Chapter 219: Lashing Out (3)
"The Fire Sages once prophecized that the lineage of the Avatar and the Imperial Family will produce the best and the strongest firebender this world has ever seen," Ozai sighed with his arms crossed and began the tale as he claimed to be the 'beginning' of it all, "Once Avatar Roku passed away, or so it's said, he disappeared, my father meaning your grandfather— Azulon, found the descendants of Avatar Roku and as if fate itself indicating to the validity of the Prophecy, these descendants had a young daughter named Ursa, and Azulon had a young son, Ozai— me."
Looking over at Zuko fondly and not looking like the kind of guy who wishes to burn everything and reign over the remaining as a 'god' that Nik and others claimed with plenty of evidence gained from the act of brainwashing others, Ozai chuckled, "I see her in you, Zuko. My once beloved. Oh, I fell for her the moment I laid my eyes on her. A vivacious spirit with the heartiest smile. She was a dedicated woman. A familial one that every man desires. That every man would wish to love and shower her with everything they have. And she was quick to acquaint herself with the royal etiquettes and we married soon after. Your late grandfather, your uncle, your late aunt, and your late cousin were all in attendance as the Fire Sages blessed Ursa and me with a bond lasting ages."
Chuckling in a self-deprecating manner, Ozai looked at Zuko and commented, "As you can see, that was a lie."
Zuko's tears had dried down by now and he had calmed a great deal, finally making him speak up, "What do you mean?"
"I..." Ozai's tone hitched slightly and forcefully took a deep breath and adjusted, "No, WE, had you. Zuko, my eldest. I was happy. So much that you would not believe it. I imagined you turning out like your Cousin, Lu Ten. Honoring the Imperial Family with your righteous heritage but... you would remember it, right? Compared to Azula, you never were the talent that a prophecy can detect."
Zuko bit his lips as he recalled his earlier days when he felt a hand ruffle his hair, "I regret being that strict with you," Ozai sighed and whispered, "It was for your own safety. I never wished any harm to fall upon you so I had to be that very poison that stunned your development."
"Huh?" Zuko looked up while Ozai retracted his hand and walked across the table. Taking out an old, yellowed piece of paper, Ozai continued with a sad expression.
"Azula was far too talented. She learned everything taught to her as if she was made to soak in the traditions of firebenders to their entirety and build on them. Your grandfather noticed this, too. But that, in turn, made him question your ability... and thus, lineage. Read this... your mother wrote it once on a full moon..."
Ozai passed on the scrolled paper while adding, "To her lover."
Zuko's eyes widened in shock.
'Does he know about Nik?'
Yet, as Zuko unfurled the old, dusty letter, his lips pursed while his expression paled a great deal.
— Ikem, every night without you leaves me colder and colder. Every meal without you leaves me more and more starved of your love. But what you left me with, our Zuko...—
The more Zuko read the more terrible his expression grew as he simply could not believe all this. He couldn't imagine... being a bastard.
His glance hurriedly stretched up to look at the figure of a man who looked heartbroken. Zuko would know. He, too, felt his heart turning into shreds seeing Jin with Azula once upon a time but this was truly...
"It's alright," Ozai smiled comfortingly, "Maybe it's just a cruel trick of fate but you look more like me still. Hah," sighing deeply, Ozai continued, "I will not lie to you. This letter was found by me and I was afraid that your grandfather might have you... extinguished. I told your Mother about this. I was furious, mind you. I had this Ikem killed. And later when Ursa learned of all this... she assassinated your grandfather as revenge against me with poison while your uncle was away. I took someone from her and so did she but she didn't stop there and spread a sleeping concoction over the royal palace that very night before escaping with you and Azula... my successor and the apple of my eyes... both my children, you, became her hostages. Her words, not mine. And if I ever tried to seek you out... she would have killed Azula."
Zuko's mind felt numb at this point, his eyes still wide but Ozai continued to reveal everything, "Eventually we won the war and that's when I decided to truly find you. War kept me... at peace. It made me look away from the notion of never meeting you. Made me escape that pain. But when the war was won... I could not even sleep. Six years... that's how long it took. Six years of anguish and many more haunted my sleep with nightmares and ailed my being with the horror of never seeing you. Even if Ursa claims you to not be my blood... Zuko, you shall forever remain my eldest. My successor."
Zuko's shoulders shuddered as he muttered, "I don't believe you..."
"Then maybe you would believe her... come with me," Ozai sighed and stood up while Zuko just followed through the motion, still unable to digest whatever he had heard.
Ursa killing Azulon? Using Azula as a hostage? Having an affair?
He could understand the last part now given their situation but everything else— No!
In the back of his mind, after the terrible betrayal from Kei Lo who walked right behind the father-son duo, Zuko was more willing to believe that this was a ploy to trick him somehow instead. So, Ozai led the way. Every man and woman of every position bowed to him and Zuko as they traveled through the large structure that the 'captive' had yet to view from the outside but Zuko was beginning to believe that this location was most likely the Phoenix Palace of the Phoenix City.
Once they climbed down many flights of stairs until the luxurious surroundings turned into an iron dungeon, Ozai finally questioned, "Son, do you believe that spirits exist?"
"I... don't." Zuko believed in what he saw. He believed that 2 Avatars could exist but not spirits yet Ozai chuckled.
"I see... but I assure you, they do. Each spirit is unique. Dai Li agents, whom you fought off largely, once discovered a spirit by the name of Dhi. An ancient being of untold knowledge and wisdom and from that very being did the Dai Li learn how to control the minds of others."
Looking back at Zuko with a somber expression, Ozai claimed, "And that's why Dai Li needed to be extinguished. They used my name to convert many, even a few individuals loyal to me. For instance, Mayor Ukano in Omashu. There are a few more individuals in Fire Nation who are controlled, too. All of them victims of Dai Li's act as they prepared to cause a civil war."
Zuko frowned silently. From what he had been told before, it was the exact opposite of what Ozai had been claiming but there was no way to verify that. The Dai Li was entirely captured and then...
Extinguished.
"The men loyal to your rebellion under the valiant Blue Devil are held behind these iron doors. Fret not, they are unharmed but still sleeping for the moment," Ozai shook his head as Zuko grew flustered before chuckling, "To think that my son is so capable... leading war-hardened men at such a young age. It feels fulfilling."
Zuko remained silent yet again. He wanted Dai Li and the fire nation soldiers to not hurt his village and other villagers so he adopted the mask of Blue Devil... but the entire rebellion was Azula's genius who claimed she had nothing better to do. But... he couldn't tell that. Something stopped him. And it wasn't him trying to protect Azula but just accepting... the praise from that man.
They soon reached the lower levels of the dungeon as Zuko kept his wits about him and made sure to remember the path in case he needs to bust out his men from the prison. Ozai eventually stopped at the last iron door and then looked at Zuko seriously, "Son, steel your heart. No matter what you see and may hear... remember, I will be right by your side irrespective of anything. I apologize beforehand but the quicker we father and son deal with this, the better."
Ozai opened the door. The prison was without any decoration but a chain around a woman's wrist that kept her arms over her head with a tired expression marring her beautiful face as she kept above the floor. A trace of blood was clear from her wrists, clearly due to the chains.
"Mom!" Zuko cried out in shock.
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Alternative Title: Ozai— Not Resting Till Oscar.
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