Prince Genji Shimada, younger son of Fire Lord Sojiro, knelt beside his brother, Hanzo, in front of the Fire Throne. They were both dressed in their ceremonial royal armor, ornately decorated with gold dragons on either side of their breastplates and stylized Fire Nation insignias on their belts. They were expected to dress in this formalized version of their battle armor each time they met with the fire lord.

Genji had always hated the throne room. Despite the wall of flame that ran along the length of the back wall, the room managed to look dark and foreboding at all times, at least to him. It was a strange thing for a firebender to think about their nation's most powerfully symbolic chamber, but it wasn't the fire or the placement of his father's throne that bothered him. It was the expectations the throne placed on him and, more noticeably, his brother. As crown prince, Hanzo carried more weight on his shoulders than any other person in the nation. It'd robbed Genji of his childhood companion.

At that very moment, Hanzo had his eyes fixed on the dark wood floor beneath him, lest the slightest hint of curiosity attract their father's critical gaze. Genji wasn't so concerned about that gaze. After all, it was on him most of the time, regardless of what he did. He knew why, of course; Genji had never tried to hide his disdain for his father's expectations.

The chamber they were kneeling in was immense, lined with long red pillars with a sheen that helped to refract the fire wall's light throughout the room. The routinely-polished plank floor reflected the same light, resulting in a golden shine that followed his father's guests from the entrance, all the way up to his dais. The room was filled with balmy warmth at all times of the year, the fire wall's intensity kept under constant control by the palace's groundskeepers.

Despite the comforting temperature, everything else about the chamber was meant to intimidate those who walked into it. From the dark colors to the ominous glow and the unnecessary height of the ceiling, every feature of the room tended to make those who entered it feel small and powerless in the presence of the fire lord upon his dais.

"Stop it," he heard Hanzo whisper, just loud enough.

Genji stopped glancing around the room and looked down at him. Hanzo was still concentrating on the floor. He always seemed to know what was going on around him, a fact that was more amusing to Genji than disconcerting. Nonetheless, he took his eyes off the room around him and looked down just as his father entered. He heard the fire lord walk the length of the dais until he came to his throne, where he sat. Several seconds passed in silence, broken only by the calm crackle of flame, while he watched his sons. Both stayed in their reverent positions, unmoving.

"Hanzo," he said at last. Genji allowed himself to glance at his brother, just quickly enough to see his body tense. He didn't know why he thought it would be different that time. It irked him. "Rise," Sojiro continued, "let us see the result of your training."

Hanzo stood, allowing Genji to do the same. The younger prince backed away until he stood beside one of the nearest pillars, where he leaned his shoulder against it to watch, expecting a good show. He'd seen Hanzo training, getting better and better at their family's signature technique. His progress since the last time they'd been told to display their skills was undeniable.

Hanzo bowed respectfully before snapping into his fighting stance, his feet spread with his knees bent and his arms prepared. He whipped his hands around in a circle, framing his upper body in a wreath of fire conjured from his fingertips. The fire quickly took an elongated shape, but not as quickly as Genji had seen in the past. Hanzo was being careful in the presence of their father, as usual. Sojiro seemed to be looking for something different each time…he hoped it wasn't speed for this one.

The shape being formed by Hanzo's bending began to move fluidly, features beginning to appear on it as it swirled around his body. Just as the fire took its final form, the form of a serpentine dragon, he whipped about and released it. The dragon flew rapidly around the pillars, dodging each one as if it had a mind of its own. Hanzo moved with it, directing it around the last pillar with his hands before turning it back toward the throne room's main door where he allowed it to dissipate before it could singe the large pennants that hung on either side. Hanzo turned back around to face his father and bowed again, signifying the end of his display. Sojiro nodded slowly at him in response. Hanzo and Genji both placed themselves where they'd been before, in front of the throne, with their hands behind their backs.

"Better," Sojiro began. His eyebrows arched before he continued, "but not what I expected." Genji tried hard not to roll his eyes at that, with limited success. He saw Hanzo shift his weight out of the corner of his eye. "You are almost twenty years old," Sojiro went on, his tone severe, "by your age I would have expected you to master your family's technique. I should not have to tell you what was wrong with what I saw."

"No, Father," Hanzo replied.

"Then tell me what you failed to do."

Genji's gaze flicked over to his brother, genuinely curious. What he'd just seen was spectacular, in his own opinion.

"It was not as intense as it should have been," Hanzo explained, his gaze set on his father's judgmental stare to avoid looking like a coward in his intimidating presence, "I have yet to master the blue flame."

The fire lord nodded again.

"You need to train harder," he declared, "every fire lord of the Shimada Dynasty has been a master of the dragon. Your inability to do as they have done dishonors your predecessors, including your own father. I will not have you fail to carry our proud legacy into the future."

"I will work harder, Father," Hanzo promised obediently.

"I have heard you excel in your studies," Sojiro pressed on, brushing his response aside, "is there anything you have to tell me?"

"No, Father," Genji interrupted, "the instructors you assigned him say he is gifted. The only one who says otherwise is you."

"Genji," Hanzo hissed at him, giving him an incredulous sidelong glance.

Sojiro stared at Genji, his anger toward him thinly veiled. Genji returned the stare, one eyebrow raised slightly above the other as if it were a form of challenge. Hanzo was looking straight at him by then, appalled by his blatant defiance. In spite of his outward show of confidence, Genji's heart was pounding while Sojiro continued to stare, weighing his options. Finally, the fire lord broke eye contact to look at Hanzo instead.

"Good," he stated, "then you are not a complete disappointment." He practically threw that last word at Genji with a furious glare from the corner of his eye. Genji risked a little smile, which his father ignored. "It is good to see you take such pride in your brother's abilities, Genji," the fire lord growled, "now let us see if he can do the same with yours."

Genji heard Hanzo sigh before backing away. Yes, it'd happened enough times in the past that he would know exactly what he was going to do. Genji took a stance similar to Hanzo's, with the exception of the sly grin he proudly bore as he flicked two fingers out to summon a thin stream of flame. It twisted in front of him until it formed a comically skinny dragon that flew downward, under Genji's arm and around his back until it reappeared above his head. The dragon twirled lazily in Sojiro's direction before stopping in front of him and puffing a tiny gust of flame with what might've been a laugh if the dragon had its own voice.

Genji released his stance, causing the dragon to disappear in a wisp of smoke. He heard Hanzo take a step away from the throne while they waited for their father's reaction. Sojiro looked down at his lap, his shoulders tense and his chest heaving with his growing rage. Finally, his head whipped back up and the wall of fire behind him flared, sending a wild blue light throughout the throne room.

"Get out!" he roared as the fire of the wall swirled above him, forming his own dragon instantly. It hurtled toward Genji at a terrifying speed.

Both brothers turned to run, Hanzo's boot squeaking against the wood floor when he nearly slipped. The dragon of furious blue flame chased them out the open double doors and burst out after them, startling the six guards who stood at intervals along the staircase leading down to the gate from the throne room. Genji and Hanzo ducked, covering their heads, until the fire died down. Finally safe from their father's wrath, Genji straightened his posture and laughed.

"Are you insane?" Hanzo demanded, "I know you can do better than that. You were just mocking him!"

"What is he going to do, brother?" Genji replied, "he can banish me if he wants to. I hear Ba Sing Se is more fun, anyway."

With that, Genji flippantly spun on his heel and proceeded down the stairs. He didn't hear Hanzo attempt to follow him, which was nice; he didn't want to be lectured again.

[next]

Hanzo walked down the open-air hall that wrapped around the perimeter of the courtyard below him at a determined pace. He was still thinking about Genji's disrespectful behavior the day before. The fire lord had called him back later that day to discuss it, leaving Genji out of the loop. As much as he wanted to protect his younger brother from his father's rage, Genji had left him with very little ammunition to use in his defense. It wasn't the first time his brother had brazenly spat in their father's face, but it was the first time Sojiro had told Hanzo to do something about it. Regardless of the fire lord's orders, Hanzo was going to try reasoning with Genji…again.

The palace's luxurious courtyard was dotted with blooming cherry trees that provided wispy and relaxing shade over stone benches spread along the pathway that snaked through it. Well-tended flowers gave the garden a constant, but gentle sweet smell. The yard was normally quiet, aside from the babble of the small river that ran from one end to the other, interrupted only by a clear pond full of colorful fish. At the far end of the yard the river sped up before rushing under the palace wall.

Normally, the courtyard was Hanzo's favorite place. Its serenity provided him with more relaxation than he could achieve on his own; with a position as stressful as his, the yard had always been a vital part of his life. At that moment, the garden's peace had been disturbed by the occasional giggle of a girl being amused by his reliably flirtatious brother. Sure, Genji was three years younger, but princes of the Fire Nation couldn't afford to act their ages; they were responsible for the future of their people. While listening to him joke with the girls, Hanzo released his building frustration in a huff and started searching.

After looking over the pathways and under the trees from his place above the yard, Hanzo located Genji standing near the fish pond in the company of three young women dressed in the robes of Fire Nation nobles. Unlike them, Genji had donned a simple outfit composed of his favorite scarf and a double-layered red tunic of two different shades, tucked into a pair of gray pants. He had his black bangs held away from his face by a green kerchief tied over the top of his forehead and his hairline.

In contrast, Hanzo wore his long, yellow-trimmed mahogany vest over a fine silk shirt, both cinched at the waist by a gold-buckled, black leather belt. Like Genji's, his hair was black, but was tied back with a long strip of golden fabric in a loose ponytail. The two of them hardly looked to be part of the same social stratum, much less of the same royal family. Given the choice, Genji had never been one to dress according to his title. It was one of many things that irked their father.

Hanzo started toward the stairs, watching Genji as he joked with the ladies in a candid tone. The girls modestly hid their mouths behind their sleeves, but their eyes revealed their amused smiles. Hanzo sighed loudly when he stepped off the last stair and onto the stone path. Genji pivoted to frown back at him, then shrugged at the girls.

"Oh no, I'm in trouble," he said in a mock exasperated tone.

Two of the girls gave Hanzo guilty looks, despite their coy smiles. He ignored them and came to stand beside Genji.

"Good morning, Prince Hanzo," one of the girls greeted him with a curtsy. Her smile was less of a tease than those of the other two and her cheeks seemed to flush under her makeup when he looked at her. It wasn't something Hanzo was likely to miss, though he chose not to acknowledge it.

"Good morning," he replied tersely, turning to Genji, "we need to talk." Genji sighed through his nose and turned to grin apologetically at the girls.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I will have to find you later; you know how my brother can be."

One of the girls squeaked, despite her obvious efforts to stifle a giggle, before receiving a stern look from Hanzo. Her smile vanished.

"Excuse the interruption, ladies," the crown prince said, somewhat sarcastically when paired with his annoyed expression, "I wouldn't dream of disturbing your business if it wasn't important."

There weren't any smiles left on the girls' faces after that. They curtsied respectfully before hurrying away.

"Well," Genji grumbled, "Father should be happy. You have gotten so good at copying his look." Hanzo folded his arms. "But you would have much better luck with the girls if you would stop copying it when they're around," Genji continued, "you know, some of them are attracted to you. At least that should make you happy, hm?"

"That's not what I came to talk about," Hanzo replied coolly.

"You never want to talk about girls," Genji groaned, "you've become so boring."

"I've become responsible," his brother insisted, "and you should too, if you want to have any sort of future in our family. You can't be a child forever and the more you try to stay the way you are, the angrier Father gets."

"Do I look like I care about his anger?" Genji asked with a shrug, "perhaps he should care about my anger for once."

Hanzo's arms unfolded and he placed his hands on his hips instead. As many times as he'd had this argument in the past, this was the first he'd heard of Genji being the one who was angry. Although he, too, was frustrated with his behavior, he couldn't help being interested.

"You are angry?" he asked, "care to explain that?" Genji copied him by putting his hands on his own hips.

"Only if you care to listen," he huffed. Hanzo nodded expectantly. Genji smiled. "We'll see how true that is." He turned to begin walking along the riverbank, closely followed by his brother whose arms were folded once again. Hanzo came to walk side-by-side with him. "I think you're too eager to please a man who cannot be pleased, Hanzo," Genji began, speaking more plainly than he'd ever been with him before, "you spend so much of your time worrying about how you will fail him and it makes me angry to see it." Hanzo scoffed.

"What do you expect from me, Genji?" he asked, "should I not care about what Father thinks? What kind of crown prince would that make me? I must try to be the best heir I can be."

"You have done that!" Genji cried, irritated, "you have done all you can and it will never be enough for him." He stopped walking and turned to face him head-on. "What kind of fire lord will you be if you can't do what you want to do? If the only thing you know to do is to preserve a dead man's rule?"

Hanzo's arms slipped to his sides. He found himself staring at a lone patch of grass in the shadow of the nearest cherry tree, struggling to grow against the lack of sunlight. Genji had proven himself to be wiser than he'd thought he was, if that was really the reason he so brazenly defied the fire lord's wishes. Of course, Genji knew nothing of how to rule. He'd almost never shown up to their lessons on dealing with the public or managing the national economy. Genji's wisdom was based on a lack of knowledge; it wasn't something to truly consider. Still, he could appreciate the way his brother worried for him. He took his attention from the grass and put it back on him.

"I acknowledge your concern—"

"Don't talk to me like I'm one of your subjects," Genji interrupted him harshly, "you aren't going to think about what I said, are you? You're going to keep doing just as Father says you should, like his most obedient dog."

"Don't insult me!" Hanzo exclaimed.

"You're making it too easy. How can I not?"

Genji began to walk away, attempting to secure the last word like he always did at the end of their arguments. Hanzo noticed someone moving on the walkway above them. Sojiro was watching them, as he'd promised he would. His brow furrowed when he gave Hanzo another of his critical glares. Hanzo's fists clenched and he stormed after his brother.

"Don't walk away from me," he warned him, "you don't know what you'll force me to do if you don't take this seriously!"

"What I will force you to do?" Genji demanded sarcastically without stopping his stroll through the yard, "or what Father will force you to do? Has he made you my babysitter?"

"Face me, Genji!"

Genji stopped and looked back. Hanzo could see the surprise on his face when he saw him in his battle stance. The younger prince turned around to face him and cocked an eyebrow.

"Father wants us to fight?" he asked. He shook his head with an incredulous chuckle. "No, that's not it." He folded his arms and stared him down confidently. "He thinks I'm not a match for you. How hard does he want you to beat me?"

"All he wants is for you to take your training seriously," Hanzo replied, still holding his stance, "he wants to know that once he is gone we will both be capable of ruling this nation in his stead. If this is the only way to convince you, I must try."

"Because he told you to?"

"That's beside the point! Are you going to prepare yourself or not?"

Genji rolled his eyes and slipped into his own stance. Despite his playful approach to training, Hanzo had to admit his stance was sharp...good, even. At least, better than he'd seen before. Perhaps he'd been practicing on his own time. Regardless, he knew Genji wasn't as powerful a bender as he was, even if he'd been training apart from him.

Hanzo made the first move by jabbing his front-most hand in his brother's direction, releasing a burst of flame. Genji pivoted, avoiding the attack completely. Hanzo wasn't surprised; he knew it'd be easy to dodge. At least, now, he knew his brother was ready to fight. Perhaps the fire lord would calm his rage toward his youngest son if he saw he could hold his own. That was his hope, silly as it was.

Genji retaliated without a moment of hesitation. Hanzo ducked under the attack and spun on one foot to relocate himself. Without waiting for Genji to readjust to his new position, he jumped and kicked downward with his heel. His brother rolled away from the arc of fire and righted himself to lunge at him. Contrary to Hanzo's expectation, he didn't stop to reply in kind. Genji rammed his shoulder into his midsection, knocking him to the ground. Shocked, Hanzo still managed to avoid his foot when it came down at his head. Why wasn't he firebending? This wasn't what Sojiro would want!

Frustrated, Hanzo whipped his leg around to swipe Genji's feet out from under him before rolling to stand back up. He waited this time, putting distance between himself and his brother before he could try hitting him again. Genji leapt back to his feet and he was…grinning? Hanzo groaned under his breath. What would it take?

"You're not as fast as me, Hanzo," Genji teased him, "why aren't you taking your training seriously?"

"Shut. Up," Hanzo growled, his teeth clenched.

It was time to stop going easy on him. He punched rapidly, sending a succession of concentrated, quick blasts toward his brother, forcing him to jump out of the way. Hanzo followed his jump, readjusting his aim without stopping the assault, daring him to throw fire back. Genji continued to dodge, kept on his toes by the bursts that followed him everywhere he went. Hanzo caught a glimpse of his face through the flame; he wasn't smiling anymore. Good.

At last, Genji spun around, flinging an arm up to stop Hanzo's fire with his own bending ability. He dashed toward him, closing the distance his brother had so carefully put between them, and tried to nail him with a point blank burst of flame. Hanzo blocked his burst by knocking his brother's forearm away with his own. Genji slipped under his counter attack and tried again, aiming for the back of Hanzo's head. His brother managed to duck in time to avoid a serious burn, but the smell of burnt hair told them both it was a close call.

Hanzo turned to face him and backed away, sparing a quick glance toward his father, who was still watching them from the far side of the courtyard. Surely, that must have given him pause. Sojiro folded his arms, giving no indication that he was impressed by his younger son's ability. He angled his head upward, an eyebrow cocked. He didn't want them to stop, at least not yet. Disappointed, Hanzo looked back at Genji, who was hesitating now, having noticed the fire lord.

"Just walk away, Hanzo," Genji told him quietly.

Quitting wasn't an option with Sojiro's eyes on them. Hanzo jumped and summoned a wave of flame with an airborne twirl. He heard Genji grunt with the effort of a split-second dodge, but landed and looked to find him missing.

"What?" he whispered, looking carefully over the foliage for any sign he might be hiding.

By the time Hanzo heard him, Genji had already grabbed his arm from behind. He was hauled off his feet when his brother rolled him over his shoulder and slapped him face-first into the ground. Hanzo wheezed, the air knocked out of him, while he scrambled to get away with Genji hard after him, attempting to kick him back down. He pushed himself behind the trunk of a tree to give himself enough freedom to stand.

Hanzo had to admit: his younger brother may not have been on his level when it came to firebending, but he certainly had the advantage in hand-to-hand fighting. Unfortunately, he knew that would do little to impress the fire lord. In fact, if Hanzo lost this fight despite his superior skill, Sojiro would be furious with both of them. He didn't want to imagine the consequences.

With refreshed determination, Hanzo leapt out from behind the tree to kick Genji in the temple. The younger prince grunted, but managed to block his follow-up attack. Angered that the fight had taken so long, Hanzo shoved him back with a sudden gust of flame from his lungs, catching him entirely by surprise. Genji backed away, wincing as he pulled his ignited scarf off, revealing a shallow burn on his neck. Hanzo didn't wait for him to recover before preparing his next attack by wreathing himself in fire. Genji's eyes widened.

"No, wait!" he cried only a half a second before Hanzo's dragon leapt forth and engulfed him, hiding him from his brother's view.

Hanzo knew how likely it was Genji had dodged again and that he'd be waiting to tease him as soon as he let up, the cocky bastard. His father would criticize him again for failing to use the technique properly and he'd be forced to apologize again. He was so tired of apologizing!

Upon hearing the splash, Hanzo's anger vanished. He dropped his fighting stance and walked to the river's bank to see Genji floating face-up in the water, his eyes closed. His clothes were charred, revealing a series of serious burns on the side of him he could see.

"Genji?" he asked.

His brother didn't respond as he was carried downstream by the water's current. Hanzo's brief moment of triumph turned into instant regret when he realized Genji wasn't conscious. He'd gone too far. Hanzo waded into the river and reached for his sleeve just as the current picked up, pulling it out of his reach.

He swam after him, suddenly aware that his brother was rushing toward the base of the palace wall. Beyond it was a short trip through the small, dark tunnel under the wall's width, followed by a waterfall that poured over the edge of the castle's plateau. The result was a deadly drop to the lake below.

"Genji, wake up!" he called, reaching for him again.

He felt his fingers touch fabric and grabbed it securely before searching for something along the bank that could stop their progress toward the tunnel. Hanzo kicked himself toward the edge of the river where he could reach the bank, pulling Genji behind him through the water. He slapped his hand onto dry land, digging his fingers into the dirt where he could get a secure grip on the grass and its roots. Just as he felt himself stop moving, the weight he was pulling behind him lessened. He raised his hand above the water to see he'd only managed to grab Genji's kerchief, and that it'd slipped off his head. His brother had vanished into the tunnel, where the hiss of rushing water grew louder.

Hanzo pulled himself out of the river and spun around to search for him, hoping he might've gotten caught in the tunnel's opening or on a rock near the bank. When he couldn't find him, he looked up to the wall's top above him, his hands facing the ground. A jet erupted from either palm, propelling him into the air. He blasted up above the top of the wall and landed on its edge where he could see the river and the waterfall below him. There was still no sign of his brother.

Frantically, he jumped back toward the courtyard, breaking his fall with a quick, powerful burst from his feet. He ran to the edge of the river and fell to his knees, searching again. It wasn't possible that Genji could be gone, just like that. He couldn't have been traveling that fast. He wouldn't accept that.

"Hanzo," he heard his father say from just behind him. His head whipped around to look at him, his eyes wide in panic.

"The guards," he cried, "the guards can find him. He must be caught somewhere, outside the wall!"

He jumped to his feet and started toward the gate. Sojiro stopped him with a firm hand on his damp shoulder.

"Calm yourself," he said sternly, "I have sent word to the guards."

Hanzo nodded, trying to slow his panicked breathing. They would find him and, after his burns were treated, he could apologize. It didn't matter how badly he needed to win that fight; he shouldn't have lost his temper, not with his own brother. He looked down at the wet kerchief in his hand. Its ends were black, having been singed by his last attack. It wasn't a good sign.

But it would be fine. They would find him and heal him…

Unless they couldn't.