The Honor of Love (ATLA fanfic)

24. The tea shop

I wandered through the streets of Ba Sing Se, trying to find the apartment. My head was spinning, I was feeling dizzy and I felt the need to vomit. Did my parents get what they deserved? Should I even try and find my mom? What will she say when I confront her with this? Iroh knows, I'm sure he can explain... tell me that this isn't true.

After asking several people, I found the tea shop and I went upstairs to the apartment. I opened the door and slammed it behind me. I stood down against the door, looking from Zuko to Iroh. I walked up to Iroh and stood down in front of him. "I-I need to t-talk to you." I stammered. "Alone." Iroh looked down and sighed. We walked out to one of the bedrooms and Iroh closed the door behind him.

"What happened?" Iroh asked.

"A lot, actually," I said breathlessly, "I saw my aunt and uncle, they weren't very happy to see me," I started, my eyes tearing up, "instead, they told me that my father took my mother and forced her to marry him, and that my mother sought out revenge by betraying him and that it is all her fault that they now live in poverty. Is this true?"

"Istari..."
"Is it true?" I repeated. "Is it true that you took me to the firebending masters so that I wouldn't be thrown off the palace walls?!" I yelled angrily. "I had no choice," Iroh said calmly, "I learned from the firebending masters myself, I knew you had it in you. I just needed to prove it... The firebending masters only blessed you because they knew you had purpose and destiny in you to use it."

"I could have died! Many people didn't return from there!" I asked panicky.
"I know I had more chance to be able to firebend than to fly, but...This is ridiculous! How can they do that to me?!"

"Your parents had very different opinions about your upbringing..." Iroh said calmly.

"I just don't understand," I said, shaking my head, "we were a happy family... I never saw them argue."
"Your mother did start to love your father, but as the war grew, and more land was taken by the Fire Nation...'" Iroh started, "I guess something must have snapped."

"My father would never agree with a genocide... Wiping entire families out...." I said determined. Iroh sighed and looked down. "Right?" I asked carefully. "We all make the wrong choices sometimes." Iroh said quietly. I stood back against the door and sank through my knees. "Why didn't she take me with her?" I asked him.

"I don't know Istari," Iroh said quietly. "She probably didn't want me," I said, shrugging, "I was supposed to be turned into some firebending monster, raiding villages and arresting people on the mainland, destroying their lives and tearing families apart."

"Istari, I understand that you are angry-"
"Angry? Anger doesn't even come close to what I feel, I don't think there's even a word to describe how I feel!" I cried, sobbing uncontrollably. "I am outraged!" I yelled, flames coming out of my fist, almost setting the bed sheets on fire.

"Okay, that's it, what is going on?" Zuko asked angrily, storming into the room. He looked at my face and walked up to me. "What did you say to her?" He asked alarmed. Iroh looked down. "Only what she needed to hear." He replied. "It's gonna be okay, Istari. Calm down, tell me what happened." He asked.

"S-sh-e... t-thought... I'd... b-be... a-a mo-hon-ster." I cried in his arms.
"What?" He asked confused.

"Istari visited her aunt and uncle who now live in the city." Iroh said.
"Bojing?" Zuko asked surprised.

"They turned me away, because my parents made some big mistakes... And for that they hate me." I sniffed.
"Oh..." Zuko mumbled awkwardly, "that's rough."

"Gosh, you're so awkward," I said, shaking his hand off me. "I am only trying to help." He replied offended. "I know, I'm sorry." I replied, shaking my head.