Chapter 3: A Reason to Fight

Azula took a deep breath to try and calm herself. It had been two weeks since she and Iroh had their first lesson. Although seemingly uneventful, the interaction had left her confused and shaken. Iroh had never shown any interest in her before. Honestly, he may have shown more disdain for her than her mother. She believed his little "lesson" was, in fact, an attempt to sabotage her. Anyone could imagine her surprise when it was actually quite the opposite.

She looked back on that lesson as she meditated. After the boring, yet centering, meditation with her uncle, he asked her to bend for him. She looked at him as though he had grown a second head yet both of them remained silent. She watched him and opened her hand to produce a flame. They both let out a quiet gasp. Her fire, that was orange for her lessons just one or two hours ago, was now a bright blue. The only sound in the air was the vicious hum of her flame and the rustling of leaves from the breeze.

She looked at her hand, then at Iroh. His eyes were wide, his expression held only shock and awe. In her excitement, she lost focus and the flame returned back to its natural orange color. For once, she was rendered speechless. She flexed her hand and looked it over as if trying to see if someone had tampered with her. Her perception must be off, she thought. She had never heard about anyone bending blue fire. Iroh's expression told her that this was not a trick of the light.

Azula's eyebrows knit together as she drew herself back to the present. Since that day, she hasn't been able to call upon her newfound blue fire. Perhaps it was simply a visual discrepancy. No, the flame felt different. Her mouth turned down into a scowl as the breeze rustled through her hair. She hated this feeling of inadequacy. She should not have to work this hard to maintain something that she is so obviously capable of. She was not weak like Zuko. She-

"Princess Azula, it is nice to see you on this beautiful day." Iroh's rough voice cut through her thoughts, pierced her ears, and frustrated her to no end. This is all his fault. If he hadn't talked her into doing those foolish breathing exercises she wouldn't be in this situation. She was frustrated beyond belief and at a loss of what to do. She couldn't let him see that, she couldn't show him her weakness.

"Good afternoon, Uncle," Azula said cooly, eyes opening as she schooled her face into a mask of indifference. Although she let her eyes settle on him, her mind continued to wander to their lesson and her elusive new ability.

"I see that you've been going through your breathing exercises a lot lately." The gentle smile that graced his lips added to her frustration. Does he not know what he is doing to her? "I can sense that there is something troubling you, Azula. Would you like to talk about it?"

"No." She hoped that her sharp tone would deter him.

"Is this about the unique form that your bending took?"

Why? Why couldn't he just leave her alone like everyone else did when she snapped at them? Why didn't he fear her? She just wanted him to go away. All of the others seemed to be very good at that. She has never been able to read him and that fact incensed her. She stayed silent in hopes that her frustration would become easier to handle if it were given a moment to subside. Unfortunately, her uncle was able to read her like an open book.

"I am going to take that as a yes." He sat down across from her and called a servant over. "A pot of jasmine tea and two cups, please."

He spoke to servants like friends. It was one of the things that infuriated her about him. How could a man so weak in so many ways see past every defense she had carefully constructed? When confronted with her Uncle, her control always unwillingly slipped out her hands. This is why she despised him. He was everything that Ozai taught her was weakness. He had to be right. There was a reason her father became Fire Lord instead of this bumbling, tea-drinking idiot. Ruling a country took strength that was absolute and unwavering. It was everything that Iroh wasn't. Why couldn't she control this weak man?

"You seem to be distracted, Azula. This is unlike you." He stroked his beard thoughtfully and looked up at the clouds. "Perhaps your inability to maintain the blue fire stems from a level of inner turmoil."

Her fists clenched. Why couldn't he just shut up? Her face twisted into an angry scowl, her own expression disobeying what she'd like it to do. "I am quite sure that I know how to control my own fire, Uncle." She spoke through clenched teeth. She would like nothing more than to burn this man and everything he stood for to the ground.

Iroh's expression did not change as he studied his niece. Her posture, her expressions, her body language. Her behavior was the result of Ozai's rigid manner of discipline. Ozai enforced a level of perfection from Azula that he was never able to attain. This young, tortured girl was the result. She was the perfect image of honor and dignity. Yet, under it all, there was so much pain inside of such a small person. Ozai's unwavering ideas in regards to power, usefulness, and responsibility were entrenched within her mind. More than once, Iroh questioned if Azula was capable of change. He felt guilty every time. She was only a child.

He inhaled slowly, contemplating what he would say next. "I am not questioning your abilities, Azula. I am just trying to help you reach your full potential. " Iroh paused to thank the servant as she set the tea in front of them. He dismissed her with a smile and a wave of his hand. "Fire fueled by rage will always burn out quickly."

Azula narrowed her eyes and dared to think how quickly her uncle would burn.

"Then tell me, uncle, what else could fire be fueled by?" She was relieved to hear that her voice regained its usual condescending cadence.

"Love."

That is it. This man was senile. Fire was powerful, destructive, it was an unstoppable force. Love, among other undesirable traits, was weak. There was no place for "love" in firebending. She realized that her face must have taken up an expression that she wasn't aware of when Iroh's soft chuckle made its way to her ears.

"Fire is life, Azula. It is passion." He decided to elaborate on his bold statement. "Although rage is potent for a short while, it is not fun to be angry all the time. You must find something that you are truly passionate about. You must find something unwavering to believe in. Your mind must be calm with an unyielding drive. Only then will you be able to find your fire's true form."

Azula watched him pour two cups of tea as she mulled over his words. She thought it was strange that he actually made sense. Then again, he was part of the reason the color of her flame had even managed to change its color. She pursed her lips and questioned herself. What is so great that it is worth fighting for? "The Fire Nation."

Iroh looked at her with a perplexed stare, silently urging her to elaborate.

"I will fight for the glory of the Fire Nation. In order to lead our people to victory, I must be strong enough to do so. I cannot fight for father or my country if all my fire does is peter out in the heat of battle." She nodded definitively. "My passion is perfection. Anything less is unacceptable."

This was not exactly what he was going for, but it was better than nothing. He, once again, found himself studying his niece. Iroh noticed the determination that exuded from her as she spoke. Although hopeful, he noticed a glint in her eyes that matched her words with vicious accuracy. He realized how easily her determination could be taken advantage of by his brother. Azula yearned for her father's love and would turn the world to ash if it meant he would be proud of her. It was in that moment that Iroh came to a terrifying realization. This single discussion with his niece could either save the world or bring destruction upon herself as well as the remaining three nations.

For the first time since Lu Ten died, Iroh questioned if he was doing the right thing.

A/N: Hey everyone! I apologize for the long hiatus. I kinda lost my Azula inspiration, but it is back with full force! I tried to make up for the wait with a longer than usual (for me) chapter. I have a bunch of really interesting ideas that I would like to explore in this story. I really hope you've all been enjoying it thus far!