Title: Two Roads Diverged
Word Count: 447
Challenge: 66: In this strange land
Warnings: AU

Ozai had been so confident on the morning of the Agni Kai. He had finally found an honorable way to get rid of his son, without resorting to the unreliable and often messy assassins. The younger sibling would finally surpass the elder, as nature should have it.

Ozai waited for the moment where he could turn around and see the terror written on his weak-willed son's face.

As the cloak fell off his shoulders, he sprang to his feet and saw a sight that made him pause. His older brother was waiting for him, a relaxed smile on his face. This was not supposed to happen.

"I was supposed to fight Prince Zuko," Ozai snapped, as he sunk into a combative position.

"And he thought he was fighting General Lao. I supposed we all got a good surprise today. I figured it was about time I took my rightful place as Fire Lord." Iroh's smile never wavered.

"Father chose me as his heir," Ozai hissed, feeling himself begin to lose his composure.

"I'm the eldest son and we all know Father died under…strange conditions. I've let you have four years. Now withdraw your title so I can avoid losing another family member. Of course, you were going to force me to lose my favorite little nephew, so I suppose the day was meant for blood," Iroh said, a menacing glint in his deceptively kind eyes. It was the last thing Ozai remembered before the pain came.


Ozai found himself stripped of his royal status and banished till he found the Avatar, he wandered around the world on the tiny ship lovingly granted by his brother.

From letters from the family of crew members, Fire Lord Iroh had adopted Prince Zuko as his son and heir. He was told that as horrified as the young weakling had been to see the Agni Kai, Iroh had coddled the boy and comforted him. Now, the pathetic little whiny crown prince was fifteen and honored as the future Lord. Iroh had filled the hole his son's death had left and had returned to his old ruthless self. The Fire Nation burned down Ba Xing Xe and ruled the world.

His precious Azula had been given the choice of going with him to exile, but had chosen to remain in the palace. After a staged palace coup, she had been packed off to a convent. As for his Ursa, she had never been seen again. Ozai was all alone.

No one therefore was surprised when the former monarch committed suicide. No one wanted to be a stranger in a strange land forever. Ozai the Powerful just had not been strong enough to survive a hopeless exile.

AN-Now, had do you think reality would have shifted?