Author's Note: Since book 3 hasn't actually come out yet, I've assumed several things about it, which will hopefully be revealed in the writing. As a heads up, two major things I'm assuming: Zuko joined the Gaang early on on in season 3 and has built up a trusting friendship with each of them and that Aang has delayed telling Katara how he feels about her.
Also, while this story does take place immediately after my version of season 3, this is not how I expect season 3 to turn out. It's written that way simply to give this story some continued conflicts from the show and make it more interesting.
It had been a surprisingly peaceful week after the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. News of Zuko's immediate coronation after the previous fire lord's assassination had raced around the world and already the Fire Nation army was withdrawing from the Earth Kingdom and it's other provinces. With him leading his nation on the path to peace and Iroh advising him every step of the way, the rest of the gang had been left to themselves in the fire palace with little to do except enjoy themselves as royal guests.
They had taken a liking to the courtyard garden, it was nice to be outdoors and the weather was beautiful. The pond situated amid the lawn was a particular place of interest, especially for Katara.
At the moment, she sat by the side of the water bending it slowly and playfully as a turtle duckling watched with interest. Toph lay nearby on her back staring with unseeing eyes into the sky. Appa slept beside them under the tree that shaded the two girls.
Momo sat by the pond near Katara, pawing at the swimming turtle ducks. A quick peck from one of them sent the little lemur scurrying away. Discovering the picnic basket with everyone's lunch leftovers, Momo eagerly tore into the food, stuffing his face.
"Momo! I just finished packing that!" Katara cried, reaching out from where she sat to shoo the little lemur.
Momo chirped, looked at her for a moment and then went back to eating. Sighing, Katara turned and resumed what she was doing as well.
Sokka was seated across the lawn on the stone steps leading into the palace. Aang, noticing his friend's glum expression, decided to abandon his efforts to get the turtle ducks to play follow the leader with him and see what was up with the water tribesman.
"Hey Sokka," he chirped, landing lightly on his feet in front of the teen, "You've been sitting there all morning and you barely touched your food. What's going on?"
"Oh, I'm just board I guess," Sokka sighed as he continued to sit elbows on knees, arms propping up his head.
"Yeah, I'm kinda bored too," Aang replied, taking a seat next to Sokka, "I thought a break after saving the world would be nice and all, but we haven't done anything for over a week. Zuko's and Iroh have really taken charge around here."
Sokka sighed again, saying "I've been thinking, with the Fire Nation on the road to peace, there just won't be any excitement anymore; all the battles are over."
Aang could see Sokka was distraught, and even though he knew with Azula still on the loose the battles were far from over, he attempted change the subject, "Come on, Sokka. What about Suki? Aren't you looking forward to seeing her again without having to worry about the Fire Nation?"
"Of course I am," Sokka blurted out, throwing his hands up in frustration, "But that's another problem, I haven't seen or heard from her in months! The last time I saw her she was barely even alive!"
"Don't worry, tonight Zuko and the leaders of the other nations will be formally establishing the new peace between the nations. After that we'll be free to go to Kyoshi Island, I promise."
"Auugh and that's another problem!" Sokka yelped, "All the leaders are here except my dad! He's staying home to help in the rebuilding of the Southern Water Tribe. Chief Arnook ois representing both tribes in the treaty process.".
Aang could only look at Sokka with pity. Turning away from his miserable friend, he was glad to see Katara and Toph approaching.
"What's wrong with Sokka?" Katara asked quizzically.
"Pretty much everything," Aang said causing Toph to snicker and Sokka to jump up with a look of indignation.
"I suppose you guys are having a grand time doing absolutely nothing!" he exploded, eyes bulging crazily and pointing accusingly at Katara and Toph.
"Actually," Katara began, trying to calm her brother down, "We're just as board as you are, so I thought I we could all go check out the city. I'm sure Zuko won't mind if we leave the palace."
"That sounds great," Aang exclaimed jumping up excitedly and then, trying to cheer Sokka up, "Sokka, you could look in some of the shops for a gift for Suki-"
Sokka's mood changed completely as he interrupted Aang, "Not now Aang, I just had a great idea, I could look for a gift for Suki!"
Aang and Katara traded looks of amusement as Sokka ran for the gate out of the palace.
"Sokka's just full of great ideas isn't he," Toph remarked as they followed after him laughing.
"We'll be back later," Aang said as he waved goodbye to Appa and Momo. Appa groaned and rolled over in response, Momo let out a small belch and settled down to take a nap in the picnic basket he had been eating from.
In the former war chamber of the Fire Palace, Fire Lord Zuko had been speaking with his recently deceased father's generals about the new peace between other nations. Iroh, seated next to Zuko, nodded in approval as his nephew spoke while sipping a cup of steaming tea.
Ozai's defeat and Zuko's immediate ascension to the throne had gone unquestioned; both the people of the Fire Nation, the nobles, and the generals had accepted Zuko as the heir to their nation. Despite this, the transition was not without tension and both Iroh and Zuko hoped to avoid any outright conflict.
"As leaders of the three nation the Earth King, Water Chieftain and I have put together these conditions concerning the Fire Nation's complete withdrawal from the Earth Kingdom and the establishment of peace between our nations," Zuko finished after listing the terms he and the other leaders had decided upon, "many of you served under my father, but you have pledged your allegiance to me, so I come before you to hear what you would say about this development."
It was a bit shocking to the generals that Zuko would ask for their input, even more so that he would kneel among them as an equal. No fire lord in memory had left his thrown to sit among his generals. Many took this as proof to his incompetence as fire lord. As expected, many of the generals were unconvinced and utterly hateful towards the new Fire Lord, having only given their allegiance begrudgingly.
"What I want to know," snorted one general, "Is why you think we should end this war at all. The Fire Nation is on the verge of victory, even with the loss of the late Fire Lord Ozai; we are still strong. We even have the leaders of the other nations here! It would be the perfect opportunity too-"
"General Tze" Zuko interrupted as calmly as he could, "We are not here to continue the war. When you swore to serve under me you also swore that the war would be put to an end."
"You are a fool to think the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom will accept peace," Tze smirked, " The Fire Nation has been invading and killing their people for one hundred years. They will not forgive us so easily."
"I trust their word that they will, and if not then we will have to struggle for peace. But it is time for this war to end," Zuko stated looking Tze straight in the eyes.
"Why do we have to listen to this boy!" shouted Tze angrily as he stood up, gesturing towards Zuko, "We, the great generals of the Fire Nation, have to follow the orders of naïve, scar faced teenager? He should have never been crowned, one of us should have become fire lord!"
Iroh, who had been silent until this point, set down his tea cup and coolly remarked, "You realize, General Tze, that your are on the borderline of speaking treason against the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation, a crime punishable by death."
Tze redirected his glare from Zuko to Iroh, "Fine," he muttered, "See where this will take you, but I won't be a part of it."
Looking at the faces of the other generals with contempt, Tze stormed from the council. Several other generals not quite as confident but still bearing looks of disdain got up to follow Tze.
Weakened, Zuko looked around at his remaining officers, "I suppose none of you support me in this matter either?"
One of the more ancient looking of the group, a man Zuko vaguely recognized, stood up to speak.
"I was here three years ago when, in this very war chamber, when you spoke out against Tze when he wanted to use a division of new recruits against the experienced Earth Kingdom soldiers at Ba Sing Se. You showed concern for those soldiers when no one else did. I believe in your concern for our people; I trust in your ability as Fire Lord to bring peace back to the Fire Nation."
"Thank you," Zuko said, betraying a slight smile, "Does anyone else have anything to offer?" he asked, looking around the room hopefully.
His smile quickly vanished when he saw that most of the other generals still bore harsh looks, obviously unconvinced by one man's testimony. They would follow him, but that didn't mean they had confidence in him.
"You have our support, Fire Lord Zuko," the general who had shared his story spoke up, and while several of the other generals nodded in agreement, they were obviously conflicted in their decision.
"Thank you, you're dismissed."
As the generals filed out of the chamber, Zuko and Iroh remained kneeling. As the last man left the chamber, Zuko tore the golden crown from his topknot and tossed it onto the table.
"I just can't do this," he said closing his eyes in frustration, "How can I rule when my own generals don't even respect me?"
"You will earn their respect in time," Iroh replied, pouring Zuko a cup of tea, then pouring himself another cup, "You cannot expect them to serve you willingly so soon after the defeat of your father."
"I'm just not ready for this," Zuko sighed, accepting the teacup Iroh handed him. "I'm not even sure I want to be Fire Lord anymore," he said after taking a slow sip.
"Zuko, you are needed to guide your nation into peace. You know first hand how badly it is needed."
"I know, uncle," Zuko replied, continuing a bit more optimistically for his Iroh's sake, "I guess we'll just have to make the best of this won't we."
Iroh smiled at his nephew. The teen had undergone a tremendous change in the past few months, a change Iroh largely accredited to Zuko's friends: Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. Indeed, Iroh thought to himself, with the support of his friends Zuko would become an excellent fire lord.
"Wow, it sure is crowded," said Katara, as they entered the city from the residential area that separated the palace from the shops, "We better stick together so no one gets lost."
This was easier said than done. It wasn't long before Toph realized to her horror that she wasn't walking beside her friends anymore. All around her were the vibrations of people's feet, but none of them were the familiar stomps of Sokka, casual gait of Katara, or the light steps of Aang.
"Uh, guys?" she asked worriedly. She didn't want to move and get lost in the crowd, and although she could easily earthbend her way out of the situation, she didn't want to hurt anyone either. When she received no answer except for the commotion from strangers all around her, she shouted, "Guys!?"
Toph hated crowds, the vibrations from everyone moving about flooded her senses. She couldn't recognize anyone around her. When a hand suddenly grabbed her arm, she immediately without thinking bent the earth up into the direction she hoped her assailant was coming from and was rewarded with a loud 'oof'.
"Toph," Sokka gasped holding his stomach, "It's me!"
"Oh, sorry Sokka, I couldn't see you there," Toph said apologetically.
"Very funny," Sokka returned, taking her arm and leading her through the crowd, "Lets get back to Aang and Katara."
Aang and Katara had been investigating a small antique shop. As Katara browsed through the shelves of knickknacks, Aang took particular interest in the display of bending scrolls he found in the corner. The shopkeeper, a kindly looking old man, watched them intently from behind his counter.
"Look at this, airbending scrolls!" Aang cried excitedly, unrolling one of the scrolls to reveal a tattooed monk going the motions of an aribending attack.
"Wow, those must be priceless!" Katara said as she peered over his shoulder at the scroll.
"My father gave them to me after the campaign at the Western Air Temple almost one hundred years ago," the old shopkeeper spoke to Aang as he walked over and took a second scroll down, "I understand you're the last airbender, it's a shame being the last of your people. If you like, you can have these scrolls for free."
"Thank you," Aang said smiling at the shopkeeper's kindness, "But we've got plenty of money, it would be no trouble paying you."
"Thank you Avatar Aang," the shopkeeper said, bowing as he accepted the Fire Nation coins, "I'll never forget how the Avatar came into my shop and offered to pay full price!"
Aang couldn't help but smile. Everything he had struggled for over the past year had clear affects on people everywhere, even the humble shopkeeper that stood before him. It felt good to have set everything right, and even better was that he could finally do all the things he wanted to do that he couldn't while struggling to end the war.
Thinking about this, he left the shop with Katara at his side and Sokka and Toph approached them from the crowded street.
"Katara, I'm glad I found you, I need your help to find something for Suki," Sokka said, grabbing Katara's arm and trying to pull her along after him.
"Woe, slow down, since when do you need my help?" she asked with a smirk.
"You're a girl, and you know," Sokka explained, "You have girly tastes! If you like something I'm sure Suki will too."
"But why do I have to come?" Toph complained as crossing her arms.
"Someone has to model so Katara can tell whether she likes it or not," Sokka replied assuming a logical tone, "And I'm certainly not going to try on any dresses."
"You did at Kyoshi Island when-"
"Shhh! Don't tell Toph about that!" Sokka yelped covering his sister's mouth.
Removing it, he grabbed both Katara and Toph's hands and pulled them in the direction of a shop that looked promising.
"I guess we'll see you later," Katara gasped, waving goodbye with her free hand.
"Yeah, if Meathead can make up his mind on a gift," Toph added with an irritated groan.
Aang could only laugh at Sokka's antics and wave a cheery, yet reluctant goodbye.
It was nice being able to just walk with Katara without having anything to worry about. He had struggled to subdue his feelings for her for so long, adhering to Guru Pathik's message that he must let go of his earthly attachment for Katara, but had never truly given it up. The struggle infiltrating the Fire Nation had been long and hard, as was the final battle with Ozai, but Aang was glad he hadn't given up his attachment to Katara. Now that everything was over, he felt that things were going to start changing for the better.
All this passed through his mind as he wandered aimlessly by several shops and alleys, trying to avoid the crowd. None of the other shops really caught his interest, though he did stop briefly at a firebending school.
Watching the students train, his thoughts about Katara drifted into his memories of the past few months when he too was learning firebending. He was a bit slow and unsteady at first, but due to his incredible teacher, none other than the Dragon of the West, and a few helpful pointers from Zuko, he had mastered fire like every other element.
In the sunlit jungles of the Fire Nation, Aang and Iroh stood in a clearing practicing their bending exercises. Assuming serious expressions, they faced each other, bowed, and began their routine.
Holding his arms out, Iroh took a deep breath and brought them down to his sides creating wing like apparitions of fire. Aang mimicked his instructor's moves, careful to stay focused and keep his breathing steady.
Throwing their arms forward, the two benders combined their fire wings for a moment and launched a stream of fire into the sky. The instance the blaze left their finger tips, Aang brought his palms together, extinguishing the twisting flames.
Aang looked at Iroh expectantly yet maintaining a serious face. Iroh looked down at him sternly, then he broke into a wide smile.
"Excellent form, pupil Aang," he said, placing a hand on the boys shoulder.
"Thank you Sifu Iroh," Aang beamed, grinning back at his teacher as he brought his hands together and bowed.
Aang smiled fondly at the memory and then, growing bored watching the basic techniques the students were performing, he continued his wandering.
Passing the corner of the building, Aang noticed a group of men standing a distance down the alleyway. Stopping to get a better look, he was immediately spotted by one of them.
"It's the Avatar!" one of the men pointed, prompting his companions to let loose a series of fire blasts.