Part Of Me.

A Great Storm Part two.

"And how do expect these new recruits to survive?" The Fire Lord's voice cut through the air.

"I don't." The general snarled, a cruel smirk on his lined face. "What better way to catch them than with live bait." Men all around him laughed and joked. Making bets on how long the young soldiers would last. Even the Fire Lord was grinning. Zuko felt a burning in his veins at this and couldn't hold his tongue.  He knew some of the young men they spoke of so callously.

"You can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those men love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?!" Zuko shouted as he stood, hands curled into fists at his sides. Silence hung in the air as they waited for the Fire Lord's reaction and Iroh felt a cold sweat run down his back and neck as he stared at his nephew. His brother's silence was terrifying.

(Present day)

"Zuko was right you see but it was not his place to speak out." Iroh spoke softly. The weight of this tale was almost too much to bear.

"But, he's the prince. Shouldn't he have just as much say?" A younger crewmember asked, his brow frowned in confusion.

Iroh hung his head. "No. He was too young. So, there was only one thing to do."

"Agni ki." Jong breathed, shock and disgust evident on his face. "But he was a kid. How could the general challenge him like that?"

"That's how he got......his scar....isn't it." Another said.

"Zuko looked at the general and declared he was not afraid....but it was not the general he would face. In speaking out in the Fire Lord's war room, it was the Fire Lord he had disrespected." Iroh continued and the tension in the room grew thick.

"Agni no." The youngest man grew pale and the older men all shared a look of horror. Their Fire Lord, a man they followed without question and would die for....

"Zuko immediately dropped to his knees.."

"Please father. I only want what's best for our nation. I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!" He begged, knowing there was no way he could stand against him.

"Rise and fight!" Ozais voice thundered through the arena.

"I won't fight you." Zuko trembled and tears started to fall against his will.

"You will learn, and suffering will be your teacher."

Screams split through the air.

"I looked away."

_________________________________________

"I never thought that I could be the Avatar, but they were convinced. My whole life changed and there was nothing I could do. People started treating me differently after the elders announced it." Aang stared into the dancing flames of the fire yet only saw the past.

Aang knew his entire world was changing. He could feel the weight of his new responsibilities bearing down upon his shoulders. The monks were already talking of how to go about getting masters of the other elements to teach him and he wished nothing more than for them to understand that he simply wasn't ready.

Coming back from his early morning meditation, he spotted his friends playing the game he taught them not long ago and he perked up. Maybe not everything had to change, surely he was still allowed to enjoy himself.

"Hey!" He said brightly, waving to get their attention. "Can I join?"

The other young men seemed to briefly freeze, the game coming to a stop and the smiles fell from their faces, some even took a few steps back away from him.