"Can I go play? I'm all done!" Ren held up his empty bowl but his mouth was full of food. Aito looked at him grossed out when food went flying.

"Go for it, stay close so aito can find you when he's done," Zuko nodded.

"Don't hide the ball this time!" Aito yelled when his brother raced out the door and stomped down the stairs.

He jumped the last three stairs and busted in the pump where the customers and bartender were.

"Ren we said stop jumping those stairs," Yuna called to him as he ran outside. 

"Sorry!" He wasn't sorry.

His bare feet stomped in the dry dirt to the grass and found the ball him and his brother were playing with, he kicked it back and forth from each foot, but missed. His kick went a little too far and the ball went into the small forest. 

"Shit aito is going to be mad," the four year old whispered. Grinning at getting away with his little swear and went over to find the ball.

"Missing something?" Ren heard to the side and saw his friend Kuzon bouncing the ball.

"Hi Kuzon!" Ren ran up to him excited. "Will you play with me?"

"Sure I have a little time, where's aito?" Kuzon bounced the ball back to the child to catch.

"He's still eating, slow poke," ren smiled kicking the ball back for a game.

"Did you tell your dad the good news?" He asked and threw the ball in the air using some bending then smacked to the kid again, ren jumped and caught it with a laugh of victory.

"No not yet, I don't know how... are you a bender Kuzon?" Ren held the ball now and tilted his head to the side.

"I am..." Kuzon grinned softly.

"But I don't like to bend often," he shrugged not sure which element to use as his 'bending'.

"Are you a fire bender too?" The boy gasped wide eyes.

"Ugh fire scum around here still?" They heard some men scoff and ren glared over at them.

"Oi this ain't the place for that potty mouth," ren yelled at them but Kuzon walked over and set a hand on the boys shoulder to pull him back.

"This ain't the place for fire benders either, earth kingdom, are you boys fire bending scum?" The man grinned cruelly at them and his buddy's chuckled behind him.

"No sir, he's not a bender," Kuzons bubbly personality went away and pulled ren behind him.

"The kid got amber eyes, he's got something monstrous in his blood, is it your pa or ma that's a piece of shit fire bender?" The man walked over and knelt down to ren still grinning.

"You better get back before my father comes out," ren sneered but held Kuzons hand.

"Ha I've heard bout this places owner, he's your daddy? He ain't a bender at all, and we're all earth benders here kid, your dad comes out and we'll crush his hands," the man spat at the boys feet.

Ren glared and grabbed a rock, when the man turned his back the boy chucked the rock at his head.

"You son gotta learn when to not pick a fight," the man turned around and went to grab ren, Kuzon spun them to the side to avoid the hit and got in a bending stance.

"Don't, just leave peacefully, you're not wanted here now," the older boy warned. But he didn't see two men grab ren behind him. The earth bender shifted his foot and Kuzon fell back surprised from his attention being on the child.

"Kuzon!" Ren saw him fall but jumped back to his feet.

"Let go! Pa-" ren cried out when the earth bender covered his mouth.

"Listen man I don't want to fight, I know the owner and it's just not-" "shut up fire bender, we heard the kid, you know you don't belong here," Kuzon was cut off as the man got closer. He didn't want to fight them but he really didn't want to use his bending.

"You know they could be put to jail just for knowing a fire bender like you and not report, I think I could use my earth kingdom civil duty and just get rid of this scheme-y pub all together," the earth benders got closer but kuzon didn't take his eyes off ren.

"It's not that big of a deal, just leave?" He groaned at the drama.

"Hell no, not after this," the man grabbed him by his shirt.

"Papa! Help!" Ren yelled as loud as he could.

"Shut the fuck up kid," another man shook ren a little and squeeze his arm tighter.

"Let him go!" Kuzon pushed himself with a little air bending to grab ren from the man. He pulled the four year old close to his chest and held him tight so he couldn't be taken again.

Kuzon jumped back again as ren wrapped his arms around Kuzons neck now afraid. Seeing boulders flying at them.

Ren gasped as the boulder was about to hit them but Kuzon bended it back and slammed it into the other men.

"Ah your an earth bender, you and that brat still pissed me off," the leader of the men scoffed. He was about to strike them again but a blast of flames separated them. Both sides backing up.

"Oi I will not have this shit in front of my bar," Zuko snarled with rage.

"Papa!" Ren cried jumping down and sprinted to his father.

"Who the fuck laid their hands on my son?" Zuko glared seeing red marks on rens arm already.

"So you're the owner of this joint? Word was you aren't a bender," the earth bender grinned.

"Ren go get yuna," zuko touched the top of the boys head.

Ren nodded and ran inside so he didn't get hurt again, Zuko looked over at kuzon, he glared feeling as if the stranger was familiar.

"Oi why you picking on two kids?" Zuko tsked shaking his head.

"I heard they were fire benders, or at least that brat of yours," the man stared at him, he saw the scar on the bar owner, he's heard of him before but didn't know how.

"Fire benders or not, this ain't the place," zuko held his fists up ready to attack again.

The earth bender chuckled and nodded, two of the men behind him stomped to have two boulders form from the ground and slammed them towards Zuko. He got ready to dodge but Kuzon bended the rocks back and kicked each.

Zuko punched back flames when the new kid got down and out of the way for him. Both defending the pub. But Zuko looked down at the kid and noticed something peaking on the back of his neck, for a split second it looked blue.

"Get down!" Kuzon barked but took the hit for Zuko and slammed into the wall with a boulder crushing him.

"Now what?" The earth bender snarked a laugh as Kuzon groaned from behind.

"Hey I am trying to work!" Yuna slammed the door behind her.

"Listen I don't give a fuck about what you bend but we live in an area that doesn't care about it either, if your just looking for trouble why don't you go south and find a real problem, this is a safe place," she got in the leaders face as Zuko waited for her to be done.

"Great a third bitch-" "no I'm not putting up with this, you bullied a child, roughed up the teen over there, and my boss, I'm not asking again!" Yuna grabbed his shirt and pulled him close.

"Are we clear?" She hissed.

The man pulled himself away and said nothing, looking at her then at Zuko.

"What a waste of time," he scoffed and motioned his friends to leave with him.

"Can't leave you boys alone for five minutes what the hell," Yuna turned back to Zuko but saw him running to kuzon.

"Hey kid, you okay?" Zuko knelt down to him but his heart raced with anxiety, something in the back of his mind told him to move the kids headband.

"Oh hey, hey Zuko," Kuzon blinked feeling his head spin.

Zukos heart sank. He moved the headband immediately and saw the blue arrow that now was so obvious.

"Aang..." he breathed.