The whole square at the centre of the fire nation capital was filled with people. Half the square was covered with chairs, that had been quickly filled. The rest of the people filled ever available square inch of the square. There where even people hanging out of the windows that over looked the square, Iroh was deeply loved by a lot of people. Iroh was to be cremated, half of the ashes where to be scattered under a tree in Ba Sing Sa. The other half where to be placed over his wife's grave. This was what he had wanted, to be with his family again.
"So how are you doing kid."Sokka leaned forward to whisper in Toph's ear, as she and Aang still walked in front of him. No one had spoken since they left the palace, but there was something in the look in her eyes and the way she was avoiding making any contact with Aang at all as they walked side by side that worried the water tribe warrior.
"Sokka, I am only three years younger than you, and I nearly married someone a year older than you. So stop it with the kid stuff." They where now walking down the aisle that ran down the rows of chairs. "I'm doing ok." her voice that had been a loud whisper before was now of normal volume, so that everyone heard her and left her alone.
They where all dressed in black. Only Toph had any colour, a red sash she wore around her waist, that matched the ribbon Katara had used in her hair. Part of the front row had been reserved for them. They quietly took their seats, with a lot of eyes on them. Toph ended up sitting between Aang and Zuko, who was next to Katara. She held onto his hand, until he got up to speak.
It seemed to take what felt like an eternity for Zuko to walk from his seat to the podium at the end of the square. The square had been filled with quite whispers, but as soon as Zuko pulled himself to his full hight and walked to the podium, the square fell into complete silence. It was clear to everyone watching that Zuko was taking his time in crossing the short distance.
When he finally did reach the podium he held onto it with his hands to steady himself. "My uncle, fire lord Iroh was a great man. He...always see...med to know..." Zuko had tried to write the whole thing down. Everything he had wanted to say. He found that he couldn't plan what to say. He was going to just speak from the heart, but now when it came to it he just couldn't get through it. The words couldn't get past his lips. His eyes had been set on the podium in front of him, but when he started to struggle for words, they lifted to look out at the crowds of people. There was so many people, all waiting for him to say something, for him guild them in what to do.
Toph would have acted sooner, the second she felt his heart break, race and his breathing become laboured, but her promise to not try and help him ran through her head. Everyone else felt the same way, they wanted to do something to help him, but they couldn't help. She got to her feet and slowly walked towards her struggling friend. She knew there was nothing that she could do that would help him in the long run, but she could do something to help him for a little bit know.
As she reached Zuko she took his hand, placing hers over his clenched hand that still held the podium, she held it tight for a second. That was all he needed, he knew she was still there for him, she was still his rock. He could still depend on her to step in to help him, when he needed it and wouldn't ask for help. His eyes met hers as she gave him a thin smile and nodded her head. Again he got her meaning perfectly, He made his way back to his seat. He wasn't sure he trusted himself to make it back to this seat without falling, but he kept his eyes on Katara. She was there when he reached his seat. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting his head on her shoulder. It was all she could do for him now.
Toph had never looked so little, lost or white in her entire life. She too was holding onto the podium like her life depended on it. "Iroh, really was a great man. The fact that all of you are here today to remember him, is testament to that. I could give a list of all the things that we loved about him, but I'm not going to. Firstly because we would be here all day if I did that." it was small, but Toph heard a faint laugh. "Secondly he like most of us is a different person to different people. One thing we can all agree on, however is the he had a heart the size of the earth kingdom. our lives have been made better by knowing him, and are poorer without him" Toph was now biting her lip, she was trying to stop herself from crying. She had made it this long without crying, she was not going to break down now.
"He wouldn't want us to be sad. He lived a long life that touched a lot of people. He made a really difference to the world, that is more than most people can say. That is what we should be remembering, his life not his death. He loved his family more than anything. He is with them again now, he's happy. We should be happy for him for that." a single tear finally feel form her useless eye, the only thing they could do.
She almost ran back to her seat. Aang pulled himself to his feet to met her. He slowly opened his arms for her to run into, if she chose to. When she was a couple of inches from him, Toph to slightly opened her arms. She wrapped them around Aang's chest, at the same time as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. For the second time she let him wrap his arms around her, as she rested her head on his chest. He carefully guild her to sit in her seat again, he found that he didn't want to lose the closeness he felt with her in his arms.
There where then other speeches form nobles, People who didn't really know Iroh. In their heads the people who knew him the best tuned out most of what was said. They instead thought over their own memories of Iroh. Ursa sat in her seat, her hands held in her lap, a look of calm on her face. Aang still kept an arm around Toph's shoulder, which surprisingly she let him do, she even rested her head a little on his shoulder. Katara held Zuko in her arms, but his head moved up to rest against hers. Sokka held Suki's hand tightly in his, resting his head on the top of hers. All had watering eyes, and faint smiles.
The memorial ended with the fire nation army forming a wall around the square. then sending a stream of fire into the centre of the square, meting in the centre with a bright light, above the heads of the crowd. The ash fell on their heads. Blacking the area.
Thank you for reading, I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think, good or bad. The next chapter will be the last one in this part if the story.