Title:
The Morning After Lu Ten Died.
Fandom: Avatar: The Last
Airbender
Characters: Uncle Iroh P.O.V.
Rating: PG
Summary: A poem from Iroh's
perspective, looking back on when his son, Lu Ten, died. A one-shot
for 100situations lj group, prompt 4-84: The Morning After.
A/N:
For those who don't know all the details, Iroh was first in line to
the Fire Nation throne, and general of the army during a 600 day
siege of the Earth Kingdom capital, Ba Sing Se. When his son Lu Ten
was killed in battle, Iroh abandoned the siege, and his younger
brother Ozai managed to convince their father (allegedly) to pass the
thrown on to the second born child, since the first born was a
failure and had no heirs. Their father died soon after, and Ozai
became a ruthless, heartless and destructive Fire Lord, while Iroh
remained compassionate and wise.
The Morning After...
The Morning After Lu Ten died
I felt as though the
world had ended
But the sun rose as it always did
And the
breakfast was made as it always was
The troops were still waiting
for orders
My officers were demanding for action
Everything was
the same as it always was
The morning after Lu Ten died.
The
morning after Lu Ten died
I was able to see him once more
While
everything else had remained the same
He had not
His body had
been crushed
His face was stony gray and lifeless
He did not
smile up at me, proudly, loyally
He did not ask what more he could
do for me.
He simply laid there, just a body
Just an empty
shell of what was little boy.
That morning, after Lu Ten
died.
The morning after Lu Ten died
I gave up the siege
The
war seemed so pointless now
Our battle seemed completely lost
What
good was taking over a world
When my own son would not be there to
see it anew?
I sealed my fate that morning
I sealed the fate of
the world that morning
I relinquished my power to my heartless
brother
And doomed the world.
The morning after Lu Ten died.