#❁ thread ; into the fire. ❁

[hoshizoralone]

the whole family

[mostlysignssomeportents]

But HP is still in business. Apple is still in business. Google is still in business. Microsoft is still in business. IBM is still in business. Facebook is still in business.

We don’t have those controlled burns anymore. Yesterday’s giants tower over all, forming a thick canopy. The internet is “five giant websites, each filled with screenshots of the other four.”

These tech companies have produced a lot of fire-debt. Over and over, they erupt in flames—in this short decade alone, every one of our tech giants has experienced a privacy scandal that should have permanently disqualified it from continuing to enjoy our patronage (and I do mean every one of them, including the one that spends millions telling you that it’s the pro-privacy alternative to the others).

Privacy is just one way that these firms are enshittifying themselves. There are the ghastly moderation failures, the community betrayals, the frauds and the billions squandered on follies.

We hate these companies. We hate their products. They are always on fire. They can’t help it. It’s the curse of bigness.

Companies cannot unilaterally mediate the lives of hundreds of millions — or even billions — of people, speaking thousands of languages, living in hundreds of countries.

- Let the Platforms Burn: The Opposite of Good Fires is Wildfires

[sheliesshattered]

[captainofthetidesbreath]

[imagines--galore]

||The Thread of Fate|| Part Fourteen

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen

A/N: I LOVED writing this chapter! That's it. That's all I'm gonna say! Enjoy my lovelies!!!! Eeeeeepppppppppp!!!!!!

"I was saving that peach for this morning."

"Then you should've told me last night. How was I supposed to know it was yours?"

"Because I didn't eat mine last night. You were right there when I put it away."

"For all I know, you didn't want to eat it."

"Who in their right minds wouldn't eat a peach?! Its the best fruit there is!"

"Which is why I ate it!"

And so the argument continued, words flying back and forth across the breakfast table. Iroh sipped his tea contentedly, enjoying the warmth of the beverage. The little argument didn't bother him, really it would bother him if Orora and Zuko weren't arguing first thing in the morning.

Thinking that perhaps he should step in, lest Orora freeze Zuko for the rest of the day, and she would do that, Iroh cleared his throat, catching both their attention. "I believe you owe Orora a peach Zuko." He stated calmly, prompting his pupil to shoot a smug smirk in the scowling Prince's direction.

"She can get one herself." He grumbled, standing up. Orora pursed her lips in annoyance, but chose to remain quiet. She wouldn't be letting it go that easily, but for now, they were already getting late for work.

Best to pick up on it later.

Iroh couldn't help but chuckle at the look of intense concentration on Orora's face. He knew exactly what she was planning, he just hoped her revenge, should she choose to seek it out, which she would, wouldn't make Zuko too annoyed.

Then again, it was rather nice to see Zuko display emotions other then anger, anguish and hopelessness. For too long he had watched his nephew despair over the loss of his home and his honor. But ever since Orora came into their lives, Iroh had seen significant change. One that made him realize that perhaps the boy Zuko had been before he was banished, was still somewhere inside him.

And as they stepped into the teashop to begin work for the day, he caught his nephew shoving a peach into Orora's hand before stalking off to look for his apron. His young pupil stood still for a few moments, eyes darting from the fruit to the door where Zuko had disappeared.

Finally, she rolled her eyes, a gentle smile playing about her lips. Slipping the peach into her pocket, she began her tasks for the day.

Iroh shook his head, smiling to himself. It was obvious how the both of them cared for one another, and yet neither were willing to take the next step. Perhaps because of their views, views that had been thrust upon them by the world.

A Fire Nation Royal, and a Water Tribe Noblewoman.

A love that was never meant to be.

Huffing to himself, Iroh began to go over the many many teas he had stored on the shelf behind the counter.

He had allowed them both the dignity of working everything out themselves, but if they were going to be too stubborn about their nonsensical views, he would have to step in.

They were far better together then they were apart, he had seen and experienced it firsthand.

Perhaps an opportunity would arrive soon, that would help push both teenagers together.

                                          ————————–

She stared at the peach in her hand.

It was rather strange how something as insignificant as a piece of fruit held so much meaning. And all because Zuko had given it to her.

Granted he had done so because his Uncle had told him he owed her one, but, lately, Orora had begun to realize that even though his Uncle was the one to advise Zuko on something, the act being carried out was something he did out of choice, and not necessity.

She was on her break at the moment, sitting in the back of the tea shop, looking over at the peach as if she were seeing it for the first time. Taking a bite of the fruit, she smiled at the sweet taste that burst across her tongue the moment she split the skin with her teeth.

Staring listlessly at the wall across from her, her mind wandered to the dinner they had a few nights ago. She still couldn't believe her and Zuko had managed to pull it off without any major mishap. They had actually been smiling at one another by the end of the night. And there was also the fact that she heard him laugh for the first time since they had met.

She had come to that realization late at night. It was shocking enough that she had laid there in silent surprise for a good few minutes before it sank in completely. It was sad how Zuko didn't allow himself to be happy. He didn't smile often either.

If eating spicy food and reacting to it got a sincere laugh out of him then she would probably do it again.

Orora shook her head as she took the last bite of her peach. The past couple of days, she had been seriously contemplating on Zuko being her soulmate. Here in Ba Sing Se, so far away from the horrors of war and the danger that had plagued them, she had to admit it was easy to dismiss all that was going on beyond the Walls and build a new life.

Maybe

.

.

.

.

.

.

Maybe having Zuko as a soulmate wasn't such a bad thing.

He did look out for her, she mused as she stood to wash her hands in the sink. Whenever she would go out in the city he would follow her. At first it had been a little annoying, but seeing him actually be sincere about the task had softened her heart. And though she knew she could take care of herself, should the need arise, it was comforting to know that there was someone watching out for her.

And then there were the little gestures he had been acting on every now and then. She usually slept late, wanting to get a bit of practice in before heading to bed. Besides, as a waterbender, her abilities were much stronger at night under the light of the moon. Sometimes she would practice for so long that she would barely have the strength to stumble to her bed roll, let alone pull the blanket over her. She would wake the next morning with the blanket covering her, and she knew it had been him.

How?

Because her string had tugged a little during the night and despite being asleep she had felt it.

He would always wait by the door before they left to ensure she walked between him and Iroh during their short trek to the tea shop. And when it was time to go home, he would be at the door once more, walking a pace behind her.

Zuko probably thought she didn't notice. But she did.

She noticed everything about him.

How, despite the cold exterior he tried to maintain, he actually had a kind heart. One that had hid from the rest of the world because he had had his face burned for showing that empathy for someone else.

Looking down at her hands, Orora suddenly realized she had actually washed the peach pit. Smiling softly, the girl couldn't help but shake her head as she recalled how Zuko had avoided her eye when handing her the fruit.

And for some unknown reason, one that certainly had nothing to do with sentimentality, she slipped the little peach pit in the pocket of her trouser.

The moment she did, her string flickered with color, and remained a deep red for a good few minutes.

All the while she stared at it, a warmth spreading through her entire body.

And if she blushed when Zuko walked in a few moments later, she simply walked past him, head held high, and eyes aglow with the realization that, perhaps, her feelings for him were beginning to grow stronger.

                                          ————————–

Warm amber gold eyes followed Orora as she walked back to the front of the shop. Once her break ended, his began, and Zuko was dying to eat something and get off his feet.

Honestly, serving tea all day, taking orders, washing dishes and stocking new product was as taxing as firebending. As someone who hadn't had a job his whole life, it was an eye-opener for him that people did all this and much more, just so they had a hot meal and a roof over their head.

Moving to where their daily lunch was, he picked up his bowl and settled onto his chair as he began to eat.

His eyes flickered to the two bowls that were still full of food, and he frowned. Orora hadn't eaten. She would likely be starving when they got back home. He needed a reminder to tell her off when it came to skipping her lunch. She did that often, he noticed, not eat because she didn't feel like it. If she kept doing that, she was surely going to get sick.

Letting out an annoyed huff he took a big bite of the stew he was eating, chewing almost aggressively. It was a little annoying at times, how much the thought of Orora occupied his mind. It was beginning to get rather tedious, if he were honest with himself, trying not to think of her.

But the surprising revelation about it? Was that he didn't actually mind thinking about her.

It was strange. For so long all that had occupied his mind was capturing the Avatar and getting back home. But now that was something that seemed as impossible to achieve as seeing a live dragon.

But what did seem possible? Was living a quiet life as a refugee. During the 100 year war, no Fire Nation army had been able to penetrate the walls of Ba Sing Se. So there was no chance of the city coming under the Fire Nation's control.

Maybe Uncle was right?

Maybe it was time to stop looking to the past and look towards the future.

A future with his Uncle at his side, someone who genuinely loved him.

And Orora. A future with Orora.

Would it ever happen, he wandered, playing with the last few pieces of meat that were at the very bottom of his bowl. He saw her as a friend now, and he was content with just that.

After all, he sighed in slight defeat, leaving the rest of his stew as he moved to the front of the tea shop again.

Soulmate or no, who could ever accept him?

A scarred, banished prince, with nothing but his title to remind him of who he had been.

Nothing more.

                                          ————————–

The new boxes of teas had arrived, and Iroh had eagerly opened them up to begin stacking them in the appropriate shelves. Climbing up the ladder, he lowered his hand down where Orora began to hand him the boxes one by one.

It had been a relatively slow day, so most of the chores they would normally do after the shop had closed were nearly completed now. Orora was honestly looking forward to going home early. It had been a busy few days, and she would also be going to Lake Laogai to practice a little of her bending soon.

A little lost in her daydream of practicing in a large body of water, she very nearly missed Zuko approaching the both of them.

"Uncle, we have a problem." His voice sounded urgent, prompting Orora to turn and look at him, while Iroh descended from the ladder.

"One of the customers is on to us." Zuko stated through slightly gritted teeth. Orora looked around the tea shop, and not finding anyone that would look remotely threatening rolled her eyes at Zuko. "You're being paranoid Zuko." She stated in a low voice, before moving to arrange a few more tea boxes in one of the lower shelves. Zuko threw a scowl in her direction before continuing to address his Uncle.

"Don't look now but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're Fire Nation." Iroh turned around to look at the girl, but was quickly pulled back by Zuko, who growled at him. "Didn't I say don't look?!"

"She's harmless Zuko. She's been coming in for days now. Always orders the Jasmine." Orora stated, not at all bothered by his accusations. Their main concern had been Jet, and he was already dealt with, so no reason to go around stirring up trouble. And she was aware how much Zuko loved to get in trouble for no reason.

Iroh had managed to see the girl, and having seen the girl before as well, he had also noticed how she would often watch his nephew as he worked around the shop. He tried his best not to let his glee show as he spoke. "You're right, Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot." He nudged his nephew in the stomach playfully. "Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you."

The reactions he had been hoping for were instant. Zuko blinked in astonishment at his suggestion, his brain unable to comprehend that anyone, let alone a pretty girl, would have a crush on him. Orora had dropped the box she had been setting, and turned to stare wide-eyed at her teacher and soulmate.

"What?" They both all but squawked out, prompting Iroh to let out a chuckle.

As if realizing what had just come out of her mouth, Orora quickly turned her attention back to her task, though not before she caught the look of surprise Zuko threw her way. Obviously he had seen her reaction. Though nothing could be said on the matter at present, since the girl came up to the counter. "Thank you for the tea." She said, a smile on her lips as she placed a few coins on the table, which Zuko picked up to put in the money box. "What's your name?" She continued, prompting Iroh to smile slightly.

Turning back around, Zuko spoke. "My name's Lee. We just moved here." He added, gesturing to both his Uncle and Orora, the latter of whom was still rather busy with stacking boxes, however she was more then aware of the conversation happening behind her.

"Hi Lee, my name's Jin." The girl introduced herself. "And......well, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime." Zuko was stunned, for lack of a better word, staring at Jin as if she had suddenly grown an extra limb or something. Iroh, not wanting such a golden opportunity to go to waste quickly stepped forward.

"He'd love to!" He exclaimed loudly, behind him Orora glanced at Zuko out of the corner of her eyes, trying to see how he had reacted to being asked out by such a pretty girl.

"Great." Jin exclaimed, sounding delighted. "I'll meet you in front of the shop at sundown." And just as suddenly she had appeared, Jin walked away. A large smile on his lips Iroh threw an arm around Zuko's shoulders, who finally broke out of his bewildered state to glare at his Uncle.

                                          ————————–

"I'm not going."

The deceleration came as no surprise. As soon as Jin had walked out of earshot, Zuko had been quick to turn to his Uncle and state what was on his mind. Orora, not wanting to hear the rest of the conversation, moved to the back of the shop to finish doing whatever cups were left.

She knew Iroh wouldn't let Zuko back out, not when it meant making someone sad, so it was better to not be a part of that conversation.

Besides, she needed a little alone time to figure out why she had reacted the way she did just then a few minutes ago. Bending some clean water she splashed her face with it, allowing the coolness of it to calm and relax her a little. Maybe she should spend the evening on the roof. There was bound to be a moon out, and she just needed to bask in it's silvery glow. That always helped ground her.

But first, something to eat.

She moved to where her bowl of broth was still waiting for her. It was cold now, but she barely noticed as she caught snippets of conversations from beyond the open door.

Finally, Zuko appeared. He began pacing, grumbling under his breath, and she knew Iroh had won. "You know, you should be glad a pretty girl asked you on a date. Most guys aren't so lucky." She stated between a bite of her stew. He glared at her, to which she simply shrugged. "I'm just saying, why not go out and just have fun?" Setting her bowl down, she watched as his gaze flickered from his finger to her own.

The very finger the string that attached them to one another was tied.

She sighed, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth as she spoke. Zuko, just because we've decided to be friends doesn't mean we've promised anything more." Her voice was soft, and sounded a little detached, even to her own ears. And despite her heart telling her not to, her mind was pushing her to do the right thing.

"Go out with her. And like your Uncle said, be a normal boy for once. You deserve that more then anything. To be treated normally and not as the enemy." A smile pulled at her lips, though it didn't reach her eyes. At least not completely.

Something that Zuko noticed, even as he finally relented. "Alright, I'll go."

                                          ————————–

Zuko was beginning to feel a little exhausted.

Mentally.

Jin spoke. A lot. And while that wasn't a bad thing, he had never been good for long conversations. He preferred silence and as minimal conversation as possible. Orora had understood that early on, and though she teased him about being broody, she would keep quiet when she knew he needed the silence to just......be.

Her conversations did help him forget his rather morbid thoughts, and whenever he would return to silently contemplating, he found his mind to be much lighter then it had been before.

And all because he spoke to her.

"So tell me, I know Mushi is your Uncle, but what about that girl that works with you?" Jin's question had him blinking out of his stupor and looking at her across the dinner table. "Oh, she's a student of my Uncle's. He helps her with her waterbending, even though he isn't a bender himself." He was quick to add with a shrug.

He watched, confused, as Jin let out a little sigh of relief, her shoulders drooping slightly. "Oh well thats good! From the way she looks at you sometimes, I thought you two were soulmates or something."

Zuko blinked.

"What?" That word was supposed to come out as a demand, but instead it came out hoarse and unbelieving. The girl shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean I've seen her look at you sometimes, and thats the exact way my mom looks at my dad when he isn't looking." She grinned. "They're soulmates." She added as a away of explanation.

The young prince simply gave a small nod, before returning to his silent contemplation, only half listening to Jin as she continued to talk.

                                          ————————–

The only good part of her evening had been when she had seen Zuko walk out after Iroh had helped him with his unruly hair. She had to physically hold herself back from laughing out loud, and had only let loose after he had gone, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"I see you are amused by my nephew's misery Orora." Iroh said, though there was no anger in his words, only slight reprimand. Orora pursed her lips to keep from smiling. "I'm sorry Master. Though I do hope Zuko has a good time. He deserves it." She added.

Iroh reached out to pat her arm in an affectionate manner. "I know you are a little hurt, but you possess a kind heart for saying so Orora." Seeing the slightly crestfallen look on her face, as she allowed her true feelings for the date to show, Iroh continued.

"And who knows, perhaps this date will act as the wake up call my nephew needs to not take you for granted."

She shook her head. "He doesn't do that Master." Moving to the window, she placed one leg over the ledge. "Although, it would be nice if he were to notice me as a girl rather then just his friend." So saying, she pulled herself up on the roof to loose herself to her thoughts.

                                          ————————–

Well this was a little awkward.

Zuko glanced at Jin, looking more then a little crestfallen about discovering that he lamps weren't lit. And looking at her sad expression, he was reminded of Orora, and how sad she would look whenever he spoke to her about his past. Though since that first night, when he had revealed everything, he did try to cheer her up. Mostly he just said something to annoy her, to distract her from thinking about his past.

Lately though, he had been working on actually making her smile.

"Close your eyes. And don't look." He said. Jin gave him a confused look, but did as he asked. She even covered her eyes to assure him that she wasn't looking.

Zuko walked forward, holding his hands together. He closed his eyes briefly, inhaling as he allowed his inner fire to burn a little brighter. It had been so long since he had firebended. Using his pointer and middle fingers on each hand, he shot small bursts of flame in the directions of the candles to light them. It didn't take long for him to be done, and once finished, he stood straight and looked at Jin, who still stood with her palms over her eyes.

"Okay, now you can look."

Removing her hands, Jin gasped. "Oh, wow." Zuko had to admit, the lights did look rather beautiful as they reflected off the surface of the water of the fountain. Jin looked at Zuko, amazed. She walked up to him, looking at the candles. "What happened? How did they light? What did you do?" There was no accusation in her tone. Only surprise and happiness as her gaze flitted between him and the lights around them. Zuko didn't reply and Jin finally fell silent as well, looking around at the pretty view in awe.

And as he watched the light reflect in the fountain, he couldn't help but think of Orora and how she would probably create ice crystals to hang in midair. He was sure the sight would only become even more wondrous then it already was.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Jin take his hand. Feeling a little lost and confused, since he had no other girl other then Orora actually take his hand voluntarily, he turned so he could look at Jin.

Who was beginning to lean in a little.

Prompting him to quickly hold up a piece of paper between them. His heart thumped wildly in his chest. Surely she hadn't been about to..........

"I've brought you something." Jin looked at him surprised. "It's a coupon for a free cup of tea." He continued, prompting the girl to smile. "Lee, this is so sweet." She said taking the coupon and smiling at him. Zuko shrugged as he took a couple of steps back. "Don't thank me – it was my Uncle's idea. He thinks you're our most valuable customer."

Jin smiled. "Your uncle is a good teacher." The young prince's face softened slightly at the words. "Yeah, Orora can testify to that." He said, his eyes falling to the fountain once more where the water rippled slightly in the breeze. He felt Jin walk up next to him. A hand pressed to the side of his face. "I have something for you too. Now it's your turn to close your eyes."

With no hesitation he did. He felt Jin move even closer to him before a pair of soft lips pressed against his own. The contact was brief and she pulled back almost instantly. And though he did lean back in a little, almost instinctively he pulled back.

He opened his eyes, standing there and looking at her. Imagining someone else.

Someone with darker skin.

Ice blue eyes.

A patch of white in her hair.

And a smile that had begun to effect him more then he ever thought possible.

He turned his back on Jin, beginning to walk away.

"What's wrong?" Jin called out behind him. He could almost hear the disappointment in her voice. "It's complicated." He said, trying to shake away the image of Orora looking at him just as Jin had a few moments ago. "I have to go." He said starting to walk once more.

"Its that girl isn't it?"

He turned around startled, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at Jin. She had an almost sad smile on her lips as she looked at him. "You know you look at her the same way she looks at you sometimes. I've seen it." She said sighing in an almost melancholy way. "I would kill to have someone look at me like that. Like I'm their reason for getting up in the morning." She clarified, oversharing as usual, given how that was how she talked. Jin shrugged.

"Maybe it doesn't have to be as complicated like you say it is."

Zuko looked at her one last time, before sprinting back home.

                                          ————————–

Iroh looked out from the window down in the street, hoping to catch sight of Zuko as he returned. Of course he did not anticipate his nephew taking the back entrance of the apartment building. The door opened and Zuko walked in, silent and contemplative.

Trimming a bonsai tree to appear nonchalant, Iroh barely glanced at his nephew. "How was your night, Prince Zuko?" He asked. Zuko responded by walking to the bedroom and slamming the door shut behind him. Iroh looked after him for a second with a confused expression before he sighed and moved back to his task.

Though he immediately turned back around when he heard the door crack open and Zuko's voice to filter out.

"It was nice." He said, his voice soft and sounded as if he didn't believe the words himself. The door closed again, and Iroh smiled before resuming his task.

                                          ————————–

He found her lying on the roof. Her arms behind her head, her gaze trained towards the night sky, the light of the moon bright yet soothing. She didn't move her head, though she knew he was there as he mirrored her position.

A peaceful silence enveloped them both.

Where Zuko's mind had been a cacophony of words and voices echoing all around, barely finishing a thought, it was now silent. And where Orora had been overthinking even the most minutest of details, she found perfection in that moment as Zuko lay beside her.

"So, how was your date?" She finally spoke, her voice breaking the stillness of the moment, though not taking away from the tranquility of it.

"It was nice." Zuko repeated the same words he had told his Uncle, eyes tracing the many stars that littered the night sky. "I told her we traveled with a circus at one point. She seemed to believe it."

A soft laugh echoed across the rooftop. A sound that prompted Zuko to smile. He liked hearing her laugh.

"She also asked me to juggle, and I broke a couple of pots."

Another laugh. He was beginning to associate that sound with true happiness.

"Then she took me to see this fountain. You would've liked it. The lights made it look like the water was dancing." He never would've thought he would say words like that. Words of beauty and appreciation he always kept to himself. But here, with her, he had no problem saying them out loud.

Another silence.

This time it was broken by Orora. And the words she spoke next were so soft that Zuko almost missed them.

"Did you kiss?"

He stiffened beside her, and she had her answer. A pang of sadness had her almost wincing as she pursed her lips.

"She did." His voice finally came, soft and sincere. "I didn't."

Normally when the both of them spoke to each other concerning anything, words were their major means of communication. A way to get their point and message across.

But right then, they were barely speaking, and yet the amount of emotion, understanding and comprehension that passed between them was one neither had ever felt before.

Finally, finally, she turned her head, something she had been dying to do since he came up.

Why?

Because she wanted to look at his handsome face.

She wasn't at all surprised to see him looking back at her. The wind blew softly, a few strands of her hair escaping her comb and tickling her cheek.

"Why?"

Her heart was beating fast, though her breathing was calm and slow. She had never seen him look so gentle before. So soft.

Zuko allowed his eyes to roam over her face. From her expressive blue eyes, to that soft looking patch of white hair. And while in the past he had to stop himself from touching it, this time he didn't.

His hand lifted to gently brush the tips of his fingers against the strands. They were just as soft as he had imagined.

In his attempt to stroke her hair, his body had shifted even closer, and tilted slightly so that he was lying at his side. Loosing herself to the feeling of his fingers in her hair, Orora couldn't help but lean towards him, her upper body turning to the side as well.

Their gaze never wavered from one another.

He cleared his throat, wanting to give her an answer though unable to find the words. And somehow, she understood.

So she brought her fingers up, gently pressing them against his lips and giving him a smile, showing him that despite him not saying a word, she knew.

A look of gratitude flashed in his amber gaze, as his hand slowly dropped from her hair, to rest his palm against her cheek. The gesture surprised her, prompting her to remove her fingers from his lips. Though they didn't get very far.

Instead she pressed her fingers gently against the scar on his face. She allowed her fingers to trace along the rough skin, a touch so exquisite and tender, that Zuko was sure it was nothing but a dream.

But the reality of it was that Orora was lying next to him. And she was touching his scar. The ugliest part of him. And she was touching it as if it were the most softest of flowers.

"Close your eyes." He said, his voice a perfect replica of his expression.

Tender.

The girl stopped moving her fingers, though her hand stayed where it was.

She did as he asked.

He moved closer, his eyes closing as well.

She felt his nose brush against her own.

He felt her warm breath caress his mouth.

And in that moment, there was no war.

There was no Fire Nation or Water Tribe.

No Prince or Noblewoman.

It was a moment between a boy and a girl.

A moment under the stars as his lips found hers in a tender embrace.

And the string that connected them together burst in a flash of color.

Blue and Red.

Before it faded once more.

                                          ————————–

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Comparative Mythologies of the Long Night: Part Two – Azor Ahai and The Red Sword

In part one, we looked at the origin story of the Long Night, and the ways in which it is reflected in the main series. Now, we shall move on to discuss the heroes who seemingly saved the world.

The most notable of these heroes, with whom you are likely aware, is the one most commonly known as Azor Ahai; emerging from Asshai, this is the hand that wields the flaming sword Lightbringer. They are also known as Hyrkoon the Hero, Yin Tar, Neferion, and Eldric Shadowchaser.

As a brief aside, it is interesting to note that all of these names can be related to specific places in Essos; the Patrimony of Hyrkoon is an ancient nation, Yin is a city in Yi Ti that has often been its capital, ‘Nefer’ is the last city in the distant kingdom of N’ghai, ‘the Shadow’, or the ‘Shadow Lands’ are a region in the furthest east, with AssHAI in the southwest, serving as something of a gateway to them – and it is the Shadow, as we will later learn, from whence the dragons may have first originated; tamed by an ancient, unnamed people.

Whether this solid anchoring of these heroic aliases in various places means anything more than a suggestion that the hero – or heroes – may have come from there, or were perhaps claimed by those peoples, I will leave you to ponder. For now, we shall turn to Azor Ahai’s legend.

Of Azor Ahai (AA), we have the most available information of all of the legends we shall discuss. He is also the only one explicitly prophesied to return again, and the manner in which AA shall return and be heralded is very clearly laid out for us from multiple sources.

AA is described as a leader, wielding a burning sword that radiates heat and light. He gave ‘courage to […] men and [led] the virtuous into battle’, returning ‘light and love’ to the world. So we should account for these aspects, as well as the finer points of the prophecy.

Much has been said about who AA reborn might be, with many candidates proposed. I will not be spilling that ink here; it’s Daenerys. Born on Dragonstone, a smoking isle in the great salt sea, she arose when darkness gathered and, beneath a bleeding star, awoke dragons from stone.

I would also point out that even Jon Snow, upon hearing of the Prophecy in the context of Mel’s candidate Stannis, zeroes on the importance of Stannis not being born on Dragonstone. One can almost hear the author himself tapping his fingers impatiently, no?

If you favour another candidate, a more abstract interpretation of the prophecy, feel free to do your own research and present it elsewhere; I am interested primarily in exploring the myths, not arguing. However, I do hope you will let me expand on my case and consider it fairly.

Dany becomes a leader, bringing hope and courage to mankind and returning light and love to those lost in the darkness. Moreover, she inspires them to fight for themselves, for their lives and loves; leading them into battle, but not doing their fighting for them.

I would also briefly highlight this echo of command from Quaithe, in light of one of AA’s names being ‘Shadowchaser’ – and that Quaithe wishes Dany to go to Asshai, from whence the myths of AA were born and the prophecy was written.

Going back here may mean in a temporal sense, revisiting the origins of AA and learning who he was, what he did, and most notably for Daenerys, why it was needed. She is, as present, unaware of the encroaching darkness that threatens the world, on any level except subconsciously through her dreams. A revelation is needed.

To add to this, we have the ‘Prince that was Promised’ title; these are used interchangeably with AA by Mel and by Maester Aemon and seem to often refer to the same person; in light of GRRM’s addition of Aegon’s dream to the canon, my interpretation is that they do refer to the same person, but by accident. Though we do not yet have it in GRRM’s words, Aegon saw the return of the Long Night and a Targaryen fighting against it. This is tPtwP, Aegon’s name for this leader who happens to also be the one who woke the dragons from stone to fight the cold.

And it is Aegon’s dream that dream-driven Targaryens have stumbled across in their scrolls – what Rhaegar to become a warrior and thence to confer the promise he initially saw in himself upon his newborn son. The Red Priests who herald Dany speak only of AA; Mel may have discovered tPtwP on Dragonstone itself. All other sources for the Promised Prince title seem to be either Targaryen or Targaryen adjacent – such as Barristan, who himself speaks of Jenny of Oldstones’ witch friend, presumably close to certain Targaryens.

But what of Lightbringer? Daenerys is not trained in arms, so how can she wield a sword? Recall that AA reborn is marked by waking dragons from stone and wielding Lightbringer. There is no separate mention of forging/reforging a sword. Perhaps there is more to the tale than that?

So let us examine Lightbringer and its forging; AA makes three attempts to forge the blade, quenching it in water, lion’s blood and, in his successful forging, the living heart of his wife, Nissa Nissa. The blade is described, by the Jade Compendium, as making its own fiery heat.

The blade never being cold, but being warm as Nissa Nissa was warm, is very alike to the description of dragons being ‘fire made flesh’; and the description of Lightbringer in action resembles nothing so much as the affect of Drogon’s flames. Lightbringer, Red Sword of Heroes, is not a blade; it is the dragons awoken from stone. But what of the three forgings? The exact arrangement of the forgings is sometimes debated, but the one I favour is this arrangement: the first forging in ‘water’.

The second in the ‘heart of a lion’; note that this moment is so important it appears again in the dreams that guide Dany’s steps to her eventual success.

And the third, successful forging – in the ‘sacred flames’ of a funeral pyre, fed by the blood of heart’s beloved. Note the proximity of the water/lion/heart imagery on each occasion, and that the conversations following the first scenes are about dragons, and then about war.

In the chapter prior to the pyre, Dany has dreams haunted by a pursuing cold, and by ghosts urging her on, with very familiar gemstone eyes; this links Dany and the dragons explicitly to the Great Empire of the Dawn and thus to the Long Night that followed the Blood Betrayal.

These dreams also link the dragons to sacrifice, just as Lightbringer is linked to Nissa Nissa’s sacrifice. Dany’s dreams show us the lives lost in her journey to that point (though Drogo is not yet entirely lost to her); those she has lost will lend their names to the dragons.

Blood sacrifice is a deeply potent power, both within ASOIAF and without. Many characters tell us of the potency of shed blood; of kin, king, and of holy men. Within many cultures in our own world, blood sacrifice was a holy act, to ward off catastrophe, as payment – and penance.

In Aztec mythology, for instance, it is now generally understood that blood sacrifice, both of slain captives but also one’s own blood on a daily basis, was both a fuel offered up to the gods for their daily labours, and as repayment for the debt owed by the living to the gods for their sacrifices made when creating the fifth sun, and so all human life. The dreams emphasise Dany’s own shed blood from the beginning; in her bloody footsteps, the burning in her womb, and the burning blood from her torn open back, which ultimately grants her wings.

When the time comes, she offers up her own blood by walking unafraid into the sacred flames of the funeral pyre, to bleed with her fallen beloved. Dany alone, among all Targaryens who have attempted to bring back dragons, took the last and most important step of self-sacrifice.

But if we understand blood sacrificed to be offered up, not just for power but for payment of debt, what debt is Dany paying here? Moreover, have we strayed from AA in this talk of blood magic and penance? I would argue not; for just as Dany’s Lightbringer is living dragons, so too do I believe that AA’s red sword was no literal blade, but dragons also.

I would here posit that Azor Ahai, in the coldest, darkest night, sought to bind fire made flesh to humankind. I propose that he tried and failed twice, before binding dragons to the fate of men.

I implore you to consider that Nissa Nissa was a dragon.

This concludes Part Two. Part Three shall answer the question, ‘what in the world did she mean by that last comment?’, by examining sacrifice, necessity, and the long, sad history of House Targaryen’s ritual offerings of innocence as payment.

[sherwood-scribblings]

Sunrise on the Reaping theories + thoughts so far (pt 1)

here's a collection of the most likely and most interesting head-canons and stuff I've seen, both fandom-made and my own

NOT MINE BUT EXPANDED & CONNECTED BY ME:

• Tigress pov, as an audience member, maybe she's Haymitch's designer

• we got a tribute pov, a mentor pov, now we could get an audience pov because of the themes of propaganda she emphasizes... we could also get multi pov if she wants to do smth crazy and appease all fans

• Unreliable narrator, perhaps screwing with the reader's head on what actually happened in the games, capitol editing footage out

• Perhaps Tigress observes the games and originally starts off oblivious to the truth but the more she watches and helps Haymitch the more she begins to see the truth, and so the capitol punishes both her and Haymitch for it

• Lucy Gray is midnight, Haymitch/Maysilee is sunrise, Katniss/Peeta is sunset (symbolic of the progression of the games. Lucy Gray wiped out and forgotten, Haymitch the escaped glimmering sliver of change, Katniss the blazing fire and finale)

• Maysilee wore the mockingjay pin in the arena but the capitol edited it out of all the footage

• Themes of light vs dark, truth vs lies, the audience starts out unaware and conflicted but comes to see how things really are

• Katniss parents could appear??? Maybe we'll see Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen fall in love??

MY THEORIES + THOUGHTS:

• (canon) The arena is an illusion. Flowers, water, fruit, mountains, animals. It's beautiful, heavenly, too good to be true, it doesn't seem real... well, it's not real. Everything seems normal and like you know what it is, but the Entire Setting is actually poisonous and deadly. JUST like the theme of propaganda and lies, she says the book is about. The arena itself is a meta layer to things not being as they appear.

• the cover will have a mockingjay and a sunrise or sun-flare, gold against purple

• the "sunrise" in the title is symbolism, for a person and a theme, likely symbolic of Maysilee Donner because of her kindness and humanity and spirit casting light in the face of violence and war (the reaping). A light the capitol would've snuffed out, to hide the truth. (I have a whole essay on this + maysilee's importance pls check my feed)

• Maysilee is the real mockingjay, and very important, not just a random dead background character who passed down the pin to Katniss. We know how Collins' brain works. Look at TBOSAS. Look at how she foreshadowed Lucy Gray as early as the first book. 

• the mockingjay isn't just one person, but a symbol of resistance and goodness and freedom, that anyone can take on as a mantle, an idea rather than tied to one thing or person. Lucy Gray, Rue, Katniss, and likely Maysilee.

• a rebellion almost happened with the mockingjay pin and Maysilee and Haymitch and perhaps Tigress seeing the truth last minute, but the capitol snuffed it out and destroyed all the evidence of such a thing ever happening, including Haymitch's family and punishing Tigress, leading Panem and the readers themselves in the dark and at peace. Maysilee is the warm sun to bring the spark of a fire, her pin symbolically passes onto Katniss through her niece, thus passing on the resistance and legacy. ....symbolic of how the mockingjay had the will to survive, even when it was destroyed and wiped out.... It escaped and became stronger in the face of its enemies....

• ...for all we know, Katniss' dad didn't die in a coal mining accident, but perhaps was a rebel himself and the capitol planted explosions in the mines to get rid of him. we can't just blindly trust the narrative.

• If Haysilee is a parallel to Everlark, what if Haymitch's girlfriend is a Gale figure? This isn't just because I'm a haysilee shipper I'm built to be a multishipper I'm FIGHTING not to be biased I'm openminded, but i feel the haysilee content in my bones and it's definitely a possibility

• the capitol (and Snow) believes that humanity is vile, that humans will always give into instinct and fend for themselves, that you can't trust or love or anyone lest it lead to your downfall. So... If Ballad was about humanity's corruption, perhaps Reaping is about humanity's goodness (the bond between Haymitch and Maysilee, Tigress seeing the truth despite being a capitol/audience member, perhaps the Capitol cut the footage of that bond to prevent a rebellion like Everlark's relationship later induces) 

• Most people are saying this book will be super depressing and focused on the capitol's propaganda succeeding to stop a rebellion, and I do agree, but, that doesn't cancel out highlighting themes of goodness and friendship but rather enhances them. Perhaps that very thing is what we're missing from the footage, what the capitol succeeded in covering up, raw humanity being the thing that defies their propaganda the most, and punished anyone who acted otherwise (Haymitch, Tigress...)

PART 2 IS COMING SOON to address the fandom discourse with my personal thoughts on whether this book will be about Haymitch and if we need more District 12.

and why Collins would logically choose to tell this story (regardless of pov because that could be anything at this point she'll upset someone either way)

[essektheylyss]

I know I joked about DVDs but in all seriousness, I'm really glad that there's an option for watching VODs that isn't on Twitch and YouTube. It's been mentioned a few times today, but both of the interfaces of these platforms have been increasingly enshittified. I simply do not use YouTube anymore because of how horrid the interface is. I caught up on campaign 2 entirely on YouTube (and sometimes via podcast) in 2019 with no issues, but it is straight up maddening trying to use it now, and I don't know that I would have made it through the campaign if I was trying to catch up today.

I absolutely understand being tired of additional streaming services and I am absolutely in the same boat, but I also don't know how many people really recognize how gutted media distribution has become in the last ten years in the name of convenience. We all kind of realize it, but it's hard to grasp just how extensive it is. We can talk about independent business choices separately, and we should, but when the only platforms on which you have the option to distribute your work are at best frustrating to use and at worst hostile to human life, when monetization services can censor anyone they please with little explanation and have been cracking down on any content they arbitrarily deem inappropriate, when it is not clear that centralized conglomerate social media sites will continue to exist in the next year let alone decade, it is genuinely crucial for independent creators to start building alternative avenues of distribution that they control now.

[astrangertomykin]

I truly honestly understand what the hell Ashton was thinking in that moment and cannot find myself to be mad at them. When you spend your life in pain already, there is no threat or fear of more. It's all the same, really. Especially when this way you could use it to help the people you love and, finally, make that pain worthwhile.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Frank Wilhoit described conservativism as “exactly one proposition”:

There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.This is likewise the project of corporatism. Tech platforms are urgently committed to ensuring that they can do anything they want on their platforms — and they’re even more dedicated to the proposition that you must not do anything they don’t want on their platforms.

They can lock you in. You can’t unlock yourself. Facebook attained network-effects growth by giving its users bots that logged into Myspace on their behalf, scraped the contents of their inboxes for the messages from the friends they left behind, and plunked them in their Facebook inboxes.

Facebook then sued a company that did the same thing to Facebook, who wanted to make it as easy for Facebook users to leave Facebook as it had been to get started there.

Apple reverse-engineered Microsoft’s crown jewels — the Office file-formats that kept users locked to its operating systems — so it could clone them and let users change OSes.

Try to do that today — say, to make a runtime so you can use your iOS apps and media on an Android device or a non-Apple desktop — and Apple will reduce you to radioactive rubble.

- Let the Platforms Burn: The Opposite of Good Fires is Wildfires

[carefulfears]

we've both talked about how scully isn't jealous fire. what differences do you see between protective scully vs jealous scully?

yeah to me the main difference is that one is more external and the other internal. she gets very emotional when she’s jealous. in episodes like alpha (literally sitting that woman down and going “i’m watching you.” cracks me tf up. Dana nobody is taking your man.) and war of the coprophages, it’s kind of angry. it’s louder, but still something very vulnerable and true to her (hater-ism). in episodes like the end, it’s heartbreak. that’s one of the very few episodes where i think she was purely jealous, and sad. she usually understands what’s going on and i think she knew as soon as she heard him call diana by her first name that something was going to change. i think it hurt her feelings, that specific display of connection, usually reserved for her.

when she’s jealous she retreats. she watches quietly. she cries alone in her car. she needs a moment to herself.

it’s when she’s protective that you can’t shake her for anything. one of my favorite images in fire is her standing in the doorway while mulder and phoebe meet with the arson specialist. i didn’t even notice she was there the first time i saw it. she wasn’t invited. she’s just keeping watch. later, she’s standing in the hallway. after that, she’s in his hotel room, and doesn’t leave when phoebe comes in. says “are you okay?” the moment they’re alone.

people write off her behavior in this one as being “jealous” because she has a lil crush and there’s another woman there, but i honestly find that dismissive. sometimes people discuss scully through such a wide lens, not taking into account who she is. she’s really surprised throughout the time that phoebe was there. it’s that soft edge that still shocks to cruelty, that she never really loses. it’s what shocks in the pilot when the doctor hits mulder twice. what shocks in the following episode when the government agents punch him on the side of the road. (look at you you’ve radicalized scully). it’s what makes her wary of jerry lamana, even before he stole mulder’s work.

but phoebe is so cruel, and so personal, and has so much history. it’s not jealousy that makes scully linger in doorways. it’s not jealousy that spawns that folie a deux. no one else understands. no one else can be trusted. (which i do kind of think started in fire, i’ve said before). she isn’t jealous that he startles when he hears this woman’s voice.

and i know that’s a lot on phoebe as an example, but it doesn’t stop. she doesn’t stop keeping watch. she doesn’t stop shocking to cruelty. she’ll get loud. she’ll make plans. she’ll surprise herself. and it doesn’t come with jealousy’s mortifying intimacy.

(don’t have much else to say but i found this from an old post of mine and wanted to share: “scully has that kind of protectiveness towards him that you have towards a child that hasn't been touched by the world yet. it's very 'the world is at least half terrible, though i keep this from my children.’ 'good bones' by maggie smith. scully in the beginning is like......there is something here that should have broken by now. and she wants to watch him be able to walk into every room with the most hopeful answer and a hand out to every stranger.”)

she shares him with the world only reluctantly, Etc etc

[a-neverending-story]

❝I have licked the fire and danced in the ashes of every bridge I ever burned. I fear no hell from you.❞ 

Cora Sophie Marren aka 𝙻𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚒𝚛𝚊; a walking disaster ☾ ─── ⋆ 32-year-old reincarnation of a witch who roams America (and the world) in search for answers. Constantly running away from her past. In the perpetual company of shadowy women that no one can see or hear but her. She is addicted to the pleasures of life and spends most of her time in bars and clubs on the hunt for the next drink or pill that will make her forget the presence of her spirits.

21+ - MDNI!, crossover and multiverse-friendly, Smalltalk Deeptalk+Plots, mutuals only, low to semi activity, currently 𝙾𝙿𝙴𝙽 for Plotting. Crafted for but not limited to FakeVZ. ( 9 / 9 ) ⸻  CARRD

𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚢 𝚒𝚗 : ⋆ witchcraft ⋆ ghosts ⋆ jobhopping ⋆ drgs ⋆ childhood trauma ⋆ trust issues ⋆ chaos ⋆ abuse ⋆ twin-brother ⋆ violence ⋆ knives ⋆ crime ⋆ pickpocketing ⋆

[lumehart]

Teeny-tiny Immaculate One on a fabric handkerchief

[imagines--galore]

||The Thread of Fate|| Part Thirty-One

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Masterlist

A/N: Another filler chapter! Hope you enjoy!

"Katara! Wait!"

Seeing the Water Tribe girl walk away as soon as lunch was finished, Orora was quick to dump her bowl on Sokka, who was on clean-up duty, and race after the girl. She finally caught up to her, the both standing a little ways away from the rest of the group.

"Look, I really am sorry about what happened. I should've tried more to stop the battles from happening." Orora stated, gesturing to the still partially destroyed rooms. In a way, Orora admitted that she was to blame for things getting a little out of hand.

Aang had made a new rule though: No bending battles in the Temple. At least no Earthbending. They could all go to the cliffs above for that.

The younger girl frowned, crossing her arms over her chest as she gave Orora a disapproving look. "Yeah, you should have." She stated, her tone cold, prompting Orora to blink at the girl in surprise. "If you hadn't been so bent on showing off, maybe you could've avoided the entire thing altogether." Katara claimed, to which the other girl only stared at her.

"Show off? What're you....?" She trailed off, a crease appearing between her eyebrows as she tried to make sense of what Katara was trying to say. Though her fellow Waterbender even give her a chance to finish her statement. "But then I can't expect anything from you now. Not when he's here." The venom and utter hatred behind that one pronoun had Orora staring open-mouthed at her friend. That icy anger was still in Katara's eyes, and it seemed to project across her features as well.

It was strange, and slightly disconcerting, to have Katara look at her that way.

"What're you talking about, Katara? Is something wrong?" The older girl asked, a look of concern crossing her features.

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say.

"I'm talking about you deciding to forgive Zuko after what he did in Ba Sing Se."

The emotion behind her words was so strong that both her own and Katara's waterskins burst, water splashing to the floor, leaving the two girls with wet shoes. Orora's mouth fell open, her eyes widened. Slowly, she turned her head to glance behind her.

Just as she had thought.

Katara's voice had been loud enough to carry her words to the rest of their camp mates who were frozen in place. Teo with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, the food slipping from between the wooden sticks and dropping back into the bowl. Toph and Haru, who had created rocks that were smoothed out, pausing in whatever game they'd been playing, with the latter staring at the both of them. Sokka with his arms elbow deep in soapy suds, not realizing he was cleaning the same bowl over and over as his nervous gaze flitted between the two Waterbenders. Aang looking just as nervous as Sokka, meeting Orora's gaze, before he turned to glance at Zuko.

Zuko.

The only person who hadn't looked up from his task of drying the bowls. Though he had stopped, and even from where she stood Orora knew he was listening and was tense about what was happening.

Turning back to look at Katara, and seeing that anger merging with a look of betrayal, the older girl sighed. "Katara, I know its hard for you to understand, but I've spent a long time thinking about my decision. It wasn't easy bu-"

"Oh but it was." Katara cut her off, pressing an accusing finger against Orora's chest as she continued. "It was easy for you, because you don't care about Aang's or anyone else's safety like I do."

A surge of anger flashed through her ice blue eyes as Orora's look of calm understanding shifted to one of fury. "Don't you dare question my desire for my family's safety Katara." She growled, her fingers flexing as she unknowingly pulled up small strands of water to coat the tips of her fingers.

In very sharp claws.

"I care about Aang's safety just as much as you do." The girl stated, her tone icy as she glared at Katara. The younger girl wasn't even deterred by Orora's shift in tone and body language. Instead, she seemed to grow even stronger in her resolve as the water on the floor trembled with the intensity of her emotions.

A sarcastic smile pulled at Katara's lips. "Oh really? Well it sure didn't look that way when you were cozying up to the enemy." This time Katara glanced over Orora's shoulder as she said the words, and despite her effort not to, the older girl followed her line of sight.

Only to see Zuko standing there with a look of resignation, acceptance and shame on his face.

Something inside Orora's chest splintered as she turned back to Katara. "Zuko is not the enemy." She hissed, her voice somehow echoing for the entire courtyard to hear. "He is the only chance we have of defeating the Fire Nation once and for all. And if I can get past what happened, then so can you."

With that Orora stalked past Katara, leaving the younger girl to stare after her in utter fury and contempt.

                                           ————————–

Half an hour later, Aang found her sitting on an open balcony in one of the many upside down towers of the Temple.

"Woah, you really did want to get away from everyone." He stated as he landed next to her and snapped his glider shut. Orora didn't glance at him, opting to pick up a loose piece of rock and throwing it into the yawning abyss in front of her. The sun was beginning to set, casting hues of orange and red all around.

While the orange had reminded her of Aang's robes, the red had reminded her of Zuko's.

She sat with her legs hanging off the side of the balcony, since it didn't have a railing. A safety hazard really, but then again it was built for people who could fly at a moments notice. Aang came to sit next to her cross-legged, his hands folded in his lap. "Katara kind of stormed off after you did. Don't know where, but I'm sure she'll be back." Aang added, glancing at his older sister. "Sokka went after her, to try and talk. Though now that I think about it, he might say something that would make her even angrier." He pressed a finger to his chin as he thought over his decision, regretting it a little.

"Was she right?" Orora asked, cutting off whatever Aang had started to think about. The young Avatar turned to look at his friend, the concern evident in his wide grey eyes. "Was I really too quick in forgiving Zuko?" It wasn't that she regretted her choice or would go back on it. It was more reassurance that she needed. And while Sokka had helped provide that, it seemed like Katara's words had made her question if maybe people saw her to be too quick to forgive and let go.

The moment the words were out of her mouth, Aang shook his head. "No." He stated, his voice firm and stern, prompting her to look at him in surprise, not having expected his tone. "What happened in Ba Sing Se was......horrible, I admit." She tried hard not to glance at his back, where she knew the scar from the wound Azula had inflicted on him with her lightning still marred his skin. A small gust of wind had her inhaling deeply, bringing a semblance of calm about her troubled heart.

"But you and Zuko both paid for it for weeks after that." Seeing her frown of confusion, Aang continued. "You were both apart from one another, heartbroken and barely able to function. Zuko told me how he would have visions of you being at the Fire Palace with him. And lets not forget how you nearly went into a catatonic state because of the grief you felt."

The memory of those dull, lifeless days had an involuntary shiver running down her spine. Aang, sensing her discomfort, went on. "Even Zuko had his moments of heartbreak, he told me all about them." At her questioning look, he gave a sheepish grin. "We were trapped together for hours. Had to pass the time somehow." A smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"My point is, you and Zuko have gone through enough and I guess, you thought the same since you finally decided to forgive him." His eyes dropped to her finger, where her string glowed a warm red. Of course, he couldn't see it. Though somehow, Orora had a suspicion that Aang knew it was glowing with color.

The Waterbender sighed, leaning back to lie flat on her back as she stared up at the passing clouds. "I was just so tired." She admitted, sensing Aang laying down next to her. "Tired of all that anger and sadness." A pause. "I just wanted to be happy again." She admitted, her voice breaking.

Didn't she deserve to be happy?

Couldn't she be a little selfish?

Didn't Zuko deserve to be happy?

Was it always going to be like this?

Someone disapproving of their bond just because he had been the enemy once.

Or someone disapproving of their bond because she was a Waterbender and he was a Firebender.

Or someone disapproving of their bond because she was a Noblewoman from the Water Tribe and he was the Prince of the Fire Nation.

So many obstacles.

So many hurdles.

"I get that." Aang said, his voice matching her tone, though his was low and soothing, while hers was heavy with the realization that Fate had really dealt her and Zuko a rather difficult hand of Pai Sho Tiles.

"When I found out what the Fire Nation had done to my people, I was so angry. I went into the Avatar State and nearly destroyed the Southern Air Temple and blasted Sokka and Katara off the side of the mountain." He admitted. Sensing the sadness in his tone, Orora reached down, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze of assurance, trying to comfort him in her own way.

He squeezed back, indicating his appreciation for her gesture.

"I realized that in order to keep my power under control, I had to let go of that anger." His voice trailed off, before picking up as he went on. "It wasn't easy, but I did it because letting all that anger fester in me for so long would start to effect me. Turning me into someone........else."

She turned her head, looking at him, trying to imagine him being someone else. Someone who wasn't bright and brilliant.

Someone who wasn't ready with a few wise words and a smile.

Someone who never failed to protect the people he loved, and fight for the good of the world.

And she found, she couldn't.

"You say you let go of your anger because you wanted to be happy again." Aang spoke after a brief moment of silence. He turned his head to meet her gaze, before pushing to sit up. "Letting go takes more strength then holding on, and I'm actually proud of you for doing that."

And seeing that pride in his eyes, an emotion she had only ever seen in her Master's eyes, Orora couldn't help the choked sob that escaped her as she launched to hug her little brother close. He returned the embrace with a small laugh and with just as much ferocity as she held her to him, the two teenagers drawing comfort and strength from one another.

"I understand Katara's anger." Her voice was soft as she sighed in his shoulder before slowly leaning back. "She blames Zuko for what happened because you nearly died." They both flinched at the memory. "Shes just afraid of loosing you again."

She pulled back, holding him by the shoulders at arm length.

Blue met grey.

"Maybe the two of you should sit down and talk about your bond? If you reassure her that nothing like that would happen again, she might not worry so much about you." Orora offered. Aang looked away, unable to meet her gaze as uncertainty crossed his features.

She waited patiently, knowing he would eventually answer her.

Though when he did, she wasn't exactly satisfied with it.

"I'll try."

But she didn't push it.

They both sat there in silent contemplation for a little while longer. "I should get back and talk to Zuko." Orora said, as always, unable to sit still for too long unless she was meditating. "He's probably blaming himself for Katara's behavior towards me." She was sure of it.

Why?

Because Orora knew her Soulmate well enough to know that he somehow found fault in things that didn't even involve him. Sure the situation between her and Katara did, but that wasn't the point. The sun was well on it's way to setting now as she glanced down at her string, following where it led her. She frowned. "I think Zuko walked off somewhere too." Came her observation as Aang stood as well, gripping his staff.

"Well if you act as the navigator, I can get you to him in no time." He stated with a grin, to which Orora gave him a confused look.

"How're you gonna do that?"

Aang grinned.

                                           ————————–

As soon as Aang had gone off to look for Orora, with Sokka following his sister's trail, Zuko had walked off as well. Though he had no destination in mind, and was content to being alone rather then have company with him. Not that he was bothered by his new friends, but because he wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a little while.

Not a good combination.

Him and his thoughts.

Alone.

Especially since he tended to stray into a rather dark part of his mind. A part he wanted to let go of, but was finding it hard to do because it had been hammered in him for so long that he wasn't good enough that it was hard to let go of it.

He walked until he physically couldn't go any further. The Temple came to an end in the form of natural rock wall, leaving him coming to a stop in a series of small courtyards that jutted out on top of the chasm that opened in front of him. Maybe this had been used as a landing point of sky bisons, he mused to himself, spying a series of, what looked like, stable-like structures a little further into the space.

Distracting himself with his exploring could only last so long. Though he did till near sunset, but it didn't matter. In the end his mind began to think those dark thoughts again and he allowed himself to.

He wasn't bothered by what Katara had said. What she said about him was true. Zuko was, or rather had been, the enemy. No one would have any reason to trust him. Least of all Orora.

Especially after what he had done.

And yet she had forgiven him. Had told him that there was a chance. A chance for the both of them to be with one another. To accept the bond they shared and become something..........more.

Though it seemed Katara was against Orora's choice to forgive him.

Zuko knew Orora well enough to know she would not go back on her decision, not after all that she had laid bare to him just last night. Not after the soul-searching she had done to come to her decision.

But would her choice result in loosing Katara?

He didn't want that. He didn't want her to loose part of her family. Not when she had been without one her whole life. Zuko had at least known his mother's love, as well as his Uncle's. And yes, there had been a time when his relationship with his father and Azula could be defined as normal.

Orora had never had that.

Like he had done with Aang, he had to make amends with Katara as well. It would be hard, but he wasn't one to give up easily. After all, Orora had claimed him to be the most stubborn person she had ever met.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this!" Came his Soulmate's voice, high pitched, terrified, distant and echoing.

Speaking of......

Zuko frowned, walking towards the edge of the very last landing area, surprised to see a rather familiar figure flying towards him on a glider. Though there was another addition to it.

That of Orora as she clung to Aang.

"We're almost there!" He heard Aang say, just as Orora let out a shriek. "Aang! I'm slipping."

"Just hang on!"

Feeling Orora's grip falter, Aang knew he had to act quickly lest she fall. Doing a quick loop in the air, which jostled Orora enough to loose her grip on him completely, Aang sent a burst of air aimed at Orora's back. The gust sent her flying through the air, her screams of terror echoing off the silent walls of the Temple.

Aang had targeted her towards the nearest landing area, which was also the one Zuko occupied.

It all happened so fast that he didn't even have time to think.

All he saw was Orora flying towards him, prompting him to throw his arms out to try and catch her. It was instinct really. However, Zuko failed to add in the strength of the air gust that was propelling Orora towards him.

Her body smacked into his, sending them both tumbling back in a tangle. They rolled at least seven times, though neither of them counted, before they came to a stop. For a moment all Zuko could do was try to focus his head which was still spinning, and his body that ached all over from being slammed into the hard ground over and over.

"You guys alright?" In the distance he heard Aang call out, prompting him to open his eyes with a groan. A heavy weight resting atop his abdomen kept him from getting up. Inclining his head, Zuko saw Orora, laying across him diagonally. She too groaned as she lifted her head where her face had been smushed into the dirt covered floor. "I prefer flying on Appa." The girl grumbled, slowly pushing herself off him so he could sit up.

Aang stopped a couple feet from them. "Well considering it was your first time flying on a glider, properly, it wasn't that bad. Though you gotta work on the landing."

That last part earned him a death glare from the Waterbender, prompting the young Airbender to gulp in fear. "I.....erm......oh whats that Sokka? I'm coming!" He held a hand to his ear as if he could actually hear Sokka calling for him from so far away. "Sokka's calling. So, I gotta......" He trailed off with a nervous laugh. "Bye!" And with that he ran off, propelling himself forward with a gust of air.

All to avoid the wrath of an annoyed older sister.

Orora sighed, shaking her head as she stood. "Honestly, its a Spirit send miracle that boy hasn't gotten himself or the others killed with the way his brain works." As she dusted off the front of her shirt, Zuko stood as well, straightening his clothes as he did. "Well he has come close, and I've witnessed it plenty of times." He said, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips at the dead-panned look Orora shot him.

"What're you doing all the way here?" She asked, pushing back the few pieces of hair that had escaped her comb, and turning to him with a frown. He shrugged. "I just thought everyone needed some space, so I walked off." Better walking away then staying and feeling their eyes at him whenever he turned away.

She sighed. "You don't have to go away just because someone has a fight Zuko. Doesn't matter if it involves you or not." Running a hand over her face, the girl grimaced at the obvious layer of dirt coating her. "You alright?" Zuko asked, his eyes looking her over, trying to see if she were hurt anywhere. She nodded, turning her head to give him a smile of reassurance. "I'm fine. What about you?"

Reaching up she brushed at his cheek, just under his scar, where a few tiny rocks were stuck to his skin. A silent nod was his only response, since he was still a little winded.

Though was it because of the tumble they'd both taken, or because she had her hand on his cheek, he wasn't sure.

Seeing the turmoil in his eyes, Orora sighed. "Don't let Katara get to you. She just needs a little more time to trust you again." She reassured him, her thumb gently stroking along his scar. The small act of comfort had him closing his eyes and leaning in her touch, savoring it just as he had done last night.

"I don't blame her. I did some pretty horrible stuff." He said, his voice low and full of shame, to which Orora bit her lower lip. "You only did it because you were misguided Zuko. You wanted to go back home and prove to your Father that you were worthy." Reaching up with her other hand, she cradled his face in her palms, smiling at him.

"Those actions, the person who did them, that's not you anymore." Sure he heard her words and he responded to them with a small nod, Zuko was more focused on her eyes. The shape and color so familiar, and yet he found he would never get tired of just looking at them. Looking into them.

"Now you're just a Prince who left his entire Nation to help a ragtag team of kids, with more issues, trauma and problems then you, save the world. Not exactly a great move but hey," She threw her arms out at her sides, grinning at him. "Welcome to the party!"

He blinked, staring at her as his brain tried to comprehended exactly what she had said.

And once it did, he burst out laughing.

He continued to laugh, the sound echoing against the empty walls of the courtyard. Her grin morphed into a tender smile as she watched him. Zuko rarely laughed. Orora could count the times he had on one hand, and that sent a pang of sadness through her heart.

He looked adorable when he laughed.

As the sound of his laugh tapered off, Orora found herself simply staring at him. And Zuko found himself doing the same. The smile on his lips, and the mirth in his warm gold eyes remained, as he reached up to flick at a loose tendril of hair that brushed against her cheek. Her beautiful blue eyes followed the movement of his fingers, before returning back to meet his gaze. He didn't look away, as he gently brushed the soft white piece of her hair behind her ear, his fingers gently grazing her temple and the shell of her ear.

As always, the intensity of his gaze was what had her shying away from him, a blush razing across her cheeks as a nervous smile formed on her lips.

"Well now that you're feeling better." She turned on her feet, already starting to walk away to begin the trek back to their camp. "We should head back. Dinner will be ready soon an-"

But Orora only got to walk a few paces before she came to a halt.

Because she suddenly found a pair of strong yet familiar arms wrapped around her waist from behind. They pulled her back against a firm chest, trapping her.

Her eyes widened, her lips parted as a gasp of surprise escaped her. "Zu-" She trailed off when she felt his head lean against her shoulder, before he turned to bury his face in her hair. Orora could now feel the blush burning across her face. Feel her heart thundering in her chest. She even felt his heartbeat as her back pressed even more to his chest. Her arms came up to lightly wrap around his, the colors of their skin a stark, yet poetic contrast. Her response prompted Zuko to smile against her hair. And even though she couldn't see it, she somehow felt it.

"Thank you." He whispered, his voice hoarse and barely audible as he memorized her scent all over again. The thickness of her hair prevented his skin from brushing against her own, but she did feel the warmth of his breath when he whispered.

And she tried very very hard not to ask him to do that again.

Instead, she held still, barely breathing. Zuko was no better. He held her to him in an embrace that was certainly not meant to be shared in public. He should walk away more often, he mused to himself, if it meant Orora coming after him, talking to him, making him laugh, touching his scar.

Anything to have her close. Anything to show her that he had changed and wanted to be with her more then anything. Though it had only been a day, Zuko was afraid that this was one of his dreams and he'd wake up any moment, back in his bed at the Fire Palace.

Alone and bereft.

"Do you want to stay for a bit?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if she felt that if she spoke any louder, the dream would shatter.

The tightening of his arms was his only response.

And she accepted it with a smile, her head tilting to rest atop his as the both of them simply stood there, drawing comfort from the other's presence.

A rather insignificant thing.

And yet for the both of them, after so many days apart, it felt like coming home.

                                           ————————–

The next morning was no different.

Orora had started her day by greeting Katara, but had been ignored. After that, every time she tried to include the other girl in any conversation, she would either be shut down, or Katara would snap at her with some rude comment.

Needless to say, by lunch time, Orora was beginning to loose patience, and Katara had reached the limit of her restraint from holding back and telling Orora to just back off.

The breaking point came when Katara made some snide comment about Zuko and Orora very nearly tackled her, only stopping because Toph held her back while Aang shot a look of warning in Katara's direction.

"Alright that's it!" Sokka exclaimed, standing up with soup spilled all over his front. Apparently when two Waterbenders got upset and allowed they emotions to run unchecked, anything containing some form of water broke. So far the victims had been, their waterskins, two jars of water, and several bowls of soup. Honestly Sokka was getting sick of the fighting, and loosing his meal only made him cranky.

"You two are coming with me!" He pointed towards the two Waterbenders, before walking off towards Appa. Glaring at one another briefly, both of them followed. "Where are we going?" Katara asked her brother as he climbed atop Appa. "Shush!" He commanded, prompting his sister to scowl at him.

Glancing back at the rest of the campers, which included Toph, Aang and Zuko, he gestured for them to climb as well. Haru, The Duke and Teo had gone off to forage for some fruits a little ways away from the cliffs.

Once everyone had settled, with Orora and Katara sitting at opposite ends of the saddle, Sokka guided Appa to fly away from the Temple and towards the nearest water source he had seen on a wall map of he Western Air Temple and its surroundings.

Not even five minutes later they were landing near a wide stream with enough room on the banks to house several sky bisons if need be. A wide yet small waterfall was the source of the stream, with several rocks jutting out of the surface of the water, an indication that if one were to stand even in the middle the water would only come to the waste.

And it was the perfect place.

"Excellent, this will do." Sokka seemed to think so as well as he slid down from Appa and looked around, his hands on his hips. "Er....what're we doing here Sokka?" Toph asked, sliding down next to him, her toes wiggling in the soft sand of the bank of the stream.

Turning around Sokka crossed his arms over his chest, glaring first at Orora, then Katara. "We're here, so that these two can work things out once and for all, and so I won't have food exploding in my face again." He stated in a serious tone, prompting Katara to roll her eyes at her brother.

"Sokka, you're being ridiculous." She said in that annoyed tone she adopted whenever her brother was being just that, annoying. Zuko climbed down from Appa as well, Orora landing next to him. Sokka held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just saying if you two let off a little steam, maybe you'll finally sit down and talk properly."

Aang, who had been a little skeptical about the idea gave a small nod. "You know, he's not wrong." Katara shot him a look of betrayal before turning and stubbornly refusing to get down from Appa. Orora rolled her eyes at the younger girl's behavior, sliding off her shoes and throwing them to the side as she walked towards the water, sighing in relief when the coolness of the liquid washed over her feet.

"Katara as your older brother I order you to fight Orora!" Sokka called out to his sister, glaring up at her, just as she glared down at him. Zuko, having followed Orora, placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you should annoy her into fighting you?" He suggested, nodding towards the bickering siblings. Orora raised an eyebrow at him. "You're suggesting I take her on?" She asked, to which he shrugged. "Sometimes fighting physically helps resolve things. I mean it did got us to talk didn't it?"

Orora pursed her lips, squeezing her eyes shut before releasing a breath. Her shoulder drooped and she glanced at Katara. "But I don't want to fight my sister." She said in a low sad tone. Zuko nodded in understanding, reaching out to rest a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I know, but trust me, fighting with your sister, tends to be life-altering."

And he was speaking from experience.

Nodding, she pressed her lips together, a determined look on her face as she turned to walk further into the stream.

"Get down from the bison Katara!"

"No! I refuse to take part in-ARGH!"

The rest of her words were drowned out in a splash as a bubble of water dropped down from the sky and on top of her head. Everyone blinked in surprise, before all eyes turned towards Orora who stood knee deep in the water, one arm crossed over her chest, while the other held another bubble of water aloft.

Dripping, Katara finally slid down from Appa's back, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Sensing the impending battle ahead, Appa quickly lumbered to the side, while Aang, Toph, Sokka and Zuko stood on the grassy area of the clearing, watching the two Waterbender size one another up.

"You really think these two fighting is the answer?" Toph whispered to Sokka who shrugged. "Worked out for Zuko and Orora didn't it?" He reminded, to which Zuko just sighed, nodding in agreement. "Can't argue with that." He muttered under his breath.

"Did you just throw water at me?" Katara demanded, furiously swiping at her face to get rid of the water still trickling from her hair and into her eyes.

"I did." Orora stated in a matter of fact tone. No sooner had she done so when another bubble of water dropped on Katara's head, soaking her even more.

"And I did it again."

There was pure rage in Katara's eyes now. Raising her arm, she swiped it along the top of her head, gather whatever water was there and pulling it away to create a short water whip in her hand.

"Alright then." She said, finally stepping into the water as Orora shifted to bend her knees to balance herself properly. "Lets see who the real Master Waterbender is."

For a moment everything stood still. The birds quietened, the wind slowed, their friends on the bank of the stream froze. All either of the Waterbender focused on was the flowing water underneath, the rushing waterfall, and each other.

Katara moved first, lashing out with a water whip that caught Orora's ankle, throwing her a good few feet in the air. The older girl didn't miss a beat. Her arms pushed upwards, pulling a tunnel of water skywards. She landed in the center and slid down into the stream. Crouching there, Orora pushed herself up to the surface, arms flying out to send a wall of water towards Katara.

The other girl parted the wall like one would a curtain, pulling a bubble of water from it which she quickly shifted to ice daggers. The tips of it gleamed wickedly as Katara shot them through the air towards Orora. Without missing a beat, Orora created a shield, reminiscent of the ones Water Tribe Warriors used in battle. The daggers shattered on impact, and one the onslaught stopped, Orora threw the shield up in the air, watching as it shot down, only to jump and deliver a roundhouse kick that sent the solid shield through the air and towards Katara.

Though Katara brought up wall of ice to prevent being hit, Orora's shield still pierced the wall, shattering it on impact, and sending Katara flying back, where she landed in the water.

Anger flickering in her eyes, Katara didn't even bother to stand properly as she pushed herself to her knees and began to pump her arms in the air, creating wide circles, pushing multiple arcs of water towards Orora.

Each of them thinner and sharper then the last.

Her speed was remarkable, and Orora found herself a little winded as she dodged and swiped at each of the arc, while also trying to land a hit. Gaze shifting towards the waterfall, the older girl made a run for it. Katara followed, creating a small wave which she rode with a disc of ice under her feet. She raised her arm towards the sky, creating a wall of water in Orora's path, trying to cut her off. But Orora would swipe through the wall either using her arm or her leg. Her feet barely touched the water as she raced towards the waterfall.

Briefly, she turned, arms shooting out in front of her to send an arc of ice daggers towards Katara who merely surfed out of the way. The angle gave Katara enough momentum to swipe a stream of water towards Orora. Using the water from the waterfall. The pressure of the waterfall plus the force of Katara's bending slammed Orora in the chest, sending her flying back down the stream where she landed in the water with a loud splash.

Her teeth rattled and she was pretty sure she bit down on her tongue when she tasted blood in her mouth. The muffled sound of her name reached her ears, but she was barely bothered by it. Her body screamed with pain, and the back of her head probably needed to be looked at, but that didn't deter her. Rising on shaky legs, the girl glared at the approaching Katara, who was still surfing on her wave.

Spitting the blood out of her mouth, Orora raised her arms in front of her. She dug the heels of her feet into the gritty floor of the stream, before she clenched her fist and pulled. The ice board Katara had been using was swiped out from underneath her. Katara fell face first in the water, the surf she'd been riding dropping as she did. Not wanting to give her time to gather herself, Orora jumped, twirling in the air, a circle of water following her movement, before she dropped to her knees, her arms out. The circle of water flew straight through the air, colliding with Katara's chest where she had just sat up, sending the girl flying back just as she had done Orora.

Panting, Orora moved forward, still alert as she watched Katara's figure as she sat up. Though the minute she felt the temperature drop, the older girl knew she should've struck. Twin pillars of ice rose in the air, encompassing her hands, leaving her unable to use them for bending. She struggled, but Katara held on strong, her brow furrowed in concentration as she approached her older sister with a grim yet determined expression on her face.

"Had enough?" Katara asked, her tone mocking as she smirked at her. Orora stopped struggling, dropped her head briefly as she caught her breath.

"Nice move Little Sister. But you're forgetting one thing."

Katara frowned. "What?"

Orora looked up, smirking. "I can bend with my feet too."

So saying she kicked her leg out, creating a pillar of ice around Katara's lower body, pinning her in place. A cry of surprise left Katara's lips as she tried to get free. But just as she held on to Orora's hands, Orora held on to her lower body.

"Give up." The older girl grunted. She could feel her hands start to go numb. If that kept up, she might get frostbite. It would take awhile, since she had practiced enough to not let ice burn her, but she wasn't skilled enough yet. Then again neither was Katara. She would have to give up if she didn't want to have frostbitten toes and legs.

"No." Katara spat back, just as determined, stubborn and hard-headed as her sister.

Their battle came to a stalemate.

Aang seemed to think the same as he stepped forward. "Alright that's it you two. Give up before both of you loose a hand or a leg."

And when neither gave in, the Avatar scowled at them each in turn, quickly using his own Waterbending ability to drop their ice pillars and freeing them both.

Panting Orora raised her hands to her line of sight, wincing when she saw the tips of her fingers had gone slightly blue. Nothing too serious, but it would be awhile before they returned to her normal dark skin tone.

As the three of them walked out of the stream, she rubbed her hands together, trying to warm them. Though as soon as she stepped out of the water, she found her hands being enveloped by Zuko's.

Whose hands were amazingly warm against her cold shivering skin. He must've done something to his body temperature, since Firebenders could regulate it.

Whatever it was, as feeling began to return to her fingers, Orora let out a soft sound of relief. "Thank you." She whispered to Zuko, who smiled at her. Katara was inspecting her toes, surprised to see them unharmed.

"Why aren't your toes blue like Orora's fingers?" Sokka asked, a look of confusion on his face as the Waterbenders glanced at one another.

Inquiring eyes turned towards Orora who cleared her throat, looking back to where Zuko's hands covered her own, before speaking. "The pillar was mostly water and only a thin layer of ice. I used the pressure from the water to keep her from getting away." She revealed, not having had any intention to actually hurt Katara.

And yet somehow, that last part was heard loudly even though it wasn't even voiced.

"Boy, you sure have picked up on things haven't you Ice Princess?" Toph said, grinning. "I felt that stance you did before you stopped Katara. That was one of mine wasn't it?" Orora nodded. "Yeah, I figured it would help me keep my ground."

Aang, ever the peacemaker, stepped forward. "Maybe you could teach me and Katara that move some day?" Lifting her eyes blue eyes, Orora saw Katara purse her lips. The two girls looked at one another, before Katara's eyes dropped to where Zuko still held Orora's hands. The moment she felt his hands begin to slide away from her, Orora scowled, stopping his movement by turning her hands over so she could grip his palms.

And when Katara turned and walked away without another word, Orora let out a breath of relief.

"She's still upset." Sokka stated, hands on his hips. "But hey, not scowling at the two of you is a start right?" He asked, grinning. "And its all thanks to me. I should conduct these Bending Battles more often. I can call them, the Bending Rumbles - Bend your Anger and Stress Away."

He sounded way to excited about his little plan. Pulling her hand back, Orora flexed her fingers, getting them to move properly again as her skin took on its normal hue. Seeing Aang watch Katara as she walked away, the Waterbender came up next to him.

"Go, talk to her." She urged with a gentle push to his back. Aang shot her a slightly nervous look, which she returned with an encouraging smile of her own.

Rolling his shoulders, the boy took a deep breath, before following after his Soulmate.

Orora smiled, before turning her attention to where Toph was animatedly offering Sokka her services to helping people Bend their feelings away.

A therapist like Toph would certainly send people running for the hills.

"Hey Toph!" The girl called, a smile pulling at her lips as Toph turned in her direction.

"Time to hold up your end of the bargain."

Toph's shoulders dropped and she winced.

"Monkey feathers."

                                           ————————–

It took a little while, correction nearly the entire afternoon, for Orora to convince and reassure Toph. And now finally, she was ready.

"Do I have to?"

Aside from one last minute bout of nervousness.

"If you don't then I will. Would you rather I take charge?"

"You're as stubborn as Firebug."

"Oh trust me, I'm way more stubborn then Zuko. Now go!"

With that, Orora all but pushed Toph out from behind the pillar they'd both been whispering, and into the direction of The Duke who sat on a small stone, whittling something with his knife.

Orora saw Toph pause, her foot in midair. The bling girl turned. "Maybe I shou-"

But her older sister wasn't having it. Gripping her sister by the shoulders, Orora all but pushed Toph halfway towards The Duke, and only retreated when she saw the boy look up from his knife and smile at the Earthbender.

"Hey Toph!"

The Waterbender darted back to the pillar, crouching behind it as she peaked out, hoping to see what was happening even if she could barely hear what was going on.

"Is she talking to him?" And impatient voice whispered from behind a rather large piece of rock. Orora rolled her eyes, not even glancing back. "I can't hear anything." She responded to Sokka, who peaked out as well, a little glum. "Ask Aang to use his Airbending to hear."

The round bald head of said Airbender popped up from where he had been hiding in an overgrown shrub. "Zuko's with me too." He whispered, prompting the Prince's head to appear beside his, leaves and twigs trapped in his hair. "Way to be discrete Aang." Zuko shot at him. Aang looked like he was about to make a comeback, but fell silent when he saw Katara, hiding in a corner near Sokka, gesturing for him to listen.

Sighing, the boy turned his head, calling on the wind to blow in his direction so he would be able to hear better.

Of course that all amounted to nothing when suddenly The Duke, jumped down from his perch and wrapped his arms around Toph in a hug.

Mouths fell open, shoulders dropped and eyes widened in disbelief.

"That was.....anti-climatic." Zuko stated, unable to comprehend just how easy it had been.

"That's it?" Came Sokka's voice, as he blinked in confusion.

"That has to be a record in our group." Aang glanced at each of them, scratching the back of his head as he did. Nothing was ever easy for any of them, and yet the Soulmate business had been so easy for Toph.

Toph of all people!

"How can we be sure they accepte-wait never mind, they're holding hands." Katara corrected herself, spying the two youngest members of their group with their fingers intertwined.

A sudden laugh from Orora had everyone looking at her in confusion.

"After all that," She said, her voice gentle, as she smiled from ear to ear watching Toph and The Duke walk away hand in hand. "In the end she had nothing to worry about."

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