The sounds of childish foot steps and laughter could be heard throughout the royal fire nation ship. On board, A small four year old girl chased her six year old brother around the area were the royal family awaited their arrival to their vacation spot on Ember Island. The mother of these two toddlers glanced at her husband who stared emotionally out to sea. She gave a small frown and reached out to ask if he was alright.
Before she could even say anything, she was interrupted by the laughter of her thirteen year old nephew who was enjoying the show his baby cousins put on for him. "Haha get him Azula." He laughed. The women nudged him playfully. "What?" He asked innocently.
"Don't edge them on Lu Ten." She smiled at him. Lu Ten gave a goofy teenage grin and continued to watch. The youngest, Azula, pounced on her brother knocking him to the floor. The boy let out a quick "oof" as he fell on his stomach with his sister on top of him.
"Hehe got you Zuzu!" She giggled. Zuzu, or formally known as prince Zuko, squirmed underneath his little sister's weight.
"Ugh! Get off Z!" He yelled with a laugh. With a Uh Uh, Azula hugged her brother's waist.
"Well isn't that a sight." A middle aged man motioned to his nephew and niece wrestling on the ship's deck.
"You should have seen it from the beginning Father." Lu Ten tried to explain to his father through the noise of laughter.
"Yes well I think that's enough for now." Ursa, the young siblings mother, stated standing up and smiling only to frown at her husband who still drew his attention away from his family. Iroh caught the sight and coughed.
"Ozai, you seem very enchanted by the sea." Hearing his older brother's voice, Ozai turned to meet his gaze.
"Indeed I am." He said with no emotion in his tone. He glanced over to his daughter and son playing on the floor.
"I don't believe that is very appropriate for a prince and princess of the fire nation." Azula stopped after hearing her father's words as did Zuko. Lu Ten sighed.
"There just little kids Uncle." He explained watching as Zuko and Azula scrambled to stand up. Ursa frowned and Iroh shook his head. Ozai stood up, glanced at his children and walked away to his room. As everyone watched him leave, Azula glanced at her brother in confusion as to why he seemed so upset. Was Dad mad at them? Her attention drew to the island ahead. Her face lit up with excitement as she ran to the edge of the boat.
"Zuzu look it's Emba Iwand!" Zuko's frowned immediately dispersed as he ran next to his sister.
"It's EMBER ISLAND Z and ya I see it!" He said correcting her. Azula let out a slight "o."
"Zuko, Azula, don't get to close to the edge." Ursa warned.
"Yes Mommy." They both said in a union. As the boat docked, the children could hardly contain their excitement as the bolted off the boat and onto the sandy shore.
"Mommy can we go on the dock." Azula said pointing to the wooden dock hovering in the water. Ursa thought about it for a second then nodded.
"Alright, but stay with your brother." Azula grabbed her big brother's hand and dragged him to their destination as the others helped unpack.
"Z look at all the fish." Zuko pointed as the water as they walked towards the end of the dock. Zuko sat on the end and let his feet hang off the edge. He watched the sea creatures swim back and forth while investigating his feet. Azula's eye quickly caught a glimpse of sea shells on the shore line next to the beginning end of the dock. Glancing at her brother then back at the shells, she happily ran over to the shinny purple and blue collections. One by one she selected shells to show her brother. Confident enough that he would like what she had found, She ran back to meet him.
Zuko looked up as Azula placed ten or so shells next to him on the dock's wooden floor. "Are you planning to keep all of those?" He asked grinning. She shrugged not looking away from sorting the glassy pearls.
"Mmmm. Maybe." As she reached down to move a light violet covered spiral shell, she jumped a little in surprise as it started to move. "Woah! Zuzu the shell's alive!" She said wide eyed. Zuko watched it for a moment as it began to crawl away from them.
"It's a hermit crab Z." He explained. Azula cocked her head to the side as she watched it's little legs carry it quickly away from her and her brother. Standing up with a hand full of shells, she slowly followed the little animal. "What are you doing?" Zuko asked.
"Watching it." She said not taking her eyes off of it. Zuko smiled and shook his head turning his attention back to the ocean wondering what had fascinated his father so much. Azula kept on following the hermit crab until something horrible happened in her four year old eyes. A boy around seven stepped on the little fellow with out any hesitation. The little girl's eyes widened in horror as her knew friend was suddenly crushed right before her eyes. "Why did you do that!" She yelled at him causing Zuko to look over and stand up.
"Because I felt like it." He said crossing his arms. "This is my dock." He said. Azula wasn't listening. She just kept on staring at what was left of the little creature.
"It doesn't have your name on it!" Zuko said walking quickly over to them and joining his sisters.
"Excuse me?" He asked. Zuko nodded.
"I said, it doesn't have your name on it." The boy growled underneath his breath. Before he could say anything, Azula cut him off.
"You bully! You killed the hermit crab." She said stepping towards him. Glancing down at the shells, he scoffed and smacked them out of her hands and watched happily as the landed in the water. Azula's mouth dropped in shock. Zuko watched as small tears began to stream down her face. "You... sniffle...meanie!" She said through sobs.
Lu Ten looked over to see his cousin crying and frowned. "Uh oh." He said as he looked over. Zuko lunged at the older boy.
"You jerk!" He yelled pushing him. Azula watched as Zuko was pushed back hard towards her causing her to stumble back. Zuko caught himself but watched in horror as his little sister stumbled over the edge and into the deep water below. "AZULA!" he yelled as loud as he could drawing the attention of his cousin.
"Crap! Azual!" Lu ten yelled sprinting towards the dock. Ursa let out a yell and chased after him with Iroh close behind. Both boys froze as they watched the little girl struggle to stay a float.
"Zu ...Zu Help!" She yelled flapping her arms out in front of her. Zuko shook his head and knelt down on the dock reaching out for her.
"Azula! Grab my hand." He yelled panicking.
"I... I can't!" She said chocking. Zuko looked up to see his family members hollering and running towards them.
"Z hang on their coming!." Just then a blur rushed passed them and into the water. Zuko blocked his face from water spraying at him and watched as Azula was scooped out of the water by their father. Ozai had been watching them close by and quickly ran over to help. Ozai held the crying girl close to his chest as he propped himself out of the water that was only waist deep on him and onto the deck.
Ursa ran over ad fell to her knees. "Oh my god Azula!" She said taking her daughter from her husband's arms and rocking her back and fourth as Azula coughed and sobbed. Ozai gently placed a hand on the little girl's head.
"It's alright Azula, you're alright." Zuko watched the whole thing in aw and for just that once in his life did he truly believe his father loved them. Zuko and Azula were his son and daughter. Zuko and Azula were more then a failure and a weapon.