He was hunchbacked, his soul drained away. As much as Ozai tried he couldn't find a trace of his old brother back. These weren't the eyes of the general who laughed at the prospect of burning down Ba Sing Se, the man who would drag a burning path through the Earth Kingdom and crush the enemies of the Fire Nation. These were the eyes a man who has lost everything – his son, his inheritance, his father and his fighting spirit.
They didn't like each other, but they were still family, Ozai hoped his brother would find some inner peace.
He was a man who has lost everything – his pride, his throne, his home, his nation and his self-respect. The fact that he was now nearly missing half his face was minor inconvenience compared to the greater loss within. The greatest tragedy, Iroh knew, was the loss of that wide-eyed idealist and the birth of a self-loathing, confused young man. That Agni Kai may not have taken anyone's life, but it destroy someone's soul.
Despite this Iroh was an optimist, he hoped that one day his nephew will grow up to be the man he was meant to be.
The person in front of him was nothing like the self-assured, cocky, manipulator who took down Ba Sing Se and slayed the Avatar in a day. In front of him was a woman who has lost everything – her friends, her family, her power and her mind. The curled up girl in that corner looked fragiler than glass, lonely, hurt and confused. In her eyes he saw neither hate, nor malice but an unspoken plea for comfort and compassion.
Zuko looked on the bright side, his sister looked broken now, but he hoped she would pick up the pieces eventually.
