Hi :D So I haven't written an ATLA fanfic in ages so I had a lot of fun writing this. I really wanted to see Zuzu as a daddy and I got so many feels while I was writing! Anyway I hope you really enjoy it! The cover artwork was done by me, and that's what inspired me to write this. I've had this idea in my head for a long time and I couldn't wait to see how it turned out. I'm pretty happy with it if I do say so myself. Please R&R. Constructive criticism is welcomed :)
Chapter 1 – Ursa Major
The stars shined brightly on the Fire Nation Royal palace, as Zuko stared longingly at their beauty. It was a full moon tonight, and the air smelt sweet of the newly bloomed flowers of spring. There was a comfortable feel of moisture in the air, as condensation glistened on the leaves and the grass.
A content sigh slipped passed his lips as he relaxed against the balcony banister. He wished that life could stay like this forever; peaceful.
"What's that one, Daddy?" He was brushed out of his thoughts before looking down at his nine year old daughter. She was pointing her small arm at a cluster of stars shining above but Zuko was having trouble focusing on her words.
He had been working all day on the opening plans and ideas of expanding Yu Dao. These plans worried Zuko, as the economy was still fragile after almost getting caught in the middle of another war. However, it seemed like a logical idea considering that Yu Dao was one of the richest cities in the world. Their metal trade, despite shrinking, was still thriving with all nations.
The United Republic of Nations had expanded and had become almost as wealthy as the Fire Nation. And now, they needed a capitol city; something that would be the new metropolis of the age. The idea seemed ridiculous to Zuko; the thought that some new city could outshine some of the largest and oldest nations ever existing. Which is why he was sceptical of Aang's idea at first, but eventually he figured that there was no point trying to deny the Avatar; so he set to work on planning this 'metropolis'.
However, the plans had drawn him to his limits, and each day he found himself getting more and more grey hairs. So it always eased his mind being able to spend his evenings with his daughter, Akiza. She was the first thought that entered his mind in the morning, and the last that occupied his brain at night. She was one of the last precious things he had in his life; his eternal ray of sunshine. For her, he would die a million times over.
He smiled, drifting back to reality and staring at the constellation she was pointing at, "that's the Painted Lady. Do you want to hear the story about her?"
She pouted, thinking about her answer, "Nuh uh. I wanna hear the story about Ursa Major again."
He laughed, "Again? That's three times this week already!"
She looked down at her feet, blushing. "I know – but I really, really like it."
Zuko smiled down at his daughter and in a quick motion he engulfed her with his arms, scooped her up and playfully tossed her over his shoulder, tickling her.
She burst into a fit of giggles, trying to squirm away from her father's touch, "Daddy, s-stop it!" He walked her through the balcony doors and back inside to her bedroom.
The room was painted a deep shade of red with a lavish bed positioned in the middle. The bed was probably the most comfortable in the whole kingdom, with lush pillows and stuffed toys covering every inch of the surface. Zuko didn't know how she managed to find room for herself to sleep every night.
He strode over to Akiza's bed in a few short steps, still tickling her as she burst for gasps of air between her giggles. He cleared a small spot for her on her bed and gently placed her down in a nest of pillows, pulling the blanket up to her chest.
She settled in cosily, pulling the blanket further up so that it tucked in comfortably around her small face. Zuko laughed. He had come accustomed to seeing his daughter do this every night as he tucked her in. He always thought she resembled a baby turtle duck when she did this.
Akiza stared up at her father's face as if waiting for him to continue with the story. He was content to just kiss her goodnight and leave, but something about her big, pleading, hazel eyes made him cave.
He sighed, "Fine; one quick story then it's off to sleep." She grinned and patted the bed next to her, gesturing for her father to sit. He looked at the bed quizzically, wondering if there was any room to sit. Eventually he just tossed some pillows onto the floor, earning a hiss from Akiza.
He cleared his throat, "Well, there was this island-"
Akiza cut him off, "No! You have to start it with 'Once upon a time' otherwise it doesn't feel right. And use pretty words; I like it better that way."
"You're the boss," he smirked. "Anyway, once upon a time, there was a beautiful island off the coast of the Fire Nation. It was covered with all sorts of interesting plants and animals. The trees had strange but wonderful fruit that could heal any animal with a single bite. However, one day, Agni decided that he must destroy the island or humans would surely take advantage of this wonderful fruit. So Agni cast fire upon the island, killing all the plants and animals." Zuko paused. He looked at his daughter to see if she had fallen asleep. She was awake, though her eyelids looked heavy, like she was struggling to keep them open. She stifled a yawn and Zuko continued.
"However, not all of the animals died. There was a mother platypus bear that was determined to keep her baby cub alive, even if it meant crossing an entire ocean – so that's what she did. She ran to the ocean with her cub and together, they swam away from the burning island.
"They swam for days and nights, having no food or fresh water. But they couldn't keep going forever; the cub was weakening and he wasn't the best swimmer. Eventually, they spotted land in the distance. However, the baby platypus bear was far too tired to continue. He started to drown. The mother desperately tried to save her cub but her efforts were futile. Eventually, she hugged her cub and decided that if they were to die, they would at least be together. But just as they sunk beneath the water, Agni took pity on the family and cast their spirits into the sky where they could look upon the great lands from above. They became Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor. The end."
Zuko looked relieved when he had finished. He had told her this story several times, but for some reason she had never gotten tired of it. He looked at his daughter and smiled, seeing she was asleep.
He always thought that the reason she loved the story was because it was about the love of a mother and her child; the love that Akiza had never gotten to experience.
Akiza's mother had left them shortly after Akiza was born. Zuko never knew why, but he never held it against her. The guards had suggested that they should go after her for dishonouring the royal name, but Zuko was already heartbroken, and killing the woman he had loved wasn't going to make him feel any better.
Instead, he raised Akiza on his own (with the help of the servants of course). He had never gotten remarried, and since he already had an heir, there wasn't much pressure for him to find a new Fire Lady. But this also meant he had to take on the role of leading the Fire Nation alone, which nobody ever wanted to do. He always had so much work, staying up till the late hours of the night. He started to feel his time with Akiza growing sparse, which is why he always treasured the little time he got to spend with her. And he never took that time for granted. Because Zuko, better than anyone, understood just how easily something can be ripped away from your life. Just how easily you can lose that last little ray of sunshine.
He leaned over and kissed her on her forehead, "I love you, Akiza. Sweet dreams." He got up from the bed and slowly made his way to the door, blowing out the lanterns. Just as he was stepping out of the room, he heard a faint sound coming from Akiza. He didn't understand what she had said, but somehow he subconsciously knew; I love you too.
Zuko wished he could simply go to sleep like his daughter, but unfortunately the night was still young and Zuko knew, the piles of work weren't going to complete themselves. He made his way to his study, the dim glow of the torches along the wall, leading the way.
He could feel the fire's warmth, enriching him with a deep feeling. The fire matched his breathing and heartbeat; slow and gentle rhythm.
He used to think all Firebending was fuelled by rage, but now he realized that it was fuelled by something much greater. Something Agni himself couldn't even explain. Love. This power had intensified when Akiza had been born. She fuelled him with so much love that he felt capable of anything. He knew, as a father, that it was his duty to protect his daughter at all costs.
Akiza always complained that he was too overprotective. But that's because she doesn't know the true dangers of this world. She's never faced the cruelties of society. He secretly, Zuko knew it was more than this; something inside of him knew that he had to be the father that Ozai could never be for him.
He always wondered if things would be different if he had a different father. He thought about all of the pain Ozai had caused him.
His hand subconsciously reached up to his scarred cheek. He thought about Azula. Zuko always felt sorry for her; maybe if his father hadn't poisoned her mind, she wouldn't be in a mental hospital. Maybe she would be happy.
That's all he wanted; a happy family. And now, he finally had it. Even though it was only him and Akiza, he finally felt at peace with where his life was heading.
But there's more to my family. He thought. He had all of his friends who had given him a new family in their loving embrace. He had never felt more loved.
Aang and Sokka were like brothers to him. And Katara, Toph and Suki we're like his sisters. He loved them all and he always missed them.
Suki and Sokka rarely visited. They were now happily married and starting out their lives on Kyoshi Island – Suki's home, but close enough to the South Pole. They didn't have any kids yet and Zuko wondered if they ever would.
Katara and Aang were presently staying at a private villa, just outside the palace. They mentioned something about 'letting Bumi meet his cousin-like figure, Akiza'. So Zuko graciously granted them free passage throughout the city.
They were living out their lives at the Southern Water Tribe where they had begun raising two kids, Kya and Bumi. Kya was practically a mini Katara, with her dark hair, mocha skin and her deep azure eyes. Bumi was more like Sokka, with their sibling-like aspects that they shared and his good sense of humour.
Zuko hadn't seen Toph in a long time. She had started her Metalbending Academy, which had been a huge success. She had started training hundreds of Yu Dao Police Officers and the applications kept piling up. To be honest, Zuko didn't know how she coped, running the school all by herself and her Lily Livers.
He was just reaching the hallway of his office when a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Zuko,"
He swivelled around and was surprised to see his waterbending friend, lounging on a nearby couch. The couch was in a small alcove off the main hallway, harbouring two comfy couches and a small table. There were many of these lounge alcoves throughout the palace, but Zuko rarely got enough free time to actually use them.
"Katara. What are you doing?"
She held up a book that was placed on her lap, "reading."
He walked over to the couch and found some space at the end to sit. Katara had aged nicely, her long hair, brown and cascading down her back, her tan skin, and her deep cerulean eyes that hadn't changed at all. She was wearing a light blue summer parka, a brown belt, and dark blue silk slippers.
"Good book?" Zuko asked, striking up a conversation.
She shrugged, "I finally got the kids to bed. I figured I would take a look at some of the changes you've done to the palace." She abandoned her book and placed it on the table next to the couch.
Zuko had gotten some changes done to the Royal Palace since their last visit. Now that he wasn't bombarded with ongoing decisions that would decide the fate of the Fire Nation, he decided that he wanted to restore some of the old rooms to their original state, before the war. The Throne Room was painted with more red and gold, large stained glass windows were added, making the room seem much more bright and spacious.
Also, although Zuko wanted to request to get rid of the rocky terrain surrounding the palace, it was a necessary precaution to prevent assassins and spies from infiltrating the citadel. Even though, there hadn't been an assassination attempt on his life in many years; nothing like when he was first crowned.
"Thanks for letting us stay here again." She added.
"Anytime, Katara. You, Aang and the kids are always welcome." He thought about the truth sadly. After Iroh had passed, his friends visited a lot, sharing their grievances. But now, he found himself lonelier than ever. Of course, that love was inherited by his daughter, who got the privilege of knowing Iroh for 7 years of her life.
Anxious to change the subject, Zuko said, "so how's Bumi? Have you figured out whether he's a bender or not yet?"
"Well, no," she hesitated, "but he's only three; there's still room to develop." Zuko knew that this had been worrying her, and especially Aang, for quite some time. They desperately wanted to have and airbender, and usually children start showing signs long before they're three.
She continued, "but Aang's been doing all of these airbending tests; throwing toys at him, tossing him into the air, and he's even tried gliding with him. Frankly, I'm a little worried what he'll try next." She smiled and the next thing Zuko knew, he was laughing along with Katara.
It was a good-hearted laugh; something he clearly needed to do more often.
After finishing his laughter he attempted to speak again, "that seems like something Aang would do." He looked into her eyes, his expression turning serious but his lips held a warm smile, "don't worry, everything will turn out okay in the end."
She smiled at him again, "thank you." She looked off into space before slowly standing up and picking up her book, "I should probably be getting back to the villa to check on Kya and Bumi now. You know, make sure they're not causing havoc."
He laughed, "yeah I should probably get some paperwork done. Um goodnight, Katara."
"'Night."
With that she wandered towards the main entrance. Zuko sighed and soon followed her lead, heading towards his office.
Zuko placed his hand on his temple, massaging gently. He had been working for hours and his eyelids were growing heavy.
He began packing up his work, listening to the chirping of crickets outside. His office was a spacious room near his bedroom, where he spent most of his evenings nowadays. The room was dark except for a candle on his desk, illuminating his forms about job displacement in Pohuai Stronghold; a Fire Nation army base, located in the United Republic of Nations.
He had finished packing up his work when he heard it; a shattering scream that pierced through the silent halls of the palace. It sounded like a woman and before Zuko knew it, he was dashing out of his office and into the hall.
The scream continued; again and again. He followed it down halls and around sharp corners. Guards were running out of rooms and down hallways, joining him in his search to find the source of the voice.
The scream got louder and louder the closer they got and Zuko began to recognise the layout of the hallways they were passing. They were nearing Akiza's bedroom. Zuko's heart sped up and panic shot through his veins. No. Please no. Not Akiza. Please let her be okay. He pleaded in his mind.
He tore into her bedroom and his heart stopped. The bed covers were askew, the pillows scattered on the floor. The bed drapes had caught on fire and were slowly burning away. With a flick of his wrist, the fire extinguished.
He looked down at the ground where Akiza's personal servant was lying, her screaming gone quiet. She was shaking with her eyes were wide open, as if in shock. He swept over to her, "Where's Akiza? What happened?"
"M-men, d-dress-ed in black. They t-took her. T-they came out of no-nowhere. And they j-just took her right out from un-under me." She stuttered.
"No …" he charged the open doors that led out to the balcony. The night air was calm and peaceful, as if nothing had happened. They had entered through the balcony doors. He must've left them unlocked when he was out there earlier. It's my fault… He thought. "Guards!" he turned to the guards who were helping up the servant and trying to look busy. "I want you to scour every inch of this palace! I want my daughter found!" They straightened before running out of the room and signalling the other guards.
Zuko held back his tears as he walked over to the servant again. She was sitting on the bed with tears flowing down her cheeks. She was middle-aged with fare skin and dark black hair, tied back in a topknot. Zuko had seen her before but he could never quite remember her name. He suddenly felt guilty; but reminded himself that he had more important things to worry about. "Look, I know you're scared, but I need you to tell me everything you remember. What did the people look like? Did they say anything?"
She remained quiet, apart from a few loud sobs escaping her lips.
"Please. Akiza could be hurt. I need you to help me find her. Please," he pleaded.
She looked up at him pleadingly, "I-I didn't get a good look at them. T-they w-were wearing black clothes and face masks. But I'm sure one was a woman." She started sobbing harder, but continued talking, "They said something about not hurting her – a-and then, and then they took her."
She was shaking terribly but Zuko managed to get his arms around her and pull her to her feet.
"Please; go rest." With a nod, she wandered out of the room, swaying dangerously as she walked.
He walked back towards the balcony door, examining it closely. The glass had hardly been scratched, and to be able to get this far into the palace without being noticed would've taken great skill – something only highly trained professionals would be able to accomplish.
Just as his mind began to wander, something caught his eye on the floor. He bent down to pick it up. It was a small golden sphere with intricate designs and patterns. He turned the sphere in his hands multiple times, taking in the craftsmanship. The design itself was flawless, something only the best blacksmith could make. He had never seen anything like it before, thus drawing out the conclusion that it didn't belonged to his daughter.
Along the base of the sphere was a ring of words, 'Father to the sun of fire'. The words circled around an image of a sun.
Despite its cold appearance, the ball felt strangely warm in his palm, as if it felt familiar. But Zuko quickly dismissed this thought. He put the ball inside his pocket and continued searching.
The kidnappers were obviously very careful with not leaving anything behind; which is why Zuko thought it strange that they 'accidentally' left behind a golden ball, obviously worth a lot of money.
Just as he began to give up hope, he spotted something else. It was a small tattered piece of black cloth that had been ripped off and now laid on the bed. Hmm, it looks like Akiza managed to put up a bit of a fight. He smiled inwardly, thanking himself for forcing all of those extra firebending lessons.
He had to get this cloth to June and Nyla. That was the only hope he had of finding his daughter. But he knew without a doubt that he would never stop searching for her. He would never stop until his daughter was at home and safe in his arms.
He turned around and left the room behind, not baring to be able to look back at his daughter's destroyed bedroom.
"Fire Lord Zuko." Zuko turned around and faced his High General who approached him in the hall.
"General Mak, any news on my daughter?" he asked eagerly.
"Um, I'm afraid not, Sire. The intruders seem to have vanished – as well as your daughter." He looked up sceptically, obviously terrified of being the bearer of bad news.
Zuko tried to remain calm. But his muscles were throbbing, his veins pulsing. He wanted to go hide somewhere and let his anger lose. He wanted to rest with his daughter in his arms. If only I hadn't decided to work tonight. I could've saved her.
"Ok, let me know the minute you find something."
"Of course Sire."
"And Mak – Please, I'm asking you as a friend; please get my little girl home to me." The tears were almost at breaking point and he tried so hard to hold them in.
"Of course. I promise you; I will not rest until Akiza is safe. You have my word." Despite being sad about the abduction of his daughter, Zuko felt somewhat happier, knowing that he had soldiers like Mak who were willing to go so far for him and his family.
Zuko stayed lying awake in bed, his mind racing with thoughts; Agni, I hope she's not hurt. She's probably so scared. Please, Please, Please let her be okay. Agni, please let her be okay.
That's when the tears came. They flowed effortlessly down his cheeks and onto his pillow. All of his built-up pain and suffering throughout the evening; all of the helplessness he felt; all of it, now coming out in gross sobs. He cried until he fell asleep.
But when he woke the next morning, he felt no rays of sun on his face; no happiness in the morning light – only darkness, and eternal despair. He had lost his little ray of sunshine and he was determined to get it back.
So that's it! I really hope you liked it! Chapter 2 won't be up for a while (sry 'bout that but it takes a while to write. ) Anyway, please R&R and tell me what you thinks.
~Glumbiemon24