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The thunderstorm continued to beat the windows with all its might. As the raindrops flowed in different paths towards their destinations, they were unaware of the big bright eyes behind the glass, watching the lights in fear.
Little Prince Ozai hugged Mr. Dragon some more, shrinking his five-year-old body as small as possible, but his attempt to hide was useless. He could try to crawl under his bed or into the closet, the lights would still find him. It would pull him out of his hiding hole and make fun of him, throwing his childishness, his cowardice, his weakness at the feet of the Fire Lord Azulon.
Cruel lightenings! He hated them! Someday he would be strong enough to defeat them, but for now he had no choice but to hide.
He pulled the blanket his head, curled his little feet into a ball and buried himself deeper and deeper into the pillow. The pillow was soaked through with tears and Ozai didn't have the luxury of complaining about the wetness, considering he had turned the other side half an hour ago. The choking air under the blanket was getting heavier and Mr. Dragon didn't promise any salvation, but for now it was the best they had. He had no choice but to hope that the warm air would make him pass out and lead him to sleep.
Or he had? Of course, going to the Fire Lord Azulon and telling him he was afraid of lightning was not an option, and despite what Ro said, Ozai was a prince old enough to understand that.
Ro... Was he awake?
No, no way. He would hold tight to his five years of pride and keep a lightning watch until morning, even if it meant falling asleep for the bending lessons that awaited him in the morning (his father said that a true firebender would wake up with Agni. Ozai was a true firebender, so sleep loss wouldn't matter).
Mr. Dragon might not be able to help keep the lightning away, but he was sure that at least his spooky stories would help to keep him awake and his eyes wide open. Sometimes he wondered where Mr. Dragon got his ammunition of "scary stories". Then quickly reminded him that Iroh was very good at terrorizing. Of course, when Ozai was a baby, he might have believed his "flying spaghetti monster" story and been a little frightened, but so what? Ozai is old enough to know that the easiest way to defeat the spaghetti monster was to roast it. Until he came up with this new idea, his only security was Iroh's briefing that the spaghetti monster could only be tranquilized with jasmine tea with ginseng.
Poor Ozai had to carry tea to his brother for weeks. But no more. Ozai wasn't going to fall for it anymore.
"Hah, poor Ro. You can't scare me anymore! Because I've grown up."
Still, his eyes slid toward the door, waiting for Spaghetti to slip under one of his soft octopus-like arms.
After half an hour of struggling, a flash of lightning swept away the last shreds of his pride. Ozai jumped to the floor, swinging his legs off giant bed. With one hand, refusing to let go of Mr. Dragon (if Spaghetti attacked him in the corridors, he could use Mr. Dragon as bait), and the other hand drying the tears running down his chubby cheeks, he began to run towards the West Wing of the palace.
By the time he arrived in front of the crown prince's bedroom, he had to make long explanations to convince three chambermaids and a dozen guards that this was an emergency meeting (in his pyjamas, yes), that it had absolutely nothing to do with the storm outside (why would it?), and that he hadn't cried in the last hour (crying is for babies, and Ozai was not a baby).
The guards let him pass with a playful smile on their faces. Were they mocking him! He was the prince of the fire nation, how could they treat him like a child?! He would teach them all a lesson, but not tonight.
After the storm was over.
Fortunately, Iroh never liked to have guards outside his room, because they would have some right to call him a "baby" for what he was about to do. His pride stopped him from knocking on the door and joining his brother, but it seemed safe enough in front of the door.
At least there weren't that many windows... right?
So Ozai, - the adult prince -, closed his eyes, fitting his tiny body into the doorway.
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The Fire Nation rarely witnessed storms. Usually the cold weather that visited their nation was nothing more than a sweet summer rain. Iroh was born on the hottest day of summer, but he loved the rain. He loved the smell of the rain-soaked earth, the way the plants caught the drops with their leaves, listening to nature breathe.
Unlike his father.
After that rainy night five years ago, when he lost the love of his life, Fire Lord Azulon hated the rain as he hated many things.
Of course, Lord Azulon was not the only one prejudiced against storms and rain.
Iroh remembered the night his brother was born like it was yesterday. He remembered the sudden downpour, the thunder, and the lightning storm. And the great full moon in the sky.
The Fire Sages said that the time of the child's birth was ominous. He had attempted to open his eyes to the world as far away from Agni as possible. And at the cost of his mother.
When the Sages said that the child might not be a firebender, the Fire Lord seemed ready to throw the child into the middle of the downpour.
The realization that he was a firebender (Ozai didn't wait long for that. Fire had come naturally from him when he was still crawling.) It didn't change his father's feelings towards Ozai, at least he was no longer seen as the family's embarrassment. He was not to be banished.
And Iroh knew the Fire Sages were wrong. His brother was a bender, and one of the most powerful. He was born with lightning at his palms. No one saw it, but he noticed.
Iroh knew better than anyone what that night's storm meant.
These were his thoughts a minute after he had been awakened by a bolt of lightning striking right outside his window. After his mind cleared and the sleepiness faded, he blinked his eyes and looked around his chamber. Nothing unusual.Except for the storm.
Awareness led Iroh's gaze straight to the door.
A moment later, he was standing on his doorstep and he saw him. Hugging a toy dragon made of soft sponge and staring at his elder brother, who was struggling to fit through the doorway, tears in his eyes. From the way he had settled there, it was clear that Ozai had decided to spend the night.
On his brother's doorstep?
Iroh had to find a way to let him into the chamber without offending his precious honor(?).
"Did Mr. Dragon tell a scary story again? (He knew the spaghetti monster was his creation, yet dark side of him enjoyed traumatizing his little brother). Or do you need an accomplice to break into the kitchen and steal lollipops?"
Ozai shook his head no. His eyes were looking straight at the window.
"Oh, I see." Iroh rubbed the back of his neck. "Mr. Dragon was afraid of the lightning and you brought him to me to tell him how stupid he was?"
This time Ozai nodded his head yes, and then ducked to wipe away another stubborn tear.
"Hey hey hey, it's okay. It's just a few lightning bolts, right? They can't hurt us. Look."
The crown prince lifted the younger brother in one swift motion and walked towards the glass door leading to his terrace, while the younger brother shivered and tried to snuggle as close to his older brother as possible. Nevertheless, when they reached the window, he was encouraged enough to lift his head and look out. Iroh patted the little black-haired head resting against his neck, giving him reassurance. Brothers watched the storm for a while and then returned to the room. Iroh set his brother down on the carpet.
"We don't care about the apocalypse outside. We are here together and safe. So there is no reason to be afraid of the lightning. Do you understand, Mr. Dragon?"
Another flash of lightning outside the window made Ozai jump. He bowed his head, rocked back and forth for a while and clung to his feet in a childish gesture. Then he looked at his brother as if he had finally made up his mind.
"It's true they are out there, but I know they are coming after me. They will find me, Ro. And father will see how weak I am. A baby..."
Ozai came dangerously close to crying again.
"How?" Iroh asked, his voice uncertain. "Are they following you?"
"Don't you hear me, I already told you." The little prince grimaced. "Yes, they are following me. My hands are shaking, ants are crawling on my skin and no, it's not because I'm scared."
Another hopeless tear fell.
"Father said that fire princes fear nothing. But I... I'm scared... Ro, tell me, am I not a real prince?!" a small choked cry broke from his throat. Once again Iroh felt the heart squeeze he felt every time his brother cried or hurt or was sad.
"Of course you are a real prince, Zai Zai. Do you want me to tell you a secret?"
Ozai dragged himself forward across the carpet and approached his brother. His curious eyes studied the elder prince like a radar.
"I get scared sometimes too." Iroh spoke in a confiding whisper. "Not of lightning, but of many things. Tell me, do you think I am not a real prince?"
"No. You are the crown prince," Ozai replied in a determined voice. "But why did father say that?"
"He probably wanted to encourage you to be a brave young man." Iroh sighed.
"Or he just wanted to traumatize the boy. Oh dad..."
"And the lightning?" Ozai was impatient to draw attention to himself.
Iroh looked at the glass once more. For a while he watched intently as the lights exploded outside the window. For Agni's sake, he wasn't sure if he was going crazy or if he had lost too much sleep, but indeed, since Ozai had entered the room, the lightning seemed...
It was as if it was directed towards the room.
Iroh quickly recalled all his memories of brother's birth.
"This issue is beyond me. It will be necessary to consult the Fire Sages. What is important now is Zai feels safe. And I'll make sure they keep their mouths shut. Dad must not find out."
"If they're chasing you," the crown prince began. "Then we'll chase them. I'm sure that if you and I join forces, we can be much stronger than them."
Ozai's eyes glowed with a yellow sparkle, as if nothing more was possible. He nodded happily and climbed into his brother's bed in one breath in wordless agreement.
"You squirrel." Iroh laughed. "You're getting faster by the day. That's good. A moving target is always harder to hit, remember."
Ozai chuckled and snuggled closer to his brother.
"I don't want to be a squirrel, I want to be something stronger."
"Like what?" Iroh teased his brother with a laugh.
"A dragon!" Ozai said eagerly.
"No, no way, I got the dragon." Iroh was amused.
"Oh." Ozai looked disappointed for a moment. After a few seconds of thought, his face lit up again.
"I'll be a Phoenix then. It would be nice to fly and flames."
"Your biggest dream as a firebender is to fly? I'm sure the Air Nomads would love you." Iroh added with a mocking chuckle. "And let me tell, dragons fly and do flames too."
"No, of course not, don't compare me those traitors." Ozai snorted in an angry tone. "But it would be nice, wouldn't it?"
Iroh nodded. His brother's heavy eyelids gave the impression that he couldn't keep up this fight for long.
"You're right. It would be nice, little one. " he chose to compromise to close the subject. "Hey, where is Mr. Dragon?"
"I have you now." the little boy chirped in a happy tone. "I don't need him, know you will protect me. If we are together, we are safe.
We don't care about the apocalypse outside." Ozai added after yawning like a little cat.
These were his last words before he cuddled his brother and fell asleep. The closing of Ozai's eyes and the calming of the thunder outside the window were surprisingly synchronized in time.
"Little one has calmed down. The lightning has stopped." Iroh thought.
He wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or if there was more to his brother's complaint than the paranoia of a frightened child. But what he did know was that the trust his five-year-old brother had placed in him on a stormy night would never make him prouder than any victory in his lifetime.
He promised himself that he would never let that his little brother's heart down.
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