Come to think of it . . . there probably wouldn't be an Agni Kai in this universe, since Zuko wouldn't have been breaching royal protocol, just making some unwise statements. Ozai would probably spin it as giving his son a chance to get all the indiscretions out of his system, experience the way the world outside of court works. And he gets a chance to bring home the ultimate prize, the Avatar himself -- what more could a young prince want? (Also, imagine how much easier it would be for Zuko to hide who he was without a GIANT IDENTIFYING SCAR. Though his familial relationships might actually get screwed up more just by virtue of all the hostility staying under the surface.)
And as you say, the whole 'capturing the Avatar' bit might be different -- perhaps the Avatar is portrayed as the relic of an outmoded belief system. Especially if the Avatar's word is law -- Ozai would be sure to remind everyone that a ruler such as himself is bound by custom and the favour of his fellow nobles (and perhaps some kind of spiritual tie to the Fire Nation?), while the Avatar stands alone, beholden to no-one and nothing. Such a dangerous criminal, always stirring up unrest and rebellion against the gentle guiding hand of the Fire Nation, must surely be stopped.
I love your thoughts on Azula and barbarian poetry. :D
I don't know if Mai would need much personal ambition at all, actually. If and when something happened to Ozai and Azula, the court would be a hot mess of power-grabs and backstabbing and some people wanting to recall Prince Zuko from exile (with others pointing out that yeah, we don't actually know where he is, and you just want a puppet king anyway, I can tell) and lots of other people trying to grab the throne for themselves, and I could see Mai just deciding to fix everything herself after it stopped being funny. And I can also see her 'borrowing' the Fire Lord's seal in the interim to issue edicts that, while they may not exactly be legal, fix things well enough so nobody cares. (Also! I vaguely remember hearing that Fire Lord was once upon a time just the title of the head Fire Sage, though it somehow became a hereditary position. Mai could totally be from some important Fire Sage's family line, couldn't she?)
Mai would totally get married to the Earth King or something, and the courtiers would be all D: and she would go "What? It's a politically expedient match." And if there were any actual problems with the succession, she would just make Zuko and Aang help her appoint someone. (Kuei would have to work out his succession problems on his own, at least officially.)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-09-30 08:07 pm (UTC)And as you say, the whole 'capturing the Avatar' bit might be different -- perhaps the Avatar is portrayed as the relic of an outmoded belief system. Especially if the Avatar's word is law -- Ozai would be sure to remind everyone that a ruler such as himself is bound by custom and the favour of his fellow nobles (and perhaps some kind of spiritual tie to the Fire Nation?), while the Avatar stands alone, beholden to no-one and nothing. Such a dangerous criminal, always stirring up unrest and rebellion against the gentle guiding hand of the Fire Nation, must surely be stopped.
I love your thoughts on Azula and barbarian poetry. :D
I don't know if Mai would need much personal ambition at all, actually. If and when something happened to Ozai and Azula, the court would be a hot mess of power-grabs and backstabbing and some people wanting to recall Prince Zuko from exile (with others pointing out that yeah, we don't actually know where he is, and you just want a puppet king anyway, I can tell) and lots of other people trying to grab the throne for themselves, and I could see Mai just deciding to fix everything herself after it stopped being funny. And I can also see her 'borrowing' the Fire Lord's seal in the interim to issue edicts that, while they may not exactly be legal, fix things well enough so nobody cares. (Also! I vaguely remember hearing that Fire Lord was once upon a time just the title of the head Fire Sage, though it somehow became a hereditary position. Mai could totally be from some important Fire Sage's family line, couldn't she?)
Mai would totally get married to the Earth King or something, and the courtiers would be all D: and she would go "What? It's a politically expedient match." And if there were any actual problems with the succession, she would just make Zuko and Aang help her appoint someone. (Kuei would have to work out his succession problems on his own, at least officially.)