Flames Of Fate (Zuko X Reader)

Chapter Two: Iroh's Journey to Enlightenment

After the meeting Iroh stayed back to speak with his father, the Fire Lord.

“Forgive my disrespect, Fire Lord Azulon,” Iroh said with his head bowed in reverence to his father but his fists were tightened, “But a Child of the Forest is a spirit creature, partly human yes, but she does not belong in the human world-”

“She is partly mortal, and there has never been a capture of one in the history of mankinf.” Fire Lord Azulon said abruptly.

Iroh’s eyes widened and he looked up. The Fire Lord allowed the flames to decrease enough for Iroh to see what he had in his calloused palm. It was a black stone so dark the flames around it had no reflection on its surface. At the hilt was a rock the shape of a flame, within the cracks of this rock he saw burning embers, and it was as if this stone had just been retrieved from the ashes of a fire pit.

“I took this from her when I defeated her.” He said with pride heavy in his deep thundery voice, “I went in search of a dragon but I found something much rarer. Not just any Child of the Forest but a Fire Wielder, her kind used to be worshipped for being dragon vessels. Spirit creatures who were one with dragons. She is the ultimate weapon. She is the key to our inevitable victory, Iroh. With her by my side we will destroy the Avatar and anyone who dares oppose the Great Fire Nation.” He smirked with a heinous glimmer in his dark eyes as he looked at the rock in his hand, “I will keep her here and make her a patriot of this great nation”

"This has never been done before. What if we upset the balance of nature?"

"Nonsense! When Avatar Wan closed the Spirit Portals did that upset the balance of nature? It did not. Neither will this because I will mold that Child and she will grow into becoming my ultimate weapon."

Iroh didn’t say anything, what could he possibly say to that? If he continued to oppose it would seem like he didn’t have the Fire Lord’s ambition and best interest at heart but the girl’s instead.

He knew that girl. In a sense, he owed his life to her. His thoughts melted away into a flashback, a few weeks after the death of his only son Lu Ten, he was in such loss and grief it was like he fell into a dismal pit of anguish.

Wanting his son back more than life itself, he meditated and travelled into the Spirit World to search for his son.

Flashback

When he came into the spirit world, he found himself in a forest. The trees were so high it reached the sky and branches of leaves faded into the clouds. The trunks of the trees vary, some were light brown and thick, others were dark and thin and so forth. He could see nothing beyond the canopy of trees because it seemed to stretch forever.

Thick fog clung to the forest flooring, so thick he couldn’t even see his feet. The trees were so dark and foreboding it left chills up his spine.

“Lu Ten!” He called out.

His voice echoed around him, as if he were in a well. He walked around, calling his sons name. The more time felt like it was slipping away, the more he felt anger and sorrow.

“Lu Ten!!!!” He cried out. His son had to be here. Iroh would see his son or die here with his spirit disconnected from his body.

“Who are you looking for?” A soft voice echoed in his head, so soft that if he hadn’t been quiet in that instant he wouldn’t have heard it.

He whirled around, caught off guard. There was no one behind him.

“Hello? Spirit of this forest, I mean you no harm.” Iroh said with reverence and bowed his head.