Bring On the Rain

By YoungGrasshopper7

Another day has almost come and gone
Can't imagine what else could wrong
Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere and lock the door
A single battle lost but not the war, 'cause


Tomorrow's another day
And I'm thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain

Zuko hated rain. He was a Firebender, after all. Being confronted with the complete opposite element wasn't his exact idea of enjoyment. Zuko had always disliked how rain soaked into his armor and made his jet-black ponytail stick to his nearly-shaven head. But not all his reasons against rain were of the selfish kind.

…on the day Fire Lord Ozai banished him, the heavens opened up and released a bitter, nagging rain on the fourteen-year-old Prince. In the harbor, before stepping onto the cold, dark ship, young Zuko planted his feet on the ground and turned to look at his father. The Fire Lord turned away, as if it was a sin to look at his own son. But Zula was standing by his side. Azula, Ozai's favorite of his two children. His daughter. His pet. His prodigy. His pride. And, more importantly, his heir to the throne. Young Zuko gulped and quickly set his feet into motion. As the black metal gangplank began to close, he caught a glimpse of Zula's face; her sly, evil grin pierced his soul and her sharp golden eyes bored into his heart. This was his only chance, and the gangplank closed more than the ship. It also closed on his heart.

…when Zuko sees rain, he sees failure.

It's almost like the hard times circle 'round
A couple drops and they all start coming down
Yeah, I might feel defeated,
I might hang my head
I might be barely breathing - but I'm not dead

Sokka distrusted rain. Even being born into the Water Tribe and raised to respect the Water and Moon Spirits, something about it made him feel sick to his stomach. Rain reminded him of snow. Snow reminded him of his home. His home reminded him of the day snow and soot rained down from the skies and the Fire Nation set foot upon their shores. He remembered it as if it all happened just yesterday…

…the village was in panic; the people darting about in different directions as if they were all being chased by a swarm of angry bees. The village leader had ordered all the warriors and Waterbenders of the tribe to stand by the shores and hold off the enemy for as long as possible. At that moment, 12-year-old Sokka and 11-year-old Katara were being hurredly shoved into a tent by their mother, Naiya. "Hurry, hurry, get inside!" she mused. "No! Don't leave!" Young Katara reached out and latched onto her mother's arm, stopping Naiya right in her tracks. She sighed and unfastened a dark blue cloth choker adorned with a beautiful carved stone from her neck and secured it onto her daughter's. "If anything should happen to me…you'll have this," said Naiya with a warm smile. Her children nodded and quickly shut the tent flap.

…an antagonizing fifteen minutes later, they heard a terrible, horrifying scream. Katara cried out and jumped up, almost tearing the tent flap apart in an effort to get out. "NO!" Sokka managed to grab Katara's wrist. "Mom told us to stay inside!" "That scream WAS Mom!" Hot tears streamed down the little girl's face as she jerked her arm away, disappearing from her brother's sight. Stepping out of the tent himself, Sokka couldn't believe his eyes. Naiya, his mother, was staggering from a wound in her side as the Firebender she was battling raised his arm above his head, forming a massive fireball. Without thinking, Sokka found himself standing between his hurt mother and the soldier. "Stop! Don't!" Sokka tried to yell. The cold, expressionless mask on the Firebnder showed no mercy and instead struck Sokka with the side of his spear, revealing a deep gash on Sokka's face. "SOKKA, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Katara screamed from behind one of the tents. Listening to his sister, Sokka leapt from the Firebender's path just as the fireball left his hands. Landing on the tread-upon snow, Sokka covered his bleeding cheek; completely helpless and wishing he could've done more, watching his mother burn.

…rain was a burden to Sokka. It wasn't before all this happened, though. That was before the Fire Nation attacked. Before his father left for war. Before his mother was brutally murdered.

…when Sokka sees rain, he sees regret.


Tomorrow's another day
And I'm thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain

Aang remembered rain. Many memories of the young Airbender's past were not of what someone wanted to cherish their entire life. When he was suddenly told he was the Avatar, and when everyone started treating him like he had the plague, and when he finally learned that he was to be sent away from Monk Gyatso, his guardian…Aang's heart simply tore in two and he ran away on a fit of confusion and sadness. A great storm had tagged along like a puppy starving for attention. It had finally caught with Aang---and unleashed a powerful thunder and lightning storm as if God had built up his fury. It wasn't long before the Avatar plunged into the sea, where he and his bison were to remain for a long hundred years, until he opened his eyes to Katara.

…when Aang sees rain, he see frustration.


I'm not gonna let it get me down
I'm not gonna cry
And I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight

Katara loved rain. She, being a Waterbender, enjoyed how it fell upon her skin and cleansed her, in a way. Rain, she thought, was a support of Earth, watering fields and bringing life throughout.

While training with Master Pakku in the Northern Water Tribe, he once taught her how to carry out a makeshift move using only the water in the air, by means of snow. While temporarily residing in the Earth Kingdom, Katara took Aang out in the rain to demonstrate this move, since he had paid so little attention when he was at the North Pole. At first, this wasn't successful. Each maneuver that Aang attempted ended either with "Oops," "Uh," and/or "I meant to do that." He learned to laugh about it afterwards, but then, the young Airbender was frustrated and soaked. After long bouts of trying, Aang finally formed an orb of water in his palms, a sudden smile of triumph upon his face. At seeing him succeed, Katar's heart began to shine.

…when Katara sees rain, she sees hope.

Tomorrow's another day

And I am not afraid

So bring on the rain…