Title: Fire and Lightning

Author: Takada Saiko

Disclaimers: I don't own Avatar or Zuko, sadly. I'd love to own Zuko… hmm….

Prologue

Iroh had been many things throughout his life. Over his years he had been a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and an uncle. He had been a crowned prince of the great and mighty Fire Nation, a revered general of their military, an advisor and teacher to his nephew, a lead figure in the Order of the White Lotus, a refugee, a traitor, a prisoner, and now a tea shop owner and advisor once more to the current Fire Lord. He had to admit, the tea shop had been his favorite of all jobs that he held, even if he felt a great sense of pride well within his heart the day that his nephew had asked him if he would still be there to give him the advice that he knew he would so desperately need to lead the Fire Nation. His one request, upon assuring young Zuko that he would stand by his side for as long as he lived, was that the young man would visit him regularly at the Jasmine Dragon at Ba Sing Se. Three years after the scarred prince had become Fire Lord, he obliged his uncle as often as his duties allowed and seem to look forward to it with great delight each time.

"I believe that your younger cousin has done very well for himself, Lu Ten," the aging man said with a smile as his hand reached for the picture he kept of his dead son. "He has ruled as the Fire Lord for nearly three years now after helping to win the war and reconciling the turmoil within his own heart. I am so very proud of him." Iroh smiled at the silent picture of his son and thought of his headstrong nephew. He regretted living in a different nation, but knew that a certain young air bender was a regular visit to both places, with his flying bison always available for the two enemies-turned-friends' use to see one another. He had received a messenger hawk just yesterday with a note from the young ruler, saying that he would very much like a visit from his uncle, but if Iroh could not get away from the shop he would pay him a visit after the forced festivities of his nineteenth birthday. His note could not be characterized as overly enthused over the situation.

"Any good old war stories to go with your famous tea today?" a voice asked and Iroh turned to see one of his regulars. It was a young man of the Earth Kingdom that had returned from a lifetime at war to where his family had made a home in Ba Sing Se.

"My nephew has more stories than I," Iroh assured him with grin, "but I think that I can provide you with tea today."

The young man returned the smile. "He never talks about it either, even though everyone knows that you two were away fighting to Fire Lord when the shop closed down a few years ago..." He paused. "Your nephew has been away for a while now. No one's seen him in months."

"His… job keeps him quite busy these days," the former general sighed. "Though I should see him soon. His birthday is fast approaching and I intend to take a trip to see him."

"Means the shop will be closed then?"

"For a short while," Iroh conceded.

"A shame…" The young man paused, eyes glancing about the unusually empty tea shop. "You know, there's been someone asking about you lately."

"I hope you told them that I brew the best tea in all of Ba Sing Se!"

The former soldier smiled at this and shook his head. "I don't think he cares about the tea shop, Mushi…" He took the tea that Iroh had just handed him and took a sip. "It was weird, honestly. I think… He acted like a Fire Nation soldier, but I couldn't tell you why, and he didn't call you by your name."

Iroh's eyes narrowed at this. "What happened?"

"He approached me a couple blocks away, with a strange look, and asked me if I was a regular at the Jasmine Dragon. I told him, 'yes, Mushi makes the best tea in the city,' and when I said your name he looked at me very strangely. He asked if the owner was you, and gave a description, and I said yes, but then he asked if your name was not 'Iroh.' Really strange, but I've seen him poking around since then."

"Fire Nation soldier, you say, but he wasn't wearing a uniform?"

"No, not all… Civilian dress, but his attitude was definitely that of a soldier, or a former one at least."

"Did he give you a name?"

"No, he disappeared before I could ask, but I thought you should know." He chuckled, setting his empty cup on the counter with a few pieces of money to pay. "Iroh. Like the Dragon of the West in the Fire Nation. What an absurd idea."

"Very," Iroh answered and joined him in a good laugh. They spoke only a few minutes more before the regular customer left out, assuring that he'd have to stop by before his favorite tea shop shut down for the owner's absence. Iroh looked around before deciding that it was time to shut the doors for the night. The sun was setting and without Zuko to help with the chores, things tended to be cleaned much slower. The boy certainly had energy, his uncle would give him that, even though the physicians that had seen him after the last battle had warned him not to stress his body to badly until they knew the long term affects that Azula's lightning would have on the young prince's body. He hadn't slowed with the warning, but thankfully only rarely found himself showing any signs that he'd been injured at all. Katara truly was gifted in healing.

"Are you closed then?"

Iroh looked up as he was straightening the chairs. He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't heard a patron enter. His eyes widened at the sight of the man that stood in the door way.

"General Iroh, I was right then. I thought my eyes weren't failing me that badly. It's good to see you are doing so well."

A grin spread across Iroh's face and he crossed the distance between the man and himself. His visitor bowed in the traditional Fire Nation way and Iroh clapped him on the shoulder. "Lieutenant Jee!"