To Lose or To Gain II: Flames of the Future (AtLA Fanfic)

Flames of the Future

Today, Prince Zuko would start attending the Royal Fire Academy for Boys under the name of Lee, or for at least as long as they could keep his identity as the Esteemed Prince under wraps.

Akira took a deep breath, having woken up earlier in the morning than he usually did before heading to the academy for his lessons, his posture was wholly straight, and his head held high. " Hideki and I are, after all, invited to eat breakfast with Prince Zuko this morning which means we 'll also be eating with the Fire Lord. That— "

There was no getting around how unusual it was for someone not of the royal family to find themselves able to see the face of the Fire Lord rather than speaking to the man behind his curtain of fire. Had he and Hideki not become companions of the young prince, this wouldn 't be happening today. And although they had come face to face with the Fire Lord before, things felt different.

"After all, the Agni Kai," Akira thought to himself. "It left Zuko rather shaken up, though I don't think he's talked to his uncle or grandfather about how he feels like he has Hideki and me. And I can't blame him. Father says—father says it has to do with how protective the Fire Lord is of his family, that you don't touch any of them, but should you cross his line, then you see the real power behind the throne."

The general burned by Azulon 's fire lived. Yet, Akira remembered quite well what Zuko related to him regarding what Princess Azula said about Zuko being to blame for the loss of a general, which was, in fact, faithful as said general was no longer serving, the message ringing quite clear that the youth of the nation were the future of the country.

"She's wrong," he told Zuko. "That's it's your fault that the general can no longer serve om the army. That is the general's fault."

This was something Hideki agreed with him, yet this didn 't stop Zuko from mulling over it in his head, as only Zuko was inclined to do. It was on his way to the palace that he ran into Hideki, taking the path they'd been requested to not draw attention to themselves. The younger Fire Nation youth smiled at him. "Excited?"

"I don't know what to think," Akira said.

"Lee will be attending the academy with us," Hideki said, managing to use Zuko's secret name in public rather than his real name.

"If that were the only thing," Akira muttered.

"I know. We've been over this. And he's only attending a couple of morning classes. It's all in the plan."

The plan, of course, was to take advantage of his family 's connections to the royal family, in that three generations now had served the royal family in some capacity or another, leading them to be a significant part of the plan implemented. Zuko would be Lee, his cousin, at the academy, slowly integrating to the academy and being picked up by his grandmother as he slowly started attending more classes over the following weeks.

"It makes sense," his father had said, "As Lu Ten was like a brother to me, but the two of you are like family as well. That is what your friendship is like, right?"

"I'm not going to mess up," Hideki said, obviously referring to how when he first met Zuko, he kept calling him Prince Zuko, even struggled with his nickname he'd first chosen when Zuko first ventured outside the walls of the palace and the walls of his sword teacher's place. "And he's not using Prince Lu Ten's name this time."

This was soft, whispered in case there was anybody nearby. Akira smiled. "I can't help but worry."

"That's because you've taken on the role of bodyguard, whereas I'm going to take on a different role."

"Have you figured that out yet?"

"Don't know. I just know I'm good at academics." Hideki laughed. "And don't ask me to do any bending."

"Yeah. No Fire Bending for you," Akira said, taking a deep breath as he approached the palace. A servant met the, one of the trusted ones, as there was—and Akira had figured this out, or perhaps it was Hideki, that for the Fire Lord was protective of family, what he considered family as there did seem to be some dislike from what Akira heard from Zuko for Prince Ozai and Princess Azula. "Which makes sense as for them, the family isn't important. That much is obvious with how Ozai treats Zuko, the child he doesn't see as having any worth compared to Azula, and Azula is downright cruel."

"Oh! Hideki! Akira!"

Akira started, Hideki making a quick bow before he did, but he followed suit. "Ah. Princess Ursa, Esteemed Mother."

"You don't have to hold to formalities when there aren't others around," the woman said. "Zuko's mother will do. And thank you both for taking care of him. It's good to know he'll be starting at the academy with friends."

A soft laugh made Akira look up, and he smiled at the tyke held in her mother 's arms. "Sorry, Princess Kiyi. I don't have any treats for you today. I didn't expect you and your mother to be joining us for breakfast."

"Well, father thought of it at the last minute, or perhaps he didn't want things to get back to Ozai. He..." Ursa pushed her lips together. Akira looked at Kiyi, wondering how the woman could—given the fact Ozai didn't seem to have any clue of care towards his wife, except to treat her as a trophy, which in his mind felt wrong.

"Duty, I guess. It certainly makes me think twice about things, but eventually, Zuko's going to put together that there is no love loss between his parents, his blood parents, which is just wrong."

"Would either of you like to hold the princess and carry her to breakfast? Mind you; she can be a handful, full of curiosity, much like her older brother at that age?"

"May I?" Hideki said, holding out his arms. Kiyi crawled right into his arms as if there were no proper decorum she was breaking. She was too young, which made the moment even sweeter.

Yet, there was a bit of curiosity. "And Princess Azula?"

"Thankfully, her temperament is more like her older brother's than that of her sister, though I don't know about..." She paused, her lips pushing together as if she were hiding something.

"Something the matter Princess Ursa?"

"No. Nothing at all. I mean, it's good news, at least it should be," she said, yet there was something about how she said what she did that made Akira doubt what she said. "Let's head to breakfast. I want to see Zuko in his academy uniform on his first day, just like any other parent. He's my beautiful boy, after all."

Hideki let out a chuckle while Akira tried not to laugh. "You might not want to say that to him."

"Handsome then, but he is who he is," Ursa said, the mood of what she previously said lifting. "Again, let's head on our way."