Chapter 2 – A Child's Tale
"I think you will all find him to be an excellent choice to embody your elements and beliefs. He will be born this spring as a child of fire. He will be born as a descendant of both Sozin and Roku. His name will be Zuko, and he will bring balance to the world"
The vernal equinox marks the first day of spring. Spring marks the beginning of a new year for the world, a new year for all of the plants and animals. A rebirth for all creatures, and a rebirth for the world.
The vernal equinox is also the day that Zuko is born.
Zuko, the son of Fire Prince Ozai and Fire Princess Ursa, the grandson to Fire Lord Azulon and Fire Lady Ilah, the nephew to Fire Prince Iroh, and the cousin to Fire Prince Lu Ten, was born on a day that symbolizes rebirth.
How fitting that day is.
Screams echo throughout the Royal Palace, as the maids tell Ursa to push just one more time. Ozai is on the opposite side of the palace, wanting to escape "that awful noise". Azulon and Ilah are taking a war council meeting, but it is clear to all of the Generals that they are waiting with anticipation.
With one more almighty scream, Ursa's cries stop as she falls asleep, exhausted from her ordeal. Instead, a new set of cries ring throughout the room, as the small baby boy is brought into the world.
Iroh is the first one to hold the new-born in his arms. The boy's eyes creep open, and Iroh is startled to see them flash white, before they settle into a pale gold. Perhaps it was the light, there is no need to inform my brother.
One of the maids hands him a cloth. Fire Nation tradition states that the father should be the first to clean the child, but Ozai is not here, and the boy is in need of cleaning. Carefully, he dips the cloth into a basin of warm water and lightly brushes the dirt off of the baby.
Slowly, the boy reaches up and lightly pulls on Iroh's dark beard, seemingly fascinated by the smooth hair. Iroh lets out a deep chuckle, which the baby responds to by gurgling.
He hears a bell chime from the main clock tower, alerting the entire nation to the birth of the Prince, fourth in line for the throne.
Somehow, Iroh knows, the boy in his arms will change the world.
Ursa has awoken again, so he hands her son over to her, keeping a gentle smile on his face, as he watches her rock her child, beaming brightly, as only mothers can.
The doors to the chamber are thrown open, allowing the rest of the Fire Lord's family in. Ozai watches from next to Ursa, as his son giggles and tries to grab Ursa's hanging hair. His meaty fists attempting to find a handful of her deep brown locks.
Azulon and Ilah look on proudly. They have combined the blood of Sozin and Roku, and the child will be a powerful one, just as the Fire Sages have foretold.
If only they knew.
All bending children in the Fire Nation are supposed to begin their training at age five. Azula, his younger sister, is a prodigy and begins her training at age four.
Zuko doesn't begin his until age seven.
His father dismisses him as a failure, a worthless failure, and a waste of his time. All he wants is for his father to say, "I love you son", but he never has, and he probably never will. He hears the praises of his sister constantly, a constant reminder that she is better than he is.
"Azula was born lucky. You were lucky to be born"
Azula mocks him relentlessly, as do her friends, even if they offer him apologetic smiles when his she isn't looking.
At eight years old, Azula is already cruel, taking pleasure in the pain of others. She swipes at him in the corridors, but never in front of any witnesses, and never in front of their parents.
His best friends are the turtleducks, they play with him when he's bored. They sit with him when he's lonely, and when he feels upset, they cuddle up to him.
When Azula's bored, she throws stones at them.
His mother is no different to the rest of his family.
A non-bender, she is disgusted by her own children. She calls him "monster" and "evil". Whenever anyone else is around, she plays the part of the loving mother, but she is as cruel as her daughter when they are alone together. She's not "Mum" or "Mother", she's "Lady Ursa".
When he cries himself to sleep, she tells him to "shut up". His father tells him to "grow up and be a man". His sister just laughs.
It's Uncle Iroh and Lu Ten that make him feel better. Lu Ten comes and lies next to him, hugging him until he falls back to sleep, and whispering soothing words in his ear. Lu Ten is his best friend in life. He asks him one day if it bothers him that he'll never be Fire Lord, and he answers truthfully.
It doesn't.
It's because he knows.
He knows that if Lu Ten leads the nation that the war will end, and the world will be at peace once more. If it were Azula that would take the throne next, then it would matter, because she would reign destruction down on the other nations, the likes of which has never been seen.
The very thought of Azula as Fire Lady sent shivers down his spine.
Uncle Iroh is the father he wished he had. In his ideal world, he and Lu Ten are brothers and Iroh is their father.
But his dreams were not reality, and the reality is that he is stuck, unable to help himself, or help the world.
He's eleven years old when Lu Ten dies during the 600 day siege at Ba Sing Se.
Grandfather Azulon dies that night, and his mother – NO, Lady Ursa – just leaves. His father is named Fire Lord, and he is now heir to the throne. Uncle Iroh is on a sabbatical, dealing with the loss of his only son.
He sits next to the turtleduck pond, with silent tears running down his face. It's late at night, and everyone is in the main palace ballroom, celebrating their new Fire Lord.
They're celebrating the fact that his grandfather and his cousin have died.
It sickens him.
He throws his arms up in frustration, he wants to scream at the world, and the water from the pond leaps into the air.
He jumps to his feet, scanning the area behind him, searching for his attackers. There's no one there.
Hesitantly, he throws his hand out, and is horrified when the water moves too.
He ignores the turtleducks, as they 'quack' their annoyance, before attempting a quick fire blast, and he confirms that he can still firebend.
I can't bend more than one element. The missing avatar isn't ME. It can't be me.
He feels the panic set into him, his shallow breaths seize up into his chest.
He crawls into bed that night, afraid of what he might do, or who might discover it, or more dangerously, who might discover him.
The morning after, he leaves the palace for the home of Master Piandao. Piandao is an old friend of Uncle Iroh's, and whenever they would visit him, the two would always play Pai Sho. Master Piandao is also one of the best swordsmen in the world.
He's always liked swords, maybe he can learn something about himself on the way.
Piandao is an interesting man.
Still relatively young at thirty-six years of age, he meditates every morning, takes morning tea, trains Zuko all day, and then the two play Pai Sho every night.
Eventually, he realises that Pai Sho is a training exercise, with the two of them employing different strategies. Zuko always loses, but he never sulks, a good leader learns from his losses as well as his victories, his Uncle has drilled this into him as a child.
His Father just insisted that failure was unacceptable.
After two months of training with Piandao and Fat (Piandao's manservant), Zuko has almost exhausted nearly every blade that Piandao owns, and he still hasn't found the 'one'.
Piandao is aware of who Zuko is, and what his family has been to him, as well as his lineage. As he fingers the white lotus tile in his pocket, he watches as the water in his garden becomes agitated, and tries not to smile.
Zuko could be the world's only hope.
He watches closely, as the boy picks up another blade, a broadsword, and takes a few experimental swings, and that's when he realises.
As he moves one hand with the sword, his second hand is also moving, in a second motion – like two halves moving in tandem, two swords moving as one.
"Student Zuko!"
Startled, the young man placed the broadsword back on the weapon rack, before stepping over to his master, bowing as he reached him.
"Sifu Piandao"
"Come with me"
Nodding his consent, Zuko followed him across the courtyard, and into another weapon storage area, and he led him passed the spears and broadswords, until they stopped in front of a single weapon, a curved blade with a black handle.
"Pick it up"
His command is a questioning look, but Piandao doesn't allow his gaze to waver, not allowing any quarter, and it doesn't take long for Zuko to pick up the sword.
He picks it up, and Piandao watches in fascination as he immediately splits the sword into two. Both of them fitting into his grip, as he swings them, his form already taken to balancing them.
Zuko was always meant to use the dual dao. The duelling nature of his personality, two great grandfathers, the light and the dark, yin and yang, two swords.
They return to the courtyard, Zuko with his two swords, one in each hand, and Fat, with his own sword, his left hand behind his back.
They begin.
The swords fit him perfectly, as he moves seamlessly, cutting through the air towards Fat, who has to move quickly to block the first strike, before ducking under a second swing.
Oh yes, Piandao muses from the side-lines, this kid's gonna be good.
Even watching him train, Piandao can tell that Zuko was meant to be the avatar.
Avatar Zuko.
When he moves, he doesn't walk or stomp, but he stays light on his feet, with all the grace of an airbender, as he dances around Fat, meeting counterattacks and resistance, before spinning, swirling, and retreating. Always trying to find a new angle of attack.
Then, Fat attacks against him, and like the push and pull of the tides, one blade coming up to block as the second blade comes down, striking against him, before throwing out his first arm, sending Fat spinning from his own attack, and his own offence is turned into defence.
And then, when he finds himself backed into a corner, and with the stubbornness of the Earth, he stands his ground to defend himself. He fends off every lunge and swipe that Fat sends his way. Unmoving and solid, he parries every blow, deflects every shot, waiting for his perfect opportunity to strike.
And then he attacks with all of his natural ferocity, his firebending instincts shining through as he relentlessly hammers against Fat's defences. Blow after blow, strike after strike, until Fat drops his defences too far and Zuko moves in on his prey.
Fat drops his sword, and Zuko crosses his over Fat's throat.
Piandao looks on proudly from the side lines, before applauding the effort. Fat joins him in his applause causing the young prince to blush, before bowing gracefully to his opponent and his master.
After his display in the courtyard, Piandao decides he needs to take a more active role in the training of the future Fire Lord.
He teaches him about balance, history and responsibility, all the while maintaining his intense swordsmanship training, and Zuko soaks up the knowledge like a sponge, a true prodigy.
For the next few months, they put him through trial after trial, lesson after lesson, and he does nothing but excel. His reaction time decreases, his stamina increases, his becomes stronger and sharper – just what the world needs.
After eight months of training together, they begin his final trial.
He spends an entire day choosing the material for his sword, eventually going with a steel alloy, a combination of two metals.
How fitting.
He spends the night tending the furnace, melting the alloy, with sweat pouring down his face, it's hot, even for a natural firebender, but after reaching its desired state, there's no rest though, because then he has to pour the molten liquid into the mould, wait for it to set, and then he takes the hammer to the two blades.
All under the watchful eye of Fat, he hammers the blades, smoothing the side, and removing any imperfections from the material. It takes him hours, sore muscles and a lot of sweat, but eventually he finishes, and he attaches the handles and wrappings.
He has finally finished.
He kneels, as Piandao presents his weapons to him. Encased in their sheath, he accepts it with a bow, before standing and attaching it over his shoulder.
He accepts Master Piandao's offer of a sparring match, as is custom.
They draw their swords and bow, Piandao's broadsword is in one hand, with the other poised to strike at any opportunity, Zuko holds a dao in each hand, one in front, ready to block, the other above his head, ready to strike.
Fat signals for them to begin, and Zuko barely has time to think before Piandao lunges for his throat.
He blocks upward, throwing Piandao backwards, but it doesn't faze the older man, who simply launches another offensive.
There's a windmill of steel, as sparks erupt between the two. Raining down in a fiery curtain, Zuko's use of the two swords matched by Piandao's years of front line battle.
They moved across the courtyard, with only Paindao noticing the raging tide of his pond behind Zuko, as the two men battled for control.
It all came down to Zuko's final attack.
Piandao had pushed him against the edge of the pond, so Zuko held his ground, parrying and deflecting every blow, until Piandao's blade went too wide and Zuko attacked.
He brought all of his ferocity, all of his intensity into his assault, using his feet as well as his blades in an attempt to remove any defence that Piandao had left, when suddenly he noticed one of Piandao's feet was facing inward, making him off balance.
He dropped in for a leg sweep, and threw all of his weight behind it, when he realized his mistake.
Piandao wasn't off balance. Zuko had been played.
With the gracefulness of a tigerdillo and the speed of a wolfbat, Piandao pushed out Zuko's only standing leg, dropping him to the floor and placing his sword at his neck.
His hands are by his sides, and he drops his dao, in a gesture of surrender, but Zuko can't help the stupid grin that forms on his face. I just sparred with the best swordsman in the world. Piandao offers him a proud smile, and Fat breaks out into applause.
Uncle Iroh picks him up from Master Piandao's home, to escort him back to the Royal Palace. He stays long enough for a cup of jasmine tea, and he seems happier than he has in a while, the loss of his beloved Lu Ten no longer weighing him down.
The feeling of the white lotus tile in a pouch weighs on his mind, but he's unsure of the significance.
They return to the palace together, and share stories of the war. Zuko still thinks the war is a bad thing, and Uncle Iroh may agree.
He's only twelve years old, and he might not be a sword master just yet, but he's sure he's made his father proud.
He couldn't be more wrong.
He's ridiculed and insulted by his father and sister.
Ty Lee has left and apparently joined the circus, and May's not around now, her father's been sent to the Earth Kingdom to help govern some of the new colonies.
In his absence, Azula has learned to play the part of the dutiful daughter to a tee. She's nearly completed her mastery of firebending, and is taking lessons on governing.
It's as though she thinks she will be heir someday.
He knows he's neglected his firebending in favour of his swords, so he decides he wants to begin again.
Master Iroh, not 'Uncle' or 'General' or 'Prince', is now his teacher, deciding that Zuko needs to learn everything again.
They awaken together for dawn meditation every morning, followed by breathing exercises, and then basic forms.
He is impatient and impertinent, but his uncle is a saint, and waits out every tantrum, every outburst and then pushes him harder until he gets it.
There's two masters that he will meet one day, but for now, Iroh is his master.
He also begins lessons in governing and politics. He can remember waterbending one time, but he hasn't tried it since that awful day, and regardless, he is still Prince Zuko, son of Ozai and Ursa, and the heir to the dragon throne.
He continues to learn and train, and his thirteenth year passes by without incident.
Well … Uncle Iroh does give him one very interesting 'talk' about girls, 'something else' and moon-blood.
He really wishes they'd never had that conversation.
Then one day, he accompanies his uncle into a war meeting, determined to learn how council is taken first-hand, but a plan is formed that day, and the idea sickens him.
Sending a dozen men to their deaths knowingly, as though it's nothing.
His uncle had warned him not to speak, but this is disgusting, so he yells in outrage at the coward of a general who suggested the idea, when the Fire Lord silences him.
He is ordered to duel an Agni Kai.
The general is old, and seemingly frail. He doesn't look too dangerous, but no one should ever be underestimated.
He accepts.
He is not afraid.
He should be.
High above them, a spirit dressed in red, with dull white hair and a flowing moustache watches the duel, as he watches all, and cries dry tears for the newly scarred child with the hope of the world on his shoulders.
It's not fair, but we will be watching you every step of the way … Avatar Zuko … and you will not do it alone. The others do not know it yet, but Aang's time is almost upon us.
He's banished, meant to search the world for the avatar, never to return home until he has captured him and restored his honour.
His face is now a permanent reminder of
He can't give them the avatar, because that would mean that he'd become a prisoner of his own family.
That's not counting what they would do to the rest of the world.
He's on the bow of his ship, looking out to the horizon, as they head towards the Western Air Temple, unsure of why, he feels a strong pull in that direction, as though a part of him is missing and that it is waiting for him there.
An image of colours dancing around him flashes through his mind, but he pushes it from his mind – they're almost there – only a few days away, and fretting over won't help him at all.
Everything will become clear to you in time Prince Zuko, you'll find that destiny is a funny thing, but it always has a plan.
It's as though his uncle knows that he can feel the call of destiny, and his uncle is prepared to stand with him, no matter what.
He glances over his shoulder, to where his uncle is sat with Lieutenant Jee, the two of them playing a game of Pai Sho.
It's weird, Zuko muses, a small Fire Navy crew prepared to follow me, knowing that my fath- The Fire Lord will NEVER let them work again.
Something else is going on here, and Zuko will find out.
Author's Note
Sound off below, and tell me what you thought of my second chapter - Feedback is ALWAYS appreciated.
I'm leaning towards a Zuko/Toph pairing, as well as Aang/Katara and Sokka/Suki, but I could be convinced otherwise.
-MarvelMatt