Chapter 1: Destinies in Motion

Twenty Years Previously…

Ursa was sitting in the garden of her family's mansion early in the morning of the day that would change her life forever. She sat on a small bench on the edge of the garden pool, watching the turtleducks swim in the shallow water. She'd always had a fondness for the small creatures, and her gaze was following them intently when she heard the footsteps approach behind her and then stop. She turned to see a middle-aged man in plain red robes, and she recognized one of her father's favorite servants.

"Forgive this interruption, my lady," the man said, bowing at the waist, "but your father requests your presence in his study at once- he says that it is most significant."

Ursa sighed, wondering exactly what it was he wanted this time- father simply wasn't the type to call his daughter in to speak with him simply because he desired the pleasure of her company. She turned a rose, catching a glimpse of herself in the pool as she did so- a teenage girl in the rich robes that, while not as ornate as some, plainly marked her as Fire Nation high nobility, her long black hair held back from her face by a plain golden clasp. "Thank you, Li," she told the servant. "I should probably go to see what he wants right away."

"That would be wise, my lady," Li replied, bowing again.

His work done, he remained in the garden as Ursa brushed past him and into the house, following the long hallways until she came to her father's study. He was waiting within, sitting on a low chair and sipping from a small cup of tea, over the rim of which he regarded his daughter with coolly appraising eyes. He wasn't a cruel father, like some Ursa had heard of, but neither was he openly affectionate; it was hard to escape the notion sometimes that he saw her less as a person and more as a particularly valuable asset of his house.

"Li said you wanted to see me?" Ursa asked him, giving the slight bow that was his due as her father and the head of her family.

"I did," he replied, motioning for a seat across from him. "Take a seat, Ursa. We have important matters concerning your future to discuss today."

"My future?" she asked, sitting down. "What do you mean?"

"This morning I received a letter saying that one of the marriages I was attempting to arrange for you has been successful." He glanced at her shrewdly. "Barring any unexpected upsets, you will within the next few years at most be wed to Prince Ozai."

Ursa gaped. "Prince Ozai?" she asked, feeling foolish but not entirely able to process what she'd just heard. "Fire Lord Azulon's younger son?"

Her father looked at her rather crossly. "Yes. I do believe that there is only one Prince Ozai currently living in the Fire Nation. As should be most obvious, this is a tremendous honor both for our family and for you. I trust you will make the most of it." Though he didn't say it out loud, there was something in his tone that clearly said, don't screw this up.

Ursa's mind was reeling. She'd never met Prince Ozai personally, and there'd never been much fanfare about him at court- he'd always been overshadowed by the exploits of his much older brother Iroh, who was both the heir to the throne and already making a name for himself in military service. As Iroh already had a young son himself, Ozai wasn't even likely to be part of the succession. All Ursa knew about him was that he was a little older than she was; she'd seen him from a distance a few times, and had thought him rather handsome. Still, her father was right- even a prince who wasn't favored would still bring tremendous honor and status to his bride, and to her family.

"Thank you for managing to get me this opportunity," Ursa finally managed to say. "I will do my best to prove worthy of it."

"I am certain you will," her father said, and for a brief moment she thought she heard genuine pride in his voice. When he continued, though, he was all business once again. "Prince Ozai is not currently in the Capital- I believe he is on a hunting expedition of some sort, though I'm afraid I don't know the details- so formal introductions will have to wait." He paused, and Ursa stood to leave thinking he was done; he waved her back to her seat. "This is not, however, all that I wished to tell you. You have been granted a rare honor, my daughter- rarer perhaps even than being wed to a prince. You have been selected for training by the Ying Shou."

That name meant nothing to Ursa. "I don't understand," she said.

"The Ying Shou are a secret organization, answering only to the Fire Lord or his chosen representatives," her father explained. "I know little more about them, only that they work in the shadows and perform assignments too, ah- delicate for the military. I suspect their interest in you has to stem from your marrying into the Fire Lord's family- so far as I know, they only train a handful at a time, and I cannot think of any other reason they would seek you out in particular."

"I… have to agree," Ursa admitted. She'd been trained in basic hand-to-hand fighting techniques- unlike the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe barbarians, the Fire Nation had no use for purely decorative noblewomen, especially during war- and her firebending sifu had pronounced her decently skilled, but there were plenty who were far better than she was, and she knew it. "I can only hope I will live up to the honors I have been presented with."

"So do I," Father said, and smiled tightly. Ursa knew she should be happy- marrying a prince had at some point been the fantasy of every young noblewoman and probably a fair share of peasants, to say nothing of having been chosen by one of the Fire Lord's elite groups for their training- but she couldn't shake the notion that somehow the world had shifted beneath her feet, and she was no longer certain exactly where she stood.

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The garrison stood in even ranks in the courtyard of one of the many Fire Nation fortresses that now dotted the coastline of the Earth Kingdom. Their commanders stood at their head, and they faced a raised platform where stood the High General of the Fire Army himself, resplendent in his red-and-gold armor- he had come in by ship last night specifically for this ceremony. There was a degree of muttering in the ranks- after all, a promotion could be handled just by a letter, after all- but then, it was hardly every day that the Fire Lord's eldest son made general.

"Come forward," the High General said loudly. One of the officers- an unremarkable-enough man to look at, short and broad, in early mid-life- stepped forward and knelt before him. "You are being honored with this promotion today for proposing the strategy that led to victory over the Earth Kingdom forces that attacked this very site, for demonstrating quick thinking and powerful commanding presence on the battlefield itself, and for impressive tactical use of bending to turn the tide in our favor. Do you swear to loyally serve the Fire Nation and its Fire Lord, to lead its soldiers to honor and victory, and to uphold the vision set down by Fire Lord Sozin that our nation shall unite this world and forge an empire that will last a millennium?"

"I do," the kneeling officer replied.

"Then rise, General Iroh of the Fire Nation. May Agni shine on you." Iroh stood slowly, and then clasped the High General's hand. Behind him, the ranks of the soldiers saluted, and then cheered.

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After the promotion ceremony was over, Iroh found the High General standing on the fortress wall, staring out over the sea. "You wanted to see me?" the Fire Lord's son asked.

The High General turned to face him. "I did. Walk with me." He turned and began to walk along the wall, Iroh following a short distance behind. For a long time there was silence, and then the High General spoke again. "When I was a young officer, your father was my commander-that was back before he was Fire Lord, of course. I trust that you'll live up to his legacy- and from what I've heard, I don't think that will be difficult."

Iroh smiled and laughed. "Thank you for your kind words, High General, but I hope you don't raise your expectations too high- I am only one man, after all!" He paused briefly. "If you don't mind telling me- what was my father like as a commander?"

The High General paused, considering. "Azulon was a great leader, I thought," he said, "and I don't just say that because he is now Fire Lord and you're a prince. He was a cold man, a hard man, but a very canny strategist who knew his objective and focused everything he had on taking it. And he was a genius with firebending, of course, though anyone could have told you that. I think we were all a little afraid of him, but we respected him too; we knew that he'd lead us to victory and glory."

"Well, I hope that I can live up to his reputation," Iroh said.

"I hear you are already a father yourself," the High General observed.

"Ah, yes." A peaceful look crossed Iroh's face. "I have one son- my dear Lu Ten. I miss him very much, but a war is no place for a small child. He is in the Capital right now, being cared for by some of my cousins; his mother died shortly after he was born." A somber expression crossed his face.

"You must hope that when his time comes, he can be Fire Lord over a peaceful world united under our rule."

"I do." Stopping, Iroh turned to look out over the east. "Somewhere out there is Ba Sing Se, the beating heart of the Earth Kingdom- how I long to see it for myself someday, and test myself against it! But I fear that day is still a long way off." He stopped and laughed. "Ah, listen to me- a general for only a few hours and already I wish to topple the Earth Kingdom by myself. I hope I do not sound like I am merely making empty boasts."

The High General gave a small smile. "I think taking Ba Sing Se is something we all dream of. It is the ultimate prize, but still far outside our reach. I only hope to see that change in my lifetime! Still, that does remind me of the reason I wanted to speak to you." He removed a small scroll from inside him cloak and unfurled it, revealing a map of an Earth Kingdom fortress. "This is your first assignment as general. The fortress stands in the middle of an important pass, preventing our forces from gaining access to the Earth Kingdom lands beyond. So far, we've had no luck in capturing it- hopefully, you can do better."

Iroh took the map and looked it over critically. "I can't say right now whether or not I can," he said, "but I think I may have some ideas. I promise you that if it is within my power, the fortress will fall." He glanced back towards the main body of the Fire Nation base, and then put an arm around the High General's shoulder. "Now then, if you don't have to return to the Capital at once, I hope that I might be able to convince you to share some tea with me here? You might not believe it, but one of my commanders makes the most excellent jasmine…"

The High General laughed. "A man of good taste, I see! I think, General Iroh, that you are a man of many hidden talents; I can only hope that the Fire Nation will benefit greatly from them in years to come."

"So do I," Iroh told him, and together the two generals made their way back to the fortress.