A/N: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I just thought of this strange little plot hole from Legend of Korra. In Season 2, we discovered that Aang was a terrible parent, favoring one child over his other two because Tenzin could Airbend. What did Katara and Zuko think of this? I don't think the show ever addressed it. So, enjoy the first chapter! There will be only two.
Also, Crossing the Rubicon back from the land of Hiatus. I think Meet the Kents will be next after this.
As always, read and PLEASE REVIEW at the bottom!
Avatar: No More Favorites, Chapter 1- Letters
Twenty years is a long time.
Katara wasn't usually one to ponder life in general, but then again, she wouldn't have pegged herself as the save-the-world type. All she had wanted when she had left the Southern Water Tribe at the young age of fourteen was to find a Master Waterbender and hone her skills.
She ended up saving the world.
Now, twenty years later, she was facing a different battle. This one, however, was so much more different from facing down Zuko or Azula or even Ozai; this one was personal.
This was against Aang, the Avatar himself- and her husband.
They'd had three beautiful children together- Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin. For some strange reason, however, Aang was spending most of his time with Tenzin, who was almost ten now.
Katara could count on one hand the number of times Aang had interacted with either Bumi or Kya. She wouldn't call herself a parenting expert, but she was pretty sure that that wasn't good.
But what to do about it? she wondered. She couldn't confront Aang directly on something like this; how does one broach a subject such as this? Aang, stop spending all your time with Tenzin, and spend more time with your other kids!
Katara had said something like that to Aang once. It hadn't worked.
Katara was frustrated, and at the end of her rope. Kya was quickly becoming a rebel, turning heads at just fourteen. Bumi and Zuko had sworn to screen any and all potential-
Then, an idea came to Katara like lightning from Azula. Zuko.
Zuko knew firsthand what it was like to not be the favored sibling- perhaps he could knock some sense into Aang!
Katara, her mind made up, drafted a letter at once. She'd put this off long enough.
Life, Zuko had decided, had been much kinder to him these last twenty years.
For one thing, he'd rebuilt (somewhat) his family. His mother, Ursa, was happily living with Ikem, her one true love, in a small Fire Nation village.
Azula was a little trickier, but she had come out of The Forgetful Valley radically changed, and… sane. She was living in the Palace now, and wasn't the least spiteful or haughty towards him. She was happily married, with two beautiful children, whom she loved as passionately as the blue fire she still Bent.
And of course, there was him and Mai. They'd had a daughter together, and Zuko was certain that she'd make an excellent Fire Lord one day.
As he sat at the table with his family, a young soldier burst into the room. His orders were very simple, as the new Fire Lord was a simple man: stay at the post office, and if anything came from Sokka, Suki, Toph, or Katara, run back here as fast as possible.
If it was from Aang or Iroh, then run faster.
Today, the messenger was running fast.
Zuko took the paper from the man's hand. "Thank you, Chang. Please, sit." He motioned to a servant. "Please get him a bucket of water and some food. He had to run a good distance."
Zuko then opened the paper, recognizing the unique blue wax seal. Katara. Aang used a special seal that the White Lotus had created, and he knew for a fact that Toph couldn't write, and Sokka used an official United Republic seal (and a messenger hawk.)
Dear Zuko,
It's been awhile, but I must ask a favor of the Fire Lord.
You know all too well what it's like when your family plays favorites.
Right there, Zuko stopped reading, hot tears prickling at his eyes. Both Azula and Mai watched with keen interest, which was very telling for someone who knew the Royal Family; Mai was very closed off emotionally speaking, so if she ever showed emotion of any kind beyond boredom, then something was happening.
Zuko stood up and headed off, ignoring his daughter's questions. The Gaang had long ago decided to never speak of their respective pasts unless it was deemed necessary.
So, for Katara to mention Zuko's past meant that something was happening in her family As a matter of fact, for Katara to ask anyone who was not Aang for help was strange, period, as Katara considered herself largely self-sufficient. And Zuko could guess what it was.
Aang is spending a lot of his time with Tenzin, teaching him the ways of Airbending. It's rather fascinating to watch.
But I've not seen Aang spend much time with Bumi or Kya, and both are approaching their teenage years.
Say no more, Katara, Zuko thought.
Now, Zuko thought of himself as someone who had mastered his emotions, his psyche.
That didn't stop the old feeling of rage from welling up in him for the first time in a long time. The torches lighting the hallway began to glow brighter.
"You know," said a new voice. "You really shouldn't do that; you'll burn the Palace down, Zuzu."
Zuko turned to see Azula standing there. The constant sneer that adorned her face during their teenage years was gone; her sanity restored during her time in the Forgetful Valley, she had become almost as melancholy as Mai, mainly due to her finally realizing the part she had played in almost destroying the Earth Kingdom.
While her voice still held that sarcasm Zuko remembered, the look on her face was one of concern.
"I… got a letter from Katara today."
"Ah. She finally done with the Avatar? Was it a mushy love letter? You know how much Ty Lee loves those kinds of things."
Zuko blushed. "No to the second, but if the letter was any indication, possibly yes to the first."
"Oh?"
"It seems Aang likes to spend all his time with Tenzin."
Azula's face turned thoughtful, as if she was remembering something. "Tenzin's the one who can Airbend, right?"
"Yep. His older siblings, Bumi and Kya, aren't too pleased."
"And neither is Katara, it seems. Or you, for that matter."
"Nope. You and I know all too well what it was like with Father."
"Please don't remind me," Azula said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I won't, but… I do think I need your help on this one."
Azula was genuinely shocked. "What could you possibly need my help for?"
"I must admit that I knew about this for some time. I was hoping that Aang would straighten up, but it seems that more… drastic measures must be taken. More theatrical."
"Ah," Azula said, finally catching on. "I can do theatrical. What do you need me to do?"
"Go get a new set of armor. File your nails into those claws. Make yourself look as much like you did at fourteen as possible."
"And you?"
Zuko grinned. "I need a haircut. And to shave."
"You're going back to when you and Aang first met, huh?"
"Yep. And this time… I'll roast his butt, because unlike the first time, I was on a stupid quest for a stupid reason. This time, it's something that actually matters. Aang is reminding me too much of Father for comfort, and I want him to see that. I'd reason with him, but we passed that point years ago."
"Done."