Water...Earth...Fire...Air

Long ago the four nations lived together in harmony...Then everything changed when the fire nation attacked...

Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him the most he vanished...

One hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar. An air bender named Aang. We went on long journey to help him learn the other elements and made many friends along the way.

Now a group effort has brought the war to an end, but the road for peace is still a long and winding road. The war has left the four nations scared and divided, but I still have hope that we can save the world.

…...

Six months after Zuko's coronation...

A pair of amber eyes stared down at the parchment in front of him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he re-read the same sentence over and over again before pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Zuko, go to bed."

Zuko looked up at his doorway to see Mai standing there. She looked tired and a bit annoyed.

"I have to finish this. There's a meeting in the morning with the council. If I don't have these plans finished then it will give them another excuse to postpone our efforts to rebuild the Earth Kindom and Southern Water Tribe. Not to mention any other plans I try to push through."

Mai sighed. Ever since Zuko had become Fire Lord, he had run into more problems. While the title earned him respect, many of the Generals and the Council were put into place by his father. This would not be the first time Zuko's attempts to help rebuild the other nations. With his uncle in Ba Sing Se, his mother still missing and possibly dead, and his father and sister sitting in jail, Zuko only had her, the Avatar, and the other members of the Avatar team. The latter two were off settling their own affairs so that left her to watch as Zuko was slowly falling apart.

"This has to stop Zuko. You haven't slept and you've barely eaten anything in the past two days. I don't care about a lot of things, but I do care about you and I can't stand seeing you like this."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose again. He knew Mai had a point, but this was the responsibility that he accepted when he became Fire Lord.

"Mai, get some sleep. I'll be fine," he forced a small smile on his face, "When these plans are accepted, maybe we can go spend a week in Ba Sing Se with my uncle. I know we could both use the break."

Mai sighed again before turning to return to her room. She knew Zuko was lying, but there was nothing she could do about it at this point. He was a stubborn person, but that was one of the reasons she cared about him. She closed the door to her palace chamber and leaned back against the door.

Since Zuko was named Fire Lord, she had remained faithfully by his side. She moved into the palace and took on a responsibility as his aide and a body guard of sorts. Asassins who were against Zuko's campaign for peace had started to pop up and nasty rumors that Azula was trying to overthrow Zuko from her cell were whispered amongst the staff. Mai refused to allow the issues to reach Zuko's ears and the stress was starting to take it's toll on her too.

Instead of going to her bed, she crossed the room to the balcony. She had insisted on a room that faced the courtyard so that she could stare out at the calming scene and be comforted. The full moon reflected on the turtle-duck pond and created large shadows. She leaned across the balcony and tried to relax.

The sound of scratching and crackling broke through her turmoiled thoughts. She scanned the courtyard looking for the source when blue lightning shot in front of her face. The projectile user turned to look at the balcony next to hers and stared into wide amber eyes.

"It's been a long time Mai. Surely you remember your old friend."

"Azula," she said in a flat voice as she dropped a dagger from the hidden mechanism in her sleves to the palm of her hand.

Azula was definitely not the same woman Mai had known. Her long hair was down...matted and dirty. Her clothing was standard prison rags and her skin was caked in dirt. Her eyes were what made Mai pause. They were the same cold calculating eyes, but a hint of insanity lay underneath her usual calm.

"I see that you've made yourself comfortable in the palace. I could make sure things stay that way."

"What are you talking about Azula?"

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors of my plan to overthrow Zuko and take my rightful place as Fire Lord. However, I would rather not have to deal with the messy work. I would be willing to forgive you for the past if you would take care of my brother. Think about it Mai. We could rule this land as a team and continue with my father's vision for this world."

She jumped from the far balcony onto Mai's with catlike grace. She smiled making her look sinister.

"You're forgetting one thing Azula. I already told you once. I love Zuko more than I fear you."

Her cackle made the hair stand up on the back of Mai's neck. Azula hunched over and looked at her.

"Then I have no use for those who would betray me twice."

Lightning shot from Azula's fingertips and grazed her old friend's arm. Mai threw her dagger and leaped into the bedroom avoiding another deadly strike. She gathered another dagger into her hand before sliding to hide behind the bed.

Blood began to seep into her night robe. She ripped the sleave and wrapped it tightly around the cut on her arm tight enough to stop the blood flow. She winced when Azula spoke again.

"Come out you traitor. You can't hide for long and when I find you, you will die."

Lightning struck the bed and set it ablaze. Mai hopped up and threw her dagger. It embedded snagged Azula's sleave and embedded into the wall. The projectile user threw open her door and ran into the hallway...

…...

Zuko watched his girlfriend leave him to return to her room. Once she was out of sight he flopped down on his back. The past few months were taking their toll on him and he knew there had to be some way to cope. Maybe he could ask his uncle to return on a temporary basis to help him.

He stood and stretched before dropping into a firebending form. Stretching his sore muscles would help him to stay up a little bit longer. If he could get a second wind then he could finish within the next hour and get some sleep before the meeting in the morning.

Zuko finished his form and sat down to return to his paperwork, when he heard a loud thud. The Fire Lord glanced around the room when she heard a loud crash. He jumped to his feet and grabbed his broadswords before turning to meet an assailant.

Zuko swung his sword, blocking the flames that were being shot at him. His attacker wore the military uniform of the royal procession.

"Why are you attacking me? I am your Fire Lord and I order you to stand down."

The soldier stood his ground and bended an arc of flames at his target. Zuko jumped, dodging the flames, and brought one blade down so that the flat of it stunning the assassin. He landed to see more soldier climbing across the balcony. His main door burst open to reveal more soldiers...too many for Zuko to handle alone.

Fire flew from both sides. The Fire Lord blocked and evaided the assult as he made his way through the soldiers coming from the balcony. If he could only get through them then he could get to a more open area to fight.

Fire caught to his robes and he ripped the flaming sleave from his robe and flung it into the face of the nearest soldier. The soldier fell back onto other soldiers clearing a path for Zuko. He ran, stepping on the face of one of the falling assailants and flew through the air and off the balcony...

…...

Lightning zapped past Mai as she sprinted down the hall. She ducked into a corridor and jumped down a flight of stairs. An arc of flames was shot at her and she looked to see members of the Royal Precession.

"How do you like my loyal soldiers? Not only did they break me out of my prison cell, but they agreed to help me with this coup. Right now most of my soldiers were redirected to attack my brother. ZuZu won't stand a chance against the numbers."

Mai felt ill, but she would rather die than let it show on her face. She had to get away from Azula and her army and find Zuko. She swung her arms sending daggers and other sharp objects at the guards. Redirecting and reloading, she swung sending more at Azula.

She ran past he ex-friend throwing more daggers her way and took off down the hall trying to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. She could see a balcony at the end of the hall. It was her only way to quickly get out of the palace and get to Zuko. She might even find guards that were loyal to the current Fire Lord to help. She almost jumped off when a flash of red and silver caught her eye.

Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Zuko fighting off Azula's soldiers. He couldn't handle it alone. She had to get down there. Mai hopped up on the ledge and took aim with a dagger. She let it fly before pain shot up her body. Her body spun to see Azula looking gleefully with her outstreatched fingers smoking.

Mai was falling. Her body was in extreme pain while her mind was numb. For the first time tears weld up and began to fall down her cheeks.

I love you Zuko. I am so sorry I couldn't protect you...

...

Zuko kicked a soldier back and created a Domino effect with the soldiers. He glanced for guards who were suppose to be on duty, but were no where to be found. Zuko turned and tried to get some distance from the soldiers when he saw her.

Mai was falling from a balcony. Her posture looked like she had been hit by something.

"Mai," he yelled her name before putting his sword away and catching her before she hit the ground. She was covered with blood.

"Mai, open your eyes."

The projectile wielder opened her eyes and tried to speak.

"Zuko...betrayed...Azula...run...leave me."

"I won't leave you."

He glanced back to see the soldiers closing in.

"Zuko...must get away...Avatar...hope...go...can't alone...love you..."

She tried to smile, but she was fading fast... "Go," she whispered before letting go.

Zuko clenched his hand into a fist before placing his girlfriend on the ground. He didn't have time to morn her death. He had to escape. The Fire Lord began to run, run as fast as he could to get outside of the castle grounds. He had to find Aang and the others. Mai was right; he couldn't do this on his own.

…...

Azula watched as her brother ran away. She began to laugh. Not only was she free, but she had struck her brother where it hurt the most. Now all she had to do is put the next part of her plan in motion and not only would she hold her position as the new Fire Lord, but she would also destroy her brother, the Avatar, and their pathtic friends.

"Captain...go and release my father from his cell as well and go fetch the fire sages. It is time for the rightful Fire Lord to take the throne."