History FanFic / TheStalkingZukoSeries

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: For all they've gone through and all they will have to go through moving forward, the summation epilogue reveals that the Gaang do attain fulfillment in their individual life goals. Aang eventually discovers other unrealized airbenders living among the members of the other nations and is able to restart the Air Nomad culture; he also experiences much romance, Sokka and Suki stay together and become important politicians and peacekeepers who oversee the Fire Nation colonies' transition to independence and eventually become the ruling couple of the Southern Water Tribe. Toph gets to have her freedom and adventures while coming to an understanding with her parents and having a home that accepts her with Zuko, Iroh, and Katara in the Fire Nation. Zuko and Katara go on to [[TheyDo get married]], have five children, do an enormous amount of work towards societal and economic reform and global peace initiatives, and become two of the most widely respected monarchs in Fire Nation history, presiding over what becomes considered by historians to be a Golden Age of peace and prosperity in both the Fire Nation and the world.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: For all they've gone through and all they will ''still' go through, the Gaang eventually attain fulfillment in their life goals. Aang eventually discovers other unrealized airbenders living among the members of the other nations and is able to restart the Air Nomad culture; he also experiences much romance, Sokka and Suki stay together and become important politicians and peacekeepers who oversee the Fire Nation colonies' transition to independence and eventually become the ruling couple of the Southern Water Tribe. Toph gets to have her freedom and adventures while coming to an understanding with her parents and having a home that accepts her with Zuko, Iroh, and Katara in the Fire Nation. Zuko and Katara go on to [[TheyDo get married]], have five children, do an enormous amount of work towards societal and economic reform and global peace initiatives, and become two of the most widely respected monarchs in Fire Nation history, presiding over what becomes considered by historians to be a Golden Age of peace and prosperity in both the Fire Nation and the world.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: For all they've gone through and all they will ''still' go through, the Gaang eventually attain fulfillment in their life goals. Aang eventually discovers other unrealized airbenders living among the members of the other nations and is able to restart the Air Nomad culture; he also experiences much romance, Sokka and Suki stay together and become important politicians and peacekeepers who oversee the Fire Nation colonies' transition to independence and eventually become the ruling couple of the Southern Water Tribe. Toph gets to have her freedom and adventures while coming to an understanding with her parents and having a home that accepts her with Zuko, Iroh, and Katara in the Fire Nation. Zuko and Katara go on to do an enormous amount of work towards societal and economic reform and global peace initiatives and become two of the most widely respected monarchs in Fire Nation history. All six members of the Gaang preside over what becomes considered by historians to be a Golden Age of peace and prosperity in the world.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: For all they've gone through, Aang eventually discovers other unrealized airbenders living among the members of the other nations and is able to restart the Air Nomad culture, Sokka and Suki stay together and become important politicians and peacekeepers who oversee the Fire Nation colonies' transition to independence and eventually become the ruling couple of the Southern Water Tribe, Toph gets to have her freedom and adventures while coming to an understanding with her parents and having a home that accepts her with Zuko, Iroh, and Katara in the Fire Nation, and Zuko and Katara go on to become two of the most widely respected monarchs in Fire Nation history; all six preside over what becomes considered by historians to be a Golden Age of peace and prosperity in the world.]]

** The author makes several derisive references to the lion turtle as a DeusExMachina in her authors' notes. In-universe the rest of the Gaang lampshade this by directly calling Aang's story out as very convenient and making no sense with anything else they know (a few even imply they don't believe it happened). At one point Katara teases Zuko about how, since Aang has explained the Lion Turtle story to him three times now, Zuko can now explain it to the rest of them, because nobody else has been able to make any sense of it. Zuko sheepishly confirms that even after it being explained to him over and over again, he still doesn't get it either.

** The author makes several derisive references to the lion turtle as a DeusExMachina in her authors' notes. In-universe the rest of the Gaang lampshade this by directly calling Aang's story out as very convenient and making no sense with anything else they know (a few even imply they don't believe it happened). At one point Katara teases Zuko about how, since Aang has explained the Lion Turtle story to him three times now, Zuko can now explain it to the rest of them, because nobody else has been able to make any sense of it. Zuko sheepishly confirms that he doesn't get it either.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Katara's aware she and Zuko have developed this in the latter of ''Not Stalking Zuko,'' but various members of the Gaang perceive this far earlier. Toph in particular perceived it as BelligerentSexualTension as early as the back half of ''Stalking Zuko''.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Katara's aware she and Zuko have developed this in the latter of ''Not Stalking Zuko,'' but various members of the Gaang perceive this far earlier.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Zuko and Katara develop in the latter of ''Not Stalking Zuko.''

* GenreShift: ''Stalking Zuko'' is {{Dramedy}} leaning heavily towards comedy, ''Not Stalking Zuko'' is {{Dramedy}}-flavored SliceOfLife, and ''Not Stalking Firelord Zuko'' is {{Dramedy}} leaning heavily towards drama.

* WartsAndAll: A reoccuring theme. The heroes are genuinely heroic but deeply flawed, and while they do what they think is best for everyone and do try to work on their flaws while they're at it, the relationships that work out among the cast are typically the ones that recognize each other's flaws and love each other despite (or even because) of them. For example, in ''Snuggly Dysfunctional Cats,'' Zuko tells Toph in confidence that he secretly loves Katara's bossiness, while Katara fondly reminisces on Zuko's bursts of anger and frustration [[spoiler:during Zuko's post-lightning strike coma]]. It's implied this is also to some extent how history will remember them, because Katara mentions her intention for her diary to serve as a record of the history she lived through and her diary is very good at humanizing those she discusses, including herself.

* WartsAndAll: A reoccuring theme. The heroes are genuinely heroic but deeply flawed, and while they do what they think is best for everyone and do try to work on their flaws while they're at it, the relationships that work out among the cast are typically the ones that recognize each other's flaws and love each other despite (or even because) of them. For example, in ''Snuggly Dysfunctional Cats,'' Zuko tells Toph in confidence that he secretly loves Katara's bossiness, while Katara fondly reminisces on Zuko's bursts of anger and frustration [[spoiler:during Zuko's post-lightning strike coma]].

** In ''Not Stalking Firelord Zuko'', Ming asks Zuko what Azula'a favorite foods are, because Azula isn't eating what they give her. Zuko tells her that Azula used to really like cinnamon and vanilla cream puffs, but that Azula would probably lie and say she didn't like them, and that she'd always said that she didn't like them, but she "would always unfailing eat them in large quantities when she thought no one was looking." It's a cute quirk from the otherwise serious and dangerous Azula. Then in the side-story prequel ''princess of mine'', we find out that Ursa's purfume smelled like vanilla and cinnamon, and that she avoids desserts because of this.

** In ''Not Stalking Firelord Zuko'', Ming asks Zuko what Azula'a favorite foods are, because Azula isn't eating what they give her. Zuko tells her that Azula used to really like cinnamon and vanilla cream puffs, but that Azula would probably lie and say she didn't like them, and that she'd always said that she didn't like them, but she "would always unfailing eat them in large quantities when she thought no one was looking." It's a cute quirk from the otherwise serious and dangerous Azula. Then in the side-story prequel ''princess of mine'', we find out that Ursa's purfume smelled like vanilla and cinnamon.

* CerebusCallback: Several of Zuko's sillier behaviors tend to manifest in far less silly ways within Ozai. Katara notes in ''Stalking Zuko'' that "Subject" is prone to list-making to take stock of his sometimes quite ridiculous problems/concerns and "disappearing" things and people (the second referring to the infamous "field trips with Zuko"). We later learn from Ozai's "Closet of Crazy Evil" and his private cell in the dragon catacombs that Ozai is also prone to similar list-making and people disappearing, but of a far more nefarious variety.

* MrViceGuy: The trilogy focuses heavily on the cast's flaws, especially Katara's, Aang's, and Zuko's. Katara is bossy, nagging, hypocritical, spiteful, jealous, grudge-holding, nosy to the point of offensive, and far too coddling for anyone's good. Aang is flighty, avoidant, attention-seeking, pushy, entitled, hypocritical, self-righteous, self-centered, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Zuko is socially clumsy, ill-tempered, easily frustrated, lacking an internal filter, and still struggling with the concepts of honor and guilt to the point that it's ''still'' relatively easy to manipulate him, depending on who exactly is defining "honor" or accusing him of wrongdoing (Ozai and Azula he's past listening to, but he's easily duped into going on a fishing trip he otherwise didn't want to by Hakoda because Hakoda says it's about "masculine honor" and Mai is able to guilt him into continuing to date her because she guilts him about the ''dishonorable'' way he's treated her previously). Despite this, all three are extremely well-intentioned, compassionate, and genuinely heroic people devoted to both their loved ones and to making the world a better place.

* MrViceGuy: The trilogy focuses heavily on the cast's flaws, especially Katara's, Aang's, and Zuko's. Katara is bossy, nagging, hypocritical, spiteful, jealous, grudge-holding, nosy to the point of offensive, and far too coddling for anyone's good. Aang is escapist, avoidant, pushy, entitled, hypocritical, self-righteous, self-centered, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Zuko is socially clumsy, ill-tempered, easily frustrated, lacking an internal filter, and still struggling with the concepts of honor and guilt to the point that it's ''still'' relatively easy to manipulate him, depending on who exactly is defining "honor" or accusing him of wrongdoing (Ozai and Azula he's past listening to, but he's easily duped into going on a fishing trip he otherwise didn't want to by Hakoda because Hakoda says it's about "masculine honor" and Mai is able to guilt him into continuing to date her because she guilts him about the ''dishonorable'' way he's treated her previously). Despite this, all three are extremely well-intentioned, compassionate, and genuinely heroic people devoted to both their loved ones and to making the world a better place.

* MrViceGuy: The trilogy focuses heavily on the cast's flaws, especially Katara's, Aang's, and Zuko's. Katara is bossy, nagging, hypocritical, spiteful, jealous, grudge-holding, nosy to the point of offensive, and far too coddling for anyone's good. Aang is escapist, avoidant, pushy, entitled, self-righteous, self-centered, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Zuko is socially clumsy, ill-tempered, easily frustrated, lacking an internal filter, and still struggling with the concepts of honor and guilt to the point that it's ''still'' relatively easy to manipulate him, depending on who exactly is defining "honor" or accusing him of wrongdoing (Ozai and Azula he's past listening to, but he's easily duped into going on a fishing trip he otherwise didn't want to by Hakoda because Hakoda says it's about "masculine honor" and Mai is able to guilt him into continuing to date her because she guilts him about the ''dishonorable'' way he's treated her previously). Despite all this, all three are extremely well-intentioned, compassionate, and genuinely heroic people.

* MrViceGuy: The trilogy focuses heavily on the cast's flaws, especially Katara's, Aang's, and Zuko's. Katara is bossy, nagging, hypocritical, spiteful, jealous, grudge-holding, nosy to the point of distrustful, and far too coddling for anyone's good. Aang is escapist, avoidant, pushy, entitled, self-righteous, self-centered, and InnocentlyInsensitive. Zuko is socially clumsy, ill-tempered, easily frustrated, lacking an internal filter, and still struggling with the concepts of honor and guilt to the point that it's ''still'' relatively easy to manipulate him, depending on who exactly is defining "honor" or accusing him of wrongdoing (Ozai and Azula he's past listening to, but he's easily duped into going on a fishing trip he otherwise didn't want to by Hakoda because Hakoda says it's about "masculine honor" and Mai is able to guilt him into continuing to date her because she guilts him about the ''dishonorable'' way he's treated her previously). Despite all this, all three are extremely well-intentioned, compassionate, and genuinely heroic people.

* MundaneUtility: Firebending is great for warming up water and drying dishes, as Katara discovers.

* {{Catchphrase}}: The author has one in her author's notes: Bless his[=/=]her cotton socks!
** Also, Katara likes to note that X wins/win at X (forever)

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Katara helping Aang through his rejection by Ty Lee accidentally re-convinces Aang that he and Katara are perfect for each other, which only adds to Katara's stress levels during her increasingly pressurized circumstances over the course of the peace talks.

* StrangeMindsThinkAlike: In ''Stalking Zuko'', Katara makes an unprompted list (which WordOfGod details was immediately following her and Zuko's fireflakes fight) full of reasons Zuko annoys her, petulant complaints about fireflakes and pirates, and SuspiciouslySpecificDenial about how she definitely would never like him or find him attractive. In ''The Collected Lists of Zuko,'' it's heavily implied that after this same fireflakes fight, Zuko also created what amounts to exact same list on the exact same subject with extremely similar points and similarly SuspiciouslySpecificDenial about attraction, except the list is flipped to be about Katara and is pro-fireflakes. Neither knows the other is doing this or ever sees the other's list.

* SlidingScaleOfGenderInequality: The four nations have differing ideas on the role of women, from the Fire Nation, who are the most egalitarian owing to the practical needs of needing constant waves of [[RedShirt Red Shirts]] conscripts to power the aggressor force for a hundred year war, to the Northern Water Tribe, who the author points out canonically held their negative views on women as more important to them than the need to teach the Avatar, once he spoke out in Katara's favor. It's unclear how the Earth Kingdom matches up, because it's very diverse but apparently practices ''foot-binding'' on very young girls, despite the fact that one out of twelve ''die'' from the procedure.