Chapter 3: Memories in a Song

"Will you sing?"

Zara blinked her golden eyes in surprise and fixed her gaze on Zuko who appeared to be rather embarrassed. The prince looked away with a blush on his cheeks as he struggled to form his words when all he wanted to do was lash out like he would have in the past. "It's just... my uncle said that phoenix... that a phoenix song is a way to get good luck or certain victory... and you kinda remind me of the stories Uncle told me. I was... terrible to him, called him... crazy... that the tea went to his head..." He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Father called you Phoenix, you said, and you met Uncle. So maybe... your song will bring certain victory for me or at least give me a bit of luck with the Avatar's group..."

"... I will sing for your luck. Just... don't expect it to work immediately. Sometimes these things take effort as well as a song..." Actually it would always take more effort than just her song. But most people wanted a quick fix.

Zara's mind was not fixated on Zuko. She remembered that general from all those years ago. The only one that she had ever bestowed that honorable song upon. And as her lips parted to sing for Zuko, she found herself sinking into that particular memory.

Flashback:

General Iroh, younger and still filled with the grief of losing his only son, returned to the Fire Lord's palace in disgrace. Ba Sing Se still stood proudly and though he was still the Dragon of the West, that title did nothing to ease the look he received from his father, the smugness that his younger brother held in his cold golden eyes... only Zuko held any compassion for his loss but it had been overshadowed by the loss of his mother, Ursa. His only neice did nothing to hide her vicious smirk-- she delighted in his defeat. Unable to stop himself, he excused himself to the only place where he could find answers and so, he entered the Phoenix's chambers. Rage and pain filled his eyes as he looked upon the child locked away from the world.

She had no name as she was only addressed as the Phoenix but he had never expressed wanting to hear what her name was-- had always said that he would wait until he could free her to be properly introduced. But at the moment, her wide fiery-gold gaze looked up at him with a knowledge that should have been impossible for one so young. And as she whispered her apologies, he could only say one word.

"Why?"

She looked down and ran a hand over the black silk covering her knee. "The song... it's not a magic spell. It does not work whenever you want..."

Tears once again slipped down his cheeks as he closed the door and stumbled next to her cage, leaning beside the door. "So because the song didn't work now, it had to take my son and bring about my greatest defeat?" The unspoken question rose between the two of them-- why couldn't it have been him?

The little girl walked until she was right beside him on the other side of those bars that kept her locked up. "Fate is fickle... sometimes, humans can forge their own paths. Other times, terrible things happen and humans can't do anything about it. But... lessons can be learned from the past. And I'll bet that you survived to serve a higher purpose than conquering the Earth Kingdom capital now." Her words seemed to hold trechery but she did not stumble over a false apology. "In the future, you will conquer Ba Sing Se... you will be victorious in that battle. But the future hides many things and you may not understand it now. You just have to find your own path and do what YOU want. You are not meant to follow the path that was set in front of you by others."

She sat beside the distressed man and softly sang a mourning song for his son-- Little Soldier Boy. Iroh curled up in a seated position, his arms wrapped around his knees and his face buried so that his tears could not be seen. His body shook with each silent sob as he listened to the song that he would sing for the memory of his son who's life was cut short by the orders of their nation, for the grandchildren that he would never have since his own wife had long-since passed on. And for the girl whom he would not be able to set free in the near future.

Flashback End

The song faded on the wind and she opened her eyes. Zuko was staring at her with confusion and slight panic in his golden eyes. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?!" His hands were raised but they were awkward, as if he didn't know what to do with them.

Zara placed a hand on her face and felt the warm tears. Her lips raised minutely as she took both of her hands and ran them over both cheeks, the heat in them evaporating the moisture. "I am fine... Let's go to the Avatar now and get your chosen destiny under way..."