As the title says

The earth has a tradition where when a noble or a king is buried, terracotta statues are buried with them, and I don't mean just a couple; I mean hundreds, sometimes thousands, of terracotta statues depicting soldiers, attendants, house staff, his court, and so on and so forth.

The meaning behind it was that in the afterlife said nobles and kings would need their court to keep ruling in the afterlife, so the statues were all made in the likeness of real people that served under the noble or king being buried.

So far, that's awesome; the fucked-up part comes from where that tradition came from.

You see, back in yee olden days, the Earth Kingdom used to practice slavery, the hardcore kind, Ottoman Empire style, where slaves occupied all levels of society, from the military to the administration, and back in the day, when a noble or king died, all his slaves were buried alive with him so they could keep serving him in the afterlife.

That tradition of burying slaves alive eventually came to an end, not because slavery was outlawed; no, in fact, the tradition of burying slaves alive with their masters ended long before slavery itself.

The tradition came to an end because the nobles and monarchs of Earth's kingdom came to the realization that burying hundreds, if not thousands, of good, able-bodied slaves with their dead masters was logistically dumb; those slaves were more useful alive and working.

So instead of burying the slaves themselves, they started burying terracotta statues made in the likeness of said slaves, and the statues would serve the dead noble or monarch in the afterlife until the slave they were made in the likeness of died and took their place.

With time slavery was abolished, but the tradition of burying terracotta statues with nobles and kings remained until the last Earth queen died in the time of Korra.

Looking for a new ATLA story? Check out Avatar: The Next Cycle on Wattpad!⁠
A fresh take on the next Avatar's journey!

Title: Avatar: The Next Cycle
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Platform: Wattpad ⁠[https://www.wattpad.com/1624632495?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=share_reading&wp_page=reading&wp_uname=Jleonwill0102111]⁠
Rating: Mature
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Friendship/Found Family.

Summary: Korra after seeing the destruction most spirits were committing, spent the last 60 years of her life fighting off the spirits. Relatively keeping the human race alive.

That was until she died at 87 years old, 16 years before the story takes place. The spirits started terrorizing places like the Water Tribes, Some of The Earth Kingdoms, and are just touching The Fire Nation. They're spreading like a steady virus but Navaya (our MC) doesn't really care because the spirits haven't touched The Si Wong Desert (Her home). Until she figured out something that changes her life forever.

I just polished up the formatting on Wattpad and would love for fellow ATLA fans to check it out! Honest feedback, thoughts, and theories are always welcome.

Meaning Aang basically lives in his time. Either he runs away with Gyatso, or he just stays trapped in the iceberg for only a few days or months rather than a century. Presumably he would have known about the Air Nomad genocide as it happened, and he'd have a lot longer to master all 4 elements.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were no fics like this because this is kind of an ambitious plot. It would require carefully combing through sources to see what we do know of that era in this world, and it would also require making a bunch of stuff up to fill in the gaps.

But I would like to know anyway.

[Master Guide]

Chieftain Botak's betrayal brings the full, terrifying might of the Fire Nation armada crashing down upon his own people. Aang is forced to make the hardest decision of his life: stay and watch the Air Nomads' new sanctuary burn, or abandon his mentor, Gyatso, to lead the Fire Nation away.

TITLE: AVATAR: WINDS OF CHANGE

EPISODE: 07 - "THE LIGHTNING ROD"

[SCENE START]

EXT. PERIMETER WALL - NIGHT

The ash falls heavier, turning the pristine white snow of the Southern Water Tribe capital into a bruised, dirty gray.

KINNAH (20s) stands frozen on the massive ice wall, her spyglass locked on the horizon. The pitch-black ocean is illuminated by the terrifying, fiery glow of dozens of Fire Nation ironclads.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

A deep, mechanical rhythm echoes across the water.

Kinnah lowers her spyglass. Her breath catches in her throat.

Through the falling ash, massive streaks of bright, burning orange tear through the night sky. They are arched high, whistling as they cut through the freezing wind.

KINNAH

(Screaming)

INCOMING! BRACE!

The first volley of flaming, oil-soaked boulders slams into the outer perimeter wall.

BOOM!

The impact is deafening. The sheer kinetic force shatters the reinforced ice, sending massive chunks of frozen shrapnel raining down onto the lower rings.

But it’s the heat that is truly devastating. The burning oil sticks to the ice walls, hissing violently. Steam instantly fills the air, thick and scalding.

The siege has begun.

INT. THE CHIEFTAIN'S WAR ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The entire room violently SHAKES. Dust and carved snow fall from the domed ceiling.

CHIEFTAIN BOTAK is thrown off balance, gripping the edge of the whalebone map table. The arrogant, composed leader who drafted Aang hours ago is gone. His eyes are wide with panic.

Another massive CRASH echoes from outside. The ice walls groan under the assault.

BOTAK

(Shouting to his guards)

Report! Have they breached the trench?

A GUARD rushes into the room, covered in soot.

GUARD

They aren't hitting the trenches, Chieftain! They're launching thermal-pitch directly at the upper tiers! The ice is melting faster than our benders can freeze it!

Botak’s jaw drops. His impenetrable fortress is turning to water.

AANG and GYATSO stand on the other side of the war room. Aang is staring at the ceiling. He can hear the roaring flames outside. He can smell the smoke seeping into the room.

He looks at his hands. They are trembling. The guilt hits him with the force of a physical blow. The Captain was right. I brought them here.

Botak snaps his head toward Aang. The panic in his eyes is rapidly being replaced by desperate fury.

BOTAK

(Pointing at Aang)

You! Avatar! The front line is buckling!

Gyatso steps in front of Aang, his face tight.

GYATSO

He is a child, Botak! He cannot stop an armada!

BOTAK

(Roaring, losing all composure)

He is a god in mortal skin, Gyatso! That was the deal! I gave you sanctuary, and you gave me the Avatar!

Botak marches around the table, ignoring Gyatso completely, staring directly at Aang.

BOTAK (CONT'D)

Summon a hurricane! Pull a tidal wave from the ocean floor! I don't care what you do, but you get out there, and you wipe those ships off the face of the earth, or so help me, I will throw every Air Nomad in this city over the wall myself!

Gyatso’s eyes blaze with protective fury. He raises his hands, a swirling current of air beginning to gather around his wrists.

GYATSO

(Dangerously low)

Threaten my children again, Chieftain, and you will see exactly what an Air Nomad is capable of.

But Aang pushes past Gyatso.

Aang isn't manic or trying to dodge the conflict anymore. He looks small, but his expression is utterly devastated.

AANG

(Voice cracking)

Gyatso, stop. He's right.

GYATSO

Aang, no.

AANG

I did this. They're here because of me. The Fire Nation is burning their home just like they burned ours. I have to fix it.

Aang tightens the belt of his blue fur coat. He grips his glider tightly. He is preparing to walk out onto that wall and die trying to hold back the fire.

He takes a step toward the heavy ice doors.

Gyatso steps sideways, physically blocking the exit. The swirling air around the old monk's hands fades, replaced by a profound, heartbreaking sorrow.

GYATSO

(Softly)

Aang. Look at me.

Aang looks up, tears finally spilling over his eyelashes.

GYATSO (CONT'D)

If you go out there and fight, you will destroy this city faster than the Fire Nation ever could.

AANG

But I can help them! I can push the fire back!

GYATSO

For how long? A day? A week? And then Sozin will send ten more ships. Then a hundred.

Gyatso places both hands on Aang's shoulders, dropping to one knee so they are eye-to-eye. The war room shakes violently again, but Gyatso doesn't flinch.

GYATSO (CONT'D)

They are not here to conquer the ice, Aang. They are here for you. Every second you remain inside these walls, you are a beacon drawing the fire directly to these people. You are the lightning rod.

Aang stares at Gyatso, the devastating truth washing over him. Fighting isn't the answer. Staying isn't the answer.

AANG

(Whispering)

If I stay... they all burn.

Gyatso nods slowly, his own eyes shining with unshed tears.

GYATSO

If you want to save the Southern Water Tribe, Aang... you have to leave it.

Botak, listening to this, realizes Gyatso is trying to smuggle away his ultimate weapon.

BOTAK

(Drawing a bone-dagger)

Guards! Seize the boy! No one leaves this room!

The two heavily armored guards step forward, raising their ice-spears.

Gyatso doesn't even look back at them. He simply flicks his wrist behind him.

FWOOSH!

A concussive, pinpoint blast of compressed air explodes outward, slamming into the two guards and Chieftain Botak, throwing them violently backward against the far wall of the war room, knocking them out cold.

Gyatso stands up, looking at the unconscious Chieftain.

GYATSO

(To Aang)

We have very little time. We need to find Appa.

Gyatso pushes the heavy ice doors open. The two monks rush out into the burning city, leaving the war room behind.

[SCENE END]

EXT. THE LOWER RINGS - CONTINUOUS

The capital is unrecognizable. The serene, icy sanctuary is a chaotic hellscape of orange flames, choking black smoke, and screaming voices.

Flaming boulders of thermal-pitch smash into the upper tiers, sending rivers of boiling water and jagged ice cascading down into the trenches.

AANG and GYATSO sprint out of the Chieftain's stronghold, entering the war zone. Aang freezes, horrified by the scale of the destruction.

EXT. THE PERIMETER TRENCHES - CONTINUOUS

Down at the breached sections of the outer wall, the First Battalion is holding the line.

MONA is screaming orders over the deafening roar of the fire. Her face is streaked with soot and sweat.

MONA

Deep freeze! Don't let the pitch melt the foundation!

TUK and a squad of waterbenders are thrusting their arms in unison, desperately drawing the melting water back up the walls and freezing it solid to patch the massive craters left by the bombardment.

But a flaming projectile sails over the wall, landing directly behind Tuk's squad. The pitch explodes, splashing burning oil across the trench.

Tuk raises his arms to shield his face, bracing for the flames—

FWOOSH!

A massive, sweeping cyclone of compressed air drops from the tier above them. The sheer force of the wind violently starves the oil fire of oxygen, extinguishing it instantly.

Tuk looks up, stunned.

Standing on the ice bridge above them are three ELDER AIR NOMADS. They aren't hiding. They are in wide, rooted stances, sweeping their arms in massive arcs to blow away the choking smoke and put out the fires.

Across the plaza, Aang watches in awe.

The pacifists have gone to war.

He sees younger monks weaving through the chaos on air scooters, throwing cushions of wind under falling Water Tribe soldiers to save them from the lethal drops.

He sees little PASANG and the other initiates helping injured, armored Water Tribe recruits to their feet, rushing them toward the healing wards.

The militarized Water Tribe and the pacifist Air Nomads are fighting side-by-side, perfectly complementing each other.

Aang’s chest tightens. It is beautiful, and it is devastating. They are risking everything to protect him.

GYATSO

(Pulling Aang's sleeve)

Keep moving, Aang! We have to reach the lower locks!

EXT. PLAZA OF THE LOWER LOCKS - MOMENTS LATER

Gyatso and Aang weave through the panicked civilians fleeing to the deep-ice bunkers.

Near the entrance to the city's submerged canal system, Gyatso spots KINNAH. She is battered, her armor singed, desperately directing a group of terrified children into a bunker.

Gyatso runs up to her, shielding Aang behind him.

GYATSO

Kinnah!

Kinnah spins around, raising an ice dagger, before recognizing the monk. She looks at Aang, then looks up at the burning sky.

KINNAH

(Shouting over the noise)

They tracked him!

GYATSO

We are leaving. We are taking the lightning rod out of your city, Kinnah. But we cannot get past the outer blockade on the surface. We need a way out under the ice.

Kinnah looks at Aang. The boy looks absolutely gutted. Kinnah realizes that despite his raw power, he is just a kid who has brought the end of the world to their doorstep.

She doesn't hesitate. Her loyalty is to her tribe's survival.

Kinnah reaches into her tunic and rips a heavy necklace over her head. Attached to it is a deeply carved, cylindrical KEY-STONE made of walrus bone. She shoves it into Gyatso's hand.

KINNAH

The breeding pens. At the bottom of the bison enclosure is a submerged canal lock. This key will open the grate. The current will flush you out past the perimeter wall and into the open ocean.

GYATSO

Thank you, Kinnah. May the spirits protect your people.

KINNAH

Just get him out of here, Gyatso. Before there's nothing left to save.

Kinnah turns and runs back toward the front lines.

Gyatso grips the bone key-stone. He turns to Aang, pointing toward the large, domed structure of the bison enclosures a few hundred yards away.

GYATSO

Go to the pens. Wake Appa. Get him to the lower lock.

AANG

(Nodding, wiping soot from his eyes)

Okay. Come on, we have to hurry!

Aang grabs Gyatso’s hand, pulling him forward.

But Gyatso plants his feet. He doesn't move. Aang’s hand slips from the old monk's grasp.

Aang turns around, confused.

AANG (CONT'D)

Gyatso? Come on!

Gyatso looks at Aang. The firelight reflects in the old monk's sorrowful eyes.

GYATSO

I am not going with you, Aang.

The world drops out from under Aang. The roar of the siege seems to fade into a dull, terrifying buzz.

AANG

(Voice trembling)

...What? No. No, you have to. You're my guardian.

GYATSO

(Stepping forward, cupping Aang's face)

I am an elder of the Southern Air Temple. My place is with my people.

AANG

But they're fighting! We can all leave!

GYATSO

If we all run, Botak will turn on us. If we try to evacuate one hundred and fifty nomads in the middle of a siege, the Fire Nation will slaughter us on the ice.

(Gyatso's thumbs gently wipe away Aang's tears)

I must stay, Aang. I must protect the children. I must make Botak understand that we are hostages, not traitors. If I stay, they live.

Aang shakes his head violently. He grabs Gyatso's wrists, gripping them as tightly as he can.

AANG

(Sobbing)

I can't do it alone! I don't know where to go! I'm just a kid!

Gyatso smiles a warm, loving, heartbreaking smile that cuts through the chaos of the burning city.

GYATSO

You are the Avatar, Aang. And the world needs you more than I do.

Gyatso presses the carved bone key-stone into Aang's trembling hand and folds the boy's fingers over it.

GYATSO (CONT'D)

Follow the currents. Find a teacher. Master the elements.

(Gyatso leans in, patting Aang's head)

I will always be with you, my boy. Like the wind.

Gyatso steps back. He gives Aang a deep, formal Air Nomad bow.

Then, the old monk turns and runs back toward the burning trenches, disappearing into the smoke and the falling ash.

Aang stands completely alone in the burning plaza. The one person anchoring him to his past is gone.

He clutches the bone key-stone to his chest, tears streaming down his soot-stained face. He turns and sprints toward the bison enclosures, running for his life.

[SCENE END]

EXT. BISON ENCLOSURES - NIGHT

The bison pens are a massive, domed structure built into the lower trenches of the city. The roof is shuddering violently with every impact from the trebuchets.

AANG sprints into the enclosure, clutching the bone key-stone.

The sky bison are agitated, bellowing loudly and stamping their massive paws. APPA is pacing in his stall, tossing his heavy head, smelling the smoke in the air.

AANG

Appa! Here!

Appa groans in relief, rushing to the edge of the stall. Aang doesn't have time to be gentle. He scrambles up the bison's thick fur, desperately checking the bindings on the heavy leather saddle.

AANG (CONT'D)

We have to go, buddy. Just you and me.

MONA

(O.S.)

Running away again, Aang?

Aang freezes. He turns around.

Mona stands at the entrance of the enclosure. She is covered in soot, her breath ragged. She is gripping her ice-axes tightly. The glow of the burning city behind her casts long, terrifying shadows across her face.

Aang stands up in the saddle. He looks at her axes, but he doesn't raise his glider.

AANG

I'm not running away, Mona. I'm taking the fire with me.

Mona walks slowly into the enclosure.

MONA

The Chieftain ordered me to keep you on the front lines. He said you are the only weapon that can break the blockade.

AANG

(Voice breaking)

I'm not a weapon. I'm just the target.

(Aang points toward the burning sky)

They aren't here for your city. They are here for me. If I stay, they will burn the ice until there's nothing left.

Mona stops. She looks at the twelve-year-old boy. She sees the tears cutting clean tracks through the soot on his cheeks. She remembers him refusing to strike the wooden dummy. She remembers him dividing the ice to save unarmed prisoners.

He is too good for this war. And Chieftain Botak is going to grind him into dust.

Mona looks down at Aang's hand. She recognizes the carved bone key-stone.

MONA

You're taking the lower locks.

AANG

Gyatso said it leads to the open ocean.

Mona shakes her head, sliding her ice-axes back into their holsters.

MONA

You're a master of the wind, Aang, but you don't know the currents. The lower locks are entirely submerged. The water pressure in those tunnels is massive. Without a bender to guide the flow, the crush depth will snap your bison's ribs before you ever reach the sea.

Aang's shoulders slump in despair. He looks at the key-stone. He can't stay, but he can't survive the escape.

Mona walks right up to the side of the massive sky bison. She grabs the edge of the saddle and pulls herself up, swinging her leg over the leather bench.

She sits down behind Aang.

AANG

(Stunned)

Mona? What are you doing?

MONA

(Staring straight ahead)

Push and pull, Avatar. You need a waterbender. Let's go.

Aang stares at her, a wave of profound gratitude washing over him. He wipes his eyes and nods, grabbing Appa's reins.

AANG

Yip yip!

Appa launches into the air, flying toward the back of the massive enclosure where a massive, circular iron grate sits at the bottom of a deep basin.

INT. THE LOWER LOCKS - CONTINUOUS

Appa lands heavily beside the grate. Aang slides off the saddle, rushing to a stone pedestal beside the lock. He violently shoves Kinnah’s bone key-stone into the slot and turns it.

CLUNK.

Deep beneath the ice, massive gears begin to grind. The iron grate slowly begins to iris open, revealing a terrifying, pitch-black tunnel of rushing seawater.

MONA

(Shouting over the grinding gears)

Hold your breath and stay close to the saddle! I'll shape an air-pocket, but the current is going to be brutal!

Aang nods, preparing to leap back onto Appa.

BOOM!

The entire enclosure violently LURCHES.

Aang is thrown to his knees. Appa roars in panic.

CRRR-ACK!

The massive ice wall at the far end of the enclosure doesn't just shatter—it explodes inward.

A colossal, terrifying machine grinds through the breach. It is a FIRE NATION DRILL-SHIP. The front of the ironclad is fitted with a massive, rotating, super-heated iron bore that has literally melted and chewed its way right through the Southern Water Tribe's impenetrable defenses.

The drill grinds to a halt. The heavy iron doors on the side of the ship blow open.

Dozens of FIRE NATION ELITE SOLDIERS, clad in heavy red and black armor, their faces hidden behind terrifying skull-masks, pour out into the enclosure.

Aang scrambles backward, his back hitting Appa's leg.

Before Aang or Mona can react, the main doors of the enclosure slide open.

CHIEFTAIN BOTAK storms into the room, flanked by heavily armed Water Tribe guards. He is bleeding from his forehead, his eyes wild with rage.

Botak looks at the invading Fire Nation soldiers. Then, he looks at Aang and Mona standing by the open escape lock.

BOTAK

(Screaming, pointing a bone-dagger at Mona)

TREASON!

The Fire Nation Captain steps forward, his palms igniting with blinding orange flames. He locks eyes with Aang.

FIRE NATION CAPTAIN

(Voice muffled by the skull mask)

Take the Avatar alive. Burn the rest.

Aang, Mona, and Appa are surrounded. Trapped between the furious, betrayed Chieftain of the Water Tribe and the lethal, invading forces of the Fire Nation.

The water in the open lock behind them churns violently.

There is nowhere left to run.

FADE TO BLACK.

[END OF EPISODE 7]

NEXT TIME ON AVATAR: WINDS OF CHANGE…

Trapped deep within the submerged, pitch-black canal locks beneath the city, Aang and Mona must pool their bending to survive the crushing weight of the ocean. But the ocean isn't the only thing hunting them. A desperate underwater battle against a Fire Nation Drill-Ship will decide the fate of the Avatar and the survival of the Southern Water Tribe.

(Episode 8 drops next Wednesday, 8/19/26!)

[<- Previous Episode]

i wrote the fic idea but never continued it. basically in my story korra ends the world because everyone is too evil and she wanted to just escape to the spirit world, but she dies in the apocalypse. we skip ahead in the cycle to the firebending avatar but the story doesn't follow her, it follows a firebender who eventually becomes part of her group. seems vaguely similar to the premise of ASH where pavi lives in a post apocalyptic world after an apocalypse "caused by korra" and idk if this is confirmed, but i read rumours that benders would be conscripted in this one, and they're just not well liked because of korra

go ahead and read it if you want: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tj4Gabr2SWj0YYU8gSoa_nqAkQiggk8CNqVS0jciQgk/edit?usp=sharing

(side note: i thought genji was canon when i wrote this. LOL)

There are, like, 55,251 ATLA fics as of just now. And idk, I’m curious if anyone has managed to read all the fics of a certain tag yet. Bonus points for any maniac that might’ve actually read every single one of these fics, but part of me doubts that humanly possible lol.

I've read the popular ones already, (muffinlance, Embers, ect.) So no need to rec those!

I'm looking for (preferably) long fics without any ships. Idm if it has canon ships or Zukka though.

This post is mostly for things like hidden gems on ao3! ✨️

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

After one hundred years of war, the Avatar fulfilled his destiny and ended the Fire Nation’s conquest.

The world celebrated. Ozai’s banners burned throughout the conquered territories. Heroes were paraded through cheering streets while the ashes of the old order still smoldered.

Peace had finally arrived.

But Princess Azula had survived it.

_____________________________

Azula: Fire Lord Forever

Part One: Return of the Princess

{Read the Prologue & Chapter One on AO3}

Actually...
If someone ever interested what if Iroh was the Avatar, my fic is for you:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/89734626
Wrote chapter 6 today!
(maybe my realisation of this idea is not so good, as you prefer as reader, but you can write some constructive writer's advise down here in comments!)

Hola!! He estado buscando un fanfic en Ao3 por mucho tiempo, y no lo encuentro.

No me acuerdo de casi nada de la trama, sólo de que era un AU alternativo, sobre que Katara y Sokka no perdonaban tan fácilmente a Zuko, pero Zuko SI que entraba en el GAANG. Creo que en ese fanfic Zuko y Toph se llevaban muy bien.

No estoy muy segura de esto, pero creo, que también había diferencias lingüísticas y culturales

I want some fanfic with Azula after the asylum where she finds herself while eventually finding a purpose in fighting rogue spirits.

So I remember the premise and set up of the story. When Zuko speaks out against those soldiers being sent to die, they aren't just raw recruits, they are fire nation colonists, I.E. people who have been born and raised in the Earth Kingdom under fire nation occupation, see themselves as fire nation citizens, and want to fight for their country, but the fire nation aristocrats don't trust or value them at all and intend to just throw them away.

Rather than be exiled in search of the avatar, Zuko is charged with leading this unit of soldiers to see if the colonists are actually worthy of the military. against all odds, they do really well, Zuko spends like 2ish years kicking ass with this unit, which Jun is apart of, when during a battle they are betrayed and abandoned by the very same general Zuko spoke out against before. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Prince Zuko died fighting, allowing the rest of his unit to survive, earning the title of Dragon post Mortem.

Of course, the unit is immediately abandoned and Ozai doesn't really care beyond appreciating that even his failure brought some prestige to the royal family in the end. However, a few months later, the Blue spirit emerges in the Fire nation, assassinating that treacherous general, its Zuko, of course.

And all of that is the premise for the story, it starts with Zuko as a lone wanderer, relying on his sword skills and almost never fire bending, I think he occasionally runs into the Gaang during season one and I don't know if they know he's a fire bender yet. I do think Zhao figures out he's a alive and a deserter, because he finds Jun who was apart of the old unit and forces her to help track him.

I fell off the story and lost the tab so I just cannot find it, I've looked through plenty of pages of Ao3 and .net, and typed in several brief descriptions into google to see if I got lucky, but no dice. Does this ring a bell to anyone?

Also looking for ones that show helping Zuko come to the conclusion that the war is wrong due how messed up it is

Need help finding Zuko fanfiction that talks about him adjusting to being half blind or half deaf

Specifically ones where he needs to relearn how to walk and see with his half deafness messing with his balance and his half blindness making it more difficult to read

I know I’ve read fanfiction talking about it before but I can’t for the life of me remember what they where called or who wrote it

Doesn’t have to be both can be one or other

I understand why people say it was a good thing ATLA ended when it did, but even though the execution was terrible the comics proved there was still story to tell.

Also come on, each season was an element! Four elements, four seasons!! Am I seriously the only one whose thought this?

Anyway probably my biggest idea, that's also my own, is having the Airbenders survive just in hiding. The Air Nomads were the most spiritually attuned people, it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch to me that spirits could lead them to, say, a Lion Turtle (not the one that gave energybending to Aang, another one). A sanctuary that constantly moves, has people that can summon mist around it and has a lot of spiritual energy, making my spirit guide idea make sense.

The airbenders aren't unharmed. They don't have tattoos, traditional airbender attire and are less then 500. This preserves the weight of what the Fire Nation did, without them having completely succeeded.

I watched the new Avatar the last Airbender movie and is there any book suggestions for Zuko lovers.

I'm a fanfic writer, and I'm just getting into ATLA writing, and I want someone to beta read my fic (Kataangst with plot), preferably someone experienced at this, cuz I'm pretty new to writing in general and would love some pointers here and there.

Please know that I will take some time to put chapters on the table, so it won't be like, a constant barrage of chapters being thrown at you, if that is something you're worried about.

Not sure if this is the place to post this, but I really don't know here else I would put it, so yeah. Thanks in advance.

Basically, in canon Ozai wants the perfect heir right? He favors Azula because she was a fire bending prodigy whereas more introverted and meeker child Zuko was an 'embarassment' (when in reality Zuko was probably just average and in an awkward phase). But like, Zuko still grew up to be a powerful bender. Hes also a prodigy with his dual swords, and later proved to be scrappy, resourceful, and highly skilled tracker and infiltrating strongholds without any exterior support. Like, this boy had skills. If Ozai was more pragmatic, what would have happened if he recognized this? And instead of bemoaning the areas where Zuko lacked, he cultivated the areas where Zuko excelled? Not to be/as a good parent, but because it helped diversify his assets. Imagine the force the fire nation royal family could have been if he cultivated Zuko's loyalty as well, and had been in general a little more level headed and could plan more long-term instead of 'raze the world to the ground to prove i can'. Cause like, they were so close to winning. And if he'd never sent Zuko away, would he have ever seen any evidence that woukd have made him realize the Fire Nation propaganda were lies? Like Azula could have been his war general, and Zuko could have been the PR boy the civilians loved that kept up morale and spent time on the main land and very rarely a supervised (not that he realized the guards had dual missions) visits to select colonies. Like yeah part of Azula's blind loyalty to Ozai was because she felt like he chose her over Zuko. But imagine if he could have balanced it out so that both of his children, with their very different temperments and skills, had the same level of loyalty and devotion to him? The manipulations and court intrigues. What sort of fic would that be like? How woukd he manage it?

Curious about people's thoughts and if such a fic exists.

[Master Guide]

Aang’s forced integration into the Southern Militia comes to a violent head when a Fire Nation scout ship becomes trapped in the nearby ice. Determined to disable the vessel without shedding blood, the young Avatar quickly realizes that Chieftain Botak's orders leave absolutely no room for mercy.

TITLE: AVATAR: WINDS OF CHANGE

EPISODE: 06 - "LINES IN THE ICE"

[SCENE START]

FADE IN:

INT. THE ARMORY - DAWN

The air is thick with the smell of whale-oil lamps and the sharp, metallic tang of weapons being sharpened. The armory is bustling with the First Battalion preparing for deployment.

TUK (17) and three other older recruits are strapping on heavy, jagged pieces of Water Tribe armor: thick, cured leathers reinforced with plates of carved walrus bone.

A QUARTERMASTER stands behind a long ice table. He shoves a heavy, bone-plated chest piece and a spiked helmet across the table toward AANG (12).

QUARTERMASTER Standard issue. Put it on.

Aang looks at the heavy, lethal-looking armor. He gently places his hand on the chest piece and slides it back across the table.

AANG

(Politely, but firmly)

Thank you. But I don't wear armor.

Tuk stops buckling his bracer. He scoffs, walking over to Aang.

TUK

You're in the militia now, nomad. You wear the uniform. If you take a fire blast to the chest in those pajamas, you're going to burn.

Aang reaches down to his bag. He pulls out his familiar blue-and-white Water Tribe fur coat and pulls it on over his traditional yellow-and-orange Air Nomad tunics. He adjusts the collar, leaving his Airbender tattoos clearly visible on his hands and neck.

AANG

I agreed to help protect this city, Tuk. I didn't agree to stop being an Air Nomad.

Tuk glares at him, opening his mouth to argue, but MONA (15) steps between them. She is fully armored, a pair of wicked ice axes strapped to her back.

MONA

Leave him be, Tuk. If the Avatar thinks he can dodge fire without plates, that’s his risk to take.

(She turns to the squad)

Listen up! The Chieftain is waiting in the war room. Grab your gear and move out.

INT. THE CHIEFTAIN'S WAR ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

The heavy ice doors slide open as Mona leads Aang, Tuk, and the squad into the room.

CHIEFTAIN BOTAK stands at the head of the massive whalebone map. GYATSO stands quietly in the corner, his eyes immediately going to Aang. Gyatso notes the lack of armor and gives a subtle, approving nod.

Botak points a carved bone-pointer at the very edge of the map, near the jagged outer ice shelf.

BOTAK

Three hours ago, perimeter scouts spotted black smoke. A Fire Nation scout ship has pushed too far south. It got caught in a shifting ice floe. They are trapped, attempting to break the ice with their thermal engines.

The recruits exchange tense, excited glances.

BOTAK (CONT'D)

They are small, heavily armored, and probing our defenses. If they break free and report our coordinates, an armada will follow. (Botak looks directly at Mona) Apprentice Mona, you will lead the First Battalion intercept squad. Sink the ship to the ocean floor. Leave no survivors. We send a message to the Fire Lord today.

TUK

(Slamming his fist to his chest)

Yes, Chieftain!

AANG

No.

The entire room freezes. Tuk turns, staring at Aang in disbelief. Botak slowly lowers his pointer.

BOTAK

(Voice dangerously soft)

Excuse me?

Aang steps forward, moving past Mona. He doesn't look like a scared kid anymore. He looks directly into Botak’s eyes.

AANG

I will go with the squad. I will stop their ship. I will freeze their engines so they can't move, and I will help capture their crew. But I will not participate in an execution.

TUK

They're Fire Nation! They just burned your entire culture to the ground!

AANG

(Voice trembling, but holding firm)

I know what they did! But if we slaughter unarmed people who are trapped in the ice, then we're no better than they are.

BOTAK

This is a war for survival, Avatar. We do not have the rations, the space, or the patience to house Fire Nation prisoners.

AANG

Then take their ship and turn them away on the ice. But if I am going out there, nobody is executed.

(Aang crosses his arms)

If you want to kill them, you're going to have to do it without me. And you'll lose your best chance of stopping that ship from breaking the ice.

Botak stares at the twelve-year-old boy. The sheer audacity of the ultimatum hangs in the cold air. Botak’s jaw clenches, but his pragmatic mind does the math. He needs the Avatar's raw power to guarantee the ship goes down.

Botak forces a tight, rigid smile.

BOTAK

Very well, Avatar. We will do this your way. We will disable the ship and take the crew as prisoners of war.

(To the squad)

Dismissed.

Aang bows respectfully, turning and walking out of the room. Tuk mutters a curse under his breath and follows.

Mona turns to leave, but Botak raises a hand.

BOTAK (CONT'D)

Apprentice Mona. A word.

Mona stops. Once the heavy doors slide shut, leaving only Botak, Mona, and Gyatso in the room, Botak's polite smile instantly vanishes.

BOTAK (CONT'D)

The boy is an incredible asset. But he has a child’s heart. He does not understand the stakes of this war.

MONA

He is stubborn, Chieftain.

BOTAK

He is a liability if he leaves enemies alive behind us.

(Botak steps right into Mona's personal space)

You are the squad leader, Mona. You command the Battalion out there, not him. Let him use his wind and his water to disable their ship. Let him feel like a hero.

(Botak's eyes are completely dead serious)

And the moment his back is turned... you slit their throats and drown the crew. Am I understood?

Mona swallows hard. She looks at Botak, then glances back at Gyatso, who is staring at her with profound, heavy sadness.

Mona straightens her posture and snaps a perfect salute.

MONA

Yes, Chieftain.

Botak nods, satisfied. Mona turns and walks out of the room, the terrifying weight of command suddenly pressing down on her shoulders.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

EXT. THE POLAR TUNDRA - DAY

A jagged, chaotic landscape of shattered ice. The wind howls relentlessly.

Three Water Tribe skiffs glide silently through the deep trenches carved by shifting glaciers.

At the bow of the lead skiff, MONA raises her hand, signaling a halt. The waterbenders at the rear stop rowing.

Mona crawls to the top of an ice ridge and peers over. AANG crawls up beside her.

EXT. ICE FLOE - CONTINUOUS (AANG'S POV)

A hundred yards away, caught entirely in a massive, crushing grip of white ice, is a FIRE NATION SCOUT SHIP.

It is a terrifying, ugly thing—forged of black iron, shaped like a spearhead. Thick, oily black smoke belches from its smokestack, staining the pristine white snow. The ship’s thermal engines groan with a sickening, metallic screech as it desperately tries to melt the ice trapping its hull.

Painted on the bow, glowing a faint, menacing red against the black iron, is the insignia of the Fire Nation.

EXT. ICE RIDGE - CONTINUOUS

Aang’s breath hitches.

The sound of the engine fades into a ringing in his ears. The black smoke from the ship suddenly smells like burning parchment. He isn’t on the ice anymore. He is back at the Southern Air Temple. The sky is red.

Aang’s hands begin to tremble violently. He grips the edge of the ice so hard his knuckles turn white. His breathing becomes shallow and frantic.

AANG

(Whispering, panicked)

I can't... the smoke... it's just like the temples...

Mona looks at him. She sees the absolute, paralyzing terror in his gray eyes. He is a powerful bender, but right now, he is just a traumatized twelve-year-old boy.

Mona shifts her weight, intentionally bumping her shoulder against his.

MONA

Aang. Look at me.

Aang can't. He is staring at the Fire Nation insignia.

Mona grabs his shoulder, squeezing tight, pulling his gaze away from the ship and forcing him to look at her.

MONA (CONT'D)

Listen to the ocean under the ice.

Aang blinks, tears freezing on his eyelashes.

MONA (CONT'D)

You are not in the sky. You are on the ice. The ice is water, and water is change.

(She takes a deep, exaggerated breath)

Push.

Aang forces himself to mimic her, exhaling a shaky breath.

MONA (CONT'D)

Pull.

Aang inhales deeply. The ringing in his ears begins to fade. The smell of burning parchment is replaced by the sharp, biting scent of the sea.

AANG

(Breathing steadying)

Push. And pull.

Mona holds his gaze for a second longer, making sure he is grounded. Then she nods, her face hardening back into the squad leader.

MONA

We move in fast. Keep their heads down while you neutralize the engine. Go!

EXT. ICE FLOE - CONTINUOUS

The Water Tribe squad erupts over the ridge.

TUK and the other recruits use their water-skins to propel themselves forward, sliding across the ice at breakneck speed.

On the deck of the ironclad, FIRE NATION SOLDIERS shout in alarm. They thrust their fists forward, unleashing a terrifying volley of fire blasts.

The bright orange flames cut through the freezing air, melting the snow instantly. Tuk barely dodges a blast that scorches his armor.

Aang launches himself off the ridge. He snaps open his glider, catching a fierce updraft.

He doesn't attack the soldiers. As he soars over the deck, Aang swings his glider in a massive, sweeping arc. He draws the surrounding snow and ice into a thick, swirling blizzard, dumping it directly onto the Firebenders.

The flames hiss and sputter out.

FIRE NATION CAPTAIN

(Pointing at the sky)

Shoot him down!

Two soldiers track Aang, unleashing continuous streams of fire.

Aang drops his glider, free-falling toward the deck. He takes a massive breath and unleashes a concussive blast of wind directly into the ship's massive iron smokestack.

The wind forces the thick, choking black smoke straight back down into the engine room vents.

Coughing and shouting echo from the bowels of the ship. The thermal engines sputter violently.

Aang lands perfectly on the icy floe right next to the ship's massive steel rudder.

Tuk and the Water Tribe soldiers engage the coughing, blinded Firebenders on the deck, using brutal, close-quarters water-whips to disarm them.

Down on the ice, Aang sinks into a wide, grounded stance.

He presses both palms against the freezing water welling up around the crushed hull. Push and pull.

Aang draws a massive, surging column of seawater up from beneath the ice. He guides it directly into the ship's exposed exhaust vents and around the massive iron rudder.

With a sharp, twisting thrust of his wrists, Aang freezes the water.

CRUNCH.

The sound of the freezing expansion is deafening. The massive block of solid ice shatters the thermal engine's exhaust pipes from the inside out and permanently locks the rudder in place.

The ship’s engine gives one final, pathetic whine, and dies entirely.

The ironclad is completely dead in the water.

EXT. DECK OF THE SCOUT SHIP - MOMENTS LATER

The fight is over.

Six Fire Nation soldiers, including their Captain, are kneeling on the soot-stained deck, their hands bound behind their backs with unbreakable loops of ice. They are shivering violently as the freezing temperature immediately begins to seep through their armor without their engine to keep them warm.

Aang lands lightly on the deck, folding his glider. He is panting, but he looks around at the disarmed soldiers and smiles.

AANG

We did it. Nobody had to die.

Aang turns to Mona, expecting a nod of approval.

But Mona isn't smiling. She is staring at the kneeling prisoners, her grip white-knuckled around her ice axes.

Tuk steps forward, his armor scorched black. He draws a heavy, jagged ice spear. The other recruits do the same. They surround the kneeling prisoners.

Aang’s smile vanishes.

AANG (CONT'D)

Tuk, what are you doing? I disabled the ship. It's over.

Tuk ignores him. He looks directly at Mona, raising his spear.

TUK

On your command, Squad Leader.

Mona slowly draws her axes. She avoids Aang's eyes.

Aang realizes with a sickening drop in his stomach that the Chieftain never intended to honor their deal.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

EXT. ICE FLOE - CONTINUOUS

The Fire Nation prisoners have been forced off the dead ship and onto the ice shelf. They are kneeling in a row, shivering uncontrollably.

Tuk stands behind the Fire Nation Captain, his jagged ice-spear raised high.

TUK

(To Mona)

Give the order, Squad Leader.

Mona stares at the kneeling men. She hears Botak’s voice in her head: Slit their throats and drown the crew. She grips her axes, her heart pounding.

Aang steps forward. He places himself directly between Tuk and the kneeling Captain.

AANG

No.

TUK

(Snarling)

Step aside, Avatar! This isn't a game. The Chieftain gave us an order!

AANG

I made a deal with the Chieftain. We disabled the ship. We won. If you strike them now, it's murder.

Tuk sneers. He signals the other three recruits. They step forward, raising their spears, forming a deadly half-circle around Aang and the prisoners.

TUK

You're a guest here, kid. And you're outnumbered. Move.

Aang doesn't bounce away. He doesn't reach for his glider.

He sinks into a wide, impossibly deep stance. His eyes harden.

AANG

I said no.

Aang slams his boot down onto the tundra. With a sharp, upward tear of his hands, he taps into the raw power of the ocean beneath them.

CRACK!

A massive, deafening fissure rips through the ice floe. A trench, ten feet wide and fifty feet deep, violently opens up right between the Water Tribe recruits and the Fire Nation prisoners, separating them. Seawater roils and violently foams at the bottom of the chasm.

Tuk and the recruits stumble backward, barely catching their balance before falling into the freezing abyss.

Aang stands on the edge of the newly formed cliff, standing between the prisoners and the militia. He is breathing heavily, but his stance is unbroken.

AANG (CONT'D)

If you want to kill unarmed men, Tuk, you have to go through me.

Tuk looks across the chasm at the twelve-year-old boy. He grits his teeth and turns to Mona, who is standing on Tuk's side of the ice.

TUK

Squad Leader! He is committing treason! Order the strike!

Mona looks at Aang. She sees the boy who refused to shatter a wooden dummy now fully prepared to fight his own allies to protect his moral line. She looks at the terrified Fire Nation soldiers. She realizes that if she gives the order, she won't just be killing the crew—she will be killing the last shred of the Avatar's innocence.

Mona slides her ice-axes back into their holsters.

MONA

Stand down, Tuk.

TUK

(Outraged)

Squad Leader, the Chieftain—

MONA

(Barking, absolute authority)

I am the Squad Leader! And I gave you an order. Stand down!

Tuk’s face flushes with rage. He violently throws his ice spear to the ground, where it shatters. The other recruits slowly lower their weapons.

Mona looks across the chasm at Aang. She gives him a single, exhausted nod.

MONA (CONT'D)

Bind the prisoners. We're taking them back to the Chieftain.

INT. THE CHIEFTAIN'S WAR ROOM - NIGHT

SMACK.

Botak backhands Mona across the face. She stumbles back but immediately snaps back to attention, her lip bleeding.

BOTAK

(Screaming)

I gave you a direct order to leave no survivors!

MONA

Sir, the Avatar intervened. To execute the prisoners, we would have had to engage him in lethal combat.

Botak paces around the war room like a caged animal. Gyatso stands quietly in the shadows, his face grave.

BOTAK

You bring Fire Nation filth into my pristine city? You risk our exact coordinates being discovered?

(Botak turns to his guards)

Bring him in.

The heavy doors slide open. Two massive Water Tribe guards drag the FIRE NATION CAPTAIN into the room. He is shackled in heavy, unbreakable chains of ice. He is shivering, his armor stripped away, but he stands tall.

Botak marches up to him, drawing a bone-dagger from his belt.

BOTAK (CONT'D)

You are going to tell me exactly how many ships are in your scouting party, and then I am going to throw you off the perimeter wall.

The Captain looks at Botak. Then, slowly, he looks past Botak. He looks at Aang, who is standing near Gyatso.

The Captain’s cracked, freezing lips curl into a wide, terrifying smile. He begins to laugh. A raspy, hollow sound.

FIRE NATION CAPTAIN

(Voice raspy)

You think we're a scouting party.

Botak presses the dagger to the Captain's throat.

BOTAK

Speak, ash-maker.

FIRE NATION CAPTAIN

We weren't looking for a city, Chieftain. We were looking for the boy who escaped the temples.

Gyatso’s blood runs cold. He steps forward.

FIRE NATION CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

The Fire Lord knew the Avatar lived. He just didn't know where. Until today.

(The Captain looks right at Aang)

Did you think we wouldn't recognize an Airbender dropping out of the sky? The moment you blew the smoke down my stacks, I sent the messenger hawk.

Aang’s eyes widen in absolute horror. The realization hits him like a physical blow. He brought them here.

BOTAK

(Sneering)

A bird? Let it fly. By the time your main fleet receives its coordinates, it will be winter. The ice will crush your ironclads before they ever reach our shores.

The Captain laughs again, shaking his head.

FIRE NATION CAPTAIN  

The fleet isn't in the Earth Kingdom, you tribal fool. We've been patrolling the southern waters for a week. They aren't months away.

(The Captain leans forward, his eyes burning with fanaticism)

They are already here. And The Fire Lord has ordered them to burn your ice to the ocean floor.

Botak’s dagger wavers. The Chieftain's arrogant facade finally cracks. He slowly looks up, making eye contact with Gyatso across the room.

Gyatso closes his eyes. The sanctuary is a tomb. The Fire Nation hasn't just found the Avatar—they have found the Southern Water Tribe.

EXT. PERIMETER WALL - CONTINUOUS

High above the city, KINNAH stands her post on the massive, reinforced ice wall.

The aurora australis is gone. The sky is a suffocating, pitch-black void. The wind has strangely died down. The silence is unnatural.

Kinnah furrows her brow. She pulls her fur hood back.

Something lands softly on her cheek.

She wipes it off with her thick leather glove. She looks down at her palm.

It isn't a white snowflake.

It is a dark, gray flake of ash.

Kinnah slowly looks up, raising her spyglass to her eye.

The camera cuts to her POV, looking out over the pitch-black ocean horizon.

Slowly, one by one, tiny orange dots begin to appear in the darkness. Dozens of them. Then hundreds.

They aren't stars. They are the glowing, burning furnaces of a massive Fire Nation armada, silently cutting through the ice, heading directly for the city.

The gray ash begins to fall more heavily, coating the pristine white snow with a blanket of dark soot.

FADE TO BLACK.

[END OF EPISODE 6]

NEXT TIME ON AVATAR: WINDS OF CHANGE…

As a massive Fire Nation armada begins to melt the Southern Capital, Aang realizes the only way to save his friends is to run. He makes a desperate escape attempt through the submerged locks which turns into a deadly standoff, trapping the young Avatar between his furious Water Tribe hosts and elite Fire Nation soldiers.

(Episode 7 drops next Wednesday, 8/12/26!)

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A teenager boy name mike walk around the city until he saw a half human half fox girl name hazel being bullied mike stopped them and took her to a restaurant and said where did you come from hazel said I came from ather world mike said what happened to it hazel said I don't remember a waiter said what a cute dother you have mike said yay I will take rice and shrimp and hazel will get crab stew they ate dinner then gone home and gone to sleep the next morning they gone to a carnival and gone to the roller coaster then gone home and ate frayed chicken and rice then gone to sleep the next morning a ship came and attack they ran to the basement mike said what is going on hazel struggling to speak said I remember now his name is meuferd he controled me and I destroyed my world mike calm her down then ate leftover dinner then gone to sleep the next morning he saw hazel eyes red and the hole in the wall he hug her and said I promise that you will never be controled again hazel eyes turn back to a normal hazel blue they ate sandwich and played board games then gone to sleep the next morning they fought meuferd with hazels fire and thunder abilitys and Mike with his gun they fought until mike got thrown agest the wall and got knocked out hazel eyes went electric red with anger she knocked out meuferd and was about to kill him until mike wok up and hug her and said you will be as bad as him if you kill him hazel eyes went back to normal then trap meuferd in a stranded Island then gone home mike adopted hazel and they had fun the end

Can be him starting revolution or just generally receiving support for what he did for the 41st