Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever had anything to do with AtLA or Nickelodeon.

"BG means "Before [Air Nomad] Genocide" which happens when Aang is 12 years old.

…

Chapter 2

BG 25

"Zarah, you're never going to guess what I have been chosen for!" A kind-eyed man in armors said as he came rushing home.

"What is it Alonzo?" She asked as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"I've been chosen to lead one of Fire Lord Sozin's new colonies in the Earth Kingdom!" The man excitedly told his wife.

"That's wonderful news." Then the woman's smile fell. "What about our home here?"

"It will stay ours!" He told her. "I have to get the settlement setup before you and Zakai can join me there. I'll be a governor Zarah! A governor! I'll finally be able to give you the life you deserve!" Zarah looked around their small home, she had spent years turning it into a home. This was where her son was born, where she raised him for the last seven years. He could see the sadness in her eyes. "There we will have a huge estate, servants to do the chores, a tall wall all the way around the estate and a huge garden for Zakai to play in… and maybe with our bigger house and more money, we can try for that baby girl you want." The last line left her with a large smile.

"That would be wonderful!" She told him. After their son Zakai was born the couple decided their how was too small and he made far too little money to have another child. It broke Zarah's heart because she always wanted a baby girl.

"Mama I'm home from school!" Her sweet little boy called as he walked into the kitchen for a snack. "Daddy! You're home early!" The boy wrapped his arms around the fit man. "Can you teach me more firebending? Please?" The boy had a pouty face on that was so pathetic that it made his parent laugh.

"Of course I can!" The man laughed as he scooped the scrawny boy up in his arms and squeezed him tightly. "Oh No… It's coming!" The man started laughing as the boy in his arms squirmed around. "It's going to get you!"

"No!" The boy hollered as he wiggled around.

"Too late, it's already here!" The man started tickling his son, and kissing the boy all over his face.

"No Dad! No! Boy kisses Yuck!" The boy yelled. After adding a few more on his son's face he stopped and set him down.

"One day you're going to miss my kisses." Alonzo told the boy as he swatted at his butt. "Go to the backyard, I'll be out in a minute."

"I'm so happy Zarah! We finally made it!" He told her. "I knew is I stuck it out and worked hard we'd finally get a step up!"

"A step up?! More like a few whole stories up!" She laughed as she kissed him. "It's going to be wonderful… but how are we going to survive while you are gone?"

"That's the beauty of it! They will be taking care of you here, everything you need, and paying me there too!" He smiled down at his wife. "The Fire Nation has been so prosperous under Fire Lord Sozin's rule that we are going to share our prosperity with the rest of the world!"

"Dad!" The boy popped his head through the open door. "I'm ready! Hurry up!"

"Okay, okay! I'm coming." The older man chuckles as he followed the boy back out the door. Zarah laughed, Zakai was just like his father, and he wanted to know everything he could about firebending. He had even told his parents that he was going to join the Armed Forces just like his father.

Zakai may have been a scrawny little seven year old boy but he had the heart of a man. Whenever his father had to go away he'd take the role of the man of the house, protecting his mother and doing all the man's chores around the house. And in his free time he was building a small clubhouse in the far corner. He did work for his neighbors to earn money as well.

"Ok, Zakai, We're going to do three fire punches and a kick." The man told his son. "Ready?" The boy put a determined look on his face and gave a single nod. "One, two, three, kick!" he said to his son as the boy copied his moves exactly.

"Come on Dad, I'm ready to learn more!" Zakai said turning to his father. "We've been working on punching and kicking for a whole month now, I can do it fine watch!" The boy flawlessly repeated the moves ten consecutive times in a row. "See I practice all the time, please teach me the next set."

"I guess you little boy is growing up! Okay on to the next set then." Zakai's father said causing the boy to jump up and down excitedly clapping his hands. "This one is a bit more difficult, we're going to learn the squat and sweep, watch me closely." Alonzo punched the air twice then dropped down on one foot kicking and sweeping at his invisible opponent with his free leg producing a flame out the bottom of his foot. The move would effectively sweep the opponent's legs out from under him causing him to fall and lose any advantage he could have. "Now you try."

Zakai mimicked his father's moves, punched perfectly, but when it came time to do drop down onto one foot Zakai failed miserably, falling over each time he attempted the move. "Why. Can't. I. Get. It!" The boy said, frustrated that the move wasn't as easy as it looked.

"Patience my son, you'll get it I promise!" Alonzo patted the boy on his shoulder. "You are a great firebender for your age, just keep practicing."

"Okay Dad." The boy said then repeated the move over and over. The man went back into the house to see who dinner was coming along.

"We will tell him the news at dinner tonight." Zarah told her husband as she cut the slab of meat in front of her into cubes for the stew she was making. Her favorite spot in the whole kitchen was at a window that gave her the perfect view of her son practicing every day. "He wants to be just like you." She told her husband as he came up behind her encapsulating her in his loving arms.

"Just like me?" He asked her.

"Yeah, he loves you so much… I think it will break his heart to know you have to go away for a little while." She told her husband.

"I know but in the colony he will make new friends and have a better yard to practice in." Alonzo smiled, "Forget the clubhouse, he could build a whole house in our yard." He chuckled." Besides it won't be for a while, they are still choosing soldiers that will go to get the colony set up."

…

"Zakai, dinner is ready!" His mother called through the open window. The boy was still practicing the move, she smiled seeing that he almost had the drop down part mastered, he fell over less often.

"Okay Mom, I'm coming." Zakai told her then attempted the move just one more time before heading towards the house.

"Wash up first!" She yelled as he passed their water well.

"Okay mom!" He tossed the weighted bucket into the deep stone lined hole, he waited a minute then brought the full bucket back to him. After plashing water on his face he poured the rest of the water into another bucket to bring the water inside. His mother always used this water to make tea to go with their dinner. Just as Zakai came in with the water there was a knock at their door. Zakai set the bucket on the counter then ran to the door and opened it.

"Hello Zakai! You are growing so fast!" The man at the door was Alonzo's right hand man, he knew the family well and the family knew him well.

"Mom! Dad! Ozone is here!" Zakai hollered.

"Hello Ozon! Such a pleasure to see you! We were just about to sit down to dinner, would you like to join us?" Zakai's mother asked.

"That would be lovely Zarah, thank you so much." Ozon happily took the invitation. Everyone sat around the table, filling their bowls as the food was passed around. "Alonzo you are one lucky man, I wish I had a family like yours… A beautiful wife that is an amazing cook and a handsome son, he's growing like bamboo!"

"I'm sure that one day you will find yourself a wonderful wife and have lots of children." Alonzo told him

"Zakai, your father has some great news he wants to share with us." Zakai's mother said as she reached across the table and squeezed her husband's hand supportively.

"Zakai, I have been chosen to be the governor of one of Fire Lord Sozin's new colonies! We will have a bigger house and I will be making a lot more money!" His father explained.

"Really?!" The seven year old boy humped out of his seat. "I can't wait to go! When do we go?"

"Well here's the hard part… I have to go over without you to get the colony set up then you and your mother will be joining me a little later."

"But… but what about training? You can't just leave without me not knowing how to firebend!" Zakai began to panic. "If you're gone how will we have money to eat? I… I'm not old enough to work."

"Slow down…" Alonzo laughed. "It won't be for a while Zakai, I will still be here to teach you. Once you and your mother join me I can teach you more than too."

"Are you going too, Ozon?" Zakai's mother asked him.

"I'm Alonzo's right hand man, wherever he goes I go!" Ozon answered then took a bite of his food. "Mmmmmm." He hummed as he chewed.

"Maybe you'll find a sweet Earth Kingdom girl to settle down with." Alonzo said with a laugh punching his best friend in his shoulder.

"I just hope she's a great a cook a Zarah." He said then stuffed his mouth again.

…

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