Chapter 2

An aging man bit his lip as he glanced over the letter he had been reading. To say that he was surprised by its contents would be a lie, but he hadn't expected something like this to happen so soon. Not now, not when his life was close to perfect.

It's been seven years, though, he thought with a sigh. He was bound to ask you about it sometime...

The man looked into the vacant tea shop he was standing in, which he had aquired shortly after the war had ended. It had only been a few months since then, but he already felt too used to the peaceful life he had in his retirement, leaving all his excitement to serving tea, and playing Pai Sho with friends.

He couldn't say he hadn't expected something to break the calm, though. Everything had seemed all right when his nephew, Zuko, and his close friends had visited not long ago, with the boy finally being able enjoy the company of his former enemies. The way it always should have been, the old man thought with a smile.

However, Zuko didn't seem to be enjoying the day as much as everyone else. While he had seemed to be rid of the rough, angry personality he had grown over the years, he was quiet, and focused more on serving food to his friends than socializing. He liked the newfound companionship, as his uncle could usually tell, but he seemed distant from the others.

After his friends had left for the night, and Zuko had went to clean the dishes, the old man chose this time to confront him, and see what was going on.

"It's amazing, Zuko...how much things have changed between you and the Avatar." he said to the young man. "Only a year ago, you were going after him and now look at you two now- friends!"

Zuko smiled at the older man's remarked, but only slightly. With this, his uncle pressed on-

"However..." he said slowly, "You didn't seem to enjoy tonight as much as they did. Now if it's about Aang and-"

"It's not about him and Katara, Uncle," Zuko said with a small laugh. He had seemed a bit surprised when he caught his two friends kissing early that night, but not bothered. "It's...about my father. I went to see him in prison the other day."

The old man frowned at his nephew. "I wouldn't go see your father, if I were you. His bending may have been taken away, but that doesn't leave him powerless."

"I know, Uncle," the younger man replied. "and I don't want anything he says or does to change me again. But...I had to know something..."

"Yes?"

Zuko looked up at his uncle, the sad eyes reflecting the troublesome boyhood he had. "I had to know where my mother was."

The older man sighed softly...he could barely imagine how hard it was for Zuko to live without his mother for all these years. She was the only one, besides her uncle that truly cared for the boy, and although it did shape the young man that sat before him, he found it to be unfair she had to be taken away from Zuko so early in his life.

"Zuko, you know how my brother feels about her," he replied, remembering what his nephew had told him about his confrontation with Ozai on the Day of Black Sun, and how Ozai had revealed some details of what really happened to his wife. "Don't expect him to tell you about her so easily."

"I know...I've tried to learn more," Zuko said, bitterly, not happy about the last talk with his father. "But...do you know anything?"

His uncle raised an eyebrow at the question. He didn't realize till then that his nephew had always left such questions to his father, never asking his uncle what happened. He remained silent, not sure how to answer.

"Uncle Iroh...please..."

"I don't know anymore than you do," the older man firmly replied, not wanting to answer any more questions.

Zuko looked at his uncle for a moment, not being able to believe that his uncle, who provided light in the darkest of times, who he thought had an answer to everything, couldn't even give a straight answer to what seemed to be an easy question.

"Come on, Uncle," the younger man pressed on, hoping that he'd get some sort of response. "You're part of the family. You have to know something."

Iroh let out another sigh, deeper than before. "I'm sorry, Zuko," he said, his voice starting to sound hoarse. "But...I can't..."

Iroh sighed, staring down at the letter, feeling as though he had betrayed his beloved nephew. Not only had the details he failed to share a few weeks ago sworn to secrecy, as a promise to both of Zuko's parents, but they were also painful memories. Thoughts of the same woman that Zuko lost. But Iroh never felt he could tell him how much he missed her as well.

Still, Zuko had the right to know the truth, even if it had the power to sever the close ties between him and his uncle.

Iroh gave a last glance at Zuko's letter, stating at it's last few characters...There's a chance my mother could still be alive. I'm going to find her, Uncle, with or without her help.

He then left the letter on the table, and went into the small apartment he kept above the teashop. He returned with paper, ink, and calligraphy brushes. With a deep breath, and a sip of his now-cold jasmine tea, he wrote a short reply-

If everything went right after the war, Ursa will still be alive. Meet me here, I have no choice but to help you. Iroh took another gulp of tea, and continued writing, unsure what Zuko would have to say of this. I know where your mother is, but there are many things before you can see her again.