Hi everyone, how are you all? So, this idea randomly came to mind, I was just thinking about Uncle Iroh after watching him in the Spirit World in The Legend of Korra and... I don't know. I always wondered how he died and how his funeral was and, well, here's a one-shot of it. This story is tragedy/hurt/comfort/family. I hope you all enjoy and thank you so much for reading.
Please comment/review and let me know what you think of it, I would really appreciate it. All opinions and thoughts are welcome. Thank you!
I do NOT own the song, Leaves From The Vine.
I OWN NOTHING; I DO NOT OWN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER.
"Leaves From The Vine"
. . .
"Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death." – Anonymous
The sun slowly begins to set below the horizon, the bluest of blue skies slowly turning a shade of purple and pinks. A cold brisk of wind passes through the air, sending a cold shiver down spines.
A deep silence falls over the entire city of Ba Sing Se, almost like a thick curtain that is keeping all sound from reaching the noiseless city. Dark bags that represent lack of sleep circle around everyone's eyes with all the color in their face completely drained. All emotion is missing from their eyes – from their souls – except for one emotion shown on each individual's face: sorrow.
As the people in the large city walk through the streets, their heads are down, the depression clear in their darken eyes. No one makes eye contact; no one says a word and, especially, no one dares to mention about the tragedy the entire world is enduring today on this special, darken day.
The world wears black on this day and not a single laughter can be heard from a single being; not even tears shed from their eyes as the news still tries to process in their heads. There is not a person in the world that could fully comprehend the devastating news. There is not a person in the world that could understand this unexpected tragedy that has left the world speechless.
Fire Lord Zuko gazes out the window of the small teashop in central Ba Sing Se. His eyes are unfocused, lost. His hair slightly falls over his eyes, hiding the dimmed tint that has consumed his golden eyes that usually hold a look of determination, strength.
He feels a gentle hand rest on his shoulder, but that doesn't move or show any acknowledgement to the person that the hand belongs to. He closes his eyes, sucking in a deep breath, before opening his eyes again and finally turning to face the owner of the hand. When he turns to see the young Avatar staring up at him with a sadden smile, he feels the familiar pain erupt inside of his chest, a symbolic signal of his heart continuing to shatter.
Zuko would give anything to not have to face today, but he knows he must. He has to go through today's event bravely and strongly; he has to make sure he does not break down since all eyes will be on him.
"Everything's ready." Aang says quietly, flashing another reassuring and encouraging smile up at the broken Firebender. "We're ready whenever you are."
"Thank you." Despite the way he had to croak out the two words, Zuko is surprised he managed to say anything at all. He hasn't spoken in such a long time it seems; he hasn't used his voice since he spoke to the dying, old man.
"You're not alone in this, Zuko." Katara sweetly whispers to her friend as she steps beside Aang, her fingers immediately lacing with her newly found boyfriend's hand. She looks up into the golden eyes that hold more tragedy and heartbreak than a man his age should have ever endured. He suffered through so much and just when peace finally came to the world, to him, the cruelty of the world – of death – stole the most precious thing to Zuko.
"Yeah," Suki pipes in with Sokka by her side with a graceful smile plastered on her face, "we're all here for you." She has been trying to keep the sanity, the light, and hope in the Gaang, but to no avail. She doesn't want this to tear them apart – she doesn't want this to make Zuko isolate himself from his friends.
"I know." Zuko says flatly, all the life drained out of his body. The dark circles rest beneath his eyes and the emptiness in his eyes show that this tragedy is tearing him apart from the inside out. His intentions of being rude is not want he has in mind and he knows his friends just want to be there for him, but at times like these… sometimes the best thing his friends could let him do is sit alone in a darken room and drown in his sorrows.
Of course, his friends would never let him do that. They have been determined to keep him in their sights and force food and water down his throat, by force if necessary.
"C'mon," Sokka tries to urge Zuko away from the window, "Mai and Ty-Lee are already there waiting for us."
Zuko's mouth opens to protest, but he shuts it, knowing that he cannot stall any longer and it is time for him to do this. The longer he tries to procrastinate in going there, the harder it will most likely be on him, if that is even possible at this point. Without saying another word to his friends, he pulls the hood of the black cloth over his head and walks out of the teashop.
Toph is waiting for the Gaang on Appa right outside the teashop with Momo curled up beside her. When she hears her friends climbing onto the flying Bison, she can feel the tension rising between all of them. She glances beside her, her blind eyes connecting with the side of Zuko's scarred face.
The Blind Earthbender could feel his heart pounding against his chest, almost as if there was a thunderstorm erupting inside of him. His breathing has increased and she could easily tell the nerves are slowly eating him up alive.
She cannot even imagine what the lost Firebender is going through. No one can.
Appa gracefully lands on the soft grass on the bottom of the hill. Once Appa lands, Zuko's eyes catch the hundreds of people that are gathered around the bottom of the hill and all the people that are trailed long the hilltop. So many people, all who are mourning for one single man that has given so much love, so much hope, so much compassion to the world.
Zuko can feel his heart clench at the sight of so many people as he climbs off Appa and begins his way up the steep hill. The people gathered on the hill part a small, narrowed path for Zuko and his friends to make it through to the top. And, just as he expected, all eyes rest on him – on their Fire Lord; on the man who is suffering the most.
The Gaang makes it to the top in a deepen silence, just like the rest of the people that wait patiently for the funeral to begin. When they reach the top, Zuko feels the familiar arms of Mai wrap around him, hugging him tightly. She isn't one for emotion, but today's event can change anybody.
When Mai parts from him, he glances over at Ty-Lee who gives a small nod and a weak smile. They are all there for him, so, why does he feel so alone?
On the top of the hill, there is only a large tree with a picture of Uncle Iroh resting against the bark. The old tree has been there for so many years, resting on the top of the hill that remains on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se.
Zuko takes a small, shaky step forward towards the picture of his Uncle. The picture almost merely crushes his heart and breaks down the walls he has built around himself – around his emotions, his feelings. He kneels down right in front of the picture and, with his firebending, he lights the unlit candles that circle the picture of his smiling Uncle.
He takes a moment, his eyes locked with the graceful smile on his Uncle's face and that smile alone brings back the most painful memories he wished he would only forget.
"Uncle… please," Zuko's voice cracks and, truth be told, he isn't sure if he could finish that sentence, "please, don't go. Don't leave me."
"My nephew," Uncle Iroh breathes out unevenly, his words strained and his eyes losing its focus, "my son, do not think of it as me leaving you." He has always seen Zuko as his son and nothing would ever change that. He loves him as if he was his own son, not just his nephew.
"How else am I supposed to take it, Uncle?" He immediately regrets the harshness in his tone, but he can't help it. He won't accept this. He refuses to listen to all the healers, to Katara, to his own Uncle. His mind has already been made up and he has come to a simple determination: his Uncle is not dying; he will not allow it.
Iroh looks at him, the sadden look lingering in his dimmed, grey eyes, "I may not be here with you physically, but in your heart, death cannot separate us. I will always be with you, just not in person."
"You can get better!" A hopeful smile forces its way onto Zuko's face, but it quickly falters, "There must be someone in the world that can save you. I'll find that someone and you'll be all better, Uncle, I promise."
Iroh heavily sighs as he watches Zuko pace the room and he could see the denial ripping him apart. "Zuko, please, take a seat. Relax."
"How am I supposed to relax when everyone is telling me you're dying? How am I supposed to relax when everyone is telling me you have merely hours to live? How am I supposed to relax when the closest thing to a father I have is about to leave me? The one person who never gave up on me and guided me to being the man I am today?" Zuko's voice is on a thin thread of cracking as he has to swallow around the burning lump that is stuck in the middle of his throat.
"You are scared," Iroh whispers, "but you mustn't be." The confusion shining in Zuko's golden eyes and a look of concentration crossing his features, makes the older man continue, "I lived a long, great life. I have experienced so much in all of my years of living and I do not regret a single thing."
"I was a lost, broken man when my son died and I am sure that you will be the same way when I pass, but I have no doubt that your friends will help you through it. It is my time, Zuko. Either my illness or old age will take me and, in all honesty, I am content with that."
"How could you be? How could you be okay with dying?" The Firebender whispers as he slumps into a chair that rests beside his Uncle's bed. He could not understand how his Uncle could be so calm.
"I have watched the Hundred Year War come to its end and the world regain its peace. I have watched my nephew, a lost soul once, become the Fire Lord. I have watched the Avatar rise and befriend the man who used to hunt him in an attempt to restore his honor. I have watched the struggles people have faced during the war and I have watched those struggles diminish as you and Avatar Aang restore the balance in this world."
Zuko silently watches his Uncle say each word carefully as tears threaten to fall from his eyes. Iroh stares straight into Zuko's eyes and adds with a single tear finally escaping his left eye, "I have watched my nephew become a man that I have never been more proud of. Now that is why I am content with dying at this very moment."
The tears fall from Zuko's eyes, staining his cheeks as he grasps onto his Uncle's hand. His skin is growing cold and a thin layer of sweat coats his forehead. He is dying and in just a few moments, the man who has brought so much wisdom and love in this world will die.
"I am so, so sorry, Uncle, that I have let you down." Zuko hoarsely says as he squeezes his eyes shut, not wanting to face the painful reality that his Uncle will soon be gone.
"You have not failed me, Zuko." Iroh says sternly, "Look at me. Look me in the eyes and you tell me if you see any disappointment in these eyes." It takes him a moment, but Zuko opens his eyes and looks up into his Uncle's loving eyes. He truly is proud of him, despite everything Zuko has done in the past.
"You are not the man you used to be. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you ever used to be." He repeats the old words he has once said to his nephew, but changes them slightly to fit this particular situation instead, "You are a better man, Zuko and I truly tell you this: I have never been more proud than I am at this exact moment."
"I only ask you of one more thing before I am gone." Iroh says, his eyes never leaving the golden eyes of the Firebender.
Zuko raises an eyebrow at him as he nods his head, "Of course, anything."
"I do not want to be buried here, in the Fire Nation. Bury me in the outskirts of Ba Sing Se, on a hilltop. The only thing on the top of the hill is an old tree and there, I want to be buried. Do this for me and one more thing."
Zuko remembers his Uncle telling him about how he used to visit that specific hilltop and he knew before his Uncle even told him that he would bury him there. He also knew that once he buried his Uncle there in Ba Sing Se he and his friends would move and start over there. "What is the other thing?"
"Take care of my teashop." Zuko can hear it in his Uncle's voice that he is near his end. He takes in a deep breath and tries to mentally prepare himself for it. How is he supposed to do this?
"I love you, Zuko. Never, ever forget that." Uncle Iroh manages out as he takes his last few breathes.
Zuko's words climb up his throat and before they could escape his mouth, they become lost. He chokes back a sob when he watches his Uncle fully smile at him for the last time. He can't do this. He CAN'T! He squeezes his Uncle's hand until his hand turns a shade of white and he shakes his head, "I love you too, Uncle."
The light fades in his Uncle's eyes and he knows at that moment, he is gone. His Uncle is gone. Zuko's golden eyes stares blankly at his Uncle's pale face, the reality that he is truly gone slowly sinking in.
It doesn't sink in right away and he remains sitting there with a blank stare for quite some time, but when it does sink in, the sobs that rack through his body echoes through the small room. His body trembles with every cry that leaves his mouth and, for the first time in a long, long time, he feels painfully alone and bitter.
"Please," He whispers constantly through the rest of the night, "please, don't leave me. D- Don't leave me."
One by one, people begin to leave, leaving Zuko and his friends alone on the hilltop under the large tree. Zuko didn't even realize the tears that spill down his cheeks until he feels Mai's hand gently cup his cheek as her thumb brushes away the tears.
Aang sadly stares at his friend, watching him drop to his knees and stare at the picture of Iroh. Mai sits beside him, doing her best to comfort him, but at this point, only time could heal him.
The Avatar closes his eyes, thinking about he never saw the strong, powerful man Zuko is, be so broken. He seems to be a lost child, a lost boy who is all alone in this great-wide world. The lost boy he once was resurfacing as the tragedy of his Uncle truly hits him; his only family left now gone.
"I would like to be left alone." Zuko firmly says, despite the brokenness in his voice that is clear to all of them, even himself. None of them wants to leave their friend who is obviously struggling with the lost, but they do want to give him time to find some closure. He needs time alone at his Uncle's grave to grieve in peace.
"We'll be at the bottom of the hill." Katara says quietly as she bends down to give him a quick hug.
"Yeah," Sokka softly pats him on the shoulder, "if you need us and we're right here."
Toph looks over at Zuko and she could sense all the emotions he is trying to bottle up inside of him, trying to hold at bay. She silently offers him a small smile, although he can't see it with his back to her, and she walks down the hill with Katara, Ty-Lee, Sokka, and Suki.
Mai looks down at him, debating whether she should really leave him alone. She sighs, knowing he does need the time to himself at his Uncle's grave. She kisses the top of his head and whispers in his ear, "Take all the time you need."
She walks away, down the hill with the rest of the Gaang, but Aang stays where he is, standing a few inches behind Zuko. They have grown close and if anyone knows how Zuko is feeling, it would be Aang.
Aang has suffered through so many deaths and he felt just as alone as Zuko does now. He felt so alone before he met his friends and they are the reasons why he managed to get through everything he has.
"I said I want to be alone." Zuko bitterly snaps at Aang, the pain lacing through each word that struggles to leave his mouth.
"I know and I'll leave, I promise." Aang raises his hands in a defensive stance, "I just want to say something to you first. Just something between you and me."
Zuko's silence only urges the young Avatar to continue speaking, "I know how you feel right now. Bitter, alone, lost. I felt the same way once. I just wanted to let you know that it gets easier and we're all here for you. You're not alone in this. I promise you that we will keep his memories alive; we could live out happy memories we had with Iroh and by that, death can't win. Death can't take away the good memories you had with your Uncle and it can't take away the love we all had for him."
"I miss him." Zuko whispers as silent tears slide down his cheeks, "He was a wise, caring man who did so much good in the world. He did so much good for me and helped me become the man I am today."
"And he is proud of that, Zuko." Aang sadly smiles, "He is so proud and you should be too. Iroh loved you like a son and you were a big part of his life. Death may have taken him, but it hasn't and can't take away the love he had for you."
Aang stares at Zuko's hunched back as he kneels over the burning candles and keeps his eyes glued to the picture of his Uncle. He gives his friend one finally look before turning to leave, figuring he should give him now some time alone.
As Aang heads back down the hill, he doesn't see Zuko place another picture beside Iroh's picture, a picture of a young man with the name Lu Ten written on the bottom. He doesn't see Zuko place the picture of Iroh's son next to Iroh's picture, but he does hear Zuko singing a familiar song the same way his Uncle used to sing it to him while he softly cries.
Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
Like fragile, tiny shells
Drifting in the foam
Little soldier boy
Come marching home
Brave soldier boy
Comes marching home.