Glimpses of Pride

"Aaaaaahhhhh!!!"

There were loud cries of pride; others simply couldn't believe they had won this battle, which they would surely have lost if it weren't for the right people leading them.

But Thorian began to feel different; his body started to react differently than on other occasions. His heart was beating very fast, not due to the battle but on a quite different occasion.

"General, we will attend to your wounds." Some young waterbending masters extended their hands towards the burns and open wounds on Thorian's body, helping him recover.

By exterminating the enemy in this manner, not only had they sent a message to the emperor when he found out, but the entire world would know that the war was far from over.

Looking at these people who shouldn't be at war, Thorian knew that they had all fallen into this state because their waterbending style was not oriented towards combat.

When he looked towards where Aang was, he approached him to offer some support. "Those who are still alive will be sent to prison. Keep in mind that if it weren't for them being dead, the people of this tribe would be. In this war, there are no good or bad, just those who live and die."

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." Thorian stopped feeling strange after catching his breath and said, "Although I foresee that by abusing my power in this way, I am getting sick... I think there's nothing to worry about. Let's go see how the refugees are doing."

Just as he was about to go see the refugees, Brad approached and said, "General, I think you would like to see this."

"Is it important?" Thorian didn't want to waste time on minor things.

But Brad knew that this would benefit him greatly in the plans, so he said, "Absolutely, sir. I think you need to pay attention before things get a little worse."

Not knowing what all the fuss was about, he followed Brad before separating from Aang. Arriving at a cruiser, he could see an old man accompanied by a young man with a scar over his eye.

"Did they resist capture?"

"No, sir, they have been very cooperative with us." Brad was honest with the response he was giving, so there was no need to lie.

Walking into the interrogation room, Thorian sat down tiredly in the empty chair and said, "It was a great battle out there. Were you also part of the invasion fleet?"

"Oh, hahaha, not at all; we were here by mere coincidence." Iroh, who was Zuko's uncle, immediately responded with a very cheerful smile.

Looking at the young man, who shouldn't be much older than his age, he asked, "Are you the prince? I am Thorian, general of the coalition army. I don't know how to say it, but I would like to know the relationship you have with your father."

"Why do you want to know something like that?"

"I need to know," Thorian said without expressing his thoughts.

Iroh also didn't know why Thorian needed to know something like that, but knowing the terrible relationship Zuko had received from his father, he said, "It's complicated, like every father with his son."

"Is that so?" Thorian smiled slightly and, after a while, said, "In the next five months, my coalition army will completely take over the colonies that your nation has left elsewhere. We will form an alliance with the Earth Nation and invade your home in search of the emperor's head."

"Is that so? Good luck with that, although I doubt you can get past the border." Zuko thought Thorian was playing with him.

Thorian smiled a little and said, "I don't think you understand me; if you don't serve me, I'll send you at most to a prison in the North Pole... Tell me clearly: Are you willing to die for your father? No, better answer this question: What do you think of war?"

"I've never really thought about it; what do you want me to say? I can't apologize for something I've never done; I sympathize with the world's situation, but I can't even do anything to change it." Zuko didn't want to talk much.

"Not now… Brad, take the young prince out of here and take him to a room on this cruiser. Don't let him escape."

Brad entered and nodded. "I will take care of it as per your orders, sir."

When only Thorian remained with this old and famous general, he asked, "How would you define your young prince?"

"Zuko is patient and dedicated; he has a cold personality. He believes that a person becomes strong by having to work hard and fight for what they want." Iroh responded with a more serious expression. "Now tell me, what plans do you have for Zuko by doing all these formalities?"

"I plan to make him emperor of the Fire Nation." Thorian said as he sipped on hot tea.

Iroh was stunned by Thorian's declaration and asked, "Do you..."

"I don't care about power; I will kill the current emperor and make every nation name me the supreme emperor of this world. Zuko will take his father's place; someone will do it in the North and South Poles, so I expect the same from the Earth Nation."

Thorian poured a cup of tea for the old man in front of him and said, "What I expect from your ward is that he kneels before me once I am the ruler of his nation. Once that happens, the war will stop as long as there is only one ruler."