Chapter Seven

It was something Iroh had dreaded doing, but something that needed to be done. He counted the torches on the walls as he stepped through the dark, dimly lit corridors, willing to do anything to keep his composure.

His robes trailed behind him. The Fire Sages had insisted he wear the traditional Firelord robes, but he had declined, reminding them that he had purposefully not taken the title. He counted the cells as he passed them, glanced into the faces of those imprisoned for one crime or another, everything from petty theft to war crimes.

He stopped when he reached his destination, and turned to face the man in the cell. His brother, once so proud and regal, sat with his back to the wall, facing the door, still not looking as though he had been defeated. "Brother," the man said, a smirk on his face. "And here I thought you had forgotten me."

"Your son is dead," Iroh said, but did not pause, not wanting to give Ozai a chance to say anything, to react. "Your son, who you hated and scarred and banished, is dead. Your son, who spent years on a crusade you thought to be futile only because he wanted to please you, to regain the love he mistakenly thought he ever received from you back. Your son is dead, and he died knowing that you never cared about him. Never. Your son is dead, and your daughter killed him."

Ozai started to speak, but Iroh shook his head. "And I am here to tell you that I would have told you what I wish someone would have told me, even though the world knows you do not deserve it. But comforting words won't do anything for you because you never loved him, and I am sure you are nothing short of pleased that the boy you labeled an embarrassment can embarrass you no more. And so I am sorry. I am sorry that you are such a cruel, heartless man who has never known and will never know love. I am sorry that you will die here, bitter and alone and despising everything around you even though you only have yourself to blame."

"Are you finished?" Ozai questioned, leaning back on his elbows. "Besides, you should be happier. You've gotten the throne back from me."

"You think I wanted this?" Iroh demanded. "It was a relief, a relief when I heard our father's dying wish. I could use my time to grieve the loss of my son, to recover from my defeat at Ba Sing Se, to discover who I was. But I know who I am. And now I know who you are. You are a cruel, sadistic shell of a man, and I feel sorry for you."

"You're more of a fool than I thought, then," Ozai replied.

"And yet I am the one left with my freedom," Iroh responded and turned to leave, willing to never speak to the man he had been raised alongside ever again, to leave him alone in his misery for the rest of his life.

"What of Azula?" he heard his brother ask, and he hesitated to turn back. His brother deserved to spend the rest of his life not knowing what had happened to his daughter, but Iroh would grant him that one kindness. He would not stoop to his brother's level of deception and mind games.

"An insane asylum," he responded without turning to face Ozai. "Where she will live the rest of her life unable to harm herself or others."

He took his lunch in his chambers, eating his favorite roast duck and drinking his favorite tea, contemplating the tasks that lay before him. It would take months, if not years, to figure out who was next in the line of succession after Zuko. Though the royal family had always been small, it seemed long-lost cousins were always popping up out of nowhere, and he was certain that would increase tenfold when the news of Zuko's death reached the ends of the world.

In the meantime, he needed to figure out what to do to clean up his family's mess.

"Sir," one of the royal guards stepped into the room. Iroh smiled slightly. Ozai would have severely punished anyone who dared interrupt him. Iroh had insisted that the guards enter if he was needed. "The Avatar is here to see you."

"Send him in," Iroh gestured and watched as the guard stepped to the side, allowing the Avatar to enter. "Welcome, Avatar Aang," he nodded and motioned to the seat across from himself.

"Thanks," the boy smiled slightly and sat down, taking the tea that Iroh immediately offered him. "You look… Well."

"Thank you," Iroh replied. "You as well. Now drink. Tea is god for the soul." He let a comfortable silence fill the room before asking, "What brings you here?"

"We need to talk about the Earth Kingdom colonies," Aang replied, and Iroh nodded thoughtfully. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the issue came up, he just wished he would have had more time to figure things out.

"I am sure the Earth King wants our colonies gone immediately," Iroh replied and sipped his tea. "But, as I am sure you are aware, it is not as easy as commanding the Fire Nation citizens to pack up and leave. They have been there for the better part of a century. Generations of families with Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation blood are living there. You can ask me to break apart families, but I will not do it."

"I didn't even think of that," the Avatar admitted, his face falling.

"That is because you are young," Iroh replied. "You haven't lived through this war as long as I have." He was silent for another moment. "Contact the Earth King. I will meet with him and we will discuss solutions."

"Really?" the boy's face lit up, and Iroh could not help but smile, even if his smile was small. It was good to see the hope in the boy's face, hope that the world could be returned to something resembling a state of peace. Iroh nodded and set his cup down, pushing it to the side.

"We have a rough road ahead of us, young Avatar," Iroh said. "But I am confident everything will work out in the end. The world favors balance, after all."

"Right," Aang nodded and stood. "Thank you for the tea. I should be leaving, though. Especially if I need to get an audience with the Earth King…"

"Do not rush things," Iroh said. "Enjoy the time spent traveling now that our armies are not trying to kill or capture you." He sighed and stood to escort the boy back out. "You will have plenty of time to be stressed and miserable when you are as old as I am."

"Thank you," Aang took a deep breath before stepping out of the room, leaving Iroh to his thoughts and challenges once more.

Iroh sat back down, poured another cup of tea, and stared into it, wishing he could share the same sense of hope and optimism that the Avatar radiated.