Chapter 1: The Boy Who Ran

119AG

Fire Nation Royal Palace

As soon as Zuko and Mai received that letter from Gaoling, Zuko personally collected five of his best men and summoned the family healer, Akira, to help him find the child.

"You got Izumi?" Zuko asked his wife and Fire Lady.

"Of course," Mai replied, kissing her husband in their private quarters while balancing their young daughter of four years and eight months on her hip.

"Father, where are you going?" Izumi asked quietly.

Zuko cupped her cheek and kissed her soft, pale young forehead. "To find the son of a very good friend of mine, my love."

"Why?" Izumi asked.

"Because he is barely older than you and will otherwise be all alone in our country," Zuko replied.

"But why didn't your friend come with him?"

"She didn't know. He ran away, Izumi."

"Why?"

Zuko sighed. "We'll explain it in more detail when you're older, sweetie."

"But why do I have to wait?"

"Okay, that's enough questions for the night, Love. Come on, story time." Mai said placing her free hand on the side of the girl's cheek, pressing the child's face against her chest and under her chin.

"Be careful, Zuko… with him," Mai asked.

"Of course," Zuko replied, already halfway out the door.

Fire Nation Capital Main Passenger Harbor

The next morning, the steamer from Chin City pulled into the Capital Harbor. Zuko waited anxiously, his guards and his healer Akira by his side. Checkpoints had been set up and customs warned of a tiny stowaway. All bags and cargo being unloaded were checked for life before being allowed to enter the city.

"My lord," Akira said, pointing at the bow of the ship. A tiny boy stood on the railing looking at the 20 foot gap of water between the ship and the main coastal road of the port of the city, preparing himself to jump.

"Move! Step aside please!" Zuko said fighting through the crowds.

Akira also ran, not to the road but right to the water. The boy noticed the commotion and jumped. Akira bent a stream of water grabbing him before he landed on the road. It started steaming, then exploded, spraying everything within a forty foot range. The boy landed on the sidewalk and ran.

"Wait!" Zuko yelled.

"Is that… the Fire Lord?" Someone commented as Zuko's hood fell off his face. The boy crossed the busy road, sliding underneath carriages and jumping over carts with short little bursts of uncontrolled flames.

Zuko had to give it to him: he was very good at losing a trail. Clearly he took after her mother in her Blind-Bandit phase.

"Find him!" Zuko ordered his undercover guards before ducking into the back door of an establishment for a change of costume and new hat to hide his scar.

"He is already bending," Akira commented.

"He is powerful, and strong," a breathless guard said with his hands on his knees, panting. Zuko also huffed.

"Why is that not at all surprising? His mother is Toph Beifong of Gaoling," Zuko replied sweeping his loose hair out of his face.

"My Lord!" someone called.

"We've cornered him!" another guard called. Zuko and Akira ran forth.

"What's the meaning of this?! I haven't stolen anything!" the boy yelled defensively.

"Don't play street-rat coy, Masaru. We're here to help you," Zuko said bending down to the boy's level.

Masaru gasped. "How do you know my name?"

Zuko lowered his hood revealing his identifying scar on his face. "Do you know who I am?"

"Fire Lord Zuko!"

"Yes. As Fire Lord, I make it my business to know who is entering my country. And as an uncle, I make it a priority to help out family where I can," Zuko said offering his hand. "I heard a little firebending nephew of mine was in dire need of a teacher-I can help you there."

"YOU will teach me?" Masaru gasped.

"I am afraid I do not have the time to train you every day, but we can still meet weekly. MY uncle, on the other hand, has graciously offered his wisdom to you if you are interested in listening. He tells me his arms have tired of pouring tea for others, and wishes to take on an apprentice at his shop here in exchange for firebending lessons," Zuko explained.

Masaru's striking amber eyes lit up against his pale skin and he smiled. "The Dragon of the West? Iroh of the Fire Nation? You're joking!"

"A Fire Lord has no use for humor in his official capacity, Masaru. Now, do we have an agreement?"

Masaru nodded.

"In the Fire Nation, we bow, like so," Zuko said as he demonstrated the hand position, Masaru swiftly copying.

"Good. Now, do you have a place to stay while you're here?"

Masaru shook his head. "I figured as much, I guess you'll have to come back to the palace with me."

Masaru looked up in shock. Akira giggled.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Masaru asked as he walked alongside the scarred man.

"Yes, Masaru?"

"Why are you taking such an interest in me? You called me your nephew, and I have never even met you. My mother had no brothers or sisters and my father was disowned by his family..."

"Did your mother ever tell you about me?"

"She never tells me much about anything. She is always tired when she returns in the evening." Masaru replied sadly.

"Well, then your father?"

"Only that you're the Fire Lord."

"Well, Masaru… Your mother was once one of my best friends. We along with Avatar Aang, Master Waterbender Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, Swordmaster Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, and Master Suki of Kyoshi Island worked together to end the hundred year war, and restore peace and balance to the world nearly 20 years ago," Zuko replied.

Masaru furrowed his little brows. "Why did you stop working together?"

"Toph Beifong founded the police force in Republic City after Avatar Aang and I established the metropolis as the new capital of the former colonies of the Fire Nation. Her place was there, and mine was here, ruling my nation. We just became…busy, I suppose."

"Why would she want to be police? She hates guards and almost all authorities," Masaru mused. "Besides, why would you even get busy? Can't you just tell some others to take over for a day? If you're an all-powerful being…"

Zuko chuckled. "The world is not so simple, Masaru."

"But why can't it be?" Masaru asked seriously.

Zuko looked to Akira for help. "He is a very inquisitive lad isn't he?" Akira asked with a warm smile.

"What does inquisitive mean?" Masaru asked.

"It means 'curious'," Akira answered.

"Is that all? Why not just use the word curious?" Masaru posed.

"For variety," Akira replied.

"You remind me a lot of my daughter. She too has this insatiable thirst for knowledge and understanding for some things she is not yet ready to know."

"And who is to decide when one is ready and not ready to know something?" Masaru asked.

Zuko laughed again. "You'll understand when you're older."

Masaru rolled his eyes and sighed as they climbed into a carriage with Akira.

"This is Akira. She is our family's live-in healer. We brought her just in case you were injured or afraid…"

"I am Masaru Lee and I am not afraid of anything! Fear is inessential. It is only respect of potential danger that is worth acknowledging!" Masaru recited poetically.

"And who taught you such big words and told you such a philosophical thing?"

"My father… He liked to describe himself as a humble mechanist, but I've also heard him called an 'engineer' and 'intellectual'," Masaru answered enthusiastically. "but I am not quite sure what those mean and didn't get a chance to ask… before… leaving…" Masaru added, saddening as he thought of his father.

"Come sit by me, Masaru," Zuko said, pulling the five year old boy off the seat across from him and onto his lap.

"Do you think I hurt them, leaving?" Masaru asked.

Yes, Zuko would have said if he were being honest, but he knew that would have helped nobody. "Your parents want, above all, for you to be happy, Masaru. If that can be achieved by allowing you to train your element in our great nation then they will be happy to consent. You are their entire world, Masaru." Zuko answered, dancing around the boy's explicit question.

Masaru pouted the entire rest of the carriage ride and asked no more questions. Zuko held onto him tightly, worried as to how he was going to explain this to the boy's mother.

"We're here," a uniformed Imperial Guard said, opening the door of the carriage.

Zuko got out first, then helped Akira down and then Masaru, lifting him up in the air, rousing a giggle out of the boy.

"My Lord, you're back! Shall I fetch the Lady and the Princess?" A palace messenger asked Zuko.

"There is no need. Where are they right now? We will go to them!"

"On their way to lunch, my lord," the messenger answered.

"See that two more places are set by the time I arrive," Zuko ordered. He turned to Masaru. "You must be hungry after such a long journey over the often turbulent seas."

"It's alright. Some of the crew onboard said the route to the Fire Nation is NOTHING like the one to the South Pole," Masaru explained. "Ships go MISSING on that route!"

Zuko smiled. He was going to enjoy having this little lad around.

I am not sure if I would classify these as drabbles or one coherent story. They're all just... glimpses into peculiar lives of my favorite little Fire Babies. I will try to write and post them in order, but ideas come randomly. Please, if you have time, let me know what you think of each chapter since they'll be often, shorts.