Actually, don't I know you from monoshiri's journal?
---
Blue fire crackled and fed on flesh, filling the air with a disturbingly tasty smell. Lu Ten slashed his hand and extinguished the fires before they put him off meat entirely.
The Water Tribesmen had expected to face a master firebender. They hadn't expected to face the Crown Prince and the Dragon of the West. The fight had been quick and ugly, and Lu Ten had spent most of his concentration on the trio of waterbending masters now smoking at his feet.
He couldn't hear Ketu or his bison, but that meant nothing. The rogue airbender knew how to steal men's breath, and he had no more love for the Water Tribes than the Fire Nation did.
Lu Ten turned to look at the carnage behind him. More than half a dozen Water Tribesmen laid in various stages of 'broken' on the road, and Ozai's hands were bloody to the wrist. A lucky cut to his scalp dripped blood into his eyes, and mad golden eyes searched his face.
"It's all right," Lu Ten said softly. "They're all dead. We killed them."
He was supposed to smile. Dad always said he should smile when Ozai had done something good, because his uncle read faces far too well. But he was tired and cold, and he didn't know how he kept doing this.
"You can calm down," he said, moving slowly towards his uncle. He could have moved fast, he could have ordered Ozai to calm down, and he'd reinforce all the habits Grandfather Azulon had broken Ozai to obey.
Ozai's eyes half-closed, and Lu Ten took him by the hands. The blood felt mostly dried, at least, and he'd had worse things covering his hands. His uncle took a shuddering breath, and his eyes slid all the way closed.
"Lu Ten," he murmured. "You should have let me take the waterbenders. We can't afford to lose you."
Lu Ten hated his grandfather. "No, we can't afford to lose you. There are two spare heirs to the throne, thanks to you and Ursa, but there's only one Dragon of the West. Don't you ever think that again."
Ozai's hands clenched in his, and his uncle nodded sharply.
Shame flooded Lu Ten. He'd given Ozai an order. His uncle, who had been broken to obey orders from men in red. His uncle, who wouldn't think that again.
Because Lu Ten had commanded him not to.
"It's going to be all right," he said softly and stepped close to wrap his arms around Ozai. At the human contact and firebender warmth, Ozai melted against him, pressing close. Not shaking, never shaking, but taking all of what Lu Ten could give him.
Ursa should never have died, Lu Ten thought as he held onto his uncle to give Ozai just a bit more stability. She was so good for him. She made him human.
But if wishes were fishes, they'd all cast nets. Lu Ten had to deal with the world as it was, and the world as it was had no Ursa, and it had Ozai so mad out of his head he couldn't take care of his own children.
Dad could take care of Zuko and Azula. Lu Ten would take care of Ozai.
LaS: Ozai and Lu Ten
---
Blue fire crackled and fed on flesh, filling the air with a disturbingly tasty smell. Lu Ten slashed his hand and extinguished the fires before they put him off meat entirely.
The Water Tribesmen had expected to face a master firebender. They hadn't expected to face the Crown Prince and the Dragon of the West. The fight had been quick and ugly, and Lu Ten had spent most of his concentration on the trio of waterbending masters now smoking at his feet.
He couldn't hear Ketu or his bison, but that meant nothing. The rogue airbender knew how to steal men's breath, and he had no more love for the Water Tribes than the Fire Nation did.
Lu Ten turned to look at the carnage behind him. More than half a dozen Water Tribesmen laid in various stages of 'broken' on the road, and Ozai's hands were bloody to the wrist. A lucky cut to his scalp dripped blood into his eyes, and mad golden eyes searched his face.
"It's all right," Lu Ten said softly. "They're all dead. We killed them."
He was supposed to smile. Dad always said he should smile when Ozai had done something good, because his uncle read faces far too well. But he was tired and cold, and he didn't know how he kept doing this.
"You can calm down," he said, moving slowly towards his uncle. He could have moved fast, he could have ordered Ozai to calm down, and he'd reinforce all the habits Grandfather Azulon had broken Ozai to obey.
Ozai's eyes half-closed, and Lu Ten took him by the hands. The blood felt mostly dried, at least, and he'd had worse things covering his hands. His uncle took a shuddering breath, and his eyes slid all the way closed.
"Lu Ten," he murmured. "You should have let me take the waterbenders. We can't afford to lose you."
Lu Ten hated his grandfather. "No, we can't afford to lose you. There are two spare heirs to the throne, thanks to you and Ursa, but there's only one Dragon of the West. Don't you ever think that again."
Ozai's hands clenched in his, and his uncle nodded sharply.
Shame flooded Lu Ten. He'd given Ozai an order. His uncle, who had been broken to obey orders from men in red. His uncle, who wouldn't think that again.
Because Lu Ten had commanded him not to.
"It's going to be all right," he said softly and stepped close to wrap his arms around Ozai. At the human contact and firebender warmth, Ozai melted against him, pressing close. Not shaking, never shaking, but taking all of what Lu Ten could give him.
Ursa should never have died, Lu Ten thought as he held onto his uncle to give Ozai just a bit more stability. She was so good for him. She made him human.
But if wishes were fishes, they'd all cast nets. Lu Ten had to deal with the world as it was, and the world as it was had no Ursa, and it had Ozai so mad out of his head he couldn't take care of his own children.
Dad could take care of Zuko and Azula. Lu Ten would take care of Ozai.