Just a random story. Contains spoilers from The Promise Trilogy.
The Hundred Year War had ended. The war and protests caused by the Harmony Restoration Movement had also ended. Everything seemed to be at peace. But one thought was going on in Firelord Zuko's mind.
Where was his mother? What happened to Princess Ursa? She was banished for treason, but where would she go? He had sent out search parties, even Nyla and June, but all had returned empty-handed. He was getting frustrated. His father wouldn't tell him. His sister was worse.
"I see you're worrying about your mother again," said Suki. There was silence for a few moments. "You know, you could try searching for her yourself in the Earth Kingdom. She could've gone there."
Zuko glanced at the Kyoshi warrior. She was right. He had to find his mother on his own. And the Earth Kingdom was a good place to start. But which part of it?
"But the Earth Kingdom is so huge..." he said. "Just look at Ba Sing Se."
"You can leave Ba Sing Se for last, can't you?" suggested Suki. "Search the parts of the Earth Kingdom you've been to before. The small villages. Perhaps, just perhaps, your mother might've heard of your visit, and had hurriedly travelled there to find you."
Zuko's heart ached as he thought of his mother hurrying to a certain Earth Kingdom village and asking for her son and her disappointment when a certain Earth Kingdom boy named Lee shouted insults at her.
"You're right, Suki," agreed the Firelord. "Send word out to the guards. I'm leaving for the Earth Kingdom."
...
Zuko's first destination was the Plains Village, where, not only did he want to search for his mother, but also a certain boy. The Fire Nation entourage was directed by the Firelord to the Lee Family Pig Farm, where Zuko hoped to meet again someone he had met years before.
Sela came running up to the gate, having spotted the entourage approaching. There was no fear in her heart now; she had heard all about the Harmony Restoration Movement and the defeat of Firelord Ozai. The Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation were no longer enemies.
"How may I help you?" asked Sela, as one of the ministers came up to their gate. Just before he could speak, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Let me do this on my own, minister," Firelord Zuko said, calmly. The minister nodded and saluted the Firelord before returning to the rest of the entourage.
Zuko turned to Sela, who took some time to recognise him in his Firelord robes. She would've taken longer had she not recognised Zuko's scar.
"You!" she gasped. "Why... you..."
"May I speak to your son, Lee?" Zuko asked.
Sela hesitated. Here was the young man who had defeated those wicked earthbenders with his twin Dao swords and firebending. Here was the young man who had claimed himself to be the Fire Nation prince. And who had been called an outcast. He was also the one who had presented the pearl dagger to Lee.
On normal circumstances, Sela would've chased him away. But now, he was the Firelord. And he helped the Avatar to end the Hundred Year War. He may not have supported the Harmony Restoration Movement, but he played a big role in returning peace to the four nations.
"Alright, come on in," she said.
She led Zuko into the house, where her husband, Gansu and their son, Lee, were in the kitchen, having lunch, which was nothing more than a bowl of vegetable soup. Both of them looked surprised at seeing the Firelord but Lee's look of surprise soon turned to one of anger and hatred.
"You! Why did you come back?" he yelled at Zuko.
Zuko eyed the boy. He was no more a little boy, he had grown up into a teenager. He was bigger and stronger and probably still held a grudge against the Fire Nation for it was them he blamed for the death of his brother, Sensu.
"I hate you," Lee continued, bitterly, turning away from Zuko.
"Lee, the Firelord helped the Avatar to end the Hundred Year War," Gansu told his son, before getting up. "I'm leaving so the two of you can have a talk." He turned to Zuko and bowed slightly. "Welcome, Firelord. Please have a seat. And please forgive my son. He can be rather temperamental when it comes to the Fire Nation."
Zuko nodded in reply, and Gansu and his wife left the kitchen. Zuko and Lee remained in their places. There was a three-minute silence.
"I'm sorry about what happened to your brother," Zuko finally spoke, breaking the silence. "But then, my father was the Firelord and he was cruel. But things have changed. I'm the Firelord now, and peace has returned. There shall be no war between the four nations ever again."
Lee didn't say anything. He merely stared into his bowl of vegetable soup.
"You're not alone. There are many others who have also lost loved ones to the war," Zuko continued. "My father showed no mercy to his enemies. But I've also lost people I love to the war."
Lee looked up slightly from his soup, but he didn't turn to look at Zuko. The scowl he had been wearing softened slightly into a look of surprise.
"My cousin, Lu Ten. When those earthbenders came here and told your parents about Sensu, it reminded me of when my mother received a letter about my cousin. He did not survive the battle. That was the reason why my uncle, the Dragon of the West, had abandoned the siege at Ba Sing Se. Lu Ten was his only son."
Lee continued to remain silent.
"Another person I've lost is my mother," Zuko continued. "She was banished from the Fire Nation before my father became the Firelord. And I'm currently searching for her."
There was silence again.
"I... didn't know," Lee said, slowly. He raised his head to look at Zuko. His look was sympathetic and no longer furious. "And I also heard... you were banished from your nation."
"Yeah," Zuko replied.
"I'm sorry," the Earth Kingdom boy replied.
"I think it is I who should be sorry," said Zuko. "I didn't tell you who I was. And you found out about it the hard way. I'm really sorry."
Lee smiled. "No worries. Anyway, you chased those earthbenders away for good."
Zuko smiled. Once again, silence reigned. But it didn't last long. Zuko reached into his pocket and withdrew the dagger his uncle had given him.
"Would you accept this?" he asked.
Lee beamed. "Thanks!" He took the dagger from Zuko and started playing around with it.
"Will you forgive me for everything the Fire Nation has caused you and your family?" Zuko asked.
"I can never forgive the Fire Nation for killing Sensu," said Lee, with a bitter edge to his voice, as he stopped playing with the dagger to look at Zuko. His tone then changed. "But I can forgive you for not telling us who you were. We would've chased you out of this village sooner, anyway."
Zuko smiled slightly. The two of them embraced each other. At that moment, Sela and Gansu peeked into the kitchen and smiled upon seeing the two boys.
"Would you like to stay for lunch, Firelord?" asked Sela.
"Do stay!" Lee pleaded.
"I think I will," Zuko said. "But first, I have to tell my ministers and the rest of the entourage to find their own lunch in the Earth Kingdom. Zuko went out and did just that, much to the horror of his ministers, and returned to the cottage where he had lunch with Lee's family. Lee and Zuko bonded even more over their bowls of vegetable soup and Zuko mentioned the other reason he was in the Earth Kingdom to Gansu and Sela.
"Please accept this as a small contribution from me," the Firelord said, personally handing a chest of gold coins to the family.
Gansu, Sela and Lee's eyes widened at the sight of the gold. "We... can't accept that, Firelord," Gansu said.
"Please do accept it," Zuko implored. "It is just a small contribution. I owe a lot to you."
The family exchanged looks. "Alright, if you insist," Gansu said, accepting the chest of gold coins.
"We assure you we would keep a look out for your mother and alert you if she does happen to come here. We would even house her here until you come, as well," said Sela, whom Zuko had given a description of his mother to.
"Thank you," the Firelord responded.
"Goodbye!" Lee smiled. "Do come back!"
"You could come to the Fire Nation someday," Zuko smiled at the Earth Kingdom boy, before leaving with his entourage. He glanced out of his carriage at the farm and the little family waving at him as they grew smaller as he travelled farther away. They reminded him of Kori and her family. And he sighed as he wondered when he would ever have a happy, peaceful family who could talk and laugh with each other without challenging another to an Agni Kai, like those families. And it gave him the drive to find his mother even more.
Please review and let me know what you think of this, thanks!
Note: There is no Zuko/Suki pairing here. Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors are his bodyguards, so it is normal that she would talk and suggest things to him.