Chapter Text
Aang was upset as he listened to the monks say they were gonna send him away to another temple to learn how to be the avatar! He never even wanted to BE the avatar!? Aang had flown off, and returned to his room.
Aang flew off on his pet and best friend Appa. Appa was a flying bison. A six legged giant creature with arrow patterns on their head and were part of the species of the original air benders. While flying away, Appa and Aang ended up getting caught in a storm.
Aang screamed as he and Appa tried their hardest to navigate through the storm. Unfortunately, they crashed into the ocean. The two nearly drowned. Aang, in a moment of desperation, activated the avatar state.
The avatar state is a powerful ability used to grant the avatar all the power of their past lives. However, if the avatar is killed in the avatar state, the cycle- air, water, earth, fire- will be broken. And no more avatars will ever live.
Aang ended up waterbending an air bubble around them, trapping them. This however, had severe consequences. Raava. The spirit of light. Realizing that Aang would not be able to save the world in this state, left his body and moved on in the cycle.
There was one problem though, the fire nation. They’d just destroyed the air nomads, not long after Aang left. The fire nation searched for each new avatar. Killing them young, so they would not have time to master all the elements, which would be near impossible without an air bending teacher. Both the water and earth nation avatars didn't live too long, due to this hunt. Now, the avatar is supposed to be reborn in the fire nation.
Zuko was the first born of Princess Ursa and Prince Ozai. He had a younger sister who was a prodigy in firebending, while he could barely bend at all. For a while, his family thought he was a nonbender.
Ursa protected her son, and while she would never admit it, Zuko was her favorite child. Just like Azula was Ozai’s. Ursa, however, did love both her children deeply. One morning she went to wake up her son, when she found him doing something she never thought she’d see him do… Earthbending…
“Zuko?! Dear, what are you doing?!” Ursa said, stunned. Her son was a firebender, but he could earthbend!?
“Mom! I can bend multiple elements! Isn’t this cool! Dad’s gotta be proud of me now!”
“Nonono!” Ursa stated, worried for her son. “Your father must never know of this!”
“Wh-what? Why, mom?” The 7 year old was on the verge of tears, as he looked at his mother.
“Hunny, only one person can bend multiple elements,” Ursa explained, calmly. As she guided her son to his bed to sit down and talk.
“Who?” Zuko questioned, sitting next to his mother on the silk sheets.
“The avatar…”
“Th-the enemy of the fire nation!? B-but I’m no traitor!? I’m loyal to the fire nation!!!”
“I know dear,” Ursa sighed. “But the avatar is meant to stop our glory.”
“What do I do mom?” Zuko asked, tears welling up once more.
“Stay here and do NOT bend. I will return.”
“O-ok, mom.”
Ursa left. She was already coming up with a plan. Her son was 7 and her daughter was 5. She knew he would not betray his nation. But destiny was a funny thing. She had to find a way to keep Zuko safe. She came up with a plan.
“Mira!” Ursa smiled, as she saw the servant in charge of their schedules.
“Yes, my princess?” The black haired servant bowed.
“Clear my and my son’s schedule. I’m taking him on a mother/son vacation.”
“Oh why all of a sudden, my princess?”
“Is it wrong that I wish to spend time alone with my son?” Ursa pulled out her royal persona to avoid mentioning Zuko's new… development.
“I suppose not. What of Princess Azula?”
“I will spend time with her on a different trip.”
“Are you planning on going to Ember Island?”
“I- yes! I wish to take a boat alone with my son. Set up a boat for us. I shall tell my husband and daughter about our trip myself.”
“Of course, your highness!” Mira, the maid, quickly left to prepare the boat. Ursa would not be telling Ozai, oh Agni! Please help her and her son. Ursa walked quickly back to her son’s room. Zuko stood as he saw he mother-
“Zuko, dear,” Ursa smiled, sweetly. “Pack your bags. You and I will be going on a small trip.”
“Oh ok!” Zuko hopped up. “I’ll go get Azula!”
“NO!” Zuko froze at his mother’s harsh tone. “I mean- no, dear. I was thinking about it being just you and me on this trip. I’ll take your sister on another trip.”
“Oh ok!”
“Now come on, we don’t wanna miss the boat!” Ursa packed her own bag and hurried her son to the prepared boat. Ursa smiled at the guards and shooed them away. “This is a mother/son trip. We have no need for an escort.”
“Of course my princess, but what if-”
“I said, we have NO NEED for an escort,” The Fire Lady said firmly.
“V-very well,” The guards saluted their princess and left. Ursa smiled, as she steered the boat toward Ember Island. But as soon as the main land was out of sight, she sailed away toward Earth Kingdom waters.
The fire nation would be looking for them by the week’s end. When they were supposed to return home. But they would never expect the fire nation royal family to be hiding in the Earth Kingdom. Zuko would be safe there. If even the great General Iroh couldn’t break through the walls of Ba Sing Se, then Ozai’s forces would never break through.
Ursa was once a theater actress. So acting was easy for her. She walked over to the sleeping Zuko-
“I promise you this Zuko, you will always be safe. I will make sure of it.”