His daughter looked up at him, the brilliant golden eyes reflecting back into his own. They mirrored him, trusting, despite the large jagged scar which covered his left eye. His black hair was untied, allowing his daughter to playfully tug at it.
"Dada," she babbled, her chubby legs keeping her up as she continued to mess with Zuko's hair. He laughed, loving that his daughter was enjoying herself. Everyday he counted his blessings, especially with a healthy daughter who laughed and loved the day away.
The twenty-five year old Fire Lord was exhausted from a long day of court. Following the events of the Harmony Restoration Movement and the New Ozai Society, he was more vested in ensuring his nation was lead right. A hundred years of warmongering and fear did not go out the window just because an idealist like him took over. Eight years of ruling and yet...well it all still seemed like was an eighteen year old kid who had just ended the war.
But he missed the freedom. Even the years of wandering the world, looking for the Avatar, the last of his people, he had freedom. He didn't appreciate it, but it was the first time he was not under the eye of his father. It was the first time he was able to truly connect to his uncle. But most of all he missed his friends. Aang and Katara. Sokka and Suki. Toph. Uncle Iroh.
Aang was traveling the world with Katara as part of his duties as Avatar. Currently Aang was on Kyoshi Island visiting Sokka and Suki, though Zuko had no doubt the Avatar would move on soon. He missed them. He missed them a lot. Especially Aang. He had learned to rely on the monk's wisdom, especially during the crises immediately after the war.
Uncle Iroh was in Ba Sing Se as usual, running the Jasmine Dragon. He would sometimes visit, but hadn't visited in over three months. Something about his health. Hopefully he will get better.
His daughter waddled away, babbling incoherently about something. He kept a wary eye on her as she walked up and down the room, only for her minder to usher out of the room for some reason. Zuko raised an eyebrow at this. Why?
"Stop looking so melancholy Zuko," a deadpanned voice interrupted his thoughts, which made him smile. He knew it in an instant and his smile became brighter than before as he turned and captured a lithe figure into his arms. She didn't fight, instead snuggling closer into him as he truly was able to relax.
Mai might have broken up with him several years ago, but he had won her back. It took years before he even had the courage to try and propose marriage, when she had casually asked him one day when they were relaxing near the turtle-duck pond. Suffice to say, their marriage came soon enough and Izumi a year later. Though his mother wanted another grandchild soon, he was happy with Izumi and Mai.
"What's the matter?" Mai asked, seriousness replacing sarcasm.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking of Aang and the others. It's been almost a year since we've seen then. A year since Izumi's birth," he explained, careful to keep the sadness out of his voice. "And with court, not knowing where in the name of Agni Azula is, tensions on the border, and knowing I'm stuck here playing politics, it's hard not to think of them."
And this mind drifted to someone else. Ozai. He was still imprisoned deep inside of the Capital City, guarded day and night by the best Firebenders and soldiers the Fire Nation had day and night. Two attempts had been taken by the New Ozai Society to try and break him out, with each ending in failure. Security had tightened, but Zuko was seriously considering moving his father to a different location.
"Oh, I know how you feel. Ty Lee is traveling the world with her little band of warriors and while I love your mother, she can be a tad bit overwhelming," Mai replied with understanding. "At least my little brother is around, but it feels like I'm raising two children sometimes, despite my mother's help."
Zuko immediately felt guilty. After all, he was the one who got Mai pregnant with Izumi and sometimes...well it felt like it was his fault that she was so exhausted sometimes. Mai must have sensed it in him because she gave him a short and delicate kiss on his cheek.
"Stop acting so guilty Zuko. It's not always your fault. You have a nation to rule while I have two children to watch over," she said, rolling her eyes. Zuko grinned, even if the guilt lingered.
"You know, my uncle would say something," Zuko said, making Mai groan in annoyance. Zuko's grin grew as wide as it did as he adopted his uncle's voice and demeanor whenever he would bring up and his wise sayings. "Sometimes life is like the clouds. They are always changing and shifting. But sometimes the clouds part and the sun shines through, showing what we are looking for."
Mai was silent. Zuko panicked, as she was only silent when she was contemplating either murdering him or ensuring he was in deep pain. As he thought of seven different escape paths, two of which included begging for his life, she suddenly started laughing. Mai, the dark and sarcastic Fire Lady of the Fire Nation, started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" he asked suspiciously. She didn't answer as she kept laughing and laughing, making Zuko think of four ways to end his own life in order to end the misery.
"That...that was actually profound Zuko. And it sounds exactly like something your uncle would say," Mai assured him and Zuko groaned. He was not good at emulating his uncle's wisdom, but apparently when he did, it was rare enough for his wife to laugh at him.
"Well I'm glad that even when I manage to mimic my uncle, it's funny," Zuko grumbled. Mai giggled, giggled, and leaned into him, just as the minder returned with Izumi in her arms.
"My lord, I am sorry to disturb you, but the princess was asking for you," the minder said and Zuko gestured for her to hand over Izumi. She did so delicately and soon Izumi was in between he and Mai, with the minder retreating out of the room in order to give them privacy.
As he wrapped his arms around his family, Zuko felt at peace for the very first time that day. He wished he could maintain this forever. But he knew he couldn't.
"Whoa!"
The air slash came against Suki as she expertly moved just at the right moment to avoid it. Another slash of air and she jumped over it. The Avatar was sending out more blasts, careful to not make them overwhelming. Aang knew no matter how skilled and athletic Suki was, he would come on top just with airbending alone.
He created another powerful air blast, forcing Suki to dodge again, but this time Aang sent a wave of air right towards where she was landing, hitting her. She fell to the ground with a huff, though Aang cushioned her fall with some airbending.
"Again?" Suki complained as she dusted herself off. "Why do I always fall for that?"
Aang didn't laugh, though he did stifle a chuckle. The hundred and twenty-one year old, though only twenty-one biologically, stroked his newly growing beard, the black whiskers feeling rough in his hand. Many monks grew beards, though some did choose to remain clean shaven.
"It's in your pattern of fighting. Though you are a skilled combatant, you fall into predictability," Aang explained to the slightly fuming Kyoshi Warrior. "Sokka might fall to it, but I do not."
Suki smiled at the mention of her boyfriend. Aang knew Sokka was bent on proposing to her soon, though he didn't know the details. All he knew was that Sokka was obsessing over something and he was extremely difficult to deal with right now, which was why Suki and Aang were sparring.
"After all these years of fighting, you'd think I'd get a better handle on my patterns," Suki huffed though she did straighten up. "Besides, I lasted two minutes against the Avatar and I'm a non-bender!"
"You know, when we were teens, you used to be able to fight me for five minutes at a time," Aang reminded her, bringing down her confidence.
"You just won't let me have any victories will you?"
Kyoshi Island was beautiful this time of year. The sun was shining, the clouds were dispersed, and the people of the island were going throughout their business. Most of the Kyoshi Warriors weren't on the island however; instead they were off in different parts of the Earth Kingdom, helping to rebuild the nation they once separated from.
"No," Aang said simply before jumping high in the air, before twisting and creating a ball of air beneath him. The airbender laughed as Suki sent a fan towards him with some malice and he whizzed right by her. He circled her as she grabbed a boomerang, Sokka's to be exact, and threw at him, which Aang avoided and made to sure to avoid once more when it came whirling back to Suki. He continued to circle around her while Suki aimed the boomerang and continued to throw at him over and over again.
"Stay still!" she commanded and Aang refused to obey that command. And he let loose a roaring laugh, having fun for the first time in months. He was letting loose, as months and months of wandering the world on Appa and solving problems was stressful even on him. That was why Katara had proposed going to Kyoshi Island for some downtime, before they set out once more to solve the world's problems and keep the peace.
Just as he avoided another throw from Suki, he was knocked off his air scooter by a water whip, causing him to fall to the ground. He oofed as he made contact, though he did create an air cushion to soften his fall.
"Come on Katara," Aang whined as he pulled himself up. "That's not fair. You know I can't fight you!"
That was entirely untrue, but the truth was that Katara had caught him unaware. He saw his girlfriend of several years chuckle before placing the water she used to unseat him back in her pouch. Aang was overwhelmed by how beautiful Katara was; no matter how many times he saw her, she just simply amazed him.
"Alright lover boy, simmer down," came the interrupting voice of Sokka,"We got work to do!"
Aang was perplexed by Sokka's comment? What work, he asked himself and Sokka, unfortunately for him, answered his internal question.
"Aang, we have to go to the Southern Water Tribe village! I need to talk to my dad about something and you're the only one who can get me there quick," Sokka explained. "Please?"
Aang rubbed his forehead. Sokka was one of his best friends, but even he had his limits with the heir to the Southern Water Tribe. Katara and Suki stifled a giggle as Sokka made puppy eyes to the last living airbender and finally Aang broke down.
"Fine. But when we're there, do not chastise me when I go penguin sledding okay?" Aang demanded and the warrior nodded.
"Have fun you two!" Katara called out and Aang whipped his head towards her.
"You're not going?" he asked and Katara nodded.
"Suki and I have some girl problems to go over," she said and Suki looked at her with surprise. Katara quickly countered with a face and Suki's entire body language shifted.
"Yeah girl problems! Things you don't have to worry about Aang! Go have fun with Sokka okay?" she said nervously and Aang knew something was going on. But his girlfriend was a rock when it came to these matters. Toph would tell him to man up and try and find out, but Toph wasn't here, was she? She was busy opening up a new earthbending school in Omashu, where Bumi was still ruling. The old man was still Aang's friend and still as crazy as a rock.
"You coming Aang?" Sokka said as he motioned for the Avatar to follow. Aang sighed before taking out his signature bison whistle in order to call Appa. Summoning a huge breath of air, he blew into the whistle and soon Appa came roaring from the clouds, heading straight for them.
He wondered why Sokka wanted so bad to go back to the Southern Water Tribe. But for now, he would keep his mouth shut.
The Pohuai Stronghold still housed significant amounts of Fire Nation soldiers. Four thousand to be exact. The legendary Yuyan Archers had been relocated to the Home Islands, but it was still a magnificent fortress. Under the command of Colonel Li, the fortress was used to guard the last remaining Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation colonies in the area, some of them built in the ruins of the once great Earth Kingdom city of Taku, considered themselves Fire Nation to the bone. This was not Yu Dao, a mixture of earth and fire.
This is the Fire Nation.
Colonel Li considered him a patriot. He didn't hate the new Fire Lord, but he didn't love him either. He considered Zuko to be a weak leader, one who was bent to the will of the new order. He missed the days of Fire Nation hegemony over the rest of the world. The Earth Kingdom had since doubled their soldiers on the border with Taku and he considered asking for reinforcements from the Home Islands.
"Sir, here are some reports from the border, seems like the Earth King is moving new regiments in," his aide, Captain Wei, informed him as he handed him new reports. Li sighed as he took them, before dismissing the captain.
Years of peace and yet things can go off in an instant. Twelve thousand Earth Kingdom soldiers on the border with Taku and for what?
Kuei wasn't a mad man, but Li knew he had to have a lot of pressure. Some of the Earth Kingdom wanted a fully united kingdom, with all of the mainland under the control of them, which would include Omashu, Kyoshi Island, Taku, and the newly independent colonies.
"Uh sir, there's someone to see you," Captain Wei informed him. Li got up and looked at his subordinate. The man looked fearful and soon a figure came into the room. On her face was a confident grin, her hair let loose. In her eyes burned a maniacal anger.
Princess Azula, Li recognized with astonished eyes. The princess hadn't been seen in years! What was she doing here?
"Colonel Li," she greeted him. "I'm informed by my supporters that you consider yourself a patriot. Are you one?"
Li slowly nodded yes, not daring to look her in the eyes.
"You're going to prove it," Azula said, with a hint of lunacy hidden deep inside.
"How?" he gulped. This was Azula, one of the most dangerous women alive and one of the most wanted. But she was still loved by many, because many didn't know about her descent into madness. A descent that almost killed them all. Zuko might be weak, but Azula was just crazy.
"By helping me take over the Fire Nation and reclaim our rightful place as rulers of the world."
A/N: So I fell in love with Avatar when I was just a young kid. It was one of the best cartoons I've ever watched and still watch. Still need to watch Legend of Korra though. What do you guys think of this?