The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic)

A Talk Between Uncle and Nephew

"Once my father realizes what that girl can do..." Zuko spoke in an unnerved voice while Iroh nodded glumly.

"There will be no stopping my brother then." Iroh agreed with a heavy sigh before taking another calming drink of his tea.

"Where...did she come from? Why would such a power reappear now after over a thousand years? It's...like she just popped out of nowhere!" Zuko lamented with frustration in his voice while his uncle gazed into his tea.

"It does certainly seem that way. I have a hunch...that the only person who would know of her origins would be your sister." Iroh replied with another sigh while his nephew scowled at the steel flooring.

"And now that Azula is aware of it. You can bet that she is going to keep that girl by her side at all times. There won't be a single chance to remove her from her side." Zuko spoke with a sliver of fear in his eyes before he found himself reaching out for the spare cup of tea.

"From the sound of it...this Elle has already spent a great deal of time with Azula...much more than most would care for." Iroh remarked with a frown while Zuko nodded in agreement.

"Toph told us that she met her a few weeks ago...wandering on Capital Island. And then we saw her again that village without Azula. After this...Azula won't allow her to walk free anymore." Zuko grunted before taking a relieving drink of the tea.

At the mere mention of Toph the two gazed down into their teacups with worried expressions on both of their faces.

"Uncle...about Toph.... how will we...?" Zuko inquired with a tilt of his head while Iroh met his gaze.

"Appa left in search of her just moments ago. It's far too risky for us to attempt to approach the island when we're all this injured. We can't fight another battle. Not today." Iroh declared in a serious voice.

"Now that Zoi survived...what is going to happen to Mai?" Zuko pressed with urgent concern for his former fiancé.

"One can only hope that Azula cares enough for her to protect her from Zoi." Iroh answered with a flinch while Zuko stared at him for what seemed like an eternity.

"Azula? Care about anyone, but herself and Father? That's a good one." Zuko scoffed with his injured arm falling into his lap while he glared down into his drink.

Although he won't deny that it almost seemed as if Azula felt something for Elle.

But...that couldn't be!

He scowled while he shook his head all the while reminding himself that Azula always lies.

That girl was astoundingly naïve.

His sister has been manipulating her for quite some time now.

Azula put her claws in deep and removing them will be almost impossible.

But maybe...if he gets another chance to talk to Elle without Azula around...

There may be a chance that he can convince her to stand against Azula.

He was snapped out of his musings when he heard his uncle hum thoughtfully with a contemplative countenance.

"I recall the first...and only time where I heard of this 'Component'." Iroh began with a thoughtful look in his remaining eye.

"Where...did you hear of it, Uncle?" Zuko asked in an increasingly entranced voice while his uncle developed a thoughtful expression.

"The spirit of knowledge...Wan Shi Tong once spoke of it. I went to speak to him...after the death of Lu Ten in search of greater enlightenment and the Avatar as well several years before Aang was found in his iceberg." Iroh confessed to the astonishment of Zuko who now gazed at him with surprised golden eyes.