AN: Ok, this is my first thing so don't roast me, I just had to get rid of this idea out of my head no matter how bad my writing is. I don't do this for anything but for the satisfaction of myself. But if you want to review go ahead. This is based off right after the comics. Come on guys if you read fan fics then you definitely should've read the comics. If I do something wrong call me out. Oh, yeah I don't own shit.

The sun has taken place at the highest point in the sky, releasing its scorching heat upon the Fire Nation capital. Two years has past since the end of the century long war and one year since he found his mother. It is also the same amount of time since he has seen his friends in the South Pole. It doesn't help when you're leading an entire country not to mention the fact that you have to fix a hundred years of mistakes that your ancestors made.

"Ughhh" the Fire Lord groaned.

He took out the pin of his topknot to let his hair down putting the crown in his pocket and dipped his head into his arms on top of stacks of paperwork waiting to be finished. 'I really don't want to do this right now' he thought to himself.

His office consisted of shelves of books around the room with his desk in near the back of it, chairs along with small circular tables scattered around the mini library he had to himself. He never was a flashy type of Fire Lord, he just needed a desk to work on, even if scrolls were hanging of his desks due to the overflow of paperwork.

A hard knock came from his door. "Come in." his muffled voice said. He hears the door open and close and glances up to see his Kyoshi warrior bodyguard before putting his head back into the comfort of his arms.

"What do you want?"

"My day was great actually thanks for asking." she said with her mouth full

Zuko finally looks up to see Suki not in uniform making her herself comfortable feet kicked up on his desk while eating an apple.

"Shouldn't you be busy guarding me?" he questioned.

"Lighten up Zuko no one has attempted to assassinate you since…" she looked up in thought.

"Last week" he gritted.

"Relax. For being one of the most attempted assassinated Fire Lords in history we did a pretty good job taking care of you. No one has even laid a finger on you" she said confidently.

"What about that time that guy sucker punch me-"

"That doesn't count."

"What do mean that doesn't coun-"

"He wasn't trying to assassinate you so it doesn't count." she said as she took another bite out of the apple.

"Of course it counts what else was he trying to do!"

"Maybe he just didn't like you." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yeah, I guess." He went through his thoughts before he realized- "You never answered my question, what do you want?"

"Alright Mr. Grumpy Pants." he rolled his eyes at the remark, "Your family is back from their vacation is at the dining room waiting for you, you should really go, looks like you really need the break."

'Family?' he thought. 'Oh yeah family' His mother and his little half sister.

"Thank you, Suki."

"No problem."

During the years of guarding him, Suki had been a really close friend, and he had been grateful of that. Not only did she and her team of Kyoshi warriors protect him but she also kept him company most of the time, being someone he could confide to when his duty as Fire Lord overwhelmed him. They bonded over time and it was like having an older sister he never had, even though they were practically the same age.

The Auburn haired girl jumped up from her seat and walked with him towards the dining chambers.

"Where's your uniform?"

"Zuko, as much as I like the uniform, I also don't want to die of a heat stroke. How do you wear-" gesturing his full crimson, maroon robes along with his cape and armor "that all day without sweating." He simply shrugged. "Well, it would nice to live in a cooler climate for a change." as she sighed. Zuko felt a bit guilty keeping her here as a bodyguard enduring the heat he knows that is unaccustomed to outsiders. He also knows that she probably misses her home and mostly likely his boneheaded, water tribe friend. "Sorry" he said quickly, somehow she knew what he meant. Suki looked up and smiled "But I wouldn't trade it if it meant leaving my best friend".

'Best friend huh?' he thought to himself, he felt a smile creep up his face. He never really had a best friend before but he was glad that Suki was. Who knew a close friendship could've come together after the burning of one's village, he immediately felt terrible at the thought. That changed when they finally reached the double doors leading to the dining table.

When they opened the room all eyes were on them, the rest of the Kyoshi warriors just gave him a glance while three smiles were upon his face one being the most cheerful.

"Zuzu!"

Kiyi sprinted up to him as fast as she could and hugged him. "I missed you so much!" she exclaimed. He lifted her up so she sat on his shoulders a smile wide on his face. "So how was your trip to Ember Island?" he asked. "It was soo fun, first we went on the beach and built sandcastles, and then, and then we went to the…" his gaze went from his sister to his mother walking up to him. He smiled even wider.

When his mother came back into his life it was one of the most happiest days of his miserable life. His mom, the one believed in him first when no one else did, his mom who made him laugh as a boy and supported him whenever he thought he failed. For the first time in forever he felt content. However, he couldn't shake the feeling of something missing, something big. His smile fell.

"Zuzu?"

"Are you okay?" His mind snapped back to reality. "Yes, of course Kiyi." He placed her back down. "I'm just so happy to see you guys" Her smile returned to her face as she took her place back on the dining table.

Zuko didn't notice when Suki took her place at the table with the rest of the Kyoshi warriors, but only because he embraced his mother. He was still surprised how small and petite his mother was, back then he was just a child in his mother's protective arms, now it seem to be the opposite. She looked just as beautiful as when he was just a boy save for the small wrinkles in her eyes, nonetheless she was still the same woman that glowed with kind eyes.

"Mom, you're back."

"Well I couldn't be kept away from my little prince can I?" he embraced her once again inhaling her scent that brought back memories of his once happy childhood.

He led his mother back to her seat and took his own at the head of the table. To his right sat his mother, Kiyi, and Noren. To his left was Suki, Ty Lee, and the rest of the Warriors. They sat in silence except the sound of chopsticks hitting the plates and Kiyi playing with her food.

Suddenly the eight year old's face lit up. "Mom can Zuzu teach me how to firebend? I want to be the best firebender ever just like him!"

"Now, now sweetie your brother has a lot work to do running an entire nation, maybe we can find you another teacher"

"NO!" she yelled "I want it to be with Zuzu." she pouted, staring at her plate. Her mother sighed gave his son a sad look.

"Actually. My work is almost done we can start tomorrow morning" He smiled and his sister face lit up once again. "Yay, yay! Zuzu gonna teach me firebending, Zuzu gonna teach me firebending" she sang while running around the table before jumping into his lap and hugging him.

"But you have to promise me one thing okay?"

"Anything!" she exclaimed.

"You have to listen to my every direction okay?" she nodded vigorously "because fire is a dangerous element and we can't have anyone getting hurt, so do you promise to listen to me?" he said slowly. "I promise!" she declared "Pinky promise?" she curled her pinky around her brother's, and she gave him one last hug before skipping to bed. Ursa gave his son a sad smile. "You didn't have to do that, you know how she gets when she gets encourage and I also know how much work you need to get done."

"Mom, it's okay I told you my work is nearly finished and plus..." he watched as Kiyi is skipping towards the doors. "I'll have the chance to do something I haven't done before. Teaching my baby sister how to firebend."


"Alright class, that's it for today" the waterbending master said as she bended the remaining water into the barrels. Once all her students left, her former master approached her. "Very impressive, Master Katara, one day when you are my age you can teach as well as I can". Katara smiled with unsurety. "Thank you grandpa Pakku." She bowed to him in respected.

Ever since Master Pakku opened his waterbending school at her village, which had recently been changed to the capital of the Southern Water Tribe, she had helped him teach students that had come from the Northern Water Tribe to help rebuild the South her students were mostly teenagers oldest being her age. She knows that it's a bit cocky but she liked and took pride for being the best waterbender in her age group. She smiled at the thought.

"I have to get going now. I'll see you tomorrow grandpa Pakku." She grabbed her parka and with a final wave, she is out the door and is met by one of her older students, about her age. He was fairly handsome with dark long hair tied up with the rest of it not quite reaching his shoulders. Her experience of him shamelessly flirting with her sometimes during class, she knows that he wants to talk about something that cannot be good.

"Yes, what do you need Kato?" She said as politely as possible.

"Hey Katara, I was wondering if you would-"

"I'm sorry but I don't date my students."

"I'm sorry but wasn't the Avatar one of your studen-"

"And look how it ended up." she said firmly.

She was very happy being with Aang during the first year, or at least she thought she was. Sooner or later she found out that she was practically useless during his travels bearing only the title of 'the Avatar's girlfriend' not his teacher, not one of the saviors of the world, not a warrior, but just a trophy. Not only that but after repeatedly saying that all the fame would not go to his head... of course it did fanboys, but mostly girls would crowd him leaving her in the sidelines feeling jealous and unwanted.

The only person she could confide to was Zuko. She definitely can't confide to Sokka, Suki would probably spill the beans to him, and Toph can't read. She and Zuko got extremely close after finding her mother's killer, she supported her and respected her decision no matter what it was. Had she have killed Yon Rha she knew that he wouldn't have looked at her differently than the rest of the gaang. Now that she thought it about the only person that and seen that darkness of unbelievable rage inside her was him and he hadn't told a single soul. Once she had written that letter of her experience with Aang to Zuko, those three words he wrote to her made her realize something 'You deserve better.' He was right, why should she still be mothering him while he's off doing whatever he wanted, what about what she wanted? She needed to think for herself too right?

She cut it off with Aang right then and there and now for six months she stayed in the Southern Water Tribe trying to find herself to be useful and help people in anyway she can. Aang would constantly visit to see if he could get her back, which ended up her berating the young Avatar for skipping his Avatar duties to see her only because 'he wanted a break.'

"I thought you guys were on a break?" Well that's what Aang still believed.

"On a break, broken up, same thing. Now will you excuse me I have to be somewhere." She was tempted to bump her shoulder against his but held back.

'Just go to Sokka he needs your help' she repeated to herself. She went up the steps to town hall and was met by Sokka in their father's office. Her brother looked a bit nervous.

"Sokka, is there something wrong?"

"Eh, I mean not really for us buuut, how should I put this"

"Just spit it out!"

"You're not needed anymore here." He said as quickly as he could.

"What? What do you mean I'm not needed?"

"Well since you were just an acting council member for us they kinda had you replaced, I'm sorry, dad and I tried to get you a more permanent position, but the council members outvoted against it. I'm really sorry, are you ok?"

She wouldn't show it but she was fuming. Ice around the building were cracking. "I'm fine, I'll just go and help out Gran Gran early I guess." she said as calm as possible. "Tell me if you need anything and please take care of yourself, ok?" She hesitated and nodded slightly before slamming the door.

She stomped her way back to her new modernized apartment, thoughts going across her mind questions that were unanswered. Why was she kicked out? Was it because she was a girl? Ugh they probably did! What is she supposed to do now? As soon as the door clicked closed she screamed into fur covered bed. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" screams muffled into the bed she thrashed wildly around the bed for minutes before calming down. She still had to visit Gran Gran before her miserable day was over. She opened the door of the only igloo in the villag- city, tucked in between buildings. Katara knew her Gran Gran wouldn't change.

"Hello, Katara."

"Hi, Gran Gran." She said dully. Kanna frowned. "Is there something wrong, my child?" "No, Gran Gran it's fine." As the waterbender prepare food for her grandmother. "You know it's okay to talk-"

"I said I'm fine!" She yelled out, immediately realizing that she was yelling. Her grandma didn't deserve outbursts of her problems. Her grandma stared at her mid sentence, Katara looked away. "I'm sorry Gran Gran." Her voice breaking.

"It's okay darling, if you won't talk to me surely you have someone else to talk to." Katara popped her head up. 'Yes, I do!' she thought excitedly. "Go on Katara I can handle this myself." As she grab a ladle. "Are you sure?" "Yes, of course now go on, shoo, shoo." As she pushed her granddaughter out of her igloo.

She ran back to her apartment and opened a blank scroll, wondering why she hadn't thought of this before her face fell as she realized. 'He hadn't written back to my other letters yet.' 'He's just busy, he'll write back' she told herself 'he's the Fire Lord, he won't have time for your nonsense' she fell onto her bed, she just needed someone to talk to, she needed him. 'One more letter couldn't hurt' she thought as she quickly got up to her desk and jotted down on her letter.

The morning came abrupt went something jumped into his stomach. He made a strangled sound before opening his eyes to nearly pitch black, it wasn't even dawn yet. He rubbed his eyes before making a figure jumping across his bed.

"Firebending! Firebending! Firebending!" yelled out a girl in a chant. "Alright, alright Kiyi!" she stopped and looked at him out of breathe. "Go to the private garden outside and I'll meet you there." Kiyi got up and sprinted towards the door opening it to only see Suki back in uniform and face paint coming into his room. The Fire Lord secured his training pants on used to having his female friend watch him in his boxers.

"Did you let her in?" he said accusingly.

"Of course I did," how could I say no to those polar bear puppy eyes. She yawned. "Alright I guess it's time for my nap see you in the afternoon." the warrior said as she left.

He finished his morning routine before going into the garden outside the palace. The garden was bigger now, way bigger he took down the walls at the courtyard outside the palace and replaced the barren land with a big beautiful garden. This was a mistake especially since its purpose was to spot assassins and intruders with no cover. To compensate it, the palace was mostly empty during the night do to the fact that he never rehired most of the palace servants Azula banished two years ago, of course he revoked to banishment but never rehired them and the Kyoshi Warriors were far better at preventing an attack than those useless bodyguards he had fired a year ago.

Zuko walked down to the garden, well his private gardens. Walls secured the place as it holds a special place in his heart that he couldn't let it go public, the only people allowed in were the people he knew. The time he spent under the tree near the turtleduck pond which had returned. He flinched, he had forgotten to feed the turtle ducks last night and started to walk back to the palace for some bread before Kiyi grabbed his arm from behind.

"Where are you going?"

"I forgot to feed the turtleducks last night an-"

"I already fed them!" she said happily.

"Oh, ok well let's begin." Thinking happily that she has some sort of connection the animals just like him and his mother.

"First we meditate."

"Zuzu!" She groaned.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, Kiyi" her brother said already eyes closed in the lotus position, then with his good eye open, "You pinky promised, remember?" she groaned "Okay" she said reluctantly before copying her brother's position. "Ok, Kiyi try and clear your mind, focus on channeling your inner fire and controlling it." "Ok, I'll try" she squeezed her eyes tight in concentration. Zuko open his good eye again chuckling at her adorableness. "Kiyi, relax. This is about calming your inner fire so it doesn't get out of control. Now breathe in through nose and out your mouth." She relaxed and did as she was told.

"Zuzu it's been so long can we start with real fire now" she whined. "You have to be patient, Kiyi." "But I don't want to," she groaned. Her brother opened his eyes and smiled remembering that he himself wasn't so tolerant for patience as well.

"Alright Kiyi since you have been listening to me… I guess we can do something" She sprang with excitement "Ok now follow my stance." She perfectly got into stance "Wow" he said looking for a mistake in her stance. "How'd you know that." He asked. "From you! I copy you all the time when you are training." He nodded. "Ok now I know what I said about fire being dangerous but you shouldn't fear it too, fire is like a living thing it's like life understand?" Kiyi nodded. "Alright, show what you got any amount of fire you can make." She got into a stance and a large fire ball for her size burst out of her fist.

"How was that?" She eagerly asked. "That, that was pretty impressive Kiyi." She grinned happily. When he was her age he could barely make a small flame, a hint of jealousy came upon him as it reminded him of her other sister. 'No' he thought 'she is nothing like her, I won't let it happen.' Instead of jealousy instead he felt pride, he was proud of his little sister learning from him.

After an hour of teaching her some of the simple techniques of firebend he realized that she was indeed a prodigy.

"That's it for today, Kiyi."

"Awww!" She wailed. "Hey now, don't be sad. I'm proud of you, in fact, you could be better than me someday." He grinned and ruffled her hair. She grinned back and bowed. "Thank you Sifu Zuzu," She said in her serious voice. He chuckled a bit before watching her run off to the palace before moving his gaze into a crowd of Kyoshi Warriors watching.

"Ok, girls" the leader barked out. "Get back on guard, you're here to protect, not admire the Firelord." The warriors skipped out of the garden. He was suddenly aware of his shirtlessness.

"I thought you were taking a nap?" As he grabbed his clothes from his 'best friend,' still felt funny even if it was in his thoughts.

"I was, until I heard commotion of a very hot and shirtless Fire Lord in the garden." His face reddened.

"Well, I'm off to a meeting, hopefully I get this new trade negotiated before the end of the week."

"Good luck, your hottiness." As she bowed. He shook his head as he smiled.