DISCLAIMER: don't own AVATAR.

Wow, the most reviews 4 1 chappie yet! Yay! Least, if I counted rite… lol

Rioki Moondove: well, all my stories hav 2 do with zuko. (if u need help finding them all, just go 2 my profile) but 1 of my most recent stories, The Girl in Fire Nation Clothes, it lacks of Zuko, 4 now. enough bout that story, glad u like this 1, this series, and here's a happy little update 4 ya! yee, hee hee! (Inner Devil: i apologize on her behalf, she's had sum sugar)

Shadowlover101: glad u like the series, yes, Kierra is very jealous.

Lopchop: oo! I'm SOOOO scared! NOT!

FyreFlower: I read chapter 9, good work. U've got talent, girl. Glad u like it already. GO ME! Inner Devil: I'm telling u all! RUN! (ME: I heard that!)

Xxmango: hmm, so u've read all my other stories? Impressed. (sorta, lopchop also does that) glad u like it, here's my update.

Queen rat gurl: u like sokka? Join my best bud's fan club. (lol, she doesn't reall hav 1, but she's just as obsessed with sokka as I am with zuko. And THAT'S saying sumthing) yah, beatles r nice. Oldies r good, I listen 2 the beatles during the times I'm just not in the mood 4 anything, but that's rare.

Chapter 1: Since The Last

If you were to walk down one of the halls in the tunnel in which the Master of the Worlds lived, you would end up in a world of benders and elements… and that is where my story begins.

In the heart of the Fire Nation, the heart of the Fire Palace, two benders stood, sparring. Both were young woman, one no older than 35, the other no older than 17.

One stood in the traditional Fire Nation practice uniform, while the other stood in something different. Her pants came up to the middle of her thighs, and her shirt was tight-fitting, showing off her figure, and had no sleeves. This one's hair was always kept down, so during firebending practice, the ends would get singed, and she would always chop off the burnt ends, leaving her hair ragged. Many detested that she would simply cut away the burnt hair, not keep it up, and would refuse to simply cut her hair off, so it could grow again evenly. But then again, her hair never grew evenly.

Both could bend Water and Fire, they were Daughters of two Elements, making them essential in ending the war that had scarred the earth for 100 years. But now, the scars were healing.

The Fire Lord stood on a balcony over looking the stadium where the two benders were sparring. He watched in keen interest as his wife suddenly looked like she was about to win the match.

The 35 year old woman threw a water whip at the younger, and more agile bender, and she dodged with ease. The 17 year old did a high level firebending move at close range, by whipping her leg from the area near her head, sending a wave of flames at the older woman.

But, the older woman caught the girl's foot.

The younger girl would have gasped, but she was thrown hard onto the floor, face up. The older woman walked over, and put her foot on the girl's stomach, holding one fist to the girl's head. They looked at each other, then, the girl started to laugh.

The 17 year old started to wheeze and laugh at the same time, while the older woman smiled down at her.

"You, -gasp- did it –gasp- again. –laugh- How do you –gasp- do it? –laugh-" The younger woman asked. The older woman smiled.

"Practice. And firebending comes from the breath, not the muscle. Need a hand?" She said quietly, and offered her hand to help the young woman up. She took it with gratitude, and they left the stadium, the young girl's burnt hair swaying with each step.

Fire Lord Zuko smiled as his mother and wife walked away. Like every other time, Kellie lost the match. As he went back to his throne, he thought about his mother's words.

The same words Uncle uses to teach me.

Fire Lady Kellie sat in front of the giant vanity mirror in her and her husband's bedroom. She picked up a brush, and started to comb through the snarls in her hair that had formed when her hair was burned, again. Once she was done, she picked up the scissors, and snipped away the burnt hair.

The Fire Lord snuck up on his wife while she cut her hair, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Kellie giggled at her husband's antics.

"You should be careful, Zuko, I've got scissors, someone could get hurt." Zuko chuckled as he buried his face into his wife's hair, or at least what still remained. Her hair was still long, but ragged from all the burnt hair that had been chopped away.

"You need to cut your hair, Kellie." She sighed, and turned to face her husband, which meant burying her face into his chest.

"You know I prefer to look cruddy then nice." Kellie repeated yet again. In the two years of their marriage, she must of said this more times then the years that her earth had lived. But her voice was muffled, for her face was still buried in Zuko's chest.

"I know, but you are high class now, you need to be normal, and proper." Kellie looked up into her husband's golden eyes.

"If being all nice and clean is what normal is anymore, than I am damn happy as a freak." Zuko chuckled, and gave his wife a kiss. It would have lasted longer, if a baby's cry hadn't interrupted.

"I'll go," Kellie mumbled into Zuko's mouth. She pulled away, and disappeared through the door of their suite.

Zuko sighed, six months ago, Kellie had given birth to a baby boy, and the entire Fire Nation was happy. Kellie had never been eager to have a child, but when she went into labor, she had help.

Zuko smiled at the memory.

Kellie sighed for the upteenth time and beyond that, that day. Her nine months of pregnancy were up, and now they were waiting for when her to go into labor.

Zuko snuck behind her, and put his hands on her enlarged stomach. She just sighed.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked quietly.

"What's wrong? I'm sick of being pregnant! I want this baby to arrive already, so I can move on with my life, without seeing my stomach bulge out every time I look down! THAT'S what's wrong!" Kellie explained, nearly yelling. Zuko chuckled.

"Yes, I'm starting to grow impatient too, I want the baby to come, so you will stop yelling at me." Kellie glared at the wall.

"Very funny." Zuko grinned.


" I know." Suddenly, Kellie grabbed her husband's hands, and squeezed them very hard.

"Zuko, get me to the hospital wing." Kellie said, tears starting to streak from her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"My water broke."

After that, Zuko had to listen to his wife scream in pain, for three hours because of birth-giving. Finally, the Fire Lord cornered a maid just coming out of the room his wife was in.

"What's going on in there? Let me see my wife!" Zuko yelled at the maid. Many would cringe back and obey, but this maid stood strong.

"I'm sorry, my Lord, but your wife is in no condition to see you. The baby, we don't know exactly what's going on." Zuko's golden eyes widened in blind fury.

"KELLIE!" He yelled through the door. His wife would have heard, if her own screams hadn't drowned out his.

"If only Lady Sierra were here, she always helped with deliveries." The maid said quietly. But not too quiet for Zuko not to hear. The Fire Lord whirled around to face the maid.

"Never mention my-" But his words were cut off by a graceful voice.

"What about me and deliveries?" The maid and Fire Lord turned around, and there was the most spectacular sight they had ever seen.

The former Fire Lady Sierra.

Zuko nearly fainted.

She was just like he remembered her.

"My Lady, your son's wife is in labor." The maid said with a bow. The former Lady nodded, then walked into the room which was filled with the new Fire Lady's screams. About half an hour later, the screams stopped and Lady Sierra stuck her head out the door.

"Your wife wishes to see you, my son." Zuko walked in quietly, and saw his wife on a bed. He swore that that morning, the sheets had been white.

"Congratulations, Zuko," Kellie whispered quietly. Her face was smeared in sweat, and Zuko finally noticed the bundle in his wife's arms.

"You have that son you wanted for the throne. Maiku will be a wonderful heir, I can tell." She passed Zuko the bundle, and he looked down to see a pale face looking back up at him.

Zuko's son looked just like him, except,

He had his mother's eyes.

Instead of gold, pine tree green peered up at him. Zuko spied a small birthmark around his son's left eye, symbolizing his father's scar. Zuko smiled at his new baby boy.

"Welcome to the world, Prince Maiku." He whispered softly.

Kellie smiled down at the little boy in her arms, at first, she didn't know how to hold him, but with time, and a lot of practice with Lady Sierra, she finally figured out how to hold her son.

She finally managed to hush her son, and put him back in the crib. The Fire Lady smiled gently at her son. Despite the suffering she had been put through for nine months, the worst of it coming out when Maiku had been born, it had been worth it. He looked exactly like his father, but he had his mother's eyes.

I wonder which of us he'll take after?

Kellie wondered as she wondered about her son's future.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" A female voice asked from behind. Kellie looked over her shoulder to see Sierra, standing tall and proud, behind her, looking at her grandson.

"Yes, bet he'll take after his father." Kellie whispered. Sierra chuckled.

"You never know, you both seem to have short tempers, it just might end up being twice the temper, in one package." Kellie laughed at the idea. Her and her husband's tempers both in one being, those would be some good training spars.

Sierra smiled, then looked out the window.

"Ozai used to always come into this room after Zuko was born. He always said he wanted to see the strong heir sleeping in here." She said dreamily, running one hand down from her hair, down her cheek. Kellie sighed.

"He must have been a good man, before he was, corrupted." Sierra looked out the window. Shortly after her son and Kellie's marriage, the Avatar had defeated Ozai, leaving Zuko for the throne.

Kellie understood truly why Sierra had run away from her husband, from her son, from her daughter, from her duties. Ozai had committed one of the most common felonies in her world.

Abuse.

A lone tear trickled down the former Fire Lady's cheek as she recalled the memory of when it had began, 17 years ago.

When Princess Zula had been born.

For hours, the Fire Palace was filled with Lady Sierra's screams, as she went through labor.

Finally, her screams stopped, and were replaced with a newborn's cry.

The Fire Lord Ozai swept into the hospital wing, and saw his wife holding a bundle in her arms.

"Well?" Ozai asked his wife. Sierra smiled up at him, holding out the bundle towards her husband.

"Congratulation, Ozai. You are now the proud father of Princess Zula." Ozai's eyes widened for a minutes in surprise, then squinted together in rage. He slapped his wife, and the Princess rolled away from them, crying.

"A daughter? You gave me a DAUGHTER!" Ozai yelled, and began to backhand his wife again and again, their daughter's screams going unnoticed, except for by one maid.

All through the night, the Fire Lady's screams were heard, and the harsh tone of skin on skin.

Sierra fell to the ground, sobbing at all the bitter memories. After Zula had been born, she had been abused, tortured, her life had become a living hell.

Kellie hugged her mother-in-law, letting her cry, it would always be this way.

This was what was, since the last.

Aww, so sad. Inner Devil: indeed.

Yesterday wuz the Halloween party, and ppl called me the Halloween mascot, cuz I wuz dressed in orange and black, head to foot. 2day wuz spirit, and I disgraced myself by wearing a cheerleader vest. (shakes head) 2morrow I hav a Halloween party, goin as a cheerleader. (shakes head, mutters sumthing bout going as the Grim Reaper next year) and on Sunday, I go 2 c the lion king! Go me!

Until next time, which will hopefully b in another of my stories, like, peace out!

INSANITY AT ITS FINEST
LONG LIVE THE HIPPIES!

Zukoscute2