𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 ➤ 𝙨𝙤𝙠𝙠𝙖

➤ chapter 26 : peace of mind

"good." iroh clears his throat. "that was very, um, bracing." he says. zuko pours more tea into iroh's cup and iroh tosses the drink out of the window when zuko isn't looking.

"so uncle, i've been thinking, it's only a matter of time before i run into azula again. i'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if i'm going to stand a chance against her." zuko begins.

"i know what you're going to say. she's my sister and i should be trying to get along with her."

"no. she's crazy and she needs to go down." iroh replies, standing up with a groan.

"it's time to resume your training." he says to zuko and they walk out of the small, broken-down house the three have been residing in. miizumi sighs and reaches for her bag until she hears iroh call her name.

"come with us." iroh says. "i will also teach you."

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"lightning is a pure expression of firebending—without aggression." iroh explains.

"it is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. some call lightning the cold-blooded fire." he pours tea into two cups and gives them to zuko and miizumi.

"it is precise and deadly, like azula. to perform the technique requires peace of mind."

"i see. that's why we're drinking tea—to calm the mind." zuko replies.

"oh yeah, good point!" iroh laughs. "i mean... yes." he stands up and leads the two outside. zuko catches up to miizumi's fast paced walking and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"i'm sorry for everything that happened. are you okay?" zuko asks.

"i'm fine." miizumi pushes his hand off her shoulder and follows behind iroh.

"there is energy all around us. the energy is both yin and yang." iroh says as the three stand on a mountain cliff. "a positive energy and a negative energy. only a select few firebenders can separate these energies."

"this creates an imbalance. the energy wants to restore balance, and in the moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together, you provide release and guidance, creating lightning."

iroh puts a hand in front of the two and they step back. he uses his index and middle finger to create a lightning bolt and lighting emerges from his other hand.

the blue energy glows onto zuko and miizumi's faces and she slightly squints from the light. iroh sends the lightning bolt into the sky and flashes of lightning decorate the air.

"i'm ready to try it." zuko says.

"me too." miizumi says.

"remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. you are simply it's humble guide. breathe first." iroh explains as the girl backs away from zuko.

zuko takes a deep breath, putting his index and middle fingers together before shooting his arm to the sky.

an explosion throws him to the ground next to miizumi's feet and she reaches down to grab his arm. she pulls him to his feet and he dusts himself off, quietly coughing.

"what happened?" miizumi asks.

"i don't know, okay?" zuko replies before storming off. miizumi looks to iroh who urges her to go.

"i can't, uncle." miizumi sighs.

"why not?" iroh asks.

"you said it requires peace of mind. i'm not sure if i have that yet." the girl explains.

"i was afraid this might happen. while my brother might be the one to blame for this emotional turmoil, i think i can still help this." iroh walks up to miizumi. "sit." he says.

miizumi sits down on the ground next to iroh, her feet hanging over the edge of the cliff.

"so, what does peace of mind mean to you?" he asks.

"i guess just, being happy. no pain, no burdens, not having to wake up everyday and worry about who's gonna try to hunt you down, that stuff." she shrugs.

"who makes you feel like you have nothing to worry about?" he says.

"i... i don't know. uncle, there hasn't been a moment since i was eleven where i haven't been worried about something." she explains.

"what about the water tribe boy and his friends?" iroh asks with a smile.

"how do you know sokka?" miizumi asks.

"zuko told me. he said when you hugged him, it was the calmest he had ever seen you before. i recall you always bouncing around the walls as a child but when he described you, he said you were still, which is something i would never expect to hear." iroh explains.

"does that mean he brings me peace of mind?" miizumi asks.

"i cannot answer that for you." iroh says. "in order to perfect the technique, you must be able to allow the past conflicts to fall away with a gentle acceptance of the future you will create."

"i don't know to do that." the girl sighs.

"yes, you do. your scars will heal." iroh puts his hand on her shoulder near her scar. "but ozai has done this to you, and there is nothing you can do to change that. it is irreversible."

"uncle, but i caused this. almost everything bad that has happened in my life is because of me, and it keeps me up at night because i know i'm guilty." miizumi's voice slightly heightens.

"that's it." iroh nods. "you have kept this in for too long. it will eventually eat you alive. your pain has turned into rage over the years after being so neglected. there is no pain without a purpose."

miizumi moves her hair out of her face and iroh wraps his arms around her, resting his chin on her head as her body racks with tears.

"you have to let go of the past, or you will be dragged through the future."

END.