#dark idea

I'll be honest, I kind of want more stories where Zuko condemns Azula to death/orders her execution/signs her death warrant. Not necessarily stories where she ends up dying in the end but stories where he orders her execution.

As for why he might do that:

She's a massive threat to him and his postwar regime as long as she lives, as she has an extremely strong claim on the throne, while his is kind of tenuous, to say the least. Some of his advisors might urge him to have her killed, for that reason. I could see Iroh "reluctantly" calling for Azula's death, for this reason. Ozai would probably say the same to Zuko, if Zuko asked for advice. And killing her could help symbolically shore up Zuko's authority. All of this is fairly normal for historical royal families.

There's also a personal angle to this. I don't think Zuko's first instinct is to execute her, but he does like the idea of having power and control over her and to some extent having her killed is the ultimate expression of power over her. And if, say, Zuko has agreed to "international trials of war criminals" and thinks that the international tribunal will end condemning her to death, he might prefer to do it himself instead. I'm sure he could come up with some justifications about why this is "better for everyone," but ultimately it'd be about control.

Philip somehow gets a chance to do everything over again. Unfortunately, he doesn't learn his lesson and when he goes back around the second time, he only has two requests: knowledge of the light glyph ahead of time and obtaining Luz Noceda as a baby to make sure she never betrays him later. He plans on killing her and believes it's for the greater good. He has no need for a child who is so easily warped by witches. He’ll get everything else by other means.

This is going to branch off of the Guide AU mashed with a bit of Preluz minus the romance... unless we get into Stockholm Syndrome territory or it ends up being a Beauty and the Beast-esque thing. Who knows? As far as it being the Guide AU, Belos would not have met you until after the events of the series (the original, not his "redo" so he doesn't know who you are) and the Preluz just means it's WAY before the series.

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You were babysitting the night it happened. Camila and her husband had an entire weekend planned for their anniversary and you would have your godchild for at least three days. Luz was barely a year old and you decided it was easier to watch her at the Noceda's the first night and then shift her over to your place the next day since you didn't get a chance to pack her up due to work.

After laying Luz down for bed, you switched on the baby monitor and headed downstairs into the living room where you proceeded to watch tv. It wasn't long after you began to hear a man's voice over the dialogue and you had to lower the volume. At first, you had no idea where the voice with a soft British accent was coming from but it was talking in a way that it would a-

Your attention snapped toward the baby monitor to see that the lights on it were matching the rise and fall of the voice. Luz's giggle came through and your heart dropped into the pit of your stomach. Faster than you have ever moved in your entire life, you jumped over the back of the couch and made a beeline for Luz's room. You may have hurt your leg in the process but your adrenaline did not acknowledge it. There, by her crib in the dark was a tall figure of a man in white and gold with long ash blond hair holding your godchild. 

The gasp you made caught his attention and a pair of cold, piercing blue glowing eyes turned to you.  They caused you to freeze but through the terror, you shakenly demanded that he put her down and for him to get out before you called the cops. With a dark chuckle, the figure melted into the floor with the baby in his arms. You let out a scream and rushed forward to try to process what had transpired before your eyes. Did that actually happen?! Regardless, Luz was gone.

After tearing apart the house, going from room to room, and nearly throwing yourself down the stairs, you rushed out only to hear more giggling from Luz in the distance, toward the old historical house in the woods.  Your heart raced and you did too through the woods, down the dirt path that led to the dilapidated structure. What did this guy want? You had heard stories of babies being kidnapped from their beds by people who would sell them off to other families or worse. All you knew though was this guy wasn't normal. 

You arrived at the historical house to see the figure step up onto the porch and into the doorway, though instead of it being dark, it was glowing a brilliant gold as if it was a portal to another dimension instead of the parlor. The figure disappeared into the doorway and you immediately followed, not pausing to think about what was on the other side. Luz was in danger.

Upon making it through, you were just in time to see the man place a gold mask on his face as he strode away from you, through the hall ahead of him, and up the stairs.  You hadn't noticed either that the doorway behind you had slammed shut the moment you fell through and the whole thing had collapsed inward on itself in a small implosion. There was no way back. Luz's echoing giggle and his chuckle kept you from even thinking about that. You tore after them, skipping two or three steps at a time, your mind on Luz and getting her back safely. You slammed through people in masks if they got in your way and kicked someone almost a third your size when she tried stopping you. You followed Luz's giggling high up into the building, wherever you were only to find the man standing at the edge of a drop that overlooked a gruesome landscape with a massive skull in the distance.

He spoke softly, asking the baby girl if this really was the world she wanted to protect so badly, a world that did not belong to her when she had a perfectly good one of her own. Of course, Luz did not answer with anything but amused babbling. The man sighed solemnly and then proceeded to move to what looked to be an altar to his left where he laid her down.  His left arm began to morph into a grotesque blade and he lifted it above his head. 

"I am truly sorry, but I cannot have you interfere this time. This will be quick and painless, I assure you. It's the least I can do. Goodbye, Luzura."

Your eyes widened at the blade, your mind nearly breaking at the sight of what he was about to do. The scream that was torn from your throat startled him and Luz, enough to cause the baby to start crying from the sheer volume. The man turned quickly and threw his free hand out as you tried to charge him and you felt something tangle your legs. Your body hit the floor hard as a red-clawed hand appeared out of the floor and shot up, snatching you violently by the throat. As you struggled to get loose, several more hands restrained you by your shoulders and pulled your arms behind you on your knees.  When you couldn’t move at all, the man approached you with a murderous glare. 

You pleaded desperately through sobs, tears streaming down your face, for him to not do what he was planning. Luz was only a baby. She had done nothing to deserve this. Kill you instead if he needed a sacrifice or whatever the hell he was doing. Don’t harm her. She’s so little and doesn’t understand anything. Why? Just why?! 

The man tilted his head, his eyes narrowing at you as he waited for you to calm down enough to speak clearly. He began to calmly tell you that Luz was going to grow into something he could not stand for and it was best to end it now. You swore she wouldn’t. He insisted she would, it was only a matter of time. You began to bargain with him, not realizing that he was looking you over with a thoughtful gaze, as if he was realizing something himself.

Then you got angry when he wouldn’t respond to you. Then you said something that seemed to have struck a nerve.

“What kind of man kills something so pure and innocent?! Something so defenseless that needs constant protection!? You’re a monster if you think you can justify this with whatever stupid reasoning you have!”

He pulled away from you with a growl and stormed back toward the altar where Luz was still crying. You watched him place a large hand on her small tummy and it began to glow red, causing you to scream at him again, asking him what he is doing to her. He only glared at you in his peripherals as Luz began to calm down and lulled off to sleep. If it wasn’t for her little chest rising and falling, you would have thought he had killed her in front of you… somehow.

Regardless, you continued to tear him a new one verbally, saying how he has no right to do this, Luz may not even turn out the way he thinks she will, and he’s disgusting for even believing this was an option. When you were done, silence fell, saved for the drumming of his fingers on the altar.

“Fine then. Prove me wrong.”

Your face fell hard.

“W-What?”

The man turned and strode toward you before leaning down close to your face, his blue eyes piercing into yours.

“Prove me wrong. We will raise this child together and we’ll see how she turns out.”

“W-We? T-Together?” 

You stared at him in shock, your mind racing on how he could even suggest such a thing. Luz had a family. She had a very loving mother and father back home. How could he just-?

“Is there a problem?”

Your anger returned and you nearly headbutted him by jerking forward.

“Of course, there’s a problem!”

You laid out everything wrong with this. There was no way you could even allow something like this to happen. Luz had to be returned home-

“Oh, there’s no way for you to go back. That doorway was a single round trip. I simply cannot make another one. There are not enough materials to even make half a doorway, let alone a fully functioning one. I am afraid you are going to have to make a choice. Either prove me wrong or I will have to go through with my initial plan-”

His arm changed back into the blade once more, causing your eyes to widen.

“No! No! Fine, I-I’ll do it! Just-Just, please! Don’t harm her! I-I’ll… I’ll raise her w-with you…”

“Now, was that so hard? All that fuss over nothing.”

The arms that held you in place slowly receded and you found yourself able to move again, only now you were beginning to feel the injuries you had inflicted on yourself in the mad dash to retrieve Luz. Your leg was throbbing and you found you couldn’t get up properly when he ordered you to do so.

“I-I can’t…”

The man let out a grunt before turning and retrieving the sleeping baby from the altar before placing her in your arms. You immediately snatched her and held her to you as your whole body began to tremble, relief washing over you. You couldn’t help but kiss her sleeping form as the tears started to flow once again. While you were preoccupied with Luz, you failed to notice the man’s hands move down to your legs. You let out a loud gasp when the palms rested on the outside of each leg and began to glow. If you weren’t holding Luz, you would have smacked that mask off his face but before you could verbally rip him a new one, he pulled away.

“There. You should be able to stand now. Get up.”

Hearing this, you paused and realized the pain in your leg had disappeared. The man grabbed your upper arm before pulling you to your feet. In an instant, your surroundings melted away and you soon found yourself in a dark bedroom that lit up with a wave of the man's hand.

“You and the baby will be residing here until further notice.”

The man then explained what to expect, who will be by to see you, and what he expects of you while you are staying at the “castle” as he heads toward the door. You’re at a loss for words, trying to keep up with everything he had said.

“Oh. And do understand one thing…”

He turned with a stern glare.

“At the first sign of disobedience and rebellion, I will kill her. Remember that.”

You stared at him in horror as he slipped out of the room, your arms tightening around the bundle in your arms protectively as you sank to your knees with your cheek against Luz’s tiny head.

I hope you’ll read and enjoy this as much as I did while writing this.

The steam was thick and hot. Hero could only see the white smoke and hear wildly bubbling water, they hanged in the air hotter than ever in their life before and knew villain was there and would enjoy the show. “You don’t need to do this…” Hero whimpered weakly and somehow still, even though they hung over their death, they had some hope. Pain and agony hadn’t broken them yet.

Villain laughed and was clearly amused. “I want to do this” they answered loud and the rope slide down a bit. With a rope around their chest and hands behind their back. They yelpt, swallowed hard as the steam burned their bare skin. “Any last words?” Villain purred.

“Hurts…” Hero sobbed, begging for mercy. Tears feel and dried out, their skin bright red by the heat. “Please… Make it stop.” The pain and ropes penetrated their skin, “please…”

Slowly villain lowered hero down, closing down to the water. Hero cried out when their feet dipped down in the water, where they stopped. Quickly they got their feet out of the water, gasped and took deep breathes. “Hot isn’t it?” Villain teased and would let them fall down, drown in boiling water. Unable to hold their breath, only pain, and an agonizing long death. “You deserve this.”

A door slammed open, “it’s time, villain.” A henchman announced, stopped the execution. “It can’t wait” they hurried. Villain sighed loud, lifted up hero a few meters above instead of just above the surface. 

“Right. Hero hang on and our little game will continue” they said flatly. “Henchman, make sure nothing happens until I come back.” Steps disappeared and another, more quiet presence took over for the moment.

Some time past, hero whimpered and felt weaker for every second and minute. “Help…” They whispered with no answer to be heard. Hero had never been so alone ever, were where the help when it was needed. 

Time and time again it was proven hero was lost and defeated. Defeated in utter agony.

The henchman screamed and fought someone off. “Hero, swing your way to freedom!” A familiar voice yelled and reach hero through the thick steam. “Just do as I tell you, everything will be fine.” It was sidekick, they had came to save them. 

“Sidekick…” Hero whispered and tried to do as told. Swinging with their leg, one tormented swing at the time. “Sidekick… Thank you…” Hero gasped and felt hope beyond themselves. With the little strength left they swung for life and hope.    

A shot rang in heros ears, the rope slackened. They were falling, their scream was hoarse. “Nooo!” Sidekick screamed like in trance with heros own. 

The splash hurt in so many ways, the scream drowned in the water. The scream suffocated and was replaced with a gurgling sound. Reaching for the surface, no air, and endless pain. Hero found it hard to even fall into the darkness. Sidekick…

So I have always enjoyed listening to Disturbed. Their mascot is amazing, the stories in the songs are amazing. I have always come up with different story ideas based on their songs or The Guy.

And I came up with another a few weeks ago. Seen as I am sharing my writing ideas, here it is:

I do my very best. I always have done. I have an array of skills, I can speak multiple languages, I am a quick learner. But I never seem to get on with people very well. Maybe its because of the way they made me look, or sound, or act; maybe it was the acts they made me commit. I think that’s it. That’s what pushed me over the edge. That what makes me want to find them, to know get on with them. Makes me want to do the them what they did to me. But I don’t have the chemicals or equipment they had. But I do my very best. I always do.

Let me know what you think.

Tags:

1. Ursa is out of the picture somehow. If you want it to be darker, you could have it that she was executed for killing Azulon or something like that, but Ozai was judged to be uninvolved.

2. Both Iroh and Lu Ten are alive, and Iroh is firelord(you could have a varient where Lu Ten is dead).

3. Iroh could be fully continuing the war, he could be trying to focus the war on conquering the Earth Kingdom(and hence be interested in diplomacy with the Water Tribes), or he could even be interested in winding down the war(with the Fire Nation’s conquests intact, of course).

4. Ozai does something that crosses Iroh’s lines. It could be trying to seize the throne, it could be burning Zuko, or it could be something else entirely. In any case, he’s imprisoned for life or even executed.

5. Iroh likes Zuko, thinks he could be useful, and in any case needs a spare, so he keeps him and basically adopts him.

6. Azula meanwhile has a bad breakdown, with mental health symptoms, because of what happened to Ozai. Iroh never liked or loved her, finds her violation of gender norms to be vaguely threatening, feels like she’s too loyal to her father, uses her breakdown as an excuse to dehumanize her, is afraid of her “madness” “contaminating the royal family’s blood,” knows that her potential claim on the throne is dangerous, and in any case has no interest in raising her himself. 

7. Thus, he decides to subject her to internal exile and permanantly imprison her in seclusion and house arrest on one of the royal family’s estates, far from Caldera, under the care “doctors,” and to strip her and any children she might have of the right to inherit the throne and their royal status. Mind you, Azula is 11 ! (However, note that Azula is imprisoned on a fairly luxurious estate, as befitting a former member of the Royal family).

8. Iroh heavily discourages Zuko trying to visit Azula, since he views her as “unstable” and “a bad egg” that will only negatively influence him. Zuko has problems of his own(including trying to stay in Iroh’s favor and survive), so he obeys.

9. Iroh views all of this as “merciful” and “compassionate” compared to just killing her and dealing with the problem permanently, or just throwing her in Boiling Rock. Mind you, Azula is 11.

10. Flashforward three years later. Azula is still showing signs of “emotional instability” and “mental illness” (read: she’s still an emotional mess due to how she’s been treated and she doesn’t like being imprisoned and is uncooperative), so Iroh is starting think about just sterilizing her to “deal with the problem permanently.”