This is my, wut, 3rd story? Not sure if it's any good, so I hope ppl read it. This means U!
Summary: 2 years ago, Zuko made a promise to an Elf. But broke it when he left to find the Avatar. Now the Elf is back to fix the promise, but may b unable to.
Chapter 1: Promises: Made and Broken
2 YEARS AGO:
"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Prince Zuko, of the Fire Nation muttered as he walked across the lawns to the forest at the edge of the capital city.
"Still, I promised mother," the Prince wiped a tear away from his eye. His mother had died just one year ago. He could still remember the last words his mother said to him.
"Zuko," Prince Zuko's head shot up as he ran over to his mother.
"Yes mother?"
"Promise me," His mother gasped.
"Promise you what?" Prince Zuko asked.
"Promise me, the day you turn 14, that you'll go to the forest at the edge of the city." Zuko's mother closed her eyes, and was no more.
"Yes, mother. I promise."
And here he was, just turned 14, at the edge of the forest next to the city. The Prince continued into the forest, not knowing what he would find.
Prince Zuko looked around at all the greens, red, and various other colors in awe. There were no gardens at the Palace, so Zuko didn't know what a tree, bush, or pond looked like. No idea of the bees, squirrels, and birds that fluttered about. No idea that in the fall, the leaves will float to the ground. But this was the Fire Nation, there were no seasons, so the leaves never fell. But there was enchantment in this forest, helping keeping the forest forever beautiful.
Zuko found a pond, and stared at its beauty. He dipped his fingers in, and shuddered. The water was as cold as the metal of his father's ships. But it was also as smooth as glass. And as crystal clear as the diamonds used to make the Fire Nation goblets.
Eventually, Zuko had no idea where he was, and didn't care. He leaned against the bark of a tree, and quickly, fell asleep in this wonderful place.
Zuko started awake at the sound of gentle breathing. It was so quiet, Zuko thought it was a forest creature. He was right, to a certain extent. He turned around the tree, hoping to catch what was a squirrel in mid-slumber.
Zuko didn't a squirrel, he saw something much more fantastic. A human girl. Who looked no older than 13. But there was something different about her, she seemed, un-human.
Her hair was the same color as his armor. Her clothes, as green as the trees. She seemed to hold the essence of the forest, within her very being.
Prince Zuko fell in love with her instantly, and reached out to wake her, when he stopped. He could see her ear, poking out from her locks of hair, but it was very different. It was pointed.
An Elf! Mother told me of these creatures, treat them kindly, and they will do the same. Treat them badly, and they will make your life a living nightmare. And worse.
Zuko reached once more, but froze. The Elf's eyes had snapped open, and she was staring at him with a gaze that was petrifying. Zuko noted her eyes were as brown as the bark of the trees.
The Elven girl sprang up so quickly and quietly, Zuko didn't realize this was happening until the girl was already running out of the clearing.
Zuko chased after her as soon as he realized what happened. But to no avail, the girl just seemed to vanish out of thin air. Zuko turned back and decided to try and find his way back to the Palace. But he would come back. He needed to see the Elven girl again.
The Prince sighed as he climbed into bed.
I'll find her. I know I will.
For the next two weeks, Zuko spent all his free time searching for the mysterious Elf that eluded him.
Even if it was 5 minutes, Zuko would race across the lawns of the Fire Palace, into the forest, and search frantically for the Elf. But he could never find her. She was, impossible to find.
Sorta like the catch that got away. Only I never caught it.
But, the Elf would always find him. Her name was Lerolas.
(A/N: just 2 let u all know, this story has a connection 2 the Lord of the Rings. Lerolas sounds exactly like Legolas, only with a 'r' instead of a 'g'.)
Lerolas was the guardian of the wood. It was her wood. She protected it with her life. Because it was all she had to live for anymore. So, she grew angry when she saw the boy from the race of Men repeatedly enter her forest.
Why does he keep coming here? Every person knows that this forest is forbidden.
But something about the Prince felt vaguely familiar. He reminded her of the story her cousin, Legolas, always told her about from when she was born.
A woman ran across the lawns of the Fire Palace, screaming, rubbing her large belly. She was in labor.
But she was also an Elven woman in labor. Her screams were heard in the Palace, and soldiers and the Lady of the Palace also came out.
When they saw it was nothing then a screaming woman, the soldiers left. But the Lady didn't. She knew what was happening, and screamed at the soldiers to help her get the woman into the Pregnancy Hall.
The woman screamed into the night, and the Lord soon grew irritated. He walked to the Hall and his wife, telling her the mysterious woman had to go, when her screaming stopped.
Instead, the woman's screaming was replaced with a newborns cry. The maid let the Lord enter the Hall, and he saw his wife, with the woman. And the woman holding a bundle in her arms. Then the Lord noticed the woman, and her child, had pointed ears.
The Lord was about to ask what was wrong with the two, when the Lady stopped him.
"Ozai, this is an Elven woman from the edge of our world. And by helping her give birth to her child, I have and her have made an eternal alliance between Elves and Men. When one is in trouble, the other will come, just like with the Nations." The Lord looked at the Elf child, and her mother said it was a girl and her name was Lerolas. The Lord smiled and rubbed Lerolas' head.
"Thank you, Lerolas, Daugher of the Elves, for giving me the alliance of the Elves, we will treat it well." The Lord stood up, and started to leave, when Lerolas' mother said something.
"Lerolas cannot promise anything but her own service. We come not from a Royal family, so the entire Army of Archers cannot come. And women from the Elves cannot learn to fight. Lerolas would be useless." The Lord turned to face the woman.
"Not entirely, to us, the Elves are Royal blood. She could marry our son, when he is of age. Then Lerolas would be Royal blood, and if we are in war, the girl's people would have to come." Lerolas' mother sighed, Men did not know the laws of the Elves.
Lerolas smiled at her old tales. She also had faint memories of playing with the Prince. But that was from when she was one, and the Prince two. They had grown, and no longer held the appearances from baby-hood.
Then, she caught her final sight of the boy. She gritted her teeth, and raced off into the darkness of her forest. She needed help to make this boy get the picture.
Zuko yawned as he entered the forest. It was hours before dawn, today, this would be his only chance to get into the forest.
He decided to try back at where he had first seen the Elf. But the clearing was empty. Until two figures jumped out of the trees. One ran over and hooked a dagger under his throat, and the other stood where it was.
The figure holding Zuko started to dig the dagger deeper into Zuko's neck, angry that it did not obey the laws of the Elves.
"Legolas! Stop that! We do not kill him until we know why he has been coming here!" The figure that was Legolas, brought the dagger back, and Zuko noted that the other person's voice was feminine.
"Now," The voice of the other person continued.
"Why have you been coming back to this forest?" The voice hissed. Zuko gulped, and said the truth.
"I, have been looking for an Elf, I saw in this clearing two weeks ago, that I am in love with. But I have been unsuccessful." The figure interrogating him cocked it's head.
"By doing this, you have broken the laws of the Elves. You should be killed." Legolas sighed, but started to dig the dagger into Zuko's neck. He didn't want to kill a Man, he only did this for his cousin. His cousin, Lerolas, had had a hard life after all.
When Lerolas was two, her mother died do to poisoning. And she had been blamed. After that, she had taken her two younger siblings, both one, and fled. But they had been killed in a forest fire, caused by Men. After that, Lerolas had been a Wanderer. But finally enlisted in the Army of Archers, pretending to be a boy. She learned faster than any other boy there, and was decided she could be a General. But she fled the night she learned this. She resumed her life as a Wanderer, until she found this forest. Since no other Elf lived here, she took it as her own. And now, Legolas would kill the Prince of the Fire Nation, just to make his cousin's suffering end.
"HOW CAN YOU KILL THE PRINCE OF THE FIRE NATION!" Zuko yelled just before Legolas sent the dagger into his neck. But he stopped, and the figure in the darkness' appearance got clearer.
It was the girl he had seen his first day here.
"You? You're the baby Prince I once played with?" Zuko looked at the girl. Her face was inches from his own, he just had to put in a little force, and he would kiss her.
She also held all the smells of the forest. Rotting leaves, earth after rain, rain itself, all the scents of flowers, the aroma of budding flowers, everything. All into one scent Zuko couldn't get enough of.
"I was a baby, I do not remember anything until I was three." Zuko said, rather calm.
Lerolas straightened, then looked to her cousin.
"Legolas, let him go."
"Lerolas! What are you doing?"
"Legolas. Let him go, and leave. I wish to speak to him, privately." Legolas nodded. He released Zuko, and disappeared into the darkness of the dawning forest.
Zuko smiled gratefully at the Elf, and eventually, she returned his smile.
"I do not remember you. Though I remember stories of your people my mother told me." Zuko whispered. To quietly for human ears to hear. But, Lerolas wasn't human, she was Elf, and Elves have acute hearing abilities.
Lerolas nodded.
"Your mother helped my mother when she was in labor with me." Zuko faintly remembered hearing screams, many years ago.
"Before my mother died, she said I was to marry a Prince of Men." Zuko looked at Lerolas.
"I guess I am that Prince of Men." Lerolas smiled.
"Yes, I guess you are." Zuko noticed Lerolas' bow and quiver of arrows.
"You're an archer?" Lerolas smirked.
"Yes. The best in my division. Was suppose to be a General the day I turned seven." Zuko gaped. His uncle had never been that fast to rise through the ranks!
"Well, I guess I should be going now, study for when I become Lord." Zuko turned and leaved. Lerolas grabbed his wrist.
"Prince?"
"Call me Zuko."
"Ok, Zuko?"
"Yes?"
"Promise me,"
"Promise you what?"
"Promise me, that one day we WILL get married, rule your land fairly, live happily ever after,"
"Of course." Zuko said with a smile.
"And one more thing,"
"Yes?"
"You'll never stop loving me." Zuko smiled at his future wife.
"Of course." Lerolas smiled. Everything would be alright. Her suffering was over. She was happy now, right?
She did not know, her promise would be broken within two years.
Zuko smiled as he started his studies. He had his future planned out, and a girl waiting for him at the alter.
He was happy now, right?
He didn't know, his world would come crumbling down within two years.
Zuko gaped that his opponent in the Agni Kai was not the General he had insulted in the meeting, but his father!
Zuko cried and begged for mercy, but his father held his ground. Zuko screamed as he felt fire tear at his flesh, and destroy promises he had made two days ago.
Lerolas sat on top of the stadium, watching with tears streaming down her cheeks as she watch Zuko burn.
Her promise, was broken.
Lerolas stood on the dock, wearing a dark cloak, and watched as Zuko's ship left harbor. She could smell burnt flesh on board, and let a single tear run down her cheek.
Lerolas turned on her heel and walked back to her forest. She needed to prepare for her journey.
Her promise was broken, but she could and would fix it.
Right?
Plz, plz, PLZ! Let this story b a success! I want it 2 b good! Plz! Pplz, read this story!
LONG LIVE HIPPIES!
Zukoscute2