Second Chances

by AnumOfTheMoon

Sequel to Where We Stand..revised summary...Katara is on the road to redemption but due to the ridicule she has face several years after Ozai's defeat, Katara spirals on a downward path into oblivion while the ever changing world produces a new villian.

45. Zuko & Zhiar Part three

A/N:

Sorry! Forgot to post this chapter last week! Just noticed as I was finishing up Ozai and Kya's arc! So Here is part three for you lovelies! Ozai and Kya are coming up next! I'll have two chapters of them posted this week since I'm still finishing the end up for them. So You'll get the other chapters from them next week. So three Chapters today folks! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 38 3/3:

Year Four…

It was just two months after his eighteenth birthday when Zhiar made a startling discovery. Agni, he knew his brother was going to kill him. Fuck! He figured at first, he could hide it. Not say a word to his brother for a while. Two weeks passed and after thinking about it for a time and talking it over a dozen times with Jin Su, Zhiar felt he had to tell Zuko.

Standing in his brother's office, Zhiar fidgeted and twiddled his fingers nervously. He knew Zuko was probably looking for the right words to say. After the summits, his brother had been trying to rein in his temper and was doing a much better job but that was likely due to not having too much to stress out over lately. So this was the real test.

Zuko laced his fingers together and sighed as he shut his eyes for a moment. He did a little breathing exercise that the sages went over with him. This was truly a test of how well he's managed his anger.

"You know what has to happen now, right?" Zuko said as he had enough time to sort out his thoughts.

Nodding his head, "Yes, I'm totally prepared."

"Good because we'll need to get this all sorted out before she is due." Zuko stood up and walked around his desk to his younger brother, slapping his hand on his shoulder and giving it a good firm squeeze. "You're a man now, Zhiar. And though you're still very young, you're about to be a husband and a father all at once."

Zhiar still seemed a bit nervous, "What if I'm terrible at this? What if I suck at being a husband and a dad?"

"As far as being a husband, I don't have much advice for you unfortunately but I know from experience that despite the example we had growing up, we'll be better fathers." Zuko told him proudly. "I couldn't imagine being like our father with Ryu. I can't help but dote on him and want the very best. I love him. More than anything in this world and I know you'll feel the same."

Zhiar smiled at his brother and thanked him for the reassurance.

"I'm going to be a dad." He said happily as he chuckled. "I need to go get something for him or her!" He thought quickly.

Zuko chuckled as he saw his brother jet out of the room to do just that. He was glad his brother was taking this all well.

Sitting down at his desk, Zuko noticed the flame in his fire pit and turned black. He sighed and rolled his eyes as the flame shape shifted and transformed into his father. Agni, he really hated that.

"Don't you go rolling your eyes, Zuko." Ozai said as he brushed his shoulder off and took a seat in front of his son's desk, crossing his leg over his knee. "I came here to discuss something with you."

"And that would be?" Zuko raised a brow without even looking at his father, shuffling his papers around in annoyance. He was busy. Very busy. He could make time for Zhiar but making time for his father and the stress that came with him, there was never enough time for that. And they literally had all the time in the world.

Stroking his beard, "I think I've made up my mind about this whole ordeal between me and the waterbender. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I want no other woman in this lifetime or the next hundred. And since I literally have forever to prove my innocence, I'm going to look into that little pile of information you've acquired. I want to know who did this to us."

"Get your own pile of information. I'm doing my own investigation." Zuko scoffed as he finally looked to his father. "I don't much care what happens between you and her. But I do care about clearing her name. Those Earth Kingdom bastards want to pin murder on Katara. As soon as her sentence is up in the North Pole, they want her to stand trial for murder in Ba Seng Sei."

He heard his father chuckle before pointing out that Katara would not see Ba Seng Sei by the end of her sentence in the North Pole. Not when they're enemies had already called dibs on her first.

"Fine." Zuko gave in. He pulled a folder from his desk and handed it to his father. "The name on the mask was Atsuo. I know it was mentioned the leader of Lao's organization was related to us but I don't see any names in the records that match that name under relatives. Even more, all recorded children of Azulon, you, and Iroh are dead ends. Iroh only had Lu Ten. Surprisingly, your only children were from women you married and no illegitimates so far." Zuko put emphasis on that last part as he moved on. "And as for Azulon, other than you and Iroh, your other siblings are dead. Kimiko and Guowang, your twin brother that died at birth."

Ozai flipped through the folder and saw the collected information.

"I also took a look at Lao's family tree to find the name Atsuo Matsumo. An adopted son of Lao's daughter. She was barren and had issues bearing children. The child is albino. A rare mutation of the skin, hair, eyes, and nails. I believe this mask was his as he would need protection from the sun due to his mutation."

Ozai raised his brow as he read over one part. "It also says that he had a unique bending style that gave him the ability to see through flames, shapeshift, and wield flames of many different colors."

"I think he's a phoenix." Zuko stated.

Shutting the folder, "Then killing him will be challenging." Ozai scoffed as he tossed the folder onto Zuko's desk.

"That and I believe there is more."

"More like?"

"Atsuo's adoption records are on the same year and day that you were born. Could he not be-"

"My twin died." Ozai said flatly.

"But think about it." Zuko stood up. "That night Katara swore it was you that had slept with the princess and attacked her. Even though her father and brother say you were with them the whole night. It would make sense. Plenty."

"There are many all over the country with the same birthday as me." Ozai said flatly.

"Yes, that would be a coincidence if not for the fact that Lao was present for your birth and in charge of disposing a child born with birth defects." Zuko tossed him the documentation of his father's birth and watched the man read through it. "I did some digging and asked the one other sage that was present that day about what really happened. Azulon saw that Guowang was mutated and cast him out. Ordered for him to be left in the wilderness. However; your mother Ilah begged the sages to spare him. Lao took Guowang to his home village to find him a better home. I believe Guowang is still alive till this day. Atsou and Guowang are one in the same. He's the one pulling the strings, he can spy on people through the flames just like we can, hence why it feels like he's a step ahead of us, why Katara believed it was you that night."

Zuko could see his father was formulating all of this in his head and was distraught about all of this.

"I need to tell Katara this." Ozai stood up.

"Don't!" He quickly told his father. "I don't doubt they have a close eye on Katara. Especially with Arnook keeping her in the North Pole. You can plead your case to her but you can't let her know anything."

Somehow his father fell in agreement with his son for once. "Originally, she and I agreed that she would fall into the hands of our enemies. We know nothing of who we're facing other than a few names. Now we know this much and it looks like the odds are stacked against us. Leaving her to find out more and possibly unveil the truth herself may work to our benefit than telling her any information as of now."

Seeing that this was not easy for his father to concede on as he was typically a selfish man that wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. But here he was looking at the bigger picture and sacrificing what he wanted. Zuko sighed.

…..

"Daddy?" Ryu looked up at his father as the man was in the middle of reading him one of his favorite stories.

"Hmm?" Zuko smiled at his son, who's blue eyes were wide like his mother's.

"When can I see my mommy?"

Swallowing hard, Zuko tried to think up something. He had always envisioned Ryu asking why his mother didn't live with them or why he and his older siblings had different fathers or something that didn't make sense in their confusing family dynamic. But not something like this. Ryu shouldn't be asking when he was going to see his mother. He should be able to see her as he pleased. He should know what his mother's face looked like. But his son didn't and that hurt him as a father.

Kissing his son's forehead, Zuko simply told him to give him some time and he would see his mother soon.

"Is she pretty, daddy?" Ryu said as he smiled at his father after being tucked in.

Zuko nodded as he smiled back. "She's the most beautiful woman you will ever see."

"Really?"

"Really." He told his son as he stood to leave. "Now, get some sleep. I don't want you to fall asleep at breakfast again."

…

Four months passed and Zuko decided to have his brother's engagement announced publicly by throwing him a party for all of the upper class around the world to attend. The engagement banquet was grand and festive. Everyone in the Fire Nation and guests from all over were present to celebrate the engagement of Fire Prince Zhiar and his fiance, Noblewoman Jin Su. Zuko had made sure to make it the grandest of engagement parties of all Fire Nation history. It was the first royal engagement party since his mother and father had been married. And the first royal wedding since Katara and his father were forced to marry. And it was the first in over a century where the couple was in love and chose each other. So there was much to celebrate here.

Iroh saw his younger nephew dancing with his very pregnant fiance while standing close to his oldest nephew. "You truly are a wonderful older brother, Zuko. All this for your half brother."

Scoffing as he sipped his glass of wine, "If I didn't do this much, the nobles would say I was jealous or Zhiar's union with a woman he had already impregnated was forced to prevent more bastards in the royal line."

"Well, despite all that, I'm sure you're happy to see him growing up from the temperamental teen to a fine young man." Iroh beamed.

Zuko wasn't sure about all of that. He wasn't so fond of Jin Su. Or rather, he didn't like her for his brother. They weren't a good pair. Zhiar was too much like their father and Jin Su lacked the fire to put Zhiar in check if he got out of line. His brother needed a woman that was strong enough for the both of them. Like his mother.

Glancing from where his brother danced with Jin Su, Zuko looked over to his father and Kya. He was a little curious about what was going on between them now. Towards the end of the summit, his sister seemed to hate being around their father and it didn't get any better from then on. Now, Kya kept a gap between her and their father. Which was not typical of his sister as she always clung to their father.

"Have you heard anything from my father or Kya recently?" Zuko asked his uncle.

Shaking his head, "Your father has a hard time looking at me or being in close proximity to me unless there are others around, so there's not much he could tell me in private. As for Kya, she's less friendly than before." Iroh chuckled awkwardly as he scratched his beard. "To be honest, I think they're at odds. You can feel the animosity in the air between them."

Zuko figured as much. Deciding he would go speak with his sister first, the Fire Lord got up from his throne and went towards the pair from the Phoenix Empire. He immediately noticed his father lean over to Kya to whisper something to which she glared at him and walked off somewhere. Yeah, something was definitely up.

"Zuko."

"Father."

"What do you want?" Ozai asked, not bothering to make eye contact with his eldest son while watching his youngest dance with his betrothed.

Clearing his throat as he came up to his father's side and watched with him, "Just greeting you is all."

"Well, you've greeted me and now you can leave." Ozai told him before drinking from his glass.

Zuko sighed, "Did we have a falling out that I'm not aware of?"

His father finally turned to face him and stared at him with irritation, "You obviously didn't come over here for idle chit chat."

"Of course not." Zuko smirked as he turned to face his father. "Kya looks annoyed. What's her deal?"

Scoffed as he rolled his eyes, Ozai turned back to look over where Kya was drinking yet another glass of wine while standing by her lonesome. "She's just mad about that servant boy I told you about. Caught him fucking your sister in her bathtub."

Zuko's eyes widened and his father explained catching her in the act with her personal guard. He nearly killed the boy but Kya was indisposed and he had to wait till she covered up before he could put the boy into an early grave.

"She used her siren ability to get them both far from the palace as if that would make things any better. I caught them both as they tried to cross into Earth Kingdom territory." Ozai admitted to slapping her and saying she was acting like Hama.

Now, even Zuko could see how Kya could be angry about that.

"I warned her at the summit last year, telling her not to get involved with the staff. Obviously, she thought I was offering her a suggestion when I meant what I said." Ozai folded his arms as he saw Kya making her way back over.

Zuko saw his sister and felt like something was about to happen. She had that look in her eyes that her mother always had when she was about to do something really stupid.

"Kya." Zuko tried smiling.

Kya glanced at him before turning her attention to her father and snatching another wine glass off a servant's tray.

"I want to return home." Kya said.

"I already told you 'no'. You're here to support your brother." Ozai took her wine glass from her.

"Then can I go to our guest rooms?"

"You must think I'm stupid."

"I don't think. I know." Kya's hands went to her hips.

Zuko swore he thought this was an argument between his father and Katara. Kya had her mother's attitude down to the very posture.

"Whatever, Kya. How about you go look for a new boyfriend in this crowd. I don't care as long as it's not another damn servant."

Kya glared at him and waved her hand for the wine in the glass her father took from her splashed in his face. Zuko fell stiff as he noticed a few around them saw this and gasped.

Ozai stared at her as the red wine covered his face. Everyone watched to see how he would react.

"No wonder mom hates you! You're a piece of shit!" Kya spat, getting everyone's attention in the ballroom, and was about to storm off.

However; Zuko watched his father grab her arm just as a black flame engulfed them both and they were gone. Everyone looked to the Fire Lord as if trying to see if that was something they should worry about. Even Zhiar and Jin Su were concerned.

Laughing awkwardly, "Sorry, everyone, you'll have to excuse my family and their drama. It's a wonder any of us get along." Zuko tried to lighten the mood. Fortunately it worked and everyone laughed with him, going back to what they were doing.

Heading back to his throne to see his brother and Jin Su making their way to him. Sitting back down, Iroh and Zhiar asked what was going on. Zuko told them what his father said and they had to say, that was surprising.

Rubbing his neck as Jin Su held to his arm, "I never would have thought Kya would be romantically involved with someone like that and then try to flee from dad." Zhiar could see why their father called her Hama.

"Raising a young woman is quite the challenge for a man to do on his own. I can understand my brother is trying his best."

Zuko and Zhiar raised a brow at their uncle.

"Kya is low-maintenance. At this point, father is digging his own grave with Kya. All he has to do is step back. But I guess he's being a 'try hard' with her and it's blowing up in his face." Zuko stated.

Scoffing, "Sounds like he doesn't want her making the same mistake as him." Zhiar added. "He came over and congratulated me and said I was smart to stay in my social class and race. What does that even mean? I'm mixed."

Zuko sighed. He's being a racist again.

"I should probably go looking for them before my palace burns down." Zuko sighed.

When Zuko found his father and sister arguing in the gardens, he heard his sister crying as she begged to be with her boyfriend but their father was unrelenting. Telling her to get over it and that he wasn't letting his daughter marry a peasant.

"You married mom!"

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have even looked at your mother. But you kids don't understand what it was like before the war ended or how I ended up with your mother. Stop talking about shit you don't know. I'm doing this for your own good."

Zuko sighed and shook his head. Zhiar might have been right.

"Doesn't matter! You still love her!"

"And look at how that turned out. I'm a fucking mess and your mother is a prisoner in the North Pole."

"And I rather face the same fate than be with anyone else!" Kya yelled. "Dad, I'm a siren! We only love once! We don't get to love anyone else!"

Zuko didn't know that about sirens. Then how was it that Katara had feelings for both him and his father?

Hearing his father scoff, "Kya, there's only one thing those peasants see when they look at you and it's not just your body they want!"

"You think Toshi cared about my title or money?! Dad, we were going to run away to a no name town and start a pastry shop! I was going to tell you I was giving up my title! I don't want to be a princess! I want to be with Hirotoshi!"

Wow, Zuko didn't see that coming. Kya was seriously going to be a pastry shopkeeper. He tried not to laugh. Not that it was funny, her dream. It just seemed Kya was more and more like her mother. Katara never cared about living a glamorous life. That's why her idea of a vacation was being in a no name village in the Earth Kingdom as a barmaid.

"Over my dead body!"

"Fine! Have it your way!" Kya screamed.

Zuko figured that was his cue and he quickly jumped his sister before she could lunge at their father. Tackling her to the ground, Zuko pinned her and he was so thankful that Kya was not a master at bloodbending.

"Get off of me, Zuko!" Kya shouted.

Shaking his head as he looked down at her, "Sorry sis. But if you want to fight him, you'll have to do that off of Fire Nation soil. Otherwise, if you cause any damages or someone is killed by accident, it puts me in a bad position and I like being allies with the Phoenix Empire."

Kya glared up at her brother, "I swear, if it wasn't you, Zuko, I'd kill you to get to him."

"Keep her down." Ozai said as he crouched down to her and placed his hand on her neck for a moment.

Zuko watched a flame choker appear around her neck and then disappear.

"This way, you don't go running away again." Ozai said as he tapped Zuko on his shoulder to get up off of her.

Kya eyed them both as she rubbed her neck.

"Now, go to your room." Ozai said.

Kya did as told without saying a single word.

Zuko looked at his father. The man told him he learned a trick or rather an ability of his. While Zuko could manifest servants from fire, Ozai could turn anyone into an obedient subject with that invisible brace.

"They can't disobey me and even if they have the will to resist, they will still follow my orders. I should have learned this a long time ago."

The Fire Lord was glad his father only just learned the trick and seemed to only have use for it when it came to keeping Kya in line.

….

Retiring for the night, Zuko decided he needed a hot bath before bed. He was honestly very worn from the weeks of planning his brother's engagement party and soon it would be time for him to plan the wedding.

As the Fire Lord rested his back in his ivory tub, he realized he was being watched before suddenly hearing a voice. Looking down he saw Katara and it took a moment to register that it was her. But once it finally did, they got to talking and it was decided. They needed a vacation but even more, they needed to see one another.

In the morning, Zuko quickly got up and dressed. He went to see his sister and brother while they were eating in the family dining room with Ryu. He had some news to tell them and he knew they'd all be excited.

"Guys, we're going on vacation." Zuko told them, "I'm on my way to go get your mother."

All of their eyes lit up.

"What?! Really?!" Zhiar beamed.

"We can see her again?" Kya looked at her brother with tearfully happy eyes.

"I get to meet my mommy?" Ryu said excitedly.

"Yes, so you guys get to Ember Island as soon as possible. I'm going to go get Sokka and then take Ryu with me to the North Pole to pick up Katara." Zuko said as he was in a positively good mood. "But no one tell dad, okay? We know he didn't betray Katara that night but she's not going to want to see him and he's not going to be able to keep away from her. So don't tell him anything, got it?"

They all agreed. Their father was obsessive and their mother was a literal trigger for their father, who just started to cope without drowning in liquor and drugs. Plus, mom had been through enough and until they could find solid evidence that their father was not responsible for that night, they were going to have to keep their parents separated.

Zuko ordered Tomoe to get Ryu ready for when he returned from the South Pole to head to the North Pole. Zhiar hurried to tell his fiancé the news and get them packed. While Kya left with their father to return home and then leave from there. Zuko told her to not be followed because their father could easily track her if she used an obvious source of water. She'd need to leave the palace and then travel from there.

…

"Whoa! Is that you, Zuko?" Aang asked as the Fire Lord landed in the field of snow while in his dragon form.

Shapeshifting into his human form, Zuko pulled his hood over his head and tried to quickly warm his body up. Rubbing his hands along his arms, "Hey, Aang. Didn't expect you to be here."

Chuckling, his Avatar friend told him he was helping Sokka out around the village since his father wasn't feeling well and Toph was visiting her parents with the kids.

"Oh, great. So where is Sokka?" Zuko asked.

"He's this way." Aang waved his arm and showed the Fire Lord into the village that his friend and Katara were born and raised.

From what Zuko had seen before of the place, it was very different now. It was bigger and more populated. It looked a lot like the port cities in the Earth Kingdom but made of ice and snow. He wondered if Katara had been back here since all these changes had taken place. Maybe he'll bring her here just so she could get a glance at her home.

Coming up to this large hut, Aang opened the door and took Zuko upstairs where they both heard Sokka fussing at someone. When they entered a room that turned out to be an office, they saw Sokka going back and forth with Hama about something.

"Will you shut the hell up?!" Sokka shouted at her. "Damn it! How did Ozai even put up with you?! Why are you so damn annoying?!"

Hama slapped him, "Don't you dare talk to me that way! I'm your grandmother!"

"Like that means anything at this point." Sokka rolled his eyes as he walked away from her and sat down at his desk.

Clearing his throat, "Umm, Sokka, Zuko's here to see you."

Both Hama and Sokka looked up to see the Fire Lord. They both smiled a bit. Sokka got up and went over to hug his buddy.

Patting his back as they embraced, "Zuko. How are you?"

"I'm good." Zuko smiled as he hugged his friend back. "But I need you to come somewhere with me."

Sokka looked at him with concern as they pulled apart, "Yeah but what's going on, buddy?"

"Nothing. Just going on vacation and figured I'd come get you before I head north to get Katara."

"Katara? We can see here now?"

Zuko nodded his head. That part wasn't necessarily worked out completely but he wasn't leaving the North Pole without her. So Arnook had no real choice but he was going to just keep the details to himself.

"Awesome! Let's go!" Sokka said. "I need a fucking break!"

"Hey, can I come?" Aang asked.

"Sure, why not?" Zuko smiled as he threw his arm around Aang's neck.

As Sokka and Aang went to gather their things, Zuko saw Hama walk up to him with a smirk on her face.

"Haven't seen you for some time, Zuko." Hama said.

Sighing as he scratched his head, "Well, you know I had to practically play daddy for my younger brother. So I've had my hands full."

Hama chuckled as she circled him, "I hear. Too busy to even take care of your most basic needs. Quite the dilemma."

Rolling his eyes as he was about to leave, Zuko told her he was not interested and left.

….

Zhiar helped Jin Su pack her things. He was so excited for her to finally meet his mother and so excited to see her again, himself. Agni, he was in such a good mood. He was going to be a dad soon and a husband. He just knew his mother was going to be proud of him.

Seeing her fiancé overjoyed, Jin Su came up and kissed his cheek.

"I promise, you're going to love my mom. She's the sweetest." Zhiar told her.

Jin Su smiled as she saw his eyes gaze down at her round belly, "is she going to love us?"

"Of course." Zhiar kissed her on the lips and rubbed his hands along her arms as he smiled at her. "My dad is crazy, I know you've seen him in action but my mom is really kind hearted."

Jin Su chuckled and asked how his parents got along. Zhiar shrugged, saying he wouldn't dare pretend to know because it never made sense to him.

Zuko showed back up and peaked his head in the door telling them that Sokka and Aang were already at the beach house and he was about to get Katara.

"You guys get going." He told them. "And be on the lookout for Kya."

…

At the beach house, Sokka and Aang were lounging in their trunks on the patio of the courtyard. They figured while they waited for everyone to show up, they could enjoy a few drinks.

"Uncle!" Zhiar yelled as he arrived with Jin Su on his arm.

Smiling as he sat up off the lounge chair, Sokka ran up to his nephew and hugged him. The two chuckled as Zhiar's hair was rustled.

"La, you look like your father more than Zuko. Like a blue eyed version of him." Sokka hissed playfully.

Hitting his uncle in the arm, "Shut up! I look like my mom!" Zhiar laughed as he fixed his hair.

Scoffing, Sokka shook his head and laughed before turning his attention to Jin Su. His eyes widened at the sight of the girl's belly and looked to his nephew. He knew his nephew had just gotten engaged and unfortunately, he wasn't able to attend the party but he didn't know the girl was pregnant.

"Dear la, your mother is going to freak out." Sokka said.

"You think?" Zhiar worried.

Sokka nodded his head as he stared at Jin Su's belly, "You're making her a grandmother and she's not even forty yet. Way to make us all feel old."

Laughing awkwardly. Yeah, Zhiar hadn't even realized that. His mother was still young and even more, she appeared to only be in her early twenties. A side effect of her inhuman body. She didn't age. SO...She was going to be one young looking grandmother.

…

Well this was not exactly how he pictured things would be when Katara met the young woman that would be her daughter-in-law. Zuko thought for sure, Katara would be happy to see her son was about to be a father and a husband. This sort of thing was something that Katara would typically be overjoyed by. What was wrong?

Zuko watched as his brother tried consoling his pregnant fiance after that strange encounter with his mother. It was understandable that the pregnant woman was crying. She meets her mother-in-law for the first time and the woman slaps Zhiar and seems upset about her pregnancy. He honestly didn't see this happening.

Rubbing Jin Su's back, Zhiar looked to his brother with a confused look in his eyes. "Is something wrong with her, Zuko? She should be happy, shouldn't she?"

"I'm not sure, Zhiar." Zuko was just as confused. "Kya went to go see her. I think she's just been through a lot. You know they took your youngest sister from her when she was born and maybe it's just hard for her to look at anyone that's pregnant."

Zhiar had forgotten about that. Now, it made sense. His mother had gotten pregnant by Arnook while in prison and he took the baby from her.

"Also, we might have something else to worry about here." Zuko told his brother how his father followed Kya here and now knows that their mother was also here. "I know we might be concerned with how your mother is acting but we need to manage dad because neither one of them are going to have enough self control around one another."

Yeah, Zhiar had the same feeling. Jin Su had never seen the ugly side of his dad even though the man was a dick all the time. That wasn't even half of it. And his mother, spirits, the woman had a gentle heart, sure, they all knew that. But his mother could get just as ugly as his father when pissed off and the two of them in a room made his stomach hurt.

…..

As his mother apologized for her initial reaction to Jin Su being pregnant and his dad made them all uncomfortable per usual, Zhiar helped Ryu get into swim trunks. Jin Su said she was going to rest as she was tired. He kissed her forehead and left. Holding Ryu's hand, Zhiar chuckled as the boy said he wanted to see his mother waterbend so he could learn how to splash people.

"I forget he's a duel bender." They both looked over and saw their father/grandfather appear from around the corner.

Zhiar eyed his father strangely as Ryu went up to hug his grandfather. Ryu and Ozai got along pretty well. Seemed Ryu had their mother's heart and was too young to judge his grandfather for being an asshole. Perhaps, Ryu thought his grandfather was just funny or something. But the man was far from humorous.

"Yeah, grandpa! Daddy's teaching me firebending so mommy can teach me waterbending and I can splash big sis back when she water whips me!" Ryu said excitedly.

The older prince watched his father laugh and told Ryu to run along so he can learn quickly. The little five year jetted off to go find his mother on the beach, leaving his grandfather and brother to talk. His father's silver eyes laid upon him and Zhiar didn't seem phased. Unlike in the past, Zhiar didn't care that his father was a dick anymore or that he was all together confrontational. He truly just pitied the man.

"I've always been curious. Why do your eyes change colors?" He asked casually.

Ozai folded his arms, "I don't know." He said.

Chuckling softly, "What a surprise. Something you don't know."

"I'm glad you think that's funny."

"I think you're funny. For someone that hates family, you sure have been trying your best at being a family man." Zhiar smirked at him.

Shrugging, "I don't hate family. I just don't know how to function in one."

"Don't blame you. I'm a little worried, myself. Any tips."

Zhiar saw his father side eye him and shake his head.

"What?"

"You're making a mistake." Ozai warned his son.

Raising a brow, "A mistake? What mist-"

"I'm just curious to know what other men your little bride-to-be has been around."

Offended immediately, Zhiar furrowed his brows at his father. "Excuse me?"

"Obviously, your cheating on her in the beginning has come back to bite you in the ass. Karma's a bitch."

Zhiar sucked his teeth as he glared at his father and told him to piss off. What the hell was he trying to imply? The damn bastard.

"Fuck you, dad." And he walked off.

…

Everything seemed like it was going fine. The beach was fun. Aang and Sokka entertained him with jokes and catching up with all that they had going on in their lives. Zuko watched his brother and son play on the beach with his sister and Katara. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Despite the awkward exchange between him and Katara, where he kissed her causing them both plenty of grief, everything was fine. She was smiling and laughing like her old self. He was delighted that she was finally getting a chance at normalcy again.

However; the tone all changed at the dinner table when their father's miserable self dropped a bomb on everyone about Jin Su. Now, it made sense why Katara reacted so negatively to Jin Su being pregnant. She knew her children couldn't have children. They were sterile. Zuko had to take his brother into another room while Kya dealt with Jin Su. Everything was a mess again because of his father.

"Fucking Agni! Why?!" Zhiar screamed as he punched his fists into the wall crying as his heart was broken over Jin Su.

Zuko honestly didn't know what to say to make it better. He had been in a similar situation with Zhiar's mom. It would be no help for him to say 'I totally know how you feel. I pretty much lost my mind when I found out your mother was pregnant with you and your sister.' Because even though that was totally how he was feeling, that wasn't going to be a productive conversation. Maybe he could say 'At least dad's not the father'. No, because their father could very well be the father with his history of stealing his son's girlfriend.

"Dad, shouldn't have-"

"NO! It's not his fault Jin Su is a whore! He tried to warn me but I didn't listen!" Zhiar shouted in anger. "I can't believe this!"

Yeah, Zuko was not suited for this sort of thing. He was a little bit cynical towards his brother's plight while also knowing his exact sort of thing was not easy and truthfully, Zhiar was going to have to work things out by himself because no one could make this easier for him.

Leaving his brother to sort things out for himself, Zuko closed his bedroom door behind him to let Zhiar vent in peace. He was going to go make sure Ryu was resting soundly in bed and check to see how Kya handled the situation with Jin Su. However, as he walked past Katara's room, he heard his father's voice shouting for her to stop. Next thing he knew Katara told him that she wished Azulon was still alive to fuck his father. Zuko was immediately caught off guard by the comment but snapped out of it when he suddenly heard his father shout and then a thud.

Hurrying to enter the room, he saw Katara kicking his father repeatedly. He didn't ask any questions when he saw her wiping the blood from her mouth. Just stepped over his cringing father as he held his groin, whispering under his breath that the man was a dumb ass.

When they got to his bedroom, Zuko asked her what happened and she told him. His father was seriously a dick. Why would he even bring that up? What the hell was wrong with the man? Katara had been through a lot and to be honest, Zuko feared that there was much Katara wasn't saying happened to her there. He'd seen women during the war that had been violated and they let themselves go sometimes. That way they were less appealing to men that would do them harm. Agni, he swore his father was the biggest asshole of all time. Even if he proved to Katara that he was innocent, she wasn't going to put up with him if he was talking to her like this.

"Can I sleep here tonight? I don't want to have to deal with him by myself again."

"Of course." Zuko was going to suggest it anyways. He didn't want his father bothering her anymore tonight.

Having slept on the lounge chair, Zuko stirred a little at the feeling of weight on him. He would have jumped or been startled but he knew it was Katara. She laid her head on his chest and he could hear her sniffing him. He tried not to laugh. Everytime he hugged her, she sniffed him. Was she trying to say he smelt funny? No, that couldn't be. She never complained and he would hear her moan as if his scent were a pleasant one.

"Is this how you greet me?"

Feeling her lips smile against his chest as her hand caressed his skin, going to yet another scar his father placed on his body. He was trying his best not to get an erection. He had gone years without having anyone to touch him like this and Agni, it felt all too good.

Zuko figure laying down would only make it that much harder to avoid her noticing. So he held onto her as he moved to sit up, her head still resting on his chest as he rubbed her back. He asked her how she slept and was pleased to hear she had rested well. When her blue eyes lifted to his, he felt his heart race in his chest immediately. Was it wrong that even though she was legally his father's wife, he still wanted her to be his? And even if his siblings protested and the world shamed him, if Katara would just allow him, she'd be his. Though he was still tired, Zuko smiled at her.

"I'll admit, I want to spend time with the kids but I kind of need some time to myself before I can really be myself around them. This is the first time in a long time that I've been free."

And that was understandable. She was faced with so much and it was overwhelming for her. He could see that in her eyes. She was tired. Had been tired for a long time. As much as he wanted her to tell him what all had happened to her, he knew Katara. She'd only talk when she was ready and she was nowhere near ready.

Figuring she needed space, Zuko caressed her face and he looked her over. He asked if she needed him to leave but…

"Stay." Her voice sounded as if it would crack and he could see her lips tremble as she spoke. "I need you a lot right now, Zuko. I always end up needing you. I'm sorry."

Katara, what's happened to you? He thought in his head. He could feel the pain radiate off of her. It swelled his heart and made him choke on every word he wanted to get out. There was nothing he could say to make things better, so he settled for a kiss to her forehead which somehow turned to Katara kissing him. He was still for a moment but soon he found he was overridden with years of need and he could barely help it. Katara's kiss soon became very obvious of what she wanted and in that moment of a blissful high he was getting from kissing her, Zuko was pushed down on his back.

The Fire Lord pulled at the nightgown of the waterbender as she moved on top of him, pulling at his pants to untie them. He helped her out some and rolled her under him, pulling his length out from their restrictive confinement. Zuko watched her eyes go from his gaze down to his erected member and then her hand go to it, pulling him to her. He didn't protest as she rubbed him against her core, prompting him to enter. Grabbing one of her thighs, Zuko leaned down to capture her lips as he sunk into her. Katara gasping against his lips as he began thrusting into her.

"Fuck!" Zuko hissed. Agni, it had been entirely too long for him and he was already about to cum. Shit!

But before he could, Katara repositioned herself on top of him, riding him slowly as they both sat up. She held her arms around his neck as she kissed him passionately. He, in return, held her body to his as they moved against one another. She soon pushed him back down to lay on top of him as she worked herself.

And for a moment, in this moment, Zuko's thoughts completely slipped him. However; it wasn't long until her lips tasted of salt and he felt something wet hit his face. He realized she was crying and he knew he needed to stop them.

…..

Zhiar saw his mother run from Zuko's bedroom and down the hall. He raised his brows and went to ask his brother what was going on. When he entered the room, he saw his shirtless brother pacing back and forth talking to himself. Seemed he was mad at himself or whatever.

"Bro, are you okay?" Zhiar asked him with a concerned look on his face.

Zuko paused and looked up at his brother. He shook his head and sat down, holding his head in his hands.

"I don't want to talk about it, Zhiar. Plus, you're dealing with enough." Zuko told his brother.

Shrugging his shoulders, "Honestly, I'm kind of over it. Jin Su and I were never going to really work out. I do still care about her but I'm not ready to settle."

Thank Agni because Zuko couldn't deal with his father moping, him moping, and then Zhiar also moping. None of them were doing too well in the women department and despite their father's teasing them and his lecherous history, word was he wasn't even screwing around with concubines. The bastard wasn't getting his dick wet either. Miserable fuck.

"So gonna tell me why my mom left from here so fast? You guys have a falling out?"

Shaking his head. Zuko wasn't going to tell his brother that he had got caught up with his mother, had sex with her, and then basically rejected her while she was mounted on him. Rubbing his temple, the Fire Lord didn't know what to do. Katara looked so upset. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings but he was trying to do the right thing. The two of them had been through a lot and they had been hurt plenty. Besides, despite the two of them having feelings for each other, they both knew better. Zuko knew his father was innocent of betraying Katara and once that information was brought to the light, he didn't doubt for a second that the two of them would be back together. He might have loved her first but his father was who she loved most. She would never admit that but he wasn't a fool to believe anything else.

"I need to be alone right now, Zhiar."

"Guess you're not going to tell me, huh?" Zhiar folded his arms.

Shaking his head. No, he wasn't.

"Then can you talk to someone about it so you don't end up like dad?"

Nodding his head.

"Cool. So, can you also come out and play a board game with Uncle Sokka cause I don't play well with cheaters and he cheats every game." Zhiar laughed.

Zuko cracked a smile and stood up. His brother was right. Sulking was no good for him. Even though it's what he really wanted to do.

….

They were all playing a board game that Sokka was completely obsessed with and having a blast at losing to the Southern Chieftain. Kya nearly won but her uncle got the better of her and she flipped the board. Ryu laughed as Kya water whipped him in the butt to which Ryu tried to make a water whip from his cup of water but it turned out to be a ball of water. It rose over Kya's head and splashed on her. Might have not been what he planned for it to be but he was going to take that as a win.

"Zuko, tell Ryu to leave me alone." Kya said as her little brother was sticking his tongue out at her while making faces.

Zuko pretended not to see anything as Aang offered to show Ryu how to do a real water whip. Next thing Kya knew, she was water whipped in the face and was startled to her feet.

"UGH!" she groaned in annoyance.

Zhiar laughed at her as he pointed his finger at her and she flicked him off.

"Hey, don't get your panties in a bunch. Not my fault your boyfriend left you for dad's money." Zhiar laughed.

Scoffing, Kya folded her arms. "At least he didn't get knocked up by someone else."

Rolling his eyes as he shrugged, Zhiar smirked to himself. "I've got plenty of bitches to replace her. Like I give a fuck."

Zuko glared at his brother and scolded him for his language around Ryu. Sokka lifted a brow at his nephew's comment and asked what he meant by he had other women. Supposedly, Zhiar was the court playboy. From servants to noblewomen. Single or married. Zhiar had been in their beds. While Zuko tried to intervene, his younger brother was their father through and through. It was disappointing.

Aang could see Zuko was not happy about it, especially since he knew from Iroh that Zuko had plans to make Zhiar his successor.

"You're a pig, you know that?" Kya said in disgust.

Not phased, "You wouldn't be saying that if you weren't my sister." Zhiar snickered.

Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, especially Zuko.

"What?!"

"Kya is your sister!" Zuko raised his voice.

Not seeming to care. "So, Kya's fucking hot. If she wasn't my sister, I'd seriously bang her."

"Whoa!" Sokka stood up and scowled at his nephew. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Zhiar didn't seem to care that he pissed everyone off. He was just being honest. Kya was hot. If only she would smile more then she'd look even hotter. What was wrong with saying that?

"You don't talk about your sister that way!" Sokka told him.

Snorting, "Why not?" Zhiar seemed to think this was all being blown out of proportion.

Zuko was about to take Ryu out of the room when suddenly they all saw Katara storming back into the house with Ozai on her tail. Every last one of them were on their feet when they saw him grab her arm and pull her to him. But before they could, Katara lifted her hand up at them to stop them. She then went off on Ozai. Zuko covered his son's ears as his mother went off on his grandfather. He was too young to be a part of the crazy family dynamic and hear his mother, whom he just met, swear off on his grandfather.

When Katara got to the last word out and stormed off, Zuko took his hands off of Ryu's ears.

"Damn! She really told you, dad!" Zhiar laughed and they all looked at him like the idiot he was.

Seeing his father didn't even seem to acknowledge Zhiar, Zuko decided to follow him as he headed off to his room.

"Leave me be." His father groaned as he slammed the door in Zuko's face.

However; ten minutes later, Zuko was climbing on top of the roof and jumped down onto his father's balcony. He turned to see the man was butt ass naked, lying on his stomach in a lounge chair. Cringing as he looked away.

Holding up his empty glass, "Mind filling me up?" his father asked him as his head rested on one of his arms.

Zuko looked around for his father's liquor stash that he never traveled anywhere without. He opened one of the trunks and found it along with his father's pipe and opium rocks. Dear agni. Sokka had told him what happened that night his father was accused of betraying Katara. Said the man was actually high off his ass and making out with his father. Seemed both their dads were in the closet about some things.

"And grab me the tobacco." He asked as Zuko filled his glass with the Earth Kingdom gen, leaving the bottle beside him.

The Fire Lord tossed his father's robe over his naked ass as he took a seat across from the man.

"So, I need to talk to you." Zuko said.

Ozai groaned as he flipped over, holding the robe his son tossed him over his privates and leaned back in the lounge chair. "About what?"

Well, Zhiar told him he needed to talk to someone about what was going on and Zuko couldn't think of anyone other than his father that could give him some advice. Despite common belief, his father did offer good advice at times. While it might be bizarre and unique at times, it was still good.

Just when Zuko was about to speak, he saw his father open the container that he stored his tobacco and noticed that it was not tobacco.

Dividing the right amount and then rolling it up into a thin farmented paper, "Don't ask." Ozai said before bringing the blunt to his mouth and lighting it up to smoke it.

"Ugh...that's illegal." Zuko told him.

Shrugging, "Not if used for medical purposes." Ozai inhaled and then blew it out in his son's face. "And this is all medical." He raised his glass of gen in the other hand and drank from it.

Agni, his father was an absolute mess.

"This morning I may have had sex with Katara." Zuko confessed. "And I know she's still technically your wife by law but we were in the middle of sex and she started crying, so I stopped her and told her that this wasn't going to work. I feel like she thinks I rejected her and she's already self-conscious of the way she looks. What do-"

"Hold on." Ozai said, raising his finger up at Zuko as he got up from the lounge chair, dropping his robe that covered his privates, and walking back into his room to go through his trunk of 'medicine'. Saying he needed to be high off his ass for this one.

When he came back with his pipe and stuffed the end of it with his 'medical' purpose drug, Ozai smoked it and blew out a big cloud into Zuko's face.

Wearing a flat expression, Zuko stared at his father for a moment.

Talking as he was inhaling the smoke, "Continue." His hand gestured.

"What do I do?" He bit out.

"What do you do?" Ozai said as he leaned back with one arm behind his head, gazing up at the sky from his balcony as he took another hit.

There was a long silence for a moment.

Zuko stared at his father while his father stared at the sky, still smoking his pipe.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"What do I do?" Zuko repeated himself.

Shrugging, "I don't know. I was asking you." Ozai blew out some more smoke.

"Oh my FUCKING AGNI! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?!"

It was silent again for a moment before Ozai burst out laughing.

"What?!"

"You think *crying laughing* That I-*falling on the floor* know what the fuck to do!" Ozai was on the floor dying of laughter.

Zuko was so annoyed he was tempted to kick his father. The man was too wasted to care at this point. But even though he was laughing like there was no tomorrow, he was miserable. It literally took drugs and alcohol for his father to feel like this. Instead of feeling annoyed, Zuko began to feel a little more disturbed by his father's behavior and regretted coming to him for help when his father was also in need of help. Serious help.

Reaching down to help his father up onto the bed, Zuko lifted his arms over his shoulder and started walking them over to the bed. He sat his father down on the bed and pushed him down in his bed. Reluctantly, grabbing his legs to lift into bed and quickly pulling the covers over his naked father. Agni, he was so relieved to not have his father's dick in his field of vision.

Tucking his father in as the man was sort of just out of it, Zuko took a seat on the nightstand beside the bed and stared at his hands.

"I love her, dad. I really do but I know at the end of the day, she's never going to feel for me what she feels for you. So, I didn't continue with her. Obviously, she's just confused and that's how we ended up-"

"Oh shut up, Zuko." Ozai scoffed as he eyed him as he laid in bed. "We both know you couldn't wait to get your dick back in her."

Furrowing his brows at him, "You practically tried to force yourself on her last night."

"She was being cruel." Ozai defended himself.

"Cruel?" Zuko laughed humorlessly. "Katara isn't cruel. She's mouthy if you bother her which you were and you did."

But his father begged to differ.

"Look, dad, you need to get some serious help. From one of those therapist people I hear have been treating many of the soldiers after the war." Zuko said.

Ozai scoffed. "I never fought in the war, Zuko."

"But you have traumas that haunt you till today and Iroh never told me what exactly grandfather did you but after what I heard Katara say last night, I can take a guess." Zuko stated. "What she said was cruel, I admit it. But I think you're both sort of fucked up and need therapy."

Groaning, Ozai threw his arm over his face. "Leave me alone, Zuko."

"I'm trying to get you help."

"Zuko, how about you worry about yourself a little more than the rest of us, hmm? You talk as if you don't also need help. Everyone in this damn family needs saving." Ozai turned over on his side, facing away from his son. "Maybe we should try to save ourselves first before we try saving one another."

"But dad-"

"I'm not your responsibility. Ryu is. Worry about him and yourself. Zhiar is an adult now and so is Kya, they'll have to learn on their own. Katara, she's a survivor. She'll pull herself through." Ozai exhaled heavily. "At this point...we're just toxic people hurting one another."

And though he hated it, his father was not wrong. They were all just fucked up people. Inhumans that could live long lives but live them miserably from the path they were all going down. It wasn't much else he could do about his brother and sister. They'd have to sort things out like his father said 'learn on their own'. And Katara, while she was fighting her battles alone right now, he had seen her do it before and she always came back from it. Making sure that he protected his son from the dark side effect of being in this family and sorting out his own demons were priority number one.

…..

Wiping the sweat off his face as they had just finished playing beach volleyball, Zhiar sat beside his twin sister as she was sitting on the steps of the beach house sketching in her notebook. He leaned over her shoulder to see her drawing a man. Seemed it might be that servant guy their father paid off to leave her alone and leave Omashu.

"What was his name?" Zhiar asked her.

Kya glanced up at her brother and eyed him, "I don't really want to talk to you."

"And why not?"

Scoffing as she went back to drawing, "Because talking to you is like talking to dad and I don't want to talk to either of you."

Offended, Zhiar kicked her notebook out of her hands and when she tried to go get it, he set it on fire. He watched her eyes widen as her notebook turned to ash. He didn't know why but watching her look broken over the notebook kind of made him want to laugh at her. Why did she place so much value on something so stupid? Didn't she know she could buy another one?

Watching Kya stand up, the Fire Prince smirked as his sister got in his face and glared at him while tears formed in her eyes.

"There were drawings of Toshi in there! Ones of mom and dad! Ones that I drew for years of moments and places I cherished! And you burned them!" Kya hollered in his face. "Why, Zhiar?! Why did you burn them?!"

To be completely honest here, Zhiar hadn't a clue why but he had to say, Kya's face was priceless right now.

"Why do you keep picking on me?! WHY?! What have I ever done to you?!" Kya got closer in his face as she was fed up.

Zhiar noticed their father was walking outside and an idea came to mind as the man turned his attention to Kya, who was screaming her head off. Smirking, the Fire Prince grabbed his sister and pulled her to him, smashing his lips into hers. She immediately started hitting him in the head as she tried to pull away from him. Next thing he knew he was yanked away from her and their father got between them.

Scowling at him, "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Zhiar?"

Chuckling as he brushed the sand off of himself after gathering himself from the ground, "She was upset about her notebook so I was trying to apologize."

"By kissing her?!" His father shouted as he stepped towards the man. "She's your fucking sister!"

Shrugging, "Our family is already fucked up. Wouldn't make things any worse."

"You sick little fuck!" Ozai snarled at his son. "You come anywhere near your sister again and I will make you pay!"

Unphased, Zhiar shrugged and left. He didn't care. He eyed Kya as he walked by and entered the house. She glared at him, still in tears as their father tried to console her.

Inside the house, Zhiar saw his uncle and the Avatar walk past his brother's room door, slamming it shut.

"EWW! Zuko and Katara are banging!"

"Gross guys!"

Are you fucking kidding me?! Zhiar balled his fists and furrowed his brows.

….

Laying in the bed with Katara curled into his arms, Zuko combed his fingers through her hair as he felt her sniffing him again. He chuckled as he asked her why she always sniffed him and she told him that he always smelt good to her. Even when they were teens. Sitting up on his elbow, Zuko looked down at her and watched her smile a little.

"I missed you alot, Katara." Zuko confessed as he gazed into her eyes.

Smiling up at him, Katara reached up and caressed his face. "I miss you too."

When the two finally got out of bed and washed up, cleaning one another as they bathed together, both enjoying the intimacy they had been sorely lacking in their recent lives. Katara and him reminiscing about their years as teenagers. They laughed and joked, poking fun at the stupid things they had done since then. There was a mild interruption of their laughter when they went on to discuss the future or rather, his future.

Katara knew him better than anyone ever did, she knew he didn't want to be Fire Lord. That was something he disclosed to only her and Iroh. Being Fire Lord was a task he selflessly took on. A burden he bore for the sake of maintaining peace. She knew he wanted to be carefree as they had been as teens. Seemed they lived simpler lives then. And while they mourned their youth, mourned their lives before it had been turned upside down, mourned their peace of minds, and their sanity, they reminded each other to look forward.

However; in the middle of their heartfelt, Zhiar showed up and was not pleased with find they had been together intimately. It was something that did make Zuko feel guilty about from time to time. Zuko knew as much as the rest of the family knew, his father was innocent and once that was brought to light, she'd be back in his father's arms but...that sort of thing always slipped his mind when he was with her. And honestly, at this exact moment, Zuko didn't really care.

Zhiar was under the impression that once his mother had served her time and they were able to prove their father's innocence, that his mother would take her place back as the matriarch of the family. And they would become the family they should have been but with Zuko screwing his mother and his mother screwing his brother, it would make things even more complicated. This whole family was a mess and he hated it.

When his mother defended her actions, Zhiar could say nothing more other than remind them that they were going to cause one another more pain in the future if they continued. And that pain would soon be felt through the entirety of their family.

I've warned you both. Zhiar shut his eyes as he slammed the door behind himself.

….

A few nights later, Zhiar had gone into the house not long after his mother finally agreed to have a word with his father. He was curious to hear what they were going to talk about. Of course, they were yelling back and forth at one another. Typical. Arguments were almost like a given with their intense family dynamic. If no one was arguing, that's when they all figured something was up.

Eventually, things started to die down and his father seemed to believe if he could provide his mother with proof of his innocence that she'd come back to him. But from the way his mother sounded in response, he could tell she wouldn't be running back into his father's arms anytime soon and he couldn't exactly blame her.

"Fuck!" He heard his father shout after his mother warned him not to touch her. He definitely didn't listen. Dumb ass.

Zhiar watched his father be kicked out of the room and shoved onto the floor, holding his side.

"Goodnight, Ozai." His mother said before hitting his father with the door as she slammed it.

Squirming on the floor to get up, Zhiar watched his father hiss as he managed to roll over on his back to see him staring down at him.

"Your mother is violent. Not her fault." Ozai groaned as Zhiar tried to help him up.

Scoffing as the man was on his feet and swayed into the wall, "She warned you." He told his father as he decided he'd help him to his room, throwing his arm over his shoulder.

"Eavesdropping are we, now?"

"Making sure she doesn't kill you." Zhiar stated but in truth, he just wanted to see if there was an ounce of hope that his mother and father might be able to get past this. But no. It didn't sound like that to him tonight.

As he got his father back to his room and helped him into bed, Zhiar looked over the stab wound in his father's side and saw it wasn't healing though it should have.

His father chuckled, "A Phoenix can only truly be injured or killed if it is by the person that loves them and they love in return."

Zhiar's eyes widened.

"That's right. Your mother still loves me. After all this time." Ozai breathed heavily as he laid on his back and smiled at the ceiling, laughing. "You're not fooling anyone, Katara. But don't worry, I'll fix this." He closed his eyes and his breathing began to slow down. "I promise."

Zhiar watched his father as he was fading out from his stab wound. If what he said was true then he didn't need to succumb to these injuries or he was as good as dead...for good. He quickly went and got Kya to treat their father. She seemed to be just as shocked as him, along with everyone else.

Leaving his sister to look after their father, Zhiar was confronted by Zuko and he rolled his eyes at the older man.

"What?" Zhiar caught an attitude with his older brother.

Ignoring the obvious annoyance his brother had with him, "What happened? Why did she stab him?"

"Why else? Dad was being his usual self. Touchy and flirtatious." Zhiar responded.

Narrowing his eyes, "I just asked a question. Don't get all bitchy about it."

"Bitchy?! Did you really just say I, ME, I'm bitchy?!" Zhiar's eyes widened in fury.

"Yes," Zuko brushed past him, refusing to give into his brother's baiting.

Zhiar wanted to grab Zuko and punch the shit out of him but he didn't. Ryu had woken up and was rubbing his eyes after being awoken by all the commotion. He wouldn't allow the little guy to see that ugly side of their family. The side that craved to attack the others sharing their same blood. Maybe he would escape that curse unlike the rest of them. Maybe he had a chance to be different from the rest of them. And despite his rage and his bloodlust he seemed to have towards members of his family, Zhiar tried to fight it.

Clenching his fists so hard that his hand started to bleed, Zhiar glared at the back of Zuko's head as he picked Zhiar up and carried him back into his room.

"Hey, you okay?" His Uncle Sokka approached him.

Breathing in heavily, Zhiar exhaled and nodded. "Yeah." His fists untightened.

Sokka looked down at his nephew's hand and saw the blood dripping from it. His blue eyes went up to Zhiar's equally blue eyes and gave a concerned expression.

"I know things aren't ideal right now but we've all got a part to play in making things better. So, keep doing what's right and eventually, everything will come together. I promise." Sokka placed his hand on his nephew's shoulders.

Zhiar looked to his uncle, "You say that as if things have even hope for better."

Nodding his head, "Well, you're right but I have hope and that's all I needed and your mother needed when we lost our mother. We fought hard. And so did your brother and the rest of us. We saw things for what they could be and we fought for it. A hundred years war ended because of us." Sokka said as he wore a hopeful smile. "Now, all I can do is hope again and do what I can for things to be good for our family."

Furrowing his brows as he cast his gaze down. Is that what his mother was doing? What is his father, Zuko, Kya, and everyone else doing? Were they hoping for better days amongst their family?

Sighing, Zhiar nodded his head and thanked his uncle for speaking with him.

Patting his shoulder some more, "No problem, Zhiar. Go get you some rest. I'll be leaving early in the morning and I want to be able to see you before I leave, okay?" Sokka smiled.

Smiling back, Zhiar hugged his uncle tight. "If you think hope will save us, then I hope you're right."

Returning the embrace, "I know I'm right, Zhiar." Sokka said. "I know."

…..

"Mommy!" Ryu cried as he stared with tears in his eyes at the sight of his mother on the floor in Uncle Zhiar's arms.

Holding his mother as she had fainted out of nowhere, Zhiar was thankful he caught her before she hit the floor. He could just barely feel a pulse from her. What happened? She was just fine a moment ago. Maybe she was burning up from the heat of the Fire Nation. She had been away for so long and he remembered her always loathing the heat here when he was younger.

Kya had finally showed up with their older brother and father. He held her as Zuko came to where they were on the floor and pressed his fingers to her neck.

Furrowing his brows, "Her pulse is barely there." Zuko looked over his shoulder to Kya. "Did you notice her acting strangely while you were in the kitchen.

Kya shook her head. "No. She was fine."

Eyes shifting to his father, "Did she seem odd last night?"

Folding his arms, "Seeing as she stabbed me with ease, she was absolutely fine last night." Ozai spat.

"Let's hurry and get her back to the North Pole. She'll do better where it is colder." Zuko said to his brother.

As Zhiar stood up, holding his mother in his arms, about to follow Zuko's lead, their father stopped them both.

"You're taking her back North?" Ozai raised his brow at them.

"Yes." Zuko said as if it wasn't so obvious already.

Kya stepped in Zhiar's way and cracked her knuckles.

"You're not taking her back to the North Pole." Ozai said venomously. "Over my dead body."

"Mines as well." Kya's eyes glowed red instead of blue causing both her brothers to back away from her. What the hell?!

Kya manifested a black flame, something unique to a Phoenix but not even Zhiar had figured out how to use black flames yet. His flames hadn't even taken a blue color. Zuko grabbed Ryu and looked at his brother from the corner of his eyes.

"Run!" He yelled.

Zuko vanished into flames to flee with his son and Zhiar watched as his father did the same, going after him. His attention was soon focused on his sister as she threw a black flame at him and he quickly made a move to dodge it with his mother still in his arm. He soon took off running. Not yet having the mastery over fire the way his father and brother had. Not even like how Kya had.

He slid across the floor, hitting the wall as he was trying to turn a corner. Soon an icicle with lightning infused into it grazed his arm, puncturing the wall caused him to look at Kya with a new sense of terror. What the hell?! Is she a phoenix too?! As she came running over to him, Zhiar re-adjusted his mother over his shoulder and jetted down another hall within the beach house. He needed to get out quickly.

"I'll burn this entire house down, Zhiar! Hand her over!" Kya growled monstrously as she shapeshifted into a black flamed, chasing after him.

"Like hell! You and dad clearly had this planned!" Zhiar yelled back at her. Despite the feuding his sister had with their father, she was the one of them that would side with their father if things needed to be that way. And the two of them shared the same idea when it came to mother. She was theirs.

Zhiar found he was coming up to a deadend and there was nowhere for him to turn. Acting quicker than he could think, he used his firebending to burn the wall down before he reached it. And once he did, he used his shoulder to break through it, shielding his mother from the fires.

Outside, Zhiar saw his brother as a dragon in the sky with Ryu trying to escape their father, who must have been that huge black bird in the sky chasing his brother. Bastard! Doesn't he know his grandson is up there?!

"Come back here, Zhiar!"

Zhiar almost forgot he was dealing with his sister that seemed to have both the abilities of a siren and phoenix. What a dangerous mix. Fuck! All he could do was run like Zuko told him and that's what he did, ran. They were both clearly outmatched. His father was strong before he was a full-fledged Phoenix and with Kya's new development, they couldn't beat the two of them. It just wasn't a fair fight. But they needed to get his mother back to the North Pole. She was ill. Could they not hold off their selfishness for even a second?

As Zhiar was running down the coast of the beach, he saw from the side of his eye that the ocean waves were beginning to rise. His eyes widened as he saw the skies darken and the crackle of thunder became deafening before bolts of lightning rained down in front of him. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked up to see Zuko flying down to the ground. He came to land between him and Kya.

Hurry! Get on! Zuko told him.

Not arguing with him, Zhiar climbed onto Zuko's back and laid his mother sideways in front of him. Ryu looked to him and smiled, believing this was all just a game of tag between them and his grandfather and Kya.

"Hold tight!" Ryu giggled.

It took Zuko quickly ascending into the skies for Zhiar to realize why Ryu told him to hang tight.

"HOLY FUCK!" He swore as he had never ridden on Zuko's back before.

Zuko raced and zigged through the skies as lightning kept trying to strike him. He tried not to notice that his father was no longer the only one chasing him. Kya had also taken the same shape as their father and was able to manipulate the seas as he flew over them while their father used the skies to try and strike them down.

"Zuko! I think I have an idea how to lose dad!" Zhiar shouted.

What is it?!

Zhiar's plan would help them lose their father in this chase but they'd be in Kya's hands at that point. However; Zhiar doubted Kya would attack if he had Ryu with him. Zuko listened to Zhiar's plan and didn't like it one bit but at this point, they were going to all get killed.

Fine!

Zhiar told Ryu to come towards him as Zuko slowed his speed down a little. When Ryu was in his hands, Zhiar held tight to him and threw himself off of Zuko's back, falling into the ocean. Kya's attention shifted immediately to her twin brother, who had thrown himself into the ocean with Ryu. As she descended after them, her father zoomed towards Zuko faster with his grandson out of the way.

Give me the waterbender, Zuko! Ozai growled as he threw himself into Zuko's side causing him to tilt and Katara's unconscious body falling off from him.

The both of them raced down towards the ocean after her. She was headed straight for a military patrol ship. They knew one of them had to reach her or she'd be dead on impact. So neither of them tried getting in each other's way, they simply tried to be the first to get to her.

And just as his father was closing in on her, Zuko whipped his tail to grab his father and sling him back above them. He shape-shifted into his human state in order to grab her. Once she was in his arms, Zuko managed to throw off their course and dived into the ocean with her. They sunk far below the waves where it was calm compared to the stormy surface. He held his breath as tight as he held Katara.

Zuko swam to the surface of the wave where the military patrol ship was, he needed to get on board and shoot his father out of the sky. It would stop him long enough to get Katara to safety in the North Pole.

As he reached the surface, a soldier walking the deck looked over to see him in the ocean. It was impossible for the man to recognize him but he quickly got help from others in order to pull him from the ocean.

Gasping as he spit the sea water he had accidentally swallowed, Zuko swept his hair back as he looked to Katara, who managed to stay unconscious through all this.

"Fire Lord Zuko?" The admiral leading this ship approached with wide eyes.

Zuko looked up at the man and furrowed his brows, "My father is in the sky about to attack and kill us all. I need one of those large cannons to shoot him out the sky." He informed them and pointed to the sky to see the lightning crackle as a black flamed phoenix flew across the sky, circling them.

Their eyes all widened.

"The Phoenix King!"

The captain looked to the Fire Lord with a grave look on his face, "But I thought we were in alliance with the Phoenix Empire."

Zuko narrowed his eyes at the sky, "My father is only an ally until it benefits him to be otherwise. Get me that cannon already!"

"Yes, your majesty!" He quickly saluted his sovereign.

When the cannon was fetched for him, Zuko told them to be on the lookout for his brother and son as well as his sister, Princess Kya, who was also attacking them. They all nodded their heads and took positions.

Zuko took hold of the cannon himself as he was the only one that had inhuman eyes that could zoom in on his father's exact position. I'm going to blow you to high hell, you demented bastard!

Seeing his father was about to swoop down like a vulture to its prey, Zuko readied the cannon and had it aimed directly at him. Here's my declaration of war, you crazy fuck! Then, just as his father was about to reach the ship, Zuko pulled the trigger and shot his father dead in the face.

All the soldiers watched in a stunned state at the Phoenix King fell from the sky and hurled down into the ocean waters. The massive wave it caused when his large body fell into the sea came dawning over the ship and Zuko told everyone to hang on to something tight. They all clung to the sturdy parts of the deck while Zuko slid to Katara and held tight to her when the wave crashed down. The force of the water was so strong the Zuko felt he had been punched repeatedly in the face with an incredibly heavy object. He couldn't even catch his breath until the wave finally went over the ship.

Opening his eyes, Zuko looked first to Katara to make sure she was alright and then to the men on the ship. They all struggled to get back up on their feet but they eventually did. Many of them came to check on him to see if he was alright.

Zuko held Katara' bridal style in his arms as his men tried to find out what was going on. He didn't go into details but he told them that the Phoenix Empire was an enemy of the Fire Nation and the Fire Nation allies.

"Your majesty, we've located your brother and son. They're being pulled onto the ship right as we speak." The Captain informed them.

Zuko rushed over to Zhiar as he had Ryu in his arms, still. Both of them were equally as soak and wet as him. He saw Ryu was laughing as he didn't have a concept of what danger they had all just been in.

"How's mom?" Zhiar asked as he sat Ryu down.

Zuko looked down at Katara and told him she was still out like a light after all this. They needed to get her to the North Pole quickly before their father revived.

Zhiar clenched his teeth and rubbed the back of his neck, "Kya hasn't been dealt with. We only got lucky and are out of her sight."

Zuko was about to say something when the soldiers all started shouting as they saw a woman rise from the seas with red eyes.

"Demoness!"

"No! That's Princess Kya!" The captain yelled at one of his men and told them all to back away as she shot herself from the wave she commanded onto the deck of the ship.

Zuko turned to look over his shoulders at Kya and told his brother to take his mother and Ryu down into the belly of the ship while he dealt with Kya. Zhiar was going to protest when Zuko reminded him that outside of him not being able to be killed, he didn't know how to use his inhuman abilities. He wouldn't last a second in a fight with Kya.

"You're going to fight her?" Zhiar looked at him in disbelief.

Swallowing hard, "Kya knows by attacking us she has already made us enemies. Family or not. I can't overlook this." Zuko said bitterly. This was just another thing he hated about being Fire Lord. If they had been fighting out of sight of subjects, he could look at this as a purely family ordeal but the soldiers were all witnessing this and as Fire Lord it was his job to neutralize any threats to himself or his people.

The soldiers parted way as Zuko came through to meet his sister, who was staring directly at him with her red glowing eyes.

"Kya." He said as he stopped a foot from her. "Leave before I'm forced to no longer see you as my sister."

An icicle formed in her hand as lightning traveled through it, Kya held it threateningly as she furrowed her brows at Zuko. "Hand my mother over and there will be no need to fight."

"Kya, you know we have to return her to the North Pole. She's their captive. We must obey the ways of the world. Me, your mother, and our friends all worked hard to bring this world to peace. And if she were conscious right now, she wouldn't want you to be doing this." Zuko tried to reason with her. "Please, Kya, I know you hate violence and hate having to hurt your family. So please, back down."

The soldiers watched as the Princess of the Phoenix Empire did not falter as she threw the icicle at the Fire Lord, striking him in his knee with it. Zuko winced as he fell on one knee in that instance. He looked at his sister as she bended the icicle out of his knee and aimed it for his head.

With a cold stare, Kya repeated herself again. "Hand over my mother and I won't need to mourn my brother. Do us both this favor, Zuko."

Narrowing his eyes at Kya, Zuko shook his head. "I've had to fight your older sister, Azula. Kya, please, don't make me fight another sister. I can't-"

The icicle went straight for Zuko's head and he was knocked on his back. The soldiers all gasped and quickly backed away from the collapsed Fire Lord as he sister walked over to him. She stood over him and gazed down at him impassively.

"I pray you didn't teach Zhiar to be as stupid as you. I don't want to have to kill him too." Kya said regretfully before stepping over him.

However; Zuko's hand shot up and grabbed her ankle, yanking her down on the floor of the deck in a quick response, causing all his men to stare in astonishment. Bringing Kya under him, Zuko shook his head as she went to glare at him.

"Kya, you will always be my little sister but you leave me no choice."

The waves raised around the ship and the soldiers all feared she was about to attack them as a whole. However, unexpectedly, they watched the Fire Lord shove his hand into the princess's gut. Her glowing eyes dimmed to their human gold color as she stared wide-eyed at Zuko before coughing up blood in his face.

Zuko closed his eyes and turned his head, unable to finish the job while looking into her eyes. He, then, went on to twist his hand in her abdomen and pulled it full force from her. Kya spit up even more blood as her eyes rested on his eyes that reopened.

The Fire Lord watched his sister reach her hand up to him in her last moment and he found himself wanting to reach down but before he could even act on the thought, her eyes dimmed completely. Her hand falling back to the floor with her body.

Clenching his teeth, Zuko gave the order to throw her into the sea and make course for the North Pole. They needed to return a prisoner. None of them said anything as the Fire Lord made his way down into the ship. To save them all, he had to kill his own sister. They couldn't thank him enough or perhaps, they couldn't thank him at all. Such a selfless act came at the cost of the Fire Lord's faithfulness to his family ties and his love for his sister. It was better for them to say nothing and stay out of his way.

…...

Reaching the North Pole, Zuko ordered Zhiar to remain on the ship with Ryu while he dealt with Arnook. The Fire Lord entered the city with a few of the soldiers onboard the ship with Katara lying in his arms. The Water Tribe soldiers escorted them all the way to the palace where he was brought to Arnook specifically. He was thankful he had written the Chieftain ahead of time.

Arnook brought the Fire Lord to his chambers to lay Katara down into the bed. When Zuko got her under the covers, he reached down to kiss her on the lips and then her forehead. Standing up from the bed, Zuko looked to the Chieftain and told him everything that happened on the trip, minus the details about him and Katara. He also warned Arnook about what took place to get Katara here. His father and sister nearly killed them to stop them from bringing her back.

"I didn't think you'd have brought her back."Arnook admitted. "But to hear this, I'm actually surprised."

Offended, Zuko narrowed his eyes, "I'm a man of my word, Arnook. I killed my own sister to honor that word! Don't make light of me!"

Nodding his head, "Yes, Fire Lord Zuko. Forgive me but my relationship with you and your 'people' aren't the best. I didn't mean to offend you."

Scoffing as he was about to take his leave, "Whatever. Just write to me when she is better. I'll feel more at ease knowing my son's mother is doing well."

Returning to the ship, Zuko saw his brother and Ryu playing a board game. He rustled Ryu's hair as he walked by and patted Zhiar's back before heading to his cabin to rest. Why was his mind at odds with himself? His father and Kya weren't trying to harm them but rather get to Katara. They were trying to keep her from coming back here. And at first, Zuko felt he had done the right thing. Respecting the word he gave Arnook and his code of honor but...upon entering the Northern Palace, he felt something eerie. Something familiar but it wasn't the good kind of familiar. Did he do the right thing?

…

Not even a week later, Zuko would find he had made a grave mistake as the Chieftain wrote to him that Katara had died. A suicide. He was beyond himself in anguish at the news. But he didn't let it get to him quite yet until he went to see for himself. And when he did, Zuko learned of a new kind of pain. One that hurt far more than losing his mother. Far greater than his father's abuse and banishing him. More than finding the love of his life, love another man. It was pain like no other. A hopeless pain. One that would eat at your gut for what he knew would be forever as he descended into darkness. There was no healing this kind of pain. Just learning to live on suffering.

Shortly after returning home to the Fire Nation, Zhiar was so enraged by his mother's untimely death that he cursed Zuko and threw his crown from his hair, letting his hair fall. A week later, Zuko saw that Zhiar had left, leaving behind a letter damning their family to the lowest parts of hell. But Zuko didn't resent him. He was too heartbroken to feel anything but sorrow. Zhiar had to figure this pain out for himself. He would not go after him. Ryu needed him. More than ever now.

Standing at the temple with his son holding his hand, Zuko watched the Fire Sages perform the funeral ceremony for Katara. He finally announced publicly that Katara was the mother of his only child, Ryu. So she was given a proper ceremony for her death as the news traveled across the globe.

In their white funeral garb, Zuko stared into the flames that burned for the life of the only woman he had been so madly in love with.

"Will we get to see mommy when she is reincarnated?" Ryu asked in his hopeful innocence. The kind of innocence that clung to happiness and hope.

Shaking his head, "She took her own life. She can't come back."

"Then wherever mommy goes, will she be happy there?"

Zuko furrowed his brows as tears fell down his cheeks, "Yes. She'll be happy there."

Ryu nodded his head as he looked into the flames, "Then I can't be all sad. I'll miss her and wish I got to know her more but I want mommy to be happy more than anything."

His son's words got to him and Zuko fell weak on his knees in front of all his subjects that were present for her funeral. They all looked at him with shock as he couldn't hold his composure. But Zuko didn't care. He was about to spend a hundred lifetimes in mourning of this woman that he would never see again and it was all his fault. His heart was heavy with despair of the likes they would never know in this life or the others to come.

Seeing his father weep, Ryu went to hug him and try to provide comfort to his father. "It's okay, daddy. Mommy will watch over us." He said. "And she won't want to see you like this."

As much as he wanted to say otherwise, Zuko wouldn't dare ruin the innocence of his son and simply pulled him to his chest. "I'm sorry. I'll get better. I promise."

Hugging his father back, "But now is okay to cry. Mommy will understand."

…

Year Five…..

"Your majesty, Phoenix King Ozai is in the gardens! We have the guards watching his every move! He requested he speak with you!" A councilman had barged into Zuko's office with the news.

Zuko had his eyes closed with his hands pressed together while on his knees. He was knelt in front of the shrine he made for Katara. Every day at noon he'd pay tribute to her. Never missing a single day. When he rose to his feet and opened his eyes, the Fire Lord turned around to eye the councilmen.

"Take me to him." He ordered.

Arriving at the gardens where his father was, Zuko saw him casually sitting on a bench by the turtle-duck pond. He seemed to be staring at the little turtle-ducks waddling about. His father never really cared for the small creatures. But he seemed to be watching them very hard as if to uncover some reason for their existence or something. Zuko didn't know. He didn't pretend to fully understand his father because he didn't. What went on in that head of his made little to no sense to him. Because if it did, he'd know why his father suddenly showed up here seven months after Katara's death.

"You finally show up." His father's voice sounded different. Like he was tired or had a hangover or probably both.

But as Zuko approached, he could see that the man was not either. He was in immense pain. So much so that he was back to wearing his mask on his face rather than use the skin grafts that his cosmetic earthbender makes him.

Coming to stand in front of the man, Zuko eyed him cautiously. "What do you want, Ozai?"

"You can drop the act, Zuko. I'm not here to fight you or anything. I just needed to see how you were doing." His voice dragged as his dull grey eyes looked up at him and Zuko saw the emptiness in them. "You can simply tell me you're fine and I'll be on my way. I don't mean to stir up trouble."

Zuko furrowed his brows and shook his head as he went up to the spot beside his father, sitting. He decided since his father had come here in peace then he would oblige him.

"Zhiar left after she...you know." Zuko started. "I didn't bother going after him. He had the right to be angry with me. Plus, I had to worry more about Ryu."

Ozai sighed as he looked up at the sky, "Good. Your son should always come first. Zhiar is my responsibility. I shouldn't have forced him on you."

Shaking his head, Zuko told his father that he was happy with Zhiar here. He didn't mind. Made life less lonely. Not to mention, Zuko got a lot of practice out of taking care of his brother.

"I just hope he's okay wherever he is."

"He's not." Ozai said. "I found him. On Kiyoshi Island. Doing things you wouldn't believe. Your friend, that red haired woman-"

"Suki?"

"Yeah, her, she had a daughter not much younger than the twins. Zhiar did something to her and a few others. Since Kiyoshi Island is a part of my empire and he was my son, I had to take him down myself."

Zuko looked to his father and asked what happened.

"I don't know where he's gone but he's gone. Not even Kya could locate him. Hopefully, when we cross paths again, I won't have to put him down." Ozai sighed as he stood up. "Well, I was just passing through. I'm on my way to the North Pole. Arnook is on his deathbed and has been writing to me for weeks to come see him."

Standing as well, "Then you should hurry to see him."

Ozai nodded as he looked to his eldest son and placed his hand on his shoulder, "Katara had her issues. We don't know what's been happening to her in the North Pole. It's no one's fault that she killed herself." His father told him. "She's gone and all we can do is avenge her, find those that did this to her and make them pay."

Zuko nodded his head.

"I'll come back after my visit with Arnook. Maybe I can get information from him since he's dying."

The Fire Lord stood there as his father turned into a black flame and took to the sky as a phoenix fire bird.

A council member approached him.

"Your majesty, you're going to let him go?"

Still looked up at his father flying through the skies heading north, "My father is immortal, we can't stop him. Besides, he came to call a truce. He's not our enemy."

"Wonderful." Because what government on earth wanted to be enemies with a man like the Phoenix King.

"It's time we start focusing on the future and stop dwelling in the past. Write to my friend the Avatar, I want to discuss future plans with him." Zuko stated, his eyes still on the sky.

…..

A/N:

There ends Zuko and Zhiar. They had a good run but Zhiar is just no match for the family curse of madness. Then again, I always intended for things to go this way. So, Let's get on to Ozai and Kya. Wonder what's been happening in there five years.