A blog showcasing concept arts for a fanmade Alternate Universe continuity of the Avatar: The Last Air Bender. A Fire Nation Royal Family-centric series while still focusing on the cultures of the other Nations. Canon pairings. Doesn't follow the comics.
Avatar: Rise of the Dragons Book 1: Prophecy - Chapter 13 - TheRiseoftheDragons - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) [Archive of Our Own]
Summary:
As the terror of last night forces Ozai to retreat into a fortress of mental isolation, Zuko is left throwing himself against a wall that only grows higher. Yet at the riverbank, the former Fire Lord and the Avatar engage in an unexpected discussion on Air Nomad philosophies.
An Excerpt from the Chapter:
"'Dragon Lady,'" Ozai repeated, his deep voice dripping with arrogant contempt.
He stepped away from the doorframe, his towering silhouette casting a long shadow across the floorboards. "A creature born of ancient, primordial fire breaches your defenses effortlessly, physically overpowers the Avatar and the sitting Fire Lord without shedding a single drop of sweat, and your grand tactical response is to assign her a childish moniker over morning tea. Your ability to reduce an apocalyptic threat to a punchline is truly staggering, peasant. It is a miracle you survived the war at all."
Sokka simply blinked, completely unbothered by the insult. He took another loud sip of his tea.
"Yeah, well, this peasant didn't get pinned to a mattress last night. So, Dragon Lady it is."
Avatar: Rise of the Dragons Book 1: Prophecy - Chapter 12 - TheRiseoftheDragons - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) [Archive of Our Own]
Summary:
A rare moment of peace allows Ozai to guide Zuko and Aang's firebending, followed by a celebratory feast on Kyoshi Island. In the dead of the night, Ming comes for the former Fire Lord.
An Excerpt from the Chapter:
"Joy isn't a distraction for him," Zuko countered, his voice steady. "It's his anchor. When you pushed him to find his core today, he didn't draw on anger or malice to fuel that blast. He drew on his desire to protect the people he laughs with." Zuko turned to meet his father's gaze. "His gentle heart is the reason the world is still here. It's the reason you are still here. You don't have to understand it. But his way works."
The flickering light of the oil lamps cast long, dancing shadows across the Gallery of Fire Lords. It was late, the hour when the palace corridors typically belonged to the Royal Guards and the ghosts, but a young Lu Ten remained hunched over a heavy tactical scroll, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Ozai found him there. He didn't speak at first, merely reaching out to adjust the wick of the lamp so the boy could see better.
"The Siege of Garsai," Ozai noted, his voice low and devoid of its usual sharp, instructional edge. "You’re looking at the supply lines. Most boys your age only care about the firebending manoeuvres."
Lu Ten looked up, his eyes bright with the weariness of the entire day of perusing through scrolls.. "I want to understand the ‘why’, Uncle. Like you always say- fire is the tool, but the mind is the weapon."
Ozai felt a rare, genuine tug of warmth. He sat on the bench beside the boy, the silk of his robes rustling. Ozai pointed to a mountain pass on the map. "If you move the infantry here, you bypass the earthbending traps entirely. It’s the 'coward’s route' according to your father, but it’s the victor’s route in reality."
Lu Ten nodded, soaking in the words. Then, he hesitated. He looked from the map to the towering portrait of his grandfather at the end of the hall; it was a painting that captured the man’s stern, unforgiving gaze.
"Uncle?" Lu Ten started softly. "Earlier today, at the courtyard... I saw Grandfather speak to you. He sounded... like he was talking to a stranger."
The air in the gallery seemed to drop several degrees. Ozai’s posture didn't change, but his eyes fixed on the map as if he could burn the ink off the parchment with his gaze alone.
"Grandfather is a busy man, Lu Ten. He has a nation to govern."
"But when my father talks to me," Lu Ten pressed, his voice small but persistent, "even when he's corrected me for a poor stance, it feels like... like he's glad I'm there. But with you and Grandfather... it’s like there’s a wall of ice between you. And I don’t understand. You’re the best soldier he has. You’re here while Father is away."
Lu Ten reached out, his small hand resting tentatively on Ozai’s forearm. "It isn't fair. You do everything right."
For a heartbeat, the mask fractured. Ozai looked at the boy. This child who had cost Iroh his wife, just as Ozai had cost Azulon his. Yet, Lu Ten sat here, bathed in the warmth of a father’s love, while Ozai was a ghost in his own home.
Ozai placed his hand over Lu Ten’s, a gesture so uncharacteristically tender it felt like a secret. His thumb brushed over the boy’s knuckles.
"Fairness is a luxury for those who don't have to lead, Lu Ten," Ozai murmured. His voice wasn't cold; it was weary.
"Do not worry about the 'ice.' I am a firebender. I was born to melt it."
He stood up then, the moment of vulnerability passing as fleeting as a spark in the wind. He smoothed his robes and looked down at his nephew with a curt nod.
"Finish the scroll. And Lu Ten?"
"Yes, Uncle?"
"Do not mention this to your father. He has enough 'sentiment' for the both of us."
Too many character inconsistencies: (Been awhile since I read the Promise, but I will pull this out of my muddled memories)
For example in the Promise:
In which Zuko tells Aang to kill him in any case he becomes his father. (We know this was just to force the plot to move, because it invalidates his whole character arc in Book 3.)
Roku's character faces the same problem as Ursa: totally different characters. Encourages Aang to kill Zuko (your great-grandson for the matter).
Aang removing Roku's connection totally made no sense. When he sought past Avatars for advise, though he didn't agree with their ways, he didn't severe his ties with them. So... ???
Why would Zuko manhandle Katara???
The Search:
I don't understand how Zuko is able to go to Yu Dao for lectures??? How far is Yu Dao from the Capital? Especially with the Gaang??? Usually, for emperors in Qing/Ming Dynasties, the reigning monarchs (in this case would be reigning Fire Lord) would have formal lectures in the palace or study hall with top scholars and general secretaries to discuss on history, philosophy (Confucian) and statecraft, which acts as a guidance to govern a country.
Have Kiyi (AKA Azula replacement??? WTF) and dumped Azula and assasinate her character too. Not to mention Kiyi calls herself a princess when she's literally not even from the royal lineage. (Zuko and Azula's half-sister or not, not Sozin/Azulon/Ozai/ Past Fire Lord's bloodline =/= not royal)
Character assassination of Ursa: Literally two different Ursas.
Ursa's Character background before the whole retcon: (This was basically in the website before it got taken down)
Character: Ursa
This is Zuko and Azula’s mom, and the wife of Fire Lord Ozai (before he became Fire Lord). She is a very sweet woman and a wonderful mother, but she is also very protective – especially of her favorite child Zuko. Ursa was born to Fire Nation royalty and was raised as such. She was the perfect match for Prince Ozai and soon became his wife. Ursa spent most of her time raising her children to be good Fire Nation citizens and the ideal royal family. Ursa mysteriously disappeared on the same night as Fire Lord Azulon’s death. Some say that she was somehow involved in Fire Lord Azulon’s death – and that she did it to protect Zuko. But the truth is not known.
Sources:
https://www.tumblr.com/theriseofthedragons/629041795775545344/viviane-lefay-kaf-kaf-kaf-zephyrita?source=share
https://www.tumblr.com/theriseofthedragons/187434903097/depression-in-the-fire-nation?source=share
Also in Zuko's flashback in Zuko Alone:
"Zuko, that what mom's are like. If you mess with their babies, they're gonna bite you back."
As opposed to the Search, where Ursa literally weaponised and endangered her own child just to spite Ozai (knowing that he is already abusive and etc.), which is just insane and incomprehensible.
WHERE IS MY MAMA BEAR URSA? THAT IS LITERALLY YOUR NAMESAKE.
If you're saying (Oh, but Ursa was afraid of Ozai, so she technically can't kill him etc.) I believe for Series!Ursa, she could if she wanted too. But she chooses not to.
I don't even want to talk about Smoke and Shadows and the rest of the lot.
Last but not least:
The flashback in Zuko Alone and The Beach: (Don't think I need to explain myself with this. A picture paints a thousand words)
Avatar: Rise of the Dragons Book 1: Prophecy - Chapter 11 - TheRiseoftheDragons - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) [Archive of Our Own]
Summary:
As they land for provisions at Kyoshi Island, they discovered that a devastating monsoon hit the Island, the Gaang helps the village to recover. Meanwhile, Zuko confronts the physical toll the last three years have taken on his father.
An Excerpt from the Chapter:
"The prison was breached. A dragon, and some sort of giant. They tore through the defenses." Suki stared at him, her eyes wide. "A dragon?" "It's tied to a prophecy," Zuko said quietly, his gaze fixed firmly on his swirling broth. "The Tale of the Dragon and Phoenix. It says they have to reconcile to fulfill an ancient pact."
A readjustment of Ozai and Ursa’s Wedding of many years ago.
Adjusted the perspective of their bodies and robes and also adjusted the colours a little bit too.
I had the option of Ursa without the Eoyeo meori (Larger ornamental hairstyle) but with the Drim and doturak daenggi (one with the black ribbons).
You can find out more about Joseon Hairstyles here.
Since I watched clips of Perfect Crown, I have decided to colour that too, and have that as another option for Ursa's wedding dress.
Can't really say which I prefer more.
This is very much Avatar: Rise of the Dragons based.
did the fn royals and the sun warriors ever meet before atla? do the current FN royals have sun warrior ancestry?
Like many royal families in real life, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have some distant ancestries with the Sun Warriors or other tribes in the Fire Nation.
Long ago, the roles and position of Fire Lords wrre mostly for spiritual and religious purposes. It slowly evolved as they gained influence and power, with influences of noble clans and Fire Sages, before into actual autocratic hereditary monarchy we know today, which is quite the opposite of most royal families today, with majority of them being religious- ceremonial roles with no actual power or authority.
However, I believe the Sun Warriors and the Royal Family are not in or have less communication as their philosophy and beliefs different from one another. I’d say during Taiso’s reign (Sozin’s father), they have little to no communication.
I’d say yes, there’s a possibility for some distant ancestry to the Sun Warriors for the Fire Nation Royal Family during/after the unification of the Fire Nation.
But for the Rise of the Dragons however…
Stay tuned for the later books of the series to find out more. :)
Ah finally finding another urzai shipper! What do you think of Ozai's line "Do not talk about loss to me" in live action? Do you think he is reffering to Ursa and will they (oh God how much I hope) ignore their relationship from comics?
Hi Anon!
I’d guess it’d be referring to the loss of Ursa. I do hope we get more Urzai reference or scenes in the series! Looking recent posts on tumblr and Netflix, hope they scrub away whatever is of the ATLA comics.
Based on my AU, Avatar: Rise of the Dragons. An Easter Egg for Chapter 6: Old Ghosts.
Read the latest chapter here.
The throne room of the Caldera was suffocatingly hot, though Prince Ozai knew better than to sweat. Before him, the wall of flames roared, casting jagged, dancing shadows across the cavernous hall. Behind that veil of fire sat his father.
Fire Lord Azulon did not look like an old man. Quite the contrary; shrouded in the crimson light, his silhouette was that of a jagged mountain peak- immovable and absolute.
Ozai stood at the base of the dais, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. He had just finished his report on the domestic supply lines, subtly weaving in remarks about the sluggish pace of Iroh’s siege at the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. It was a calculated risk, a gentle probe to see if the Fire Lord's legendary patience with the Crown Prince was fraying.
The silence stretched. The flames crackled.
"You speak of the Earth Kingdom capital as if it were a child's sandcastle, Ozai," Azulon’s voice finally echoed, cold and resonant, piercing straight through the roar of the fire.
"I only meant to suggest that perhaps a different tactical approach-"
"Silence."
The flames flared violently, leaping toward the vaulted ceiling. Ozai snapped his mouth shut, his posture rigid.
"You dare question the campaign of the Dragon of the West?" Azulon sneered, the disgust palpable even through the fire. "Your brother sleeps in the mud. He bleeds in the trenches. He breaks the greatest defenses this world has ever known, claiming glory in my name... and you sit in the safety of this palace, whispering poison."
Ozai lowered his head, masking the furious twitch in his jaw. "I seek only the prosperity of the Fire Nation, My Lord."
"You seek only to inflate your own pride," Azulon countered. The wall of flames parted, revealing the Fire Lord's hardened, lined face. His golden eyes bore into his second-born son.
"Approach me, Ozai."
Ozai took a step forward, his boot hitting the first golden stair of the dais.
"I did not say you could walk," Azulon’s voice dropped to a dangerous, serrated whisper.
"Kneel. And ascend."
Ozai froze. The humiliation of the command washed over him like a bucket of ice water. To crawl up the steps of the throne like a common servant begging for scraps- it was an insult designed to break him.
He swallowed his pride. It tasted bitter. Ozai dropped to his knees, the heavy fabric of his robes pooling around him, and placed his hands on the cold stone of the next step.
"Good," Azulon murmured. "Now, climb."
Ozai moved up the first step. Then the second. The stone was unforgiving against his kneecaps, but the true pain was the weight of the sovereign's gaze.
"With every step," Azulon sneered, his voice cutting through the roar of the fire like a serrated blade, "remind yourself of what you are, Ozai. You are the second born. The spare."
Step.
"Your brother breathes the smoke of the battlefield. He commands legions. He risks his very life to expand our glorious empire, while you sit in the pristine safety of this palace, counting coins like a common accountant."
Step.
"You speak of strategy? You speak of the military? You have never seen a man bleed out on the dirt. You have never looked into the eyes of an enemy as you took their life. You are a palace creature, Ozai. A coddled, useless prince who relies on the bravery of better men to keep his belly full."
Step.
"Do not confuse your petty administrative competence with the right to open your mouth in the presence of warriors. If you were not my own flesh and blood, I would have sent you to the trenches years ago, just to see if you had the stomach to survive the first day."
Ozai’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the stone. He kept his eyes locked on the floor, breathing evenly through his nose to keep the steam from escaping his lips.
He finally reached the landing just below the throne. The heat here was intense, radiating from the braziers and from Azulon himself. Ozai remained kneeling, staring directly at the pointed toes of the armored boots.
Azulon leaned forward, the gold ornaments in his hair clinking softly. From the shadows beside his seat, the Fire Lord produced a heavy parchment scroll. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it down.
The scroll thud against wood, unrolling right before Ozai’s kneeling form. It revealed meticulous, charcoal-drawn schematics: interlocking gears, coal-fed combustion engines, and the heavy, iron-clad hull of a proposed warship.
"And these," Azulon sneered, the word dripping with disdain. "These toys you plague my war council with."
"They are not toys," Ozai said, keeping his voice carefully modulated, though his eyes darted to his life’s work lying in the dust. "They are the future of the Fire Nation navy. Steam-powered engines that do not rely on the wind or the currents. If deployed to support Iroh's supply lines-"
"Iroh does not need the crutch of a mechanic!" Azulon roared.
The outburst made the flames behind the throne surge violently, the heat searing the skin of Ozai's face. He forced himself not to flinch.
"You spend your days locked in your study," Azulon continued, his voice dropping back into a venomous, grating hiss. "Tinkering with grease and soot like some lowly Earth Kingdom artisan. You obsess over metal plates and gears because you lack the stomach for true warfare."
"I seek only to ensure our supremacy, My Lord."
"Our supremacy was forged in fire and blood, Ozai! By generals who stand on the front lines and look their enemies in the eye!" Azulon pointed a gnarled, scarred finger down at his son. "Your brother wields the raw power of the sun to shatter the walls of Ba Sing Se. And what do you do? You design metal shells to hide inside. It is the innovation of a coward."
Accountant.
Palace creature.
Coward.
The insults from the climb coiled like vipers in Ozai's chest, striking in tandem with the sight of his defiled blueprints strewn thoughtlessly across the floor. The charcoal lines blurred for a fraction of a second as a white-hot fury threatened to break his composure. His father was blind. Azulon saw only metal and gears, just as he saw only ledgers and supply lines; he could not see that these ‘metal shells’ would build an unstoppable, mechanized empire. He could not see that Ozai was constructing the future, while Iroh was merely bleeding for the past.
"Do you understand your place now, Ozai?" Azulon asked, settling back into his heavy throne. "Do you understand why a tinkerer will never equal a conqueror?"
Ozai’s gaze slowly drifted to his father. He kept his expression perfectly smooth, a mask of absolute, chilling subservience, burying the roaring inferno of his hatred deep within.
"I understand perfectly, Father," Ozai said, his voice small and entirely stripped of its usual razor-sharp resonance. "I live only to serve you, and the Crown Prince."
Azulon stared at him for a long, calculating moment. The flames hissed in the heavy silence.
"Address me as Fire Lord, Ozai. You have not earned the right to familial familiarity."
Azulon waved a dismissive hand, leaning back into the shadows of his throne. "Take your sketches, and leave my sight."
Avatar: Rise of the Dragons Book 1: Prophecy - Chapter 10 - TheRiseoftheDragons - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) [Archive of Our Own]
Summary:
While Fire Lady Mai and Chancellor Han orchestrate a dangerous political cover-up at home, the Regency Council edges closer to treason. Meanwhile, a sinister ancient power waits in the jungle, where Ming prepares her army.
An Excerpt from the Chapter:
"They will demand answers we do not have. They will want a full accounting of the prison's casualties. They will want to know if..." He hesitated, the weight of his long history with his dear friend pressing heavily on his chest. "...if the former Fire Lord survived the breach."
Mai’s gaze narrowed with lethal seriousness. She closed the distance between them, dropping her voice to a low murmur.
"Which is why: The Council cannot know the truth." She paused, letting the silence stretch before delivering the final, catastrophic piece of the puzzle.
“He is with Zuko."
Han’s breath hitched. The political chessboard in his mind violently overturned. It was one thing for the former Fire Lord to be kidnapped; it was treason for the current Fire Lord to be smuggling him out of the capital.
Close friend and confidant of the former Fire Lord.
It is time to put a face to the name.
An original character in the ATLA AU.
Avatar: Rise of the Dragons.
Read the Latest Chapter of Book 1: Prophecy on Archive of Our Own
Avatar: Rise of the Dragons Book 1: Prophecy - Chapter 9 - TheRiseoftheDragons - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) [Archive of Our Own]
Summary:
An unexpected conversation between Zuko and his imprisoned father at the hot spring leads to a startling revelation which offers Zuko a fragile spark of hope for their broken family. The very roots of the forest animate to assassinate Ozai, desperate to stop a dark prophecy from coming to pass.
An Excerpt from the Chapter:
Zuko watched, breathless. He had seen his father angry, triumphant, and even defeated, but he had never seen him look so haunted.
Ozai’s golden eyes, usually as flat and cold as a dead hearth, shimmered with an intensity that made them look like polished glass. It was as if a long-dormant furnace had been reignited deep within his soul, the heat rising until it threatened to spill over. He stared at a specific line near the bottom of the page for a long, agonizing moment. His jaw worked silently, his teeth grinding with a sharp click.
What stood before Zuko now was a man who looked like he had just been struck by lightning while standing in a calm sea.
Avatar: Rise of the Dragons Book 1: Prophecy - Chapter 7 - TheRiseoftheDragons - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) [Archive of Our Own]
Summary:
Aang makes the unexpected decision. The pieces are set. The Phoenix has finally taken flight.
An Excerpt from the Chapter:
"A puppet."
The word sliced through the wind, spoken with such quiet, venomous disgust that it silenced the courtyard instantly. His golden eyes locked onto his son with a cold, terrifying intensity.
"You think so little of me, Zuko," Ozai rasped, his lip curling in profound offense. "You think I would lower myself to be the figurehead for cowards who lacked the spine to win a war, yet demand the spoils of your peace?"
Zuko’s eyes narrowed, the nervous heat radiating from his clenched fists. "You expect me to believe you don't want the throne?"
"I serve no one," Ozai replied, his voice dropping to a surgical timbre. "If I wished to burn your fragile reign to the ground, I would not need fire. A few whispered words in the dark over the last two years would have sufficed."
