Little Soldier Boy

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Word traveled fast to each troops for their fallen soldiers from each camp. Everyone in the fire nation heard of the northern tribe massacre. Unfortunately it was their own that were the fallen when they wished it was the other way around.

It was horrific to hear of the avatars power with the spirits, but many families where angry at admiral zhao that risks so many lives to have a title, they saw the dead mans arrogance.

Zuko gulped as he walked into the camp holding a scroll he didn't dare open. It was quiet, people were out but it was quiet. He hated it.

He couldn't feel anything, his arms were numb, his chest was numb, his legs felt weak like he walked from the North Pole to the earth kingdom. He couldn't feel emotions, not even grief.

"Zuko?" Jay looked up surprised as he stepped into the camp, he had three bags on his shoulders but they were filled with everyone else's belongings.

"Oh fucking Agni Zuko!" Jay scrambled to his feet and slammed into the boy with a tight hug.

"You made it your alive," he held the boy tight as Zuko dropped the bags and his arms fell at his sides.

"Wha... how are you here?" Jay gulped wide eyes but saw the scroll in his hands.

"This is for commander Xai," Zuko said softly and everyone saw the commander walk out of his tent to see who was yelling.

"Zuko.." he breathed and the young soldier walked over to hand him the scrolls. Xai frowned fearing what the scroll held, he saw it was unopened.

He gulped opening the scroll and closed his eyes reading what it had to say. Everyone gathered curiously as jay had a strong hand on zukos shoulder.

"Cai, don, marco, cho, van, Kim, jin, Hyun, jac, ping, kam..." Xai gulped as he listed the names off the scroll. Proclaimed the dead.

"Lee,"

Zuko fell to his knees and gripped the grass under him as his chest hurt, his breathing hurt, his eyes burned.

"These are the soldiers that have fallen for our nation, the soldiers that sacrificed their l-lives and will live in o-our hearts," Xais jaw trembled as everyone was silent. He's never heard his men this silent.

There was something warm and wet falling down zukos cheeks, he felt his throat closing up as a small sound escaped.

"I'm so sorry," Xai knelt down to him but saw Zuko silently crying. It's been so long since he's seen the boy cry. He pulled him close as Zuko gripped him tightly and buried his face in his commanders shoulder.

"I watched them die, I watched zhao kill cho and I couldn't find marco, I-I don't even know w-where Lee was.. I wasn't with him, I should've stayed I-" Zuko sobbed into his shoulder as Xai held him close. Jay knelt down to them and put his hand on zukos shoulder, another soldier knelt with his head down, as well as all the others followed the kneel and kept their heads down in respect for their fallen.

"It's all my fault, it's always my fault," Zuko cried harder like the child he was.

"I miss Lee, I miss him so much," he sobbed as Xai rubbed his back gently.

"I don't even know how he died, what am I- what am I going to tell his family!" He cried as some other men let their guards fall and had tears run down their faces in mourning.

"I know kid, I know," Xai whispered. He knew that feeling all to well...

"We all have to keep fighting for them, so they didn't die for nothing, we'll bring honor to them, you'll bring honor to his name, there's a reason you survived,"he told the child quietly as Zuko shook in his arms.