Chapter One
"Ozai, you can't do this!" Ursa demanded of her husband, Prince Ozai.
"I have no choice" he rebutted. "Refusing the Fire Lord's command is treason." He turned his head towards her. "But I am a merciful man. I'm waiting till he's asleep. He won't feel a thing" he said with false sympathy. Ursa scowled at him, knowing he would not care either way if he murdered Zuko in his sleep or if he was wide awake. She also knew that Ozai would not be as kind to Azula, despite favoring her over her brother.
This belief only gave fuel to Ursa's fire of determination to protect her children.
"You listen carefully" she said with a persuasive but powerful voice. "I'm going to make you a deal."
"You have nothing I want" he countered with disdain.
"You want the throne" Ursa said with certainty.
This gave pause to Ozai, and against his better judgment, his curiosity won out. "Go on."
"I know how to make a poison that is colorless and odorless, completely untraceable" Ursa said, knowing she will become an accomplice in the greatest crime that one can possibly commit in the Fire Nation. "It causes a person to pass quietly, as if he'd simply fallen asleep." Ursa took a deep breath before continuing. "I'll give you a vile of it in exchange for Zuko's life. Once the poison is in your hands, you do whatever you wish."
Ozai narrowed his eyes, wondering where Ursa acquired such knowledge. "Where did you learn to concoct such a substance?"
"My mother was a master herbalist" Ursa stated.
"Very clever, dear wife. Very clever" he said, with the last word coated in mild delight. Ursa scowls at him, suspecting he only used her as a means to an end.
"I accept your plan" he continued, "on one condition."
Ursa's eyes widen, dreading what could the terms of Ozai's condition be. But she soon narrowed her own eyes, preparing herself for the worst.
"Once we've made our exchange," Ozai began, "you must leave the Capital City and never show your face again. With you around, it's only a matter of time before a colorless, odorless poison is used against the new Fire Lord."
"Fine" Ursa said in reluctant agreement. "But I take my children with me."
"No" Ozai said as he turned to look down on her with narrow eyes. "The children are my collateral. As long as you keep your word, no harm will come to either of them." Ursa's fist clenched tightly under the cuffs of her dress.
"Should you try to stay or take your children with you, however" Ozai continued, "I will hunt you all down. Just like I did with you precious boyfriend" he finished with a smirk full of disdain.
Ursa scowls at him before walking away, a quick but risky plan forming in her mind. Before setting off to gather the materials to brew the poison, Ursa sent a messenger hawk to an old friend who was in the capital, trusting him to be ready at the docks when she came.
Ursa headed down to the gardens and gathered the necessary ingredients to make the colorless and odorless poison, but she also gathered a few more ingredients as well, one that will delay the lethal poison, though it will make the victim painfully sick.
But Ursa had no sympathy for the man who ordered for the death of her son.
Before setting off to fulfill her plans, Ursa gathered several personal items and heads to the library to gather as many scrolls and books on firebending on basic, intermediate, and advanced techniques, knowing that they will be an important part of her plan.
After Ursa handed the vile of poison to Ozai, she acted quickly as she heads to her daughter's room. She pulled the covers off of Azula and lifted her gently into her arms. Azula stirred slightly in her mother's arms but remains blissfully asleep.
Ursa made her way to her son's room, quickly but cautiously while keeping an eye for her husband, knowing if he spotted her with Azula, he would figure out she plans on breaking her promise.
Ursa finally made her way into her son's room, wondering how she will carry both of her children while quietly making her way to a boat she had prepared below the Palace that will take her to a sea bearing ship captained by the loyal friend she sent the message to, an old friend from her home village.
As she lifted the covers off of her son, he quickly jumps up shaking with fear, believing this to be his last night on the planet. But instead of his father, he sees his mother holding Azula.
"Mom…?"
"Zuko, my love, please listen to me" Ursa quietly urges, "we must leave."
"Where are we going?" he said as his mother takes his hand and led him outside of his room.
"Somewhere safe" she quietly said with reassurance. "Now please, we must be quiet."
Zuko nods quietly as he followed his mother by the hand. Soon he found himself in the dark corridors of the Palace underground, where he spotted a boat with a man in it. They soon board it, where Ursa put Azula down and directed Zuko to look after her. She stepped away to inform the man that they are to head to the port, where Ursa's friend waited with his ship.
Azula stirred next to Zuko, waking up groggily and taking in her environment. When she noticed it was not her room but rather a tunnel under the Palace, she frowned before spotting Zuko next to her.
"What's going on?" she demanded.
"I'm not sure" he replied. "Mom said we must leave."
"Why?"
"Because it's no longer safe here" their mother said as she made her way back to them as the boat took off.
"What? Why isn't it safe anymore?" Azula said while she scowled at her mother.
"Because your father doesn't value your safety like I do" Ursa said with slight disdain.
"But dad wouldn't hurt us" Zuko protested.
"Well he would hurt you…" Azula teased.
"No he wouldn't!" Zuko snapped back.
"Enough, both of you" Ursa demanded. Both children silenced themselves and look toward their mother. She sighed before looking at Zuko with sad eyes.
"Zuko… your father did in fact planned to murder you in your sleep tonight."
Zuko looked back at her with widen and hurt eyes. "He… he did?"
"Yes, but I bargained for your life, and now we must leave the Palace… for good."
"But why do I have to come along?" Azula demanded as the boat left the tunnel and turned towards the docks. "Dad wouldn't hurt me."
Ursa looked at Azula with the same sad eyes. "I'm afraid it will be only a matter of time before he does, for whatever reason."
Ursa smiled gently at both her children. "But no matter what happens, I will NEVER let anyone, or anything hurt either of you." She hugged her children tightly, with Zuko returning the hug just as much. Azula sits there in mild shock, never heard those words coming from anyone, least of all her mother.
"I love you two more than anything" Ursa said quietly, causing Azula to return the hug weakly, doing everything in her power to keep the tears back, unlike Zuko who shook slightly as he wept.
They remained in this embrace as the boat docked next to the ship belonging to Ursa's friend. She led her children aboard and they were greeted by the ship's captain.
"Evening Ursa" he said with a smile. "It's quite fortunate that I was in the capital when you contacted me."
Ursa gave him a small smile of gratitude. "Thank you Quan. I'm so sorry for the late notice."
"Don't worry. It is my pleasure to help a Princess, especially one who's an old friend."
Ursa chuckled softly. "I'm afraid I'm no longer a Princess…"
Quan looked at her in surprise. "But you're husband-"
"He was never my husband" she said bitterly. "The circumstances that led me here with my children are rather… complicated. And it would be safer if you didn't know what they are."
Quan raised an eyebrow but respected his friend's warning. "Very well than. My ship will be departing soon. Let me lead you and your children to your quarters." He said before he smiled at the children. Zuko stood close to his mother, anxiety showing on his face, while Azula stood strongly, surely just as afraid as her brother but refused to show it.
After entering their cabin, Ursa began getting the bed ready for her and her children to sleep in, when Azula spoke up.
"How do you know dad would hurt me?"
Ursa looked at Azula with sad eyes, remembering the day when her daughter was born.
"A girl?!" Ozai shouted. "You're telling me that my wife gave birth to a girl?"
"Yes Prince Ozai" the Fire Sage said in mild fear.
"Get rid of it" Ozai said without any remorse.
"But Prince, she is going to be a remarkable firebender."
Ozai froze and eyes the Sage with disbelief. "How do you know…?"
"Because soon after being born, your daughter was crying as newborns do, but she was also releasing small blooms of fire from her hands, feet and mouth" the Sage said in astonishment. "I have never seen or even heard of such a thing. It could mean that she will be one of the most powerful firebenders in history."
Ozai took in the Sage's words before he entered the room where Ursa gave birth, who held her daughter protectively, after she heard what Ozai demanded of the Sage and well aware of his disdain of non-benders born into the Royal family.
"Is it true?" Ozai asked as he walks to them.
"Yes Ozai" Ursa said while she eyed him cautiously. "We have a daughter who's a firebender."
Ozai stared down at the baby girl, who was wide awake and looked at him with inquisitive eyes. Ozai smirked as he noticed the strong spark in her eyes, ones that his son Zuko lacked when he was born.
"She will truly be a remarkable firebender one day" Ozai said as if she were a weapon rather than his daughter. "And here I thought I wanted her gone."
Ursa looked at her husband in shock. "You-you didn't really mean that did you?"
"No Prince of the Fire Nation has ever had a non-bender before, and girls are less likely to be firebenders. Imagine the embarrassment were my father to hear of it."
"You can't be serious?" Ursa asked, mouth a gapped in shock to have heard that her husband still only valued having children who are firebenders.
"But I'm sure he will be pleased to see such a powerful bender as a newborn" Ozai said before he smirked, as an idea came to mind. "And her name will be Azula, in honor of her grandfather" he finished, the last part of that statement coated in sarcasm.
Ozai turned and walked away, leaving Ursa with her daughter Azula. It felt to Ursa that her husband sees his own daughter more as a tool than a human being…
Ursa blinks as the memory fades away. She cursed herself mentally for not seeing that Ozai did not genuinely cared for his own children.
"Azula…" Ursa said carefully, "have you ever heard of a non-bender being born into the Royal Family before you were born?"
"No I haven't" Azula said. "There has never been a non-bender born into our family."
"Do you know why that is?" Azula shook her head. Ursa sighed before explaining. "After Sozin began the war, he believed only firebenders should be born into the Royal bloodline, and he gave a most hideous order… that no non-bender be born into the family. And from has been observed throughout history, men were more likely to be firebenders than women, so it's always assumed that if someone were to have a daughter, they were likely to be a non-bender."
"That doesn't make any sense" Azula defiantly said.
"It's because that Sozin and his sons believe that if a non-bender to be born into the Royal family would be a major embarrassment." Ursa began wishing she did not have to tell Azula this. "Whenever one was born into the family, they were… cast aside without a thought. And when you were born and your father first heard he had a daughter, he assumed you were a non-bender, and wanted to cast you aside."
"You're lying" Azula said with more defiance. But her sharp mind fought against her emotions, saying that is the only explanation as to why there were no mention of non-benders in her bloodline, and it was true that girls are less likely to be firebenders. It was statistically impossible that none of the pervious Fire Lords or their brothers and sons to not have any non-bending children.
"I'm sorry Azula, but I'm not lying" Ursa said with tears in the corners of her eyes. "If you weren't as gifted as you are… I hate to even think of it."
"No…" Azula whispered. "No, you… you have to be…" Azula tried to call her mother a liar, but her rational mind pieced together another part of the puzzle, making her realize an uncomfortable truth as she remembered that her father only spent time with her when he was teaching her firebending or overseeing her academics.
He never spent time with her because he genuinely wanted to.
But Azula stubbornly refused to believe it on some level. She shook slightly as Ursa took her into her arms. Despite her problems with her mother, Azula clung to her, being the only thing offering stability right now for the emotional shock.
Zuko sat nearby, grasping at what his mother was saying. Knowing what his father and forefathers did was wrong, and despite the way Azula treated him, he could not help but feel sorry for his sister and have a strange desire to protect her. He soon joined his sister and mother in a hug, trying to be reassuring as best he could.
It was done. Azulon has passed and more importantly, named his second son as the Crown Prince, who will be coronated as the Fire Lord in a few short days.
Ozai spent his leisure time near the turtle-duck ponds, to ensure that his wife was well and truly gone. But it had been some time since he has seen either of his children. While Azula had a habit for disappearing for hours at a time, most likely exploring the Palace, it was surprising that Zuko was not around pestering Ozai to where his mother would be.
Ozai called for the Palace's head servant. "Have you seen either of my children?"
"No Prin- Lord Ozai" the servant said, realizing that everyone needed to get use to Ozai's new title.
"Find them" Ozai ordered. The servant bowed and set off to find Zuko and Azula.
Hours later, the same servant returned with a nervous expression on his face.
"My Lord, we… haven't found any sign that your children are here."
"What?" Ozai said with a displeased frown. The servant gulped, his nervousness turning into fear.
"I have questioned every servant and even the chefs in the kitchens. I also ask the General of the Guard and he hasn't seen or heard of them either. He is currently questioning his men. But it appears that no one in the Palace has seen them since yesterday."
Ozai's frown grew deeper with anger coursing through his body. Oh how he would make her pay.
"There is no need to look for the children anymore. They are in fact no longer here."
"My Lord, how-?"
"My wife has been banished for reasons you needn't know, and she has taken the children with her."
The servant's eyes widen, knowing that Ursa would have committed a rather serious crime to be banished, and worsen her circumstances by taking Ozai's heirs with her.
"Send for Colonel Mongke and his Rough Rhinos. I have an important assignment for them."
"Yes my Lord" the servant said before he bowed and took off to the Palace's message center.
Ozai frowned heavily at this unforeseeable turn of a events and cursed himself for trusting his wife too much.
It was relatively smooth sailing through their journey. Ursa feared that they would be stopped as they left Fire Nation waters, but Captain Quan reassured her that the Fire Navy only intercepts ship coming into the Fire Nation, not ones leaving. While this appeased Ursa, she still was unsure where to go and what to do. She knew that she and her children needed to change their appearance, take up new identities and learn to live simpler lives. Naturally both children, especially Azula, complained that they did not want to leave the comfort of a Royal lifestyle, Ursa did her best that to reassure them that their lives will be better in many ways. Zuko trusted his mother completely, but Azula remained unconvinced, conflict going on in her mind as to whether or not she would be happier in the Palace as a Princess or living in village as a peasant.
On the third day of their journey, it was time to enact the next part of Ursa's plan. With Quan's ship bearing Fire Nation colors, it would be foolish to try and approach Kyoshi Island of the Earth Kingdom.
Ursa and her children changed into Earth Kingdom clothing, much to the dismay of Azula.
"Ugh, I don't like these colors. And these clothes are not soft at all."
"I know they aren't the most comfortable Azula," Ursa said, "but it's for our own safety. We can't let people know we're Fire Nation."
Azula scowled at her, causing Ursa to sigh as she picked up her bag. Zuko leaned closer to his sister, causing Azula to raise an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Let's try to maintain a positive attitude okay?" he said as reassuring as possible. "Who knows? Maybe we'll meet some nice people."
"Yeah, right" Azula said before she pouted.
The children followed their mother onto the deck, where Captain Quan was overseeing the preparation of a simple boat that will take them to Kyoshi Island.
"I guess this is where we part ways" he said sadly.
"Yes, it is" Ursa said with a small and sad smile. "Thank you for helping us escape, but I urge you to maintain a low profile. I can't say for certain that my husband knows about our friendship, but I would assume he knows somehow."
"Don't worry. I take frequent trips outside of the Fire Nation. I should be able to feign ignorance to your departure. And I was planning to sail near these waters for a crabbing trip anyway, so it's both to our benefit."
Ursa smiles, knowing her friend has a reliable plan to protect himself and his crew. She stepped forward to hug him, which Quan returned. Soon Ursa and her children stepped into the boat, which was lowered into the sea.
Ursa, given a quick course on how to sail, began sailing northeast towards Kyoshi Island. But halfway through the trip, Zuko began having symptoms of seasickness. Ursa was forced to divide her attention between her son and sailing the boat, but soon she began focusing solely on him as his symptoms began to worsen.
"Don't worry my love, we'll be on dry land soon" Ursa said as reassuring as possible.
Zuko groans, causing Azula to scoff at his weakness. Despite never sailing before, Azula adapted quickly to being on the water.
Soon the sun began to set on the horizon, causing Ursa to realize that they should have arrived at Kyoshi Island by now, and it began to feel colder. She checked her compass and her eyes widen as she learned they were sailing south. She attempted to direct the boat back on course, but it was no use; the currents were too strong for the boat to handle, and there was no way Ursa could fight against the sea.
Azula took quick notice as the air got colder, and of her mother's frantic attempts to steer the boat.
"What's going on?" she demanded.
"It's- it's nothing dear" Ursa lied. "Everything's fine."
Azula furrows her brow. "I know you're lying mom" she growled.
Ursa looked at her daughter, knowing that their relationship was fragile as is, and if she hoped that Azula will stay with her, Ursa needed to be honest with her.
She sighed in resignation. "You're right dear. The currents are much stronger than I thought, and we're sailing south, away from Kyoshi Island."
"So we're lost" Azula said in disdain. "Great."
Ursa looked at her daughter with determination. "Don't worry dear, I will figure out a way to get us to Kyoshi Island, or at least somewhere civilized."
Azula scoffed for what felt like the hundredth time, knowing that there was no where she can go. She forced herself to accept her fate, believing that it will lead her nowhere good.
Little did she know, nor that of her mother or brother, that where they were headed will set them on a path that will shape the future of the world…