Author's Note: This is a little story I wrote almost immediately after the end of the series was aired, but I never got around to publishing it here. So please excuse my crappy skills from years ago, though I did give it a quick little proof-read. A little sad, a little funny, maybe a little repetitive, and lots of Zuko angst and Iroh wisdom. Enjoy.

From the Ashes

After the war was over, it became Zuko's job to set everything right. He was eternally grateful that he had the Avatar and his friends on his side, for he was sure that without them, there was no way the world would listen to him. But as he looked over what had once been a land belonging to the Earth Kingdom, he knew that even with all of their help, it was going to be a long way to happy.

From all the area that his father had burned during the comet's arrival, only one village had been massacred. But of all the villages it had to be, it had to be one that Zuko was familiar with.

The new Fire Lord still didn't know the name of the village, but it was devastating to know that he would never be able to see the face of that little boy who had lived there – the kid who he had befriended him – again. He would never be able to thank him for accepting him, even if it was only until he discovered Zuko's true identity. He would never be able to see that windowy smile. Never hear that childish laugh. Never be able to teach him how to use the duo swords. And he would never be able to tell him how sorry he was for lying to him about who he was. And he would never know if that kid had forgiven him.

'Lee…'

Although the boy had lived on the outskirts of the village, he and his family and the whole of his farm had been burned to a crisp. As Zuko trudged though the piles of ashes that were once houses, he knew that it was his fault.

These people could have been saved if I had had the courage to speak out against my father, or tell the others of his plans to use the comet sooner. Why did I have to be so naïve?! Why did my father have to be so evil?! How could one man kill so many innocent people and still be able to live with himself?! Didn't he consider how his own father used to make him laugh when he was a child before he took the life of another man in front of his child?! Didn't he remember how he used to cling to his mother before he burned all of the mothers in this village to a crisp?!

Zuko felt a salty tear streak down his face as he realized that he had stopped in front of where the young boy use to live. The whole farm was a mass of black soot, gently stirring in the breeze. He fell to his knees and started sobbing quietly. It was possibly the worst thing that had ever happened to him next to losing his mother.

'Lee... I'm sorry...'

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see his uncle, kneeling beside him.

'Zuko, my nephew, what is wrong?'

'How can you ask me something like that?! I could have saved these people if I had been brave enough! I could have befriended them if I had been honest with them! I could have saved Lee-'

'Wait, this was the village that little boy you told me about was from?' Iroh asked, pityingly.

Zuko nodded sadly and his uncle wrapped an arm around him. Lee had been like a little brother to him. He wanted so badly to see his little, smiling face again, to hear his laugh, to watch him play with broad swords or throw eggs at bully guards. He would never be forgiven for wronging him.

'Nephew, I know as well as you do what it is like to lose the people you love most. I lost my wife, my son and my sister-in-law. On top of that, my brother, father and niece all betrayed me. I have held on so tight to you and still come so close to losing you as well, but I have never given up on you. I know your pain, and although I do not feel the same way as you do right now about what happened here, I assure you that the little boy you befriended would have forgiven you. I'm sure all of these villagers would have. It is not your fault that they all died, you cannot blame yourself. This was not your doing.'

'But Uncle, it's too late now. They're gone. He's gone! They're all dead! They're all just a pile of ashes!'

'Ah, but my nephew, do you know what the best thing about death is? Do you know why ashes are good?'

Zuko looked at the old man in confusion, 'What are you talking about? There is no good thing about death or ashes!'

Iroh looked at his nephew with a sympathetic smile. 'Ah, but you misunderstand. Death hurts, yes. Ashes are what is left over when fire is the killer. But my nephew, the good thing about death is that death gives way to new life.'

Zuko sniffed; he had learnt to appreciate his Uncle's wise teachings and he had learnt to recognise when he was giving a lesson. So although he was sure he could die right there and then out of sorrow, he listened to his uncle, because he always found the silver lining.

'When fire kills something, it leaves behind the ashes.' Iroh scooped a handful of the black debris and it gently fell out of his hand and back to the ground. 'But from the ashes new life grows.' He blew away some of the ashes on the ground and gestured reverently to the area he had cleared.

Zuko leaned in to look at what his uncle was showing him. Sure enough, his uncle's words were true. A little green sapling peeped out from the black ashes left by the fire; new life. Zuko felt himself smile a little as another tear rolled down his cheek, and this time it wasn't purely out of sorrow.

His uncle was right – not that that shocked Zuko at all; he was used to his uncle being right about everything – although fire had come through here and killed everything in its path and left behind ashes, new life was growing.

'Leave the past in ashes, let the old things give way, start a fresh, new life right here today, from the ashes,' Iroh recited a proverb he had made up beforehand.

'You're right, Uncle, I can do this. From the ashes that my father left behind, I can make a new, better world. I can make something better, I can give the world a new life, from the ashes.'

'That's the spirit! I knew you would get the hang of my proverbs eventually,' Iroh beamed.

Zuko felt a bead of pride swell inside of him and suddenly, he felt lighter than ever.

'Now, if you don't mind, I am going to go and have some tea.' The wise man stood and waddled away, leaving Zuko looking after him in disbelief. He shook his head and sighed.

The Fire Lord looked back to the sapling and smiled again. It was like just by looking at that sapling, everything would be alright. It was like the little green plant was Lee's way of communicating with the world.

A gentle breeze blew across the landscape as Zuko stood up and began to leave the village. He thought he heard a childish laugh somewhere behind him. He turned to look back, but no one was there. The wind picked up once more and this time it sounded like a voice talking to Zuko, whispering three simple but powerful words; I forgive you.

Author's Notes: I love Iroh. And his proverbial wisdom. Hope you liked it, please leave a review.