Chapter Text
Zuko isn’t sure what happened.
And he’s not sure what's happening right now either. He can’t get a grasp on what's going on around him, and it’s fairly distressing. He can’t see, and opening his eyes is taking a lot of effort. He’s having a hard time moving, can really only squirm, which is unbefitting of an ex Fire Lord, but he’s been dead for a while now, so it’s not like he cares about stuff like that anymore. He’s also having a hard time making his mouth and lungs work.
He feels like he’s yelling, but he can’t hear his voice, which is strange and eerie. The only thing he can hear is shuffling, muffled voices that range from murmurs to shouts, and something high-pitched that’s hurting his ears.
It takes him an embarrassingly long time to realize that it’s him that is making that noise, which isn’t too absurd really, it shouldn’t be. After all, he’s probably over a hundred years old by now, he should not be sounding like that, he should be sounding like an old old man who’s lived too long, and just lost at cards once more to Sokka. Not like a little girl who didn’t get what she wanted.
His mind is still sluggish, so he goes blissfully unaware as he’s being cleaned and having the usual newborn things being done to him. He’s unaware of the panting woman on the bed, of the man sitting on a chair beside her comforting her. Of a young boy standing beside them.
It takes him a while, and by that point, he’s being held by a woman with dark dark hair, and another dark-haired man is talking to some other people. He can’t see him but he can hear him, even though he can’t understand him. There’s also a tiny face peering at him. But eventually, he pieces together that he’s now a baby.
A baby in the arms of a dark-haired woman, who looks worn and weary but happy, practically glowing. Like embers. He closes his eyes because keeping them open is tiring. So he’s also just been born. Zuko of course is very confused since he was fairly certain that only the avatar reincarnates, and he’s not the avatar. He should still be in the spirit world sipping tea with the others, all in their prime, their preferred state.
Aang and Katara had been leaning on each other, hands intertwined and loving, yet Katara was smiling while yelling something at Toph, who was sticking her tongue out at the other woman. Aang was gulping down his tea, nodding to what Zuko had been saying, Sokka was leaned back on his cushion, watching them all with warm eyes. His eyes slid to Zuko, warm and friendly, happy since Zuko was the last to join them. He also stares a bit at Toph, who died a week before Zuko.
It’s been a while now since they passed, but Sokka is still brimming with joy at having his friends with him once more since he “missed them more than food”. Of course, he didn’t want them to die early, wanted them to live long lives and be happy, but that didn’t mean he wasn't looking forward to having the “GAang” back together.
Suffice to say, they had all been happy to be reunited in the afterlife, and many tears and hugs were shared. Even though Zuko has no idea how Aang was even there since he should be Korra now, right? Aang just smiled at him, as he used to when they were kids and had first met. He then changed the subject very obviously.
And so they were enjoying each other’s company, tossing around old stories of their youth and about their children and students and friends. About things they never really talked about when alive (Sokka put his head in his hands when Toph smirked at him) but now had all the time in the universe to unpack and discuss. It wasn’t as harrowing as they thought it’d be, and Zuko suspected that it was the spirit world that did it to them. Or maybe they were that old, who knows.
But he was supposed to be there now. He was about to lightly kick Sokka’s shin to get his attention, to share a quip about Toph and Katara never changing. But as he did, things went…
He can’t really remember. He doesn’t know what happened, what changed, but he knew something did but can only remember it now, except he can’t. And it’s confusing and his head hurts. And so he starts crying again (when did he stop?).
A tiny face pushes its way in front of him, and a finger is smoothing down his cheek. A sibling?
If his first life is going to be anything like this one then he isn’t sure about having another sibling. That’s also a very strange thought, that he’s going to have another sibling, who is older. Zuko is now the younger sibling.
He can barely process what’s going on, doesn’t really want to, but of course, that’s what his mind latches onto.
All the information and discomfort and hurt that he’s not with his friends anymore make him tired and weary. Weary like the old man he is. Weary like the woman cooing over him (not Ursa. Not Mother ). And so he closes his eyes and hopes that it was all just a weird dream (spirits can’t dream can they?) or a prank by Sokka and Aang, the troublemakers they were. That he will wake up back at that low table, laying on plush cushions with Agni’s rays shining on him.
It takes Zuko a while, he isn’t sure how long, except he can now sit up on his own. But he really has been reincarnated. Over time, he’s learned a bit more about his new life. He has two parents, Fugaku and Mikoto, and an older brother named Itachi. His new father doesn’t pay him too much attention, but when he does he’s warm, in his stern way, and he is something like a policeman. His new mother is warm and likes to coddle him, and seems to be a housewife, taking care of the house and the children. His new sibling is 4 years older than him, and of course, he’s a prodigy.
His new family also seems very influential, apparently, he’s the second son of the clan head. He hasn’t really been paying much attention to that, so he hasn’t really picked up the name yet. Another thing about his new family is that they are also really big, but they don't act like how families do. More like distant relatives.
This world also seems very different from the one he came from. He doesn’t know how or why but this world isn’t his own, or at least it’s far far away, in a place he somehow hasn’t heard of, which is pretty much impossible. So, alternative world. His family is also made up of firebenders, except they don't bend fire, which is contradictory, but that’s what it is. They use something else, like Chi, except not. They don’t breathe and live by fire, but it’s a big part of the family and culture. Just different.
Some things are the same though.
A goddess blessed the family with their eyes and flames, and there’s a lot of emphasis on fire and blessing, and heartache and eyes. Much like Agni, except there is no emphasis placed on eyes or heartache.
They don’t talk about it with him, but he watches, and that’s what he’s gotten from watching. He is taken to a festival, which goes all the way down the street. Similar-looking people are dancing and swaying outside to music, and not-firebenders do tricks. It’s so similar to home that Zuko starts to cry.
His older brother notices and taps their Mother to alert her.
Home.
After it really hit Zuko, he cried for a long time, which clearly distressed his parents. They took him to a doctor but they couldn’t really give any answers, as he was physically fine. And he was, but Zuko was sad. He lived a long, long life filled with mistakes and wonders and adventure, he was tired and ready to rest and let the youth take on the torch. He was ecstatic to reunite with his dear friends, to share those moments with them where they talked and talked and laughed and cried and cheered in the afterlife.
He was scared too, during those times, because he wondered when it would end because surely they can’t just share stories and talk for the rest of eternity? Could they? They’d get bored and run out of things to talk of, they’d want to do something else, wouldn’t they? What would they even do? Wander off to do whatever, to join other family (Mai, how he missed her, how he planned to try and find her) and friends. Of course, he’d come back to his friends, but he liked just sitting at that low table in perpetual sunset.
But he can’t do any of that anymore. He was scared it would come to an end and it has. He cherishes those memories now, of some closure, since it wasn’t full closure unless he saw Mai again. Which wouldn't happen. He wouldn’t see his wife again, because he was now a baby in a strange world. Or he wouldn’t be able to see her until he died again, which would probably be a while. He shouldn’t have had to wait, he was finally dead, he should have been able to see her one last time.
He also hasn’t visited his uncle yet, who he heard was here somewhere, somewhere close. He wants to see the old man again, or maybe he looks like he did when he was in his prime like Zuko? Nevertheless, he wants to see his uncle, wants to drink his stupid hot leaf water, and wants to tell the man everything . Zuko is an old man, but he wants to sink into his uncle's embrace and hold him back. And now he can’t. He hurt so much when the man died, and when he died, one of his first thoughts was to go find him, but he decided to reacquaint himself with his friends for a bit, for as long as possible. Because they had an eternity right? Apparently not.
He couldn’t see Katara, Toph, Aang, and Sokka again till he died. And who would he be by then? Would he lose his memories as he aged? Would he be someone different by then and have other people he’d prefer to see? He can’t imagine that. Decades had passed but he still kept the others close to his heart even when they started their own families or died. Decades would pass again, and he hopes that he’ll still have them by then.
So yes, he’s a very sad baby. And his parents don't know what to do with him. His brother tries to cheer him up, by reading him stories or making his toys do funny things. Zuko isn't sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but at least this new sibling of his seems to care, far more than the other from his past life did. Itachi will crawl into his crib, since he’s still small, and curl up with Zuko, which Zuko doesn’t know how to feel about. He also tries to play with him, with a weird knife-looking thing and stuffed animals that don’t look like the animals where he comes from.
Another thing he notices is that his thoughts are a mess, clearly because he’s a baby. He wishes he thought more clearly, and it wasn’t just a bundle of ‘no you aren’t my parents’ and sadness and guilt. Because Mikoto, while nice and all, was not Ursa. She didn’t wear long-sleeved robes, she did not tuck him in them and call them her wings, did not call him her little turtleduck, did not even know what a turtleduck was. Her eyes were black, his mom's were gold like his. Her hair was tinted somewhat blue. Zuko’s mother was in a bun, usually from what he remembers. It’s been decades since he’s seen his mom, since she left him, and since he left her to live her life.
His memories of Ursa are blurry with sunshine and warm smiles since they were so long ago. But he cherishes them and doesn’t want another mother.
As for his new father…
He actually seems to care about Zuko, but in a lot of ways, he’s like Ozai. He seems to prefer Itachi, since he’s a prodigy, and doesn’t pay much attention to Zuko. He’s stern and cares about appearances, even though he never burns Itachi when he isn’t the perfect heir when a bit of the kid he is shines through his silent exterior. He’s the leader of people and is stern with them. Stern and serious.
He’s like a watered-down version of Ozai, the father that Zuko wanted as a boy. But Zuko doesn’t want a father who is anything close to Ozai. Zuko is a grown man, he doesn’t need a father anymore. To him, the only father he’d ever accept is Iroh. But Iroh isn’t here, and Fugaku isn’t Iroh.
So he is entirely dismissive of his new parents. Of course, he’s grateful to them for taking care of him, but he doesn’t believe he’d be able to create a parent-child bond with them. More like distant family members. Itachi… he isn’t sure how to feel about him.
Then Mikoto gets pregnant.
Because of course, Zuko has to have a younger sibling in this life too.
By the time the child is born, Zuko is a year old.
Zuko can now walk around the house, which he does instantly. His parents have to save him from safety seals plastered around the house and is told not to go in certain rooms, ever. He doesn’t know what these seals are, but apparently, they hurt a lot and are for security. And even though he doesn’t love them like parents, he still respects them enough to keep those orders in mind. He is also learning how to talk, and now understands the language that is being spoken around him better. He also meets a bunch of aunts and uncles and grandmothers. Of course, he is more distant with the uncles. No one can replace Iroh. He also has a bunch of cousins.
But now there’s another child, who will replace Azula.
Azula. Decades later and he still hurts when he thinks of his little sister. She hurt him badly, and he isn’t sure if she ever loved him or Mother. He doesn’t want another Azula, but she was his little sister. He remembers her as a baby. Toddling along after him. Maybe as a baby, when Ozai hadn’t gotten to her yet, maybe she had loved. Remembers how she’d force him to fight her (except she was only 2 and could barely throw a kick, but she wanted to be like father), or how she’d force him to drink tea with her and the other girls (when she was 4).
But this kid isn’t Azula. He’s pretty sure Mikoto mentioned that they were having another boy, which makes Fugaku… do something. It’s prideful though, even though he doesn’t know what to call it. Not beaming. But his face does a non-negative or neutral thing.
So instead of a little sister, he will have a little brother. That makes things easier for Zuko, who doesn’t want another sister. He hopes Mikoto and Fugaku stop having more children, in case one of them ends up a girl. He’s not sure a family could have 4 or 5 sons in a row without any girls. It’s not that he has a problem with girls, it’s just that he’ll already have a tough time treating Itachi and this new baby like siblings, but it’ll be much harder with trying to be a big brother to a baby sister. Azula was horrible, but no one can replace her for some reason.
When Mikoto goes into labor, He is handed off to a family friend.
“Akio, this is Kushina, she’ll be watching you for a little bit, okay?”
His first thought is that she’s very red. And loud.
(And he’s reminded that he has a new name now.)
She’s a fairly tall woman with long bright red hair, the type of hair he’s never seen before, so immediately he is entranced by it. Her smiles are bright and warm and she’s very boisterous. Almost the whole labour he is kept busy by twirling her hair between his fingers, wondering if it’s natural or not. It’s so red . She laughs and pats his head, making sure he doesn’t pull. He doesn’t.
Eventually, he is being picked up from her arms by Fugaku, who takes him away. He stares at the woman, who smiles and waves goodbye to him.
It’s a long walk but they are now in a hospital. Fugaku talks to a woman and then they are led to a room, where he assumes Mikoto is. And he’s right because she’s there laying in the bed, wan and weary like he remembers after his birth. She’s bare, which makes him look away and put his face into Fugaku’s shoulder. Obviously, it’s to nurse his new brother. It shouldn’t because it’s not a sexual situation, just a mother feeding her son, but it’s weird okay . Maybe if she was actually his mother and not a stranger, then it wouldn’t be.
Katara probably would’ve hit him over the head. Toph would be laughing at him calling him a prude and shy, and how did he and Mai ever have children? Sokka would probably be laughing with her. Aang would get it, because he’s like that.
Fugaku turns him around to face Mikoto and the baby. Thankfully she’s covered herself up, feeding time over.
“Akio, meet your baby brother Sasuke.”
Zuko gets a good look at his new brother's face.
He’s actually not ugly like most babies are at birth. Sure he’s still a bit wrinkly but he looks like a human baby instead of a hairless cat or rat. His hair is dark, so black it’s almost a little blue like his mother's. His skin is a little red and flustered, but that’s probably because he was just born. His eyes are closed, but they’re probably dark.
(No one knows why “Akio’s” eyes are gold and not dark like his parents. There were many speculating that Mikoto had cheated, or there had been a switch. But a paternity test put their worries to rest, concluding that Akio really was Fugaku and Mikoto’s. It still doesn’t explain the eyes, but Fugaku was able to spin it as a blessing from the Goddess, to signify fortune. Doctors were unable to explain it, their best is that it was a mutation, since those sometimes happen.)
He sees Itachi coming up beside them, and he’s strangely emotional. His face is still blank, but his eyes are warm and watery. He caresses Sasuke’s cheek with his finger. Zuko is touched by the scene, of seeing Itachi so happy to have another brother.
Zuko somewhat felt bad about it. About being Itachi’s younger brother. Because he would never be able to act like a normal child, like a normal little brother. But now he doesn’t have to worry about that, since he’s pretty sure Sasuke isn’t a reincarnation with all their memories. He’ll grow up to be a normal younger brother, to a normal older brother. Well, normal is pushing it but he’s not as strange as Zuko who is over a hundred years old in the body of a 1-year-old.
Fugaku and Mikoto will also have another child that will love them, so maybe Zuko will be able to get away with more of his behaviour. Fugaku is a bit of an ass, but Mikoto is good and deserves sons that will love her.
Zuko is brought back to Fugaku’s shoulder, and the man states that he will be taking Zuko and Itachi back home, to be watched by an older Uchiha woman. Fugaku will be coming back later after he drops the two older children off. Zuko is mildly disappointed that the red-haired woman wouldn’t be watching them again.