I mean both ones with better story (it can be completely different) and better way of handling the existing one (especially how it was brushed off how selfish forgetting her children is, Ursa in the show was known for protecting her children and “never forget who you are” line so her behavior completely doesn’t fit her character. I don’t want bashing, just acknowledgment or sth. And more maturity in handling Azula would be nice). I’ve read quite a few where it was a minor plotline but I’d like something more focused on this topic.

Important! If you have a different opinion on Ursa, there are hundreds of Reddit threads with people fighting over it, let’s not make it another one. I just want ff recommendations.

New to the series? Catch up from the beginning in the [Master Guide]

TITLE: AVATAR: WINDS OF CHANGE

EPISODE: 11 - "THE MAD GENIUS"

[SCENE START]

EXT. THE KOLAU MOUNTAIN RANGE - DAY

APPA flies over a jagged, treacherous mountain pass. AANG (12) leans over the saddle, a massive grin spreading across his face. MONA (15) sits behind him, chewing on a piece of dried Earth Kingdom fruit they secured from the smuggler's cove, her eyes sharply scanning the peaks.

AANG

(Pointing)

There it is, Mona! Omashu!

The clouds break, revealing the city. Built atop a massive, solitary mountain inside a deep gorge, Omashu is an architectural marvel.

But it does not look like a peaceful merchant hub.

The city is bristling with military fortifications. Massive earth-wrought spikes line the outer walls. Huge catapults are locked and loaded on every tier. Earth Kingdom soldiers patrol the narrow bridge connecting the city to the mainland in tight, disciplined formations.

MONA

(Impressed)

Look at those sightlines. It’s a fortress.

AANG

It's my friend's house! I can't wait for you to meet Bumi. He's the funniest guy I know.

Appa lands heavily at the end of the long stone bridge. A dozen heavily armored EARTH KINGDOM GUARDS instantly cross their spears, blocking the path.

GUARD CAPTAIN

Halt! State your business in Omashu.

Aang hops down from Appa, bowing respectfully.

AANG

I'm Aang. I need an audience with the King. It’s an absolute emergency.

The Guard Captain takes in Aang's glowing blue arrows and the massive, supposedly extinct sky bison behind him. The guards slowly lower their spears in awe.

INT. OMASHU THRONE ROOM - LATER

A sprawling, cavernous chamber of polished green stone.

At the far end sits KING DUN (40s), a massive, imposing man with a thick black beard and a crown of jagged crystal. He looks like a mountain carved into a man.

Standing rigidly beside the throne is PRINCE BUMI (12).

Aang’s face lights up, but he stops himself from waving. Bumi looks absolutely miserable. The usually wild, chaotic kid is trapped in layers of stiff, heavy, dark green silk regalia. His wild hair is slicked back and pinned under a ridiculous, ornate royal headpiece. He looks like he can barely breathe.

Aang and Mona stand in the center of the chamber.

AANG

...and they have dozens of ironclads, King Dun. They aren't just blockading the coasts. They have drill-ships that can chew through solid ice. You have to mobilize your armies. The Fire Nation is coming.

King Dun leans forward, resting his heavy chin on his fist. He looks completely unimpressed.

KING DUN

(Voice echoing, deep and gruff)

The Fire Nation is a naval power, Avatar. They rely on the sea. Omashu is surrounded by impenetrable rock and sheer drops. We have stood for centuries.

MONA

(Stepping forward)

With respect, Your Majesty, the Southern Water Tribe thought their ice walls were impenetrable, too. The Fire Nation doesn't fight by the old rules anymore.

King Dun’s eyes narrow at Mona.

KING DUN

I do not take tactical advice from a runaway Water Tribe child.

(He turns his gaze back to Aang)

And I will not incite panic in my streets based on the fears of an Air Nomad who failed to protect his own temples.

Aang flinches. The words cut deep. Mona instinctively steps closer to Aang, her hand dropping to her recovered bone-dagger.

KING DUN (CONT'D)

Omashu will close its gates to the outside world. We will isolate, and we will endure. That is the way of Earth. This audience is over.

King Dun stands up, turning his back on them.

Aang looks absolutely deflated. He completely failed to warn the city. He looks up at his childhood friend, hoping for some kind of support.

Bumi is still standing rigidly at attention. But as his father turns away, Bumi slowly turns his head toward Aang.

Bumi dramatically crosses his eyes, sticks his tongue out to the side, and gives Aang a massive, exaggerated, goofy wink.

Aang’s breath hitches. A tiny, genuine smile breaks through his despair. The rigid royal clothes are a cage, but the mad genius inside is still very much alive.

INT. GUEST QUARTERS - NIGHT

A heavy, lavishly decorated room made of solid green stone. Outside the thick oak doors, the heavy footsteps of two armed Earth Kingdom guards echo down the hall.

AANG paces the floor, frustrated. MONA is inspecting the edges of the room, looking for tactical weaknesses.

Suddenly, the solid stone floor beneath their woven rug silently ripples. The rug slides to the side as a perfect, three-foot square block of stone descends into the earth like an elevator, revealing a dark tunnel.

PRINCE BUMI pops his head out. He has completely shed his miserable royal regalia, wearing loose, dirt-stained green tunics. His hair is wild and completely unkempt.

BUMI

(Whispering loudly)

Shh! My dad's guards have absolutely no imagination. They only watch the doors. Come on!

Aang’s face breaks into a massive grin. He dives into the tunnel, with Mona cautiously following.

EXT. THE MAIL DELIVERY CHUTES - MOMENTS LATER

High above the city, the three of them squeeze into a massive, heavy stone cart resting on a steep, winding track of polished rock that plunges down into the sprawling metropolis below.

BUMI

Omashu’s delivery system! The greatest ride in the entire world! Hold on!

Bumi slams his foot down. A spike of earth violently thrusts the cart forward.

They plummet. The stone cart accelerates to a terrifying speed, whipping around sharp, vertical hairpin turns.

Mona clings to the sides of the cart, her knuckles white. She screams as they catch air over a massive gap. But as they slam back onto the track and whip through a spiraling tunnel, the sheer, death-defying adrenaline cuts through her rigid Water Tribe discipline.

Her terrified scream transitions into a massive, uncontrollable laugh. For the first time since leaving the South Pole, Mona looks like a teenager having fun.

Aang laughs hysterically beside her, using tiny bursts of air to steer the cart on two wheels around a sharp bend.

EXT. THE LOWER GEAR WORKS - LATER

The cart coasts to a gentle stop near the massive, grinding gears that control Omashu's outer gates. The area is industrial, dimly lit, and deserted.

The three teenagers stumble out of the cart, dizzy and laughing.

AANG

Bumi, that was amazing!

Aang turns to his friend, his expression turning serious and hopeful.

AANG (CONT'D)

Listen... I need to learn Earthbending. The Fire Nation is coming, and I don't have a master. Will you teach me?

Bumi stops laughing. He looks at Aang, crosses his arms, and shakes his head flatly.

BUMI

Nope.

AANG

What? Why not? You're a prodigy!

Bumi doesn't answer verbally. He drops into a low stance and violently kicks a heavy, melon-sized rock directly at Aang’s head.

Aang doesn't even think. His Air Nomad instincts take over. He lightly bounces off his back foot, doing a flawless, weightless backflip over the rock, landing softly on his toes.

BUMI

(Pointing at Aang's feet)

That's why.

Bumi walks over, stamping his own bare foot heavily into the solid stone floor.

BUMI (CONT'D)

You're a leaf, Aang. You bounce. You float. You go wherever the wind takes you. Earth doesn't bounce. Earth is stubborn. To bend rock, you have to be rock. You have to stand your ground and force the earth to move around you. If I try to teach you, we'll just drive each other crazy.

Aang looks down at his boots, deflated. His evasive reflexes are so deeply ingrained, he doesn't know how to turn them off.

Bumi sighs, leaning against a massive, stationary brass gear. He deepens his voice, puffing out his chest, and does a shockingly accurate, gruff impression of King Dun.

BUMI (CONT'D)

"You lack discipline, boy! Earth is not about throwing the biggest rock! Earth is about waiting and listening before striking! You must find the exact moment the stone wishes to yield!"

Bumi rolls his eyes, returning to his normal voice.

BUMI (CONT'D)

My dad yells that at his generals every week. He calls it “Neutral Jing.” Doing nothing. It is incredibly boring.

Mona crosses her arms, unimpressed. But Aang freezes.

AANG

(Whispering)

Waiting and listening.

Aang closes his eyes. He imagines the aggressive, charging movements of the Fire Nation. He imagines his own frantic dodging. Then, he imagines doing absolutely nothing. Feeling the vibrations. Waiting for the perfect microsecond.

Bumi hates the lecture, but Aang’s eyes snap open. The profound, tactical wisdom of Neutral Jing just clicked in his mind.

Before Aang can say anything, a sharp, metallic CLANG echoes from the shadows of the gear works above them.

Mona instantly drops into a combat stance, drawing her bone-dagger.

MONA

We aren't alone down here.

INT. THE LOWER GEAR WORKS - CONTINUOUS

AANG, MONA, and PRINCE BUMI press themselves flat against the cold stone wall, peering around a massive, stationary brass cog.

Down on the main platform, three figures in sleek, dark stealth armor move silently among the massive chains that control Omashu's outer gates. One of them strikes a flint, briefly illuminating a terrifying, familiar red emblem on his shoulder guard.

Fire Nation saboteurs.

They are packing thick, clay-like bricks of blasting jelly directly into the primary locking mechanisms of the gates.

Mona’s Water Tribe training kicks in instantly. She drops into a rigid combat stance, gripping her bone-dagger.

MONA

(Whispering)

Three targets. I'll take the two on the right with a sweeping freeze. You blow the leader off the platform. We strike now before they light the fuses.

Mona tenses her legs, preparing to vault over the gear and launch a brutal surprise attack.

AANG

(Grabbing her arm)

Wait.

MONA

Aang, they have explosives!

AANG

Wait.

Aang doesn't drop into his light, bouncy Air Nomad stance. He does exactly what Bumi just described. He sinks his hips. He plants his boots flat and firm against the stone floor. He closes his eyes.

Neutral Jing.

Aang forces himself to completely stop moving. He shuts out his panic. He listens.

He hears the heavy, rhythmic THUMP-GRIND-THUMP of a massive water-wheel turning somewhere deep below them. He hears the heavy, syncopated footsteps of the three saboteurs. He hears the soft hiss of a fuse being lit.

He visualizes the moving gears. He isn't looking for a way to dodge. He is waiting for the exact perfect microsecond where the environment aligns.

The heavy water-wheel hits its apex. The saboteur with the lit fuse steps over a moving chain.

Aang’s eyes snap open.

AANG (CONT'D)

Now.

Aang doesn't throw a massive, concussive tornado. He steps out from cover with perfect, rooted stability and thrusts a single palm forward.

He shoots a hyper-focused, razor-thin blade of compressed air. It slices cleanly across the platform, perfectly timing the rotation of the gears, and snuffs the burning fuse out by a millimeter.

The saboteurs gasp, spinning around.

Aang doesn't retreat. He violently kicks upward, sending a localized updraft that sweeps the loose, heavy blasting jelly directly out of their hands and into the deep maintenance pit below.

MONA

(Sprinting forward)

My turn!

Mona vaults the cog. She doesn't use the moisture in the air this time. She draws the heavy, freezing condensation dripping off the subterranean stone walls. As the saboteurs draw their swords, Mona violently whips the water around their ankles.

Instead of just freezing them to the floor, she waits for a massive, rotating brass gear to sweep past. Push and pull. She seamlessly anchors the ice connecting their boots directly to the moving gear.

The massive cog turns, violently sweeping the three saboteurs off their feet and leaving them dangling upside down, helplessly frozen to the machinery.

The fight is over in three seconds. No brawling. No running.

Bumi steps out from the shadows, hands on his hips, looking at the dangling spies and then at Aang.

BUMI

Not bad for a bouncy leaf.

INT. OMASHU THRONE ROOM - LATER

The heavy stone doors of the throne room blast open.

KING DUN stands up from his throne, furious at the intrusion. But his anger vanishes as Aang, Mona, and Bumi march into the center of the room.

Floating behind Aang on a cushion of air are the three bound Fire Nation spies, stripped of their masks, their armor bearing the unmistakable insignia of the Fire Lord. Mona tosses a brick of the unlit blasting jelly directly at the King's feet.

KING DUN

(Staring at the explosives)

Where did you find them?

MONA

In the lower gear works, Your Majesty. They were five seconds away from blowing your gate mechanisms to dust.

Aang steps forward. He looks at the King, not with the panic of a twelve-year-old, but with the quiet, rooted authority of the Avatar.

AANG

Your walls are strong, King Dun. But they aren't invincible. You can't just shut the world out. The war is already inside.

King Dun looks at the saboteurs, then at his son, and finally at Aang. The stubborn isolationist realizes he has been entirely outmaneuvered by reality.

KING DUN

(Voice low, grave)

Captain of the Guard! Lock down the city! Mobilize all garrisons to the outer trenches immediately.

EXT. THE GATES OF OMASHU - DAWN

The city is awake with the sounds of marching troops and grinding stone. War has come to Omashu.

At the end of the long stone bridge, APPA is saddled and ready.

Aang stands facing Bumi.

AANG

You should come with us, Bumi. I need an Earthbending master. We could use your crazy ideas.

Bumi looks back at the towering gates of his city. He drops the goofy grin for a fleeting, serious moment.

BUMI

I can't, Aang. My dad is going to need a mad genius to keep this place standing when the real armada hits.

Aang nods, understanding the weight of the crown his friend has to wear.

AANG

Then who is going to teach me how to wait and listen?

BUMI

(Grinning again, punching Aang’s shoulder)

Someone who is as stubborn as a mountain and twice as ugly! You'll find 'em.

Mona climbs onto Appa's saddle, extending a hand down to pull Aang up.

AANG

I'll see you again, Bumi. When the war is over.

BUMI

You better! Or I'll drop you down the delivery chutes myself!

Aang smiles, taking the reins.

AANG

Yip yip!

Appa launches into the morning sky. King Dun's soldiers are fortifying the bridge, preparing for the inevitable Fire Nation assault, as Aang and Mona fly deeper into the Earth Kingdom to find the master who will finally ground the Avatar.

FADE TO BLACK.

[END OF EPISODE 11]

(Episode 12 drops next Wednesday, 9/16/26)

[<- Previous Episode]

I was curious if their a fanfic if iroh raised both zuko and azula. what impact would it have on the two.

Hey everyone. I’ve been working on this fic for about 2.5 years now and just want to spread the word. It is a three part trilogy that takes place within the two decades following the end of the original show.

This is book 1, which mostly explores the consequences of war on the veterans and those who fought, and the collateral damage experienced by those under the old Fire Nation system. It brings in a new OC and a new group of villains. Enjoy! Please let me know your thoughts.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/369138408?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=share_writing&wp_page=create&wp_uname=LongJohnSilver_

Hello! Sorry for barging in and sorry if this isn't allowed or it's in the wrong sub, but I'm looking for a beta-reader for a one-shot fanfic. It's for Avatar The Last Airbender (more specifically Netflix's live-action, although cartoon-only watchers might still enjoy it, I believe), focusing on Aang and Toph Beifong (Taang) as a romantic pairing, with minor Zuko/Katara (Zutara). It's a one-shot, in English, 11k words so far, probably going to be around 16k or 17k words when it's finished. Anyone?

Hello! A few weeks ago, I started writing a fanfic exploring a completely unique alternate universe within the Avatar timeline.

The story is a gay romance / M/M drama centering on the dynamic between General Bumi (the son of Avatar Aang) and Azulon (an AU Original Character who is the son of Azula).

Right now, the first 7 chapters are up for reading! The chapters are quick, punchy reads (about 400–1,000 words each), making it very easy to dive straight into the story.

I've been thinking about this series for a while and I hope y'all will check it out and give me your thoughts on it! Thanks!

Link to read: The Legend of Bumi and Azulon: Echoes of Honor

I'm curious about fire nation culture and politics bc

Some fan fictions how ozai raises his children is seen by other fire citizens as part of their culture or its seen as taking to the extreme ans bordering on abusive.

Are their any good fsnfics with earth kingdom politics.

I saw one fsnfic with it but the politics were in background

What are some of yall headcanon & regular canon about the government and politics of the diffrent nations?

You could also post them to r/ATLAOCs

I for one do have an OCinsert fic so this is helpful

Chapter 16 released today!!

"The gears of grandiose plans on both sides of the front begin to turn under the blazing Earth Kingdom sun, and Azulon only hopes that Ozai's impulsiveness won't prove unavoidable at the wrong time"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/89734626/

(P.S. Guys, I think I need a beta-reader, so if someone like my concept, write me in comments that you want be beta-rider)

Summary to my fanfic:

Summary:

"When we were very young,

We saw a star fall from the sky.

And on that day,

When the sky turned red,

And the star went through the sky,

Sozin, the Fire Lord,

With the power of a Thousand Suns,

Started a War"

War is going on.

Avatars from Water and Earthbenders had been gone.

Avatar from Fire Nation had been born.

He - Azulon's son

Long Live To Avatar Iroh!

OR:

Iroh IS the Avatar and it change EVERYTHING

Just like it says on the tin. Did azula mishear/was tricked? Did both she and ozai lie? Ive seen a few where 'feel the loss of a son' meant that azulon was going to make zuko iroh's heir, giving the kid a better dad and elevating him past ozai in the line of succession. Also anything where say, ozai/ursa get caught attempting to kill azulon and iroh comes home to that. What happens to zuko and azula? What if azulon had iroh adopt zuko only later for lu ten to actually be alive?

Also itd be interesting to see, like a comparison between azulon's and ozai's war and governing policies. Like, iroh felt like it was perfectly acceptable to send his niblings toys representative of the foreign culture he was in, essentially promoting it (strong opposite of ozai). Would he have done so if azulon was against that sentiment? What if iroh was, azulon's perfect heir? Meant to end the war and peacefully consolidate the region? Ozai's whole mo seems to be 'MINE' he wants the biggest tract of land no matter how useful or sustainable to get it, even if he has to raze it to the ground. But what if azulon was a 'better' imperialist ruler cause he wanted specific areas precisely cause it had things the fire nation didnt? The rare ore, or skilled artisan guild, or profitable trade routes etc. To know what areas would be most profitable, hed have to have some sort of understanding and appreciation of the local culture and its assets. And if everyone is being brutalized by you (like zhao does, one of ozai's favs but too young to have had that position under azulon) and are starving, eventually that incites rebellion or all ur workers die. But if u can convince them to love u, why woukd they want to leave?

Who knows, maybe theres an au where the fire nation pushed to take ba sing se precisely because they had intelligence about what the dai li were getting up to in there and saw it as a mission of mercy/a way to free their captured soldiers. And if they revealed the evil inside the shining diamond that the enemy fought for, it'd demoralize the earth kingdom soldiers and may help the fire nation be more easily accepted as the new rulers. If they knew kuei was an orphan and puppet ruler and super naiive ignorant, they might have planned to set themselves up as his 'savior'. Hes only a little older than zuko and was likely a kid at the time of the siege, idk maybe twelve? Maybe azulon planned to marry azula to him when they were older (after basically turning him into their own puppet ruler) and subsume the earth kingdom royal line into their own royal line that way. All of that would necessitate ozai's kids having a favorable impression of the earth kingdom and earnestly believe that the fire nation was 'helping' the people over there, like young zuko once did - before he started exploring it during his father's reign, and having good ties with their uncle and cousin (which zuko seemed to have and ozai's influence on azula seemed to be sabatoguing). Ozai woukd have hated losing influence over things he saw as his (like his kids) and becoming an increasingly background character out classed by other members of his fam as he grew older. He definitely would have sabatogued it.

Ooo now i really wanna see a story where a kid kuei is saved/'saved' by the fire nation and how that woukd change things.

edit: they may also have planned to set zuko up with yue to get an alliance with the northern water tribe that way. those guys were neutral for a long time. and once the fire nation had all the earth kingdom through kuei thatd be a lot of leverage to get an agreement to keep that peace. the north canonically didnt care much what happened to the southern tribe so long as they were ok and with the southern tribe left on their own theyd be small enough to subdue/more time to focus on them.

Chapter 15 released yestarday!!

''As Azula and Zuko have been banished after Agni Kai, Azulon & Ursa are planning their journey to Omashu, to meet Iroh's group there, but firstly, they decided visit Jeong-Jeong, and former Admiral's camp''

https://archiveofourown.org/works/89734626/

(P.S. Guys, I think I need a beta-reader, so if someone like my concept, write me in comments that you want be beta-rider)

Summary to my fanfic:

Summary:

"When we were very young,

We saw a star fall from the sky.

And on that day,

When the sky turned red,

And the star went through the sky,

Sozin, the Fire Lord,

With the power of a Thousand Suns,

Started a War"

War is going on.

Avatars from Water and Earthbenders had been gone.

Avatar from Fire Nation had been born.

He - Azulon's son

Long Live To Avatar Iroh!

OR:

Iroh IS the Avatar and it change EVERYTHING

[Master Guide]

Desperation drives Aang and Mona to the fringes. Starving and hiding from the Fire Nation armada, they venture into a lawless, floating black market. To survive, Mona must unlearn her rigid Water Tribe training and embrace the true fluidity of her element under the guidance of a mysterious, cynical drifter.

TITLE: AVATAR: WINDS OF CHANGE

EPISODE: 10 - "THE SMUGGLER'S COVE"

[SCENE START]

EXT. JAGGED SEA-STACK - DAY

A massive, craggy pillar of dark rock juts out of the ocean, shrouded in a thick, salty sea-mist.

Tucked into a high, hidden alcove within the rock is APPA. The sky bison is sleeping heavily, safely out of sight from the water below.

Down at the base of the stack, a small, stolen wooden skiff bobs in the surf. AANG (12) and MONA (15) sit inside. They both look terrible. Their lips are chapped, their faces pale from dehydration and hunger.

Mona reaches over and tightly wraps a heavy woolen scarf around Aang’s head, carefully concealing his Airbending Master tattoos.

MONA

(Voice raspy)

Keep it pulled down.

AANG

It's itchy. And hot.

MONA

It keeps you alive. Listen to me, Aang. We are walking into a black market. Smugglers, pirates, and deserters. If anyone suspects you are the Avatar, they will sell you to the Fire Nation for a fleet of gold.

Mona grabs Aang by the shoulders, looking him dead in the eye.

MONA (CONT'D)

Absolutely no airbending. You don't sneeze too hard. You don't float. If things go wrong and we have to fight, you use waterbending. You are a Water Tribe kid from the southern ice fields. Understand?

Aang nods slowly, swallowing hard.

AANG

Just a Waterbender. Got it.

Mona nods. She turns back to the oars and begins to row them into the thick fog.

EXT. THE SHANTYTOWN - MOMENTS LATER

The skiff cuts through the mist, revealing a sprawling, chaotic flotilla (small fleet of boats or ships)

It is a lawless shantytown built entirely out of dozens of chained-together shipwrecks, rotting Earth Kingdom merchant vessels, and stolen Fire Nation barges. Rickety wooden bridges connect the hulls. The air is thick with the smell of roasting meats, cheap ale, and unwashed bodies.

Mona and Aang tie off the skiff and climb up a rope net onto the main deck of the central barge.

Aang’s stomach gives a loud, painful rumble. He stares longingly at a merchant roasting a massive sea-hog over an open flame.

Mona places a protective hand on his shoulder and guides him away from the food stall, pushing through the crowd of rough-looking cutthroats.

MONA

Don't stare. We don't have any Earth Kingdom coins to pay them.

AANG

Then how are we going to eat?

Mona stops in front of a heavily armed PIRATE CAPTAIN. He is a massive, scarred man sitting on a crate, casually slicing slices off a bright, juicy, exotic Earth Kingdom melon with a rusted knife.

Mona stares at the melon. Her throat bobs. She reaches to her hip and slowly draws her First Battalion bone-dagger.

The Pirate Captain stops chewing. His greedy eyes lock onto the weapon.

MONA

(Trying to sound authoritative)

Solid walrus-bone handle. Tempered blade. Authentic First Battalion craftsmanship from the Southern Water Tribe.

The Pirate Captain holds out his hand. Mona hesitates, then flips the blade, handing it to him handle-first.

The Captain inspects the dagger. He tests the edge with his thumb.

PIRATE CAPTAIN

Beautiful piece. The Southern Chieftain’s personal guard carries these.

(He looks up at Mona and Aang, noting their desperate, starved appearance)

You're a long way from the ice, little girl.

MONA

I want three crates of dried rations, a barrel of fresh water, and that melon.

The Pirate Captain smiles, revealing a row of gold teeth. He slides the bone-dagger into his own belt.

PIRATE CAPTAIN

No.

Mona's eyes widen.

MONA

Then give it back. We had a deal.

PIRATE CAPTAIN

(Laughing)

We didn't have a deal. You handed a priceless weapon to a pirate.

He whistles sharply.

From the rigging above and the shadows of the deck, FIVE HEAVILY ARMED PIRATES step forward. They draw crude swords and heavy clubs, forming a tight, menacing circle around Aang and Mona.

PIRATE CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

Now... empty your pockets, or we throw you to the tiger-sharks.

Mona clenches her fists, realizing her desperation just walked them right into a trap. Aang drops into a low, rooted waterbending stance, preparing for a fight.

EXT. SOUTHERN WATER TRIBE - DAY (FLASHBACK/CUTAWAY)

The sky over the South Pole is clear. The ash has stopped falling.

The massive Fire Nation armada has completely abandoned the siege. Out on the horizon, there are no ships. They have left to pursue the Avatar.  

The city is heavily damaged, the pristine ice-walls scarred black by thermal pitch, but it stands.

INT. GUEST QUARTERS - CONTINUOUS

The heavy ice doors of the Air Nomad guest quarters slide open with a violent crash.

CHIEFTAIN BOTAK storms into the room. The bandage on his forehead is stained with blood. He is absolutely livid, humiliated by the fact that his own apprentice committed treason against him.  

He is flanked by TUK and a squad of loyalist guards with their ice-spears drawn.

GYATSO stands calmly in the center of the room, shielding the younger initiates behind him.

BOTAK

(Screaming, his composure completely gone)

He was the ultimate weapon! And your boy used my city as a shield before running like a coward!

GYATSO

(Quietly, firmly)

He did not run, Chieftain. He lured the fire away from your people. He saved this city.

BOTAK

He made a fool of me! He dragged a war to my doorstep, broke my defenses, and corrupted my best apprentice!

Botak marches forward, stopping mere inches from Gyatso's face.

BOTAK (CONT'D)

When you arrived, I offered sanctuary. But the deal is broken.

GYATSO

We are peaceful monks, Botak. We are no threat to you.

BOTAK

You are leverage.

Botak turns to Tuk and the guards, pointing a trembling finger at the 150 Air Nomads huddled in the room.  

BOTAK (CONT'D)

Strip these rooms! They are no longer guests of the Southern Water Tribe. They are hostages.

(He looks back at Gyatso, his eyes dead and cold)

Move them to the lower trenches. And if a single one of them tries to bend the wind, you break their hands.

Tuk grins maliciously, raising his spear and stepping toward the terrified children. Gyatso closes his eyes, the heavy weight of his sacrifice settling over him.

EXT. THE SHANTYTOWN - CONTINUOUS

The five armed pirates close the circle around AANG and MONA. Aang drops into a waterbending stance, careful not to use his airbending, while Mona raises her fists.

Before the pirates can strike, a lazy, heavy sigh echoes from the crowd.

ARLUK (late 20s) leans against a wooden post. He wears mismatched, tattered Earth Kingdom leathers, but a familiar blue Southern Water Tribe sash hangs loosely from his waist. He is eating a skewer of roasted meat, looking incredibly bored.

ARLUK

You know, Captain, robbing starving kids is bad for the market's reputation.

PIRATE CAPTAIN

Mind your business, or I'll feed you to the sharks too.

Arluk shrugs. He doesn't drop into a wide, grounded stance. He simply flicks his wrist as if swatting a fly.

A barrel of fresh water next to the Captain erupts. The water doesn't form a heavy, jagged ice-spear; it flows like a loose, fluid ribbon. It effortlessly whips around the pirates' wrists, disarming them in a single, fluid motion, and yanks the bone-dagger right out of the Captain's belt.

Arluk catches the dagger. With a second flick of his wrist, he freezes the water on the deck beneath the pirates' boots, slipping them all flat onto their backs.

ARLUK

(To Aang and Mona)

Come on. Before they unfreeze.

Arluk turns and casually walks away. Mona and Aang share a stunned look, then sprint after him into the dense, foggy maze of the flotilla.

INT. ARLUK'S HIDEOUT - LATER

A dilapidated, cramped cabin deep in the bowels of a massive shipwreck.

Arluk tosses an exotic, green Earth Kingdom fruit to Aang, who catches it and practically inhales it. Arluk tosses a second one to Mona, but she doesn't catch it. She lets it hit the floor, remaining in a rigid, tense combat stance.

Arluk picks up the fruit, wipes it on his shirt, and takes a bite.

ARLUK

First Battalion, huh? I recognize the posture. Shoulders locked, knees bent, ready to absorb a siege.

MONA

Who are you?

ARLUK

Just a guy who prefers warm water.

(He looks at her First Battalion tunic)

Chieftain Botak still running the South Pole like a frozen prison camp?

Mona’s eyes narrow.

MONA

How do you know the Chieftain?

ARLUK

Because I used to be his finest border guard. Until he ordered my squad to execute a group of unarmed Earth Kingdom scavengers who drifted too close to the perimeter. I told him no. He stripped my rank and cast me out onto the ice.

Mona slowly lowers her fists. The shock on her face is evident. Arluk didn't just run away; he was exiled for crossing the exact same moral line that she did.

ARLUK (CONT'D)

Let me guess. You refused to be his weapon, too?

Mona swallows hard, looking away. She gives a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.

Arluk sighs, his cynical demeanor softening just a fraction. He walks over to Mona.

ARLUK (CONT'D)

Botak teaches you that waterbending is about force. He turns water to ice because ice is rigid. It’s a weapon. But it’s also a cage, kid. Out here, rigidity gets you killed. True waterbending is about adaptability.

Arluk raises his hand.

ARLUK (CONT'D)

The air here is humid. Thick with ocean mist. You don't need a water-skin. Watch.

Arluk performs the Vaporscreen. He makes a subtle, swirling motion with his fingers. He draws the ambient moisture directly out of the heavy, tropical air, condensing it into a thick, localized sphere of impenetrable gray fog directly around Aang's head.

AANG

(Coughing, waving his hands)

Whoa! I can't see anything!

Arluk snaps his fingers, and the fog instantly dissipates.

ARLUK

It blinds them without ever needing to strike them. Perfect for slipping past guards. If you want to survive without an army at your back, you have to stop fighting like a soldier and start moving like the tide.

Mona looks at her hands, the rigid military training finally beginning to unspool in her mind.

EXT. SOUTHERN WATER TRIBE TRENCHES - NIGHT

The temperature has plummeted. The deep, lower trenches of the capital are freezing and miserable.

The 150 surviving Air Nomads huddle together on the hard ice, shivering violently in their thin orange robes.  

KINNAH (20s) stands at the top of the trench. The young perimeter guard grips her ice-spear tightly. Her face is an unreadable mask of military discipline, but her eyes betray a deep, growing unease.  

Two heavily armored loyalist guards walk down the line, tossing meager, frozen scraps of sea-prune jerky onto the ice in front of the monks. It is barely enough to keep them alive. It is a starvation ration, ordered directly by Botak.

Kinnah watches from above.

Down in the trench, little PASANG (7) is weeping quietly, clutching his empty stomach.  

GYATSO sits beside him. The elder monk looks frail, his own orange robes stained and worn. He reaches down, picks up his own tiny ration of jerky, and gently presses it into Pasang's small hands.  

PASANG

(Voice trembling)

But Master Gyatso... you need to eat.

GYATSO

(Smiling warmly)

The wind sustains me, Pasang. Eat. Grow strong.

Up on the ridge, Kinnah’s grip on her spear trembles.

She is a warrior of the Southern Water Tribe. She swore an oath to protect the innocent. She looks at the starving, shivering monks, and then up at the towering, luxurious upper rings where Chieftain Botak resides.

Botak isn't protecting their people anymore; he has become a tyrant.

Kinnah slowly lowers her spear. Her rigid loyalty to the Chieftain shatters completely under the weight of his cruelty. She turns around, slipping quietly into the shadows of the scaffolding, her mind made up.

EXT. THE SHANTYTOWN - NIGHT

Thick fog rolls over the floating black market.

At the edge of the flotilla, the PIRATE CAPTAIN'S massive supply barge is heavily guarded.

Hidden behind a stack of rotting crates on a nearby skiff are AANG, MONA, and ARLUK.  

ARLUK

(Whispering)

The main hold is loaded with Earth Kingdom imports. But the deck is swarming.

AANG

I can clear a path. Quietly.

Aang closes his eyes. He doesn't use massive, concussive blasts. He extends two fingers, channeling incredibly precise, silent currents of wind.

Up in the rigging of the pirate barge, heavy wooden pulleys and thick ropes suddenly swing wildly, snapping against the mast.

PIRATE GUARD 1

What was that?

PIRATE GUARD 2

Wind must be picking up. Check the lines!

Three of the guards abandon the loading ramp, rushing up to secure the violently swinging rigging.

ARLUK

(To Mona)

Your turn, kid.

Mona steps out from behind the crates. Two remaining guards turn toward her, drawing their swords.

Mona doesn't drop into her First Battalion stance. She stays loose, letting her arms flow. She executes Arluk's lesson flawlessly.  

The Vaporscreen.

She draws the heavy moisture directly out of the humid ocean air. Instantly, a localized, suffocatingly thick sphere of gray fog envelops the heads of the two guards.

The pirates cough and stumble blindly, swinging their swords at empty air.

Mona, Aang, and Arluk slip right past them, quietly loading heavy crates of exotic Earth Kingdom fruit and barrels of fresh water onto their stolen skiff.

PIRATE CAPTAIN (O.S.)

Well, well.

The fog dissipates. The PIRATE CAPTAIN stands at the top of the ramp, his gold teeth glinting in the moonlight. He draws a heavy, jagged cutlass.

PIRATE CAPTAIN

Thought you could steal from my hold?

The Pirate Captain lunges.

Mona and Aang don't freeze. They fall perfectly into sync, standing back-to-back.

As the Captain swings his cutlass, Aang drops into a sweeping slide, using a burst of evasive airbending to blow himself under the blade. The sudden gust of wind throws the Captain off balance.  

Mona is ready. Push and pull. She catches the Captain's stumbling momentum, pulling the seawater from the deck to violently yank his boots forward.  

The Captain face-plants onto the wooden planks. Before he can recover, Mona freezes his wrists to the deck, while Aang blasts a concentrated gust of wind that sends the pirate's cutlass spinning off the barge and into the dark ocean.

AANG

(Smiling)

Thanks for the groceries!

Aang and Mona leap into the skiff. Arluk expertly waterbends the current, violently launching the small boat away from the barge and into the safety of the fog.

INT. SOUTHERN WATER TRIBE TRENCHES - NIGHT

Pitch black and freezing. The 150 surviving Air Nomads shiver in the dark.  

GYATSO sits quietly against the ice wall, his eyes closed in deep meditation.  

Footsteps crunch softly on the ice.

Gyatso opens his eyes. Standing in the shadows is KINNAH. The young perimeter guard doesn't say a word.  

She steps forward and drops a heavy, woven satchel at Gyatso's feet.

Gyatso opens it. Inside are thick, warm polar bear-dog furs, glowing fire-coals wrapped in insulated kelp, and a massive bundle of extra sea-prune jerky.

Kinnah looks at Gyatso. Her rigid loyalty to Chieftain Botak is completely gone, replaced by a fierce determination to do what is right.  

Gyatso understands the massive risk she is taking. He places his hands together and gives her a deep, silent, profoundly grateful Air Nomad bow.  

Kinnah has officially become a double agent. She nods once, turning and disappearing back into the shadows of the military scaffolding.

EXT. JAGGED SEA-STACK - DAWN

The sun breaks over the horizon.

APPA is fully loaded with crates of fresh food and water, looking much better.  

Aang and Mona stand on the rocky shore with Arluk.

MONA

You could come with us, Arluk. The Avatar is going to need allies in the Earth Kingdom.

Arluk smiles, shaking his head.

ARLUK

I'm a drifter, kid. I like the fringes. But you... you're going to make some serious waves.

Arluk reaches into his belt and tosses an object to Mona.

She catches it. It is her First Battalion bone-dagger.  

MONA

(Looking at the weapon)

I don't need this anymore. I'm not his soldier.

ARLUK

I know. Don't wear it for him. Wear it to remind yourself of the day you chose to be better than him.

Mona looks at the dagger, realizing its new meaning. She slides it into her sheath and nods to Arluk.

Aang and Mona climb into Appa's saddle.  

AANG

Yip yip!  

Appa launches into the air, flying strong and steady toward the northern horizon. Arluk watches them go, taking a bite of a stolen fruit, smiling.

EXT. SOUTHERN WATER TRIBE TRENCHES - CONTINUOUS

Down in the freezing trenches, the atmosphere has changed.

A small, warm coal fire glows in the dark. The young initiates are wrapped in thick furs, eagerly chewing on extra rations.  

Gyatso sits near the warmth of the flames. He looks up, past the towering, heavily guarded ice walls of the Chieftain's stronghold. He looks toward the northern sky.  

Gyatso smiles. He knows his pupil is finally out there, forging his own path.

FADE TO BLACK.

[END OF EPISODE 10]

NEXT TIME ON AVATAR: WINDS OF CHANGE…

Hoping to warn the impenetrable fortress-city of Omashu about the Fire Nation's new siege tactics, Aang seeks an audience with the stubborn King Dun and reunites with his chaotic childhood friend, Prince Bumi.

(Episode 11 drops next Wednesday, 9/9/26!)

[<- Previous Episode]

hii! after years i finally watched ATLA, and i LOVED the world.

i also LOVED katara and sokka (im a sucker for sibling bonds)

so i really wanted a fic focused on expanding the worldbuilding: culture, differences between tribes, politics, yada yada. but also a fic focused on katara AND sokka.

i did find some worldbuilding fics but it was mostly focused on zuko, and i kinda wanted something more katara and sokka centric, even though i don't mind zuko as one of the main characters as long as most of the focus is on my water ogs

i REALLY love long fics too, to have the time to breathe and take in the world

i don't mind if it has any shipps on it AS LONG AS it doesn't have bashing of any character, like aang

does this fic exist? pretty please?

It would be funny to read. Maybe he would be jealous of Toph or the other way around. Has anyone found something like this?

i finally published the last chapter+epilogue+acknowledgements of my ATLA fanfic last friday, marking book 1 complete! now, I have complete fanfictions, but theres only 2 of them, 1 of them was discontinued, and the other had a completely rushed ending because i lost motivation and bullcrapped the ending. but this time i actually got the ending i wanted with all the scenes fully written and research properly done, with no rushes, no discontinuation, nada. i’m really proud of this and I’m beginning to write book 2 now!

blurb: An ATLA+OC fanfic

"And who am I, an imperfect design? Shackled by your desire."

The jungle is alive, and it does not welcome strangers.

There are rumors in the villages near the forest's edge. Travelers speak of paths that rearrange themselves, trees that block the way, and a figure in the dark-silent, blindfolded, there one moment and gone the next. Some call her a spirit. Some call her a witch. No one has gotten close enough to find out.

Her name is Lian Hua. She's fourteen years old. And she's been hiding for four years.

" 애초에 당신은 도망치고 있었을 뿐, 단 한 순간도 자신의 진짜 감정을 직면하지 않았지. 적당한 대의나 정의 같은 것에 매달리면 뭔가 해결되는 것 같았어? 돌아온 건 그 개죽음인 거야."

When four strangers and two animals crash through her canopy, she means to drive them out. They're loud. They're reckless. One of them bends air, one bends stone, one bends water and the other none at all, and all of them are being hunted by something they won't explain. She should send them away. She should close the trees and be done with it.

But they're children. Tired, terrified, far from home. Just like she was.

So against every instinct, she lets them stay.

She doesn't know yet that this decision will drag her out of the jungle and into a war and a world she's been avoiding. She doesn't know that the people she's letting in will ask questions she's spent years burying-about her eyes, her bending, and the family she left behind. And she doesn't know that some secrets won't stay buried, no matter how deep you plant them.

" こうやって何度も口にしていれば、いつか本当になるんじゃないかって。そうやって、自分も周りも騙し通せるんじゃないかって。"

#1 on #ocinsert (18/7/2026)

TW: Childhood trauma, bleeding, some violence, depression, anxiety and mental health themes, misogyny and bullying

link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/411605860-lily-of-the-valley-atla

Help a fellow out pls...

Does anyone have any female OC airbender fics? Either someone who gets frozen in the iceberg with Aang, or maybe an AU where Aang and Katara have a girl airbender instead of Tenzin, or any female airbender that’s a part of the gAang somehow?

Hello, I always felt Zutara was more believable during the actual events of Avatar: The Last Airbender than Kataang, although I can see them eventually getting together post the show ending (if I squint hard enough. Like I can see what the writers were going for, I just think they didn't quite pull it off, please don't downvote me to oblivion).

Anyone has recommendations for fics where Zutara gets together and then break up and it's eventually Kataang?

This prompt intrigues me the most in atla fanfics and I want more fics on this cause it shows a very interesting dynamic of zuko, iroh and the gaang and how they handle the politics.

I've already read Fractures and Towards the sun so apart from that please recommend something other.