A Lord's Thoughts (ATLA Chatcanon)
Zuko sighed, his fingers drumming a pattern against his formal robes, calloused fingertips drumming against cloth and silk and armor. Kara's kidnapping had been the final straw. Before, he only wore the meteorforged armor when absolutely necessary, during solstices or the like. The invasion of his throne room was the wakeup call he needed. There were more of them. More spirits like the being known as Koh, devourers of aspects of humankind, limbs, appendages, or the worst of all, the very thoughts from one's mind.
He and Mai had 'argued', if the term was correct, for over three hours after the rest of the palace had long since slept. Security issues, the weakening wall between realities, the fact that Zuko had insisted on her spending more time with the children lately. The Firelady's reaction was only delayed by the acceptance that Zuko would bare some form of the meteorforged metal on him at all times. It broke his heart to see her that upset, the hidden statement of "You better not die on me, not now" clear in his wife's eyes, as it has been for every night since.
His eyes roamed across several documents. Meaningless filler, padding for more important laws and treaties, as his mind turned once more towards his daugther. Akina, at least, he viewed her as his. Regardless of whatever power she contained, or if she was some manifestation of the portal that once plagued his throne room last year, he didn't care. She was Mai and his' daughter, and nothing would change that, not the spirits, not anyone. He worried though, She somehow ignored Koh's 'uniqueness', and consumed him, feeling sick soon after. Like any father, any decent one anyway, he worried about the slightest tummyache, but this was worse. She had actually consumed one of the so called Spirits of Darkness, as claimed by Agni....there was yet another can of worms for Zuko to deal with. The actual spirit of fire itself, the being which bequeathed the dragons the art of firebending, and from them the first firebenders.
There were days that Zuko worried about himself, how he'd be viewed in history. What if something happened, and he had to strike down a spirit? Would he be viewed the way Zhao dreamed of, or would he be cursed, worse than the curse originally coursing though his veins from Koh? One quick glance over at his sleeping children, Mai draped over one of the couches in his study, told him all he needed to know. History wasn't important, They were, and he'd do all he could to help his family, and friends, no matter the threat. Even Kara deserved better...
He and Mai had 'argued', if the term was correct, for over three hours after the rest of the palace had long since slept. Security issues, the weakening wall between realities, the fact that Zuko had insisted on her spending more time with the children lately. The Firelady's reaction was only delayed by the acceptance that Zuko would bare some form of the meteorforged metal on him at all times. It broke his heart to see her that upset, the hidden statement of "You better not die on me, not now" clear in his wife's eyes, as it has been for every night since.
His eyes roamed across several documents. Meaningless filler, padding for more important laws and treaties, as his mind turned once more towards his daugther. Akina, at least, he viewed her as his. Regardless of whatever power she contained, or if she was some manifestation of the portal that once plagued his throne room last year, he didn't care. She was Mai and his' daughter, and nothing would change that, not the spirits, not anyone. He worried though, She somehow ignored Koh's 'uniqueness', and consumed him, feeling sick soon after. Like any father, any decent one anyway, he worried about the slightest tummyache, but this was worse. She had actually consumed one of the so called Spirits of Darkness, as claimed by Agni....there was yet another can of worms for Zuko to deal with. The actual spirit of fire itself, the being which bequeathed the dragons the art of firebending, and from them the first firebenders.
There were days that Zuko worried about himself, how he'd be viewed in history. What if something happened, and he had to strike down a spirit? Would he be viewed the way Zhao dreamed of, or would he be cursed, worse than the curse originally coursing though his veins from Koh? One quick glance over at his sleeping children, Mai draped over one of the couches in his study, told him all he needed to know. History wasn't important, They were, and he'd do all he could to help his family, and friends, no matter the threat. Even Kara deserved better...