Chapter 4: War Begins Again:

Five months later into reconstruction of the world things began to turn for the worst. Katara and Aang were back at the Southern Water Tribe teaching new waterbenders. Sokka and Suki had moved to Kyoshi Island and were expecting their first child. Zuko had returned to the Fire Nation after hearing the terrible news that his mother had perished in the destruction of the lower Earth Kingdom the day of the comet. But he had refused to marry, work was more than enough for him, and with Toph still missing his top priority other than running the nation was to find her. Mai had begun to believe that this hunt of his was more that just a search for a friend, and the Fire Sages believed he was just using it as an excuse not to marry.

The palace since the end of the war had been quiet and busy. The few times Zuko was not in a meeting or helping rebuild, he was found in the courtyard. Often sitting by the small grave he had made for his mother after hearing of her death, since that was one of her favorite places to be, and it was also one of his favorites.

The day of the winter solstice, was one of the coldest and shortest days in the Fire Nation. Zuko, feeling the effects zapping his energy, asked for the meetings to be postponed. Going out to the courtyard he sat by the pond, relaxing his mind to meditate, watching the unchanging water in the pond. A recent letter from Aang and Katara had told him that there was still no sign of Toph anywhere in the world. It was like she had vanished into thin air. 'What happened to her?' The question ran through his mind countless times. 'If she was here we would be having a baby shower...' He stopped for a second, chuckling to himself, for the thought of Toph doing something as girly as a baby shower seemed just too funny. But as the echos of his laugh vanished into the air he was brought back to reality. 'We would all be trying to help her get ready for her kid to be born, man I don't know if anyone would survive watching that. She's nine months pregnant by now.' He thought, and then another thought entered his mind.

The reason why he hadn't married wasn't because he was too busy, he was the Fire Lord. He controlled his own schedule, he could make time if he wanted too. The sages wanted him to marry Mai, and before the war ended that would've been fine with him. But it turned out that the love that he and Mai had once shared was merely the runoff of a childhood love, it wasn't real. The person he truly had feelings for was Toph. And after what she had said during the breaks in the play on Ember Island he thought that she felt the same, but he was unsure. 'If she was here I would've asked her to marry me by now. I would help her raise her child.'

With his last thought he closed his eyes. He felt somewhat responsible for Toph's disappearance. His never-ending questions in the tea shop had caused her to run off and never come back. But when she didn't come back everyone had gotten worried, and that worry grew when the news came that Azula had escaped the prison. Toph had left before Zuko could say what was really on his mind, his feelings for her. Now with there still being so trace of her he was beginning to worry he would never see her again. Never get to tell her.

There was quiet in the courtyard, peace. He longed for the earthbender to be beside him, to have her in his arms. Whoever had been the father of the child must've hurt her. Then a dreadful thought came to him, maybe she didn't want another guy.

Just then, the earth beneath him shook like a stampede of kimono rhinos, causing him to fall over. Standing up he quickly scanned the courtyard for the cause of the shake, but no one was there. Then a figure in black jumped down from one of the rooftops. Looking closer Zuko could barely recognize his sister. She was only a shadow of what she had looked like when she had lived in the palace. Seeing a small knife, like one of Mai's daggers, come at him he quickly moved to the side. Azula only smirked and sent a large flame at her brother. "The Iron Empress sends her regards Zuzu."

Zuko sent a red flame at the blue one coming at him then looked at Azula, confused at what she had just said. Then, as quickly as she had come, Azula vanished. Looking around Zuko double checked that no one else had appeared before running into the palace to look for someone, anyone.

"Mai, Mai might know." He muttered to himself, then ran to Mai's room. He pounded on the door, but received no answer. Pounding again he found the same result. Finally he reached for the handle and opened it. Wondering why Mai had not been answering Zuko cautiously entered the room. His eyes grew wide as they met the scene within the room. There was blood everywhere, on the walls, on the bed and in puddles on the floor. Stepping in the room, he saw the source, or, sources. Mai was in pieces. He quickly adverted his eyes not able to look at it. Mai had been murdered, brutally.

~o.O.o~

"I don't care! I want to know who she is!" He argued to the council of generals now sitting before him. Trying to figure out who the Iron Empress was was becoming harder than he thought.

"Sir, we don't know who this 'Iron Empress' is." General Shino spoke. "If this is a threat then we will find out soon enough."

"If it is a THREAT?" Zuko raged. "Mai is dead because of her and that is an attack against the Fire Nation!" He shouted at the general, small bursts of flame coming out his mouth as he did. "Of course it is a threat and I demand that we send troops out to look for her!" He was quickly loosing his temper, and the general stopped arguing. Zuko stood up to address his generals.

"Look, my sister is out of jail and one of my best friends since I was a kid has been murdered. We are going to send troops out immediately to find this Iron Empress and bring her to justice." He said calmly, and with silent nods from his council he left the room.

The next day, volunteer soldiers were sent out into the other nations to look for the Iron Empress

~o.O.o~

And that night, somewhere in the world two babies cried out their first cries.