Chapter 2:
The Dragon Throne

Azula hates surprises.

To be surprised means you've lost the initiative. Your enemy has ruined your plans. And the situation is about to become unsalvageable.

Repelling the invasion wasn't a surprise. It was expected. The fools, did they not think that firebenders would leave records of a day where they lose their bending? It's been etched in their history as far back as the first Firelord. An invasion during the Day of the Black Sun is bound to fail for the sole reason that any decent Fire Nation military commander would expect their enemies to strike at the one day they lose their bending. There has been countless plans prepared for a situation such as this, and the one used today was engineered by her.

Leading the Avatar on a chase was not a surprise. It was all part of the plan. The face they made when they realized they were dancing on the palm of her hands? Ha! Priceless. She will think of this day for many years to come as an example of her genius. Another win added right next to her conquest of Ba Sing Se.

Father will be pleased. She just hopes Zuzu won't do anything stupid to sour Father's mood. She only got him back, she won't let him get the other half of his face burned off and be banished again. In fact, just to prevent herself from being surprised, Azula expects the dumdum will have already done something stupid and prepares herself to think of ways to clean up his mess again.

What she finds shocks her. If being surprised means the situation is about to become unsalvageable, then being shocked means it's already way past unsalvageable! Still, Azula is the Princess of the Fire Nation. She takes hold of that shock and strangles it to death. Because to show people that you are shocked makes you look weak, and Azula cannot have that.

So here she is, watching her foolish, foolish, foolish, idiotic big brother challenge their Father to Agni Kai. You know, challenge the same person who burned your face off before in the same duel you two are about to partake in. And she thought Zuzu couldn't be any dumber than he already was, clearly she underestimated his potential for idiotic actions.

She watches as the two of them fight. Their Father is one of the best firebenders of his generation, if not the greatest now that Uncle Fatso let himself go, his fire so hot that it could almost rival her own blue flames, not only that their father could also generate lightning faster than her. And Zuko... well Zuko is pretty pathetic right now, his fire is the weakest she has ever seen it, and she's also pretty sure he hasn't been able to generate lightning ever.

This could only go one way, and she expects it just to stop herself from being surprised. And as expected, their father is toying with Zuko. She sees him throw a barrage she knows he can throw faster and stronger.

Father is making a show of it. He's making an example to those who would defy him... Just like 4 years ago...

Azula thinks. Azula watches. Azula waits... Whatever moment she is waiting for, she has no idea herself. She has no idea what she will do when that moment comes.

It happens when Father forces Zuko to a knee. He taunts him as he dances the dance that generates lightning. This time, Azula knows this is the moment. Azula does not know what she is supposed to do. Before she knows it her hands move to the necessary position to generate lightning, all it would take is for her to move in a circle, point, and shoot. She pauses, she thinks, she looks at her fingers in confusion. In that moment of indecision, everything is decided.

Her father throws the lightning! Her feet is already moving! But before she can even come close, Zuko catches the lightning!

Just like Uncle!

Zuko points, and he shoots, not at their Father, but at his feet. He breaks their Father's root and throws one of his largest fireball ever. Her eyes widen in surprise before she can stop it when she sees the golden tinge of the fire. And in that moment just after the ball of fire hit and burned their father, Zuko rushes towards him, sweeps his feet of, and aims a measly fist of fire at their Father's face.

Zuko has done it. He has won. Whatever they talk about, Azula does not hear. All she can think about is Firelord Ozai, the strongest firebender of his generation, has lost Zuzu. Her dumbass of a brother won.

Before Azula can process whatever the fuck is happening or whether this is a dream or not, Zuko is already shouting something about the throne and Agni Kai, facing towards them... with his back towards his opponent!

You idiot! Don't turn your back on your enemy!

Before she can even warn him, their Father is already lunging towards Zuko's back with his hands coated in fire. Now Azula knows where Zuko inherited his idiocy. He got it from their Father! What the fuck did he think was going to happen?! He lost the Agni Kai in public and under Agni's eyes, and now he attacks the winner's back?! No one will ever accept a Firelord who would do that. The Army would rebel, the people will fight. The best thing he could have done was accept his loss, fade away into obscurity, then sabotage Zuko. But noooo, he has to attack.

Expecting her own brother to die to their Father, and for their Father to follow shortly after him, Azula prepares herself to be crowned Firelord as the only living choice. She should've known better. Looks like Zuzu isn't done being surprising yet because he draws his sword, swings without looking, decapitates their Father, finishes the motion by catching their Father's body out of the air while being bathed in his blood.

Zuko freezes,

Azula freezes,

She's pretty sure everyone freezes at the sight of their former Firelord attack the back of his own son, and said son proceed to decapitate their former Firelord.

She hates being surprised. So she does the only thing she can before this turns into a clusterfuck. Yes she knows she said fuck, but Azula is the princess. She can do whatever she wants. And Azula proclaims Zuko as Firelord.

"Long live Firelord Zuko!" She shouts, the crowd picking up the chant.


"Long live Firelord Zuko"!

Its the only thing Zuko can hear other than the pounding of his heart. He looks at his people. HIS people. Always has been his people, and yet now they declare him the Firelord. And with that, Zuko realizes something. He is still holding his father's headless body. He drops it immediately.

I didn't think I'd get this far! What now?! Holy shit! I just killed my father. Don't think about that, don't think about that, don't think about that! Uncle, I need your wisdom.

"Tea is liquid wisdom", NOT HELPFUL UNCLE!

"Breathe Prince Zuko." I guess we have to start somewhere.

With that inner monologue, Zuko closes his eye and takes a deep breath then exhales, steam coming out of his mouth. With a moment to calm his self down, Zuko thinks back to all the lessons Uncle Iroh tried to teach him while they were 3 years at sea, hunting the Avatar.

What now Uncle?

"Know the situation before committing to an action."

Looking at the people gathered around him, he sees Azula close to their battleground.

When did she get so close?

"Princess Azula, what is the situation?" If anyone knows whatever the hell is going on then it would be Azula.

Azula looks at him, just as surprised at what is happening. She looks towards their father's body, and looks back at him. She starts to shrug, only to realize she already has a report ready for the Firelord. Granted, it was supposed to be given to Ozai, but Ozai's dead. They can both process that later.

"Your majesty, the savages are on the run. We are currently dropping bombs from the airships towards their submarines." Azula answers.

Zuko twitches at that, horrified at the possibly more loss of life. What now uncle?

"It is time to look inward and start asking the big question: Who are you and what do you want?"

With that question running on his mind, Zuko looks deep within himself, remembering why he fought his father in the first place.

...I am the Firelord... and I want to defend my people. I want to lead them to an era of peace.

"Tell the men to chase them out until past the Black Cliff's but save their ammunition. After that, have the airships refuel, we need them to scout the Islands for any enemy presence"

With all the officers watching him, he cannot simply cancel off their counterattack, not when they have the enemy on the run. It pains his heart to do so, but this is all he can do to limit the damage.

"I'll have someone send the orders. Anything else your majesty?" Azula replies, while looking at a particular young officer who she signals to to do so.

Thinking of the situation, he doesn't even know what is really happening other than the invasion, and Uncle Iroh's imprisonment.

UNCLE IROH! I can't believe I forgot he's still in prison! I must have been so distracted by Mom's possible survival, then the Agni Kai...

"Yes, cancel Prince Iroh's execution and imprisonment orders, and have him brought to the Palace. Family should stay together" He wants nothing more than to be with Uncle now, but he has a job to do as the Firelord first.

"Uhmm...Your majesty..." A brave guard interrupts nervously.

"Hmm? What is it?" Looking at the guard, Zuko asks him a question.

"We have a report from the Prison's. Prince Iroh has broken out of confinement."

"He what?! Then where is he?"

Mistaking Zuko's shout for anger, the guard quivers in fear.

"He.. he.. he went with some water benders wearing a garb with a white lotus on it."

"... His Paisho Club. His damn Paisho Club. Fine. Gather the generals and the council in two hours inside the throne room. We have a lot of work to do." Zuko can only sigh in misery.

""Yes your majesty!"" The audience calls out in response. Moving to pick up his clothes, Zuko notices he is still covered in blood.

"And can someone clean this up?" He asks while pointing towards his father's body, trying not to look and puke his guts out. It would be bad if the new Firelord makes a fool of himself within the first 10 minutes of his reign.

"What do you want done with the body?" Another guard asks.

He knows just leaving the body here is wrong, and so is burning it to ash. He knows there is protocol on what to do to a former Firelord's body, but he just can't remember it. Luckily there are a bunch of people here who does.

"Ask the Fire Sages, they would know what to do."

Looking at the crowd still looking at him he sees Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai standing together.

Shit! Mai! I wrote her a letter! I'm dead.

Not being to look Mai in the eye, he instead turns to Azula

"Azula, you and your entourage will follow me. Everyone else dismissed!" Zuko commands, going back to the mode he used at sea, which is shout at everyone to leave.

""YES YOUR MAJESTY!"" Everyone acknowledges in response.

As he begins to walk back towards the Palace, the Royal Guard finally surround him, thinking for a moment they are there to fight, he is surprised instead when they take up a circular position to guard him, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.

"Your Majesty, My name is Shizuka, Captain of the Royal Guard." Shizuka answers from their lead, a tall middle-aged woman with long black hair walks towards them.

"Well met Captain Shizuka, are your men ready to guard us?" Zuko responds, he may have spent years away from home, but he still remembers his Cousin Lu Ten talking with the palace staff, and he remembers Shizuka as one of his Cousin's friends.

"Yes your majesty."

And so Zuko walks across a battlefield headed toward the Palace, wherein the Dragon Throne currently awaits its new master.


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