Chapter 8: A Prince's Burden
The scent of roasted meat and spiced tea filled the air as the Fire Nation warship rocked gently over the rolling ocean waves. The morning sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, its golden rays casting long shadows across the polished metal floors of the ship's dining hall.
Zuko sat at the long wooden table, his fingers idly tracing the rim of his teacup. Across from him, his uncle, General Iroh, was already halfway through his meal, noisily chewing on a piece of roasted duck while humming a tune under his breath.
For a moment, Zuko simply watched the older man.
Iroh…
The man who had once been next in line for the throne. A seasoned general who had conquered Ba Sing Se, only to abandon his campaign after the loss of his son. A man who should have been bitter, hardened, resentful… but instead was this: a cheerful, tea-obsessed old warrior with a soft heart.
If Zuko had woken up in this world blind to what was coming, he might have trusted the man. But he wasn't blind. He had memories—both his own, and those of the real Zuko, whose body he now inhabited. And if those memories were anything to go by, Iroh was a man who would always stand between him and the Fire Nation throne.
Not out of malice. Not out of ambition.
But because Iroh did not believe in Zuko to be like his father. At least not in the show.
"Destiny is a funny thing, isn't it, Prince Zuko?"
Iroh's voice broke through his thoughts, and Zuko blinked, realizing that his uncle had been watching him for some time now.
He cleared his throat, lifting his teacup and taking a slow sip, more to buy himself time than anything else.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Iroh took another bite of his duck before setting it down, licking the grease from his fingers. "I mean that you have done something truly remarkable, my dear nephew. You have captured the Avatar."
Zuko said nothing, staring down at his tea.
"And yet," Iroh continued, his tone turning playful, "you do not look like a man who has accomplished something great."
Zuko let out a slow breath. "It's… complicated."
Iroh chuckled. "Ah, yes. Complicated. That seems to be a recurring theme in your life, does it not?"
Zuko frowned. He wasn't sure if that was meant to be a joke or a subtle jab. With Iroh, it was always hard to tell.
"What do you plan to do with them?" Iroh asked, his voice now carrying a more serious weight. "With the Avatar and his friends?"
Zuko exhaled, setting down his cup. "I intend to bring the Avatar back to the Fire Nation," he said simply. "With the Avatar in my custody, my father will have no choice but to welcome me back. He will see my worth."
Iroh hummed, swirling his tea in his cup. "And what of the other two?"
Zuko hesitated for half a second.
"Katara and Sokka…"
They were important to Aang. That much was clear and he knew as much from the show. And the old Zuko—the one who had once been so consumed by his obsession—would have seen them as nothing more than obstacles.
But he was not that Zuko.
He was something else.
Someone else.
They were just kids.
No. That wasn't right.
They were kids, yes, but they were important kids. And importance meant leverage. It meant control.
Zuko met his uncle's gaze and gave a measured response. "I don't intend to harm them. That would be… unwise."
Iroh raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Zuko leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. "They are the Avatar's friends. His support. His family. If I hurt them, he will never trust me. If I make them hate me, he will never see anything beyond the enemy in front of him. And I need more than just his capture."
Iroh's expression didn't change, but his eyes flickered with something unreadable. "You want to control him."
"I want to shape him," Zuko corrected. "Right now, he is soft. He is naïve. He still believes that he can run from this war and that the world will simply… wait for him to be ready."
He clenched his fist, an old rage—one that wasn't entirely his own—boiling beneath his skin. "But the world won't wait for him. It hasn't waited for him. The Fire Nation doesn't wait for him. He needs to understand that."
Iroh studied him for a long time, his expression unreadable.
Finally, he let out a long, slow breath.
"You remind me of your father," he said.
Zuko stiffened. "I am nothing like him."
Iroh sipped his tea, his face calm. "Aren't you?"
Zuko's nails dug into the table. No, he wanted to say. I am not like Ozai. I will never be like him.
But…
But hadn't there been a time when he had thought the same about himself?
Not Zuko.
Himself.
The man he had been before he woke up in this world.
A man who had once been driven. Ambitious. Hungry for power.
A man who had worked his way to the top, sacrificing friendships, relationships, even his own family in the pursuit of success.
And in the end, what had it gotten him?
Nothing.
His job had been stripped from him. His career—his supposed empire—had crumbled in an instant.
The people he had pushed away in his endless pursuit of power were gone.
And when he had needed them most…
He had been alone.
Powerless.
Just as Zuko had been powerless when Ozai had burned his face. Just as Zuko had been powerless when he had been banished, cast out of his home with nothing but the clothes on his back and the impossible task of capturing the Avatar.
But now?
Now he had another chance.
The Fire Nation throne. The power that came with it. The ability to never be powerless again.
And if he had to be the villain in Aang's story to get there?
So be it.
Zuko took a slow, steady breath and pushed his emotions back down, locking them away where they belonged.
"I am not my father," he said, his voice firm.
Iroh nodded, but there was something in his gaze—something knowing, something sad—that made Zuko want to break something.
"Very well," Iroh said at last, setting down his empty cup. "But I hope, for your sake, that you remember what it is you are fighting for."
With that, the older man stood, stretching his arms before making his way toward the door.
Zuko sat there, staring at the remnants of his breakfast, watching as the steam from his tea slowly faded into nothing.
He would return to the Fire Nation.
He would reclaim his honor.
He would take back what had been stolen from him.
And he would never, never be powerless again.
He sat there, his thoughts swirling like the steam rising from his now-cold tea. The remnants of his breakfast lay untouched, the roasted meat congealing on the plate. His mind, however, was far from the dining hall of the Fire Nation warship. It was back on Earth, in the life he had left behind—or rather, the life that had left him behind.
That day on the subway, as he sat there, staring at the flickering lights of the tunnel, he had wished for death. The purposelessness, the powerlessness—it had been too much to bear. And when the truck and the moment came, he had panicked. He had tried to escape it. He hadn't wanted to die after all. He had been too scared.
Maybe that was why the second truck had come. Maybe the universe had decided to grant his wish, whether he was ready or not.
But now, here he was, in the body of Prince Zuko, with a second chance. A chance to reclaim what he had lost. A chance to never feel that powerless again. And this time, he would do it differently. He wouldn't push everyone away. He wouldn't sacrifice everything for power. He would be smarter, more calculated. He would use the people around him, but he wouldn't discard them. Not this time.
And then there was Azula.
His sister.
The thought of her sent a shiver down his spine, a mix of fear and desire that he couldn't quite untangle. Back on Earth, when he had watched the show, she had been his favorite character. She was ruthless, cunning, and undeniably powerful. And yes, she was fucking hot. He had fantasized about her more times than he cared to admit, his desire for her overshadowing any moral qualms he might have had.
Now, here he was, in the body of her brother. The original Zuko had feared and hated Azula, but those feelings were nothing compared to the desire that burned within him. He wanted her. He wanted to possess her, to dominate her, to make her his in every way possible. And with enough power, he could do it. He could have her, and no one would be able to stop him.
The thought sent a thrill through him, a dark, twisted excitement that he couldn't ignore. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he imagined it—Azula, bound and submissive, her fiery spirit broken, her body his to command. It was a fantasy, yes, but one that felt tantalizingly within reach.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He couldn't afford to lose control, not now. He had a plan, and he needed to stick to it. He would return to the Fire Nation, reclaim his honor, and take back what had been stolen from him. And when he had the power, when he was no longer the banished prince but the Fire Lord, then he would have her. Azula would be his, and no one would dare to stand in his way.
Zuko stood, his resolve hardening like steel. He would not be powerless again. He would not be weak. He would take what he wanted, and he would do whatever it took to get it.
The Fire Nation throne was just the beginning.