This is my first A:tLa fanon and this is my first AN. I'll start off by apologizing. The first two or three chapters are gonna be really boring… and the first chapter's extra boring. I'm really sorry! I promise… things'll look up in the later chapters. Some of the parts are gonna take place in the Earth Kingdom and the story's gonna reveal so much about Zuko's family. I hope you guys stick around long enough… cuz there's gonna be this ONE BIG SHOCKER (well, it seems pretty shocking to me) and an AGNI KAI (or two) you wouldn't want to miss. Some canon characters might make an appearance.
Chapter 1: Says the Dragon of the West
"You're joking right, Uncle?"
The newly-reassigned general remained silent and gave the firelord a quirky smile instead.
Zuko grabbed his golden chopsticks and started playing with his roast beef as he processed his thoughts.
"It won't take too much time… besides a young man your age should still be at-"
"I can't waste any time. There's so much I've got to do. I've just begun. Fixing these kinds of things could take more than one lifetime. And if it's experience you're talking about, I've got more than three dark, epic years of experience. Have you ever even thought about who's gonna replace me while I'm there?"
"Didn't your mother use to remind you of the importance of finishing your education?"
The firelord looked away.
"If you want things in this nation to change, you're going to have to understand more specific things. In order for you to change customs and traditions that have been there for a hundred years, you must learn how to see things from different angles. A good leader won't just generalize things all the time. What's a big picture worth when the small details cannot be noticed? Who knows? This could even lead you to new discoveries about yourself. I'm not a fortuneteller but just as I've told you before… destiny is a funny thing."
Zuko smiled at General Iroh. Maybe it was better for him to go with it. After all, every time he refused to consider his uncle's advice in the past, it always ended with him tearing himself up in regret.
"And as for your replacement… Actually, you won't need one. You can't stop being the firelord. But you can get some help from a few trusted friends and yours truly."
"Friends?"
"You'll see."
"And didn't you say that you were going to leave for Ba Sing Se soon?"
"Change of plans, Firelord Zuko. I'm staying until you finish. All you have to do on weekdays is attend meetings. There won't be too many. You'll deal with the rest on weekends. And I'll be with you every step of the way. It's not such a horrible thing, Zuko. It's like riding on the back of a dragon. You'll enjoy it!"
Zuko nodded.
Iroh, seeing his nephew's exhaustion from the rough day they had with the former war ministers, decided to call it a night.
"Firelord Zuko, get some rest now. It's a cold night. You might burn out."
"Thank you, Uncle. Goodnight." Zuko replied with that tired yet wholehearted smile on his face again and he stood up from his seat.
"Goodnight, Nephew. Aren't you going to finish your tea?"
"I'll take this to my room." He got the cup and walked away.
Zuko had already been lying down on his bed for about thirty minutes but he still could not sleep. He needed closure. He had to make up his mind. He considered the sacrifices Iroh would be making. The general really wanted it for him but he also put into consideration the fact that the war had just ended. He had millions of pieces to put back together, millions of solutions to give to the millions of problems the war's aftermath had in store for him.
"But Uncle Iroh always knows what he's doing," he yawned. "He always knows what's best for me… even though he doesn't always seem like it."
The firelord shut his eyes, and then slipped away into the depths of his absent-minded thoughts.