Hi! This is my first fan fiction! Now, this has gone through over four different revisions as I struggled to find a story that I truly enjoyed writing. I decided to retell and change some events in Avatar: The Last Airbender in a more "Game of Thrones" style. More violence, more lying, more court schemes and ploys. Battles and combat will play a relatively large part and I will do my best to make things interesting. THIS IS AU AND NON-CANON OBVIOUSLY I created Razai as some sort of personality buffer between Zuko and Azula. While they are both Yin And Yang, Razai is what brings them together. Possessing both qualities of light and darkness. (And being a bit more willing to express his less than desirable feelings) Being that this is my first attempt at making a story, things may seem kind of rushed and not as fleshed out but after I finish Book One, I will take more time in writing the story and create more filler content to develop the characters. The next eight chapters are more of a prologue to what is to come, so forgive me if the chapters are a bit short. Rated M for violence, lemons and harsh language. Anyways, enjoy!
Razai sat cross legged on the roof of the Royal Palace, his eyes shut and his mind empty. Goosebumps sprouted throughout his arms as the air became electrically charged. Razai smirked as he opened his eyes, slowly moving his arms with blue lines of energy tracing behind his fingers. He was happiest when he was generated lightning. Spectators lined the streets of Caldera as they watched the display of Razai's power. After several seconds of fluid motion, he extended two fingers towards the sky, releasing a beautiful but violent array of lightning, splitting in several directions until it eventually dissipated. The citizens then went about their nightly business after the display.
He smiled, pleased with himself as he went back inside the palace and exhaled deeply as the last traces of electricity left his body. The corridors were dimly lit as he moved through the palace towards the throne room. I'll never have it thought Razai in his mind, he thought about that a lot even though he tried to be at peace with it. He entered the massive room, never failing to be amazed at the massive red columns ornate with gold that lined the interior.
He heard muffled footsteps behind him as he entered the Throne Room, staring at the darkened throne.
"Razai" she called, attempting to hide a chuckle as she addressed him. He turned around to address the princess who was garbed in her usual red and gold nightgown.
"What do you want Azula? I'm too tired for games" said Razai, slightly irritable.
She gave him a small smile and approached. "Why are you up at a time like?" she asked while pacing around him, tracing his shoulders while she moved.
"I'm simply concerned for my dear brother" she added with a smirk.
Razai turned away with a scoff.
"Is it quite literally impossible for me to care for my family?" she asked with irritation lapping her words.
"I couldn't sleep" replied Razai quickly, ignoring her question.
"Obviously, but why can't you sleep?" crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm just restless, there is no particular reason why I can't sleep" lied Razai.
"Maybe you should cry, it has helped Zuko many times in the past" said Azula, laughing.
Razai looked at her trying to disguise his amusement before pushing past her towards his room. Any other day he would have laughed but he was in a particularly foul mood, and even he didn't know why.
Razai collapsed in his bed, staring at the canopy until he finally passed into a very restless sleep.
The day was smothered in dark, violent clouds as Zuko played inside the nursery room while his mother gave birth to what would be twins.
With every push, flashes of lightning lit of the dark clouds, and it was terrifying to Ursa
'Monsters' she thought in her mind as she finally gave birth, silently sobbing, but not because of the pain.
Razai awoke out of breath and in a pool of sweat, he sat up and saw the bright orange sun peaking over the horizon, flooding his room with beautiful light. What an unpleasant dream he thought to himself as he watched a flock of gulls fly over a fire navy ship docking in the port, releasing a mass of black smoke. He looked at himself in the mirror, by all accounts he looked like his siblings, amber colored eyes and jet black hair but looked almost sister, Azula. He had all of his sister's characteristics but with a more masculine physique. His face was closely shaven and his raven colored hair cascaded behind his head and enveloped his shoulders. His golden eyes eyed himself in the mirror. Unlike his brother, he did not have an overly masculine form to set him apart from his twin sister. He was not particularly frail but he was smaller than Zuko and, like Azula, often looked up to Zuko in order to speak to him. And, like Azula, he didn't need to be tall to be intimidating.
Razai and Azula were in the garden practicing firebending forms while they watched Zuko and Ursa sitting next to the turtleduck pond.
"Hey, watch this" whispered Azula with a smirk. Razai watched with confusion as she snuck behind Zuko and pushed him into the pond, dying with laughter when she watched Ursa pull him out, Razai joining in.
Ursa carried Zuko back to his room, Razai and Azula following behind them. Ursa knew they were following them, but she didn't care, she just cared about comforting Zuko.
Razai and Azula watched in jealousy as Ursa sung Zuko to sleep, confused as to why she never did that for them.
Razai rose from the bath and combed his black, shoulder length hair, dressing in dark red robes lined with gold afterwards. He proceeded to the courtyard garden and fed the turtleducks in the pond, he had a routine and it kept him busy. There were many more things he would love to do, not all very pleasant, but he tried to keep his public image fairly good. If he went around doing what he liked no doubt he would be banished or worse. His mind drifted towards his childhood, his lips curled as he day dreamed.
Azula and Zuko had finished demonstrating new forms for their father and now it was Razai's turn. He smiled to himself as he got up from his cross legged position and carried himself towards the dueling area with a certain swagger. He loved to show off, he loved attention, whether it was good or bad it didn't matter, he wanted attention. He smiled at his father and bowed dramatically towards his father, his long hair almost touched the ground but he made sure it didn't. "To my most illustrious father, I dedicate this performance to you," he said proudly. His father glared unemotionally and waved his hand for his son to proceed. Razai breathed deeply, not moving for several moments. He jabbed into the air in quick succession, sending several bolts of fire into the air which dissipated afterwards. He followed up with three kicks, each going higher than the other and finally ended it with a boost into the air using fire then smashing into the ground, sending a wave of fire outward from his fist. Razai breathed heavily, he hadn't actually practiced for the performance before, he believed if you were good at something, it should come naturally; practice was for peasants and he had no reason to believe otherwise yet.
Ozai smirked when his son finished his display. "Most impressive my son, did you practice this beforehand?" the fire prince asked inquisitively. "Of course not, practice is for peasants, I am good naturally," said Razai, bowing once more. Ozai raised an eyebrow at the statement. This would not do. His son and daughter were prodigies no doubt but he cannot keep believing practice is for lesser men. "You are wrong, my son." said Ozai curtly. Razai looked at him, slightly bewildered. "What?" he said. "You are talented no doubt, my son but practice is the only way to truly master your forms. Your presentation was impressive but you lack finesse, you showed brute force and creativity but not the grace that firebenders should show."
Razai considered his words then bowed once more. "You may go, my children," said Ozai. The royals left the dueling room one after the other. Razai pondered Ozai's words.
Razai awoke again from his meditative state, his stomach growled and vibrated.
He took a palanquin from the palace and stopped at a resturaunt. A middle aged man with a fairly large belly and bald head fell to his knees and began his praises before taking him to an isolated table behind a red curtain. There the fire prince ate in silence, his royal guards standing on either side of the entrance outside the room. Zhao had recently been reported dead, he still remembered the feigned concern and gasps from the meeting and couldn't help but smirk. He had taken over a hundred ships to the Northern Water Tribe and lost over a third of those ships though he couldn't really blame that on Zhao himself. This Avatar has become a severe nuisance, no, more than a nuisance. If he could destroy an entire fleet of Fire Navy warships he was a true threat. But with Zhao dead, new possibilities opened up in his career. Azula, despite being female, was now the Crown Princess and unless something happened to her, Razai remained the third son and not a viable heir. But that was okay, Razai prefered being out and about, being locked up in a palace was not what he had wanted. He was interrupted when the curtain was pushed to the side. He raised his hand automatically, readying himself to strike whoever had entered without announcement but saw two golden eyes staring at him with amusement.
"Oh, Azula," said Razai before he brought his hand back to his side, lowering himself back to his seat. She was dressed in a simple red and black robe, normally she wore armor but not today. Her hair was tied up in a top knot and two strains of black hair fell down on either side of her head, framing her face. Her lips were coated in a red lipstick and her face glowed palely. "Please, sit with me," he said, gesturing towards the opposite seat. He whistled and his guards appeared before him. "Wait outside," he said, they bowed then hastily made their way past the curtains and outside the restaurant. "Please, eat," he said, pushing his remains towards his sister who was eyeing him carefully. "16 years I have been your brother and you still look for falseness in me," said Razai, smiling. Azula lifted her brow and began to eat his remaining food. She sat up straight with her elbows at her side eating quietly until she swallowed; her etiquette was elite. "Think of it as a habit, dear brother. Do not take offense," she said, smiling now. "What do you wish to discuss?" said Razai, looking at his sister. Azula performed a faux sigh and frowned, "Brother, can I not simply break my fast with you? I do not always have an ulterior motive,"
"You are Azula are you not? The most deceptive and cunning child of the Magnificent Fire Lord Ozai?" he said dramatically. "Oh I believe Magnificent is your title brother, I prefer The Conqueror" she said while she sipped steaming tea. Razai chuckled to himself. "I don't believe you have done much in terms of conquering besides your twin brother's bed chamber, dear sister." For a rare moment, her composure broke and she reached across the table and slapped Razai, a glowing red handprint left itself on his cheek. He smirked and wiped his mouth, blood trailing along the top of his hand. "Is that any way to treat family, sister?" he asked sardonically. She stood up and walked from the room, Razai following her. The restaurant was still active, completely unaware of the events that transpired in the private chamber. "We'll talk at the Palace," said Azula sternly before she stepped into her palanquin. Razai trailed after he in his own until they reached the palace steps.
"Now what was that slap about? I've been meaning to ask." Razai walked beside Azula as they approached his room. She entered silently, Razai following her. He turned and closed the door. At once her stern facade broke and she resembled something of a chastising mother. "I can't truly believe you said such a thing in public, Razai!" she said. Razai chuckled and collapsed on a red leather couch, spreading his arms out. "Sister you worry too much, the restaurant was filled to the brim, full of different voices. No one could have heard me," said Razai, smiling. "And if they had?" she said impatiently, hands on her hips. "I would insure they wouldn't be able to relay the tale," he said. She began to relax and approached, sitting down beside him. She smirked and trailed her hand along his thigh.
"What would you have done to them my dear, sweet, brother?" she purred, putting emphases on the word brother. Incest, while considered taboo by modern standards, was not an uncommon practice 300 years past. While it had died out, it had been performed in the pretense of 'keeping the bloodlines pure." To Razai and Azula, it hadn't meant any of that, he knew it was forbidden but to them, it made their affair all the more arousing. "What have had me do, sweet sister?" he replied while he stroked her chin. Her golden eyes narrowed and her blood red lips curled. "Drag him to a cell and beat him," she said enthusiastically. This was a hobby and a fetish for them, nothing got to them like talking of torture. "What then, sweet sister?" he said as he began to lower her robe by her shoulders. She smiled sadistically. "Hang him up by his feet and drag a knife across his stomach, let his entrails hang," she whispered in his ears. He exhaled as he felt her hand grope his groin. They grew entranced and continued to growl their fantasies to each other, slowly stripping themselves of clothing until he heard the door open. Azula yelped but Razai remained composed. He sat up and approached the servant who was trembling.
He smiled warmly then put his hand on the servant's shoulder. "You need not fear me. What do you need?" said Razai. "The uh, Fire Lord, uh, has r-request your p-presence immediately" The servant stuttered as he spoke, clearly terrified of the young prince. Razai smiled warmly, the slave continued to smile even after his head slid from his shoulders, plopping onto the floor, the body crumpling down shortly afterwards. Razai eyed his dagger curiously. A black, dragon shaped hilt with a jet black blade coming out and curving rightward. He wiped the blood covered blade on the servant's body, smiling slightly still. He eyed his sister who had been surprised at first but only glared disapprovingly. "Just, get ready or something while I clean this up, I'll try to hurry," he said as he dragged the body further into his room out of sight. Azula continued to stare at him, frowning. Razai couldn't help but laugh. "No one need ever know, sweet sister."
The Throne Room was uncomfortably warm when Razai and Azula entered. The Fire Lord sat behind a wall of flame which reflected itself upon the marble floor. Ornate columns stretched towards the ceiling as they approached their father. They both lowered to their knees and bowed, waiting for him to speak. Ozai studied them for a while, they were identical twins, in looks and personality and this pleased Ozai. "You may rise," spoke the Fire Lord. When they both looked upon him he could almost not tell them apart until he saw their hair. Azula had a top knot with two bangs framing her face. Razai also had a top knot but had a large amount of hair that drooped below his shoulders.
"As you know, Zhao is dead. His siege on the Northern Water Tribe was an utter failure, one of the worst defeats we have suffered in possibly our entire history," said Ozai with menace. "And how lucky he is to have died there. No fate could have been worse if he would have returned. Regardless, we have more pressing matters to discuss." Ozai paused as he observed his children with a certain level of pride. He had heard of their cruel tendencies and he was elated to have discovered Razai's, and even Azula's lust for battle. "Your uncle Iroh is a traitor, and your brother Zuko a failure… I have a task for you, my children." Both Razai and Zuko smiled at his words, they had both longed for a mission as important as one from father. "With the Avatar leaving the Northern Water Tribe as my spies have reported to me, the most logical conclusion is that he is now taking his trek into the Earth Kingdom to find an earthbending teacher which would obviously lead him to the city of Ba Sing Se. With Zhao dead we are in need of a new commander." Ozai paused and directed his gaze at Razai. "My son, you are 16, a man now, and you will lead the Fire Nation to victory in your campaign againsts Ba Sing Se." Razai flooded with pride and happiness at his father's words. Long had he wanted to fight on the front line and now he would; as a general.
"My daughter, Azula. You will track and capture Zuko and Iroh, and, if possible, the Avatar should your paths ever cross. Though I would prefer you to focus on Zuko, the importance in either option is up to you. You will both have unlimited access to resources of the Fire Nation, whether it be naval, logistical, or manpower. I am putting much trust into you both, I know you will not disappoint me." His voice had gotten dangerously low. They bowed and left.