Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or any of its characters.

This fanfic takes part in the Monthly Competition: January - His/Her Worst Fear from the Forum Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction Challenges. This story contains violent scenes and hints of physical/psychological child abuse. You are warned, you can stop reading, right now and right here.

All any child wants is to be loved by his father… to make his father proud of him… to be happy with him… to be his son…

The Royal's rooms in the Fire Nation Palace were quiet in the cool summer afternoon, the Fire Lord had gone to a formal meeting that morning with princess Azula.

"Now Little one…. Shhhhhh… don't cry…. Momma is here, everything will be okay."

For the last hour, Ursa had tried everything to calm down her eldest son while he was weeping uncontrollably. He had large bruises beginning to form on his face.

"Why did Daddy hit me Mommy? ... sob" asked five –year- old Zuko again and again. "Was it because I am a nuisance? Because he doesn't love me? Isn't he proud of me Mommy? ... sob "

Ursa sighed, her sadness for Zuko printed in all her face. She tried again to soothe him.

"No my prince. Daddy loves you. It's only because he's been stressed lately and you pick a bad time to ask him about teaching you firebending" She softly caressed her son's bruised face, smiling all the time.

"Daddy loves me Mommy?... sniff" asked Zuko with a glint of hope in his teary eyes. "Then I'll be the best firebender in the world so he'll be proud of me!" said Zuko with a big smile on his face.

"Yes my little prince. Your daddy loves you dearly and he will be proud of you."

Ursa has to keep smiling for his son's sake, even if she knew deep down that she was lying to him…

-oOo-

…After all, she didn't have any idea, at the time, that she would have to leave her precious Zuko behind alone with Ozai…

It was a typical warm night in the Fire Nation. Inside the palace, the royal family was dinning, finally together after a long time with Ozai away in a war business trip for months. Both, Azula and Zuko were excited to be able to tell their father about their firebending learning.

"Father you should contemplate the possibility that master Kunyo shouldn't be our firebending teacher anymore" warned Azula with her usual arrogance. When she was sure to have her father's full attention, she continued.

"He seems to forget that I am a firebending prodigy and he keep insisting I practice only my basics, something about self-control before advanced techniques" conclude Azula with a smirk.

"But Azula, master Kunyo is one of the best teachers in Fire Nation! I went through the same training that you are and I did it just fine!" Zuko pointed out.

"Enough both of you!" yelled an angry Ozai. "Azula is correct. Master Kunyo will be sent to the colonies, he doesn't have the right to stop her progress!"

Kuno was frozen in fear by Ozai's outburst while Azula keept smiling all the time. But Ozai hasn't finished.

"And you Zuko! You don't have any right to lecture Azula about firebending, considering that even though she is a year younger, she is already more advanced in the bending art than you. You are pathetic." Said Ozai with his face contorted in an angry gesture to his son.

"Father…" was the only word pronounced by Zuko while tears run by his cheeks.

"While you were lucky to be born and then to be alive thanks to your mother and the fire sages after you didn't show any firebending abilities, your sister had never needed that kind of luck" concluded Ozai looking Zuko's wet face.

"Get out of here. I don't want to see your face again for a long time. It makes me feel sick" Ozai seated again after giving the order to Zuko.

Zuko wordlessly looked at Ozai and Azula for a few seconds before he stood up from the chair and left the dining hall.

'I bring shame to my family and to my country… dad is right… I have to try with all my power… Sorry mother.'

With that last thought, Zuko cried himself to sleep, utterly alone in the dark of his room…

-oOo-

…the sadness and desperation his father woke in him never went away…

"The Earth Kingdom defenses are concentrated here. A dangerous battalion of their strongest earthbenders and fiercest warriors. So I am recommending the forty-first division" said General Bujing showing the strategy in the map to the Fire Lord and the rest of the staff officers.

"But the forty-first is entirely new recruits. How do you expect them to defeat a powerful Earth Kingdom battalion?" asked and elderly soldier.

"I don't. They'll be used as a distraction while we mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait than fresh meat?" finished the General with a smirk on his face.

Before Iroh had time to stop him, Zuko stood up and spoke with great conviction.

"You can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?" said the young prince facing the General.

All in the war hall were astonished when the Agni Kai was set to take place the next day…

On the following day, a crowd gathered around the Agni Kai platform, waiting for the fight to start. Iroh was among them with Azula near him. He looked to his niece and then to the platform with worry in his eyes.

'This isn't right. How could my brother betray the citizens of the Fire Nation throwing their sons into a battle that they have no chance of winning? There is no way a simple disagreement in the war hall ended with an Agni Kai between an old general and the crown prince with only thirteen years old. What if Zuko gets hurt or worst?" were the only thoughts in Iroh's mind.

At that moment, Zuko entered the platform, dressed in only large pants, showing his well-toned body while he did warm up exercises, with his hair tied back in a ponytail. He looked proud to be able to confront an army general face to face.

But everything changed the moment he turned to face his opponent. The last thing he expected was his father to be facing him on the other end of the plataform, ready for the Agni Kai, with an evil smile on his face.

'No... No, no, no, no… not him, not my father…'

"Father?" asked Zuko with a trembling voice. "What do you do?"

"Prince Zuko, because your challenge of General Bujing shows that you do not support the Fire Nation's conquest methods… your father's decisions… you challenged me instead the General, to the Agni Kai. The moment you lose this fight, you'll be banished from Fire Nation."

Iroh was terrified by his brother's words. For Iroh, who has lost Lu Ten several years before, even the possibility, that his brother was crazy enough to hurt his only son, was nonsense. But when he saw the way his nephew flinched with each of his father's words, Iroh knew right then the awful truth: the boy loved and feared irrationally his father and he would do anything in his power to gain his approval, even if his father didn't love him back.

Flinching, Zuko started to cry and instantly he was on his hands and knees, begging for mercy.

"Please, Father. I only had the Fire Nation's best interest at heart. I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!" cried the boy with a broken voice, his heart beating wildly in his chest against the sickening sensation overwhelming him.

Ozai walked up to Zuko and yelled to him.

"You will fight for your honor Zuko!" thundered Ozai.

"I meant you no disrespect father. I am your loyal son!" answered Zuko between sobs.

"Rise… THUMP… and… THUMP… fight, Prince…THUMP… Zuko!" yelled again Ozai hitting ruthlessly Zuko with fists and kicks aimed to his torso without paying any attention to his son's pain screams and the fact he wasn't defending himself.

"No...Sob… No… sob… I won't… Sob… fight you… Sob… father" said a battered and bleeding Zuko, trying unsuccessfully to stand up.

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher" finished Ozai with a malevolent smile in his lips, lifting up his son's face by his ponytail with a hand while he started a big firefist with the other.

'He cannot … He won't dare… shit! Damn Ozai' cursed Iroh while he looked away from the sound of fire blast followed by Zuko's screams from being burned by his own father. A dead silence had fallen upon the entire crowd, only broken by the occasional sob or vomiting noises from sensitive audience.

The last thing Zuko thought before falling into oblivion was that his father hated him…

When there were no more screams, Ozai let go of Zuko, dumping his son's unconscious body unceremoniously to the platform's floor and then he stood up speaking to the crowd.

"All of you had witnessed how my son refused to fight me in an Agni Kai. Prince Zuko had shown shameful weakness and as punishment, he will be banished from this Nation and sent to capture the Avatar. Only then could he return with his honor to me. He will not be welcomed home until he learns to respect his superiors and that sometimes, drastic actions must be taken for the greater good of the nation" Ozai studied the faces in front of him and then asked with a glint of evil in his eyes.

"Anyone wants to join the prince in his search? Hahahaha"

"I'll do brother… I am sure with my training, Price Zuko will be fully able to capture the Avatar" said an Iroh, strongly strained, to an annoyed Ozai.

"Now, if you'll excuse me I'll join Zuko in the infirmary while he recovers enough for the journey ahead" finished Iroh when Ozai's only answer was a hissed "Very well Iroh."

Three days later Zuko and Iroh initiated their journey and in the end Zuko would find the strength to overcome his fear for his father….

-oOo-

In the Day of the Black Sun…

"Because now I know my own destiny and it is at the side of the Avatar and my uncle, MY REAL FATHER. Taking you down is not my destiny, it's the Avatar's destiny." Said Zuko to Ozai while he was holding his swords in the secret chamber where the Firelord was hiding from the Avatar during the eclipse.

"Goodbye Ozai"… said Zuko exiting the doors, without turning once his head.

THE END…?

A/N: Please R&R. Thank you for reading this story and note that this is my first story in english. I want to thank to my betareader KATAANG32, to my readers Devil In My Shoes and Lupita Leal for their revies.