"This is your shop?"

"Of course," he answers, glancing at Zuko.

I glance too. Surprisingly, Zuko seems to understand something that no one else does. Staring transfixed at the man, he breathes, "Rajah..."

Rajah? What does that mean? Quickly, nervously, Kyro mutters, "I have a great deal to explain to you all. Let's meet in the back, away from customers, if you're willing. Please." He brings us to an empty hallway upstairs and smiles, "Zuko. You've changed since I last saw you."

"Rajah!"

Kyro pulls him into a long hug and mutters, "Finally I see you again. How it's pained me to hide from you. Please, forgive me."

"Uh... what's going on?" I ask.

"Of course," he says, a wide smile on his face. "You all deserve an explanation. You see, my name is not Kyro."

"What?" Sokka blurts. "But you said-"

"I know, I know. But my true name is Rajah."

"So you were trying to hide?" Katara asks.

"Exactly! It's a secret that I'm even alive right now. Not even Zuko here knew..."

"Wait," Aang mutters. "Who are you? How does Zuko know you?"

He sighs, and Zuko looks away as he says, "One does not easily forget his uncle, do they?"

"WHAT?!" shouts the whole room – excluding Zuko and Rajah.

"Uncle?!"

"Why didn't you tell us, Zuko?!"

Rajah shushes us loudly. "Please, we can't arouse suspicion."

"You're his uncle?! I thought he just had one!"

"He probably just never saw it necessary to mention someone he thought dead. You see, Zuko was only four when I supposedly died. I'm... surprised you remember me."

"Of course I do," Zuko grumbles almost inaudibly.

Rajah smiles and his eyes grow misty. "Of course," he whispers. "We were inseparable, you see..."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Katara asks again.

"I thought he was dead! I thought you were dead! Why..."

"Zuko..."

"Why did you leave?"

Rajah is actually crying now. "I didn't want to, you have to believe me! It was to keep you safe! I already lost your aunt to him, I couldn't stand the thought of putting anyone else in danger. You know better than I that he's willing to take all kinds of risks to get what he wants."

"Who?" I ask quietly.

"Ozai. You know, we were always related, but he stopped being my brother a long time ago." Suddenly he stands and steps up to an old mop bucket behind us. "I know this may be a surprise to you," he continues, dipping his hands in the water, "but we have more in common than you would think." Soon every bit of makeup was washed off and he turns back to us. Many of us gasp. It's not nearly as bad as Zuko or Kuzon, but he's completely covered... Thin lines covering both arms, his whole face, his neck... everything. Scarring. Everywhere. "When we were younger, Ozai challenged me to an Agni Kai over the throne. Of course I refused, but... A few days later... Kaia was... She was my wife, and she was gone. I didn't waste a second after that. That was when I knew that he wasn't the same Ozai I knew. Something terrible had awakened inside him... I managed to escape after he did this to me. I knew that if he killed me then he would go after my children to make sure no one would discover what he'd done – and after that I knew he'd get rid of anyone who got in his way. He didn't care if they were family."

"Wait," I say slowly, "did you say you have children?"

"Yes, four. Why?"

"What are their names?" I demand.

"Elian, what's-?"

"No, wait. What are their names?"

"Nupira, Akunia, Ikasa, and Shalia. What have they done now?"

If it wasn't Zuko's sister that was with him that day, then... "They have our friend."

"What?" Aang exclaims. "You think they have Kuzon? Zuko's cousins?"

"Zuko," I say seriously, "what was the name of the person I heard talking to you? What was her name? If she wasn't Azula..."

Zuko's eyes close as he lets out a long sigh, staring fixedly at the floor. "Akunia."

The room goes quiet. "What have they done?" Rajah repeats.

"They've been after us for a few weeks now," Aang says.

"We rescued all of them from the prison in their HQ not too long ago," I continue, gesturing.

"But our friend Kuzon never came back out."

"We barely made it out alive."

"We couldn't go back until we recovered and did a lot training."

"We had to get away, to somewhere they wouldn't think of looking for us-"

"And somewhere safe."

"So we ended up here and found your sign."

"But Kuzon's still stuck there."

"And we have to get him out before something bad happens."

Rajah sighs and drops his head into his hands. "I knew something would happen, but I didn't think she would go so far..."

"So you knew your children were dangerous and you didn't do anything about it?" Toph mutters.

"Please, I never thought... You see, me and Ozai had made a deal a long time ago. A risky one, I'll admit. If we were to meet untimely deaths before the children were eighteen, one of mine and one of his were to rule side by side until one was old enough to rule on their own. It was flawed, very flawed, and hastily thought up, but it was there. Well, Ozai saw that my daughter, being older, would take the throne in the end and took it back; he decided that his daughter would rule alone no matter her age, and... My oldest, Nupira, she didn't take it well. She never was the same after that. Voilent. Selfish. We tried everything we could, Kaia and I, but... Just when we were finally making progress, Ozai got to Kaia and she... she snapped. She despised authority. Anyone in a higher position than her. I lost track of my children years ago, haven't been able to find any of them, but I knew... I knew she would truly be past saving when she heard of your return, young avatar. But I never thought she would ever... I had to know, but..." He sighs. "How did I miss this?" He shakes his head and looks intently at us. "I want to help you."

"Is there any way you could talk them out of it?"

He shakes his head. "She's past saving by now... But I know how she acts. And don't doubt my abilities because of my age. I'm fully trained in every bending technique of my type – and many others from other elements."

I can't help but smile. "So what do we do?"

He sighs. "We need a plan..."

A long silence follows, broken finally by Katara. "Why didn't you tell us about your cousins, Zuko? Why didn't you at least give us a warning that they could be after Aang?"

"It didn't matter!" he shouted. "No one had heard from them for six years! I thought they were dead! I thought you were dead!" he repeated, snapping suddenly to Rajah. "How could you?!"

"Zuko... I know it must have been the hardest thing losing him. And alone... I wanted to show myself, I did... But I didn't think you would want to see me even if you did remember me. After everything I've done to you... I'm sorry, Zuko, I really am. I tried so hard to convince him not to. I tried to tell him what it would do to you, but you know that once he's decided on something, he's not going to let that go. He said the spirits were more important than his life, and that you were in good hands... I really did try. I'm sorry..."

And for the first time in my whole life, I saw Zuko cry. The only way to describe him then is to say he was weak with grief. He just collapses. Just like that, he's on his knees, held tightly against Rajah's chest as a hand runs gently up and down his back. "I'm so sorry, Zuko... I loved him too..."