two ➢ voice

[restoringhonor]

[Filtered from Sveta & Howie]

Before I came here, the Avatar - my friend - was faced with the problem of wanting a nonviolent solution to a violent conflict. He was raised to believe that all life was sacred, and wanted to find another way to stop it, even though ending the threat permanently would restore peace and end a war that had.

I thought he was being naive. That violence was the only way to stop what was happening. But he found a solution that didn't end in murder while still eliminating the threat.

Obviously I don't know Howie or Sveta as well as I know my friend. But maybe that can work here, too.

... Does anyone need any assistance with what's going on?

[Private to Iroh]

Are you alright?

Comments

voice

[restoringhonor]

What's your name?

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

Vanessa.

Why does it matter? I'm just another inmate.

voice

[restoringhonor]

People deserve second chances.

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

Not all people.

voice

[restoringhonor]

Someone thought you did.

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

This is no second chance, and I need no redeeming.

voice

[restoringhonor]

Sometimes it takes a while to realize you're not doing the right thing.

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

I was doing the right thing.

voice

[restoringhonor]

Are you sure?

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

Yes.

voice

[restoringhonor]

I see. [THIS SOUNDS SO FAMILIAR.]

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

Do you.

[WHY SO TEENAGE REBEL, ZUKO.]

voice

[restoringhonor]

[BECAUSE HIS CANON IS AWESOME.]

Yes.

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

[YES IT IS.]

Then you see that my refusing to fight for my people would have left them helpless, crushed and slaughtered by a tyrant.

I will never believe that what I did for them was wrong.

voice

[restoringhonor]

How did you fight for them?

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

With words and blades and anything else I could use.

voice

[restoringhonor]

I mean, against who? Were you part of an army or a resistance movement? How were your people being threatened?

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

Against the King who stole from us, orphaned us, and broke the back of our land with his wars and his demands. Against his men, who turned us from shelter and left us to die - when they didn't simply kill us themselves. Against the noblemen who cheated us and cast us from our homes to the streets - and then from the streets to the wild, to fend for ourselves against monsters while the soldiers laughed.

The army exists to gather gold and glory for the King, not to serve the people. We must serve ourselves or die.

voice

[restoringhonor]

I'm sorry. [ALL THE SLIGHTLY MISPLACED GUILT.]

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

[DOES IT STILL SOUND FAMILIAR, ZUKO.]

Remember it the next time you believe the best of a Warden because of the Admiral's whim.

voice

[restoringhonor]

[YOU SOUND LIKE JET.]

Just because you might be fighting for the right cause doesn't mean you're doing it the right way.

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

[SO VERY SIMILAR, EXCEPT JET WEARS PANTS.]

More nonviolence? I didn't have the time to sit and talk while my brothers and sisters starved to death. Men who live by the sword listen to nothing else.

voice

[restoringhonor]

[DO YOU HAVE HOOK SWORDS AND SOME STRAW TO CHEW ON. IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.]

You need to lead people by example. Violence can solve problems, but it's not the only solution, and if you think it is, all it does is create more hatred.

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

[SHE DID LIVE ON A FARM SO STRAW IS A MAYBE.]

You need to lead people however you must to keep them alive to fight on. There's no point in peace when it's gained because you're all dead and your enemies have won.

voice

[restoringhonor]

[THIS IS TOO PERFECT.]

But that can be accomplished in so many ways. Killing everyone who gets in your way doesn't make you any better than the people you're fighting against.