Honor, Love, and Dragons (Zuko x OC)

Bitter Work

"Why can't I do it? Instead of lightning it keeps exploding in my face ... like everything always does," he complained hopelessly.

"I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you," Iroh explained gently.

"What turmoil?" Zuko questioned.

"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away."

"But I don't feel any shame at all. I'm as proud as ever," Zuko stated.

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

"Well, my life has been nothing but humbling lately," Zuko sighed.

"I have another idea. I will teach you both a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself," Iroh said with a grin. Zuko and Ivana both smiled. Iroh beckoned them closer and began to draw in the dirt with a stick. He explained what each element represented and how they were connected.

"Why are you telling us these things?" Zuko asked, confused what this had to do with his firebending lesson.

"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale," Iroh explained, dividing the symbols with some lines in the dirt. "Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole." He drew a circle around the symbols.

"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff," Zuko pointed out. Ivana nodded, agreeing with him.

"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But it can make you more powerful, too. You see the technique I'm about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders," Iroh explained. He stood and the young firebenders followed his lead.

"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning," Iroh said.

"You can teach us to redirect lightning?" Zuko said in awe.

"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach," Iroh explained. He continued to explain how redirecting lightning would work. He had them copy his movements. "Now, are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"

"I think so," Zuko said. Ivana nodded, closing her eyes as she felt the movement.

"Come on, you've got to feel the flow," Iroh said. The three of them practiced for a few more minutes. "Excellent! You've got it!"

"Great, I'm ready to try it with real lightning!" Zuko said triumphantly. Oh my spirits he's nuts.

"What, are you crazy? Lightning is very dangerous!" Iroh said, exasperated.

"I thought that was the point! You teaching me to protect myself from it!" Zuko shouted.

"Yeah! But I'm not going to shoot lightning at you! If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all!" Iroh explained in disbelief that Zuko would want him to shoot lightning at him.

"Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning," Zuko huffed, looking toward the storm on a nearby peak.

"Zuko, that's crazy!" Ivana said, but she was too late. He was already galloping away on the ostrich horse. She slapped her forehead and sighed, sitting on the ground. "He's crazy and infuriating!" she huffed.