#that there was no way around killing ozai and that he would have to sacrifice his morals to end the war

[survivalove]

one example of atla fans’ media illiteracy is that they don’t understand the past avatars’ advice was written in a way that’s so vague that aang literally does everything they told him to do.

i see so many takes being like aang just ignored his past lives or even yangchen would’ve blah blah and i’m like. how did you miss the point that badly???

so i’m gonna point out all the ways the writers wrote around what the previous avatars said so that aang actually does what they all advised:

starting with the most obvious point: none of them actually tell him to end ozai.

kyoshi: “only justice will bring peace.”

aang? takes away ozai’s bending so the fool rots in a prison cell for the rest of his life.

the world? at peace.

kuruk: “aang, you must actively shape your own destiny and the destiny of the world.”

aang? makes his own choice against what everyone tells him to do and literally ends a war that was going on for centuries.

the world? destiny changed!

yangchen (because for some reason you all don’t get this one and it’s just never been clearer to me lmao): “selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs, and do whatever it takes to protect the world.”

so let’s point out some key words:

selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs, and do whatever it takes to protect the world.

and let’s go back to aang taking ozai’s bending away, but before that, when he says this right before even meeting the lion turtle.

aang: “I guess I don't have a choice, Momo. I have to kill the Fire Lord.” - Selfless duty

see even just like you guys, aang didn’t catch the signs, but that’s okay! cuz shortly after this the lion turtle starts to move and makes itself known to aang, and reward him for sticking to his faith.

now, let’s look at what the lion turtle was actually saying and how this aligns with yangchen’s advice:

lion turtle: “To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable or you will be corrupted and destroyed.” - is the willingness to Sacrifice his literal Spirit sinking in yet??

if not, here’s what was actually happening while he said that:

[As he speaks, Ozai's energy begins to make its way to Aang's body, consuming the blue and replacing it with red energy. Cut to a view above Aang looking down at his face as the energy reaches his face and continues to cover the beams shining out his mouth and eyes. Cut to a side-view as the red light begins to take control and the blue light diminishes. Cut to close-up of Aang as the red energy has taken over almost completely with just one eye left...]

WHATEVER IT TAKES?? literally? like hello

i feel like because this is a kid’s show and that it was obviously gonna have a happy ending, that people take for granted what aang did and what he was willing to do.

he put his literal spirit on the line to end the war, and this was after he was running trying to spare ozai for an hour.

and then you say you wanted him to end him. and sure yeah, let’s pretend that doesn’t go against the whole show and would’ve ruined his entire arc for a seeeecond, how exactly is that supposed to be more satisfying or end any differently to what we got? aang would’ve still been hit with the rock ex machina. ozai would be dead sure but the climax would be a lot less visually appealing, and everyone in the world would STILL be at peace except for…. oh right. AANG.

[whiteruncat]

I hope Netflix never gets ahold of another person’s artwork in attempt of a LA like they did with ATLA. If you can’t fully honor someone’s art and respect their ideas then don’t bother with a LA. It’s the most legal form of stealing artwork and creativity. It’s just cruel. And it’s so agitating to see the people saying “Well they tried” “They did their best” “You have to consider” Netflix should have been the ones to consider that maybe they should never have took on something they couldn’t do correctly. They have disrespected so many characters.

* Netflix took out sexism only to throw is back in! Yeah Sokka was sexist but the level of audacity to make the mighty Kyoshi Warrior Suki just another romantic interest is shameful.

* What happened to Katara saving a village of earthbenders? Katara started out strong and only got stronger by walking boldly with compassion, love, and the strength to help those around her.

* Let’s not forget about Bato & Hakoda. They are honorable and respected warriors of the Southern Water Tribe. Neither of them would let Sokka pass his ice dodging test if he failed it. They both love Sokka and respect Sokka too much to lie to him. Sokka passed his ice dodging test btw with Katara, Aang, and Bato.

* Ozai’s attitude towards Azula doesn’t make sense at all. Ozai basks in the glory of being a powerful firebender. His identity is firebending. Ozai married Ursa so his children would be powerful firebenders. Ozai wanted to kill baby Zuko because he wasn’t a powerful firebender. Ozai almost killed Zuko again after he rudely asked for the thrown and was told to sacrifice his son. Azula is Ozai’s pride and joy. She’s the firebending prodigy that’s perfect. Azula has never had to worry about whether her father loves her because Ozai has always favored Azula.

* Just me thing but I think Ozai was way scarier without a face. Only knowing him as Zuko’s father that burned his eye was like wow this dude is evil. Then the season 1 ending with Azula was an ominous beginning for them both.

* It’s kind of sad seeing Sokka so unconfident as a warrior. Sokka is a genius and he’s a warrior. He saw through Jet and saved a village. He played airball with Aang to cheer him up at the Southern Air Temple. Sokka helped trick the Sages to open the door for Aang to meet Roku. Sokka also got covered in snot when he first met Appa.

* Pakku didn’t find Katara’s necklace on the ground and I can’t believe they’re going to just write off Gramp Gramp like that. Why doesn’t Aang ever learn waterbending? Like the first season/book is called water and he is supposed to go the North Pole to learn waterbending. He doesn’t even know any waterbending by the end of the first season. You wrote out Iroh hitting on June but you wrote in June hitting on Iroh. Seriously?? Is Smellerbee the only girl in this LA that’s correctly done right? The Cave of Two Lovers isn’t even in season one!! It’s in season two.

* Bumi was done dirty. Aang, Katara, and Sokka got arrested for being goofy kids and destroying cabbages. Bumi came off as this mad king that was giving Aang three deadly challenges. Each one Aang had to think differently to solve. At the end when Aang realized the king was Bumi they laughed together and reminisced. Bumi set it up to show Aang that he would have to face many difficulties ahead as the avatar. He had no hard feelings towards Aang once. Bumi was so hateful in the LA towards Aang he acted like he flat out just wanted to hurt Aang.

* Aang is another big one obviously. He’s a kid and that’s just how he acts. Aang also chose to runaway. He was almost alone once he learned about being the avatar. His friends didn’t play the way they used to. And his best friend Gyatsu was all he had. When Aang heard they were going to take him away from Gyatsu he ran away because he knew that he would be alone. Being avatar wasn’t so much seen as a heavy responsibility at the time to a kid like Aang but it was the cause of his loneliness and he resented the title. Learning the abilities that followed were cool to Aang because he wasn’t alone and had new friends. LA Aang acts so serious and mature when Aang is serious-ly not mature at all.

I have to congratulate Netflix on one thing though. I hated the LA so much it made me miss the animated ATLA so I went out to the store and bought the animated set. Rewatching it is reliving the best days of my life.

I don’t blame any actors in the LA. I truly think they all did the best with what Netflix gave them. It’s not easy to act with bad script. 10/10 would have loved to have seen them in a good LA of ATLA made by the creators.

[juana-the-iguana]

The Kat-aang kissing scene at the end of A:tLA was my least favorite scene, but Aang flying away from the GAang in the Sozen's Comet is the most disappointing one. That was supposed to be Part 1 of Aang's character's finale (the fight with Ozai would have been Part 2) and the writers flubbed it.

The scenario parallels him leaving the Southern Air Temple before the show starts.

He was at the air temple (an idyllic, innocent home), the time came for him to leave home and face other aspects of the world but that necessitated leaving behind Gyatsu, the man he loved the most and a parental figure. He's being asked to sacrifice too much for something he never wanted in the first place. He can't handle the pressure so he runs away, leaving behind Gyatsu. Maybe he wanted to run away for good, or maybe he needed to clear his head to come back, but he was never allowed to choose because there is a massive storm and he only survives because of spiritual intervention. When he wakes up after 100 years, his destiny is clear but his survival has come at a clear cost: Gyatsu is gone, and so are the Air Nomads.

And here's what happens before Aang runs away in the last few episodes:

He's at his home on an Eden-like island, the time came for him to confront the Fire Lord and that means killing Ozai. This is against his beliefs and would mean a departure from the culture and people he cherished. It's too much, he didn't even want to fight that battle, he wanted to lay low and keep training in this paradise. He can't handle the pressure so he runs away, leaving behind the people he loves the most, including Katara who is also a maternal figure in his life (they literally recreated La Pieta in Ba Sing Se). He is now in the middle of another sea, but unlike 100 years ago the water is warm and there is no physical storm forcing him there. This is a spiritual location and he talks to past Avatars. When he leaves his destiny is clear.

There's just one thing missing from the story this time around and it's the sacrifice.

They set one up in the form of letting go of his attachment to Katara. He did that in Ba Sing Se and still died, so when he returns he doubles down on his attachment to her to the detriment of her and their relationship.

Katara was an idea to him, she represented all of his worldly attachments. He had to let her go for his own good, but things didn't work out the way he wanted and he was free floating. He could hold on to his attachment to her and leave behind his Avatar duties (which he tried to do) or let her go for good.

When Aang leaves, Katara is the last person to try to get him to stay. This should be a significant moment, but the show just brushes by it. The audience should note how she is angry at him and showing that anger to him, which is not what she has done in the past when he runs away. Something is different between them. Their relationship is not the way it was before and it will never be that way again. He already lost her, he just needs to accept it.

This could have been very powerful moment. This should have been a powerful moment and the show should have built off of that emotionally.

Leaving behind Katara (again) should have been on the forefront of his mind. There should have been clear parallels to Ba Sing Se. And then it should have become obvious that his (romantic) relationship with her was already dead. She rejected him in EIP, he pushed her too far and now they're fighting again.

He should look at that and realize that and thought of what other ideas he is holding to an impossible, unrealistic standard. And, just like he is still able to be friends with Katara even though the idealized version of her no longer exists in his eyes (or rather, it shouldn't have after EIP), he should have realized that some of his beliefs about the Air Nomads are the same way. He had unrealistic ideas of what it meant to be an Air Nomad that he learned during a time of peace. He can still be an Air Nomad, even if he doesn't follow those beliefs to the law (and have Yangchen tell him that!).

Make him have to leave behind Katara like he had to leave behind Gyatsu and that same idea. It's hard, it's painful, but it is necessary to fulfill his destiny.

He literally does not need to kill Ozai. Personally, I like the idea of taking his aversion to violence that we see at the start of the series and turning it up to 10 after he wakes up at the start of the season. He's not scared to fight Ozai during the Day of Black Sun because he might not be prepared, he's scared to fight. Bring back his fear of confrontation from the start of the show! Killing is just the icing on top of this terrifying cake. His big "prove himself" moment should be showing up to fight in the first place! (It also makes him being totally ok with his friends killing other people seem a lot less hypocritical).

Idk that's just my idea, but there are so many other options that can carry the narrative full circle.

But the writers went the lion turtle route instead.

[sokkastyles]

Just saw some people excusing Azula proposing genocide by saying that she was only attacking the rebels' land and not them specifically, because she just wanted to crush their hope to intimidate them into surrendering and not the people themselves, so it was fine. Apparently, Ozai was the one who turned that into burning down the Earth Kingdom, and Azula would have never proposed something like that. Goes on to say that Azula was justified since she was following orders, and that she did a bloodless coup on Ba Sing Se so that must mean she's not actually bad. It then descends into a variation of the "Azula is a pacifist" argument that her stans love to espouse. And a solid conclusion by comparing season 1 Zuko and Azula and questioning why people loved Zuko so much. You cannot make this up.

Azula is introduced in her first episode threatening to kill one of her men for questioning her order to sail her ship directly into dangerous waters. People love to talk about how badass that line is but then will absolutely say Azula didn't actually mean it, which is ignoring WHY it's badass. You can easily contrast this scene with the scene of Zuko ordering his men around because they don't listen to him or react with fear the same way Azula's men do to her, and the scene is framed as Zuko acting like a brat. This is because the men KNOW that Zuko will not make good on his threats. But the man Azula threatened was clearly terrified of her. She makes casual threats where Zuko yells and blusters like the inexperienced kid he is. All of this is meant to tell us that Azula has done similar things before, and will follow through on her threats, and won't think too much about it. Witness also the terrified reaction when the soldier accidentally lets slip that Zuko and Iroh are prisoners, and Azula glares at him. ATLA is a kids' show but that just means that the writing has to subtly convey how dangerous the bad guys are without actually showing onscreen violence, and this is one way they do it. By implying that Azula would casually kill someone merely for questioning an order, even when the order is illogical.

If she would treat her own men this way, her own people, what do you think she would do to people she considers ethnically inferior, who she believes she has a divine right to rule over, as she tells Long Feng?

"She just wanted to crush their hope" is as hilariously, horribly myopic and amoral a sentence as "Azula wanted to go with her dad on a scorched earth mission because she wanted his love." Yeah she did, but so what? She's willing to sacrifice the lives of thousands of people who she considers inherently inferior to her to get that love. Her relationship with her father is not more important than preventing genocide, sorry.

I mean, it's laughable to think that this plan wouldn't result in the deaths of thousands of lives anyway, even if the only plan was to intimidate them into surrendering.

What Azula suggested was this:

I think you should take their precious hope and the rest of their land and burn it all to the ground.

So her plan involved burning the land, which would undeniably result in wide scale loss of life, and also taking "their hope" and "burn[ing] it all to the ground."

You have to be vastly ignorant to think that this doesn't involve loss of life. Ozai even compares it to the Air Nomad genocide

But even if we say it was all just Ozai's plan, Azula still was crushed that she didn't get to go with him and be in on it. Even if she was just standing by while her father burned down villages (which she would not be doing, she'd absolutely be part of it) it is still horrific to suggest that she has no responsibility because she just wanted her father to love her.

On top of that, it is both shockingly ignorant and alarmingly racist to suggest that once the Earth Kingdom is conquered, there would be no more loss of life. History suggests otherwise. Do you know what happens to conquered people? Do you know what, historically, crushing a people's hope actually means? And once a people is crushed, well, then their lives don't really matter all that much, do they?

I don't want to get into too much graphic detail but if you look at historical conflicts involving conquests that are specifically designed to systematically disenfranchise and crush the hope of an entire people, you hear about pillaging and internment camps but there's less publicity for the casual loss of life that is very much happening while those things are also occurring, as part of the "intimidation" tactics. Because the ultimate goal is to wipe out a people, even though that's rarely what it's publicly said to be, and don't pretend that it's anything less than that.

And do you think that once Azula had conquered Omashu and Ba Sing Se, that there would be a way to stop the loss of life that would occur once the place was crawling with FN enforcers? We see how stuff like that happens even among the different people of the Earth Kingdom, how the war allows EK soldiers to take control in the town in "Zuko Alone" and use their power to bully others.

And if you've dehumanized an entire race of people that much, it's not that far of a step to commit to taking lives.

That's the point. That's the point of Iroh's backstory and the point of Zuko's redemption. Life, all life, is precious and fragile and deserves to be treated with respect and protected. That's also why people like Jet or Hama don't get a free pass for their actions because they were victims. And neither does Azula.

[itspronouncedjulia]

How’s it going @itspronouncedjulia ?

Just had a thought that you might be interested in. It’s an ATLA/HOD idea.

When Ozai confronts his father and declares that he is a better heir than Iroh, Azulon demanded that Ozai kill Zuko in recompense in canon. In this idea, Azulon still demands that Ozai still kill one of children. However, instead of it being Zuko, Azulon orders that Ozai’s clear favorite (his namesake), his daughter Azula be killed instead.

Now Azula (who I think was eight or seven years old at the time) was eavesdropping on this conversation, and she was undoubtedly scared and angered. The one parent she thought would always be on her side, turned on her in a snap of the Fire lords fingers.

Azula did not trust Ursa to protect her and there was no one else she could turn to. So Azula ran as fast as she could. She made it to the edge of the Palace until guards began to close around her. While Ozai began to approach her, apologize about the circumstance. Azula understood and accepted her fate, her father would not sacrifice his ambition for her well being. These were the ideals he tried to raise her by after all.

Except something happened. See, the Spirit of Sun and War Agni pitied the girl. He had blessed with rare Fire bending abilities and talents. With the potential to become one of the greatest practitioners in all of history. He did not do so lightly, as he saw she would need it in order to cope with families lack of… well everything.

So Agni, rather than letting a youth of such potential die a most painful death. Opened a portal over her, and bring her through it. Sending Azula to a different world.

Azula landed in the world of Planetos. Specifically, on the island of Dragonstone. Landing in the arms of the lady of the island. Rhaenyra Targaryen. For her part, Rhaenyra was wondering how/why a small presumably “Yi-Tish” child, that looked near death, while having blue flames appear from her hands, just landed in her arms out of no where. Of course, Rhaenyra took her to the Maester first.

———

This is basically my long winded way to ask, what if Rhaenyra Targaryen raised Azula? How would the presence of the worlds most powerful Fire bender (I am of the view that Azula eventually surpassed by Iroh and Ozai in the comics) effect the dance of dragons?

How would being raised by a mother that cares and actually shows it (Rhaenyra) affect Azula? Does Azula become a dragon rider?

Does Azula eventually return to the world of Avatar? Possibly with a dragon in tow. She has to meet her future wife (Katara) somehow, no?

What do you think of the idea/promt/what have you?

Thanks for the ask @745voiceofthepeople! So I have actually seen one story where Azula gets isekai’d into the Dance of the Dragons but she was on the Greens side and paired with Aegon II so I didn’t get far into that story lol

But I absolutely love this idea. I would love to see what Azula, raised by a doting mother, and away from Ozai and the rest of the Royal Family, would turn out like. I think a lot would stay the same but a lot would be different as well.

I do think she would be a dragon rider simply because I always like the idea of Azula having a dragon lol Although which dragon she claims, I'm unsure. Maybe an egg hatches for her and she gets her own dragon? Not one of the unclaimed ones.

Overall it's a great idea and something I would definately like to explore doing in the future! Even if it's not a full story of the Dance but just writing her getting spoiled and doted on by Rhaenyra would be fun.

Thanks for the ask and the idea @745voiceofthepeople!

[childofaura]

Some things you think the Atla fandom gets wrong

Sorry, I was out at an event for the weekend, so I didn't have time to pull up my computer to answer this one.

I'm... very curious about this ask because I haven't really talked about ATLA in a while since that Azula post that went to hell in a handbasket. But I feel like I can answer it now that I'm not hyped on caffeine and can word my thoughts a little better.

Sooooo... Things I think the ATLA fandom gets wrong:

The opinion that Aang not wanting to kill Ozai means that he's weak. I don't like this opinion because it really seems like people are forgetting that Aang is entrenched in a culture that focuses on peace and coexistence. Yes we know that the Air Nomads were capable of killing since we saw that Gyatso was able to beat some ass at the Air Temple, but you're asking a twelve-year-old boy to traumatize himself and kill someone. I think Aang thinking creatively and taking away Ozai's powers was for the best.

The opinion that Azula could have had a proper and satisfactory redemption IF HER CHARACTER ARC AND PERSONALITY HAD REMAINED THE SAME. And before I get any trigger-happy jackasses jumping on my case again, I am not looking at this from a standpoint of "no character can be redeemed", I am not looking at it from a "She's a girl therefore she can't be redeemed but Zuko can" (what even is that opinion that these people have???), AND NO I AM NOT COMPARING A FICTIONAL CARTOON CHARACTER TO REAL LIFE CHILD SOLDIERS, SHUT THE FUCK UP. The reason why Azula's redemption doesn't work is entirely from a character writing/story writing standpoint. She simply was not set up by the writers to have a proper and satisfactory redemption arc. Blame the writers. There's many female redemption arcs I've loved that TRULY work: Laevatein/Laegjarn, Nomura, Lady Micte (Yes, I would argue that even though she was a good guy for most of Maya and the Three, her "redemption" came from Maya's birth. She was fully willing to sacrifice Maya until she actually gave birth to her and felt that maternal love for her.), Lust in the 2003 FMA (though whether that was a true redemption or not is still up to debate), and so on and so forth. But had Azula had a redemption, it would not have felt earned nor fitting. I love Azula, I love how deliciously sadistic she is, how she plays around and toys with her enemies, how she knows how to get under the skin of her enemies just right. But I love her as a villain, the same way I love Atrocitus as a villain, how I love MK 95 Shang Tsung as a villain, how I love Skeletor and Evelyn and Kronis as villains, you get my point.

The opinion that Toph would have been labeled as "too woke" for today's standards of characters. Bro, you know what makes Toph amazing? She's BALANCED. She isn't invincible, she isn't always right, and she doesn't act selfishly to boost herself. She was COMPETENTLY WRITTEN. She LOSES her first fight with Aang, and after the dinner scene, she and Aang make amends and she shares a moment of vulnerability with him by opening up to him. She can't see if her feet aren't touching the ground and she can't properly fight in sand. She's stubborn and sometimes refuses to listen to people even when they're right and has consequences for it (insisting that she can help put up the posters for Aapa and then slamming it on backwards). If Toph had the same writing from back then and was shown today. she'd be showcased as what writers NEED to be doing instead of giving us shitty women like Smith's Teela, Amber, or She-Hulk.

That's honestly all I can think of. I'm sure this will stir the pot a bit but honestly I feel safe enough answering this.

[scottspack]

I FINISHED AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER

[atlabeth]

everything happens for a reason part 5 - zuko x fem!reader

I can go anywhere I want, I can go anywhere just not home

part 4 | masterlist | part 6

a/n: this was hard to get going but once i got to the end the words just flowed. ive come to the conclusion that writing dialogue with katara is my favorite thing to do

warning(s): nightmare at the beginning, survivor's guilt from y/n, some internalized homophobia :-( but aside from that its mostly fluff

wc: 3.6k

chapter title comes from my tears ricochet by taylor swift!

She was trapped.

It was a prison of never ending hallways in some kind of infinite void, complete with the rank stench of death and an innate feeling of hopelessness.

Y/N knew this place. It had been the subject of her nightmares on countless occasions, because it was where she was supposed to be. She had no choice but to start down the pathway of cracked stone — she knew what awaited her, but it was the only way out. She had developed some sick sense of awareness in this nightmare and it didn’t do her any favors.

She began to walk hastily down the path, the itch of paranoia already plaguing the back of her mind. Countless times she had been here, and yet it never got better.

Before Y/N knew it, she had reached her unwanted destination. The first tangible thing in what felt like miles was a prison cell, and she pushed forward despite knowing what awaited her. It was the only way.

“It wasn’t the only way.”

She froze, inhaling sharply as the dreamscape seemed to pull her thoughts out of her mind, and she forced herself to take another step closer, the inhabitant of the cell now visible.

“You did this to me.”

It was her mother, but… not quite her. Her voice strained and stiff, a gaunt appearance with cruel eyes, hunched over in a prison cell. Any sign of the woman Y/N knew her as was gone, and it was her fault. She was the reason Kura was gone — a mother’s ultimate sacrifice because her daughter was too stuck in her head.

“How could you do this to me?” she asked. “How could you be so selfish?”

Y/N tried to respond, but she couldn’t. It was no use anyway — her words would’ve come out in broken, pleading rambles to someone who couldn’t hear a thing. She knew it was fake, she knew this was a nightmare, but it still hurt all the same.

She had imagined her mother saying those words to her so many times they had found their way into her nightmares despite knowing that Kura would never utter a single syllable true to her fears. She had all but killed her mother, and instead of remembering her for what she had done for Y/N, she appeared in her nightmares.

She was a horrible daughter.

She heard footsteps and whirled around, instinctively taking a step back and wincing as her back slammed into the bars. A tall, dark figure creeped towards her and her breath caught in her throat — as it came into the light, she recognized him as the Fire Lord.

He chuckled coldly as he neared ever closer, the path he walked turning to flames behind him. Her eyes darted around for an escape only to find that everything was on fire. It was suffocating, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think, and when she turned to look for her mother she was gone. Everything was gone, her dark void now a prison of flames.

She turned around once more and Ozai was right in front of her, the fire in his hands glowing red hot and a cruel smile on his lips.

“Did you really think you could get away that easily?”

-

She shot up in her bed, a scream on the edge of her lips but just barely managing to hold it back. Ragged breaths were ripped from her chest, her eyes shooting around wildly as she attempted to find anything at all to ground her. It took a few minutes, but with repeated mantras of it was just a dream and you are safe, she was able to calm down.

She pulled her knees to her chest and exhaled long and deep before pulling herself out of bed. It seemed that her day was going to be starting much earlier than planned.

Four years had passed since her arrival at the Northern Water Tribe, but the nightmares never ceased. It didn’t matter how many times she told herself she had done the right thing, that it was what her mother wanted, that if she stayed she would’ve died — she was constantly haunted by her past actions and memories of the Fire Nation.

She hasn’t taken off the necklace since her mother gave it to her, no matter what she does. It’s almost become a part of her now — a memory of Kura and her selflessness that knew no bounds, as well as a grim reminder of what it cost to get her here.

The Northern Water Tribe itself held countless memories of her mother — after all, it was where she had spent the first eighteen years of her life. Her name was well known throughout the tribe with nobles and elders alike, and it amazed Y/N to no end the impact that her mother left everywhere she went. She loved hearing stories about her mother and what she was like as a child, but it was always bittersweet.

She always carried an inherent sense of guilt with her because of who she lived with — her mother hadn’t been lying when she said that the necklace would get them to help her. Kura’s parents still lived in the tribe, and they had taken Y/N in after she revealed who she was. They loved her unconditionally and never made her feel like a burden, but Y/N would be lying to herself if she didn’t think they blamed her for the fate that befell her mother.

After all, she did.

She had never told anyone the full story of why she ran though. It was one thing to leave her mother behind for certain death because of the Fire Lord’s rage, it was another thing to admit that it was wholly her fault because she had fallen for a prince.

Zuko.

Not a day went by where she didn’t think of him. She still held the hope that she would see him again someday, but in lieu of travel she turned to letters.

Y/N had a shelf full of unmailed letters addressed to both Zuko and her mother — it was a way to get out her emotions whenever she was feeling particularly homesick or hopeless, and it did help at first, but after four years it had become something born out of habit rather than necessity.

She still wrote them though — Y/N had learned to hold onto any form of hope she could muster up, no matter how small, and in this moment she needed some.

She opened her shelf and rifled through piles upon piles of letters, some finished, some hardly started, and some crumpled from fits of rage, and her breath caught in her throat when her fingers brushed something different. Y/N pulled the material out and nearly started crying right then and there.

It was an unbelievably simple patch of fabric, but it meant the world to her — something that she had bought during her last night with Zuko, and one of the only pieces of material to have survived her journey to the Northern Water Tribe. She was forced to sell the rest of the fabric she had brought with her in order to make some easy money while on the run, but she had kept this as a memento. She could almost be brought back to the final sunset they shared if she looked at it for long enough.

Y/N bit down hard on her lip to stop the tears and shoved it back into the drawer before closing it and leaving her room in a haste. Sometimes she wasn’t strong enough to handle the memories.

She made her way to the living room and let out a sigh of relief when she noticed the silence. Y/N had never told her grandparents about the nightmares, and right now she just needed some time to herself. Never before was she so thankful for her grandmother’s gossiping nature and her grandfather’s work than she was in the mornings where she just wanted to be alone.

She sat down on the floor, not even bothering to get a cushion, and stared at her hands. Once smooth and untouched by the world, they were now rough and calloused with wrapped bandages resting just below her wrist. Permanent memories of what it took to get here. The ever present reminder that nothing came without a cost.

This morning seemed to be one full of yearning for the past. Y/N tried to shake her feelings off and got up once more, contemplating some steamed sea prunes before deeming it fruitless. Her appetite was lacking after her trip down memory lane.

She walked back to her room and got dressed hastily then ran out the door, but not before plucking a gift from her shelf. Today marked the birthday of a certain princess, and Y/N had to go fast if she was going to get it to her before class.

She was immediately hit by the frigid air of the North, pulling her anorak tighter around her frame as she began to run to the canals — one could always find Princess Yue there in the mornings — doing her best to avoid anyone else walking.

Y/N saw Yue just about to board one of the boats and sped up, waving one of her arms as a signal. “Yue, wait!”

She turned and her face immediately brightened up at the sight of Y/N, raising her open palm so the boatman would hold up. “Y/N! Would you like to join me?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

Yue’s nod prompted a shrug as she dropped down carefully into the gondola, taking extra care not to drop her gift, and took a seat next to her friend.

“This is a nice surprise,” Yue smiled as the boatman began to waterbend, effectively moving their gondola through the canal. “But if I might ask, what brought you here so early?”

Y/N laughed, thinking her reason for coming here obvious. “It’s your birthday, princess! What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t come to wish you well in person?”

Her smile grew even brighter, the corners of her eyes creasing up in the way that made some kind of warmth blossom in Y/N’s chest. “Thank you! That’s so sweet — I’m especially honored that you woke up early just for me.”

“Of course.” Y/N brandished the gift she had been doing her best to hide, unable to do the same for her own smile. “And here’s your gift! I sewed it all myself.”

Yue gasped as she took the creation, giving it a slight squeeze and a thorough investigation before absolutely beaming. “You made me an otter penguin— oh, you know how much I love these!”

She wrapped Y/N in a tight hug before pulling away, but it was just long enough for the heat to rush to her cheeks. “Thank you so much, really. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Y/N beamed at the praise and nodded, shifting a little in her seat. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m glad you like it so much.”

The two girls grinned at each other then turned their gaze to the horizon, content to spend the rest of the ride together in comfortable silence.

Her friendship with the princess of the Northern Water Tribe was something that Y/N cherished with all her heart. She could confidently say that Princess Yue was her best friend, and she hoped it was a notion that Yue shared. As beautiful as she was kind, the princess always had a way of making her feel better on the hardest days — Yue was the only one who knew the whole truth of what happened in the Fire Nation, and she offered nothing but sympathy.

Y/N honestly didn’t know what she would do without Yue. She had been her rock during the whole process of getting situated in the tribe, always lending a helping hand when she stumbled in class or was completely oblivious to something in their culture, and she never made her feel stupid, or unwanted, or less-than for what she had come from.

The only thing that confused her about Yue was the feeling she got whenever Y/N was around her. The rushes of heat to her cheeks, the warmth blossoming in her chest, and the unusual happiness she felt anytime Yue smiled at her. The most peculiar of it all was the strange tug of jealousy any time a noble boy tried to flirt with the princess, and nothing but disinterest whenever they tried an angle on her instead.

She didn’t know what any of it meant, but she had the sneaking suspicion that it was wrong. So Y/N did the only thing she could and suppressed it.

Soon enough, though much to their chagrin, Y/N had to leave. After some exchanged hugs and one last wish of happy birthday, Y/N took off for her morning healing class. But as she hurried down the icy paths, she caught sight of the most peculiar thing.

A giant flying bison was being led through the canals with a team of waterbenders, three kids that couldn’t be any older than her on its back. One had an arrow on his head and sported orange and yellow robes, while the other two looked to be of Water Tribe descent.

Her interest was irrefutably piqued, but she didn’t have any more time to waste with gawking. So she began to run once again, apologies spilling from her lips as she maneuvered through the groups of people all just as awestruck by the strange arrival as she was. Y/N made a mental note to ask Yue about it later, but for now she was running very late to her healing class.

-

Sure enough, a few hours later, Y/N was able to get the answers she had been craving. She met up with Yue outside of the palace, and during a short walk, she learned that the boy was the Avatar. He had come to the Northern Water Tribe to master waterbending, and the two kids with him were his companions from the Southern Tribe — much to her excitement, the girl was a waterbender.

Needless to say, Y/N was even more enthusiastic than before, and Yue made her day by confirming that they would be coming to her birthday celebration that night as honored guests. She had already talked to her father about allowing Y/N to sit with her and he had said yes, which meant that she would get to meet him and his friends in person — it just served as a reminder that Y/N had no idea what she would do without Yue.

After what felt like hours of passing the time with lost games of Pai Sho against her grandfather and failed attempts at finishing her homework, it was finally time for the banquet. Once she arrived at the front of the palace she bid goodbye to her grandparents and went to find the seat that Yue had secured for her.

She settled down in the empty spot next to what she assumed was Yue’s — it was her birthday after all, so a dramatic entrance wasn’t out of the question — and nervously glanced at the three visitors, trying to figure out how to introduce herself.

Thankfully, she was saved when the girl met her eyes and waved, offering a friendly smile. “Hi! I’m Katara; this is my brother Sokka, and that’s Aang.” She gestured in their direction with her head when she said their names and they both smiled and gave her polite nods.

She returned the sentiment gratefully. “I’m Y/N— I’m one of Princess Yue’s friends. Welcome to the Northern Water Tribe!”

“Thanks!” Aang said. “We’re here to find a master so Katara and I can master waterbending.”

“Well, you’re in luck. Master Pakku is one of the best there is, and even though he’s a total jerk, he’ll be able to teach you everything you need to know. And Katara, we have some amazing healing teachers— I can bring you along to my class tomorrow if you’re interested!”

Katara’s eyes lit up. “You’re a waterbender too?” When Y/N nodded, her smile grew even bigger, though slightly wistful.

“I’d really appreciate that,” she admitted, though her brows knit together. “But I’d like to learn from Master Pakku as well.”

Y/N frowned, about to correct her, when the distinct sound of drums began to echo throughout the hall. Her displeasure immediately disappeared as she grinned at them all excitedly, gesturing with her head towards the action.

Chief Arnook stood up from his spot and their table, his low voice booming. “Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the Southern Tribe. And they have brought with them someone very special, someone whom many of us believed disappeared from the world until now… the Avatar!”

Y/N’s own applause joined a symphony of others clapping and cheering as Aang waved bashfully, and once it died down, Arnook continued. “We also celebrate my daughter’s sixteenth birthday. Princess Yue is now of marrying age!”

She grinned as Yue walked out alongside her attendants — she would never get used to her beauty. Y/N noticed the way that Sokka’s eyes widened as he stared at her, and her stomach twisted at the act for some unknown reason.

“Thank you, Father,” she said. “May the great Ocean and Moon Spirits watch over us during these troubled times!”

Arnook smiled at his daughter and directed his attention back to his people. “Now, Master Pakku and his students will perform!”

She could tell that Katara and Aang were enraptured by the bending, while Sokka’s attention was already on Yue as she walked over to sit between Sokka and Y/N.

“I’m so glad you could make it!” Yue exclaimed, greeting her friend with a short embrace.

Y/N gave her a sideways smile. “If you think that I would miss your birthday and a banquet, then I’m afraid you’re out of practice on Y/N trivia.”

The princess laughed and nodded amiably then turned her attention to Sokka, ever the diplomat.

“Hi there,” he grinned. “Sokka, Southern Water Tribe.”

Yue returned the sentiment and gave him a slight bow. “Very nice to meet you.”

As their conversation went on, Y/N found herself tuning out a bit. For whatever reason, she had to actively stop herself from rolling her eyes at Sokka’s flirting, that same feeling in her stomach coming back. She made a mental note to see a healer about her issues.

“Hey, Y/N!” She snapped out of her self-imposed trance at the sound of Katara calling her name as she gestured for her to come over. It looked like Aang had gotten up to converse with Master Pakku and Chief Arnook, so she took the invitation and switched seats.

“I can’t tell you how nice it is to finally be here,” Katara said once Y/N had settled next to her. “Back home, I’m the only waterbender. Here… it’s like paradise. It almost feels too good to be true. I mean, even seeing you is crazy — I’ve never met a waterbender my age.”

Y/N smiled, though not without a hint of sadness. “I’m sorry that it’s taken so long for you to be able to experience this. How are you the only bender left down there?”

Katara was silent for a moment, a flurry of emotions warring on her face, before she answered. “The Southern Tribe hasn’t fared half as well as the Northern Tribe during the war. We don’t have one big, huge capital like this, we’re all split up into small villages. The Fire Nation has just been relentless with their raids, and without support from the North and a lack of communication between our sister tribes in the South, they were able to wipe us all out. Except for me.”

“Spirits, Katara…” Y/N set an amiable hand on her shoulder and squeezed, hoping that her softened expression could say what her words couldn’t. “My village was invaded when I was young, too. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.”

She nodded pensively but managed to meet her eyes with an appreciative smile. “Thank you. I’m sorry about your village as well.” Her gaze drifted off, once again taking in the view around them, and when Katara met her eyes again she seemed better. “But we’re here now, and I’m planning to take advantage of everything I can, starting with all this food. Which one of these is your favorite?”

Y/N grinned as Katara pointed at the platter of various dishes in front of them. “Oh, you’ve got to try this. See that giant crab up there? That’s what this is, and you have not lived until you have tried Northern crab.”

Conversation flowed just as easily through the rest of the night between the two girls, occasionally switching to include Sokka and Yue and eventually Aang once he returned. Between the swells of pride whenever they laughed at her jokes, getting to learn about all three of them, and the almost palpable euphoria in the air, Y/N was sure of one thing:

This was the happiest she had felt in a long time. She could only hope it would last.

-

perm tag list: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin @maruchan77

ehfar: @chandies-sideblog @persica27 @anzanity @randomthingssss @escapingthoughtsandsecrets @shanksfav @shephard17895

atla: @marianne1806

[zuko-always-lies]

Mai and Boiling Rock

Let’s say that Mai runs into the same situation at Boiling Rock as she did in canon, except that Azula is dead, a 1000 miles away, or a member of Team Avatar.

Does Mai still make the same decision as she did in canon? Yes, because she’s still willing to commit treason and sacrifice herself in order to prevent Zuko from suffering a horrible death.

Is Mai still going to suffer severe consequences for her actions? Yes, she just committed the highest of treasons and aided the escape of a traitor prince who aims to kill the Firelord. In fact, with Azula not being around, Mai will likely suffer far more severe consequences than she did in canon and will quite possibly be executed in a horrific way. Historically, the penalty for treason in almost every society is death, in historical East Asian societies it was usually “horrible death combined with the death of your entire family,” and Ozai has pretty clearly declared he wasn’t going to show any mercy anymore and is just itching for someone to punish since Zuko had survived his attempts to kill on DoBS. And remember that the canonical penalty for desertion from the Fire Nation military is death.

Is fear of “the consequences” still supposed to keep Mai in line? Yes, the Fire Nation has a legalist ideology and controls people through fear. Fear is repeatedly shown to be foundational to Fire Nation governance.

If we can remove Azula from the equation and still get the same results, if we can still be left with the very same equation, maybe Azula isn’t at the core of Mai’s decision.

Is there a still a strong personal element to what happened? Azula definitely takes it very personally, and much more so once Mai deliberately makes it as personal as possible. And Mai does that, and also very effectively verbally lashes out at and hurts Azula, because she’s very angry and resentful at Azula for Azula’s behavior. Most of this anger and resentment is very reasonable, but some of it is probably less so. Some of it actually probably stems from Mai misunderstanding some things(i.e. Mai quite possibly believing that Azula had somehow given the order to cut the lines since the actual sequence of events is too crazy to believe, or Mai believing that Azula has to/will have her executed for her high treason while not understanding how far Azula is willing to go to protect her).

Edit: I forgot to add that in the moment Mai likely saw Azula far more as a symbol and representative of the Fire Nation and its awful society and laws, as a representative of a system which had repressed and controlled Mai since birth and was about to destroy her for asserting her independence, than she saw Azula as her friend.

Would Mai not have committed treason if Azula had always been the world’s best friend? Possibly, but I still suspect that she would have made the same decision, because she’s unwilling to let someone she loves die such a horrific death.

[the-badger-mole]

Let's say you're on the writing team for Avatar when it was just an idea Bryke had. They've stepped back, letting the writers do what they do best. While Bryke certainly offer suggestions, they don't try shoehorning in their ideas.

What aspects of canon would you change and keep the same??

Would you have elements of a one-sided Kat@@ng, with Aang learning to let Katara go, or not have it at all??

If you were to write Aang as a character you actually liked, how would you do it??

Oh! I like this ask. Bet! Get a snack, because this is a long one.

In Book 1, I would keep Aang pretty much the same, but I would frame certain things he did the way they should have been framed. Like his whole deal on Kyoshi, leaving Katara to do all the work so he could flirt. That would have much more of an impact on his friendship with her. Subtle at first, but it would be the first blow against Kataang. Katara would gradually over the course of that first season have to confront the fact that she's pinned all her hopes of ending the war on a child. I think that making her face that reality would open the door to more conversations about how he felt about what the world expected him to do, and that would in turn lead to Katara helping Aang to face what happened at the siege on the NWT, and what he was being trained to do honestly.

Book 2 would be where Aang is confronted with his duty as the Avatar and what "ending the war" would mean. By this point, he knows in no uncertain terms that he's expected to kill Ozai at the very least, and his crisis of conscience happens here, and this is where he would start trying to figure out alternatives. At the same time, the people he's meeting talk to Aang and his friends honestly about what they've experienced in the war- famine; disease; loss of homes; seeing loved ones suffer and die brutally.

It all has an effect on Aang, and makes him cling tighter to Katara. Katara interprets it as platonic and doubles down on mothering Aang, even trying to shield him from the worst of the realities of the war as much as she can. When Aang tells his friends once again that he isn't sure if he can kill Ozai, someone snaps at him- Sokka I think- and tells him how the war has affected all of his friends personally, and that they don't have the luxury of feeling bad about Ozai dying, and what did Aang really think the army they were trying to gather was going to do on the battlefield, have a tickle fight (yeah...this feels like a Sokka moment). Here is where Aang finds out about Kya, I think.

Aang still goes to (the much less racist version of) Guru Pathik, and still fails to let go of his attachment to Katara. Zuko and Katara still have that moment in the caves. I haven't decided if Zuko still turns on them- on the one hand, I do think him joining the Gaang here could work. on the other hand, I think he needed to go home and see how much it doesn't fit him anymore. I could go either way. Aang still gets shot by the lightning and Katara still saves him.

As Aang and his friends travel through the Fire Nation, they spend more time with the poorest citizens. They find out how much they've suffered because of the war, and how much they also want it to end. Katara's stint as the Painted Lady lasts much longer, and she becomes a sort of urban legend, which may or may not get back to Caldera. If Zuko is on their side at this point, they start planting the seeds of rebellion on the promise of ending the war (none of the FN citizens know who he is of course). The Footloose episode doesn't happen. It's stupid and adds nothing. Instead, there's more focus on the propaganda and fear the FN leaders are spreading and finding out that there's already a rebellion brewing among certain pockets of the people. Piando plays a much bigger role in this season. He knows who they are, and helps connect them with a growing resistance movement.

Aang is still hung up on Katara, and still hasn't told them that he can't enter the AS or why. On the DoBS, he figures it won't matter since neither he nor Ozai can use firebending anyway. He keeps it too himself, and lies to his friends about being prepared to kill Ozai (well...not so much lying as telling them he's going to do what he has to and letting them assume). He still kisses Katara. They still lose this battle. The adults still sacrifice themselves for the kids to getaway.

When they get to the Air Temple, things get heated with Aang and Katara. Aang tries to run off and go play immediately, but this time, Katara lets him have it. She reminds him that she just lost her father again because he and so many other people surrendered to give them the chance to escape. She lays into him about his laziness and disregard for the people around him and tells him that he needs to shape up, or he'd get everyone killed. She becomes a lot stricter with his training at this point. Not cruel, but she's a lot less likely to tell Toph or Zuko to go easy on him, and she raises her expectations for his waterbending.

Aang gets his feelings hurt and he goes off by himself deep into the temple. He finds writings on AN culture and philosophy and actually begins learning about his people. He learns about airbending techniques he never learned. Some of it is clearly meant for battle. Aang learns that his people's views on the sanctity of life and killing aren't as black and white as he'd believed. This is also where he gets a hint of energy bending.

The Firebending Masters, Boiling Rock, and TSR still happen. Mai does not rescue Zuko and Co- that was something that never made sense to me. But then, most of Mai's characterization after CoD makes no sense to me. She's a character that needs a redo, too.

Katara and Zuko get closer during this time. Same as they do in the show. It's not quite yet a crush on either of their sides, but a lot more focus is given to the development of their friendship. They quickly become each other's go-to person in the group for support and to just hang out. Aang sees this and does not like it. It also makes his reaction to the play make a lot more sense, because he's already starting to suspect there's something between them. He confronts Katara about his feelings for her, her feelings for Zuko, and the kiss they never talk about. Katara says she doesn't really know how she feels about any of it, and she doesn't think this is the time or place to talk about it. Aang kisses her again. It's bad. Katara probably hit him this time. They don't talk alone again.

Aang is once again confronted with the expectation that he's going to kill Ozai. He has to this time, because Ozai is going to be at the height of his power, and won't hesitate to cancel Aang's subscription to Life. His friends finally realize he never actually intended to kill Ozai on DoBS, and demand to know what his plan is now. He still hasn't got one. He still hasn't told his friends about the AN philosophy scrolls he found at the air temple. He still insists that he can't in good conscience kill Ozai. Then his friends point out that millions more people will die if he doesn't. Aang goes off, gets kidnapped by the lionturtle and has the conversation with the past Avatars. They tell him he not only should kill Ozai, but he also has to let Katara go so he can use the Avatar State. Aang doesn't want to do either. Then the lionturtle gives him another way. Energy bending

The lionturle's way has consequences, though, and Aang is informed upfront that energy bending would bind him to whoever he used it on, and that it's influence was corrupting. If Aang wasn't careful, he could become as big a threat to the balance of the world as any Fire Lord had ever been. Aang doesn't understand that warning. He chooses energy bending and goes off to face Ozai.

It does not go well. There is no Rock of Destiny to magically give Aang access to the AS. There is just hyperpowered Ozai- with his decades of experience bending, and Aang, whose firebending is also strengthened, but who can't control his power as well as his opponent. He tries some of the battle techniques he read about in his scrolls. He hasn't got them down either, and some of them just feed Ozai's flames, but he manages to trap Ozai in a ball of air and suffocate him and the fire. He doesn't kill Ozai. He just leaves him disoriented long enough to energy bend him. Battle's over.

Aang brings Ozai back to Caldera, expecting to be hailed as a hero. He isn't at first, but then Iroh, Hakoda and other older and wiser people agree that it's better that Ozai gets to stand trial for his crimes. He ends up being sentenced to die anyway. Aang is furious, and then he discovers that some of his anger is Ozai's. He's bound to Ozai and now Aang has to work really hard not to let that bit of Ozai influence his personality. It's difficult, because Aang is genuinely angry enough that he can't tell what's his feelings and what is Ozai. Aang is now dealing with the fact that despite being the Avatar, people aren't willing to take him seriously, and won't not kill Ozai. He also has still not gotten over his crush on Katara and can't control the AS. On top of that Katara tells him that she doesn't feel the same way about him, and later he finds out that she's fallen for Zuko. Hard. Stupid hard. Like, they've already decided to get married in a few years, hard.

It's a bad time to be Aang. Book 3 would end with him being overwhelmed by his hurt, disappointment, and anger. Roku comes to him and suggests that he go back to Guru Pathik and learn from him. And so the last scene is Aang slipping away without telling anyone he's leaving. Toph may or may not join him. IDK.

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Atla - loss of past lives

Here’s some dialogue if Aang was the one to lose his past lives.

Azula: “What happened Aang? I felt a great and painful disturbance between us, you were lying helpless on the ground while the elemental spirits, the badger moles, the two remaining dragons and Appa were fading away and Vaatu was turning into that giant...thing.”

Aang: “The dark avatar ripped Raava right out of me and destroyed her, because her life was linked to the elemental spirits, they died too along with their physical manifestations. Vaatu won.”

Azula: “Well...do your past lives know what to do?

Aang: “No. When Vaatu destroyed Raava, he destroyed my connection to the past Avatars too.”

Azula: “If that’s true then-”

Aang: “The avatar cycle is finished. I am...I was...the last avatar. (Tears up) I’m so sorry Azula.”

Cut to Sokka who was struggling to try and sew up his stab wound on his leg.

Suki: “Do you need help there?”

Sokka: “I got it.”

Suki: “It’s really not an issue-”

Sokka: “I said I got it!”

Azula: “Hey! She was just trying to help! What’s your problem!?”

Sokka: “What do you think?! We’ve thrown everything we had at Ozai but he threw us around like ragdolls for the ten millionth time! Appa’s dead! Iroh’s dead! Both of my parents are dead! The entire white lotus is dead! Aang’s past lives are dead! The whole world has resulted into darkness and chaos! All benders have lost their bending! And in case anyone cares, I was forced to watch Yue die in my arms! AGAIN! (tears up) The real kicker is, she BEGGED for my help! she expected me to save her!”

Azula: “Ok...but I’m sure there’s one thing we haven’t tried yet.”

Sokka: “There’s not! We’ve tried everything! Don’t you get it? He won, we lost! It’s over! (voice breaks and cries) team avatar is finished.”

Suki was gently hugging him.

Azula: “You. Miss Peasant. Surly you haven’t given in to despair. From what I’ve heard, your the most hopeful person in the team.”

Katara: “Hope. Ha! Yes, I’ve held tightly onto hope because I figured that’s what my mother would have wanted. What good has it ever gotten me? Your father killed my father, he destroyed my neckless and stole my bending twice and it wasn’t pleasant the first time!”

Azula: “Your hope allowed to live this long, it allowed you to beat me several times. Sokka was able to teach you how to manage without bending. There’s gotta be a part of you that still believes.”

Katara: “No. Everything we’ve done has been for nothing. It’s too late.”

Azula: “Come on Katara-”

Katara: “Stop! Ok, just shut up!”

Azula slowly stepped back and goes to Toph clawing the ground, Azula grabs her wrist to make her stop.

Toph: “Leave me alone. I’m digging my grave the old fashion way and no, I’ll not leave room for anyone to join. Go dig your own grave.”

Azula: “You’re better than this Blindy.”

Toph: “You don’t know me! You don’t know anything! Don’t pretend that you do! Since when were you the voice of hope, huh?!”

Azula lets go, looks around and sees the hopeless team avatar. Mai was comforting a crying Ty Lee. She turns to Momo who’s ears were droopy.

Azula: “Surely your will hasn’t been broken, right, you little freak?”

Momo chitters sadly and lays down.

Azula: “Oh come on guys! Since when were a bunch of quitters? You’ve all faced death in the face everyday none have blinked! You mean to tell me that not one of you has a plan? Zuko?”

Zuko: “I’m sorry Azula. We gave it our best shot. It’s time we accept our fate with honor.”

Azula: “But...You’re a good man. A better person then I ever was. You’ve endured so much but your will was never broken.”

Zuko: “Everything I am was because uncle Iroh and mother. I thought I could make their sacrifices mean something but I couldn’t. I’m not too afraid or depressed, because I have no regrets. You saved my life once, I’m glad I was able to save you, with Aang’s help of course. I know that even with all this chaos, the spirit of light and peace will return and Vaatu will become the spirit of balance. He’ll succeed where we failed.”

This sparks an idea inside Azula’s head. He looks at Aang and at the three spirit portals. She remembers about the lion turtles, her chakra sessions with Aang, energybending, spiritbending and what Roku told her about Ozaatu’s true endgame plan. Azula hugs Zuko.

Azula: “Zuzu. You are a genius.”

She let’s go and runs to Aang. Zuko was confused but shrugged it off and didn’t question it.

Azula: “Aang, follow me, there’s something I gotta show you.”

Aang: “What is it?”

Azula: “Just come with me.”

Aang was slowly and reluctantly getting up, turns to look at Azula dejectedly, but still follows her. The duo walk up to the third spirit portal where the tree of time used to be.

Aang: “What are we doing here?”

Azula: “Alright, just to recap, the tree that used to be here, the tree of time,  had a history long before it held Vaatu. The legends say its roots were connected to the Bayon grove tree and both sides of the tree used to bind the spirit and physical worlds together. The ancients would meditate beneath this tree and connect with the great cosmic energy of the universe. Is that right?”

Aang: “Yes. How is this helping?”

Azula: “The other Avatars may not be able to help you anymore, but, perhaps these connected portals can.”

Aang: “Nothing can help now, we’ve gave everything we had, 100% but it wasn’t enough.”

Azula: “Then give more. There may still be a way for you to stop Vaatu.”

Aang: “How?”

Azula: “By letting go of your attachment to who you think you are, connect with your inner spirit and bend the energy within yourself.”

Aang: “Haven't you heard anything I said? Raava, the elemental spirits and lion turtles are all gone. We’re not connected to their spirits anymore.”

Azula: “I’m not talking about Raava, the elemental spirits or the lion turtles. Those guys are not who you are. The most powerful thing about you is not the spirit of Raava, but your own inner spirit. You have always been strong, unyielding, fearless. Such characteristics inspired Zuko and later me. You remembered what you told me about avatar Wan?”

Aang: “Yes.”

Azula: “As I can recall, before he fused with Raava, Wan was just a regular person.”

Aang: “But, he was brave, and...smart, and always wanted to defend the helpless.

Azula: “Exactly. He became a legend because of who he was, not what he was. He wasn't defined by Raava, elemental spirits or the lion turtles anymore than you are.”

Aang: “What exactly do you want me to do? None of us here can bend and Vaatu’s bending and elements have increased to match the level of the lion turtles and elemental spirits.”

Azula: “Duh! Use your chakras airhead! They were the key to bending in the first place. Do what the lion turtles did. Do what you had to do master the avatar state. Do what you’ve had me doing in order to heal mentally and see past Vaatu’s lies that he’s told me my whole life. Connect to the cosmic energy of the universe. Don't bend the elements, but the energy within yourself. I estimate that when put in the focus, you’ll be able to bend the elements again. Once that happens you should be able to use spiritbending to purify Vaatu.”

Aang: “Yeah, I suppose your right Azula. But Vaatu won’t go away for long, he’ll return and don’t wish for anyone to get caught up in his wrath.”

Azula: “But do you remember his end goal? He killed the last remaining lion turtles so his energybending would be powerful enough to bend his own energy along with Raava’s to where instead of weakening, he’ll draw power from light and peace and Raava will be weakened by her own power as if it was darkness, that way Vaatu can evolve into the spirit of balance. My plan is the reversal of his plan. After Vaatu’s purified, you can have Raava be the one to be the avatar spirit of balance.”

Aang: “Vaatu’s stronger, smarter, faster and more powerful. He’s just a better avatar and he was to draw power from the darkness inside our hearts and use them against us.”

Azula: “But you said so yourself. Humanity is not all darkness, half of it is light and that’s the half that can beat him. Let’s show him and these quitters over there that true balance can achieved while saving the world instead of letting it die.”

Aang was beginning to feel hopeful again.

Aang: “You really think I can do this?”

Azula: “Not a single doubt about it.”

Aang: (Smiles) “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

Azula: “It’s the least I can do since, you never gave up on me.”

Aang was about to go into the spirit portal.

Azula: “Aang! I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again.”

Azula ran to Aang, held on his face and she pressed her lips onto his, Aang instinctively did the same back. As they broke the kiss, their foreheads were pressed together for a moment before letting go.

Aang: “Bye Zula.”

Aang sits in a meditative position at the center of the third portal. Azula slowly turns back to join the rest of the gaang. The scene zooms in to Aang's face before fading through white, changing to a scene of Aang standing on astral lights. He opens his eyes and turns, seeing a large projection of himself, holding a ball of light. Aang looks on with determination and walks toward the ball of light. As he enters it, a large blue projection of all of his positive qualities exits his body and the third portal. Cut to the outside of the portal, where the gaang looks on in shock and surprise, while Azula just smiles. Aang's projection reaches out to the overlapping portals and is sucked through, disappearing through the base of the third portal.

Sokka: (To Azula) “Uh...What did you say to him exactly?”

[estradioltone]

They both had issues with both parents: that Ursa was absent, that Ozai was physically abusive. The message becomes, perform, or face physical violence. Don’t step out of line, or you’ll be disappeared.

Because Azula is a prodigy, she is able to perform. However, she also lives in fear of losing her power, although she doesn’t let on. Part of the way she maintains her power is emotional manipulation, including using the threat of physical violence.

Azula comes to believe that because she performs, she has the divine right to rule. She internalizes herself as a god of the world. Although she acts out and I think she has borderline traits, speaking as someone with that diagnosis, she is responding to her trauma. In order to stay safe, she has to be the best, she has to be better than everyone around her, and she has to maintain control in every situation. From Mai and Ty Lee’s betrayal, Azula steadily loses control of her world. She banishes all of her servants, mimicking her father when he banished Ursa. But she can’t stay in control, and she goes into crisis. Like her father she challenges Zuko to an Agni Kai, but the fight doesn’t go like it’s supposed to. In the end, her worst fear has come true: she and Zuko have reversed social standing, and she has lost everything.

Again, although her behavior is extremely toxic, its roots are as much in parent issues as Zuko.

Zuko possibly spoke up for the soldiers on the front lines because he recognized himself in them. Like his mother spoke up for him, he spoke up for the soldiers. He knows that no one deserves to be treated as lesser than and disposable, even when they’re of a lower rank. Zuko’s response is a trauma response. He is not able to help himself, so he displaces his needs onto others.

Zuko lost his mother. His ability to perform couldn’t keep him safe, physically or emotionally. Instead, he had a protector, a person he could rely on. It’s not as simple as saying he has a mother wound and an absent mother wound. He lost the only safe thing in his life. As prince, he had everything, but in reality, he had nothing. He didn’t belong anywhere in the palace, and no room was safe: he was going to be killed in his bedroom, and he was later disfigured.

So Zuko was constantly getting mixed messaging about who he is. He is not able to establish his own identity. Therefore his identity becomes his actions.

“If I can find the Avatar, my father will love me. I will prove my worth, and no one will be able to call me lesser than.”

This is what sustains him, which is why in the second season, Zuko goes on his journey of self-discovery. Iroh presses him to answer for himself who he is, and not to let others define him.

Zuko is in the early stage of establishing his identity when Azula appears. He hasn’t developed the ability to maintain his boundaries. When Azula offers him the opportunity to fulfill his external desires, its too much for him to resist.

Of course he realizes that Iroh was right about everything: external goals will not bring happiness. When he says, “I’m angry at myself,” it’s because he knows he could’ve had what would actually make him happy. He regrets this and hates himself for it.

He also learns the difference between relationships in terms of labels and relationships in terms of the actual connection. Iroh becomes his real father, and he is the one Zuko wants to please. That’s why he sits all night in Iroh’s tent.

However, this is no longer an external goal. Zuko has realized he loves Iroh, and wants to make amends, just like in the AA process. He doesn’t even expect reconciliation. The last time he takes to Iroh, Iroh turned his head.

That Iroh forgives him is a gift, not an obligation. Zuko is able to heal his father wound by developing a healthy father son relationship. He is even able to appreciate Iroh’s stinky slipper, because it’s part of who Iroh is.

That’s why he has the stability to fight Azula. He finally knows who he really is, and what’s important to him. That’s why he’s able to sacrifice his body to protect Katara, without hesitation.

Zuko learns their difference between abusive relationships and healthy relationships. He heals himself through the positive relationships he experiences with Team Avatar.

This analysis can really go much deeper but the point to me is that they have identity issues, not parent issues. Their parents caused their identity issues, because of the abusive environment in which they grew up, and their issues are trauma responses.

[just-an-enby-lemon]

*Random ATLA AU Idea*

1. Aang wanted to run.

The Elders wanted to send him away, to take Gyatso away. His mentor (the closest he had to a father, the only friend - except Appa - he still had, the only childhood left) would listen, would have to and when the morning comes (soon, too soon, so soon) he would abandon Aang just like everyone else. And Aang would be alone soalonenoonelefteveryonegonenotachildjustAvataralonealonealone.

So he wanted to run, to abandon Gyatsu first. Thinking somehow it would hurt less (it wouldn't or how it wouldn't).

0nly he did not.

Not in this world.

And it changed everything and nothing at all.

Instead he walked, walked though the nigth, walked to the familiar door, walked too his master room and cried. "I don't want to go".

Gyatso didn't ask how Aang knew about the Elders orders, didn't tell the kid that it was for the best. No, he huged his meente (his son, his friend, his baby, how could no one else see that this was just a child? Not the master of elements, not yet, just a kid) and said "You won't." It was a vow, a promise he had no idea how to keep. But he would.

They talked though the nigth. And when the morning came somehow Gyatso was able to convice the Elders to give Aang one more year. "Them he will be thirteen, mature enougth to truly understand his call".

But destiny is destiny and Aang's was a hundred years too soon.

So before the end of the year the Fire Nation attacked. And this time Aang didn't want to run, he wanted to figth and to protect. But he was the only hope and he was a kid and he was scared and Gyatso screamed "RUN" and he did.

He would regret running just as he would (he did) in a world where he runned that nigth almost a year ago.

And he and Appa somehow fled. Maybe it was destiny or the Avatar State or just dumb luck (or missfortune). And just as it should be they falled. And the water around them froze.

And so did they.

For a hundred years.

Until two siblings from the water tribe found an iceberg.

...

2. "I'm the last waterbender."

Katara froze. In all universes, in all possible words, Katara always froze on that moment. She wanted to figth, to tell the soldier her mom was lying, to do anything. But she always froze.

And her mother always died.

So she runned.

Too little, too late, but she did.

Runned, trying to get away from the body of her mom, trying to escape the ashes.

With a broken toy sword, and I useless toy boomerang, Sokka saw the ashes, and he wanted to figth. He always would want to figth. He was a protector and his people were dying. But he was a kid and in no reality he would ever be able to win.

And in ever reality Hakoda would send his kid alway, not too much, but enougth, away from the figth, away from his mother corpse and the burnt smell.

So Sokka runned. He followed his sister to the snow. They runned non-stop trying to fend the memories away, but they were never able to.

They runned so far that Hakoda only found his kids two days after the invasion, half-frozen, scared and starved but alive ohalivetheywerealivehedidn'tlosttheytoo.

Running didn't change much for them. Katara would still mature too early and Sokka would still be a warrior and everything would be almost exactaly the same.

And they would still meet a misterius kid in an iceberg and go save the world with him even if it was hard.

They running had nothing to do with the fact that it was Zhao chasing them instead of a certain prince.

...

3. Lu Ten was nine and he was running in a metaphorical sense. His father would be Fire Lord one day and soo would he. He needed to hurry.

So he talked his grandfather into letting him go to a war meeting. He did not understand war or death but Iroh did and he was terrifield of seem his son in a war room. His father didn't care, he discussed civilian sacrifice in front of his grandson and didn't noticed Lu Ten terrified face or heared any of the kids pleas, Ozai found it funny, making japes of what he called his "nephew weakness", Iroh quickly found a way to win without this move and convinced his father of it with everything he had.

For the rest of the day his child told everyone of how his dad was smart and a hero and the best. And Iroh almost forgot, almost belived his son had not lost a once of his inocence in the whole ordeal.

But on the night, where the darkest thoughts came, Lu Ten asked about death and sacrifices and if they were doing the rigth thing. Iroh said they were. But sudently he didn't belive it.

Lu Ten runned on the sense where he wanted to know too much too fast. And as the year passed, as his son turned ten, an his nephew turned two and his niece came to this world, Iroh realized he needed to make a better world for them. He could not keep this war, this conquer, he could not keep doing the wrong thing.

So he found a group of people and he joined them. He sabotaged his own country, his own family for the White Lotus, for his children. He would make a better world for them.

History would tell about how The Great General Iroh had gonne mad in his son sixteth birthday. How in a fit of madness he attacked his brother, how he killed his own child and not much after his nephew and niece. And them realizing what he done himself. How Ursa disappered soon after. The poor Fire Lady lost in grief.

The truth layed in a confy and somewhat famous small tea shop on the Earth Kigdom. On the old man who runned it and on his three kids. It layed on Prince's Zuko's (or Lee) nigthmares and his soft smiles and lack of scar. It layed on Lu Ten's (it was a fairly Earth Kigndom name and no one discussed how a painter could be the one in the group who lacked creativity for a fake name) hard training and darkened looks (exclusive to fire nation soldiers and wasn't ironic that he almost became one of them) and in his art and his laugther and his LIFE. It layed on Azula's (and honestly the fact she had insisted on ZuLa as here fake name was completly insane and soo stupid but they just stopped trying convice he otherwise) maniacal smile and uncontrolabe rage fits (diferent of Lu Ten's hers didn't had a specific target, but at least were mostly resulted in burned trees and rocks) and on her friends and her few, small apologies and her compassion (it didn't came easy for her empathy, but she tried, she truly did and sometimes she was cold and cruel, but still was enought). It layed on Iroh's (Mushi) conteplative (sad) stares (on his regret of not being able to take Ursa with them), on the strange people with a white lotus emblem that sometimes appeared on the tea shop (sometimes needing healing, sometimes delivering mensages, most planing), on his tea and his stories and on his hope.

And when the news of the Avatar traveling with two water tribe kids came to them. It layed on the decision of finding them before Ozai. Helping them. Making the hope grow.

...

4. Toph was a runner.

This never changed. She still runned away from her parents overprotectivines again and again. She still runned into the badgermoles and became the best earthbender on history. She still runned into competicions and still became the Blind Bandit. She still runned into Twinkle Toes and his gaang and his adventures (and became his earthbend teacher of course). The only diference was that there were even more places to run into, and so Toph runned into a dumb good humored painter (a soldier in other life, a corpse), into cozy Tea Shop, into a nice old man who was more a father to her than hers ever would, into a akward turtleduck of a teenager and into a angry cool fiery girl (who she never had a crush on, shut up, Sokka).

She runned into the Avatar family and into the Tea Shop one and somehow this was enougth to unite them. To make them just one family. Hers.

[fandombitxh-derogatory]

Before the Resurfacing of the Avatar

Chapter 1/3: Chosen or Cursed

A look into the lives of Zuko and Yue after Agni and Tui decide to change the fate of the war and before Aang is discovered by the Southern Water Tribe.

read on ao3: HERE

or click to read it here on tumblr

Two gods watched in horror as a massacre happened that they were powerless to stop. Agni’s people defied him over and over again, and Tui could not help her people since her spirit was on the other side of the world. It needed to stop.

Agni and Tui were in agreement as to what they were going to do, though it would only speed up the process of what needed to happen by a few months. Those few months would save many lives, and that was more than enough motivation for the two gods.

The children would suffer, unfortunately, but that was a sacrifice that they were willing to make. It may seem as though the gods did not care for their Chosen with the way that their lives were going to go, but it was quite the opposite. They knew that their Chosen were strong enough to handle what would happen to them, even if it was absolutely terrible.

With that, the story begins.

~~~~~

Fireprince Ozai and his wife were expecting a child. Unfortunately, this child would be born in the winter months, meaning there was less of a chance of the child being a firebender. However, since the child is going to be part of Agni’s favored family, everyone was hopeful that the child would be born with the spark.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though fate was not on the new prince’s side, since Lady Ursa went into labor on the winter solstice as soon as the sun set. The healers were trying their best to extend the labor until sunrise, so that the child had a better chance at surviving. This didn’t work out in their favor; the infant seemed to be very stubborn as he did his best to be born during the darkest hour of night.

Once the child was finally born, there was no cry. The new prince was completely silent, but he was alive and breathing. Ursa was handed him as soon as the child was cleaned up by the healers, and not once did he make a sound. It was almost as if he was aware that it was night, so he was asleep.

Prince Ozai was soon informed of the birth, and he rushed over to the room where Ursa and his new son were being kept. He seemed to play the part of a concerned father, but everyone in the castle knew that he was going to be angry for days on end because of the failure of his child to be born during the day. The staff were going to be extra careful around him for the following weeks, and no one would make a comment if the new prince suddenly disappeared. They would all know that it was his father that would kill him if he proved to not have the spark.

The healers all stood aside as Ozai stormed into the room, bowing down respectfully. Ozai didn’t take notice, instead all of his attention was focused on the sight of his son now in the arms of his wife. Ursa stared her husband in the eye, defiant in her love for their new son whether or not he was a firebender.

“Does he have the spark?” Ozai commanded more than asked.

The head healer spoke up, “We don’t know, he hasn’t opened his eyes.”

As if he knew that he was being talked about and asked to open his eyes, the new prince squirmed in Ursa’s hold and slowly blinked his eyes open. Ursa looked down at him and gasped at what she saw, leading the head healer to rush over and look down at the infant as well.

Zuko’s eyes were blue and held no spark.

~~~~~

Chief Arnook held back tears as he held his newborn daughter close to his chest. She, at least, was healthy, even if she was born midday on the summer solstice. Waterbenders were typically born at night, during the colder months, but it didn’t matter if his child was a waterbender. As long as she was alive, Arnook would be happy.

Unfortunately, her mother was not so lucky. She started to bleed profusely after the birth, even more than what the healers had expected. As soon as Arnook was handed his daughter, he was kicked out of the healer’s room. He made sure to hold his child close, to shield her from the harsh weather. Though it was summer, the Northern Water Tribe’s climate was never forgiving.

Arnook shook as he heard sobs from the tent. His wife was the only patient there, and he didn't want to think about the implications of the healers crying. He turned his face to where his beautiful daughter was in his arms, and he promised to always protect her from whatever may come their way.

Yue, after her mother, he thought as she squirmed in his arms.

Arnook soon froze as she opened her eyes to look at him. They were the most vibrant golden amber that he had ever seen.

~~~~~

Families of the nations were always eager to prove their loyalty to their leaders, so, when their leaders had children with the eyes of the enemies, there were repercussions. People started to demand for the children to prove their loyalty to the nations, so the families responded as they saw fit.

Arnook brought Yue to the edge of the fountain that held both Tui and La, and asked for a sign that his daughter would be loyal to them. Afterwards, the people witnessed the water start to glow and Yue’s hair turn white. That was enough to prove to them that she would be a wonderful princess for their tribe.

The Firelord’s family, however, handled things a bit differently. They did not try to prove their new addition’s loyalty, instead choosing to sacrifice him to Agni’s fire. As soon as he was dead, all of the problems he had brought with him would be resolved. His blue eyes would disappear from their memories, and there would be no need for any concern about his possible betrayal of their precious nation.

Fortunately, as soon as Zuko was placed in the fire, the fire died down from the raging bonfire to a calm candlelight. The flames seemed to dance around the giggling infant, and the royal family knew that Zuko was not going to die no matter their efforts. It seemed as though Agni protected the child, so the Fire Nation took that to mean that his loyalty to their nation would be strong, despite the color of his eyes.

These tests gave the two nations peace of mind. One of them for the rest of the child’s life, and the other for only eleven years.

~~~~~

Zuko didn’t know what was happening. Grandfather, the Firelord, was dead, and Mother had disappeared along with him. Azula said that Father was going to sacrifice Zuko in order to become Firelord, but apparently Grandfather named Father his heir on his deathbed?

Everything was getting jumbled in Zuko’s mind, so he stuck close to Azula, who seemed confident and aware of what was happening. She always did have a way of knowing everything, from the servants’ gossip to battle strategies that the Fire Nation army was going to implement. Zuko didn’t know how she got the information, but he knew that, if she knew it, she would weaponize it somehow. Just another reason Azula was better than him.

Zuko had been called to see Father, the newly crowned Firelord, ordered to come alone. Azula gave him a look that would seem concerned on someone else’s face. It made Zuko nervous. There was no reason for Azula to look like that for a regular meeting with Father. This meeting was probably about him becoming Crown Prince, which had some new expectations for him. Nothing to worry about at all (until Zuko couldn’t meet the expectations).

As Zuko walked into the new Firelord’s throne room, he immediately took notice of the fact that Azula was hiding in the curtains well above everyone’s heads. He had taken to inexplicably knowing where his sister was in the room no matter the circumstances, so he just figured that everyone else knew she was there as well. Azula most likely just wanted to know what was going to happen, so she was spying. Father didn’t seem to mind it though, so Zuko didn’t comment on it.

Zuko bowed down in the way that Father had taught him to do for Grandfather when he was young, knowing that it was the only respectful way to acknowledge the Firelord. He held it until he was told to stand by his father, which took longer than it had ever taken with Grandfather. It was probably because Father was also confused about the events of the past 24 hours, so Zuko didn’t hold it against him for not being quick about it.

Zuko looked at his father, who was clad in his new Firelord garb, and waited as patiently as he could (which wasn’t very patiently due to his age) for Ozai to tell him what was going to happen. Ozai seemed to understand this, speaking up in a booming voice to announce:

“Prince Zuko, my first born and the new Crown Prince. The past few days have brought the death of three of our family members, as I am sure you are aware, and it is going to bring one more. This is as Agni has commanded.” Zuko could barely process those words before his father was standing in front of him and staring down at him in contempt. “Your eyes shall no longer haunt the Fire Nation.”

That was the last thing that Zuko heard before all he became aware of was the agonising pain that was radiating from where Ozai was pressing his hands into Zuko’s left eye.

~~~~~

Azula couldn’t believe that the Firelord would do this. Actually, she could. It was always going to happen, and she knew that. She just didn’t expect it to happen now or for Zuko’s screams to ring in her ears like a calling to protect the only family member that was nice to her for reasons other than her firebending.

Azula heard Zuko scream and immediately reached for the flames that were hurting him to make it stop. She diminished them greatly, and Ozai definitely took notice. He didn’t know she was there, though, so he simply gave up after a few more pulses that pushed for control.

It didn’t work because she was a better firebender than her father, or his father, or his father. Azula was the greatest, and she knew that the only person who didn’t care about that was her brother. She knew that his eyes were the eyes of a traitor, but she didn’t care about that as soon as she heard the screams. All she knew was that she had to protect him from their father, and she did so without thinking. It was as if someone had bended the flames using her instead of her doing it herself.

Zuko was now slumped on the floor, passed out from pain, and Azula watched as Ozai walked out of the room without a second thought. There was no one else in there, so Azula made her way down and rushed to the healers to get them to help her brother. It didn’t matter that Ozai would figure out that someone had been in there with them when he burned his son; all that mattered was that Zuko needed help and soon.

~~~~~

Ozai sent the traitor out on a ship headed nowhere. What was the point of the destination when he planned on the crew killing off the damn thing anyways?

A few weeks later, he got news of the ship crashing, leaving no survivors. It seemed fate was finally on Ozai’s side, as it should have been all along.

With his disappointment of a firstborn out of the way, he could now focus on making Azula the Crown Princess she was meant to be.

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

What your opinion on the Agni Kai was better then aang’s fight with ozai

I want to first say that “better” is a completely subjective statement. Both the final Agni Kai and Aang’s battle with Ozai have huge importance thematically, but are also demonstrative of different aspects of A:tLA, so comparing them in an attempt to determine the “better” battle is really an injustice to the show imo. That said, the final Agni Kai is certainly the more popular of the two big battles, and honestly I can break down its popularity into three main points. People tend to favor the final Agni Kai because:

They see the final Agni Kai as the reason Z.utara should have been canon (no, this is not the same as seeing the battle as crucial to Z.utara’s development; I mean they full-on think that the final Agni Kai matters largely if not entirely because of the brief ‘Z.utara’ moment.)

They recognize the significance of the Agni Kai being framed as a tragedy (specifically regarding Azula).

Their lack of understanding regarding Aang’s arc (or, to be kinder, their personal disinterest in Aang) prevents them from fully appreciating his battle with Ozai.

There are a few other reasons the final Agni Kai tends to be favored (e.g. it’s a much faster-paced battle action-wise; Aang’s battle with Ozai is over twice as long and because of how the show was structured is broken up into several sections and thus feels even longer), but I think those are the main three. So let’s take them one at a time!

First, I have to start with the obvious:

People favor the final Agni Kai because they interpret it as their holy grail of why Z.utara should have been canon.

Firstly, I am not getting into the K@taang vs Z.utara ship wars. I don’t have the time or the energy lmao. But there is a huge difference between shipping Z.utara based on the content provided in the show (because y’all know I love me some Zut@raang) compared to somehow thinking that Zuko and Katara were both ready to be and should have gotten together at the end of the series. In short, Z.utara would not have worked in canon based on where the series stood by the finale, and that’s okay! That fact does not negate the appeal of Z.utara nor does it mean Z.utara shippers should not be allowed to interpret the final Agni Kai as involving Z.utara content (they absolutely can and should! we love to see that!). But the final Agni Kai was not some secret sign that Z.utara was meant to be canon, and people who interpret it as such are sorely missing the point of the battle.

Here are a few metas discussing the final Agni Kai in regards to Z.utara’s importance within canon A:tLA, if you’d like to read some analysis going more in-depth than I intend to. My thoughts regarding Z.utara and the final Agni Kai are pretty simple:

Zuko catching/attempting to redirect the lightning aimed at Katara was not because he was in love with her. For him to sacrifice himself because he was “in love with her” would entirely undermine his redemption arc, which is learning to earn forgiveness and accept unconditional love from his family (both Iroh and the Gaang), not because of romantic interest. (Again, this does not mean someone shouldn’t ship Z.utara; if that’s what you’re taking away from this post, then you might as well stop reading, because I assure you that’s not even close to the point here.)

Katara is set up as Azula’s primary foil (e.g. by and large her relationship in canon with Zuko is aimed as a surrogate sibling); her saving Zuko parallels Azula’s attempts on his life (though her most important moment as Azula’s foil is arguably bringing Aang back to life after Azula kills him, but that’s a subject for another time lol), and Zuko catching the lightning for Katara demonstrates him saving the sister he can save versus Azula, the sister he cannot save (hence her breakdown at the end of the battle while Katara walks away largely unharmed; Zuko’s decision is also a direct parallel to him siding with Azula in “Crossroads of Destiny”, having first chosen the sister who harms him over Katara, the sister who ultimately heals him).

The significance of Zuko catching/attempting to redirect the lightning aimed at Katara is not because it was Katara he was saving; the viewer sees Zuko’s decision and recognizes that he would have done so for anyone. Anyone in the Gaang, plus Mai and Iroh, and possibly even Ty Lee (hell, he’d probably have taken the bolt for Appa and Momo). Zuko’s redemption arc is sealed by his selflessness, his willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of someone else. While the moment is especially powerful because of Katara’s position as a foil to Azula, it is not the Z.utara holy grail I’ve seen it portrayed to be.

To be honest, the interpretation of the Agni Kai as some big Z.utara moment is both superficial and a massive disservice to Azula and the completion of her arc, which is the focal point of most if not all of the battle, and also entirely undermines the power of Zuko’s redemption (as I discussed). So moving on to the next point!

People favor the final Agni Kai because they recognize its importance to Azula and how the key element of the battle’s emotional weight is its framing as a tragic, heartbreaking moment.

I rewatched both the final Agni Kai and Aang’s battle with Ozai before I wrote this, and I had to try so hard to not cry at the end when Azula breaks down, sobbing openly for the first time in the entire series. It is a powerful, devastating moment, and it is so heartbreaking because of how fitting it is for her. Does she deserve redemption? Absolutely. But in the context of the series and how A:tLA played out, rock bottom is where Azula needs to be, and the audience recognizing that fact is what makes the scene so painful to watch (and also why you can’t take your eyes off the screen). For me, the power of the Agni Kai never came from Zuko’s sacrifice (although I understand why that part resonates with some people more); instead, it was always about Azula’s downfall, her descent, the straw the broke the camel’s back - whatever you want to call it. I’ll try to keep the essence of my feelings towards Azula and the Agni Kai and why this battle is preferred short:

Azula is a much more established antagonist than Ozai. We know from the beginning the Fire Lord is the big bad, but his presence in the show is relegated largely to flashbacks and to the second half of the final season. Azula is introduced in Book Two (technically she appears twice, I believe, in Book One, but she has no lines so I’m not counting those moments lol) and becomes the key antagonist throughout the final two books. The viewers admire her intelligence and strategic capabilities, appreciate her wit and ability to turn a person’s words around on them, and even feel sympathy and pity for her when her difficult relationship with her mother is revealed (in “The Beach”) and when Ozai’s conditional love is demonstrated to apply to her, too (“Sozin’s Comet Part 1: The Phoenix King”). Thus, the final Agni Kai has multitudes more emotional potency in terms of the antagonist, as Azula is more pitiable and developed than Ozai, so it’s understandable that feeling a greater connection to Azula might result in someone preferring the final Agni Kai over Aang’s battle with Ozai. (That said, I will be discussing more about the significance of Ozai as a character later.)

The tone of the Agni Kai is that of tragedy (verus the more action/intense battle of Aang vs Ozai). While the debate of drama vs action is largely related to personal preference, I think it’s worth noting that no other battle in A:tLA (that I can think of) has the slow, drawn-out, orchestral music that is present in the final Agni Kai. The viewers realize this battle may be about power on the surface, but in reality it is a painful, devastating moment about a family irreparably torn apart (at least in terms of the series run). For me, that has always been the captivating factor of the Agni Kai. The viewers mourn for Azula, who has lost herself. Yes, she did so partially in her quest for power, but more importantly in her search for love, as she did not have a support system in her life like her brother (Zuko always had Iroh), and the audience grieves for her. Her mother both feared her and was disgusted by her; her father loved no one (including her) and only valued her for what she could provide to him; she hurt her brother and her best friends to the point where they were forced to turn away from her; and her uncle, as far as what is shown, never extended a hand to her. Azula is a victim of abuse (though this does not excuse any of her actions; in fact, her role in A:tLA as a victim who was abandoned and lashes out before breaking down on the inside is just as important as Zuko’s role as a victim who was given support and was able to heal). Thus, to me, the power of the final Agni Kai is all from the tragic tone (hence why Azula’s heartbreaking end brings me close to tears every time).

Bonus: The way Katara takes out Azula is incredibly clever and badass. (I don’t think I need to expand this one. We all love narrative foils!)

For some people, they prefer the final Agni Kai because of the emotional weight of the conclusion of Azula’s arc; that weight combined with the conclusion of Zuko’s redemption, in my opinion, are pretty valid reasons to deem the final Agni Kai their favorite battle of the series. That said, there is one other important factor to consider in the question of the final Agni Kai vs Aang’s battle with Ozai:

People prefer the final Agni Kai because they blatantly misunderstand and/or misinterpret Aang’s arc of reconciling his being both the Avatar and the last airbender, thus preventing them from fully understanding and appreciating the weight of his battle with Ozai.

This point is more complex than the two I discussed previously, so I’m going to break this one down further to help simplify it. Let’s start with the most obvious thing:

“The lion turtle and energybending were cop-outs!”

I cringe whenever I see this; imagine admitting to the entire fandom how blind you were to the extensive foreshadowing about the lion turtle and energybending. Downright embarrassing. There are so many metas out there explaining how the lion turtle and energybending were not cop-outs and how A:tLA did foreshadow their influence (some people need to admit they just didn’t watch the show tbh). I’ll try to provide a quick summary:

Chiblocking demonstrated how chi/energy and bending were intrinsically linked from Day. One. Moreover, it did so numerous times; trying to claim that blatant foreshadowing is not there is… well, kind of embarrassing.

The lion turtle was foreshadowed in “The Library” (and moreover the lion turtle only appeared after Aang called out to the Spirit World; his meditation was an appropriate attempt to seek help from those wiser than him to resolve his dilemma, and thus his plea was answered).

If you’re gonna argue the lion turtle/energybending were convenient cop-outs, you better also critique how Suki conveniently was at the Boiling Rock/the ferry, Pakku conveniently had been arranged to marry Katara’s grandmother, Toph conveniently inventing metalbending, every other time a spirit showed up conveniently, etc. etc. etc. Don’t cherry-pick, hypocrites.

The lion turtle/energybending were not necessarily predictable, no, but they also were not meant to be. You’re not supposed to guess every detail of every finale of every show. So yes, the lion turtle/energybending were foreshadowed, and this foreshadowing done so in a way where after they were revealed it was intended to be an “oh my god, how did I not see that connection before?!” moment. (At least, so it was for me.)

Dismissing the lion turtle and energybending as a cop-out is an age-old, boring misinterpretation of Aang’s battle with Ozai, and by and large I think most of the fandom is tired of hearing it. Thus, if people don’t understand the lion turtle/energybending and their roles in the A:tLA finale, then they’re less likely to appreciate Aang’s battle with Ozai and therefore would prefer the final Agni Kai. Next common argument:

“Aang was able to re-enter the Avatar state because of a rock? Really? Another cop-out!”

Again, if you’re gonna criticize the rock, at least criticize every other plot device used in A:tLA. I mean come on. Some people will really just cherry-pick instances solely with Aang. How very convenient for them, huh?

But the fact of the matter is that the pointy rock is actually pretty important! No, it didn’t necessarily have to be a rock that allowed Aang to enter the Avatar state again, but it was necessary that the Avatar state was unblocked for him by a physical trigger. The Avatar state was removed from Aang by Azula’s lightning striking him (after he’d done the spiritual work to control it, too!), which is a physical block, thus requiring something to physically unblock it. By the end of Book Two, Aang is able to enter the Avatar state of his own accord (he successfully unlocked his chakras, after all) and had Azula not struck him in the back and killed him, he presumably would have been able to do so throughout Book Three. Did that physical item have to be a rock? Again, not necessarily, lmao, but where he and Ozai were fighting, well, there certainly were a lot of rocks, so it’s not like it didn’t make sense. (There’s a meta here that touches a bit on the necessity of the Aang needing the Avatar state physically unblocked, too.)

“Ozai was a stereotypical, boring villain! He was barely given any screen time!”

This isn’t entirely untrue. Everything viewers are told about Ozai is from other characters in the narrative; mostly Zuko, but also Azula and I’d argue Iroh, too. Ozai certainly was the big bad of the series, and little is provided regarding his personality beyond being power-hungry, racist, xenophobic, and abusive. But… that’s kind of the point. Ozai is written to have zero redeemable qualities. There is supposed to be zero sympathy for him. Hell, there’s arguably even zero reason for him to live on (which actually makes Aang’s decision to spare his life all the more powerful, but that’s for later). There’s one line in particular that really defines Ozai’s character to me:

“You’re [Aang is] weak, just like the rest of your people [the Air Nomads]! They did not deserve to exist in this world… in my [Ozai’s] world!”

Ozai is the epitome of fascism, imperialism, and a superiority complex if there ever was one in a cartoon. His words remind the audience that maybe he didn’t initiate the Air Nomad Genocide, but he continues to seek the same goal - obliteration of anyone he deems inferior (which is, well, every nation except his own). Aang’s battle with Ozai is literally a fight against fascism, and that’s a hell of a powerful metaphor. So while I understand leaning towards the Agni Kai in terms of familiarity with the antagonist (aka Azula), I do think some people gloss over Ozai too quickly. Yes, everyone knows that Ozai is a genocidal dictator, but I don’t think the implication of that position - especially what it means to Aang - really sinks in for everyone.

And now for the big one:

“Aang should have killed Ozai!”

If you are reading this and for some godforsaken reason think Aang should have killed Ozai, I beg of you: read these metas and analyses about Aang and his arc explaining exactly why that’s the wrong take. This point has been argued a million times over and the fact of the matter is that Aang choosing to spare Ozai’s life and thus uphold his beliefs as an Air Nomad is the ultimate triumph (a direct parallel to the Air Nomads being forced to fight back against the firebenders during Sozin’s attack and were thus not able to uphold their beliefs - the ultimate sacrifice). Furthermore, Aang choosing to spare Ozai’s life but take his bending is arguably a fate worse than death for Ozai. Ozai now lacks all of his power/prestige, will be forced to watch the son he despises rebuild his country, and any lingering supporters he may have can’t argue “oh well the Avatar had no reason to kill him!” because Aang didn’t kill him. He chose mercy. He proved himself better and stronger than Ozai could ever hope to be.

Furthermore, Aang staying true to his beliefs as an airbender is central to his character. The core belief of the Air Nomads was that all life was sacred (such was why they were all vegetarians). If he had killed Ozai, if he had been forced to betray his spiritual beliefs, then he would have completed the genocide of the Air Nomads that Sozin started a hundred years ago. Ozai’s death at Aang’s hands = the death of the airbenders’ culture. Full stop. How could he be expected to bring balance to the four nations if only three remained? Maybe this is just me, but the message of Aang being an airbender (the last airbender) and finding another way (e.g. energybending) to defeat Ozai in order to uphold the beliefs of his people is a much more powerful message than him having to kill Ozai (especially because no one else understood how important Aang’s spirituality was to him [not even the Gaang!]; Aang did what was right, even when the world insisted he was wrong).

(Sidenote: The previous Avatars did not tell Aang to kill Ozai. That’s right - not even Kyoshi. I believe she gave him this advice: “Only justice will bring peace.” Great news! Aang did exactly that. Why are some people still so pressed about it??)

Furthermore, if someone calls Aang’s beliefs and his decision not to kill Ozai childish (we’ve all seen those posts), I’m giving you permission to deck them, because so much of the roots of the Air Nomads’ spirituality is rooted in Buddhism, and like,, we know westerners struggle to comprehend any narrative that isn’t our own, but the dismissal of Aang’s beliefs without making the connection that they’re also dismissing the beliefs of many, many real people? Yeah, please sock those assholes in the jaw. Give them the finger. Glare at them. Whatever works for you. Those are the people with the most superficial opinions on A:tLA, and to be honest, it really shows. Please: make an effort to understand the eastern narratives at work within A:tLA. If you don’t, there are so many things you will miss out on, and you’ll also just look like a prick.

For me, Aang’s battle with Ozai is so powerful (and my favorite) because of the ending and its importance to Aang:

“I’m not gonna end it like this.”

Aang chooses mercy by taking Ozai’s bending instead of killing him.

Aang chooses to uphold the beliefs of his people and guarantee the Air Nomads live on in him.

Aang proves his soul is unbendable.

Aang enters and controls the Avatar of his own accord (not induced by trauma or a spirit).

Aang reconciles his being the Avatar with being the last airbender.

Aang is finally at peace with himself and the world around him.

In short, if a person doesn’t understand Aang and his character, then the significance of his final battle with Ozai will largely be lost, and thus it makes sense that they would gravitate more to the Agni Kai (which is arguably a less nuanced battle, as Azula’s position as a victim of abuse and Zuko’s tale of redemption are not exclusive to either western or eastern narratives, while Aang’s arc is largely more eastern in nature and thus something less familiar to western audiences).

I have no doubt that my personal bias influences my admiration of the final battle with Ozai, as Aang is my favorite character and his narrative is easily the most powerful to me (he is the sole survivor of genocide who still chooses to seek kindness in life instead of revenge), but regardless I’d argue the sheer thematic weight of Aang’s battle with Ozai outweighs that of the Agni Kai any day (although, to be fair, they are presenting different subjects, so take my feelings there with a grain of salt).

The Agni Kai is a tragedy. It is devastating. It makes you cry. Aang’s battle with Ozai is a triumph. It is hope. It makes you take a deep breath and look to tomorrow with a brave smile. And that is why it is the battle that concludes the series.

TL;DR - Both are fantastic battles in their own merit, but Aang’s battle with Ozai is underappreciated because of the fandom’s incomplete grasp on Aang’s arc and character while the final Agni Kai is often appreciated/hyped up for the wrong (*cough* shipping *cough*) reasons.

[kyrievali]

I've been reading your posts and in one of them you mentioned that Iroh in fact is very shady and Azula has every right to hate him, may you explain why?

Sure, I’ll go into it. 

Let me start off by saying that I actually really like Iroh as a character. I think he’s great and well-written. I think the fandom tends to gloss over his flaws and label him as “perfect”, which is not true. One of his greatest failings (aside from making two teenage siblings fight each other for the throne...or really not intervening at all where Ozai is concerned) is his treatment of Azula, and him saying “No, she’s crazy and needs to go down” and essentially writing her off when, if you compare Azula’s personality with Season 1 Zuko, they’re really not all that different. Azula, people tend to forget, is a 14 year old girl who was as much a subject of abuse as her brother. Zuko and Azula were essentially pitted against one another to both gain Ozai’s affection and, more importantly, avoid punishment. The only difference is that she was rewarded and praised by Ozai for her power and cruelty, while Zuko was punished for his “shortcomings”. Zuko’s entire storyline proved how important it is to have a good, guiding parental figure in one’s life, and it’s tragic that Azula didn’t have that.

Now, let’s talk about why Azula probably hated her Uncle.

1. She thinks he’s a failure and, worse than that, weak

And I don’t mean weakness in terms of his firebending skills. Let me explain - Fire Nation citizens are ingrained with Nationalistic pride and complete loyalty to the Fire Lord from a very young age. Iroh, once upon a time, was the heir to the Fire Nation’s throne and the favored son of the notoriously cruel Azulon. He laid a 600 day siege against Ba Sing Se during which his son, Lu Ten, was killed. This tragic event caused him to withdraw his troops, despite having breached the outer wall.   

Upon his return home, his father dies under mysterious circumstances and decrees that Ozai will be the heir to the throne. Instead of contesting it, Iroh leaves the Fire Nation and ostensibly spends his time traveling the world, meeting with the Dragons, and getting in tune with the Spirit World. Doing so gives him the knowledge and wisdom to see the error of his ways, at which point he returns to the Fire Nation and serves as a General in the army. 

Let’s look at this from the perspective of Azula, or really any other citizen of the Fire Nation. Their country waged a nearly 2-year long siege against the Earth Kingdom - and right when they make progress by breaking through the first wall, the Crown Prince gives up because his son died. Countless Fire Nation lives and resources were spent on this 600 day campaign, and they end up with nothing to show for it. If you look at the philosophy of Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai, they likely would have used the death of Lu Ten to galvanize the troops and double their efforts, in an attempt to exact revenge against the Earth Kingdom for daring to spill royal blood - and so that their sacrifices thus far would not have been in vain.

And then, not only does Iroh withdraw from Ba Sing Se, he also abandons his duties and his country completely. Iroh had a reputation as a fearsome Firebender and cunning strategist - and he just leaves. So now not only is he a failure, but he’s also a deserter, one who abandons his nation while it’s reeling from a humiliating defeat and the loss of its Sovereign, Azulon (who, by the way, ruled for about 80 years).

In Azula’s eyes, all of this amounts to weakness, and as we all know from how she was raised by Ozai, weakness is unacceptable. 

2. She is parroting her father’s feelings of resentment

Given that Azula was the favored child of Ozai, it’s likely that she idolized her father and thought he was superior to her uncle, the Crown Prince (for the first few years of her life, at least, Iroh WAS the Crown Prince) and should have been the true heir to Azulon. We don’t see a whole lot of Ozai or his backstory/characterization, but it’s not unreasonable to assume that he, being many years younger than Iroh (it’s never officially stated, but Ozai is around 45 at the time of the show and Iroh appears to be in his late 60’s/early 70’s) had an inferiority complex growing up, and probably some form of sibling rivalry. After all, Iroh is already an adult by the time Ozai is born, and the Crown Prince, who has been groomed from birth to be Azulon’s heir. Ozai is an afterthought; an insurance policy, who at the very moment of Lu Ten’s birth, is outranked by an infant. 

Ozai probably resented Iroh his entire life, so it is not unlikely that Azula would probably feel the same way. 

3. He’s a traitor to the Fire Nation

Azula is a Nationalist and Ozai’s most loyal enforcer. Iroh’s a traitor, and as far as she knows, a corrupting influence to her brother, Zuko. She also probably thinks that he’s committing treason because (she doesn’t know any better) Iroh wants to be the rightful Fire Lord, and she is not going to stand for that. 

4. He reminds her of her mother

Azula is used to being the golden child - a prodigious Firebender, the favored daughter of her father, representative of everything the model Fire Nation child should be. And yet, her own mother does not appear to love her. Her Uncle has stated distaste for her. She thinks she’s doing everything right - because according to Sozin and Ozai’s philosophies and the emphasis of power and loyalty to the Fire Nation - she is; so why do two of her own family members prefer Zuko, the “screw-up” of the family - to her? 

It’s clear that Azula craves the love and adoration of others, but she doesn’t really understand it. I think as she grew older and saw more of the world and how people behaved toward her, she understood on some level that she was considered a “monster” and that people were afraid of her; but that’s how she was raised. Fear was power, and power was everything. And growing up, she was only ever positively reinforced for her ruthlessness and cunning by her father (of whom she is very much afraid, by the way...that is made perfectly clear in her attempts to bring Zuko home and also give him credit for allegedly killing the Avatar. Part of it is actually probably due to some level of affection she has for him, but part of it is definitely motivated by having someone else take the heat off of her in an abusive household) and she witnessed firsthand how perceived weakness was punished - so she did everything she could to achieve the ideal of perfection that Ozai, Azulon, and Sozin had proliferated. So she probably never really understood why her own mother and Iroh didn’t like her. And the fact that they both seemed to prefer Zuko, who she’s been taught to think she’s better than, would only further that resentment.

She thinks she can earn people’s affection by being a perfect Fire Nation soldier, because that’s what works with her father - and when it doesn’t work with Ursa or Iroh, two important adult family figures in her life - she doesn’t understand why and, even worse than that, it makes her feel inferior to Zuko. 

5. My final point is purely speculative, but...He didn’t do anything to directly stop Ozai’s rise to power

In the years after the war, after recovering from her mental break and maybe rehabilitating to become an advisor to Zuko (let’s be totally honest, a Nation whose entire economy for the past 100 years has been built on war and imperialization is not going to have an easy transition into peace, especially when they are expected to give up their colonies and play nice with an equally corrupt government that was controlled by the Secret Police force which has no qualms about brainwashing its own citizens...also the new Fire Lord is a banished Prince who is the apprentice of the Disgraced Prince and who returned to defeat the pride of the Nation, Princess Azula, Ozai’s Chosen Heir and the Conqueror of Ba Sing Se), Azula’s going to be pretty pissed that her supposedly wise and worldly uncle did not intervene in her megalomaniacal and abusive father’s rise to power. 

If my uncle, who never liked me, lost countless Fire Nation lives and resources in a battle that ended with him retreating, abandoned the Crown to go on a sightseeing tour of the world, returned and became a traitor to the nation by foiling the Admiral’s conquest of the Northern Water Tribe resulting in the loss of more Fire Nation lives, escaped from you multiple times and went on to become a tourist and small business owner in an enemy nation, turned your brother against you, did nothing to stop his own brother whom he knew was deeply abusive even after he came back after gaining all this supposed wisdom, and THEN also left you alone with your abusive father while taking your inferior brother under his wing and helping him become an extremely powerful bender who eventually defeats you with the help of a Water Tribe peasant...yeah, I’d be pretty pissed at him, too. 

To be fair, she probably never would have willingly gone with them because they were basically just sent on a wild goose chase at that point...but he never even tried to help her.

Anyway, that’s why I think Azula hates Iroh and honestly, she has every right to hate him. He abandoned her Nation and wrote her off completely, so there’s no reason she wouldn’t do the same.