way to the back of the saddle to rally the soldiers.

Aang standing on the edge of the volcano. He glides down to a building attempting to hide. He rises, confused, as there is nobody there. "That's strange." He continues onto the Royal Palace, breaks open the door, and takes a fighting stance. "The Avatar is back!" Realizing no one is around he relaxes, looking confused. "Hello? Anyone home?"

tanks, which are making their way up the volcano, unaffected by fire blasts from firebenders in front. Cut to Sokka steering a vehicle full of explosives into a wall before jumping off. Cut to an aerial view showing two explosions at the inner walls. Cut to Sokka, soldiers behind him, as they charge forward. Firebenders attempt to stop them but are pushed back. Cut to Tyro running in with the other troops as Bato appears behind him.

Aang makes his way into an empty, darkened throne room. "No." He Kneels on the ground; frustrated. "No, no, no! Fire Lord Ozai, where are you!?"

The Fire Lord wasn't there. Aang flew back down to meet the team. A disappointed expression on his face. He lands in front of us. "Please tell me you're here because the Fire Lord turned out to be a big wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to take him down." "He wasn't home. No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned."

"They knew." I feel so defeated. My bending weakens, my time pendant is missing, and now I have failed my father. The fire lord will win and take over the world. The very thing I was trying to prevent will happen. Sokka speaks, "My instincts tell me he wouldn't go too far. He would have a secret bunker; somewhere he could go and be safe during the siege but still be close enough to lead his nation." Toph steps forward. "If it's an underground secret bunker we're looking for, I'm just the girl to find it."

"We can still do this. We can still win the day." Katara worriedly speaks, "Wait! If they knew we were coming it could all be a trap. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure we all get out of here safely." I shake my head. "No. You four must go ahead." Aang furrows his brow. "What? We need you, Truble." "No. With me, you'll be hunted even more. If they capture me it will give you more time. I'm willing to do this. For you, and my father."

"Everyone who's here today came prepared to risk everything for this mission. They know what's at stake. If there's still a chance and there's still hope, I think they would want Aang to go for it." Hakoda agrees, placing a hand on my shoulder. Within the next hours, we were all captured.

~

Zuko is walking into Mai's room. He looks at a painting of them and becomes downcast. "I'm sorry, Mai." He leaves a note on her bed and leaves.

Zuko kneeling at a painting of his mother. "I know I've made some bad choices, but today, I'm gonna set things right." He rises, picks up his sword, covers his head with the hood of his robe, turns his back to the camera, and leaves.

Zuko now stands before a small metal door, a burning torch surrounding either side of it. "I'm ready to face you." He opens the door, revealing Fire Lord Ozai sitting on the far side of the room, drinking tea. The Fire Lord is surrounded by several Royal Procession guards. He sets his teacup down upon seeing the prince. "Prince Zuko? What are you doing here?" "I'm here, to tell the truth." The fire lord tilts his head in curiosity. "Telling the truth during the middle of an eclipse. This should be interesting." He sends the guards out of the room. One by one the guards file out, closing the doors behind them. "First of all, in Ba Sing Se, it was Azula who took down the Avatar, not me. She is the one who murdered Truble. I could never hurt her." Ozai raises a brow.  "Savrar'a child. You feel for her." The glare grew on the Fire Lord's face.

"The Avatar is not dead. He survived." Ozais eyes grow in shock. "What?", he gasps in horror. "He's probably leading this invasion. He could be on his way here right now." Ozai rises from his seat and points toward the door. "Get out! Get out of my sight right now if you know what's good for you!"

I smirk at my father. "That's another thing. I'm not taking orders from you anymore." "You will obey me, or this defiant breath will be your last!", Ozai booms angrily. I pull out my sword, "Think again. I am going to speak my mind, and you are going to listen." Ozai sits down, dismayed at the turn of events. "For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honor I wanted, but really, I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn. My father, who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai. How could you possibly justify a duel with a child?" Ozai spits in hatred, "it was to teach you respect!"

"It was cruel and wrong."

"THEN YOU HAVE LEARNED NOTHING!" Ozai shouts angrily.

"No, I've learned everything! And I've had to learn it on my own! Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the War was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was. The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation. They don't see our greatness. They hate us! And we deserve it! We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness." Ozia turns his lips up at the mention of peace. "You have been persuaded by that rat!" I smirk at her mention. She would be proud of me. This is all for her. I won't let her die in vain. The war will end, and the Avatar will succeed. "Yes, she has." I grab the necklace around my palm. My only physical memory of my love. "After I leave here today, I'm gonna free Uncle Iroh from his prison and I'm gonna beg for his forgiveness. He's the one who's been a real father to me."

Ozia laughs, "Oh, that's just beautiful. And maybe he can pass down to you the ways of tea and failure."

"But I've come to an even more important decision." I close my eyes and momentarily pause. This is what she would want me to do. This will protect Zori. "I'm going to join the Avatar and I'm going to help him defeat you." Father raises his eyebrows smugly, "Really? Since you're a full-blown traitor now and you want me gone, why wait? I'm powerless. You've got your swords. Why don't you just do it now?"

"Because I know my own destiny. Taking you down is the Avatar's destiny." I put the sword away, "Goodbye." I turn away from him and walk towards the door.

Ozia stands to his feet in fury. "Coward! You think you're brave enough to face me, but you'll only do it during the eclipse. If you have any real courage, you'll stick around until the sun comes out. Don't you want to know what happened to your mother?" I abruptly stop and turn to face my father. "What happened that night?"

"My father, Fire Lord Azulon, had commanded me to do the unthinkable to you, my son, and I was going to do it. Your mother found out and swore she would protect you at any cost. She knew I wanted the throne and she proposed a plan, a plan in which I would become Fire Lord and your life would be spared. Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night. She knew the consequences and accepted them. For her treason, she was banished."

I feel tears prickle in my eyes, "so she's alive?"

"Perhaps. Now I realize that banishment is far too merciful a penalty for treason." Ozai closes his eyes. "Your penalty will be far steeper." He opens his eyes and, in split seconds, generates lightning, firing the bolt at me.

I slide back several feet from the impact of the bolt, yet manage to redirect it, sending it back to right in front of my father. The resulting explosion causes the Fire Lord to slam into the back wall, where he falls over and raises his head, only to see I had made my escape.

~

Five bombs are released onto each of the submarines, destroying all five of them. Our chances of any escape now are pointless. The team looks on in disappointment. Sokka closes his eyes resentfully. Katara hugs me close. "You don't have to sacrifice yourself, Truble." I hug her back, "You kidding me? Prison will be a vacation." Hakoda places a hand on my shoulder, "I will make sure she stays safe." I hold my tears back as the gang says their goodbyes.

The team turns to leave on Appa. Appa moans and takes off as the team looks back sadly at those remaining. Meanwhile, on a Fire Nation airship Azula smirks as she sees the bright red hair. She chuckles lowly, "Why would you look at that? Looks like the rat is still alive too."

[melzula]

North and South

part one

pairing: zuko x princess!reader

notes: i’m so excited to finally be at the last comic storyline of the series. i do admit there are a lot of noticeable changes from the comic, but i still hope you guys enjoy. also i did make a series playlist if you guys want to give it a listen, it’s included on the masterlist!

summary: while doing her best to rebuild the tribe, the Chief struggles to determine what is really best for her people. however, she hopes that the return of her friends will allow her to see things in a clearer view

~ part of the fire lilies series ~

After a long day of teaching, you find yourself locked away in your office looking over proposals for the Reconstruction Project. Your head aches from the hours you’ve spent assessing paperwork and writing notes of your own about Hakoda’s new proposal. Things seem to be going well for the most part, your tribe is growing stronger with every passing day, but there’s still much to be done.

It’s been three months since you last visited the Fire Nation and helped Zuko find the missing children, and since returning home all of your attention has been focused on the needs of your people. You’re doing all you can to be the leader your father would want you to be and your tribe needs you to be, but the reconstruction process has made this a much more difficult task.

A gentle knock on your office door breaks you from your thoughts and brings you back to the present, refocusing your attention on the papers sprawled out before you. “Come in.”

“Chief y/n,” Hakoda greets you cordially before gently shutting the door behind him. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“No, of course not, I was just reviewing the proposal you and Malina submitted.”

“And?” He asks with a hopeful glint in his eye. You simply sigh, carefully rubbing your temple in thought before grabbing the papers from your desk and handing them back to him.

“I don’t think I can approve the construction of these plans,” you admit guiltily. “I know there’s an oil deposit here that could be beneficial to the growth of our tribe if used correctly, but can you assure me that will be the case once it’s built? Can you assure me it won’t have any negative impact on our wildlife or our people or our way of life? Can you assure me that it won’t cause tension between us and our sister tribe?”

“I… I can’t promise you any of that,” Hakoda admits with a sigh. “But isn’t taking chances part of making change? This oil could help build machines and make our way of life easier.”

“I’ve heard how some of the Notherners speak of us. I gave Maliq an earful the last time I caught him talking down to my men, and I don’t believe his intentions with this project consider the South’s best interests. Our people don’t deserve just fancy machinery and modern technology, they deserve dignity and respect. At this moment in time I’m not comfortable moving forward with the oil rigs. My answer is no.”

“I understand,” your advisor relents with a disappointed sigh. “I’ll inform Malina and Maliq of your response, and I’ll work hard to make sure we can show you that this project will be worthwhile.”

“Thank you, Hakoda. Now, onto less serious matters,” you note with a faint smile. “Based on the letter I received Katara and Sokka should be arriving tomorrow, and in two days I’ll be hosting a celebration in honor of their return. I can count on you to be there?”

“Of course, but… you won’t mention anything of Malina will you?” He asks hesitantly. “I should be the one to tell them.”

“I don’t like keeping secrets from friends, but I also know that this is a family matter, so you have my word,” you assure him. He thanks you and bids you goodnight before departing from your office, and once again you are all alone.

“What am I going to do?” You sigh, eyes straining as you try looking over the plans again. Change has been necessary to keep your tribe growing and your people strong, but you worry that perhaps there’s been too much change. The only thing that’s really stayed the same is the palace, but even now it feels out of place amongst all the modern buildings and structures. The Southern Water Tribe feels too Northern, and you worry your people are beginning to lose their identity.

Nothing makes sense anymore, but you hope that with the arrival of your friends will come a clearer view on the future ahead.

You can only hope for the best.

~~~

The South is bustling with activity as you usher in your students for the day’s lesson. Your class is reasonably small, made up of only about ten attendees and only two of them being originally from the South. Those two were the most resistant to your lessons, but you did your best to be as understanding of their hesitancy as possible. You too understood the trauma and fear that came with being forced to hide your bending once the war broke out in the South, and some people were still getting used to the fact that there was no longer any danger to run from.

“Good morning my little koala otters,” you greet cheerfully. “I hope you all are well rested and ready for today’s lesson.”

“Excuse me,” a voice calls, bringing your attention to the doorway, “do you have room for another student?”

You nearly collapse from the excitement that fills you at the sight of your two friends standing in the doorway with Master Pakku in tow ready to take over classes for you. You almost trip over your own feet as you rush towards the siblings and throw your arms around them in the tightest hug imaginable.

“Sokka, Katara! I’m so happy to see you guys,” you exclaim with a tearful smile before pulling away. “I can’t believe you’re back already.”

“It’s great to see you again, y/n,” Katara agrees, a content look on her face, “and it’s good to be home, even though it does look… different.”

“I know, it is a bit much,” you admit with an uncomfortable laugh, “but the people seem to like it, and your father thinks a modern look is just what our tribe needs.“

“Is our dad a great advisor or what?” Sokka asks Katara, a prideful smile on his face.

“He certainly has been a great help. Thanks to him and the construction crew from the North I’ve been able to focus on my bending school and more of the social affairs around the South. Having more time to connect with my people helps me be the best Chief I can and make sure I’m making the right choices for them.”

“Speaking of the construction crew,” Katara interrupts with a sour look on her face. “I caught them trying to attack little kids who were playing near a construction site.”

“It was just a misunderstanding, Katara,” Sokka reasons with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Besides, you kicked their butts anyway!”

“That’s terrible,” you express with a worried frown. “I’ll have to have a word with Malina about her crew; they won’t be welcomed here any longer if they keep this sort of behavior up. I won’t have outsiders tormenting my people.”

“This Malina… do you trust her?”

“Why do you ask?” You say, trying to feign obliviousness. You certainly don’t want to get in the middle of anything, but it’s hard having to lie to someone who’s been there for you through thick and thin.

“Well, we’re supposed to have dinner tonight with my dad, and her and her brother Maliq will be joining us. But I’m not really sure if I trust her,” Katara admits sullenly. “Something doesn’t feel right about them.”

“You just have to give her a chance. Anyone who can come up with cool designs like that can’t be all that bad,” her brother argues much to her annoyance.

“You only like her because she’s feeding you,” she grumbles indignantly.

“Look, I think you should speak to your father. He spends more time with her than I do, and he’ll be able to explain things much better than I probably could. The only thing I can tell you both is to keep your schedules open because tomorrow night I’ll be hosting a celebration in your honor!”

“What? You don’t have to do that!” Katara exclaims in surprise.

“Of course I do. You’re Southern heroes, you saved the world by helping the Avatar and you saved our tribe when you helped me defeat Koa,” you explain adamantly. “We’re having the party, and as Chief I demand your presence.”

“You’ve let the power go to your head, haven’t you?” Sokka accuses jokingly. “Don’t worry, y/n, we’ll be there.”

“Good,” you smile, pleased at getting your way. “We’re all going to have a wonderful time and everything is going to work itself out. These things just take time.”

“I guess you’re right,” Katara murmurs, but you can still detect the uncertainty in her features.

“Listen, why don’t you both come by tomorrow after my lessons are over? I can give you a grand tour of the new and improved Southern Water Tribe!” You suggest eagerly. “Your opinions matter too, and I want as much input as possible about how to improve our home for everyone.”

“That sounds nice,” she admits with a meek smile. “Maybe that’s what we need, a chance to settle into life back home.”

“Perfect! I’m excited to show you our procgress!”

While Katara appreciates your enthusiasm, she still doesn’t feel right about Malina or the changes made in the South. It doesn’t really feel like home anymore; it’s so different from how life once was. For your sake she’ll try to give it a chance, but as of now it seems it’ll take a lot more than her father’s reassurance to convince her that these changes are for the best.

But she hopes that maybe you’re right, maybe these things just take time, and maybe once time has passed it’ll feel like normal again.

She can only hope.

~~~

“After we finished rebuilding the outer tribes, we began our work on the royal plaza. It’s now become the main center for commerce, diplomacy, and unity. The local businesses that have opened here have been massively successful, and the square is constantly bustling with activity.”

Katara feels overwhelmed by the whirlwind of information you throw at her as you guide her and Sokka through the brand new royal village. You’re right about it always being busy- people rush by your trio to start their work for the day or bargain for the latest deals at the merchant stands. They look happy, content, and out of place. The people don’t match the towering buildings around them, and they surely don’t look like the same people she’d left behind a few years ago.

“And everyone is happy with the changes?” She asks curiously.

“Well, some were resistant to the change, so I tried to be as accommodating as possible. Those who didn’t want new homes were allowed to keep their original huts, and I didn’t force the outer tribes to merge with the royal village. I gave them the autonomy to govern their own affairs so long as it doesn’t interfere with the overall success of the tribe, but they’re still required to report to me at least once a month about their progress and request aid if needed.”

“So it’s kind of like the Earth Kingdom in a way?” Sokka points out indeterminately. “You‘ve established cities while still keeping the palace as the center point of the tribe.”

“I guess that’s true,” you note thoughtfully at his observation. “Father said I’d gain the knowledge needed to lead by traveling the world, so I’m using the knowledge I’ve gained for the benefit of my people.”

“I hate to burst your burble, Princess, but I don’t think everything’s as perfect as you say it is,” the boy says with a frown. Faltering, you slow yourself to a stop and turn to face the siblings. Their features are riddled with apprehension, and you’re not sure what to make of it.

“What do you mean, Sokka? Is there something you don’t like about the changes? Is there something I should be doing better?” You ask, fretful over the idea of not living up to the expectations placed upon you as leader.

“No, no, I think you’re doing a great job, honest. It’s just… well, some people aren’t happy about the Northerners being here.”

“Last night Malina was attacked at dinner, and we were forced to chase after these kids that stole Maliq’s briefcase,” Katara begins to explain, lowering her voice to ensure no one can overhear your conversation. “We followed them to the abandoned Fire Nation shipwreck and discovered a series of tunnels underneath.”

“There was an entire group of Southerners down there led by Gilak, a warrior who fought alongside our fathers against the Fire Nation,” Sokka continues, and you can only hang on to every word. You feel ashamed to know that this has been going on without your knowledge, and it’s almost as if you’ve failed in a sense. You’re Chief, it’s your job to know of things like this, and yet you’re having to find out about it through your friends. “They’re not happy about our sister tribe’s presence here in the South.”

“I understand some of the Northerners can be a bit blunt and unpleasant at times, but I didn’t think it was this bad,” you admit with a disappointed frown. “What did they tell you?”

“He said he understood that at first it was necessary for you to bring in people from the North to help restore bending to our tribe because it would make us stronger,” Sokka explains as he recalls the awkward encounter. “But now he thinks my dad is going overboard with all the people he’s brought in to help us rebuild.”

“He says we’re becoming a cheap imitation of the North,” Katara murmurs thoughtfully, and by the look on her face it seems as if she agrees with the sentiment.

“What else did Galik say?”

“They want to eradicate the presence of foreigners and are prepared to go to war to do so,” Sokka says sullenly, not exactly enjoying having to break this news to you. “He says we have to get rid of the Northerners before they take advantage of you.”

“Of me?” You retort in bewilderment. You definitely didn’t expect that to come out Sokka’s mouth. Katara then places a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“Galik and his followers believe that your relationship with Zuko- an outsider- has made you too trusting of foreigners. He thinks the Northerners are taking advantage of this trust to worm their way into the affairs of the South.”

“He compared our father to Koa,” Sokka spits irately, still fuming at the memory. “He thinks he’s abusing his position as advisor to go behind your back and make all these changes.”

“That’s not true at all!” You exclaim in disbelief. “Spirits, this has all gotten so out of hand. What am I to do?”

“Hey, don’t worry, we’re going to figure it out. Our dad is already investigating the matter as we speak,” your friend assures you, doing his best to alleviate your worry. “You’re doing great, Chief.”

You give him a meek smile at his encouragement, but his words do little to quell your anxieties. The last thing you want is a civil war to break out between your tribes, but at this point it’s starting to feel inevitable. You just hope Hakoda can put a stop to this before it gets too out of hand.

“Y/n, could I speak to you alone?” Katara asks suddenly much to the surprise of her brother.

“Of course. We’ll have to finish our tour another time, Sokka,” you tell the water tribe boy with an apologetic smile. Turning to his sister, you gesture for her to follow. “There’s something I want to show you.”

You weave your way through the village and back towards the palace square. The towering buildings slowly fade away the further you go, and the air here is more peaceful and serene with the absence of all the merchants and people. After a while you finally reach your stop, allowing Katara a moment to take in the building before her.

“What is this place?” She asks in awe, admiring the pristine marble work of the pillars lining the structure.

“Let’s go inside,” you suggest with a careful smile before ushering her toward. Immediately she’s greeted with a vast expanse of artifacts, artwork, literature, and more. Each section has its own label and scroll of information detailing the importance of the different exhibits, and Katara figures it would probably take hours to look through everything.

“This is incredible. Did you do all of this?”

“This was one of the first buildings I commissioned as Chief,” you recount with a proud smile. “The South lost so much because of the war, and I didn’t want anyone to forget all that we’d been through and all we’d done to survive. This museum holds every piece of history of the Southern Water Tribe, and I hope it can be used to educate others about our strength and resilience.”

“I want the South to grow, Katara. I want us to connect with others, to live in harmony with the other Nations. I want people from all over the world to visit the South and learn about our culture. Is it really so naive of me to have such hope?”

“No, I guess not,” Katara admits guiltily. “Y/n, the reason I wanted to speak to you alone was because I- well, because Malina and my father are together, and I’m not sure how to feel. She’s nothing like my mother, and I don’t think she’s good enough for my dad.”

“I know what it’s like to lose a parent,” you note faintly, absently brushing your fingers against your tiger shark tooth necklace. “I couldn’t imagine how I’d feel if my mother began to see someone else. But if it were to happen, I’d know that I’d just have to trust my mother’s judgement. Just like you have to trust your father’s.”

“It’s easier said than done,” Katara says with a huff. You merely give her a comforting smile and pull her figure into a hug.

“Just give it a chance. She doesn’t have to replace your mother, she never will, but it doesn’t hurt to get to know her. I think tonight’s festival would be the perfect opportunity, don’t you think?”

“Maybe you’re right,” she says with sigh, appreciating your comfort and wisdom. She’s glad to have you, and she knows you feel the same.

You part from your hug and give her a reassuring smile. “I have to head back to the palace now for a meeting with your father and the Northern siblings, but please feel free to stay in here as long as you’d like.”

She watches you depart from the room before turning her attention to the portrait before her. The image depicts a family from before the war, the mother and daughter brushing the animal pelts while the father and son cook freshly caught fish over the fire. They look happy, and Katara begins to feel her chest ache.

~~~

It’s a peaceful day in the Fire Nation as Zuko sits in the gardens and enjoys a cup of tea with his Uncle. It’s certainly been a stressful past few years, so he’s learned to enjoy calm and quiet moments like these where he can finally stop to catch his breath.

A servant approaches the table and bows in respect before offering the Fire Lord a scroll. “This just arrived from the South, sir.”

“Thank you,” he says, taking the scroll before dismissing the servant.

“A letter from the Princess?” Iroh asks with a curious smile, and based on the longing look that plays upon Zuko’s features as he reads the letter, the general confirms his guess to be correct.

“My love, I hope things in the Fire Nation are running smoothly. As you know, Hakoda has invited you for a conference that is to occur in just a few days. However, I’m hosting a celebration tomorrow for Katara and Sokka’s return home, and I would love for you to arrive early and attend! I hope to see you soon, Zuko. Yours truly, y/n.”

Smiling faintly, Zuko tucks the scroll away before looking to his Uncle. “Would you be able to look after things for a few extra days while I’m gone? It appears I’ll be taking my leave to the South earlier than expected.”

“Of course, nephew,” Iroh smiles cordially. “I would like nothing more than to allow you the chance to relax and enjoy some time with your beloved. Please do give the Princess my best.”

“Thank you, Uncle,” the Fire Lord says before excusing himself from the table and heading inside to prepare for his departure.

After months of waiting, Zuko is finally going to be reunited with the one he loves most.

| atla tags: @sirkekselord @niktwazny303

| zuko tags: @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @taeeemin @lora21 @livelaughlovekuni @lovialy

| fire lilies tags: @emberislandplayers @kikaninchen-2 @music-geek19 @thia-aep @thyunnamed @haylaansmi @nataliahaslosthershit @idkdude776 @aangsupremacy @thirstyforsometea @ihaveaproblem98 @brown-eyed-thang @xapham @misnmatchedsox @chewymoustachio @that-bucket-hat-gal @chilifrylizard2 @kyomihann @kaylove12 @kiwihoee @freggietale @moon-spirit-yue @bubblegum-bee-otch @docackerman @rinalsword

[gemgirl28]

As promised, part 2 of @neva-borne's prompt! Read the Dramione one here.

Zutara, please say something

Zuko found her on a balcony over looking the palace gardens. He watched her for just a moment, smiling as his eyes traced her hair, let loose for the celebration, and the way the blue silk hugged her form. Clearing his throat, he stepped beside her, leaning on the rails.

"I've been looking all over for you. I should have known you'd be under the moon, though."

Katara stiffened beside him. He frowned, tilting his head to study her under the silver light.

"I thought- I mean, I hoped to steal you for a dance or two. Aang's managed to drag Toph out there half the night."

Katara scoffed under her breath, turning away from him. Zuko's frown deepened, his heart aching.

"Have I done something wrong? Last night we promised- I just... Katara, please say something. Anything. Just don't freeze me out."

She turned back to him, eyes watery with unshed tears but jaw set.

"I saw you with Mai, this morning."

Zuko's blood ran cold. Amidst the chaos of his coronation and the ensuing celebration, he hadn't had a chance to tell Katara about Mai.

"I don't understand why you're upset then. If you saw us-"

"You don't understand?!" She cried, voice cracking. "After what you said last night, after what you promised me last night, you think I'd be happy to see you getting back together with your ex-girlfriend?!"

It took a minute before Zuko caught on.

"Katara," he slowly said. "I didn't get back together with Mai."

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from him. "I saw her kiss you."

Zuko shook his head, hoping he could still fix this. "Yes, she did, and I would have immediately told you if the ceremony hadn't started right after. But you must have missed me pulling away and telling her I didn't want to be with her."

Katara's breath hitched. He came to stand in front of her, gently taking her hands in his, heart soaring when she didn't fight him.

"I told her I cared about her, as a friend, and that I always would, but that I've fallen for someone else."

He gently pressed his lips to the back of her right hand.

"Someone who pushes me to be better, not someone who wants to hate the world."

He kissed her left hand, marveling at the softness of her skin.

"Someone who cares so much about others, who is always ready to fight for what is right, not sit back and let things happen."

He wiped the tears streaking down her cheeks, comforted by the smile finally splitting her lips.

"Someone so beautiful she takes my breath away every time I see her."

"You told Mai all that?" She whispered.

"More or less," Zuko shrugged. "The point is, I'm not with Mai."

"Oh." Katara cleared her throat. "That's good."

He gently kissed her, a chaste, soft press of his lips to hers.

"So, Katara, how about that dance?"

Grinning, she wiped her face on her sleeves.

"I'd love to."

Send me a prompt and a pairing!

[ninacytosis]

For the time lost

Summary: Zuko wants to erase every reminder of his past mistakes, and Katara will take him on a journey to, quite literally, heal both of their scarrings.

Contains: Angst, Fluff, Katara has burns scars from Aang's first attempts to firebend, Katara tries to get over her resentment towards the FN, Zuko doesn't hate Azula.

Dear reader: I hope you enjoy it! <3 Let me know if you want me to continue posting

Find chapter one here and chapter three here.

┊┊┊┊☆┊*🌙*┊☆┊┊┊┊

Chapter Two

Katara thought about her students while folding clothes. A decent amount of people decided to move to the Southern Water Tribe after the war ended, and she knew a lot of families took this as a chance to start over. For now, she was in charge of nurturing the minds of the young benders that arrived. Even though she loved this new job, it was time for her to take a break.

“Hey, what’s with the sunglasses?” her dad asked, taking them off the nightstand and putting them on. “I know it’s summer but we’re still in the South Pole, kid”

Katara smiled. “I’m just packing them for tomorrow”.

His dad offered to help her, but she was almost done when he arrived, so she thought of two plans for her trip instead. Plan A, she would eat at the first rotisserie that appeared on her way to Zuko’s fancy royal mansion/palace/casa. Then, she would go to his house and even though she insisted on staying in a hotel nearby, she would eventually agree to stay. She would get a Fire Nation royalty-style spa day, Zuko’s treat (it’s important to clarify that, at least half of this plan was stolen on Toph’s visits to the Fire Nation. Though it is quite obvious). After all of that, she would ask him (preferably during a beach day) why he is visiting the North Tribe so much. And right before leaving, she would spend a day at Iroh’s shop.

However, it seemed like she had to go with plan B. Sure, it wasn’t a bad plan B, but it definitely involved fewer massages and face masks than the original, and Katara was just a girl who wanted a little self-care. Can anyone blame her?

“I like what you’ve done to the place” Katara stared at the wooden panels on the wall. She was too shy to confess her feelings about fire hazards, she didn’t even know if it was offensive for him.

“I tried to make it a bit retro, you know?” Iroh explained. “Everything is changing so fast, I’m afraid the world forgets its roots. But I guess that’s not a big preoccupation for younger folks”.

The words of Iroh resonated in her head on most occasions, especially since she was aware that he was Azulon’s firstborn. Even if he had spent more than a decade fixing his past actions, it was still weird for her to share the same table as a guy he had resented from the moment she gained consciousness. It’s hard to get used to this new era, and it’s probably the reason she barely went to the Fire Nation, even if it meant fewer hangouts with Zuko. In the last months, Aang helped her a lot to channel her antipathy into different, less draining emotions. Today’s emotion is: curiosity.

“I think I know why you are here, Katara” he offered her a cup.

“Well, we both needed a vacation”, she said. ”Zuko’s told me how busy these last weeks have been for him… plus I missed swimming without the risk of dying of hypothermia”.

“Then you’re certainly going to love the beaches down on Chaisee’s island” Iroh gave her a warm laugh. “Oh, the times I had there when I was your age!”

Katara took a sip on the cup and smiled.

“But be careful, Zuko’s skin might be sensitive after last week”, Katara cautiously nodded, “as a water bender yourself, you know how the healing procedures work”.

Healing procedures? Katara nodded again. Could Iroh tell she was nervous?

“Yeah…. I totally forgot. It’s such a sensitive procedure!” she said, having no idea about this healing thing. “And I wouldn’t want to hurt a Fire Lord, they have a history of heated arguments don’t they?” Apparently, it was impossible for Katara to shut her mouth. “Anyways, promise I won’t interfere in the treatment. Don’t know how I forgot, Zuko told me all about it on my way here… I mean, on a letter of course. He wasn’t on the ship. I guess you know that” shut up shut up shut up.

Iroh widened his eyes and made a frown that immediately told Katara that her attempts to sound unbothered and casual failed, as usual.

“Did I say something I shouldn’t?” Iroh covered his mouth his hand.

Katara tried to comfort him. “Well, he technically told me about his trips to the North Tribe, so it was a matter of time until I figured out what was going on”, honestly, she never even considered the idea of him wanting to get rid of his scar. He hadn't mentioned since he was sixteen. “I have a few questions now, though”

“Maybe you should ask him directly, I’m sure you’re going to notice the change once he arrives. A healing process is slow, and you know Zuko: he wants everything fast”, Iroh sighed, “but in his last letter he told me that this healing session was quite intense”.

He poured the water into two cups.

“The thing is,” he cleared his voice, “Zuko doesn’t understand that there are some parts of a wound that can only be healed by him.”

[stella-facem-ducens]

Katara’s Agni Kai Ch1

An Agni Kai can restore honor but it can also take things, for Katara her Agni Kai gives her at title she doesn't want, now, she has to live with her actions in a world still in war, with her friends away but in the middle of this chaos she finds love, she finds the fire her heart’s desire she finds Zuko.

The Fire Nation's most popular love story is by far the story of the Fire lord Zuko and the Fire Lady Katara; enemies to lovers, fire and water, the survival of the nation after the great war but what it remains a mystery, something lost to history is; when did their love begin? Some people say Ba Sing Se but others say it began when the fire lord Ozai arrange a marriage between his son and the master Waterbender Katara

Everything is ready for the first siege to the fire nation capital in centuries, the eclipse is the only chance the world has, they must stop the fire lord in his own land, the army may be small but is an elite force, a force to reckon with; healers from the water tribe, veterans from the Earth kingdom and friends the avatar and friends made during their journey.  Without Ba Sing Se the bulk of the Earth army was de facto dissolved, this is the best the avatar can do, a small but powerful army.

What no one was expecting in the army is the fire lord is not in his palace or in caldera but instead he is hiding like a coward in some caverns beneath, Lucky for the expedition force Toph easily finds those caverns, at first everything goes according to plan the army takes the harbor, then part of the main city until the entrance of the cavern but as soon the reach the first hall, inside the caverns an ambush of almost a hundred Dai lee ready to stop them, of course they are  no match for the combine force of the most powerful warriors of the water and earth kingdom sadly at some point the gang run out of luck, the extend of the Fire Nation resistance in those tunnels is taking  toll in the army, new halls, new corridors means  casualties , they are losing numbers fast until only the original gang is left, Aang, Toph, Sokka and Katara stands now in front of Azula 3 Dai Lee Tylee and Mai 

  “So, the avatar is alive, how did you survive my attack? you little cockroach, no wonder my moronic brother took so long to capture you.”

“Tell me avatar does your back hurt? dead people don’t feel pain maybe you should try that, you know being dead” Azula with a wicked evil smile says taunting the avatar. 

  While Azula may enjoy watching her enemy and the enemy of her nation dead, Mai is different, killing is not something she enjoys and for Ty Lee killing is something she refuse to do, that is why her style is all about incapacitating people, during this kind of fights is when Ty Lee misses the circus. 

Before anyone could respond Azula´s taunts Toph send a massive boulder and an earth-wave incapacitating the Dai lee and sending Azula away from Aang.

Katara already froze Mai and keeps her in place, her ice so cold threatens to freeze Mai´s fingers until necrosis.

Mai needs help fast but she is not the kind of girl, she doesn't plea, she is too stubborn but Mai knows she is going to need help from Azula yet her friend seems to think defeating the avatar is more important than her friend´s hand, this is the moment where for the first time she doubt Azula´s friendship.

Ty lee manages to hit Aang and block all his chi paths, nothing please Ty lee more than a bloodless battle, no dead, no injuries, nothing, sadly this is not going to be one of those battle, one of the remaining Dai lee aims the avatar and send  a massive spike towards him sadly due Ty lee attack Aang is unable to defend himself, the spike strikes right in Aang's stomach the momentum send him towards a nearby wall, the irregular shape of the wall hit his back activating his avatar state but it is too late, death is already claiming the young boy, the spike pierced his stomach keeping him in place on the wall.

Ty lee can’t stand death as soon she frees Mai, she runs like a coward unable to face the consequence, she just run away from death the only person left in the room is Azula who is laughing in pure pleasure.

The avatar is finally going to die, there is no one who can heal that kind of wound, no matter how much she wants to see the result she has to run now. Everyone in the room is in murder rage, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of revenge. 

you can breathe desperation, for a moment time stop for everyone there, no one is willing to accept the harsh true Aang is about to die in an attempt to save him Toph releases Avatar from the wall.

in Aang's stomach beautiful crimson flowers blossom, petals covering the cold floor shining in bright red, with each breath warm red rubies emerge from Aang´s body. 

Katara runs as fast as she can, holding him, her dear friend. she hears this young powerful boy whispers something, the young avatar is losing his voice, slowly fading away.

  “Katara, I don´t wanna die, I wanna see the world, I want to bring peace. I want to play with penguins in the south pole again.”

So much despair in his voice then it changes, he is more relaxed because no matter how much pain he is feeling he always finds comfort in Katara´s blue eyes, those eyes are so blue, like the sky in the air temple, blue as the ocean surrounding his old home.

Sokka can’t keep his tears inside him anymore, toph can’t either. 

  “Katara my body hurt, why does it hurt so much ”? the answer is simple Katara can see it in those gray eyes, Aang's eyes flashes between his normal color and the avatar state. Ty lee blocked his chi path, and that enormous amount of power has nowhere to go, his own avatar state is hurting him burning his insides, a boy like Aang doesn’t deserve this.

  Katara murmurs to his friend fragments of an old tale from the air nomads she learnt  long time ago in that old library.

her tale, her words carry comfort and peace for those in pain.

  “Lost in the valley of the night, for the righteous of the Earth there is a garden waiting for them.”

Aang with little strength left asks “What is before the garden Katara? I am afraid going there” With a smile only an angel can muster she answers, changing the end of the tale to something else, a tale of a better future.

“Before the garden but beyond this cave there is a world waiting for you, among the sky there are clouds waiting for you to ride them.”

“I promise you Aang, you will live again in freedom in the gardens of this world.”

Katara´s soft hand clears Aang’s face from all the dirt and tears tainting it.

“My dear friend, please Let it go so I can bring you back.”

  With Katara´s final word Aang gives his last breath, a smile on his face with hope, trusting his friend's words.

A howl of sadness comes from Toph, punching the ground with misery and agony. Toph felt Aang's last heartbeat. 

Unlike before there is no spirit water for Katara to use, but there is a spirit near her, an entity where she can borrow some power, the spirit of one of the most powerful creatures, the avatar´s spirit.

Katara takes a deep breath, she commands the water around her to come to her aid, with her wet hands she places them inside Aang´s body she must do it from inside out.

She feels it, the feeling of a spirit nearby she felt it when she saw the painting lady, Katara feels something else, she feels something is touching her hands. Could it be the avatar´s original spirit? 

Katara prays for her plan to work; the spirit of the avatar will move on to the next avatar and in that moment from a brief moment it will manifest in the real world maybe if she touches it with the water on her hand she can make new spirit water and she is right, the regular water become spirit water, Katara hands shine brighter and brighter closing the wounds until there is nothing left

Katara doesn’t hear Aang calling her and hugging her, she doesn’t feel her brother´s hug or Toph´s tear when she kisses Katara’s cheeks, all Katara feels is the burning sensation in her hands, blood coming from her nose and a white noise.

After an eternity Katara return to his senses

  “Did I do it? is he okay?” Katara asks, confused.

Sis, you are amazing. I am proud of you, so damn proud, let me clean your nose, let me take care of you, you did enough.”

“Yeah, sugar queen, you are the best.”

  Before anyone speak, a deep voice interrupt them it is Iroh, he saw the whole thing, he saw his niece escaping the room, Iroh saw the mess, the dying avatar, the pain and suffering coming from the avatar´s friends and he saw a young waterbender whispered something, he didn’t want to interrupt them, it was their moment, their grief, what Iroh was not expecting is the young waterbender hands shine as two stars and then a white spirit trying to leave but unable to because the young bender keep it in place and finally Iroh saw the avatar back to life, what an incredible display of power, care and maternal love.

  Toph smiling, all her favorite people are alive and well.

“Old man, what are you doing here?”

  “I am happy to see you too, it is a shocking surprise to see you all here.”

“I guess we have a similar goal stop my brother; I mistakenly believed things didn’t went well to young Aang” Iroh pause, he know he must remember the avatar Ozai ultimate demises is the avatar responsibility.

“I believe it was up to me to stop my brother, I am glad that responsibility is still in the avatar capable hands.”

  “I think we have a problem guy; I can’t bend… well I can but it is weak” Aang trying to push a rock only a gravel moves.

  “Come here Aang let me check you” Aang almost melted under Katara´s touch, she just smile. She knows why Aang is so happy, he wants to enjoy life at its fullest and brightest.

“I have bad news Aang´s chi path are a mess, I think is a good idea to retreat and embark to the North Pole, I don’t know how long it will take for Aang to heal”

  “But sis, we have to take advantage of the eclipse. We are so close, we are almost there.”

  “And I agree with you Sokka, that is why I am going alone from the four of us I am the least tired, Mai hands are for at least several hours incapacitated and Ty lee has broken arm after Toph last attack the best part there are no Dai Li ahead “

“Master Iroh, once you protected us in the catacomb, can I trust you again?” Says Katara with worry in her voice, afraid of her friend´s fate.

“My brother can show you our rendezvous point, beside Aang will need a firebender teacher after he recovers his ability to bend”

  “Sis you can´t go alone you are not leaving my side” Sokka says using his “I am your older brother ´s voice”

  “I am not, Toph is going with me, please brother remember we still have the eclipse as our advantage, I wanna try a last push, you heard the Dai lee from before.”

“The imperial hideout is a few corridors ahead, we are almost there and from all of us I am the one who enough energy left, Azula the the only real problem and trust me she won't get away, not this time”

  Before Sokka argue back, Toph interrupts, “don’t worry Sokka I am going with Katara, the fire nation already took enough from us they almost took Aang. I won´t allow them to take Katara. the war ends today”.

  An uncomfortable silence surrounds them Sokka doesn’t want to give the green light to this plan, he is afraid, afraid of losing his sister, Aang doesn’t want to agree either but he knows the balance of the world is at steak they are so close to victory, they are about to fulfill the avatar´s duty, their duty to the world, Aang has not moral ground to stop them he already sacrificed his life twice for the sake of the world it would be hypocrisy if he tells them they shouldn’t do the same, not when they can stop the war

  Aang breaks the silence with a fearful voice “be careful guys we will be waiting for you”.

They don’t say goodbye, this is not a goodbye, they will be back that is their untold promise they will see each other again

  Katara and Toph don’t waste time, they rush towards victory, the soldiers nearby are quickly defeated without any mercy. The most powerful earthbender the world has ever seen and her companion, the most powerful waterbender are finally there, they finally reach the hall only a big iron door is between them and the fire lord, suddenly almost a dozen of soldier appears from nowhere, they will not allow anyone enter the great imperial hall.

  “Katara, I am going to hold them back. is up to you sugar queen to go and stop the war” yells Toph. 

Katara nods and pushes the door, not only she finds the fire lord but also prince Zuko, Azula and several, maybe almost 30 more people all of them look like high-ranking nobles.

in front of Katara is the symbol of evil Ozai, on his side the betrayer and a mad woman.

In Katara's veins she feels it,  the water around her, the tiny drops coming from the cave´s wall, a cave under a big lake, she feels the water in the jars, in the cup of tea the nobles are drinking there is water everywhere and she pulls it all, 20 or 30 lazy fat nobles are no match for her, the only one who know Katara´s might is Zuko and Azula.

Azula is in some sort of shock her plans almost never fails but this time they did, she expected Katara ran away with her friend´s corpse in her hands that is why she is not expecting the waterbender freezing her in the spot, neither the ice lance piercing one of Ty lee foot, a minor wound but enough to keep her out of combat Mai doesn’t even try it, she carefully watches the situation she assumes Zuko would try to fight back after all he is a master when it comes to fight without firebending but what Mai sees is contemplation in Zuko's eyes.

What Katara doesn’t know is Zuko is an ally, he has his swords hide inside a cushion, his original plan was telling the truth to his father and sister, vowing he will train the avatar and then leave, clearly, he can’t do that now, not when the girl he betrayed is next to him ready to face the fire lord.

Katara showed the fire prince a new path in Ba Sing Se, a path he didn’t choose, between her or Azula and his home, he chose wrong, he chose Azula and the hope of a functional family now this powerful bender once again presents to him a new choice, her or the crown and this time he is going to choose her.

Zuko doesn’t know what the future is preparing for him, Zuko doesn’t understand why this girl plagues his dreams with words of a better future, a future where he doesn’t need Azula or the love of his father.

Before Zuko can even open his mouth, he is frozen to the wall at the mercy of her ice, the cold in his skin is proof Katara is no longer playing games, her ice never felt this cold before.

The fire lord remains sitting frozen in his throne, angry and in shock,  the entire imperial court defeated by a mere girl the so call “master plan” of his daughter Azula failed to a degree that can easily cost them the war, his useless son as usual unable to help him, the only good thing is the only enemy in sight is the waterbender.

A sound of a rock being forcibly tear apart from the wall makes Katara turn her head around, another damn Dai Li but this time it doesn’t look his intention is attacking Katara is quite the opposite, this Dai Li is a deserter, an earthbender ready to kill the royal family, his first target is Zuko, Toph can´t react fast enough, Katara sees how the boulder is about to kill Zuko.

Katara is resolute, she won’t allow the rock to hit its objective.

she almost lost Aang, it may sound irrational but something inside, the same feeling she had in Ba Sing Se is telling her she must save Zuko, her feelings about the fire prince hasn’t change even after she offered her blind trust and then 3 minutes later betrayed her yet even after that she doesn’t regret her actions.

Desperation is overwhelming Katara, there is not enough water left, not against such a big boulder but the alternative will cost her life, once more Katara goes against logic Katara is going to use the water keeping the royal family in place the ice is the key of Zuko's survival, Katara lift her arms and all the ice  around Zuko, Azula and Ozai melt and the water obeying its master rush towards the boulder saving Zuko sadly it is too late for her, the fire in Azula's hands is the proof the eclipse is over but Katara has no intention in going down without a proper fight.

  a magnificent idea occurs, an Agni Kai, a battle Azula can´t escape but first Katara must taunt the fire princess.

“Are you going to run away again?  instead of fight after the Dai Li attacked my friend, the little princes Azula ran like a  coward.”

“Or are you going to let your brother stop our fight? like in Ba Sing Se where I was kicking your ass.”

“I remember Zuko saying something about an Agni kai, maybe that is what I need to say if I want you to stay and fight like a proper masterbender.”

  Katara has no idea what an Agni kai truly means or what is for what she knows if she wants to take down at least one of the members of the royal family she needs to stop the other two from interrupt them, Zuko taught Katara honor is everything for the fire nation specially for the ruling family.

  “You little peasant, why should I accept an Agni kai from you? "

"a peasant is challenging me to an Agni kai under the watch of the fire lord, what a joke! you obviously don't know anything about our traditions and what is an Agni kai for.”

  “You talk too much Azula, you love calling me peasant that shows me how little you know about your enemy I am the daughter of the chief of the south pole, not only the chief of my tribe but the chief of the chiefdom of the entire south pole”

“Are you going to back down? Are you going to use your precious title as justification to back down from my challenge? I thought you were worthy of your title and power. I guess I am wrong.”

  Azula thinks a little bit, clearly the waterbender doesn’t know the ramification of the Agni kai she requested, is not a simple Agni kai, Katara requested an Agni kai under the watch of the fire lord and the imperial court, with a wicked smile Azula replies.

  “Well, it sounds fun, if my honorable father agrees. I accept your challenge.”

  Ozai is not showing a single emotion, but he knows what her daughter is up to, “I allow it, You may begin the agni kai under the watch of the fire lord”

  Azula doesn’t waste time and send a massive blast of blue fire while the court eagerly watch the battle, all of them sure their princess will easily win, they all observe how the waterbender struggle against the power of Azula they see the tiny smile in their fire lord but they don’t see is the same reaction in their prince, they see a stoic face like Zuko is trying to hide something.

  “You are not a match against me Katara” a maniacally laughing princess declares, not just to Katara but to the nobles around her to hear, “my fire is stronger than your pitiful element “

Katara still standing strong, burning wounds in arms, legs and torso, Katara's eyes never leaving Azula

water around slowly rises and covers the young waterbender´s body, and then shocking everyone it shines, the water reflecting the warm orange light from the torches nearby. For the people around observing the battle they see the waterbender shining as the sun, her body healing until her wounds are gone, for the most religious members of the court who don't know Katara's healing abilities, they believe Katara was blessed by Agni and in his light she healed.

Azula for a moment doesn’t react, she is not expecting her foe healing this way, she is not aware Katara´s full extension of her healing abilities but that doesn’t matter, she can't heal forever before Azula can burn Katara wholly Katara counterattack with a waterbender technique that can only be described as waterbending fire nation style.

like a dragon, blue flames are coming from Katara’s mouth, of course there aren't flames, it is exactly the opposite, cold breath.

Azula has no idea what is going on, she has never seen a technique like that, what appears to be blue flames coming from a waterbender which is impossible, not sure what to do Azula covers her face with her arms.

  The fire lord now is standing, watching carefully this waterbender using fire nation techniques. 

  “Don’t tell me Azula you didn’t know water can burn too; frost burn is a thing and I am more than happy to show you.”

  Azula counterattack in pure rage 

“I am going to kill you.”

“I am going to be a ruthless monster. I will make you suffer waterbender” Azula is ready, she is about to hit Katara with Azula’s most deadly technique, lighting. 

Zuko closes his eyes, a small tear is forming in his eye, he doesn’t want to see Katara die but he is powerless.

  A bright light forms in Azula's finger and then she proceeds to release her deadly lightning bolt, Katara proudly stands still, her eyes never leaving the enemy, never showing fear    .

                                                                                              how to counter attack a lightning bolt, Katara tries her best to come out with something, anything that may stop lighting suddenly a memory from her time in the south pole answers her question water always adapt, the ocean doesn’t fear lighting, its power dissipate in the vast ocean and sometimes water redirect it, in a desperate attempt Katara cover herself with as much water as she can summon, the lightning bolt crashes and the water heats up, Katara has to move it away from her but keeping the lightning bolt controlled is taxing, blood is coming from her nose, Katara vision become a mess is like seeing  through fog, her mind is dizzy, her arms hurt but she has to do it, Katara move her arms and propel the water back to Azula, a stream charged with electricity but Katara doesn’t put enough force and instead of hitting Azula in her chest, she hit her in the foot but that is more than enough while the majority of the electricity travels from her foot to the ground a small part reach upwards towards the nerve in Azula's legs, and enormous amount of pain invade Azula’s body, so much it makes the fire princess collapse on the ground, for a couple of seconds she blacks out but those seconds are more than enough to consider the Agni kai over by knockout

Kayara curses, she has no energy left but she has to try again, the princess is as tired as she is before Katara can summon another attack Zuko reaches Katara´s shoulder and says to her softly.

“Don’t taint your victory you won the Agni Kai”

Katara's mind still doesn’t fully understand what is going on, why is the fire lord not slowly killing her with his fire? Why is Azula hitting the ground in pure anger but not attacking her? so many questions and no answer

Katara now looks at the fire lord Ozai waiting for the final attack he looks so angry, then it comes, Ozai mortal attack, Ozai is moving his arms forming his attack he is about to send his lighting, more powerful than Azula´s and more deadly.

But instead of aiming at her the lighting pass next to her and hit the Dai Li the one who almost killed Zuko, the earthbender recovered some energy while the Royal family was distracted by the Agni Kai, sadly for the man it took him way too long to recover. 

  Katara is about to collapse but Zuko catches her, with a smile on his face.

“I am happy you are okay, I am happy you won”

“let me help you as you tried to help me in those catacombs, I won’t disappoint you again.”

  With a serious voice Zuko commands the guards “Guards take lady Katara to a decent room, she needs some rest”

  “As you command my prince” the soldier careful show Katara the way supporting her but trying not to touch her too much, Katara doesn’t fight she just walks she is too tired to do anything, after a few minute the guards open a door and respectfully point Katara her bed, one of them says to the tired waterbender "you  may rest there until the caves are clear from any enemy after that we will take you to the palace"

Katara's body moving on her own finds some rest in a quite comfortable bed, now she is having a little more time to think about what did happen back then.

she failed her duty to the world, she let the fire nation royalty free from their icy prison but she saved Zuko, she wonders what’s next, why is she alive

Toph was waiting for the right time and help katara, she was waiting for the right moment, a moment it never came, too many soldiers attacked Toph, it frustrated her so much, she couldn’t help Katara no matter how much Toph wanted it but not everything is lost Katara their sugar queen won her fight, and she is still alive. 

Toph Patiently follows Katara in an underground tunnel she made, the young earthbender waits for the soldiers leave her friend alone. As soon as the guards leave Toph pops up from the ground and hugs Katara who is now on the bed almost unconscious.

  “Quickly Katara get up, we have to go.”

  Katara is trying to put on her best smile and bring some comfort to her friend even if Toph can’t see her smile she sure can feel it.

“I can’t move Toph, I can barely stay awake…. I did everything in my power and I failed.”

“I am not sure what is going to happen to me, struggling Katara reaches her mother’s necklace and place it in Toph's hands.” 

“Tell my brother….” but nothing more leaves Katara lips, she is asleep her body finally ran out of energy, the last seconds before Katara pass out Katara can swear she heard Toph sobs and she was promising something to Katara but Katara was not sure what it was, but it sounded important.

It doesn’t take long for toph to reach Aang, Iroh, Sokka and Appa

Toph tries her best to pretend everything is okay, pretending Katara is going to be back.

“Guys we have to go, I have to leave katara behind. She is tired and she can barely move. I guess she will join us when she can.”

“She …. She is okay she is resting inside the cave in a nice room”

  Sokka a little disturbed, if toph says Katara is fine then she is.

“Okay gaang let’s leave, I am sure Katara has a backup plan, maybe a boat we missed or something.”

“Let's fly toward the north, there is no time to waste” says Sokka worried about his sister but also worried about Aang´s health. 

The travel toward the north is a silent journey, Aang is sleeping peacefully and Sokka is the exception he is awake unable to even close his eyes his mind wandering if his sister is okay, if she is safe suddenly a hand, a hand he is so familiar with, it is rough but gentle a hand like that can only belong to Toph, she places something on his hand

  “She wanted to say something, but she was too tired and passed out…. I am sorry Sokka you don’t know how sorry I am”

“I was not strong enough, I couldn’t defeat the soldiers fast enough, our powerful sugar queen… she fought alone in an Agni kai”

“I am so proud of her, I felt on my feet…. she was amazing, she won fairly, she kicked everyone ass until the very end” Toph speaks between tears and sobs

Toph doesn’t leave any detail behind, this is the last memory she has of Katara and she doesn’t want to forget any detail.

Sokka grabs his dear friend Toph and pulls her in and cry with her, he whispers a children lullaby probably the one he used to sing to Katara during the cold winters 

  Iroh this time does interrupt their personal moment “Master Toph did you say something about an agni kai? please tell me about it, the exact words Azula said, the exact word my brother said Toph once more leave no detail behind

“Young Sokka don’t worry, your sister is not going to die in fact something quite interesting is going to happen in the palace, we have time to plan a rescue”

Sokka lifts his head and listens carefully to Iroh's next words, what that Agni kai meant and its consequences.

Meanwhile now in the palace an angry firelord is yelling at his children.

  “You are all a disgrace, I allowed that Agni kai because I was sure you can win against waterbender we were so close to gain legitimate claim, the south pole was almost our to take.”

“You, my weak daughter almost won Katara’s position in the succession line we just had to get rid of her pesky brother and her father and without losing a single soldier the south would be ours.”

“I know those savages in the south may be uncivilized, but from what I heard they always honor their word even if that means giving the position as chief to a fire nation but no, you failed me, now the waterbender is a legitimate candidate in the fire nation´s succession line.”

“We can’t deny it, all the nobles saw it, not only that they saw your failure but also they saw girl mastering fire nation techniques using waters, our own techniques defeated the fire nation princess.” 

“You Zuko are not better, the same girl saved your life. What am I supposed to do now?!”

“I can’t just kill her, the nobles will use that as an excuse to make me look incompetent, the girl who saved the prince and defeated the prodigy of fire killed under my roof I can't let that happen”

“ What an absurd rule Translatio imperii , the title of fire princess now belongs to Katara.”

the fire around the throne room grows in intensity, showing Ozai is even angrier than before.

“I refuse to let the title of fire princess pass down outside our dynasty.”

“You, my worthless son, if you have some love for you nation you will marry the girl “

“We have to convive the chief of the water tribes to accept the arrange marriage then the title will pass down to your children Zuko.”

Ozai mocks Zuko even more, breaking his self-esteem even further.   

“But I am not so sure if that would work, after all I hardly think even a savage like her will find some charm in you or even less, love a weak man like you.”

“My dear, worthless, incompetent child, do you understand your duty?”

Ozai doesn’t give any time for his son to answer the question because it was not a question at all.

  “You Azula, former princess of the fire nation, not only you lost your worth as soldier you lost your title too, my moronic daughter you gambled everything and lost it all, for that I sent you to the north pole, is up to you to convince Katara's people accept the arrange marriage proposal only then I will restore your honor and bestow upon you the title of second fire princess until then you are a commoner”

  The fire lord pauses, his children confuse his silence as an order to leave but they are wrong, and the angry face of his father tells them otherwise.

“My dear children, the lies you told me won’t be tolerated, expect further punishment.”

“Azula you told me Zuko killed the avatar and according to our intelligence he was very much alive in the caverns “

  Azula afraid off more punishment her father may have in mind defends herself.

“father, don’t worry I am sure he is dead; I saw it with my own eyes this time, I am sure.”

“Nobody can survive that kind of wound. I have no idea how he survived the first time but the wound he had during our fight is impossible to heal”

  Zuko keeps his mouth shut, he knows Katara healed the avatar and brought him back to life, using spirit water maybe she did it again, the girl currently sleeping inside the palace is a prodigy of her element, only she is capable of doing it and lucky for the avatar that girl is his dear friend and love, the avatar’s girl.

Thinking of Katara as the avatar´s girl always leaves him with a bad taste in his mouth and he doesn’t know why.

  “You worthless brats go now, I have nothing more to say to you other than don’t fail me again, after this fiasco is behind us you can join me in the war council and plan the end of the war” 

  “Yes father” Ozia’s children respond. 

  Zuko watches his sister marches toward her room burning the ground below her feet, Zuko decides to go somewhere else, not to his room but to Katara’s room, she is going to need his help, he has a debt to her, a debt he is planning to pay it fully.  

In that beautifully decorated room Zuko sees the wonderful girl, Katara and how good she looks in red.

The fire prince is not sure what drives him to be close to her, maybe his father's constant insults, maybe Mai lacks support while his enemy, Katara, is the only girl who saw good in him, she saw greatness and then he betrayed her.

  The fire prince tries his best not to wake her up, he gently lies next to her, in her bed and pulls her, hugs her with love, a love he will soon discover he has for her.

“I promise you Katara, I will protect you” . It takes only one blink to make Zuko fall asleep; he had no intentions of sleeping next to her, but Zuko’s body decided otherwise.

For the first time since Zuko returned to the fire nation he has a good rest.

  End of chapter 1

I usually don’t do this, ask people about the ships in my fic but this time I am going to do it :3 what ship do you want to see? TyleexSokka, TophxSokka or SukixSokka