Author's Note: Another Avatar: the Last Airbender one-shot... I really can't stop writing fanfiction. Can I rant about something for a moment? I HATE it when people start a really awesome chapter story and thEN NEVER FINISH IT (everyone please go harass the writer of "The Binding" for me).
That is all for my rant.
Anyway, this piece was inspired by the song "What a Shame" by Shinedown. My favorite band since I was born, and they hadn't even come out yet.
Enjoy!
*disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. If I did I probably would have killed off Zuko. I usually do in my fanfictions, strangely in this one it wasn't even a consideration*
I walked along the rough path to the top-security prison in the palace city. The prison specifically designed to hold the most important prisoners- for the traitors. As the heavy, formal robes of the Fire Lord dragged behind me in the dust, I couldn't help but wonder if my father really was a traitor to the Fire Nation or not. He was continuing the work of his father, his grandfather; the horrible work of his ancestors- the horrible work of my ancestors.
I mused that no, Ozai was not a traitor of the Fire Nation- he was a traitor to the rest of the world, to the Avatar…to his family. What he did to uncle, to me, and even to Azula…but nothing compares to what he did to my mother. She disappeared and he didn't even care. He just stared straight ahead, refusing to meet my eyes, a testimony to the unyielding stubbornness I inherited from him.
He had stared ahead the way that I did now. The guards of the prison backed away and bowed deeply, something I still had to get used to. It had been so long. My footsteps echoed off the thick brick walls, like a monster on the way to devour its victim. It sounded like I finally had the upper hand in our relationship- and it wasn't a lie, wasn't just a trick of the light when I stood up taller than him.
Anyone would have looked mightier than the person that sprawled heavily against the wall, his limbs jutting out in spastic angles. His eyes looked sunken and his skin paler than I had ever seen, his shoulders slumping with the heavy burden of loss- with the heavy burden of pointlessness.
He lifted his eyes only to glare at me from behind greasy black hair. His eyes traveled over me and took in everything- the proud way I handled myself, the robes that he used to wear, and the shining plate of metal tucked into my topknot.
"You're lucky that you're still alive, that Aang spared your life." He made a sound of annoyance that I used the Avatar's name. "I'm also lucky that I'm still alive. Your daughter has good aim. Better aim than you ever did."
His eyes slid to my chest as I pulled back the robes to show him the angry red scar where the lightning had made contact with my body and singed my skin. "Water is such a wonderful element, both deadly and beautiful."
His eyes slid to my face and he said: "Azula is a disgrace for not killing you."
I laughed a little at that. "No, you're the disgrace. She's getting help, while you're sitting in a stinking cell."
His eyes shifted back to the floor.
"I've arranged to make peace meetings with the rest of the nations. I am going to apologize for your faults- I'm going to fix your mistakes. You wanted the war, but I will put an end to it. Its over."
"Funny how it reminds of our Agni Kai. I thought that it was over for me. You burned and disowned me, the one person that is supposed to love me unconditionally. I thought it was over. I looked at your power, your throne, your adoring subjects, and I wanted that. They don't love you. They never did. You terrify them, and they're happy that you're gone. You have no one who loves you unconditionally. I thought I didn't have anyone, but Uncle Iroh took your place. He took care of me. The way you should have. He's the one who showed me that it wasn't over for me."
"I realize now that it was the best thing in the world to be banished, to get away from you. You're a horrible ruler, but even worse, you're a horrible father. You burned my soul, singed my heart, and scarred my views of the world. Today, you're going to make up for that."
His eyes looked up at me, hatred gleaming in them, like a serpent readying to strike poison into my heart.
"Where is my mother?"
His eyes, like liquid magma, without the heat, shifted to me. He grit his teeth and said- "Is that all you ever think about?"
I blinked.
"All you ever cared about was your mother. You would look at her like she was an angel, you were always at her side. You loved her more than you ever loved me. The conversations you had with together, feeding those wretched, squawking animals. The secrets you shared with each other, the bond you had as mother and son."
His eyes looked glassy. He noticed that it caught my eye and he turned away, refusing to meet my eyes.
"Is she all you ever cared about? You don't even give your traitorous uncle the same look you gave her. After he took care of you, you still never had the same lightheartedness when you were with him that you had for your mother. She was your world, and you were hers."
His voice sounded thick.
"You were her world…" he repeated, his voice wavering.
Tears slipped out of his eyes, pattering softly on the cell floor.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, heavy with realization.
"You miss her too, don't you?"
Author's Note Two: Hope you all enjoyed the story! Please keep your eyes open for the publishing of my next Avatar: the Last Airbender story "Bending Under the Influence!"