Author's Note: Just one of the many minor parts of Avatar I contemplate.
Zuko walked into the old public hospital, elderly and severely injured Uncle Iroh half walking half being carried at his side. Zuko had finally managed to over come his fear of his father and sister enough to break his uncle out of jail, after seeing the horrors of his torture do to his treachery. If either one of them had the strength they would have noticed the irony that seeing torture helped over come fear, but they were both far past that ability to think. They were almost unconscious as they walked. They had there own individual reasons to drive them on. Zuko, to get revenge on his sister and father for all that Iroh had gone through, and Iroh, give Zuko a success, and to see his nephew through his difficult time.
"Please help him in anyway possible," ordered Zuko as exhaustion threatened to take over. He had to fight off the exhaustion until he saw his uncle cared for.
"You need attention as well!" exclaimed the nurse seeing that both of them were in possibly the worst condition she'd seen in a long time, only possibly beaten by another group, father and son, who had come in that morning.
"See to my uncle first," answered Zuko with dogged but fierce determination.
"I'll take you both to a room together," answered the nurse as another, male, nurse came and took Iroh's wait off of Zuko's shoulders. Zuko nearly protested. He wanted to hold his uncle until his uncle could hold him, like his mother used to, but the soldier still inside reminded him that it was for his uncle's good so he did not protest, although he didn't accept help when it was offered to him as well.
They were led back to a room, a curtain separating them from the next group over. The curtain that would have hung between Zuko and Iroh was pulled back so they could see each other. Zuko watched the nurse tend to his uncle until he was satisfied. Then he lay back and allowed unconscious sleep to claim him.
Zuko opened his eyes. He was wearing new hospital clothes. He looked around and saw his own Earth Kingdom clothes lying in a pile on a table by his side. On top of the pile were his dual swords and the pearl dagger. Zuko cast around the room in a moment of panic when he didn't see his uncle immediately. Then as his head began to clear he saw his uncle's grey hair above the pile of blankets in the bed next to him. Zuko smiled. Suddenly a young man, about Zuko's age, came from around the corner. He was the boy who was supposed to be asleep in the bedroom next door. He was walking slowly and crouched over as if it was painful to take one step.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize you were up yet. I'll be out of your way. I just noticed that a nurse had been back here lately and I was worried about my father," explained the boy a bit embarrassed to be walking through the room even if it was a neutral walk way.
"No problem," mumbled Zuko, "send them in here too."
"Of course I'll-" the boy was cut off by himself as he nearly fell over forward, grabbing onto the end of Zuko's bed with one had and his side with the other. Zuko grudgingly reached around and pulled the boy around so he was sitting on the end of the bed.
"I guess I shouldn't be walking around," explained the boy through short gasps of air as he started to try to straighten his back only to lean over again in the pain.
"Here," offered Zuko as he reached into his belongings and pulled out a medication he'd found when he was at the North Pole, with the sole purpose of getting the boy off his bed (although he suspected that his uncle could be awake and Zuko didn't want to let him down again).
"Thanks," said the boy as he took and drank the medicine as Zuko served himself a dose immediately feeling much better, "My name is Sen Su."
"Really?" asked Zuko looking up sharply, recognizing the name, "Do you have a brother named Lee?"
"Yes," answered Sen Su surprised at the mention of his younger brother, "How do you know Lee?"
"I passed through that town, just as they were getting news that you were captured," answered Zuko, suddenly realizing how uncomfortable this conversation was getting.
"Oh I see," answered Sen Su, clenching his fist, it pained him to think of his family receiving news of his capture. His goal had been to climb as high as his father had been in the army before his father had fallen. Sen Su had to get back at the Fire Nation for ruining his father's career in the army, even if his father didn't want his old life back Sen Su wanted his father to get his due. Sen Su had been on his way up the army chain but a capture, and then being rescued of all things, his career was shot as well.
"I'm feeling much better. Where did you get that?" asked Sen Su referring to the medication in Zuko's hand.
"I got it up north," answered Zuko uncomfortably.
"Could I have a little for my father, the two of us need to move on as fast as we can," explained Sen Su, We're still expecting trouble from the Fire Nation."
"Sure, uncle and I also need to get out of here quickly we had a…disagreement with the Princes Azula," answered Zuko, he was a bit leery about giving away some of his precious medicine but he had brought it upon himself; he shouldn't have shown this Sen Su boy his medicine.
"Wow, that's kind of high up. Isn't she the heir?" asked Sen Su impressed with the importance of Zuko and Iroh (although Sen Su had no idea it was actually Iroh) to be delt with by Azula.
"Yah, I guess. I've had problems with her for a long time," answered Zuko vaguely.
"I better go give this to my dad," said Sen Su, sensing Zuko's discomfort.
When Sen Su left his room Zuko pulled on his old clothes, which conveniently had been cleaned making Zuko wonder how long he'd slept, and strapped on his swords, put the pearl dagger in a fold in his shirt. Just as Zuko was giving the medicine to Iroh and Sen Su was giving it to his Father, Ganzu there was an explosion and the corner of the room was blown off by a large fire ball, setting the walls on fire and knocking the curtain down that separated the Zuko and Sen Su's rooms. Zuko acted on instinct. He sunk into a quick stance and held the fire off of both himself and uncle and the two, Sen Su and Ganzu, next door. Sen Su stared open mouthed at Zuko as he used his firebending to push the fire off himself and his uncle then Sen Su and Ganzu.
"Zuko, you have to stop the fire!" shouted Iroh sitting up, medicine taking effect, and pointing as Zuko ran to follow orders.
"Sen Su, take out the catapults with your bending ordered Ganzu, medicine also effectively restoring him to full alertness. Sen Su immediately followed his father's orders deciding he could figure out about the firebender later.
Zuko was effectively blocking most of the fire from their room but he was having trouble stopping the fire from hitting the rest of the hospital, which was quickly being evacuated by the nurses.
"Uncle, I can't! There's too much!" shouted Zuko over the roar of the fire emitting from his hand.
"Zuko! This is NOT the time for doubt," shouted Iroh as he stood up taking a stance and dousing all of the fire in the building. Ganzu was also standing and, from his stance next to his bed he destroyed the last three catapults while Sen Su had run up to one and was able to disable it with an impressive show of earthbending.
"Sen Su! Get over here NOW," ordered Ganzu as his son ran full out towards him.
"Zuko come here!" shouted Iroh, Zuko obeyed immediately; he'd learned not to question his uncle's wisdom in the heat of a battle. That's what had gotten him in trouble so many times before.
When Zuko and Sen Su were close enough Iroh put up a strong wall of fire that didn't burn the walls around him, blocking out anyone who tried to get through, even the Fire Lord would be unable to penetrate the barrier.
"I'd say it's time to go, General Ganzu," said Iroh from his stance looking over at Sen Su's father. Sen Su gasped to here the man call his father by his title.
"I agree, General Iroh," answered Ganzu. Sen Su's mouth fell open. It was him! The general that had ruined his father's career, yet somehow they were all in the same situation. Before anything else could answer Sen Su's head his father used his earthbending to suck the four of them under ground as Iroh let the wall down, not letting anything behind them catch fire. Ganzu was careful to put the perfect vents, air could get into the tunnel but no one above ground would notice. Unfortunately Iroh was exhausted and dropped the wall a second too soon. A spear was thrown and made it through the closing earth. Zuko whipped out the pearl dagger on instinct and knocked the spear out of the air. Zuko was far more accustomed to using the dagger. It had been his prized possession when he was younger. He'd practiced with it so much that it had become like an indestructible extension of his arm. Sen Su's eyes opened even wider. His father's old knife! How had this stranger gotten his hands on it, he seemed so familiar with it.
"Well, that was eventful," comment Iroh, causing Zuko to roll his eyes, an action just barely visible in the fire light, in Zuko's hand.
"What is going on!" demanded Zuko and Sen Su at the same time.
"Why do you have dad's dagger!" Sen Su shouted in Zuko's face.
"You're dad's dagger!? It's my knife! I've had it ever sense I was little!" Zuko shouted back putting the knife back in its sheath.
"Zuko, calm down, we'll explain everything in a moment," soothed Iroh while at the same time Ganzu was calming his son with similar words. Ganzu and Sen Su used earthbending to continue to push the earth a way while Iroh and Zuko followed behind each with a flame in their hands. Finally Ganzu felt the wall of the tunnel and decided that they were far enough away from the firebenders to go back above ground, much to Zuko's relief.
"What's going on?!" asked Sen Su as Zuko lit the wood that Ganzu and Iroh had insisted they gather before the story could be told. While the two retired generals talked and caught up on, unpleasant, old times.
"Zuko, this is retired General Ganzu, the former general of the outer wall, the former owner of your knife," explained Iroh.
"Sen Su, this is retired General Iroh, the former crown prince of the Fire Nation, the dragon of the west," explained Ganzu. Both boys stared in amazement.
"Then why does he have your knife?" asked Sen Su, pointing at Zuko accusingly.
"That is my nephew, Prince Zuko. It was a gift to him when he was much younger. Zuko has always been very fond of knives and swords and that dagger is the best made knife I've seen in my entire career. I'm not particularly fond of any other weapon beyond my firebending so I sent it to Zuko," explained Iroh.
"He should give it back to my father," answered Sen Su sticking his nose in the air and folding his arms. He gave the air of formal nobility, someone who planned on regaining his old life.
"No," answered Zuko subconsciously reaching into his shirt and grabbing the handle, it felt right, it belonged in his hands. He had given it to Lee, but that had been different. He had been angry with his uncle and had wanted to give the young boy something to remember him by. Now he couldn't fathom giving it up, especially when ordered to.
"Sen Su, that is his knife now," explained Ganzu gently, "I lost it fair and square. It would be dishonorable to accept it."
Zuko was relieved when he looked at Iroh who was not making any indication that he should offer anyway. Sen Su grudgingly agreed to allow Zuko to keep the dagger but not without glaring daggers at Zuko who couldn't careless.
"So what brings you out here?" asked Ganzu, "I thought you were going to become Fire Lord."
"Ah, yes, fate does have a funny sense of humor. I believe the only person who benefited from Ba Sing Se was my brother, who was able to use my defeat as an example of weakness, also, with the loss of my son; my blood line officially was cut off. Ozi has Zuko here and Azula, she's currently reeking havoc in Ba Sing Se," explained Iroh. Zuko clenched his fists at the mention of his sister and father.
"Yes, Ba Sing Se is a curse; your niece has no idea what she is getting herself into. No one has gone into Ba Sing Se and come out the same. It was never truly peaceful, true peace requires freedom, something that is not in Ba Sing Se," commented Ganzu wisely, "Would you like to come with us?"
"No, I think my nephew still has scores to be settled and we will stick together. We will meet again in battle, but this time we'll be fighting on the same," answered Iroh.
"Yes, you are right, my son and I also have things to do. We will meet again," answered Ganzu as Iroh got up to follow Zuko.
"Why were you two so friendly?" asked Zuko as soon as they were out of earshot.
"Zuko, there are many things you do not understand yet. One of the things you must learn is this. There are two kinds of enemies. One is like you and your sister. You two are enemies because you two have problems with each other. The other kind is the higher ups are personal enemies, you are just pawns thrown against each other. Once the driving powers causing the conflict are taken out of the picture you are no longer enemies," explained Iroh, a contemplative silence fell between the uncle and nephew.
Author's note: Well this didn't turn out as well as I expected I guess it really needed to be a full fic. Oh, well, I hope you like it anyway .