Changing the Course of Fate
Summary: What if Azula and Zuko weren't raised alone? What if Ursa took in an abandoned orphan who happened to be the daughter of another airbender whose mother survived the Fire Nation's attack on the air nation? What would happen to Azula? More importantly, what would happen to Zuko? AU, Zuko x OC. Pre-Avatar, Zuko was only five months old. WARNING: if all you're going to do is flame me because of the OC, go get a life. Why would you read the story if it CLEARLY said SELF-INSERTION? Honestly. I'm sick of the 'no one cares about the OC' comments. Tell me how that's possible when this is pretty much the story with the most subscriptions. Gosh.
Okay, rant over.
Disclaimer: Avatar is not mine.
The Beginning: Lu Dae Hsu
Somewhere in an Air Nation temple, a mother was putting her newborn baby on a not-much-older Valefor. (AN: think of the first Aeon that Yuna summons in Final Fantasy X. I didn't want to use a Bison; it would be too obvious and the baby would surely get killed.) "Sleep, Cha Yu. It's a long journey you have ahead of you." The baby, if you looked at her, didn't even look like an Air Nation child, as she was missing the marking that all Air Nation people have. She was wrapped in a cloth that was, apparently, fire-proof, as her mother knew of the dangers of travelling into the Fire Nation. "Valefor, I want you to fly so high in the sky that you only look like an eagle. Keep Cha Yu safe all her life, and take her to Ursa. I'm sure she'll know what has to be done. She's the sole survivor of our race, now that the Avatar has disappeared. I'm counting on you. Don't let me down." The mother said as Valefor flew into the sky. Moments later, the entire temple was set ablaze.
Two Months Later: Ursa
I was walking in the nearby forest when I heard the sound of a baby crying. I followed the sound and came to a clearing that seemed to be protected by an anti-fire shield. In the middle of the clearing was a Valefor, a legendary animal that was believed to be long extinct, protecting a little baby. I approached with caution, as I wasn't sure how to approach without getting attacked. The Valefor looked up at me, and got up and slowly trotted off to the side, not too far away if I decided to hurt her. I glanced into the blanket, fearing the worst. I picked her up and looked at her, and gasped at what I saw. The baby was alive and very healthy, with topaz eyes. I saw a note folded neatly in her blanket.
To whomever is reading this,
My daughter, Cha Yu, is quite possibly the last survivor of the Air Nation. Her father is a Fire Nation soldier, which would explain her eye color. She has seen too much too young, and she needs loving parents who will accept her as she is, as we cannot do that anymore. If you choose to adopt her, you can change her name, if you want to. Just, please, keep her safe and loved.
The letter was unsigned, and it had no need to be. I had already made my decision. I would adopt this poor baby with no mother of her own. The only problem was convincing Ozai to accept my decision…
"No. Absolutely not." He paced back and forth.
"Why not? She's an orphan, Ozai. She lost her mother and her father!" I countered.
"She's from the Air Nation."
"Her father was one of your soldiers!" At that, he was silenced.
"Let me see her." He said quietly. I hesitantly handed her to him. I decided to change her name to Megumi, which means "blessing" in Japanese. He gazed at her intently, and she kept his gaze, unblinking. When he finally blinked, he looked up at me. "Fine." Was all he said.
"Lady Ursa, I believe Zuko needs to be fed. Maybe this would be a good opportunity for Zuko to meet his new sister?" A maidservant interrupted. I nodded and went to my son's room. When I approached his crib, he gazed up at me, then his eyes travelled to the bundle I held. I lowered Megumi to lie beside Zuko. After staring at his new sister for a few minutes, he turned to me and raised his arms. I took him and fed him, repeating the process with Megumi.
Five Years Later
"Megumi, Zuko! Where are you?" I wandered around, looking for my darling little angels.
"Zuko, stay down!" Megumi muttered from behind a bush.
"I need to pee! Why are we even playing this?" Zuko shot back, making the bushes rattle.
"Shush! At this rate, mom's going to find us!"
"I don't care!" After that, silence was heard. Then…
"What are you doing?" Megumi hissed.
"I'm peeing." He said simply.
"Yuck! You could've at least told me that you were going to go! Ugh, disgusting. Mom!" Megumi jumped up, running to me.
"Zuko, come here." I sighed as Zuko came running over.
"Sorry." He said in a small voice. I smiled.
"It's okay." I said.
"Can we get ice cream?" Megumi asked.
"I don't see why not." I nodded.
"Come on, Zuko; let's go!" Megumi took his arm and dragged him to the kitchen.
(AN: From here on, Megumi's point of view will be used.)
Burning Bridges: The Beginning of Disaster
Five Years Later
"You're the Fire Lord now! I did this for you!" My mother yelled.
"What you did for me is useless. If Zuko was killed like he should have been, I would have become Fire Lord anyways!" Father shot back.
"Who would be your heir if Zuko dies? If he dies, then this nation is as good as dust! You have no idea how much potential your son has."
"This nation would be better without him!" Father insisted as I looked over at Zuko.
"Why are they saying these things?" I asked him.
"I don't know." He said simply, shaking his head. "I don't know." He repeated.
"Let's go." I said quickly, realizing that our parents' conversation was over. Zuko nodded and followed me. When we came outside, Father came over to us.
"Do not think of following your mother. She won't be coming back here." He said simply before walking away. Zuko and I looked at each other, and ran for our mother's rooms.
"Mom, don't go!" We said at the same time. We then realized she wasn't there.
"She's gone…" I trailed off.
"Yeah." Zuko looked around, agreeing with me. I saw a paper on her desk addressed to us.
Dear Zuko and Megumi,
By the time you read this letter, I will most likely be out of the Palace. Zuko, my precious baby boy, you will have become the unofficial Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and you, Megumi, my little blessing, will have become the unofficial Crown Princess. Know that everything I did was for you, and be wary of your father. His fatherly love is about as flaky as his trust of me. Take care of Azula, because I am afraid of her ending up like Ozai. Don't let that happen.
Mother
We fell asleep in mother's bed that night.
Separation
"What are you so exited for?" I glanced up at Zuko, who was grinning like no tomorrow. "Did Mai finally ask you out?"
"No. I wish." He said while Azula and I snickered at each other at the thought of Zuko's crush, the extremely passive, vocally-defective, total blah known as Mai. "But I did get permission from uncle Iroh to go to the war meeting."
Azula and I looked at each other, then broke out into hysterical laughter. "You've really… overdone… yourself this time… Zuko… can't believe…" Was all Azula managed to choke out before falling apart and laughing harder than before.
"You… at a war meeting? That's like… you driving a horse-drawn cart. It doesn't… look… right." I agreed with Azula, doubling over in laughter.
"Laugh all you want. When I become Fire Lord—" Zuko was interrupted by Ty Lee, who came in through the window.
"When you become Fire Lord, we'll all run away, right, Azula, Meg?" She asked, using her nickname for me.
"Definitely." Azula said.
"Ditto." I agreed.
"Why are you going to run away?" Zuko asked.
"You're too sensitive." Azula, Ty Lee, and I said at once.
"No one said sensitivity was a bad thing…" Zuko trailed off quietly.
"When you're father's child, it is. You should know." I pointed out. "How many times has your sensitivity almost cost you your life this year?"
"Fifteen." He muttered.
"And how many times have Azula and I had to save your butt?"
"Fifteen." He whispered grudgingly.
"Exactly. Just be careful what you say there."
"I know, mother." He said sarcastically, walking up to his bedroom.
After the war meeting
"How did the… Holy Sky Bison, what happened to your eye?" I asked Zuko after the war meeting. The skin from his left eye to behing his left hear was burnt. As I leant in to examine it, he caught my hand.
"Don't touch me." He growled. I blinked, surprised at his reaction. He let go of my hand and stormed upstairs to his room.
"Uncle Iroh, what exactly happed during the war meeting?" I asked my uncle.
"His sensitivity got the better of him and he was forced to participate in an Agni Kai with Ozai. He begged for forgiveness, and then…" He left the sentence hanging. I nodded. "He now has to look for the Avatar to restore his honor."
"But that's impossible; the Avatar went missing over a century ago—"
"That's what they all say. But I'm going to do everything to get my honor back." Zuko appeared at the top of the steps.
"Good luck trying." I singsonged quietly to myself as I walked past him up to my room, which was right beside his. In fact, our rooms were connected by a door. I felt incredibly guilty at the scar that was sure to stay forever, but I knew I could do nothing about it; I wasn't trained as a doctor or a medical ninja. That's when it hit me. We had a ninja village, Konoha, here in the Fire Nation. I could go there to train as a ninja until I reach ANBU rank, and then I could take a course in medicine. I softly smiled to myself. When Zuko leaves tonight, I'll already be halfway to Konoha.
Nightfall: Halfway
"Azula, I'll be back." I said to her, getting ready to climb out of my window.
"When will you be back?" She asked, looking up from her perch on my piano bench.
"Two years, roughly." I swung my legs over. "Bye."
"See you." She said, then appeared at my window. "Should I tell Ozai and Zuko?"
"No." I said, mounting my Valefor, the only thing that was left from my biological mother. "Fly, Val." I whispered, to which she complied. I looked down, and saw Zuko and uncle Iroh on their horses.
The next day, I arrived in Konoha and began my grueling training under the Lady Hokage, Tsunade.