Unwillingly taken

All this time spent in vain, wasted years, wasted gain

All is lost, hope remains and this war’s not over

There’s a light, there’s a sun

“Well well, what a MARVELOUS coincidence. You see, I will NEVER understand how you can treat Zuko the way you do either!” Ozai replied with a tone full of anger and burning eyes of rage. “I am simply trying to PREPARE him for life, while you are coddling him into nothing more but a pampered adornment!”

“Deep down, you know that the boy is useless. You are just letting your pathetic mother instincts take over your mind and body, which blinds you about the TRUTH!” the prince spoke with a voice just as harsh as he intended it to be.

"preparing him for LIFE ?" She asked, her voice louder yet again, anger visible in her golden eyes. "What you do is not preparing him! You're TORTUTING him, that is what you do!” she exclaimed and clenched her hands to tight fists. She couldn’t understand HOW he could treat his own son like that - like he was worthless and just a simple FAILURE. 

“When you would treat him better you would see that he is not USELESS. He really is trying to please you but you close your eyes and simply IGNORE it! All you see is Azula and how much better she is than Zuko. Ever thought about the fact that it is like that because you never ONCE have a good word for him?” she asked and then shook her head, gaze wandering away from her husband. 

Since this theatre was a public place, they both needed to look respectable. After walking back up to the beachhouse, Ozai changed into a light, crimson coloured robe with golden embroidery in the sleeves and waist. Underneath, he wore a simple tunic in matching colours. On his feet, he wore dark, pointy shoes which just covered the feet, no need to wear boots in a weather like this. 

The prince did not care much for jewelry, like his father sometimes did. Everybody already knew that they were royality, no need to showe oodles of golds into their face to prove it. When he was finished getting dressed, the prince headed over to the dressing room where Ursa was. 

A pleasing look hit his eyes as he enterd the room. Ursa was dressed simple, but yet, extravagant enough to be seen with him. Again, she looked so beautiful, that Ozai could not help but smile. Walking over, he reached his hand out for her to take, feeling a GLIMMER of excitement in both her voice and his heart. 

She felt a tingle in the pits of her stomach. Ursa was EXCITED for this evening - the play they were about to see would remind her of her old life, maybe even help her to get over it. And she would share this love for the theatre with the someone she was learning to love - or at least to accept in her life. 

And yet, Ozai’s mind wandered off in the depht  in her eyes, his heart beating faster with each passing second, pupils dialted, and he felt… Something. Something he knew that he should not feel. From the start, he tried to be not only a good son but also a good husband, and prove, prove to SOMEONE that he was worthy of someone elses love. Ozai understood very well, that even if he was the one who was asked to produce maybe one of the most powerfull lines of firebenders in history, his own father would never love nor respect him. Iroh was, and would always be, the favourite. 

Just like Ursa, Ozai also wondered if what he was doing was alright. The kiss, altough unpredicted, was welcoming, and in the heat of the moment, he never wanted their lips to part again. Yet, the feeling of love being nothing more but a weakness hung over his shoulders like a heavy brick, and he started to feel like a burden himself. This was not someone he was supposed to be, someone who felt love.

Blowing out a hot stream of air from his nostrils, Ozai cracked his eyes open and slowly pulled away from the other’s face, still holding Ursa’s hand in a sturdy grip around his own. Her taste, her touch, the sensation of her warm breath tickling his skin, warm lips tightly pressed against his own… It was wrong, but felt natural. 

When he pulled back from the kiss she kept her eyes closed and just remained close to his face as well, a small smile forming on her plum lips she nodded a little at his words. The theatre - she had been EXCITED for it since he told her that they would indeed go to see the play. Slowly pulling her hand from his grip she reopened her eyes and lowered her hands to grab the skirt of her light robes. “I have to change at first - I am sure you wouldn’t want your wife to look like THIS when you go out with her” she said and let out a quiet chuckle before she began to walk out of the water. 

The moment her feet touched the dry sand she already missed the feeling of the water around her legs -- missed HIS lips on hers and she turned her head to look at him for a second, giving him a sweet smile before she leaned down to pick up her sandals from the sand. 

Just half an hour later she was ready again. Her brown hair was braided and tucked behind her ears. She wore a dark red and golden robe, again not one she would wear in the palace, this one was light and yet it showed that she was ROYALTY now. Patting down on the fabric she looked at herself in the mirror for a few moments. Pushing a lose strand of hair behind her ear she bit her lower lip before she turned when she heard someone approach her. 

((I can smell you, @fxrelady ))

Zuko’s eyes met Ursa’s, his hand falling to his side as he watched hers well up with guilt-ridden tears. He raised his brow, feeling a tinge of guilt for having made his mother blame herself for something that she played no part in. 

He took a few deep breathes, trying to ease himself away from the initial shock of having been reunited with his mother. After all, she needed him, and she needed to know that none of this was her fault. 

Swallowing thickly Ursa raised her gaze to look at her son again - the one she had left behind for the sake of SAVING him. She was sure that he knew about it, that Ozai had told him that just to make him feel BAD about himself. But she also hoped that he knew that she did everything in her power to save him. 

Searching one hand in under her robes, he stroked her naked thighs with the back of his palm, breathing desperately into her ear. He was growing impatient, that was a fact. The illusion of once loving her, together with whatever affection he felt had blown away, and all he wanted to do now was to show Ursa what he was willing to do in case of defiance.

“You are not fooling anyone, Ursa. I know that you are afraid, which you should be.,” he spoke and pinched her cheeks between his thumb and indexfinger. “You made a commitment when you were forced to marry me. A commitment to me, YOUR HUSBAND,” he added and leaned foreward to press a hard kiss onto her lips before pulling away. After getting up from the bed, he corrected his robes and brushed a flicker of dust from the crimson coloured fabric. 

“Whipe your tears, Ursa. I am a monster, yes, but I do believe in second chances. I have given you a taste of what I am capable to do. Do NOT repeat your mistake, because next time, I will demonstrate just how cruel and unforgivefull I can be to those who disobey me or my father’s wishes.”

Of course she was afraid - that was obvious. Her skin was even paler than usual, her heat beating so fast she was scared it might beat out of her chest she turned her head to face him again when he spoke. Wincing when he pinched her -- she felt like he was MOCKING her with what he did. “I never once agreed to be your PROPERTY” the woman hissed out before another sob escaped her throat which was then silenced by the kiss he forced onto her lips. 

The moment he finally got up she quickly moved to sit on the bed pulling her robes down her legs again she looked at him with tears streaming down her face. Keeping her chin up HIGH she did as he told her, raised her hand and wiped the tears away from her cheeks. Now - after what he did, she knew better than to DISOBEY him. 

Azula reiterated, her eyes and expression both cold. She didn’t have the mental, or physical energy to deal with traitors and cowards today. Any other person she would have ended by now, shot them down in their path of betrayal.

Was she hesitating because of her own lack of energy, or was it because it was, at the end of the day, her mother.

It must have been her energy. There was no way she could be feeling any emotion at all, let alone one of caring nature, towards this…thing.

As much as she wanted to stay calm - the ACCUSATIONS Azula threw at her weren’t true. Ursa DID try to convince Ozai to let them go all together. She FOUGHT for her children as well as she could but in the end she didn’t want to risk THEIR lifes -- not after she had risked her own to save Zuko from a terrible fate. 

“No! You listen to me now!” Ursa suddenly exclaimed, her voice rather harsh, so unlike her normal tone she spoke in. “I risked EVERYTHING for my children to be safe -- I risked it all, and I wanted to take you and Zuko with me when I left. But your father, whom you are like very much ---, threatened to kill us the moment we leave the palace. I am okay with risking my own life but I NEVER would risk the life of my children!” she yelled before she widened her eyes a little, hand raising to cover her mouth for a moment before she reached out with it, stopping only inches away from Azulas face. 

Zuko stared in silence for a few moments, his mouth agape as he stared at his mother’s face for the first time in five years. She’d  aged–laugh lines forming around her mouth, and wrinkles forming creases around her eyes–but in her gaze he saw that warm glimmer that had left him for what seemed like an eternity now. 

He sucked in a breath, his heart pounding in a strange mix of shock and excitement. “Mom,” Zuko mouthed, his eyes fixated on hers. 

His mouth quivered as he searched for something to say, but Zuko was unable to find anything fitting for this moment. Instead, he he simply watched as Ursa lifted her hand to his face. 

He turned his gaze to her touch, bringing his hand up  as well to rest on hers. He swallowed at the mention of his father, his brow raised as he watched his mother come to realize the extend of the horrors he’d faced after she had left. 

A sigh left her lips - it has been HIM who marked him like that. Ursa knew that she shouldn’t have left her children behind with someone like Ozai, but she never had a different choice. It HURT her to see what happened to him, hurt her to see that Ozai never changed --

part one here.

Don’t look back.

You still…recognize me?

You look like shit.

People can’t change overnight. 

I didn’t get much sleep last night.

I’m used to sleeping outside.

Are we gonna die, ( name )?

I’m crying because I don’t want to die.

If they catch me, they will kill me.

They will pay for what they have done!

Anger won’t accomplish anything.

If you are to blame…then I am equally at fault.

Sorry about yesterday. I kinda flew off the handle.

That’s enough! I’ve got a fucking image to maintain.

Maybe we should leave here and go explore the world!

Go away! Dirty, defective swine!

I’m not like you! I’m different!

You again? Stop bothering me.

( name )…I’m sorry…I’m not strong enough.

I…I wanted to be with you forever.

Alive…Stay alive! Stay alive!

There’s no reason for me to exist anymore.

My life is over. Just leave me alone.

I’ll…I’ll be okay. We need to keep going.

I’m fine! Let’s just go…

I’m a…weapon? What does that even mean? …What am I?

Your past makes no difference. I’ll support you no matter what.

I…I can control my abilities now!

No! Don’t! Don’t look at me!

Welcome back, ( name ). You’ve been through a lot.

But…my body…

I can’t stand to be with you when I look like this…

You…you look just like I thought you would.

I was terrified at first, but I think I’m okay with it.

You monster! You possessed monster!

It is YOU who have lost their humanity! You are the true monster!

Why have you done this?! I just wanted to live my life in peace!

…What have I done? I killed innocent people…I killed them all.

I’m coming…Gotta…catch my breath…

Careful, ( name )! It won’t help anyone if we lose you here!

I’ve been feeling a strange presence around here lately.

I see this transformation has not stolen your terrible sense of humor.

It’s just a little welcome-back gift. It’s not much, I know.

Oh, splendid. By all means, let us undertake a murderous rampage.

You must run now. Do you understand? Run as fast as you can.

I am incapable of being lonely. Or missing others. Or crying.

The harvest was weak again this year, and the people are beginning to go hungry.

People are tired and scared, and…I’m sorry. I’m sorry you have to bear the brunt of that.

People are afraid of us. And really, I understand. I mean, look at me.

Stop. Don’t you dare apologize. You had every right to be upset.

I understand why you did what you did. …Even if I don’t agree.

Why did you have to be here?! Why you?! Why are you here?!

Hitting that thing won’t bring ( pronoun ) back…

This is hardly the happy ending I was expecting.

Revenge is a fool’s errand.

I hear your days of bachelorhood/bachelorettehood are coming to a close.

Thank you…for making someone like me your bride/husband.

You’ve grown into a fine example of womanhood/manhood. I’m sure you will make an excellent queen/king.

I insist you stay with me tonight as an honored guest of the royal family.

The duties of a king/queen are overwhelming! 

Finding light in bad times is the mark of a true leader.

A man/woman works better when he/she has something – or someone – to fight for.

I don’t like this. Weddings are festive occasions. …Should I even be here?

I’d like to get married someday.

All right, that’s enough weird questions. Go to sleep.

You raped our forests and poisoned our streams, and now you slaughter our young!

No! Why did you protect me!?