Hello, Readers! Thanks for choosing my story. I sincerely hope you enjoy it. This is my first fanfiction, so don't be too harsh, please. Hehe... But, I would still love to hear any constructive criticism, you have. Well actually, I'd love to hear any thoughts you have about my story thus far. So. ENJOY

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, or any part of it. Just a fan, wanting to hear more about the show.

Chapter 1:

Their Arrival

Zuko sat in his throne room listening to report after report. They were all so similar, This village needs more food, That village needs more wood for homes, This town needs fresh water, That village needs a healer. The Fire Lord didn't know how to help all of them. He was doing his best. Zuko was greatly improving the life of his people, in the 3 short years, he had been ruling. The poverty rate had already decreased. Villages were being rebuilt by the programs he created. Towns were even being cleaned and taken care of. Yet every day, he had stacks of complaints from different villages, saying they needed this or that. Zuko didn't know how else to help. His troops, who had been turned into peacekeepers and rebuilders, were already spread thin, and his resources were running low. The Fire Lord rubbed the bridge of his nose and started tuning out Lai Ghee, his Restoration Program leader when suddenly his ears picked up something out of the ordinary.

"-and they don't know what it is, or what causes it. 3 people have come down with the same symptoms-"

This wasn't the first time Zuko had heard of these symptoms. Last week, Shu Jing reported 6 people with very similar symptoms. Now this week, in Lung Hai, 3 people have fallen to these same, horrible symptoms: fever, delirium, hallucinations, but worst of all, the inability to bend. He hoped he was wrong, that it was just a coincidence.

"-And sir, they have lost their bending."

Damn, this was not good. Zuko sighed, sat up straight and addressed Lai Ghee, "Send for all those that are sick. House them near the palace, and have my family's personal physician look at them." He got up and started walking out of the throne room, adding "And make sure you keep this on the wraps. If word gets out, it will cause panic." And with that, The Fire Lord exited the room, leaving a bowing Lai Ghee behind him.

Zuko walked back to his chambers, mumbling to himself. He didn't know what to do. He had just got his nation back and won over his people. If they knew about this sickness, then they would surely start to hate him. With such a fragile relationship with his people, he had to make sure that no one found out about this. I need help, he thought bitterly. But his pride would keep him from ever saying that out loud.

When the Fire Lord got back to his room, someone stood there waiting for him.

With a deep bow, the man started talking "Your Grace, two messages have arrived for you. One is from the North Pole-"

Katara

"- And the other is from Kyoshi Island. Here you are, your Highness" and with that he gave Zuko the letters, bowed and scurried out of the hall.

Once Zuko was in the privacy of his bedroom, he opened the letter from Kyoshi Island and read:

Dear Fire Lord Zuko,

It's been too long since we last talked. How are you doing? We've heard of the improvements you have made to your nation, it's all very impressive. The Fire Nation couldn't have a better leader. But I hope you aren't working all the time, you deserve to relax.

I thought you would like to know, we have a new addition to our family. A little boy. We are naming him Tikaani, which means wolf. Along with that, our first born, our daughter Nyra, has shown signs of being a waterbender! It's all very exciting! You are welcome to come and see them, you always have a room on Kyoshi. And I know Nyra would love to see her "Uncle Zuko". I hope you aren't working too hard. We'd love to hear back from you.

With love, Sokka, and Suki

The Fire Lord had been meaning to write to them, and hearing the news of their newborn brought a pang of guilt, but also a bit of excitement. He missed his friends dearly, and loved the excuse to go and see them. But, he knew that with this new spreading sickness, he couldn't risk leaving the Fire Nation. With a heavy heart, he opened the second letter, the one from the North Pole, and read:

Dear Zuko,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I hear the programs you started for your nation are doing very well. On my travels, I saw the effects of them. I can see the hope you bring to your people, and it warms my heart. You have become an even better leader than I had hoped for.

I assume you got my brother's letter. They have a new baby boy! And their daughter is an aspiring waterbender! I will be on a ship heading to Kyoshi Island by the time you read this letter. I am hoping to start Nyra's training when I get there. I would love for you to join us. I hear even Aang and Toph will be there for the celebration of their newborn.

With love, Katara

Gods, he missed his friends. It had been almost 3 years since he had seen any of them. After the war, Aang and Katara took off, traveling the world to help rebuild and heal the survivors of the war. Toph went back to the Earth kingdom and started an earthbending school. Sokka and Suki moved to Kyoshi Island, where they got married and started a family. Ty Lee moved to Kyoshi Island, and, once Suki became pregnant, took over training the infamous Kyoshi Warriors. Even Mai left. Gods, it hurt to think of her. Mai left a year after the war ended. She went to Omashu, becoming the emissary for the Earth Kingdom's own restoration programs. She leads the program in Omashu, alongside her parents.

That was 2 years ago, but Zuko still felt the pain from the breakup, and remembered the harsh words that were exchanged between the two. It had been the most emotion he had ever seen the raven haired girl display.

"Mai, why are you doing this? I thought you were happy here."

"I was Zuko. But that faded a long time ago."

"But Omashu? You hate the Earth Kingdom!"

"Stop, we've been over this. I told you, I'm going to work with my parents to rebuild Omashu. I feel empty here. I have nothing to do. And you can sharpen your knives only so many times before you start to go crazy" She had a small frown on her lips, and her eyebrows knitted together.

"Mai-" He had started to plead as he reached for her.

"No! Zuko!" She pushed his outstretched hand away and turned from him. "I need this. I need to do something." Her voice started trembling, as she lowered it. "I need to prove I'm not a monster like Azula." Mai had a sad, lost look in her eyes. And there were lines around them that he didn't remember seeing before. He suddenly understood. Mai was drowning inside. She had lost herself while being Azula's "friend". After so long of living under a monster's shadow, it's only reasonable to question your own ethics, to wonder if you were evil, or if it was just you following orders. So she needed time to find herself, find a new purpose in life.

And she couldn't find that if she stayed.

Zuko had to let her go. And it killed him.

Shaking his head, the Fire Lord pushed the painful thoughts from his mind and set to work at his desk. He had come up with a plan, that involved time away from work, seeing his friends, and not leaving the Palace. If he couldn't go see the Gaang, then he'd bring the Gaang to him. He was going to invite everyone to come stay in the Palace.

Dear friends,

I hope you can forgive me for not responding to your letters. I have been very busy with all my lordly duties-

No that's stupid, thought the Fire Lord. He grabbed the letter, crumbled it into a ball, tossed it aside, and tried again

Dear friends,

I'm sorry I have been so distant. I have had a lot of responsibility put on me and I just haven't had time to-

Ugh! This is stupid too! Zuko crumbled and tossed the second letter to the side, and started writing a third.

Dear Gaang,

I am sorry I kind of have been ignoring you. I'm needed here. A nation can't run itself you know-

This one was even worse than the other two! Frustrated, Zuko grabbed the letter and turned it to ash in a matter of seconds. After a few calming breaths, the Fire Lord sat back down, and attempted again, to write to his friends.

Dear Friends,

I hope you can forgive my tardiness this past couple of months. The Restoration Program requires a lot of attention, and in the beginning, it was too fragile to leave to the leaders I appointed in charge. But that's all settled now. The program is running smoothly.

To Sokka and Suki: I am sorry for missing the celebration of the birth of your first son. I bet he's as handsome and smart as his father. I look forward to seeing Nyra bend. Being the niece of an amazing bender such as Katara, and the daughter of such a fierce and wonderful warrior, I expect her to go far in her training.

To all of you: To make up for my absence at Tikaani's celebration, I invite all of you to come and spend a week or two at my palace. I will have 4 rooms prepared for you all. I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely, Fire Lord Zuko

With a satisfactory humph Zuko rolled the letter up, walked out of the room, and addressed one of the guards positioned at his door. "You. Please take this, and have it sent to Kyoshi Island. Make sure you use the fastest messenger hawk we have. Thank you. That will be all." And with that, Zuko turned back into his bedroom for some much-needed sleep.

The next few days were a blur to the Fire Lord, as he prepared 4 rooms for his friends, ordered the feast prepared and cooked, and had the palace shined and polished. But he didn't ignore his Lordly tasks completely. Every day, Lai Ghee would tell him the new reports. And every day the Fire Lord did his best to accommodate for his people's wishes.

On the third day, he got word from his family's physician on the state of the sick he had previously sent for. Their condition did not worsen, but it did not get better either. The patients were still delirious, feverous, and lacking their bending.

Zuko sighed dejectedly, at the remembrance of the physician's words:

"I have never seen a sickness like this before. None of my remedies are working, and I can't seem to lighten the symptoms. Your Highness, this is not looking good."

The Fire Lord didn't know what to do. But he did know that he was not going to let the word of this get out. Even to his friends. Zuko dismissed the thoughts from his head and instead thought of just when his friends would arrive.

It was on the 6th day that the Fire Lord's closest friends arrived at the port. Once he heard news of their docking, Zuko had rushed down in his biggest carriage, eager to see his friends. At the docks, he went to their ship and waited.

After a couple minutes, they finally started coming down. Toph was first. She stomped off the gangplank, with a sack thrown over her shoulder, and her trademark smirk splashed across her face. Zuko rushed to the end of the gangplank to meet her. She looped her arm through his because on the wooden dock she was blind.

"Well, it's about damn time we saw you" Toph stated roughly. But Zuko knew her well enough, that he could hear the slight hint of sentiment in her voice. After Toph, came Aang, who glided off the ship on a ball of air, laughing excitedly as people scrambled around him, picking up the things he had blown over. Gods, he's still a kid. But even the stern Zuko couldn't help but smile, as he watched Aang crash into a pole, trying to avoid running into someone. Aang lay sprawled on the ground, as Zuko addressed him.

"Well hello there to you too Aang. It's nice to see you"

"Zuko! There you are! It's been too long." And with that, the little air monk shot into the air, ran to the Fire Lord, and gave him a big hug. "I'm so glad you invited us here! It is going to be so much fun, and we have so much to catch up-"

"Group huuuuug!"

umph, Sokka, really? But before Zuko could voice his discomfort of being squished between his two friends, Toph beat him to it.

"Hey! Watch it Sokka! I'm blind on the wood here" She lay on the ground, a bit dazed, but all around unharmed by the hug-attack from Sokka. "Now get over here and help me up Twinkle Toes. Zuko is gonna want to see the others." Taking that as an excuse to leave the bro-hug, the Fire Lord stepped away from them-

-and was hug-attacked by another person. But this one was significantly different. The person went up to his hips and squealed "Uncle Zuko!" in that high-pitched voice only little kids are capable of. Zuko kneeled down in front of the small girl and embraced her.

"Nyra! My, have you grown!" That earned him an excited giggle from the sweet little girl in pigtails, and a combination of green and blue clothing. "And I hear you have started water bending? Isn't that exciting?" And at that, the little Nyra jumped into an exciting tale of how she first found out she was a bender.

"Now Nyra, don't talk his ears off." Suki chastised as she and Katara stepped off the ship, one carrying a baby, and the other carrying a small bag. "Oh Zuko, it's so good to see you. Thank you for inviting us to your palace. It's an honor."

"It's my pleasure, Suki. It was the least I could do, after missing your son's birth celebration. And Katara-" but he was cut off, yet again, by a hug.

"Oh Zuko, I've missed you." She stepped away after a second, and looked at him, expectantly, with her big blue eyes.

"We-Welcome to the Fire Nation" He stumbled out. Gods, that was stupid. After completely regaining his composure, he continued: "I have a carriage waiting for us, just at the top of this dock. And your rooms are already prepared for you. Shall we?". While offering Katara his arm, he slipped the bag out of her hands and carried it for her. But before Katara could loop her arm through his, Nyra jumped at Zuko, and snatched his hand away, talking excitedly.

The odd couple walked hand in hand, all the way up to the carriage, where the Fire Lord let go to help Nyra in, and offer his assistance to Suki and Katara. As Zuko sat down, Nyra, who sat next to him, continued her story, and the group of long time friends headed up to the Fire Nation Palace.

Once they arrived, the Fire Lord addressed the Gaang: "Since the start of my reign, I have remodeled my palace. So, Sokka and Suki, your room is in the east wing, along with Aang's. Toph and Katara, your rooms are in the west wing. There will be guards outside your doors-"

A chorus of complaints interrupted the Fire Lord, but he cut them off with a wave of his hand.

"-it's just a precaution. You needn't fear. But, these guards aren't just here for protection, because I know you can all fend for yourself. They are here to help guide you through the palace, to answer any questions, to fetch anything you might need, and to inform you of when the meals are. Now" he motioned for two guards to join them, "these men will show you to your rooms. I'll let you guys get settled in. Dinner is in 2 hours. I hear the chef has prepared a special meal to celebrate Tikaani's birth." Satisfied that he covered everything, he gave his friends a small bow, before exiting the room.

Katara followed Suki and Sokka to their room, to help Suki unpack and get settled. Sokka soon ran off, at the sight of a food cart being pushed down the hallway by a servant. Katara giggled at the sight of his 20-year-old brother drooling over cakes, and pastries.

She continued walking with Suki and noted the change in the palace decor. She was very impressed with the renovations the Fire Lord had made to the palace. The last time Katara had been through the palace, she had felt claustrophobic, and nervous, despite the wide halls, and high ceilings. Katara noticed how Zuko remodeled to make the palace more inviting, with softer reds, more varieties in tapestries, and more natural sunlight. The palace truly looked beautiful.

"Oh goodness. Zuko really outdid himself." Katara was brought out of her thoughts as she heard Suki talk about the room. "Oh my, he even accommodated for the children. He is just so thoughtful!" Katara walked into the room, and over to where Suki was. There was a small bed, with soft dark red blankets, on the right side of the Master Bed. On the left side, there was a small, ornately carved wooden crib, with plush red bedding. Oh Zuko, you are such a softy Katara thought sweetly, as she ran her fingers over the carvings on the crib.

For the next hour, the two women conversely lightly, as they unpacked all the clothing, and prepared themselves for the feast. It was going to be a crazy night, having the old Gaang back together, and Katara couldn't wait.