Mike and Bryan own the Avatar universe. I only play.

"...And what about this, daddy?" Izumi asked, her tiny fingers wiping off the dust from the blue Kabuki mask she retrieved from the large chest. "What's this? It's pretty!"

Zuko's eyebrows furrowed as he gently grabbed the item from his daughter's hands.

"This is nothing, sweetheart," He replied, smiling to himself. His pulse quickened, his excitement parallel to that of his daughter's upon laying eyes on the Blue Spirit's mask for the first time in years. "Daddy used to be in a play, and he had to wear this mask." Zuko lied.

Izumi's golden eyes widened in surprise. "You were in a play, daddy? What was it like? I've never seen a play before! Will you take me to see one soon?" She adjusted her legs in a cross-like position against the old, creaking floorboards, her fingers intertwined together and thrilled at the thought.

"I'll take you to one soon," Zuko promised, placing the palm of his right hand near his heart. "Daddy swears on his honor." Izumi beamed in response, and proceeded to dig her hands into the remaining pile of objects in the chest.

"We should go treasure-hunting more often, dad!" she giggled, and the Fire Lord watched his five-year-old in awe, her porcelain skin covered in blotches of dust and beads of sweat.

"And you know who else likes looking for treasure in the attic?" Zuko bellowed, smiling. "Pirates!

Arghh!"

Izumi laughed.

"Arghh!" Her father repeated playfully, suddenly grabbing her by the waist, enveloping her in a tight embrace. "For stealing me treasure, ye shall walk the plank!" Zuko said, trying to deepen his voice. Izumi burst in another fit of giggles, trying to escape.

"No, dad! I wanna be a pirate too! Not a hostage," she stuck her tongue out, making her way back towards the chest. "And since we're both pirates, you have to help me look for treasure as well. Okay?"

Zuko nodded sternly. "Aye, matey!" He cried, bending his index finger to create a makeshift pirate's hook. Izumi giggled again at his father's lack of impersonation skills, nodding back, and they both proceeded to dig their hands into the contents of the large wooden chest of Zuko's past belongings.

"Aye, dad! I found something!" Izumi called, and from her tiny hands she produced a small, elongated box, dusty and made of mahogany. Using her robes, she began wiping the box clean, and at this, Zuko grabbed the mahogany from her hands.

"Oh sweetheart, not your robes," he shook his head, wiping the dust off with his palms. "Your mother will be furiou—"

"Dad?" Izumi suddenly asked as her father stopped mid-sentence, her eyes curious. "What's wrong daddy?"

Zuko's gaze shifted from his daughter to the long, mahogany box before him. As too much dust had gathered on top of it, he carefully brushed it off, and, hands shaking, he slowly opened it, unconsciously ignoring her daughter's worry.

"Daddy?" Izumi asked again, but Zuko remained frozen on the spot, eyes gazing upon the contents of the box, his hands grazing upon the detail of the betrothal necklace that now lay on the palm of his hand.

The collar was a deep, midnight blue, and on its center rested a shard of an unknown, pearl-like gem—waves of water were carefully carved into it, engulfing what looked like a diminishing ball of fire, almost akin to the Fire Nation insignia.

"Dad?" Izumi asked again. From afar loud footsteps could be heard as they approached the small attic, but Zuko's silence lingered even as the footsteps drew closer.

Three knocks on the door surfaced. Zuko quickly snapped himself back into reality, registering his surroundings.

"Enter," he said sternly.

As the door opened, one of the Fire Servants appeared, his scarlet robes flowing down all the way to the floor.

"My lord," he bowed towards Zuko, and turned to Izumi afterwards. "Princess Izumi," the servant acknowledged, before he continued. "Fire Lady Mai awaits you both at the dining chambers. Supper will be ready soon."

"Dad?" Izumi asked yet again, softly this time, nearing towards her father. "What's wrong, dad?"

Zuko pecked her on the cheek. "It's okay, sweetheart, daddy's fine. Why don't you go ahead and join your mother for dinner?" He smiled. "I'll be following soon."

Izumi nodded, and proceeded to bow towards her father before exiting the attic's doors, briskly walking past the Fire Servant.

"Please escort her," Zuko requested, and the servant bowed as well, gave Zuko a stern nod, and in a second, began catching up with Izumi. Her footsteps, along with the Fire Servant's, were gone within minutes.

A heavy silence lingered.

Zuko was now left alone in the small attic, dustmites and cobwebs surrounding almost every crevice of the room. He clutched the collar of the necklace tighter—the blue had faded a bit from the time that had passed, but there was no hiding its vibrance. To Zuko, the cobalt of the collar and the pastel shade of the shard of gem shone brightly despite its age. He could swear that it was glowing as he surveyed his own carving further.

And there Zuko sat still, clutching on the collar of the necklace as if for dear life.

"Would you hold still for a minute?" he chuckled softly as he fastened the collar of the necklace on her; Katara's cheeks blushed a bright shade of red, glowing in contrast against her chestnut skin.

"I can't—I'm-" Her breath hitched; she was stuttering, and her ears were now turning as red as her cheeks. Tears started to well up in her eyes. "I'm just—I can't talk right now—I-"

"Let me see you," Zuko turned her around gently, so that she now faced him.

She spun around, her scarlet dress twirling as she did. Her dark, brown locks, now much longer than when they had first met, flowed elegantly up to her waist. She was still blushing, and her cheeks glowed as scarlet as her clothing; the only colors in contrast to this were her bright, blue eyes, and the betrothal necklace that now rested upon her collar.

"What?" Katara asked, her bright orbs glistening.

Zuko smiled, leaning into her.

"You're beautiful. You're so beautiful."

"My lord?" a knock on the door surfaced for a second time, and before Zuko could answer, the Fire Lady and Princess (tightly holding her mother's hand) entered the dark attic, escorted by one of the Fire Servants.

Quickly shoving the necklace back into its container and into the chest, Zuko felt a cold sweat trickle along his spine. Izumi caught her father's worried look, let go of her mother, and in a second, came rushing towards the Fire Lord.

An as-per-usual gloomy smile escaped from Mai's lips. "She refused to have dinner without you," she sighed, and then chuckled. "I was getting hungry."

Zuko bit his lip, embarrassed. "I apologize," he said, while smoothing out the locks of Izumi's jet-black hair. "I told you to go ahead, didn't I, princess?"

"But dad," Izumi cried. "It's eel-trout and broccoli again!"

Letting out a short huff, Zuko gave his daughter a look of disappointment. "You know your mother likes eel-trout, sweetheart. And vegetables are good for you."

Izumi crossed her arms together tightly. "I don't want to have dinner if you're not around, daddy," she pouted. "Especially if the food's bad again!"

Mai rolled her eyes, and Zuko closed the wooden chest shut, began to sit up from his position, grabbed Izumi by the waist, and proceeded to carry her in his arms.

"But you promise to eat the broccoli if daddy's there?" he asked. Izumi began to rest her head on the crook of her father's neck. She nodded.

"But we have to play pretend while we eat, okay? Okay dad?"

Mai sighed. "Izumi, you're too old to be—"

"She's five, Mai," Zuko cut her off and sighed before facing his daughter, cradled in his arms. "What kind of pretend do you want to play, sweetheart?" he asked. Mai crossed her arms and shot Zuko a look that cried "stop spoiling her."

Izumi did not see her mother as she beamed. "Okay, so you have to pretend that the broccoli and the eel-trout on the spoon is an Earth Kingdom war balloon okay?"

"Okay, princess," Zuko smiled as he carried his daughter out of the attic along with his wife, and the Fire Servant closed the attic door behind them. The betrothal necklace now rested once again inside the wooden chest of Zuko's past belongings, but it did not lay forgotten; it haunted Zuko for the rest of the evening, and in his dreams, he saw nothing but blue.

I'd love to know what you think! This is only the first chapter. I'll be writing more. :D