#i dare you to tell me that he isn't firebending

[the-badger-mole]

She knows

She knows

She knows

Zuko had thought his feelings for Katara were his secret. He'd never spoken to anyone about them, and he hadn't been treating her any differently since he'd figured himself out. His feelings were his burden alone, and he intended to keep it that way. Still, she knows ricocheted through his mind. His heart seemed to beat in time to words in his brain as he tried to process everything. The clamoring of the soldiers rushing up the stone stairs; the sound of the stolen air ship coming up behind him; the feel of Katara's lips on his.

Her fingers were clenched tight around the collar of his shirt. Zuko had just come to his senses enough to reach for her waist, intent on pulling her closer, when suddenly Katara shoved him backwards off of the ledge of the broken balcony. An airbender would've caught themselves and vaulted back onto the stone legdge. Zuko was no airbender, though. Their airbender was...someplace else. Zuko wasn't entirely sure of where. So when Zuko landed on the deck of the airship with a bone rattling thump, shock kept him there for the time it took him to refill his lungs. By the time he scrambled to his feet, the ship was already pulling away. Zuko had just enough time to see Katara turn from him to face his father's soldiers. She was outnumbered by at least a dozen, but she stood tall and firm, and even from behind, Zuko could see the determination in her stance. She would fight and die to make sure that he got away safely.

"No!" Zuko shouted. He threw himself at the railing, intent on getting back to her by any means necessary. He would leap from the deck and figure out the rest on his way back. Two sets of strong hands kept him from enacting his plan.

"Let me go!" he demanded pulling against the hold on him. "I'm not leaving her!"

"Zuko!" Sokka shouted. He and Suki pulled hard throwing him against the wall of the ship. "Stop!"

"Turn back!" Zuko half demanded, half pleaded. "We have to go back for her!" He was met with Sokka and Suki's twin grimaces.

"We can't," Suki said, grimly. "We have to get you to safety."

"I don't care about my safety!" Zuko insisted. "I can't leave her behind! Sokka, she's your sister! How can you just-oof!" Sokka's punch didn't hurt so much as it caught Zuko off guard.

"Don't you dare!" Sokka growled. He stood over Zuko, rage radiating from him almost tangibly. "Don't you dare imply I'm not just as worried about Katara as you are. If it wasn't for the fact that we need you to survive the war, I would've thrown you back to them to save her in a heartbeat. But the next best thing I can do is make sure my sister's sacrifice isn't in vain. That mean's getting you to safety and making sure you don't do anything stupid like trying to take on a whole troop of firebending soldiers.

A thousand arguments flew through Zuko's mind. They were superimposed over the image of Katara facing those same solders in his mind. Everything in him was demanding they turn around that instant and rescue Katara. His gambit for the throne was meaningless in comparison to Katara's safety. So what if she had willingly sacrificed herself? So what if he were summarily executed by his father, or even his sister? His own life meant nothing if Katara weren't in it.

Sokka was right, though. Zuko was loathe to admit it, but he was right. Katara knew what she was doing, even if Zuko was certain she didn't understand the full consequence. She'd saved his life. Again. Impotent and helpless as he felt watching her do it, she'd done it willingly. She'd done it strategically. His heart railed against it, but his mind knew why she'd done it. He had the best claim to the throne, after all. They'd talked about it to exhaustion. He'd told Katara all his worries, and she'd calmed them with her certainty that he was the Fire Lord his nation deserved. He'd never gotten the chance to tell her that he though she was the Fire Lady his nation needed, though they didn't deserve her by a long shot. He'd never told her that though he didn't deserve her, he needed her. Like he needed water.

She knew, though. She knew his weakness, and she'd used it. Zuko could still feel the pressure of her lips on his. Could still feel the way her hand tightened on his collar as she prepared to shove him away even while she was pulling him closer. She knew what she could do to him even in the midst of battle.

"They probably won't kill her," Suki said quietly. Both Sokka and Zuko looked up sharply.

"What?" Sokka gasped.

"They probably won't kill her," Suki repeated. "She's too valuable a prisoner. The daughter of the Southern Water Tribe chief? The... the friend of Prince Zuko? She's useful. If she surrenders, she will have a fighting chance." Suki's mouth was pressed into a thin, grim line. She was upset, too, Zuko realized. Maybe almost as upset as Sokka and Zuko were. Only almost, though. Zuko couldn't imagine his future without Katara in it, and Sokka had always been his sister's protector. As Zuko met Sokka's eye across the deck, he knew the Water Tribe warrior had made the same decision he had. If Katara was alive, neither would rest until she was safe again. The details of their rescue mission would have to wait until they could discuss them in private, but they would be going after her.

Part 2

[thetreefairy]

Platonic!yandere!Aang using the prompt Hydrangea please? Remember to drink water❤️🌼🕯️

Warning: Aang convinces the gaang that Reader needs him, airbender Reader, the gaang is also kinda starting to become yandere

Since pronounced were not specified: they/them reader

Hydrangea - "Perhaps we adore you too much to be just friends, family might be a better word." also can I just say I am terrified to start school again, this isn't my best but I hope you like it!

Kofi - 700 rules - 700 masterlist

Aang couldn't believe it, he had heard from Zuko that there was an another airbender.

So the gaang couldn't help but agree that they needed to rescue the unknown airbender. They were kept at a remote island, surrounded by fire benders, they had to investigate the routine in place.

Reader hated their abilities, they hated that they could bend air. The firebenders around them often ridiculing their abilities, yet the fire princess treated them kindly.

Azula had just visited and had given them a book about airbending traditions, as she knew how desperate Reader was to reconnect to their roots. The reason for this gift? Reader had been a good pet.

Aang couldn't help but feel a pit grow in his gut, how dare they harm his sibling. How dare they ridicule our culture. But most of all, the audacity Azula has to treat you like a pet.

The gaang had to formulate a plan, and it didn't take long for Aang to start visiting them sneakily.

their first meeting went as expected. Strange.

Reader was reading the book on the air nation, scoffing at some parts that were obviously altered to suit the fire lord's point of view. "The book isn't trustworthy." A boy said, you looked up in shock, ready to scream until you saw what he was wearing. 'He has to be the avatar, or is there perhaps another airbender?' Reader thought, they couldn't speak, they didn't trust their voice.

"I'll get you out of here." He promised. "I'll teach you about our culture."

He was rambling. "Are you the avatar?" Reader interrupts, causing his eyes to widen with joy. "Yes, I am, my name is Aang." He introduced himself. "Zuko told me about you, you are Reader right?"

Reader nodded. "The fire prince?" They asked softly. "Did Zuko finally find himself?"

Aang chuckled at Reader's wording. "I'll tell you all about it when we get you out of here."

After that it didn't take long for Reader to be rescued, it went quietly and Reader sighed in relief when they were at a cave with the gaang. Shaking as they hugged Aang.

"I am Katara, this is my brother Sokka." Katara introduced herself and her brother. "I am Toph." The earthbender introduced himself.

"Hi Reader, it has been a while." Zuko started as he bowed slightly. "I apologize for my sister's behavior and my past insolence."

Reader then hugged Zuko and introduced themself to the gaang. "Thank you for rescuing me, I'll make sure to be out of your hair quickly." Reader added to their introduction, causing Aang's eyes to harden.

"You can stay with us for a while." Katara told Reader, Toph hummed in agreement and said; "Yeah, twinkle toes was so excited to find another twinkle toes, you can't just leave right away."

Alarm bells rang in their head, but they chose to ignore it.

How wrong that was of them.

During one of their stops at a village, Reader had made a lot of money with their story telling. Toph was always with them when they told their stories, and quite frankly she enjoyed them.

Aang wasn't allowed to stay with Reader during story telling because he would scare everyone off with a glare.

'At least he thought them about their culture' Reader thought whenever they saw unusual behavior from Aang.

When Reader saw that they had enough money to make it on their own for a while, they announced it to the gaang causing an uproar. "No." Aang said right away. "You can't.

"Twinkle junior, you need Aang." Toph would say. "You aren't as tough as me yet."

Reader had looked at Zuko for back up as the gaang gave them the reasons to stay and why they are too weak to live on their own, but he shook his head as well. So Reader decided to confront them.

"Why are you guys acting like this, this isn't how friends are supposed to act."

"Perhaps we adore you too much." Aang started. "To simply just be friends."

A nervous chuckle left Reader's mouth

"Family might be a better word."

[mysticwolfshadows]

So, after the live action series, I've been binge reading basically all my AO3 bookmarks for ATLA/Zutara. (Can you blame me? The TENSION in that scarf scene. Damn.)

Anyway, I got really in the mood for a time travel fic, but I only had one and it was an 'into the future' fic. (I Choose Us: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27492745) So I go to look, and I can't find anything that peeked my interest, and I realize that I wanted to watch the world burn and came up with one instead.

Basic set up is that everything is the same, all the way up until Zuko and Katara arrive at Azula's coronation. Instead of challenging him to an Agni Kai, Azula is wild and fights them both. And when Azula is starting to lose, she goes after Katara like normal. Only, Zuko isn't in a spot where he can save here, and, well... Yeah.

So, in my racing midnight mind, I immediately started to think about firebending and angst, and how insanely cool it would be for Zuko to unlock this fort of feral firebending form. Just going absolutely savage, his inner fire not coming out in controlled bursts or movements, but to literally start bursting from his skin all over his body. Have it burn everything as he loses control, until there's literally nothing left.

But then Zuko wakes up back in Ba Sing Se, after he had been sick. And he remembers.

And suddenly, we have a set up for Zuko having this uncontrolled power that flares with his emotions, and a SECOND layer of trauma centered around Katara. He couldn't save her before, and if he doesn't get a handle on this power, he'll have to see her die all over again! And, of course, he can't dare attack her in the catacombs, so he joins the gaang.

Katara vouches for him, even though he won't meet her eyes. Toph confirms, saying he's telling the truth about being on their side. Aang is optimistic, but Sokka is kinda dubious. Until, of course, Zuko starts talking about what the Fire Nation plans to do on the Day of Black Sun and helping with revising battle plans.

Even if Iroh is there, Toph obviously would tell that the 'uh, I was the prince?' explanation isn't quite right.

They go through the Fire Nation, Zuko helping them navigate the best he can. He tries to not let them get distracted, but it never works. Toph eventually questions him, and thinks he's either insane or had some sort of spirit vision.

And of course, they get into shenanigans. The dance party, Zuko pointedly staying out of the way, being a look out. Cleaning the river, busting out the Blue Spirit disguise. Taking Sokka to Piando, and having a really interesting conversation. Then we get to Hama. And Zuko knows basically nothing about this, other than Katara's crazy display while investigating the Southern Raiders.

At some point, Zuko and Katara have to have a conversation. He's weirdly protective of her. Just her. And Zuko sort of kinda tries to side step it. He's a terrible liar, of course, so he says something along the lines of he had a spirit vision and he saw her dead. He doesn't want to talk about it, so Katara doesn't really get details.

Do they win on the Day of Black Sun? Does Aang succeed in taking out Ozai? Or do they have to retreat again, to face off on the day of the comet?

[jasmine-dragon-sky]

under the endless moon: an atla story

Set during the events of Avatar the Last Airbender; Nana, a spirited waterbender from the Northern Tribe, is forced to reevaluate her beliefs about good and evil when she rescues a mysterious, wounded firebender named Jun. Together, they embark on a journey across the nations, encountering other allies, and learning that many things about their war-torn world are not as they expected—including one other.

click here to visit the story’s complete masterlist

chapter two: an uneasy alliance (4k)

Needless to say, entering into a tense standoff with a seemingly resurrected firebender was the last thing Nana expected when she pulled the unconscious boy from his shipwrecked raft and into her father's fishing boat. But there he was, unsteady on his feet but braced in his fighting stance, while flames danced across his palms.

Acting on pure instinct and her many years of training, Nana quickly sprung to her own feet, drawing a stream of water from sea into her hands, and mirroring the boy's firm position. She locked eyes with him, his russet irises flickering like embers as he stared Nana down, his brows set in a harsh line. Nana returned his stern gaze, showing him she wasn't to be underestimated. Arak loomed behind her, his hackles raised as a low growl rumbled from his menacing fangs.

"Who are you?" the boy finally spoke, breaking the terse silence. "What am I doing here?" His question was spoken like an interrogation, but Nana could tell that underneath it, the dazed boy was likely wrestling with his own confusion.

"I'm the person who just saved your life," she curtly responded. "You know, you have a funny way of showing gratitude?" She scoffed.

Assuming an attack position isn't typically the way a person responds to being practically brought back from the dead, and Nana was beginning to think she'd made a mistake being so generous to help him. The boy seemed to be processing her answer, but he didn't dare to release his readied ammunition, and neither did Nana. He studied her closely, looking her up and down as if sizing her up to determine whether or not she was a threat, and Nana straightened up.

"Who says I needed you to save me?" The boy finally retorted, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"You were half dead when I found you," Nana spit back, irritated at the boy's arrogance. "Maybe I should have left you that way." She sneered.

"Maybe you should have." The boy muttered.

He made a slight move—just a minute flick of his wrist—but the motion alerted Nana's sharpened senses, and in one swift motion, she summoned a swirl of water to encase his wrists and ankles in cuffs of ice, knocking him off his feet. The boy let out a grunt of surprise, struggling against his new confinements. Had he not still been slightly disoriented from whatever left him in the state which Nana found him, he might've anticipated her move and countered back, but Nana knew the boy was still weak, and she had all the advantage.

"What do you want from me?" The dark-haired boy demanded of her, anger filling his tone as tried to break free from Nana's icy restraints.

"I don't want anything from you!" She shouted back, exasperated by the entire situation. If she had known the boy would be this much trouble, she might have left him drifting on that raft, but she had been cursed with her Mother's kindness, and it had gotten the better of her judgement

"Then let me go!" He growled, trying with all his might to summon flames to melt the frozen cuffs, but it was clear he was too exhausted to do so.

If it came to a fight, Nana was certain she could easily defeat the boy in this sorry state, but she didn't particularly want to fight an unhinged firebender—though she would if she had to.

"Not until I'm sure you won't kill me." She rolled her eyes, crossing her toned arms over her chest. "Though I doubt you could right now, even if you wanted." She let out a self-assured chuckle.

The boy wriggled his legs and shoulders, huffing once again in frustration when he failed to free himself, and he looked up at Nana with a glare.

"What's your plan, then? Throw me overboard?" The boy hissed, nodding his head toward the swirling sea from whence he came. "Why did you even bother saving me?" he sharply inquired.

"I don't know." Nana candidly answered him, the sternness formerly in her tone dissipating. She sunk down to sit, bringing her more at eye-level with the boy, and studied him silently. Why had she saved him? Nana didn't have an answer.

Arak noted his master's change in demeanor, dropping his aggressive stance, and cautiously stepping forward to investigate the stranger. He came nose-to-nose with the boy, lightly sniffing over him, and the boy audibly gulped as he stared down the snout of the enormous wolfdog.

"Can you call off your canine friend here?" the boy tersely asked, remaining painfully still.

Nana eyed the two of them. With one word from her, Arak wouldn't hesitate to defend himself and his beloved master from this stranger. But at least for the time being, the stranger in question was reasonably subdued, so Nana eased up.

"Arak, come." She called the hulking beast of a dog over, gesturing towards him with her hand. He looked back at her with hesitation as if to ask; Are you sure? "He's not a threat... for now." Nana reassured him, still eyeing the boy suspiciously.

At this, Arak finally relaxed, and sauntered back to the end of the boat where he'd been lounging in the sun. He laid down, his massive paws splayed out before him, and let out a yawn. Nana watched this adorable display with the barest hint of a smile, before turning her attention back to the boy, only to discover he'd been staring.

"What are you looking at?" She griped.

"Nothing, it's just..." The boy trailed off, his expression the most at ease it had been since he'd arrived. "I've never really met a waterbender."

Nana stared back, mirroring the boys curiosity.

"I've never really met a firebender," she replied.

It was true. She'd seen many firebenders before, but mostly during raids, or during the siege. This was the first time she was up close and personal. And honestly, aside from his attempt to ambush her, he wasn't quite what she was expecting. She thought all firebenders would be menacing and intimidating, and while this boy wasn't exactly friendly, he was just that... a boy. Not much older or scarier than herself. It almost made it hard for her to believe he shared a nation with the vicious firebending monsters she had come to hate.

"Your people have destroyed so many lives," she couldn't help but say, her expression hardening. Even if he wasn't personally responsible for the Fire Nation's acts of destruction, it didn't mean he was entirely innocent, and Nana knew that.

"What about your people?" The boy pointedly spat back at her. "The Water Tribe attacked ships en route to the Fire Nation colonies. Your people started this." He remarked with contempt.

"What are you talking about?" Nana muttered, squinting at the boy in disbelief. "What kind of fictional version of history do they teach you in the Fire Nation?" she quipped. Clearly, this guy had no idea what was really going on outside of his Fire Nation propaganda bubble. "This is exactly why Firelord Ozai needs to be toppled." Nana shook her head with a look of disgust.

"Good luck finding someone to accomplish that." The boy snickered, with an arrogant smirk.

"The Avatar will accomplish that," She jeered back, unfazed by the young man's attitude.

"The Avatar? He died 100 years ago." The boy dismissively scoffed. "Everybody knows that." He looked at Nana as if she were a complete fool, filing her with a slowly growing feeling of anger.

"He's alive—I've seen him," she emphatically insisted. "And he's going to defeat Firelord Ozai." She didn't know why she was even dignifying this rude and oblivious boy with a response, but for some reason she felt the need to justify herself.

"You're delusional." He rolled his eyes at her.

"You don't know anything," she huffed, giving up on the argument. He wasn't worth her energy. "That's why you're the one tied up right now, and I'm not," she snipped, getting the last word in.

"Speaking of, if you're going to hold me hostage, can you at least take these off?" The boy asked with annoyance, holding up his bound hands.

"No." She scoffed. "I don't trust you." She would say she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him, but Nana was really strong, and she was fairly sure she could throw this guy pretty far.

"It's not like there's anywhere for me to go out here," he muttered. "Plus, if I kill you, there'd be no one to navigate me back to land. You think I know how to work this stuff?" He pointed out, gesturing to the complicated system of ropes.

She hated to admit it, but what he said made sense. She could tell from one look at his sorry raft, that this boy didn't know his way around a boat, and besides that, she knew her ice cuffs were already beginning to melt down. It was better to strike a temporary peace treaty with this boy for now, assuming she would be stuck with him for the foreseeable future unless, of course, she did decide to throw him overboard after all.

"Fine," she reluctantly conceded. "But one slip-up, and I'm putting your whole body in ice—got it?" She threateningly jabbed a finger to his chest.

"Got it." He offered a fakely pleasant smile, only irritating her. She roughly waved her hands to cause the ice to suddenly revert to a liquid state. "You are delightful." He sarcastically remarked.

"So I've been told." She grimaced at him.

She quickly busied herself with adjusting the sails, consulting her instruments to make sure she was on course after her unplanned detour. Her plan before this had been to retrace the path of her parent's ship in the South Sea to find out which specific Fire Nation ship was responsible for her parents' deaths. Assuming it was a Navy ship, it had to be patrolling the area to have come across her parents, which lead Nana to think that by following in her parents' footsteps, it would lead her right to the people who attacked them.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the small boat that was, admittedly, already too close for comfort, and Nana cast her eyes to the horizon to avoid looking back at the boy. What was she supposed to do now? She hadn't thought far enough ahead as to what she would do now that she was stuck in the middle of the ocean with this boy whom she knew practically nothing about.

She awkwardly cleared her throat after a minute, daring to return her gaze to the stranger. "What's your name, anyway?" She tried to ask casually.

"We're making small talk now?" he retorted, raising his eyebrows with little enthusiasm.

"You got something better to do?" she sneered, gesturing to the seemingly endless sea beyond.

The boy glanced at the nothingness around them, then Nana, and back again, seemingly weighing her words before, at last, he finally let out a sigh.

"Jun," he muttered in a disinterested voice, looking uncomfortable. "You?" He asked.

She was surprised he even bothered to ask after his reluctant response, but she answered anyway.

"Nana," she told him. "And the friendly mutt is Arak." She jabbed a thumb towards the animal who lay behind her, staring down the boy whom Nana now knew as Jun, and licking his chops. He seemed a little too hungry for Jun's comfort.

Noticing this, Nana reached into a basket and pulled out a large fish she had caught earlier in the day, tossing it to Arak, who snatched it from the air with an audible chomp. He loudly began tearing into the fish and happily chowing down.

"Yeah, he's adorable." Jun dryly remarked, a look of disgust clearly painted across his face.

Though she hadn't cared to notice before, even with a sour look on his face, she supposed Jun was someone people would consider attractive. Though he was a bit battered and bruised at present, he had nice high cheekbones and warm amber eyes, and his body was lithe and muscular. Nana was tan, with unmanageable locks of wavy umber hair, and eyes like the arctic sea. She was strong-looking—healthy, as her Mother would say—and no one ever really paid much attention to her looks, so neither did she. She didn't even really know why she was paying much attention to Jun at all, considering she still wasn't totally sure if she was going to have to fight him or not.

Realizing she was quite overtly staring at him during her absentminded musing, Nana quickly piped up to fill the awkward lull in conversation.

"So how did you end up out here?" She decided to ask. "Where did you come from?" She was, admittedly, curious how he ended up way out here on a flimsy raft, only an inch from death.

"It's a long story." He cryptically responded, carefully choosing his words. "You don't want to know." He insisted, simply leaving it at that.

It was clear he still wasn't sure if it was safe to share such personal information with a near stranger, which was fair, because Nana wasn't sure if it was safe for her either, but with her interest piqued, she couldn't help but to press.

"We've got nothing but time." She shrugged. "Try me." She challenged him, raising a dark brow.

His eyes scanned over Nana's face for a moment, as if he was assessing whether or not she could be trusted. There was an intensity to his gaze that made Nana want to look away, but for some unknown reason, she couldn't bring herself to. After a moment that felt far too long, he spoke.

"I was in a Fire Nation Prison," he admitted.

Nana's eyes slightly widened at the statement. She wasn't sure what she was expecting him to say, but it certainly wasn't that, and she now found herself at a complete loss for words.

"Yikes," she blurted out before she could stop herself. "That... sucks." She internally cursed herself for her lack of tact, but to her surprise, Jun didn't seem offended by her bluntness.

"Yeah, it sucks a lot actually," He agreed with a humorless chuckle. "Hence, why I escaped." He gestured broadly to his current haggard state. 

"Should you be admitting to me that you're a fugitive?" Nana questioned, eyeing him warily.

"You gonna take me back to the Fire Nation and turn me in?" he asked, sarcasm coloring his tone.

"Good point." Nana shrugged. She looked down at her lap, mindlessly twiddling her thumbs. "What uhh... what were you in for?" she chose to ask next, unsure how to broach the subject.

"It's complicated." Jun's sudden shift to a more serious tone drew Nana's slate eyes back up to his face, and she found a new somberness there.

"You tell me that you're an escaped Fire Nation fugitive, but telling me why is too complicated?" she questioned him with a skeptical frown.

Nana could tell she was probably prying too much, but she figured she had a right to know about the background of this mysterious boy if he was going to stay on her boat for the time being.

Jun shifted his gaze to the churning waves, seeming deep in thought for a moment.

"I stole some stuff," he mumbled out. "The Fire Nation wanted it back, so they tracked me down. And someone died because of it... because of me. Someone I cared about." The way he explained the story was simple and to the point, but Nana could tell that behind Jun's brevity, this was something that weighed heavily on him. She knew that unmistakable look of guilt anywhere—she'd seen it in the reflection of her own face.

"Oh." Nana looked at the boy with sympathy. "I'm sorry," she sincerely told him. "I've lost people too." Her hand subconsciously went to the bracelet on her wrist, tracing over the beads and shells as she thought once more of her parents.

The soft tinkling of the trinket seemed to draw Jun's attention back to Nana, and he zeroed in on her bracelet, a strange look crossing his face.

"Your bracelet—I've seen it before," he suddenly said, furrowing his brow as if concentrating.

"You couldn't have." Nana dismissed him. Pieces of Water Tribe jewelry weren't uncommon to see, but this bracelet was distinct; it had an intricate pattern chosen with love by her Dad just for her. It was one of a kind—Nana was certain of that.

"I did," Jun insisted, "I'd remember an ugly thing like that." He wrinkled his nose with distaste and Nana glared at his rudeness. "There was a guy in prison who had a bracelet just like that," he said.

Nana narrowed her eyes at him, suspiciously.

"That's impossible," she told him. "The only other person with a bracelet like this is dead." Her tone was stern, but the sharpness of her words was masking the pain beneath them.

"The guy I met was pretty alive." Jun shrugged, seeming unbothered by Nana's doubt. "In fact, he kept fighting with the guards demanding to know where his wife was. The guy wouldn't shut up." He rolled his eyes as he recalled the memory.

This comment made Nana pause. She didn't want to let herself hope—even for a moment—lest she be disappointed and heartbroken again, but something in Jun's words caught her attention.

"What... was his name?" she meekly asked.

"I don't know, does it matter?" Jun replied, clearly not realizing the possible significance of his admission. "I'm just rambling." He sighed.

"What was his name?" Nana repeated, more urgent this time. She held her breath; she knew it was likely too good to be true, but the small child within her yearned for even the smallest chance.

"Uhh... Haku? Something like that." Jun slowly answered, at last noticing Nana's strange shift in attitude. He watched her like a feral animal as her big, cerulean eyes became glossy, her face blank and shocked like she'd just seen a ghost.

"Kohaku?" she croaked out with a broken voice. She was trying to keep herself from getting too emotional. She wanted so badly for it to be true.

"That was it." Jun confirmed with a nod.

"You met a man named Kohaku with a bracelet like this one?!" Nana repeated, making sure she hadn't missed a detail. She thrust the bracelet into his face, making sure he got a good look at it. She knew that he could've just been mistaken, though she hoped beyond hope that he wasn't.

"Yeah, why?" Jun nonchalantly asked. "You know him?" he questioned, proceeding with caution.

"He's my father," Nana breathlessly admitted. "I... thought he was dead. I thought both of my parents died when the Fire Nation sank their boat." She stared at a fixed spot on the ground, her head spinning and heart pounding to the point she thought she could pass out or throw up.

She had never considered the possibility that her parents hadn't died on the boat. The Water Tribe crew that came upon the grim scene hadn't found any survivors, and there were no signs of any, so everyone had assumed the obvious explanation. Could it be possible that they had survived?

"Sounds like maybe they were taken as war prisoners," Jun surmised from the context clues. "They do that sometimes—especially with benders," he explained, clearly drawing on his personal knowledge from his time as a prisoner.

"Both my parents were—are waterbenders," Nana realized, becoming filled with a sudden sense of urgency. "If they're in the prison that you came from... then you have to take me there!" she demanded, grabbing a fistful of Jun's shirt and staring him in the eyes with a wild look.

"No way—I'm not going back there!" He shut her down, shoving her hands off. "Do you know how long I spent planing my escape? And even then I still almost got killed on my way out," He sharply exclaimed, finding her sudden request bold and irrational. "Besides, your dad—if that's even who he is—isn't there anymore. They transferred him a few weeks ago to a some remote high security prison with some other war prisoners," he blithely told her, slightly dampening her spirits.

"Where?" she interrogated him, her intensity visibly making Jun regard her with hesitance.

"Beats me," he grumbled, somewhat annoyed. It was apparent to Nana that she was testing Jun's patience, but she didn't care. She had to know.

"You must have some idea of where it is," Nana persisted, still unfazed by his clear discomfort.

"All I know is it's an island, and the only people who know where it is are Fire Nation Naval officers, and I doubt they'd feel moved to help you out." He held his hands up in abnegation, giving up the only small bit of information he had. "There's only one person to have survived defecting from the Fire Nation Navy and lived to tell the tale," Jun ominously cautioned her.

"Who?" she begged to know, searching his face like she might find the answer there somewhere.

"They call him Jeong Jeong The Deserter," Jun told her, his words making the man sound like a great character of legend—and maybe he was.

"Where is he now?" Nana impatiently blurted out. She had just learned that there was a chance her parents could actually be alive, and with that reveal, she couldn't seem to calm herself down.

"Nobody knows." He shook his head. "But the rumor is he has a camp somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Heard some of the soldiers gossiping about it in the prison," Jun casually offered up.

"Then we have to track him down," Nana declared, new determination filling her as she locked onto her goal. "He's my best chance at finding my parents," she told him with sincerity.

"What's this we?" Jun narrowed his eyes at her. "Who says I wanna come with you?" he retorted, clearly bothered by Nana's involuntary assertion.

"Because I saved your life," she pointedly reminded him, returning his tense glare.

"I didn't ask you to save my life," he argued for what felt like that tenth time since he'd awoken.

"Want me to take it back?" Nana suggested with a dangerous callousness, smirking at the boy.

Before Jun could even get another word in, Nana had drawn up a whirlpool of water to surround his body, dangling Jun like bait on a hook over the side of the boat while he yelped in surprise.

"Okay, okay, I'll help you!" he shouted, squirming desperately from within her watery vice grip.

Nana finally relented with his coerced agreement, returning him flat on his rear to the boat with a rough thud, and letting the remaining water rain down on him, soaking him down to the bone.

"Sheesh," he grumbled, patting at his damp clothes. He shot Nana a glare of discontent, and she offered him a charming smile in response.

"But once I help you find Jeong Jeong, we're even, okay?" he sharply negotiated, adding his own terms to the agreement. "Then you leave me alone, and I disappear to start a new life in the Earth Kingdom. Deal?" Jun firmly demanded.

"Deal." Nana grinned, deeming this fair.

Jun only rolled his eyes at her in response, exasperated, but Nana decided to ignore it. She was just happy to have a lead, wherever it may take her. The thought of being reunited with her parents filled Nana with a feeling of warmth she had thought was long lost to her, and she found herself eager as ever to begin this new journey.

As she adjusted their course to head towards the Earth Kingdom, Nana couldn't help but smile. She looked back at Jun, muttering grumpily to himself as he began to wring out his sodden clothes, and she wondered for the first time if maybe this was a bad idea. Even if it was, she was determined to see it through to the end, and find the answers she was searching for—even if that meant dealing with this guy along the way.

[shinspirit]

Bending is the ability to manipulate an element and is significant to many aspects of life in the World of Avatar. The four elemental bending arts are based on the four classical elements, water, earth, fire, and air.

Bonus:

[aangarchy]

Azula is not the most powerful firebender in atla

Now before you shoot me in the kneecaps for saying something so controversial, hear me out

Azula is a fantastic bender. She's a prodigy, learning at a very young age and being able to bend blue fire despite the extra effort it takes. She's mastered lightning at 14, a skill that's considered quite rare. She also uses her acrobatic skills she learned from Ty Lee to her advantage to make her even better, swifter, lighter on her feet, not needing to be steady in order to bend like other firebenders. BUT:

There are arguably two benders in the show better than her. Ozai and Iroh. Iroh isn't that hard to explain; he invented new skills by observing other bending forms, something that can only make someone more powerful. He is also able to spit fire from his mouth without being roided up from the comet (the only firebender we know of to do it w/o the comet's help). He's also a master lightning bender, and was able to keep more than a dozen Dai Li plus Azula at bay long enough for Katara to escape the crystal catacombs.

Ozai does not have a lot of screentime compared to Iroh and Azula. We only ever see him in flashbacks or sitting down on his little throne. We see him fight twice, once against Zuko and once against Aang. The fight with Aang he was roided up by the comet yes, but he still portrayed amazing skill. Lightning, propelling himself with only fire, spitting fire etc. But it's the earlier fight with Zuko where things get interesting. Ozai was able to tell when the eclipse ended by merely closing his eyes and focusing on the sun. He sensed it. Even Azula needed a cue to understand the eclipse was done: "oh sounds like firebending's back on!" Furthermore, Ozai immediately fired lightning at Zuko, and not only did he manage to do that without having to 'charge' first, he shot it out of both hands, which is something neither Azula nor Iroh can do (or at least we've never seen them do it, Azula has always had to charge her lightning and only uses one hand to shoot it, same for Iroh)

Honestly while Ozai has definitely looked like a chump in the show, I'm not sure Azula or Iroh could take him in a one v one. That might be one of the reasons his rule was never challenged, because nobody dared to take him on. I feel like the fandom underestimates him bc we only saw him fight twice and he lost both times (once bc Zuko's unknown skill took him by surprise and once bc Aang's avatar state eventually overpowered him).

[helioleti]

I've been rewatching ATLA several times lately and this time I especially ended up wondering a lot about Iroh and Ozai's past and characters in general. I just can't help but think it weird that Ozai is the ultimate trashbag of a humanbeing while Iroh ended up preaching harmony and peace. It just doesn't make any sense. These guys are brothers. They were brought up by the same parents, in the same fascist imperialistic nation, they were taught the same values growing up. You're trying to tell me the difference is that Iroh was destined to be the person he eventually came to be, but Ozai was just born evil? No, I don't think so.

I have two hot takes that I'm gonna elaborate:

1. Iroh had a guidance Ozai lacked

2. Ozai was the less favored son

(Disclaimer: I haven't read the comics yet so I don't know how deep they've already gone into this subject at some point. I'm trying to interpret and analyze the stuff that I got from the animated series only. If anything I say contradicts what has already been confirmed in the comics, feel free to correct me.)

Hear me out. Iroh wasn't born a saint. Everyone is aware of this, especially Iroh himself. He laid siege to Ba Sing Se for 2 years, costing the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom thousands of lives. Everyone knew that if the Fire Nation took over the capital, it meant almost ultimate victory for the Fire Nation. He even went as far as making a offhand sadistic jokes about burning the city to the ground in that letter to Zuko and Azula.

Iroh acknowledges it himself; He was a different man.

So what changed?

Yes, his son died. It broke and shattered him from the inside, making him drop all efforts to continue fighting in the war. To continue what had been his lifelong ambition, what he believed to be his destiny. He had a literal vision about taking over Ba Sing Se when he was a child, and that had been what he'd been pursuing ever since. But the death of his son managed to crumble all of that into nothingness. How is that possible?

Don't get me wrong. I think it's completely valid. I just don't understand how Lu Ten and Iroh could've had such a loving and caring relationship in the first place, when that's clearly something unusual among the royal family. Ozai burned and banished Zuko without a second thought, not to mention all the other shit he did to him growing up. Ozai didn't give two shits about Azula either, he only ever intended to use her as his weapon. Doesn't seem too surprising, if you ask me. Azulon didn't hesitate to demand that Ozai kill his own son if he wanted the throne. That's the man that raised Ozai, so it's just logical that Ozai learned that behavior and those values from his own father.

Even 9 year old Azula thinks it laughable that Iroh would fall apart at the death of his son. She is a child and this is how she thinks. The reason Zuko doesn't think like this is because he's had the guidance of his mother, unlike Azula. This is the kind of mentality these kids grow up with. They grew up with war and so did Iroh and Ozai.

So why was Iroh's relationship with Lu Ten so different? Where did Iroh experience the kind of compassion and love he passed on to his own son, that Ozai definitely didn't? People act on how they've come to learn, so where did Iroh learn to care about his son to a point that it made him give up on his lifelong ambition?

Let's review a very crucial information we have on Iroh and Ozai as siblings: They have a huge age gap.

Frankly, I'm guessing about 10-20 years. Looks more like 20 to me, but that could also be Iroh's greater amount of endured pain and war making him look older than he actually is. But no one can deny that an age gap is definitely there. Which can also indicate they had different upbringings, despite having grown up in the same family as brothers.

What does this mean? Well, that's just me theorizing now, but I can definitely imagine that Iroh had someone, a family member maybe, there for him who wasn't around or didn't care to be when Ozai grew up. There must've been someone there who gave Iroh emotional security and guidance throughout his upbringing. Who? That's up to imagination. A friend of the family? A friendly uncle? His own mother ((or father))? (The last two things worked out for Zuko in the end, didn't they?) Otherwise I can't really explain myself why Iroh had enough values to love the way he loved Lu Ten, while Ozai clearly didn't give two fucks about his children at any point in his life.

Iroh was the firstborn son, the one who had a vision very early in his life that his destiny was to take over Ba Sing Se. Probably the one who got to have a family member care about him enough to show him how to love.

(I like to point this out a lot because I find it very interesting, and very significant. Please A:TLA give us more info on Iroh's past!!)

Which brings me to my second take: Ozai was the less favored son.

Iroh was clearly a son to be proud of. He was a master firebender, the "Dragon of the West", if you will. He apparently had a vision as a boy that he'd conquer the most "impenetrable city" in the world. He probably lived up to his parent's expectations for his whole life, especially having no sibling to be compared to for a significant part of his life. He broke through the outter wall of Ba Sing Se during his siege. Yada yada yada, you get my point. He's the best son they could've wished for.

And Ozai? As far as I know, he barely even has any military achievements. Taking over Ba Sing Se was Azula's doing. While Iroh laid siege to the capital, he was at home chilling in the palace. He's the younger brother to an established hero and was never meant to be firelord. Now, I haven't read the comics for more info on Ozai's biography, but this man barely had a chance to live up to his parent's standards with Iroh as an older brother. If my theory is correct, Ozai also didn't have any person to provide him emotional guidance throughout his life. (*cough* like Azula)

The logical outcome is: infinite jealousy.

And when Ozai suggests to Azulon that he revoke Iroh's birthright to become firelord, this is Azulon's answer:

Azulon doesn't even hesitate to call Ozai out on his bullshit. He doesn't hesitate to take offense at the suggestion of betraying Iroh, and he even seems to care about Iroh's suffering. Not to mention that Azulon is overall annoyed with Ozai's request for an audience and sends the rest of Ozai's family away as soon as he can, to get whatever it is Ozai wants over with.

I could also mention the fact that Ozai tried to impress Azulon with his daughter's skills (Azula, even named after him) and the overall strained relationship these two seem to exhibit. It's obviously very different from Azulon's relationship with Iroh, if the way he talks about said man is anything to show for.

What if Azulon treated Ozai the same way Ozai treated Zuko? (Probably without the physical abuse, but you get my point.) What if this is where Ozai learned to treat a "useless" kid like shit, maybe also in a way to cope with how he was treated himself?

Getting deeper into the fact that Ozai is rather a loser compared to Iroh, without any big military achievements and without value for anything beyond that, this also explains a lot about Ozai's constant need to establish his dominance.

First; Becoming Firelord through radical manners (you know, killing his own son or killing his own father)

Second; Publicly burning and banishing his own son whom he considers a weakling, who dared to speak up in his war room. Doing this to have everyone know that he doesn't associate himself with weakness and that he will not ever tolerate any form of disrespect.

Third; The whole Phoenix King act. No one can tell me this isn't a madman's doing. This is literally to show off that he is the most powerful person in the world.

Ozai is so obsessed with proving himself and his superiority to everyone, including himself and probably Iroh too. This makes most sense if we consider that he probably lived in his brother's shadow for his whole life, ignored by probably every guiding figure he's ever had in his life, maybe even considered a laughingstock by his own father.

Perhaps this is also the reason Ozai didn't have any problem with Iroh accompanying Zuko in banishment. His brother, the hero in whose shadow he grew up, and his son, the failure he'd wanted out of the way for a long time already. It would erase Iroh's image that made him superior to him, once and for all. For himself and the world. I believe that branding him a traitor was the biggest satisfaction Ozai had ever experienced in his life.

I absolutely despise Ozai with every fibre of my heart, but it amazes me how ATLA continues to leave so much room for interpretation and explanation for a character as despicable as him. Writing this, even had me feel sympathy for him at some point. Feel free to disagree with me or add anything, I'm eager to hear everyone's thoughts about Ozai and Iroh's backstories because I'm geniuinely very curious.

[orangepanic]

Actually 1-30 go.

Kidding kidding. But I am curious about 3 and 29. 💛

I've already answered 3 on Iroh the hopeless romantic here.

29. Why do they fall a little bit more in love?

Oh, there's so much I could put here, but I suppose I should just pick one thing. I'm going to talk about the carnival.

Asami isn't the best at planning conventional dates, but she can tell when Iroh is stressed and could use a little extra tlc. He gets tense and quiet, stays up too late, and starts looking a bit more disheveled than usual. He begins putting physical distance between them, too, as if somehow hoping to compartmentalize whatever is going on at work or back in the Fire Nation that's setting him on edge.

One time when this happens, Asami takes him to the carnival.

It's not much. Just a rinky dink operation that set up shop just outside Republic City limits. There are death trap rides that Asami knows wouldn't pass any city inspection, booth after booth of deep fried heart attack on a stick, games so rigged you may as well set your money on fire. At first Iroh has no idea what they're doing here. But Asami dares him to beat her at balloon darts and axe throwing (he can do neither). She pokes him to test his strength. Then there's firebender targets where he absolutely smokes the competition. She drags him on the spinning cups and shitty shaking roller coaster, laughing and screaming and holding onto his arm while they whirl around and around. They buy buffalo yak on a stick, a paper sack of sugared dough, and two cherry colas and sit on the grass to watch the band. They're not half bad. By the end of it all Iroh is grinning like a five year old, his chin covered in powdered sugar Asami is all too happy to kiss off in some darkened corner of the fairgrounds. And as they hold hands on the long, quiet drive home, they both think how they've never been so in love.

Ask me anything Irosami

[tehfabbooty]

Jealous Part 1

My first attempt at a Zuko X Reader and an ATLA fanfic. I just love the idea of a jealous dom Zuko. 😍

*Takes place book 3 after Zuko gains their trust, made up an island*

........

"Sokka you literally ate twenty minutes ago."

You looked over to where Katara and Sokka sat, Sokka leaning over the saddle on Appa's back, grumbling about being hungry and glaring into the sky.

"Well I'm sorry, but can't a growing boy have needs?"he demanded, turning around to glare at his sister.

"Sokka, you almost ate the food meant for Momo and Appa,"Katara argued back.

"Ugh, chill out waterboy, before I make you a special kind of food,"Toph threatened.

Sokka perked up joyfully. His eyes were huge as he excitedly asked, "Really?? What is it?"

The blind earthbender grinned. "A nice, tasty delicacy I make for people all the time called a ROCK CAKE!"

You burst into giggles from your corner of the saddle while Sokka's face went from drooping in disappointment to a quick glare in your direction.

You didn't know this, but Zuko was smiling to himself as he steered the bison next to Aang. He had a huge thing for you, and hearing you laugh was one of his favorite sounds. So when he got to hear it, he revelled in it, letting your music-like laugh be the only thing he focused on. Secretly.

Which was a good thing he wasn't the only pilot considering you laughed often. Otherwise they all would have been completely lost.

Which is also why Aang usually offered to sit with him. He knew of his crush on you, no matter how hard Zuko tried to hide it. Aang noticed the signs real quick, considering Aang was going through the same thing with Katara. But he didn't dare tease him for it just yet. He didn't feel like falling off Appa anytime today. But he did plan on talking to Zuko about it later, just to try to give him some advice.

It was evening by the time the group arrived at a place called Kuidaore Island. Apparently, according to Sokka's research, Kuidaore Island was said to be one of the finer islands in all of the nations. The city was known to have anything and everything you could want, from clothing to goods to food to pets. So of course Sokka begged to take a small vacation there.

Softly landing Appa on a nice flat area of grass a few miles outside city limits, the gaang slid off of Appa's back and unpacked their things, setting up camp for the night.

As you wrestled to get your sleeping bag unhooked off the saddle, your foot started to slip and you started to fall off the bison's back.

"Shit!"you cursed, thinking you did so under your breath.

But Zuko was in earshot. He ran over from his spot around the campfire and caught you just as you let go of the sleeping bag, landing bridal style in his arms.

It knocked the wind out of you for a second. But just as you were about to say thanks, you lost your breath again when you realized who had caught you and was still holding you.

And staring into your gorgeous e/c eyes with his own golden ones.

Thank God it's getting dark, you thought as your face blushed furiously.

"T-thanks, Zuko,"you stammered as he slowly set you to your feet.

He didn't say anything. He was still staring at you.

And you didn't mind at all.

You stared back into his eyes, but before more could happen, Sokka shouted angrily, "MOMO! DID YOU EAT MY LEFTOVER BLUEBERRIES I SAVED FOR TONIGHT??"

Startled, you tore your eyes away to watch Sokka holding an empty bag upside down in front of the animal while glaring down at him, one hand on his hip like he was a scolding parent.

Giggling, you watched Momo chirp and rush off to hide in Appa's fur while Sokka groaned frutratedly.

"Well I guess we need to go find some food then,"you giggled, not noticing the death glare Zuko was shooting at Sokka.

Zuko softened his face before turning to you and saying, "Oh, uh, yeah. Would you like some, uh, company?"

You smiled st him, laughter still etched into your features. "Of course. I love your company."

Zuko smirked back, the green-eyed monster inside him relaxing a little, loving your words and your smile at him.

Later, after dinner, the gaang huddled around the fire again to discuss the next day's plans.

"Okay,"Sokka began. "To go proper food hunting - sorry Zuko and Y/N, but a few squirrels isn't going to cut it - we need to start here. This is where all their best food is made from what I have read." He pointed to a spot on the map he had found awhile ago.

Katara scoffed and rolled her eyes while crossing her arms, a smirk on her mouth. "Can't you think of anything but food, dear brother? It's like right after helping Aang defeat the fire lord, your second priority is finding something to fill your stomach."

Sokka opened his mouth to retort, but quickly closed it again, knowing she was right.

Aang piped up then. "Why don't we all split up and explore certain parts of this place?"

"I don't know, Aang. We are still sort of wanted by the Fire Nation...,"Katara said worriedly.

"Then we can find disguises. I think there are some houses outside the city we can scavenge,"Toph suggested.

"True. But isn't Kuidaore more of an earthbender's city? You'd be fine Toph with your clothes. But we would definitely have to change your hair and take out the hairband,"you replied.

"What? What's wrong with my hair?"Toph demanded, offended.

"Nothing! Just that if those guys are still hunting you, you need to not be so recognizable. Maybe change some things,"you said quickly.

As the group discussed tactics and how to make Toph unrecognizable, Zuko zoned out of it altogether as he watched you talking animatedly in the conversation. He loved the way your hair flowed down your back, how your nose and eyebrows scrunched up in thought. He loved the way the sunset threw lighting in all the right places, making your gorgeous eyes sparkle.

Meanwhile, across the fire, Aang noticed Zuko watching you and grinned to himself. He loved seeing his now-best friend being himself and finding happiness. Even if that happiness hasn't completely occurred yet. But in time it will, Aang will make sure of it.

Finally, the conversation started to end as the light of the sun faded away. You stood up and stretched, yawning.

"Well I think I'm gonna call it a night. Goodnight guys. See you in the morning,"you announced as you walked back to your sleeping bag, which laid next to Appa.

Finally, Aang thought. He jumped to his feet as everyone dispersed to their beds. He watched Zuko head off towards a tree to lay down, and followed him

"Hey buddy. Can I talk to you for a minute?"Aang asked as innocently as possible.

Zuko groaned to himself. He was so tired. He needed sleep.

But he turned himself to face the avatar, allowing a polite smile to adorn his face. "Uh, sure. What's up?"

"Uhh, come with me. So the others can't hear."

Zuko followed Aang away from the campsite and more towards the trees. As soon as Aang deemed it safe, he turned to his firebending teacher.

"So uh, I noticed you're madly in love with Y/N,"Aang began awkwardly. He was so terrible at starting conversations about awkward topics.

Zuko's eyes bulged out of his head. "Uhh, what? I-I-I don't know what you're, uh, talking about,"he lied, face going pale as the moon.

Aang laughed, earning himself a glare. He held his hands up in surrender. "Relax. I'm not going to tell her, I swear. I just wanted to, uh, kinda give you advice on a few things."

Zuko's eyebrow shot up. Aang, a twelve year old boy, - granted, he was born a hundred years ago - giving Zuko, a sixteen year old, advice on dating?

He chuckled. "Yeah, like what?"he asked, his arms crossed while smirking.

"I'm serious! I really do have some tips!"Aang shot back. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, you're going through the same thing I am right now and that's why I noticed and no one else did."

The fire prince's eyes squinted in confusion."You are? With who?"he asked curiously, his arms falling to his sides.

Aang nervously scratched the back of his neck. "That's, uh, not important -"he began, but Zuko snorted.

"Oh so you can pry into my love life and I can't do the same to you?"

Aang groaned. Running a hand down his face, he admitted, "Katara. I love Katara. Happy?"

Grinning, Zuko answered in his smartass tone, "I never am."

Aang laughed, then wiggled his eyebrows at him, saying, "But you are now, aren't you? I see the way you look at her."

His face reddened. "Y-yeah, she makes me happy. I really love her, Aang."

Aang smiled. "See? Not that hard to say out loud. But you want to be careful."

Zuko's golden eyes shot back to Aang's. "With what?"

Aang sighed before looking away. "Make sure it's the right time. And by that I mean, don't push her into anything, like making a decision. Your best bet is probably after the war, since our focus is on defeating your father. You don't want to confuse her and distract her from the task at hand, which could ultimately get her, you, or all of us killed."

Zuko nodded in understanding. "You, uh, wanna talk about it?"he asked awkwardly.

Aang shook his head. "Nah. I'm okay. Just remember what I said though."

The fire prince bowed in respect to the avatar. "Thank you, Aang."

Aang started to turn back, but spun around quickly again to add, "Oh by the way though. I'm 99% positive she's into you too." He winked and skipped away, leaving a blushing firebender to stare after him.

[maridarkmoon-all]

@paintedbluerose, @electronswrites How dare you hide this gold mine?

P: How dare you make me cry before I have a webinar orientation for my new job… Still, I think this is much worse than normal because he’s out of it and doesn’t know. If Uncle asks him who said Zuko was all of those things or where he got burned, Zuko would say the other Fire man, not realizing it’s Lu. Iroh would have a hard time believing it because it’s Lu! Katara tries to heal but Lee says he doesn’t want to be Zuko. Zuko is the worst. Don’t make him be Zuko!!

E: "Lee" also refuses to accept that he is a Firebender. Fire can only hurt, only cause pain. Lee can't be a Firebender. Iroh tries to show him fire's duel nature, but even candles terrify Lee if they're too close. Iroh is at a loss. He wants his nephew back, but Zuko doesn't feel the same way...

P: He’s been burned too many times by fire. Why would he want to have the ability to firebend? He asks Iroh why would he want to firebend when he’s been burned so much? How horrible was he to have all these burns?! Which just breaks Iroh because it wasn’t Zuko who did them. Nor is it his fault he’s burnt.

E: Iroh slowly comes to realize that if he wants a relationship with his nephew, he has to accept that, for now, he's "Lee." So he does. Well... he tries. The hardest part is Lu Ten. Lu Ten misses Zuko so much, that it's causing him to be resentful towards Lee. Iroh reassures him. "We'll get Zuko back." Sometimes, when Lu Ten looks at "Lee" Iroh thinks he sees hatred. But that can't be right...

P: Lu Ten doesn’t care either way except with Zuko he can take out all his anger. Lee doesn’t know anything so it’s almost pointless. Lu wants Zuko to be the one suffering because Lu suffered. Iroh doesn’t see that because he doesn’t know Lu burned Zuko. When Zuko finally starts remembering things, he still has the fear of Lu and Iroh doesn’t know why. Lu just smirks. He can have fun now

E: Zuko is forced to bend in a fight against FN soldiers to save Iroh's life. That brings everything rushing back. When he sees Lu Ten, he has a full on panic attack. Iroh tries to comfort him, to tell him he's safe, that Ozai and Azula aren't here. Zuko isn't making any sense. He begins to beg for mercy. Sokka looks at Lu Ten. "It seems like he's pretty freaked out by you. Any idea why?" "Nope." Toph frowns. "Lie."

P: Iroh thinks there’s something wrong with Toph because no way would Lu Ten be lying. Lu loves Zuko. Lu goes to Zuko and acts like he’s loving, saying Toph doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Zuko is screaming in fear. Lu reaches out as if he’s comforting him and Toph blocks him. She’s like no, you make him afraid, you no touchy! He’s like he should be afraid.

E: Iroh tries to get Toph to lay off Lu Ten. Toph starts screaming at him. Doesn't he see what Lee/Zuko is going through? He's a blubbering mess now. He curls up, hiding his face and neck behind his knees. Aang steps forward. No one is going to get hurt. He kneels down and places a gentle hand on Zuko's back. "It's okay. We'll protect you."

So, dark Lu Ten AU: suppose Zuko needs to seek out the gang for medical help, but blah blah honor etc. How about he feels he needs to bring something to show them he's serious, and decides that injured, traumatized, in severe pain and extremely emotionally compromised is the perfect state of mind to go rescue a sky bison for them.

I feel this is on a par with his canon decision making levels, and has the potential to make things Even Worse.

This is exactly the kind of bad decision making Zuko is known/loved for! Yes! He would do this!

So Zuko manages to get back in. We love one stubborn boi. He gets to the chamber where he knows Appa is. The blisters are tormenting him. The pain is indescribable.

Zuko tries to break the chains. He can do this. He KNOWS he can do this. He's done it before. He's just so tired. Even swinging the sword is so painful.

He collapses onto a pile of fur. He tries to get back up, but he can't. He just... can't.

The Dai Li find him there. They take him away for brainwashing. Zuko doesn't even struggle against the light. He doesn't have the energy.

Some time later, after the GAang has freed Appa on their own and invaded the Earth Palace, they end up fighting the Earth King's personal bodyguard, Lee. Once the whole reveal of Long Feng goes down, the GAang tell the Earth King that his "bodyguard" is actually a brainwashed prince. Sokka thinks they should leave him like that, but he's outvoted.

Katara, alarmed by the new burn scars, attempts to heal Zuko like she did Jet. It... doesn't work. Jet's true self had been fighting to make himself known. Zuko is hiding under Lee. Katara tries to coax him out, but he doesn't want to return.

They're kind of stuck on what to do with him. Lee is extremely friendly and helpful. They start to become attached to him. He's terrified of fire, but that's relatable.

When Azula begins her coup, she locks up Lee separately from Katara. She also sends gaurds to arrest Iroh and Lu Ten. Azula wants to know what's going on, so she sticks Lu Ten and "Lee" in a cell together to observe their interactions.

"Lee" has no idea who Lu Ten is, but that doesn't matter for very long. Lee is terrified of fire. He's terrified of burns. His terror has only just begun.

Lu Ten can't do too much physical damage before Azula steps in and decides to sperate them. There's not much to learn from watching Zuko be senselessly tortured. Still, he's a blubbering mess when Azula decides to try the same strategy but with Iroh.

Iroh has been looking for Zuko since he vanished, but his relief at having found him is outweighed by his horror at the state of him. Worst of all, Zuko doesn't know who Iroh is, or even who he, himself, is. Zuko backs himself into a corner as far from Iroh as possible.

"Zuko-"

"I'm not Zuko! Please! I don't know who Zuko is! I'm Lee. Go burn him, not me! Please, please, just leave me alone. I'm Lee. I'm Lee."

Iroh assumes the fresh burns are from Azula, but... there are old ones too. "How long have you been Azula's captive?" She must have been in Ba Sing Se longer than Iroh thought.

"Who's Azula?"

"She's the princess, the one who locked you up. Zuko, she's your sister. You must try to remember her. You must remember who you are."

The GAang does rescue Lee, eventually. They rescue Iroh, too. Iroh begs them to help his nephew, but they've tried. Zuko doesn't WANT to remember who he is.

Even as he helps them fight the Fire Nation, he refuses to accept that he is a prince of that same nation. He assures everyone they've mixed him up with someone else. Lee is Lee. He's not Zuko. How could he be?

Zuko is weak and pathetic. Zuko is untrustworthy and treacherous. He's vile and evil. He's disgusting and unlovable. Lee isn't any of those things. How could he be Zuko?

General Iroh, what's wrong? I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just stating facts that everyone knows. Do you need a healer? Why are you crying?