"Many things that are worthwhile are difficult," he agreed kindly.
"And yes. Zuko may have lost sight many times over what he should be doing, what the best course of action is, but he always meant things for the best in his own way."
He leaned back and stroked his beard.
"Since the war began, in the Fire Nation, children have been raised and taught to believe that the war is a good thing. That the Fire Nation isn't trying to conquer the world to rule or ruin it, but to unify and improve it. That the other nations had less technology and less civilization than we did. That one war now would stop all future wars because if we shared a culture, we would all understand each other better and have no further need to fight."
He sipped his tea.
"Those of us being groomed to rule weren't taught the truth behind it. We were indoctrinated even more, perhaps. I came to my realization of the truth late in life. Too late," he said softly. Too late indeed to save his son. He sighed softly. "I saw too late the cost of the war, saw the cultures that we weren't absorbing but destroying, the lives we were ending."
He took another sip of tea.
"For Zuko, honor was always a pinnacle of good. to be a good person, you had to have honor. And on the surface, that is not a bad way to see things. But when the wrong people are held up as paragons of virtue, the definition of honor, and our understanding of it, can be muddled."
He leaned back. "We were each raised to believe that our fathers were good men, doing their best for the people not just of the Fire Nation but of all nations. That they were men of honor, doing the difficult thing for the sake of everyone. It is hard, then, to understand a moment when those same men act utterly without honor. Because then you have to either believe that they never had honor, or that your own understanding of honor is flawed. My brother acted without honor many times in Zuko's life." the words were said a bit grimly, but without clear anger or judgment. They were fact. His emotions would not help, here. "That left Zuko constantly trying to figure out what honor actually was. That is why he believed that honor was a thing someone could bestow upon you, or withhold from you, rather than something intrinsic to who you are and laced into your actions and inactions."
"He believed the war was just and that his father had honor, and only took honorable actions. Therefore anyone who opposed the war had to be wither wrong or evil. It took you and your friends to show him the truth."
He leaned forward again to refill his tea cup. "I must admit, while I am glad it happened, I do feel a little like I have failed, that for all the time I was with him, I was not able to convince him or guide him nearly so well as you were. Either way, Zuko learned far sooner than I did. And he was always fully himself, even as he seemed to the world to change drastically. A well meaning, serious person for whom honor was important. Someone always trying to do what is right. And of course, someone who is stubborn." Very very stubborn.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Text
Date: 2021-07-25 04:09 am (UTC)"And yes. Zuko may have lost sight many times over what he should be doing, what the best course of action is, but he always meant things for the best in his own way."
He leaned back and stroked his beard.
"Since the war began, in the Fire Nation, children have been raised and taught to believe that the war is a good thing. That the Fire Nation isn't trying to conquer the world to rule or ruin it, but to unify and improve it. That the other nations had less technology and less civilization than we did. That one war now would stop all future wars because if we shared a culture, we would all understand each other better and have no further need to fight."
He sipped his tea.
"Those of us being groomed to rule weren't taught the truth behind it. We were indoctrinated even more, perhaps. I came to my realization of the truth late in life. Too late," he said softly. Too late indeed to save his son. He sighed softly. "I saw too late the cost of the war, saw the cultures that we weren't absorbing but destroying, the lives we were ending."
He took another sip of tea.
"For Zuko, honor was always a pinnacle of good. to be a good person, you had to have honor. And on the surface, that is not a bad way to see things. But when the wrong people are held up as paragons of virtue, the definition of honor, and our understanding of it, can be muddled."
He leaned back. "We were each raised to believe that our fathers were good men, doing their best for the people not just of the Fire Nation but of all nations. That they were men of honor, doing the difficult thing for the sake of everyone. It is hard, then, to understand a moment when those same men act utterly without honor. Because then you have to either believe that they never had honor, or that your own understanding of honor is flawed. My brother acted without honor many times in Zuko's life." the words were said a bit grimly, but without clear anger or judgment. They were fact. His emotions would not help, here. "That left Zuko constantly trying to figure out what honor actually was. That is why he believed that honor was a thing someone could bestow upon you, or withhold from you, rather than something intrinsic to who you are and laced into your actions and inactions."
"He believed the war was just and that his father had honor, and only took honorable actions. Therefore anyone who opposed the war had to be wither wrong or evil. It took you and your friends to show him the truth."
He leaned forward again to refill his tea cup. "I must admit, while I am glad it happened, I do feel a little like I have failed, that for all the time I was with him, I was not able to convince him or guide him nearly so well as you were. Either way, Zuko learned far sooner than I did. And he was always fully himself, even as he seemed to the world to change drastically. A well meaning, serious person for whom honor was important. Someone always trying to do what is right. And of course, someone who is stubborn." Very very stubborn.