i'm fifteen, you jerk! (a:tla, reader insert)

"Uncle Iroh, I'm so sorry. I've failed you, and I let my sister harm you. Please, be okay." you prayed, rocking back and forth. "You need to move on, Y/N." Toph said, and Katara let out a noise of agreement. "You should, Y/N. It's not healthy."

"...Okay." you stood up, starting to stretch. "You go teach Aang, Toph. Katara, let me show you something." Toph left to go help Aang and Katara stayed back. "What do you wanna show me, Y/N?" You said nothing, only gestured for her to stand back as you focused the energy to create lightning.

You unleashed the bolt, unaware of your surroundings. "Your kids!" Katara shouted, horrified, and you pulled away your scarf, it wasn't your kids you saw. It was Iroh, on the ground. Instead of you standing by his side, it was you who had struck him. "Uncle!" you yelled, and the scene switched.

"I'm sure you heard wrong, Princess Azula. Grandfather wouldn't ask for Prince Zuko to be killed, he's too important." you bowed your head, and Azula laughed her snotty little laugh. "Not only is it Zuko he wants dead, it's you, too. I'm the better firebender, and I'm the stronger one. You're just a weakling without a personality!" you didn't react, only bowing your head further.

"Show Fire Lord Azulon what you can do, Y/N." your face betrayed your excitement, and you stepped up in front of your grandfather. You demonstrated the new firebending move you learned, impressing your family. "She's a prodigy. You've done well, Prince Ozai." you bowed, moving back to your family. "Thank you, grandfather."

"Kids! Come see what Uncle Iroh sent!" your mother beckoned you over, holding up a scroll. "Could you read this for us, Y/N?" Ursa handed you the scroll, and you froze when you realized that you couldn't read all of it. "I..."

"Go on, Y/N. Read the scroll for us." Azula taunted. "Y/N, do you need more lessons? We'd be happy to help you if you're having trouble." Ursa suggested, and you shook your head. "No thank you, mother. I can understand the scroll. Thank you for your concern, though." you forced yourself to understand the letter, imagining the characters as the letters of your own, your way of writing from back home.

"To Prince Zuko, I have this knife I got from one of the generals who surrendered." you read. "To Princess Azula, I have a doll. She's wearing the latest Earth Kingdom fashion." your eyes scanned the page, waiting to see your name, but it never showed up. "I'm sure that he's sent something in a separate letter." Ursa tried to comfort you, but you weren't bothered. This happened frequently, after all. "It's alright if it doesn't happen, mother. Expectations of gifts will only put a burden on Uncle's shoulders."

"What are you doing, Y/N? Ew, you're writing with that weird stuff again." you froze, slowly pulling the scroll away. "Let me see!" Zuko jerked the paper away from you, opening it up and trying to decipher it. "What's it say? I can't read it." your head hung low. "It's my journal. I wrote it in..."

"In what?"

"I wrote it in my first form of writing. The one I learned when I was younger. I've been trying to practice it, so I won't forget it." you explained, stifling your cry as Azula took the scroll from Zuko and set it alight. "Nobody writes like that here, foreigner."

"Kids, what on earth- Azula! What did you do?" Ursa demanded. "I didn't do anything! Ask Y/N." your mother turned to you, and you shrunk under everyone's gaze. "She didn't do anything, mother. We were playing a game." I'll get you back. One day, Azula. I'll get you back.

"Y/N, I need to tell you this before I tell your brother and sister." you paused your training, bowing to your mother. "Your uncle has just lost his son...Lu Ten, your cousin." you felt something akin to rage flow through your body. "I'm sorry for your loss, mother. And for Uncle Iroh's."

You poked your uncle's shoulder, excited to train. Today was the day you turned twelve, and Uncle Iroh had promised you that he would teach you lightning. He started to explain the thing with chi and using your energy flow to your advantage. He left you to your own devices, watching from the sidelines as you got it your first try.

"Great job, Princess Y/N! Here, adjust your footing." he adjusted your stance, and you teared up from the praise. Kindness was so rare, and compliments were ever rarer. Your mother was the source of kindness, but she was gone now. And when she was here, she only saw you as your father's war weapon, same with Azula. You did it again, striking a hole in the wall.

"Amazing! You're a natural, Y/N. Now, try and aim the lightning." you did, but it didn't hit where you wanted it to. It struck your uncle right in the chest, and the scene switched to when Azula had done the same thing at that Earth Kingdom town.

"No! Uncle Iroh, I'm-"

no but seriously in the later chapters i get my shit together. i don't mean to be... uhhh... full of myself but i had a really good idea i tested out y'all just please read to the end this is my only validation