Chapter 13
"No."
Iroh frowned at his grandson's response.
"No?"
"No, Grandpa. I have no intention of wasting my time."
"Zuko, it's for your own good."
"Maybe so, but it's not for the greater good."
Iroh scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"What if you had a place to train?"
"It doesn't change anything. I'm going to devote all my time to training."
"That's impossible, Zuko, and you know it. How long will you be able to maintain this pace? Five days? Eight?"
"Grandpa..."
Iroh didn't allow himself to be interrupted. He raised his voice, not in anger, but in concern.
"You're too intelligent not to see the danger, Zuko! Eventually, you'll burn out, and instead of moving forward, you'll make mistakes in your training, and at best, you'll stop improving. At worst, you'll hurt yourself so much that you won't be able to train for months!"
Zuko couldn't contain himself. The anger at himself he'd been holding deep inside erupted. He stood up, knocking the table over.
"PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE OF MY MISTAKES!"
Iroh also stood up.
"No! Don't ever, ever think like that, Zuko! What happened wasn't your fault!"
"I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP THE AVALANCHE!"
"It's not your fault!"
"I AM THE AVATAR!" IT'S MY BLOODY DUTY TO PROTECT HUMANS!"
Iroh looked at his grandson in shock. Zuko realized he'd made a mistake.
"How... how do you know that?"
Zuko closed his eyes. Idiot... fucking idiot. Through gritted teeth, he slowly replied.
"I just...know."
"How...how much do you know?"
"I know...there were other Avatars. Avatar Aang... Roku... Kyoshi..."
"Have you talked to them?"
"No...they are...beyond my reach...but I know they existed."
"Since when did you know...?"
"It's not important...what matters is that I understand my duty now."
"The Avatar is the guardian of balance..."
"No. Perhaps it once was... this Avatar will defend the innocent. I will protect them from threats. I am likely the most powerful person in the world, or rather, one day I will be... and with great power comes great responsibility... a responsibility I ignored, and because of that ignorance, innocents died. It was my fault, grandfather... my... fault..."
Iroh walked over to his grandson and hugged him tightly.
"I already told you... it wasn't your fault."
"Kiyoshi was able to break the island from the continent... she created the entire island, grandfather..."
"Kiyoshi was over 40 years old at the time. You're 16. She had access to the previous Avatars... and you yourself just told me you couldn't talk to them. Tell me, how do you know about their actions?"
"I can't answer that... I don't know much... I know that Kiyoshi lived a long time and created an island... I know that Avatar Roku existed, and I know that right after his death, a war began. I know that Avatar Aang existed... that he was the last airbender... that the Fire Nation murdered everyone except him... I know he traveled, training to defeat the Fire Nation... I just don't know how it ended."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"What was I supposed to say... people would think I was crazy."
Zuko felt bad that he had to lie... but what was he supposed to say? That he had once had another life? That he had met God?
"Grandfather... my father traveled with Avatar Aang... right?"
"Yes... he did... although at first he hunted him... he thought it would restore his honor... but my brother... I mean, his father... He was a very bad man. Undeserving of your father's love."
"How did you end up in this world?"
"Zuko... it's complicated... Our world was at war... When Sozin's Comet came... the firebenders gained immense power... Many good people died then... Avatar Aang saved us from death... but he died... worse, he died in the Avatar State... which means that another Avatar will never be reborn in our world..."
"But how did you escape?"
Iroh closed his eyes, sinking into painful memories.
"There was chaos all around... Before Aang died, he created a strange portal into which he pushed us. The last thing I remember is my brother killing the last airbender..."
Zuko waited for his grandfather's memories to fade and continued... his anger was slowly replaced by curiosity.
"When we came to this world... we were lost... I know we weren't alone... I myself was injured, but your father fought... he fought Azula, his sister... then the pro heroes from this world arrived. That's how we met your mother... She helped us. Azula escaped... and began spreading terror..."
Why...? If she was his sister... shouldn't they be on the same side?"
Zuko knew the truth, but he had to hide it... how could he explain to Iroh that he had seen their actions on television...?
"No... Azula is... crazy. She stood by my brother. She is obsessed with power and authority... but enough of that... that's not important right now... we need to focus on you, Zuko...
"No..."
Iroh interrupted his grandson.
"Zuko... you can't live with anger and self-hatred... it will destroy you... I believe everything you've told me... including the fact that you think what happened is your fault... but it's not. You don't understand it now and reject even the thought of such a possibility... but you're only 16... "
"And how old was your father when he fought in the war?"
"It was different... different times, Zuko... your father grew up in the shadow of the 100-year war that engulfed our entire world... he had no choice... but you do... "
"I have to... become stronger... I have to be better... faster..."
Iroh placed his hand on his grandson's shoulder.
"I know, Zuko... I know... but look at how you look... you've lost a few pounds... and you have very little body fat... you'll exhaust yourself with this kind of training... please, Zuko... if you don't want to think about yourself, then think about your mother... she's worried about you... I'm worried about you..."
"Grandpa..."
"I don't want to impose anything... but please, Zuko... try... come with me. Stop training for a while. Spend time meditating. You'll help me in the teahouse. You'll talk to people. You'll definitely make new friends... Please, Zuko..."
There was something in Iroh's voice... that Zuko couldn't quite grasp... He couldn't refuse him... not when he presented such arguments... Somewhere deep in his mind, Zuko knew his grandfather was right...
He simply couldn't bring himself to say 'no'.
He sighed heavily...
"I'll go with you... but I can't promise to stay until the end... if I see fit to return, I will..."
Iroh hugged his grandson.
"Thank you, Zuko. It's a good decision, and you won't regret it..."
"Uh... Grandpa... surely we can manage running the teahouse together?"
Iroh pulled away from his grandson and smiled that familiar smile... he already had a plan.
"Of course not! I'm hiring someone to help... I already have a few candidates!"
Zuko narrowed his eyes and looked at his grandfather with undisguised suspicion.
.
.
.
The next day, they drove into town. Pixie-Bob was the only one with them as driver. As soon as Zuko got out of the car, he glanced at the banner in front of the teahouse.
"Jasmine Dragon..."
Iroh smiled broadly.
"My pride! I already had a teahouse a long time ago, named after me."
Zuko looked at his mother. He still had doubts, but he saw the look of relief on her face that he had agreed to the move.
"Zuko, sweetheart..."
Pixie-Bob hugged her son tenderly, as only a mother could hug her own child.
He returned the gesture.
"Everything will be alright, Mom..."
Zuko felt her heart skip a beat. She was worried about him. He didn't know what else to tell her.....
"I know, son... listen to your grandfather... okay? And call me... every day... or I'll call and start a lecture on why you didn't call... and eat well... don't play on your cell phone at night... be polite to people..."
"Mom... I know..."
But that didn't convince his mother. He knew he had to say his piece... this was her way of saying goodbye...
"You're coming home a few days before UA, understand? Then I'll visit you. A lot and often... as often as I can... And get plenty of rest. And work well. And don't make your grandfather have to call me because you're behaving badly..."
Zuko let her continue. The more she talked, the more he didn't want to let her go... he must have gotten too used to her... he couldn't remember when he started considering her his real mother... after all, he had a family once... guilt hit him.
"And call me tonight... And don't go to the arcade much... And cut back on sweets... Drink plenty of water and..."
The next day, they drove into town. Pixie-Bob was the only one with them as driver. As soon as Zuko got out of the car, he glanced at the banner in front of the teahouse.
"Jasmine Dragon..."
Iroh smiled broadly.
"My pride! I already had a teahouse a long time ago, named after me."
Zuko looked at his mother. He still had doubts, but he saw the look of relief on her face that he had agreed to the move.
"Zuko, sweetheart..."
Pixie-Bob hugged her son tenderly, as only a mother could hug her own child.
He returned the gesture.
"Everything will be alright, Mom..."
Zuko felt her heart skip a beat. She was worried about him. He didn't know what else to tell her.....
"I know, son... listen to your grandfather... okay? And call me... every day... or I'll call and start a lecture on why you didn't call... and eat well... don't play on your cell phone at night... be polite to people..."
"Mom... I know..."
But that didn't convince his mother. He knew he had to say his piece... this was her way of saying goodbye...
"You're coming home a few days before UA, understand? Then I'll visit you. A lot and often... as often as I can... And get plenty of rest. And work well. And don't make your grandfather have to call me because you're behaving badly..."
Zuko let her continue. The more she talked, the more he didn't want to let her go... he must have gotten too used to her... he couldn't remember when he started considering her his real mother... after all, he had a family once... guilt hit him. "And call me tonight... And don't go to the arcade much... And cut back on sweets... Drink plenty of water and..."
And so it went on for a good 10 minutes. Pixie-Bob kept falling silent... And then starting up again. Finally, she drove off, leaving them alone in front of the entrance... She couldn't stay any longer... Any longer and she wouldn't have been able to stand it... She would have told Zuko to get in the car and go home...
Iroh opened the main double doors and walked inside. Zuko was right behind him with their luggage. On the floor in the center was a green rug with golden Chinese dragons. The walls were decorated with dragon and tea motifs, and square lanterns hung from the ceiling. There were about thirty tables inside... definitely too many for two people... or rather, one, since Iroh would be preparing the tea.
Yeah... they were definitely going to need some workers.
Downstairs, there was a kitchen, a storage room, and other necessary rooms. The upper floor was designated for living. There were several rooms upstairs. Each had its own bathroom.
"What do we need so many rooms for, Grandpa?"
"What do you mean? For potential employees! I plan to hire young people who will also be of school age, just like you! Plus, they'll have free housing."
"Ahhh... you tricked me."
"Oh, Zuko... I just made sure you'd have plenty of opportunities to spend time with your peers."
"Okay... can I at least know who will be living here with us?"
"I haven't decided yet. Tomorrow is our first day, and a few teenagers who will also be attending UA will be arriving this afternoon!"
End of Chapter 13
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Iroh will hire at least two people. Maybe 3 if it suits me.
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