This is my first fic ever, so don't kill me. I've been workin on this for a while, but I think I'll only make it about 3 or 4 chapters, not much bigger then this one.

I don't own Avatar The Last AirBender, Zuko, or the like...no matter how I try...

Mai looked bored. So bored in fact that Zuko almost regretted asking her to the dinner. She was sitting across from him, with an old fire noblemen sitting next to her. He was rambling on and on, asking question after question, about the climactic battle that had deceided the fate of the world.

"And when that huge, ummm, what was it? Oh! Fire tornado came out of nowhere, and the Avatar, bless his soul, threw it at Firelord Ozai! That had to be the best part-"

"The best part?" Mai cut him off. Zuko look up. It was rare for Mai to interrupt, non-the-less say anything at all.

"What do you mean the best part?" Mai said. "That had to have been the worst part..."

"What do you mean, my Lady?" The wringled old man sputtered, "Has there been any battle like it? That has to be the most spectacular battle I had the privalage of seeing! Of course it happened in my front yard so it couldn't--"

"It messed up my hair." Mai said in a monotone voice. The old man stared.

Zuko inhaled the wine that he was about to take a sip of, and quickly covered the whole bottom half of his face to keep the drink from coming out his nose and at the same time choke down the laugh that had swelled up inside him.

Really, it was worth asking Mai to the " First One Nation Banquite." It had been one month since "The Greatest World Battle" as everyone was calling it and yet still people were mumbling to each other. Saying that the war really hasn't come to an end. Some seem to forget that was ever even a war in the first place!

It was Sokka's idea to have the banquet. Not really a banquet, but a meeting, of all the leaders, nobles, ect. of the Four Nations, to come and discuss what must be done. The Chief from the water tribe and the Earth King were still alittle anxious to meet the New Fire Lord. Zuko didn't blame them. It had been a hurdred years of nothing but war and pain. A counsel was to be created and... well that's all that they had come up with.

Zuko glanced at Mai who still had that dead bored look on her face, with the noblemen still rambling on. He really was glad he had invited her, but he could help but think that maybe he was doing this more as an apology then anything. He still felt guilty for "it." Of course, he had to apologise to Ty Lee just as much as he did to Mai, but Ty Lee was back at the circus. And even so, he would have found another way to make "it" up to her. Ty Lee was Ty Lee, so their for she a proper society did not mix. Simple. As for Azula...well Azula was dead. So that left Mai. He just hoped she wasn't mad at him. Besides, he and Mai had gotten supisingly close since the months he had joined with them. The advisers were still annoying his head off about having to find a wife, constintly hinting to ask "Her Ladyship" though they had to incline as to who that really was. Then as quickly as possible, produce an heir and anchor himself to the throne. He saw the sense in it, but he couldn't help but be nervous...he was only crowned two weeks ago, and had been back in the Fire Nation only a few weeks before the battle.

He could still hear Mai whispering to him in the night, begging him to come with her and Ty Lee, to join the Avatar. To escape Azula and Fire Lord Ozai. It was the only time he had ever seen the girl really show emotion...

Like it? Hate it? Please review! Cookie to anyone who can give me a good name for the old guy!

The next Chap. will be mostly a flash back, and we all know how we all luv Zuko's flash backs!