“Dad, do you really have to go tomorrow?” Kichiro asked, looking up at his father. Zuko chuckled.
“I’m going to be gone for three days. I’m just going to some of the outer villages,” Zuko said looking at his son. “Its not like I’m going to Ba Sing Se for a month,” Zuko pulled his son into a warm embrace. Kichiro laughed as he felt his father’s warm arms around him.
“Yeah, but still,” the boy looked up at the Fire Lord. “It feels like you are gone for a month.”
Zuko laughed, ruffling his son’s hair. “I’ll be back before you know it,” he smiled.
“Promise?” the boy’s pale face and golden eyes lit up at the request. “Promise that when you get back, we can go to Ember Island for the weekend?”
“Okay, okay,” Zuko nodded, ruffling his son’s black hair. “We’ll go to Ember Island, just you and me, we’ll leave Mom here,” he smirked.
“No!” Kichiro shook his head. “We have to take Mom too!” the nine-year-old folded his arms over his chest. “Who’s gonna protect Mom if we don’t take her? I hafta protect both of you,” Kichiro said.
Zuko laughed, shaking his head. “Maybe if you work on your firebending some more instead of sneaking off to see the turtle-ducks, you’ll be able to protect me,” Zuko smirked, kneeling down to stare his son in the eye. “But your firebending is only strong enough to protect Mom.”
“That’s not true!” a small blush leapt upon his son’s face.
“Oh, its true,” a woman’s voice added. Zuko and Kichiro looked up.
“Mom!” Kichiro ran towards his mother, wrapping his arms around her petite waist. “Tell Dad that he’s a liar!”
“Zuko, you’re a liar,” Katara said, smiling. Zuko laughed.
“What am I lying about?” he stood up.
“Mom! Tell Dad he’s a lair! That my firebending is strong enough to protect both of you!”
“Kichiro, you have your calligraphy lessons,” Katara said.
“I don’t want to go to them,” Kichiro said.
“How will you become Fire Lord if you can’t read and write?” Katara asked.
The boy smirked. “Pfft, Mom,” he folded his hands on the back of his head, rocking on the balls of his feet. “Don’t you know I’ll only become Fire Lord when Dad dies. And Dad’s gonna live forever!” Kichiro looked at his father. “Right Dad?”
“I don’t about forever,” Zuko smirked.
“Well, you won’t be alone,” Kichiro dropped his hands. “Mom’s gonna live forever too, so, you’ll have Mom with you too,” Kichiro smirked, impressed with his own child-like logic.
“If you say so, but you still need to go to your calligraphy lessons,”
“Aah, do I have to?”
“If you want to be a prince yes,” Zuko said.
“Ah, fine,” Kichiro walked out of his parents’ room. Katara giggled looking at her husband.
“He’s just like you,” she smiled.
“Kichiro is nothing like me,” Zuko said.
“Yes, he is. Iroh told me all the stories about you when you were little, Kichiro is just like you.”
“Your delusional,” Zuko scoffed, walking up behind his waterbending Fire Lady. “Very beautiful,” he kissed her neck. “But delusional.”
“Ha,” she turned and cupped his cheek. “Who’s the delusional one when he thought that beautiful little boy we have would be a girl,” she smirked.
“So I wanted a girl? Is that a crime?” Zuko rolled his eyes.
“Most men want a boy,” Katara shrugged, before kissing him. “I love you though,” she smiled.
“I love you too,” he nuzzled her. “And I don’t want to go on this stupid trip, but I have to,” he smiled.
“Just be careful,” she ran her hand to the middle of his chest, where the burn scar was from the day of Sozin’s Comet. “I can’t bare to lose you again.”
“You won’t lose me,” his free hand found her hand on his chest. “I promise,” he kissed her.



                                                                 ***




The news came rather uneventfully. Kichiro was doing his calligraphy homework, under the branches of his father’s favorite tree, watching his mother waterbend. A white dressed servant walked up to the young prince. They kowtowed before him, which caused Kichiro to raise his eyebrow. “Um…yeah?” he looked at the servant.
“Forgive me, Fire Lord,” the man said.
“Heh,” Kichiro turned his attention back to his homework. “You must be mistaken, but my dad’s the Fire Lord, I’m just a prince,” Kichiro said. “And my dad is gonna live forever.”
“Sire,” the man handed Kichiro the message. “I’m so sorry,” he got up and left. Kichiro looked at the seal of the scroll.
“Mom! A letter from Admiral Jee!” Kichiro shouted. Katara stopped bending, walking over to her son and took the message. She read it. Tears welled up in her eyes before she gave a petrified scream.
“NO!”





                                                                   ***





Kichiro didn’t really understand what happened after the message arrived. He remembered soldiers carrying his father’s body, covered with a red sheet of silk. He remember his mother crying, a lot, his Uncle Sokka and Aunt Ty Lee comforting his mother, even the Avatar and Lady Bei Fong came and tried to cheer his mother up.
He remembered his own coronation. He remember sitting there stalk still, as the head Fire Sage rambled on about something. He agreed to ancient promises, before being named Fire Lord of the Fire Nation, his great uncle Iroh being named regent until he was sixteen.  
He remembered his father’s funeral. How the Avatar gave his father’s eulogy, and the Fire Sages told his father’s lineage, before the funeral pyre was lit with twin blasts of flames. Kichiro remember plucking at his white outfit; still in shock, this wasn’t supposed to happen. His father wasn’t supposed to die. His father was supposed to live forever, they were supposed to go to Ember Island when he came home. It was only for three days.   
He angrily demanded Admiral Jee to tell him what happened. In his rage, he reminded the admiral that he was Fire Lord that he had a right to know how his father died. In the end, the old admiral finally told Kichiro, that his father, the proud, brave, kind-hearted Fire Lord Zuko, was taken down by a bunch of worthless bandits. It was then that Kichiro realized that his father was never coming home; Kichiro fell to his knees and sobbed.




                                                                   ***





Katara stared at the little shrine. She normally told Zuko about her day and how big Kichiro had grown and how they were doing; but not today. Today the pain was just too much for the poor woman to bear. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gripped the cloth that the shrine sat upon. “Argh!” she wrenched it away, the candles falling down, and going out.
“I HATE YOU!” she screamed, violently into the night. “I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” she sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks like furious rivers.
“I hate you so much…for leaving me,” she sobbed. “I wish you were still here,” she sobbed. “I wish you could see your son; he’s grown so much,” Katara whispered.
It was almost like Zuko was in the room with her, she could feel his arms around, hear his voice whispering. “I’m sorry,” in her ear.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too, and I’m sorry for leaving you,” his ghost seemed to whisper into her ear.
“Mom,” Kichiro’s soft voice broke the silence.
“Sweetie,” Katara looked at her son, trying to dry her eyes.
“Are you okay?” Kichiro asked, standing in the light of the hall.
“I’m…” Katara looked away. Kichiro ran up to his mother, ponytail bouncing with each step.
“I miss him too, Mom,” Kichiro whispered, snuggling into his mother’s embrace.
“I know, I know,” Katara sighed, resting her cheek against her son’s head. “I miss him as well.”