Chapter Text
Kya is the first to notice.
It's hard for her not to—Kya is the one who spends the most time with her son, her firstborn child. Kya is the one who pays the most attention to him—every mother cares especially strongly about her first child, fearing to make a mistake and paying particular attention to him.
At first, these are only suspicions. Sokka is still young, cannot talk yet – but Kya watches him closely. She notices that there are days when he seems to lose interest in the toys she has given him before – or that he prefers slightly different ones than the ones he likes. The same is true of food – on those particular days, Sokka prefers different food than usual. A day later, everything changes.
At first, Kya thinks her son is just moody. That he's a little capricious, that he can't decide what he likes and what he doesn't like — which is completely natural, say the other women in the village, children are often capricious, especially when they are young.
Everything changes the moment Sokka starts talking.
At first, Kya is ecstatic. Her son is starting to talk, even if it's just short words. Months pass, and Kya is able to spend hours talking to her son — even if they are often just simple conversations, as Sokka is not yet able to construct complete sentences.
Kya becomes pregnant again, hoping that this time it will be a daughter—she has given her husband a son, but Kya dreams of having a daughter whom she will be able to teach so many things.
Shortly before Katara's birth, Sokka begins to have imaginary friends. And that's not so strange, if Kya is honest—sometimes children have imaginary friends. Sokka never talks to them, he doesn't speak to the void – he just claims that he has met people Kya has never met before.
At first, Kya thinks it's jealousy — that her son doesn't like the fact that he's not the only child, that he's afraid Katara will steal his parents' love — but then Katara is born and Sokka adores her. He spends a lot of time with his sister, looking at her with fascination.
Months pass, Sokka grows up a little – and then he starts saying things that make Kya slightly uneasy.
“She's your only sister, you should protect her,” Kya says one evening when Hakoda is out of the village hunting and only the three of them are in their igloo: Kya, Sokka, and little Katara, who is about a year old.
Sokka glances at Kya.
“But mom, she's not my only sister,” he says.
Kya smiles slightly, assuming he is joking.
“I see” she says. “Who is your other sister?”
“Lala,” Sokka says. “But I won't see her for a few days.”
“Lala?” Kya makes sure Katara is dressed appropriately. “Tell me about her.”
The name comes up several times in Sokka's stories — though he has never claimed she is his sister before.
“Lala is my Fire Sister,” Sokka says. “Katara is my Water Sister.”
That's... a little alarming.
“Fire Sister?” Kya repeats. “Could I meet her?”
Sokka shakes his head.
“Why not? Where did you meet her?”
If there's a firebender nearby...
“You can't see her, Mom,” her son says. “She's not here.”
“Then where is she?” Kya asks.
“In the palace,” Sokka replies.
“Whose palace?” Kya tries to sound calm, but inside she's starting to panic a little. She's convinced that Sokka hasn't left the village — it must be a joke, and Kya hopes it's just a joke — but if it's not a joke...
“Grandpa's.”
“Honey, your grandfather is dead,” Kya reminds him.
Sokka has never met his grandparents — he has only met Kanna, Hakoda's mother.
“I know that my Water Grandfather is dead, Mom. And I'm not talking about him.”
“Then who are you talking about?”
“My Fire Grandpa — Fire Grandfather.” Sokka says. “He's in the palace, with Lala and my Fire Dad and Fire Mom. I don't see them very often. But they're there.”
“Could I meet them?” asks Kya.
Sokka thinks about it.
“I don't think you can,” he says. “I'm not Sokka there.”
“What do you mean, you're not?” Kya frowns.
She hopes it's just a game. That these are just games her son is playing — but the problem is that this game has been going on for a long time, for weeks, months, ever since Sokka was able to speak.
“Sweetheart,” Kya decides to put a smile on her face, playing along. “Who are you there?”
“Zuko,” her son replies. “I'm Zuko.”
The name means nothing to Kya — except that it's not a typical name for the Water Tribes. But it makes sense if Sokka is pretending to be part of the Fire Nation — except that Sokka has no reason to do so. No one in their village likes the Fire Nation.
“So, in a few days, you'll meet them,” Kya concludes. “Your Fire Family. At your grandfather's palace, right?”
“Yes,” Sokka confirms. “Grandfather Azulon's. The Fire Lord's.”
Kya feels the blood drain from her veins.
She cannot remember anyone in their village ever calling the Fire Lord by his name.
Ursa is not the first to notice.
The first to notice is one of the nannies—traditionally, children of the royal family are often raised by nannies and babysitters.
When Ursa was pregnant, she used to be happy about this—about the fact that she wouldn't have to be close to her children, the children of a man Ursa hated—still hates. A man she did not want to marry, but she was given no choice.
But then, when her son was born... when Ursa saw him for the first time...
She loved him unconditionally.
Ursa loves her children, both her son and her daughter, even though she knows that Ozai never saw them as children, as people. In his eyes, both Zuko and Azula are tools, weapons—a way to show the world that Prince Ozai has more potential than his older brother, Iroh. That is why Ursa was chosen to be his wife—because Ursa is the granddaughter of Avatar Roku, because the Fire Sages prophesied that children who are descendants of both Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku will be powerful. Because Fire Lord Azulon believes that these children will change the world.
Ursa is aware of her husband's ambitions, even though she knows that Ozai has no chance of becoming Fire Lord—because of Iroh, the powerful general feared by the entire Earth Kingdom. But Ozai has his dreams and plans—and their children are part of them.
Ursa is aware of this, which is why part of her is afraid to get close to her children—because they are her children, but they are also Ozai's children. His blood, the blood of Azulon and Sozin, flows through their veins. These are children who were born to burn and destroy.
But when Ursa looks at them, still young and innocent, she cannot bring herself to hate them.
Everything becomes more complicated when her children begin to grow up, and one of the nannies approaches Ursa with quiet doubts – with information that something is wrong with her son. She does not say it directly, but she makes it clear, passing this information on to Ursa so that she will pay attention to it.
Ursa does not ignore this warning and begins to observe her son.
Soon, she understands what the problem is.
Her son seems to have imaginary friends. That in itself would not be a problem, but Zuko is the Fire Prince, he is Ozai's son, and Ursa knows that Ozai would not be happy if he found out.
Moreover, Zuko's imaginary friends are not from the Fire Nation. They all belong to the Water Tribe—what's more, Zuko claims that they are his family, his father, mother, sister, and grandmother.
If they lived in a different world, Ursa could ignore this.
But the world they live in is not kind, just as the palace they live in does not forgive mistakes.
Ursa approaches her son and explains to him—in the gentlest words possible—why he cannot talk about it. Why it would not be appropriate behavior.
Zuko listens to her carefully—and then tilts his head to the side.
“But they're real,” he protests. “My Water Family.”
“Zuko,” Ursa looks at him intently. “You have only one family. Us.”
Zuko shakes his head.
“No,” he says. “I have two families. Here I am Zuko. There I am Sokka.”
Ursa doesn't recognize the name. She tries to remember if she's ever met anyone like that — besides, the name doesn't sound very Fire Nation-like.
“I see,” Ursa says slowly, not quite sure what to make of it. “And this Water Family of yours... Where are they now?”
Zuko thinks for a moment, then walks over to the desk. He pulls a map of the world out of the drawer—Ursa assumes he got it from Lu Ten. Lu Ten adores his cousins and spoils both Zuko and Azula.
“Here,” Zuko points to the South Pole. Then he squints. “But this map isn't complete. Our village isn't here.”
“I see,” Ursa feels like this is some kind of game, but she doesn't quite understand the rules. “Well, maybe one day, when the Water Tribes surrender, you'll be able to go to the South Pole and see your friends.”
Zuko looks at her with sudden horror.
“But I don't want the Water Tribes to surrender!” he protests. “No one there wants the Fire Nation's rule! My Water Dad will never accept it! Besides, the Southern Water Tribe doesn't need the Fire Nation's help! Everyone there fears the Fire Nation!”
Ursa looks around, hoping no one heard him. Words like that are treasonous.
Fortunately, they are alone — but that doesn't mean they are out of danger.
“Zuko,” Ursa says quickly. “Don't say things like that out loud!”
“But it's true!” Zuko says. “When I'm Sokka, I know what it's like there. My Water Mom is afraid of the Fire Nation. Everyone is afraid of the raids. The Fire Nation doesn't help the Southern Water Tribe—although, to be fair, they aren't as technologically advanced as we are...”
Zuko thinks for a moment. It's strange to see that kind of expression on a child's face.
“Honey, you can think whatever you want, but please don't say things like that out loud.”
“Why?”
“Because your grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon, won't be happy if he hears something like that. You don't want him to be mad at you, do you?”
Zuko nods, not entirely convinced, but still trusting Ursa implicitly. He believes in her. He trusts her, unaware that there was a time when Ursa cursed his existence.
“Let this be our little secret,” Ursa suggests. “You'll tell me a little about your Water Family, but we won't mention it to anyone else, okay?”
“Not even Dad?”
“Especially not your dad,” Ursa says.
“What about Azula?” Zuko looks at her with hope and anticipation. “I told her about it earlier. Just like I told Katara. My Water Sister.”
“You only have one sister, Zuko.”
“Here, yes. But not there.”
Ursa feels like she's constantly returning to the same topic.
“Zuko...”
“Fine, fine, I won't tell anyone here,” Zuko agrees. “But you have to ask Sokka about it too. I don't know what he thinks about it.”
“Okay,” Ursa really doesn't want to play this kind of game, but she'll do it if it protects her son. “So, where is Sokka? Is he here?”
Zuko looks at her amused.
“Sokka isn't here, Mom,” he says. “I'm Sokka. But I think when I'm Sokka, he's Zuko.”
This makes no sense at all.
“I see,” Ursa says, even though she doesn't understand anything at all. “Can I talk to Sokka?”
She almost expects her son to start playing, to play with her — but Zuko shakes his head again.
“I can't just call him,” he says. “But he'll be here. Soon. Um. The day after the full moon. It's always like that. I'm Sokka the day after the full moon and the day after the new moon. The rest of the days I'm Zuko.”
“I understand,” she says once again during this conversation. "In that case, I'll talk to Sokka in... three days?
If she's not mistaken, it will be a full moon in three days.
Zuko nods.
“If you want.”
Three days later, Ursa approaches her son and brings up the conversation they had not long ago.
Zuko looks at her blankly. He must have forgotten about the conversation, even though it wasn't that long ago.
“You mentioned that sometimes, as Sokka, you find yourself at the South Pole...” Ursa says, not entirely sure, suddenly feeling silly for believing such a thing.
And then—then understanding appears in her son's eyes.
“Ah,” he says. “Yes. You're right, Mom. I think I'm mostly Sokka. But here, I'm Zuko.”
“Zuko,” Ursa says, once again making sure no one else is around. “I asked you not to say things like that.”
“Ah. Maybe,” her son agrees, but there is no conviction in his voice. “Why?”
Ursa realizes with a heavy heart that she will have to have the same conversation with him. She prepares to scold him, to tell him that she remembers the conversation they had earlier — but then she looks at him, really looks at him. And she realizes that her son is sitting a little differently than before, that he is trying to act as he always does, but his movements are slightly different, his tone of voice slightly different than usual.
For the first time since Zuko was born, Ursa wonders who she is really looking at.
As her children grow up, the changes become more and more apparent.
Kya hopes that Sokka will grow out of his playfulness—but he never does. He no longer says out loud that he has a Fire Family, he doesn't say it in public, knowing that their Tribe won't accept it—but every now and then, Sokka is... different.
Kya is a mother.
Kya watches and sees.
There are differences.
Sokka is cheerful and likes to joke around. He likes to banter with Katara, loves his father, and wants to become a warrior in the future. He likes seal jerky and is quickly learning to hunt. He is smart and quick-witted, and every now and then he scribbles strange things that don't make sense, but Sokka says they do.
Twice a month, with a two-week break in between, Sokka is not Sokka. He is still her son, he still responds to the name Sokka, and he still loves his family, but Kya knows that she looks at Zuko. Zuko is a little calmer, sometimes a little more withdrawn. He doesn't know how to hunt and doesn't want to kill animals, and when he writes something, his handwriting resembles calligraphy, as if he had been learning it for years.
Sokka eats with them, using his hands and devouring meal after meal. Zuko sometimes picks up sticks and makes chopsticks out of them, sitting a little more stiffly than he should.
Sokka doesn't remember the days when he is Zuko.
Zuko doesn't remember the days when he is Sokka.
Sokka claims that they switch places. That when Zuko is here, Sokka is in the Fire Nation—being Prince Zuko, son of Ursa and Ozai, brother of Azula. Zuko confirms this.
Kya and Hakoda sometimes talk about it in the evenings when their children are asleep.
“There are three explanations for this situation,” Hakoda says one day. “The first is that it's all just a big game.”
“Games don't last for years,” Kya points out. “And Sokka really doesn't remember the days when he was Zuko. I know my son. I know he wouldn't be able to fake it.”
“And that's why I'm leaning toward the second option,” Hakoda says. “It could be... Kya, dear, we have to consider the possibility that Sokka isn't always... fine.”
“You're saying that our son has mental problems,” Kya concludes. “You don't have to hide it. I see what you're saying.”
Hakoda opens his mouth, then closes it.
“You think our son is crazy,” Kya can't believe it. “That he's created two personalities, that it's all in his head.”
“The only option left is that Sokka isn't lying and really does swap bodies with Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation twice a month,” Hakoda notes. “That sounds even crazier, Kya.”
“I know, but...” Kya hesitates. “I don't know what to think, Hakoda.”
None of these options bode well. Sometimes Kya almost starts to believe what Sokka tells her — and feels like she's raising three children instead of two, even if two of them share one body.
“Me neither,” her husband pulls her close and hugs her tightly. “But everything will be fine. Sokka... Sokka is strong. Whatever it is... whatever his condition is, he'll be fine. Everything will be fine.”
Kanna, Hakoda's mother, tries to exorcise Zuko — in case it was the spirit of the dead boy that possessed her grandson's body.
It's all in vain. Later, Zuko looks at her without understanding, and also with pain in his eyes, fearing that he is not welcome here.
Kya can't bear to watch.
She approaches her son and takes him in her arms, hugging him tightly.
Whatever is happening — whatever Zuko is — he is her son.
And a mother will do anything to protect her children.
Ursa can't stop worrying about Sokka.
The more her son grows up, the more the differences between him and Zuko become apparent. And while part of Ursa is convinced that it's all just one big cruel joke — that Zuko is really just pretending — another part of her can't help but look at Sokka and see her son - another one, someone else than Zuko.
The problem is that Zuko is not just anyone.
Zuko is the Prince of the Fire Nation. He may be fourth in line to the throne, but he is still a prince. There are things he needs to know and master.
Zuko is learning. He is learning incredibly hard because he is not a prodigy when it comes to bending, unlike his sister – but for two days a month, he forgets half of what he has learned. His bending is weaker than usual, his movements are not as confident as usual, and his teachers say he has forgotten most of what he should know. He mixes up dates and events. Ursa sometimes sees him immersed in books or training, with growing frustration because he is unable to do what came easily to him just the day before.
The day after Sokka's Day, Zuko trains harder, as if trying to convince his teachers that he is not a complete disappointment.
Despite this, Ursa cannot stop worrying about her son. Sokka—whether he is a real person, another personality of her son, or some kind of spirit—takes control of Zuko's body, and the fact that he does not remember many events does not work in his favor.
“Sokka,” Ursa says one day, after making sure they are alone.
When they are in public, she calls him Zuko. But when they are alone, she prefers to call him Sokka. Sokka does not protest when others call him Zuko, but in Ursa's eyes, they are two completely different people.
“Yes, Mom?” Sokka looks at her intently.
“I may have mentioned this to you before, but when you're here, be careful,” Ursa lowers her voice. “And stay away from your father.”
“Okay,” Sokka agrees without hesitation, and Ursa wonders briefly what Ozai said to him earlier that made Sokka agree to stay away from him.
Ursa stops wondering because she knows she wouldn't like the answer.
Sometimes, when Sokka thinks no one is watching, her son trains.
Kya sees him, but she never says anything, even when his training is not typical for a Tribesman. Sometimes, his training resembles hand-to-hand combat—and in a style that Kya does not recognize.
But Hakoda does.
“That's firebending,” he says one day when Sokka doesn't come back for too long and he and Kya go to find him.
They find him in the snow, practicing with a determined look on his face.
“Those are firebending moves,” Hakoda repeats, squeezing Kya's arm. “Of course, our son is not a firebender...”
“But Zuko is,” Kya says quietly.
“If Zuko is real.”
“These moves are real.”
“He could have seen it in someone else.”
“Perhaps,” Kya admits. “But who? No one from the Water Tribe would practice firebending. Besides, Sokka hasn't met a single firebender.”
Not counting his so called Fire Family.
Hakoda glances at her out of the corner of his eye.
“Even if it's true, what do you want to do? Go to the Fire Lord and tell him that his grandson is our son? We can't prove anything. Besides, who would believe a child?”
Kya presses her lips together. Neither of them is entirely sure what Zuko really is. If they really do sometimes talk to the Fire Prince, then they could—purely theoretically—try to talk to his family. Perhaps they would agree to let them meet him. But if this is just Sokka's imagination, then they are risking their entire tribe.
The risk is too great.
There are too few of them to survive an attack by the Fire Nation.
Besides, Katara is a waterbender, and Kya can't risk her just because she wants to find out if she really has two sons.
“If Zuko is real... If he does exist...” Kya says uncertainly. “Then maybe there is hope for this world. You know what that means, Hakoda. We are raising the Fire Lord’s heir. Well, fourth in the line, but… it’s still a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family.”
Hakoda puts his arm around her.
“It doesn't matter to me whether Zuko is real or not,” he says. “And it doesn't matter to me whether he's really a prince or not. What matters is that he's our son.”
Kya snuggles up to him. She wishes it were that simple, but at the same time, a dozen possibilities pop into her head. If, theoretically, Zuko were real and took the throne, he would be someone who is partly Water Tribe.
Kya immediately feels bad for considering this thought. A mother should love her child unconditionally, not see them as a weapon or political tool.
Despite this, she can't stop wondering.
As the years pass, it becomes harder for Ursa to ignore the truth: whatever Sokka is, he is real.
Ursa doesn't know what Sokka is – but she knows she must hide his existence from the world. When Sokka Days come around, she does everything she can to ensure that his training focuses on sword fighting rather than firebending. Sokka is not a firebender—so it's better that his teachers don't know how weak his control is. And no wonder, Sokka only has two days a month to master his power.
In secret, Ursa visits fortune tellers and exorcists. She tries to find out what Sokka is, because although she loves this child, she also knows that he is a great threat to Zuko. And if Sokka is real, it would be better for him not to be here, not in the Fire Nation. Ursa tries her best to protect her children, but it is a losing battle. Azula is too much like Ozai, and Zuko and Sokka seem to want to talk to her whenever they can—which, in turn, does not please Ozai, who prefers to keep them apart and who clearly looks down on his son.
Ursa is unable to protect her children from her husband. She is unable to protect herself.
Sokka is a threat—both to Zuko and to himself. Ursa wants to give him a safe childhood.
She tries to get rid of him by brewing various potions – all in secret, so that Sokka doesn't find out. But it's all in vain – Sokka is here and always comes back, no matter what Ursa does.
The only thing her efforts bring her is angry glances from Azula, who has always been more perceptive than usual – and then Azula is suddenly closer to her brother because Sokka absolutely adores her and has made it his life's goal to protect her, even though Azula is stronger than him.
Ursa stops trying to get rid of Sokka.
She stops trying, but she feels like she's losing her children. Azula stops talking to her. Ursa has less and less time alone with Sokka or Zuko because Azula is starting to approach him — and Ursa fears this, oh so much, because Azula is too much like Ozai.
Ursa lost her daughter.
She will not lose her sons.
Kya, though she does not like the Fire Nation, thinks about it quite often.
Zuko does not mention the Fire Nation much—he learned quickly that he should not do so while at the South Pole—but sometimes he slips up and says a little more than he should.
Sometimes, Kya spends hours talking to him about the Fire Nation. In those moments, Kya feels like she is really talking to someone who spends most of their time in the Fire Nation — because Zuko's stories are a little too accurate for them to be true.
Sometimes, Kya looks at him and believes that one day this boy will bring peace to the world.
That dream is quickly shattered when the Fire Nation comes to her village looking for the waterbender.
Looking for Katara.
A Firebender with his face covered by a helmet stands in front of her, demanding that she tell him where the waterbender is.
Ultimately, the decision is incredibly simple.
A mother is capable of doing anything for her children.
For her children, Kya is willing to die.
Something has happened.
Something has happened, and her son won't tell her about it.
One day, Sokka stops looking at her. He withdraws, avoiding her presence — looking as if he's about to vomit when he looks at her. Ursa can't find him all day, and when she meets Zuko the next day, her son avoids her gaze.
“Something happened, sweetheart?” Ursa asks.
Zuko doesn't answer, he just runs away to the training field and practices — and practices, practices, practices until he falls to the ground, exhausted.
Over the next dozen or so days, the situation repeats itself—Zuko avoids telling her what happened, instead focusing on training. Sometimes Azula joins him—Ursa watches them from a distance and decides not to approach them.
When she meets Sokka again, he is a little calmer. He still doesn't look at her, but in the evening he comes to her chamber and hugs her. Ursa takes him to Zuko's favorite spot – the turtleduck pond. Sokka doesn't explain anything to her, but they spend the evening together, just the two of them.
The next day, Zuko is a little more gloomy and almost bursts into tears when he sees Ursa.
“She's dead,” he explains later.
“Who?” Ursa asks quietly.
“My Water Mom,” Zuko's voice is almost a whisper. “It's not fair, Mom. Grandpa... Fire Lord Azulon said we wanted to get rid of the waterbenders because they were a threat. But she wasn't...”
He trails off.
“She was a waterbender,” he says quickly. “The last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. But she didn't fight. She didn't fight, Mom. And Katara saw it all.”
“Oh, honey,” Ursa now feels like she's going to vomit.
She doesn't know if it's true or not. She doesn't know if Zuko was really there or not — but whatever happened, he truly believes that his other mother is dead, killed by Firebenders. And that means that Zuko — and Sokka — are in the palace, among the very people who ordered her death.
Ursa pulls him close to her.
A dozen days later, a report from the Southern Raiders reaches her – the last waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe has been eliminated.
Ursa persuades Ozai to let her see the report – and when her eyes see what is written in it, Ursa runs to the bathroom and then really vomits.
The woman who was killed was named Kya. The date of her death coincides with Zuko's sudden change in behavior.
Zuko knew about Kya's death long before the palace was informed.
And that means Sokka is not a ghost. He is a real boy who spends most of his life in the South. Ursa is actually raising two children.
And her father-in-law gave the order to kill her son's other mother.
Ursa is unable to sleep for a long time after what she has learned.
She considers running away—taking her sons and daughter—and leaving the palace. But she sees how controlling Ozai is. She knows they couldn't escape, not with the children, not when Ozai sees the future of the Fire Nation in Azula.
Ursa cannot escape. She is too afraid of what Ozai might do.
Instead, she decides to do what she can. She talks to her children—all three of them, because Ursa is losing Azula and fears her and knows she could become a monster, but Ursa cannot stand idly by and watch her children suffer. So, she does everything she can.
It's not enough, and Ursa knows it. Ozai notices this and becomes even more controlling—but Ursa has her ways of pleasing him, of appeasing him.
She can't give Sokka his mother back.
But she can give him another mother.
It's not enough, it's never enough. If Ursa were braver, she would take her children and run away. But Ursa is a coward.
Ursa is unable to protect her children. She can only stay with them and hope that it will be enough.
But it isn't.
Ursa realizes this when news arrives from Ba Sing Se—about Lu Ten's death, about Iroh calling off the siege.
That same evening, Ursa hears voices coming from her son's room.
Something tightens in Ursa's chest as she enters the room. Zuko and Azula are sitting on the bed, talking about something in hushed voices.
When they see Ursa, Azula's lips stretch into a cruel smile.
“Did you know about this, Mom?” her daughter asks her. “Dad wants to kill Zuko and Sokka.”
“We don't talk about Sokka,” Ursa says instinctively, because at some point it has become a secret they all share. “What happened?”
Azula continues to smile.
“Dad went to Grandfather,” she says simply. “He said he wants to be Fire Lord because Uncle Iroh no longer has an heir. Grandfather got angry and said that in that case, he should experience the same pain. So now Dad is going to try to kill Zuko.”
Ursa needs a few seconds to process these words.
“Shh!” Zuko objects. “Don't say that, Azula! You know it's not true!”
“I know what I heard!”
“You heard wrong!”
“You would have heard the same thing if you weren't such a coward! Or if Sokka were here today!”
Ursa suddenly can't bear to stay in the room.
She turns and goes to her husband.
She hopes Azula is lying.
Azula isn't lying.
Ozai looks at her impassively.
“I cannot disobey my father's orders,” he says simply. “He is the Fire Lord. The Fire Lord's words are sacred.”
“So... you're just going to kill our son?” Ursa can't believe what she's hearing.
“He was a disappointment anyway,” Ozai says, already using the past tense, as if he has come to terms with the loss of their sons. “I have no other choice.”
Ursa grabs his arm.
“Wait,” she says. “What if... what if you do have another choice?”
Ozai glances at her with slight interest.
Ursa knows what her husband desires. She knows what he wants.
“No one knows your father's will,” Ursa says quietly. “No one knows what he has planned and what he has commanded you to do. And no one will know unless he opens his eyes tomorrow.”
Ozai smiles.
Ultimately, the decision is incredibly simple.
A mother is capable of doing anything for her children.
For her children, Ursa can kill.