Custody Battle

An outline for an atla fic that I will probably never write but was fun to make anyway.

when Zuko first becomes the Fire Lord, all the other nations are, of course, not super excited that the previous Fire Lord’s SON is on the throne. I mean, seriously Aang, didn’t we JUST fight a war to get rid of this guy’s father? why would we expect his son to be any different?

He is, Aang says. You’ll see.

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Hello to everyone except @muffinlance who has forcibly dragged me into obsessing about yet another of their Atla Au’s.

Anyway overprotective surrogate Chaos Spirit dad  trying and failing not to fall  for his son’s human vessel’s charm  and utterly failing is the dynamic that I live for.

The Dragon of the West and Vaatu

Inspired by @muffinlance ‘s AU in which Vaatu escapes his imprisonment and finds a human vessel in the form of Zuko, specifically this post about Fire Nation depictions in art. Was specifically inspired by this piece from Utatgawa Kuniyoshi’s 108 Heroes collection.

I imagine this is a piece given to Iroh, possibly not in good faith, a year or so into his quest to restore his nephew and to commemorate one of their encounters. His only comment was that the artist spelled Zuko’s name incorrectly.

Might color later but for now I’m satisfied

This. Is. So. Good.

It's unfortunate how rare it is, given that both Iroh and Zuko actively destroy any copies they find.

Love the style, you are amazing! <3

@muffinlance I hope you're happy, I couldn't stop thinking about Chaos Avatar Zuko. So I stayed up on Christmas Eve ( technically Christmas at that point) and plotted this.

I might come back and properly write this?

Merry Christmas I guess.

---

His father had summoned him. It was about the spirit. Father said that he had a way to get rid of it. 

Zuko still didn't understand why father and Uncle wanted the spirit gone. Vaatu was actually quite nice. 

Zuko entered the room, this room was dedicated to the Angi. As such it had a number of pots and offerings along the walls with a beautiful shrine at the back. 

(Past this point is just basic plotting)

Zuko is sitting seiza While Ozai is standing over him. 

Ozai: You understand that everything I do is for the good of the Fire Nation.

Zuko, so much trust: Of course, you're the Fire Lord.

Ozai caressing Zuko's left cheek: Since all other exorcisms have failed, that leaves one option left. You must be cleansed by fire. 

Zuko confused: What?

Ozai burns Zuko. 

Zuko SCREAMS.

Vaatu: No!

Zuko's eyes glow, he's Vaatu now.

Vaatu grabs Ozia's stupid goatee with his right hand and yanks it down into the left hand swinging a puntch. 

Zuko's left arm brushes against Ozia's still hot hand and gets burnt too. 

Vaatu and Ozai fight. Vaatu only knows firebending, but has picked up a bit more than Zuko, and has more powered behind his blasts. Vaatu's flames have flicks of blue in them. 

It's around this point that Ozai realises that he's done fucked up. 

He can't fight this thing. It's too small and moves too fast. It's fire is hot and-

How the FUCK did it dodge lightning?!

Did it just climb up into the rafters? Fuck where did it go?!

Vaatu goes absolutely feral. He drops down and clings to Ozai, yanking hair, jabbing the jugular. 

Vaatu is on Ozia's back and says in a voice that is Wrong!NotRight! And far too deep to be coming out of Zuko's mouth: You are a despicable genetic donor. You treat your own spawn like this?!

Maybe I should do to you what you have done to him. 

Vaatu's left hand glows, fire licking the skin but never burning it. Vaatu's hand descends towards Ozia's face.

Ozai has so much fear.

The doors burst open and guards rush in along with Iroh. They can all see what Vasto was about to do, but they freeze at the sight of the ugly blistering burns that stretched from Zuko's left wrist to the left side of Zuko's face. 

Iroh, somewhat regains his composure: Zuko, please don't do this! I know you're in there!

Vaatu: You, round human. You have always been kind to larva. You would let genetic donor do this?!

Iroh: I never knew what he was planning! I heard the commotion and ran here. Please spirit, let my nephew go. Don't do this, if you do the reproductions for Zuko will be far worse than this.

Vaatu hissed: Did you not hear how larva screamed?! That deserves vengeance. This pathetic human must pay in blood, 

Vaatu looks at Ozai, the burnt side of Zuko's face in clear view to Iroh and the guards: or skin. 

For Christmas, I get burnt Zukos and goatee pulls. I wouldn't have it any other way. <3

@stardumb replied to your ask post

The Chaos Avatar Cycle According to Zuko/Vaatu: Fire, Swords, Spirit Travel, Theft, The Element of Surprise, Hey Lightning Looks Cool, Fuuuuuuck Lightning is Hard Okay Let’s Put That Aside For Now, Theater, Animal Handling, More Swords, No This Isn’t Procrastination, Fine Earth Then, Wait What’s Metal Bending, I Mean Do I even NEED Water and Air???, Lunch

Imagine if avatar wan showed up ala avatar roku on solstice? But not on solstice. Kind of like kyoshi.

Wan saying that vaatu got an emotional support child.

I need some Vaatu looking at Aang and being like "where did the sparky strong brat go?? Wtf is this small vanilla bean??"

Avatar Zuko is 100% calling Aang Raava and/or Wan. At first 'cause his memories are a little tangled, later because it really annoys the tiny little force of light. You are a pacifist in this life? Haha we'll see how long that lasts. *pokes Aang with repeated annoyances*

Um hello? Your tags?

#in this au zuko studies all the other avatars#so he can use every name except aang's#flameo grandpa roku

Just. Zuko studying the avatars harder to understand how this guy (wan) and raava have been doing. Also to make fun of them.

Listen he knows and will study all the bending bc they do not need to relearn everything or be randomized every time the mortal flesh (meat bag like hk 47 from star wars) decays. (At least not yet).

Not imaginary and before ozai tries to burn his son, you know that chaos avatar zuko is a go, or possessed by the spirit into trying to burn ozai instead. Check and mate sperm father of my larva.

Role swap au where Zuko was the Avatar who got frozen for a hundred years, so when he’s rescued from the ice instead of a goofy twelve year old Katara catches this mysterious teenager with long hair and a cool scar and a fucking DRAGON

Katara: BOY???? HOT BOY?????? HOT TEENAGE BOY?????????

Zuko: *speaks*

Katara: nevermind I hate him

How does Aang factor into this? I ask because the more I think about it the more I want him to somehow be trying to capture the Avatar.

Aang is 112 years old, decided he was going to be Zuko’s airbending teacher, and refuses to take no for an answer

Aang: Aw, the new Avatar doesn’t want me. Aang: *gets out a weighted net* Time for Plan B then.

JDJSHJABDBFJSH

Look, you know how you keep a net from falling on you? YOU AIRBEND IT, SUCKA. Air comes right after fire in the cycle so it’s not like the guy has any other options. Do you want a flaming net falling on you? No? Then learn to airbend. Or this tiny old man will cart you away like a trussed turkey and lecture you about the power of laughter, going with the flow, opening your chakras, and other hippie shit.

Sokka, slouching against a fence, not moving: Oh nooooooo, that creepy old man stole the Avataaaaaaaaaar. Sokka, sitting down on the ground: We should dooooo something. Sokka, pulling out his lunch: Otherwise he might actually learn something. That would be teeeerrible. Katara, indignant rage coursing through her body: Sokka!!!!!!!! We have to go look for him!!!! Sokka: Might! Actually! Learn! Something! Katara! Katara: *wavers* Katara, also sitting down: We have to go look for him…. *gets out her own sandwich* But, maybe after lunch.

I love that this transforms Aang’s role in the full Team Avatar familial situation from the baby of the family to the Grandpa with weird hobbies

My brain, immediately after the “Aang won’t take no for an answer” post:

Aang: I’m gonna ride him! *jumps on Zuko’s shoulders*

Actually, I thought a bit more about this: If Aang is “grandpa figure who won’t fucking stop teaching Zuko to be a better and more spiritually fulfilled person,” then what is Iroh doing?

And then it hit me.

Iroh: *sitting in a teahouse at a paisho table* Iroh, deadpan: I must capture the last airbender.  Iroh: It is the only way to make sure the powe rof the Avatar won’t be turned on the Fire Nation. Iroh: Only then will I be redeemed in the eyes of the Fire Lord for my failure at Ba Sing Se. Iroh: … Iroh: Anyway, it’s your turn.

About half of the B plots are just Iroh finding new ways to feign incompetence and bad luck so that his political watchdog can’t prove that he’s letting Aang - and by extension Zuko - get away.

@ray10k

Sometimes Iroh plays paisho with Aang, whose entire disguise during these games consists of a painfully fake mustache.

AANG WAS THE OTHER PLAYER IN THAT SCENE OF COURSE IT’S PERFECT (the moustache is just a bit of Appa’s fur tied in a string)

You want drawings, I deliver:

‘The prince in the iceberg’

‘Avatar Zuko’

‘The Old Master’

‘Imprisoned’

‘Zuko’s Master’

‘The Tale of Iroh’

OMG OMG @brawltogethernow LOOK!!!!!

THERE’S ART NOW

“Iroh, why are you playing Pai Sho with the last airbender?!”

“What are you talking about? This is my good friend Bonzu Pipinpadaloxicopolis.”

*Aang raises three fingers* “The third!”

Okay but in this Au Iroh is Zuko’s nephew, not his uncle.

This is common knowledge. First thing Iroh said to Zuko: ‘Are you my uncle? Mother believed you dead!”

And Zuko is like ‘oh shit’ ‘oh fuck no’ ‘Azula actually reproduced’ ‘She has spawn now’ ‘HOW’’WHO WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO-AAARGHHHHH’ ‘NOTTHINKINGABOUTITNOTTHINKINGABOUTIT” and then he has a nervous breakdown.

Meanwhile Katara is like ‘yOuR siStER WaS FireLord Azula???’ and Sokka is foaming at the mouth bc FIRELORD AZULA WAS TERRIFYING OKAY SHE CONQUERED BA SING SE IN A DAY AND THEN SHE GAVE IT BACK BC ‘IT WAS TOO DIRTY’ SHE BATHES IN THE TEARS OF NEWBORN CHILDREN AND WEEPING MOTHERS NOT EVEN KOH WOULD DARE TO CROSS FIRELORD AZULA

And Zuko comes back to ‘Well, Lala was always a bit unhinged but go off I guess”

(Sokka is not strong enough to deal with such a terrifying FireLord having a cute nickname like Lala)

And Iroh all casual “She’s retired now. She plays Thunder Pai Sho. It’s like normal Pai Sho but if you make a move she considers too stupid, she shots lighting at you”

Aang, cheerfully “I tried to make a Flower Lotus once and I almost died”

Zuko, deadpan “A pity”

A brilliant addition.

How does azula react to zuko coming back? Calling him zuzu and dum dum while shooting lightning at him as well as other attempts.

Maybe even references to her trying to get him out of the way of succession.

Role swap au where Zuko was the Avatar who got frozen for a hundred years, so when he’s rescued from the ice instead of a goofy twelve year old Katara catches this mysterious teenager with long hair and a cool scar and a fucking DRAGON

Katara: BOY???? HOT BOY?????? HOT TEENAGE BOY?????????

Zuko: *speaks*

Katara: nevermind I hate him

How does Aang factor into this? I ask because the more I think about it the more I want him to somehow be trying to capture the Avatar.

Aang is 112 years old, decided he was going to be Zuko’s airbending teacher, and refuses to take no for an answer

Aang: Aw, the new Avatar doesn’t want me. Aang: *gets out a weighted net* Time for Plan B then.

JDJSHJABDBFJSH

Look, you know how you keep a net from falling on you? YOU AIRBEND IT, SUCKA. Air comes right after fire in the cycle so it’s not like the guy has any other options. Do you want a flaming net falling on you? No? Then learn to airbend. Or this tiny old man will cart you away like a trussed turkey and lecture you about the power of laughter, going with the flow, opening your chakras, and other hippie shit.

Sokka, slouching against a fence, not moving: Oh nooooooo, that creepy old man stole the Avataaaaaaaaaar. Sokka, sitting down on the ground: We should dooooo something. Sokka, pulling out his lunch: Otherwise he might actually learn something. That would be teeeerrible. Katara, indignant rage coursing through her body: Sokka!!!!!!!! We have to go look for him!!!! Sokka: Might! Actually! Learn! Something! Katara! Katara: *wavers* Katara, also sitting down: We have to go look for him…. *gets out her own sandwich* But, maybe after lunch.

I love that this transforms Aang’s role in the full Team Avatar familial situation from the baby of the family to the Grandpa with weird hobbies

My brain, immediately after the “Aang won’t take no for an answer” post:

Aang: I’m gonna ride him! *jumps on Zuko’s shoulders*

Actually, I thought a bit more about this: If Aang is “grandpa figure who won’t fucking stop teaching Zuko to be a better and more spiritually fulfilled person,” then what is Iroh doing?

And then it hit me.

Iroh: *sitting in a teahouse at a paisho table* Iroh, deadpan: I must capture the last airbender.  Iroh: It is the only way to make sure the powe rof the Avatar won’t be turned on the Fire Nation. Iroh: Only then will I be redeemed in the eyes of the Fire Lord for my failure at Ba Sing Se. Iroh: … Iroh: Anyway, it’s your turn.

About half of the B plots are just Iroh finding new ways to feign incompetence and bad luck so that his political watchdog can’t prove that he’s letting Aang - and by extension Zuko - get away.

@ray10k

Sometimes Iroh plays paisho with Aang, whose entire disguise during these games consists of a painfully fake mustache.

AANG WAS THE OTHER PLAYER IN THAT SCENE OF COURSE IT’S PERFECT (the moustache is just a bit of Appa’s fur tied in a string)

You want drawings, I deliver:

‘The prince in the iceberg’

‘Avatar Zuko’

‘The Old Master’

‘Imprisoned’

‘Zuko’s Master’

‘The Tale of Iroh’

OMG OMG @brawltogethernow LOOK!!!!!

THERE’S ART NOW

“Iroh, why are you playing Pai Sho with the last airbender?!”

“What are you talking about? This is my good friend Bonzu Pipinpadaloxicopolis.”

*Aang raises three fingers* “The third!”

Role swap au where Zuko was the Avatar who got frozen for a hundred years, so when he’s rescued from the ice instead of a goofy twelve year old Katara catches this mysterious teenager with long hair and a cool scar and a fucking DRAGON

Katara: BOY???? HOT BOY?????? HOT TEENAGE BOY?????????

Zuko: *speaks*

Katara: nevermind I hate him

How does Aang factor into this? I ask because the more I think about it the more I want him to somehow be trying to capture the Avatar.

Aang is 112 years old, decided he was going to be Zuko’s airbending teacher, and refuses to take no for an answer

Aang: Aw, the new Avatar doesn’t want me. Aang: *gets out a weighted net* Time for Plan B then.

JDJSHJABDBFJSH

Look, you know how you keep a net from falling on you? YOU AIRBEND IT, SUCKA. Air comes right after fire in the cycle so it’s not like the guy has any other options. Do you want a flaming net falling on you? No? Then learn to airbend. Or this tiny old man will cart you away like a trussed turkey and lecture you about the power of laughter, going with the flow, opening your chakras, and other hippie shit.

Sokka, slouching against a fence, not moving: Oh nooooooo, that creepy old man stole the Avataaaaaaaaaar. Sokka, sitting down on the ground: We should dooooo something. Sokka, pulling out his lunch: Otherwise he might actually learn something. That would be teeeerrible. Katara, indignant rage coursing through her body: Sokka!!!!!!!! We have to go look for him!!!! Sokka: Might! Actually! Learn! Something! Katara! Katara: *wavers* Katara, also sitting down: We have to go look for him…. *gets out her own sandwich* But, maybe after lunch.

I love that this transforms Aang’s role in the full Team Avatar familial situation from the baby of the family to the Grandpa with weird hobbies

My brain, immediately after the “Aang won’t take no for an answer” post:

Aang: I’m gonna ride him! *jumps on Zuko’s shoulders*

Actually, I thought a bit more about this: If Aang is “grandpa figure who won’t fucking stop teaching Zuko to be a better and more spiritually fulfilled person,” then what is Iroh doing?

And then it hit me.

Iroh: *sitting in a teahouse at a paisho table* Iroh, deadpan: I must capture the last airbender.  Iroh: It is the only way to make sure the powe rof the Avatar won’t be turned on the Fire Nation. Iroh: Only then will I be redeemed in the eyes of the Fire Lord for my failure at Ba Sing Se. Iroh: … Iroh: Anyway, it’s your turn.

About half of the B plots are just Iroh finding new ways to feign incompetence and bad luck so that his political watchdog can’t prove that he’s letting Aang - and by extension Zuko - get away.

@ray10k

Sometimes Iroh plays paisho with Aang, whose entire disguise during these games consists of a painfully fake mustache.

AANG WAS THE OTHER PLAYER IN THAT SCENE OF COURSE IT’S PERFECT (the moustache is just a bit of Appa’s fur tied in a string)

You want drawings, I deliver:

‘The prince in the iceberg’

‘Avatar Zuko’

‘The Old Master’

‘Imprisoned’

‘Zuko’s Master’

‘The Tale of Iroh’

OMG OMG @brawltogethernow LOOK!!!!!

THERE’S ART NOW

“Iroh, why are you playing Pai Sho with the last airbender?!”

“What are you talking about? This is my good friend Bonzu Pipinpadaloxicopolis.”

*Aang raises three fingers* “The third!”