the reluctant hero

One day during training, Zuko pushed his sparring partners with a whiff of air.

It sort of goes downhill for Zuko after that.

This is be beginning of Paw07’s wonderful AU!story “Reluctant Hero” (also found here in AO3!) in which Aang didn’t make it 100 yrs ago and so, the line of Avatars moved until it landed on Zuko.


Really like that idea, because out of all the possible futures, this one is a little more possible, and definitely more ironic: that Aang, being so young was unable to access the avatar state and save himself and Appa, and that Zuko, being a descendant of another Avatar, would be a logical line to follow.


As for the two avatars between Aang and Zuko: the story mentions an old bender from Earth, and with a 100 yr old war going, I like the idea of a Water tribe avatar dressed in battle gear and who probably died in battle too.