#that is how kiyi could be made

[mfelewzi]

A fancomic drawed by Booter-Freak.

Do you know, the funny thing about this short story is its possibility in the past, before Di Martino invented Ikea/sorryIkem (I have to thank @phoenix-king-ozai for this joke)!

Well, what can I say? This was the day when they made Kiyi, folk! No, It isn't true, but Good God Father, Son and Holy Spirit, It could be funny! And tragic. But please, continue to thinking about the funny things! Ehi @stardust948 , some ideas for the future, if You're interested, cause I love many of your fictions and stories!

Ahh, sadly this canon Story is became like my beloved Jetzula: a crackship. A very interesting One, but the old lore was deleted. We can do what we want about it.

[lurking-loaf]

hi loaf! trick or treat! ive brought a feathery little friend out to visit! they accept treats and toys!! (and chin skritches ) hope you had a lovely Halloween!

Hello Kiyi! Thanks for sending Dusk over! Love their little dragonfly costume! And of course I’ll give chin skritches!

Fingers crossed this will be suitable, but here is a Moondrop themed tug-of-war rope dog toy! The two of you can get some bonding time together and Dusk gets to burn off some energy and maintain those hunter instincts! Happy Halloween and thanks for stopping by!

[sokkastyles]

Based on this post by @daily-zutara-prompts

“I just can't believe he'd do that to mom,” Katara huffed, as Zuko poured her a glass of wine. It was a vintage he'd been wanting to try, but he wasn't much of a drinker himself. He didn't like the way wine clouded his judgment and made it harder to stave off the dark thoughts that always hovered on the edges of his subconscious, threatening to drag him down into the depths. But when Katara had come asking for something strong, he'd obliged. He'd never been able to deny her anything.

Zuko poured himself a glass and sat down opposite her, holding the wine up to his nose to get a whiff of the warm Fire Nation spices mixed with the scent of fermented fruits from the isles. “Have you met her?” he asked calmly, with interest.

Katara wiped her eyes and sniffed. “Yes, once or twice,” she took a small sip of the wine, then a larger one. She cleared her throat “But, honestly, I guess I haven't been as…present in the past few weeks. You know, everything with Aang…I haven't been home enough.”

Katara swirled the wine in her glass, then took another long drink.

“It's like I've been afraid to go home.” She looked down, and Zuko could see the shame in her expression, the way she couldn't quite meet his eyes. He tried to will her to meet his gaze, wishing he could fix her sadness, wishing that she would look at him with only that joy and determination that were his favorite things about her. But she had come to him to talk, and he would do his best to listen, to be the support she clearly needed.

“No one blames you for what happened,” he said quietly but firmly, swirling his own glass and watching the dark red legs of the wine trickle down the sides.

Katara looked up, then, setting down her glass. “Oh, come on, Zuko,” she said, the fire that he remembered igniting behind her blue eyes. “The entire Earth Kingdom knows me as the Avatar's ex, the girl he left behind in pursuit of a younger, more ‘enlightened’ partner. The whole world worships the ground he walks on, just like she does. I'm ostrich-horse dung, as far as the world is concerned.”

There was no use in pretending he hadn't heard the rumors, just as she had. He regretted that he hadn't been there for her as much as he had wanted to be, but if he were being honest with himself, it wasn't just his duties as Fire Lord or his friendship with Aang that had kept him from getting involved, then. More like, he was afraid of what he would have done, had Katara chosen to confide in him about her relationship troubles. Of what he very much should not do, of the feelings he had harbored that had only grown over the years. He thought of how often he had imagined Katara coming to him to confess her feelings, to ask him if he felt the same way…

But that hadn't happened, and that wasn't what Katara needed now.

Zuko took another sip of spiced wine.

“I know you're right,” Katara said, her eyes still a bit misty. “And of course I want him to be happy, and of course I know he's been lonely, he's had to be. It's just…weird.”

“No one blames you,” he said again, even though what he really wanted to say was I don't blame you, and what he really meant was I love you. “Talk to your dad. If she makes him happy, then that's a good thing, right? I know it's hard, but it doesn't mean he's replacing your mom.”

“I know,” he said, his hand reaching out and stopping just short of touching hers.

Katara rubbed her forefinger along the rim of her glass. “How'd you deal with it?”

“Well,” Zuko said, “It's not the same, obviously. I don't care if my mom wants to forget about my dad. She'd be better off. Was better off.” Zuko took another long drink. “But I'd be lying if I said I never felt…resentful, when I found out that she had a new family and everything. A whole new life.”

Katara listened in fascination. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Zuko cradled his glass of wine.

“But you and Kiyi get along so well!”

“Yeah,” Zuko said, smiling at the thought of his half-sister. “That's what helped me a lot, at the beginning, knowing that I had this sister I didn't even know about who wouldn't have existed if mom hadn't remarried.”

“And now?”

“Now, I just…” Zuko thought for a minute. The dark shadows were clawing at the edges. Too much wine. But if he was going to drink, it would be with Katara, who he trusted more with himself than he trusted himself. “I think about how different things were back then. And I know they're never going to be the same, even the good parts.” Katara was watching him, taking in his every word. “And I think about how sad my mom was, even when things were good. I didn't know it back then, of course, because I was just a kid. But I'm not a kid anymore. And I'm happy for her happiness, you know?”

He smiled in a way that he hoped was reassuring, although he was a bit stupid from the wine. He didn't know if any of what he was saying made sense, although it did in his head when he had thought of saying it.

“Happy for her happiness,” Katara repeated, thoughtfully. “Yeah. Thanks, Zuko.”

She reached out, then, placing her warm hand over his, and her smile was warm and lovely, and he thought he could be happy for her, too. All he wanted was her happiness. That was all he had ever wanted, even if it was never going to be with him.

[discordiansamba]

his head feels groggy when he wakes up.

he groans, pressing his right hand to his face. he felt like he'd been hit by a cabbage cart. where...?

he cracks his left eye open and immediately panics. he can't see.

he drops his hand from his face, and the world jerks into focus. he exhales, his shoulders slumping. okay, crisis averted. stumbling to his feet, he tries to get his bearings. he's... in a forest, by a pond of some kind. staggering over towards it, he peers down into the water.

-and very abruptly, his memory comes back.

oh. right. fuck. he'd made a deal with a spirit, hadn't he?

grimacing, he pinched his cheek and hissed. okay, this was real. this wasn't another one of his nightmares. he really had prince zuko's face now. it wasn't just his face either- staring at his hands, he flexed his fingers. they were pale- not quite delicate, but less rough than his own. there wasn't a single trace of the little burn scars that peppered them.

("ordinarily, my powers only affect the face," the spirit had told him, "-for you, the results may be more... extreme.")

okay. now what?

his head snaps towards the left. someone is calling his name. they must have come looking for him. he swears underneath his breath and is up a tree before he can stop himself, out of the range of master toph's earth sense. he holds his breath and waits.

they pass by without finding him.

he exhales- and then slaps his face. what did he do that for? the whole reason he'd done this was so he could actually figure out how they felt about them. why was he running away?

(he knew why.)

he glances up at the sky. it's still dark out. he sticks to the trees, making slow but steady progress. with half of his vision suddenly gone, he has no choice- but it's not like he can just walk. master toph would sense him. he's not sure how close or far away she is.

(he should be able to, some dim part of him thinks. master toph hadn't forced him to live blindfolded for two weeks to not have mastered earth sense. he'll just... worry about that later.)

he makes it back to hira'a. noren and noriko live on the outskirts of the village. their house is dark. druk is still in their backyard. he exhales, climbing out of the tree. druk lifts his head- and quietly starts to growl.

oh. right. he wouldn't be able to recognize him like this.

"druk," he keeps his voice quiet, "-it's okay. it's me."

(his voice even sounds like zuko's.)

druk narrows his eyes, but brings his face closer. he takes a big whiff of him- and then perks right up, pressing his face up against him. shun exhales and scratches his friend where he knows he likes it- right behind the horns. he motions for him to be quiet, and then creeps inside his borrowed room.

he collects his swords, and the pouch of unspent coin- because noren insisted on paying him. he's just about to leave when the door to the room opens, and kiyi steps in.

oh. fuck.

she yells thief, and proceeds to firebend at him. he ducks out of the way, scrambling back outside. he's on druk and airborne before she can stop him. unsure of where else to go, he has druk fly him back to the western air temple and collapses.

what the fuck has he done.

[atla-confessions]

On the victim blaming of Ursa debate.

If a woman is forced to have children and then raise those children she is a victim in that situation. She is a victim in the fact there is no proof she wanted to have Ozai's children.

No offense but Azula's stans consistently labeling criticism of Azula as misogynistic while having no empathy for difficulty and trauma Ursa was experiencing as a abused woman stolen from her family is frankly ridiculous. It is victim blaming when you hold a abuse victim to such a high standard of behavior. Most (if not all) of the things she did wrong would not have occurred without Ozai's abuse.

We see what kinda of parent she is without an abuser (and support instead) with Kiyi. And yes, she is (unsurprisingly) far better without Ozai.

Another issue is that a lot of her sins are extrapolations. For example, she 'viewed Azula as a monster' is not something she ever claims on screen. Azula says it. We don't see how she came to this conclusion. We only see Ursa discipline actual bad behavior. The one time we get to see where Azula is when Zuko is hanging out with Ursa is when we see her playing with Mai and Ty Lee. So bad faith: Ursa constantly favored Zuko and actively did things that made Azula think she saw her as a monster and actually did believe Azula was born a monster. Good faith: Ursa spent more time with Zuko because he didn't have friends, Ursa didn't like the same behavior Ozai cultivated and Ozai manipulated a wedge into their relationship when she responded negatively to these behaviors.

You see how the Ursa victim blaming occurs. They (anti Ursas (usually just Azula stans)) treat Azula's feeling of being unloved as only possibly the result of mistreatment from Ursa as opposed to giving any weight to the manipulative abuser. They look at the scene of Ozai saying he will abuse Zuko and it's her fault and think 'yeah, it is,' because she did something antagonistic to her abuser and he punished the child for it. This is arguably victim blaming.

This directs blame away from Ozai towards Ursa. VICTIM BLAMING! If Ozai hurts Zuko to punish Ursa. That is on Ozai. NOT URSA! Even if she did mess up. This is early on, how is she to know how bad Ozai will get?

And, criticism of Ursa isn't inherently victim blaming. She did make mistakes but so many 'ursa critical' or 'anti ursa' posts just end up victim blaming. From attacking her for things that we never have it confirmed she did to blaming her for things Ozai did. For 'failing' to protect them (like she had any power). Overall, yes. Ursa is heavily victim blamed by fandom.

(Also, I do not judge her for choosing to forget, she could not fight the fire nation, she would only suffer. It might not be the most noble decision but one selfish act (after years of trauma) doesn't make a woman worthy of so much derision.)

X

[gigigle]

I really hate how ursa is done in the comics idk

Like I'm done with the arranged marriage and her and ikem but I hate the other stuff.

1. Her and azula

I kinda wish they made her and azulas relationship more complex and nuanced instead of it being that ursa loved her all along and never favored zuko

Because I just think that's a little lazy. I feel like if ursa had favored zuko it would've made sense like if we keep the ikem part of all of it then I think it would be interesting that ursa favored zuko because he reminded her of her past and ikem. Also that with zuko she could at least pretend he wasn't ozais.

But with azula she couldn't pretend at all. And then coupled that with the fact that azula had a spark in her eyes that zuko didn't and she saw how ozai reacted to that and how he treated zuko that she would feel like she would need to protect him even more. I think it would be an interesting thing if zuko reminded her of her old life while azula reminded her of her present life.

And that would cause a rift between them. And then we would have azula acting out for her mothers attention and acting more and more similar to ozai which would just further increase the rift. Because ursa would struggle to separate her daughter from her abuser like she can with zuko. Especially since azula would also spend most of her time learning from ozai and listening to him.

Im also not saying she would a horrible mother either. Because I think even with this scenario that she is still nuanced because she got forced into a situation she would have never chosen and is just trying to get through it day by day. I think it would be that like ursa, azula was just a casualty of azulon and especially of ozai. Because had ozai not been there I think she would have been a much better mother.

Like idk I just feel like with how the comics wrote ursa and ozais relationship this would make even more sense than her being just a slightly flawed mother but she was trying her best. Idk I'm not very articulate.

2. The forgetting thing

It sucks. I hate it so much actually. It's just so bad, like I feel like the writer couldn't think of anyway to make it make sense that ursa would never go back to her kids but tbh I can think of some ways.

Like ursa is definitely terrified of ozai and he knows where she went and she would still go back to her hometown.

So maybe ozai knows this and every now and then he sends soldiers around there to just do a bit of patrol maybe even have them raid her parents house as a way of telling ursa that if she does something her parents and ikem are gonna be the price. Which I think would work.

Also I think with azula and zuko that she just kept telling herself that zuko had Iroh and that azula was ozais favorite. She probably just repeated those constantly like how zuko does with azula always lies. And soon after like a year she believed it.

Also I think she wouldn't get any information on them because ozai would make it harder and like we see in canon not that many know of or recognize azula and zuko. Like in the beach episode kids who seem to have noble parents don't even know about them so I think it would make a lot of sense that the royal family is way way way more private esp during ozais reign. Because yk ozai killed his father,stole his brothers birthright, and In ozais opinion had a failure of a first born. And maybe ursa was also too terrified of what shed find out or just to leave hir'a/her hometown.

Also part of me thinks it was lazy writing so that they wouldn't have to have ursa have difficult conversations about why she never went looking for them or just a conversation with azula because we never actually get a real ursa and azula convo.

3. Kiyi

I hate her. Like she just feels like such a a replacement and lazy writing. Like they wanted zuko to have a healthy brother sister dynamic with someone and they didn't know how,didn't think of, or just didn't want to write that with pre established characters, they decided to make a character that was everything azula wasn't and was the perfect little sister and daughter.

Like I think she could be fun but I also think she was just so that zuko could have that dynamic without having to put in the work of writing azula a semi redemption arc or smth.

But also I think maybe they could've given zuko that brother sister dynamic with katara or toph. Like we see zuko jealous of sokka and katara and maybe we get stuff we're zuko and katara will act like sibling or like the relationship he always wanted with azula but then gets reminded that he can't have that.

Also It feels like a way to also give ursa the perfect daughter but I do think rewritten she could work. I think she's a fun concept.

End

Tbh I just wanted to rant because I feel like so much was done that was just kinda boring and lazy.

[soopersara]

Home

Zutara Week 2023: Day 1

Read it on AO3 | @zutaraweek

A journey across the Earth Kingdom to find Zuko's mother comes to an end.

She can’t sleep.

It isn’t that she’s not tired. After several weeks of near-constant travel, this is the first night that they’ve had the luxury of leaving their tent packed away, the first night when she and Zuko have been able to rest without first scraping together a meal for themselves and all their friends. By all rights, they should both be exhausted, and this night of stillness and solitude should be a relief.

But she can sense Zuko lying awake beside her, staring up into the darkened rafters of the barn. Though he is quiet, though he is careful not to move too much, the tension alone is enough to keep her awake.

Her fingertips brush against his arm. “Zuko, you should try to sleep.”

He gives a start and turns to meet her eyes. “Oh! I—” There is a pause, and even in the dark, she can see him swallow. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you awake.”

Katara almost wants to laugh. His restlessness has made it difficult to sleep, that much is true. But it isn’t so much that he’s been keeping her awake as it is that the stillness feels unnatural. Ordinarily, he is a quiet sleeper, but ordinarily, lying beside him doesn’t feel like lying next to a statue. If he weren’t trying so hard to keep from disturbing her, she might have drifted off a long time ago.

She nestles in against his shoulder and loops her hand idly around his. “I would have sworn that you were more tired than me.”

His head tilts in her direction. “Why would I be?”

“Why wouldn’t you?” she counters. “Today was—a lot.”

He grunts by way of acknowledgement. “I guess.” A small sigh, and though he seems to deflate a bit, the tension doesn’t leave. “I just have a lot on my mind. Don’t worry about it. You should sleep.”

She ignores that last part. She knows Zuko well enough to realize that despite what he might say, he’s never really expected their search to succeed. That after a few weeks of chasing fruitless leads around the Earth Kingdom, he’d practically resigned himself to returning home empty-handed. That splitting off from the others to follow their last few leads was less a matter of making their search more efficient than it was an effort to draw the journey to a close before he could succumb to guilt over wasting the others’ time.

But they’ve been away from the others less than a day, and already it feels like all of that has changed. Like maybe, just maybe, they’ve found his mother purely by accident.

“Do you really think we found her?”

“I know we did.” His voice, though soft, grows more intense. “Noriko is my mother. I would know her anywhere. I just—I didn’t think that she would have a new family.”

Katara raises her head just far enough to see his jaw tightening and traces her thumb softly along his jawline. “She has a new daughter, not a new family. No one is replacing you.”

They’ve both done the calculations by now. Kiyi is nearly eight years old, and Ursa has been gone for eight and a half years. If they’re right about Noriko and she really is Zuko’s mother in disguise, then Ursa was almost certainly pregnant before she left the palace behind. If they’re right, then Kiyi is almost certainly every bit as royal as he is.

If they’re right, then Ursa has almost certainly stayed in hiding for fear of what the world might do to another little Fire Nation princess.

“Even if Kiyi is my sister, I don’t know if that means much,” he says. “Noriko didn’t remember me. How could my own mother forget if she still cared about her old family?”

Slowly, Katara rolls onto her back to stare into the rafters along with him. “What if she didn’t forget?”

“She didn’t recognize me. She would have said something if she did.”

A frown finds its way across Katara’s lips. She remembers the brief flashes of confused uncertainty on Noriko’s face when they arrived, guiding Kiyi back from where she’d gotten lost in the forest. Katara remembers the surprised delight in Kiyi’s eyes and voice when Noriko invited them to spend the night as repayment for guiding Kiyi back unharmed. And Katara remembers all the pauses after that when Noriko would watch Zuko, brows furrowed like she could almost recognize him.

It's hard to know whether Zuko missed all of those moments, or if he’s just too afraid to hope.

“I’m not so sure about that.” She clasps Zuko’s hand again and traces a thumb across his knuckles. “It’s been a long time, Zuko. Even if she remembers you, she might not know how to say it. And I’m sure you look—different now than you used to.”

“She’s never seen my scar before,” he concedes after a pause. “Maybe she doesn’t want anything to do with me because of that.”

Frowning, Katara pokes him in the ribs. “That’s not what I meant. You know that.”

“Then what did you mean?”

She takes a moment to find the proper words. “You’ve always told me that your mother did everything she could to protect you. That she took care of you when no one else would. So now—maybe she’s ashamed. She thought leaving would keep you safe, but it didn’t work out that way.”

Zuko is quiet for a while. Then, “I guess you could be right.”

“You don’t sound very sure about that.”

He sighs. “How can I be sure? I haven’t seen her in years. And since then—so much as changed.” For a few long seconds, he goes quiet again. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do if it turns out that my own mother doesn’t want me anymore.”

All Katara can really do is snuggle closer against his side. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think she’ll see how easy it is to love you just the way you are.” Her hand rests softly on his chest, just near enough to the scar at the base of his sternum to feel the ridges at its edge. “But no matter what happens, you’re not going to be alone. I’ll still be here. You’ll always have a family, I promise.”

Zuko’s chest shudders ever so slightly as he exhales, and he wraps an arm around her. Though he can’t seem to find any more words, his embrace speaks volumes all on its own.

⁂

It’s still early, just past sunrise, when the barn door creaks below them. Katara tenses, and Zuko edges toward the ladder, but before either of them can do more, a small head pokes up into the loft.

“I knew it. Mom told me not to wake you up too early, but I knew you’d already be awake.” Kiyi clambers up the last few rungs into the loft, then grins at them both. “I brought some tea.”

The pot in her hand isn’t steaming, and the cups balanced upside down on its lid are battered and chipped, but she settles in the middle of the floor, looking pleased with herself just the same.

“It might be a little old.” Kiyi bends over far enough to squint down the teapot’s spout. “But I think Mom just made it last night. That’s not so bad, right?”

Zuko cracks a smile and sits an arm’s length away from her. “I don’t think so. But I have an uncle who really likes tea, and he might try to disown me if he ever heard me say that.”

Kiyi cocks her head to the side, then thumps a cup in front of Zuko. “He sounds silly.” She thumps a second cup down next to Zuko’s and motions for Katara to sit as well. “This one is for you.”

There is something in her frankness that makes Katara smile. Though she still can’t be as certain as Zuko that Ursa and Noriko are one and the same, it’s impossible to deny the fact that Kiyi looks a great deal like Zuko. If she isn’t his little sister, then the universe has done an uncannily good job at replicating both his features and his mannerisms.

Though the tea that Kiyi pours them is cold, Zuko shows no hesitation in drinking it. Katara takes a more hesitant sip—the tea is slightly bitter, but not so much as to be especially unpleasant. Kiyi looks pleased with herself when they’ve both tasted the tea, and she settles back against a crate, happily cradling her own cup between her hands.

“Where is Noriko?” Katara asks. “If she told you not to wake us—”

“Oh, I think she’s still sleeping.” Kiyi takes a sip from her cup. “But last night, she told me a lot of stuff about good manners around guests. I think Mom thought I was going to make a lot of noise because we’ve never had guests before, but it’s not like I was going to say anything if you were still asleep.”

At that, Zuko looks a bit surprised. “You’ve never had guests before?”

“Nope. Ever since I was a baby, Mom said that our house was just for family. The garden is for friends, but it would be impolite to make people sleep in the garden.”

“I see.”

Katara feels Zuko glancing her way, and she allows her hand to brush against his. That sort of paranoia would certainly make sense coming from Ursa. Keeping both friends and strangers from the house makes perfect sense if she’s on the run from the Fire Nation. And since Zuko and Katara have been allowed to stay—albeit in the barn instead of the house—maybe Ursa really does recognize Zuko after all this time.

Kiyi leans forward conspiratorially. “Do you want to know a secret, though? Me and Mom don’t have any other family. I don’t think so anyway. When I was really little, I think she told me that I had a big brother and sister, but I never met them.” Briefly, she frowns, cocking her head to the side. “I wonder if Mom thinks you’re my brother.”

It isn’t a question, and judging by the look on Zuko’s face, he probably wouldn’t be able to answer if it were. Katara squeezes his hand, and after a few seconds’ pause, he regains his composure.

“I guess I don’t know what she thinks. It was nice of her to let us stay either way.”

If she notices his hesitance, Kiyi seems unbothered by it. So unbothered, in fact, that rather than continuing the topic, she launches into a series of cheerful stories about her life with her mother—about journeys that take the two of them on crisscrossing paths across the northern Earth Kingdom every year. About riding from town to town on a cart drawn by their ostrich horse, meeting people from far-flung places, and exploring distant mountains and forests for new plants to bring back home.

Noriko, it seems, has carved out a life for herself where travel is both normal and expected. Where her work as an herbalist and chemist takes her on regular journeys for new ingredients and seeds, for customers and colleagues. Where, if her old life ever reemerges to endanger herself and her daughter, their escape will draw no notice whatsoever.

“I thought I was really good at directions,” Kiyi says, sounding a little sheepish. “Me and Mom go lots of places together, and I’ve never been lost before. But I guess I don’t play in the woods here at home very much, otherwise I wouldn’t have got lost yesterday. I still feel kinda silly.”

Zuko shakes his head. “You don’t have to feel silly about that. Everybody gets a little lost sometimes.”

“Even if they travel a lot?”

“Even then. For a few years, I lived on a ship, and it’s still hard to find my way sometimes.” There is a steadiness to his voice, and judging by the way that Kiyi beams at him, the reassurance is welcome.

“Maybe I’ll learn how to draw maps someday,” she says. “Then I won’t get lost ever again. And maybe I can give you some of my maps too.”

Zuko seems ready to reply, but before any words make it out of his mouth, the door below them creaks again.

“Kiyi? Are you in here, sweetheart?”

“Up here, Mama!”

There is a relieved-sounding sigh, and Noriko emerges at the top of the ladder a few moments later. “I thought I told you to give our guests their privacy. Come on. We’ll go back to the house, and they can join us for breakfast when they’re ready.” She gives them both an apologetic nod, but it’s painfully obvious that Noriko is trying not to stare at Zuko.

“But they’re already awake, Mama. We’re having tea.”

Katara shoots a glance at Zuko, and as he inhales, his shoulders tense. Gently, she loops her hand through his and gives a reassuring squeeze.

Noriko climbs the last few steps into the loft. “I understand that. I’m glad you didn’t wake them, but it’s impolite to—”

After another slow breath, Zuko squeezes back and pushes carefully to his feet.

“Wait.” His voice is soft and hesitant, but Noriko freezes stone-still, eyes alight with nervous hope. “This might sound strange, but I’ve been meaning to ask you—was there ever a time when you went by the name Ursa?”

Noriko’s eyes widen, and for a moment, it looks like she might faint. But then, just as quickly, she steps forward. “It is you. Oh, my sweet boy.” Though Zuko stands a full head taller than his mother, she sweeps him up in an embrace like he’s still a little boy. “My little Zuko.”

It’s enough to make Katara’s eyes burn, and as she blinks away the prickling, Kiyi scoots sideways until their shoulders nearly brush.

“Was I right before?” Kiyi asks in a whisper after a few moments watching the reunion. “Do I have a big brother for real?”

Smiling, Katara wipes her eyes and nods. “Yes. Are you okay with that?”

For a few seconds, Kiyi frowns, apparently deep in thought. Then, “If he’s my brother, are you gonna be my sister someday?”

“I think there’s a pretty good chance of that.”

A grin breaks across Kiyi’s face. “Then this is the best day ever!”

[ministrationz]

i don't know what azula anti needs to hear this, but absolutely NO ONE who is worth listening to is seriously making the argument that azula hasn't done anything wrong, or that she's been the perfect child. what we are saying is that azula was a VICTIM of her fathers abuse and mistreatment by her mother, and that it heavily impacted her actions. yes ursa was in a bad situation, yes she was being abused by ozai, and yes she had very little personal liberties, but no matter how you spin it, that's no excuse to treat azula less favourably than zuko, nor is it an excuse to make azula feel unloved. the opinion that ursa can do no wrong and did no wrong to her children because she was abused is out of touch with the reality of what it's like to grow up in an abusive household. abuse is unfortunately a cycle and leads to EVERYONE in the household being negatively affected. this does not mean that anyone asides from the abuser is blameless for harm being done to children in the household.

azula understands that ursa was in a bad situation. she knows that her father was abusive. we see this in azula in the spirit temple. that does not, however mean that azula could not have been negatively affected by her mother's actions. azula was not born evil. she's a traumatized teenage girl with NO support system. she was left alone with her monster of a father from a young age and had to internalize all her struggles to survive. of course she can't manage relationships, and doesn't have healthy coping mechanisms. she has been groomed into being at her father's every beck and call. ursa treating azula differently from zuko and making her feel unloved from a young age, whether it was intentional or not, definitely made these issues exceptionally worse. when you have no one around you who genuinely makes you feel loved, and when the one person in your family that should have made you feel loved leaves, you're going to turn to the only source of it you can find (ozai, in this case), even if it means you act poorly or put yourself/others at risk.

ursa's parenting left azula traumatized, and i genuinely do think the reason many of you cannot understand that ursa did, in fact, make many mistakes is either because you are looking at ursa through the biased perspective we got in the show, or because you simply have not been in these circumstances in the past. abusive households are toxic to everyone. just because one parent is abusing everyone in the household, does not mean the other parent can't inflict harm, either. that doesn't make them any less of a victim, but it doesn't negate the devastating lifelong effects their behavior will have on their children.

was ursa in a good position to be a good parent? no. her situation is absolutely heartbreaking and i wish she had gotten to live an easier life. it is completely reasonable for her to struggle with parenting properly. you can't expect someone to take the best care of their children when they're in a terrible situation. does that excuse the impact she had on azula? no! not at all. while it's important to acknowledge how ursa's abuse influenced her behavior, ursa was not a good mother to azula and that is an objective fact. how do you see azula's breakdown at the end of the show, or her breakdown in The Search, or her visions in Azula in the Spirit Temple, and still think there was no issue with ursa's parenting? no child with a healthy relationship with their parents grows up with these feelings, let alone starts HALLUCINATING their parent haunting them. i won't even go into ursa forgetting her children and having kiyi because i think it's just absolutely ludicrous and completely inexcusable.

so many of the arguments against azula are textbook victim blaming. yes, azula conquering the earth kingdom and trying to kill people on behalf of her father was WRONG. no one thinks it wasn't! however, EVERYONE that should have helped azula FAILED HER. she is a product of her horrendous environment, and not acknowledging this while you grant a character like zuko, who unlike azula had people around him to support him, the benefit of the doubt when he acts out negatively for the EXACT SAME REASON without hesitation speaks for itself. no one is saying azula is a good person. no one is saying azula should not have been held responsible for her actions. what we're saying is that she is a person, not some evil caricature you can use to express whatever internalized biases you have. she has depth and should be treated as such. she is not some bogeyman you can levy your most heinous accusations towards.

on that note, please stop calling azula anything on the lines of psychotic, psychopath, sociopath, etc. you are showing how ignorant you are on mental health issues when you use these terms in this context.

[animation-cartoon-fan-writings]

A Secret Darkness

Idea by Stardust948

Part 2 Part 3

Princess Emi of the Fire Nation had always been a happy ball of sunshine. The first born child of Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara, she radiated a different type of light than the world had been seen before her birth. A happy baby, Emi began smiling and giggling at two-months-old and rarely stopped since.

For her parents, their eldest child lived up perfectly to her name, meaning “blessing”. After losing so much to the One-Hundred-Year War, both mentally and physically, Emi was the light of their whole worlds right from the moment Katara found out she was pregnant.

Zuko in particular vowed to himself the moment his daughter was born that he would protect her from all of the darkness of the world. Whether it meant spoiling her beyond belief, indulging in Emi’s every whim and dropping whatever he was doing if she as much as called for him, or instinctively picking her up and taking her away from any place or situation that could be considered even the least bit dangerous. Zuko was a protective girl dad through and through.

This protective instinct was often extended to the people Zuko was cautious of letting into his child’s life, including his own family.

Azula hadn’t been a large part of Zuko’s life following the end of the war, having been put in a psychiatric facility almost immediately following her loss during Sozin’s Comet. During the entirety of Katara’s pregnancy with Emi, the Fire Lord assumed his kids would never meet their aunt. Thankfully, his sister had recovered enough to be discharged when Katara was five-months-pregnant.

It was a long process, but Azula’s weekly therapies and regular medication really helped stabilize her mind, they eventually got to a place where Zuko was more comfortable gradually letting her back into his life. Soon enough, when Emi was three-months-old, Zuko finally introduced his new bundle of sunshine to her aunt. Since then, Azula has accepted the title of ��cool aunt” and was quite good at it. She loved her niece and prayed to Agni above that she never lost that light of innocence in her eyes.

Despite having been reunited with his own mother, finding her alive with a new husband and 10-year-old daughter, Zuko hesitated on introducing her to Emi until she was around a year old. Even so, Ursa barely had a relationship with Emi, too focused on her new life and her youngest daughter Kiyi. It was that, along with other things, that led Zuko to decide to go low contact with his mom. He refused to let his daughter go through what he did and would not trust anyone with her if they were not going to be a reliable presence.

Then, there was Ozai. Zuko had been adamant from the moment he and Katara started discussing the possibility of having children that his father would not have anything to do with his kids. This was one thing that the Fire Lady had no problem with, knowing just how evil Ozai was and would always be. So, Emi grew up for the most part believing Iroh was her paternal grandfather, calling him “Papa Iroh”.

As Emi grew older and started getting more curious about the world around her, Zuko’s protective levels started going into hyperdrive. This wasn’t helped by the fact that, since having her, he and Katara had expanded their family by two, with his wife giving birth to their second daughter Kya (named after Katara’s late mother) when Emi was two, followed by their third child and first-born son Kallik just a few years later. How was he supposed to keep his eye on a rambunctious little girl, a toddler, and a newborn while simultaneously keeping up with all his duties as Fire Lord?

Unlike the Fire Lords of the past, Zuko made it clear that he and Katara would not rely on an arsenal of nannies and servants to raise their children. This meant the royal couple did the majority of the childrearing themselves. While they did have Iroh, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee living at the palace to help on occasions where both he and Katara were super busy, it wasn’t like any of them could be at multiple places at once.

Plus, Emi was starting to get really good at sneaking away undetected for long periods of time. While she thankfully never went beyond the palace grounds, it was still a frightening experience as Zuko would be frantically searching every corner of the palace and beyond for his missing daughter, only to find her hiding in some small corner of the palace library with a smile on her face, eating a freshly-stolen box of cookies from the kitchen.

While it usually wasn’t any more than that, this habit of exploring places throughout the palace that she wasn’t allowed to be in often led to some close calls. Catching her before she got too close for comfort.

Unfortunately, on one fateful day, it happened.

Emi, now six-years-old, wanted to play with mommy and daddy, but unfortunately, they were too busy. At the moment, Katara was feeding the five-month-old Kallik and Zuko was stuck in a meeting with his council, leaving Aunt Azula to at least try to keep an eye on both her and four-year-old Kya.

After several hours, Azula thought she finally got the two young princesses down for their nap. But, the minute she left the room to fetch the girls some snacks and juice, Emi woke up and escaped her Aunt’s suite to once again start exploring the unchartered places of the large Fire Nation palace.

After a while, she found herself downstairs, below the grounds of her home, down in a place she had never seen before. It was mostly dark, except for the flickering of fire light from the torch flames that lines the walls. Emi knew she should go back upstairs before someone realized she was missing, but her naivety and strong sense of curiosity got the better of her. She kept slowly walking through the narrow hall, her big golden eyes looking all around her with such wonder.

Suddenly, the little princess stumbled upon a dark cave marked off by chains and a sign that read “High Risk Prisoner, Under Strict Lockdown, No One is Permitted to go Beyond this point without the presence of authorized staff”. While most people would read that and immediately turn back, Emi didn’t really know how to read anything beyond the level of her picture books and fairy tales.

She was completely oblivious to the darkness a person could possess. She grew up believing everyone and everything was all happy and bright. That even those that were bad at first would eventually become good with just the right help and encouragement. That just a bit of kindness and forgiveness would enough for people to change. She had no idea just what she would find when she got her little body past the chains to see what was on the other side of the cave.

Emi walked slowly down the path. As she approached the end, she saw an old man behind a wall of clear metal. Who is this man?, she thought. His hair was light grey, long and disheveled. His eyes were locked to the floor, devoid of any emotion. Sitting with his back against the wall, his body crouched over like an old hermit just passing the little time he had before death finally took him. Emi kept her distance from him, but her curiosity kept her from running in the other direction.

Suddenly, the man slowly turns his head, looking right at the young princess. Emi cautiously takes a few steps forward as the man’s eyes widen. “Azula?,” the man finally speaks. The child doesn’t answer. Instead, she cocks her brow, confused as to why the man just called her by her Aunt’s name.

Emi did resemble her father a lot. She had his ember-colored eyes and midnight black hair. But, her skin tone was only one shade lighter than her mother’s natural mocha shade. Her father, in comparison, had a light ivory skin tone, just like Aunt Azula. So, Emi didn’t know how this man she had never met before could confuse her with Azula or how he knew of her aunt in the first place.

The man speaks again, louder this time, “Azula! I’m so glad you came to visit. Have you heard what your brother has been doing?”. The man knew her father. Curiosity getting the best of her, Emi decides to play along and not reveal herself to the man. “No. What?,” she asks the man. He scowls as he begins ranting, “Your good-for-nothing brother has decided to completely destroy our bloodline. Not only did he marry that retched waterbender from the south pole, but now he has gotten her pregnant. Can you believe it? The heir to the throne, without the pure ivory skin of Fire Nation royalty. It is simply an abomination!”.

Emi didn’t know what to say to all that. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Clearly he was talking about her parents, and the “abomination” he was referring to could only be her. She had never in her life heard anything like this. “Wh-why is it an abomination? I mean, how would it reflect on him as a leader?,” she inquires, hoping to find out more.

The man cackles madly, “My child, Agni above has blessed our nation to be superior to all others. The Fire Nation is the greatest nation in the world and our bloodline is the purest in the land. Your brother tainting it with some tribal whore just proves that he doesn’t care about his country.”

Emi’s heart drops hearing those words. Did he just say Aunt Azula was his child? Is this man Dad and Aunt Azula’s dad?, her mind races. But, that’s impossible. Papa Iroh is dad’s dad. He’s my grandfather. Surely, daddy would never lie to me about something like that.

“I swear, the spirits are going to burn this nation to the ground and damn us all to the pits of hell for this disrespect to Agni… Either way, thar bastard child of his will always be half-water tribe. By that alone, our family tree will be tainted with impure blood. Agni help us all that child becomes fire lord. But, I suppose you already know that, Azula.”

Emi takes one step back, growing scared of this man. He continues to rant as the child slowly walks backwards, every word he says seeping into her brain and being internalized by the young, innocent soul.

“Don’t worry, soon enough you, my golden child, will take back the throne from your traitor of a brother and his snow-eating whore of a bride. I know you, Princess Azula. My little prodigy. You were born lucky, truly gifted in your abilities as a firebender. And once you finish the job from that Agni Kai, all other nations will fall and you and I will rule as supreme leaders of the world!”

The prisoner starts laughing like a mad man and that’s when Emi couldn’t bear to hear another word. She turns around and runs out of there as fast as she could. Thankfully, the man was so wrapped up in his own laughter and delusions that he didn’t notice. His deep, evil laughter echoing off the walls as she ran back through the narrow dirt pathway.

The princess felt an ache in her stomach as she began to run up the stairs. She felt the tears picking at the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall. She held it all in as she made it up to the top of the stairs and rushed over to the family wing of the palace. Even as servants called her name as she quickly passed, she didn’t answer. Finally, she made it back to her room, going in and slamming the door shut.

She takes a few deep breathes before her lips begins to quiver and her eyes water. Emi runs over to her bed and leaps forward, landing face-down onto the mattress. The now-terrified princess buries her face in her pillow as she begins to cry.

The Fire Nation’s innocent ray of sunshine had just seen the secret darkness of the world. And things would inevitably never be the same again.

Hope you guys liked this. If you want me to continue this and write a part 2, please let me know.

[crowentity233]

The Dragon's Keep (part 1)

*Finished*

Fire Lord Zuko x (Fem!) Reader

Part 2

Summary: You are a firebender named Ayushi, who has been accepted to guard over the royal family as a kyoshi warrior. You end up guarding Zuko through his travels to visit the sun warriors. The mission, protecting the newest dragons, begins.

You stood in the hallway of the palace. Your armor clung to your body. The moon took over the night sky. The windows were open, letting in the cool breeze from the summer night. Pitter patters of feet down the hall jerked your attention back to reality.

"Princess kiyi." You called out running after the footsteps. You caught up to the girl. "Princess, you should be asleep. What's wrong?" You kneeled down next to her.

"I'm scared. I can't sleep." She mumbles, then hugs into your body, pulling you in to comfort her. You immediately wrap your arms around her and hold her.

"What are you scared of?" You asked gently to the girl. You picked her up and walked back to her room.

"I had a bad dream about a dark spirit." She whines into your shoulder. Her tears were starting to roll.

"It was just a dream, Princess Kiyi. You don't have to be scared. How about I sit with you and tell you a story?" You smiled brightly as the girl wiped away her tears nodding her head.

You laid her down on her bed and tucked her back in. You sat and told the story of the little dragon named Kioko. He was a very adventurous little dragon who learned he had to rely on others for aid. He couldn't do everything by himself. It was a firenation tale you heard many times from your parents.

She had fallen asleep, and you pet her hair before slipping back out into the hallway.

The next morning, Ursa was tending to the very energetic girl. She had retold the dragon story to her mother. "Where did you hear this story from?" Her mother giggled at the girl as she continued to almost the end, but kiyi didn't know how it ended because she had fallen asleep.

"Ayushi told me! I was going to get ZuZu up to scare away the spirits, but Ayushi told me a good story, and the spirits went away." The girl smiled proudly.

Zuko ate the breakfast in front of him, not paying too much attention until his nickname was said. "You were scared last night?"

"Yes, but Ayushi made it better. Mommy, I want Ayushi to tell me the rest of the story tonight. Can she please?" She spoke up to her mother.

"You can ask her before dinner tonight." Her mother smiled pleased that one of the kyoshi warriors was being so kind to her daughter and not just being a fire nation guard that was heartless like the old days.

You woke up getting ready for the night shift. You had been guarding at night. It was a long shift, but it was important to look after the royal family. You had stopped your fair share of criminals from getting to them.

Your job was about to become more interesting. "Ayushi, dear, will you come here, please? Kiyi has a question to ask you." Ursa's voice sounded through the hall out from the throne room.

You entered the room and bowed to the firelord and to the royal family.

Kiyi ran up to you. You kneeled down, sitting on your knees to face her. Your face brightened as she laughed energetically.

"Can you tell me another bedtime story tonight?" She said as she got to you.

You nodded. "Of course, Princess Kiyi. I would love to."

The girl jumped in glee. She wrapped her arms around you with a smile. You hugged her back, and then she ran back to her mother happily.

"Ayushi, I asked Suki if it was okay for you to take a daytime shift so you could tell Kiyi a bedtime story every night before your shift ends so you could sleep during the night." Ursa politely spoke.

"Yes, of course. What times work for you, work for me." Your voice is calm and respectful.

"You can have the next two nights off to readjust to daytime." She offered happily.

"Yes, Lady Ursa, thank you." You bowed, and you were dismissed.

The bedtime came quickly. You changed out of your uniform into a casual yet presentable outfit for the royal palace. You walked to Princess Kiyi's room, but it was empty. You looked around the nearby halls. The young girl poked her head out of the fire lords chambers. "Ayushi, come in here. I want Zuzu to have a bedtime story, too." You hesitantly followed her into the room. It was fit for a ruler. The room was huge. The walls were a darker color, very comforting and cozy. The fire lit torches flickered, a fireplace warming the room to a comfortable temperature to your skin. Fire Lord Zuko laid in the bed he was in silk sleep wear. His hair was down and messy. It was a stark difference from the times you've seen him. He seemed to be much more relaxed.

"Zuzu, she is here. Are you excited about the story?" Lord Zuko chuckled. Yes, much more relaxed than you've ever seen him.

"Yes, I'm excited." He said as kiyi got into the bed and tossed the covers over herself.

You bowed when your eyes met Zuko's. "Lord Zuko, I'm happy to tell you a bedtime story with Princess Kiyi." You giggled softly at the situation at hand. You leveled your body back up. His lips were turned into a grin. "Thank you, Ayushi." His eyes were a gorgeous golden brown. Your cheeks brighten ever so slightly seeing the Fire Lord in such a casual place. You were one of the new kyoshi warriors. You had never been in contact with Zuko before he became the Fire Lord.

"You can come in and sit. What story are you telling us tonight?" He seemed so welcoming.

"I was going to tell the story of the princess and dragon beast." You sat at the edge of the bed.

"Is it about a princess like me?" Kiyi gasped.

"Yes, it is her name is Bealin. She falls in love with a prince."

She laid down and held onto a stuffed flying bison Avatar Aang had given her from the air temple that was being rebuilt.

You started telling the story to the young girl. You were at the part where the princess was having fun with the dragon beast playing in the snow when Zuko leaned over, checking his sister. She was fast asleep. "She's out." He said quietly.

"I can take her to her room." You started to get up. Zuko shook his head, "That's alright. I can take her." He paused. "This reminds me of when I was little. My mom told that story a lot to us when we were little."

"My mother told me it a lot too, but my favorite was sleeping beauty. I always thought I would be rescued by a prince with a dragon from the dark spirit." You giggled at your own naivete.

"I've seen dragons they are as incredible in person as they sounded in the story." He trailed remembering the time with the sun warriors.

"But they went extinct..." Your face fell into shock.

"No, I am bound in a secret of their location, but I assure you they are very much alive." He stood up, and you stood as he walked past you.

"That stays between us." He trails quietly.

"Yes, Lord Zuko. Can you tell me more about the dragons?" You ask softly, making sure no walls could hear your conversation. You felt such a connection to dragons since you were a child. You just brushed it off to just being a firebender, but your connection seemed higher than the rest of your classmates.

"Wait here." He spoke softly, picking up his sister and then disappearing out into the hall.

You sat back down on his bed. Your hand ran across the silk. It was so luxurious and soft against your skin. His bed was so comfortable. It was better than yours back in the kyoshi housing.

Zuko returned to his room, and he pulled off the top robe. His silk bottoms were loose fitting. Your eyes stole glances at his fit figure. He didn't seem to notice. He slipped back into the bed and sat down across from you.

"The dragons are huge. They towered over me. It was so humbling facing them. There is a sacred firebending form. That started from the first firebenders that learned from the dragons. The ones I saw were red and blue. They breathed the most amazing flames that were every color you could think of." He explained the dragons to you, cautious of the secrets he had to keep specifically the where.

"I am so jealous. My dream is to see dragons. That is all I could think about as a child." You sat comfortably talking with the Fire Lord. It was the first real casual conversation.

"Maybe one day I can take you to see them. You've been very kind to my sister, and you've dedicated your life to serving the kingdom. You've put your life on the line. I will need a personal body guard when I return to them. Consider it a gift." Zuko leaned back against the headboard. His body is on even more display. Your mind didn't notice as your dreams were coming to life. His body had no place in your mind at the moment. Your eyes widened at the thought of meeting real dragons.

"Lord Zuko, you would do that for me?" You leaned forward in complete awe that he would take you to see them. He nodded, chuckling at your reaction.

"Can you teach me the form? I would be honored to learn it." Your eyes were still full of wonder.

"Yes, I can show you tomorrow. Kiyi is going to want to hear the rest of the story. I can teach you tomorrow after she falls asleep." Zuko offered to you.

"Thank you so much, Lord Zuko." You bowed respectfully. "I don't think I could ever repay you..." You trailed.

"You don't have to. It's a gift, and showing you the form is a right to all traditional fire benders." He stretched and wrapped his hands behind his head.

Your eyes then took in the scenery. The pillows, the bed frame, Zuko in less than appropriate attire for a woman to be in his bed even if you were just sitting on top of the sheets a distance away from him.

"Thank you, Lord Zuko." You bow respectfully. You stood up and made your way to the door.

"Good night, Ayushi." Zuko called out to you as you opened the door.

"Good night, Lord Zuko." You exited into the hall to go back to your housing unit with the other warriors joining the others that completed their day guarding.

Let me know if you would like to be tagged. 🥰

[calliopieces]

headcanon: Kiyi and Tom-Tom help Maiko get back together after Smoke and Shadow

(this post doubles as sort of a director's commentary on my latest fic that literally no one asked for, but I thought it would be fun to do! LOL)

So we all know that Mai and Zuko broke up in the comics... but their last panel together in Smoke and Shadow Part 3 is them holding their younger siblings, which we can argue leaves things on a pretty hopeful note

(and if we REALLY want to push the Maiko agenda, dare I say it's a foreshadowing of some sorts?)

Additionally, at Emerald City Comic Con 2017 (timestamp 17:52), Gene Luen Yang implied that the breakup is only temporary.

Anyway, shipping aside, I love this part in Smoke and Shadow where Zuko worries about Tom-Tom losing his innocence after getting kidnapped by the 'Kemurikage'. We also find out that him and Mai babysat Tom-Tom on one of their picnic dates.

Going off of this, I have a headcanon that the abducted kids would occasionally gather at the palace after the Kemurikage incident to essentially have group therapy sessions (an initiative by the Fire Lord, because he's worried that the kids might be traumatized). This is how Tom-Tom and Kiyi became friends.

One day, they heard that Mai and Zuko are 'boyfriend-girlfriend'. Here's how it went down on my fic:

“You know, I heard from Dad who heard from other guards who heard from the kitchen ladies that the Fire Lord and Tom-Tom’s sis are boyfriend-girlfriend.”  Hearing Guri, Constable Sung’s son, join in on the conversation made Tom-Tom hyper-aware that he probably shouldn’t say anything bad about Zuko, especially now after knowing that he’s the Fire Lord.

Between the events of the ATLA finale and The Promise Part 2 (which is where Mai breaks up with Zuko in the throne room), I think it's safe to say that Mai would be at the palace for a considerable amount of time. I think it would be funny if the news of their breakup didn't reach ALL of the palace employees---so Kiyi and Tom-Tom took it upon themselves to have their siblings spend more time together.

Another thing I had so much fun writing is this interaction between Mai and Kiyi:

“We already met before. That night in the graveyard,” Mai stated matter-of-factly, causing Kiyi to whip her head up with stuffed cheeks, noodle broth dribbling down her chin. She felt her previously strained smile give way to something more genuine, imagining her younger self.     Instead of scolding her for poor table manners like what her own mother would have done, Mai took out a handkerchief. And, driven by instinct, she wiped the girl’s face—the movements gentle and unhurried.  

Meanwhile, here's my favorite exchange between Zuko and Tom-Tom:

“Do you like my sister, Mister Fire Lord?”  The question took him by great surprise, the fact that Tom-Tom still refused to drop his title never even registered. But despite the unprompted nature of the question, it was one that he could give an answer to at any time of day—and at any stage of his life. “I like your sister very much,” he declared, staring straight into Tom-Tom’s eyes. It was a truth that he has stood by since he was twelve, deeply rooted in the fiber of his being. It was an innate warmth that he believed he would carry forever—one that beats in tandem with his inner fire.  

Near the end of the fic, Mai and Zuko also have a conversation about Azula, and how their messed-up nation didn't give her a normal childhood, while Kiyi and Tom-Tom happily chase glow moths in the background:

“Do you ever look at Kiyi and wonder whether Azula would have been as happy if this country wasn't so messed up?” Mai asked, her gaze curious.  “Every day,” he replied, and generations of siblings being pitted against each other flashed through his mind. “That's why I'm doing my best to give her a normal childhood—with a country that hopefully isn't as messed up.”  “I’m glad that kids today can at least have that much.” She looked at Kiyi and Tom-Tom who were laughing as they continued to chase glow moths, then turned to Zuko with a smirk. “Era of love and peace and all.”

If you've read my rambling all the way to the end, thank you! Here's the link to the fic if you wanna read (please give it some love)

[the-badger-mole]

The Other Woman: Part 4

Ursa had set out a plate of Zuko's favorite cookies. He'd always known it was juvenile, but he'd always appreciated the thought. Today was different. Now the gesture just seemed infantilizing.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Ursa was saying. "The house feels so empty during the day without Ikem and Kiyi here." She paused and sighed sadly. "Did your sister tell you that all the universities she's considering are hours away from here?"

Zuko winced. He had been present the day that Katara encouraged his youngest sister to take going to college as an opportunity to expand her horizons, both academically and physically. He hadn't added much to the conversation, feeling a bit disloyal to his mother, but he also didn't have the heart to push her to stay closer to home, as he knew Ursa would've wanted. He couldn't after seeing how Kiyi's eyes lit up at the thought of spending time in Ba Sing Se or the Southern Water Tribe. In hindsight, he was glad he hadn't tried to reign in his sister's dreams.

"Mom," Zuko said taking a deep breath. "We need to talk." Ursa froze halfway through filling Zuko's coffee cup. She found a smile a moment later, the consummate hostess, even after all these years since her divorce from his father had taken her far away from the social elite.

"That sounds serious," she said lightly. "I hope it's nothing bad?" Zuko took a breath and silently went over the speech he'd been practicing for the last three days.

"It's about Katara," he said. Ursa's eyes widened, and two splotchy patches of red appeared on her cheeks.

"She's not pregnant, is she?" Ursa tried to keep her tone light, but there was something cold in her tone. Zuko realized with stunning certainty that she would not be happy to hear that Katara was pregnant.

"Mom-" Zuko sighed.

"You should insist on a paternity test," Ursa huffed, setting down the coffee pot and sweeping crumbs from the table, agitatedly. "Before you sign anything, you make sure you get a paternity test. Agni knows how many prominent young men have found themselves bound to supporting uppity little harlots for decades because they signed birth certificates before making sure the child was theirs." Zuko listened to his mother's rant in mounting horror. How had he not seen this hostility towards Katara for what it was? How had Katara taken so long to reach her breaking point?

"Mom, she's not pregnant," Zuko cut in before Ursa could get any further into her insinuations. Ursa visibly relaxed, which made Zuko dread saying what he had to say next. "She broke up with me."

"Oh!" Ursa, to her credit did try not to look too excited. "Well, I never thought she was the right fit for you, anyway. You'll move on in time, you'll see."

"That's just it, Mom," Zuko said as calmly as he could with his insides tumbling wildly inside of him. "Katara is the perfect woman for me. She's smart; she's kind; she's the most patient person I've ever met besides Uncle. She's so far out of my league, I was afraid to talk to her at first. Did you know that it took me almost a year to get the courage to ask her out?"

"Zuko-" Ursa blinked in surprise. She scrambled to find something to say. "I don't know why you would feel that way. You-you're a remarkable young man-"

"And she made sure to tell me that- to make me feel that every opportunity she got!" Zuko exclaimed. "She loved me! If I'm lucky, she still loves me! But I sat by and let her sit through levels of disrespect I wouldn't allow my coworkers to sit through! I ruined the best relationship I ever had because I was afraid of upsetting you!"

"Me!" Ursa gasped. "All I want- all I've ever wanted for you was the best!"

"Then why did you treat Katara so horribly?" Zuko demanded. "She was never anything but respectful to you! And she made me happy. What more could you possibly want from the woman I marry?"

"She isn't good enough for you!" Ursa insisted.

"Why?" Zuko slammed his hands on the table and stood, knocking his chair over "Why don't you think Katara is good enough for me, Mother?" His voice rang through the room. Ursa paled and sank into her chair.

"I feel dizzy," she gasped. Zuko rolled his eyes and got her a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

"All I want is a reason for why you don't like Katara," Zuko groaned.

"I don't like it when you yell," Ursa's voice quaked with unshed tears, and her hands shook as she opened the bottle. "It reminds me so much of your father." Zuko's jaw dropped at that.

"Are you seriously comparing me to him?"

"It's not that, my love," Ursa said hurriedly. "Not at all. It's just that when you were yelling, you reminded me of him. It-it took me back to..." She drew a shallow, shuddering breath.

"Fine, Mom," Zuko growled in frustration. "I won't yell. I just need to know what your problem is with Katara."

"She isn't good-"

"-good enough for me," Zuko interrupted. "So you've said. I want to know why, you think that. What specifically made you think that Katara isn't good enough for me? She's been kind and respectful to you, right?"

"She walked right out of here without saying anything to anyone the other night," Ursa reminded Zuko, defensively. "That's respectful?"

"She heard what you said about her," Zuko told her. "She heard what you said, and she heard me not say anything to you about it. That's why she left. She's always been respectful towards you, and Ikem. And Kiyi loves her. Uncle is furious at me for losing her! Even Azula thinks she's too good for me! Why are you the only one with a problem with her?"

"I'm-I'm sure she's a lovely girl," Ursa forced out. "But you, my son! You are going so many places. You have such a bright future ahead of you. Can you see her being the one to get you there? She is going to want her own career. She won't be there to support your ambitions. She'll put her own ahead of yours. Your children will end up being raised by strangers. Is that what you want?"

"I want her!" Zuko snapped. "I love Katara. And I-I know that I haven't done a good job of letting her know that- of letting you know that. I've wrecked everything with her for your feelings, Mom!"

"Are you blaming me for your break up?" Ursa sputtered indignantly.

"No!" Zuko paced the floor a few times, raking his hand through his hair. "I messed things up with her. I prioritized you over her."

"I'm your mother-"

"Yeah, and you abandoned me !" Zuko rounded on her hotly. "You abandoned me and Azula, and then you showed up ten years later with a new husband and child and wanted us to just play happy family. And, you know what? I was fine with that! I get why you left. I'm not blaming you for that. But Mom, I was an adult when you came back. I'm a grown man, and you still want me to be your little boy. I can't do that anymore. I'm ready for my own family! I want a family with Katara, but I made her take second place to you. I won't do that again. I don't know if she'll ever forgive me, but even if she doesn't, I'm not losing her for nothing.

"What are you talking about?" Ursa asked. Tears were streaming down her face and she had a napkin pressed to her mouth. Guilt lanced Zuko, but he shut his eyes and took a breath.

"I love you, Mom," he said. "But I can't make you the center of my world. I'll still come by to see you, but you can't claim my time for three nights a week anymore. No more last minute favors. No more begging me to come over to check for prowlers when you have a fully functional security system. No more speaking down about people I care about. I want you in my life, Mom. But not at the expense of everyone else."

"Zuko-" Ursa sobbed.

"This has to be the line." Zuko turned his eyes down to the table, with his fists clenched at his sides. "Katara was never a threat to you. I love you because you're my mom. I was hoping you two would get along. Did you know that she lost her mother as a child? I guess, I was hoping..." Zuko pinched his nose and let out a huff. "It doesn't matter what I was hoping. You have two choices now, Mom. Either you respect the fact that I'm a grown man with my own life- respect my time and space and my choice in who I want to spend my life with- or we can't be in each other's lives anymore."

"Zuko!" Usra looked as if she had been slapped in the face. She gaped up at her son in horror. Part of Zuko wanted to cave and apologize for hurting her feelings, but the larger part of him- the part that was still raw and hurting from losing the woman of his dreams- knew that this was for the best. He sighed and turned to leave.

"Good-bye, Mom."

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

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

What do you think about this take? Do you agree? https://www.tumblr.com/zuko-always-lies/764888302529757184/cobra-diamond-had-this-very-interesting-take-on?source=share

Half agree, half disagree. I'd say that's what BRYKE wanted people to see Azula's arc/ending as, a tragic "death" of her very spirit, leaving just a hollow shell behind. It's impossible to redeem or heal her, not because "she's too evil", but because she's just not there anymore. And obviously the opinion of the guys that had THE final say on the show affects the narrative since they decided what would or would not be part of it.

But they still allowed things like Aang saying "EVERYONE has the potetial for great good and great evil", Zuko looking at Azula with pity in the finale and even saying he believes even Ozai could change. And the head writer, Aaron Ehasz, REPEATEDLY pushed for a redemption arc for Azula, with a reconciliation with Zuko, and the seeds for it are all over the original show. It's not that difficult to look at all that and wonder "What will happen when/if Azula recovers from her breakdown?" because since the story stops just a few days after her fall from grace, it is not set in stone that she will stay like that forever, even if that's indeed what Bryke wanted us to take from that scene.

Most importantly, as of this moment, everything else Bryke approved of post OG series leaves Azula's fate far more open-ended.

The Yang comics disrespected her character horribly and made the heroes go from witnesses to her tragedy to people directly causing said tragedy - but Azula is also far, far, far more "alive" than she was at her ending scene. She's sick and evil, yes, but she has goals that she's actively working towards (even if they make no sense because Yang is bad at his job). She's not just in constant agony, crying and screaming and unable to even talk, or completely catatonic. Her soul is corrupt, but not gone.

Same for the recent (and much better written) Spirit Temple comic, in which Azula resigns herself to constantly repeating the same cycle of getting new people to boss around, pushing them too far, being abandoned and then replacing them, she is making the CHOICE to stay in that cycle. It's a bad choice, but it's hers. Once again, Azula is corrupt, not dead.

Korra is where it gets a bit tricky because, well... Azula is not around and is not spoken about ever. Since the comics happen before Korra and Azula spends 90% of her time in them disappearing into the woods and confusing the main characters, it's very possible that she's not mentioned because she fucked off from their lives years ago and they have NO IDEA what she's been up to, if she's even alive.

Is she commiting petty crimes just to get by and bitching constantly about no longer living in luxury? Is she plotting her vengeance against Zuko in some weird cult she's been the leader of for decades? Is she living happily on some remote island with tons of children and grandchildren? Did she die young after tragically jumping off a cliff or stupidly choking on food? Is she the drunk, mentally ill philosopher that ruins the day of every pretentious intellectual and acts obscenely in public, Diogenes style?

Who knows? Not me. And I don't know because Bryke, at some point, clearly decided that Azula did NOT "die" in the finale. It makes sense. They wanted the story to end after the three seasons of Avatar, but they've turned it into a full on franchise now, and Azula is one of the most popular characters AND a main villain, so bringing her back inevitably draws people's attention, regardless of if they want her to recover or to just be defeated by the good guys again.

Maybe they'll "kill" her again at some point, but considering she got a solo comic and is mentioned by name in the announced comic of Kiyi, her sister/replacement, going to the very school she used to go and how Zuko worries about what that might lead to, it's pretty clear that she will be affecting the narrative(s) for a bit more time, be it directly or indirectly.

Basically: I think I know what Bryke originally intended, I have no fucking clue what their current plan is (assuming they have one) and I don't care because I basically only take the original show into consideration and it left PLENTY of room for my headcanons.

[wholesomefluffdaddy]

Azula has made no progress since she was sent back to the asylum. Ty Lee believes she can help her, with proper disciple. Tyzula.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

CH24: Loose Morals

Breakfast was tense though everyone pretended otherwise. Zuko explained how a few small sections of the city had been cordoned off so that they could enjoy the festival with some privacy.

"-naturally we'll have a few trusted guards hidden in plain clothes as well. The merchants and performers we'll visit have also been paid handsomely to be discreet about Azula." Zuko said.

"I still think there's a substantial risk but as long as they keep quiet until the end of the festival things should be fine." Mai added.

"Are you alright?" Ursa asked as she noticed Ty Lee wince slightly as she reached across the table to grab a dragon paw fruit.

"What? Oh! I'm fine!" Ty Lee said unconvincingly. Ursa frowned worriedly as she continued to watch her. Azula glared at her mother.

"Right, so-" Zuko cleared his throat loudly.

"What happened to your ear?" Ursa asked, making Ty Lee quickly cover it.

"Nothing!" She said, turning her head away from her.

"As I was saying-!" Zuko said louder as he tried to distract his mom.

"Perhaps I can elucidate." Azula said, getting to her feet. Mai shot her a look and Ty Lee's eyes widened.

"Azula…" Ty Lee whispered anxiously as she tugged on her arm to sit down. Azula turned to Kiyi.

"How old are you?" She asked.

"Uh, ten." Kiyi answered looking confused.

"Cover your ears." Azula said, turning back to the table. Kiyi furrowed her brow but did so. "Ty Lee and I had sexual intercourse." She announced unabashedly. Ikem spat out his tea, Mai's eye twitched, Zuko's mouth fell open, and Ty Lee covered her face with her hands. "Naturally in the heat of the moment I bit and scratched her several times."

"Azula. Shut. Up." Mai hissed from across the table.

"Which normally isn't the case as I'm usually restrained." Azula continued as if she were explaining something no more exciting than the weather. "However, at her request I was allowed to-" But several voices interrupted her at once.

"Azula!" Zuko said, covering his own ears. He didn't want to hear what his sister and Ty Lee did together in bed.

"We don't need an explanation." Mai said glaring at her.

"Why don't Kiyi and I step outside for some fresh air?" Ikem said, grabbing his daughter's hand and pulling her away from the table.

"You what?" Ursa said, covering her mouth in horror.

"It was all consensual." Azula said, raising her hands.

"Yes but you telling everyone certainly isn't!" Ty Lee said, lowering her hands and revealing her bright red face.

"What? I'm simply clearing up any misunderstandings before they occur." Azula said, looking at her mother disdainfully.

"This sounds like something you two should sort out alone." Mai said, getting up. Zuko hesitantly followed.

"Azula…" Ursa said reproachfully. "How could you do this to her?" Azula's eyes hardened.

"It wasn't malicious." She said, earnestly.

"It really wasn't." Ty Lee said, taking Azula's hand and holding it in her own. Ursa looked at Ty Lee pityingly.

"Why?" She asked, turning to look at her daughter with disappointment.

"I wanted to mark her." Azula said somewhat sheepishly as her gaze faltered for a moment. She glanced at Ty Lee for reassurance. "To declare my love openly on every inch of her body." Ty Lee felt her heart flutter.

"Azula, that isn't love." Ursa said, her voice sounding strained. "And I know you're confused but some part of you has to know this is wrong."

"I'll admit I was rougher than I intended-" Azula began but Ursa cut her off.

"Your father claimed to leave the same 'love marks' on me too." She said, clutching her chest as the memories shook her. Her eyes wandered to Ty Lee. "You can leave. Just leave."

"No." Ty Lee said, stubbornly as her grip on Azula's hand tightened. "I love her and I promise it's not what it looks like."

"Then what is it?" Ursa prompted.

"I just explained…" Azula began heatedly.

"I asked her to." Ty Lee said, her brow furrowing.

"I don't believe that." Ursa said, standing up. "Azula, this has gone on long enough." She said, fixing her with a stern look. "I know I wasn't enough of a mother to you back then but I can be now."

"What does that mean?" Azula said, laughing coldly.

"You need to leave this poor girl alone." Ursa demanded with as much authority as she could muster. Azula's eyes flashed dangerously but she withdrew slightly. "And you," Her eyes flicked to Ty Lee, "I can protect you. Go home to your family. I'll make sure she can never go after you."

"She is my family." Ty Lee said, getting up to stand beside Azula.

"You don't have to pretend anymore. I promise she won't be able to hurt you again." Ursa said, stepping around the table towards them. Azula snarled as she gently pushed Ty Lee behind her.

"I love her." Azula hissed at her advancing mother.

"No, you don't, but I know you think you do." Ursa said, shaking her head. "Azula, please." She held her arms open. Azula withdrew further, pushing Ty Lee back. "You think this is love because that's what your father told you was love."

"You think father ever spoke to me about love?" Azula spat.

"Then how he showed it." Ursa argued.

"He beat me. He beat Zuko. Are you really so stupid as to think we saw those beatings as love?" Azula said as a heat born from rage radiated off of her. Ursa lowered her arms and covered her mouth.

"He didn't..." She said almost in disbelief but it made too much sense that Ozai wouldn't spare their daughter from his wrath despite the praise he heaped upon her.

"He did but you weren't there to protect me. You never protected me." Azula said as she narrowed her eyes. "Only precious Zuzu was worthy of that, not me…" Ursa lowered her hands.

"I know, and that was wrong of me." She admitted then refocused. "But you can't take that anger out on her." She gestured to Ty Lee.

"She's not." Ty Lee said as her patience thinned. "Azula, let's leave." She said, squeezing her hand.

"Azula, you will leave her alone." Ursa said, drawing herself up more. Before Azula could respond Ty Lee had pulled her aside and drew her fans. Both Ursa and Azula looked taken aback.

"I'm not some helpless victim in all this." Ty Lee said angrily. "Azula is in my custody, not the other way around." Azula glanced between Ty Lee in her battle stance and her mother. She started to summon a small blue flame in her hand. "No firebending!" Ty Lee snapped and Azula quickly extinguished the flame. "Sit down." She ordered. Azula scrambled back into her seat. Ursa blinked in surprise. Not even Ozai could have gotten that quick of a response out of Azula without question.

"I don't understand." Ursa said, looking confused.

"That's because you refuse to believe that she is capable of change." Ty Lee said, narrowing her eyes.

"No, that's not true. I-" Ursa shook her head.

"Don't lie. I can read your aura." Ty Lee said coldly. Ursa closed her eyes.

"Even if Azula isn't hurting you it still doesn't change things." She said with a pained expression before opening her eyes again.

"What do you mean?" Ty Lee asked.

"This relationship you two have is wrong." Ursa said, frowning.

"What?" Azula demanded. Ursa kept her eyes trained on Ty Lee.

"You are taking advantage of my daughter." She explained. "You know her mental state is fragile and easily manipulated."

"Who are you calling fragile?" Azula said bristling as she got back to her feet.

"I'm not." Ty Lee said scowling.

"You are in a position of power over her, are you not? You just said she was in your custody." Ursa pointed out.

"Yes but as like a patient, not a prisoner." Ty Lee said.

"She is both." Ursa said unwaveringly.

"I'm trying to help her." Ty Lee argued.

"Azula has always worshiped those in power and you have power over her." Ursa said, stepping closer. "That's how you manipulated her into a relationship she would never be in normally."

"What?" Ty Lee asked as her eyes widened.

"Please don't misunderstand but Azula was not raised to be homosexual." Ursa said calmly, though her eyes told a different story.

"That's not how that works." Ty Lee said exasperatedly.

"I understand that you ran away to join the circus when you were younger. No doubt they hold looser morals so I don't blame you-" Ursa began.

"Don't you dare suggest she doesn't have morals!" Azula hissed as she stood up to her mother. Ursa looked down at her pityingly. "She is a Kyoshi Warrior."

"That only adds to it." Ursa said, looking past her daughter. "Everyone knows the rumors about Kyoshi Warriors."

"I've had enough of this." Ty Lee said as rage coursed through her. She stowed her fans and turned on her heel to leave the room. Azula glanced between Ty Lee's retreating figure and her mother. She had a lot to say to her mother but she also didn't want to leave Ty Lee.

"Loose morals." Azula spat. "You're one to talk. You abandoned your family, chose to forget them, and started a new one."

"Azula, I can explain everything if you just let me." Ursa said, reaching out to touch her. Azula huffed out flames towards her hand and stormed off after Ty Lee.

"Ty Lee?" Azula asked as she reentered their room. Ty Lee was sitting on the floor at the end of the bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. "Ty Lee?" Azula repeated softly as she sat down beside her.

"Did I manipulate you into this relationship?" She asked as angry tears streamed down her face. Azula shook her head at once.

"I kissed you." She reminded her. "And I asked you to kiss me." She wrapped an arm around her and leaned her head against Ty Lee's.

"Yes but-" Ty Lee closed her eyes. "The thing about power…" Azula frowned.

"My father could have killed me and probably would have at some point. I followed him out of fear and a desire to someday grow stronger than him." She said, staring off into the distance as her eyes became unfocused.

"And do you fear me too?" Ty Lee asked. Azula laughed.

"I could never fear you." She said, shaking her head. "And while I think you are a worthy opponent I always pulled my punches because I know I could easily kill you by accident." Ty Lee frowned. "So no, you don't have that kind of power over me."

"But I do have power over you." Ty Lee said bitterly. Azula furrowed her brow.

"Yes." She admitted.

"Because I have custody of you."

"No."

"No?" Ty Lee asked, looking confused.

"I love you." Azula said, holding her tighter. "You love me."

"I don't understand." Ty Lee said, leaning into her.

"You were right about love being stronger than fear." Azula sighed and looked at her wrists. "Your love has me in the heaviest of chains." Ty Lee looked at her then took one of her hands.

"Are you afraid of losing my love?" She asked. Azula snorted.

"No." She said, somewhat smugly. Ty Lee raised an eyebrow and Azula continued. "You foolishly admitted to being hopelessly in love with me for years. So hopelessly in love in fact that you tried in vain to escape it but to no avail."

"Okay, so then what power do I have over you?" Ty Lee asked. "Not that I want to have power over you." She added quickly. "Like I said before, I want us to be equals in this relationship." Azula chewed her lip as she thought.

"I don't know…" She said slowly. "I just like when you are in control." She shifted restlessly. "It's… liberating?" She looked at her. "I don't have to overthink things, like worrying about what could go wrong. I can just focus on," She cupped Ty Lee's face, "enjoying the moment." She whispered before kissing her.

[peony-pearl]

A gust of air, a focused look from Chiyo, and Azula watched her little sister try to leap onto an airscooter, which only resulted in another collision with the ground.

“I can’t get it!” Chiyo wailed in despair as she flailed on the ground. Azula chuckled as Aang hopped off of his own airscooter to pull the youngster to her feet.

“You were so close!” He said. Chiyo stood rigid with frustration. “Come on, let’s try again! You’ll get it this time!”

Azula’s smile began to fade. An echo from the past rung in her mind.

‘you’ll get it this time’.

Only the voice wasn’t so encouraging. It was a demand drenched in confident coaxing - and the voice belonged to hers and Chiyo’s father.

“Maybe it’s time for a break,” Azula said. Chiyo turned around instantly.

“No, I can get it!” She said desperately. Aang ruffled her hair.

“That’s the spirit!”

Aang looked up to see Azula’s face full of her own worry.

“What’s wrong?” He asked. Azula beckoned him over with a wave as Chiyo continued her practicing, swirling her hands to create another air sphere. “You okay?” Aang asked as he sat next to Azula.

Azula sighed, her folded hands tightening. “I don’t want to see her get too lost in feeling like she has something to prove.”

Aang’s brow furrowed with confusion. “I thought we were having fun. Besides... when was the last time I got to teach her? I don’t want her to be too far behind on her lessons-”

“And I don’t want her to feel like she has to become perfect at something so young.”

Watching Chiyo fall through her airscooter once more, Aang nodded. “Alright; we’ll call it a day for now,” he said. He watched as Azula wrung her hands together as Chiyo looked back at Aang for guidance, her big stormy eyes morose.

Aang smiled at Azula, and she caught a glimpse and became more irritated.

“What?!” She hissed. Aang shrugged, standing up.

“You do care about her.”

Azula kicked Aang right in his rear, almost propelling him as well as any Airbending.

“Just go!”

As she watched Aang begin to convince Chiyo they would practice later, Azula felt someone thunk down next to her, where Aang has been sitting. She looked over to find Kiyi, looking rather annoyed.

“So. Ozai’s here,” Kiyi said. Azula groaned.

“Yeah.”

Kiyi looked over her nails. It was almost time for her and Azula to get their manicures touched up. “How’s your little sister?”

“Kiyi,” Azula said.

“That hairpiece looks familiar.”

Indeed enough, Chiyo still wore the spiked flame reserved for royalty, a gift from Azula two years earlier.

“I can get one made for you,” Azula said. Kiyi shrugged. “Okay, why are you here?!”

“Because mom is stressed-”

“I know. But mom agreed to this and so did I. Besides, none of this is Chiyo’s fault, or Katsu’s. Zuko has been wanting to include them in some kind of ‘family thing’, and he’s the Fire Lord, so it’s His Majesty’s will or whatever. So go be mad at him.”

Chiyo turned around to find Azula speaking to Kiyi. The girls watched Aang murmur something to the girl as he looked to Kiyi; they could see him mentioning ‘Ursa’, and the word ‘daughter’, then he showed her how to do a Fire Nation salute. Chiyo smiled and she bounded over to Azula and Kiyi, where she stopped and looked at her hands before putting them in the order Aang showed her, and she bowed.

“Miss Kiyi,” she said. “I’m Chiyo.”

Kiyi exhaled, but she stood to return the gesture. “Chiyo. It’s nice to meet you.”

Azula stood as Aang joined them. “Where’s mom, Kiyi?”

Kiyi shrugged as Chiyo was admiring her garb. She removed a silken sash from around her and she wrapped it around Chiyo, who lit up light the sun. “In hers and dad’s room, which means she’s sulking.”

“Where’s your dad?” Azula asked. Kiyi shrugged.

“I’m not gonna lie; he’s probably watching Ozai from somewhere secret. You know how he feels about him.”

“Well THAT just puts me at ease,” Azula said.

Chiyo looked up. “Who feels what about daddy?”

Azula and Kiyi remembered Chiyo in front of them and they stumbled over their words.

Aang quickly intervened.

“Hey, Chiyo, you ready to meet back up with your folks and see some turtleducks?”

“Yeah!” Chiyo smiled, and before Azula could dip out of the activity, the little Airbender was already grabbing her hand.

“Miss Kiyi can come too, right?”

Kiyi was almost in time to turn away and bolt to safety, but Azula grabbed her hand as well.

“Of course she can! Kiyi LOVES the turtleducks.”

‘This is low, Azula,’ Kiyi seethed.

‘Bite me, kid. Just give me some backup and I’ll buy you whatever you want at the festival.’

Without another word Kiyi gripped Azula’s hand.

[ask-ozai]

Hi, Phoneix king Ozai! If somehow Zuko gives you freedom, what will you do? Will you try to usurp the throne ? Or will you try to make the world a better place with the help of the avatar (or atleast try to help the fire nation(For that you should become Zuko's minister)) ? Or will you try to have some daddy-daughter time with your daughters? Or Will you try impress your excess wife? Or will you decide to have a brand new family? .....

How will you try to spend your time ????

-From your foreverloyalist

It makes very little sense to think about that possibility, even as a fantasy. I am not delusional yet and the soup may have cactus juice in it, but not that much. Zuko's reign is already fragile enough with me and Azula still alive. And that fragility has forced him to resort to one of the oldest strategies in populism: blaming the previous government. That is, me. Zuko cannot afford to free me even if I could solve all of the nation's problems. (And I can, but Zuko insists on making things harder than they have to be with that human rights nonsense. They're going to eat him alive).

But let's pretend for a moment that Zuko one day hits his head and starts making good decisions like getting me out of here: he would still be forced to confine me to house arrest for the rest of my life (where I would at least have access to a bathroom and a bed, although probably not to better food, Zuko is determined that only I eat this soup) or banish me. He can't afford the luxury of freeing me or many people would try to organize a coup. Even the worst idiot knows this, so there's no way Zuko doesn't know it.

But let's continue developing the fantasy and say that he somehow decides that it is best to banish me. I think the first thing I would do is trying to get Azula out of the madhouse. (If she hasn't escaped yet, the information on this is very confusing). Although it would be very difficult to achieve. Freeing Azula is the one thing Zuko would never do, because everyone would prefer Azula on the throne instead of him. The people would prefer Azula. The court would prefer Azula. Even Zuko would prefer Azula. My son makes very bad decisions, but I want to believe that he is not self destructive on purpose.

Which would leave me with only one purpose in life: to do whatever it takes to get my firebending back.

When Zhao returned from his year-long stay with the giant owl he told me that on the island where Iroh killed the last dragon, people have secrets about healing and firebending (in the case of anything Zhao said back then could be trusted, I don't forget that he came back convinced that destroying the moon was a good idea). Unlike Iroh and my father, I never believed much in the importance of spirituality. But my will and perseverance have always been made of steel. I was the best firebender in the world not only because of the power I was born with, but also because of the strength of my character.

You mentioned my wife (Because Ursa is my wife, no matter how many playthings she has. We don't have divorces here like the savages from the Earth Kingdom) and my second daughter (Because it's absurdly obvious that the child is mine no matter how much Ursa insists she's a bastard. She melted a huge steel door, for Agni's sake. What even is wrong with Ursa). It's not a bad idea to take them with me on my quest to recover my bending, after throwing Ikea off the balcony. It would save time, since they would eventually return to my side anyway. Kiyi has immense potential that should not be wasted making wooden swords with Ikea. Most likely I would have to kidnap them, however, but they would get over it. And then it would be possible to get Azula out of the madhouse.

We would give Zuko a taste of his own soup medicine.