A/N: Welcome to the first poem in my Urzai (UrsaxOzai) collection! (Like those in my Zuko collection, most of these are actually songs, so I'll be using the terms interchangeably.) This is one of the first I wrote about this pairing, and it was written long before the series ended, so there are certain things (I won't say which ones) that didn't turn out the way I imagined for the song. I won't say anything else until the author's note you'll see afterwards, except that I was very much influenced by Excerpts from the Diary of Princess Ursa by Karalora, which is an excellent fanfiction that I highly recommend. Also, "ire" is an old word for anger, which conveniently rhymes with fire.
But now, I hope you enjoy.
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Firedance
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My father's house I leave,
To another soon to cleave:
My suitors I receive--
A poised and delicate flower:
My prince, you speak my name--
My hand you seek to claim:
Should I choose the Royal Flame,
And dare to be in your power?
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Beautiful and dangerous--
In you the patterns shift like fire:
They say that love is perilous--
You could be all that I desire,
But help me if I stoke your ire!
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Perhaps we cannot understand
The other's steps, but take my hand...
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And we dance--
Could this be my fairytale romance?
I wonder as you hold me in a trance
With your golden glance:
Shimmering,
The summer Sun enspelled me on the wing--
But you could teach this bird for you to sing,
And to you I'd cling!
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My prince, I'll be your gentle dove--
Please say your princess has your love!
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I hold a baby boy--
My utter love and joy
The birthpain can't destroy,
For dearly I bought this blessing:
Your father's love you seek,
Yet our son you deem too weak!
Your eyes of anger speak,
Your bitter want confessing.
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To you it's always rivalry
To be honored by the Lord of Fire--
But no-one is your enemy
Except your hate and dark desire--
Don't let yourself be lost to ire!
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Perhaps we cannot understand
The other's steps, but take my hand...
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And we dance--
Could this be my fairytale romance?
I wonder as you hold me in a trance
With your golden glance:
Shimmering,
The summer Sun enspelled me on the wing--
But you could teach this bird for you to sing,
And to you I'd cling!
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My prince, I'll be your gentle dove--
Please say your princess has your love!
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Once, to shield my son, I knew
I had to leave in the dark--
Sweet child, what has he done to you?
You carry fire's mark!
Beneath the scars you've borne so long,
Is my darling young one lost?
My Lord, you've done our baby wrong,
And you have to pay the cost!
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And we dance--
Once this was my fairytale romance,
But for my child, I must escape the trance
Of your golden glance:
Shimmering,
Fire lights your Hall where shadows wing--
At your defeat, my dear one's heart may sing,
And to this I cling!
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I used to be your gentle dove,
But now we cannot keep our love...
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May Agni bear your soul above!--
That realm I'll keep on dreaming of...
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A/N: I was expecting Zuko to meet up with Ursa during or before the finale, so that's the scenario I had in mind while writing the bridge and last chorus. (I was disappointed that we didn't get to see Ursa at all, but at least we get to imagine our own version of the reunion and all.) I also thought, like many, that defeat would equal death for Ozai, and I personally had a hunch/wish that despite everything, Ursa might be somewhat torn between helping to "bite back" the one who messed with her baby, and having to lose the man I like to think she once loved. However, being an avid Urzai shipper (not to mention a rather devoted fangirl of...er, half of that ship), I'm very happy that Ozai was allowed to live. This way, my favorite pairing (Urzai) can still have a canon happy ending (depending on your definition of happy--which I think it can be, if they have eachother).
About the chorus (and the title), this was composed after having seen The Headband, so I knew they didn't dance in the Firenation. Still, I liked the idea of putting that idea into the song enough to take artistic license and do it anyway. It could be taken as a metaphor--I think a "dance" is a good way to poetically describe life in general. Personally, though, I like to think there's some truth to it--I know they "don't dance," but it strikes me as the sort of thing that Prince Ozai would do anyway with Ursa, when no-one else was around to catch them. Concerned though he is about fighting for one's honor (as evidenced in The Storm), I doubt he was ever a good little prince who followed every single rule and convention (after all, he did become the "baddest man on the planet"). Just a private fanfic-ish fantasy of mine. lol
That's about all I had to say about this song (although I will mention that the line "Sweet child, what has he done to you?" was inspired by a Zuko and Ursa reunion scene in a different fanfic I encountered on a forum--sorry, I'm not aware that it's posted on this site, so I'm afraid I can't direct you to it). So anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and please review!