Earthly Reigns: A Prince's Retribution Against the Four Nations Ch.4

— Zuko —

“All hail Firelord Ozai.”

Everyone bowed, himself and Azula included, to their new firelord. Quiet tears streamed down his face. His mother…she had vanished and disappeared without a trace. How was a twelve-year-old boy supposed to take that?

“Quit crying, Zuzu, or father will show you his wrath,” Azula, who was bowing on his left side, said, grinning at him. He glared at her, snarling. She knew what happened to their mother, yet she didn’t care. She didn’t think anything of it as if their mother’s disappearance meant absolutely nothing to her.

Zuko couldn’t understand it. More importantly, he didn’t want to understand it.

He felt a heavy hand press against his shoulder and he looked to his right to see his Uncle, Iroh, giving him a small, yet tired smile.

His Uncle’s presence…it did a lot for his nerves, for his sadness, and for his fear. But he couldn’t return the smile. Even if his Uncle suppressed his negative emotions, they still existed, swarming around in his mind.

Life for Prince Zuko wasn’t all peaches and rainbows, in fact, it was the opposite, and very few knew that.

— Later —

“Zuzu~” Azula sing-songed, standing above him as he and Mai lay on the ground near the pond in the back of their home.

“What do you want, Azula?” Zuko asked, annoyed by her sheer presence. Was it so bad that he just wanted to take some time to heal his saddened soul with the girl he had a crush on?

“Nothing, but I’m bored. Let’s do something.”

“Ooh, yes!” Ty Lee shouted in joy, jumping down from the tree she was sitting in. “What do you girls, and boy, want to do?”

“Lay here, not move?” Mai shrugged with a lack of emotion. She didn’t tend to show much if any emotion around any beside him and her family, and even then, it wasn’t much. Perhaps it was the desire to see the different sides of her, that he fell in love?

“Well, that is not going to work. I want to play so we’ll play!” Azula stomped her foot, and Mai shot up from the ground. Azula, she tended to get that sort of blind obedience from both Mai and Ty Lee and any argument he gave her usually ended with his face in the dirt, and the two following Azula’s initial order anyway.

He had learned through pain that Azula was not someone to be messed with, nor to be told no.

“Azula.”

All heads quickly turned to see the Firelord himself, Zuko’s father standing at the castle’s stairs, looking at his daughter.

All of them dropped to a knee quickly. Azula included.

“Yes, Fire Lord?” Azula asked. Respect Azula showed for no one beside their father wafted off he tongue and by their father’s smile, he was pleased.

“Come with me, we have a great deal to talk about.” Fire Lord Ozai said before starting to walk away. As Azula approached, Ozai turned around, as if remembering something. “Zuko.”

Zuko flinched at the sudden calling of his name, recalling what Azulad had told him about the disappearance of their mother.

He was responsible. It was his fault. Yet he harbored no hatred for him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to know where she had gone.

“Yes, father?”

“It’s Fire Lord, Zuzu!” Azula whisper yelled from a great distance which just ended up coming off as a yell.

“Your sister is right, Zuko. You lack respect, but that is not what I called you. Once Azula is sent back here, I expect you to meet me in the throne room.”

“Y-Yes, Fire Lord.”

“Good.”

With that, Fire Lord Ozai and Azula walked away, leaving him, Ty Lee, and Mai bowing for about a minute after they had left, just in case, before getting back up.

“What do you think that’s about?” Ty Lee asked, putting her hands behind her head lazily as she pondered.

“Do not attempt to decipher the Royal Family’s plans. Azula told us that, remember?” Mai asked, placing her hands on her hips and giving Ty Lee a scolding look which the girl shrank at before looking over to Zuko. “Are you alright, Zuko?”

“Fine.” He waved her off, dropping back to the ground, ready to laze around for as long as possible.

Both Mai and Ty Lee joined him, dropping to the ground and laying down with Mai in the middle. It would likely be a while before Azula came back, and Zuko knew just how to spend that time.

— Later —

Zuko’s eyes shot open, and he was greeted with the evening sky. He shot up off his back and into a sitting position.

“Oh, looks like Zuko is a awake!” Ty Lee grinned, sweat beading down her forehead as she nervously scratched her neck, all while looking at him apologetically.

“Wonderful!” Azula clapped softly. “How was you nap, Zuzu?”

Zuko was still disoriented from waking up, but the pieces to the puzzle began to connect in his mind. “Azula…when did you get back?”

Azula crossed her arms and looked up in thought. “About three hours ago.”

Zuko shot up to his feet “What?! Why didn’t you wake me up?!”

The innocent smile she gave him infuriated the lone boy as he bolted toward the palace stairs.

Even running at his full speed, it took several minutes to finally reach the throne room. He gave the door a shallow knock and he broke out in a cold sweat when he heard his father.

“...Enter.”

There was anger in his voice, a lot of it. So much so that Zuko knew this conversation couldn’t go anyway but horribly.

He opened the door and immediately he could see the form of his father, sitting in his seat behind bright orange flames.

“Zuko…I believe it’s time we had a long needed talk about respect.”

— Ryushi —

I forgot to pack last night, what a fucking idiot I am! I had to scramble when one of the servants came to my room to wake me for my early departure. Luckily, I didn’t actually need to take a lot. Just a few personal belongings to increase my moral and that was it.

So, I left my room with a small bag slung over my shoulder. It didn’t have much, a few pictures of myself and my parents along with Bumi. It also had a stone that Bumi gave me when I was younger, a sort of good luck charm that I always kept in my room. He had told me to keep it with me wherever I went, and I intended to.

I made my way outside and spotted a carriage waiting for me. I looked around for a moment, hoping to see Bumi and Flopsie, but after moments of waiting, I decided to ask the servant what was up.

“Where’s my Great-Grandfather?”

“My apologies, Prince Ryushi, King Bumi is quite busy this morning, he has asked that you go on ahead.”

My eyes widened for a moment before a smile crossed my lips. Too busy my ass. Knowing him, he didn’t want a repeat of that serious/emotional night we went through. Also, Bumi wasn’t one for goodbyes, and in all honestly, neither am I.

This is for the best, he knows it, and now I do to.

“That’s fine. I’ll be going now.” I smiled brightly, turning around and heading toward the carriage.

The group of servants that had gathered around the entrance to the castle all bowed to me as I entered the carriage and looked back.

““Be safe, Young Lord.””

I waved to all of them as the carriage started moving and continued to do so until they were out of sight.

“Having second thoughts, Young Prince?” The carriage driver, Kusko asked. He was the same guard who I had grown closest to over the years, and if anyone would be taking me to my new life, I was glad it was him.

“Not even for a moment.” I shook my head. “This needs to be done, but that doesn’t make it any easier.”

“Sometimes the hardest things we do are the most necessary, hang in there, Prince Ryushi.”

I let my eyes fall on the Kingdom of Omashu as the carriage moved through it. People would wave as we passed, and I would return their waves. All the while I felt a bit of emptiness deep in my gut.

How long would it be before I saw these people again?

Years at least, if I was lucky.

The carriage strolled all the way through Omashu and eventually we reached the gates of the city. We stopped for a moment to have the cart looked over by the guards momentarily, but my presence sped up the process a great deal as they allowed us out.

My eyes marveled at the outside world. This would be my first time outside of Omashu, ever. It was time to take that first step, a step toward a better life-

And a better world for everyone.

— Later —

The journey to the Earth Kingdom Army’s Training Grounds lasted two days and one night. Eventually we found our way at our destination, and it was well past dark.

“Let’s get you checked in, Prince.” Kusko opened my carriage door and walked with me into the largest tent around. “The army is rather…strict with the enlistment age, but King Bumi wrote a letter to bypass that tidbit.”

An age restriction, I assume put in place not only to stop children from joining and dying needlessly, but also for more…dark reasons.

I’m sure during this war the Earth Kingdom has seen it’s fair share of child soldiers who held deep hatred in their hearts and a desire for revenge that led them here, and I’m almost certain every case of that ended horribly.

We walked up to the entrance of the tent where there were two Earth Kingdom soldiers standing guard.

“Halt!” One of them spoke up. Their eyes fell on me for a moment before drifting to Kusko who was wearing a similar attire to them “State your name, rank, and business!”

“Kusko, former captain, I am here to enlist this young man, Prince Ryushi of Omashu, Great-Grandson of King Bumi.” The man beside me crossed his arms behind his back, and the soldiers grew stiff at his words.

“It is an honor to meet you, Captain Kusko.” They both bowed their heads a bit, but Kusko waved them off.

“I said Former Captain, you needn’t bow.”

“The damage you’ve dealt to the Fire Nation during your army days has been massive! Excuse me sir, but there is no way we wouldn’t give Kusko of the Burning Sand his due diligence. You’re a legend!”

Was Kusko really a well known soldier? I had no idea. Also, Kusko of the Burning Sand? Sounds fucking badass! I gotta ask what he did to get such a name.

“Those days are behind me.” Kusko gestured to me. “We wish to enlist him now, may we pass?”

“Of course!” They both stepped aside, allowing us entry.

We made our way inside, and in there was several soldiers standing at attention along the walls while a lone man sat on a cushion on the ground while writing on a piece of paper.

The man’s eyes met mine before moving to Kusko’s.

“Kusko, you’ve returned from Omashu. You’re enlisting this young man, but will you be returning to the army as well?”

“I will be, Commander Chen.” Kusko bowed slightly and I mimicked his actions. My eyes damn near bulging out of their sockets. He hadn’t told me jack shit about him either being in the army, nor rejoining. “I wish to monitor Prince Ryushi’s training and later be placed in the same Unit as him.”

I won’t lie, that warmed my heart a great deal, and I inched just a bit closer to him. He had kept me safe all my life, and even now he decided to do so.

“I see.” Commander Chen placed the paper down, looking at us more closely. “I assume you have some sort of recommendation from King Bumi?”

Kusko nodded, stepping forward and reaching into his back pocket. All the soldiers around got on guard until he pulled out a rolled up paper and handed it to the Commander.

Commander Chen unrolled the paper, reading through it slowly before placing it down and looking at me.

“Prince Ryushi, why do you wish to join the Earth Kingdom’s army?”

I blinked, not expecting that question. I assumed they needed every willing hand they could get with how bad they were getting their ass kicked in this war.

“The same reason as most. To make a difference, no matter how little it may be, sir.”

The Commander gave an understanding nod. “A fine answer. We will see if you’re capable of keeping up with the men of the Earth Kingdom’s Army, but should you fail, you will return home. Am I clear?”

“Crystal.”

— Chapter End —