"She's a prodigy," The sages whispered years ago when the then-three-year-old Princess Lila bent blue fire in every possible direction, creating a stunning display. Princess Lila was the youngest child of Fire Lord Zuko and his wife, Lady Mai. Their eldest daughter was Princess Ursa, whom was heir to the throne. The girls were Irish twins. Princess Lila seemed immaculate in every way a princess should be. The palace staff would constantly gossip on how the birthright should be overruled because of Princess Lila's blatant superiority and grace to rule.
Lila was thin with bright, interested, firey amber eyes. She had long, lush locks of silky, coal black hair that cascaded down her back and around her shoulders. She was also very talented and athletic. Lila could bend not just blue fire, which was a rare skill Zuko's sister had possessed, she was gifted with the skill of bending white fire; hotter and more difficult to control. The second daughter could also hit the center of a dartboard target with her knife from 100 yards away without breaking a sweat. She was charming, elegant, polite, and to boot she was extraordinarily intelligent, ranking top of her class in which she'd skipped three grade levels to, Lila was capable of spouting out thousands of military facts, calculating math equations instantly and even forming tactics. She was exceptionally young as well, making her skills even more profligate. The one thing holding the young lady back aside from her order of birth was her mean streak. Princess Lila could be wicked and cruel at times, despite her best intentions.
Ursa was not as luckily blessed. She was a sweet and cute girl, but she didn't hold the beauty, grace, intelligence, skill, and charisma of her younger sister. Ursa had the same colored amber eyes, but with less spark and gleam, and more of a gentle, warm tone. Her hair was black, but it was short, and usually tied in a topknot, not flowing down her shoulders like Lila's. Ursa was a non-bender, making her seem even less ideal for the throne; the Fire Lord had always been a bender. And, this made her even less of a candlelight to flicker in comparison to her sister's starlight glow, one-in-a-million firebending forte. Ursa always tried her hand at knife throwing, but could never do her mother proud the way her sister's sleight of hand always could. She got decent grades, but nothing outstanding. But what Ursa held, unlike her sister, was a kind heart and gentle spirit. Ursa wouldn't hesitate to extend a hand to anyone in need, and never turned away from a soul in dismay. She cared for people and always put the needs of others above her own, even at the expense of her own content.
The sisters were close, but this didn't cease their sibling rivalry from sometimes taking a toll. This was one of many things that frightened Zuko as a father. The sibling relationships in his family had never gone well, he didn't want his children to hate each other or have one try to fry the other alive. He wanted them to be there for each other like family should; he wanted them to have the relationship his friends Katara and Sokka had as siblings. He could tolerate normal bickering or teasing here or there, but when the girls got into real arguments, Zuko's stomach would turn from his paranoia of history's repetition.
Zuko always put forward his best efforts to give his daughters equal amounts of attention. But due to their differing personalities, the girls required separate forms of affection, which Zuko often feared would be interpreted by the other as favoritism. And, Zuko, of all people, knew what that could lead to. Lila's acceleration in nearly everything had Ursa in a constant feeling of inferiority and lack of self-confidence or worth; this, Zuko empathized with.
"I'm not good at anything," Ursa would whimper by the pond Zuko used to feed turtleducks with his mother and where he took his daughters to do the same.
"Sure you are," Zuko would console gently as he'd tuck a lock of her unkempt hair behind her ear. It had fallen out of her topknot, straggling out.
"You're just saying that. I'm awkward, and no one wants me to ever be the Fire Lord. Mother is ashamed of me. I bet you are too because I can't firebend, everyone else is," Ursa sobbed and Zuko cupped her little, rosy cheek and pulled her to his lap.
"That's ridiculous. Your mother and I love you and Lila both, Ursa. And, you'll be a great fire lord someday, I know it. No one is ashamed of you," Zuko comforted as he kissed the top of her head.
"Lila should be fire lord. Everyone knows she should, not only can she bend, she's the best bender ever! We were just born out-of-order!" Ursa cried.
"Listen, Ursa, do you know what Grandpa always says? My uncle?" Zuko asked and Ursa sighed.
"The secret ingredient is love? Don't cry over spilled tea? Ginseng is my favorite?" Ursa guessed and Zuko smirked.
"No, no, no, Uncle is good for more than tea. He always told me that destiny was a funny thing, and it is. You may not understand it now, but you're meant to be fire lord, Ursa. That's your destiny. Lila is a great fire bender, but her destiny lies elsewhere. She'll find hers too, I know she will, you're both great little girls, and I couldn't be prouder of both of you," Zuko assured his daughter and she dried her eyes, holding her head up.
"You mean that, Daddy?" Ursa asked, beaming a wide grin at him, missing one of her front teeth. Zuko chuckled.
"Of course, every word," Zuko replied as he ruffled her hair. She then smiled at him, with her amber eyes twinkling, and gave him a tight, heartfelt hug before skipping back off into the palace. She got inside to find her mother throwing knives with her sister. Lila was hitting every target as usual.
"Hey, Mom, hey, Lila!" Ursa said, which distracted Lila, causing her to miss ever so slightly.
"Get out of here, Ursa! Mother and I are trying to actually accomplish something instead of playing with useless animals!" Lila snapped in agitation.
"Geez, sorry, Lila," Ursa mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Can I try, Mom?" Ursa asked with pleading eyes.
"You've tried before, Ursa," Mai replied, avoiding eye contact.
"Mom, I just want to try! I know I'm not good, but it's fun!" Ursa begged.
"You'll end throwing the knife at me or your sister," Mai refuted curtly and Ursa frowned.
"I'm not that bad…" Ursa mumbled.
"Oh, no?" Lila commented sarcastically.
"I'll throw that knife at your head, Lila!" Ursa yelled.
"Ursa!" Mai gasped and Lila snickered.
"Mom! Lila always makes fun of me! You don't care!" Ursa complained.
"I do, but you can't threaten her like that, sweetie. Lila has a point, Ursa. You're not very good at knife throwing, you have no reason to threaten to throw lethal objects at her," Mai explained and Ursa wanted to cry. Her mother never listened; she was obsessed with Lila and her multitude of talents and never paid any mind to Ursa. Just then, to Ursa's relief, her father walked in.
"Dad!" Lila exclaimed.
"Hey, honey," Zuko said as he gave his daughter a loving squeeze.
"Lila can hit the target directly every time, Zuko, watch," Mai told boastfully and Zuko smiled.
"I'll bet she can! Let me see, honey," Zuko said and Lila grinned proudly as she consecutively and astutely tossed five knives at five different dartboards, hitting the center each time.
"That's my girl," Zuko stated amorously as he ruffled her hair. Ursa watched as her stomach churned in a knot of envy. She balled her fists angrily and picked up five knives, she looked to make sure no one noticed. They never paid attention to her, so of course they didn't anyway. Ursa then angrily thrust the knives across the room, aiming for the center. Each time she missed, much outside the target, but on the third, she barely missed Lila's head, causing all three of them to jump. Ursa then gasped and tossed the rest down and rushed over to her sister.
"Lila!" Ursa shouted, "I'm so sorry, are you okay?"
"You idiot!" Lila shouted, holding her hand over her heart.
"Ursa! What did I tell you about touching knives? Did you not just hear me? Go to your room, get out of my sight," Mai scolded harshly, as Ursa's eyes welled up with tears.
"M-mom, I didn't mean it, I'm sorry!" Ursa cried.
"I do not want to hear it, leave, to your room," Mai demanded and Ursa trudged off, tears trailing the way up to her bedroom as Zuko frowned in sympathy.
"Mai," Zuko said, putting a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder.
"What?" Mai said in a monotone.
"Don't you think you were a bit hard on her?" Zuko stated.
"She almost took Lila's head off," Mai replied bluntly.
"She was very sorry," Zuko explained, "She's upset, Mai. She doesn't think we care about her, she thinks we love Lila more."
"That's absurd," Mai blew off.
"Is it?" Zuko asked.
"What are you saying?" Mai replied crossly.
"It is! It's exactly the opposite! You always take her side, Dad!" Lila cried.
"Lila," Zuko sighed, "You know Ursa didn't mean to get that close to your head."
"Well, if she's jealous, maybe then she is trying to take me out!" Lila shouted.
"Lila, that's ridiculous and you know it," Zuko stated, "Why don't you try talking to her. She is jealous of you, but she loves you."
"Jealous of me? She's the heir to throne and daddy's little favorite princess!" Lila cried as she stormed off.
"Great," Mai mumbled, "Look what you've done."
"Me?" Zuko exclaimed.
"You've always preferred Ursa," Mai said coolly.
"That isn't true, you know I love them both," Zuko demanded as he put his hands on her shoulder, "Ursa is the one who thinks you hate her."
"She thinks I hate her?" Mai asked in disbelief.
"I know Lila is good at knife throwing, Mai, but maybe you could find something in common with Ursa. She feels neglected," Zuko suggested.
"I love her, Zuko. You know I love her?" Mai asked.
"Of course I do," Zuko assured, pushing a loose tear off her eye with his thumb.
"Lila thinks you love Ursa more because she's the heir," Mai explained and Zuko felt his heart crack. That was always what he feared. Being a terrible father, following his father's footsteps, he wanted them both to know he loved them.
"…Do you think I'm a terrible father, Mai?" Zuko asked sincerely.
"Zuko," Mai said sympathetically as she leaned her head into his chest, "No, I think you're a great dad."
"Let's go talk to them," Zuko said with a smile.
"Alright, we'll fix this," Mai said with a smile as the couple went off to talk to their daughters individually.
After their separate conversations with their daughters, it did the girls some good, and they both went back to speaking terms, the next week was filled with the most peaceful and lack of quarrels Mai and Zuko had ever lived through. Zuko was even feeling more reassured, as he went to an international meeting and Aang and Katara explained that their children went through the same fits of squabbles, and that a little sibling rivalry was nothing to worry about, assuring Zuko that his daughters weren't doomed to his family's tragic sibling relations. To finish up the unusually calm week, on Saturday, the day Zuko always pledged to not work on despite its harsh accumulation, in order to spend some time with his family, he went out on a picnic with his family, and watched his daughters play together as he sat beside his wife who was lying on his lap.
"It's good to see them get along," Mai added.
"They're still young, maybe it was just a phase. Katara told me that she and Sokka did the same thing and said her kids do. She also said she and Sokka…kinda grew out of it," Zuko laughed.
"Zuko…what did you think?" Mai said, caressing his maimed cheek, "You have to stop comparing our daughters to you and Azula…and yourself to Ozai."
"I-I know…I'm just…scared," Zuko confessed with a sigh.
"I know you are, but you have to try to let it go, I know you have been forever, but try to do it for their sakes. It's not healthy for them to have their father comparing them to your…screwed up relationship with your sister. Neither of them are Azula…or you," Mai explained and Zuko nodded. But his mind rode elsewhere. He reluctantly caught many similarities between Lila and Azula and Ursa and himself. He always shot them out of his head as quickly as possible, but some of the striking qualities were impossible to ignore. But Zuko also knew his wife was right. Him of all people knew that you couldn't judge people on their lineage. They were their own people, not bound by the acts of their parents or any of their forefathers. So, Zuko sighed, and tried to clear his head and enjoy the rest of his evening outing.
"Ursa and I are going to go to the pond and feed the turtleducks together, okay?" Lila asked as Ursa waved from the back. Zuko and Mai smiled.
"Of course you can," Zuko granted permission as Lila smiled and kicked himself mentally, his sweet, little girl wasn't Azula. He watched them both race off out of his view to his favorite spot in the palace and his wife held his hand. Ursa and Lila ran down to the pond and saw the ducks expectantly swim up to greet them.
"Aw, Lila, we forgot the breadcrumbs to feed them," Ursa grumbled.
"Can't you do anything right?" Lila complained.
"You didn't remember either…" Ursa mumbled.
"Whatever, you stay here, I'll go find something," Lila said as she began walking.
"Where are you going?" Ursa asked.
"The palace, obviously, dummy," Lila rebutted.
"That's not how you get there…" Ursa pointed out.
"Yes, it is, if you want to get there faster. Just trust me, I know where I'm going, I'll be right back," Lila assured as she crawled through the bushes and into a forest of tall trees. Ursa watched uncomfortably. Several minutes passed, the palace was right there and the kitchen was close by too, so Ursa was growing worried. She started nervously pacing in circles around the little pond, waiting for her sister as the crickets chirped and the turtleducks quaked in hunger.
"Don't worry, little duckies, Lila is coming soon with food! …I hope," Ursa said as she knelt down to the turtleducks' level and heaved a sigh.
"Daddy!" A sharp scream pierced sharply through the bushes and Ursa jumped.
"Lila!" Ursa called in panic as she darted off towards her sister's cry for help. She pushed through the vegetation following where she heard her sister scream. What followed after was an even louder scream, her own, that repeated at the horrific sight.
Mai finally caught ear of the cry and silenced her husband to listen.
"Zuko, do you hear that?" Mai said and Zuko listened until he finally heard Ursa shouting.
"That's Ursa!" Zuko exclaimed as he jolted up from where he was seated and started sprinting off to the pond, panicking when no one was there. He then followed his daughter's cries through the wooded area and when he reached her, he fell backwards onto the ground in shock and grief. "Lila," Zuko whispered in horror, "My baby."
"Daddy, Daddy, make her get up, Daddy, please," Ursa cried, shaking her father as tears spilled off of her little face. Zuko just kept his hand cupped over his mouth in shock and terror and he kept vehemently shaking his head in denial. Refusing to accept this bloody fate for his young child, the apple of his eye, his whole world. She was covered in blood, and her eyes were still opened and looked restless, stunned, and petrified. Her slit throat was still oozing blood, and in a macabre way, there was a letter being held by a slit in the little girl's corpse, standing up right from her neck.
Zuko slowly crawled over to his daughter's bloody body and pulled her close into his arms. He held her close and kept kissing her forehead, whispering soothing nothings into her ear as tears eventually came cascading off of his cheek. He was going to be sick. Why would anyone do this to such a young and innocent child? Somewhere in his hysteria, Zuko took the letter, still rocking his daughter's body, he read it aloud, like he used to read her stories. But as he read further the knot in his stomach tightened and he could bear it no more.
The letter told him that his daughter was assassinated for revenge on the fire nation. The assassin took the fire lord's youngest daughter to repay for how the fire nation took his. As the fire lord was the human symbol of the nation, Lila had to be symbol of the revenge. Zuko was going to throw up. His daughter was murdered in a sick ploy of revenge on someone that had committed an atrocity before even his birth. Zuko kept his dead daughter clutched tight and curled up into a ball on the ground with her in his arms, and he wept.
The funeral came three days later. Zuko still hadn't awoken from his despondent state of grief. It took Mai to pry the body out of his arms, when he refused to let go so she could be cremated in the traditional royal Fire Nation family way.
"I don't want them to burn my baby," Zuko cried as Aang and Sokka held him back. They all had arrived as soon as they'd heard the terrible news. The least they could do was be there to try to support their friend in any way they could, they themselves were also heartbroken. Not only in sympathy for Zuko, but they knew Lila very well, she'd called them by "aunt" or "uncle" and they'd all been close. Their children were also devastated, Lila had been a very close friend to them, and explaining to them they'd never see their dear friend again was almost to painful to bear. Mai, Iroh, and Ursa were in similar states as Zuko, hardly speaking, and shouting in anguish. Ursa blamed herself and just repeated, "it was my fault" over and over.
"Come on, Zuko, we have to go now," Katara said gently to her friend as she rubbed his shoulders in comfort.
"They're going to burn her, Katara. They are going to burn my little girl and there is nothing I can do," Zuko stated and a tear fell down Katara's face.
"You have to come, Zuko," Katara said gingerly, trying to guide Zuko to his feet.
"Do you know what they told me, Katara?" Zuko asked.
"…N-no, Zuko…" Katara replied, trying not to burst into tears herself.
"They said…they told me…'at least it wasn't the heir' and 'at least he didn't get you," Zuko cried and Katara bit her lip, trying in vain to prevent herself from sobbing. It was sick. Katara had no words for that. She had no offer of comfort. The only condolence she could give to that was an embrace, she hugged her friend tightly, trying to give him all the support she could. It hurt her enough losing the little girl she'd watched grow up, having to put herself in the shoes of her father; her father who was her best friend only ached even more. And, all she could offer him was an embrace, as she rubbed his back, trying to let him know he wasn't alone, she'd be there, her husband would be there, her brother would be there, her sister-in-law would be there, Toph would be there, they all cared. They all cared very deeply.
They all watched, Zuko refusing to shed a tear in public. He stood next to his wife and remaining daughter, his arms around them both, pulled tightly to him as he rubbed their arms in comfort. They didn't care for the same amount of pride, they were both bawling. Zuko still stubbornly standing without one tear falling. He was always told a fire lord mustn't cry in public, not a tear. It made the nation look weak and vulnerable. Zuko abided as he held his breath, trying not to scream or fall to the floor, lamenting, as the honorary sages set fire to his daughter's casket.
After the funeral, team avatar escorted Zuko and his family back to the palace. They all agreed on remaining and helping out with the Fire Lord duties until Zuko was at least emotionally stable enough to stand on his two feet, no matter how long that would be. The palace staff set rooms for Zuko's friends and thanked them for their help and Katara and Aang helped Zuko and Mai to lie down, but left them alone at Mai's request. Hours dragged on, Zuko just stood, crying, staring out the window.
"I hate you," Mai stated bitterly, and Zuko snapped around.
"What?" Zuko asked in disbelief.
"I freaking hate you, that's what!" Mai screamed in an emotion he'd never seen since the day they'd met as toddlers.
"Mai, sweetheart, I want to be dead right now as much as you do, alright, but-" Zuko began as he choked on tears, but Mai walked over and slapped him.
"I know what you've done, you sneaky bastard," Mai snarled and Zuko's tear-stung eyes widened.
"What the hell are you talking about, Mai?" Zuko cried out, he didn't feel like this, he just wanted to crawl up and die; he was too drained to argue with Mai.
"First of all I know about all of your concubines," Mai spat out and Zuko's eyes widened again.
"What the hell are you talking about, Mai? You sound ridiculous!" Zuko cried, balling his fists and pressing them to his wet eyes. This accusation would have angered him more on a usual basis, but right now he couldn't care less. "Lay down, Mai."
"Why don't you lie down with one of your harlots!" Mai shouted.
"Mai, you're exhausted, sweetheart, lay down, please," Zuko insisted again, trying to keep his patience, trying to remember she was in just as much pain as he was.
"No! You tell me why you slept with…with all those whores! Am I not good enough?" Mai cried.
"Mai, please, please don't do this to me not now. You don't know what you're saying, you're upset and tired, Mai. There are no concubines, Mai…The only other women who have ever even stepped in this room in my lifetime are my mother, Azula, some maids to clean up, our…daughters… Katara, Toph, and Suki."
"So you've been sleeping around with the help!" Mai screamed.
"Mai!" Zuko shouted, tears spilling from his eyes. He didn't want to hear this nonsense.
"Have you?"
"NO!"
"So, you've…the avatar's wife?" Mai accused and Zuko's eyes widened.
"No, no! I'd never! Mai!" Zuko shouted, the thought of him cheating made him sick, if he wasn't preoccupied with feeling suicidal from the loss of his daughter, he'd probably be furious with Mai for even thinking he'd ever be unfaithful to her.
"I know you're a liar, but that's the least of why I hate you," Mai slurred.
"Mai, please, hate me all you want, don't want to talk, I just…I just don't want to do anything, I feel sick," Zuko explained, crying.
"You didn't feel that way when you killed her," Mai said too calmly.
"Wh-what?" Zuko said, his knees feeling weak from that accusation.
"You killed her out there that night. You were sick of me 'favoring' her over Ursa, your precious favorite child. She reminded you of Azula, so you wanted her gone before she ruined your golden child the way your little sister did to you!" Mai shouted and Zuko felt like slapping her.
"That's disgusting," Zuko screamed, "You sound crazier than Azula right now, that's for sure!"
"What did you kill her too, you bastard murderer! You're just like your father! He tried to kill you, so you think it's perfectly fine to kill your own children, is that it?" Mai shouted. Zuko couldn't believe what he was hearing. Mai was the strongest and most collected person he'd ever known, and now she was not only emotionally crumbling, but also her sanity was going on a ledge too. Zuko kept trying to hold his temper because she hurt as much as he, and he loved her, but this was too much. Her words were hurting too much; salting the fresh and gaping wounds on his heart.
"Mai…I loved Lila more than anything in the world…her and Ursa…they were my world, they still are! I…I know you're upset, I'm trying not to be angry with you…" Zuko yelled, still crying.
"Get Ursa in here," Mai stated flatly.
"Why?" Zuko asked.
"I need to ask her something," Mai replied.
"This is ridiculous. Are you going to ask her if I killed her sister?" Zuko screamed, "Ursa is upset, leave her be, Mai."
"Fine, I'll get her if you won't. Because like your mother did with your father, I'll do anything to protect and avenge my star child," Mai shouted.
"Star child? Mai," Zuko stumbled, "Mai, come back, stop this!" But Mai had already went to Ursa's room, and dragged her back into the master's bedroom by her wrist.
"Mom, please, I just want to lie down and cry, I-I-" Ursa sobbed.
"Shut your mouth!" Mai snapped and Zuko's eyes widened.
"Mai! Ursa, honey, go back to your room," Zuko said as he hugged his daughter tightly, pushing her cascading tears off her face. Ursa went to leave, but Mai grabbed her wrist again, preventing her exit. "Mai, let her go," Zuko ordered more sternly.
"You wouldn't let Lila go!" Mai shouted, "An eye for an eye!" Mai screamed as she slipped a knife from her sleeve and Zuko's heart started pounding.
"Mai! MAI! What are you doing? Put that down! MAI!" Zuko screamed.
"Daddy! Daddy, what's Mom doing with that? Daddy, I'm scared, Daddy!" Ursa trembled beneath her mother's grip as Zuko went charging towards his wife, but Mai grinned a sick and twisted jeer Zuko had never seen before on his wife's face and slit Ursa's throat before Zuko could reach her. Ursa collapsed to the floor, dead. Zuko felt a rush of blood to his head and his knees wobbled, he fell to the ground. He couldn't breathe. What had just happened? Lila and now Ursa, gone from his life forever, Zuko stroked Ursa's face with trembling hands.
"Doesn't feel so good in my position?" Mai said with a smile. His position? She killed her own daughter. They both just lost both of their children. She was insane. This wasn't his wife. His wife loved him and their children unconditionally, she was distant and callous, but she loved. He knew her long enough to know that. He loved her long enough to know that.
"What have you done, Mai?" Zuko sobbed, he couldn't look at her, he didn't want to remember her that way, this wasn't his wife, his shoulders shook as he continued to sob. He kept hugging Ursa the way he'd held Lila just days prior.
"You know too much, don't you? I can't let a man who killed his daughter stay in charge of a nation. It'd be unethical as my father always taught me as he was a politician," Mai explained and Zuko's red eyes met hers. He saw her pull out another, clean dagger from her sleeve, he saw it coming towards him, but it was all in slow motion. He didn't care enough to move, to evade, and he let it pierce through his torso as his own, beloved wife stuck a dagger through him. He rolled over and grabbed at his stomach like a dying animal. He'd been stabbed by unsuccessful assassins a few times before, but this, this hurt much, much worse, and it wasn't the bloodshed or gash.
"Let's see that waterbending whore you've been sleeping with fix that," Mai jeered as she began to laugh uncontrollably, then spontaneously burst into a fit of hysterical tears until she collapsed onto her bed and cried herself to sleep. Zuko lying beside his dead daughter, bleeding to death, not being able to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Praying now to just die, nothing could be worse than life now.
Mai then awoke, stretching for Zuko beside her. When she didn't feel him beside her she turned to look for him, finding him weakly groaning on the floor, her own dagger still lodged within him, and her own daughter dead on the floor beside her husband. Mai's eyes flickered rapidly behind tears, as the flashbacks flooded her, the monstrosities she'd done, that weren't her. She kissed her daughter's face.
"Ursa, Ursa, baby, please…oh dear..oh no…oh no, what did I do…what did I do…" Mai cried as she fumbled over to Zuko, who was still breathing, "Zuko, Zuko, please, speak to me, what…what….I did this…for the love of…I did this no…" Mai cried, stroking Zuko's hair.
"Mai…" Zuko muttered, a tear falling from his eye, as he caressed her wet cheek. Mai then shook her head in denial, seeing the life fade from her husband's eyes and then she looked to see her baby girl dead at her hands, and remembered her other gone too. There was nothing left for her. Mai took out another one of her blades and store down her reflection in it with hate. "Mai!" Zuko quaked, muzzling up strength to shout her name, he hated her, but he loved her. He hated her for murdering his daughter, but he loved her, still in shock, still in love with the woman he'd known since he was five-years-old, not wanting to lose another family member.
"Goodbye, Zuko, this doesn't mean anything, but I'm sorry," Mai said as her hand trembled with the blade to her throat and Zuko cried, he couldn't stop her, he couldn't stop her from killing Ursa, he couldn't stop the assassin from killing Lila. Zuko watched as his pretty wife took a blade and took her life with it, having her collapse on top of him. And, Zuko screamed. He wanted to die, they were all gone, all of them. He just kept screaming, as he continued to bleed from where his wife, his lovely Mai, had stabbed him. The screams became so poignant, that the others finally took notice, and a lamenting Iroh raced up to check on his nephew, and expected to comfort him, but what he found brought on a need for someone to comfort himself. Iroh fell to his knees and began to weep uncontrollably.
"Uncle," Zuko weekly called and Iroh snapped out of his hysterical mourning for a moment, noticing his nephew was alive, and he rushed over to him, holding his head up in his arms.
"Zuko, my nephew," Iroh said tenderly as tears fell from the old man's eyes and he clutched his hand. He didn't want to live to see the deaths of his two grandnieces he'd loved the same as a granddaughter, nor his niece-in-law dead beside them, alongside his dying nephew. The old man had enough heartache in his lifetime already.
"Uncle, let me die, please," Zuko begged and Iroh choked. He couldn't.
"No, no, Zuko, I-I will get your friend, Katara, she will heal you, I-I will be right back, I promise," Iroh insisted as he weakly got up, finding difficulty to breathe as he stepped over his family's bodies, his body traveling down the stairs, but his mind lost in pain.
"Iroh?" Aang asked, assuming his tears for Lila and Lila alone, "Did you…get Zuko to calm down a little?" Aang asked quietly, his eyes red, and Iroh just nodded negatively.
"Your wife, I need her, upstairs, please," Was all Iroh got out and Aang look confused, but he shook Katara gently, as she had cried herself to sleep, leaning into her arms, sitting at a table.
"Katara," Aang said softly and Katara's drenched face looked up, "Iroh needs you in Zuko's room…I-I don't know why," Aang explained and Katara got up, and followed Iroh who rushed up the stairs; the others coming along as well in curious concern. Katara screamed as Iroh guided them to Zuko's side. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The others had similar reactions as they entered the royal master bedroom.
"He's still alive, please, Miss Katara," Iroh begged as he kept sobbing.
"Zuko," Katara said sweetly as her voice cracked and tears spilled as she stroked his hair.
"Katara, please," Zuko groaned, keeping his hand covering his wound, "Just go home."
"Z-Zuko…let Katara heal you," Aang said, he felt like he was going to pass out. How did this all happen?
"Zuko, buddy, it's…it's gonna be alright, okay," Sokka tried to assure, but he wasn't sure. Nothing about this looked like it would ever be okay ever again.
"Mai did all of this. Even to herself. It's never going to be okay, Sokka," Zuko said feebly with his fading strength. Katara choked out a sob, covering her mouth at that sound. That made it all worse, and she didn't think that was possible when she entered the room.
"We need you," Katara cried. She wasn't going to sugarcoat it. This was terrible. He'd never be the same. None of them would ever be the same. She just told him the truth. He was their best friend, they needed him, they couldn't lose him. They loved him. Iroh sure as hell needed him, he'd die without him. The Fire Nation needed him too, not emotionally, but the country would go to shambles with no rightful bloodline on the throne. A tear escaped Zuko's eye, he didn't want to hurt anyone else. He knew how that felt. Zuko reluctantly moved his hand away, allowing Katara to use her healing abilities to mend the stab wound. Then Sokka and Aang lifted him to his bed and none of them had anything to say or do but cry. There was no comfort, no promising things to aspire to. Zuko was broken. Katara walked over and knelt beside Toph who was holding Ursa's body in her arms, crying.
"This isn't right," Was all Toph said as she clung to the little girl whose life was cut tragically short. Iroh laid beside his nephew, holding him in his arms and none of them had the heart to leave the room, no matter how upsetting it was. They couldn't leave his side, they were now all Zuko had and even if they weren't much, they knew he needed them, and they loved him. So they stayed. They all stayed even as the sages came in and shouted at Zuko, accusing him of the murders, but Aang rose to his defense, and his testimony was believed, Aang being the avatar. They all sat in the room, Zuko not even having blinked in the two days as Katara forced water down his throat. The funeral then came, and one of the sages came in, demanding Zuko get up, get dressed in the proper attire and make his presentation to the people.
"I cannot see one tear, Fire Lord Zuko," The sage ordered and Zuko nodded.
"You can't possibly expect him to-" Katara began angrily, but Zuko put his hand on her shoulder to pause her.
"I'll see you in front of the palace in twenty minutes. Try to look presentable, my lord," The sage stated.
"Let us stand with him at least," Aang asked.
"I'm sorry, Avatar Aang, it isn't customarily done. Pleas stand with the other mourners," The sage directed and Aang sighed. Zuko would stand alone as they lit his entire family's bodies on fire, never to be seen again. And, that he did. He stood strong and tall in front of the nation, assuring them the nation would prevail, and never revealing details of the deaths. And, he informed him of his wedding next weekend that he would be forced into. The Fire Nation insisting on it. And, insisting on an heir being produced within the year. Zuko knew the law, he knew if he broke tradition he could be overthrown. He knew he had a duty to fulfill to restore the world to balance and peace. His friends looked up at him. Katara's eyes flying open wide as she heard of the wedding.
"They can't make him do that? Aang!" Katara cried, knowing Zuko did not want to get married to a woman he didn't know, especially a week after the murder of his entire family by his true love.
"Katara, there's nothing I can do…" Aang said bitterly, wanting to riot at this as he watched Zuko stand tall. But they all could see the brokenness in his eyes. He was broken beyond repair. None of them would ever see Zuko's eyes light up the way the always would when his children were around, or the way they did on his wedding, or when he ran into one of them, or when his uncle surprised him. He was a broken man. The woman he'd marry would break too. Married to a stranger who was a body walking around without its soul. Whatever child they'd have would be loved, oh he or she would be loved, but their father would be a ghost. They'd never know who their father was or could have been. They all knew he'd carry on that way for the rest of his days. There was no repairing Zuko. But they'd still stand by him until the end. They'd be there even closer now. He needed them. They were all he had. His uncle was old, and would not live forever. When he was gone, Zuko would truly be alone except for them. So, they'd be there even closer than before. They'd be even more of a surrogate family. They loved him, so they'd be there. They'd be there to try their hardest to refurbish the broken man that once lit up like a fire inside. They'd be there to extinguish whatever flame from the fires life and its woe had started.