Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is the brainchild of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is owned by Viacom. I own none of the characters in this story. If I did, I wouldn't be posting it on a fanfiction site, after all . . . they are all lovingly used without permission. This story is written solely for my personal amusement (and posted for the amusement of others) and to keep the crazy idea from boring a hole in my head, so I can get on with my life. I make no profit from this other than peace of mind!

Storytime at the Summer Cabin

"That very night, Zanroh's wife went to his father's chambers and mysteriously left the country, never to be seen again. It was easy enough to say that the old man had died of old age, even though those closest to him knew he had many good years left, and it was even easier to say that on his deathbed, he named his second son as his heir. All this and the succession was staged before Zu Ten even returned from the battlefield. He never even had a chance to dispute it, even if he'd had the heart."

The flames formed the image of Zanroh standing proud while Zu Ten hung his head in defeat before finally dying down to the normal campfire once again.

"What happened after that?" Suki asked quietly after a significant pause.

Zuko sighed, rubbing the good side of his face with the heel of his hand, "Zanroh took the walled city Zu Ten had besieged and became the first Firelord."

Predictably, it was Sokka who found his voice first, "So that's it? You're telling me the badguy won? What kind of a story is that?" he sputtered.

"The realistic kind. Good doesn't always win. That's how the world works."

"I guess you were right in the first place," Katara's tone was somewhere between admonishing and depressed, "you really don't know any good stories."

Zuko gazed at the fire grimly, shrugging slightly, as though she hadn't really told him anything new.

"Well, guess that means you're off the hook for next time," the waterbender continued, "Come on, everyone, a deal's a deal. It's past time we were all in bed. That goes double for you, Aang," the girl proceeded to herd the young Avatar out of the room. As she left, she made a quick, fluid motion, and the water sitting in a bucket to one side of the fire leapt up and doused the flames.

Aang clutched his pet lemur like a teddy bear, brow slightly furrowed with conflicting thoughts as he left, but Zuko had no doubt the kid would be asleep soon enough. He was as mercurial as the air itself, never seeming to settle on one thought or emotion for too long, but always seeking to enjoy himself. Even so, the teenage prince couldn't help but realize that he'd given Aang plenty to think about with his last comment.

Sokka and Suki were the next to leave, murmuring their goodnights. Sokka still looked disgruntled, clearly displeased with the ending, and Suki looked slightly troubled as well, perhaps even a little concerned for the storyteller whose gaze had yet to leave the smoking coals.

Zuko didn't even notice when Toph left, too entwined in his own bitter thoughts. Sometimes the bad people did win. Sometimes they were stronger, more cunning, or just in the right place at the right time. Zhao, Azula, Long Feng, his father, and especially his great-grandfather Sozin were all examples he was very familiar with. Any true opposition to their victories was quickly squashed like overripe leechi nuts. Their only hope was that this one time, against all odds, good might triumph, and the Avatar would overcome the power-hungry Firelord.

The shaggy-headed prince was barely aware of removing himself from the remains of the campfire, taking his box of candles with him. He suddenly found himself in his old room, absently congratulating his feet on finding their way in his darkened childhood summer home without guidance from his head. Unfortunately, his shins weren't so lucky as they collided with a random piece of furniture he didn't even remember was there.

Stifling a halfhearted curse, Zuko lit a fire in his hand only to nearly jump out of his skin when it revealed he wasn't as alone as he thought he was.

"Geez, hot stuff, I thought you'd scream like a little girl, but I guess I was wrong. You're one up on Sokka already!"

Zuko immediately calmed down and heaved an exasperated sigh as he lit one of the exposed lamps. Since glaring at her would do no good, he decided to get to the point, "What do you want, Toph?"

Toph was never one for beating around the bush, "The rest of the story."

Zuko shook his head, belatedly remembering she couldn't see that, "I told you the end of it."

"Maybe for Zanroh, but not his kids."

The Fire Prince made a strangled noise of surprise, and his gaze snapped to Toph's blank eyes. Maybe he had been a little too obvious . . . but he'd changed the names!

"Oh come on, don't take me for the rest of the rubes we hang around with. I'm a Bei Fong. Noble Earth Kingdom family and stuff," she waved absently, "History of my own kingdom and other countries was shoved down my throat since before I could remember. That definitely wasn't the story of the first Firelord. And your storytelling was way too good to have made it all up on the spot. You know more. What happened to the kids?"

Knowing he would have better luck shaking a terrier-hawk off a fresh spider-rat then getting Toph to let some juicy secret go, Zuko sighed again and sat heavily on his old bed. He raised his legs and crossed them under himself before taking a deep, steadying breath and continuing.

"A few years later, during a war meeting his uncle let him attend, Zanroh's son spoke out against a general's reckless plan. For his sharp tongue, he was challenged to Agni Kai. He accepted, thinking it would be the old general he'd face, but instead he faced his own father for speaking out in his war room. The boy refused to fight, begged for forgiveness, and was summarily marked and banished. He wouldn't be allowed to return until he succeeded where Zanroh had failed and bring home the Quintessence. Probably the only thing that kept him alive much past that point was the fact his uncle decided to come with him.

"The daughter, on the other hand, lacked for nothing. Three years later, after her brother had done something embarrassing to their father from exile, she was loosed like a lizard-hound to track down her brother and either imprison or kill him. She had way too much fun doing so. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks from there," Zuko concluded tonelessly, thankful she couldn't read his body language since he no longer had contact with the floor.

There was silence for a bit until Toph spoke again, "Did he find the Quintessence?"

Zuko looked down at his hands, "Yeah, he did."

"Then that's not where the story really ends, is it?"

Even though she couldn't see Zuko's cocked eyebrow, she took his slightly confused silence for what it was, "He succeeded where his father failed. What's to say he can't beat him another way, too?"

"So, what do you think he did with the Quintessence?"

Toph grinned and shrugged, "You're the storyteller, man. Sounds like you've got some research to do before you give this story its real ending, huh?" with that, the little blind earthbender unerringly patted the bewildered firebender on his knee and left, bidding him good night as she left the room.

Zuko stared after her well after she'd departed. Her advice sounded remarkably like something his uncle might have said, except maybe not quite as cryptic and involving fewer flower and tea references. Maybe she did have a point? Maybe the story only ends when the one telling it knows it's over? Maybe if the story goes on long enough, the badguy doesn't have to win in the end?

The thought was comforting after all he'd been through. Zuko flopped back onto his bed, absently stealing the fire from his bedside lamp as he stared sightlessly at the ceiling, still exquisitely tiled after all this time. His country was much like this house in a way: battered, slightly neglected, and misused, but under it all, still well-crafted and beautiful with bright paint and memories good and bad. So what if it belonged to a megalomaniac who refused the least bit of kindness to anyone besides himself? It just took the right person to come in and clean it up, making everything right again.

The corner of Zuko's mouth eventually cracked upwards in a wry half-smile. Was he putting Aang in that role of the 'right person' or himself? He supposed he'd have to take up the mantle of Firelord once his father . . . was dealt with, but that wasn't quite it. Maybe it was all of them together, since it certainly hadn't been him alone who'd made this place halfway livable again. Katara and Suki had helped clean out the kitchen, Sokka and Aang had helped fixed the roof, and Toph had single-handedly cleared the courtyard of debris and unwanted plantlife.

Maybe, just maybe, the goodguys could be in the right place at the right time for once?

Zuko eventually dozed off, filled with what approached a hopeful essence for the first time that night since he'd started that story to entertain a few kids.

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for the reviews so far! This is another short story . . . I can never really seem to finish my epic tales :( Hope you enjoy it as much as I do, though! I really liked doing the character interactions for this. Please review if you haven't already!