Iroh blew on his tea before he brought it to his lips. The taste was perfect, the ideal blend of the spices used. Tea, he found, was as much of an art form as painting or music. He needed to practice his craft to perfect it. A good cup of tea was worth more than a painting or performance, in his opinion. A good cup of tea led you into someone's soul, and opened up multiple pathways. He softly dragged his fingers across his cup, until he reached a jagged chip. It was such a shame, really, that such a nice cup was marred by his mistakes. In his last scuffle with his niece, he had not been able to grab all his supplies before making his escape.

Ah, Azula.

His niece could use a good cup of tea. She was an interesting case, as Iroh did not know what made her tick. She was an enigma, someone he couldn't properly decipher.

No.

That was false; he did know, but he chose to ignore it. Her smile was hardly innocent, but that was not her fault. She was raised that way. She was born that way,

His brother was not an upstanding man in the slightest. His father was a warmonger, his grandfather doubly so. None of their family had a greater sense of morality.

Not even his beloved son.

As a soldier, Lu Ten killed people for the greater good of his nation. Sometimes, this included children no older than ten years old. It was ironic, really, that the greater good of the nation killed ended up killing Lu Ten.

Even his seemingly innocent sister-in-law had a past. Of all his family members, both alive and dead, only his long dead nephew had no blood on his hands. Iroh chose to believe it was because the boy was sweet and kind, and not because he died before his time.

(If left to fester, would the darkness of their family corrupt the boy too? Would he have stopped feeding the turtleducks? Would he have turned out like Azula did? All hot fire and cold words?)

Iroh remembered the day he lost Lu Ten all too clearly. He would never get over the dread he felt that morning. Something in his gut screamed at the universe, as if he preemptively knew of the wrongness that would follow.

No one else shared his sentiments. They had just defeated the Earth Kingdom in a major battle, and Ba Sing Se was almost claimed. The other generals had practically assured him of their victory. Like a fool, He believed them. After all, the city was in his grasp. Looking back, he could see the exact moment he let his pride blind him.

("Do you still feel…apprehensive, Father?" Lu Ten asked, a worried expression etched into his young face. "Is something going to happen?"

"Don't be silly, my boy! The only thing that's going to happen today are celebrations!"

Lu Ten clasped his hands together. "My team is going on a recon mission a little North from here. Nothing big. Some idiot forgot their gear, we're just retrieving it."

"Are you sure you need to go, Lu Ten?" Iroh frowned.

"I'm sure."

"You are the Crown Prince, after all. This seems rather pointless for someone like you. You shouldn't be worrying about gear tonight, you should be finding a wif-"

"The man asked me himself." Lu Ten responded, as if this made the task more important. Foot soldiers did not equate to royalty. In the grand scheme of things, they are not as important. This man held no importance, as compared to Lu Ten, or Iroh, or a random General.

"That's exactly why you shouldn't! Your soldiers need to respect and fear you. Lu Ten, my boy, you aren't their errand boy." Iroh rebuked. Lu Ten was a Fire Nation Prince, he should not lower himself to acting like a mere servant.

"I know, but-"

"If anything, you need to punish this behaviour not reward it!"

"I want the soldiers to trust me." Lu Ten interrupted. The finality in his voice stunned Iroh. "I want to set an example for Zuko and Azula. What will they think if I don't help my men out?"

"They would understand. Why are we even arguing about this? They wouldn't understand why you would go!"

"Father. We both know Azula would call me a coward."

"But Zuko wouldn't," Iroh pleaded. He didn't know why exactly he didn't want Lu Ten to leave. Perhaps it was the same thing as this morning, which never ended up amounting to anything. "He thinks the world of you."

Lu Ten laughed. "Zuko's far too kind for his own good. I swear, those turtleducks will turn on him if he ever forgets that damn bread.")

He agreed to send Lu Ten on the recon mission. Gear. What a small, insignificant little thing. Hardly worth anyone's time, and hardly worth his son's life.

Iroh was a fool. A royal fool.

He would give up everything if he could save his son from his fate, and see him one more time.

Not that his son would want to see him, however.

His son would be disappointed in him. In his grief, he abandoned the remainder of his family. Due to his selfishness, his beloved nephew died. If he had been there, he could've done something. He knew it. However, he couldn't do anything right, could he?

Ozai said it was assassins. They snuck into the palace in the middle of the night, and crushed Zuko like a bug. He never outright claimed it was Earthbenders. He never outright claimed that the Earth Kingdom was responsible. He never outright said his newest campaign against the Earth Kingdom was inspired by his late son, but everyone knew.

("It's too bad that Earth kingdom assassins killed the Prince," A woman said to her friend, completely oblivious to Iroh, who stood slightly to the left. "They've practically doomed themselves."

"I heard the Firelord was going to sign off on another campaign today, in his memory."

The first woman nodded. "They can't commit such a sin without repercussions."

"I agree. Those savages need to be put in their place."

Iroh's eyes widened substantially. Lu Ten hadn't been killed by assassins. He'd been killed by soldiers over a year ago. It shouldn't be news, and shouldn't have spurred his father into action at all. Maybe it was an anniversary thing? Iroh didn't think so. An anniversary campaign seemed much too dramatic for his father, much more in line with something Ozai would cook up.

Perhaps these women were talking about Iroh himself? Iroh did drop off the face of the Earth for a while there, and he hadn't exactly announced his return yet. He wanted to wait until he set up some safe houses in the Fire Nation. Once he officially returned, Ozai would watch him as much as possible, leaving him with little time to plan.

"Excuse me," Iroh interrupted. He knew they wouldn't recognize him, so he had no qualms about asking them outright. He had been away from Caldera for forever. His face was merely a memory for the people of Caldera. Not to mention, he had changed quite a lot since then. His hair was far lighter, for one, and he could admit he gained a few pounds here and there. "I've been away for some time now. Has a Prince died?"

The women exchanged glances.

The second woman spoke up, an almost playful lilt to her voice, "Have you been living under a rock?"

The first one slapped her on her shoulder. "You can't say things like that! It's so insensitive. Remember how they found Prince Zuko's body? Completely squashed beyond recognition. Under a rock."

"They actually found him under a rock? I heard his throat was slit, not that those monsters crushed him."

"Why else wasn't there a body at the funeral? It was mutilated beyond recognition. His Highness' face was smashed inwards. His face would've given even adults nightmares." A pause. "At least, that's what my father said."

Iroh's heart stopped. Zuko? Died? No…no…NO.

Zuko couldn't be dead. Why would anyone want to kill a child? No. Iroh knew why. Why did it have to be Zuko?

What about his niece? Was she safe?

Iroh choked, "What about…Princess Azula?"

"Oh, she's completely fine. The assassins left her alone. Agni bless her soul."

"She's a fighter, that one. Our future is safe in her hands."

Why would the assassins leave Azula alone? Zuko, while older, was still the far more…useless heir. They should've gone for both children. Why- why? It made no sense from a logical standpoint. Why leave one behind? Why leave the "better" one? Ozai always praised Azula, it was no secret as to who was the favoured heir.

Ozai's favourite heir.

Oh.

That's why.)

The generally agreed upon consensus was Earth Kingdom assassins.

Iroh knew it was not.

Iroh may be old, but he was not stupid.

Lu Ten had been his everything. Evidently, caring for one's offspring was not a genetic trait. Ozai celebrated the anniversary of his son's death. There was a feast and everything, all thrown in the boy's honour. Only, there was no mention of the boy at all. Iroh could not understand why his father would even allow this to happen. He had to understand what Ozai was doing. As the Firelord, he should uphold the status of the royal family. He had the power to punish Ozai, but chose not to. Iroh would have called Ozai out a thousand times already, had he been able to. Ozai would not be getting a simple slap on the wrist; Iroh would send him far away from the palace and the battlefields, where he could develop into someone better. Ozai was toxic, but the poison surrounding him was not helping. When Ozai was a child, he had the nastiest habit of throwing temper tantrums and blaming Iroh for everything. Iroh felt this would not be any different.

Alas, Iroh was not Firelord, and he would not kill for the throne. (Not that it would matter anyway, with Azulon forcing him out of the succession line.)

The sentiment was not shared. Family meant nothing to Ozai. If he could, Ozai would dance on the boy's grave, fire and alcohol on hand. He wasn't a drinker, but he would drink it for the overall feeling of celebration and liberty. His daughter was not any better. She barely cared, if at all. Her brother was a rock in her path. Nothing worth noticing.

Everyone in his family had hands coated in blood, and Ozai used his son as a fresh layer. Iroh could not prove it, or he would have done so already. Azulon, for all his faults, would never condone the death of one of his grandchildren, even if he allowed such blatant disrespect. It did not matter that Azula was further ahead in her firebending than Zuko was. They were both children.

Azula was still a child, even if she never acted like it. Her hands may be doused in blood, but she was barely a teenager. She should be goofing off with her friends, not plotting murder.

Iroh's sigh rattled his old, brittle bones. There was nothing he could do for his niece. She was too far gone. Despite being the Crown Prince, or rather, the former Crown Prince, he was powerless when it really mattered.

He celebrated a premature victory while an enemy Earthbender crushed the life out of his son. He wallowed in self hatred and pity while an..."assassin" killed his nephew. He sat by and watched as that "assassin" corrupted his niece.

He did nothing but drink tea. Was it cowardly? Perhaps. Iroh could hardly claim the moral high ground on that front.

Once upon a time, Iroh believed that it was the powerful's right to control the weak. He was no longer a young man. The powerful didn't seek to control the weak. The weak sought to control the weaker. The powerful would go against the constant stream.

Funny how the most powerful person in the world was a child. Really, one could argue that all children were powerful as they were the future. Iroh pitied the future, as Azula would undoubtedly be a pillar of it.

The Avatar wasn't what Iroh expected. Children, he found, were the most moldable. If Iroh could sit down with the Avatar, and have some tea with him, he's sure he could find a solution.

Naturally, it wasn't that easy. He had to race against Zhao, a man who never should've gotten into the military, let alone a promotion. Doubly so, he needed to make sure he got to the Avatar before any defected Fire Nation as well. The Avatar's perspective of the Fire Nation was surely tainted by the atrocities his grandfather committed, as well as his Water Tribe friends. He didn't need to see the Fire Nation people as evil. Coupled with the inherent way Firebenders are taught to use their fire…Iroh couldn't let the boy learn the art that way.

There was a simple solution to the entire problem.

Iroh would be the boy's teacher.

Using his contacts in the White Lotus, he made sure the Avatar's contact with Firebenders was minimal. He couldn't predict what the Firebenders would do. Most of all, he couldn't predict what the Water Tribe siblings would do. Undoubtedly, they hated the Fire Nation. He didn't need both sides provoking each other until someone snapped.

Even when Jeong-Jeong had a clear opening to talk to the Avatar, Iroh ordered him to stand down. Iroh knew Jeong-Jeong well; he would not give the Avatar the right idea. Iroh wanted the saviour of the world to be well-prepared, and that included loving all parts of his bending.

Jeong-Jeong…would not do that for the boy. He could help the Avatar, but he must not talk about Firebending in any form. If the boy asked, he was to lie. He could acknowledge the "rumours" of his Firebending prowess, but he needed to say he could barely light a match. This is the only way to ensure that the Avatar develops the right opinion on firebenders.

Iroh heard about the incident at the Fire Nation temple, but there was nothing he could've done. If anything, the Fire Sage helped him. He would become valuable ammunition to use in his argument.

Everything was going perfectly. He nearly had the Avatar and his Water Tribe friends right where they needed to be.

If only Zhao wasn't such an idiot. Did the man not understand how the moon worked? Every nation needed it, not just the Water Tribe. Agni, why did his Father promote him? This man didn't even deserve to be a foot soldier, let alone a high ranking officer.

The siege of the Northern Water Tribe was a disaster. Zhao ruined all his plans in the span of a few days. When his niece tracked him down a few weeks later, he could hardly feign surprise. Of course his brother framed his actions as treasonous. Of course.

Ozai wanted him gone. Everyone knew this from the day of Ozai's birth. His whole life he schemed for a way to rid himself of the problem that was his older brother, whether it be through subtle manipulation or overt sabotage. Azulon usually shut Ozai down, as he didn't want to hear such things about Iroh. Iroh didn't understand why his father believed Ozai now. Belief might be too strong a word. His father was old, nearing almost a century of life. Fire Lord Azulon is not who he was. Ozai was bound to take advantage of this.

Ah.

Sometime during his wonderings, Iroh finished his tea. "A good cup of tea is the best thing in the world," he always said. His nephew and niece used to scoff, but it was true.

Iroh placed his cup down. The Avatar was the saviour the world needed. Iroh hoped it was the saviour they wanted, too.

Iroh knew he could convince the Avatar, it was only a matter of when he could sit down, and they could have some tea.