Disclaimer: These aren't mine, they belong to people named Bryke. Yet fans use the characters to write stories with, much to the enjoyment of the readers.
"A Promise Kept"
Chapter One
I'd never realized how much friendship meant to some people. I would look at them and think they were on drugs, that was until I found my own. They are and will always be the greatest blessing in my life. By Hannah Brown.
When she'd kissed him, he had been so relieved. To have the knowledge that Mai had survived the prison that his sister had sent his first girlfriend and her friend to. Over the cause of several months, whenever the young Fire Lord saw her, he was both happy and relieved to see her thriving.
After the honeymoon faze diminished, the Fire Lord discovered Mai. The real girl behind the mask and yet to say he wasn't surprised. Her usual monotoned answers and lack of enthusiasm for anything apart from her knives was starting to gather on his nerves.
* * *
Every morning, just before the sun peaked the sky, the young Fire Lord would make the short journey to his girlfriends apartments. Once there he would knock on the door and wait for one of her ladies in waiting to allow him to enter her lounge room. Mai would usually be reading a book, or reviewing her days timetable.
Zuko would clear his throat and she would look up at him with her golden expressionless eyes. "Yes My Lord?" she would ask every morning without fail.
"Mai." He would say. "Will you accompany me to the gardens? The Turtle-ducks haven't been fed yet."
There was always a choice in the question, yet Mai always denied him with her usual response. "Do I have to? Their so annoying and greedy." She would then return to her reading material and ignore him.
It wasn't her reply which sent his blood boiling and set him in an ill tempered mood for at least half the morning to follow. Mai knew how important this ritual meant to Zuko, he use to spend this time with his mother until she had disappeared and then was found several months ago. But it was more to the fact that he wanted to share this time with the girl he was suppose to be in-love with. Yet she showed no interest in spending the time together.
It wasn't until, on one particular morning, after Mai had rejected him once again and had continued to read her book. That Zuko had decided that he would try a different approach and ask someone else. Someone who would understand how important theses small moments were.
* * *
Katara was sitting on a red bamboo chair in the Palace Library, the young Avatar was standing near, with his growing body almost over shodowing hers in height, Zuko dicovered as he peaked behind several large book stands. He was about to join both his friends, but paused to reconcider upon hearing raised voices. It seemed that the Water Bender was having a loud disagreement with her boyfriend. Zuko begun to feel guity for listening in on his friends conversation, but somehow he couldn't just walk away. It was his Palace after all.
"Katara please." Aang said his voice pleading. "Your father misses you and so does your tribe."
"I'm not leaving Aang." Katara replied. Zuko could hear the stubbornness in her voice. He could almost imagine the expression which would be setting on her face and her hands crossed over her chest.
"Don't you want to see your family again Katara? Your tribe?" Aang questioned desperately.
"Why are you so eager to see me home?" Katara questioned.
"I just don't want you to feel like you have to stay with me in the Fire Nation." Aang defensively replied.
"I don't feel like that." Katara replied softly. "I'm staying because I am needed here. I have a purpose." She added determinedly.
"She does have a purpose." Zuko thought. "We need her to help heal those wounded from the war. None of the other healers from her tribes will come and help."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Aang continued, his toning had a suspicious edge to it, something which Zuko didn't like the sound of.
"Whats that suppose to mean?" Katara snapped.
"Are you staying here because of me?" Aang paused before continuing. "Or because he might need you?" The Avatar put the emphasison the he, indicating, Zuko suspected that the younger man meant the Fire Lord.
"I...Ah." Katara stumbled to find the right words to express her true intentions. "I'm staying because...-" She was, much to her delight cut off.
"You shouldn't need to answer that." Aang cut into his girlfriends explanation. "Do you hear something?" The Avatar added, the conversation seased between them.
The young Fire Lord froze. Had the Avatar heard him shift his position? He quickly decided that before they accused him of eves-dropping, he would announce his entrance. So he cleared throat and stepped into the Library entrance and glanced between the Water Bender and the Avatar with an innocent look.
"Sorry. Am I interrupting something?" He glanced from one friend to the other. Aang turned his gaze to Katara who quickly dismissed it with a glance towards the history section.
"No!" Both replied sharply.
"In that case, I was wondering if I might borrow Katara from you Aang? There is something that I've been meaning to show her." Zuko said. He inwadly smiled when Katara's eyes lit up with interest.
The Avatar started to protest, but was hushed with a single wave of Katara's hand. "Aang, our conversation was nearly over." Turning her attention to the Fire Lord she said, "Zuko I would be delighted to come." The Water Bender stood up and without a backwards glance at her shocked boyfriend she'd followed the Fire Lord.
"So...Where are you taking me?" Katara asked when they were out of ear shot from Aang or any guards.
"To feed the Turtle-Ducks." Zuko replied simply.
"Turtle-Ducks?" Katara had exclaimed excitedly. "Their so cute!"
Zuko smiled.
* * *
He led his friend through the mazes of the Fire Nation Palace. One door always led to another strange room. It was no suprise that his great grandfather had spent the remainder of his days searching for the Avatar, one senile old man in this palace would have surely starved before finding the kitchen.
Finally, after much frustration on his behalf, not the Water Benders. Zuko arrived at two large wooden doors. They were magnificently designed, with large phoenixes and flames hand crafted into the wood work. Zuko often marveled over the fact that in a nation of Fire Benders, wood was still a common trait and these doors had survived over 500 years of mad Fire Lords.
Katara flinched at the sheer intimidation and height the doors suddenly held. "They're frightening, yet beautiful." She said in amazment, her vocie only loud enough for Zukoto hear the underlining tone.
He chuckled throately, "Imagine them when my father was the ruler." He said, Katara shivered in responce.
Two guards stood post at either side. They bowed when they saw the Fire Lord and Master Water Bender, who both nodded in responce. The gaurd on the left, in haste opened the heavey door, so both friends could continue their journey to the gardens.
Katara shot them both suspicious looks before following the Fire Lord out into the warm morning. The large door slammed shut behind her, causing her to shudder. "Why is everything so unnecessarily loud?" She noted. Back home, they had no doors all they had were tents, even in the Northern Water Tribe they didn't need to have anything so frightening.
Zuko didn't reply, she hadn't expected him to. They walked in silence, it wasn't awkward as one might suspect in the presents of the Fire Lord. As he wasn't much of a conversationalist, known to be a fact around the Nation. He was animated around friends and family, namely his uncle and mother. But in the public eye he kept a cool, professional demure.
Observing her surroundings, Katara noticed the native Fire Nation shrubs and trees. In the center of the garden she noticed a large round pond, filled with cool, clear water which rippled the suns reflective light and sparkled like diamond stones under the sun or by a flame. Near it stood an old tree, its green leaves drooped, almost like a wilting flower needing water over the ponds edge.
"You have grass?!" Katara squealed, almost like an excited child. Zuko gave her an odd look which Katara interpreted as an insult. "Growing up in the South Pole we didn't have grass." She retorted grumpily. Zuko only nodded and continued to walk in silence.
"The first time I felt grass was in the Spirit Oasis, in the North Pole." Katara continued to talk.
Zuko stopped abruptly. "We're here." He said almost like a command. Katara felt his warm hand grab hers and allowed him to lead her to the pond, understanding that this was an important moment for him.
Zuko, once arrived at his usual spot under the tree motioned for Katara to sit, she obeyed. A family of Turtle-Ducks, three babies and two parents paddled over from the reefs to great the newcomers.
Katara giggled as the smallest one couldn't keep up with its older siblings, so in attempt it flapped its tiny wings and only achieved in spashing water about. "We don't have anything to feed them." Katara noted in disappointment.
Zuko smirked and produced two loaves of bread from his sleeves, one for Katara and one for himself. He placed it in her lap and broke off a few small crumbs and threw them into the water. Watching intently at her friend and the Turtle-Ducks, Katara soon understood the jist and followed his lead. They sat in silence for a few more moments.
"My mother and I use to come here a lot when I was a kid." Zuko said finally, breaking the comfortable silence. "We use to just sit here and feed the Turtle-ducks. That was before..." He trailed off.
Katara nodded in understanding, "That sounds... very sweet." She finished. "My mother and I use to share stories. That's how I learnt about the Avatar and Water Bending." She said distantly, remembering her mothers voice,while absentmindedly fiddling with her necklace.
"Aang means a lot to you doesn't he?!" Zuko remarked, it came out more of a statement than a question.
Katara nodded. "He's my best friend. And we're the only family he has, you, Sokka, Toph, Suki and I. We mean a lot to him."
"Do you think he has what it takes to help me keep the peace?" Zuko asked, while throwing the remaining crumbs into the water, the Turtle-Ducks scrambled in the water, greedily devouring the loaf.
"I believe he does." She muttered determinedly. "But he needs to focus, and we." She shoved Zuko lightly on the arm. "need to make sure that he does." She laughed and Zuko joined in, it felt good to relax and let all the stress, problems and life disappear for a moment.
Zuko shoved her back, still gentle, but enough to make Katara topple onto her side. She burst into hysterics and bended water from the pond and whipped the young Fire Bender on the arm playfully.
Suddenly Zuko was all action and revenge, he grabbed Katara's floundering arm and pulled her to her feet. "If that's how you want it..." He snarled and threw a flame in her direction.
Jumping at lightening speed, Katara quickly summoned a small amount of water and threw it at the flame, summoning more water from the air she aimed directly at Zuko's free arm and foot. He was to quick and dodged her attack, throwing several more flames, he quickly bended them into a rope and surrounded his friend and trapped her.
Katara laughed and said the words which the young Fire Lord thought he would never hear from the Water Bender. "Okay you've trapped me. You win. I surrender." She raised her hands in defeat.
Zuko grinned in triumph. "You made it too easy." He called to her, the flames disapearig as he spoke.
"No I didn't." Katara said slyly and summonded a giant wave to soak her friend. Zuko yelled. "That was for tying me to a tree." She explained.
"Couldn't you have just asked for an apology instead?" He asked, raising his core body temperture to dry himself off with.
"Nope." Katara said and sat back down by the pond, Zuko joined her shortly after.
"I needed that. Being Fire Lord, you never get to have many mock battles. Everything is just so... serious, allof the time." Zuko said, while watching the Turtle-Ducks, who were finally coming out of hiding after the bending display they had just witnessed.
"But you wouldn't change being Fire Lord for anything." Katara said sofly, gazing at her friend with wonder.
"What?" He asked when he caught her staring, his cheeks turned a lighter shade of red.
Katara smiled shyly and brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face. "I was just wondering why you asked me to join you to feed the Turtle-Ducks and not...?" She raised her hand and turned away.
"And not Mai?" Zuko finished, he grabbed her hand suddenly. Katara startled, looked at him.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you." The Fire Lord asked seriously, while searching her blue eyes with his own amber ones in questioning.
She nodded once. "What is it?"
"Do you remember when we were in Ba Sing Se catacombs and you said that you had healing abilities..." Katara nodded and waited for him to continue. "You said something. Something which I'm wondering if you're still willing to try?" He broke the gaze, unable to look at her.
"Your asking if I would heal your scar? The very scar that makes you...different." Katara questioned, her mind racing thousand miles per-second.
"It's the mark of the shamed! I want to start a fresh life, one without bitter reminders." He said angrily, while his eyes showed her pain and bad memories.
"I don't have anymore of the water. It's from the North Pole." Katara replied she tore her gaze away from his eyes for a moment and glanced at the very scar in question.
"But will you?" He asked intently. "Can you heal me?" The Fire Lords eyes growing light and hopeful.
"Oh Zuko!" Katara said after a moment of deliberation. She reached her hand up and gently stroked the undulated skin. "When can you leave?" She asked softly.
* * *
Mai, bored with her book about 'The Mysteries of the South, an untold tale'. Walked from the sun room, she followed the marble palace floors until she reached her desired destination, the outside pavilion. The two guards who were meant to keeping watch had left their post. Mai sighed, the help around the palace was surely lacking since Zuko had taken to the spot light.
She pushed open the two large wooden doors, ignoring the sounds and continued to walk until she found her usual pillar. Every morning after Zuko asked her to feed the Turtle-Ducks with him, she would follow him out and hide behind a pillar, close enough to watch his expressions and movements, but far enough away not to be noticed. It wasn't that she didn't want to join him, it was she didn't know how to behave, how he wanted her to behave while feeding the animals. She had always been envious of Tylee's social skills or Azula's persona.
Jealousy entered her body at the exact moment when she caught her boyfriend with the Water Bender talking. Spitefulness and self loathing engected themselves and curled around her body and mind like a close friend. "How dare she..." Mai spat. "How dare she take this moment from Zuko and I." In truth, Mai couldn't blame the younger girl. Zuko always asked her first the girl was merely a substitute.
Suddenly a hand went on Zuko's scar and Mai froze. No one touched that face, not even her or his Uncle. When Zuko didn't remove the hand, she almost sent several daggers in the blue eyed girls direction.
"How dare she..." She spat, unable to say anything else, Mai fell. But quickly recollected herself, she was a lady after all. The Fire Lords very own girlfriend.
This is my first Fanfiction. Review if you please. Flames not minded. Cheerleaders welcomed. Hope you enjoyed. ;) Please mind the oddness it is written in. It hopefully will get better as its continued.