AN: Enjoy.
Zuko sat on the edge of the turtle ducks pond. Watching them as they paddled around the pond aimlessly. The chicks following the mother like sheep. His thoughts drifted to his own mother and how she had left the night his grandfather had died. Servants were whispering something about them being connected but Zuko wasn't focused on that. He was wondering where his mother was and more importantly why she didn't take him with her. They never went on family trips alone and no one, not even father, could leave the palace without a few guards with them. Ursa was simply gone though. She hadn't taken anything with her besides a few things from her room and nothing else. It was more and more confusing the more Zuko thought about it. He thought Azula knew more than she let on, but she wouldn't tell him anything. She never would either. It always took their mother to make Azula do anything she didn't want to do. Either their mother or their father. Zuko knew his father knew what was going on and what had happened. There was no way he didn't. His father knew everything.
The moment he had seen his father after everything that had happened, he just knew. A gut feeling that told him his father held all the answers. But he wouldn't share them. He wished his mother had taken him with her wherever she had gone. It would be better than being in the palace.
"Now I'm stuck here with Azula all day." Zuko threw a rock in the pond in anger and the turtle ducks scattered in a chorus of quacks and a flap of wings. The mother worked on getting her chicks back in order and Zuko watched. "This sucks!"
Then he threw another rock. Watching them scatter again. And another and another rock soon followed. He wondered if they felt abandoned like he did. If the chicks thought their mother was gone and never coming back. Nothing but a cryptic late night visit of her left. Everything just filled him with anger now. Why was his mother gone? Why did she leave him all alone? It wasn't fair and it bothered him more than anything else. A rock flew from his hand and words came with it.
"I hate you!" Zuko shouted to vocalize his anger at what seemed like everything.
This time his rock hit the mother. It didn't let out a sound as it sunk below the waves, blood leaking from its head as it slipped beneath the surface of the pond. The chicks still swam aimlessly without a mother to guide them. Zuko should have been appalled at what he did. He paused with a new rock in his hand, his mind working through what had just happened. He had only meant to scare them and instead he had ended up killing one of them.
"Prince Zuko." The voice of his father snapped him out of his thoughts, the newly crowned Fire Lord bidding his guards to stay where they were as he approached Zuko.
His father's approach had the young boy panicking as he knew he would be punished for what he had done. It was inevitable.
"Father." Zuko turned and hid the rock behind his back.
"What are you doing out here son?" Ozai asked as he walked towards the young prince.
"Nothing." Zuko looked away from his father's eyes, feeling he could tell he was lying if he didn't.
"Then what's behind your back?" Ozai inquired and Zuko let the rock fall from his hands and showed them to his father.
"Nothing see." his foot tried to kick the rock into the pond as gently as he could but it stopped just short of it.
"I saw you Zuko." Ozai stopped trying to get his son to admit to it and Zuko's shoulders slumped as Ozai's eyes took in the evidence at the edge of the pond.
"Father I can explain." Zuko started but Ozai held up a hand to stop him.
"No need to explain Prince Zuko. You were angry and took your anger out on something weak. It is the right of the strong."
"But father." Zuko started a defense he wasn't sure was needed anymore and it showed in his hesitation, he was simply so used to it.
"Don't try to defend yourself Prince Zuko. You did nothing wrong.
"I didn't?"
"No. You are of the line of dragons and dragons do as they wish."
"Mother wouldn't like it though."
"Mother isn't here Zuko."
"Why?"
"Because she made a choice Zuko. And she left you and all of us behind."
"Why did mother do it though?"
"Because she didn't care about us Zuko. Not you, me, or Azula."
"I hate her." he didn't know where the words came from but they came out of his mouth regardless.
"It's alright to hate her Zuko. She deserves it. She never deserved any of our love." Ozai looked past Zuko and at the pond. "Are you still angry Prince Zuko?"
Zuko only nodded his head and Ozai walked past him, placing a hand on his son's shoulders and guiding him to the pond.
"Earth is such a weak element. Unleash your rage with your fire Prince Zuko."
Zuko paused. Not immediately following his father's command. He felt that doing so would change things. That it was something he couldn't fully see but there was a nagging in the back of his mind that stopped him as he drew back his fist. Ozai spoke at his son's hesitation.
"Do not think Prince Zuko." Ozai snapped at his son. "Channel your anger into your fire and let it out. Do what you want as the strong are entitled to."
Everything was driven from his mind in that moment besides his father's words. With a yell he let loose a fire blast far stronger than anything he had ever done in his lessons. Ozai eyes actually widened as he took in the steam that shrouded him and his son from view and the smell of burnt turtle duck.
"Very good Prince Zuko." Ozai gave Zuko his approval for what seemed like the first time. "Now come with me and we can practice more later."
His hand settled on his son's shoulder and guided him away. Away from the turtle duck pond and the good memories of his mother. He followed his father's hand as the emotions he now held for his mother settled in his heart and pushed away so much else. His father guided him away from everything and towards something. Down a path that wasn't something he could easily step back from.
AN: Hopefully you enjoyed. It's something interesting at least. Zuko going down the dark path of his father and sister.
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