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kataraslove · 2 years

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thinking about post-canon kataang referencing dialogues that they’ve shared together, and memories that they explored with one another, during the war, but now as older adults in a time of peace:

aang thinking deeply about something and katara interrupting him with a bemused smile and a “hey.” “hey,” aang responds with a soft grin. “watcha thinking about?” katara proceeds to ask him, sitting next to him on the bed. these two lines become their opening for when one of them is deeply preoccupied in their thoughts, and the other wants to find out what’s bothering them.

just because they have a solid grasp of communication and are perceptive to each other’s feelings most of the times, doesn’t mean that they won’t get on each other’s nerves sometimes and act downright petty when they want to fight. “i know it’s great!” “i’m glad you know.” “good!” “FINE!” *door slams* (later, when they’ve both calmed down, they apologize for their behaviour).

penguin-sledding!! and koi fish-riding!! and surfing and WATER BOMBS, HYAAHH and all the fun that they shared together on their travels as kids, now tenfold because they are Master Benders (TM) travelling the world. and whoever says that masters can’t have fun have obviously never met katara and aang.

even though they are both master benders, aang is still blown away each time katara comes up with a cool ass new move. “that was amazing!!!” he grabs his head again, in awe at how amazing his wife is.

and katara is still so proud every time aang enters the avatar state at will. she’s just, so proud of him, y’know? proud of how he’s grown up, proud of the man that he’s become, proud of being part of his journey, proud that they got to save the world together.

katara wears new clothing from across the world and aang blushes each time, like he’s twelve all over again. “you look beautiful.” sometimes, aang will also try on new things that drives katara crazy (in a good way). new clothing. new footwear. a new sash. even makeup. and each time katara grabs his face and whispers, “you look beautiful,” before bringing him down for a kiss.

the fact that aang will not miss out on the opportunity to brag about his height growth to katara. “who has to get on their tiptoes now?” “still you,” she answers with a proud smirk, having elevated herself from the floor with ice. and aang lets her win this once, because even though he’s an airbender, and a waterbender, and an earth and firebender, he also loves his girlfriend. but sometimes he can’t help but draw out his competitive spark, and the two spend significant time trying to out height-bend each other.

this time, katara is the one to pull him to the dance floor when aang’s feeling a little bit unsure. “take my hand,” and “it’s just you and me,” becomes their lullaby, their reassurance that no matter what happens around the world, they’ll always have each other.

the kiss at their wedding echoes the kiss at ba sing se, in iroh’s tea-shop. a warm embrace in the form of a hug, before katara leans in, reminding aang that she’s ready, and has always been ready. his arms around her waist pull her closer, her arms around his neck deepen the kiss. amidst the cheering and yelling in the surrounding world, the two re-affirm that it’s once again, just them.

after all, what is the childhood best friends to lovers part of kataang, if not for the deep experiences that they’ve shared during the war that made them fall in love? experiences and memories that they’ll revisit and keep with them until the day they die (and then after, in the spirit world).

#things the comics could have done instead of have them call #each other sweetie 400 times #kataang #atla #avatar the last airbender

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girlandthedarkness · 4 years

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the avatar I azula x reader part II

what if azula will have a crush on a girl that turns out to be the avatar, what would she do? part one

a/n: this is a second part, thank you for everything, warning a very ooc azula and an evil!zuko, so if you don't like stuff like this don't read it

She won. The reign of the Ozai is over. To give him credit it was a rough fight, but despite her young age, Y/n wasn't worse, striking him without a hesitation, deadly. Y/n moves fast, the war is over, but the fight is not finished yet, she could see some devoted soldier who still keep attacking, but that's in vain. The ones deep red sky is now smoky blue and with a move that Katara taught her she rises the ocean's water to put down the fire who still burn. Y/n let a heavy sigh, she wants to pass out right here, forget about the war and what will happen after this. The girl almost let her body fall down when she remembered: Azula. The last time she saw her she was ready to fight along with Katara against Zuko, taking the flying bison. Y/n close her eyes and make her body to move again, the memories of the goodbye at the bay and her long road to earth kingdom still fresh in Y/n's mind like an open wound.

“She's in one of the village of Kyoshi Island, Y/n thought it's a good idea to hide from the fire nation under the protection of the order that one of her past lives created. She stayed here and tried to learn anything that will improve her bending, studying one by one the many Kyoshi's diaries and thanks spirits, there's a lot of them. Kyoshi was a fascinating avatar, her era was one of the most peaceful, so there's a lot that Y/n can learn from her, also she needs to learn everything about peacemaking.

In one of the days, where she was studying another old scroll she was interrupted. "Avatar Y/n, there are some intruders that we found at the beach, one of them claim to be an airbender." No one except a few Kyoshi's warriors knew that she's the Avatar, one of them was Suki, who's voice was fast and breathless, probably from running to her. "Take me to them."

Turned out it was indeed an airbender and also two people from water tribe, the girl, Katara, was even an waterbender. "Why are you here hiding?" Katara sounds hurt and her teary eyes prove it. "It's not like I have other options; I can't even learn how to bend. The only thing I'm good at is firebending." Y/n came closer to Katara and looking at her she addressed everyone. "Look guys, a year ago I wasn't even a bender and know look at me an firenation avatar, in the times when your own nation wouldn't hesitate to hunt and kill you." It was quiet while everyone perceived the story. "I can teach you airbending" Aang's voice is cheerful and you smile involuntary at him. "And I can teach you everything about waterbender, I don't know much, since, you know..." Katara fall silent, struggling to find the right words. "Since what? I don't know? What happened?" Y/n is panicked, what happened to southern water tribe? "Since they took all waterbenders from us" Sokka finished for her and this time Y/n fall silent, how can she assert herself as a good avatar, when her own nation has brought so much damage and pain? Training and traveling, that's how they spend the following months, hiding from the firenation, who mistakenly thought Aang was the Avatar. But keeping it a secret that she's the avatar was like a rock on Y/n heart, that's why when she found out the prison for earthbenders she decides to reveal herself, saving together with her friends everyone. That's it, it was the first step to bring the peace into the world, Y/n thought. Later alongside the road Y/n meet Toph Beifong, who became her earthbender master.

When Y/n and Azula finally meet, they were on different sides, Azula besides her brother, Zuko, and Y/n beside her friends. Y/n heart was beating so fast when she saw Azula, who changed so much during almost a year, but her hair was still proudly in a top knot and she's dressed in a perfect firenation clothes. Y/n couldn't help but smile, when she saw the face of the girl who hunts her both in nightmares and daydreams, but was only meet with a frown a stone cold face. Studying her, Y/n didn't notice when Zuko attacked her, fortunate she was saved by the earth that was bend as a shield by Toph. Y/n notice the quick mad glance that Azula throw at Zuko, until she attacked them as well, not actually making any harm, Y/n observe. 'Maybe she's not mad, she did say that she cares about you' Y/n though, dodging Azula's fire. It wasn't a long fight, two firebenders against three benders and the Avatar isn't the fairest battle, hopping quickly on Appa Y/n gaze one more time at the breathless Azula, engraving the princess image in her brain.

The next time they meet they were alone, standing on the same bay were almost year ago they split up, this time the weather is peaceful and sunny, with sea breeze. "How are you?" Azula's voice is calm as always, Y/n's voice on other hand is stuck in her throat and she can't speak anything. Azula takes this silent moment to look at the girl next to her, studying very careful every detail, feeling weak for the storm that is caused by Y/n in her heart. The last time they meet, Zuko was mad at her, claiming that she was too soft and that's the reason they lost. After that he didn't took her with him on hunting the Avatar anymore, finding thousands excuses, making Azula very mad. She knows Zuko do that deliberately to mess up her relationship with father, tending to win her and to became the father's favorite child. Azula don't care anymore, her father and family don't care about her, they never were, Azula's own mother hated her and father just use her. Her friends were the one who care about her, but after the story with Y/n being the Avatar she lost them as well. "Azula, I know you're loyal to your father, but he's evil, the firelord caused so much pain and destruction, but we can stop him, together. Please?" Y/n voice interrupts her endless thoughts again, like in old times. " I don't know if I can leave everything behind..." "No one here cares about you more than I do, join us, please." Azula will lie if she'll tell that she wasn't thought about leaving the firenation and join Y/n and her friend, but every time something was holding her back. But right now with the wind that cares softly her hair, she realizes, Azula don't have anything to lose anymore, everything she ever care about is gone and now she has a chance to return at least a piece of herself. "I'll join you Y/n, not avatar Y/n and not your friends, you."

That's how they found out the Ozai's plan about the Sozin Comet, that he wants to use it to destroy the Earth Kingdom. Together they come up with a plan how to defeat the firelord, training and strengthen themselves. Y/n knows that Katara and Azula have some disagreements, but she also knows that they best in their elements, that's why Y/n paired these two together. "Y/n, I don't want to fight alongside with some peasant, I’ll go with you." Y/n notice Katara's angry stare and how she's ready to reply something as well offensive. "You and Katara are the best fighters from our group, you'll go and fight with Zuko and his people and you'll take over the royal palace." Y/n quickly respond trying to avoid a quarrel before the battle. "And I'll became the firelord." Ends for her Azula.

Y/n found her with Katara near the palace stairs, while the waterbender was healing the unmoved body on the ground. That scares Y/n, until she notices Azula stating on other side, having a desperate stare and Y/n is sure, this sight will be tattooed in her brain forever. Y/n runs faster at the girls, fearing to be late, kneeling beside Katara, Y/n see Zuko, with a lighting mark on his chest, which rises slowly. "Is he alright?" Y/n knew that the siblings have a difficult relationship, but she just killed Azula's father, it was enough deaths for her to endure today. "He almost died, but I stabilized him, should be fine." Receiving the answer that she needed, Y/n hurried up to Azula, who sat silently on one of the stairs step. "Did you killed him?" Y/n don't need to ask who's him, she knows. "Yes" Azula slowly nods and stand up, giving Y/n the most bone crashing hugs that she ever received. This surprised Y/n, Azula was never for affection on public, choosing to keep everything private, she's still a princess.

The following weeks was the messed part of Y/n life. It's supposed to be a happy ending, Y/n overcome the firelord, won and end the one hundred war. But still so much destruction and pain that wouldn't heal over a small amount of time. Y/n is at her old house now, deciding to pick some honorable clothes that she left behind trying to save herself. Sitting here, in her old room it's weird now, Y/n grew up, but this walls still holds a part of her old, careless life, Y/n shakes her head as if to escape unpleasant thoughts. Soon enough Azula will be crowned as the new firelord, marking the new era for the firenation and she'll need to figure out a way to improve the world.

The coronation day is today and the spirits may be with them, because they blessed the day with a sunny and warm weather. Y/n takes a quick look at the large window, that revealed a big crowd, divided by clothes colors, she notices as well only one bright yellow spot, Aang, he's the only survivor of the air nomads. Y/n suddenly feels very selfish, she was worried about herself, that's why she decided to stay here, in palace, hiding in the dark halls. Not ones a thought about her friends flied through her mind. Also, Azula asked her to sit next to her, on the outside as the symbol that their nation started the path to the world healing, but Y/n was too afraid to meet the hope that people will put on her. She feels stupid now, she's the avatar and she needs to face the consequences, Y/n hurried herself to the hallway that leads outside, meeting here a certain nervous princess. "Did you changed your mind?" Azula asks with so much hope in her voice, that even if Y/n didn't change her mind prior, she would do it now. "Yes, I figured out that the world need their avatar and I'm willing to give them one." So together they start their walk to the crowd, ready to change the world side by side.

this is very god damn cheesy end, but i didn't wanted to do a sad ending, thank you for all supporting and kind words, I'm so excited to finally finish this, I work a few days, so I hope you enjoyed this!

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ladylunasolis · 4 years

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Zutara Week 2020 - Day 1 “Reunion”

This is my first ever work for Zutara and ATLA - also my first work of any kind in years. Zutara has always been one of my OTPs and the re-watching the show reminded me how much I love the ship. We only had so many episodes to see them together...but this fandom keeps them alive. This is a more Zuko-centric piece, as I really like to wonder about his POV. Please enjoy “Reunion!”

Rating: G

It has been almost two years after the war had ended. There were some things Zuko had a more challenging time with as new Fire Lord. One was weeding out the Ozai loyalists in his councils. Second was smiling so much. He barely got used to that when he was with the rest of the gang. Of course, he didn’t necessarily need to smile but with the right people, it helped. He was initially a bit rusty with economics but with Iroh’s occasional visits and reading recommendations, Zuko made great progress.

Another area for growth was replying to the numerous gifts and letters he received from dignitaries throughout the world. After one round of answering letters took over an hour in a chair (he insisted he reply himself to make things more personal) he realized he was not quite there yet. Zuko tended to think better while pacing so he employed a transcriber.

As many things were challenging, there were many things Zuko did well. Some of these strengths include memorizing the names of his servants and being able to take into consideration the viewpoints of the needy/working class. He was for the people. He was open to hearing input, though did not hesitate to tell someone when their words were disrespectful. Although he was awkward, kids liked to talk to him. He was great at international relations.

And he always, always replied to Katara within 2 days - in his own writing.

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, daughter of Hakoda, waterbending master, ambassador. The girl who saved his life. Not too long after his coronation ceremony she had left to fix the rest of the world, alongside Avatar Aang. In the months that passed her departure, every time he closed his eyes he would see hers. He would see those deep blue eyes peering down at him, the first thing he would see after Azula’s attack. He remembered how they brimmed with tears. He remembered that not even the blue of Azula’s fire or hell, the blue of Azula’s lighting, could compare to the blue of Katara’s eyes.

He had wanted to say it, wanted to ask her if he was crazy to think there was something there because she felt it too right? A few days had passed after the pomp and circumstance of the coronation. She was checking to make sure he was healing well, her glowing hands running over his exposed stomach, making his abs contract.

“So...” Katara started off shyly. She had a blush on her cheeks and a small smile, but did not meet his eye. This was it, Zuko thought. This is the moment!

“I think me and Aang are going to give this a shot. I mean this, like, me and him. Together.” She became very flustered and brought the water back to the bowl, looking to see if any drops had fell though he damn well knew that wasn’t possible. Silence came over the two of them, except for the roaring of Zuko’s heartbeat in his ears.

He was unsure how much time has passed until Katara started to shift and stand up, brushing off invisible lint. “Okay well you’ve healed past anything serious, it’ll just be some pain—.”

“Thank you.” Zuko tied his shirt and stood up as well. He towered over Katara, who was looking down, playing with her hair. Zuko was definitely aware of the pain he would be feeling, now and for a long time coming. But it wasn’t from the agni kai. The next words kind of just came out on their own.

“Are you happy?”

Katara looked up at him with those beautiful blue eyes, with a small smile. She kept eye contact for a moment, which made Zuko wonder if she was searching for something in his own eyes. Then the moment passed. “I am! I really am.”

Zuko felt the urge to say more, but another thought crossed his mind. Who was he to get in the way of her happiness? He saved her life and almost sacrificed his own, sure, but Aang had done just the same. Aang was a good kid. Aang would protect her. Aang is in love with her... With Zuko, he wasn’t even completely sure yet how he felt - he just knew that he wanted her around. But that wasn’t enough to keep her from love. So Zuko cleared his throat and returned the soft smile, placing a hand on Katara’s shoulder.

“I’m really glad.” And he meant it.

He watched her leave a few days later, after hugging both her and Aang, wishing them both safe travels and letting them know they were welcome any time. Zuko could distinctly remember standing on the palace steps long after the air bison had disappeared into the horizon. To distract himself from regrets, he buried himself in work. It was effective about 90% of the time.

Zuko would also still see Mai, and though he felt a familiarity for her it wasn’t the same as what he felt for Katara - whatever that was. He would spend time with Mai when he could, try to get things back to where they were before he left to join the gang, but his mind would wander. To the argument they had on Ember Island “At least I feel something!” Or to brilliant blue. The kisses and touches he shared with Mai paled next to what stirred within him when Katara merely said his name.

Then the letters started arriving.

The letters started a little more than two months after Katara and Aang left. They would come once a month, or two if they were closer. They started off with many “we went to” “we met with” “we did.” After another seven or eight months it was mostly Katara writing about her day and asking about Zuko’s day.

The fruit in the Earth kingdom are great, but I still like the Fire Nation’s better. Especially that one that’s soft and yellow in the middle. I forgot the name. But nothing beats sea prunes! You have to try some next time you come here.

Despite Mai’s lack of expression, Zuko knew she was very perceptive. Try as hard as he could, he wasn’t able to ever give her all of his attention. If he was honest, he would say he was almost desperate to forget Katara but it wasn’t fair to Mai to use her for that. Zuko opened his mouth to say something one day and she put a hand up to stop him.

“I get it. I don’t want to fight about it, but I never want to speak to you again either.” That stung, because in a way she was pretty much his only friend in the nation, but he knew it must have hurt her worse. And so he buried himself completely in work and firebending training.

A year after the war ended and peace had begun, a conference was held at the Fire Nation palace. It was decided the leaders of each nation would come together to encourage international coordination and morale between the nations. Zuko had fought against those Ozai-loyalists daily to combat the ideals that the Fire Nation was the best of all. He had advocated diligently to open their eyes to how the other nations work, to be able to learn from them, and to share the Fire Nation’s ways without having to over their land.

Plus, it would be a good chance to see his friends again.

On the day of the Conference of Peace Zuko awoke even earlier than usual and went through some of his firebending forms. He felt jittery, shaky, alert. But he was excited. Him, Zuko, excited! He was sitting in the conference chamber an hour before the meeting started that day. It had been too long since he had seen Katara. Is she taller? Is her hair done in the same way? Will she still smile when she sees me?

Then the nerves set in. Am I taller? Am I fitting into my royal robes well enough? Wait, are the royal robes too much? I know Katara’s not the type to—. He had to shake his head quickly, before his thoughts ran away with him. “It doesn’t matter anyway, because she’s with Aang. So stupid.”

When Sokka came announced as Water Tribe Ambassador, Zuko had to grit his teeth to curb his initial reaction. Sokka was charming and cheerful as usual. “What’s up, Fire Lord? I’m here reppin’ the Water Tribe!” He wrapped an arm around Zuko’s shoulders and leaned into him.

“H-Hey, Sokka,” Zuko managed. He cleared his throat. “It’s great to see you. Uh where’s Katara?”

“Oh yeah, so right before she was gonna leave I guess almost all of the village got sick with something they haven’t seen before. Katara had been healing for days but it’s something that needs multiple treatments or something. Wait, you didn’t get a letter? Well I guess I got here before the letter since I’ve been traveling closer with Suki.”

At this point they heard the unmistakable groan of an air bison and Aang landed Appa in the square, and from far away they could see his arm up and waving. Everyone will remember that first conference as one where Fire Lord Zuko was informative, but his expression hardly changed the entire time. Some would say he was even a little surly.

Zuko caught up with Sokka and Aang and while it was truly great to see them, he couldn’t help but wonder where Katara’s letter was. As curious as he was about her, he wasn’t going to bombard her brother and her boyfriend for information. Sure enough, he had found her letter at the end of the second day.

I’m so sorry Zuko, my people need me. Even though people are recovering it’s taking multiple rounds of healing for each person and I’m the only one who can heal at this pace. By the time you read this Sokka will probably have told you already. But I just wanted you to know I really did want to see youand everyone.

The last words seemed to be scribbled together, like she had an afterthought to add “and everyone” over where she originally placed a period after “you.” I’m probably just imagining it - the thought flooded Zuko’s mind, but he was able to sit up late and respond.

You’re right, Sokka did get to me first. But don’t worry, your people come first and I’m wishing them all a quick recovery. They have a great healer there after all, Master Katara. Zuko paused, before continuing on. It would have been great to see you, too. Hopefully that will happen some time soon.

After the conference, there were no letters for a month or two. Needless to say, Zuko berated himself. “Scared her off,” he muttered to himself, throwing a towel into a soiled linen basket. He had just finished some training, taking his frustration out on himself. Zuko noted there was a mail delivery and his eyes lit up when he saw the blue water tribe symbol. He opened it eagerly and skimmed through the long letter.

. . . Anyways, I love being home. It’s nice to be with family and wear my furs, though I’ve been growing a bit so I may have to get new ones soon! I’ve been so busy ever since 2 of the kids found out they can waterbend. Being home does sometimes feel different though. I guess it just takes a little getting used to for me to be back here because this is the longest I’ve been home or even 1 place since me and Sokka found Aang. But since Aang and I broke up, I just decided to stay here for a bit. We’re still friends, probably better friends than girlfriend-boyfriend, but thought that the space would be good.

Zuko stopped. “Since Aang and I broke up…” A fire lit within him. He read it over again in disbelief. This was his chance! Finally! He was going to-! Zuko shook himself, and ran a hand over his face, eyes skimming the letter over. “No. Come on, Zuko, she probably doesn’t want to be jumped on after a break up. They were together a while. How long have they been broken up for anyway?”

After some thought, and calming exercises, he picked up a quill. Zuko wrote out the general greetings and response to the daily activities she had in her letter. He hesitated and continued on.

I’m sorry to hear about you and Aang but that’s great you two are still friends. As you know, it doesn’t always end up that way. I’m sure you two will continue working on making the world a better place.

Zuko grimaced as he read his letter over. Before he could change his mind, he rolled the scroll up and went to the aviary.

The letters were different from then on.

I was really missing the turtleducks today! I wonder if those babies are all grown up now! Remember when you first showed them to me? We had so much fun.

The sunsets here are great, but sometimes I think about the sunsets in the Fire Nation. They’re completely opposite but still just as beautiful.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing all that I can to help people, or if I should be doing more. I’m doing great work here I know but I’m thinking about traveling again, learning more and bringing that knowledge back home.

Zuko would reply. He started to confide in her his fears and insecurities, in response to her becoming vulnerable with him too.

Those turtleduck babies have gotten bigger, but there are always more born every year. It would be nice to have a picnic by the pond to introduce you to them.

Next time you’re here, you have to see a sunset from my favorite spot. I’ll take you. And you’re right, opposites can both be equally great. Before I got to know you, I never knew water could be so strong and beautiful.

I know how you feel. Even though I’m seeing changes it can feel like I’m still fighting a battle. Sometimes I just get tired, but I just have to keep going. Sometimes broadening our horizons are the best ways to help our people.

The second Conference of Peace was approaching in another two months’ time. Of course, Zuko had invited Katara to be Water Tribe Ambassador once more and he waited with bated breath for her answer.

Zuko, of course I’ll be there! I can’t miss it two years in a row. I actually wanted to let you know, I was thinking of spending time there before the conference. I’m in the Earth Kingdom right now. I traveled here since my last letter, thanks to your encouragement! Since we’ve been talking about the Fire Nation and things I haven’t seen yet, I thought it would be a good chance to do a little bit of that before we have to all talk business. But if it’s not a good idea, or if you’re too busy, I understand.

Zuko, who had been working on the speed of his replies, replied and sent right after he read her letter.

Of course you’re welcome to come. I would love to have you here.

Weeks later, Fire Lord Zuko stood on the docks, staring out to sea. Many citizens were quick to recognize him and Zuko gave each of them a nod of his head or a wave. He knew this was a little odd, but he didn’t care. He was finally going to see Katara again. They had so little time together in person before she had to depart so he didn’t really know what to call his feelings then. All he knew was he cared enough about her to give his life. That had not changed with Zuko, but he now knew what he feels for her now.

He saw Katara on deck, leaning on the railing, before she saw him. Her chestnut hair was partially up, hair loops still in tact. She was wearing a new blue outfit that matched the tan of her skin. And her smile when she saw him was brighter than the sun. He noticed the way she flicked her wrist, and the sudden wave that brought the ship closer even quicker.

She made her way down the dock and Zuko had to remind himself he is the damn Fire Lord, look noble! But he sure as hell still felt like a teenager despite his age making him an official adult now. He wanted to run and hug her but was able to control himself enough to take a few steps towards the smiling waterbender.

“Hi Zuko,” Katara said, and her voice was a song to his ears. Better than any song he ever heard on music night, by far. She smiled up at him, because even though she had grown a little he had grown a lot. “It’s been too long.”

And then he looked into those eyes, just as blue and expressive as he remembered them. They had haunted him in the most tormenting way but now that his eyes were meeting her’s again, all the pain was worth it.

“You’re right, Katara. It has been.” And Zuko smiled, the emotions reaching his golden eyes. His smile was a promise - a promise to show her everything she wanted to see, and that he wasn’t going to take this chance for granted. Not ever again.

Thank you for reading!

#zutara #zutara week #zutara week 2020 #atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #avatar: the last airbender #writing #reunion

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themoonandhersun · 3 years

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i’m thinking

about

zuko living, poor, in the fire nation colonies, being raised by herbalist healer ursa and her family, never knowing he’s royalty—until ursa dies while giving birth to azula, and ozai comes to his home after he’s firelord, because he needs heirs if he’s gonna be the firelord and zuko is his son. zuko refuses to leave without azula and ozai agrees because he doesn’t care that much as long as zuko comes. (also he forbids zuko from talking to ursa’s family, because he would. he’s an asshole like that.)

he’s ten when ursa dies from childbirth, and he’s twelve when he’s banished for being compassionate like he taught to be by ursa. he takes azula with him and ozai doesn’t protest (azula is two when zuko is banished, so ozai doesn’t even know that she’s a firebender). ozai thinks he can just get another heir just like that, so he doesn’t really care (because he’s a bastard and i hate him) but the fire sages urge him to act differently (he doesn’t).

(ozai only got zuko because the fire sages were pressuring him to get married and have a heir. he got annoyed and was like, “you want a heir? i’ll go get him.” basically he did it because he wanted to get the fire sages off his back. he didn’t genuinely want zuko or azula.)

when zuko’s uncle iroh joins him and azula, zuko isn’t sure what to say. he doesn’t know uncle iroh that well in this au, and he thinks that maybe—maybe uncle iroh is like ozai. but then uncle iroh talks about tea very passionately... and zuko is like: okay, yeah—he isn’t like ozai at all.

in this au—zuko doesn’t care about his father or what he thinks as much. because he only spent, what? two years with him, max. besides—he has azula to think of. (but the fact that ozai burned him will stick with him, like it does in canon.) he wants to be a good big brother to her. sure, uncle iroh helps him with azula a lot, but zuko is the main caretaker because he wants to be. at twelve, he is all two year old azula knows, and he wants to stay with her. he plans to tell azula all about ursa and the things she taught him.

since he was raised in the colonies and was poor, ursa’s family could not afford to get zuko a firebending master. but when he got to the palace, he struggled with the anger and aggression that firebending supposedly required. this obviously made ozai very upset and it would make zuko feel bad—because he’s a kid and he always thought that, if he ever had a dad, that he would be nice. ozai is not nice.

uncle iroh is patient, though. he teaches zuko the right way to firebend—fire is life—and while zuko still struggled with it, knowing that fire is life helps him a lot. over the years, he progresses well, and is a pretty good, versatile firebender because iroh taught him to draw wisdom from different places. zuko still gets taught how to be a sword fighter from piando, because he thinks it’s cool... and he’s naturally good at being stealthy and is graceful with his feet, so he definitely likes it a lot (yes, he’s still the blue spirit in this au).

(yes, iroh teaches him the truth about the fire nation in this au. the education in the colonies was full of propaganda, but wasn’t that good.)

azula is a firebender too, obviously, and also learns that fire is life. she is a natural at firebending, and has a happy life with zuko and iroh on the ship. she gets along with the ship’s crew pretty well and is smart and quick witted like she is in canon.

i can imagine that the three of them will often take trips together (iroh insists that it’s good to experience the world, and the fire siblings are always up for an adventure). they’re at the fortune teller’s village (aunt wu is a part of the white lotus, i just know it) the same time the gaang is. they’re all dressed in earth kindgom clothes because it’s just what they prefer. well iroh prefers fire nation clothes but he can’t really wear it on earth kingdom grounds. he warns the fire nation siblings to never firebend in the earth kingdom. they listen because zuko had to save iroh like getting his hands crushed like in canon.

azula runs off the first chance she gets, and who does she bump into?

yep—katara.

zuko is sixteen and is frantic and worrying, and iroh went off to see the fortune teller, so he’s searching for azula alone. he hears azula yell, “there’s my brother! come meet him, katara!” and he turns around, seeing azula lead a girl around his age to him. and he sees katara and immediately apologizes about azula.

azula gets a gentle, yet stern scolding from zuko and katara is thinking: “oh, so he’s cute, earth kingdom, tall, and cares about his family a lot? interesting...but is he a bender?” she just got her fortune told, by the way.

then, later on, the volcano starts to erupt and zuko knows he has to help, even if it means exposing his firebending in an earth kingdom village. he makes azula stay with iroh while the villagers evacuates, and joins katara, aang, and sokka on appa. he uses heat redirection (like sozin did with that one volcano, but we don’t talk about sozin because he’s the worst person ever).

(also aang still makes that airbending move he did in the show.)

katara definitely thinks about sokka calling both zuko and aang powerful benders.

buuuuttt... katara would be salty with zuko after he reveals himself to be a firebender with his heat redirection. “you told me you were an earthbender!” she would huff while they all fly down back to the village on appa.

(i highly doubt any of the villagers would have seen zuko use heat redirection. they were all too far away—so that’s why they don’t want zuko’s hands to be crushed.)

...then, when they land, zuko points out that she asked if he was a bender, he never said what kind, and that she just assumed he was an earth bender.

she gets more salty with him even though he’s right. sokka is cackling and is like, “yeah, i’m sure we will get along just fine, zucchini.”

katara corrects him before zuko does. “his name is zuko—and he won’t be traveling with us. he has a sister to take care of.”

“and an uncle,” zuko adds. then he realizes he has no idea where they are—he can’t see them in the village—so he frowns and says he has to go find his family.

katara, sokka, and aang all say goodbye to him and they part ways.

and they all meet again. a lot.

because of course they do.

(katara gets captured by the pirates because she still decides to steal the waterbending scroll, and zuko and his uncle come to help her. iroh says a weird proverb about destiny, and zuko just smiles at her warmly, and says, “don’t worry—we’ll save you from the pirates, katara.” aang and sokka come and fight the pirates, too. azula is cheering for them in the background, and is eating fireflakes while everyone fight the pirates.)

plus katara and zuko always use the ‘funny seeing you here’ joke with each other, and laugh at it each time they cross each other’s paths. everyone else is tired of them, even lil azula is like, “please shut up zuzu.” while iroh? iroh ships zutara. you know he would.

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autistic-stedebonnet · 3 years

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“I would not think to touch the sky with two arms” -Sappho

@yuekiweek day 3: goodbyes / reunions | bodyguards

Summary: The damage to Kyoshi Island was more than it was in canon. Many of the citizens fled to different corners of the Earth Kingdom while it was being repaired. Suki left with the gaang for the North Pole, certain that she was leaving the Kyoshi warriors in good hands. They’ve arrived at the North Pole and Suki’s fallen head over heels for the princess, but she might have to say goodbye sooner than expected.

I’ve lengthened the time the gaang was in the north pole to make Suki and Yue’s relationship a bit more realistic

---

“I can’t believe how many waterbenders live up here.”

Suki nodded at Katara despite being too distracted to have heard what she said. The waterbending display was like nothing she’d ever seen before. She sat beside Sokka, staring up at the walls of ice in awe. She was vaguely aware of Aang saying something about finding a master for him and Katara -which of course, that was the whole reason they were here- but couldn’t find it in her to acknowledge him. “It’s incredible,” She breathed.

Appa continued to be guided through the canals, revealing dozens of more intricately built ice structures. Everything was made of ice, it was fascinating! “How do they even do that!” She cried, turning to Sokka in astonishment.

“Waterbending,” Katara responded, her voice just as full of wonder as Suki’s.

They passed a large fountain and came upon a sleek, wonderfully decorated canoe. Sitting at the front was a young girl, probably about her age and utterly stunning. She had hair white as snow that shone like silver and a smile that twinkled like starlight. Suki leaned over the edge of Appa’s saddle, smiling dopily, already planning out her future with said girl.

“Hey Suki, what’re you looking at?”

Suki slapped a hand over Sokka’s mouth. “Shut up,” she hissed over Sokka’s snickering.

“Oooh someone’s got a crush,” Sokka teased nudging Suki in the ribs. He seemed to have gotten over their agreement not to go into a relationship quickly.

“I do not- I don’t even know her!”

Sokka shrugged. “She is pretty.”

“I know!”

---

Dinner was… odd to say the least. Suki assumed this was routine for the Northern Water tribe, but everything was so sophisticated, it was a little uncomfortable. In spite of Aang’s complaining about the sea prunes, however, the food was wonderful, but Suki had never been terribly picky. And apparently, the gorgeous girl from earlier was the princess! So much for a future together. She resisted smiling at Yue when it was announced that she was “of marrying age.”

Yue walked with grace over to their table, almost as if she was gliding, and sat down beside Suki, who definitely didn’t choke on her food for a moment.

“Hi! I’m Suki!” She chirped, a bit overly cheerful.

Yue turned to her and smiled politely. “It’s very nice to meet you, Suki,” she replied. “Where are you from?”

“Oh uh, Kyoshi Island,” Suki answered.

“Really?”

“Yea, I… I’m the leader of the Kyoshi warriors but we had to go our separate ways for a bit after our village got kind of… burnt down.”

“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” Yue rested her hand on Suki’s in a gesture of comfort, causing Suki to flush bright red. Sokka giggled beside them, and Suki vowed to murder him for that later.

“No need to apologize, it’s not your fault.” Suki smiled warmly, allowing a beat of silence to pass before she dove in. “Hey, uh, would you maybe want to do something together later?”

Yue’s eyes widened briefly and she grinned, her cheeks gleaming a slight pink. “Yes, of course, that would be lovely.”

Suki didn’t notice the way Yue’s face contorted anxiously when she turned away. ---

The air was frigid as Suki trudged to the bridge Yue had told her to meet on. She pulled her coat tighter around herself, her teeth chattering against the frosty atmosphere. The sun had set a couple hours ago, and stars were twinkling in the sky but from what Suki knew, there were so many more stars yet to appear. The moon was about nearly full and provided a cool, dim light to guide her to her destination.

Suki could see Yue’s figure in the distance, hunched over the edge of the bridge, her face turned to the sky with a wistful expression. The moonlight brushed her face and brought out highlights in her eyes and hair, which were both a fascinating color that reminded Suki of the moon itself. Taking a deep breath, Suki made her way over to Yue and raised her hand in a small wave.

“Yue, hi,” she whispered. She didn’t feel like it was right to talk at a normal volume and disturb the night still.

Yue plastered on a smile, and waved back. “Hello,” She replied; but her usually silvery soft voice was strained, anxious.

Suki joined her at the middle of the bridge, trying to push down the doubts that had begun to churn in her stomach. Yue was probably just nervous, that was all. “The moon is beautiful tonight,” Suki said, turning to imitate Yue’s position, gazing up at the dark sky.

“I-” Yue dropped her head, focusing on her hands gripping the icy bridge. “It is.”

“Are you alright?” Suki asked. She brought a hesitant hand to Yue’s shoulder and commended herself when Yue relaxed beneath her grip.

“Yes, I am, I’m sorry.” Yue took Suki’s hands in her own and Suki’s breath hitched slightly.

“You… you look lovely,” Suki said bravely.

Yue turned a handsome crimson and giggled awkwardly. “Oh, thank you! You, um, you do as well.” She bit her lip timidly, shifting her gaze to their interwoven hands. Yue pecked Suki on the cheek swiftly, pulling away with her face glowing redder than before.

Suki closed her mouth that had been gaping open and shook herself from her reverie. “Um. I-” She squeezed Yue’s hand and smiled. “Walk with me?”

1 month later

“Yue what are you doing?!” Suki grabbed Yue’s wrist and pulled her away from the pond, her heart beating out of her chest and her lip quivering anxiously

. Yue smiled mournfully. “It’s my duty,” she said, her tone calm, resigned to the fate that Suki could never accept, the fate that was bound to rupture what Suki had come to know as normal all too fast. It had only been a month, but Suki couldn’t imagine a life without Yue in it.

“No!” Tears were streaming down Suki’s face now. “No it’s- there has to be another way… I can’t-” Her voice cracked as Yue brought her into a gentle embrace. Suki’s arms fell limp at her side, she wanted to wrap them around Yue, but it was like she’d been paralyzed. Everything ached. “I can’t lose you,” she choked, her voice wavering.

Yue pulled back and caressed Suki’s cheek. “This is what I was born to do, Suki, it’s fate.”

“No…” Suki whimpered. “No, you can’t just-” Her voice was cut off by a lump rising in her throat. It felt as if her entire world was caving in, like her chest was being ripped in two. “I can’t just stand here and… Yue please.” She held Yue’s hand in her own, trembling. “Please, I…” Suki felt cold when Yue’s hand left her. She craved the warmth, to protect Yue.

“Suki, this is the only way.”

“No, there- there has to be another way! This can’t be goodbye.” A sob ripped through her chest and Suki clambered to clutch Yue. She held her flush to herself, tears soaking the fabric on Yue’s shoulder. She cried until she could hardly breathe, her fingers digging into Yue’s shoulders as if that would somehow keep her there forever.

It was like a shadow hung over them, closing in, baring it’s teeth, until Yue pulled away, her cheeks wet with tears. Her hands lingered on Suki’s shoulders and she pressed their foreheads together, their breath mingling. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

Suki watched hopelessly as Yue laid her palms on the injured fish. She tried to reach out but felt pinned to the ground. Then Yue fell. Sokka and Katara gasped and Suki dove forward, catching Yue in her arms. “No, no, no. Yue, please.” Her entire body was burning, crumbling to ash, but she was numb. The shadow held Yue in it’s grasp, and Suki couldn’t save her. Suki couldn’t save her. “This is all my fault,” she weeped, holding Yue’s lifeless body like it was the last thing on Earth, and for a moment that’s how it felt.

“No it’s not.” Sokka knelt beside her and grabbed her hand. “There’s nothing you could do.” He brushed Yue’s hair from her face and squeezed Suki’s hand reassuringly. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Suki nodded and when Yue’s body faded from her grasp, she didn’t cry out. She crawled over to the edge of the pond and watched the fish glowing fish light up the entire pond. Yue rose from the water, her hair and clothing billowing about her, her body almost transparent. Suki gasped as Yue brushed her cheek. “Good-bye Suki,” she said, her voice echoing.

“Yue…”

“I love you,” Yue whispered; and Suki felt that she was the only one to hear it.

Their last kiss was warm and mournful and over too soon.

Suki dug her palms into the grass and bit back tears. “I love you too, Yue. I am so, so sorry.” It was said to emptiness, and Suki wondered if Yue even heard her. There was a pit in her stomach and she felt as if she’d lost a part of herself. “I’m so sorry.”

#yuekiweek #yueki week #yueki #yueki fic #yue #suki #yue x suki #atla #atla fic #avatar the last airbender #avatar #sokka #katara #aang #princess yue #willow writes

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caelum-in-the-avatarverse · 4 years

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Written for Kataang Week 2020. Prompt - Heritage/Responsibilities.

The morning after escaping the pirates, Katara studies the waterbending scroll, and Aang considers loss.

~~~

My Kataang Week entries are turning out to be a sort of Fluff-Angst-Fluff-Angst sandwich. Don't worry, tomorrow's fluff again!

Title shamelessly taken from Things We Lost In The Fire, which is a great song for anything victimized-by-the-Fire-Nation related. Is that song old enough that filching lyrics from it for titles could be considered Fandom Retro by now? I never got to go at it the first time around so I don't care either way lol.

Warnings for talk of genocide.

Enjoy!

~~~

Katara tucked the waterbending scroll away in one of the saddlebags and didn’t touch it again for the rest of the day. Aang had Appa fly as fast and as far as he could, heading northeast, away from the sea and further inland where hopefully neither the Fire Prince nor the pirates would be able to follow them. In the evening they camped beside a small river that was too shallow for a boat to navigate, feeling secure in their escape.

The next morning, Aang woke to find Katara carefully shifting her weight through the stances of the single whip, a stream of water floating beside her hands. The riverbank was a carpet of brown stones and pebbles that crunched under her feet with every movement, and the moon above her was a waning gibbous, hanging over the hills in the gray morning sky.

“Good morning,” Aang said, floating to Katara’s side. He approached carefully - yesterday her water whips had been all over the place, and she was still learning.

“Morning,” she said, her eyes darting to the waterbending scroll she’d left open on a log. It wasn’t a very good angle for glancing at. Aang picked it up and helpfully held it up. “Thanks.” She shifted into the next stance, the water following.

Aang watched her make the next few moves before asking, “How does it feel?”

“Like I have no idea what I’m doing,” she admitted, fumbling as she tried to figure out how to move her arms from one position to the next. The result wasn’t very graceful.

“That’s normal when you’re learning,” Aang said, cheerful. “You’ve just got to build up the muscle memory. Once you’re used to the movements, they’ll come easily.” He watched her nearly trip over her own feet, and said, “It’s okay, Katara.”

“It’s not okay,” she blurted, and the water spasmed in mid-air.

Aang’s smile faltered.

“It’s just - I should already know this,” she said, looking at her water. “But I don’t. These moves are - they don’t look super advanced, and I’m still having problems with them. It feels like I’m missing things. Warm-up stretches, katas, beginner exercises - but I don’t know this stuff.”

Aang gave her a sympathetic look. “Katara, it’s not your fault no one was around to teach you.”

“I know it’s not,” she said. “It’s the Fire Nation’s.”

Katara and Sokka didn’t talk much about the specifics of what had happened to the Southern Water Tribe in the last hundred years. Aang remembered the place as it used to be - dozens of distinct tribes with their own territories and cultures that tended to move with the seasons. They’d also had some permanent villages, trading posts, and one large town clustered around a main harbor where all the tribes could gather and the rest of the world would dock and do business. Generally speaking though, the Southern Water Tribes had always been rather nomadic.

But the tiny village Aang had seen wasn’t the summertime hunting camp of nomads, only meant to house a few dozen people between hunts. It’d been the last refuge of a society stretched too thin.

“Aang,” Katara said softly, “when I got angry, and...selfish...over the scroll…”

“It’s okay, Katara,” Aang said. “You’ve already apologized.”

“Right, but - that’s not what I’m getting at.” She fiddled with the water between her arms. “I was upset because everything came so easily to you, but I’m the last Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe and I just...couldn’t get it. I couldn’t get my element to work with me. And I have to learn this, I’ve wanted to learn this my entire life. Not just for me, but for my family, my tribe…”

She trailed off. Aang gave her an encouraging look. “You know,” he said, “for someone who never had a teacher, or even seen waterbending that wasn’t yours in action...you did manage to figure out a lot on your own. Learning bending moves isn’t even easy when you have a teacher - but you did it without one!”

She smiled weakly. “Thanks.” She idly moved her hands away from each other and back in, stretching out the water between them.

“It’s a shame I didn’t learn waterbending before I got frozen in that iceberg,” Aang mused. “Then I could teach you!”

Katara shrugged. “It’s okay,” she said. “I can manage.” She stretched the water out again and peered at the scroll in Aang’s hands, which he held up obligingly. “I just...kind of wish this was a Southern Tribe scroll, instead of a Northern one.”

Aang blinked. “Uh...why?”

“They took our Waterbenders away,” Katara said. “All of them. That part of our culture, our way of life...it’s gone.”

“We’ll find you a teacher, Katara.”

“We will,” she agreed. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we got this scroll. And I’m going to work really, really hard to catch up on everything I’ve missed when we find a teacher. But...Gran Gran told me once that Southern style waterbending is different from Northern style. She couldn’t explain how, but she knew Waterbenders so it must be true, and...there’s no one who could teach me the Southern way. It’s...gone.” She gestured at the scroll. “This, and everything we’ll learn from a teacher - it’ll all be Northern-style waterbending.”

“...Oh,” Aang said softly, and he suddenly had to sit down on the log, the scroll going limp in his hands.

“Aang?”

“We had four Air Temples,” he said. He had to get the thought out quick, before it overwhelmed him. There were so many things about his people’s deaths that he was still coming to terms with - either because he didn’t want to think about it, or because he hadn’t had the realization yet. This was one of those realizations. “North, South, East, and West. We were all the same people, and we moved around a lot, but they were all...different.”

The nuns at the Western Air Temple had perfected the trick of walking upside down on the ceiling and had always laughed at anyone who tried and failed to mimic them. The Northern Air Temple had been home to many sky bison polo champions who’d known all sorts of athletic tricks. The Eastern Air Temple had been renowned for weaving the softest clothing and blankets from bison fur. The Southern Air Temple had grown a hybrid of apple that could turn such a dark purple it was almost black.

Aang didn’t know how to do any of that stuff. He was an airbending master, but he didn’t know everything. And now he never would.

You couldn’t fit the entirety of a culture into a single person.

He was distantly aware of water splashing to the ground, and then Katara was sitting beside him, blue eyes wide with shared grief. She pulled him in for a hug, clutching him tightly, one lost culture to another. “I’m so sorry, Aang.”

Aang thought of the traditional choreographed sky dances his people would perform at festivals, all careful drops and fancy spins and steps he’d never thought to learn because he’d always thought there’d be time later, and choked out, “Me too.”

~~~

Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated. <3

I always feel for Katara in The Waterbending Scroll. The girl has a very powerful gift that is an extremely important part of her, but she doesn't know how to use it and she's desperate enough to figure it out that she steals from some very dangerous people. And she gets upstaged by a younger kid who's never consciously waterbended before, after a lifetime of dealing with the fact that she is her tribe's only connection to this lost piece of themselves, and being belittled for her efforts to learn it. She was pretty mean, but I can see where the frustration was coming from.

And I always feel for Aang literally all the time because good god that boy truly did lose everything. There are so many Air Nomad things that will never be brought back, or at the very least will never be the same. Food, art, music, stories, knowledge...so much a twelve-year-old wouldn't know. :(

Black apples are a thing! Black Diamond apples are only grown in Nyingchi, Tibet, where the high UV light and cooler night temperatures turn the apple skins a very dark purple, nearly black. The apples are a variety of huaniu apple, which is a hybrid made from ten OTHER varieties of apples. They're extremely rare and are only found in high-end Chinese grocery stores, usually in gift baskets. There are also black apples grown in the US, the Arkansas Black, but they aren't as dark as the Black Diamonds. They also need to spend a few months in storage before they're ready to eat, so all the time and work needed before you can sell them means lots of farmers don't bother with them.

#kataang week #atla fanfic #avatar fanfiction #aang #katara #caelum writes

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carnistcervine · 5 years

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Air Nomad Conquest AU

AU where the Air Nomads take over the world. I know that, it's been done a few times, but every time I see it, the Air Nomads are violent and cruel, and I just??? I mean, nothing against other people's AUs and interpretations, but the Air Nomads are literally the only pacifistic nation in the show and I still have yet to see an AU that takes advantage of this. Especially because brainwashing and chi/energy manipulation are canon. But, I guess I gotta make it then. :'D Because they are non-violent, they'd probably see themselves as justified and pure, bringing their fucked up version of peace to the world. :'D

-The elders at the Air Temples start to receive troubling visions of doom and fire. As a result they tell Aang he's the Avatar soon after he turns twelve and receives his tattoos. Just like in canon, he doesn't take the news well and runs away when they threaten to ship him away.

-However, this time, they had a back-up plan. They manage to piece together that the Fire Nation is planning to use the great comet to annihilate them. So, armed with this knowledge, they set up an ambush of their own.

-When the comet arrives, the firebenders are surprised to find the temples abandoned? They assume that the airbenders must be hiding deeper in, so they go, only to find the air becoming progressively thinner. They realize their mistake too late, as they become too weak to move let alone firebend. The comet passes over, with the fire army only having enough air to survive, the calm, watchful eyes of air masters watching from the tall ceilings above.

-The eradication of their Air Nomads was a massive failure. The Fire Nation fears the worst as months go by with no word from the generals and soldiers that went to assault the temples.

-Only, much to their surprise, they return, on the backs of sky bison too. Everyone sent to eradicate the airbenders comes back unharmed. Or so it seems.

-Physically their all fine, but they seem... detached. Their eyes a little glazed over, with a mysteriously calmer disposition to match.

-The Air Nomads are a peaceful people, all pacifists with no military. And yet all of Sozin's best generals and firebenders were no match for them. For whatever the airbenders did to them.

-When asked, they merely reply that the monks showed them the ways of peace and harmony.

-Rather than retaliate, the Air Nomads claim that they just want to speak with Sozin. Maybe come to some kind of peaceful agreement. Sozin doesn't want to, but with the airbenders decisive victory when the firebenders were at their strongest, he has no choice but to relent.

-Sozin comes back from that talk, a changed man. Suddenly the Fire Nation is demilitarized and there's an Air Nomad overseeing the Fire Nation.

-Most of the Fire Nation is just happy that they can live in peace again, but a very vocal minority is PISSED.

-They manage to burn a few airbenders before "mysteriously" changing their attitudes.

-Now the Fire Nation is scared. Just what on earth are the airbenders doing to these people??

-Basically the Air Nomads are brainwashing them. Painting smiles on their souls if you will.

-Seeing the Fire Nation weakened and demilitarized, the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom decide to exact vengeance on the Fire Nation.

-The airbenders attempt to dissuade the other nations from attacking, but they won't listen.

-Fearing that the other nations may be just as vicious as the Fire Nation, the Air Nomads decide to implement the same solution they did with the firebenders.

-If they won't listen to reason, they'll force them to understand.

-All life is sacred after all. (ʘ‿ʘ✿)

-None of the nations have militaries now, and the Air Nomads have more-or-less concored the world, seeing as they either control or have people set up in powerful positions for all of the major governments.

-With the exception of Ba Sing Se, Kyoshi Island, and the Northern Water Tribe, but they all have a mutual agreement of non-aggression and isolationism.

-The different nations become further isolated from one another.

-The Air Nomads develop their own version of the Dai Li, they call themselves the 'Peacekeepers'. Their job is to uphold peace around the world. By overseeing the different nations and their peoples. And brainwashing dissenters. :'D

-A century later, Aang is freed from the iceberg.

-At first Sokka doesn't trust the strange airbender that Katara freed from the ice, but comes around when the boy shows genuine confusion about the whole 'Peacekeepers in the south'.

-Katara trusts Aang immediately, because he really doesn't come across as creepy or 'Peacekeepery' in any way.

-Naturally, Aang is very confused and doesn't at all understand what the siblings are going on about.

-When Katara takes Aang back to her village, he can't help but get major creep vibes from the local 'Peacekeepers'.

-Since the Fire Nation never stripped the Southern Tribes, Katara has already mastered waterbending. Although, she does feel an intense pressure to run away because both her parents have already been brainwashed and she is afraid that she's going to be next. As much as it hurts Sokka to abandon his dad, he shares the sentiment.

-Aang helps them escape in the dead of night.

-Toph's backstory is mostly the same, only she now also has the pressure of her parents considering having on of the Peacekeepers come "talk" to her.

-Because the Fire Nation never lays siege to Ba Sing Se, Lu Ten is alive and Iroh is Fire Lord. Azulon is still alive, but he's Mcfreakin' ancient and has recently retired as Fire Lord. Iroh isn't brainwashed, but that's only because he's already pretty chill and easy going. Iroh's brother, Prince Ozai, is the leader of a secret rebellion that looks to overthrow the airbenders(and finish the job Sozin set out to do). Ozai's son, Prince Zuko once snuck into one of the meetings. When someone talked about how the airbenders had no right to enforce their will upon the Fire Nation, Zuko spoke out about how the Fire Nation started the mess and that the Air Nomads may have been wrong in their actions, but they did have a point about not forcing violence upon others.

-This royally pissed Ozai off and Zuko was challenged to an Agni Kai. Forgetting that this Agni Kai would be done under Ozai's secret society rules, and not under the watchful eyes of the Peacekeepers, Zuko accepted. Zuko realized his mistake far too late and refused to duel, begging his father for mercy. His face was singed in front of a cheering audience. All at the tender age of thirteen.

-Both the Peacekeepers and Fire Lord Iroh were horrified to find Zuko badly burned. They tried to get answers out of him, but Ozai had Zuko convinced that if he told, he would get into trouble. So Zuko insisted that it was a nasty accident, his own fault really(it's not actually his fault). And really, Zuko did honestly believe that his father burning him was his own fault.

-Azula taunted and bullied Zuko in secret.

-Zuko eventually withdrew and become bitter and grumpy. Feeling like no one can protect him, he eventually runs away after turning sixteen. Resolving to find the Avatar and put a stop to this whole mess.

-Aang doesn't want to believe that his people are bad, and desperately clings onto the idea that there's something that everyone is missing. However, in his travels he finds that what his people are doing is totally and utterly wrong. Yes, peace is a good thing, but they have no right to enforce their will onto others. This leaves Aang to confront the idea of his own people, the people he loves, are the bad guys.

-Also, one more thing. His friends have no idea that he's the Avatar. :')

Gonna have fun writing this, lmao.

If I can ever get around to it. rip

#ATLA AU #ATLA #Avatar #avatar: the last airbender #someone stop me I'm having fun #My Take

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kristallioness · 6 years

Text

Playing healer with daddy

Summary: Kya practises her healing skills on Aang.

Word count: 3,002

Author's note: Indulgent.. this was very self-indulgent. And I enjoyed writing the whole thing cause it was fun and reminded me of how I used to play doctor with my parents (or stuffed toys). Aang and Kya need some more love, and I've written about her playing healer with Katara several times before, so.. It's her daddy's turn this time. There's a reference to one of my old fics called "Healing herself" near the end.

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"Closer, daddy.. a bit more.. got it!" Kya declared happily before Aang put her down. He'd let her climb up on his shoulders so the little waterbender could reach for her mother's hat on the top shelf of the cabinet. He helped her tie the mauve strings together under her chin.

"Now go to my room and wait for me to come in," Kya said, pointing a finger towards the doorway leading outside of the healing hut.

"As you say, my little healer."

Aang patted her head before he formed an air scooter, hopped on and rode it into the corridor and made his way to his daughter's room like she'd ordered. The air ball gradually dissipated as he lowered himself to the floor. Sitting down on the rug in the lotus position, the airbender waited for his baby girl to catch up with him. She arrived less than a minute later, proudly strolling into her "office".

"Good morning, daddy! I'm your healer, Kya of the Southern Water Tribe," she greeted him with a bow, utterly in character. Aang returned the bow, releasing a short chuckle when he saw how the healer's hat fell forward and Kya had to straighten it for a second.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked once she was finished, putting her own healer's bag down on the carpet, right next to him.

"I'm feeling pretty good, thanks for asking."

"Does it hurt anywhere?" the little waterbender wondered as she stepped beside him and placed her hands on his arm, softly rubbing it to comfort her patient so he wouldn't be scared. Exactly the way Aang did for her when she was afraid of a procedure her mommy had to perform, such as getting a shot.

"Nope," the airbender answered with a shake of his head.

"Okay then! I'm just gonna do a quick checkup," she said with a smile. Kya knelt down on the carpet and began rummaging through her bag. It was a smaller version of her mother's, made especially for her and sewn together by Katara herself. The little waterbender had stuffed it with some of her toys as well as real medical instruments she'd borrowed from the healing hut.

"What are you gonna do to me first, healer Kya?" Aang wondered out loud while he waited for her to choose an item. She found a real thermometer and picked it up.

"First, I'll take your temperature," she explained as she stood up. Aang gave her a lift so she could reach her hand down his collar and below his robes. She placed the thermometer under his right arm.

"Got it?" Aang asked and checked whether it was in place.

"I think so.. Now hold it tight for a few minutes while I.." she trailed off as he released his hold, letting her hop off his other arm and walk over to her bag again. Her mother's otoscope was peeking out from the leather material.

"..look into your ears!" Kya finished her train of thought as she picked it up and scampered to her father's side. Aang leaned forward and slightly tilted his head the other way, allowing her to gently pull his left ear back a little before inserting the medical instrument. She repeated the same procedure with his right ear.

"Hmm.. everything looks okay," Kya said contentedly. She dropped the otoscope back inside her bag and dug out a wooden stick instead. She stepped in front of Aang, supporting a hand against his chest to reach up.

"Stick out your tongue and say 'Aahh'!"

"Aahh!" he mimicked, which made his daughter giggle, and let her look into his mouth as well.

"Your throat looks fine," she concluded a few seconds later. The little waterbender put the tongue depressor away and walked back over to him.

"Let me take a look at your temperature," she asked nicely, holding her hands out. She waited until Aang removed the thermometer, gave it a look himself and then handed it to her.

"36.6 degrees. That's completely normal. You don't have a fever at all, daddy," Kya praised, her hand running up and down his arm a few times.

"That's great news, my little healer," Aang said, stroking her back to return the gesture.

"What's next?"

Kya glanced at her healer's bag, holding a finger against her pouty lips. She thought for a moment, then remembered what she'd brought along.

"Oh! Sit on the bed!" Kya declared with excitement, practically bouncing on the spot. Aang stood up and took a seat on the edge of her bed, watching how she delicately put the thermometer back inside the bag and searched for something else. She ran over to him, a rubber hammer in her hands.

"I'm gonna check your reflexes."

Kya began tapping his right knee, doing so three times until Aang played along and kicked his leg up a bit, as if she'd hit a nerve. She tapped his left knee twice before he did it again. She started giggling when he let her continue even after the first hit, eventually giving in and kicking his left leg up a second time.

"Reflexes are fine!" Kya said through her laughter as she scampered back and knelt down on the carpet, putting the rubber hammer away.

"Daddy, how tall are you?" the little waterbender asked, glancing back at him.

"Pretty tall. I think the last time mommy measured me I was definitely something over 6 feet. 6 feet and.. 3 or 4 inches, maybe?" Aang tried to recall as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, let's find out!"

Kya skipped over to him and offered her right hand.

"Come with me!"

She let her father grab it with his own to escort him to her imaginary height scale. Katara had one in her office at the hospital, but not in their healing hut in the temple. They'd have to pretend it was there in her bedroom. Kya stopped in front of the doorway.

"Stand right here!" she ordered, pointing to the floor. Aang pressed his heels against the wood and stood up straight. The little waterbender ran back inside her room to have a look further away. While she was busy figuring out his measurement, the airbender spotted some drawing supplies on top of a pile of empty papers on the table to his right.

"Hmm.. you're really tall, daddy! You must be even taller than mommy."

"Hey, Kya! I know how we can get an exact measurement."

"Really?" she gasped, clasping her hands together.

"Mhmm. Grab one of your pencils and come here."

The little waterbender did as she was told and ran to her father. He lifted her up on his arms and resumed his pose.

"Okay, now hold the pencil at the highest point on my head and draw a small horizontal line against the wall."

"Like this?"

Kya stuck out her tongue as she followed his instructions, trying to draw a neat line of the same height.

"Done?"

"Mhmm," she nodded. Aang stepped away from the door to admire her work.

"Good job, Kya! That's perfect! Now, did you happen to pack along a measuring tape?" he wondered, putting her back down on the ground so she could stand on her own two feet.

"Let me check!"

Kya scampered to her bag and shuffled inside for a while, until she caught one end of the plastic measuring tape.

"Found it!" she exclaimed as she brought the roll to him. Aang uncoiled it, grabbing the end that started with a zero. He held it up to the spot where she'd drawn the line while the little waterbender pressed the other end against the floor.

"What does it say?"

"6 feet and.. 4 inches."

The airbender squatted down to check the measurement his daughter had seen.

"You're right, my little healer. 6 feet and 4 inches," Aang repeated before he rewarded Kya with a kiss on her temple, making her giggle. She helped him coil the measuring tape back into a tight roll, after which she grabbed his fingers to guide him back into her "office".

Kya tossed the measuring tape back into her healer's bag and beckoned her patient to take a seat on the carpet. Aang sat down in the lotus position once more. His healer hadn't released his right hand, in fact, she seemed to be examining his palm rather intently.

"What are you looking at now?"

"I'm checking your pulse."

Aang hadn't noticed that two of her fingers were pressed against his wrist. She slowly turned his hand around, careful not to release her hold, and stroked the back of it with her free hand. She seemed to be admiring the pale blue arrow running along his limb.

"Why do you have these tattoos, daddy?"

"These tattoos show that I'm a master airbender. You have to master 36 levels of airbending or create a new technique to earn these. I received them from the monks when I was only twelve years old. I'm the youngest airbending master in history."

"Wow!.. That's so cool, daddy!" Kya gasped, her mouth wide open as she had forgotten about his pulse and was only focused on the colours inked to the back of his hand.

"Can I get tattoos, too?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but these tattoos are only meant for airbenders," Aang explained, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder when her gaze dropped to his feet.

"But you can ask mommy whether waterbenders can get tattoos or anything else that's unique to your culture," he added in an attempt to cheer her up.

"For instance, I know of some special marks that are given to young Water Tribe members when they turn 14 and are successful in their rite of passage - ice dodging."

"What's ice dodging?"

"Ice dodging means that you have to weave a boat through a field of icebergs. I'm sure mommy and uncle Sokka will tell you all about it when you're old enough. But what I can tell you now is that I went ice dodging together with them when I was twelve and we all received marks for it. Your uncle Sokka bears the mark of the wise, just like grandpa. Mommy got the mark of the brave because she was very courageous. And I carry the mark of the trusted, because mommy and uncle Sokka trusted me so much."

"What mark would I get if I went ice dodging?"

"Well, I don't know whether there is such a mark, but if it were up to me, I'd give you the mark of the caring, because you're taking such good care of me," Aang said and tickled her chin, prompting Kya to burst out in a giggle fit.

"Thanks, daddy!.. Give me your hand."

He let her feel his pulse for a few seconds.

"Do you think this is fast?" she wondered. The airbender pressed his left index and middle finger a bit below hers.

"I don't know. Seems like a normal rhythm to me," he replied with a shrug.

"Well, I'd better have a listen to be sure."

Kya dug inside her healer's bag until she pulled out her mother's stethoscope. She put it in her ears and grabbed the diaphragm before stepping in front of her daddy. She pressed the metal softly against his chest to listen to his heartbeat, moving it around in the same pattern her mommy usually followed. Aang hoped that the red and yellow fabric of his robes wasn't too thick and she could actually hear something. She did.

"Your heart sounds good, daddy. I'm gonna listen to your breathing now. Please take deep breaths!"

He obeyed her orders and began breathing much deeper as well as slower. The little waterbender moved the stethoscope from one side to the other, comparing the sounds coming from either lung, just like her mother would do.

"Daddy?" she whispered.

"Hmm?" Aang tilted his head and leaned forward a bit.

"Did you know that your breathing sounds different? Mommy says it's because you're an airbender," Kya commented in a hushed tone.

"You're right. It's because I have better control of my breathing technique thanks to my airbending abilities. And apparently you're born with it."

"I am? I didn't know that," she said, her cerulean eyes wide with surprise.

"Listen for yourself," Aang offered, grabbing her hand, which held the tip of the stethoscope, in his own. He tenderly laid it in the middle of her chest, tucking the diaphragm under the edge of her light blue tunic. Kya took a few deep breaths. It did sound similar to his.

"Wow.. You're right, daddy."

"I was amazed when mommy mentioned it to me once. You might be a healer and a waterbender, but you do have a little bit of an airbender inside you," Aang said with a loving smile, tickling his daughter's chest a little. Kya smiled back at him proudly.

"Your breathing sounds good too, daddy. I wanna listen to your tummy now. Mommy says you have to lie down to do that."

"Alrighty, if that's what mommy says.." Aang agreed and began lying down, but he forgot about the nightstand behind him. A hard knock against the wood followed.

"Ow!" he exclaimed and bolted right back up. Kya gasped.

"Are you okay, daddy?"

"Ow-ow-ow.. That really hurt," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Let me see."

Kya climbed up on her bed while Aang turned his back towards her so she could examine the minor injury.

"Is it bad?"

The little waterbender had a closer look - there wasn't a visible bump, but the spot was a tad red from the impact. She softly pressed a finger on it.

"I don't think so.. does this hurt?"

"Only a little, ow!"

"Don't worry, daddy. I'll heal your boo-boo," Kya comforted him before summoning some water from her pouch around her hands and laying them on his head. She moved the glowing liquid around for a minute or two.

"How does that feel, daddy?"

Aang carefully patted around the tender spot. The slight pain had subsided.

"Much better. Thank you, Kya!"

He grabbed her hands and waited for her to hop off the bed before gifting her with a loving hug. After that, Kya reached for her pillow. She fluffed it and then put it on the floor so Aang could support his head when he lay down again. Once he'd made himself comfortable, the little waterbender knelt down on his left side, put her mother's stethoscope in her ears and got to listen to his tummy.

"Sweetie, I'm home!" Katara exclaimed from the hallway. She'd returned from her grocery shopping in Republic City with their younger son. Baby Tenzin was cradled in one of her arms, held against her chest with a sling. Aang poked Kya's side.

"Mommy's home," he whispered. Kya removed the stethoscope from her ears.

"We're in here, mommy!"

"I'll be right with you two, I'm just gonna go put Tenzin in his crib!"

"Take your time!" Aang shouted back. He gestured for Kya to continue playing, but she was done listening to his stomach. He sat back up.

"Are you all finished with my checkup, healer Kya?"

"Almost, daddy. I just gotta give you a shot so you'll stay healthy."

"Oh.. will it hurt?" he wondered, putting on a worried expression while Kya shuffled the inside of her bag for her toy syringe.

"Only a little. I'll try to be as gentle as mommy."

"As gentle as me in what?" Katara asked as she walked in and leaned against the doorway, earning both her husband and daughter's attention.

"Mommy!" Kya exclaimed and ran over to hug her. Katara squatted down and embraced her little waterbender.

"What are you doing with my hat.. and my stuff?"

"I'm giving daddy a checkup. We're almost done, he just needs a shot," Kya explained, holding her toy up so her mother would see.

"Katara, help! I might need some emotional support here," Aang pleaded. Katara released a short giggle as she stood up and grabbed Kya's hand to let her escort her into her "office".

"Don't worry, sweetie. I'm here," she comforted him as she knelt down beside her husband and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Aang watched how Kya grabbed his left arm, then pretended to be scared by closing his grey eyes until she gave him a fake injection with her toy syringe.

"Is it over?" he asked, peeking at his daughter with one eye. Katara kissed his cheek and rubbed his other arm.

"It's over," she murmured to him.

"You did really well, daddy," Kya said as she patted the spot where she'd given the shot. She also gave Aang a kiss on the cheek for being such a good patient.

"Thank you, my little healer!"

"Do you need some help packing?" the elder waterbender wondered as she gazed at some of the items scattered across the floor.

"No, thanks, mommy! I'll just bring your stuff back to the healing hut."

"Good girl," Katara praised as she watched her daughter put the toys and real medical instruments back inside her small healer's bag, then go out of her bedroom, leaving the two of them together.

"When was the last time you played healer with me?" she asked her husband, running a finger down from his shoulder, across his collarbone, then spreading her fingers and laying her palm above his heart.

"I don't know. But now that you mentioned it, I guess I should schedule an appointment with my healer. See, I've been getting heart palpitations each time I see her and she hasn't treated me for it yet," Aang answered, holding his hand above hers.

"Well, she is a very busy woman.." Katara said with a smirk before her lips met his for a more passionate kiss. She pulled away a moment later.

"But she has an open slot this evening, in her private office."

"I'll be there."

#the Kataang family #Kataangtag #Kataang #Aang and Kya II #Katara and Kya II #Katara and Tenzin #Aang #Katara #Kya II #Tenzin #ATLA and TLOK #my fanfiction #mine #shards of Kristal

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au-tumn-al · 7 years

Text

Aang Week - Day 2: Legacy.

FFN link (x) AO3 link (x)

Rating: K Characters: Aang, Katara Relationship(s): Aang/Katara (implied; can mostly be read as gen) Summary: A week (and a half) after Sozin’s Comet, Aang and Katara talk about how they can carry on the legacy of their lost people. Word count: 1,851 Warnings: Overly abusive to ellipses and possible mood whiplash. Seriously, though, allusions to genocide, but if you’ve seen AtLA, you’re probably fine.

Aang leans against Appa, who had been staying in the Fire Nation’s royal stable the past week. He begins shifting around the straw so it wouldn’t stick in his clothes so much while he slept. He was free to sleep inside the palace, but the large beds in the even larger rooms with scarce decoration and lighting just made him feel alone and small. “When are you planning on going back to the Southern Water Tribe?” He asks Katara, who was in the process of unbraiding her hair for the night with her bone-tooth comb, occasionally scolding Momo whenever he would paw at loose strands.

“After Zuko’s coronation,” she replies, turning to look at him, but continues with her combing. She turns her attention back to her hair before adding, “Maybe a little later. I’m still worried about him.” Katara’s brows furrow briefly, but Aang isn’t able to decipher whether it was out of worry, or because her comb had gotten snagged on an area of matted hair.

“Is there anything seriously wrong?” Aang ventures. It was doubtful it since no one had said anything, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“Not anything that goes beyond the initial injury,” Katara sets her comb down, having finished unbraiding her hair and uses her newly freed hand to stroke Momo’s back, propping herself up on her other arm. The lemur chirrups contentedly and curls up in her lap. “But it’s still lightning,” she continues. “Something could go wrong and we could be back at square one. It doesn’t help that he’s not resting as much as he should be so he’s healing slower than normal.”

Her eyes are downcast, and her tone had that tired lilt that Aang had been hearing from her ever since Sozin’s Comet. “Even if something like that does happen, you’re not the only person looking out for him. Plus,” Aang forces cheer into his voice. “You have to take care of yourself too. You’re not getting enough rest, either. Zuko doesn’t need a babysitter.”

She sighs. “You’re right. I’m probably more worried than I need to be.”

If Katara had her mind set on something, Aang convincing her to back off, even a little bit, is a victory in his book. Or…at least she’s probably going to back off a little. She had gotten better about being so nosey since Toph’s stunt as the Runaway, but Aang is sure she had been tearing out more hair than was probably healthy the past week. Week-and-a-half, rather. Katara and Zuko had been in the Capital for four days after the Comet by themselves and apparently didn’t get any information on how the war had turned out so all they had been able to do is wait and hope for the best. She’d said that Zuko’s recovery had been very touch and go, especially after he’d become very feverish the day after the Comet, which that made the entire thing even worse. She hadn’t gone into anything in detail, but just finished with saying how relieved she was that everyone was alright. A little singed, but alive.

“Are you going to be staying here for a while, Aang?” Katara asks.

Thankful for the change of topic, Aang answers, “I think so. I need to go to some parts of the Earth Kingdom, but I think I’ll be in the Capital for a while,” he picks up a piece of straw and begins to idly strip away broken ends. “Sokka kind of implied that the only reason some towns and cities with nobility in them aren’t trying to start a civil war over is because I’m here and they’re scared of me. The Fire Sages aren’t very happy with what their monarchy looks like right now, either, and that doesn’t help at all.”

“I see,” Katara rubs her arm. “Are you going to be able to go back to the Air Temples any time soon? I know you’ve said you’ve been wanting to.”

Aang chews his lip for a moment. “I need to rebuild them,” he says eventually, and tosses the piece of straw he’d been picking at to the side. “I can’t let the history of the Air Nomads be gone for good, but now’s not the time. Things are too unstable for me to take a break from being the Avatar.”

Katara scratches between Momo’s ears. “You’re going to have to repopulate the airbenders too, won’t you?”

It takes Aang a moment, but he blushes at the implication. “I mean not now…”

Katara laughs a little at that, much improving Aang’s mood. “I meant eventually,” she tells him, a faint smile in her expression. She sobers. “I heard that in Air Nomad tradition, monks don’t raise their children, but just let other people do it. Are…are you going to be doing that?” Her expression is pinched, and Aang can only assume that she’s worried about what he would say.

“No.” He says firmly. “I’ve seen how much kids need their parents this past year. Both of them. I wouldn’t ever want to take that away from someone.”

She smiles at him, although it’s a strained. “So you’re going to be reforming some of the Air Nomad beliefs, huh?”

“Well that’s the only one I’ve really thought about,” Aang replies thoughtfully. “I won’t be making changes like that lightly. The reason that was done so we wouldn’t feel earthly attachments and our loved ones wouldn’t be holding us to the physical world. But it would have never worked because you’re going to get attached to someone. You’re too young to really understand the purpose of that kind of separation, anyway. People have to make the decision to detach themselves from the world and everything in it for themselves when they’re old enough. Having freedom of choice is probably the most vital part of freedom when it really comes down to it.”

“Is that some of your Avatar Aang wisdom?” Katara teases.

“Maybe?” Aang can’t help but grin a little at her teasing. “I just know that I don’t think I’d have been able to detach myself from everyone I know, even if I wasn’t the Avatar.” Well, he already knew he wouldn’t be able to detach himself from everyone. When Guru Pathik had tried to get him to, it…didn’t turn out very well. To say the least.

“Aang?” Katara looks to the side. “Since you’re changing something that the Air Nomads held dear for so long, do you…do you think that you’re somehow disgracing them?” She sounds hesitant, and it clearly sounded like it was hard for her to get her words out.

“Not at all.” Aang replies immediately. “I’m not even going against any of the taught beliefs. I’m just reforming a flawed tradition.” He looks at her curiously. “Why do you ask?”

“The things Hama taught me…” she takes a moment to pause, but continues. “By themselves, they weren’t bad. But they were very harsh; more brutal than the Northern Water Tribe. Master Pakku always taught me to be concise whenever I was in a fight with someone, and to never cause unnecessary damage. But everything that Hama did was just to cause as much damage as possible with no care how much it was.”

“Katara, that was Hama,” Aang emphasizes. “She was completely concerned with causing as much damage as possible. There’s no reason to think that everyone from the South was like that. Some of those techniques were made for living in the Fire Nation. They couldn’t have even been developed in the Southern Water Tribe.”

“I know that,” Katara says. “But she’s the only living master waterbender left from the Southern Tribe from before the Fire Nation took away our waterbenders, and she was my only way of learning anything about my heritage. What she taught me is all I’ll ever know about the Southern style.” She stares at him acutely. “I’ve always known that I would have to carry on the legacy of the waterbenders from the South. But all that I learned from Hama that what is left of it is anger, bitterness, and vengefulness. Everything it was from before the war is gone.” She looks down at Momo, her eyes glazed over. “I guess I was just wondering what you would do. Since you’re trying to not let something be lost to the world too. You said that you’re still respecting your culture by changing a tradition. But for me…”

“I…I don’t know what I would do in your situation.” Is all he can say in response. “I’m sorry that all I can do is listen.”

“I wanted to teach the waterbenders from the North the Southern style, but I barely know anything about it myself.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “I’m so sorry, Katara.” Aang says again. What else can he do except apologize? He doesn’t know how to help her, and he won’t bother with empty platitudes.

“No, it’s nothing you should apologize for,” she half-laughs ruefully and looks away. “It’s not your fault. I should be thanking you instead of laying all of my problems at your feet.”

“No, I don’t mind. I always love listening to your problems. I just hope that just listening will be enough. I…well I won’t be able to solve your problems sometimes.”

She stares at him with those big, blue eyes that have always sent shivers down his spine from the first day he met her, and has that soft smile on her face that somehow makes all of Aang’s worries dissipate. “You’ve already done more for me than I could ever repay you for. Since you’ve returned, you made everything that I’ve ever dreamed about come true. You gave me the opportunity to become a master waterbender. You let me help end the war so everyone can come home. You even let me confront my mother’s killer and helped me through it. I can’t thank you enough for all of that.”

Before Aang can tell her that she accomplished all of that herself, she presses on. “And you always make time to have conversations like this with me,” her eyes look watery, but the warmth in her expression doesn’t waver. “Thank you.” She looks away to scrub her tears with the heel of her hand, her smile still steady throughout. “I think my tiredness is catching up to me.” She says, laughing faintly.

“I think we both need some sleep,” Aang can’t help but smile along with her. “But you’ve already done a lot for me too. You don’t need to repay me for anything.”

Ignoring Momo’s annoyed chirping at being disturbed, Katara moves to embrace Aang, resting her chin on his shoulder once he returns the hug. They hold onto each other for what Aang feels like was not long enough, but Katara looks much more content than she had been when they first began their conversation.

“We should get some sleep.” He says. “I doubt tomorrow will be any less busy.”

Katara sits next to him, leaning against Appa and pecks Aang on the cheek, leaving him blushing. “Good night, Aang.”

#avatar the last airbender #aang #katara #aang week #fanfiction #my writing #you all had better enjoy this #i spent way too many hours re-writing the middle #tearing my hair out #crying to the writing gods on why i suddenly lost my ability to write fanfiction #critique is helpful #and yes i did skip the first day #for ~quality writing purposes~#not because i re-wrote the first day thing to death and missed the first day entirely #that's DEFINITELY NOT THE REASON #DEFINITELY #NOT #now wait as i review the published version of this and have a mini-heart attack when isee every flaw and typo

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kristallioness · 6 years

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A mother's treasure is her daughter

Summary: Katara gets the chance to meet her mother years after she died. Word count: 2,212 Author's note: This fic idea came to me when I was trying to figure out how to draw Kya and her daughter Katara on a card for Mother's Day this year (I figured it out). I was going through screenshots from "The Southern Raiders" episode and the scenes with Kya and Katara really made me emotional. Especially the one from Yon Rha's perspective since now I keep noticing the tears in Kya's eyes when she tells her daughter to go find her dad. Besides that, the moment in "The Swamp" episode where Katara thinks that her mother's there also inspired this story. When I first saw that scene I genuinely thought for a split second that maybe Katara remembered it all wrong, because sometimes kids can have memories that alter in the future. That maybe her mother really was still out there somewhere. Needless to say, her realization that it was a vision broke my heart and made me cry, a lot. Also, the Earth Kingdom Chronicles book, which features Katara's story, has this illustration that shows what she thought at that moment in the swamp. @huckengle - Here's that fanfic I mentioned under this beautiful masterpiece of yours. *shamelessly promotes* Happy early Mother's Day, everyone! (Sorry, but I'm not sorry. Tears were shed.)

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"Mmphm.. what time is it?"

Katara yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she slowly rose from her bed. A shiver ran down her spine once she opened her eyes to look around her surroundings. She froze.

"Where.. where am I?"

It seemed like she was in an igloo. Pelts covered the round wall as well as the snowy ground beneath her. Domestic items were piled up in almost every possible corner. A pair of smaller parkas and one larger parka were hanging from the rack next to the door, which was covered by curtains that helped keep the cold from coming inside.

Her fingers caressed the blanket covering her feet, then lifted it to her nose so she could smell it. The scent, the interior, this whole place - it all seemed eerily familiar.

"I'm.. home?"

By home she didn't mean her home on Air Temple Island. She'd woken up in her old home back in the Southern Water Tribe. The last thing she remembered was nursing and then singing Tenzin his special lullaby so he'd fall asleep and how she'd gently put him in his crib and made her way to their living room couch to take a nap and get some rest herself. How did she end up here?

Katara dropped the blanket back on the bed and carefully stood up. How did a 34-year-old woman like her even fit in that small bunk? Something about it caught her eye. She squatted back down and grabbed the side. The old tear that her mother had sewn together was still there, each stitch holding the cloth together exactly the same way like she remembered.

Her hand trailed down to the carpet and she ran her fingers through the fur. It felt just as soft as it did when she and Sokka liked to roll around on it when they were little. In fact, the entire household looked exactly like it did when she was little.

She spotted the dishes they used to eat out of. One of the bowls was filled with some leftover stewed sea prunes, probably meant for her dad to finish later. Five pots containing the rest of their family's food supplies had been placed next to the dishes. Her dad's hunting gear was missing, which usually meant that he and Bato were out gathering fresh meat for the village.

Katara's reminiscing was interrupted when she heard some shuffling outside. The sound of soft snow crunching underfoot became louder with every step. Someone was approaching the igloo. She quickly turned around and bended some of the snow from the ground into a water whip, ready to pounce on the intruder.

"Who's there?"

There was no answer. Someone pulled the curtain apart and stepped inside. Katara's mouth fell agape and she dropped the water with a small splash. It was another woman about the same age as her, and she recognized her. It took her a few seconds before she could say her name.

"Mom?"

Kya stared at her daughter with wide eyes for a moment before the surprise on her face was replaced with a loving smile. She held out her arms and simply waited for Katara to come to her.

But Katara didn't budge, she just stood there in a half-offensive pose. She couldn't believe what was happening. Her mother was standing right in front of her. This had to be a dream, an illusion.. anything else but real.

Katara stood up straight, then lifted one foot in front of the other, hesitantly moving closer step by step. She was in complete disbelief.

"Mom? Is it really you?"

She stopped when they were less than a few feet apart. Her right hand reached out, visibly shaking as she lifted it higher and closer to her mother's. This has to be a dream, Katara kept repeating to herself. She feared that her hand would go straight through her mother's if she was a spirit or an illusion. Confirming that would've probably calmed her down a lot better.

But it didn't go through. Her diamond blue eyes grew wide when her hand landed in her mother's palm and stayed there. When Kya's warm glove grabbed it firmly and she could feel her touch. This was definitely not a dream.

"M-Mom?.." Katara's voice quavered as she began to tear up. Kya had to support her from her sides when her body nearly collapsed.

"Yes, sweetie, it's me."

It was her. Hearing her familiar voice broke Katara for good. Her free hand landed on her mouth to hold back her sobbing before she practically jumped forward and embraced her mother. Katara wrapped her arms around Kya's neck and held onto her as tight as she could, afraid that if she loosened her grip her mother would disappear. She sensed how her mom stroked her back to soothe her and help her stop crying.

Hugging felt a bit different now that she was older. She didn't fit in her mother's arms like she used to when she was little. They were almost the same height. One of her hands ran down the back of her mother's head, sensing the familiar shape of the bun she liked to use to tie her similarly long brown hair together. Through the tears in her eyes, Katara could still see how she hadn't changed a bit.

Kya pulled away a little when she felt that her daughter had had enough time to regain her composure. Katara sniffed several times when her mother attempted to wipe her cheeks dry with her glove, tilting her head while taking in her adult form. She'd changed so much.

"Sweetie, you look beautiful. Look at how grown up you are."

Katara released a short chuckle and averted her gaze. She rubbed at her eyes to cease her crying and make herself more presentable, but quit doing that pretty soon since she understood that there's no point. This wasn't a moment to feel ashamed.

"I miss you so much, mom! I wish you were still with us. I wish you could see what the world looks like now.. I wish you could meet my husband, the Avatar who helped me end the Hundred Year War. His name is Aang. He's my best friend, the love of my life. I wish you could meet our children, your grandchildren. I have three babies of my own, mom. Their names are Bumi, Kya and Tenzin. I named my daughter after you and she's a waterbender, too. Can you believe it, mom? Three babies of my own. You're a grandmother!"

Kya let her ramble about all the important things she wanted to share with her. Her daughter still carried that cheerful 8-year-old spirit inside of her. She stopped Katara from talking by cupping her cheek. She fell silent.

"Sweetie, I know.. I know everything. I've seen what the world is like now. I saw how brave you were during the war. I know how caring and kind-hearted your husband is. I've seen how you spend time with your wonderful children. I know how well your father and brother are doing.."

"Wait, how do you know all of that?"

"Because I've always been with you. You've always been carrying me along with you in here," Kya explained, laying her hand above her daughter's heart. Katara gazed at her chest and laid her own hand above her mother's. Her thumb tenderly caressed the back of it. Her small, fond smile turned into a frown.

"I'm so sorry, mom. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to protect you."

Her grip on her mother's hand tightened with every apology.

"I'm sorry I wasn't a waterbending master when Yon Rha came into our home and-"

"Shh.. don't apologize. There's nothing to be sorry about. That was my choice. I had to protect you, my little waterbender. I had to protect you so you could live, so everything good that happened to the world could happen in the first place."

"But, mom!-"

"Katara, you must understand that if I'd been alive, none of this would've happened. You wouldn't have found the Avatar from that iceberg, the war would still be ongoing. You wouldn't have accomplished all the amazing things you did. And I am so, so proud of you, sweetie," Kya said, lifting her hand from her daughter's chest back onto her cheek.

"Oh, mom.."

Katara held onto her mother's hand and rubbed the side of her face against its palm. To hide her sadness, to try and wipe away her tears, but also to relish her loving touch once more. Kya attempted to pull away a bit.

"Katara, it's time for me to go now. Your dad will return from his hunting trip soon and I haven't finished washing all of our clothes.."

"No, mom! Don't go yet! There is so much I want to ask you!" Katara pleaded, pulling her mother back into a tight hug. She buried her face in the crook of her neck and nuzzled her nose into her hair, trying to hold back a fresh wave of tears. It didn't work.

"Sweetie, you don't need to ask me anything, because you've already found the answers to all of your questions," Kya assured her by rubbing her back to comfort her little girl, who wasn't exactly that little anymore. Katara just stood there crying in her mother's embrace, mentally preparing for the inevitable. She didn't want this reunion to end so fast. But the truth was, she'd never be ready to say goodbye.

The two Southern Water Tribe women heard a long melancholic wolf's howl outside. The men had almost returned to the village.

"I have to go.. Goodbye, Katara! I love you so much," Kya murmured into her daughter's ear before giving her a kiss on her temple. She tightened her grip, feeling her daughter do the same.

"B-bye, mom!.. I-I love you, too," Katara managed to say in between sobs. She hugged her mother until her spirit disappeared from between her arms and she was left hugging the emptiness in the air. When she opened her eyes, she was left alone, again.

"Mom? Mom!"

Katara began calling out to her mother, frantically looking around their igloo in hopes of finding her, but she was gone.

"MOMMY!"

She opened her eyes and bolted upright. That childish voice didn't belong to her. Katara sat up on the couch and continued panting a little. Her eyes darted to the hallway in front of her, the familiar pattern on the walls surrounding the doorway leading to the living room. She was.. back home? Her real home on Air Temple Island. She needed a moment to comprehend what'd happened.

"Mommy?"

Her attention turned to the little waterbender who was clasping her right hand in both her own. Katara gazed at her daughter and older son, both wearing rather concerned expressions and staring right back at her.

"Are you okay, mommy?" Kya reiterated, as if her mother hadn't understood what she'd asked her a moment earlier. She and Bumi had gently shaken their mother from her shoulder and called out to her to wake her up. Once Katara had stopped panting, she realized where she was and that it'd all been just a dream.

"Yeah.. I'm okay, sweetie. Why do you ask?" she wondered as she lifted Kya into her lap.

"Because you're crying."

Katara's eyes widened. She ran her fingers over her cheek and felt something wet rub off against them. Those were tears, her daughter was right. She'd been crying through her sleep. She remembered what she'd dreamt about.

"Oh.. I guess I just saw a bad dream."

"Was it so scary that it made you cry?"

Kya's question only made her mother chuckle.

"No, it wasn't scary at all. It was actually bittersweet."

"What does 'bittersweet' mean?" the little waterbender asked again.

"It means that it can make you feel happy and sad at the same time."

"Oohh, okay.. I think I get it," Kya slowly nodded while scratching her head.

"What did you see in your dream, mom?" Bumi wondered as he took a seat beside his mother and baby sister.

"Well, I saw your grandmother. I saw my own mom."

"You saw grandma Malina?" Kya gasped, her cerulean eyes growing wide and her hands coming up to cover her open mouth.

"No, Kya. Malina is our step-grandma. I think mom must've seen our real grandmother, the one who died during the war trying to protect her. Grandma Kya, the one who you're named after."

"Ooohh.."

"You're right, Bumi," Katara said and ran her hand through her son's messy hair. She gifted him with a kiss on his temple.

"My smart young man," she murmured to him, then felt how a small hand reached up to the side of her face. Kya was trying to wipe her other cheek dry.

"Do you need a hug, mommy?"

Katara glanced at her children, giving them a warm smile before she giggled.

"Yes, I wouldn't mind. Come here!"

Kya wrapped her tiny arms around her middle while Katara beckoned Bumi closer and enveloped him in a hug, too.

"Mmm.. thank you, my sweeties! I love you both so much."

"We love you too, mommy!"

"Love you, mom!"

#Kya and Katara #Katara and Bumi II #Katara and Kya II #Katara #Kya #Bumi II #Kya II #ATLA and TLOK #my fanfiction #mine #shards of Kristal

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kristallioness · 7 years

Text

Holding a grudge

Summary: Aang comforts Katara after everything that's happened at the Southern Water Tribe.

Word count: 1,743

Author's note: The first 11 pages of "North and South: Part Three" gave me so many happy feels. I really loved that moment where Aang and Katara waterbended together and how the two of them spent time with Hakoda. So I started thinking and wondering what happened during the night (after Malina goes to see Hakoda) and before morning (when Aang and Katara go to teach the girls with Pakku). This would be how I imagined the events unfolding. I just felt like writing again after a long while and my writing juices were flowing in all the right directions.. I didn't even need to edit a lot, the text came together from beginning to end exactly how I put it down in this order - I'm proud of that. Also, I shed a few tears while writing the beginning of this story.

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Katara watched how Malina entered her Gran Gran's hut to talk to her dad before she turned around with a very audible huff and began heading towards her and Sokka's temporary igloo.

"Sweetie, wait up!" Aang hurried right behind her. He slowed his pace to hers once they were walking side by side. Katara glanced at him from the corner of her eye, his brows furrowed with worry about her state, but his lips formed into a caring smile. He was ready to talk and support her if she wanted to.

"Aang, I wanna be alone right now," she puffed out a bit too angrily. The airbender stopped in his tracks. This wasn't the Katara he knew, which was why he wasn't going to give up so easily. They'd been separated for awhile, he knew how much she missed him. The feeling was mutual, or so he thought since the waterbender suddenly stood still as well. Katara didn't turn around to look at Aang, who remained standing a couple of steps behind her. She was pondering over what she'd just said to him exactly like he was thinking how to answer.

"Are you sure?" he questioned, the sound of his voice barely above a whisper, like he was asking that from himself. She lowered her head a little and crossed her arms, slowly beginning to rub them to keep herself warm.

"Because, I can find another place to stay for the night if you.. you know. Wanna be alone," Aang reasoned, understanding that her mind must be going through hell tonight and she really needs some time to sort things out by herself. The soft crunching of the snow as he took a few steps closer was proof of how he was trying to reach out to her. Katara remained silent, but jumped a little when Aang laid his hands on her shoulders. She raised her head a bit and met a familiar pair of shimmering grey eyes staring right back at her. Another moment later, the sniffing of the waterbender filled the quiet street.

"Katara? Did I upset you? I'm sorry!.." Aang wondered in surprise when tears fell down her cheeks. She allowed him to wipe them off though. He gently ran his thumb across her face, but the work he was trying to accomplish didn't seem to help since the dried spots were soon replaced with fresh streaks. She'd already cried enough for one night, she promised herself this would be the last time.

"No.. Ah-aand no.. I don't wanna be alone," Katara said before she wrapped her arms around his neck and continued sniffling into his robes. Aang pulled her into a tight embrace and attempted to comfort her by tenderly stroking her back and gently swaying her from left to right. She didn't care that Sokka and Toph were watching them tens of feet away, or that maybe some of the inhabitants in the houses nearby observed their display of affection.

"Sshh! It's okay.." Aang whispered into her ear and placed a gentle kiss on her head. That gesture reminded Katara just how much she'd missed him. Also, it made her wonder what she possibly could've done to deserve this. This kind of love, to be exact.

"S-sorry.. now you-ur robe is wet," was the first thing she managed to mumble into his clothing. Aang stared at the slightly damp spot on the red cape, but quickly averted his eyes onto hers once she slightly tilted her head to see his face. Her diamond blue eyes were decorated with tiny drops of water, too.

"Heh.. that's okay, sweetie," he chuckled, offering her a loving smile while caressing her left cheek with the back of his hand to dry it off. Katara supported her head against his shoulder again, burying into the crook of his neck.

"Should we head to your and Sokka's place now? Get some rest?" the airbender asked after her crying had ceased for a minute or two already, even though she hadn't released her hold. The waterbender nodded against his neck and took a step back to give him some space. She lowered her hands by slowly running them over his shoulders, across his chest, until they landed into the palms of his own. The young lovers' hands remained entwined as they headed home to spend the first night at the Southern Water Tribe together. That is if you could call an angular building, which mimicked the culture of your sister tribe in a cheap way and was just one in a row of another dozen similar buildings, home.

"This seems.. different. But familiar at the same time," Aang commented as Katara pushed the door leading to her room open.

"Finally! Someone else who can sense that this isn't right," she exclaimed, plopping down on her bed.

"Everything looks a little bit off, like.. like..?" Aang scratched the back of his head, taking a minute to observe the furniture in there. He couldn't find the right words to describe the feeling.

"Like we're in the Northern Water Tribe?" the waterbender immediately finished for him, her tone sounding rather resentful.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking."

"You see.. that's the problem, sweetie. This just doesn't feel like home anymore. It's almost like we're still in the Northern Water Tribe learning waterbending together during the war. Except that the war is over, we're masters and the Southern Water Tribe.. is no more," Katara sat up on the edge of her bed, laying her hands in her lap. She fiddled with her fingers in silence while Aang made his way to her side and took a seat. She simply.. looked so sad. That's the only way to put it. The airbender couldn't think of anything else but cheering her up. He sighed.

"I can understand what you're going through, Katara," he placed a hand on top of both her own, gently rubbing her knuckles. He noticed how she took a deep breath.

"Remember how much pain I felt when I found out what'd happened to my home, to my people?"

Katara raised her head. By then, she was gazing deep into his eyes while listening to him. She knew very well what a painful topic this was for both of them. She didn't reject his opinion now, unlike the last time when she wanted to go on her own little field trip with Zuko.

"I agree that the damage has been done, but this time it's not permanent. The southerners are still alive, your people are still here, and you still have a tribe. It's just a little bit different now. But the two of us, we can help change it, make everything better again. We can help rebuild this city so it'd have a more southern look to it. We can educate the northerners, teach them to respect your culture. Just like I began teaching the acolytes about the Air Nation," Aang offered. Katara lifted a hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"You'd really help me do all of that?" her eyes sparkled in a very unique way when she asked that. Aang noticed something familiar in there, something he hadn't seen since the incident back at the festival. He recognized what it was - hope.

"I mean, of course it'd take some time before we start seeing any progress, but.. This here is your home, Katara. And I won't let anyone destroy your culture or hurt your people. Promise," he cupped her cheek with his free hand. Katara closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth radiating against her face from the palm of his hand, after which she enveloped him in another hug.

"Thank you, Aang.. I love you so much."

"You're most welcome. I love you too, Katara," he snuggled into her coat, taking a moment to breathe in her sweet smell. He'd forgotten how it reminded him of winter - a mix of cold fresh air, the snowflakes that'd covered them earlier as well as something that was just so Katara. Once they let go of each other, Aang's gaze remained on the empty bed opposite to them. The one that was meant to be reserved for him.

"How come Sokka doesn't sleep here?"

"A girl does need some privacy, after all. Besides, I can't think straight through his loud snoring," Katara smirked, her last comment made Aang laugh.

"Ah-ha-ha! Speaking of which, where is he? Didn't he and Toph follow us back here?"

"He's probably apologizing to Malina," Katara huffed annoyingly as she pulled her coat over her head and put it down on her bed.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so harsh towards her."

The waterbender slightly cold-shouldered him after that by staring at the wall to her right.

"I'm not one to judge, especially since I don't know Malina so well as a person. But judging by what I heard from her speech at the festival this evening, I believe that she isn't the bad guy over here," Aang attempted to persuade Katara as he gently grabbed her shoulder. This kind of attitude of hers didn't seem strange to the airbender, because he remembered quite well when she'd been just as vicious towards a good friend of theirs as she was now towards her father's new love.

"I need to think about it," she sighed, ensuing a longer pause.

"Hey.. maybe we should go do something together tomorrow? You know, so you could get your mind off of it while your dad recovers?" the airbender offered, receiving a shrug for a reply from the waterbender.

"Why don't we go teach Siku and Sura in the morning? Together with Master Pakku. He asked me to be his guest of honour," Aang suggested.

"Hmm.. he told me the same thing. He's been having trouble with those two little ones. It's almost like they're afraid to show their waterbending to us."

"Soooo.. I take it that's a 'yes'?" Aang asked one more time, flashing his grey eyes, which merely made Katara giggle.

"It's a 'yes'. I think it's a good idea," she agreed and kissed him on the cheek, then lay down to tuck herself in and unintentionally turned her back towards him. Once she'd settled down, Aang climbed closer to her on the bed, leaned down near her face and kissed her on the cheek, too.

"Good night, sweetie!" he whispered into her ear before going to his own bed. Katara smiled.

#Kataangtag #Kataang #Aang #Katara #North and South #my fanfiction #mine #shards of Kristal

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