The Royal Family Needs To Stop Changing The Colors Of Their Fires. Wtf Is This

the royal family needs to stop changing the colors of their fires. wtf is this

Iroh being judged worthy by the dragons not for himself, but for his eventual role in guiding Zuko to them. Iroh's act of choosing not to kill the last dragon would result in Zuko and Aang standing in front of Ren and Shaw. Iroh may not have known it at the time, as according to the timeline this happened before his enlightenment about the war, but perhaps the dragons judged him worthy because they already knew what events he could set in motion. Iroh tells Zuko that he himself is not the one to take the throne, but that Zuko is.

Imagine Iroh, in the height of his career as crown prince and general, being given the knowledge by the dragons in exchange for sparing the life of one that it is not his destiny to take the throne, but to pave the way for another, more worthy. That's why Iroh doesn't fight Ozai for the throne after Lu Ten's death. Though surely, this can't be the destiny the dragons had in mind, one wrought in horror and blood? Perhaps this is what motivates him to take his spiritual journey.

Much later, when Zuko begs Iroh to let him in the war meeting, speaking of learning to lead his country, Iroh remembers the dragons' prophecy, and a spark ignites. That's why he lets Zuko in, despite knowing the danger, despite knowing that Ozai would never let Zuko become the kind of leader the Fire Nation needs. But there is that spark of hope.

That spark of hope is also what motivates his guilt after it happens. Iroh was thinking of his own salvation and sacrificed a child on the same altar his son died on. But there is still that spark of hope that exists, and Iroh knows now what his true destiny is.

I don't think Zuko truly realizes that Zuko is the one who needs to take the throne until late in the game, though, because he had to be sure that Zuko would make the right decision in the end, that he would show that he truly was the "idealist with a pure heart" as Iroh names him.

A lot of this is headcanon but I feel like it does flesh out some of the thornier bits of Iroh's backstory while fitting with the theme of destiny existing but also being influenced by individual choices.

send me a made-up fic title and i'll tell you what i would write to go with it

excerpt from the one where Steve lies about soulmates and the Winter Soldier does not:

“Somehow it never occurred to me to ask you how Rogers and the old man got along,” Tony Stark says, tilting his head. “You actually remember that? Like, how they talked and everything?” 

“‘Course I do,” the asset says. “They got me to watch the door for them enough times, I damn well know how they talked.” 

“You . . . heard that?” Rogers asks, looking alarmed. 

“I heard every damn thing you said,” the asset snorts, pointing at its ear. “Super-soldier, remember? Couldn’t have missed a word.” 

“Bucky, uh . . .” Rogers swallows, and doesn’t look at Tony Stark. “That’s not . . . you remember why you were watching the door, right?” 

“Yeah,” the asset says, because it does. 

“Okay,” Rogers says, very carefully. “So you remember why . . . you remember why we shouldn’t talk about those conversations, then, right?” 

“. . . we shouldn’t?” The asset frowns, not understanding. 

“No,” Rogers says. “We–definitely shouldn’t. So let’s just . . . not, please.” 

“Holy shit, those must’ve been some fucked-up conversations,” Tony Stark says, his eyebrows raising. “Considering I have literally never heard you shut down your precious little Twin Pop before.” 

“Just–not now, Tony, please,” Rogers says through gritted teeth, not taking his eyes off the asset. “You understand, Bucky, right? Just–please. Don’t.” 

“Is this because I killed him?” the asset assumes, and Rogers’s face goes even tighter. 

“No,” he says. “I–we know that wasn’t you.” 

“It was, technically,” Tony Stark mutters. 

“Tony," Rogers hisses. 

“It was, technically,” the asset agrees. It knows that Rogers tries not to think about that fact, but . . . “He recognized me. I didn’t recognize him.” 

“You wouldn’t have,” Rogers says, his voice going tight too. 

“I recognized you,” the asset reminds him. 

“That was–different,” Rogers says. “I mean . . . of course that was different.” 

“Yeah, yeah, soulmate crap, whatever,” Tony Stark says, looking exasperated. “Very romantic, we’re all real impressed, congratulations on your century-spanning romance.” 

Rogers tenses. The asset . . . frowns.  

“What?” it says. 

“Jesus,” Tony Stark says. “Have you two still not had that conversation?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the asset says, still frowning. 

“Cap, oh my God, tell the guy already,” Tony Stark says, shooting Rogers an annoyed look. “Everybody else on the planet knows, for fuck’s sake, someone’s gonna hit him with the clue by four sooner or later.” 

“Stop talking, Tony,” Rogers says, his jaw clenched. 

“What’s he talking about?” the asset asks, just a little suspicious. 

“I thought–you were dead,” Rogers says, half-raising his hands in a position of surrender. “I thought you were dead. And I knew you wouldn’t . . . I knew you wouldn’t have minded, if you’d known.” 

“What did you do?” the asset asks, narrowing its eyes. 

“I told the twenty-first century we were soulmates,” Rogers mutters with a grimace. 

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