#I must capture the Avatar and regain my honor

[diary-of-a-sad-boy]

Poetry is the name

Of the joyous game

But oh what a shame

If I were to use words which are hella lame

~~~

He uses a ship, not a car

And his beats are holla

Roses are red

Storm clouds are grey

[demaparbat-hp]

Hi there. ^_^ ♥ First, LOVE your art!♥

2nd, for your Katara joins Zuko in hunting the Avatar AU idea, I have a question. :)

If originally Zuko was hunting him to restore his honor, but now he's part of the White Lotus, does this make the White lotus evil? (The kind that think they're doing it for good, but they're delusional, because their idea is clearly bad.)

Or, if they're not evil, what is Zuko's new reason for hunting the Avatar, if not for his honor? :)

Hello, and thank you for the question!

I hope you don't mind me making this a sort-of continuation to this post, but the replies are connected, in a way.

Now, it may come as no surprise that I love to play with canon divergences. So it stands to reason that one minor change to canon became the basis for Zuko's character in this AU. Mainly, that he stayed behind with Azula to eavesdrop the rest of Ozai's audience with Fire Lord Azulon, and thus was witness to the latter demanding his death in exchange for Ozai's right to the throne.

Zuko, unable to sleep that night, is wide awake when Ursa comes to see him. He delays her, deeply afraid of what's happening, and follows her silently through the dark halls of the palace when she leaves. But Ozai intercepts her. Ozai kills her, and Zuko watches.

It changes everything and nothing at all at the same time. Zuko's desire to be the Perfect Prince isn't because he wishes for his father's attention and love—instead, it comes from a place of grief. Zuko's is a simmering rage that drives him to one day take the throne (the very same throne that turned his mother to ashes and gave her no ceremony) from Ozai in revenge. But to do so he first needs to be ready for it.

Zuko learns to listen. Slithering through the shadows of the palace and pushing himself beyond his limits. But the Agni Kai happens. And when everything is lost, Zuko turns his misfortune into an advantage.

Uncle had started to introduce him to the White Lotus before his banishment, so Zuko becomes a member after he's fully healed. He makes the best out of what little he has—a crew full of agents, traitors and dissidents, and a position and name in the Fire Nation military that, while precarious in nature of his banishment, still allows him certain sway from within.

Time passes, and he grows. He goes to missions for the White Lotus, puts a stop to several plans for minor invasions and battles (nothing major, as to not cause suspicion) and works hard and subtle to better things wherever he goes.

He makes plans. Reckless, half-impossible plans to depose of his father. But they are useless and, most often than not, bloody.

The conditions of his banishment are clear. He is stripped of all titles and rights as Prince and can never set foot on the Mainland ever again. He's no longer the Crown Prince to the Fire Nation and has, by the Divine Law of Agni, no right to the throne. That is, of course, unless he does the impossible, captures the long-missing Avatar, and brings them to the Fire Lord. And that, for obvious reasons, is not an option. It hasn't been an option for the last one hundred years.

Until it is.

Capturing the Avatar is not something Zuko does to regain his honor or earn his father's respect (the first, because he had never lost it; the second, because he's never had it in the first place). It is a necessity. Something he must do if he wants to reclaim his title as Crown Prince, take the throne from his father and end the war once and for all.

But, let me tell you a secret. This AU? It was born because I woke up one day with a single phrase repeating itself in my head, over and over again:

The Prince refused to play Pai Sho, not because he was bad at it but, rather, out of boredom—he never lost a single game.

And that's just it. It's a game.

He can't take an untrained, childish fifteen year old Avatar to his father. But he can give the kid enough time to get ready. Chase him around, play the Bad Guy, push him away from the real dangers out there. Oh, he will deliver the Avatar to the Fire Lord—he just needs to keep his cover as loyal prince long enough for the boy to play his part and become a fully realized Master.

The Gambit is dangerous and double-edged, but all of Zuko's moves on the board are part of the same strategy. This, after all, is just another game of Pai Sho.

And he never loses.

[ghenry]

Rewatched the Avatar TLA series with my partner recently, and fell in love with the world and characters all over again. I especially love the journey Zuko goes through the show as a character.

Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai. He seems pretty by-the-books at first as this angry villain, but something that makes him immediately unique for this kind of setting is his young age. He's barely older than Aang, our child protagonist.

"You're just a child." "Well, you're just a teenager!"

Although early on you start getting the idea that there's more nuance to him than this villain trying to incapacitate our protag, he shows some depth in his character here and there, usually through his uncle Iroh, a wise warrior that's there to aid and comfort his nephew, joining his banished trip on his own accord. While he's on the villain's side, it's worth noting he never hurts or intimidates innocent people, only ever fighting those already attacking or threatening him.

Even so, Zuko made it blatantly clear what his intents were. "I must capture the avatar to regain my honor." And he barely changed his mind about this throughout the entire first season, even when the two helped each-other out of hopeless circumstances, hinting that they're not meant to be sworn enemies.

"If we knew each-other back then, do you think we could've been friends too?"

Knowing the show and how it transpires across all 3 seasons, it's interesting seeing the intent the writers and showrunners had for these characters, and their hidden depth, all the way back in this first season. One of the finest examples would be Iroh sharing Zuko's history with fellow soldiers. A history which helps said soldiers --and in turn, the audience-- empathize with him.

Behind Zuko's scarred face is a story about a boy already feeling lost and unsure of himself, stumbling into a tragedy where his father --in sheer arrogance-- abused his son to a high degree in front of all his subordinates, in a heinous act he would call punishment.

Ever since then, he was banished to travel across the world to search for the avatar, a task his father felt was worthless, but was the same as leaving him out to die. This isn't the origin of a villain, but a downtrodden individual who couldn't find his place in life.

What Zuko called "honor" over and over again wasn't that, but his father's love. He already lost his mother, and instead yearned for his father's approval and affection. This culminated to his ultimate betrayal, siding with his sister and turning his back on his uncle, which lead to his imprisonment. During a crossroad and moment of insecurity, he threw his uncle Iroh to the wolves because he thought he would regain his honor and earn his right to be a part of his family once again.

Zuko would be welcomed back into his family, he retrieved what he thought was his honor --and what he thought was genuine love from his father.

"You have redeemed yourself, my son."

But even then, he still felt lost, alone, and without a sense of direction. Nothing changed, his soul still felt incomplete.

"For so long, I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy. My dad talks to me, he even thinks I'm a hero! Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not! I'm angrier than ever, and I don't know why!"

It took him a long time (about 2 and a half seasons) to realize he didn't need this sense of "honor" and what he was chasing was just a farce. His father only showed Zuko "love" when he seemed useful, an asset that was helping his fascist conquering of multiple nations by killing the Avatar.

All of this drew to an enthralling, terrifying, heart-wrenching moment between him and his father during the day of the eclipse. He used the minutes they could not fire bend as an opportunity to let out the truth and his own epiphany. He admitted that he never killed Aang --didn't even try, for that matter-- and that he's going to help him defeat his father's regime. Ozai immediately despised Zuko for this, proving his 'love' was conditional and hollow. And at that moment, as soon as the eclipse ceased, he attempted to kill his own son right then and there in a moment that never fails to draw tears out of me as soon as it happens.

Zuko survived his father's lethal attack, only by sheer will, and a lighting-redirection technique his uncle happened to teach him a while back, emphasizing how important Iroh is to him. Iroh is the father figure that truly loved Zuko unconditionally. Ozai, his biological father, could only grant him death. His uncle Iroh, at that moment, inadvertently granted him life.

And Zuko's story (mostly) ends in the middle of the 4-part finale. With the help of his friends, he tracked down Iroh who escaped from prison. The moment he sees his uncle, he breaks down as he's horribly ashamed of his actions, expecting Iroh to shun him as he feels he does not deserve his uncle's love after what he did to him.

"I was never angry with you . . . I was sad, because I was afraid you lost your way."

But Iroh doesn't hesitate to embrace him. Like I said, his love is unconditional. He knew Zuko wasn't evil, he was only being manipulated by the likes of his father and sister. He knew Zuko would find the right path, restore his own honor, and come back to him. It's such a beautiful moment and the soul-piercing conclusion to Zuko's story, a story they were building up since the literal first episode.

Of course, there's also Azula, his sister. She was considered a prodigy with her amazing fire bending abilities, mastering the skill of bending lightning, something only her father and uncle were able to do before her.

She was a spitting image of her father; fierce, manipulative, wrathful, the only thing she shared with her brother Zuko was their sense of determination. But we don't learn what really drives Azula until the finale. It's similar to Zuko. He felt incomplete without his father's love. While this was implied before the finale, Azula felt she was missing her mother's love.

While I think the argument could be made that this was just her own projection, it's important that this shows how --despite her more respected place in their family and nation-- she was just as broken and spiritually lost as Zuko. While Ozai showered his daughter with praise for all of her life, Azula felt her mother didn't love her, which ate away at her, deep inside. Much like Zuko, who felt he was fighting to earn his father's love.

Azula, to me, represents Zuko's future if he let his father manipulate him, just like Azula did to him. Would he have become this tyrannical fire lord if he just listened to his father, abandoned his inhibitions, and ensured his nation's regime? Maybe. But like Azula's interrupted crowning, it would have been shallow, lonely, and without any real sense of self-worth. Nothing to show for it but a broken mind.

Instead, Zuko became the fire lord on his own terms, and with the entire world in support of him, as he helped this quest for peace and balance across the nations. He earned his place in life through his own will, his own actions, and his amazing uncle who only wanted the best for him. He restored his honor himself, with lifelong friends by his side.

That's it, that's all I wanted to write about. This show rules.

[coldinpants]

COLDFLASH: ATLA!AU

Savitar is a prince of the Fire Nation who must capture an avatar to regain his honor.

Leonard is the son of the chief and the only waterbending master at the South Pole, who helps the avatar bring peace back to the world.

(i was torn between doing a post about Barry!Aang and this one, but my zutara side won out)

[yourlegacysnotyourstosee]

*I’ll need ideas for this one too

[lazerith]

Attempting to fix The Dawn of Yangchen, Pt. 1: "Okay, but why tho?"

Spoilers for The Dawn of Yanchen, The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi (minor)

Obligatory disclaimer: these opinions are my own and you do not need to agree with them if you do not wish to. I am just a writer who is trying to figure out why I don't like certain pieces of writing and adore others.

Compared to F. C. Yee's other installments in the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, The Dawn of Yangchen is definitely one of his weaker works (I have not yet read LoY). The plot feels profoundly unexciting at times, and I've seen people complain that despite Yangchen's name being plastered on the cover, the book sidelines her in favor of Kavik.

That's not to say this is a completely incompetent book with no redeeming qualities; if you haven't noticed already in his previous works, Yee is really, really good at writing character dynamics. Kavik and Yangchen's relationship is really fun, especially at the beginning. But as the story progresses and these two spend more and more time apart due to plot reasons, it becomes harder and harder to ignore the issues with the larger story.

There are a lot of things I think could be fixed in DoY. But in this post, I'm going to talk about what I think is the biggest issue: character motivation.

Most people are probably familiar with the concept of a character's want. Different writers use different terminology, but to simplify things, in this instance, I will be referring to a character's plot goal; it is the "thing" that they're chasing after, whether it be to kill Jianzhu (Kyoshi's want in RoK) or to capture the avatar (Zuko's want in 1st season of atla).

But when presented with a character's want, audiences often have the urge to ask: "okay, but why tho?"

It's a fair question, because what the question is actually asking is: "okay, but why do we care?"

"Why do we care if Kyoshi succeeds in killing Jianzhu?" "Why do we care if Zuko captures the avatar or not?"

The reason, of course, is because there is a deeper motivation driving these wants. A motivation that we, the audience, can relate to.

Let me introduce you to the idea of a character's Ghost and Lie.

Again, terminology varies, but when I talk about a character's ghost, I'm referring to an event (or events) from the character's past that continues to haunt them in the present.

Zuko's ghost is the event that gave him the ghastly scar over his eye: the Agni Kai against his father.

Kyoshi's ghost (in RoK)……i think is the moment when Jianzhu leaves Yun to die with Father Gloworm? I'm honestly a little lost, because Yee doesn't seem to subscribe to the idea of "ghost", but it's still helpful for us to examine character motivations.

From a character's "ghost", births their "lie".

The lie is a limited perspective that a character holds because of the traumatic event that is their "ghost", which then influences their want.

Think about the relationship between "want", "ghost", and "lie" as such: Ghost -> Lie -> Want, where each creates the next.

For Zuko, his lie is some variation of: "I must regain my honor at all costs." From his lie, he deduces his want: "if I can capture the avatar, I will regain my honor."

For Kyoshi, her lie is some variation of: "Jianzhu is much stronger than me and he will harm me if he finds me." From her lie, she deduces her want: "if I kill him, I will be safe from him."

And though we might not personally empathize with Zuko's desire to regain his honor or Kyoshi's desire to murder Jianzhu, we can understand why. We root for Kyoshi and Zuko because we understand why they are doing what they do, and because they are highly motivated in chasing their want.

Now let's take a look at Yangchen's want, ghost, and lie in DoY.

Yangchen's want: to bring prosperity to the people of the Shang cities.

Yangchen's ghost: Jetsun's death at the hands of the spirits.

Before we even get to Yangchen's "lie", does anyone see a problem with this combination of "want" and "ghost"?

If you said, "they have nothing to do with each other," you're right.

Thus, this creates a situation in which we, as the audience, ask the question of "okay, but why tho" to Yangchen's want, and are unable to get a satisfactory answer.

You can see this play out in the book itself. When Yangchen is in Jonduri, she gets a message from the Saowan clan and immediately jets off to help them deal with their spirit problem. And you, as the reader, is left asking, "okay, but why tho?" Why are we taking this detour?

Sure, she's the avatar and she's the bridge between humans and spirits, but this has nothing to do with her main goal, which is to basically "eat the rich". The detour feels inorganic, manufactured, and it almost makes you question whether the whole thing was just a ploy from Chaisee to distract Yangchen.

Or it's the other way around. While we follow Yangchen around the Shang cities, trying to enact change, we are left to ponder the question of "okay, but why tho?". Why does she care about any of these people, beyond the fact that it's her duty as the avatar to serve them?

But believe it or not, there's an "easy" fix that more or less keeps the events of the novel somewhat the same.

The "lie" is the critical piece that is missing in Yangchen's story. Right now, she's got a clear ghost and a clear want, but no lie that connects the two:

Ghost -> ??? -> Want

I see two different lies that could work here.

Lie 1: Spirits are evil and I must protect people from them as best I can.

Rather than having the Shangs hire head-kickers to maintain control over the cities, maybe have it be rumored that they have some great and powerful spirit on their side.

It kind of seems like Yee was building up to this lie a little bit, considering how the effects of Unanimity are first seen by the people of Jonduri as spirit disturbances, and it is also the official cover that Yangchen adopts at the end of the novel to hide Unanimity from world leaders.

Now it makes sense that Yangchen cares about the people of the Shang cities, not just because she's the Avatar and serves the people, but also because she has a personal interest in defeating the "spirits". With this setup, the detour to the fire nation to aid the Saowan clan makes sense as well.

Lie 2: Jetsun's death was my fault, and I must honor her memory as best I can.

This lie would also work, but is in my opinion much weaker than Lie 1.

Honoring Jetsun's memory would mean that Yangchen would commit wholeheartedly to aiding others in need, pacifism, and other air-nation values. It would give her a reason to get involved in the Shang cities in the first place.

This lie would also somewhat explain why Yangchen jets off to the Saowan clan; they are in distress, and she has dedicated her life to protecting people, believing it the only way to honor Jetsun's memory.

Of course, these lies need not last the entirety of Yangchen's story; after all, for every lie, there is a truth.

Again, terminology varies and there are nuances, but when simplified, the truth is something a character learns by the end of the story, as a result of everything that has happened.

The Truth to Lie 1: People are the real culprits to blame for the world's suffering

DoY kind of suggests this truth during the Saowan outing, when it's revealed that the humans encroached on spiritual territory and violated the deal that Yangchen brokered.

You could very well contrast the honesty that the Phoenix-eels present to Yangchen (however harsh) with Kavik's betrayal (however sweet in the moment).

And though unanimity is not the result of some spiritual disturbance, we still see how it is due to human greed that it becomes a weapon.

Now, does this truth correspond with depictions of Yangchen later in her life? Not really. Especially at the end of SoK, where she admits to siding with the humans over and over again the spirits, and how that was a mistake. But adherence to cannon is a problem for another time.

The Truth to Lie 2: I must carve my own path in the world, believing that Jetsun will be proud of me either way.

The problem with pairing this truth with the current story is that Yangchen is already an unconventional Avatar. Kavik notes this throughout the story: Yangchen uses disguises, hires errand-runners, engages in espionage, and lies to high-ranking officials.

But there is also an "easy" fix (because nothing in writing is ever easy, everything takes set up), which is to take Yangchen back; back before she adopted these tactics, and have her arrive in Bing-er as naive and trusting as they come.

Meeting Kavik introduces her to this world of shady tactics, and while Yangchen might not be as confident as she is throughout DoY, the idea of Kavik teaching the Avatar to spy on people and wear disguises could be really fun, me thinks.

I'm not going to get into Kavik's want, ghost, and lie here because I don't want to make this post longer than it already is, but hopefully, this has given you some food for thought.

[fanonical]

zuko: i must capture the avatar and regain my honor!

iroh, in the distance: help!

zuko: after i rescue my uncle from the hole he fell into while looking for tea leaves

[juniperhillpatient]

The Waterbending Scroll Re-watch

Pirate episode! Pirate episode! Pirate episode! Pirate episode!

Real talk - I have always felt that Avatar generally does a good job of showing interpersonal issues between the Gaang & how they're resolved. I like that they didn't take the easy route for a kid's show & just make this an after-school special about how "stealing is wrong." Katara wasn't wrong at all for stealing the water-bending scroll from the pirates, who stole it in the first place. This episode is proof that Katara IS a good person but she's NOT just some goody two shoes, & she's not a rule follower which is an easy mischaracterization to make, & something other characters (like Toph later) often misunderstand about her.

If there's a member of the gaang who's obsessed with rule-following & always trying to keep everyone out of trouble, it's Sokka. But, his harping on how "sTeAlInG iS wRoNg" in this episode can be forgiven because he's also very tolerant of Katara & Aang as they flush away important supplies & leave him to clean guck out of Appa's toes while they practice water bending.

When we're talking character flaws, Katara tends to be at times a little reckless & impulsive, & because she's emotionally driven, she's prone to lashing out. These flaws all get the limelight in this episode, & only serve to make Katara a more interesting & complex character. Personally, I kinda love it when Katara's competitive & angry side pops out.

Um, again, we get Iroh just....not caring at all about Zuko's goals or whether Zuko has the respect of the crew. I guess this is maybe supposed to be foreshadowing that Iroh was on the Avatar's side all along but I mean...eh? He still just seems loyal to the Fire Nation & he still says it's Katara's own fault she got captured so I don't really get what's going on with him. It leads to Zuko breathing fire though, so that's fun.

Also, in this episode we get Evil!Zuzu! Scary Zuko my beloved. I was angry before about him picking up Katara's necklace, & I was angry again that something so precious to Katara & her mother's memory was used to torment her. But also, the scene between Katara & Zuko is just plain good television. What can I say, I love a good captured hero & villain scene. So, I can't stay mad at Zuko about stealing the necklace because as anyone who follows me knows, it's very difficult for me to stay angry at a character for being unapologetically awful. ILY evil Zuko. Plus he didn't even know the necklace's history & just wanted to capture the Avatar & regain his honor so I mean...

I was scared & worried for Katara & also living for the fun tension. 10/10 scene. Zuko trying to make Katara explain that he needs his honor back, as well as saying "I didn't steal it" about the necklace is super interesting also. He must be aware that he's talking to a girl who is tied to a tree & scared of him & angry, but he almost seems to want her sympathy? Fascinating.

I also really loved the fight scene & Sokka manipulating the pirates & Zuko's crew to turn against each other.

Plus it was super fun when all the dust cleared & we see Aang literally surrounded by swords & he just uses air bending to kick up the dust again. Hilarious.

The ending was perfectly resolved with Sokka revealing that he'd salvaged the scroll & everyone making up in a way that felt fun & believable. Gaang my beloved! Also, it was just plain hilarious when Zuko was cracking up at the pirates getting their ship stolen only to realize that they were busy stealing HIS ship. No comment on Iroh having the damn game piece in his sleeve the whole time.

Also, yet again Appa saves the day by swooping in & catching the gaang as they fall to their would-be deaths! I'm telling you guys, Appa is the real hero of this damn show. They'd be dead a hundred times over without that bison. Lastly worth nothing while we're talking fun with animals is that I really enjoyed Momo getting to fight the parrot. Very fun. Anyway 10/10 episode!

[randomfandomimagine]

The Truth (Zuko x Reader)

Characters: Zuko, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph

Fandom: Avatar The Last Airbender

Tags: Reader Insert, Gender Neutral Reader

Warnings: Spoilers about Book 3 and Zuko’s backstory

Word Count: 2,1k words

Summary: Suspicious about Zuko’s intentions, the group comes up with a plan in which Y/N finds out the truth about his reasons. They just didn’t know it would also means to learn the truth about his scar.

Zuko x Gender Neutral Reader

-

“I’m not so sure about this...” You muttered once again, staring at Zuko calmly sitting by the fire. Alone. In silence. Distant from you.

“We need to know if he has an evil plan against us” Sokka replied, but upon noticing your frown, he insisted. “Do you want Aang dead, Y/N?! Is that it, do you want Zuko to kill him?” 

“No!” You replied to defend yourself. “But Toph said he wasn’t lying, maybe he was being genuine”

“Appa seemed to like him...” Aang sided with you, shrugging a little in an attempt to talk him out of his plan. “And he hasn’t tried anything yet”

“I’m with Twinkle Toes” Toph agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. “He doesn’t seem to mean us any harm” 

“Well, I’m not so sure about that” Katara was with her brother, however. She averted her gaze, wary about the situation. “He did try to trick us before”

“I don’t know, guys...” You vehemently shook your head.

“There’s no harm in trying” Sokka pushed you a little. “Go talk to him!”

You struggled against his attempts, trying to remain hidden by the big pillar you  were all gathered behind. 

“Agh...” Sokka groaned from the effort, not giving up. “Come on, Y/N!” 

“Why me?” You complained, sinking your heels in the ground not to be shoved any further. “Why couldn’t anyone else do it?” 

“Because out of all of us, he seems to like you more” Katara replied, tapping her chin in a thoughtful gesture. “I don’t know why”

Sokka desisted from his efforts. You threw him a glare before glancing at Katara to respond to her.

“Maybe because I’m the only one that hasn’t openly said I hate him?”

“Toph hasn’t either, she defended him...”

“And he burned her feet!”

“I sneaked up on him, it was an accident!”

“What if it wasn’t?”

“Fine!” You exclaimed to break up the argument, then lowering your tone and hoping Zuko didn’t hear you. “I’ll do it” 

Sokka smirked in satisfaction, gesturing for you to get moving. Katara frowned in determination as well, only Toph and Aang seemed to feel a bit guilty about the whole plan just like yourself. You didn’t like lying and deceiving.

But you did have to find out the truth. Why had he changed his mind all of a sudden? What happened to make him want to stop trying to capture the Avatar? Especially since he had been tirelessly chasing him for years. You had to admit it didn’t make any sense. It was a little suspicious.

Those thoughts and questions floated in your head as you approached Zuko.

The distance that separated you was quite large to ensure your previous conversation with the group was confidential. While you slowly walked over to him, your footsteps gave your presence away.

“Hey” He looked up at you. “Have you seen everyone else?”

“N-No” You stuttered, resisting the urge to look at them over your shoulder. “I don’t know where they are” 

“That’s strange...” Zuko’s ambers eyes followed you as you completely closed the distance that separated you. “They all dissapeared at the same time”

“They probably all went to do different things” You shrugged to try and appear nonchalant. “You know, Aang with his glider, Sokka to fish or something...”

“I suppose” He shrugged himself, lowering his gaze to the fire burning before him. “It’s just getting late”

You stared at him, smiling a little. He seemed to notice, but looked up to the dark starry sky instead of into your eyes.

“Are you worried about them, Zuko?” 

“I didn’t say that”

Still smiling, you went to sit down across from him. Zuko cautiously looked up at you now. He seemed to sense you were meaning to say something.

“Hey, uh... Now that the others are gone...” You took a deep breath, preparing for what was to come. “I wanted to ask you something”

“What is it?” His tone was soft and gentle, welcoming almost.

You gulped, feeling a pang of guilt in your chest, knowing that you weren’t alone as he thought. From a safe distance, the whole group was listening to your conversation. Damn Sokka and his plans...

“Why are you here all of a sudden?” You made a great effort to hold his gaze. “Why do you want to help the Avatar now?”

Zuko grew quiet for a moment. Given his silence, you thought that the plan had failed already. He wouldn’t talk, he was going to refuse to, he...

“Why are you asking me this?” To your surprise, when he spoke his tone remained gentle. It didn’t hold any anger or resentment.

“Because...” Unable to hold his gaze any longer, you looked away. “I want to trust you”

“You’re the only one that seems so open...” Now he sounded almost sad, but not resentful. “Everyone else...”

“That’s why I wanted to talk to you now” You insisted, locking gazes once more.

He paused. After several seconds in which you felt your heart racing in anticipation, so much so that Toph could probably sense it, Zuko spoke up.

“It’s because of my father” 

“Your father?” 

“Yes. He wanted me to capture the Avatar, that way he would restore my honor”

“I don’t get it, why did your honor need restoring?” 

“Because my father banished me, I was only trying to do what he wanted”

“You were banished from the Fire Nation? Then why would you join us now, if you wanted to please your father?” 

“I realized it was useless. I’ve been looking for the Avatar for five years... for nothing”

“But Sokka and Katara found Aang only three years ago... Was your father so sure that he would come back?” 

Zuko showed you a bitter grin. His eyes were full of sorrow as he looked at you. Suddenly you were even more against the plan. Toph would confirm it, but you were almost convinced that he was pouring his heart out to you.

“He probably didn’t think I would ever find him” Zuko shook his head, causing his long dark bangs to fall against his eyes. You thought that he seemed to be talking more to himself than to you at the moment. “He never meant to take me back after he banished me”

“I’m sorry, but...” You politely interrupted him. “I’m completely lost”

“Then I should explain to you how I got my scar” He replied with determination, reaching out to press his fingers against his burned cheek. 

Your heart skipped a beat at his words. He was pouring his heart out, he was telling you all this in confidence and you were betraying his trust.

“Z-Zuko... You don’t have to do that” Shaking your hands in front of you, you quickly tried to silence him. It wasn’t fair for him...

“You said you wanted to trust me” He nodded in determination. “I want to tell you”

“And... have you told the others?”

“No, but... If it helps them trust me... I suppose you can tell them”

“Okay...” 

You could barely speak, feeling a tight knot forming in your throat. Zuko didn’t seem to notice, although he did stare at you for a moment. His expression, however, was absent even after directing his gaze towards the fire.

“Do you know what an Agni Kai is?” He began after several more seconds of silence.

“N-No...” You admitted, fearing what he was about to confess to you.

“It’s a firebending duel” Zuko’s hands were shaking a little as he mindlessly held a small flame in the palm of his hand. “He challenged me to one when I was thirteen”

“Thirteen?!” You couldn’t help but to exclaim. “Why would he do that?” 

“For talking out of turn” He clenched his jaw, harshly extinguishing the flame. “For saying it was wrong to use his new recruits as bait and let them die. Those people had a life of their own, they had families... but he didn’t care” 

“Is that... Is that how you got your scar?” You dared to ask, almost fearing his answer. “Was it an accident during the duel?”

“Not exactly... I refused to fight my father, but he wanted me to learn my lesson” His brow furrowed, his face holding many expressions at once. None positive. “He said suffering would be my teacher and... he...” 

You gasped, shaking your head and hoping he understood the gesture. Even if you had been rendered speechless, you had heard enough. Luckily, Zuko respected it and stopped talking. You could imagine the rest. Shivers crawled up your spine just imagining how harrowing it must have been for him. For a thirteen year old boy to be deliberately burned by his own father. It was cruel and wrong. You stared at him in shock. Tears gathered in your eyes seeing the pain in his. 

“I knew Firelord Ozai was ruthless but...” You could barely form words, and you stuttered until you managed to finish your sentence. “But do to that to his own son... especially for being kind...”

Zuko shook his head, agreeing with you. What you didn’t know was that Ozai didn’t think of that moment as kindness. For him, it was weakness. For him, it was like his son was only another subject trying to antagonize him. Daring to defy him.

Instead of replying to that, he continued speaking like you never did. It was easier that way, it was easier trying to ignore what you said. 

“I realized I would never regain my honor that way. Even if I was back, he would never accept me for who I was”

“So... it was never you... you never wanted to harm Aang” Your voice broke when a sob shook in your throat. “You were only doing it because of your father”

Zuko nodded, confirming your words. Confirming that all the sorrow you were feeling now after hearing his story, he had felt before. Times ten.

“That’s why I wanted to join you” Even though his eyes were shining under the firelight, there were no tears in them. “I wanted to make it up to all of you and teach the Avatar firebending”

Zuko’s voice shook, and he refused to look up at you again. 

“I’m so sorry...” You said in response to his story. To his past, to that tragic moment that literally scarred him for life. 

Still, you didn’t realize you were also sorry for something else until a voice broke the heavy silence that established.

“He’s telling the truth” Toph came out from behind the pillar, reminding you of everything. You had completely forgotten about them and about the plan.

The other three joined her, anouncing their presence as they went to stand beside her. They all had similar regretful expressions in their faces.

“What?” Zuko recovered from his apathetic state, his voice now leaving that low tone behind. “You were here the whole time?” 

“I said your plan was stupid, Sokka!” You exclaimed with tears still in your eyes.

“It wasn’t stupid, it worked!” He contradicted you, then sheepishly rubbing his nape. “But... I will admit, it was a dirty trick”

“I didn’t mean...” You mumbled, too ashamed to meet Zuko’s amber eyes. “I didn’t know you would...”

“It’s okay” He slowly stood up, facing the four people who had listened to his every word. “Now you know...”

“I knew that guy was a jerk” Sokka said, trying to fix it by talking against Ozai.

“We had no idea, Zuko...” Katara told him as well, apparently forgiving all his sins. She had told the group about her encounter with him in the crystal cave. All that had been true as well.

“Does that mean...” The aforesaid timidly asked. “That you trust me now?” 

Aang took a step forward, closer to Zuko. He held his hand out for him to take, complimenting it with a friendly smile. Zuko squeezed Aang’s hand, and at that moment you felt all the tension that floated in the air dissapear.

“Welcome aboard” Aang smiled as they shook hands. 

Moved by an urge after the not so intimate moment you and Zuko shared, you stepped up as soon as they let go of their peacemaking gesture. You threw your arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

Zuko gasped in surprise, but after a brief moment of awkwardness he chuckled a bit. His arms sweetly wrapped around you, accepting your affection.

“Thanks for trusting me” You whispered in his ear, still holding on to him.

“You too...” Was his response, letting you linger as long as you wanted.

When you finally broke away, you exchanged a quick smile with him. Then Toph butted in, wanting to have a little exchange with him as well.

“See?” Toph ran to him, clinging on to his arm, much to Zuko’s embarrassment. “I knew I liked him!”

Everyone laughed at how tightly she was hugging him, especially so when he blushed a little by all this attention and fondness. You sighed in content as Zuko clumsily tried to say something. You knew from now on, things would be different. For the best.

-

Tag list: @call-me-harley-quinn​ / @lotsoffandomrecs​​ / @lotsoffandomstoimagine​ / @undercanonthots​ / @bubblebars / @coldlilheart / @inkai-ghost / @xionroxas / @emmacata​// If you want to be added or taken off the tag list for these fandoms or characters, let me know!! // Reblogs and comments are appreciated!

[maybe-a-fangurl]

The Moon and the Sun (Zuko x Reader) part 7

Here’s part 7, hope you all enjoy!! Lmk if you want to be on the taglist and I hope you guys are doing amazing!! Also I hope all my fellow directioners are doing okay with these stressful times we are in rn<3

Part 1 Part 6 Part 8

Masterlist

“This is how you’ve been tracking us?” You asked as you walked behind Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.

“Yeah, it’s been everywhere.” Ty Lee said as Azula stopped by the water and knelt down.

“Wads of wet fur. How delightful.” Mai said sarcastically as Azula reached into the water and grabbed a piece.

“Hmm, they’re not wads. They’re more like bundles. Or bunches?” Ty Lee asked as she put her hands on her hips “It’s got an ‘uh’ sound.”

“Clumps?” Mai asked, and you watched as Ty Lee’s face lit up.

“Clumps! They’re clumps!” Ty Lee said as she hugged Mai, who just stood there before she stepped to the side.

“The trail goes this way.” Mai said as she pointed down at the trail of white fur. You looked at her trail before you looked behind where Azula was to see home of the trees were broken. You quickly looked away as Azula stood up, but it was too late, she slowly turned around and looked up at the trees.

“The Avatar is trying to give us the slip. You two head in that direction and keep your eye out for the bison.” Azula said as she pointed in the direction of the trees before walking over to where the trail of hair started. “I’ll follow this trail.”

“And let me guess, I’m going to go sit in a cell while all of this happens?” You asked as you looked at Azula.

“No, you’re coming with me.” Azula said as some of the guards brought out their mongoose lizards.

“Aren’t you scared I’m going to help the Avatar and betray you if we find him?” You asked as she got onto the lizard.

“No, because I have a feeling something else may catch your eye.” She said before she moved forward, making room behind her on the saddle. “Come on, we don’t have all day.”

“Okay.” You said as you got behind her on the lizard, wondering what she meant by something that would catch your eye. You glanced behind you to see that Mai and Ty Lee were already headed in the other direction.

The two of you sat in silence for most of the ride but as the sun was starting to set you decided to ask the questions that had been bothering you since you first seen her in Omashu.

“Why are you after the Avatar now?” You asked as you kept your eyes on the trail of hair.

“I’m not restoring my honor if that is what you’re getting at.” She said before she got a better grip on the reigns, making the lizard go faster. “My father sent me to capture Uncle for being a traitor and my brother for being a failure. After they got away I realized that I needed a smaller team, so I recruited Ty Lee and Mai. And after seeing the Avatar in Omashu, I couldn’t give up my chance at capturing him.”

“You’ve seen Zuko and Iroh since everything that happened in the North Pole?” You asked and Azula nodded. You didn’t want to let her know how desperate you were to know if he was okay, but you had to know if he was after what you seen at the swamp. “How were they?”

“They are living much like you and your new friends. But poor Zuzu was so upset when I asked about you betraying him in the North.” She said, and you were glad that she couldn’t see the guilt come over your face. “He said you would come back to him once he captured the Avatar and regained his honor. But we both know that’s not true, don’t we Y/N?” You just stayed silent as the two of you came to an abandoned town, she slowed the lizard down as the trail went into the town. You let out a gasp as you seen Aang sitting by himself at the end of the trail. Azula stopped the lizard as she got off, you quickly followed and you seen Aangs face light up a little bit when he seen you before he turned to Azula.

“All right, you’ve caught up with me. Now who are you and what do you want?” He asked as he narrowed his eyes at her.

“You mean you haven’t guess? You don’t see the family resemblance? Here’s a hint.” Azula said before she brought her hand up to cover her eye. “I must find the Avatar to restore my honor.”

“Azula, stop it.” You said and she rolled her eyes at you before looking back at Aang.

“It’s okay, you can laugh. It’s funny.” She said before she glanced over at you, a smirk on her face.

“So what now?” Aang asked and you looked over at him and when you seen the tired state he was in you knew this was a fight he couldn’t handle, not alone, and you didn’t have any water to help him.

“Now? Now it’s over. You’re tired and you have no place to go. You can run, but I’ll catch you.” Azula said as a blank expression came over her face.

“I’m not running.” Aang said as he stood up straight, his glider in hand, and you watched as a smirk came to Azulas face.

“Azula you can’t fight him right now.” You said as you stepped in front of her.

“You’ll stay behind me and quiet if you know what’s best for you and him.” She said as she glared at you. You looked at Aang before you looked down at the ground, walking behind her.

“You better be thankful I don’t have any water.” You said as crossed your arms, she just rolled her eyes at your statement before turning back to Aang.

“Do you really want to fight me?” She asked Aang and you looked over at him and shook your head, but as you looked at him you noticed he had a pouch of water and he already had the lid off, he was expecting you to be here. You were about to bend the water to you when you heard an ostrich horse and you turned to see someone jump off.

“Yes, I really do.” The person said as they took of their hat and you seen that it was Zuko.

“Zuko!” Aang yelled as he looked at him then back at you.

“I was wondering when you’d show up Zuzu.” Azula said as she stood up straight and crossed her arms, blocking you from his view. You heard Aang laugh as he repeated the nickname but you were too focused on what Azula’s next move was.

“Back off Azula, he’s mine.” Zuko said and Azula let out a small laugh as she stepped to the side.

“I figured you’d say that so I brought you a surprise.” Azula said as she turned to you.

“Y/N?” Zuko asked as he lowered his hands for a moment before he glared at Azula and raised his hands back up.

“We wouldn’t want anything to happen to her would we?” Azula asked as she crossed her arms again. You figured that now was your best chance to get to Aang while her attention was on Zuko so you quickly took her feet out from under her before you stepped so that you were across from Zuko and in between Azula and Aang. You quickly brought the water from Aang to your hands as you looked back at Azula, who was back on her feet as she sent you a glare.

“I’m not letting either of you take him.” You said as you looked at her then back at Zuko. “So back off.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Azula said as she got into a fighting stance and you looked to see Aang bringing his glider in front of him. Azula was the first to make a move, sending a line of fire towards Zuko that sent him backwards into one of the houses.

“Aang get out of here.” You said to him as you turned towards Azula.

“But what about you?” He asked and you just shook your head as you kept your eyes on Azula.

“You have to go.” You said and he let out a frustrated groan before you heard him get his glider open. Azula sent a blast of fire your way and it knocked you backwards as you brought water in front of you to shield you. You sat up right as Aang fell to the ground. You stood up and ran over to him, pulling him off the ground as Azula kicked fire your way. Aang grabbed your hand as he pulled you in different directions, avoiding fire from Azula and Zuko.

“Come on.” Aang said to you as Azula and Zuko got caught up in fighting each other. He jumped as Azula shot fire at him and you sent water her way before you started up the stairs after Aang. But once you were about half way up she hit you in the back and knocked you over. You quickly got up and ran to the door and you were barely able to stop yourself before you went over the edge. But right as you got your balance you heard Zuko yell before he ran into you and sent you both over the edge.

“Woah!” He yelled as you let out a small scream before landing on the ground, Zuko on top of you. You watched as Aang pushed Azula off the edge and went out of the door.

“Get off of me.” You said as you pushed Zuko off of you and stood up in front of Azula.

“Looks like you’re out of water.” Azula said with a smirk before her hands turned blue. Right as she went to send a blast to you, Zuko got up and moved in front of you, taking the blast and sending you both through the wall as he landed on top of you.

“You’re such an idiot.” You said as you sat up and put your hands on the side of his face before you put your hand on his neck, letting out a sigh of relief when you felt a pulse. You looked over when you heard the sound of water to see Katara and Sokka standing by Aang.

“Uncle?” Zuko asked and you turned back to see that Iroh was now standing over the two of you.

“Get up. Both of you.” He said and Zuko looked at you before he scrambled to his feet and stepped away from you.

“We should go help them.” You said and they nodded as you all ran to where Azula was. Iroh knocked her back into the corner as Aang and the rest of the group reached you. You stood between Zuko and Toph as you walked towards Azula, cornering her.

“Y/N,” Katara said time get your attention as she gave you some of her water. You gave her a small smile before turning back to Azula.

“Well look at this, enemies and traitors all working together. I’m done, I know when I’m beaten.” Azula said before she put her hands in the air. “You got me. A princess surrenders with honor.”

You kept your eyes on her and your heart dropped when you seen a smirk come to her face before she sent a line of fire at Iroh. He fell backwards as Zuko let out a yell before turning back to Azula, and all of you began sending elements at her. There was a small explosion from all of the elements and when dust surrounded you all you reached out to the side, reaching for Zuko but he wasn’t there. And when the dust started to settle you seen him knelt down by Iroh. You slowly walked over to him along with the rest of the group but he turned around as he glared at you all.

“Get away from us!” He yelled before turning back to Iroh.

“Zuko, I can help.” Katara said as she took a step towards him.

“Leave!” Zuko yelled as he swung his arm, sending a small line of fire at all of you, causing you to pull Toph behind you as you kept your eyes on Zuko.

“Y/N, we need to go.” Sokka said, pulling your attention away from Zuko for a moment.

“I can’t leave him like this.” You said as you glanced back at Zuko. “Just give me a few minutes with him.”

“Are you sure?” Sokka asked and you nodded, your eyes on Zuko.

“Here, you’ll need this.” Katara said as she gave you her pouch of water. You gave her a small smile before they all started to walk away, back to Appa to wait on you.

“I said leave.” Zuko said, his back facing you.

“Zuko you can try to stop me all you want, but I’m healing him.” You said and you watched as his shoulders shrunk and he gave you a slow nod. “Let’s get him in one of these houses.”

“Okay.” Zuko said as he stood up and the two of you worked together to move Iroh into a house. Once you had him laid down you removed all of the burnt fabric away and brought the water to your hands then to his chest. “Is he going to be okay?”

“Yeah, he’ll be okay.” You said as you glanced over at Zuko. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Zuko said as he crossed his arms and you turned back to Iroh. You knew that he wasn’t fine, but you also knew now was not the time to push him. You weren’t like you used to be and part of you was surprised he wasn’t putting up more of a fight over you healing Iroh.

“I see you’re letting your hair grow back out.” You said, trying to change the subject and get his mind off of Iroh.

“I didn’t have a choice, there’s wanted posters for Uncle and I everywhere.” He said and you just nodded.

“Let me guess, after you escaped from Azula she had them put up?” You asked as you glanced over at him to see him nod before a puzzled expression crossed over his face.

“Why were you with Azula?” He asked and you could hear the worry in his voice as he asked you. You took in a deep breath as you took your hands away from Iroh’s wound, you wanted to do another session but that took time and waiting, and you didn’t think you would be able to do either.

“Do you have any bandages?” You asked as you turned to look at Zuko and he pointed to the bag sitting on the floor. “Azula has been following us since we left Omashu, and we didn’t get any sleep last night because every time we set up camp she would be there. I stayed behind to try to figure out how she was tracking us, but she didn’t believe me when I said I wanted to join her.”

“You are a pretty horrible liar.” Zuko said and you rolled your eyes at him as you started to wrap Irohs wound. “You don’t have to do that, I can get it.”

“No, it’s fine.” You said, wanting the excuse of staying longer.

“Okay.” He said and the two of you were silent as you finished wrapping Irohs wounds.

“Thank you, for earlier.” You said as you stood up and looked at Zuko, you hadn’t realized how close he was to you until you stood up.

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” He said as he cleared his throat and took a step backwards.

“I-“You started but you stopped yourself as you bit your lip, trying to think of what you were going to say. You could say I’m sorry, I miss you, I can’t sleep anymore, I wish I could stay with you, I love you. But as you looked at him you knew that you couldn’t say any of those things so instead you just looked at the ground. “I should go.”

“Yeah, they’re probably worried about you.” He said, and you nodded before walking to the door, you paused once you got to the door and looked over your shoulder at him.

“Something about you is different.” You said as a smile came to your face. “You seem more at peace.”

Part 8

@tpwkcal @caswinchester2000 @frickin-bats  @winchestergirl907 @eridanuswave  @the-firebender-girl @myarthetics @royahllty @izzieserra @akariblue @coldlilheart @thirstyforsometea @cirtruss @lammello @bigbuckyenergy @aangsupremacy @lozzybowe @duh-dobrik @emogril 

[gloves94]

Sunburn [Prince Zuko] 1

Warnings: None Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Zuko/OC Summary: "You have everything you've ever wanted." "No." He said softly. "Not everything..." His golden eyes looked at her with a melting intensity she had never witnessed before. "I guess not." She responded with glassy eyes as tears welled up threatening to break the dam of her eyes. 

My fanfiction: M A S T E R L I S T

"Uncle!" The young prince roared exasperated.

For once his uncle stood on the deck of the ship being quiet and distant. His eyes gazed out into the vast blueness that expanded so far you couldn't tell where the ocean ended and where the sky began. He wore a solemn expression on his face, both of his hands tucked inside of his sleeves. His eyes clouded with a rare sadness.

"I'm so close to capturing the Avatar! I'm going to lose his trail and we are losing precious time! I haveto regain my honor!" Prince Zuko barked. The dishonored banished Prince of the Fire Nation barked.

Iroh also known as the Dragon of the West, the retired general who had been disgraced at walls of Ba Sing Se remained pensive and let out a deep breath he had been holding.

"Why do we even have to go to the colonies?!" The frustrated prince threw his hands over his head.

"I already told you my dear nephew. I've received somber news. The sun has set on a dear friend Sencha's life. And so we must attend the service and show our respects to his spirit and his family."

"This is pointless!" Prince Zuko breathed out a cloud of fire, his exasperation boiling in the pits of his stomach. How he sometimes wished he could just shove his uncle into a sailboat and send him to out so that he could move on with his life and actually have a shot at regaining his honor. Why couldn't his uncle just go by himself?

Zuko was too blinded to see the pain in his uncle's amber eyes.

"Patience," Iroh sighed wisely and stroked his gray beard. "If you allow it, the howling wind shall carry you to your destiny. Who knows? You might encounter something interesting in the colonies."

The prince remained silent.

"Perhaps even the Avatar?" Iroh baited glancing at his nephew from the corner of his eyes.

Zuko gripped the railing tightly, his body tense. His uncle turned to look at him and flashed him a weak smile before squeezing his nephew's shoulder.

xxx

The prince's military vessel docked at the port of Yu Doa.

The city of Yu Dow was one of the first Fire Nation Colonies. It was known for it's unique architecture and surprising co-existence of Fire and Earth bending cultures as near equals. Because of this Yu Dao was the Fire Nation's most powerful asset and wealthiest colony. It was also famously known for having the finest weapon craftsmen in the world.

"This place is... odd," Zuko observed as they made away across the city.

No royal had set foot in the colonies since the war began one hundred years ago and it was safe to say that people from the mainland thought less of those from the colonies. Sneering at them, calling them colonials, and laughing at stereotypes.

The city was quiet, its citizens wore funerary colors and expressions of mourning. All windows were closed and shops were closing early.

"Of course, they are mourning their governor."

The Prince also noted how the people in the streets did not shy away from them like others would've back in the mainland. They neither bowed nor cowered with disrespect. The prince and his uncle entered the gates of the golden palace and were received by an escort who lead them inside the building. The architecture was a mixture of emerald green and square shapes typical of Earth Kingdom architecture with contrasting bold golden pikes, maroon carvings, and large figures and carvings of crimson and golden dragons on the walls which were typical of Fire Nation architecture and culture.

"General Sencha was appointed as the Vice Royal Governor of Yu Dao sometime after your grandfather Azulon rose to the throne. He was a brilliant general, brave, courageous, a good friend and also a worthy Pai Sho adversary," Iroh said with a smile as they were lead through a massive pair of intricately carved golden doors.

"His people, they mourn him. It's almost as if they care-" Zuko was interrupted. "They do," Iroh nodded. "Fire Lords don't often concern themselves with the Fire Colonies once they are tamed. Sencha took it upon himself to provide a life of equal opportunities to both Fire and Earth Kingdom citizens. Together they worked to build and grow the city making it the most powerful asset of the Fire Nation abroad. Because of that Yu Dao paved the way for its own culture and traditions to blossom. That's why this place seems so different to you."

For a moment Zuko thought about his grandfather, Azulon. Besides other aristocrats and the military it had been just another day when he passed. His people hadn't mourned him, he hadn't been missed by many. He certainly didn't miss him. The citizens of the Fire Nation didn't seem to care much for him, then again, he had been a cruel man. It was a drastic contrast to the ambiance in Yu Dao and the respect its people had for their passed leader.

It was then that they entered the heart of the governing room where the service was being held. It was dark and the room was barely illuminated by numerous candles which were burning at different heights. At the center hoisted above a bed of white arranged wild flowers and lilies lay a fine wooden coffin. There were few government officials and family in the private service. The disgraced prince and the retired general approached the front to pay their respects. Iroh knelt before the bed and meditated for a moment on his dear friend's memory. Zuko nodded his head in respect and he patiently waited for his uncle to stand. His eyes scanned the crowd as he attempted to distract himself, not wanting to linger his gaze on the coffin before him. It was then that a spot of red in the darkness captured his attention.

His eyes froze on a person with a hair color he had never seen before. He had never seen an individual with hair the color of fire. Auburn, red, maroon, he couldn't place his finger on the shade. The dim light made it even harder. She appeared to be around his age. Her blazing hair was wavy and reached down past midback, half of it up in the matter that was considered fashionable in the Fire Nation. Her expression was one of pure desolation as a woman whom he assumed to be her mother held her close while holding her hand.

"Prince Zuko!" Iroh whispered harshly elbowing him snapping him out of his train of thought. As he did the girl looked up and their eyes met. His lingered on her face for a second.

Her mother turned as did the man Zuko assumed to be her father. He turned his head sharply ready to walk away, but instead Iroh turned the opposite way and began walking in the way of of the Vice Royal family.

Xxx

"I-I think I need some air," gasped the girl as she took in a deep breath suddenly feeling claustrophobic. Her soul felt numb with the absence of her dear grandfather. She felt dizzy and partly nauseous. She had shed her tears and her eyes were dry from crying so much, over the past couple of days. Her nostrils felt irritated from blowing so many tissues. Her mom gave her hand a gentle squeeze and a sad smile before letting her go. She noted the two strangers that were approaching to pay their condolences.

Distraught she didn't bother in engaging with them or even checking out their improper attire. From the looks of it they were probably military from the Fire Nation mainland. She stepped out quickly suddenly feeling like she couldn't breath due to the stench of flowers, incense and burning candles. She in took a large gulp of fresh air when she reached the small garden outside the governing room. She sat on a stone bench that was placed before a small koi pond fountain and under a blossoming plum tree. Just a few days ago she had been sitting in this same bench with her grandfather. She had been holding onto his arm tightly, he had given her one of the plum blossom flowers, tucked it into her hair and was telling her stories about her late grandmother.

And now- he was gone.

She felt fat tears begin to swell in her eyes as her lungs felt heavy with woe. She had done enough crying. Death was part of life.

"Loss is part of life,"her grandfather had said to her sagely. "But nothing worth keeping is every truly lost."

Her tears certainly wouldn't bring him back. She sucked in a deep breath and sat up straight as an arrow, just as she had been taught her entire young life. Holding her head up with pride.

She didn't know how long she had been out here. Holding her breath, trying to hold it all together.

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most beautiful and rare of all," a wise voice interrupted. Her ears had to be playing tricks on her.

It was her grandfather.

"W-What?" She turned bewildered.

Automatically a cascade of tears streamed down her unblinking amber eyes.

It wasn't.

She almost felt as if she had heard her grandfather. She wished it had been him. She sternly believed that those had been his words through a different voice. One that was unfamiliar to her. The man standing beside her was older. His hair was aged and gray and he was large. He seemed like a pleasant person carrying an air of peace and gentleness around him. The kind that his grandfather might've kept around for counsel or as a part of the governing cabinet. He was the one that had walked in late, with the boy with the scar on his face that had been glaring at her during the service.

"Blooming season can be powerful, glorious and intoxicating, but tragically short-lived," the man said wisely. "It is a visual reminder that our lives, too, are fleeting."

Who was this man that spoke in riddles with his wise tongue? Where had he come from?

"They also signify most important above all love." He reached down and with care picked up a lost flower. Lifting it up he offered it to her with kindness. Ceasing her crying the girl took the flower from the wise man.

"Thank you," she said quietly keeping her head lowered in respect.

"You must be Tsai, Sencha's granddaughter," it wasn't a question. He knew who she was. She nodded. The man lowered his head bowing before her. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss. Your grandfather was a good man, he was also one of my closest friends. Strange that he would pass on such a pleasant day," he commented raising up to view the clear sky above.

"My name is Iroh," he introduced himself. "I have come here with my nephew to pay my respects."

Tsai rose to her feet and bowed her head in equal respect. Of course she had heard of the famous General Iroh, the Dragon of the West. Afterall he had been first in line for the throne of Fire Lord just a couple of years ago.

"General," she acknowledged respectfully.

"There you are!" A woman of similar features to the girl approached the two. She wore a matching dark tunic and her hair was light brown and her eyes were a minty green.

"How embarrassing," she breathed. "I certainly hope Tsai wasn't bothering you with any nonsense General," her mother said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders holding her close.

Being of Earth Kingdom decent Sanyu, her mother, had always been hyper conscious of her and her children's behavior. She couldn't afford for them to be shunned because of their Earth Kingdom heritage.

"Not at all," He smiled kindly. "And just Iroh, please."

"Has it-" Tsai turned asking her mother. She simply nodded. The body had been ignited in flames as it was customary in Fire Nation funerary tradition. Her expression twisted into a tormented one. "I really do apologize that you've come to visit us on such a somber occasion," her father stepped forward. It was the new Vice Royal Governor of Yu Dao. He had introduced himself as Azah. "It would truly be an honor if you could join us for lunch. It is not often that we receive such as esteemed guests. Specially royalty from the mainland."

"Uncle, send for the ship to undock. We don't have any more time to waste," a voice rudely spat into the conversation.

It was that rude boy who had been glaring at Tsai during the service. She eyed him warily as she approached her and her family in the plum-blossom garden. The governor's eyes narrowed at the royal's rude behaviors. Sanju seemed oblivious to this.

"Please excuse my nephew. We'd love to join you," Iroh nodded. "Tsai, have you introduced yourself to Prince Zuko?" Her mother spoke tensely slightly grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her towards the prince.

"Uncle-" The other protested.

"Zuko you're always talking about honor. We are going to stay and join our host the Vice Royal Governor and his lovely family for some tea and dinner." Iroh grinned cheekily as he grabbed his nephew's arms tightly and slightly shoved him forward towards the other teen.

Both were awkwardly pushed to face each other as their families observed the impromptu match-making meeting all with knowing eyes and discrete growing grins. Tsai's older brother Mecha snickered from the back, she wanted to turn and glare at him but was instead once again nudged forward by her mother who was glaring daggers at her and poking an invisible knife at her back.

Her grandfather had just died, could they cut the match-making and courtship some slack?

The prince stood half a head taller than her. Maybe he appeared to be taller because of the way he wore his dark hair, in a tall ponytail, most of his head was cleanly shaved off and Tsai realized that he hadn't been glaring at her. That's just the way his face was, it was stuck in a mean scowling mug with suspiciously narrowed eyes. However the most striking feature was half of his face, which was scarred by fire in an ugly branding on his skin. Of course she had heard stories and rumors about the banished prince. Most girls her age would giggle and say he was extremely handsome, other rumors said that he got his scar in a training accident. However, it seemed that his temper and infamous bad character were no myth.

"Tsai of Yu Dao," She bowed down her head lightly bangs slightly falling forward as she did. "It is an honor your highness."

xxxx

AN: Woooooooooo, this Avatar Netflix revival is doing things to me. I think I LOVE Zuko more than I did when I was watching the series as a child. I'm super excited to see where this story goes. I'm almost done writing it at chapter 30 and I've grown super attached to these two characters.

Let me know what you guys think and send me some love!

Best,

xxx

First: [Here] Next:  https://gloves94.tumblr.com/post/621143206633046017/sunburn-prince-zuko-2

CHAPTER MASTERLIST

[sokkastyles]

Redemption and Hope

One of the interesting things I think ATLA has to say about redemption is that in order to get redemption, you have to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve said before that Zuko could not have successfully joined Team Avatar if he thought that being on the good side was the same as being on the bad side. In order to become the best version of yourself, you have to have hope.

There’s a very interesting parallel that highlights this in “The Storm.”

Katara: (to Aang) I know it was meant to be this way. The world needs you now. You give people hope.

Iroh: Things will never return to normal. But the important thing is the Avatar gives Zuko hope.

“The Storm” abounds with parallels between Zuko and Aang, and this is one of the running themes through these two characters’ stories. Aang, waking up after one hundred years to a changed world in which he is the last of his people, will never be able to return to normal. Katara says he gives people hope but in the context of her words, she is trying to give Aang back some of that hope, after he blames himself for running away and getting frozen in the iceberg. Aang can’t bring hope to anyone if he doesn’t have it himself.

Whereas Aang’s world changed after he ran away, Zuko is desperately trying to get back to a place from which he was cast out. Iroh asserts that things will never return to normal, but it’s important that Zuko has hope. Iroh never really wants Zuko to capture the avatar, but what he doesn’t want Zuko to do is give up. To Zuko, if he doesn’t have his mission, then he has nothing. In this episode we are told just how important Zuko’s mission is to him, yet Zuko actually foregoes chasing after Aang in favor of getting his ship and crew to safety. So we are shown that there are limits to Zuko’s single-mindedness, and we actually see him be humble in this episode, apologizing to Iroh for his earlier selfishness. A similar scene occurs when Zuko decides to go rescue Iroh when he is captured by earthbenders rather than chase after the gaang.

At the end of book one, Zuko has braved freezing water in order to sneak into the Northern Water Tribe during the siege, captured Aang, then lost him, almost froze to death in the snow, was saved by his enemy, then tried to save Zhao from an angry avatar-fused moon spirit. All of these events put an additional strain on how he thinks the world works. His hope in his mission is faltering.

Iroh: I'm surprised, Prince Zuko, surprised that you are not at this moment trying to capture the Avatar.

Zuko: I'm tired.

Iroh: Then you should rest. A man needs his rest.

This scene is in contrast to the above mentioned scenes of Zuko choosing not to go after the avatar, because he’s not doing it to save others this time. But the voice acting makes it clear that the events that just transpired are weighing on his mind. He could not save Zhao, but was instead saved by the very person he was trying to capture. Zuko’s mission used to be a simple thing in his mind: capture the avatar, regain his honor, return to the fire nation and his place at his father’s side. But then the avatar was a child who wanted to be his friend and Zhao tried to have him killed and then Zhao was killed in front of him and he realized that he actually did care about other people, even cruel blowhards like Zhao.

When we first see him at the beginning of book two, Zuko is at his most despondent. He and Iroh are now on their own, and it happens to be the anniversary of the worst day of Zuko’s life.

Zuko: Three years ago today, I was banished. I lost it all. I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless.

Iroh: I'm sure he doesn't. Why would he banish you if he didn't care? Uh, that came out wrong, didn't it?

Iroh tries (badly) to cheer Zuko up, because Iroh wants Zuko to have hope. His words here come across as empty, because I don’t think Iroh really believes them. In fact, later in this episode Iroh will give advice that is almost the opposite of what he says here, telling Zuko that despite what Azula says about Ozai wanting him back, he has “never known [his] brother to regret anything.” Iroh wants Zuko to have hope and because of this is willing to sometimes enable him in his hunt for Aang, but when it actually looks like Zuko might go back to the fire nation, or might be in danger (which are pretty much the same thing, whether he goes back as a prince or a prisoner, because it’s not safe for Zuko to go back to Ozai), he tries to discourage him. But in the above pictured scene, at least, all Iroh can do is give Zuko some empty assurance, because worse than Zuko actually achieving his mission to capture the avatar or going back to Ozai is if Zuko believes that nothing he does matters.

This is why when Zuko becomes officially cut off from the fire nation, he becomes anchorless, and resorts to petty thievery in a fruitless hope of regaining some semblance of his former identity as royalty..

Iroh: I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by. But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty.

Zuko: There's no honor for me without the Avatar.

Iroh: Zuko... Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now.

Zuko: Then there is no hope at all. Iroh: No, Zuko! You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.

As much as Iroh might be afraid of Zuko getting lost in Ozai’s toxic ideology, here he looks terrified that Zuko might lose hope completely. What’s kind of interesting here is that the way Iroh links the absence of hope with “surrendering to your lowest instincts” implies that there was a time when Zuko had even less hope than he does now, before the avatar was freed from an iceberg. As much as Zuko is introduced to us as a villain at the beginning of the series, what must he have been like in the years before there was any sign that the avatar had returned, with no direction and no hope, and nothing but hurt and anger to keep him going?

If this is Zuko at his most pessimistic, in contrast he is at his most optimistic at the end of book two, when he nearly comes to accept living a simple life with Iroh in Ba Sing Se. Previously we’ve seen him forego his hope in capturing the avatar in favor of doing the right thing, but this is the first time we’ve seen him put aside his hope in chasing the avatar in favor of putting his hope in something else. There’s a contrast here between Zuko’s hope in gaining Ozai’s approval vs his hope here which is centered around putting work into his relationship with Iroh; the absent father vs the father in front of him.

This newly discovered hope is only briefly realized, though. There’s a lot of dramatic irony in this episode. Zuko and Iroh are found out by Azula after Katara sees them while wandering around Ba Sing Se. Katara runs to warn the earth king that the fire nation has invaded the city, unknowingly realizing that she is talking to Azula who has actually invaded the city, while also alerting Azula to Zuko and Iroh’s presence, after Zuko seems to have stopped chasing the gaang. We don’t know, because it’s not allowed to last, but it’s possible that Zuko might have not even been a threat to Katara and the rest at this point any longer, had she not seen him at the tea shop.

Zuko then gets captured and thrown into prison with Katara, who he doesn’t know is the one who ratted him out. She starts leveling all kinds of accusations at him, and he initially is defensive (”you don’t know what you’re talking about”) then apologetic, then reveals the loss of his own mother in order to empathize with Katara. This new empathetic Zuko is a reflection of his attempts to try to make things work with Iroh, to live the life that Iroh wants for them both. Then when Katara apologizes to him he says that it doesn’t matter, because that life turned out to be short lived after all. Katara offers him another glimpse at hope in the form of healing his scar, but they’re interrupted.

Then Zuko has to make his big choice between Azula and Iroh. Iroh and the gaang represent hope, but it’s a hope that can’t last. As much as we might like to imagine that Zuko and Iroh could live a peaceful life in Ba Sing Se, Azula probably would have found them eventually, and the hope that Katara offers is uncertain - even she doesn’t know that it’s going to work, and it isn’t what Zuko needs anyway, because the physical scar is not the source of his problems, only a symbol of them. That’s why when Azula offers him another choice, the thing that he’s wanted for three years, it’s an offer he really has no hope of refusing.

Of course, Zuko eventually realizes only once he has returned to the fire nation that what he thought he wanted doesn’t make him happy, but he could have continued to live his life as the prince if he didn’t know that Aang was really still out there, alive. This is twofold because the fact of Aang’s survival means that Zuko can’t be comfortable by his father’s side because he’s constantly worrying if and when his father will find out that he didn’t actually kill Aang - which is what leads him to hire an assassin - but on another level, the fact of Aang’s survival is what motivates Zuko to actually oppose his father, which I doubt he would have been able to do without Aang’s presence in the world. When Zuko confronts his father, he tells him his plan to join the avatar and help Aang defeat Ozai. Without Aang, I don’t think Zuko has confidence that he alone would be able to oppose his father - he tells Iroh later that he is the only one other than Aang that could defeat the fire lord, showing that he does not believe it’s something he could have done on his own.

So in the end, what Iroh said in book one was correct. The avatar does give Zuko hope, but in exactly the opposite way that Zuko thought, the hope to become the best version of himself rather than the worst. Which then comes full circle as Zuko makes it his new mission to help Aang restore hope to the world.

[vocabularianne]

“I must capture my honor to regain the avatar!”

[lordmomohismomoness]

In Universe AU

So let us melt and make no noise by LittleLostStar

Rated M 69K+ words WIP last updated Jan 2021

When a mission to the South Pole goes awry, Prince Zuko awakens in the home of a healer named Katara and finds his heart is damaged and his bending has vanished. His quest to find the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe is his destiny-- the one chance to regain his honour and return home. But as time passes and Zuko's heart heals, it becomes clear that Katara is protecting an ancient secret of her own, and that both of their destinies are entwined in ways never before thought possible.

In The Same Candlelight by Like A Dove

Rated T 76K words Complete 2012

In a world where there is no war, Zuko and Katara spend their summers together. Growing up is messy, embarrassing, and at times sad, but they think it might be okay because they have each other. Edited summary.

The Lucky Dragon - A Short Zutara by Damagectrl

Rated G 16K words Complete 2019

With no 100 Year War ever happening and an aging Avatar Aang meditating any scuffles, there isn’t much threat of annihilation from the other nations. Nature, however, is another story. After an algae bloom decimates the local fish population and sends the tribe to the brink of starvation, the Southern Water tribal elders are approached by Fire Lord Iroh and offered access to Fire Nation fishing waters until the fish repopulate.

In exchange: his beloved nephew needs an escort to his cousin’s coronation. Everyone seems in begrudging agreement. Except Katara, who after being requested for the task, flees and accidentally ends up on the last island she wanted to be on with a man and his young, friendly dragon - Druk

Butterflies and Hurricanes by Rerbirth of the Phoenix

Rated T 103K+ words Complete 2012

"You may find yourself capturing hearts that you are forbidden to keep." She is a servant. He is a Prince. Together they are about to go against everything that keeps the world at peace. Zutara

Warnings: Tearbender

Oceans Away by PearofAnons

Rated M 56K words WIP Last updated Dec 2020

The irony was not lost on him. The moment his wife told him he did not have her heart was the very moment he realized she had long captured his.

or

In their world many would mistaken their tale as some grand love story, but if you were to ask those close to them, they would say it was really quite simple. Family, duty, honor. With these two stubborn fools, love wasn't originally part of the plan, it just grew quietly along the way.

Contain Smut

Subterfuge by Smylealong

Rated M 113K words WIP last updated Oct 2020

Thirty years ago, the Fire Nation attacked, throwing the world off balance. Katara entered the Fire Nation war camp at Ba Sing Se as a healer, prepared to do whatever it takes to play her part in stopping the war. Getting kidnapped with the Fire Prince and falling in love with him were not parts of the plan. AU. Zutara.

Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault, Incest, Graphic Depiction of Violence

Call Me Katto by ShamelessLiar

Rated M 272K words Completed 2015

The Avatar awakens two years late, when only a token resistance still struggles against the Fire Nation. Katara disguises herself as a boy to follow Sokka into war. Not only must she hide her gender from her comrades, she has to help the Avatar while also dodging the creepy prince who’s taken such an intense interest in her. AU for timing.

Cursed Kiss by AlwaysZutarian

Rated E 136K words WIP Last Updated Feb 2021

Cursed to live with the body of a fearsome beast, Zuko hid from a cruel world that would not hesitate to destroy him, consumed with rage for those who had betrayed him, resigned to a lifetime of solitude. But then a ray of hope came in the form of a beautiful, blue-eyed woman. Could she look beyond his physical appearance and break his curse? Or would he forever remain alone?

Princess of the Concubines by Turion

Rated E 68K words WIP Last Update Jul 2020

An heir, never banished. A Water Tribe Princess bound in golden shackles and a gilded cage. The Avatar returns to a world much changed and divided. Horrors of the war plague him, yet the memory of her daunting blue eyes haunt him. "AANG RUN!" a guttural scream ripped itself from her throat. "KATARA!"

Warnings: Rape, BDSM

Shimmering Scarlet Scales by Hippomatrix

Rated T 7K words Completed 2016

Katara never thought she'd see a dragon. They were thought to be extinct. Yet here she was, healing a dragon she'd found in the woods (of burn wounds no less) and letting him follow her home. She didn't mean to bond with him, but that's what happened, and he became her constant companion and protector. If only it had stayed that simple.

Warning: is rated T but contains smut

Lonely Hearts Club by iRockYourSocks

Rated M 1K words Completed 2013

Katara was ready, albeit unhappy, for her new life as the wife of a northern warrior. A fateful trip to Ember Island opens her eyes to an alternative path in life.

Consume me with fire; flood me with desire by Dacamima

Rated E 86K words Completed 2020

“You have to be sure, Katara. The way I feel… if you let me put my hands on you… I want you so much. I’ll consume you.”

Arousal shot through Katara like a lightning-bolt at his words. He felt it too, whatever that charged energy between them was. Even now, it thrashed within her like a wild thing.

Breathlessly, she said, “Touch me, please Zuko.”

---

A whole canon rewrite where Katara and Zuko get to know each other MUCH better and earlier in the series. Featuring canon-divergences, angst and pining, fluff, and a whole lot of smut.

[princemannikin]

“And then everything changed when the US attacked.”

I’ve been thinking, perhaps we’re just the country with the burned eye cast aimlessly adrift hoping to find our purpose through adversity. “We must invade Iraq to regain our freedoms.” sounds suspiciously like “I must capture the Avatar to regain my honor.” 

[zktop10]

Guess who’s back with shitty stats?

Writers in Quarantine

This list is for all fics UPDATED in March, 2020. I’ll be doing another list for new March stories. Happy writing to my fellow authors! Readers, please remember to share the love as we all slowly go crazy from being stuck inside. ALSO! Share this list, because Tumblr will ignore it due to the external links!

As always, I excluded Underage, Rape/Non-Con (LOOK AT TAGS FOR #5), and Crossovers.

And finally, these numbers are arbitrary. This list is not a judgement of works but is merely to push up stories that might get overlooked.

Data pulled April 2, 2020 at 1730 EST

Current Sx: 0.69

Note: Alumni means they’ve been on a major Top 10 list before.

1. There is No War in Ba Sing Se by Polywantsanother (Transparency Note: This is my story.) 9.5/10

Rating: T

Tags: Not Canon Compliant, Alternate Universe- Multiple Timelines, Mulligan AU, Slow Burn (but PG because they’re minors), Drama, friends to strangers to friends?

Words: 27,058

Summary: Zuko went to bed as the new Fire Lord; the war had been ended, his friends were safe, and his uncle was running a tea shop. His future was, finally, hopeful.

When Zuko woke up, he was back on his ship sailing toward Sokka and Katara's village.

Lu Ten is alive, Aang is still missing, and there is no war in Ba Sing Se. Still, Sozin's Comet is coming, and Zuko thinks it's his only way back to his timeline.

If this one doesn't kill him first.

Updates every Thursday!

2. Modern Love by GrapefruitTwostep, 9.1/10

Rating: T

Tags: High School AU, 1980s AU, Underage Drinking, Smoking, Fist Fights, Domestic Violence, John Hughes, Slow Burn, Alumni (All Fic & Rated M 2019)

Words: 93,675

Summary: High school should be the best time of Katara's life -- her brother certainly feels that way -- but after being ostracized by her popular friends, things aren't looking so good for her junior year. On the other hand, Zuko already hates high school and is just counting down the days until he can get out.

In order to make this anything other than the worst year on record, they'll have to contend with malicious siblings, overenthusiastic jocks, the worst friends imaginable, and, most insurmountably ... each other.

3. The Summit by AJ_Lenoire, 8.9/10

Rating: M

Tags: Post Canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst, The Blue Spirit, Slow Burn

Words: 97,573

Summary: To commemorate the end of the Hundred Years' War and to ensure nothing like that ever happens again, the Four Nations agree to hold a Summit every year. Two weeks of political talks, cultural immersion and utter harmony. As Fire Lord, Zuko is in charge of hosting the first, set in the Fire Nation capital. As war-heroes, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki and of course Aang are in attendance also.

However, as Katara finds herself yearning for a life beyond that of the Avatar's faithful companion, it appears that politics will not be the only tumultuous waters they have to navigate.

4. The Last Waterbender by myshipsaresunk, 8.7/10

Rating: G

Tags: Avatar Katara, Alternate Universe, Creator Chose to Not Use Archive Warnings

Words: 117,365

Summary: AU where Katara is the Avatar// While on a quest to restore his honor, Zuko stumbles across a girl stranded on an iceberg. Katara has no memories when she wakes from the ice. They journey together through the South Pole, Zuko trying to find the Avatar and Katara trying to regain her memories. A cruel twist of fate pits their destinies against each other and even as Katara is accepting her legacy as the Avatar, Zuko must decide between her and his destiny.

5. The Masks we Wear by JiggleWigs, 8.6/10

Rating: M

Tags: Anastasia AU, Displaced Royalty AU, Graphic Depictions of Violence, IMPLIED/REFERENCED RAPE/NON-CON

Words: 100,465

Summary: AU. Soon after the birth of Fire Prince Ozai's second child, an attack on the Fire Nation Royal Family causes the fall of the monarchy of the Fire Nation and the alleged death of all those related to the Fire Lord. Fifteen years later, with the war ended and the Fire Nation fallen, a young man strives only to support and protect his sister and single mother in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, but when a chance to permanently provide for both of them as well as learn the truth about his past arises, he'll risk everything.

6. The Two Sides of the Sea by anothersilentwriter, 8.3/10

Rating: T

Tags: Canon Divergent, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Fix It Fic

Words: 25,602

Summary: There are two different versions of Katara. One of them sings for blood and controls the drums of heartbeats, and the other stops the tears and heartbreak. She switches between them as easily as a wave crashing into the shore returns to the sea.

Zuko is the only one who has seen both.

7. Thinking Out Loud by jacqstoned, 8.2/10

Rating: T

Tags: Modern AU, Blind Date, No Bending, Fluff, Dating, Humor, Romance

Words: 82,202

Summary: Toph sets up Zuko and Katara on a blind date, and it does not go well. Zutara AU

8. The Lost Firebender by calmecirce, 8.2/10

Rating: G

Tags: Avatar Zuko, Role Swap, Old Man Aang

Words: 25,754

Summary: An AU in which Zuko is the avatar, trapped in ice for 100 years, Aang is a crazy old man hell bent on capturing him so he can teach him air bending, and the whole story is re imagined based on this change:

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, a firebender named Zuko, and although his firebending skills are great, he still has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Zuko save the world.

9. Pride & Politics by melps, 7.9/10

Rating: T

Tags: Drama, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn

Words: 60,660

Summary: Three years after the Comet, Katara and Aang part ways. After a mysterious message from the spirit world, Katara leaves home for the Fire Nation. She takes on the role of Ambassador for her people, while facing ominous interactions with the spirit world, threats on Zuko's life, and her own journey into adulthood. My post-series headcanon. Eventual Zutara. Chapter 13: Revelation

10. Scar Tissue by Neva_Borne, 7.9/10

Rating: Not Rated

Tags: Post Canon, Canon Divergent AU, Fluff and Angst, Eventual Smut

Words: 47,535

Summary: Katara and Zuko both nearly die while fighting Azula for the Fire Nation, but the war is won. They have a long journey of physical and emotional healing ahead of them, the world is demanding their help in rebuilding, and Zuko's mother is out there, somewhere. In their mutual struggle to redefine themselves in a world that demands everything from them, they find themselves gravitating towards each other for support. And within each other, they find the strength they both desperately need.