Chapter Text
The baby looked weird. Zuko tilted his head, but it didn’t change.
“What’s with that face? That’s your sister, Zuko.” His mother asked.
Zuko looked up at her, “She’s weird” he mumbled.
Ursa pressed her lips together, making a weird face.
Zuko’s father appeared, “What’s going on here?”
“Your son thinks Azula looks weird.”
“Ahhh” Ozai chuckled and picked Zuko up, and then he too peered down at little princess.
“All babies look like that” Ursa said.
Zuko tilted his head again, something that made Ursa smile softly.
“The important thing, Zuko. Is that your sister has that spark in her eyes. A sign that she is Agni’s daughter. A true princess of the fire nation!” Ozai whispered to him, tickling him.
Zuko squealed and squirmed.
Ursa laughed at the sight, her eyes crinkling up.
A servant rushed in, he bowed, “My prince, my princess”
Ozai looked up, “What is it?”
“The fire lord has called a meeting.” He didn’t have to say anything more.
Ozai handed Zuko over to the servant.
Ursa smiled at her son, “Be good.” And left with her husband.
Zuko heard a baby crying and he whined.
“Shhh, shhh” A woman hummed.
Zuko poked his head up and saw his mother rocking the baby. She noticed him looking at her and smiled at him. He scowled, and it made her smile only get wider.
“Did Azula wake you up?”
Zuko nodded, and Ursa chuckled softly. She put the baby down in her crib, who was now much happier.
“-nothing wrong with a non-firebender, brother! You don’t even have to worry that much, it’s not a big deal considering he’s not the heir-“
“Yes, you don’t NEED to remind me, Iroh! That YOU were born first! Agni, can you not even give me a MOMENT OF PEACE?”
Zuko shrunk back at his dad’s raised voice, and Ursa quickly closed the door, although It was too late considering Zuko was on the verge of tears and Azula was, again, full-on shrieking.
A couple of servants rushed over, “We can take care of the children for you, princess. There is no need for you to do it!”
“Mom” Zuko whined, sniffling.
Ursa looked down at her son, pursed her lips and gave her crying daughter over to one of the servants.
She quickly scooped Zuko up and cuddled him, “It’s okay” she cooed.
The servant took Azula out of the room to quiet her.
Things had calmed down. Azula was sleeping and Zuko played quietly while Ursa looked on. Ozai entered the room, frowning.
“Husband, what is wrong?” Ursa said.
“You know exactly what’s wrong, Ursa.” He snapped back.
She flinched and looked over at Zuko, who stared innocently back.
Ursa sighed and got up from the chair she had been sitting on, “Let us not have this discussion here.”
“It’s not like they can understand us.” but Ozai's protest fell on deaf ears, Ursa had already walked out.
2 servants rushed into the room to watch the royal children, right after Ozai stormed out after his wife.
Years would pass, and Zuko spent less and less time with his father, and more with his mother.
Azula would turn two, and she would bend her first flame. The story would not be lost, told and retold by a proud father.
“Here we have” Ozai would laugh, usually already having had a couple of drinks.
“Princess Azula and this clearly intitled servant. The man was trying to get her to sleep when she wanted to stay up to wait for me. Can you believe that?” He’d laugh again, and the onlookers would chuckle too.
“But Azula recognized her right as a princess of the fire-nation, as my daughter and granddaughter of beloved fire lord Azulon, and used her Agni-blessed power on him, causing the servant’s sleeve to light on fire. Ursa and I rushed in when we heard the scream, it was an impressive sight.” The people listening would agree and smile.
Sometimes, when Ozai had one too many drinks, or sometimes just when in a worse mood, he’d also comment “My wife made up with her first mistake, by giving the fire nation a new child, a true child of Agni.” The people would agree and smile, and not look at Ursa who sat by her husband’s side quietly.
After this event, Ozai would dote on Azula. Ursa spent all her free time with Zuko, to make up for it of course.
This rift would never truly heal.
Zuko would turn six and Azula four. She would already know the basic katas, even if she couldn’t necessarily use them alongside fire and she would already be able to produce fire at a mere whim.
Zuko would turn six and he’d be home-schooled by tutors on politics, math, writing, reading, the basic education for a prince of his status, but Ozai did not bother to get him fighting lessons.
Zuko was six, and Azula was practicing with fire. He watched her and she lost control, distracted by the squawking of a turtle duck, the flame shot out, rushing towards some beautiful flowers…Zuko would be the one catch it.
When Ozai was told, he said, “Good. It seems you do have a spark, even if it is small, you've proved that you really are my heir. You’ll get started on lessons tomorrow; I expect you to catch up.” Zuko would nod.
When Ursa was told, she’d stare at Zuko for a second and ask hesitantly, “Are you sure?” And then, she would hug him and say nothing. At six, Zuko recognized that her smile had not been happy.
Zuko discovered he was a fire bender and nobody cared-
“Zuzu, now I’ll teach you fire bending!”
“sure, zula.”
“Okay! But you must listen to me, I’m your teacher now”
And then Azula would stare up at him with a firm pout and crossed arms, and Zuko would laugh and stop worrying about a father’s apathy and mother’s worry.
He would not remember most of this, but-
Zuko’s first memory was of Azula. Just a snapshot. A little baby with wrinkly skin and squinty golden-eyes, practically bald and…
“Sister”
That was enough.