The Dawn of the Fire
Prologue: Sleep Now, Dragon of the West
"Peace. It's been so long since the people of this nation last experienced it… you did well, Zuko. I am proud of you. You are like the son… I never got to have…"
"Uncle… Don't speak that way. It isn't over yet! I've had some of the servants call for a doctor!"
"No doctor can help me, Zuko. I am a very old man, and I've lived past my time."
"Uncle…"
"Zuko… You must promise this old man one last thing…"
Silence... there was a certain stillness in the air; the kind that could neither be erased nor dismissed, the kind that could never be imagined, not even by the most twisted of minds. Seconds felt like minutes; minutes, like hours. Time had slowed to a crawl; a dull, torturous, crawl that only delayed the inevitable.
"You must promise me that you will not let the fire that flickers within you die…"
A breeze rolled in through the open window and blew the candles out. The servants scrambled to relight them but all it took was one quick exhale from Zuko, and light flooded the room once more. But the sight was not as pleasant as we all hoped. Zuko was gripping the hands of Iroh; cold and lifeless. As I look upon the face of Iroh, it seemed he too, has found peace. I took a step forward and laid my hand on Zuko's shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Zuko…"
"…Thank you for coming on such a short notice Aang, but I'd like to be alone…"
I wanted to stay and comfort him, but before I knew it my feet had already started pacing out the room. Soon enough, Katara, Sokka and even Toph had followed me out as well. As we were about to leave on Appa, I noticed that Toph was looking more downhearted than all of us. As if the brunt of what just happened landed square on her shoulders.
"Toph…?"
Of course I didn't expect her to answer, but when she did, she cast a silence over all of us; a silence that lasted all throughout the trip home, a silence much like the one that lingered in the room of Iroh's deathbed.
"I can hear… crying…"
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor do i own any of its characters.
This is just my first fan fiction, and since I've never actually let anyone read any of my writing, I'd appreciate it if you guys let me know what you think. In a nutshell, this one is a crossover between Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (For those of you who have played the game, you'll know what i'm talking about.) Hope you guys like it!