Just Zutara

Okay, and? They were enemies. They were fighting each other but he never actually harmed her.

He sincerely apologized and made up for it as best as he could.

Meanwhile Aang, who is a trusted friend, kissed her three times without permission and yelled at her later before leaving her.

And guess what? He's still yelling at her at age 25 for, according to him, things she doesn't understand.

The Flame Lover and the one who aligned with the enemy.

@nyctoqueen and anyone else looking for a few Ambassador Katara/ Fire Lord Zuko Zutura fics: 

All Good Things Start with Tea - yodalorian (G)

Zuko’s advisors want him to get married. Fortunately, they’ve found the perfect candidate.

A Month of Sundays - ok_boomerang (T)

Fire Lord Zuko is desperately trying, and continuously failing, to successfully propose to Ambassador Katara. She’s oblivious; everyone else is entertained. Meanwhile, Zuko is giving weekly Sunday speeches to the Fire Nation in an effort to help his people feel closer to their government. This effort was not supposed to include telling the entire Fire Nation about his plans for a future with Katara before even she knew about them. But it’s fine! They promised not to tell!

Covered in You - evergreenonthehorizon (M)

Zuko can’t keep a Southern Water Tribe ambassador to save his life. Ten years post-war and he’s gone through eight of them. They all keep leaving to get married and start families. The Fire Lord is getting desperate.

The Solace of the Night - goldilocks23 (E)

Since deleting tiktok, Instagram, rednote, and Facebook off my phone I am finally bored (aka not overstimulated and distracted) enough to just..draw again. Without the pressure of performing, making some master piece, making something that will impress anyone. Just drawing for the pure love of it and the fandom 🥹😍 my shayllaaa Zuko, and katara. I’m excited for the new season of NATLA to come out. I’ve already rewatched the original ATLA and can’t get enough of Zutara content on tumblr lolol. Maybe I’ll practice enough to make a nice Zutara art :D

The Chinese text in the image says:

Can we be described as the sun and the moon?

[And maybe after that too; (yeah this part will be purely based on speculation)]

(See also: A meta that everybody has already written but I haven't because I was living under a rock and watched Avatar very recently)

Like seriously, it is so obvious? I see people try to interpret "The Legend Of Oma and Shu" in so many other ways; like yeah, you're free to interpret it however you want but— most people try to make sense of it while thinking that the tale is just a random occurrence? But it's not.

And here's why:

(I'm so sorry, I tried to add the "keep reading" link here because this gets kinda long but it just won't work) (Also click on the pictures if you want better resolution).

The tale of Oma and Shu is about two lovers who belonged to villages that were at war against each other. To continue meeting each other, they learnt earthbending to create caves in the mountain that divides the two villages. But one day Shu didn't come to the caves. He'd died in the war. So Oma unleashed a terrifying display of her power. And then when people were willing to listen to her, she called off the war and strived for peace between both the villages. As a result the city of Omashu was created— as a monument in remembrance of their love.

So in comparison:

1. Two people belonging to the opposite sides of the war

(Other than the 100 year old war that has been going on, Zuko and Katara are involved in a very fundamental conflict: Capture the Avatar Vs. Protect the Avatar.)

2. With the same colour scheme:

3. Share intimate moments in a cave lit by green crystals:

A popular argument for this comparison is that; Oma and Shu had a positive impressions of each other when they first met. Unlike Zuko and Katara where Katara's first impression of Zuko was pretty negative because he invaded her village.

Zuko and Katara's first proper conversation happens in "Crossroads of Destiny" i.e.; the scene I'm talking about here. After this interaction that they have, I think it's safe to say that they did have positive impressions of each other. (Until Zuko made the wrong choice.)

Other than that, about the colour scheme being a coincidence: Here and here are posts by @marsreds about how the colours are definitely not a coincidence.

But seriously guys? Oma and Shu were the FIRST EARTHBENDERS and yet, instead of greens and yellows they were designed with RED and BLUE?!? (I'll take about Oma's green dress below.)

And on that note, why were Zuko and Katara the only ones who were thrown into the catacombs when everybody else was being held at the dungeons? The dungeons wouldn't have been easy to escape, neither for Zuko nor for Katara.

It's because Zuko and Katara were meant to share an intimate moment in a cave that was supposed to jog our visual memory to remind us of the caves built by Oma and Shu.

(Seriously though, I wasn't really paying attention during CoTL and thought that the Omashu legend was just put in to consume screen time, so I missed the red/blue thing. But then I watched CoD and saw the catacombs and I was like: "Isn't this like that cave made by the lovers?" And then I proceeded to have an oh shit moment because, I knew that Zutara was not canon so I never even considered the possibility of the narrative hinting at anything between them but then this happened. I mean, it's pretty darn obvious).

The colour of the crystals being the same in both caves is no coincidence either— if they just wanted two random caves with crystals, then they could've used a different colour because crystals of different colours exist:

Moving on,

The Visual Cues:

According to the colour coding Zuko = Oma (red) and Katara = Shu (blue).

So,

EXHIBIT A:

I feel like this one speaks for itself.

(I personally think that in this parallel Oma is in red because Katara at this point still sees Zuko as the face of the Fire Nation.)

EXHIBIT B:

This sequence of frames show Oma (dressed in green, like Zuko was in the catacombs) and Shu (dressed in his usual blue), standing on neutral territory and reaching out to each other and then being torn apart by the war.

Pretty much like:

The first time they are in each other's presence without the cause of their conflict (i.e. the Avatar), Zuko and Katara reach out to each other empathetically and attain bone deep understanding of each other within a matter of minutes. This whole encounter is in Ba Sing Se, which counts for the neutral territory because it hadn't been completely taken over by Fire Nation at that point.

And honestly? The raw vulnerability and intimacy of this scene and the high emotional energy of their powerful dynamic is just— wow. (I put off my binging spree for a whole day because I didn't have the heart to see Zutara not become canon after all of this.)

And soon after, Zuko and Katara face each other in battle, their tentative friendship torn apart, as they fight from their respective sides of the war.

EXHIBIT C:

Whenever Oma and Shu appear in the same frame during the visualization of the legend, Oma is always on the left half of the frame and Shu is on the right.

Similarly, throughout all their interactions in the Catacombs, whenever the frame exclusively includes Zuko and Katara, Zuko (like Oma) is on the left half of the frame and Katara (like Shu) is on the right.

The parallels (or foils rather):

#1

In CoTL, we see Song who is a healer (cures Iroh of his poisoning). She mentions that she hasn't seen her father since a Fire Nation raid took place in her village. Zuko empathises with her and says that he too hasn't seen his father in a long while. But then he refuses to say anything else about it.

Later Song tries to reach out to Zuko and tries to touch his scar— which Zuko prevents her from. She shows Zuko her own scars to show that she understood him.

And yet, Zuko doesn't open up to her.

After a while of life-changing and eye-opening experiences, in CoD, when Katara has her meltdown and cries while saying that her mother was snatched away from her by the Fire Nation; Zuko sees an opening to offer an olive branch and he takes it, he empathises with her and tells her that how his mother was snatched away by the Fire Nation as well.

Then Zuko opens up to Katara in a show of complete vulnerability. He openly talks about his scar and what he feels about it. In response, Katara offers to heal his scar and then Zuko lets her touch his scar.

It was nothing but a deliberate choice to make Song slightly parallel Katara (a healer, lost a parent because of the war) and then making Zuko not open up to her and not let her touch the scar, only for Katara to be the one he opened up to and allowed to touch the scar.

#2

After being trapped with Aang in the cave in CoTL and sharing an intimate moment with him, as soon as they find their way out, Katara runs straight ahead without looking back.

But after her time with Zuko, trapped in the Catacombs in CoD, while leaving she turns back to look at Zuko.

Judging by the amount of time the animation puts into showing us Aang's disappointment at Katara running off and into making it clear that Katara did look back at Zuko and that Zuko looked right back at her, to me, it feels like the choice to show this was pretty deliberate.

(Turning back to look at a person while leaving is a romantic trope that has been overused to death? Or is it just bollywood?)

Also I wouldn't have paid this much attention to this small detail if not for the fact that just a hint of the Omashu legend theme is played here?

No, I swear I'm not making it up.

The Omashu legend theme is used in CoD:

The Omashu legend theme is largely dominated by the music of a stringed instrument (forgive me, I don't know what it's called) alongwith a steady melody playing in the background.

In CoD, when Katara and Zuko start conversing for real, (i.e.; when Katara says: "I'm sorry I yelled at you.") what sounds like a variation of the background melody in the Omashu legend theme, starts its subtle ascent as the background score, but sans the music of the stringed instrument.

It is when Katara says: "Maybe you could be free of it." [About Zuko's scar], when then first hint of the stringed instrument is heard. It is only a single note of the strings but it's there. And this "single note" sound keeps on repeating at regular intervals with the melody building up until Aang and Iroh burst into the catacombs.

But then, when Katara is leaving with Aang and she turns back to look at Zuko, this time the music that plays for a few seconds at best, is dominated by the stringed instrument again and this time it's unmistakable.

Also I don't think this music is used anywhere else in the course of the whole show? So it can't really be a coincidence? But I don't really know. I'm saying this on the basis of as far as my memory can reach.

And this is as far as canon stands testimony to what I am trying to say here.

But what about the second half of the story yk, the dying thing, you say?

Well this is where the speculations come in.

Speculation Time:

#1

As a thumb rule, a romance foreshadowed by a tragic tale is meant to have a happy ending.

So this time when Katara's (Shu) life is in danger (Azula's lightning bolt), Zuko (Oma) steps in at the nick of time to save her life (by jumping infront of Katara to intercept the lightning).

(Since I have crossed the limit of images in a post, here is a post by @araeph which illustrates this point.)

Yes, I am completely aware that Zuko taking the lightning bolt for Katara is not his declaration of love for her. What I mean to say is that the whole scene was so very painfully obviously romantically framed (the immediate change in music when Zuko realises where the lightning bolt was headed, both of their expressions, Zuko's agonized "Nooooo", the slow-mo throughout the shot).

I am also aware that Zuko would've taken the lightning bolt for anyone. But it is the narrative that demands that Zuko take the lightning bolt for Katara and Katara only. Because this has atleast 10 different payoffs (a direct callback to the Book 2 finale where Azula had shot Aang with the lightning; the grief of which was for Katara to bear but this time Zuko himself stands between the lightning and Katara instead of being the silent spectator, the culmination of both Zuko and Katara's personal character arcs, Zuko's scar would parallel Aang's: Aang got it because he chose Katara over the world and Zuko got it because he was willing to give up the world to save Katara, etc, etc).

Tl;dr: The lightning scene wouldn't hold all that much weight if it wasn't Zuko taking the hit for Katara because the narrative literally demands it.

#2

This is where we start wading into really murky waters.

From mucking around on Tumblr due to Zutara feels™, I came across this post where some of the ideas for Book 4 were written:

• The Southern Water Tribe experienced the longest series of attacks from the Fire Nation. Zuko and Katara become political partners and work together to help end the animosity and repair relations between their two nations.

• Just like how Zuko learned to appreciate the Earth Kingdom, he would learn to appreciate the Water Tribes. Katara also learns to respect the complexity of Fire Nation culture. There is no such thing as an “evil” nation.

And that basically means that Zuko and Katara would've been working together to de-escalate the hostility between their respective nations and improve the relations between the two nations, while learning about each other's cultures simultaneously as the world would be in the process of being rebuilt after the war and they would be major role-players in shaping the new world.

Which is quite similar to how Oma strived for peace between the two villages and then as a result of the improved relations between the villages, the city of Omashu was built as a monument to the love story of Oma and Shu; which might just be symbolic of building a new world where both the villages could live in peace due to the initiative taken by Oma on behalf of herself and Shu.

The story would've come a full circle; that's all I'm saying.

It's a Zutara X Mistborn (Elend and Vin) reference.

Mistborn is a series by Brandon Sanderson, if you're wondering. I'm currently somewhere in book 2/3. Worth reading.

(so is another series by him, "The Stormlight Archive", I read the whole thing)

ZUKO & KATARA

Avatar: The Last Airbender / Avatar: Aang, the Last Airbender

→ please don't use, download, or screenshot my gifs without permission or credit! these are specially made and took time to create, so please ask first!

A Case For Zutara

(Through a Tolkienien Lens)

Avatar: The Last Airbender and Tolkien’s legendarium are very different works, but I think they both ask the same questions: what does it mean to inherit the failures of your ancestors? And what role can love play in healing a divided people?

That's why I keep coming back to the parallels between Zuko and Aragorn - and, through them, to the thematic similarities between Katara and Arwen.

The Crownless Heirs

Zuko begins Avatar in exile, convinced that capturing the Avatar will restore his honour, title and father’s love. His transformation begins when he's forced to live amongst people harmed by the Fire Nation. He sees refugees, war-torn villages and families suffering beneath the empire he was raised to glorify.

Even then, he doesn't change easily. He betrays Iroh and Katara, returns home and receives everything he thought he wanted, yet he remains miserable. Zuko finally understands that Ozai cannot restore his honour because Ozai’s idea of honour is corrupt:

"No one can give you your honor. It’s something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what’s right.”

When he confronts Ozai, he also states his abuse head-on: “It was cruel! And it was wrong!” By rejecting his father's (and forefather's) worldview, Zuko becomes capable of recognising the Fire Nation’s violence for what it is.

Aragorn’s exile is different. Numenor has fallen, Gondor has remained kingless, and Isildur’s heirs survive as wandering rangers. Raised secretly in Rivendell under the name Estel, Aragorn grows up as heir to kingdoms he's never possessed. Before becoming king, he learns to wander, protect, heal and serve.

Their paths move in opposite directions. Aragorn begins outside his kingdom and must return to it. Zuko begins inside his and must leave before he can understand it.

I think both inherit damaged royal legacies, but the difference here is crucial:

Aragorn must restore a kingdom that has been broken; Zuko must transform a kingdom that has - in some ways - broken the world.

Arwen and Katara

Let me be clear: Arwen isn't just some immortal princess given to Aragorn after his quest is complete. She's Elrond’s daughter - whilst Aragorn descends from Elrond’s (once elvish) mortal brother, Elros. Their marriage reunites family lines divided since the First Age - rekindling the blessing of the Eldar.

Her choice is weighted:

“Mine is the choice of Lúthien…both the sweet and the bitter.”

Arwen chooses Aragorn, but also mortality and separation from her family. Her love is freely chosen, yet never stripped of consequence.

Most importantly guys, Arwen isn't Aragorn’s prize.

Aragorn must fulfil the responsibility attached to his inheritance before their marriage can take place. He must create a kingdom worthy of what her choice represents.

This is where the strongest Zutara parallel shows up.

Zuko couldn't become worthy of Katara merely by loving her or taking the throne. He had to make the throne worthy of her by transforming the nation it represented.

Now Katara isn't Arwen’s direct equivalent, but she also carries the continuity of a wounded people. She begins the series as the last Southern waterbender. Her mother was murdered by a Fire Nation officer and her childhood was shaped by the war Zuko’s family began.

Katara heals, but she also remembers.

A marriage between Katara and Zuko would therefore not allow Zuko to escape the past. It would bring that past right into the royal household.

The Imperial Question

Some critics see Zutara as kind of 'messed up' as Katara would be marrying into the royal family of the nation that destroyed her people. To them, it could feel less like healing and more like the Fire Nation just...absorbing her.

I think the strongest defence of Zutara is not that Katara forgives the Fire Nation by marrying its ruler, nor that romance removes imperial violence.

It's that their relationship could be the ultimate proof that Zuko had turned his back on the imperialist system he inherited.

Katara wouldn't enter the Fire Nation as a conquered woman; she'd enter as a master waterbender, a survivor of Fire Nation violence and one of the heroes who helped end the war.

Her authority would exist before Zuko and independently of him.

The question isn't simply whether Katara could become Fire Lady; it's whether Zuko could create a Fire Nation worthy of having Katara as its Fire Lady.

A wedding couldn't reconcile nations by itself.

It could only embody reconciliation made real through reform: ending occupation, supporting reparations and dismantling Fire Nation supremacy. Katara’s love could never substitute for justice.

The palace would need to make room for her culture, political obligations and the right to challenge Zuko openly.

The marriage should change the Fire Nation at least as much as it changes Katara’s life.

Estel

Now, what does Estel mean? Well, we know it's elvish for hope - but Tolkien's hope isn't blind, dumb faith. It exists after the world has already been wounded. It doesn't erase grief, nor erase history - it simply supports the idea that history doesn't have the final say.

Most crucially, in neither story is the woman merely a reward for the king.

She's the measure of what his restored kingdom has become, and the throne is worthy of her only when she can stand beside it as an equal.

@thevictorianghost

The first two of ten new AUs I have to share. Keep your eyes open for the rest!

Bloodbound AU:

The vampire isn't like others of his kind. He's strangely gentle, has the self-esteem of a squashed bug, and took care of her injury without succumbing to the temptation of her blood. But in spite of all his virtues, the Prince is still a vampire, and he still needs to feast.

Luckily for Zuko, Katara knows of a criminal or two whose blood begs to be bent (and consumed).

.

Republic AU:

Katara Tinik doesn't give up without a fight. Which is about as admirable as it is annoying, given that her latest endeavor is to ensure Zuko has no dignity left to uphold. As the Fire Nation Ambassador in Republic City, dignity is quite important, thank you very much.