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"Daddy, can I have that lollipop? " Izumi asked.
Zuko sighed and looked in the direction his daughter was pointing. A vendor selling all types of sweets was stationed there. But his daughter had glued her eyes to the lollipop stand.
"No, Zumi, you've already had enough sweets for today, " he replied. The girl had already managed to coerce him into giving her a whole bar of chocolate when they were back at the palace, and even that was too much candy for one day.
The spark that appeared in Izumi's eye upon witnessing the stand vanished, and she looked at her dad pleadingly. She really wanted that lollipop. " Izumi, I said no. "
Zuko turned around, scanning the stands and trying to find something with which he could distract her. Most of the vendors sold food and clothes, but there were always a few poeple who sold other things as well - potions, paintings, jewelry, pottery, toys, and much more.
He pulled the hood covering his head farther down to at least try to hide his scar while looking around.
Being Fire Lord was both physically and mentally draining therefore getting a moment where he could just be 'Zuko' and leave the palace was very rare. But even then, he still had to disguise himself. His scar was too recognizable.
Suki had told him once that she could try and use her makeup to cover it up. It wouldn't look perfect because of the texture, but he could at least make it look more like his true skin color instead of this dark red splotch. He might take her up on that offer next time he planned on sneaking out.
He had promised Izumi he would take her to the market one day, and once a free moment arrived that day he knew this was it. He managed to leave the palace completely unseen - well, he did leave a note for Mai telling her exactly where he and Izumi were so she wouldn't panic, but aside from that completely unseen.
Now, he just needed to remain that way through their whole trip. The second someone recognized him, there would be no more peace. And he truly did need some peace.
Of course, his daughter seemed to have other ideas because while Zuko was looking around, Izumi had devised a plan.
"Thief! Thief! " Zuko heard someone shout from behind him. He turned around to see what all the commotion was about. He expected to see the vendor yelling at someone and that someone was running away from him and the guards. And he was right. But what he didn't expect was that someone to be his daughter.
Izumi's plan had been to steal the lollipop.
Zuko's eyes widened at what he saw. His daughter, his sweet little Izumi, who had been taught about honor and respect her whole life, had committed a crime.
Zuko thought he was dreaming.
"Daddy, run ! " the girl shouted as she ran towards him. " Catch her! " Someone else shouted. " And catch that man she's with as well! " Another voice said.
Zuko looked down at his daughter. He truthfully had only 2 options this time:
- Let the guards capture him and reveal his identity to everyone there, consequentially making it so Zuko wouldn't be able to sneak out anymore or
- Listen to his criminal of a daughter and run.
He ran.
He grabbed Izumi's hand and ran. " They're getting away! " Zuko veered past all the people. Most of the passersby were shocked at what was happening and did nothing, but some tried to halt him. But they were not highly tried and weren't capable of stopping him.
Zuko pulled Izumi into an alleyway where they were away from prying eyes and looked down disapprovingly at his daughter. " Izumi.. ."
"Yes, Daddy? " The girl asked with a sweet voice as if she wasn't holding a stolen item in one of her hands. " Izumi, why did you steal that lollipop? " Zuko asked, disapproval seeping from his voice.
"I was just borrowing it, " the girl replied, evading eye contact with her dad. Zuko sighed, pinching his temples. He could already feel a headache coming along. " Izumi, that's not how borrowing works. "
And the menace in front of him, who had seemingly replaced his daughter - because there was no way this was his daughter - licked the lollipop.
"No, Izumi, listen, " Zuko said, using what Izumi dubbed his ' dad voice ' to gain her attention. The girl immediately shrunk under his gaze. " Here's what we're going to do. We're returning to the market, and you will return the lollipop, alright? " Izumi huffed, crossing her hands. " But I don't want to ."
Zuko stared at his daughter, becoming more and more convinced that his daughter was replaced by a clone or something. Why was she acting this way?
"Izumi.. ."
Before Izumi got to respond, a sack was pulled over Zuko's head, and everything around him went black. " Wha- "
"We got you now, " someone said. It was one of the voices from before - the guards. " You thought you could get away with a crime that easily? Really? " the guard laughed while tying his wrists behind him.
As soon as those words were out of the man's mouth, Zuko realized what was happening. His own guards were arresting him because his daughter had a reckless plan and a sweet tooth.
"Guys, I found him! I found th- " The guard began to call for the others, but Zuko refused to be captured so easily. He yanked his head back and slammed it into the guard's shoulder.
"Ow! " The man shouted, momentarily letting go of him. " Daddy! " Izumi called, and Zuko turned towards her. " Izumi! " Zuko shouted back, needing to find her. " You're going to regret that, " the guard behind him growled. Zuko paid him only half a mind and shot a fireball behind him, creating a firewall between him and the guard.
They made a mistake merely tying his hands with rope. He could still use his bending this way. Yet, not seeing was making this very difficult. " Daddy, I'm scared, " a tiny voice said, hugging his legs.
At that moment, all Zuko wanted was to cuddle his daughter close and comfort her, but he needed to free his hands first to do that. And of course, to remove the sack from his head. Izumi had been learning how to tie her shoes, but there was no way in the world that his six-year-old daughter's motor skills were developed enough to untie the ropes binding him.
He would have to burn through them.
And that is precisely what he started doing. The rope quickly caught fire, and it did burn his hands a little, but that wasn't his primary concern.
"You are not getting away that easily! " Another voice shouted, and Zuko's hands were encompassed again. " Ryu! Bring the cuffs! Hurry! " He yelled while Zuko struggled against his hold. " You're making a mistake, " Zuko said, trying to get out of the guard's hold , but it seemed that whoever was holding him was an incredibly strong firebender. Zuko was trying to use his fire to burn their hands, which would cause them to let go, but he could feel the person take control of Zuko's fire immediately as he created it and doused it.
"L et him go! " Izumi cried and grabbed the guard's leg, pounding on it. " Let him go! " Tears sprung to her eyes. She didn't want this. She just wanted the lollipop; she never wanted to hurt her dad.
Zuko could feel metal gloves being slipped onto his hands. He'd never had to wear them before , but he knew what they were. They were specially designed cuffs to put around a person's hands to prevent them from using their bending. And they were particularly effective with firebenders. If he tried to heat up the metal, he would end up hurting himself - but most importantly, it was made of a metal that did not melt nor crack under heat, which meant Zuko was truly captured.
By his own guards.
Who he commanded.
This was going to be interesting once they realized who he was.
"S omeone grab her! " The guard holding him shouted at his coworkers. " No! Let him go! " Izumi shouted again as she began to punch his leg. He kicked her, and Izumi fell to the ground, grunting. " Ow, " she whined. " Da-daddy. " She sobbed as she clutched her scraped knee.
"I zumi? " Zuko asked at the distressed sound coming from his child's voice. " What did you do to my daughter!? " Zuko roared, beginning to thrash again, but they had immobilized his hands completely.
"Kira, grab the girl, and let's head to the palace." Another guard whose voice came from his left side ordered the others before his voice turned stern. "And Ziro? We do not kick children!"
Zuko then started thrashing again, trying to get out of the man's grip. " You kicked my daughter?! " The man tightened his grip on Zuko's hands and kicked him behind the knee, causing him to lose his balance.
Zuko gritted his teeth as he hit the ground, pain shooting up his leg. The metal gloves cut into his wrists, and the guards didn’t seem keen on letting him go just yet. He could hear Izumi crying, struggling against their grip, and that sound alone sent another wave of fury coursing through him.
“Y ou have no idea who you’re dealing with, ” Zuko growled, glaring up at the guard who had kicked him. Well, the guard couldn’t see his glare, but Zuko still needed to do it anyway.
The guard scoffed. “ Oh, I think I do. Just another street rat who thinks he can get away with anything. " The guard tutted. " And getting children to do all the dirty work for you? I don't think someone can go lower. "
Izumi cried. " No! He didn’t do anything! It was me! I stole the lollipop !"
The guards barely glanced at her, convinced Zuko was some mastermind behind a child-led crime wave. Zuko groaned, his head pounding. Of all the ways this day could have gone wrong, this was a new level of absurdity.
"L isten to me, " Zuko said, trying to keep his voice steady. " I'm not -"
"Y eah , yeah , save it for the Fire Lord, " the guard holding him interrupted, tightening his grip on Zuko’s arms.
Zuko shut his eyes. The sheer irony of that sentence was almost too much. " I am the Fire Lord. "
Zuko felt the man behind him still before a giant laugh escaped him. " Did you hear that, fellas? This one here thinks he's the Fire Lord, " he managed to wheeze out between laughs.
A second passed before the other guards also started laughing. Zuko sighed. This was going to get interesting once they realized the truth.
"A lright, let's get moving, " a female voice - Kira? - said, and the guard holding him started walking. Zuko started wriggling about again. Eventually, he stomped on the guard's foot. " Ow! " It seemed like a good idea at the time , but it only made the guard angrier.
Zuko barely had time to prepare himself before the guard yanked him upward and shoved him forward. Zuko stumbled, face-planting into the ground. " Try that again, and I'll make sure you regret it ."
Zuko had to bite his tongue to keep himself from snapping back. He had rebuilt an entire nation and fought some of the strongest benders in the world. Yet, here he was, getting dragged through the streets like a common criminal.
Speaking of which, he could still hear Izumi crying. " Please, let him go! You don’t understand! " she wailed. " Kid, I know he's your dad, but we’re doing you a favor, " one of the guards muttered. " That guy’s a bad influence. " Zuko exhaled sharply through his nose.
They made their way toward the palace, drawing more than a few curious stares. It wasn’t every day that the city’s guards hauled in a so-called criminal and a distraught child. Zuko kept walking. There was no point in fighting them while the sack was still covering his head.
The guards were separated into two groups, the city guards and the palace guards , and while Zuko interacted with the palace guards on a daily basis, the city guards barely ever saw him, so it wasn't that surprising they didn't recognize him - his face, his voice. And Izumi, of course.
They walked towards the palace in silence until they suddenly stopped. Zuko had no idea where they were, but he heard some murmuring from the front before a loud grating interrupted them. Once the creaking ended, they continued walking. Zuko assumed that they were probably at the palace gates.
The guards continued escorting him inside. Something was wrong. Why weren't his palace guards stopping them? They knew he wasn't recognizable because of the sack, but they should be able to recognize Izumi. So why weren't they?
Zuko had stopped fighting with the guards currently holding him hostage as he had believed he would get saved once arriving at the palace. But no one was coming to his rescue.
The air suddenly grew cold as he and the guards began to descend. The only place in the palace that was lower than the entrance was the dungeons. Zuko's eyes widened. They were taking him to a cell.
"A lright, let's drop them off at a cell and go find the Fire Lord. " The guards threw him onto the ground; Zuko assumed they had arrived at his cell. Zuko scoffed. " Good luck finding him since he's in here. "
The guards all laughed. " C'mon , sweetheart, follow you daddy. C'mon , just like that. " A guard ushered Izumi inside before they continued laughing.
" W hat's so funny? " A voice asked. Zuko had never been so relieved to hear Mai’s voice in his life.
Izumi stopped crying at that moment and looked up at Mai. " Mommy, " she cried, and Zuko could hear the confused murmurs from the guards,
Mai looked from them to Izumi - who was reaching out to her through the bars - and then finally to Zuko. Even with a sack on his head and metal cuffs on his hands, she recognized him immediately.
"M ai, " Zuko said, exasperation seeping into his voice. " Tell them who I am. " Mai turned to the guards, crossing her arms. " Take the sack off ."
"B ut, ma’am , this man —"
"N ow ."
The guards hesitated before finally obeying. The cell doors opened, and the sack was yanked off Zuko’s head. He blinked as his vision adjusted to the light.
Then, there was silence.
One of the guards made a strangled noise. Another swayed as if they were about to pass out on the spot. The tension was so high you could cut through it with a knife.
"M ommy! " Izumi called again, and as soon as the doors opened, she ran to her mother. Mai instantly scooped her up, and Izumi hid her head in her mother's neck.
Zuko's attention, though, remained on the guards. He arched an eyebrow. " Anything you’d like to say? " A guard - who Zuko ' assumed was the leader of this unit - approached him before bowing. " Fire Lord Zuko, " he said, his voice suddenly tight with panic.
Mai sighed. " I would start apologizing if I were you ."
With that, every guard immediately dropped to their knees in a bow, their faces pale. Zuko rubbed his temples. " I need a vacation, " he muttered.
Izumi, meanwhile, finally stopped crying. She sniffled, looking up at him. " Daddy, does this mean I'm not in trouble anymore? " Zuko sighed, giving her a disapproving look. " Oh, you are absolutely still in trouble. " Izumi pouted, but at least she wasn’t sobbing anymore.
Mai glanced at the lollipop still clutched in Izumi’s hand. " Let me guess, " she said, unimpressed. " This is what started all of this? " She gripped her daughter's hand and shook the lollipop she was still holding.
Zuko groaned. " Don’t even get me started. " Izumi shrank under his look but still dared to take another lick of the lollipop.
Mai exhaled through her nose. " I’ll deal with the guards. " Then, she gave Izumi a pointed look. " You. Go return that ."
Izumi scowled. " But I already licked it ."
"T hen pay for it ."
Izumi hesitated, then mumbled, " I don’t have any money. " Zuko crossed his arms. " Guess we’re doing chores when we get home. " Izumi let out a quiet whimper but didn’t argue.
Zuko turned back to the still-kneeling guards, who looked like they were questioning every life choice they’d ever made. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. " Next time, maybe check who you’re arresting before throwing sacks on people’s heads ."
"Y es, Fire Lord! " they said unanimously. Zuko sighed. " You can get up now ."
Slowly, hesitantly, they rose to their feet. None of them made eye contact. Zuko turned to look at Mai. " How did you know I was down here? " Zuko asked. He had wondered that since the moment she appeared.
The only thing that made sense to him was that she saw the guards bring him down here, but then she would have intervened sooner. Not wait for him and Izumi to get locked up.
"T he guards told me they saw Izumi and a guy with a sack covering his face being taken to the dungeon, " Mai answered. Zuko furrowed his eyebrow and heard someone clear their throat.
When he looked up, he saw two of his personal guards standing at the dungeon entrance. How he hadn't seen them before was beyond him. " We thought that it was you, sir, since Izumi was with you, " one answered. " But we couldn't intervene as none believed us, " he continued.
The other chuckled. " And it was also kinda funny. "
Zuko signed and turned around to face Izumi again. " Come on, Izumi. Let’s go fix this mess ."
Izumi complied, but she was very unhappy with the outcome - which she let him know by dragging her feet while following him back to the market. " This was way more fun when we were running, " she mumbled.
Zuko gave her a pointed look. " We are never doing that again. " Izumi hummed, but it sounded... evasive, and Zuko narrowed his eyes.
She was definitely Mai’s daughter.
"W ait, Zuko, what happened to her knee? " Mai asked as she spotted the red spot on her leg. " Oh, that reminds me. " Zuko's voice took on a more serious tone, and everyone around him froze. He turned to face the group of guards again, who all tried to back away from his furious look. " Which one of you is Ziro? " Zuko's voice was cold, waiting for the man of the hour to respond.
The guards all parted, leaving only one man in the center. " Well then... " Zuko walked up to the man, looking at him with an icy expression. " You're fired. "
"B u-bu t"
Zuko wanted to chop the man's head off his body. " No buts! You kicked my daughter - a child . And expect to have no consequences? " He roared, and the candles lining the dungeon walls flared to life, their flames blazing toward the ceiling, announcing the extent of the Fire Lord's wrath.
The man sighed, his shoulders slumping. " Yes, Fire Lord Zuko. " With that, Ziro started walking away.
"A lright, now, let's get- " Zuko was prepared to tell his daughter they were returning to the market, but then he saw the absence of an object in her hand. " Izumi, where's the lollipop ?"
Izumi avoided eye contact with him and responded. " ... I ate it, " she replied sheepishly. Zuko sighed, massaging his temple. This child will be the death of him.