Thousands of people sat in the courtyard behind him and his friends sat in a long row on either side of him. He took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the plain wooden box before him. When Mai wrapped her hand tightly around his, the tears started falling. He squeezed her hand before stepping up to the raised platform.
The crowd was filled with people from every nation. There was Pao, the man who'd first hired Uncle in his tea shop, and Quon, the merchant who had sponsored the Jasmine Dragon. It looked as if every member of the Order of the White Lotus had come, along with the remaing crew from their time searching for Aang. His face cracked into a watery smile when he noticed June at the very back, leaning against her graying shirshu. He cleared his throat and bowed respectfully to his people.
"Today, we have suffered a great loss." In the very front row, Aang nodded lightly, tears rolling into his beard. "My uncle was born into a world at war, like all of us. He never denied the terrors he brought the world as a general in the Fire Nation army. But those of you who knew him, knew that-" his voice cracked, "the world had never known a man as wise, as kind or as loving as Iroh." Several people in the crowd nodded, dabbing their eyes. "Iroh taught me that our lives are what we make of them. They are not determined by who our parents are, what we look like, or what we've done in the past. Our lives are about our choices, about choosing our own path."
"Iroh was born to a family devoted to war. Yes he was a general during the war. He was known as the Fearsome Dragon of the West. But that's not who my uncle was. My uncle was the kind of man who would give up everything –his position, his home, and his family to watch over his brother's banished son." He smiled slightly. "My uncle was the sort of man who played Pai Sho every day and hosted music night every weekend. My uncle was the sort of man who happily worked in a tea shop, learning about and befriending the very people his brother wanted to kill and imprison. My uncle was the sort of man this world needs. I am not alone in this loss, nor is the Fire Nation. The world is a sadder place without Iroh. I can only hope we do our best to honor his memory."
He turned to face the coffin, bowing low. He pulled a fadded Pai Sho tile from his sleeve, staring at it for a moment, remembering- Prince Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this. That lotus tile was up my sleeve the whole time! He smiled sadly, placing the wooden tile on the casket, among the flowers and tokens. He bowed his head, tears streaming down his face. "I'll miss you, Uncle." He didn't bother wiping his face before turning back to his people. When he raised his arms, the crowd rose to their feet as one. When he descended the steps, Aang was right there, arms outstretched. A second later Katara, then Sokka and finally Toph wrapped their arms around him and Aang tightly.
"He's in the spirit world now, Zuko." Sokka said quietly. "He's with Lu Ten, and Yue and La." Zuko nodded, silently pulling away. He met Mai's eyes over Toph's head and smiled at her. She smiled back faintly, wiping a tear away quickly. When his friends stepped away, she came to stand beside him. He held her hand as members of the crowd moved towards them. Before the day ended he'd met a masseuse from Ba Sing Se, several members of his army and the Order of the White Lotus who had known his uncle and a woman who had worked in the prisons during the war.
He still stood facing the coffin after most of the crowd had left. Mai had gone to get him something to eat and his friends had said their goodbyes. He was a little startled when Toph came to stand next to him. They'd grown a lot since their days camping at the Western Air Temple and the beach house on Ember Island but she was still almost a foot shorter than him. He glanced down at her and smirked when he noticed she was wiggling her toes awkwardly.
"I met him before I met you, you know. I'd just left home to train Aang. Azula was chasing us. We couldn't stop long enough to get any sleep. Katara and I were ready to tear each other's hair out. I decided to leave. I ran into him in the forest. I almost earthbended him to kingdom come but ended up having tea and a heart-to-heart." Zuko blinks. He can't really imagine Toph having a heart-to-heart with anyone. He shrugs. If anyone could though, it definitely would have been uncle. "I know I'm not any good at it, but if you want to talk- I'm here."
He's a little surprised when she doesn't punch him after her little speech. He throws an arm over her shoulder. She tenses a little but doesn't move. "Thanks, Toph. That means a lot."
"Don't mention it, Flamehead." They stand like that a while, each lost in thought before he turns to her suddenly, thunking her on the shoulder.
"Want to come over for dinner? Aang and Katara said they'd be by."
"Sure, Prince Campfire. Just make sure you've got ginseng tea."
"What do you take me for, Chief Beifong? A savage?" They walk back through the palace swapping stories that mostly revolve around the Jasmine Dragon.