#like the fact that kanna is the one who tells katara stories about the avatar (!!). etc.

[comradekatara]

i think about their relationship so often.

the chiastic parallels between kanna risking her life to travel to the other side of the world during a war, only for katara to make the same perilous yet inverse journey north two generations later. how the shot with kanna looking on with tears in her eyes as hama is taken by the fire nation, the ship's hull closing as she looks out at her decimated tribe, her best friend with tears in her eyes, is a beat for beat exact callback to katara looking on at aang, the only difference being that aang attempts to smile hopefully for katara before his face, too, ultimately clouds over with despair. the fact that kanna is constantly nagging katara to do her chores, to stop messing around, to follow the rules, to stay put, to listen to her brother. she knows katara, knows her intimately, because she once was her. that brave, daring, hopeful, adventurous girl who wanted nothing more than to escape the confines of her of her monotonous existence, who wanted to travel and find freedom and hope elsewhere.

but katara is now her responsibility, and she knows all too well that a girl like that can be trouble, can be a danger to herself and others. especially if she's a waterbender. kanna saw her people massacred, her best friend taken by the fire nation, her daughter killed sacrificing herself for katara, the girl who carries the hope of her entire people on her shoulders. and she loves katara, she loves her so much, sees so much of herself in her, but it is also her job to rein her in, to keep her indoors, doing domestic busywork like sewing and laundry so she doesn't try to run off, try to run all the way to the other side of the world, so her antics, through her bending mishaps or otherwise, don't cause her to accidentally alert the fire nation and have their entire fragile existence come crumbling down after she and sokka have done so much to maintain it, to protect katara, even when katara feels like she is being smothered and overdisciplined and robbed of a childhood.

katara wants the opportunity to train with a master. of course she does. she considers her waterbending the most important part of her identity, the part of her that brought hope to her tribe and killed her mother in equal measure. she's the only person left who holds the key to their cultural artform, this crucial piece of their heritage. and of course kanna would love it if katara could hone her craft, but her first priority is always keeping katara alive, and if that means she can't become a bending master, then so be it.

raising a teenager is hard, really hard. they don't like being told that ordering them around and telling them to stay in the borders you've drawn for them is "for their own good." the only reason kanna doesn't have the same problem with sokka is because he doesn't actually consider himself a teenager (although he very much is), and he not only follows her rules but enforces them. they are on the same page; safety is the priority, katara is the priority. but katara hates how restrictive their rules are, hates how sullen and strict and serious they are. how hopeless they are, how resigned they are to leading lives of misery in the fraught safety they've created for themselves. she wants to see the world, to have fun, to have friends, to help others instead of being the one constantly being protected and sheltered.

of course, kanna and sokka are not hopeless and depressed and numb by nature; they have been hollowed out into shells of themselves by the war, by the promises they've made to keep katara safe. sokka grows so much by traveling the world, absorbs so much new knowledge so quickly, makes new friends and lovers, gains new perspectives, reaches his full, incredible potential by being dragged out of the comfort zone he clings to in the pilot. and kanna has already undergone her bildungsroman, lifetimes ago. she knows what it is like, what it means to experience the adventure katara desires. but she never told her. she never once mentioned to katara that the south pole is not all she knows, that she too once longed to leave the place that was stifling her, suppressing her freedom. she is afraid to tempt katara, to be anything other than the strict authority from which she once left everything she ever knew behind to escape.

until the avatar returns. until the legend she used to tell katara before their world became too hopeless, of the old days when the avatar kept balance and the world was not at war, is made real again. when katara, who found aang, who believed in him from the beginning, brings the avatar back, through her desperation and her rage and her indomitable hope for a life that can be bigger and better than kanna and sokka's dour little pocket of resignation and grief.

kanna has always believed in katara, has always known that there would come a time when katara was to bring back hope to their tribe. so now, trusting sokka, katara's sworn protector, to stay by her side and do right by her, she ushers them on their journey. katara, her little waterbender, hero of the southern water tribe, and spitting image of kanna.

#this is probably the most important post ive ever made #like. my entire blog could just be summed up by this post #id in alt text #analysis #katara #kanna #sokka #kanna&katara #kanna&sokka #aang&katara #hama&kanna #there were more screenshots i wanted to include here but tumblr has a 30 img limit >:( #like the fact that kanna is the one who tells katara stories about the avatar (!!). etc. #hey girls. did you know. that uhm... the bond between a grandmother and her granddaughter is the most important thing in the world???? #this is also another point in favor of chief katara btw #bc hakoda was chief but he was overseas & traveling the world #whereas kanna was chief of the village. their home. #and sokka is trying to follow in hakodas footsteps but he can’t because he’s never left home #whereas katara WANTS to leave home (like kanna did) but kanna is forcing her to stay by her side #until she gives katara her blessing to grow into herself just like she did as a teenager #and kataras homecoming thus means following in kanna’s footsteps to lead their people #which isn’t to say that sokka doesn’t either #but that they do lead like kanna always wanted them to: together #combining the worldly & the traditional. the globe & their home. hakoda and kanna. kya and hama. #their destinies intertwined; their legacies fulfilled #and katara!!!! is kannas!!!! spitting image!!!!!!! #ok im done now. sry

[musictelevision]

The Sun and the Moon ☯

     “Tell me the story about how the sun loved the moon so  much, he died every night to let her breathe.” 

Emotional Tether Folklore: Two people, preferably benders, who are connected through spiritual interference. They are chosen at birth by two specific spirits. Throughout life, they both will experience feelings and visions from each other. This is a rare occurrence, it only happens every 100-200 years. Together, the two are powerful. Apart, imbalance will occur.

Summary: Y/N is the older sister of Sokka and Katara. Once their mother died, she step forward and watched over her siblings, even though she was only just ten. Years later, Y/N is travelling with her siblings, helping the avatar master all four elements. During this adolescence adventure, will she discover mysteries about herself she’d never imagined? All her life she has resented and ran from the Fire Nation. Now, could she possibly connected to the Prince of the Fire Nation himself? 

A/N: I’ve really gotten into ATLA in the past few weeks, so this happened. I really couldn’t just sit back and not write a Zuko fic. This will be multiple chapters, and will have semi-slow updates. A masterlist and helpful links for a smooth reading experience will be added. I am going to try to make it as accurate as possible. I hope everyone does enjoy, feedback is always accepted!

Warnings: violence, fighting, death, sad elements, cussing, blood, gore, adult themes (later on, will be warned on what chapter if it occurs) !!

Themes:  relationship developments, self love+hatred, acceptance, forgiveness, friendships, adventure !!

Soulmate AU?/Slow Burn/Connection (Unspoken)/Zuko x F!reader

Chapter One :  Beginnings  ☯

The Southern Water Tribe Village ☽

“My love, you should go to bed,” Gran-Gran whispered across the room. Sokka and Katara cuddled together in peaceful bliss, she did not want to wake them. Their father had left earlier in the morning, it had been an eventful day to say the least. With her father left, she couldn’t shake the fact that he would never return. In some ways, you could say, they were orphans. It only brought her thoughts to one sole person: Kya. It had been a few months since the deadly attack. She could still picture the beastly man looming over her mother. 

“Where is the water bender!” He forced once more. Y/N hid behind her mother in fear. They had been inside doing chores when the ships reached shore. Y/N shut her eyes pretending she was somewhere else, maybe penguin sledding with Sokka. Anywhere but here. He became more hostile, roughly moving closer towards the two.

“Where is the water bender.” They knew where the bender was, in fact she was in the same room, hiding for dear life behind her mother. The other, hopefully still alive, was outside with her brother. 

Y/N felt paralyzed. The big man pried even more, making some blows at Kya. Y/N could feel herself starting to bubble inside, her emotions were something to be reckoned with. She’d almost destroyed the entire village over a temper tantrum years prior. Though she was much older, her bending was not under control. It grew from emotion. Y/N noticed the ice around her cracking at every blow he made, Kya did too. 

He stood tall once more, shadowing over the two. Y/N thought death would be different, that she would die of old age. She hadn’t even lived to see the northern lights. 

“Mom!” Katara ran through the door only to be taken back by the large man in their home. The fire nation solider turned towards her, fury in his cold ember eyes. He seemed like he was getting impatient.

“Just let them go,” Kya finally said desperately, “and I will give you the information you want.” 

“Mom-” Y/N pleaded. She was in shock, would her mother really turn in her own daughters? Y/N wasn’t ready to go, but if it meant saving the tribe, she’d be willing to do it. 

“You heard your mother, get out of here!” the man hissed. Tearfully she ran over to Katara, holding on to her for dear life. Being her big sister, it was her unspoken responsibility to keep Katara safe. 

“Mom I’m scared,” the younger girl cried. Their mother looked at them, and smiled. 

“Go find your dad sweetie, I’ll handle this.” Kya spoke before facing the man once more. Y/N practically dragged Katara away from their childhood home, running as fast as they could to find their father. 

“DAD,” Y/N screamed. The ice she stood on cracked under her feet, yet she couldn’t care. The imagine of her mother’s fearful look swarmed her mind, it made her feel sick.

“Mom is in trouble there is a man in our house,” Katara shouted. Y/N held her hand tightly, making sure she didn’t loose her grip. They were the last water benders in the tribe. The two were vulnerable and easy targets, but she would never let Katara know that.  

“Kya!” their father cried out as he followed them back to their home. Sokka followed close behind. 

Her mother’s dead body laid on the floor. 

She didn’t want to remember the rest. Her father left to fight for their tribe after the devastating invasion. He seemed more, cold. Y/N couldn’t help but notice just how much Kya’s death changed him. Maybe his coldness was directed towards herself. She couldn’t bring herself to ponder that thought.

“Dad isn’t coming back,” Y/N remarked. Gran-Gran paused, calculating just the right thing to say. Sokka rustled in his sleep slightly, before settling once again. 

“I can’t shake the fact that he’s going to end up just like mom. Besides I am the reason mom is dead. No wonder Dad left, he can’t even look at me.” Gran-Gran shushed Y/N quickly. Sokka and Katara did not know the reason Kya died, and Gran-Gran wanted to keep it that way. It was Hakoda’s wish.

“Come child,” she waved the young water bender out into the crisp midnight air. Y/N followed the elder eagerly. The moon, full and bright, lit the entire village. The stars shined brightly, she thought of her mother. Kya always told her the magic of the night sky, how the moon and stars worked together so gracefully. Gran-Gran stood at the edge of the water, patiently waiting for the young girl to join her side. 

“When you were born, your mother suspected you would be a bender. That was a dangerous thing to be,” she paused with a long sigh. “However, the moon spoke to your mother the night you were born. The moon was the brightest it had ever been that night, the whole village awoke from its light. The moon shinned for you, and Kya knew that.” 

Y/N smiled to herself. She’d never known this much about herself before. It still didn’t make her feel better, why was Gran-Gran telling her this anyway? It didn’t change anything, her mother was still gone and her father still hated her. 

“But,” Gran-Gran continued abruptly. “The sun rose early that morning, bright as ever. It was as if the balance had returned for a day. We thought maybe you were the avatar.” They both sat in silence pondering her last statement.

The avatar? What a joke. Y/N had begun to believe such a thing never even existed in the first place. 

“I’m sorry I’m not,” Y/N muttered keeping her eyes fixated on the moon.

“No child, that is not your destiny. Your mother knew that you would be apart of restoring balance to the world, but just not in the way. The moon spoke to her. The great spirit told her to protect you from all harm.” Y/N’s eyes filled with tears, but she did not dare let them fall. Her mother was protecting her, she knew that the day she met her end. But to protect her over some prophecy a moon spirit said? It made her blood boil. 

“Of course, you won’t be alone in this.” Gran-Gran smiled to herself, leaving Y/N only to formulate more questions.

“Why would the moon find any sort of balance in me? Why would the sun react with the moon? How will I ever find another person to help me? This is so stupid, how do I know If you’re even telling the truth?  Gran-Gran this is ridiculous. No moon spirit cares about me! If they did they wouldn’t let her die or let dad go!” 

The eldest villager didn’t answered. She knew it was impossible to know. It was the truth, but it would take Y/N years to accept that. 

“Do not dwell on the unknown, it will be revealed when the universe allows it. What you do with this information is your choice,” Gran-Gran slowly confirmed before making her way back to her respected residence. 

“Ugh,” Y/N belted. She waved her hand towards the water before her in frustration. The water reacted with her swift movement, sending a wave towards the horizon. The sadness and confusion hit her, almost like a punch to the chest. 

She chose to never speak of the information Kanna gave her. It still plagued her mind every so often, but she ignored every aspect of it. In her eyes, she was a normal southern water tribe citizen.

But in the back of her mind she knew, that was far from true.

That night at the Fire Nation Palace ☽

Ursa had done what she had to. It was for him, her son, Zuko. She had protected him his whole life, just as she was instructed to. The sun spirit made that clear to her on the day of his birth. This incident was no different, just more drastic changes would have to be made.

She quickly made her way through the palace halls, her frail body still humming with adrenaline. Killing the fire lord, what was she thinking? Leaving now would only make it clear just who did it. Was being on the run from the crupt fire nation worth saving Zuko? A million times yes. Stopping to catch her breath, her attention caught by the bright orb in the night sky. It always gave her peace of mind, the moon. 

Azulon had instructed Ozai, her husband, to kill her first born. If only Ozai hadn’t spoken in such a heartless arrogant way, this wouldn’t have happened. To kill his child? It was horrible. He would do it though, if it meant keeping his honor. Ursa questioned why Ozai was so empty and power hungry. It was an answer she’d never know.

Some servants scurried pass her, bowing in the process. Did they know? They would soon, everyone would. She had to make herself scarce before then. The paranoia was sinking in ever so quickly. It was the only way to save herself, leaving. But, Ursa couldn’t help her mind race to Zuko. 

Zuko. 

The room he occupied was dark. There the young prince laid sprawled out on the crimson-colored king sized bed. Snoring slightly, he peacefully slept. The moon light coming from the window lit his raven colored hair perfectly. It felt wrong to wake him, he looked so content. But, it had to be done. For all she knew, it could be the last time she would ever lay eyes on her son. It was a little past midnight, in the morning the whole world would know. 

She sat on the corner of the bed next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Zuko had never been a heavy sleeper, especially with Azula as a sister. Her unless torment made him keen and aware of his surroundings, a good habit. 

“Mom,” he muttered groggily. Why was she here? His mind was still fuzzy.

“Zuko,” Ursa urgently spoke. Ursa quickly grabbed him by his sides, lifting her son up to face her. He blinked a few times, trying to focus with his tired eyes. 

“Please, my love, listen to me,” this made him try to focus more. Her voice was hoarse almost like she had been crying.  

“Everything I’ve done, I’ve done to protect you,” with this statement she pulled him into a hug. The last hug. She squeezed tighter than normal, he did not question it. 

She finally pulled away after what seemed like minutes. He was such a beautiful boy, how could she leave him? Would he parish without her? Would he be taken advantage of? Only the spirits could know. Footsteps could be heard in the hall outside his chamber. 

“Remember this Zuko,” she started facing him once more. Her voice was more stern this time, like she wanted to send a message. 

“No matter how things seem to change, never forget who you are,” her voice said in a whisper tone. Ursa hoped he’d listen, and take those words to heart. It was all she could do for him. From now on, Zuko would be on his own.

The prince watched her in tired confused as she turned towards the door. He wanted to say something, question why she had come, but he couldn’t. The tiredness was overwhelming, taking over before he could object. She sadly looked back once more, before pulling her cloak over her head. 

Hastily she ventured back trough the halls, leaving swiftly without a trace. By the time the fire nation caught word of their deceased leader, she was long gone. Just a memory. Ursa’s life she once knew was far behind her.

She looked up to the two spirits in the sky. The setting moon and the rising sun. Their harmonious relationship was on display in the sky. How wonderful the colors of the night collided with the morning sun, she thought to herself. 

“Watch after him,” the woman pleaded to the two spirits that occupied the sky.

“He will make you proud.” 

#avatar the last airbender #atla #atlafanfiction #atlafanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #imagine #atla imagine #atla fanfic #atla fanfiction #avatar the last air bender #avatar the last air bender imagine #zuko x reader #zuko x y/n #zuko fanfic #prince zuko #prince zuko imagine #firelord zuko #atla zuko #zuko #firelord zuko imagine #zuko fanfiction #prince zuko fanfic #zuko masterlist #prince zuko masterlist #firelord #zuko fanart #prince zuko fanart #fire bender #water bender

[nerdybookworm25]

Rambling about Katara and Zutara

Ok so I’m going to kind of just put my two cents out there on this stuff. I joined the ATLA fandom this past summer and just started watching TLOK (my brother and I just finished Book 2 yesterday). This is a hot debate and I just want to ramble on about my opinions on this stuff. A lot of this will focus on Katara’s perspective because I can understand her better than Zuko or Aang due to personal experience. Im just... gonna... get into it now...

I’ll give you some background on me so you guys can understand where I’m coming from. I’m a 15 year old girl with abandonment issues caused by multiple deaths of close friends and family at a young age (my uncle when I was 4, a grandmother like figure when I was 7, my dad’s mum when I was 9 or 10, my great grandma when I was 11, a close friend of my dad’s when I was 13 and many others). I also am the Mum Friend (my friends literally call me “Mum”). I’m the caregiver of the group- the glue, the harmonizer, the therapist, the teacher, the good advice giver etc. (This stuff actually hot me in trouble as a kid and it kind of messed me up). My friends who have seen Avatar have compared me to Katara on multiple occasions and say I’ve got the temperament of a waterbender. You can kind of see where I’d relate, you know?

I do ship Zutara. My brother turned to me during the Book 1: Water- Episode 9~ The Waterbending Scroll and asked, “What if Zuko becomes a good guy and ends up with Katara?” From then on I was on the Zutara hill and I’ll probably die there. It limited ships that I loved from childhood and I thought it would hav been really cool- it would have fit the themes of the show, it would have been a cool thing to see grow and blossom, etc. It had nothing to do with Katara and Zuko being attractive at all- not in the slightest. It also wasn’t me projecting onto Katara. I didn’t really care to notice any major similarities between us until Book Three: Fire- Episode 7~ The Runaway. It was this exchange that changed Katara from my favorite character to someone I could heavily relate to.

Toph: [Sarcasically.] Oh really, Mom? Or what are you gonna do? Send me to my room?

Katara: I wish I could!

Toph: well you can’t! Because you’re not my mom, and you’re not their mom! [Extends her arm at Aang and Sokka, who are sitting on a ledge.]

Katara: I never said I was!

Toph: No, but you act like it! You think it’s your job to boss everyone around, but it’s not! You’re just a regular kid like the rest of us! Stop acting like you can tell me what to do! I can do whatever I want!

I remember bursting out laughing when I heard this. My brother asked me what was up and I paused it and explained that that was a lecture I revived so regularly when I was younger. It really really ended up messing me up. It’s not like I tried to mother anyone- it just happened. I wasn’t controlling it. I didn’t notice I was doing it and I got in trouble. Now things are different and I’ve embraced the fact that I am the designated Mum Freind. Still working on getting over being told off about it in therapy though. Anyway, I think you now can understand where I’m coming from with this “analysis.” Now I’m going to get into it (for real this time lol).

I think I’m going to start with the caregiver stuff. Katara’s mother died when she was very young. It was a very traumatic death. We can infer that Katara blamed herself for this death because the Southern Raiders were looking for the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe- her. That’s a lot for an 8 year old to try to process. Here’s the kicker: I don’t think she ever fully processed it until after Book 3: Fire- Episode 16~ The Southern Raiders. She almost immediately helped her grandmother take up the roll as the woman of the house. She probably didn’t feel like she had anyone to talk to about what she was feeling however true or false that’s what she most likely perceived this to be. When Hakoda leaves for war with all of the men of the tribe, Kanna might be the matriarch and help raise Sokka and Katara but even Sokka admits that Katara became a pseudo-mother for him. Taking care of others doesn’t leave a lot of time to deal with your own issues. Sometimes it feels easier to help others face their demons than face your own.

We continue to see Katara become the glue of the Gaang as the series progresses. She keeps them together in the Si Wong desert after Aang leaves her, Sokka, Toph, and Momo. She’s always the one cooking, cleaning, and mending not because she wants to, but because she knows no one else will do it and it needs to be done. We see her try to coax Toph into helping out around camp when she firsts joins the Gaang. It doesn’t work and this conflict continues for most of Book 2 and the beginning of Book 3. All of this time, she’s making it a point to take care of everyone. When the adults show up after the Boiling Rock, she’s still the one making the dinner and probably does a lot of the other chores as well (except for tea making- this will come into play later).

There’s a running joke about Katara being “Momtara” within the ATLA fandom (more the Zutaraians in the fandom than anything else but it’s a pretty well known concept). We continue to see this when the Gaang is on Ember Island. She brings them all drink during training sessions, watches said training sessions in case someone gets hurt and they need her, wrangles Sokka to the best of her ability, and just generally looks out for everyone regardless of age gap. It’s her natural instinct to be motherly. She retains this quality even after she finds Yon Rha. (Getting closure on her mother’s death doesn’t mean losing what had become a major personality trait).

Let’s unpack that now, shall we? Kya dies and Katara thinks it’s her fault. She doesn’t really talk to anyone about it. A few years later, Hakoda leaves to fight in the war. The Southern Water Tribe recives no letters or news about what happened to their warriors at all. Katara felt like she lost another parent. She nearly says as much during Book 3: Fire- Episode 1~ The Awakening.

Hakoda: You’re taking about me too, aren’t you?

Katara: How could you leave us, Dad? [She attempts to wipe away the tears.] I mean, I know we had Gran-Gran, and she loved us, but we were just so lost without you.

Hakoda moves to comfort her as she turns away.

Hakoda: I’m so sorry, Katara.

Katara: [Embraces Hakoda.] I understand why you left. I really do, and I know that you had to go, so why do I still feel this way? I’m so sad and angry and hurt!

The thing that sets off this exchange is Aang running away for the third time since Katara has known him (the fourth time in Aang’s lifetime). The other times he ran were when confronted by the rude fisherman in Book 1: Water- Episode 12~ The Storm, then again during Book 2: Earth- Episode 11~ The Desert. Aang has a, for lack of a better word, chronic running away problem. I’m not mad at him for it. It makes him an interesting character and shows that he too has flaws (even if they aren’t always addressed but that’s an issue with Bryke). When Aang flys away after waking up during 3.1, Katara is distraught.

Katara: He left.

Hakoda: What?

Katara: Aang. He just took his glider and disappeared. He has this ridiculous notion that he has to save the world alone, that it’s all his responsibility.

Hakoda: Maybe that’s his way of being brave.

Katara: Its not brave, it’s selfish and stupid! We could be helping him and I know the world needs him, but doesn’t he know how much we need him, too? How can he just leave us behind?

Katara feels abandoned by Aang. This is completely understandable. She has every right to be angry at him and feel sad that he flew away. He comes back every time but I feel like if I were in her position, as much as I’d hope my friend would come back and I’d tell everyone that I knew he would, I’d still be afraid that there was an off chance that he doesn’t. This is a natural human reaction to this situation. People were seemingly constantly fading in and out of Katara’s life and that just wasn’t good for her mental health. It couldn’t have been. This also raises the question of if someone has a very serious fear of abandonment, would it be healthy to be in a romantic relationship with someone who consistently leaves? Personally I don’t think so. Be friends? Sure. Date? I don’t know. It doesn’t quite sit right with me.

Katara probably feels abandoned by Zuko too. During the Book 2 Finale: Crossroads of Destiny, Katara and Zuko bond in the crystal catacombs under Ba Sing Se. They relate over their shared fear of being abandoned by those they love (yes I think Zuko has abandonment issues too- among other issues/fears). When he turns his back on her, she doesn’t live him (obviously). She has cared about him enough up to that point to offer to use what is arguably her most powerful possession to heal his scar. She cares. Because she cares about him then, she is downright livid when he betrays her. (Of course the difference between Zuko and Aang with this is Zuko leaves once and comes back and he doesn’t leave again. Aang leaves and comes back over and over and over again).

Katara: I thought you had changed!

Zuko: I have changed!

Katara carries the weight of his betrayal on her mind until she and Zuko go on their life changing field trip to confront the man who killed Katara’s mother. This was her time to finally get closure. She had probably had these feelings bottled up for 6 years and didn’t act on them. When she finally had the chance, her best friend and brother tried to stop her. She lashed out.

Katara: We’re going to find the man who took my mother from me.

Sokka pauses and stands up, surprised.

Zuko: Sokka told me the story of what happened. I know who did it and I know how to find him.

Aang: Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?

Katara: [Shakes her head in dismay.] Ugh, I knew you wouldn’t understand. [Begins to walk away.]

Aang: Wait! Stop! I do understand. You’re feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?

Zuko: She needs this, Aang. This is about getting closure and justice.

Aang: I don’t think so. I think this is about getting revenge.

Katara: [Angrily.] Fine, maybe it is! Maybe it’s what he deserves!

Aang: Katara, you sound like Jet.

Katara: Its not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he’s a monster.

Sokka: Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right.

Katara: Then you didn’t love her the way I did!

Sokka: [Hurt.] Katara!

Katara gets a lot of flack for this interaction. She says Sokka didn’t love their mother like she did and Sokka I’d understandably hurt. It doesn’t excuse what she said, but people do lash out when they are feeling a lot of emotions and they get defensive when they feel like they’re being ganged up on or attacked (I myself am guilty of this sort of thing). What Katara said was wrong but I have no doubt in my mind that she didn’t apologize to Sokka when he and the rest of the Gaang arrive on Ember Island later in the episode. She is seen walking over to him after she hugs Zuko.

Zuko and Katara go after Yon Rha anyway. For once in her life, Katara is feeling emotions and no one is trying to get her to stop or to push them aside. She doesn’t have to be constantly taking care of someone so she can focus on herself. Katara trusts Zuko more than I think she realizes. I mean she trusts him with a lot and he follows through on a lot of unspoken/subconscious agreements and promises.

Zuko is looking out for her. Zuko has her back. Zuko is allowing her to feel all of these emotions and work them out of her own accord. Zuko isn’t telling her to feel one way or another. Zuko isn’t going to judge her for whatever she decides to do when they find Yon Rha or what she does in order for them to get to that point. Zuko ensures she gets the closure she feels she needs.

When he sees her bloodbend, he’s surprised, but he isn’t appalled. When he thinks she’s going to run Yon Rha through with a giant shard of ice, he doesn’t try to stop her. He lets her be her. He sees a dark side of her in a way that no one else in the Gaang has seen. It’s strangely intimate. Clearly it has enough of an impact to make her forgive him. She knows he isn’t going to abandon betray her and her friend again.

Once they become friends, and even before that, Zuko starts to help out with small things here and there. We see him making tea for all of the kids at dinner. He tells jokes to make them laugh. He teaches Aang firebending. He goes with Sokka to the Boiling Rock to make sure he doesn’t get himself killed or in a prison cell for the rest of his life. With all of this, “Dadko” is born.

If you strip away Zuko’s anger, he just becomes the awkward-turtleduck-first-time-father that we all know and love. There’s more balance in the Gaang with him there to help and become an “authority” figure with Katara. They become the parents of the other members of the Gaang. It’s an interesting shift in their relationship- enemies to unsteady acquaintances to enemies to frenemies to friends. They’re close enough that they show small signs of physical intimacy and they tease each other.

Also if you look close enough when the Gaang walks into the “seedy Earth Kingdom tavern,” Zuko and Katara appear to be holding hands and are near each other from then until the finale episodes. They are clearly just great friends by the end of the show. I mean Zuko also takes a bolt of lightning to the chest for her...

Zuko doesn’t leave when his life gets difficult- not after he joins the Gaang. He made that mistake once and he won’t make it again. Aang was always part of the Gaang but continued to leave (again, I’m not mad at him for it but he never seems to realize the effect it has on the people around him- especially Katara). Zuko also doesn’t all but forget Katara and continue to run around the world. When Zuko fully decides to stick around, you best believe he is sticking around.

This works really well for Zutara. They’re both each other’s rock. They support each other and help each other in times of trouble. Do they argue? Yes. Is that a normal part of a healthy relationship- romantic or otherwise? Yes. Do they take care of and look out for each other while also not smothering or suffocating each other? Yes. I don’t know about you but this sounds stable and healthy to me. They balance each other out so well (I’m not going to get too into that because if you’re reading this you probably already know with the whole Tui and La, Yin and Yang, Oma and Shu thing).

Now, this is a big deal for me and it makes me furious, but Katara is forgotten by history. She has no statue. She is reduced to a housewife and healer- things our wonderful water feminist was afraid of becoming as an adult. I mean this girl

This girl

THIS GIRL

She becomes nothing but a housewife stuck in a healing hut who gets forgotten by the world and left behind by her family just... let’s all of that happen? Yeah that’s pretty unrealistic. I think about this frequently and with starting TLOK I have formed even more opinions and have a little thingy (I don’t know what to call it) for what happened to her.

Kya II is everything Teenage Katara wanted to do and be before settling down. Old Katara is everything Teenage Katara was so afraid of become reduced to/becoming.

It’s an interesting way to think about it and I thought I’d share. Now if Katara was Fire Lady, she wouldn’t end up like that. She’d have the power to change the world and continue to fight for what she believed in. She could have helped with the trail with Yakone. Katara has so much potential to not be forgotten or brushed aside and somehow it happened. It makes me so sad. The potential Zutara had to make sure Katara had a genuine legacy was right there at their finger tips and they didn’t use it. What a shame. What a shame.

With all of the things I’ve talked about, I just feel like Zutara would have been better for Katara than Kataang was. I think that’s more Bryke not developing the relationship well enough and instead choosing to be sloppy and selfish in the way they structured the relationship. Yeah this is my rambling on about the issue. Hope it was mildly entertaining! If you want me to write something about how Zuko would have benefited from Zutara, let me know!

#atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #love #katara #zutara #gaang #romance #tlok #lok #the legend of korra #legend of korra #Kya #Hakoda #kya ii #Aang #fire lady katara #fire lord zuko #Zuko #anti bryke #zutaralove #zutara forever #zutara fandom #zutara meta #atla analysis #ships #otp #fire and water #yin and yang #oma and shu

[chaoticevilbean]

Trying my hand at an Avatar Sokka AU. Gonna be weird Bc thassa me and I’m just That. Anyways, don’t expect too Much from this. And I’m gonna try to Make it good, but I also Haven’t watched the show a million times. Just a few.

It’ll probably include:

- No one knowing Sokka’s the Avatar except Kanna and Kya

- Sokka as Chief of the SWT. I will probably make him younger when his father leaves for plot purposes.

- Sokka starts as a firebender because the Spirits do something. It will never be clarified what they do.

- The former Avatar was Aang’s friend and saved him and Appa after they decided to run away together. However, it was only the duo that got put in the iceberg, preserved by the Avatar’s power, and that Avatar went into hiding without his best friend. He stayed alive and in hiding until he knew that it was unlikely anyone thought he was still alive. If it was assumed that the Avatar was gone forever, his successor would be safe from the Fire Nation. Especially because the raids would ensure the Earth Kingdom would be suspect instead of the Water Tribes.

- When the raids were done, the previous Avatar pulled a Jedi Master and just straight-up died to pass on the responsibilities.

- Sokka didn’t discover his abilities until he was about five or six. It was during a raid and he was with his mother and grandmother. He learned to control it quickly with their help. By control, I mean he doesn’t randomly cause steam or smoke or light firepits. He can hold his flames inside.

- Sokka attempted to copy the moves of the raiders who used bending, but found that waterbending moves like those his sister did worked better on the ice. Since he grew up with the Midnight Sun and Polar Night, he isn’t affected by them. (Also, his Avatar Spirit balances it out a lot.)

- Sokka thinking he’s just a firebender because the raids have been going on for a hundred years, but then Kanna has him do a test and the results are absolute. He is the Avatar.

- Sokka trying to imagine what an airbender would bend like. Sneaking out in harsh winds and practicing to bend with light steps and using the air to lift him higher. Building up his lungs and trying to be as though he’s in the mountains or soaring above treetops.

- He doesn’t get far, but he gets started.

- Using his lung power and inner flames to dive deep and long to catch fish and gather other supplies. More often after his father left.

- When Aang comes along, Sokka observes his every move, trying to master them in private late at night, with the excuse of keeping watch

- Aang is taken by Zuko because he’s an airbender and they’re supposed to be extinct

- Sokka eventually gets good enough with both the firebending he learned from his enemies and the airbending he learned from his friend to start waterbending. He’s sort of good because he’s been using the moves for years (amateurish but still used)

- The trips go the same, only they’re now just trying to find possible teachers for the Avatar and the Avatar themself so they can somehow teach the person all at once before the comet

- Aang connects to the Spirit World because he’s a monk and he knew the other former Avatar extremely well. The Spirits allow him passage.

- Aang causes Sokka some panic when he compares him to his ‘old friend, the previous Avatar’. Sokka eventually gets used to it.

- Zuko tracks the Gaang because they’re his only lead.

- Sokka acts solely as a nonbender when around anyone because he doesn’t want to be the Avatar. Yes, he knows the war is awful. Yes, he grew up with it. But that’s exactly why he doesn’t want to be the Avatar. He grew up with raids and the death and destruction that followed. His mother died protecting his sister when they were so young. All the men, the hunters and warriors, left the tribe and left Sokka in charge when he was a preteen. The war has brought nothing but sorrow, and Sokka doesn’t think he can overcome something so huge, so insurmountable. So he acts as much like a nonbender as he can.

- He isn’t sexist towards Suki because Kyoshi makes sure he has that stamped out early on. Instead, the moment the blindfold is off, he’s craning his neck back to see the statue of his past life. Suki thinks he’s a bit thick, and Katara doesn’t understand but covers for his preoccupation.

- Sokka learns to be a Kyoshi Warrior when Kysohi literally takes him over during the night and steals both warpaint and an outfit, and then teaches him to properly wear it all. Suki finds him firebending in full Kyoshi garb and using the fans. She assumes that he’s just the product of the Fire Nation’s cruelty.

- However, she does ask why he stole their gear and how he’s using the fans better than most newbies.

- “Kyoshi.” “What?” “Kyoshi... possessed me... and taught me how to be like you... and she’s proud of you.” “... is this normal for the Avatar’s friends?”

- Suki doesn’t tell the others under the conditions that she ‘take over for Kyoshi’ in training him and she can figure him out for herself through that.

- At the Fire Temple, the group gets separated, but Sokka is called by Roku to the Solstice room. He ends up managing to get inside with the help of Shyu, who understands he’s protecting himself and others by hiding.

- The others still get captured, and Shyu claims that Sokka made a controlled explosion to get in (the original idea until Shyu told him he knew the boy was the Avatar). Aang tells Katara that Roku sealing the chamber means Sokka is being spoken to. Zuko and Zhao are still there as well.

- When Roku takes over to tear down the temple, he disappears into an obscure hallway so Sokka can regain control without his friends knowing.

- Toph finds out Sokka is the Avatar when she ‘sees’ him practicing. She starts demanding he ‘keep her company’ when she does daily bending practice (they all do it so they can improve enough to eventually teach the Avatar and fight the Firelord). Whenever Toph ‘sees’ Sokka make a mistake while practicing earthbending, she uses the correct moves the next day and makes sure she’s in full view of Snoozles.

- Sometimes Toph drags Sokka over to watch Katara and Aang practice because she’s ‘bored’.

- Aang goes to see the Guru and when he’s heading back because he was given a vision of Katara in danger, he explains what he learned to Sokka. Sokka takes Aang’s place in their plan, so he is the one who helps Iroh rescue Zuko and Katara.

- When Azula starts to attack and it looks like they’ll lose, Sokka hides himself and is ignored because he’s presumed a nonbender. He goes through opening his chakras in what is definitely record time, but Sokka’s always been good at following plans/instructions (not orders, instructions, like how-to’s and stuff). He has to let go of his attachments to the Gaang, to his tribe, to Yue, Suki, and those he met on his journey. He does so by considering the fact that by letting go of his focus on them in particular, he can focus on stopping the larger problems, the problems that are likely to or are causing them harm.

- Sokka enters the Avatar State just as Aang enters, and the chaos causes Azula to think Aang is the Avatar. When she shoots him with lightning, Sokka drops from the Avatar State and gets his family out of there.

- Zuko still turns against them, but Agni’s voice is strong, and Sokka sees the same brotherly nature as he has within the boy.

- After taking the FN ship, Katara brings up a discussion of who the Avatar could be because they were there and helped the group, and Sokka makes up a vague story of how someone pulled him out of the battle (to explain his disappearance). Toph acts like she’s actually wondering, but pulls Sokka aside later and tells him she knows.

- Sokka can use metalbending, but doesn’t do it often if at all because he’s so used to hiding and he feels like it’s Toph’s thing. She stamps that out once she gets sick of it.

I might add more, but I’m just plotting this out right now, and I’m gonna try it out later when I have the time. If you want, suggest stuff. If you hate this idea, then please give me constructive criticism instead of pure wrath. I’m still going to include a character arc that hopefully does Sokka justice, but instead of focusing on his dismantling of his former sexist ways and learning that not being some big tough guy is okay (he can love shopping and fashion, he can love poetry, he can love dresses and makeup, he can love singing and have fun and pick up fine arts and paint), it’ll be more of him opening up and learning that he is strong enough, and if he isn’t, he has friends and family for a reason. He’ll learn how to be more confident in his abilities and how to let his true self shine more than his fake one.

Have at It.

#atla #sokka #avatar!sokka #au #avatar the last airbender #katara #toph #suki #yue #aang #iroh #zuko #azula #sokka is chief

[babie-azula]

kya lives??

ok this was totally random but, what if Kya was alive still? The events of the raid on the Southern Water Tribe still occur but Kya isn’t killed, she’s captured. 

Azulon starts raiding the STW because he believes the avatar died during the Air Nation Genocide and reincarnated as a waterbender. Therefore, it is in his best interest to find the avatar and capture them. If he kills them then he’ll have to search the earth kingdom and they are still slowly gaining territory. It’s not feasible to begin capturing earthbenders and not have the resources to contain them away from coal and earth. Do they have the wood for that? 

So when the Southern Raiders attack the STW when Hakoda is chief, they capture Kya as the last waterbender. They would keep her alive but barely in a private prison made specifically for her. Hama was most likely in her early 20s when she was captured and she seems to be in her late 70s when we see her in season 3. She was the only survivor from the larger camps. I think they would add her cell near the capital prison that help Iroh but close to underground tunnels that are apart of the palace so Azulon is able to extract information and potentially use her power for himself (if he believes she is the avatar). 

Hakoda is dead set on revenge but Bato has to hold him back. Hakoda’s grief I think would be the same as before but he hates himself for letting Kya suffer. He should have been able to protect her. 

Sokka and Katara don’t know for sure if their mother is alive, but from Kanna’s stories of Hama they assume she had died. It’s worse when they grow up and hear the horror stories of what happens to water benders when they are captured by pirates or the Fire Nation. The siblings assume their mother suffered through dehumanizing torture and died in a cell without her family and no hope of going home. It would increase their rage against the fire nation  and the ability to bring up their mother is worse. Her name is associated to what could happen to Katara when she find out she is a waterbender. This would hinder her ability to train because she knows her mother had to suffer because of her. 

I think her fight with Master Pakku would be very different because she will yell at him that her mother suffered in the Fire Nation prisons because her daughter was a waterbender and he doesn’t care enough to help defend the female students. I would assume the NWT will also hear the same horror stories because of trade networks. At least from Kyoshi Island and other island villages that need resources. 

Now for Kya’s escape. This happens during the Day of Black Sun after Zuko stands up to his father, He would have a plan with his war balloon when he wrote his letter to Mai suggesting this was planned ahead. I’ve always headcannoned that Zuko brought with him a big bag of gold incase he needed to bribe or buy anything of importance. While he ran from the treasury, to break his uncle out, he is cornered by guard and has to change direction. This leads him to Kya’s hidden cell. He doesn’t know who she is but recognizes that she is Water Tribe. He decides to free her, because she reminds him of his mother. Kya doesn’t know who he is, but he’s busting her out (blue spirit style ;D ) so she trusts him enough to get her out. Once they reach the war balloon, cue the awkward conversation. 

Kya ask’s him who he is, and Zuko tells her he used to be the crown prince and he wants to help the avatar defeat his father. Kya tells him that she was captured from the SWT as the last waterbender and then Zuko realizes that this is Katara and Sokka’s mom (holy shit right). Then things get even more awkward when Zuko tells her that he knows her kids, and might have accidentally been chasing her kids for the last few months. This will not settle well with Kya but I think sharing war stories with one other during their flight will warm Kya up to Zuko. She recognizes the fact that he his an abuse victim (it’s clear from the way he handles himself and the multiple scars/ bruises he has). I sense bonding while and at one point his scar will definitely be brought up. It’s a lot easier for Zuko to open up because Kya is very similar to Ursa, she is nurturing, kind, and sacrificed herself for her children. She feels safe to him. 

Once they reach the Western Air Temple, Zuko will set up camp and find the TOAD. Yes, the toad is still here and he practices what he’s going to say to said toad. When Kya finds him after cleaning up, she decides to give him some pointers on how to introduce himself. She tells him, why not explain why you were chasing them in the first place, but Zuko will not agree because he doesn’t want to give excuses for his actions. This will make Kya tear up, she is very proud of her adopted child. So they both wait for the Gaang, Kya hiding while Zuko introduces himself until Toph notices that there is another heartbeat. Zuko assumes the group think’s that he was going to try and capture them again and freaks out, Kya recognizes this and goes to help him. This blows her cover and she sees her kids for the first time in 5-6 years. Very tearful reunion, both Siblings don’t know how to feel about this. Zuko who chased them around the world and helped kill Aang, but who also saved Aang once and brought back their Mother. This would help Zuko intergrate more and avoid burning Toph’s feet. But, the siblings spend a lot of time with their mother so Zuko bonds with Toph and Aang instead. This would help establish their relationship for The Firebending Masters and expand upon Zuko and Aang’s friendship. 

The Boiling Rock would be the same episode except once they come back we have SWT family reunion. This would be very hard for both Toph, Aang, Zuko, and all the other people in the Temple. Everyone is happy that Kya and Hakoda are here and they’re a family again but it hurts so much. Toph wishes her parents cared about her, Aang misses Gyatso and the Air Nomads, Zuko wishes he had loving parents (Ursa is dead in this au), The Duke misses the freedom fighters, Teo and Haru both miss their dads. It’s a very bittersweet moment and Zuko has to leave early because he has a lot of unpleasant memories that are brought up. Toph goes to comfort him because she can relate to parents that don’t believe in her. 

Zuko is terrified of Hakoda. Toph, Kya, and Hakoda notice and know exactly why. It’s hard to bring up without causing him to spiral so Hakoda decided to talk to him alone during dinner to reassure him that he will not hurt him or his own children. It’s your standard Zuko and Hakoda bonding. This will end up with the SWT parents pseudo adopting the rest of the Gaang. 

Suki and Kya bonding over their dudes. They would also share their experiences in prison, helping each other cope with the trauma they’ve been through. Suki and Hakoda have a lot of things in common and hit it off really well. 

They will get separated once Azula finds them but instead of finding who killed them Katara and Zuko find the people responsible for taking her mother away. Then we have Katara and Zuko bonding (no shipping this is pure gen. besides Sukka). We stan a healthy ride or die friendship. 

This was kind random but I thought it would be an interesting idea. I only thought of this for the Kya and Zuko bonding. I swear to god, Kya and Hakoda would totally adopt the feral firebending child. 

#atla #kya lives au #alternate universe #kya is alive and had adopted the gaang #but she adopts zuko first #then toph and aang #she is a warrior and a mother #kya and sokka are actually very similar #hakoda and suki friendship rights #they would be the scariest daughter-in-law and father duo #swt fam are pure af

[kristallioness]

The wolf cries moon

Summary: Aang, Katara and Sokka deal with the aftermath of the Siege of the North.

Word count: 3,052

Author's note: Rewatching ATLA has made me laugh and cry and given me so many feels already, but it's also such a good source of inspiration. I keep noticing some stuff I haven't given as much thought to before, such as this. It took them 3 weeks to travel to the location where they left the Northern Water Tribe boat to head to General Fong's base (according to Iroh, who said that he and Zuko floated on driftwood for so long). These kids were definitely not alright after the siege was over. They went through so much and it's evident that it affected them later. Sokka must've mourned for Yue every night when they were still at the Northern Water Tribe - he'd fall asleep by staring at the moon (as seen in these storyboards). Plus, he said he thought about her all the time ("The Swamp"). I can't believe how minimal I managed to keep the dialogue. I wanted to set the right mood by describing the surroundings and the interactions between the characters. Well, sometimes actions do speak louder than words.

----------x----------

The light coming from the rising sun that shined over the Northern Water Tribe the next morning didn't seem as bright as many had hoped. As most of the northerners had hoped. A dull grey curtain of clouds covered up most of the sky, but it was possible to differentiate day from night. The moon had already begun losing its full form, but its spirit remained standing strong high up there. She was watching over her people, who were slowly beginning to rebuild.

It'd been two days since Aang and Katara last had a waterbending lesson together. Now it was time to put their skills to the test, but in a calmer, more practical environment. With the help of a few other waterbenders, including Master Pakku, they were almost done repairing the damage to the second igloo among hundreds of others waiting for their turn.

Aang wiped the sweat from his forehead and heaved a sigh of relief as he took a few steps back to let the masters finish off the intricate ornaments on the facade of the building. He looked around the city - everything seemed a bit different than when they'd first arrived.

The normal rhythm of the once bustling tribe hadn't returned. The streets were quieter, the sound of ongoing construction work filling the nearby area. A lot of people remained indoors, trying to get over the shock and forget the horrors they'd encountered during the battle. A group of warriors, including Sokka, continued their search for firebenders trapped in the city, imprisoning the ones they'd already found on the battlefield. Chief Arnook, along with a select few civilians, were helping separated family members find their way back home to reunite with their loved ones. Neighbours offered housing to each other until their igloos were repaired. Everyone simply wanted to get their lives back to normal.

Aang thought that the northerners, all members of the Water Tribes, sure knew how to stick together during difficult times. Their people were so resilient, they didn't stay down for too long.

Katara stepped beside him and leaned against the snow wall behind them, allowing her body to slide down to the ground with a soft thump. She looked just as tired as he was. All three of them had been awake throughout the siege and they'd gotten a few hours of sleep the previous night. It wasn't enough to put their minds at rest from the emotional toll.

Katara reached for the pouch on her back and gulped down some of the fresh cold water. Aang licked his lips. He was thirsty, too. She noticed how he stared at her as she drank, practically begging for some for himself. She gave him a loving smile once she was done and handed the pouch in his hands. The waterbender chuckled at how his face immediately lit up. The airbender quenched his thirst just in time before Pakku called for the two of them to come back and join the group, who were ready to move on to the next igloo.

Aang didn't even blink before his hand met Katara's and she was dragging him behind her as they ran. He was surprised at how fast she'd stood up and grabbed him by his hand to hurry after their master. Did she really get all of that energy from such a small amount of water? The airbender shook his head to clear it from that silly thought and to focus on more important things. Such as the fact that Katara was holding his hand and gazing back at him to be sure that he could keep up with her pace.

Aang didn't wanna think about the following hours of hard labour without her. She'd promised to help out with as many homes as they would get to within the next hour or so. After that, she'd join Yugoda and the other healers to get some practice in that field. The female waterbenders were busy helping the wounded and counting the casualties. Now that Katara was declared a master in combat waterbending, she became more interested in honing her healing abilities as well. Who knew, maybe she'd need them one day.

Katara stopped running to catch her breath once she and Aang were walking beside Pakku. The old master chuckled at his students' enthusiasm. He ran a hand over Katara's back to praise her for all the work she'd done to help with the renovation in the residential area. She could've gone with the healers first thing in the morning, but she insisted on joining his group specifically. Not that it had anything to do with Aang being there, too...

The young waterbender wrapped an arm around his waist in return, almost as if she was trying to give him a hug. The gesture was a bit unexpected, but Pakku appreciated it nonetheless and held Katara close to his side as the trio continued walking. Aang found the image to be rather heartwarming, but his attempt at hiding his wide smile failed miserably.

Pakku noticed how fond of him she'd become once their differences could be cast aside. He was glad, even somewhat relieved that the feeling was mutual. She'd really grown on him, too. Katara reminded him so much of his beloved Kanna, so stubborn and bold. He had no idea whether she was even alive after all those years, whether she'd made it somewhere safe. Until her granddaughter had told him. He knew he'd have to make things right between them as soon as they'd see each other, after decades of being apart. He'll have to take some alone time for tonight to carve her something special, something just as beautiful as the necklace he now saw being worn by the young waterbender next to him.

Katara looked up at Pakku, sensing that he was eyeing something about her. They smiled at each other fondly. Katara still couldn't believe that he thought of her as a master now. Her, the last southern waterbender, a master at the age of 14. She had a hard time getting used to the idea, it all seemed to happen so fast.

It'd only been months ago when she was still back home, trying to learn a beginner's move by herself for hours on end. The idea of becoming a waterbending master being only a vivid dream she'd see every night she went to sleep. Exactly like her dream about the Avatar returning to save the world. But now, she and Aang were friends, travelling the world together. And she would soon be his waterbending teacher. It was surreal to say the least.

She knew Sokka saw her as an equal, capable warrior when they stood on the front line side by side, waiting for the Fire Navy to arrive. What would her dad say when he hears about that? Hakoda had practically scavenged through half the South Pole in hopes of finding her a teacher when she was just a little girl and they'd recently discovered her waterbending abilities. Katara gazed at the cloudy sky, also at Yue, thinking to herself: would mom be proud?

She felt tears forming in the corners of her diamond blue eyes, but she hastily wiped them off before anyone could see. Aang saw it, though. He grabbed her free hand in his, walking closer to both her and Pakku. Katara blinked to get rid of the last tears and returned his gaze with a frown. However, a thankful smile formed on her lips. He always seemed to know how to make her sadness disappear and help her feel better.

By the end of the day, everyone had made significant progress in their work. Aang, Master Pakku and the other masters finished rebuilding a bit more than a dozen houses. They even found time to patch up some of the larger holes in the defensive walls on higher grounds of the city. Katara, Yugoda and the healers had examined more than a hundred patients in the healing hut, sending half of them home to recover from minor injuries. A quarter of them needed to be monitored, so they were taken in for observation. Once the worst cases had been dealt with, Yugoda had allowed Katara to rejoin with Pakku and his group to help with the renovation on the last two buildings. That last hour and a half in the evening working together with Katara had been most enjoyable for Aang.

Before they could retire, Chief Arnook had asked them to join the elite for supper. He shared great news about the tribe being free from Fire Nation soldiers. Aang and Katara were surprised to hear that Sokka had already gone home at nightfall, leaving the rest of the warriors in charge of completing that task. They'd finished their second sweep on the town less than an hour ago. Finally, most of the families had found a place to stay for the night.

When everyone had finished telling stories about their accomplishments, the chief's guests agreed that the first day had been a success. It wasn't much, but at least it was a start.

By the time Aang and Katara returned to their temporary igloo, they were exhausted. If it wasn't so freezing outside, they would've curled up against one another in the corner of the nearest street and fallen asleep right there. They honestly didn't care about anything else but getting some rest after a rough day. Their walk back had been slow, they took the time to gaze at the stars, as well as Yue. She provided them with all the light they needed to get home safely.

As they withdrew the drapes hanging from the door, they saw that Sokka was already sleeping in the dark. He'd probably put out the candles cause he wasn't sure when his sister and best friend would return. Considering everything he'd been through, it was weird that he wasn't snoring like he usually did.

Katara hushed Aang to keep quiet before they stepped inside and tiptoed next to him. She crawled into her sleeping bag while the airbender lay down on the furry floor, quite close to her. Once they felt cosy enough, they simply stared at each other for a while, completely lost in the depths of the other's eyes. For some reason, neither of them felt sleepy. Slumber didn't seem all that appealing anymore.

"You okay?" Katara was the first one to whisper. She reached out her right hand and cupped Aang's cheek.

"Mhmm.." he nodded, his face beginning to flush. Aang hoped that she wouldn't be able to tell the difference in the dark, forgetting that she could still feel the heat radiating against the palm of her hand.

He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. He felt how Katara tenderly ran her thumb across his cheekbone, then stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. Next, he heard shuffling and felt something else gently press against his cheek. He opened his shimmering grey eyes and met a pair of diamond blue ones twinkling right back at him. Katara had given him a good-night kiss. She quickly averted her gaze and blushed, too, crawling back inside her sleeping bag.

Aang felt a wave of energy rush through him, like his heart wanted to explode. He laid a hand on his chest as if he was trying to calm himself down, but feeling his racing heartbeat only made it worse. That kiss was enough to help him get through the next couple of days. He finally remembered to smile at Katara to thank her for that boost.

A minute later, her own heart stopped pounding and the weariness was beginning to take over again. The waterbender's eyes fell shut and she almost managed to drift off into her dreams. She peeked at the airbender, who'd subtly shifted even closer to her. His eyes were closed, his expression so tranquil. His head was supported by a pillow and his hands were tucked underneath it in front of his chest, his knees also pulled up close.

Katara sighed and shut her eyes to follow Aang's example. They'll need all the sleep they can get for the rest of the week. Pakku told them the benders and healers should be ready to depart from the Northern Water Tribe in a few days' time, probably by the end of the week. They promised to help out for as long as they stayed there.

Katara was practically asleep when she suddenly heard snivelling coming from somewhere. She opened her eyes and looked at Aang. He was fast asleep. She rolled to her other side and looked at Sokka, who had his back turned towards her. He didn't seem to budge either. She guessed that it must've been the wind intruding inside their hut. When she'd barely found a comfy sleeping position and the faint cry recurred, she decided to wake the airbender up to investigate.

"Aang?.. Hey, Aang. Wake up," Katara whispered as she gently shook him from his shoulder.

"Huh?.. Katara, what's wrong?" Aang wondered, releasing a short yawn as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

They waited for some time, but eventually they heard someone sniff. Aang propped himself up on his right elbow to look behind Katara's back. She turned around again to look at Sokka. She caught one last shake go through his body and after that, silence prevailed in their little hut. Katara glanced back at Aang. He nodded to her, urging her to check on her brother.

So the waterbender crawled out of her sleeping bag and over to the warrior. She peeked over his shoulder. Sokka attempted to hide his face in his pillow, but Katara could see the frown on his features, his left cheek decorated with a wet streak, his lips pouting. He sniffed again and covered the side of his face with his glove. He knew his sister was right beside him.

"Sokka.. Hey, are you okay?" Katara asked with that special tone of hers as she shook him from his shoulder to wake him up. That was the last thing Sokka wanted to hear right now. Her caring, motherly voice, her gentle touch, her comforting presence - it all reminded him of mom.

She grabbed his hand, slowly pulling it away from his face. Sokka finally opened his heartbroken blue eyes and stared at his sister, sniffing again. He dried off the old streak of tears with his glove as he sat up, averting his gaze for a second. He sighed.

"No.. not really," he answered honestly, looking at both Katara and Aang. She couldn't think of anything else to do, so she simply wrapped her arms around his neck and held her big brother close. Sokka hugged her back, staring at the ground behind his sister with an empty look. His eyes welled up with fresh tears when he felt someone else embrace him from the other side - Aang.

Sokka squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face against Katara, quietly sobbing into the fur around her hood. Once she heard his silent cries, she felt like her heart was being ripped apart, too. What if instead of him and Yue, it would've been Aang the one she'd lost? She'd probably feel the same way he was now, perhaps even worse. At that thought, Katara broke.

Aang was the only one in the group whose eyes remained dry, but besides hearing Sokka's crying, he noticed Katara doing it, too. The airbender pulled his hand away from her back for a second to wipe her cheek. The waterbender opened her eyes and gazed into his, understanding what he'd done. She blinked at him to say thank you before she shut her eyes again. Katara bumped her head against Aang's. The tips of their noses rubbed together, her tears streamed against his cheek, too. She opened her eyes and stared at him longer, his eyes were closed now. Simply seeing Aang right beside her filled her heart with comfort, love and hope. It reminded her that everything was going to be okay. That's when she had an idea.

"Do you wanna see her?" Katara asked Sokka once she'd regained her composure and his crying had ceased, or at least quietened down. She felt him nod against the back of her neck as he hummed in agreement.

Katara was the first one to break their hug. She wiped off the last of her tears into her sleeve before she stood up and stepped in front of the drapes. She pulled the cloth apart and shoved her head outside, taking a quick look around. Having spotted a small pile of snow, she summoned a tiny part of it back inside their igloo. Next, she waterbended the snow into an icy hook and attached it on the side of the doorway. Finally, she pegged the drapes behind the new detail and stepped aside to admire her work.

Aang placed a supportive hand on Sokka's shoulder. From where the boys sat on the floor, they could see the starry sky. The moon shined its silvery light through the opening left between the drapes. Sokka's frown turned into a smile. He could see Yue.

"Thanks, Katara. You're the best sister ever."

Katara walked over to him and knelt down, wrapping her arms around him to give him another big hug. After that, Sokka was ready to try to fall asleep. Everybody resumed their cosy sleeping positions in silence. Katara beckoned Aang to snuggle against her for warmth since the cold air intruded through their makeshift window. The airbender couldn't have been happier about that request. She glanced at her brother, who was lying in his own sleeping bag on her right side, staring at the moon with a loving smile on his features.

"Good night, Yue!" Sokka said in a hushed tone, then closed his eyes and gradually let slumber take over. His friends had no idea how reassuring it'd be to hear him snore once more. Katara had promised herself that she wouldn't fall asleep until Sokka did. In turn, Aang waited for Katara to fall asleep before he allowed himself to drift off into his own dreams.

#the original Gaang #Kataangtag #Kataang #Yukka #Aang #Katara #Sokka #Yue #Arnook #Pakku #Yugoda #ATLA 1.20 #my fanfiction #mine #shards of Kristal

[comradekatara]

what do you think the gaang/fire nations kids’ respective playground activities were in elementary school?

well obviously not all of them attended elementary school (toph was homeschooled; it seems like zuko was too?? but maybe he did go to school like azula but he simply had no friends) so im kinda just gonna base this off what kids did in my elementary school for those of them who had a less than ideal upbringing

obviously aang was playing, the center of attention as he showed the other kids his advanced airbending tricks his marbles or his air scooter, flying around on his glider, flying around on his bison, running around the temple, eating fruits straight from the trees, laughing, loving his friends and being beloved by them in return.

katara was playing little team sports like 3 on 3 soccer or dodgeball or kickball, jump rope, hopscotch, snowball fighting, freeze tag, penguin sledding, red rover red rover you have to come over, playing make believe that she was a dreaded pirate king, or a daring and valiant knight, or a mom in a family (for some reason to little girls these are all interchangeable???), gossiping about the cool older boys, and you know, trying not to show off her waterbending in front of the other kids because her mom said it was dangerous even though she doesn’t really get why...

when sokka wasn’t trying to convince the other kids to play pai sho with him despite its reputation for being a boring game for old people, practicing with his boomerang and other weapons, or simply just joining katara in whatever game she felt like playing, he was trying to prove to the older boys that he was basically grown like them and trying to get them to take him hunting, reading books that were way too mature for his age before they got confiscated by kanna “for his own good,” or finding the nearest adult and asking them really specific, intelligent questions that they absolutely did not have the answers to.

toph would have loved the opportunity to hang out with a bunch of kids her age, even though she also would have quickly realized that she is far smarter and wiser than these simple children. she would learn this fact by telling them a story that is obviously made up, with no intention to obfuscate the fact that she was making it up on the spot, only for all the kids to lap it up fully believing that this actually happened to her no questions asked. at which point she would marvel at the stupidity of her peers—nay, the human race.

zuko was the type of kid who liked to pretend he was a cat or a dragon (one of those) and run around in his own little world on all fours meowing and snarling and hissing at people, blissfully unaware that all the other kids thought he was an absolute freak.

suki was leading the other kids on expeditions across the island, running through the woods, climbing trees and picking fruit, tackle fighting them in the dirt, pretending to be a kyoshi warrior, pretending to be avatar kyoshi herself, stealing freshly baked pies off of windowsills, denying the pie stealing allegations with crumbs around her mouth, apologizing to her neighbors for stealing their delicious pies, etc.

ty lee was always the center of attention, dazzling the other girls with her perfect cartwheels and backflips and other gymnastics and acrobatics, or entertaining everyone with fanciful little stories, or telling girls which boys totally had crushes on them, or having a queue around the block as she told everyone one by one what their fortunes would be (she was totally bullshitting them but they ate it up), or sometimes simply running around in her own little world only half aware that everyone was following her with their eyes as her braid swung around her shoulders and she laughed.

mai would sit quietly in the corner and simply observe, a book in her lap, trying to avoid making conversation with any of the other kids, or worse yet, being roped into one of their games, the ultimate torture.

azula didn’t like watching ty lee show off to her adoring audience or sitting in the corner with mai in silence, and since those were her only two friends, her other option was simply to demand that she be given more work during recess hours. while the other kids may be happy playing like simpleminded fools, she was not like them, she was smarter and more gifted, and therefore would benefit from using her extra time to advance far beyond them, surpass her peers in every way, simply because she could, and thus she ought to.

bonus: jet liked using his recess hours to try to convince the other kids that it was obviously in their best interest to escape the tyranny of adults who tried to force them into being brainwashed by such hideous forms of groupthink as “reading” “writing” and “arithmetic” by running away into the woods to start a kids’ only cult commune in the trees. at which points his parents would get complaints from the other parents that jet was being a bad influence on their kid, and they’d be like “oh my god jet your teachers arent the thought police please just do your homework”

#moonkinds #the gaang and #asks #gonna tag this #babygaang #also re the katara one im not familiar with traditional inuit children’s games so I decided to just kinda base it off my own experiences #as like. an equivalent #anyway tag urself I am (as always) mai toph sokka #in that order