Tale of Lu Ten

Family pt. 2

Lu Ten meanwhile was trying to finish his meal as fast as humanly possible so he could finally ask what he wanted to ask.

Where are we? Did they remodel the palace, it doesn't look like how I remember it... I thought it was more... regal.

The room Lu Ten had woken up in was nice but it wasn't nearly like how Lu Ten remembered his old home. It had wooden floors instead of marble and the size of the room was small, to say the least.

Maybe we're still traveling? I don't know how long I was out after all.

After Lu Ten finished the meal he finally got to ask the questions that had been running around in his head.

"Father, where are we? What happened after Ba Sing Se?"

Lu Ten was expecting his father to joyfully tell him of how he finally conquered Ba Sing Se to save him. He was expecting grand tales of how he and Zuko accomplished what Lu Ten couldn't and won the war.

What he was not expecting was his uncle's guilty expression as he refused to look Lu Ten in the eyes.

Lu Ten grew wary as his father spoke lowly, "Son, it is a long story..."

Lu Ten clenched his fists warily and tried not to show his panic, "Whatever it is I can handle it. Just tell me what I missed. What happened while I was... While I was trapped down there?"

Iroh let out a worried sigh as he saw Lu Ten's determination, fighting through the tremor in his voice and his hands as he pried for more information.

He is like Zuko... Stubborn to a fault.

Iroh braced himself for his son's reaction as he prepared to tell the story from the beginning.

"Lu Ten, the siege on Ba Sing Se failed. I gave it up..."

........

Lu Ten listened closely as his father told him of how he lost the siege.

How he gave up after seeing his son 'die' right in front of him.

How he traveled the world and came back to the Fire Nation.

Choosing to follow Zuko into banishment and help the Avatar at the North Pole instead of doing his duty.

Choosing to become a traitor instead of capturing Ba Sing Se and saving him.

Iroh watched with a heartbroken gaze as his son let out a shaky breath, his only words being, "You gave up?"

Iroh's voice trembled as tears flowed down his face, "I'm so sorry son. I thought you were dead and I couldn't justify sending more men to die. Sending more sons to be lost to the war."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU WIN!? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE ME!? WHY DIDN'T YOU..."

Lu Ten felt tears flow down his cheeks as his body strained against his rage.

Lu Ten couldn't believe it. He had waited for his father to save him. For his father to win the war so he could go home.

But he gave up... And now he wants to live the rest of his life in the city that tortured me. That...

Flashes of his time in the cell burned through his mind, his breath speeding up as he remembered the beatings and the starving. The darkness and the silence.