The Kingdom of War, Prologue Part 1: Zuko's Destiny
The prologue takes place at the end of Season 3. A short recap of what happens in my Season 3 follows. The Gaang, with help from Hakoda, successfully infiltrates Ozai's Castle and tries to convince Zukoto join them, which he does after breaking Iroh out of prison. The group flees the Fire Nation and Iroh gives Aang a crash course in Firebending. They return to the Fire Nation and Zuko challenges Ozai to an Agni Kai to everyone's dismay. This first part of the prologue gives an in-depth look into Zuko's mind, telling the story of how he came to be so troubled and how he came to his final decision to join the Gaang. Zuko's past experiences, especially the ones I address here, will prove important later on.
Zuko stood facing his father, trembling inside, though he would never let his father see weakness. He looked over to his uncle, Iroh, hardened from his time in prison. Iroh had always seemed care-free, even with the death of his son, Lu Ten, which Zuko knew weighed heavily on his morale. But now, Iroh looked completely serious, his face without expression, as if his mouth was glued shut into a thin line. Zuko also knew he was at fault for this change. Iroh had allowed Zuko to escape from the Fire Nation's clutches so that he could help Aang and Katara fight Azula, and for what? Zuko instead joined Azula, the person who had locked him up in the first place. He did this to gain his father Ozai's respect; to gain his love. His father would never love him, even though he believed that Zuko had killed the Avatar. Ozai had still treated him like crap, not paying any attention to him, Prince Zuko, a Fire Nation hero, the Fire Nation hero, the one who killed the Avatar. This was when Zuko realized that he already had the approval he needed: Iroh's. But he had put Iroh in jail, subjected him to horrors Zuko could never comprehend. So when Aang came calling, Zuko agreed to fight against his family, just as Iroh had been doing, however passively it was until the siege of Ba Sing Se. Zuko did not leave because he wanted to; he left because he was in debt to Iroh, and now he could finally repay it, by showing his true loyalty to the one he knew was his real father. Biological ties be damned, Iroh loved Zuko like a son, and Zuko wanted to make Iroh proud by taking down the Fire Nation, even if it was technically Aang's destiny.
Destiny, Zuko thought, was as much tied to him as it was to Aang. Zuko saw the Avatar sitting next to Iroh. He looked to the Airbender, the one he despised all his life. Zuko thought he was destined to find the Avatar after his 100-year disappearance and kill him, but he now knew it was his destiny to help him defeat the Fire Nation. Destiny was a funny thing, Zuko thought. It had torn him apart so many times: when he first found Aang in the South Pole, when he actually saved Aang from the Fire Nation, when he helped Katara, Aang, and Toph fight Azula, and finally when he came to his crossroads, choosing to betray Iroh and rejoin the Fire Nation. Destiny had been his Kryptonite throughout his life, making him fickle, up until he joined Aang and the others, and realized his true calling. Zuko had defeated destiny, and he was going to defeat Ozai next.
"Such irony, don't you think, Zuko? The one who supposedly killed the Avatar is fighting on his side now. You are a disgrace, and I'll be happy to put another scar on you, but that's the least of your worries in an Agni Kai with me."
Mention of the scar made Zuko cringe. He had tried to block out his last Agni Kai with Ozai, but he remembered it clearly. Ozai had made a fool of his own son, scarring him for life. It was about more than redemption now, Zuko realized. He was looking for revenge too, and he would get it. He stood poised, ready for battle.
Katara turned to Aang. "I can't watch, Aang, Ozai is the Fire Lord." She buried her head in Aang's chest, sobbing at the thought that someone she had grown so close to might very well die now.
Aang was just as scared. He turned to Iroh, who was expressionless. Iroh had been much different since he was in prison.
Sokka was torn. He hated the Fire Nation, but he still hadn't forgiven Zuko for helping Azula in Ba Sing Se, so he wasn't cheering for Zuko either. Toph sensed this and elbowed Sokka in the ribs.
Ozai had waited long enough. He shot a huge fire blast at Zuko. Zuko blocked it with ease, but it was clearly a decoy, as Ozai proceeded to run up to Zuko and trip him before he could defend himself.
"Too easy," Ozai laughed, "and because this was so pathetic, I'll just pierce your throat with lightning to end your misery." Zuko couldn't move because Ozai was standing with one foot on top of him. Ozai charged the lightning blast, and Zuko could do nothing but brace himself for his impending death.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He thought back to his early childhood, how easy it had been. His father did not adore him, not even close, but he did not loathe him as he did now. It did not matter to Zuko that his father did not care for him; he had his mother, who he knew loved him. Of course, Azula gave him a hard time, but she could not do anything much to him seeing as she was too young to do much harm even if she was a Firebending prodigy. He hadn't a care in the world: the Fire Nation was winning the war, he was the Fire Lord's grandson, the people of the Fire Nation loved him. One thing always peeved Zuko when he was young though: the fact that he could never be Fire Lord. Iroh, not Ozai, was heir to throne, and so when Iroh stepped down or died, Zuko's cousin, Lu Ten, would become Fire Lord. Zuko couldn't become Fire Lord unless Iroh died before Azulon, and he didn't want that to happen.
Ozai was a different story. Zuko could tell that his father was ambitious to the point of obsession. He couldn't care less if his elder brother, who was currently infiltrating Ba Sing Se, died there; it would just mean he would be crowned Fire Lord when Azulon died. Therefore, Zuko discarded his ambition of being Fire Lord because he did not want his father to be one. Ozai would be a tyrant, just like Zuko's great-grandfather, Sozin, who had started the war, and although Zuko figured that Ozai as Fire Lord would easily end it, he'd rather have his more benevolent uncle take longer to end the war.
Then Lu Ten died and Iroh fell apart, pulling out of Ba Sing Se. Ozai took the chance and after Azulon's mysterious death and Ursa's disappearance, was crowned Fire Lord, fulfilling Zuko's worst nightmare. Zuko would've rather been killed when Azulon asked Ozai to do it, and Zuko wasn't surprised when Ozai was ready to comply. Zuko was in for rough treatment, and that's what he got.
After he was banished, Zuko's judgment became clouded. He constantly wanted to validate himself, which he equated to gaining Ozai's approval. To get this, he had to find the Avatar, missing for 97 years at the time. It took him almost three years, but he found Aang. This rekindled his dwindling desire to be reinstated as a Fire Nation citizen, and he kept on Aang's track.
When Zuko originally cut all ties from the Fire Nation on the 3rd anniversary of his banishment, he felt at peace, like the destiny he had been searching for for so long was finally found; he was destined to be no part of this war, to be a vigilante. Of course, he was not out of it for long: soon enough, he found himself locked in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se for fighting Azula and losing. Iroh and Aang saved him (and Katara), and he found himself grateful to the Avatar, wanting to fight on his side. In the end, he went right back to Azula's side, letting Iroh down for nothing worth craving, he later found out. In the end, Zuko had come so far only to take a leap backwards.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zuko opened his eyes. He thought that what he saw was the afterlife, but when his vision came into focus, he saw Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka, but not Iroh. Then he heard Ozai's voice.
"You can't interfere with an Agni Kai, you worthless bastard!" Ozai screamed, panting.
Zuko now knew why Iroh wasn't in the stands: he had entered the Agni Kai.
"Uncle?" Zuko asked cautiously.
Iroh jumped back to him. "I'm sorry if you're upset, Zuko, but I couldn't let you die. One dead son is enough for one lifetime." A tear passed down Iroh's cheek.
Zuko smiled. Iroh had called him his son.
"Never let your guard down, Iroh!" yelled Ozai as he ran forward.
Zuko ignited his fist and punched Ozai hard in the face. "Worry about yours, Ozai."
Ozai staggered backwards, hand on his face. "How dare you disrespect your father!"
"You expect me to call you father? You act as if I'm worthless. How can I respect you?"
"I act as if you're worthless because it's true."
Zuko was enraged now. He attacked Ozai with unprecedented fury, and knocked him down, hard. Ozai could barely move.
"Now then, I bet you didn't know I could do this, did you?" He held out two fingers, as if to shoot lightning.
"Son, please, have mercy…"
"Have mercy? Look at my scar! Did you have mercy? Did you?!" A flash of light and Ozai was motionless. The Fire Lord was dead, and his son was finally at peace.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter, the Day of Black Sun comes, and the Gaang searches out Azula, but they are stopped by the Dai Li. Can they win before the day ends?
REVIEW!!!