"This is such a waste of time," Azula exclaimed as she tossed another piece of bread into the pond. "I could be doing so much more right now."
"Honey, wouldn't it be better to spend time with your family instead of training all day long," Ursa said as she placed her hand on Azula's shoulder, using her other hand to feed the turtleducks.
Azula shrugged for a moment but then leaned into the touch. Zuko smiled to himself. The seeds of his plan were slowly starting to flourish. He knew that Azula, deep down, had always loved their mother but had hidden it under her facade of anger and hatred. As for Ursa, she had loved Azula since the day she was born but had started to get scared after Ozai took an interest in her bending.
As Zuko fed another turtleduck, he noticed one slowly approaching his sister. "Azula," he called out, catching her attention. "There's a little one heading your way. You should feed it."
Azula turned to the pond and spotted the turtleduck Zuko mentioned. She picked up another piece of bread and let the small one eat it right out of her hand. "I never quite understood your fascination with these creatures," she remarked. "There are others that are far more intriguing, yet you choose to spend time with them."
"Sweetheart, we don't spend time with them just because they are interesting," his mother explained. "We come here to spend time with each other as a family. You may find it hard to believe, but there was a time when even your father would come here with me."
That statement had surprised them both. For Azula, it was the fact that her father was willing to spend time here, and for Zuko, it was that he had never imagined that Ozai could spend time with his family without being forced to do so. His dreams had shown him what his father truly was, but they left out the part where he was said to have a somewhat compassionate side.
They sat there for another hour, feeding the turtleducks and discussing various topics. It was heartwarming to see their family getting along for once. Azula had stopped avoiding her mother's touch and now leaned into it, even hugging her on one occasion, though Zuko was certain she would never admit it.
After a while, Zuko realized he was late for sword training with Master Piandao. He said goodbye to his mother and sister and started to head towards the courtyard. Glancing back, he noticed Azula and their mother still deep in conversation, bringing a smile to his face. His plan was slowly taking shape.
It all happened in a haze.
After Azula informed him of their mother's passing, he lost touch with reality. He had already experienced the loss of his mother once before, but back then he knew she was alive and likely safe away from their father. When they finally found her, it had been one of the happiest days of his life. He and Azula located her in an old village where she had once resided and were overjoyed when they reunited with her.
In the following days, they stayed close to her, ensuring her safety. Azula remained by her mother's side almost constantly for a week after her return. He couldn't quite recall when Azula had developed such a deep affection for her, although some memories hinted that the bond had always been there. Memories that felt both familiar and foreign.
And now he had lost her again, but this time it was permanent. He would never lay eyes on his mother again, causing him immeasurable pain. First, life had taken Mai from him, and now his mother. Wasn't it sufficient? Hadn't he endured enough already? How many more friends and family members would he have to bury before it all stopped?
Zuko didn't even notice they had left the palace until fire started raining down from the sky. The rebellion had spent months preparing for this invasion. They must have had an insider on the council, someone high in the ranks who could supply them with weaponry.
He snapped back to reality when his uncle pulled him onto the ship. Looking back at the palace, he watched his home crumble before his eyes.
He knew he would have to confront the rebellion eventually. He believed his army and support from other nations would be enough to crush the insurgency. How mistaken he was.
Gazing at Izumi, still asleep in his arms he sighed in relief. He couldn't save his mother but at least he saved her. His dear baby girl. He always wanted to create a better world for her, so when she became the Fire Lord, she wouldn't have to face the same challenges he did.
"Zuko." he heard his uncle call out to him as he approached. "My boy, are you hurt?" The old man asked with a concerned look, checking Zuko for any injuries. Once he confirmed that Zuko was unharmed, he turned his focus to his nephew's face. Zuko could see the tears barely held back in his uncle's eyes. "I'm so sorry about your mother, my boy," he said, placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I wasn't fast enough to save her."
Zuko gently removed his uncle's hand from his shoulder and embraced him. "It's alright, uncle," he said, his voice filled with pain. "The important thing is that you made it out safely," he added before releasing his uncle.
His uncle smiled briefly before shifting his focus to Izumi. "How is she?" he inquired, concern slowly returning to his expression.
"I'm not sure, uncle," Zuko replied, also directing his gaze towards Izumi. "I don't know what they did to her. She has been asleep the entire time, and I was hoping that perhaps you could assist me in waking her up."
Iroh gently took Izumi from her father's arms. "Of course, Zuko. I will attend to it immediately," he assured before heading back inside, leaving Zuko alone to watch as the capital gradually receded into the distance.
Zuko seized this chance to uncover any leads that could help him identify the source of the insurgency's support. He was aware of dissent among certain council members, but doubted they would go as far as to plot against him. It had to be someone from the noble houses. Many of them already harbored animosity towards Zuko due to his contrasting methods with those of his father.
Whoever orchestrated this was skilled. Zuko realized it would likely take them months to devise and garner support for this plan. But how did he overlook this significant power shift? Despite frequent diplomatic missions, he always prioritized his nation's issues afterward. Whatever change occurred must have transpired in the past two months. His absence during the diplomatic mission provided the rebellion an ideal chance to seize power in the Fire Lord's absence.
"You know that standing around and sulking all day won't make your problems disappear," He heard Azula say as she approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Whoever did this is going to pay."
Zuko looked up at his sister. She had become his greatest advisor and a close friend. He was fortunate that she was by his side at this moment because she was likely the only one who could truly comprehend what he was experiencing.
"So, do you have any ideas about who might be behind all of this?" she inquired.
Zuko turned away and gazed at the distant mountains. "It could be someone from the noble houses. They would likely be the ones capable of fully uniting the rebellion under one banner. The only question is who."
Azula turned and faced the same direction as he did. "It is probably someone who greatly benefited from father's reign. Someone who lost most of their influence and power the moment you took over. Maybe that's why they desire his return."
"They will be sorely disappointed to discover that he is a mere shadow of his former self," Zuko remarked as memories of his father flooded back. "Fire Lord Ozai perished the day Aang defeated him, leaving behind only a broken man."
Azula looked at him with surprise. "When was the last time you saw him?" she inquired.
"Almost three years ago," Zuko replied, the pain evident on his face. "A month after Mai's passing."
The words pained them both. Azula, who had once harbored resentment towards Mai for betraying her, had eventually found it in her heart to forgive and embrace her. They had rekindled their friendship after Azula's recovery.
It was clear to Zuko that the topic was affecting them both, so he opted to switch it. "Where are we going now?" he inquired, redirecting his full attention to Azula.
"We are heading to the Earth Kingdom," she replied. "There we will encounter the Avatar. Then we will proceed to Republic City," she added, removing her hand from her brother's shoulder. "With the Avatar's assistance, we have a chance to persuade the council to help us reclaim the Capital City."
Zuko smiled at the idea of reuniting with Aang once again. It had been some time since they had last met.
He turned back to face the direction of the burning capital, his sister by his side.
His training under Master Piandao had progressed smoothly. While Zuko had always been proficient with swords, the inclusion of his dreams had significantly enhanced his skills. In these dreams, he would sometimes envision himself engaging in sword fights using techniques and moves that he had not yet been taught. Through a combination of a good memory and hard work, he was able to master these techniques once again.
Master Piandao was pleasantly surprised by the prince's rapid progress. Having instructed many students in the past, none had shown the same level of quick learning as the prince. While others required multiple demonstrations of a technique before grasping it, Zuko would understand almost immediately. The young prince undeniably possessed a natural talent for swordsmanship. Aware of rumors suggesting that the prince's firebending abilities were inferior to his sister's, he decided to focus on mastering sword combat to surpass her in any way.
As Zuko entered the palace, he anticipated encountering Azula and his mother at the pond, but they were nowhere to be seen. He assumed that his sister had gone for training with their father and would likely be on her way to her room by now.
To his surprise, he noticed the door to his sister's chambers was ajar. Peeking inside, he was taken aback by the heartwarming sight before him. Azula was peacefully asleep next to their mother, who was reading her a scroll she had probably purchased during their last visit to the market. Witnessing this tender moment between them filled Zuko's heart with warmth, especially since he had never seen Azula so serene, particularly with their mother whom she often claimed to dislike. His plan was now unfolding smoothly.
Once his mother noticed him, she invited him inside and asked him to sit right next to them. As Zuko sat down, he turned his gaze towards his mother. "I've never seen her so peaceful," he remarked. "What did you two do while I was away?"
Ursa shifted her focus from her scroll to her son. "We had a conversation," she replied. "And she made me promise that I would dedicate as much time to her as I do to you."
Zuko gazed at Azula and, for the first time in a while, saw her not as his rival but as his beloved little sister whom he had cherished since the day he first laid eyes on her. Surprisingly, she didn't harbor as much animosity towards their mother as she had professed.
"Then she asked me to read her a story," Ursa interjected, breaking his train of thought. "She wanted me to do it the same way I used to when she was just a baby, and that's why we came here."
Zuko would be dishonest if he claimed he wasn't pleased with this turn of events. He had expected Azula to take much longer to come around to their mother, but it seemed all she needed was a gentle push in the right direction. This had exceeded his expectations, and he was genuinely happy about it.
Zuko rushed down the hallway, his face etched with worry. This was not what he had anticipated dealing with today. It was meant to be a day of mourning, marking nearly a month since his beloved Mai had passed away.
They were en route to the southern water tribe to meet with Katara and Sokka to discuss reparations for the damages caused by his nation. However, their journey was interrupted when their ship was attacked by his father's loyalists. Mai, still weak from Izmir's birth, was gravely injured. Zuko had hoped that Katara could save her, but upon their arrival, Katara informed him that it was too late.
The news had been disclosed to the nation just a week ago, plunging the country into deep mourning. Mai had been the first Fire Lady to grace the throne in the past two generations, and the nation had embraced her warmly. Now, the nation mourned the loss of their beloved Fire Lady, he mourned the loss of his wife, and Izumi mourned the loss of her mother. The young girl was only four months old and already deprived of a mother.
When Zuko reached the end of the corridor, he encountered two guards standing there. Upon seeing him, they bowed in respect, and one of them proceeded to open the door.
Zuko inquired, "What did he do?" The other guard appeared uncomfortable, as if he would rather be elsewhere.
"He attempted to hang himself, sir," the other guard explained. "Luckily, we intervened in time." With that, he finished opening the door.
Before entering, Zuko paused and turned back. "Please, leave me alone with him for now." The two guards promptly bowed and exited, leaving him alone in the cell.
As he turned, he faced a shell of a broken man sitting on the floor in the cell. His father was once the greatest firebender the world had known, now reduced to a broken man without his bending, still clinging to his former life.
"Hello, father." At those words, Ozai glanced up at his son, and Zuko was taken aback to see that his father's eyes didn't hold the usual hate he greeted him with. There was no hate, only sorrow and dismay. "It's been a while."
"What the..? Am I… Am I dead?" his father exclaimed as he examined his bruised hands.
"Oh no, you are very much alive," Zuko said. "You can thank the guards for that."
As Ozai looked up, he focused intently on his son's face, searching for any hint of pity, but found none. "Zuko, listen. I don't know if any of this is real, but..." A brief pause followed, a moment of silence that made Zuko wonder if his father had finally lost his mind.
"Zuko!" Zuko heard his father call out his name a few seconds later. He was kneeling in front of his son, expressing regret for everything he had done. He said that it all seemed like a terrible dream, a nightmare from which he had just awakened.
Zuko was surprised by his father's words. He had never expected Ozai to show remorse for his actions because his father always made it clear that every decision he made as the Fire Lord was the right one.
What had caused this change in his father? Did his suicide attempt finally make him see the cruelty he had inflicted throughout his life?
"I'm sorry, Zuko," the unfamiliar words came from his father's mouth. He had longed to hear Ozai say these words one day, but now they held no significance to him. "I regret everything. My selfish and irresponsible actions. Everything I did."
"I suppose you can imagine it's a bit too late for that now." He replied to his father, not bothering to conceal the disgust in his voice.
"What happened? During my absence..." Zuko clenched his hand into a fist at those words. "Did you lose someone?"
As his father uttered those words, Zuko raised his fist, striking the cage and startling Ozai. "YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! EVERYTHING!" he shouted. Deep down, he knew that his father wasn't to blame for Mai's death, but his followers were.
His father gazed up with sorrow in his eyes. "If I could change what had happened, I would."
Zuko withdrew his fist from the cage. "You don't deserve to have such thoughts," he remarked, averting his gaze. "No one does." He added in a much calmer tone.
"I am at a loss, I don't know what to do or say to you," Ozai admitted, looking down. "You should not have preserved my life."
Zuko turned to the man he once admired. "You now owe me your life," he asserted. "Ironic, isn't it coming from one of your children? To have the power of life and death over one's foe, It grants us clarity." Ozai met his son's gaze, attempting to discern his thoughts. "I understand that now."
Silence filled the room as Ozai attempted to formulate a response.
"You have everything you ever wanted. So why keep me alive? Why not just end me?" His father questioned. "It makes no sense."
"I want you to live, the rest of your days, knowing that you're only here because I decided so," Zuko said, his anger and hatred driving him. "Knowing that your fate rests solely on my decisions." As horror filled Ozai's eyes, he continued, "And knowing that only I have the power to end it." After a brief silence, he added, "I'll be here the day when you"ll beg me to kill you. And on that day, the entire world would have forgotten your name. If it hasn't already."
After he finished Zuko turned around and started to make his way towards the exit as his father banged against the cage. "Zuko wait! What happened to you?" He yelled as the door to his cell started to close. "Zuko! Don't turn your back on me!"
Darkness settled in the room as Ozai heard the door being locked behind his son.
"I regret!"
"I regret everything I did!"
"ZUKO!"