#I mean Zuko still needs flaming swords and Sokka has to learn sword bending

[ssreeder]

i know the anon probably didnt have malicious intent but dont feel pressured into writing! we’ll love it anyway, doestn matter if it gets posted next week or next month!

Awwww you’re so sweet thanks for looking out for me :)

I agree I think they were trying to be funny lol, although it is the first time I’ve ever been called a bastard in an ask hah.

You’re amazing as always & I’m so happy you’re still enjoying my fic :)

[faangirl101]

Burning Heart: Pt 3

Burning heart masterlist

Pairing: Zuko x reader, Zuko x y/n

Tags: Enemies to lovers, slow burn

Summary: Raised mostly by yourself, you made a living for your youth years as a maid in one of the richest families in Ba sing se, Beifongs. There Toph, a blind young rich girl, taught you earth bending and also became your new family. Not that you would admit that to her. Together you escape Ba sing se on the back of a flying bison with the Avatar, in a mission to take back the world from the fire nation. But on the journey you didn’t plan to team up with the Fire prince himself, and you definitely did not plan to get butterflies around him. But you couldn’t possibly catch feelings for a fire bender right? They ruined your life and took everything of value from you. But you couldn’t lie to your burning heart.

Warnings: swearing

I thought that since Toph was actually blind now, feet burned beyond recognition, that she would go easy on me today. I was clearly wrong. She was quickly up on her feet again (pun intended). Toph had been teaching me earth bending in secret since i was a maid to her family so her tough teaching techniques were no surprise. She had me and Aang working to the bone before we finally, covered in sweat, got a break. Or more like I got a break while Aang had his next bending lesson. Fire. His first. I couldn't help my curiosity as I stood leaned against the closest wall watching Zuko in his professor role.  The balcony of the upside down pagoda in the temple was hot. Sweat was climbing up my back as I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. Zuko seemed to catch Aang's hyper demaoner “I know you're nervous, but remember, firebending in it of itself is not something to fear.” Aang didn't meet his eyes but sighed deeply instead “Okay. Not something to fear”.Zuko nodded as he closed his fists. “But if you don't respect it”, he raised his voice so it echoed through the temple “it'll chew you up and spit you out like an angry komodo rhino!”. I held back the laugh threatening at the picture of Zuko with tensed eyes and a yelping Aang. Zuko clearly picked the “bad cop” technique when it came to teaching, just like Toph. He crossed his arms over his strong chest and took a step backwards “Now show me what you've got. Any amount of fire you can make”. Aang inhales nervously as he hesitates and moves out his arms. I can see fear in his eyes as they focus on the palm of his hand. A small, almost impossible to catch, cloud of smoke appears. But as fast as it comes it dissipates to nothing. The look on Aang was a blend of disappointment and relief.

Aang looked up hopefully “Maybe i need a little more instruction. Perhaps a demonstration?”. Zuko raised an eyebrow “Good idea, You might wanna take a couple steps back”. Even if he wasn't talking to me I obliged and moved further back. I hadn't seen him in action up close yet. I was unsure what to expect but that was definitely not it.  With a grunt Zuko opens his tightly closed fist to let out…. a flame smaller than the palm of my hand. Aang, supportive as he was, applauded at this disappointing display. Me? i bursted out laughing, finally alerting them of my presence. They both sharply turned to me, who was doubled over in laughter. “You might wanna take a couple steps back?”I wiped away fake tears “What was that? That was the worst firebending I've ever seen!”. Zuko did not take that mockery ease as he pursed his lips hard enough to break his jaw.  Aang interrupted Zuko before he could yell at me “I thought it was...nice”. He smiled slightly and shrugged which made it even harder to hold back my smile.

Zuko, annoyed at my amused face, tried to prove me wrong. He let out a loud grunt, which made a wave of excitement go through my stomach. But I pretended I didn't even notice it. His next three attempts resulted in very very small flames similar to the first. Defeated he glares frustrated down at his palms “what is happening”. Aang rubbed his head, trying to comfort Zuko “maybe it's the altitude”.I left my safe spot to move my way to them “Or maybe you can't firebend anymore, which is like the only reason we took you in”. Zuko’s burning eyes just lit my amusement more “oh oh! i call dibs on Zuko’s room when we throw him out”. Aang stretches his smaller hand out to stop me from upsetting anybody further. Zuko scrowls as he turns his back at me with clearly better self control than I thought he had. Time passes and Zuko keeps pushing himself with no improvement. Aang was sitting beside me on a broken pillar as we watched Zuko deliver a pointless blast after another. “that one kind of felt hot”, Aang bursted out as he got on his feet. I snickered at his comment, as I swung my legs against the pillar. But Zuko got angry, angrier than he had ever become after any of my comments. “Don't patronize me! You know what it’s supposed to look like!”. He was right, I had seen many fire benders but no one was as worthless as Zuko at the moment. “He didn't need to patronize you, you do that very well on your own”. Zuko aimed a flame at me that was even worse than his previous ones “Shut up!”. Aang held up his hands in defense “ Sorry, Sifu Hotman”. I bursted out laughing so hard it hurt the depths of my stomach.  Zuko raises his arms above his head and throws them back with a shout of frustration. Aang gringes at his sudden outburst. “And stop calling me that!”, Zuko yells which makes me laugh possibly even harder.

Night creeps up on us as everyone is getting settled for dinner. Even Appa has a mouthful of hay as he rests next to the fountain. Everyone is busy calming their rouring stomachs, everyone except Zuko. He’s leaning on a column with his arms crossed, looking down the cracked ground under him. He looks deep in thought with his wrinkled forehead, but no one seems to notice. No one except me of course. Suddenly he turns his head to the campfire as he makes his way over to where we’re sitting. “Listen everybody, I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff”, He looks below dejectedly. Toph, used to being accused of stealing by now, raises her hands above her head. “Don't look at me!”, she folded her arms “i didn't touch your stuff”. I giggle at her outburst and enjoy the view of Zuko’s ashamed face. He looks down again “I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone”. I cross my arms and throw my legs up on a pillar “as if you even had it in the first place”. Everybody around the fireplace sits up, different emotions painted on their faces. Sokka is the only one giving me a reaction as he pretends to fire bends with an annoyed face like Zuko had been doing the entire day. It brought a quiet shaking laugh from me. But my laugh quieted down as a clearer brighter laughter took place. Katara had her head bent backwards as her body shook from the laugh. Was Katara… mocking Zuko. It was the only time Katara had done anything remotely funny, but it still deep down struck a nerve that she was making fun of  him. It was my job. But I couldn't possibly be petty over such a small pointless thing. Everyone had turned their attention towards her, including Zuko, who had an annoyed expression twisting his handsome face. She held her hands up, hiding her face “I'm sorry. I'm just laughing at the irony. You know, how it would've been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago”. Zuko gringed “Well, it's not lost. It's just ... weaker for some reason”. Katara held up her bowl and glared at Zuko over the brim “Maybe you're not as good as you think you are”. Both me and Toph, alike as we are, Made a hissing noise at the same time and met each other's eyes “ouch”.  Zuko ignored Toph's sarcastic smile as he brightened up with an idea “I bet it's because I changed sides”. Katara gave him another glare as she brought the bowl to her lips “That's ridiculous”. It was the first time I had seen Aang disagree with Katara “I don't know. Maybe it isn't. Maybe your firebending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to”.

“Zuko has not been angry? then what have i been doing all day”, i smirked over at Sokka who returned the facial expression. He leans towards zuko and points a finger above “Easy enough”. He pokes Zuko with his shining swords hilt in the head and waist several times. Toph and I cling onto each other to not fall over from laughing. Zuko growles behind closed teeth “okay cut it out!”. Sokka's sword slips from his hands and is thrown above before falling on his head. Zuko sighs and rubs his nose “look, even if you're right. I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way”.

Sokka rubs his head in pain from the burst with the sword but no one seems to pay him any care. Toph takes a big bite from her food “You're gonna need to learn to draw your firebending from a different source. I recommend the original source”.I furrowed my eyebrows “I thought that fire bending's original source was pain, rage and suffering”. I didn't miss the way Zuko pursed his lips and looked down in something similar to shame. Sokka seemed to forget his head injury as he excitedly looked up “How's he supposed to do that? By jumping into a volcano?”.Toph shook her head and wiggles her feet “No. Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is”. Sokka's dreams of Zuko diving into a volcano is crushed “So, is it jumping into a volcano?”.

“I don't know”,  Toph puts her bowl down beside her “For earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles''. I remembered the many times Toph had brought me to the tunnels and showed me where she met the Badgermoles. That seemed like forever ago.  “Isn't the original fire benders Dragons? Where the fuck are we going to find a dragon just chilling?”, I looked up at Zuko who sighed deeply. “we are not going to, Dragons are extinct”. Aang shook his head “What do you mean‌? Roku had a dragon, and there were plenty of dragons when I was a kid”. Zuko's face twists up, as if he knows something we don't. “Well, they aren't around anymore, okay?”. I feel bad for Aang because he yelps at Zuko's harsh tone. “Okay, okay!”,he moved his arms in an appeasing manner “I'm sorry”. Zuko moves on his long slender legs to the fountain. “But maybe there's another way”, he looks away in deep thought “The first people to learn from the dragon were the ancient Sun warriors”.Aang who always seemed to think he knew the most since he was technically 100 years older than the rest walks towards Zuko. “Sun warriors? Well I know they weren't around when i was a kid”, Aang stood beside Zuko now. “No, they died off thousands of years ago. But their civilization wasn't too far from where we are now”, Zuko  tilts his head toward Aang “Maybe we can learn something by poking around their ruins''. Sokka mirrors my suspicions “So what? Maybe you'll pick up some super old sun warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?”. He backs up his question by flaring his hands around in a weird motion which makes me hit my forehead with my hand. Zuko shifted his weight forward. “More or less. Either I find a new way to firebend '', he turns his head towards Aang ”or the Avatar has to find a new teacher”.

When Zuko left with the Avatar, the temple seemed to become much more quiet. Haru, the Duke and Teo were on yet another exploration mission. Katara was worrying for Aang, while she cooked the same meal we had been eating for days. Toph, Sokka and I laid spread out, floating over the water in the fountain. The heat had been getting worse and it was the only way to cool down. Sokka threw a worried look at her sister.“What do you think Sifu hotman and smaller bald Kyoshi is doing right now?”, I asked as I sat up in the fountain. My soaked hair was dripping down my back. Sokka smiled half way “Zuko is probably pissed because his worthless Sun warrior plan is not working out and Aang is probably playing peacemaker and trying to calm him down”.  Toph smirked and splashed some water with her feet. Katara sneered at us and I wondered if it was because she didn't like that we were talking about Aang or if she was jealous that we were bonding better then she had done with any of us. I was guessing on the latter. “If you could have any original animal from any bend type, which one would you have?”, Sokka asked to change the conversation subject. Toph didn't even need to think  for a second “obviously the badgermoles”. Sokka looked offended “really? You would pick a blind disgusting rat over a flying bison?”. I inhaled dramatically “Blind disgusting rat?! That's my best friend you're talking about!”. Sokka burst out in laughter and Toph rolled her eyes ironically “ha ha ha”.  I looked forward, deep in thought “I hate the fire nation but honestly the dragon is the most badass”. Sokka lifted an eyebrow surprised “they're extinct, remember?”. Katara moved a spoon through the home made meal as she mumbled “i wish that the entire fire nation was extinct”. We all fell silent, like we mostly did everytime Katara opened her mouth. I thought about how different my life would have been if the fire nation didn't exist. I would still have my mom. I would have grown up with a present and loving father. If my mom had gotten good care while giving birth, instead of hiding in a barn from the fire nation, she wouldn't have died in childbirth. And if my mom hadn't died, my dad wouldn't have blamed me for her death. He wouldn't have been slaughtered by the fire nation when they invaded my home years later on the look for something we didn't even have. But I would never have met Toph. I would never have gotten so good at earth bending. I wouldn't have met the avatar gang. But I still closed my eyes and imagined a world without the fire nation for just another second.

by the look of Aangs and Zuos excited faces when they returned, I guessed it was a successful mission. I can't help but feel relieved that they're okay, and to my surprise I'm relieved for both of them. A sense of calm fills me when I see that they're BOTH unharmed, but I would never admit that to anybody. They're quick to get into positions to start demonstrating what the sun warriors taught them. They moved gracefully, every motion mirrored between them as yin and yan. Fire licked the sides of their bodys without hurting them, as if the fire and their bodies were one. I had grown up with the view of fire as a plot of destruction, a tool for suffering and power play. But now, in the upside-down pagodas in the Western Air Temple, the fire looked nothing like that. It wasn't violent. It was beautiful, I could see shades of blue and green. I could see all the colors of the rainbow within the flames, similar to the reflection of water. Or the sharpened glass in the depths of the earth. Or how air bent sunlight on a hot day. I could see all elements moving from the palms of their hands in the shape of combustions of flames. Deep deep down within my bones I could feel a yearn for the fighting of flames. A longing for the feel of the heat against my hands, that I quickly pushed down. Fire was dangerous, it was not beautiful. It was difficult to convince myself when I left the hole of lament in my heart. The rest of the avatar gang interrupted my thoughts with applause as the two got into their final postures. “Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there”, Sokka bursted out playfully. Normally i would join him with a remark myself but i wasn't in the mood. My feelings were conflicted and I couldn't focus on anything else. Zuko seemed offended. “It's not a dance. It's a firebending form”. Sokka moves his fingers in a dancing manner “We’ll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord”.

Zuko makes his way over to Sokka with a threatening glimpse in his eyes “It's a sacred form that happens to be a thousand years old!”. Katara crosses her arms “Oh yeah? What is your little form called?”. Zuko's eyes met the ground embarrassed “The dancing Dragon”. The gang erupted in loud laughter as Zujo gringes in embarrassment. I stand quiet, not paying attention to how Zuko turns to me. “You haven't said any mocking remark about our form”, he bent down to my level to try to catch my attention. “You mean your dance?”I ask and raise an eyebrow. He mimics my expression “Really? is that it?”. I didn't even catch his bait as I waved him away “I'm not in the mood”. As I moved away I felt Zuko's burning eyes on the plate of my back. “Since when is she not in the mood”, Zuko mumbled to himself, confused. I was busy thinking about how I had longed to touch fire. The thing that destroyed my life.

Taglist: @eridanuswave , @Whalerus, @keiko0, @emogril , @theblueslytherin , @bbecc-a 

[that-one--book-nerd]

because i believe in you (zukka)

this was originally posted to AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25519252

here’s a zukka thing I wrote! enjoy! :)

Sokka can’t pinpoint the exact moment he started feeling nervous around Zuko. Which is weird, and Sokka can’t figure out what his deal is.

Why would I feel nervous around Zuko? He just went on an insanely dangerous prison-break rescue mission with me? He’s clearly changed and is making actual efforts to be a better person. So why does my stomach start to twist in a not-awful way whenever I’m around him?

Sokka contemplates this the night after the Boiling Rock rescue. Everyone else is asleep, and he’s on his side, watching the fire slowly die out. On the opposite side of the fire lies Zuko, who has started to sleep in the main outdoor area with everyone else rather than hole himself up in his room on warm nights. Sokka shifts onto his other side, so he’s facing out into the forest. When he glances up, he sees the moon.  He always thinks of Yue when he looks at the moon. It used to hurt; he wasn’t able to stand the permanent reminder of one of his all-time worst failures. But over the past few months, as the wound in his heart slowly healed, he found the moon a comforting sight. Sokka was drifting off when suddenly, the weird feeling in his stomach made sense.

Oh, shit, he thinks to himself as his eyes snap open. He quickly turns back around to face Zuko, as if daring his heart to prove him wrong. When his heart speeds up at the sight of Zuko looking more peaceful and young than Sokka had ever seen him—spirits, we’re nearly the same age, aren’t we?—Sokka feels his stomach drop into the center of the earth and his heart leap into his throat.

••••••••••

“You never loved me, huh, Zuko?” Mai asks, her voice so much more emotionless and cold than normal that it sends a chill running up and down Zuko’s spine.

“Mai, no, I’m sorry, I just—it’s not—”

“Not what? Not my fault? Yeah, no shit, Zuko,” Mai snaps. Her arms are crossed. She’s standing over him, he’s tied up in the chair in the interrogation room in the Boiling Rock. He pushes down the tears welling up in his eyes.

“Of course it’s not your fault, Mai. I just…I couldn’t be there any more.” Zuko does his damnedest to not sound like he’s about to cry.

“First your uncle, now me. Which loved one are you going to turn against next, Zuko? Is there even anyone left who would care enough about you?”

“Mai,” Zuko starts, the pit of dread eating through his stomach so slowly yet as fast as Azula’s wit and lightning.

“I doubt it. After all the horrible shit you’ve done, I’m surprised your father ever wanted you back.” She leaned down and looked at Zuko right in the eyes as she continued, “He probably didn’t and just had you return to give off a merciful facade.”

Mai’s words feel like hundreds of thousands of knives cutting into his face and chest. He’s crying in earnest now, gasping for breath against the ropes that seem to tighten around him every second. He’s shaking his head, trying to tell Mai that he’s so, so sorry.

Mai leans down so her face is mere inches away from his. He can feel her breath. He can’t help but look into her eyes. Her eyes, which are full of pain and betrayal and rage.

“Ozai regrets giving you that scar Zuko,” Mai whispers. She grabs a handful of his hair from the back of his head and somehow tugs Zuko and the chair above the ground. She stands up straight and holds Zuko at eye-level. She pulls him close so that she speaks into Zuko’s ear.

“I wish I killed you that day, three years ago. The only decision I’ve ever regretted was letting you live.”

But Mai’s not Mai any more. When she stood, she grew taller. Her facial features grotesquely morphed into that of his father’s. Zuko can feel every single particle in his body shaking with terror.

“How dare you even consider the possibility that I could ever love you? That I could ever care about you? You’re a damned disgrace to your nation and to firebending as a concept. I should have just ended your pathetic and worthless life when you surrendered like the coward you are.”

Suddenly, the room is on fire. The ropes are digging deep into his skin. He can’t escape. And an enormous hand made of flames begins rushing towards his face—

••••••••••

Zuko wakes up crying. He sits up at an unnatural speed, and for a moment, he forgets where he is. He feels like he’s falling into an endless abyss. He shakes his head and lets his eyes adjust to the brightness. Seeing the number of concerned people rush up to him, he remembers where he is.

“Zuko!” Aang calls out, running up to him. “Are you okay?”

Katara, Toph, Suki, and Sokka aren’t far behind. Despite her evident distrust of him, Zuko thinks he sees something that looks like worry etched across Katara’s face. Suki runs at a faster pace as she approaches him.

They were probably all training, Zuko thinks to himself. He doesn’t have the mental space or energy to beat himself up over not being there training with them and helping Aang with firebending, or oversleeping and not gathering supplies they might need.

Zuko furiously wipes his eyes. “I’m fine,” he manages to get out.

“I don’t need my powers to know that you’re lying,” Toph says, kneeling down next to him.

Zuko takes a shaky breath. “It’s just nightmares,” he says. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Aang asks. “It sounded like a really bad one.”

Sokka and Suki kneels down next to him on his other side. Out of the corner of his good eye, Zuko can see Suki slowly raise her hand to place on his shoulder. Instinctively, he tenses up, and Suki’s hand stops before she places it in her lap.

“…It was,” Zuko quietly admits. “They happen all the time. I’m fine. Go back to doing whatever you guys were doing.”

After a few seconds of scanning him with her steely eyes, Katara quietly sighs. In another universe, she’d be an incredible firebender.

“I have some clean water if you need it. You know, to drink, splash on your face, whatever.” She sets her canteen next to him.

“No, thank you,” Zuko says. He’s trying to learn how to accept gifts and kind offers, but he feels like he can’t ask any more of his…friends, he supposes.

Yeah, these people are my friends, he tells himself. He knows it’s true, but it still doesn’t feel real.

“Well, it’ll be on my sleeping bag if you want it.” Katara picks up her canteen and gently tosses it on her makeshift pillow. She doesn’t look back at him. Suki gives him a sympathetic smile before rejoining Katara.

“Well, we’re here for you if you need anything, Zuko,” Aang offers. He follows after Katara, but he keeps glancing back over his shoulder, like he’s worried that if he looks away for too long then Zuko will freak out again. Zuko closes his eyes and counts to ten as he breathes. He tries the calming techniques that Uncle had taught him, but he couldn’t remember if if was inhale for four seconds and exhale for three, or the other way around, or—

“You coming, Sokka?” Aang calls out.

Zuko opens his eyes to find that Sokka didn’t leave with the others; rather he was still sitting next to Zuko, leaning back on his arms and his head tilted slightly to the side, as if he was studying Zuko. When Zuko meets Sokka’s eyes, Sokka blinks and startles and nearly falls over.

“What? Oh, uh, I’m good. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Katara narrows her eyebrows at Sokka, but Aang just smiles and says “Okay! See ya later, Sokka!” as he cheerfully glides past Katara. Katara finally rejoins the rest of the group after glaring at her brother and the banished prince for what feels like weeks.

For a moment, it’s just Zuko and Sokka. They’re both quiet, both a bit unsure of what they’re doing, until Sokka clears his throat.

“I, uh, I found a clearing not far from the other side of the temple,” Sokka starts as he fidgets with his boomerang holster. “Wanna go practice sword-bending?”

Zuko raises his eyebrows.

“There’s a stream that flows through it, and there’s a small freshwater pond with koi,” Sokka continues.

Is he blushing? Zuko thinks to himself, squinting, trying to get a better look at the exact color of Sokka’s face.

“Okay,” Zuko replies—and immediately mentally kicks himself.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Say something nice, like ‘thank you,’ or…Oh! how about—

“I mean, uh, thank you for the offer. I’d…I’d love to join you. For…sword-bending.”

Sokka’s face lights up and it reminds Zuko of the sun. He feels himself blush and immediately turns away to get his dual-swords. As he’s readying the straps on his sheaths, he forces himself to push down the rising feelings of butterfly-birds in his stomach.

I shouldn’t—no, I can’t—put someone through that again. All I did to Mai was hurt her, I can’t do that to Sokka. He deserves someone better for him…he deserves someone who deserves him.

Zuko tried to nail these ideas into every part of his brain, but the beating of his heart kept causing them to fall and break.

••••••••••

“Okay…can we…take a breather…please?!” Sokka gasps in between his exhausted breathing.

Zuko nods and they collapse onto their backs next to each other, both staring up at the sky. The sun had already made its arc over them and it was just starting to set. They had been training for hours, and they finally decided to rest next to the small pond.

“We should probably start heading back soon,” Zuko suggests. “You sister will get mad.”

“Eh, let her be mad. We were training our bending abilities!”

Zuko raises a single eyebrow.

“‘We’?” he asks

“We’re all sort of benders in a way,” Sokka jokes, turning on his side to face Zuko. “Katara has her waterbending, Aang has his airbending, Toph has her earthbending, you have your firebending, and I—” Sokka pulls out his favorite weapon “—have my boomerang-bending!”

“I thought you said ‘sword-bending’ earlier?” Zuko replies, his mouth curling into a small smile.

“Well, this is my boomerang, and I like the sound of ‘boomerang-bending’ more than I like ‘sword-bending,’” Sokka smirks.

“Nah,” Zuko gently nudges his foot against Sokka’s. “‘Sword-bending’ is catchier.”

“Well, maybe it is, but I like ‘boomerang-bending’ better! Besides, I’m better at boomerang-bending than you’ll ever be,” Sokka says as he nudge’s Zuko’s arm. “I’m a boomerang-bending master!”

Both of them pretend like their casual touches don’t feel like a small electric shock of warmth. Zuko and Sokka both chuckle.

“Well, you’re right about that,” Zuko replies, easing himself up. Sokka also sits up properly, and the two boys face each other.

Zuko looks into Sokka’s eyes for what feels like hours, and Sokka looks into Zuko’s eyes intently, studying them as if they’re the last thing he’ll ever see.

They’ve been subconsciously moving towards each other before Zuko blinks, stops, and clears his throat. Sokka blinks and gives Zuko a quizzical look.

“What’s wrong?” Sokka asks.

“Nothing,” Zuko replies, quickly looking down at his lap and fidgeting with his fingers.

Sokka looks down at the ground and begins drawing swirls in the dirt. He draws (what Zuko can only assume are) boomerangs, waves, and flames.

“I, uh…” Zuko starts, not meeting Sokka’s eyes as the other boy’s head shot up to look at Zuko. “I want to thank you.”

“Oh, no problem. We all need to be training for when the comet arrives. Gotta be on our A-game for taking down the Fire Lord!”

Zuko can’t keep himself from chuckling a little bit.

“That’s not what I wanted to thank you for. And you do realize that when—if—you defeat my father, that either I or my sister will take the throne next?”

Sokka doesn’t miss how Zuko’s voice grows slightly more unsteady as he speaks about the possible future.

“Why wouldn’t you take the throne?”

“Have you met my sister?”

“Fair enough.”

“And even if there was no succession crisis, you guys realize that I’ll be the new Fire Lord, right?”

“Yeah, and what about it?”

Zuko’s ember-golden eyes meets Sokka’s ocean blue ones.

“What do you mean ‘what about it?,’ Sokka?! I can’t be the Fire Lord! I don’t know how to lead an entire nation! Let alone one whose current legacy is that of imperialism, destruction, and genocide! And ending the war that my great-grandfather started? The war that the Fire Nation is currently winning—”

“Well, I’d say we’re almost tied—”

Zuko rolls his eyes.

“The war that’s been going on for a whole century that my whole nation has been in support of for its entire duration! How will it look to my subjects when I end the war that’s been providing them with their entire livelihoods?! I know that they should get new livelihoods—that sounds like something you’d say—” (Sokka nods) “but it’s not that easy! And what about the conquered territories? How can I help them? Will they even want my help? And what about—”

“Hey!”

Sokka interrupts a clearly overwhelmed Zuko by placing his left hand on Zuko’s cheek and his right hand on Zuko’s shoulder. The touch came naturally to Sokka, who’s used to grabbing Katara by the face whenever she gets overworked and needs a clear head. He’s able to tell his right hand to not touch Zuko’s scar, thankfully. He doesn’t fear it, but he doesn’t want to find out from experience if Zuko reacts negatively to other people touching his scar. Sokka stares deep into Zuko’s eyes, which are starting to tear up. Sokka feels his heart crack and it takes every remaining ounce of self control he has to not physically wince at the pain of Zuko crying. Sokka begins rubbing tiny circles into Zuko’s cheek, and Zuko practically leans into the touch as he closes his eyes. Zuko brings his hand up to Sokka’s and places his other hand on Sokka’s knee. He’s not sure if he feels Sokka shiver or his own hands shaking. (It’s both.)

“Hey,” Sokka says again, quieter. Zuko opens his eyes and finds Sokka intently staring at him.

“Look, Zuko, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re, like, already a better Fire Lord than your dad. You clearly care about your people as people and not as a means to an end—that end being like power or whatever. If you carry that attitude with you throughout your reign, you’re going to be the best spirits-damned Fire Lord in the history of all the nations. I know it, Zuko.” Sokka’s voice quiets as he takes a deep breath and finishes with: “I believe in you.”

Zuko thinks about how easy it would be to get lost in Sokka’s eyes, and then realizes that he is lost in Sokka’s eyes.

Sokka isn’t sure what brings him to pull Zuko more towards him, and Zuko doesn’t know why he simply lets himself be pulled, but they both know that this is exactly where they’re supposed to be—together.

Sokka closes the remaining distance between them by pressing his lips against Zuko’s.

Zuko feels himself falling, but this time it’s a good feeling.

Because he knows that somehow, Sokka will catch him.

[callioope]

Continuing my reactions to Avatar: The Last Airbender

This post is about Book 3. See my overall impressions and thoughts on Book 1 here. See my thoughts on Book 2 here.

ETA: crap i forgot the keep reading line initially SORRY if anyone saw this before i edited. anyways. please see the tags as a disclaimer before reading. gosh it’s late i need to go to bed.

General

Starting S3 now and dang Katara & Toph have gotten so powerful!!!!!

I literally recorded ZERO reactions from Chapter One through Chapter Twelve. And my first reaction is basically my excitement that Zuko is finally with the Aang crew! But let me try to skim through an episode list to recall my reactions.

You may have already seen my post expressing shock that MARK HAMILL voiced the Fire Lord. Still not over that revelation.

So, ultimately, I binged this show in less than a week. I think I started on Monday? And finished Saturday afternoon. That alone should speak to how much I enjoyed it! 

Aang

Okay, a bit weird to have barely any thoughts under Aang when he’s literally the protagonist, but I think (since I wrote other sections before this) that I touch on some of my thoughts on him under other characters. 

I will say, his journey really intensifies in this season. First, when he awakens after being unconscious for several days and has no idea what’s going on, and is still healing and more helpless than he’s probably ever felt in his life. I did really like his arc in this season, but what a stark contrast to the Aang of Book 1. He has to grow up so fast. I gotta say, a lot of Aang’s journey reminded me just a little of Ender in Ender’s Game. 

I do say this later, but his final decision about how to handle Ozai was amazing. I loved every second of his journey to get there, and I was rooting for him to find a path that felt true to him — and not what everyone else kept telling him he had to do. 

There was one small thing that bothered me, which was that his eventual regaining of the Avatar state did not really seem to come about through intentional action of his own. After he goes down at the end of Book 2, sorta feels like they never even talk about him going into the Avatar state again and he doesn’t until the final moment. That moment doesn’t seem a conscious choice on his part; the scar on his back collides with a rock jutting out and seems to jolt him into the Avatar state. I would have liked to see a little more agency on his part in regards to the Avatar state. 

Sokka

My boy! My boy Sokka! Truly the mother of the group. IDK why they pretended in the beginning that Katara was the mom because it’s definitely Sokka. His maps! His scheduling! He is ridiculous and I love him for it. 

I adored that he got his own training master episode! He got to learn some sword stuff and even got to make a fancy space sword! Everyone else got super powerful with their bending and I’m glad Sokka got his own arc of self-improvement. He has come a LONG way from episode 1. He couldn’t really hold his own at all that early, and now look at him! Planning battle strategies! Taking down the Fire Lord’s air fleet! He’s come so far and I’m so proud!

Oh, you know, I just realized that I didn’t really talk about ships with Sokka in Book 2 but he did continue to have the most active romance arc. It was nice to see Suki return in Book 2, and I am glad we found out what happened to her. I liked Sokka and Suki, I have nothing against it. I was very surprised that so little happened with Toph and Sokka. There did seem to be moments where it seemed like Toph might actually harbor a crush on Sokka, but nothing came of it and she certainly didn’t say anything about it. That felt a little odd to me. Why hint at something but then make nothing of it? 

Katara

Sigh. This is early in the post, but probably one of the last parts of it that I’m actually writing. I’ve definitely been putting it off. Unfortunately most of what I have to say about Katara is about shipping, and I’m really not happy about that, but then it’s what comes to mind over anything else. Which is sort of ironic considering some of her lines in the theater episode...

So in the theatre episode, Aang confronts Katara about how nothing has happened in their relationship after they kissed. She responds by saying she is “confused.” I had some issues with the script here, to be honest. It seems to imply that she’s confused about her feelings for Aang. But she also says that she’s been more focused on the war, and that totally makes sense. I really would support this moment if that’s where they left it: “I don’t have time to think about romance, my mind is preoccupied with the war.” 

But no, they say she is “confused.”

This is pretty baffling to me, and honestly seems to come out of nowhere. Book 1 it was very obvious that both Katara and Aang have feelings for each other, and Book 2 might have backed off a little from that but then we get moments where Katara is so keyed in to Aang’s struggles with the Avatar state and also the only one who can bring him out of it. Now, all of a sudden, she is saying she is confused? Where is this coming from? 

I could definitely see people argue that it’s because she has feelings for Zuko. If I shipped them (I don’t, but I also Get It), I could point to numerous moments in the series as ‘clues/support’ for this ship. Zuko and Katara have a moment at the end of Book 2 where they talk about the loss of their mothers. (“We’re both sad about what happened to our mothers!” not really a foundation for a relationship, but Katara is the most betrayed and distrustful of Zuko when it comes to the idea of letting him join their crew and it is because of this moment. She obviously begins to feel some kind of connection — I’d argue platonic but ship and let ship.) 

And yeah, Zuko and Katara have their bonding adventure, but again I don’t think this has to be read as romantic. Clearly the idea here is that Zuko “understands” a part of Katara that Aang doesn’t — except that in the end, Aang is the one who is right about her. She cannot give in to revenge. It’s not her, and Aang knows that. I mean, they’re both right — Katara had go to on the journey to learn that about herself, and it was important that Zuko was the one who helped her. But still. 

Finally Zuko and Katara go together to face Azula. Again seems like plot is pushing them together for Tension. They definitely work together here and Katara heals him and all that but she’d have healed anyone. (Like yeah if you ship it of course you’re gonna be excited over those moments.)

But.

Like. The thing is. When the dust settles? Zuko and Mai return to each other like moths to a flame. I could believe that Katara might have had feelings for Zuko, but I don’t think he ever returned them. I think it was always Mai for him. 

I don’t really want to fan the flames of ship wars — I’m trying to walk a fine line of “I totally understand why people ship this, but I don’t,” and hopefully I’m succeeding, but I’m sorry if I’m not. 

My main gripe is how the show handled this dynamic. It seemed like they half-heartedly thought about creating a love triangle, but then they didn’t follow through. I don’t particularly like love triangles, so I’m not actually mad that there wasn’t one. But what bothers me is that the Aang and Katara moments are so heavy handed in the beginning, that a sudden subtle take on how Katara feels in Book 3 feels strange. It feels like if she was having feelings for Zuko, it should have been more blatant. The depictions are inconsistent — if the writers were even ever intending for Katara to have feelings for Zuko in the first place.

Like, I really can’t tell if those moments implying Zuko and Katara were intentionally trying to start a love triangle OR if it was just sort of a mistake OR if it was maybe creators trying to address and then negate Zuko and Katara as a ship? I mean it’s weird because the play episode really emphasizes Zuko and Katara but then that play is really supposed to be all levels of inaccurate and get under the characters’ skins. 

So, I don’t know. Obviously we all bring different interpretations to a piece of media and I am by no means saying anything here is a “correct opinion” (because I hate that attitude when it comes to story interpretations). Sorry if you don’t agree, hope I didn’t make anyone mad. Ship what you like! You do you, man. 

On that note, please see further disclaimers about shipping and canon at the end of the “Zuko and Mai” section below.

Toph

Loved how Toph was the first to warm up to Zuko. It made a lot of sense. I mean obviously they were looking for a fire bender to teach Aang and it was like “Hello, powerful fire bender on a silver platter!” but also, Toph is someone who joined the crew later on. The group had to adjust to her, and she probably knows what it feels like to be an outsider. Now, granted, she was never alienated from the group in the same way that Zuko (rightfully) was. But she can also understand Zuko’s position as someone who comes from a wealthy family, the sort of pressure that comes from that. None of this was really addressed explicitly, and it might not have really fit then and there, but it was what I was thinking as she was standing up for Zuko.

Um, and also, on that note? Huge bummer Toph did not get her special bonding adventure with Zuko. Toph, I’m with you on that one! Why did Sokka get two episodes for his? 

Zuko

No “& Iroh” on this post because — Iroh spent much of this season in jail, and then the next half just ??? who knows where. 

So, I believe I stated in the last post how shocked I was at Zuko’s betrayal. Knowing he eventually joins Aang’s crew, it seemed like his time in the prison with Katara would ultimately lead to that, and then NOPE! He has this nice heart to heart about his mother, and then… it really shocked me.

But.

As I watched this season, it became clear that this has to be Zuko’s journey. He has to go back to the Fire Nation. He has to win the approval of his father. He has to get everything he wants in order to realize that it really isn’t what he wants. This is integral to his ultimate revelation and redemption and he couldn’t have stayed truly good without verifying and knowing how empty the win of his father’s approval is.

Realizing this, I loved it and appreciated the moments we get. Zuko’s visits to Iroh. Even when Zuko is being cruel, you can see how hurt and lost he is. And Iroh gives him the cold shoulder he deserves, even though of course this is breaking Iroh’s heart, too. 

Now, I absolutely must discuss the Fire Kids Beach Party episode! Because as ridiculous as parts of it are, it provides such an important and necessary insight to all four characters (Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee). You see the privilege that they’re all used to, it’s good that no one knows who they all are. (although maybe a little surprising because Zuko’s scar certainly reveals who he is but anyways.) 

and it’s funny how you almost end up rooting for them before you’re like “no no no. they are bad people doing some bad things.” I mean, almost rooting for them. And sure, the campfire scene is a bit Breakfast Club-y but I do think it’s important. And I just loved the moment Zuko admits he’s angry at himself, how his burst of fire as he says it almost covers it up, it’s so hard for him to say. Fabulous character development going on here, fabulous. 

[Uh, side note, so apparently Zuko is descended from Avatar Roku! This is ridiculous but can we get Zuko calling Aang great-grandfather, mainly to get on his nerves?! O:-) this would amuse me greatly]

And GOSH the catharsis when Zuko finally realizes his father’s approval is not what he wants and not worth it! It’s so well earned. It’s so satisfying. I was so excited and just like, so anticipating Zuko going to meet up with the crew. Zuko practicing his speech in the woods to the frog? Amazing. Endearing. I love him so much. 

And despite that and because of it, I also loved how difficult it was for him to earn their trust. It had to be difficult. It would not be believable if it wasn’t. Every character regarded him exactly as you would expect them to, exactly as he deserved. And Zuko tried so hard to be sincere and contrite, and it was hard for him, but he was doing pretty well all things considered! And still, they distrusted him. Yes. This was good and right. And I loved it. 

AND ANOTHER THING I LOVED was that once that initial barrier was surpassed, Aang actually warmed up to Zuko pretty quickly. This is not surprising; he’d reached out to Zuko in the past. First when Zuko (masked) rescues him, and Aang says they could have been friends. Later, at the end of Book 1 when Zuko again kidnaps him, there’s just a moment… I think when Aang spares him. It’s like, my impression is that Aang can sense that their destinies are connected, and he’s not really sure how but he knows that Zuko is important. Also, I mean, Aang just doesn’t kill people and revenge is not his way. 

Each character getting their own side story with Zuko was also integral to his arc — perhaps moreso, theirs, though. Because it was necessary for them to overcome their distrust and forge the bonds necessary for the Avatar’s crew to function. Bummed he didn’t get one with Toph. Toph was robbed.

And side note, but I really would have like an Aang and Sokka bonding episode? Like, Book 1 is all Aang and Katara and Sokka, but some 1:1 time would have been nice. There was almost a chance when Aang flew Sokka to his father and the water tribe (and at the time I was like, “Oh? Aang and Sokka bonding?!”) But then it was really only a few minutes. But yeah, that said, it does make sense to focus on carving out 1:1 time for Zuko and each member of the crew to ease him into the group.

Sokka: You happy now?

Zuko: I’m never happy.

This made me sad. And also made me go “classic Zuko.”

Every time Zuko was like, “What would uncle say?” And then say the most ridiculous thing? Fantastic. Amazing. Fuel for the fire that was my love for this show.

Zuko and Mai

Mainly the Beach Party episode was important in helping me warm up to Mai. Once Zuko is back in the Fire Nation and they’re together, I was of the mindset that Mai would have to do something pretty big in order for me to enjoy seeing their relationship become canon. This episode is not that episode, but it is an important insight into Mai’s character that explains some of her actions. The fact that she’s basically internalized apathy because she’s been forced to repress her emotions. It wasn’t enough for me but we get more later, this is an important stepping stone. 

It’s also important in establishing just what Zuko and Mai’s dynamic is. It’s a bit shaky in this and they end up breaking up but then they just get back together like immediately (moths to a flame…) In hindsight, I just think they’re behaving like normal teens who care about each other but are still navigating what it means to be in a relationship. At this moment in time, their relationship is not good, but by the end of the show I can believe as they mature that it could be a good relationship.

So the actual moment that I was like, “Okay, officially supporting Mai and Zuko now” was when she helps them escape Boiling Rock. I don’t think we’re ever told the full contents of Zuko’s letter to her, but considering what she says to Zuko earlier in this episode, it doesn’t seem likely he explains himself very well. At least not for Mai to understand. And he still isn’t able to explain himself well to her as they talk face to face. Then he locks in a cell and flees! He leaves her again. 

You wouldn’t blame Mai for hating Zuko. You wouldn’t blame her for actively working against him. But is this what happens? No. Not at all. She helps them get away. She betrays Azula for Zuko. Azula!!! Azula who is very powerful and very scary! This is a clear and distinct line in the sand, and … it almost comes out of nowhere, but what it demonstrates is how she really feels about him. She’s decided to trust him and put her faith in him when she really would have been justified in not doing so. 

I’m also going to say that despite some rather odd implications of Zuko and Katara in parts of the series (namely with other characters who really don’t know them), I never feel like Zuko is interested in Katara. I would buy interpretations that Katara might have considered Zuko, the way some parts of her story are portrayed, but I don’t get anything on Zuko’s side and that is all the more reinforced by how he acts around Mai, especially in the end of the series when they’re reunited. 

(Now, that said — because I don’t abide ship wars, ship and let ship, and power to multi-shippers — I can totally 100% see the appeal of shipping Zuko and Katara, and I would contend there is even some canonical implication of it. And I can’t blame people for not totally loving Zuko and Mai. Now, I do think the canonical implications are sort of muddied and confusing, but though I have actually not written it yet, you’ll have read my thoughts there in the Katara section already. OH, and OF COURSE, MORE IMPORTANTLY — ships being canon should not matter! Ship what you love! Who cares if it’s canon! Finding canon justification for ships should not be necessary for shipping! It can be a fun exercise but should never ever be a reason for approving or disapproving of a ship, it’s just a cherry on top!)

Azula

We get some pretty interesting insights into her character this season. I’ve already mentioned the Beach Party episode, and there was some good stuff in there for her. I particularly appreciated the moment that she admitted she knew her mother thought she was a monster, that she even admitted to being a monster, and then admitted that it still hurt anyways. Honestly that’s probably her best moment.

I also thought her breakdown at the end was well done. Mai and Ty Lee’s betrayal just broke her. She probably knows her attitude puts people off, but those two were the only ones she ever really got on with. And it turns out, she really didn’t get on with them, they’d only ever been intimidated and manipulated into being her friends. She has no one, she pushes everyone away. Literally — and it is ultimately her downfall. 

It’s an interesting contrast to her brother. We literally get an episode “Zuko Alone,” and then it turns out the theme of “Azula Alone” is such an integral part of her arc, as well. The last person she has is her father, and he leaves her, too. Sure, he tells her it’s because she’s to stay behind as the new Fire Lord, but honestly Ozai was never truly close to anyone, either. But yeah. Iroh spends a lot of time and effort trying to help Zuko redeem himself. He never tries with Azula? I think, maybe it would have been nice to see him try with her, and be just utterly rebuffed. Now, Zuko also rebuffed him a lot, too. So Azula’s rejection of Iroh would really have to be something. This is the kind of stuff I’d look for in fic. Speaking of fic: I mean, I’d really love Zuko to find his mom, mom to come back, and then maybe some kind of attempt at reparations between mom and Azula. It doesn’t have to work, I just want to see the effort, you know?

Final Thoughts: Ending & Denouement

I loved Aang finding a different way to defeat the Fire Lord. I loved how every past Avatar he talked to was like “no dude just kill him.” And I loved that that was not enough for Aang. He’s pushing himself and ultimately the spirit of the Avatar to think harder, to try harder, to seek a different way. And that mercy was so integral to Aang’s character, and important to his arc that he struggled so much with it. And he’s just a kid! Oh, Aang. And I loved that he was able to find the answer he needed, the fact that it was taking away Ozai’s fire bending. Yes. Perfection.

I was a little disappointed by how little we got post-Ozai’s defeat. I was hoping the epilogue might have shown a little more in the years and decades following. It would have been nice to see glimpses of everyone prospering as they got older. 

Also, as I was watching Zuko’s coronation, I was sorta like, “uhh wait that’s a little too easy.” Now we don’t know when that happens so it’s possible some bit of time has lapsed and I’ll take that. But I thought there would have still been some trouble with some of the Fire Nation troops. Some of them would have remained loyal to Ozai. Many of those general had probably committed war crimes and would have needed to be rounded up and put on trial and put in prison. There’d be so much work to do!

That said, I do understand that we want to see our heroes with a happy ending, ultimately. I guess just a simple like “X years later” before the ending scenes would have sufficed for me to be satisfied that enough time had passed for those things to have been dealt with. IDK, I can probably suspend disbelief enough to headcanon that myself. I’m just saying. Some acknowledgement of resolution and reconstruction as a *process over time*, albeit unnecessary, would have been nice to have!

On that note, we don’t actually find out what happens to Azula. Presumably she is also in prison with her father. 

More importantly, we were Robbed of a Zuko and Ursa reunion scene!

[vomara]

atla sense8 au.

a couple people seemed interested so i decided to type this all up. there's a LOT, and i spent more time than i should on this, so i hope someone reads it. (3.5k words total, it’s practically a plot outline.) aspects of the sense8 lore has been modified to fit ATLA, and for people who aren’t fans of the show, i try to be clear, but if it’s still confusing, here’s a link to the wiki page that details how the sensate thing works. 

it's all under the cut.

no one in the gaang knows they're a sensate, not even when the avatar awakens from his 100 year slumber.

so when exactly is their cluster "born"? (aka for non-fans, when do they suddenly gain their psychic connections to the people within their group/"cluster"?) it happens at roku's temple, during the winter solstice. roku himself "births" their cluster, and tells aang briefly about what he just did. aang understands -- because sensates were common knowledge amongst air nomads.

aang, katara, and sokka escape one way and zuko escapes another, and for the next week, they start... feeling odd. soon, roku starts to visit them and they start having sudden migraines. one day, sokka's out hunting when aang suddenly "visits" him, sees the ferret-hare sokka's about to kill, and stops sokka from killing it. somehow, instead of being stupefied by their newfound ability, sokka just chews aang out for letting his next meal get away. they discuss what aang knows about the sensate ability over the fire. one of the abilities, beyond "visiting", is "sharing", where they can share skills with each other. katara tries to take advantage of this during "the waterbending scroll".

zuko has a dream with roku and afterwards, starts getting migraines, but for the most part, he doesn't feel the connection. why? iroh knew that zuko was an unawakened sensate from a young age, and thus kept blockers (sourced from the OotWL) on hand in case zuko woke up. normally, iroh would want zuko to embrace his nature, but iroh also realizes that there's danger in being a sensate, especially in the fire nation. most information of sensates has been suppressed there over the years, and zuko could be headhunted if found out. (and... there's another reason as to why iroh gives zuko blockers, but more on that later.)

toph is also within the cluster, but nobody actually knows that for some time. aang, katara, and sokka have their suspicions that someone else is in the cluster, but they can't discern whom. this is because toph's blindness has an odd effect through her connection. while sensates would usually be able to identify each other by seeing each other's physical appearance when they "visit" through their bond, toph has no conception of her own appearance, and as such, she initially can't seem to project herself visually the way that everyone else does. since sighted people -- aang, katara, sokka -- rely heavily on physicality to identify others, this hampers them.

it doesn't help that bending is complicated by the cluster connection. toph can't use her bending to "see" aang, katara, and sokka when they visit her via psychic connection, because they aren't physically there. likewise, they don't receive any visual input, either, when they visit toph. instead, they receive this odd earth-sense feeling that's absolutely foreign and indecipherable to them. when toph visits them, she has to leave almost immediately -- her occipital lobe is severely underdeveloped and thus, she can't interpret the visual information they give her. with time, they should be able to resolve this, but not immediately after they made the connection. all of this this is a significant barrier between their communication -- they can speak, but early on, toph, understandably, begins to think that the other three don't actually exist and manages to effectively block them out. this prevents them from realizing the connection they have until s2. (more on bending later.)

the "medication" (blockers) that uncle gave zuko becomes a normal supplement he takes, in the form of tea. he thinks it's to stave off migraines. still, sometimes he goes a little too long between doses, and sees some peculiar things. when he's sleeping, his dreams get odd. one night, he dreams of escaping into a storm. he shakes it off, and when his ship gets trapped in another storm, he takes it as an omen.

aang, likewise, has a dream the night after being rescued by the blue spirit. a man looming over him, nothing more than a sillouette, fire in his hand. "... and suffering will be your teacher," he hears.

when sokka looks into yue's eyes, euphoria runs though him. he thinks it's love, but it's something more. yue is an unawakened sensate, and while it's rare for unawakened sensates to make connections with other sensates, it does happen, and in this case, she's made a connection with sokka. (for non-fans: sensates can make psychic connections with people outside their cluster by meeting each other's eyes. they must be physically in the same space when they meet eyes, though. connections made outside of the cluster cannot share skills, but they can "visit" each other.)

(yes, this means toph is immune to creating connections outside her own cluster. this is both a boon and a loss -- she can't have unique connections, but that also means that malicious sensates can't force a connection with her.)

pakku fesses up to the fact that kanna left him, and that she probably left him due to his misogynistic attitude. however, a lot more people have left the NWT in the last 100 years, that weren't all related to cultural problems. many sensates, when they were "born", suddenly had the perspectives of people who lived in other nations, and many left to join the rest of their clusters. this is something that katara discovers from yugoda.

after zuko's ship is blown up, his supply of "medication" becomes even less regular. when zuko infiltrates the NWT, his medication is wearing off, and a migraine is coming on. he pushes through it. when he and katara fight, they meet eyes, and something electric runs through both of them. they ignore this, but it happens again between aang and zuko, when zuko's medication is wearing off even more. none of them know what's happened, but aang remembers the experience later.

when yue sacrifices herself, sokka quite literally feels her apotheosis. later, he realizes that he can still feel her. katara feels the cycles of the moon because she's a waterbender, sokka feels it because he and yue are connected.

the foggy swamp shows aang toph's appearance... and things slowly start to change within their cluster. during "the blind bandit", aang recognizes toph to be his future earthbending master immediately, but so too does katara and sokka, who, in canon, did not make the immediate connection. when they chase her down, they finally manage to make toph understand that she's part of a psychic cluster, that those voices she heard before were real.

during "zuko alone"/"the chase", katara sees something she shouldn't see. there's a man standing over someone else, with his back to her, twin swords in both hands, wreathed in flame. she can't see his face but he feels familiar.

in "the chase" itself, aang also sees zuko, this time fully recognizing him, and then so too does sokka. since toph and zuko both are somewhat closed off, they can't sense each other -- but aang, katara, and sokka, who don't know this, thus incorrectly believe that toph doesn't have a connection to zuko at all. therefore, they come to the conclusion that zuko is a sensate, but that he's not a part of their cluster. they must've created accidentally met his eyes and made a connection with him back when he was chasing them. though sokka has to wonder why zuko didn't just use his connection to better track them down, like he's somewhat doing now, during "the chase".

after zuko reunites with iroh, he's shaken by the odd visions he had of the gaang while traveling. he doesn't understand that he's psychically connected to them, so they felt more like premonitions. he tells iroh a little of what he saw, and iroh nearly startles in alarm as he realizes that zuko's cluster is the avatar's group. but given the fact that zuko is reeling from both the fight with azula and iroh's injury, iroh decides to keep it to himself. when zuko asks if iroh has any more of the migraine "medication", iroh gives it to him -- only for now, he thinks.

in "bitter work", toph takes advantage of the psychic connection to teach aang earthbending. katara had done this before, a little, but not much, because aang never really needed it. for earthbending though? it's useful. toph gets aang to "visit" her, and forces him to stay. when he's visiting her, he only gets her sensory input, and thus, he's blind. he has to spend time with her and learn to decipher the information that toph's earth-sense gives her. this helps him understand his own earth-sense.

also, just for fun, before sokka gets stuck in a hole in that episode, he accidentally visits katara while she's practicing bending. he asks her what it feels like. she lets him take a ride in her body and shows him how it feels.

and that's really how bending works in conjunction with the psychic connection -- bending is partially based in body, so when a sensate briefly possesses another sensate's body, they can bend whatever element is in that body. but that's also contingent on their own spiritual connection to the element. in sokka's case, his peculiar attachment to the moon (yue) makes him not-the-worst at waterbending when in katara's body. when katara and sokka "visit" toph, the information they get from her earth-sense is not as precise as the info that aang gets, because they have less connection with the earth. so on and so forth. yes, when someone "visits" aang's body, they can bend all four elements. this particular property of possession only works well within clusters, as it's part of the skillsharing aspect which is unique to clusters.

there are other effects on bending, too. when iroh begins to teach zuko lightning direction, he first begins by teaching zuko the basics of movement in waterbending. zuko picks up the push-and-pull fluidity of the style almost immediately. why? because some of katara's and aang's expertise has trickled down to him, sometime when his connection wasn't blocked. (during the siege of the north, specifically.)

when aang loses it after appa is kidnapped, everyone in the connection can feel his anger. they can feel the avatar state, almost as they were there themselves, shrouded in anger and grief. and katara drags him down to earth once again, but sokka and toph run forwards to meet him, and together, they hold him in their presence and provide him comfort and support through their connection. somewhere else, zuko begins to cry, and he doesn't quite know why.

for most of the rest of the season, zuko takes blockers regularly, and his connection to the gaang is blocked. the exception is when he falls ill after setting appa free. an illness that deep is semi-resistant to the blockers, and odd memories weave their way into his dreams -- an air nomad laughing with him (aang), black snow falling from the sky (sokka), his mother's face superimposed over another's (katara), the feeling of badgermole snout against his cheek (toph), and the feeling of being buried alive in lava (roku, their cluster "mother" who passed some memories down to them). all of this is in a blur that mixes with the rest of his absurd and symbolic dream, and he can't quite separate them out when he awakens.

in "the guru", when aang ascends the last chakra and sees the cosmic energy around him, he can see the visage of the rest of the cluster there, glowing sillouettes akin to his avatar state. they're tethered to him, but guru pathik tells him to let go of his connections. he has to be willing to keep moving even without them, even if they died... but he can't. he's fallen in love with their connection -- katara, sokka, toph, and the odd flickering image of someone else on the horizon. and suddenly, he can feel katara in danger, viscerally so, and he has to leave.

during "the crossroads of destiny", tension comes to a head. when katara talks to zuko, she references the fact that zuko made a sensate psychic connection to her, aang, and sokka, while he was hunting them. (remember, she doesn't know he's part of the cluster, but thinks he's a sensate from another cluster that managed to connect with them through eye contact.) this confuses him, but he doesn't quite get the clarification he needs before iroh and aang come in, and both aang and katara leave. when azula traps iroh, and leaves zuko and iroh alone, iroh finally reveals to zuko the extent of what he is, including the fact that the rest of his cluster, the rest of his psychic family, is the avatar and his friends. from this, zuko also discerns that the medication wasn't actually medication, and feels angry at iroh, which in part leads to his betrayal.

"if you go down this path, i can no longer protect you, nephew," iroh says, as zuko leaves to fight azula.

the lightning strike is a terrifying moment, and it reverberates throughout the sensate bond. katara almost collapses but manages to get aang to safety. toph and sokka are struck with fear and pain. and zuko... feels a twinge in his chest, something that penetrates even through his blockers. he barely manages to hide it.

in "the awakening", aang tries to close himself off to his cluster, and he hides from them. out in the ocean, he sees yue, and roku, and suddenly he sees them in a deeper fashion, feels the sensate energy between them. katara, sokka, and toph track him to the island with their connection.

at the start of s3, zuko goes home. his usual supply of blockers is running low, since he got them from his uncle, and he's just run out. now, zuko meets his father again for the first time in years. when he looks up into ozai's eyes, all the muscles in his body are too warm, too cold. and ozai narrows his eyes, and smiles. why, he didn't know his son was a sensate, too.

they both recognize what just occured, and ozai tells him that he'll leave zuko a supply of blockers to take regularly. the crown prince has just returned home in honor. it would be horrible if they'd have to send him away once again, on another hunt.

you see, ozai first awakened when he was in his late twenties, before he married ursa. sensates are forbidden knowledge in the fire nation, but azulon suspected that there would be sensates in his family one day. but since being a sensate gives you an unfortunate connection to people that may not be fire nation, it's not something that either azulon or ozai was happy about. so ozai vowed to prove his loyalty by hunting and killing his clustermates. this is a painful and terrifying process. killing a clustermate is like a killing a part of yourself. and ozai did this several times. he even killed another fire nation woman that was part of his cluster; he surmised that her temporary connection to those of earth and water would make her traitorous, and justified it that way. now, all of ozai's clustermates are dead, but he still retains his abilities as a sensate to connect to other sensates.

zuko is... happy that his father seems to respect him, but he feels uneasy. the unease remains as azula delivers to him the blockers, like she knows exactly what he is, too. and the way that she acts as if he knows the avatar is alive, does she suspect that the avatar is part of his cluster? did she see him react to his so-called death in a way that indicated a psychic connection? he doesn't know, and he feels so very uneasy and destabilized.

during "sokka's master", sokka's more skilled at swordplay than he should be. he chalks it off to natural talent, but there was a weird, long moment where he almost selected the dual dao as his weapon of choice. later, when he's planning the invasion with the water tribe, hakoda notes that sokka's handwriting has become neater and more formalized, closer to the sharp script of the fire nation nobility. sokka thinks that it's from being in the fire nation for too long.

in "the avatar and the fire lord", aang and zuko both find out that roku and sozin were part of the same cluster. through this, aang realizes that avatars of the past have had clusters of their own, ones that they kept a secret but nevertheless had. roku and sozin are also shown to have outlived the rest of their cluster, but sozin killed roku and became the last one standing. from that act, zuko realizes the history that runs through the blood of fire royalty -- the sin of killing one's own spiritual brothers, fratricide of the highest order. it's a curse that even ozai followed through on, and it's one that zuko will eventually be damned to if he cannot rise above it -- this is what iroh tells him as zuko kneels in front of his cell.

when zuko escapes the fire nation on the day of black sun, he takes a supply of blockers with him. after all, if he doesn't block his own sensate ability, his father will be able to track him using the connection they made with each other. when he confronts the gaang in the western air temple, he doesn't get the chance to explain that he's part of their cluster, but alarm bells go off toph's head. he leaves to go back to his camp, and she follows because she NEEDS to verify this hunch. he burns her, but when she finally gets back to the gaang, she knows for sure that she recognizes that voice -- he's the odd voice she heard once back during the chase, sleep deprived. he's psychically connected to her.

the puzzle pieces fall together in the gaang's mind. zuko had already established connections with the other three, so they assumed before that their connection to him was a product of them meeting eyes with him during his initial hunt. but toph cannot make connections with people outside of her cluster, due to her blindness, so she can't possibly have a connection with zuko... unless he's a part of their cluster. it's a terrifying conclusion, and not one that everyone wants to accept. behind toph, aang is probably the one who most wants to accept zuko -- it's unnatural to reject a clustermate, that he knows from what the monks told him.

zuko takes his blockers diligently, so that his father can't find him through the connection. but, by the time he and aang meet the dragons, it's worn off, just a little. not enough that ozai can find him, but enough that he and aang can share in the rainbow fire together, their inner fires vibrating at the same beautiful intensity. this connection is one they alone share -- even when katara, sokka, or toph try to bend fire in either of their bodies, they can't capture the real spirit behind the fire.

sokka takes a few blockers with zuko before they go to the boiling rock, but the rest of the small supply that they take with them to the boiling rock is burned away with the rest of the warship. as a result, it's a race against time for them to get hakoda and get out, as their medication wears away. for sokka, he's practically waiting for the blockers to wear off, so he can SOS aang, katara, and toph, but for zuko, once the blockers wear off, his father can find him once again. in this case, it's actually a good thing that he gets outed as an impostor and imprisoned because then, at least, anybody who comes after him aren't coming after him because they tracked him through the bond.

however, when azula finds the gaang at the western air temple, it IS because ozai told her they'd be there. that's because zuko's blockers wore off before he could arrive at the temple and take another from the rest of his supply. everyone's back to being sort of safe during their stay at ember island.

when aang gets stranded on the lionturtle, the lionturtle shows him not only energybending, but the very psychic nervous system that connects him to his clustermates. it's almost like the roots of the foggy swamp tree, this great psychic energy that connects everyone and everything but is strongest between the sensates. they are all connected, but their sensate connections are an incredible and unusual manifestation of this energy.

aang takes away ozai's sensate abilities alongside his bending, so he can no longer abuse them. if energybending is a sort of "neutralization" of ozai's bending ability, the removal of his sensate ability is a sort of "severance". it severs ozai from that great psychic energy that connects everyone and everything, and in some sense, that's a fate worse than death. that's as if the world rejected you and judged you unworthy of the connections that living creatures make. aang doesn't regret doing what he did to ozai, but he opts never to do it again.

after the war, zuko finally stops taking blockers. he's free to truly connect with the rest of the gaang. toph embraces her connection as well, and one day, she manages to actually see, using sokka's eyes first, and then one by one, every one else. furthermore, the rest of the gaang finally begin to understand how she “sees”, and as a result, they all become more comfortable visiting each other.

love blossoms within the cluster, both platonic and romantic.

[firenationember]

Destruction, Everywhere (OC Fic)

6/12

Authors note: I’m sorry to anyone who read the previous chapter 6 but I wasn’t please with the progression of the story. It’s better now! Expect more chapters soon! This chapter is basically just a filler; it takes place during The Firebending Masters and the beginning of The Boiling Rock episodes (Zukko and Sokka returning next chapter. This is still just a cute little Katara/Draya friendship blurb, hence the Katara gif choice. Also: every chapter following this one is longer I swear lol

Previous Chapters 

The day after Zuko and I talked in the alcove, he and Aang decided it was time to get to the bottom of Zuko’s disappearing bending. Toph suggested they look for the original firebenders, which led them to travel to Ancient Sun Warrior ruins in search of an answer. I begged them to let me join them, aching to learn more about firebending firsthand, but Zuko insisted it had to be the two of them. “You were lucky to find a way to coax your firebending out when it’s being stubborn. I won’t find an answer in water.” Zuko and I walked next to each other towards Appa, not wanting him leave without saying goodbye. I sighed before nodding. “I understand, it is your destiny to help the Avatar after all. For your honor!” I imitated Zuko when I said the last bit, throwing my fist in the air for dramatic effect. He rolled his eyes and laughed, smiling down at me. “My uncle once told me ‘Destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out, but if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday.’ We were actually here, in this Air temple, when he told me that. It was right after the Agni Kai when I first got banished. I still had the bandage on, and I was sure my destiny to capture the Avatar. When we lived in Ba Sing Se, he told me to ask myself ‘Who are you, and what do you want?’ and at the time I wasn’t sure. Maybe, I’m still not sure.” He chuckled and shakes his head. “All I know, is this is much better than any destiny I could’ve wished for.” He gestured to our friends before meeting my gaze, a soft smile dancing on his lips as he grabbed one of my hands. “I’m much happier than I thought possible.” I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as I heard Sokka clear his throat behind us. “I hate to break it to ya D, but your boyfriend has to leave with Aang soon if they want to get back in time to stay on schedule.” Zuko dropped my hand and we shuffled apart slightly, Zuko chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck. “For the last time Sokka, he’s not my boyfriend. It’s just nice to have another firebender on my side for once, something I know we all relate to.” Before I step away from Zuko, I turned to him. “Your uncle would be proud of you for finding your own destiny, and you can tell him all about it when we find him. Now go get your firebending in check, I miss having a firebending sparring partner. No offense Aang.” I say, looking over at Aang as he shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to fight you even if we were just sparring, Draya. Now let’s go, Zuko!” Aang burst himself up on Appa’s back with an explosion of air as Zuko climbed up the side. Zuko looked over and gave me a small wave as the monk boy yelled “yip, yip!” and they were off. “Don’t worry, your boyfriend will be back soon.” Sokka said, sliding up next to me. I sent a little burst of flames to his feet and he yelped, hopping up into the air. “No firebending Draya, it’s not fair!” I laughed as I walked away, hoping Aang and Zuko find what they’re looking for. When they got back, they were so excited to show us the newest firebending form they learned while exploring the ruins. We watched as they posed and formed a circle together, Katara and Sokka teasing them relentlessly at their “new dance”. “It’s a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old.” Zuko said, obviously annoyed at the Water Tribe siblings’ antics. “Oh yea? What’s your little form called?” Katara asked, mock dripping in her voice. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to help from laughing out loud when I saw Zuko’s angry face shift to one of slight embarrassment. “The Dancing Dragon…” the other 3 started laughing, Toph and Sokka bouncing jokes off each other. I walked over to Zuko, who was mumbling angrily to himself. He stopped to look over at me, smiling softly with a sigh of relief. “I’d love to learn this new firebending form, it looks like it could be useful...” I started, before being interrupted by a giggling Sokka. “Yea, at your wedding!” he said, walking up behind me and slapping his palm on my shoulder. Zuko’s smile fell into an annoyed scowl as I rolled my eyes. “First you call him my boyfriend, which he’s not, and now we’re getting married? Excuse me for wanting to learn an ancient firebending form. You wouldn’t understand, boomerang guy.” I said, crossing my arms across my chest as I turned to face Sokka, who was defensively yelling about his sword wielding. I knew he was a good fighter; it was just so fun to get him worked up sometimes.

The next night, Zuko tried to make tea for us around a fire. I watched as he walked over to Sokka, offering him a cup. The Water Tribe boy spoke to Zuko in a hushed tone, and I watched as they walked away. I wondered where they went off to, quickly forgetting about it when Toph sent a wave of rocks underneath me to get my attention. Sokka appeared before Zuko did, not too far behind him. Sokka give a rushed goodnight before stuffing his body into his sleeping bag, the others following suit after him. Zuko helped me clean up our mess a bit, putting out the fire, neither of us finding anything to say. I turned to face him, walking close enough so that only he could hear my words. “Is Sokka okay? He seemed moody all afternoon and right now he seemed almost annoyed about something.” I searched Zuko’s face for any sign of emotion, hoping to figure out his answer before he said anything. “He’s okay, just feeling overwhelmed. You know how Sokka gets.” He shrugged, his tone not at all convincing. Realizing I wouldn’t get more out of him, I nodded and wrapped my arms around his torso. His familiar warm scent made the hug even more comforting as he wrapped his strong arms around me. “Good night, Zuko.” I said, stepping back and walking towards my sleeping bag. “Good night, Draya.” He replied, smiling back at me as he continued to mess about with the fire. The expression he had on his face stuck with me, a mixture of concern and contemplation. It shouldn’t have surprised me when we woke up the next morning to find Zuko and Sokka gone, some less than convincing note left behind. “Need meat. Gone fishing. Back in a few days. -Sokka and Zuko. One more thing. Aang, practice your firebending while I’m gone. Do 20 sets of fire fists and 10 hop squats every time you hear a badger frog croak. -Zuko”. A badger frog croaked right after Katara read the letter, earning an exasperated sign from Aang. “Draya doesn’t have any firebending homework.” He said, starting his set of hop squats. I laughed slightly and shrugged. “I’m not training to be the Avatar.”

I was stretching in the sun, the heat wrapping around my body, as I got lost in my thoughts about what Zuko and Sokka could be getting up to. Katara pulled me from them as she called out my name to get my attention, motioning with her hand to go over. We walked towards each other and I couldn’t read the expression on her face. Annoyance? “Is everything okay Katara?” I asked, not sure what her expression meant. She shook her head in shock and scoffed, crossing her arms. “You’re asking me if everything’s okay, when you’re the one who’s basically been avoiding us since my brother left with Zuko?” I could tell she was trying to control the emotion in her voice. I sighed and shifted in place. “I didn’t realize I was avoiding everyone, I guess I’ve just been so lost in my thoughts and my training… I’m sorry.” I said as casually as possible, not wanting to go into much more detail. Her face softened before suddenly turning into a playful grin. “I see the way you look at Zuko, even though I question your judgement a little considering he’s such a jerk; is that what this is about? You like him and you’re sad he’s not here?” I looked at her, hoping my face showed just how confused I was. She laughed a little before continuing. “You guys did disappear for a while the other night…”, she waved her hand in front of her body before crossing her arms as she looked at me, obviously wanting an answer. I laughed a little, shocked at the quick change in her tone from angry to lighthearted teasing. “There’s nothing going on with Zuko, he’s my friend. Just like you, Sokka, Aang, and Toph. The other day, he was just there for me in a way nobody else ever has been. You know you’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had, one of the only ones really. Having Zuko around, finally another firebender who shares my view of the Fire Nation, has been indescribable. A feeling I’ve never had, not even with my own family.” I shrugged, smiling as I realized I could give her something a little more exciting; something I hoped would make up for the fact that I’ve been accidentally avoiding them. “He was my first crush though, when I was 9. I’d only met him once, and it was brief, but… I remember it clearly. My life changed a lot pretty suddenly after we met, so I forgot about my silly crush pretty fast.” I finally looked over at Katara, whose wide eyes lit up as she giddily brought her hands up to her face. “I knew it! A childhood crush is still a crush, Draya. Look, I don’t want to encourage a relationship with someone so untrustworthy, I mean I really think you can do better than someone who’s been so unreliable in the past. But, you two do look happy when you’re together. It’s safe to say he probably has a little crush on you too.” It was my turn to look at her with wide eyes as I scoffed at the idea, shaking my head. “Katara, we have much bigger things to worry about then childhood crushes. Like defeating the Firelord, you know, to save the world?” We both laughed and I felt the tension in the air dissolve. I realized it was wrong to shut my friends out like this, seeing Katara’s kind expression as she smiled at me. “Yes now, but you’re still human Draya. I’m just saying, you should follow those feelings. Or at the very least tell him, because… there’s no saying what’s going to happen the day of Sozin’s comet. Be honest with him sooner rather than later.” I nodded, knowing Katara was right. It’s not like I was going to listen to her advice, I can’t imagine telling Zuko he was my childhood crush. That doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy his company now, before everything changes, and we have to accept our futures. I smirk and turn to her, crossing my arms. “What about you? Do you have a little crush on anyone you’re thinking about talking to before the comet?” Katara’s smile dropped as a blush crept its way onto her face, and she looked away as she played with her hair. “What? No. What makes you say that? I think you’re right, we have bigger things to worry about right now. I just thought since Zuko’s here with us right now, you should take advantage of that because it’s not like he hasn’t betrayed us before...” Her voice became quieter as she spoke, and I could tell by the way she was looking everywhere but towards me that she hadn’t said it as quietly as she hoped. I sighed before replying. “You’re right, I just don’t think Zuko’s going to do that this time. He really wants to help Aang, he wants to help take down his father so the Fire Nation can finally be saved from his immoral ruling. He really has changed Katara, and he’s actually very kind. I hope maybe you can see that too, one day.” Katara rolled her eyes and breezed by my statement, locking an arm through mine as she stood up and guided me back towards the others, rambling on about not being afraid to talk to them in the future. I smiled as she spoke, happy that I admitted to someone how I felt about Zuko, even if I never told him.

Chapter 7