Three Years Later
ATLA Timeline
(Y/N)'s current age: 15
Zuko's current age: 16
The search for the Avatar was how you'd expect it to be. Terrible. There were a lot of dead ends, and nearly no leads. Of course, that's what I expected.
When I was younger, my mom would tell me stories of the Avatar. A great bender who mastered the four elements. She had hope that one day the Avatar would return and end the war. I often caught her crying at night, when she thought I was asleep. I knew more than anything, she needed the war to end. She needed to return home.
And now, she never will.
My father had quit being a general, and instead became more of a diplomat shortly after his marriage to my mother. He had seen what the war truly was, he had seen her suffering, and he didn't want to contribute any further.
For years, I had held the same hope as my mother. I held it for her sake. Hope that the Avatar would return.
Now? Now I hoped he was dead. I hoped Zuko would never find him, and eventually give up on his obsessive, destructive quest for honor. I hoped he would learn that his father couldn't restore his honor, only he could. That's what I wanted. That's what I needed.
Over the years, I had mastered both waterbending, and firebending to perfection. I learned that water is everywhere. That's what made it so powerful. With this knowledge, I secretly practiced and mastered a new waterbending ability.
We were currently approaching the Southern Water Tribe. I had long dreamed of stepping foot in my mother's home.
But, not like this.
"I used to have so much fun as a young girl," my mother used to say, her eyes always lit up when talking about her childhood, but I could also hear a hint of sadness, "Kya and I would always play for hours on end."
Kya. My mom could go on for hours about her best friend Kya. Kya was like a sister to her. I always wanted to meet her. I wanted her to be the aunt I never had.
I was sitting down next to Iroh, who was playing a card game. Zuko stared off in the distance, brooding. Three years of no luck wasn't kind to him.
"How do you play?" I asked.
Iroh smiled at me, "Let me finish this game, and I will tell you."
Suddenly, a beam of light shot into the air in the distance. The light beam filled me with a sense of hope and awe for a split second, and then dread when I realized what it could mean.
"Finally!" Zuko exclaimed, turning to face Iroh and me, "(Y/N)! Uncle! Do you know what this means?"
"I won't get to finish my game?" Iroh asked, earning a small giggle from me.
Zuko turned around again, facing the light, "It means my search is over."
I tried to look as disinterested as I got up, "I'm going below deck."
"But, (Y/N)!" Zuko called, "this is good news!"
I waved my hand dismissively as I went to my chambers. I looked at myself in the mirror, smoothing out my clothes with my hands. I wore what I always wore, A red top with golden embellishments that stopped right above my belly button, and a long red skirt, the fire nation emblem pinned to the middle of it. I wore golden bangles on my wrists, and my hair was always half-up, my mother's golden hairpiece sitting perfectly on my head.
I was dressed like every other Fire Nation girl, though that wasn't who I really was. Or, I guess it was, but not in this atmosphere. I sighed and sat down on my bed, staring aimlessly at the wall.
Eventually, the ship came to a stop, which was my cue to get up and join Zuko.
"(Y/N)," he nodded when he saw me, "Right on time. The Water Tribe people are harboring the Avatar. We're gonna get him."
I sighed, "Yeah, whatever, let's go," I started walking past him.
He grabbed my arm and met my eyes, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," I yanked my arm away roughly, "I said I would always stand with you, right? So let's get the Avatar," I looked away.
Zuko didn't say anything as we exited the ship. When we walked down the ramp, a boy charged at Zuko, who didn't flinch as he disarm and kicked the boy away. I glared at Zuko, but he didn't notice.
Once I stepped out onto the snow, I looked around and saw the villagers looking at us in fear. I wanted to sink into the snow and vanish.
"Where are you hiding him?!" Zuko yelled before grabbing an elderly-looking woman roughly and holding her out to the crowd.
"Zuko!" I yelled.
"He'd be about this age," he used the woman to gesture to the crowd, "Master of all elements?"
I grabbed Zuko's arm, and he looked at me. I was fuming, "Let her go. Now."
Zuko huffed and all but threw the woman back.
Then he shot an arc of fire at the crowd. I manipulated the fire up into the air where it dissipated.
"I know you're hiding him," Zuko urged.
"Does it look like they're hiding him? They have no defenses. They have no options. If they had him, they'd hand him over."
"I saw him through my telescope. I know he's here," Zuko said.
"Let's just go," I pleaded.
I couldn't let him destroy what my mom called home.
Before he could reply, I heard a pathetic excuse for a war cry, and the boy from before charged at Zuko again. I sighed in annoyance as Zuko dodged him quite easily.
A little boy from the tribe threw Zuko's attacker a spear, "Show no fear!"
The boy caught the spear and ran to attack Zuko.
This was the Water Tribe's first line of defense? I groaned as Zuko easily subdued the boy, hitting him with his own spear. I heard something moving in the air and as I glanced back I realized the boy had thrown a boomerang, which was hurtling towards the back of Zuko's head. I pretended not to notice it and looked at Zuko, just in time to see him get hit in the head. Hard. I stifled a laugh.
Zuko, however, was not amused. He began to firebend when a young boy on a penguin knocked the prince off his feet. I stifled another laugh.
The children cheered at the sight of the new boy. He had blue arrows on his head. I recognized the arrows from statues at the Air Temples, which we had visited during our quest for the Avatar.
This kid was him. He had to be.
"Hi Katara," the kid said, "Hi Sokka."
Zuko's attacker, Sokka, looked moody, "Hi, Aang. Thanks for coming."
Aang. That was the name of the Avatar.
"Looking for me?" Aang said.
"You're the Avatar?" Zuko asked, "You're just a child."
"He's still the Avatar," I prompted.
"Well, your just a teenager," Aang said calmly. He didn't even seem to mean it rudely, he was making a genuine statement. If anything, he just sounded confused.
Zuko and Aang started to fight. I noticed that the villagers were getting jumpy, and were terrified of the battle between benders. Aang seemed to notice too because he stopped.
"If I go with you," Aang held out his staff, "Will you promise to leave everyone alone?"
Zuko hesitated for a minute, then nodded. I let out a sigh of relief.
☯☯☯
Zuko and I were alone in his room where he was bringing the Avatar's staff. The door was open.
"What is wrong with you, (Y/N)?" He set the staff down.
"What are you talking about?!"
"You clearly have a problem."
"I have a problem? What's your problem Zuko?!"
"You know my problem," he pointed to the scar on his face, "This is my problem, (Y/N)! After three years, I finally have the chance to restore my honor. I'm finally going home, with the Avatar."
"Oh please," I snorted, "This isn't how you restore your honor, Zuko. Terrorizing helpless villagers? Delivering the world's last hope to the Fire Lord?"
"The Fire Lord is my father."
"Yeah? Well, I don't care. The Avatar is the one chance we have to defeat your father."
"Defeat?! Are you crazy?!"
"Maybe I am. Or, maybe you should put your obsession with your father's affection to rest. He doesn't deserve you, Zuko. You don't need him," I lightly brought my hand to Zuko's scar, "I said I'd always stand with you. And I will. I will always be here for you, but he won't. Ozai was a terrible father. He banished you. He burned you. A father doesn't do that to his child."
He smacked my hand away, "Not everyone had a happy-go-lucky childhood like you, (Y/N). This is what I have to do."
"Then maybe it's time for me to break my promise."
Zuko looked shocked, "(Y/N)-"
We were interrupted by a new voice, "My staff!"
Aang.
He ran into the room and grabbed his staff. He noticed Zuko and me and stopped in his tracks.
"Looks like I underestimated you," Zuko said to Aang, blasting fire at the boy. They started to fight.
I gritted my teeth and glared at Zuko. I concentrated and put my hand out. Zuko's body went stiff.
"What the-" Zuko looked at me in disbelief.
Aang looked stunned, "What's happening?"
I smiled at him, "Don't worry, Avatar. Just run. I can deal with Zuko."
Aang nodded and ran out the door.
Zuko stared at me in disbelief, "What is this? What are you doing?"
"You severely underestimate me, and my waterbending."
"Waterbending? I can't move. It's like your bending my limbs."
"No Zuko," I let him go, but immediately froze the water vapor around him, binding him to the wall, "I was bending your blood."
I started to walk away.
"(Y/N)! Come back!"
I kept walking.
"Why?" Zuko yelled out.
I stopped and turned around, "You know why. I just told you why."
"But you- you were supposed to stand with me. This is our banishment. Our victory."
"I'm sorry Zuko," I turned around so he couldn't see the tears starting to fall, "Not anymore."
I ran to Aang, wiping the tears off my face before Zuko could reply.
He looked at me, "Why did you help me?"
I laughed, "Maybe I wanted the glory of capturing the Avatar all to myself."
He stepped back into a fighting stance.
"Relax," I said, "I'm joking."
"Oh."
"I'm helping you because you give the world hope," I grabbed his arm and started running, "Let's go, the ice won't hold Zuko for long."
"Ice? Where'd the ice come from."
"I bent it from the water molecules in the air."
"Aren't you a firebender?"
I nodded.
"Then how'd you bend water?"
"Cause, I'm a waterbender."
"But you just said you were a firebender!"
"Mhm," I let go of Aang's hand as we reached the deck.
"I don't get it."
"I'm both."
"But, I'm the Avatar! You can't be the Avatar, too."
"That you are, and I'm not."
"But-"
"I don't know either, Aang," I laughed, "I was born with two gifts, and I've used these gifts the wrong way for the past three years. I won't make the same mistake," I gestured to his staff, "Go. Fly out of here."
"I'm not gonna leave you, just take my hand I can fly us both out of here."
I shook my head, "You won't have free range if you have to deal with trying to carry me. I don't matter, Aang. Not like you do. Besides, I can handle myself. Get out of here before Zuko's free. I'll find my own way. Don't worry."
He nodded and began to fly.
I smiled as he lifted off the ship, but that smile faded quickly as Zuko ran up from behind me and jumped off the ship, grabbing Aang's leg, dragging him back down.
"Zuko," my voice was icy, "Let him go," I dropped back into a fighting stance, "Or I'll make you."
Zuko grabbed Aang's staff and threw it to the side, before dropping back in a fighting stance himself, "By all means," a fire raged behind his eyes, "Make me."
I hesitated. I didn't think he would actually fight me.
"I'm surrounded by ocean, Zuko, and, I wield the same fire you do. This isn't a fight you can win."
Zuko's stance faltered. He was having second thoughts, but he shook them away and solidified his stance, "I'm willing to take a chance."
I manipulated water behind me, creating 6 threatening whips of water thrashing violently. I kept them in place behind me, "Come and get me."
Aang looked at my waterbending in awe.
Zuko stepped forward then stopped and dropped his hands, "No."
I let the water fall, "Fine," I stepped forward to pick up Aang's staff, but Zuko quickly blasted fire at the ground near where I was about to kneel. I jumped back in surprise.
"But," Zuko said, "I can't let you do that. The Avatar will be ours."
"Ours?! I'm done with this little hunt for your honor. Keep acting like this and you'll never get it back."
"You're wrong," he gestured at Aang, "My honor's right there."
"Well then," My mind raced for options, "Then, I challenge you! I challenge you to an Agn-"
"Appa!!" Aang yelled looking at a giant flying animal in the sky. Zuko and I both exclaimed in surprise. Zuko's surprise was short-lived, though because he didn't hesitate to run to Aang and shove him off the ship.
"No!" I yelled. I ran to the edge of the ship to see if I could see Aang and bend him out of the water. The kid was ahead of me though because he emerged from the water in a whirlpool, his eyes, and tattoos, glowing. He used waterbending to knock Zuko, and some of the crew, off the ship before promptly collapsing.
The animal landed on the ship and Sokka, and a girl who I'm sure was named Katara, slid off the animal and ran to Aang. I followed them.
Sokka glared at me, "Aang, you missed one."
Aang groaned and rubbed his head, "No, she helped me."
Sokka looked at me suspiciously. I yawned.
"I dropped my staff," Aang said.
"Got it!" Sokka ran to get the staff. I turned to Aang and Katara, "Are you okay?"
Aang nodded. Katara eyed me, unlike her brother, she didn't look suspicious. Just confused. She didn't say anything, though.
She and I helped Aang onto the animal, as the crew started to wake up. She tried to waterbend the water on the floor to freeze the crew in their spot, but instead accidentally froze her brother. I laughed a little as she turned around, closed her eyes, and froze the crew. Then, we all got on and Sokka hurriedly said "Yip Yip," and we were in the air.
I'm sorry, Zuko.
☯☯☯
"So," Sokka said to me, "What's your story?"
I shrugged, "No story."
"You're from the Fire Nation, you're besties with Zuko, and now, what? You changed your mind?"
I sighed and took my hairpiece out of my hair and showed it to Sokka.
"Why are you showing me your Fire Nation insignia?"
"No," I said, "look closer, look at the bottom."
Katara gasped, "That's a Water Tribe symbol!"
I nodded, "My mother was from the Southern Water Tribe, like you guys."
Katara's eyes shined, "I've never had a friend my age from my tribe."
"Still," Sokka said, "You're-"
"Yeah, Fire Nation, I know."
"I told you she helped me," Aang said, "You can trust her."
"Okay..." Sokka said.
"Uh," I cleared my throat, "Do you guys know a woman named Kya?"
That's what I wanted to know. The last living tie to my mother. I wondered if she was one of the villagers from earlier. Did I miss her?
Katara and Sokka went silent for a second. I could feel some tension in the air.
Katara moved her hand to her necklace, "Why?"
"Uh, well she was my mother's best friend. I was hoping to meet her."
"Your mother's- Katya?!" Katara exclaimed.
"That's my mother's name! You've heard of her?!"
"No way," Sokka looked at me in disbelief.
"What?"
"Kya was our mother," Katara said.
"Was?"
"She died years ago."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
Katara shook her head, "We found her best friend's daughter. Sokka!" she turned to her brother, "Isn't this great?"
Sokka smiled at me for the first time since he met me, "Our mom would always talk about your mom."
I laughed, "So would mine. Kya this-"
"-Katya that," Katara laughed.
I let my mind forget about Zuko for a second. This is the family my mom wanted for me. I was happy to have it.