Summary: Zuko's broken life of twenty years, though riddled with death has an upside. His girlfriend, Mai, the light of his world is the reason he joins the military after she dies. What happens when he, ten years later, on duty and investigating cases in the South Eastern Earth Kingdom, meets a hooker- Katara, who has an unspeakable secret?

Pairings: Zutara, Maiko, Tom-TomxOC

Notes: This story happens in the Avatar Universe even though changes have been made, Zuko is twenty, Mai is nineteen and Katara is eighteen in the beginning of the story. Zuko and Katara will age ten years in the coming chapters. Other characters may come in later. Zuko's journey to find the Avatar to regain his honor doesn't exist and neither does his hatred for his father. The war rages on and the Fire Nation is winning. Katara's situation will be explained later.

This is my first attempt at a story varying so substantially from the series, though I have tried my best. Please give me your support by reading and reviewing! I would like to thank Just a Crazy-Man, Assadart, Demonpie17 and avatarspiriaangkorra for your ideas and contributions as well as CNA's Get Rea! series for gifting me with the idea.

X

Zuko leans back as he sits in the palanquin and tries to controls his emotions. The familiar taste of death, the scent of bitterness lingers on his tongue and fills his nostrils. He doesn't know the reasons or the circumstances in which the man who meant so much to him passed, all he knows is that the war brought him down. He closes his eyes as the palanquin bearers begin their journey to the house of Mai's parents.

At twenty, Zuko is in line to take the throne when he turns a year older, even though this is nothing to celebrate. This is evident as a lone tear trickles from him eye and down his face. He's has a wounded life, a broken past and yet for the sake of a nation of men with loyalty and women of strength, he will live on. This is in spite of the many attempts he's made to end it all, he wants to join his uncle, cousin, mother and father in the distant land of the spirits. Yet he has an obligation to not only his people but his beloved girlfriend who has always insisted that he lives on. This advise, of course is something he intends to follow.

Zuko wipes the tear from the marred flesh of his scarred cheek as the palanquin comes to a halt. He peers past the curtain and looks at the woman he loves as she stands at the gates of her home and waves at him. Mai is probably the greatest reason why he's decided to live after all the pain that the gods have bestowed upon him.

He steps out of the palanquin, ventures toward his girlfriend of four years, and takes her hand in his. Even in his time of grief he knows that he will love her for all his years, she ushers him into her chamber. It is small, and not extravagant in any way. The young woman is a believer in simplicity and in the concept of 'less is more' and Zuko likes this about her.

Mai settles on the crimson couch her parents placed in her room, urging him to sit with her as she pulls on his arm, and then proceeds to put her hand on his shoulder. She knows about his recent loss. His Uncle Iroh, a man of great learning and poise has passed away due the battle he was fighting in Ba Sing Se, alongside Lu Ten, his son.

Her superstitious parents disapprove of her relationship with the scarred man who has now laid his head upon her knee. Despite her boyfriend's high standing as Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne, they are concerned about her future and their perceived notion that he brings bad luck. They had even gone to a fortuneteller to determine the future of their daughter if she continues to come into contact with the prince.

"It is difficult for you, I know you loved him like a father, but we both know that your uncle is now in the presence of angels," she mends and runs her fingers through his hair and presses a kiss to her boyfriend's forehead. He shuts his eyes, as if savouring the contact of her lips on his skin. He can feel his body tingling at her soft touch, as his head sits on her lap.

Even after four years of dating this perfect woman, Zuko still cannot believe how fortunate he is to have a girlfriend like Mai. He still sometimes pinches himself to make sure this is not a dream. He has to thank his sister for befriending this woman.

At the thought, his features dim. His sister now resides in a mental institute. The cheating of her lover, Ty Lee coupled with the fact that their father had murdered their mother just before killing himself, clouds both their lives. Though he knows it affected her more, his scar is testament to that. She had given it to him one night when he was trying to calm her.

"You're all I have now," he says sadly as he sits up and moves to kiss her lips. They are soft and beautiful and he would kiss them all day if she'd let him. "I love you, you know that right?" he queries and pulling away, presses his lips to her forehead.

"Zuko," she begins tentatively. "I think it might be a good idea for you to join the army, maybe doing something for the Fire Nation, something honourable will make life for you more meaningful," she says. After all, it is the purpose of this meeting. "I just want you happy," her voice is soft, measured as the young man pulls away. "I love you," she says. It is sincerity at its best, it is love at its finest but he doesn't think an occupation that involves killing and witnessing bloodshed and Agni forbid, death, is healthy for a broken spirit like his own.

"You know what happened to my uncle," he says, clearly upset. She quickly places her hand on his shoulder as he releases steam from his nostrils. "Why do you come up with such suggestions? Would you prefer me dead?" he questions. She pulls his head to face her but he turns away.

"I… I just thought…"

"You thought wrong," he says and stands from his position on her sofa.

"Zuko," she calls his name. Her voice is warning, he doesn't know when to back down sometimes, and this is evidence. "I was just giving you a suggestion," she tells him but he doesn't listen, just looks at her with eyes that burn.

"I don't think you understand what this war has done to my family," he says bitterly and she shakes her head and sighs, exasperated. "You don't understand. You never understand," his voice is raised as he storms out of her room, not bothering about the weeping of her soul.

X

There is a man who lives just a stone's throw away from the royal palace. He is a noble with ties and secrets hidden even though no one has questioned him. The middle-aged man, his eyes sparkle gold, as is typical of Fire Nation citizens, though, his allegiance proves otherwise. There is a life he hides from the sight of the world, an untold story of a religion he practices that is forbidden here in his motherland.

Outwardly he is a true Agni worshiper, visiting the temples daily and burning incense. At his office he has an alter of the Fire God. He fasts and prays often, handing out pamphlets promoting worship services at the temple.

But then, in the privacy of his home, he prays twice daily, does not eat red meat and worships the god of the earthbenders. Zai is a veteran of the war, serving as captain in the Fire Nation army in his younger days. He converted to the forbidden belief when he was 28, after the patriarch of a large Earth Kingdom family spared his life after its sons captured him. And now, now, all Zai does is live for the god of the Earth Kingdom.

He thinks about the mercy that was bestowed upon him and the man he now calls 'father'. And even though his life was preserved, even though he survived his captivity, he knows that the Fire Nation is a cruel one and he will stop at nothing to prevent them from harming the rest of the world.

This of course, is not common place amongst men who are noble. Nobility, he doesn't like that the word is used to described the Fire Nation royalty and the wolfdogs that are their lackeys. He shuts his eyes as he kowtows to the idol he had secretly brought back from the Earth Kingdom.

"I honour you," he words are innocent, harmless, even though his thoughts are not, and that is because the way he wishes to do so, is to murder.

X

There will be blood.

The street is quiet and all she can hear is the sound of her own footsteps. Night has fallen and there is little activity. Living in the Fire Nation capital for most of her life has been a great privilege. Having the princess as he close friend and confidante is even better. But the thing that makes the young woman's life shine is the fact that the young Fire Prince is hers.

At the thought of her boyfriend, a rare smile brightens her features. Despite everything wrong in their relationship, despite all his tantrums that cause her headaches, she loves him. Mai glances down at the gold ring on her finger. It is a gift from Zuko for her birthday, the day, according to him, is the most beautiful and important day in history. She sighs softly and touches her ring with her right hand.

The gold, warm to the touch, has only a fraction of the heat that burns in her heart for Zuko. Despite not being a firebender, Mai is a skilled martial artist in her own right. Knives and stilettos, sharp and deadly are her weapons of choice and she would have it no other way. Her parents disapprove; they never fancied a fighter in their little girl. She knows this, but it doesn't stop her from training in the art.

There is a sound to her left and the fighter in her is on immediate alert. She doesn't see him, even though she sends two of her most potent weapons in his direction. And then there is a sickening wetness that covers her clothing. The sound is soft, inaudible almost, and there are faint thoughts that come to mind: probably no one noticed it, I want to see Zuko before I die, is it raining? And that, is when she realises that the it isn't and that the wetness has come from her heart.

X

Her funeral, in keeping with her preference in life, it is simple, nothing fancy. Even though, her father has insisted that the dais on which she shall be cremated, be made with the finest marble the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu can offer. Zuko is not invited to the funeral but all the same, he is at the home of his girlfriend's parents.

He is dressed in simple garb, white and pure and is kneeling outside their gates. His heart aches, and his head is spinning but he will not move, not until they let him into the compounds of their home. All he wants is to see her, for one last time in his unfortunate life, lay his eyes upon her beautiful face. He longs to kiss her, kiss her until she opens her eyes, which at this point, he has deceived himself enough can happen if they'd just let him try.

"Governor!" his voice is hard even though his heart is broken. "Please," he sobs and can feel the tears trickling down the scarred side of his cheek. "I just want to see her, see her one last time," his voice doesn't come out, instead it is a whisper. They deny him because he is bad luck and even though Zuko has long dismissed of all superstitious beliefs, he cannot help but feel like they are right.

"Get out of here!" the man who was supposed to be his father-in-law, the man who was meant to become the grandfather of his children, the man who hates him, shouts. And then, there is a hurtful cry, loud and unmasked as Mai's mother screams, hysterical. Zuko wishes that everything would be different, he really wishes that life would be kinder, wishes things could change.

He didn't even get a chance to tell her how sorry he was after his outburst regarding her suggestion for him to join the Fire Nation army. They never had a chance to make up, he never got to tell her how important she is to him again. He had once promised he would tell her that every day for the rest of their lives.

Though, he will live on, for the sake of her, he will live on, it is her wish, he knows she would hate him to harm himself even though every fibre of his being is screaming at him to end it all. "Mai!" his cries are painful, heartfelt and wrecked but her parents do not allow him in.

"Go away," her father shouts and pushes him to the ground. The governor can feel his heart drop to the pit of his stomach as the realization that he will never walk his daughter down the aisle, that she will never have a chance to grow old, washes over him repeatedly. "You caused this!" he exclaims as his tears fall freely. "You and your family!" he has every intention for his voice to be hard and firm, but cannot help it when it cracks. His daughter, healthy and young, was stolen from him, by a man he had once called 'friend'.

Zai was his bunkmate; they had entered the army together, though were separated when he became a commando and his fellow soldier an officer. "I will never forgive you," he says, though it is unclear to whom.

Thank Agni, she had taken him down, thank Agni she had killed him as he did her. The arrow that had ended her has been buried, even though the stilettos she had killed with reside in his study. At least he will die with the knowledge that his daughter didn't die in vain, but brought a vile man along to the grave.

"I swear, I will never forgive you," his tears pour as he guides his wife back into their home, Zuko doesn't see them again.

A/N: I hope you have enjoyed this story thus far, to encourage me and give me support as well as to help me improve, please review, fav and add this story to your alerts list. Your actions will be truly appreciated. CAN I PLEASE GET at least10 REVIEWS?