Kindle the Wind (The Avatar! Zuko 'verse) commentfic meme

[attackfish]

That's it, folks, I can't take it.  In the hopes that maybe writing some of what I want to write will get me unblocked on the fic I'm trying to write, I'm giving in and running a commentfic meme for my Avatar!Zuko verse.  Comment with up to five requests, and I’ll guarantee you at least one commentfic.  I’ll probably answer with more, knowing me.  weirdlet , fanficforensics, beboots, and floranna  get seven requests and a guarantee of two fics, because beboots  and floranna  are the best betas ever, and weirdlet and fanficforensics just because.


Also, the 'verse has a title now, Kindle the Wind!


Air, Water, Earth, Fire.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished.

A hundred years passed and the new Avatar crashed into the ice sheet that borders our village. Although he is the Fire Nation prince, and it's his family and his nation that have brought this war to the world, I have hope that inside Zuko lies the spark of greatness. In the end, he has to save the world.

Front Cover Illustration

Timeline:

The Turtle-Crab and the Hawk
The first time Zuko struck a Fire Nation soldier in anger
Banner
Meeting Sokka and Katara
The joys of new bending
Zuko surprising himself by being spiritual and philosophical
Gran-Gran criticizing Uncle's parenting skills
Uncle Iroh finds out
Iroh has a talk with his nephew
Agni Kai against Zhao
Laying Aang to rest at the Southern Air Temple
Momo joins the Party
Sokka finds out the women on the ship aren't there to cook (and learns something, maybe)
Act of Providence
The Spinning Gates

Comments

Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

~*~

Zuko crouched on the edge of the fort's parade ground, acutely aware of the eyes of the soldiers present, and the Water Tribe teens held off to the side. Iroh stood in front of him. "Remember your firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons."

His uncle's unspoken words, Zuko's firebending basics, not his airbending ones were not unheard. He shivered. He looked up. "I refuse to let him win."

He stood up and turned around, letting the ceremonial shoulder wrap fall to the ground, watching as Zhao did the same. "This will be over quickly," Zhao told him.

The gong rang out, and Zuko fell into his stance, sweeping his hands down to gather fire. Zhao blocked with a grin as Zuko sent fireball after fireball his way, and Zuko kicked hard in fury, more frustrated than ever as Zhao dodged the blast.

Crouching low, Zhao sent a line of fire toward's Zuko's feet, and he darted out of the way clumsily. "Basics, Zuko," his uncle called to him. "Break his root!"

"Break his face!" Sokka shouted. The soldier holding him cuffed him in the back of the head, and Sokka retaliated, kicking his shin.

Zhao's lips quirked up. He stepped forward and punched fire straight at Zuko's face. He blocked, but the blast forced him back, and Zhao stepped forward and punched again, and again, and again, until Zuko fell flat on his back, staring up at the setting sun.

Zhao stalked forward, to deliver the final blow. Zuko saw the fire coe for his face, for his one good eye, and his mouth opened, ready to scream. Without thinking about it, he rolled over onto his hands, and kicked out in a circle.

Wind ripped through the parade ground, and Zhao's fireblast struck harmlessly against the dirt. Zuko swallowed with fear, but the other man didn't even seem to notice that when he went down, Zuko's foot hadn't been touching him. He leapt back to his feet, and Zuko slid his foot out, kicking up fire at Zhao's own feet. Zhao stumbled back, and Zuko slid forward again, and as Zhao reeled back, Zuko kicked out, flames leaping from his foot. Zhao fell back, tumbling in the dust.

Zuko drew close, fist raised.

"Do it!" Zhao roared, and Zuko punched out- only to leave the ground next to Zhao's head smoking instead of his sneering face. "That's it?" the commander raged. "Your father raised a coward."

Zuko's lip curled. "Next time you get in my way, I promise I won't hold back."

As he turned to leave, Zhao shot to his feet and kicked out with a shout. The flames died unborn when Iroh caught the foot in midair and shoved the commander back to the ground. Zuko bellowed with rage and turned back to charge the cheating dirty-

His uncle's arm came up to hold him back. "No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory." Iroh let him go and stepped over to Zhao. "So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat. Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you." He paused. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious."

Zuko tried not to smile. "Did you really mean that, Uncle?"

"Of course," Iroh said with a small grin. "I told you ginseng tea is my favorite."

They walked together to the edge of the parade ground where the guards had been keeping the Water Tribe teens captive. Sometime during the Agni Kai, Katara had pulled free of the guards' grasp and had grabbed onto the back of one of the guards holding her brother. As Sokka kicked and bit, Katara pounded the guard's back with her fists. Zuko stared.

"We will be taking the prisoners off your hands now," Iroh said, pursing his lips to keep from laughing.

The guards let go quickly. Katara swung down from the man's back and strode over to her brother. Before they turned to follow Zuko, they stuck their tongues out at Zuko's men.

As they walked together out of the fort, Katara remembered something Zuko had said on the ship. "So, if that's bad firebending, what does good firebending look like?"

Sokka's eyes bugged out. "Wait, that's bad firebending? The world is doomed."

"I will let you in on a little secret about my nephew," Iroh said. "He is better than he thinks."

Zuko tried not to smile under the praise.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[luunyscarlet.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I loved this :D! So many parts I liked. The part where Sokka and Katara go looking for candy, the Agni Kai (Zuko should consider himself lucky that Zhao didn't notice the accidental airbending), Katara attempting to defend her brother by attacking the guard...
I agree that Zuko is better than he thinks. It's just that he's usually up against prodigies like Azula and Aang.
I think there's just 1 little mistake: "Before they turned to follow Zuko, they stuck their tongues out at ZUKO'S men." Shouldn't it be ZHAO's men?

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

*headdesk* yes it should be Zhao's men. Oops.

Zuko should be on his knees thanking the spirits that Zhao is an unobservant blowhard. Also, Zuko will get his chance to be a prodigy at water and earth, and it will Freak Him Out.

Yeah, do not mess with the water sibs. What they lack in skills at this point, they make up for with love, commitment, and a tenacity that nearly rivals Zuko's.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[floranna.livejournal.com]

Okay, I WANNA READ THAT. I WANNA READ THE FRAKING OUT.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[floranna.livejournal.com]

*freaking, not frakking. Even if that would be awesome too. ^^'

I have watched too much Battlestar Galactica...

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

I'm a political science student, so fracking means something else to me: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[floranna.livejournal.com]

And frakking means fucking in BSG universe.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

I know. There are a lot of scifi geeks in polisci, and whenever it's brought up, everybody starts giggling, proving that we are all still twelve-years-old.

It's not quite as bad as the time my law class had to debate whether a certain act of prostitution counted as intercourse (as in economic intercourse). That was just sad.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

WE'LL GET THERE SOON!

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[fanficforensics.livejournal.com]

*dances* Thank you for all this stuff!

Zhao, you oily bastard. He feels even worse here than he was in the series. I love that tension between how he's obviously needling Zuko just because he likes humiliating him, and how on the other hand, he's the only character who doesn't hesitate to tell Zuko the ugly truth about Ozai instead of humoring him when he goes on his "my father loves me" spiel.

Zhao patted Zuko's bald head. ... Zhao tipped Zuko's chin up

O_o I'd have expected him to at least keep the fondling to a minimum when Iroh's watching. But damn, that is kind of a nice image. Cough.

But oh, is he going to curse when he realizes he literally had his hands on the Avatar and didn't realize it.

Katara and Sokka are such kids, I feel bad for them. They're so nice and well-intentioned and funny, and I'm definitely starting to see how they might help Zuko, but they have no idea what they got themselves into. And of course Katara knows the voices of all the people in Zuko's crew after just a few days on the ship.

"He is better than he thinks."

Iroh is the best uncle.

(comment reposted because navigating LJ interface is really hard these days, apparently)

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Sadly, Zuko will not believe it from Zhao. He has lots and lots of practice at denial. And oh Zhao.

Zuko's responding to Zhao's taunts less dramatically than usual, because he's afraid he'll airbend or let something slip, and, damnit, so Zhao is bringing out the big guns. (Plus, I rewatched "The Southern Air Temple",and though they don't touch, Zhao has no respect for Zuko's personal space bubble. At all. Wow.)

And guess who gets the hunt for the Avatar dumped in his lap when Daddy finds out?

Well, they all walk around with those aweful masks on all the time, stupid Fire Nation. She's got to learn everybody's voices. *Katara sulk*. They are such kids, which makes it so sad. Zuko too. I bet if he could get over his wounded pride and self importance, he would like to hunt for the candywith them too.

Iroh is so much the best uncle.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[fanficforensics.livejournal.com]

So many people's lives would have gotten so much easier if Zuko had managed to dump Ozai and accept his place in the world as nephewson to Iroh in season 1.

Bringing out the big guns, that's one way to call it. And yeah, during a couple of moments in that episode, I thought Zhao was going to lick Zuko's head like he was a big bald lollipop. That is no way to treat your prince, Zhao.

I'm sure Zhao will love hunting down his lollipop the Avatar. That's going to feel so creepy. He was bad enough when his target was Aang, but if it's Zuko, it'll be so much more personal.

Candyhunting!Zuko. Yes, please.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, in that world, but for us spectators... Yeah, Zuko had a difficult life, and he seemed to enjoy spreading the misery. Especially to Iroh. *smacks Zuko, and then hugs him*

Yeah, Zhao, a word of advice, it's always a little weird when an adult picks a teenager as his main rival, but you don't have to go around upping the creep factor the way you do. Part of Zhao's problem, along with agreeing with most of fandom that Zuko is sexyfine is that he just does not see Zuko as prince, methinks, and (please please please) I get the feeling Zuko gets this a lot from military beurocrats. This is why I wish there were more fics in which Zhao somehow survived to see Firelord Zuko, because the "Oh shi-" look on his face would be epic.

My headcanon says that Zhao has this fantasy that eventually, and probably soon, Zuko's exile will become perminant, he'll lose his father's economic support, Iroh will keel over, and Zhao will be able to just pick Zuko up and take him home. Icky Zhao.

Zhao huntin our princy: Zuko is his great white (sexy) whale.

ZHAO: Come back! Forget what I said before, your daddy loves you and wants me to bring you home!
ZUKO: Somehow I don't believe you, I think you want all the glory of capturing me for yourself!
ZHAO: Well...
ZUKO: But when Azula shows up, I will believe her, because I am not always a bright boy.
ZHAO: ...I hate you.

Oh yes, candyhunting Zuko... When Iroh finds out what the water sibs were doing, the conversation goes something like this:

IROH: See, that is what people your age are supposed to be doing. Go steal candy with your friends!
ZUKO: Um, No.
IROH: Do you just hate fun?
ZUKO: Fun? Fun will not help me capture the Avatar learn all four elements and make Daddy love me!
IROH: You are a very warped child.

(Yes, I do love silly scripts.)

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[fanficforensics.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if Zhao's disrespectful behavior towards the prince was somehow exceptionable, it probably would have gotten more of a reaction. Everybody in the FN military knows Zuko's not supposed to get home, ever. Makes me wibble to think that he probably realized perfectly well what they all said behind his back.

This is why I wish there were more fics in which Zhao somehow survived to see Firelord Zuko, because the "Oh shi-" look on his face would be epic.

Are there any fics like that? Except for Rufftoon's Water Tribe. I would love to see this, dang it. I really wonder if Zuko would resist the urge to forget that he's a good benevolent Fire Lord and just make Zhao lick boots until his tongue falls off.

ZUKO: Fun? Fun will not help me capture the Avatar learn all four elements and make Daddy love me!

I love how as soon as he's relieved of one impossible task, he finds a new one so he doesn't have to stop acting like an obsessed obsessive. Poor Iroh. When Zuko is grown and Fire Lord, he'll have to wash so many dishes at the Jasmine Dragon to make up for all of this.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that our baby's obnoxious bluster is a shell over his deep deep uncertainty and insecurity. *pets him*

That's the only one I know of too and Zhao's lack of memory kinda ruins my joy.

Zuko has addiction displacement. (And Zuko doesn't become Firelord in this. Everybody has to do some fancy political maneuverings to find an heir who isn't either evil, crazy, unavailably the Avatar, or a war criminal.)

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[fanficforensics.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the amnesia bit was unfortunate in some ways. Zhao's meetings with Zuko would have had a certain extra something if he'd known that he used to make a hobby out of mouth-breathing on the Fire Lord's bald head.

Ah, yes. Will Iroh need to be Fire Lord after all?

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[luunyscarlet.livejournal.com]

So Iroh becomes the Firelord in this verse?

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to mention, whenever I think about Zhao and dashing Zuko's delusions of having personal space, I think of this comic:

http://go-devil-dante.deviantart.com/art/Zhao-is-too-close-73717555

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[luunyscarlet.livejournal.com]

LOL! 5 seconds later, Zuko is going to start yelling and firebending at Zhao.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Zhao is about to die a quick but painful death.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[fanficforensics.livejournal.com]

He'll take five showers that evening and polish off his head with a brush until all the Zhao cooties are dead. And then Jee will help him forget about the whole nasty business.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

He will try and try, but Zhao's cooties will never be defeated.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[fanficforensics.livejournal.com]

You mean they live on after he gets killed by Koizilla? Ewww.

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[floranna.livejournal.com]

Oih. That ending is just absolutely perfect. And Zhao is as creepy as ever, but for some odd reason I LOVE creepy Zhao, who doesn't respect personal boundaries so it's okay.

The candy thies are awesome and Sokka kicking the guard's shin... Xb

Re: Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Who says teenagers can't be cute? And good, because I think that's the only kind of Zhao there is. XD

Sokka and Katara are trying very hard to win the worst captives ever award.