my story to express my love for ozai and ursa~
It will continue on until after the hundred year war... but I'm wondering if maybe I should wait to write the postwar scene(s) until after the other two parts of the promise trilogy come out...?
...
NAH
I have my own thoughts of what would happen... and somehow I doubt it will happen in the promise... so yeah. This story's gonna be allllll the way from when ozai and ursa first meet up until after the war! :D
also, I know that the fire nation royal palace isn't built exactly like an ancient chinese palace, but for this fic's sake just imagine that it kind of is... :D
They are six when they first meet.
She is finally old enough to attend a state-held dinner, and she has been looking forward to it. She has only ever seen the Fire Nation royal palace from a distance, behind a gate; now, she will be allowed through those gates and into the palace grounds.
It's every bit as beautiful and breathtaking as she imagined. The sky is a dusky indigo. Lanterns and candles have been lit, casting a warm glow throughout the courtyard. There are the usual soft murmurings of polite greetings and cordial introductions among the noblemen and women as they greet each other.
She is in the courtyard, but she wants to get closer to the palace itself. She slips away from her mother - "Ursa!" her mother says, "get back over here!" - but Ursa is already gone, disappeared into the crowd. Her mother sighs and shakes her head. Her daughter is far too adventurous for her own liking, but she knows better than to go chasing after her. Ursa has become far too good at avoiding her mother.
"Excuse me, pardon me," Ursa says as she weaves her way through the crowd, displaying her manners like the proper little lady she was raised to be. Some move out of her way without glancing down; others see her and coo over her before she disappears again. She has had enough doting adults in her six years; she just wants to see the palace.
Finally she breaks through the crowd, and there she is, standing at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the palace entryway. She looks up, openmouthed. There is no one there; this party is meant to be held in the palace grounds, not the palace itself. Slowly, Ursa makes her way up the white stone steps, fear of retribution not even crossing her mind.
It's darker up here on the balcony, without any lanterns to light up the area. The sky is a dark blue now. Ursa runs her hand over an ornately carved pillar, fascinated. She turns back to face the crowd, standing at the top of the stairs in front of the palace doors. She places her hands on her hips and closes her eyes, pretending that she is the Fire Lord. No one notices her, a tiny girl shrouded in the darkness of the palace entryway.
At least, that's what she thinks, until a voice startles her out of her reverie. "What are you doing?"
Ursa whirls around and comes face-to-face with a boy. He looks to be around her age, but in the darkness she can make out few features except for his dark hair in a small topknot on his head. His robes are red and gold, ornate to the extreme; and he is wearing some sort of headpiece as well. It rather reminds her of Fire Lord Azulon's...
"I said, what are you doing?" the boy repeats, when Ursa fails to answer the first time. She blinks, suddenly annoyed at his tone.
"Nothing."
"You were doing something. I saw you," he accuses. "You had your hands on hips and your eyes closed. Like you were posing for something."
Ursa feels herself blushing slightly. "I was pretending that I was the Fire Lord."
He stares at her. She stares back, determined not to let herself be embarrassed. And then he starts laughing.
"What's so funny?" she demands.
"You - you were pretending - " He turns away, still sniggering. "You were pretending to be my dad?"
"Your dad?" Ursa asks, confused, and then she puts two and two together.
This boy is the prince.
Certainly not Iroh, of course; she has never seen Iroh before, either, but she knows that he is already grown and married. This must be the Second Prince, Prince Ozai.
"Yes," the boy says, and he straightens himself up importantly. "I am Prince Ozai."
"Oh." She doesn't quite know what to say. It's the prince! But at this young age, the impact of who is he doesn't quite strike her. He is young too, and simply a child like her. "Hello, Prince Ozai. My name is Ursa." She remembers what her mother taught her and bows.
He nods at her, like he doesn't really care for such formalities. And he doesn't. He's too young to care. After all, he is but six years old.
Ursa glances around. The shadows are growing deeper. On either side of her, the balcony that they are standing upon is already blackened in shadow. The pillars loom large and dark. She decides that she wants to be back in the crowd, in the lights and the laughing people. "I have to go now," she says, and she's about to walk back down the steps when he grabs her hand.
"Wait!" he says. "Watch what I can do." He sounds eager, excited, like he's been waiting to show someone this.
"What?" She stops, and the earnest expression on his face surprises her. "Um... well, all right." She stands, waiting.
"Come here." He pulls her towards the shadowy darkness of the balcony, and she snatches her hand away.
"No!" she says. "What are you doing?"
He stops where he is and studies her. "Are you scared?"
His tone isn't mocking, however, which surprises her. This is what encourages her to tell the truth. "Kind of."
He suddenly smiles at her, a quick and reassuring smile that lights up his whole face. Up until now his expression has been mostly solemn, except for the brief moment when he laughed; it is a practiced expression that a prince is required to to learn. Now, though, he looks as much a child as Rozon, the little boy who is the son of Ursa's parents' best friends.
"Don't worry," Prince Ozai says, and he takes her hand again. "There's nothing to be afraid of." And this time Ursa lets him lead her to the darkest corner of the balcony.
He lets go of her hand. In the gloom she can barely make his figure and watches as he extends a hand. Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist, a tiny blaze appears in his hand, casting an orange glow over the two of them. For the first time, she can clearly make out his face, his eager, dark gold eyes and his golden headpiece. Even his skin looks gold in the light.
"Wow," she breathes. She does not come from firebenders, has only seen the art from a distance; never up close, so even basic firebending such as this fascinates her. She watches as it grows and shrinks in his palm. Suddenly he closes his hand into a fist and she gasps a little, thinking that he'll be burned; but he opens his hand again and this time there are five tiny flames dancing over his fingertips.
"See?" he says. "There's no reason to be afraid of the the dark."
"I can't firebend, though," she pouts. "None of my family can."
He tilts his head, childish sympathy on his face. "Really? If I couldn't firebend, my father might disown me." He says it jokingly, but there is a seriousness hidden within it. "My brother and him are both amazing firebenders. I'm going to be just as strong as them, hopefully even stronger." The flames over his fingers move towards his palm and combine back into one large flame again. He leans over the railing. "Watch," he commands her, and she does.
He draws his hand back, then throws the fireball into the air. It streaks through the sky, far above the heads of the unwitting crowd, tails of flame following after it. Ursa thinks it's one of the most beautiful things she's ever seen. Fiery gold, burning orange, blazing red. Lighting up the sky around it, until it burns itself out and disappears into the night.
She claps for him. "That was beautiful!"
"It's like a miniature Sozin's Comet, isn't it?" he asks proudly.
"Yes. Could you do it again?" she asks eagerly. He's only too willing to comply.
That is how they spend the next few minutes together, until finally one of the other guests notices the continuous miniature fireballs soaring over their heads. Within a few minutes, Ursa's mother has found her. "Ursa," she begins, "what are you doing up here in the dark? Come back down with Rozon and - "
"This isn't Rozon," Ursa interrupts. In the gloom her mother has mistaken Ozai for her friends' son. "Rozon can't firebend. At least not like that."
"Then who..." Ursa's mother peers more closely at the boy who is with her daughter. Her eyes dart up the gold headpiece, which is reflecting the lights from below, and she gives a little gasp. "Oh! Prince Ozai!" She bows hastily, and Ursa resists the urge to laugh at the sight of her mother bowing before a little boy.
"Hello," he says. "I was showing Ursa my firebending."
"Yes, I see," Ursa's mother says, seeming to be a little flustered. "Well - I suppose if you two would like to remain up here, then - "
"Yes, I wanted to show her some other things," Ozai says. His face remains very solemn as he says it.
"All right - well, if you'll excuse me, Prince," Ursa's mother says, performing a hasty curtsy-bow before backing away. "I will leave you two here."
Ursa watches as her mother retreats down the stairs before turning back to Ozai, grinning. "I've never seen my mother act like that around anyone before."
Ozai shrugs. "Everyone does." It's a fact, not a boast. He studies Ursa carefully. "Except for you."
She doesn't know whether she's suppose to be embarrassed or if he's complimenting her. His tone is very neutral - practiced quality of a prince, mastered even at this age.
"That's why I like you," he says, and suddenly he's grinning. He leans towards her, cupping a flame in his hand. "Now watch this!"
so yeah... ch 1 is done! :0
I wanted to make ozai still childish and innocent while at the same time demonstrating some beginning stages of wanting to become a powerful firebender. I mean, he wasn't this power-hungry crazy guy when he was a kid... and just think about his baby picture. HE WAS SO CUTE AND INNOCENT, WASN'T HE? GAHHHH :D
yeah... I fucking love ozai. Even though he was kind of a dick to zuko, who I also fucking love. :/
Actually, I kind of fucking love the entire Fire Nation Royal Family. 8D