"Move."

Zuko looked at his arms, frustrated.

"Give it time, sweetheart," his mother said. "They're still recovering."

"I know," Zuko said, swallowing. He flexed his hands, then took a deep breath, remembering the instructions from his Uncle Iroh regarding not practicing any firebending yet to let his arms heal up some more.

"Work on your breathing, as that is just as important as the way you move, and that will give your body time to adjust back into moving the way you want to," his uncle said. "And also enjoy being a child, having some fun playing games with the other children."

He'd not, though, seen the other children, the two that visited him the day he woke up, but then—

"How does it feel to finally be able to leave that room of yours?"

Zuko turned his head, bowing slightly to the old woman. "Hello. Thank you for healing me."

The woman gave him a look while Zuko swallowed. He glanced away. "They'll be here soon."

"They?"

"Minato and Hana. You met them the other day," the woman said, humming. "Those are the names your uncle gave them."

"Gave them," Zuko said. "But what are their names."

"Not something you need to worry about," the old woman said. "But I and your mother will leave the three of you to become acquainted."

Zuko glanced over at his mother, watching the look of discomfort on her face. Ursa sighed, then leaned over, placing a kiss on his forehead. "You'll be fine. Uncle Iroh is nearby."

"He's not heading off to war again?"

"His heart..." Ursa started saying. "Never mind. You need not worry about politics yet, Prince Zuko. Particularly since..."

There came a pause, and then she sighed, touching his head lightly. A thought crossed his mind. "Wait. Will Azula be joining us?"

The old woman tensed. "That child?" She shook her head. "That child is as unhinged as her father, but with the rumors circulating, you need not worry about that sister of yours."

"But she's my sister," Zuko said, as a servant who led the Fire Nation youth and Water Tribe girl to the courtyard. He smiled, waving at them, only to discover neither smiled back, instead looking away. The girl looked at her feet, hands behind her back, while the boy looked to the side, one hand gripping his arm.

"And she tried to kill you," Hama said. "You can not be so forgiving, yet if you weren't..." The woman sighed. "If you weren't that forgiving, you wouldn't be who you are, would you?"

"I'm not sure what that means," Zuko stood up. He walked over to Mikoto and Hana, taking a deep breath. "You're as nervous as I am?"

"Water Tribe," the girl said, still looking at her feet.

"So?" Zuko said.

The girl took in a deep breath, letting out a huff.

Mikoto glanced over, then let out a sigh. "What Hana means is, why would you want to be friends with us?"

Zuko frowned, then tucked his arms behind his back. His head tilted. "Shouldn't I be asking the two of you that question?"

"Why?" Mikoto looked up at him, his eyes filled with defiance."

Zuko smiled, letting out a sigh as he looked at the ground as he worried the ground. "Because."

"You're the prince."

"I'm not Azula," Zuko said.

"Azula?" the older boy asked. "She is the one you spoke of earlier. You're sister?"

Zuko frowned. "Of course, Princess Azula is my sister. Everyone..." His eyes blinked. He took a deep breath. "Everyone knows that, don't they?"

"I guess."

Zuko continued frowning, then rather quietly. "You aren't Fire Nation, are you?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No!" Zuko said, his head tilting, the frown remaining. "Just confusing?"

"Confusing?" One of Minato's eyebrows shot up.

"You look Fire Nation, but aren't?" Zuko said.

"Are you really that naive?"

"Naive?" Zuko frowned, glancing away. "Azula says I am."

"Again with this Azula," the boy sighed. "What is so special about this Azula?"

"She can firebend!"

"And you can't?"

"Not like her!" Zuko said. "Or..." He staggered slightly, his arms reaching forward to steady himself at the memory of that night. Someone grabbed onto his arm, catching him before he fell, steadying him. "Like."

A tug at his sleeve—

Zuko looked over at Hana.

"What?" She asked. Then, "What happened?"

"Don't. He's the enemy, Hana."

"Hama says," Hana said, tilting her head.

"That may be, but..." Minato tilted his head. "We need to decide to trust him ourselves."

Zuko nodded his head as the older boy—somehow, he found himself sitting on a bench, looking at his feet. "Trust?" His hands clenched. "Grandfather said..." He pushed his mouth together. "Grandfather said."

"Said what?"

"Azula said..." Zuko muttered, then his eyes closed.

"Your arms."

"It's likely an accident from firebending training," Minato said.

"It's not," Zuko said, looking at the ground. His eyes narrowed. "It was..."

"Was what?"

"Not grandfather. Grandfather..." Zuko bit his lip. "Azula said."

"What did your sister say?"

"She said grandfather told the father to kill me."

"So your father did that to you?"

"What?"

"You know how cruel the Fire Nation can be."

"But..."

"I know. We shouldn't trust them. We've even more reason not to trust them with what he's told us."

Zuko frowned. "It was the father." He took a deep breath, gently touching the scars on one arm. "Father did do this."

"Cruel!" Hana said. "My..." And then she stopped.

"And your grandfather ordered it?"

"I don't know." Zuko's eyes closed. "Azula always lies, and..." He took another deep breath. "Something wasn't right. I don't exactly remember." He tilted his head. "Sorry. I don't want to remember. But grandfather does terrify me."

"Well, he is the Fire Lord."

"Yes," Hana agreed with Minato.

"I remember Azula said," Zuko said. "She said grandfather told the father to kill me, that he was to know the pain of losing a firstborn."

He expected—

Zuko didn't expect silence, but when silence occurred, he looked up at Minato who frowned, saying nothing. He reached a hand up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Does it?" Hana said. "Fire Nation likes to kill." Zuko bulked, confused at what she said, far more words than what she'd said before.

"Well, there is that." The boy sighed, looking up at the sky. "Well, it doesn't exactly make sense despite that."

"Fire Nation..." Zuko said.

"You really are sheltered," Minato sighed. "But killing off your bloodline?"

"Huh?" Zuko's eyes blinked. "But father needed to learn the pain of losing a firstborn, just as uncle did."

"Wait," Hana said. "That man?"

"Crown Prince Iroh lost his son?"

"My cousin. Lu Ten," Zuko said. He lifted his arms out wide. "He was absolutely amazing, but you'd love to meet him." He took a deep breath. "He was the most kind-hearted person ever."

"Sure he was," Minato said, the sarcasm not lost on Zuko.

"He was! Whenever I felt down from failing one of my lessons, he'd always cheer me up when he was home. And it never mattered I was never as good at firebending as Azula. He promised he'd teach me and help me improve. But then..." Zuko lowered his arms. "He died. In the war."

"And the Fire Lord ordered the death of another of his grandsons?" Minato asked.

"Well, yes. To teach father a lesson."

"Are there any other grandsons?"

"No. There's Azula, though."

"Are you dumb?'

"Huh?" Zuko's eyes blinked. "What..."

"The Fire Lord of the Fire Nation has only one grandson left. Do you really think he'd throw that away? What kind of strategy is that?"

Zuko's eyes blinked. "Azula said. And father did—he did."

His hands clenched together. Minato took a deep breath. "Hama said your sister tried to kill you, but did your father as well?"

"Yes." Zuko refused to lie. He swallowed, his head hanging. "Not that either would care."

"I'm confused."

"I'll explain later, Hana," Minato took a deep breath. He rubbed the back of his head. "I get what Hama was saying now, but them succeeding would be far worse for us. I mean, someone who would kill his own son—they can't be trusted."

"I—what?" Zuko looked up.

"You can't, Prince Zuko, trust your father or your sister. They're unhinged."

"You," Zuko swallowed, his mouth twitching. "You really aren't Fire Nation, are you."

"Because I talked ill of the royal family?" Minato glanced away. "It's not sunk in yet that your father's been declared a traitor, has it?"

"I—he," Zuko swallowed. "And Azula? My little sister?"

"Don't know," the boy said, closing his eyes. "But your father, very likely."

"But you could be wrong?"

"Ask your uncle when you're ready," Minato said. "But I'd much prefer to deal with you than them, but as much as I hate it, making sure you inherit the throne instead of any of them—I have to see that through."

"Uh, yeah," Hana said, although her facial features said she wasn't sure what Minato said any more than Zuko did.