#nexstage | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

zuko-always-lies · 1 year

Text

@nexstage submitted:

Sequel of "Azula disappears and everyone suffers the consequences AU" AKA an idea I had that is way better than the comics, but anything is way better than the comics so it's not saying that much.

Book 2 Earth:

As Zuko and Iroh rest after the fiasco on the North Pole, The Gaang arrives at the headquarters of general Fong. While the conflict between the Gaang and Fong happens like in canon, Zuko and Iroh are sent into a trap made by Combustion Man who proves to be too powerful for Zuko. Iroh lightbends and knocks their assassin unconscious.

Zuko asks who the heck is that guy and how could he blast stuff with her mind, he also asks Iroh about the lightning he summoned. His uncle explains that there are a few rare firebending techniques: mental combustion and lightning which only a small bunch of people could accomplish. While the first one is extremely rare and there is no time to study it or resources, the second technique is Iroh's specialty and Zuko is more than willing to learn how to lightbend to defeat Combustion Man next time they see him. Despite his nephew's enthusiasm, Iroh suspects their assassin was no random case but someone Ozai sent to eliminate them; however, telling that to Zuko might not be the best idea for he is still in denial about his father replacing him with a new heir. Iroh decides to keep this information secret until he sees it adequate to reveal it to Zuko and keep him distracted with lightningbending and the search for the Avatar.

Iroh convinces Zuko that if they want to get answers for the Avatar again and not be ambushed by the assassin they will have to cut off their topknots.

Zuko disagrees with the idea saying that would mean being fugitives from their own home, which Iroh explains is the most pragmatic solution to find the Avatar on the Earth Kingdom without being pointed as Fire Nation and it will be just for a while. Zuko agrees reluctantly.

During their travels, they meet Song and her family and they let them into their house after Iroh accidentally poisons himself with toxic herbs he used to make tea. Zuko sees another point of view of the war when Song shows him her scars made by cruel firebenders. Unlike canon, when Zuko wants to keep looking for Aang, Iroh convinces him to stay until the next day and thank Song and her family for their hospitality.

The Gaang, on the other hand, is shocked to see that the Fire Nation has conquered Omashu and plans a way to liberate it and Bumi.

Like in canon, Tom Tom gets too attached to Momo and he accidentally takes the baby away from his family making Ukano believe his son has been kidnapped by the resistance of Omashu. Aang has the idea to return Tom Tom to his parents and free Bumi at the same time, like a deal. His friends aren't that sure about Ukano being honest with the deal and things will be more difficult if Aang is in the middle of this because he's the Avatar.

Ukano has the same idea about exchanging Bumi to have his son back, safe and sound but Mai says that if Bumi, an experienced and powerful earthbender is freed, he will find the Avatar and teach him earthbending which will make stuff harder for the Fire Nation. Mai and her parents argue because it seems to them that Mai doesn't care about her younger brother, and Mai knows that if a powerful enemy escapes from their clutches and joins the Avatar, the Fire Lord won't like it and will punish them in the end.

Bumi talks to Ukano and says that if he wants his son back that's ok but he won't leave or let Aang and the resistance free him. Ukano thinks Bumi is messing with him and plotting behind his back but the mad king assures him of his honesty.

Bumi's words are sent to Aang in the form of a letter by Ukano and everyone thinks this is a trap. The leader of the resistance repeats himself saying that Bumi surrendered like nothing. Aang, distraught with his friend's choice, decides to give Ukano his son back and talk with Bumi for the night, without being caught.

The night comes, and Bumi explains to Aang he can't leave for he needs to wait for the right time to fight for his city. Listen and wait for the right time to strike, the neutral jing, that's the fighting style of the earthbenders and the best strategy, that's why leaving right now is not a good idea.

Aang reluctantly accepts this and trusts that Bumi will have Omashu back. He returns to the group and explains to them what Bumi has told him and they kind of see the sense of it though they don't agree wholeheartedly.

Zuko's training for lighting bending starts and like canon, he has the same difficulties as his attempts end up blowing up in his face. Iroh explains that he's confused and needs to come to terms with the changes in his life and be more humble because too much pride can lead him to his doom. Zuko says he's been living a forcedly humble life as a fugitive so that's something, and there is also the change in his plans with the Avatar. Iroh adds his father's new family and that makes Zuko angry as he yells that he is the true heir of the throne, not whoever child Ozai had while he was gone.

Iroh ventures carefully with the topic by saying that even if he was born as the heir, his father is the Fire Lord so he can decide who's going to succeed him once he's gone. And if he had written a will as a law stating that his new child will be the future Fire Lord, then there's nothing they can do.

"There is still the Avatar!!" Zuko screams. Iroh sighs and tells him they have a mission with Aang and that is knowing more about the war, what truly happened before the Fire Nation started it. Iroh also says Zuko had seen the bodies of children, women, and elders inside the Southern Air Temple which means the Fire Nation army did unspeakable and dishonorable stuff to innocents and that's something they can't overlook. Zuko storms off.

"He doesn't get it. No one does! He had grandfather Azulon's favor for a long time! How could he understand that I need this?! My father would never do such a thing!! I'm not something to replace!" Zuko doesn't want to admit that all his hours training and studying are for nothing with this new heir of Ozai because that will mean that even without Azula, her prodigious sister, even with his best he's still nothing to his father and he wont have a purpose if the Avatar defeats the Fire Nation.

The Gaang finally arrives to Gaoling and meets Toph, stuff happens like canon except that this time Toph little discussion with her parents gets more intense. She disagrees with the idea of being locked up in her home just because she's blind because her father has seen already how strong she is, and her parents aren't happy that Toph wants to go to a war that they don't have anything to do with and blame Aang for making Toph think she can fight whenever and wherever she wants to. Katara explains that Aang meeting Toph wasn't a random choice but a vision, that she was chosen to be his earthbending teacher, and even if they hide somewhere else, the Fire Nation will conquer everything on the Earth Kingdom including Gaoling, which means that the more help Aang has, the sooner they can save the world.

Toph's parents aren't still conviced until Sokka promises to protect their daughter as the oldest member of the group and send them letters about how things are going. He understands their fear for Toph because Kanna, his and Katara's grandmother told them to go help Aang stop the war with faith in them but also a lot of worry because they're still children and stuff is dangerous outside but if they don't act, the world will never be safe again.

Finally, although relunctantly, Toph's parents agree but their ultimátum is that if something happens to her, the Avatar and the group will pay.

Toph becomes part of the Gaang much to everyone’s joy.

The Zuko Alone episode turns into duo travel as Zuko and Iroh haven't separated; however, Zuko is still angry because he's not making any progress in his light-bending training and Iroh's insistence on not pleasing Ozai anymore and put more effort into knowing about the war and the role of the Avatar before it just make it worse for him.

They end up in Lee's village and befriend him and his family. Both learn that a group of earthbending soldiers are bullying the villagers when they were supposed to protect them. During their stay at Lee's home, the boy talks about his older brother, how he's fighting for their country, and how much he misses him. Zuko talks about Azula and that he misses her too because she vanished without reason. While bonding over absent siblings, Zuko accidentally reveals a bit about his family by saying that Azula had everything at home because they were rich but she still left. Fortunately, that's the only bit of info and Lee doesn't figure out who he is. That is until Iroh and Zuko are informed that Lee has been held hostage by the bullies soldiers after they discovered that it was Lee who threw eggs at them.

Iroh and Zuko had to fight with weapons to hide their identities from the village; however, the leader of the soldiers separates them with an earth-rock wall and knocks Zuko out. He throws more rocks to kill him but Iroh gets in the way and breathes fire much to everyone's shock and horror.

The bullies-soldiers run away from Iroh's power but no one celebrates because Lee, his family, and the village call Iroh ash maker, a demon, and reject him for it. To defend him, Zuko reveals himself as a firebender too and the village kicks them out.

Resuming their journey, Iroh thanks his nephew for standing up to him even when he had made a friend in the little village. Zuko replies that it felt nice to have a friend in Lee and teach him how to use the swords but he wasn't going to let his uncle deal with all the hatred even when they have saved the villagers. Iroh says that what the Fire Nation and the Fire Royal Family have done for years to the other nations has left a deep, terrible mark that will take a lot of time to heal so the hatred and anger are understandable, that’s why it’s important to find the Avatar because he has the answers of how the war started.

Zuko is a bit reluctant because he also wants to recover his throne from his half-sister but he accepts to look for Aang to find out what happened for the Fire Nation to want to go to war. Iroh hesitates about telling Zuko that the assassin is his father’s doing and that he wants to get rid of both of them. He starts by asking Zuko why might be the reason for that assassin to go after them.

The prince remembers what happened at the North Pole and gives that as the answer. Iroh grimaces, technically Zuko isn't wrong but while he tries to capture the Avatar, the former general fought Zhao and his fleet with the Gaang and saved the Moon Spirit. However, if Ozai had as a goal killing a traitor, Iroh would've been the only target, not him and Zuko. Iroh knows that telling his nephew about Ozai’s intentions of eliminating them is important, but doing that will cement more on the prince that his father couldn't care less about him and prefer him dead. Iroh decides to wait for the right moment to give him the news hoping that Zuko takes it as calmly as he can.

During The Chase, Combustion Man finds the Avatar and his friends, and knowing Zuko and Iroh must be looking for them, he waits for them to cross paths with the Gaang and also keeps an eye on them. It will be two birds dead with a single shot. Due to his decision to wait and spy on the Gaang, our heroes don't feel like they have to run away every five minutes which in canon, with Azula and her friends chasing them, tired them out. However, Toph still senses Combustion Man following them but he hides very far away after pretending to leave to make sure they don't escape from him. The fight between Toph and the Gaang doesn't happen because the team is better rested than in canon; however, with Combustion Man still behind them, they decide to create a scheme to fool and defeat him. After some deliberation, the Gaang splits to deceive the enemy. Toph stays on the ground while the rest of the team flies on Appa but they don't go that far. Everyone is concerned about Toph discovering who Combustion Man is as he hasn't revealed himself yet; meanwhile, Toph surprisingly meets Zuko and Iroh and shares some tea with them as an invitation from Iroh.

The Gaang hasn't told her yet about those two (just like in canon) and during a short conversation, Toph describes her friends to them. Zuko can't believe that he has met a new ally of the Avatar but his heart rats him out and when Toph confronts him about his sudden surprise and impatience after talking about her friends, Zuko lies saying that it is a shock a blind girl is part of the Avatar’s group. Toph attacks Zuko and Iroh after sensing his lie and runs away to warn the Gaang.

Zuko and Iroh follow her immediately. On the other hand, Combustion Man had been following Aang, Katara, and Sokka who had flown away on Appa. He finds them in the abandoned, little village but discovers that Toph is missing and Zuko and Iroh haven't found the Gaang yet. That is until everyone meets each other.

With the chaos starting between the Gaang and their old enemies, Combustion Man sends a blast that separates everyone. During his attack, Toph’s feet are injured preventing her from “seeing” where are her friends and their enemies. Sokka carries her and takes her back to Appa while yelling for Katara and Aang to follow him.

Seconds before doing so, a new blast creates a crater, stopping Katara and Aang from running away. Zuko and Iroh shoot fireballs at Combustion Man but he dissipates them and his third eye shoots another blast.

Aang wants to escape but watching how dangerous that guy is and his intent on killing them all, he uses his glider to create a mini tornado and throws Combustion Man toward a few old houses to give Zuko and Iroh a chance to run. Despite the fall, he gets out from the rubble with ease and sends another blast that goes through Aang’s air slash; it explodes a meter from him burning his clothes and a few of his limbs. Katara immobilizes Combustion Man with a water rope turned into an ice rope before aiding Aang. While doing that, Sokka comes to rescue them on Appa, Toph sat on the saddle.

Combustion Man frees himself from the ice rope and scares Appa away with a blast, then a big fireball collides with his back much to his fury. Zuko says this is the rematch time but Iroh tells him to join the Gaang while he distracts the enemy. Zuko refuses to leave him behind so both have to deal with Combustion Man while the Gaang escapes.

Again, the assassin proves to be more efficient and experienced than the banished prince but Zuko holds back his impatience and frustration and in an attempt to end the battle quickly he imitates Iroh’s movements to lightbend; however, only tiny sparks appear. Iron lightbends to kill Combustion Man but he uses his blast to propel himself to the air and evade the attack. During the few seconds in the air, the assassin watches as the Gaang is finally on Appa’s saddle, ready to leave. His next blast is fired a few seconds before Aang airbends to defend the team and Appa and the Gaang are knocked out, having a turbulent landing.

The Avatar State is triggered the moment Aang sees his injured friends and beloved pets. In his rage, he earthbends creating an earthquake the same way he did when General Fong triggered the Avatar State, and Combustion Man, Zuko, and Iroh end up unconscious and badly injured.

When Aang comes back to his senses, he's horrified by the destruction he had caused and helps his friends and even Zuko and Iroh that are beneath the rubble, and all escape on Appa. Half an hour later, Combustion Man wakes up just to discover that his targets are gone.

A few hours pass and Zuko wakes up, he's covered in bandages just like his uncle who is still unconscious. The Gaang is slowly recovering from the terrible battle with Combustion Man while keeping an eye on their old enemies.

Zuko asks what happened, taking Aang by surprise with his awakening. Sokka mockingly responds that Aang kicked their butts and saved them from Combustion Man, Zuko remembers then the earthquake that almost killed them much to Aang’s shame and horror.

He apologizes profusely because his anger wasn't targeted at him and Iroh but Combustion Man, though the Avatar State didn't let him think things through. Sokka tells Aang to not say sorry to jerkbender much to Zuko’s anger but the prince can't retaliate due to his injuries. He then asks Katara who is checking over on Iroh if he will wake up and she replies that he will but it is still too soon, he needs more rest.

Zuko decides to rest for a while, more worried for his uncle than the mission at hand. He asks Aang if he could kill Combustion Man which makes the Avatar flinch and look away.

Toph tells Zuko to shut up and not bother him but the prince demands an answer because the assassin is too dangerous to let him at the hands of luck.

Katara yells at him that perhaps this was his idea: sending an assassin to kill Aang, pretending to not know anything about it, and waiting to be the victim to hide the evidence.

Zuko responds that the man wasn't chasing the Avatar but he and Iroh. Sokka says that it is suspicious that both were chased by Combustion Man only for the assassin to put Aang and the team on his list of targets.

Zuko says at the end that he doesn't care if they don't believe him but he's no liar.

The night finally comes and the Gaang take turns to keep an eye on Zuko while regaining their energies.

The next morning, Iroh wakes up much to his nephew’s relief and joy and he narrates the past events for Iroh to catch up. The former general is happy that they are with the Avatar now and very far away from the assassin; however; they will have to intensify the lightning-bending training in case they meet Combustion Man again.

Then Toph wakes up prompting the rest of the group to do it. Breakfast is awkward and tense because no one trusts Zuko and Iroh, Aang still feels guilty for the destruction caused by his Avatar rage, and Zuko is still mad that they called him a liar.

Iroh tries to lessen the tension by thanking the Gaang for taking care of them despite their rocky past encounters.

Sokka says that Aang was the one who did all the job because he's too kind for his own good. Zuko retorts that doing that was the least Aang could do after almost killing them.

Iroh whispers to his nephew to keep things civil. Katara says that it is hypocritical for Zuko to expect kindness from a victim after what he and the Fire Nation have done like the Air Nomad genocide, the raids against the SWT, burning Suki’s village, chasing and trying to kill them and to top it all, they brought a dangerous man to their doorsteps.

Zuko screams that Combustion Man's first targets were he and Iroh, not the Avatar. Katara responds that it doesn't matter, what's done it's done.

Iroh tries to calm him down saying that right now, what they should do is rest and then train on lightningbending not fight with the Avatar’s friends.

Aang asks out of curiosity what's lightningbending but Zuko says that's not his business. Aang complains saying that he had already apologized for almost killing them in a fit of anger and Zuko responds it doesn't matter, lightningbending is too complex for him anyway.

Katara tells Aang not to feel bad about it, and that once Zuko and Iroh are better, they will go their separate ways.

Iroh corrects her saying that now that they're together without killing each other, it's time for them to explain to the Gaang what they want.

Sokka interrupts, replying that both want to imprison Aang and win the war so guessing games are unnecessary. Zuko objects, he explains his plans have changed. What he wants to know is Avatar’s role before the war and how the Fire Nation started it.

Toph asks “shouldn't you know that already?”

Zuko explains that the Fire Nation's lessons about the war weren't accurate at all and he puts as an example what he found at the Southern Air Temple. The Gaang is shocked that he went there after them but keeps listening. Zuko says the Fire Royal Academy for boys and girls teaches children that the air nomads fought the Fire Nation with their armies; suddenly, he is interrupted by Aang who angrily corrects him: the Air Nomads weren't soldiers, they were non-combatant monks, pacifists. Also, the Air Temples weren't fortresses but spiritual places to raise future generations of air nomads until the Fire Nation ambush them all.

Zuko replies that that is why he was saying there was no accuracy with his lessons. He and Iroh discovered skeletons of children, women, and elders not soldiers, meaning that the Fire Nation armies attacked and killed innocents and then put something different from what happened in the history books. By asking the Avatar for information about how the war started, he can rectify the serious mistakes made by the Fire Nation both in the military and in the educational system.

The Gaang is skeptical about that, though Aang tries to be optimistic and Toph, thanks to her seismic sense, knows Zuko is being honest.

Sokka tells the Gaang to have a private meeting and the team leaves Zuko and Iroh waiting for their answer.

Sokka asks the others what they think about Zuko’s intentions. Katara goes first, saying that she doesn't trust them and it sounds too good to be true.

Toph says he was being honest and when her friends ask how she knows she explains her ability to sense who is lying and who's not.

Aang then says that even if he doesn't trust either of them, he as the Avatar needs a firebending teacher, and Iroh and Zuko could teach him after he learns earthbending.

Toph agrees with that. However, Sokka says that they could ask another firebender who hasn't chased them or tried to kill them when Toph replies with “Who exactly?” he responds “Jeong Jeong”. Katara objects saying that after their encounter with Zhao in front of Jeong Jeong’s house, he won't be in the same place anymore.

Sokka thinks looking for him instead of relying on Zuko and Iroh’s help is better and safer, Toph counterargues saying that they have a chance to help Aang with his Avatar training now that there are two possible firebending teachers and besides it is the most pragmatical option. Searching for Jeong Jeong will take too much time.

Katara asks Aang what he decides and whatever it is, they'll trust him.

Aang takes a few minutes and chooses to have Zuko and Iroh as his firebending teachers much to Sokka’s exasperation. Katara says that it will be ok, and if they try something, the Gaang will retaliate.

After a long waiting, Aang tells Zuko and Iroh that he wants them as his mentors in firebending and together will find the answers about how the war started and what the Avatar was doing during that time; however, he warns them that if they betray the group or try anything, the consequences will be dire. Both accept Aang’s terms.

The rest of the day continues with Aang having trouble at first with earthbending until he faces saber-toothed Moose-Lion that wanted to kill him and Sokka for touching its cub and next Toph when she tried to use Aang’s glider again as a nutcracker. Then it goes to Zuko who still struggles with lightningbending. Iroh teaches him a new movement he invented to redirect lightning but things go south when Zuko wants to try it and asks Iroh to shoot him lightning which the former general refuses.

Angry at his refusal, Zuko leaves to find a storm and redirect lightning on his own prompting Iroh to ask for help from the Gaang. Sokka and Katara still don't want anything to do with the prince, Toph is resting, so it's up to Aang to prevent Zuko from getting himself killed.

Hours later, a raging storm happens and Zuko waits anxiously for lightning to strike. Aang comes to his side and tells him this isn't a good idea and Iroh is worried about him. Zuko doesn't listen to him and keeps waiting but only rain and strong winds come from the storm.

Aang tries again and politely asks Zuko to reconsider this method as it is too dangerous. Zuko snaps saying that of course, the Avatar would think that because for him bending is easier than for anyone else.

Aang argues that not, bending is not easy for him just because he can bend 4 elements, he even had trouble with earthbending because it resorts to a mentality opposite to his. Aang then gets an idea: he asks Zuko what is the mentality behind lightningbending. The prince answers why that is important and Aang explains that by adapting to the mentality and flow of another bending, the job becomes easier and it should apply to lightningbending.

Zuko is not sure about this but seeing that the storm hasn't struck him yet and he's getting cold, he relents and comes back to the camp with Aang.

After returning to the camp, Iroh talks with Zuko privately about what this alliance means for them and the Fire Nation. He explains that now that they will be Aang’s teachers, they can't and shouldn't stop him from defeating Ozai.

Zuko doesn't like that, saying he's no traitor. Iroh says that they technically are after accepting being Aang’s mentors but they plan to find answers about the war, about how the Fire Nation lost its honor and became how it is today.

Zuko says that by letting the Avatar defeat the Fire Lord, his status as a prince will be nothing because he will be remembered as a traitor who aided him to beat his own country.

Iroh asks him to ask himself what is more important, what is a worthy goal for a prince: redeem his country from the many sins it has committed in a false sense of honor, or be as opportunistic as he can.

Meanwhile, the Gaang is also having a private conversation.

Sokka says that they have forgotten the fact that their unwanted new members might go against the team when Aang is ready to fight the Fire Lord.

Toph suggests keeping an eye on them and if there is doubt or one of the two plans something, they will interrogate them and kick their butts.

Katara agrees with Toph despite her increased worries that accepting them as Aang’s teachers might have put the team in danger. Aang wants to be optimistic about the situation but Sokka decides that to make sure there will be no betrayals, they will talk with Zuko and Iroh immediately.

To his surprise, the other two also want to talk with the Gaang and the group gathers in a circle.

Sokka goes first saying if they can really trust them because Zuko is the Fire Lord’s son (I don't remember if that bit of info was said by Zuko in the first episode of the show, by the way) and he accepted to help Aang which he considers suspicious because Zuko was determined to capture him time ago.

Zuko answers that yes he used to have that as a goal but things have changed; however, he's still loyal to his nation.

Katara replies he isn't helping his case by saying that stuff.

Iroh butts by going to the topic of the assassin. Ozai sent him to eliminate both of them much to Zuko’s lingering denial. Iroh explains that he is technically a traitor to the Fire Nation after helping protect the Moon Spirit while Zuko’s status is uncertain but it's not that Ozai would care about that. He then goes with the news about Ozai’s new heir, Chiyo, which surprises the Gaang.

Katara asks if she will be a threat but Iroh tells her that the new heir is a 3-year-old child Ozai is using to extend his bloodline.

Zuko bitterly replies that he is the true heir, he is technically the firstborn, and the brat is a replacement because he couldn't keep his mouth shut at the war meeting.

Aang kindly says that he shouldn't be so mean to his half-sister because she doesn't even know Ozai only wants her to get rid of him.

Zuko snaps saying that how could he know how this feels, he is the Avatar, and he is well-loved by everyone and respected, meanwhile, the prince was burnt, banished, and now replaced with a brat.

Toph tells him he's making his case much worse because now it seems his only goals are the throne and kicking Chiyo out of his home instead of fixing the mistakes of the Fire Nation and finding answers.

Iroh agrees with her which enrages Zuko further.

“Of course, you would say that!! You don't even have to lift a finger to make your own father like you! You're Grandfather Azulon’s favorite child and firstborn after all! He even defended you when my father wanted to take the throne from you after my cousin died!!” Zuko storms off.

The Gaang asks for an explanation and Iroh tiredly summarizes Zuko’s life before the banishment: his hardships in trying to have Ozai’s validation and love, the disappearance of his mother and younger sister who was a prodigy and the favorite child, the war meeting that ended up in banishment, and then he narrates Zhao giving the news about the new heir.

After processing this information, Sokka asks if both are really trustworthy, Iroh says he wanted Zuko to see the wrongness of the Fire Nation because he hated the idea of his nephew following his father’s steps and being a slave of the toxic mindset of the country. He then admits it will be harder than he thought because of the new heir and the assassin forcing him to accept that Ozai never loved him but Iroh is sure Zuko can change for the better and he as a Fire Lord can help the world.

Aang asks why Iroh doesn't take his rightful place on the throne and Iroh responds that before his son’s death, making his father and forefathers proud and gaining more power were his goals but now he prefers other stuff now, power isn't in that list.

Toph says that even if he doesn't care about power anymore, shouldn't he make sure the Fire Nation doesn't fall apart after the war? What if Zuko isn't well-prepared to rule?

Iroh responds that he has been studying and training for years before his banishment but Toph considers that insufficient and an adult is a better candidate for that position anyway. Katara then intervenes saying that what's most important is being 100% sure Iroh and Zuko are on their side and helping Aang defeat Ozai, after that, they can take care of who's going to be a proper Fire Lord and how to make reparations to the other nations.

Iroh is left thinking about this.

The next day, the whole team embarks on to the Si Wong desert to find the Library with a professor from Ba Sing Se. According to him, that library is guarded by a giant spirit and contains invaluable knowledge. Iroh murmurs that he feels like this was told to him some time ago, Zuko asks him what he's talking about and if he entered that library. Iroh only answers that someone mentioned a library but he can't remember who was.

Like in canon, Toph and Appa wait for the team while they look for clues to defeat the Fire Nation. When the rest of the Gaang and the professor meet Wan Shi Tong, the owl spirit, that’s when Iroh remembers and he hid himself and Zuko much to the other’s annoyance. Iroh explains that during the Siege to the North Water Tribe, Zhao told him about a library in which he had found information about the Moon Spirit and that by killing it, waterbending would be no more, giving the Fire Nation a huge advantage.

Iroh adds that if Wan Shi Tong discovers he and Zuko are from the Fire Nation and know Zhao they will be killed instantly, therefore they need to get out and wait with Toph.

Zuko asks what if there was more than one library? What if this isn’t the one?

Iroh doesn’t want to take any chances and pulls Zuko with him to get out of the library. Meanwhile, Aang, Katara, and Sokka keep looking for weaknesses to defeat the Fire Nation. Aang stops and says “Wait, wouldn’t it have been better to ask Zuko and Iroh for that?”, Katara agrees with him; however, Sokka objects that they might not have the clues they need like the library.

Their conversation turns into a debate about choosing one of the two options: asking Zuko and Iroh for vital info or finding it in the library. Aang says having both sources of information is much better than one and they go with that, the problem is that Zuko and Iroh aren’t with them much to their shock.

Much worse, Wan Shi Tong had eavesdropped on their chit-chat because he was still suspicious of the Gaang and refuses to let them leave. He starts attacking them and sinking the library on the sand which gets Zuko and Iroh’s attention. Iroh tells Zuko to run away, he will find the others and get them out of there.

The prince reluctantly obliges and tries to find the window they used to enter.

Meanwhile, Toph senses the library sinking and tries to stop it, and much to her bad luck, a group of sandbenders arrives and surrounds Appa. Toph does her best to defend him but between the unstable ground that is the desert, the number of enemies, and preventing the library to sink with her friends, the task is too much.

Inside the library, Iroh defends the group and asks what’s going on, Sokka answers with “Where the hell were you two?!”, the former general replies that he will explain later but now he needs some context. Katara quickly summarizes the situation and the general tells them to find out when exactly the next eclipse will be. Aang asks “Shouldn’t you know about that?”, Iroh replies that he and Zuko have been sailing for years, there was no time for that. The rest of the Gaang is ushered to the stellar room to decipher when the next eclipse will be while Iroh battles the angered owl spirit.

On the other side, Zuko finally is out of the library just to find out that the sandbenders are taking Appa away. He throws some fireballs at them scaring them away but also Appa who gets out of control and knocks some sandbenders with his tail. Zuko frees Appa and the bison knocks the whole group of sandbenders with airbending. They give up and flee.

The prince then turns around and sees that Toph is struggling to keep the library out of the sand. She asks where are the others and Zuko says that Iroh is taking care of that.

Again inside the library, the rest of the Gaang finally has the information they want and tells Iroh about it. The former general shoots lightning at the ceiling, forcing Wan Shi Tong to protect himself with his wing.

Aang summons a huge tornado to carry everyone, even the professor much to his disappointment, and get them out of there.

He succeeds, prompting Toph to let the library sink completely.

A bit battered, exhausted, but safe, the whole group rejoices except the professor who is horrified that the Avatar has as an ally a firebender, pointing accordingly at Iroh. He and Aang try to calm him down and explain but the professor doesn't want to hear any of it and leaves.

Aang argues that traveling through the desert without an animal to take him to safety or supplies to withstand the heat, he won't make it. The professor snaps at him calling him a hypocrite for worrying over him when he has in his group a firebender, the same kind of people that started the war and is still killing innocents, and if Aang is really that concerned about the world, he should kill Iroh immediately before it's too late.

As to he professor leaves, Katara consoles Aang and Sokka prepares Appa for their next destination: Ba Sing Se.

And this is part 1 of Season 2.

#submission #AvatarAU #Azula disappears and everyone suffers the consequences AU #Avatar season 2 #Avatar The Legend of Aang #au idea

21 notes · View notes

zuko-always-lies · 2 years

Text

[nexstage submitted:]

What if instead of Smoke and Shadow with "crazy, evil, scheming Azula" that forces Zuko to be a ruthless Fire Lord and has no depth or meaningful arc, she's given a new chance at life?

After the finale of The Search, she crosses paths with the Kemurikage who is still seething due to the pain the Fire Warlords caused by kidnapping the children of their subjects centuries ago. The spirit makes a deal with her then: "Leave behind the weight of royalty and I'll send you back in time so you can find a new place where you can start over. No more orders to fulfill, no more betrayals or abandonment, no more wasting your loyalty on others. You'll make your own life and choose your own family, while everyone in the palace will fall apart."

Azula asks why she. Why does the spirit choose a member of the royal family it wants to destroy? And the spirit replies that in Azula it sees a lost, hurt child, failed by all the adults in her family, with a future twisted and tainted by a greedy man. "I want my revenge on the leaders who took away the generations of the Fire Nation a long time ago, and you want a stop to all the loneliness and pain in your life. We both can have that. The royal family will crumble without you, and you'll be surrounded by people who will value you for who you are. No strings attached." Azula doesn't perceive any hint of a lie or a trick on the Kemurikage but still wants to know why her situation makes her special when there is her brother too that is also as young as her, or why not choosing someone else from the common people. "Your brother has your mother and uncle. And the commoners can't do anything right now. The change must be from within."

Azula thinks it through. If she goes back in time to before Zuko was banished before Ursa left, and leaves behind her life as a princess she will have to hide pretty well, change her name and appearance and make sure Ozai never finds her. Her timing and plan must be perfect. And if she fails, she will lose everything again, but then she reflects on what she had and how fragile it was: her mother favored Zuko and thought of her as a monster, her uncle did the same, her father wanted her to be the perfect weapon, Mai and Ty Lee betrayed her, she couldn't trust anyone on the palace or the capital. Moving to a more isolated and humble was the equivalent to become a peasant but compared to how her life went downhill as a princess that would be nothing. Azula asks the Kemurikage if she will still have her memories if she accepts the deal, "Do you want them? All those painful reminders?" She nods, at least the information will be helpful to know what and who to avoid.

Azula is sent back a few weeks before the audition in front of her grandfather Azulon, she knows what will happen there: she will perform perfectly, tease Zuko, Zuko will perform terribly, Ozai will piss off Azulon, Azulon will order Ozai to kill Zuko, and Ursa will leave to save him.

The fateful day comes and Azula performs perfectly but doesn't tease her brother; however, when Azulon asks Ozai what's the purpose of this meeting, he explains to his father that the bloodline will end with Iroh because Lu Ten perished in Ba Sing Se, but he -Ozai- has 2 children which makes him a better candidate to be Fire Lord. Zuko gasps horrified at the idea of taking something else from his uncle, Azulon scolds Ozai in fury and dismisses everyone but him. During the night, Azula pretends to sleep and watches Ursa getting out of her room, she waits for a few minutes before taking her stuff and following her without being noticed.

The next day, everything changes in the palace. Azulon is dead, Ursa and Azula are nowhere to be seen and Ozai is the new Fire Lord. When Ozai finds out that Azula, his prodigy, is missing, he mistook this as Ursa's last attempt to spite him but to not cause chaos with the news of another member of the royal family gone he prepares for the funeral of Azulon and lies to the court and nobility that his daughter is sick while sending his best spies and archers everywhere to find Ursa, believing she has Azula.

Zuko becomes the center of attention of his father but it's not in the way he wanted. He has to work and study thrice as hard to get his approval and be useful to him. Meanwhile, Azula finds the Mother of Faces and asks her for a new face, next she changes her name to Kemu and decides to leave in a village that is said to be cursed because people disappear every full moon. "Full moon disappearances? Can't believe there is a waterbender here." Azula, now called Kemu, starts looking for clues about where Hama lives and how to take her down and save the commoners that had been kidnapped to get the villagers to like her.

Hama tries to capture Azula, after figuring out she's a firebender but she doesn't know Azula did that on purpose to trap her instead. Both fight and Hama's bloodbending caught her by surprise though the battle is interrupted when an old man and a few teenagers that Azula has interviewed and helped rescued her by throwing stuff at Hama, breaking her concentration. Azula lightningbends but Hama creates a thick shield of ice by taking the water of the trees around her. She manages to escape Azula much to the teenager's frustration so she decides to patrol the area surrounding the village in case Hama returns.

Hama indeed plans to return and get rid of her but knowing how powerful Azula is with her lightning, she gives up and tries to find another place to live or a way to go back to the South Pole.

During two years, Azula becomes the protector of the village, getting slowly comfortable with a simple life and knowing each of the villagers. Meanwhile, Ozai's constant expectations of Zuko as his only heir and child grow and grow. He wants him to be the best firebender, the best politician, the best strategist, the best in everything. Zuko only has Iroh to support and comfort him whenever Ozai scolds him harshly for any mistake or to talk with him about his mother and sister because he misses them. Zuko doesn't know why Ursa left and is baffled by Azula's disappearance, he thought that his father could find them when he sent the spies and archers but none of them had been successful.

Then the day of the war meeting comes. The general suggests sacrificing the 41st division much to Zuko's horror who interrupts him by saying that decision lacks honor and it would be a betrayal to the loyal soldiers. "With all due respect, Prince Zuko, you're still young to understand the harshness of war. Besides, you should be educated enough in strategies to know when some pieces need to be sacrificed."

Zuko replies "If the Fire Nation is going to share its greatness with the world it has to do it honorably. Where is the honor to showcase the other nations if we use our soldiers this callously just for an advantage that is just minimal in comparison to the others we've got on the war? Besides, even if the 41st division needs to be there and fight before the veterans, they should at least have a strong leader to guide them and protect them and instead, they are just thrown to the battlefield despite being rookies."

"The rookies will help in tiring our enemies out and then our better forces will take care of the rest. It's basic logic." Responds the general.

"These rookies are fresh soldiers. Their experience won't be enough to buy the veterans time and you said the earthbenders are much stronger than them. You just want to send the 41st division to their deaths because it's the easy way instead of finding another strategy that can assure us that advantage and fewer, unnecessary casualties! If that's how you manage the war, then it means you should've never been general!"

Zuko's interruption got him in the same spot as canon, burned and exiled. Without more children to extend his bloodline, Ozai looks for a new wife in the high nobility, a 30-year-old woman called Akane and with her, he has a new heir, Chiyo.

Despite having wanted a boy, the Fire Sages tell Ozai that Chiyo has a strong spark which means she could be a great firebender in the future. Ozai is still displeased with the result, remembering that Azula could never be found and Chiyo maybe will never surpass her to be a worthy heir. However, Akane convinces him to give his new daughter a chance, that as long as she is a loyal and competent firebender, the throne will be in good hands.

What Ozai doesn't know is that Akane is not only a lady from the high nobility but also someone that deeply despises the royal family, more exactly Iroh. A beloved cousin of hers went to fight at Ba Sing Se and died during the siege; however, what infuriates her more is not that; when prince Lu Ten died, Iroh gave up and the soldiers that survived had to come back, but when her cousins and others were killed before Lu ten's death the siege continued. It was an insult to her cousin's sacrifice and devotion to the Fire Nation the moment Iroh say enough was enough only for his son despite the many sons, siblings, fathers, and friends that gave their lives to win the war. So her surprise at being chosen by Iroh's younger brother, Ozai, who was the new Fire Lord to have a new heir was immense as her desire for revenge. This way, she could make sure Iroh wouldn't have back something that he didn't deserve after his deplorable actions in the siege of Ba Sing Se. It didn't matter to her if Ozai's place on the throne was truly given by Azulon or not as long as she could help him to maintain the power of Firelord out of Iroh's reach.

The news of the new Fire Lady and the new heir resonates throughout all of Fire Nation. Azula is not surprised by her father's actions remembering how he ditched her on the day they were supposed to burn the Earth Kingdom together and she wonders briefly how Zuko will react to the fact that Ozai has replaced him too. Meanwhile, in a calm and secret part of a forest, Ursa, with a face changed and having her new start with her old lover of Hira'a, hears some concerning rumors about her children and prays for their safety.

Canon happens without changes until Zuko and Iroh meet Zhao who delights himself by telling Zuko that his Avatar chase is in vain as his father has a new heir with him. At first, Zuko believes that Azula has finally been found but Zhao corrects him by explaining that no, it's not her he was talking about but the new princess Chiyo of 3 years old, daughter of the new Fire Lady Akane.

Zuko doesn't want to believe that his father has replaced his mother, Azula, and him, and challenges Zhao to an Agni Kai. He loses as he's overwhelmed with the horrible truth Zhao told him hours ago but still it doesn't deter him to find and capture the Avatar to show his father he's the true heir. Iron worries that Zuko's craving for Ozai's love and approval leads him to self-destruction as he remembers how distraught Zuko was when he worked so hard to make his father proud just to be told it wasn't enough yet. He's not sure how to start to keep his nephew out of the horrible influence of Ozai and the toxic masculinity of the Fire Nation; however, after the failed attempt to stop the Avatar and his team from escaping, Iroh decides to begin by showing Zuko another Air Temple to demonstrate the wrongness of the war. It is a surprising coincidence that they go to the Southern Air Temple a bit after Aang and his friends but Iroh hopes that whatever is there can help Zuko see what is the better path for him.

Many parts of canon suffer major changes:

-Zuko has difficulty grasping the fact that his father and forefathers pushed the war forward for their greed, not to share the greatness of the Fire Nation

-Iroh tells Zuko the answers about how the war started and why are in the Fire Nation as FIRE Lord Sozin stored his memories there.

-Iroh also tells him that the other source of information it's Aang as he is the reincarnation of Avatar Roku but trying to find him and asking him for those answers will be difficult as they're enemies

-Zuko tries to capture Aang not to get the throne back but to have those answers about the war, his great-grandfather, and Avatar Roku though he fails a lot of times like in canon

-Zuko frees Aang from Zhao as the Blue Spirit but it's knocked down by an archer, Aang saves him and Zuko finally asks if the former Avatar had told him anything about the war

-Aangs thinks Zuko wants clues and weaknesses to use against him and Sokka and Katara so he runs away before Zuko can stop him much to the teenager's frustration

-When Zhao meets Iroh and Zuko again for the siege of the North Pole, Zuko makes sure that no incriminating proof of him being the Blue Spirit is found, which means hiding the swords somewhere else.

-After Zhao takes away Zuko's crew and tries to kill him by blowing up his ship, Zuko makes a plan to capture and interrogate the Avatar Meanwhile, Iroh tries to convince Zhao to leave the North Water Tribe alone because killing the Moon Spirit will affect the Fire Nation negatively as its naval power will be incapacitated if the moon stops existing, but Zhao ignores him

-Zuko faces Katara and Aang, interrogating them about the war and what Roku knows about it, they think it is a trap and Katara fights Zuko, being defeated.

-The men on Zhao's warship are defeated getting the attention that Iroh is getting in his way. Enraged, he orders his imprisonment but Iroh manages to escape on a boat and finds a way to enter the North Water Tribe without being captured.

-Zuko's scene where he over-shares his feelings towards his sister with an unconscious Aang during the snowstorm is different: "Even when I finally have you where I want, something gets in my way. You won't get it but you're like my sister used to be. She was the luckiest, she was good at everything. The perfect daughter, the perfect firebender, smart, talented. Everyone adores her. But she left. She left without a note, without a goodbye. She had everything and still, it wasn't good enough for her or...I don't know... And you, was it the same for you? You're the Avatar, bender of four elements, the great hope of the world, and the Fire Nation's biggest enemy or so I thought. I bet you would've wanted to rub that in the army's face but instead, you were gone for a century. I should say like father like son, right? Because you and my sister vanished without a good reason but it's not like you're related to us."

-Zhao and his soldiers try to kill the Moon Spirit only to be stopped by Iroh who came first to the spiritual oasis. They are defeated and Yue doesn't have to die, but Zhao attacks her to escape and sends a messenger falcon to Ozai to inform of Iroh's treachery.

-Despite being with the Gaang and having the chance to interrogate Aang about Roku's side before the war, he puts that aside to look for Zuko as he can't find him among the Gaang. Aang tells him that he escaped while he and his friends were distracted.

-Zuko and Iroh reunite and decide to take a break from chasing Aang for a little while. Meanwhile, in the Fire Nation, Ozai spreads wanted posters of Iroh and Zuko for treason and commands Combustion Man to find and eliminate them. Azula, while working in her pottery store, gets her hands off one of those posters, "For Agni's sake Zuzu, Uncle, what did you get into this time? You're both lucky I wasn't sent to hunt you down."

That's all for season 1.

--So it's basically an "Azula disappears and everyone else suffers the consequences" AU? It seems pretty interesting. The encounter between Azula and Hama seems kind of random, though.

#submission #Azula #Zuko #Ozai #Iroh #Au idea

14 notes · View notes