Title: Dance Inside
Chapter Title: Pride
Word count: 565 Rating: G Warnings: none
Notes: I was having writer's block as I walked home from school today. It was last day of school, first day of summer, and I couldn't think of a story to save my life. Well, after watching some old episodes of Avatar from the first season, Iroh stayed in my mind. I decided to write a drabble written from his perspective, though in third person.

Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two. That might Iroh and Zuko's emotions, thoughts, and words more believable.

Pride

The old man sipped his tea, sighing. Prince Zuko was somewhere out there in the storm, trying to get lighting to hit him so he could try and redirect it. He had let Zuko go and try, knowing Zuko's determination and stubbornness in this matter. At this point, he thought a bit of foolishness was mixed in as well. He sighed again. Zuko had always felt the need to 'catch up' with his sister, even though he knew she was a firebending prodigy and was much stronger than him. It hurt Zuko to know his younger sister was stronger than him.

But that was what had gotten Zuko into this mess in the first place. That, and many other reasons. Such as how Zuko's father loved his sister more than him, had burned and banished him, and set the fool's errand upon him of capturing the Avatar. Zuko was very stubborn and refused to let anybody help him, even when he needed it. Heck, Zuko had even refused to let him help sometimes and he was Zuko's uncle and the closest person to Zuko.

Zuko would never be able to harness lightning at this rate. Yes, their poverty and the fact that they were now refugees had brought humility upon him, but Zuko still had his pride that he had always had. To be able to shoot lightning out of his fingertips like Azula, Zuko needed to let go of his pride. The old man drank another cup of tea as he sat and thought.

He hadn't been able to make Zuko lose his pride, but maybe someone else could. Iroh's thoughts quickly turned to the Avatar and his group. It would no longer matter if Zuko captured the Avatar anymore—if they went back to the Fire Nation, they would receive the same fate that the Avatar and his friends would. He shuddered…But maybe now they could join forces…They were all running from the same people, and had the same goals in mind right now. It would benefit everyone, in many different ways…

He smiled. As much as Zuko tried to hide it, Iroh saw the admiration he had for the waterbending girl. Iroh thought she had similar feelings as well, though she too tried to hide them. With a little push in the right direction, it might turn into something more. He grinned wider this time. And there were some things that only she could provide for Zuko, in ways no one else could, even Iroh himself. Such as love and support—and she could probably even make Zuko lose the pride he had that made it so hard for him to accept help—among other things—from others. Though Iroh loved and supported him, Zuko needed those things from someone of the female persuasion and the waterbending girl fit perfectly.

Oh, if Zuko only knew of his plans. He'd think Iroh had gotten hit a lot harder by Azula than he really did. And then he'd probably cause the whole place to burn down with his anger. Iroh was getting ahead of himself, as usual.

When Zuko came back, Iroh didn't bother to ask what had happened. He could tell that it hadn't gone well just from Zuko's face and body language, try as he might to hide it. Zuko didn't mention it either, because of the emotion that Iroh had been pondering over the whole time Zuko had been gone.

Pride.