#thinking about how you could tell which temple an airbender was from by the look of their bison…

[creampuffqueen]

idk why i didn’t think of this before but extinct animals have been HEAVY in my thoughts the last couple of days and of course i’ve managed to somehow turn these thoughts onto my hyperfixation

but anyway

what if each of the air temples in atla had their own ‘breed’ of sky bison?

in tlok the sky bison are noticeably different to how appa looked, with variations in their coloring, stripe patterns, and horn shape. obviously this is a different breed of sky bison, i was always aware of that

but i just now thought that maybe this breed of bison was specific to one of the air temples. and now that the other breeds have gone extinct, this specific breed is all that is left of the species

if i’m remembering correctly, the bison kept on the fire nation island that korra ends up on are the same as the other sky bison in the show. so i’d say this specific breed is most likely from the western temple!

i’m sure someone else has already had this idea but whatever. ecology major brain going brrrrrrr

[blackflash9]

Suyin Beifong: The Strategist?

Suyin has a fascinatingly adaptive and acute mind for battle and strategy, which is quite underappreciated by the fandom for the brief time we have known her as a character. She is implied to know rare, obscure styles and techniques like Combustion bending. She is privy to their weak spot, as shown when she calmly and assertively tells the others of P'Li's weakness. That, or she was really into Uncle Sokka's stories as a child, which still hints at her being very attentive and good at retaining information. She is also self-aware and makes remarkably good use of her home turf even when under the pressure of her self-proclaimed impenetrable city being infiltrated. ['The Terror Within' Transcript] Asami: "There's no way to cross that moat." Suyin: [Looks up at the ceiling dome.] "We don't need to cross it. Lin and I can drop in from the dome on cables."

Lin: [Sarcastically.] "That's a great idea. Except we'll get blown up the second that third-eyed freak sees us." Suyin: "She's a combustionbender. If one of you can stun her, her powers will be knocked out temporarily."

Another example is during "Enter the Void," where she competently disputes with seasoned fighters and established leaders in Lin and Tonraq over the best action to approach the Red Lotus. Here, she makes crucial points about numbers, terrain, and how to safely and efficiently use their assets to their advantage. She even comes up with the plan they would execute later. ['Enter The Void' Transcript]

Suyin: [Places an airship figurine in front of the temple.] "I say we make our approach from the west, drop down from the airship on cables, ambush these Red Lotus low-lives before they know what hit them." Lin: "It will never work. That Combustion Lady will pick us off one by one." Suyin: "You have a better idea on how to save the airbenders?" Lin: "Yeah. We come up from the valley, scale the side of the mountain and take them off guard." Tonraq: "That could work." Suyin: "And give them the high ground? No, if their lavabender spots us, he'll melt the mountainside and us with it."

Suyin: "I think I figured a way to play this so that the airbenders and Korra all come out in one piece." Lin: "How?" Suyin: "Zaheer doesn't know how many of us there are, so we have the numbers advantage. I say we split into two teams: [Places the airship figurine on the temple.] Mako, Bolin, and Asami will take the airship up to the temple. [Places a Metal Clan figurine on a mountain.] Meanwhile, my metalbenders, Tonraq, Lin, and I will get in position below Laghima's Peak."

I believe this is another underlying reason why Tenzin and Raiko were so adamant about her being the person to handle the Earth Kingdom situation beyond just her city's resources and her status as a Beifong.

Even someone like Kuvira emulating her leadership and tactical qualities (and subsequently taking them to their logical extreme) after Suyin speaks volumes of her ability.

[highlyentropicmind]

Why there are no religions in the world of "The last airbender"

The worldbuilding of ATLA is surprisingly deep and well thought out, well, up until season 2 of Korra, and even then it's mostly good

There are nations, cultures, philosophies, histories, secret societies... But you may have noticed there are no religions

"But there are temples!" you say, and you are right, there are temples to the Avatar full of monk and nuns, as well as the whole Air Nomad society which is a like huge religious order

But consider this, when Aang or Korra visited the temples to the Avatar the monks there were... Fine, they were glad the Avatar had visited, but they didn't fall the ground in veneration, they didn't fall in ecstasy at the presence of their deity. Only one person ever does in the entire series: The mouth foam guy

And remember, the Avatar is the chosen one of Raava, the embodiment of Order itself who fought against Vaatu to ensure the existence and prosperity of life

Raava IS a God by any definition of the word, and she is linked to the Avatar by her promise: "We will be together through ALL of your lifetimes, and we will NEVER give up", which basically enshrines the Avatar as demigod

And all of this is not a metaphor, this is history, it actually happened in the world of the story, and this is the reason why there are no religions in the world of ATLA

When the people of the Norther Water tribe tell you those weird fishes are literally the Moon and the Ocean, they mean it, this is literal truth. Maybe humans cannot fully understand how this works, but no one can deny it is true

If a forest burns down you can fully expect the spirit of the forest to manifest and attack people. If someone tells you the Lady of the Water is around doing vigilante justice, you take it seriously. The library of Wan Shi Tong is real, and Koh could steal your face if you run into him

My point is that the truth about the spiritual world is not up to debate in this world, and this makes people interact with the spiritual and the divine in a different way

For starters, people know they have souls, they know the reincarnate, this is a verifiable truth of the universe

For this reason when they think of the spirits they are not thinking of something that is fundamentally different to them, because people are spirits too, spirits that take physical bodies, much like the Moon and the Ocean

Some spirits are more powerful than others, but this is a gradient, and spirits can move up or down, so the difference between a God and a Spirit is kinda blurry. After all, Raava became incredibly weak before fusing with the spirit of Wan

And sure, a powerful spirit could abuse its power, but then other spirits could join to stop them, like what happened with Vaatu

And finally spirits are 99% of the time doing their own shit and they don't care too much about the physical world

All of this adds up to a worldview in which the word "worship" is meaningless. You wouldn't worship a forest spirit anymore than you would worship the city mayor. Maybe you should respect them, sometimes you should fear them, but you would never adore them

So what about the temples?

It seems that some people want to live simple lives contemplating the mysteries of the universe, and that's what temples and monasteries are for. But this life doesn't require the worship of anything

Sure, the Avatar is an example of the mysteries of the universe they wish to understand, like the primordial spirits, and reincarnation, but when you think about it, everything and everyone is an example of those mysteries. They are all spirits in the universe after all

Finally the Air Nomad society looks very religious, but when you think about it they are close as atheistic as you can get in a world were a God is literally always walking the Earth

The Air Nomads wish to be free from attachment, to escape the cycle of birth and rebirth, to stop being spirits and exit this place inhabited by mortal beings AND spiritual beings. The Air Nomads reject both the physical and the spiritual world because they wish to transcend both

This reveals something very interesting about our own world: Religions can only exist as we know them because we are not sure of any of their claims

Edit: I've thought of a better way to express my ideas on this subject, but you can see what I had originally written at the end

Try to imagine if any of the doctrines of Christianity or Islam would make sense if people were absolutely sure they are true

Take faith for example, both religions insist faith is necessary for salvation, but if people were sure that these religions are true, what's the point of faith?

Take halal eating, a set of rules to eat without sin. If people were sure Islam is true, would there be any virtue in eating halal? It would be like not putting a metal fork in an electric socket. It doesn't make you a good person, just a person who understands how the universe works

In fact, going to church, or the mosque, praying, doing all the rituals, would be empty, meaningless. Humanity just got told what are the electric sockets of the soul and we avoid them

Without uncertainty, none of these doctrines have any value

And yet, that's not universal. It is possible to have doctrines whose moral value is independent of any uncertainty, for example, Utilitarianism, Kanthian Ethics, or even some sects of Buddhism that don't teach anything about reincarnation or celestial beings

In the world of ATLA people and spirits would have no option but to follow similar doctrines, finding value in the suffering or joy we know we put into the world, into the universality of our actions, or into our perception of ourselves and our place in the universe. In fact, this is exactly what the Air Nomad society is all about

I guess, my conclusion is that religion, at least the way most people live it, needs uncertainty. We can imagine world were people are certain about the truth of religion, and in those worlds religion becomes empty

But that there are other doctrines that don't need uncertainty, and perhaps, we should focus on them more

Original:

Religions require faith, they require dogma, they create a cosmology and then they create disagreement when you find someone with a different cosmology, and they require constant effort to maintain people in the religion

Often religious people like to claim their religious is logical and obvious, that everyone would believe and be convinced if they just stopped resisting, but if this was the case, if people actually knew how the spiritual world works, it wouldn't be a big deal. It would be like gravity, or rain

Most major faiths repeat over and over how important faith is, but if people were actually sure, faith wouldn't be important. People don't have faith in the Avatar anymore than they have faith in their friends

I'm thinking about writing a story where an Abrahamic style god reveals itself constantly, so that no one can have any doubts, en explore how such a world would function

[azure-firecracker]

I thought I’d do a liveblog reaction to the ATLA live action so this is just a chaotic stream of my thoughts as I watch. Spoilers ahead (fyi I’m going to be tagging these as “atla stream of consciousness”)

Episode 1 (Part 1)

The fire nation theme already got me excited lol.

Earthbending CGI is slightly sketchy. You can tell firebending got the whole budget

Firelord Sozin doesn’t have enough gravitasse imo. Like the music is out evil-ing him.

Oh shit they are getting graphic.

“Which is why we have to kill them all” that’s very on the nose.

I don’t recognize anyone bending in the intro but it looks cool (who’s narrating though?-they’re not doing a good job)

Air temple looks gorgeous!

AANG IS SO CUTE I CAN’T!!

I know people have complained about him being able to fly but it doesn’t really bother me. New universe, some new rules can apply (within reason).

“There may come a day where you wish you had spent more time with your teachers” THAT’S SO CRUEL (specifically cruel to me).

“Great comet festival” all I thought of was the musical.

I can see the Tibetan influences more evidently in the Air Nomads that’s cool.

Aang and Gyatso are so sweet omg!

I need to rewatch The Storm but does Aang know he’s the avatar or not in the original? Gyatso telling him feels new to me.

Edit: I’ve been told that he does find out but months before he runs away, and the thing that sets him off is being told to leave (thanks @ragnarssons !) For me it makes a little more sense the original way but I don’t deeply care.

Gordon’s delivery on “I never asked to be special” OKAY THIS KID CAN ACT.

This Aang and Gyatso scene has me emotional wow. Do more of this and less burning people.

I already knew that Aang didn’t run away and I get streamlining some stuff but I do think it was a pretty core trait to change and having him be slightly more morally grey would have been more interesting, especially because his monologue was already leading there.

The Fire Nation people do not need to say “we’re gonna kill everyone” so many times. Do they think we don’t understand?

Airbending CGI looks pretty good too.

I get why they’re showing people burning and it makes sense I just really have trouble watching it.

In terms of showing the Air Nomad genocide, I can understand why they did it. When you’re doing a reimagining, especially with the tonal shift, it’s good to have a new beginning or a new something to set yourself apart from the original. It’s a different story and that’s okay. That being said, I don’t like how gruesome everything is. I feel like a lot of the same fear factors could be achieved without showing everyone (especially Gyatso) burning, and it feels like it’s violence for the sake of shock value trying to be edgier or something (I also don’t like gruesome stuff generally so that may be me).

More to come! These are long so I’m splitting them up a lot because I have MANY thoughts.

[salzz4r]

Hey quick q /high rn so excuse my messy writing

But why make Dick a earthbender? Wouldn't it be more accurate to make him a air bender since he lives being in sky/being an acrobat is part of his lore etc. Then Damian a fire bender, and avatar but an fire bender. Jason could be a water bender, all flowy and full of magic, and resurrected as a direbender bc he came back all wrong

Then Tim as earthbender bc he's grounded etc etc idk about him just yet.

But yeah, just genuinely asking about the thought process behind your creativity. I actually never came across a avatar AU of batfam before so this is really cool to me. I enjoyed your cart as well, I feel like it complimented their character/personality well.

I hope you are feeling well :DD and that this is understood as much as possible because English is not my native language and I use translator more than anything else <333

I want to start by appreciating your comment and idea, it seems to me to be very accurate and adapted to the personality of each of the guys. The earthbender in the image is Conner Kent ☝️ at the beginning for the moment I didn't have not yet contemplated to join Dick.

The idea started with a friend of mine when the Avatar hype came back thanks to the live action. I couldn't tell you how I suddenly came up with the essence of the AU itself, which is set in a context where the government is the one who has control over the formation of the Avatar and there is a distortion of the bender of each element.

Being that the government nonbenders have the most power in the new hierarchy, firebenders have been relegated to only military and civilian protection roles; waterbenders are now in the health district; earthbenders are the lowest category being laborers and airbenders were again isolated in their temple with a vow to not mess with societies if they don't mess with them anyway.

The roles of each guy were given mostly based on plot function (and Tim waterbender's idea of a friend). And shortly the theme was born with the premise of a fake Avatar and the real one who doesn't know he is but has that spirit that makes him seek justice at all costs without knowing his true nature.

Tim would have the role of being the one chosen at a young age by the government to be their next Avatar. Jason as fire bender would be in the role of his "guard"; and Tim in his quest to be the best Avatar possible (convinced that he is the real one) escapes to look for benders who genuinely teach him and that is where he meets Conner, an earthbender who apart from his work as a laborer participates in clandestine fights to help support his family. And finally Damian (the real Avatar) who escaped from his temple to travel between towns these last two years helping with the government riots.

Finally on the subject of the creative process, I don't think I'm quite qualified to explain it yet because I don't feel very aware of it :DD. But ☝️ in my recent college classes a teacher said something that really stuck with me: a very important part of the creative process is how you process, digest and make an idea/concept your own.

I can safely say that a very important part is to nurture your brain with new content that inspires you(?. In the end if I think about it right now more objectively, this time I started from the concept, from there the plot and in the end I brought the boys into it somehow. I hope something is understood and I helped you ♡(੭'͈ ᐜ `͈)੭

PST: I really LOVED your idea of Jason waterbender with the change you bring up pre and post death, waaa maybe I'll explore it in the future, it got me thinking and very excited. A kiss to your brain muakkk

[sugarqueen-katara]

Netflix Avatar: the Last Airbender review

So, I just got around to watching ep 1 and I wanted to share my thoughts. I'll probably do this after each episode, but I am slow at watching things so this might take a while.

To make this more fair, I'll review the show as a seperate show and then review it as an avatar fan.

Maybe minor spoilers ahead so be aware!

As an individual show:

The context was repeated many times in different ways - it was a bit overkill but as "a new viewer" it makes the situation very clear

the genocide was such an emotional scene and very well done, but a little "convenient" (Aang leaving to clear his head at the perfect time and all the airbenders being in one location at the same moment that the fire nation arrives)

the characters seem cool maybe? Don't know much about them ~ yet

The bending looks epic

Overall a good and entertaining introduction episode, interested to see where this goes.

As an avatar fan

the intro sequence being done by Kyoshi is an interesting choice. I love Kyoshi as a character, but what is her relevance to Aang's story. If they wanted to do an avatar wouldn't Roku make more sense? Also the narration no longer being Katara reflects the changes of how important her role is to the story (will talk about more later)

No major complaints about the scenes at the air temple found the whole a great addition to the story.

Ok let's address Aang's flying. So first we can all agree that it goes against LOK lore. However, the other thing that bothers me is it is not clear when he needs a glider and when he doesn't. If he could fly why does he need a glider at all?

Now for the water tribe siblings! Let's start with Sokka. Some of his jokes were good some were meh... He is just kind of a jerk ~ which obviously is also the case in the animation ~ so I guess it depends on how the other episodes explore his character and develop his arc

Now for my poor girl Katara. They fail to show her complex character. We don't get any Katara sass or anger. All we get is caring Katara. There is not this duality that we usually see with her. She was also robbed of narrator and basically main or second main character to the show. The animation sets her up as the driving force of the show, now she's just kind of there. ~ Also I wanted to address everyone complaining about Katara's actress being the weakest. So first of all please don't send hate to Kiawentiio (I saw really awful comments under her instgram post which is really no ok) - I'm not saying your not allowed to think this, but maybe don't spam it under her posts. Next, I personally haven't had an issue with her acting so far, if anything the writing probably needs to be improved. And for anyone who says she can't show emotions go watch Anne with an E to see that she can act and the issues in the LA might be with directing (maybe I'm just biased because I love that show)

Aang is ok... his fear of responsibly shows but his goofiness is absent.

Now I am not the biggest Zuko stan ( don't get me wrong his character and arc is so well done in the animation he is just not my favourite), but I feel like he is the one character that I enjoy and have no complaints about so far in the LA

There’s something off with Iroh can’t really put it into words, but he just doesn’t have the same effect with the lines he delivers (this is only the first episode so I’ll have to see if it gets better)

Now, since I am largely a kataang blog ~ yes I am disappointed with the lack of penguin sledding but more in a sense that it removes Aang’s goofy behaviour. Then again, this isn't that big of a deal. Also I enjoyed the change of gyasto helping Aang out of the avatar state (it gives a different vibe but I’m not against it).

Overall, it is 100x better than the movie. Is it perfect? Not at all. So far,I think the main problem is that they tell instead of show. If you are able to detach it from the original (which is hard for me as you can probably tell from the review) and not think about what's missing it can be really enjoyable.

These are just my opinions. If you don't agree no need to hate or argue✨✨ (I hope this isn't an issue since it is not on Twitter)

[faiakishi]

Like, there's absolutely an argument for sometimes sacrificing your own morals for the greater good-but that doesn't need to be applied to everything. And it skims over the most important detail here, which is that Aang was willing to kill Ozai if that's what it took. He accepted that after talking to Yangchen. He wasn't happy about it, and he jumped at the chance of finding another way. But he was willing to do it because his love for the world and duty to protect it outweighed his own desire for pacifism.

But the thing is, Aang's struggle wasn't just because he was an airbender. It's that he was the last airbender.

Yangchen could sympathize with him, but she could never understand Aang's position. She was raised as an Air Nomad, she tried to live by their teachings, she loved her people. But ultimately, she was the Avatar first. And she could put her Avatar duties first because she knew the Air Nation would still be there. It didn't matter if she took life, because she wasn't a representative of her entire people. No matter what she did, there would still be Air Nomads preaching kindness and peace, and they would remain so after she was gone.

Aang doesn't have this. He had no way of predicting the effects of Harmonic Convergence, he didn't even know what it was. He knows that if there's ever going to be an Air Nation in the future, it's going to come from him. Physically, the only airbenders that will ever exist from now on will be his descendants, and they will all learn from the example he set, as the last airbender to have beheld their culture as it was meant to be.

How in the world is he going to teach his children that you must always extend your hand before raising it, that causing another harm is only acceptable in self-defense if he's killed himself? Not in self-defense, not unintended collateral, but straight-up murdered someone who was pinned down and terrified for his life? Yeah, they'll understand the nuance when they are older. They'll know that their dad was acting as the Avatar and the Avatar had to make some tough choices like that, they'll know that Ozai would have gone on to kill millions of people if Aang hadn't put an end to him. But it would still change things.

And that's glossing over how Aang would feel, looking his children in the eye and telling them they should always try to find another way, while remembering the look on Ozai's face before he died and constantly wondering if he really did everything to avoid killing him. It would always haunt him. Thinking of the Nomads who came before him and how he failed to preserve their lessons and culture, and even if people like Gyatso would understand and forgive him for what he'd done, (Gyatso did canonically kill literally dozens of Fire Nation soldiers trying to protect the other children in the temple) he would still feel like he disappointed them. It would destroy the last of the innocence the Air Nomads instilled in him, and that innocence is the core of Aang's character.

Killing Ozai would have still been a good ending for the story. It would have been a bad ending for Aang. He would no longer be the Aang we'd met in the iceberg. He'd changed a lot over the course of his journey, grown up and lost much of his innocence, but what he still had was the absolute core of his being. He could kill Ozai and win the war, but he'd lose his people. The Air Nation would truly be gone, completely snuffed out, and even if he revived it it wouldn't be the same.

And a tragic ending like that has its place. It would be very fitting in a Game of Thrones, Hunger Games-esque story. But ATLA isn't that kind of story. ATLA is about hope. It's about love, it's about knowing that peace and kindness can and will prevail if you have people willing to work for it. It had to end with the possibility of the Air Nomads growing back, like an acorn in the ashes. It would defy the core of what makes ATLA so inspiring if it didn't.

some of your goofy asses for the past 20 years

[littlegingermochipie]

anastasia au / アナスタシアバージョン zukaang week 2021 day four | ba sing se season 2 au / 平行宇宙

aang woke up under the control of dai li, while zuko and iroh lived in ba sing se three years after banishment. set as canon divergent version before crossroads of destiny. more of this story below the cut!

excuse my fuzzy brain for incoming plotholes maybe hehe yeah wow i love impulsiveness. anyway yeah sozin comet ain't comin until like, 120 AG-ish

zuko and iroh stopped searching for the avatar and peacefully worked under quon's patronage at ba sing se.

fortunately, due to their successful tea business, they found better access to knowledge of the avatar, as well as various air nomad's relics and textual informations. they decided to keep everything at their secret warehouse, hiring bands of thugs to keep it safe.

unbeknownst to iroh and zuko, four years before they lived as refugees, dai li was the first one to find aang in his iceberg state near eastern air temple.

hundred years ago, aang briefly fought against fire nation army at the temple alongside pathik, gyatso, the nuns, and several young monks. he was saved by pathik from dire situation by getting thrown into the ocean.

long feng planned to raise the boy as their secret weapon so earth kingdom could rise, taking down the fire nation.

upon woken up, aang was hypnotized, and could only remember that he's an orphan named liu jun, born as earthbender.

he was told that the markings on his skin was a curse since birth by angered spirits, and to never let other people see it or they'll be facing the consequences of his misfortune.

he lived like a bird in a cage under long feng's watch and the head of dai li's tutelage. for six years long, he felt horribly stressed.

one day, aang finally found a way to get out of his residence by tricking the caretakers, sneaking and riding on earth kingdom's logistic vehicles.

once he's out of the food supply cart, he found and saved momo from being sold by black market thugs in the lower ring. there, he stumbled upon zuko and iroh's secret warehouse.

zuko was mad for the intrusion, but quickly realized something about the boy's appearance. iroh, however, noticed that this liu jun has upper class upbringing, and concluded that he's one of the rebel child who wanted the taste of outer walls.

zuko just blatantly state the obvious; "kid, you really, really look like the avatar in that painting," but aang was like, "who's avatar?" and ended up being educated about hundred years war history.

aang felt shocked by the tattoos he saw on the painting. still, he quickly dismissed the idea that he might be a living airbender, since their tattoo was supposed to be a sign of mastery, not a curse like long feng said. he didn't tell this to iroh and zuko, yet.

"aish, you must be mad for ever thinking i'm the avatar. he should be an old man by now! i'm afraid of being near fire or under the water for too long, and i dislike being in cramped spaces with damp air. how am i supposed to bend those elements?" (those are also the mental issues resulted by long feng's braingwashing, ofc)

either way, he needed to hide from long feng. aang quickly sealed the deal to iroh's offer who gave him the chance to help their tea shop in the meantime. well, anything but being under dai li's supervision works.

for a week of working together, zuko had noticed a lot of strange things in aang; like how he could easily play kangling (air nomad's bone flute), how his footsteps were so light he almost can never be heard walking, and how he never want to bathe and get dressed with other people nearby.

in the hunt for aang, long feng sent royal guards to every corner of earth kingdom territory. finally, they found aang at the warehouse. chaotic pursuit ensues. iroh and zuko managed to save him—at the price of being labeled as criminals.

with the help of june, iroh and zuko found their way to their old ship and crews. they brought aang there, and asked who he actually was since he's so important for the dai li.

from zuko and iroh's research, the only living people who could confirm the avatar's identity was bumi, who's in omashu, and the temple sages. too much risk for those, ofc, so they opted to go to the empty eastern air temple for more hints.

there, they met pathik, who went, "monkey feathers! aang, is that you?" to which aang replied, "nah, i'm liu jun." and pathik's like, "but i can sense your avatar spirit! and-and your tattoos, let me look at it!" but aang was so, so afraid of showing it.

then, by nudging his inner ki, pathik managed to trigger the avatar state out of aang, causing him to remember everything, including his airbending ability.

zuko and iroh be like, "well, shit, he's really the avatar," and their journey went rather hellish from that, with both zhao's fleet and the dai li on their tail.

after being informed by pathik that he had bonded with an air bison named appa, aang wished he could find him, since appa's the only family that might remain alive with him in this world. zuko promised that they would find appa.

under the pretense of companionship, zuko secretly plotted to give aang to ozai, while he and iroh helped the boy to master four elements by travelling around the world.

feelings were hindering him on the way, though. months of travelling together did that. "i think we could be good friends, even in another lifetime, if not a hundred years ago." oof, aang.

just like dimitri and anastasia, zukaang had deep bonding session at the boat with their dancing dragon and firebending lessons. iroh did smile knowingly at them.

betrayal slapped hard when aang found out about zuko's actual plan during their fight against zhao at north pole, who revealed with, "you befriend this dishonored prince, avatar? all he wanted to do was to send you to the fire lord as a nicely wrapped gift! this was all a ploy to earn your trust, to take you down by knowing your exact blind spots! you are merely a tool for him to regain his former identity!"

ouch. they got separated from there. aang then teamed up with the eventually formed gaang at the other side of the world, while zuko getting scolded by iroh, "you don't only lose someone that you care about, but the hope of the whole world! your hope! hadn't the past three years taught you something? hunger for power only bring despair to you!"

both once separated parties then reunited with the crossroads episode. aang ended up dead, katara swore to finish the fire siblings off, and zuko went absolutely mad, drowned in grief.

it's up to zuko now, to actually fulfill his promises; from finding appa to saving the world from his father—all without knowing that katara could revive aang. angst angst angst, final boss, zukaang banging then everyone lived happily ever after ♥

the musical scores would be:

a rumour in ba sing se

once upon an agrahāyana

caldera holds the key to your heart

learn to wield it

learn to wield it (dancing dragon reprise)

in the dark of the moonless night

feels great to finally manifest this draft of zukaang anastasia au for @zukaangweek uwu

[randomwritingguy]

The Myth of Y/N (Korra x Reader UNREQUITED) Part 15

TRUTHS REVEALED

Y/N'S POV

It has been a while ago since I had that dream...or vision. Whatever I want to call it. I told Tenzin about it and how all I can remember is a "Wan" person. We have been having more frequent meditation sessions as well as doing our own research about it but we have found nothing. I am certain we will figure it out soon.

Besides all of that spiritual stuff , though, I've just been relaxing and hanging out with everyone. There was that one incident where Ikki ran away because Jinora and Meelo were making fun of her so Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi went out to look for her. The latter two came back with grumpy looks on their faces but soon afterwards Tenzin came back with Ikki. Since then it seems the three children of Avatar Aang have gotten along much better. It looks like they finally sorted things out with their feelings towards their father.

Eventually we all left to go to the Eastern Air Temple. This place feels much different than the southern temple. I don't know how to explain it, it just feels more...spiritual.

Speaking of spirits, I also discovered that some spirits inhabit the area. They look pretty cute to be honest with their bunny-like body and their wing-like ears. I noticed that Jinora could see them too but no-one else can, which is actually not surprising considering what happened in the last temple. The airbender got really friendly with the one of them, she even named it "Furry-Foot." Only children can come up with such creative names, am I right? Kya has been giving us weird looks, though. I don't know if she's starting to figure everything out yet or not.

Right now I'm with the others at the main entrance of the temple about to begin the grand tour of the Eastern Air Temple. We are just waiting for Tenzin and Jinora. I'm currently with Bumi and Kya and we are...validating...the retired commander's story.

"So...let me get this straight." I begin, my lips curved up in an amused smile. "You managed to defeat an earthbender in a rock throwing contest?"

"Yeperdo!" Bumi responds loudly. "And he was a tough one all right. The rocks ranged from small to big, it was unbelievable. It took all of my strength and willpower, but eventually I performed a precise maneuverer and chucked a rock the size of a walnut right at his eye. He called it quits after that, haha!"

I snicker at the the former commander's story. "Sounds like quite an adventure, Bumi."

Kya snorts at my comment. "Don't be fooled, Y/N. Bumi likes to exaggerates a few of his stories from time to time."

"But not this time, I swear!" Bumi quickly retorts. "That is exactly how it went. Come on, Y/N. After all the stories I've told you, surely you'll believe me, right?!"

I chuckle at the scene before and nod in confirmation. I know he exaggerates sometimes, but I think most of the time he is telling the truth. Only the son of the Avatar can pull off the crazy stuff Bumi said he did when he was in the United Forces.

"See!" Bumi exclaims to Kya, the former still having a teasing smile on her face. "Y/N believes me!"

Kya shakes her head but the smile is still present. "That's because you had the past six months to brainwash them into believing whatever you say. Stop telling lies."

Bumi leans forward to his sister, his grin never fading. "It's true! I once beat an earthbender in a rock-throwing contest! I have the trophy to prove it."

Huh, I need to remind myself to ask him to show me his trophy when we get back to Republic City.

Before I can add more into the conversation, Tenzin and Jinora finally arrive to the entrance.

"All right, who's ready for an exciting tour of the Eastern Air Temple?" Tenzin asks everyone, clear enthusiasm written across his face. "We've got a lot to see today including ancient statues, ancient gardens, and the meditation hall used by ancient airbenders."

Awesome!

"That sounds really fascinating, Tenzin." I tell him, a bright smile on my face.

Ikki, on the other hand, seems less enthusiastic than I am.

"Yay. Old things."

Man, kids these days. They never appreciate some good old history and culture. God, I'm starting to sound like my parents. I wonder how they are doing back at the South Pole.

"Korra?!"

Oh, yeah, I wonder how Korra is doi-WAIT WHAT?!

I see Tenzin with wide eyes, staring at one of the entrances. I turn to look at his direction and-

-it is her.

It's Korra. It's actually her, with a bright, gigantic smile, looking more beautiful than ever.

My jaw drops to the floor in shock while the Air Kids just shout out in excitement. "Korra!"

As they all rush towards her, Pema asks the obvious question. "What are you doing here?"

Kya speaks up, asking her the second obvious question. "And how did you know where to find us?"

"Tenzin's itinerary" Korra responds, her smile ever present. "We went over it like a hundred times before we left Republic City."

Yep. I remember that too.

"See?" Tenzin tells his brother and sister. "This is why schedules are important."

I snicker at the airbender's comment. I turn back to Korra who is still smiling.

"It's so great to see you all again." she tells us, briefly engaging eye contact with me.

I can feel myself sweating a bit at her gaze. Are we cool now? I don't know.

"It's great to see you too." Tenzin responds. "But why aren't you training at the South Pole?"

Actually, now I think about it, why is Korra here?

Korra's face flashes with surprise and confusion. "Wait, you don't know about the Civil War?"

Civil War?! WHAT?!

"Civil War?! No, we don't." I tell her, my heart beginning to race.

"We've been out of touch with the outside world since we started our vacation."  Tenzin explains, though I can hear the shock in his voice.

"Tenzin's idea." Bumi remarks. "What happened?"

"So much." Korra begins. "I don't know where to start."

Tenzin doesn't care though, desiring to know what happened. "Just tell us everything!"

"Everything?" Korra asks, doubt in her voice. "Okay."

I'm sure it can't be that much. How confusing can it be-

"I opened a spirit portal at the South Pole, but then Unalaq turned out to be a bad guy and wanted to take control of the south, so I sort of started a civil war, but when I went to find some help, I was attacked by my cousins and then by a giant, dark spirit, and then I forgot who I was, and then I met the first Avatar, and then I realised I shouldn't have opened the portal in the first place, and now I need to close it again!"

...

What?

"I knew this would happen." Tenzin simply responds. But I ignore the comment. I'm still trying to unpack everything Korra said.

There's a spirit portal at the South Pole and Korra needs to close it?

Unalaq is evil? And he wanted to take control of the south?

Eska and Desna are working for him too?

Dark spirits?

And...

"The first Avatar." I start, gaining Korra's attention and she looks at me curiously. "They wouldn't happen to be called Wan, right?"

My question makes Korra gasp in shock. "Yes. How do you know about Avatar Wan?"

I'm going to tell her everything.

"A while ago I had a vision when I was asleep. Like last time when you and I were kidnapped, I couldn't remember any of it. All I remember is the name "Wan." It appears the name has some significance after all."

"Since then Y/N and I have been trying to increase our meditation sessions and deepen our research." Tenzin adds on. "But so far we've got nothing."

I hum in confirmation to Tenzin's explanation.

Wait.

WAIT!

"Oh spirits, is everyone okay?" I ask Korra, desperation completely evident. "Are my parents safe?! Are yours?! Are Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Kyuni fine too?!"

Korra's face flashes with sympathy and she raises her hands in reassurance. "Everyone is fine, Y/N. Our friends are back in Republic City. Unalaq arrested my father and yours along with a few others. He accused them of plotting to assassinate him. We managed to rescue them and they are planning on fighting back at home."

My dad was arrested? And now he's helping Tonraq fight Unalaq? Dammit. I hope he's okay. I can't imagine how mum must be feeling. I hope she's fine too.

"Korra, I need you to come with me." Tenzin tells her, his gaze hardening. "We need to discuss more about everything. I want all of the details."

Korra nods at the airbender's request. As she walks past me she briefly stops and whispers "We'll talk later." and carries on, walking away with Tenzin.

As they finally leave my vision, I take a deep breathe and release it. This is far bigger and complicated than I thought it was.

LATER

Korra's POV

I've just finished telling Tenzin everything that's happened. It's good to see everyone again, especially Y/N. I didn't realise how I much I missed my best friend until I saw them again.

But now's not the time. Now I need to focus on travelling to the Spirit World.

"So Avatar Wan imprisoned this dark spirit Vaatu in the spirit world?" Tenzin asks me, wanting reassurance that he heard everything right.

I confirm the airbender's question. "Yes, and now I think my uncle is trying to free him."

I still find all of this hard to believe. My own uncle is evil after all this time.

"I knew Unalaq was hungry for power but never realised how far he would go to to get it." Tenzin comments, looking back on all of my uncle's deeds and actions in hindsight.

Unalaq tricked me. He played me for a fool. I should have known better!

"This is all my fault." I tell him, voicing my inner thoughts aloud.

Tenzin ,though, is quick to refute me. "No, don't blame yourself. This is Unalaq's doing. Now, we must focus on setting things right before he can do any more damage."

He doesn't blame me for any of it? I really needed to hear that.

"Thank you." I simply tell him. There aren't enough words to express my gratitude.

"So you need to close the southern portal, but if Unalaq's army controls the South, how are we going to get to it?" Tenzin asks me with curiosity.

And that's where my plan comes in.

"I thought about it." I assure the airbender. "My best chance to close the portal is from the inside. I have to enter the Spirit World."

Tenzin's eyes briefly widen in surprise to my plan but harden again soon after. "A journey into the Spirit World. All my years of spiritual training have prepared me for this moment." He rises from the bench, standing tall and proud, full of confidence. "I will help you. Today, we enter the Spirit World."

Yes. We will.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

Tenzin has taken me to some meditation garden. It looks very peaceful.

"You're lucky." Tenzin remarks. "This temple is the most spiritual of all the air temples. Why, this very garden is where my father met Guru Pathik."

Woah, really? Cool!

"Wow!" I exclaim, my enthusiasm evident. "Spirit World, here we come."

Me, Tenzin, Y/N, Bumi, Kya, Jinora, Meelo, and Ikki all travelled further into the garden until eventually we were surrounded by trees and greenery. It looks beautiful.

Right now, Tenzin and I are in meditative positions, our eyes closed. I clear my mind of all my thoughts like usual. In the background I can hear Meelo playing some tune and Ikki is pouring some air into a horn of some sort. Despite all of these methods, nothing has happened so far.

Eventually, I slightly open my right eye to glance at Tenzin. "Are you in the Spirit World?" I whisper to him.

The airbender opens his left eye, a frown on his face. "I would be if Meelo could ring his bell at the appropriate intervals."

Ouch, that must have hurt.

And it looks like I was right too, as I see Meelo's saddened look. "Aww, did I do it wrong?"

Tenzin quickly rises and huffs, clearly frustrated. "Let's try something else."

As he walks away, I glance back at Meelo, feeling sorry for him. "I thought your bell ringing was just fine."

My reassurance seemed to cheer the air kid up as a massive grin forms on his face and begins ringing the bell repeatedly. Ah, Meelo. Always super hyper.

We are now at another location, candles and smoke everywhere. We are all silent.

I hear Tenzin coughing next to me. Ah, maybe we overdid it with the smoke.

"Kya, this is too much smoke." Tenzin complains to his sister. "You set it up wrong. This isn't going to work."

Geez. First Meelo, now his sister?

"I'm sorry. I did what you told me." Kya responds, attempting to defend herself.

Tenzin is having none of that, though, as he gets up and begins walking away. "Well, the moment's ruined."

Really? That was fast.

I stand up myself and start following him. "We could have tried a little longer." I tell him, but he isn't listening. Dammit.

Now Tenzin and I are at another location again. It's just the two of us trying to meditate. Hopefully this time it will work.

"Focus, Korra. Focus." Tenzin tells me, as if I'm being distracted. Seriously?

"I am focusing" I tell him.

"No talking." Tenzin quickly responds. "Feel the energy of the universe."

But I am feeling the energy though???

"Okay, I feel it." I tell him. I'm so tired of this.

"Korra, really!" Tenzin snaps at me, his frustration at his peak. "I'm trying to concentrate here! I don't think this location is going to work either."

Seriously? What is his deal?

"What's going on with you?" I ask him. I want to get to the bottom of what's bothering him. "First, you're blaming Meelo, then Kya, and now me."

Tenzin isn't listening though. "Well, nothing is feeling right to me."

I rise from my position, trying to calm him down. "I don't want to rush your feelings, but we're kind of in a hurry. How did you first get into the Spirit World? Let's try that."

There we go. A simple solution.

Surprisingly though, Tenzin's face shifts to...embarrassment? "Well...actually, I've never been into the Spirit World."

WHAT?! HE HASN'T BEEN THERE BEFORE?!

The others approach us, shocked as I am. This...this is unreal!

"You've never been into the Spirit World?" I ask him, hoping that I misheard him or something!

He doesn't reply. Dammit!

"But you used to spend days in the temple meditating." Pema says, confused by her husband's confession.

"Trying to get in." Tenzin explains. He doesn't look at any of us, instead focusing his attention on the ground. His eyes are full of shame. "It never happened. It's my greatest shortcoming as an airbender, spiritual leader, and son of Aang."

Bumi laughs in the background at all of this. "Welcome to the "I disappoint Dad" club."

Not a good time, Bumi. Not a good time.

"If you've never been to the Spirit World, how were you planning on to get Korra into it?" Kya asks her brother, clearly confused by his actions.

Actually, yeah. How was he planning on taking me to the Spirit World?

Finally, the airbender turns to us, determination replacing his shame. "I've spent years studying the techniques and theories of ancient spiritual leaders. Now that the Avatar needs me, it must be my time."

I...I'm not so sure about that. This sounds more like a false hope if I am really honest.

"Tenzin, Harmonic Convergence is almost here." I explain to him, hoping to make him realise how serious the situation is. "If Vaatu escapes from the Spirit World--"

"--You have to trust me." Tenzin interrupts. He seems to be pleading with me at this point "I can help you."

I'm sorry, Tenzin, but I don't think you can.

"There might be another way."

Kya?

We turn to Kya, who is looking at...Y/N and Jinora?

"Jinora, Y/N, is there something you want to tell Korra?" Kya asks them,.

Tell me what?

"Jinora?" Tenzin asks his sister, doubt in his tone. "She is too young and untrained to have any knowledge about spiritual matters."

I speak up to. "Yeah, Y/N hasn't got any training on spiritual stuff either."

Y/N chuckles nervously and rubs the back of their neck. "Yeah, uh, about that...we sort of have an idea on what to do."

"Yeah, I think Y/N and I know where Korra needs to go to get into the Spirit World." Jinora finishes, looking right at us.

What?! For real?!

"And how would you two know that?" Tenzin asks them, the doubt still evident.

Y/N and Jinora glance at each other for a split second, and then back to us. Then Y/N speaks up. "Our...spirit friends showed us."

Spirit friends?!

Jinora speaks up too. "It's okay, guys, you can show yourselves."

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, multiple spirits show up all around us. They look really cute. They have the appearance of bunnies and they use their ears to fly. So adorable!

"How did you do that?!" Tenzin asks them, clear disbelief written across his face.

"Jinora!" Pema exclaims, clearly proud of her daughter.

I chuckle and cross my arms. "Looks like you're spiritual after all, Y/N."

Y/N chuckles. "I guess so."

As the bunnies go further outside, Tenzin approaches Jinora. "I know you and Y/N had a spiritual incident before but...how long have you two been able to do this?"

Jinora's face warps into confusion, clearly trying to figure out the answer to that question. "I don't know. I guess we've always kind of had a connection with spirits. Isn't that right, Y/N?"

I see Y/N chuckle again. "At this point, I'm not really surprised."

Hmm. Can they help us, though?

"Are they here to help?" I ask Jinora.

Jinora points into the direction the spirits are heading towards. "I think they want you to go down there."

Tenzin still has his doubts though. "I don't know. The spiritual energy is historically strongest near this temple."

Seriously, Tenzin?

"No offense, but I'm guessing the spirits have actually been to the Spirit World, so I'm gonna follow them." I tell him, having made my own mind up.

Bumi walks up to his brother, giving him a teasing smile. "If we ever need to go to the Tenzin world, we'll call you."

I hear Y/N snicker in the background. I smile at the scene.

LATER

Y/N'S POV

We are on Oogi, following the spirits that Jinora and I befriended. I hope they have found a way for Korra to go into the Spirit World.

Speaking of Jinora, she looks quite sad for some reason. I'll ask her about it.

"Hey, Jinora. What's up?" I ask her.

She doesn't look at me, she keeps having the same sad expression. "I think dad's mad at me."

Oh.

Kya tries to reassure the young airbender, giving her a warm smile. "Your father's not mad. His pride's just a little bruised since he isn't able to see spirits like you and Y/N."

"Yeah." Korra adds in. She glances between me and Jinora. "You two have a natural gift. That's pretty lucky."

Huh...I never saw it like that. Yeah, I guess we are.

Jinora see things differently though. "You're the lucky one. You actually got to meet the first Avatar. I know a lot about Avatars, but I don't know anything about him. Is it even a him, or is it a her?"

"It's a him, Avatar Wan." Korra quickly responds. "He was amazing. I saw how he became the first Avatar by fusing with Raava, the spirit of light."

See, all of that stuff sounds so familiar. I must have dreamt about that. Dammit, of course I forget 99% about it.

"The Avatar is part spirit?" Jinora asks aloud. Then her eyes widen like she figured something out. "Of course!" She turns to me, her eyes even wider. "It's just like the statue, Y/N!"

Oh shit, yeah! How could I have forgotten about that?!

"Yeah, you're right!" I tell her, confirming her theory.

"What statue?" Kya asks us, glancing between us.

I lean forward to get a bit closer. They need to hear this. "When we were at the Southern Air Temple, Jinora and I were drawn to this old statue. At the time we had no idea what it was about, but I guess we do now. It was Avatar Wan. Who would have thought?"

I can see Korra's eyes widen too, her mouth agape. "When did this happen, Y/N?"

"It was at the solstice, I believe." I tell her, and her eyes somehow get even bigger.

"That's the day I opened the southern portal." she announces to us all, her surprise evident.

Woah, what?! That's what that whole thing was about? It was because of Korra?!

After that bombshell of a reveal, we finally arrived. After a few minutes of walking, we made it to the place the spirits wanted to show us.

Wow.

There's some sort of ancient meditation spot here. Big rocks full of carvings on them, vines all over the place. It looks like it hasn't been touched in years.

"This is an ancient airbender meditation circle." Tenzin declares, sounding just as shocked as we are.

As I look around, I can feel a lot of spiritual energy surrounding this place. I can't describe it, I just feel it.

"This place is full of spiritual energy." I comment.

I glance at Jinora to see if she's feeling it too. She nods back as confirmation. "Yeah, there is a lot here. But it feels...strange."

I concentrate a bit harder and...yeah. It does feel strange. Something's not right.

"We'll have to perform a spiritual cleansing ceremony." Tenzin says, providing a solution to this strange feeling.

"What are you talking about?" Bumi asks the most obvious question to his brother.

Tenzin turns to the retired commander. "Dad taught it to me. This site has been neglected for many years. A cleansing ceremony will help strengthen its connection to the Spirit World."

After setting the ceremony up, Tenzin begins the process. Using the smoke from the pot, he airbends it into a ring, surrounding us. However, our spirit friends begin flying away. Suddenly, the Earth beneath us begins to shake. What's going on?!

"It's working." Tenzin notes, still continuing the process.

Then, out of nowhere, hundreds of dark spirits begin pouring out of the hole in the centre, flying right up into the sky...only to turn around and come back to us!

SHIT!

We all rush to take cover as the spirits rush past us, only to once again change their trajectory and start heading towards us. Tenzin and Korra try to stop them with their beniding, but it's no use. We all duck to avoid being hit by tem.

DAMMIT! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!

I turn to Korra to ask her that question, but I see her getting up and walking to the centre of the circle. What is she doing?!

Then, a moment later, Korra uses her waterbending to surround the dark spirits in loops. After a few hand motions, the loops begin to glow...

Wait.

She's trying to calm them! Like what Unalaq did to that dark spirit back in the South Pole!

Then, finally, a flash of golden light blinds my vision. When it returns, the spirits are gone. They are at peace. I look around the circle, and I realise that the vines and moss that covered the large stones are fading away too. In fact, they are fading away from the entire meditation ground!

I rush up to my best friend, full of bewilderment. "Korra, that was amazing!"

Korra smiles faintly. "Thanks. Unalaq may be a horrible person, but his spirt powers are no joke."

I smile back. "Korra, you are amazing. I...I'm sorry I left you with him back at the South Pole."

I can see her eyes flashing with sympathy and she walks closer, placing both her hands on my shoulders. "No, Y/N, don't apologise. I was the one who was being a massive jerk to you. I'm the one who owes you an apology. I was just being arrogant and immature with the whole "sides" thing. I'm really sorry."

My heart aches at her words, and I pull her into a fierce hug. We stay like that for a few moments and finally let go, gazing into each other's eyes with big smiles.

"I'm sorry too, Korra." Tenzin tells her, breaking the moment we were sharing. "Unalaq taught you how to transform dark spirits. I can't even get you into the Spirit World."

Korra is quick to respond to the airbender's self deprecating comments. "Everything Unalaq taught me was to help himself. Everything you've done was meant to help me. I am so sorry for turning my back on you as my mentor. I need you now more than ever."

Tenzin's face hardens. "I will not let you down."

They both exchange a quick hug. After the sweet moment is over, Tenzin walks closer to the centre of the meditation circle. "The ancient airbenders must have built this site. If we meditate here, we'll be able to enter the Spirit World."

"Why don't you go first?" Korra gently asks him. My heart warms as I hear Korra's compassionate words. She knows this means a lot to Tenzin.

"After all these years, my father's dream for me will finally come true." the airbender declares, his hope returning.

Lets do this.

LATER

It's gotten dark. Tenzin has been meditating for who knows how long now. I don't think it's working.

Bumi decides to have some little fun and begins poking his brother with a big stick. "You in the Spirit World yet?"

"No, I am not, and stop bothering me." Tenzin immediately snaps, airbending the stick away. His hope now replaced with frustration.

Man, I hate to see Tenzin like this. He doesn't deserve this.

"It's okay, Tenzin." Kya assures him. "Maybe you weren't meant to guide Korra into the Spirit World."

"No!" Tenzin responds, denying the reality of the situation. "Just give me some time."

Kya, however, is having none of it. "Stop being so stubborn. Its not your destiny. I think Jinora and Y/N were meant to guide the Avatar."

I mean...after all the spiritual stuff Jinora and I experienced...I guess that makes sense.

The idea of his daughter going into the Spirit World is understandably displeasing to Tenzin, though. "Jinora will not enter the Spirit World! Nor will Y/N! They are not ready for the dangers of the other side, but I am. I've spent years training, studying, and mastering everything there is to know about the Spirit World."

Oh...he was looking out for me to.

"Tenzin, we're running out of time." Korra warns the airbender.

The son of Aang is not listening despite Korra's warning. "If everyone could just be quiet and let me focus."

Before anyone can speak up, Jinora walks to her father and grabs his hand, comforting him. "Aunt Kya is right. Y/N and I can guide Korra into the Spirit World. I'll be all right. Y/N will be alright. We'll be fine."

Tenzin looks back to all of us, his eyes flashing with hurt but also...acceptance.

Finally, he turns back to his daughter. "Perhaps I will never have the connection with spirits like I always wanted...like my father wanted me to have."

Jinora wraps her father into a warm hug. "It's okay, daddy."

Tenzin reciprocates the hug, a smile forming on his face. "I'm proud of you." He turns back to Korra. "Go. Close the portal. We'll wait here and keep your bodies safe till you return." He glances at me. "Look out for my daughter."

I nod at the airbenders request. He sends a smile to me, one full of gratitude. Soon after that, Jinora, Korra, and I get into our meditative positions. We clear our minds, let our thoughts flow out like a river. I can feel a pull of some sort, intensifying each second. And, in a bright flash, it is done.

Spirit World, here we are.

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And that's it! I hope you all enjoyed it! :D

Constructive criticism is always appreciated!

See you all in the next chapter!

[asjjohnson]

I have an Avatar: The Last Airbender AU fic idea in which Aang isn't the Avatar. He's still the last airbender, just not the Avatar.

The basic idea is that Aang and the others search for the Avatar while Aang acts as a decoy and brings some hope to the world.

The story goes through the series, giving new meaning to some things, slightly changing other things. If I ever write the fic, it's supposed to drift away from canon after the first season/book. But, because it does follow canon kind of close to begin with (just with different nuances), I'd had a lot of trouble figuring out how to write it while also making it interesting enough for readers.

I'd thought of dividing the fic into parts (like the series), with the first part being "Air".

It starts with Katara breaking Aang and Appa out of an iceberg.

A hundred years ago, when the attack on the air nomads happened, the children were told to escape and that's what Aang did. But he ended up stuck underwater, and airbended himself into a ball of ice.

There's no light show when Katara breaks through the iceburg, but Zuko still thinks a nearby explosion could be the Avatar. Zuko also still jumps to the conclusion of 'airbender equals Avatar', and threatens Katara's village, leading Aang to claim to be the Avatar, just to save them. Aang escapes by funneling water onto Zuko's ship using airbending. Katara asks why Aang hadn't told her he was the Avatar, and Aang says, because he isn't.

Aang hopes to find the real Avatar at the southern air temple. Instead, he finds the place abandoned and everyone dead. Katara comforts him, and says they could check the other air temples.

Despite Aang denying being the Avatar whenever possible, word starts spreading of him being the Avatar. The gaang also come across some people who desperately need some hope, which Aang could give if he were to pretend to be the Avatar.

At Omashu, King Bumi (acting like he doesn't believe Aang when Aang denies it) puts Aang through some tests to see if he has what it takes to be the Avatar. Bumi afterward talks to Aang about how things will be tough because Aang will be hunted for being an airbender and people will assume he's the Avatar. He mentions that the gaang might be able to take some of the pressure off the true Avatar, wherever he is, by giving the Fire Nation a red-herring. Like originally, he tells Aang he needs to use his head and be creative (like making it look like he can bend other elements). Bumi also says he knows from a knowledgeable source that the Avatar is out there, and though Bumi doesn't actually know where they are, he knows they're alive.

Iroh does some semi-secretive stuff in the background, no one besides readers knowing he's part of the White Lotus. Although it's hard to tell how much is White Lotus related and how much is just him keeping up with friends. I'd imagined there being a scene at some point in which Iroh is reading a letter he'd gotten, and Zuko snatches it to see what it says. But it's just a letter from a sick friend of his uncle's. "Iroh, I am doing better. I was finally able to go out and get a breath of fresh air. Though, you know there is only so much that can be done in my situation. I've been hoping you have found a new tea recipe on your travels that you could share with me in order to bring me a little happiness."

The gaang might come to the village that the Hei Bai spirit has been attacking. Hei Bai might kidnap Aang instead of Sokka. Or airbenders are just naturally in tune with the spirit world. Whatever the case, Aang somehow ends up speaking with Avatar Roku, who tells him about the comet coming and says that Aang and his friends need to find the Avatar before that point.

With the gaang now fully going along with the masquerade, Katara tries to help Aang look more like a waterbender as he uses airbending to move water. But Aang still moves like an airbender, and Katara can't tell him what he's doing wrong because she's untrained and just goes by instinct herself. She can only say things like him needing to look 'more flowy' or something.

Iroh, while at a port searching for a white lotus tile, looks around at some different objects for sale by some pirates, and notices a pretty-looking scroll. One of the pirates tells him it's a waterbending scroll and already has a buyer unless Iroh is willing to pay more. Iroh passes on it, saying he's just browsing. And then later, Iroh and Zuko run down the street and Zuko asks why the pirates are chasing them, and Iroh innocently replies that he has no idea.

Sokka gets a job with a fisherman, and the guy recognizes Aang as the Avatar and claims Aang had turned his back on the world. Aang actually does feel guilty for leaving the monks, and tells Katara about it, explaining how the elders had told the kids to escape while they held the soldiers back, but, although the monks had said to flee, Aang still feels guilty about not staying to fight. He could have helped, he was an advanced student who already got his tattoos. Katara comforts him, saying that he did what the monks said, and they had wanted him to live and he did.

Sokka and Katara get sick, and Aang goes to find a cure, but is captured by the Yu Yan archers and Zhao. It's the first time Aang really realizes how dangerous his charade is. Zuko, as the Blue Spirit, saves him. Aang doesn't want to pretend to be someone much more powerful than he really is anymore, and admits to Zuko that he's not the Avatar. However, Zuko says he's not falling for it, sounding frustrated and disbelieving. He doesn't allow himself to think about the possibility at this point. Like originally, Zuko ends up scaring Aang off with a fireball instead of capturing him.

There's a scene where a man goes to a post office and a girl working there tells him he's gotten a package today, saying it looks like some more tea. He thanks her and walks back to his small home, where he opens the package and reads the letter from Iroh that's with it. Iroh says he sent a small sample of his newest blend, and tells the ingredients and brewing and steeping instructions. He also warns about not getting ahead of himself and to follow the directions carefully, or the tea won't turn out properly. The man smiles at this, thinking it's just like the old man. He then carefully pours the loose-leaf tea into something else, and examines the little case, which has some hidden papers. (There might be other scenes showing their correspondence, too, like Iroh at one point mentioning time running out, and this summer, and the man thinking about the world needing the Avatar and Iroh being the only hope for that.)

The gaang may come across Jeong Jeong. If they do, then Aang would ask if Jeong Jeong has any ideas about how he could mimic firebending by using air, but Jeong Jeong is very against it, thinking that what Aang is doing is really dangerous and stupid. Especially with Aang trying to manipulate flames using airbending of all things. It's hard enough trying to control fire while being a firebender, but it would be impossible to control it without being one. But Aang messes around on his own and finds a way to spark a flame using friction. After it goes badly, Jeong Jeong mentions about the breath being where firebending gets its energy, and says that's why the flame got out of control when Aang blew on it.

The gaang finish their search of the air temples and find nothing. There's no sign whatsoever of other air nomads or of the Avatar or what had happened to him. Aang wants to quit.

Katara and Sokka have an opportunity to reunite with their dad, and Aang goes with them to see Hakoda, abandoning the search.

The second part is "Water".

[discordiansamba]

Aang wakes up to a world changed.

It turns out he wasn't in that iceberg for just a couple of days. He was in there for a hundred years. In that time, the Fire Nation not only started a war with the rest of the world, but they'd also wiped out the rest of the Air Nomads. No one has seen an airbender in a hundred years- at least, not until he came along.

Aang doesn't want to believe it.

But Katara shows him the ruins of a Fire Nation ship outside of their village, which sort of ruins all the fun he'd been having penguin sledding just moments ago. She tells him about the Southern Raiders, and how they took her mother from her. The guilt sits in his stomach like a heavy rock. If he hadn't run away, could he have prevented that?

But not all hope is lost, Aang thinks. There's a firebender in the Southern Water Tribe village. He looks... vaguely familiar, but it's hard to pinpoint why he feels that way exactly. Maybe it's just the fact that he has the same name as his now probably long dead friend Zuko. He doesn't think they look that much alike, though- the Zuko he knew had long hair that he wore in a topknot. This one has a short, scruffy mess of hair- without any bangs to hide the prominent burn scar on his face.

(His voice is a lot hoarser than the Zuko he knew too.)

This Zuko says he's here to help escort them to the North Pole.

Aang does not want to go to the North Pole. He wants to go home. Everyone tells him that going back to the Southern Air Temple is a terrible idea, but Aang needs to see it for himself. He knows right away when he gets there that something is wrong- the place is empty, abandoned. The only thing still living there is a single lemur, who he chases with Sokka and-

-and he finds the skeletons.

Countless firebenders, and... and Gyatso. Gyatso is dead. Gyatso was killed by firebenders. Gyatso was killed by firebenders because Aang ran away and got frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years. He loses control and goes into the Avatar State- but Katara calls out to him, and calms him down. Brings him out of it alongside Sokka. They don't look hurt or betrayed, despite the fact that he lied to them about being the Avatar.

He can't say the same for Zuko.

"You're the Avatar?" He says. "You're the reason the spirits made me their servant? Because you ran away!?"

Aang doesn't understand why he's so angry- but Sokka and Katara explain. The Avatar is supposed to be the bridge between worlds- it's an important role that they must fulfill. And in the hundred years he's been gone... the one filling that role has been Zuko.

Oh, Aang realizes, it's not that he just has the same name as the Zuko he knew. He is the Zuko he knew.

just picturing spirit bridge zuko listening to Sokka say a bunch of a misogynistic crap and just staring at him like. Hakoda. what have you been teaching this child. I'm going to have some words with you when I see you next.

(Hakoda on his ship in Chameleon bay shudders for an inexplicable reason. Zuko you will not be escaping those Uncle allegations soon.)

[sokkastyles]

In your last post you talked a lot about how Zuko respects Iroh. Could you give some examples of that? Because I'm feeling like Zuko doesn't really respect anyone, he (understandably) has an ego and thinks he's above everyone, even if he's working on

It is such a shame that Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) was cancelled after two episodes.

Lol, now that I've got that out of my system, I'm gonna assume you aren't just a troll and treat this like you actually want a serious answer, because it gives me an opportunity to meta about Zuko and Iroh's relationship.

I would say that the Zuko we are introduced to has a pretty big ego, yeah, and thinks he's above everyone else. He's incredibly disrespectful to most everyone he meets, including his long-suffering uncle. When I started the show I knew through cultural osmosis that Zuko would get redeemed, and from the first episode I was like "alright, I'm ready to see how the show is gonna make me like this asshole." I especially did have a negative reaction to the way he treats Iroh in the beginning, because Iroh is one of the first characters I loved. I also was sympathetic to Iroh because I'm an adult, and an adult who works with kids. If any of my students said to me some of the stuff that Zuko says to Iroh I'd be like, yeah, okay, detention for you young man.

It's also pretty clear from early on though that Zuko's ego comes from a deep insecurity and low self-esteem. That doesn't make the things he does any better, and yes he is incredibly disrespectful to Iroh, especially when Iroh contradicts him about his mission. That's also related to his deep insecurity and trauma surrounding his father, of course, because Zuko needs to believe that he can win back his father's acceptance to cope with what his father did to him, but that doesn't excuse it.

He says some incredibly nasty things to Iroh. In the first episode we see him respond angrily when Iroh won't teach him more advanced firebending, and Zuko responds, as he does several times, by trying to imitate his father's brand of coercion and intimidation. Iroh is like, not impressed, and he puts up with a lot of crap from Zuko but he also doesn't let it get to him because he's a responsible adult and he wants to support Zuko in the way he can. Which also means telling him off sometimes because dude.

Zuko thinks Iroh is lazy and a failure, and resents the fact that Iroh is keeping him from what he says he is "more than ready" for, and tries to bully Iroh when he doesn't get his way, but then we see in the third episode, "The Southern Air Temple," Zuko's fight with Zhao. We see that for all Zuko's complaining about Iroh's teaching, he does what Iroh taught him to do, he sticks to his basics, and he wins. Iroh says that Zuko is honorable and we see that Zuko appreciates Iroh's support. It's also implied by the way Zhao mentions humiliating Zuko in front of his uncle that Zuko wants Iroh to be proud of him, that it's obvious to Zhao how close they are.

Another example of the show letting us know that Zuko cares more about his uncle than he lets on is when he threatens to leave Iroh behind in "Winter Solstice" but then comes back for him to find him gone, and goes out of his way to search for him, even setting aside his hunt for Aang. Zuko fights the earthbenders to save Iroh and Iroh compliments his form, to which Zuko says Iroh taught him well. This episode does a lot to develop Zuko as a character and his relationship with Iroh because not only do we see that Zuko cares for his uncle, but that, contrary to his rudeness and dismissiveness in episode one, Zuko does respect Iroh as a teacher and a bender.

There's a lot of examples like this where Zuko says one thing but does another, because Zuko is a character who, at the beginning of the story, carries a lot of cognitive dissonance and guards his real feelings about things. His relationship with Iroh is an example. This isn't very surprising because it's pretty common in child psychology. Especially with kids who have been abused, they will rebel against an authority figure and push back in any way they can to see if they can find a breaking point. Iroh's endlessly patient and supportive but solid and firm presence is something Zuko is not used to and doesn't know how to deal with. But it's very clear that Zuko relies on Iroh as a father and mentor, even when Zuko doesn't realize it yet.

"The Avatar State" in another episode that shows how much Zuko relies on Iroh. At the beginning of the episode Zuko is sitting apart and it's implied that he's not happy with Iroh relaxing and getting a massage, but Zuko also opens up to Iroh about his feelings about his father. Zuko also is dismissive and rude to Iroh again in this episode, criticizing Iroh for collecting shells and also insulting Iroh when Iroh contradicts him about going with Azula, but then Zuko is happy when Iroh goes with him to Azula's ship, and we get that flash of the image of Ozai with his hand on Zuko's shoulder. This tells us that Zuko sees Iroh as the kind of mentor figure that he wishes his father were, even if, again, Zuko doesn't quite realize this yet. There are many other examples like this where Zuko is frustrated by not getting Iroh's approval on something because he wants Iroh to be proud of him. Like when he steals the teapot and gives it to Iroh and Iroh is not interested in stolen items. Zuko's clearly hurt by not having Iroh's approval, which is a big part of why he left Iroh, and Iroh knows that Zuko is struggling to find himself but also still needs his support.

Then you have "Bitter Work," the lightning bending, and Zuko's look of total admiration when Iroh is bending lightning and teaching Zuko a move that he invented himself. Like I said before, it's clear that Zuko respects Iroh as a powerful bender. This is also echoed in that scene in the book two finale when Iroh is about to breathe fire and Zuko has this look of "wow my uncle is going to beat you so bad this is going to be great!"

There's also a lot of little stuff in the Ba Sing Se arc that show that Zuko respects Iroh and values him as a mentor figure. He lets Iroh do his hair for his date with Jin! It looks terrible! Zuko has no idea how to behave on a date so he's like um, uncle said to give you this coupon! Look how smart my uncle is! Of course the culmination of that arc is Zuko's fever and his awakening which gives him a renewed respect for Iroh, and he actually makes an effort to show Iroh how much he values him. He still betrays Iroh in Ba Sing Se but it's not the "I hate you and you smell!" thing that the play portrays it as. One of the reasons Zuko was so confused there was because he felt like his uncle was telling him contradictory things, and he couldn't reconcile his uncle's wisdom with what he'd been taught to believe by Ozai.

But it's finally losing Iroh as that pillar of support that makes Zuko truly realize how much he does value his uncle. It still takes him a while to get there, and he again pushes back against Iroh when Iroh won't talk to him in prison and blames him for his own internal turmoil. But when he does finally get there, it's such a slap in the face to Ozai that Zuko on the Day of Black Sun tells him to his face that Iroh is his real father, that Zuko is going to fall to his knees and beg for Iroh's forgiveness, because Zuko has realized that Iroh is the one who really deserves his respect. Not only does Zuko tell Ozai that he, in fact, did not teach him anything about respect, but the respect Ozai tried to get from his son through cruelty and control is something Zuko will freely give to Iroh.

Then Zuko spends the next several episodes constantly talking about how great Iroh is, how much he misses him, how good he is at making tea and telling jokes, how wise he is, and what an ass he, Zuko, had been to him. He follows Iroh's advice and humbles himself because Iroh always said he didn't think things through enough, he works hard to make himself into someone his uncle would be proud of. Then when he does meet Iroh again he asks for forgiveness, but he says that even if Iroh won't forgive him he would try to make it up to him. He's completely humbled himself and it's so satisfying because it's the fulfilment of their relationship arc, and you can feel the love and respect that these two characters have for each other. And it's directly meant to contrast with what Ozai said about respect, because Ozai is full of shit.

And then Zuko just like automatically assumes that Iroh will be the Fire Lord and Iroh's like "Zuko did you forget that you are the crown prince?" And Zuko, bless his heart, is like "but I made so many mistakes."

I'm sorry, but if you're gonna keep arguing that Zuko, at this point, still "thinks he's above everyone else" then you are just being willfully obtuse.

Not to mention the fact that Zuko's crowning moment as Fire Lord is him giving a speech about how he wants to serve others, to heal the world, and even the applause and praise that he, in the beginning, wanted from others is something he doesn't accept. He tells everyone that Aang is the real hero. And Aang is a hero but like, Zuko is a hero, too, by showing heroic qualities like being selfless and humble and caring towards others. And then his last scene is not him as Fire Lord, but serving tea to everyone dressed in Earth Kingdom clothes.

And who does he serve tea to first? Uncle.

[orangepanic]

bumi, izumi, iroh and tahno

Wow, that's a lot! All fun characters though, I'll do my best.

Bumi II

Headcanon A:  realistic

Bumi is actually fairly wealthy. He's had a steady government job his whole adult life and doesn't seem to have a house or family to spend it on.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Bumi learned to knit from Zuko, who learned to knit from Lt. Jee. We stan men who knit.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Bumi joined the United Forces not to get away from his family or prove himself, but because something inside him compelled him to never stay long in one place. He loved the idea of both being part of something and constantly moving, meeting new people. Every time he was in one place too long he'd get twitchy. It wasn't until he was in his sixties someone pointed out air is the element of freedom. In spirit, Bumi was always an air nomad.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

Bumi had a long, hard think about whether or not to tell Tenzin he could airbend. He almost didn't. If you look in his diary you'll see sketches of the abandoned air temples and how they could be fixed up, and of airbending moves. He was very close to starting his own group.

Izumi

Headcanon A:  realistic

Izumi has always been a rather serious, no-nonsense person. Her father called her five going on forty. Raised mostly in the palace during a tumultuous time in Fire Nation history, her bent towards organization and being rather conservative is to some degree a coping mechanism for that uncertainty. She might not be able to prevent assassins coming for her father, but she could certainly organize her dolls by height.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Izumi has large feet and later in life is prone to bunions. She rarely wears hard-sided shoes, instead preferring slippers. No one can tell the difference under her long robes.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Izumi used to beg her mother for a sibling, not realizing that Mai and Zuko were actively trying, and that Mai had suffered from a number of miscarriages. There was a lot of crying behind closed doors which Izumi picked up on but didn't quite understand beyond a vague sense that it was her fault.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

Izumi had a series of conversations with Ozai when she was in her late teens. She told herself it was part of being prepared to lead the Fire Nation. Deep down she was simply curious. Ozai humored her, if for no other reason than he was bored. She stopped the day he asked her to firebend so he could "see what you can do." Even at 18 Izumi knew better than the let Ozai's judgement of her skills sit on her conscience.

Iroh II (I'll try to use ones I haven't shared)

Headcanon A:  realistic

Iroh finds the United Forces uniforms uncomfortably hot for firebenders, especially in warm weather, and has redesigning them perpetually on his to-do list. He never gets to it.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Iroh is meticulously organized. This includes matching and folding his socks (which are all the same anyway) and labeling all of the leftovers in his refrigerator with the date and contents. One time he had to shave part of his head to properly heal a cut on his scalp and the fact his hair was uneven drove him nuts for weeks. If you want to mess with Iroh put something in the wrong place.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Iroh is actually a very lonely person who sometimes has trouble connecting. He throws himself into his work to compensate with the vague idea that at least there he has a purpose. The times he is without work are very dark ones for him. Injury recovery is particularly hard.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

Iroh and Asami love each other very much and live happily ever after. But you knew that. So something else might be that Iroh runs marathons. He's a bit of an exercise nut and finds that physical training helps a lot with his mental health. He's only done a few as it requires him to be shore-based for a few months to fit in the training, but the ones he's completed he really enjoyed. Iroh looks forward to running more in his retirement.

Tahno! God I love Tahno, he's so fun.

Headcanon A:  realistic

Tahno is exactly as confident as he seems. He really does think he's the shit, it's not an act.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Tahno's hair is actually a drab, no-color brown. The sleek black hair he prefers is a dye. He's been dyeing his hair since he was twelve.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Tahno's parents are both successful diplomats, and his family is fairly well-off. They had such high hopes for their oldest son following in their footsteps. Unfortunately, pro-bending was the only thing Tahno was ever good at. He's smart, but not book smart, and his grades were only middling. He has no interest nor aptitude for diplomacy. Throughout all of Tahno's successes he has to live with the fact he's still a crushing disappointment to his parents.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

After his pro-bending days are over Tahno opens a bar with his little brother, Kenobi. Kenny does the books and makes sure the place stays solvent while Tahno brings in the crowds and hits on anything that moves well into his sixties. Their parents are suitably horrified but eventually visit and admit the place has charm.

Ask me about characters!

[writings-of-a-british-fangirl]

Change Is Good (Zuko x Reader) [Everything Has Changed Part 2]

Title: Change Is Good Summary: You and Zuko follow your destiny, which leads you to Aang and his friends. As you expected, they're not happy. But, can you change this? Warnings: A little bit of angst and a tiny bit of violence Request: One of my lovely followers wanted a part 2 so here it is!

A/N: Part 3 is now out!!

PART 1: EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED PART 2: CHANGE IS GOOD PART 3: CHANGING SPIRITS PART 4: A HEART OF CHANGE

Zuko~Change Is Good

You felt the nerves climb up your body. Sure, you were confident in what you were doing: it was the right thing, but that didn't make the prospect of being caught by the Fire Lord or Azula any less terrifying. Zuko had promised to meet you at the pique of the solstice. Part of you didn't want to think about what he was going to do before that point, but you had some suspicion: he was going to confront his father. That left you with one important thing to do: commandeer a war balloon.

     You began scouting out a war balloon. It had been left unattended unlike the others, and it was the perfect opportunity to steal your get away vehicle.

    Confidently, you strolled over to the balloon. You began to pretend work on the balloon, tinkering around with the edge of the basket. The metal looked fine, but that's not what you were going to tell the soldiers.

    "Hey! You there! What are you doing?" a fire nation soldier yelled.

    "Just as I suspected! It's been perforated!" you exclaimed, "I'm afraid you're going to have to use a different war balloon, boys."

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Your balloon! It's not up to scratch with the others!" you exclaimed, "You better join the others in another balloon- you don't want to miss out on the glorious opportunity to capture and defeat the Avatar do you?"

    "I-No," the soldier said.

    "Well, run along. Princes orders. Can't have any balloons not taking off."

    "Yes, of course."

    Once they moved along, all you had to do was wait for Zuko to arrive. As time more time passed, the more your nerves had crept in. What if Azula had gotten to him? What if his father had? Maybe you should've gone with him? Should've helped him? But, just as you were about to question everything, you heard someone shouting your voice. Swiftly, you turned around.

    "Zuko," you smiled, "You made it."

    "Did you doubt me?"

    "Not at all Prince Zuko," you teased.

    "I thought I told you to stop calling me that," he sarcastically replied.

    "Whatever," you murmured, "Just get in."

    You hated to admit it, but you'd missed Zuko. You'd missed the back and forth you were used to. For a long time he was basically your only friend. Since being back in the Fire Nation, you'd barely had any contact with him: it was lonely. But, now it seemed things were going back to normal. Or, at least, there was the possibility of going back to normal in the future.

---

"Do you know what you're going to say to them?" you murmur to Zuko, "When we find them?"

     Zuko was staring off into the distance. Judging by the direction Appa was flying they were heading to the Air Temple. It was familiar to Zuko: he had been there at the start of his journey to capture the Avatar. The irony of meeting the Avatar again here to ask him to join him was not lost him. He hung his head a little and thought about your question: what was he going to say to them?

     "I... I was hoping I was going to think of something on the way there," he told you, "I'm not expecting forgiveness from them but I need them to know I've changed."

    "He might not like it but he needs a fire bending teacher in order to stop this."

     Zuko just nods. He knows you're trying to help; you've always tried to help him, even when he pushed you and Iroh away, even when he didn't deserve it. When he first got back to the Fire Nation, he thought it would all fall into place. He hoped, no he needed, his decisions to be validated. Zuko so longed to fall back into his old life and fit like the last piece in a puzzle. But, even with his father's acceptance, it wasn't right. He couldn't help but think back to his mother, and to you. You were just as protective over his as his mother was. When Azula would pick on his, you'd defend him with loyalty he could only wonder how he earned. And, even after his mother disappeared, he still felt some sort of comfort from you. Of course, as he aged, you became more than family.

    He'd never vocalised that, thought.

    Rejection hurt, and Zuko knew he wasn't strong enough to lose you again. So, for now, you would remain friends. Even if it hurt him to know one day he would have to let go, and let you go into the arms of another.

     What Zuko hadn't realised is that you'd done the exact same thing to you. You'd let him slip away and you saw him slowly get closer to Mai. You saw the way he lit up around her, and you were forced to come to a realisation you'd always dreaded: you were replaceable. Not only were you replaceable, you were forgettable. And, the saddest part? You didn't even mind: if it was anyone you thought deserved kindness in his life it was Zuko. Even if you couldn't be that love in his life, at least he was being loved.

    That's why it felt so odd now: where did you stand? How had he left Mai? Had he even left Mai? Or, when this is all over, would he just return to her again? It was too risky, you had decided, to tell him about how you felt, so you kept quiet.

     "Hey, look, we're here," you hear Zuko say, and you raise your head.

     "I remember how it looked the first time we came here," you say, "Maybe this time we can actually appreciate it. Especially when they'll be an actually airbender to show us around."

     "I don't think we've earned the VIP tour yet," Zuko says, "But, hopefully, we'll at least get to stay."

---

This was going to be a lot harder than you'd thought. Of course, Team Avatar were never going to accept you like welcome guests, but you hoped they would at least see why you were necessary. Aang needed a fire bending teacher: here you were, two fire benders. But, they had refused and you'd gone with Zuko to set up camp for the night.

    "So stupid! Why did I say that?" Zuko complained.

    "Zuko, don't say that-"

    "-No, they were right," Zuko interrupted, "I don't think they're ever going to except us. Except me. I don't know what to do. I've never felt so lost... I know this is the right thing to do but it's so hard."

     You walked closer to him, only a hands' touch away.

    "That only means it's worth doing," you say softly, "You know your destiny, Zuko. We're just going to have to be patient."

    A smile barely ghosted across his face, but you still caught it.

    "What would I do without you?"

    "Crash and burn," you teased, "Literally. Now come on, Prince, get some sleep."

    This time Zuko didn't correct you on his nickname. In fact, he found it quite endearing- not that he'd tell you that. He looked down and away from you so you wouldn't see the blush across his face. He coughed under his breath, and nodded, agreeing to go to sleep. But, he didn't think he'd actually get much sleep.

---

It seemed even when he wasn't trying to be dangerous, Zuko couldn't help his nature. He was startled awake by Toph, and instinctively threw a bolt of fire towards her. It lapped the underside of her feet, burning them on impact. Despite trying to apologise and run after her, he was forced backwards with rocks, and eventually gave up. You stirred when you felt a wave of heart, mostly likely from Zuko.

      "What's going on? What happened?" you asked Zuko as he stood to the edge of your make shift camp, his shoulder hung in shame.

     "I burned her."

     "What? You burned who? How?"

     "Toph," he explained, "She came to speak to us I think... But, I lashed out when I heard noise, and I burnt her. It was an accident I swear! But..."

     He trails off.

     "I don't think they're ever going to accept me. Not after I burnt Toph... And, all the other times I've wronged them," Zuko said, barely audible, "It's hopeless."

      "Don't say that!" you cry out, "We'll- No, I'll go speak to them in the morning when the situation has settled down. I'm sure Toph will understand it's an accident."

       Although it wasn't ideal, Zuko needed sleep. He did his best to fall back asleep, but was only plagued with nightmares. At some point they faded and he began to dream of his childhood, and of you.

      You'd grown up together, despite the fact your family wasn't royalty- far from it, in fact. However, your mother was close to Zuko's mother. Your father was a soldier who died shortly after your birth, so when your mother reached out to her old friend Ursa, and explained her situation, she opened up her heart and her home to you. Ozai barely noticed you and your mother- if it didn't concern advancing his power, he didn't care. So, you did your best to stay out of his way. However, you didn't stay out of the way of his son, Zuko. From an early age, it seemed like you were kindred spirits. He was your best friend, and practically family after your mother died from a severe flu.

      Of course, living in the royal palace didn't come without it's challenges. Zuko's sister was one of them; Azula had it in for you the day you arrived it seemed. You had a suspicion she was jealous of how fond her mother was of you. She liked to pick on Zuko, and revelled in how angry you would get. But, then she would turn her attention to you. Zuko would try and defend you, but you had a fierce spirit and would always push back against her. She scared you but that didn't mean you wouldn't fight back.

      Zuko had always admired that about you. In fact, he admired most things about you. His mother had noticed too. She liked to tease him about it, jesting that she thought the two of you made the cutest little pair. Back then of course, the thought hadn't even occurred to him, but now he couldn't help but think his mother was right.

    When Zuko awoke, you were nowhere to be seen. His first instinct was to panic, but he soon found the note you'd tucked right beside him. It read: 'I've gone to speak to them. Don't worry! I won't be gone long, and hopefully when I'm back we'll have an alliance or at least lunch. ~Y/N.' He read over the note and fell back in his sleeping bag. He hoped you wouldn't be long.

     It had been far too long since you had first left, and Zuko was beginning to get worried. He thought it was just his over thinking when he heard the distinct yell of your voice: you were in danger!

---

"I know you don't trust Zuko-"

     "-Or you," Sokka interrupted.

     "...Or me," you corrected, "But I need you to at least listen to me. We've done some terrible stuff, and I know that we can't make it up to you, but I need you understand he wants to help. I want to help. You don't understand what its like being raised around Fire Nation propaganda-"

    "-We don't care," Katara said.

    "You need to understand-"

    You were interrupted again. Only this time it wasn't Sokka, it was the rumbling of the Air Temple. Your stomach sank- it was Combustion Man. Your heart sank. You didn't come here looking for a fight today, but if that's what you had to do, you would.

     "Everyone take cover!"

     "Why should we listen to you?" Sokka snarked.

     "It's the assassin you idiot! I'm trying to help you!" you yelled, "Now take cover! I'm going to give him something to fire at!"

     The gang watched you as you used your fire to strike at the assassin. You launched yourself into the air, using fire to throw yourself further. With a loud thud, you landed on the cliff edge, adjacent to the assassins. Using a sprint to build up power, you ran at him. You threw fire ball after fire ball, hurling all your power at him. You run was cut short but his hand around your neck; he held you off the ground as you struggled. Your fingers grappled with his, struggling to get him off you. You began to gasp for air. You heat up your hands to a scorching temperature, and ram them down onto his wrist. He flinched back and threw you down beside him. You hit the ground, and felt the wind being knocked out of you. You slid down the small ledge on the cliff, and began yelling for Zuko.

    You felt the ground shift beneath you. The cliff was weakening and was about to break. In your weakened state, you tried to dig your hand into the side of the cliff, but you were far too tired to hold on. The cliff gave way and crumbled beneath you. Your scream was almost deafening.

    "Zuko!" you yell out, scared for your life.

    That's when you feel an arm around you, and your body come into contact with the cliff again. You opened your eyes again: Zuko. He saved you! He had used a vine to swing in and grab you, saving you from falling. You breathe a sigh of relief, but not for long. There was a deadly assassin to take down.

    "Of all the assassins, you had to pick a combustion bender?" you ask Zuko.

    "I can still drop you, you know," Zuko warned.

    You rolled your eyes and began climbing the vine with Zuko's help and guidance.

    As soon as your were stood up again, the winding had almost wore off- enough, at least to fight back. You and Zuko had always made a good team, especially when it came to fighting, and today would be no different. You began creating walls of fire, and forcing them towards him. Zuko doing the same. You were getting pushed back but still prevailing. That's when a boomerang came flying around the corner and hit Combustion Man dead in his third eye, sending him falling backwards, you watched him fall to the ground with a thud.

    "I'm never letting you go off on your own again- you make terrible decisions," you say looking down at the assassin on the ground then back to Zuko.

    "You know what, I'm okay with that."

   "Thank you, by the way," you say, "You know, for saving me."

    You exchanged a look together then made your way over to the gang. They were a little hesitant, which you had expected, but there was a different emotion in Aang's face. You looked to Zuko and then to the group, ready to face their judgement.

    "I never thought I'd bee saying this, but I think you were meant to be my fire bending teacher Zuko."

    You couldn't help but smile a little.

    You listened to Aang as he asked the rest of the group how they felt. Although Katara wasn't happy, you and Zuko were let into the group.

     "I won't let you down!" Zuko exclaimed.

     Zuko watched them leave, and then turned back to you.

    "Is this what doing the right thing feels like?" Zuko asked, "It feels good."

    You nodded, "We should've been doing this all along. Besides I prefer your hair a lot more now than the pony tail you had during your angst phase."

    You laughed at his offended phase before walking after the gang, so they could show you where your room was. Zuko let your comment sink in then protested, jogging after you.

   "Hey! I thought you liked the pony tail!"

[aitarose]

SUNSHINE | MAKO

PAIRING: Mako x Kya’s Daughter!Reader [fem]

PLOT: Mako’s always had a little crush on Y/N. After all, who wouldn’t? But admitting it to himself? Yeah, no. Just the thought of admitting it to her? Even bigger no. He’d never consider confessing..right? based on these requests by anons

WARNINGS: fluff, mutual pining, friends to lovers

WORD COUNT: 2.3k

A/N: i love mako sm like you guys don’t even know. this man OWNS me fdjafdlsjk. also i got a little carried away with these requests and i took them to the next level so please enjoy :)

MY MASTERLIST

Mako was living his absolute worst nightmare. 

Stuck aboard an airship with his two exes, his brother, his boss, and his boss’ ex with no opening window to jump out of?

The day was definitely not in his favor.

Every hour seemed to be the same.

Radio a call..hear about a new airbender..find the map..use the map..go to the town..get kicked out of the town..return to the beginning.

While Mako did love having a routine—he was bored of this one.

The only thing that made his day even slightly interesting was Y/N.

It wasn’t long ago when he had met the water tribe girl. They’d first spoken during the Glacier Spirits Festival in the Southern Water Tribe.

He had been introduced to her mother, Kya, through Bolin. His younger brother was so starstruck by Avatar Aang’s only daughter, that he couldn’t help but drag along her own daughter with him for the entirety of the festival.

Bolin spent the rest of the night proudly walking alongside the teenage girl, who had to have been at least two to three years older than him.

He went around and showed her off to all of their friends from Republic City, even if they already knew her.

“Don’t make a show of it, but I know the Avatar’s granddaughter. You don’t need to be wowed or anything, it’s no big deal.”

“Bolin, I’m literally her uncle.”

Mako was one of the very last people to meet the infamous Y/N.

It was right after his argument with Korra about the situation between her father and Unalaq. His emotions were all over the place, confusion and annoyance dominated his mood.

But all of his anger dissolved with one look at her smile.

It was at that moment when Mako decided that Y/N had a gift.

She could lift someone’s spirit with a single glance. Her eyes always glowed with positivity and her soul was the purest one he had ever come across.

Y/N could be compared to the rising sun. Just by existing, she radiated more light and goodness than the greatest man on Earth could ever achieve.

It had been a very brief introduction. 

“Mako, my man!” Bolin slapped his palm over the firebender’s shoulder, a cheesy side smile pointed at the teenage girl standing next to him. 

“This is my good friend, Y/N. Y/N meet my big bro!”

Y/N beamed, her teeth sparkling under the moonlight. She held out her hand in a friendly manner and looked straight into Mako’s eyes, unafraid of making eye contact. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Mako.” She spoke whilst shaking his hand. “I’ve only known Bolin for an hour and I feel like I already know everything about you.”

Mako groaned in embarrassment. He was always flattered by how much Bolin looked up to him, but sometimes his little brother went a little too far.

“You had an hour? Let me guess..” Mako pointedly looked at Bolin, shaking his head in amusement. “He must’ve told you our entire life story by now.”

When she laughed at his blunt attempt at a joke, Mako’s heart soared right then and there. 

It was like the fire inside of him had been ignited with gasoline. but instead of her water smothering his flames..they made the grow. Made them stronger.

Though Mako hadn’t realized these lurching feelings at the time. He did have a girlfriend after all, and he liked to think he would never intentionally cheat on her.

That didn’t stop him from admiring her from afar.

Platonically of course.

There weren’t many moments after the festival where Mako found himself alone with Y/N. 

He had chosen to follow Korra to open the spirit portals and Y/N went off to tour the air temples with her extended family—and if he was being honest, he hadn’t had much time to think about her between fighting off evil spirits and breaking up with his girlfriend.

It wasn’t until after Team Avatar defeated Unalaq and Vaatu, that Mako’s mind returned to his unresolved and unrealized feelings.

With the spirit portals open, the world was new again.

Thousands of people were traveling, discovering places they never knew existed, and migrating to different nations.

Luckily for Mako, Y/N had been one of those people.

It had taken her about a week to move into her apartment in Republic City.

Her flat was quaint but cosy. It had views overlooking the busy downtown and bustling people, and she had easy access to stores and shops in the neighborhood.

There was nothing wrong with her new home, but it wasn’t like the South. In fact, it was nothing like the South.

Y/N missed her friends and colleagues. She missed the chilly wind that would slice through the air and freeze her cheekbones. She missed the animals and the overall energy that the South had.

But she was open to new beginnings and new friends—and her open mindset was exactly what led her to join her family and Team Avatar on the search for new airbenders.

Which is right where Mako had left off. 

The airship was dreadful, dreary, and just plain boring. 

His main source of entertainment was watching a cloud disappear from his view, and then preceding to find another one for his eyes to chase.

Luckily for him, Y/N was also bored out of her mind. She had no one to talk to on the ship.

Korra? Tempting, but intimidating.

Asami? Sure if Y/N was less hippy and more business mogul.

Bolin? Yeah, she didn’t want to go down that path again. 

Lin? No way.

Her actual family members? Good option—but Tenzin was boring and all Jinora did was read old scrolls.

Y/N was at a loss, and the only person that seemed remotely interesting was the brooding firebender staring out of the window.

When she approached him, Mako was at a loss for words.

He had been thinking about this moment for awhile now, and had a pun filled pick-up line ready to go, but when it came down to crunch time, he stalled. 

“Hey,” Y/N smiled, gesturing to the seat next to Mako on the iron bench. “Mind if I sit?”

Mako’s mouth opened to respond, but no words came out of his mouth. He sat there like a fish out of water, nodding his head silently.

Y/N shrugged her shoulders and happily sat next to the nineteen year old. 

With her being so close in proximity, Mako’s brain flashed exe.error messages through his thoughts.

They sat in a comfortable, yet also awkward silence for a long time. 

Every time Mako tried to get a word out, he stumbled. His nerves overcame his speech, preventing him from sounding the least bit cool.

Scratch that. They prevented him from sounding like an actual person and not a toddler that just learned how to speak.

After what felt like generations, Mako was saved by none other than his ex-girlfriends.

“We just landed,” Korra said, waving to the former probender and his companion. A confused look flashed across her face at the sight of them so close yet so uncomfortable.

Asami then poked her head around the corner, coming into view. “Are you guys going to come out or what?”

Y/N was the first to jump up, nodding her head enthusiastically.

She nearly sprinted to the exit—not because she wanted to get away from her encounter with Mako, she was just really excited to meet new people.

Mako heaved a deep sigh when she was completely out the door and out of earshot. It felt like he could finally breathe again without the stress of being in her presence.

“You like her?” Korra crossed her arms over one another, leaning against the wall as Asami stood by her side.

“What?” Mako stuttered, his face flooding with hues of red and pink.

“Why would you say that?”

“No Way!”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”

Korra and Asami loudly laughed at Mako’s rambling, while they had both been hurt by his actions in the past, they had come to forgive him—and they wanted nothing more than for him to find his special someone.

“Okay, then.” Korra shrugged, pulling Asami out of the room with her, “Whatever you say, Mako.”

Mako dropped his face into his hands, pulling at his hair as he mentally beat himself up.

“But if it matters,” he looked up to see Korra still standing at the door. A genuine smile shown on her face. 

“I think you two would be perfect together.”

As Korra finally left him to himself, Mako couldn’t help but think about how lucky he was to have a friend like her. 

She was everything he didn’t need in a relationship, but everything he could’ve ever wanted in a friendship. 

Eventually, Mako did manage to force himself off of the airship. He helped with the little show the airbenders put on to influence others to join the nomads and even fought a few bad guys while he was at it. 

He was finally having a good day, until the little punk tried to steal his wallet.

“Wait,” he ordered, pulling Kai back by the neck of his shirt. Mako held out his hand expectantly and gave the younger boy a hard look. 

“I think you might have something of mine.”

Kai smiled sheepishly before pulling out the firebender’s stolen goods. 

“It must’ve fallen into my pocket, my bad.”

Mako glared at the new airbender. The stare he was giving Kai was so cold, it could intimidate a pack of polar bear dogs.

“Now listen here,” he bent down to Kai’s level. His tangerine eyes meeting Kai’s green ones. “I know your game. I used to be the master at it, actually—and let me tell you that it gets you absolutely nowhere.”

Mako sighed, he already saw so much of himself in the kid that he didn’t want him to go down the same hard path that he did.

“All I want is the best for you, kid.” He patted Kai on the shoulder before sending him off to join Jinora on the ship. “Don’t mess up this opportunity.”

There were times where Mako enjoyed being the big bad cop or the authoritarian figure, but this was not one of those times. 

He just wanted Kai to have the best life he possibly could.

The life he had always wanted for himself.

Unbeknownst to Mako, his secret crush had witnessed the whole ordeal.

His pure-hearted intentions touched Y/N. Acts of kindness and wellbeing always found their way into her heart, and his act of good caught her attention in a very positive way. 

It caught her attention enough, that she found herself standing right behind him.

“That was really sweet what you said back there.” She told Mako, who jumped in surprise at her soft voice.

“Yeah, I tried. I’ve been where he is before. I know how it ends.”

Mako felt much more comfortable now that Y/N had started the conversation. He wasn’t afraid to give his thoughts knowing that she was the one who wanted to talk to him.

Y/N let out a low breath. Her hair willowed in the breeze, her eyes shining under the sunlight. She looked like a lost spirit.

A beautiful lost spirit, Mako thought. 

“I try, too.” She whispered to him. Mako could barely hear her voice, it was so faint.

“Sometimes being there for everyone else has its downfall.” Y/N’s sparkling eyes turned dim, sadness drowned her usually uplifting features.

“I spend all my energy making sure that everyone I love is happy, but then there’s never anyone looking out for me, you know?”

Mako did know.

He knew exactly how she was feeling. He’d raised Bolin since they were children. 

If anyone knew the pressures of holding onto another person’s burdens, it was Mako.

“I’ve noticed that,” Mako said, stepping closer to the girl. He could see that her eyes were welling with tears, all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and make all the negative energy go away. 

So that’s exactly what he did.

Y/N melted into Mako’s embrace. She felt his body radiate heat, he warmed not only her body, but her heart in an instant.

“I see you, with Tenzin’s kids.” Mako ran his hand down her back, comforting Y/N as best he could. “They look up to you more than they do anyone else. You’re really amazing, Y/N. I’m surprised you don’t hear it more often.”

Right then and there, Y/N realized exactly what she needed in her life—and it was Mako.

If she was being honest with herself, he hadn’t exactly caught her eye before.

She thought he was somewhat bland at the Glacier Spirits Festival and the whole double girlfriend situation definitely didn’t spark her interest in the firebender, but now here she was..

Crying in his arms, confessing her insecurities, and feeling heard.

She had never felt heard before.

“I think you’re really amazing.” Mako blurted out. 

He cringed at his confession, hoping that she didn’t take it the wrong way. If there even was a wrong way to take it.

Mako felt Y/N grow still in his arms. His heart pounded in anticipation for what her next words would be.

To his surprise she pulled away..

Before pressing a deep kiss to his lips.

Mako immediately responded. His mouth moved languidly with hers, connecting in the most perfect way, as if they were meant to be.

His entire body nearly combusted. Her bright spirit combining with his fiery one.

Mako felt like sunshine was running through his veins.

She pulled away, giving him one last chaste kiss.

“I think you’re amazing, too.” 

i love feedback pls give me some

[starlightinhumanform]

The Untold Tales of Ba Sing Se

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender 

Ship: Sokka x fem!Reader (Romantic Relationship)

Summary: The daughter of an airbender has lived her entire life trying to hide her bending, but upon hearing the news that the Avatar is in the city, she is determined to meet him and learn more about her culture. But things never go as planned, and she finds herself sidetracked by a water tribe boy. 

Warnings (in order of strength): None (Please let me know if anything needs to be added)

Genre: Fluff, Meet-Cute

A/N: Well... my hand slipped. This is based on this request and it was so fun to write!!! I’ve never written x reader before so I hope it’s ok! Love you all 🖤✨

Ao3   Fic Masterpost   Fic Request Info

It was a dusty afternoon as you tried to walk inconspicuously through the crowds at the top of the middle ring of Ba Sing Se. As the sun beat down and the people bustled into each other, you were grateful for the loose, thin material of your clothes and its light yellow colour which kept you far cooler than the deep greens and browns of the earth nation. Your mother told you that dressing like an air nomad— you had shaved your head and everything in an attempt to follow tradition— was like drawing a target on your back and maybe she was right, but it was so much more comfortable.

The thought of your mother’s chiding turned your mind towards her and guilt began creeping over you. She would kill you if she knew you were here, trying to sneak into the upper ring of the city to meet the Avatar. She was incredibly cautious and, in turn, incredibly protective of you. You couldn’t really blame her, though, given her own experiences as an airbender barely escaping the carnage of the fire nation. She had managed to reach Ba Sing Se and hide her identity almost completely. Almost. Her foolproof plan had one tiny crack in its great structure— her daughter. By either blessing or a curse, you had been born with the ability to airbend like your mother. Unlike your mother, however, you did not have such an easy time tamping down those abilities. You could feel it all the time, the spiritual energy surging through you and all the powers of the sky trapped within your body. You felt like a caged bird, desperate for freedom. And finally, you had the chance to fly. The Avatar could be your way out if only you could reach him.

“Oh, hey! I didn’t expect to see you here!” A boy’s voice only inches behind you startled you from your thoughts. It was rough, with a hitch in the middle and it didn’t sound like anyone you knew.

You felt your heartbeat begin racing as he came up beside you and threw his arm around your shoulders, “What are you doing here?”

I’ve been caught haven’t, I? They know I’m trying to sneak through the wall. You tried to swallow but your mouth was dry. Your mind began racing to come up with a plausible excuse. The crowd was thick and if you could just break free, it would be easier to hide amongst all these people than it would be to try and talk your way out of this.

You ducked from under his arm, prepared to walk swiftly in any direction away from this situation but he quickly caught your wrist, gripping it tightly.

“Where are you going?” His voice was deeper now, dropping as it had shifted to a serious tone.

Guilt and panic churned in your core, your heart sinking to join the mix as you realized there was no way out of this. You turned to face him, actually looking at him for the first time. He was about your age but definitely taller than you. You could tell immediately that he was from a water tribe, his tan skin and blue clothing giving it away. His eyes were blue as well but what you noticed more than the colour was how sharp his eyes were, like they had been chiseled into his face.

Realization dawned on you, “You’re Sokka, aren’t you?”

He squinted like he was trying to read a small font, “And you’re not Aang, are you?”

The adrenaline still pounding through your body was making your head feel light and at the thought of being mistaken for the Avatar, you doubled over laughing, “No, no, that’s not me.”

Sokka let go of your wrist and rubbed at the back of his neck with his now free hand, obviously feeling self conscious, “Well, uh, sorry about that whole mix up.”

You couldn’t help but laugh lightly at his awkwardness. You had heard stories about Sokka, he was supposed to be a great warrior but he was just… a boy. It was kind of cute, actually, “No it’s fine, even if you did give me a small heart attack.”

“Is there any way I could make it up to you?”

A grin spread across your face, “Take me to the upper ring?”

You grabbed his hand as he led you through to the center of the city, noting the blush spreading to his face as you did so. Oh, definitely cute.

Sokka cleared his throat, “So, uh, why were you trying to get up here anyways?”

Your face turned red, “Was it really that obvious?” 

“Oh yeah. And besides, you’re not exactly dressed for stealth,” He gestured at your brightly coloured clothes, “Why do you wear that anyways?”

“Well… I wanted to get up here to meet Aang and as far as my clothes,” You could feel your heartbeat quickening again. You could trust him, right? He was friends with the Avatar and was fighting against the fire nation. He was safe. The crowd was far thinner now as you continued walking, but there were still too many people. Your mother had taught you that even one could be too many if they were the wrong person, “I’ve just always felt a connection to the air nation I guess.”

“Huh.”

You began chewing on your bottom lip at his noncommittal answer. He can tell I’m lying.

“Aang’s not around right now,” Sokka broke the tense silence, “He’s looking for Appa.”

You nodded; you had heard about the Avatar’s missing bison and had been looking for signs of the animal yourself.

“But, you know, you could hang out with me. If you want, of course. Just until Aang’s back. But I understand—”

That adorable awkwardness was showing again as Sokka tried to get the words out. You smiled, “Yes, that sounds great.”

Sokka’s face split into a beaming grinning, “Ok, great!”

————————

The day passed quickly as Sokka took you on a tower of this elite portion of the city. He had even taken you to lunch at one of the fancy restaurants because— as he said, with a wiggle of his eyebrows, of course— he “had connections.”

Now you were sitting together on a hill from which you could see almost the entirety of Ba Sing Se burning with the rays of the sunset.

Sokka was sitting beside you, the sharp lines of his face accentuated by the deep shadows. You had convinced him to let his hair down and now tucked a piece of it behind his ear so you could see his profile more clearly.

He glanced towards you and you were almost startled by the intensity of his gaze. He was an idiot, no doubt about it, but that silliness was just a fraction of his personality, counteracting his fierce cunning. Now all of that intelligence was being directed at you, his eyes sweeping over your body.

“You’re an airbender, aren’t you?”

You turned away, your eyes searching for something to look at in the city below, anything but his eyes that continued to pick you apart.

You couldn’t see his face but his voice softened as he began to speak again, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you, I just—”

“No, you’re right. It’s just… my mother has always taught me to hide my bending. And she’s right, with the,” You lowered your voice, “with the war and all. We’re not supposed to even know about the war here, but my mom told me about it. She told me how she escaped one of the air temples and she taught me just how ruthless the fire nation army can be. She’s right, I should keep it a secret.”

Sokka placed his hand over yours, “You shouldn’t have to keep who you are hidden. You deserve better than that.”

Water was supposed to be cool, but Sokka was anything but cold. His voice flowed over you like a summer breeze and the warmth of his hand seeped into yours, your fingers thin and somehow far more delicate beneath his. And now the warmth was spreading upwards, reaching your face as your eyes began to fill with hot tears.

Sokka reached over with his free hand, gently tipping your chin upwards to face him, “I promise that one day this war will be over, and you’ll never have to hide again.”

You nodded, not sure what to say. The only other person you had ever talked about airbending with was your mother, and those conversations revolved entirely around fear and secrets. This was completely different, “How did you know? That I was an airbender, I mean.”

“Well for one thing your clothes,” He grinned, “I knew there had to be a good reason for a pretty girl like you to wear those big old robes.”

You shoved him lightly, trying to play off the blush rising to your face. You were grateful for the shift in the conversation but still completely unsure of how to react.

“But really, there’s something about the way you walk and move,” Sokka’s eyebrows were woven together in thought, “like your footsteps are lighter than they should be. I don’t really know how to describe it but it’s something I’ve only seen in one other person.”

“Aang?”

Sokka nodded, then suddenly pointed up into the sky, “Look, there he is now.”

You looked up where Sokka was pointing. The silhouette of a glider circled against the fading red of the sky before landing amongst the buildings a little ways down the hill.

Sokka began moving as if to get up, “Do you want to go to talk to him?”

“Wait!” The word slipped out of your mouth before you had the chance to think. You didn’t want to go yet, didn’t want this— whatever this was— to end yet.

Sokka shifted back into a sitting position, leaning lightly against you, “Everything alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine, I just… I just wanted to say thank you.”

He grinned quizzically, “For what?”

“I don’t know. For everything, for today, for showing me that there’s hope for a different future. Also for this,” You leaned forward, pressing your lips against his and feeling him sigh into the kiss.

He broke away after a moment, his cheeks a bright pink, “Oh, that, ok.”

You winced slightly, “Sorry, was that alright?”

“What? Oh yeah that was fine!” He laughed then pulled you into another kiss, one hand holding the back of your head and the other lacing through your fingers.

You melted into it, feeling yourself smile against his mouth. The Avatar could wait.

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