#dragon Azulon

[waterfire1848]

Avatar AU - When Sozin killed his dragon (I assume he did), he didn't understand the curse that would fall on his bloodline and anyone they marry: becoming the creature he killed whenever they get emotional.

[discordiansamba]

Iroh truthfully does not know what to expect when he arrives on Ember Island. Lady Ursa's letter to him was clearly written hastily, as if she did not have time to dwell on her words... but its contents were enough that he cut his quest to find a way to the spirit world short and hurried home. He could not dwell on those gone when the living still needed him.

(Even if they were completely, utterly, irreplaceable.)

The servants who greeted him had pale, ashen faces. They looked uncertain about letting him in, but Iroh did not let them refuse him entry. He wasted no time in asking after Zuko, and the servants hurriedly told him that the boy was unwell, and was not taking visitors at the moment. Please, if he could just leave-

Iroh did not listen to them.

He knew where to find Zuko's room, and made his way there. He arrived to find the doors bolted shut, as if they had locked the young prince inside. A sense of foreboding crept down the retired general's spine, but he set himself to the task of removing the lock. He swung the door open- but sensed the prudence of closing it behind him.

The first thing that greeted him was the odor.

Then it was the sound.

It was a low, rumbling growl- Iroh followed its source until his eyes landed on his nephew. He did not recognize the boy at first- and he suspected that the feeling was likely mutual. He had made a nest for himself out of torn blankets in one corner of the room, a pair of wings that could only belong to a dragon splayed in a fashion meant to intimidate. His face was morphed into a snarl, fangs bared as he crouched low.

(He did not need the gashes in the walls and the furniture to know how dangerous the claws his nephew had grown were.)

Ursa's letter had informed him that Zuko's body had been taken by a vengeful spirit. She had not mentioned that the spirit was a dragon.

Iroh drew in and let out a deep breath to steady himself. First, he needed to determine if his nephew was still in there. He bowed to the dragon, low and respectful, keeping his voice perfectly level as he greeted it. It watched him warily from his nephew's eyes- it did not cease its growling, but its posture relaxed somewhat.

Then Iroh sat on the floor and waited.

The dragon watched him closely- it stayed away at first, but eventually, it slowly rose. It stalked around him in a circle, its movements awkward, still unused to having a human vessel. Iroh let it draw closer on its own pace, letting it grow used to his presence. It sniffed at him, growling low in its throat once it did.

Iroh kept his breathing steady, and did not allow himself to be intimidated.

Eventually it drew close, mere inches away from his face. Iroh slowly lifted a hand, making sure to telegraph every move. He placed it carefully on the dragon's stolen face, his fingers brushing over the patch of scales that had overtaken the left half of his nephew's face.

The dragon went still.

"Zuko," Iroh spoke, "-do you remember me? I am your Uncle Iroh. You used to sit with me by the turtleduck pond and drink tea."

The dragon's brow furrowed, searching his face. It reached out a hand, mimicking Iroh's action. He let it stroke his cheek, even as its claws drew thin cuts across his face. It leaned forward, sniffing him again, before it stared up at him like it did not know what to do with itself.

"Un...cle?"

"Yes," Iroh said, "-your uncle."

"Uncle," the dragon repeated, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes, "-uncle."

Iroh let out a long breath as his nephew threw himself at him. His claws dug into his back, but Iroh ignored the pain and returned the embrace. It did not matter- he could treat his injuries later. Far more important was the fact that his nephew was still with them, buried deep under the dragon that had taken his body.

He could not help Lu Ten... but he could help Zuko.

[fuzzykidney]

Little thought process and personal belief on the ages of Iroh and Ozai.

Some people are under the impression that Ozai is like 15 years younger than Iroh. I don’t personally think that because:

-grey hair doesn’t mean much. In the flash back of the siege of ba sing se Iroh has black hair. But then Lu Ten dies and Iroh’s world falls apart. He loses himself and his respect and everything. That easily could have taken a big enough toll on his body to turn his hair grey early.

-flashback and portraits of him in the canon book “legacy of the fire nation “ show black hair. He only stopped being a general like what? Five years before the story we see?

-I wouldn’t doubt someone like Ozai would just ignore hair dye lol. He wants to look his best.

-the live action actors prove a point somewhat as well. The actors are only 4 years apart, and Ozai’s is actually the older one.

However I do think the timeline for avatar is whack in many instances. So this is just one thing I try to grasp.

Side note: Sozins age and kids are just whack. Tenzin’s age difference from Pema was unnecessary. And why couldn’t Iroh the second be younger???

ANYWAY. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THNX.

Edit: I remembered this picture from the series. Lu Ten and Iroh with zuko. Best I can do is guess that zuko is maybe a year and Lu ten could be around 8. So 8 years is the max I can concede to lmao. But also makes sense. It’s still a sizeable gap.

[kibutsulove]

My art returns, and behold it’s just shitty doodles

Here you go chat, that’s all you’re getting for now

[trashfactorysstuff]

I keep forgetting all the Azulon art I have and never show, so I tried to recollect all the drawings I could find. Also I think Azulon’s fire was blue as well, move on.

Also using this post to tell a bit of my hc that Azulon created the lightning bending for the reason that he uses the same poses and movements that Sozin uses to re-direct heat; my hc is that he learns that from Sozin (thinking that Sozin teach him phew things since he was the prodigy). Other hc that goes along is that Iroh learns that from him and the re-direction base on his father’s teaching and water tribe people.

Also the fact that no one talks about his general years and how he was consider one the “greatest firebender in the world” by his time. Great reflexes, general Azulon.👌

And random doodle I found of the dragon au 🧍‍♂️

Father and son quality time is trying to erase an entire race.

[stardust948]

Dragon AU Headcanon

It's Phoenix Clan tradition to name children after a male ancestor in hopes they'll become great dragon hunters. This is why Ozai still names Azula after his father despite trying to separate himself from both Azulon and the Phoenix Clan. Maybe it was out of irony or Ozai was still more ingrained than he thought. He never truly figured that out.

Ozai wished he had enough courage to break the tradition and name Azula after his late mother, but what's done is done.

This is also why Ozai never calls Azula by her full name. It's always Dear or Blueberry or even Lala but never Azula.

[sailorluna15]

azula + zuko headcanon!

I hc that Azula has shaw (the other dragon) as an emotional support animal/pet along with a phoenix, ball point python and chameleon. I believe that she would lead a dragon preservation project along with Zuko and it is working very well. The dragon population is rising and has tons of law protecting their lives. I hc Azula as a someone who hates animals like dogs, is okay with cats and birds and loves reptiles. She's a reptile girly. Mai is obsessed with azula's reptiles and so are Izumi, Bumi ii, Kya ii, and Kiyi. Ursa + Zuko are scared of the snake and azula always chases and touches them with the animals. They run everytime.

[the-genius-az]

Yes. And because dragons live a really, really long time (as in one of the other dragons in this AU is 400 years old and a young adult in dragon terms), Azula does live into TLOK era and will also claim the Krew and it becomes a tradition to claim team Avatar for as long as she lives.

Makes sense in this lore. It's weird but also, well, Ursa and Azula both aren't really humans, so a lot of things they do don't make much sense when compared to canon. I don't even know where I'll fit Mai and Ty Lee in this AU.

Ursa does kill Azulon and harms Ozai (who will eventually make Zuko match him...), as a way to lessen the threat, but still needs to take Azula away.

Just imagine Ursa going wild, with blood and ashes all over her and manhandling tiny Azula, who's kicking and trying to scream – who's scratching Ursa's arms and trying to burn her. It's a very chaotic and painful night. (Meanwhile Zuko is hiding in his room, he can hear the commotion, but he's scared. Ozai will tell him Ursa has lost her mind. Killed Azulon, killed Azula, tried to kill him. And Zuko is ten and all he has is Ozai with half of his face melted, he doesn't even question it.

It's just a very tragic Fire Hazard Siblings thing. )

- Ash 🔥🍌

Thanks for this, Ash!

Azula does live into TLOK era and will also claim the Krew and it becomes a tradition to claim team Avatar for as long as she lives.

I like that idea! Azula simply claims whoever she wants just on a whim, Team Avatar is hers forever! It doesn't matter if they just change "the appearance".

I don't even know where I'll fit Mai and Ty Lee in this AU.

An Azula without Mai and Ty Lee should be illegal, we have to think of something!

Just imagine Ursa going wild, with blood and ashes all over her and manhandling tiny Azula, who's kicking and trying to scream who's scratching Ursa's arms and trying to burn her.

No matter how smart Azula is, she is still a child, she must have been very scared.

Maybe Azula has a trauma from that moment.

And Zuko is ten and all he has is Ozai with half of his face melted, he doesn't even question it.

I hope Iroh came quickly, Zuko at least needs a protection figure no matter what idiot he is.

It's just a very tragic Fire Hazard Siblings thing.

Is Zuko a dragon? why would it be so fucked up if his mom and sister left his life so quickly and he was left with an abuser, regardless of whether he wants Ozai's attention.

[late-draft]

For some reason, I was fully convinced in S1 that Firebreathing was a specific talent that only very few powerful firebenders could do - and I thought the "Dragon" title was connected to that. I thought that Azulon (Dragon of the East?), Iroh (Dragon of the West) and Zuko were the only ones who were known to be able to breathe fire without the aid of Sozin's comet! Then I realised Iroh was laying siege to Ba Sing Se which is in the east, not west. And that all of this is probably just an unfounded headcanon RIP.

I have no idea what even gave me this impression. I thought it was a well known fact in-universe that Zuko was weaker in power in firebending compared to Azula, but had more weird fire quirks because he's so much more intrinsically connected to fire, and as fickle as it is too. Meanwhile Azula could always scoff how breathing fire was a weak and useless talent anyway. But it was at least something that Zuko could do (even if it was more an impulse for him rather than a trained move) identically like his uncle and grandfather, who everyone was supposed to revere. Something he'd latch onto as proof that he is of this bloodline, and that he might be worthy somehow. (Back when he was still in the toxic mindset).

[waterfire1848]

Perhaps grace us with a few fire family dragon headcanons? 🙏🏼 (as in, all of them have their own respective dragon forms)

Hello, @kibutsulove !!! I’m gonna assume you just mean headcanons-headcanons and not headcanons for an AU (if I’m wrong correct me so that I may write more headcanons for a dragon!Fire family au)

1. There’s a game Lu Ten used to play with Zuko and Azula when they were really young where he would let them try and tackle his tail to practice pouncing. It was always so cute to watch them try and be so sneaky before jumping. When Zuko jumping on his tail and dug his claws in and when Azula actually surprised him with one of her pounces was when Lu Ten knew they’d outgrown the game.

2. Azula loves having her claws out. Human or dragon form, her claws are always out on display. Mostly she doesn’t this for firebending in her human form and show in her dragon form. Ursa is the same way and will usually do so when talking to a noble woman who is getting on her nerves (just casually reaching for a drink and showing off claws that could tear someone open). Ozai has his claws out as a dragon but not while human, same for Iroh and Lu Ten. Zuko never has his claws out and only starts doing so after his banishment. Azulon is the only one who shows off his claws exclusively in human form.

3. Dragons are vulnerable to catnip. It makes them more cuddly and loopy. Sokka bought catnip during their trip in the Earth Kingdom. (I’ll let you make of that what you will)

4. Zuko (post redemption) and Appa fly together a lot. Zuko never really did a lot of flying after his mom left and really didn’t when traveling so getting the chance to stretch his wings and fly with Appa is a big deal for him. When Azula is better, she joins them in their flights and takes the opportunity to finally feel free again. Races, different moves, games, etc, all occur.

5. While he was on his spirit journey, Iroh took a year and lived solely as a dragon who was sometimes a human as opposed to the reverse. He took up residence in a mountain cave and the locals swore there was a dragon living up there but none of the soldiers believed them. Iroh would occasionally show off his horns or eyes to the kids and wink at them which sparked a lot of stories about the old dragon man living in the mountains that continues to this day.

6. By the time Azulon comes around, it’s a well established fact that the Royal Fire Nation Family has this ability and they’ve grown used to raising children that are also part dragon. For the life of him though, Azulon could never figure out why Ozai was losing so many of his baby teeth in human and dragon form. Even when he died he didn’t know. (Ozai was trying to fly with Iroh and kept slamming down against the ground because he wasn’t ready to yet)

7. Ursa once broke her wing and landed in the middle of the forest. She blames Ozai for it because he’s the one who was so sure the storm would pass and they wouldn’t have to fly through it (spoiler alert: they had to fly through it)

8. After the war, a joke ran through the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe that the members of the royal family came from/laid eggs (being dragons and all). When Zuko and Azula joined the team, they spent days listening to those jokes until the Gaang finally ran out of them.

[seyaryminamoto]

My latest completed commission may have been a bit ambitious... because I went wild with it. But I certainly relished in doing so :') Combining my favorite ship with my favorite-ever Disney movie is, uh... a dangerous concoction :'D

The commissioner specifically requested for Azula as Mulan, Sokka as Shang, and Xin Long (my OC dragon from Gladiator) as Mushu. The rest of the cast was up to me to choose, and I pretty much went wild rewatching this movie and picking out some of my favorite moments to recreate them in my style, with these characters. I came up with a lot of correlating characters between both ATLA and 1998's Mulan, but I couldn't hope to draw EVERYTHING, unfortunately. Still, if you want my reasoning for the cast correlation... check out the Read More! Beyond that, feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to commission me, or if you want to join my Patreon!

The Herbalist as Mulan's grandmother might feel arbitrary but she honestly felt like the ATLA elderly lady with the most similar personality to Grandma Fa. Fickle, with a unique connection with a seemingly perfectly ordinary animal, old and sassy? Figured it fit! So for once, the Herbalist is Azula's grandma! xD strange notion, I know, Azulon/Herbalist is not a ship I ever thought I'd accidentally put out in the world but there have been wilder ships than that in this fandom...

Momo became Cri-Kee, I wasn't 100% sold on it but when I considered that Avatar features soooo many hybrid animals... I figured he could be a hybrid cricket-lemur. Weird, I know, but eh? Better than nothing xD

Aang as Chien-Po was a no-brainer. He's the only character I settled on instantly, never even considered anyone else for the role. Their personalities line up really well, and Chien-Po's tendency to be OP and resolve things that are outside of other people's reach sounded like he was prime Avatar material! So, while their dietary preferences are an obvious difference between them, I decided to go for it nonetheless considering all their other similarities!

Kino (another Gladiator OC) is Ling, and he actually did give me a ton of trouble to choose. I considered many characters for the role right up until I realized that Kino's personality actually lines up fairly well with Ling's, down to being a class clown type (who ABSOLUTELY would have cut gym class!) and breaking out in song about the hypothetical woman he'd like to fight for? Yeeeeah that's right up his alley xD but there's another reason why I picked Kino...

... And that is my likely unexpected choice for Yao:

ZUKO.

ZUKO IS YAO.

YES.

I'M NOT EVEN SORRY.

(For the uninitiated, Aang, Zuko and Kino are best friends in Gladiator, very often together, and they make a really good team, so that's the extra reason why Kino became the obvious choice for Ling aside from having really similar personalities, definitely closer personalities than, say, Jet, for instance.)

People have likened Zuko to Shang a LOT since ATLA aired. This is the main reason why I'm even making this huge note! I suspect it's primarily because of the aesthetic, let's be real here, and because he becomes Aang's teacher, but people have exaggerated Zuko's alleged similarities with Shang, or taken them out of proportion, in many ways. I actually remember an AMV ages ago with "Be a Man" and it was Zuko "training the Gaang"?? It... didn't feel right to me. Obviously, someone might rebuff with "well, how does Sokka make MORE sense than that, though?" And believe it or not, I have arguments for that... (when do I not...?)

Not only is this what the commissioner specifically requested (and it obviously lines up with the ship we love!), but let's examine the actual reasons why Sokka as Shang adds up:

Sokka actually had to train a bunch of toddlers who weren't paying any attention to him. You know. Kind of how Shang had to train the unruly soldiers who weren't getting anything right. Sokka has a positive relationship with his dad (Zuko, ofc, does not). Shang also has a positive relationship with his dad! And not only this, but there's a military component to both relationships, specifically with Shang wanting to follow on his father's footsteps and aid him in the war... so much like someone else I know, who jumped at every opportunity to rejoin his father in the war, even wishing to join him as a child until Hakoda tasked him with protecting their Tribe instead (kinda like Shang is tasked with training soldiers rather than joining a battlefield).

And the final cherry-on-top that I'd loooove to hear Zuko fans try to argue against... is sexism :') didn't Sokka get characterized as a sexist guy for four episodes, which made people decide that this was his main character trait even if it went away that quickly? Um, yes, that happened. Shang literally sings the memorable song that's a crazy ode to masculinity, including the rather sexist line of "did they send me daughters when I asked for sons". Shang outright abandons Mulan once they discover that she was a woman all along (while, admittedly, choosing to abandon her rather than KILL HER, which as we saw from Chi-Fu, he was NOT supposed to spare her!)...

So, is this REALLY what Zuko fans, who willfully believe their boy is a feminist king (... why? beats me...) are trying to compare their unproblematic blorbo to? :'D Me? I have no problem linking Sokka with Shang due to Sokka's beginnings and due to the fact that both Shang and Sokka have similar growth when it comes to accepting femininity is as valid as masculinity, and as they both learn to respect women as fighters and potential heroes! (I simply do not believe Sokka's ENTIRE tenure in ATLA was about that, though, and that's what I continue to clash with the fandom over...) So... all this is why I've reasoned that Sokka is a VERY solid choice for Shang, in fact, better than Zuko could hope to be.

... but this isn't all.

Maybe some might accept my arguments for Sokka-Shang. And then, they might ask:

WHY ZUKO AS YAO, THO??

... And the truth is it took me long to see it, myself, but HOLY SHIT, DOES IT FIT!

What is the primary thing we remember about Yao in Mulan? This guy is constantly itching for a fight, to prove himself, surely riddled with insecurities that he exteriorizes through overcompensation of masculinity. He's funny as fuck, but he's taking himself 100% seriously as a manly man all the time, and he's always ready for violence. But there's one more thing...

He treats Mulan as his RIVAL.

And more often than not? SHE SCREWS HIM OVER. Intentionally or not.

What does that sound like? Why, yes, it sounds a LOT like Azula and Zuko's sibling relationship!

The fact that Yao is a temperamental dude who lashes out easily at things (oh, something he has in common with Zuko!), that he specifically resents Mulan (in this case, Azula, just as Zuko does!) and is either constantly looking to defeat her and prove his superiority over her (... wait, just as Zuko with Azula??), that he has a black eye perpetually across the movie, and it's his LEFT EYE (just as Zuko's scar is on his left eye! :'D), that he's friends with a pacifist he has basically nothing in common with, personality-wise (just like Zuko and Aang!), and that he pretty much has a REDEMPTION ARC in which he goes from a bitter, asshole rival to Mulan to treating her as a friend and ally, to the point where he was disappointed to leave her behind and THEN joined her at once when she says she has a plan? :') I have always been critical of Zuko's redemption arc, goes without saying. But if ANY of these characters redeemed himself in any significant way, it certainly seems to be Yao to me, and with people gushing NON-STOP about Zuko's redemption? Why, he ought to be the character who goes from bitter rival to loyal friend, right?

So. I'm not even sorry. Zuko is Yao. And I'd dare say that he should be flattered by the comparison, even, because Yao ends up being cool as FUCK!

I don't really talk about this much nowadays, but Mulan was my favorite Disney movie growing up, it ABSOLUTELY had a formative influence on me as a little girl, and Mulan was my favorite female character for a looooong time. Thus, any excuse to rewatch this movie makes me happy as heck. With the wisdom of age I know, of course, that it's not perfect, it's not what China wants, it's not the most thoughtful depiction of Chinese culture or the most faithful adaptation of Mulan's poem (... but I'd also dare bring up that the 2009 Chinese adaptation ISN'T all that faithful either...), but it has a kind of magic in it, a solid storytelling flow, so many memorable moments one after the next, that I could hardly choose which scenes to depict... Disney has never again seen the storytelling heights it reached with Mulan in 1998. I don't even care if that's a controversial opinion in any way... this is their best animated feature for me, and nobody can change my mind.

So... depicting Azula, my beloved, in all these scenarios as this character I adored and idolized as a child, was so damn fulfilling for me. While some might think that, personality-wise, these two ladies don't have much in common, the fact that Mulan is sent to a matchmaker who basically tells her she looks good but is going to be the worst wife ever...? Our girl Azula, with all those insecurities about being unloveable and a monster, probably would relate big time to that.

Mulan is also an INTELLIGENT soldier rather than a brawny one, which is how she starts to make progress in the army, it's how she manages to overcome the huns with that avalanche... and Azula's primary difference with most other antagonists in ATLA is that she's smart as fuck. She is very strong, no doubt, but a LOT of that strength comes from her intelligence, from assessing situations in unique ways, from planning and strategizing. The way Mulan finds the most unexpected solutions that still pay off reminds me a lot of how Azula achieves unexpected feats through rather unorthodox means, capable of taking over a city with basically no bloodshed while her nation has spent 100 years trying and failing to do so through major army incursions and who knows how much senseless violence. Obviously, I'm not saying what Azula did is GOOD and it's kind of dumb that we always have to point that out... I'm merely comparing the magnitude of the feats, and the fact that they both come from ladies who use strategy and intelligence to achieve their goals rather than muscle and physical power.

And while anyone would rage at me for the comparison between Fa Zhou (her dad) and Ozai, the truth is the dynamic between them CAN be compared, if loosely: Mulan literally goes to war to keep her father safe. Azula goes to war under her father's orders. Hell, she makes herself BAIT in the Eclipse to make sure the Gaang won't get to her dad?? While it's very much possible to say that both characters have different personalities and attitudes in life... I'd also bring up that their contexts are evidently completely different. I wouldn't say for certain that Azula, had she been raised outside a Royal Family, would be EXACTLY like Mulan... but they might have more similar traits than one might expect. Ultimately, though... I love them both. And this opportunity to swap their places was pretty much a dream come true!

Alright, that was plenty of rambling xD ultimately, I had a blast doing this commission, as I'm sure is obvious by now. So! If anyone wants to commission me, feel free to check out my prices right here and hit me up if you're interested!

[discordiansamba]

there's a boy standing in the garden.

iroh doesn't recognize him. he's probably a good ten years older than iroh. he's not dressed like one of the servants, and he certainly isn't dressed like a visiting noble. it's an unusually cold winter this year, and the boy is clad in the kind of parka he's only seen worn by the water tribes- but he's clearly not tribe. his features are too fire nation for that- even marred as they are by an ugly burn scar on the left half of his face. he's staring at the turtleduck pond, as if transfixed by it.

"...hello?"

iroh isn't sure why he calls out to him, but he does. the strange boy looks up, and blinks at the sight of him.

"hello," he says, "-are you iroh?"

iroh frowns, but slowly nods his head. he doesn't call him a prince. it's beyond rude. the boy just faintly smiles and introduces himself as zuko. iroh has heard that name before. his father had a brother who disappeared at the start of the war with that name. iroh has seen portraits of him before...

...they look like unscarred versions of the stranger.

"...who are you?" iroh asks.

"believe it or not," zuko says, "-i'm your uncle."

iroh blinks. he almost doesn't believe it. but his mother has always said he's more attuned to the spirit world than most. if he squints, he can feel something different about zuko- like he's not quite bound to the mortal world the same way everyone else is.

his uncle invites him to come feed the turtleducks with him. iroh hesitantly joins him. he tells him this used to be his favorite spot in the palace, and that he's glad it's still here. with an impish smile on his face, he tells him a story of how a mother turtleduck had chased azulon through the garden after he'd accidentally gotten carried away with firebending practice, and bent too close to the pond.

iroh laughs. he can't even imagine his stern father acting in such a way.

his uncle asks him if he's a firebender, and iroh nods. he just started bending last year, in the summer. his father said it was a very good sign- that he would be a strong bender. zuko asks if he'll show him what he's learning- away from the pond, of course. iroh nods and is happy to. he goes through his forms, only stumbling once or twice.

zuko tilts his head once he's done, and asks if he'd like to learn a thing or two from him. he says he's not nearly as strong as his father, but he's spent a lot of time with the dragons lately, so he's picked up a thing or two from them. iroh's eyes are practically glittering when he says that. of course he would!

the firebending forms his uncle shows him are like nothing iroh has seen before. he's fascinated. he imitates them the best he can, and his uncle smiles and pats him on the head as he praises him. it's far more warm than father's own praise.

eventually, his nanny comes and finds him. he starts to tell her about zuko, but when he looks back, his uncle is gone.

his father is not happy when he tells him about uncle's visit.

"you are not to speak to him again," azulon instructs, "-my brother is a traitor."

(iroh does anyways. he's always had a bit of a rebellious streak.)

[thetraumaking]

Accursed Crown

Child soldier program within the Fire Nation. Princess Ursa will be having the first grandchild of fire lord Azulon, and as a gift, he sends his son, prince Ozai, to find an appropriate bodyguard for the mother of the nation.

After prince Zuko was born, princess Ursa became pregnant once more.

When she gave birth to her second. Not only did she suffer from a burn from the newborn, she didn't feel the motherly love she felt for her firstborn to her second. She couldn't hold her or even look at her. But she's not a cruel woman, so she found a wet nurse and let the other woman raise her. Well, that was the plan until for a whole day straight the baby girl wouldn't and couldn't stop crying. Even Ozai heard it and came to yell at Ursa for failing as a mother.

When the child had finally shutten up, Ozai turned to see the young guard gently holding the baby.

From that day onward, you, who was nothing but a child soldier, became the guard, the nursemaid, and mentor for the new princess.

NOT for the faint of heart!!!

Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter 2: Old Child

Chapter 3: Her Touch

Princess Ursa has been getting too comfortable as time went on. Her advances continued on and, fortunately, her affection hasn’t exceeded hugs.

Her hands and fingers felt like ropes tangling around you.

It felt suffocating.

You have put the young prince to bed.

Originally, it was supposed to be the actual mother that was going to put him to sleep, when Prince Ozai came in. He ordered for you to take the child to his room and deal with him before announcing that he would be waiting for Princess Ursa in her chamber.

Making sure Prince Zuko was asleep, you made your way out. As you were walking towards your room, the door ahead, Princess Ursa’s door, opened, and out came Prince Ozai.

He didn’t spare you a glance before adjusting his robe and walking away.

The moment he was out of sight, you heard choked sobs from the room the prince just come out of. Taking a deep breath in, you walked towards the large double doors. Clenching your fist, you steeled your nerves,(you didn’t want to do this) and knocked thrice.

Waiting for three seconds, you let yourself in.

Her bare back was to you, smooth skin, and shoulders shaking. You bit the inside of your cheek and took out one of her night robes before walking towards her.

Wordlessly, you drape it over her shoulders, trying to cover her up as she tries to collect herself. You stop as she raises her hand. “Don’t, I want to take a bath.” She wipes her tears, “I feel filthy…”

You nod.

You have helped prepare the prince’s baths a couple of times so you know more or less how the bathing preparations are for noble descent. 

Unlike the common folks, those who have both money and power, rather than a tub, have a whole room for bathing: large enough to swim in, large enough for the entire family and then some. 

Turning the two knobs on your right, hot water began to pour out of the marbled dragon’s maw, slowly filling up the large tub in the ground. On the shelves next to you were jars of dried petals and skins of fruit. 

You sprinkle a bit from both jars before pulling out a sack from the bottom, before pouring some into the water. The once clear water now turned pink with bits and pieces of florals and fruit floating around. 

As you were putting the jars away, the princess walked past you and dipped into the water. Her shoulders sagging with a sigh as she leaned onto the wall. 

With her head hung low, there was a moment of silence. You had turned the water off when it reached her shoulders. 

The mirrors had fogged over, water vapours thick as it clung to any and all surfaces.  Small droplets of cold water falling every so often back into the tub and ground. 

“… hold me.” 

Her sudden whisper came out a slur. 

Wordlessly, you stepped into the bath. Your shoes, clothes, and gear, getting soaked the deeper you step down the submerged straits. The fabric of your shirt and pants clinging uncomfortably to your skin as you drew closer to the princess. 

You wrap your arms around her, eyes staring ahead as you do so. And in response, she returns the hug. 

Her hands on your back as you stood there, wondering when you would be dismissed for the day. The moment you felt the tip of her nose touch your neck, you froze. Your knuckles turn white for how hard you were squeezing onto your arms, nails digging into your flesh. 

The tip of her nose runs over your pulse point, taking a deep inhale as her hands find home on your shoulder blades. Her lips pressed onto the skin of your neck. 

The two of you stood there in the hot bath. Water droplets fall from the ceiling. 

You couldn’t remember what happened next. You just remember standing there, in the water, being clung to by the princess. You felt something rising in your throat as you clutched into your muscles. 

Once you made it back into your room, you were quick to run into the bathroom and lock the door. Once you were safe, you ripped your clothes off as fast as possible from your body. 

Every contact you had with her felt forbidden. 

Lecherous. 

Appalling even. 

You snatched your scrub and rubbed your skin raw. Rubbing until your skin turned red and stinging, sucking in sharp breaths through your teeth you kept on rubbing. You could feel your eyes stinging and your chest caving. 

What was happening to you these past few months? Why do you keep having these horrid symptoms? Why do physical interactions with the princess leave you in such a mess? 

Shame and disgust were no strangers yet despite feeling them here in the palace, there’s also pain that throbs in your chest. 

Water droplets fell on the marbled floor as you pressed the scrub harder onto yourself. 

Shakingly, you looked up at the mirror. Your neat hair is now a mess from your frantic scrubbing. Through disheveled strands, you looked into your bloodshot eyes. You looked pitiful. 

A disgrace. 

What a waste of a soldier. You thought. 

All that training and pain you went through was for nothing. Now you have to stay put within the castle walls looking after a mess of a princess. 

It is your job to serve the royal family, yes. But not like this. 

Your gaze hardened as it landed on the spot you felt her highness seemed to favor. Even now, after all that scrubbing, rubbing, and scratching, you could still feel the warmth. The tingling from how she nuzzled into your neck and kissed it. 

Bring your hand up, you place it over the patch of skin her lips have landed on. 

Gritting your teeth, you slowly brought up the heat within your palm. 

In the room, you only heard the growing sizzling as the smell of burnt flesh spread. 

For the last time, you indulged in your vanity, looking at your finished work. You let out a sigh of relief. Never in your days have you thought you would reach the point of feeling such relief in the sight of red blistering flesh. 

[trashfactorysstuff]

Dragon Au because I feel is underrated

[stardust948]

I made some changes to Chapter 15. Instead of luring people into the forest for the Omukade, Azulon is going to let the spirit feed off him until the new dragon baby is weaned.

It'll make sense later, I promise.

[thebxghag]

My OC Cam Hoa and young Prince Iroh (the dragon of the west). The only woman that Iroh was ever really in love with, they weren't able to be together because of her status as a peasant, but also at the beginning of their relationship he was suddenly betrothed to a noble woman whom he ends up marrying and having Lu Ten with.

I think of their dynamic as a lot like Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye honestly. Up to and including colluding with one another to try and overthrow Azulon as his reign and mental acuity begin to decline.

She's separated from him for a few years while she begins her military career after the Fire Games where they met and subsequently broke up, but eventually ends up working directly under him after they meet again several years later.

She's his right hand man and closest advisor before the tragedy at Ba Sing Se.