Just a short little story for our friend Zu Zu. This is for future reference for Book 4: Air (my story) and I thought it might darken the ending of Sozin's Comet. Conversation between Ozai and Zuko and eventually Azula and Zuko before the end. (Zuko's POV.) I own nothing.
I knew that after my coronation, there was one last thing I needed to do before I took off to Ba Sing Se with my friends. So, the morning after the coronation, I dressed up, crown and all, and walked over to the same prison my father kept Uncle in. I reached the prison and found my father's room.
He noticed me and growled, "I should count myself lucky. The new Fire Lord has graced me with his presence in my lonely prison cell."
I glared at him. "You should count yourself lucky that the Avatar spared your life."
He grunted in disapproval. I went on.
"Banishing me was the best thing you could've done for my life. It put me on the right path. Perhaps your time in here could do the same for you."
"Why are you really here?" he questioned.
"Because you're going to tell me something," I said, lowering myself to face him. "Where is my mother?"
My father turned his head to face me.
"Why would I tell you anything like that?" he growled evilly.
"Because, I am the Fire Lord and I demand her whereabouts. In a way, she is on of my subjects and I need to know where everyone in my Nation is," I explained coolly.
"This is my Nation!" he yelled.
"Not anymore!" I said, raising my voice over his.
He glared at me with the deepest loathing and I returned the stare. Then the crazed old man laughed.
"You really want to know where your dear old mother is," he sneered.
"Yes," I said smoothly.
"Well, as I told you on the Day of Black Sun, she wouldn't have you killed. She killed Azulon, it is quite true, to save her little brat of a son. And killing the Fire Lord is a terrible crime," he said slyly. "So she left; Banished by me. You remained alive. Do you think I would just leave your mother wandering? No, I decided to have the Fire Nation's best trackers to hunt her down and kill her without warning. I highly doubt she's alive but I never heard word from the assassins."
"So she might be alive," I said calmly, seeing if he'd ramble on.
"She could be… or, the men might've died on their return. I do know, however, they took refuge at a factory at a local village for a while. Other than that, I don't know anymore about your wretched mother," he said.
"What about Azula?" I asked.
He cackled again. "What about your sister?"
"She must know something. You obviously planned this," I said.
"Correct, my son, correct. Azula knows much about my plans. Just try to get something out of her," he laughed.
I stood up and began to walk out of the room. I paused at the door as he began to giggle crazily. Then he burst out laughing. I stared at him from my side, horrified at the man. His head lolled to the side as his eyes bore into me, wide, a crazy grin on his face.
"Try, Zuko," he giggled. "Just try."
I stared at him again, disgusted at the sight, and left him alone. I went up the stairs a little longer and came to an area full of coolers about as big my father's room. I opened one and stepped into it, seeing my sister in the corner. She glared up at me, too cold to move.
"H- hello, Zu Zu," she shivered.
I didn't reply right away. Instead, I got right to the point.
"Where's Mom?" I asked.
She looked at me heavily. "Why d- do you w- want to know w- where dear old M- mommy is?"
Her voice was full of mocking. She smiled up at me.
"Tell me where she is or I will have the Avatar do the same to you as he did to our father. Do you really want to be a non- Bender?" I said, smirking.
Her smiled faded and she glared.
"I kn- know nothing about M- mother's disappearance," she said.
"Lair!" I cried angrily.
"I'm n- not lying!" she yelled. "I just know that her l- last sighting was at W- whale T- tail Island."
I sighed. "You… you're pointless. Worthless! You lie about everything!"
"I- I'm not lying, Zuko!" she screamed.
I could tell she was just desperate for me to leave, pouring out information that she didn't want to tell.
"Thanks anyway, Azula," I said crossly.
She tried to spit at me but I left before she could. Mom was at Whale Tail Island? Possibly… I needed to do something soon… Really soon. But how do I know Azula and Father were telling the absolute truth?