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Deep in the heart of the Fire Nation, in the City of Caldera, there is a boy. He has a mother, and a father, and a sister whom he loves. The boy is young, and although he is a firebender he does not attain the level of skill his sister has. The Nobles of Caldera scoff at him, the weakling firstborn, and praise his sister who exemplifies everything they believe the Fire Nation should be. He is seen as less worthy, less powerful, lesser in all things.
The servants of Caldera disagree.
The servants of Caldera see him for who he is. They do not miss the way he never orders for things, no the kind little boy asks, Do you know where I left my swords? Or Do you think you can mend my pant leg? I accidentally ripped it climbing a tree in the garden.
He has a temper, of course, he’s part of Sozin’s Line, if he didn’t get angry once in a while there would probably be something wrong with him. But he never shouts at the servants and never takes out his frustration on them.
He never asks for things they cannot give, and says please and thank you when he can out of the sight of his father. When he breaks things, he cleans his messes up himself, and does not look at them like they are the dirt beneath his feet. The older servants scoff, and think that as he grows he will become more like his family, more like the nobles and his kind words of thanks will disappear. This does not happen.
Instead of becoming arrogant like so many of the upper class does, the young prince, now ten, says hello to workers he recognizes and makes an effort to remember their names. When asked why exactly he tries, the prince looks genuinely confused, responding with “I’m part of the royal family, and we’re supposed to protect you guys. How can I do that if I can’t even remember your names?”
Yes, the young prince is special indeed.
Eventually, many of the castle’s staff have met the boy, and those who haven’t desperately want too. There is a waiting list a month long for the guards to be stationed outside his bedroom and another list for his cleaning staff. It is so refreshing to be treated as an equal, and as his standing in the Noble court diminishes, his role in the eyes of the servants and guards only grow.
Affectionally named the Little Dragon, Zuko’s name grows.
~~~
(Do….. you….?)
~~~
The prince is eleven when the crown prince dies. Lu Ten, a good man in his own right, lies dead under the city of Ba Sing Se. He dies, crushed under sand and stone, while his father the Dragon of the West roars outside the walls of the great city. The Little Dragon, thousands of miles away hears of his cousin’s death weeks later.
(They say that the Little Dragon’s cry of grief was so loud, the people of Ba Sing Se heard him as the Dragon of the West retreated to comfort his nephew. Stars fell from the sky that night as the Little Dragon cried and raged in Tui’s Light)
They find him, wrapped up in sheets next to his bed sobbing into the little dragon figurine his cousin had bought for him. Two maids carefully maneuver him into bed while one of the guards outside runs for his mother. He apologizes for being an inconvenience (What has his father been telling him?! Thinks the maids) and they sit with him while he cries himself to sleep. Princess Ursa is nowhere to be found.
(She will not come, not now, not ever)
So the matron, a large robust woman who’s fierce temper and iron grip makes her legendary among the upper staff, takes the small boy outside when he awakens and sits with him as he cries. She gives him tea and sets him to rights and sits with him in silence as he grieves. She holds him tight as his father is crowned fire lord, and as he loses his grandfather and mother in one night.
The little dragon is too small to fight, and must be protected until then.
(It begins)
~~~
(Do you hear…?)
~~~
“Do you think that the war is just?” Asks the Little Dragon.
Kili cannot breathe. She is as still as a statue from where she is pouring the tea for Prince Zuko and Prince Iroh. The Little Dragon is twelve, and already is so smart. Her hands shake as her back straitens and she holds the teapot in her hands.
The Prince did not ask his uncle, but her, his face tilted upward from where he was seated at the low table in one of the gardens. Iroh has a small smile on his face as he takes a sip of his tea.
“Well- I-,” she begins, cursing her lack of tact. “Well, Your highness, my brother is fighting in the war. I supposed I would like it to end to get him home again.”
He looks annoyed at that. Oh Agni, please let her not be exiled, she knows the Little Dragon is kinder than her kin but she just said something basically treasonous and-
“I didn’t ask if you wanted it to end, just if you think that it is right.”
Oh, that was blunt.
The prince seems to realize this as he turns red, and rushes to reassure her, “No, wait I meant-“
“I don’t think that’s my place to comment, my Prince,” Kili smiles, pouring their tea once again. Prince Iroh looks approvingly at her, and Prince Zuko looks pensive.
Then, in a quiet voice Kili is sure she wasn’t supposed to hear.
“I don’t think it is."
~~~
(Do you hear the people sing?)
~~~
The Little Dragon is thirteen and he is fierce. He protects his people like a dragon protects his hoard, so fitting for his name. The servants whisper and smile behind polite bows, even though he never demands it. Especially because he doesn’t command their loyalty.
The guards that stand in front of his rooms rotate out more quickly now. Saying no to Princess Azula is never a healthy thing to do, but there is no shortage of volunteers to take up the post. When they can, they give confusing directions or outright refusal. They all know how she affects their Prince.
Another thing the guards notice, is when the Prince thinks he’s given them the slip at night. At least once a week, the crown prince will leave his bedroom and walk the streets of Caldera. He plays with children, talks with them, and secretly goes to watch his favorite plays, all in very bad disguises. The people of Caldera know what Fire Royalty eyes look like, but refrain from commenting. They are content in letting them think they don’t know, but there is a doting smile on the merchant’s faces as the boy runs to and fro. He does not have this type of freedom in the palace.
On more than one occasion, he stops muggings or robberies. He doesn’t bend, not to give himself away he thinks, but uses swords. There is a rumor, that the Little Dragon does more to protect his people than the Black Dragon does, sending them off to war.
When the Royal family, once seven and now three, tour the Fire Nation, it is Zuko who sneaks out at night to teach the younger children to play. It is Zuko who buys the local kids treats, and tells stories of the palace and the capital and dragons in the sky. He is seen as the next leader, and the children already love him.
Parents of said children are cautiously hopeful, and proud of their crown prince in a way only parents can be. They look at him and think there is a boy I could call king.
But all too soon, the Royal Tours end, and Zuko is left with only the Capital for company. This is not a bad thing, and there is no place else he loves more than his home but,
But sometimes he misses his people.
(It begins)
~~~
(A whisper, Did you hear?)
These are his people.
(No, really? He said that? For us?)
They are just going to sacrifice them. For what? An advantage.
(For our children, yes. The Little Dragon stood tall)
They sit here, and applaud this plan. Applaud it, like it’s something to be praised, like it’s not going to send an entire regiment to their deaths.
(Do you know who he faced? For us, do you know?)
They are his age. They are sons and daughters, sisters and brothers. They are his people.
(He stood for us?)
Zuko rises. And stands.
(It begins)
~~~
There is a rumor, that the entire Fire Nation has heard. They’ve heard the official story of his banishment, but the Little Dragon has more honor than his father ever had, and they do not believe. The rumor, however, has much more believability.
The servants know. They tell their tale as many times as they can, as far as they can reach. They tell a tale of a son, a true ruler who’s only wish was to protect his people. They tell a tale of a Little Dragon, who went into the Agni Kai chamber in order to end the war, but the Black Dragon, his father, struck him down with a blow to the eye. They say that his eye is permanently slitted, and that he will wear his mark forever.
They say that the Little Dragon died that day, and that the Red-Eyed Dragon rose in his place.
~~~
(Singing a song of angry men?)
~~~
In the many taverns that dot the Fire Nation, a song rings out. Supporters of Ozai try to tamper it down, but it just makes them sing louder. Their Red-Eyed Dragon is gone, and they will show their support for him and no other.
A passing bard coined this song, and with every rendition another person knew of his story, their leader, Prince Zuko. It is said that you could hear the singing from Caldera itself, and that the Fire Lord ruled that playing it would result in punishment.
It only made them sing louder.
~~~
Red-Eyed Dragon, Red-Eyed Dragon, What do you seek?
A bed for your head, a home for your keep?
Red-Eyed Dragon, Red-Eyed Dragon, What do you see?
Out of the eye that burned as you breathed?
Little Dragon, Little Dragon, you know what you are,
A child of fire, an end to the war.
Little Dragon, Little Dragon, you want to go back,
Into the arms that cast you, into the black?
Red-Eyed Dragon, Red-Eyed Dragon, look at how you’ve grown!
Into a protector of many, one for your home.
Red-Eyed Dragon, Red-Eyed Dragon, please set us free,
From the Black Dragon that cast you into the sea!
Little Dragon, Little Dragon, kindest of all,
See how you’ve mastered, see how they fall.
Little Dragon, Little Dragon, a true King we see
We wait for you to come back, out of the sea.
Red-Eyed Dragon, Red-Eyed Dragon, we wait for you still
In your home of Caldera, on the tall blackened hill.
Red-Eyed Dragon, Red-Eyed Dragon, come back for your hoard,
Come back and lead us, true Fire Lord.
~~~
The prince does not stay long in the Fire Nation. How can he, when all he knows are the nobles and their sneers and not the love his people have for him. He takes his crew and his uncle and sets out on a journey that all but him thinks is futile.
His crew are surprisingly adept, although he would never admit to it even at knifepoint. His father burned more than his face that day, and the Little Dragon lost a bit of his heart in the Agni Kai chamber. He is sharper and quick to anger, but it is never directed at his crew. They all agree that the person that the Prince is mad at the most is himself.
They go from port to port in the Earth Kingdom, picking up supplies along the way. Strangely enough, there always seems to be more in what they load onto the ships than what they paid for. Luxuries like sugar and sweets always make their way into the Prince’s cargo, and scrolls of his favorite plays end up tucked into missives and spare parchment. The Red-Eyed Dragon snarls and shouts at whoever may say he bought them for himself, yet always shares with the crew on the condition that they treat the scrolls carefully. When asked by his uncle, however, the prince truthfully says that he does not know how they got on board. The crew would know if he had lied, for all his strengths, the prince could not lie to save his life.
So the mystery of the extra supplies remains unsolved, until one afternoon when Iroh sees from the deck of their ship children running up to the crates and stuffing bags of treats and scrolls inside, guided by their Earth Kingdom parents.
But why?
~~~
(It is the music of a people)
~~~
Here’s the answer to why. When the Earth Kingdom heard the proclamation that the crown prince had been banished, its people were ecstatic. Finally, finally, a target not locked up in a castle. Finally, there was a dragon that they could take revenge on, take what was taken from them. A spoiled brat, a whelp cast out of his own nation for being a failure, and arrogant child. Things could not seem more clear.
And then the reports became… confused.
From their spies in the Fire nation, they were getting strange reports. Words of caution placed into the missives sent back. Wait, they say, wait and see what he is before you attack.
At first, the generals of the Earth Kingdom army are confused. Shouldn’t they be taking this opportunity to attack before the kid can get stronger? Shouldn’t they detain him before he can burn villages to the ground to appease his father?
Wait, the messages say, coming in almost every hour of the day. Wait and see.
And so they do. They station spies at the ports they know he will be stopping at, and send warnings to the villages. At first, the prince is regarded with open hostility, from a people who have been savaged and burned for so long. The first three ports they are run out by angry mobs.
It is at the fourth port that things get interesting.
The prince is like an angry badger-mole, always shouting at the air and glaring through his slitted eye. His uncle is a pacifist, and is adept at doing something to calm him down. They have been on the seas for weeks, and their crew is hungry so they have no choice but to stop and hope some people will sell to them. Luckily, Ching is a poorer village, and they need all the trade they can get, so the people bite their tongues and sell their wares, albeit with raised prices.
The soldiers have money, actual coin to barter with and this makes the villagers a bit more receptive to their offers. Market day is going so well, that nobody notices when the prince slips away out of his Uncle’s sight.
When they finally do find the boy again, he is teaching the children of the village how to play Pai Sho, saying They wanted to know what “Fire Nation Baddies” do when we’re not fighting. I’m getting them to play so that they know how boring it is to be on the ship.
His uncle, strangely enough, looks so proud.
Indeed, strange reports keep coming from the ports and villages the prince’s ship visits. In one place, he spends most of the day in the scroll shop, debating the merits of Love Amongst Dragons with the wizened old shopkeeper, who is positively delighted that someone is able to debate with him about plays in the backwards old town. In another, he allows the youngest children to braid his Phoenix tale with the agreement that they would tell him everything they knew about the avatar as they did it. In yet another, he teaches the young men how to defend themselves for a good week before his hunt for the avatar takes him somewhere else. His excuse?
“That punch he threw at me was abysmal,” he argues loudly to his uncle who looks on with a genial smile. “If he can’t even punch me correctly, he’s never gonna be able to defend against real fire nation soldiers!”
In yet another town, he stops a rouge band of fire benders who had been terrorizing the village for years. No honor in them, he growls with a look on his face that says more than the villagers know.
It is at this point in time does the real story of how he got his scar make its way throughout the Earth kingdom. All around, people are hearing about how the Red-Eyed Dragon got his name, and how he supposedly lost his honor.
(Collectivity, the Earth Kingdom agrees that the Prince has more honor than the entire Fire Nation put together.)
And so, the old earth kingdom generals allow the boy to continue unheeded on his way. As one of them so wisely says, “If nothing else, we can at least be assured that we will not be defeating the honorable ones in his family.”
The ones who are have left Caldera long before any attacks.
~~~
(Who will not be slaves again)
~~~
The Great Northern Water Tribe has heard tale of the Red-Eyed Dragon. They say he is a hunter like no other, unstoppable in his quest. They say he breathes fire from his throat like the dragons of old. They say that his uncle, the Dragon of the West came with him, for he was the only one who could keep the young dragon in check.
Their reports from the Earth Kingdom say differently. They tell of a young man, scarred in both body and soul. He does not fight, nor inflict wounds, and he is relentless in his search for the Avatar. He does not harm anyone in his search, and word has come from the Southern Water tribe that he did not turn back to raze the village when the Avatar broke his word.
The people of the Great Northern Tribe have no love for him. But they do not send their navy out into their waters when the boy looks for the Avatar in the North. They do not let him close, but neither do they sink his ship, which would be so easy for waterbenders of their caliber.
The Red-Eyed Dragon leaves their waters peacefully, just like he had done everywhere else.
~~~
(When the beating of your heart)
~~~
In the heart of the Southern pole, inside of an iceberg, an Airbender awaits. Unnoticed by the water tribe siblings arguing outside of his enclosure, the ice surrounding him begins to crack and break.
This is nothing new. Ice breaks all the time in the south pole. But this time, something emerges from inside.
(It begins)
~~~
(Echos the beating of the drums)
~~~
The avatar is alive. The avatar is alive, and he is learning how to bend. The joke of a Prince whom everybody had laughed at actually has a chance to return home to his rightful place.
Nobody’s laughing now.
Nobles whisper in Ozai’s court, afraid of the Red-Eyed Dragon coming back and taking his rightful place, and servants gossip excitedly. Where was he last seen, where is the avatar going? They both ask for different reasons, but only the servants act on it.
Messages sent by Fire Hawkes arrive on the Red-Eyed Dragon’s ship. Information of where the avatar is according to gossip, or where he might be going with his companions. The messages are never signed with a name, only with The People of the Fire Nation.
Even banished, the people look out for their Lord.
~~~
(There is a life about to start)
~~~
The Banished Prince is no more. He has chased the Avatar to and fro, meeting little resistance. The people of the Earth kingdom and of the Water tribes respect him both, and as a result, neither helps or hinders the Avatar.
But now the Avatar is dead.
And the Crown Prince has returned home in glory. The nobles all praise him for his battle skills and ingenuity. His father welcomes him home with open arms. His uncle is labeled a traitor and imprisoned.
No one but the servants see the shake of his hands as he accepts his crown.
No one but the servants see the tightness of his eyes as his father and sister praise him.
No one but the servants see the guilt on his shoulders as he walks through the gardens.
The prince is home, he has everything he has ever worked for. He has the love of his father and sister, the glory of his nation, and the approval of the Nobles in the court.
It is hollow.
One morning, as the prince comes back yet again from another unsuccessful visit in making his uncle talk to him, he takes his tea in the garden. Perhaps this is the only way he can feel close to the Dragon of the West, now that he is in chains.
Kili, now older, is still a tea server. As she pours him his cup, she begins humming The Red-Eyed Dragon under her breath. He squints at her, one eye slitted, as she continues.
“I heard that song before. Why do you sing it? My father declared it treasonous to do so.”
Despite his words of bravo, he seems less inclined to report it. Kili looks down at the boy, once the palace’s own Little Dragon, now grown up strong. She smiles, and does not answer immediately.
“You once asked me if I thought that the war was just, my Prince.” She continues cleaning up the tea set as she speaks. The Prince is silent, looking at her with surprisingly calm eyes. “The truth is that I do not. My brother died in that war. And I think a part of you died there as well.”
He gives her a sharp look, seeming every bit of the dragon he is named for. He thinks for a moment and then nods, turning back to the turtle duck pool. But she is not finished.
“Many of us don’t. We know what it is like to loose brothers, sisters, uncles to the fighting.” He stills and Kili thinks she stepped over a line, but continues. “We know you, my prince. And we will follow where you lead.”
This is close to treason. She is basically saying that the Fire nation will follow him if he chooses to rebel. From the look on his face, he knows this. The prince nods, and stands but before he leaves he bows to her and straitens his spine. There is a fire in his eyes that was not there before. As he leaves, Kili smiles at the Red-Eyed Dragon as he goes to plan his flight.
And all around the palace, in hushed voices, the servants begin to sing.
Red-Eyed Dragon, Red-Eyed Dragon, we wait for you still
In your home of Caldera, on the tall blackened hill.
Red-Eyed Dragon, Red-Eyed Dragon, come back for your hoard,
Come back and lead us, true Fire Lord.
~~~
(When tomorrow comes)
~~~
“Did you hear?”
“Do you know?”
“Did you see?”
The Red-Eyed Dragon has joined the Avatar.
~~~
(Do you hear the people sing?)
~~~
The people of the Fire Nation are not allowed to help the traitor. They are not allowed to sell him wares, are not allowed to sneak in extra items, and are certainly not allowed to conceal information about him from loyal supporters of Ozai.
They do anyways.
They rebel in small ways, helping them with directions and giving extra supplies. There are others, however, who rebel in a much more obvious fashion.
~~~
(Lost in the valley of the night)
~~~
The white lotuses look so beautiful blooming in the night.
There are much more of them in the cities and towns now. Every Fire Nation town has at least a few, all of them loyal to the true Fire Lord.
Who that true Fire Lord is, they cannot tell just yet. But rebellion is on the rise.
~~~
(It is the music of a people)
~~~
Of course, there is a much more sophisticated way to incite rebellion, one playwright thinks. From his home on ember island, he is writing a play about a lion who banishes his cub. The cub grows to be a majestic lion and comes back to take the crown from his usurper father. What do you mean its a bit on the nose? Asks the playwright, shaking his head with narrowed eyes.
Believe me, if I could, I would do much worse to the bastard who did that to him.
~~~
(Who are climbing to the light)
~~~
There are regiments across the country hearing the same tale. The Red-Eyed Dragon and the Dragon of the west have turned traitor. They are to be apprehended and arrested on sight.
(What has the Fire Nation done, that even dragons are abandoning them?)
The soldiers in the 176th division are muted, quiet. They look at each other with questioning eyes around the camp. The generals are all spouting the same stuff, how evil the banished prince is and how he rejected his country. They are cursing his name, and hoping he dies far away from his home, dies a disgrace.
When they come across a village- Ching- and have orders to raze it to the ground. This is a village where they support the banished prince, they have declared for him as if he was a leader to be chosen. The generals scoff and order their armies forward,
The soldiers do not move.
They look down at the small town, with its elderly and children, and think, This is wrong.
The soldiers do not move. They look upon the shouting faces of their commanders, becoming red with indignation, and look upon the small fishing village that had incurred the wrath of the Fire Lord.
Not the true Fire Lord, one of them whispers, and refuses to move.
And as a whole, the 176th division turns on its overseers, and leaves to follow their Prince.
~~~
(For the wretched of the earth)
~~~
The 176th division wanders the Earth kingdom, assimilating more divisions as they go and freeing towns from Fire Nation rule. They become very effective and encounter much less resistance than expected. The Fire nation peasants wish them well and give them supplies for their time.
They very quickly take on the name Red-Eyed Raiders, for they vow to serve no one but their true ruler. They are so effective, that a message comes from the Red-Eyed Dragon himself, asking them to be a part of an invasion against his father.
Obviously, they accept without hesitation.
~~~
(There is a flame that never dies)
~~~
During the invasion on the Day of the Black Sun, there is over fifty thousand extra troops commanded by the Red-Eyed Dragon to help. With their assistance, they are able to get into the palace quickly, as any supporters of the old regime are few and far between.
The soldiers will follow no one but their Prince, which is a good thing since he is on the Avatar’s side. With their assistance, the avatar and the prince are able to find the bunkers and imprison Fire Lord Ozai.
Fire Lord Zuko rises.
~~~
(Even the darkest night will end)
~~~
The Black Dragon is defeated. So is his Blue Daughter. The Red-Eyed Dragon struck his sister down with a mighty blow and regained his crown.
(This isn’t what actually happened, but the Ember Island playwright has to embellish something to make his play end on a good note)
The Dragon of the West watches over his nephew- more like son, some people whisper- and sees him start his rule, backlit by the light of day.
The Red-Eyed Dragon has come home at last.
~~~
(And the sun will rise.)
~~~
There is a song that commemorates Fire Lord Zuko, The Red-Eyed Dragon’s rule. It depicts his fall from grace and his rise to power, just like the play about his life does. Historians call him one of the greatest Fire Lords in history, and there is much media to support this. The Red Dragon is a popular song, with many versions spanning the centuries. And of course, there is the play, Eyes of Fire, a clever name for the story behind his scar. But interestingly enough is not Fire Lord Zuko’s life, but how he affected the lives around him.
It is interesting to mention that the Fire Nation has only rebelled once in its long history. They are a proud and loyal people, almost to a fault, and it is telling that the only time the commoners rose in rebellion was for their Little Dragon.
And as one such scholar passes by the tomb of Fire Lord Zuko, buried with his uncle and family, he hums a familiar tune.
Red-Eyed Dragon, Red-Eyed Dragon, What do you seek?…