A/N: This is a fic that I wrote for my 10_prompts table. The prompt was "Why?" and I went with something more Iroh and Lu Ten-centered.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

Warnings: Slight spoilers, set pre-series, character death. And, account for typos.

Lessons of Life
By: Nuit Songeur

"Why, Daddy? Why?" asked the young boy, pointing a chubby finger to the broken mass of his kite. Tears streamed down his pudgy, five-year-old face. His father strolled over to his son and his pitiful state, examining it closely.

"Well, Lu Ten," he said. "It looked as though your kite has collided with the tree," he explained, pointing to a nearby tree that still had a string from the kite clinging to its branches. More tears gathered in Lu Ten's golden eyes.

"But Daddy…" he pressed tearfully. Iroh went up to Lu Ten and gently guided him to the kite's wreckage.

"Now, Lu Ten," he said patiently. "Like I've said many times before, there is no need to cry over spilled tea."

"But I didn't spill any tea, Daddy," Lu Ten sniffled, wiping his face on his sleeve.

"You'll understand it when you're older. Now," he said, turning to him. "Your grandfather has requested an audience and be sure not to step in the mud- your mother would kill me."

"But, Daddy, you let me step in the mud before," Lu Ten pointed out as Iroh led him away.

"I'm afraid your mother is not a firm believer in such things like we are, son." Lu Ten giggled in spite of himself.

Almost a decade later, when Lu Ten was almost fifteen, he stormed into his father's private study, enraged.

"Why, Father?" he asked, fists shaking down at his sides. "Azula always gets her way and she's barely even four! It isn't right for her to parade around the foyer proclaiming that her father will be Fire Lord and then when I tell her to be quiet, Uncle strikes me!" Lu Ten turned away from his father as soon as he discovered his anger produced tears. Iroh rose immediately, setting aside the scroll he was reading, and crossed the room to his son. He gripped him by the shoulders and turned Lu Ten around to face him.

"Lu Ten," he said carefully, urgently. "There are some things you need to know about this family. My brother, your uncle, isn't concerned with what's right so much as he's concerned with his own pride. And he includes Azula in with that pride because she is his favorite. If I were you, I'd steer clear from both of them for a while. Understand?"

Lu Ten nodded, not meeting his father's eyes.

"Good."

"But, Father," Lu Ten persisted. "They're wrong, aren't they? You're the crowned prince, not Uncle. Aren't you supposed to be Fire Lord after Grandfather Azulon passes?"

"Technically, yes," Iroh said, walking out of the room with him. "But, we do not talk of such things for we do not want anything to happen to your grandfather." Lu Ten nodded, turned toward his father, and bowed in the proper Fire Nation way.

It was not but a few years later until Lu Ten was storming up to his father again, this time outside under the dogwood tree. The pink petals of its flowers were slowly drifting to the ground with a small breeze. However, the gentle scene did not soothe Lu Ten's temper.

Iroh turned and looked at him in mild surprise.

"Why, Lu Ten! What is the meaning of this? Why are you so angry?" Lu Ten stopped when he had reached him and realized that he was breathing quite heavily. His chest heaved, a result of his anger.

"Don't act all innocent, Father!" he sneered. "You know it is my dream to become a soldier and fight for the Fire Nation! I am seventeen, of proper age to join! And yet the recruitment officer wouldn't let me. Shall I tell you why, General?" Lu Ten hissed out his father's title and his father, in turn, sighed and turned to the dogwood tree.

"Lu Ten, I think you should enjoy the finer points of life. They don't have trees like this in the Earth Kingdom-"

"Why? I want to join the army, the navy. I want to fight, Father!" Lu Ten's fists were shaking. Iroh rounded on him, anger flashing in his eyes at the outburst, and Lu Ten found himself to be afraid of his father, something that rarely occurred.

"You want to fight? You want to witness the terrible bloodshed of war? You want people to think of you as a murderer? You want to forsake my guidance and authority? If you are so hot-headed like the Dragon blood in you to overlook and ignore my teachings then I will gladly send you off to war, in the lowest regiment, on the front line, and disclaim you as my son and the favored heir to the throne." Iroh swiftly turned his back to him. Lu Ten stared wide-eyed at his father's back for a moment and got on his knees, bowing down.

"I am sorry, Father. I did not mean to insult you." He kept his face parallel to the ground and listened as his father exhaled a gust of air.

"Lu Ten," he began. Lu Ten still kept his head to the ground. "You are like any youth before you: eager to fight, eager to prove themselves in battle. Forgive me, I am somewhat protective of my family… especially after what happened to your mother, and I am not so eager as other fathers are to send their sons into the path of danger." Lu Ten finally dared to raise his head up and look at his father.

"I understand, Father. But, it is expected of me, as crowned prince, to fight in this war." Lu Ten rose to his feet.

"That is true," Iroh mused, nodding. "Plus, I doubt that I would be able to keep you from doing something you believe in for too long. Which is why I have come up with a simple solution. I want you to be a soldier for my army. That way, you can fight and I don't worry too much for your safety. How does that sound?" Lu Ten was beaming.

"Thank you, Father. I am most honored." Iroh chuckled, a deep rumbling in his vast frame.

"I'm glad you think so."

It wasn't long before Lu Ten found himself in his father's army, marching onward. Their destination: Ba Sing Se. His father envisioned breaching the Outer Wall. Lu Ten shared that vision and valiantly fought in the attack. He obeyed all of his father's commands faithfully afterward, carrying out his plans and patrolling the dingy streets of the Outer Wall.

After occupying the partial city for about two years, there was a specific girl that had caught Lu Ten's attention. An Earth Kingdom girl- one that no one would approve of for him- but a girl nonetheless. But, she was not as captivated by him and, in fact, scorned him whenever he was near. One day, he spotted her carrying a basket to a market stand. He pursued.

"Hi, Jade," he said, catching up to her. She only graced him with a glare from the corner of her eye.

"Someone obviously can't tell when they're not wanted," she sniffed.

"Obviously not," Lu Ten said, chuckling. Jade stopped and turned toward him.

"Then let me make this simple. Go away." She continued her walking. Lu Ten, unable to help himself, followed.

"I don't understand your hostility," he noted casually. She angrily rounded on him.

"I think it might have something to do with the fact that, I don't know, all of you Fire Nation scum bags are occupying my home." Lu Ten's brow creased.

"Scum bag?" he repeated, his pride momentarily stung. "You will want to watch the words that come from your mouth. I am the General's son-"

"And I suppose that you feel that that makes you better than everyone else," she interrupted, rolling her eyes. She kept moving. Lu Ten kept chasing after her.

"Well, it does," he said. She scoffed. "Jade, if you at least accepted me, I could give you protection from everyone else."

"Protection?" she asked, mocking. "As what? Your concubine? I don't think so; keep your protection." Lu Ten stopped, crestfallen, and watched as she disappeared in the throng of peasants.

"Why, Father? I don't understand it!" Lu Ten exclaimed exasperatedly minutes later as he ambled into Iroh's war tent. Iroh briefly looked up from the letter he was reading.

"It's not your fault. Generally the men of this family have somewhat of ill luck when it comes to the realm of woman." Lu Ten paused, staring at him.

"How did you know?"

"Your face. I looked the same way when I started courting your mother."

"Then what do I do?" Lu Ten asked helplessly. "She… she…" Iroh examined him.

"Tortures you with her refusal?"

Lu Ten nodded. Iroh stood up and crossed the room to him.

"There's something you have to know about women, my son," he said. "They are as beautiful as the Fire Lily and as fierce as the ancient Lion Turtle. Similar to a cup of tea."

"A cup of tea?" Lu Ten repeated doubtfully.

"Yes. One moment they're hot, another they're too cold. And it's very rare when you get it just right. When you don't, it makes for a fairly undesirable tea-drinking experience." Lu Ten listened attentively to his father's wise words, taking everything to heart. He would be prepared for his next encounter with Jade.

Unfortunately, he had no such opportunity.

A few days later and they were battering the Inner Wall. It seemed as though victory was within reach and soon, Iroh would have complete control over the Earth Kingdom capital. But there were definitely obstacles. His men received another taste of the elite warriors of the Dai Li. And that was surely a bitter taste. But nothing Iroh couldn't handle as he managed to fend off three of them at once.

"General Iroh! General Iroh!" yelled someone. Iroh turned and saw a man running toward him with wide, horrified eyes.

"What? What is it?" he asked when the man approached him.

"Your son…" was all that he said. Immediately, Iroh ran. He ran past Fire Nation soldiers, Eartbenders, and Dai Li alike. He didn't stop, didn't pause to fight or observe. Iroh ran until he made it to the front line.

The front line was devastating. Many had fallen. But, out of those who had not, there was a small group circling around one of those casualties. Iroh pushed his way past the onlookers.

"Lu Ten!" he yelled. "No! Lu Ten!" He finally broke past the crowd and fell over his son's limp form. He clutched the body to his chest as both heat and wet touched his eyes. His chest, his heart was blazing with fire and his throat let loose anguished howls of grief.

"Why, Lu Ten? Why?" Iroh sobbed into the chest of his dead child.

I hope you enjoyed! Please review.

-NuitSongeur