Andartha

While watching A:tla, the one character that fascinated me the most was the Firelord. He was the series main villain - and yet, both Zuko and Azula obviously had fond memories of better times (see Zuko's flashbacks and his conversation with Azula at the family holiday residence at Ember Island). His people (see Mayor Morishita in The Promise - Part I) seemed to think that he wasn't perfect...but that he was also a ruler who was loyal to his people. It was an interesting dichotomy that just wouldn't leave me alone. How did Ozai change over time? And why? Ozai seems utterly convinced that the war that his nation is waging against the rest of the world is justified. For a good, long while so were Zuko himself...Iroh...even Zuko's gentle and kind-hearted mother, Ursa (remember how Ursa laughed at Iroh's letter where Iroh says that he'll hope they'll see Ba Sing Se...if the Firenation doesn't burn it to the ground first?). Zuko himself says, as he confronts his father (Day of the Black Sun, part II) , that "growing up we were taught that the firenation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was." Zuko and Iroh finally saw through that lie. Ozai never did. Now: what would it take to make Ozai question his beliefs too? What would instill doubt in his heart? What would it take to make him regret his actions...and maybe even wake a desire in his heart to redeem himself? The man is hard-headed, close-minded, proud and stubborn, to the point where he'd make any given earth-bender (like a ROCK!) seem like a weak-willed, dithering pussy-foot. So the answer is: a LOT. Also, I somehow figured that a virile man in his best years, who had a stressful job and needed something to relax, wasn't bound to stay chaste and celibate once his wife left. I didn't figure him putting up with the demands and moods of a mistress though. Yes, I know....the pleasure slave to the main villain is a rather cliché trope...but in this case, it works rather well, as it gives me someone close to Ozai, who has an utterly different perspective on the things Ozai does. It also gave me an opportunity to insert a dash of (ableit sometimes rather dark) romance...and a few scenes with some really nice hotness going on. Don't worry, it won't be "TRU LURVE" that saves the day (or, in this case, makes the villain change his mind)...but it will be one of the many, many drops of water (and sometimes blood) that hollow the stone. So...if this has caught your attention, here's some of the pertinent data on the story: Title: Owned by Fire Characters: Ozai / OC Genre: Drama / Adventure / Romance Rating: adult ++ (though I tend to over-rate. It wouldn't qualify as pr0n where I live) Warnings: - Explicit torture - slavery - non-con and rape - foul language - death (though NOT main character death. This is IMPORTANT) - and bits of sappy emoness - het Summary: After he banishes his wife Ursa, Fire Lord Ozai picks a slave to warm his sheets. The return of the Avatar...changes things. Other info: The first few chapters can be read as stand-alone vignettes. I have tendency towards using extensive flashbacks (they're fun...and the series sets a precedent ^_~) and towards experimenting with tenses. Disclaimer: Avatar: The last Airbender and all the characters therein are the intellectual property of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and I, like all the other fans, only get to play with them every once in a while. I do NOT make a monetary profit from this story. Link to the story: http://cartoon.adult...hp?no=600093641