Chapter 9
The Other Side of Time's Dark Glass
"Ursa, what are you doing?!" grunted Iron as he held back the former Fire Princess's trembling wrist, her gleaming hairpin mere inches from his skull. She'd swooped in like a pale banshee, striking with frightening speed. Only instincts honed by years on the battlefield had saved the retired Fire Nation general.
"The light. Put it out!" demanded the Fire Lady as she locked her bloodshot eyes on the general. Her free hand clawed frantically toward the hand he was carrying the flame in, but his strong arms held her back.
"But why-"
"Put it out!" shrieked the Fire Lady.
Not understanding, but seeing how clearly the light upset his sister-in-law, Iroh reluctantly extinguished the flame, returning the hallway to darkness. "Is that better Ursa?" asked Iroh gently as the Fire Lady breathed a sigh of relief. "Or would you still like to kill your brother-in-law?" he added wryly, letting go of her wrist. "I guess that's what I get for forgetting your last several birthdays. It wasn't easy finding you, you know. This island isn't even on the most top secret of naval maps."
"I-iroh? Is that you?" asked Ursa, cocking her head to the side as she folded her arms back inside her robes, slipping her make-shift weapon into a hidden inner sleeve as if nothing had happened. "It's very unusual for you to visit."
"Do you mean here?" questioned Iroh, a little confused. "I've never…"
"You must be here to avenge your father, I suppose?" asked Ursa pointedly, as if he hadn't even spoken.
"…So, you really did do it," stated the general sadly. The Fire Lady was surprised at the lack of blame in his voice. Usually her visitors wasted no time tormenting her. "I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe that you were just an unfortunate scapegoat for my brother's ambition." Ursa was surprised to feel a slight twinge of guilt. Despite her husband's distaste for his elder brother, she'd always respected the kindly general. Disappointing him stung more than she thought it would. Iroh had always been a subtle one, and it appeared his torment would be as well.
Girding herself with imperial indifference Ursa replied, "Sorry to disappoint you general. You're brother was uninvolved; I acted alone. However, this make your revenge simple," explained Ursa as she offered herself up, turning her palms up as she spread her arms out, "all you need do is kill me and honor will be satisfied."
"You seem eager to court death my lady," observed Iroh gravely. "Fate may offer a less hopeless path to freedom for you though."
"So, you are one of the ones whose cruelty is telling me the lies I wish to hear," laughed Ursa with resignation as she returned her hands to her side. "Very well then; tell me of my children. How are Zuko and Azula? …Speak! Why do you hesitate so!"
"…I think you would be quite proud of your son Lady Ursa. I've watched over him these many years, and he has grown tremendously into an honorable young prince. The path has not been easy for him, but he has learned from his mistakes, and at last found his own path back into the light after so many years lost in the shadow of his father. He has courageously chosen to do that which he believes is right and honorable for himself and the Fire Nation even though it puts him at great risk," Ursa's eyes narrowed at this. "However, he has made true friends amongst the strongest of his generation, and I have faith that together they will be able to persevere and redeem the follies of ours."
"I see the years have made you no less oblique brother," replied Ursa tersely as she scrutinized where the general stood. She couldn't see him of course, but she didn't need to to know he was tiptoeing around something. Putting it aside, she continued, "I suppose you have equally enigmatic news of my daughter?"
"My view of Azula may be unfairly biased…" began the general, sighing heavily as memories came back to him.
*
Normally when Iroh returned to the capital it was at midday, Agni shining down upon all the teeming citizens whom lined the streets to celebrate their war hero's latest triumph. This time however the general had returned to no fanfare. Concealed under a heavy cloak and heavier rain, he silently made his way through the dark streets as he returned unobserved to the royal palace.
Lost deep in thought, he almost didn't notice the argument until he was right around the corner from it. "Take it back Azula! How dare you talk about Uncle that way!" Halting, Iroh cautiously looked around the corner. There was Zuko, fists clenched and teeth bared. Opposite from him was Azula, head cocked back with an expression of amused contempt at her brother's challenge.
"Well, why do you think that failure suddenly disappeared and hasn't been heard from since?" asked the young Fire Princess sweetly.
"I…I'm sure he has his reasons. Maybe he just needs some time to himself after Lu Ten… went away," offered up Zuko, who had in fact been brooding over his mother's own disappearance before Azula had interrupted him. She seemed to have an uncanny knack for showing up exactly when he wished to be left alone.
"Which is just another reason for him to do it," countered the little Fire Princess, a cruel gleam in her eyes. "It was under his failed command that Lu Ten died, and to make it even worse that quitter didn't even avenge him by seeing through the siege our cousin gave his life for. I tell you Zuko, that's more than enough reasons for our loser uncle to immolate himself," whispered Azula in her brother's ear. Zuko's fists started to shake as Azula began to lecture him, a pedantic finger held aloft to emphasize her points, "Take note for future personal use Zuko. It's a perfectly traditional way for a disgrace to take responsibility for their failures you know. It goes all the way back to our ancestors being impressed by the Sun Warrior practice of immolating themselves rather than being taken cap…"
"RRHHAAAGGHH!" A triumphant smirk on her face, Azula pivoted out of the way of her brother's oh-so-predictable punch. Ensnaring his feet with her own, the Fire Princess grabbed her brothers arm, then bringing her other hand back to his shoulder blade, shoved him to the floor. Straddling the small of his back, Azula brought her brother's limb back into a painful joint lock. "Argh! Let me go!" demanded the Crown Prince as he tried to squirm free. "Let me go Azula or I'll…"
"Or you'll what?" Taunted his sister as she pulled back further on his arm, making Zuko wince in pain. "Go cry to Mother? Oh, that's right, by now she's just as much a pile of ash as Uncle! Face it, there's no one left to protect a weakling like you!" declared Azula, her eyes widening with a feral bloodlust. She could feel the tendons and ligaments in her brother's shoulder straining at their limit, and how it wouldn't take that much more to tear them apart. "You could always embarrass yourself going to Father, but I doubt he'd even care if I were to snap your arm off!"
"Ergh! Stop joking around Azula! It feels like it's going to break," said Zuko through clenched teeth, sweat beading his forehead as the pain became almost nauseating. Straining to look back at his sister, a shiver ran through Zuko as she responded only with the widening of her merciless grin. The temptation to dislocate his shoulder with one sharp pull was nearly overwhelming, but Azula restrained herself, instead pulling back with an agonizing slowness. She wanted to give the inevitability time to slowly sink in. Go ahead and beg brother, like the weakling you are! Thought Azula as she felt the tendons begin to tear.
"That's enough!" Azula gasped as a strong arm restrained hers. She tried to quickly yank her and Zuko's arm back, but the grip on her wrist was like iron, tightening as she struggled. Turning in rage on whomever dared try take away her toy, the Fire Princess was brought up short by the imposing figure of her uncle.
For a moment their eyes locked, fury meeting firm disapproval. While Iroh gave no outward sign of it, he was deeply disturbed by the sadistic glee he'd just witnessed. Equally disturbing was how quickly his niece replaced her anger and bloodlust with a cold calculating mask. Not breaking eye contact, Azula attempted one more quick tug with her arm. Iroh easily held her in place, his crushing grip tightening proportionally, whereupon Azula immediately released her hold on Zuko. She was testing me, realized Iroh as he firmly picked the Fire Princess up by the collar, setting her roughly down a full arm length from her brother.
"Uncle!" cried out Prince Zuko in relief as he got to his feet, shooting his sister a you're in trouble now look.
Undaunted, the Little Princess straightened out her collar as she coolly returned their stares. "Well, if it isn't our dear Uncle. You showed up just in time. Zuzu attacked me and I was forced to defend myself."
"That's because you-!" started Zuko before his uncle held him back with a hand.
"Indeed, you defended yourself quite skillfully, but your execution was not quite perfect. Do you know what true mastery of self defense is Azula?"
"Your eye sight must be going along with the rest of your once renowned prowess's Uncle, my form was perfect," replied Azula with a piqued eyebrow, not quite able to hold back her irritation at being told she was less than perfect.
"It was not your form that was lacking Princess. Mastery of self defense is achieved when you learn to expend no more energy than is needed to subdue your target," instructed Iroh, looking pointedly at the throbbing wrist Azula had started absentmindedly rubbing. Caught red handed, Azula quickly dropped her arm back to her side and looked away in embarrassment, cursing herself for letting the enemy see such weakness. "Any energy expended beyond that is a waste, and moves you back to being an aggressor. What do you think would have happened If I'd "defended" Zuko with your style of defense?" warned Iroh, suddenly clenching his fingers together in front of Azula. The already off balance Princess couldn't help but wince as the motion evoked the recent memory of the general's iron grip, this time crushing every bone in her hand. Zuko watched in awe; this was the first time he'd ever seen someone cow his sister.
"Y-you wouldn't dare! Father would melt the flesh from your bones!" Iroh regarded the little Princesses outburst coolly. Flustered at losing control so badly, Azula took a deep breath to steady herself. She couldn't lose like this. Especially not to someone Father said was such a pathetic failure. "Congratulations General," said Azula as she flicked a stray hair back into place, "You may not be able to win battles anymore, but you can at least frighten little girl's for a brief moment."
"Maybe next he can move on to terrorizing baby turtle ducks," suggested Zuko with a snicker. …Wait. Was Zuko of all people laughing at her?!
"Terrorizing… baby turtle ducks?" asked Iroh with a slight chuckle as he looked quizzically between Zuko and Azula, whose face was starting to redden.
"Yeah… *snicker*… she lures them in by pretending she's going to feed them… *snort*… but then throws the bread at them," chortled Zuko. Seeing his Uncle try to suppress his own amusement, Zuko lost it, breaking out into laughter, which was soon joined by his Uncle's deep guffaw.
How dare they laugh at her! "It's not funny you idiots!" seethed Azula, her fists extended tightly at her side. The two of them tried to reign in their laughter, they really did, but all it took was one look at the red faced angry little Princess, and then back at each other, for them to break out laughing even louder than before. Powerless before their mirth, Azula stormed off down the hall, Zuko's taunting "quack" "quacks" and Iroh's booming laugh echoing all around her. They'd pay for this humiliation. Watch your back Uncle, someday I'll have enough power to challenge you…
Reaching the end of the hall, Azula paused for a moment. The laughter was dying down enough for her to get in a word edgewise, "It's also a waste of energy brooding over the dead Zuzu. It'll only turn you into a pathetic weakling who can't move forward," warned Azula, looking back at Iroh with murderous contempt.
"What a brat! She always has to have the last word, doesn't she," grumbled Zuko, glaring at the corner his sister had quickly disappeared around.
"It is scant salve for her deeply wounded pride; begrudge it and you give her victory by sinking down to the same petty level. Besides, there is some wisdom in her advice, consider it graciously and you rise above her," observed Iroh as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.
"Mother's not dead!" exploded the Fire Prince. "You're wrong Uncle, I'll never listen to what that liar has to say! Can't you see she was just trying to insult us! I hate her! She's cruel, manipulative, enjoys deceiving and hurting others, and she thinks she's so perfect and has to remind everyone else how pathetic they are next to her!"
"You're right Zuko, you do have a cruel and very dangerous sister," affirmed the general sadly as he turned away. "It could be worse though."
"Yeah right, Azula has got to be the worst sister in the whole world," groused the Fire Prince. "How could a sibling be any worse?"
"They could not care about you at all," replied Iroh grimly. Though I fear when the time comes she will, like Sozin, choose cruel ambition over any allegiance to affections.
***
Next:
How do you break it to a Mother that her daughter is "crazy and needs to go down?" Especially when said mother is even crazier and has already nearly killed you once?
Chapter 10: Queen's Gambit
Blathering A/N: I wasn't satisfied with the first draft of this chapter, and had to rewrite large parts of it. It took awhile to get a feel for Iroh, but he was a lot of fun to write once I hit my stride. Hopefully I didn't mangle his characterization anywhere near as badly as the first draft did -_-;
It wasn't even until the rewrite that I got the idea for the flashback that ended up taking on a life of it's own and dominating the chapter, pushing a lot of material into the (hopeful) conclusion of this entirely unplanned flashback trilogy. I find it interesting how in the act of writing stuff will go completely the opposite of how I imagine. For example, I thought Azula was going to walk all over Iroh and Zuko. I should have known that Iroh is badass enough to take even Azula down a peg.
Oh, and Iroh did reprimand Zuko over recklessly starting fights. I agonized about whether to leave the scene in or not; on one hand I felt it was important to show effective disciplining in action because children are wild beasts who need civilizin, but in the end it either wrecked the end note or came across as forced and disrupting the narrative flow if I tried to move it elsewhere. So I guess the lesson here is that narrative flow trumps moral instruction. lol.
