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attackfishSummary: Ozai and his son share a moment, and he lets Zuko in on a secret.
Author's Note: Written in honor of the release of "The Promise: Part Two". As such, there are spoilers. (And yes, because this is in the Kindle the Wind universe, Zuko is accidentally waterbending at the beginning. The universe is lucky Ozai didn't notice.)
The Turtle-Crab and the Hawk
He didn't think he was ever going to be able to forget the way the water had swirled over his head, and the way the more he had thrashed, the more the water had spun, dragging him down. Zuko curled up in his father's lap and shivered in the heavy, tropical air. "I just wanted to save the t-turtle-crab," he sniffled. "And I couldn't even... And then the wave came, and it's probably drownded." He buried his face in his father's chest.
"Drowned," Ozai corrected irritably.
"Oh Zuko," his mother murmured, petting her son's hair. "Turtle-crabs live under water like fish, they can't drown. It'll be fine. Now." She kissed his forehead. "Your sister needs a changing. I'll be right back."
As she disappeared into the beach house, Zuko looked up at his father. "Do you think Mommy's right?"
Ozai stared down at his son, utterly bemused. "About the turtle-crab?" Zuko nodded, biting his lip. "I suppose, but I have something a lot more important to talk about." He glanced back at the beach house and pulled Zuko up. "Look out over the water. Do you know what's beyond the horizon?"
"Home," he mumbled. Zuko couldn't see it, but he knew it was there. They had sailed over horizon after horizon to reach Ember Island.
"That's to the west of us," he said harshly, and Zuko flinched down. "You're looking east. East of us, beyond the water, lies the entire world."
"Wow," Zuko whispered, the way he knew his father wanted him to.
"Someday, it will all be yours. I will conquer it for you. You will be Firelord." He ruffled his son's hair. "And it will be your strange little whims that decide the fate of nations."
Zuko's tiny brow creased. "But Uncle-"
"Hush. My brother is no concern."
Author's Note: Written in honor of the release of "The Promise: Part Two". As such, there are spoilers. (And yes, because this is in the Kindle the Wind universe, Zuko is accidentally waterbending at the beginning. The universe is lucky Ozai didn't notice.)
The Turtle-Crab and the Hawk
He didn't think he was ever going to be able to forget the way the water had swirled over his head, and the way the more he had thrashed, the more the water had spun, dragging him down. Zuko curled up in his father's lap and shivered in the heavy, tropical air. "I just wanted to save the t-turtle-crab," he sniffled. "And I couldn't even... And then the wave came, and it's probably drownded." He buried his face in his father's chest.
"Drowned," Ozai corrected irritably.
"Oh Zuko," his mother murmured, petting her son's hair. "Turtle-crabs live under water like fish, they can't drown. It'll be fine. Now." She kissed his forehead. "Your sister needs a changing. I'll be right back."
As she disappeared into the beach house, Zuko looked up at his father. "Do you think Mommy's right?"
Ozai stared down at his son, utterly bemused. "About the turtle-crab?" Zuko nodded, biting his lip. "I suppose, but I have something a lot more important to talk about." He glanced back at the beach house and pulled Zuko up. "Look out over the water. Do you know what's beyond the horizon?"
"Home," he mumbled. Zuko couldn't see it, but he knew it was there. They had sailed over horizon after horizon to reach Ember Island.
"That's to the west of us," he said harshly, and Zuko flinched down. "You're looking east. East of us, beyond the water, lies the entire world."
"Wow," Zuko whispered, the way he knew his father wanted him to.
"Someday, it will all be yours. I will conquer it for you. You will be Firelord." He ruffled his son's hair. "And it will be your strange little whims that decide the fate of nations."
Zuko's tiny brow creased. "But Uncle-"
"Hush. My brother is no concern."
