Where There Is Smoke, There Is Fire [Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfic]

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Zuko was walking to the palace gardens, where Aang, Katara and Toph would be landing shortly. He was so excited to see his good friends again, it had been months since their last visit, and he had missed them terribly. Toph was great for hilarious banter. Katara was excellent if you just wanted to sit and talk quietly over some tea. And Aang, his best friend, was the person who spoke to about all his problems. Fire Lord stuff, personal stuff. Everything.

It was hard when they weren't here. There was no one for him to just talk to. Everyone his age was weird and still immature and just got on his nerves. Some noble family kids invited him to parties and events, and he just wouldn't go, making some excuse about 'his duties'. There wasn't any point, and he was much too busy anyway. He would write to his Uncle almost constantly, as he didn't have anyone else he felt as comfortable talking to in the Fire Nation.

Luckily, Sokka and Suki had kept him company and sane over the last few months with the Supremacists uprising. Izara had helped as well. He got along with her fantastic, almost like they were kindred spirits. It was a little surprising, actually. He always had so much fun with her. Their firebending lessons were intense, but he enjoyed teaching her because she worked hard. Sometimes, he offered for her to eat dinner with him when they finished, just like the first day they met.

He recalled one night, they had sat until almost midnight and just talked about anything and everything. His face hurt the next day from smiling, something he forgot he could sometimes do. Though he understood the seriousness of being Fire Lord, he also knew that he was still young and needed to try and enjoy himself occasionally. If he didn't, he would go mad within a few years. He almost lost it a few years ago and had made a pact with Aang to ensure that Aang would kill him if he lost his way and became like his father.

Obviously, that had not happened, and his temper evening out over the last few years had probably helped that too. It certainly wasn't gone for good, though. He still had his moments, and they were definitely explosive.

He broke out of his reverie when he saw and heard Appa in the distance and wondered where Sokka and Suki were. They were supposed to be here too. Hearing the low growl of the flying bison caused a giant smile to come across his face, excited to see his friends. Soon after, the colossal creature came into sight and landed, and Toph disembarked first, desperate to get back on land where she could see.

"Hey, Flamebutt!" She walked over to him and hugged him, which he returned while he laughed at the new nickname.

"Is that the new nickname?" he asked as he stood back up.

"Yeah, I'm pretty happy with it. I think this one is the best I've ever come up with. Obviously, Lord Flamebutt for official occasions." she put her hands on her hips and grinned proudly.

Katara hopped down next and hugged him as well. He returned her hug tightly, happy to see them.

"Good to see you, Zuko. We missed you!" She greeted him and pulled away with a smile, glad to see her friend.

Aang floated gracefully down and ran over to him. They shared a long and happy hug, and Zuko groaned when Aang ruffled his hair. He obviously couldn't return the gesture very effectively. Momo also jumped on his shoulder to greet him, and Zuko made sure he gave Appa a good scratch. He missed his furry friends, too, and made sure they had suitable lodgings while they were here.

"Ah, we did miss ya, buddy. How's it going?" Aang's melodic tone was practically music to his ears.

"Exhausting. These rebellions are really making my job more difficult than it needs to be." Zuko gestured for some guards to tend to Appa and his friends to follow him inside.