Ozai
EbonyQuill
Summary: After his mother's death, Ozai meets his future wife by the turtleduck pond.
Disclaimer: I definitely don't own it. I bow down to you, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
Author's Note: I wrote this two years ago after an Avatar: The Last Airbender creative high. I never published it because I thought that I would add more to it, but I've realized that I'm not the best at updating stories. Regardless, I think it's a little better as a one-shot.
As a child, he hardly batted an eyelash if another child would make fun of his school projects (not knowing who he was, of course) or a shy young girl perfectly timed it so that her stride would match his casual walk to snack time.
As a teenager, he rarely blinked if girls giggled in his direction or if another boy excelled further than him in weaponry and agility. (Firebending was his forte and no one could beat him at that.)
As a young adult, he scarcely glanced if a high-ranking general visibly scoffed at his military suggestions or if a mother forcefully pushed her daughter onto the dance floor in front of him.
He was the Prince of the Fire Nation - the epitome of divine right. He hardly showed emotion.
Most believed that this made him reserved, quiet, mysterious, noble... others claimed that his aloofness was a hindrance and a well-hidden penchant for snobbery.
His brother Iroh was the complete opposite. He had a hard military mind, but was entertaining and jovial during social gatherings. Where he was an aimless youth flanked with women, alcohol, and war tactics, he had found inner balance with the marriage to his beloved Wai-Lin and the birth of his cherished Lu Ten.
Fire Lady Ilah enjoyed her first son's happiness. It reminded her of Azulon during their youth when they hadn't even begun to think of marriage or of the fact that he, her childhood friend, would one day be an all-powerful Fire Lord.
She, however, often feared for her younger son's humility. He hardly expressed his feelings - even to her. When he did, they were thoughts of carelessness and little value. What he thought of the weather, how he enjoyed the Sun Festival decorations, why he thought mud baths were useless... There were only a few subjects he was very passionate about: Firebending and the army.
Lady Ilah assumed this was normal behavior for a boy his age. As a second son, he would be flanked with military responsibility where Iroh kept loose ends. Other boys also dreamed of fighting prowess and glory... but they also dreamed of other delights.
When she expressed these concerns to her youngest son, he merely shrugged. Ozai reminded her of Azulon in his early military years - so sure of his choices, never taking a second calculation. But Azulon had had her waiting in the Fire Nation as he went to the front lines. This was why some of his split-second choices were to take the safer route, to better plan an invasion, to be more diligent with this mission, that weapon... to get himself into one piece back to his beloved.
Azulon insists that it he is simply just building his character - silently testing out the waters. Ilah will sigh and carelessly trace the wrinkles in her husband's hand, the issue still probing at her mind.
The girls in the Fire Nation are scoffed at by their mothers. It is not that hard to interest a man, they say. -They- have never had to deal with a more unwilling prince.
Ozai will dance with pretty girl after pretty girl, but his mind thinks of the dance mechanically. One step forward, two steps back... if the enemy complies, our dance will be victorious. "The enemy" - the girls who are trying to share a piece of his birthright when they show that they have nothing to offer except a flirty disposition and something nice to look at.
Mothers know that Ilah won Azulon's heart through familiarity - he always came back to her. Prince Ozai had no long-term female friends - none of the girls his age shared his interests of military, weapons, and Firebending.
Fathers duly noted that General Tazu strategically invited his daughter Wai-Lyn to a royal outing, but that her inviting charm, underlying wittiness, and subtle beauty had enchanted Crown Prince Iroh. So far, all the girls who had tried to catch Ozai's eye followed Wai-Lyn's example. Besides his mother, she was the only female constant in his life.
Wai-Lyn also failed to provoke the Prince's reactions. She often teased him about this girl, that girl... while her husband was off in the front lines and Lu Ten often slept in his young age, she found companionship in the prince. He was not a good conversationalist, but Wai-Lin enjoyed watching him interact with the world. He always appeared to be foreign to everything.
She'd casually bring up last night's ball and slyly ask if he preferred the girl with the braids or the one with the double buns. She would roll her eyes when he says neither and proceeds to burn a fighting dummy to a crisp.
She kisses the top of her beloved son's head as he sleeps in her lap. Wai-Lyn hopes that the continuous love from his parents will make the Prince Lu Ten strong and unafraid of his emotional ties to the rest of the world. As the infant smiles in his sleep, Wai-Lyn looks at the young man in front of her and wonders what will elicit his unconscious smiles.
Ozai glows from excitement when Iroh returns home. With him, he brings war stories including techniques, the enemy, and the grittiness. Ozai shows that he is pleased with smiling eyes that don't quite reach his line for a mouth.
Iroh understands when Ozai clenches and unclenches his jaw when they first see each other after an absence of three months. Iroh engulfs his younger brother in a strong embrace. Ozai, too, understands. He stiffens, but places his arms around his brother.
As always, Iroh makes light of the situation. I don't have dirty Earthbender germs on me, he jests. Ozai forcefully provides his brother with a small smile.
Iroh accepts it. He hasn't seen Lu Ten in days and is only slightly humored by his younger brother's lack of emotion. He steals away to converse with his infant son who will smile and laugh at him.
Fire Lady Ilah has fallen ill. Azulon almost kills the physician who delivers the news. Iroh, who was casually talking to him about Lu Ten and the infant's most recent havoc-making, has to restrain his father through his softly falling tears.
Ozai is in the garden when he receives the news from a messenger sent by Wai-Lyn. He sits for a little longer, not -seeing- the turtleducks, but contemplating. He rises slowly and sends his eyes downcast. He hurriedly walks to his parents' chambers.
Everyone else in the garden realizes that something is horribly wrong.
When he arrives, he sees that Wai-Lyn is fiercely holding onto her son and is numbly looking at the floor. He notes that even though she is holding Lu Ten in a loving mother's grasp, her knuckles are white.
She doesn't even look up to greet him. Lu Ten smiles ignorantly and Ozai finds himself lifting a corner in his mouth. He knows that Lu Ten goes wild for any reaction from him.
Ozai walks further down the hall that leads to his father and mother's room. There are physicians strewn about, as well as maids carrying warm water, towels, and newly laundered bedsheets.
The last time a hallway in the palace was filled like this was when Wai-Lyn gave birth. Ozai blinks furiously in a fast procession. It can't be that serious.
He sees his brother stalk out of the doors leading to the antechamber. His face is tear-stained and his eyes are red.
Ozai does not assume the worst. His brother would be a heap on the floor if their mother had already passed.
Iroh looks up at his younger brother, his view blurred from clumps of salt-water tears in his eyelashes. He chokes out that their mother wants to see him.
Ozai nods and makes his way towards the door, but not before clamping a supporting hand on his brother's shoulder. Iroh smiles at him - he still looks miserable.
Ozai then strides to his mother's room, ignoring the people around it. When he enters, the curtains are drawn and there is fire all around them. Hundreds of candles surround the room.
The doctor mentions something about trying to sweat the fever out of her. Ozai sends his eyes downcast. The doctor thinks that he hasn't heard him and repeats himself.
Ozai ferociously glares at him. The doctor cowers back... he did not need another death threat today.
'Ozai,' a croaky voice from behind the deep maroon canopy calls out. When the young man looks out, he finally notices that the chair beside the window is not empty. His father has his face in his crumpled hands and is slouching in a weathered, defeated way.
This is the first time Ozai has ever seen his father like this. It alarms him to no end.
He rushes to his mother's side. She looks brittle and her face is impossibly more pale than usual. He takes her hand in both of his and flinches at the veins that were clearly visible through her sickly pallor.
She whispers a prayer and he closes his eyes, opening his mind to the spiritual world. After she is done with the traditional words, she continues.
Ozai feels tears trickle at the corners of his eyes when he realizes that she is not praying for her health, but for the fortune of her family.
She is not fighting to win this battle.
When Ilah finishes and opens her eyes, she thinks she is imagining silent tears falling down her youngest son's face. She slowly raises a hand and touches his face. When she feels the moistness, she smiles at him.
He presses his face into her hand as she carefully traces the lines of his features.
There is no exchange of words. Ilah's motherly instinct knows that this interaction tells Ozai everything he needs to know.
Her fingers lightly touching his face - her uneding love for him. Her twinkling eyes, wrinkled at the corners - her hope for his future. Her knowing smile - her pride in his ventures.
His fingers are shaking. His eyes are glimmering, tears at the corners. His smile is faltering after having been so forcefully put on his face.
'Mother, I -.'
His voice cracks. He cannot finish. Ilah's smile widens and he is comforted by the fact that she understands.
They stand like this for a few more minutes: Ozai, leaning down to his mother's side; Ilah, weakly looking up at her youngest boy.
With every smooth plane in Ozai's face, Ilah sees their favorite memories emerge - mostly from his childhood. With every line in his mother's face, Ozai recalls his most cherished moments with her including some that make him quietly laugh to himself.
At times, he finds his mother gently widen her smile: they are remembering the same memories.
A quiet sob from Azulon breaks their perfect reverie. Ozai sends a quick glance to his father who has one hand tightly grasping the arm-rest of his chair and the other clamped over his eyes.
He looks back at his mother and swoops down to kiss her forehead - so brittle, fragile, weak.
She musters up all the strength she has to encourage her smile to reach her eyes. For a moment, Ozai memorizes the final glow in his mother's body before she settles back into her resting position.
With a final squeeze of the hand and the brushing of her lips against his forehead, he practically runs out of the room, not looking back. He fears he will resemble his father if he does.
He ignores his brother and sister-in-law who are tightly hugging each other with little Lu Ten grasping a handful of his mother's hair between them. He ignores the maids and doctors who have known him since his childhood. He ignores everyone - and walks briskly to the garden.
He arrives there in what he believes is no time.
There is only one other person there. A girl with long black hair and golden eyes.
Everybody else had gone home to demand explanations for the royal family's reclusion.
Ozai dismisses her and sits down on the grass by the edge of the turtleduck pond. He looks at the animals aimlessly.
A million thoughts cross his mind - he wishes he was intelligent enough to save her, he wishes he was coy enough to convince her to keep fighting, he hopes that he'll never end up like his father today...
He thinks of his mother's fragile state and sends his eyes downcast looking at the grass under his fingertips.
An open hand obscures his scrutinization of the greenery. It is smooth and unlike his mother's ancient ones. In the center of the palm, there are bread crumbs.
Ozai looks up - he plans to shout at her, berate her, reprimand her. Why doesn't she understand?
It is the girl who was silently sitting at the other side of the garden. She remains silent and does not cower under his stare. She merely flexes her hand filled with breadcrumbs.
He looks miserable and sends his eyes downcast. But he extends a hand to her.
The girl tilts her hand so that a fair amount of the crumbs fall into his palm. She silently sits a few centimeters away from him and tosses a piece of bread into the pond.
He follows suit. His next throw is a little harsher and the bread crumb bobs underwater for a few seconds before re-emerging. Each toss of bread becomes stronger. Finally, he furiously makes a fist and with all the anger inside of him, chucks the morsels that used to be bread crumbs into the pond.
The girl looks slowly at his extended arm; the one closest to her. It is tense and unforgiving - it looks like it doesn't care what or who it hurts right now. She does the unthinkable.
She delicately places her fingers on his arm and gently pushes it back towards his side. Ozai looks at her as if she is crazy and the small, encouraging smile on her face tells him that she is, to some degree.
The muscles in his face tense; his jaw clenches, his eyes strain, and he doesn't know how he looks like to her. Her eyes merely soften.
Her hand lingers on his arm and he does nothing to push it away. He finally turns his head to watch the turtleducks who appear baffled as to whether they can eat the paltry-sized breadcrumbs he threw.
The girl slowly raises her hand off of his arm, but he finds himself grasping her wrist unconsciously. He doesn't look at her, but she interpreted his brash movement. She settled her hand on his and laced her fingers through his.
He absentmindedly strokes her hand with his thumb. She surprises him again and places her head on his shoulder. Ozai shocks himself when he rests his head on the crown of her hair.
After the lights dim and he sees important generals pass through the hallways in white, he stands up abruptly, leaving the girl placing her hands on the grass to steady her balance. She notices the white clothing - she says nothing, but appears to be sad.
Ozai turns to leave, but revolves to look at her one last time. She merely offers him a weak smile and he memorizes her face: deep black-brown locks, straight, cute nose, full, red lips.
They don't know each other. But Prince Ozai knows that after today - they will.
So... what did you think? :) Reviews would be greatly appreciated.