Title: Sketches
Author: Atolia
Rating: G or K+
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender. All rights go to Viacom, Mike and Brian. I don't make any money from this story.
Summary: Memories are the sketches that illustrate our lives. Five prompts, five snapshots from the lives of the Fire Nation Royal Family
Tradition
It has always been tradition in the Fire Nation for a father to accompany his son to the Alter of Agni on the morning of his wedding. Secretly, Iroh always knew he, not his brother, would make the trip.
Castles
Zuko is nine the last time his father takes him to Ember Island. It has only been a month since his cousin left for war, but he can't remember that as he watches his mother build him castles on the beach. Inside, his father is watching his own castles built, in the form of letters to Ba Sing Se. They will not realize it that day, but both their castles are made of sand.
Gaming
Ozai is a brilliant strategist. He always wins the battles and has made better use of the Fire Nation's resources than any of his ancestors. Iroh always wins at Pai Sho. He attributes it to the fact that Ozai can never see the intelligence in foreign strategies. It is probably why, Iroh muses, Ozai lost the war.
Passage
At first, Zuko can't see through the thick gauze that keeps the soon-to-be scar from getting infected. But he can feel the sun. Oh can he feel it. Feel the fire that has left a permanent mark on his face. At first, Zuko keeps track of time by scratching marks in his wall, so he can tell how many days have passed when the gauze comes off. When it finally does, he is quite literally faced with the cold truth. He makes no more marks.
Moon
It is halfway between frustrating months of chasing, fighting and yelling. He is tired.
It is the beautiful celestial orb. The marker of the passing time. He has seen it far too many times for this adventure, but he will never stand by and let what happened to another boy on a night just like this one happen to this boy. He is determined.
It is four more cycles of the orb before he will have conquered a might enemy. He is rejuvenated.