Title: Distorted Reality
Author: Ogro
Rating: T
Genre: General/AU. I'll explain this more later on.
DLP Category: Other Fandoms
Pairing: Don't be misled by the fact the author likes Zutara and has a Zutara epic. This fic, following from canon, has canon pairings such as Kataang, Maiko, as well as some unusual pairings such as

Spoiler

Aang/Azula, Zuko/Ty Lee

. Mind you, this is not a Harem fic. I'll explain the seemingly contradictory pairings later on.
Status: Work in Progress. Attempts to cover all three books.
Summary: Two years after losing the war, a bitter and cynical Aang is told by the Avatar spirits that he has to relive his adventures - this time, with Zuko and Azula at his side in a war against the Water Tribes.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3952155/1/Distorted_Reality

Think a Time Travel/Redo Story meets a Travel to an AU story. You have Distorted Reality by Ogro.

Amazing story. Yes, the author has written Zutara before and details all the pairings he likes on his profile page. But don't be misled! This has more canon elements than AU elements, which means no Zutara.

The premise is simple: The canon of ATLA diverges at around Book Three: The Southern Raiders (I think; it may have diverged earlier than that). Basically, Azula pwned the Gaang pretty badly, and everything went downhill from there for Aang. Aang doesn't defeat Ozai when the Comet comes, when he has to fight a grueling, drawn-out war which involves guerilla warfare, while his friends die one by one.

This is basically covered in Chapter One.

Eventually, Aang contacts the previous Avatars in order to reconnect with the Avatar State, and Avatar Yangchen, dismayed by Aang's uncharacteristic bitterness and hatred (a result of the drawn-out war), sends him to an AU, where the villainous Water Tribes had eradicated the Air Nomads and decimated the Fire Nation.

And Chapter Two and the rest of the story begins.

The Mirror Universe idea is done very well. Canon events are nicely distorted in this AU, but close enough to the canon counterpart to be acceptable. The characters themselves are nicely mirrored. Azula takes Katara's old spot as the Bending Prodigy wanting desperately to leave her village and find a Bending Master, and Zuko takes Sokka's role of the rational, non-bending brother.

However, the differences between this universe and the canon universe is what makes this story so great. DR!Sokka is not a pure Zuko clone, and has a better relationship with his sister than canon!Zuko does with canon!Azula. Also, Zuko is not just a Sokka clone, and Azula is not a rehash of Katara. They very clearly share the same core characteristics with the canonverse characters. Zuko is more solemn and distrusting than Sokka. He even suspects his sister, which is a nice playback to canon. Moreover, despite her friendship with DR!Zuko and Aang, DR!Azula is very Genre Savvy, much more than Katara, and is more ruthless and bloodthirsty than Katara ever was.

For example, when the DR!Gaang meet the Freedom Fighters,

Spoiler

DR!Azula supports Jet's actions.

The pairings themselves are wonderfully distorted. Aang still harbours his canon affection for Katara, but DR!Azula, reflecting canon!Katara, likes Aang. Zuko also likes Mai, but more along the lines of

Spoiler

Sukka from canon

. You'll see what I mean.

Finally, Aang's bitterness and war-wearied personality is wonderfully refreshing compared to his canon attitude. The ways he tries to defy destiny and the DR!universe's events make for good storytelling, especially as the old Aang and his kindness is still hiding in there... somewhere.

The skillful fusion of TimeTravel-Redo with Travel-to-AU makes me wonder if anyone's done something similar for HP.

An easy 5/5.

 

wat

It's very hard to take this story seriously.

I'm not even going to start on the writing style. I could get over the rather ridiculous plot elements easier if the writing was better and the dialogue a bit less stilted.

 

On the seasons thing, yeah, that bugged me too. Ogro could have at least reassigned the Elements, but meh.

The beginning of the story, I admit, it not the best in the world. But the story does get better as it goes on - after Mai's appearance and when Ty-Lee reveals her secret, I'd say.

The main attraction of this fic is mainly the portrayal of Azula, however. It is a wonderfully multifaceted depiction.

Book 2 is also >>>> Book 1, because

Spoiler

Princess Katara makes the story much, much better... and the canonverse characters begin to establish contact with the DR!characters via the Spirit World, causing Character Rerailment. Oh boy, for Azula.

 

I'm feeling reluctant to read this, I might save it for a slow day though.

 

Some one wanna post and give me more of an idea where to throw this, since its got no stars and I don't read Avatar?

 

Trash it. I couldn't get even two chapters in.

 

It's also abandoned, and the summary read poorly.