History Fanfic / ReluctantHero

''"It was an accident." That was what Zuko had said to his crew when he used an element he hadn't been meant to. He wasn't the Avatar. The Avatar was supposed to be in the Earth Kingdom, hidden by its walls. Unless the old Avatar had died long ago ... and had already been replaced sixteen years ago.''

* AdultFear:
** Zuko's reaction when he's confirmed as the Avatar is trying to commit suicide. Iroh bawls him out for almost forcing him to relive his son's death.
** The reason why Zuko was DrivenToSuicide? His birth nation is now bound to kill him on sight. Or worse, imprison him after making him a cripple to disrupt the Avatar cycle for as long as possible.
** When the Northern Water Tribe is successful in abducting the Avatar. Okay, they actually want to help, but kidnapping is kidnapping, Zuko finds himself stranded in unknown territory without allies and poor Iroh is separated from his confused nephew who desperately needs support.
** Being stuck on a mountain full of [[OurZombiesAreDifferent jiangshi]] with several kids unable to protect themselves.
** After successfully pleading the Mountain Spirit to halt the ZombieApocalypse, [[spoiler: Sokka falls into a ConvenientComa. The Fire soldiers immediately take him into custody and send a message to the Fire Sages, since they have a new recruit but he will need some effort to be indoctrinated because he's a little bit older than average...]]

** After successfully pleading the Mountain Spirit to halt the ZombieApocalypse, Sokka falls into a ConvenientComa. The Fire soldiers immediately take him into custody and send a message to the Fire Sages, since they have a new recruit but he will need some effort to be indoctrinated because he's a little bit older than average...

** When the temples around the world are triggered -- revealing the Avatar cycle resumed -- the Fire Sages immediately conclude the Earth Avatar finally died and they need to find a newborn or toddler as his successor. The temples actually triggered because the Avatar -- who's nearing sixteen years old -- entered the Avatar State.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:To say Zuko took to finding out that he's the Avatar poorly would be a gross understatement. When he tried to stab himself, ''hundred'' of voices of previous Avatars ''swarmed'' his mind with encouraging, mocking, conciliating words with only one thing in agreement: to stop him.]]

** [[NayTheist Sokka]] managed to stop a ZombieApocalypse by [[TeethClenchedTeamwork working with Fire soldiers]]. Said soldiers are so impressed by his skill they decide to send him to the Fire Sages for more training in spirit-dealings.

** The dagger that [[spoiler:Zuko used to try to kill himself when it was confirmed that he was indeed the Avatar]] was engraved with the words "never give up without a fight."
** Sokka very emphatically doesn't care for spirits or the Fire Nation, only to find himself forced to work with Yu Yan archers -- a Fire Nation unit -- in order to stop a ZombieApocalypse. As a result of stopping the ZombieApocalypse, Sokka impress the Yu Yan archers so much with spiritual prowess that they recruit him for the Fire Sages to train his spiritual powers.

** More generally, benders and spiritually-aware people are quite sought. Pirates actively practice SuperHumanTrafficking and the Fire Army took Sokka in custody for talking to a Great Spirit.

** [[spoiler:Aang]] is revealed to be one of those, but it becomes apparent only when Zuko has to flee the North Pole and relies on him to do so.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The Northern Water Tribe wants nothing more than help the Avatar to restore balance in the world. To achieve this, they force a confused teen to assimilate their ways while isolating him from everything he knew and plan to wipe his mind clean when he struggles. Zuko ends up losing any trust in them, ravage their city and escape.

* TheObiWannabe: Yugato and Pakku do try to train Zuko in their respective but Pakku is a sadistic asshole and Yugato is ineffectual in helping Zuko. The moment he can, Zuko puts as much distance as he can from them which is a continent and counting.

** When Zuko reveals he heard Chief Arnook and his Masters discussing about mind-wiping him, Yugato tries to reassure the teen they would never seriously try to hurt ''the Avatar''. Bad move, since Zuko hates being TheChosenOne, and finally enters the Avatar State.
* RageBreakingPoint: A Zuko already fed up by his mentor's treatment of him finally reaches his breaking at the bombshell that his mentors are considering brainwashing him with the help from the Dai Li Earthbending mentor. The teen enters the Avatar State in his fury, attacks his mentors when they attempt to get near him and creates a fire storm that nearly melts all the buildings in the Northern Water Tribe to escape.

* RuleOfSymbolism: Fire and Air are the elements of freedom. Zuko creates a fire storm as cover for his escape and is able to leave due to Aang and Appa, an Airbender and Sky Bison.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After hearing that his mentors want to brainwash him, Zuko does everything he can and finally escapes the Northern Water Tribe to head south.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:The Air Nomads managed to avoid being wiped out by hiding in the South Pole.]]

* YouAreTooLate: Zuko's crew successfully infiltrate the Northern Water Tribe and are in prime position to rescue Zuko, only to find out that Zuko has already escaped and they have no idea where he's going.

In this AU, Avatar Aang actually perished when the Fire Nation launched his attack against the Air Temples, letting the Avatar cycle proceed unimpeded. Nowadays, the current Avatar is a crippled shut-in, hiding behind Ba Sing Se's walls...

It is written by [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/779304/P-A-W-07 P.A.W.07]] and can be found [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5942075/1/Reluctant-Hero here]].

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:To say Zuko took to finding out that he's the Avatar poorly would be a gross understatement. When he tried to stab himself, ''hundred'' of voices of previous Avatars ''swarmed'' his mind with encouraging/mocking/conciliating words with only one thing in agreement: to stop him.]]

At least, that's what everyone thought. Until Prince Zuko manage to airbend in front of his crew during a training session. Oh dear.

At least, that's what everyone thought. Until Prince Zuko manage to airbend in front of his crew. Oh dear.

* AdultFear: Zuko's reaction when he's confirmed as the Avatar is trying to commit suicide. Iroh bawls him out for almost forcing him to relive his son's death.
** The reason why Zuko was DrivenToSuicide? His birth nation is now bound to kill him on sight. Or worse, imprison him after making him a cripple to disrupt the Avatar cycle.
** When the Northern Water Tribe is successful in abducting the Avatar. Okay, they actually want to help, but kidnapping is kidnapping, Zuko finds himself stranded in unknown territory without allies and poor Iroh is separated from his confused nephew who desesperately needs support.

** After successfully pleading the Mountain Spirit to halt the ZombieApocalypse, Sokka falls into a ConvenientComa. The Fire soldiers immediately take him into custody and send a message to the Fire Sages, since they have a new recruit but he will need some effort to be indocrinated because he's a little bit older than average...

* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: This is actually the moment when the Avatar's powers start to unlock. Zuko developped [[BlowYouAway airbending]] because he was reaching this age.
* DramaticIrony: Jayendra and Pakku speculating about the identity of the Avatar's Uncle. Jayendra playfully suggests [[RedBaron the Dragon of the West]] - Iroh's nickname - as a possibility, only for them to burst out laughing. Yugato also wonders if such an enlightened man would agree to join the White Lotus, unknowing that Iroh is already a member.
** When the temples around the world are triggered - revealing the Avatar cycle resumed - the Fire Sages immediately conclude the Earth Avatar finally died and they need to find a newborn or toddler as his successor. The temples actually triggered because the Avatar - who's nearing sixteen years old - entered the Avatar State.
* DrivenToSuicide: Zuko takes to finding out that he's the Avatar poorly.

* FantasticRacism: The Fire Nation actively scorns the other elements, with Zuko's crewsmen constantly calling the North Pole residents "water barbarians".

* FateWorseThanDeath: Benders ''need'' to train their element, or they will become mad. Iroh saw a half-blood firebender actually refuse his own gift, and it wasn't pretty ''at all''.

* {{Foil}}: Yugato and Pakku, both Masters of their respective elements, members of the White Lotus and teachers to the Avatar. They contrast very much when it comes about Zuko: Pakku only cares about forcing the teen into the role he's fated to shoulder while Yugato genuinely worries about his pupil's well-being.

* FromBadToWorse: Zuko is already depressed and reeling from discovering he's TheChosenOne, and the Northern Water Tribe decides it would be the ''perfect'' moment to rescue the Avatar from the Fire Nation by kidnapping him.

* GoneHorriblyRight: When Shen decides to infiltrate the North Pole, he chooses to dress as a pretty girl and seduces Jayendra to contact Zuko. Unfortunately for Shen, the waterbender likes "Keemi" so much he decides to make "her" his bride.
** Sokka teams with the Yu Yan Archers to appease an angry and powerful mountain spirit. [[spoiler: Sokka does such a good job that they recruit him for the Fire Sages to not waste his spiritual talent.]]

* HormoneAddledTeenager: After dancing with Princess Yue, Zuko has a wet dream about her. He's mortified when he wakes up in a compromising position.

* {{Irony}}: The Fire Prince learns he's fated to stop the war his own nation is responsible for. This is the initial premise, by the way.
** Sokka very emphatically doesn't care for spirits or the Fire Nation, only to find himself forced to work with Yu Yan archers - a Fire unit - in order to stop a ZombieApocalypse. As a result of stopping the ZombieApocalypse, Sokka impress the Yu Yan archers so much with spiritual prowess that they recruit him for the Fire Sages to train his spiritual powers.

* LivingMacGuffin: ''Zuko'', oh so much. Everyone wants a piece of him, and not always for altruistic purposes.

** [[spoiler: Aang]] is revealed to be one of those, but it becomes apparent only when Zuko has to flee the North Pole and relies on him to do so.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Iroh belongs to the White Lotus, but isn't trusted for being Fire Nation. So he decided to go to the North Pole instead of contacting the organization when his nephew was revealed as a probable candidate for the Fire Avatar, leading the local Water Tribe to learn the new Avatar was near and kidnap Zuko on the assumption he was going to be executed.

* ShipTease: At least three potential pairings are Zuko and Yue, Sokka and Suki and [[spoiler: Aang]] and Katara.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: The Air Nomads managed to avoid being wiped out by hiding in the South Pole.
* SuccessionCrisis: Zuko as [[TheChosenOne the Avatar]] cannot become Fire Lord, his sister Azula is AxeCrazy and their uncle Iroh is childless since his son Lu Ten's demise. Lieutenant Jee begs Iroh to find another wife and sire a heir to avoid a major clusterfuck in the near future.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Sokka finds himself helping Yu Yan archers to stop a ZombieApocalypse, and is not happy about it. However, the commander reminds him that jiangshi are ''everyone'''s problem.

** People with spiritual awareness are so rare that the Fire Nation army tends to pressgang them for apprenticeship with the Fire Sages to deal with curses and evil spirits [[spoiler: as such happens to Sokka.]]

* YouAreTooLate: Zuko's crew successfully infiltrate the Northern Water Tribe and are in prime position to rescue Zuko, only to find out that Zuko has already escaped and they have no idea where he's going.

* RageBreakingPoint: A Zuko already fed up by his treatment by his mentor, finally reaches his breaking at the bombshell that his mentors are considering brainwashing him with the help from the Dai Li Earthbending mentor. Zuko enters the Avatar State in his fury, attacks his mentors when they attempt to get near him. To escape them, he creates a fire storm that nearly melts all the buildings in the Northern Water Tribe to escape.

* UnexpectedCharacter: [[spoiler: Aang is alive and he's implied to have done something to be excluded from the Avatar cycle in exchange of becoming a guide for the new Avatar.]]

* ObliviouslyEvil: The Water Tribe don't mean to emotionally abuse Zuko and tear him away from his only living relative but they were trying spare him from a FateWorseThanDeath and train him to turn the tide of a hopeless war.
* TheObiWannabe: Yugato and Pakku do try to train Zuko in their respective but Pakku is a sadistic asshole and Yugato in ineffectual in helping Zuko. The moment he can, Zuko puts as much distance as he can from them which is a continent and counting.

* RageBreakingPoint: Zuko already fed up by his treatment by his mentor, finally reaches his breaking at the bombshell that his mentors are considering brainwashing him with the help from the Dai Li Earthbending mentor. Zuko enters the Avatar State in his fury, attacks his mentors when they attempt to get near him. To escape them, he creates a fire storm that nearly melts all the buildings in the Northern Water Tribe to escape.

* RuleOfSymbolism: Fire and Air of the elements of freedom. Zuko creates a fire storm as cover for his escape and is able to leave due Aang and Appa, an Airbender and Sky Bison.

* KarmicDeath: A Fire Nation commander destroys a mountain's shrines as a show of superior over the Earth Kingdom. He is then killed by the jianshi the shrines were holding back.

* ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne: Zuko very much believes this. Since being the Avatar means his birth country will now try to kill or imprison him for life, the three other nations are trying to mould him into a LivingWeapon and he's expected to go against his own family, he may have a really good point.

* RageBreakingPoint: Zuko already fed up by his treatment by his mentor, finally reaches his breaking at the bombshell that his mentors are considering brainwashing him with the help the Dai Li Earthbending mentor. Zuko enters the Avatar State in his fury, attacks his mentors when they attempt to get near him. To escape them, he creates a fire storm that nearly melts all the buildings in the Northern Water Tribe to escape.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Iroh belongs to the White Lotus, but isn't trusted for being Fire Nation. So he decided to go to the North Pole instead of contacting the organization when his nephew was revealed as a probable candidate for the Fire Avatar, leading the local Water Tribe to learn the new Avatar was near and kidnapp on the assumption he was going to be executed.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Trying to stop a genocidal war and restore balance to the world is a very noble thing, kidnapping a distressed and confused teenager to forcibly shape him into a MessianicArchetype, less so. Water Tribe, we're looking at you.

* HormoneAddledTeenager: After dancing with Princess Yue, Zuko makes a wet dream about her. He's mortified when he wakes up in a compromising position.

** Sokka very emphatically doesn't care for spirits or the Fire Nation, only to find himself forced to work with Yu Yan archers - a Fire unit - in order to stop a ZombieApocalypse.

* The reason why Zuko was DrivenToSuicide? His birth nation is now bound to kill him on sight. Or worse, imprison him after making him a cripple to disrupt the Avatar cycle.

** Pakku and Yugato are charged to teach Water and Air bending to the new Avatar. If Yugato fits the compassionate, enlightened model, Pakku is mure more the sadistic bent.

* UnexpectedCharacter: [[spoiler: Aang is alive and he's implied to have done something to be excluded from the Avatar cycle in exchange of becoming a guide for the new Avatar.]]

* IJustWantToBeNormal: Zuko would like nothing more than come back to his boat.

* SuccessionCrisis: Zuko as [[TheChosenOne the Avatar]] cannot become Fire Lord, his sister Azula is AxeCrazy and their uncle Iroh is childless since his son Lu Ten's demise. Lieutenant Jee begs Iroh to find another wife and sire a heir to avoid a major clusterfuck in the near future.

* GoneHorriblyRight: When Shen decides to infiltrate the North Pole, he chooses to dress as a pretty girl and seduces Jayendra to contact Zuko. Unfortunately for Shen, the waterbender likes "Keeli" so much he decides to make "her" his bride.

* TheKindnapper: The Northern Water Tribe thought they were rescuing Zuko from execution or a life of abuse as a LivingWeapon. even now, they only want to ensure Zuko will bloom as a fully-realized Avatar. A shame they are doing it backwards.

* AttractiveGenderBender: Shen, to his utter fury and embarrassment. People actually checks him out when he goes undercover in the North Pole and Jayendra ends up proposing to him.