11 years later
"Full moon tonight," a fire nation soldier walked across the deck of the cargo ship that glided across the sea.
"Yea whoever the dumbass is that sent a ship on a full moon this close the water tribe territory is gonna get a letter from me," the captain scoffed walking past the group of soldiers.
"Not with the raids being so frequent lately," he shook his head.
"Do you know how they do it?" A young soldier asked curiously.
"Do what?" The captain didn't understand.
"Raid against the fire nation so much, do you think it's the water tribe or the eastern rebellion?" The young soldier took off his helmet to rub the top of his head. His gold eyes flickering towards the captain.
"Nah that rebellion is false, no way it can have earth kingdom and the traitors of the fire nation working together in the waters," the captain scoffed waving him off.
"For ten years the eastern rebellion has been gaining back land in the earth kingdom, what makes the sea any different?" He smirked a little.
"Who are You kid? What kind of question is that?" The captain glared unsure who the soldier was.
"Ren sir, it's just a question my brothers been wondering," the soldier smiled and blasted a strong punch of flames at the fire nation soldiers making them all back away with a yell.
"It's the rebellion! Alert the oth-" a water arm snatched the captain and threw him into the sea as another male jumped aboard in black clothes, bending water to slam the men to the railing and froze them to the metal.
"Spirits sake You talk so much," the water bender groaned looking back at the fire bender.
"Cause someone was swimming around for to long I had to stall," Ren rolled his eyes at his twin.
"Mom and Toph already took down the back ship, it sank like two minutes ago," aito motioned behind and Ren looked back seeing a few other cargo ships on fire.
"Oh,"
"Yea, oh," the blue eye twin scoffed.
They heard other men running towards them and aito gasped when a spear was thrown at him but a wave of fire moved it to the ground. Aito looked at Ren who groaned more annoyed.
"Fuck, kaio!" Aito looked around and saw another boy in black.
"Who gave you orders to board? I know it wasn't pops or chief," Ren stormed over to the other fire bender.
"That's such a nice thank you for saving your life big brother," a thirteen year old boy with auburn eyes stuck out his tongue.
"Yea it's almost as nice as the thank you pops and moms gonna give you when they ground you," aito sighed shaking his head.
"Let's just finish the job," he tsked at the two fire benders.
—
"Oooo someone's in trouble," Toph sang as the three boys jumped off the small boat and walked through the shallow water to the sand.
"They know?" Kaio asked whining a little.
"Oh yea they know," she chuckled.
"Yea he wasn't even suppose to go," Suki raised a brow at them.
"Don't get me started," Ren covered his face as aito took the lead from his brothers.
"How pissed?" The sixteen year old pursed his lips looking at his aunts.
"Like a level 8," Toph nodded.
"Great," aito breathed as he went back to camp while Ren had a hand on the back of kaios neck.
Aito over the years grew out his black hair much like his grandfather to keep it around his shoulders and pulled it half back to keep out of his face, but the twins wore both their nations clothing with red and blues.
Ren kept his hair short and fluffy around his face as he had wave to his hair but it was brunette like his mothers, keeping a few gold beads in his hair around his face.
Since they turned fifteen they were able to go on missions with the others but since they turned sixteen they were able to fight back next to be treated like real warriors.
But their young brother who is freshly thirteen wanted to fight like them, kaio was adopted when he was a toddler in the colonies by Katara and Zuko when they first started the eastern rebellion, he knew he was adopted and loved his family, firebenders were passionate and loyal. He had the sides of his head shaved and tied his shorter hair back similar to aito with fitting what he could in the wolf tail.
Aito swallowed a lump in his throat and walked into the main tent only to see his parents, Sokka, and Hakoda, as well as their seven year old sister. Niata, nia for short.
"Sir," aito nodded his head down. "Chief,"
"Are you or your brothers hurt?" Zuko walked to his son frowning.
"No," aito said looking up at him. Zuko lightly smacked the back of his head as a warning not to actually hurt him.
"Are you stupid letting kaio come with?" He hissed a little.
"He wasn't suppose to leave the boat," aito rubbed his neck with a sigh.
"He wasn't suppose to come at all, he turned thirteen last week, he's a kid," Zuko told him wide eyes.
"Sorry pops," aito looked down.
Then kaio and Ren walked in.
"Sokka, dad," Katara looked at them. Hakoda nodded understanding, now with grey stripes through his dark hair and beard.
"Sit," she pointed to the three of them and to the ground before her.
"You too nia," she motioned.
"I didn't do nothing," the seven year old groaned sitting with her brothers anyways, her green eyes looking at kaio and he stuck his tongue out at her.
"When you go on missions without us, do you bring your little brother?" Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No," Ren and aito both said.
"Then why in the hell was he there?" Katara tsked crossing her arms.
"It's my fault, he wanted to know what we do and I allowed him to come with," aito looked up at them.
"I could've said no but I didn't, I'm sorry," he urged.
"Kai, what do you have to say?" Zuko raised a brow.
"I wanted to help, im not sorry," kai said firmly. All his siblings looked at him sharply.
"Im going to go bald because of this kid," Zuko inhaled a deep breath and Katara didn't look pleased.
"Kai you know it's not until your 15 till you can do missions much less fight in them," Katara told him disapproving.
"I-" "this isn't an argument those are orders, your not allowed on missions," she stopped him before he could argue.
"Yes ma'am," kaio huffed rolling his eyes.
"Why am I here?" Nia asked flatly.
"So you don't do the stupid shit your brothers do," Zuko looked at his youngest.
"Ren, kaio, niata, youre clear," he motioned and the three stood to leave the tent. Nia pushing Ren a little and he pushed her forward to follow kai.
"Ai, what the hell man?" Zuko waited for the siblings to leave.
"Papa I don't know what you want from me," aito leaned back and laid on the ground.
"How about not taking every hit for your siblings, they need to learn how to responsibility instead of thinking your going too," Katara told him more gentle now.
"If kai got hurt I know it's my fault," aito played with his longer hair.
"Sorry," he mumbled again.
"Stand up," Zuko told him and slowly aito did.
Zuko placed a hand on his head and pulled him in a small Hug.
"If any of you got hurt it's on me, I trust you and I trust Ren to fight strong but kaio is still a kid, I don't trust the enemy not to hurt him cause he's young," Zuko rested his cheek on his sons head.
"Learn from it, don't let it happen again," he dismissed the teenager and aito smiled softly when he left.
"Was I to hard?" Zuko looked at his wife nervously.
"It's our job to make sure they learn from their mistakes, I hope kaio understands," Katara touched his hand gently.
"I can't lose more of this family," Zuko kissed her hand softly. "Not after uncle,"
Katara felt her eyes burn a little and hugged her husband around the shoulder, he held her tightly. They lost iroh almost a year ago but they still miss him deeply, the wound of his death has not healed in their hearts.
"He's watching over us, he watching over them," she whispered.
"Aang should be back soon too, we should get going and meet up with Suki," Zuko nodded and they walked from the tent with their hands together still.