Princess Ursa's Fate, a Defeated Mother (Avatar: Last Airbender) (1 Viewer)

[Cloister]

Author's Note: I'm trying something new again, this time it's a bit of a "Choose Your Own Adventure." After the short set up below, I'll give you a number of choices for the next part of the story. I'll probably give it a week or so before checking back in this topic. I'm not even sure it'll get any response, but we'll see. The heroine for this story is a minor character from the Avatar: Last Airbender series. Ursa, Zuko's mother. I like her robes and hairstyle, and I also found a nice image to go along with it. So we'll see how it goes. Enjoy.
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Princess Ursa was shamed and defeated. To save her son she had murdered the reigning Fire Lord and planned to escape into the night never to be seen again. But the second she stepped outside Azulon's room the royal guards were upon her with firebending and spears. No matter how hard she fought they countered her bending and beat her into submission. The skilled guards were careful to take her alive as they slapped on shackles and restricted her movement with heavy rope. Before she could react they had taken her into custody. Just like that, the princess of the Fire Nation had become a prisoner. She struggled despite her situation with an expression of shock and outrage on her face. How could they have discovered her so quickly?

"Ungh... how? This can't be..." She tugged at her shackles. It was futile.

"Murderer!" The guards cried. "For this you will surely be executed!"

To her utter shock her husband stepped forward. Ozai moved before the guards with a smirk on his face.

"I see," he said. "I was too late. I heard a commotion from my father's room. I would never imagine my wife would kill him."

Ursa was livid. She had been betrayed... by her own husband? But he was the one who suggested she kill Azulon to save her son in the first place. She couldn't understand.

"Ozai! What is the meaning of this?" She cried.

Her husband did not flinch at her accusation. He moved closer to lean in and whispered to her ear.

"If you would kill my father... who knows how far you would go to protect Zuko? You had to be taken care of as well."

"Careful!" One of the guards warned. "She's dangerous."

Ozai pulled back and smiled. Ursa tried to hold onto her dignity and honor... but she could not help it. She lowered her head and began to cry. This whole night had been a set up. Now her cruel husband would take the throne of the Fire Nation... who knows what he could do with so much power. No matter her intentions, she had played right into his hands. She shook her head. It couldn't be true.

"Why Ozai? Why would you betray me like this?"

"You betrayed me first. The murderer of my father... Take her away."

Ursa was powerless as four guards escorted her out of the Fire Nation royal palace. She would begin a long march to the prison outside the royal capital's walls. Her feet didn't want to move. The tears continued to stream down her face. Her sorrow was quickly replaced with anger. She could not leave her son in the hands of a man like that. Not to mention her daughter. Her children... left at his mercy. But no matter how hard she tried, her bonds would not break. No firebending would break the iron shackles. But still, she struggled.

"Traitor! Don't even try to resist!"

One of the guards punched her in the stomach causing her to drop to her knees and cough. The blow was sudden and powerful... and she could not defend herself. Immediately she began to breathe heavily. It nearly knocked all the air out of her lungs.

"Are you sure you can raise your hand to a princess?" A younger guard asked.

"She is no princess anymore. She's the murderer of the Fire Lord. She deserves no mercy."

"Hm. A good point."

Ursa tried to stand up and received another blow to her stomach. She did not fall this time as one of the guards grabbed her from behind to hold her up. The three guards struck her several more times until she felt faint.

"Ungh! Aaah!" A punch struck her in the face. "Aaaaaah! Ah! Huagh!"

Her anger toward Ozai continued to grow. She had indeed killed the Fire Lord... but it was only to save her son.

"That's enough," one guard said. "We're close to the prison."

It was a long walk as the guards took her through the prison to the lowest cells in the prison. She did not listen to their explanations of how a princess of the Fire Nation was now treated as a prisoner. Her senses only refocused when a cell door slid open and they threw her to the ground. To her surprise, they did not undo any of her shackles or rope. She was bound and helpless on the cell floor.

"Shouldn't we remove her shackles?" The young guard asked.

"Such a traitor doesn't deserve the luxury. We'll remove them the next morning."

The cell door closed as Ursa continued to struggle. She knew it was hopeless... but she could not help it. Her husband had tricked her into committing murder and she would take the fall. Surely she would be executed for such a crime. Not even royalty was free of the worst punishment.

"Zuko... Azula... forgive me... I've failed you..." She muttered, feeling exhaustion overtake her.

Princess Ursa's fate looked dim. But even still, she continued to fight. It was the only thing she could think to do...

What will be Ursa's Fate? Decide from the choices below...
-Post the number of your choice. The one with the most votes wins. You may also suggest what Ursa might suffer or endure in her struggle (bondage, humiliation, etc.)

1) [The Desperate Duel] Ursa challenges her husband Ozai to an Agni Kai to expose the truth

2) [The Princess' Flight] Ursa attempts to break free of the prison and escape the Fire Nation

3) [A Cry for Mercy] Ursa is forced to endure the prison's torture devices

ZERO VOTES: If there are no votes, Ursa will be executed as a game over. A sad fate indeed. Of course, you can also vote for this one too if you really want. But it will end the story. So fair warning.

 

[mm_mml]

Voting for choice #1

 

[onlinehero]

Number onee

 

[deecp]

Vote for choice 1

 

[Cloister]

Author's Note: Well, that was a pretty good turn out and pretty fast reply. So I'll speed things up a bit. As voted for No.1, Ursa will challenge her husband to an Agni Kai. Hopefully I can keep it interesting, it's not easy to write firebending as it is for physical fighting.
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Princess Ursa spent the night chained and tied in her prison cell. At some point she stopped struggling to save her energy and began to think of a way- any way- to set things right. By the next morning her husband had become the new Fire Lord and ruler of the Fire Nation. She was just a helpless prisoner thought of little more than a murderous traitor. No one knew the truth. Her options were few and it seemed hopeless. But somewhere in the night she had come up with one way to have a fighting chance. An Agni Kai. A firebending duel. When the guards came to untie her she had prepared herself.

“I challenge my husband to an Agni Kai.” She demanded.

To her relief the guards took her words seriously. They still laughed and said she had no chance... but an Agni Kai was not something to ignore. And when it was done among royalty, murderer or not, Ursa had the right to a duel. Her husband could not afford to back down or he would appear weak. He would have to show people of the Fire Nation that he was a strong ruler. It was her only chance to defeat him.

“A traitor like you doesn’t stand a chance.” The guards told her.

The guards went to report her challenge and she was left with her thoughts. She hoped she had the skills to defeat him. The fate of the Fire Nation and most importantly, her children, depended on it. As a princess she had received plenty of lessons to foster her firebending skill. It would have to be enough to stop her ruthless husband. She stood up in her cell and began to practice her forms. It would have to be enough...

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The next visitor to her cell was none other than her husband, Ozai. He wore the robes of the Fire Lord along with the gold piece in his top knot.

The expression on his face was cold as he entered the room and stood before her cell. She stood as tall and proud as she could and looked him in the eye.

“What do you hope to accomplish, Ursa? Challenging me to an Agni Kai? Do you really think you can defeat me?”

“You used me,” she said. “I must do everything I can. To stop you.”

Ozai shook his head and sighed.

“Hm. If you think I will go easy on you because you are my wife, you are sorely mistaken.”

“No. Now I know what kind of man you are.”

They exchanged a stare. She did not back down. Ozai chuckled and began to pace the room.

“I should just execute you as you deserve... but I think my subjects would enjoy seeing the murderer of my father punished in an Agni Kai. It’s only right.”

For some reason it gave her hope. She knew he would not be able to help himself. Now all she had to do was defeat him.

“When I win, you will tell everyone the truth of that night. And you will give the throne to your brother as he deserves.”

“I am the Fire Lord.” Ozai raised his hands. “The truth is what I make it.”

“On the honor of the Agni Kai, you will tell the truth. I know you are not that much of a monster yet.”

Ozai did not flinch.

“When you lose, my dear wife, you will accept full responsibility for killing my father. And instead of a merciful execution, you will spent the rest of your life in prison. No visitors. Not even from your children.”

Ursa faltered in her strong defiance and lowered her head. She cursed herself for showing such weakness before her wretched husband... but the thought of losing her children to the darkness of a prison cell gave her pause. She could not lose. In the name of the spirits she could not face such a fate. She would rather be executed than be subjected to something like that. But for an Agni Kai, she did not have a choice.

“I accept.” She swallowed.

“The duel will be tomorrow. I have a country to rule and a war to win. I cannot afford to waste any more time on this distraction.”

Ozai left her alone in her prison cell. She began to practice her forms even harder. The Agni Kai would decide everything. In her firebending motions she began to pray.

“Spirits... give me the strength to defeat my husband...”

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The next day Ursa was moved to the ceremonial grounds near the royal palace. It was an open air arena used for all kinds of events. Now it was a dueling ground for an Agni Kai between two members of royalty. She had nothing but the robes she had on when she was captured and her skill with firebending. To her surprise they had let a crowd into the arena to watch from the sides. They were an assortment of nobles and high society. She scanned the crowd. If Zuko and Azula were watching, she could not see them. She could feel the crowd staring daggers at her.

When Ozai arrived they took their places on opposite ends of the dueling field. As per tradition they faced away from each other and knelt on one knee. Ursa tried to focus, but she could only think of the crowd. Surely they wanted to see Ozai crush her. They would not understand unless she won. With the sound of a horn, she would have her chance. The wait was terrible. She hoped her robes would not slow her down.

The horn sounded and she stood up and faced her husband with a fighting stance. He met her with the same and they clashed with a display of firebending. They traded fire blasts, blocking and dodging, until they met in the middle. At arms length they shot jets of flame dangerous close to hitting each other. She had never faced her husband in a fight, nor did she ever expect to. She did not want to rush in carelessly and held back looking for an opportunity. He was not as fast as she was, but his attacks were powerful. It was a struggle to deflect his waves of fire with her own.

Ozai moved in close, but not to use firebending. It caught her off guard as he drove his knee into her stomach. She bent over as the strike drove into her gut hard enough to make her wheeze.

“Uuurh!” She gasped.

The air left her lungs as she fell to the ground clutching her stomach. While she was coughing, Ozai brought down his leg to create a fire blast and launched her across the arena. She tumbled to a stop and pushed herself up. The smirk on Ozai’s face reminded her what she was fighting for. She could not afford to be careless. With a huff she climbed to her feet and went on the offensive with a flurry of fire punches. Ozai brushed them aside but it did not discourage her. He moved back. Then she knocked him off balance. Ozai fell backward into a roll and managed to catch himself. His smirk disappeared into a scowl and he launched his own offensive.

Ursa found herself cornered by a fury of fire blasts from her husband. She was pushed back toward the large pillars at the far end of the arena. It was impossible to break away between the constant blasts of fire. It took all her concentration to avoid the advance. When Ozai finally let up, he launched a fire bomb at Ursa’s feet. The explosion launched her into the air and slammed her into one of the pillars.

“Argh!”

The impact made her hang for a second before sliding down to the ground. She slumped up against the pillar and tried to shake off the blow. The blast had stunned her, doubling her vision and making the world seem uneven. Even though she knew her husband was a master firebender, his skills still surprised her. She found herself panting for breath. The battle was taking a greater toll on her than she imagined. And it wasn’t over yet. She forced herself to her feet, still dizzy, and took a fighting stance.

Ozai did not stop for a second and she took a fire blast to the shoulder. It spun her around, unbalancing her even more. Another blast hit her in the back and she cried out in pain. Her robes were the only thing protecting her from a severe burn. Firebender or not, searing flames could still wound her all the same. She threw out a wave of flame in desperation, but it did not stop her from taking another blast to the chest. Her resolve was fading.

“Aaaah! Gah!”

Ursa’s focus returned just in time for Ozai to grab hold of her arm. Despite the punishment she took moments ago, she fired a blast downward at his feet. He evaded, letting her break the hold. She was about to strike back when her husband launched himself into the air with jets of fire from his feet. Now above her, he tossed more fire bombs downward while falling to the ground. Ursa had nowhere to go as explosions fell around her. The force knocked her around in all directions until a fire bomb made its mark and threw her into the air. Ozai made a graceful landing while Ursa hit the ground with a painful thud. She did not get up.

The crowd watched in anticipation as Ursa arched her back and then went still on the ground. As a princess he had never faced such a challenge. Her body burned with such pain that she feared she was actually scarred. Her robe was singed and the edges were black and tattered. If she did not get up soon, Ozai would win the Agni Kai. For the sake of her children, she could not lose. But her strength... she did not know if she had any left to fight. As she lay helplessly on the ground, she searched deep within herself to find the power to go on...

What will be Ursa’s Fate? Decide from the choices below...
-Post the number of your choice. The one with the most votes wins. You may also suggest what attacks Ursa might suffer in her duel.

1) [Defeat of the Princess] Ursa has reached her limit and gives into the pain. Ozai finishes her.
2) [To the Bitter End] Ursa finds it in herself to keep fighting. Will a second wind be enough?
3) [Gift of the Spirits] Ursa has a vision and finds a new way to firebend. Can a hope spot see her through?

ZERO VOTES: Ozai loses patience with Ursa’s miserable display. She will be executed as a game over. A tragic end. Of course you can still vote for this if you want. But it will end the story. Just so you know.

 

[mm_mml]

Tough choice but I think I'll vote for 2. As for attacks, maybe electrocution through lightning that somehow doesn't kill her?

 

[MaxNight]

hmmmm i think i will vote for 3 yep 3 it is.

 

[Cloister]

Author's Note: I had hoped someone would break the tie, but instead I just flipped a coin. Number 2 won, so I went with that to finish up the story. Thanks for everyone who participated. Hopefully it was worth following along.

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Against all her expectations, Ursa came back from the brink of defeat. Her husband Ozai had not held back at all during the Agni Kai. It made her doubt if she could truly carry on in the face of such a powerful opponent. As she lay on the ground, her royal robes were in tatters and her body throbbed with pain. But despite the punishment... she had to go on. If she did not win, the truth about the night she murdered Azulon would be lost. Her children would be left in the hands of her husband. There was too much riding on the duel to lose. She punshed herself off the ground and took a deep breath.

"You should have stayed down, Ursa." Her husband growled.

"It cannot end here..." She told herself.

She only had a moment to collect her thoughts before her husband swung back into the fight at full strength. He rushed her intent on ending things quickly while launching a flurry of fire blasts from punches and kicks. She met them with her own and the clashing fire created explosion in the middle of the arena. In her condition, it felt like any attack would finish her. She had to be cautious. As Ozai tossed more firebombs, she dodged and rolled with her full concentration on the battle.

"I tire of this duel, Ursa! You will lose!"

Ozai's declaration did not distract her as she created a pair of fire whips in both hands and swung them to push him back. Confidence slowly returned as he stumbled backwards and was forced to avoid the sweeping lashes of fire. To her surprise Ozai answered with his own fire whips and they went back and forth trading viciously fast swings. She stepped in aiming at Ozai's legs. One of his whips grazed her long hair. She felt the heat around her neck and felt the panic leap into her throat. She had to end it soon.

After one more swing she jumped in close and punched with both of her fists to create a roaring wave of fire aimed directly at her husband. She had hoped to win without killing him... but it was not within her power. All she wanted to do was end it. Ozai stood his ground and, much like the fire whips, answered with the same attack. Their fire waves crashed together and spilled out to the sides of the arena before burning out. They were locked in a tug-of-war between their firebending. The first one to give out would face a full fiery wave.

Sweat rolled down Ursa's face as she tried to hold on. She did not expect such a quick counter from Ozai. Her body wanted to let up. The whole fight had pushed far beyond her limits. As a princess she did not spent everyday training. Keeping up a constant stream of fire would not last long. Her husband pushed back and she felt herself waver.

"No!" She hissed.

She ignored her pain and added more force to her fire wave. No matter what happened, she could not lose this duel. But her husband did not give in she would have no more energy to continue. This attack had all the strength she could muster in it. But the clash of flames went on, and she fell short of breath. At that moment Ozai's wave broke through her own and carried her away to the far end of the arena.

"Arrrrraaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" She screamed.

If she had not lessened the blow with her own attack, that would have been the end of the duel. When the fire wave died she hit the ground with a thud and scrambled to one knee. Her breathing was heavy as she looked up prepared for the worst. But it was beyond her worst fears. Ozai had begun to bend lightning. He swiped the air with his fingertips to create a charge. In an instant he had a lethal electric strike at his command. Even at full strenght, Ursa did not have the reflexes to dodge such a blinding attack. The only thing she could think of was Ozai's brother, Prince Iroh. He had talked about redirecting lightning when inspired by waterbenders. She was sorry she did not pay more attention to that story, but it was her only hope. Ozai fired on her without hesitation.

By some miracle Ursa caught the lightning with the end of her fingertips. She had survived, but now the charge was raging within her. No matter how hard she tried, she could not remember how to release it. Through sheer will she kept the lightning in check while struggling to let go without taking the full shock.

"Aaaaah!" Ursa yelled.

She twisted her body back and forth with her hands locked in the pose when she caught the lightning attack. Her mind raced. No quick idea jumped forward. Her time was running out at the electric began to sting her muscles and caused her to jerk uncontrollably. It made her hair stand on end as the blue energy swirled around her. Ozai, as well as the crowd, watched in surprise as she princess wrestled with the unexpected force. She desperately tried to launch it away.

"No. Grrrrrr.... aaaahhhh! No.... AAAAHHHH!"

It was too late. She could not hold onto it any longer. It overtook her body with electric shock and she began to shake wildly. Her chest heaved as her muscles jerked at random. The lightning overwhelmed her body and shot out in a pulse. Her arms, her legs, her head... everything was swept up in stinging pain.

"AaahhhhHHHaaaaahhhhhHHHHAAAaaaahhhaaa!"

She tossed her head back as her body went rigid. There was no way to describe the agony overtaking her body. She wished it to be over. Anything to make it stop. Even if it meant defeat.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh...."

The last of the charge left her body and she was allowed to collapse. Her body went limp as she fell to her knees and then toppled over backward. Somehow she had survived... at the cost of the Agni Kai. No amount of hope would help her recover from such a devastating attack. The lightning had spent every ounce of strength. By some miracle she was alive... but had no way to fight on.

"Zuko... Azula..." She gasped.

Ozai approached his defeated wife. He towered above her with a dark smile on his face.

"Impressive Ursa... sometimes you remind me why I married you. But it's over."

"No..." She cried. "I can't... I can't..."

Her body did not budge an inch. The royal physician entered the arena to examine her. That would mark the end of the fight. She tried to move again as the old physician came closer, but it was no use. This time there would be no recovery. She closed her eyes in shame. Like her husband had said, it was over. Her time ran out as the physician turned to the crowd.

"Princess Ursa is defeated! Fire Lord Ozai is the victor!"

Ursa dared not cry, even as the soldiers came forward to take her back to the prison.

"Tie her up." Ozai ordered.

"But Lord Ozai... she can barely move," The physician said.

"Take no chances with the traitor."

Ursa endured the further humiliation. A numbness set in as the guards bound her body with ropes. The man she married no longer cared about anything than his ambition. But she could not stop him. As she was pulled closer to the prison it would be up to someone else to free the Fire Nation of its new ruler. A ruler she had helped take the throne. She wondered if her children would ever understand as she slipped into unconsciousness. There she had all the time in the world to shed her tears and hope for someone to right her wrongs...