[Zuko hesitates for a moment before speaking. Sasuke can understand. Zuko recognizes that level of burden in other people.]

I'm -- part of the royal family, where I come from. The prince of the Fire Nation. My father is the Fire Lord. He's a tyrant. He wants to take over the other two surviving nations and he's... terrible. I've been in exile for three years because I spoke out of turn at a court meeting. He burnt my face as punishment because I refused to fight him to the death.

My little sister is a psychopath firebending prodigy [and oh, how those last two words pain him] who would rather be an only child and has spent the last three years trying to make that happen.

My mom... died when I was nine. [He's quiet for a long moment -- this is what truly pains him.] Or -- she vanished. I don't know. Before I came here, my father told me that she did something treasonous to protect me, to save my life. And she was banished. I thought she was dead, but she might not be.

My uncle is who's always been a real father to me. He and my mom are my family. Or. Well. He is. I don't know if my mom -- [... yeah.]