#azula grows up in the south pole

[waterfire1848]

An au where Azula was saved by Hakoda from shipwreck when she was 2 years old and raised by him and Kya as their daughter (and got a new name since her original one is unknown)

Hello, anon!!!

1. The Royal Family goes on one of their trips to Ember Island one summer except there is a massive storm that they didn’t anticipate. The storm badly messes up their directions, causing them to start to sail south and starts to tear their boat in pieces. Ozai, Ursa and Zuko are able to stay with the biggest parts of the ship but Azula is thrown into the sea, hugging a piece of the boat so that she doesn’t drown. Because of the severity of the storm and the fact that Azula is only two, her family assumes that she passed away. She did not. Instead, Azula is still resting on the piece of the ship that she clung to when Hakoda spots her in the middle of the ocean. (Hakoda: Is that…SPIRITS! *Jumps into the ocean* Bato: Hakoda! What are you doing?! Hakoda, swimming over to Azula: It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay. I got you. Azula, weakly: Mama? Hakoda: Not mama. I’m sorry, but I can help you. Let’s get you warmed up and get some food in you.) Hakoda brings her back to his ship where they dress her in warm furs, give her drinkable water and fish to eat.

2. When she’s got clinging to life, Azula is a pretty happy and “chatty” toddler. She loves following Hakoda around the ship—she become incredibly attached to him since he saved her life—, giggling at the other men on the ship and is pretty content with sitting on the rug and listening to stories. All in all, Azula is a really easy and happy toddler. Since she’s all alone and was seen with what looked like a piece of wood from a ship, everyone assumes that her family passed away in a shipwreck. (Hakoda: We’re bringing her with us. Bato: Hakoda- Hakoda: Kya will love her and she wouldn’t forgive me for not bringing her back. Bato: Kya will love her but can you guys handle three kids? Hakoda: It’ll be good for this little one to have siblings. Plus Katara and Sokka will get along great with her. I’m sure of it. Bato: Alright. I mean, none of us are going to argue that we put her in the Earth Kingdom orphanage so….I guess you got a new daughter). Hakoda is right. Kya loves the baby girl when she first meets her and she agrees with Hakoda that the best option is for them to take her in. There’s just one problem. Azula is two and can’t say her name and Hakoda and Kya don’t know it. (Hakoda: She needs a new name. Kya: Korra? Hakoda: No. Kya: Ivalu? Hakoda: No. Kya: Eska? Hakoda: No. Kya: You pick one then. Hakoda: How about….Hinata? Kya: Hinata. I love it.)

3. Hinata(Azula), Katara and Sokka grow up close. Despite the fact that they’re from different nations, the kids never let that stop them from being siblings and calling each other brother and sister. Azula grew up just like any other child in the South Pole. When Azula’s firebending comes in is when the family reaches its first problem. Because up until that point everyone had believed Azula was an Earth Kingdom child and finding out she was a firebender makes them realize how wrong they were. Plus, Azula has been raised to see firebenders as monsters and villains so finding out she is one is heartbreaking to her. (Azula, crying into her mom’s jacket: I don’t wanna be a monster! I wanna be a waterbender like Kat! Kya: Hinata, baby, the spirits can’t change what element you bend. Azula: But I’m a monster! Kya: You’re not a monster. Those firebenders we told you about…they were raised to be horrible, but you? You’re the sweetest girl. You could never be like them. Azula: Promise? Kya: I promise. I love you, Hinata. Azula: I love you too. mom.) Azula finally accepts her moms offer to go to the caves and train in secret with Katara. Kya doesn’t want them bending in public but she doesn’t want them to ignore their skills either, so they go to a hidden cave where the girls can practice away from possible eyes.

4. Sadly, that’s not the last challenge the family faces because 2 years after Azula and Katara get their bending, when they’re eight and Sokka is nine, a raid is done on the South Pole, looking for the last waterbender. Azula initially runs to the tent and finds her mom and the soldier. Kya tells Azula to leave, saying that she can handle this but Azula refuses to leave her mom. The solder recognized that Azula is Fire Nation but he doesn’t know who she is. He tries to take her which results in Kya going full mama bear on him and grabbing a nearby sword to stab him with repeatedly. After she’s sure her daughter is okay, she hides Azula under some furs and leaves the tent to see the fight is mostly over. Hakoda returns and tells her that they didn’t take anyone but Kya tells him that they were there for Katara and what she did. The parents agree to go through the village and find whoever betrayed them but also that Katara and Azula are officially banned from bending. The raiders do not return, (funding issues) and the tribe continues on with Hakoda eventually leaving for war with all the men. This time, Kya is there to hold her three kids as they watch their father disappear into the horizon.

5. Years later, Azula, Katara and Sokka are out fishing when they come across a familiar iceberg. They break Aang out and bring him back to the village where Kya is nervous about the introduction of an airbender into their village and, low and behold, a few days later the Fire Nation is back but this time it's not a man but a young boy. (Kya really wants to ask this child where his parents are but holds herself back). This time, Azula tries to fight Zuko by firebending her blue flames at him. (Zuko: You're a firebender? Who are you!? How could you betray your own nation?! Azula: My nation? The Water Tribe is my nation and, to answer your question, my name is Hinata. Zuko: You're a....a firebender in the South Pole. Azula: Wow. I'm glad the Fire Nation is teaching basic deduction skills.) Zuko can only think of one reason why a firebender would be in the South Pole because she's the Avatar. She must have hidden her tattoos which is how no one discovered her. Azula decides to go along with this in exchange for him leaving the village alone. (Of course Kya tries to stop this and begs Zuko not to take her daughter but Azula is still taken away). Aang arrives right after Azula is taken away and promises to help get her back. Katara, Sokka, Kya, Aang and Appa all fly off to go get Azula back which is where Aang is revealed as the Avatar and the group fly away, intending to go to the North Pole so Aang and Katara can learn waterbender.

6. I didn't have space for this but just as an extra add on, Kya does eventually tell Azula that she's not biologically related to them and her real family was from the Fire Nation. Azula does know this, but still wants to call Kya and Hakoda her mother and father which they are completely okay with. No one figures out though that Azula is part of the Royal Family until Ran and Shaw. The dragons are able to sense Azula's ancestry and, with the help of the Sun Warriors, tell Zuko and Azula that they're siblings and tell Azula what her original name was. Since Zuko is the only child of Ursa and Ozai, Azulon never ordered him dead and Ursa never left, meaning that she's there when Azula returns to the palace and knows who she is. Ursa is beyond thrilled to see her daughter again but there is some tension between her and Kya for obvious reasons. (Ursa: The...replacement mother can wait a few moments. I want to spend time with my daughter. Kya: I think Hinata can decide for herself. Ursa: Hinata? An odd name choice, don't you think? Kya: And naming her after a genocidal dictator was the best name in existence? Ursa: Azula is my daughter. She needs to spend time with the woman who gave birth to her. Kya: And the woman who apparently didn't have enough common sense to grab her two year old when a storm was approaching.) They do eventually get along but it's a tough few months.

[aprileclipsestudios]

i love this type of AU so much!! Like, Ursa running and taking little Zuko and Azula to the south pole is such a cool idea. I read an AU on ao3 recently where when Ursa realized she was going to have Azula she faked her death and took little 1 year old Zuko to the south pole. The AU also had Ursa running away when she was 7 or 8 from her parents and ending up on Kyoshi Island and meeting Kya and they dubbed each other sisters in that AU, but this post reminds me of that

au where ursa takes the kids and runs and goes to the south pole because idgaf and then she meets single mom kya whos husband tragically died in battle and they become fridged mom powercouple and also we have one set of siblings who have to go and save the avatar

[sproutingliliums]

What are some Zutara fanfics you like?

thank you for asking anon! rubbing my hands together and laughing diabolically rn. most of these fics are completed, but i have a few incomplete or ongoing ones listed at the bottom.

The Color of the Stars by bluenebulae this is my zutara bible... i have read this 3 times, and i think it's still my favorite zutara fic. it diverges from canon during the day of black sun. katara and zuko are both captured and thrown into prison and after breaking out together, they become reluctant allies and travel the world in search of the gaang while also trying to warn the other nations about ozai's plans.

they call you refugee by akaiiko

an arranged marriage alternate universe where when zuko is banished, he leaves the fire nation with—actually, the summary does a pretty good job of explaining it: "Zuko goes into exile with a scar, a mission, and a wife." i think i cried the first time i read this.

refraction by caroes3725

this one's my post-war zutara bible. it is maybe the post-war swt ambassador/politician katara slow burn of all time. it is 200k+ words and it's all worth it, i promise! i prommy!!! read it now!!!! <- this along with The Color of the Stars are maybe my favorite zutara longfics. period.

Mending Wounds by FictionIsSocialInquiry

canon divergent fic where katara sees visions of zuko in the foggy swamp. except in these visions he is older, the fire lord, her husband, and he is gentle and loving, and katara feels sick to her stomach! one of my favs!!!!

lost and found by Smediterranea

hakoda discovers a young zuko, injured, and takes him in. beautiful alternate universe fic where zuko grows up in the southern water tribe with sokka and katara.

The Things We Hide by Lykegenia

katara is held in the fire nation as a political prisoner following the southern water tribe's defeat after an assault launched by fire lord ozai during sozin's comet. the swt, however, will not go down with a fight. love, love, love this one! it has painted lady katara, blue spirit zuko, a sweet romance, political intrigue, and betrayal!!! it's a fun time. also i love hama's inclusion in this :)

The Blackfish and the Dragon by ama

during the day of black sun, iroh takes matters into his own hands and becomes fire lord. shortly after, a marriage is arranged between zuko and katara in order to secure the peace. it's a beautiful arranged marriage au where everyone is so perfectly in character. i really think this fic is one of the best zutara fics out there with a natural and rewarding slow burn romance. and azula is there and she's perfect.

Smoke & Mirrors by sansonnets

blutara bible!!!!!!! that's all i got... blutara go CRAZYYY

so i can die where i met you by irridescence

canon compliant. zuko and katara, eighty years later. the fic is centered around major character death(s), so don't read if you can't handle it but i was sobbing like a fucking baby by the end of it. such a beautiful gorgeous fic that will haunt me forever.

if you don't mind incomplete or ongoing fics:

But Who's Counting? by halfhoursonearth

katara thinks zuko's going to need at least 100 healing sessions after the agni kai. lovely prose and characterization and it's so tender and sweet. just read it!!!

so let us melt, and make no noise by LittleLostStar

zuko is sent on a mission to bring back the heart of the last waterbender so he can restore his honor and return home. but when he nearly dies while in the south pole, a healer named katara saves him and nurses him back to health. (the author describes this as a kinda-sorta frozen AU, and i think it's a pretty good description haha). it's an incredible AU with so much mystery and intrigue and tension!

forgetting is a kind of mercy by nerdylizj

"Five years after Katara and Zuko go missing in Ba Sing Se, Kya and Lee are found living peacefully in the Earth Kingdom countryside." finally, i gotta plug liz's silly n goofy dai li brainwashing fic. it's so good. so painfully angsty. it's about the pain of remembering and about making hard choices and identity and parenthood!!!

[stardust948]

For the AU ask - AU where Ozai and Ursa are in a loving relationship and it’s Azulon who calls for Zuko’s death when he’s born

Azulon claims it's because Zuko's not a firebender but everyone knows it's far too soon to tell. In actuality, Azulon is testing Ozai's loyalty because he's been enjoying his bride far too much.

There are a couple of ways this could work out.

Ozai challenges Azulon to an Agni Kai. He either wins and Zuko lives, only to be faced with assassins later, or he loses and is banished until he can find the Avatar. Ursa and Zuko follow Ozai into banishment and baby Zuko and eventually Azula grow up Avatar hunting. All the while, Ursa is trying to convince Ozai to give up the fool's quest and settle down. He's about to when a bright blue light shoots out of an iceberg.

Urzai poisons Azulon far early on in canon, making Iroh FIrelord. The family then flees and restart their lives far away as peasants under new names.

Ozai smuggles Ursa and Zuko out the palace and promises to reunite with them someday. Azulon forces him to remarry, and he has Azula. Ozai is distance with her since she's everything Azulon wanted right down to the name. Azula eventually learns of Ozai's first family who he misses dearly and becomes jealous. She swears to hunt them down and bring them to justice.

Urzai fakes Zuko's death and smuggle him out the nation. One thing leads to another, and baby Zuko ends up in the South Pole and taken in by a certain Water Family.

[linnoya-writes]

Kataang “But it’s only a 2-year age difference!” argument

Ah yes.  The amount of times KAs bellow this, along with “...but Katara was a mother to everyone!” can wallpaper my entire apartment.  

Let me deep-dive as to why a 2-year age difference is actually much more significant between a mature teenager like Katara and a carefree kid like Aang, particularly in the universe of ATLA.

The ATLA world isn’t structured like our modern day, where 14/15-year-old girls worry about Algebra tests and Homecoming dates, or 12/13-year-old boys only have to skip down a couple blocks from their junior high to the big-kid school to meet their first crush “forever girl” for some ice-cream and Instagram Selfies after her friendly tennis practice, and French Kiss under the bleachers before her big brother catches them and nearly vomits from Oogies.

Oh no.  The ATLA world is very much a dystopian, post-war world... where children like Katara, Sokka, Suki, Jet, Yue, Azula and Zuko had to forfeit any sense of normal childhood and instead take up more mature responsibilities for themselves and those around them.  Toph even had to learn to be independent and raise herself for survival, despite being the same age as Aang.

What separates Aang from the other young characters is that he actually got to have a normal childhood.  

Aang lived in the air temples, where monks lived in isolation and cultivated their own food and treated living things differently from the rest of the world.  They travelled everywhere, but kids like Aang were shielded from any sense of conflict or confrontation, and they definitely weren’t raised to see the world as a societal, economical hierarchy.  The pre-ATLA AirNomad world raised carefree innocent kids who got to take their time to grow up, because they never had to prepare for a brutal, cruel, unforgiving world where people and creatures they loved could die outside of natural causes.

Aang mastered airbending naturally, and for fun.  It wasn’t to prepare for war, but for his proud cultural heritage.  On the other hand, Katara worked herself to the bone to master waterbending... not for fun... but to fight in a war, to help train the Avatar to end this 100-year-war, and to maintain a delicate connection to her cultural heritage that has all but died out.  

Katara and Aang’s perspectives have been different since the beginning.

And the “2 years is not that big a deal!” argument totally overlooks their maturity gap as characters.

Katara was a girl raised in a remote war-torn village in the South Pole.  She lost her mother in this war and had to internalize that grief for years as she took up more adult responsibilities to help her small village.  By the time she was Aang’s age, she cooked for people, cleaned for people, helped raise other people’s children... and, as seen in the S.2 episode “The Serpent’s Pass,” she didn’t flinch when having to deliver babies out of women’s vaginas.

Katara is 14, going on 25.

Aang, not having been raised in a war, was a kid.  He was that carefree, playful, innocent soul up in the Southern Air Temple who loved games, and recess, and pulling pranks on his teachers.  At the age of 12, Aang still hasn’t had to learn to be responsible in an economical world that functions through jobs, currency, and self-sufficiency (and he’ll probably never have to, since the Avatar title rewards him with free-loading hospitality anywhere he goes).  When Katara someone isn’t willing to cook for him, Aang’s instinct is to dumpster-dive for lettuce, as seen in the S.3. episode “The Headband”.  This is also the episode where, not only is Katara comfortable enough to dress up as Aang’s (pregnant!) mom, but Aang gleefully shows off his grade-school crafting skills with dried-macaroni collage artwork of Ozai-- you know, the kind that children usually give to their parents to proudly post on the refrigerator?  And this wasn’t sweet-innocent doe-eyed Aang from Season 1.  This was kid-emotionally-processing-some-real-world-shit-Season 3 Aang.  His maturity was still lacking.  And let’s not forget that, before the iceberg... the most horrifying thing Aang had to deal with was cleaning his own room.

Aang was 12, going on 8.

Even in the final scene of the show, Aang is still that kid, sitting on the ground and playfully teasing his pet lemur with a toy while the older teens mingle with tea and paintings and critical-thinking games like PaiSho.

The maturity gap was very much present through the end.

And I have a hard time believing Aang even knew what a vagina was, by the time he and Katara french-kissed in the finale. 

Look.  The point is not whether or not Aang did know.  The point is, you, a hypothetical Kataang fan... had to stop for a moment to consider that.

And that’s what makes Kataang weird.

Now excuse me while I grab some more wallpaper glue. :P

[ilikepjo24]

Hi, have any sokkla fics recommendations? Thanks!

Of course I do! I'm not sure whether or not you want smut or if you want a one shot vs a multi chapter story so I'll list a bit of all the categories

Prisoners dilemma by PurplePlatypusBear21

In an alternate universe where Mai and Ty Lee betray Azula slightly earlier, Sokka finds the princess trapped in the Boiling Rock, barely clinging to life and sanity. What will he do?

(No smut, multiple chapters, fluff, hurt/comfort)

P a i n t by lotusunset

After Suki's untimely death, Sokka needs to do a little soul-searching. Along the way he finds Azula living in a small town, making a humble living as an artist. He also discovers she's keeping a secret she didn't even know she had.

(No smut if I remember correctly, multiple chapters, hurt/comfort)

Accidentally posted this when I just wanted to edit it and add more fics, please ignore for now

All the pain of yesterday by ButterflyGirl006

Her own body is killing her, and she is so far from home.

OR

Azula falls irreversibly ill and has to make it back home in order to die properly by Fire Nation standards. But home is miles away, and filled with people she doesn't remember.

(no smut, multiple chapters, mostly focuses on Azula and her relationship with everyone around her but does contain Sokkla, hurt/comfort)

Can you handle the heat? by tjlyricz

Wax drizzled over his chest. Azula left a more than a generous amount on his right nipple. Tears pricked the sides of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He refused to give her the satisfaction of breaking him.

"You're a horrible liar, Sokka." Azula tilted the candle again, this time spilling a small stream over his left nipple. She drank in his cry of pain. "I can't help but wonder if you secretly like me treating you like this."

(smut, one shot, tw non-con)

Gladiator by Seyary_Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation has taken over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

(eventual smut, multiple chapters, slow burn, occasional hurt/comfort)

The Blizzard by DeadDirector

They were supposed to be in the South Pole for the Festival of the Winter Solstice. However, the harsh and unyielding blizzard had other plans for them. Trapped in an igloo together, newlyweds Sokka and Azula have to come up with something to pass the time.

(Smut, fluff, one shot)

My Slave Boy by dickard23

"No kissing on the lips," she said to him. "It's too personal." After his invasion fails, Sokka agrees to become Azula's slave to free Suki from Boiling Rock. Follow them as they go from slave/master to lovers and eventual spouses and all of the chaos along the way.

(smut, multiple chapters, eventual fluff, I know that it sounds like it but it's not really 100% non-con, more like meaningless angry sex)

The wine, not the label by PurplePlatypusBear21

"You're sure you're gay, right?" Azula asked with hopeful skepticism. "Yeah…" Sokka replied, the upward inflection of his voice betraying his uncertainty. "Then why are you staring at me like that?"

(No smut I think, multiple chapters, humor and romance)

The Failed Search AU by AKIIZAYOI4869

When Sokka sees Zuko dangling Azula over a cliff, his big brother instincts kick in and he decides to step in before things get worse.

&

Part 2 of The Failed Search AU. Zuko has finally found Ursa, but things still don't feel right. Meanwhile, Sokka decides that the best way for Azula to heal is to take her away from the fire nation, and after a suggestion from Suki, he takes her to Kyoshi island.

Azula gets the healing that she deserves, Sokka discovers that somewhere along the way his feelings towards Azula began to change, and Zuko has a lot of growing up to do.

(No smut, part 1 is a one shot, part 2 has multiple chapters and is not complete, hurt/comfort)

Sokka's Dumb Decision by sthomasf

Sokka get off work at Republic City, and heads to bar. There, like most nights, he makes an incredibly dumb decision

(no smut, one shot, fluff, humor, angst)

Interruptions and a Confession by AKIIZAYOI4869

Sokka attempts to confess his feelings to Azula but keeps on getting interrupted. He is not amused.

(no smut, one shot, humor, romance)

Surprise by OnceUponACaskett

“Um, whatcha got there, Sokka?” Aang managed to squeak out.

Sokka grinned and held out the cup in his hand. “Oh it’s mango-papaya juice! Want some?”

“Uh…not what I meant. Other hand, buddy.”

OR

A short drabble about Sokka visiting Katara and Aang and bringing Azula with him.

(no smut, one shot, fluff, humor, inspired by fanart)

Okay now I'm done, if you need more recommendations don't hesitate to ask

[hello-nichya-here]

What is your opinion on Katara as a character. How do you think she should develop after the show ends. Many were upset at her comics portrayal almost as much as Azula.

As I've said before, the comics are just Yang's fanfic, with Zuko being his self-insert into the story. I do not take it as canon.

As for Katara in the original show, I actually had a conversation about it with @dragomer very recently. Our conclusion was basically that she is mostly a good character that we still like, but there were moments when the writers dropped the ball simply because of lack of attention.

She starts off struggling to bend, especially when compared to Aang, then suddenly she can put up a pretty good fight against Pakku, becomes Aang's teacher, and is basically shown as a prodigy.

We see her steal from pirates and use the fact that they stole all the stuff they have as an excuse, then berate Toph for doing the exact same thing in "The Runaway"

Again, it's nothing too major, say like the complete character assassination everyone went through in the comics, but it could have and should have been done better, especially in the later seasons (I give book 1 a bit of pass since the writers were still kind of figuring the characters and world out).

For her future, I imagine that she will still be with Aang, and they'll spend half of their time in the South Pole, trying to rebuild it with her family, and the other half flying all over the world to help people, or to visit their friends, or just because they want to go on a vacation somewhere nice. Whenever she's not on work mode, she's playing, being goofy, just relaxing a bit, or enjoying some quality time with her loved ones.

She'll be a known healer and fighter, and will sometimes teach some special classes in the North Pole, but mostly her focus is on helping the waterbenders of her own tribe as it grows once more.

I see her and Aang getting married in their early 20s, but only having kids much later on (mid to late 30s), when they're more mature and the world doesn't need their help as much as it used to on the years immediately after the war.

I see her, Aang, and honestly the entire Gaang, being the kind of old people that are trouble makers, way more than they ever were as kids, because with the world almost completely stable, and their children fully raised and independent, they don't owe shit to nobody anymore and will do whatever they want.

Katara will be probably be the kind, loving granny that will just say some wild shit about her life when she was younger to bait her grandkids into begging her to tell them about how awesome and badass she is and she will go "Well, if you insist... here's how I literally I brought your grandpa back to life, saving him, the Avatar cycle, and the world all at once"

[mysticaltora8276]

Wow, that sounds way better than what we got in the comics. The Rift can be an exploration of Yudao and how the growing rift between multicultural society and their surrounding communities. As for the non-bender and bender arguments that can also be brought up with non-benders, for example, gaining more political power, and pushing against benders who have traditionally held power. That could be more of a political fight and possibly Sokka and Suki involved in this… Because aside from her own solo comic she hasn’t really done much.

North and south can easily explore like the commented about what was going on in the south pole and how things are changing. I don’t see a big problem with it and I still think I’m gonna work with even within the continuity of what you’ve suggested. Well I think so anyway.

Smoke and shadows? Oh that thing would have to be rewritten from the ground up. That would go back to Azula and the “sapphire dragon” and either there attempted getting her to rule or she kind of in a warped way decides to help him by being tyrannical or something. I don’t know. I thought that that idea was interesting even though they played up the “lol she’s crazy” angle. And Azula’s solo comic could easily be about her, escaping from the aftermath of that group getting shut down and her going to the spirit temple and then realizing that her life is messed up and she really needs to find a center for herself.

The comics were a waste of time and a pile of missed opportunities, that’s as clear as water, but the question that got into my mind is: what missed opportunities contained that pile that could’ve made the comics more entertaining and compelling?

Everyone has their own ideas and here is a list of mine:

1. The discontent and anger of the Fire Nation militia, court, and population at having Zuko as the new Fire Lord after he technically committed treason by joining the Avatar.

2. Iroh’s destruction of his popularity in the court and militia of the Fire Nation for treason too.

3. Aang asks for advice from Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, and Yangchen after receiving the news of uprisings against Zuko’s rule.

4. The introduction of Avatar Szeto* and his legacy as the uniter of the Fire Nation by Kyoshi and Yangchen** and how he could help.

5. Aang and Zuko’s dilemma with the Fire Nation: Will Aang let the Fire Nation fall apart and put his efforts into the victims of the war or also include the enemy nation in his duty despite the hatred of the other nations? And will Zuko resort to violence and fear to keep his birthright safe risking becoming like his father or will he try to be more understanding of the feelings of his people and connect with them?

6. The issue with the colonies: from how Sozin created the first colony through invasion to the multicultural mix and wealth of Yudao. How can they separate people of different nationalities that have created a new community with a life and history of its own without causing a bigger conflict?

7. King Kuei’s character development. Aang teaches him how to be more confident and assertive without losing kindness or softness.

8. Aang and Zuko balance duties between the Fire Nation reparations to the SWT, the NWT, and the Earth Kingdom due to the war, and how to deal with Yudao.

9. The multiple witnesses of the White Lotus' attack on Ba Sing Se get Piandao in huge trouble with the Fire Nation because he committed treason.***

10. King Kuei discovers that Iroh, the Dragon of the West and the general who sieged Ba Sing Se, is living in the city as the owner of the tea shop ‘The Jasmin Dragon’ and orders his troops to jail him. ^

11. Zuko’s new dilemma: Will he help his uncle and provoke the wrath of the Earth King and the start of a new war or let Iroh face his crimes and mistakes? Aang’s new dilemma: Will he help Zuko free Iroh despite his duties as Avatar or risk his friendship with him to ensure peace?

12. Yudao and the other multicultural colonies, Aang, Zuko, and the Earth King Kuei have a meeting and Yudao and the other colonies become a new nation they call Republic City with its own council and rules. ^^

13. Zuko and the Gaang try to find the best way to deal with the issues concerning Zuko’s reputation in the Fire Nation, Iroh being in jail, Piandao facing persecution from the Fire Nation for being a traitor, the multiple uprisings on the Fire Nation, and how the FN will fix the damage caused by its war without falling apart.

14. Zuko makes a list of certain people with enough wits and political influence to help him with these problems: Mai, because she is the daughter of a politician, and Azula, who’s way smarter and more liked than him much to his chagrin.

*_**Avatar Szeto, welp, I know the comics that mentioned/talked about him are the Kyoshi novels and the Yangchen novels (this one is still unfinished as far as I know) which were published years after the comics so the info is insufficient. However, his introduction would be great for the characterization of a bureaucratic Avatar and how Aang and Szeto might interact with one another. Also, how Szeto might react to the changes and actions of the Fire Nation is another golden opportunity too.

***There is no way Piandao would get out of this. I don’t know if the White Lotus killed the FN soldiers put on Ba Sing Se or just knocked them all out but I bet a lot or some of them might have recognized him and word spread out in the FN.

^Yep, it’s time for Iroh to ‘face the music’ instead of getting the easy way out of his problems and responsibilities. Besides, with Feng and the Dai Li out of commission, King Kuei can catch up with all the war information he might have been prevented to know about like for example the man who sieged his city and is living there as if nothing had happened.

^^I think the colonies and Yudao need to be their own nation, IMO. Having the Avatar, the new Fire Lord, and the Earth King accept and respect their independence instead of trying to force the separation of different cultures that fused a long time ago to ensure peace can be a compelling arc.

This is all for The Promise's new ideas. Now to The Search:

1. Character interactions and development for the Fire Quartet AKA Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee. Instead of Ty Lee being part of the Kyoshi Warriors, she decides to stay with Mai for while. Mai is with an aunt and helping her with her flower shop because her parents have become overbearing and insufferable after Bumi recovered Omashu and Zuko helped the Avatar defeat Ozai and took the throne.

2. Mai will help Zuko with the uprisings and his reputation as Fire Lord in front of the court but warns him that she also committed treason by saving him in the Boiling Rock, so her efforts might be limited. Mai disagrees with him about asking Azula for help because after their Agni Kai is more likely that she doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore.

3. Zuko gives an awkward apology to Ty Lee concerning the events of The Beach, he also asks her for some sibling advice because he wants to ask Azula for help. Ty Lee tells him to be honest though she doesn’t have helpful sibling advice due to her own family history. She also asks him how Azula is doing and Zuko lies to her saying “Oh…fine”

4. Azula isn’t put into a straight jacket, instead, she is given her own room in the mental institution and is monitored 24/7, with nurses and a spiritual counselor to help her but after the Agni Kai with Zuko, she has become closed-off and numb, and lashes out at anyone who pushes her to open up.

5. Zuko tries to ask Azula for help but is ignored and he leaves in frustration. He asks for the Gaang’s sibling advice but not even they know what to do with Azula and think asking her for help is too risky. Aang proposes to talk with her and Katara joins him just in case Azula does something.

6. Azula doesn't even react when Aang and Katara visit her but lashes out at Aang’s well-intentioned insistence.

7. Sokka and Toph hear rumors of clandestine groups of loyalists: Ozai-loyalist and Azula-loyalist who want either of them on the throne instead of Zuko and plan a way to investigate.

8. Zuko suffers an assassination attempt at night from one of the members of the Ozai-loyalist group called “The return of the Phoenix” and the assassin is put into jail for interrogation.

9. Zuko grows paranoid and irritable because of the silence of the assassin and the high probability of an invasion of the prison that might free Ozai despite that he has been debended by Aang.

10. Sokka and Toph discover a plan for an Azula-loyalist group called “The Sapphire Dragon” in which they will try to break into the mental institution and free Azula to put her on the throne and get rid of Zuko.

11. Zuko asks Mai to keep an eye on Azula because of the loyalist group that wants to get her out of the facility.

12. Mai is the only one, surprisingly for her, that gets a reaction out of Azula as she opens up a little bit and shows some sarcasm to her by saying “Well, at least you're more interesting to talk to than Zuzu. Even turtleducks have a better idea of what to do with the country.” Mai asks her what would she do if she were Fire Lord but that gets Azula to be closed-off again.

13. The plan of “The Sapphire Dragon” is never taken into action which causes the intended outcome as Zuko, still paranoid, takes Azula back to the palace. Some of the royal guards are members of the loyalist group and they kidnap Azula during the night and set the whole palace on fire to kill Zuko.

14. The Gaang, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee team up to defeat “The Sapphire Dragon” and search for Azula but one of the members tells them it's over, that is a matter of time before the throne goes back to its true owner and for the traitorous prince to pay the price. Zuko tries to get info from the member but they keep their mouth shut no matter Zuko’s threats to make them suffer.

15. Azula wakes up in an unknown part of the Fire Nation and is welcomed by her new followers, a fraction of “The Sapphire Dragon”.

Those are all the ideas I have for The Search. My brain is so dry right now, I don't know how to continue with The Rift, North and South, and Smoke and Shadow but I'll find some inspiration later. Hopefully.

[sorcerymuses]

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, Last Bender in the South

Height: 5'2"-5'7" Hair: waist length, dark brown Eyes: Blue FC: Anna Lambe Birthday: February 21

The only surviving Water Bender in the Southern Water Tribe, Katara had to grow up at a very young age with the death of her mother and the responsibility of village matriarch fell to her when her grandmother was unable. When she was a teenager, she and her brother found the missing Avatar and decided to go with him to master the elements and end the Hundred Year War with the Fire Nation...

At the North Pole, when seeking a bending master, she was confronted with a sexist tradition that she battled. Her success in fighting tradition led to her being declared a master and adequate to continue teaching Aang in their travels.

During the comet that blazed above the final battle of the War she helped contain Princess Azula and saved Zuko from dying by the lightning strike he took for her.

[waterfire1848]

Avatar AU (Dragon AU meets Fire Siblings raised in the South Pole AU)- While looking around after a storm, Kya and Hakoda come across two frozen children. They bring the kids back to the Tribe to warm up. Only a few days later do they realize that they accidentally rescued the prince and princess of the Fire Nation who just so happen to also be baby dragons.

[themadmanandhisbox]

A year or two ago there was a post asking for Sokkla headcanons going around, and so I'm finally making a master post of my own Sokkla Headcanons, divorced from the older post.

Azula pretends to hate the cold but being a prodigious Firebender she can lower and raise her body temperature to compensate. Sokka discovers this their first night in the South Pole as she becomes his personal space heater by accident and she strangely doesn’t mind as it means more cuddles.

This also works with keeping bathwater warm longer. Sokka frequently loses track of time when they bathe together as she keeps the water just as warm as it was in the beginning.

Sokka and Azula both being strategic and tactical geniuses, frequently play Pai Sho together. And are at such a level that Uncle Iroh is often left in awe when he watches them play. Anytime he’s challenged one of them he’s swiftly defeated and despite the loss, he’s ecstatic. Most Pai Sho players utilize a basic strategy(such as The White Lotus Gambit for the OWL members) but Sokka and Azula realize the weakness in that and rarely use the same strategy twice.

After the war, Sokka went back to Piandao and trained for several more months, and then trained with Mai to get better with throwing weapons, and then Ty Lee on how to Chi Block and to become more agile. This leaves him a very dangerous and skilled nonbender and he and Azula spar together several times a week. The Royal Guard and even Zuko watch on in awe.

Azula had never had a reason to use weapons as she was always strong with her bending unlike Zuzu, but since dating Sokka she took an interest in it, and she’s a warrior through and through. Sokka is amazed at how quickly she picks it up.

Azula is incredibly proud of Sokka’s creativity and inventions and often helps give him ideas, oftentimes not even meaning too. She also helps him name his inventions as she finds his naming scheme awful.

This one can be a before they started dating/helped them grow closer, but as they both serve as Zuko’s Chief Advisors, they come up with groundbreaking ideas together and often improve the other's ideas with something the other hadn’t even thought of. This has led to some amazing policy and change in the Fire Nation and has helped immensely with their Foreign relations.

Azula will never openly admit it but she loves food almost as much as Sokka and has introduced him to some of the Fire Nations' most delicious dishes that he hadn’t tried.

Azula is awful at doing her hair herself, so Sokka does it for her and gets her to experiment with other styles(keeping her trademark bangs ofc) and she is surprised about it. When she asks him why he's so good at it he tells her about how after their mother was killed someone had to help Katara with her hair.

This one is more Canon than HC, but I largely disregard the comics. But Azula loves her Mochi. Anytime she's feeling down Sokka gets the Palace kitchen to make her some and he gets her an assortment of Mochi for her birthdays.

One of the things Azula started doing after being released from the Mental Institute is painting. It's a form of therapy and helps her a lot. She was never allowed to have hobbies under Ozai and is finally free to explore herself. When she learns that Sokka also paints she's surprised. When she sees some of his works, including a giant painting that takes up almost a whole wall, of the Moon reflecting off a body of water(the giant wall painting is from @madamezuki Blood & Fire but it's so good I like it as well and just integrated it into my HC's and scenarios). His work leaves her speechless and she's surprised he's so skilled. They spend time in the palace gardens painting together.

Azula and Sokka being the extremely intelligent individuals they both are, love reading. History, arts, sciences. It doesn't matter. They spend a ton of time together in the libraries in either palace or his loft library in his penthouse reading together.

[the-magnificent-otaku-draws]

I have ONE (1) taker so I will spill. Introducing my new Avatar Toph AU

Avatar: The Last Beifong

The story starts off with Lao and Poppy Beifong. After the genocide of the almost all Air Nomads and mass killings of water benders in the Southern Water tribe, the Beifongs knew they could not let anyone find out their daughter is the next Avatar. They already baby her for her blindness, but now knowing the Fire Nation is looking for her they refuse to let the world know she even exists. She is sheltered by her parents, not even the servants knowing who she really is

At least until Iroh shows up at their doorstep

He was known as the finest tea maker in Ba Sing Se, Iroh gladly taking the chance to move to Gaoling as one of the Beifong's servants. At first Toph doesn't think he's any different from other servants, but that all changes a while after she met the Badger Moles once he catches her trying to earthbend. Instead of telling her parents he teaches her what it means to be an Earthbender spiritually and eventually what the rest of the elements mean (Sort of like how he did with Zuko in Bitter Work). That's when Toph notices he's different than the others. Even though he cares about her and does sometime do a bit of worrying he still treats her like an actual person instead of a glass doll.

After that they grow close, both as family and as mentor and student. He encourages her to practice her bending in secret while advocating for her in front of her parents, doing everything he can to convince them to give her agency. After a while they get sick of Iroh trying to parent their daughter the exact opposite of how they do and fire him. After Iroh accepts his fate he tells her that she always meant a lot him, seeing her as his niece at this point. Toph stomps off,pissed that the only friend and parent figure she really trusts is leaving forever, and in that anger she ends up firebending for the first time. Iroh is the only one who sees, and in a panic he tells her to pack whatever she can and they run away from the Beifong mansion.

After some traveling (and befriending a lost bison looking for her owner) they get stuck in a storm and realizing all her friends could die unlocks her Avatar State and she freezes them all in an iceberg

A hundred years pass and the entire Beifong bloodline everyone they assumed had some sort of relationship with them are all tracked down in their search for Toph and killed by the Fire Nation. Years pass and the world forgets of the Flying Boar symbol and the family behind it, the last member of their bloodline found in the South Pole by the last water bender of the Southern Tribe, Yue and her adoptive brother Jet. Now it's up to them to help Toph learn all four elements before the return of Sozin's comet and evade General Zhao and the banished Princess Azula

Btw I have an Avatar Toph AU featuring accidental nanny Iroh and waterbender Yue if anyone wants to hear

[ap-kinda-lit]

Here's how I would’ve wrapped up ATLA:

That kiss at the end? Never happened. Instead, it ends with the Gaang gathered together on the balcony (Aang, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Katara, and Zuko).

Katara stays behind in the Fire Nation because she's worried about Zuko's scar from Azula. Katara becomes an ambassador and spends time between the South Pole and Fire Nation. She and Zuko bond further and they as much of their free time together as they can.

Mai and Zuko's reconciliation doesn't last long when they see how much they've changed and that their feelings aren't the same, so they amicably split up. Mai does suspect that Zuko has feelings for Katara when she sees how well they get along and she surprises herself because she doesn't feel angry about it and this goes to prove that she and Zuko's feelings for each other don't exist anymore and that it was just a childhood romance.

Katara realizes that her feelings for Aang are purely sibling-like and she feels guilty for it but doesn't give any romance between her or Aang a chance because she knows it wouldn't be fair for either of them. She tries make up for her non-reciprocated feelings by staying as loyal to him as much as she can but he still tries to pursue a relationship with her. He gets jealous of her and Zuko's growing relationship and is frustrated that she still won't give him a chance since the war is over now. Eventually Katara's patience wears thin and she finally snaps at him. This causes a strain in their relationship and Aang does start to think that the problem lies with him.

Katara helps Zuko find his mother and is there for him the whole time and after he finally finds her and her family. Their partnership in the journey cements their feelings for one another. When the assassination attempts start up, they both fear losing each other and finally admit their feelings. Because of the fragility of their situation, they keep their relationship secret. Soon, when things are calming down, they make their relationship known to the Gaang and Zuko's inner circle of counselors.

Aang is, of course, devastated. As much as he knows Katara doesn't feel the same for him, he's still heartbroken and is jealous. His turmoil gets the best of him during a training session and he butts heads with Katara and Zuko and the others for his outburst. Aang talks with the past avatars and he sees how happy Zuko and Katara are together and all the good that comes from their relationship. He comes to terms with the realization that he needs to change and work on himself and he decides to travel alone for some time to reflect. Before he departs he apologizes and things between him and Zuko and Katara are left with hope.

Zuko and Katara date for a couple of years until Katara's sixteen and Zuko's eighteen when Zuko proposes. Katara of course accepts. They are officially betrothed but their wedding takes place once Katara is eighteen because there's still work to be done and they're both still young. When they are married and Katara becomes Fire Lady, the political atmosphere is significantly improved: Katara has become beloved by the people for her kindness and good deeds and she's accepted as a major influence, equal to the Fire Lord. Zuko and Katara's relationship is also accepted as a peaceful union between the Fire Nation and Water Tribes and they're made an example of balance and prosperity between differing elements.

When Zuko and Katara do finally marry, Aang has grown a lot. He is one of Zuko and Katara's biggest supporters and he is able to atone for his past behaviors and do better, thus starting a new and better friendship with Katara and Zuko. Zuko and Katara are the ones to ask him to be the one to officiate them, since he's the Avatar and it's a perfect compromise between their cultures' different customs. Aang happily accepts and he does his job perfectly.

Zuko and Katara have their first child two or three years after they marry. They end up with five kids in total: Kya, Reo, Izumi, Iroh II, and Aya.

Aang is named Kya's godfather and he's a devoted (and silly) uncle to all five kids.

Since they both have grown a lot and are now adults, Aang and Toph reconnect and they develop feelings for each other. They eventually marry and have kids of their own who grow up as friends with Zuko & Katara and Suki & Sokka's kids.

When the kids are all grown up and they've grown old, Zuko abdicates the throne in favor of Kya, who he thinks is now ready to take the reigns. Zuko and Katara retire to the Southern Water Tribe but they do visit the Fire Nation now and then to see how things are going and to see their family (their kids visit them at the South Pole as well). When Aang passes and Korra is born, Zuko and Katara are the ones to train her and send her to the Fire Nation to further training with their kids and grandkids once Korra is old enough. From there, Korra goes to Republic City to join Aang and Toph's kids and their families.

[blinday]

Okay I admit I came up with a concept of time travel where old Zuko (who will not be based off LoK) goes back to being 10 years old right before his mother disappearing and he's just- well fuck it I'll raise my baby sister.

It'd start with the fire siblings playing Pai Sho, both old rags, and they tease themselves about their moves in the game and how it reflects on their respective personalities. (Like how professor X in chess always plays the peons first and protects the king and magneto just goes like fuck it my first move is endangering myself as a bait - I may be confusing fandoms but whatever).

They have tea and walk around the palace, eventually stopping to feed the turtleducks. Azula admits she always wanted to be like this with him. Close, warm, but never had a chance to because she didn't know how to do it.

ANYWAYS, Zuko goes back in time after dying lmao yes. He says fuck you to everyone who antagonizes his lil baby sis and protects her bc she deserves love and kindness. I am torn between having him run away with her at age of 13 or being banished and scarred but for an entirely different reason, Azula-related of course because I'm pretending this fic is about Zuko just to bait his stans.

What happens next? I can't write because I have so many different possibilities that my brain hurts. They could go to the Earth Kingdom and end up as Toph's maid and reader, they could be adopted by the Freedom Fighters (named as Dao and Bluna - pun intended) (and yes I just love the concept of Dao Samurai Zuko and Ninjazula so this is my favourite route)

And Zuko starts to loose some parts of his memory of the past life but he keeps his old mind and slang. Azula is the brains even then, and kind of becomes the leader of the FF.

OR, they could end up in the South Pole, where baby Sokka and Katara are just growing up and being adopted into Kanna and Hakoda's family (they could change names here too, just so to Bluna and Dao becomes canon in my mind)

OOOR they could become FRICKING PIRATES!

OOOOR they could KILL Ozai in that Agni Kai TOGETHER, and just go "well we won it together so we might as well rule together".

OOOORRRRR they could STOP Ozai from trying to get the throne and Mom never leaves!

SO MANY POSSIBILITIES

[lphoenixspiritl]

Sokka dug gloved hands into the snow, "You grab some like this, and roll into a ball." Spotting Aang, a wicked smirk curled on his tan features. He looked to Azula, "Now here's the important part, you find your target and take aim," Sokka carefully tracked his friend skating along a hill in the distance, "AND THROW!" The ball of packed white powder raced through the frigid air before colliding into the side of Aang's head with a wet smack. The young Avatar fell back in surprise and slid down the rest of the hill on his rear end. Further back, he could hear Katara yell, Zuko next to her did his best to stifle a laugh. It earned him a well placed elbow in the ribs. Ignoring his sister's spat with the Fire Lord, he turned to the Fire Princess and gave a grand bow, "And that, young snowhare, is how it's done." Azula remained silent as he stood, her face thoughtful. "What do you think?" he asked her. "It's rather primitive and unrefined ... yet satisfying." Azula bit the inside corner of her lip, "What did you say they were called again?" Sokka's face cracked into smiled, "They're called snowballs." ... "This is highly inefficient. Stopping to make a new snowball every time you throw?"

"Well yeah, the heat from your hands helps keep them together, once you put them down they fall apart."

"So why not use fireballs? They don't fall apart." Azula demonstrated with a palm-sized sapphire flame.

Sokka closed her hand extinguishing the small flame, "I don't know, maybe because that would hurt people."

Azula rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Fine, what about ice? Ice doesn't fall apart."

"Because that would also hurt people."

"Then what's the point."

Sokka threw his arms in the air, "To have fun!"

"You call launching ineffective attacks on your allies, fun?"

"Yes." Sokka groaned, dragging a palm down his face.

"I guess I can see how one might find that amusing. I still say ice would be highly effective." Azula bored, examined her nails, "A little ice never hurt anyone."

"Katara literally defeated you with a block of ice."

"How would you know, you weren't there."

"Your brother told me."

"My brother's an idiot"

"Well, at least that's something we both can agree on."

Sokka glanced back toward the hill where Aang - having outgrown otter penguins - was dragging a sled up its steep side. Further back Katara and Zuko huddled against the cold, were deep in conversation.

Following Sokka's gaze, Azula smiled, "Those two have been quite close since we got to the South Pole."

"Yea, a little too close," Sokka grumbled, he turned to look at her, "What did you say before?"

"My brother's an idiot."

"No before that."

"A little ice never hurt anyone?"

"I think you might have something there." Sokka hopped up and started gathering some snow, "What if the snowballs were like those sweet brown things you guys had at the palace?"

"Gulab jamun? Those are soggy and make for ineffective projectiles." Azula stated as a matter of fact.

"No, smaller, one of them had coconut-lychee crème in it?" Sokka got a dreamy look, "They were so good."

"Do you mean truffles?"

"I guess? They were soft in the middle and a chocolate shell."

"Truffles." Azula confirmed, "How is candy supposed to help you defeat your adversaries."

"First of all, what did we say about friends?"

Azula rolled her eyes.

"Saaay it." Sokka chided.

"Ugh" Azula recited his words in a droning deadpan, "Friends are friends, not adversaries, enemies or opponents unless they first enthusiastically consent to a spar in which case we are not to purposely hurt, maim or cause them death."

"Exactly." Sokka beamed, "Ok so what if we made snowball truffles."

Azula raised a brow, "I don't follow."

"Like you said, a little ice never hurt anyone."

The watertribesman's mischievous smirk was beginning to grow on her, "I'm listening."

"Ok, if our snowballs had a layer of ice around them, they wouldn't fall apart, right? And if it's thin like the chocolate on those truffles, then it'll break easily without hurting anyone."

"You lost me again."

"If we melt just the outer layer, it's cold enough that it'll refreeze into a hard shell almost instantly. The only question is if your firebending control up to the task?"

"I'm the best Firebender there is, second only to my father." Azula declared.

It was Sokka's turn to raise a brow

"And maybe that buffoon I call an uncle."

Sokka softened, "You know, your brother and your uncle, they really care about you."

For a fraction of a moment, Azula's haughty expression faltered. If he had only blinked he would have missed it.

"Bringing me to this frigid wasteland to learn waterbending of all things is caring?" Azula asked incredulously anger burning up the edges of her words.

Sokka had no answers for her.

"It's prettied up imprisonment and you know it." she spat pinning him with eyes of molten gold.

She had made great strides since Iroh and Zuko had brought her here, but she was still angry. Understandably so, the controlled and meticulous princess had no control, no say in what happened to her. She was still earning their trust back and she would be a prisoner until she did.

Sokka sighed, "I won't lie to you, as much as everyone is trying to help you, you're right, you are a prisoner and there isn't much you can do about it."

Azula silently observed the young man before her, he was an idiot like her brother but he was the first to be upfront and honest with her, it was something she could respect. She gave him a nod to continue.

"I can't teach you waterbending forms like Pakku or how to find inner balance like Aang. I can't offer you any words of wisdom like Gran and Iroh. I can't set you free from whatever this is either."

"So what can you do?" Azula asked pointedly.

"I can help you make the best of a shitty situation."

"And how would you do that?"

Sokka handed Azula a snowball, and that same mischievous smirk appeared on his face, "By showing you what fun is."

…

Drawn by the yelling Pakku ran out of his tent and stopped in his tracks, mouth agape at the scene before him.

Katara his best student and Zuko the reigning Fire Lord streaked past him running for their lives.

"SOKKA CUT IT OUT!" Katara yelled over her shoulder.

"THIS ISN'T WHAT WE MEANT BY MAKING FRIENDS!" Zuko shouted.

In hot pursuit of the pair was Sokka, the future chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe with Azula Princess of the Fire Nation atop his shoulders flinging snowballs at a blinding pace.

"La help us," Pakku muttered heading back inside, "I'm getting too old for this."

[discordiansamba]

some other changes to the timeline include:

kya is still alive. hakoda never goes off to war. katara and sokka grow up with both of their parents.

(jet isn't as lucky. both of his parents die in a fire. the cause? arson. it's never concluded for sure that it was started by a firebender, but jet's already made up his mind.)

the south pole's waterbenders are never subject to capture, so hama stays in the south pole and becomes an important figure to katara. she becomes not only her waterbending mentor, but also aang's- teaching him the southern style, in contrast to pakku who teaches him the northern style.

(they absolutely cannot stand each other.)

iroh inherits the throne from azulon and reigns as fire lord for a number of years until ozai's betrayal.

ursa does still marry ozai as part of an arranged marriage, but eventually divorces him with iroh's blessing to return to hira'a and marry ikem. he does not allow her to take either of their children with him.

she still sends them letters. zuko reads his. azula pretends she doesn't read hers.

the white lotus wanted to take aang away from gyatso too, but he manages to convince them to allow him to accompany them. he will need an airbending master.

there's no war to hide from king kuei, but long feng still holds his reins.

zhao still decides he's going to kill the moon spirit, so that nothing might stand in the way of ozai's plans. this will not go well for him!

the dragons are not extinct. it's still a bit surprising to see one in a republic city tea shop.

(druk is xiao's child. zuko leaves her alone for a few days and when he comes back to check on her, she's laid an egg. really?)

zuko: it's important that I hide my identity as a part of the blue spirit.

also zuko: ....hey toph. want to get tattoos?

toph: ABSOLUTELY???