Author's Note: Hell-o everyone! I have another story for you guys! I know that this is different from The Promise but I don't think it technically qualifies as an AU. A Zuko x Mai story- I know a lot of people are die-hard Zutara fans, but I find it really hard to ship couples that aren't canon. (fun fact: originally, Zuko and Katara WERE going to be canon!) I'll have a story for Zutarians soon! Oh, I recently got my aquarium set up, and I named all my fish after Avatar characters. I swear that tank is like its own soap opera. Anyway, on with the story!

Zuko never really liked meetings anyway.

At least, that's what he tried to tell himself, but even a year after his coronation, he still couldn't believe that he was actually the Fire Lord. He still got a little giddy inside when someone addressed him as so, even when Sokka was just poking fun at him.

He even paid complete attention during this particular meeting. He could tell that Aang, Katara, and the rest of his friends were beyond bored and just hoped it would end soon.

Zuko was completely engrossed, however. It wasn't because he felt like he was the best Fire Lord ever- no, it was the complete opposite. He was afraid of not being the best Fire Lord ever. His people were counting on him to make a difference in their lives, to pull their country back out of the brimstone of Hell, so it could finally find its original source of power of the sunshine.

So Zuko took every opportunity to show that this eighteen-year-old ruler could do the job, even if it meant making personal sacrifices.

That meant sleep, not happiness. He was as happy as could be. Sokka and Aang treated him like their brother, Katara like the way she treated everyone else in their rag-tag family. Toph still gave him a playful elbow in the ribs, and his uncle embraced him tighter and tighter every week he went for tea.

Mai was constant, too. She was outside right now- she always was. She always waited for him after every meeting like it was her personal job to oversee him, like a guardian. Maybe she was- she had taken the responsibility of being the Fire Lord's girlfriend without complaint, even with the occasional smile- of course Zuko was the only one to catch it. She only smiled when he was around.

Her smile was beautiful. It was because it meant that everything in the world really was okay. Mai wouldn't smile unless there was a really good reason too- and she had been smiling more and more lately. Maybe the effects of a one hundred year war were finally coming to an end.

Or so he hoped.

Every time his mind drifted to his father, not dead but locked up, he didn't know what to think. He still couldn't decide if he wished his dad was dead, even after a year. It wasn't that he wanted him dead, particularly. It was whether it was a good idea to keep him alive. As long as he was, he could break free like Uncle had, and wreak havoc on the world again.

He respected Aang's decision to keep him alive, and was proud of him for finding a way to end the war without more violence. Maybe the Avatar's judgment was best?

Zuko decided on this, as it was really the only thing he could do. He wasn't going to kill his own father, and he certainly wasn't going to make someone else do it.

The meeting ended without any real change. It was almost as if they never got anything done, but he enjoyed them anyway. At least they were trying.

Mai smiled and embraced him as Sokka leaned on his shoulder, letting out a sigh. "Those things just keeping getting more boring, don't they?"

Zuko cracked a smile as Aang and Toph giggled. "You can say that again, Boomerang Boy."

"We should have a party after each one of those meetings. So we can recover." Katara joked along. Mai suddenly then said- "Why don't we? We certainly have the room at the palace."

She glanced at Zuko. Mai wanted to have some fun, and it was wonderful. Everything about the way she looked at him, finally with a gleam in her eye was wonderful.

"Yeah, why not? We can open the gates and anyone who wants to come can. You guys can invite some of your friends from the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe to come, too."

Aang's eyes lit up. "I can go and pick them up on Appa! This is going to be great!"

So they sent out multiple Fire Nation messenger hawks to various locations, inviting people for the "Fire Nation Flaming Festival of Fun," as Sokka had dubbed it.

When they woke up the morning of the party, the palace was already decorated. Paper lanterns in various colors hung from the ceiling, a large paper dragon among them. Candles floated around the room on various tables. The staircase descending to the ballroom sparkled like glass or crystal.

Even though he had lived at the palace almost all his life, Zuko couldn't remember a time when the ballroom itself ever looked this…happy. He doesn't even think it was ever even used back when his grandfather and father were the Fire Lords.

He really was changing the world. Guests trickled in as Aang and his friends brought people from their travels and their homes. Various Earth Kings and Water Tribe chiefs were there, and though they greeted each other with diplomatic bows and talk, it soon gave way to a more open relationship. Hakoda of the Water Tribe had even hugged the young Fire Lord, with his children teasing him.

When the gates opened, so many people flooded in. It was high time they had something to enjoy- Aang had complained that when he attended a Fire Nation school, the kids weren't even allowed to dance off school grounds. Zuko had changed that, and hoping this party was going to drive that point home. Aang even said that he had seen and talked to some of the students he had become friends with, and even made up with the one who tried to get him in trouble so many times.

Zuko and Mai made their way around the room, arm in arm. They ran into a lot of people that had been invited by Aang and everyone. Of course, they had friends from all over the world. He had ran into Toph's parents, Haru and the other earthbenders from the invasion, both Northern and Southern Water Tribe soldiers, earthbending fighters, and even swamp benders, who were thankfully wearing pants.

They gave smiles that were never faked. For once, Zuko and Mai were legitimately happy.

Nobody noticed a familiar, hooded figure slip into the room.

They all say down and enjoyed a Fire Nation feast, meats hand-picked by the expert Sokka himself. Zuko and Aang thanked everyone for being there. They were both grateful to have one another for these kinds of things- they had each others' backs.

Nobody noticed the odorless, colorless poison in the young Fire Lord's drink.

Sokka joked that Zuko was the one who didn't put any vegetarian options out for Aang, which earned him a playful punch from Toph, and Katara saying that her brother should know better. Zuko called for the cooks to make what Aang requested.

Nobody warned him when he took a sip from his glass.

It took forever for the cooks to finish the elaborate custard Aang wanted, but they did it with a smile. It was something people all around the world had grown used to these days- the Avatar and the Fire Lord had brought fun and happiness to a world that had not even seen peace for many, many years.

No one, not even Iroh or Mai, was worried when the glass was slowly emptied.

The party continued for another hour, until they decided to close the gates. Zuko and Mai had set up for those Aang had brought with him to sleep in their guest house. Aang, Katara, Iroh and everyone else actually had their own rooms in the south west wing of the palace.

Nobody noticed an insane smile beneath a cloak.

Zuko hadn't felt right since dinner, but he had assumed he had just eaten too much- they all had, even Sokka had admitted he couldn't finish it all. He hadn't been eating or sleeping much anyway- time for even the simplest things slips away from you when you're trying to rebuild a world.

He had ignored it, and enjoyed every second of this downtime. It was so nice to have moments like this, with Mai on his arm and his Uncle home for the week and his friends finally getting the break they all deserved. And he didn't regret not saying anything.

That is, until he and Mai headed back to their room for the night.

They had given the servants the night off after the party- after dinner, they even let them join them, saying that the cleaning could be taken care of tomorrow. Its not like the mess was going to get up and go anywhere.

He was undressing to slip into bed with Mai when his vision blurred. He stumbled, smacking his hand against the wall to catch himself from falling.

Mai looked up. "Zuko? Zuko, are you alright?" she started walking over to him, only to pick up her pace quickly. Her footsteps sounded muffled.

His stomach cramped and he slid down the wall to crouch on the floor. Mai was beside him, her arms around him to keep him from falling forward. She looked at his face, contorted with pain. "Zuko, what's wrong? What's happening?"

He opened his mouth to answer her, put darkness invaded his vision and clouded his mind.

He was out even before his head hit the floor.