Altered | A Genderswap ATLA AU

What Can You Do? *shrugs*

Water was benevolent. Yet there was nothing benevolent about war. The Southern Water Tribe couldn't afford to be benevolent, not anymore. Sokka, had known that when she was younger, reminiscing the times from before today, before she'd met Aang and was thrust into this mess. How, looking out on the water just a few days ago that now seemed so far away, she had seen the reflections of tired, haggard faces, children huddling in the openings of tents, and a small fire, not nearly warm enough, sending smoke into the night air.

Katasi had sat in the opening of their tent, staring into the fire. Most nights, that's where he was, staring into the flames like it'd wrong him in some way, yet also like it held all the secrets of the universe.

She would finish filling the water skins, and then lean over the water to stare at her reflection. She would be able to see the flame reflecting in water, reflecting her own eyes back at her. She would think of her father, see him in her eyes, and pull away, shuddering.

When she would sit down beside Katasi, she'd bump her shoulder against her and smile at him. He'd always take his gaze from the fire to smile back, but it would never reach his eyes. And then they'd sit in silence together. As she would look around the fire, she'd remember. War was a rotten bastard. Her brother was the only man left, at fourteen, barely even gotten to celebrate his coming-of-age for two obvious reasons, and she was the only thing closest to a warrior in the village. Neither of them could be benevolent either.

And she hadn't been able to focus then on the strange pang in her chest that would bring.

Long before her father had died, Sokka could remember him whispering with her mother, about the Avatar. About whether or not there was one anymore. When Sokka asked him what the Avatar was, he had told her about the great master of the elements. Of the bender who could do no wrong, who could bring peace, who could end this war.

He had never said anything about a twelve-year-old girl whose only defense seemed to be a staff and giving herself over to firebenders. Who Sokka was able to defend as well as her village: not at all. Who had let hope bloom in her brother's eyes just to let it be stamped out again.

Of course they had gone to rescue her, and were now flying away on her flying bison (she'd never admit aloud how amazed she was that Aang had been right about her pet after all, especially after the smug look Katasi had sent her the first time she'd almost let it slip). Fire was fierce, and so was Sokka. 'Show no fear.'

And now she watched the Avatar talk with her brother about what to do next. He gushed over her in a way that irritated her.

"How did you do that with the water?" Katasi asked excitedly. "It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

"I don't know. I just, sort of, did it," Aang shrugged.

Katasi tilted his head curiously. "Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?"

"Because..." Aang hesitated, turning away in shame. "I never wanted to be."

His eyebrows furrowed. "But, Aang," Katasi argued, "the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and end the war."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" she exclaimed, overwhelmed with the responsibility placed upon her.

Katasi paused in thought. "According to legend, you need to first master water, then earth, and then fire, right?"

Aang sighed. "That's what the monks all told me," she said.

"Well, if we head to the North Pole, you can master waterbending," he pointed out to her. Aang smiled widely when she realized he was right. She still wasn't exactly anticipating all the responsibility awaiting her, but she'd pretend for Katasi. Besides, perhaps she would come to like being the Avatar in time.

"We can learn together!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"And Sokka, just think of the firebender heads you can knock along the way," Katasi remarked to his sister.

"I think I'd really like that," she smirked with a nod.

"Then I guess we're all in this together!" he cheerfully proclaimed.

"Alright, but before we can learn firebending, there's some serious business we need to attend to first," announced Aang, unfolding a map in front of her. She pointed to various spots on the map and showed it to her companions. "Here, here, and here!"

"What do we have to do there?" Katasi asked, squinting questionably at the places she pointed to.

Aang's almost serious tone immediately turned to its usual exuberant and joyful one as a broad grin spread across her face. "Here, we'll ride the hopping llamas. Then way over here, we'll surf on the backs of giant Koi fish. Then back over here, we'll ride the hog monkeys. They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!" The Water Tribe siblings exchanged wary glances with each other. Avatar or not, Aang was still a fun-loving girl, and they were positive nothing could dissuade the airbender from taking these detours.

A few hours later, the sun had gone down, and Katasi had fallen asleep while Sokka bandaged her feet because they got frost-bitten inside the ice he had bended onto her feet. Aang stayed awake with her, her mind wandering and fretting over what might wait for her at her old home in the Air Temples.

***

Sulking and plotting in her cabin, pacing back and forth, Zuleika thought. Pausing in front of the vanity, she glared down at the dressing table before the mirror.

Slowly, she raised her eyes to it to stare through narrowed eyes at the devastation her father had caused to her face. At least now she could take it unlike back when she was thirteen when just catching her reflection almost made her break down in tears. It was hard to believe two and a half years ago, she had been full of so much joy and hope for the future, excited to prove herself as being good enough to ascend to the throne when the time came. She tried to block out Ozai's words on that day he scarred her.

It was her own fault, really. She never should have gone to him alone after embarrassing herself at the War Council meeting. All the men had laughed at her and called her a little girl, for simply speaking against sacrificing new recruits because no one else seemed able to think up a better plan. Ozai had not been amused and promptly ordered her to come to his chambers after the meeting.

Looking back on it now, she knew that had been a mistake.

"You are too much like your mother," he had said once she was inside the chambers, his eyes blazing with an unidentifiable look. She hadn't quite known what that had meant, but a knot of fear had coiled in her stomach at seeing that look.

Before Zuleika realized what was happening, his hands were on her. He threw her against his desk, pulling up her robes. As his hands began to reach for her private places, something had snapped inside her.

"No! Father, no, please!" she had cried, summoning a burst of fire in her hands as she attempted to push him away. The flames were weak, but had surprised him enough to make him release her.

"You...You dare!" He had struck her across the face with such force, she rolled off the desk and onto the floor. "You are a failure! You call that firebending? I will show you firebending!" he shouted and he summoned his own flames in one hand. She froze and had been only able to watch as it came right for her.

Now she reached up, gently probing at the angry red flesh. Soon after being burned, she'd had to shave off half her hair, and it had already grown back, but she knew the scar would never heal no matter how long had passed. It was red, swollen, and hardly looked anything like normal flesh. That side of her face looked more like raw meat. It was hideous.

If she had just let him...

"No!" She swung her fist forward and smashed in the mirror, causing the glass to shatter and her hand to bleed. The pressure behind her eyes burned, but she still refused to cry. She quickly grabbed a piece of cloth and wrapped it around her hand.

As she took a shaky breath, she stared at her now cracked reflection. "Pull it together," she mumbled to herself. She did this to herself, and returning with the Avatar would fix everything.

(Author's Note: Ironically it was while I was writing this chapter that I found what would have been a good name for female Sokka: Cikuq, an Inuit name meaning ice. Anyway, uh, here it is. On to the Air Temples! Smooches 💋