Author's Note: I know it's short and doesn't fit the "canon" of my tournament stories, but it had to fit the prompts. Besides, I just came home, which took me basically all of today, so this is the result of what I'd call a night shift. Just a short view of how Iroh would be if Ozai weren't there, meaning no Zuko, Ursa or Azula too. My prompts were:
Easy: Dialogue "I was made for this"
Medium: Location: Fire Nation Capital
Hard: restriction: only one person can have dialogue
I hope you don't mind its shortness, it's only 547 words long without the AN.
Iroh wandered through his palace in the Fire Nation capital. Five years had passed since he withdrew the siege of Ba Sing Se. Still the city was always mocking him from the distance, but it would slowly come to kneel before him as its allies were lesser each passing day.
The year he led the siege was an important one for him. Not only his son, but his father too had died, and now he was Fire Lord. Still, a Fire Lord without an heir, but as he had no other family members, no one would fight over his position.
Though his mourning for his beloved son Lu Ten was great, he found himself thinking more and more of courting a young woman, to once again have an heir worthy the throne of this great Nation. He would present him the world as a present, his son should rule over a peaceful world.
His mind drifted away as he watched the empty courtyard. He wished for a bigger garden, one incomparable to anything else. The plan started to take form in his head.
He would fill the garden with every flower he could find over all the Fire Nation and the conquered Earth Kingdom. And once it was finished he would give it to a certain young woman. His new wife should wander it at his side, their son playing around them.
Suddenly he knew who would be his queen. A young guard he befriended with while his father was still alive. The young woman helped him greatly when he was at the very bottom, after his son had died. What was her name again? Ming?
He called a servant. He should find out where she was serving now, Iroh did not doubt that she still had her guard duty. He would invite her to come with him.
His plan was to impress her, show her how he would conquer the world for their son. Afterwards she would be his own, he was sure about that. There was nothing that could stop him from conquering this rebellious city which had withstand him for so long, Omashu. It was said to have a King with great Earth Bending abilities, but that didn't scare him. He had fought, and slain, more than one Earth Bender.
And Ming would be at his side, though he would not allow her to fight. He had made that mistake once, and that was enough. He would give the city a new name, Ming, to her honor.
His mind drifted to more serious themes. The servants came and began dressing him in his armor. He knew this would be his day. He would conquer the city, and give it to the woman he wished to court, like a flower, well, a big flower.
He had heard rumors about the avatar's return, but even if this figure should return, he would not be afraid. The world would be his, no matter if the rumors were true or not. He would not let some old air nomad turn him down.
Another servant appeared. Ming was ready to go. Iroh fastened his hair knot with the crown and confidently began his way to the ship, saying quietly, "I was made for this.", to no one in particular.