#Dai Li Lu Ten AU

[late-draft]

So I heard about the AU where Lu Ten is alive, but got captured and brainwashed by the Dai Li once they discovered that he was actually an earthbender pretending to be a nonbender.... and I love it

Although I feel it might only work in an AU, because his death was such a major point in Iroh's character evolution and thus influenced the entire world.

[mugentakeda]

custody battle or something (for this au)

[cute-angi]

Okay, so my husband helped me break through my writer’s block by suggesting,

"Hey, why not reignite your old love for the Dai Li and Long Feng?"

So after writing, i ended up diving into everything I could find about them on the internet, and OMG, I stumbled upon these super old stories that, for some reason, I never knew existed despite my years of love for ATLA.

And I’m just like… HOW DID I MISS THESE?

Turns out, I’m so into other people’s OCs and their dynamics, and now I’m totally obsessed.

I wish I’d read all this stuff years ago so I could’ve thanked the authors!

And seriously, if I had a nickel for every time I saw Long Feng with an OC and their perfect dynamic

(Gilded Green: Shirong, I love you, and Pay the Price of Command: Hyo, I love you too)

I’d have two nickels, which isn’t much, but it’s weird that it happened twice!!!

[pinkdinkydoon]

Doodle dump. AU stuff on the top and some Misc doodles/comic imitation.

[zentriii]

non-avatar aang au where the reason aang survived wasn't bc of the avatar state [which he shouldn't have been able to access anyways iirc bc he wasn't a master of all four elements at that point. so yay past avatars/spirit interference isn't far fetched] but bc someone had to survive to teach the avatar airbending n they had to be a master to do it ofc

so normal set up katara's temper explodes -> they find aang -> zuko tries to capture the avatar -> aang denies being the avatar, but this time, he's telling the truth.

aang's just a 12 year old kid fully unaware of the war. like he'll refuse to believe his people are killed all the same but i think katara will still seize the opportunity to possibly make it to the north pole via appa to find a waterbending teacher [n because if aang's not the avatar, then he'll have to go to the north to teach the avatar airbending. sokka figures the avatar could be in any nation by now but he can't let katara go by herself either so off they go!]

smt smt aang being the last of his people n when he truly takes this in, he has a choice. live in hiding, yk, the thing that spared him alone [ooh survivor's guilt exploration] or set aside the nomad way of nonviolence [what else does he has left of his people?] to end the war. and he has to grapple w that from the start instead of re: killing ozai or not. n mayb he's not the avatar mayb he doesn't have destiny to tie his hands w duty but he has the shame of abandoning his people in their time of need. he can't cast that aside now can he?

(unlike avatar aang. he can't even talk to yangchen, the previous nomad avatar. it's just him left)

but he can't break down forever. katara has to go to the north pole to get a waterbending teacher bc isn't the south pole just like the southern air temples?? their benders are down to just one and while their people live on, katara too has to bare the weight of her people's bending living on through herself. and unlike aang, there are people who can teach her.

so mayb he's still figuring shit out, but he can do this at least.

the avatar isn't in the northern tribe.

things still play out roughly according to main canon events but now katara's determined to find the avatar n for aang to teach them airbending. [aang makes peace with having to do something, even if only fighting non-lethally and teaching the avatar to airbend. it's the perfect solution! surely the feelings he buried to come to it aren't something he still has to work through. surely.]

now the earth kingdom's big ! but eventually they still end up in ba sing se, surely the place the fire nation lead a siege against, desperate to break through to, is important? perhaps the avatar is being protected here [cue sokka grumbling abt how the avatar is meant to be the one doing the protecting]

they pick toph up on the way before this ofc. and if aang lies saying it's bc he's the avatar n needs an earthbending teacher while still being honest abt airbending. well i think that's good enough for toph to run away over in this au [ofc she immediately confronts them abt it after joining up]. everyone assumes aang's the avatar anyways. i mean come on, air benders don't just pop out of thin air these days.

ozai is still defeated in the end bc they've run out of time n who even knows how old the current avatar is or what nation they're from. they've got to fight n while it goes down differently and aang still doesn't kill ozai or unlock his fancy bender-bending. he still fights.

what happened to his people can never happen to others again. he doesn't run away this time.

anyways regarding who the avatar themselves is i propose ty lee. like there are quite a few avatar zuko/azula/lu ten takes [w the cycle going back to fire] n a few of airbender/descendant of air nomads ty lee takes [i mean look at her. her eyes are grey n her nose looks like tenzin's kids'] but i've never seen an avatar ty lee one?? this au doesn't need her to be the avatar necessarily but i think it's fun if u have zuko hunting the avatar [aang], the gaang looking for the avatar [could be anyone] n azula + friends hunting the avatar [aang]. meanwhile one of said friends is the avatar all along.

[man everyone's stealing zuko's thing n hunting down the avatar these days]

if ty lee is really a descendant of air nomads, her first element could be air instead of fire, hence the nonbender label. smt smt if the fire sages have become sell outs n the past avatar spirits trapped aang in a block of ice, it's not impossible to think they'd hide her avatar status from the sages for abandoning their ways.

anyways they don't exactly figure this out until after the war. possibly a celebration dinner turned silly food fight turned ty lee trapping a plate of food flying towards her midair. bumi style :)

[waterfire1848]

An AU where Zuko is not burnt but only to sent to find the avatar.

Hello, anon!!

1. When Zuko is born, he’s not as horrible a firebender as he is in canon. Not Azula level but still not horrible. His father has a bit more respect for him and sees himself in Zuko. A son who does could have great potential if he’s allowed a chance to show it. This makes Ozai and Ursa put off having another child for a bit. Instead, Azula is born when Zuko is five years old. (Zuko: She’s really small. Ozai: Yes, she is, but she has the strongest firebending potential I’ve ever seen. Zuko: Oh. Ozai: Zuko, when I am not around I expect you to monitor your sister and make sure her firebending is progressing as it should. Zuko: I will, father! Ursa: Zuko, do you want to hold her? Zuko:…..Will she break if I drop her? Ozai: Maybe help him.)

2. Canon proceeds as it normally does, Ursa leaves to protect Zuko and Azula and Zuko grow up in competition with one another. Azula is really young but she’s eager to prove herself to her father and he’s made it clear that she can only do that by being the best firebender. Because of her skill, and at such a young age, Ozai focuses more attention on her and Zuko grows angry. (Yes, 13 year old Zuko is fighting with a eight year old). So angry that, during a dinner, he messes with Azula and accidentally causes her to burn herself in front of everyone and causes her to blind herself in one eye. (Zuko: AZULA! Azula: 😭😭😭 Zuko: Azula! I’m so sorry! Can you look at me? Zula? Azula:…. Zuko: Lala, please.) Because Zuko caused the Princess to be burned in front of everyone (and in such a childish way that will affect her bending) Ozai has no choice but to act. He doesn’t scar Zuko because he still doesn’t want both his children to be damaged but he has to give Zuko come kind of punishment. His choice? Send him to go capture the Avatar.

3. Zuko leaves before Azula wakes up but he orders the healers to send him a letter with any update when it comes up. Iroh, who still lost Lu Ten and fled BSS, comes with him because he believes that this could be a chance for his nephew to see how horrible the Fire Nation is. Zuko heads out on his journey but his mind is wracked with guilt. He can’t get over the fact that he hurt his own little sister that much. Zuko’s guilt gets so bad to the point that he doesn’t even want to find the Avatar because he doesn’t think he deserves the throne. Not only that but the healers eventually wrote him a letter saying Azula is blind in one eye and her hearing is badly damaged. (Zuko fears what his father might do now that his prodigy is damaged). He allows the men to keep looking if they wish, giving them the royal symbol so they can go wherever they want and then he and Iroh abandon the ship. (Iroh: Are you sure this is what you want, nephew? Zuko: I am. Lala- Azula got hurt because of me. I can’t rule a country after I did something like that. Iroh: What happened was not your- Zuko: It was. I messed with her routine. I tried to get her to mess up but she-she was just supposed to fall down. The fire wasn’t supposed to….what would mother think? Iroh: Zuko- Zuko: I need to do this. I deserve this.) Thus, Zuko begins a new life as Li the Earth Kingdom peasant.

4. Many years pass, Zuko goes from 13 to 16, and while there is occasional news from the palace, he doesn’t hear much. Last he heard was that Azula was declared Crown Princess despite her injuries and would inherit the throne when Ozai died. (Zuko refrained himself from sending her a letter). One day, while he’s out at the market, Zuko hears people talking about someone claiming to be the Avatar are traveling the world. Originally, Zuko doesn’t think it’s anything. He thinks this person is probably just some decent waterbender or something and ignores the news but he stops being able to ignore it when the Avatar crashes through his roof. Zuko and Iroh help shelter him from Fire Nation citizens and Aang introduces himself as the Avatar with Katara and Sokka landing Appa a few minutes later. Iroh, despite Zuko’s desire to keep hidden, tells them who they are. Sokka and Katara don’t really want to be anywhere around Fire Nation royalty but Aang just sees a potential firebending master and asks them to come. Against his will, Zuko goes with them and Iroh decides to stay behind to look after their home and keep the village safe.

5. (Zuko: So….what have you guys done so far? Aang: We just left the North Pole! Katara and I learned waterbending there. Zuko: So you’ve mastered air and water, isn’t earth next? Sokka: You know a lot about the Avatar. Zuko: I do. Katara: I have a question: why is the Prince of the Fire Nation hiding in a village. Zuko: I…I just can’t go home right now, so it’s better for me to stay hidden. Sokka: What did you do? Bow incorrectly? 😂 Zuko:….Something a little different.) While the group is flying through the Earth Kingdom, trying to find Aang an earthbending master, they meet three people in Omashu. Zuko is so shocked to see Azula (who’s 11 at the time along with Ty Lee. Mai here is 15.) again when she walks up next to Ty Lee and behind Mai. Azula doesn’t recognize Zuko right away but she does when he starts to bend. Surprising, Ty Lee and Mai, she abandons the Avatar and goes after Zuko instead. Zuko’s been living on a farm for the last few years and Azula has been training to become a weapon despite her injury (one guess as to who wins when they fight). Azula comes seconds away from burning Zuko herself but is stopped by Appa saving him and Gaang flying away. Zuko looks over Appa’s saddle at Azula as they disappear and continue into the Earth Kingdom while Azula gets Ty Lee and Mai ready to hunt down another target.

[breyito]

@zukaangweek

Day 2: Stay close to me

AU where...everything is lost. Lu Ten never died, so Iroh took Ba Sing Se and became the Fire Lord two years later. The Northen Water Tribe has been under siege for 10 months and Omashu is the last refuge in the Earth Kingdom.

Even waking up four-five years earlier and getting some training, the Avatar is no match against the Yuyan Archers and the Dai Li. Lu Ten manages to capture him and drag him to the Palace, along with the two Watertribe savages that protected him so much.

Azula, having aided their cousin in the capture, gives the task of taking care of the Avatar's needs to Zuko, to humiliate him. Zuko accepts with his head high, expecting to find the Avatar frightening and furious.

Instead, he falls in love with Aang.

Ooooff, I have a TON of headcanons for this thing, but not a single thing written *winces*. Feel free to ask!

(and in case you were wondering....yes, Zuko, in the eventual escape, is left behind.)

This took me so damn long because I couldn't decide on few enough pictures for a single moodboard...so you get all of them! And possibly more tomorrow, for Zuko's fate!

[ultfreakme]

Because I’m on an identity porn kick for Zukka, here’s some recommendations!

Blue by blacklipscurse(bealiciphers) Words: 190k- Complete This is THE classic identity porn fic for Zukka. Sokka runs into Zuko as the Blue Spirit in Ba Sing Se, and mistakes him for someone from the Southern Water Tribe. Cue feelings

Burning Bright by Erisenyo This is a 3-part series, each is approximately 250k words- Complete Long-fic slow, SLOW burn lovers would enjoy this, this is behemoth of a fic and is mostly canon-compliant for the key events. Premise is Zuko vents about his feelings on a letter and accidentally send it on a messenger hawk. Sokka gets it because the hawk gets injured and the two start exchanging letters anonymously. 

Zuko’s Lost Days by AndyBoy, backatpatrickpark Words: 60k- Complete The Dai Li get Zuko during his fight with Jet and brainwash him into thinking he’s just a regular Ba Sing Se earth kingdom citizen named Li. Sokka runs into him and accdientally falls for him knowing that it’s Zuko. ANGST AND FLUFF YESSS

Chained by BlueEyedArcher Words: 360k- Ongoing No Bending AU where the SWT attacks a Fire Nation encampment and take Zuko as prisoner. Except Zuko was in disguise as a regular old Private under the false name Li, so they don’t know he’s the literal Prince of the Fire Nation. SLOOOOOW burn, it has a lot of stuff on SWT culture. Zuko’s a little different because Ursa’s around, Lu Ten is alive and Iroh is firelord.

someone else by lesmiserablol Words 3k- Complete Sokka figures out Zuko knows the Blue Spirit in Ba Sing Se and is using him to talk to the Blue Spirit, completely unaware that Zuko IS the Blue Spirit. That’s all I can remember for now, if anyone else has got anything else, I’d love to know!    

[sailorluna15]

azula headcanon from @mugentakeda dai li au!

azula goes to live with lu ten + jiro (my fav oc of @mugentakeda!) after finding out what her dad did to lu ten. I don't think she would want to stay w him and I don't think lu ten would let her. According to the dai li au, lu ten walks Iroh like a dogggg so if lu ten can tear Iroh up he can def handle ozai. Azula feels conflicted bc of all the emotional abuse and grooming she's experienced from ozai but she ultimately chooses lu ten regardless of feeling a lot of fear. I feel like ozai tries to intimidate her into going against lu ten but lu ten quickly nips it in the bud and protects azula.

[attackfish]

Can you do more of the Lu Ten back from the dead AU?

That describes more than one AU of mine, so I have chosen the one where Zuko is brainwashed by the Dai Li, and while under Lake Laogai, finds his cousin. Continued from: [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], and [Link].

Aang wakes up, with, what must be said, is perfect, and perfectly awful, timing. Lu Ten is just about to make his escape, when the Avatar opens his eyes and starts having a freak out about being on a Fire Nation ship, and about how he failed to save Ba Sing Se from being conquered by Azula (Azula? His little cousin, Azula? That Azula? Conquered Ba Sing Se?) So of course Lu Ten does what all good little Fire Princes do, and tries to follow him, because that's the Avatar! He should capture him and take him home to the Fire Nation, and come out of his captivity covered in glory! His father and grandfather will be so proud.

So of course when Aang ends up stuck on some driftwood and washed ashore by the kindly Moon Spirit, Lu Ten ends up washed up, half drowned, on the beach with him. And he's still half drowned and wondering if he really saw the Moon Spirit, or just hallucinated that bit, when the Avatar's friends show up. After the hugs and reassurances, the question quickly becomes what to do with Lu Ten. The problem of course is several fold. 1) he is a danger, because he just tried to pull a Zuko and kidnap Aang. 2) He was pretty useless about it. Zuko could have done better in his sleep. This shows that Lu Ten is still kind if not fully with it, and kind of needs to be taken care of. 3) And Lu Ten's dad is in prison for helping them-

Wait what? His dad is in prison for helping the Avatar and a bunch of teenage enemies of the Fire Nation? His cousin Azula, who last he checked was eight, conquered Ba Sing Se? His cousin Zuko, who is ten, which is, he supposes, not much younger than the twelve year old Avatar, but still ("I'm pretty sure I'm thirteen now, actually, I mean dates are weird with the whole being frozen for a hundred years thing, but...") is not only trying to kidnap the Avatar on the regular, but is apparently doing pretty well at it ("uh, we wouldn't go that far... Also Zuko's sixteen, and Azula's like, fourteen, we think? It's not like she told us.") Oh okay, Zuko is sixteen. He was captive for six years? Six years? Oh. Oh okay. Okay. Wait, who had his dad imprisoned? What do you mean Firelord Ozai? How did Uncle Ozai become firelord if his dad is still alive?

What the Avatar and his companions tell him is confused and disjointed, but what what explaination he does get paints a bleak picture, especially when they tell him that both his father and his cousin said that Ozai, and/or Azula would probably kill him if they found out he was alive. Lu Ten has no idea what to do, and finds himself trailing along after a bunch of teenagers ("Toph's twelve") by default. And when one of those teenagers ends up being dragged off to school, and then getting in trouble at said school, and having to have a parent teacher conference, Lu Ten is the only adult in reach. He works out in his head how much older he would be than his supposed son. If the Avatar is thirteen, and Zuko is sixteen, and Zuko was born when LunTen was ten, he would have been a father at thirteen himself.

Fortunately for everyone involved, six (it's six, right? Wow.) years of captivity have aged Lu Ten beyond what is expected, and he looks far beyond his twenty-six years, old enough to pass as Aang's father. He does his best with stolen clothes and his reflection in a pool of water in the cave they've been hiding in. The Dai Li kept his head shaved, and it's only had a little time to grow out into a spiky fuzz all over his head. He looks like a disgrace, his topknot shorn, the delinquent father of a delinquent son. But it's the best he can do. He isn't exactly surprised when the principal threatens his "son" with being sent to the coal mines. He also doesn't believe a word of it.

After Aang holds his little dance party, amd they all have to run out of town, he finds himself on the road with a pack of children, and is baffled by how many "adventures they find themselves in, impersonating spirits (a Fire Nation town shouldn't be in this kind of squallor!), getting taught by Piandao (who Lu Ten stays well away from, since Piandao could recognize him), dodging assassins, and running into secret waterbending blood witches. That last one was horrifying in so many different ways. She wanted... She tried to kill him. She tried to force the others to kill him. She... Was, at least on some level, a captive like him.

And at the end of it all, when they meet up with the ragtag "army" heading to storm the Fire Nation capital, he hears about the eclipse. And he decides that while the rest of them are trying to take on Ozai, he's going to spring his father. So, he slips away during the fighting and heads for the capital prison tower. Hopefully that's where his father is being kept. And Lu Ten might not have Zuko's ability to break into and out of almost anything, but it hardly matters, because he has barely made it inside when his father, having broken himself out, runs into him, and they leave together.

All this means is that when Zuko (who never did tell anybody about his cousin being alive, which is going to make his tearful reunion with his uncle and cousin a little less awful) shows up to the Western Air Temple, the Gaang is short one Fire Prince. And now they have a new one. Yay! And once he starts to become friends with them, they've got a whole bunch of questions about just what exactly is going on with his family. And yeah, the answers he gives are, well, they are... Wow, Zuko, no wonder you're so messed up!

[caesar-the-day]

finally publishing some writing after nearly two years!! inspired by @mugentakeda's dai li lu ten au, seriously go check it out...

Summary:

Iroh had thought that they would be safe, here within the walls of Ba Sing Se. Here, he and his beloved nephew could build a new life in peace. He had assumed, quite reasonably, that in a city of over four million, he would not have to be confronted with coincidental information that might lead to him piecing together who it was that had killed his son. He was wrong. (OR: There is a reason why everyone fears the Dai Li. Iroh's just happens to be slightly different from most.)

[lonewolfel]

Fictober 2023 Day 2

Read on AO3 Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender Prompt: 16 - "Do you know a way out of here?" Characters: Zuko, Zeisan, Aang, Sokka, Toph, Katara, Lu Ten Ship: None Warnings: Mentioned death and child abuse/neglect, Katara is mean in this Notes: Takes place after the Fire Bending Masters but before the Boiling Rock. An Au where Zuko can see ghosts.

The door slammed behind them closing them into nothing but darkness. They couldn't even make out the outline of their own hands.

"I can't see a thing here," Sokka called out.

"Neither can I," Toph said with the slightest amount of fear.

"You won't fool me this time, Toph," Sokka said after a pause.

"No really, on my feet the floor feels like stone but I can't bend it at all. I can't even feel any vibrations," Toph said.

"Zuko try to light a flame," Aang said.

Zuko lifted his hand and tried to bend but nothing happened. He could feel his inner flame but somehow it was blocked. 

Zuko felt panic rising through him. He had just gotten his flame back.

"I can't," Zuko said.

"Great once again the thing we need you to do you can't," Katara said with venom in her voice.

Zuko jumped as he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He could tell that it was Lu Ten's due to the size of the cold patch.

"Maybe I can," Aang said panic also clear in his words.

"That won't work," Zeisan said absentmindedly.

"Who said that," Katara demanded.

Zuko froze. No one has ever responded to the ghosts. Katara acknowledged Zeisan, that was something that never happened before.

"Someone," Zeisan responded amusement clear in her voice.

"Stop..." Sokka started

"Do you know a way out of here?" Aang asked.

"I do," Zeisan said.

"Great, lead the way," Sokka said.

"Oh, I can't do that," Zeisan said

"Zeisan," Zuko huffed.

There were a few sounds of confusion from the group but Zuko paid them no mind. 

"Only you can get yourselves out. This is a spiritual place," Zeisan said

"Then you can tell us how to get out on our own?" Aang asked.

"What are mortals blinded by?" Zeisan asked.

"Their sight," Toph said.

"No," Zeisan said. 

"That's a stupid riddle. Humans can literally be blinded by anything. We are even blinded by spirits right now," Sookka exclaimed.

Zuko could imagine the unimpressed look on Zeisan's face. All the while Sokka continued his rant over how fragile mortal eyesight is.

"Zuko, care to weigh in?" Zeisan said in her classic I'm so much smarter than all of you tone. Zuko frowned wishing he knew where she was so that he could glare at her.

Zuko began to think about what Zeisan said. It was clear she thought Zuko went through it. It couldn't have been when he got his scar as fire was already listed by Sokka. It was something that everyone experienced but only he could name, likely something spiritual as Zeisan seemed to be more in tune with the spiritual aspects of everything. 

"Lies," Zuko said. he wasn't sure it was right but it was better than nothing. Sokka paused his rant.

"Indeed, all mortals have lies that we tell ourselves. You must let go of those lies to move forward.," Zeisan said.

"How do we let those go?' Aang asked.

"Close your eyes and think about the lies that we tell ourselves and how they aren't true. Then take a step forward and if the spirits are satisfied they will allow you to move out of the darkness," Zeisan said.

"What if the Spirits don't allow?" Sokka demanded.

"Then you would perhaps lost to the darkness forever," Zeisan said. "Good luck."

"That mystical voice sure is ominous," Sokka said.

Zeisan was honestly one of the milder ghosts. She didn't coddle him like Lu Ten in Ta Min, but she wasn't nearly as harsh as the late Fire Lords. Not that he was going to say that as that would make him seem insane.

Granted only he was able to the ghosts and they are in some sort of spirit trap. So insane was relative.

"How did she know your name Zuko?" Katara demanded.

"She is a spirit," Aang said.

"So how do we know that she isn't leading us into a trap?" Sokka asked. 

"We can trust her," Zuko said without thinking. He knew that she wouldn't get Zuko killed as she had a plan for him not that she would ever tell him.

"Oh, now we got to trust you," Katara said harshly.

"Do you have a better plan, Sugar Queen?" Toph asked. 

That seemed to shut Katara up. Or perhaps she is making a face or rude gesture he couldn't see after all.

Zuko closed his eyes even though he knew that it would change nothing. He thought about how he used to believe that he needed his father's approval and his love. He thought about how glorious he used to think the Fire Nation was. All lies to justify the awful things he did.

Zuko wasn't going to be blinded by them anymore.

Zuko then felt Lu Ten and Zeisan's cold ghostly hand nudge him forward. 

For a split second Zuko didn't open his eyes scared that he would still be in the darkness. When he opened his eyes he saw a lit stone hallway before him. Zuko let out a sigh of relief.

He turned around and saw the darkness that he had just exited. Both Lu Ten and Zeisan stood there. Lu Ten looked relieved and Zeisan looked bored. 

"It worked," Zuko called out.

"Like we can trust you," Katara snarled. 

"You're just gonna have to," Lu Ten shot back.

There was a huff and the sound of Katara saying something that he was too far away to hear.

A shiver went down Zuko's back at the idea of Lu Ten and Katara interacting. His cousin has said many rude things about the water bender sense Zuko joined their group.

"Great another mysterious voice," Sokka said.

Toph stepped out of the darkness.

"Sparky's right it worked," Toph called out.

Aang was the next one to step out of the darkness. When Aang's eyes opened they widened in shock.

"You're an Air Acolyte," Aang gasped.

"Once," Zeisan responded.

"Air Acolyte?" Zuko asked in confusion. Zeisan was Fire Nation, she had to be in order to be his ancestor. 

Sokka chose that moment to exit the darkness. When he opened his eyes he narrowed in on Lu Ten and reached for his boomerang.

"A fire Nation soldier," Sokka growled. 

Zuko had forgotten that Lu Ten had died in his armor he was so used to his cousin's ghost that it had never crossed his mind.

Aang didn't tear his eyes off of Zeisan. Katara began to growl insults at Zuko saying he was a traitor. Toph's face scrunched up in confusion.

"I don't feel anyone but us," Toph said.

"How can you not see...oh," Sokka said sticking his foot in his mouth. 

"We," Zeisan started. She pointed at both herself and Lu Ten. " Are ghosts remains of the spirits of dead people who chose to remain instead of returning to the cycle."

"Why are you here?" Aang asked.

"Because Zuko is here," Zeisan said.

"So what Zuko has two ghosts following him?" Sokka exclaimed.

"Technically there's six of us," Lu Ten said.

"You seem oddly calm about this, Sparky," Toph said.

Everyone turned towards Zuko.

"I already knew this," Zuko admitted. 

"How?" Aang asked.

Zuko shrugged. "I've always been able to see them."

Katara let out a huff and uttered something about him being a murderer was the reason.

"Katara," Aang gasped in horror. 

"Only she can get herself out," Zeisan said.

"Do we really want her out," Lu Tel muttered. That earned the ghost a glare from Sokka. 

"I've tried everything, but nothing is working," Katara exclaimed. 

"Clearly you haven't," Zeisan said.

"If you are so knowledgable what is your lie," Katara hissed.

"That I could stop Sozin," Zeisan said.

Zuko froze and looked at her. He could tell the others were doing the same thing but he paid them no mind. 

Zeisan rarely talked about her life, not to mention he knew she was related to him in some way so that meant he was related to a traitor. 

Granted Zuko was already one but that still was an uncomfortable truth.

"Why would you want to stop Sozin?" Katara asked.

"The Air Nomads made me see the truth. I saw the corruption in the royal family. I saw the harm that we could unknowingly cause. I thought I could stop it if I was on the throne, but I had no direct claim to it, so I staged a coup and was killed."

That was more information about Zeisan than Zuko would have ever dreamed of. 

There was a moment of silence as no one seemed to know how to respond to that. Then Katara stepped forward and opened her eyes. 

She was out of the darkness.

[mugentakeda]

as soon as ursa registered that the person that just stepped into the garden was a messenger dressed in white, she knew her nephew was dead.

he'd only departed for ba sing se a few weeks ago. she'd gotten one hawk from him while he was still on his way to the faraway city- passionate descriptions about the beautiful earth kingdom terrain and scenery, his nervousness and dread, how much he already missed the kids and her and home.

she already knew he didn't want to go. just a month shy of 600 days did lu ten manage to hold off on joining his father in his divine quest, to get the capital of the earth kingdom to finally surrender. holding strong to his decision, despite pressure and badgering from every direction. ursa never cared. she knew ozai cared, firelord azulon cared, the whole council and nobility cared- but ursa has always cursed the council and nobility anyway. she knows her nephew's heart is true and hardworking even if he's not the most open about his patriotism, and knows that he's always been stubborn and independent. spirits, if she was a prince, she isn't sure that she'd want to spend her first big military venture in her father's shadow either. iroh had respected his son's wishes without a fight, just like ursa knew her honorable brother-in-law would, and left for ba sing se alone. that should've been the end of that.

azula told her (rather sourly) that the strange navy fellow that lu ten had been peers with while training under admiral jeong jeong managed to convince him otherwise. how, her daughter wasn't sure, and wasn't pleased. ursa had asked lu ten about it not much later, easily confessing to her nephew that she heard through the lychee-grape vine that he'd changed his mind about ba sing se- but he'd been cagey and evasive, and offered no real explanation. the evening later, he promptly announced at dinner that he'd be departing from the fire nation in the next couple days to join his father. and looked like he wanted to vomit afterwards, as firelord azulon put a weathered hand on his shoulder and shook him with satisfaction. she waited up late that night, praying he'd sneak to her chambers, so they could discuss the matter in whispers. but he never showed.

ursa had found him early the next morning, before agni even peeked over the horizon, tending to his beloved jogekama yari.

he sat up straight at the sound of her footsteps on the tile, and sighed heavily. as usual, lu ten knew it was his aunt without looking (unbeknownst to ursa, over the previous years, he'd been memorizing the sound of everyone in the family's footsteps. that way, he could mentally prepare himself for the interaction- lest the footsteps belong to ozai.).

I don't feel like being interrogated right now, auntie, he'd muttered. the young prince didn't sound angry, but terribly drained, and terribly defeated. the days where she could take one look at him and know exactly what was going through his head were long gone, sadly.

i'm sorry, she'd replied sadly. I just wanted to make sure you were truly alright. because… well, ever since I married your uncle….

his face pinched and he looked back down at his spear in silence. the hot morning air was heavy with foreboding. the rest went unspoken, as such things usually do in this suffocating palace they both call home. I think of you as my own.

she'd watched him grow up. she'd been there when his voice dropped, when he started growing sideburns, when he came home from shu jing armed with a mighty staff and bursting in pride, when the first sparks of lightning erupted from his hands and he made history. lu ten had been the only one to check in on her after she gave birth to zuko, and then the same with azula. he held them in his arms before ozai did. he'd been the one to choose azula's wet nurse when ursa was too sickened and depressed to eat well enough to breastfeed her baby girl. he was the one present for azula's first words and first steps- which is all now a secret between them that he's literally taken to the grave. her children's big brother in spirit, ursa's little brother and son from another mother.

the hands clutching the scroll tremble in despair and rage. what will happen now? her only teammate is gone. the one person in the whole world that truly went out of his way to look out for her and hers is gone. i'm not strong enough to hold him off on my own, my nephew, she thinks.

ursa bites the inside of her cheek until it bleeds to quell the tears welling up. you won't ever see him again. you're going to have to get used to living without him. he's never coming home. his father didn't keep him safe. it's over.

[mafumuff]

thank you for all the nice tags on my au stuff heheheheg

AHHHHHHHHHH HIIIIIII YEAH NO IT'S A PLEASURE TO READ YOUR DAI LI LU TEN AU (AND ALL YOUR ATLA POSTS)!! You are now the Lu ten and iroh expert in my eyes because the way you characterized those two is so refreshing for me?? Because I never really see anyone explore how sour those two's relationship could've been before the siege (and before that) the way you did and honestly I also love your Iroh Suffering Time, thank you Iroh Suffering Guy 🙏

[katsumatsu4]

I had a thought the other day that I thought you might appreciate: Dai Li-tortured Lu Ten meeting Hama-raised Zuko.

Shared hobbies include:

1) Trauma

2) Attacking Ozai on sight

These activities combine astoundingly well.

[theduckeminence]

Hmmm yes. Au in which Lu Ten is an earthbender who faked his death to avoid disgracing his Nation and family, ran away into Ba Sing Sa where he lived a new life in the lower ring, befriended new people, fell in love with a Dai Li agent. Only then for his life to be interrupted by the Avatar and his father and cousin being in the same city as he was. Chaos ensues.