Katara walked out to the turtleduck pond with a tray full of hot kale cookies that the palace chef had handed her a few minutes prior. As she neared, Katara could hear her three children giggling.
"What next Daddy? What Next?" squeaked the littlest one, a girl of 6. She had jet black hair and brown skin like her mother, which was distinctly darker than that of her siblings.
The oldest of them, 11-year-old Iroh rolled his little gold eyes responding, "You know what happened Kya, he's told this story like a bajillion times now" He flopped face-down into the grass and groaned. His mop of dark hair covering his face.
Zuko was seated against the trunk of a large tree near the pond, mildly amused by his children's antics when he spotted Katara as she emerged from around a corner.
"Hah, perfect timing. I'm in the middle of telling the story of how I got this scar" He indicated his chest, which was currently bare, as they had been swimming.
She smiled, kissed him on the forehead, and seated herself next to her husband. Placing the cookies in between the children.
The middle child, Izumi, had been sitting quietly and intently. But at the sight of cookies, she immediately reached forward and grabbed the three closest to her. She then scooted over to her mother and leaned into her lap as she began to munch. Izumi looked almost exactly like her brother but for her bright blue eyes. With those eyes, she stared sleepily up at her mother.
"Alright then, go on!" Katara prodded Him.
Zuko took a deep breath, "Well there I was ready to fight my sister in Agni Kai… but just before Azula made her first move, I saw her eyes shift to my right, right where your mother was standing behind me. As she sent out that bolt of lightning, I had less than a second to react and save my friend. Suddenly ZAP! All I could feel was electricity. But this time I wasn't directing it"
Kya gasped, her face showing both concern and interest as she leaned forward.
"The next thing I knew I was on the ground. But I could see Her and my sister fighting and chasing her all around the courtyard. For too many minutes I lay there, unable to think too much because of the pain"
Iroh had leaned up onto his elbows to listen, and Kya's eyes were as wide as they'd ever been. Her mouth agape.
Katara cut in, "This was when Azula turned her rage toward me. She chased me all around the courtyard. She almost got me several times, even in her maddened state. But finally, I got the better of her"
"All of a sudden I was being rolled over, and I see your mother. She saves me with-"
"-Her magic water, right?" Izumi asked from her position on Katara's lap.
"Yup. And once the pain had died down, I just said, 'thank you katara'"
Katara added, "And then I said, 'I think it's me who should be thanking you'"
Zuko smiled warmly at his wife.
"How long after that did you guys get married?" asked little Kya.
"That wouldn't be for a while" Zuko replied, "Actually, we didn't even start dating until months later"
"WHAT?!" She replied bewildered, "You guys should've gotten married right after that!"
Katara answered, "Well a lot was going on right then sweetie. We still had to help the whole world figure out what to do after the end of the war"
"Yeah, obviously there are more important things to do than getting married" Iroh taunted.
"Right. Like taking baths before our trip to Republic City tomorrow" Katara said, shifting Izumi off of her lap, and standing.
"Aw mom, can't we hear another story?" Kya begged.
"No, no," Zuko said, also standing, but picking up Kya as he did, "We should all be getting ready if we want to be there in time"
After a few more half-hearted complaints, all five members of the royal family, and a half-full tray of kale cookies, headed back inside the palace.