Lost in the screams of pain is a chapter story,
all the stories are fragment about Zuko and Iroh lives.

This chapter is about Iroh's come back from war. He just lost his son Lu Ten and discovers the reality about the world and his own family.

Iroh is sixty,
Lu Ten was twenty,
Azulon was ninety-five,
Ozai is thirty-nine,
Ursa is thirty-seven,
Zuko is eleven.

Lost in the screams of pain,
chapter 1: The spirit world.

The General stood before the huge walls of Ba-Sing-Se, he thought about what he could do. "Ba-Sing-Se… My dream, my honor, my son… I lost everything! What am I now? Me, The Dragon Of The West, one of the best Generals of the Fire Nation, Prince of the Crown, father of my beloved son…"

"I'm nothing! My life is nothing!" He screamed out loud, his words echoed over the desert fields as Iroh looked around him, the images betrayed his thoughts.

The images, the sounds and smells dazed through his mind. They were an awful memory of yesterday; the man closed his eyes and grabbed his dizzy head. Iroh's body shivered as he started to cry, he couldn't accept those memories of his Lu Ten. His son who was dying on the cold and dirty ground.

The man gritted his teeth by the last image of his son's eyes, the life washed away in a second, and his happiness was gone forever.

"Nobody cared." He whispered while he held his belly, that fact hurt so deeply. The battle was much more important. "NOBODY!"

"Not even Lu Ten's best friends."

How cruel could they be? He thought as he fell back onto the ground; his uniform was covered under a mess of dirt. Tears streamed out of his eyes while he glared carefully around him. There were no images at this moment; no flash back's. The only fact Iroh could see was the reality.

He saw hundreds of bodies nearby the huge wall's of Ba-Sing-Se, many of them were Fire Nation boys, and much more were Earth Kingdom soldiers. His sight blurred, he became sick. The General turned his head to the other side and ignored what he just saw but he still could hear the women scream their son's names in the distance.

Young boys were yelling for their mothers and fathers, they were screaming their last words in silence; the death surrounded the fields and took so many young blossoms away to another world.

"How cruel was I?" He whispered, while he glared confused over his own hands. "This whole mission was my dream… I killed several young boys,… was this my punishment?"

Iroh stood up, his body shivered from guilt. These parents feel the same like me, maybe we were wrong about them. The soldier frowned toward the ground as he walked towards his camp.

They're human, like us. A tear escaped out of his eyes and fell slowly onto the desert sand. We are wrong.

At his camp.

That night when the great General was finally asleep, he had the oddest dreams. They were so real and touchable. In this dream, an old man appeared with a red dragon.

This man was a very friendly person who invited Iroh to accompany him on this travel. They both flew away to an unknown place.

"Were are we going?" Iroh asked anxious as he tried to hold himself tightly onto the dragon.

"To the spirit world, General Iroh!" The man replied calm.

Iroh widened his eyes with shock. "Why?"

"Because I've a lot to explain." The man landed his huge dragon on an open spot; Iroh was truly impressed by the amazing view and became curious.

"First of all, I'll introduce myself." The man smiled as he bowed. "I am Avatar Roku."

"What?" Iroh's mouth began to hang a bit. "Why do you want to speak me?"

"Iroh, you are different than the others from your family. You appreciate the value of life but your spirit is defiled with the nonsense of your grandfather."

"That's true… but why am I here in this world?" Iroh asked with a frown.

"I have heard them, your questions. No, it's not a punishment of the spirits, your son died because of another reason."

Iroh's body shivered. "There is a reason for his death?" A tear escaped his eyes.

"Yes, your brother is the reason." Roku replied with anger. "I can show you, look in to the water."

Iroh knelt and glared in a huge lake, the water was red tinted and began to turn slowly. He heard the voice of his own brother and noticed a hireling with a bandage around his head. He recognized this man; he had seen him in the camps yesterday.

"Has nobody followed you?" Ozai said strictly.

The man said nothing.

"I want my throne. The only thing that stands in my way is that little bastard of a nephew!" Ozai muttered with anger.

The man said nothing.

"I've heard from you, I know you are good at what you do and you can keep a secret!" Ozai frowns while he studied the man. "I want you to kill Prince Lu Ten! I will overload you with when the job is done."

The man nodded in silence.

Iroh stared confused at Avatar Roku. "I know this must be difficult for you." Roku said. "But your brother isn't done jet."

"Ozai? No! He's my brother! He's loyal!" The young man shook his head; he couldn't believe Ozai had done such thing.

Roku stared at the ground and replied with a soft tone. "Your brother is a broken soul, Iroh. It's too late for him. He will leave a path of destruction behind him."

"My father will never allow him!" Iroh interrupted Roku in a shock.

"Your father is dead Iroh." Roku sighed.

"Did my brother …"

"NO, look!" Roku points at the lake.

Iroh stared into the water again, he noticed Ozai and his wife Ursa. Ursa was upset, she slapped her husband in his face; they were fighting about Zuko's life.

"I've lost you! Don't you see?" She screamed. "You aren't the same anymore! Where is the Ozai I met? Where is the man I married with?"

"Stop it!" Ozai shouted back.

Ursa didn't listen and screamed louder. "Where is the man I loved?"

Ozai's expression changed, he turned around and grabbed Ursa firmly by her wrists; he racked her like he had never done before.

Ursa screamed in pain and fell onto the ground, she looked up in disbelieve and sighed deeply. "If you want that throne, … you can have it but you have to promise me, to save our son's life."

"You know the consequences." Ozai grinned.

Ursa didn't react; she took her secret knife out of her wardrobe and left her room.

She sighed twice before she entered Fire Lords Azulon's bedroom. The room was very dark as Ursa entered it; she was so scared to be noticed by her father in law. I have to do this for Zuko.

Ursa came closer and closer towards Azulon's bed and raised her knife, she hesitated. I can't. The lady lowered her knife and her head; she peaked at the night table. Her eyes widened as she noticed his medications.

The lady grabbed the chloroform and glared over the old man who was in a deep sleep; Azulon used a low dose of chloroform to sleep as many elderly did. This won't be painful;… it will leave no trace. Much better than the knife!

She poured it fast on her handkerchief and pressed it hard on his face. The old man moved wildly in his bed, Ursa felt so guilty as she glared in the Fire Lord his eyes. "I'm so sorry… It's for Zuko."

His arms fell lifeless onto the bed; the life vanished out of his eyes. Ursa bit on her lips and sat down next to the man. She stroked his wet cheek and closed his eyes; she laid his arms on a normal position and sighed. "Please, forgive me father." The young lady whispered while she cleaned her mess up.

"I never really liked you, like you didn't like me. But you didn't deserve this…" She whispered as she left his room.

Iroh turned his head; he couldn't believe what Ursa had done. "Why didn't she tell my father?"

Roku had just one answer on this. "Azulon had demanded Ozai to kill his own son, as a punishment. Azulon failed his own son and now we see his creation, Ozai is unleashed. Ursa tried to safe her family but she doesn't realize the seriousness of this situation."

Iroh lowered his head. "Can I - can I see Lu Ten please? I would give you everything!"

Roku smiled and turned around; a white light appeared into the dark smog. Iroh felt peace inside of his heart as he saw his son before him. Lu Ten seemed a real gentleman, his hair was so neat and his clothes were beautiful.

"I'm so sorry my boy" Iroh half-whispered.

"It was uncle Ozai, Dad. Please don't feel guilty, you did everything for me. I love you, I always will." Lu Ten replied.

"I love you to my boy." Iroh smiled, several tears escaped from his eyes.

Lu Ten hugged him. "Dad, you must go home. You're needed there."

Iroh frowned and shook his head firmly. "I'll never go back."

"Please dad listened to me!" Lu Ten said impatient.

Roku pointed to the pond again. "Look Iroh, you will see…"

Iroh knelt back and looked, he noticed his little nephew Zuko. He seemed so lost and confused.

"Were is she?" Zuko asked to his father.

His father grabbed the young boy by his shirt. "Didn't I order you to shut your mouth?"

"Yes father, I'm sorry." Zuko replied with guilt in his voice.

"Are you stupid or do you pretend like you are? What did I say about calling me father?" Ozai screams strictly.

"I'm sorry my lord." The young boy began to cry.

"Zuko you are a weak and useless child! You need to take an example to your sister."

The young boy ran away and locked himself up in his bedroom. Iroh looked up towards Lu Ten and Roku, he felt so disappointed.

"Father you are needed there. What you've seen is nothing in compare with what happens in that castle. Ozai abuses Zuko… Father, nobody speaks to the boy. He's truly alone. Please, dad! Uncle Ozai has dismissed all Zuko's fire bending instructors and teachers. The boy has to learn it on his own. Uncle Ozai wants Azula on the thrown, he's training her!"

Iroh disgust appeared in his eyes. "How could my brother change this much and do this to his own child?"

"He has planned this for years! Dad? …. When he punish my cousin; - , it's sad." Lu Ten replied with shame and pain in his voice.

Iroh's eyes widened. "What? Does he slap him?"

"Ozai is very aggressive since aunt Ursa is gone." Lu Ten admits.

Roku grabbed Iroh by his shoulder. "Iroh, you have to protect my grandchild. It's time to go home!"

"I always knew that Ursa was from the Avatars bloodline." Iroh glared for the last time at his son and smiled. "We will meet again!"

"I'll wait for you, dad." Lu Ten smiled back, they cuddled for the last time. Iroh and Roku flew back with Fang, the dragon.

Iroh woke up with a shock. In the corner of his tent sat a captain of Iroh's crew. "What are you doing here?" The General asked with a weak voice.

"Oh! General Iroh, you are finally awake. We were worried about you, sir." The captain replied.

"Worried?" Iroh frowned a bit more.

"Yes sir, you were in a coma for more than a week." The captain replied softly.

"A week?" Iroh whispered confused. "That can't be true; I was away for a few hours…"

The captain frowned at the odd General. Iroh couldn't help; he was so confused right now. "I mean, I was in the spirit world and Lu Ten…

"I think you need some rest, sir." The captain stood up and knew that this General wasn't the same anymore.

Iroh thought deep about this and realized that this journey was reality. "I need to go home!" He whispered to himself. Iroh stood up slowly and glared outside. Everything seemed different, it was so much clearer and understandable, he nodded and knew that he wasn't alone anymore.

"Yes nephew! Uncle is coming home!"