Fire Lord Zuko paced the rows of the garden, moving in a swift pace through the bushes and trees, his destination was nowhere in particular, merely he needed time alone to think, an event that was rare for one in his position. His days had been filled with talks and meetings with the leaders of the other nations, with training and arguments.

His thoughts fell back to Mai, they had been so happy after the war, but now all they did was fight when they were together, which in itself was rare. He had encouraged her to be more open with her feelings something she was never able to do growing up. He felt awful but he didn't like this new Mai. It was terrible because she had done so much for him during the war, saving his life at the boiling rock, and the romance they had shared during his short time back in the capital after Ba Sing Se. Now they rarely were together; her staying in a different wing from him, and he wanted her to be happy, but he trying to make her happy made him miserable, he felt trapped.

He sat at the pond from his youth, where he could have spent hours, though he knew he had but minutes till an orderly came and reminded him of his next appointment. The turtle ducks swam lazily around the water quacking and grouping together before playfully moving apart.

Mai had become more confident and assertive, one no longer so quiet and sad, he did not feel the burning passion he once had, he smiled at the memory of the days following their victory, the embraces they had shared and sweat filled afternoons together, the passion of life and thrill of survival had filled him up and the emotion had spilled over into a wild tryst.

Now she was cold and uncaring, her new side unattractive and icy. Still he didn't feel right trying to breaking it off with her, after all he had been the one to get her to change and he realized his mind had circled around back to where it had already been.

He sighed, realizing there was no easy solution and hard choices would likely be made. His aide appeared at the edge of the clearing, and he stood exasperated, and moved towards him.

***

Iroh Smiled as he sampled his newest blend of tea, I was made from a rare flower from the western shores of the Earth kingdom, now available since the end of the war due to the free travel across and lack of fear for fire nation attacks. He allowed the deep aroma of the beverage cross his nose and pondered the troubles of his nephew. Now as leader of a great nation he had a fill of troubles, but what concerned his tea loving uncle was not Zuko's governmental problems but his personal. Last they talked it seemed that Mai and the Fire Lord were in a strain, their relationship now more of a sinking ship, drowning in a sea of differences. From his perspective outside the events he knew it was obvious that they should end it before it got worse but such advice was not his to give, as a man Zuko would have to learn for himself. Iroh hoped he would come to the right conclusion quickly lest it cause too much dissention back home.

Iroh thought of the accolades Zuko had gained with the announcement to the end of the war, how the people of all nations had cheered at the news. But Iroh knew that the leaders would be harder to convince than the people, seeing it as a mere ruse by the great enemy to lull them into weakness.

Still he had hoped he would find the right path through his problems, he truly needed the support of his friends but last he heard the Avatar and the Water tribe children had not seen him in months. Iroh felt maybe he should pay him a visit.

***

Zuko Sat alone in his meditation chamber, it was silent through the palace, the chirp of hawkchrickets barely audible from the window. It had been two and a half years since the victory over his father and sister and still he had rebuilding to do. While within his own nation the rebuilding had been swift, merely a rehaul of the economy from war production to peace time pursuits but the devastation to the other nations had been extensive and he had done all he could to help them.

"If only my personal life could be fixed so easily" he mused to himself, almost two years ago his relationship with Mai had fallen apart, they had headed down that road for some time till it blew up over an argument, she had demanded to be more than his "Harlot" and he had refused to marrying her, knowing it would make him nothing but miserable for his life.

She had left that very night to return to her parents, it had crushed him for it to end this way, but it was for the best he decided, so he had buried himself in his work, traveling more and more, being more proactive and slaving into the night. His ministers had praised him claiming the growth was unheard of while in hushed tones spoke poorly of Mai's treatment of him. He had suffered no slander of her but could not stop the rumors. Still it was a few days till his uncle arrived from Ba Sing Se which would be a pleasant visit, something he had looked forward to for many months.

***

Lao Bei Fong sat in his living room lounging on his couch and thought, something he was kin to do. His daughter had been gone for two years and she had returned a master of earth-bending, but still she was willful and determined and he had been forced to concede her freedoms. In the year since her return home she had spoken of their adventures across the world and the people she had met, the Avatar, banished prince of the fire nation and a man who seemed destined to become the chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe.

Such gave many possibilities to a man such as him, within the Earth Kingdom his family was second to few in terms of power and influence, still these friendships were grounds to stretch that power beyond the borders of this nation. At first he had probed to the Avatar, the most powerful man on earth who was her student and the same age almost seemed liked providence to him, but it seemed the Avatar was settling down with the Water tribe Peasant that had found him in the first place. Such an opportunity had been lost, but he had not despaired.

On one hand the future Chieftain of the Southern water would seem promising except that they had suffered the most in the war, their people scattered and weak, and while they had rebuild much there was a better choice, The Fire Lord himself had known her and befriended her. He commanded the only nation not decimated by the war and was currently the most politically powerful man on earth. Word had reached his ear, best of all, that he was currently single, estranged from his wartime girlfriend and mistress. It seemed like a true point of fate for his family, he was determined to take advantage of it; the plans had already been made.

His daughter Toph enter the room in a floating grace only she knew, he feet barely touching the ground, her head held to a straight angle that only added to her form, her body having bounced up to a respectable height and begun to fill out the long silk dresses he had had the tailor make for her to wear whenever she was home. Now almost sixteen she was the lady he had always imagined her being, though he knew bellow the surface was the rowdy, adventurous, wildcard daughter she truly was.

"Toph," She turned her head to him to listen and came to a stop in the center of the room, "I will be traveling to the Fire Nation on business, to see how respectable the new Lord is there to our business ventures and I thought you might care to join me." Toph seemed taken aback by the suggestion her normally restrictive father made but Lao knew she had quickly become restless again at home and would jump at the chance for a trip, let alone one that would take her to see an old friend.

She gave a thoughtful look and answered "I think I will father." And continued out of the room, the tail of the dress fluttering across the ground behind her.

Lao Smiled to himself.

***

Jin moved amongst the crowds of the upper ring, since the end of the war and reinstatement of the King the city had opened it up, and here she walked, having discovered the beauty that had laid hidden there for so long, in the gardens she would walk on her days off, selling baked goods and crafts on the street during the morning and afternoon, doing the building and preparations during the night before bed in her tiny apartment.

But today she had had an especially productive day selling out by lunch so decided to treat herself to a trip to the upper ring. It had been years since the wars end but in the city of cities there were always new places to go. She had visited the University and talked with students who were discussing the politics of the world, she had added little to the conversation but her questions were welcome, though she thought only to show off their knowledge. The sun had begun to get low and in an hour or two it would fall below the horizon; still she felt thirsty from all this walking so approached a nearby Teashop.

The Jasmine Dragon

Her heart skipped a beat as the memories flooded back, she had almost forgotten about the young boy Lee and his uncle Mushi. She seemed to recall that this was where they had gone when they disappeared form the lower ring, she brushed the wrinkles from her kimono and cursed herself for not wearing her nicer clothes for her trip but continued into the place trying to look confident, immediately seeing Mushi laughing with one of his customers, his belly bouncing with his verbose noise.

She walked towards him scanning the room for Lee but not seeing him anywhere. Mushi turned to her a quick look of surprise which turned to a massive smile, "Jin, my old friend, you have come to visit a humble man in his small teashop?" He gave her a quick embrace.

"Oh, a humble teashop? This is amazing; I didn't even know there were places like this in the city." She responded playfully, and still kept a look out the corner of her eye for his much younger nephew.

"Oh well I wouldn't know about that, by the way what brings you up this day?" he responded stepping back and picking up an empty teapot from the table and walking her to the counter at the back.

"I just walked by and saw the place and had to see how you have been doing." She shyly asked before blurting out with a "Is Lee around?"

The older man made no note of her outburst and continued, "no my Nephew has gone away to pursue his own life, as such the carefree life of a tea maker was not for him." Mushi smiled as a thought crossed his mind. "But I am to go visit him in short order and if you would like you could come with me."

She was taken aback by his offer, to meet Lee again was one thing but to travel away to see him was a bit extreme for someone she dated only once. "Sorry I can't I don't have the money for such a trip; some of us still have to work hard." She commented poking fun at his carefree manner.

Mushi went on, "oh but I insist, my treat, he misses many of his friends and I'm sure he would be happy to see one again. Beside I run an extremely successful teashop," his chest puffing with pride, "I can afford it myself, think of it as a vacation."

Her mind reeled, a trip for free would be a treat and she did work mighty hard to make ends meet, and with an expense free vacation now being offered, she would be foolish to say no.

"Alright, I guess." She agreed and felt butterflies in her stomach form at the thought of a trip to meet an old love.

***

Ty Lee looked around the camp as the tents came down around her, men and women hustled to put the circus into the carts and bundles it would stay throughout the winter. In summer they drew huge crowds but as the winter months set in the crowds would diminish to the point of being unprofitable, so they would shut down for a few months. She wondered where she would go, last year she had spent time with Mai, but her breakup and a subtle change in her personality made her harder and harder to relate to, in the end she had become glad to move back to the circus, though she felt like she was betraying her, but interestingly enough Mai had made a series of new friends from the locals of the island her father governed. It pleased her to know she was not leaving her alone but was yet another block in their long term friendship. She thought she might pay a visit to Zuko, see if he wanted any help around the palace or at least to see how he was doing and cheer up the all-to-serious Fire Lord.

She skipped forward; hitching a ride on the back of a cart of entertainers heading into the nearby port town, waving goodbye to those who still had work to do and thinking of home once again.