#even if katara could be angrier

[marsconer]

looking at the positives !!! prince zuko is boyfailing like he never boyfailed before.

[ladyemberswrites]

For a guy that's supposed to be sympathetic and all knowing and knows exactly what it feels like to have your childhood ripped away from you and lose your loved ones. Aang was certainly written to be very ambivalent towards the agony Katara was going through. Even Sokka seem whatever about his mother's killer running lose and this the same guy that attacked Aang for burning Katara that one time and literally broke into an impregnable, high security prison to save his father and girlfriend. Lost his shit when Azula taunted him about Suki. I understand that Sokka didn't remember much of his mom, but you'd think that would make him angrier. That whatever relationships he could have with her was literally stolen away from him, leaving him to grow up with his mother or his father around.

But anyways, but Aang going up to Katara and telling her how proud he is of her for forgiving the man that slaughtered her mother in cold blood and was responsible for robbing her of her childhood. 🥹 It makes it so much worse because Katara probably found her body too.

And Katara is literally like: the fuck I did? He's lucky he was too pathetic to be bothered.

Like this kind of further emphases that Aang is like 12. He may be the avatar and act as though he is all knowing, but lacks maturity and experience. Zuko was obviously aware of what Katara needed, he wen through a similar situation with his father, confronting him to find some sense of closure with an absusive authority figure.

I know people are gonna get at me about he's 12! I know, but judging from what little we are given about Aang as dad - um, well😅

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

I don’t understand the idea people have that Zuko is more mature than Aang, that he’s the only who’s an equal to Katara, “Dadko & Momtara”. I love Zuko, but he wasn’t very mature, at least initially, he had a lot of issues with his anger, even near the end of the show, and he initially had a very impulsive one track mind. They say Aang needed Katara to mother him, but Zuko literally needed Iroh to be the father figure in his life, and this isn’t a bad thing, poor Zuko need a good parental figure.

That’s not to say was always mature, he was 12, he could be childish, impulsive, and sometimes selfish every so often, but he was also very wise for his age, he was empathetic, he generally had a decent grip on his emotions (baring The Avatar State, which was out of his control) and above all, didn’t let his tragic circumstances embitter him, although he did have good friends to support him.

Lastly, I hate that people say Katara and Aang (or even Aang and Zuko). Had mother/son (or father/son in the latter’s case) relationship, just because Katara comforted Aang and supported him multiple times, like can’t friends do that for each other. I could easily say Katara wanted to tend to Zuko’s scar and comforting him about confronting Iroh as motherly. They were both were equals who mutually respected each other, and it was a give and take relationship, both did a lot for each other. Zuko and Aang were also equals, like their dynamic with each other, being similar and yet different is one of the core themes of the show, especially in The Dragon Episode.

I've said it once, I'll say it again: 13-year-old Zuko was way more mature than 16-year-old Zuko for reasons of "He wasn't yet regressing mentally due to a fuckton of trauma and self-loathing as a result of being physically abused and blamed for it", but zutarians think "older, angrier and more traumatized" is the same as maturity - hence them adultifying Katara so much, when the very first episode of the show full on says to us "This is a child that has forgotten she has the right to just have fun and this needs to be fixed."

Also a lot of things that are labeled as Aang being "immature" are just... not that at all? A 12-year-old wanting to play instead of being a super soldier/weapon is not "immature", just like he wouldn't be "immature" for not wanting to be a dad at that age, or work a 9-5 job. The aberration is people pressuring him to grow up to fast, not him resisting that because he's a literal child and that's not supposed to happen.

And even if he had been an adult: a pacifist not wanting to be everyone's hitman for hire is not "immature" or "selfish", he's literally Just A Dude That Exists and doesn't appreciate that people feel entitled to walk all over his morals, beliefs and agency.

[heinzpilsner]

Annnd here's another issue of the "autistic nerd trying make sense of the Southern Raiders zutara narrative on her own" series, because of course it is

I need to write all those posts to regain my honor, don't judge me

You know, my main point of confusion in relation to tSR episode always was this: "Why exactly Katara forgave Zuko in the end? What changed between them during this trip? By which intricate mechanism such a stressful and unfruitful trip was able to improve Katara's relationship with a boy she supposedly hated just days ago so drastically?"

(Spoiler: I finally found the answer!)

All of my hypotheses for a long time didn't sound convincing to me though:

1) Did Katara forgive Zuko because he helped her in her revenge in general?

Obviously, facing Yon Rha didn't really resulted in Katara being happy or satisfied. Quite the contrary, it was a rather unpleasant trip - a trip she spent with a person she supposedly barely tolerated. You'd think, by association, it would make her dislike Zuko even more than before, not forgive him. So, not likely.

2) Did Katara forgive Zuko because after the trip, she was no longer linking* her "mother loss"-connected anger with him, as Zuko guessed?

But... why the association would break? Or anger would subside? Just as a result of yelling at Yon Rha? Sounds like bullshit to me:

- Katara is still angry at Yon Rha in the end of the episode, because anger management doesn't really work like this;

- Katara's anger at Yon Rha, her anger at the Fire Nation and her anger at Zuko, while associatively united, are three separate entities, hence they require individual specific approach to them anyway.

(*associative nature of Katara's anger towards Zuko could be true in itself though - after Ba Sing Se disaster, she linked him in her mind to both "mother" and "most traumatic experiences related to the Fire Nation").

3) Did she forgive Zuko because during the trip he fought so readily against his own nation?

Doesn't sound convincing - he already fought guards at the Boiling Rock and his own sister previously, and Katara was only angrier at him afterwards.

4) Did she forgive him because he sided with her against Aang's preaching?

Not enough in itself, especially considering her supposed hatred towards Zuko.

5) Did she forgive him because he called her mother a brave woman? Not enough in itself. And how dare he comment on her mother at all after his betrayal anyway? The nerve! Just another reason for Katara to be angry, it seems. Except... She really wasn't, for some reason. Hmmm.

(Why she decided to tell him the story of her mother's death at this point at all? Wasn't she supposed to merely tolerate his presence? What a truuuly confusing mystery!)

6) Did she forgive Zuko because he fought so enthusiastically on her behalf?

Also doubtful. Such an enthusiasm from a person you don't like (or even hate) would only be unpleasant, and 'mr and mrs smith" synchronicity of movements with him would feel disturbing. Who does he think he is?! If Katara hates him, it is not Zuko's place to act like this. It also wasn't his place to wait all night in front of Katara's tent - that would be creepy af. This kind of behaviour would work against him in her eyes, not for his benefit. So nope, no forgiveness.

(Unless, of course... She didn't really hate him as much as she made it seem in the first place? Buuut it's too early to settle on this explanation, hehe.)

7) Did she forgive him because he didn't comment at her bloodbending?

Not enough in itself. And it only shows what an awful, awful person he truly is anyway.

8) Did she forgive him because of something that happened after Yon Rha - something the audience didn't get to see?

Well, in all seriousness, that just wouldn't be a good storytelling move. So, nope, bad hypothesis. (Could be true within universe though).

9) Oops. The last hypothesis I have is a romantic one I mentioned in my different post. In short - Katara was angry at Zuko because he didn't seem to realise the importance of their connection in Ba Sing Se for her. But when he offered to revenge her mother, it was a signal he finally understood. Hence, she forgave him.

So, in the end, we have two convicing hypotheses at our hands (6 и 9):

- one which works only under condition that Katara didn't really hate Zuko at the start of the trip;

- downright romantic one;

And several satellite ones, each of which implies Zuko's full acceptance of Katara.

So... Here's my answer, I guess.

I basically came to the same conclusion about the nature of zutara interaction in tSR as before, just by different path. And I didn't even have to use romantic framing as an argument this time, which is a big improvement in my books, lol.

The only question left though - if Katara didn't really hate Zuko, why she lashed out at him after their escape from the Western Air Temple?

Well, I'd guess that Katara was generally frustrated at this point. By Azula's attack, by the new separation of her family, by need to hide and run, by war, by the whole situation, really. She was pissed. So she lashed out at the only Fire Nation person around. Basically, it wasn't something personal at this point (...Until Zuko decided that to ask her why she doesn't trust him like all the normal people do is a good idea lol. Oh boy).

Something like this, I guess.

Now I wonder if the writer of the episode meant it to be read that way, or she just wasn't so good at psychology, and all those implications were purely coincidental, lol.

Or maybe it's me who isn't good at psychology, and all I just said was no more than a load of bullshit induced by my lack of sleep?

Well, who knows.

Definitely not me. I'm not a psychologist - I'm a Melon Lord, Bwahahaha!

(... No, really, I'm not a psychologist, don't trust me)

[botherkupo]

i think people let nostalgia blind them a little when it comes to atla. don’t get me wrong, it’s great cartoon and i’ve rewatched it countless times but i also recognise it’s fine for the live action to make changes because that’s what happens when you adapt something. the live action is not perfect, but i had fun watching it and it feels like some people are just watching to nitpick and hate

Big agree. There are weak spots in the cartoon and also weak spots in the live action show. Are both enjoyable shows, though? Yes.

And that’s what I feel people can’t grasp. They’re like oooh they cut this, or why did they add that, or this character isn’t the same blah blah — and like yeah it’s not the same. I had zero interest in watching a replica with real people. I’ll just watch the cartoon and enjoy it

Like shows with real people have a lot of limitations, and not just because of budgets. It shouldn’t be news to people that there would be changes and a lot of stuff will get condensed, cut, or adapted in a different way. That was always going to happen.

I’ve seen people complain about Bumi and I’m like you know what I really loved the live action show Bumi. It’s a different take on it — him feeling bitter, showing obvious trauma from the pressure of ruling during a war that’s lasted this long, and being more unhinged rather than all super goofy guy like hey Aang just wait till you realise who I am. It’s different, more serious, and that’s okay. You can still enjoy cartoon Bumi. He ain’t going anywhere

Ppl complain about Katara, and like yeah I get it. She’s not as “fierce” in some aspects. But she suits this version of atla. She suits feeling more like a younger sister instead of a pseudo mum. She suits getting angry when Sokka treats her like a little girl rather than angry he doesn’t wash his own socks. She suits being paralyzed during fights at first because she has major ptsd and has been hiding her bending gif so long. It is realistic and fits the show, just as Cartoon Katara fit the cartoon and is still there. You can enjoy her. Cartoon Katara is not going anywhere

Like please will ppl stop looking for the things to complain about and instead see what we’re being given — an adaptation that is intense, funny, emotional and yes different.

We get Jet and the freedom fighters bombing places in omashu than wanting to flood a fire nation village. That’s not a bad thing. It cut out a whole lot of unnecessary stuff and also gave us an emotional scene with Jet and Katara. Did the part where she freezes him and says goodbye feel less dramatic? Yeah, honestly I would have been down to see her angrier. But I also think part of that is the limitations with special effects and waterbending (which always looks the weakest). the actress playing Katara is also dojng her interpretation of the character. (And can I just Jet was perfectly cast and I couldn’t imagine a better Jet)

So we didn’t get Sokka being with Jet? Who cares. Sokka’s story arc is focusing on different things. I loved how his interactions with Suki went. I love even more the scene where he’s listening in on Hakoda and Bato’s conversation and that line “some people aren’t made to be responsible for others lives” or whatever it was. It was so powerful.

And the cave of two lovers being resolved through family love? YES. I love that so much. Like thank you for giving non-romantic love a moment to shine. Katara and Sokka’s argument in that cave had so much weight and emotional intensity. It’s different from the arguments we get in the cartoon and that’s okay. Their dynamic is slightly different and that’s okay. THE CARTOON IS STILL THERE. YOU CAN ENJOY THE CARTOON OKAY

And honestly I could scream for days about what they’ve been doing with Zuko and Aang. I love them both so much and I love the extra stuff we’ve been getting with them. The Blue spirit stuff and that scene after was sooooooooo good. The little smile, the way they start to connect, and then Aang says t he wrong thing (bringing up Ozai) and Zuko lashes out and it’s just perfect ahhhhh

Also Zuko actually fighting back in the Agni Kai but hesitating to hurt his father was such a good choice. I love the cartoon for having him cry and beg to the end, but I also love the live actuon show for giving us something different. I WANT TO SEE THESE KIND OF CHANGES

And maybe I’m in the minority for that and I really don’t care if ppl think my opinion is rubbish. I love the cartoon. I love tye live action show

I wish ppl would understand that it’s okay they are different

[the-badger-mole]

The Other Woman

Katara sometimes thought that her love life was cursed. First there was Jet, whose radical politics clashed with her own compassionate views of the world. They'd broken up after a year and a half when Katara refused to support the extremist candidate he'd begun volunteering for. When the candidate lost, he had blamed Katara and everyone like he who "claimed to want to see real change, but refuse to get your hands dirty!" When Katara pointed out that Jet's candidate wanted to pass laws that would directly take away women's rights, he had snorted in disgust and stormed out of Katara's apartment. A very inauspicious end to what had started as a promising romance.

Next had been Aang, who had been her neighbor growing up, and her friend for most of middle and high school. He'd had a crush on her for years, and after militant bad boy Jet, nice guy Aang seemed like a good idea. It was not. After being let out of the Friend Zone, Aang had ceased to do any of the things that had made Katara want to be his friend in the first place. He was never interested in her thoughts or interests, and he never took her out unless it was to someplace he could show her off. He flirted with other women- right in front of her, on more than one occasion- but got huffy and possessive if she even glanced in another man's direction. The end to that relationship had come when she found Aang in a compromising position with a woman Aang had recently begun referring to as his "new best friend". Aang had done everything to get Katara to forgive him, vowing to cut off the new girl, and to never have any female friends again. He'd even proposed, which only served to make Katara angrier. She threw Aang out of her apartment, chucking the jewelry box out after him.

Zuko was the latest, and until recently Katara had thought greatest of the men she'd ever dated. He was handsome, in spite of a large scar on his face. He was smart and successful, but not arrogant. He kind and compassionate, even if he wasn't necessarily nice all the time. He was considerate of everyone, not just because he wanted something. Like Aang, many of his closest friends were women, but he never gave Katara any reason to be suspicious of them, and in fact, most of them had become Katara's close friends, too (one even started dating her brother, to Katara's delight). They had been together eight months when Katara began to allow herself to imagine a future with him in it. She should've known it was too good to be true.

Ursa was a formidable woman- beautiful, gentile, successful. She had rebuilt her life from essentially scratch after her divorce and losing custody of her children to her much richer ex-husband. So perhaps it was understandable that she was so protective of her son. Unfortunately for Katara, that protectiveness manifested in harsh scrutiny of any woman Zuko brought home. Even more unfortunately, her perfect man was also very much a Mama's Boy.

"She didn't mean it that way," he told Katara the first time Ursa had insulted her education. Zuko had gone to the most prestigious schools in Caldera. Katara had gone to a local school in the Southern Water Tribe.

"You just have to give her a chance to get to know you like I do," Zuko had insisted when Ursa had criticized her career pursuit (her precious son would need to settle down with a more home-minded woman).

"She didn't mean that you're a bad cook," he swore. "Sea prunes are just not everyone's taste. Besides, you know I love your cooking." Katara hadn't even made a lot of sea prunes. They were a side dish to introduce Zuko's family to her culture.

The final straw, however, was the day that she and Zuko had announced their engagement to his family. Katara had mentally prepared herself for Ursa not being thrilled, but she never saw her future mother in law's reaction coming. Rather than the polite, collected, if cold congratulations hiding subtle barbs that Katara had been expecting, Ursa's face had gone white, then red in anger. She managed, at least to wait to pull Zuko aside, but Katara had gone to the bathroom, and overheard on her way back what Ursa really thought.

Zuko was going places. His career was taking off, and he needed someone who would support his ambitions instead of pursuing her own. Who would raise her grandchildren if he married a career woman? He could do so much better. That woman wasn't in his class (never mind that before she had married Zuko's horrible father Ursa had been a struggling actress from the wrong side of the tracks). Zuko barely had time for his mother and sisters as it was, that woman would only pull him farther away. Ursa was getting old, she didn't have much time left and she wanted her son in her life. Oh, never mind, he would abandon her, just like every other man in her life ever had (Ursa was still very much married to her second husband, who was sickening in his devotion to her). The last blow, however wasn't anything that Ursa said. Katara waited in her hiding spot to hear Zuko's defense of her.

"Oh, Mom," he sighed. "Of course I'm not going to abandon you." There was nothing else. Katara suspected they were hugging. Something in her broke in that moment. Suddenly, decades of competing with Zuko's mother flashed before her eyes, and Katara knew she couldn't do it. She quietly made her way out of Ursa's house, and walked away alone.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

[asthesunrisessolow]

How Could You?

Warnings: Fluff, Angst-Fluff, Mean-ish Sokka, Katara mothering as usual, Aang not reading the room, toph being a bad friend, and awkward Zuko, Sokka x reader fluff

Description: When Sokka accompanies Zuko to the boiling rock reader thing it’s a bad idea and when they get back the reader lashes out at sokka for being so reckless

You never expected to hear that. Even from Sokka it hurt. How could he say that.

~Flashback~

" I MEAN EVEN TOPH CAN SEE HOW STUPID THAT IS!!" Sokka yelled viciously as he got off from Appa's saddle.

"SAYS THE ONE WHO CAN'T READ A MAP" I yelled back as I jumped down from the saddle.

I could see Sokka getting angrier by the minute so I stormed off to avoid any more trouble but before I could reach Zuko's abandon vacation house I heard Sokka yell "THATS WHY NOBODY CAN LOVE YOU, I MEAN LOOK WHERE THAT ZUKO AND YOUR DAD-" before he could continue ripping into me Katara stepped in. "SOKKA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, HOW COULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH HER FAMILY AND-". At that point i completely checked out, I never expected for Sokka to bring up such a personal moment. I mean how could he. It hurt so bad, like a pang right to the heart. I just stood in the sand staring into the distance of the island before Zuko came and grabbed my arm gently leading me to the steps up to the house. My vision began to cloud as I froze in front of the steps. "Y/N, Y/N," Zuko repeatedly called my name but it felt like my ears were gonna combust.

~Present~

“You know Sokka earlier, he didn’t mean it like th-“

“Do Not Defend Him!!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

“I’m not and I’m sorry you thought that but I just don’t think he understands the impact his words have.” He calmly explained as he hovered over the stove making sure the tea was ready. I silently got up and walked out to the broken piece of the balcony and sighed lightly. I slowly sat on the edge looking into the dusky sky.

“Here you go.” Zuko softly smiled and handed me my tea and sat down with me.

“Im sorry.” I said as I slowly gazed into his eyes.

“I understand, your father is a touchy subject for you considering what happened.” He said as he looked down at his tea towards the end of his sentence. Our silence was interrupted when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. “Can we talk?” Sokka looked down at me. Zuko looked at me for reassurance and I nodded, he then got up and patted Sokka on the shoulder before leaving us to talk. Sokka sat down in Zukos place before starting to talk. “ I’m so so sorry and I never should’ve said anything about your . . . family and it’s just wasn’t fair and I really just need to say I’m so-“ I interrupted Sokka before he could continue his rant. “ I appreciate your apology and I shouldn't have been so worried.” I said as I gazed into his eyes. He looked relieved before leaning in and hugging me. I slowly hugged him back until I heard Aang and Toph. “OOOoooouuUu” I heard both of them saw. I laughed lightly and then got up with Sokka and joined Zuko, Katara, and Aang around the fire place while Toph brought over more tea.

Never knew writing took so much time😓 but here yall go and this is my ATTEMPT at writing lmk how I can get better and pls be nice yall😭

[seyaryminamoto]

The Shadows in her Reflection: Sokkla Saturdays 2023

Day 6: Fall

Rated M

On FF.net//On AO3

News from the Fire Nation seldom offered any positive revelations, and it was no different this time. Zuko never seemed to write just to say hi – it was no surprise that was the case, seeing as the Fire Lord went from one problem to the next, and he never seemed to have enough time to simply enjoy life as it came. Thus, the messenger hawk would bear unwanted tidings as it ever did, and Aang received it warily, vainly hoping it might just be better news than expected, for once…

And that was how he had learned that Zuko was on his way to Air Temple Island, bringing a wounded Sokka and Azula along with him.

That he'd found them, and that they were both alive still, was a relief… but Aang tensed up as he worried about the meaning of this new development: were they on their way to Air Temple Island as prisoners, or as the Fire Lord's guests?

"How could he bring her here?!" Katara exclaimed, fretting frantically in the corridors of their home. "Zuko's lost his mind! We're talking about Azula: Azula! He was calling for her head on a stake the last time we saw him, and now he's just… hanging out with her? Traveling with her and bringing her HERE?!"

"Katara… calm down," Aang sighed, taking her shoulders in his hands. Katara's fury didn't dwindle upon hearing that.

"I'm perfectly calm," Katara said, her voice failing to convey her words' sentiment, no matter how she stifled her emotions.

"We don't know what's going on exactly. But Sokka is coming and that's a good thing, right?" Aang said, with an awkward smile. "Let's focus on that, maybe?"

"He's injured," Katara scowled. "Zuko didn't explain why. How do we know it wasn't her doing?"

"Well, he said they were traveling together willingly…"

"Yeah, sure. Bet Azula told him that," Katara huffed, rolling her eyes and walking off irritably.

Aang sighed: his wife had been in an abysmal mood ever since the North Pole and, particularly, after her suspicions that Sokka had been taken by Azula against his will had begun.

It only occurred to the Avatar now that perhaps she would be even angrier to know that her brother might have left with Azula by his own volition.

The question of why they would have done such a thing certainly troubled Aang plenty.

The last auburn leaves still held onto the tree branches of Air Temple Island, the home he had worked hard to build for himself and Katara. It was still a small building, perhaps one day he would expand it further to fit new acolytes… but for now, it was his home. And as much as he didn't feel as strongly about Azula as Katara did, a part of him certainly was apprehensive over letting someone that dangerous and difficult anywhere close to one of the few places meant to be a haven for himself and the people Azula usually looked down on. He could only hope that Azula might just not be the person they always had thought she was, or that she had changed for the better somewhere down the line…

The dread over who she might be nowadays didn't recede once a Fire Nation airship began descending on the island, merely a day after the missive alerting them of their visit arrived. Aang swallowed hard, smiling as kindly as he could while Katara fumed beside him, outside the temple, glaring daggers at the vehicle as it landed carefully by the island's bay.

Her fury decreased only slightly once she saw her brother climbing out of the airship: his torso appeared to be covered in bandages, and he wasn't walking with his usual, strong gait. Instead, he was clearly in pain: he ambled strangely, reaching for support on…

On Azula's shoulder.

A new kind of dread dawned on Katara, countering her impulsive urges to rush over to her brother and ensure he was fine while asking what the hell had happened. Instead, she remained paralyzed as she watched Azula holding Sokka upright, no sign of madness or danger in her features. Her hair was neat, orderly… her clothes were perfectly smooth and decent rather than old and tattered.

And Ursa was there too. Right by Azula's other side.

Of course, Zuko had been the first to descend from the airship, awkwardly waving at them as they watched them from a vantage point deeper inside the island.

"W-what… what is going on?" Katara gasped, eyes wide. Aang blinked blankly.

"I… don't know. I really don't know," he said.

"Da! Da!"

Bumi's laughter behind them gave away that their son was up to his usual mischief: he was highly active often, and right now, he had picked out one of his favorite kites, no doubt eager to have Aang cast it into the air and use his bending to boost the toy into the skies.

"Bumi, go play in the backyard, okay?" Aang smiled awkwardly, kneeling before his son. "I'll be right there to help you with the kite once I'm done talking with grown-ups, okay?"

"Grown-ups…?" Bumi repeated: Aang nodded, and Bumi stuck his tongue out, blowing a raspberry at his father. "Boo!"

"You don't have to boo grown-ups," Aang laughed, patting his son's wild hair. "It won't take me too long, okay? I'll be right with you."

"'Kay, Da…" Bumi pouted: he kicked a small rock in light retaliation for his father's decision to leave the games for later, and he scurried off without another word.

"You sure you'll have time for that? Because I doubt we'll be done with this anytime soon," Katara said, her glare fixed upon the Fire Lord.

"Better if Bumi's not here for it, though," Aang said, with a sigh. "He'll just get upset if things get out of hand. Which… they might."

"You're not implying I'd be the one to make things… uncivil, are you?" Katara asked. Aang laughed guiltily, unwilling to answer his wife's question.

By then, Zuko had finally marched up the road, progressing far enough to reach them. He offered his married friends an awkward smile before bowing reverently in their direction.

"I'm sorry I came by at such short notice, and I know this is very inconvenient, but…" he said, rising fully to his height again. "Well, I'm sure you'd like to help Sokka yourself. As you can see, he's here after all and…"

"And he got hurt. Badly, from what you explained," Katara huffed, turning her attention to her brother, who had only just slowed down behind Zuko. Azula loosened his arm around her shoulders, letting him stand on his own. "I can't help but wonder who's to blame for that."

Azula tensed up: meeting Katara's glare shouldn't have been foreboding or off-putting, but having grown to cherish blue eyes of that same hue as much as she had, Azula certainly didn't thrive in seeing a similar gaze charged with such contempt towards her.

"It's not… it's not Azula's fault," Sokka said, raising a hand. Zuko crooked an eyebrow.

"What he means is, it wasn't Azula's fire," Zuko clarified unnecessarily, and Sokka glared at him. Katara scoffed.

"Was it yours, then?"

"W-what? No!" Zuko winced. "I…! I won't deny there were many errors of judgment involved…"

"Including on Sokka's part," Azula said. Sokka scoffed, bumping her hip lightly with his own.

"But Sokka took that wound because he was trying to… protect someone," Zuko said, leaving the identity of the object of said protection entirely vague, on purpose…

Only for Sokka himself to scoff and reveal it himself:

"I was protecting Azula. Zirin attacked her, she was wounded, couldn't fight back properly so I took down Zirin and saved Azula too. I'm just efficient that way," Sokka said, with a proud grin.

"Right," Katara said, blinking blankly. "And now the real story is…?"

"Hey! That's the real story!" Sokka squeaked, though he winced afterwards as the burn on his back reacted to his exclamations.

"Sokka," Azula warned him, glancing at his back warily even if there was no way she'd see anything when he was dressed up and covered in bandages, underneath those clothes. Sokka groaned.

"Stupid inconvenient burn. Can't even argue with my sister properly…"

"Guys… I know this is a very confusing and troubling situation?" Aang said, stepping forward, between Katara and the newcomers. "But I think you guys really ought to explain things more thoroughly than that. The last we knew, you were leading a manhunt after Azula and Sokka was her captive…"

"Oh, that final bit was a figment of all of your imaginations. Seriously, a guy can't even go on a road trip with, uh…"

"A firebending menace and wanted criminal?" Azula finished, helpfully. Sokka winced.

"Not how I was going to put it, but sure," he said. "Anyway, point is I was just going on a journey with Azula and there's nothing wrong with that!"

"There's something wrong with it when she is, indeed, a wanted criminal," Katara hissed. "Not to mention giving us no real information on what you were doing…!"

"You would've overreacted if I'd told you all along," Sokka pouted. Katara huffed, and Aang raised his hands as though to mediate between them. Azula, however, nudged Zuko with an elbow.

"They want to give us a run for our money as far as conflictive siblings are concerned, looks like," she said. Zuko scoffed.

"Well, if that's how it is, I'd rather they win and learn how to get along with you," he said, between gritted teeth. Azula gasped in outrage.

"But that'd be so boring…!" she said, accusingly. Despite himself, Zuko was smiling when he rolled his eyes.

"Look… let's just talk things over?" Aang pleaded to Sokka and Katara, who glared at each other with varying degrees of goofiness. Sokka scoffed, breaking his pout and shaking his head.

"Fine, we'll talk. But I get to say my share of stuff and you get to listen, Katara. No pretending I'm too stupid to understand what my own choices or experiences were, alright?"

"If you're already warning me that way, I'm sure this tale is going to be rich," Katara huffed, shaking her head.

"And… uh, sorry," Aang said, glancing at Azula with unease. "But it might be better if you're not there for this conversation."

"Wait, what? Why?!" Sokka exclaimed. Katara snorted.

"No real need to ask. Goes without saying," she grumbled.

"They're worried that I might be influencing your judgment in my favor, of course," Azula recited. Sokka yelped in horror. "Worth noting that, if I had intended to do that, it would be effective whether I'm around or not…"

"True! Wait, that's not the point!" Sokka winced, cheeks flushing. Azula smirked, though, raising her hands defensively.

"Mind you, I have no problem with waiting out here. Someone would like to see the look of these trees in the fall, I suspect," Azula said. Sokka's behavior shifted upon hearing those words. "But it's also worth noting that, if I were part of that meeting, you'd most likely have an ally rather than an enemy in me. Just saying."

She addressed the statement at Katara with a dry grin. The waterbender glared at her, unable to interpret her words properly. Azula turned towards her mother, who smiled reassuringly.

"We can stay together, enjoy the sights," Ursa decided. Azula nodded in agreement before sighing heavily.

"Just need… well, maybe a cup of water would do. For now, at least?" Azula said, glancing over at Sokka. He nodded, but Ursa held a hand up in his direction.

"I think I have a solution," Ursa said. Both Azula and Sokka appeared startled to hear that, but the older woman simply smiled kindly, taking Azula's arm. "Go on, now. Both of you."

Zuko nodded, clasping Sokka's shoulder and leading him indoors now. Katara glared at Azula scathingly one more time before following them, quick to bicker with Sokka over whatever he'd done to get his back in such bad shape. Aang glanced at the Fallen Princess wistfully: it was as though he wanted to forgive her, to overcome the heavy burdens that hung between them and Azula, but he didn't quite know how yet. Azula didn't shrink under his gaze, and she glared at the blue stripe of his arrow, over the back of his head, as he marched into the nearest building with the rest of his friends.

"Zuko and Sokka will be good advocates for you. I know they will be. But, in the mean time…"

Azula raised an eyebrow as Ursa smiled a little, withdrawing an object delicately from her pocket. It was covered in velvet fabric for its protection, but Ursa pulled it back quickly…

And Azula saw Yue again.

The Moon Spirit appeared dejected for just a moment before she brightened up at once, meeting her gaze with her own. Azula smiled back even before properly processing what she was looking at:

It was a mirror. A pristine, golden, regal mirror that Ursa urged her to raise her hands for.

"This… this was a gift I was given during my marriage to your father. For the life of me, I cannot remember who gave it to me at all," Ursa laughed. "It's a beautiful mirror, however. I was pleased to retrieve it once I came back to the Palace… but I struggled with looking at myself just as much as I used to, back in the day. The adornments of the frame are far better to admire than simply looking at oneself, wouldn't you say?"

"I'd likely agree, in other circumstances," Azula laughed.

"Do you like it?" Ursa asked. Azula raised an eyebrow in her direction. "You don't have to keep it if you'd rather not… maybe you hoped Sokka would give you another one. But, if it's just until you can replace it with a better one, I… I wanted you to have it."

"Mom…" Azula froze: a rather new, unexpected feeling burst aflame in her chest, as torrents of emotion arose inside her. Ursa smiled kindly at her, taking her hands in her own.

"It's nowhere near enough, but… I wanted to give you something meaningful, something you would value," she said. "And after I heard about the mirror, how it broke…! I figured I would give it to you sooner too, but, well… I wasn't going to invade your space with Sokka while we were on our journey here, it felt like a bad idea."

"Well, we weren't doing anything inappropriate anyway…" Azula mumbled, cheeks flushed.

"You still spent most of your time with him. I'd rather not get in the way of that," Ursa smiled. "Anyway… it's yours, if you want it."

Azula gritted her teeth: again, she couldn't possibly remember the last time she received a gift from her mother. She wasn't even sure Ursa had given one to her personally this way.

"Thank you. I… thanks. This really is valuable," Azula smiled, trying to contain the foolish tears that dared bloom in the corners of her eyes. "You didn't have to, but… but you did it anyway."

"You can see Yue properly in it?" Ursa asked. Azula nodded promptly, and her mother grinned. "Wonderful."

"Guess you'd like to see the fall, wouldn't you?" Azula asked the girl in the mirror, who smiled brightly and nodded.

"I'm so happy to see you again!"

"I can tell," Azula laughed. "I'm sorry I couldn't fix things any sooner, but we're okay. Sokka's supposed to be healed soon, by his sister."

"That's good," Yue smiled kindly, hands joined by her chest. "I hope she will help. Did she give you a hard time, though…?"

"Tried, but I didn't really let her," Azula smiled. "Anyway…"

She turned towards the trees, raising the mirror so Yue could see the hues of gold and auburn across the leaves… but her attention was quickly seized by something, just as Yue's was:

"Is that another airship?"

"A… police airship, apparently. I had no idea they had that kind of budget," Azula said, blinking blankly as the dark airship, having stealthily approached the island, descended by the shore right by the Fire Nation airship they had arrived on.

Evidently, the sole person who climbed off the vehicle wasn't the one in charge of steering: Toph Beifong marched in their direction with strong footing, and she raised her chin in acknowledgement at Azula once she finally reached the spot where she and Ursa stood.

"'Sup?" she said, bluntly. Azula raised an eyebrow at her casual, careless greeting.

"You were invited to the party too?" she asked.

"More like I figured I'd crash it when I heard Sparky's fancy ship had been sighted," Toph smirked. "They're all here?"

"We arrived just a moment ago, ourselves," Azula said. "I'm not welcome in their meeting. Apparently Katara thinks I'll beg and plead for mercy…"

"Pfft. You have too much dignity for that, for better or for worse," Toph laughed. "Of all people, you, groveling at her feet? Not a chance."

"I wouldn't particularly want to do that, no," Azula acknowledged, grinning dryly. "But I'm sure you're allowed to go in and tell them what a nightmare I am if you wish…"

"You're a nightmare now? Says who?" Toph smirked, stepping forward and passing between Ursa and Azula: she raised a fist, however, launching it towards Azula, only for the Princess to catch it firmly. Toph smirked. "You're fun, is what you are. I'll see if I can piss off Katara enough to make her rage more at me and leave you be."

"Guess that could be a tall order… but go on ahead," Azula smiled slightly, releasing Toph's hand. The earthbender offered her a cheeky grin, patting Ursa's shoulder too, before marching into the building.

"Then… shall we go see the sights?" Azula said: Yue smiled in the mirror, and with that, Azula and Ursa set out to wander the island.

Neither one knew much about what kinds of trees they were looking at, nor could they answer most of Yue's questions pertaining the location they were only just visiting for the first time. The sea was also beautifully colorful, and Yue appeared to cherish that, perhaps even more than the trees around them…

"It's restless, though," she said. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"It tends to be, in my experience," she said. "Some rather harsh waves rolled me and Sokka back when…"

She froze halfway through her statement, cheeks heating up when she remembered what, exactly, had followed their battle against the violent waves. Tingles of ghostly desire rushed inside her, reminding her of just how pleasant the experience had been… of how much she wanted to try it again, as soon as Sokka was in shape for it.

All of which she certainly didn't want to talk about with her mother, much less with Yue.

"Oh? You visited the beach in Ember Island, then?" Ursa grinned. "I hope you had fun."

Azula smiled and nodded as calmly as possible – she had the bad feeling that her mother wouldn't take too long to understand just how much fun they'd had indeed…

But before Ursa could pry into it some more, or poke Azula about it any further, a rustling sound and a childish cry caught their attention: Bumi, Katara and Aang's child, appeared to be jumping and pulling a string desperately, but whatever he was doing, it was to no avail…

"Oh, dear! What's the matter?" Ursa gasped, approaching quickly.

Azula studied the scene before her with a frown: the boy's string went upwards, into the treetop above him… all the way to where a kite was tangled in the tallest branches.

"Kite stuck…" Bumi said, nervously, approaching Ursa with wide eyes. "I call Da…!"

"Your father's busy right now, I'm afraid. I doubt he'll be able to come fetch it," Azula said, stepping closer and studying the situation with a slight frown. "What did you do, exactly? Did you airbend it into the tree by mistake?"

"I… don't know how," Bumi said, shyly. Azula eyed him with uncertainty.

"You don't?"

The boy wasn't an airbender? How surprising if the last airbender's child hadn't inherited the skill… weren't Air Nomads supposed to always be benders? Had the combination of two different ethnicities diminished the odds for the boy to be born a bender?

He seemed self-aware at her question, though… as though he had tried to bend and failed. As though his father had tested him to find out whether he could do it or not. As though he was already pressuring himself to be as good as Aang was… and he couldn't ever hope to measure up to the Avatar.

Azula gritted her teeth: she should not feel any manner of responsibility or empathy towards the boy her mother was currently speaking to reassuringly, letting him know she'd get his father as soon as the meeting ended���

"I could try and get it myself," Azula said: Ursa raised an eyebrow, looking at her in surprise while Bumi squealed happily. "Though be silent as I do it, understood? No ridiculous, noisy squealing or I'll climb right off."

"Quiet!" Bumi exclaimed, covering his mouth with his hands. Azula nodded.

"Good."

"Azula, are you sure about this?" Ursa asked, gripping her arm: Azula nodded, handing the mirror to her all over again. Ursa clasped it nervously.

"I've had to do menial, strange, mundane things far more often than you might imagine since well over ten years ago," Azula said. "I'll be fine. Just… wait there."

The Princess frowned as she began assessing what to do: the kite's string had gotten tangled in more than one branch, stuck in smaller branches, looping around some of them. It seemed that the boy's attempts to fly the kite, wherever they had happened, had resulted in a most unfortunate outcome where too much string had been loose and ripe to wind up in the messiest shape possible.

Thus, Azula started by climbing the nearest trees, untangling whatever she could of the string, always on her way to the kite that nestled near the top branches…

"Be careful!" Ursa called out.

"That one!" Bumi exclaimed, unhelpfully pointing at whatever new tangle Azula was due to undo – she wasn't about to glance back at him to confirm what direction he was pointing her towards.

"Kids…" she grumbled softly. "Definitely not going to get any of my own. Definitely…"

Though, if Sokka wanted some, she might just have to think about it. A little.

Her cheeks flushed at the thought: amending her bond with her mother, even if it was far from a done deal, might have also brought about foolish thoughts that she might just be a decent mother one day… though maybe she wouldn't be that bad at it. Maybe.

Oh, but this was a bother. After the fifth tangle, and still many more complicated ones to go, all willingness to ponder procreation certainly had fled her mind. She'd have a word with the damn Avatar, once she was finished with this ridiculous, self-appointed mission…

Inside, matters weren't going any more smoothly than Azula's retrieval of the kite was: Sokka rolled his eyes a thousand times, it seemed, as his sister healed his back while ranting endlessly about what a fool he had been, running off on a random adventure without explaining what was happening, especially with that kind of company, complaining about his lack of communication, his irresponsibility, his carelessness…

And then Toph shoved the doors open, startling everyone with her sudden arrival.

"And hello there, Team! What did I miss?" she smirked, proudly.

"Toph!" Zuko gasped, looking at her in surprise. Aang blinked blankly.

"You didn't have to come here…" he said.

"That's not a great way to greet your friend, Twinkle Toes. What a jerk you've become. That's what fatherhood did to you, huh?" Toph said, punching his shoulder. Aang winced at the impact.

"I'm not saying you weren't welcome! Just… I'm surprised you wanted to drop by at all," Aang said, with a small smile.

"Guess I felt responsible for a thing or two around here," Toph said, rubbing the back of her neck before raising her chin at Sokka, stretched across a futon where his sister was healing him thoroughly. "How's the trip been, Sokka?"

"Was fine until Katara decided to chew me out for having a life," Sokka pouted.

"A life? You're saying you took an indefinite leave from the council because you're having a life?!" Katara exclaimed.

"Exactly!" Sokka rebuffed her. "They're fine without me for now, I'm sure…"

"You were due to become the chairman! Aang's been doing your work when it wasn't even his turn!" Katara scolded him. Sokka sighed, glancing at Aang apologetically.

"It's okay… though I'd rather you were back, too. You're better at handling politics than I am," Aang said. Sokka sighed and shook his head.

"It was impossible for me to focus on that while dealing with, well, all of what I was dealing with! So excuse me for being efficient about resolving my main problems so that I could go back to work properly once that was done…"

"What, exactly, were you trying to resolve?" Katara scoffed. "You were worried about the moon, but last I knew, you hadn't figured anything out with that…!"

"That's… not exactly the case anymore."

Katara froze, the water dripping out of her control and spilling down Sokka's flanks. He winced at the sensation, glancing over his shoulder at the sister who eyed him skeptically.

"What… does that mean, exactly?" she said, pointedly, softly.

"Means Azula's got some mystical wonky connection with Yue."

Sokka froze: Toph made the statement carelessly, relaxing against a wall, arms folded over her chest… Zuko stared at her in disbelief, mostly over her nonchalance, whereas Aang and Katara gaped in utter confusion.

"She's… what?" Katara said. "Connected to…? That can't be!"

"It is true," Zuko said: Katara scoffed, glaring at him next.

"You're actually believing something your sister said? Zuko, you always said she's the biggest liar you've ever known!"

"Doesn't mean this isn't the truth," Zuko sighed, shaking his head. "She knew things that… that only Yue would've known. Well, you would've known too, you were there, but you wouldn't have told Azula about the things I said to you when we met in the Northern Water Tribe's Oasis, or would you?"

"Zuko, if it were up to me, I wouldn't have talked to Azula about anything at all, why would I talk to her about…?!" Katara started… then she froze. "Wait. She… she knows what you said that day?"

"What? What did he say?" Aang blinked blankly. Toph snickered.

"Zuko's heart is racing! Someone's nervous…!"

"Shut up!" Zuko squealed, cheeks flushing as Toph cackled. "No one needs to know what I said…!"

"He called me a 'big girl' and mocked me for being sure that I could protect Aang with my bending," Katara finished. Zuko winced, covering his face with his hands as Aang gasped in horror, and Toph, naturally, snorted and laughed with wicked delight. "You're telling me, though… that Azula knew that? Sokka, you didn't…"

"I wasn't there. Literally learned about it just when Azula said it out loud," Sokka said, pushing himself upright. "Moreover? She knew things about my relationship with Yue that… well, none of you would have known. Like the place where we first kissed, or the first gift I gave her. Or the weird way in which I tried to flirt with Yue… though Katara overheard that too, but evidently she wouldn't have told Azula about that either, right?"

"Clearly I wouldn't have told her a damn thing. I mean, when would I have done that, to begin with?" Katara said, frowning as she took her seat near Sokka, frowning. "I… no. I don't understand. How would Yue… connect to Azula spiritually in any way? Why would she choose Azula?"

"I'm not even sure that she did. But maybe she did and… maybe it's a good thing," Sokka said. Katara's confused glare made him sigh. "Look… I know it's weird to fathom after all these years that maybe Azula was only ever, well, someone who went through things she couldn't really handle. She came from the same environment as Zuko, and we gave him a chance…"

"Yeah, because we had no choice," Katara said, bluntly. Zuko scoffed. "It's true! We let you join us so you'd teach Aang firebending: it's not that I'm saying it was a mistake, I'm just saying we weren't doing it because we took pity on you or something. We needed you: I don't need Azula, and I don't know who of you does, but…"

"Yue does," Sokka said. Katara frowned, but this time, it was Aang who spoke.

"Why's that?" Aang asked, quietly.

"I… I don't really understand why Yue's only started doing this now," Sokka said. "But she has wishes, dreams she couldn't fulfill. Why is Azula the one to fulfill them? I have no clue, but… maybe she feels a kinship towards her. They're both princesses who went way too far to serve their people: Yue did it to save them, and she paid a price she never should have. She made the right choice, but… it wasn't fair that she'd have to do that. Meanwhile, Azula's every awful choice throughout the war was for the sake of fulfilling what she was taught as her duty to the Fire Nation. Doesn't mean it was okay, but it does mean that… that doing all those things destroyed her. She's been lost in life for a decade, pretty much. She didn't have a purpose until she started seeing Yue."

"How… exactly does she see Yue?" Aang asked, crooking an eyebrow.

"It's… kind of how she was seeing her mother's mirages, before," Sokka explained, breathing deeply. "She thought it was her mental illness acting up again, at first. But I'm sure it's the real Yue. There's no way this is just her subconscious mind speaking. So… she sees her in reflections of all kinds. Water, mirrors… I got her a mirror so she could talk with her more easily. It broke in the fight we had in prison, when she was talking to Zirin, trying to get through to her. Didn't really work, Zirin went ballistic on her and in the fight, well…"

"Wait… that's how you got hurt?" Katara asked, frowning. "Did you jump between them or something?"

"Well, only after I threw my boomerang and knocked out Zirin?" Sokka smiled awkwardly. Katara raised her eyebrows. "I just jumped in front of the last flames she threw at Azula. She couldn't move because she was wounded, so…"

"Ah. So, she couldn't move. That's a totally logical and reasonable motive to jump in the path of incoming danger," Katara said, with a dry grin. Sokka shrugged.

"Sounded like a reasonable choice at the time. Still does, actually," he said. Katara scoffed.

"Sokka… you're losing it," she determined. Sokka rolled his eyes. "I get that maybe this whole thing wasn't about Azula but about Yue, which is honestly a bit of a relief to know? But at the same time, what exactly are you expecting will happen here? How do you know Azula didn't do something weird or messed up to cause Yue to connect to her…?"

"When I came across her in the North Pole, Azula wanted nothing but to get rid of Yue. That's very much why she was there, she assumed Yue would sort of… flow out of her once she reached her hometown," Sokka said. "I even… well, took her to the oasis. Hoped it might help Yue return to the koi fish, kind of? Still didn't happen."

"So… she doesn't want this?" Aang asked. Sokka shrugged.

"Didn't at first. By now, though… they're friends," Sokka said. "We didn't give Azula a chance, guys: Yue did. And I only started doing it because Yue did. What I've found since then is… Azula is so much more than any of us ever imagined she was."

"So much more… what?" Katara asked, with a dry grin. "Dangerous? Unpredictable? Dishonorable? Twisted?"

"Strong. Intelligent. Profound!" Sokka nearly squeaked, glaring at Katara. "Could you stop pretending you have all the answers to everything for ten seconds and listen to me when I say that Azula has value you couldn't possibly fathom? You believed in Aang blindly when we met him and I refused to listen, and you proved me wrong! Why is it impossible to imagine that this could be a similar situation, just, the other way around?"

"Because this is ridiculous! You're talking about Azula, Sokka!" Katara scoffed. "Why the hell are you trying this hard to defend her and stand up for her and…?"

"Oh, I know that one: it's because he's banging her, right?"

Sokka froze, paling immediately: Katara was left mid-sentence, and she turned her head slowly towards the careless Toph with utmost disbelief. Aang blinked blankly… and Zuko gasped.

"Toph…?!" Zuko exclaimed. Toph scoffed at his reaction, shaking her head.

"You knew that already, you doofus. What're you getting all worked up about? Not news for you, I told you so in Ba Sing Se…"

"I wasn't sleeping with her in Ba Sing Se!" Sokka squeaked: by now, his cheeks had flushed instead… and Katara turned an outraged set of cerulean eyes on him.

"Oh, not by then? When, then, did it start, exactly?!" she bellowed. "Sokka, is this true?! Is it?!

His silence spoke for itself this time, and Katara gasped as she rose from her spot, no longer healing his mostly patched-up back.

"Sokka…! Hell, you've lost your damn mind! You can't be serious…! Toph is joking. Tell me she's joking!"

"Toph… is messing with me. Like she loves to do!" Sokka growled. Toph snickered.

"I mean, yeah, but… I can feel that heartbeat, Meathead. It's not the same as before," she smirked. "No more 'I wanna but I don't dare', more like 'if I weren't in this dumb meeting I'd be pinning her to a wall and having my way with her right now', right?"

"You…" Zuko said, turning towards Sokka with a raised, pointed finger. "You… you lied! You weren't just sleeping naked in Ember Island because you sleep naked in the Fire Nation, were you?!"

The Fire Lord's grand declaration left everyone in the room stunned in utter silence for a good five seconds… then Katara yelped, and shortly afterwards, Aang and Toph burst out with laughter. Zuko's cheeks flushed, and he glared at his laughing friends reproachfully.

"He…! He said he was only doing it because the Fire Nation weather makes him…! Ugh! Why the hell did I believe you at all?!" Zuko roared, stomping up to Sokka, who grimaced and raised his hands defensively. "Are you involved with my sister?! Answer me!"

"Where the hell is this nonsense even coming from…?" Katara said, eyes wide with horror. "Sokka, are you nuts?! Azula?!"

"I… fine! Yes! I'm involved with her!" Sokka exclaimed, cheeks flushed even when his face was a mask of determination. "It hasn't been that long since I started traveling with her, but I've never felt the way I she makes me feel before, okay?!"

"What the hell is that supposed to even mean?" Katara winced. "What, are you aroused upon being… scared?"

"What? I'm not scared!" Sokka squeaked. Katara glared at him skeptically. "I'm not! I… I know you are, sure, but…"

"I'm not scared of Azula! I could put her in her place if I wanted to…!"

"Sure, and that's why you're so pissed at me, first for traveling with her, then for being her friend, and now…"

"For doing her in," Toph finished for him. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Love how helpful you're being, Toph! Nice work!"

"I do try…"

"I'm not scared of her!" Katara exclaimed, again. "I'm just…! Sokka, what the hell is the matter with you? An affair with Azula behind Suki's back? I know things between you haven't been great, but…!"

"Things between us are better than ever right now, actually, because they ended," Sokka said, with a dry grin: Katara's jaw dropped. "And you know what? It's been… liberating, even. I can't believe how much better I feel now that we've cleared the air, talked things through and fully grappled with the reality that… that we're not each other's future! And we don't need to be! Sure, yes, she's pissed at me and probably will always be pissed at me, but…"

"So, you… rebounded with Azula?" Katara asked, with a grimace. Sokka huffed.

"I didn't rebound. You don't get it, nobody is likely to, and you know? That's kind of it," Sokka said, shaking his head. "What's going on between us defies anything I've ever known, okay? It's not like Yue, it's not like Suki… it's something else entirely. I don't know where it's going to go, if it'll go anywhere at all…! But I never imagined that I'd tell her I loved her as early as I have. But… I said it anyway. So… there. That's how it is."

"You… love her?" Zuko repeated, blinking blankly. Toph whistled.

"That's a taller order than I thought. You sure went in fast with the feelings, bud. Should've enjoyed the no-strings-attached period a bit longer, if you ask me…" Toph chuckled. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"I don't think that period really happened here," he said. "After we figure out how to fully help Yue, get her to see the world, all the seasons, experience everything she can through this bond with Azula… well, Azula and I will most likely stick together after Yue is back to her lunar duties, okay? And I have no idea on what terms we'll be together going forward, no idea if it'll last a lifetime or two months, though I really hope it's a lifetime instead…"

"Sokka, you had a chance to spend a lifetime with someone who wasn't a known criminal and terrorist, and you just happened to pick her?" Katara said, dryly. "Suki was perfect for you!"

"Pfft. I have no idea what makes you think that… but maybe I don't mesh well with perfection if you're right to say that," Sokka said. Katara's eyes widened. "I nearly proposed to her, Katara. I backed down when I knew it wasn't the life I wanted."

"And Azula is the one you'd want forever instead?" Aang asked. "I mean… if you're not thinking about it that way, I guess it's one thing, but…"

"Look, it's up to her if she still wants me after all is said and done," Sokka said. "But… the more I've gotten to know her, the more I'm convinced this is the life I've always wanted. I'm not joking around, this isn't just… banging, the way Toph puts it. Yue connected to Azula spiritually… and I think I connected with her too in just about every sense that counts. It's crazy that we've been traveling together for only a few months, and I already can't imagine my life without her in it. They say you don't know what you've got until you lose it… but sometimes? Sometimes you find what you didn't know was missing in your life and you know better than to let go. And that's what happened with us."

Katara blinked blankly before shaking her head, pacing inside the room. Zuko stared at Sokka in confusion: Sokka held his gaze defiantly, and the reality of what he was saying seemed to sink in then.

"You… love my sister," Zuko whispered. "That's… that's a new one."

"I know. But… was about damn time someone did," Sokka said. Zuko gritted his teeth, lowering his gaze.

"You could've… said that's how it was. I mean, I didn't really like the idea, but… I don't even know why I didn't. Still, if you love her…"

"You're still out of your mind," Katara said. Sokka sighed and shrugged.

"Well, not so far out of it that I ever expected you'd change yours, so I'm still not that crazy…"

"Sokka: you can't love Azula. Even if you do, you'd better stop doing it quickly," Katara said. Sokka scowled. "She's a menace! She's a hazard! You're entertaining her for now, but what about once she gets bored? She'll go right back to bad habits the minute she can't get what she wants from you anymore, and then you'll have been aiding and abetting a known criminal and terrorist who might just murder half our family if anyone looks at her funny!"

"That's not who Azula is!" Sokka exclaimed.

"You're sure of that, no kidding!" Katara said, with a dry grin. "But she's manipulating you, like she manipulates people all the time, like every single person who knows her ever said she did! Mai, Ty Lee? They said so too, and so did Zuko before he started being all… brotherly! If that's what this is!"

"Hey, I don't think Azula is doing that right now, okay? She's… acting a little different than usual," Zuko admitted. "If she weren't, I would've stuck it out with the same attitude I had the last time we met. But something's… changed in her."

"Or maybe… something that's always been inside her has finally been allowed to bloom?" Sokka said, with a dry grin. "And mind you: it's not because of me that it's blooming. It's because of Yue."

"Sokka, the more you try to convince me of that, the more I'm convinced, instead, that she just figured out something about you that you didn't expect and now she's using it to take advantage of you…!"

"Why is it so damn hard to fathom that…?"

"She killed Aang! Or nearly killed, anyway…!"

"Zuko nearly killed us too! More than once!"

"Sokka, I know I fucked up a lot of times, but there's no need to…"

"She deserves a chance as much as you did!"

"Look, you all know that I'm an advocate for giving people second chances, but…"

"Is there anything to eat? I'm kinda hungry right now…"

"TOPH!"

"Ugh! Everyone just shut up!" Katara exclaimed, hands going up to her head in confusion and desperation. "I… I don't want to listen, Sokka, because this makes no sense to me! I refuse to believe it because if anything happens to you because of her, if she hurts you or hurts anyone I love, I…!"

Her rant was cut off by a sudden, familiar scream in a childish voice.

The blood slowed in Katara's body: Aang leapt to his feet.

It was Bumi.

"AZULA!"

As fast as the Avatar might have been with his bending, Sokka, shirtless and almost fully healed, ran out the door before anyone else could.

He followed the voices, the noise, and everyone else followed him in turn: anxiety rose inside Sokka's chest: was she in trouble? Was she in danger? Had Bumi done something stupid to her somehow, or…?

While most his friends dreaded that Azula was the danger herself… the truth was a lot less flattering than that.

Sokka gasped at the sight of her once he reached the house's backyard: the Princess snarled… as she hung upside down at a tall tree, her right leg awkwardly tangled in a kite's string.

Bumi, near the trees, kept screaming in a panic, further convincing Azula that he couldn't possibly be an airbender – he might just have helped her out of this pointless, stupid ordeal otherwise… and her mother had rushed into the temple a moment ago, perhaps looking for something to help her out of the tangle she had wound up caught in.

She frankly couldn't believe she was dangling off the damn kite's string this way. She had tried to undo the string's every knot… only to wind up entangled in it herself before long. She was moments away from tearing the damn string up, from setting it on fire... and then she had fallen off the branch upon attempting to break herself free.

She wrestled with the damn thing in midair, guessing the blow against the ground would not be pretty if she burned it off, but it was far better than to dangle here forever, the blood rushing to her head while the annoying boy screamed…

"AZULA!"

Sokka's voice: her stomach sank.

Of all people, she certainly didn't want him to see her in such a stupid, embarrassing, preposterous situation…

But he did. She grimaced, glancing at him and waving briefly, upside down, as Sokka raced towards her eagerly…

Then, the ground rose to meet her body.

Azula gasped when she felt support on her back: an earthbender, most likely Toph, had raised a block of earth to help her find some stability. Moments later, Sokka climbed up the earthen block, taking her into his arms.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, it was a stupid mishap…" Azula sighed: Sokka grimaced at the sight of the tangles of string up her body.

"What the hell is that?" he asked.

"Your nephew may have gone overboard flying that kite and getting it stuck in this tree. It defies any scientific explanation, what he did. Spiders could learn from his ability to weave webs that nobody can escape from…" Azula growled, back to work at undoing the knots…

She didn't need to do much more work to that end when Sokka pulled out his boomerang and cut the string.

"There. I'll restring it for him later, it's no problem," he sighed. Azula blinked blankly.

"Really? Just like that?" she asked. Sokka smiled.

"Won't be a big deal, I said. Getting new string for a kite is nothing out of the ordinary," he whispered. "For how long were you hanging there?"

"Uh. For however long the boy was screaming. Thank goodness he shut up by now," Azula said, eyes wide. "I'm never doing any favors to children again. They're on their own forevermore."

"Uh, yeah, sure thing," Sokka laughed, helping Azula by undoing the rest of the string's knots around her body. "You okay, though?"

"I'm fine, I said," Azula pouted.

"I didn't really mean… physically. Your pride?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, my pride? Why, your nephew stampeded over it, took a dump on it, and then cast it into the deepest pit of lava in any volcano known to civilization, but sure, I'm fine," Azula said, with a dry grin. Sokka laughed, hugging her to his chest and kissing her brow. "Yue's going to have the time of her life hearing about this one."

"She might just," Sokka smiled warmly at Azula, cradling her in his arms briefly to offer the support she seemed to relish in, right now. She might just shove him away later, but for now, while she didn't realize she was in plain sight…

But there were plenty of eyes upon her indeed: Aang and Katara froze in place, watching the pillar Toph had raised, with utter confusion. Even after hearing about Azula's relationship with Sokka, it was remarkably difficult to believe it could ever be real, no matter if they were seeing it for themselves right now…

"This isn't happening," Katara said, with an awkward smile. Aang swallowed hard, watching as Azula began wrangling herself out of the string too, helping Sokka with the tricky deed. He laughed as he assisted her, too. "It can't be."

But there was no denying that Azula's latest stunt, with its lack of dignity, hadn't resulted in a wild outburst of fire and lightning in retaliation, which was what they would have expected from her, normally. Aang leapt with his bending into the treetops, pulling out the kite without as much difficulty, now that the string had been cut, before landing next to Bumi with the kite.

"Sorry I wasn't here to help, Bumi," Aang said, handing the kite to his son. "I'll, uh, fix this in a bit, okay?"

"No string?" Bumi pouted. Aang smiled awkwardly and shook his head.

"I'll mend it, okay? But, for now, maybe…"

Aang bent the stringless kite into the sky, and Bumi squealed with joy as he watched his toy rising under his father's power. Aang smiled fondly at his son, just as Sokka and Azula finally climbed down from the earthen platform Toph had raised for them. The Avatar cleared his throat, stepping towards them.

"Sorry, I… I don't know how he did that. You're okay? Did the string burn your skin, maybe, or…?" Aang asked Azula.

"That's a good question: did it?" Sokka asked, grimacing. "If it did, Katara, come heal Azula…!"

"No!" Azula scoffed. "I said I'm alright, I just… didn't expect that outcome. It was my own carelessness, nothing more. You don't need to worry about me."

"You can't ask me, of all people, not to worry," Sokka said, nudging her lightly. Azula sighed… then she frowned, inching away from him, growing increasingly aware of everyone else's presences only then.

"Uh… this isn't, well…" Azula said, eyeing the Avatar warily. Aang blinked blankly before smiling carelessly.

"It's okay, Sokka already told us everything."

Azula froze. Sokka grimaced as she turned her head slowly, threateningly, towards him.

"What did he just…? What?!" she smiled dangerously, and Sokka stepped back, raising his hands defensively.

"Honestly? Wasn't my fault! Toph's the one who went and blurted out that…! W-well…! I tried to keep it cool at first but after a while I couldn't keep on denying it!" Sokka squealed, cheeks flushed as Azula scowled in his direction.

"You couldn't keep denying it," she repeated.

"Didn't you say I'm the worst liar you've met, or something like that?" Sokka sighed, lowering his hands. "They got me and since Zuko looked like he was moments away from beating me up, I kind of went and told them that it wasn't just a physical thing, so…"

"What's it to him, whatever it might be?" Azula growled. "None of his business either way… but curse you, couldn't you at least hold it in for a couple of hours?"

"Eh, I tried. Guess I love you too much to do that," Sokka declared smugly, raising his head as he finished his statement. Azula's jaw dropped.

"Y-you utter… ugh," she groaned, covering her face with a hand… and glancing at a smiling Aang, who shrugged at her.

"It's not a bad thing if you two are in love, I think? It actually makes me more willing to…"

"Sorry…"

Azula frowned, eyes falling on the child that stood beside Aang again, holding the kite that had finally landed again. He bit his lip but smiled at Azula.

"My kite… I got it now," he said. Azula huffed.

"So I see," she said. "Make sure not to lose it again."

"Okay!" Bumi grinned.

He finished off his latest exchange with Azula by rushing in to hug her leg.

Azula heard Katara's horrified yelp in the distance: it was far more satisfactory than it should have been. If just for the sake of annoying her, she simply leaned down slightly, patting the boy's head.

"It's quite alright, quite alright…" Azula said, her voice ringing with arrogance. "I wasn't even hurt by it, not truly… though, ensure to be more careful about who you ask for help in the future, when it comes to such matters. I'm far from the best candidate for the task. As for you, Avatar… keep an eye on your child?"

"I will, I will. Thank you for trying," Aang smiled awkwardly as Bumi let go of Azula's leg: he offered her one last broad grin before running off, carrying the kite over his head.

Azula smirked in Katara's direction: the waterbender appeared moments away from losing her mind to panic. She dragged her son towards herself once he passed near her, checking multiple times to ensure he wasn't injured in any way… naturally, finding that he wasn't. Frankly, being a good person paid off, above all else, just because of all the people who were betting everything they believed, everything they knew, on the expectation that Azula would never be able to change. Proving them wrong was shockingly invigorating.

"You sure you're okay?" Sokka asked, taking her hand in his. The instinctive urge to yank it out of his hold nearly overcame her, all be it to keep matters hidden… but Azula swallowed hard and nodded, squeezing his fingers back – more petty revenges, such as showing herself affectionate and kind to Sokka, would continue to unnerve his sister profoundly. She wouldn't feel comfortable doing this in front of other people if she weren't finding such a solid payoff from it.

"I'm fine. I'll just never talk to another child again," she concluded. Sokka laughed, leaning close to kiss her brow.

"Azula…! Oh, Azula…!" Ursa's voice reached them: after screaming Azula's name, she had rushed inside the temple and now she scrambled back out again, carrying a ladder with her. She had taken a different door in than the one the group had used to get out in the first place, so no one had seen her until now. "I was going to find a way to help you, but…!"

"Help found me before you found it," Azula said, with a smile and a shrug, as her mother dropped the ladder and approached her. "I'm fine."

Perhaps she was, indeed… but nothing prepared her to wind up in her mother's embrace next, as Ursa desperately hugged her upon ensuring she was safe.

Sokka let go of her hand, a small smile upon his face as Azula froze in Ursa's grip. She hardly knew what to do, for it was one thing to receive affection from Sokka… it was a whole other matter for it to happen with Ursa. She raised her hands tentatively, unsteadily, and placed them on her mother's back…

Tears suddenly flooded her eyes as she pressed her face to Ursa's shoulder – she didn't want the rest of them to see that part. Curses, she shouldn't get emotional over something so simple, so casual, so… so needed. Something she had been desperate for all across her life and… and suddenly, it was really there.

For once, her mother was embracing her and Azula held her, right back.

"Not what you would expect, now, is it?" Toph said, nudging Zuko's ribs with an elbow. He had watched the scene in confusion all around, but now he watched that embrace from afar… realizing only then that he had no recollection of witnessing a sight like this one before.

"Not really… but I'm glad it's happened," Zuko said, with a small smile. "There are a lot of things I didn't know, I guess. Lots of things I can't fix… but maybe others can."

"And you're not mad at those two for being naughty anymore?" Toph asked, amused. Zuko scowled. "What? You jealous or something? Want to be naughty too?"

"Stop it," he growled. "Nothing happened between us."

"Because you ran away. Chicken."

"I'm not going to…!" Zuko huffed, glaring at her to find Toph beaming proudly. "You realize just how crazy this nonsense of yours is? It's hard enough for me to wrap my head around all that's changing lately and now you're… throwing yourself at me?"

"Just for one night, what's the big fuss? I'm not asking you to marry me, I wouldn't be that dumb," Toph smirked. "Who'd want to get married at all?"

"Pretty sure Katara and Aang did," Zuko said. Toph made a grimace of distaste.

"Well, they're weird. You're too cool for that kind of boring nonsense, aren't you?" she said.

"What if I'm not?" Zuko pouted.

"Then maybe you should take me up on my offer and learn why it's better to be free like I am," Toph smirked proudly. Zuko rolled his eyes.

"You're free to do whatever you want, but I'm not joining your parade. To think you tried to cajole me into that kind of thing just to give me… what? What information were you going to give me about those two that I couldn't have found out through any other means?" Zuko scowled. "I found them without your help in the end…"

"Oh, I wasn't going to give you anything even if you went for it," Toph smirked. "I don't turn my back on my friends, not even for my other friends."

"That's…" Zuko said, frowning. Toph shrugged.

"You weren't ready to hear Azula's not who you think she is. Might be you're finally ready now. I had nothing to say, didn't really know where they were going or what they'd do next," she admitted, with a careless smile. "Was just easier to screw you over by pretending I did."

"You… ugh. Now you've definitely convinced me that you and I are never going to happen," Zuko huffed. Toph chuckled.

"Sad. Guess my imagination will have to be enough…"

"Stop imagining weird things! Ugh, Toph!"

"Prude."

Ursa sighed, pulling back and smiling at Azula while still holding her shoulders gently. The fallen Princess swallowed hard, offering Ursa a pained smile as the woman cupped her face.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more, but…"

"You didn't have to. You… I mean, what could you have done?" Azula asked, with a slight smile. "You did the right thing, they just got here before you could get them. It's… it's okay."

"I… I hope so," Ursa said, with a gentle grin. "I'm glad you're fine. That… that he came to your rescue."

She smiled knowingly at Sokka, who stood awkwardly behind them. Sokka grinned nervously, unsure of how to feel about Ursa's approval… knowing it was probably not a full, done deal, let alone a complete acceptance of Sokka as Azula's potential partner, but a greater step towards that direction than he had expected possible, quite so soon.

"He has a knack for doing that, looks like," Azula said, smiling a little. Sokka's gut fluttered happily upon hearing those words.

The conversation he was holding with the others before Azula's mishap had been cut off too abruptly, and it appeared that nobody was all that eager to return to it, most of all, those who believed Azula wasn't as bad as they had initially assumed she would be. To the Princess's surprise, a whole outdoors cookout was organized shortly after she had been saved from the throes of the kite's wicked string, mostly comprised by roasted vegetables, but Sokka managed to find some fish that everyone besides Aang could eat, too. It seemed as though their tense, suspenseful arrival had already smoothed over into perfect calm and peace… even if Katara still glared at her on occasion. Even so, glares were meaningless if she never acted upon them… which she certainly didn't, not after Sokka approached her with a grand idea to distract her from her spite towards Azula.

"Say, say. Azula and I were talking some time ago…"

"Do I need to hear this?" Katara grunted. Sokka nodded.

"It concerns you, so of course you do. Remember when you beat her back at the end of the war?"

"You… were talking about that?" Katara blinked blankly. "Why?"

"We talk about anything and everything, that's what couples do," Sokka smirked. Katara scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Though we weren't really together back then, but still! Point is… Azula shared some curious information about Fire Nation culture with me. She told me the winner of an Agni Kai is the one who burns the loser. And because of that, Zuko didn't actually beat her that day."

"Is that right?" Katara grimaced. "She'd obviously try to twist laws to her convenience…"

"Oh, no, no, no: you see, I realized that, by the logic they were using, YOU are the true Fire Lord because you defeated Azula after she defeated Zuko!" Sokka smiled brightly.

Katara, halfway through chopping some vegetables to roast, froze on the spot before staring at Sokka in utter confusion. He grinned still, hands behind his back.

"See? It was something that concerned you," he said, happily. Katara snorted.

"Fuck that," she said, eloquently. Sokka burst out laughing. "I'm not the…! Just the notion makes me sick! Don't ever say that again, Sokka! I'm not the Fire Lord, never would be…!"

"Even if that means you get to boss Zuko and Azula around because they're Fire Nation people and you're their rightful leader?" Sokka smiled mischievously.

Katara stopped, shooting a glance towards the other set of siblings. Both Zuko and Azula, busy by the grill at the moment, stared at her in chagrin, having overheard the conversation so far.

"T-that's not true! She's not…! Sokka, where the hell did you come up with that idea? Azula, you didn't…! Surely it was his idea, not yours, you wouldn't lead him to think something like that makes any sense!" Zuko squeaked. Azula rolled her eyes.

"Evidently, I told him it was unreasonable, so this isn't really… well, maybe it's partly my fault for thinking he'd have a logical reaction to things, but it is Sokka after all."

"Actually… I think this is great now: Azula, I command you to break up with my brother," Katara smirked at her: Sokka yelped, and Azula offered her a deadpan glare.

"In case you haven't noticed, I've spent a long time being a wanted criminal by Fire Nation authorities for defying the Fire Lord… do you really think I wouldn't rebel against your commands if I did against my brother's?"

"W-well…! I guess you would, but I had to try, didn't I?" Katara groaned.

"Tough luck," Azula smiled. Sokka snickered, approaching her and wrapping her in his arms. "Seriously, Sokka, what kind of trouble are you trying to stir, telling her something as ridiculous as that?"

"I was just trying to help her lighten up, nothing more to it…"

Despite the strange conversation hadn't resulted in Azula and Sokka's break-up, as commanded by Fire Lord Katara, the waterbender couldn't help but smile slightly as the other two ambled away, her brother still locked around his new lover, marching behind her as she berated him for putting weird ideas in people's heads. As much as his way of going about his goal had been rather strange, Sokka had achieved it nonetheless, ensuring that Katara had something to smile about.

Once they were sitting together by the steps that led back into the house, waiting for more food to be ready, Azula pulled out her new mirror, which Ursa had returned to her earlier, to Sokka's surprise.

"Your mom gave it to you?" Sokka asked, smiling warmly. Zuko continued tending to the grill nearby, refusing to give Toph any fish and constantly giving her the vegetables that she disliked the most.

"Yeah… I wasn't expecting it," Azula smiled at him before glancing at Yue. "But fortunately I didn't break this one when I fell from the tree like an idiot. My mom was holding it for me."

"You… huh? You mean, when you were trying to help Aang's son?" Yue winced. Azula smiled and shrugged "I couldn't tell what was happening because you weren't the one holding the mirror then…"

"I'm afraid it was quite chaotic. But we've survived worse than winding up entangled in a kite's string, haven't we?" Azula said. Sokka smiled.

"Maybe I should've been entangled in it with you, like when we hung underneath that bridge…" he suggested. Azula snorted and shook her head.

"I'm not sure the kite's string would've held us both, so I doubt it," she pointed out. Sokka snickered. "And no, I wasn't high enough that you could have or should have rescued me on a hot-air balloon like you did in the Fighting Cliffs… not that it was really a rescue, but…"

"You were being hunted down by Fire Nation soldiers, so I think it kind of counts," Sokka smirked, nudging her slightly. Azula rolled her eyes, smiling.

They had shared far too many strange experiences, far too many instances of camaraderie that had turned into much more than that: the peace they had found together had eluded them for the years through which they had never so much as fathomed each other as potential matches, partners. Now, that peace was finally within reach, at last, in the mysterious but fascinating future that lay ahead for the two of them.

And what was more, that future suddenly seemed promising in more fronts than the most obvious one: it wasn't merely that Azula had found someone worth spending her life with, shocking as the revelation was, most of all due to how sudden, how as good as random it had been… but having made peace with the people who had hunted her, the people who had resented her. Even if Katara wouldn't budge easily, she didn't get in the way of her conversations with Sokka, and she even eyed them with curiosity once Azula was holding Yue's mirror. As for the others, they appeared to have relaxed around her… Zuko no longer treated her as a bomb waiting to burst. Her mother offered her gestures of affection, even, and wanted to spend more time with her, getting to know her better, wishing to be part of her life.

As she sat where she did, Azula placed her head on Sokka's shoulder, suddenly taking in the landscape before her, with those darkened, brown leaves fluttering to the ground, as laughter and amusement lined the strange serenity of Air Temple Island. Half a year ago, she had been a fugitive… today, she was part of a family. She had chosen to be in one, too.

Her heart clenched at the thought, tears surging in the corners of her eyes: was this truly the life she would have? Had her unspoken hopes and longings been answered this way?

Her eyes fell upon the mirror, and Yue offered her a kind, heartfelt smile. Azula smiled back, retaining her immediate urges to pull back so as to not disturb Yue with her closeness to Sokka… she held her place there, unafraid, knowing Yue wanted her to be exactly where she was. Knowing she was finding happiness by Sokka's side, the way Yue might just have, if only the world had been kinder to the Water Tribe Princess…

They had a bonfire that night, impromptu as it was, enabling the whole group to rejoice in this unexpected, strange reunion. Aang staged a dancing competition, in which all Fire Nation-born folks declined to participate, while everyone else tried to show their best moves – Toph, naturally, did so by bending and messing with her dancing friends by making them trip or raising the earth under their feet before they knew what was happening. The amusing situation was not lost on Azula, sitting with her mother and brother… feeling content. Feeling alive.

Despite Katara's grievances, Azula was allowed to sleep in Sokka's room that night, if just due to Aang's leniency. Zuko's horror at such decision was deigned as irrelevant as Katara's, and Toph simply laughed while urging them to be careful not to turn Katara and Zuko into aunt and uncle, respectively, just yet… Ursa only smiled kindly, bidding her daughter good night.

"You're terribly self-aware about all this, aren't you?" Sokka asked, once they were safely behind the walls of their room. Azula huffed, running a hand over her hair.

"About a lot of things, I'd say," she whispered. "Aren't you? Or are you just used to being with someone in front of your family? I certainly cannot relate, if that's the case…"

"I'd say I am, but… it's different now," Sokka said, with a silly grin. He approached Azula, stroking her hair and kissing her nose softly. "I'm sorry I couldn't hold back the truth until we settled on what to do together, though. Wasn't the plan."

"I know," Azula said. "But… didn't turn out so badly, in the end. Guess your weakness can be a strength in disguise, sometimes."

"Heh, looks like it can be," Sokka smirked. Azula laughed softly, placing a hand upon his chest.

"Feels like this is way too real, way too fast," she whispered. "The things you're making me do, or even think of…"

"Good things or bad things?" Sokka asked, taking her hand in his.

"Sometimes both," Azula answered. Sokka snickered. "I… I never imagined this. A life like this, well… it was out of my reach until you found me. It hasn't even been that long, not really, but… you've changed my life in that time. You, Yue… I never believed anyone would think I was worth any of this."

"Guess it's nice to know that you're not always right if it's proven in this way, huh?" Sokka smiled. Azula laughed and raised her gaze to meet his.

"As if. I'd rather be right about everything, curse you," she mocked him. Sokka laughed, taking her face in his hands to kiss her lips warmly.

They should have shown restraint, but they lacked it direly with a relationship as new and fresh as theirs was: the futon received them without a hitch, and Sokka plunged into Azula's naked body after she stripped his clothes off, too. Their intimate embrace lasted longer than it should have, surely… but there was no letting go just yet. Not until the candles had run out, not until the sole light drifting into their room was that of the stars in the autumn sky…

Azula lay awake for a while longer as Sokka rested beside her, lying on his stomach, face turned towards her. He might just start drooling on the pillow, and she'd close his mouth for him if he did… but for now, Azula simply lay beside him, marveling at the fact that someone she had thought next to nothing of, not long ago, would have become such a crucial element to her happiness as Sokka had. It was a miracle, in the end… one she cherished deeply.

One she owed to someone else, too.

Despite wanting to lie in bed next to the man she loved, above all else, Azula pushed herself off the futon and picked up the sleeping gown she had been provided back in the Fire Nation airship, on their way to Air Temple Island. Dressing in it, she stepped towards the dresser – there was a mirror above it, from where Azula deeply hoped Yue wouldn't have been able to see what she and Sokka had done…

Azula smiled nervously at Yue when she spotted her in the mirror: the Moon Spirit offered her an awkward smile of her own.

"Hey, I… I don't know why I decided to talk to you rather than staying there," Azula admitted, nervously. "Just… w-well, you didn't hear that, did you?"

"Would it matter much, if I had?"

"I… I guess not," Azula acknowledged, running a hand over her hair absentmindedly. "I have to work on that self-awareness, I guess. Anyway, I just… I just wanted to say a few things now, as I had the chance."

"Things?" Yue said. Azula blinked blankly at how anxious the girl looked suddenly.

"It's nothing about Sokka… in any sense you might find distressing, I hope," Azula said. Yue gritted her teeth.

"It'd be okay if that's what it was…"

"Then… what wouldn't be okay?" Azula asked, puzzled. Yue smiled and shook her head.

"Nothing. Tell me. Just… tell me what you wanted me to know."

Azula breathed out, folding her arms over her chest. A thrill, or a goosebump, rushed up her back.

"I just… wanted to say thank you."

Yue's eyes widened. Azula shook her head, determined to keep going until she finished saying what she had to:

"Look, I… I wanted this. All of this. I didn't want to admit I did, but the truth is I was lost because I didn't think anything like this could be in the cards for me. You proved me wrong with your sheer stubbornness and strength of heart and I… I owe you so much more for that than I'll ever be able to say."

"Do you, really? Azula…"

"I know you might not want to hear it. I'm having the life you deserved, aren't I? It should be you here, not me, enjoying all these bonds, all these strange moments of joy and bliss and… and I can't really help but feel that I'm taking it from you, somehow. But… I'm growing to find peace with myself somehow, too. Suddenly, it's… it's possible to feel that, even if this life should have been yours, it might just be okay for it to be mine, too. And that's such a new feeling for me…"

She sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes as she smiled at the stricken girl inside the mirror.

"Thank you," Azula whispered. "Thank you for bringing back my… my will to live. For helping me learn that maybe I… maybe I could be more than what I thought I was. From thinking you were a pain, an obstacle in my way, a punishment I didn't deserve, I… I find myself thinking I would've gone nowhere in life, found no way out of hell with my old allies if you hadn't turned up when you did. For whatever reason you were with me for all this time, Yue, I… I'm grateful. You've… you've taught me how to live. You weren't even trying to, but you did it, nonetheless. A-and I know it's… it's self-congratulatory and embarrassing for me to say that I'll try to repay that favor by making Sokka as happy as I can possibly make him. For both our shares, I'd dare say, but…"

"For… whatever reason?" Yue said, with a sad smile. "So… you still don't understand why I did it?"

"I… well, you never told me," Azula frowned. "I didn't really understand because you refused to say, didn't you?"

"You know, we had more in common than we ever imagined possible," Yue said, smiling sadly. "But… I wasn't brought to you because I wanted to help you find this life for yourself."

"I guess not. It'd be awfully conceited of me to presume that, but…" Azula frowned. Yue laughed.

"That's not what I mean. What I mean is… this wasn't intended for your benefit. It was a punishment."

Azula frowned: Yue's gaze suggested her words were genuine… but the way she phrased them gave her pause, nonetheless.

"A punishment…" Azula repeated, eyes narrowing. "But… not for me?"

Yue smiled sadly… then she nodded.

"I never told you. I never wanted to. I never thought it would matter… but it does now," Yue said: tears bloomed in her eyes, and Azula's placid demeanor shifted abruptly. "This… is the last time I'll ever see you."

"What?!" Azula gasped: Yue held up her hands as though to pacify her, but that didn't stop the Princess from scowling heavily. "What does that mean? Yue…!"

"I would stay, Azula. I would, but…" Yue said, pleadingly. Azula's face was a mask of heartbreak that even the Moon Spirit was moved by it. "A… a comet struck the moon. Remember?"

"I remember," Azula said. Yue gritted her teeth.

"I… I didn't tell you the truth about a lot of things. That's why you always thought I was lying. I was, but not in the matters that you believed I was," Yue explained. "I… I can speak now. I have to speak now, because… this is the end. Azula, I… I've been a prisoner, for all this time."

"What? You… wait," Azula frowned, raising a hand towards the mirror. "Wait a fucking second, you… in my dreams. Yue, I saw things in my dreams, but every time I woke up…!"

"I was fine? I… I was. Because you were showing me your light," Yue said, with a sad smile. "Every time you looked in a mirror, every time you saw me in a reflection, it was… it was a window that opened in this darkness, allowing me to see something more than this nightmare. I…"

"The moon has been darkened," Azula recited, frowning. "It was… it was dark for you, too. You were trapped in darkness. What happened to you wasn't some mystery, you knew what was going on all along was because of…!"

"The comet that struck the moon, yes," Yue whispered, closing her eyes. "I'm… haunted by it. Another spirit has taken hold of me. I… I can't break free. I don't know how. The only way to keep it from draining me into nothingness was… you. You've… you've been saving my life constantly, Azula, without knowing you were doing it. I've… I've used you to stay tethered to reality. It didn't really matter, at first, what you might do, whatever you were up to… because the nightmare within this darkness only ever stopped if you were there for me to see."

"I… don't understand," Azula said, trembling. "Yue…!"

"At first I only wanted… the moments of respite from darkness that only you could provide. But the more I got to know you, the more I grew to see that I… I wanted you to have a better life than you did," Yue said, with a watery smile. "My captor let me see you, I think… because he believed that you would be my downfall. He let you be my last hope for safety, just for his sick, twisted enjoyment, I think… he thought that, if I wanted to be saved, I'd lose myself to despair because you'd never wish to help me. Because you…"

"Because I was… a selfish monster who took and took and would never give back?" Azula asked, scowling. Yue laughed.

"Isn't it funny just how wrong he was about you?" she said: Azula froze on the spot. "I… I wanted for nothing. I expected nothing. But you've given me everything I could have hoped for… you've given me a chance to experience your happiness with you. You showed me the world! I… I never thought I'd get to see it as I did, by your side! You helped Sokka find peace, closure, happiness…! And you found hope and strength for yourself, too. I don't… I don't care what happens to me now. I never did. I… I gave up all hope of salvation long ago. The one thing I still wanted… was your peace and happiness. I wanted you to have everything neither of us ever did. And now that you finally have it, well…"

"You… no. You can't be serious…" Azula said, scowling. "Well…! I'm not at peace, nor am I happy now, with everything you've said! You lied to me! You've been lying to me about my dreams for all this time…!"

"I never wanted to alarm you…"

"You did anyway!

"I had no power over what you saw. Every time you crossed over into this world in dreams, I… I was terrified that you might not be able to go back. That he would notice and entrap you too, so… I never wanted you to chase a solution. I only wished for you to live your life… to live it right. You have the chance to do so much I never could…"

"That's… that's no reason to resign yourself to some cursed fate!" Azula hissed, striking the wall beside the mirror. "You… You didn't make me give a damn about you, you didn't make me care as much as you did, only for you to leave now and expect me to do nothing! To say or feel nothing about this…!"

"There's… there's nothing you can do," Yue said. Azula snarled. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't the way you'd like for things to be, but…"

"You're so infuriating," Azula hissed, tears spilling down her eyes. "You…! I'm not going to forsake you just because you ask me to! Tell me this is all nonsense, that you just can't stand to see me being happy with Sokka, that this is all just a fabrication and that you just hate me for…!"

"I could never hate you," Yue said, earnestly. Azula snarled.

"You did all this… for your benefit, you said? That makes no sense. That… if it had been for your benefit, you'd have found a way to come back to life through me, maybe, or something like that! How's it to your benefit if the only one who got her dreams fulfilled was me?!"

"It's too late for me, it has been since I became the Moon Spirit. My life ended years and years ago. Yours didn't. I don't know if you would have done this for me, if our roles were reversed…"

"Oh, I wouldn't have, that's for sure…!"

"Right," Yue said, with a sad smile. "I… I didn't need you to change, Azula. I didn't ask you to. I didn't try to make you anyone else… I just liked you as you were. I grew to cherish you as you are. I'm sorry if I've… if I've ended up being a disappointment. But just know that… that I loved you. I loved Sokka. I hope… I hope for the best for you two. Please…"

"You… don't you dare leave. Don't you dare…!" Azula exclaimed, snarling at the mirror fiercely. "We're not done here! You wanted to see the seasons? You're still missing one, damn you! You can't just…!"

Yue smiled sadly: of course she had seen the last remaining season. She had lived in perpetual winter all her life, after all… but Azula's desperation manifested itself in her pleas and demands, nonetheless.

"I'm sorry, Azula."

"You're not! You're…! Stay here. Stay. Yue, for crying out loud, tell me it was all a lie, all a joke, just tell me everything you just said was…!"

The Fire Nation Princess began crumbling emotionally: her hand touched the mirror… and so did Yue's, touching right against hers.

"He…" Yue said, eyes widening slowly. "He's coming."

"No. No one's coming. Nothing's wrong, Yue, nothing's…!"

The Water Tribe Princess froze: her tearful eyes widened: her features darkened, and she drifted backwards.

"No! No! YUE! COME BACK…! YUE!"

The darkness wrapped itself around her body: her features faded, one by one: the last to vanish was the hand pressed against the mirror, against Azula's own.

"Goodbye, Azula."

"YUE!"

The Fire Nation Princess's eyes snapped wide open: she sat up in bed abruptly, and the arm draped over her shoulders rose awkwardly.

"Azula…?" Sokka grimaced, pushing himself back as his lover's bare chest heaved. "What got into you? Are you…?"

"I'm…" Azula said: she hadn't gotten up. She hadn't approached the mirror by the wall…

There had never been a mirror there, to begin with.

A gripping fear surged inside her heart as she kicked the covers off and jumped out of the futon. Sokka, groggy and confused, grew more alert over her behavior slowly.

"Azula…?"

The Princess rushed through their nightstand's things until she finally found the mirror Ursa had given her. Her trembling hands turned it towards herself, careless about showing Yue any parts of her naked body…

But said bare body parts were all she got to see.

There was no one standing over her shoulder. Not the right one. Not the left one. Nowhere.

"No… no…!" Azula gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Azula, what's going on?" Sokka asked, crawling towards her with uncertainty. "What…?"

"She's not there," she said. Sokka froze.

"Wait… what?" he frowned. "You… wait, that can't be. That…"

"I can't see her, Sokka. I can't see her. I…" Azula said, turning towards him, her face a mask of horror and distress, tears spilling down her cheeks.

He shook his head: not again. He couldn't lose Yue again, not this way. Azula couldn't have been as helpless to save Yue as he had been…

But the aghast, desperate expression across her features spoke for itself:

Once again, Yue was gone.

[innocentimouto]

Would Jet adopt an abandoned baby orphan that he knew was from the Fire nation?

Lol okay got it now

I think this is really open to interpretation. We don't get a lot of Jet. And there's a thing about babies that makes many people hesitate in doing something that they would normally do.

I don't like bringing Zuko in to this question about Jet (unless it's to point about FANDOM HYPOCRICASY), but Zuko had been stealing from people constantly in Book 2, and he was prepared to do it again. The only reason he didn't was because she was pregnant. Mind you, he didn't care that they were refugees or that they were unarmed.

When Jet meets Zuko, Zuko was only interested in stealing for himself. Meaning Zuko had no qualms about stealing. Yet he hesitated at the sight of a soon to be born baby.

So the fact that it's a baby is important to Jet's decision here.

Many people compare/contrast Jet to Katara and Sokka, and one thing that stands out is that Katara and Sokka never really seem to view non-combatant fn people as enemies while Jet does.

Even if the fn people are in colonized land???

Anyway, babies. Sokka's comment about fn baby isn't that serious, but maybe you could stretch something. With Katara, definitely not. There's even an ek soldier mentioning he will grow up to be a killer, and Katara doesn't seem to care.

So going off of how Jet is contrasted against Sokka and Katara, he may agree with the soldier. Though it is important to note that ek villages ignore orphans, so maybe that was why the man could say that so easily. (or possibly because they had all just lost their homes and two random teenagers were finding the son of the new leader of their city cute)

Basically I think we can consider a few things:

Jet appears to have never had any help from his own people

Jet is willing to take in any orphans he comes across

Jet views all fn people as enemies

So normally Jet is willing to take care of and help anyone he comes across, especially kids. And normally he views all fn people as enemies.

Does he consider how he can even care for it? Is he afraid of accidentally messing up and letting the baby die? Is he afraid of getting attached only for the baby to die either from his mistakes or from the Fire Nation? Does he leave it and lie to himself that it isn't his problem and someone will care for it?

Does he worry about how they can continue to hide with a crying baby? Or how he will ever be able to do anything with a baby under his care? Or a greater pressure than all the kids combined because it's a BABY and they're so fragile?

Maybe he's afraid it'll be a firebender. Or he knows it will never feel welcomed. Or he's afraid some of the kids may hurt it out of bitterness. Or he may just not care one day and leave it somewhere.

We have to also consider resources and the fact that even if it was an ek baby, it would still be really difficult to care for.

Children don't always view babies the way adults do too. I can't see all of the kids happy that they now have a baby. Particularly the anxious ones would be afraid soldiers would hear the baby. And the angrier ones may be inclined to get rid of it.

Jet may just easily leave the baby where he found it because no one helped him and he survived and as much he hates the Fire Nation he's not going to harm a baby but it's also not his responsibility to care for the children of monsters. And it's hard to confront the idea that the people killing you were once babies because that opens up so many other things that would be difficult to think about while being at war with them.

In the same way, all of those could be the very reasons he adopts the baby. Because he knows what it's like to be abandoned and he has gone out of his way to help other orphans. And maybe he's making a stupid mistake, but he doesn't think a baby is at fault so he's going to raise it Earth Kingdom instead and maybe he's morbidly interested in the possibility of a good fn person.

So again, I think it's fair to say he would or wouldn't adopt the baby, but I can't be convinced there wouldn't be a LOT of mixed feelings regardless of the choice. Also the kid would probably grow up with a lot of issues due to being surrounded by children hating the fn.

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine teasing Sokka and Suki for being embarassingly romantic and them getting revenge when they realise you like Zuko

Sokka and Suki were a great couple, their only flaw however was the sickening things they said to each other publically. You were travelling to Ba Sing Sei and ran into Suki who waited precisely 5 minutes before flirting with Sokka. “Look at you sleeveless guy, been working out?” Suki asked Sokka. You gagged loudly drawing Suki’s attention but Sokka didn’t seem to hear you. “I’ll grab a tree branch and do a few chin touches every now and then” he bragged and you snorted “more like a twig, you couldn’t lift a tree branch if you were a wood bender”. Sokka and Suki shot you a look but Katara and Toph laughed. You hated romance and anytime someone was sweet or soppy you couldn’t be in the vicinity. Unfortunately Sokka and Suki (mainly Sokka) turned into lovey-dovey messes around each other every single time.

The rest of the gang all thought you were being dramatic apart from Toph but that wasn’t much consolation considering her feelings were driven by her crush on Sokka. You tried to tolerate as much as you could but sometimes they were just downright sickening. You thought you were the only person who hated romance and then Zuko arrived. Apparently you were just from the wrong nation. Zuko quickly explained how affection and love ballads weren’t a thing in the fire nation. People expressed themselves but usually in more subtle and private ways which suited you perfectly. So reassured you weren’t crazy you relaxed and became eager to find out how suited to the fire nation you actually were. To do this you spent time with Zuko learning about his nation. You were fascinated by everything he told you and absorbed everything he told you about his culture.

“I’m moving to the fire nation after all this” you announced one evening when Zuko told you dancing also wasn’t a thing in the fire nation. “It turns out they’re my people so why waste any time? After this invasion business is wrapped up I’ll be moving into a fancy house right by the palace, right Zuko?”. Zuko smirked slightly at your tone and nodded “I promise once this is all over if you want to move to the fire nation I can arrange that, fancy house and all”. Zuko then excused himself to make some tea and you smiled watching him. “Man it’s good being friends with the prince” you smiled leaning back on your arms and Sokka rolled his eyes. “Sure friends...” he smirked and you frowned “we are friends, just because Zuko hates most things doesn’t mean he hasn’t warmed up to me”. “Ow I’m not doubting he’s warmed up to you, i’m merely suggesting that’s not all”. You sat up, getting angrier by the second at Sokka’s tone and sighed “just say whatever you’re hinting at, I know you’re dying to”. Sokka laughed “you and Zuko...you like each other romantically”. You laughed in response “no we don’t! Where did you get that idea from?”. This time Sokka laughed “ow I don’t know maybe by how you stay up late together by the campfire trading stories or how you stare at him transfixed when he tells you about the fire nation”. “Because i’m interested in other cultures!” you cried and Sokka smirked “nice try y/n but we all know you’re interested in more than Zuko’s culture” Sokka said suggestively and you blushed vividly making him laugh loudly. “You had no idea what you’re talking about!” you cried and stormed away.

Although you denied Sokka’s accusations they planted a seed in your head and you began wondering if your feelings for Zuko were more than a friendship. It had surprised you how well the two of you got along and you did find yourself drawn to him more and more. Maybe Sokka, shockingly, was right.

You couldn’t sleep, Sokka’s words were still in your head so you went for a stroll. From your vantage point you spotted movement. It was Zuko and he was climbing up on Appa.  You frowned and part of you wondered if Zuko was trying to steal him but only a small part. You thought it much more likely something else was going on so crept your way to Appa and waited. Not long after Sokka appeared. Zuko scared him making him fall hard. “Well that was dramatic” you commented from your hiding place and Zuko jumped following Sokka on his fall to the ground. You grinned seeing both of them rubbing their heads staring up at you and jumped down “so what’s going on?”. Sokka soon explained his plan to save his dad from prison and you and Zuko managed to convince him to let you come. You left a more convincing note for the others explaining your absence than Sokka’s “went fishing” idea and took off.

You and Sokka decided to nap seeing as you wouldn’t arrive till morning and Zuko agreed to keep watch. You woke a few hours later to see Zuko still stood in the same position staring out at the scenery. “Hey” you smiled “you okay?”. “Yeah i’m fine” Zuko said softly and you raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because you haven’t moved from that position in hours”. Zuko turned to face you fully “don’t worry I’m fine, just keeping watch that’s all”. You nodded and looked out at the sunrise. “So how are you feeling about heading back into the fire nation?” you asked. Zuko shrugged “indifferent to be honest, the idea doesn’t really bother me. I just hope we all get in and out safely”. You nodded but Zuko hadn’t quietened your worry “aren’t you concerned about someone recognising you? What if we see someone you know...maybe this is too dangerous for you?”. “I’ll be fine y/n” Zuko said simply and went to move away again when he paused “but thanks for your concern for me”. You locked eyes and panicked over what to say. “Err no problem” you blushed “just don’t die”. Zuko chuckled “I’ll try not to” and turned back to manning the ship. You stared after him blushing when Sokka appeared suddenly “what time is it, did I miss much? Wait why are you...”. “Nothing shut up” you cried and went inside the cabin so Sokka couldn’t see the vivid blush on your face.

You landed the ship and soon snuck into the prison. You couldn’t find Hakoda but you did manage to find someone else. “It’s Suki!” Sokka cried and you sighed “ow god...get ready for it” you whispered to Zuko who frowned “ready for what? Who’s Suki?”. “Only the most amazing beautiful wonderful girls in the world!” Sokka yelled and you shot Zuko a look “that”.

Once you found Suki everything fell into place. Hakoda arrived and you’d worked out an escape plan and not a moment too soon as Azula, Ty lee and Mai arrived. Azula and Ty lee were hot in pursuit and you managed to dodge most of their attacks but all it took was one. Azula sent a large attack at you and there was nowhere to dodge it on the narrow platform. You winced as Azula’s flame pushed you hard into the wall and heard Sokka yell your name. Zuko reached you first and you groaned trying to move your arm “somethings wrong with it”. “Can you move it?”. You shook your head and Zuko frowned “I think it’s dislocated”. “Dislocated?” Sokka cried “what do we do?”. “I can fix it we just have to get her to the barge, y/n can you stand?”. You nodded but groaned as your arm moved. Zuko grabbed onto you and placed your good arm around his shoulder “is this alright or do you need me to carry you?”. “This is fine” you blushed and Zuko nodded helping you get to the barge. Once inside Zuko started working on your shoulder, talking you through what he was going to do softly.

“It's gonna hurt but just try and focus on something else okay?”. You nodded and honestly it wasn’t difficult. Zuko was staring at you, filled with concern, as he tried to gently fix your shoulder. You were more focused on not blushing than your shoulder and it didn’t help that the others were watching everything. Sokka seemed to have a smug smile despite the circumstance and you reminded yourself to kill him later.

After Zuko set your shoulder you drifted off to sleep and awoke back at the temple where Katara was overseeing Zuko’s work. When they realised you were awake they both rushed to you but Zuko got to you first. “You’re awake!” he cried “how are you feeling?”. “Okay...” you replied tenderly “my shoulder feels a bit sore”. Katara nodded “that’s to be expected, i’d rest it for at least a week and make sure you don’t do any heavy lifting with it okay?”. You nodded and Katara excused herself with a smile. “You’re really okay?” Zuko asked and you nodded “yeah, sorry I guess I wasn’t much help in the final fight, did everything go okay?”. Zuko shook his head “don’t be silly you were hurt! We were all just worried about you more than anything. We got away fine with some help and all made it back in one piece”. “Wow that almost sounds too good to be true, we got lucky”. Zuko nodded “we really did” before he smirked mischievously. “And to think after all that warning about it being too dangerous for me, you’re the one who tried to take on my sister alone” Zuko smirked teasing you and you struggled not to blush. “Yeah well you are the prince of the fire nation remember, I just have really bad luck”. Zuko smiled “sure you do, either way be more careful next time okay?”. “Only if you are” you retorted and Zuko nodded “deal” gripping your hand in promise. His gaze lingered on you for a few seconds too long and he abruptly stepped back “erm I’ll leave to let you get changed and freshen up, I’ll come visit you later. Get well soon”. You nodded and searched for something to say back. “Thanks you too!” you cried before realising that didn’t make sense at all. “Wait I didn’t mean that, you don’t have to get well because you’re fine...I don’t know why I said that”. Zuko chuckled as your face reddened and he smiled softly “don’t worry it was funny” and he walked away. You breathed in a deep breath before you heard laughing. “Who’s there!” you cried and Sokka and Suki stepped inside the tent from the opposite doorway, laughing hard. “What’s so funny?” you asked and they both smiled widely. “Nothing....we just find it ironic that’s all” Suki smirked and you frowned “what?”. “Well you’ve spent this entire time acting like you were better than us because romance is for losers and then Zuko shows up and you’re the one blushing and laughing at his jokes. “WHAT” you cried “I am not...we’re just friends, we have the same sense of humour and we’re both the eldest so of course we’d gravitate towards one another”. “Sure and that has nothing to do with you finding him attractive? Just a coincidence?” Suki asked. “I don’t find him attractive why would you even say that?”. “Huh guess we were wrong” Suki shrugged “see you around y/n” and they sauntered away.

After the air temple’s position became compromised you moved to a house Zuko’s family-owned and you were greatly enjoying home comforts as opposed to bare caves and temples. So you let your guard down and didn’t see the attack heading straight for you.

“Y/n come quick! Aang’s in trouble!” Suki yelled. You dropped what you were holding and ran as fast as you could into the courtyard. You shot around the corner and narrowly missed getting hit by a jet of fire.You blinked ready to counter the attack when you saw Zuko and Aang staring at you confused. “Y/n? What’s wrong why did you do that I could have hurt you!” Zuko cried and you blinked “Suki said...” you glanced around and saw Suki and Sokka sat on a bench across the yard smirking at you. You were confused why they seemed so smug, all they’d done was made you embarrass yourself in front of everyone, then you realised Zuko wasn’t wearing a shirt. “Suki what was that?” Zuko asked coming to stand in front of you and you looked away “nothing it was just a prank” you cut in hoping Zuko would drop it. Zuko seemed confused but he shrugged much to your relief...then he carried on coming closer. “It's not a funny prank if you get hurt, I didn’t burn you did i?” he asked reaching out for your arm. You moved your arm out of his grasp immediately your cheeks flushing “no i’m fine! Not a scratch on me”. “Are you sure because burns need treating right away or they’ll...”. “I’m fine Zuko” you said sharply and he paused at the harshness of your voice. You immediately felt guilty as Zuko stepped back “okay”. An awkward silence fell and you were getting ready to retreat but Sokka and Suki weren’t done yet. “Hey Zuko didn’t you say you wanted to show y/n how to fight a fire bender given what happened at the prison?” Sokka called. Zuko nodded “I do but i’m training Aang this morning”. “Yeah but maybe we could end it there for today? Honestly I’m exhausted and could use a break” Aang sighed. Zuko frowned looking up at you “well okay but if now doesn’t work for you we could do another time?” Zuko asked timidly and you again felt awful for snapping at him. “Now’s great” you smiled softly and Zuko smiled back making you blush vividly and you heard Sokka and Suki laugh. “Let me know when you’re ready” Zuko told you grabbing a bottle of water and drinking deeply. You watched as some water spilt over and ran down his neck. “You okay there y/n?” Suki asked and you glared going bright red. You marched over to them furiously “you two think you’re so clever but I know exactly what you’re trying to do and it won’t work!”. “Won’t it?” Sokka asked “you’re pretty red y/n, sure you can handle shirtless Zuko?”. You blushed at his word choice making them before erupting into laughter again. “Y/n?” Zuko called and you paused “yeah?”. “We should probably get started soon that way we can get an hour in before the sun becomes too intnese. You nodded and with a last glare came to stand across from Zuko. “So I think the reason Azula’s attack was so successful is because you fought it head on rather than manouvering it, fire is life, it isn’t solid like a rock so you can be more flexible with it, how is your flexibility?”. “My flexibility?” you asked blushing as you heard Sokka break out laughing. “Yeah...” Zuko said confused looking from you to Sokka “good hip and foot movement can really help you dodge attacks”. “Yeah y/n how’s your hip movement?” Sokka called and you glared at him before turning back to Zuko “okay I think...”. Zuko nodded “okay well try dodging some attacks and I’ll give you some tips?”. You nodded and focused on Zuko. You dodged his attacks and Zuko nodded “good but try being lighter on your feet and guard your centre more”. “My centre?”. “Yeah, so you place your arms beside your body but try moving them infront, that way if you need to dodge it’ll be easier”. When you moved your arms confused Zuko smiled “here like this” and he helped place them correctly. You blushed as he reached around you and both Sokka and Suki smirked widely. “Got it?” Zuko asked and you nodded staring straight ahead, pointedly not looking at him “yep”. “And maybe loosen up a bit, you seem tense”. “I wonder why” Suki muttered and you broke stance “okay that’s it...” when Sokka stood up. “Don’t worry we’re going, it seems like you two need some privacy anyway” Sokka smirked “that way you can train more intimately”. “Have fun” Suki grinned “although not too much y/n” she cried winking at you. The door closed and Zuko turned to you “not too much fun?”. “Erm Suki just knows I love training that’s all she meant...shall we begin?”.

You spent most of the day training with Zuko and while it got a lot better when there was no audience, the minute you stopped all your shyness returned. You could barely look at Zuko and just wished he’d for the love of god put on some clothes.

You just finished training as the others returned and they all shot you smirks as they walked past you into the house. Sokka and Suki seemed very smug and you seriously doubted they’d actually gone into the house. You glanced around the yard wondering where they’d think to hide when you realised Zuko was also staring at the house with a frown. You immediately grew worried that he’d gotten suspicious of all their teasing but luckily that wasn’t the case. “Damn I was hoping to sort out all this training stuff before they got back” Zuko said gesturing to the training equipment around you “Sokka really hogs the shower”. You laughed very familiar with Sokka’s intense pamper regime. “Well why don’t I sort all of this?” you asked. Zuko paused “no I can’t make you pack all of this away on your own”. “It’s fine honestly” you assured him “plus if you don’t move now Sokka will be in there for like an hour”. Zuko nodded “that is true...okay, thanks y/n you’re the best”. You smiled blushing slightly “no problem...”. Zuko smiled back “thanks again and good work today” Zuko added before rushing inside.

The second he was gone Sokka and Suki emerged from a hiding spot just like you figured they would. Before they could speak you held up a hand “Don’t even speak”. “What we weren’t going to say anything” Suki smiled “just you look a little red that’s all”. “Yeah good session?” Sokka asked “or did Zuko work you too hard?”. Suki laughed and you glared. “That’s it! If you two won’t quit then fine I admit it! I like Zuko! He’s stubborn and dramatic and has a short temper which are all things I shouldn’t like but I do because I’m the exact same! But he can also be sweet and shy which makes him adorable considering he’s literally royalty. He’s also really funny in his own way and I love how awkward he is. Not to mention how incredibly attractive he is! His hair alone makes me weak but seeing him shirtless and sweaty today...I barely got through training without passing out so are you both happy now? You’ve driven me to insanity with all your teasing! I like Zuko, I’ll admit it because I can’t think of anything else but him!”. Silence settled and Suki went to talk when a small voice asked “you do?”. You turned to see Zuko stood in the doorway with a very confused look on his face. “Zuko....did you hear all of that?”. Zuko nodded “I forgot my shirt so I came back...you like me?”. You blushed “kind of...” but when Zuko frowned you sighed “I mean yes, I like you...but I don’t expect anything in return I mean you’ve got so much on your plate right now and I know you just saw Mai...”. Zuko didn’t talk or even react to what you said he just stared down at the floor thinking. “Zuko?” you asked after the most uncomfortable seconds of your life passed “please say something”. Zuko sighed “I don’t know what to say...I mean we get along well and you’re all of those things you said about me and more but I think I need time to work out how I feel, is that okay?”. “That’s totally fine take as long as you need” you nodded and Zuko nodded “thanks y/n” and walked away. Zuko left and Sokka and Suki looked at you “Y/n we’re so sorry!” they both burst. “We didn’t plan that at all we just wanted to tease you a little bit we promise” Suki cried. “Exactly! I’ll go explain it all to Zuko about how we pushed you to say all that” Sokka offered and you sighed. “No it’s okay...I mean he was bound to figure it out eventually, it’s probably better he knows I guess”. “Y/n we’re really sorry is there anything we can do?” Suki asked and you shook your head. “It wasn’t your fault and actually all this teasing has made me think. I was rude and cruel to both of you before so i’m the one who should apologise to you. I made fun of you just because I have a different idea of what a relationship looks like but that doesn’t make yours any less valid. I should never have teased you guys for showing affection just because I’m not like that. I’ve been an awful friend...can you ever forgive me?”. “Of course we can!” Sokka cried and Suki nodded “we knew you never meant any harm”. “I know but actions matter more than intentions so I’m really sorry”. “Hey if you can forgive us for outing you to your crush then we can forgive you for teasing us” Sokka said hugging you and Suki joined in “what are friends for?”. You still felt utterly humiliated but at least you had your friends to comfort you.

As time passed and Zuko never mentioned that day to you again you figured his silence spoke louder than any words. He didn’t return your feelings and that was fine. You understood Zuko didn’t have to like you back or want anything more with you just because you got on well. You respected his friendship enough to not be bitter or rude to him for his choice. All you wanted was for him to be happy and if that was with Mai or another person then you were happy.

You put everything in the past and managed to win the war. Aang defeated Ozai and Zuko, with Katara’s considerable help, defeated Azula becoming Firelord. You were so proud of all your friends and stayed in the fire nation for a while to celebrate. Things had been awkward between you and Zuko at first but now they were back to normal and you were pleased your friendship had survived. You hoped to remain good friends with Zuko and thought that seemed likely even with your encroaching departure.

One day before you were due to leave Zuko found you in a spot in the palace you liked to read in. “Zuko” you said surprised “what brings you in here? I thought you had Firelord things all day?”. “I did but I heard you were leaving and I need to speak to you, can we talk?”. You were instantly confused and nervous but nodded standing up “okay...”. Zuko led you to an empty study and closed the door. He was breathing very quickly and was playing with his hands nervously. “Zuko are you okay...” you started when he cut you off.  “I like you” Zuko said suddenly and you froze “you do...but it’s been so long since...are you sure? If it took you this long to come to the realisation maybe you’re just feeling pressured? Zuko I won’t be angry if you don’t like me”. “No that’s not why it took so long” Zuko assured you “I knew I liked you the day I heard you say all those things about me”. “You did?” you asked and Zuko nodded “well really I knew long ago but after hearing you say it I thought about it and realised I liked you too. But y/n we were living in as fugitives with the odds stacked against us. Any of us could have died or been captured, our future was so uncertain that I didn’t want to start anything in such an unstable situation. So i waited, I thought I’d wait until after the war and see what happened. By some miracle we all won and I became Firelord” he said as if the very idea was still hard for him to get used to. “As soon as the war was over I wanted to tell you but I barely got a second alone with you so I kept putting it off for the perfect moment. I didn’t want it to be rushed or forced but I took too long and so when I heard you were leaving tomorrow I knew I had to tell you. Please tell me it’s not too late and I haven’t ruined everything?”. You shook your head “no Zuko, you haven’t ruined anything”. “So...you still like me?” he asked cautiously and you rolled your eyes. “I may not be overly affectionate but don’t let that fool you, everything I said about you is still true”. “Really?” Zuko said blushing “because you said a lot of stuff i’m sure other people wouldn’t think”. “Well it’s their loss” you smiled and Zuko smiled too “and my gain I guess” taking your hand. “I’d like to think so yes” you agreed and Zuko chuckled before touching your cheek softly. He leant in to kiss you and you closed your eyes. You kissed him back and separated after a few seconds. You laughed softly under your breath and shook your head. “What is it?” Zuko asked “laughing isn’t usually a good response after a first kiss”. “No it’s not you, it’s just Sokka and Suki are going to be so smug after this”. Zuko laughed “let them” and leant in to kiss you again.

Sokka and Suki were indeed smug but you didn’t care. Zuko was more than enough compensation.  

[sokkastyles]

Abused kids are often not aware of or have trouble regulating their own emotions but tend to, conversely, be hyper aware of and tapped into the emotions of others. This is a survival mechanism in people who grow up with an abusive parent, because any sudden changes in the mood of the parent could indicate danger. See the scenes of Zuko when he is with Ozai, particularly in "The Awakening" and in the flashback to the war meeting in "The Phoenix King," when Zuko carefully measures his responses to his father's praise, because even accepting praise is dangerous and could be a trap.

Although Zuko is often oblivious in social interactions, he actually shows a pretty keen insight when it comes to mediating and understanding what the others need once he joins the gaang. He figures out that the loss of his firebending is connected to his change of coat, he helps Aang overcome his fear of fire at the same time he overcomes his own mental blocks with regard to his element, and he realizes that Sokka will go on a foolhardy mission to rescue his father no matter how much Zuko warns him that it's dangerous, so he resolves to go with him. Particularly in "The Southern Raiders" he pretty astutely figures out that the source of Katara's anger was her unresolved feelings about her mother's murder, and knew how to help her. He also shows keen insight into what Katara needs. Aang, though he means well, responds to Katara with moralizing that just makes her angrier and more determined to go her own way. Zuko offers her the means and lets her lead the way, and defends her to Aang after Katara had made it clear she did not agree with Aang. Zuko, in fact, gets angry at Aang on Katara's behalf, and interestingly, Katara, the person who regularly told off anyone who ever said a bad word to Aang and who, a few episodes ago, threatened to kill Zuko himself if he ever hurt Aang, says nothing in response to Zuko’s sarcastic words to Aang, only thanks Aang for understanding in a tone that implies that she doesn’t think Aang understands at all.

Zuko also seems to be aware of the tension between Katara and Aang at the end of the episode, as he purposefully leaves Katara on Ember Island and goes to speak to Aang himself about what happened when they confronted Yon Rha. This implies not only that Zuko knew Katara needed space to process her feelings, but that he knew that Aang and Katara would need time away from each other after the angry way they parted, and it also implies that Zuko wanted to explain Katara's perspective to Aang, fearing that Aang would misunderstand. Aang actually misunderstands anyway, wrongly assuming that Katara had forgiven Yon Rha, and Katara angrily tells him that she will never forgive her mother's murderer, but does forgive Zuko.

Zuko tells Aang that he was right about Katara, although that is contradicted by what Katara just said and the events of the episode. I know some people theorize that this was a result of a lack of unity in the writing, but I also don't think it's out of character for Zuko to say this, even though he also ultimately disagrees with Aang's stance on violence. Zuko is again playing a mediator role and playing both sides a bit, because the episode positions him between Aang and Katara, but he also leaves Aang with a challenge to his moral absolutism.

So I don't think it's a stretch to assume that in the very next episode, Zuko was also picking up on some tension between Aang and Katara when he sat between them. I'm not sure he knows about Aang's romantic feelings for Katara - although he would when he hears his actor on stage call Katara "the Avatar's girl" and sees Aang nod. But he does seem to pick up on Aang's irritation being about more than just a taken seat, as he responds with unprompted anger. Zuko also takes note of Aang’s increasing anger throughout the play, with a concerned expression on his face. 

Remember what I said about abused kids being hypersensitive to the changing moods of others? It might be that, or Zuko might be feeling anxious about his role in the play and feeling like he doesn’t deserve forgiveness, or it might be that Zuko is hyper aware of the conflict between Katara and Aang carried over from the last episode to this one.

Actually, this shot is particularly interesting because the rest of the gaang is laughing at the portrayal of Toph, including Katara, until Toph shows that she’s pleased by the play’s portrayal of her. Then we see Katara frown, her attention shifting to Aang. 

Katara is unhappy that her attempt to get even with Toph backfired, then when she notices Aang as the camera pans to her left, she looks even more unhappy. Then we see the shot above of Zuko looking at Aang with clear concern over the situation. I’m pretty sure that Zuko is aware that something is going on between Katara and Aang at this point. Especially since Aang’s anger at being played by a girl (which is made worse by Toph’s happiness at being played by a boy) is linked to his insecurity about his relationship with Katara, and the play keeps making jokes about it, meant for us to feel sorry for Aang for being put in the “little brother” zone.

I think Zuko was generally anxious going into the play. You can see when they walk in that he has his hood pulled up, to hide his face, because he's aware there's a chance someone will recognize him. So even before the play starts, with its incriminating and humiliating portrayal of him, he is probably already on alert and wants to draw as little attention to himself as possible. Aang's outburst is the kind of thing that would draw attention, and Zuko tries to minimize the attention by insisting that Aang just sit next to him. Zuko also reacts with defensive anger, as he is wont to do when he is anxious or upset, which of course would have the opposite effect from drawing attention away from them. But Aang acquiesces in frustration, and Katara, interestingly, notices the dispute, but just like when Zuko defended her to Aang in "The Southern Raiders," says nothing. Katara also is facing away, fidgety, and looks unhappy while the confrontation is going on. This is also consistent with (and probably contributed to) the way Katara reacts to Aang’s pushiness and accusations later on.

Zuko spends much of the back part of season three physically close to Katara, which is a visual way for the animators to show how close they have grown. It’s not necessarily an indication of romantic Zutara, although there is nothing wrong with interpreting it that way, and I find it hilarious how threatened some people are by shippers gushing over the idea that he wanted to sit next to her, particularly in this episode because this episode actually intentionally plays up the “love triangle” for the purposes of getting the audience to sympathize with Aang and root for him to “get the girl.” Regardless of whether we interpret it in a romantic context, I think it is a good indication of how Zuko feels about Katara once he has gotten her forgiveness. Given Zuko’s social ineptitude, it would make sense that he would be likely to want to stick close to the people he felt closest to, especially in situations where he is surrounded by potentially hostile strangers. Witness his behavior in “The Beach,” where he spent most of the time awkwardly glued to Mai’s side and it was when he was separated from Mai at the party that he ran into trouble with the other partygoers, who make fun of him. That might explain why Zuko, although he comes from the opposite direction when they enter the theater as everyone else does, walks all the way down the end of the aisle to sit next to Katara. 

It might also explain why he wants to sit in between Katara and Aang, as these are the two people who he now feels closest to. It also is very likely that he is subconsciously picking up on the tension between Katara and Aang, which comes to a head later in this very episode. It’s worth noting that Zuko is often positioned physically between Katara and Aang throughout this episode, which is meant to communicate to the audience Aang’s anxiety over Katara not returning his feelings (and Zuko plays an indirect part in that, or at least, his stage actor does).

Zuko is also positioned narratively between Aang and Katara as a mediator and comfort to Katara after her fight with Aang in the very next episode, “The Phoenix King,” in which Zuko tells Katara to let Aang figure things out for himself when he runs away after yelling at Katara.

So no, I don’t think the deliberate positioning of Zuko in between Aang and Katara is a coincidence, nor is it “lol Zuko is clueless!” I’m actually very tired of seeing people talk about how clueless Zuko is, especially since a lot of his reactions come from trauma. Even if Zuko didn’t pick up on Aang’s romantic feelings towards Katara he very obviously picks up on and reacts to and interacts with the dynamic between them. And it’s very telling that certain fans will complain about the “infantilization” of Zuko when it’s traits that make him seem sympathetic, but then talk about a traumatized abuse survivor as if they’re completely incompetent.

[hadesisqueer]

I get that. I love Zuko, too, eversince I was little, and I was maybe... 6 years old when I first watched ATLA? I don't remember how old exactly but I was a kid, so at first I was like 'but Zuko is good now :(' and didn't get why anyone, not just Katara, was having trouble with him joining the group that episode. Then when I rewatched years later when I was 15 or 16 for the sake of remembering stuff about my childhood (I've been doing a yearly rewatch since then lmao) I was like "okay, I would probably have been even angrier if I was Katara tbh."

Maybe when you're watching for the first time (and as a little kid in my case), it's normal to be like 'hey, I get you're mad but Zuko's trying tbh', but as soon as someone starts thinking about it a bit more from Katara's perspective instead of just Zuko's, anyone realizes that she's completely justified in her anger and that honestly she could have been way worse.

The problem is that many times people don't bother trying to see things from Katara's perspective. I've seen people talking about how 'all she does is talk about her mother', which is-- wrong. Rewatching the show, you see that she doesn't even talk that much about her mom. And even so, Zuko talks a lot about his honor and his father —often his mother as well—, Iroh has also talked about his son's death, and I feel empathy towards them because they were awful things that really affected them. So when I see people act like a 14yo girl like Katara doesn't get to be deeply affected over her mother being killed when she was a child —and later it's revealed it was while pretending to be the Waterbender instead of Katara, at that, actively dying for her daughter, which probably ended up triggering a lot of guilt—, I find it disgusting.

It's the same in Korra's place, by the way. Lots of people feel empathy towards other characters, but Korra often gets none. People do not even bother trying to understand why Korra acted the way she did when in Book 1 —you know, not knowing how to act out in the world after literally being locked in a compound in the South Pole with no friends other than a polar bear dog for her entire life which clearly strained her personal growth, her social skills and her spirituality and training (how the fuck is she supposed to be able to bend Air, the element of freedom, when she doesn't even know what freedom is)—. To them she's just a brat and they don't even try to think twice and understand her. I've even seen people say that what happened to Korra at the end of Book 3 wasn't that bad. Sure, she was basically tortured, and poisoned, and nearly died, and was left in a wheelchair, and had to go through a recovery and couldn't even walk in over a year, and after that she had a severe case of PTSD. But sure, what happened to her wasn't that bad, and some not even bother trying to feel an ounce of empathy towards her.

Yes, I feel like it's gotta be sexism and probably racism as well, about both of them.

After rewatching The Crossroads of Destiny, I still believe that the people who criticized Katara over her being "too mean" to Zuko after he finally joined Team Avatar in Book 3 are the dumbest people who ever walked on Earth.

Zuko searched for Team Avatar and by the end of the episode, Aang and Toph thought he'd proven himself to be worth giving a chance —they weren't friends though, that took a bit more time and it's clear— Sokka was like 'well, of you must' and gives him a chance as well and later he'd end up warming up to him along with the others.

But Katara kept being a meanie to him oh why. Well, maybe because while everyone was giving Zuko a chance, Katara had already done so before? Dear God, Katara herself explains it several times. They opened up to each other in The Crossroads of Destiny, she felt bad for him and she offered to use the Spirit Oasis water to heal his scar and started believing he'd changed-- only for him to join Azula and help her five minutes later, betraying his own uncle that had gone to rescue him. She was ready to give him a chance and it ended up with him proving in her eyes that he didn't deserve it, with Aang barely surviving and with Ba Sing Se captured by the Fire Nation. Katara was right, what's assuring her that he won't end up doing the same thing and hurting her friends again?

Listen, I love Zuko, he's one of my favorite characters overall. But yeah, Katara had every right not to trust him and dislike him and to be furious at him, most of all when you remember that this was the second chance she was giving him, not the first like the others. Anyone who thinks otherwise and only empathizes with Zuko but never with Katara-- well.

[army-of-mai-lovers]

in which I get progressively angrier at the various tropes of atla fandom misogyny

tbh I think it would serve all of us to have a larger conversation about the specific ways misogyny manifests in this fandom, because I’ve seen a lot of people who characterize themselves as feminists, many of whom are women themselves, discuss the female characters of atla/lok in misogynistic ways, and people don’t talk about it enough. 

disclaimer before I start: I’m not a woman, I’m an afab nonbinary person who is semi-closeted and thus often read as a woman. I’m speaking to things that I’ve seen that have made me uncomfy, but if any women (esp women existing along other axes of oppression, e.g. trans women, women of color, disabled women, etc) want to add onto this post, please do!

“This female character is a total badass but I’m not even a little bit interested in exploring her as a human being.” 

I’ve seen a lot of people say of various female characters in atla/lok, “I love her! She’s such a badass!” now, this statement on its own isn’t misogynistic, but it represents a pretty pervasive form of misogyny that I’ve seen leveled in large part toward the canon female love interests of one or both of the members of a popular gay ship (*cough* zukka *cough*) I’m going to use Suki as an example of this because I see it with her most often, but it can honestly be applied to nearly every female character in atla/lok. Basically, people will say that they stan Suki, but when it comes time to engage with her as an actual character, they refuse to do it. I’ve seen meta after meta about Zuko’s redemption arc, but I so rarely see people engage with Suki on any level beyond “look at this cool fight scene!” and yeah, I love a cool Suki fight scene as much as anybody else, but I’m also interested in meta and headcanons and fics about who she is as a person, when she isn’t an accessory to Sokka’s development or doing something cool. of course, the material for this kind of engagement with Suki is scant considering she doesn’t have a canon backstory (yet) (don’t let me down Faith Erin Hicks counting on you girl) but with the way I’ve seen people in this fandom expand upon canon to flesh out male characters, I know y’all have it in you to do more with Suki, and with all the female characters, than you currently do. frankly, the most engagement I’ve seen with Suki in mainstream fandom is justifying either zukki (which again, is characterizing her in relation to male characters, one of whom she barely interacts with in canon) or one of the Suki wlw pairings. which brings me to--

“I conveniently ship this female character whose canon love interest is one of the members of my favorite non-canon ship with another female character! gay rights!” 

now, I will admit, two of my favorite atla ships are yueki and mailee, and so I totally understand being interested in these characters’ dynamics, even if, as is the case with yueki, they’ve never interacted canonically. however, it becomes a problem for me when these ships are always in the background of a zukka fic. at some point, it becomes obvious that you like this ship because it gets either Zuko or Sokka’s female love interests out of the way, not because you actually think the characters would mesh well together. It’s bad form to dislike a female character because she gets in the way of your gay ship, so instead, you find another girl to pair her off with and call it a day. to be clear, I’m not saying that everybody who ships either mailee or yueki (or tysuki or maisuki or yumai or whatever other wlw rarepair involving Zuko or Sokka’s canon love interests) is nefariously trying to sideline a female character while acting publicly as if she’s is one of their faves--far from it--but it is noteworthy to me how difficult it is to find content that centers wlw ships, while it’s incredibly easy to find content that centers zukka in which mailee and/or yueki plays a background role. 

also, notice how little traction wlw Katara ships gain in this fandom. when’s the last time you saw yuetara on your dash? there’s no reason for wlw Katara ships to gain traction in a fandom that is so focused on Zuko and Sokka getting together, bc she doesn’t present an immediate obstacle to that goal (at least, not an obstacle that can be overcome by pairing her up with a woman). if you are primarily interested in Zuko and Sokka’s relationship, and your queer readings of other female characters are motivated by a desire to get them out of the way for zukka, then Katara’s canon m/f relationship isn’t a threat to you, and thus, there’s no reason to read her as potentially queer. Or even, really, to think about her at all. 

“Katara’s here but she’s not actually going to do anything, because deep down, I’m not interested in her as a person.” 

the show has an enormous amount of textual evidence to support the claim that Sokka and Katara are integral parts of each other’s lives. so, she typically makes some kind of appearance in zukka content. sometimes, her presence in the story is as an actual character with layers and nuance, someone whom Sokka cares about and who cares about Sokka in return, but also has her own life and goals outside of her brother (or other male characters, for that matter.) sometimes, however, she’s just there because halfway through writing the author remembered that Sokka actually has a sister who’s a huge part of the show they’re writing fanfiction for, and then they proceed to show her having a meetcute with Aang or helping Sokka through an emotional problem, without expressing wants or desires outside of those characters. I’m honestly really surprised that I haven’t seen more people calling out the fact that so much of Katara’s personality in fanon revolves around her connections to men? she’s Aang’s girlfriend, she’s Sokka’s sister, she’s Zuko’s bestie. never mind that in canon she spends an enormous amount of time fighting against (anachronistic, Westernized) sexism to establish herself as a person in her own right, outside of these connections. and that in canon she has such interesting complex relationships with other female characters (e.g. Toph, Kanna, Hama, Korra if you want to write lok content) or that there are a plethora of characters with whom she could have interesting relationships with in fanon (Mai, Suki, Ty Lee, Yue, Smellerbee, and if you want to write lok content, Kya II, Lin, Asami, Senna, etc). to me, the lack of fandom material exploring Katara’s relationships with other women or with herself speak to a profound indifference to Katara as a character. I’m not saying you have to like Katara or include her in everything you write, but I am asking you to consider why you don’t find her interesting outside of her relationships with men.

“I hate Katara because she talks about her mother dying too often.” 

this is something I’ve seen addressed by people far more qualified than I to address it, but I want to mention it here in part because when I asked people which fandom tropes they wanted me to talk about, this came up often, but also because I find it really disgusting that this is a thing that needs to be addressed at all. Y’all see a little girl who watched her mother be killed by the forces of an imperialist nation and say that she talks about it too much??? That is a formational, foundational event in a child’s life. Of course she’s going to talk about it. I’ve seen people say that she doesn’t talk about it that often, or that she only talks about it to connect with other victims of fn imperialism e.g. Jet and Haru, but frankly, she could speak about it every episode for no plot-significant reason whatsoever and I would still be angry to see people say she talks about it too much. And before you even bring up the Sokka comparison, people deal with grief in different ways. Sokka  repressed a lot of his grief/channeled it into being the “man” of his village because he knew that they would come for Katara next if he gave them the opportunity. he probably would talk about his mother more if a) he didn’t feel massive guilt at not being able to remember what she looked like, and b) he was allowed to be a child processing the loss of his mother instead of having to become a tiny adult when Hakoda had to leave to help fight the fn. And this gets into an intersection with fandom racism, in that white fans (esp white American fans) are incapable of relating to the structural trauma that both Sokka and Katara experience and thus can’t see the ways in which structural trauma colors every single aspect of both of their characters, leading them to flatten nuance and to have some really bad takes. And you know what, speaking of bad fandom takes--   

“Shitting on Mai because she gets in the way of my favorite Zuko ship is actually totally okay because she’s ~abusive~” 

y’all WHAT. 

ok listen, I get not liking maiko. I didn’t like it when I first got into fandom, and later I realized that while bryke cannot write romance to save their lives, fans who like maiko sure can, so I changed my tune. but if you still don’t like it, that’s fine. no skin off my back. 

what IS skin off my back is taking instances in which Mai had justified anger toward Zuko, and turning it into “Mai abused Zuko.” do you not realize how ridiculous you sound? this is another thing where I get so angry about it that I don’t know how useful my analysis is actually going to be, but I’ll do my best. numerous people have noted how analysis of Mai and Zuko’s breakup in “The Beach” or Mai being justifiably angry with him at Boiling Rock or her asking for FUCKING FRUIT in “Nightmares and Daydreams” that says that all of these events were her trying to gain control over him is....ahhh...lacking in reading comprehension, but I’d like to go a step further and talk about why y’all are so intent on taking down a girl who doesn’t show emotion in normative ways. obviously, there’s a “Zuko can do no wrong” aspect to Mai criticism (which is super weird considering how his whole arc is about how he can do lots of wrong and he has to atone for the wrong that he’s done--but that’s a separate post.) But I also see slandering Mai for not expressing her emotions normatively and not putting up with Zuko’s shit and slandering Katara for “talking about her mother too often” as two sides of the same coin. In both cases, a female character expresses emotions that make you, the viewer, uncomfortable, and so instead of attempting to understand where those emotions may have come from and why they might be manifesting the way they are, y’all just throw the whole character away. this is another instance of people in the fandom being fundamentally disinterested in engaging with the female characters of atla in a real way, except instead of shallowly “stanning” Mai, y’all hate her. so we get to this point where female characters are flattened into one of two things: perfect queens who can do no wrong, or bitches. and that’s not who they are. that’s not who anyone is. but while we as a fandom are pretty good at understanding b1 Zuko’s actions as layered and multifaceted even though he’s essentially an asshole then, few are willing to lend the same grace to any female character, least of all Mai. 

and what’s funny is sometimes this trope will intersect with “I conveniently ship this female character whose canon love interest is one of the members of my favorite non-canon ship with another female character! gay rights!”, so you’ll have someone actively calling Mai toxic/problematic/abusive, and at the same time ship her with Ty Lee? make it make sense! but then again, maybe that’s happening because y’all are fundamentally disinterested in Ty Lee as a character too. 

“I love Ty Lee so much that I’m going to treat her like an infantilized hypersexual airhead!” 

there are so many things happening in y’alls characterization of Ty Lee that I struggled to synthesize it into one quippy section header. on one hand, you have the hypersexualization, and on the other hand, you have the infantilization, which just makes the hypersexualization that much worse. 

(of course, sexualizing or hypersexualizing ANY atla character is really not the move, considering that these are child characters in a children’s show, but then again, that’s a separate post.) 

now, I understand how, from a very, very surface reading of the text, you could come to the conclusion that Ty Lee is an uncomplicated bimbo. if you grew up on Western media the way I did, you’ll know that Ty Lee has a lot of the character traits we associate with bimbos: the form-fitting pink crop top, the general conventional attractiveness, the ditzy dialogue. but if you think about it for more than three seconds, you’ll understand that Ty Lee has spent her whole life walking a tightrope, trying to please Azula and the rest of the royal family while also staying true to herself. Ty Lee and Azula’s relationship is a really complex and interesting topic that I don’t really have time to explore at the moment given how long this post is, but I’d argue that Ty Lee’s constant, vocal  adulation is at least partially a product of learning to survive at court at an early age. Like Mai, she has been forced to regulate her emotions as a member of fn nobility, but unlike Mai, she also has six sisters who look exactly like her, so she has a motivation to be more peppy and more affectionate to stand out. 

fandom does not do the work to understand Ty Lee. as is a theme with this post, fandom is actively disinterested in investigating female characters beyond a very surface level reading of them. Thus, fandom takes Ty Lee’s surface level qualities--her love of the color pink, her revealing standard outfit, and the fact that once she found a boy attractive and also once a lot of boys found her attractive--and they stretch this into “Ty Lee is basically Karen Smith from Mean Girls.” thus, Ty Lee is painted as a bimbo, or more specifically, as not smart, uncritically adoring of Azula (did y’all forget all the non-zukka bits of Boiling Rock?), and attractive to the point of hypersexualization. I saw somebody make a post that was like “I wish mailee was more popular but I’m also glad it isn’t because otherwise people would write it as Mai having to put up with her dumb gf” and honestly I have to agree!! this is one instance in which I’m glad that fandom doesn’t discuss one of my favorite characters that often because I hate the fanon interpretation of Ty Lee, I think it’s rooted in misogyny (particularly misogyny against East Asian women, which often takes the form of fetishizing them and viewing them only through a Western white male gaze)  

(side note: here at army-of-mai-lovers, we stan bimbos. bimbos are fucking awesome. I personally don’t read Ty Lee as a bimbo, but if that’s you, that’s fucking awesome. keep doing what you’re doing, queen <3 or king or monarch, it’s 2021, anyone can be a bimbo, bitches <3)

“Toph can and will destroy everyone here with her bare hands because she’s a meathead who likes to murder people and that’s it!”  

Toph is, and always has been, one of my favorite ATLA characters. My very first fic in fandom was about her, and she appears prominently in a lot of my other work as well. One thing that I am always struck by with Toph is how big a heart she has. She’s independent, yes, snarky, yes, but she cares about people--even the family that forced her to make herself smaller because they didn’t believe that their blind daughter could be powerful and strong. Her storyline is powerful and emotionally resonant, her bending is cool precisely because it’s based in a “wait and listen” approach instead of just smashing things indiscriminately, she’s great disabled rep, and overall one of the best characters in the show. 

And in fandom, she gets flattened into “snarky murder child.” 

So where does this come from? Well, as we all know, Toph was originally conceived of as a male character, and retained a lot of androgyny (or as the kids call it, Gender) when she was rewritten as a female character. There are a lot of cultural ideas about androgynous/butch women being violent, and people in fandom seem to connect that larger cultural narrative with some of Toph’s more violent moments in the show to create the meathead murder child trope, erasing her canon emotionality, softness, heart, and femininity in the process. 

This is not to say that you shouldn’t write or characterize Toph as being violent or snarky at all ever, because yeah, Toph definitely did do Earth Rumbles a lot before joining the gaang, and yeah, Toph is definitely a sarcastic person who makes fun of her friends a lot. What I am saying is that people take these traits, sans the emotional logic, marry them to their conception of androgynous/butch women as violent/unemotional/uncaring, and thus create a caricature of Toph that is not at all up to snuff. When I see Toph as a side character in a fic (because yeah, Toph never gets to be a main character, because why would a fandom obsessed with one male character in particular ever make Toph a protagonist in her own right?) she’s making fun of people, killing people, pranking people, etc, etc. She’s never talking to people about her emotions, or palling around with her found family, or showing that she cares about her friends. Everything about her relationship with her parents, her disability, her relationship to Gender, and her love of her friends is shoved aside to focus on a version of Toph that is mean and uncaring because people have gotten it into their heads that androgynous/butch women are mean and uncaring. 

again, we see a female character who does not emote normatively or in a way that makes you, the viewer, comfortable, and so you warp her character until she’s completely unrecognizable and flat. and for what? 

Azula

no, I didn’t come up with a snappy name for this section, mainly because fanon interpretations of Azula and my own feelings toward the character are...complicated. I know there were some people who wanted me to write about Azula and the intersection of misogyny and ableism in fanon interpretations of her character, but I don’t think I can deliver on that because I personally am in a period of transition with how I see Azula. that is to say, while I still like her and believe that she can be redeemed, there is a lot of merit to disliking her. the whole point of this post is that the female characters of ATLA are complex people whom the fandom flattens into stereotypes that don’t hold up to scrutiny, or dislike for reasons that don’t make sense. Azula, however, is a different case. the rise of Azula defenders and Azula stans has led to this sentiment that Azula is a 14 y/o abuse victim who shouldn’t be held accountable for her actions. it seems to me that people are reacting to a long, horrible legacy of male ATLA fans armchair diagnosing Azula with various personality disorders (and suggesting that people with those personality disorders are inherently monstrous and unlovable which ahhhh....yikes) and then saying that those personality disorders make her unlovable, which is quite obviously bad. and hey, I get loving a character that everyone else hates and maybe getting so swept up in that love that you forget that your fave is complicated and has made some unsavory choices. it sucks that fanon takes these well-written, complex villains/antiheroes and turns them into monsters with no critical thought whatsoever. but the attitude among Azula stans that her redemption shouldn’t be hard, that her being a child excuses all of the bad things that she’s done, that she is owed redemption....all of that rubs me the wrong way. I might make another post about this in the future that discusses this in more depth, but as it stands now: while I understand that there is a legacy of misogynistic, ableist, unnuanced takes on Azula, the backlash to that does not take into account the people she hurt or the fact that in ATLA she does not make the choice to pursue redemption. and yes, Zuko had help in making that choice that Azula didn’t, and yes, Azula is a victim of abuse, but in a show about children who have gone through untold horrors and still work to better the lives of the people around them, that is not enough for me to uncritically stan her. 

Conclusion    

misogyny in this fandom runs rampant. while there are some tropes of fandom misogyny that are well-documented and have been debunked numerous times, there are other, subtler forms of misogyny that as far as I know have gone completely unchecked. 

what I find so interesting about misogyny in atla fandom is that it’s clear that it’s perpetrated by people who are aware of fandom misogyny who are actively trying not to be misogynistic. when I first joined atla fandom last summer, memes about how zukka fandom was better than every other fandom because they didn’t hate the female characters who got in the way of their gay ship were extremely prevalent, and there was this sense that *this* fandom was going to model respectful, fun, feminist online fandom. not all of the topes I’ve outlined are exclusive to or even largely utilized in zukka fandom, but a lot of them are. I’ve been in and out of fandom since I was eleven years old, and most of the fandom spaces I’ve been in have been majority-female, and all of them have been incredibly misogynistic. and I always want to know why. why, in these communities created in large part by women, in large part for women, does misogyny run wild? what I realize now is that there’s never going to be a one-size fits all answer to that question. what’s true for 1D fandom on Wattpad in 2012 is absolutely not true for atla fandom on tumblr in 2021. the answers that I’ve cobbled together for previous fandoms don’t work here. 

so, why is atla fandom like this? why did the dream of a feminist fandom almost entirely focused on the romantic relationship between two male characters fall apart? honestly, I think the notion that zukka fandom ever was this way was horrifically ignorant to begin with. from my very first moment in the fandom, I was seeing racism, widespread sexualization of minors, and yes, misogyny. these aspects of the fandom weren’t talked about as much as the crocverse or other, much more fun aspects. further, atla (specifically zukka) fandom misogyny often doesn’t look like the fandom misogyny we’ve become familiar with from like, Sherlock fandom or what have you. for the most part, people don’t actively hate Suki, they just “stan” without actually caring about her. they hate Mai because they believe in treating male victims of abuse equally. they’re not characterizing Toph poorly, they’re writing her as a “strong woman.” in short, people are misogynistic, and then invoke a shallow, incomplete interpretation of feminist theory to shield themselves from accusations of misogyny. it’s not unlike the way some people will invoke a shallow, incomplete interpretation of critical race theory to shield themselves from accusations of racism, or how they’ll talk about “freedom of speech” and “the suppression of women’s sexuality” to justify sexualizing minors. the performance of feminism and antiracism is what’s important, not the actual practice. 

if you’ve made it this far, first off, hi, thanks so much for reading, I know this was a lot. second, I would seriously encourage you to be aware of these fandom tropes and to call them out when you see them. elevate the voices of fans who do the work of bringing the female characters of atla to life. invest in the wlw ships in this fandom. drop a kudos and a comment on a rangshi fic (please, drop a kudos and a comment on a rangshi fic). read some yuetara. let’s all be honest about where we are now, and try to do better in the future. I believe in us. 

[the-badger-mole]

I was wondering if you could give me some input for a fic I want to write. What do you think could shatter Katara’s idealistic-rose-colored-glasses-put-a-on-pedestal view of Aang? Since forcing a kiss on her twice in canon wasn’t enough I’m not sure what could do it but still be reasonably in character. Her unwavering faith in Aang is strong and therefore must be destroyed.

This is a bit hard to answer because there were several incidences in the show that should have knocked him off of Katara's pedestal- and would have, I think had they been done by anyone else. The problem is Katara is like an over-indulgent mother with Aang. Over-indulgent mothers will overlook a lot of things when it comes to their children- even murder, historically.

What it would take to shake Katara's image of him is really going to depend on the context of the story she's in, but if we're going strictly canon...I really couldn't say. Bryke did a real number on her character to make Kataang work in the comics. I think Katara in her right mind would have verbally eviscerated Aang for the lava fissure incident (and Sokka would have actually eviscerated him). She would have at least done a double take at Aang agreeing to kill Zuko if he turned bad. She probably would have been a lot angrier about the anti-miscegenation thing, too. But probably the breaking point for her would have been unfortunately after her kids had been born and she saw how Aang's favoritism was affecting them. Katara has a huge blind spot for Aang, but there's no way the real Katara would have allowed two of her kids to grow up missing their father the way she missed hers.

[buttterknifeee]

Deep Six- Teen Titans x Aquagirl!Reader

Request: May I request an insert in the episode Deep Six where the titans meet Aqualad?

Masterlist

Summary: Robin makes you accompany this guy name Aqualad and Beast Boy. Will you be able to handle them or will their bickering tear you apart. Also you're a katara kinnie (i know ATLA didn't exist then but still) This episode is Season 1 Episode 8!

Pairings: Platonic!Aqualad x reader, Robin x reader if you squint

Word Count: 4314

A/N: this time i decided not to split up the episode and post it as one! I made them meet for the first time here, so the Aqua kids don't bond much yet, but if you want to see more, feel free to request! (click here for guidelines) Also yes I also ended this one with "anyone up for pizza" thats all i know how to do to end a fan ficbskghs

“Ahhhh, don’t you just love the ocean?” you admired the shallow sea, the blue water flowing by you. The others prepared for launch, reading off the status of the T-Sub.

“Main power online.”

“Oxygen tanks at maximum”

“Defensive system active”

Beast boy hums confidently. “And your new secret weapon is ready to rock.”

Cyborg rolls his eyes through the headset. “Only time you qualify as a secret weapon is after eating a tofu bean burrito.” You stifled a giggle as Beast Boy yells in protest.

“Uh, 'scuse me, bud. Can you breathe underwater? Uh-uh. Can you be any fish in the sea?”

You shrugged your shoulders and smirked. “Cyborg can’t but I can. And I can breathe underwater without being a fish so I guess I’m just as much of a secret weapon as you, BB.”

You found out that you could breathe underwater a few days after you and the others formed the Teen Titans. You were surfing for the first time since that day when you fell off your board. You had accidentally inhaled underwater, and to your relief, you found that you were able to breathe in the ocean water with no problem. You offered to swim outside the sub on your own, but the team didn’t want you to get hurt, so you were stuck in the small confines of your own pod of the T-sub.

Robin ignores you three’s bickering. “We have to find out what this Trident guy is planning,” he says. “If it takes forty barrels of toxic waste, I doubt it's environmentally friendly.”

The engines warm up, the vessel humming to life. “Titan Launch!” Robin exclaims and the T-sub shoots through a tunnel and into the Jump CIty Bay. You watch in awe at the ocean life around you. Now that you had a connection to the ocean, your perspective on ocean life had changed. You clutch your seashell necklace as you continue to take in the view of the ocean, ignoring Beast Boy showing off his teeth and Cyborg turning off his mic as a result. Robin’s voice snaps you back into reality.

“Sonar contact. Beast Boy! Aquagirl! Ready to go?”

You gave a quick smile. “On it.” You unbuckle your harness and the dome unlatched, allowing you to swim out. Beast Boy gave a mischievous smirk.

“Dude, I was born ready. Try not to be jealous.” He aimed the second comment at Raven, who looked at him indifferently. Beast Boy quickly swam out of his pod and transformed into a whale.

“He just put on three hundred thousand pounds. I am so jealous.” she notes sarcastically.

You and Beast Boy made silent eye contact before swimming towards the cargo ship, examining its destroyed remains. He turns into a shark to keep investigating, and you follow his lead. You couldn’t help but feel that you were being watched, as you swam around the ship. Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see a green figure; not a bright green like Beast Boy’s but a sicker, murkier green. You point at the green man as he swam away, and you and Beast Boy immediately bolt after it, the T-sub following behind.

Your black scuba shoes propelled you forward, and you aimed blasts of water towards the figure, but it kept dodging your shots. The monster, whom you now assumed was Trident, fired his weapon at you and Beast Boy, and when you dodged, it hit the T-sub. You forced yourself to continue to chase after Trident, hoping that the vessel was also capable of dodging his shots.

You and Beast Boy were nearing close to catching Trident when a voice rang in your head. It wasn’t yours, nor Beast Boy’s; it was clear, belonging to someone no older than you were.

“Your friends are in danger.” you heard. You and Beast Boy both stopped in your tracks, looking at each other in shock. You realized that the T-sub was no longer following you.

“Our friends are in what? Whoa! How did you say that? Dude! How did I say that? Hey!” Beast Boy also says in your mind. You turn to see the T-sub being attacked, and shot off without waiting for Beast Boy.

“Dude, questions are for later! Let’s go!” You order, not even entirely sure how you were able to talk either. You approach the vessel, which was being destroyed by Trident, who you swore you were just chasing.

Suddenly, a figure knocked Trident down. Trident and the mystery person fought each other, moving so quickly that all you could see of the person was a blur of black and blue

You turn your attention to the T-sub, which was slowly sinking into a fissure on the seafloor. Water was filling up fast and a look of panic settled on your teammates faces (except Raven, who seemed to have accepted death). Your eyes glowed blue as you outstretched your arms towards the damaged vessel. Focusing on the water around the titans, you forced the leaks to cease and the descent into the fissure to stop. Your muscles burned as you kept your stance; holding the vessel in place underwater was similar to holding it up on your arms above ground. Beast Boy raced to help as you struggled to keep grip when suddenly, two whales came and carried the sub on their backs.

You let go of the ship and breathe a sigh of relief. Beast Boy sees you almost passing out and comes to your side, now in the form of a squid. Instead of comforting you, he complains about the whales' help.

"They got it? How come they got it?"

A familiar voice rang in your head again. "Because I asked for their help." The voice belonged to the guy who was fighting Trident before. He comes to your other side and supports your other arm, putting it around his neck.

"You talk to fish? Yeah right. And let go of her!"

"You guys need help, and I'm talking to you right?" He glared at Beast Boy, keeping his grip on you.

Beast Boy was about to reply when you held your hand up in front of his squid face. "Beast Boy, I'm a solid five seconds from collapsing. I'm fine with the help."

The guy in blue gave a small smile. "And it's called telepathy. Let's go."

The three of you swam into a cavern. As you entered, the T-sub was floating on the water's surface and although it was extremely damaged, it managed to keep your teammates safe. You nodded to Beast Boy and the other teen and they let you go as you approach the other titans.

Raven asked, "where are we?"

"My place," the mysterious teen answered. "I told the whales to bring you here."

Raven and Starfire both blushed and gave bashful thank yous. You stared at them. Are they… in love with the new guy???, you thought, confused.

Beats Boy seemed angrier than ever. "He saved you?" He yelled, turning back into his human form. "Hel-lo? I was there too, you know."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "Were you? Because if anything I remember Aquagirl keeping us from drowning. What, you stopped Trident from kebabbing us with that souped up shrimp fork?"

"Way to go!" Robin said sarcastically. Beast Boy stuttered a response, but the blue teen interrupted.

"Aquagirl, huh? Well, I'm Aqualad. Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier, we Atlanteans like to keep a low profile."

You shake his hand, now taking in what Aqualad looked like. He was half a foot taller than you, with slicked back hair and black pupils. He wore a bodysuit with blue scales and black accents. He had nice features, but you couldn't figure out why the other girls were drooling over him, so you kept that thought to yourself.

"You're from Atlantis? That's so cool!" You say.

He nodded. "So is Trident." He opens up a hologram from a table in the cavern. "He's the worst criminal in Atlantis, with an ego to match."

He continues a sideshow filled with pictures of the sickly green monster. "Trident claims he's perfect in every way so he thinks he can do whatever he wants."

"Any ideas what he wants to do with all that toxic waste?" Robin asked.

"Whatever it is, it'll be bad for both our worlds. He's already gained some kind of new power. It's like he can be everywhere at once." Aqualad says.

"Noticed that," Raven says sarcastically.

"As long as we're after the same guy, maybe we can help each other." He looks at the six of you.

Your eyes sparkle. "Of co-" you begin, but Beast Boy pushed you out of the way.

"Whoa, hey, no, we're good. Got the whole Trident thing under control. 'Sides, I'm sure there's a school of minnows somewhere that need your--" He rejects Aqualad's offer, much to you and the other's dismay. Robin pulls him back, and the six of you group huddled.

"We're at the bottom of the ocean," Raven notes.

"Our sub is Swiss cheese." Cyborg adds.

"I almost died back there," You say.

"And we cannot breathe water," Starfire mentions.

Robin is the first to break away from the huddle. "We'll take any help you can give us." He says to Aqualad.

Aqualad nods and has some amphibian guy named Tramm fix the T-sub. He turns back to us. "While he's helping you, I'll track down Trident. " He turns to go into the ocean again, but Beast Boy intersects.

"You mean I'll track down Trident," He says, pushing him a little

Aqualad pushes him back a little harder. "That's ok, I can handle it."

"Thanks, but I think I should do this."

"Seriously, I can take care of it!"

The five of you watched as their quarrel turned into an all out brawl, and suddenly you couldn't take it anymore.

"GUYS," You yell, causing a wall of water to shoot up next to them to grab their attention. They both stared at you wide eyed. "Stop. The. Fighting." You say with a stern expression.

"Why don't you two both go track him down together?" Robin offers, but the two teens cross their arms and scoff.

"I usually work alone." Aqualad says.

"Yeah. Me too."

"You do not! You're part of a team!"

"And you hang out with Tramm the fish boy! What's your point?"

"Hey! Arguing isn't going anywhere. Listen, Aquagirl can go with you. That'll make sure you stay on task." Robin commands, and you perk up at the sound of your name. You quickly pulled him aside.

"What the hell man?? They obviously don't like each other, you should have seen how much they fought on the way here!." You argue, and Robin looks at you through his masked eyes.

"You're the only other person who can survive underwater, they're gonna need you. Besides, you're great at handling conflicts; you'll be fine." He says with a smile. You blush a little at his comment, and sighed.

"Alright Rob, you can count on me” You return to the rest of the group and the three of you jump into the ocean.

As you headed towards the bottom of the ocean, you decided to ask Aqualad a question that's been bothering you.

“Hey Aqualad,” you say telepathically. “Before you said that you were able to communicate with sea animals. How come you’re able to communicate with me?”

“I don’t know actually,” Aqualad admits, still swimming next to you. He points to your necklace. “I’m guessing it's because of your necklace.” He stops to examine it. Beast Boy groans and stops as well. It glowed a little in his hand as he read the ancient text off of it.

“The Shell of Poseidon,” He read out loud. “I recognize this from the library in Atlantis. Only Atlanteans can use its powers, so you must be Atlantean then, right?”

“Woah! I’m not Atlantean, I’ve never even been there,” you sputter, absolutely shocked at what the teen said.

“Well, you must have some blood in you,” he shrugged. “Hey, maybe we’re cousins or something.”

You grin. “Aquacousin? I like the sound of that!”

Beast Boy interrupts your moment. “Ok, haha, family is fun and all, but while you were floating around finding out parts of your identity or whatever, I’ve actually found something on my sonar so, try to keep up.” He swims off, leaving you two to follow him. You expected to see the sea monster, but instead came upon a group of dolphins.

“No offense B.B. but these don't look like Trident to me.” you smirk.

Aqualad swims up to the dolphins, focusing on his telepathy. The dolphins swim up together and Aqualad turns to you and Beast Boy.

“They told me where to find Trident. Try to keep up.” He mocks Beast Boy, then swims with the dolphins. You look at Beast Boy, who seemed pretty grumpy, and turn to follow Aqualad.

You tailed behind as the two boys raced each other, Beast Boy turning into various aquatic creatures to catch up with the equally competitive teen. Then you see it. In front of them, Trident swam into view. You and Aqualad stop on instinct, but Beast Boy keeps going.

"Beast Boy! Stop!" You both yell, as he barrels straight towards Trident.

"What's the matter?" He taunts. "Am I too fast for y-"

You winced as you watched him crash into the sea monster and fall to the floor.

"Heh… how's it going," Beast Boy says telepathy to the monster towering over him. Trident growled.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself, you inferior fool!" He pointed his well, trident at beast boy and fires; Beast Boy barely dodges it.

Aqualad tackles Trident and they fall off an underwater ridge.

"Oh no you! This time he's mine!" Beast Boy yells, following Aqualad to the ridge.

"Beast Boy wai-" you yell, but was cut off by something grazing the side of your head. You turn, and see Trident swing his weapon at you. You dodged his next swing, wondering how he was able to get to you right after being attacked by Aqualad. You send him flying across the ocean with your water powers, when you hear Beast Boy yelling. You turn to see Beast Boy in squid form latched onto Aqualad's face. You could see Trident swim away from the corner of your eye as you swam to pull Beast Boy off of Aqualad. Aqualad glares at Beast Boy, his face peppered with red dots from Beast Boy's accidental attack.

“I said, ‘incoming’” he defends himself. Aqualad ignores him and points to another figure swimming into a grotto.

“He’s getting away!” Aqualad swims away, Beast Boy following.

“Wait-” you say, confused. Didn't you just send Trident flying in the other direction? How did he move so quickly? You reluctantly followed your friends into the cavern. You joined them as they observed the two tunnels that split off into two different directions.

“What are we gonna do now?” you think out loud.

“Maybe the question is where were you guys?” Aqualad snaps, turning to the two of you. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion while Beast Boy swims forward to be face to face with Aqualad.

“Where was I? Fighting Trident by myself!” He jabbed a squid tentacle into Aqualads shoulder.

“You barely laid a tentacle on him! At least I managed to break his weapon!”

“Dude, that's just wrong. I so broke that fork thing!”

“BOYS!” you yell. “I also fought Trident and I sent him in the opposite direction, and now he's here. There's something going on…” The two began to think, but then perked their heads up. They then point at opposite tunnels.

“There he goes!” they yell at the same time. You stare at the two of them in even deeper confusion. Beast boy swims up to you, making eye contact.

“I saw him! He's that way! I'm right, he's wrong! End of story!” He crosses his tentacles. Aqualad pushes Beast Boy aside so that you were now staring at his dark pupils.

"I'm telling you, he's this way!"

"GUYS, we can just split up," You say flatly, pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration. "Aqualad I'm sure you can handle yourself, so I'll go with Beast Boy."

"Aw sweet!- Heyyy…" Beast Boy says to your backhanded comment. Aqualad nods and swims off into the tunnel.

You and Beast Boy were alone in the tunnel when you sighed.

"B.B., why do you keep picking fights with Aqualad?" You asked, still looking ahead. Beast Boy turns to you, acting shocked.

"ME??? It's not my fault Mr. Pretty-Boy-Know-It-All keeps showing off!" He whines.

"Dude, he's just trying to help us. Maybe you should-" you were cut off by a loud booming voice.

"Worthless scum! You cannot beat perfection!" Trident bellowed from behind you. You and Beast Boy turned, already in a fighting position.

"How many of you fork things do you have?" He mumbled as you charged forward.

You dodged his energy bolts, Trident in return dodging your attempts to push him farther back. Beast Boy turns into a turtle, pulling his arms and legs inside. Trident threw his weapon and it bounced off of him, flying into you and sending the two of you hurtling through the water.

"I always win!" You hear him say as you regain your stance. Beast Boy turns into a giant crab, grabbing onto Trident's weapon.

"And I thought Aqualad had a big ego!" He yelled telepathically.

"BEAST BOY GET BACK!" You yell. He swiftly let go, and you shot a jet of water towards Trident, sending him flying into a cavern wall. The cavern shakes, and a mass of boulders come crashing down. All you could see was a crushed trident sticking out from under the rocks. You breathed a sigh of relief until you felt a searing pain in your leg. You look and see a burn mark; Trident probably hit you before you buried him in a pile of rocks. Beast Boy looks at you, a worried expression in his eyes (despite being in the form of an ocean animal).

“I’ll be fine,” you grimace. “Let's find a way out first.” You painstakingly swim until you find a cave similar to Aqualads. You drag yourself towards the land as Beast Boy turns back into his human form. Right after you pull yourself up, you see Aqualad jump out of the water. He sees the two of you, and runs to meet up with you. He and Beast Boy begin to talk at the same time.

“ I just saw Trident!... No, you didn't!... Yes, I did! Cut it out!”

“I don’t care what you say! I fought Trident!” Beast Boy yelled, a vein nearly jumping out of his forehead.

"That's impossible!" Aqualad counters, his fists clenched so tight you thought you saw blood.

They both seemed to be prepared to fight each other. You jumped in between them, holding both their heads back as they flail their arms, trying to get a hit at each other.

"You know," You begin, silencing the two boys. "When Robin asked me to join you guys, I didn't want to. You two are heroes that just met each other and you were already fighting! But he told me that I could handle it and he's right! I can handle the both of you; but it seems to me that you guys can't handle each other. So here's what's gonna happen: I'm gonna heal myself because oh right! I got BURNT and you two are gonna talk it out." You let go of the boys, and they watched as you limped over to the edge of the water, plopped yourself down, and started pulling the ocean water to your leg. You listened in a little as you concentrated the water on your leg. It only took a few seconds to heal your burn, it was only surface level and you had gotten better at using your healing powers. They were still talking as you noticed what was in front of you: hundreds of Trident clones and yellow Trident capsules-eggs attached to the ceiling.

"Uh guys…" you say, rejoining them, but they had seen it too.

"One Trident is bad…" Aqualad says.

"... but this is…" Beast Boy adds.

"... an entire …" You say.

"...ARMY!" One of the tridents finishes your thought.

They all charge, and the three of you brace or impact. You raise your arms and a wave of water takes out a small group of the monster clones. You dodge their attacks, shooting jets of water at their heads. You see Beast Boy get flung into a machine, and an egg hatching sequence begins on the screen. You regroup with the other boys in front of the machine.

"Oops," Beast Boy said sheepishly.

"Great," Aqualad groaned as the clones began to close in.

"We need a plan," You mumble.

A group of the clones began to speak.

"My brilliant plan is already a success"

"If one of me was perfect…"

"Why not make more?"

"You can never have too much of a good thing"

"Once my army conquers Atlantis…"

"I will declare war on the surface world! Everyone on the planet will bow down before me"

"And praise my perfection!"

Aqualad whispers to the both of you as the clones cheer. "Any bright ideas?"

Beast Boy whispered back. "Just one. Try to keep up." He turned to the clones. "So if you're all perfect, which one of you is the best?" He asked.

One of the tridents answered. "I am!... Huh?"

As soon as you understood what Beast Boy was doing, you grinned. Aqualad stepped up.

"Come on. You can't all be the best." He says.

"One of you must be better than the others," You add.

One of the tridents step forward. "I am the original!I am the best!"

"You are not the original"

"I am!" Multiple tridents yell at once.

"Nonsense you inferior fools! I am perfect! I am Trident! "

You watch in amusement as the clones turn on each other and the fight turns into a full on brawl. The fight eventually ends, and all the tridents laid on the ground, defeated. Aqualad turns to Beast Boy.

"Great idea," He says. You noticed that there were no hints of sarcasm in his voice. Whatever they said to each other earlier must have made them work better together, you figured.

"Kinda got it from you," Beast Boy says."Now we just have to stop those from hatching." He points to the yellow pod filled ceiling. Right as he said that, the screen on the machine behind you hit 0 on the timer and the word "begin" flashed on the screen.

"Too late!" The three of you yelled at the same time. New Trident clones were breaking through their membrane "eggs". Beast Boy instinctively turns into a hippopotamus and tramples the crowd, creating a path to the ocean. You and Aqualad sprint behind Beast Boy, dodging the clones' outstretched arms. You all dive into the water, the Tridents close behind.

"We can't let them escape! We need to find some way of sealing the exit!" Aqualad yells telepathically.

"Right now, I'm just worried about getting to the exit." Beast Boy replies. You didn't look back, but you could feel the clones closing in. As you got closer to the exit you saw a familiar looking silhouette.

"The T-sub!" You exclaimed as you swam out of the cave. The clones stop in their tracks in confusion.

"Huh?" You hear one of them say.

You moved out of the way as the sub sent beams towards the entrance of the cave. The Blast caused a pile of rubble to fall, blocking the exit. You smile at your team who's cheering (along with Aqualad’s friend Tramm) inside their pods. The three of you turn bad to observe the T-sub’s work.

“Good thing Trident likes himself so much, 'cause I'm thinking he won't see anybody else for a looong time.” Beast Boy says.

You find yourself on the surface again, on the shore of the Titan’s Tower. Raven and Starfire both continue to look at Aqualad with heart eyes as Robin steps forward.

“Consider yourself an honorary titan” he says with a smile, holding out a familiar black and yellow communicator for him to take. “We couldn't have done it without you. Thanks.”

“Right back at you. It's good to know there's people up here I can trust.” Aqualad looks at you and Beast boy. He says goodbye to Raven and Starfire, who blushingly say it back. He then turns to Beast Boy.

“What can I say, dude? You're the best.” Beast Boy says.

“Nah. You're the best.”

“Yeah, you're right. And if you ever want me to prove it, I'm always up for a race.”

“Just try and keep up.” Aqualad laughs, patting his head. He finally turned to you.

“Aquagirl, it's been really nice to meet you. Next time you’re near Atlantis, give me a call and I’ll show you around. There's so much to show you,” he stretched out his hand for a handshake, but you pulled him in for a hug. He was surprised at your gesture, but soon returned it. Raven and Starfire looked at you with pure envy as you pulled back with a smile.

“I’ll take your word for it, Aquacousin” you say, making a reference to your nickname for him earlier. He laughs, then waves goodbye. The six of you wave back as he swims back into the ocean. Robin gently put his hand on your shoulder.

“You did a great job today Aquagirl. I knew I could count on you.”

“You know you can always count on me, dude.” you say with a smile. “Now I’m kinda hungry. Anyone up for pizza?”

[discordiansamba]

katara couldn't sleep.

after several hours of tossing and turning in her bed, she groaned and sat up. she already knew what the source of the problem was- as her waterbending grew stronger, so too did her tie to the moon. when it was full, she could hardly sleep a wink. with a sigh, she quietly made her way towards the small servant's kitchens. she didn't think they would mind if she borrowed them to make herself some tea.

to her surprise, zuko was already there.

"katara?" zuko asked. "what are you doing here?"

"that feels like it should be my question," katara asked, "-are you making tea?"

zuko hummed in agreement, and asked if she would like some. she smiled and thanked him, taking a seat at the small table. watching him make tea felt strange- a little like she was watching lee again. he set a cup of herbal tea in front of her, then sat down next to her with his own cup.

they talked quietly for awhile, about nothing in particular. it was... strange, being on friendly terms with zuko. after ba sing se, she'd thought she'd never be able to forgive him- but it had been almost impossible for her to hold onto that anger after she'd learned what it had earned him. she'd ended up angrier at azula than anything. she'd used her brother, and then she'd gotten rid of him.

it helped that zuko was different now.

she guessed it made sense. she'd gotten rid of the false memories that had been implanted in his head, but he'd still spent two years living as a different person. and being a different person meant having a different view of the world- and the war. she didn't think they had to worry about zuko burning down villages anymore. the person who had emerged from that ordeal was... different.

if anything, she was starting to like him.

"so," she tilted her head, "-nervous about returning home?"

zuko blinked, looking up at her. his brow furrowed in confusion as he asked what she meant. he already was home.

katara felt a chill creep up her spine.

"zuko," she said, "-you're not going home until tomorrow. we're still in ba sing se."

"no," zuko frowned, "-i'm pretty sure i live here."

katara stared at him, and very quietly she asked zuko why he thought that. he blinked slowly at her, and asked why she thought he didn't. he... worked here, didn't he? he'd been invited to serve the earth king tea. he didn't say it with any of the confidence that lee ever had when he spoke of his life, like he wasn't sure about it.

"zuko," she said quietly, "-do you mind if i check your head for a moment?"

zuko didn't say anything. he suddenly didn't seem quite as... present, katara thought. she took that as permission anyways, drawing some water from the faucet and placing her hands over his head. she closed her eyes and concentrated-

-and instantly, she realized what the problem was.

zuko was sleeping.

she didn't mean metaphorically. zuko was literally asleep, despite what his open eyes and responsiveness to their earlier conversation might suggest.

spirits. zuko was sleepwalking.

...how long had he been sleepwalking?

no, more importantly. she had to get him back to bed. she smiled at him and agreed with him. yes, he did work here. which meant he had to get up early tomorrow morning. so he really needed to get some sleep. zuko stared at her for a few moments, before he agreed she was right. he let her guide him back to his room.

she stayed until she was sure he was actually asleep.

she'd ask around the palace the next morning. zuko had apparently been doing this for weeks, but none of the guards or servants who had spoken to him had realized that something was wrong. they'd just thought the fire prince was having trouble sleeping, just like she had. sokka even confessed that he'd had a midnight chat with zuko at one point too, but he hadn't noticed anything odd.

(he'd made him tea then too.)

when she asked zuko about it, he didn't remember a thing.

"agni," he muttered, "-i'm so fucked up."

"don't worry," katara promised him, "-i'm sure it's just because you're still in ba sing se. you'll get better once you go home."

...she hoped.

zuko's in the courtyard. he's got swords.

sokka is instantly worried. like. for a lot of reason. chief among them because before the whole... brainwashing thing, zuko's dedicated mission in life was hunting down and capturing the avatar. he hadn't shown any inclination to pick it back up after he'd gotten un-brainwashed, but...

"sokka," zuko doesn't even turn to look at him, "-i know you're there."

sokka stays still. he's bluffing. he's perfectly hidden in the bushes.

zuko points a sword in his general direction and tells him to get out of the bushes. okay. maybe he does know where he was. the not-looking but knowing where he is thing reminds him a little of toph, but zuko is apparently half blind. maybe that shouldn't be a surprise.

"okay, you caught me," sokka stands up, "-but the real question is... what are you doing?"

zuko just gives him a bland look. he's practicing, what does it look like? turns out his dao were in the jasmine dragon this whole time. it's been two years since he touched them. he's gotten rusty. he can't really firebend at the moment, so he figured now was a good time to pick them back up.

you know, sokka says. not to boast, but while you were off serving tea, he'd studied the blade himself. zuko rolls his eyes. yeah, i heard. you learned from piandao. something about losing your comet sword during the invasion and pleading with aang to search the ocean for it for you?

"first off," sokka says, "-it was a space sword. second off-"

he draws said sword. the pleading paid off. why don't we spar a little? swordbender to swordbender.

zuko briefly looks like he's thinking about killing him again. sokka doesn't mind. it's good for his recovery. then zuko just shrugs. sure. i could use the practice. you weren't the only one to study with piandao, though.

sokka readies himself. he's not worried. zuko hasn't picked up a sword in two years. how good could he be?

the answer? very.

okay. now he thinks he can understand how he'd broke aang out of pohuai stronghold with just swords. sokka sits up, and he swears zuko smirks as he sheathes his swords- but he also offers him a hand. sokka hauls himself up with it, dusting off the back of his pants. huh. guess that's why lan-wei wanted to convince you you were useless at swordplay.

"yeah, probably," zuko says, "-he wanted me to think i was defenseless. i'm pretty sure if you put dao in lee's hands, he wouldn't even be able to use them."

he looks at zuko. he asks what that's like, to have his own skills stolen from him like that. he shakes his head. he couldn't tell you. lee didn't even know what he was capable of. there's nothing to miss if you don't even know it's gone.

and that? that's scary.

"...i guess i should thank you," zuko says after a moment, "-for not just leaving me like that."

sokka shrugs it off. no problem. you weren't their friend or anything, but they couldn't just leave you like that. at the same time... he thinks lee had become their friend, at the end there. those last few days at the ember island villa felt like they'd roped a new friend into their little group. maybe it's why they'd all gone along with katara's crazy idea to let lee choose.

he missed him, just a little.

ah well. guess he'd have to just make do with zuko.