What if there was a third royal child? A younger sister to Zuko and Azula to be exact. This is a short drabble about the younger sister of the royal family. This takes place before Ursa leaves and before Zuko is banished.
"Azula! Bring it back!" Zuko, the crown prince of the fire nation, yells as he chases his younger sister through the palace gardens. She had stolen the dagger his Uncle Iroh had given him. Again. "Give it back!" Mila looks up from where she's feeding the turtle ducks and frowns at her older siblings. She was the youngest of the three royal children. She often looked up to her sister and brother but sometimes didn't understand why they fought so much. Mila is eight years old while her sister is nine and her brother is eleven years old. Azula was home from her time spent at her school and Zuko and her were meant to be playing nicely with each other. "Azula! Give it back!"
"What is going on here?" The Fire Nation princess and their mother, Ursa, asks as she walks out into the garden. Azula freezes and holds up her prize for her mother to see, grinning from ear to ear. Zuko trips over his own feet, trying not to run into his sister, and falls.
"She took my dagger that Uncle Iroh gave me and she won't give it back!" Zuko scrambles to his feet. Mila runs over to her mother's skirts and hugs her tightly. Ursa plays a gentle hand on her youngest's head and gives her other daughter a stern look.
"Give your brother back his dagger. That is his, just like the doll is yours." Azula scoffs and throws the knife at her brother's head. Zuko narrowly catches it before it hits him, and he scowls at his sister. "Now, your father would like to see all three of you. He wishes for you to demonstrate the skills that you have learned from your fire bending masters." All three children were blessed to be benders. Each had a different master and each one had different skills. Zuko was more calculating while Azula's fire was crazier and wilder. Mila's fire was just developing as her fire bending had shown up late in life.
"He does? Why now?" Zuko asks, going to his mother's side.
"I do not know but I'm sure he just wants to see how his children are doing." Ursa gives her son a kind smile. "Now, go to your rooms and clean up then we'll all walk there together." Zuko bows to his mom before hugging her and running off to his room.
"Father won't be impressed with his skills. Zuko has no skills!"
"That's enough Azula. Now, go and get ready to see your father." Azula scowls but bows and walks past their mother, pinching her younger sister as she goes. Mila yelps and grabs the spot, sticking her tongue out at her sister's back. Ursa sighs and takes her younger daughter's hand, walking down the hallway. Mila was quieter than her siblings and didn't often speak. It wasn't that she couldn't. It was that she chose to. Her siblings often overlooked her and overshadowed her. As the third born, nobody really paid attention to her. "How is your fire bending training going, Mila?"
"It's fine." Mila answers with a shrug, "my teacher says that I am progressing on schedule."
"That's good. But are you having any fun?" Ursa pushes open the door to her daughter's room and walks in with her. They cross to her vanity and Mila sits in the chair. Ursa picks up her hairbrush and pulls her hair from the knot it was in. Ursa brushes it out as she looks at her daughter.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, are you enjoying your lessons? Are you having fun learning? Is he teaching you the stories about the dragons? Where fire bending comes from?"
"I learnt those from you when I was younger, in the stories that you told me before bed." Ursa pulls back her hair with a small frown on her face. "What's wrong Mother?"
"Nothing for you to worry about." Ursa finishes her daughter's hair and finishes it with a ribbon. "There. Do you want to change into your training gear?" Mila nods and runs to her closet, grabbing it out and changing into it quickly with the help of her mom. Ursa looks her daughter up and down and nods, "you look very proud." Mila smiles up at her mom and thanks her, taking her hand and leaving the room. Zuko soon meets up with them and takes his mother's other hand. "You look very smart Zuko." Zuko beams up at his mother, his chest puffing out a little more as he struts down the hall. Mila giggles at her brother and continues walking. As they approach the room, Azula is seen pacing outside the room looking extremely annoyed. She also had her training outfit on. "You look very pretty Azula."
"Yeah, for a fire rhino." Zuko teases with a smirk. Ursa gives her son a disapproving look and he murmurs an apology.
"Oh please, you just wish I was Mai." Zuko's face turns bright red and he opens his mouth to retort but his mother stops him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Come now children, your father is waiting patiently." Ursa opens the door and follows her children inside. They walk to where Ozai was waiting in a chair, ready to observe his children. As the three children reach the front of the room where their father was waiting, they each bow in turn and kneel in front of him. Ozai stands and gives a small nod of acknowledgement. Ursa gives a bow and a small smile to her husband. "Who would you like to see first?"
"I would like to go first, Mother. If that's alright." Azula chirps from her spot, a smirk on her face. Ozai gives a small nod and waves his hand, allowing for Azula to stand up. Azula quickly jumps up from her spot and takes her place, breathing in. The two other children and Ursa take a seat next to Ozai, watching. Zuko was decidedly nervous and was fidgeting. Mila was slightly nervous but knew her father would not expect much as she had just begun her training. Azula takes a few deep breaths before beginning her routine. As usual, it was flawless and fierce except for her technique which lacked greatly. She still had a lot to learn but showed a great promise. Ozai quirks a half smile at his daughter, proud of her for all of her progress. As she comes to take a seat, Ursa gives her a smile and congratulates her on her progress. Zuko jumps up, demanding to go next. He was determined to show that he was stronger than his sister, to impress his father.
Zuko's routine is flawed and less fierce than Azula but his technique is stronger. He sweats as he goes through his routine. As he tries to pull off a complicated move to finish, he catches sight of Azula's smirk and trips slightly. Ozai goes from a slight smile to a frown within a second but Ursa welcomes her son back with open arms, saying that he did very well and should be proud. "It's your turn Mila. Go ahead. Don't be nervous." Mila nods and stands up, straightening her outfit as she walks in front of her family. She faces her father and takes a deep breath, her heart pounding inside her chest. Reaching deep inside herself, Mila finds the fire within herself. She digs deep and opens her palms, summoning the fire. It lights up and she goes through her drills as she had been taught, passing the fire between her hands and over her head. She fires it into the air, taking her time with every single step. As she finishes, she closes her hands and extinguishes the fire she held. Ursa smiles at her daughter and even Ozai gives a small smile and a nod. He stands up and captures his family's attention instantly.
"You all did well. Azula, you show much passion. Zuko, you still have much to learn but you are promising. Mila, what your teacher says is true. You show promise as well, but you need to be fiercer, to dig into the power that is fire." To show his point, Ozai summons a large ball of flame. "Fire is strength. Fire is destruction. Fire is power. It is the ultimate element. Do not forget this my children. Forget this, and you disgrace your fire bending abilities."
"Is this why we have been fighting the Great War, Father?" Azula questions from her spot, a smirk on her face. "To show the rest of the world how strong we are?"
"Yes, Daughter. We fight to show the world how strong we are, to usher them into the arms of our nation so we can share our wealth throughout the world. Soon, we shall be faced with much more responsibilities than you have now. Are you ready for this my children?"
All of the children share a look, unsure as to what their father meant, and nod slowly. Azula's eyes light up with a gleam, imagining the Great War and what their father's words meant. Ursa frowns slightly but keeps her mouth shut, placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Children? Perhaps you should go play until dinner while I talk to your father." The three children stand up and bow to their parents before running off. As they exit the room, Azula grabs her two siblings and drags them to a secret hiding spot to listen. "Ozai, they're just children. Must you really talk to them about such things?"
"They may be children, but they will play a larger part soon." Ozai turns away from his wife, facing the fire.
"You aren't still talking about asking your father to change the line of succession are you?"
"Yes, I am. I know that it is my destiny to usher in a brighter future for our nation and for our children. My brother, he may not be able to lead our nation the proper way." Ursa looks at her husband, concern all over her face.
"You say this is for our children, but do you realize what this will do to them? Zuko will be forced to become Fire Lord after you." A dark look crosses Ozai's face and he turns to face his wife, the fires around him glowing brighter than ever.
"And you doubt that our son can rule?"
"No, that isn't what I am saying-"
"Then say what you mean!" Ozai yells, towering over his wife.
"We shouldn't be watching this." Zuko whispers to his sister, turning away from the scene in front of them.
"Don't be such a baby!" Azula smirks, watching her parents fight as her mother tries to come up with something to say to her husband that would not anger him even more.
"Ozai, they are just children. This will come as a surprise to them, a great world changing surprise. Besides, I doubt your father would do this. Iroh has given no reason to your father that he is unfit to be the next Fire Lord. Please, my husband," Ursa gently takes her husband's hands in hers, "think this through. For me." She gently kisses his cheek before stepping back and bowing. She exits through the door with her head held high, but Mila's eyes follow her and notice her wipe a tear away from her eyes.
"I'm leaving!" Zuko whispers and runs away, heading back toward his room.
Azula grins and looks at her younger sister, "this is so exciting! We may push our lazy uncle out of the line of succession!" With this gleeful thought, Azula leaves their hiding place and skips down the hallway. Mila crouches and stays, watching her father pace back and forth. The fires all around crackle and grow with his thoughts until Ozai raises his arms, causing the fires to grow to the tallest they had been yet as he grins.
"I will be the next Fire Lord. I shall usher in the new era of fire. No matter what I have to do." With this chilling thought, Ozai laughs a little before leaving the room.
(Been a while since I've seen the full series, but I wanted to write this. May be a one shot, may be a collection of them. I'm not sure yet.)