Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Purity ❯ Part III- Purity of Pain ( Chapter 3 )

Part III- Purity of Pain

 

It had been three weeks since he had left the Earth Kingdom. Five weeks since he had found out his true parentage. Five weeks since his world had turned completely upside down.

 

And three weeks of intense training with the old Dragon of the West himself.

 

Iroh was an old man, `twas true, but he still fought like a warrior in his prime. He grew weary faster than his pupil, however, so during the times Iroh napped, he instructed the young Prince to practice the forms, if not the actual Firebending itself.

 

Prince Katon. Heir to the Dragon Throne. Son of Fire Lord Zuko and Lady Katara.

 

Katon shook his head. It felt weird knowing that he had a full name, that “Ton” was just a nickname. And his chest felt heavy when he had learned that he had been named for his mother- and for his father's element.

 

And his element, he realized.

 

The whole story had come out about how he had been marked for death, and how his Aunt Ty Lee had absconded with him to safety. His life could and probably would still be in danger, but as a young man, he was more than capable of defending himself against an assassin. Sokka had taught him the ways of the sword well, and Toph had shown him Earthbending moves, even if he couldn't bend that particular element. He'd fought Waterbenders and Earthbenders with only his sword and his hands and lived to tell about it. And now, his body thrumming from the inner fire he now recognized, he felt comfortable enough with his Firebending to finally meet his elusive father.

 

Iroh had commented that Katon's abilities and knack to catch on quickly reminded him of his niece- his father's sister, Azula. She had been known as a prodigy, and it seemed that Katon had the same “spark.” However, Iroh was confident that Azula's insanity would never touch him, as he had been raised in a loving and caring home, whereas Azula had been forced to live under her father's twisted and dark rule.

 

Katon frowned. The more he heard about his father's family the more he was reluctant to meet the Fire Lord.

 

No, he mustn't show fear or hesitation. This man was his blood, and he had a right to meet him. Even if he turned him away, at least he could move forward knowing that he had seen his sire with his own eyes.

 

The ship slowly pulled into dock and Katon stood on the deck beside his great-uncle, wearing a dark red cloak with a voluminous hood. Inconspicuousness was their ally, at least until they reached the Fire Palace.

 

They purchased a pair of ostrich-horses from the local merchant, paying the man in Bei Fong money Toph had given Katon before he left. The merchant, more than pleased with the sale, waved cheerfully farewell as the two men rode away, heading for the capitol.

 

Iroh glanced back at his great-nephew, struck again by the incredible likeness he bore to Zuko in his younger days. If only Ozai hadn't scarred the boy, he would've looked like Katon did now. Memories drifted back and he allowed them to fill his aging mind.

 

Moving his ostrich-horse closer to his serious-looking nephew, Iroh noticed something strange. Zuko was smirking for no apparent reason. Had the young Fire Lord finally lost his mind?

 

“Whyever are you smiling, Zuko? Surely you can share with your uncle. I, too, enjoy a reason to smile.”

 

Zuko didn't look at his uncle- instead, he stroked the feathery mane of his ostrich-horse. “I just came up with a name for my new mount,” he said neutrally.

 

“Oh? What did you name such a fine mare?”

 

“Katara.”

 

Iroh blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

 

“I named her Katara.”

 

“After the Water Tribe girl who helped you defeat your sister two years ago? The powerful Waterbending Master?”

 

“The same.”

 

Iroh muddled that over for a moment. “Perhaps I will regret asking this,” he began, stroking his beard, “but why did you name her Katara?”

 

Zuko's smirk widened. “Because I can ride her as long as I want, as hard as I want, and I won't have to stop until we're both exhausted.”

 

Even eighteen years later, Iroh still found his nephew's wit hilarious.

 

_-_-_-_-_-_

 

The two men stood at the gates of the huge Fire Palace, the younger one staring in open-mouthed awe. “The Bei Fong estate was huge,” he murmured, “but this is bloody enormous.”

 

Iroh chuckled. “As it should be. All the nobility, Advisors, and Council members live here, as does the Royal Family. Come. Let us hope my nephew will be glad to see me after all these years, eh?”

 

Katon hesitated. “Are you sure he will be pleased that I am here?”

 

“One way to find out, my boy. Now, keep your face hidden. No reason to ruin the grand surprise early.”

 

Iroh climbed the grand staircase with the assistance of Katon's strong grip, and regarded the two guards posted at the door. “Move aside, soldiers,” he ordered, pushing back his hood enough to reveal his face. Even though weathered, he was still highly recognized.

 

“General Iroh! Of course, sir!” The guards moved aside, one opening the door for the duo. “It has been a long time, sir. Welcome back to the Fire Nation.”

 

“Thank you,” he replied, folding his hands over his belly. “Let us hope it is a good reunion.”

 

The old man led the way knowingly through the massive hallways. He never faltered in his direction, nodding politely to servants and ignoring the various nobility he passed. Upon reaching a set of large, gilded doors, he merely glanced at the guards- and they immediately bowed using the Fire Nation salute Iroh had shown Katon when he had told him his name. “The Fire Lord is holding an audience right now,” one of them apologized. “You cannot go in just yet, General Iroh.”

 

“I have been away for nearly twenty years,” he informed them, “and I am not going to be turned away now.” He pushed at the doors, the hinges giving way smoothly before him.

 

At the far end of the throne room, on a dais behind a wall of fire, sat a red and gold throne, decorated with gilt flames. The fire silhouetted the figure seated on the throne, so Katon couldn't see the person's features. Iroh walked across the cavernous room slowly but steadily- the walk through the palace had already tired him out. He cursed old age- sooner or later it was going to kill him.

 

The supplicants kneeling on the floor in front of the dais scrambled out of the way as the old man reached them. The shadow on the throne didn't move, but the flames flared momentarily.

 

“Who do you think you are, barging into the Fire Lord's throne room unannounced?” he barked.

 

Iroh pushed his hood back and smiled benevolently. “I think I am someone who deserves a cup of ginseng tea and a `welcome home, Uncle',” he replied.

 

The flames died down so quickly it was if they had never been. The remaining torches around the room remained lit, illuminating the room in a softer, gentler glow. Katon moved back as the man stepped down from the dais and stopped in front of his uncle.

 

Zuko had matured into a handsome man indeed, but there was a pain, a bitterness in his eyes that broke Iroh's heart. His chin sported a short goatee, as opposed to the long one worn by his father, and his hair was pulled back in the standard topknot, but Iroh suspected it too had grown longer. He was thinner than the old man figured he'd be- and he didn't smile. At all.

 

“Welcome home, Uncle,” Zuko said, gazing hollowly at the man he had once regarded as a father. “You will have to wait for your tea, but I am certain I can get some for you.” He snapped his fingers and a dark haired woman appeared. “Mai. Fetch some ginseng tea for my uncle, will you? Bring it to my chambers.”

 

Iroh's gold eyes widened slightly as the woman bowed respectfully- and he caught the glint of gold in her hair. Ursa's crown. Katara's crown.

 

He looked askance at Zuko. The Fire Lord didn't seem to see him as he turned to lead the way to his chambers.

 

Katon took Iroh's arm, helping him along as they walked. The young man was visibly shaken- this cold, emotionless man was his father? What happened to the temperamental, passionate, good-hearted man Iroh had told him about on the ship?

 

If the man hadn't looked like an older, albeit scarred, version of himself, he wouldn't have believed he was in any way related to the guy.

 

Zuko paid no mind to the hooded man assisting his uncle. He opened the door to his private chambers and allowed the older man and his supporter to enter first.

 

Katon led Iroh to a red upholstered chair and sat him gently in it. He spoke in quiet, questioning tones to the old General, who merely smiled and waved him away.

 

Zuko sat down across the mahogany table from his uncle and regarded him coolly. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” he asked. “It's been- what? Twenty years?”

 

“Almost.” Iroh sighed, trying to catch his breath. “Feels like forty, if you ask me.”

 

Zuko's gold eyes flickered from the hooded man back to his uncle. “Is this your bodyguard? Do you fear for your life in my own home?”

 

“Zuko, relax. This young man is a special friend. He has been very kind to an old man like me, and he had a desire to meet the famed Fire Lord.”

 

“Is that so.” Zuko stood up again and walked around the table, coming close to Katon's face. The younger man took a few steps backwards, suddenly thinking this was a bad idea. “What is your name, boy?” he snapped.

 

“Stop that, nephew. You're only scaring him.”

 

No emotions stirred in those topaz eyes. They were dull and lifeless, but Katon suspected there was still something alive in the cold Fire Lord's heart- otherwise, he wouldn't humor his uncle the way he continued to do.

 

“M-m-my n-name is… um…” Katon tried to say.

 

“Speak clearly, boy,” Zuko ordered, staring at him directly. “And remove that hood. You look like a damned ghost.”

 

With trembling hands, the teen pushed back his hood and stared defiantly at the Fire Lord. “My name is Katon,” he said clearly, proud that his voice no longer shook.

 

The look on Zuko's face could only be described as flabbergasted. Gold eyes met blue as Zuko took a step closer, noting the boy's height matched his own. If Zuko didn't know better, he would've sworn he was looking at a younger version of himself, even though at his age, he'd already had the scar for three years.

 

“My son?” he whispered. “My… Katara's… son?”

 

Katon noticed the way he said his mother's name, almost as if he were whispering the most sacred of prayers. He nodded.

 

“They told me you were dead,” Zuko said in a cold voice. Katon suspected the man hadn't shown emotion in the last decade and a half, and simply didn't know how to express them. At least, he hoped.

 

“There was an attempt on my life,” the boy agreed. “And it was thought better if I were taken away and raised elsewhere until the time came where I could return.” Partially the truth, but he didn't care. His stomach was in absolute knots, waiting to see what kind of reaction his sire would have.

 

Zuko's golden gaze was hard, unrelenting. Katon had an uneasy feeling that the Fire Lord didn't believe him.

 

A knock sounded at the door and it abruptly opened, revealing the dark-haired woman from before, carrying a tray bearing a teapot and some teacups. She paused as she noticed Zuko staring coldly at a young man of the same height. The teen glanced at her and she gasped, dropping the tray with a crash. Pottery flew everywhere and tea splashed the front of her gown and all over the floor.

 

“Mai,” Iroh crooned, bowing his head ever-so-slightly. “It is good to see you doing so well after all these years.”

 

“General Iroh,” Mai replied, her voice colder than even Zuko's had been. Her tan eyes turned to Katon. “Who is this?”

 

Iroh smiled. “May I present Crown Prince Katon, heir to the Dragon Throne,” he announced. He eyed the shattered teapot at her feet. “Pity about the tea. I was so looking forward to it.”

 

Mai ignored him. “Zuko… is this true? Is this… boy… your son?”

 

“My son is dead,” he replied, turning away from Katon. “You know that.”

 

“Zuko,” Iroh reprimanded in the gentle way he had. “Your son was kidnapped from his crib when he was barely a week old. There was no body- how do you know this young man is not who he says he is?” He smiled at Katon before turning back to the icy Fire Lord. “Even you can see the family resemblance.”

 

Zuko spun around so quickly his robes fanned out around him, looking like dragon's wings. “My son is dead,” he hissed again at the old man, smoke appearing from his nostrils. “Take this imposter and get the hell out. If that is the only reason you've returned- to taunt me and bring up the past that has long been scattered to the winds- you should've stayed in the Earth Kingdom.”

 

Iroh stood up slowly, frowning. “I thought you would be overjoyed at your son's return. After all, you have no heir to the Dragon Throne, do you?”

 

Mai's tan eyes narrowed as her cheeks turned red, her hands clenching into fists. “That is none of your business!” she snapped.

 

Zuko was already at the door. He paused for a moment, his golden gaze turning back to Katon, who couldn't help but look at him in pained confusion.

 

The Fire Lord's mirror image lifted a hand towards him hesitantly, as if to say “don't go.”

 

Zuko's icy mask fell for a mere heartbeat, replaced by an expression of complete and utter longing, before the coldness returned as he swept out of the room.

 

_-_-_-_-_-_

 

It had been a little more than a year since Katara and Katon's deaths. The Advisors and the Council both teamed up against the still-grieving Fire Lord and practically ordered him to take another bride, this time one of Fire Nation blood.

 

His wounded heart was silent as he stood before the sages a second time. Had it really been only four years ago he had stood here with a joyous smile on his face as Katara agreed to love him, honor him, and be by his side forever? Had it really only been two years since he had seen her smiling face, experienced her ire when he did something stupid, sparred against her incredible talents?

 

Had it really been less than two years since his heart froze into a block of ice so cold no amount of his Firebending blood could melt it?

 

He found himself in the royal bedchamber that evening, his dull golden eyes looking over the room and seeing memories everywhere. He glanced at the bed and stopped.

 

Mai lay there, dressed in a brick red robe and her hair down. She looked at him expectantly.

 

That's right. He had to consummate the marriage. It was his duty.

 

He had to sire an heir. It was his duty.

 

Removing his robes slowly, almost mechanically, he joined the pale-skinned woman on the bed. Her form was slender, lithe, warm and willing. She opened her robe and her arms to him and he found he couldn't go to them.

 

Mai was no fool. She knew this was her only chance to get Zuko's love back. She stroked him and kissed him, doing everything she possibly could to arouse him.

 

Being a young, passionate male, Zuko was helpless against her ministrations. Soon he pinned her beneath him and he took her, roughly, harshly, his eyes still vacant as he stared hard at the headboard, his mind somewhere two years in the past.

 

She whispered his name and he froze, mid-copulation. Looking down at her he saw pale skin. Not mocha. Tan eyes, not blue. Black hair, not chocolate brown.

 

He pulled off of her as if he had been slapped in the face with ice water. I've betrayed her was the only thing his pained mind could conjugate, repeating over and over again inside his head.

 

 

Pulling on his robes with horrified, shaking hands, he fled the bedroom and returned to his office, locking the door and curling up in a ball in the corner by the window- the window that overlooked the moonlit ocean.

 

I've betrayed Katara.

 

He never touched Mai again.

 

_-_-_-_-_-_

 

Zuko now stood in his office, his sanctuary, gazing silently at the ocean that had lovingly accepted his Waterbender's ashes so many years ago. At night, especially when the moon was full, he sometimes thought he saw her, dancing on the waves, thanking him for returning her home.

 

Even after all this time… his soul still belonged to her.

 

Oftentimes he had contemplated taking his own life, just so he could join her once more, but Agni frowned upon that- and just his luck, he'd end up in hell while she danced in the Spirit World.

 

So he lived his life, one day blurring into the next. He didn't know when it was that he stopped caring, stopped enjoying what living had to offer- but he suspected it was when his son had been taken. Without Katara by his side was hard enough, but to have his last link with her killed and burned to ash…

 

A knock on his door preceded Mai's arrival. Her usually expressionless face showed irritation today. It might've been amusing if Zuko hadn't killed off all his humor years ago. “What do you want, Mai?”

 

“You can't honestly believe that boy is really your son,” she said without preamble.

 

“Of course not. The boy is probably just someone my uncle found that happens to look like me. He did a fine job, I must admit, but there's no possible way Katon still lives.”

 

Mai still didn't relax. “If the Council or your Advisors hear about this, questions will be raised,” she observed. “What will you tell them?”

 

“The truth. Katon died shortly after he was born.”

 

Her tan eyes shot sparks as sharp as the senbon she threw. “They are still furious with you because we have not provided the Fire Nation with an heir,” she reminded him coldly.

 

“Nor will they get one,” he growled, turning and facing her, his face finally showing some emotion- fury. “They can have some distant cousin take the Dragon Throne. Or better yet, the Earth King's bear. Bosco would make a better Fire Lord than me.” He walked over to her and glared down at her, managing to intimidate even the cold-blooded Lady. “You will never get a child from me.”

 

“Why?” she asked, hating that her voice was pleading. “It's been sixteen years, Zuko! Katara is dead! I'm still alive, I still love you! If you'd just let go of your pointless mourning and forget about that weak little Waterbender, I could give you sons to be proud of!”

 

By all rights, he should've backhanded her. In truth, he wanted to. But he was incapable of striking a woman, even one as deadly as Mai, no matter how much she deserved it. Instead, he merely gave her an ice-cold, bored look. He knew how to strike her where it hurt the most- and it wasn't physically.

 

“I will never share your bed, Mai, nor will I ever touch your body seeking release. To do so would break my promise to my wife… and I will never dishonor her, even in death. Seek your sons elsewhere- you will get none from me.”

 

With that, he left the pale-skinned woman to scream curses at him as he walked away down the hallway, seemingly oblivious to her hatred. He almost expected to be struck in the back with her knives, but he knew her well- she didn't dare strike down the Fire Lord and lose her title and rank as Lady and all the perks that went with it.

 

Hence why she put up with their charade of a marriage for the past decade and a half.

 

_-_-_-_-_-_

 

Katon sat in the window of the room he had been given, which was a guest room off of Iroh's chambers. His rooms remained as they had when he had left, maintained by the loyal servants for his eventual return. The small guest room was more than enough for the young Firebender, though he found himself staring at the ocean as though it held the secrets to his life.

 

“Your mother is out there, you know.”

 

He turned to look at Iroh, who had entered so silently he hadn't heard him. “I'm sorry?”

 

“Your mother. The servants say she was cremated, which is our custom, and then her ashes returned to the sea, which was her Tribe's custom. So your mother now lives in the tides, haunting your father with every wave.”

 

Katon shook his head. “He says he's not my father,” he said dejectedly. “You heard him. His son is dead. How am I to know where I belong now? Perhaps I have no parents at all. I think I should go back to Mom and Dad's. I mean, Toph and Sokka's. I'm sure they'll take me back.”

 

Iroh moved to the young man's side, holding out a picture. “Look at this, my boy,” he murmured.

 

The teen accepted the frame and gazed at the image. A young couple, probably in their late teens, smiled almost secretly at each other. The woman had dark skin and dark hair, but bright blue eyes. The man's black hair was loose, hanging over his eyes, which were of the purest gold. He was dressed in a simple red tunic, whereas she wore blue, trimmed with white.

 

The man could've been Katon.

 

Except for that scar.

 

Katon lifted his blue eyes to the old man. “I don't understand. Who are they?”

 

“That is my nephew, Zuko, shortly after he started dating your mother. She was beautiful, yes?”

 

His attention snapped back to the picture. “This… this is my… mom? And… my dad? That ice-cold grump that just denied me to my face is this guy here?”

 

“Indeed.”

 

He ran his fingertips over the image of his mother. Even in the picture he could tell she possessed intelligence, wit, and a defiant spark. No wonder his father had fallen in love with her.

 

“But the Fire Lord said-!”

 

“Zuko is not feeling with his heart anymore,” Iroh interrupted. “He listens only to what the Advisors and the Council say now, which is why the Fire Nation is in such calamity. That is why he needs you.”

 

“Me? Why me?”

 

“Because you are your mother's son,” he replied. “You have her same gentle, caring nature, her compassion, her intelligence. If anyone could melt his heart, it would have to be the son of his beloved Waterbender.”

 

Katon's oceanic gaze took in his mother's beauty, her confident stance, her special smile, as if she didn't want the man next to her to know she was happy. And she was. She was happy- Katon simply knew it. She loved his father… and he loved her just as much.

 

“She loved Father so much… she gave up her life… so that I could be born,” he said, his voice breaking.

 

“She loved you so much,” Iroh corrected gently. “The unconditional love of a mother is a powerful thing. And I know Zuko would've gladly traded his life for you both, had he been able to.”

 

“Then why doesn't he accept me?” Katon thundered, pain lacing every word. “How can he not see that I am his son? Hell, I've known about it for less than a month, and I believe it!”

 

Iroh nodded sagely. “Then you will have to prove it to him. Show him your abilities. Prove to him you have the blood of Agni in your veins. Prove to him you have the right to sit upon the Dragon Throne- and bring the Fire Nation back to the glorious, peaceful, prosperous country it should be.” He turned away from the window and the brooding teenager. “Come with me. I have a special place for you to train.”

 

Katon stood up and straightened his dark red tunic, feeling very strange wearing something other than blue or green. He followed the old General down the corridor and through some doors to a covered walkway, surrounded on either side by a fairly large grassy area. The section to his left held a small water fountain and pond, filled with lily pads and cattails, with a small family of turtle-ducks quacking nearby.

 

Iroh led him to the opposite side, where there were few trees and an open space, perfect for sparring. “Now, we will begin the warm up. Once you have made it through all your stances, we will bring in one of the guards for you to practice against. Only then will we move on to your swordsmanship.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

The breathing exercises calmed him, bringing his troubled thoughts back to peace. The measured steps focused his mind, allowing him to harness the fire flowing within him. When Iroh summoned one of the guards to practice his Firebending against, he was more than ready.

 

Moving with a graceful ease and balance reminiscent of the most powerful Waterbending Masters in the world, as well as the unmovable strength of the Blind Bandit herself, the young Firebender easily trounced both guards Iroh summoned to fight him.

 

The old man chuckled as Katon helped the second guard to his feet. “You're getting too good at this, my boy,” he observed. “I don't know if there's anyone here that stands a chance against you.”

 

One man entered the area unnoticed, a strange glint in his eyes. A knife flew through the air towards the black-haired teen, headed straight for his temple.

 

A swing of his sword cut the knife out of the air a scant hair's breadth before it killed him. Blue eyes locked on the man in black, scowling as the man leapt nimbly from sight just as the column of fire hit the tree branch where he'd been crouching.

 

“So the assassins appear,” Iroh murmured, stroking his beard as though expecting this. He had to admit- he was incredibly impressed with Katon's reflexes and instincts. Just like his father, in that regard. “I believe that was just a warning shot.”

 

“So someone believes I'm the Fire Lord's son,” Katon mused.

 

“And intends to dispose of you before you can prove that to Zuko.”

 

The doors to the garden slammed open and the man in question appeared, all glowering ire. “What is going on?” he demanded.

 

Iroh merely glanced at his nephew calmly. “Why, I was just having Katon do some training,” he explained. “We were interrupted by a most rude gentleman in black, but I believe we can continue undisturbed now.”

 

Zuko's eyes grew hard at his uncle's easy use of his deceased son's name. “This boy is not Katon,” he repeated. “And what man in black?”

 

Katon picked up the knife and spun it between his fingers. “The one who tried to impale this into my skull,” he replied dryly, ignoring his sire's anger.

 

Zuko snorted. “Must be a poor shot if he missed an unarmed boy.”

 

The tip of Katon's sword came up swiftly and was at the Fire Lord's throat before he could react. “Who says I was unarmed?” he murmured, his voice deceptively soft.

 

Zuko's eyes locked on the black blade of the sword. “I… I know that sword,” he whispered. “That's… that's…”

 

“Sokka's space sword. Yeah. He went back to Master Piandao and forged another one for me when I was eight. Then he convinced that old geezer to train me as he had trained him.” He shook his head, a small smile on his face. “He got all moody and depressed when I surpassed him and defeated Master Piandao when I was only twelve.”

 

The look of shock on Zuko's face was priceless. “You… knew Sokka?”

 

“Until about a month ago, I thought he was my father. So, yeah. I know him.”

 

Katon's sword dropped from Zuko's throat. Zuko gazed at him, genuinely confused and utterly curious. “Then… Sokka raised you? Alone?”

 

“He married Mom- Toph- when Ty Lee dropped me off when I was just a baby. The two of them took care of me and raised me alongside their two real kids as if I were one of their own.” Katon's blue eyes hardened. “They never questioned my heritage.”

 

“Ty Lee?” Zuko held his head in his hand. “Ty Lee took you from me?” he whispered.

 

“She saved my hide,” Katon hissed. “If it weren't for her, I would be fertilizer right now.”

 

Zuko turned away from the boy and their uncle as Katon's words finally registered. “Wait. Toph… married Sokka…?” He chuckled. Katon blinked. “Champ… married Boomerang Boy…” He snickered.

 

Abruptly, the icy Fire Lord was laughing out loud, tears streaming from his eyes. “Oh, Agni,” he gasped, unable to catch his breath, “I would've never seen that coming.” He wiped the wetness from his cheek, still grinning like crazy. “That's like Ty Lee marrying Aang.”

 

“They have two kids, both girls, both Airbenders. They live at the Southern Air Temple.”

 

Zuko stared at Katon as if trying to see if the boy was messing with him. At his completely honest expression, he roared with laughter.

 

“Well,” he chuckled when he could finally breathe again, “I guess that one makes more sense. I always suspected Ty Lee had Air Nomad blood in her. And her natural cheerfulness and perkiness constantly reminded me of Aang.”

 

Iroh stepped forward, his gold eyes shining. “So… you still have a sense of humor,” he observed. “You still know how to laugh at amusing things.”

 

Zuko's smile lingered as he regarded his uncle. “Well, come on,” he muttered. “Toph with Sokka? I'm surprised she hasn't killed him yet, let alone raised two kids with him.”

 

“Three,” Katon corrected.

 

The Fire Lord ran a critical eye over the young man claiming to be his deceased son. In the sunlit garden, the resemblance to Zuko was even more uncanny.

 

“Can you bend?”

 

Katon blinked. “I found out I was able to bend about two months ago,” he confessed.

 

His expression seemed to grow sad. “Waterbender?”

 

“Firebender.”

 

Now Zuko was surprised. Again. He hadn't show this much emotion in an age. “You're a Firebender?”

 

“Yeah. And Uncle Iroh says a damn good one.”

 

Walking over to the tree nearby, Zuko removed his robes, leaving him dressed in only black pants and his tunic. He took up a Firebending stance across the field from Katon. “Prove it. If you are really my son, you should be able to bend fire like Agni himself.”