Still don't own LoK or any of its characters! A new character arrives for this chapter and this Arc, so enjoy her while you can!
"I did it! I found one!" Asami yelled three long months after their debate in Air Temple Island's dining room. "I found the tracker! All we have to do is go to her and pay her!"
"Way to go Asami!" Korra yelled happily.
"That's my girl!" Bolin yelped excitedly.
"Nice job," Mako and Lin said with soft smiles.
"Thank you, and well done," Tenzin, Katara, and Bumi said in unison.
"If I may," the elderly male said walking in, and the others all stared at him. "May I come in?"
"You are always welcome here, Fire Lord Zuko," Katara said in recognition as her eyes lit up. "You are always welcome."
"Please, don't hesitate to make yourself at home, Uncle Zuko," Tenzin said and Lin used earthbending to create another bench. "Lin! Show some respect for our elders!"
"I am," she scoffed as the three air nomad children raced from their chairs to the bench. "And your children are quite capable of reading my intentions, Tenzin."
"what? Oh," he said looking over, and Zuko could be heard to chuckle slightly.
"He has inherited your temper, Katara," the elderly firebender said, and Tenzin's face went beet red, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Fire Lord Zuko, what was it like travelling with Avatar Aang?" Korra asked curiously, and he looked at her.
"The new Avatar, then? It was quite…. Vexing, at times. As you know, I was first following him to try to kill him."
"Whoa! Really? What changed your mind?" Bolin asked quickly, and Lin glared at him.
"Bro, let him talk. He outranks us, big time. Besides, he's a Fire Lord, you can't just interrupt him," Mako said angrily, "I'm sure he can attest to that one, if I recall the history lessons correctly."
"Yes, when I defied my father," Zuko nodded before pausing for a few seconds. "For the first time, that is. You're a firebender, yes? Mako of the infamous Fire Ferrets, if my sources are correct, and then this little ruffian is Bolin?"
"yes, sir," Mako said startled. "That's us."
"Korra praises you," Zuko smiled, "You remind me of a much younger, and less hate filled, crown prince from before he and his mother were banished."
"Oh, is that the part where you spoke out of turn at a military meeting and then your daddy burned your face, Master Zuko?" Jinora asked Zuko, who nodded.
"Yes, little airbender. Tenzin, is this the little one that your wife was pregnant with on the night that we were attacked?"
"Yes," Tenzin groaned. "It's probably why she has a hard time being quiet."
Zuko chuckled quietly before a messenger hawk swooped in. he narrowed his eyes as it perched in front of Korra. The room was deathly silent as she read the letter and paled.
"I knew it!" she yelled angrily, "Amon did have a daughter!"
"I should have killed her when I had the chance, or at least injured her," Lin said angrily.
"Peace, young ones," Zuko said calmly. "Amon is the leaders of the equalists, the one who attacked us all those years ago if those posters portray him correctly. Where is he now?"
"Missing, along with his brother, Tarrlock," Korra grumbled. "They're bloodbenders."
"Hm, enough said," Zuko said giving a slight shudder. "I recall watching you bloodbend Katara."
"What?" the others asked in confusion and hsock.
"It was why I outlawed it. it was the full moon at the time, and I was upset about the firebenders killing my mother," Katara said calmly, "or at least who I'd thought killed my mother. Zuko helped me find the true person to do so, and helped me realize that killing wasn't the answer. It was why wars were born, and why the equalists had such an advantage. bending is dangerous, and the nonbenders know this, but also that most people who were killed by bending that were nonbenders were simply in a bad location at the wrong time, mostly in accidents."
"Like my mother," Asami murmured, and Zuko calmly surveyed the area.
"Knowing my grandson, he will have been able to find shelter and a source of food," he said calmly, "I drilled that into his head when he first told me that he wanted to join the United Forces army. I trained him in the ways of my Uncle Iroh, his namesake, from when he and I were banished and working our way to find Aang before the Eclipse."
"Ooh, the history books never mentioned that! what's it like?!" Bolin asked excitedly.
"All firebenders lose the ability to firebend," Zuko said gravely, "the same thing happened to the waterbenders when one of the generals of my father's army killed the fish that held the moon spirit inside her. if that water tribe girl hadn't given her life back to the spirit, the world would be completely out of balance."
"Yikes," Bolin said flinching while Mako and Korra shuddered violently. "Good thing she didn't have a boyfriend!"
"She did. Katara's brother, Sokka," Zuko snapped, and Bolin shut his mouth and put it in the crook of his elbow.
"One more smart mouth remark out of you, Bolin, and I'll earthbend your mouth shut," Lin promised, and Zuko shot her a glare. "What?"
"Just like the Melon Lord," Zuko said shaking his head and Lin smirked while Katara laughed.
"What-oh," Korra said as Aang showed her the memory of Toph's goofing around with the rocks. She then burst into laughter as well until she fell of her seat and was soon rolling on the ground with unprecedented laughter.
"I'm going to safely assume that Avatar Aang let you in on the joke," Mako said looking down at her.
"I wasn't even there for it," Zuko admitted. "I only knew from the stories that the others told me about their adventures while they were training. One in particular was quite amusing, but I'm afraid that it is not for young ears."
"Aww!" the air nomad children whined, "Please?!"
"No," Tenzin snapped, and they quieted down to pout silently. "You'll hear it from Lin when you're older if Chief Toph Bei Fong told her all the stories that they told Fire Lord Zuko."
"She did, for the most part," Lin smirked, "don't worry, I'll tell you when you're older. But, we've digressed yet again from our main goal in this meeting. Asami, where is it located?"
"Believe it or not, there's one in Republic City!" she said smiling. "I happened to find her whenever I was going around to some of the other rich kids my age! Apparently one of the boys was using her to track his girlfriend, but I requested that she come find me once she's able to show him where she is. It may take a while though since he doesn't have an animal to use, though…"
"Well, it was how I found Uncle Iroh, and it worked even after we'd been separated for months," Zuko said calmly, "I have no doubt that the plan will work. Whose was it?"
"Tenzin," Korra replied, who paled and looked off to the left. "It's amazing what Avatar Aang did with you guys while trying to escape your insane father and sister, Fire Lord Zuko!"
"Speaking of which, whatever happened to nutsy crazy?" Bolin asked, and Zuko let out the first laughter in a long time.
"That is the first time that I have ever heard someone outside of my family insult Azula," he said smiling fondly. "I like this boy's sense of humor, when he's not interrupting us."
"thank you, sir," Bolin smiled, and then realized what the Fire Lord had said. "Okay, that's just cold."
"As I said before, it is the first time someone outside of the family has insulted Azula," Zuko said with fire in his eyes. "But not the last, of that I am sure. Something is wrong with my Iroh, and I'm fairly sure that it would be wiser for us to stay in the Water Tribe, Katara. If nothing else we'll be safer from Amon's daughter, but it will also be Kailee's destination if she can remember."
"What if she can't?" Meelo asked worriedly going up to the firebender.
"It is ultimately up to Kailee," Zuko said firmly placing a hand on the airbender. "Your children inherited Aang's undying energy, Tenzin. I hope it serves them well in training."
"They saved my life when chi blockers attacked the temple," Lin said proudly, "which happened while their mother was having their brother. They were very brave, and I'd be proud to call them my honorary children."
"Lin doesn't say that often, take her up on it," Korra said quickly, and they glared at her. "Just saying."
More filler, but I kind of thought it was time to show a little more of what happens on their end.
Please review!