Accidental Avatar 3: Totally Lit

The Dragon's Wisdom

Zuko read intently when he reached the end of the scroll. Which did not end with his great grandfather's death?

"That can't be it," he commented, disappointed. "Where's the rest?"

"You know, I think I know where you get the "turn on your friend" thing from."

"That's.... never mind, talking to you is pointless," he put the scroll back, ignoring Amaya, who was sitting on the dragon's head.

"He can learn! Miracles do happen!"

"Shut up."

"So what now?"

🐲

The door slammed open, and Zuko stormed in, angry and confused.

"You sent this, didn't you?" he demanded, slamming the scrunched up message against the bars of his uncle's cell. "I found the secret history. Which, by the way, should be renamed "the history most people already know!" The note said that I needed to know about my great-grandfather's death, but he was still alive in the end."

Iroh finally looked up at him, tangles of loose hair fallen limply in his gaunt face.

"No... he wasn't," he said calmly.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko was irked.

"You have more than one great-grandfather, Prince Zuko."

"Yeah, like four of them. Surprisingly, you decided only the crazy one was worth looking into. Oh, wait..."

"Shut up," he snarled under his breath.

"Sozin was your father's grandfather," Iroh said. "Your mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku."

Zuko's anger fled at that moment, as shock left him slack-jawed. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You know, I did not see that coming. It might just be because I'm basically an extension of your fevered mind..."

"Because understanding the struggle between your two great-grandfathers can help you better understand the battle within yourself," Iroh explained. "Evil and good are always at war inside you, Zuko. As Amaya once-"

"Don't!" Zuko gripped the bars, his fury returning in waves of shame. "Don't say her name..."

"Perhaps I will have her tell you the tale someday," Iroh said sadly. "But this war inside you, Prince Zuko, it is your nature, your legacy. But there is a bright side. What happened generations ago can be resolved now... by you."

"You know, I wanna know what that story was. Don't pretend you don't. I wouldn't care if you didn't. Also, can you feel that? It's like me, but warmer."

Zuko ignored his fevered mind creation as she walked along the ceiling. "Do you believe in ghosts? Well, I guess maybe yes, since I do."

"Because of your legacy, you alone can cleanse the sins of our family and the Fire Nation," Iroh said, reaching for a loose brick in the wall and opening it to reveal a small bundle. "Born in you, along with all this strife, is the power to restore balance to the world."

He unwrapped the bundle, walking towards Zuko, revealing a Fire Nation headdress.

"This is a royal artifact," Iroh said, handing it to Zuko. "It's supposed to be worn by the crown prince."

Zuko realized that in his hand was the headpiece given by Sozin to Roku as a symbol of friendship. A headpiece thought lost when volcanoes swallowed Roku whole. Zuko became faintly aware of a warm, golden light that seemed to fill the cell and wondered if he had stayed out too late. He looked up, along with Iroh, to see the faint outline of a person just floating above them both. The figure drifted down and touched both their faces, a feeling of warm happiness filling his heart before the figure followed the moon and vanished.

"Amaya..." he breathed.

"Wow, guess that was the real deal," he saw the fake leaning on the windowsill, watching the golden glow fade to be replaced by the first rays of sunshine. "I suppose that means... this is goodbye from me. If you're ready to face the truth, Zuko."

He didn't answer, but he quietly left his uncle with the headpiece stowed in his cloak.