Hello everyone! I am excited on starting a new story and I hope you all would like it! It's a plot I had come up with about half a year ago and I just now am getting it started. I am not sure how long it would be but I am not so worried about that, I am worried about this chapter because for me the hardest part of a story is the beginning so I hope I do a good job.

Disclaimer: I now or never will own Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I wish I did.

No one's POV

Fire Lord Zuko walked down the hall in a fast yet careful pace. He must be careful not to trip on his robes, the first weeks he had them, caused him to trip almost all day. As usual, he walked with stiff shoulders, straight back and head up high. He might be able to fool everyone, but he doesn't seem to fool himself. Inside, he is suffering. Going left and right to finally reaching his study, a place where he spends most of his days in, everyday for the past eleven years. Although much time has pasted he still had the same handsome features as always although it does show that he went through man hood and got taller in the past years, there wasn't a day were not one female would look at him in the eye without that yearn for him.

He enters his study and lazily falls on his chair, he puts his elbows on the huge desk and hands on his forehead as he sighs. Every day for the past years he had been using work to forget his troubles but of course it never worked. He misses her, he misses them. Reaching down to gather a variety of scrolls, he takes one by one, reading them carefully, signing whatever he needs to sign and placing them back where he got them. Rubbing his temples once again, while reading yet another message about rebelling groups that are going against the fact that he is in rule of the colonies instead of the Earth King. He just wanted to go up to their faces and show them the documents in which say his great grandfather Sozin did in fact take over some land but he had also bought some territory, the territory he is going to keep no matter what these people have to say.

Feeling a bit parched, he got up to get a drink of water in which every time he struggles to do. Water, so many things pop in to his mind with that word. With that in mind his head turns toward the direction were his chimney rests, golden eyes on were the small decorated box lands. He hesitates, but continues to go and take the box. He places it on his desk; he doesn't want to, he doesn't want to remember. But somehow, he needs to live that life again. He opens the box and this heart stops for a second but soon regains itself. He reaches in and grabs five papers with portraits of different people on them, eyeing them one by one and staring at a certain one for a bit longer than most. He places them on his desk and reaches for the beautifully decorated scroll. He doesn't see why the glamour on this scroll, the scroll that holds a story, a story about heroes, war heroes. He opens it as his eyes go to the last paragraph. Tears threaten to appear, but as always, they never do. Zuko read each name with each horrific tragedy.

Toph Beifong, Metalbender and daughter of the Beifongs of Gaoling, died when fallen off of a Fire Nation airship in to the ocean and drowned.

Suki, Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, died when a Fire Nation air ship went through a terrible crash landing.

Sokka, Swordsman and Prince of the Southern Water Tribe, died while trying to fight off Fire Nation soldiers thus failed after the loss of Toph Beifong.

Avatar Aang, last airbender of the Southern Air Temple, died due to mayor physical damage and without enough control, after successfully beating Fire Lord Ozai.

Again, he hesitated but continued reading.

Katara, waterbender and Princess of the Southern Water Tribe and fiancée to Fire Lord Zuko, died of a powerful lighting strike caused by Princess Azula of the Fire Nation.

He closed his eyes and shoved the scroll away from him; he wishes that it were a dream. Every morning he hopes it had been a nightmare, but eventually knows it's not.He was devastated but, it could have been worst. Thankfully his uncle managed to survive and conquer Ba Sing Se back. His heart tightens as he remembers the wonderful moments he had with Katara. Why did she have to go? What did I do wrong? he thinks. There was a knock on the door. He straitens his robes and sat up straight.

"Come in." A guard popped his head inside, not really sure whether he should enter since most people know that even if he says come in, it isn't a good time to come in.

"Your daughter has arrived from the Fire Nation Academy, she and your uncle are coming."

Zuko nodded and the guard left. He stashed the portraits and scroll in one of his drawers, his eleven year old daughter never liked it when he looked in the box. As the guard told him, his daughter arrived with his uncle who had a tray of jasmine tea. He smiled at his daughter, she may have his golden eyes, pale skin and the ability to firebend, but she had her mother's features, hair color and somewhat similar voice. She is mature and smart for her age just like both of her parents. She also had Katara's necklace with her, he gave it to Azaia when she was a little girl. He smiled as she hugged him and then pulled apart.

"Good afternoon father." She said while giving him a bow.

"Good afternoon Azaia, uncle."

Azaia was the name of his daughter, Katara's choice. Zuko wasn't sure about the name since it kind of reminded him of Azula, but after the tragedy he couldn't think of any other name.

"Good afternoon Nephew, I brought you some jasmine tea to calm down the nerves."

Zuko smiled, I can always count on uncle and his tea, he thinks as he drinks his tea. His uncle poured himself and Azaia a cup. They sat down as they drank their tea.

"So how was school?"

Azaia's eyes lit up, almost the way Katara did when she was excited.

"Well, it was normal through the first half of school when then they announced that they were going to have a play called Agni, The First Flame."

"Really." His eyebrows rose up; he never knew his daughter liked acting. His uncle started to chuck.

"Looks like we have an actress in the family, did you get a part?"

"I couldn't be Agni since it was a boy part but I did get to be Tui! And my instructor said-" She stopped as she noticed something was missing. Zuko could see worry in her eyes, Oh no, she noticed.

"Father, where's the box?"

Zuko sighed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I just missed your mother."

She got up and gave her father a hug; he hugged her back not being able to hold back. Eleven years, what should I do? Thought Azaia. She reached behind her neck and unclipped her mother's necklace and then she clipped it back on her father's wrist.

"Azaia, I-"

She just stared at him, knowing that she wants to talk yet not interrupt him, he keeps quiet.

"Father, you need it more than me and I don't like seeing you sad. Please, just for tonight."

He just nodded, she smiled at him and she smiled back. Normally, she wouldn't let anybody touch it, must let have it. But this is her father; she would do anything for him. It had been eleven years and nothing had change. She knows he always puts a mask on his face which makes everyone think he is a fearless leader but she knows he is eating himself alive. She sometimes wonders what her mother would have been like. It's not like she doesn't like how her father raised her, he is a good dad yet also strict but thankfully nothing like her ancestors, especially her grandfather. She has kind of an idea of how she was from what her father, grandfather Hakoda and great Gran Gran.

"Come on Azaia, time for your firebending training." She nodded.

"I will observe your training after I finish some work I have left okay." She once again nodded and left.

He lifted his wrist and watched the stone from the necklace hang on his wrist. It was just how he remembered it; he rubbed his fingers around the smooth and cool stone.

Oh Katara, why did you have to go?

Well, that was the first chapter of my new story! If you have any questions I will answer them through PM or if you are a guest then I'll answer questions in the next chapter. Did you like this chapter? I hope you did. Till the next chapter!