Prelude To Cello Suite No. 1
"Listen to this," he had said, his age revealing itself in his ever-patient voice.
Zuko confirmed his attention with a nod of his head, though his mind favored focusing on the orange glowing embers in front of him. Blue eyes haunted the back of his mind like a floating pair of faerie lights.
"They say this piece was written in another world," Iroh said mysteriously and pulled out a string instrument. It was a beautiful thing, really, made in the Earth kingdom with polished wood and elegant curves ("Like a woman," Iroh had explained when picking it out). He placed it on his lap, adjusting it just so before giving his nephew his most winning smile. "Prelude To Cello Suite, Number One. Composed by Bach."
"'Bach' doesn't sound like a name from around here," Zuko said sullenly. "And what is a 'chell-oh'?"
A rumbling chuckle met his question, along with an "Other worlds are curious things, Zuko," and then he began.
Zuko could never deny his uncle's musical talent, because although he did not particularly enjoy music of any denomination, he still admired the Iroh's naturally agile fingers as they tripped gracefully over the strings. Pleasant vibrations echoed out of the carved holes at each pluck and pause of the notes and expert digits.
The embers in the fire pit, previously a roaring fire of dancing color and light, continued to grow darker and colder, and Zuko wondered how much of himself was dying with it. The eyes found their way back into his head again, this time accompanied by several other pairs of varying shapes and colors. Not much, Zuko decided. Not much of him was dying along with his song, these embers.
With the coals faded away the last of the notes, those symbolic sounds, and the present returned to him once more.
Iroh, obviously proud of his accomplishment and oblivious to his companion's melancholy, settled back in his cushions with grandeur. "Definitely not of this world, eh, Zuko? Tell me, what did it sound like to you?"
The answer, for once not sarcastic, irritable, or frustratedly serious, was on the tip of Zuko's tongue when the tent door was flipped over, revealing the blue-eyed water girl and her legendary charge.
"You guys ready to leave?"
Zuko rose wordlessly and grabbed the bag that contained what little he had, pausing to stuff small trinkets and other things in the side pockets while the others spoke.
"You missed my performance," Iroh was saying smilingly. "It was a piece from another world. It was very inspirational, right Zuko?"
Aang did not contain his enthusiasm. "Another world? Like the spirit world?"
Zuko followed Katara out of the tent, leaving his uncle to deal with the Avatar. "Yes, very inspirational."
"Sounded like a new beginning."
A/N: Zutara drabbles! How many times has this been done before...? Anyway, I hope you like it, even if this one was fairly subtle in its romantical aspects. Stay tuned...!