Meeting the Fire Lord
Throughout the entire ride back to the palace Sozin was playing with the fire in Ozai's hand. The ride back to the palace was long, since Sozin lived in the Fire Nation colonies at the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom. Sozin and Ozai had to travel by boat to get back to the mainland. When Ozai was seen leading a little boy up the boarding ramp most of his crew was shocked, yet the captain was the only one asking.
"Excuse me, Prince Ozai, do you realize you are being followed by an infant?" the captain asked.
"Yes, I do know I am being followed by an infant captain; now get us to the capitol as fast as you can. I am in a rush" Ozai said shortly.
"Right away, sir" the captain said before running off.
Ozai was looking at Sozin, who was just walking around, looking at the boots of the Fire Nation Royal Guard. The Royal Guard was perplexed at the baby hanging on to their boots, but they did not do anything about it. Ozai smirked at the child running after some of his best men. Ozai also wondered what was going to happen when his father, Fire Lord Azulon, would see the boy. Would Azulon feel the power of the inner fire of the boy, or would Azulon simply think of Sozin as a regular child. Ozai had to wait to find out.
As the Fire Nation vessel was nearing the Great Gates of Azulon Sozin got tired of chasing the crew around the ship so he stopped and went to sleep in the middle of the deck. The ship went through the Great Gates of Azulon very quickly and it took until the time that the ship docked at the beaches for Ozai to finally notice Sozin sleeping on the deck.
"Lieutenant, I need you to bring the baby over to me" Ozai called over.
"Right away, Prince Ozai" the young Lieutenant replied before bringing Sozin to Ozai.
Ozai departed off the ship and headed right for the palace. He got inside the palatine and ordered his servants to get him to the Palace as fast as they could. The servants walked as fast as they could and got Ozai to the palace before Sozin woke up, but Ozai would have wanted to get to the palace faster. Ozai quickly walked into the palace and went right to the throne room, carrying Sozin.
"Prince Ozai, you have returned" Fire Lord Azulon said as Ozai bowed.
"Yes, my visit to the colonies was a success" Ozai said.
"Good, good" Azulon said.
"As I was on my way back to the docks I saw something that shocked me. I saw this child set a house on fire using Firebending" Ozai said, still carrying Sozin.
"That child burned down a house using Firebending, Prince Ozai?" Azulon said, obviously skeptical.
"I saw it myself. This boy is a Firebender" Ozai said.
"People are Firebenders from birth Prince Ozai" Azulon said, annoyed.
"But this child discovered his gift already" Ozai argued.
"How can you prove your point? How do you know the fire wasn't just growing on its own?" Fire Lord Azulon asked angrily.
"I can prove it to you. The boy is waking up and I can prove that he is a Firebender" Ozai said.
"Get on with it then" Azulon said. Ozai thanked his father and turned to Sozin.
Ozai simply knelt down next to the boy and looked into his eyes. Ozai created a small flame in his hand and Sozin looked at it in awe. Sozin began walking toward Ozai's flame but he noticed the wall of fire surrounding Fire Lord Azulon. Ozai looked in shock as the boy ran toward the fire surrounding his father. Azulon however, did not move a muscle. Azulon waited for the boy to step next to the fire. Sozin's hand reached close to the fire and he simply reached back.
Azulon was shocked at the little boy who had the power to control fire. Azulon was waiting for the fire to burn the boy or burn out but it didn't happen. Azulon watched as Sozin fell backwards, landing in a sitting position, but not putting out the fire. The boy was smiling and laughing in the Fire Lord's presence. Under a normal circumstance Fire Lord Azulon would be furious, but seeing this boy with so much pure power put a smile on the old man's face.
"Prince Ozai, how did you find this boy?" Azulon asked.
"He was living in the Fire Nation Colonies near the shores of the Earth Kingdom. When I first saw him he was burning down his house. I am sure at least one of his parents was in the house, I am not sure if both were. I heard a scream" Ozai said.
"Well, I consider them dead as of right now. We are going to decide what is going to happen with the boy" Fire Lord Azulon said.
"Do you have an idea in mind?" Ozai asked him.
"Yes. I will teach him the basics of Firebending myself. No one shall disturb us unless it is information regarding the war that can not wait until our daily lesson is completed. No one shall know what we are doing. Am I understood Prince Ozai" Fire Lord Azulon said.
"Yes, my lord, but how will you get him to listen? He is only 10 months old" Prince Ozai replied.
"Prince Ozai, I will begin his training today" Fire Lord Azulon said. Ozai bowed before leaving out the door, leaving Sozin alone with Fire Lord Azulon.