Flames Burning Brighter

by LadyNighthawk

Summary:

Post-canon Zuko wakes up in the body of his childhood self, the morning of That War Meeting. Inspired by a tumblr post by muffinlance.

Chapter 1: Zuko I

“Dearest friends, fellow saviors of the world,” Sokka began dramatically, waving his arms emphatically as he spoke. “Over our travels, we have tried all manner of new and exciting food. But now, it is my deepest honor to introduce you to the most wonderful beverage I have ever tasted, found here right in the kitchens of the Fire Nation…Sake!”

The Gaang, as they had taken to calling themselves, were sitting on pillows in the spacious rooms in the Fire Nation palace given to the Avatar and his companions.

“Are you drunk?” Suki asked with a tone of judgment.

“Only a little,” Sokka said, as he held his fingers a small distance apart. “Sake is amazing, you have to try it, here.”

Sokka thrust out the bottle he had been holding.

“I’m in,” Toph grinned.

“I don’t think we should be drinking alcohol,” Katara said hesitantly. “I know it’s common in the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, but not in the Southern Water Tribe.”

“The North had mead and wine,” Sokka argued.

“One cup can’t hurt,” Suki reasoned, crossing the room to get teacups.

“Sake is meant to be drunk in small amounts. Half of that teacup will get you as drunk as a whole cup of Earth Kingdom fermented beverages,” Zuko interjected.

“Oh, that might be why I feel so tingly,” Sokka said, giggling.

“Just a little then,” Suki grinned, pouring a small amount into each teacup and handing them out.

“I’m good. Air Nomads don’t drink alcohol,” Aang said, refusing the teacup.

Suki blinked, “Ever?”

“No. It clouds the mind and impairs the judgment. Also, trying to fly a bison while drunk is a bad idea,” Aang said. “Sometimes masters would consume certain plants or fungi for a deeper meditation and to better connect to the Spirit World, but you have to be a master and fully grown, and have additional training to do that.”

“My friend, you are missing out. The Northern Water Tribe was the first time I ever had alcohol, and it was amazing. Of course I did slide on ice and faceplant in front of Yue, so there was that,” Sokka shrugged.

“It was very funny to watch,” Katara said, sipping her sake. “Reminded me of that time that you tried to run after all of the men in the tribe who were going hunting and got stuck in a snowbank.”

Toph let out a loud laugh, and Zuko, Suki and Aang joined in.

“How old was he?” Suki asked.

“Eight,” Katara said, to another round of giggles.

“Well when Katara was little, she said that she wanted to be a seal when she grew up,” Sokka shot back.

“I was a child!” Katara defended. “And I have far more embarrassing stories of you than you do of me, so would you really like to keep doing this?”

“...Good point,” Sokka said.

“No, no, go on,” Suki encouraged. “I want to hear all about Sokka as a kid.”

“He got into all sorts of mischief. There weren’t any boys our age, but the older boys would let him hang around them, and they got into trouble quite a lot by playing games, or taking the boats out without permission.”

“Oh! Once my friends and I went flying on an air bison, and accidentally went all the way down the mountain. It was right after we had gotten our own air bison, but they were still small, and we all wanted them to spend time with the adult air bison to see what they would be like when they were bigger,” Aang said, recalling the memory with a sad smile.

“When I was still training to be a Kyoshi warrior, two of the older girls, Hakah and Feni, decided to try and ride the Unagi. They both survived, although Hakah was a little hurt, and the village elders were furious, as was the then leader of the Kyoshi Warriors,” Suki jumped in.

“What about you, Toph, Zuko? Any fun childhood stories?” Aang asked cheerfully.

“Not until I first started going to the Earth Rumbles. My parents kept me cooped up in the house all day, and I was only able to leave my room when I was accompanied by one of them or a trusted servant. I guess they were afraid I would trip walking down the hallway,” Toph snorted. “I’d guess that Sparky here had a similar experience, being royalty and all.”

“Somewhat, I wasn’t allowed to leave the palace unless I had a giant escort. So I snuck out sometimes, and would run across the rooftops, or just wander through the streets. I’ve tried doing that again a few times, but everyone recognizes me even if I wear peasant clothes,” Zuko said.

“Well, you do have a giant burn across half of your face,” Sokka pointed out bluntly.

“What, you do?” Toph asked.

“Um, yeah. It’s over my left eye and cheek,” Zuko said, somewhat embarrassedly.

“How did you get it?” Toph asked.

“Toph!” Katara admonished.

“Chill out, Sugar Queen. He doesn’t have to answer if he doesn’t want to,” Toph replied.

“It’s fine,” Zuko shrugged. “My father burned my face when I refused to fight in an Agni Kai, and then when I woke up in the infirmary that was when he banished me to find the Avatar.”

“What the fuck.”

“Yeah, what the fuck Sparky.”

“Your own father did that to you?!” Aang asked, horrified.

“Well I was refusing to fight against him in an Agni Kai, an honor duel. I was dishonoring the royal family with my actions,” Zuko said uncomfortably.

“That’s a load of bullshit,” Sokka said.

“Why were you fighting a duel?” Aang asked.

“Because I disrespected a general at a war meeting.”

“How old were you?” Katara asked.

“Thirteen.”

“And your father… just did that because you wouldn’t fight in a duel at thirteen?” Suki asked.

“Uh-”

“Hey guys, cut it out. His heart is way too fast, and he clearly doesn’t want to talk about it,” Toph interrupted.

“It’s fine,” Zuko said, although he still had a discomforted expression on his face.

“It’s not, we shouldn’t have pushed,” Katara said.

Zuko shrugged, unsure of what to say, “It’s not a day I like thinking about, but when I do I often wonder what I would do differently if I knew what my father would do. If it would make any difference, or if he still would have banished me so Azula could be heir.”

“That’s rough buddy,” Sokka said. “Have some more sake.”

Chapter 2: Zuko II

Zuko groaned as the first of Agni’s rays came in through his window. Staying up late drinking sake and discussing their childhoods probably hadn’t been the best idea, but surprisingly, Zuko did not have a headache like he did the few other times he drank alcohol.

He didn’t remember coming back to his room last night from the spacious quarters assigned to the Avatar and his companions. Zuko had been planning on spending the night in their rooms, as he frequently did. He did not enjoy sleeping in the rooms of the Fire Lord, the rooms that had once been his father’s.

Actually, Zuko thought as he looked around, these weren’t his rooms. Or rather, these weren’t his current rooms. He was in the rooms of the Crown Prince, which he had moved into after Lu Ten died and his father was named Heir. Had he drunkenly come here by mistake?

Zuko moved to get out of bed, somewhat surprised there was not already an attendant waiting to assist him, and paused. Something was very wrong. His body was tiny, and he could fully see with his left eye.

Zuko stumbled out of bed, trying not to trip over his too small limbs. He made his way over to the mirror, and stared. It was his face, but much, much younger. He was no younger than eleven, and most certainly no older than thirteen given his unmarred face.

What was this? Some trick by a spirit? A vision from Agni? It was far too clear to be a dream.

He got dressed, pausing at the child sized clothes that were hung for him to wear. There were no guards at his door, only the two stationed at each entrance to the royal wing.

When Zuko made his way to the dining room, he was told that he had overslept and the Fire Lord and the Princess had already broken their fast.

“The Fire Lord?” Zuko asked blankly.

“I believe the Fire Lord is meeting with the War Council soon, your highness,” the servant said, seeming nervous at being directly addressed.

The War Council. Of course, if he was somehow in the past, then it would not be a random day but the day he had challenged his Father and inadvertently set on the path that would lead to him joining forces with the Avatar.

Zuko nodded at the servant, and wandered out of the dining room. The servants passing through the halls stopped to bow or curtsy to him, but then continued on their path. He was not the Fire Lord, he was the disfavored young son of the Fire Lord.

Zuko stood outside the entrance to the War Council chamber, not trying to enter as the generals and admirals walked past him to enter. He simply stared at the curtains.

What was he meant to do? Why had he been sent back to this day? Should he keep silent? Challenge his father as he had before? Fight in the Agni Kai instead of kneeling?

“Turned away at the entrance, Zuzu?” a familiar voice said from behind him.

Zuko whirled around, almost falling over in his unfamiliar body, and stared. It was Azula. His little sister, as he remembered her from their childhood. She was not the broken, insane young woman whom he had sent to a mental institution to heal. She was the small child she had once been, desperate for scraps of their father’s affection and willing to do anything to get it.

“...Shut up, Azula,” Zuko said, because she seemed to be waiting for a response to her taunt.

Zuko turned away, and took a step down the hallway before pausing and turning around. He still was not sure that this was not some trick by a malicious spirit, but it was a second chance, and one he intended to make use of, starting by repairing his strained relationship with his sister.

“Hey, Lala? Do you think you could help me practice that one set?” he asked.

“Which set?” she asked, seeming suspicious of why he was asking.

“The one I’m bad at?” Zuko said.

He didn’t remember which sets he was working on at the time of that ill-fated day, but he did know that he had been three years behind Azula despite being two years older, as their father had frequently reminded him.

“That’s all of them, Dum-Dum,” Azula gave a predictable scoff.

“It’s okay. If you’re afraid you won’t be a better teacher than my instructor,” he trailed off pointedly.

Azula hesitated.

“Keep up,” she said, with what could almost be a smile.

Azula walked purposely into the royal training grounds, and turned to face him, “Try to follow along as I do my warm-up katas, so I can get a sense of how much I need to teach you.”

Zuko followed along as Azula did basic warm-up katas, then moved on to more advanced levels of katas. She went through the movements that Zuko had learned from Uncle on the Wani, which he certainly didn’t know right now, and Zuko followed her movements. Azula narrowed her eyes.

“Hey,” Zuko said, trying for a casual tone. “Do you know how to bend lightning yet?”

Azula’s eyes narrowed further.

“I will soon,” she said, saying it like a threat.

“You will,” Zuko agreed with a bittersweet smile, thinking of unhinged shrieks of anger and desperate sobs.

“Now let’s see how well you can actually firebend,” Azula said.

Somewhat to his surprise, Azula did not follow up that statement with a fireball aimed at him. Instead she moved to the targets, and threw a fireball at the flame-proof mannequin before turning to him with an expectant air. Zuko copied her move exactly.

Azula did a more complicated move, and then turned to eye him suspiciously.

Zuko hesitated, then fumbled a bit as he went through the move, his fireball going a few feet to the right of the target and hitting a bush. A servant rushed to put out the fire with a bucket of water.

“What did I do wrong?” he asked.

“Idiot. You need to keep your arms moving, you can’t stop and hesitate part of the way through the move,” Azula said, seeming more confident now that he had made a mistake that she could correct him on. “Watch me.”

They continued training together. Every few moves, Zuko would make sure to make a slight mistake, or to ask her if he was doing it right, if his feet were positioned correctly, or for some other piece of advice.

Azula seemed to genuinely enjoy firebending together, although Zuko knew that Azula would never admit it, even to herself. She would probably consider it monitoring her competition, or ensuring that his poor firebending did not reflect poorly on the royal family as a whole.

When the sun was close to dipping below the horizon, Zuko paused.

“That was a lot of training. Do you think we should go wash up before dinner?”

Azula glanced at the sky, as if she was just realizing how late it got.

“Yes, we should.”

“Azula?” Zuko said, waiting until he had her attention. “Thank you for helping me.”

“Of course Dum-Dum. Somebody has to make sure you don’t accidentally set yourself on fire,” Azula scoffed.

At dinner, Zuko knelt at the table right next to his father, who was sitting at the head. He wanted to seize up in fear from being so close to him, or else run as far away as possible. Luckily, neither his father or Uncle, sitting across from Zuko, seemed to notice his fear and Zuko slowly ate his food.

His father and uncle had a quiet conversation about military matters. Zuko could not make out what they were saying, but Father seemed annoyed by whatever Uncle was saying.

“What have you done with your day, Prince Zuko?” his father asked, turning to address his oldest child.

It was only thanks to years of experience that Zuko did not flinch. Showing weakness would only invite his father’s disdain.

Sitting next to him, Azula tensed minutely. Ah, the favored child should not have used her time to help him, and Father would be angry if he found out.

“Azula hogged the training grounds. For ages,” Zuko complained with the air of petulant he had at that age.

“I’m sure there would be room for both of us. You aren’t afraid of a little friendly fire, are you, brother?” she smirked.

Zuko glared at her, very aware of their father’s gaze. Once he seemed satisfied that his children were at each other’s throats, their father turned back to his meal.

He let out an imperceptible breath of relief that he was no longer the subject of his father’s attention.

Zuko knew what he had to do.

Chapter 3: Azula I

Azula liked watching as the generals entered and exited the War Council meetings. She was able to tell which councillors were pleased, which were frustrated, who was in favor with the Fire Lord and who was not. The War Council was a crucial part of court, and understanding them as much as possible was necessary if she wanted to continue receiving Father’s approval and the status that his favor gave her.

 

The War Council had only just filed in, and experience told her they would be in the meeting for at least fifty degrees. Enough time to do some firebending sets, come back to watch them as they left, and then do more training before dinner.

 

The figure standing in front of the curtains leading to the meeting room was not a surprise. Her idiot of a brother had been trying to get more involved for some time, seeking Father’s approval. The fool, he would only end up hurt when he irritated Father too much.

 

“Turned away at the entrance, Zuzu?” she mocked.

 

Her brother whirled around, and stared at her wide-eyed, blinking in surprise at her presence.

 

“...Shut up, Azula,” he said, after far too long of a pause.

 

He turned away and took several steps down the hallway, probably to go feed his pathetic turtle-ducks or whatever he did. However, her brother paused and turned back.

 

“Hey, Lala? Do you think you could help me practice that one set?” her brother asked, not meeting her eyes.

 

Azula narrowed hers. “Which set?”

 

“The one I’m bad at?” Zuko said with a questioning lilt.

 

Azula scoffed and pushed away from the pillar she had been leaning against, “That’s all of them, Dum-Dum.”

 

She expected him to shout, to stomp his feet or to yell about the nickname. Instead, his lips twitched with an almost fond expression.

 

“It’s okay,” her brother said. “If you’re afraid you won’t be a better teacher than my instructor..”

 

It was the most obvious manipulation ever. Azula could have replied with a cutting remark about how he was not worth her time. But it had been so long since she had last spent time with her brother without fighting, and he was asking for her help and acknowledging her as the superior fire-bender.

 

“Keep up,” she said, turning around and heading towards the training grounds.

 

Zuko quickly ran forward to fall into step beside her. 

 

The royal training grounds were empty, of course. Father and Uncle Idiot were both at the meeting, and she and Zuko were the only other two royal firebenders.

 

“Try to follow along as I do my warm-up katas, so I can get a sense of how much I need to teach you,” Azula said, bending into a crouch and beginning.

 

Zuko kept up with the katas, moving with a grace that even she had not mastered. He did not hesitate, even when Azula moved on to the katas that she knew he had not yet learned. He must have been training on his own, beyond the guidance of the instructor who had orders from Father to hinder Zuko’s learning. The question was why.

 

“Hey,” Zuko asked, trying for a nonchalant air, and failing miserably. “Do you know how to bend lightning yet?”

 

As if he could have missed it, if she had been able to get more than just sparks. Was he trying to compete with her? Azula found the idea laughable, although she could not deny the hint of fear at the thought. Zuko was older, and a boy. If he learned to be obedient, and surpassed her firebending abilities, would Father turn to care for Zuko instead of Azula?

 

“I will soon,” she said.

 

“You will,” he agreed, and flowed through the next set. The advanced one she had only just mastered, and he was supposedly years from learning.

 

They continued training, moving from katas to shooting fire at the various targets. Zuko occasionally would ask her if he was doing the move correctly, or if he should adjust his feet. He did not get offended when Azula replied with her typical scathing remarks.

 

Azula entirely forgot to go watch as the war councilors exited the meeting, something she realized with a jolt far after after the meeting had ended. Had that been Zuko’s intention? She had not even realized he was aware of her habit of watching the councillors.

 

When the sun had nearly disappeared from the horizon, Zuko stopped and suggested that they wash up before dinner. They had been training for dozens of degrees, but Azula had not wanted to be the one to stop training, lest Zuko ask if she was tired or unable to keep up.

 

During dinner, the royal family ate silently as was their custom. Any conversation would be initiated by the Fire Lord. Father did not notice how weird Zuzu was being. Uncle did not notice anything, but he never did, the doddering fool.

 

“What have you done with your day, Prince Zuko?” Father asked cooly. Zuko did not stutter or flinch when Father addressed him, the way he normally did.

 

Azula tensed. If he mentioned that she had squandered her own time by teaching him, Father would be furious at her. She should have realized that Zuko was trying to sabotage her.

 

“Azula hogged the training grounds. For ages,” Zuko whined petulantly, acting the way he normally did, the way he had not been acting all day.

 

Father turned to look at her, and Azula made sure that she had her usual smirk in place, behaving exactly as Father wished.

 

“I am sure there would be room for both of us. You aren’t afraid of a little friendly fire, are you, brother?” she challenged.

 

Zuko glared at her and sulked. Father turned back to his meal. Uncle drank his tea. Azula untensed minutely.

 

Zuko ate his rice, looking like he was enjoying each bite. There was something in his eyes, a glint of determination.

 

When they were dismissed from dinner and walked back to their chambers, Zuko politely wished her a good night’s sleep.

Notes:

'Degree' as a measurement of time is another MuffinLance idea. 24 hours is 360 degrees, so one hour is 15 degrees and four minutes is one degree.

Chapter 4: Azula II

Azula was rudely awoken in the morning by her chief attendant Sho-Tyn gently shaking her shoulder. She went to snap at the servant for her audacity, but paused at the look on the older woman’s face.

 

“What is it?” she questioned.

 

“Your highness, the Fire Lord is dead,” Sho-Tyn said gently.

 

“What?” Azula asked.

 

It was impossible. Father was the Fire Lord, he was the Chosen of Agni. He couldn’t die, it was inconceivable.

 

“He died in his sleep. Prince Iroh summoned the royal physician, who is examining the body now,” Sho-Tyn told her.

 

“Dress me, immediately,” Azula ordered, getting out of bed.

 

Father’s death changed the entire balance of power within the Fire Nation. She needed to find out exactly what was happening.

 

Zuko was waiting in the hallway outside Father’s chambers leaning against the wall with an impassive face. Servants and guards were bustling about, as well as many of the junior physicians. 

 

“Zu-Zu, is it true?” Azula asked. “Father is dead?”

 

Zuko turned to face her and nodded solemnly. 

 

“The physician is examining our father’s body now, and Uncle is inside with him,” Zuko nodded to the open doorway.

 

The court psychian came out a few minutes later, trailing behind Uncle and wringing his hands.

 

“My prince, my princess,” he bowed.

 

“Children, it is a sad day indeed,” Uncle said, tucking his hands in his sleeves.

 

“What happened to Father?” Azula questioned, once neither of the two men elaborated.

 

“It was a heart attack, your highness. There were faint burns on either side of his heart. I believe that he woke up when his heart failed and grabbed at his chest with heated hands, which would only have exacerbated the problem,” the royal physician said, with a nervous glance at Uncle.

 

Azula did not know what a heart attack would look like. But she did know that somebody grabbing their heart with hot hands would leave very different injuries than a precise lightning strike to the heart.

 

The royal physician would never have been brought any victims of lightning strikes. Those that occured in the capital did not generally require a doctor in the aftermath, and Father preferred to have the bodies disposed of as soon as possible.

 

The royal physician might not have ever examined in depth the bodies of those who had died from lightning strikes, but he had to know the difference between someone killed by lightning and somebody who grabbed their heart with heated hands. The royal physician was looking nervously at Uncle and seemed eager to leave.

 

Uncle knew how to bend lightning, and was the only other lightning bender aside from Father. Uncle stood to benefit the most from Father’s death. Azula narrowed her eyes.

 

Uncle sent her and Zuko off to eat breakfast while he summoned the Fire Sages and ‘handled matters’. Zu-Zu followed Uncle’s instructions easily and without concern, but Azula paid attention to how Uncle took charge of the servants in the hallway, and of how the guards moved to follow his orders without hesitation.

 

Uncle had been Azulon’s heir, and currently the only thing standing between him and the throne was two children. It would be so easy for them to have an accident in their sleep, leaving him the grieving Fire Lord.

 

Or perhaps not, she mused. There were only three remaining members of the royal family, after all. It would be horribly unwise to kill off two of the remaining members, and Uncle had not shown any interest in remarrying or having more children after Lu Ten’s death. Not to mention, he was fond of Zuko.

 

Uncle might declare himself Fire Lord, with Zuko as his heir. The throne should go to Zuko, but Father had already established a precedent of disregarding the order of succession. Most of the nobles would support Uncle, who was a grown man with military experience, over an untested child. He did not need to kill them to gain the throne.

 

Of course, if Uncle did decide to name Zuko his heir, that would leave Azula in a precarious position. Uncle did not like Azula, and made little secret of the fact. He might not have her killed, but there were other ways of getting rid of an unwanted princess. Father had valued her for her firebending skills and strategic mind, but Azula was always cognizant of the fact that she was a girl. Uncle could easily marry her off to some general or governor in the colonies to get her out of the way.

 

Zuko ate a hearty breakfast. Azula wondered if he was truly so oblivious to not understand what was happening. Even if he hadn’t yet realized that Uncle had killed Father, Zuko was the Crown Prince. She would have expected him to be worried about Uncle grabbing power, or even apprehensive about the burdens of being the next Fire Lord.

 

“Summon Liu Mai and Ty Lee to the palace,” Azula instructed a servant.

 

Azula wanted to have her most loyal allies with her today in the uncertainty or a regime change. The Ty family would not stop Ty Lee from coming to her side, and Lord Liu Ukano was ambitious enough to send Mai despite the potential danger as the new Fire Lord was determined.

 

Actually, Azula thought, Lord Ukano would be a valuable ally if she needed to go against Uncle to name Zuko Fire Lord. Zuko would need a wife eventually, and she wanted the future Fire Lady to be loyal to her. Azula could negotiate a betrothal between Mai and Zuko in exchange for Lord Ukano’s support if necessary.

 

Ty Lee and Mai arrived in less than fifteen degrees, the former doing a cartwheel out of the palanquin Azula had sent while Mai gracefully climbed out with a frown.

 

“Mai, Ty Lee,” Azula greeted, standing in the middle of the courtyard.

 

“Azula!” Ty Lee smiled. “You seem sad, what’s wrong?”

 

“The Fire Lord is dead,” Azula said. “Heart attack.”

 

“Heart attack?” Mai questioned, picking up on the skepticism in her tone.

 

“According to the royal physician, who did not seem to consider the possibility of lightning bending when Uncle asked him to examine Father,” Azula said.

 

“Ah,” Mai said.

 

“Oh, Azula! I’m so sorry. How are you doing?” Ty Lee asked concernedly.

 

“Uncle summoned the Fire Sages, and sent Zuko and I off. He said we shouldn’t concern ourselves with adult matters, and that we should focus on grieving. Zuko seems unconcerned with Uncle speaking with the Fire Sages without him. He is likely at the turtle-duck pond now,” Azula said, turning and walking into the palace.

 

Zu-Zu was in fact in the courtyard with the turtle duck pond. He was staring blankly into the water, deep in thought. Azula wondered if he was mourning Father. Father had favored her, and had treated Zuko with contempt and disdain, but Zuko was soft enough that he might be truly grieving Father.

 

“Zuko!” Ty Lee said, rushing forward and gathering Zuko into a hug.

 

Azula did not allow her companions to embrace her, but Ty Lee was the affectionate sort and Zuko seemed to melt whenever she hugged him.

 

“Ty Lee?” Zuko asked, confusedly, looking up to glance at where she and Mai were standing in the entrance to the courtyard.

 

“Azula asked us to come. I’m so sorry to hear about your father’s death,” Ty Lee said.

 

“Thank you,” Zuko said awkwardly.

 

There was a serious and somber air, and Azula did not feel like making conversation. Ty Lee launched into a lighthearted story to fill the silence, about a fight between two of her sisters, Ty Lin and Ty Lat, about their hair accessories.

 

“Speak to your father about my suspicions that Uncle caused the Fire Lord’s death, but do not say that I instructed you to,” Azula told Mai softly, as Zuko nodded along to Ty Lee’s story.

 

Mai nodded, “Should I speak to the other girls at the Academy about the dubious nature of the Fire Lord’s death?”

 

“Yes, but only imply such. Do not say I spoke to you about the suspiciousness of the Fire Lord’s death, and do not say anything that could put you in danger should Uncle trace the rumors back to you,” Azula instructed.

 

Thirty degrees after the sun was at its peak, a servant came to inform Azula and Zuko that Uncle had requested their presence in the Throne Room. Azula exchanged a glance with Mai.

 

“Ty Lee and I will wait here, and if you are occupied and unable to return within fifty degrees, we can see ourselves out and go home to our families,” Mai said.

 

If all was well, her companions would be close by where she could send a servant to fetch them. If Uncle had her and Zu-Zu imprisoned or killed, they would leave discreetly and Mai would circulate rumors to undermine Uncle.

 

It was unlikely that Uncle would even stop to consider Mai and Ty Lee as a threat. They were children after all, and while she and Zuko were potential threats because they were royalty, her companions were merely the children of nobles. Besides, if he tried to keep them in the palace that could upset Lord Liu and Lord Ty.

 

Zu-Zu seemed entirely unconcerned as they walked. Azula wanted to stop and shake him. Didn’t he understand what was going on? Perhaps she should have taken the time to explain everything in detail to him.

 

“Ah, nephew,” Uncle greeted warmly as they entered.

 

The High Sage and four other Sages were standing behind him. After Father had been coronated, he had dismissed the previous High Sage and installed a new High Sage who would do as he said. The High Sage was a spineless coward, and with Father dead, it appeared he had transferred his loyalty to Uncle.

 

“I have consulted with the Fire Sages. Your father’s funeral will take place tonight as the sun sets. Tomorrow you will be coronated as Fire Lord when the sun is at its highest. Since you are only thirteen, I will serve as your regent until you come of age,” Uncle said.

 

So Uncle planned to use Zuko as a puppet ruler. Zuko would officially be Fire Lord, but Uncle would make all of the decisions. It was far better than Uncle having her and Zuko imprisoned, exiled or killed, and at least Zuko would be secure. However Uncle could still decide to send her away in the three years before Zuko came of age. And that was assuming Uncle would give up power once Zuko reached his majority.

 

“I will endeavor to do my best to guide the Fire Nation to prosperity and ensure the safety of my people,” Zuko said formally, and Azula was almost impressed.

 

“I am heartened to hear that, nephew,” Uncle beamed.

Notes:

Iroh: And how did my brother die?
Royal Physician: *glances at the clear evidence of a lightning strike*
Royal Physician: *looks up at Prince Iroh, Azulon’s heir who got passed over, and the only other known lightning-bender*
Royal Physician: *sweats profusely*
Royal Physician: It was a heart attack
Iroh: How tragic

Zuko: This breakfast sure is delicious
Azula: Dum-Dum, Uncle is going to do a coup. Pay attention.

Iroh: *internally* I need to ensure that I will be able to guide my nephew to become a good Fire Lord, who will pursue peace with the other nations.
Iroh: My nephew is the oldest child of the Fire Lord, but he is so young, and shall need a regent until he comes of age.
High Fire Sage: Ah, yes, of course. You shall be regent Prince Iroh.
Iroh: Excellent.
Azula: I see what you are doing, you want to use Zuko as a puppet ruler.

 

I am making up Liu as a family name for Mai since it means 'axe' or 'kill'. Ty Lee and Toph Beifong are the only two characters with family names. I am headcanoning that only nobles have family names, and the reason it was never brought up in-universe outside of those two characters is because the story is told from the perspective of children (and kids typically don't care about last names), specifically Aang, Sokka and Katara who are from cultures that do not use family name.

Should Zuko be the only one who time-traveled, or should the rest of the Gaang have time-traveled as well? Comment your opinion!

Chapter 5: Zuko III

Zuko was awoken by Azula shaking his shoulder. Behind her stood her servant with a breakfast tray for two. It was still dark outside, although the faint lightness indicated that the sun would rise soon. 

 

“Dum-Dum,” his little sister greeted, as if he was not mere degrees away from being crowned Fire Lord.

 

They ate their breakfast sitting on Zuko’s bed, not caring of the crumbs that got on the sheets. Zuko could not remember when the last time they did this was. Azula had not dared to act like a child since Mother had died.

 

His little sister went over all of the key figures at cour while they ate, telling him which families were feuding with each other, which lords had family members who were notable military leaders, who their father’s most loyal supporters were and who was more sympathetic to Uncle.

 

“Azula, I already know all of this,” Zuko interrupted.

 

“Uncle wishes to use you as a figurehead while he rules,” Azula told him bluntly. “You need to exert power, and show that you are in control before he undermines you too greatly.”

 

Zuko shrugged. When he had killed his father, he had not known if the Fire Sages would make him or Uncle the next Fire Lord, and he hadn’t much cared either way. If it had been Uncle, then Zuko was certain that Uncle would be able to broker peace with the other nations given his involvement with the White Lotus. Zuko might have an easier life if Uncle was Fire Lord. Zuko would not have to bear the burden of being Fire Lord, and in a few years he could have convinced Uncle to let him go on a trip through the colonies, during which he could find all of his friends.

 

But the Fire Sages had decreed Zuko would be Fire Lord, and he would fulfill his duty and lead the Fire Nation towards a better path, starting with ensuring that the 41st Division never got sacrificed in a failed attempt to take Omashu.

 

“Dum-Dum!” Azula snapped, bringing him out of thought.

 

“Uncle has a great deal of experience. Why should I not listen to his counsel?” Zuko asked.

 

“He is a weak willed fool. His military experience got Lu-Ten killed, remember? And he simply rolled over when Father took the throne,” Azula replied scornfully.

 

“Alright, I will work to rule in my own stead instead of letting Uncle rule through me,” Zuko agreed to pacify his sister.

 

He agreed with Uncle on the most important things, such as reigning in the worst aspects of the Fire Nation and working to stop this pointless war. Besides, Uncle did not wish for power merely for the sake of power, and neither did Zuko.

 

A whole retinue of other servants came in shortly thereafter, including the royal tailor. Azula’s servant, who had once been Mother’s head maid, suggested that she go and get ready and Azula left.

 

He would have to figure out who had chosen his new personal servants. Zuko was not sure if they were his father’s personal servants, or ones chosen by the head of the palace staff specifically for him. If it was the former, he would want them replaced.

 

The servants bathed him, styled his hair into a topknot and helped him into several layers of elaborate robes. It was a miniaturized version of the Fire Lord robes that his father wore, including all of the detailed and intricate embroidery on every part of the fabric. The royal tailors must have worked through the evening to have it ready in time.

 

“Ah, nephew, are you ready for today?” Uncle greeted jovially as soon as he stepped out from his chambers.

 

“As ready as I will ever be,” Zuko said, fighting the urge to fidget.

 

“I know this must all seem very intimidating to you, but do not worry. I will be here to help you with the duties of the Fire Lord until you are ready to rule in your own right,” Uncle said as they walked through the palace.

 

“Thank you Uncle. I am heartened to know that I can rely on you as I learn how to rule,” Zuko said, speaking the words his Uncle wished to hear.

 

“Of course my dear nephew,” Uncle said, looking a touch relieved.

 

The coronation took place in the courtyard at the front of the palace. A raised dais had been set up, with burning braziers arranged on all sides. The Fire Sages were already waiting on one side of the dais, with Azula on the other. 

 

Zuko walked up onto the dais, and the Fire Sages bowed low and began the coronation. They spoke in length about the will of Agni, about how he had blessed Zuko, and how Zuko would lead the Fire Nation to prosperity. It was hard to pay attention.

 

Instead Zuko let his eyes sweep out over the assembled crowds. There were all of the nobles of the court who were gathered in their best clothes. Mai and Ty Lee were standing with their parents. Actually, there were quite a lot of young girls present. Zuko wondered why that was. Normally, noble children didn’t attend court so young unless they had official positions as royal companions, like Mai and Ty Lee did. Maybe it was just because it was a coronation.

 

Around the edges of the courtyard were the royal servants and guards, except for those who were needed to guard other parts of the palace.

 

Beyond the walls of the front courtyard were the peasants of Caldera City. While they were not allowed to come inside the walls and witness the coronation, they had gathered outside and would have their own celebration in the streets of the city.

 

Meanwhile there would be a formal banquet held inside the palace for the members of court, one that would go until the sun set. The various nobles and military leaders would all swear loyalty to the new Fire Lord and attempt to curry favor.

 

Two weeks from now there would be a larger ball to celebrate his ascension, which would be enough time for the nobles who were not currently residing at court to travel to Caldera City.

 

The Fire Sages moved on to reciting his lineage. Zuko, son of Ozai, son of Azulon, son of Sozin, and so on as far back as the founding of the Fire Nation. 

 

And then it was Zuko’s turn, and he stepped forward.

 

“I shall follow the will of Agni, and shall rule honourably and justly from this day forward.”

 

While the bit about the will of Agni needed to be recited exactly, the wording around leading the Fire Nation was up to the Fire Lord. His father had said he would lead the Fire Nation to greatness and would crush the Earth Kingdom. Zuko chose to say that he would be an honourable and just Fire Lord, words that a Fire Lord had not used at their coronation since before the start of the war.

 

The High Sage placed the crown of the Fire Lord in his top knot, and everyone knelt.

 

“All hail Fire Lord Zuko!”

Chapter 6: Iroh I

Iroh stood in front of the flames of the Fire Throne, facing the assembled members of the War Council. His nephew had insisted on attending and leading the meeting himself, despite Iroh offering to handle the meeting in his stead. 

 

Iroh could not deny that he was concerned about what kind of leader Zuko would prove himself to be. His nephew was kind hearted, and a good person at his core, however he had been desperate for the praise and attention of Ozai ever since Ursa had died.

 

Zuko was very much susceptible to praise and flattery, and Iroh worried that the more experienced generals would take advantage of that to use Zuko’s inexperience for their own gain.

 

Iroh would do his very best to guide his nephew down the right path and teach him to be wary of the courtiers of the Fire Nation court. If the worst came to pass, Iroh was confident he could rely on the support of some of the military generals to take control for himself and confine Zuko to his rooms while his nephew learned from tutors selected by Iroh himself.

 

“Fire Lord Zuko, at the last meeting we were discussing our plan to capture Omashu, one of the few remaining sovereign city-states in the Earth Kingdom,” General Xing Rokah began.

 

General Rokah was the younger brother of Lord Xing, and was one of Ozai’s former childhood companions. He had enlisted in the military as soon as he came of age, and Ozai had ensured that he got a comfortable officer position away from the front lines, where he could stay away from danger and climb the ranks. Rokah was utterly loyal to Ozai, and would obey his wishes without question.

 

Now that Zuko was Fire Lord, Rokah was one of the council members who Iroh was most concerned about. Perhaps Iroh could convince Rokah to retire to spend more time with his newly born grandchild, or if not Rokah could be sent to the front lines where Iroh could arrange for an accident to befall him.

 

Most members of the War Council would need to be replaced, and new members would have to be selected. Iroh could reach out to Mi Pantu and Ying Yìqì, two of Lu-Ten’s surviving companions. Mi Pantu was currently a governor of one of the colonies, having been appointed by Ozai after his leg had been injured by a boulder sent by an Earthbender in the middle of a battle. Syku had made a full recovery by now. Ying Yìqì was the son of Admiral Ying Bao, Iroh’s former childhood companion. Yìqì was now an established and successful military commander.

 

“No,” Zuko said firmly, bringing Iroh out of his thoughts. “We’re not doing that. And I’ll be reviewing all recent battle plans, as well. What’s this I hear about a division of new recruits being deployed to the front?”

 

He did not mention how he’d heard of the 41st Division. No one asked. Iroh wondered if Azula had told him. The girl always seemed to be skulking about during War Council meetings, seeking to undermine her brother and gain Ozai’s favor.

 

Iroh was concerned about the influence that Azula held over her brother. She was always cruel to her brother, and delighted in the praise that Ozai heaped on her for her being a bending prodigy. Yet ever since Ozai’s death, the two siblings had seemed closer. Undoubtedly Azula was suddenly being kind to Zuko now that he was Fire Lord.

 

Ozai had clearly died as a result of a lightning strike directly at his heart. Iroh knew that he had not killed Ozai, contrary to what the royal physician seemed to believe. The two of them were the only known lightning benders, but Ozai had been teaching Azula how to lightning bend. She had obviously learned how to, either while training by herself or had convinced Ozai not to announce her new skills to the court, and then had killed him in his sleep.

 

The question was why. Iroh had thought the girl was completely loyal to Ozai. While she was certainly capable of murder, killing her father was out of character.

 

And now she was cozying up to Zuko. At best, she was merely hoping to manipulate him for her own gain. At worst, she was planning on killing him to gain the Fire throne herself.

 

Iroh would need to carefully ensure that she could not influence Zuko, while not alienating his nephew by separating him from his sister. The girl was too young for a military position, even as a member of the royal family, and at any rate having her as part of the military was a bad idea when Iroh was trying to end the war. Perhaps he could suggest sending her to a school in the colonies so as to ensure better ties between the colonies and the Fire Nation proper. Or he could try to foster her out to a trustworthy family. Maybe he could send her to Piando, who was a member of the White Lotus and would be able to keep the girl in check.

 

He could decide what to do about Azula later. For now, he had to focus on the War Meeting, and make sure nobody was convincing Zuko of anything that Iroh would not approve of.

 

General Bujing carefully explained his plan, to use a newer division as bait to draw out the Earth Kingdom soldiers and then have two better trained divisions attack the soldiers of Omashu from behind and from the side.

 

“We will not sacrifice young Fire citizens in a battle plan that might not even be successful. They will be sent to train with a more experienced division away from the front lines,” Zuko announced.

 

“General Iroh, surely-” War Minister Yun Okisu tried to appeal to him.

 

Iroh sipped his tea to give himself a moment to compose his thoughts. He had not expected Zuko to take such initiative in the meeting. At most, he had expected his young nephew to question the plans to take Omashu, but not to decisively shut it down and announce a review of all recent decisions. 

 

“Your Fire Lord is correct, of course. A change in our leadership, a change the other nations may mistakenly view as weakness, will necessitate a change in our strategy,” Iroh said, supporting his nephew.

 

“Now,” said the young Fire Lord. “What, exactly, is our overall objective in this war?”

 

The generals and admirals exchanged glances. Nobody seemed to want to speak up and risk offending the new Fire Lord by insulting his intelligence, yet someone had to respond.

 

“Well, to win,” General Wu Tinyu replied after a moment’s hesitation.

 

“I surmised as much, General Tinyu, however I meant beyond that. Are we seeking to further expand territory, or to strengthen our hold on the colonies? Which front of the war is being prioritized? Are we aiming to take Ba Sing Se, or to gain more ground in other parts of the Earth Kingdom? What is being done to expand production in the colonies?” Zuko questioned.

 

“Ah, well, our aim is to conquer the Earth Kingdoms,” War Minister Okisu said.

 

“War,” the young Fire Lord decreed. “Is not an end unto itself”

 

“I beg your deepest pardon, Fire Lord,” Admiral Chan Tuman began cautiously. “I do not follow your meaning, and beg of you to enlighten me.”

 

“We will not continue to waste valuable resources and soldiers attempting to take over another kingdom that has not fallen despite a century of war. Those resources could be far better used to improve the Fire Nation, which has been stagnant in its development over the past century,” Zuko stated.

 

“Your Grace… Surely you do not intend to end the war?” General Hu Onomu asked cautiously.

 

“I have no intention of recklessly abandoning the war effort, however I plan to reevaluate our current strategies and devise a course of action that will best benefit the Fire Nation. That may include negotiating peace terms with individual parts of Earth Kingdom, or the Water Tribes which have largely stayed out of the war. Your advice will be most welcomed during this process,” Zuko said, addressing all of the council members.

 

Zuko was far wiser than Iroh had given him credit for. Iroh had thought that he would need to carefully guide his nephew towards seeing that ending the war and making peace with the other nations was the best course of action. But it seemed that the boy had already realized that on his own, and was at the very least willing to consider the possibility of ending the war. 

 

Iroh would need to speak with Zuko privately as soon as possible, to figure out where his sudden interest in peace had come from, and to ensure that Zuko fully committed to ending the war. It would not do to have somebody like General Bujing convince the young Fire Lord that war was the best course of action.

 

For now, he would need to show support for Zuko. His nephew was young, and utterly inexperienced. Seeing that Iroh agreed with his plans would help to quell any dissent from the War Council, and from the court at large.

 

“A very well thought out plan indeed, dear nephew. You are a most sensible Fire Lord already,” Iroh spoke.

 

“Thank you Uncle,” Zuko said, turning to smile at him.

 

The councilors exchanged glances with each other.

Notes:

Iroh: Hmm, I’ll need to carefully ensure my malleable nephew sees that the war should be ended.
Zuko: So that’s a stupid plan, and we aren’t doing that, we’re going to have peace negotiations.
Iroh: Well, this seems to be going far better than expected.
Iroh: I should make sure the rest of the War Council understands that Zuko has my support.

War Council: So, the kid is clearly a puppet ruler for Prince Iroh, right? You’re seeing this too?

Please comment!

Chapter 7: Azula III

Summary:

Azula realizes something is off, and confronts Zuko.

Azula was pleasantly surprised when Zuko asked her over breakfast if she would be available to help him with his forms in the afternoon. He was Fire Lord, and had a great deal of important duties, but wished to make time to train with her.

 

Since Zuko was Fire Lord, he was no longer attending the Royal Fire Academy, as it would be improper for the leader of the nation to still be in school. Azula had sent a note to the Headmistress that she would be taking a temporary leave of absence to prioritize her duties as Princess during the beginning of the Fire Lord’s reign. She planned to find a way to convince Zuko to agree to let her withdraw from the Royal Fire Academy as well, and continue her studies on her own at the palace.

 

Zuko was Fire Lord, and had the authority to allow her to do so. Uncle, the only other person who could make that decision, would never have allowed her to do so, especially as he seemed determined to keep her apart from Zuko as much as possible and had been more suspicious of her than usual as of late. He clearly knew that she was the greatest obstacle blocking his goal of manipulating Zuko into a puppet ruler.

 

“Of course, Dum-Dum, somebody has to teach you the proper forms,” Azula scoffed, suppressing a genuine smile.

 

Zuko grinned back at her. He had been doing that a lot of late, smiling fondly at her insults where he normally would have made a pathetic attempt to win an argument or would have stormed off.

 

While training, Zuko made a valiant effort to pretend that he did not know the forms that they were going over, but he had never been a talented actor. Her brother clearly knew the forms far better than she did, and he moved with a graceful fluidity that even Father lacked in his form.

 

Azula adjusted her footwork to match his, bent deeper into a squat and lowered her shoulders to mimic Zuko’s stance. Zuko seemed to notice what she was doing, but did not offer any commentary on who was teaching who.

 

Azula debated whether to say anything, and if so what to say. She enjoyed the dynamic that they had fallen into over the past few days, with Zuko’s desire to spend time with her. And with Father’s death, she did not feel the need to constantly belittle him. It was freeing in many ways.

 

But something had clearly changed about Zuko. He had been acting differently ever since Father’s death. Ever since the day before that, now that she thought about it, when Zuko asked for her help with his forms. It itched at her to not know why.

 

Her brother was nowhere near as level headed, mature, and skilled at bending as the Fire Lord in front of her. It was like he had become a different person overnight.

 

Azula stilled.

 

There were stories of spirits taking over the bodies of mortals. Some spirits were actively malicious, some were simply uncaring of the human lives that they were ruining. They typically preferred possessing nobles or well-off merchants, because of the increased access to money and goods that they could use to wreak havoc or create chaos in the goal of amusing themselves. And the Fire Lord was the most powerful person in the world.

 

Was the person in front of her even her brother?

 

She moved into the next set, and waited until her hands just so happened to be pointed his way and poised to throw fire before she spoke.

 

“What did you do with my brother?”

 

He missed a step. It did not look like an act.

 

“I’m, uh. Right here?” he sounded confused.

 

Azula did not bother to dignify that with a reply. She simply narrowed her eyes.

 

He did not bother to look worried about her hands, one movement off from a true attack. The sheer nonchalance, more than anything else, scared her.

 

He looked around, then grabbed her sleeve , and tugged her further from any walls that may hide ears. Away from potential witnesses. Azula carefully kept her breathing even and did not let a hint of distress show on her face.

 

The royal family’s private training grounds were wonderfully large, and wonderfully open. He led her to a small gazebo, used to take breaks and get refreshments while training.

 

“It’s me,” he said, “It’s still me. Just… more of me? Longer of me?”

 

He seemed like Zuko. If he was being possessed by a spirit, then the spirit would have killed or threatened her by now. But the Zuko in front of her was still different than the brother she knew.

 

She narrowed her eyes, a familiar expression by this point, “Explain.”

 

“...I found the Avatar,” he said. “And this is definitely his fault, I can’t think of any other explanation, he’s always dealing with weird spirit stuff, but-but, I guess it started at a war meeting, when I was thirteen.”

 

“A general was going to sacrifice a bunch of new troops on a stupid maneuver, so I told him it was stupid, but then our father said I had to fight an Agni Kai because I insulted him, but the next day, it was Father at the Agni Kai, not that general, and I knelt, because I couldn’t fight Father, but then- but then he lit up his hand and put it to my face, and then by the time I regained consciousness I was on a ship and Uncle said that Father exiled me and said I could only return if I regained my honour and I could only do that by finding the Avatar, even though everyone knew that the Avatar was dead and the cycle was broken and-”

 

Azula relaxed infinitesimally. It was clearly Zu-Zu. The awkwardness, bumbling explanation and idiocy could only be her brother. Although she was still trying to understand what in Agni’s name he was talking about.

 

“-so I spent the next three years travelling all around the world to try to learn everything that I could about the past Avatars and the Avatar cycle because it was the only way I could regain my honour and come home, and then while we were close to the Southern Pole there was this great beam of light and it was the Avatar. But it was the child Avatar from before the Air Nomads were massacred- which by the way, it was a genocide and everything we were taught was propaganda, I went to the temples, and the skeletons were so small. They were so small Azula, children who were burned alive. But apparently the Avatar escaped the slaughter, but flew into a storm and got frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years until a teenage waterbender accidentally waterbended him free.”

 

“And they got away, but I spent months chasing down the Avatar, who was- is twelve, and the two Water Tribe siblings he was travelling with, and then Admiral Zhao, attacked the Northern Water Tribe, and then he killed the moon spirit, and then everything was fucked for a few minutes and the Avatar got possessed by the ocean spirit, and wiped out the entire fleet, which was terrifying, and then the Northern waterbender princess sacrificed herself to bring back the moon spirit, or maybe she became the moon spirit, Sokka wasn’t really clear, and then-”

 

“-Uncle and I ran away to the Earth Kingdom, but then Father sent you to arrest us because somebody had told him that we betrayed the Fire Nation at the North Pole. So then we went all throughout the Earth Kingdom pretending to be poor travellers, and we eventually went to Ba Sing Se, and Uncle was so stupid, he was constantly using bending to heat up his stupid tea instead of spark rocks and we almost got found out but then he insisted on opening up a tea shop and it was so good that the secret police wanted us to make an even fancier tea shop and Uncle agreed even though he was literally trying to conquer the city less than a decade ago and somebody would recognize him if he didn’t keep his head down and then he even got an invitation to meet with the Earth King and he stupidly agreed but-”

 

“-when we went there, it was actually you, and you had secretly taken over the Earth Kingdom with Mai and Ty Lee and were pretending to be Kyoshi Warriors. And then you said that I could come back home, with my honor regained, and you killed the Avatar but told Father that I did, so that I fulfilled my quest and could return. But actually, the waterbender girl had brought the Avatar back to life, and I was back here but everything was wrong and I realized that Father was wrong and that the war was bad and hurting the Fire Nation and he was going to wipe out the entire Earth Kingdom, so then I ran away during the eclipse and joined the Avatar and his team, by the way they had also been joined by a twelve year old earthbender, who is the funniest person ever, and then-”

 

“-we all came up with a plan to attack during the comet and then somehow succeeded and then the Avatar took away Father’s bending , which, Azula, is the most terrifying thing ever, he was able to take away someone’s fire, and it was Father, but the ability to do so is unnatural and should not exist, and Uncle broke out of prison and freed the Earth Kingdom with his Pai-Sho club. And then you had a psychotic break. I am so sorry I left you alone with Father for three years, and then everyone wanted to put you in prison including Uncle but I managed to convince them to send you to a mental hospital instead because I thought it would help you. And then I was the Fire Lord, and there was peace or at least we were almost done with peace negotiations although nobody could agree on the colonies, and then I went to bed-

 

“-and woke up here, when I was thirteen on the same day as that stupid fucking war meeting where all of this started. And I didn’t even go inside, and then when you came by I asked if you wanted to practice forms together, because I should have tried harder to be closer as children and not let Father’s machinations come between us, and-”

 

“I get the point Zu-Zu,” Azula cut him off, because she was quite certain that her brother would ramble on for several more degrees if she let him.

 

It was a very Dum-Dum story, and an even more Dum-Dum explanation of said story. Half of what he said was utterly bewildering and the half that she could decipher was almost unbelievable, but Zuko was not a good liar and his expression was filled with earnest trepidation at her reaction.

 

“To clarify, you were exiled when you were thirteen, found the Avatar, ended the war, became Fire Lord, and then time-travelled back to the day you were exiled,” Azula reiterated.

 

“Well, the day before I was exiled, but yes,” Zuko said.

 

Zuko had not outright said it, but Father had died the very same evening he had time travelled to the past, when Zuko had just admitted to betraying Father to side with the Avatar.

 

Azula had based her entire personality, her entire being, on being what Father wanted, ever since she first began bending and Mother pushed her away in favor of Zuko. He saw the potential and the value in her, and had pushed her to be as powerful of a bender as possible. And Azula would have done anything- almost anything- for him. Without Father, Azula was adrift.

 

The thought that Zuko had killed Father was devastating. But he was her brother. He was all she had now, and that meant she had to support him and protect him.

 

“What is your plan for now?” Azula asked.

 

Zuko shrugged with an almost frantic energy, “I don’t know. I’m making this up as I go along. We need to end the war, and Uncle will be on board with that, but I need to convince the rest of the Fire Nation well enough that I don’t get overthrown. And then I need to figure out how to negotiate with the rest of the world, and to convince them that I really want peace and it’s not a trap, which will be a lot harder without the Avatar supporting me. I also want to find all of my friends. Katara and Sokka can easily be invited to whatever peace negotiations happen, and Aang obviously but first he needs to get unfrozen and he could be anywhere in the ocean, I only know where he will be in three year’s time, and maybe Suki can also be invited to peace negotiations although that is a bit of a stretch, and I have no idea how to get Toph.”

 

“Does Uncle know?” Azula cut across. Zuko’s rambling story had mentioned Uncle several times, and she needed to know where Uncle stood.

 

“No,” Zuko blinked at her. “Do you think I should tell him?”

 

Uncle would only want to take advantage of Zuko’s knowledge of the future for his own ends if he found out. Or Uncle might not even believe Zuko, and think he was being possessed by a spirit like Azula initially had, and he might kill ZUko.

 

Azula shook her head, “It’s best to not tell anyone. Your whole story is insane, the only reason I believe you is because I know you are a horrible liar and everything you just said is something that would happen to you.”

 

“Thanks? I think?”

 

“You’re welcome. Now, I am going to help you, because you obviously need it. First things first, you need to replace the members of the War Council if you ever want to stop the war,” Azula began.

 

Zuko beamed at her.

Notes:

Azula: That isn't Zuko
Azula: Oh Agni, he's been possessed by a spirit. Is Zuko even alive in there?
Zuko: So actually I went on the most batshit insane adventure, and found the presumed dead bridge to the spirit world, and then stopped the war and then time travelled
Azula: Thank goodness. Only Zuko could do something that preposterous.

Azula: I probably should tell Zuko that everyone thinks Uncle killed Father, but on the other hand, I don’t like Uncle, and I really don’t want to think about how Father died.

Zuko: So I’m from the future, where I betrayed Father to help the Avatar, and the night that I woke up here, I-
Azula, *fingers in ears*: I can’t hear you Dum-Dum! Do not admit anything that I do not want to know right now.

Chapter 8: Zuko IV

Zuko smoothed down his elaborate robes and swallowed nervously, arranging and rearranging the papers in front of him.

 

The sliding door opened, and Uncle walked in. Zuko stood up.

 

“Uncle, thank you for coming,” Zuko said.

 

He was unsure how to act around this version of Uncle, who had not been by his side throughout his exile, his hunt for the Avatar and eventual joining of the Avatar’s team. Zuko wanted Uncle to understand that he was sincere in his desire to end the war, but also did not want to act too differently from his old self lest Uncle become suspicious. 

 

Azula was right about it being best not to tell Uncle he had time travelled, although not for the admittedly valid reasons she had brought up. Uncle could be rather single minded when it came to matters of the spirit world, and Zuko worried that if he confided in his Uncle, that he would insist on diverting significant resources to finding and unfreezing Aang, who could be anywhere in the oceans depending on the currents of the past century. Zuko was also worried that Uncle might go behind his back and tell the White Lotus of him time-travelling, and Zuko did not trust all of the members of the White Lotus not to take advantage of any perceived weakness of their enemy.

 

“Ah, my dear nephew, I am glad that we have the time to talk with each other. It feels as if you have been in meetings constantly these past few days,” Uncle chuckled.

 

Zuko did have quite a lot more to do now that he was Fire Lord. On top of that, he was making time to strategize with Azula, who thought his idea of ending the war was stupid but was supporting him anyway, and researching in the library. He was trying to learn how to best transition the entire Fire Nation economy from war to industry, and reading through old scrolls would be a good excuse to cite for all of the knowledge that he had gained over the past three years.

 

“That is what I wished to speak to you about, actually. Over the past several days, I have been working on the beginnings of plans to change our current war strategy, and since you were in support of my plan at the War Council meeting I wanted to hear your opinions,” Zuko said.

 

He had invited Azula to come along to the meeting, but she had declined. Azula really did not seem to like Uncle, although Zuko did not know why. Uncle was perfectly kind and loving, although he could be rather exasperating like that time when he insisted on taking a bath in a hot spring and got himself captured by Earth Kingdom soldiers.

 

Zuko thought Azula’s disdain for him had a result of their father’s hatred for his older brother, but that did not seem to be the sole reason. She also seemed to blame Uncle for Lu-Ten’s death, and thought that Uncle would result in Zuko’s death. He hoped that Azula could get along better with Uncle if she spent some time around him. Maybe he could suggest to his sister the benefits of learning Pai-Sho to help her think strategically, and ask Uncle to teach her.

 

“You mentioned negotiating peace terms with certain de-centralized parts of the Earth Kingdom who have stayed out of the war, and the water tribes, which I think is an admirable goal,” Uncle began. “I wished to ask you. You said in that meeting that war is not an end unto itself, and I would like to know what you meant by that. From my perspective that seems to be exactly what the Fire Nation is doing. We are throwing away countless lives of young Fire Nation citizens in a futile war where we have not had any major successes in the past decade. “

 

Zuko nodded, “I am considering fully ending the war. Obviously, it would be a monumental change in our nation’s goals, and is not something to be done lightly. You are right that the war is throwing away Fire Nation lives pointlessly. We have gained very little ground over the past two decades, and what we have gained we have often had to give up and constantly fight over with the Earth Kingdom. Our nation’s resources and efforts could be better diverted to strengthening our industry and further developing our technology.”

 

Uncle looked surprised briefly, and covered that up by taking a sip of tea, “You seem to have given this a lot of thought, nephew.”

 

“I have been doing a lot of research in the library, and looking through economic and agricultural reports from the Ministry of Records, as well as reading history from before the war began,” Zuko explained.

 

“And what have you learned?” Uncle prompted genially, sounding like he was asking what Zuko had discovered on any one of his pointless excursions to find information on the Avatar after he had been exiled.

 

“Well, most of our economy is focused on the war, for obvious reasons. The main business interests are the weapons manufacturers. Around 75% of our navy ships are built in the colonies, and around 80% go to colony ports for repairs and maintenance. Coal is mined in the colonies for our ships.”

 

“We have the most advanced technology out of the entire world, and we can continue to invest in technology, just not military technology. We can support appliances which will improve the everyday lives of our people, and which will improve overall social wellbeing. We can invest more in medicine. The government can subsidize the existing business industries while they change the products they are creating, and we can invest in inventors which will lead to new inventions.”

 

“Most food for the Fire Nation islands is grown on the islands. While there is trade with the colonies, particularly for specialized food that can only grow in the colonies, the islands export just as much if not more food than we import. But most of the food for the army is produced in the colonies, as well as the food for the Fire Nation citizens in the colonies, and active soldiers require more food than civilians, so a very significant portion of the overall Fire Nation food is being produced in the colonies. If we stop the war, then our soldiers would no longer be exerting as much energy and would require less food, which would mean a surplus of food. Some of the colonies are on war rations, so that would mean that they would have more food.”

 

“I am hoping to have a meeting with all of the governors of the colonies, since they will all be coming to Caldera City for the ascension ball. We can discuss the issues that they are facing, and I can get their opinions on stopping the war and transitioning our industrial undertakings in the colonies.”

 

“With so much of our finances no longer being diverted to the war, we will be able to instead focus on improving the Fire Nation. I already have several ideas, such as an inter-city public transportation system, and a combined rail and ferry system that will connect different parts of the Fire Nation and allow ordinary people to better be able to travel.”

 

The idea for an inter-city public transportation system he had gotten from Ba Sing Se. Theirs had relied entirely on earth benders, but the Fire Nation should be able to adapt the general idea to work with metal and coal. It would also be a good use for excess coal as the navy would be using less coal once the war ended, and it would take a while to stop coal mining without economically crippling certain areas of the colonies.

 

Once Zuko had started planning out what an inter-city public transportation system would be like, it seemed only logical to also consider creating a coal powered rail and ferry system across the Fire Nation for civilian usage.

 

“That certainly seems ambitious, but incredibly well thought out given the short amount of time you have been thinking about this,” Uncle said with a scrutinizing gaze.

 

Zuko very carefully did not wring his hands or look away.

 

“I have drawn up some general estimates of how much money we will be able to save after the war ends, and as we begin the process of recalling the army soldiers and navy. The first few months will be a deficit, given the increased transportation and moving involved, but by the third month we will begin to see savings, which will only increase from there. I also have here the estimated costs of an inter-city public transportation system and a cross-nation rail system,” Zuko said, handing Uncle some of the papers. “Of course this is only an estimate, and I already requested that the Ministry of Finance begin a more accurate analysis of savings and costs.”

 

“I am very proud of you, Zuko. You are already doing a wonderful job as Fire Lord, and are dedicated to improving the nation. I am sure that your father and all of our ancestors are proud of you, and that history will remember you as a great and wise Fire Lord,” Uncle said.

 

Zuko tried hard not to blush, and failed in his efforts. Uncle was laying it on a little thick, and was undoubtedly trying to ensure that he remained firm in his desire to stop the war, but it still warmed his heart to hear the praise.

 

“There is, of course, the question of how to go about stopping the war. You already spoke of peace negotiations with certain de-centralized parts of the Earth Kingdom. If our aim is to fully stop the war, I believe it would be best to negotiate directly with the Earth King,” Uncle said carefully.

 

The Earth King was a puppet ruler of his advisor Long Feng, and was entirely unaware of the fact that a war was even happening. However, that did not mean Uncle’s suggestion was a bad one. Any letter addressed to the Earth King would undoubtedly be intercepted by the Dai Li, and since Long Feng was the de facto ruler of the Earth Kingdom, perhaps it would be best to negotiate with him.

 

Zuko nodded at Uncle, “If that is what you think is best.”

 

Uncle would be reassured by Zuko deferring to his judgment on the points that Zuko already agreed upon. Making a point of showing his trust in Uncle would make it easier when there was an issue that Zuko disagreed with Uncle on.

 

“Perhaps we could have an international summit for peace negotiations. Both the High King and King Bumi of Omashu could be invited, as well as the Northern Water Tribe. They have stayed out of the war for the past several decades, and I believe they would be amenable to a formalized peace treaty. One of my long-distance Pai-Sho buddies was born in the Northern Water Tribe, you know,” Iroh said, carefully looking over Zuko to gauge his reaction.

 

Zuko was unsure if this was the same waterbending master Katara disliked, and Uncle was merely implying that his friend lived in the colonies but was born in the Northern Water Tribe, or if Uncle was thinking of a separate White Lotus member who actually lived in the colonies at present.

 

“Alright, an international summit then,” Zuko nodded. “We can invite the Southern Water Tribe as well.”

 

“The Southern Water Tribe?” Uncle blinked in surprise. “They are backwater primitives, with minimal trade and no importance now that all of their waterbenders are dead.”

 

Zuko tried not to let any surprise show on his face. It was a sentiment he might have expected of any number of Fire Nation nobles or even Azula, who had only ever known their father’s teachings, but not Uncle who was a grown adult with ties to the other nations and who frequently spoke of balance and harmony. Did Uncle actually believe that, or was he merely saying it because it was what he thought Zuko would believe and inviting the Southern Water Tribe offered little advantage to the White Lotus?

 

“Well, I think it is unfair to invite one water tribe and not the other, no matter how small they are. It will be symbolic, and help to show our commitment to peace. Besides, having both water tribes present will diminish the negotiating power of the Earth Kingdom, especially if we end up inviting both the High King and the King of Omashu. Having a nation who is less antagonistic to us will only help in the meeting,” Zuko pointed out, taking care to frame his arguments as a negotiating strategy.

 

“Very well, if that is what you think is best,” Iroh hummed in agreement.

 

The letter that Zuko would send to the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe would include an invitation for his family to attend as well, and he would be able to see Katara and Sokka again. They would not remember him, of course, but that just meant he had the opportunity to start a friendship without the baggage of having crashed a ship into their village and threatened their grandmother.

 

He might be able to invite Suki, as the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, to the diplomatic negotiations, by arguing that Kyoshi Island was semi-independent and as an island dedicated to a previous Avatar they should be invited. It would be a stretch, but Uncle would probably like the bit about Avatar Kyoshi if Zuko talked about balance and global harmony.

 

Finding a way to meet Toph would be much harder. Her parents were merchants, so his tentative plan involved another conference on increased trade with the Earth Kingdom, after he negotiated world peace. Lord Beifong, and his family, would be invited. But that would be at most a year, maybe more from now.

 

And then three years from now, he could plan a diplomatic visit to several different locations in the southern hemisphere, making sure to be at Katara and Sokka’s village as close to the date that he first met them as possible. If the ocean currents stayed the same, then he could “accidentally” find Aang in his icecube. Befriending Aang would be the easiest, as the young airbender was a naturally friendly person and the Avatar and the leader of the Fire Nation would have many reasons to interact.

 

“I am concerned about those members of the court who are in favor of the war, and who will likely be opposed to any peace efforts. In particular there are several members of the War Council who will be hostile to any attempts at diplomatic negotiations. I believe it would be best if they were requested to resign their position, and new councillors who are loyal to you were appointed instead,” Uncle said, phrasing his words carefully.

 

It was a bold move, to entirely replace his father’s War Council so soon into his reign, but Zuko was very much eager to no longer have them in positions of power. Uncle bringing the subject up meant that it would not be suspicious that Zuko so suddenly was distrusting of his father’s loyal subjects. He could agree to go along with Uncle’s wishes after a few questions.

 

“Which members do you think should be replaced?”

 

“I think that War Minister Yun Okisu, General Xing Rokah, General Wu Tinyu and Admiral Zhang Nomo should be dismissed immediately. Meanwhile I will have to assess General Yao Bujing, General Hu Onomu, Admiral Chan Tuman and Admiral Liang Ting to determine their loyalties. I already trust Admiral Ying Bao, who is quite loyal to you,” Uncle said.

 

“I want General Bujing asked to resign immediately, given his proposed strategy of sacrificing new recruits. Otherwise, I agree with you,” Zuko said.

 

“I can have General Bujing gone from the palace by nightfall,” Uncle agreed, looking quite pleased.

 

“Do you have anybody in mind to replace them with?” Zuko asked.

 

“Ying Yìqì, one of your cousin Lu-Ten’s childhood companions, is a highly successful commander in the army and I believe he should be promoted to General. Mi Pantu, another of your cousin’s companions, is currently the governor of the West Hu Xin Province. He has quite a keen intellect and wishes to return to the mainland. Pantu would make an excellent War Minister,” Uncle suggested. “For the rest of the positions, I can speak to some of my friends to determine the best candidates.”

 

“Very well,” Zuko nodded. “For Lu-Ten’s companions, I trust your recommendation and would like to offer them the positions as soon as they are vacated. For the other potential candidates for the War Council, I would like to interview them personally to decide who is best qualified.”

 

“A very wise decision. I can handle the matter of dismissing the War Council members we discussed. Most of these old generals know me quite well, and will be less offended if I am the one asking them to resign,” Uncle said swiftly.

 

“Of course,” Zuko agreed. “If you wish to reach out to Lu-Ten’s companions on my behalf and offer them positions on the War Council, I would greatly appreciate it.”

Notes:

Zuko: So here’s my plan to achieve world peace and completely change our national economy. Thoughts?
Iroh: When did you have the time to do all of this? And since when are you so versed in politics and international relations?
Zuko: Uh, I went to the library. Lots of scrolls in the library, you know.

 

Zuko: And the Southern Water Tribe, of course.
Iroh: Them, really? They’re kinda unimportant.
Zuko: Well, uh, they aren’t actively at war with us, so having them there could only help.
Iroh (internally): Okay, I don’t particularly care either way, so why not let Zuko have this.
Zuko (internally): That is step four out of thirty-six on my master plan to gather all of my friends, now onto step five.

 

Iroh: I also want to get rid of everyone on the War Council I don’t like.
Zuko: Okay, but let’s also get rid of General Bujing because he sucks.
Iroh: Sure, why not? He was already on my people-to-maybe-get-rid-of list. Now, I’d like to appoint your cousin’s friends, and some other people who are also loyal to me and will do what I tell them.
Zuko: *thumbs up*

 

Iroh: This all seems way easier than I was expecting, but I am not going to question it.

Notes:

Credit to muffinlance for the inspiration.

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