AN- Hey guys! So this is a short fic I made for my English class Fanfiction assignment :D I haven't written in a while, so I'm sorry if my writing's a bit rusty. Enjoy xx
Disclaimer- I sadly don't own ATLA :(
"Your mother is dead," The former Fire Lord spat, as he turned his gaze towards his son, his expression smug. Zuko kneeled and leaned in as close as the iron bars would let him.
"She is not!" he exclaimed in Ozai's face, his own crunched up in fury. "We both know that. Just get to the point, father. Tell me where she is. You are in no place to fool around."
Ozai just threw his head back and laugh that maniacal laugh of his. Zuko narrowed his eyes and passed his right hand through the bars, whilst summoning a scorching hot flame in it. He quickly grabbed Ozai's shirt so he wouldn't be able to move away. "Now, I'm only going to ask this question one more time," Zuko hissed, bringing the flame closer to Ozai's face. "Where is my mother?" he asked slowly, through gritted teeth.
Ozai's eyes were now full of fear. He swallowed and said, "Very well. But, before I tell you, you mustn't get your hopes up. Your mother could very well be dead- I was not 'fooling around' when I told you that." A great wave of sadness passed over his eyes, but it was gone before Zuko could make sure it was actually there.
"I sent her to Hira'a, the village she grew up in," Ozai told his son. Zuko fisted his hand, distinguishing the flame. He pulled away and stood, giving Ozai one, last, unreadable look, before turning and walking away.
"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you, Zuko?" Aang asked, glancing at his dear friend. The whole team Avatar was there, even Suki. Their eyes were all fixed on the young Fire Lord.
Zuko nodded, determined. "I have to do this on my own."
Katara, who stood beside Aang, said, "We understand. You will find your mother." She smiled reassuringly.
Zuko smiled one of his rare smiles. "Thank you, all of you." With that, he hopped on his Mongoose dragon and rode off.
Once on the main road, Zuko halted the Mongoose dragon he was riding and reached into one of the saddlebags to retrieve an ornate hair comb wrapped in silk. He unwrapped it, and the golden comb glinted in the sunlight.
Zuko slid off the great beast's back and held the comb out to the beast, saying, "Here, Rosco." Rosco sniffed the comb and out came a rumbling sound from the back of his throat. Zuko then took the piece of silk and wrapped the comb back up carefully. It was the only piece of his mother Zuko had left, and he wasn't about to lose it too.
The moment Zuko was seated back on Rosco's back, the beast jerked forwards, catching a scent. Zuko gathered the reigns in his hands loosely, letting Rosco take control. Mongoose dragons were the best trackers in the Fire Nation, so Zuko trusted his mount. It was his only option, really.
Rosco's sniffing brought them farther away from the business of the main roads. They soon were in a somewhat dense forest, and Rosco agilely picked his way through the boulders and tree trunks. The sun was setting. Rosco still trudged on persistently, even though Zuko could tell he was tired. Zuko finally tugged on the reigns, bringing Rosco to a stop near a huge boulder. "Alright, that's enough travelling for the day. You need a rest. We'll leave early tomorrow," Zuko told the beast. Zuko unsaddled Rosco and patted his neck firmly before gathering up branches and dried leaves to build a fire. Summoning a fireball in his palm, he lit the pile. After a small dinner, Zuko left Rosco to hunt and he started to doze off, closing his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was in the corridors of his palace. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead and he was running. He ran from one hallway to another, turning, trying to find something- someone. He could hear a voice, her voice, echoing through the walls, but whatever turn he took he just couldn't find her.
Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are… never forget who you are… never forget-
"Mom, no!" Zuko shouted, jolting awake.
Beads of sweat still dripped down his forehead, but he was back in the forest, with Rosco sleeping soundly by his side, and embers glowing dimly in the pile in front of him. "Don't leave," he breathed, bending over and putting his head in his hands. "I'll never forget."
Soon after he recovered from his nightmare, Zuko mounted Rosco and they quickly sped off as light began to filter through the leaves. After a while, they reached an open field. They were greeted by hundreds of fire lilies- rare flowers that only bloom a few weeks each year. Zuko took this as a good sign.
He could see houses in the distance, and Rosco raced on. They soon reached the village of Hira'a.
As they entered, Zuko slowed the Mongoose down. He looked around. Hira'a looked like a typical Fire Nation village- busy, warm, nothing out of the ordinary.
Then Rosco jerked forwards to a stop so abruptly, Zuko almost got thrown off. "Rosco!" he scolded, glaring down at his mount.
The Mongoose had sniffed a very strong whiff of the scent. He suddenly lunged forwards. Racing down the street, he made several turns before stopping abruptly again. Rosco turned his neck towards a nearby house and Zuko followed his gaze.
Zuko's eyes rested on a simple, wooden house. It was small, but it looked very homey.
He slid off Rosco's back and strode up to the front door. This is it, he thought. Taking a deep breath, Zuko knocked.
Shuffling could be heard inside, followed quickly by a "Who's there?" The voice sounded old and gruff- not a female voice, and most definitely not his mother's.
Zuko hesitated before replying. "Zuko."
Inside, the voice was heard again, saying, "Zu- Zuko?!". Something crashed. "Impossible!" Seconds later, the door flung open and Zuko came face to face with an elderly man. His expression shifted from curiosity to surprise to wonderment to shock.
Zuko shifted uncomfortably and then said, "Are you alright, sir?"
That seemed to have made the old man realize he was staring at the boy with his mouth half opened, so he quickly closed it. He still looked surprised, though. "It is you, Zuko! Oh, how you've grown!"
Zuko's brows creased as he tried to remember who this old man was. He didn't know the old man but the old man obviously knew him.
"I am sorry, that was silly of me not to introduce myself. Or reintroduce, I should say. You were just a tiny baby when I first met you. No wonder you've forgotten me," the old man told Zuko. "My name is Shang. I am your grandfather. From your mother's side, of course."
"Oh, hello, grandfather," Zuko replied, slightly surprised. He bowed in courtesy. "It's good to see you."
"Yes, good indeed. But I assume the reason you came here, all the way to Hira'a, is not to see me, but to see someone else. And I'm very sure that my assumption is correct, so let's get down to business."
Zuko was trying to not let his hopes crumble as he sailed towards Ember Island, with Rosco by his side. His grandfather Shang had said that his mother did come to Hira'a when she was banished all those years ago. But the villagers hated her, just because she was a royal. So after enduring many years of torment, Ursa, Zuko's mother, decided to sail for Ember Island, the only other place she knew, really. And that was where Zuko was headed.
Once Zuko reached Ember Island's shore, he tried coaxing Rosco to head deeper into the island, but the Mongoose wouldn't budge. Rosco looked extremely puzzled as he searched for Ursa's scent. It was there on the way to Ember Island, but then it vanished. So Zuko got his mother's comb out again. Rosco sniffed it, but it didn't make a difference. It was like Ursa wasn't there.
Zuko wasn't about to lose hope. He wasn't about to let Rosco's sense of smell stop him. He knew his mother was there. He could feel it.
Once Zuko got Rosco moving again, he searched every inch of the island in record time, starting from the famous Ember Island theatre at midday, and ending up at his family's beach house in the evening. He saved this place for last so that he'd have a flame of hope throughout his entire time searching. But after searching the mansion over twice, he came to no avail.
Zuko sat on the steps of his beach house, staring off to the dark horizon. So this was really it. His mother was… gone. As a great wave of anguish swept over him, he sent a jet of scorching fire into the air, shouting as he did so. The next moment he crumpled to the ground in a wreck.
"Zuko," a voice said.
Zuko's eyes grew wide. That voice- he'd recognize it anywhere. It was- "Mom," he breathed, turning around sharply. And there she was, standing right there in front of him.
She looked just as Zuko remembered her- beautiful, with her long ebony hair and soft features. She had a small smile on her face, but her eyes looked weary.
"Mom," Zuko repeated, worried she'd disappear again if he didn't. Ursa opened her arms, smiling beckoningly at her son. Zuko rushed towards her and hugged her tight. "I miss you," Zuko said, his voice cracking. He felt like a young boy all over again.
"I miss you too, Zuko. I miss you too," Ursa replied, her voice sad. "I am sorry I had to leave you all alone, my dear Zuko."
"You won't have to do it again," Zuko told his mother, pulling away. He quickly explained how Ozai was in jail now.
"Please," he begged her. "Come back with me to the palace right now."
Ursa gazed at her son in despair. "I can't."