Blended

.Memory Lane.

.Four.
.Zuko.

The sound of pacing footsteps echoed around the throne room. Zuko had been walking backwards and forwards for almost forty five minutes. And Mai was sick of it.

"For goodness sake Zuko, stop!" So he did and turned to look at her

"Stop what?"

"Pacing! By the moon Zuko your making me anxious"

"I cant help it mai." The young girls expression softened from hardened stone to equal concern.

"I know Zuko, I wish things had been different"

"Things could have been very different.  But no once again I fucked up." He fell the to steps of his throne, his head in his hands. The flames around the room dancing over his clothes and reflecting off the tears now spilling from his eyes. Mai rushed to his side her hands over his shoulders her lips pulled down in her own disparate attempt to not cry.

"You had to do what's best for your country Zuko and the Fire lord running off to capture rogues wasnt the best move to make" at this his shoulder shook and more tears fell. Spiralling mai to let her own tears fall.

"But if I'd gone with her, she would still be alive. Katara would still be alive"

~•~•~•~•~

Five days before.

Zuko was sat in his throne room, mai at the steps before him. He really hated that she couldn't sit with him. She insisted she enjoyed glaring from the steps. 'Front row seats' she claimed. But he knew she hated it just as much as he did, but until their wedding in a years time nothing could change she was mearly the fire lords, he didnt even know girlfriend?  A messenger boy ran into the room. Holding a scroll sealed with the southern water tribe Crest. A surge of joy filled Zuko he hadnt heard from Sokka or Katara in a few weeks. And he was excited to hear all about the economic improvement of the water tribes. Mai took the scroll from.the boy who stuttered rather feverishly.

"Its urgent my lord. The chief had it sent as soon as possible" at this he ran away leaving mai to open the scroll. Her eyes scanned the page briefly and her brows screwed together in concern. The almost black room proving a rather morbid touch to the now anxiety provoking situation.

"What is it what has happened?" He rose and walked to meet mai.

"Katara is missing. She went to the western towns of the fire nation to track down rogues from your fathers old army. And she hasn't responded in over a week by now looking at the date."

"Didn't Sokka or Aang go with her?" Zuko asked now agitated they let a barely 16 year old girl go off to fight rogue firebeneders.

"No it seems she insisted on going alone. Something about not wanting to make Aang feel awkward and letting sokka help their father. Their sending off a team after they send this letter and are asking if you could help"

"Of course! They dont even have to ask I'll send some men right away!" Zuko reached for his writing tools to order a search party 

"No, zuko they want you personally"

~•~•~•~•~•~•

Zuko sat once again in his throne room. But this time mulling over an extremely important decision.

"I cant leave. Mai who would look after everything while I'm gone?" She raised an eye brow at his question

"If there wernt so many stupid rules I could but weren't not married"

"Yet" he added

"Right" she didnt look at him. "Look Zuko if Sokka and his father are coming  plus Toph everything will be fine! Katara will be home in a matter of days. I'm sure shes just gotten seperated from her group and hasn't been able to reach for help yet"

"But that doesn't help me mai. That makes me want to go more. Shes my friend I cant just leave her in danger"

"You cant leave your country either you have responsibilities Zuko."

The boy sighed. Running his hand over his forgead. He could feel the stress tensing his muscles already.

"Fine I'll send a couple of men that's it." Mai smiled 

"Trust me this is the right thing to do."  She placed her hand over Zuko's he turned his head to look at her and in that moment he felt nothing but love and admiration for the young women sat next to him. A women who stood by him even when he ran out on her, she still held her own and protected him at her own peral.

"I love you Mai" he leaned in a placed a tender kiss on her lips, her hands found their way to the back of his neck her nails gently scraping the tufts of hair found there. When they separated she blushed slightly and turned her head, causing Zuko to smile.

"I love you to"

Later that evening Zuko was sat in his office writing up his notes and making sure he had a solid understanding of what had been done during the day. He made sure that any filaing was completed and placed by himself at the end of the day. Some might say this was silly, infact his advisors had said it was ludicrous that the fire lord file his own proclamations. Zuko had doubted himself for a little while but then he remember the scroll he read about avatar Roku, his great grandfather. And his own fathers grandfather. That had been hidden from him for years simply due to the fact that his father probably didnt know. Why would he? Theres no way in the name of the sun and moon spirits that his father would have ever married his mother if he knew that she was the granddaughter of the avatar. But then maybe he would have. To encourage a 'powerful' lineage. Zuko felt sick, as it spread from his stomach to his limbs he began to tremble. All this time he had been clinging to the hope that somewhere in that dark soul his father had loved his mother. He couldnt imagine being with anyone and not loving them. Yet as he thought more and more about it he realized his father loved no one not even Azula his prodigy, his princess. God how many years had they been left at the mercy of their father mentally and physically abused? The only love either of the fire nation children received came from their mother. Because of the decite lies and manipulation Zuko had created his own vaults underneath the palace, with the help of Toph of course. Miles and miles of empty space that he planned to fill. He had saved a space at the very centre of the undergrownd vault, for his story all of their storys. Zuko had began to journal and he had asked his friends to do the same. They had all already written their take on the last two years. The war, and what happened after if for no one other than their children. The children of this world are it's only hope and the only way Zuko could be sure they would be better than the last generation, was the educate them on his mistakes. He would not have any future child of his fall down the path that he and his sister had. Because he would love his child unconditionally he would break the chain and rebirth the fire nation. After three generations of hate it's time the fire nation began a new and Zuko intended it to be him who brought about this change.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Hey! I really didn't intend to write authers notes at all but, idk I feel I should just do them every so often? I'm really trying to build a story for this book. I wrote a prompt a while ago on tumblr after Netflix announced they were going a live action remake. And I just want to make sure this book is as good as i can possibly make it.