Chapter 1.
The Son
Lu Ten raced down the halls of the fire nation palace, the grin on his face brighter than the sun as he raced closer and closer to the medical room.
"Today is the day!"
"Lu- Lu Ten! Slow down!" Wheezed a voice from behind him.
"Come on father, we'll be late!" Lu Ten shouted back without even turning around. He whizzed around a corner, almost crashing into one of the servants and making her spill the tray of fruits she was holding onto the floor.
"Sorry! I'll make it up to you later!"
"Lu Ten! Don't be so rude! Lu Ten!" Iroh called after him, however his shout fell on deaf ears as Lu Ten sprinted sharply around another corner. He stopped and lent a hand on the wall as he caught his breath. "Geez, where does that kid get all his energy from?"
Lu Ten charged down another hall, sending servants jumping out of his path.
"Just down here! There it i…" he suddenly came screeching to a halt as he recognised a figure pacing nervously outside the door to the medical room.
Despite only being 7, the figure stood a little taller than Lu Ten, who was eight. His shoulders were broader and his physique more muscular, and his black hair was pulled back into the traditional top knot with a golden decorative piece that marked him as a member of the royal family.
A cheeky grin spread across Lu Ten's face, and silently he tiptoed towards the figure that was too deep in though to notice him. Suddenly he leapt forwards and grabbed him in a hug from the back, sending both of them crashing to the floor.
"Gotcha Baelz!"
"Ah! Lu Ten! What are you doing? Get off me!"
The two writhed around on the floor before Baelz managed to free himself from his cousins grip and scramble to his feet.
"What on earth did you jump on me for, idiot!"
Lu Ten looked up at him, his million watt grin never leaving his face. "Well you didn't show up to firebending practise earlier, which immediately shouts suspicious, and then I found you out here looking all mopey on such a fantastic day. I thought you deserved a good scare for being so miserable today of all days."
Baelz frowned, making his sharp features a little intimidating even at a young age. He gave a resigned sigh and offered out a hand, helping Lu Ten to his feet. "You crazy idiot. I'm not miserable, I'm just…"
He trailed off, his eyes taking on a faraway look that Lu Ten had grown increasingly familiar with in the past few days. Lu Ten gave him a punch on the shoulder, causing Baelz to stumble slightly and look at him, and then shot him a comforting smile.
"What's got you so worried? Aunt Ursa is finally going into labour, you're going to be a big brother! You should be jumping with joy right now!"
"Half-brother!" Baelz corrected sternly, "And that's just it. Now that Dad's got a new wife and a new heir he might not want me around anymore. He's always been distant, so what if now I'm not necessary he tells me to go away."
It had been five years ago, when Baelz was too young to remember, that his mother had died. Though people talked to him about how wonderful and beautiful she was, when they thought he couldn't hear they whispered to each other about how she was a bitchy gold digger who married Prince Ozai for power. She had been killed in a bandit raid gone bad on one of her many shopping trips, and merely a day later Ozai had shown up with Ursula and arranged to marry her.
Lu Ten sighed, then smacked Baelz hard on the head before he could react, causing the taller boy to wince in pain. "Don't be ridiculous! He may be a little distant at times, but Uncle Ozai loves you dearly, there's no way he'll not want you anymore! Aunt Ursa loves you like a son too, despite how awkward you act around her. She'd never let something like that happen!" He slung his arm around Baelz, pulling him into a half hug. "Besides, even if Ozai did want you gone I know dad would just adopt you anyway. We're as close as brothers anyway, so may as well be the real thing right?"
Baelz stared at him blankly, lost for words. But slowly a small, happy smile spread across his face. He returned Lu Ten's half hug.
"Thanks. I needed that."
"Lu Ten! There you are!"
The boys turned as Prince Iroh, gasping for air, came to a stop in front of them. "You have a lot of apologising to do to the servants young man! You almost gave one of them a heart attack."
Lu Ten smiled sheepishly at him. "Sorry dad, I was excited you know! I mean I'm going to get another little cousin!"
Iroh gave a warm smile. "Yes, it really is a wonderful day. And I am glad that we are all here as a family to see it."
"So come on, let's go in then." Lu Ten whined, pulling Baelz with him into the medical room.
As expected of the fire nation palace, the hospital room was the most luxurious in the fire nation. Gold trinkets and beautiful works of art hung everywhere, and around an enormous silk bed stood the rest of the royal family and their closest friends. Silently the two boys pushed their way through the crowd to the side of the bed, when an exhausted but overjoyed looking Ursa lay resting with a small bundle of red silk in her hands.
"Baelz, Lu Ten, Iroh, you're finally here." She said as she noticed them. With a small but immeasurably happy kind smile she beckoned for Baelz to come closer. "Come here Baelz. Say hello to your little brother."
Baelz hesitated, but with a nudge from Lu Ten he leant forwards over the bed to stare at the squirming red bundle.
A little baby, sleeping soundly in his mother's arms with a tiny tuft of black hair on his head, mouthed something silently in his sleep. He was so cute and small and incredibly alive that Baelz gave a small gasp, causing Ursula's smile to grow. He looked so innocent, so free from the world's problems. And as Baelz gentle stroked his forehead with his finger the baby gave a happy little coo.
"His name is Zuko." Ursa whispered lovingly.
Baelz looked down at the baby, his baby brother. Even sleeping and defenceless the baby gave of an air of greatness, of destiny so different from anything he'd ever felt before that Baelz made a mental promise to himself there and then. He would protect his baby brother from anything and everything that tried to harm him, and he would do all he could to keep him happy. It was the duty of all big brothers, and he intended to fulfil every aspect of it.
"Hello Zuko. I'm Baelz, your big brother. And I'm going to be there for you always from now on."
Zuko squirmed and made a happy little mumbling sound.
Ursa gave Baelz an affectionate pat on the head and cradled her baby closer. "I'm sure you two are going to get on just fine."