Hello old and new readers!

The lack of Zuko/Izumi interactions in Korra bugged me. So I've been working on this new story. It's a departure from my previous multi-chapter stories. This isn't a romance. It's a deeper look at the relationship between a girl and her father. I'm curious to see what interest there is for such a story.

Enjoy the prologue!

The Royal Academy was a school now integrated for both boys and girls. As expected, it had always been the most prestigious school in the Fire Nation for young children. After the end of the Hundred Year War, it had been the first school to completely change their curriculum, with guidance from Fire Lord Zuko, Sokka, and historians from the Northern Water Tribe and Omashu. They not only changed their teachings of history, but have started to slowly amend the style of firebending that was being taught. Now the Academy held the precedent of Fire Nation education.

Fourteen years after the war, there were children of various ages running around in the playground in the back of the academy. Most of them were playing a rather large game of hide and explode. A few others were sitting off to the side, drawing and colouring on their personal scrolls. And then there was eight year old Izumi, Crowned Princess of the Fire Nation, sitting in the corner behind a low-hanging jacaranda tree, reading a scroll from the Yangchen Era of Fire Nation history.

This wasn't particularly unusual. Izumi preferred to sit quietly and read. Especially since many of the other kids didn't seem to like playing with her. Some of them were intimidated by her status. Others simply came from families that weren't completely supportive of her father. Even at the age of eight, Izumi knew that both her father and herself were in complicated positions. So while Izumi genuinely enjoyed quiet reading, it had the added benefit of keeping her out of trouble with the others.

Though it wasn't always successful.

"Princess Izumi."

Senbi appeared from the other side of the red jacaranda blossoms; the son of a son of a nobleman who had been a staunch supporter of Fire Lord Ozai. At the end of the war, the nobleman disappeared along with several other Ozai loyals. Senbi's father, Keichi, was the current head of the house. "Whatcha doing?" Senbi asked.

Izumi looked intently at her scroll, hoping he would go away. "Reading."

Her hopes were dashed when Senbi yanked the scroll from her hands, looking at the content with disdain. "Why are you reading about this old stuff?"

"It's interesting…" Izumi said quietly. She tried to grab it back, but Senbi was larger than her and easily able to keep it away. "Give it back!"

Senbi smiled smugly as he held the scroll in the air above Izumi's head. "My dad says that nothing that happened before Sozin really matters." He dropped the scroll, the paper unrolling as it hit her head.

Izumi knelt down and tried to roll the scroll back up before Senbi stepped on it, or something equally mean. "That's because your dad's brainwashed," she mumbled under her breath.

Senbi had been walking away when he whipped around, his eyes narrowed. Apparently his hearing was better than she thought. "What did you say?" he asked, his face reddening.

Hands shaking slightly, she held the newly wrapped scroll to her chest. She stood and tried her best to avoid being confrontational. "I-It's not his fault… Father says almost everyone his age was brainwashed."

Senbi sneered, though it wasn't that threatening on a nine year old. Izumi had to resist the urge to giggle. "Well I guess that's why the daughter of such a high standing noble would stoop to be with your dad."

At the mention of her mother, Izumi felt a little uncomfortable. Mai had died during childbirth, so Izumi didn't know anything about her. Her father rarely mentioned her, and Grandfather Iroh never said much beyond comparing her to embers or something equally as confusing. Even so, she was pretty sure Senbi was insulting her mother's memory, which just didn't sit right with her. "Osano's not a high standing noble," she pointed out quietly. "He started the New Ozai Society, and has been denounced as an enemy of the state." She turned around and started to walk away. "Please leave me alone. I just want to read."

"Just because your dad says they're traitors doesn't mean they are. My dad says the Fire Lord is a fool and ruining our country."

Izumi stiffened, gripping the scroll even tighter. "Don't talk about my father," she warned.

"Why? Are you too stupid to see that your dad is weak? That he's a traitor - "

Izumi swung her arm around and bashed her scroll into Senbi's head. He seemed momentarily dazed, but quickly recovered, jumping at her with a scream. Izumi ducked and rammed into his stomach and knocking him to the ground. He thrust his hand up and hit her square in the jaw. Her chest burning deeply, she shook the pain off and swatted his arm aside, hitting him again and again and again…

Izumi stared hard at the ground, her legs swinging back and forth under her chair. Her chin was swollen and hurt whenever she touched it. She still couldn't seem to stop poking it, sharp pain shooting across her jaw with every prod.

Just outside the room, she could hear murmurs. No doubt Kanan had come pick her up, and her teacher was explaining what had happened. Kanan was a member of palace guard who was responsible for escorting Izumi to and from school every day. He was also responsible for delivering messages between her school and her father.

The voice got louder and the door was opened. "Izumi?"

Izumi's head shot up. That wasn't her teacher's voice. Or her Kanan's.

"Fire Lord Zuko, I really do think it's better if your daughter stayed home a few days to think about her actions."

The Fire Lord turned back to the teacher with a smile. "Thank you. I agree that that would probably be best." He looked back at Izumi, who looked down and away. She couldn't stand to see her father look at her like… well, like that. "Could you give me a moment with my daughter?

Her teacher respectfully bowed and left, closing the door behind her. Zuko grabbed a chair and pulled it over. His pace seemed slower than it actually was. Izumi could almost taste her father's disappointment in every step. She just wanted to be back in the palace, this conversation already over and done with.

Zuko sat across from his daughter, their knees barely two inches away from each other. "Izumi."

She heard the silent command. She didn't want to comply but knew there was no point in waiting. Gripping the fabric of her pants, she hesitantly looked up and met her father's face. He looked very serious, but didn't seem mad. In fact, his eyes softened in concern as he leaned forward and lightly touched her bruised chin. "How does it feel?"

"It's nothing," she said. "You should see Senbi."

"Izumi…" Zuko chided. He brought his hand back, still watching her with a serious expression. She felt like he was burning a hole through her. "What happened?"

"Sifu… Sifu didn't tell you?"

"She did. But I want to hear it from you. It's so unlike you, Izumi. You're hardly ever violent. You may get into fights sometimes, but what your Sifu described doesn't sound like you at all."

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"Just tell me what happened."

Izumi looked back down at her knees. She wanted to resume her leg-swinging, but she would end up kicking her father if she did. She settled by jigging her leg up and down. "I didn't want to fight," she said. "I tried to walk away. I really did! Senbi just…" The fabric in her hands protested under the strain of her hold. "He called you a traitor."

"Ah, I see." Zuko gently gripped Izumi's hands, rubbing them to get them to release their death grip. "Sweetheart, you know that a lot of people in the Fire Nation think I'm a traitor."

"I know but… but it's not fair! You're not a traitor!"

"No, but life isn't fair, Izumi. It's not fair that most of the world hates me for one reason or another. It's not fair that the hatred pours over to you." He brushed a hand over her hair, smiling sadly. "But this is the world we live in. And many people are completely justified for their hatred of the Fire Nation. Unfortunately, it will probably be another few decades before the world starts to leave the Hundred Year War behind. My only hope is that the world won't hate you by the time you have to take the throne."

Izumi shook her head. "You're not a bad person. You're a really good person. A great person! Why can't people see that!?"

Zuko smiled. "I'm glad you think so. But the world is very angry at our family for starting the war, and many in the Fire Nation are angry at me for ending it."

Izumi frowned. "I don't understand…"

"I know. It's complicated. You'll understand when you're older. In the meantime, you can't physically fight every person who insults us. It would never end. You need to learn to ignore them."

She sighed. "I tried ignoring him… I did ignore him, even when he insulted Mom." Zuko stiffened, and Izumi regretted mentioning it. "It was just when Senbi called you a traitor... I got so angry, I had to hit him!"

Zuko smirked before quickly covering it up, taking a deep breath. "I understand. Really, I do. There have been plenty of times I've wanted to take a swing at some of the more conservative nobles. But you're going to need to learn to let that anger go, like I have. Hurting these people isn't going to make them like our family, is it?"

Izumi deflated. "I guess not."

Placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder, Zuko leaned in until their foreheads were touching. "You're a smart girl. Smarter than most kids your age. It won't be easy, but you'll learn to hear their insults and brush them off with your head held high."

Her father attempted to wrap his arms around her, and Izumi took it as an invitation. So she crawled onto his lap and curled into his chest. "I'm trying…" she said disheartened.

Zuko held her close. "You're doing well. I certainly wasn't as level headed as you are when I was your age. I was always losing my temper and getting into trouble."

Izumi sat up to look at her father. "Really?"

"Really. You have no idea what an incredible child you are." He gave her another squeeze before gently taking her off his lap and standing. "Let's go back home."

Izumi grasped her father's hand. "I really am sorry for fighting."

Zuko smiled. "Apology accepted."

So what do you all think? Want me to continue?