Little Soldier Boy (Iroh II)

Chapter 26

"She has a very purple base," Chi said. "She's mischievous isn't she?"

Iroh nodded, smiling faintly, "Yeah, she loves pulling pranks."

"Purple aura's hide a lot of secrets," Chi said.

Iroh scoffed, "Don't get me wrong, she's smart, but she can't really keep secrets."

"Yes she can," Chi said.

Iroh hummed.

"If she couldn't keep a secret, she would've told you how she got to the ship when we were in the middle of the ocean," Chi said.

Iroh blinked, looking at her, "How did you--"

Chi shrugged, "I saw her at night. She liked patrolling the hallways."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Iroh frowned.

"It wasn't any of my business," Chi shrugged. "The Commander took good care of her."

Iroh looked at her.

She had an absent smile as she looked at the sky.

Despite all their time together, Iroh didn't know a lot about Chi, she never talked about herself, and whatever he did know was whatever Cho told him.

"Thank you," Iroh said.

"For what?" She frowned.

"Not elephant-ratting her out," He said.

She shrugged, "It's not like I had any reason, and it's not like she was given permission to fight, she just snuck off the ship. She's not being thrown into danger."

Iroh nodded faintly.

"Are you excited to see your Grandfather?" She asked.

Iroh shrugged weakly, looking into the water, "I'll feel better once we have him."

"But you don't want to see him?" Chi looked at him.

Iroh was silent and turned his head away.

Chi touched his hand.

"The thing is," Iroh muttered. "My grandfather never wanted me to be a soldier."

Chi looked at him.

"I told him what I was doing in a letter, and I can't imagine how furious he'll be when we meet again," Iroh looked into the sea. "I betrayed him...I ran away and now he's suffering because of it."

He lowered his head, closing his eyes tight.

Chi hugged him, pinning his arms to his sides.

He looked at her.

"If he's really anything like you say, he'll be proud of you, and when he sees you, he'll just be happy that you're happy," She said.

"Thanks Chi, but what happened is still my fault," Iroh sighed.

"No it's not," Chi shook her head. "This would've happened either way."

"I should've been there to protect them," He said.

"You wouldn't have been able to stop it from happening," Chi said, letting him go. "If you were there, you may have been captured too."

"Or maybe I could have fended off the people that tried to hurt my family and protected my grandfather."

"Or you could have been injured far worse than the others because you're a young man in your prime that will fight until he dies."

Iroh looked away.

"I don't know about your family," She said. "But I'd much prefer you being here now and fighting later."

"Thanks Chi," He sighed.

Chi hooked her arm through his, "Thanks for being here."

Iroh looked at her.

"Cho really opened up because of you," She said. "And you brought our group together."

Iroh shrugged, "It wasn't just me."

"It was because of you though," She said. "Cho would still be unwilling to talk to new people if it wasn't for you breaking through his shell, Kay probably would've been all alone until the Water Tribes joined us, Pelo and Nin probably wouldn't have met, and you wouldn't have helped Sin open up about her past."

"She told you about that?" Iroh looked at her.

"No," She shook her head. "She just had a very pink aura when she talked to you that I just assumed it was something like that."

Iroh nodded faintly.

Chi looked at him, "I wouldn't have met my second brother either."

Iroh frowned and looked down at her.

Chi squeezed his arm, smiling up at him.

Iroh smiled faintly, looking at her. After a moment, he looked away and looked into the water.

Chi looked at him, "He's going to be okay."

Iroh nodded faintly, "I hope."