Stolen Heart

Prologue: Yes and No

My life...my life would not be considered a perfect life. The life that everyone dreamt for or the life that every thinks they want. It may be the worst life of all and it all started when I was born. Those first few breaths were the first few seconds of freedom. For they did not look down at me as a noble prince who shall rule the world when older. No, they looked down at me like I was a gift, the greatest gift that a father and wife could share. But now, now I am just a mere toy to them. And it all started when I was born.....

"Prince Zuko, your training is in a few minutes. Please hurry along we don't want you to be late."

"Yes ma'am," I nodded and tried to speed up with my short legs. I was only seven and half right now. Mother was sick, for she has been sick for a very long time now. My servants have been taking care of me since mother's illness. I don't understand why now I have training. I am barely able to hold a sword in my tiny hands.

"Hurry along, me mustn't be late you know," I nodded and now was running to catch up with her.

"Awe, Prince Zuko," there was a man, a big fellow. He knew me but I did not know him. It frightened me so I clench to my supervisor clothing. She shook her head at me. Telling me that a prince does not show fear. I turned my eyes toward the man who I will be left with. This stranger. I gulped down the saliva that had works its way up. I took a step forward and he bowed to me. I bowed back and waited for him to continue.

"Today is your first time fighting, am I right?" I could not trust my voice so I nodded. "Hmm, well let's see what you got, shall we."

I took up my big, heavy, medal sword and took my stance. Father says that you cannot learn swordsmanship if you start with a wooden sword. No, he says that we must start with a real sword for my son does not play with trinkets.

My arms were not strong enough and I let go of the sword. I leaped out of the way as it came crashing down. I feared for what saw come. I feared for my father to be watching. He would surely point out my flaws and not give a care. I was in trouble that day when I heard footsteps behind me. They were not quiet and filled with care and worried. No, they were filled with displeased and unacceptable. They were loud and they were coming for me.

"Zuko! Look what you have done! This is not how you hold a sword!" my father came up behind me and spun my body around so I may see his unset face. So I may know that he was not happy with my stance. It all showed in his eyes. The rage that was there was like a forest on fire. Growing faster and faster.

"What is the matter with you!?" my father shook my shoulders, firmly. "Do you want to cause disgrace to your family's name!? Tell my Zuko, is this what you want! For if it is I will dis—"

The voice of my hero came. Her voice was strong and firm. Cutting straight through my father like the sharp point of a sword cutting through your enemy throat. "Ozai!" my mother called out to my father. I could feel my father's arms loosen from my shoulders. His eyes were flames now. He did not like it when mother steps in to save me. He would rather yell and punish me when I slip up.

"You will not talk that way to my son!" she made that statement come out strong to everyone that day. Her voice echo in everyone's ears, but more my father's than anyone else. I was sure that I was going to get slap, but nothing came. My father just left. And that was the last day my hero saved me.

I am the son of the all might Pharaoh Ozai. I am to be train to what he has plan for me. I am not to argue their commands but to obey them when ask. I do not play, for a prince who one day will take the thorn when his father dead does not play. A prince does not play for he works till his knuckles bleed when fighting. Till the quill you write with has made your fingers form once gone from your hand. We princes do not play in my family for we have not over the past hundreds of years. Playing has been known for trouble and trouble was not accepted and I was five at the time. The first time I learn from another that play was not just fun, it was wrong.

"Hey look!" I shouted and pointed up at the butterflies. I wanted to chase them like I did with mother. We pretended that we were butterflies just like them. That one day we will fly together and go on an adventure. Together, she said.

"Let's chase them!"

I took my guardians hand and tugged her to come follow me but she will not allowed it. I was confused and so I tugged just a bit harder. She yanked her hand down and shook her head no. No? We're just playing what's wrong with that? Mother says that playing was great medicine for a little boy like me. It helps me grow and become strong like father.

"Miss, why won't you chase them with me?" I asked her. She looked at me for a mere second before turning back to the clothing in front of her. "We're just playing. It's good for all!" I smiled brightly at her and took her hand once more.

I turned around to tug once more to help her up but she still wouldn't allow it. I frowned and thought it was best to ask her why she wouldn't come with me. "Miss, why won't you come play?" I asked. I walked over to her side and sat down. Her eyes were still on the clothing that she was fixing up, sowing. "Miss?"

"Playing is nothing but a foolish thing to do when you could be helping by learning what you need to learn when becoming the next Pharaoh," She said without emotion. Her eyes were still fixed to the needle. I was not done with her. I will tell her that playing was great medicine.

"You're wrong you know. Mother said that playing is good for you." Her eyes were still fixed to the clothing so I went on. "Mother says that its great medicine, the best medicine of all!" I threw up my hands and fell backwards, hitting my back with my ground. A smile was placed on my lips for she did not argue with me. Mother was right. Mothers always right.

I got up and turned to the butterfly, flying high above the trees. I didn't want to play alone. Mother always played with me, but today she was busy with meetings. I decided to try once more. Once more in asking if she would like to play with me.

"Would you like to come and chase the butterflies with me?" I asked and gave her a smile. Her eyes were still fixed on the clothing. I was still confused. Didn't she hear what mother said? I took her nonresponsive as a no. I started to walk away, looking for the butterfly, when the miss finally spoke.

"Playing is nothing but the wrong choice. Playing is wrong so....no, Prince Zuko, will not play with you."

Playing wrong? But mother said that playing was good. How could it be wrong when mother said that playing was good for little boys like me? I looked up into the sky to see the butterfly fly away. It saddens my heart that the miss would not come and chase it with me. It saddens my heart to hear that playing was wrong when mother told me that it was good for me. Was she wrong? Was my hero wrong to tell me that playing was good? What would father say? Would he be mad to hear that I was playing instead of learning? Would I be punished?

I looked back to the miss and chose to do what she said. Playing was wrong, it was not fun. I walked back to her and sat down. She smiled and I watched as she sowed the needle in and out.

The first thing I learn was there was a yes and a no. Yes is when I have done right. When they are pleased with my work, but no, no was the opposite. No was when I did wrong. When I slip or make the wrong move when fighting. No was when they were not pleased. No scared me. No was something that my father said to me every day.

When I was younger, I was told yes or no over and over again.

"—Yes, prince Zuko that is the right choice—"

"—No, that is wrong—"

"—Yes, you are right Prince Zuko—"

"—No, I'm sorry your father is busy Prince Zuko—"

"—Yes, Prince Zuko, I'm sure you will be a strong rule when older—"

"—No, you cannot play today for today we need to work on your stance, Prince Zuko—"

"—No, you may not leave the palace. That is forbidden until a certain age Prince Zuko—"

"—No, go to your room Prince Zuko—"

"—No, have you forgotten the rules, Prince Zuko—"

"—No, Prince Zuko—"

"—No—"

But they were mostly no's then yes. Nobody cared about what I wanted; they just do what they want.

When my mother passed away—a few days after I turned eight— chaos came down like a powerful storm coming out of nowhere and breaking your ship into two. She was my hero. She was the one I looked up to. My father was a monster. I loved him with all my heart and respected him when I was younger. He was my idol for a short period of time in my life. I stopped loving him when I found out that he stopped loving me the day I was born. He says that it's my fault that my own mother had died. He says that I am just a disgrace to his eyes and that I blinded him with my slights. No, I was not ugly. I just blind him because I was the one who would be taking over the thorn when I turn twenty and he did not want that.

Once my mother died I had rules, rules that were never there when she was by my side. She made everything safe. I didn't have to worry about messing up or accidentally slipping my drink at the dinner table. No, she made sure my life was just like every other kid. And I like that. I really did. I didn't have any brothers or sisters, no; I had my mother for eight years. I loved my mother with all my heart. I can still feel her by my side when I mess up. I can feel that she is please with the choice I have made. And very much with one choice that changed everything about my life.

"Zuko," my name hung in the air like it was suffocating. I flinched when I heard my mother called out for me. I have never flinched when she spoke, but when she spoke this time....this time is was different. It sounded like it was dying.

"Yes...yes mother," I choke. My mother was lying in her bed, not moving. My father was on the other side of her, holding her hand with his. He was sad and so was I.

"Come here darling, come here." She cooed me. I looked at my father first to see if he would like me on the other side of her. He did not say anything nor look towards me. He just kept on looking at mother. His eyes filled with sadness. This day felt like my father did have a heart. It just was hiding all this time.

"Yes mother," was I could respond as I walked over to her, slowly. My father's eyes finally fell on me but they weren't filled with angry or anything just sadness. Sometimes— to me—father did not look at my mother with loving eyes, but right now he looked at her with nothing but love. It was all in his eyes. Father loved her and it was not just an arranged marriage. He does love my mother with all his heart. On that day, I told myself that I would find love like that. That I would love a girl with all my heart and she would love me with the same. I would fine the one.

"I want you Zuko, to learn everything. Ok? Could you do that for me?" I faintly nodded at her. "Good, I want you to play. It's the best medicine you know. It is. So don't listen to you superiors when they want you to learn instead of play. Everyone needs a break every now and then." I swallowed the cry that was about to come. Mother was leaving, my hero was leaving me in this wicked world, alone. What would I do without her?

She rubbed my hand and hushed me, telling me that everything was all right, that everything will be fine. I buried my head in her bed and cried. I did not want to show my father my weakness for he shall not like it. Weakness to him is like a disease that creeps upon you. "Zuko, dear, please listen to your father. Do what he says without fighting. Love him sweetie." I do, I still do. I could never stop loving him. I couldn't and I didn't.

"Yes, mother."

"Good, Ozai, please keep Zuko safe. Please do that for me." My father did not speak he just stared at my mother. His eyes were looking into hers, like she was in complete control over him. "Good....." her words weren't loud enough anymore. Her breathing was dying down. Her chest wasn't rising enough. I wanted to shake her; I wanted her to breath once more. I wanted my mother!

The tears were falling faster and they weren't hidden. My father could see them but I did not care for my mother was dying right in front of me and I was going to show my love to her for she showed her love to me the past eight years when I started to breathe on my own.

"M-mother..." I sobbed. Her gripped was loosening every second. "Mother please don't go....please....." I sob and beg once more. She was leaving me. She was leaving me side. My hero will leave. Hero's never leave! "Mother!" I screamed.

"Shhh, Zuko, I'm right here," she brought her hand up to my cheek and stroked it up and down. I sobbed and tried to calm down as she hushed me. "It's all right Zuko, I'm here. I will always be with you. I am right here." Her fingers slid down to the place that held my heart. It was beating. "I am always with you, right there." She pointed.

I choke on the tears that were falling. "Don't cry, I'm right here, don't cry Zuko, I'm right here......" her words were faint. Her sentence died. Her breathing stopped and so did her heart beat. Her fingers fell down. Her hand dropped. Her eyes closed. Mother was dead.

I didn't keep my promise with my mother that day. But I did love father once more, just for that day. The last thing I learned destroyed everything. What my father told me the day my mother died broke my heart. He sounded so angry after my mother's death that I did not understand. I was crying and he was furious. How could one man's heart go from sad and depress to raging and livid in a mere two minutes? I wonder if I would be like that, if I would have a heart like that.

When I was young my mother use to tell me stories of my father and her. That they were in love and everything was so perfect. I didn't believe her at first. I thought that father was this raging man whose heart was dead. A cold, stone that did not feel, but she told me that father was not at all like that. She told me that he loves me dearly and he does not want to see something happen to me. I denied that too. Father does not love me. His heart stopped a long time ago.

And so did mine.

My cries were heard all through the room. Mother had just died and I felt lonely. I didn't want to leave her body; I didn't want to leave her side. I felt sick to my stomach. What would happen now? I asked over and over again. I wished that this was all just a dream, but it was not. For I know that mother heart beat was the same as mine, and now...now it held nothing. No beat.

My head lifted and I gazed at what use to be a living lady. A living girl, a living woman, a living wife, and a living mother, but just like all life's they all come to an end. And soon, that day will come just like the rest. Mother's life was gone.

I heard a person make movement around the room. I wished for it to leave so mother and I could be alone, but that wish was declined. Father came up from behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder. It was a gentle hand that told me we should leave. I wanted to disobey it and stay here with mother, but I also didn't want to displease mother. I got up and followed my father out of the room. We walked a distance away from her room before he came to a stop.

"Yes father?" I asked him. I wasn't sure if I should speak first or he.

"Zuko, I will tell you something that my father never told me. I want you to obey it; I want you never to fall in love." I froze there. My father was telling me to never love someone. Why?

"Why father?" I asked. I wanted to yell at him and tell him that I wanted the same. I wanted to love someone just as much as he love mother!

"Because it will only bring pain and heartache. Follow this rule, Zuko. Never fall in love. Don't you're your heart up to someone. Don't ever let someone steal it."

My father left me that day in a hallway all alone and lost. That was the last rule I was ever told.

Never to fall in love.

Too bad the rule didn't stick.

A/N: I know, I know. Why are you writing this and not My Assassin? I am not stuck if you wanted to know. I just felt like publishing this. Also, I DO NOT OWE OR OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER! Let me explain to you a little bit about this. This is only told in Zuko point of view. Why? I felt like giving him the complete story. So this is his life, he is the only one that going to be the POV person. Hmm, oh the next chapter will start with him young and so on with the chapter so on with him growing. If there are any questions you have I will answer them to the point of what I think would be the best that does not give out the plot. Umm, tell me how you think about the beginning. Tell me if you like this story, if you hate this story, if you love this story, and other words that could explain your thoughts or emotions about it. Well, I am sleepy, so I think I'll go take a nap. Review and eat ice cream! Yummy! C=