600 Days Ago
"Father, you must not go through with this."
Iroh sighed, carefully setting aside his calligraphy, for what he knew would be another argument. He turned to find his eighteen-year-old son, staring at him with defiant gold eyes. Not for the last time did Iroh see his wife in them. She was always stronger than him, he thought.
"Lu Ten, we have been over this," Iroh said gently. "I must go. It is my destiny."
Lu Ten made a strange motion with his foot, as if he was about to stamp it but forced himself to stop. "Ba Sing Se is impenetrable. The walls stand so high that you can see it from miles away. And the earth benders are uncompromising. People have tried before, Father!"
Iroh waited patiently for Lu Ten to stop repeating the words from his textbooks. "I had a vision, Lu Ten," he said. "And I saw myself, a top of Ba Sing Se, with an army behind me. Tell me if that is anything but a message from the spirits."
"Perhaps it was a warning," Lu Ten retorted, crossing his arms.
"No, my son. I must see this to the end." Iroh was absolutely certain of that. Though he had no love for war, he did not ignore the Spirits.
"Then I will join you," Lu Ten said. "And every day we are there, I will try to prove you wrong."
In the end, Lu Ten did prove him wrong, in the worst possible ways.
Days later, Iroh sat in his room, laden with grief. His wife was gone. Lu Ten was gone. His throne – though he had never truly wanted it – was gone as well. A deep, aching hole carved out his heart. He felt it there, at all times.
With a deft hand, Iroh finished the letter, wondering if he would go through with it. The Fire Nation had been his home for many years. But it held too many memories. Leaving it, he realized, might be his only escape.
"Uncle?" A tiny, hesitant voice pierced the blackness of his heart. Iroh turned to see a young boy, with wide golden eyes and dark raven hair. He clutched at the door frame, as if it was the only thing keeping him standing.
"Prince Zuko," he said, surprise tinting his voice. "You are up late."
The young prince shifted from foot to foot, hands not losing their grip on the wall. "I was thinking…"
"A dangerous thing to do.' For the first time in many days, Iroh felt something akin to humor.
Zuko offered a brief smile. "Well, I was thinking… with Mom and Lu Ten gone," the Prince's mouth tightened, as Iroh closed his eyes, "That well…" Zuko ducked his head, trailing off. Iroh's heart still grieved, and in some ways, he simply wanted to be left alone. He looked down at his note, detailing his explanation to his brother, of why he had to leave. Then, he turned to stare at the boy, who was still waiting, looking for something to hold onto.
Iroh made his decision. The note burned in his hand. "Zuko, please, come in." The young Prince looked up with bright, hopeful eyes. He abandoned his hold of the wall, and slid down on the floor next to Iroh. "Would you like to hear a story? It is of a brave soldier that accompanied me to Ba Sing Se…"
If I had time and dedication, I think I would have liked to date those 600 days of Iroh's time in Ba Sing Se and Lu Ten's attempts to make him leave. Instead, I offer this short drabble. Review to tell me what you think!