𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 [ᴢᴜᴋᴏ]

Chapter 15

Episode 12, The Storm

As I was walking around the ship, I heard part of the crew talking in a room. I decided to eavesdrop on them.

I heard the Lieutenant talking, "I'm sick of taking his orders, and I'm tired of chasing his Avatar," he told the others with an angry voice, "I mean who does Zuko think he is?" he exclaimed.

I don't know why but it made my blood boil when they were talking behind Zuko's back. "I don't know, maybe he is the Fire Prince, your superior?" I commented sarcastically and entered with crossed arms tilting my head slightly to the side.

He looked at me with narrowed eyes but before he could say something, I beat him to it, "I don't know what makes you think that you're any better when you're sitting here and talking behind his back," I told him and looked at him with a daring look.

"He took you away from your family and as a prisoner. Why would you defend him?" he asked me.

"I think that's enough," Iroh said calmly and entered the room looking between us.

The Lieutenant immediately stood up and bowed to him, "General Iroh," he greeted him, "We were just-"

"It's okay," Iroh interrupted him and raised his hand, "May I join you?" he asked the man.

"Of course, sir," he said as he brought another chair to put it around the small fire they were sitting around.

Iroh walked towards him and sat down and looked at me at from over his shoulder. "Won't you join us too?" he asked me with a raised eyebrow. I shrugged before taking a chair as well and sitting down next to Iroh.

"Try to understand, my nephew is a complicated young man," Iroh told us after we were all sitting around the fire, "he has been through much."

I always knew there was something about the Prince. And I was really curious and wanted to know more about his past.

Iroh told us that when Zuko was 13 he wanted to join a meeting among his father and the generals. Iroh only helped him get into the meeting if Zuko promised him not to speak up under any circumstances.

But Zuko broke his promise as he thought it was wrong to sacrifice an entire division of soldiers and spoke up against a general. Even though he was right he was punished.

"After Zuko's outburst in the meeting, the Fire Lord became angry with him. He said that Prince Zuko's challenge of the general was an act of complete disrespect. And there was only one way to resolve this," Iroh told and looked sad about the whole thing.

I listened intensively not wanting to miss any little detail.

"Agni Kai," the Lieutenant mumbled and my eyes grew wide. A 13-year-old kid was challenged to an Agni Kai? What kind of sick punishment if that? He should have gotten grounded or something.

"That's right," Iroh nodded with a sad smile on his face, "Zuko looked upon the old general he had insulted and declared that he was not afraid, but Zuko misunderstood."

Of course he wouldn't back down. I mentally face palmed at the 13-year-old Zuko. Why doesn't that surprise me?

"When he turned to face his opponent, he was surprised that it was not the general,"

I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. What exactly is happening in this story?

"Zuko had spoken out against the general's plan, but by doing so in the Fire Lord's war room, it was the Fire Lord whom he had disrespected," Iroh continued with the story, "Zuko would have to duel his own father."