Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2023-12-31
Completed:
2024-12-22
Words:
1,322
Chapters:
2/2
Comments:
5
Kudos:
250
Bookmarks:
28
Hits:
2,718

Weak

Summary:

After mother disappeared, she realized it was her turn to take care of Zuko, he was too weak for this world, too weak for Father.

Or

Azula rants about how she needs to protect Zuko because of how fragile he is.

This story is lowkey old but I rewrote some of the first chapter, and added a second chapter!!🙈🙈🙈

Notes:

idk how to feel about this yall... so mb if its like super duper horrible...

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: A Sister's Claim

Chapter Text

Zuko had always been a mirror of their mother.

He had her long, slender nose, delicate, rosy lips, her strikingly beautiful eyes, and soft jawline.

Admittedly, Azula was almost grateful for the scar that marred over half of his face, it was the only reminder that she was not viewing the face of the one person she failed to make adore her.

The likeness between Zuko and their mother was uncanny. Before the incident, the only feature that distinguished them was a single black mole beneath Zuko's right eye.

Late at night, under the cover of the moon, Azula would sometimes ponder whether their father’s hatred for Zuko stemmed from this resemblance. Perhaps Zuko was a painful reminder that the Royal Family's lineage would never be strong enough to fully overshadow that of an Avatar.

Her earliest lesson in life had been clear: Zuko was weak, an absolute disgrace to Sozin’s line and all born into it. Yet, Azula was no fool. She recognized that Zuko was an excellent fire Bender. His abilities simply fell short of excelling in Sozin’s style—a style in which both she and their father thrived.

 

Their father’s hatred for Zuko ran far deeper than simply perceived. It was rooted in something that even Zuko himself likely didn’t understand.

 

After their mother’s disappearance, Azula came to an unsettling realization: it was now her responsibility to look after her brother. He was too fragile for the harsh realities of the world, too vulnerable to endure their father’s relentless expectations.

(She had once read about how, before the Air Nomads’ extinction, some Fire Lords would marry their children if the Fire Lady passed away. They always chose the child who most resembled the late Fire Lady. The thought of their father ever contemplating such a fate for Zuko left a bitter, spice-less sensation on her tongue.)

 

Azula knew that Zuko had sacrificed something to protect her. She wasn’t as oblivious as their uncle or their mother. She had noticed the bruises Zuko failed to hide whenever she insisted he “play” with her, Ty Lee, and Mai. She wasn’t entirely sure what he had given up, but she knew with certainty that his sacrifices had always been for her.

 

Zuko might appear strong at first glance, yet at the end of the day, it was his heart that made him weak. He would scold her when she burned the turtle ducks, and seek refuge in their mother’s arms during social gatherings when the older women would fawn over him.

 

The scar on his face was a testament to his fragility, proof of his inability to fight back or to stand tall without begging for forgiveness.

(She would never admit it to their father, but she secretly cherished Zuko’s gentle nature. Without him, she doubted anyone would have ever given her unconditional love.)

 

Zuko had always been there for her. When their mother refused to hold her hand, Zuko would. When she perfected a new kata, he would cheer for her with unrestrained enthusiasm, offering the validation their mother withheld.

(Sometimes, when she was younger, she would pretend that Zuko was their mother. In those moments, when he hugged her tightly and told her she was the greatest fire Bender in the world, she felt a fleeting sense of the love she so desperately craved.)

 

Even now, Zuko was still so small, barely reaching her temple. But Zuko was hers. And one lesson their father had drilled into her was the importance of protecting what belonged to her.

Uncle and their mother had once been Zuko’s protectors, but look where that had led them—imprisonment and death. It was painfully clear that no one but Azula had the capability to protect her brother.

So, it made perfect sense, didn’t it? She would be the one to shield Zuko from the world. She would be his protector, whether he realized it or not.

Chapter 2: A Brother's Burden

Summary:

sooo like after almost a whole year i read this work again and realized that i lowkey ate this up... so i decided to make a new chapter just in Zuko's POV. If anyone acc reads this lmk in the comments if yall think I should like maybe maybe maybe expand on this stories universe.

Notes:

TW: Mentions of child torture, Zuko lowkey just brushes it off but like still...

Chapter Text

 

The candle's fire crackled gently in the dimly lit chamber, it's light dancing across the walls as Zuko sat cross-legged on his grand bed. He traced a finger absentmindedly over the scar on his face, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames.

Azula’s laughter echoed faintly in his mind, an unsettling melody from earlier that day when she’d effortlessly humiliated him in front of their father. The memory twisted in his chest, not because of the embarrassment, but because of her smile. It wasn’t cruel or mocking—it was triumphant, as though she believed her victory was for his benefit.

"She'll never understand what I've done for her." Zuko thought, his jaw tightening. 

He remembered the nights when he’d lied to their father, taking blame for things Azula had done. The bruises and burns he’d hidden beneath long sleeves when their father’s punishments turned physical. The whispered words to their mother, pleading for her to forgive Azula after yet another violent outburst, which often resulted in at least one dead turtle duck and a charred garden.

"It was worth it."  He told himself, as he always did. But lately, the words rang hollow.

His mind wandered to a specific memory, one he rarely allowed himself to revisit. He was eleven, and Azula had been caught sneaking into the royal archives. Their father’s rage was swift and brutal, the threat of exile hanging in the air. Zuko had stepped forward, trembling but determined, and claimed the act as his own. 

The punishment had been severe—hours of kneeling on burning coals, his hands pressed to the hot stone floor until they blistered.

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut, as if that could block out the haunting image of his father’s face that day. Not angry. Not disappointed. Just hatred—clear and unfiltered hatred.

He thinks that’s the first time Father ever looked at him with pure resentment- though it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Zuko let out a shaky breath. Maybe it wasn’t the first time, but it was the one that mattered.

Azula hadn’t thanked him. She’d stood silently in the corner, her face unreadable, and later that night, she’d tossed a bandage roll onto his bed without a word.

Zuko ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling in his chest. He couldn’t tell if he was angrier at her for taking him for granted, or at himself for letting her.

Yet, even now, he couldn’t stop protecting her. Not when she was all he had left of their Mother.

The fire snapped, breaking his reverie. He glanced toward the door, half expecting Azula to burst in, demanding his attention with some new scheme. She always wanted to be the center of his world, and perhaps she was. He hated it, resented her for it—but he also loved her.

Because beneath her sharp words and harsher actions, he saw glimpses of the little girl who had once clung to him during thunderstorms, her small hand gripping his as though he were her only anchor.

Zuko sighed, leaning his head back against the board of his bed. "I gave up my place in Father’s eyes to shield her from his wrath. I gave up my peace to keep her safe,"

He touched his scar again, his fingers lingering. "And what did it get me?"

The fire began to crackle uncontrollably as his thoughts spiraled, but a faint noise from outside drew his attention. Rising to his feet, he stepped toward the window and peered out into the stillness of the palace courtyard.

A messenger hawk swooped down toward the main gates, its scroll gleaming in the moonlight. Zuko frowned. Father rarely receives messages at this hour.

Turning away, he let the curtain fall back into place. He couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling twisting in his gut. Something was coming—he could feel it, like the eerie calm before a storm.

The name "Aang" drifted unbidden through his mind, accompanied by the faintest ember of hope he didn’t yet understand.

Notes:

I feel like there's lowkey a lot of plot holes in this... like I just randomly dropped that Iroh was imprisoned and didnt even mention why??? And I kept on talking about "ursa disappeared" but in the same line I said she was dead. I was thinking that her cause of death could be execution, but I didn't know how to include that in the story I fear.. but ig they can be left to your interpretation....