"Lu ten!" 

The nineteen year old man turned seeing his thirteen year old cousin running up to him panting. 

"Zuko, what's up?" The man stopped as he was on his way to go to the war meeting, his hair was up in its signature topknot with a princes crown, side burns going down to back of his jaw.

"I wanted to go to the war meeting but the guards won't let me in," Zuko panted and sent a small glare to the two guards.

"What do your parents say?" The older cousin asked smirking a little. 

"I didn't ask?" Zuko smiled a little but grunted when lu ten pushed his head down and messed up his hair. 

"You're not missing anything, trust me, they're so boring," lu ten rolled his eyes as Zuko pouted a little.

"I'm a prince too, don't you think I should learn as much as I can so I can be like you and uncle? I'll help lead the country," Zuko smiled up at him again hopeful. Lu ten groaned a little but gave into his cousins puppy face.

"Alright, my fathers going to be late anyways, but you gotta promise you won't speak, these old farts are a bit sensitive," lu ten smirked a little. 

"Thank you lu ten," Zuko bowed quickly and was led in with the older cousin to the war meeting, this time the guards allowed it. 

—— 

Zuko sat at the corner of the table that held a map and pawn pieces to represent their armies and earth kingdom ones as well. Lu ten sat next to him paying close attention as well as prince Ozai sat in front of where fire lord iroh would be seated if he was there.

"The earth kingdom defenses are concentrated here, a dangerous battalion full of the strongest earth benders and fiercest warriors," one of the admirals pointed to a spot on the map as he had the floor for himself to speak.

"So I am recommending the 41st division," he moves a pawn. 

"But the 41st division is entirely new recruits, how do you expect them to defeat powerful earth kingdom battalion?" Another old man asked confused. 

"I don't," 

"They'll be used as a distraction while attack from the rear, what better way to use bait than fresh meat?" The admiral smirked at him and Ozai smiled a little at the tactic with an approving nod. 

"You can't sacrifice an entire division like that!" Zuko suddenly rose in defense of his people. 

"Those soldiers love and defend our nation, how can you betray them?!" He looked at all the old men disgusted by the idea as lu ten was taken by surprise of his cousins bravery. 

None of them were amused, he inhaled a shaky breath with wide eyes as he could feel his father staring burning holes into him.

"How dare you speak out of term?" Ozai barked at his son as Zuko sat back down glaring at the admiral then back at his father. 

"It's wrong," Zuko nodded stubbornly.

"You disrespected everyone in this room!" Ozai raised his voice immediately making Zuko sit a little straighter as fear pricked his spine. 

"You will be challenged to an Agni kai to resolve this disrespect," he snarled. 

"I accept," Zuko glared at the ground as lu ten looked at his uncle with anger as his jaw was clenched tightly. 

"My father-" "my brother will have no say in this, fire lord or not," Ozai cut his nephew off   

"Zuko leave," lu ten inhaled deeply not looking at his cousin.

"Lu ten I didn't-" "I said leave," he told him again still calm but he didn't take his eyes off Ozai. 

Zuko gulped slightly as he got up and left the room in a confident stride.

"Zuko," Ozai called sternly. 

"The Agni kai will await at dusk," 

—— 

"Moms going to be pissed," eleven year old azula smirked walking into zukos room as he sat by the window. It was only noon.

"Why?" Zuko glared at her.

"Cause you went to a war meeting without permission, and accept the Agni kai, you're dead," she hummed with her hands behind her back. 

"It's just the stupid old admiral," Zuko scoffed rolling his eyes. Azula raised an eye brow but said nothing else, she smiled a little leaving, letting him think what he thought. 

"Zuko," his mother walked in.

"Oh... hey mom," Zuko sat up as azula stood by the door a little seeing what would happen. 

"What were you thinking?" Ursa sat at the window with her son slightly worried.

"From the moment you went into that war meeting what were you thinking about saying a word?" Her words turned sterner. 

"You weren't there, they were going to let our soldiers die just because they're new, how could they do that? No one disagreed with him," Zuko told her as he fully believed he was in the right.

"You didn't have to accept the Agni kai," she sighed shaking her head. "You've never been in one before,"

"I couldn't decline, that'd show how weak I am," Zuko glared a little at the idea.

  "There's still time-" "mom I cant, everyone already thinks I'm weak because I'm not a prodigy like azula, or a leader like lu ten, this is my chance," Zuko cut her off quickly as it's frowned at her son.

"Zuko you aren't weak," she said sternly.

"Your sister is only eleven, she's still training just like you, lu ten isn't a bender, you don't think people thought negatively about him? Lu ten is a great role model though for you both, you can be as great as you want or let people's words push you around, he didn't let anyone stop him," Ursa held zukos hands gently as she looked at him.

"Don't ever forget who you are Zuko," she kissed his forehead gently as he gulped a little. 

"Also, keep both hands up and don't forget to breathe, it doesn't matter how big a man is, it's your breath that holds power," Ursa smirked walking out of his room. Zuko smiled a little at his mother. 

It's been three years since his uncle became fire lord, he failed at concurring ba sing si when lu ten had a near death experience and came home to be with his son, Ozai had a plan to become the fire lord inside but his grand father passed away and gave the rightful title of fire lord to iroh. 

Zuko wasn't worried, he wasn't afraid to fight the admiral, he's been training with his uncle instead, the old man was his idol and lu ten was his best friend. He didn't fear the fire duel, he knew he wouldn't lose. 

—— 

"Zuko!" Iroh stormed over to his nephew as Zuko turned to him confused and only felt his uncle embrace him tightly. 

"My boy you don't have to do this, I will put an end to this immediately," iroh told him wide eyes as he looked at the teenager panicking. 

"Uncle I can do this," Zuko inhaled deeply and smiled at him. 

"Remember everything that I taught you, the basics will keep you standing," iroh nodded. 

"Thank you uncle, I won't let you down," he smiled brightly as iroh held his face gently, he loved the boy like his own knowing his brother neglected his own son. 

Iroh and Zuko parted as Zuko went to the arena as iroh went to his throne that held a view of the whole arena. 

Zuko stood on the platform as people from all ranks of the army and the navy, azula stood with Ursa and lu ten in the front row with admiral Zhao behind them close to irohs throne. 

Zuko knelt with his back waiting for the opponent, he only wore pants with a silk over his shoulders. He rose to his feet letting the silk fall to the ground as he turned with his hands up staring straight at the man he face in Agni kai. 

But it wasn't the admiral he faced. 

It was his father...

"No..." Ursa covered her mouth slightly seeing her husband showing no sympathy in his golden eyes. Azula smirked a little excited to see what would happen. 

"Lu ten we have to stop this," Ursa looked at her nephew. 

"You can't, Agni kai cannot he stopped until the issue is resolved," Azula told her mother simply. 

Zuko gulped a little wide eyes as he could feel the fear numbing his legs, his hands shook a little but clenched his fists trying to control his fears.

"Please father," Zuko bent down to his knees wide wide eyes seeing Ozai walking slowly towards him. 

"Please father I only had the fire nations best interest at heart," his voice shook a little.

"I'm sorry I spoke out of term!" He cried out. 

"You will fight for your honor," Ozai snarled down at him. 

"I meant you no disrespect," Zuko bowed further down as his forehead touched the ground. 

"I am your loyal son," he begged feeling tears burn, soon to roll down his face.

"Rise and fight prince Zuko!" Ozai barked.

  "I won't fight you!" Zuko felt a sob bubble up. 

But tears raced down his face as his shoulders shook, he slowly rose his head looking his father in the eyes as the tears dropped down his chin. 

"You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher!" Ozai raised his hand.

"No!" Ursa ran onto the platform before anyone could stop her.

"Enough!" Iroh bolted from his chair but no one was expecting to see the fire lady taking the powerful strike of fire for her son as Ozai didn't realize what he's done until he heard Ursas scream and fell to the floor next to Zuko. 

"M-mom?" Zuko breathed as his jaw quivered feeling shock roll through his body, his mother's back was towards him but she wasn't moving, her chest didn't rise. 

"She's dead..." he felt like someone was choking him as the arena was silently in shock. 

"Zuko," Ozai said quietly, he glared down at him. "Look what you've done," 

"Mom?" Zuko hiccuped a sob as he touched her arm.

"Mom?" He couldn't breathe.

  "Mom!" He screamed sobbing as azula was watching in horror of what she witnessed, lu ten pulled her close immediately and hid her face in his chest as he was silently in shock. 

"You killed her!" Zuko screamed as his fist boiled until fire sparked and he went to attack his father but Ozai grabbed him by his throat and tossed Zuko to the ground as he raised his hand.

"It's your fault, if you would've fought back," Ozai glared down at him as zukos eyes widen in terror. 

Zukos screamed echoed as his father didn't hold back making sure his son remembered this day.