41They all tell her she looks like her mother. Gentle eyes, flowing hair, a soft face. But in other things, she takes after her father. (That's not necessarily a good thing.)
For his part, Hakoda does try to resist. It's the Fire Nation's fault, he'll say, because without them, they could have gotten the medicine they needed from the Earth Kingdom. It's nobody's fault, he'll say, because these tragedies sometimes just happen. But he's had to raise two children by himself, seeing his dear beloved Kya every time he looks at his daughter. He really does try to resist, but he can't hide the bitterness forever, can't reign in his temper every second.
She takes after her father. Brash, aggressive, fiery. Feels the urge to assert dominance. But behind it, there's the charisma, the knack for leadership, that intangible quality that makes you want to follow her.
Hakoda has mixed feelings when his little girl first bends water. What luck, that this gift was bestowed on one who is destined to be a warrior and a leader. What misfortune, that this gift of water was bestowed on one with so much fire. There is no one to teach her to bend. No one to teach her to be patient, to ebb and flow, to absorb the blows and roar back with twice the force.
She will grow up to be the Southern Water Tribe's greatest warrior. But she is not a warrior yet. Not a warrior on the day when the Southern Raiders come to kill the only waterbender. Yet on that day, she acts like one. And there is no one to save her against a crew of grown firebenders who have already terrorized the Southern Water Tribe.
She looks like her mother. Gentle eyes, flowing hair, a soft face.
She is a delicacy that the captain wants to sample before throwing in the trash.
She's only saved by the ship's honored passenger. She's young, malleable, he says. The Fire Lord will want to see her... unharmed. And the captain cannot disobey the orders of a prince.
The prince acts out of pity for a child so young. He cannot know what the future will bring for her. And in such an act, the prince sets in motion events that will topple an empire. This girl will grow up to be not just the greatest warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, but the greatest waterbender for generations, one that can face off against hoards of enemies. But that is not today.
…
They all tell her she looks like her mother. Zuko can't see why. Where her mother had gentle eyes, her eyes are sharp. Where her mother's hair was flowing, she wears it short (long hair is a liability in combat). Where Ursa's face was soft, her face seems designed to inflict fear. Zuko knows she takes after her father. (That's probably a bad thing.)
Ozai does what he wants. He pushes his daughter to the limit, teaching her forms before she even shows bending. Teaches her tactics and history before she can read one hundred characters. Ozai has two children, and does half the raising of one (why should a prince do the job of the palace staff?). He can't help it really- he's just trying to make the most of the last thing Ursa gave him.
She takes after her father. Brash, aggressive, fiery. Feels the urge to assert dominance. Ozai encourages this behavior- for one set to inherit the world, how else should one act? She carries herself as befits one with the divine right to rule, every motion and word designed to make you follow her (or else).
Ozai doesn't blink when his little girl first bends fire. It is a foregone conclusion, after all. He doesn't blink that her fire manifests at a younger age than ever recorded before, doesn't blink that it is blue. He teaches her the art of fire, of aggression, of passion, of dominance and victory.
She will grow up to be the Fire Nation's greatest warrior. Today, she already is a warrior. At the age of seven, she already trains with the capital's elite troops. She is already a warrior when Prince Iroh presents her grandfather with a unique catch from the Southern Water Tribe. She cannot know how closely intertwined their futures are. For today, she is the Fire Nation princess, and Iroh's prize is an inconsequential peasant.
…
Prince Zuko is the firstborn of the secondborn. For the first years of his life, he bears the brunt of Ozai's frustration. He has no drive, his father tells him. Useless, a waste. He's not even three, his mother yells back.
One day, his mother is no longer there to yell back. It takes a few more years before Zuko doesn't feel Ozai's frustration any more. Doesn't get anything from Ozai any more. Doesn't get anything from anyone any more.
One year later, something in Zuko clicks. He will not be forgotten, will not be cast aside. He trains at sunrise every day (his father doesn't notice). He trains into the night every night (his father doesn't notice). Finally, Zuko challenges his sister to a spar in front of their father.
Zuko wins the first round because she goes easy. She wins the next two, but Zuko has won back the attention of his father. Ozai smirks from his seat, because he now has two weapons to raise. (Azula isn't happy to lose the attention- she is the secondborn after all.)
…
Prince Iroh presents Fire Lord Azulon with a little girl, claiming her as his ward. (He is the Fire Lord's favored son, so he should get his wish.)
Fire Lord Azulon says no. It is time for the prince to get back to the battlefield after all, and the outskirts of Ba Sing Se are no place to bring a child, not even one who was meant to be dead already. Iroh protests- who else will care for the girl?
The child may remain in the palace, Azulon answers, to be fed, clothed, raised. Iroh is initially shocked at his father's generosity.
She will be given to Ozai (Iroh's heart plummets). After all, his children have never practiced against a waterbender, and Iroh has just given them the perfect opportunity. The war in the north is going nowhere, and his children will likely fight there when they grow older. (He is right, but at the same time so wrong.)
…
"Zuko, go fetch your sister. We have something to discuss."
"No need father," a sharp voice cuts in, "I was just on my way to see you. So, what is this thing that you wanted to talk about?"
Ozai reclines in his seat, clapping his hands to signal to a servant. As the servant exits the room, Ozai starts, "both of you have been progressing well in your training. I believe it is time to add another dimension to your skillset."
"Does this mean I'm ready to learn lightning?" asks the princess eagerly.
"You mean I'm ready," retorts Zuko. "You are much too young to learn to bend lightning. I'm almost the right age to begin."
Ozai cuts off his daughter's growl. "Neither of you is ready for lightning yet. No, what you will be learning is how to fight a waterbender."
Zuko snorts. "And how will that work? We all know the war in the north has not had any sort of victory in years."
"That is true," Ozai agrees, "but it turns out that the south, when left alone, will begin to bear fruit." The servant that had left enters the room again, dragging along a chained girl. "Behold the only waterbender of the south," Ozai continues. "You will learn techniques to kill waterbenders, and you will practice on it."
Azula regards Katara curiously. "This should be fun."
A/N:
So you know the stories where Katara gets taken to the Fire Nation, and then Zutara happens while Azula tries to interfere? This is meant to be the opposite. Any tension between Zuko and Katara is them actually not liking each other, meanwhile Azula is trying to push them together for her own reasons.
No idea how long this will be, but I imagine I will be working on it intermittently during all of summer break. The story should hopefully cover up all the way to the war ending, which would make it much longer than what I've done before.
F&F, R&R!