Ch.43: Hard on the outside

Lost in the screams of pain is a chapter story,
All the stories are about fragments out of Zuko's and Iroh's lives.

This story happens during [Book 2, ep.08: The chase].

Iroh followed his nephew, the old man missed his nephew too badly. Zuko regretted his decision and tries to regain his honor.

His uncle gets hurt, Zuko saved his live. Uncle and nephew need to restore their relationship.

Iroh is sixty-five,
Jeong Jeong is sixty-one,
Zuko is sixteen,
Azula is fourteen,
Mai is fifteen,
Aang is twelve,
Katara is fourteen,
Sokka is fifteen,
Toph is twelve.


Lost in the screams of pain,
Chapter 43: Hard on the outside.


Following the tanks trail was easy; it made huge marks in the ground and left a dark fog in the air. Zuko held a good distance and was sure of his chances, he'll humiliate her today! Win a fight! Regain his honor and show his father that he's better than his sister Azula.

He needed to show the Fire Nation, that he's worthy to life. That he's worth to capture the Avatar, and to come home again. Zuko stopped his ostrich and glared at the Fire Nation tank, it stood still in the middle of a coniferous forest. The boy observed the environment very carefully, Azula had gone further by foot…

"There…" Zuko whispered with wide eyes. "The bison's fur!"

"The Avatar?" He pulled at his ostrich's rope but the animal didn't move. "Drive! Come on! Hurry!"


In the same forest.

Jeong Jeong and Iroh had traveled through the wilderness for one day now, the former admiral stopped and inhaled deep. "From here, we're almost on the edge!"

"Good! I'll find my way!" Iroh bowed before his friend. "Thanks for everything, Jeong Jeong."

The man smiled and nodded friendly, he returned to his camp for his daily duties. Iroh glared over the more open parts of the forest and sighed. He was alone again and tired. The man walked slowly towards some white rocks and placed himself against it. "Finely… some rest." Iroh whispered while he rubbed his legs a bit, they hurt from his long walk.

The forest and the creatures created a quiet atmosphere. Iroh's eyes closed slowly. "ZZZzzzzZZZZzzz-Ggagagghhh-zzzZZzZZZ-GHaaAAAHHGHHGGGHHhHHH…" The man fell in a deep sleep and dreamed of his nephew.

<Come on uncle!> The young soldier yelled from the deck.

Iroh sighed before he entered. <What's wrong, Prince Zuko?>

The fourteen year old Zuko glared with wide eyes. <What's wrong with me? We would visit the Eastern Temples!>

<Yes! Yes.. the temples… I know Prince Zuko! But it's noon, or meals are ready and we've all day to visit them.>

The boy's cheeks turned red. <Noon? Food? And the Avatar?>

<The avatar can wait until we've finished our dishes.>

<Let it! Go and eat… It is always the same with you!!!> The teenager screamed while he pushed the man away and entered the cabins.

Iroh stood there, didn't understand what was wrong with him. He followed his nephew after some minutes to his room. The boy sat suborn on his bed and was angry again. The man walked closer and sat down. <Talk to me Zuko…>

The boy stared in the man's eyes furiously. <You're never interested in what I do. NOBODY IS!>

<That's not true, nephew.>

<You all judge me. You find everything ridiculous what I do… You see me as WEAK!>

Iroh awoke with a shock and fell on the ground. He glared before him and understood why Zuko ran away. The man never paid the attention to it but his nephew thought that his uncle didn't believed in his capacities. The man always knew that Zuko felt this way to the rest of the world but not towards him. He never realized it and it was never his intention. But Zuko is so sensitive and unsure.

The man glared over his shoulder and realized what happened; someone had earth bend the rocks. He or she probably tried to defend himself. "Ohhh… That really hurt my tailbone."

A little girl appeared before Iroh and smiled. "It probably did... Are you okay?"

Iroh stood up and frowned. "That was rough, I can tell you that! So, you're alone?"

She stood tough when she answered his question. "Huh, yep! And you?"

The man smiled, he's sure that she's a runaway young girl. "Yes, I am. Would you like some tea? You look thirsty!"

"Euhm, Okay? I guess…" She muttered and followed the man to the edge of the forest. Iroh glared over the cliffs. He took a deep breath as he watched over the rice fields, everything seemed so calm.

He thought, while he peaked over the horizon. Iroh felt so empty inside, his father instinct played a nasty game with him. He missed his boy so badly. Iroh shook his head and smiled at the little girl. "This is a nice place to drink some tea!"

The girl didn't reply she sat down, very sturdy and sighed deep. <Man…, drinking tea with an old man? What's the meaning of this?>

Iroh stared at her with a smirk and held his laugh. <A younger girl version of my nephew? Hard on the outside and very complex on the inside…>

"The tea smells okay…" The girls said with a harsh tone.

"And it taste delicious!" Iroh replied, while he filled her cup. The man reached out his hand with the cup but the girl didn't react. Iroh stared at her eyes, they were light colored. <Oh, she has a handicap! Deformed, just like Zuko.>

"Here's your tea!" He said friendly. "You seem a little bit too young to be traveling alone."

She reached her hand out and felt into the air until she found her cup, she did this without asking any help. "You seem a little too old." She replied fast.

"Ha-ha, Perhaps I am!" The man replied amused, it was very interesting to meet a stranger, who's just like his nephew. Maybe, just maybe. He could learn something from her and so, he could understand his boy a little bit better.

The girl sighed. "I know what you're thinking… I look like I can't handle being by myself!"

<Has Agni sent her? This was too weird, too accidental.> Iroh's eyes widened. "No! I wasn't thinking that."

The girl shook her head. "You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea!" She replied contradictory.

"I did it because I wanted to and for no other reason."

Toph closed her tired eyes. "People think I'm weak. They want to take care of me but I can take care of myself by myself!"

"Hah, you sound like my nephew! Always thinking you need to do things on your own without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you! Not that I love you; I just met you." Iroh replied with a laugh.

"Hihi" The girl founds the old man funny, she trusted him from the first moment.  "So, where is your nephew?"

"I've been tracking him, actually." He whispered.

"Is he lost?" The girl asked with compassion.

"Yes, a little bit. He is trying to figure out who he is."

The girl understood the boy, she's in the same situation right now. "So, now you're following him?"

"I know he doesn't want me around right now, but, if he needs me, I'll be there!"

"Your nephew is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it." The girl replied while she stood up. "Thank you!"

"My pleasure! It was a pleasure to meet you."

"No, thank you for what you said. It helped me." The girl said tenderly.

Iroh smiled, knowing that he needed to do the same talk with his nephew. The girl picked her bag up and began to leave, but she turned back briefly. "Oh, and about your nephew! Maybe you should tell him that you need him too!"

<Tell him that I need him?> The man thought while he glared in his cup. <I never thought about it, but maybe, he needs to know this?>


Deserted town.

The trail stopped, Zuko jumped from his ostrich and glared around. He was in a ghost town, everyone had left their houses. He walked through the streets and heard his sister.

"Hah, do you really want to fight me?"

Zuko turned around and ran, he jumped before his sister. This was it, his moment; "Yes! I really do!" He threw his straw had of and stared at his sister and the Avatar.  

"Zuko!" Aang whispered in surprise, his situation turned out bad. He stared at the banished Prince, he changed a lot. Aang didn't understand what happened with him and why was his sister's here?

Azula rolled her eyes; this was so typical for her brother. Trying to be brave… but he's such a loser! "I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu."

Aang gritted his teeth, tried not to laugh "Zuzu?"

Zuko held his temper and didn't care what the Avatar thought about him right now. He hated his sister more than ever. She always needs to make him a fool! Now it was her time to be the fool! "Back off, Azula! He's mine!"

"I'm not going anywhere."

The boy held on and started to fight as a man. He was there; fought for the avatar, for his last hope, his pride, fight to stay alive…

But he had underestimated her; he was so weak from malnutrition. His body couldn't handle this any longer! The avatar was so damn quick, his sister was so strong but he didn't gave up! He couldn't gave up, the boy kept coming back.

Zuko lacked concentration; he rushed after his sister and fell down in a house. <Noo… Stupid Zuko.> The boy tried to stand up until; he felt a heavy blow in his face. A slap of Azula's blue fire, the boy fell onto the ground, hit his head heavily. The surroundings faded away, he fainted.

Iroh stared at this scene; he went straight to his nephew, stayed by his side. The man was afraid that someone would hurt him. He hadn't expected that his boy was so brave at heart and had so much perseverance. He had never seen his nephew fight like this before.

Fighting with so much power, aggression and determination but with so much respect! He didn't harm those who're innocent. This boy knows his limits in fighting. Iroh could only applaud, the old man was so proud. But also afraid, because he knew that his nephew was lost. The boy was stuck in his soul, didn't know what to do and didn't know who he was. The old man knew that his nephew had so many questions in his mind. Questions that no one would answer right now.

Iroh rubbed the boy's cheek; he looked over his face carefully. The boy was emaciated, had huge bags under his eyes and looked terribly pale. Iroh was a bit shocked, by seeing his nephew like this.

Zuko opened his eyes slowly; they were exhausted, very unfocused.

"Stand up!" Iroh demanded.

The boy glared weakly.  "Uncle?" He whispered. Iroh helped the boy up. Zuko looked towards his sister, everything went so fast. The avatar and his friends surrounded Azula. The boy and his uncle rushed toward the group, surrounded Azula. Zuko didn't care about the Avatar right now. Azula was priority.

Iroh looked over the young people. They stood all ready, ready to attack. He noticed the Avatar, who seemed very tired. Next to him stood the Water bending girl and next to her stood the earth bend girl! The one who he had met earlier this day.<She's with the Avatar?! Is she training him?>

Suddenly, the old man felt a stabbing pain in his left shoulder. He fell on the ground, unaware of his environment. Zuko's body shocked, he turned toward his sister and bended his own element towards Azula. He wanted her dead right now, he didn't care about her.

She vanished… The young boy knelt in despair beside his uncle, Zuko clenches his fist and teeth in anger <What should I do?>

"Zuko, I can help!" The water bender asked.

<How dare they?> Zuko felt so threatened. "NOOOOO! Get away from us! Leave!" He shouted out, while he unleashes a wave of fire over their heads. The four left Zuko and his uncle alone.

The boy rubbed his uncle's arm and stared at his face. "Uncle? Wake up…" The man moaned but didn't wake. Zuko frowned and didn't know what to do. "Please, wake up!"

Zuko looked up and ran fast towards his ostrich; "Lie!" the boy muttered and grabbed his uncle up. The banished Prince groaned heavily as he lifted the man and place him on the ostrich. He lie the man as comfortable as possible and climbed on the ostrich, tilled the man against him and held his uncle between his legs and arms.

The boy left the ghost village and entered a little dessert. He didn't knew where to go. Iroh opened his eyes for a moment and noticed the movements, he glared up and saw his nephew's face. "Hey, you're okay?"

The man heard him but couldn't reply. He just watched at his face.

"We're going to a safe place… you, me and ostrich…" Zuko bit his lip, he didn't understood why his uncle didn't reply. Was he angry or badly hurt? This wasn't good. "Look there is a house on a hill."

Zuko had carried his uncle to an abandoned house, with his final strength. Zuko grabbed his uncle's blanket and his old tea set. He had spread the blanket on the floor, tried to make it more comfortable. He grabbed his uncle up and lie him on the blankets. The man groaned from the pain, he was unconscious again.

The boy undressed his uncle's chest and banded the old man's wounds with some cloths. He did it very carefully, with much love and tenderness. He stared at the poor old man and stroked his  head. "I hope you're laying comfortable?" Zuko asked laud.

His uncle made strange expressions. The boy glared over the tea set. "You would enjoy some tea when you're awake!"

"Ginseng?" Zuko smiled a bit, he hoped that everything would be alright.


Some hours later.

Iroh had dreamed about his son, Lu Ten. It was heartwarming and sad at the same time. Suddenly he woke up from a smell, it where herbs. Iroh's eyes slipped open. The face of Lu Ten changed into Zuko's.

"Uncle!" The boy said happy.

The man's gaze became clearer.

"You were unconscious. Azula did this to you! It was a surprise attack." Zuko whispered.

"Somehow, that's not so surprising."The man replied with a groan.

"Are you in pain?" The boy asked in concern. He held his uncle in his arms, while he tried to help him up.

Iroh smiled. "It's okay, Zuko."

This moment warmed Iroh's heart. Seeing his blunt nephew, who provided him with great tenderness.

"I've made some tea! I hope I made it the way you like it." The boy whispered again.

Uncle Iroh took a sip from his tea. He tried to hide his expression. <Bah, Agni! Never taste such awful tea.> He looked into his nephew's face. The boy was waiting for a reaction, hoped to get a good response. "Oh! Mmm, this is good." The old man lied.

The boy couldn't hide his pride, he gave his uncle a little smile.

"Zuko, I've thought about many things when you where gone and…"

Zuko looked down, he felt ashamed for what he had done. Running away from his uncle was a stupid decision. He knew that.

"I thought about it and it's time to resume your training. You should continue your life!" The old man said wisely.

Zuko nodded in silence, still looking down toward his hands.

"What's wrong?" The old man whispered.

Zuko looked up. "I'm sorry." He replied on a calm tone, the young boy turned his head away. "I've hurt you again." He whispered with a cracking voice.

Iroh smiled. "I missed you, Zuko."

The boy looked towards his uncle.

"I've realized something." The man said.

Zuko frowned with panic, he was scared for the words that would come.

"I need you! Zuko, I'm nothing without you." The man replied honestly.

The young boy's eyes widened. It was a package that fell from his shoulders. <He needs me? He really needs me?> Zuko gave a small sigh of joy. "I've missed you to!" The boy wiggles into place. "I thought that you would be furious at me!"

"No, you needed time for yourself."  The man smiled. "I fully understand that."

Zuko gasped at some air. "I can't wait for our training!"

"We will start your training from when I'm feeling better!"