Portrait of a Villain: Zhao
by Iroh's Tea Shoppe Girls
Disclaimer: We don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Someday our destiny will be fulfilled and tea and Iroh will both belong to us. Until that day, stay strong loyal fans.
Zhao had been born in the Earth Kingdom, a bastard child to a penniless peasant woman. His mother had been raped by one of the officers of the Fire Nation during the war. When he was born with his mother's brown eyes, everyone had been greatly relieved, that maybe he was his mother's future husband's child.
When he was three he accidentally burnt his mother's eyebrows off. Horrified by her flame-producing, firebending toddler, disappointed that he was indeed a product of the rape. His mother had another baby on the way, this one certainly from her husband, little Zhao found himself abandoned in front of an orphanage.
But Zhao didn't let that get in his way. He ran away when he was only 10 and somehow made his way to the land of his father, the Fire Nation. Unfortunately, searching for a fire bender who raped an Earth Kingdom woman was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. There were far too many who fit the qualifications.
After a disappointing and brief search for his father, little Zhao found himself fascinated by the art of his people- fire bending. There he harassed every fire bending street performer that he could find. After meeting with rejection after rejection, it so happened that someone was observing him.
Jeong Jeong was a younger man, just had finished his apprenticeship at that time. The commander over him had told him to find an apprentice. The senior officer had meant to encourage Jeong Jeong to take one of the new recruits under his wing. However, impressed by Zhao's perseverance, how the young boy never gave up, Jeong Jeong decided to take him under his wing.
The young Fire Master was impressed by his new very young apprentice, it seemed Zhao would try to imitate any fire bending he saw, and would never give up until he got it right. The young apprentice wanted to always get everything right. And he wouldn't let anything, not eating or sleeping, get him his way.
Sometimes Jeong Jeong would have to force his young apprentice to take a break to eat or sleep. When he was on active duty, Jeong Jeong's biggest worry wasn't dying at the hands of his enemy but that his young apprentice would starve to death, practicing some fancy move day and night without even taking a break or resting.
By age fifteen young Zhao grew board with Jeong Jeong's instruction. His master had run out of powerful attacks to teach him. The restless youth left a crude note on his bed and ran away one night. He searched for a new master. Eventually his travels lead him to the Fire Nation Royal Palace.
Prince Ozai was a young man of about twenty-five years of age. Zhao had to weasel his way into the palace. He disguised himself as a servant, which wasn't too hard. After about a week he decided to try to approach the prince to speak with him. Rumor had it that Ozai was not actually the eldest, but the eldest had abjugated his claim to the throne. The gossip on the street said that it was because Ozai had intimidated his older brother into doing so. Whatever the case was, young Zhao admired the older youth.
Zhao held his hands behind himself as he approached the prince, who was reading reports at his desk. His hands were shaking with anticipation. "Your highness?"
"What is it?" Ozai snapped at the youth. He wondered what was getting into the servants these days, back when he was a child, they were just happy to serve him, now, in these modern times, they were so, so uppity.
"I wish to be your disciple," Zhao said so quickly Ozai barely understood it.
"Get lost," the prince snapped as he went back to his reading. "I am a prince, not a school teacher."
"Please? I'm pretty good at firebending already," Zhao offered. "I'll do anything."
"Anything?" Ozai asked as he turned around. The prince noticed that the boy who stood in front of him had brown eyes. That was unusual, it was almost a rule that firebenders had amber eyes. "Tell me, who are your parents. What lineage do you hail from?"
Zhao looked away, that was one of the questions he had hoped the prince would not ask. "My father is an unknown firebender. My mother is a lowly Earth Kingdom peasant. I traveled to the Fire Nation, my true home, when I was just a small boy."
"Hmmm," the prince rubbed his chin considering what uses he could have for the boy. "You're half Earth Kingdom eh? You look it."
Zhao bite his lip, to hold back his tears. He hated his heritage. He hated his brown eyes. He hated any and all ways he was unacceptable.
"I think I may have a task for you," Ozai said finally after a couple nerve wrecking minutes. "I want you to by my eyes and ears in the Earth Kingdom. I can promise you will be well rewarded for your efforts. Should you prove loyal to the Fire Nation of course."
Zhao bowed, he had never felt so grateful in his life. "Thank you sire, you will not be disappointed!"
Ozai smiled an almost sadistic smile. "Talk to my brother, General Iroh, tomorrow. He will have the orders for you."
"Yes my liege," Zhao said as he tried to walk backwards out of the room while bowing.