"...we lay you to rest," the Sage concluded, and Sozin moved to the center of the platform. "We now bestow the Crown of the Fire Nation upon your only surviving son." Sozin's brow furrowed at the reminder. The Sage carefully placed the crown in Sozin's topknot. "Hail Fire Lord Sozin!"
The crowd below prostrated itself, and Sozin grinned. He praised himself for his patience in waiting for this day. The urge to speed up the process and simply eliminate his father himself was certainly tempting, but he couldn't risk anyone drawing a connection between his brother's death all those years ago, and his father. Now all of his patience, planning and hard work was paying off. And he knew exactly what he was going to do with his newly-earned power.
His primary obstacle was the Avatar. Kyoshi, an Earth Kingdom native, had finally passed away the year Sozin eliminated his twin brother. The next Avatar, a Fire Nation native named Roku, was born the same year. As Sozin waited for his father to depart the throne, he'd heard rumors of the new Avatar's impulsivity, and one incident in particular in which the 16-year-old had destroyed his own temple in an impatient attempt to master the Avatar State. Sozin hoped he would be able to ply Roku's loyalties to his own nation and keep the Avatar on his side as he executed his plans. Now that Sozin was Fire Lord, he could begin the first step: winning the allegiance of Avatar Roku.
Servants and guards stared in shock as the elderly Fire Sage tore through the palace halls, stumbling along the way. He collapsed outside the doors to the throne room, at the feet of a guard who raised one eyebrow, unsure of what to make of the situation.
"Please," the Fire Sage panted. "My name is Kaja, and I require an audience with Fire Lord Sozin IMMEDIATELY." The guard blinked at him. "HURRY!" With that, the guard turned on his heels and bolted into the throne room. He threw himself to the floor and touched his forehead to the cool tile.
"Your Highness! Fire Sage Kaja requests an urgent audience with you!" the guard informed him. Sozin sat silently on the dais, flames licking at his robes.
"Concerning what matter?" Sozin asked in a cool, even voice.
"He didn't say, Your Highness," the guard replied to the floor. "But he came tearing in, and collapsed just outside the doors. He seems to be very upset about something." Sozin stroked his beard, his interest piqued.
"Send him in," Sozin ordered. No sooner had the guard opened the doors and stuck his head out, than Kaja scrambled inside and prostrated himself before the Fire Lord.
"Your Highness, I have news that you must hear!" the Fire Sage gasped. Sozin's steely gaze did not waver. "A prophecy has been revealed, my Lord."
"A prophecy? Tell me."
"The other Sages and I were meditating, and somehow I found myself in the Spirit World. I was approached by a dazzling figure that introduced itself to me as the Spirit of the Sun. It then revealed a prophecy to me: 'In the Year of the Dragon, a child shall be born with eyes like the sun. His birth shall darken the sky, and he shall be the one to restore the rightful heir to the throne, and honor to the Crown.'" Sozin's eyes widened. Kaja lifted his head just enough to peek at Sozin's face, scrutinizing his reaction. "My Lord? I confess, I know not what this prophecy means. Perhaps you have some idea?"
Sozin furrowed his brow and waved his hand, dismissing the Fire Sage. The Spirit of the Sun was warning him. But how much time did he have? His wife had not yet produced an heir, and once she did, wouldn't that child be the rightful heir to the throne? Kozen hadn't had any children, being only a child himself when he died, so it wasn't as though Sozin was shutting out his bloodline. Still, perhaps the spirits considered anyone of Sozin's bloodline an usurper to the throne. And Sozin had other reasons to fear the child in the prophecy. What kind of cursed, miserable wretch could blot out the sun with his very birth?
"Fire Sage Kaja brought a transcript of the prophecy, did he not?" Sozin inquired of the guard.
"Yes, Your Highness. As the law requires, all divine revelations must--"
"I'm well aware of the laws," Sozin snapped. "Bring me the scroll."
"Sire, you needn't burden yourself. I would be happy to take it to the library--"
"I SAID BRING ME THE SCROLL!" Sozin bellowed. The guard stumbled and hurried to the door to retrieve the transcript. Sozin couldn't let information like this simply lay around in the open, even within the confines of the royal library. Anyone else reading the scroll might deduce what it was suggesting, and take actions against the Crown. Sozin kept the scroll close by his side until he retired for the evening, when he locked it away in a hidden chamber behind a large tapestry in his chambers. He had worked too hard, planned for too long to reach a position where he could achieve his goals, and nothing, not even his own decendents, would stand in his way.