LES: I'm SO sorry! This chapter has been done for over a week, I completely forgot to post it here! It wasn't until I had a lack of reviews that I realized: Did I never post the fourth chapter? And, sure enough, I hadn't! Forgive me!

Chapter IV: Fire

Ever since Korra had become the Avatar, she had been warned that she might meet trouble in her quest for Firebending training. After all, the spat between Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko was legendary, even though no one that Korra spoke too knew what caused it, or would not speak of it if they did. Even Avatar Aang himself had been most reluctant to talk about it, and Korra got the distinct impression that he blamed himself for whatever happened between the two old friends.

The most that she had ever found out was that the fight centered on Zuko's youngest son. He was known as the Unknown Prince because he had given up all his ties to the royal family years ago and was now currently living in the mountains somewhere as a hermit.

So, it came to a shock to Korra that when she arrived at the Fire Nation capital, Firelord Zuko himself had greeted her and welcomed her, with his eldest son and heir to his throne standing at his shoulder.

Firelord Zuko was quite polite to her, even though he declined to teach her. But that wasn't so shocking. Firelord Zuko had been the eldest of Avatar Aang's teachers and he was getting on in years. He was too old and too busy with his duties to his nation to train Korra. However, he did entrust her training to his eldest daughter, who was one of the best Firebenders in the royal family.

Princess Ursa, who had been named after her grandmother, proved to be an excellent teacher, and she and Korra soon became fast friends. Although the Princess was frustrated by Korra's initial slow start at Firebending, it only took a few weeks for the Avatar to overcome her block against Firebending. Once she mastered the basics, she was able to progress in the subject well.

Despite her friendship with Princess Ursa, it took Korra many months before she was able to pluck up the courage to ask the question she was most curious about: just what had happened between Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko that led to their famous spat? And why was Firelord Zuko being so polite to her if he had spent Avatar Aang's last years alive cursing the Avatar and only having contact with him at international meetings?

"Well done, Korra!" Ursa said brightly, clapping her hands as Korra demonstrated a perfect Fire Whip. "That was perfect! I think you're just about ready to move on to the next level of Firebending!"

"Thanks, Ursa." Korra said, grinning. "But… can we take a break first? Firebending training is tough. I'm still finding it hard to be as aggressive as Firebending demands."

"Are you sure that you are not having your predecessor's weakness in Firebending?" Ursa asked. "I've heard that Avatar Aang swore that he would never Firebend after some sort of accident…"

"He burned his future wife." Korra interjected. The memory had tormented Avatar Aang so much that a shadow of it had passed to Korra. "And he did eventually Firebend, although he did use it less than the other elements."

"So, what's up?" Ursa asked. "You haven't burned anyone."

"Except myself." Korra said, gesturing to the small burns on her hands.

Ursa waved her off. "Everyone burns themselves."

"Actually… I was wondering if you could answer something for me…" Korra began.

"Sure."

"Do you know anything about why Avatar Aang and your father fought?" Ursa's face hardened at the question. "No one will tell me, even Avatar Aang himself."

"I can understand why." Ursa said. "It probably is a terrible memory for both of them. It not only ruined their lives, but my younger brother's life as well. But… I'm not sure if I should talk about it. My father doesn't like us talking about it. Bad memories, you know?"

"Oh. That's… fine." Korra said, disappointed.

"Do you really want to know?" A new voice suddenly asked.

Korra and Ursa spun around and saw Firelord Zuko standing at the base of the training hall. Korra instantly bowed as she had been taught to do in the presence of the Firelord, but Ursa didn't. It was a perk of being the Firelord's daughter. "Father… but you never want to talk about…"

"I don't talk about it." Firelord Zuko said. "But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't. I have my reasons for wanting to speak of it now. You may go, Ursa."

The Princess hesitated before she left the room, leaving her father alone with Korra. Korra straightened from her bow. "Sir, if you honestly don't want to talk about it, then I don't want to force you."

"I don't want to, but I must." Firelord Zuko said, approaching her. It was the first time she had really seen him up close. Now that she had, he looked incredibly sad. She could also see the faint traces of his legendary scar. The long years of his life had nearly healed it, but it was still faintly there. "What happened all those years ago hangs like a poison in my heart. Only closure can bring me healing."

Firelord Zuko paused thoughtfully, gazing into the beyond. Korra got the sense that his mind was really decades in the past, before she had been born. "Well… Aang and I had spats before that big one. It wasn't uncommon with two political figures. Sometimes our ideas on what the world needed didn't match up and we would be mad at each other for weeks. It never lasted though. It would always end with one convincing the other that they were right, and we would go back to being friends again. And then something glorious happened between our two families."

"What?"

"My youngest son fell in love with one of Aang's daughters, and she welcomed his advances. My son was head over heels in love with her, and knew that he wanted to marry her and her alone. About a year after they began to date, he proposed and she said yes. A child was conceived."

Korra gasped in shock. Both the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes looked down upon a child conceived out of wedlock.

Firelord Zuko shrugged. "Normally, it would have been considered disgraceful, but he was a Prince, so no one spoke out about it. Aang also told me that it was common among the Air Nomads… damn it, I should have listened to him better…"

"What happened? What could have possibly gone wrong between two families on the verge of being joined by marriage and the birth of a child?" Korra asked.

"Aang's daughter… well. All of Aang's children turned out different. Due to their mixed heritage, even though most where Airbenders, they gained many qualities from both the Air Nomads and Water Tribe. Aditi… that was her name… she had the most Air Nomad out of all of Aang's children."

"So she was the most like Avatar Aang?"

"No… she was even more Air Nomad than Aang." Firelord Zuko said. "Aang wasn't a pure Air Nomad because he was the Avatar. He had a mixture of personality traits from all four nations. Therefore, some of his Air Nomad bad habits were tempered by qualities from the other nations, so I never suspected…"

"What?"

"The Air Nomads did not just love one person during the course of their life. When they got bored with one lover, they moved on to the next. Aditi… she got bored."

Korra gasped.

"She left while she was still pregnant with my grandchild. My son lost the love of his life and his unborn child without so much as a word of warning. It destroyed my son. On that day, he renounced his ties to the royal family and moved into the mountains to live out the remainder of his years in misery. The last I heard: Aditi was on her seventh husband… and her oldest son still has no idea that he is related to the Fire Nation royal family."

"That's terrible." Korra gasped.

"I blamed Aang." Firelord Zuko said. "We'd never had such an argument. I yelled at him that he should have raised his daughter better, taught her the meaning of honor. I implied that he was so busy teaching her how to be an Airbender that he didn't teach her respect. He yelled back that he wasn't responsible for the actions of his grown daughter, however terrible they may be. I said that he was a terrible father. Tenzin heard this and attacked me. Tenzin loved Aang dearly and was desperate to defend his father's honor. Of course, Tenzin didn't hurt me. But, even still, I was enraged at being attacked in my own throne room. On the spot, I banished every member of Aang's family from ever setting foot on Fire Nation soil. Aang, himself, was only allowed back on Avatar business, and he was not allowed to stay in the palace."

Firelord Zuko let out a sigh. "I spent the last few years of Aang's life angry at him. Can you imagine… can you imagine how I felt when I received the news that he had died? I first I couldn't believe it. Aang was so full of live that I never imagined that it would end so suddenly. It was only Katara's grief that convinced me that he really was gone. He was like a brother to me, and he died thinking that I was still angry at him. Well… I was angry at him, but I had also forgiven him. I was going to tell him that he was forgiven and his family's banishment was reversed… but he died before I could tell him." Firelord Zuko paused; staring through Korra and to the Airbender Zuko knew was there. "Aang… I sorry for that argument we had. You were not a terrible father, and I was wrong for suggesting it. You tried to warn me about the Air Nomad's flighty nature and I did not listen to you. Forgive me."

If there was one thing that Korra knew about Avatar Aang, it was his supreme ability to forgive. Where others would hold grudges and seek vengeance, Avatar Aang would forgive. He had forgiven the Fire Nation that had wiped out his entire people. If that did not speak about his ability to forgive, then nothing would. "Avatar Aang has forgiven you. I'm sure of it." Korra said. "I'm sure that he would want you to be happy, to live out the remainder of your life in happiness and peace."

"That does sound like Aang." Firelord Zuko said. "Korra… thank you. You are very different from Aang, but you are still a good person for putting to rest the worries of an old man. Now… if you'll forgive me… I'm tired."

"Of course, Firelord Zuko. Sleep well." Korra said, bowing.

Firelord Zuko walked away, his head bowed. "My heart is clear for the first time in years. You have forgiven me, Aang… I can feel it. I'm ready to go now."

That night, Firelord Zuko passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Zuko Fans: How could you kill Zuko, you witch!

LES: I didn't want to. But I've heard a rumor about Korra that suggests that one of Zuko's sons is either about to become the Firelord or all ready is the Firelord. Don't worry about Zuko. He died happy and he is going to be reunited with his friend.