#toph is his little sister

[were-wolverine]

fic idea i will probably write at some point:

when toph goes after zuko after his terrible introduction (hello, zuko here) he still startles and burns her feet but instead of running away he immediately rushes over and starts fussing over her, picking her up and treating her burns

he lays her down on his bedroll and gets his first aid supplies. he’s kind of an expert at dealing with burns. aside from the obvious, he was often burned during his childhood while training to fight with bending. it was why he was so fond of the dao swords, something he was much better at

he doesn’t realize he’s been talking aloud until the girl (does he know her name yet??) pointedly coughs after he trails off. he shakes the thoughts away and warns her the balm he is about to apply will sting at first.

he surprised when she fists a hand in his shirt, hissing in pain as the medicine does its job. he wraps it and moves onto her other foot, repeating the process. once he’s done, she looks in his direction quizzically

“it’s… numb,” she says, surprised. zuko smiles and explains

“it numbs the pain and heals the burn simultaneously. you should feel better in the morning after a good nights sleep, but you should still reapply it so it stays that way, okay?” he asks. she nods and then seems to debate asking something, before speaking

DISCLAIMER i know nothing about medicinal herbs/balms so this is 100% made up

“the others tried to describe you to me when i asked… pretty much all i got was ‘ponytail jerk with a shaved head and a burn on his face’ and obviously that’s not really a great description…” she trails off. zuko laughs softly

“if it makes you feel better, the ponytail is long gone. my hair is long enough to mostly cover the burn, too…” he replies

she nods thoughtfully before hesitantly lifting her hand towards his face, stopping a few inches away.

“um… you can say no, of course. but if it’s okay, can i touch your face? it’s how i see people,” she explains quietly. zuko flinches back slightly before thinking about it. her hands are so… small. and she hasn’t hurt him (yet).

the last person who touched his face was Uncle, helping zuko apply the burn salve after a bad day (the scar tended to hurt more if he was upset or angry… which was often). he had been so careful, it made zuko feel cherished.

he lets out a breath and agrees

the grin he receives is probably worth his discomfort

he closes his eyes and feels her small hands trace his face. she hums to herself as she maps it out in her head. zuko can feel calluses, likely from her earthbending, and laughs when she runs a hand through his hair, whispering “just checking”

they both quiet once she’s explored his entire face aside from the scar. she seems hesitant, so zuko nods slightly, reassuring her.

he cant really feel the hand tracing his burn. that area has been numb since his father…

he’s used to it. her hand on the other side of his face, keeping his head steady, is grounding and he releases some of the tension that had built in his shoulders when she traced the edge of the scar

she lets out a tiny gasp, and zuko can feel hair being pulled back from his ear- or what’s left of it. the burn had reached the appendage and a bit of his scalp. luckily his long hair was able to easily cover it. thinking back on his days wearing the symbol of the banished, having the entire thing exposed, makes him feel sick.

she finally drops her hands and when zuko opens his eyes (when had he gotten teary?) she’s sitting back across from him.

they sit in thoughtful silence for a while before toph snaps her fingers in recognition

“oh yeah, are your eyes really gold?” she asks

zuko finds it odd that the group had even noticed his eye color, but confirms her question

“cool,” she grins and zuko can’t help but smile back. she eventually scoots over on the bed roll and demands zuko sit next to her (and who is he to say no?)

they spend the next couple of hours talking. zuko finds out toph also comes from high society, and they bond over the stupid rules they were forced to learn and such.

toph doesn’t ask how he got the scar, but she does ask about it.

“can you hear at all in this ear? and are you able to see with this eye?”

he allows her these questions because she’s one of the only people who can understand what it’s like

“not very well, but enough to get by. as for my eye… it’s mostly blurry and i can’t open it past a squint. honestly, everyone was surprised it hadn’t lost all function,” he explains

she studies him thoughtfully before replying

“is that why you have two swords?”

zuko blinks. he hadn’t ever actually thought of it like that, since he was already using them before getting banished. but it makes sense. he shrugs

“maybe subconsciously?” he says, and she laughs at his uncertainty. he can’t help but smile at the sound

[snogards]

I think it's insane that after the final Agni Kai, Zuko was able to tank a hyper-powered lightning bolt (I mean, tank in the way he was still moving after getting hit, even if it was just groans of pain and slight twitching). He just got healed by Katara for about 5 seconds and was A-OK afterward.

When Aang got struck by lightning, he was in a coma for like what? Almost a month? And you're telling me Zuko gets struck by lightning, and 5 minutes later, is walking around like it never happened? Sorry, I can't believe that.

But Sno, you say, Aang was in his most fragile state. Of course, he was in a month long coma after he basically died. Okay, and I think that Zuko being hit by a lightning bolt 100x more powerful than the one Aang got hit by would also put Zuko in a coma; especially because Katara doesn't have the spirit water to bring him back to life. Unlike Aang, Zuko only gets regular water, not magic water, to heal him.

"But, but Zuko redirected it," you say. Uh no, Zuko wasn't grounded, so that shit still hit him like a damn truck. He redirected some of it, but not all of it. I would probably say that it burnt him from the inside out. It's a miracle that in LOK, that man is still kicking it and being a badass in his early 90s. He should have serious heart issues, if not have died in his 70s at the absolute latest. The man should not be kicking ass in the poles. He should be on bed rest.

In conclusion, Zuko should have been in a coma for like at least a year (realistically he should be dead, but this is a kids show where the main characters aren't allowed to die, so I'll let it slide) and I will stand by that.

If you wanna read how the creators could have worked with comatose Zuko, read under the cut. If not, then I hope you enjoyed my little rant. This post got longer than I thought.

Here's how the creators could have dealt with comatose Zuko and the potential storylines our other favorites could have had at the end of book 3 and a majority of the potential and nonexistent book 4:

Aang is having to deal with the consequences of Ozai being left alive, as I'm sure the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes would not like that fact. As well as their newest Fire Lord currently being in a comatose state. They barely trusted Zuko. Are you telling me they're gonna trust The Dragon of the West? (More on this at the end) And maybe Aang would actually get some character development, unlike in season 3.

I don't think Sokka, Suki, and Toph would have storylines that center Zuko all that much, but they would also definitely be mourning the semi-loss of Zuko along with whatever storyline they get. Maybe Sokka and Suki can have conflict in their relationship now that the war is over and they might physically have to go their own ways. Toph can probably wonder where she can go from here. Will she try and reconcile with her parents again? Will she travel with Aang once Zuko wakes up? Will she stay in the Fire Nation and help Zuko sniff out traitors with her seismic sense? Needless to say, the 3 of them have endless opportunities.

Katara is now dealing with the guilt of not only having put Zuko in that position in the first place, but also not being able to fully heal him (even though he would have done that for anyone, not just her). And if you're a Zutara shipper, like myself, even realizing potential feelings and the conflict that comes with that. Or if we still wanna go through with the canon ending of Kataang, have her navigate her feelings about Aang properly and not whatever that original canon ending was. And if we wanna go the "Katara doesn't need a man" route (my personal favorite despite my shipping tendencies), she could try and navigate where she goes from here, like Toph. Obviously, she'll go back to the Southern Water Tribe and help out there, but what comes after they've recovered? She's not the type to stand by and settle when there are other people who need her help. Will she go to the Earth Kingdom and help rebuild there? Go to the Fire Nation and help out there? Become an ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe to help better relations with the other nations? (My personal favorite) The possibilities are endless for her.

But you know who would be affected the most? Iroh. Not only did he (kinda) lose his nephew, who was his second son, but he now has to deal with the diplomatic repercussions of his past as a general of the Fire Nation. Like I said before, the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes barely trusted Zuko; no way in hell are they gonna trust the man that laid seige to Ba Sing Se for nearly 2 whole years, regardless if he's the reason the city was freed from Fire Nation control. The pressure Iroh would feel from advisors regarding the fact that his only heir is comatose would increasingly get worse as the months go by. We know that Zuko will wake up, but Iroh and the rest of the cast don't. Iroh is dealing with the fracturing Fire Nation and pressure from the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes, all while his son is in a coma. He could see what he was going to have Zuko face by himself with no support around him. What would he do with Ozai? Would be a major question throughout the season.

Of course, in the end, Zuko wakes up because we want a happy ending for them all. But the turmoil we could have gotten in the end would have been *chefs kiss*

[blorboazula]

dragon!Azula AU: *Katara comes back without a dragon but with a disheveled, slightly feral Firebender*

Sokka immediately: is this little sister material?

[demaparbat-hp]

Hiya!! 👋🏼😄 How's it going? Your fashion taste for Zuko in a Modern AU seems to be artsy, or maybe "formal" is the word. That shirt he wore when he gave Sokka romantic song advice looked Versace🧐. Anyway, I was wondering how you came up with it, he always struck me more as the type that didn´t care much about fashion, so I'm curious about other´s opinions and heacanons about it. And do you have any other fashion headcanons for the rest of the GAang? Also, their music tastes. How did you come up with them? Especially Katara's! 😍

Hello! As it happens, I have a lot of Thoughts and Feelings™ about this, so I'm leaving these over here, and the rest of my ramblings down below the cut!

Let us begin with the Gaang, shall we?

SUKI always struck me as that Pretty Girl from the Gym. She is so incredibly fit it isn't even funny. She could kick anyone's ass, and we'd all thank her. She has this casual gym style that somehow always looks glorious on her, as it should! Comfy yet fashionable clothes for a nice workout or a day in town.

Her music tastes are basically any and all power songs from the eighties and nineties. (Eye of the Tiger, anyone?) She also enjoys metal via Toph, and bands like BSB, NSYNC, or Boyz II Men with Katara. My girl has a very eclectic Playlist and we all love her for it.

SOKKA is That Guy™. Loose T-shirts and shorts everywhere he goes, no matter the weather. He's stupidly into fashion but it doesn't show! At all! And everyone teases him about it. His closet is about 90% Cactus Juice merchandise, hence the "it's the quenchiest!" shirt.

His fashion and music tastes are pretty much the same. He loves poetry but isn't really into lyrics. He'll misinterpret just about anything you place in front of him. His Playlist is mostly vibes and tiktok songs he kind of enjoys. He isn't really into music...at least not as much as his sister.

AANG owns exactly one hoodie, one pair of shorts, and one beanie (THE beanie). Oh, and the crocs—don't forget the crocs. Somehow, he's always wearing the exact same outfit. Every. Single. Day. Ancient Gaang lore suggests that the day Aang goes out without his beanie, it's the end of the world.

His Playlist is the poppiest, most bizarre thing ever. Every single song is Happy by Pharrell Williams levels of happy. Yet sometimes, among the bouncy dance-to songs, you'll find the strangest of things... (He does know what Good Day by Twenty One Pilots is about. That's the reason he likes it so much, actually. And it's so weird.)

KATARA is all about sundresses and loose pants. The epitome of comfortable loveliness. Light fabrics in blue shades, careful embroidery, delicate shoes, and little to no accessories—hers is a simple, yet quite adorable, style. She just needs to add more colors to her usual palette...

She is, first and foremost, a Florence + The Machine girl. It's the Dark Goddess of the Sea vibes, to be honest. Florence Welch is her idol and yes, she will fight you about lyrics interpretation, and win. It may not seem like it, but her music tastes are also very varied.

She draws a little from each member of the Gaang, so you'll hear her humming along to Gorillaz (where did you even find out about them, Aang?), The Weeknd (I...don't think this song means what you think it means, Sokka...), and Hozier (Zuko why did you dedicate Talk to me, Zuko WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT).

TOPH...ah, lovely girl. I'll summarise everything about Toph’s fashion sense in two words: comfort and rebellion. Stuffy dresses forced on her by billionaire parents? No thank you! Give her tank tops with loose shirts and short pants. Bandaids shared with Aang, bracelets from Katara, and even piercings she got in tandem with Sokka. Shoes? What even is that?

Something I love about this fandom is our collective agreement that Toph is into the dirtiest, heaviest, most ear-splitting and soul-crushing death metal of all times. Her Playlist is full of the most obscure names to ever exist, and she can and will blast through your walls with the sheer volume of her speaker.

Zuko. ZUKO.

Even in a modern AU my boy must suffer. That being said, I envision Tales from the Couch as—well, exactly what it is: an ATLA modern AU. While there is not a war to fight, and a lot of plot lines are discarded or expanded upon, much about the core story remains the same.

This is my way of saying that Zuko still goes trough his redemption arc, and it reflects on his fashion choices.

The way you described it works perfectly because of one single reason: in this AU, Zuko is an artist. He had to suppress his love for writing and drawing because of his background and the expectations Ozai had for him (taking over the family company), and a very large part of his redemption arc directly affects his relationship with art.

In the Couch equivalent of S1, Zuko has fallen out of Ozai's graces, and is desperate to protect his place in the company and the Kasai household. He's pretending to be someone he isn't and trying to live up to his Father's image of a perfect heir while still being somewhat cut-off financially, and it shows.

He's all about imposing long coats and a semi-formal style, imitating what he knows Azula and Father would respect. He's striking and sharp and dark. But no matter how he dresses or carries himself (that air of cold superiority and arrogance)—it won't help him when he needs it the most.

In S2, Zuko has hit his lowest point. He's officially disinherited and tossed away by his father, and would be out in the streets if it wasn't for Uncle Iroh. He goes from sharp, high-tailored outfits to old second-hand clothes that hang loosely on his frame. He starts smoking and cuts his hair off, forgoing the undercut for the first time in years.

But then...Father accepts him back. When Zuko returns home, it's with respect to his name and a very high position in his father's company. He's finally the perfect Kasai heir, dressed in overly expensive suits and finery, even at home... But Father forbids him from wearing Lu Ten's earring, and Zuko can no longer recognize himself without the familiar glint of gold dancing on his peripheral vision.

When Zuko leaves the Kasai name behind him and goes back to living with Uncle Iroh...he's finally at peace with who he is, and what he wants in this life. The sharp edges aren't gone (they'll always be a part of him, after all), but now they're dulled by looser clothes and softer hairstyles.

He's an artist, and for once in his life, he is determined to pursue his own ambitions. Zuko's outfits may not be designer-made anymore, but he takes what he has and makes himself look like he wants to look, like the person he wants to be.

He doesn't read fashion magazines or keeps up to the latest trends like Azula does. He's just...Zuko. And his newfound confidence makes everything he wears look like it belongs on him.

As for music...well, Ursa raised a literature boy.

He loves lyric-heavy music and natural voices, be they soothing or powerful. Dissecting song meanings and possible interpretations with Katara is one of his favorite parts of the day. They're both very passionate and strong-minded individuals, so it stands to reason that their debates can get quite...heated.

Zuko's Playlist is both incredibly eclectic and somehow very...him. There's a common thread that binds together every song and artist he likes, and he's hilariously unaware of this. To take a look into his Playlist is a higher honor reserved only for those closest to him.

In the wide spectrum of things, it is no wonder that Zuko is, first and foremost, a Hozier man. But though Andrew is his God in all aspects of this life, there's someone else that has had a huge impact on him...

Two someones, actually.

Zuko refuses to tell anyone how he got into Twenty One Pilots, but it's kind of a moot point when the beginning of his obsession is nothing compared to everything that came after. They have just about the right amount of everything that makes Zuko...well, Zuko. The poetic lyrics, the soothing or raging music, the heavy, intensely resonant themes...

Up there, in the second artwork, I placed an album cover behind each period of Zuko's life. The election of these records is intentional, as I feel like their general themes work incredibly well with Zuko's arc and growth.

Blurryface in S1. For the demons within us. For giving a name to our fears and shame.

Trench in S2. For escaping the confined walls of a depression city, and fighting to understand the depths of the map of your mind.

Scaled and Icy in the first half of S3. For returning to places you had left behind. For convincing yourself and everyone around you that you're fine, that you're perfect, even though everything is crumbling inside...

Clancy in S3. For recognizing that you can backslide, that you can have fears and shame and pain—but you're shaping yourself with each step you take. For knowing that seeking help from others is okay. Nobody learns to walk on their own.

(And, in the end, you'll always be better than the person you were yesterday. If only because you're still here. You're still alive. You're still yourself.)

.

Overall, I rambled a bit too much, don't you think?

If you made it all the way down here—thank you so much for reaching out and being interested in this crazy AU! I hope you enjoy these ideas and tell me some of your own ❤️

[illubean]

HIHIHI!!! I've been following you for a while and i recently saw your toph! reader HC and I've been wondering if I could request for a katara! reader who's really good at waterbending and specialises on healing and blood bending? Could the characters be Gon, Killua, Illumi and the phantom troupe? Hope you eat well and stay healthy!!!

HXH W/ a Katara!Reader

Characters: Gon Freecs, Killua Zoldyck, Illumi Zoldyck, The Phantom Troupe Type: Headcanons, Fem!reader, Platonic

tried making this gn but then I ended up using fem labels a lot >.< also when I see "the phantom troupe" in headcannon requests im just going to write them collectively unless otherwise specified

Warnings: None

Gon Freecs

your older sister/eldest daughter syndrome is very evident around him

he probably doesn't pick up on it but everyone else sees how fiercely protective you are over him

you have a soft spot for children and Gon is literally the sweetest ever so you can't help but want to keep him safe

before the hunter exams, the only role models Gon has ever had in his live have been maternal figures (Mito and his grandma)

you end up becoming another one

which may also be part of the reason he is so respectful and kind

he's ok with your motherly nature mainly because he's very used to it and he can understand where you're coming from

he cares for you as if you guys were blood related

when he went cray in chimera ant arc you were the first person Killua and Leorio thought to call

yk because of your healing ability

you healed him the best you could before Alluka showed up

and scolded him immediately after he recovered

Killua Zoldyck

he likes someone with Toph's rebellious personality but you?

you're a total wet blanket...

your such a stickler, always trying to stop him when he's feeling mischievous

you remind him of how things were back at his estate...

you are not his mother stop acting like it

but whenever you protect him from getting seriously hurt or heal him he's reminded you have good intentions

he knows you're not trying to be manipulative and controlling but god pls loosen up

despite how distant he might present himself he can't help but grow a little emotionally attached to you

he's never had a healthy relationship with his mom...

you are the only normal motherly figure in his life

he acts like he can't stand how you fuss over him but in reality he cares for you deeply and kind of likes that you feel the need to be protective over him

Illumi Zoldyck

unlike his brother, he likes you a lot more than if you were to have Toph's personality

because you remind him of his mother

he doesn't mind your protective nature as long as you don't get in the way

your 'blood bending' technique is of great interest to him..

you are able to use it on normal days and don't have to wait for a full moon because this is my fanfic and I said so

it just happens to be at it's strongest on full moons

he probs starts keeping track of the moon cycles just to take you on missions and see you in action

with the blood bending technique you could literally stop any enemy

a very OP ability indeed....

which is why he keeps you around

you're strong and have a pretty normal personality so there's really no reason for him to dislike you

The Phantom Troupe

it's pretty 50/50 with them

and by that I mean some of them don't mind your motherly personality while others think it's annoying...

mainly Phinks and Feitan; they feel you're too bossy

but the entire troupe can agree that your nen is impressive

1) they have a healer now and 2) your blood-bending is some sort of secret weapon

you get along well with Nobunaga, bonding over your shared soft spot for children

Chrollo probs personally recruited you for your abilities seeing as he couldn't really steal them..

Machi likes having you around because now she has to stitch people up less often

when Kalluto joins, he becomes the one you're most protective over

the younger members see you as an older sibling figure

aka Shizuku(18) Kalluto(12) and Kortopi(he has no canon age as far as I know but I like to imagine he is a child rather than a small adult...)

[hadesisqueer]

I'm not saying people must ship Kataang or anything, everyone here is free to ship whatever people want, but at the same time, some of the criticism I see of the ship is insane.

One of the softer ones (because today I saw some crazy stuff) is that they're sibling coded. Like, I watched ATLA several times, I kind of just rewatched ATLA, and yet I still don't get how exactly they're sibling coded? Aang pretty much had a crush on Katara from the moment he met her, and Katara at first saw him as a friend —she never said she saw him as 'her little brother', by the way, you guys need to learn the differences between sibling dynamics and friend dynamics—. That starts changing at the end of The Fortune Teller when she begins seeing Aang from another perspective, though. By the beginning of Book 2 it's pretty clear she has already started to develop a crush on him. If you think it's very 'sisterly' of her to blush while asking Aang 'we're in the Cave of the Two Lovers, so what if, you know-- what if we kissed 😳👉🏻👈🏻', then get upset when Aang said he wouldn't kiss her and then after they did kiss and were already out she blushes and gets nervous again-- or when she gets jealous in The Headband when he dances with another girl and then blushes again while dancing with him-- you're tuning into the wrong show, go watch Game of Thrones or something, because this is not it.

You can argue that Katara was 'like an older sister' or 'motherly' to Aang over the fact that she was often very caring towards him, but honestly, that's not it, either; otherwise, you could say that Katara sees Zuko as her brother because she likes teasing him. Do I think Katara and Zuko are sibling-coded? Not really. But if you say that Katara was sisterly or motherly to Aang because she's caring towards him, you can also say Katara sees Zuko as her brother because she often teased him the exact same way she teased Sokka, her older brother. (I do not think Katara sees Zuko as her brother, btw; just clearing this up. And I may not ship him and Katara but if that's your ship, you do you, I am not getting into a ship war here).

Katara in general is a very caring person, to the point that yeah, it comes off as 'motherly' sometimes. She was like that not just to Aang but towards Toph and Sokka as well. That doesn't mean she really sees any of them as her 'children' as well, guys, nor do any of them actually see them as their mother (well, Sokka kind of did, but that's another thing). And she's very protective of Aang, yeah. Try to switch Kataang's gender for a second; Katara as the boy and Aang as the girl. Switch it up and you have a girl with a cute crush on a slightly older boy who at first sees her as a friend but after a while starts reciprocating. If you saw that boy act more caring and protective of that girl, you wouldn't assume he sees her as a daughter, you'd just assume he is extremely protective because his feelings are strong. I once saw someone saying 'Katara acts like a Booktok boyfriend' and honestly? Kind of, yeah. A lot of Kataang is them being kind of a reverse of the stereotypical 'kind but stronger, older boy gets with sweet, younger girl' stuff we see in a lot of media. Both of them are very caring and supportive and constantly reassure each other, not just Katara to Aang, (and Aang is also very protective of Katara as well, we see it many times, most of all in The Avatar State), but Katara is the older one, and usually the most protective as well, the one who fought off Zuko at the North Pole to protect Aang, the one who almost lost it when she saw him literally die and fought off the Dai Li, Zuko and Azula to get him and get out at The Crossroads of Destiny, the one who grabs Zuko when he joins them and literally tells him 'hurt Aang and I will kill you'.

Yeah, I don't think Kataang is sibling-coded at all. That person is right, Katara is just Aang's 'Booktok boyfriend'.

[system-to-the-madness]

Fire Bending - Zuko x Reader

Word Count: 2 329 Warnings: kidnapping, slavery, human trafficking, colonialism, mentions of: torture, physical violence, death Summary: You learn about a camp where your kidnapped sister might be held, so Zuko and you head out to find her   A/N: Part Seven of the series Perfect (10 times Zuko thought you were perfect and the first time he told you)

It was the middle of the night, when Zuko woke up. Staring at the fabric to the tent stretching over his head, he wondered whether there was a specific reason why he had woken up. There was no noise outside, no storm or rain, no voices, no footsteps either.

It had been not even a full day since he had come back to ember island with you after saving your sister. Upon your arrival in the middle of the night, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki and Toph had welcomed you excitedly, immediately making sure Xiang got as much to eat as she liked and preparing a tent for her, even though she ended up sleeping in yours. Zuko had slept in late that day, and after he had gotten up, had learnt more about Xiang’s story, which just had reinforced his resolve in making sure the school, and any other of its kind would be disband after his father had been defeated.

The whole day Zuko had wanted to talk more to you, about your Fire Bending, about your sister and family, about anything at all, really, as long as it gave him an excuse to talk to you. But you had been so busy with taking care of your sister, getting her new clothes, food, introducing her to everyone around, that there had only been little time for him, and while Zuko felt a little frustrated, he could perfectly understand your priorities.

After a few minutes of laying in the dark, he started feeling more awake than sleepy, and thus decided that perhaps it was time to get up. Crawling out of his tent, he found the night was warm, making the combination of his simple tunic together with his trousers enough to not get cold. Quickly he slipped into his sandals and snuck past the other tents. A soft glow, emitted by some glow-stone Toph had found for Xiang, shone from your tent, and for a moment Zuko was tempted to see whether you were awake, but reminded himself just in time that it was the middle of the night. So instead, he crept on, quietly making his way past the tents and towards the beach. He had always loved this beach. It was secluded, sealed away from the other beaches by the spiky rocks the island was made of. The only ways to access it were the stairs that lead down from his family’s holiday home or the cliff on which team Avatar had taken up camp. Even during the busiest days of the summer, nobody ever came down to this beach, except for him and his family. But it had to have been years since either of them had last relaxed in the white sand.

All the more he was surprised, when he now spotted some figure close to the water, lit up in the moonlight. It only took him a moment to recognize the person as you, and he almost would have called out your name, when suddenly the glow of fire, originating in your palms, lit up your face. Were you practicing Fire Bending? He stopped in his tracks and watched as the flame died down again, only to grow back a moment later. You were timing the size of the flame with your breathing, he realized. It was an exercise his teachers had made him do for hours on end when he had first started out learning how to Fire Bend. How did you know about that? Had you come up with this yourself?

He wasn’t sure whether he had made a sound or a movement you had noticed, but suddenly the flames died down completely, and you called his name.

“Zuko, is that you?”

Quickly he nodded and slithered down the last meter to the sand.

“Yeah, it is,” he answered, walking over to where you stood at the water. “What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” you admitted. “What about you?”

“Me neither,” he shrugged. “You were practicing Fire Bending?”

“Not really…”

“Show me,” he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and earning an eye roll from you.

“But don’t laugh, okay,” you requested.

Really? Why would he laugh at you? You were practicing, and any kind of practice was admirable, not something to be belittled.

Zuko kept those thoughts to himself and only nodded before he watched you lift your hands in front of you, the right hand, palm facing downwards hovering over your left hand, its palm facing up.

You inhaled deeply and with the exhale, a flame flickered alight between your palms, it danced and flickered, as if threatening to go out again, and as you inhaled again, it did. It disappeared into a small cloud of smoke and reappeared as you exhaled once more, still as fragile and small as the first time around.

“This already looks pretty promising,” Zuko nodded approvingly. “What made you think to time it with your breathing?”

You let your hands sink to your sides and shrugged.

“Back when I was still living in Yu Dao, before we moved to the earth kingdom, there were kids in my school who were Fire Benders. They always would show off their Bending with this exercise,” you recalled.

So, you hadn’t figured it out by yourself? Zuko was almost relieved, otherwise he’d have to deal with the most brilliant Fire Bender the world had ever seen. But then again, you had, without any training whatsoever, produced fire spears, so you still might be considered more talented than even his father.

“But I can’t seem to keep the flame around,” you admitted. “It always extinguishes when I inhale.”

Zuko nodded. “It’s hard to maintain the flame for a longer period of time,” he agreed. “But it’s a good exercise. May I ask why you’re training down here, at night? And not up on the cliff during the day?”

You averted your eyes almost shamefully, making a knot appear in Zuko’s stomach.

“I don’t want the others to be scared. And if I lose control over the fire, I can use the sea water to extinguish it.”

“I see…” Zuko watched you for a moment. “You know, the moon and the water are making it harder for you to bend, right? Water is the natural opposite of fire. Just like Aang struggled with Earth Bending, because it’s the natural opposite of Air Bending. Us Fire Benders, you know, we’re the most powerful in the sun. You’re throwing boulders in your way if you train by moonlight this close to the water.”

“But what if I lose control? I can’t let anyone get hurt!”

“Well,” Zuko stepped forward and grabbed your wrist softly, guiding you a few steps away from the water. “I’m here now. Let’s bring some distance between you and the water, and if you lose control, I’m here to help, alright?”

You nodded and allowed him to guide you into the middle of the beach, a safe distance away from both the cliffs and the water, over which the horizon was gradually growing brighter. The night was almost over.

“Now try again,” he encouraged, and you lifted your hands once more, summoning the small flame. It still extinguished upon your inhale, but this time it seemed to flicker less.

“Can I give you some tips,” Zuko asked, making you drop your hands again and you nodded. “First of all: your hands. You’re holding them very stiffly away from your body. Try holding them like this instead.”

He reached out, carefully adjusting your hands so your elbows were bent and your hands closer to your body.

“Having the fire so close can be scary, but it allows for better control of the flame,” he told you.

“Okay,” you breathed, trying to calm down.

“And your stance… you’re standing very straight. Try to bring your feet apart a little, like this, and bend your knees.” Zuko demonstrated what he was trying to explain, watching your attempt to mirror him.

“Like this?”

“Hm, almost,” Zuko tilted his head, trying to remember how his teachers had guided him when he had been little. They had always stood behind him, guiding his small body’s movements with their own body. “May I?”

You nodded even though you didn’t really seem to know what he was up to, and he felt you stiffen up, when he walked around you, standing right behind your back.

“Your feet need to be a little more like this,” he instructed, placing his hands at your waist and using his foot to adjust yours. “And bend your knees a little.” Using his own knee, he nudged yours from behind and into the right position. “And now you just have to take your hands like this…”

He let go of your waist and reached around you, taking your wrists and maneuvered them to where he thought they needed to be.

And suddenly he realized the position the two of you were in. Him, standing behind you, his whole front pressed to your back, you completely trusting him not to hurt you. After months and months of chasing you and threatening to hurt your friends, you now stood so close to him, utterly defenceless. And all Zuko could think about was how nice your body felt against his, warm and alive.

“Zuko? Uhm…”

Zuko had frozen in place and only your slightly confused voice tore him out of his stupor.

“What do I do now?”

Quickly he let go of you and stumbled backwards, apologizing over and over again.

“I didn’t mean to- I’m sorry, I didn’t realize-”

“Zuko, Zuko!”

Your call for his name interrupted his rambling as you caught his wrist in your hand the same way he had done so many times with yours already.

“It’s okay, you hear? I would’ve said something if I had minded.”

You were standing too close; he couldn’t think properly. All he could think about was how beautiful you looked, with the sky that kept growing brighter reflecting in your eyes and your face so close to his. It wasn’t fair, really. How perfect you were all the time. It made catching a clear thought very hard.

Instead, all he could think about was how much he wanted to kiss you. Yeah, it was a stupid, romantic idea, kissing you, his former enemy, during a sunrise at the beach. But what else was he supposed to think with how close you had moved to him, your hand still around his, the other one lightly resting against his chest where his heart seemed to be beating twice as hard as it usually did. Could you really blame him for having such thoughts now?

His eyes skipped to your lips, and he was sure he had to be blushing, but if you minded, you didn’t mention it. Instead, he realized that your own eyes had skipped to his lips as well, and a moment later a smile tucked at your lips as you looked back up to his eyes.

“Can I kiss you?”

Zuko couldn’t help the furrow that appeared between his brows. He had never asked Mai if she wanted him to kiss her, nor had she asked him. Getting asked was… it was nice. It felt like he had some sort of control over the situation, when really, he felt anything but control over the way his thoughts were so completely focused on you and his heart beating harder than he had ever imagined possible.

Instead of answering, he just nodded weakly, watching how your eyes skipped back and forth between his eyes and lips a few times before you slowly leant in, brushing your lips against his. The kiss was awkward and slow, but at the same time it was the best kiss Zuko could imagine. It made his heart soar, and as ridiculous as it sounded, it made him feel like he was where he belonged. As if something had snapped into place, and he was finally on the right track. Everything seemed so clear in this moment, clearest of all that you and he were made for each other.

You gasped against his lips as he placed his hands on your hips and pulled you closer to his body, but wrapped your arms around his neck, making him smile into the kiss. When had been the last time he had been this happy? He couldn’t remember. Had he ever been? Feeling your body against his, your lips, your hands, it made him feel like after all that had happened, he might still have the chance for a happy end, one where he was actually happy and not just at the place, he had always imagined he should be at.

By the time you moved away from the gentle, and truthfully rather innocent kisses he had been sharing with you, the sun had risen over the horizon, blinding him as he blinked his eyes open. You were smiling at him, and for a long moment he couldn’t understand why life should ever be anything other than kissing under the sunrise.

“Do you… ahm… do you want to try Fire Bending again,” he offered, suddenly feeling awkward, but at the same time utterly content with this latest development.

Determined you nodded.

“Now with the sun up it should be easier, right,” you asked, turning in his arms so your back was turned to him. “What was the stance again? Like this?”

You tried assuming the stance Zuko had guided you into earlier, making him smile.

“Almost,” he nodded, moving closer behind you, the smile on his lips broadening as he felt you relax against him. “Just bend your knees more like this.”

By the time the rest of the team woke up, you were still not able to produce a continuous flame, but the flames you did produce were a lot more stable. And Zuko was grinning from one ear to the other for no apparent reason at all.

Tags (it seems like some of the tags aren't working, sorry...):

@ghoststookourlifes

@ashcal99

@4acoffee

@pxrplewalnxt

@toomuchboredd

@banished--prince

@oddobsessionbutotay

@makik0

@joysflower

@hamdehlesmis

@mitski9328373

@angstylittleb1tch

@lovecalll

@sy1v30n

@sagemastah

@buzzbuzzlilbee

@theladyofmanyfandomsofficial

@luvkvni

@atiny-99

@girlkissersco

[the-badger-mole]

What is your NUMBER ONE headcannon for each person in the Gaang (Katara, Zuko, Aang, Toph, Sokka, Suki [and Appa and Momo if you feel so inclined])

Katara: After the war, she goes back to the NWT to train with Yugoda and becomes a master healer as well as a master of the NWT fighting style. From there, she goes back to the Foggy Swamp Tribe and masters their bending style, too. With the help of Sokka, Zuko, and (in some headcanons) Hama, she also rediscovers SWT waterbending and not only masters it, but teaches it to the new benders in the SWT. By the time she leaves the SWT, there has been a school established where all bending styles are available for study. She's one of the few who actually has mastered them all, though.

Sokka: He is eager to return home after the war. He throws himself into infrastructure and policy revamps, and he almost singlehandedly staves off the soft colonization attempts of the NWT. Under his efforts, the SWT rebuilds and reestablishes parts of its culture that had been lost during the war. With the discovery of oil on SWT land, he is also instrumental in establishing eco minded extraction techniques, and in trade ties with the rest of the world (although he is very much helped by his sister's deep ties with the Fire Lord). It's a surprise to no one when he's chosen to lead the SWT after Hakoda retires.

Toph: She does not become a cop. Instead, she goes back home and takes over the Earth Rumble, taking it from an underground even to a world wide phenomenon. She eventually allows benders of other elements to join, and the Earth Rumble becomes pro bending. She does also establish a metal bending school. In the end, she is wealthier than her parents, but because she couldn't really care less about money, she keeps enough to live at the standard she wants, and gives the rest away to causes that interest her...like the guy who wanted to set the record for the biggest bao bun ever, and needed funding for an oven big enough to cook it. She also establishes a halfway house for runaway teens.

Zuko: During his tenure as Fire Lord, he establishes a robust social services program that includes subsidized healthcare, education, and housing for the lowest income families. Under his reign, the Fire Nation becomes home to some of the earliest pioneers of mental health. At his wife's advice, he also makes paid maternity leave standard across the nation, and includes several programs to help single parents stay afloat. Taking inspiration from the SWT, Zuko makes some changes to how his advisory staff is selected. Instead of choosing from among the nobility, Zuko has the different provinces elect a representative to speak on their behalf. A lot of the nobles hate this, blaming his wife's influence, but the people adore their monarchs and despite their best efforts, there's little the nobles can do except start campaigning in their home provinces. It's not a perfect system, but it does open the door for the Fire Nation to end the monarchy within a couple of generations.

Suki: She continues to lead the Kyoshi Warriors for a few years after the war. She also helps train troops around the world as they pivot from active war service to more local work. She helps establish something like the coast guards for several different countries. Eventually she retires from that to help her husband run the SWT. She and Sokka make a wonderful team as he handles the domestic policies and she handles foreign affairs. She often jokes with her sister in law, Fire Lady Katara that they ended up with the same job.

Aang: I'll go with my most optimistic headcanon for him. He's an okay Avatar. Not great. Not the worst. After the war, he tries to take part in rebuilding efforts around the world, but he finds his help isn't needed much. He turns his attention back to salvaging what's left of the Air Nomad legacy, and discovers that there are actually airbenders still around. A few of them are even interested in learning to live like the Air Nomads. Many of them aren't, though, and after learning how to actually use their powers, they go off and do their own thing. To Aang's shock and dismay, eating meat has no effect on the strength of their bending, He does learn to deal with it and enjoy his time with the air benders who embrace the Air Nomad culture. He does go on to have kids, and he still favors the benders over the nonbenders. Ultimately, his legacy as Avatar boils down to taking Ozai's bending, and that's it.

[broadwaybalogna]

[Zutara AITA post because it sounds so funny to me]

AITA for getting shot by lightning?

So I (17M) and a group of friends (13M Aang), (13F Toph), (17M Sokka), and (15F Katara) went to war against my tyrannical father in order to save the world from dictatorship. We split into three groups and Katara and I were sent to fight my somewhat tyrannical sister. She challenged me to an Agni Kai which resulted in her throwing lightning at Katara. When I noticed, without thinking, I jumped in front of it to save her. Long story short, I almost died but Katara beat my sister and healed me👍. After Aang beat my father and took away his bending for good, I guess he kind of assumed Katara would date him? Anyways, I guess I cast some sort of love spell (?) when I risked my life to save hers without thinking and she said that she liked me and not him in front of our whole friend group. So he got a little pissed and upset because she was supposed to be his “forever girl” (if someone could let me know what that means too that would be great) and then got pissed at me and said I forced her to fall for me. I was just trying to save her life. Now I feel kind of bad because I took away the romance I guess they had. I mean, I’ll admit that I like her too but I never tried to push it on her! Can someone help me understand this mess? Am I the asshole?

[punkeropercyjackson]

🍫Zuko headcanons🍫

🍫Multiracial asian but mainly japanese ancestry.It's confirmed in one of the novel's there was a cultural unification in-universe so as a biracial latina,i'm taking this as mixed-coding

🍫Trans man who dosen't mind dipping his toes into femininity when asked(usually by Aang)but generally strongly perfers masculinity in his presentation.His egg cracked in his toddler years and due to his societal position,getting t and surgeries was very easy and his top surgery scars are dragon wing shaped

🍫Also sorry short king Zuko nation but i'm a 2nd tallest member of The Gaang Zuko truther.Katara is 6'7 and Zuko is 6'4(and goes without saying she uses it to tease him and calls him 'Squirt' and he sputters and yells at her every time)

🍫Autistic with anxiety,bpd,npd and ptsd.That no masking game rbf is iconic and he also has chronic pain and fatigue and uses a tricked up cane Sokka made him that's also a sword and goes with saying he's legally blind in his scar eye

🍫Tradgoth.Emo Zuko is fake and so is punk Zuko and grunge Zuko and literally any non-goth Zuko and i'm including poser goth Zuko.In a modern au he'd walk around looking like Spencer's ate him up then vomited him out into an empty grave he dug his own way out of Jason Todd style and a cunti maximus.He would also listen to death rock,Korn and breakcore,slander Hot Topic,encourage diy and online store shopping,play pirated horror games(and Animal Crossing),collect lost media items,do deepdive research into urban legends as a special interest,attend moshes,skateboard and do piercings for neighbourhood kids who ask him(including Aang🫶🏽)

🍫Fat/Dad bod.Give that guy some REAL thickness,none of that dehydrated bodybuilder bullshit.It was caused by him eating a lot more and a lot healthier,both from his healing arc with a new enviorment that's actually good for him and to sustain himself in training and Aang also has some chub going on but from the start of the series and he helps Zuko know there's nothing wrong with big builds and Zuko has pretty much no body insecurities as a result just like he does(it dispelling fears of resembling Ozai as he got older certainly didn't hurt)

🍫Katara and him are honorary siblings and she's his way cooler little sister figure and he's her older brother only she can bully 2:Electric Boogalo.I like to think they make matching friendship bracelets with eachother's aesthetics(so a sea themed one for Zuko and a gothic themed one for Katara)and Zuko convinces Katara to emotionally rely on him even if she'll never see him as a dad like Aang and Toph do and it eventually works

🍫He also is the reason she discovered cat cafes and she goes to them bi-monthly now as comfort and to unwind from all her constant activism.Zuko's a huge fan of cat cafes too and they were safe spaces for him pre-banishment and one of the first thing's he did when the war ended was go to one again.Whoever Zuko is dating is given cat cafe punch cards by him as one of the ultimate romantic gestures in his mind(he right though)

🍫Calls Aang 'My Sunshine',a nickname that fits his sunny personality but also to say he gave him the strength he needed to connect to his own power to save himself by bringing the sun back into his life in his hand,extended to him to give him a chance even when he was too caught up to see he had one.Less setimentally,he also calls him 'Mittens'

🍫Bites as affection,little nibbles or straight up enough for the other person to bleed depending on how cool they are with it.He asks and establishes consent first obvs even in the former cases

🍫Boba is the only kind of tea he likes.Don't @ me with 'he spit it out when Iroh invented it and had him try it',he was just surprised at the tapioca balls.His favorite flavors are brown sugar,cotton candy,funfetti,berrymix and oreo

🍫SUPER physically affectionate with Aang and it started one sided on his part but Zuko soon starting instigating it too instead of tolerating it to enjoying it about two years into their friendship.If he goes too long without an Aang hug he finds it upsetting and it pisses him off

🍫Very into gems,odd rocks,seashells,etc and has a secret stockpile in his room

🍫Pretty long hair,all the way down to his hips and perfers it out of his face,in a back of the head ponytail or half-up in a bun with the rest loose

🍫Always knew he was bi subconciously but didn't realize it until he was 16.He's that one tweet-'I'm probably a faggot x2 combo but i got a quest so idrc about that rn'

🍫Modern au Zuko is obsessed with PushPops.Don't question it,just know i'm right and may figure out a way to canonize them to core Atla

🍫Apologized to Azula and rebuilt a relathionship with her as soon as he released her from prison as The Gaaang were struck with how broken and not 'too far gone' she is.It took a long time and so much fucking work but The Fire Siblings finally felt comfortable seeing eachother as family and acting as not legit beefy but healthy siblings

🍫Has a voice tic where he constantly sounds angry and can't control it and he has to learn to tell people so they don't mistake it for lashing out at them

🍫Likes wearing long sleeves for that flap stim and drumming his fingers but to create a musical sound rather than for the sake it of as a stim too.Crushing stims are a Zuko trademark

🍫'Why does Zuko call you babygirl?''Aang,how about we just stop talking for a little while?' < every Zuko ship

🍫Dangly lemon quartz material dragon earrings

🍫Adores Choose Your Own Adventure comics and books!!He loves choosing his own destiny alright /lh /pos

[yandere-avatar]

Can you please do yandere atla gaang imagine pls?

Yes :) I guess I have to write something on my birthday :) [I didn't do Toph, cause I don't think I write her well...]

Aang

He met you while they were on their little 'trip' around the world. Sure, maybe you were a Firebender... And so what if you used to work for Zuko, you've changed. They know that after watching you betray Zuko at the North Pole. They were all in shock.

At first, you didn't want to take in their charity of letting you join the group... But after hearing about your now reputation amongst the Fire Land, you decided to join them as you had nowhere to go.

Aang empathized with you in that sense. Having no where were you belong. Why you were just like him! It causes him to form an unhealthy attachment that you won't be able to escape... No matter how strong you are.

Katara

You're a waterbender, too? Oh how cool! And your from her tribe??? How is this even possible? Katara met you when she met your grandmother, Hama. You loved your grandmother, but you were hoping the gang could stop her and finally put an end to her torture.

Your mother hadn't gotten Hama's bending, which Hama's was fine with. She was NOT fine with your mother marring and bearing a child with a fire bender. After your birth, she murdered your parents. She would have killed you too, but there was a hope that you would be a water bender. Thankfully you were.

Katara felt terrible about having to imprison your grandmother, because she thought you would hate her, but it was quite the opposite. Your grandmother needed help, and you couldn't give it to her.

Katara offers you a spot on the team, hopefully you'll join them. And you do... On the conditional that she'll take you to the Southern Water Tribe.

Sokka

He's an idiot and he made an absolute fool out of himself in front of you. He wanted to impress you, but he did the opposite. He was incredibly sexist and offensive. You explain this to him and at first he doesn't understand- You sound just like his sister. He complains to Aang about it and Katara overhears, telling him how he's an idiot.

He wants you to like him, because he thinks you're so cool, especially for a non-bender. He's sort of jealous of your skill. To him, you're the most incredible human to walk this earth.

Your flattered, sure, but he's just a guy and you tell him that. That makes Sokka realize he has to impress you and boy does he try. Though, like stated previously, he just can't help but make himself into a fool. But maybe you're more into the clown then you originally thought.

Zuko

Zuko has problems- Just like everyone else, but compared to the rest of his family, he's a saint. What you had at first was a fling, as he was banned from the Fire Nation. But, he really started to like you... Like a lot. When Azula came looking for her brother, she noticed his attachment to you rather quickly. Only a fool wouldn't use this to their advantage.

[rifari2037]

To me, no, they're not.

It's not like Zuko wanted or needed an ideal little sister in his main arc. Whether he had an ideal sister figure or not in his journey, it wouldn't change his storyline at all.

Did Zuko sad or hurt toward Azula after she lied to him and made him a fugitive?

No, he didn't.

Did Zuko sad or hurt toward Azula after she said, "I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child!"??

No, he didn't.

Whatever bad things Azula did to Zuko didn't make him sad or hurt, meaning that the ideal little sister wasn't something Zuko had in mind.

So, having another character to be the ideal little sister for him would be pointless.

And unless you denying what's on the show...

These 👇🏽 scenes not at all siblings would do, or it would be so cringe. You can't imagine Sokka put a betrothal necklace to his sister, or Azula touch his brother's face with thumb on his lips.

These 👇🏽scenes also didn't show how siblings would do (at least on the show), since Sokka and Suki, the canon couple, did the same thing.

Just like this scene 👇🏽didn't show how siblings would do or see each other (at least to me), as it depicts couple in other show.

Beside, how could Katara possibly be the ideal little sister for Zuko, if they couldn't avoid the boyfriend/girlfriend allegations?

- and they always denied it like teenagers hide their feelings.

And I don't think Toph is an ideal little sister for Zuko since they weren't that close to each other. I don't even think Zuko knew her name!

Okay, I know Zuko and Toph had a deep conversation in this scene 👇🏽, but they were talking about Iroh and not his sister.

Isn't that enough to show that he always thought about 'ideal father', not 'ideal little sister'? After all, when Toph tried to open up to Zuko, he ended up shutting her down.

Zuko never showed implicit nor explicit something like, "if only I had a little sister like her...", or "if only my little sister act like her...", or acted brotherly towards them.

It was so different from the way he wanted love from his father. His father figure affected his story a lot. It was the reason he obsessed catching the avatar, it was the reason he betrayed Katara, and it also the reason Zuko realised that his destiny was to help the avatar.

Zuko's needed and wanted an ideal father, he found that from Iroh, showed explicit and implicit on the show.

Zuko : After I leave here today, I'm gonna free Uncle Iroh from his prison and I'm gonna beg for his forgiveness. [Cuts to shot of Ozai.] He's the one who's been a real father to me.

Iroh : [Close-up.] I was never angry with you. I was sad because I was afraid you had lost your way. Zuko : [Side-view of the two.] I did lose my way. Iroh : [Releases him.] But you found it again. [Frontal view.] And you did it by yourself. [Frontal view of Zuko over Iroh's shoulder.] And I am so happy you found your way here. [Side-view. Hugs him again.]

Iroh acted like a father to Zuko, as if he was making amends to his dead son. And Zuko needed a father figure like Iroh to guide him on the right path.

I don't think there's any need to force other characters to be an ideal sister that Zuko didn't want or need for his arc.

[evilcarmona]

Fem!Sokka AU

So, I thought a little about this AU.

(For starters, I don't speak english, so, well.. ehe)

To begin with, she is at least 19-20 years old. I would like to make her older, because I like to draw beautiful adult women, but then the plot will not work. The age of all older ATLA teenagers has been raised. The age of the younger ones does not change.

The story is the same. Initially, Sokka is a man. He probably remained the only boy in the tribe for longer. This may affect Katara, as he has been her parent figure for longer than in the canon. In general, I believe in Sokka's parental vibes.

He's also a little more mature. Responsible, strong. But still a sexist. Father said that he was the only warrior of the tribe. Then he left them and went away with other men for many years. It couldn't end well. On the other hand, living among women affects Sokka more than he thinks.

So, about after Kiyoshi Island, gaang stops at the shrine of a female warrior. This is not Kyoshi, because I don't want Aang to feel that he is indirectly to blame for the situation. In general, Sokka offends the spirit with some kind of sexist comment. The Spirit takes revenge and curses him. Sokka falls into a magic pond. Poof! He's a woman. Aang has talked to the spirit, and the spirit is ready to cast spells on the water in the pond again. But she won't do it for two years. Lol

So, Sokka can only put up with it. Saving the world is more important than a little curse. Somewhere in the background, Zuko is trying to figure out where gaang took this beautiful woman and where they put that beautiful man. Really, where did he go? (Uncle Iroh is very funny)

The fact is that during the journey, Sokka realizes that he actually feels good. He likes it. In addition, he likes to be beautiful and do hairstyles.

Besides, becoming a woman, he feels the injustice of the situation at the north Pole more acutely. Sokka understands that putting someone in a frame because of gender is unfair. He and Yue become friends. Sokka kicks Khann's ass. And he also kills Zhao before the disaster with the Moon happens. Yue deserves to live.

In the future, Sokka thinks a lot. He supports his sister and Toph more than anyone. In fact, he used to have his father's vibes. Now it's the mother's vibes. Vibes of the coolest mom in the world. She can cut off the offenders' heads with a halberd. Literally.

In fact, I have nothing to justify the halberd with. I love halberds as much as I love women in sexy dresses. A lady may have small hobbies)

Okay, maybe Sokka decided to explore more weapons. She loves her boomerang, but does not refuse to develop like a warrior. Halberd is clearly defeating bending, haha. Maybe Sokka will be given some cool nickname on the battlefield. The Moon Witch? Heh

(Somewhere far away, Hakoda and the South Pole fleet are wondering what kind of Moon Witch is this? They will be surprised)

Perhaps before they meet after Ba Sing Se, Hakoda meets someone who has met the gaang before. Someone: You have two wonderful daughters! Hakoda: What?

So Zuko comes to gaang and asks where the boy has gone. The explanation was awkward because Zuko barely had time to accept that he was bi. What does it mean that the two people who make his heart beat faster are one person?

I forgot to tell you! Just because Sokka was bewitched by a spirit doesn't mean that Sokka trusts Aunt Wu! It's a matter of pride, lol

So two years go by, and you know what? Sokka does not ask the spirit to lift the curse. He's fine as it is.

[zuko-always-lies]

List of Azula AU/fic ideas

Better parenting Ursa

Azula raises Katara AU (and continued) and more

Azula and Katara get friendly postwar and talk about their brothers.

Mai is significantly older than Azula and Ty Lee AU (Older "sister" Mai)

Jin works at Iroh's teashop but finds out about his past

Zuko tells Azula about the Spirit Water

Ursa and Ozai get along better, and it's not a good thing AU

Imperialist Lu Ten survives the war and tries to regain his throne afterwards

Zuko finds out more about his nation AU

Revolutionary Azula takes over Ba Sing Se AU

Three different AU ideas in one

Favoritism in the royal family is a little different

What if Zuko had a nonbending twin sister (who he doesn't get along with).

Zuko's daughter changes how he sees Azula

Zuko and Ursa try to isolate Azula ("for her own good")

Ozai gets exiled and the Gaang stupidly ally with him

Earth Kingdom ends up with custody of Azula postwar and support her bid for the Fire Nation throne when Zuko starts another war with them.

The Gaang tries to figure out why Zuko joined them.

Dangerous Ladies find Ursa in Book 2

Azula and Toph fake dating

Zuko/"world leaders" try to force Aang to take away Azula's bending and he's very much not OK with it.

Azula is thrown away to the NWT postwar as a trinket and Chief Arnook adopts her.

Comics! Ursa's letter about Zuko being a bastard gets out.

Zuko and Katara lie about what happened during the Agni Kai

An exiled Azula finds Fire Imperialist! Ursa postwar

Aang has to save Azula from being executed by Zuko

Zuko's defection during DoBS goes very badly for Mai

Zuko joins the Gaang at Ba Sing Se, but it ends poorly

Zuko killed Azula during the Agni Kai, and now he has to deal with the consequences.

AU idea where Zuko keeps Azula permanently imprisoned in bad and torturous conditions postwar, and Izumi finds out about when she’s relatively young, and draws exactly the sort of conclusions about her parents that you would expect. Not to mention being terrified that she might be treated the same way if she missteps…

Ozai never declares Zuko and Iroh traitors

Iroh-Azula roleswap au

Zuko asks Azula for help with his firebending

Zuko wants Azula to like him but doesn't get why she doesn't like him (postwar)

Katara has an arranged marriage with Zuko and Azula tries to get into the good graces of her sister in law

"Katara is supposed to have an arranged marriage with Zuko, but she falls in love with Azula instead."

Another take on Zvtara (arranged marriage) and Maizula.

Azula-Katara AU idea (or: Katara runs into an Azula who has changed a lot in some ways and not very much in others)

Zuko is actually Ikem's son

Firelord Azula ends her brother's exile

Azula raises Izumi (it's complicated)

"AU idea: Azula commits suicide out of despair, and just about everyone is convinced that Zuko had her murdered or at the very least “encouraged” her to do it."

Dangerous Ladies get banished/declared traitors and Azula basically gives up. Mai has to step up her place

I have to say, “Zuko has to deal with finding out that Ursa very much isn’t who he believed she was” remains excellent fanfic fodder.

"AU idea: Ursa is more aware of Ozai’s abuse and potential for abuse than in canon, so, right after her exile, she seeks out Iroh and charges him with protecting both of her children."

Firelord Iroh treats Azula in a really screwed up way.

"AU where Azula dies during the latter stages of the war or right after it, and Mai is the only person who ever morns her as a person, not as a politically convenient symbol (Ty Lee runs away from her complex feelings on Azula as much as she can)."

Dark idea

"Since so much of the fandom is convinced that Azula is Zuko’s older sister, I need an AU where this is true and Zuko is just as throne-obsessed as canon and spends all his time trying to usurp his older sister."

"AU where Ozai has a heart attack and dies right after the fire siblings return to the Fire Nation, and Zuko and Azula have to pick up the pieces. Meanwhile, the Gaang are plotting to overthrow them and bring the war to a close once and for all..."

King Kuai adopts Azula as his heir

Things get complicated, darkly (Azula exiled postwar AU)

What if Zuko tried to be a good brother

"I really need an AU where Lu Ten returns and is pissed over Ozai’s usurpation, so he kills Ozai, seizes the throne, and continues the war. Of course, Iroh ends up supporting his actual son in all of this, and the conflict in the Fire Nation ends up boiling down to Zuko and Azula vs. Lu Ten and Iroh as the situation spirals toward civil war, at the same time the 100 years war continues."

"Maizula AU where Mai married Zuko, but he died not long after Izumi was born, and Azula and Mai are secretly carrying out a relationship while raising Izumi and ruling the Fire Nation as her regents."

Azula joins the Gaang with a twist...

"The chaos which would result if Lu Ten showed up alive again in Book 1 and launched a rebellion against Ozai in pursuit of “his” throne."

Ursa opposes Firelord Zuko

Iroh tries to kill Azula during "The Chase"

Mai and Ty Lee on trial for "war crimes"" and Azula has to save them

This is very long list, and people are welcome to steal any ideas they want from it for their own use.

[yukaro353]

COSTUME PARTY!!

So imagine this in a more modern era and let's go from there:

Bumi and Izumi obviously combine like the newly established couple that they are, they want to be the coolest in the place (Zuko has problems with that design and Katara is proud of how the embroidery turned out).

Kya is not properly disguised, her outfit is inspired by a Lana del Rey outfit, in her head the ideal was "beautiful and mysterious", now she just needs to wait for her date to arrive.

My favorites, Tenzin, Lin and little Suyin. Tenzin went with everything, the beautiful costume that his mother made him with a lot of love, prepared to show off and receive a couple of compliments from Lin, who is combined with his sister, being her a bee and Su a flower (The idea was obviously Sokka, Toph only provided the money and permission), however Tenzin is not getting the attention he wants because Su is committed to hoarding his sister.

And that would be, you don't know how much I enjoyed doing this, it's consuming me 🤭✨

[imagines--galore]

||The Thread of Fate|| Part Thirty-Two

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Masterlist

A/N: Last filler chapter before the Boiling Rock! So excited for those episodes! :3 Sorry for the long wait you guys! I've been dealing with a lot of stuff. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Didn't Aang say there would be no more bending battles in the Temple?"

"This is a sword fight, no bending involved."

"But Sokka called it swordbending."

"Don't encourage him!"

Orora glanced up from where she had been helping Toph make a sign board for the fighter they would be rooting for, Zuko, of course. She grinned at the obvious frown of irritation he wore. "Why? It makes sense, and it fits doesn't it?"

Zuko rolled his eyes at her before continuing his stretches. Across the courtyard, Sokka was doing the same. Though his were a poor imitation of the motions Zuko was going through. Orora had been having a pleasant conversation with Toph and The Duke before Sokka had come barrelling by announcing a swordbending duel between him and the Fire Nation Prince. At first Orora had been surprised, since Zuko hardly took part in proving who was the best, a point Sokka made sure to get across while explaining the nature of the duel.

But then he said something about Zuko and his honor, and she rolled her eyes.

Of course.

A fact that she had been using to tease her Soulmate while waiting for everyone to arrive. Add in the new word Sokka had used that seemed to irritate Zuko to no end, and Orora had the ammunition she needed to annoy him for the rest of the day.

"Why? Is it not honorable enough?" She said, barely able to hold back her laughter as she stressed on the word. Zuko shot her another annoyed look.

"Is he making that face again?" Toph asked, grinning. Orora giggled since the face Toph spoke about was the exact expression Zuko wore at the moment. "What face?" He demanded to know, which only made the Waterbender laugh harder. Though what Toph said next had her sobering up pretty quickly.

"Where you frown, pout and get that really annoyed look on your face. Orora says it makes you look like a kid who was told he couldn't have candy, but she finds it cute."

Before Toph could go any further, she found a hand covering her mouth, preventing her from saying anything else. Zuko blinked, his eyes darting to Orora who was glaring at her younger sister, and yet the blush that blazed across her cheeks was undeniable.

His eyes met hers.

And he grinned.

A little too smugly for her liking.

"Is that right?" He all but drawled, bringing one sword up to rest on his shoulder, flat side down, while he let the other hang at his side. Pursing her lips, Orora tried hard not to show just how embarrassed she was at having an intimate thought revealed so blatantly. That coupled with attempting to not let the current tone of his voice and posture get to her too much, which she was failing at if her blush and rapid heartbeat was anything to go by, resulted in a glare that was more hilarious then intimidating.

Somehow, Toph managed to extract Orora's hand from her mouth. Or rather pulled at it enough to allow her to get a few more words in. "Man, her heart's going crazy. You smiling at her Zu-" The rest of her words were muffled as Orora quickly replaced her hand, this time a little more forcefully.

Zuko's smirk persisted as Orora stood, pulling Toph and the sign board as she did, so they could sit a little ways apart from the battle ring. "Come on you little pest." She grumbled. Her reaction as well as Toph's accidental, coughintentionalcough, reveal gave more then a little boost to his ego. The two of them shared one last look, with Orora being the first one to look away, blush still inflaming her cheeks. Zuko turned around to face the ring and his opponent. As he stepped up to face off against Sokka he twirled his swords with a little more flair then was actually necessary.

Was he showing off for the sake of showing off to his Soulmate?

Yes he was.

Did he think it was over the top?

Not when it came to her.

Now that they were all gathered, Aang moved to stand between the two opponents, acting as referee.

"Finally! Some action around here!" Toph stated happily, Orora having removed her hand awhile ago. Her words had both her sisters blinking at her in confusion. "You just saw some action this morning." Orora reminded, as Katara scowled. "What did you think we were doing? Splashing around in the stream?"

Toph grinned. "That was more of a catowl fight." Both older girls sat up wearing identical expressions of irritation. The corner of Katara's eye even twitched as they both screeched. "Excuse me?!"

"We need a little silence from the spectators!" Aang called, taking his role as referee a little too seriously and shooting the two Waterbenders a look. Both of whom slumped into their seats, arms crossed and pouting.

They both glanced at one another out of the corner of their eyes, before looking away again.

Within the ring, Zuko gripped the handles of his sword tightly "Don't get your hopes up Sokka." He warned the Water Tribe Warrior. "I started training with Master Piandao since when I was just a kid, so I think I can take a beginner like you."

"All right, you guys." Aang stated, a hint of warning in his tone. "I want this to be a good, clean swordbending match!"

"There's no such thing!" Zuko stated, before his smile returned in full confidence. Sokka mirrored the smile as they both waited for Aang to blow the whistle.

"So you think you're hot stuff, huh?" He said, his tone loud, hoping to goad Zuko into loosing his composure. His words, however, had the opposite effect as the scarred teen only smirked. "Orora seems to think so."

The girl in question, who'd been watching the proceedings just as eagle-eyed as the rest of the group, blanched at the comment. Since when had Zuko gotten confident enough to make comments like that? And in the presence of other people.

If Zuko continued to tease her, her cheeks would be a permanent shade of pink. "For Spirits sake leave me out of this!" She called, ignoring how everyone, minus Katara, were snickering. The younger waterbender girl instead held up her own sign board, which had a drawing of a sword and the symbol of the Water Tribe. "Go, Water Tribe!" She encouraged her brother.

Beside her, Toph held up the sign she and Orora had made.

Which Orora quickly turned upright since Toph had been holding it upside down.

Within the ring, swords clashed, as both Zuko and Sokka began to face off. "Lemme show you how we do things down south!" Sokka exclaimed, pulling back before swinging at him.

Only to have Zuko step to the side and avoid the hit. "Like I said." He stated, cool and calm as could be, before he swung at Sokka who narrowly deflected the attack. The boy fell backwards, hitting the hard ground with a dull thud.

"Don't get your hopes up."

At the sidelines Orora, Toph and The Duke both cheered at Zuko's victory. Apparently Haru and Teo had decided to root for Sokka. Which wasn't going well for them, of course. Aang held his arm out, indicating Zuko's victory. Sokka however, was not done.

Not by a long shot.

"Rematch." He grumbled, already getting up. "Now!"

Zuko grinned.

"Kick his ass Zuko!"

Sokka turned to stare at his older sister. "Wh-Orora! You're supposed to side with me! Water Tribe for life!" He exclaimed, sounding dejected, something the girl didn't even care about as she grinned.

"Sorry Sokka! Soulmates over Bro-mates!" She called to which Sokka let out an undignified squeak, clutching his heart as if the words physically pained him. "My own family doesn't believe in me!" He bemoaned, playing the act of a wounded brother as he slumped to the ground. Zuko glanced over his shoulder, meeting Orora's excited blue gaze.

He winked.

She bit her lower lip, trying to stop the smile from taking over her face as she settled next to Toph once again.

"You got it bad Ice Princess." The blind girl teased, sensing her elevated heartbeat once again. Orora shoved her shoulder playfully. "I believe in you Sokka!" Katara called, throwing Orora a dirty look, though it lacked the heat and anger from just a few hours ago. "Do it for the Water Tribe!"

Her brother stood up straight with newfound determination, waiting for Aang to give the signal.

Only to be knocked down with a kick by Zuko, not even five minutes later. "Another loss for Sokka!"

Katara buried her face in her hands. "Ouch." She muttered, more then a little annoyed at her brother, but also annoyed at Toph, The Duke and Orora who continued cheering for Zuko.

Was he feeling a little too proud of his swordsmanship?

Maybe?

Did he care?

Not really.

Not when Orora was cheering for him like she was.

He'd never had anyone on his side aside from his Uncle. And while Orora's support meant the world, knowing he'd made friends who would root for him added to that feeling tenfold.

"This is ridiculous." He stated pointing his sword at Sokka and smiling. Though not in a condescending manner as he would have done in the past. "I'm obviously better than you. Why don't you just give up?" Sokka simply stood up, brushing the dust from his clothes. To say his ego was more then a little bruised would be an understatement. But while Zuko may have the advantage of being a better swordsman, yes even he admitted that, Sokka had something better on his side.

Words.

"This from the guy who unsuccessfully hunted Aang for years?" The effect was immediate. Zuko pursed his lip, his eyes flickered with irritation as he scowled at Sokka. "That was totally different!"

"Sure." The word came out in a more sarcastic tone then he had intended, but it worked. "Cause it'll only take me three minutes to beat you!"

Raising his sword, Sokka charged.

Only for his opponent to knock his weapon out of his hand.

"Give up Sokka! This is getting a little embarrassing for the Southern Water Tribe!" Toph called, unable to keep the malicious grin off her face. She lived and thrived in situations like these, where she could tease and make fun of her friends, especially Sokka. It was always hilarious to see how he would react to them. And having Zuko beat him up was the icing on the egg custard.

Raising an eyebrow, Zuko stood over Sokka. "You were saying?"

Deciding that perhaps it was time to play dirty, Sokka reached behind him to grab his trusty boomerang. He threw the weapon, which Zuko narrowly ducked out of the way of. It went flying through the air as the Prince turned to scowl at Sokka.

"Hey! No boomerangs in swordbending."

He paused, blinking. Did he just-?

"Wait! I mea-"

"Zuko! Watch out!"

Too late.

The boomerang retraced it's path and hit the young Prince at the back of his head. Zuko dropped to his knees, clutching the sore spot and groaning in pain. Though his glare never left Sokka's.

"Foul!" The spectators called out, with the ones supporting Zuko rising to their feet and demanding a fair rematch. "Call it Ref!" The Duke shouted.

Aang sighed before looking at Sokka. "Zuko's right, you know. You did cheat, so he still wins the match." Sokka, appearing way to smug for someone who had just lost simply grinned. "I may have lost the battle of swords, young Avatar." He held his arms up in victory. "But I won the war of words."

A beat of silence.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Toph all but screamed, annoyed that the Humiliation of Sokka was cut too short. In her opinion it was shaping up to be quite the story. After all there had been action, drama and romance, if Orora's heartbeat was anything to go by.

Speaking of, Orora walked over to Zuko, who was still rubbing the back of his head, and looking dejected. "Want me to beat him up for you?" She asked. Zuko glanced up to see Orora looking almost murderous as she glared at Sokka.

Sokka grinned sheepishly back at his older sister. There were no hard feelings between them, they each knew it was all in good fun, but Sokka knew Orora would beat him up with no hesitation. She wouldn't hurt him too much. Probably pull his ears, or something? Before punishing him with some horrible chore.

No one had any idea what sort of hold she had on everyone in the group. Maybe it was her presence, or her ability to shut anyone up with a look. But for whatever reasons, they were all intimidated by her. Though not in a bad way.

Rather in the: I did something wrong and now my sister is gonna hang me by my belt way.

All except Zuko, who knew she would put him in his place should he need it. Something that had happened in the past. The Prince chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah." He said, standing up and sheathing his sword.

"I'll get him next time."

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"Hey Zuko!"

Glancing up from where he had been packing away his swords, Zuko was a little surprised to see a rather unlikely trio standing in front of him.

Sokka, Aang and Toph.

"Yeah?" He asked, his tone unsure as he glanced from one serious face to the other. "Relax, Firebug, we just wanna talk to you." Toph said, sensing his heartbeat pick up a little. Sokka nodded. "Yeah, but don't think its not important, because it is." He added, to which Zuko blinked at him in confusion.

"Okay?" Placing his pack on the ground, he stood straight to give all three of them his undivided attention. Out of all three of them, Aang seemed to look the most serious, prompting him to turn to the young Avatar with a questioning gaze.

"Its about Orora, and what your intentions are with her."

The statement came out of nowhere, prompting Zuko to blink at them in confusion. "My intentions?" He repeated, confusion etched on his face. Sokka nodded stepping forward.

"Yeah! Your intentions. If you haven't noticed, she's our sister, and as her siblings we have a right to know what your intentions are with her." He'd barely stopped before Toph picked up. "Yeah, we don't want to see her mopping about just because you feel like going off one day and leaving her alone."

Zuko bristled, a little angry at them for even thinking that. "I would-" But he was cut off by Sokka. "Yeah, cuz when it comes to anything related to you, Orora always looses it."

Once again he opened his mouth, only to be cut off by Toph. "In a bad way. I've seen Ice Princess grow cold, and it is not good. And when Orora isn't happy, none of us are happy."

"What we're trying to say Zuko." This time Aang spoke, stepping forward to silence his friends so that he could get his word across. "We love Orora, and we don't want to see her get hurt the way she did after Ba Sing Se." He paused, allowing Zuko the moment he needed to understand why the three of them were there.

To make sure he wasn't leading Orora on before he left like he did last time.

"We almost lost her Zuko, and we don't want to see her go through that pain ever again." The Airbender paused, fixing his grey eyes on Zuko's face. "So we ask again, what are your intentions with Orora?"

As the three of them waited in silence, Zuko found his eyes briefly flitting over their shoulders, where he could see Orora playing with Momo. She was teasing him with a water bubble, and Momo's reaction to nearly getting wet had the girl giggling. She didn't tease him for long, and as an apology, began to cut up an apple into slices, which she then shared with him.

Watching her sit there, eating the fruit happily with the little animal, Zuko's resolve only solidified.

"My intention," He started, looking back at the three younger teenagers. "Is to stay by her side as long as she will have me. And to make sure no harm comes to her, physically and emotionally. Even from me."

Not exactly the best way to phrase the intensity of his feelings for Orora, but he wasn't about to pour his heart out to the three of them. Sure they were his friends, but if anyone deserved his heart, it was Orora. After all that she had done for him, the least he could do was confess to her what he truly felt. He just hoped whatever he couldn't say, he was able to convey through his actions as time went on.

"He's telling the truth." Toph stated, a smile pulling at her lips. "And that's good enough for me." With that, the girl turned on her heel and walked off. Leaving Sokka and Aang to give the final verdict. Both boys fixed Zuko with twin hard stares, ones that he did not back down from as he looked right back, determination and honesty clear across his face.

Finally, Sokka sighed. "Just, don't hurt her again." He stated, before walking off as well. Leaving just Aang, the only one to smile and reach out to pat the Prince's shoulder. "I guess Fate never chooses wrong." He said. "You're both good for one another."

There was a point in his life where he would've questioned that.

But in that moment, as they all settled down for dinner, with Zuko sitting beside Orora, he couldn't help but agree with Aang.

They were good for one another.

                                           ————————–

The outcome of the battle earlier resulted in Katara not glaring at her every time she and Zuko interacted. As Sokka had advised, Orora had opted to leave Katara alone and work through her feelings and conflicts on her own. Pushing her wouldn't get either of them anywhere.

Still, that didn't stop Orora from missing her sister, and hoping she would come to terms with her decision soon.

Presently she sat within the circle as everyone unwound after the day. Dinner had been served, and the dishes cleared away. Though Zuko was doing something she never thought she would see him do voluntarily.

He was making tea.

Zuko, who thought of tea as nothing but hot water and leaf juice, was presiding over the teapot as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

His Uncle would've been proud.

For a moment there, she had thought of helping him out, but then stopped. Maybe give him a chance to make amends as he saw fit on his own. Hopefully his tea making skills had improved since the last time he had brewed a pot.

While everyone else spoke around her, Orora found herself simply watching Zuko and observing him.

It was ridiculous. It wasn't like she hadn't seen him the entire day.

"No one can make tea like Uncle." Zuko said as he began to pour the hot beverage into cups that were placed atop a tray. "But hopefully I learned a thing or two." He added, as he began walk around and serve tea.

"Would you like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?"

Katara, glancing in Orora's direction, and catching the older girl's eyes, pursed her lips before shrugging. "Sure." Orora hid her smile behind her cup. The scent of it was certainly appealing as she closed her eyes and savored the warmth of it before taking a small sip.

It was good.

Really good.

"I like jokes." Aang stated, encouraging Zuko even further with Toph adding. "Bring it."

Zuko nodded as he served the tea to The Duke and Haru. "Okay." He paused, with everyone waiting eagerly for him to begin. "Well, I can't remember how it starts." Orora pursed her lips. It would be extremely rude if she were to laugh out loud at the helpless expression on Zuko's face, she told herself.

"But the punch line is 'Leaf me alone, I'm bushed!'"

She had to quickly take a scalding sip of tea to distract herself. The pain of the hot beverage on her tongue did distract her enough to keep from laughing out loud at the awkward silence that had descended on the group as they all stared at Zuko.

Even he gave an awkward smile. "Well, it's funnier when Uncle tells it."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Right........maybe that's because he remembers the whole thing." She said, prompting everyone to laugh at her teasing. Zuko smiled as well, handing over the last two cups to Teo and Toph.

Orora, having recovered from her scalding tongue ordeal, sat up a little straighter as she recited. “Why did the green tea refuse to be brewed?" Everyone glanced at her, with Zuko blinking at her in slight confusion. She smiled at him in return. "It said, "I need some time off, leaf me alone, I'm bushed!"

Collective groans followed her statement, with Zuko rolling his eyes at his Uncle's choice of humor.

Toph sighed as she sipped at her tea. "It's nice to get a chance to relax a little. It hardly ever happens." She said, to which Aang glanced at her in confusion. "Weren't you just saying this morning how you wanted some action? He asked, to which the blind girl gave a shrug. "Yeah, but we got to see two fights today, so my quota has been met."

Orora rolled her eyes at her younger sister. "Maybe not say it out loud Toph. You know how fate loves to prove us wrong." She said, her gaze flicking around, as if expecting someone to jump out of the shadows and start attacking them. Then again, with all the trouble they had gotten into in the past, it wouldn't be surprising if they weer ambushed.

"Hey!" Sokka, who had been brooding silently for a good hour now, an act that had made both his sisters suspicious, now approached Zuko. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He stood and walked away. Setting down the tray, Zuko followed after him.

The Duke glanced at their retreating backs. "Wander what they're talking about." He voiced his curiosity, to which Toph shrugged. "Probably trading notes on being a sword-bender."

Well that word had certainly caught on.

It wasn't long before Sokka returned and promptly lay down to go to sleep. Taking his example, the rest of the group began to get ready for the night as well. As she shook out her bed roll, Orora glanced to where Zuko, who had returned not long after Sokka, was setting up his own bedding. Seeing the look of contemplation on his face, and with a strange suspicious feeling gnawing within her stomach, she walked over to Zuko.

"What was that all about?" She asked, frowning slightly in Sokka's sleeping figure. Zuko, a little lost in his head, was a little startled at her abrupt appearance. Though he shook his head at her in response.

"Nothing." The word came out rushed and urgent. Almost as if he was putting extra effort into making her believe that there really was nothing going on.

Orora, however, grew even more suspicious. And even though she figured that she should leave the matter alone, since Zuko would've told her if he wanted to, it was because he didn't tell her that she knew that whatever Sokka had spoken to Zuko about was either illegal or dangerous, or both.

And she wasn't about to let either of her boys do anything stupid. Not unless she had anything to say about it.

Was it nosy and over-bearing of her?

Maybe.

But she'd come so close to loosing her family that she was beginning to grow a little protective.

For now, she simply gave her Soulmate a look, prompting him to reassure her once more. A rather weak effort on his part, which they both knew.

Still, she didn't pester him any further. With a nod, and a wary look in his direction, Orora returned to her bed roll.

                                           ————————–

As a group of young soldiers, sleeping with one ear open was natural. Anyone or anything could attack them at any moment, and since her days of traveling alone, Orora had trained herself to be on alert, even as she slept.

It was the slight bump against her feet that had ice blue eyes opening abruptly.

Her mind was trying to fight off the fog of sleep that hung about her head, but she recognized the figure as they walked away. There was just enough light to inform her that it was early morning and the sun had only just begun to rise. She lay perfectly still, not wanting to alert Zuko that she was awake.

She stayed in her sleeping bag, even when Sokka tip-toed past her with a bag slung over his shoulder. Once he too had disappeared from view, Orora stood, picking up her water skins as she did.

She never slept without them.

Slinging them over her shoulders, the young Waterbender stood behind a pillar, hiding from view as she listened to the conversation the two boys were having.

"Fine, you caught me." She heard Sokka say. "I'm gonna rescue my dad. You happy now?"

"I'm never happy." Came Zuko's response, prompting her to step out from behind the pillar, arms crossed over her chest. "I am rather offended by that statement Zuko." She stated, keeping her voice low so as not to wake up anyone else. While Sokka rolled his eyes, and grumbled something about nosy sisters, Zuko winced at her words. He opened his mouth, to apologize, to make an excuse? She didn't know. Orora simply fixed her brother with an inquiring gaze.

"What're you doing Sokka?" She asked. The Water Tribe Warrior looked like he wasn't going to answer, but then his shoulders drooped and he sighed. "Zuko told me they might be keeping Dad at this place called the Boiling Rock."

The girl blinked. "So you're going to get him out by yourself?" She asked, walking towards him as Zuko jumped down from where he had been sitting on Appa's back. Probably to catch Sokka in the act.

Picking up the supplies that had fallen out of his bag, Sokka continued. "Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea, it was my decision to stay when things were going wrong." He stood up straight, glancing between the Firebender and Waterbender. "It's my mistake, and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor. You can't stop me." With that he moved to climb atop Appa.

Zuko let out a laugh of derision. "You need to regain your honor?" He asked, prompting Orora to glance at him. "Believe me, I get it. I'm going with you."

Seeing this as her chance, Orora stepped forward. "And judging from the name, I'm willing to guess the place has something to do with water." At Zuko's nod of confirmation, Orora hummed and nodded. "Then I'm coming too."

Shaking his head, Sokka turned to glance over his shoulder. "No. I have to do this alone."

Scoffing, Zuko gestured towards Appa. "How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison daycares." The observation prompted Sokka to pause and glance at Zuko who simply stated.

"We'll take my war balloon."

Sokka looked torn, but only for a moment, before he nodded in confirmation and climbed down from Appa. "You're not coming Orora." He stated, trying his best to be authoritative. His sister blinked at him.

"Would you rather I wake up Katara and tell her what you're up to?" She questioned, or rather threatened. Sokka opened his mouth, but then closed it again, knowing her couldn't argue. Not when she had that determined look in her eyes. Though Zuko was torn between having Orora stay behind and be safe, but also knowing that having a Waterbender would prove to be an advantage, stayed silent. Smirking in satisfaction, the girl tightened the straps of her water skins.

"We'd better leave a note."

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