This is as canon as I can make it. This is a hardcore plottish story (I hope), which means not just fluff and not just conversation. A little bit of everything for everyone.
Aang: I'd be really happy if you review!
Katara: If you review, I'll review you!
Toph: Review, but I won't be able to read it anyway.
Sokka: Review! Oh wait, I don't do stories…
Zuko: You review or you burn.
Appa: Grrrooowwwll (translator's note: REVIEW PLEASE)
Prince Zuko looked out at his battalions, who were idly playing Mah-Jong, and swore. This was not how he planned to use their abilities. He had envisioned them waving swords and cutting the rascal Sokka into itty-bitty pieces while he swept in with a dashing cloak and swept the Avatar up with one arm. That might actually have been possible if it weren't for the prospect of finding the stupid Airbender on the face of the Earth.
"Prince Zuko, your tea is ready," Uncle Iroh's guttural voice rang into the room. Zuko sighed delicately. He had already had five cups of tea (and the same number of bathroom breaks) and it distracted him from his purpose.
"I don't suppose you'd ever try something different," said Zuko, making a face as he took the cup. "Like water."
"Water is disgusting," commented Uncle Iroh. "Not hot. Not cold. Not sweet nor sour nor strong."
"That's right Uncle," said Zuko, distracted. He made to take a sip when he noticed with a start a single lotus petal floating gently in the middle of his cup.
"Uncle, you dropped your salad in my drink," he handed it to him.
Iroh shook his head and pushed it back to him. "The lotus flower symbolizes a very important day. Do you remember?"
Zuko cast wildly around his head. Was it New Year's? No. Uncle's Birthday? No. The Tea-Festival? No, definitely no. Last tea-festival, Iroh sang ballads all through the afternoon (and would have continued through the night if Zuko hadn't threatened his favorite tea leaves).
"It is the day your mother left, Zuko," continued Iroh.
Zuko's face hardened as he placed the cup down a little more forceful than he intended. "And why is that a reason to celebrate?" he demanded roughly.
"Not celebrate," Iroh said solemnly. "But we must remember when she disappeared." He flicked out the Pai-shou piece with the symbol of the lotus before hiding it in the deep wells of his sleeves.
"I never asked you, Uncle. What is special about the lotus symbol?"
Uncle Iroh looked unsettled for a second before breaking into an unconvincing grin. "It is your mother's favorite flower." Zuko knew that wasn't the whole answer but was too distracted with his thoughts to answer.
He continued to stare at the cup of tea, long after Uncle Iroh left, until the steam stopped spiraling from it and the lotus petal floated gently to the bottom with the rest of the dregs.
I hope you 're happy, Mother, he thought before downing his ice-cold tea.
"Let's stop here!" Sokka yelled happily as they arrived at a small inn. "I can smell jiao zi stuffed with meat and roasted lemurs and…" Momo squeaked indignantly. "Well, they don't sell flying lemur," he assured the little animal.
Katara shook her head. "Food, food, food. Appa can only hold so much weight." Sokka reddened. He distinctly remembered (as well as Katara and Aang) how he had eaten so much on Chinese New Year that when Aang yelled 'yip yip' Appa groaned with the extra pounds and couldn't fly.
"We'll make sure he doesn't eat that much," assured Aang happily, whipping his rod around with pleasure. "We don't even have enough money to buy more than a few plates."
Toph nodded slowly. "Earth bending is hard work, and my stomach's rumbling."
"That's three against one," said Sokka triumphantly. Appa growled. "Okay, three against two. But we still win!"
The door opened to a blasting smell of spicy chicken and grated cheese over lamb that tempted even Aang. They pulled over to a table next to an empty fire grate and situated themselves around (though it must be admitted that Aang had found yet again a way to sit himself next to Katara).
Aang caught the eyes of the group of men sitting nearby, trying to smile. They were too engrossed in their haunch of bison drizzled with liquor to even spare him a glance.
They turned to see a woman with pale skin and black hair piled high up on the crown of her head, holding a notepad in her hands. To the people who could see, she looked haggard and almost exhausted, and her eyes held a permanent light of someone lost.
"What would it be today?" she asked. Toph (who disregarded anything so petty as looks) liked the sound of her voice. It wasn't annoyingly jaunty like those normal teenage Earthbenders, sending bits of dirt whizzing around the room as they offhandedly asked what you wanted. Her voice was sort of tired, but strong and kind.
"I'll be having this and this and…this," Sokka proclaimed happily, pointing to the entire menu. "Where's the other half of the menu?"
"I'm sorry to say that's our whole menu," she answered.
"Not to mention all our savings," cut in Toph. "You can survive on one serving." She added under her breath, "I think," as she watched him choke with disbelief. "I'll take the lamb-ka-bobs with Katara." Katara nodded.
Aang sighed sadly, "I'll take the parsley soup." It took a long agonizing time for Sokka before he finally settled on the largest order there, a Meatilicious Meat-stuffed Meat-covered Meatball.
"I hope you know that's only one meatball you're getting," she informed them.
Sokka groaned sadly. "But it sounds so good."
"They all do," cried Aang in anguish. "Why oh why was I reborn as a monk?"
"That's what you get for being the Avatar," teased Katara.
"Yeah," grinned Aang. Specks of hot sauce flicked on his cheek from the table next to him. "But avatars don't get much respect," he added, wiping it off with his thumb.
It was only a short while when the girl whisked out of the kitchen, plates firmly on top of her hand.
"I've been waitin' for this! Fill me up!"
Suddenly, the plate threw out of her hand as a thug shoved her away, and Sokka's prized meatball landed like a bomb on his head. "Thanks, I guess," muttered Sokka before snatching up his boomerang and rising up in one flourish. Katara drew the water out of her pouch and Toph placed herself in a rigid stance. The thugs surrounded them and gestured their arms, eyeing especially Aang. The rest of the group glanced at Aang, who slapped his head right on the arrow.
"My rod's with Appa!" he cried miserably.
"You're a stupid Airbender, aren't you?" yelled Toph as they started to attack. To their dismay, they realized the thugs must have overheard that Aang was the Avatar.
As the Earthbenders rounded on them, they didn't even have time to defend themselves. Someone did it for them.
The girl (who pretended to be stunned) had grabbed their teapot, steaming hot, and threw it into their faces. As they hollered with pain, she ran over to the fireplace and snatched up a stick of fire, waving it into their eyes. The rest of the group took the advantage and fought them off, blasting away the thugs until they wasn't much left of them compared to the haunch they were gnawing on.
"That was beyond awesome," yelled Sokka happily.
"I expect a gigantic tip though," she said, flashing a weary smile at all of them.
I know, I know, you prob don't really like my waitress girl (after all, I can see you all going 'AIEEEE, WAITRESS OC!!) but I guarantee that you'll think better of her later (she won't fall in luv with Zuko or Aang or vice versa). I promise. And she's so un-OC either…grins mischieviously NEXT CHAP STARTS WITH ZUKO!