Zuko

"Zuko if you want to breathe fire like I do you need more than just use your chi in large amounts, I would think that after all the progress you've made this would come easier to you" Iroh stood just behind me patting my back as I coughed to clear my lungs after a failed attempt at copying Iroh's signature move.

"This-" a fit of coughing put a stop to my words "This would be easier if you just showed me, I learn faster if I fight or if I see you do the attack"

"You will never learn to develop your own techniques if you just mimic what others do prince Zuko and while your mastery over the abilities you've learned is very impressive, legendary even, you will always fall behind the people that can improvise or improve mid-battle"

That was a fair criticism, but I was still frustrated about the fact that I couldn't do it on my first few tries.

"Here have some tea" Iroh passed me a cup and the warm drink made my sore throat feel better "Do you really think that you will find something in the South Pole Zuko?"

"I have faith" Iroh smiled wryly at my answer and I laughed "Besides the army has explored most of the world in their conquest and if the Earth Kingdoms had the Avatar he would have been unleashed upon our troops, even if he was just a kid they would parade him to boost morale. The South Pole is the best place to look."

The moon stood tall in the sky and the ocean's cool breeze lifted my spirits.

"I want to try again uncle"

"Perhaps only one more time, while perseverance is a virtue one shouldn't overwork himself" with the sage advice given my uncle motioned for me to get into a stance.

With knees bent and legs parted while I had my arms extended the core of my body was forced to compensate and that's just what I wanted, with a deep breath I gathered my energy and felt it flow all over my body from my legs to my head I was filled with chi and I had to tame it, slowly I gathered it in my belly and once I had enough I quickly moved it upwards so I could spit it out.

With a roar, I opened my mouth and a small stream of fire came out, while the strength of it was disappointing the fact that I managed to do it was already lifting up my spirits.

"Good! Very good Zuko, I knew that you could do it. Once you dominate it in that stance you can start to practice it in a more normal one and then while moving. I will warn you again to be very careful or else you might choke like before, I know the fire doesn't hurt you but you can still drown"

"I will be careful uncle, don't worry" I responded to his warning with a smile.

Iroh patted my head in a move that made me remember my childhood and the days when Iroh and Lu Ten played with me in the gardens of the palace, Iroh held me close and spoke again "It is the privilege of a parent to worry about his child and you're all the family I have left Zuko"

Tears gathered in my eyes threatening to spill out at a moment's notice, but I held them in, if I started crying then Iroh would cry too, and he has cried enough for a lifetime so I just hugged him harder.


Another glorious day with the sun shining down on me. Praise the Sun~

It was strange being in the open ocean again after finally being back in my position as a prince but at least there were some benefits, Iroh had managed to get some engineers so they could inspect the changes the mechanist had done to my ship, they would copy the designs and present them privately to the admirals of the Fire nation so that I could carry some favor for them. They had also done some modifications to my room as we traveled so instead of having a literal metal cage as my bedroom, I would have a view of the sea.

I would have some decent quarters for once and the glass panel they were installing was pretty resistant all things considered, I can't wait until they invent TV and for the radio to become more widespread so I can listen to some music as we travel, not that I don't like how Iroh plays music but you can only hear it so many times before you get tired of it.

In the distance, I saw an island that had been repurposed as a docking station for ships, confused I took out a map and looked for the island in it and it wasn't there. Just to make sure that it wasn't a spit island or some weird mirage I called for my uncle who frowned as I passed him the telescope.

"Ah" I doubted it was a good thing by the way he frowned.

"Are we in trouble or something, are they pirates?"

"Not pirates and no trouble either I just like to ignore that island" Iroh said as moved away from the sight.

"Why?" something terrible must have happened there if Iroh was just ignoring it, but I just couldn't help my curiosity.

"That place used to be a sacred island for the Water Tribes, once upon a time any conflict between the North and South Poles was discussed there, no bloodshed was allowed and many times war was avoided by the use of the island as a neutral meeting place but years after the death of Avatar Roku the Fire Nation claimed the land"

They just allowed us to take a sacred island?" I thought everyone here was a super religious fanatic and would fight for their land so it seemed quite far-fetched to me that they wouldn't fight.

"The Northern Chief wanted to fight but the Southern Chieftains refused to join as the Fire Nation had promised them that they would never again take any more land for them and since the war had already started they took the deal" Iroh looked angry as he continued "My father kept his word but made sure that there would be no more waterbenders born in the south"

"I see…" for a pacifist that was pretty religious like Iroh what happened must have been infuriating "Maybe we can give it back, you know…once this is all over"

"Let's just hope that there are still water tribes when that happens" with that grim reminder Iroh went to his room.


Ozai

Ozai had been walking in his palace as he always did on the days he was bored, he liked reminding the servants and the guards that he was there and just in one place, it also amused him that they were so scared that sometimes they fainted.

But today…today he heard something that he never thought he would have heard. He came upon a group of maids that were talking as they cleaned a room filled with pieces of art that Azulon had collected over the years.

"Do you think it's true? What they say about the prince and general Iroh" the youngest one said as she lifted a vase.

"Maybe, it would certainly explain why he's so invested in prince Zuko, but prince Zuko looks a lot like the Fire Lord" a more mature one with a nice look responded as she inspected a painting of a dragon.

An old maid scoffed at the words "You never saw general Iroh in his youth nor his son Lu Ten, he and Zuko could have been twins if not for the difference in ages"

"Then prince Zuko is the general's son?" Ozai's heart stopped for a second as he heard the words, fire ignited in his hands and the heat ignited his robes.

"Ursa always liked Iroh better than the Fire Lord and as brothers, it makes sense that a son of his could be passed as the Fire Lord's"

They were saying that he had been made a cuck by his brother! Ozai was better than Iroh in every way, he was taller, more muscular, more handsome, and a far better lover. Ursa would have never lain with Iroh and even if she did the woman didn't have the courage to pass of a child born like that as Ozai's.

A small part of his mind reminded him that Ursa had been brave enough to poison the most powerful Fire Lord to date and get away with it but Ozai squashed the intrusive thought like he would a bug.

As much as he hated to admit it Zuko was a mirror image of himself, there was no doubt that he was his, someone was slandering his name and spreading rumors and Ozai would make sure that whoever it was died painfully.

Just like the women were about to die.

Lighting gathered in his fingertips as he aimed at the legs of the women, he would have them crippled and thrown to the streets for labeling him a cuck when he wasn't.


Azula

Everything was going according to plan…more or less, Azula's attempts to ingrain herself in the noble circles had the unintended effect of drawing too much attention and Ozai was watching her like a hawk. It looked like he knew about her ambitions and it wouldn't be the first time that a second child tried to take over the throne by force of arms.

Azula reclined herself in her seat and motioned for Mai to come closer with a bowl of grapes, it was a subtle way to remind her friend that even if she was her friend Azula was of higher station and that Mai served at her pleasure.

"Ty Lee just told me that her sisters found out that Ozai killed some servants, the rumors are spreading fast" Mai sounded surprised for some reason but Azula had expected it, Ozai had highlighted just how different she and him were from Zuko for years and those lessons were not so easily forgotten by anyone, much less the nobles who loved to gossip.

"My plans never fail Mai, soon we will have everything we want, now feed me a grape" Azula opened her mouth and delighted herself with watching a noble girl like Mai play servant for her, Azula took in the softness of her fingers as they touched her lips and a very wicked thought entered her mind.

Zuko had always been led by his emotions and carnal affairs were very emotional, if Azula presented him with Mai and herself when explaining her plan to him then her fool brother would easily comply and be Azula's little puppet, but it wouldn't do to be inexperienced in bedroom activities and from what Mai had told her Zuko's member was not one easily found.

"Azula?" Mai looked at her confused but not worried, the fear that Mai used to have around her had disappeared and she couldn't say that she disliked that.

"Just thinking about something, keep feeding me" another grape found itself in her mouth and Azula watched as Ty Lee made some acrobatics in an effort to be remembered separately from her sisters.

Maybe she should give Zuko the sisters too…no, having too many women around him would break the purpose of her mission, even if it would initially help her there was the possibility that Zuko could be influenced by them. Her brother wasn't as smart as Azula after all.

"Mai what do you think about having Ty Lee and her sisters join us in Zuko's bed" Azula watched as her friend frowned harder than usual and how her hands went for her weapons, the intent look on Azula's face broke as she started laughing "I'm joking Mai, no need to get so angry"

"That wasn't a funny joke Azula"

"It was for me"


Author note: so Azula's master plan in in motion so that's fun, but things might get complicated rumors almost always spirall out of control but that's still far away. Zuko is finally on his way to confront the Avatar not knowing that Azula will have a susprise ready for him when he comes back to the Fire Nation. Also on unralated news that i forgot to post to put on the other Author notes is that i finally have the rewrite of Feed the Fire and i think it's great! you will receive the first chapter on the sixteenth. I hope you have a great day and i will leave my below.