Really it’s more Iroh and Ozai, bit Zuko’s in the room...
Ozai visited. Iroh wished he hadn’t.
That man’s son tossed and turned on the bed, and somewhere through the haze of pain and herbs to make him sleep, Iroh hoped he felt the sheet being pulled up around him, something, anything. Zuko shivered. “Mom?”
“No, Prince Zuko.” Iroh bathed his forehead with cool water, careful not to drip any on the bandage.
“Your mother’s gone,” Ozai snapped.
Whimpering, Zuko turned towards his father’s voice and curled in on himself. Iroh wanted to set his brother on fire. “Do you have to be here?”
“I came to inform my son of his sentence.” His face didn’t move when he spoke.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Careful, General Iroh.” Brushing what little hair his nephew had left out of his eyes, Iroh glared at his brother, but the glare wore itself away, until the expression left was just tired. “He is banished, until he can find and capture the Avatar.”
Iroh sighed and swallowed the fire that wanted to come out with that sigh. “I need to go pack.”
“What are you talking about?” Ozai narrowed his eyes.
“I am going with him.”
“Are you.”
“Someone should!” Zuko whimpered a little and thrashed, and Iroh did his best to soothe his nephew. “We’ll take my ship.”
“You are not permitted to deprive the Fire Nation navy of the services of that ship!” Ozai raged, advancing on his brother and the bed.
“Then how do you expect him to search for the Avatar?” he demanded, leaping to his feet.
“I’m not unreasonable,” his brother sneered. “I’ve already provided a ship and crew.”
“C-cold,” Zuko shuddered, burying ineffectively into the blankets. Iroh bowed his head.
Ozai smiled and Iroh could see his brother’s thoughts on his face and decided he was a fool. “Yes. You may accompany Zuko. He could use someone to teach him acquiescence.”
“I’m honored.” Iroh waited until his brother turned his back to answer with his own joyless smile.
By the time his nephew could tell the difference, they were already on the ship.
Zuko: Directly after the Agni Kai
Ozai visited. Iroh wished he hadn’t.
That man’s son tossed and turned on the bed, and somewhere through the haze of pain and herbs to make him sleep, Iroh hoped he felt the sheet being pulled up around him, something, anything. Zuko shivered. “Mom?”
“No, Prince Zuko.” Iroh bathed his forehead with cool water, careful not to drip any on the bandage.
“Your mother’s gone,” Ozai snapped.
Whimpering, Zuko turned towards his father’s voice and curled in on himself. Iroh wanted to set his brother on fire. “Do you have to be here?”
“I came to inform my son of his sentence.” His face didn’t move when he spoke.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Careful, General Iroh.” Brushing what little hair his nephew had left out of his eyes, Iroh glared at his brother, but the glare wore itself away, until the expression left was just tired. “He is banished, until he can find and capture the Avatar.”
Iroh sighed and swallowed the fire that wanted to come out with that sigh. “I need to go pack.”
“What are you talking about?” Ozai narrowed his eyes.
“I am going with him.”
“Are you.”
“Someone should!” Zuko whimpered a little and thrashed, and Iroh did his best to soothe his nephew. “We’ll take my ship.”
“You are not permitted to deprive the Fire Nation navy of the services of that ship!” Ozai raged, advancing on his brother and the bed.
“Then how do you expect him to search for the Avatar?” he demanded, leaping to his feet.
“I’m not unreasonable,” his brother sneered. “I’ve already provided a ship and crew.”
“C-cold,” Zuko shuddered, burying ineffectively into the blankets. Iroh bowed his head.
Ozai smiled and Iroh could see his brother’s thoughts on his face and decided he was a fool. “Yes. You may accompany Zuko. He could use someone to teach him acquiescence.”
“I’m honored.” Iroh waited until his brother turned his back to answer with his own joyless smile.
By the time his nephew could tell the difference, they were already on the ship.