Disclaimer: If you honestly thing I own Avatar… then can I have some of whatever you're on?

Name: When one door closes…

Genre: Tragedy/Angst

Summary: Set post CoD, and the gaang returned to Ba Sing Se, to free Iroh and ask him to be Aang's firebending teacher. Unfortunately, Azula and Zuko catch them and a battle takes place. Azula shoots Iroh with lightning once more, and Zuko finally snaps out of it and turns on Azula, catching her by surprise and taking her out.

WARNING: Character death. I almost cried while writing this. I love Iroh so much, but I think something bad has to happen to him in order for Zuko to come to his senses and to make the plot to move forward in the rightful Zutarian way.

Azula fell to the ground, stunned. The Dai Li had fled the scene the second their leader was defeated. Toph, Sokka and Katara and Aang stopped and looked towards Iroh, who was lying on the ground motionless. Katara was about to go to him, but stopped when Zuko walked forward, his face even paler than usual. Against their better judgement, the gaang did not attack him. They could only watch in stunned silence, the sole witnesses to the death of a great man.

"Zuko…" said Iroh, his voice barely more than a whisper, yet still audible in the silent palace.

"Uncle…" said Zuko, fighting back tears. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"There isn't much time now, my nephew"

"Don't talk like that, Uncle! You're going to be okay."

"No, Prince Zuko. I'm not going to be okay. Listen to me, my nephew. You have always been like a second son to me. What you did doesn't matter anymore. I forgive you, Zuko. Your actions just now have proved what I have always known to be true. There is good in you, Zuko. No matter what face you show the outside world, no matter how much you try to hide it, you are a good person at heart. And that's why I need you to do something for me, as a parting request."

"I'll do anything, Uncle. All you have to do is ask."

"I need you to be the Avatar's firebending teacher, and help defeat your father and save the world. Can you promise me you'll do that?" The gaang all gasped silently. And then Zuko went and did the very last thing they expected him to do.

"Okay. I promise."

"That's my boy…" Iroh was fading fast. The tears were trying to escape Zuko's iron will.

"Tell mom and Lu Ten I say hi, will you?" said Zuko, who smiled weakly, trying desperately to put on a good face for his beloved uncle, one last time.

"I will…" whispered Iroh. He was tired, so tired now.

"Good-bye Uncle… I… I love you."

"As I, you. Good-bye Zuko, my son…" And he was gone. They all could feel it. Zuko then stood up, still facing his uncle, and began to recite those familiar words in a hollow, detached voice.

"Iroh, General to my nation for forty-seven years, the great Dragon of the West. You were the matchless conqueror of half the Earth Kingdom. The fearless leader of the Fire Navy. You were the son of Ila and Azulon, now passed. Brother of Ozai. Husband of Lara, now passed. Father of Lu Ten, now passed. Uncle of Zuko and Azula. I lay you to rest." Zuko then set Iroh's corpse ablaze, the smoke from his body rising through a hole blasted through the ceiling. "As was your dying wish, I will teach the Avatar firebending. I hearby give my solemn word that I, Prince Zuko, will remain loyal to the Fire Naton for as long as I live, and that I will do everything in my power to bring Princess Azula and Fire Lord Ozai to justice for the crimes they have committed against the Fire Nation, the world, and myself." Still standing with his back turned to the four other teens, Zuko silently evaporated the tears off his face so that none of the others would see them. He turned around slowly to face his new comrades. They stared at him in shocked silence. "We should get out of here. My sister will be waking up soon," he said in as calm a voice as he could manage. Aang looked over to Toph, who nodded once, confirming Zuko's intentions.

"Okay, let's go," said Aang. The five young heroes descended back through the crystal catacombs of destiny and finally out into the sleeping city where they boarded Appa and flew off into the night. Zuko looked back at the rapidly shrinking palace below, watching as the smoke from his uncle's body merged with the clouds in the sky. It was Toph who was brave enough to approach the Fire Prince.

"Hey. I'm sorry about your uncle. I kind of knew him too. I ran into him once in the forest shortly before we battled Azula in the abandoned town. He gave me some tea and some good advice. He was a great man, you know." Zuko looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah… he was."

"He really loved you, he talked about you a lot. Are you gonna be okay?"

"I will be. At least this time… I got to say good-bye." Later that night, as Zuko lay on Appa, his gentle undulating motion rocking him to sleep, Zuko could have sworn he heard his uncle's voice whisper in his ear.

"You see, when one door closes, another opens. Good-night my sweet prince… I will always be with you." For the first time in a long while, Zuko drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.