It was joy to read, thank you!
Some things really stood out, especially Mai. She bothered me a little, I couldn't understand what was driving her in canon, she seemed such a contradictory character.

I also laughed at the end, it was both insightful and fun.

When did Zuko get so wise? :)

No, not dirty traitor Zuko, I mean her feelings are valid, but it always bothers me, when he is referred as a traitor in that scene. They were enemies, he didn't promise her anything, there was a connection between them but a promise and some shared experiences are not enough. I am not sure what is enough here.
Still, I get her anger.

I like how you write about vulnerability and strength.

I also like how you've written Aang, he is such an interesting character when he shows his flaws and faces challenges.

Sorry for typos! I've learnt recently that in middle ages there was a demon of spelling errors and mumbled words, called Tutivillus. The foe of all who write or give talks.

I liked the way you showed how Mai and Azula hide under the mask of indifference. Zuko is just plainly confused :)
One of the things I’ve learnt so far is that it’s inportant to show people how one feels. Some days I wish I could have learnt it sooner.
Oh well, it doesn’t work for Mai here but I am envious how aware she is. So much of her seemed to be hidden, it’s interesting to read a story told through her.

An absolute masterpiece!

I love, LOVE, how you manage, just by adding a few words here and there and examining motivations, to reshape the narrative almost entirely. You did it without bashing or tearing anyone down, you did it by building everyone up.

Word-bending at its finest.

This was a nice chapter!

Man...I loved every chapter and your rendition of each scene. Very well done. Zutara forever!

This is amazing

Good chapter! You got the emotion in this one across well.

YAY UPDATES

Ok...I've officially decided that Katara and Aang need to be together. It's just so sad otherwise. Honestly there's just too much history between them. They're too perfect. Zuko never stood a chance.

I was a hard core zutara fan for years, then I grew up and realized Romeo and Juliet stories can never top best friends turned lovers stories.

i love this

I'm super sleepy, so you'll have to forgive this review if it's a little incoherent.

I liked this. The part with Zuko was done well. I like that she just held his hand as a sign of giving comfort when she must have realised how upset he was over the stupid play showing him his bad decision, etc.

The part with Aang was also done well. Aang is a child, regardless of how deep he thinks his feelings are. The fact he even says 'did you mean what you said' shows his inability to separate things. I'm glad he was able to actually get some growth here (something sadly lacking in the show), because his feelings for Katara really did get in the way of his Avatar duties and it came across way too much as a sense of entitlement and claiming her as /his/ as if she's some object.

I think my only sticking point is the line where Katara says she'd stay by his side forever if that was what he really needed. The Katara in this story doesn't seem quite so self-sacrificing since she made it clear earlier she /couldn't/ give him what he wanted even during the Invasion.

Interestingly, I was kind of disappointed in this chapter. I actually like that Zuko let's Katara make her own decision about Yon Rha. I also like that she chooses not to kill him herself, because she knows herself that it's not something she wants to do; she doesn't want to kill a man who is cowering at her feet or offering to trade his own mother for his safety. In the end, Katara makes her own decision because she doesn't need Aang or Zuko to tell her how to act. Unfortunately, that strength is lost in these additions.

I also feel the Zutara kiss was a little rushed (I'm a slowburn fan, so that might be part of it), but your writing is nice, as usual. You do a great job with imagery. I can really see everything.

Unexpected. What a shame Zuko can't say anything right. The talk between Zuko and Mai was really interesting. That was great! I wonder how part 2 will be like. Can't wait for next update.