Chapter Text
Winter in the Fire Nation capital brought a reprieve from the heavy humidity of summer, but nothing of the freezing temperatures found elsewhere. The war front calmed as the days grew shorter and firebenders' strength waned. Escaping the ice and snow of the inner Earth Kingdom was an unspoken factor in the Fire Nation war cycle.
So moderate were Fire Nation winters, Sayaka had stripped herself of her outer robes and trained only in a thin layer of training wear. Iroh watched his dear friend as sweat trickled down her brow and made her brown skin shimmer bronze in the sun. She spoke as she completed her set, the first indication she gave that she knew of his lurking presence.
"If you're not going to spar with me, stop gawking,"
Iroh laughed as he stepped out of the shadowed corridor surrounding the training field. "I'm not gawking. I'm admiring the unparalleled beauty and strength of-"
"Alright, what do you want?" Sayaka threw one last whirl of fire toward the sky and turned to him. She crossed her arms across her chest and pursed her lips in an unimpressed stare.
"Why do you always think I want something?" Iroh asked, placing an affronted hand to his chest. He did have something to ask of her, but that was beside the point!
A chilled winter breeze blew through the courtyard. Sayaka suppressed a shiver and pulled on her robe as she approached Iroh. As kids, they had always been of height. As they grew older, it was clear Iroh had inherited his mother's compact stature while Sayaka continued to grow taller than most of their peers. Her height intimidated plenty of would-be suitors and commanding officers, but Iroh felt nothing but fondness as she loomed over him.
"Because if you were here to spar, you would have joined in. So you want something. Out with it."
Though called out, Iroh only smiled wider. This was the very reason he wanted to ask Sayaka. He would be hard-pressed to find any other woman who would challenge him as she endlessly did.
"I suppose I shall cut the pleasantries short, then, since you're being so demanding," Iroh teased with a wink. A twitch of Sayaka's lips betrayed her stern facade. "As you likely know, my parents have been asking me to marry and procure a child for several years now. And I know your parents have been harassing you to settle down for even longer."
"Settle down," Sayaka scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I could make lieutenant general this year or next, so you better consider your next words carefully."
Iroh did not let her threat diminish his good cheer. Yet again, another reason why Sayaka was the only person he could ask. Her ambitious nature was the perfect balance to his languorous approach to life. He pulled her hands into his own and gave them a soft squeeze.
"I would never try to temper your aspirations, dear Sayaka. They are much of what I love about you. Should you agree to marry me, you'll need to stay home only long enough for our baby to be born healthy. I will stay here and raise our child while you bring victory to our people."
That Sayaka did not immediately punch him bid well for Iroh. She narrowed her eyes in scrutiny, but made no move to pull away. "And will the Fire Lord be satisfied with his heir stepping out of the war effort to play father?"
"I can contribute from the war council here," Iroh said, leaning up toward Sayaka. "And I have an idea of something that will solidify my image of strength with the public while I stay out of the field."
Sayaka leaned down to meet him halfway, so he did not have to stand on his toes to reach her. A gentle brush of her lips against his was accompanied by her soft words, "I suppose I could be amenable to this proposal. There's just one issue."
Iroh frowned. He was certain he had taken into account any objections Sayaka might have. "What did I forget?"
She smiled and pressed their foreheads together. "You've yet to actually ask me, you insufferable man."
Ah, of course.
"Sayaka, will you allow me the honor of marrying you?"
Like the cycles of the seasons, their love warmed and cooled through the years. It had been some time since their relationship burned with the passions of summer, but the slide of Sayaka's lips against his own was familiar and welcome like the first spring breeze.
Dragons had been rare in Sozin's time. They were ancient creatures; scholars speculated they did not reproduce fast enough to keep up with humanity encroaching on their territories. The Fire Nation of old revered dragons, treated them as if they were Agni's favored children. Sozin proved that though they were powerful, dragons were still beasts. The original firebenders were no more special than sky bison or badgermoles, and there was no reason for any of his people to prostrate themselves to mere creatures.
So began the dragon hunts. An already dwindling species became so scarce that hunting one down to gain the glory and title of 'Dragon' was more effort than it was worth. When word of a dragon terrorizing the northern isles reached Iroh, he knew becoming the first 'Dragon' in several decades and possibly the last to earn such a title was exactly what he needed to maintain his image while stepping out of active duty to raise a child.
Rather than waiting to begin his quest after the birth of their child, Sayaka insisted Iroh go on his dragon hunt so she did not have to deal with his hovering on top of pregnancy. It put Iroh on a strict timeline, for he refused to miss welcoming their child to the world. Thus, Iroh's entourage was unlike any past dragon hunts. His vessel was small and built for speed, not a hulking ship that could carry enough firebenders to challenge a dragon.
Iroh did not need to bring half an army regiment with him. Those who gained the title 'Dragon' had not done so without help. The creatures were fierce and dangerous, as well as impervious to the flames of weaker firebenders. But Iroh was not a weak firebender, and he had an ability few could lay claim to, dragons included. The easiest way to clip a dragon's wings was to shoot it out of the sky with the concentrated fire of storms. Just as rare as dragons themselves, bending lightning had been something of legend and rumor before Sozin perfected the ability and passed it on to Iroh's father, who passed it on to Iroh. Yes, if anyone could single-handedly take on a dragon, it would be a lightningbender.
Besides his sailing crew, Iroh had only one other person to aid him on his hunt. Azulon had shared his doubts in Iroh's choice of a tracker, but something about the enigmatic hunter drew Iroh to them. It had paid off, for in under a month Yangwu brought Iroh to three near encounters with the dragon that had been evading hunting parties since it made itself known.
The tracker stood at the prow of the boat, staring off into the horizon as the sun descended into distant ocean waves. Wind whipped their ink-black hair around their face; it glowed red in the hues of the sunset. Although they had long since lost sight of the fleeing dragon, Yangwu had not budged from their post in hours.
Iroh approached cautiously, unsure if his presence would disrupt whatever preternatural tracking ability Yangwu possessed. "Shall we continue sailing? Or shall I tell the captain to drop anchor for the night?"
Yangwu turned from the sunset, meeting Iroh's gaze with a soft smile. "Let us not tire the crew. Our hunt will carry on regardless of our swiftness this evening."
"I will pass on your wisdom, then," Iroh said with a bob of his head. Yangwu's rasping voice paused his departing feet.
"May I share a story with you, Prince Iroh?"
Though Yangwu appeared no older than Iroh, there was a weight to the tracker's words that Iroh paid heed to. Iroh leaned against the deck railing to face Yangwu with a curious tilt of his head. "Which story do you wish to tell? I doubt it is new to me."
Yangwu's single bark of laughter pierced through Iroh's skull and rang far longer than the original sound. Their soft voice was almost lost in the echo. "You have not heard this tale before, of that I'm quite sure, my prince."
A frown threatened to pull Iroh's mouth down, but he held tight to his easy smile. It would not do to take offense to Yangwu's presumptuous tone, not after Iroh had established a near-equal standing between them on this quest. But the insinuation Iroh was lacking in the lore of his country smarted at his pride.
"How can you be so sure?"
"My island once held strong ties with the seafaring people of Water," Yangwu said, turning away from Iroh to face the setting sun once more. "Though we've long since lost those ties, many of the stories they shared remain."
Any lingering indignation fled Iroh as curiosity took root. There were few resources within the Fire Nation about the culture of other nations, and it was beneath a Crown Prince to seek out such knowledge. If it happened to come to him, however, none could fault Iroh in entertaining the tracker under his employ.
"And what Water Tribe story do you believe I would wish to hear?"
The sun cast the sail's shadow across Yangwu's face. Only their deep brown, nearly black eyes remained touched by sunlight as darkness elongated their jaw, following the curved cut of the sails.
"Perhaps, not a story you would wish to hear, but one you must hear all the same."
In the face of such ominous words, Iroh would rather have Yangwu keep their story to themself. He knew what was to come. Any lesson he may glean from this tale would be a hard one, something he feared would hinder his hunt. But a weight settled over Iroh and held his words down so none would prevent Yangwu from imparting their wisdom.
"You will find no better hunter than one of Water. The people of the poles must be skilled to survive the unforgiving tundra of their homes. But even as a hunter takes pride in their kills, so too do they find honor in staying their weapon. The greatest hunter is not one who has the most meat or pelts, but the one who can maintain a thriving home. If a hunter kills one too many tiger seals so his family may grow fat and warm for one season, many scarce, hungry seasons are to come. Sometimes a family must weather a meager winter so there will be bountiful seasons to follow. The greatest hunter is one who can keep balance in the world.
"There is a tale passed down to young hunters, so they can understand the importance of respecting this balance. It speaks of a man who sought to prove himself the most fearsome hunter in the world. None could hope to challenge his power, his intelligence, his skills. By his hands alone, he wiped the existence of countless animals from this world. Of his prey, only his last is still remembered today.
"For you see, the hunter turned his sights to the mighty narwolves of the arctic, who understood the balance of nature better than him. The hunter did not hunt for food or fur, and left his kills where they fell before moving on to test his might against another opponent. A crafty mother threw herself under the hunter's blade, so he would not harm the pup within her. With her sacrifice, the pup came into the world safe from the hunter's knowledge, but surrounded by the slaughter of its kind at his hands. It swore vengeance on the hunter and to bring an end to his prideful rampage.
"Donning a human form, the pup lived amongst people of Water and learned their ways. Once it was strong and experienced in the ways of man, it sought out to hunt the hunter, who had spent the years boasting of his great feat: killing the last of the narwolves. The narwolf knew the weakness of the hunter's pride. It shed its human form and made its presence known. The hunter came running back, unable to let a single narwolf live while he claimed to be their undoing. But the hunter rushed into a trap, for the narwolf was ready for him.
"The spirits of its brethren and the countless creatures slain by the hunter lent the narwolf their strength as to balance the scales of death. Against the weight of all he had wrought, the hunter fell to the narwolf's horn. Unlike the hunter, the narwolf respected the death brought on by its power. No part of the hunter went wasted, and the narwolf lived stronger for the life it gained from its adversary."
The last rays of sun fell behind the water that gently lapped at the sides of the boat. Shrouded in the dimness of dusk, Yangwu's dark eyes somehow shone as if they had stolen the last touch of day. Iroh's breath was heavy, fury and despair roiling in his chest. He did not care for the parallels Yangwu was trying to draw between Iroh's hunt and this Water Tribe tale. Iroh was not some flagrant slaughterer. He may be hunting the last of the dragons, but it was not a wasteful show of pride. He had a purpose to his hunt, even if that purpose was to bolster his standing as a prince.
"Well, I'll be sure to show the dragon proper respect once I fell it," Iroh said through clenched teeth. "And be sure to check there is no hidden pup to take vengeance upon me."
Yangwu smiled serenely, as if Iroh were not purposefully misinterpreting the moral of their story. The wind swirled around them, and carried the distant roar of Iroh's prey.
When the heir of dragons is reborn, the tides of war will turn.
The fortune-teller's words hung over Pakku, taunted him as he guided his boat through the ocean at a speed that rivaled the Fire Nation's best warships. No metal monstrosity could outpace a waterbender on a mission, even if his mission was as murky as the waters of a sandy shore.
With the Avatar's continued absence, the White Lotus itself was unsure of its purpose. If there was no Avatar to support, were they supposed to act in the Avatar's place to keep balance? Or was that too presumptuous? Avatar Kuruk's companion tried to act in the Avatar's stead, and look how it had corrupted him. But if they sat back and did nothing, there could be no balance left for the Avatar to maintain when they did return. Pakku was brought into the Order amongst these debates, and climbed through the ranks sharing his own thoughts on the matter.
When his compatriots began sharing whispers of the Fire Prince planning to hunt the last of the dragons, Pakku's goal had been clear. The White Lotus should be doing more to curb the Fire Nation's domination and destruction. Once, Pakku had been too young and didn't have the influence to make a stand. Now, he was not about to watch from the sidelines as the Fire Nation further disrupted the tenuous balance of the world. Imagine his surprise when the Grand Lotus, Chrysanthemum, not only volunteered to assist Pakku in protecting the dragon, but also turned out to be the king of Omashu.
It should have been a clear cut mission: stop Prince Iroh from killing the dragon. If that meant taking the heir to the throne out of the picture, well it would only help the war effort, would it not? But then King Bumi insisted they made a stop on their path to the Fire Isles. There, they met with an Order member who claimed to have a message from the spirits about their quest.
When the heir of dragons is reborn, the tides of war will turn.
How was Pakku supposed to feel about such a divination? Prince Iroh may be a young man, but he was no longer a boy. While he was not beholden to the choices of his forefathers, he had done plenty to prove he would continue their legacy of war. How could they turn the prince against his nation? Why should they want to? Already, the man had countless deaths to his name. And yet, if Prince Iroh turned coat and joined the Order, it would have a monumental impact on the war effort. No matter how monumental it may be, Pakku had more misgivings about the idea than hope.
It certainly didn't help that Bumi was an infuriating companion who relentlessly pestered Pakku to stop fretting about the fortune-teller's message and let things happen as they may.
There was little more Pakku could do but fret as they followed the trail of destruction the prince's hunt left. Beaches turned to glass from the scorching flames parried between man and dragon. Forests were left smoldering to ash. Jagged, splintering fissures reached out from the center of horrifying craters burnt into the ground.
Despite how much Bumi's attitude grated on Pakku, he was thankful to have a powerful bender at his side. Prince Iroh was a force of nature. A master and a teacher in his own right, Pakku was still doubtful he would fare better than a mighty dragon against this royal firebender.
Pakku and Bumi finally caught up to the prince while he was locked in battle against the majestic beast of legend. There was no time to take the creature in with awe. Bumi leaped off their boat, trusting Pakku to create an ice bridge to the island's beach beneath his feet. The earthbender landed on the sandy shore with a cackle. A wave of sand washed across the land and toppled over the Fire Prince.
With its opponent distracted, the dragon took flight. Any question as to why it had not tried to escape sooner was answered as the air surrounding the island crackled with energy. Prince Iroh surged out of the sand in an explosive blast of fire. The dragon should have been far enough from the prince's flames, but it was not flames the firebender called upon. A blinding shot of lightning burst forth from Prince Iroh's fingertips. The beautiful, red dragon narrowly missed the bolt. With an enraged roar, it soared higher and disappeared amongst the clouds.
There was no chance to initiate a conversation, for Prince Iroh was furious with their interference. He turned his concentrated element to the boat, on which Pakku was still aboard. Regrets and failures flashed through Pakku's eyes as lighting rocketed toward him. It was only Bumi's quick thinking and a sand wall stretched thin over the ocean water that blocked the bolt's course and granted Pakku another day. Pakku returned the favor, sweeping his companion back on their boat with a swift wave, so they could escape before Prince Iroh directed another electrifying attack toward them.
The dragon's trail led them north, following a small chain of islands which did not make it on most maps. Every successive encounter with Prince Iroh grew no less harrowing than the first. Protecting the dragon took precedence over trying to follow the fortune-teller's message from the spirits. Any attempts from Bumi's end to speak with the firebender were met with narrow escapes from death. Neither group was able to get the upper hand, which cut battles short as they raced to find the dragon before the other. It shouldn't have been a contest, with Pakku's waterbending giving him and Bumi a boost, but what the prince lacked in speed, he made up for with his superior tracking.
Apprehension coiled in Pakku's stomach and the spirits weighed heavily around him as a rocky coast broke out of the misty morning. The dragon's fate would be decided on this island of the Fire Nation's ancient ancestors.
"It's a good sign!" Bumi cackled. "Where better for a firebender to begin his journey of self-discovery and rebirth?"
"You have too much faith in that fire-crazed brat," Pakku grumbled. Prince Iroh had done nothing to inspire such confidence from Bumi. "It's more likely he's about to desecrate his forefathers' home by slaughtering the last original firebender."
Though there was no sign of the Fire Nation vessel along the shore, a trail of smoke rising above the trees further inland was not reassuring. Having learned their lesson early on to keep their boat out of the prince's range, Pakku and Bumi were swift in disembarking and racing through the dense jungle. As they ran, Bumi shifted trees and crafted a channel of earth for Pakku to pull the ocean along behind them. They both needed an abundance of their elements on hand to hope to subdue Prince Iroh.
A deafening roar shook the jungle, followed by a crash of trees which made the ground jump beneath them. The burning clearing they came upon was made larger by the prone form of the red dragon across several toppled trees. Pakku surged forward with the water guided by their man-made rivulet. In one crashing wave, he doused the fires threatening to spread and drew the prince's attention from his target.
"I was wondering when you two would show up," Prince Iroh said with a sigh, as if their presence was merely inconveniencing him. A pained rumble from the dragon had him ready to dismiss his new opponents.
Pakku froze a wall of ice between the hunter and his prey. Without the natural reinforcements of the arctic, a single fireball could explode through the ice. Though weak as a barrier, the ice proved enough of a distraction for the dragon to begin its escape. A burst of steam filled the clearing as Pakku intercepted Prince Iroh's fireball with a bubble of water.
"Do you really think a couple of pirates can steal this kill from the prince of the Fire Nation?" Prince Iroh snarled, throwing a blazing punch at Pakku instead of the retreating dragon.
The purpose of their disguises was to give the impression of pirates, but did the prince really believe the root of this confrontation was because they wanted the dragon for themselves? Unbelievable. There was no hope for this man, who could not fathom someone fighting him to save the dragon. Pakku did not care what the spirits told the fortune-teller. There would be no rebirth for Prince Iroh today.
Calling forth the strength of the ocean through the thin connection Bumi helped create, Pakku met Prince Iroh's flames with a towering wave. Fire strong enough to wound a dragon would not be doused so easily, but it exploded into scalding steam. The humid air grew heavier with the vaporized aftermath of opposing elements meeting head on with equal strength.
The burst of steam had Pakku stumbling backward. His back collided with a tree and the breath in his lungs escaped him. Above them, the dragon had finally begun its ascent into the sky. Prince Iroh spared Pakku no second glance as he swirled his arms and summoned the crackling energy of his lightning.
The dragon was injured, unable to fully extend one of its wings as it laboriously tried to fly. It would not be able to evade lightning as it had in past clashes with the Fire Prince. Helplessness filled Pakku even as he pulled once more at his connection to the ocean. He wasn't going to be fast enough and-
With a rumble, the ground beneath Prince Iroh swallowed him up to his neck. The sigh of relief upon remembering he was not alone caught in Pakku's chest. Bumi acted too late. The prince had already let loose his attack. No, Pakku would not fail this mission!
The waters pooled around him swirled upward to block the lightning's path. It did not explode, nor did the lightning shoot through his element. Pakku's arms trembled as the water he commanded contained the lightning. He could feel the energy following the water's current, and how it sought for release. It would not stay contained for long.
Pakku quickened the swirling movement of the water, then cut off its path, directing a stream carrying the lightning's energy away from the dragon and the clearing. The resounding crash of the charged water hitting a distant tree almost overshadowed the crack of trees buckling under the weight of a dragon falling from its place in the sky.
Silence rang around them, broken by an impressed whistle from Bumi, which released the prince from his shocked stupor.
"How did you do that?" Prince Iroh asked breathlessly from his earthen constraints. "You aren't pirates. Who are you?"
"Good job! I was wondering if you'd figure that out by yourself!" Bumi said with a delighted clap. "You're right. We're not pirates. We're part of an international secret organization!"
A sharp reprimand of Bumi's name almost escaped Pakku, but he managed to censor himself with a hiss of the insane king's code name. "Chrysanthemum, why are you telling him that?!"
Completely ignoring Pakku, Bumi leaned down over the prince at his mercy with a wide grin. "And we'd rather you didn't kill that dragon, you see. But it seems we're rather evenly matched..."
"No we're not!" Pakku protested incredulously. What was Bumi doing?! He formed an arsenal of icicles and took a step forward. "The fight is over. We've won. Let's just take him-"
The ground opened under Pakku and encased him the same as Prince Iroh. His shout of protest was quickly muffled by a hardened layer of dirt covering his mouth. Was this why Bumi had agreed to accompany Pakku? Had he been planning to betray him all along?!
"I want to make a deal with you, Prince Iroh!" Bumi crowed, as if he had not just restrained his companion. The prince gawked up at the madman, speechless in his stunned confusion. "Plum Blossom here and I won't interfere with your hunt anymore if you pass my test."
Prince Iroh glanced at Pakku, mouthing 'plum blossom' in disbelief, before looking back at Bumi with a scrutinizing stare. "You've been getting in my way for weeks and now I'm helpless by your hands. What could you possibly have to gain by releasing me and letting me continue with my hunt?"
"Ah, ah, ah!" Bumi tutted, holding a finger up in Prince Iroh's face. "We'll leave you be if you pass my test!"
"And if I don't pass?"
Bumi beamed a gap-toothed grin. "Why, you'd leave the dragon alone, of course!"
"You won't let me go unless I agree to these terms, I presume?"
"Yup!" Bumi popped the end of the word childishly.
After a moment of wiggling within the confines of the ground, Prince Iroh accepted his defeat with a sigh. "Very well, what is this test?"
"I've heard rumors that the rare three-legged crow roosts on the coasts of this island," Bumi said cheerfully. "I've always wanted one! I have my heart set on a name, so I absolutely must have a female one. So your test is to find and bring me my beloved new pet, Flappy!"
Pakku groaned and dropped his head. All through their journey, he had been pleasantly surprised how Bumi did not live up to his title as the Mad King of Omashu. Now he knew that reputation was understated. The man had lost his mind, if he'd ever had one to begin with!
"That's it? I bring you one of these birds and you'll leave me alone?" Prince Iroh asked, eyebrows raised so high they touched his hairline.
With a stomp, Bumi shot Iroh out of the ground. "Pass my test, and the dragon is all yours." Another stomp had earth flying up behind Bumi. It rose into a wall that ran out of the clearing as far as Pakku could see. "And don't even think about trying to sneak past me! I've surrounded the dragon and will be keeping an eye on it until you return."
"I would not dishonor the terms of our agreement in such a way." Prince Iroh brushed the dirt from his clothes with a curt nod. He turned his back to Bumi, confident in their truce as he left. "Either I bring you your bird or I do not. I will return shortly."
As soon as the prince was out of sight, Pakku raised his voice in a muffled shout. Bumi whirled around with his hands held over his mouth in mock surprise.
"Oh, Plum Blossom! I forgot you were there! Now before I let you out, I'll have to ask you to promise not to freeze me until I explain..."
In legend, three-legged crows were messengers for the siblings Tui and Agni. At night, they joined Tui in the sky as stars and told her news of her brother. When dawn broke, they flew into the world under Agni's rays and told him of his sister. But just as Sozin demystified dragons, three-legged crows were also proven to be just birds. Intelligent birds, indeed, but mere creatures nonetheless. Mere rare creatures that would be easier to find if Iroh's tracker hadn't disappeared.
"They said they were going for a walk," the captain said with a hesitant frown. "Said you wouldn't need them any time soon. Did you lose track of the dragon again, Sir?"
"I'm sure I'll run into them," Iroh said dismissively as he disembarked his ship once more.
It was fine. Yangwu had taught Iroh a lot about their profession during this hunt. Tracking a bird known to live on this island should be much easier than tracking down a dragon on the move.
It was not fine.
Hours of inspecting every tree and following every bird call brought Iroh no closer to finding the three-legged crows or Yangwu. He cursed the mysterious men barring his path to a quiet life raising his child. If he couldn't find the earthbender's new pet, there was no way Iroh could defeat both of the benders without backup or the distraction of chasing down the dragon. Maybe if it was just the earthbender, or even two earthbenders, Iroh would be fine, but the waterbender unsettled him. He had never fought one before, and he had no idea they had such a technique to counteract lightning.
How could Iroh hope to return home with dignity without slaying the dragon he swore to vanquish? While he began this mission as a way of bolstering his image, failure now would damage his reputation more than if he had quietly stepped back from the front lines of the war.
A rattling caw sounded from the ocean. Iroh turned to the cry, hope buoying his spirit. A massive black bird soared over the waves with a fish clutched in its- Did it have three clawed feet or was it a trick of the sun? Even as Iroh doubted the sight, his feet moved to chase after the bird as it flew over him.
It soared gracefully between the trees, leaving Iroh to push his way through the underbrush like a rampaging hippocow. Sunlight made the bird's inky black feathers glisten red and gold. Surely this had to be it. It had to.
Only when Iroh was gasping for breath and certain he could run no more did the bird let out its shrill call and bank into the branches of a large tree. An answering cry echoed through the forest. Collapsing to his knees, Iroh struggled to catch his breath as he peered up through the tree's leaves. A nest of thick branches and jungle debris sat against the trunk of the tree. Iroh could just make out a second bird accepting the fish from the first, which stood on two legs while offering the meal with its third.
The spirits were giving Iroh their blessing with this stroke of luck. Unfortunately, Iroh had not thought through this endeavor. He brought nothing to aid him in capturing one of these birds and had no idea how to proceed. Well, now that he knew where the nest was, he could return to the ship and hopefully Yangwu would be there. They would know how to differentiate and capture a female three-legged crow.
A whisper of doubt had Iroh climbing a tree neighboring the nest. Before he wasted time trekking to the ship and back, he needed to be certain these were the birds he was searching for. Halfway up the tree, a rush of wings fluttered overhead. Cursing, Iroh whipped his head up, nearly losing his footing in his haste to make sure at least one bird remained.
Beady black eyes stared back at him from the nest. Unnerved, but assured he had not scared his prey away, Iroh turned away. A matching pair of black eyes were waiting for him on a nearby branch. Iroh yelped in surprise. His stomach swooped as his foot slipped. With an ungraceful scramble, Iroh threw his arms around the tree trunk and hugged his body against it. Twin cackling laughs taunted him as the nearest crow took flight and returned to its partner.
Heat filled Iroh's face, despite his only audience being a pair of animals. Unbelievable. What would the Fire Nation think of their Crown Prince if they could see him now? Iroh felt like an utter fool. The crows' gazes made Iroh's skin crawl as he pulled himself higher in his tree. No amount of humiliation or discomfort would deter him from his quest.
"Alright, you cursed birds," Iroh grumbled as he sat himself on a wide branch across from the crows' nest. "Let me get a look at how many legs you have."
The larger of the two that had been in the nest ruffled its feathers as it stood. It raised one of its legs to clack its beak against its talons. This close to it, there was no uncertainty. These birds were, undoubtedly, the three-legged crows he needed. Balancing on one leg, the crow continued to mouth at its talons as it used the other to shift a large egg underneath it. The crow cawed softly as it settled once more on its egg. Its partner ran its beak through its feathers, preening it without a care about their audience.
They were breath-taking up close. The iridescence of their wings shone like the flicker of flames, or perhaps like the stars in the sky. Those black eyes seemed to shine with their own light, as if they truly were messengers for spirits.
Iroh's heart constricted in his chest. He found the birds, and the egg confirmed one of them was female. The earthbender wanted a female three-legged crow specifically for Iroh to pass his test, after all.
Watching the birds tend for each other, Iroh knew what he must do.
"Gave up already?"
The magnitude of his decision felt heavier under the waterbender's disdainful sneer. If an enemy could judge Iroh so harshly, he dreaded his return home.
"I'm afraid I must forfeit from your test," Iroh said, dropping a handful of dark feathers which shone gold and red as they fell. "I found your birds, but removed any evidence of their location. As an expecting father, it seems my conscience would not allow me to rip a family apart. Beautiful they may be, a three-legged crow will not be made a pet for your pleasure."
"Conscience?" The waterbender spat as he pooled water in his hand. He glared at his companion. "What conscience? It's more likely he figured out your-"
"You pass!" The earthbender cheered, spreading his arms wide in celebration, which doubled in dropping the earth wall behind him. "Happy dragon hunting!"
Before the waterbender could protest, the older man wrapped a line of dirt across his mouth and gave him a wink. "Ah-ah, Plum Blossom. You agreed to let my test speak for itself! No takes-backsies!"
A weight fell upon Iroh, similar to the one that had draped over him when Yangwu shared their Water Tribe tale. This time, it did not restrain his words, but pushed them out despite his reluctance to speak them.
"Your test was to choose to not bring you the bird?"
Cackling, the earthbender pulled his companion behind him out of the clearing. "Where's the fun in telling you that? You'll figure it out on your own. Good luck!"
The path to his prey was left unguarded. There would be no one standing in his way anymore. Iroh repeated these words as he followed a trail of broken trees. If he said them enough, perhaps he could believe them.
Nightfall was fast approaching after Iroh spent the majority of the day tracking down the three-legged crows. He was exhausted and hunger clawed at his stomach, but it was too late to turn back now. Iroh refused to give the dragon a chance to evade him once more, or for the men of some secret organization to change their minds and interfere again. He did not fear his own mind changing. No, he had a mission, and he would see it through.
The dragon had managed to move on foot from its fall, but was clearly suffering from its battle against Iroh. Droplets of blood splattered the ground. Shimmering scales stuck to trees where the dragon had been too uncoordinated to walk straight. Footprints were swept away by a foot dragging behind. This would be a brief final fight. Iroh tried to convince himself of his excitement.
Finally, the dragon's trail came to an end at a steep cliffside. It lay curled up against the rocks, battered and unable to fly up to safety. Hearing Iroh's approach, it slowly lifted its head. Mournful, golden eyes stared at him. The pained roar cried out into the fading day rattled in Iroh's chest. It breathed out a weak puff of fire to ward Iroh off, then pitifully lowered its head.
No amount of discomfort or doubt could persuade Iroh to abandon his mission with his goal right before him. This was for the good of his family. Iroh swirled his arms, separated the positive and negative energies within him. He would grace the last dragon with a quick and painless death.
An earth-shattering roar carried down from the clifftops. Bursting out of the remaining light of day, a blue dragon dove for Iroh. He released his bolt of lightning at the second dragon, but it was as fresh and uninjured as the red dragon had been the first time Iroh faced it. With an agile spin, it changed course and avoided Iroh's attack. It landed over the red dragon, protectively covering its body with its own.
Iroh readied another lightning bolt. The blue dragon's golden gaze bore into him as he separated the energy within him. Fear blew its reptilian pupil wide and round, almost consuming the golden ring of its iris. Anger blazed hot and volatile in the gold, refusing to be consumed by the black of fear. Sorrow glistened in the whites of the dragon's eyes. The red dragon stared up at its savior, only a sliver of gold able to escape its wincing pain. Love burned brighter than anger. Sunlight poured out of the red dragon as it made sure its mate would be the last sight it saw.
Energy crackled within Iroh, demanding to be let out or it would consume him.
A pair of three-legged crows, preening over their egg, flashed through his mind. Yangwu's voice echoed in his ears, words of a mother throwing herself before a hunter's blade to protect her loved one. The warmth of Sayaka's embrace against his skin ghosted over him, along with the promise of a tiny, wailing bundle that would settle in his arms.
Iroh let his lightning loose and collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Forgive me, please, forgive me."