Dragon At Heart

Chapter 22

22. Children of War

Zuko wouldn't cry. He wouldn't.

Azula was snickering next to him. Zuko tried to pay no mind to her.

Ozai looked disapproving, disinterested even. Zuko briefly wondered which was worse.

The young Prince felt soar and tired, but he got up nonetheless. He had to get this kata right before Ozai would leave or punish him or both.

His father was a busy man. He didn't have time for failure. He didn't have time for Zuko.

The Prince was eight years old. Definitely old enough for this level of firebending. He could do this. He didn't have a choice.

Zuko took a deep breath. Then he moved his hands and feet the way he'd been shown, and finished the move with a decisive jumping kick.

No fire came. Zuko had done everything exactly right this time, but still he hadn't produced even the smallest flame.

Ozai didn't say anything. Zuko didn't dare to look up and face him. He didn't have to look to know what his father was thinking.

Disappointment. Insolent coward. No son of mine.

Even so, Zuko wouldn't give up. He'd prove his worth.

The Prince got up, preparing to try again, but suddenly Ozai spoke.

"Prince Zuko."

Now he had to look up. For a moment the child hoped that his father would tell him something that would help him complete his task, but the look on his father's face erased that hope.

Father looked furious: "You have betrayed me."

Zuko's fear was starting to show and his voice came out like a plead: "No! Let me try one more time. I promise to get it right this time. I promise to be a better son."

"You have betrayed me, your own father, your Fire Lord", Ozai's voice boomed in the empty stone hall.

Suddenly, the hall wasn't empty as fires rose all around them, surrounding them.

Azula giggled: "Oh Zuzu, did you really think that you could ever be good enough to be forgiven what you are? You aren't even a firebender."

Now it was Zuko's turn to be furious: "Of course I'm a firebender!"

Azula always lies.

To prove Azula wrong, Zuko tried to call a flame to his hand, but none would come.

Panicking, Zuko tried to draw a flame from the fires around him, but again to no avail.

"Father never even wanted you to succeed!" Azula chimed, "And why would he? Why would anyone want you?"

Zuko, now ten years old, looked around himself, trying to find something that would make things better. That was when he saw Ursa standing at a doorway, outside the circle of flames.

"Mother!" Zuko called for her, but although Ursa looked directly at him, she didn't say anything. She just stood there looking at him with a blank expression on her face.

Ursa lifted her hand and, for a moment, Zuko thought she would come to his protection after all, but instead she pulled a curtain to block the doorway and herself from view.

Zuko turned around very slowly to face his father.

Now it was only him and Ozai in the circle of flames.