Chapter 3: Ursa

Weeks have passed since Azula's escape attempt. I don't know if she was successful. The guards have not mentioned it within earshot of me. Zuko's last visit was thankfully brief. He simply stormed into my cell, called me a monster and left as quickly as he came.

The nights grow ever longer and bring a permanent chill to my prison cell. My oh-so-merciful guards have seen fit to provide me with an extra blanket for all the help that does. I have never missed my fire more than now. Sleep comes fitfully. One night I am awakened by a most unexpected sight.

"Ozai? Are you awake?" Her voice sounds familiar, yet it is one that I have not heard in years. Its owner in this dim torchlight appears not to have aged a day since the last time I saw her.

"Ursa? Is that really you? Forgive me my sloth, but it does get dark so early these days."

"Yes. Today is the Winter Solstice if I am not mistaken."

For a minute all is silence. All that could be said between us was said years ago. Why or how could she possibly come back?

"So Zuko finally found you, did he? I suppose this explains him being so cross with me during his last vist."

"He did. When he finally found me and discovered the full extent of what you had done after Azulon's murder, he was furious with you. It probably took an intervention of the Avatar on your behalf to convince him not to execute you. But he has made peace with what you have done."

"You know I had to, Ursa. Though I know you didn't do this just for me, your deeds that night rid me of every obstacle placed before me in my rise to power. But I couldn't just let you walk away from that. Power requires great sacrifices of those who wield it."

"Sacrifices on your part? Or from those unfortunate enough to have trusted you? Your ambition has swallowed lives whole. And to what end? You are no longer Firelord, you may never leave this cell, your followers have deserted you and your family is broken."

"Yes, a sad state indeed."

"A sad tale's best for winter."

"But you're wrong. I will live to leave this wretched dungeon behind and reclaim my place as the ruler of this world. This cannot have been for nothing! And most surprisingly you have returned to me after all."

"No, Ozai. You did things that can't be taken back and now you must live with the consequences of your actions. One of those is that I can never return to you."

"If what I did can never be taken back, then why bother to guilt me over it? You of all people should understand that I needed to do it! I even spared the life of your precious Zuko! If I have made any mistake it was that!"

Ursa shakes her head.

"You don't mean that. You may insist to your dying breath that all of your crimes were justified, all the sacrifices of those around you necessary for the pursuit of your goals. Of power. Of your birthright as the stronger son of Firelord Azulon. But we both know that's a lie. You are human. That's something you can never will yourself to stop being. Your ambition denied others their existence. I know you don't want to hear this, but your past is catching up to you. There is no way out of dealing with the consequences. Only a way through."

I laugh, trying to conceal just how deeply her statement cut me.

"You always knew just what to say to make my blood boil."

Her form begins to blur before me.

"It's a shame I had you executed."