#sorry aang zutara supremacy

[magicwithineleteo]

zutara and aang in minecraft

[ok-boomerang]

if those two don't kill each other, Sokka might lend a hand

a zutara drabble

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO MY DEAREST @hneyteacup. I wrote a birthday drabble inspired by one of your faves, SPUFFY. I however have never seen Buffy and in fact I just found out the fate of Spuffy approximately 30 seconds ago lol, BUT STILL, this drabble is inspired by them, for you 💕 HBD!!!! ILY!

--

The others might buy Zuko’s little transformation, but not Katara.

She knows exactly how sympathetic he can make his sorry life seem, all in the pursuit of Fire Nation supremacy.

So that’s why she’s been interrogating Zuko in his room for the past 15 minutes. She’s made him promise he won’t fire bend at her, and she did not feel a tinge of regret when he frowned and said he would never, sounding almost hurt.

Even so, Katara stands at the ready in front of him, hands sheathed in water just in case Zuko decides to break her rule.

“So you’re telling me you saw the soldiers that were following us back in Fire Fountain City. And yet you can’t describe them?” she asks, voice dripping with disdain.

Zuko groans and rolls his eyes, almost as if this was nothing more than an annoying hassle for him rather than the serious interrogation it was. He waits a beat, staring angrily at the floor, before he lifts his head to meet her eyes.

“Well, they were human,” he says, voice annoyingly sweet. “Two legs. Two arms.”

Katara scowls.

“They were wearing helmets,” Zuko says in exasperation. “Am I supposed to be able to recognize soldiers by the way they walk?”

“Maybe!”

At this point, Sokka enters with a steaming cup of tea. He takes one look between the two—the scowl on the prince’s face and the murderous intent on Katara’s, and mutters, “Not sure you know what you’re doing, sis.”

At this, Katara transfers her glare to her brother, though he only rolls his eyes too.

Katara huffs and takes the tea that Sokka brought, silently dismissing him. Sokka sends what seems to be an apologetic look (traitor!) to Zuko before wordlessly exiting.

“It’s about time,” says Zuko when Katara hands him the mug of tea. “Hope he got it warm enough, since you’re forbidding me from bending.”

Katara ignores him. “How did you even get here?” she snaps, hoping that asking this question for the umpteenth time will expose how he’d been following them for weeks (which was likely!) or how he’d kidnapped some of their friends to get their location (even more likely!).

“I told you; I stole a war balloon and followed you from Caldera.” He takes a sip of his tea and sighs. “I’m done. Let me talk to Aang.”

“Not yet! I’m not done!”

Zuko purses his lips but doesn’t argue any longer.

“How did you break into the North Pole?” Katara finally asks.

Really? Zuko’s expression seems to ask.

For some reason, he smirks at her. “Hmm, I’m not sure.”

“Tell me.”

“I’m trying to remember,” he says, putting down his tea to make a show of tapping his chin. “It was very traumatic.”

“How long are you going to pull this crap?”

“How long are you going to keep me prisoner in my own room?”

Katara sniffs. “I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me something worthwhile.” Until he proves to her that allowing him to stay here will have some sort of benefit.

“Fine,” Zuko says, lying back and stretching out on his bed. One arm holds his head up as he watches Katara over his nose. “We can stay here all day and all night, with you—what did you call it?—interrogating me.” He smirks again, the crooked expression on his face downright infuriating.

Katara abruptly changes tactics, crossing her arms and stepping toward him, the water falling from her hands in large splashes that she ignores. “You know what, I don’t think you want me to leave you alone,” she says slowly, her lip curling in satisfaction. “I’m the only one who will talk to you, anyway.”

Zuko’s smirk falls, and Katara feels a little flame of triumph in her chest roar to life.

“Right, I don’t want you to leave me alone,” he parrots, the bite back in his voice. “I definitely want to be constantly reminded how much you hate me.”

Katara does not feel another twinge of regret. She does not push anything away.

Instead, she falls to her knees with a mocking gasp.

“Does his highness require better accommodations?” she says, her voice warbling. “Better amenities?”

“Katara—” Zuko says, unamused.

“An innocent victim to burn, perhaps?”

“Katara, please—” Zuko says, voice more serious. But she keeps going.

“Do you require a maiden before you cooperate?” she taunts, crawling toward him and exposing her neck. “What about me? Will I do?”

At this point, Zuko is exhaling smoke, but he’s not bending. She wonders how far she can goad him. She crawls closer until she’s at the edge of his bed and mockingly reaching toward him.

“Please, your highness, what must we do to please you?!” she all but shrieks, vaguely feeling like she would make a great actress as Zuko slowly shakes his head, as if to say What did I do to deserve this?

Well, she can think of a lot of things!

Just when she thinks of naming all those things to Zuko, she suddenly hears the swish of a cloak behind her and the sound of wood hitting the ground. Her and Zuko both turn toward the noise, to see Aang, a confused smile on his face, his ears a little pink, and his glider in his hand.

“Um—Katara—I think I’ll talk to Zuko now,” says Aang slowly, eying her strangely. She’s about to ask what’s up with him before she realizes her arms are sprawled beseechingly toward Zuko, her body half on his bed and half on the ground.

“Right, yes!” she says, getting up daintily and wiping her tunic with her hands as if what she’d been doing was perfectly normal. “I’ll just be—”

Inexplicably, she looks back to Zuko, who is also watching her, bemused.

“Bye!” she squeaks to the room with a hurried wave.

She’s talking to Aang, of course. Not Zuko.

Definitely not Zuko.

[idontreadheartbeats]

Day 7: Rec List Saturday

AMVs:

“Faded” by gracieon.

I just love the giffed cuts above, and the song + dialogue clips give me so many feels.

“Sorry” by Fandom.com

I’ve been listening to this one a lot while writing my longfic Lightning Sun. The song by Halsey dives into the psychology of someone who fundamentally believes they don’t deserve love and/or doesn’t understand or believe how other people could love them. I think with all her abandonment issues, Katara would probably vibe with this.

“Easier” by TeamHodgins

Another one for the longfic feels. At the beginning of Lightning Sun, Zuko is in prolonged recovery from Azula’s strike, thus the lyrics, “I’m stuck, I’m stuck, I’m stuck here in my skin.”

The story is told mostly through the pov of Katara, who’s on a journey of self-discovery to understand her own issues with abandonment and what they mean for her feelings towards Zuko; hence, “Tell me it gets easier, tell me it gets easier, tell me it gets easier, that I’ll figure it out.”

“I’d let you win” by quinn darley

Pretty self-explanatory for Zuko. “I’d let you in. I’d let you win my heart again.”

“killing me to love you” by exhalence

Not listening to it much recently. Real longfic vibes, especially with these lyrics:

I want to keep faith, but you're making it harder (but it’s killing me to love you)

I’m reaching out now, but you’re pulling me under (but it’s killing me to love you)

I give you my heart just to watch you waste it (but it’s killing me to love you)

And I can’t let go when you still need saving (but it’s killing me to love you)

In case you couldn’t tell, Lightning Sun is gonna be a slow-burn angst fic with a bittersweet ending. Sorry not sorry 😬👀

“you’re my home” by [17’s] kelly

Like previous entry, not listening to it as much recently but still lovely ❤️

“into you” by mavensinclair

Recent discovery. Makes me soft 🥺

Fanfics:

Before moving onto the fic recs, I just wanna make a quick note about my preferences. Most of the following will be rated M or above. I’ve been an honest-to-God adult for a few years now, so I like fics that deal with more mature themes and adult problems.

I’m also a slut for angst. You will find very little fluff ahead (though some of these have their moments). Proceed accordingly. And not to be a hipster about Zutara fic, but there are definitely some out there that don’t get enough love, namely my top three (listed in order).

What makes a fic really stand out for me? It’s pretty simple actually. It has to be something that’s a little different, a little off-the-wall, with vivid worldbuilding. But MOST importantly, it has to make me deeply feel something. If a scene sticks in my head even months afterwards due to a combination of vivid sensory detail and visceral emotional reactions, that fic will be on this list.

Two Worlds Collide by mangx3

My co-captain @antarcticasx​ and I welcome you aboard the TWC Supremacy. Fear not; though the voyage may at first prove daunting and ill-fated, rest assured that you’re in for an emotionally satisfying journey that promises to rip your heart out in all the best ways.

No, but seriously, this fic is so much better than it has any right to be. I will admit, the frame structure of the tale is not to my taste, and some plot points in the first act may seem contrived. But my god, do you go on a journey with this fic. Bc it was written over the course of four years, you actually get to witness mangx3 improve as a writer. By the end, the storytelling is 💋👌🏻 And if that’s not enough for you, at one point, Zuko refers to Katara—in her absence, mind—as both “my heart” and “my life.” I just... I die 💀

Each Other by jennibare

Aang is dead + the aftermath fic. The story is well balanced between both Zutara and the steambabies.

Love Thy Enemy by RedNovember

Kind of a soulmate au. Worldbuilding is top-notch. And the climax in the third act? My god, the imagery, the emotion, just... 😭

Rumour Has It by @fictionissocialinquiry

BluePaint bible. Constantly torn between wanting to read more Blue Spirit/Painted Lady fic and knowing that none will ever compare. (I say this as someone with a BluePaint outline in the works.) This is also like my go-to re-read, though I usually stop around chapter 73 bc of that scene *fans self* and also I can’t put myself through the partial heartbreak of the ending again. Waiting to start the sequel once it’s complete.

Strength by tini243

Fair warning: this fic is incomplete and abandoned. HOWEVER, it follows the story through most of the second act, so I still left feeling satisfied. It’s a soulmate au that ends with casually married Zutara revealing their relationship to the gaang, and there’s just something so delicious about that drama.

Hopeless by @zutaradreams

The structure of this story is so unique in the way it’s sandwiched between a prologue and epilogue told from a side character pov. Plus, it’s told out of order which makes it fun to put the pieces together. Zutara build a life in Ba Sing Se when all hell breaks loose. Also, steambaby! Another go-to re-read.

Gods & Monsters by wannabewonderbender (wannabend)

If you want BAMF Katara, this is the BAMF Katara fic. Ending is a little abrupt, but I enjoyed it all the same.

The Things We Hide by Lykegenia

The worldbuilding in this au is amazing. More BAMF Katara. And no spoilers, but the ending is exactly what I would want for Ursa.

The Fifth Column by chromeknickers

Be warned: this one is dark, with incredibly dubious consent. The final showdown kinda drags on a bit, but the worldbuilding is great. Ending sets up a sequel that’s never been started, so if that bothers you, probably avoid.

WIPs:

Our Desires series by @laadychat

With each update, Sab never fails to make me feel like I’mma spontaneously combustionbend. Absolutely adore ❤️

Smoke & Mirrors by @nellasera

Blutara that leads to capture!fic trope; or, everything I’m a slut for. Dying for the next update 😭😭😭

Those Who Do Not Learn... Are Doomed to Repeat by @homeagainrose

Time-travel established relationship/married Zutara in teenage bodies. Honestly, what more could you possibly want? Also dying for update.

[jyndor]

the tied to a tree scene was funny for me because that's where I realized "OH. I bet people ship them. EW." and I still see that scene as not even remotely friendly, much less romantic, but I just love the GROWTH! zuko needs the redemption arc before he can be with katara. and then I ship them.

a million percent correct take, let me hyper fixate on this shit lol.

so I started watching in book 2, so I was already aware of a bit of the Growth that had taken place when I saw that scene, but it was still... not a shippy moment for me, you know? I mean bdsm isn’t my thing but that scene is not comparable to bdsm which I believe requires consent and communication, none of which is what we see in that scene, and also blegh they’re children LMAO like they’re kids. I feel gross just making that point. but I think that scene is where a lot of the grosser zutara fic comes from, and it just... warms my little queer heart to not see that shit anymore. like I’m sure it is still being written, but people do learn and unlearn, and that is evident in the most popular fanfic sub genres right now not being slave fic or captivity fic (eurghhhh).

people can and should criticize that shit. I am not the kind of person who is cool with uncritically engaging with media, I can’t do it. and that shouldn’t shock any of my followers lmao. but also, that isn’t the whole of zutara; in fact it’s barely a part of it at this point. and it should only be a part of their personal history insofar as he did that to her and then he learned to be better lmao. just like anything he did to aang or sokka or toph, or anyone!

anon, you’re right. part of the reason I love zutara is because of the GROWTH! you’re a million percent correct, zero percent wrong. because zuko works to earn katara’s forgiveness since he recognizes that while he was not directly responsible for the trauma of losing her mother at a young age to the cruelty of the fire lord (a trauma he shares, albeit differently) he IS directly responsible for betraying her trust in the catacombs of change and empathy. he knows that. and I don’t think him being frustrating that she won’t forgive him means that he feels entitled to her forgiveness, he just wants their relationship to be better. like who among us burst from the womb being emotionally mature? not I.

katara is not just willing to forgive people who have both benefited from and also been marginalized by fire nation imperialism - she is pretty quick to do so. like, this might be an effect of white americans writing an indigenous girl’s story in the first place, but she is able to take an intersectional view on oppression - that once it becomes clear that zuko is a victim to fire nation imperialism, perhaps even moreso than he is a benefactor of it, she is like not just willing to forgive him, but actively BONDS with him, despite of their antagonistic history.

katara is not mad at him in book 3 because of how he behaved prior to the crystal catacombs, or because he is fire nation. if she was, she wouldn’t have gone all painted lady for a town of people who have KIND OF benefited from what their government did to her people. the townspeople of jang hui are a pretty decent representation of like, poor people in west virginia for instance. not to say they aren’t capable of horrific racism, but if they have benefited from american empire it is... not very much. they are victims of industry and capitalism, and oh boy I have gone on a tangent LMAO let me get back to the point.

zuko hurt katara PERSONALLY. he betrayed her trust which was fully given because of their shared trauma at the hands of the fire nation. katara wanted zuko to be better than he had been because she could tell that he wanted to be better. but he wasn’t ready - he still wanted his father’s acceptance more than anything. and sometimes people aren’t ready to change, and what zuko and katara teach us that it’s not the onus of forgiveness is not on the wronged party, that “I’m sorry” isn’t always enough. and that when we hurt people, we need to actually do the work to be better, and if we do that, the person whose forgiveness we want might actually see reason to forgive.

and zuko recognizes this by the time he joins up with the gaang - he is finally ready to be better, not just because he knows that fire nation supremacy is bullshit, but because he recognizes that what his father can give him is not worth losing who he truly is.

and we know that when he tells ozai to eat shit, he’s finally ready, which is why that moment is SO GOOD. but the gaang doesn’t know that, and none of them is as emotionally invested in zuko as katara is. I imagine that she feels immense guilt about nearly “wasting” the spirit oasis water on his scar right before she needed to use it to save aang because of zuko’s betrayal of her (and iroh but). part of her anger at zuko imo is anger at herself for trusting him so quickly, without him earning her trust. she was the first to trust him, so she had to be the last to forgive him.

I think that applies whether you ship zutara or you think she takes the place of azula as his sister. none of what I just said is inherently shippy. to me the best zutara fic is about what happens AFTER the show, who they can be to each other when they are adults, who have learned more about what they want in life. especially katara. but the backbone of zutara to me is not the dark or sexy whatever fuckin bullshit bryke thinks it is, but the forgiveness and redemption and personal growth that they both experience with each other.

zuko is a highly empathetic person who cares about what she thinks and listens to her. and I get that aang is also highly empathetic. and I don’t want to go down the anti-kataang road because I’ve said what I think about kataang, and I don’t think zutara has to be to the exclusion of kataang existing at some point. this goes for maiko as well, although lol mai is a lesbian mailee forever ANYWAY

when I was sixteen and furious at the ending of atla, I didn’t feel that way. now that I am nearing thirty, it is hilarious to think that people don’t love multiple people during their journeys. that is also GROWTH. finding out what you want from partners. it’s natural for someone to love a partner and then fall out of love, or demand something else that their partner can’t give. or doesn’t want.

it’s the growth that does it for me. and I think people who don’t know zutara fandom might not get that because they don’t read our fic, they don’t see our discourse, and they’re allowed to feel that way, they are allowed to not interact with our shit. idk I’m proud of the zutara fandom for its growth tbh. no fandom is free of racism (fandoms are people) but we have done better, and it shows. we try not to get into it with kataang shippers now, which is a lot better than what it used to be. like I don’t see the ship wars anymore, I know they are raging but I’m beyond that shit.

growth!

[horsegirldischarge]

yo at least one of my followers is gonna get my ass for this and i’m sorry, but with all of the avatar stuff happening right now,,,, i think it’s time to stir up some discourse

... can u BeeLeeve that zutara was RIGHT THERE and they made kataang canon

kataang isn’t Bad but like it’s a total notp for me??? i’ve always imagined them as having a sibling-like relationship where aang has a small crush for a while, katara reciprocates for a while, and they soon realise that they’re just Not Good Together...

zuko and katara’s voice actors wanted zutara to be canon and i think about it every day of my LIFE. they’re both so much more mature and their character and dynamics together are GREAT??? it literally sends me it blows my mind they had so much potential to be a good relationship and i’m 95% sure that the people working on avatar at least CONSIDERED it at one point

the show is all about balance and like.... they were Balanced??? fire and water, red and blue, headstrong and sensible, but both mature... they shared trauma that people like aang and mai could never understand?? could never truly help them through in order to better themselves???? like i just... the potential zutara had it absolutely blows my mind bro my shit is rocked

like i’m not finna bully kataang shippers because that’s just NASTY and nobody should do that unless a ship is just straight up unhealthy,,, but damn bro..... zutara makes so much more sense and works so much better with their characters and histories and the show’s themes..... i just

ok sorry for my rant goodnight

edit years later: it has come to my attention katara is 14 and zuko 16. i don't know why i never knew this but i know now. please disregard everything i've said about zutara ever except for disliking kataang. anyway zukko supremacy

[zutara]

Just a question: we've seen you answer how the Zutara relationship would've worked for both Zuko and Katara. So how, in your opinion, would that relationship have affected the world? Since Katara would've married Zuko at some point, she would've become wife of the Fire Lord, as well as the first member of Fire Nation royalty to be of another nationality, let alone a different bender. I've never seen ANYTHING relating this aspect of their relationship, so I was curious what you thought.

Hello my dearest anon! Disquieted here! 

Thank you SO much for this question; it’s one of the very best we’ve gotten! I’ll try my best to do it justice. Be warned though, I’ve written something similar to an essay as reply, so read ahead at your own peril! 🙈 Dalz will be answering your ask separately lateron as well giving you her own pov on the matter. 

Also, please keep in mind that I always pretend LoK never happened, that these are merely personal ramblings and should not be taken to heart, and that there are some things wemust discuss before getting to the center of your question. So, without further ado….! 

Part I: War is war.

I’ve never doubted that the reconstruction of anation, (let alone the entire world!), wouldn’t come with opposition and variousdifficulties for all parties involved.

The main ones, concentrating on the post-war / Zuko’scoronation setting, would probably be, one: opposition by extremist still loyalto Osai and the fire supremacy ideals. Two: those who’d try to take advantageof the chaos and try to seize power for themselves. And three: tradition, whichis a huge influence in the ATLA world regardless of the nation in question.

And yet…we have to remembertwo very important things; the people backing Zuko’s claim to the throne and mostimportantly, what this war meant for everyone regardless of nationality.

We see very early on in the show the great toll thewar has taken on all nations. War is ugly, war is cruel, and war isunforgiving. It multiplies fear, violence and pain regardless of what sideyou’re standing on. War is war. So much that we even see some cases where thoseon the ‘same side’ take advantage of their fellow countrymen and the manycircumstances war has put them through like we see, for example, the earthkingdom guards do with the villagers in ZukoAlone. The show is full of other countless examples (umm Jet, anyone?) ofthe many effects war has on people.

It’s made clear from the start of the show the FireNation is the enemy and the soulless monsters destroying everything andeveryone in their path to world domination. I know that assumption is understandablebecause for the most part, the representation of the Fire Nation people we are givenis exactly like that, but you have to remember something; we are usually onlyshown the point of view of the royal family, their associates and militaryhigher ups/soldiers.  Please keep thispoint in mind before you come after me with pitchforks and torches over what I‘mabout to say because I’d like to remind everyone of an unpopular opinion: FireNation citizens suffered because of the war too. Perhaps never anywhere asbadly as the rest of the nations, but in some way or another I can guarantee theysuffered too.

I’m talking about the average everyday women and menhere.

Please remember the reason Zuko was punished andscarred by his father to begin with. He was defending his people, refusing the mindless slaughter of soldiers sent to thefront lines as meaningless sacrifices. Although I have no point of referencewe’re also talking about a hundred year war. Imagine how many soldiers you needevery year to keep your reign of terror going and what waging war implies for acountry. Maybe there was a mandatory military draft calling all males 14 andolder to arms; maybe the lowest income citizens had no choice but to work onfactories that paid them dirt wages to meet the demand for powder, coal, ships,and whatever else needed to finance the war. I’d imagine Osai wasn’t veryforgiving to those who tried opposing him in any way, shape or form either, sosocial injustice and lack of freedom of speech is something I see happening ona daily basis in the Fire Nation. The riches coming from the sacking of citiesprobably never made it past the Fire Lord and his higher-ups. It’s the oldeststory in the book; the rich get richer and the poor get worst. What’s more, theloss of life is still grieved by families no matter the flag.

And if you still don’t believe me allow me to remindyou of one of the very foundations of our ship; the fact that these beautifulkids suffered the same loss regardless of who they were.

Katara: You’re a terrible person, you know that? Always following us,hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world’s last hope for peace. But whatdo you care? You’re the Fire Lord’s son. Spreading war and violence and hatredis in your blood.

Prince Zuko: You don’t know what you’re talking about.

Katara: I don’t? How dare you. You have no idea what this war has putme through. Me personally. The Fire Nation took my mother away from me.

Prince Zuko: I’m sorry. That’ssomething we have in common.

THAT’S SOMETHING WE HAVE IN COMMON!!!! (x)  THE WATER TRIBE“PEASANT” GIRL AND THE CROWN PRINCE OF THE FIRE NATION WERE BOTH PUT THROUGHHELL AND BACK BECAUSE OF THE SAME DAMN WAR, SUFFERING GREATLY DIRECTLY ANDINDIRECTLY AT THE HANDS OF THE VERY SAME PSYCHOPATH. Never forget that.

With all of that said, now think: the war is finallyover and people who have been oppressed for GENERATIONS are finally free. Soldierson both sides can finally go home to their families and start their lives anew.Cities can start rebuilding, trade can be reestablished. The dead can properlybe mourned; many will feel as if they’re breathing for the first time in theirentire lifetime because imagine what is like living in fear every single day ofyour life. But now it’s all over and it’s all thanks to the Avatar and hisfriends, one of which includes the very son of Osai; the banished Fire Prince who fought against his own family toreestablish peace and balance to the world. Zuko’s actions spoke louder than words ever could.  And the world had no choice but to listen.

Part II: The best leaders lead their people through example. 

And that is exactlywhat Zuko did even before becoming Fire Lord.

● Because Zuko became the embodiment of sacrifice andredemption; because he became a living example that people can change despitewhat they’ve been taught to believe their entire lives.

●Because Zuko was brave. Because Zuko has always been brave, even when he thought hewasn’t.  

●Because Zuko became a living example that one mustalways choose to do what is right, even if it means going against your very ownfamily.  

●And because Zuko became a shining beacon of hope and a chance for a newbeginnings (and perhaps even redemption too?) for many people, and I thinkthat’s beautiful. I think Zuko is beautiful. 

++Skip if you want…((Note:The Gaang itself sends a powerful message of unity just by existing; ‘The warheroes of the century and the Avatar’s most trustee companions are composed ofa high born blind girl who just happens to be the world’s greatest earth bender,Earth Rumble consecutive champion, and the only metal bender in the world; akickass Kyoshi warrior commander girl from Kyoshi island; a Southern WaterTribe warrior and master strategist; the first female water bender master and thegreatest healer the world has ever seen; and of course, the Fire Nation prince;Fire bender master, warrior, dual sword specialist, and the bravest men in theworld. Because it takes courage to face yourself and your demons, it takescourage to forgive yourself and ask for forgiveness of those you wronged. Zukois precious and I will defend him until my dying day.))…end++

I think for the most part, people would respect andadmire Zuko on principle just for doing what he did.  I’d like to believe his people accepted him astheir new Fire Lord without much resistance, knowing very well that his reignushered in a new era altogether.  

A new era of peace, balance, and harmony between thenations; and that is exactly what awedding between Katara and Zuko would symbolize. (X)

“Never askyour people to do something you do not have the courage, or the determination,to do. If you want peace, start between the two of you (….) You two are their leaders and if you canset an example and show them how much you are willing to give for this peace,they will follow. The question then is how much are you willing to give?” –Hawksong, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

If leaders set an example, the people will follow;and Zuko and Katara were willing to give up everything for peace. Moreimportantly, they became a clear example of what life could be again betweenthe nations if everyone gave each other a second chance. Their union wouldreaffirm the belief that peace, respect, friendship and even love could stillbe possible between once warring peoples. That despite the past the future wasbright, and that acceptance was the only way forward.  

I’ve always imagined Aang would tell people storiesof how the world used to be before the Great War, but that Katara and Zuko wouldshow them every day through their union how the world could be once again.

Diplomatically speaking a foreign union throughmarriage would actually be very beneficial for the Fire Nation since wearinessof their motives would remain for quite some time after the war. So marriagebetween the Fire Nation and the Southern Water Tribe would be a great way tostart closing that rift of mistrust and to reassure people of the changestaking place from root to stem.

As to what it would mean for the Fire Nation RoyalHouse…I’m sure to some it’d be scandalous at first. Some would even deem themarriage unpatriotic. But what I think would cause the biggest uproar in theFire Nation would be the possibility of having a potential water bender as anheir. The nation would’ve never accepted someone with another element as ruler,so my guess is that Zuko and Katara had to compromise certain things to havetheir marriage accepted. Most likely they had to agree to some sort of skewedlaw assuring that regardless of birth order or gender, the crown would go tothe first fire bender of their children, and that in case that didn’t happen,Zuko’d have to leave a different successor in place unless Iroh took charge orhad any further family of his own.  I’msure every fiber in Katara’s and Zuko’s being raged against such a notion, butsometimes in order to lead you have to accept some unfair bullshit to keep the peace.I’d like to believe things changed with the years, but you can’t uproot a wholecountry off their identity overnight either. 

Apart from that the marriage would’ve made sense fora few reasons. Now, you can call me delusional and a hopeless optimist all youwant, but I think the marriage between our loves would’ve worked out splendidlybecause:

1-In the greater scheme of things this union representedsomething far more meaningful than a simple unconventional marriage. Itrepresented the start of a new era, the first period of peace in a thousandyears.

Zuko’s reign represented progress, change, evolutionand a brand new slate for the fire nation. I feel tradition would’ve beenhonored as long as it didn’t indulged toxic tendencies that could have themfall back into old destructive habits.

The brave new world they were building alongside theAvatar required for a serious re-evaluation of old patterns. I’m sure many “traditions,”for lack of a better word, had to be eradicated altogether. The great thing is wehad seen this mindset already taking place during the show way before the startof the last battle. People were always aware a radical change was needed, sowhat if part of that drastic change involves a royal wedding between twobenders of different elements!?!?

Especially when the future Fire Lady in question hadalready so beautifully defied and single handedly pulverized every singlemisogynistic belief the North Pole ever had in a single morning? (X) Because let usbe honest now, if Katara hadn’t taken a stand and fought tooth and nail for herrights from the very beginning she wouldn’t have been able to save Aang’s andZuko’s lives respectively later on. Nor would she have fought in the finalbattle or taken such a lead role in helping so many people dare to stand up forthemselves. Like, DO YOU GUYS EVER STOP TO THINK ABOUT EXACTLY HOW CRUCIALKATARA’S ROLE WAS IN THIS WHOLE ORDEAL?! IF KATARA HADN’T FROM THE VERYBEGINNING DARED TO GO AGAINST PROTOCOL AND THE TRADITIONS IMPOSED ON HER PERSON,AANG WOULDN’T EVEN HAVE MADE IT OUT OF THAT ICEBERG!!!!!! 

Imagine having such a woman as your ruler and rolemodel. Representation is SO important guys; I cannot stress this point enough.Anyone with half a brain cell could’ve seen how influential Master Katara would’vebecome the world over.

So tell me, who else better than Katara to help theyoung Fire Lord rid the royal household of harmful “traditions”? Who else betterequipped to deal with the nonsensical old pricks insisting on the good old toxicways, but Katara? No matter the question, the answer will always be Katara.

Actually, I don’t think we talkabout this enough, but Zuko choosing Katara as his final battle companion tofight one of the most significant people in his life meant absolutely everything. He chose her not onlybecause of their oh-so-delicious combat compatibility, but because hetrusted her explicitly above all else; because she understood.

Hechose her because she forgave him; and because he was willing to do anythingand everything to earn every bit of that forgiveness.

Hechose her because he saw Katara for who she truly was; the light, the dark andall the other colors in-between.  Becausehe saw her stripped of all control and pretense; saw her raw and bleeding and hurtand angry and all he could do wasaccept her without a moment’s hesitation.

Hechose her because she saw him just as clearly as he saw her.

Hechose her because he loved her. And because part of him knew he always would.

Because when Zuko choseKatara, he was choosing her as his partner for life.

And no one else would do, only Katara. (X)

2-Because I think the love and respect sharedbetween the couple would be so obvious, so contagious, and so new to the palaceit’d actually inspire people.

I genuinelythink it’s been centuries since the royal Fire Nation palace witnessed a truelove match between royals. And the public does love a good fairy-tale like lovestory. Say what you may, but we all want one.  (X)

And 3- Because both Fire Lord and Fire Lady areperfect equal counterparts of each other in every single level possible (X). One could even argue that Katara isoverqualified for the job, and I mean that as a compliment to Katara’sabilities and not as an insult to the position.

Katara at this point is not only a war hero, but amaster water bender, a talented healer, probably the only blood bender alive,and the daughter of the Southern Water Tribe making her royalty in her ownright. Not to mention a trusted friend to both the Avatar and the Fire Lord, ofwhich neither would be standing there if it hadn’t been for her.

But as youall already know, our blue-eyed water bender is so much more than that. Katarais compassionate beyond measure, she tries to be just to a fault, and she’dnever turn her back on those in need regardless of their nationality. She isvivacious, passionate, stubborn and willful, with an intense fire burninginside of her any fire bender would envy. From a young age Katara has beenextremely resourceful and responsible, more than capable of smoothly leadingand operating any community or household. (In this case it’d be a palace but whatever,let’s not get into small technicalities).Much sooner than later I’m sure the young waterbender master would win the love and favor or all her people while helping her husband rule with fairnessand thoughtfulness.

I do have to admit I’ve always envisioned Katara asan ambassador first before marrying. I have no trouble imagining herrepresenting her water tribe and helping re-establish trade with the rest ofthe nations. Marriage wouldn’t change that, of course. If anything it’d enhanceher possibilities to expand her influence. 

I guess what I’m trying to say with all of this is that it’sdifficult for me to believe people didn’t want peace as badly as our kids did,and that the change in power didn’t receive more support than opposition. Ijust can’t fathom a marriage which would unite two once warring nations and helplead the world in a brand new positive direction would be looked down as adisgrace.

I’m not naïve I know some people inevitably would. Change takessome getting used to and our kids would have to work hard to keep the peace everysingle day for some time……but if there is peace and hope and safety then peoplecan begin to thrive once again. If people thrive it’ll create more commerce, spikesin population and thus, demand. It’s like the domino effect; one set of events setsoff a chain reaction of similar events. 

In no way am I saying there wouldn’t be problems or mistakesmade.

All I’m saying is that I have faith in the abilities of the newleaders taking the reins of power, and the example they’d hence put forth wouldbe a force of nature to behold. And perhaps that for now is enough to start a changeand a new future build on peace.  

To finally finish, Zutara happening would symbolize the verysame things their world needed to restore balance and peace among the nations: mutualrespect, understanding, selflessness, love, tolerance,harmony and the blatant honesty to openly talk about all the damage done inorder to move on. To help each other up and continue to push each other everyday to evolve and become better than they were before. As the love between ourbeautiful kids do.

Thank you for your time during this 8 page Word essay. May you beblessed forever. (✿◠‿◠)