Promise Me

Zuko is finally at peace...But there is one thing that still wreaks his heart: his mother. Fire Lord Zuko sets off on a quest, reuniting old friends, fighting new enemies, and discovering a secret to change his (and the Avatar's) life.

Fire Lord Zuko stepped into the room and slammed the doors shut. Sighing, the threw his heavy armor off and chaned into his light peasant clothes. He had never imagined being Fire Lord would be so much work, even with Uncle Iroh and Avatar Aang by his side. He had never seen his father do this much, but that, he realized, was because he had been banished most of his life, and his father made other people do the dirty work for him. Zuko wasn't sure if he could stand it any longer, and the absence of Mai made it even worse. He plopped on his bed and looked at the ceiling that had been painted to mimic the summer night sky. The Fire Lord was just about to close his eyes, when a knock at his door sent him jumping. "Who in the name of Sozin has a mind to annoy me?" he grumbled to the door.

A soft, but slightly deep voice spoke. "If you don't want me here, then I could just leave, you know."

Zuko's face broke into a smile. He opened one door and saw Mai, dressed in Earth Kingdom garb, staring at him with a bored look on her face.

A small smirk played onto Mai's face. "Took you long enough," she said, finding herself in Zuko's arms.

Zuko let go of her and the two sat down on the leather couches in the room. "What brings you here?" he asked, leaning towards Mai.

"I felt like visiting the Fire Lord, but I changed my mind and decided to visit my boyfriend," Mai replied, aslo leaning towards Zuko. Seeing the look on Zuko's face, she broke into a rare smile.

"So which are you visiting now?"

"My boyfriend," Mai whispered, as their lips met.

When they broke apart, Mai leaned into Zoko's ear. "I have to show you something," she breathed. "At the Sakura Festival."

Zuko gave her a soft smile, questioning with his eyes exactly what she meant.

Mai could only give him an even more unfathomable grin.

~*~~*~

The day of the Sakura Festival soon arrived, unfortunately leaving Fire Lord Zuko even more iratable than before. At least he still had that thing Mai had told him about to look forward to. Even then, Zuko could  not stand the sight of yet another stack of papers for him to read and sigh. He would simply incinerate them, not caring whether it was urgent or even remotely important.

He was pacing in his room, unable to decide what to wear. Formal robes or the simple tunic and trousers that he prefered?

There was a knock at his door, causing him to jump and drop the clothes in his hands. Luckily they weren't the robes. "Yes?" he called, bending down to pick his tunic up.

The door opened, and stood one of his guards, Shen, whom he had taken a liking to. "Your Highness?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Please, Shen, call me Zuko," he said in an exasperated tone.

"Sorry, Your- er, Zuko-san, but I've just been informed that a few hooligans have been caught trying to sneak into the palace, and they claim that you, er, have given them permission to do this?"

Zuko bit his lip as he realized who the hooligans were. It took all he had not to keep laughing. "Bring them here, Shen, I think I have some unfinished business with them."

"Yes, Zuko-san," he stammered as he bowed and ran to the holding rooms, looking confused.

Zuko gave a booming laugh and dressed in his peasant clothing; the tunic and trousers.

 

Presently, a rather large group of present and future nation leaders fell into his room, literally. They were all there, starting with Aang, Katara, Toph and her new 'guy friend', Tengfei, Sokka, Suki, and finally Mai.

"When Shen said a few, I didn't think he meant everyone I've ever fought with," ejaculated Zuko when he saw the gaggle.

Mai slid up to him and softly kissed him, making Zuko blush.

"Pffft," threw out Toph, sensing the intensity in the Lord's and his future Lady's stance. "There are children here."

The two boke apart, Mai smug, and Zuko red. Katara and Suki giggled, and Sokka collapsed on Zuko's bed.

"Really, Toph," Sokka exclaimed, sarcastic. "You're one to be talking, with your new "guy friend" following around where ever you go."

"Excuse me?" yelled Tengfei (more affectionately called Teng). "You and Suki are worse! GROW UP AND GET A ROOM ALREADY!"

"You shall say nothing of Suki, Teng!"

"Yo!" Toph cried, insulted. "Don't dare to talk to Teng like that!"

Zuko slapped his head as the three dove into a group bicker. He turned to Aang, who had not said a word till then, and asked him, "How long have they been going on like that?"

"Since they day we all met up a week ago. By the way, how's it being the Fire Lord?"

Zuko gestured to the pile of papers on his desk. "Don't even get me started."

Katara walked over to them, now that Suki had joined the group bicker. "Shall we go outside and catch up?"

Zuko slid an arm around Mai's waist. "Anything to stop listening to them."

~*~~*~

Author's Note

If it seems choppy to you, please tell...
The characters don't belong to me...And although I wish they did, they belong to the awesome creators of Avatar- Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino- and Viacom.

Reviews

[AFX787359]

Nice first chapter. It's ok. Not the best I've seen by far. (Then again, I read over four thousand Avatar fanfics. XD) Your characters a bit OOC. Also, too much Naruto and Japanese influence. :P You say I use too much Indian culture, the same can be said about you and Japan. XD :P

"Who in the name of Sozin has a mind to annoy me"

I laughed out loud at this! XD Though I don't think that Zuko would say that...

"Zuko gave a booming laugh and dressed in his peasant clothing; the tunic and trousers."

Zuko laughing? XD I can see him choosing peasant closthing though. XD

" "Pffft," threw out Toph, sensing the intensity in the Lord's and his future Lady's stance. "There are children here."

The two boke apart, Mai smug, and Zuko red. Katara and Suki giggled, and Sokka collapsed on Zuko's bed.

"Really, Toph," Sokka exclaimed, sarcastic. "You're one to be talking, with your new "guy friend" following around where ever you go."

"Excuse me?" yelled Tengfei (more affectionately called Teng). "You and Suki are worse! GROW UP AND GET A ROOM ALREADY!"

"You shall say nothing of Suki, Teng!"

"Yo!" Toph cried, insulted. "Don't dare to talk to Teng like that!"
"

Weird. XD But funny! XD

And of course, there is room for improvement. XD

[Emunah June.]

O-o...Em...ooookaayyy...NARUTO RULEZ!