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Chapter Text

The sudden death of Fire Lord Azulon triggered everything.

Some believe that it was an assassination by one of the other nations to try to stop the advance of the war, others that he was seriously ill without anyone knowing, there were even those who thought that it had been Fire Nation rebels against the war; the reality is that Azulon's time had come, it was his time to go to the spiritual world, the time for one of his sons to ascend to the throne.

The official announcement to the Caldera community was solemnly given by the Fire Sages, in the presence of the royal family.

Prince Ozai, the youngest son, seemed distant, some would say indifferent, but supportive of his wife and children, who, although they did not interact much with the late monarch, were saddened by his departure. The children were still too young to fully understand the change that this would entail in their lives, however, they honored as their mother indicated at the time of saying goodbye to their grandfather.

Days later the news reached his eldest son, General Iroh, who was reviewing with his lieutenants the most appropriate strategy to deliver a crucial blow to one of the fronts of the imposing Ba Sing Se wall, after almost six hundred days of siege, they were closer than ever to destroying that detestable wall.

"After this attack, the first wall will fall and our forces will be able to take control of the crops in the outer circle, without food supply, the enemy soldiers will be weakened and our victory will soon be imminent; The Fire Nation will manage to take over the largest of the Earth Kingdom cities"

"General Iroh! Official news from the capital!" burst in a soldier, who entered his tent unannounced holding a small scroll in his hand, which was sealed with the insignia of the royal family and tied with a black bow.

It couldn't be anything good.

"We will continue the meeting shortly, let me attend to this message" seriously requested the general and his subordinates left the room while he unwrapped the letter.

'Dear Brother,

I regret to inform you that our father has witnessed his last sunset,
by the time this message reaches you, a few days will have passed since his
departure. He did not suffer, he died in his sleep.

We will wait until your arrival for the succession ceremony.

your little brother,
Ozai'

Tightly squeezing the paper in his hand and avoiding at all costs that it was consumed in fire due to his deep pain, a solitary tear ran down the general's cheek. He knew immediately that he must return home, but he could not leave the campaign like this, they could not miss the opportunity to break the wall.

"Soldier!" He called imminently to who was still at the entrance waiting for his orders.

"Tell me, General," answered the young combatant attentively.

"Call my lieutenants again and look for Prince Lu Ten in the camp, there are many things to organize"

The fastest of the eel hounds at his disposal had the General in just under 3 days at the entrance to the palace, where he was received by his brother and his family.

"Iroh, welcome home," the youngest of the heirs said seriously.

"It saddens me that these circumstances are the ones that bring us together brother" replied the eldest.

"I'm so sorry, Iroh," Ursa interjected, reaching out to hug her brother-in-law. Zuko and Azula also approached offering their condolences.

"The mourning of the nation will still remain for a few more days, it is a good idea that you rest from your trip, while everything is prepared for the reading of the testament and the succession ceremony" Ozai continued, as always direct, while slightly guiding his children to one of the training grounds.

"Zuko, Azula, continue with your training, I don't want to find you wasting your time when I get there"

"Yes father" Little Zuko responded attentively, who at only 8 years old, knew that he had to make an effort if he wanted to catch up with his younger sister in the Fire Katas.

"Don't worry dad, I won't let Zuzu rest until he manages to make at least half the katas that I do" Azula contributed while smiling arrogantly at her brother, there had always been a little rivalry between the siblings when it came to firebending.

"Well, you can't do more than me if I get there first" challenged the boy as he ran to the training yard.

"Come back here dum-dum!" The 6-year-old girl yelled, chasing after him.

"Hum So young and so eager to master firebending techniques," Iroh commented; the servants had already taken care of unloading all his things from his mount and taking her to the stables, while the royal family went to the rooms wing.

"Zuko showed his skills as a firebender a little later than usual, but he's stubborn enough not to let that stop him," Ozai replied without further reproach. “On the other hand, he is quite advanced in the use of dual swords.” he said proudly. 

"Reminds me of someone, who never admitted when he reached his limits" answered the elder smiling.

"Azula, on the contrary, does not need to make an effort to learn the techniques and achieves more and more advanced katas, however, she does not manage to get along with the others in the royal academy for girls"

"Maybe we should talk to the noble families, I know of a couple of families with girls of almost the same age, we could arrange a game afternoon" commented Ursa.

"Schedule it for after the holidays" the youngest of the brothers, who could never deny anything to his wife, simply gave in.

“How are the investigations going? Any new weapons we can use to destroy that damn wall?” Iroh inquired again, knowing this would pique his brother's attention.

Although the crown prince had forged an impressive military career from an early age, his brother never found himself interested in political or military matters, or at least not from a front-line point of view. Ozai was passionate about technological research, creating new weapons and tools that could make a difference for the nation.

“We are making good progress, the prototype of the war tanks is ready, we will go to the tests once the mourning ends, with them there will be no terrain that we cannot reach, neither snow nor rocks will be an impediment” he replied with greater conviction than in the rest of the conversation.

"War tanks?"

“Armored vehicles from which soldiers can fire bursts of fire, while protecting themselves from enemy projectiles, with traction chains on the wheels to prevent slipping or getting stuck on difficult surfaces” explained Ozai smiling haughtily

“Our best invention so far”

"Who'd say? My little brother who was always putting together new toys out of bits of trash, creating the weapons that will help us end this almost 100 year war,” Iroh laughed.

"They weren't just toys!" He replied annoyed, referring to the typical phrase of ridicule from his older brother. "Anyway, rest Iroh, we have events to plan in the next few days."

"If everything goes as planned, it will be a coronation and a great victory celebration." The eldest laughed, not knowing what the future really held for him.

Chapter Text

In the royal palace of the Fire Nation, the servants were busier than ever, not only they had to maintain the rites of mourning for the departure of the previous regent, but also start preparing the property to house the noble families that would witness the succession ceremony and subsequent coronation of a new monarch.

The chefs planned the banquet and ordered the necessary merchandise for the event, the royal tailors took the last measurements of young and restless princes and princesses for their formal attire, as well as the General who had not been in the palace for almost a year. The Fire Sages performed the last prayers to guide Azulon's soul in the spirit world and prayed to Agni to intercede for the next Fire Lord.

Prince Ozai, for his part, had been preparing a well-deserved vacation for his family for months, and as a result of the unexpected death of his father, he would take advantage of it to lead his own mourning in private, he had only waited for the arrival of his older brother to finish his preparations.

It would only be three days, to be back for the ceremony but it would have to be enough, they were in the middle of a war and couldn't delay the rise of a new ruler very much if they didn't want to look weak before the enemy. After all, word of Azulon's demise would soon spread through the colonies, and after that the Earth Kingdom and its allies finding out about it was inevitable.

"Dear, don't pack too many things, it will only be a few days," he said softly to his wife, coming up behind her as she looked at the different outfits she planned to wear on the trip.

"It's a pity that we had to cut the trip short, I was hoping to go to one of the theater presentations on the island" Ursa laughed softly as she pointed to one of the costumes, so that her Lady-in-waiting would have it ready to go.

"It will be a time alone for our family, we have to make it worthwhile," he replied, giving the woman a small hug from behind.

"I hope so, you better not stay all day training on the terrace" reproached the princess playfully.

"Okay, just a light morning workout with the kids then"

"Ozai..."

"Only two hours after sunrise, you won't even notice" the older man tried to reason, knowing how much his wife liked to sleep until mid-morning on the island, away from her obligations.

“You are incorrigible” the woman relented, then turned around and kissed her husband.

“I have left everything ready for the prototype tests and clear instructions on how to report when I return, so there should be no interruptions in the trip” he commented trying to change the subject.

"Excellent, do you think we can..." Ursa began to wonder as the servants finished packing and taking things out to take them to the ship, when she was interrupted by the youngest of her children.

“Mom! Tell Zuko he can't bring his swords! It's vacation!" The minor yelled as she ran into the room with her parents.

"I can't leave them, Master Piandao said that if I practice every day I will be able to surpass him one day" the boy complained, arriving behind his little sister.

"But it's vacation, you promised to play with me" said the little girl making a small pout.

“Yes but…”

"It will only be a couple of days Zuko" commented Ozai placing his hand on his son's head "Nothing will happen if you leave them"

"Okay Dad" He accept this a little sad "Will we go looking for Crab-Turtles in the sand together?" he asked excitedly.

"Sure, and we'll do sandcastle competitions, your mother and sister won't beat us this time" he replied looking defiantly at his wife.

“Yeeei” the children shouted happily, as they ran to their rooms to finish packing.

"You know you won't win"

"Say what you want dear wife, but this time nothing will stand in the way of my victory" declared the Prince firmly "You will never rise from the ashes of humiliation"

"Ha ha ha Ozai, you're always so dramatic" laughed the woman taking her husband's hand and guiding him to the exit, it was time to go to the port and they had two restless children to pick up.

The departure of the family of the second Prince to his summer house was discreet and simple, only Iroh said goodbye to them at the entrance of the Palace and with nothing else to do, he set out to organize his belongings in his chambers; after all, he would soon have to assume the throne and that meant several changes in the military hierarchy and new orders to send.

The Impenetrable City, Ba Sing Se, is how the capital of the Earth Kingdom is known, a self-sustaining city that separates its inhabitants from the cruel reality that gradually spreads through the lands of the kingdom, where they do not notice the enemies at the foot of its walls, the poverty that afflicts its neighbors or the suffering of other nations.

Where its wealthiest individuals, as stubborn as the element they use, ignore the need of the refugees who flood its low streets every day by the thousands; or the daily loss of soldiers trying to repel enemy forces. Concerned only about the outfits they will wear or the money they will earn from their businesses, they are blind to what lurks just outside their precious bubble.

The thick outer wall of the city of Ba Sing Se, the first protection, guarded by thousands of men, who tirelessly defend from the siege of the Fire Nation by repairing the cracks created by the increasingly intense attacks of fire and metal. Men who fall in combat against the red infantry trying to break through the fissures, leaving in their wake rocky terrain shattered and littered with the corpses of both nations.

Lieutenant General Isao watched the advance of the 32nd Brigade from the top of the hill in front of the wall. Only three days ago, the General had been called to the Palace with terrible news and had left the final blow under his command, with Prince Lu Ten as leader of the assault that would break through the fortress; Today he could only watch helplessly as hundreds of good men and women fall to the rocks and debris of the attack.

“Sir, your orders?” Colonel Lee inquired at his side.

Isao turned his eyes from the massacre to the camp where hundreds of wounded soldiers were precariously cared for by their comrades, others simply weren't so lucky. And finally to his left, in the valley where the battle was accessed, where the rest of the division awaited his orders, their faces downcast, eyes dull and postures tired after almost two years of this fight.

“Do we know anything about the Prince?” the lieutenant general questioned the colonel, who could only shake his head negatively.

"It was after the breach was made that the Dai-Li showed up, no one from that battalion returned, I'm afraid it's time to declare the Prince missing in action."

The Lieutenant turned his eyes back to the front, seeing the damn wall.

“Raise the flag for withdrawal” was Isao's decision.

"Sir? Are you sure?"

If they retreated the wall would be repaired and it would have been six hundred days and thousands of lives lost for nothing, but at that moment the Lieutenant had no choice, he is doing it for his subordinates, if they continued they would only lose more soldiers, they were all exhausted from this siege.

"Colonel, you have your orders, I have a letter to send to the General, we have lost enough lives"

"As you order, Lieutenant Isao," Lee declared, bowing to his superior and retiring to comply.

Once alone in the main tent, Isao could only sigh.

"First the Fire Lord and now the prince... Agni please don't abandon us"

Iroh didn't really know what to do once Ozai and his family left for their vacations, he had spent months with the military routine, surrounded by soldiers, without the comforts that royal life offers or servants to take care of his every whim. The solitude that reigned in the great palace and the weight of responsibility felt a little bigger.

With great care he entered his father's old room, careful not to spill the contents of the teapot on his hands, closed the door and fixed his eyes on the room.

The Fire Lord's room was in darkness, with the curtains closed, the bed made and each object in its place as if frozen in time; In front of the ostentatious bed a simple portrait of Azulon rested on a small altar, unlit candles surround it and a small urn rests on the cabinet below it.

The General looked at his father's portrait for a few seconds, sighed heavily and sat in front of him, lit the candles with a small touch on each wick and served two cups of Gingsen Tea, his and his father's favorite.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to give you a proper farewell father," he whispered, placing one of the cups next to the image of the late monarch.

"I always believed that by the time your time came this war would be over, that together we would witness the unification of all nations under the banner of our homeland" after this the old general remained silent for a few minutes enjoying his tea.

“However, no matter how many men we send, they have not been enough to bring down that stubborn wall and the people it represent”

"It was your dream and the dream of your father, to expand the greatness of our people to other nations, they are the ones who do not want to accept the truth, and prefer to continue with their low-class customs"

"I promise you on my honor that once I assume my position as Fire Lord, I will not rest until I achieve that dream, the one that our family yearns for so much," Iroh finished promising as he finished his tea.

Very calmly he got up and started to gather what he had brought with him when a soft knock on the door caught his attention.

“Prince Iroh? are you there?" asked a voice behind the door.

"You can come in" The general indicated.

It was one of the old Fire Sages, Iyok, if he remembered correctly, he had been present during many of the most important events for the royal family, and even performed the sacred rites at Iroh's wedding and Lu Ten's presentation, so it could be said that they knew each other quite well.

"Prince Iroh, the servants told me that I could find you in your father's chambers, I have something very important that... I think it would be good if we checked"

"Sage Iyok, what makes you so restless?"

"As you may know, the succession ceremony is only a few days away," the priest began, motioning for Iroh to accompany him to the desk in the room, where he lit one of the candles.

"That's right, in three days, when Ozai returns" agreed the Dragon of the West.

"That's why I was organizing the testament left by our acclaimed Lord Azulon and well, there's something you should see" expressed Iyok taking a scroll out of a cylindrical container that he had tied around his waist.

Intrigued, Iroh sat at the desk and spread the scroll that the Sage handed him. As he began to read his father's will, he found nothing out of the ordinary.

It was a very direct missive of Azulon's wishes for his people, where he explained how they should continue advancing so that the greatness that characterized them would reach the whole world, just like Agni's rays. Iroh started to question his companion when the last part of the will made him stop in his tracks.

...in an era of absolute progress, where new ideas and new methods are needed.

My dear Iroh, who like me has lived in the heat of battle, has had enough and it is time for him to rest.

That is why I have made the decision to leave the throne to my second son, Ozai.

Fire Lord Azulon'

Chapter Text

In the Fire Nation, Ember Island is considered by many to be the ideal place to vacation and get away from the suffocating political environment of the capital; It is a small but very beautiful island, located in the outer zone of the northern islands of the nation, with a jungle rich in species of plants and animals, which give variety and color to the landscape, surrounded by mountains, which give the sensation of ideal privacy and with beaches bordered by soft black sand thanks to the sedimentation caused by a currently inactive volcano.

It is not surprising then that the wealthiest families have summer houses in these paradisiacal lands. The mansion of the royal family, is located in a more secluded area, with a perfect view of the beaches from one of the nearby rocky hills, far enough from the tourist bustle, but only a few minutes walk from the bazaar, with its own beach and private port.

"Don't go too far children!" said the prince aloud watching the pair of children run down the beach chasing each other.

"Yes dad!" replied these unconcerned.

"Relax a little Ozai, after so many hours locked up on the ship they must be anxious to stretch their legs a little" Ursa told him, taking her husband's arm and leading him under the shade of a large umbrella.

"Not only them" he commented, sitting with his legs stretched out next to his beloved on a beautiful beach towel.

"Don't worry so much, we are here to enjoy"

"Remember when it was just you and me?" Ozai commented, reminiscing about his adolescence, when he was courting Ursa.

"Of course, how can I forget that young man who brought me small colorful shells" the woman laughed lightly.

"I didn't know what you might like" said the aforementioned under his breath "I had never gone out with a girl until then"

“Yes, and you got so uncomfortable when we talked”

“My father arranged for us to meet as soon as he found your family living on that small island, I knew that what he wanted was for us to have a political marriage, I never thought that I would really find myself speechless when I saw you”

"You turned so red even with small gestures" the princess continued to recall.

Unlike his brother, who had met his late wife early in the military, Ozai had never had much of an interest in dating before he met Ursa at the age of 21, he used to spend his time studying and training.

"My mother couldn't believe that the royal family would take an interest in my grandfather's lineage again, considering how long our grandparents were feuding."

"Even so, they both tried to stop the disaster on Tuzul Island, together they fought the wrath of the volcano with their dragons until the inhabitants were safe, unfortunately my grandfather could not do anything to save Roku" that was the story that his grandfather had narrated with regret in his last days when talking about the old avatar.

"Azulon has always sought to repair that gap between our families," commented the woman, leaning on her husband's lap to look directly at him.

"And now we have two little devils descended from two of the most powerful families in our nation" he replied with a proud smile.

As if summoned, the two small children returned to their parents totally soaked and threw themselves on them.

"Dad come come, you have to see what we found!" the little boy shouted excitedly taking his father's hand and pulling him with all the might that his little 8-year-old body could manage.

"Mom, I want a dragon kite" said the youngest, putting her best pygmy puma eyes in the rain, while pointing to the distance where several kites were seen in flight.

The rest of the afternoon the family enjoyed different activities on the beach; Ursa teaching little Azula how to fly a dragon kite, while Ozai and Zuko dived into a small cave where they found hundreds of colorful fish. Later, the father swam with his daughter hugging him from behind in deeper waters, while mother and son enjoyed watermelon juice on the shore while the waves splashed their feet.

At night, after showering and putting on more formal robes, because they couldn't lose their image in front of the commoners, the four headed to the island's bazaar. Along the streets several small establishments illuminated by lanterns and red paper figures, exhibiting different typical products of the nation. The natives shouted joyfully offering food, decorative figurines, jewelry, garments, and even some ornamental weapons.

"Look mom, they have melonpan, can we have some?" asked the young prince pointing to one of the stalls.

 "Of course darling" smiled the noblewoman taking the boy's hand and leading him towards the stall.

"Do you want something Azula?" Ozai asked his daughter seriously, who was holding his hand.

"Hum" thought the girl looking around her, noticing how at the end of the street there were many people gathered around a stage. "There, I want to go there" she expressed pointing to the crowd.

As they approached they noticed that a Firebending presentation was taking place, two masters were juggling small fireballs, passing them between them, while balancing on towers of colored metal spheres and cylinders. It was the first time that the little girl saw a firebending demonstration that was not for combat and she was impressed, however she could not see well due to the number of people.

“Dad, lift me up” the girl requested, gently pulling on her father's tunic.

Prince Ozai looked at Azula for a few seconds, then took her in his arms and sat her on his shoulders, he already saw himself in the future, without being able to deny anything to his little girl, just like her mother.

"Look Dad, a dancing dragon!" Azula exclaimed excitedly seeing how now among the jugglers they passed a 'dragon' made entirely with firebending.

"Woow, can I do that too daddy?" asked excitedly the young princess messing up her father's hair in her excitement.

"Those are commoner techniques, they have no use in real combat, so there's no use learning something like that" was his father's reply.

"aww"

"What's up Zula?" his brother asked coming up beside them, his mother a few steps behind.

“Dad says I shouldn't learn how to make fire dragons because it's for commoners” replied the girl looking at her brother from above with a pout.

"It's a trick for entertainment, I'm sure if you want you can do it easily" counteracts the eldest, passing her one of the candies that he and his mother had bought.

“You are right, if I can do the combat kata, that will be a piece of cake”

The rest of the night, the family continued to explore the bazaar, buying trinkets, which the sellers gladly sell to the royals, and seeing various street performances. When they went to rest at the mansion, they only thought about how wonderful the next day would be.

At dawn the next day, in the royal palace of the Fire Nation, the other member of the family had not been able to sleep properly all night. In Iroh's head, that last sentence laid out in his father's will replayed over and over again.

'...leave the throne to my second son, Ozai.'

Ozai.

His father had left the throne to Ozai.

His father had denied his right of succession as the firstborn and had chosen his younger brother as his heir.

There had to be a mistake, Ozai had no training to fill the position, he had never shown political interest, he did not even like to appear in court. Also the war is not over yet and the nation needs a leader with a mind for strategy, managing soldiers and resources.

"Perhaps he was already senile, it cannot be possible that he made a decision like that"

In the morning during his morning routine, accompanied by a large pot of black tea to stay awake, he dedicated himself to thinking what to do about it, perhaps he could make a joint mandate with Ozai in the early years, so that his brother would learn what is necessary for the position, or make him his heir and once the war was over then he could retire like Azulon wanted...

Although that would harm his lineage, Lu Ten would not be very happy with resigning his position in the succesion.

What could he do to fulfill his father's last wish without harming his position or that of his son?.

"Prince Iroh?" asked a servant breaking him out of his thoughts.

"What's going on?" he questioned her.

"A messenger hawk arrived with an urgent message for you, your highness" answered the young woman making a small bow handing him the small parchment.

“You can leave” he indicated to the maid, and once she was gone, he opened the message.

Just reading the first two sentences of the missive had Iroh stunned, the paper was starting to burn where he was holding it and tears were starting to flow softly from his eyes, this time without obstacles.

'Prince Lu Ten's battalion has been declared lost in battle'

First his father and now his son, his little boy, his Lu Ten.

He had been taken from him.

Was this a punishment from Agni? Had he lost his blessing? was he not deserving of his grace? Everything had been taken from him in so little time, his father, his throne, and now his son.

No.

His son had been taken from him by the Earth Kingdom.

He had to do something, anything, but the troops had withdrawn. And if they hadn't been able to take down that wall before, they wouldn't be able to now with the tired and diminished troops; more men were needed, more artillery, more elements that made the difference. It was a huge investment, it was his duty...

'...leave the throne to my second son, Ozai.'

He can't do anything.

He was not the successor. Ozai had been chosen for the throne.

Ozai, who was dedicated only to his plans and silly inventions.

Ozai, who had never sought political or military alliances.

Ozai, who has done nothing for his nation to deserve the power to rule it.

Ozai, who still has his loving wife and beautiful children.

And Iroh had nothing.

Nothing.

And as if it were an epiphany, a deep calm invaded him and just a second later he no longer felt pain, he did not feel anguish, nor the weight of the tragedies that afflicted him, he felt nothing. He looked at the letter again, somewhat deteriorated under the yoke of some furtive flames.

There was no time for tears or rage.

No, it was time to act.

The first thing he had to do was secure his place on the throne.

Only then could he have the power and resources to avenge his son. Only then could he put an end to the war once and for all and unite all nations under the banner of fire, his brother did not deserve anything, he was the one who had fought all this time for the family's dream. Ozai hadn't done anything.

Time was of great importance, so he quickly got up. Finding the chief of staff supervising the daily chores, he calmly approached him.

"Send the fastest runner you have to locate the Sage Iyok and tell him to come to my office immediately and tell the hawker to prepare his fastest hawk"

"Immediately, your highness," replied the man, heading to carry out his orders.

Iroh pulled from his robes the scroll that Iyok had given him the night before. The proof that Ozai had to be declared Fire Lord and without further remorse he turned it to ashes.

With that out of the way, now all that remained was to get rid of Ozai and his family.

Chapter Text

Iroh had too many things to do if he wanted his plans to come to fruition, time was against him and he depended on too many outside factors for his liking. The first thing was to talk to the Sage Iyok, but while he was waiting for him to arrive at his office, he was writing his offer for an old acquaintance.

‘I have a business like the ones you did for my father,
It will be a difficult job, discretion is required, so a specialized team would be ideal.
It is of the utmost importance that the work be done today,
don't worry about the payment, everything will be covered.
I'll wait for you in an hour for more details.'

With that, the person to whom the message was addressed would know what it was about but no one else could determine the nature of it, he took the small compartment of the hawk, placed the message and after a couple of commands, he released the bird from his window so that she delivered the message. He stared at the horizon in the direction the animal had flown as he waited for his next visitor.

"Did you want to see me, Prince Iroh?" questioned the old Fire Sage entering the office carefully.

"Indeed Iyok, come closer," replied the General, indicating the seat in front of his desk. "Iyok, how many people saw my Father's last will?"

"Eh...just me, your highness" replied the old monk with some insecurity, sitting where he was indicated and waiting for his prince to sit in front of him.

"Good, tell me, you believe as I do that what my father is asking for is something out of the ordinary, don't you?"

"Well, it is a somewhat strange decision, but our esteemed Fire Lord would have his reasons"

"Leave the throne to the spare son, the son who has never shown potential or interest" continued the Dragon of the West as if he had not heard the priest's answer.

“Certainly a questionable decision”

"It will not be well seen with the nobles for the firstborn to be denied his right of succession, especially by a prince they don't know well," Iroh continued calmly.

“They would learn to…” Iyok tried to intervene, gradually understanding where the speech was going.

“The military would not respect an inexperienced leader”

"Our soldiers are loyal..."

“And they will continue to be, loyal to the true leader of our people, to their recognized General”

"But Prince Iroh, the scroll with the will clearly indicates that..."

"That scroll does not exist Iyok" concluded the Dragon seriously. "My father's death was so sudden, no one would have imagined it, he was very healthy as far as we all knew"

“Your highness you cannot do…” the priest claimed indignantly.

"It's done"

"Your brother knows of the existence of the scroll, he himself removed it from his father's chambers and gave it to me sealed" 

"Don't worry about Ozai, I'll take care of him." Iroh stood up and looked out the window again.

"That's all Iyok, I hope everything will ready for my coronation"

It is common knowledge in the nation that when it comes to aptitude in the art of firebending, members of the royal family are top-notch examples, due to the rigorous training and discipline instilled in them from generation to generation, each more powerful than before. One of Azulon's main beliefs was that growing an individual's inner fire is the key to obtaining more power and thus more forceful attacks that eliminate any obstacle in their path. That's why his children's training always started the same way, and now Ozai replicated it with his own children.

"Remember, meditation is as important as the exercise of your muscles and your mind, a perfect execution of the technique is useless if you can only generate sparks" spoke the man seriously, he was sitting in a lotus position with his eyes closed, facing in the direction where the sun was just peeking out, his children on each side in the same position.

"Uncle Iroh says that breathing is the most important thing," Zuko chimed in, glancing at his father.

"Yes, that's what I was going to say..." he accepted reluctantly "When you inhale you let the air and chi around us into your lungs strengthening our flame, when you exhale, you let the air out and spread the chi to the rest of your body."

The children closed their eyes and following their father's instructions, they inhaled deeply making the small flame grow inside them, then as they exhaled they felt a warm sensation travel throughout their bodies.

"Again, let the chi enter your bodies, feed your fire little by little, keep it for a few seconds and then when you exhale, let it spread" the older one instructed and so the little ones followed him, repeating this action for a few more minutes.

This was one of the few things that belonged only to Ozai and his children, it was true that in general, he was not a father who was with them all the time, he had royal obligations or meetings with the researchers and engineers in charge of the different projects of weaponry and development, but this, this was something he could share with them.

"Ok, now let's start with a few basic shapes, we only have a couple of hours before your mother wakes up"

"It's not every day that a famous General hires my services," commented a voice from the shadows of the room.

Punctual, that spoke of professionalism.

"The job deserves it" was his simple answer.

“Yes, this job, who is the target?” Direct and to the point, time is of the essence.

"My brother Ozai, he is on Ember Island with his family, they must not return to the palace"

"Ooh, a formidable target, if the rumors I've heard are true" the man whispered looking at the General, even if he didn't know.

"Don't underestimate him, you will need your best men for this"

"Collateral?"

“There are servants in the mansion, non-benders; a handful of guards, both benders and non-benders” the Dragon revealed without stopping in his review of the documents in his hands, as if speaking to himself.

“Any request?”

"Green clothes, the Earth Kingdom has learned of this vulnerable moment of the family and has attacked"

"The pay?"

"Half now, half at the end, this should be enough" he commented taking a small bag of gold coins from one of the desk drawers and placing it on top.

"A ship will be ready to sail in half an hour, it carries provisions to the colonies, but it will pick up a parcel on the island, for a friend" Saying this, the Prince got up and walked to the door, however he stopped before leaving.

"One more thing"

"Oh?" The interlocutor expressed amuset.

"Make it quick, so that the children don't suffer"

The sun had been well on its way through the blue sky for a few hours, lighting up the terrace and reflecting off the water of the fountain in the center. The youngest of the family members sitting on the edge of it, a small towel around her neck, while she watched her father and brother; she had finished her exercises a few minutes before without major setbacks, her brother on the other hand...

"Spread your arms further apart Zuko, otherwise you won't have room for the next step," the father commented sternly, having corrected that same mistake a couple of times already.

"Yes, father" replied the boy, correcting his posture again and then executing a kick.

"This set is not that difficult Zuzu, concentrate" commented Azula from her position.

"All kata are easy for you" he replied under his breath, frowning.
 
"Again!" the father stated aloud, taking his son's attention back.

"Yes father!"

This is how Ursa found them minutes later, her husband supervising their eldest son executing different kata from the basic sets, while her daughter laughed at her brother's mistakes. She stood watching them from the shadows of one of the arches that opened onto the compound. It wasn't every day that they could enjoy times like these, out of sight, where they could be themselves without concern for appearances and decorum, without the pressure of the court or the expectations of the subjects.

Her little girl laughing openly, not in the most graceful way.

Her boy full of determination performing exercises that he was normally too shy to show in court.

"Well done Zuko, this time it was very good" smiled Ozai placing his hand on his son shoulder.

Her husband proud and with a small smile, far from his brother's shadow, far from his father's ever-increasing and changing expectations, far from the whispers of the servants about how different the princes were and who they prefered.

She could see what others couldn't, her dear Ozai, he wasn't the best at showing affection, but he always surprised her with small gifts when she least expected it; he was not one of those who wasted his words, so she could always count on those times that he reminded her of his love to be true; she could see his passion and determination for the future, his ambition to make a name for himself through his creations, to leave a legacy that he would be known in history for.

"It's time to have breakfast my little dragons, go wash your hands" she called to the children, who in seconds ran past her.

"Good morning, dear wife" greeted the prince, approaching her.

"Good morning, my love" answered the woman without pause giving him a kiss.

"You look as beautiful today as the day we met" praised the eldest, taking her by the waist, to bring her even closer, kissing her again.

"Come on my dear, our children are waiting for us, you will need energy to keep up with them" she replied, laughing softly.

"We'll see"

After taking their food, the four of them changed into their respective bathing suits and headed to the beach in front of the house, the children immediately getting into the water, Ozai watching them with crossed arms on the shore; while the servants helped Ursa set up a small seating area.

"Lady Ursa, there is an amateur theater performance this afternoon," one of the ladies commented.

"Really? Well, it's not the island troop but it's great to see new talents emerge" the noblewoman looked at her husband with emotion "Ozai we have to go see them"

"We have to?" he asked somewhat distressed, he loved his wife very much, but her passion for the theater on the other hand...

"Yes, as part of the royal family we have to show support for the arts and the development of the cultural activities of our subjects" replied the woman smiling softly.

It wasn't the first time she had given that answer.

It probably wouldn't be the last.

He rolled his eyes in exasperation and sighed. Of course his wife would have the most appropriate answer so he couldn't argue.

The morning passed quickly between games and laughter from the family, they made sand castles, flew kites, swam and both parents tried to teach their children the rules of Kuai ball. Late in the afternoon, everyone sat in the shade to enjoy a delicious lunch and the children took a nap snuggled up between their parents.

"They look so peaceful when they sleep," Ursa announced, stroking her son's hair.

"I hope that one day it will be more than just appearance" replied Ozai, on whose legs rested his daughter's head.

"Zuko looks a lot like you," she commented.

"And Azula is a small copy of you, dear Ursa," the man whispered, looking at his daughter.

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying each other's company, with the sound of waves and birds filling the atmosphere with tranquility.

When the children woke up, and after changing, the family headed to the local theater, where they sat in the booth reserved for them. There weren't many people, probably the relatives of the young actors and some tourists looking for some free entertainment. The participants were organized in small groups and recited parts of well-known local works such as 'Spirits and animals', 'Love among the dragons' and 'Fire and shadows'.

"Dear participants, I am informed that we have some very special guests" a loud voice was heard from the front of the stage "The royal family honors us with their presence, so do your best performance"

Ursa waved cordially from her seat as all eyes turned on them, Ozai for his part did his best not to roll his eyes in irritation, and the children were distractedly whispering to each other about how silly some of the participants looked in their outfits.

"Mom's masks are better," Azula whispered, not-so-inconspicuously pointing at a boy in a Dragon Emperor mask.

The presentations were short, the small improvised troops had twenty minutes to recreate their respective scene and they had a small number of props at their disposal. The background changed with every play, helped by the theater staff. 

"I think that one will use ribbons instead of fire," Zuko commented as another contestant entered the stage. "It's better when they do it with real firebending." he pouted.

With the entrance of the next troop, changing the play, new background scenes were placed and the lighting tried to recreate a spiritual forest.

“Look at that spirit, it looks like a fluffy squirrel-frog” the little girl laughed.

"They're saying everything wrong, that's not what the scroll says in that act" Zuko complained to his mother, when one of the actresses changed the dialogue of a scene.

"Let's just say it's improvisation," Ursa answered softly, appeasing her son, who had a growing taste for plays like hers.

So one after another several groups passed, some good, some average and some just so bad that people laughed out loud at their performances, all in all everyone was enjoying the experience.

“I want to go home…” the youngest said in a low voice a couple of hours later, drawing her mother's attention with a few light tugs on her sleeve.

"Okay honey, let's go now, Ozai..." Turning towards her husband, Ursa couldn't help but let out a small laugh, he was sitting up straight, arms crossed...asleep.

"Honey, let's go home" with little touches the woman woke up the prince and the four, discreetly saying goodbye to the director of the theater, returned home, the night was still young but it had been a very lively day and it was time to rest.

That night the moon, although it was already at the top of the sky, was hidden among the dark clouds, leaving Ember Island in the shadows, only the whisper of the wind filled those corners with a tense and cold air, something was not right and nature knew.

Ozai and Ursa were sound asleep in their room, the older one with an arm around his wife's waist and his face lightly in her hair, when a loud sound made them almost jump out of bed, the doors of the room opened wide and three guards entered, two armed with spears, the other surely a firebender.

"Your Highness, the house is under attack," one of the guards yelled.

Already more awake Ozai could hear the screams of terror of the servants and the shouts of the assailants, seconds later a new noise shook the dwelling.

Explosions.

That was what he heard.

"The children!" Ursa yelled trying to get past the guards.

Ozai's mind focused immediately and with a push he removed the guard that obstructed the door, smoke began to fill the corridors of the mansion making it difficult to see and parts of the house began to crumble around him, the structure would not support much more. Amidst the chaos, he could see several employees fleeing and guards fighting men in Earth Kingdom uniforms.

Was it an attempt to destroy the royal family now that the Fire Lord was dead?

How had they found out where his family was? How..?

His thoughts were interrupted when one of the attackers pierced the rising smokescreen, a sword raised with the prince's head as its target. Showing all his training, the prince intercepted the attack with a low tackle and using his body as a pivot sent the man flying into the air and crashing into a column.

He could see more and more soldiers entering the corridors, quickly disposing of the few guards in the mansion; A new explosion shook everything, they had to get out of here, there were too many enemies and the house was about to collapse, with two precise balls of fire he defeated two more men and opened the way to Azula's room, which was closer.

"Azula!" He kicked open the door, upon entering he saw his little girl in one of the corners of the room, in a defensive position and with tears in her eyes.

"Come here honey" he called to the little girl, who without thinking ran into his arms. "We have to…"

Any considerations or plans he might have been thinking of at that moment were thrown into the air as a high-pitched scream rang through the chaos.

“Aaaaaaaah!!”

That was Zuko's voice.

Chapter Text

The fire and smoke took over the compound more and more, it was increasingly difficult to breathe in the suffocating heat that surrounded them and the despair increased with each passing second. He ran as best as he could through the rubble, but it seemed that for every step he took he had to stop to fend off an enemy attack or dodge something that was falling.

"Stay close to me Azula" said the prince turning slightly to see his daughter who was following him closely.

"Daddy, where's mommy?" the little girl asked scared.

Oh Agni, Ursa.

Where was his wife, she had also left the room?

The guards had taken her out of the mansion? no, he knew his wife, she would protect her children to her last strength, she would not allow them to take her away without them.

“Careful Dad!” Azula yelled, alerting the eldest to avoid one of the soldiers who was trying to attack him from a side hidden in the shadows and smoke.

The attacker with his sword managed to land a cut on the prince's arm, however thanks to the girl's warning it was not very deep even so it began to bleed quickly.

Responding with a blast of fire from his other fist, that immediately incinerated his opponent; Before the scene the little girl looked away and shrank a little, covering her ears with her hands, she didn't want to hear the man's cries of pain.

"Come on, honey, we have to go get your brother," urged the eldest, taking the girl by the hand and continuing on his way in search of his eldest son and his wife.

As they were about to reach Zuko's room, he noticed that part of that wing was on fire and debris was piling up in the hallways, one of the bombs had been detonated nearby; through one of the windows flashes of light diverted his attention, he noticed several guards fighting bravely but something was not right...

The men in Earth Kingdom clothing returned the guards' attacks.

The attacks of the firebenders. The enemy soldiers were also firebenders.

What was happening?

Without wasting any more time, he went in to look for his son and the scene he found made his blood run cold.

Ursa had wasted no time once her husband cleared the way of the guards, she knew very well that they were just doing their jobs and were seeking to protect them, but she couldn't let something happen to her children, she had to go after them.

She saw Ozai go to Azula's room, so she took the opposite path and went to the room where Zuko slept, using one of her sleeves to cover her nose and mouth, avoiding as much as possible the smoke that was beginning to fill the already dark corridors.

She noticed that there was a lot of fire near this area, the beams that still remained and supported the second floor of the complex were beginning to bend and debris was falling little by little, she ran to the door and entered just to see a man, with what seemed like a face wound made by a knife, throw himself on the little prince with fire in his hands.

“Come here little rat! You will pay for that!”

“Aaaaaaaah!!”

The man, although dressed as an Earth Kingdom soldier, kept the child on the ground with one hand while the other, engulfed in flames, was pressed to the left side of the child's face. The little boy tried to shake off the assailant's hand with all his might, releasing a little pressure but causing the fire to reach his shoulder and part of his arm, soon the pain was so excruciating that he lost consciousness.

Ursa pounced on the bastard who had hurt her baby crashing into the table next to the bed, objects fell all around her and without even looking she took the first blunt object that brushed her hand and started screaming and hitting the man repeatedly. He tried to prevent the attack with his hands but he was soon subdued by the woman's fury.

With heavy breathing and tears in her eyes, the princess dropped the small bronze candlestick that she had used as a weapon to the ground and was perplexed with what she had done, she did not regret it, this man had hurt her son, he deserved all the damage she could cause him. Watching closely his features disconcerted her, they were clearly from the Fire Nation.

They had been attacked by their own subjects.

Why?

That didn't matter anymore, she had to go to Zuko, her boy needed her. She began to turn in the direction of where the little boy was lying when an intense pain made itself present in her abdomen, looking down she saw the tip of a curved sword protrude from her body.

"You're not going anywhere, your highness" his attacker spoke using her title as a mockery.

With little care, the new aggressor who had entered the room having heard the screams, pulled the weapon out, leaving the woman to fall to the ground in agony.

"Looks like I'll have to finish off the brat too," he commented, seeing that the kid was still breathing.

Ozai entered the room to find his beloved wife dying on the floor, surrounded by a growing pool of her own blood, her hand stretched out in the direction of where one of the traitors was planning to end the life of his son who was unconscious on the floor.

The world around him turned red, he growled like an enraged dragon, letting out a fire blast from his mouth and fists, in two strides he reached where the soldier was and hit him in the face making him fall, without giving him time to get up, he broke his wrist with a strong step making him drop his weapon and grabbed him by the front of his uniform to stamp him against the wall.

"You have 4 seconds to tell me who sent you, before I end the miserable excuse you call life, you dirty mercenary" he yelled in the thug's face as he threatened him with his other hand engulfed in flames.

“I don't…” the fearful man began.

"Four" counted the prince placing his hand on the man's arm burning him instantly.

“Aaah, please…”

“Three” the fire intensifies exponentially.

“From the Palace, from the Palace”

"Don't try to fool me you disgusting traitor"

"No...no, I swear, the boss was very pleased that the General had requested this commission, he paid a very generous sum to do it before the coronation" the man pleaded between sobs.

"Iroh wouldn't do something like that," the older man denied. 

"He even suggested the clothing to us so he could use the excuse for a new attack against the Earth Kingdom"

"Stop lying!" the noble shouted furiously, slightly separating the man from the wall, seconds later crashing him back against it.

"No! I'm not lying, I swear, the job was assigned by General Iroh himself!"

"Dad! Something is wrong with Zuzu" his daughter screamed frightened, she was next to her brother and was shaking him trying to wake him up.

With one last cry of anger he hit the man in the face hard leaving him unconscious and throwing him to one side, he looked at his children and then turned his eyes to where his wife lay, he ran towards her trying to find the source of the blood, but the smoke had reached the room and it was difficult for him to see and breathe.

"Zu...ko...save.. Az..." was the only thing Ursa could say when she saw her husband.

"Ursa, hold on" the man pleaded, pressing on the woman's abdomen where the wound seemed to be.

"Zu...ko...Azu..." she repeated once more.

"Ursa..." Ozai tried again but the noblewoman only shook her head weakly and with the little strength she had she pointed at the children.

"Take care... of them..."

Finally the woman stopped fighting and allowed the sweet voice of eternal rest to claim her, the children would be safe with Ozai, he would not allow anything bad to happen to them from now on. In deep pain, the prince ran to where Azula and Zuko were.

"Dad, Zuzu won't wake up"

When he arrived with them, the eldest noticed the reason for his wife's urgency, his son had a large burn that extended from the left side of his face to his shoulder and part of his arm, he had to get him out of here and attend to his wound as soon as possible, he was especially concerned that the point where the fire had been most concentrated was in the eye. He took the child in his arms and looked for the closest exit, which he found on the balcony of the room.

"Come on Azula, we have to get out of here"

They quickly left through the balcony doors, this one was not really high up, since it only existed to separate the house a little from the jungle vegetation, he took a moment to see inside the room, at the woman he had loved the most for the last time and then he crouched down to be at the height of his daughter.

“Hold onto me Azula, Piggy-Koala ride” the father indicated, this way he could carry both children.

The little girl climbed on her father's back and held on tightly so as not to fall while he jumped from the balcony, without wasting time he began to run towards the beach, he could no longer hear the shouts of the battle around him, but that didn't mean they were safe, he had to get off the island.

Fire, smoke, destruction.

A whirlpool the color of hatred enveloped him, bodies fell one after another around him, the screams of the soldiers could be heard for miles, one by one his companions were consumed by the lack of control of their own flames, until the only thing left was ashes and burned earth.

'This dream again'

He knew perfectly well how this would end, it was always the same, everything was consumed until there was nothing left, only desolation and ruin.

'Fire is a curse'

Nothing remained after the fire, not even those who believe they control it, he had seen one by one his students fall before the temptation that the power of fire offered them and had seen how little by little their ideals, their beliefs and their morals were consumed, leaving only hatred, greed and violence.

But when he thought that the dream would end, as it usually did at this point something happened. A bright light blinded him and when it passed he was no longer on the battlefield, but in a place that although he knew was in the Earth Kingdom, he had never visited.

'Where?'

'The Wulong Forest' answered an ethereal voice, full of knowledge.

He tried to find his interlocutor but he could only see a diffuse and distant silhouette, light came off of it. He looked around from the top of one of the stone structures and in the distance he could see a lone ship approaching from the ocean, three warm lights seemed to be inside it.

'You must save them' this time he heard the voice say.

One of the three lights on the ship seemed to be going out.

'They must survive'

Was this a vision of the spirits? If so, they were giving him a mission.

'Two weeks'

He would have to start the trip as soon as possible, if he wanted to get to this place in such a short time. Gather supplies and contact his allies.

'One more thing….'

The man averted his gaze from the horizon, noticing that this ethereal being was beginning to fade, as well as the landscape around him.

'The lotus petals fall and are stained with blood, red...black, darkness seizes the great dragon's nest, beware...'

After that the man woke up.

Chapter Text

Getting to the ship hadn't been a problem, but with no servants or soldiers manning it, setting sail had taken longer than he'd expected, sweat and soot covered his body from the work done in the boiler room, and by the time he got back to the bridge, where he had left the children, it was not long before dawn.

"How's your brother doing?" he asked his daughter approaching the makeshift stretcher where he had placed his wounded son.

"Nothing has changed" the girl whispered, watching Zuko, who was breathing with some difficulty.

The first thing the prince had done when he arrived at the ship was to look for all the first aid supplies to treat his son's burn, with the greatest delicacy that his trembling hands had managed, he cleaned the wound and put cold water compresses to combat the fever that clearly began to take over the minor's body.

"We must make sure that his temperature does not rise too high, firebenders are resistant, but an excessive temperature could cause severe damage to the body"

Seeing that there was nothing he could do for the boy at the moment, he took his place at the helm and steered the ship off the coast of the island, on its way to the capital.

"Dad, what are we going to do now?" asked the girl without taking her eyes off her brother.

What to do now, that was the real question.

Logic told him that he should return to the palace, inform the guard of the traitors among their ranks, of the infamies of which they were accusing his brother, strengthen their defenses since clearly the other nations knew they were vulnerable...

But, something wasn't right about that.

As much as he thought about it over and over again, something told him that this was not the best decision, he couldn't just think that everything was a lie.

And in reality…

‘How well do I really know you brother?’

They had never had the closest of relationship, the difference in age, different interests and as the obligations of each prince grew they found them in different areas of the palace and the nation, little by little Iroh became more involved in war and Ozai more in the industry and in accompanying his father. So they never spoke more than necessary, they hadn't shared time together except for formal events for years.

‘But what would be the reason?’

What would Iroh gain by getting rid of him at a time like this? Perhaps…

Did he see his family as competition for the throne?

Unthinkable, they would be his most faithful subjects, raised to be the battle-hardened guardians of the Fire Lord and his line. There was no reason, with a powerfull firebender as Lu Ten as the heir, his line was strong...

'Unless there's something I don't know'

Had...something happened in Ba Sing Se? He would have to find out.

And if that was true, and if what the mercenary had said was true... Ursa had died protecting their children, his son was seriously wounded and he didn't know if he would survive, his daughter was scared like he had never seen her before. He couldn't lead them into an uncertain situation, he couldn't risk them any more.

'I promised you I would take care of them dear Ursa, I will not fail you'

He couldn't go back to the palace, he needed information, he needed to make sure they were safe, he had to find the truth and as long as they were in the Fire Nation he couldn't trust anyone. He didn't have the connections Iroh had, he didn't have support from the nobles or the military. His best option was the colonies, there his brother's influence would not be so great, he would get supplies and information.

Yu Dao.

It is the closest colony to Ember Island, yet weeks away. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and turned it to starboard abruptly, it would have to be, it was the best option they had.

"Azula, I want you to monitor Zuko, in the event of any change, let me know immediately" he ordered, looking at the horizon where the stars were beginning to give way to the first rays of the sun.

The morning of the coronation, everyone in the royal palace of the Fire Nation was anxious, servants running through the corridors trying to finish different last minute tasks, decorations, rooms for the noble guests of the capital, food and above all the return of the family of the second prince.

Only one member of the family remained immobile before the chaos that occurred around him. Iroh was calmly pouring his morning cup of tea sitting in one of the palace gardens, waiting.

He would get news soon, he wasn't sure what but it would be soon.

"General Iroh!"

Perfect, he didn't have to wait too long.

“General Iroh! Urgent news!!” shouted the young guard entering the garden with a scroll in hand.

"Speak boy, what news do you bring?" asked the prince showing intrigue.

"My prince, I am afraid that this are news from the local guard of Ember Island, during the night they have seen smoke in the vicinity, when they when to investigate they found the remains of the royal house"

"What about the royal family?" Iroh inquired with slight urgency.

"Among the rubble there were several charred bodies, difficult to identify" reported the young man reviewing the parchment.

“What about my brother's guards? servants? What have the survivors said?"

"There are few who managed to escape, several are still unconscious due to injuries, no guards, but those who have been able to speak affirm that it was an enemy attack"

"From what nation?" the General asked carefully.

“Earth Kingdom, your highness,” the guard confirmed, closing the scroll.

"Unforgivable! First my son, now my brother and his family, this will not stay like this!” the man growled at the guards and servants present.

"Quickly gather the royal guard and send a hawk to Liutenant Colonel Rizo immediately" he instructed the guard.

"After the coronation, we will have a war meeting"

By the light of an oil lamp, the minor prince had dropped anchor an hour ago and now he tried to discern on the map in front of him the position in which they currently found themselves; He ran his hand over his face with exasperation and tiredness, although part of his studies had included the interpretation of both naval and land maps, it was not something he excelled at.
 
He took the measuring instruments again and starting from the island he began to trace the route he had taken, taking into account the speed of the ship, the position of the sun...

"Dad!" a scream was heard from the next room.

Without thinking twice, he got up and ran to where his children were.

"What's wrong Azula?" he asked alarmed.

"Zuko! Something is happening to him!" the girl shouted pointing to the stretcher where her brother was breathing hard, his cheeks were flushed and sweat was falling down his forehead.

Wasting no time Ozai knelt in front of the stretcher where the child was resting and tried to touch his forehead but just by bringing his hand closer to the child's forehead he could feel intense heat being given off.

"We have to lower his temperature, bring all the towels you find Azula" the father indicated, as he went to the nearest bathroom to get a bucket and water.

The girl quickly ran to the cabins and took out all the towels she could carry and then placed them next to her brother, and then ran again and repeated the process a couple of times; Ozai soaked the cloths a bit and used them to try to even out the boy's temperature, leaving some on the surface of the burns.

"Is he going to be OK?" Ozai heard the princess's voice behind him.

"If we can get his temperature down, it's too high," replied the man, replacing the towels that were drying too quickly.

'Come on boy, you are stronger than this'

The little girl approached the stretcher frowning in confusion, she knew that Zuko was too stubborn to succumb to something as simple as a fever, but if her father was worried, then they would have to do something about it. She didn't know much, but she did remember a little of what her mother used to do when one of them fell ill in stormy season, when even the horrible concoctions didn't work.

She awkwardly climbed next to Zuko on the makeshift bed and placed her hands on top of his body.

“Azula? What are...?" questioned the eldest surprised at his daughter's actions.

"Mom wasn't a very good firebender, but she knew how to do things that others don't" answered the girl still frowning but this time in concentration.

She carefully concentrated on feeling the temperature that emanated from his brother's body, as if it were a flame, like when she practiced meditation with candles, it wasn't exactly the same, but if she tried carefully she could imagine that it was one. Carefully she began to take control of this imaginary flame, as she would the candle and slowly breathing she lowered her hands a little as she exhaled.

Astonished Ozai watched his girl take control and slowly begin to lower his brother's temperature little by little.

With a few more deep breaths, the boy was starting to relax, his breathing was still labored but slowly getting better.

However, he could see how the technique affected Azula, her hands were beginning to tremble. So after a few breaths when the princess was about to take another exhalation, her father took her hands and slowly pulled them away.

"That's enough, good job" he congratulated, helping her off the stretcher.

"But…"

"You took him away from danger, but the fever is necessary for the infection to be eliminated, I'll take care of it now" he assured her. 

For a while longer Ozai was in charge of monitoring and keeping the little boy cool, under the watchful eye of the girl, who yawned from time to time. Although it was barely approaching noon, none of them had slept or eaten anything since they had escaped.

When a couple of hours later Zuko seemed to have broken his fever and was finally able to rest peacefully, Ozai was able to sit on the floor next to the stretcher letting the back of his head rest on the wall exhausted, he closed his eyes for a second and breathed a sigh of relief, when suddenly a weight on his chest made him look down only to find his daughter huddled over him, her face hidden in his shirt.

"It's over..." he assured her in a whisper as he hugged her.

"Zuko isn't going to die, is he?" Azula asked in an almost imperceptible whisper.

"No, your brother is going to recover," replied the prince with conviction.

"I don't want him to go too, like mom," the girl whispered again.

"That's not gonna happen"

A few minutes of silence passed and then the eldest could feel how the girl began to tremble and let out small sobs.

“I miss mom...”

The man looked at the girl in his arms and then at his sleeping son beside him. Finally he let his head fall back against the wall behind him.

'Me too'

“...after this time we bid you farewell on your way to join the light of Agni, our patron. And as it was your wish, today we appoint the one who will guide us on the path to glory and greatness” intoned the sage Shan Yu, the newly appointed High sage, in the mysterious absence of his predecessor Iyok.

The crowd gathered in the square in front of the palace watched in anticipation and confusion as only one member of the royal family stepped onto the dais and knelt in front of the interlocutor.

'Where was the rest of the royal family?'

"Today as Agni's eye is at his peak in the sky, we name your firstborn as Fire Lord" was heard in the deathly silence of the capital.

"All hail Fire Lord Iroh!" was the order.

And all those present knelt.

Chapter Text

The gentle movement of the boat on the waves almost made the boy fall back asleep seconds after waking up, he didn't remember when he had fallen asleep, but judging from the position in which he felt the sun, he had been sleeping all day.

'Are we going back home?' He asked himself, because he didn't understand how he found himself on the ship already.

The young prince tried to open his eyes, he felt extremely tired despite how much he should have slept, but he could only open one of them and a stabbing pain was immediately present on the other side of his face. When he tryed to get up and take his hands to his face he couldn't help but let out a small cry of pain, his left arm and shoulder also hurt when trying to move them.

"Don't move Dum-Dum, you only make it worse" he heard his sister's voice next to him.

“Azula? What happened?" he asked letting small tears escape from his right eye.

“Don't you remember Zuko? We were attacked at the summer house."

Little by little the memories of the horrible night returned to his mind as fleeting blurry images, he remembered the smoke, the stinging in his throat, and the heat that could be felt all over the room.

He remembered waking up scared by a loud noise, just to find a dark figure leaning over him with a sharp dagger about to be used to hurt him and how he had taken the knife, that his Uncle Iroh had given him just before the holidays began, from his nightstand to defend himself by slashing his attacker's face and jumping off the bed to get away.

Then...

then...

pain...

Pain like the one he felt now.

“Azula, I want mom! Call mom!” the eldest asked the princess sobbing.

But the only answer him got was silence.

"Azula?"

"I'll call Dad" was heard softly after a few seconds and out of the corner of his eye he could see his sister leaving the room.

The little boy closed his eyes again as he cried softly trying to calm down, Father didn't like it when they cried, he said that it was for weak children and that he was a prince, princes should always show themselves strong, as an example to commoners. But no matter how hard he tried, the pain was too much.

"Zuko" his father said from his side but he didn't open his eyes, he didn't want to see his father angry or disappointed.

"Zuko, don't worry, I know it must hurt a lot," assured the older man next to him, with the calmest voice he could.

The little boy nodded a little as he tried to calm his breathing. He barely noticed that Azula had not returned to the room.

"I have something for that and we must clean your wounds, but then you can rest a little more" the boy opened his right eye and saw that his father was offering him  a cup of tea.

Very carefully, the man arranged the boy with pillows so that he could drink the calming tea with the herbs for the pain, he also took the opportunity to give him some crackers, from the emergency ration kit that he have found on the ship.

He waited until the boy finished eating and the tea took effect, when Zuko fell asleep again, he slowly removed the bandages to check the wounds.

'It seems that everything is healing without major complications around here' thought Ozai seeing how the boy's arm and shoulder were reddened by the burn but did not seem infected, he carefully cleaned the wound before bandaging that area again.

'Now the worst part'

With the greatest delicacy that he could manage, he removed the gauze around the left side of the minor's face, this wound was more delicate, the skin was beginning to form blisters, the eyelid was very red and he was worried about the state of the eye. But there wasn't much to do, he cleaned carefully so as not to pop any blisters and put on a clean dressing, securing it with some bandages.

"Rest Prince Zuko, there is still much to do" he said to the boy even knowing that he was no longer listening to him.

With a deep sigh Ozai returned to the cockpit, Zuko had been moved to a more comfortable room after the fever had disappeared, upon entering he saw his little helper just as he had left her, perched on a chair so that she could reach the rudder, which she held with all her might to stay on course.

"That's fine Azula, you can leave it" he indicated reached her side and tooking the helm.

"I'm hungry"

"We still have a few dehydrated fruits and crackers, some jerky too" answered the older one without much encouragement.

"Again? I want real food dad!” the little girl complained pouting.

"They are the only supplies we have Azula, this ship was not provisioned to travel for several days" explained the prince looking seriously at his daughter.

“We've been eating that all day! I want another thing!" the little princess yelled and then stomped her foot before storming out of the room.

'How did Ursa deal with this?'  the man wondered in frustration.

Although Ozai was a father aware of his children's progress, most of the time that the children were not in school, eating or training, they had spent with his wife playing in the gardens, in the theater or some other activity planned to entertain them. He didn't have to deal with tantrums.

He shook his head in denial keeping the ship's course, he hadn't seen any sign of land anywhere, it would soon be dark again and he would have to drop the anchor. He continued deep in thought for a while longer until something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

‘Flying dolphin-fish?’

To his right a school of these cetaceans rose from the waves in the same direction as the boat. 

Maybe he could get something to eat before dark.

Unlike his predecessors, Fire Lord Iroh did not maintain an impenetrable wall of fire obscuring his features from his subjects, he did not sit high looking down on commoners with disdain or indifference; no, for his first war meetings the new sovereign decided to sit at the head of the large low table that showed the map of the world, sitting at the same height as his generals, where he could see their eyes and discover their intentions, he offered them tea and snacks, as if it were a casual meeting.

Needless to say, the generals were a bit confused.

"And tell me, Admiral Chan, what is our head count in the Eastern Fleet?" the monarch calmly asked, playing with something between his fingers.

"Eh.." the man started nervously "We have a total of 37 propelled frigates with capacity for 400 soldiers distributed along the coast of the Earth Kingdom, 20 cruisers guarding the seas of the main colonies, finally 12 battleships patrolling and ready for the attack”

"Good...we will move half of the men to the shores of Omashu" the retired general answered with a calm look and then had some of his tea.

"To Omahu?"

"Yes, as you know a few days ago we suffered a great loss..."

Many of the generals present lowered their eyes, the news of Prince Lu Ten's death in combat had been harsh, especially so close to the death of Fire Lord Azulón, but both were honorable deaths.

The murder of the royal family, Prince Ozai, his wife Ursa, and the little prince and princess at the hands of the Earth Kingdom was an offense they could not ignore.

“We know that Ba Sing Se is out of our reach so far, but that is not the only important city in the Earth Kingdom… King Bumi is a formidable opponent, but he does not have a royal army, his troops are local and used to domestic trouble.”

"Omashu is surrounded by cliffs, it has an excellent fortification, although not on a par with Ba Sing Se and the entrance road is narrow, it will not be a clean siege," said Commander Tsiro, of the 52 regime.

"Earthbenders can fire projectiles at high speed from the walls, which will impede the advance" General Bujing commented thoughtfully.

"We could use deployable bridges to overcome the cliffs" contributed the war minister Qin taking out some scrolls, brush and ink, trying to diagram his idea, usually the one who developed new technologies was the late Prince Ozai, but the official had spent enough time studying different conceptualizations of his to get an idea of what they needed.

Little by little the idea of the invasion animated each of those present, who shared ideas or gave their opinion about different strategies. While the Fire Lord finished his tea and continued to play absently with the small object in his hand, a Pai Sho piece.

"Make the necessary preparations for the mobilization of the troops, the invasion begins in a week" concluded the monarch "However we will not use all our resources in the siege, it will only be the first of our strategies, the earthbenders are stubborn and resistant, so a frontal attack will only lead to failure... luckily I know other ways to enter the capital, from a very reliable source..."

"Yes your Majesty!" everyone present intoned with loyalty.

"You are dissmissed" finished the Fire Lord with a gesture that indicated the other men to leave.

Only when everyone had left did he drop the small piece of wood he had been admiring previously, it was charred, the white lotus design almost completely burned from the surface.

The next time little Zuko woke up it was because of the scent that was beginning to fill the room, his stomach letting out a small growl as he recognized the smell of fried fish nearby.

Very carefully, knowing that a sudden movement would bring back the pain, he turned his body a little and saw Azula sitting at the small desk in the corner of the room, poring over her plate with a frown.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked, scaring his sister, who, concentrated, had not heard him wake up.

"Nothing Dum Dum" growled the little girl without turning to see her brother.

"What have you got there?"

"Dad...caught something from the sea" replied the princess somewhat insecure.

"Does our father know how to fish?" Zuko questioned, he had never heard that his father knew how to perform actions like fishing or hunting.

"Well...it's not hard to get them out of the water if they're electrocuted," Azula concluded with a shrug "Although he might have to practice more not to burn them in the process."

Chapter Text

The days adrift in the ocean were becoming a blur of infinite blue before his eyes, only the passing of the sun in the firmament marking the change between one and the other, several times a day he had to stop to observe the horizon trying to find a clue of where they were, since before him he only saw the immensity of the sea and the sky, making him realize how insignificant his presence was.

'How long has it been already? 6 days? 9?'

During the cold nights he clung to the children in a restless sleep, with only the silence of the open sea for company.  

The constant physical strain of keeping the ship moving, the concern for the health of his son, who was recovering slowly, the lack of decent food and the limited access to drinking water were beginning to affect the prince's senses, his vision was blurring from exhaustion, there were periods of time where it seemed that nothing around him made a sound, as if he was alone and only when his daughter called his attention could he come back to himself.

He was clearly starting to go crazy.

How he longed for those days where his only concerns were the progress of his inventions and fulfilling his father's expectations; where he could enjoy afternoons with his beloved Ursa in the gardens or dedicate himself to training his body.

Ursa...

Every day it was more difficult to cope with the loss of his beloved. For more than 10 years she had been by his side, perhaps his only friend, his confidant, the one who had given him his greatest joys...

He remembered vividly every moment...

______________9 years earlier..._____________

Young Prince Ozai, 24 years old and as stoic as ever was slowly returning to his chambers after a tedious audience with his father, Firelord Azulon; it had been only a month since the youngest of the heirs had returned to the capital from his honeymoon and his father thought it prudent for his son to start getting more involved with official affairs and the war effort, following in his brother's footsteps.

'As if he would really one day consider me as good as his perfect Iroh' he thought warily.  

His father had always placed the eldest of the brothers as the example Ozai should follow, but no matter how hard he tried he could never catch up, all his efforts were never enough, arduous hours of training but still being defeated in sparring, countless sleepless nights preparing to present innovative strategies only for Iroh to dissolve them with a couple of counterarguments or present something better. 

Standing a few feet from his chambers he saw the door suddenly open and the royal physician emerge gathering his examination implements. 

Frowning, the young adult approached the old doctor. 

"Is something wrong?" he asked suspiciously, the only person allowed in his quarters was his wife.  

"Oh! Prince Ozai, it's nothing to worry about, your wife can give you all the details" he replied with a hint of complicity, then after making a small bow, quickly retired.

Perplexed, the firebender entered the room and quickly went to his wife who was resting in bed, sitting between several pillows.

"My dear, are you all right? Did I see the royal doctor leave?" he questioned softly.

"Oh Ozai, I just wanted to check what I had already imagined for several days" whispered the woman smiling and taking the man's hands in hers. 

"Don't play games with me, if you need medical attention we must act immediately" urged the black-haired man seriously, dismayed by his wife's calmness. 

"It's nothing harmful my prince" replied Ursa resting one of her husband's hands on her abdomen "On the contrary, it's wonderful news, we're going to be parents!" 

Ozai couldn't believe his ears, he was going to be a father....

His beautiful Ursa and he, would have a baby.

A brave soldier or maybe a fearless lady warrior.

At that moment, with those simple words, all the resentment he had been accumulating since the meeting with his father evaporated and simply became unimportant, who cared if Iroh was better at firebending, who cared if he could not be what his father wanted in a son, who cared if the court did not respect him or if the servants talked behind his back; the most important aspect of his life was in front of his eyes. 

Taking the face of his beloved between his hands, he stared into her eyes, those soft amber ones that always reassured him were full of love and loyalty, they shone with illusion for the future of both of them, for a future for HIS family. 

"I love you" the older man said softly, for his wife's ears only. 

"And I you Ozai" replied the woman smiling.

 _________________________________

The months that followed brought many changes, which taught Ozai that if he wanted a better future for his family he had to start ignoring the whispers in the corridors, he had to remain unmoved by the comments of servants and courtiers, especially those concerning his wife's pregnancy. 

'A winter baby? That can't be a good omen' was occasionally mentioned.

'Children born at that time don't usually survive' some court women gossiped among themselves. 

'It's a bad time for Agni' whispered the Fire sages.

It was evident as the days passed that not all the subjects were excited by the idea of the new member of the royal family, especially those more superstitious since the estimated date for the birth was in the middle of winter. 

On the other hand, it seemed that the idea of the responsibilities of being a father and the care he had shown with Ursa's pregnancy, had proved something to Azulon, the Fire Lord was no longer extremely demanding with Ozai and encouraged him to leave aside some meetings so that the prince could spend time with his wife. Perhaps there was some other reason for the monarch's interest, but that was of little interest to the heir. 

Iroh had also been more attentive, he would often appear in the afternoons with a teapot and a Pai Sho board, inquiring about the princess's condition and reminiscing about the time he had spent with his late wife; even little Lu Ten, now 10 years old, would share the time after studies in his uncles' quarters, asking when he could play with his cousin, fantasizing about what their adventures and mischief would be like. 

______________8 years earlier..._____________

The cold morning of the birth of his first child, Ozai kept pacing back and forth in front of the doors of Ursa's chambers, he could hear the woman's screams and the maids running back and forth.

"It will be all right Ozai, sit down before you make a trench in the floor" Iroh assured him, as he drank some tea and read his most recent military report. 

"Easy for you to say, it's not your wife and child in there" growled the younger man pausing to look at his brother in annoyance, this small lapse made him realize that a new sound was coming from the room. 

The cry of a baby. 

"Hey at least we know it has good lungs, it will have excellent breath control" joked the eldest heir teasingly, and then got up and shook out his clothes. 

The younger prince was already running towards the doors of the room, but paused before entering.

"Won't you go in to meet them?" he questioned the older one.

"I'll go announce it to our father, then I have a military meeting, there will be plenty of time." 

Without waiting any longer the youngest of the brothers went in to see his wife, several ladies-in-waiting were already accommodating the princess, removing the dirty sheets, cleaning the room, among other tasks, while the doctors were taking care of the baby. He went to her side and took her hand as a sign of strength and gratitude, together they waited for the product of their union to be delivered; it took a few minutes for them to return their little one, wrapped in soft red cloths, and Ozai could finally see his son. 

"We have a new prince" confirmed the old doctor smiling at the couple, and then handed them the child.

Their son, their heir. 

"What shall we name him?" asked the woman looking at her husband and carefully holding the child. 

"Zuko, in honor of your father" Ozai answered without hesitation, knowing how much his wife missed her family, whom they rarely got to visit. 

"Thank you my love" smiling Ursa held out the infant for him to carry.

"No...I..." tried to refuse the eldest, inexperienced in parenting matters. 

"Relax my prince, he doesn't bite...yet" insisted the young lady smilingly handing the child to him and helping him to settle him properly in her arms.

Once in his arms the older man stared at his little boy, no doubt Zuko was just like him, high cheekbones, his thin nose, the small strands of dark hair peeking out of his head and just as restless, but the most similar thing were his eyes, golden and full of curiosity. 

He never thought that anyone besides Ursa could evoke something in his heart.

The sound of the door opening made the couple turn around, all the servants prostrated immediately, the Lord of Fire honored them with his presence. He wordlessly approached the couple and stood in front of them raising an eyebrow. 

"Well, what is it?" asked the old man looking disdainfully at the baby. 

"It's a boy, father" replied the prince between his teeth. 

"Let me see him" With impressive speed for his age, the monarch took the child from his parents' arms and lifted him up to look him squarely in the eyes. 

"Father..." began Ozai, inwardly dismayed at what his father might do if something was not to his liking. 

"Hmm...he has the eyes of a dragon, but I see no spark in them" he commented disappointed "You'll keep a non-bender as your heir?" 

"Even the fiercest dragons are born without fire, give him time father, I assure you he will be the best of your generals" assured the secondborn tensely. 

Ursa squeezed her husband's arm tightly, it was not quite clear if to stop him from doing something without thinking, or to anchor herself and avoid speaking out of turn. 

"All right, let's give him time" finally accepted the ruler after a few seconds of silence, returned the baby to his mother's arms and withdrew from the room.

Only then Ozai could breathe again, it had been close, with relief he embraced his wife and son. And as he looked at them he swore to himself.

'I will not allow anything or anyone to take my family away from me, not even you, father'

_________________________________

Over time, as Zuko grew up, Ozai began to understand what it was like to be concerned for the welfare of someone who could not fend for himself, and in the moments he spent with his family he had to find ways to entertain the infant, which led to him designing small contraptions like the ones he used to make for himself as a child. 

After handing a small scale model boat to the 1-year-old to play in his little bathtub he was surprised by his wife. 

"That design has turned out very well for you, I'd say it's better than the current ships in the navy" commented the woman behind his back laughing. 

This was the spark that set an idea in motion in the prince, his dear wife was right, his artistic and manual skills had always surpassed Iroh's, but until now he had never thought about how this could be useful to him, however, if he managed to study the existing blueprints of the ships better maybe he could design improvements that would help the nation in the war, at last he could contribute significantly and his father would recognize his value.     

'Finally something you can't beat me at brother, something that is mine alone.'

He watched his son laugh with his new toy and his wife give him a look full of pride and he knew things were about to take a better turn.

_________________________________

The news of Ursa's new pregnancy a few months after his appointment as the nation's Chief of research and technological development could not be taken any other way but with delight, unlike with Zuko, the birth would take place in the summer, when Agni's power is at its strongest.

'Surely it will be a very powerful firebender' proclaimed the old sages who doubted so much a little over a year ago. 

'The lineage of the royal family is now assured with two more heirs' commented those courtiers who before did not even really consider him part of the succession. 

'Two heirs, Prince Ozai must be so proud' cheered the highborn women. 

And the younger prince was proud, because now the subjects were beginning to respect him, he had an important position in the war effort but one that did not require him to actively participate in boring military meetings or force him to entertain the court constantly, plus his family was growing and his father was satisfied. 

______________ 6 years earlier..._____________

On the day of the birth the sun was shining high in the sky and the ladies-in-waiting were once again heard at work inside the room but unlike last time, the Fire Lord was waiting at the door next to his son, there was much expectation in this new member, after all although at 2 years old Zuko had shown great interest in fire there was still no indication that he was a firebender. 

Unlike the last time the process was fast and in a few hours the cry of a baby could be heard, the flames that illuminate the corridors rising slightly in tandem, minutes later one of the matrons peeked through the door and announced to those present the news. 

"Congratulations Prince Ozai, it's a girl!"  

Hurriedly the monarch and his son entered the room finding Princess Ursa with the baby girl, even being so small she looked attentive to the world around her, her bright honey eyes identical to her mother's but with one small difference. 

"Ahh the spark of a true master" commented smiling very lightly the old man staring at the new born baby girl "well done Ursa" 

"Thank you my Lord" replied the woman with an uneasy smile. 

One of the princess's ladies-in-waiting, who had been left in charge of Zuko during the birth, had brought the child and placed him next to his mother. Immediately he approached to investigate the new member of his family with curiosity, upon seeing the little girl, the child smiled and looked at his mother.

"Baby!" laughed the young child nonchalantly, while his mother kept an eye on both children. 

Trying to draw his father's attention away from his family, Ozai cleared his throat.

"It's getting late for the meeting with the generals Father."
 
"Yes, you are right" conceded the monarch retreating. 

The pair looked at each other and were able to breathe a little easier without Azulon's inquisitive gaze upon them, the worst was over. However before they could say anything else, the elder stopped at the door.

"By the way, her name shall be Azula." 

He slammed the door on his way out giving finality to the order. 

_________________Present...________________

The loud rumble of thunder brought Ozai back to reality, his memories had once again taken hold of him in the face of his loneliness and a storm had formed as he wandered.

Apparently the spirits would not let their journey end easy.

It was nothing new.

Chapter Text

The stormy night had been more violent than expected, the raindrops fell by the thousands like darts hitting the windows incessantly, preventing visibility beyond a few meters from the cockpit, the huge waves constantly shook the ship and risked overturning it at any moment, instruments, books and tools fell from the different shelves of the rooms, while the water flooded everything in its path.

The little royals had spent the storm under one of the tables, which were anchored to the floor, seeking protection. Hugging each other for warmth in the freezing night, Azula taking care not to hurt her brother as they both shivered in the water, while their father struggled to stay on course in the midst of the typhoon. 

Hours that seemed eternal left the three occupants of the boat exhausted, however, once the first rays of sunlight broke through the dark clouds and illuminated through the windows of the cockpit, the prince knew that the worst was over, they had survived one more test of fate. 

Exhausted Ozai looked up at a peculiar sound that broke through the overwhelming silence of the calm after the storm, there perched on the railing of the cockpit was a frigate-pigeon, its red and inflated breast unmistakable.

Such birds do not travel far from the coast, where they have their nests. 

For the first time in days the man could breathe a sigh of relief, they were close to land.

Jeong Jeong's journey along the coast of the Earth Kingdom had allowed him to observe firsthand the changes in the military strategy of his compatriots. The closer he got to his destination, the more members of the navy he encountered heading south, something strange was going on. 

Hidden among the shelves of the bazaar of Teh-Jong; a small coastal town whose port receives all kinds of ships, even those of dubious reputation, the ex-admiral listened attentively as the soldiers who were buying supplies, complained about the sudden change in orders, others saw the positive side in the change of location where they were sent and others simply commented on how surprising the news about the new Fire Lord were. 

'Iroh...'

The official proclamation had reached the colonies, Prince Iroh had ascended to the throne after Azulon's death. 

'Yet another to succumb to the curse of Fire, his ambition goes beyond the secrets of the lotus.'

The current Firelord had begun his journey into the secrets of the white lotus nearly a decade ago, learning of the culture of the other nations in secret so that one day upon taking the throne, the war could end to the benefit of all nations.

That had been the plan.

In Makapu, with the help of one of the lotus' more eccentric members, the former navy man got hold of food, bandages and medicines, a large tent, sleeping bags and a pair of ostrich-horse to carry it all.

"Jeong Jeong wait!" the woman called to him when he was almost out of town. 

"What's wrong?" questioned the man with some annoyance, he had stayed too long in one place.  

"Take this, I've seen in the bones that you'll need it" smiled the woman adding a bag with what looked like cloths to one of the horses. 

"Whatever you say." 

Days later going through the supplies he realized that what the strange woman had handed him were some garments in dark colors that would go unnoticed in the Earth Kingdom.

'But some of these robes are strangely small.'

"Crazy old woman!" 

To prepare for the last leg of his journey, the longest and most dangerous so far, he stopped at an abbey in the foothills of the mountains of a territory considered neutral; the nuns who occupy it welcome any traveler who needs a temporary place as long as they respect the rules of the Mother Superior and collaborate in the production of oils and perfumes that these sold to finance the place.

In his short stay he learned thanks to hawk messages from the White Lotus, that troops of the Fire Nation had settled outside Omashu in what seemed a new attempt to siege a fortified capital after the defeat at Ba Sing Se. Other units had also been summoned to strengthen maritime control and hinder trade between different areas of the Earth Kingdom, from among them the old admiral was able to identify a particular combat team.

'The Sea Ravens?'

The Ravens had always been assigned to raids at the South Pole, keeping that Tribe's population nearly on the brink of extinction, all due to Azulon's paranoia that the next Avatar would be a Southern Waterbender.  If they had been called perhaps another civilization was closer to disappearing from the world than he thought.

'Haven't we had enough death and destruction? We will end up burning everything around us until only ashes are left in the world'.

The night before the date announced in his vision, the man camped at the base of one of the rock formations of the Wulong Forest, on the shores of the Mo Ce Sea, the two ostrich-horse huddled on his back while he meditated. Two weeks since that vision had given him new purpose, yet he did not know what he would encounter in a few hours.

'You must save them'  had commanded the voice. 

Hours after sunrise the unmistakable silhouette of a ship made its way from the horizon, it was not particularly large so he assumed it was a private vessel not one adapted for war efforts. 

Finally some time after the ship dropped anchor and the little Dinghy was heading for shore a few miles away, the firebender took the reins of his mounts and headed for the point where they would disembark. Once he was a few meters away, still hidden among the rocks, he could see the 3 crew members of the small boat. 

An adult man and two small children. 

What were they doing so far away from civilization?

At this distance he could only tell that the man was wearing a red open t-shirt that had surely seen better days, dark shorts and a backpack on his shoulders, his long black hair was loose and somewhat disheveled with several strands falling over his face. There was weariness in his countenance and while he was a well-built man it was apparent that he had lost weight recently. 

"Where are we daddy?" asked the little girl looking around once her father helped her down from the Dinghy.

"This is the Earth Kingdom" replied the parent lifting his son off the ship, as he deposited the child on the ground Jeong-Jeong could see the children more clearly.

Both children were wearing tattered clothes, looked slightly malnourished and were barefoot. The boy, who looked no more than seven years old had bandages covering almost half of his face and a makeshift sling supporting his arm, burns were slightly poking out of the bandages. 

'Who would do something like that to a child?'  he thought outraged. 

"We should get moving children, our best chance is to try to get to Yu Dao" commented the man taking the boy's free hand to guide him.

Jeong-Jeong knew it was his time to make his presence known.

"Maybe I can help you with that" said the old admiral coming out of hiding.

To which the unknown man quickly turned in a defensive stance, fire lightly stroking his knuckles as he stood in front of the children.

"Not another step" threatened the father glaring at him "Who are you? and what are you doing here?" 

Jeong-Jeong raised his hands trying to look as harmless as possible, once he was able to stand in front of the stranger he realized he knew who he was, although there had been very few times he had seen him in person and was sure he had heard the news that he had died.

In front of him stood the prince of the Fire Nation, Ozai. 

"Prince Ozai, your highness I am not here to harm you" to his surprise he also managed to see recognition in the nobleman's gaze.

"You are the deserter" named the prince without letting his guard down "Jeong-Jeong, the army has been looking for you for a couple of years so you can receive punishment for your cowardice." 

"It is not cowardice that made me resign my position your highness, I am loyal to my nation but not to the way they use our element to wipe out others" replied the accused with conviction. 

"And what are you doing here? How did you find us?" growled the royal.

"I am here to help you, the spirits have given me a mission and I must fulfill it" replied the defector calmly.

"Let's try again, this time come up with something more convincing" rebutted Ozai stepping forward aggressively. 

"I have no other motive, why would I risk myself to kill someone who everyone thinks is already dead?"

"What are you talking about?" questioned the prince puzzled. 

"Weeks ago the announcement that the royal family of the second prince had been killed by the Earth Kingdom was announced to the nation" explained the elder "Clearly that is not the case."

"Lies!" screamed Ozai " There was no attack by the Earth Kingdom, there were traitors to the crown." 

"Then it's worse than I imagined" said Jeong-Jeong to himself, however he managed to be heard.

"What do you mean?"

"My sources informed me that suspicious movements are occurring in the capital, and recently one of the agents went missing." 

"Spies! You have truly lost all honor Admiral!" reproached again offended the prince. 

"That's not important now, I brought supplies to help you" replied the ex-military man offended "And I think the children need them the most" he added more softly pointing to the little ones who were still hiding behind their father. 

Ozai turned to look at his children, Azula with her cheekbones marked where once round childish cheeks were, dark marks under her eyes from sleepless nights caring for her brother, her hair had lost some of its shine and her pajamas were torn. Zuko, was swaying slightly, his body weak from his injuries and lack of food, his burns precariously tended to. 

"All right, I'll accept your help, but I'll be watching you, don't think for a moment that I trust you."
 
"I wouldn't expect anything else after what you've been through." 

He had not overlooked Princess Ursa's absence. 

Soon Jeong-Jeong brought the ostrich-horses to the shore and the prince settled the children on their backs so they could travel more comfortably, the white-haired man offered them water and some rice snacks, which they devoured while the adults guided the animals. 

"The first thing is to get to Yu Dao to have a physician check Zuko's wounds, I'm worried about the state of his left eye" said Ozai after a while of walking. 

"I understand, we are still days away from the colony but there are enough supplies and hopefully we won't find any ships patrolling the coast, most of the ships headed south days ago by orders of the new Fire Lord."

The royal didn't respond to that, he just kept walking thoughtfully. 

'Is it really your doing, brother?' 

He needed information, he needed answers and for now his best chance to get them was this temporary alliance with a defector, but more importantly he needed to protect his children from the threats that seemed to be coming from everywhere. 

"Once in Yu Dao I can find out more about what's going on in the Fire nation, find a safe way to return you home." 

"Yes...when it is safe to return."

 'With all the power Iroh possesses now...perhaps no place is safe.'

The sound of footsteps near his hiding place brought him out of his pensive state, so as best he could he crawled backwards to hide further in the straw that surrounded him in this dirty barn in the middle of nowhere, helping himself with the shadows of the rafters and the darkness of his uniform to camouflage himself in case someone decided to open the gates.

His breathing hitched, his heart was beating out of control and he could see how the quick movement had caused the gaping wound in his leg to reopen and bleed heavily, he would need to make a tourniquet to stop the bleeding or he would be in more trouble than being discovered for trespassing and stealing supplies.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm his heart rate by taking deep breaths, after what seemed like eons, the footsteps receded until they could no longer be heard. 

'That was a close call'  he thought in relief, proceeding to rip off part of his shirt to perform the tourniquet on his leg. 

Once the task was completed, he leaned back against the straw bales behind him to think about his next moves. A few feet from his position, his sword lay just as he felt.

'Broken...Useless.'

The events of a few weeks ago flashed before his eyes as he slept and the cries for help from his men would not leave his head as he awoke. It was a punishment for his crime, he did not feel worthy of having peace, not when he was still alive and they were not, not when he had fled and they stayed to fight. 

'Coward.'

How could he return knowing that everyone would know what he had done, how could he return home having lost all his honor and prestige, how could he look his father in the eye knowing the disappointment he had caused him. 

'Crippled...a burden'

No...

He couldn't go back, not yet, not without honor, not if he was going to be an inconvenience to his father. 

"I will regain my honor..." he spoke to himself. 

"I swear to you father, I will recover and find what I have lost, when I can look you in the eye as a worthy son of our nation, on that day, I will return home" 

Small rays of sunlight filtered through the boards that formed his shelter, illuminating his bright golden eyes full of determination. 

'On that day, I will prove to you that I am worthy to be your son'

Chapter Text

The first evening camping on the way to Yu Dao, Prince Ozai stayed up all night, keeping an eye on the deserter sleeping a few meters away in one of the tents, but also because the quiet of a night where he didn't have to worry about keeping the ship on course allowed him to try to organize his thoughts. The children, in the tent at his back could rest easy, their tummies full for the first time in days.

Jeong Jeong had shared with him more information about what had happened in the last few weeks.

'Two weeks...has it really been that long since that fateful night?'

It seemed that shortly before the attack on his family, the news that the battalion leading the attack on the Ba Sing Se wall had been declared lost in battle had reached the capital, Lu Ten had been chosen to lead that battalion when Iroh had returned to the capital because of Azulon's death.

Ozai regretted the death of his nephew, however he understood that it was a risk associated with the battle front.

'Our father was right...the war changed you more than you yourself realized brother.'

Azulon had always favored the eldest of his sons, but with him on the battlefront most of the time, the second prince had been his closest subject, there had been many evenings where father and son would chat about the technological advances led by the youngest, the progress of the children in their respective activities and the expectations for the future of the nation. They were always very formal meetings, but they had greatly helped their relationship in recent years.

'Now there is no one I can trust'

With Ursa gone, his father gone, and his brother trying to kill him, there was no way of knowing who could be trusted. His eyes took him back to the deserter's tent. Not even him, he was clearly just a means to an end.

The next few days passed uneventfully, quickly the landscape around them had changed from immense rock formations, almost non-existent vegetation and arid soil to lush forests, full of animals and plants, with soft ground perfect for camping and shade to alleviate the harsh sun.

By the afternoon of the third day the travelers had an established routine, the children had recovered a bit from the hard days without food and were more active during the treks, exploring without straying too far from the adults. Jeong Jeong and Ozai didn't talk much to each other, just enough to coordinate the arrival at the colony.

"Dad! Dad! Come quick!" the younger girl's voice was heard from between the trees, calling the prince's attention.

The adults looked at each other for a second, Azula didn't sound scared but it was better to hurry.

As the elders broke through the thick bushes and moved a few branches out of the way, they found themselves in front of a small but abundant stream of water, apparently a branch of the To River located farther to the north. Already the children were splashing around on the bank enjoying the coolness of the water on such a hot day.

"It's a good place to camp for the day" commented the ex-admiral observing the surroundings.

The area was surrounded by trees except for the soft earth bank and some large rocks surrounding it, they would not be easily seen from the road and were far enough inland that the likelihood of encountering a fire nation patrol was very low.

Jeong Jeong set about setting up the tents, while Ozai prepared an area for the campfire and brought out the implements they would use for dinner, once everything was ready, he approached the children. It had been over two weeks since the attack, it was time to remove the bandages and let the wounds breathe to finish their healing process, he had already seen the scars form in the daily checkups.

"Zuko, come here" the father called.

The boy turned completely around so he could see where his father was and once he located him near the newly erected camp he made his way over to him.

"It is time to remove the bandages from your arm permanently, but you must be very careful so we will keep the sling on for a while longer" instructed the prince beginning to remove the bandages.

The burns had healed well, the reddish scar extended from the left side of his neck, down his shoulder and down his arm to his wrist, some of the wilder flames had managed to burn small parts of his hand and chest, giving a splatter like effect here and there; the vast amount were second degree burns that while they would leave scars had not done permanent damage to muscles or nerves.

"How does your arm feel?" asked Ozai seriously as he finished.

"It doesn't hurt anymore, I'm fine" replied the child pulling himself up to show strength.

Removing the gauze from the wound on the boy's face, Ozai could tell that it too had healed almost completely, deeper and darker having been the epicenter of the attack, the skin around the eye had been sculpted into a permanent squint, the decrease in range of vision however was inconsequential if his suspicions were true.

"Zuko close your right eye and tell me how many fingers can you see?" the father indicated, holding two fingers in front of the little one's left eye.

Zuko did not respond, only began to cry silently, which was answer enough for the prince.

The young prince's left eye looked opaque, covered by a thin white layer preventing the light from entering, clearly the fire had done damage.

"Zuko, don't cry, calm down" tried to soothe Ozai as best he could by holding the boy by his shoulders.

This did nothing to ease the child's distress, it only made him cry harder, the father watched helplessly and remembered that this was something he didn't know how to handle either, it was another thing that was normally taken care of by his beloved wife, another reminder that she was gone.

"'I...I can't see...I can't see...'" the boy whimpered, trying to wipe his tears with his little hands.

The crying caught the attention of the other two members of the group, Azula immediately approached and seeing her brother so sad she knew she had to distract him somehow, so she took his hand to lead him back to the water.

Ozai watched the children walk away, soon after, his son was washing his face on the river bank and his daughter was speaking to him with what he assumed were words of encouragement.

"Look at it this way, with a patch and if we get you a parrot-lizard, you can be like the pirates in the theater plays mom liked."

"Azula!"

Perhaps not so encouraging, but at least they had made the kid stop crying.

"The destruction reaches even our children now, the accursed fire knows no bounds" he heard the ex-admiral say behind his back.

"Is that really what you think of firebending?" questioned the youngest of the men facing the officer.

"It's clear that the only thing our skills are good for is to hurt and destroy, that's what we've been doing for almost a hundred years."

"Our crusade brings the light of Agni to the dark corners, we spread the greatness of our nation and forge the new civilization in a land of savages" refuted the black-haired man confronting the senior.

If only the other nations would see that everything would be better if they stopped opposing each other, this war would be over and they could all share in the glory of the fire nation.

"Naive prince, so long holed up in your palace that you cannot see the lie before your eyes, the misery and poverty that our 'crusade' has brought to the world" snarled Jeong Jeong.

"It was to be expected, not for nothing are you a traitor, you despise the power that was given to us by the Sun itself, you are not able to see that fire is the ultimate element, just as it can take it can give" recited the prince one of the main principles instilled by his ancestors.

"It is clear that you will not listen to me, for some reason I was summoned to save you and your children, I hope the spirits know what they are doing."

From that day on, the coexistence between the adults became tense, they fought over everything; what to make for lunch, where to put the tents, if they should stop to rest or go on. Zuko and Azula did not know why the men were fighting so much.

To everyone's relief, they reached Yu Dao two days later. 

It was decided that the group would split up initially, Ozai would take the children to the colony's medical center to be checked; while Jeong Jeong would meet with his agents and find out news about Caldera. At the end of the day they would meet at the inn to discuss the next course of action. 

"Maybe it's best not to reveal your identity so soon, we don't know who might be listening" The veteran advised before turning and starting to walk away, but a few seconds later he stopped and without looking at him commented:

"You should also get yourself checked out." 

The prince disregarded him and taking the children's hand he headed off to his destination; taking advantage of the time to observe the colony.

Yu Dao was the first settlement colonized nearly a hundred years ago, even before the start of the war, established with several noble families as part of the Fire Nation's initial expansion campaign. Before colonization, Yu Dao was a backward and poor village, now it has one of the most prosperous metallurgical industries, one of the best in the world. The small town became a prosperous and cosmopolitan city. 

The external architecture and layout of the buildings were distinctly Earth Kingdom, with rigid walls and the buildings set in grids divided by canals or streets; but the houses were distinctly Fire Nation, with wooden and clay structures, low-slung columns giving way to open spaces separated by sliding doors, the roofs bearing their characteristic upwardly curved peaks. 

Ozai watched with satisfaction as people dressed in green and red colors mingled and worked side by side, forging metal into swords and armor, creating beautiful clay crafts, training to become part of the army as comrades. This was what the expansion was all about, that stupid ex-admiral didn't know what he was talking about.

The medical center was exactly the same as any of those found in the cities of the Fire Nation, as soon as you entered you could see several beds separated by wooden and paper screens giving privacy to the few patients that occupied the room. An elderly physician was examining a woman who seemed to have some kind of abdominal problem, when he heard the bell on the door, he spoke without looking up.  

"I'll be with you in a moment" the old man stroked his long beard thoughtfully "It doesn't seem serious dear Su Yin, the baby is fine, take this tea for a few days to ease the pain and no straining activities." 

After exchanging a few more words, the woman paid for the medicine and left.

"Oh new faces" expressed surprised the doctor, looking curiously at the newcomers. "I'm Wei, I guess you come for the little warrior" he said looking at the scars on the little boy. 

"Yes, I want to know if there is anything we can do for his eye" affirmed the prince. 

"Come this way" indicated the healer pointing with his trembling hand to one of the cubicles, once they were located Ozai helped his son to get on the bed to be examined.

"What's your name kiddo, what happened to you?" 

"Zu-" the boy began to say shyly, but was suddenly interrupted by his father. 

"Lee, his name is Lee, we were attacked by bandits on our way to Yu Dao, unfortunately my wife died protecting our son from the worst of the assault" replied the man diverting the old man's attention.

"Oh it's a pity, although it's rare to find firebenders among bandits don't you think?" commented the old man as he analyzed the young man's eye with a magnifying glass. "And one experienced enough to cause this kind of injury, almost military grade." 

"There are men without honor everywhere" replied the black-haired man frowning, not liking what the old man was implying.  

Having finished analyzing the wounds on the boy's face, he now checked the movement, reflexes and flexibility of the shoulder, elbow and wrist of 'Lee's' left arm. 

"Examine her too" Ozai ordered looking at his daughter, to which the medic began to assess the younger girl.

"How are you feeling little ...?" he asked this time, waiting for her to fill the silence with her name.

"Jie" said the princess, recognizing how her father had changed Zuko's name. "I'm fine, Father protected me" the girl replied uncomfortably at the old man's attention. 

"Your Father must be very brave and strong" finally replied the doctor finishing the check up, putting the implements aside. 

"Jie seems fine, a little dehydrated, but with rest and good food and water she will recover in no time" said the doctor, after a heavy sigh he continued "I'm afraid the prognosis for Lee is not good, the fire has done too much damage, it has burned the inner walls of the retina, Lee will not be able to see out of that eye anymore".

At the news, the princess averted her eyes to the floor, grieving for her brother, and the boy began to cry.

"Stop that, this is no time for tears, wipe your eyes" Ozai growled seeing his son's reaction. 

"Yes father" obeyed the boy immediately using his free arm.  

'Princes don't cry, much less in front of peasants, it's unbecoming...never forget that Ozai'.

Ozai carried his son and together with the doctor they went to the reception where he paid him for his services and taking azula's hand he left the place.

The walk back to the inn was silent and stiff.

That night, with the children playing in the corner of the room, the two men were trying to work out what the next step to take was.

"Were you able to find out anything about what's going on in the capital?" asked Ozai looking seriously at the former admiral. 

"Yes, before disappearing, one of the members of my group managed to send one last message, it's nothing we don't already know, but it's confirmation of what we feared" he replied handing a letter to the prince. 

'To Chrysanthemum or Rhododendron ,

I am writing this message to inform you that the blight has affected the Lotus in the royal garden,
the one that the old gardener considered ideal to harvest. The one that we believed would unite all the gardens in peace.  

He has also learned that his brother the Antirrhinum would be chosen in its place and for this reason he has suffocated it and its offspring. 

I think this will be my last message, as the new gardener does not consider me useful anymore and has sent his men to prune. 

Cryptomeria of the red garden'.

The prince looked puzzled at the defector, clearly the letter was in code, albeit written quickly, but it was easy to decipher knowing the context of the situation. The implications of the second sentence were not lost on him.

"I was to be crowned?" he asked incredulously.

"Apparently Fire Lord Azulon wanted it that way and Iroh did his best to make sure no one knew about it, other informants comment that he held several meetings and sent several messages just the day before the attack on Ember Island, including having a supply ship stop at the island to pick up a package that was never delivered." 

"My father left a will, I went looking for it in his room myself" refuted the minor. 

"No will was read during the coronation, no one knows anything about that document" clarified Jeong Jeong.

"And now it's my word against Iroh's, in front of a court of nobles who scorn me at best."

"Without a heir Iroh has a fragile hold on the throne and that is why he has tried to eliminate you and your children, it is not safe to return to the Fire Nation." 

"I knew that already, that's why we're here" Ozai stressed. 

"The colonies are not a better option, nobles have diplomatic meetings and soldiers do routine inspections, it's a very big risk, especially..." replied the deserter looking at the children. 

"So you plan on me wandering around the Earth Kingdom for the rest of our lives? If they find out who we are they'll kill us anyway!" the prince snarled offended. 

"True, perhaps Omashu would have been an option, an old acquaintance would have been able to help us, but now it's the Fire Nation's main target. I'm afraid there is only one place left far enough away from the war where they could be safe..."

"A place far away from the war...The Northern tribe?" 

"The Northern Water tribe has remained neutral and away from the conflict, the last attempt to invade it was over 70 years ago and they don't suppose a place of interest currently, if there is a place that can offer you asylum, that is it" reasoned Jeong Jeong. 

"Why would they agree to give asylum to the son of the man who tried to exterminate their sister tribe?" questioned the prince this time.  

"I have an ally in the tribe, he can help us handle the negotiation, but you must give them something in return, you better start thinking about what you are going to offer."

Chapter Text

The walled city of Omashu, located in the Kolau Mountains range in the southwest of the continent, built on a series of towering hills and surrounded by a vast ravine, is considered the second largest city in the Earth Kingdom. A city created by and for earthbenders, its imposing walls guarded by high level guards and well known for its famous mail system powered by Earthbending and gravity.

King Bumi, Ruler of the city for over seven decades, is perhaps the strongest earthbender in the Kingdom and although in recent years his subjects have begun to worry about his mental health, he has always made the best, if unorthodox, decisions for his people.

“...the Fire Nation's structures are located a little more than halfway across the chasm, they feature metal decks that repel our men's projectiles, they are sort of like floating bridges from which catapults hurl burning rocks towards the walls” explained one of the generals to his monarch.

“We have evacuated homes and commercial areas near the impact zones as a precaution, the citizens are on alert and the tunnels to the city's subway are enabled if necessary” contributed one of the ministers.

“They have been sieging the walls for a week, the attacks seem to be every 30 minutes and we know that their base is near Shen Guan, we have sent notice to the fortress in case they try to attack it as well” explained to the meeting the leader the guard.

“It's a curious thing, while they seem to be coordinated and constant attacks, one would expect a bit more aggression from our enemies, considering the information from the siege of Ba sing Se” commented the king curiously scratching his beard.

“What are you getting at King Bu....” the general's question was interrupted by the city's alarm bells.

Everyone gathered suddenly stood up and looked out the windows of the room to see what was going on. At first there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, but soon the streets began to fill with red uniforms and a few seconds later fire consumed the rooftops and panic gripped the inhabitants who ran to save themselves from the invaders.

"But how is it possible! The walls are intact!” shouted the leader of the guard.

The domestic defense units, taken by surprise, tried to confront the soldiers of the fire nation, turning the streets of the city into a battlefield. The attention of those present in the meeting hall was only interrupted by the sound of joints popping, as they turned around their king had shed his robe and was cracking his neck after stretching to his full height.

“King Bumi, what do you think you're doing?!” the minister shouted in outrage.

“Defending my city, of course” replied the earthbender before leaping out of the palace window into the brawl laughing hysterically.

The first step in the journey of the former royal family of the fire nation to the northern water tribe was a change of appearance to try to avoid attracting attention; they exchanged the red silks for the more rugged garments in brown colors and some shades of green provided by Makapu's lady; Azula and Ozai now wore their hair loose and low, without their characteristic topknots, Zuko was to have his hair pulled back in a ponytail to keep it away from the wound on his face, but the red ribbon was replaced by a dark green one.

And after a long discussion, the prince had to shave his goatee. 

“It wasn't necessary” complained -again- the heir touching his bare chin, while adjusting the backpack on his shoulder. 

“I already told you your highness, it's a very noticeable feature, easy to remember” replied the deserter hiding his mocking smile. 

“Many men have goatees, it's a status symbol” argued the prince. 

“But not many whose portrait is on the houses of the main colonies of the nation they are trying to hide from” countered the ex-admiral, shutting the younger man down. 

The children were running in front of the adults down the sandy road several miles outside Yu Dao, the youngest chasing her brother in a game of catch, they had set out a few hours after dawn, the ostrich horses packed provisions for several days, the goal to reach Zigan Village, north of the Kingdom.  

Unlike the road to the colony, where they had not encountered any other travelers, on this trail they occasionally came across lone merchants or family groups looking for new places to trade goods. However, as they progressed, the individuals they encountered became increasingly impoverished, their clothes began to look tattered, their complexions weak and their belongings minimal. 

They were no longer simple merchants.

They were refugees. 

By the time they stopped for lunch the prince had lost count of how many of these they had encountered, this meal passed in silence. 

'We are at war, it is normal that some people must relocate' the heir tried to reason.

In the afternoon the children slept on the backs of the pack animals until they reached another place where the adults could rest. 

Two days passed more or less in this way. 

On the afternoon of the third day several shouts a little further along the road indicated that something was wrong, the elders looked at each other for a second and without further exchange of words each knew what they should do. 

Ozai took the reins of the ostrich horses and tied them to the branches of a nearby tree. Jeong-Jeong, took the kids by the collars of their shirts and led them behind the bushes next to the beasts. 

“Stay here your highnesses,” he ordered sternly.

Zuko and Azula looked at their father.

“Do as he says, hide and I don't want you to come out until one of us comes for you” the prince confirmed. 

“But...”

“No buts, stay quiet and don't come out” ordered the father with finality, he waited a few seconds until they both nodded.

Quickly the prince and the deserter ran in the direction of the commotion and arrived before the scene they feared, a caravan was being attacked by bandits; the three camel-elephants pulling the carts frolicked restlessly before the torches waved by some assailants, several of the members of the caravan tried to calm them down before they hurt someone or fell on the goods.

On the other side six thugs were threatening the other members of the group with swords and axes, women and children were hiding behind the men who were trying to defend themselves. Only a couple of them were earthbenders and did not have much room to maneuver. 

Using the element of surprise, the newcomers ambushed the bandits closest to them, knocking them out quickly. At the fall of their comrades, the men turned to see what was happening, this distraction was enough to give one of the earthbenders room to throw a sizable rock at the back of one of the attackers. 

“I don't know who they are, but they've messed with the wrong gang” growled one of the guys lunging towards the minor prince. 

However, simple commoners were no match for men trained in the most arduous military regimes offered by the Fire nation. One after another the thugs were defeated and fled in terror from their opponents, dragging those unfortunate companions who had lost consciousness from the beating. 

“Hmph simple cowards” growled the royal.

“Men without honor nor fear, they have nothing to lose” agreed the ex-military man, then turning to the members of the caravan “Are you all alright?”  

The young prince did not wait to hear the travelers' answer and promptly returned to where they had left the children. 

"Zuko! Azula!” he called to them once near the bushes. 

In unison both heirs poked their heads out of the bushes, leaves and twigs adorned their hair and judging by the dirt on their clothes, they had been playing in their hiding place. At their father's unimpressed look, the kids lowered their heads in shame and emerged from the bushes. 

Ozai scrutinized the children for any injuries and finding none he turned his gaze to the pack animals, they still had supplies and were ready for the journey.

He could take them, the children and leave the old soldier aside, if he wanted to.

“Where is Mr. Jeong Jeong?” asked Zuko looking around, he had to turn almost his whole body as he got used to only seeing out of one of his eyes. 

'Cool head Ozai, that old man is your best option right now'.

“It's up ahead, let's go” he indicated taking the reins of the animals and going in search of his traveling companion.

Arriving at where the confrontation had occurred, the merchants had already calmed their animals and were gathering their belongings scattered around the place, trying to retrieve as much merchandise as possible. 

Jeong-Jeong was conversing with one of the traders, one of the earthbenders, a muscular but compactly built man with a pronounced beard, who was expressing his gratitude to the ex-military man effusively. 

“It's time to go” growled the heir. 

“Oh! our other savior!” exclaimed the businessman cheerfully “I was just telling your partner about the option of us traveling together.”

“That's not...” started to deny Ozai before being interrupted by his daughter.

“Papa! Look they are have very long trunks!” laughed the youngest girl running towards the pack animals “Can we play with them?” 

“No! We must go!” immediately replied the father, which did not sit well with the princess. 

“But I want to play with them!” shrieked the little girl with tears in her eyes. 

“Huh...” 

This was a new tactic, how did he keep his princess from crying? Why did she have the same expression as Ursa when she wanted to convince him to go to some stupid new play?

“It might be better to be in a larger group, there is strength in numbers” muttered the veteran beside him, with a smirk at the monarch's inability to deny things to his daughter.

“Oh Please, they can't defend themselves against mere bandits, what good would it do us to be with them?” he replied. 

“They are headed for the same place we are, why go our separate ways when we can take the opportunity and help each other, weren't you talking about the unification of the nations a few days ago?” 

This was not precisely what he was referring to and the deserter knew it. 

“Besides it looks like the children decided for you” finished the older one pointing to where little Zuko was now shyly talking to two other slightly older children. 

“I'm sure our women can help you take care of the little ones” commented the merchant joining the conversation again.

“Zigan is still a few weeks away and without proper provisions the arid areas can fool inexperienced travelers, but we would be more than willing to share with our rescuers.” 

“All right” reluctantly agreed the red-haired man. 

"Great! My name is Senoh and I am the pseudo-leader of this caravan” he expressed taking the prince's hand and shaking it strongly. 

“Jeong-Jeong” replied the ex-admiral, no need to hide his name, everyone knew he was a defector. 

“Kuon” the first name that crossed the heir´s mind. 

"Welcome to the caravan! Follow me, I'll introduce you to the rest..."

Ozai could see the rest of the members now, they were about fourteen people, mostly women, three children and four men including Senoh. He didn't pay any attention to the names, he didn't plan on interacting much with any of them, he just nodded when his fake name was announced. 

“The children?...” asked one of the younger females, she couldn't have been more than twenty years old. 

“Lee and Jie.” 

“It will be good for them to have friends on this trip, it can't be easy for them being so young.” 

No...it was definitely not easy.

But it was what they had to do if they wanted to survive. 

Without much else to do, the whole group resumed their journey to the Village.

Getting work to be able to pay for food and medicine in a small coastal town in the middle of nowhere in the Earth Kingdom was apparently harder than it looked. Everyone would take one look at the torn clothes, the bruised leg, the makeshift cane and immediately ignore him. Others would see his golden eyes and shout him away. 

Without further opportunity or enough agility to continue stealing what he needed, only one option remained.  

How low he had fallen. 

“Please, if you can give me a coin, please” begged the young man sitting near the harbor. 

Men and women who did not imagine that this young soldier used to be a prince ignored him or looked at him with disdain, others laughed at his humiliating presentation, children pointed at him intrigued. 

“Something you can do without” he mentioned to a couple when the rumbling in his stomach was louder than his thoughts.

Sometimes they would give him a couple of coins in the day, sometimes they would throw him leftover food. Days passed and while his leg was slowly recovering with rest, his pride and build were waning from the lack of food and exercise. 

“Hey boy!” a voice called out to him one afternoon. 

“Huh?” when he looked up a curious looking man with tattoos and earrings was staring at him. 

“You know how to use that?” the man asked pointing to his sword sheath. 

“Yes, but this one is broken...” replied the soldier crestfallen.

“Never mind, we're looking for people for our crew, we had...a few casualties in the last assignment, you look like you need food and a good bed, wouldn't you be interested?”

With some distrust the young man took a better look at who was speaking to him, noticing the golden eyes but dark skin, his clothes were not of the best quality but they were in very good condition, at his waist he wore a curved dagger and a red neckerchief around his neck with a symbol he was sure he had seen before. 

The offer of food and bed was too tempting.

With some difficulty he stood up leaning his weight on his makeshift cane. 

“ Aha apparently you could use a medic too, get that checked out” the man scoffed a little. 

“I'm fine” grunted the young soldier. 

“Eh whatever you say buddy....well do you accept?” 

"Lead the way"

Chapter Text

As the days passed the crowned prince began to notice a significant difference between his journey so far and being with the caravan, this diverse group of strangers shared the chores between them all, they worked together, the older women guiding the younger ones in cooking, childcare, gathering and general keeping of order; the men were in charge of the animals, guiding the group, finding shelter from the elements and hunting from time to time to make the most of the resources.

Nothing like he had imagined them from the teachings of the royal palace. They were not disorganized brutes, nor dirty uneducated peasants. They were quite normal individuals, to tell the truth.

They were currently camped on the banks of the river that served as their guide to Zigan, the night cold but full of laughter and excitement from the members of the group who were chatting in front of the fire. The children slept inside the wagons to protect them from the elements, while the adults took turns standing guard. Jeong-Jeong had made fast friends with the men and would spend time with them discussing routes and exchanging information.

Ozai usually stayed close to his children, fulfilling the tasks they asked of him, but if everything was done he kept his distance, always observing.

So engrossed was the prince in his surveillance of the larger group that he did not notice the presence of someone beside him.

“First time traveling in Caravan?” asked a female voice next to him.

Ozai turned to look at the girl who had spoken to him, so far he had stayed away from the group, letting the old soldier handle the communication. The girl was very young, maybe even a couple of decades younger than him, brown hair, slightly brownish skin and green eyes, typical Earth Kingdom complexion. He was going to ignore her completely until something about her attire caught his attention, underneath the sleeves of her tunic he could see tattered and poorly placed bandages, beneath them, distinct signs of burns.

“It's that obvious?” he replied neutrally, he didn't want company, but he couldn't afford to antagonize these people either.

“It's because you're separated from the group and don't talk much, I'm Tami, Lee and Jie talk about you a lot with the other kids, their father is their hero after all.”

“I'm the only one they have left” the man commented sadly, remembering all they had lost.

“I'm so sorry to hear that, I've seen little Lee's scars, I...I know how he feels” expressed the young woman pushing aside the bandages on her arm a little.

Finding people injured by the war was nothing out of the ordinary, during the weeks they had been traveling around the Earth Kingdom Ozai had seen many soldiers with burns or scars in the villages and on the road, it is part of the conflict, as well as her own soldiers were many times repatriated because of serious fractures.

However, Tami's wounds were not like the ones he had seen on the soldiers, they were not burns from fireballs received from a distance, they were not thin lines made with a small fire dagger, no...they were not something a civilian could receive from being collateral damage in a conquest.

The wounds the prince saw were like Zuko's.

A very uncomfortable hollowness formed in the heir's stomach as he realized that the wounds of the young girl, who couldn't have been more than twenty years old, were in the shape of hands and from the size, he could infer that they were from a grown man who had squeezed the younger girl's forearms tightly.

'Why?' Was the only thing his mind could conjure over and over again.

Horrible reasons were beginning to form one after another in his head, each one worse than the last.

This girl was a civilian, the daughter of merchants, nothing to do with the conflict between the soldiers. Military regulations clearly stipulated that civilians were to be respected if possible, the Fire Nation is on a quest to expand its greatness to the other nations, not to destroy their population.

This was not supposed to happen and not for the first time he thought something...something was not right with the military.

First traitors attacked his family and now he saw evidence of malpractice in the treatment of conquered civilians.

'Maybe they are isolated cases...' He tried to rationalize, after all you cannot control the actions of all soldiers, there are always those who take advantage, but....

'It's been almost 100 years of war...perhaps...perhaps our soldiers have lost their way?'

At the silence and the uneasy look of the grown man, Tami sought to encourage him a little.

“Everything will be fine, wounds heal and as long as we have our family we can get through this, I'm sure as long as Lee has you and Jie, he can get through it too.”

Having said what she came to say, the young woman gave the heir a smile and retired to her own tent with her family.

Hours later when Jeong-Jeong returned to Ozai's side, he found him crestfallen, gently stroking the hair of the little princes, whispering promises. When he tried to get his attention to discuss the night watch, he looked at him for the first time without hatred or disdain, without resentment or disapproval.

For the first time since the old deserter had encountered the one the spirits had given him the task of protecting, he could see doubt and sadness in his gaze. As if something fundamental in the man's beliefs was beginning to crumble.

Something had changed that night in Ozai.

Without a word, the younger man rose and stepped out of the wagon for some air, averting his gaze as he passed him.

Perhaps there was some hope for this chosen heir of his nation.

A few days later Ozai noticed how the men of the caravan seemed more animated than usual, they were discussing among themselves about goods they were going to exchange or business they were about to finish, apparently nearby was a village with where they had good relations; it would be a small detour from the route to get supplies and some money.

Senoh was quick to approach the travelers to tell them the good news.

“We will be able to resupply and rest more comfortably one night in Tulong, it is not like Gaolin, but it is a respectable village and from there all straight to Zigan, one week” the merchant commented excitedly.

“Excellent, our destination is getting closer and closer” replied Jeong-Jeong smiling.

But the smile did not last long, a little less than an hour later the gates of Tulong greeted them, well what was left of them, the upper crossbeam was about to fall down at any gust of wind.

Before the eyes of the astonished travelers, scorched rubble lay where houses and businesses had once stood, people with bandages filled the sides of streets and terraces trying to regain their strength being attended by those who still could, the houses that were still standing denoted dark marks where the flames had touched but had not managed to catch fire.

Almost half of the village was in ruins.

“What....What happened here?” questioned a stunned Senoh to a woman near the entrance.

“What else could it be, the Fire nation” growled the woman as she pointed to the area that seemed to be most affected.

''That used to be our trading center, the soldiers came through here 3 days ago, they wanted us to deliver the goods without paying and you know how they get when you give them a 'No' for an answer.''

''This is terrible, if there is anything that...''

Ozai didn't listen to the rest of the conversation, approaching the area the woman had pointed out.

'What's the point of this?'

The young man questioned himself, seeing the destruction around him.

This was not a conquest, for the soldiers had not stayed in the village, which was not even in an area of interest for the normal advance of the occupation; these people were not a threat to the militia, the vast majority looked malnourished and it was noticeable that they had not a shred of combat training, judging by the amount of wounded; there was nothing of value in this place, nothing to fight for, nothing to destroy.

'Yet, still, they have done it'

These people were just trying to make the most of their lives in the middle of these arid lands, without bothering anyone, like any honest citizen in the villages of the Fire Nation, only to have everything destroyed for no good reason by soldiers intoxicated with power.

And again that uncomfortable feeling in his stomach was present, his fists clenched tightly and he had to breathe slowly to keep them from igniting into flames. This was not a Fire Nation his ancestors would be proud of, this was not the greatness they professed, this was not the way.

A small chuckle to his side distracted him from his spiraling thoughts.

Zuko and Azula had followed him into the rubble and had used the soot to paint whiskers and fangs like those of a pygmy puma on their faces.

''Rawr'' roared his little princess playfully as she jumped on her brother.

'That's not the Fire Nation they deserve'

Other children quickly joined the children's play, both from the caravan and natives of Tulong, soon all were so dirty it was hard to distinguish those from the Earth Kingdom from the Fire Nation heirs.

With a new found determination the prince sought the gaze of the old deserter and saw reflected in them the disapproval of the actions committed by his compatriots that he himself felt.

Tea ceremonies in the Fire Nation, formal events that have been held for generations, always carried an aura of solemnity and significance for those invited to participate, much more so for the few who are fortunate enough to attend one at the Royal Palace. The silence that characterizes the initial part of the gathering gives the perfect opportunity to appreciate the beautiful expertly landscaped gardens, a lake of calm, crystal clear water disturbed only by the occasional falling leaves of lush fruit and cherry trees, flowering shrubs and plots of Fire Lilies in beautiful patterns that surrounded the small ceremonial gazebo.

This didn't mean that waiting in silence while the Nation's leader gently blew the steam emanating from his drink was any less nerve-racking.

“So...they never found the children's bodies?” the sovereign broke the silence.

“It's been weeks your majesty, even if they managed to escape...they couldn't have survived on their own” replied the man flustered, for the first time in a long time.

“And that tells us that they were indeed not alone...can we be sure that any of the bodies were those of my brother or sister-in-law?” concluded the elder staring into his associate's eyes.

“One of the surviving guards recounted that he saw Princess Ursa and Prince Ozai each go after one of the children, but then he saw no one leave the house.”

“That is not irrefutable proof that your work was completed” countered the monarch giving the mercenary a strong reproachful look.

“Your majesty, you have nothing to worry about, I assure you there is no threat to your reign” tried to appease the man.

“Without proof there is no payment, I would start organizing my men if you want to see those coins anytime soon” Finished the older man, to then get up from the table, ending the conversation.

The last week of the journey across the barren plains of the Earth Kingdom passed without major mishaps, after stocking up what they could with the locals in Tulong, the caravan continued on its way with spirits a little dampened. The cold nights became a time of bonding by the fire to keep safe and the hot afternoons were filled with conversation to distract them from the scorching sun.

Even the withdrawn prince had begun to help without being asked and learning, little by little from the other men in the caravan. The night they finally arrived at their destination, Zigan, the farewells were harder than he expected.

“It was a pleasure to have you with us, I hope to see you in the future” Senoh solemnly remarked as he shook each of the men's hands tightly.

''We greatly appreciate your help and company'' Jeong-Jeong replied seriously, then went to say goodbye to those he had befriended on the trip.

''Kuon!'' Called someone next to him and it took the prince a couple of seconds to remember that was the name he was using.

Beside him stood Tami smiling at him.

''Mom knows a bit about ointments and she gave me this for Lee'' she commented cheerfully extending a container to the older man, who received it silently.

''It's to moisturize the scar on his face, it can be very painful if it dries out and starts to pull the rest'' the girl explained and before the other could answer she gave him a fleeting hug.

''Take care of yourself and the kids!''

And then she ran off to catch up with her family.

''Father, where will we go now?'' asked Zuko watching the caravan drive away.

''When will we return home?'' questioned the little girl this time with a frown ''We've been walking around the Earth Kingdom for aaaaages!''

At that moment the prince realized that if he wanted to protect his family that meant they probably wouldn't return to the Fire Nation until the war was over. That could take years at best, they might never return.

''Let's go find an inn for today children, we need to talk about some things.''

The village of Zigan had come a long way since the time of the avatar Kioshi, the poverty and famine that had plagued the population was nowhere to be seen and being so far north, there were very few signs of war in them. Currently it could be considered one of the main centers of trade in the area, so finding lodging was not hard and at last there was enough room for the royal family of the Fire Nation to have their own quarters.  

''First of all I want to make something very clear to you children'' the elder began seriously, sitting down in front of the princes, waiting for their nod before continuing.

''No matter what happens from now on or where we find ourselves, you must not forget who you are, you are the rightful heirs of the Fire Nation; you must be proud of your roots, you are the union of the royal blood of our homeland and the blood of the last Avatar.''

The children exchanged a glance between them to then nod again to their father.

''That said...I'm afraid we won't see our home again for a while, we won't return to the Fire Nation perhaps for years, it's not certain.''

'''Whaaaaaat?''' Exclaimed the girl ''But.... What about my things? And... and... School? Mom had said I'd be going to the academy in a few months.''

''Why? And what about Uncle Iroh and Lu Ten? Lu Ten promised that we would have a real duel when he came back from his mission!'' expressed Zuko this time.

''It's not safe to go back right now and this decision is final.''

“But Uncle Iroh can...”

“Uncle Iroh is part of the problem!” growled the father in exasperation interrupting his son, startling the children.

''My brother has decided he doesn't want us to come back'' he replied trying not to scare the kids with details.

''Where will we live now?'' asked the youngest with teary eyes.

''Jeong Jeong has a friend in the Northern Water Tribe, he's trying to take us with him.''  

''But...aren't the tribesmen weak barbarians with no manners?'' The boy asked trying to remember the lessons of his tutors.

Before answering, the father pondered a bit, while that was what he too had been taught, if he went by how wrong his view of the people of the Earth Kingdom had been, perhaps he was wrong about other things as well. 

''I think it's best we see for ourselves if they are, right now is the only place that can help us.'' 

“But what if...” a yawn interrupted Zuko's question ''What if they don't like us?'' he resumed rubbing his eyes. 

“It is very possible that they will not, so we must abide by whatever rules they have, I want your best behavior” instructed the father, though inwardly he knew that it would not be easy to adapt to this situation.

“Even if they are dumb?” asked Azula softly, trying to keep her eyes open as she was leaning on her brother. 

“We'll see...come on, it's time for bed.” 

Ozai took the children in his arms gently and carried them to the bed where they would both sleep, he tucked them in and by the time he finished settling them in, they were both asleep.

'A new chapter awaits us from now on'

Chapter Text

The next morning, shortly before the sun peeked through the cracks in the windows of the houses, the members of the royal family and their companion were already on their way to the port of Zigan, in search of a ship that would take them to their destination.

“Daaaad I'm sooo sleepy, the sun isn't even out yet!” complained the little girl, rubbing one eye with her small fist.

“If we want to make good time to get to the tribe, we have to leave at first light princess” replied the ex soldier.

“Besides we must buy adequate resources for the journey, these clothes will not protect us in the North” added the children's father pointing to the clothes, that although had protected them in the arid terrains of the continent, would do nothing against the icy winds and snow.

The first stop on the way to the port was the stables, where they were able to reach an agreement with the stable master, Jeong Jeong would need one of the ostrich horses when he returned to the Earth Kingdom, so, for the sale price of the other one, the master would take care of the remaining one until his return. It took the children a while to say goodbye to the animals, they had grown very fond of them throughout the journey.

The next thing was to get coats, gloves and boots for the four of them, while the fire they controlled made them slightly better able to withstand the cold, this was not viable in the long run, hopefully once they were accepted into the tribe, they could get proper parkas.

They finally arrived at the port with their supplies a few hours after dawn, there weren't many ships docked at the small pier, but the crowd around them was brimming with energy moving cargo back and forth, the bustle a bit deafening, with merchants making final deals, brokers negotiating passage and crew bidding farewell to their companions.

“Oh what do I see, strangers, are you in search of a good deal to your next destination?” asked a piquant voice near them, as they looked for its owner they found a tall and very thin man, with a dark skin and somewhat crooked smile, his clothing did not seem to indicate a very clear origin.

“We want to board a boat to the Northern Water Tribe” spoke Jeong Jeong approaching the man's stall.

“Oh you have come to the right place, but it won't be cheap my friend, only one ship heads north at this time of year, winter is approaching and the tribe shuts down trade until spring” continued the merchant pointing to one of the farthest ships in the harbor, it wasn't particularly large, but the blue sails made it stand out from the rest.

“When does that ship leave?” asked the ex-prince observing the vessel and wondering how they would convince the crew to let them on board.

“In an hour, maybe sooner, it's several hours of voyage before it even reaches the glaciers” replied the man with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Hours? I thought with waterbenders it would be a much shorter trip”

“Oh no no, that ship doesn't have waterbenders, it's a Zigan trade ship, I don't think I've ever seen one of those hoity-toity waterbenders come out of their ice bucket in decades” clarified the man scratching his chin. 

“My grandfather told me that, since many years ago, around the time of the avatar Roku, there have been conflicts over fishing grounds and trade fees between the tribe and the Earth kingdom, the airbenders used to mediate between us, but after the extermination we never saw the northerners in our ports again. Something about being treated like pirates or who knows.” 

“So then why the blue sails?” asked the ex-admiral. 

“It's the only way the patrolling waterbenders won't impale the ship at first sight” replied the fellow smiling again. 

“I see... Who do I need to talk to in order to get a place on the voyage?” 

“The harbor master is in the booth over there” expressed the man looking in the direction of the booth and finding it empty “Oh for all the...it's not even midday! That good-for-nothing must be in the tavern, if you're lucky he'll be sober enough to help you”  

Somewhat puzzled they headed to where the merchant pointed them, as children were not allowed in the establishment, only the soldier went inside to look for the mestre. Once inside Jeong Jeong went to the innkeeper.  

“I'm looking for the harbor master, can you help me?”  

The gangly man behind the bar, who was cleaning the establishment's glasses and silverware, simply pointed to a table, where a man was babbling about heartbreak surrounded by empty beer mugs. Judging by his soiled clothes, the traces of tears on his reddened face and the wobbling of his countenance, despite being seated, the man had been drinking out of heartache for hours.

Thinking how best to approach and deal with the drunkard, the ex-soldier looked around the compound, there were not many people, some travelers having breakfast, a couple of men doing some kind of business in the far corner and an old man drinking tea at one of the side tables...with a half-assembled pai sho board in front of him.

'Oh Agni, you have once again shone for me on this path'

Without hesitation and completely forgetting the harbor master, he made his way over to the elder and sat down across from him, placing the white lotus piece in the center of the board. Quickly the senior cleared his side of the board.

“I see you favor the white lotus piece, not many adhere to the original game” commented the man looking at him suspiciously.

“Those who do could find a friend” replied the firebender without hesitation.

“Then let's play”

One by one the tiles were placed, not with the intention of winning the game but to convey a message, a few minutes later the combination of all the tiles on the board formed the figure of a large lotus flower.

“Welcome brother, the lotus flower opens to one who knows its secrets” greeted the stranger, but then frowned quickly.

“The members of the red garden are in a very bad position right now...you will understand my wariness at your presence my friend.”

“Understandable, but I am on a mission entrusted by the spirits, this goes beyond the order” this answer perplexed the old man, who knew it was a subject requiring caution.

“How can I help you?”

“Due to all the changes in the red garden I had not been able to communicate my findings, the Antirrhinum we thought lost and its sprouts survived and I am trying to get them to a new garden.”

The news came as a great surprise to the agent, however, he was quick to see the problem:

“Our gardens do not tolerate red flowers, they would not be better off here than in their home”

“I understand perfectly, that's why I'm looking to take them to the northern blue garden, I need you to send an express letter to Delphinium, only he can convince the gardener to let them in; we also need tickets for the boat that leaves in less than an hour.”

“I will send our fastest seagull-albatroz and for passage on the sailboat no problem, I am friends with the captain.”

After saying goodbye with a slight bow, the soldier left the tavern to meet with the impatient prince.

“Well, did you get the tickets?” growled the young sovereign exasperated by the wait.

“Don't worry, it's all taken care of”

After almost a month of siege, the situation in the city of Omashu was quite critical, the non-combatant inhabitants had been evacuated through subway tunnels to bunkers in the depths of the city, slightly illuminated by packs of green luminous crystals and with less and less resources available. Thousands of teenagers, women, children and the elderly were crowded together with barely room to move in makeshift rest areas, constantly awaiting news from above ground.

In King Bumi's palace, a new council of war was taking place, the generals and the king gathered in front of the city plans.

“The refugees will run out of food in a few days, it's time to start thinking about getting them out of the city completely, send them to other cities and villages, we have Gaipan, Senlin and the North Port; Gaolin, Chin and Misty Palms to the south” commented one of the ministers.

“We are talking about thousands of people, how do you plan to mobilize so many people with the enemy besieging our city?” questioned one of the generals.

“We will have to use earthbenders to tunnel the civilians out” commented another.

“Our best masters are at the front protecting the walls, if we divert their attention the city would fall in hours” rebutted the first general “Besides it's too many tunnels, at least one elite squad per tunnel is required”

“Then what do you suggest? Shall we let the civilians under the city die? For that we'd better hand them over to the invaders!”

“That won't be necessary” interjected the Earth monarch.

“Do you have a plan King Bumi?” asked the minister of internal affairs hopefully.

The king looked at everyone in the room with that crooked smile and bulging eyes that characterized him.

“Gather the best singers and musicians in the city, organize the citizens into groups by town of destination and prepare them to go out.”

The council members looked at each other exasperated but accustomed to their ruler's crazy quips, in any other circumstance they would have simply ignored him or diverted attention with another strategy, however, the moment was extremely critical and they did not have the time to indulge in the King's ambiguous ramblings.

“King Bumi, we are trying to plan a mass exodus not a concert” reproached someone in the room.

“Of course I know we are planning an evacuation, do you think I'm crazy?”

No one was going to answer that indeed they did, they were not stupid.

“The solution to our problems is close by, we just need good music” continued the king as he stood up.

“What do you mean your highness?” questioned the minister again.

“I'm going to get us some Badgermoles”

A couple of hours after boarding the sailboat in Zigan, the temperatures were beginning to drop rapidly, something extremely noticeable to the members of the Fire nation. There wasn't really much to do on the ship until they reached the tribe's trading area, as it had been explained to them, so to pass the time the sailors would play cards, pai sho or tell stories in the mess hall near small piles of hot stones in pots.

With the rare opportunity to have children on board, a group of seafarers were enthusiastically telling different stories, from their own adventures in the ocean to ancient legends and myths of the Earth Kingdom.

“Then Kyoshi told Chin that she wouldn't sit back and watch her home being invaded and with a big gust of wind she left him almost naked!” one of the few women on the ship excitedly recounted.

“Hahahahaha” laughed the children.

“And what did Kyoshi do then?” asked clearly interested little Azula.  

“The avatar Kyoshi then firmly planted her feet on the ground and with incredible control of all the elements broke the earth between them, separating the peninsula from the mainland from its foundations and thus created what we know today as Kyoshi Island”

“Wow! She was super strong and brave!” the princess commented thrilled.

“That's right, since then Kyoshi Island is famous for training the bravest female warriors, an elite group that follows the teachings of the avatar herself in combat and espionage techniques” finished the proud woman.

“HA! Elite warriors, not a single Kyoshi warrior has been seen in decades outside of their island” sneered one of the men sardonically.

“Well...it's true that there haven't been any new female warriors for a long time, the population has been struggling the last few decades, but there is a very promising group of girls now.”

“Do you think I could be like that? like Kyoshi?” asked the girl interrupting another teasing comment from one of the men, moving closer to the woman and looking at her with huge eyes full of admiration. 

“Of course little one!” smiled the woman, but this smile deflated a bit as she noticed the younger girl's amber eyes. 

“Yes! I will train hard and be the best warrior!” with this conviction the little girl ran off to tell her father of her new resolve to be the best Kyoshi warrior. 

After a few minutes of silence, one of the sailors intervened again and so they continued to regale each other with anecdotes and stories for a few more hours.

When the ship arrived at the trading post, it was hours after noon, but for some reason the sun no longer seemed to be lowering on the horizon, the deck now looked like a floating marketplace bathed in the faint tones of a permanent sunset.

“The poles have times of the year where it never gets completely dark or doesn't get light for hours, a very strange phenomenon if you ask me, but people get used to it” replied a sailor when the prince questioned the situation.

'That can't be a good thing for a firebender...'

Something they would have to worry about later.

A small commotion brought the heir out of his thoughts, as the ship had parked amidst the huge floating chunks of ice, in front of what looked like a control tower on one of the sparse rock formations in the area, a much smaller craft had approached them from the side; judging by the lack of propulsion engine or sails and the peculiar dress of the 3 crew members, they were waterbenders.

The children, who had been watching from the side rail ran to their father's side.

“Hanta, what are you doing here? We haven't completed the transactions yet” commented one of the tower men upon seeing the new arrivals.

“We're not here for supplies” replied one of the waterbenders, a massive man with several scars on his arms, who appeared to be the leader “Master Pakku sent us on a special mission.”

“Oh what do you need?”

“We were sent to escort a group of passengers who shouldn't be on this ship in the first place” growled the man looking in the direction of the captain of the merchant vessel.

“They haven't given any trouble” the man tried to excuse himself looking at Jeong Jeong and Ozai with some pity.

“Never mind, we must take them to Master Pakku, so hurry up” with a shake of his head, his companions, two young adults with tan skin, brown hair and slim build, positioned themselves in combat katas, waiting for any movement from the foreigners.

“We don't want any trouble, we'll go with you without a fight” expressed the admiral raising his hands.

'I hope this is part of the plan old sourpuss' thought the deserter as he approached to board the metal flatboat.

“Kids don't move away from me” commanded Ozai grabbing Azula, who was hugging his leg, by the back of her coat and Zuko's good arm to guide him in the right direction.

“It's a long trip, hurry up” pressed again the man called Hanta.

Once aboard the flatboat, the supplies they had brought with them being thrown from the merchant ship by one of the other sailors, the hulking man took the men's hands and bringing them behind their backs imprisoned them with rustic handcuffs.

“We don't have child-sized handcuffs,” commented one of the young waterbenders, uncomfortably.

“Well we didn't know there were going to be children involved in this” the man grunted back and then turned to the little ones “If you try anything we'll throw you overboard, the freezing water is sure to make you behave”

This comment earned him a grunt and a kick from the children's father, to which he responded by squeezing the prince's handcuffs tighter. Both men were seated in the center, the children in front of their father, the young adults of the water tribe in front and Hanta bringing up the rear.

“Qanik, Iluq let's go, if we want to reach the meeting point today we will have to go at full speed” indicated in leader and together with the other two masters they started to propel the boat.

The icy winter breeze from the north pole passed like a stream of sharp daggers across the face of the men of the fire nation, the speed that the small boat reached by the power of the masters was impressive compared to the sailboat where they had been a short time ago. Zuko and Azula could only cling to their father, partly to keep from falling and partly to share warmth with each other.

Finally, after hours of travel, with the foreigners shivering at the inclement temperature and their ragged breathing visible with every exhalation, the locals steered the flatboat into a channel on the side of an immense wall of ice, with the help of their water bending the walls opened for passage, sealing it behind them once inside, and parked the boat near an empty platform where an old man was waiting for them. 

The man sat in an ice formation, sipping a steaming cup of tea with a frown on his face. In appearance he looked well into his sixties, his hair white as well as his whiskers and beard, he had no hair on the top of his head, but he did have relatively long hair at the back and his anorak was a darker blue than the others.

“It's about time, I've been waiting here for 30 minutes for you guys” the old man scolded the warriors.

“Master Pakku” greeted the leader with a small bow ”We have brought the prisoners, what are your directions?”

“You guys can go, I'll take it from here” instructed the elder.

“But master are you sure? They are ashmakers” questioned Iluq.

“Certainly, now get out.”

Once the three warriors departed, very reluctantly and giving annoyed looks to the intruders, and the grandmaster was sure they were not listening to them, he addressed the newcomers. Specifically the former admiral.

“What in the world were you thinking Jeong Jeong!?”

Chapter Text

“I'm also pleased to see you, dear comrade. Now, would you be so kind as to remove these?” replied the soldier sarcastically, gesturing to the handcuffs on his wrists as he raised his eyebrow.

"What kind of madness is this, bringing the heirs of the Fire Nation to my tribe? It's official, you've lost your mind like all your people" replied the waterbender, completely ignoring the other's question.   

“I haven't lost anything. This is the only place in the world I could bring them! My mission is to protect them, and there's nowhere else to do that”

“It's not like we wanted to be here in the first place” the prince interjected irritably, being completely ignored by the old men.   

“What makes you think they're safer here than in the Earth Kingdom?” the elder refuted, grumbling, then adding “Besides, what are you talking about? The lotus hasn't assigned any mission”   

“It wasn't the lotus who instructed me what to do... I had a vision from the spirits!” replied the former admiral indignantly.  

Exasperated, the water master squeezed the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb, trying to contain the headache that was building. 

“Don't test my patience, Jeong-Jeong. You know that talking about spirits is extremely important to my people” 

“I'm not lying to you. I believe Agni has enlightened me” said the soldier. 

“Fine, let's say I believe you. How do you expect me to convince Arnook and the council members not to execute them?” asked Pakku resignedly, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the heirs. 

“You can tell them the truth, that the spirit of the Sun is protecting them” 

“There is no visible proof of that. If it's just your word, they'll throw you into the ice before you finish speaking”   

“Shipwrecked tourists?”

“So far from the mainland? Unlikely, besides, no ship has been sighted in days”  

“What if...” 

Seeing the two elders debating back and forth without coming up with a good reason or justification, the prince stood up, gesturing to the children to stay where they were, and approached the old water master. 

“I request political asylum. According to my studies, this is still a valid custom among nations, respected above conflicts, provided that the person involved contributes to the society into which they are integrated” Ozai interjected, staring intently at the man. 

“And what could you contribute to our society, ‘Your Highness’?” asked the white-haired man, almost spitting out the title of the younger man.

“Information, technology, whatever is necessary to stop Iroh” replied the prince with conviction, surprising not only the native but also his compatriot. 

“Your Highness?” Jeong-Jeong asked incredulously, turning to him. 

“What I have seen on this journey here, my brother's actions against my family, all this senseless destruction... this has to end, and I am willing to help, but my children are my priority, and their safety takes precedence over everything else” 

Almost realizing it at that moment, Pakku looked away from the heir to the children behind him. They looked small, shivering from the cold or perhaps from fear at the uncertainty of what was happening around them. He knew that as much as he wanted to have nothing to do with the Fire Nation, he could not live with his conscience if, because of his attitude, more innocent lives like these were victims of war.

“I know that Iroh's betrayal has been a very hard blow to the order, but if we want to stop the war, we need all the allies we can get, and what better allies than the heirs to the throne?” said the veteran soldier. 

The veteran Waterbender turned his gaze back to Ozai, this time examining him from head to toe, before snorting in defeat.

“We will go to Arnook, and I will intercede on your behalf... however, nothing is free, and we will see what the price is later” 

“Thank you, Pakku” replied the admiral with a smile.

“Don't thank me yet, I still don't know how I'm going to get you out of here” 

The Northern Water Tribe has remained out of active conflict for several decades. Its privileged position, protected by the arid nature of the tundra and glaciers, far from the Fire Nation and with the Earth Kingdom in between, allowed it to close its borders and prosper even in isolation. The capital city, Agna Qel'a, the epicenter of trade between the different settlements, was an impenetrable ice fortress during the war, safeguarding the status and traditions of its people. 

The routine is rarely interrupted. 

So the news of the arrival of strangers, apparently prisoners, spread among the population like fresh snow during a blizzard. Merchants spread the word among their buyers, young people and women gossiped quietly in the alleys, and soon every member of the capital was aware that an audience was being held in the royal palace.

“Pakku, as a wise master of our tribe, I have always respected your advice, but I truly do not understand your position on this matter” said the confused tribe leader.

Arnook, a seasoned warrior who had inherited the position of chief of the tribe from his father two decades ago despite not being a waterbender, had agreed to the old master's request as a sign of respect. Around him, the council of elders whispered among themselves from their elevated positions, looking with ill-concealed disgust at the man and children accompanying Pakku. 

Jeong Jeong had been left hidden on a hillside near the walls to be evacuated before anyone else found him.

"Arnook, members of the council, you know that my opinion on this war is the same as yours, that those responsible must be punished and make amends for their actions. However, our isolation may have separated us somewhat from the reality experienced by other nations. the ascension to the throne of this new Fire Lord has changed something fundamental. Not only are other nations unsafe, but it seems that even his own family is not safe," interceded the elder, looking at each of the men on the council. 

“How do we know this is not a trap?” questioned one of the leaders. 

“We are alone, and as far as we know, my brother believes his men have finished us off” replied the prince without lowering his gaze. 

“My students confirmed that there are no signs of ships or soldiers from the Fire Nation in our waters” Pakku added.

“Why should we accept the asylum request? What benefit would it bring us?” asked one of the youngest members of the council. 

“I am requesting asylum so that I can protect my children. In exchange, I will work to earn our stay, and once they can defend themselves, I will join the efforts against the war” Ozai replied without hesitation, staring intently at Arnook.

“The Fire Nation couldn't do anything in their last siege. Why would we need your help now?” 

“Seventy years ago, there was not much the firebenders could do against your wall or the glaciers, but our technology has evolved. Our ships can break through the ice with ease, and our weapons can besiege from a distance, even over the wall”

This argument made the men hesitate. 

“This can be seen in the state of the southern water tribe. My brother's current target is the Earth Kingdom, but when that is not enough, even your wall will not be able to stand up to him forever” 

“And you know how to counter it?” Arnook asked, intrigued.

“I designed many of these new technologies. I know their weaknesses” 

“On the other hand, once the war is over, someone must take command of our enemies. As far as I understand, only a member of the royal family has the right to do so. Currently, our best option is the family of the second prince as our allies” added Pakku.

The tribe leader looked around. The men were discussing among themselves the pros and cons of accepting the request made by the prince of their enemies. Then he looked at the man in front of him, who was staring at him with his forehead raised, showing no signs of fear despite being perhaps a few years younger than him. 

A pair of children clung to his legs, the older one probably the same age as his little Yue. His wounds had healed, but the scars told a horrible story, one that no one in his clan had experienced for generations. The younger one, looking suspiciously and with overly intelligent eyes at each of those present, seemed to be a worthy daughter of her father.
 
He understood perfectly what a father would be willing to do for the well-being of his children. 

“Council members, please raise your hands if you are in favor of granting asylum to the members of the royal family of the Fire Nation” Arnook commanded solemnly. He already knew his answer, but he had to carry out the vote.  

Very slowly, some of the men raised their hands, while others remained still. After a few minutes, once everyone had given their opinion, Arnook himself raised his hand.

Five in favor, out of a council of nine members.

“It is decided then. Pakku, take our new members to Yugoda. They will surely need a checkup after spending so much time in the cold. They will need some good jackets and boots. Have the women help you find what you need. We will take care of making the announcement to the tribe”

Pakku nodded and took the young prince's arm to guide him in the right direction while removing his handcuffs. The healing house was in the eastern part of the city, not far from the palace, but they would have to take a long way around to avoid causing a commotion in the city until the announcement was made. 

Neither of them noticed the gaze of a little spy watching them curiously from behind the pillars near the entrance.

Luckily, classes at the healing house had already ended for the day, so when they entered, only Yugoda, the healing teacher, and her two most advanced students, who were staying behind to clean and prepare the classroom for the next day, were present. The girls were surprised to see the strangers, but being accompanied by Master Pakku gave them some comfort. 

“Yugoda, I need your attention, please”  

“What do you want now, old wolf? Can't you see that the day is over?” grunted the old woman in the usual way she greeted her friend, but noticing her companions at that moment.  

“Our visitors will be staying with the tribe from now on. Arnook has asked you to take a look at them as a sign of our hospitality” replied the teacher in a bored tone, following protocol. 

“No problem, please come closer” the woman encouraged them, signaling to her assistants with a simple gesture to bring some cushions so that the patients could sit in front of her. It was just a routine checkup; no matter who the patient was, a healer was always ready to help. 

“We also need parkas for them, boots, gloves to protect them from the weather” Pakku continued once everyone was in position and Yugoda used her waterbending to cover her hands to the amazed gaze of the children. 

“Amina can take care of that” without any further instruction, one of the girls immediately left the room in search of the required items. Knowing the girl, half the village would know about the strangers in the healing house before she returned with the supplies.

When the waterbender tried to bring her water-covered hand closer to little Zuko, who was closest to her, he jumped back in fear and hid behind his father. 

“Perhaps we should start with the father, so that the little ones see that there is nothing to fear” the woman suggested in response to the reaction   

“I’m not afraid!” exclaimed the youngest of the princes, frowning. “Zuzu is a scaredy cat-owl”

“Azula, behave yourself” her father scolded, but without any real force behind the rebuke.