I’m heavily influenced by suzukiblu’s meme responses of a fairly sinister Ursa.
~*~
She was the Regicide, the killer of rulers.
She had no honor, but she had fear.
She would make him fear her.
She stepped forward into the shifting glare of the firewall, hands clasped, face impassive, and knelt down.
“Mom?” The flames died away and the young Firelord sprinted down the steps. “Mom!” The soldiers had warned her about the scar, but she hadn’t realized it would be so... His hug knocked the air out of her. She pushed him back. No, not yet! She couldn’t embrace him yet, if she did, she’d never, she had to...
“Zuko, no.”
The Firelord stared at her. “What?”
“I have to tell you something first. Zuko, I-” She stopped, and forced her voice to keep steady. “I killed your grandfather.”
“I know.”
“And do you know why?” she asked, unable to look at him.
The Firelord bowed his head and nodded. He was shorter than she was still. She wondered how long that would last.
“Then you know I’m willing to do whatever has to be done.” She stood back, hands in her sleeves. “And I’m willing to do it to you.”
When he spoke, the word came out only as a dull croak. “Mom!”
“I already did it once,” she muttered to him. “I killed my Firelord, the father of my husband.”
“Yes!” he gasped. “For me! To keep me alive!”
“And you don’t want his death to be in vain, do you?” she demanded cruelly.
His good eye was wide in his face, like a hole.
She sat down on the steps to the dais, her arms open. He hesitated before he came near and let her hold him. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she breathed, closing her eyes and stroking his burned cheek. Little flinches followed her fingers. “But this ‘cessation of hostilities’? It’s surrender, and it’s shameful. You bring shame to the Fire Nation with it.” Her eyes narrowed and she shook her head. And to say this war is our fault, and pay reparations? The rest of the world is going to eat us alive, and you’re sitting around spitting on the graves of soldiers.”
“I’m not, Mom.” He tried to keep his voice hard, but it just came out small and afraid. “It’s our fault and our responsibility to make it right.”
“Oh my son,” she murmured. “What lies have they been telling you?”
He broke away from her, thinking fast. His feet hammered on the dais steps as he climbed, and when he reached the top, the wall of fire went up before he sat down. “I will consider what you said carefully.
Kneeling back down, she smiled up at him sadly. “I’m sure you’ll come to the right decision.”
As soon as her footsteps fell away, blinking hard, he snatched a piece of paper off the stack and spread it over his writing desk to draft an arrest warrant on charges of treason and murder.
Zuko finds his mother (or more accurately, Ursa finds him)
~*~
She was the Regicide, the killer of rulers.
She had no honor, but she had fear.
She would make him fear her.
She stepped forward into the shifting glare of the firewall, hands clasped, face impassive, and knelt down.
“Mom?” The flames died away and the young Firelord sprinted down the steps. “Mom!” The soldiers had warned her about the scar, but she hadn’t realized it would be so... His hug knocked the air out of her. She pushed him back. No, not yet! She couldn’t embrace him yet, if she did, she’d never, she had to...
“Zuko, no.”
The Firelord stared at her. “What?”
“I have to tell you something first. Zuko, I-” She stopped, and forced her voice to keep steady. “I killed your grandfather.”
“I know.”
“And do you know why?” she asked, unable to look at him.
The Firelord bowed his head and nodded. He was shorter than she was still. She wondered how long that would last.
“Then you know I’m willing to do whatever has to be done.” She stood back, hands in her sleeves. “And I’m willing to do it to you.”
When he spoke, the word came out only as a dull croak. “Mom!”
“I already did it once,” she muttered to him. “I killed my Firelord, the father of my husband.”
“Yes!” he gasped. “For me! To keep me alive!”
“And you don’t want his death to be in vain, do you?” she demanded cruelly.
His good eye was wide in his face, like a hole.
She sat down on the steps to the dais, her arms open. He hesitated before he came near and let her hold him. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she breathed, closing her eyes and stroking his burned cheek. Little flinches followed her fingers. “But this ‘cessation of hostilities’? It’s surrender, and it’s shameful. You bring shame to the Fire Nation with it.” Her eyes narrowed and she shook her head. And to say this war is our fault, and pay reparations? The rest of the world is going to eat us alive, and you’re sitting around spitting on the graves of soldiers.”
“I’m not, Mom.” He tried to keep his voice hard, but it just came out small and afraid. “It’s our fault and our responsibility to make it right.”
“Oh my son,” she murmured. “What lies have they been telling you?”
He broke away from her, thinking fast. His feet hammered on the dais steps as he climbed, and when he reached the top, the wall of fire went up before he sat down. “I will consider what you said carefully.
Kneeling back down, she smiled up at him sadly. “I’m sure you’ll come to the right decision.”
As soon as her footsteps fell away, blinking hard, he snatched a piece of paper off the stack and spread it over his writing desk to draft an arrest warrant on charges of treason and murder.
She was the Regicide, the killer of rulers