Chapter Text
The night was especially hot in Caldera City. Despite the storm that fell mercilessly on the Fire Nation.
Zuko has always love the storm. Since he was a child. There was beauty in them. So, he puts away his tsungi horn to appreciate the lightings in the Sky. He was so he was so absorbed by that natural phenomenon that he almost did not notice the presence that entered his room. Almost.
“What do you want Azula?” he said not bothering to turn around to find her golden eyes.
“Daydreaming again Zuzu?” She said smiling while her nails touch the instrument on the mattress. She smiled when she saw which was close to the horn. “Love amongst the dragons again? Oh! Zuzu… you are sooo like her” she giggled “I thought that you were composing something for your dear betrothed, but here you are, singing about this tedious and cheesy story.”
She didn’t lose how his brother tensed when she mentioned Mai.
“It’s not tedious” he replied calmy “It’s a classic. But you have no heart no appreciate it” a thunder crossed the sky
Azula looked at her brother "I really don't understand you Zuzu... you have spent years away from home, being an outcast, and now you come back with all your honors, as a war hero, with a fiancée from one of the most important families in the country... and you still not happy".
Zuko took a deep breath "stop calling her that... we're just courting".
Azula smiled "So that's it" she said looking at him "she's what's got you so apathetic".
Zuko clenched his fists. He hated how easy it was for his sister to get information.
It was true, he was not happy. His years of exile, of pain, of humiliation, of seeing the other side of the war, of knowing the battlefield... had changed him.
"I told Ty lee" he laughed "I knew you didn't like her, which is a shame because she's had a huge crush on you since she was a little girl."
He thought that returning home after conquering Ba Sing Se would make him happy, but he no longer knew how to be who he was. He didn't even know if he wanted to be the same Zuko who didn't know the consequences of war in the world.
He was disgusted by the luxury that surrounded him, and except for his uncle, he felt terribly lonely.
Alone and unhappy and now he had to put up with Mai.
It had not been his idea, but his father's. "You will need heirs," was the Fire Lord's great argument, and he obeyed his orders as always.
Mai was, according to everyone, the most suitable option. Her family was one of the most influential families in the Fire Nation. She was a close friend of his sister's, and he had known her since he was a child.
Quiet, stoic, always with the perfect etiquette, and yes... she was attractive. With those typical features of her nation, her fair skin and her incredibly shiny jet hair. But the more time he spent with her, the less he felt attracted to her.
She always seemed to be grumpy or bored, she only enjoyed giving orders to the servants and she was a person without any kind of empathy.
Zuko could barely stand spending time with her, how could he ever marry her?
"I've hit a nerve." Azula said smiling widely.
He said, crossing the room to sit on his brother's bed. That day, she wore her hair loose in a high ponytail and a red dress embroidered with a red dragon.
She said he took after their mother, perhaps in spirit, but it hurt him sometimes to see how much his sister resembled her.
"You're not expecting to meet your mate, are you?"
Zuko didn't answer and she smiled victoriously.
"Is that why you're in such a bad mood?"
"Every dragon must have a mate," he said, as he had been told hundreds of times as a child.
Several members of his family, direct heirs of Agni, had had their mates. Dragons only had one mate for life.
His uncle had always told him that there was no greater feeling than finding your mate, for it was Agni's own choice that these two souls should be together. It was a gift from the same spirit that only his direct descendants knew.
But that was not all, all the members of the royal family who had his mate were known for their incredible wealth, his grandfather, his uncle, his father…
Everyone had met their mate under the age of 18, but he was 19 and still couldn't find her.
"Maybe you just don't have one," Azula said with a shrug, "I don't see why not having one would be so bad..."
"That's easy for you to say... you're already perfect in everyone's eyes... but me... it doesn't matter what I've accomplished if I'm not like them," Zuko replied, looking at her annoyed.
"I'm just saying that Aunt Midori died in childbirth. Our dear grandfather practically cloistered Grandmother Ilah here and Father... ," she didn't finished tahta sentence "Having a mate doesn't necessarily come with a happy ending.”
Zuko looked at her sister and considered her words, as usual her sister looked beyond and saw what others did not.
"Maybe... but it would certainly be happier than a life with Mai," Zuko smiled, making her laugh.
"I didn't know you could be so mean, brother," Azula laughed.
He smiled; it was rare to have moments like this with his sister. Laughing with her, the complicity... long gone were the childhood years when he didn't compete with his little sister for his father's affection.
It was nice.
But like every good moment in his life, it had to end.
“Prince Zuko, Princess Azula," said the voice of his secretary on the other side of the door, "the Fire Lord has requested that you both come to the throne room immediately.
Azula looked at her brother. "It can't be good if he wants to see both of us at this hour” Zuko, who rarely agreed with his sister's opinion, nodded "let's hurry, you know how he hates to be kept waiting".
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Zuko walked firmly while his servants made the finals touches on his outfit. The topnotk was easier to do now that his hair was longer. Now he can show his crown with a small flame like every prince before him did. The armor was shining, and his dual swords were on his hip.
As he approached the huge doors carved with dragons that guarded the throne room, two guards opened the door for him.
He had never liked those doors; it was as if those dragons were meant to warn all who entered that nothing good ever happened inside. Zuko had learned that the hard way.
When he entered, he could see his father behind the great wall of fire, surrounded by the skeletons of the great dragons that once rode their ancestors when they were still allies of the dragons. Only his
Uncle Iroh and his sister were in the room with him. This indicated not only the seriousness of the matter, but also its secrecy.
It was something only the family was supposed to know.
"Zuko," his father said, "we have been waiting for you. “
Zuko bowed to greet his father, "Your Majesty," he said, taking a seat next to his uncle.
"What news are so important to disturb your sleep, brother?" asked Iroh, "Has something happened in your vast empire?"
Zuko could see the light in his father's eyes, "The rebels are preparing. The Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom are joining forces."
"Their forces are nothing more than a group of peasants. They have no army and no one to support them," Azula replied, "There is no need to worry about them”
"As long as the Earth King lives, my legitimate rule over his lands will continue to be challenged. This man represents hope for his people, and therefore he must disappear," Ozai said, staring at his daughter, "what do I always tell you, my daughter?
"We do not leave enemies alive," Azula said, looking down at her palms, unable to bear her father's gaze. If anyone was capable of making Azula feel trapped, it was him.
"That's right," Ozai said.
"Father, you said the Water Tribes will unite with the Earth Kingdom, how will they do that?" asked Zuko.
"Through marriage," the Fire Lord replied, "The Earth King will marry the daughter of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, according to one of our spies."
"A landless king will marry his daughter to another landless king," Azula laughed, "pathetic.”
"I agree with you, my daughter," the Fire Lord smiled, "there could not be a more desperate and pathetic union.”
"Where will such a union take place?" asked Iroh.
"No one knows... it seems the rebels are pretty good at hiding their king..." asked Iroh, "but it is known that the bride will leave from the North Pole."
"So that's our target, the bride," Azula said.
"I want you to intercept her and bring her here. We'll get everything she knows out of her, and if she knows nothing, we'll use her to flush them out. I doubt Chief Hakoda would like to know that his
daughter is in our hands.”
"What if Hakoda doesn't agree to the blackmail?" asked Zuko.
"Then I'll feel sorry for the little princess" Ozai said with a smile that made Zuko cringe.
Considering what he had done to the wives of those accused of high treason, he could imagine what would happen to the little princess of the south. Public humiliation, sharing her with his generals,
selling her to a brothel in the capital...
"You will both go on this mission and bring me the princess in one piece. If she is injured in any way, I will consider it your fault, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, father," both princes replied in unison.
"Good," the Fire Lord smiled again, "prepare yourselves, you leave tonight.
Both Azula and Zuko sat up and bowed to their father.
"And don't even think about failing," the Fire Lord said before they left the room, "we all know how much I dislike mistakes."
Both Azula and Zuko looked at each other at his words.
"We will not fail you, Father," the princess said.
And with those last words from her sister, they both left the room.
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Zuko paced the deck of the ship nervously.
Normally, the ocean had a way of calming him. In his years of exile, he had spent much time on the sea and had learned to love it even in its harshness, but on this night, there was no way to calm his mind.
Iroh, who had been watching his nephew for some time, finally spoke up, "What ails you, nephew?"
"This is all my fault," Zuko said looking at the full moon, "If I hadn't let King Kuei go alive, father wouldn't be asking me to kidnap a girl to torture her."
"Saving a man's life is no disgrace," his uncle said.
"No, but kidnapping an innocent girl is," Zuko replied, "He keeps asking me to do more and more despicable tasks."
"Then don't do them."
"And disappoint him again?" laughed Zuko dryly, "No thanks, I already have a permanent reminder on my face of what it means to show weakness to him."
"So, you're going to capture and torture an innocent girl to please him?"
"And what do you suggest I do?" asked Zuko, suppressing the urge to yell at his uncle.
"You could do what you did with Kuei, let her go."
"That's not an option, Uncle."
Zuko and his uncle looked at each other for a long time.
"I know you will do the right thing, Zuko," was Iroh's reply, "just remember that destiny is a funny thing."
Zuko sighed, "I hate it when you say that," he said, running a hand through his hair, "you always manage to confuse me more."
Iroh laughed, "You always hated it when I made you think."
Zuko smiled at his uncle and before he could answer, Admiral Jee interrupted them.
" We're sailing now, Your Highness."
Both men nodded, and Zuko escorted his uncle to the platform to say goodbye, where his uncle gave him his usual big hug.
"I'll be back, old man," Zuko replied, choking in his uncle's embrace.
Iroh looked at him tenderly, "I'm sorry," he said, "but after losing my dear Midori and Lu Ten... I take the goodbyes of those who are important to me very hard".
Zuko looked at him touched, "How did you know that Aunt Midori was your mate? I know you can tell just by looking at it, but... how does it feel?"
Iroh looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "Funny time to ask me that, nephew."
"I've been thinking about it for a while."
"It's... it's like being struck by lightning," his uncle said, "when you look into her eyes, a tremendous shock runs through your body and stops your heart. You run out of air in your lungs and you feel like
they will never fill again.... It's very intense.
"It sounds terrible."
"Oh, it is," He smiled, "but then you feel so blissful, like you've found a piece of your soul you've been longing for without even knowing you needed it."
Zuko nodded, understanding the feeling his uncle was talking about. She hugged him again as a farewell and spent the whole night meditating on her uncle's words, unable to sleep, not knowing that on another ship hundreds of miles away, another young woman was also unable to sleep, thinking about her destiny.
