Chapter 5: A Brief History of the Fire Nation – Part Two

Fifteen years had passed since Azulon ascended to the throne, and now he and Ilah were about to welcome a new member of the royal family. The Fire Lord had married at a young age, so he could not wait until he was an old man to have a family, like his predecessors had done. Besides, Ilah was an eager woman, and it was always safer to have an heir in case something unexpected happened.

The birth was challenging, and for a brief moment the Fire Lord had worried his wife wouldn't live to see their child. But she was much stronger than she appeared, and Azulon named their son Iroh in her honor. Iroh was a very intelligent and insightful boy, although he was also a bit quirky. He loved drinking tea, playing music with his mother, and going on vacation to Ember Island. His firebending skills developed more slowly than his father's did, but Iroh could still easily outmatch any other boy his age. As he grew up, the young prince developed a keen interest in the Fire Nation's army. And after his father's victory at the battle of Garsai, Iroh announced that he intended to join the military once he was old enough.

Shortly after Iroh's ninth birthday, Ilah announced that she was expecting another child. Azulon had initially been happy for her, but part of his mind was also overcome with worry. During labor, her health began to fail, and the healers informed the Fire Lord that they would need to perform an emergency procedure. Iroh was quickly ushered out of the room, the concern for his mother and his little brother clearly written on his young face.

The cries of a newborn boy filled the delivery room, but Azulon didn't hear them. His gaze was fixated on his wife, and the deep gash decorating her abdomen. Her bed was soaked, and a puddle of crimson blood had pooled on the floor. Her breathing was shallow, and her pulse was slowly fading. The healers told Azulon that she wouldn't survive.

But out of the corner of his eye, the Fire Lord noticed Ilah raise her arm, gently stroking her son with her boney knuckles. She opened her eyes, and gave her newborn son a slight smile. Azulon flew towards the lead healer with determination in his eyes.

"She's still alive, you can save her!"

"But my Lord… it would take a miracle!"

"You must save her! If you don't I will have your entire staff executed!"

The lead healer suppressed a gasp at the Fire Lord's order, and he quickly scrambled to gather medical supplies. Everyone knew that the Fire Lord had meant what he said. Azulon kneeled down beside Ilah, and she whispered to him.

"Ozai…"

"What?"

"Ozai… it's a strong name… for a strong boy."

"It's a fitting name, for someone born from such a strong mother."

Much to the healer's surprise and relief, Ilah survived and returned to her husband and her older son. Although she was greatly weakened by the surgery, and her capabilities were lessened. In particular she grew to dislike the sun, and the family's trips to Ember Island became much rarer.

Ozai had lived up to his name, and grew up to be a strong boy indeed. His firebending skills improved just as quickly as they had for Iroh, although his father expressed much less enthusiasm for this accomplishment. Ozai also excelled in school, and he grew to be very ambitious, challenging his older brother whenever the opportunity presented itself.

His relationship with his father was less than ideal, and the two came into conflict frequently. Ozai would question his father's actions, or do things the improper way, and Azulon would respond harshly. In situations like these, Ilah would often have to intervene, yelling at her husband and son to stop fighting. But as she got older, the Fire Lady had a harder time controlling Azulon's temper, and unlike with Iroh, her younger son stubbornly refused her assistance.

The royal family began to drift apart as time went on. Iroh left to join the military and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming known as an unrelenting fighter and a charismatic leader. Ozai mostly kept to himself, content to further his firebending skills and manipulate his father's advisors. Azulon also became more remote, spending most of his time in the palace gardens or sulking in the throne room.

Things did brighten up a little bit after Iroh got married and had a son, whom he named Lu Ten. The young prince was just like his father, mischievous and kind spirited, with a keen interest in the military. Azulon paid very little attention to the boy, and Ozai could barely muster a greeting, but Ilah used all the energy she had to fawn over him.

Not long after, Azulon decided that it was time for Ozai to get married. Ilah didn't protest, she thought having a wife would do her second son some good, and more grandchildren couldn't hurt either. Curiously, instead of picking one of the many noble women in the Capital, Azulon dragged a less than enthusiastic Ozai with him to visit a candidate in the rural parts of the Fire Nation. He claimed that the Fire Sages had told him that the perfect woman lived there, but Ilah was skeptical of her husband's true motivations.


Azulon and Ozai arrived in the town of Hira'a in disguises, so as to not draw any unwanted attention. The Fire Lord left to speak with the potential bride's family, and told his son to keep out of trouble. Ozai wandered into the local market, which was nearly deserted so late in the day. His clothing still identified him as someone of high status, but without his headpiece nobody would know he was the prince of the Fire Nation. He sat down on a bench next to a woman fiddling with some sort of mask. Her luscious dark brown hair and pale skin caught Ozai's attention, and she seemed to notice his gaze.

"Hello there, I don't think I've seen you around here before?"

"No, I'm just passing through."

"What brings you to Hira'a?"

"A personal matter, my father is meeting someone here and he asked that I accompany him."

"Do you know who he is meeting?"

"Inquisitive, aren't you? No, he refused to say who it was."

The woman could sense the irritation in the man's voice, and decided not to press him any further on that topic. For some reason, she felt drawn to this strange man. There was something about his voice and the way he presented himself, something seductive.

"Well, Hira'a has gotten a lot bigger in recent years. All kinds of people come here looking to get away from the cities."

"I can't imagine why." He said with a sarcastic tone.

The woman chuckled at his joke. "Is that where you come from?"

"Born and raised in the Capital. It's nice enough, although it is a bit cramped."

"I've always wanted to see more of the Fire Nation."

"Why don't you do so, why keep yourself here?"

"I have to look after my parents, they're very old."

Ozai nodded at her response but remained quiet, an awkward silence emerging. The woman put the mask she had been working on in her bag and stood up. She glanced towards Ozai and seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"What is it?"

"Would you… like to have drink? With me I mean."

Ozai remembered that his father told him to stay out of trouble, and this probably constituted trouble. It was good advice since he was supposed to be undercover. But then again, this whole escapade was something his father wanted. Why not mess with him out of spite?

"Sure, that sounds nice."

The woman smiled and led Ozai to an open bar just outside the market. They sat down at the counter and the bartender rushed over to get their order. The woman ordered a cup of fruit juice, much to Ozai's amusement.

"What's so funny?"

"How old are you?"

"You should know it's not polite to ask a lady her age…" she leaned in before finishing, "let's just say I'm a lot older than I look."

Ozai cast a sly grin in her direction and turned to the bartender. "I'll have what she's having."

The bartender quickly returned with their drinks and Ozai handed him two copper pieces. He took a sip from the cup and grimaced at the lack of flavor. He really shouldn't have been getting so close to this woman, considering he was going to be engaged soon, but something about her seemed to draw him in. He used the lull in their conversation to ask some questions.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a trained herbalist. I mostly sell salve and medicine for pain. It's not a very exciting job."

"I wouldn't have guessed that, what is the mask you were carrying for?"

"Oh that? It's a theater prop, I also do a bit of acting. The Hira'a Theater is very popular here. They hired me a long time ago to help maintain their sets, and I also get paid whenever we do a show, but it's not my main source of income. What do you do for a living?"

Ozai suddenly realized that apart from keeping government officials in line, he didn't really do anything. Or at least not anything that could be considered a job. And he couldn't say he was a prince, even though that would undoubtedly clear things up.

"I'm unemployed."

"Oh… well that's alright, you didn't have to say that if you didn't want to."

"Its fine, my father was in the military and now he's a politician, so our family is well off."

"It's an honor to meet a veteran's son, make sure to thank him for his service."

"Do you support the war?"

"I do, although I can't say it's something the people here think about all that much."

"Indeed, they are far away from the front lines. Although I have it on good authority that Ba Sing Se will soon be within our reach."

The woman smiled at him, and then suddenly frowned.

"I just realized, I never asked you for your name!"

"My name is Li."

The woman raised her eyebrows in suspicion, but her expression quickly returned to a smile, "My name is Ursa."

"You have a beautiful name."

Ozai stared into her golden eyes, they were inquisitive yet mysterious, bold yet fearful, and a great many other things. Ursa stared back. She saw strength and ambition, desire and jealousy, and more that she could not make out. Unfortunately, their intimate moment was ruined by some of the other patrons.

"Oh man, look at what we have here… hey theater lady, who's Mr. Fancy Pants over there?"

"Leave him alone, and drown yourselves in saké while you're at it!"

The drunkard and his friends quickly began to attract a crowd, and Ozai noticed Ursa reach into a pocket in her dress.

"Why should we? Look at this guy… look at how smug he is. I bet he thinks he can just waltz into our town, well he's wrong! Very, very wrong… very wrong!"

"You should just go home, we don't want any trouble."

"Just shut up already! We're all sick of you lady, you can't tell us what to do just cause you're the bosses little girl!

"Careful boys, I doubt my father will tolerate another display of public drunkenness."

"Aw… but where's the fun in that?" The lead drunk reached out and grabbed hold of Ursa's wrist. But before Ozai could intervene, she removed her hand from her pocket and threw some kind of powder in the man's face. He let out a horrible shriek and began to claw at his eyes. This seemed to agitate the crowd, and they began to get closer. Another man attempted to grab Ursa, but he didn't get very far.

*Crack*

Ozai extended his fist and hit the man straight in his face, shattering his nose. The would-be attacker stumbled backwards in a daze, blood spewing from his broken nostrils. Ozai delivered a swift kick to the next assailant, who went flying through the crowd. Ursa picked up one of the bar stools to use as a shield, and inched closer to the prince for extra protection. The fight continued, with several more men failing to land a blow. One thought he was clever and tried to sneak up behind Ozai, but Ursa slammed the wooden stool down on his head.

Suddenly, a man ran towards the crowd and began shouting Ursa's name, but his path was blocked by some of the drunks. He pulled out what appeared to be a wooden sword and attempted to fight them off. Ozai found the sight somewhat amusing, and he turned to ask Ursa about the newcomer.

"He's a friend of mine. I really hope he doesn't hurt himself."

Ozai noticed the softness in Ursa's voice when she talked about her friend, and he felt a slight twinge of jealousy. His thoughts were interrupted however by one of the larger drunks. The man revealed himself to be a firebender, although his form was incredibly sloppy due to his inebriated state. A look of fear flashed on Ursa's face, and Ozai decided now was the time to start firebending.

"Stand back."

Ursa was confused at first, and then shocked. Ozai blocked the attacker's fireball and extended his leg, sending an arc of fire at the man. The drunk was slow to notice, but he was still able to narrowly avoid the fire. Ozai tried again, slamming his fist into the ground and sending out a shockwave of flames. This time he struck true, and the firebender fell down, his clothes ablaze.

Upon realizing 'Mr. Fancy Pants' was much more dangerous than they thought, most of the drunks fled the scene. Ozai prepared to strike down the last man standing. But before he could, the man was struck in the back of the head by Ursa's friend, who wore a triumphant expression on his face.

With all the drunks either sprawled on the ground or running away in terror, Ursa ran up to Ozai and gave him a hug.

"You saved me!"

Her friend scowled, and Ozai quickly suppressed a smirk. But seemingly unwilling to go unnoticed, the man coughed to get their attention.

"Oh… thank you too. This is my friend Ikem!" Ursa gestured towards her friend, who nervously twirled his weapon.

"What is that?" Ozai gestured towards the wooden sword.

"This is just a prop sword, from the theater. It got the job done though."

Ikem shifted his focus towards Ursa. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. I always carry a bit of hogweed powder just in case."

Ursa noticed that both men were staring at her, and she began to blush. "It's great for causing burns."

Ikem cast an odd look in her direction. "Why on earth would you need to cause burns?"

Ursa looked towards Ozai and smiled. "I don't always have a firebender on hand to aid me."

Ikem seemed rather annoyed by her flirty attitude, and he decided to change the subject. "Hey Ursa, do you want to meet tomorrow? You know, to talk about stuff for the next play."

Ursa looked slightly disappointed, but Ikem didn't seem to notice. "Sure, that sounds fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

Ikem slowly walked away, glancing behind his back several times before disappearing down the street.

"I haven't seen many firebenders before, how did you get so good?"

"Practice, I'm a lot older than I look."

Ursa smiled and moved closer to him. "Supposedly my grandfather was a firebender, although I don't know much about him, he died before the war when my mother was very young."

Ozai nodded but remained silent. Ursa looked down at the ground and then to her side before returning her gaze to the man standing beside her. She was nervous, trying to figure out the right words to say.

"Why did you really come here? I doubt such a skilled person as you or your father would have much to do in Hira'a."

"You would be right. To tell you the truth, my father dragged me here to arrange a marriage; although with whom I am genuinely not certain."

Ursa looked away, her disappointment on full display.

"I'm sure you're name isn't Li…" Ozai nodded, "but you're telling the truth about the other thing, right?"

"I truly do not know who my father has in mind, although I would assume it is someone of higher standing in this town."

Ursa seemed to cheer up slightly upon hearing this, and Ozai knew why. It hadn't escaped his notice that the drunkards referred to Ursa's father as 'the boss'. And if her grandfather truly was a firebender, that could also be a sign. Since Ozai suspected his father wouldn't support a marriage unless the bride had at least one firebender in their family. Could Ursa be the woman he had come to meet?

Before Ozai could continue exploring this pathway of thoughts, one of his father's guards approached him. The man's armor was poorly hidden beneath a plain tunic, and he wore an irritated expression on his face.

"Took me forever to find you, it's time to move along."

"Who is he?" Ursa turned towards Ozai for answers.

"He's a travelling companion of my father. I don't know his name, but he looks like a real stick-in-the-mud."

The guard cast a sour look in Ozai's direction, and motioned for him to follow.

"Well Ursa, care to tag along?"

"I really should be heading home soon, but I guess it can't hurt."

The guard led Ozai and Ursa along the streets of Hira'a, until they approached a slightly larger home near the center of town. Ursa slowed down and looked at the house, her eyes wide.

"This is my house…"

The guard led them inside a greenhouse located behind the building. There they stumbled upon Fire Lord Azulon and two other people, a man and a woman. They seemed deep in conversation, with the Fire Lord inspecting the flowers while the other man laughed and shook his head. Upon seeing the Fire Lord, Ursa's mouth briefly opened in shock and her eyes got even bigger. Azulon noticed, and turned to greet the newcomers.

"Good evening, Magistrate Jinzuk was just giving me a tour of his greenhouse. I must say, he has quite the expansive collection of specimens."

Jinzuk beamed at the Fire Lord's comment. "It's mostly my wife's domain, but I do purchase some of the more exotic plants."

The magistrate paused for a moment and turned towards Ursa. "Dear, give the Fire Lord a proper greeting."

Ursa hastily bowed, her focus never leaving the towering firebender standing before her. Azulon smiled and moved closer. He gestured towards a white flower sitting behind a glass screen.

"What type of flower is that? I saw it during my time in the Earth Kingdom, but I never learned its name or purpose."

"Oh… that's the White Jade, it's highly poisonous."

Azulon began stroking his beard. "I see Lady Rina has taught you well, your knowledge is quite impressive."

"Yes, it certainly is." Azulon turned to look at Ozai, having just noticed he was present.

"Ah… I see you have met my son."

Ursa whirled around and looked at the man standing next to her.

"You're Prince Ozai!?"

"I am."

"I must say, I didn't expect my son to run into you on the streets. I hope the two of you got along."

"Yes, he helped me fend off some hooligans at the bar. It was really quite a display!"

Azulon glared daggers at his son, realizing that he had not obeyed his orders. Jinzuk on the other hand seemed much more forgiving.

"Thank you for saving my daughter. I really ought to tighten the alcohol restrictions in this region, lots of city folks are moving here and bringing their drinking problems with them."

"You're more than welcome magistrate, Ursa put up quite a fight as well."

An uneasy silence arose among the group, and it was Ursa who finally broke the ice.

"My Lord, why have you come to Hira'a?"

Azulon gave her a quizzical look before responding. "Assuming someone hasn't already spilled the beans…" the Fire Lord glanced in Ozai's direction before continuing, "…my son has a proposal for you."

Ozai turned towards Ursa and gazed into her eyes. They were fearful and hesitant, but he also spotted an adventurous glimmer. Originally, Ozai had no desire for a relationship when he left the palace. But now that he had gotten a chance to meet this woman without knowing who she was, he realized that part of him did hold some affection for her. It wasn't exactly love, but perhaps it could become that over time.

"Ursa of Hira'a, I would ask that you marry me."

Ursa turned towards her parents, who held their heads down, not meeting her gaze. Then to Azulon, who merely smiled.

"The decision is yours."

Ursa turned back to Ozai and looked into his eyes. They were enticing, but she also spotted something dangerous. The Prince had only shown her one aspect of his being, the rest was a mystery. The question was… would she be willing to take a chance and find out? She felt a strong attraction towards him, that much was obvious. But that was the extent of her experience. On one hand she wanted to leave Hira'a for greater lands, and make her own path in life. Her skills in botany and chemistry far exceeded any practical use locally, and she was getting tired of performing the same plays over and over again. But on the other hand, Hira'a was all she knew. Could she really leave behind her elderly parents, who cared so much for her; or her friend Ikem, who was always too nervous to confess his true feelings? What would happen if she refused, would the Fire Lord exact revenge upon her family and ruin her father's political career? What if she accepted, would she find life at the palace fulfilling or her new family comforting? There was only one way to find out…

"I accept your proposal."

Ozai smiled very slightly, clearly just as unsure as his fiancé. Azulon beamed at her decision, clapping his hands in satisfaction. Ursa's parents appeared less certain. Jinzuk wore a passive expression on his face, and Rina held her head down, not looking at her daughter.

Ursa walked towards her parents and engulfed them in a hug. Her father patted her on the back, and her mother looked up, wiping tears from her eyes.

"You'll come to my wedding, won't you?"

"We wouldn't miss it dear." Jinzuk finally gave his daughter a smile.

"Ursa…" Rina started speaking with a shaky voice, "We will always love you."


The wedding was one of the most lavish events in Fire Nation history. Nobles from all over the country came to meet the new princess, in a foolish attempt to increase their standing with the Fire Lord. Ursa's parents came, but not her friend Ikem, whom she had wanted to see one last time.

After the wedding was over, Ursa became acclimated to her new family. She was particularly fond of Ilah, who had taught her everything she needed to know about being a princess, and sweet little Lu Ten, who had a hard time understanding that Ursa was his new aunt.

A few years later, Ursa gave birth to a son, who was named Zuko. Not long after, the young prince was joined by his sister, who was named Azula in honor of her grandfather. The two young royals grew up in the shadow of their father, who pushed them much harder than their mother. Azula, strong and ambitious, quickly earned the favor of her father. While Zuko, lagging behind, was doted on by his mother.

One day Ozai returned to his family's chambers, having finished his firebending practice early. Zuko noticed that his father appeared more grim than usual, and asked what was wrong.

"Your grandmother has died."

Zuko was too young to fully comprehend what Ozai had said, but he still understood the seriousness of the situation. "Why did she die?"

"I don't know Zuko, she was very old. Gather your sister, and change into your better cloths."

The family arrived in small room where Ilah laid peacefully on her bed. Azulon had notified his children after having already mourned her death. He had since locked himself in his study, and ordered that he not be disturbed. Iroh and Lu Ten were already there, crying quietly. Zuko looked up and saw that his mother had joined them, her face wet from tears. The prince then turned to his father. Ozai wasn't crying, but his expression still betrayed the deep sadness he felt. With everyone else so upset, Zuko began to cry, and Azula joined him not long after.

"I… I think it would be better if I took the children out of here."

Ozai solemnly nodded as Ursa grabbed her nephew and her kids and escorted them out of the room. Zuko glanced back at his father, an unreadable expression on his face. The following years passed quickly. Everything seemed well… until that fateful night.


"Dad's going to kill you! Really… he is!"

"Liar, dad would never do that to me!"

"Your father would never do what to you? What is going on here?"

"I don't know…"

"It's time for a talk."

Ursa grabbed her daughter and dragged her into an empty hallway, displeasure clearly written on face.

"What did you tell your brother?"

"Nothing…"

"Young lady, I want the truth."

Azula began to falter under her mother's fiery gaze. She wouldn't be able to get out of this one with a lie, even if she wanted to. Father would certainly be upset with her for eavesdropping, but she didn't really want Zuko to die.

"Come on, spill it."

"I was listening in on dad's conversation with grandpa."

Azula waited for her mother to get angry, but surprisingly she didn't.

"What was said?"

"Dad asked grandpa to make him the heir to the throne now that Lu Ten is gone. Grandpa was furious, and he told dad that he needed to feel uncle's pain. So he ordered him to sacrifice Zuko."

Ursa's eyes widened, but her expression remained calm.

"Go to bed Azula."

"But I'm telling the truth, I swear!"

"I believe you."

"Then… what are you going to do?"

"Go to bed young lady, now."

After Azula left, Ursa made her way towards her room. She burst through the door and saw Ozai sitting at his desk. The prince turned around, and saw his wife's eyes burning with fury.

"You aren't going to do it… are you?"

"You'll have to be more specific."

"You're going to save Zuko, right?"

"Who told you?"

"A little turtleduck, now answer my question!"

"No…"

Ursa lunged at Ozai and knocked him out of the chair he was sitting in. He tumbled to the floor and slammed against the wall. Ursa knelt down and grabbed hold of his shoulder, staring right at him.

"What did you say?"

Her voice was laced with venom, unlike anything Ozai had ever heard.

"I can't disobey the Fire Lord… that would be treason. And if I commit treason, all of us will be punished."

"What if there was nobody to punish you?"

A slight smile crept into Ursa's face, and Ozai returned it. "I'm listening."

"Fire Lord Azulon isn't as powerful as he used to be… we could end him. Then Zuko would be safe, and you would have the throne you so desire."

"Even if I did manage to defeat my father, I could not do it quietly. There would be a fight, and somebody would find out. Iroh would return, and it would not end well."

"What if I killed him myself?"

"Nonsense, he would blast you with lighting before you could land a killing blow."

"Not if I let him do all the work."

"What are you planning?"

Ursa rushed over to a chest near her dresser, and began pulling out glass tubes and bags. She placed them on Ozai's desk and ran back to retrieve more. Soon there was an entire makeshift laboratory set up. Ursa began talking while she opened several containers and began removing their contents.

"After my mother had taught me everything she knew, I wanted to continue furthering my knowledge. So my father paid for me to attend an advanced school. For my final project I created an incredibly deadly poison. It was colorless, odorless, and tasteless. My professor was very impressed, so I decided to offer it to the army for use, but they rejected it."

"Why?"

"The poison is heat sensitive, and it only remains active at high temperatures." Ursa looked at Ozai and smiled. "I know your father only drinks his tea scalding hot."

"Very clever dear, I knew I made the right decision marrying you."

"I've made sleeping aids for your father in the past, and he can be very restless. Everyone knows he always goes to bed with a cup of tea on his nightstand for when he wakes up during the night. It would be suspicious if it were missing when the body is found. And if anyone tastes the tea for poison, I doubt they will think to heat it. The deactivated poison will then pass through their body without any harm."

"Very well, while you do that I'll write up a false will. Put it on his desk before you leave, and return to me when you're done."

"And you're sure the sages will accept a counterfeit?"

"They have in the past."


Ursa entered the Fire Lord's chambers using a spare key. If Azulon happened to wake up at an inopportune time, Ursa planned to simply say that she had received ingredients for more sleep aids, and was here to give some. After all, the Fire Lord had never refused her services in the past.

"In a way I am helping him sleep… forever."

Ursa briefly glanced up and saw a portrait of the former Fire Lady staring back at her.

"I'm sorry Ilah, but I'm sure you'd do the same in my situation."

Ursa removed the vile of completed poison from her robe and quietly poured it into the teacup sitting on the Fire Lord's night stand. Then she slipped behind a curtain and waited for the tyrant to wake. Soon enough Azulon turned over in his bed and reached for his tea. He heated it up with his firebending and took a sip. Then, placing it down, he laid back in his bed. It wasn't long before the poison took effect.

The Fire Lord opened his eyes and saw Ursa standing over him, a wicked smile on her face. Realizing what was going on, he attempted to strike her with fire, but his body suddenly began to convulse violently. He couldn't scream for help as his mouth began to foam. All he could do was look at Ursa, his eyes shaking rapidly. He stared at her with a mixture of regret and fear, a knowing look in his eyes. Then he finally went limp.

Ursa closed his eyelids and wiped the foam from his mouth. Then she crept over towards his desk and placed the fraudulent will on it. Finally, she left as quietly as she had arrived, locking the door behind her. Tomorrow was going to be an eventful day.

She arrived back in her room and saw Ozai burning her equipment.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm destroying the evidence. Since you're back I assume everything went as planned."

"He's dead. I cleaned up the body and the document is in place. But I hope you're going to buy me a new chemistry set after this is over."

"Actually, you won't need one."

"What do you mean?"

"You've just committed treason my dear. And do you know what the punishment is for such a crime?"

"You can't be serious."

"Oh but I am, if you were so willing to kill my father, who's to say you wouldn't also be willing to kill the new Fire Lord."

Ursa let out a quiet growl directed at her husband. Unfortunately he had been one step ahead of her this time. "Fine, I guess I'm banished. But I'm taking my children with me."

"Oh, I think not. You see, the children are my collateral. You wouldn't want anything to happen to them now, would you?" Ozai stepped closer to his wife and whispered. "If you try to take them I will kill all of you."

Ursa stared back at her husband. Her once beautiful eyes were now wild, and filled with anger, leaving Ozai only the slightest warning. Ursa raised her arm as if to strike him, and Ozai grabbed her wrist right above her elbow. Then Ursa gave him a cruel smile, and unclenched her fist. A handful of powder fell out of her grasp, and Ozai quickly closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, desperately trying not to inhale whatever substance he had just been exposed to.

He suddenly felt pressure in his abdomen, and at first he thought Ursa had punched him. But then the pressure morphed into searing pain, and Ozai opened his eyes, breathing in some of the powder in the process. The first thing he saw was a knife sticking out of his robe, a pale white hand directing it.

Ursa began to twist and push the weapon, trying to cause as much damage as possible. Ozai panicked and burned the part of Ursa's arm he had a grip on. She winced in pain and let go of the knife, stumbling backwards while clutching her scorched flesh. Ozai pulled the knife out of his body and slumped to the floor, blood oozing onto his hand.

"You'd better leave now if you know what's good for you!" He growled at Ursa and pointed his first two fingers in her direction. Ursa recognized the gesture and she began to flee. Ozai was disoriented from the wound and the powder he had breathed in. Electricity began to crackle around his fingers, but instead of forming a bolt of lightning, the energy ricocheted backwards in an explosion, knocking him down.

Ursa knew there was no way back from this, if she was lucky she could escape by herself, taking her children would be too risky. She would have to leave their fates in Ozai's hands, and trust that he wouldn't hurt them. But there was one last thing she needed to do before she left.

"Mom…?"

"Azula, I love you. Things are going to be different soon, and I need you to be strong for me. Go back to sleep dear, please." Ursa placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead and went to see her other child.

"Mom…?"

"Zuko… please my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."

Zuko fell back asleep, and Ursa quietly left. She could hear footsteps all over the palace. No doubt the guards were looking for her. She slipped on a hood and disappeared through a secret entrance, vanishing into the night.


Zuko woke up in his bed. He realized he was still dreaming, but that didn't matter. He was no longer just an observer, he was in a body. And now he knew. He knew everything that had happened that night. He knew everything that had led up to it. But even still, he rushed to the same place he had all those years ago. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. This time his sister didn't show up to taunt him, not that he would have let her anyways. He dashed towards the palace gardens, where he expected to find his father.

But instead, he saw a man with white hair standing where his father once stood.

"Who are you? Where's my father?"

The man turned around and looked at Zuko, his face was old and full of kindness.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten who I am already! Think back if you'd like."

Zuko did as the man instructed, and suddenly he remembered. "You're Avatar Roku!"

"The very same, what brings you here, if I may ask?"

"I… I don't know. Roku, am I really dreaming?"

"Yes… and no. Your physical body isn't here, but what you're experiencing is very real. However, you didn't answer my question. What brings you here, at this place and this time?"

Zuko froze. Despite everything he had learned, the question remained the same. "Where is she?"

"I do not know Zuko. "

The young Fire Lord fell down to his knees, more disappointed than ever.

"Fret not, you already have what you need to find her, you just haven't realized it yet." Roku smiled at his great grandson, and left him with a few final words. "I will tell you the same thing I told Aang. Make sense of your past, Zuko. Only then will you find peace."

Roku faded from view, and Zuko was left alone. He wept silently next to the fountain, with only the peaceful sound of the wind to keep him company. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Zuko spotted a pair of boots walking towards him. He looked up, and saw a young girl staring at him. She was dressed in florid Fire Nation clothing, and her brown hair was done up in a braided ponytail. Her pale yellow eyes were somewhat obscured by a pair of gold-trimmed spectacles resting gently on her nose, but Zuko could still see that they sparkled with light.

"Dad, is everything alright?"

Zuko realized the girl was talking to him, but his throat was tight from sorrow, and he couldn't muster up a response. The girl ran towards a woman standing not too far away. The woman was wearing a dark cloak, with her long dark hair draped loosely over her back. When she spoke, Zuko thought he recognized her voice.

"What is it dear?"

"Mom, what's wrong with dad, will he be alright?"

"He's lost dear, but I'm sure he'll find his way back to us soon. Why don't you go ahead and play with your grandmother while we wait?"

The girl ran towards three figures in the distance, none of whom Zuko could quite make out. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and saw a pair of dark gold eyes staring back. The woman leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"Wake up Zuzu, for her sake."


Author's Note

This brings us to the conclusion of Zuko's dream. I hope you had fun reading it, because I certainly had fun writing it! This chapter answered many questions, but it also raised several new ones. Where did Ursa go? What did Roku mean? And who was the girl in the gold-trimmed spectacles? All things that will be revealed... eventually! : )