5. See
When you've lived a life as long and as full as mine you learn many things. Most are important, but some are more so than others. For me one of the most important things I've ever learnt is that in order to really understand a person, you must see as he sees. This is pretty tricky business let me assure you. And I am not egotistical enough to assume that humble old me could ever really crawl into somebody's head. But I have… developed… some ways in which seeing as the other person sees is made easier. One of the best techniques is actually a very simple one: you must look at the other person's eyes.
Many a great philosopher has claimed that the eyes are the windows to the soul. And who am I to disagree with them? By truly looking at another's eyes you can see what they see and even how they see it. And that makes all the difference in the world. That is, of course, if you end up seeing their eyes correctly. I am only human and I have made many mistakes over the years as I tried to see as others saw. Sometimes this mistake was a blessing: where I saw bitterness there was actually joy or forgiveness. Where I saw sadness there was only empathy. And those mistakes saved me and took some weight off of my shoulders, especially when the mistakes were made about dear friends.
I was, however, not always so lucky. The rage and hate and pain and hopelessness I saw in Zuko's eyes was not a misunderstanding on my part. Those emotions were there, and they were so strong and so consuming that I did not have to look hard to find them. I did, however, have to look hard to find the peace and love and goodness inside him. And, on some days, I started to despair that I had lost the little boy who had come up to me and told me he was truly sorry for my loss because he felt it too. I returned from the failed siege of Ba Sing Se in hopes of locking myself away in my nation for the rest of my lonely days. But he saved me. In one afternoon my nephew saved me. And it was because of that, amongst many other reasons, that I wanted to save him for as long as I possibly could.
And it was because of those feelings that seeing what he saw hurt me so very, very much. It was so frustrating that I couldn't change the way he saw the world. I wanted to shake him, sometimes, and force him to see the truth. But he is as stubborn as I once was. We both refused to see anything other than that which our nation and our leader taught us. We were born for one thing and the world was at a lower level than us. We were the greatest, almost spirits come down to earth. I knew he was like me, and I was worried. It had taken the greatest tragedy of my life to open my eyes to the truth- I did not want that to be the case with him as well. He'd already lost so much, been dragged through so much… And thus I tried harder and harder, praying with every chance I got that the spirits would open his eyes without the need for his world to shatter again.
But I am getting far too melancholy now. That is the past, and although I wish to change some things that happened I know I cannot. Permit me to insert a bit of vanity into the truth for a while: I rather believe it was me leaving that really opened Zuko's eyes. Now having your traitor uncle break out of jail and run off to safety is not nearly the same as losing your son in a war you yourself created but I rather think it did the trick. Or perhaps I am wrong and something else cured him of his blindness. I like to think it was the former, though. Just an old man's hope because of the love he has for his adopted son. But whatever the reason, I realized he'd changed as soon as I saw him again. He saw things differently. I could tell as soon as I looked into his eyes that I was seeing him seeing things differently. And it was then that I knew Ozai would be defeated. Not only physically, but spiritually as well. My brother's mindset and his oppression on the world would end because of his son. Zuko would save his nation as he saved me. And I will admit that I have never been prouder or more thankful that the little prince had sought me out in the palace that day so many years ago.
And… well, things happened. The final battle was fought and Avatar Aang was victorious. I do not know the full details of what happened in the Fire Nation- Ba Sing Se was where I was focused- but I know enough to satisfy me. Except about the battle between my niece and my nephew. I wouldn't have even found out about Zuko's new scar if Toph hadn't mentioned it in passing. I truly do wish I could have prevented him from getting scarred yet again. But his eyes remain seeing things in their new light, and so I am at peace about it. I was at peace about everything, in fact, until the first anniversary of peace celebration that was held in the Fire Nation. I left the Dragon in semi-capable (and rather beautiful) hands and returned to my home. Zuko was proud to show me the nation, and I was proud of our people and almost bursting with pride for my nephew. And I can remember thinking that things were finally going right for him. There was no major strife in his life; he'd finally been given his just rewards.
I was proved wrong at supper. Nothing extraordinary happened at all, except for Avatar Aang showing us some rather amusing displays. In fact, I am probably the only one who noticed anything at all amiss. At one stage during the feast I glanced at my nephew to find him talking to Katara. Their conversation seemed normal and they weren't even bickering as they are so prone to do. But suddenly he said something that made her laugh, and the sound of her laughter made him smile. Not smirk or make his lips curl smugly. He gave her a genuine smile. And as he did he got a look in his eyes that I recognized only too well. It was a look I'd seen in my father's eyes when he gazed upon my mother and my brother and I. It was a look I'd seen in Ozai's eyes when he'd first met Ursa before he'd changed into a stranger. It was a look I'd seen reflected in the water as I gazed upon my lovely wife.
And when Katara turned her face away from my nephew to smile quietly at the table I saw that she had the same look in her eyes. I could see without a doubt how they saw each other. And the sight brought with it a rush of great, heart-wrenching sadness as well as heightened delight and fierce hope. The sadness lingered, though. It still does. I was so hoping that the struggles in Zuko's life were all over. But I am also not stupid enough to think that he will give her up because he is facing more strife. He is strong and stubborn and I can see that he sees her as worth it all.
I can only swear silently that I'll be there to help. As always, I shall see him to the end.
AN: First time writing Iroh. Spirits help me. I got carried away- his was supposed to be the shortest. And after I wrote it I couldn't find things to take out to make it shorter. So my 'let's keep it short in case the probable happens and I screw him up' safety venture has been destroyed. Hope you guys liked those even a little. Xo WP