Dragonfire | Mako

FOUR

Kaida could sense Korra's eyes on her as she took a few steps forward, closer to Iroh. He looked like the man from the portraits in the palace of the Fire Nation with the difference that this man in front of her seemed happier, carefree even. She almost couldn't believe her eyes as she took him in with a smile.

"General Iroh, what a surprise," she murmured as she came to a stop in front of him. "Grandfather will be so glad to know I got to speak to you. He'll be asking for every little detail."

Iroh's smile turned softer. "Your grandfather has done a good job raising your mother, you and your brother. He's come a long way from the man he was when he was younger."

"I know, he's the main reason the Fire Nation has become such a great Nation."

Iroh nodded as he sat down, looking first at Korra before he turned to Kaida. "Why don't you sit down?"

They did as Korra exchanged a look between them. "Should I go? I don't want to intrude."

"You don't have to, Korra," Iroh assured her even though his eyes never left Kaida. When he next spoke, his attention was only on his great granddaughter. "You're not the girl I knew, Kaida. It's been two decades since I've last seen you and a few things have changed. Some others haven't."

She couldn't help but smile. "There are things that happened changed?"

"Well, for one, you still have people referring to you as a 'little dragon'," he pointed out with a chuckle, "although the necklace was absent when you were a kid."

"People I'm close to call me that," she nodded, "what else hasn't changed?"

"The way you deal with things." Her face darkened at once and she looked away. Iroh inched forward. "I can sense there's something troubling you, Kaida."

"Is that why you called me here?"

He nodded, "Yes. Something's troubling you. You can talk about it."

She let out a small sigh and her shoulders dropped. "I've tried to talk about it with Iroh. There wasn't much of a difference."

Korra stood up without making a sound and walked away, and despite the initial assurance of Iroh the Avatar didn't have to leave, Kaida was relieved she did. Now she was gone, she felt as if she could speak easier.

"There's something wrong with me," she insisted as she looked up to face Iroh. "There's this urge when I'm meeting an opponent difficult enough to unleash all power I have. It happened thrice tonight. Twice, I yielded."

Iroh nodded patiently. "Talk to me about it."

"Twice I sent my flames at my opponents with so much power I could have killed them, burnt them to a crisp. And whenever I get frustrated I get the urge to shoot lightning at them." She fell silent, her eyes closing in defeat as she lowered her chin. "It's so hard. Lightning comes easy to me and I know once I do it there isn't going to be someone that'll be able to resist it. I want to get it over with but I never seem to think of the cost." She paused as she took in a deep sigh and opened her eyes, staring at the grass between her and Iroh. "Sometimes I think I'm like Azula."

Iroh let out a small sigh and she looked up, following his moves as he shifted and met her gaze. "You and Azula have similarities, yes. It was something I noticed from the early start and I let your grandfather know. Azula was a frighteningly powerful firebender and a ruthless opponent. You are alike in many ways, but you're also different."

Kaida frowned. "How? I think the way she used to, I fight like she did. What's different?"

"Azula cared only about herself, but your priority is your nation and your family. You haven't gotten mad. The most obvious difference and the most important one, though, is that you always worry about the well-being of your opponents. You don't want to hurt them. She did."