In one world, Earth's greatest heroes unite to protect it from the evils that threaten it; in others... well... they'll get there eventually. At the moment, our little super baby is just arriving home.
Chapter 01 of 06
Kala was a beautiful baby with big blue eyes, shiny black hair, and great intelligence. She knew many things, for example, she knew that wasn't her name (not entirely), she knew that the kind people who hugged her weren't her family (but they could have been), and she knew that she wasn't the age she should be (although at some point she was).
Despite all she knew, some things eluded her understanding, like the fact that she was alive (she shouldn't have been). Even so, that wasn't a major obstacle to her happiness. Kala believed in the importance of the present moment (happiness was always fleeting) and wouldn't let misinformation prevent her from enjoying it (like a peasant woman).
Kala learned that she was an only child (she wasn't), but that didn't mean she was alone (she was always alone). Her cousin Kara (who couldn't have been older than her) came around constantly to play with her, which wasn't much since she was still working on controlling her small body (she was never small), and that required a lot of energy that could only be recovered with long hours of sleep (she had never needed to sleep so much). When her cousin wasn't around, she was usually with her father, looking at rocks (barren; the ground should have been green), or with her mother, looking at metals (cold; her hands should have been warm).
And so time passed. Kala would soon be three cycles old (it should have been more). She could already walk, albeit very slowly, and her pronunciation was better than other children her age (she was always better than those her age). But despite these achievements, she couldn't find happiness (she had once, with a certain gray-eyed man). Something was happening (it had to be). She noticed it several weeks ago: her parents were very worried, whispering to each other when they thought she was asleep, and they had received several visitors (they never had so many visitors before): people from work, her uncle, her grandfather... Kala was beginning to worry (she was impatient).
She remembers feeling a tremor before being taken in her father's arms (for the last time) and running to where her mother worked in a capsule that Kala hadn't seen (but knew). They quickly put her inside and wrapped her up, reminding her how much they loved her (it was always hard to believe) and that Kara would be with her later (much later). The glass closed over her (drops of water fell on it). She had the sensation of riding in an elevator, which made her drowsy. Her last vision was a sickly green light.
The next time she woke up there was a blue sky above her, arms lifted her up (warm, finally) and cuddled her (she no longer needed to sleep), she was drawn towards the gray eyes.
Okay then, as a survivor of the AO3 down on March 1st, I panicked. Now I'm in the process of moving my fics to Tumblr and FFnet to have them in more than one site. The issue at hand is the following:
Should I also upload them to Wattpad?
Yes
No
Voting ended onMar 21
I know most of us "graduate" from Wattpad when we reach AO3, but I'm a little paranoid.
Thank you for your help. I welcome any further comments.
Can someone explain to me how we went from the Hei Bai episode with a crescent moon to the Roku Temple episode (which in the story is the next day) where we have a full moon? And the Waterbending Scroll episode features a crescent moon again!
I'm trying to put together my own timeline. I found one on a blog that was created using full moons as a reference, but now it doesn't make any sense.
Also, why am I doing all this math to figure out how many kilometers Appa traveled, given what speeds he can fly? I hate math!
I swear my brain loves to dwell on the things that annoy me the most: time and math.
Well, since we're all panicking about AO3, I'd appreciate it if you could help me out in the meantime, as all I can do is work on my fanfics.
This is about Avatar: The Last Airbender.
As we know, Roku had a twin named Yasu, I already named their father Yasuaki (peaceful, vast, extreme + manifest, proclaim, distinguish) and I have three options for their mother. They'll only be in a few sentences, but I'm picky; it's better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.
What should I name her?
Rokuko (fortune, blessing + child, honorific)
Rokua (six + love, afecction)
Rokuha (six + leaf, foliage)
Voting ended onMar 4
Clearly, as you may have noticed from the similarity in the names, the parents only see the twins as an extension of themselves.
If it helps, I named their clan Kurifu (chestnut, tremble + wealth, rich, abundant)
Personally, I quite like the first name, but I always like to get second opinions.
Kya contemplates what her family already is, sadly she also gets a glimpse of what her family will become.
TW: Implied/referenced violence
Kya laughed freely and joyfully as she watched her nine-year-old daughter, Katara, knock her older brother, Sokka, to the ground, filling his clothes with snow. Kya's relationship with her own siblings wasn't ideal, so they stopped seeing each other once their parents sailed to the other side. She always feared that the relationship between her children would be similar to her own experience. Luckily, her fears didn't come true, perhaps because for several years they were the only two children in all the tribes.
Even before Kya was born, the fire invaders stole their families and their culture, leaving only fear in their wake. Her father-in-law, Nuliak, told her how, when he was a child, all the tribes used to spend the winters together in a great city, the jewel of the southern tribe. But with the arrival of war, they were forced to abandon it to survive after losing all their waterbenders. Of all the tribes that had existed, only this one remained, scattered like snowflakes. Although the non-waterbender Wolf Claws were skilled warriors, there was little they could do against an entire army of firebenders. Some nights, she could still hear the silent weeping of her mother-in-law, Kanna, for her lost friends.
The grief that had gripped the people prevented any births, and fear kept them from trying again. As leader, Nuliak tried to fix things, but how do you encourage new parents when the cries of those already living fill the nights? He himself had lost his eldest daughter, so like everyone else, he ignored the lack of new births and focused on caring for the lives already there. They established new strategies and dispersed in the most convenient way possible, not so close as to be attacked together, not so far apart that messages wouldn't arrive on time, and not written in any way that would give information to the enemy.
But Kya and Hakoda had always wanted children while they still had the energy to play and run after them. When Nuliak called a meeting to request a successor, it was no surprise that her husband was chosen. She remembered Hakoda's bravery during the attacks; many of Kya's strategies wouldn't have worked without his strategic mind on the battlefield. After his appointment as the new Chief, that very night they both agreed not to let fear continue to rule their tribe. A month later, Kanna confirmed her first pregnancy.
Despite everything, Kya had never seen such panic on the faces of her people as when they saw her belly becoming more and more noticeable; she could barely take a couple of steps before someone else took what she was carrying in her hands with the excuse that she needed to rest. Hakoda talked a lot about not allowing fear in their lives, but after a few days he had already caught the panic of everyone else. Bato was a great friend and a fairly frequent presence in their lives. Kya believed he couldn't be more present, but obviously when he started following her around like a polar-bear-dog puppy and swapping turns with her husband to be by her side, she realized how wrong she was.
Even wild animals walked cautiously near her; a whole herd of snow-leopards-caribou settled near her tent, as if they were standing guard. For her second pregnancy, when Katara arrived in her womb, everyone was more at ease. And a few years later, the cries of babies once again filled the days of all the tribes, along with some beautiful and powerful mounts. It turned out that taming the snow leopard caribou was easy once you dedicated the time and put your mind to it, and time was something Kya had plenty of during her pregnancies when her tribe prevented her from performing her duties.
"Have you seen my son?" Kanna's sudden voice behind her startled her, but seeing her mother-in-law's mischievous little smile, she knew it had been intentional.
"He hasn't returned from his hunting trip with his boyfriend yet," Kya replied playfully, though she received a small tug on her braid which made her pout.
"You know those things aren't said out loud, someone might hear," Kanna gently scolded her.
"Hopefully it will be Gilak, he'll tell me if they're just as clueless when they're alone, or if they're just doing it to drive me crazy."
"My dear, I saw the way my son looked at you the first time you met and we both know how long it took him to realize it, you'll see the ice around us melt before another miracle like that happens," Kanna replied as she squeezed her shoulder in a show of compassion.
Kya's wailing was cut short by her children, who ran to meet their father and Bato, leading the other younger children. The women watched the reunion with joy. Seeing her husband laughing with Katara every time he tossed her to the sky and Bato spinning Sokka around in the air, Kya assumed they had had a successful hunt.
"You took longer than usual," was the greeting Kanna gave them, the affectionate smile on her lips dispelling any doubt of annoyance.
"We were lucky, we got two walrus-whales," Hakoda replied as he put Katara down on the ground. "I ordered them to start preparing them so we can distribute them among the tribes as quickly as possible."
"The spirits are on our side," Kya remarked. She knew her people had lost faith in their spirits after the war began, but her two children had been blessed, reason enough for her to invoke them whenever she could. "Now, go wash up. It will soon be time to eat. Today we have sea prune stew."
"Kya, my darling, have I ever told you that you're the woman of my life?" Bato asked as he hugged her tightly, making her laugh.
"I hope to be the only woman in your life, Bato, I won't accept less," she replied, earning a loud kiss on her cheek from him.
"A betrayal? Right to my face?" Hakoda questioned, his playful tone matching his cheerful smile. "And with my own friend!"
"Watch out, Hakoda, I'll fight for this woman and her sea prune stews," Bato joked, getting into a fighting stance. Kya moved aside, knowing the outcome.
Hakoda jumped on top of Bato, knocking him to the ground, and the two men began rolling in the snow in a mock fight. The children cheered them on with shouts and snowballs, and soon a huge snowball fight had erupted, with teams and forts. Not only children joined in, but also men and women; even the older ones participated by preparing snowballs. Kya was eager to join in; she could barely stand still in her place.
"Will you tell them now?" Kanna asked, holding Kya's wrist. Perhaps she foresaw her desire to join and decided to anchor her by her side.
"Soon, but not yet," Kya replied, subtly caressing her abdomen with her other hand. "Give me a few more days of freedom. You know that when Hakoda and Bato find out, they'll start scheduling shifts to watch over me."
The two women's attention returned to their family's laughter.
Long after the children had fallen asleep, the adults' matters had been discussed, and the house had been cleaned, Kya went to check on her sleeping little ones. The sight of her little chests rising with each breath eased her heart. Every night she prayed to the spirits for the Avatar to appear and end the war before her children grew up and the war ended them. When Sokka was born, the spirits answered her grief by taking care of him, because of this, Kya could believe that the Avatar was still in the world. Perhaps she would never know why he was hiding, but as long as he returned, she didn't care.
"You must stop worrying, Kya," Bato said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "These children have been blessed by the spirits; they will be fine, and if they get into trouble, we will be there for them."
"I know, but I can't help it," Kya replied, placing her hand on his. "Look at them, they're so small. There's so much in their future, but this war is constantly erasing that future."
"This war will end," Hakoda affirmed as he hugged them both over their shoulders. "It will end even if we have to end it ourselves. We must strengthen the south first and then unite with the Earth Kingdom." He pulled them both close to his body. "You two have seen them, our children are fighters. Sokka is already interfering in training; he started giving me war strategies weeks ago. And maybe Katara doesn't have a teacher, but I have no doubt she'll manage to bend water before we know it."
"There are two of them, and three of us, five if you count your parents, and we can always count on the tribe's knack for spreading gossip. I'm sure we can handle them," Bato mocked his friend, glancing at the children one last time before leaving the room. He stretched his arms above his head as he yawned, the action causing his clothing to ride up. Kya could see her husband's eyes flick toward the revealed skin, and she used all her strength to maintain a neutral expression. These two idiots. "Today was exhausting. I think I'd better be going."
"What nonsense, it's so late," Kya complained while holding his arm, then pouted. "Of course you're staying here to sleep, right, darling?" She sought her husband's approval, although she knew she already had it; out of nine days a week, they slept together eight and a half.
"Of course," Hakoda readily agreed, grabbing him by the neck in a chokehold. Together, the couple dragged him toward their room. "The night is dark; I wouldn't feel safe knowing you were wandering around alone out there."
“But… I just… I live next you two, for Tui’s sake!” Bato complained in a whisper, his resistance futile. In Kya’s opinion, the fact that these things weren’t spoken aloud was what caused they friend’s indecisiveness and her own headaches; otherwise, she would have already made her husband realize that he wanted to kiss him with the same intensity he always felt when kissing her.
Kya still didn't know how she managed it, but by the time she realized it, it was already a habit for Hakoda to lie on his back in the middle, embracing her and Bato, who both used his shoulders as a pillow, his hand intertwined with hers on her husband's chest. Unlike her, Hakoda enjoyed being in the center. She remembered with annoyance the nights during her pregnancies; both men would leave her in the middle to prevent her from rolling to one side while she slept, practically creating a nest for her. But having them both snoring in her ears was anything but pleasant.
Waking up with her two children jumping on them wasn't pleasant either; she hoped they would lose that habit soon, her ribs begged for it, as did certain private parts on the two men to her right who were writhing in pain.
The men left as usual; winter would soon arrive, and they would need every resource they could find to survive it. Apparently, they had to survive something else first. What seemed like a peaceful morning soon revived the elders' anxieties when the snow that began to fall was not white but black... coal, from steam engines, with fire, with firebenders.
Katara.
She had to protect Katara.
Their last waterbender, she couldn't allow them to take her away.
"Where's Katara?" Kya asked desperately, clutching her mother-in-law's arms, who seemed frozen. "Kanna! Have you seen Katara?"
The slight jolt seemed to snap Kanna out of her stupor; a few small tears fell down her cheeks as she blinked several times, until she managed to focus her gaze on Kya.
"The children had gone to play outside the wall, all together with Nuliak watching them, followed by three snow-leopards-caribou." Kanna observed the terror around her; it seemed to stabilize her as she straightened up a little. Once the chief's wife, always the chief's wife. "Go and find the children, and help the elders put on their armor. If the firebenders arrive before our warriors, you must give them as much time as possible to reach us."
Everyone sprang into action with the first explosion inside the wall; they were running out of time. Kya had no strategy for this situation; she had let herself be lulled into the false peace they had enjoyed for over a decade, and this was the consequence: her village unprotected, her children in danger, her husband and friend far away. She had been a complete fool.
She had barely taken a step inside her home when she was thrown across the room. Kya still remembered her training, so she met her attacker with a kick when he lunged at her. She could see him better as she got back to her feet: a Fire Nation soldier. How had he managed to get there without them noticing? The fight started again.
Kya's reflexes were a little frozen, and worry wasn't helping much. If this soldier was here, had he seen her children? Had they all been captured already? She knew Nuliak would give his life to protect the children, but the truth was, he was getting old. One moment of carelessness, and her neck was gripped by a hand too warm for the southern chill.
"Who is it?" the firebender asked, the flame in his hand threateningly close to Kya's face; she could feel her eyes beginning to burn. "Where are you hiding the waterbender?"
"The Fire Nation... you took them..." she tried to say with what little breath she had left, her vision beginning to blur.
"You're lying"
Kya kneed him in the stomach, although the target was a little lower. She wasn't one to play fair with this kind of scum. She punched him again, making him stumble backward, and her legs gave way. She gasped for air, but the world seemed to stop with the breeze that stirred the strands of hair falling over her forehead.
Her little Katara was there.
"Let her go," Kya spoke before she could think; the main thing was to get her daughter away from that place, "and I'll give you the information you're looking for."
"You heard your mother, get out of here," the firebender's voice was threatening, but her brave little girl did not leave. She never turned her back on anything, no matter how scared she was.
"Mom," her little girl's big blue, tearful eyes stared at her, Kya absorbed the gaze knowing it might be the last time she saw her, "I'm scared."
"Go find your father, sweetheart," Kya said, forcing a smile and softening her tone, wanting to convey all the love she had for her daughter and trying to convince herself, her family was strong, with or without her. "I'll take care of this."
She had barely lost sight of her daughter before being roughly lifted by the arm, and found herself looking into a pair of golden eyes, unpleasantly close to her face.
"Now, tell me," a mocking smile spread across the soldier's face, "unless you need your daughter's presence to remember."
"You took all the waterbenders from the south years ago," Kya tried once more, a way out with no winners. Smoke began to rise from where she was being held.
"I know you're lying," Kya's heart nearly stopped; she could barely control her horrified expression. She had to remind herself that he had let Katara go so easily. "My source informed me that there is still one free southern waterbender, and we won't leave until we find the waterbender."
A life that was just beginning to develop and had not yet experienced the cruelty of the world? Or an existing life that she had cared for and loved for years and that would inevitably have to face the cruelty of the world someday?
The last vestige of their culture.
"If I tell you, will you leave the tribe without harming them further?"
The Avatar's future is being discussed, but at the end of the day, the conclusion doesn't matter if there's no Avatar to discuss.
TW: Implied/reference violence
Iio practically forced them to remain in the room in an attempt to persuade them to change their minds. Mangal and Rioshon stayed by her side to support her while Gyatso went to check on their little girl. Of course, she had been exceptional since birth and was practically an active member of society since receiving her arrows, but she was still a child, a loving child who just wanted to play and spend time with her friends, a child for whom the four of them were still (and always would be) primarily responsible.
The Jongmu Rinpung Temple held a meeting between the five leaders of each of the four air temples, and the final decision was established.
"…We've been preparing her as best we can, but she's not ready. You can't take her away from us yet…"
"Sister Rioshon," interrupted Brother Tashi, "you know we have always valued your words, but the rest of us do not believe you can offer a neutral opinion in this situation, where you are so emotionally involved." He looked intently at the three of them. "None of you."
"Who better than us to decide?" Mangal interjected. "We've raised that girl for years, every second she's been with us has been a learning experience. She's only thirteen, and she was informed of her condition four years too early. You can't pressure her any further or..."
"And you know as well as we do why," Brother Tashi spoke again, "the nations are in conflict..."
"Like every period between the death of one Avatar and the public knowledge of the next!"
"This time it's worse!"
“You all feel it too, the violence in the air,” Brother Pasang said, ending the argument that was about to escalate. “It’s nothing like what our ancestors have faced before. We need the new Avatar to begin her training as soon as possible. She’ll be safe in Omashu. You yourself told us, Sister Iio, that Queen Guo Xun, who idolized Avatar Kyoshi, is still strengthening the city and training potential earthbenders for when her turn comes.” Iio had to reluctantly admit the truth in his words. “And Fire Lord Sozin will protect her when she begins her firebending training. He grew up with Avatar Roku; you know he won’t allow anyone near her. But the waterbending,” he sighed and shook his head. “the south is still strengthening, unlike the established stronghold that the north has been for years.”
The room was illuminated by a beam of light that pierced the sky at the same time that Gyatso entered, not caring about the debate that was taking place. He seemed agitated and his eyes were darting in all directions as if he were looking for something; clearly something was disturbing him.
"She's gone," were the first words he managed to say. "She took her bag and her bison. I haven't been able to find her." If there had been any doubt about who he was talking about, it was dispelled with the next sentence. "She left a note on her bed. She was listening to our conversation."
"Oh spirits." Iio pinched the bridge of her nose, anticipating the headache she knew was coming. "This is why we didn't want her pressured. I know you haven't forgotten why we gave her permission to travel between temples earlier than usual."
"We must bring her back immediately. She can't be flying with the storm coming. Her bison is still young," Sister Jyotsna stated anxiously as she looked outside.
Everyone imitated her, watching through the windows. The raindrops, which initially fell with the delicacy of petals, increased in number as the wind grew stronger every minute. The dark sky lit up ominously with each new flash of lightning that pierced it; the sun had long since gone to sleep.
"She must have gone with the Tuinnak tribe; her friend belongs to them," Gyatso concluded, his breathing less ragged, "but we won't be able to go looking for her in this weather, and the chances of her arriving safely or deciding to return to the temple are slim."
"Sister Rioshon," Sibling Khanti called, "weren't you accompanied by the spirit Tien?"
"That's right, he wanted to come and play with the children and participate in the festival."
"Do you think he would agree to go and bring her back?" Sister Nyima asked doubtfully.
"It's possible, they're good friends, or maybe he'll help her get to Wolf Cove; either way, she'd be safe until we can go get her."
And that was the plan they followed, unfortunately, when the sun began to rise the next day, Tien arrived with the news that he hadn't found her anywhere. They agreed not to speak of it publicly, but all the nomads were searching for her. Tien spoke with other spirits without success. Her guardians went in search of her friends, who also knew nothing and were even more worried when they discovered that she wasn't being hidden by one of them as a joke. Even the Stormclouds were looking for her. Everyone knew who she was, the youngest airbender of all time. Although it was true, that was just the excuse they used to ensure everyone was present when the Avatar obtained her arrows.
Several mornings later, Iio gazed at the views of the Nirobu mountain range from the stable at Jinjongsa Punakha Temple as she let the information she had given to the five nomads sink in. Her own bison nudged her back in an attempt to cheer her up. Iio sadly stroked its nose, regretting that its efforts hadn't been effective but appreciating the attempt.
“We understand your concern, Sister Iio, but she’s usually like this. Remember that time she sneaked up to my bison and I only realized it when I was arriving at Jongmu?” Dawa reminisced distractedly as she adjusted her bison’s saddle. The elders had really gone to great lengths to prevent them from shortening the temple names, a seemingly impossible mission. “Besides, she already has her arrows and is an excellent airbender.”
Of course Iio remembered; it was the reason why her little girl, at such a young age, had been allowed to travel between the temples, provided some nomad agreed to take her. This group never refused her.
"Yes, the same thing happened to me when I made a quick stop in Yarlung to drop something off at Koto Temple," Dorje added, feeding his own bison. His companions' bad manners had clearly rubbed off on him. "It stared at me silently for hours until I realized it was there. I was almost at Taihua, and I couldn't turn back to drop her off."
"But something's different this time, isn't it?" Sonam questioned, his voice firm and calm despite seeming ready to receive terrible news. "She's not the first to escape after obtaining her arrows, nor will she be the last. We generally assume they become Stormclouds, and the years have confirmed it." Iio knew she was about to break some rules, but at this point, many had already been broken; one more didn't matter. She looked at them, knowing she could entrust them with this secret since the five of them had come to adore her girl in these years of knowing her.
"She is the Avatar." Iio saw understanding settling on their faces and a few tears welling up. The entire airbending culture was based on freedom and detachment from the physical world, and everyone understood sooner or later the tragedy it was for an airbender to be named Avatar. "The other nations believe that blood ties are stronger than anything, and honestly, I'm already desperate. I'll believe anything that brings her back. With the festival approaching, the search has inevitably been narrowed."
"And you expect us, as her parents, to be able to find her?" Karma translated her words as tears began to fall from his eyes. "Something that not even you and her other guardians have been able to do, we barely..." His words trailed off in a series of hiccups. Dorje hugged him, letting him cry as much as he needed. Iio knew that Karma had always admired and encouraged freedom in her little girl ever since he met her after her arrow ceremony. It had been the main reason why a relationship between them had been able to blossom beyond the announcement of his paternity. He was probably the one who understood his daughter best at that moment.
"We will help you take the children to the Jongmu Temple as we agreed," Yeshe stated firmly, leaving no room for discussion, "and then, we will go find my daughter."
Iio could breathe easy for the first time in days. She knew of Yeshe's tenacity; the stories of how she had courted her four companions were known throughout the temples, and here they were, standing firm, supporting one another, loving the child they had brought into this world. Now Iio's heart could find some peace, and her mind could focus on the festival, something she had been irresponsibly postponing, even knowing it was the greatest of all her people's festivals.
And the comet was almost upon them.
Gyatso led the children to the farthest part of the temple, leaving them in Deche's care and sending his brother Tsering to give evacuation notice in the village. They were always careful to keep the villages secret, so he hoped they could go unnoticed with their unparalleled knowledge of the Patola mountain range. The rest of the world must not know of the existence of non-benders among his people; the past had not been kind to them.
Gyatso met Iio's gaze as he ran to attack another firebender. That morning, she had confessed to them how she had sent Yeshe's group to continue the search; they had scolded her a little, but not seriously. He knew they would have continued searching for their little girl if it weren't for this festival, which in the end hadn't turned out to be very festive. In his youth, Gyatso had considered being attacked by other nations, but never by the Fire Nation; despite their differences, they were like another family.
The cries of agony from his people increased as the comet illuminated the dark, already smoke-covered sky. Gyatso realized he wasn't sure when things had gone wrong. Still, he thanked the spirits for allowing his girl to escape. Naturally, it broke his heart, but it would have broken it much more to see her burned alive in front of him. She was a prodigious airbender, but her fate would have been clear.
Or not.
As he fought, Gyatso was led into an enclosed area. He found himself surrounded by walls at his back, a roof above his head, and soldiers in front of him. There were more enemies than he could possibly defeat. The firebenders moved to the sides, clearing a path before him, It seemed like a mockery until he saw him. The Fire Lord walked indifferently until he stood before him.
"Monk Gyatso, I presume," said the elderly ruler, his golden eyes surveying his surroundings. "You have aged."
"I could say the same about you, Sozin," Gyatso couldn't believe they had thought of handing their little girl over to this monster. "Although much better than Roku, I must say."
Gyatso could see the tension in Sozin's jaw and feel the rising heat around him, despite how hot it already was.
"Ah yes, our mutual friend, Roku, but only one of us was by his side in his final moments," the bastard sneered. Sozin was always jealous of their relationship, but Gyatso didn't expect it to be the Fire Lord himself who killed him. How blind they all were.
"You can still stop this, Sozin," he had to be true to his principles, even though Gyatso only wanted to beat his stupid face until it bled, he couldn't allow him to destroy him more than he already had, "think of Roku, he wouldn't agree with this..."
The pillar near Gyatso erupted in a burst of flames; he barely managed to dodge it, some of Sozin's perfectly combed hair strands falling onto his forehead.
"Take his precious name out of your stupid vulgar mouth!" there it was, the first sign of instability.
"It's inevitable, with a relationship like ours…" This time Gyatso managed to avoid the outburst with a bit more grace, "...knowing everything about each other…"
Gyatso could not continue speaking as he was slammed against the wall and Sozin's arm began to crush his throat. It seems he might not be as good at singing anymore.
"I'm the one who knows everything about Roku," Sozin whispered through gritted teeth in fury. The heat emanating from his mouth was palpable, and Gyatso saw the roar of fire as a possible cause of his death. "His thoughts, his fears, his dreams, his flaws, his inner self... I know everything about him. I saw everything about him. Your pathetic bond couldn't compare to ours in a hundred years." Sozin stepped back, letting him fall to the floor. "Neither you nor she."
"You're right... our bonds to him can't be compared..." mainly because Gyatso hadn't pretended to cry at his funeral after having murdered him.
"It's good that we can communicate so easily, Gyatso," Sozin said distractedly as he elegantly adjusted his hair. "Now, back to business, where is our dear new friend?"
"I know what you're after," Gyatso couldn't help but laugh. In the end, despite the years, Sozin was still predictable, and Gyatso was still a little shit. "You'll never see the face of the new Avatar. You'll die without knowing. Do what you want; that fact won't change."
The elderly ruler closed his eyes as he exhaled smoke through his nose, clearly trying to maintain the composure he had already lost.
"I don't need your permission to act, but I see that I can't talk to you, a shame," Sozin said simply, then turned his back and left. "It was good to see you one last time." Once far away, Gyatso could hear a whisper carried on the wind: "Make sure he doesn't leave here alive."
Gyatso took a deep breath, the shouts of his family fueling his determination.
The fire survived thanks to the air.
And it was time for Gyatso to remind them of that.
Okay, I've panicked now. I'm going to share my stories with our old lover (Fanfiction.net) and our regular threesome partner (Tumblr) too, because our wife's (AO3) abrupt departures are stressing me out. I hope she comes back soon so we can discuss it 😭
Something, something, about Avatars being born with the face of their predecessor's beloved.
Something, something, about Sozin blaming their responsibilities to the world.
Something, something, about Sozin searching for his own face among the air nomads.
Something, something, about Azulon knowing he wasn't enough for his father and being compared to a ghost.
Something, something, about the spiritual child of Roku and Sozin.
Something, something, about the doomed yaoi of an Avatar and his Fire Lord.
.
.
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(Sorry guys, I know we usually just accept Sozin being a psychopath and that's it, but the queerbaiting from other fandoms made me angry again and this is what's coming out. Also, the tendency of the royal fire family to compare their children, even when one of them doesn't even exist)
