𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: The Gaang, Roku, Sozin, Gyatso, Ta Min, Azula, Iroh
𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬: Alternative Universe - Highschool AU, Fluff & Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Yearning, Getting back together, the Gaang are little shits, Aang tries to fix the "og old men yaoi", Zuko is so done, Iroh is a good councilor, Roku & Sozin are confused and in denial, Azula craves chaos
𝐀/𝐍: Thank you for this ask, I'll try my best!
𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: In favour of securing a long-lasting freedom from detentions, the Gaang take it upon themselves to fix the broken relationship between their highschool's callous, fun-hating Headmaster and Aang's favourite professor.
Thanks to Sokka's genius, the group comes up with a brilliant plan. Complex. Full of well-crafted ideas, all written down into Katara's worn out notebook. The most important parts are highlighted by neon-coloured markers and Sokka's shabby doodles.
(It only consists of three points, one of which was dubbed "not-really a mock date".)
So, there's no way it could go wrong in any regard.
Right?
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈: Sing your song full of sad things
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈: We can do the tango just for two
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈𝐈: Be your Valentino just for you
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐕: What're you doin' tonight?
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕: I'd like for you and I to go romancing
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐈: Say the word, your wish is my command
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐈𝐈: Dining at the Ritz we meet at nine
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈: I will pay the bill, you taste the wine
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐗: Ooh, love (there he goes again)
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐗: Everything's all right, just hold on tight
Ya'll remember this post? Welp, I wrote a little thing I couldn't stop thinking about. Please enjoy
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Katara hadn’t meant to, not really. But being a curious person, she couldn’t let it go.
She was on her way to milk the cows when she noticed there was something with the horses. Curiosity getting the better of her, she went to investigate.
She was expecting her brother or someone tending to the horses. What she wasn’t expecting was to see Zuko humming as he brushed down one of the horses.
Katara looked at the scene in front of her, surprised. She hasn’t seen Zuko this at peace ever. He was scowling or grumbling most of the time, and Katara found that the peaceful look Zuko donned suited him more.
Not wanting to disturb him, she slowly backed out of the barn. She was almost out of the clear, until she hit a post. “Ow,” she whined, rubbing her arm as she glared at the post. Like it had done it on purpose.
“Katara?” a voice from behind interrupted her staring contest. She turned around, smiling sheepishly as she hugged her arm.
“Hey Zuko,” she said with a wave. “Sorry for interrupting.”
Zuko waved it off, putting the brush down. He wiped his hands and walked out of the stall. “No worries, I was just finishing up. What’s up?”
“Uh, nothing important,” she finally decided, walking further in the barn now that she’s been caught. “I was on my way to milk the cows when I noticed light in here. Was curious to see who would be in here this early, that's all.”
“Didn’t expect to be me, huh?” Zuko asked, and had the audacity to laugh when her cheeks turned pink. She narrowed her eyes slightly, but there was no heat behind them.
“So, what are you doing here this early in the morning?” Katara asked, trying to shift the subject away from her.
“Couldn’t sleep, I guess,” Zuko answered, “I thought I’d come here and relax before the day started.”
“Did it help?” Katara asked, Zuko raised an eyebrow at her and waited for her to explain what she meant. “Relaxing. Did the horses help with that?”
Zuko nodded, and leaned on one of the stall door frames. “Yeah, it did. My mother lived on a ranch before marrying my dad. And she would take me and my sister there on the weekends to learn how to ride them. It was the only thing I was good at, and being around horses always helped me calm down.”
Zuko frowned at the memories that followed his explanation. Katara tilted her head and waited for him to continue. “But after my mom left, I wasn’t allowed to go there anymore. And soon I found myself wishing to be with horses instead of whatever my father wanted me to do.”
“I’m sorry.”
Zuko shrugged as if it didn’t matter. Which, Katara supposes, it didn’t when it came to having your life run by someone you didn’t like. “It can’t be helped. But now I’m here, it feels like there’s a part of her with me. And it’s nice, you know?”
Katara nodded, she did in fact know what that felt like. She felt it every morning when she woke up and worked around the farm. But she kept that to herself, and instead asked, “wanna go horseback riding?”
Zuko stared at her, before checking the time. “Right now? What about the cows?”
Katara shrugged, already making her way to the back where they kept their saddles. “Meh, I’ll let Sokka know that I won’t be doing it and he can. He’s bound to wake up soon anyways,” she called. “Pick a horse! I assume you know how to put a saddle on.”
Zuko snorted, and led his horse out of the stall before taking the saddle from Katara. “Now you’re just insulating me.” Katara laughed and they both readied their horses in silence.
Once they were finished, and sitting comfortably in the saddles, they raced off towards the fields.
It wasn’t long before the sun started to rise, and Katara slowed to a walk and watched Zuko ride up ahead of her.
Her breath hitched as she watched Zuko. He had stopped and turned around slightly, shooting her a genuine smile. She stared in awe as the sun rose behind Zuko, creating a halo around him.
He looked much different then what Sokka had described to her. Here, he wasn’t some CEO’s disappointed son, who had only one emotion when hanging with his friends, Sokka’s words. He wasn’t mean or grumpy or any of those things. Here, at Katara’s family farm, he looked at home. Like he could live there for the rest of his life and not worry about anything.
And not for the first time, Katara found herself thinking that this suited him far more than the city.
Don’t tell me you’re getting feelings for the city boy, Sokka’s words echoed through her mind. She shook the thought quickly away. This wasn’t happening, right? She was just appreciating someone who looked good when they were being themselves.
Then Katara’s eyes wandered towards Zuko’s lips as he talked, and she wondered if they were as soft as they looked. She blinked at the sudden thought and was slowly brought out of her thoughts as Zuko called her name.
“-tara?” Zuko called, “are you okay? You zoned out for a minute.” Katara shook her head, and flushed in embarrassment. Either from the daydream she just had about kissing Zuko, or from being caught staring she didn’t know. She didn’t want to know for that matter.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thought about something Sokka said, it’s not important,” she said, waving away Zuko’s questioning gaze. That was something she did not feel like sharing, especially to Zuko. “Sorry, what were you saying?”
Zuko looked at her unsure for a moment before repeating, “I was saying that it’s hard to watch the sunrise in the city. It’s either blocked by buildings, or I’m too busy this early to watch it.”
Katara hummed and directed her horse until they were standing beside Zuko. “Yeah, I know what you mean. With school and everything, it’s hard to find moments like these and just relax.”
“You’re in school?” Zuko asked, turning back to look at her. Katara nodded, but kept her attention at the rising sun, too afraid to lose herself in a daydream about Zuko. “How come I haven’t seen you around?”
“I go to a different school than Sokka,” she explained, “the farm keeps me pretty busy as it is.”
“What are you going to school for?”
“Photography,” she replied. “I know it's not much of a career, but I think it’s enough for me. I’ve always loved taking pictures, that and living on the farm, I don’t think I can see myself doing anything else.”
“You’ll have to show me some of your work then,” Zuko said, looking back at the sunrise. “I’m sure they’re beautiful.”
“Maybe one day,” she said, promising herself to snap a photo of this Zuko before he leaves when summer ends. “Come on, I’m sure Sokka needs help with the rest of the chores. I’ll race you.”
Before Zuko had the chance to say anything, Katara was already turning around and dashed off. Zuko soon followed, and Katara enjoyed the laughter that surrounded the air around them.
SUMMARY: reader faces the consequences of interfering with the Agni Kai (emotionally and physically)
WORD COUNT: 3.9k
WARNINGS: angst. Torture, semi nudity (NOT sexually) –traumatising!! physical and some mental abuse. Violence. Mentions/descriptions of death. Crying. Swearing. Ozai being a literal nutter. Azula being nutter 2.0.
A/N: THIS IS A REPOST FROM THE AUTHOR OF THIS FIC - I had some complications with the original blog this fic was posted on so please show this some love,, ALL FUTURE CHAPTERS FOR THIS FIC WILL BE POSTED HERE!! hi friends!! Thank you to everyone who showed some love to the first chapter eep! Anyway I’m really scared for y’all to read this one, but!! I’m aiming to have the gaang in the next one so if you hate this I’m sorry but I didn’t want the story to be rushed so I couldn’t bring myself to skip this :// Please read the warnings!!
Also! In this part italics are internalised thoughts 😊
OTHER PARTS: pt1 / pt3 / pt4 / pt5 / pt6
MASTERLIST: Here!
The Fire Lords command echoed throughout the room, encompassing the crowd in a thick silence.
Zuko let out a small gasp, one only you were able to hear. After experiencing just a fragment of the physical pain he endured, you didn’t want him to make any decisions he would regret, especially if he was considering to defend you. You didn’t deserve it. Burnt, dead skin, blisters across your left side in the hot atmosphere around you. Your heart begins to tighten and rip you apart all at the same time, realising how much pain you caused for taking all of those lives.
Continuing to kneel on the floor of the duelling platform, you’re frozen, filled with disgust as you finally acknowledge the person you became. From your first commission four years ago, you were numbed to the experience of taking someone’s life. Seeing the life fade from someone’s eyes as you plunged your flame lit sword into their chest, you felt nothing. It was as if it were just a switch inside of them, nothing more. One moment they were there, the next they’re not. You recall Zemin’s reaction when you recounted the events of your first kill, and he didn’t make it seem like it mattered. His only response was to scold you for showing off because you didn’t need to light your sword on fire to kill the man.
Managing to push through the new thoughts and emotions that have awoken within you, your mind travels back to the boy behind you. Despite what you’re currently feeling, it will never amount to the emotional pain he has after being attacked by his father. Fire Lord or not.
Continuing to face the floor, you can’t bring yourself to even glance at Zuko, barely managing to croak out, “Forget who I am. Stay alive, that would be enough.”
You feel his stare to the back of your head. You wish you could turn around and say something, anything at all, maybe even hold him. Anything to get rid of the disgusting, vulnerable, and isolating feelings within you. You wanted to tell him he didn’t deserve it, even if you didn’t know who he really was. Because as much as you hated to admit it, you were afraid. So fucking afraid. Zemin never taught you what to do in these situations, especially anything involving saving the Prince’s life.
Unknown to you, Zuko’s right arm cautiously reaches out to take hold to the back of your robes. So close his fingertips graze the fabric, but not close enough. The two nearest guards rushed to grab you while everyone in the crowd stared at your figure on the duelling ground.
With one guard on either side of you, they grabbed your arms and shoved you off the platform. Hissing, and failing to shove down a pathetic sob ripping through your half-burnt throat, you fall onto your hands and knees. A moment later, the guards were back at your side, dragging you through the door you couldn’t bring yourself to walk through minutes earlier.
Freedom feels like a distant, pathetic dream.
You try to take in the palace around you as they drag you to the right. Connecting where you are to the map, you saw last night, becomes increasingly difficult as the prolonged burning sensation on your skin begins to fog your mind. It’s no use keeping your eyes open. The dark colours of the palace give you a headache. You want to pass out. Give up completely. But Zemin didn’t lock you up in a pitch-black, underground labyrinth, for three months when you were eight to learn nothing. Instincts kicking in, you allow your eyes to close and begin to count your movements, listening to your surroundings.
20 steps forward.
Turn left.
15 steps.
Turn right.
You notice the guard to your left has a weaker hold on you than your right. Possibly about of disgust for holding your arm, or maybe to cause less pain. You assume the former.
18 steps.
The guards come to a stop.
You feel the guard to your left, slightly turning her body towards you. “Hey, maybe we should stop for a bit. I think the kid passed out.”
Ah, so maybe the latter as well then.
The guard to the right scoffs at her suggestion. “Don’t worry about it. She’s not completely out yet, she managed to keep moving. Probably just weak from the pain. Stupid kid. We’ve got a long way to go, and the Fire Lord will want her towards the top of the prison.”
Still unconvinced the female guard persists, “Shouldn’t we be taking her to the infirmary? These are really severe burns.”
There’s a pause. Only for a few moments, but enough for them to weigh up their options. “We should, but the Fire Lord would end us if we did that. We’ll just send a healer to the cell after we get her there.”
The guard shakes you, forcing you to open your eyes. Guiding you out of the palace, you squint your eyes as the sun blinds you, eventually able to make out a tall tower-like building before you. Entering the darkness that lies inside it, you struggle to keep up with their pace as they wind their way further and further up the spiral. Making it to a cell, the guard to the right drops you instantly making you crumble to the floor, eliciting a subtle dig to your hip. You’d forgotten all about the dagger strapped around your waist under your robes—the one you used to kill the general.
While the guard is holding your injured arm tugs you back up, you decide to act while one of them is preoccupied. Balancing on your right leg, you swing your left leg around, slamming into the back of their knees, making them fall. You quickly take out the dagger from underneath your robes, flipping it in your hand and using the blunt of the handle to knock her out in the head. The thud to the guards’ head alerts the other ahead of you. By the time they’ve processed what happened, you ran to them, kicking them in the stomach propelling them into the cell they recently managed to open. Running towards them you drop to both of your knees, arching your back as you slide under streams of fire passing above you. Rookie move on their part. Bringing your torso back up, you send a punch to their face knocking them out cold.
You grab the other guard and drag them into the cell as well and swap your robes for their uniform. It’s too large for your adolescent figure, but its good enough. Taking the keys, you lock them both in there, closing the main door on your way out in hopes no one will notice them in there instead of you.
Breath, you still have a long way to go.
With determined strides, you make your way past other guards in the prison, praying to the spirits that for once they’ll be on your side. Following the steps you memorised in your head from earlier, you end up back at the point where they led you from the arena. From this point, you decide to go in the opposite direction to which they took you. To the left.
Stay calm y/n, you’re going to make it.
You find a door leading out of the castle, and you can see the palace gates in the distance.
Holy Spirits! So… I would have made it out in time if I left the Agni Kai… That doesn’t matter anymore, you’re going to make it out now.
Walking out into the open, you force yourself to suppress a scream of pure joy. Time began to slow down as you saw the gates coming closer and closer. So close you started wondering where you’d go once you made it through.
Those thoughts were abandoned when you hear screaming from behind you.
“Close the gates! That guard is the traitor! Don’t let her out, and close the gates!”
No. No, not again. No, no, no! Fuck!
Breaking out in a sprint, you push yourself harder and further than any training exercise Zemin put you through. You let out a painful scream as if it would make you run faster than the guards at the gates, slowly pushing them shut. Nothing could compare to how much you wanted this slice of freedom. After just a few hours of being in the miserable palace, you were convinced you’d rather walk and swim to the Northern Water Tribe without any food or water, than have to spend another moment here. Mind going into overdrive, you don’t seem to hear or even register the fact that there is a group of around twenty guards behind you, ready to take you down.
With an echoing clang, they seal the gates shut. You falter, slowing down as waves of desperation and hopelessness consume you, yet unable to bring yourself to stop completely.
No, please.
One guard managed to catch up to you in your moments of weakness, throwing a strong punch to your head before you have time to react.
WEEK ONE
It had been a week since you were caught (again) and imprisoned in the Fire Nation jail cell and quite frankly, you were bored. After your stunt when you were first brought here, they ensured that you would never have access to any sharp objects, serving food in wooden bowls with only your hands to eat. Bold of them to assume you didn’t know 21 ways to use the bowl if you truly desired to kill them. No one spoke to you, not even the healer who came in wordlessly the first night to treat your burns. You lay on your right side, staring up at the ceiling admiring the small light that came through the poor excuse of a window.
I wonder if Zemin was worried when I never came back. Would he be worried? No that’s a stupid question, of course not. If anything, he’d be annoyed that I damaged his reputation by getting caught… I still hope he got those gold pieces though, at least then I can slowly waste away in here knowing I don’t owe him any more money. Maybe he could finally fulfil his dream and go to Ba Sing Se. He used to always guilt me into learning a new form of fighting, groaning on about how he gave up the money he had to move there and start a new life with the woman he loved, to raise me. Idiot. He never had an obligation to raise me in the first place, I’m probably from nowhere, and my parents were probably mediocre people in the grand scheme of things. Who even were my-
Cutting off your train of thought, one of the guards walked up to the cell and unlocked it, another quickly grabbing your wrists, and latching them in chains. “The Fire Lord has ordered to speak with you.”
You crack a smirk, “Oh goodie, I think I’m ready for a rematch!”
“Shut it kid, you’re lucky he ordered that you can’t be disposed of… yet.”
Am I lucky? Being burnt alive and having access to a non- waterbending healer and a bowl of old rice is lucky? Oh great Spirits, thank you for gracing my life with these blessings from the great Fire Nation.
What. A. Load. Of. Shit.
Leading you to the palace, you make it into the throne room. At this point, you wanted to laugh at their efforts to scare you.
Really? Dark Lighting and a fire wall right in front of the throne you sit high and mighty? If only I were an Airbender, then I could huff and puff until you fall into the flames.
A guard standing near the Fire Lord is the first to speak. “Bow before your Fire Lord!”
Spitting on the ground, you look at Ozai in the eye. “I will never bow before you!”
He laughs.
“I know you are the one who killed one of my generals before the duel after acquiring your blade. It’s quite interesting how you managed to get to him without any bending, I must find and congratulate whoever your trainer was. Lucky for you though, the general was of no value to me and easy to replace. I will also show you mercy for what you did at the Agni Kai, only because it was my disgrace of a son you protected, and just like that general, not anyone truly valuable to the nation. Regardless of your crimes, you have already proven yourself a very great asset for a mere child. For that, I will grant you the ultimate freedom, free of any ties you have with the low lives outside of the Capital. Instead, you can directly serve your Fire Lord as my personal assassin. I will have the best swordsmen train you. Taking your abilities to new heights, you wouldn’t even begin to imagine for yourself. I will make you unstoppable. For a non-bender, that is.”
Based on the confident yet bored tone of his voice, you could easily assume he didn’t care. Yet his golden eyes narrow down towards your figure. Waiting. Testing to see if you dare defy his wishes. The offer is objectively easy. Technically, all he is asking of you is to do the same thing you’ve been raised to do, just under his allegiance.
Zuko flashes in your mind. Tears streaming down his face, and begging his father for mercy. “I will never kill for you! I would rather relive the burns you gave me every day than stand by your side!”
He sighs. “If that is what you wish. Maybe over time, you will learn what a great honour it is to be offered such an opportunity, let us meet again next week.”
The guards, as if they were expecting this, shoved you to your knees, ripped off the top you were wearing, and the bindings across your chest. Frozen as the warm air from the flames around you hit your chest, you were mortified. Knowing other guards present were intently watching you be humiliated in front of the Fire Lord, you forced yourself to control the urge to vomit the contents of your prison food on the floor. Quickly bringing your arms and hands to your chest, you winced at the sudden movement from your left arm.
Without any time to mentally prepare, both guards ignited streams of fire to your back. Instinctively you hunch over, attempting and failing to avoid the flames. Unbeknownst to you, everyone in the palace all the way to the kitchens, froze as your haunting screams echoed throughout its halls.
Through your tears and screams, you faintly heard the Fire Lord speak. “You will learn to agree, and you will comply.”
THREE MONTHS
Despite crying every time it happened, you became accustomed to the burnings every week you refused Ozai’s offer. You began to lose any emotional feeling when it happened, robotically going through each step.
They bring you to the throne room.
You say no.
You take off your shirt and bindings for yourself.
The guards burn you.
You cry.
Ozai watches you as if he had better things to do with his time.
Although today, hours after the ritual, you received your first guest that wasn’t a guard or a healer. You knew who they were after sensing them as they hid behind a pillar in the throne room every week. Sensing them through the body heat within them, a gift you always had since you were little. Theirs was crackled with so much anger and hatred; it was so unique to everyone in the palace, you barely had to think about it.
“What do I owe the pleasure of the one and only Fire Nation Princess being in my worthless presence?”
“Shut it scum!”
You let out a small laugh. “Ooo scum? That’s a lovely nickname, but honestly, a little bland, don’t you think? You ARE the Fire Nation princess after all, why not add a little spice to it?”
She didn’t seem to like that. “ENOUGH! You want spice?!” Shooting a streamline of fire from her fingertips, she shot at your head. Luckily enough, you weren’t in front of Ozai or defending her brother, so you swiftly dodged her shot.
Not giving her the satisfaction of retaliation, you sat in the middle of the cell, closing your eyes and crossing your legs. You began to meditate, trying to block out the irritating sense of fire within her.
She walked up to the bars, staring down on you. “I hope you know that my dear brother Zuzu won’t be coming back any time soon.”
This was the first time you’d heard about the Prince since the Agni Kai. She paused, waiting to see if she got a reaction out of you, but you were a trained assassin for Spirit’s sake, you had more control than that. Letting out a deep breath of air, you knew all you needed to do was stay calm.
“You do know what happened to him after you failed to protect him, don’t you? Oh! That’s right if I do recall correctly, you were so paralysed with what you had done, you didn’t even spare him a glance!” She let out a laugh as you remained still.
“Awww, yes! Poor Zuzu doesn’t even know what his ‘saviour’ looks like and he never will! You want to know why, scum?”
Not really but I guess I don’t have much of a choice.
“Because he will NEVER come back. He will NEVER step foot into the Fire Nation again because he was banished to capture the Avatar! It’s a bit ironic, don’t you think? All your pathetic little life, you have been KILLING to get out of here, gain your freedom, and you’re never going to get it. You’ll die in this cell. Yet, on the other hand, Zuzu wants nothing more than to come right home and stand by father’s side! That really does top it all off, doesn’t it, scum? You have trapped yourself here, to save someone who only just wants to come crawling right back. And if he ever did by some miracle, capture the Avatar? He would look you in the eyes and burn you himself for being such a traitor to this Nation.”
You tensed for a second, keeping your eyes closed you quickly regained composure. “Okay Azula, you’ve had your fun. That’s enough.”
She smirked with a sinister glint in her eyes. “You embarrassed him that day. You took away the little bit of dignity he could have had if you just let him get all his scars… Or at least let him die getting them.”
Enough.
“You will forever be a reminder of what should have been his. You’re going to die here for nothing.”
Enough.
“You thought you could do some good in this world? You were wrong! Your one poor excuse for saving someone’s life will always mean nothing! Zuko doesn’t care if you saved his life! He hates you! He hates you for taking away his dignity! You will die with him hating you! Your hope for doing good in this world means nothing because he is searching to take away the one thing that would end this war, even though they’re already dead!”
“THAT’S ENOUGH, AZULA!” Opening your eyes, they snapped from your usual e/c to a blinding golden light. The fire you trained for so long to control reached its tipping point and exploded from every pore in your body setting fire to anything in its wake. Azula rushed away from the bars of your cell as it melted around you. Feeling your hair raise in a halo of fire, you raised your right arm as a blast fired right next to her head. A warning shot.
The guards outside of the cell who have been watching you since you were imprisoned, stared in shock. Not once had you shown any indication of being a fire bender.
Generally, in this state, you were unstoppable. A force even Zemin didn’t 100% know how to train, leaving you to your own devices. However, these weren’t normal circumstances. You have been tortured weekly, barely given any food or water and countless wounds that aren’t even close to being healed. After the sudden use of intense energy, you felt yourself passing out, allowing the guards to grab you quickly.
***
Groaning as if no time had passed, you found yourself chained up on a boat. “Am I going to be executed?” You weren’t sure if you were worried or hopeful at the possibility.
The female guard you knocked out on your first day in the palace sat next to you, letting out a sigh. “No, but you might as well be in your condition. You’re going to Boiling Rock, into The Cooler.”
SEVEN MONTHS
The guards came by the Cooler to deliver your food. They usually throw it to the ground and leave, but it seems today they received news that was too good to pass up the opportunity to torment you.
“Did you hear that kid? They tracked down your poor excuse of a trainer and killed him. Figured if the best he could produce was you, he wasn’t even worth sending to Boiling Rock.”
You remained curled up in the corner, unmoving as they laughed their way down the hallway. As their laughs slowly died down, you realised how pathetic you let yourself become.
Why did people have to keep dying because of you? You wanted to scream. Burn this stupid icebox down with your hands. Set the whole place to flames. But you were tired. So, so tired. You didn’t even have the energy anymore to cry when they burned you every week. Regularly being exposed to entirely polar elements began to fuck with your body. It didn’t know how to function anymore. Physically and mentally.
Despite being four months since your encounter with Azula, her words continued to spin in your mind every day. What seemed to break you the most was that you knew even if she were right, you’d do it again. If you could go back, you knew you would jump in front of him every time if it meant he was alive. Knowing he was far away from this hell hole brought you a weird sense of peace, regardless of if he was searching for the Avatar or not.
Unlike him, you weren’t far away from this wretched place. You were helpless.
Grabbing the old and cold bowl of rice, you finished your meal for the first time in three weeks.
EIGHT MONTHS
The guards walked in to take you to the palace for your weekly offer, and for the first time, you were already standing. After placing the chains to your wrists, they took you out of your cell just like they did every week. While travelling back to the Capital, you continuously persuaded yourself, this was the only way. You knew, deep down, this was the right choice. No matter how much you tried to convince yourself otherwise.
Entering the throne room, you make your way up to Ozai. Holding eye contact as the flames burn between you.
Bowing before him in the most traditional Fire Nation bow you can muster. You bring yourself back upright, stance and face stoic, contrasting the satisfied smirk on his face. For the first time, he doesn’t bother to make his offer.
“I am at your full service, and ready to comply my Fire Lord.”
A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading this or coming from my old blog!! please follow this one and stick around, I am currently working on the third chapter and a lil sokka oneshot :)) and to my taglist, i love you all, thank you all so much, i’m so sorry that you all have to deal with me rn and im so so sorry <3
Learning to Fly: From White Blossoms Reborn Chapter Three
Iroh's search for Lu Ten's spirit takes him across the world and challenges all he knows.
Pristine, icy waters reflected the sky overhead. Though the boat cut through the lagoon to its center, not a ripple moved in its wake to disrupt the image of the moon. More black than silver as it was nearing the end of its cycle, the moon's perfect reflection on the lagoon's surface gave the water the likeness of a bottomless pit. Iroh feared that if he reached out of the boat, the dark depths would swallow him whole.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
It's been a hit minute since I've updated this fic and I'm so glad this chapter's finally done. Sadly we don't have any of Dao and the Freedom Fighters here, but we do finally get an answer to why and who left him alone in the Earth Kingdom in the first place.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
you guys get ONE fic for zukka week by me
Ursa had died when he was seven, and although the true logistics of it weren’t clear in his seven-year-old mind, he remembered the black procession, and the dawning realization that he was completely alone. He remembered crawling under the bedsheets, old ones that she had forgotten to wash, and desperately trying to memorize the fading scent of his mother. He remembered spending the whole night curled up staring at his wrist, eyes locked religiously on the words, You are so perfect. He wasn’t alone.
When his father had spent the evening screaming to him over an eighty-four on a math test, staring down in embarrassment and only managing to keep the tears in by looking at the four words on his wrist. You are so perfect. He’s not worthless.
