Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of the characters in the series
Chapter One
Second Beginnings
Zuko shifted in his seat, he swung his legs over the armrest and placed two fingers on his left temple. He sighed. He began massaging his temple as he surveyed his surroundings. He was sitting alone in his throne room, the line of fire in front of him was low and burned a menacing orange colour; the normally red floors and columns in the room where reflecting the orangey hue and consequently gave the entire room a sharp glare. His gaze fell onto the doors through which the Council for International Affairs had left only minutes ago. He leaned backwards to make himself more comfortable and began pondering the most recent meeting with his advisors.
They made a valid point alright, he thought to himself, even though reluctant trade relations had developed with the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, the credibility of the Fire Nation as a whole still left much to be desired and the image of the Fire Nation still depicted a warlike and destructive country that very few people wanted to visit. Obviously tourism was at an all time low and the economy would begin to suffer for it. Naturally the Fire Nation has wealth to spend now, thanks to the war that his ancestors started, but wealth does not last forever and it was now on his shoulders to find a solution to these problems.
Zuko sighed once more and sat upright before rising from his chair. He needed a change of scenery. Yes; perhaps some fresh air would inspire him somewhat. He exited the room through a small door behind him, hidden from view by a smooth curtain.
-oOo-
Outside Zuko felt as unmotivated as he had inside. Still he was here now. He walked unceremoniously down the garden path and stopped at the familiar tree where he and his mother used to sit when he was a young boy. He watched the turtleducks swimming in the pond. They looked like they didn't have a care in the world. Lucky turtleducks.
A soft breeze caressed his face as he stood next to the pond unmoving.
He needed to find a way to change people's perceptions of the Fire Nation. He needed something to make the Fire Nation seem a less unsympathetic place and a more, well… pleasant place. Of course the random rebellions in the most northerly parts of the country didn't help much. Aargh! Sometimes being the Fire Lord was really not all that it promised to be. Maybe if he… "Fire Lord sir?"
A voice broke Zuko's concentration. Zuko turned to see a servant standing a respectful distance from him. The servant bowed low and then straightened himself keeping his head down. The servant was dressed in the usual black and red uniform that was required of palace staff, and his hair was cut short as was accustomed with non-royal residents of the palace.
"What?" Zuko shot across abruptly. The servant looked up and seemed startled and more than a little uncertain. Zuko, hearing the harshness of his tone, beckoned the servant come forward with a wave of his hand. The servant obligingly stepped forward.
"Y-your Highness, my apologies, I sought you in your throne room but you where not there so I thought I might find you here." Zuko nodded. The servant continued "You see, I was sent by the royal planner to ask if His highness might be wanting anything special to be done for his birthday this year? What should I tell him?" The servant looked at him hesitantly before bowing his head once again to wait for the Fire Lord's answer.
Zuko looked back at the turtleducks; ah yes his twenty-fourth birthday. Did they really have to make such a fuss of it every year? Yes it meant the nation getting a day off, but he really did not look forward to another one of his uncle's teasing conversations on him getting older and the incessant, unsubtle hints about grandchildren. The old man really should be more careful about such talk; people might start to expect things.
"Just tell them the usual will do" the servant bowed and left the vicinity without another word.
Zuko grimaced and sat down. That's one more thing to worry about, he thought cynically. He leaned back and allowed the thick tree to support him.
Now he can add "birthday date" to his list of other things to worry about. Things on "Zuko's Worry List" include: Fire Nation credibility and image, trading relations in the Earth Kingdom and now having to ask a girl to be his date for his birthday celebration. Stupid Fire Nation customs.
Zuko closed his eyes. He felt the breeze drop slightly. He sniffed the air and detected faint scents of jasmine. He savoured the sweet smell as he let his thoughts dwell on the issue of the Earth Kingdom as their trading partners. It started off simply enough, a few years after he had come into power, he sent out offers to the other nations to begin building trade relations. The Water Tribes had politely refused the offer, evidently they where hesitant to make more contact with the Fire Nation than what was strictly necessary. The Earth King initially had also declined the Fire Nation's offer. However, after much persuasion, a small trade agreement had began to flourish between the two nations; seemingly the Earth King was eager to gain access the Fire Nation's superior technological skills.
Zuko placed his hands behind his head, the trade agreement was not an ultimate solution to their problems but it was certainly a start, and at least they where now building some sort of affiliation with the Earth Nation.
Now there lay the problem of the Water Nation's non-cooperation. He understood that they would feel very averse to having anything to do with the Fire Nation, but he was determined that they get onto friendlier terms with them sooner or later. Perhaps if he followed his advisors suggestions and sent an ambassador to the Northern and Southern tribes, they would eventually recognise that the Fire Nation was no longer a threat and also commence trading with his country.
That would take time though.
No.
What he needed was something more reliable. Or rather someone.
He needed someone to come over here, someone who had the Water Tribes' trust, someone who was representative of them, and someone who would cooperate with him and his good intentions. Yes! Someone who, once there, would send out the message that "hey its great to be here!"
The first such person that came to mind was the avatar. Zuko considered this option. Of course! Who wouldn't believe the avatar? He and his endless optimism would certainly send out the right message to the Water Tribes. He was without doubt a good all-rounder choice. Not only was he a good choice, but also incredibly convenient; wasn't the avatar said to be just near the boarders of the Fire Nation?
But wait; wasn't he targeting the Water Tribes more specifically? Hmmm… An idea crept into his head.
He swiftly stood up with a determined look on his face. He quickly strode back up the garden path and through a large archway. He paced forward for a few meters and then made a sharp turn to his right. He was now facing two large wooden doors. The doors where immaculately polished and decorated with elaborate carvings of trees that where intricately entwined in scrolls and feathered quills.
Zuko cleared his throat before entering.
The old scribe sitting at the desk at the end of the room stood up immediately and bowed low in the manner that the servant had done when he saw the Fire Lord. "Your Highness" he said as he straightened up. "Is there anything that I can do for you today?"
Zuko looked fleetingly around the room. Instead of the usual red walls, the room was painted white. Two great windows on his right kept the room light and well aired. A few bookcases stood in the room, but precious few books filled its shelves, as many scrolls lay scattered on the remaining shelf space. There where tables all along walls, but these too where decorated with papers and writing tools. The only clear space was that of the scribe's desk.
"Yes" Zuko announced confidently, "I want to send a message to the Southern Water Tribe."
-oOo-
Aang stood with his back against a stonewall. The sun was high and there was very little shade to come by. A group of teenage girls walked past, as soon as they saw him they audibly started whispering and glancing over at him. Aang flashed them a smile and winked in their direction. The girls burst out into a fit of giggles and sped off. He grinned at himself.
"Well aren't you turning into a regular little flirt there Twinkle Toes" came a voice not too far off from him.
Aang turned around to face the owner of the voice. He laughed.
"Says she who is dating two different guys at the same time; not to mention how she then leaves them both without a word of notice to tour the world!"
Toph scoffed, "I was only having a little fun, what's a girl to do? Besides, you know it keeps my parents from breathing down my neck when they see me with possible suitors."
Aang smiled placidly. He knew that Toph did indeed mean no harm, but she still was as blunt as a doorknob when she wanted to be. Often this was the reason for the friction between her and her parents.
He appraised her for a moment; at age nineteen Toph had grown into a tall slender young woman. Wisps of her mid-length hair fell unevenly in her face; the delicate quality of which belied her rough nature.
Aang sniggered, her attractive features had allured many a man, and many a man had been sent off with the proverbial tail between his legs after a lashing from her sharp tongue.
"What?" Toph asked with a hint of irritation evident.
"Oh nothing" Aang replied in an entertained voice. His appearance had changed a lot too. He was taller, his voice was deeper, and his now more defined jaw line was getting him substantially more female attention. He didn't mind. His shaven head bearing an arrow tattoo remained unchanged.
"Come on it's going to take us a little while longer before we get to the next village and at this rate we'll only get there at nightfall."
"Well excuse me for being thirsty" muttered Toph. She turned and started walking. Aang followed her.
They had made an impromptu landing at a small farming community after Toph had started complaining about the lack of water in their supplies. The villagers where plainly very keen to assist the avatar and he had received much attention from them before he had snuck away to out of sigth to wait for Toph.
She led the way around the wall to a large bison that was waiting patiently for the two of them to return. A small lemur could just be seen snoozing on the head of the massive beast. Toph and Aang wordlessly climbed into their prospective seats. Momo woke just enough to settle himself around Aang's shoulders before, and without delay, falling asleep again.
"Yip-yip!" cried Aang.
The bison let out a soft bellow before rising into the air.
Aang gazed lethargically at the land around them as they steadily climbed into the air. The lands below where various shades of green as far as the eye could see. There were no trees about, or else they would've landed under them for some shade. The little village that they had visited was constantly growing smaller as they ascended.
-oOo-
The sun shone with inviting warmth as they flew towards their destination. Aang suppressed a yawn. Man did he feel lazy. He glanced backwards to see what Toph was up to. She was propped up against the inner side of Appa's saddle and her arms were effortlessly spread out to support her shoulders. Her head was tilted backwards, her eyes closed, and (Aang imagined) soft snores could just be heard over the whistling of the wind. He shook his head vigorously to ward off any feelings of sleepiness that were creeping up on him.
Aang thought about his new travelling companion. Toph had eventually returned back to her parents after the battle to defeat the previous Fire Lord. When she returned she was greeted with a mixture of relief and anger from her parents. But after a while they relaxed and acknowledged Toph's needs for independence. She had lived with them happily for some time since, but now recently they seemed to be very interested in playing matchmaker for their daughter. That's probably why she had decided to "take a break from them" as she called it, and travel with him. For how long she would be with him he was unsure. He shook Appa's reigns.
"Come on buddy, just a little while longer." Appa groaned in reply to Aang, evidently he also wished to take advantage of the afternoon's lazy atmosphere. He increased his flying speed slightly and the group sped onwards.
-oOo-
Mai was too angry to be bored today. Zuko had gone from being mildly pleasant with her, to simply tolerating her, to completely ignoring her altogether! She cursed herself under her breath.
After being freed from the prison that Azula had sent her to, Zuko had invited her family to move back to the Fire Nation. They gladly accepted and soon moved into a mansion located near the palace grounds. Due to the convenience of living so close to the Fire Lord, they visited with each other frequently and eventually started dating. The relationship lasted almost two years. Unfortunately, she got bored and began to find a young untamed nobleman much more interesting. She left Zuko for him. The relationship went sour a year ago and now she wanted Zuko back.
She was so stupid to leave him. Really; the freaking Fire Lord for a nobleman! She felt a right idiot.
She paced her room agitatedly as she thought about her recent failed attempt to recapture the Fire Lord's affections.
It was earlier that afternoon that she had entered the palace and told the guards that she was here to see the Fire Lord. Not being permitted to refuse a noblewoman the right to enter the royal palace, the guards stood aside allowing her carriage through the enormous wrought-iron gates onto the royal grounds. Mai had wasted no time and she proceeded to track down Zuko.
After hunting through the palace, she had located Zuko in the gardens where she used to play with Azula in her younger days. He seemed to hang around there a lot. She didn't know why; it was so boring there.
She noticed that he seemed to be in a good mood, excellent! She approached him and bowed down to him. She then stood up and smiled sweetly at him.
"Good afternoon Fire Lord" she cooed coyly. Zuko had looked at her with a mixture of confusion and amusement.
"Since when have you started referring to me by my title?" he asked in a questioning tone.
"Oh I just thought it would be nice."
"I see… Is there something you are looking for?"
"I'm looking at him silly" she let out an artificial giggle.
Zuko didn't seem to notice this. "Oh…"
He didn't know what to say.
"What have you been up to today" she batted her eyelashes in what she hope was a charming manner. Goodness did she sound as nauseating as she felt? It was beyond her why men fell for this type of thing.
Zuko looked at her incredulously before turning his head towards the pond. "I have been conversing with my advisors today. I think I might have found a way to build on our relationship with the Water Tribes."
"Oh" Mai replied flatly. She had to make it apparent that she wasn't there to talk about politics. Then in a sugary voice she said "I've been thinking about you."
She looked towards Zuko for a reaction, his face was turned away from her but his body language remained unchanged so she continued.
"I was thinking that we never get to see each other anymore, so I was hoping that perhaps tonight you might be available to join me for dinner." She looked at the ground trying to appear shy.
"Mother and Father will be away visiting relatives, so it will be just you and me."
She was going in for the kill.
She looked up and said huskily "You and I will be alone." She emphasized the last word, wanting to make sure that he knew exactly what she was getting at. She waited for a reply, but none came.
"Zuko?"
Zuko turned his head to face her. "Sorry, did you say something?"
Mai felt like someone had just slapped her.
Struggling not to grit her teeth and to keep her tone sweet, she started again. "I was saying that perhaps you would like to join me for dinner tonight and that…" Zuko cut her off.
"Actually no, sorry, I have a another meeting with my counsellors. Good day to you Mai" His tone was light.
He and turned and casually walked to the archway on the far right. He had not heard anything that she had said to him!
Mai watched him go, purely dumbstruck.
Now that she had made it back home she felt so embarrassed. Embarrassed and highly pissed off.
Mai stopped pacing and glanced sharply around her room. It was very plain and bare save her bed and a large armoire that stood in the far corner of her room. A door stood next to the armoire that led to a private washroom. Her room opened up onto a balcony that overlooked the gardens of the mansion. Black silk was hung ornately around the balcony doorway and windows, as well as on her bed in the form of linens.
She breathed in deeply. Patience, there will be another opportunity. She slowly walked over to her balcony. The Fire Lord would be having a birthday soon. He would have to choose someone to be his partner for the evening. All she had to do was make sure that she was in the right place at the right time.
She let a small snigger escape her lips. Actually who else could he possibly ask?
Mai smirked. She turned and went back inside.
-oOo-
"Toph wake up, we're here." Toph snapped her head up and shook it groggily, the air around her felt cool, it must be evening.
She climbed off the bison. She paused as her feet touched the ground. She felt that they where just outside a village again, this one was larger than the last. She could feel the villagers moving around like ants.
"So this is the place that we're helping rebuild?" she enquired.
"Yup."
Toph grinned. It had been only too easy to convince Aang to allow her to come along with him.
He had taken to flitting from village to village; helping to rebuild what the Fire Nation had destroyed. Perhaps he was still feeling guilty for not accepting his avatar duties when he was supposed to a hundred years ago. All of this could maybe have been avoided.
None the less; he was assisting those in need and it soon became very apparent to him that having a capable earthbender such as herself around was certainly going to be helpful.
Toph's ears suddenly picked up - footsteps. Someone had most likely seen them, and was running to tell the rest of the village that the avatar was here.
Toph signed. Joining the avatar also had its downsides she decided.
-oOo-
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