HOME | DD

Description
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of it's characters. I just play around with them for my own twisted fangirl needs.

     You don't need to know my name. I am but a humble soldier. I myself do not claim to have done anything particularly amazing with my lifetime. But I have witnessed things that will someday be the stuff of legends, and the text of history scrolls. I do not claim to have any starring role in the events I am about to tell you of, but I can take a small pleasure, knowing that, even in a minuscule way, I touched the lives of two of the greatest monarchs in Fire Nation history.

     I was a new recruit, fresh out of the training academy when they sent me to the South Pole for a routine raid on some random village. Supposedly the only thing that resembled civilization down there. I wasn't exactly thrilled. I wouldn't be seeing any real action until I gained more experience working in the field. The journey took about two weeks give or take a few days. We arrived late at night at this tiny little place that looked more like a camp than a village. It was barely one hundred square feet in area. This would be easy. We stormed the village fast and efficiently, just like training. The peasants screamed and ran while their warriors stood up and fought. They were a fearsome, savage bunch, their painted faces seemed to glow in the moonlight as their crude weapons flew at us. They even had a few waterbenders, nine male and one female. I pushed aside the dead body of my last opponent in the section of the village I was supposed to cover, and went to see where my commander was to receive orders. When I reached him, he was holding the female waterbender by the hair, preparing to kill her. I stood there, waiting for him to do his duty to our nation and punish this savage for her defiance. The commander set the woman on fire. I was prepared for the woman's screams of pain, but nothing could have prepared me for the screams that joined them. It was this scream shook the very foundations of what I believed in. And all it was, was one simple word: "MOMMY!!!!" I turned my head and saw a little girl clamoring over the bloody snow and ice, towards the burning waterbender. My commander turned to me, ignoring the little girl's anguished cries, telling me I should gather up what valuables I could and get back to the ship. But I could not take my eyes off that little girl, crying and sobbing before the charred corpse that had once been her mother. I noticed something bright and shiny, still adorning the dead waterbender's neck. It was a beautifully carved piece of some sort of gem that had miraculously not been burned. The ribbon it once hung on was nothing more than ash, but the stone could still hold some value. I picked it up in my hand and looked back down at the girl. She looked up at me with tears flowing from a pair of stunningly blue eyes. And I realized that she needed this gem more than I did. It would give her something more to remember her mother by, than a hideously burned corpse. I took her small hand and placed the gem inside.
     After the South Pole, I lost my taste for the blood and carnage of war, and got reassigned to be a Royal Guard at the Palace. There, I spent my time guarding gates and doing the bidding of the Royal Family. I had a quarters the size of a small apartment in the servants wing of the Palace. I was to be on call for emergencies at all hours. In my years at the Palace, I believe I have gotten to know the Royal family quite well. Azulon, reigning Fire Lord for the first two years of my stay at the palace, kept to himself most of the time. He was harsh, but fair, and had a fairly level head. People say that he was never the same after the death of his wife, Ila. His first born son, Iroh was by far the jolliest fellow of the Royal Family. He enjoyed his tea, and especially loved jasmine and ginseng. He was also very kind and treated servants and soldiers such as myself, very well. I had come to respect him greatly over the years, even after his great defeat at Ba Sing Se. Iroh's younger brother Ozai though, was another matter. Let's just say he wasn't the nicest man on earth...okay he was horrible. He treated everyone like dirt, including his own family. He was cruel and ruthless in everything he did. He was a harsh taskmaster in all fields of life; as a husband and a father. I don't see why Ursa ever married him in the first place. It was really too bad. Ursa was a kind, gentle soul, and the picture of classic Fire Nation beauty. She had long, sliky black hair, full lips and bright amber eyes. She always treated everyone, including my fellow servants and I with dignity and respect. She was a true gem of a woman. When she died, even though the rest of the country and most of the nobles at court acted like nothing happened, we humble serving people mourned her death greatly.
     The most delightful thing about the palace for me at least, was the children. There were four of them, all little bundles of mischief. There was Princess Azula, and her two little friends, Mai and Ty Lee. Azula was never my favorite out of the girls. She was a firebending prodigy, and adorable to boot, but there was just something about her that never seemed quite right. That glint in her eye did not belong in a child as young as she. It even felt... evil. But I liked her two friends. Ty Lee was a bouncy young girl with a talent for acrobatics. Even though she was constantly being bossed around and put down by the Princess, she never seemed to let it get to her. She was the kind of person who could light up a room with her presence alone. Mai was a quiet girl who always had her head in a book. She was nice, but rarely spoke around others, for she was painfully shy. Especially around the young Prince Zuko. Prince Zuko was the older brother of Princess Azula by two years. It was a bit lonely for him, being the only boy, so he would seek companionship elsewhere. Namely, me. I remember when he was young, and his parents and uncle were busy, he used to follow me around and watch me train with my weapons. His older cousin Lu Ten had taught him a great deal about swordsmanship, and after his death, Zuko practiced with his swords constantly. I guessed it helped him deal with his grief and feel connected to Lu Ten. I would teach him new techniques every so often and I must say, that even though he was merely an average firebender, what Azula had in firebending, he had in swordsmanship. Not that that mattered to his father. Poor Zuko was always trying to prove himself to Ozai, but he would have none of it. It was painfully clear to me that Ozai had absolutely no interest in his son whatsoever, and even more so that he favored Azula much more. After Ursa's death, Zuko, feeling more alone than ever, had tried even more desperately to connect with his neglectful father. As if just to torture his son more, Ozai would occasionally spend some "quality time" with his son. I never actually witnessed this so called "bonding", but all I saw was that each time, Zuko would come back with bruises on his face, arms and neck. When I would ask him what happened, he would mechanically reply: "I fell down." This routine made me absolutely sick. The years passed, and the children grew. Azula became colder and crueler than ever, and spent most of her time torturing Zuko or practicing firebending. Zuko became more reclusive with each passing year, yet he never lost that small glimmer of hope that maybe one day, he would be good enough for his father to love.
     I will never forget the day of Zuko's banishment as long as I live. The day he was punished for having a heart of gold. I was in the third row of the Agni Kai stadium. I knew in my heart what would happen, but I didn't want to believe it. I watched the flames rush towards the defenseless boy, as if in slow motion. His scream of agony and despair still rings fresh in my ears today. I wanted to shut my eyes, but I couldn't look away. I wanted to throw up, but my throat was shut tight. I listened in horror to the jeers and boos of the crowd, as the young prince continued to scream in agony, clutching his face. I got up, and ran as fast as I could away from the arena, but I couldn't escape the sound of his agonized screaming. I ran to my quarters and packed my things. I had to get away from this place. I couldn't bear the thought of serving a man who would torture and disfigure his own flesh and blood like that. I wanted to run away, as far as I could, but just as I was about to burst through the door, and on my way to freedom, I realized I couldn't. Where would I go? What would I do? With all the inside secrets I knew about the Royal Family, I would be killed for sure. So at the palace, I stayed, and hoped that the madness would eventually come to an end.

     Nearly three years passed, and the Day of Black Sun and Sozen's comment arrived. I found myself fighting a battle I didn't even believe in. I was in the midst of half heartedly fighting a mixed army of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe soldiers outside the palace. I wasn't so much fighting to kill them, as I was fighting just to survive. But I realized, that if I died here, it wouldn't matter. What did I have against these people I was fighting? Nothing. I felt sick. What was I doing? I dropped my weapons. The soldiers I had been fighting looked shocked to say the least.
     "What's the matter, firebender? Are you surrendering?" said the Earth Kingdom soldier.
     "I guess I am," I said truthfully. "I'm sick of this war. I'm done fighting for Ozai. I joined the Army to protect and serve, not kill and destroy!" I felt better than I had in years. I was saying the words that had been on the very tip of my tounge for so long.
"I wonâ€™t fight you." I remembered the day that my young prince had uttered those very words to Ozai. Would I suffer the same horrible fate as he? The two other soldiers dropped their weapons. We didn't need words anymore. We sat silently, watching the carnage all around, praying that some miracle would come and stop it.
     After what seemed like an eternity, the gigantic main doors to the palace squeezed open with a huge rumbling sound that stopped everyone in their tracks. Out of those doors four people stumbled out, covered in sweat and blood. I was right at the steps to the palace, so I had a good view of the heroes as they made their way out of the temple. The first of the bunch was a tiny little girl with long black hair obscuring her face. She wore traditional clothing of the Earth Kingdom. Next came a young girl in her teens, wearing the blue garb, and face paint of the Water Tribes. Something about her struck me as familiar, as I watched her squint in the bright light of day. And then I noticed it. Around her neck was a charm. Not just any charm, but the charm of the dead waterbender my old commander had killed so long ago. The charm I had given to a little girl, crying over her mother's body. And a shocking realization hit me that made me feel very old. This young woman was that little girl. Out stumbled two other young men. One was rather short, no more than thirteen years of age. His clothes were in tatters, and he was barely able to walk. He had blue arrows tattooed on his forehead, arms and legs. Airbender tattoos. The Avatar. And the boy... no, the man, supporting him was tall and lean, his clothing also in tatters. On the left side of his face... was a red, angry burn scar. My mind flashed back to the moment the flames of his father touched the boy-prince's face. A direct hit. To the left side. Prince Zuko. His messy raven hair was pulled into a messy half-topknot with lots of stray hairs that hadn't quite grown out yet, falling into his eyes. I noticed something shiny in the Avatar's hands. The crown of the Fire Lord. I dropped to my knees as the gravity of the situation finally hit me. The Avatar had won. The war was over. I looked back up at the boy I once knew. That poor, sad, beaten little boy with a shattered spirit and a heart of gold. He had finally grown into the brave young man no one thought he could be. The four teenage heroes looked out at the carnage before them. Most of the fighting had stopped once they emerged from the palace. Thousands of soldiers, Water, Earth and Fire, looked in awe at the Avatar and his companions. The Water Tribe girl put a comforting hand on the Avatar's shoulder and said something inaudible to him. The small Earth Kingdom girl squeezed his hand, and then pushed him forward. And then, clearing his throat, the Avatar spoke.
     "I, Avatar Aang, have defeated Fire Lord Ozai. Taking his place, will be his eldest son, Prince Zuko." Zuko stepped forward, and kneeled in front of the Avatar. He placed the crown in Zuko's topknot, and Zuko stood up, and spoke in that same voice I remembered asking me to play with him...only now deeper and more confidant than before.
     "As my first act as Fire Lord, I declare this war over. All Fire Nation troops are to withdraw from their posts and return home. All prisoners of war will be repatriated, and all lands will be returned to their rightful owners." Shocked silence swept across the entire audience. No one could believe their ears. Was it possible? Then I heard a voice call out from the silence... my voice.
     "Hail Fire Lord Zuko!" I was echoed by more cries, throughout the whole palace grounds, the murmurs and whispers grew to a roar of voices from every nation, praising the new Fire Lord. The young Water Tribe Maiden suddenly embraced the young monarch in a passionate kiss, which he returned. A new age was dawning.

    Time passed, and the Water Tribe girl, named Katara, became the new Fire Lady. Things weren't easy for the new wedded couple, what with the constant peace talks and trying to decide which land belonged to whom. And not to mention that Fire Lord Zuko was the youngest Fire Lord in recorded history. But despite his young age, he was a good leader who knew much of the other nations, having wandered through the Earth Kingdom as a fugitive, and married a waterbender. And as for me? I will remain at the palace, now and for as long as I live. After many a long year of grim servitude to a leader I did not respect, it was a refreshing change to serve someone worth bowing down to. Sure some may have had doubts about the new Fire Lord, and his waterbending Lady, but having witnessed them at their best, and worst, I have absolute confidence in their ability to lead our Nation back to peace and prosperity. And I can't wait until the day when the Royal Palace is once more filled with the laughter of children.

Description
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of it's characters. I just play around with them for my own twisted fangirl needs.

     You don't need to know my name. I am but a humble soldier. I myself do not claim to have done anything particularly amazing with my lifetime. But I have witnessed things that will someday be the stuff of legends, and the text of history scrolls. I do not claim to have any starring role in the events I am about to tell you of, but I can take a small pleasure, knowing that, even in a minuscule way, I touched the lives of two of the greatest monarchs in Fire Nation history.

     I was a new recruit, fresh out of the training academy when they sent me to the South Pole for a routine raid on some random village. Supposedly the only thing that resembled civilization down there. I wasn't exactly thrilled. I wouldn't be seeing any real action until I gained more experience working in the field. The journey took about two weeks give or take a few days. We arrived late at night at this tiny little place that looked more like a camp than a village. It was barely one hundred square feet in area. This would be easy. We stormed the village fast and efficiently, just like training. The peasants screamed and ran while their warriors stood up and fought. They were a fearsome, savage bunch, their painted faces seemed to glow in the moonlight as their crude weapons flew at us. They even had a few waterbenders, nine male and one female. I pushed aside the dead body of my last opponent in the section of the village I was supposed to cover, and went to see where my commander was to receive orders. When I reached him, he was holding the female waterbender by the hair, preparing to kill her. I stood there, waiting for him to do his duty to our nation and punish this savage for her defiance. The commander set the woman on fire. I was prepared for the woman's screams of pain, but nothing could have prepared me for the screams that joined them. It was this scream shook the very foundations of what I believed in. And all it was, was one simple word: "MOMMY!!!!" I turned my head and saw a little girl clamoring over the bloody snow and ice, towards the burning waterbender. My commander turned to me, ignoring the little girl's anguished cries, telling me I should gather up what valuables I could and get back to the ship. But I could not take my eyes off that little girl, crying and sobbing before the charred corpse that had once been her mother. I noticed something bright and shiny, still adorning the dead waterbender's neck. It was a beautifully carved piece of some sort of gem that had miraculously not been burned. The ribbon it once hung on was nothing more than ash, but the stone could still hold some value. I picked it up in my hand and looked back down at the girl. She looked up at me with tears flowing from a pair of stunningly blue eyes. And I realized that she needed this gem more than I did. It would give her something more to remember her mother by, than a hideously burned corpse. I took her small hand and placed the gem inside.
     After the South Pole, I lost my taste for the blood and carnage of war, and got reassigned to be a Royal Guard at the Palace. There, I spent my time guarding gates and doing the bidding of the Royal Family. I had a quarters the size of a small apartment in the servants wing of the Palace. I was to be on call for emergencies at all hours. In my years at the Palace, I believe I have gotten to know the Royal family quite well. Azulon, reigning Fire Lord for the first two years of my stay at the palace, kept to himself most of the time. He was harsh, but fair, and had a fairly level head. People say that he was never the same after the death of his wife, Ila. His first born son, Iroh was by far the jolliest fellow of the Royal Family. He enjoyed his tea, and especially loved jasmine and ginseng. He was also very kind and treated servants and soldiers such as myself, very well. I had come to respect him greatly over the years, even after his great defeat at Ba Sing Se. Iroh's younger brother Ozai though, was another matter. Let's just say he wasn't the nicest man on earth...okay he was horrible. He treated everyone like dirt, including his own family. He was cruel and ruthless in everything he did. He was a harsh taskmaster in all fields of life; as a husband and a father. I don't see why Ursa ever married him in the first place. It was really too bad. Ursa was a kind, gentle soul, and the picture of classic Fire Nation beauty. She had long, sliky black hair, full lips and bright amber eyes. She always treated everyone, including my fellow servants and I with dignity and respect. She was a true gem of a woman. When she died, even though the rest of the country and most of the nobles at court acted like nothing happened, we humble serving people mourned her death greatly.
     The most delightful thing about the palace for me at least, was the children. There were four of them, all little bundles of mischief. There was Princess Azula, and her two little friends, Mai and Ty Lee. Azula was never my favorite out of the girls. She was a firebending prodigy, and adorable to boot, but there was just something about her that never seemed quite right. That glint in her eye did not belong in a child as young as she. It even felt... evil. But I liked her two friends. Ty Lee was a bouncy young girl with a talent for acrobatics. Even though she was constantly being bossed around and put down by the Princess, she never seemed to let it get to her. She was the kind of person who could light up a room with her presence alone. Mai was a quiet girl who always had her head in a book. She was nice, but rarely spoke around others, for she was painfully shy. Especially around the young Prince Zuko. Prince Zuko was the older brother of Princess Azula by two years. It was a bit lonely for him, being the only boy, so he would seek companionship elsewhere. Namely, me. I remember when he was young, and his parents and uncle were busy, he used to follow me around and watch me train with my weapons. His older cousin Lu Ten had taught him a great deal about swordsmanship, and after his death, Zuko practiced with his swords constantly. I guessed it helped him deal with his grief and feel connected to Lu Ten. I would teach him new techniques every so often and I must say, that even though he was merely an average firebender, what Azula had in firebending, he had in swordsmanship. Not that that mattered to his father. Poor Zuko was always trying to prove himself to Ozai, but he would have none of it. It was painfully clear to me that Ozai had absolutely no interest in his son whatsoever, and even more so that he favored Azula much more. After Ursa's death, Zuko, feeling more alone than ever, had tried even more desperately to connect with his neglectful father. As if just to torture his son more, Ozai would occasionally spend some "quality time" with his son. I never actually witnessed this so called "bonding", but all I saw was that each time, Zuko would come back with bruises on his face, arms and neck. When I would ask him what happened, he would mechanically reply: "I fell down." This routine made me absolutely sick. The years passed, and the children grew. Azula became colder and crueler than ever, and spent most of her time torturing Zuko or practicing firebending. Zuko became more reclusive with each passing year, yet he never lost that small glimmer of hope that maybe one day, he would be good enough for his father to love.
     I will never forget the day of Zuko's banishment as long as I live. The day he was punished for having a heart of gold. I was in the third row of the Agni Kai stadium. I knew in my heart what would happen, but I didn't want to believe it. I watched the flames rush towards the defenseless boy, as if in slow motion. His scream of agony and despair still rings fresh in my ears today. I wanted to shut my eyes, but I couldn't look away. I wanted to throw up, but my throat was shut tight. I listened in horror to the jeers and boos of the crowd, as the young prince continued to scream in agony, clutching his face. I got up, and ran as fast as I could away from the arena, but I couldn't escape the sound of his agonized screaming. I ran to my quarters and packed my things. I had to get away from this place. I couldn't bear the thought of serving a man who would torture and disfigure his own flesh and blood like that. I wanted to run away, as far as I could, but just as I was about to burst through the door, and on my way to freedom, I realized I couldn't. Where would I go? What would I do? With all the inside secrets I knew about the Royal Family, I would be killed for sure. So at the palace, I stayed, and hoped that the madness would eventually come to an end.

     Nearly three years passed, and the Day of Black Sun and Sozen's comment arrived. I found myself fighting a battle I didn't even believe in. I was in the midst of half heartedly fighting a mixed army of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe soldiers outside the palace. I wasn't so much fighting to kill them, as I was fighting just to survive. But I realized, that if I died here, it wouldn't matter. What did I have against these people I was fighting? Nothing. I felt sick. What was I doing? I dropped my weapons. The soldiers I had been fighting looked shocked to say the least.
     "What's the matter, firebender? Are you surrendering?" said the Earth Kingdom soldier.
     "I guess I am," I said truthfully. "I'm sick of this war. I'm done fighting for Ozai. I joined the Army to protect and serve, not kill and destroy!" I felt better than I had in years. I was saying the words that had been on the very tip of my tounge for so long.
"I wonâ€™t fight you." I remembered the day that my young prince had uttered those very words to Ozai. Would I suffer the same horrible fate as he? The two other soldiers dropped their weapons. We didn't need words anymore. We sat silently, watching the carnage all around, praying that some miracle would come and stop it.
     After what seemed like an eternity, the gigantic main doors to the palace squeezed open with a huge rumbling sound that stopped everyone in their tracks. Out of those doors four people stumbled out, covered in sweat and blood. I was right at the steps to the palace, so I had a good view of the heroes as they made their way out of the temple. The first of the bunch was a tiny little girl with long black hair obscuring her face. She wore traditional clothing of the Earth Kingdom. Next came a young girl in her teens, wearing the blue garb, and face paint of the Water Tribes. Something about her struck me as familiar, as I watched her squint in the bright light of day. And then I noticed it. Around her neck was a charm. Not just any charm, but the charm of the dead waterbender my old commander had killed so long ago. The charm I had given to a little girl, crying over her mother's body. And a shocking realization hit me that made me feel very old. This young woman was that little girl. Out stumbled two other young men. One was rather short, no more than thirteen years of age. His clothes were in tatters, and he was barely able to walk. He had blue arrows tattooed on his forehead, arms and legs. Airbender tattoos. The Avatar. And the boy... no, the man, supporting him was tall and lean, his clothing also in tatters. On the left side of his face... was a red, angry burn scar. My mind flashed back to the moment the flames of his father touched the boy-prince's face. A direct hit. To the left side. Prince Zuko. His messy raven hair was pulled into a messy half-topknot with lots of stray hairs that hadn't quite grown out yet, falling into his eyes. I noticed something shiny in the Avatar's hands. The crown of the Fire Lord. I dropped to my knees as the gravity of the situation finally hit me. The Avatar had won. The war was over. I looked back up at the boy I once knew. That poor, sad, beaten little boy with a shattered spirit and a heart of gold. He had finally grown into the brave young man no one thought he could be. The four teenage heroes looked out at the carnage before them. Most of the fighting had stopped once they emerged from the palace. Thousands of soldiers, Water, Earth and Fire, looked in awe at the Avatar and his companions. The Water Tribe girl put a comforting hand on the Avatar's shoulder and said something inaudible to him. The small Earth Kingdom girl squeezed his hand, and then pushed him forward. And then, clearing his throat, the Avatar spoke.
     "I, Avatar Aang, have defeated Fire Lord Ozai. Taking his place, will be his eldest son, Prince Zuko." Zuko stepped forward, and kneeled in front of the Avatar. He placed the crown in Zuko's topknot, and Zuko stood up, and spoke in that same voice I remembered asking me to play with him...only now deeper and more confidant than before.
     "As my first act as Fire Lord, I declare this war over. All Fire Nation troops are to withdraw from their posts and return home. All prisoners of war will be repatriated, and all lands will be returned to their rightful owners." Shocked silence swept across the entire audience. No one could believe their ears. Was it possible? Then I heard a voice call out from the silence... my voice.
     "Hail Fire Lord Zuko!" I was echoed by more cries, throughout the whole palace grounds, the murmurs and whispers grew to a roar of voices from every nation, praising the new Fire Lord. The young Water Tribe Maiden suddenly embraced the young monarch in a passionate kiss, which he returned. A new age was dawning.

    Time passed, and the Water Tribe girl, named Katara, became the new Fire Lady. Things weren't easy for the new wedded couple, what with the constant peace talks and trying to decide which land belonged to whom. And not to mention that Fire Lord Zuko was the youngest Fire Lord in recorded history. But despite his young age, he was a good leader who knew much of the other nations, having wandered through the Earth Kingdom as a fugitive, and married a waterbender. And as for me? I will remain at the palace, now and for as long as I live. After many a long year of grim servitude to a leader I did not respect, it was a refreshing change to serve someone worth bowing down to. Sure some may have had doubts about the new Fire Lord, and his waterbending Lady, but having witnessed them at their best, and worst, I have absolute confidence in their ability to lead our Nation back to peace and prosperity. And I can't wait until the day when the Royal Palace is once more filled with the laughter of children.