Slip of the Tongue

"My father said Azula was born lucky. He said that I was lucky to be born."

-Zuko

Ozai loved his son. Zuko was the only son he had. Sure, he wasn't the best fire bender, or leader, but it was all he was going to get. Azula was another story. He was certain that he would ask for a different daughter if ever given the chance. She was too... much.

He was eating with his son today. His son seemed nervous. Skittish little thing.

He was complaining about something his sister had done. There seemed to be a lot of animosity between the two. It didn't surprise the aspiring fire bender. His daughter was too much like her father.

"Azula just never gets caught." Zuko was saying.

"Azula was born lucky. You were lucky to be born." Ozai said.

He fell into the memory of the two very different births.

…

"She's coming!" The healer shouted. Ozai was pacing nervously. Prowling. His wife was breathing heavily. He didn't know what to do. He was about to become a father once more. A dad. An heiress. He was going to have an heir! A daughter, but an heir nonetheless. Thankfully, Zuko was already here.

"Here she- look, see? Full head of hair."

Ozai chanced a glimpse of his daughter. There was hair, but the sight of...everything else... made his stomach ill. His wife let out another scream and the healers arms went to pulling the child. Suddenly, as if friction was just removed, the child slipped out and the healers slipped backwards. Ozai didn't believe that a child could bounce from arm to arm so quickly, but it did. It was falling and then hitting another surface. It began crying and Ozai finally caught it.

"Whoa." He said. It was light. He was trying not to squish it. Ozai handed it off quickly. Something felt off about the child. He shivered and wiped his hands on his pant legs. Frightening, wet with unidentified liquids, and screaming like she was already in charge, this baby was lucky just to have made it safely into someone's arms.

…

A son. It was going to be a boy. He felt it in his gut. This was going to be his first born, a son. When Azula was being born, he hadn't been so nervous. A son. He would be named Zuko, the instant he was out.

He held his wife's hand. They were both considerably calmer than they had been. Ozai kissed her head, and he could feel her try to smile. She had been in here for almost two days now. The healers weren't saying it, but something was wrong. Everyone was worried, but they just couldn't bring themselves to speak their concerns aloud. Ozai didn't want to hear it, anyhow.

His wife let out a scream. The bones in his hand were crunching, but he knew his wife was in greater pain. The healers prepared themselves. Another painful push for nothing.

Suddenly, a look of sheer panic crossed their faces.

"What's wrong?" He demanded.

"Is something wrong? Why isn't he here yet?" His wife said. Her voice was weak.

"We need you to push, again. Again. Now." The healers demanded.

Ozai watched his tired wife try to push. The further she pushed, the more panic was visible. The healers began moving in a hectic and unorganized way, creating havoc. Ozai couldn't stand by his wife, not without knowing. When he saw the head of his son, he realized the problem.

There was something around his neck. Umbilical cord. Tight. Baby can't cry. Baby can't breathe. His only son slipping away because of a cord that attached him to his mother. Ozai looked up at the healers, as his son came achingly slower out of the womb.

"Do something!" he yelled. His voice was barely overheard from his wife's agonizing scream. The water benders cut off the umbilical cord with a rushed flash of water. The child seemed so relieved. His face let go of the purple color.

From then, the baby came out easy.

He was given his son.

"Zuko." He said with misty eyes. His voice was coming through a clogged, heady throat. He had a son. A beautiful son whose cry was so innocent. Nothing at all like his sister who would come later. This young, gorgeous boy was one day going to be king. He could barely keep himself from crying.

…

But Ozai had been silent for too long. He had meant to explain to his son how proud he was, that Zuko was going to be king, but when he looked back, his son was gone. The fire bender shook his head. His son was always on the move.

There would be another time to tell him, Ozai was sure.

A:N/ Whoa. Yeah, I messed up a bit. I don't know what possessed me to ruin the time line so seriously, but it won. I knew Azula was younger, really, I did. I think it was becasue I had decided to put her birth up first. My brain just panicked. Hope you can forgive me.