Prince Ozai did not simply think himself to be a great firebender- he knew he was one. The sweltering evening sun still hung above him in the sky, and he felt its energy course through him; it made him sweat, and it made him pant, but that was nothing compared to the power it provided. It gave him the energy to channel his emotions into a powerful fire blast as he kicked and punched at the numerous dummies that surrounded him. His goatee flicked through the air as he spun around, sending a powerful kick of flames into a dummy, throwing it down to the ground. He then sent out a number of articulate jabs, striking each of the dummies in their heads, before he moved back into form, taking a deep breath. He knew that he could be faster and more ferocious, but even he could tire after a good hour of training exercises.
"Your highness! You have been called to the infirmary!" he heard a servant call out to him; Ozai rolled his eyes, not wanting to be interrupted from his training.
The look on the servants face, panicked and flustered, suggested the issue might have been a little more serious than he first presumed; he knew that his wife was in labour, but he was sure she would not be giving birth until nightfall. He remembered how long and tedious her labour with Zuko had been, so with their next child, he had guessed that it would be similar.
"What is it? Has the child been born?" he asked, the servant shaking his head.
"No, your highness. There've been some complications, but the doctor says the child will arrive very soon." he explained, the Prince stepping closer as he thought over his words.
"What kind of complications?" he raised a brow, the servant stepping back with fear; the Prince's fists were drawn out, as if he were ready to set the servant alight- he didn't have that intention, but that didn't mean that he wasn't growing more concerned by the moment.
"Bleeding, my Prince." he explained it simply, "Your wife has lost a lot of blood."
Ozai desired to restrain his frustrations, but he could not hold himself back, his open palms letting out flames before he forced them shut.
"Why didn't you come to me sooner?!" he shouted at the servant, who cowered back in fear.
"My greatest apologies, your highness!" he bowed down to try and stem the Prince's anger; it didn't help, but he held his lips shut as he waited for an explanation, "The doctor had to check the baby was still alive before he did anything."
"It is?" he raised a brow, the servant making a small, cautious nod.
"Y-yes, it is." he confirmed, Ozai immediately turning his heels, striding over to the edge of the courtyard, where his shirt and towel lay; patting himself down with the latter before dressing himself quickly with the former, he glanced back toward the servant, pointing at him to command.
"Go tell the doctor I will be there at once." he requested with a cold voice, the servant running away after he gave the briefest of nods.
He turned around, taking a deep breath as he considered what might be happening; Ursa was in trouble, and he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't a healer, nor did he know much about how child-birth worked. He did know, however, that blood loss was a serious matter, and that he had to go see his wife, to make sure the doctor did everything in his power to ensure her good health. If he did not do his job, Ozai would demand his father have him exiled to the colonies for good measure, though he thought execution would be the only suitable response if his wife was to perish. He turned around and looked at his robes, which were hanging from a wooden stand nearby, ready to be wrapped around his form. He didn't think of formalities when he considered the situation, but he knew that he ought to be dressed; he was a Prince, not some peasant.
Striding over, he grasped the robes and wrapped them around his torso, quickly tying the waistband before he turned toward the exit; he needed to reach the infirmary at haste. He did not know what would happen, but he was certainly not going to let the physician get away with botching the birth of his second child. The better heir, he could only hope. Zuko had yet to show signs of being a firebender, and his disposition was no more inspiring. He knew that he was not worthy of being his heir, but he was stuck with him, at least for the meantime.
"Give me a worthy heir." he muttered under his breath, before he turned around sighing, as he remembered the very reason he had married Ursa in the first place, "Father's no idiot. He couldn't have chosen the wrong woman."
His father was getting old, and soon enough, he would be dead; his brother might be Fire Lord, though he doubted the Dragon of the West had the stomach for what had to be done. A great general, yes, but not the kind of man who would make the sacrifices necessary for their nation to achieve their supreme victory over the lesser nations. His only consolation was that Zuko had little chance of being the Fire Lord, which wasn't very consoling when Ozai did not have much of a chance either; he was no great general, nor had he achieved anything of great renown as Prince of the Fire Nation. His only great virtue, at least in the eyes of his father, was his bending. But he had great wit, and he knew that if he played the game right, he would be the next Fire Lord; it would take effort, and more than that, a good heir to back him up. As he strode down the hallway, toward the infirmary where he knew his wife to be laying, he could only think of the possibilities.
"I need a son. A son who is a great firebender. Give me a worthy successor to Fire Lord Azulon."
"Your highnesses, I bear... the worst news."
Prince Lu Ten glanced up from the Pai Sho board that he had been intently staring at for the past few minutes, trying to formulate a move that he could use to corner his father; he knew he had a chance, but in trying to achieve it, he was wasting time. The servant before them looked worried, and that confused the Prince; the sun was low in the sky, and the weather was clear; there was not much sign of commotion in the palace, so he didn't know what kind of news it could be. He hoped it wasn't from the war front; he couldn't stand for his father to leave again. The Dragon of the West was a busy man, but he spared some time to come home and spend it with his son, and Lu Ten appreciated every moment of it.
"Sorry, the worst news?" his father asked the servant, his voice sounding as confused as he'd expect him to, "Did something happen in the Earth Kingdom?"
"This is not news of the war." the servant admitted, before looking down, seemingly ashamed, "I'm sorry, I ought to just be forthright. Princess Ursa, she has passed away from complications during childbirth."
Lu Ten's eyes widened, realising what he was saying; he didn't know his aunt well, but he was shocked by the news that he had just heard. His own mother had passed in childbirth, so he had never had the chance to know her, but he did know the kind of pain that would bring to anyone. He couldn't imagine what poor little Zuko was feeling. He was only two years old, but he loved his mother nearly, and she loved him in return.
His father spat out his tea back into the cup, clearing his throat loudly before he placed the tea-cup down, "Excuse me?"
"Blood loss." the servant clarified, not making the news any less raw, "I am sorry to bring this information to you. Prince Ozai has gone to his quarters and requested he not be disturbed for the rest of the day."
"What of the child?" Iroh asked him, the servant clearing his throat.
"She is healthy and bright eyed. The fire sages say she will be a great bender." he explained, Lu Ten grasping at his collar, unsure what to say or do.
"What's her- uh- name?"
"She is Princess Azula, named for your grandfather, our great Fire Lord." the servant clarified, Iroh's eyes widening with surprise.
"Azula?" he mumbled, turning his eyes away to glance off into the distance, "I'm surprised."
"You may leave us now." Lu Ten decided to speak up, preferring to be with his father alone while they both came to terms with what had happened.
The servant bowed, and turned his heels, leaving them at once; he turned to face his father, whose expression was growing into one of utter dread, "Zuko." he muttered his nephew's name, "What are we going to do about Zuko?"
"What do you mean, Father?"
"My brother is a cruel and unforgiving man." he simply told him, which unnerved Lu Ten.
He knew that when his father spoke with such conviction, he knew it had to be true, which only disturbed him further; he held no great disdain to his uncle, who might have been a little cold toward him, but not much more than that.
"How can you- what can we do?" he asked him, unsure what they could do to help his cousin; he was only two years old, and even if his uncle was not the most caring parent, he was the one with responsibility over him.
"I am unsure. He is still too young to make his own decisions or choose what he wants with his life, but I am afraid he will never have the opportunity." he conceded, looking down to his cup of tea, which he remembered his father had spat into; he decidedly tossed the contents of the cup into the nearby bushes, which amused Lu Ten somewhat, but he dare not laugh- not at that time.
"What about your new niece?" he asked Iroh, who looked down with a fearful glance toward his empty tea cup.
"I hope that she is a firebender." he simply admitted, "If she is not, I don't know what my brother will do with her."
"Uncle, you can make sure grandfather stops him from doing anything extreme. Nothing like what he said he'd do to Zuko, right?" he asked Iroh, unsure whether his grandfather would listen; he was a bit like his uncle, cold and uncaring for the most part, and though he did have a soft spot for his eldest son, he did not seem to have much care for anybody else, including his grandson Zuko.
"I can try. Father mightn't care. He might want Ozai to remarry, so he can continue the bloodline."
"He didn't make you remarry after... after Mother died." he acknowledged, his father sighing, looking up to the sky above them.
"My father has different standards for Ozai. That's probably why he is like he is." he admitted, Lu Ten looking down, unsure what he could say or do.
"Then what will we do, Father?" he asked him, knowing that he was the only one who understood what it was like to lose a wife.
"We need to find your cousin. He should learn this news from a friendly face." he admitted, before rising up to his feet, "Come with me, my son." he offered him a hand.
He accepted his father's firm grip, and walked alongside him as he strode out of the courtyard, opening the doors; he turned to face the nearest attendant, taking a deep breath before addressing them, "Where is my nephew?"
"Prince Zuko is currently having his dinner."
"And my brother?" he asked, the attendant making an uncertain face.
"I do not know, your highness. I apologise for the inconvenience."
"It is not your fault. News doesn't spread as quickly as I sometimes think." he conceded, before turning to face his son, "We will have our dinner with your cousin tonight. He should not be alone."
Lu Ten made a solemn face, knowing that without his mother, his cousin would no longer have the care that every child ought to have; even if Ozai was there, he was not the kindest father, and he didn't have the same kind of connection with his son as his aunt did.
"He won't ever have to be alone, Father, as long as he has us." he explained, before turning his eyes away, considering that he also had his newborn cousin to consider; he didn't know her, but he hoped that he could get to know her as well- she might need some more friendly faces.
"And her too."
Fourteen years later...
"Azulon. Fire Lord to our nation for seventy-nine years. You were our fearless leader in the Battle of Garsai. Our matchless conqueror of the Hu Xin Provinces. You destroyed the Southern Water Tribe and brought the Earth Kingdom to their knees. Your reign has seen more victories than any other. You were father of Iroh, father of Ozai, husband of Ilah, now passed. Grandfather of Lu Ten, now passed. Grandfather of Zuko, and Azula. We lay you to rest."
Watching as her grandfather's coffin was set aflame, a few thoughts crossed Princess Azula's mind. One of them was the fact that with his death, she was now third in line for the throne. That was better than being fourth, or fifth at that, as she had been at her birth. The line of succession, like everything, continued onward, no matter how long a Fire Lord wanted to live. Even if the Fire Lord was the most powerful man in the world, he was still bound to die, like any other human.
Her eyes turned over, now watching as her uncle stood forward; the solemn look on his face was undeniable. Anyone else might have thought it was because his beloved father was dead, but in fact, it was because he did not desire to be given what he was born to receive. He had been shaped his entire life to become the Fire Lord, yet, as he stood ready to receive the signifying headpiece, he did not seem like he was fit for the job. An old, silly man, with a love for tea and Pai Sho. That didn't mean, however, that she didn't fear him; he was the man who conquered Ba Sing Se. He had ended the Hundred Year War; he was the greatest general in Fire Nation history, unmatched in battle, and despite his character, that was worthy of praise, in her eyes.
"Now, he will be succeeded by his first son and heir, as he had inscribed on his will." the Fire Sage proclaimed, as the Dragon of the West knelt down to receive the headpiece.
As it was placed in his hair, Iroh's eyes moved up to look at the crowd before him; there were a few moments of silence, before the Fire Sage spoke up once more, his words making the succession of power into reality, "Hail Fire Lord Iroh!"
She momentarily glanced to her left, watching as her brother and father both knelt, the former's face indifferent while the latter looked to be trying to hold back his frustrations; despite what he taught her, he didn't seem to have the best grip on his emotions, especially when he had no control over the situation. He had always wanted to be Fire Lord, she knew that for certain; even if the throne was nearly in his grasp, he still had Iroh in his way, and despite his looks, he didn't seem to be anywhere close to dying.
He was only just past his sixtieth year, and she was sure that he would have many ahead of him; Azula knew that between the very moment she thought and the next succession, she would need to work hard. She needed to be her father's heir, not Zuko, and despite her prodigy when it came to firebending, she knew that would take some work. He was surprisingly competent, especially when it came to politics and talking with people, at least compared to her; she might have had the mind of a strategist, but that wasn't much help when they were quickly running out of places to conquer.
She already had something in mind, and waited patiently as the mourners gave their respects to their new Fire Lord. She was kneeling alongside them, though she had far less care for her uncle's authority than they did. When her uncle turned around, walking back toward the pavilion, obviously having had enough of the respect he had been given; he didn't seem to care for it, and walked to the doors casually, letting the Imperial Firebenders open the doors for him. Her father's eyes were set on him for a few moments, and when he finally left, he rose to his feet, sighing with frustration; he momentarily looked over toward his two children, who remained calm under his gaze. Zuko didn't dare let out an inch of emotion, and he even looked their father in the eye, to assure him that he was not afraid.
"I am going to train. I want you both to show me your forms this evening, before dinner. Is that understood?" he simply commanded them, almost sounding indifferent, despite his stern look.
"Yes, Father." they both responded, watching as their father walked off to the side, soon followed by his personal guards, completely ignoring the burning coffin of his father, their grandfather, who had only died a day earlier.
Azula took a deep breath, glad that she had not faltered under her father's gaze; she didn't know what would happen if she had, and was glad she didn't find out that truth. She rose to her feet, before glancing toward the doors through which her uncle had gone. She needed to speak with him at once, despite the circumstances; her proposition could not wait, and given the new state of affairs, she knew it was the perfect time to ask. Her grandfather might have had little care for her questions or desires, and her father lacked the authority to give her what she wanted; if there was a war to fight, she might have asked to serve her country, but with the only remaining areas outside of Fire Nation control being the North and South Poles, she didn't see that as a reasonable option.
As she turned to step toward the door, Zuko's hand blocked her path, touching her shoulder; his piercing golden glare, a mirror of her father's was set on him, and he addressed her, his tone almost humoured, "Where are you going?"
"What does it matter to you, brother?" she raised her chin up, not having any time for his games; she knew that he wanted to try and read her mind, but he wasn't that smart, as much as he tried to act like he was.
"Uncle's not going to be in a good mood. His father just died." he told her, trying to sound like he had some kind of pity; she knew however, that was a lie.
He knew exactly what she did- after the emotional turmoil of Lu Ten's demise, their uncle probably had little care for the fact that his ancient father had passed away.
"I have to ask him something." she simply told him, not wanting to tell her brother what she intended; she pushed his hand out of the way, "Don't you have something better to do than interrogate me, Zuzu?" she asked him, her brother grasping her by the wrist.
"You'd be wise to not call me that again." he warned her, his tight grip making her roll her eyes.
"Fine then, Prince Zuko." she addressed him by his formal title, "Or do you prefer to be called your highness?"
"I'd prefer you to shut up." he simply admitted, before letting go off her wrist, "Uncle mightn't care for your little games, Zula." he warned her, turning his heels as he walked off in the same way their father had.
She didn't think what she had intended was any kind of game. A test, perhaps, but no game. Pacing over toward the doors, the Imperial Guards opened them for her without question; she had drilled into them a little respect over the years, mostly through threats. She was very good at threatening people, seeing that she had seen her father do it, to both her and her brother; she thought she had learnt well to imitate that piercing glare he gave, the commanding tone. She did not think herself a Princess, but an heir, a worthy one, just like her father had been, even if he had been ignored in favour of the first-born son. She would not go the same way; she would succeed her father, whenever he finally passed, just as her grandfather just had. That was her greatest desire, and she would do anything to fulfil it. To fulfil the destiny she was born to achieve; the destiny that had killed her mother, that had made Zuko despise her, that had made her father train her harder and more harshly than her brother. It was destiny- suffering was something that even she had to experience, if only to one day witness it become reality.
"Uncle." she addressed the newly crowned Fire Lord, who turned around to face her, having barely reached the tea-room inside the coronation pavilion, where she knew he would be; his eyes darted to meet her own, and he let out a small smile.
She didn't understand why he was smiling then but not when he had been crowned; that was one of the many things that confused her about her uncle, but she tried her best to understand him. She needed to, so she could show her worth; without his respect, without his will, she was simply his niece, only a Princess.
"What is it, my niece?" he asked her, "Did you have something to say about your grandfather?"
"No." she shook her head, not having any care for her grandfather, the man for whom she was named, "I have a request of you."
"Oh." he mumbled, before letting out a little laugh, "And I thought I was the Fire Lord." he chuckled to himself; she was not amused by his words, and he quickly straightened his expression, "What do you need? Did you want a new bedroom? We might be able to shift some things around now, seeing that I will be taking the Fire Lord's quarters." he guessed, the Princess shaking her head.
"No, Uncle. I want a ship."
"A ship." he mumbled, narrowing his eyes at her with confusion, "I don't understand. Did you want to go on a journey?"
"Not a journey." she shook her head, knowing that to be the wrong word to describe what she intended; sitting herself down beside him, she clarified her intentions, "I desire to complete the quest that none of our bloodline have been able to."
Iroh's eyes widened, realising what she actually wanted; a ship was simply the means by which she could further her destiny.
"You seek the Avatar? The one who has eluded us for a hundred years?" he asked, the Princess giving him an affirmative nod.
"I do." she confirmed, "I want to prove my worth." she simply explained, "There are no more great cities to conquer Uncle, you made sure of that."
"What of Omashu? It still stands against the Fire Nation." he noted, reminding her that it was the last part of the Earth Kingdom that was nominally independent, even if it was only a single city, surrounded by Fire Nation armies, starved off and disconnected from the rest of the world.
The Princess idly glanced off into the distance, realising that was actually a possibility; the prestige of taking that city was not as great as her original intentions, however.
"Maybe I can get around to that after I find the Avatar." she admitted, before turning her eyes back toward him, "The Fire Sages told me when I inquired that there has never been proof of the Avatar's demise. That means that the last airbender must be hiding somewhere."
"I must say, my niece, I am surprised that you have chosen to continue the family tradition."
"Zuko is far too concerned with his books and swords to do something like this. I will do what he will not." she proclaimed, her uncle chuckling, raising a hand to his beard.
"He is not misguided to have some pastimes. No great ruler is only ever dedicated to governance." he explained as he held up a tea cup, inferring his rather stupid passion for the substance one poured into said cup, before he gestured toward her, "When do you desire to begin your journey?"
"As soon as a ship is provided to me." she clarified, before placing her hands together, sternly staring him down, "I assure you, Uncle, I will not fail."
"It would be a first if you did." he admitted, "I will miss our Pai Sho games."
"I will eventually beat you." she declared confidently, "It is simply a work in progress."
"Of course." he smugly looked at her, as she rose back up to her feet, "You will have your ship. I only have one request."
"What is it?" she asked him, the Fire Lord placing his still empty tea cup on the table in front of him, waiting to be filled.
"That you learn from this new experience. My own quest was quite an eye-opening one, all those years ago." he smiled at her, reminiscing back to whenever he had gone on the same journey, probably forty or so years prior, "You are young. Like an unfilled cup of tea. Only once you have been filled with knowledge and wisdom, that is when you will be able to taste the fruits of your labour."
She understood his metaphor well enough; once she was wise enough, she would be worthy of being the Fire Lord. She did not know if her uncle would dare overturn her own father in the line of succession, but given their tense relationship, she knew it was a possibility. Then he would be faced with the choice between her and Zuko; she was certain that he would choose her brother, unless he was enlightened to her own ability- she was more capable, and he would see that soon enough. She had to learn, that was the only way she could further improve herself- to achieve her destiny.
"I will fill my cup, Uncle." she simply told him, making him chuckle, snapping his fingers to catch the attention of a servant who was standing outside, obviously waiting for his Fire Lord's command.
"Well then, what kind of tea do you like?"
This fic is based around a random AU idea I had. How could I get Azula and Zuko to switch roles without actually changing their canon personalities? Well, this is the result. I know nothing's really happened in this chapter, because I'm just setting up the premise, but more will be explained, primarily through flashbacks, to show exactly what changed in this AU. Some of the differences should be rather obvious, given what you've just read. This story is admittedly a side-fic and probably won't be updated at the same regular basis as The Return.