Zuko's wrought with empathy for Iroh, gazing at the man with a pained expression. All day, he'd been thinking about himself, his mom, his relationship with Ursa, his loss. Then realized, in all this, poor Azula was the one who lost more and gained less, in the end... ...and after finishing those mental gymnastics, he's here now at first once more selfishly for comfort from Iroh about such an epiphany, only to realize Iroh is the one who's lost the most and gained the least. This whole day has just been devoted to violent flips of perspective, centered around his most tender pain... yet his reason for being, apparently. He feels ashamed. He can't help it. It's all about him — but not at all about him.
"No, Uncle— you haven't failed me. I should have told you what I knew sooner, but I didn't know for certain... A-And— I think I didn't want to know, because I just thought Mother was dead, that Father was just goading me on that day in the bunker. But—" he hesitates once more, glancing aside but quickly returning his eye contact with new resolve. "There's more to the story. Mother's alive. The Avatar, his friends, Azula and I all found her together — in the future. She has a new life. A new husband with a new daughter — and a new face, with no memories of her life with us, granted by some Spirit, Azula said. I guess she couldn't live with her actions... I— I don't know what to think about that."
It definitely sours his opinion of Ursa, who'd been infallible before her leaving, his sole protector in the face of his father's abuse, in a life that was back then much, much smaller than his life now, and in fact rather centric around his mother. But he'd been told this in the context of her leaving Azula — he's alive and maybe not well, but he's alive. Azula's just alone. Ursa left Iroh fatherless and without his son, herself childless, and both her children motherless, just to keep Zuko alive. Gratitude isn't the first feeling that bubbles up inside the prince now tonight, though. It all tastes bitter.
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"No, Uncle— you haven't failed me. I should have told you what I knew sooner, but I didn't know for certain... A-And— I think I didn't want to know, because I just thought Mother was dead, that Father was just goading me on that day in the bunker. But—" he hesitates once more, glancing aside but quickly returning his eye contact with new resolve. "There's more to the story. Mother's alive. The Avatar, his friends, Azula and I all found her together — in the future. She has a new life. A new husband with a new daughter — and a new face, with no memories of her life with us, granted by some Spirit, Azula said. I guess she couldn't live with her actions... I— I don't know what to think about that."
It definitely sours his opinion of Ursa, who'd been infallible before her leaving, his sole protector in the face of his father's abuse, in a life that was back then much, much smaller than his life now, and in fact rather centric around his mother. But he'd been told this in the context of her leaving Azula — he's alive and maybe not well, but he's alive. Azula's just alone. Ursa left Iroh fatherless and without his son, herself childless, and both her children motherless, just to keep Zuko alive. Gratitude isn't the first feeling that bubbles up inside the prince now tonight, though. It all tastes bitter.