Ashes of Devotion [ATLA - Azula x OC]

[Sharker117]

Long Feng, Earth King, and basically all remaining nobles and military heads are dealt with, and the last symbol of the Earth kingdom has joined the Fire nation, the remaining EK opposition can be considered minor or insignificant.

TIME FOR SOME SHENANGANS.

Is it gonna be Ozai, FN Royal Courtiers, FN anti royal nobles, Northern water tribe, white lotus, or maybe Azula's planned coup.
Something is gonna go wrong, and it probably won't be the gaang, at least not their idea and not alone.

 

[Lucernello]

Was that the dowager queen, or was the king married?

Click to shrink...

It was Kuei's mother, who was considered Earth Queen still. He was not married, unless you count his bear as his queen, heh

Also, first comment by Mr Goat himself... I've been blessed.

 

[Lucernello]

AN: Sorry for the day delay, I played too many games lately. My bad.

Art by Aurora:

Enjoy,
Luce
​

---

99 A.G

Dear Fire Lord,

Father, I'm sending this letter through unknown means, mercenaries and the right payment, with the hopes that you will receive it this time. This is indeed troubling. We need to be more careful, this miscommunication between ourselves means that our correspondence might have been intercepted.

It reeks of someone trying to destabilize the nation in hopes of taking over, probably desperation now that the war is almost over and your rule would be more than secure. Once I'm back we are cleaning house.

Your daughter, Crown Princess Azula.

Ozai burned the letter instantly after reading it, his fury making the fire rows that sat behind the throne rise to the ceiling. When he managed to calm down, all of what was left was more paranoia and worry than before.

His anxiousness had been growing in him over the last several months. If anything, knowing that Azula had noticed the same pattern from the other side of the continent only confirmed that there was a clear threat in the Fire Nation itself.

It was frustrating him to no end. The war was finally approaching its conclusion after a century of resistance, Ba Sing Se had fallen, and with it, the Earth Kingdom as a whole was toppled down as well.

Everything that should have secured Ozai's rule for the rest of his life was falling into place, and yet at the exact moment victory seemed certain, people he had trusted for years were suddenly being exposed as thieves, liars and traitors.

Officials had been discovered hiding wealth from the state, noble families had evaded military drafts for their relatives, military suppliers had moved assets through intermediaries to avoid taxation, while others had been accused of selling influence or maintaining private agreements that directly undermined the crown.

The amount uncovered in such a short period had been found by the intelligence network Azula had encouraged him to create and expand. She had insisted that the Fire Nation needed better internal surveillance if they were going to manage a larger empire after the war, and Ozai had agreed, but he had never expected such results.

Several investigations suggested that the misconduct had been happening for years, sometimes even before Ozai had taken the throne. His previous systems had been remarkably incompetent for some of the people surrounding him had been disloyal from the very beginning.

He had started wondering whether that could explain why the war had stagnated for so long despite the Fire Nation's technological and military superiority. Perhaps officials had been stealing resources intended for the war effort, officers had been protecting relatives instead of sending capable men where they were needed, and noble families had spent decades serving themselves while pretending to serve the crown.

After each successful investigation, a myriad of people ended up being removed and or executed for their crimes, depending on the severity of it. Ozai had dealt with each case decisively, but the amount of them had made him reconsider his plan for the future.

While some positions were stripped, assets seized and families investigated where necessary, the replacements were hard to find, especially now that he didn't know who was loyal to him or not.

On paper, the process had strengthened his control and removed corrupt elements before the end of the war, but in practice, it had left him with little control of the people in the highest positions of power, for the people closest to him were now gone.

He felt he couldn't trust anyone anymore and even the attendants inside the palace had begun drawing his attention. A servant remaining inside a room for several seconds too long could make him wonder what the person had been listening for.

An attendant handling his meals could suddenly seem more dangerous than they had the week before, while guards who whispered among themselves were enough for him to exile them to the colonies with their honor stripped.

Ozai knew that some of the suspicion was probably excessive, but ignoring the possibility of betrayal would be even more foolish. With Azula commanding forces far from the capital and the useless son of his banished, a successful assassination would create exactly the kind of vacuum his enemies could exploit.

Azula remained his heir, but she would not be able to return immediately if something happened, and the absence of a suitable prince inside the capital would give ambitious families time to move before she could secure the throne.

Someone might already be counting on that and planning to remove him. The possibility increased in his head with each new appointment that was elected. If those officials he had blindly trusted had been corrupt, there was no telling what these new ones would do.

His daughter believed someone was attempting to destabilize the nation before victory made Ozai's position untouchable, and while he found himself agreeing with her assessment, he didn't know how to secure it now.

At least the end of the war gave him the luxury of focusing on the problem properly. Once Azula returned, they could compare everything she had learned with the investigations already underway and begin removing anyone whose loyalty remained questionable.

Once she returned, they were going to focus on stabilizing their power and elevating those who would stay loyal to their family, no matter who it angered.
​

---

Aang had been dreaming about fire, surrounded by darkness while flames appeared far ahead and slowly illuminated the outline of someone standing inside them. He could not make out the figure properly until he moved closer and recognized the familiar robes, beard and stern expression of Avatar Roku.

The dream came in broken fragments and he had to figure out its meaning. Roku would appear before him, disappear behind smoke, and then return somewhere else while images flashed around them too quickly for Aang to understand everything he was being shown. A mountain covered in snow appeared several times, followed by the familiar shape of an Air Temple built along its cliffs, and after a few moments Aang recognized it as the Northern Air Temple.

Seeing it again only made the dream feel stranger, especially when Roku repeatedly pointed toward it and tried to guide his attention there. The clearest part of the message came near the end, when Aang understood that he needed to reach the temple before the winter solstice.

He woke suddenly and nearly sat upright before remembering where he was. Everyone else remained asleep around the small camp they had made for the night, with Katara and Sokka wrapped beneath their blankets while Haru slept closer to the fire. Appa rested farther away, his breathing loud enough that Aang was surprised anybody could sleep through it.

Raizo was already awake and sitting across from him, watching with a concerned expression after apparently noticing Aang moving around. When Aang opened his mouth to speak, Raizo slowly raised one finger against his lips and glanced toward the others, prompting Aang to stay quiet while everyone continued sleeping.

Raizo stood, stretched his legs and walked away from the camp before moving his head slightly to indicate that Aang should follow him. Aang carefully climbed out of his blankets and followed until they were far enough away that they could speak without waking anyone.

The older man stopped near a group of rocks and turned toward him, crossing his arms while Aang rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"So, what happened?" Raizo asked. "You looked like you were trying to fight someone in your sleep."

"I've been having dreams for a while, but this one was clearer." Aang looked back toward the camp before continuing. "Avatar Roku was there again. I think he's trying to tell me something."

"Your previous life?"

Aang nodded. "He keeps showing me the Northern Air Temple. I saw the mountain and the temple built into it, and he kept pointing toward it. I don't really know why, but I feel like I need to go there before the winter solstice."

Raizo thought about it for a moment. "The solstice is in two weeks' time…"

"Yes, that's not very long."

"Well… we probably shouldn't ignore a dead Avatar appearing in your dreams and giving you directions, if you are certain." Raizo replied, earning a surprised look from Aang. "What?"

Aang smiled slightly. "You believe me that easily?"

"Why shouldn't I? I may not understand much about spirits but the Avatar has been documented to communicate with their past lives for thousands of years. Besides, if your previous life is trying to warn you about something, I don't want to be the idiot who told the Avatar to ignore himself."

"That would be pretty bad."

"Yes, I wouldn't like Lin to find that out after she asked me to help you."

Aang laughed quietly before looking toward the mountains in the distance. "Do you know how to get there?"

"I know the region well enough. We can continue north, through the small town at the Abbey, then turn west for a while, toward the mountains across the ocean. There are a few passes we can use, although with Appa, we can ignore most of the annoying parts and fly straight over them."

"It's certainly nice to have a giant flying best friend." Aang snorted.

"Indeed." Raizo said. "If the weather stays decent, we should make good time. The temple itself is very high up, although without Appa we would have made it up there anyway..."

Aang hesitated before asking the question. "How so? Have you gone there?"

"There are people living there." Raizo said. "It had been ruins for decades before my family helped them settle there and we constructed a series of lifts for them."

"Oh…" Aang lowered his eyes. "So the Air Nomads are really all gone from there too."

"I'm afraid so, Aang. I don't know exactly what happened at that temple during the beginning of the war, and I'm not going to pretend I do, but nobody living there now is an Air Nomad. I'm sorry."

Aang remained quiet for several seconds, kicking a small stone away with his foot.

Raizo continued more gently. "The place isn't abandoned, though. There's a community there now, and someone I know very well leads them. You'll have at least one friend waiting for you when you arrive."

Aang looked up again. "A friend?"

"An inventor. Most people call him the Mechanist."

"That's a weird name."

"He would probably take that as a compliment." Raizo chuckled. "He builds machines, tools, anything that catches his interest really. He's one of the smartest men I've ever met, although sometimes talking to him makes me wonder if his brain ever stops working."

"How do you know him?"

Raizo looked down at his metal arm and rotated his wrist slightly.

"He made this."

Aang's eyes widened. "Really?"

"This arm and my leg. More importantly, he was the man who saved Lin after her accident."

Aang glanced at the prosthetic again. "I thought your family made all that stuff."

"Lin improved most of it later, but without him there wouldn't have been anything to improve. When she was injured, most people thought she would die. My family, desperately looking for anyone who could save her, found him following rumors." Raizo said.

"The man lost his wife after his city flooded. His son was heavily injured in that incident as well and he couldn't walk anymore. It was said that there was no hope for the lad, but in just a few short days, the Mechanist built a cart his son could control and move around with. As the rumors spread of his brilliant mind, Minister Qin contacted my father about him, and my family moved mountains to get his help. In exchange for building something for my sister. He helped keep her alive and built the first prosthetics that allowed her to move again. My family owes that man more than we could ever realistically repay, so when the Fire Nation started becoming interested in his inventions, we made sure they left him and his family alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, anyone would want a brilliant mind working for them." Raizo explained. "After our family received his help, Minister Qin wanted him to create for the Fire Nation army, but father convinced him out of it, for the Mechanist didn't want to. He was perfectly fine with helping someone but he didn't want his inventions on any army."

Aang smiled. "So you protect him?"

"Very heavily. He saved my sister's life and gave me back an arm and a leg. That Lin turned out to be an even bigger mind than we anticipated worked well for our family. We have the wealth to pay back his good deed tenfold. If he decides tomorrow that he wants to spend ten years inventing a machine that peels potatoes, then my family will make sure nobody interrupts him and that he has whatever he needs."

Aang laughed again. "I think I already like him."

"You probably will. Just be careful asking him how something works unless you have several hours available."

"And you really think he'll help us?"

"He'll help you if you need it, he is a very decent fellow, he'll probably start showing you inventions before you can even introduce yourself."

Aang smiled. "Then I guess we're going to the Northern Air Temple."

Raizo nodded toward the camp. "Tell the others in the morning. For now, get some sleep before your past life decides to wake you up again."

"I don't think it works like that."

Raizo shrugged. "I'm not the one getting visions from dead people."

Aang shook his head, amused, and followed Raizo back toward the camp. The mention of someone living inside the Northern Air Temple left Aang with mixed feelings. Part of him had hoped that somewhere, somehow, one of the temples might still have remained untouched, even though he knew how unlikely that was after everything he had already seen.

Returning to another Air Temple would probably hurt, especially knowing that the people who once lived there would not be waiting for him. At the same time, knowing that the temple was inhabited brought him a strange sense of relief for he did not want to arrive to find bones, abandoned clothing or anything else showing how his people had died.

Aang went back to sleep thinking about Roku's warning and wondering what could be waiting for him at the Northern Air Temple that the last Avatar wanted to show him.
​

---

Suki had never witnessed anything that disturbed her quite as much as what happened in the main plaza of Ba Sing Se.

The Royal Council had been dragged before thousands of people while the square continued filling from every street surrounding it. Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors had originally gone there believing they might help keep order after the surrender, only to realize very quickly that there was no order to begin with.

People screamed accusations from every direction, calling for death to the murderers and kidnappers of the Dai Li. Some held the papers the Fire Nation had scattered throughout the city, waving names and records above their heads while demanding that those responsible answer for what they had done.

The members of the Royal Council were not given anything resembling a proper trial. As hundreds of voices joined in, stones and pieces of broken wood were thrown from farther back in the crowd.

Anyone trying to speak was immediately drowned out by demands for blood, and the few rebels attempting to control the plaza gradually stopped trying once they realized how dangerous it would be to stand between the prisoners and everyone who wanted them dead.

For a moment, Suki thought about intervening and looked toward the Kyoshi Warriors beside her, only to find the same fear on their faces. There were only a handful of them surrounded by thousands of furious civilians, many of whom were armed after weeks of rebellion, and trying to stop the executions would have accomplished little beyond turning the crowd against them.

So they did nothing, for there was nothing they could do. When their anger boiled over, the killings began. Some screamed insults and demanded the next council member be brought forward, while others cheered after every execution as though they were watching a festival.

Parents had children sitting on their shoulders so they could see over the crowd, and people who had probably never spoken to one another, hugged and celebrated together whenever another body fell.

Suki could understand wanting the people responsible for so much suffering punished, but not to that extent. Making a spectacle of it did not feel right for her either, and she didn't think they deserved such gruesome deaths.

After several executions she could no longer force herself to keep watching and told the people around her they needed to move. Slowly they moved back through the crowd, letting them move forward while they retreated.

The Kyoshi Warriors remained together until they found an opportunity to move away from the plaza, slipping through one of the side streets while everyone remained focused on the executions. None of them suggested staying to see what happened afterward, and the journey back toward the Lower Ring took a few hours with nearly all of it passing in silence.

Ba Sing Se looked different to Suki now as they walked through it. People celebrated throughout parts of the Middle Ring, tearing down symbols of the old government and carrying the banners of the Free People through the streets.

Maybe in another time she would have celebrated as well, for it was the end of the war for these people, they wouldn't need to fight anymore. The amount of violence still present though, made her still think about the plaza.

Nobody among her warriors seemed interested in talking about what they had witnessed either. One of the younger girls eventually became sick beside the road, and the group simply stopped to wait for her without anyone commenting on it.

What also bothered Suki the most was that she could not blame the Fire Nation for any of it. The same people of the Earth Kingdom had done the most damage. Their soldiers had not carried out the executions or ordered the crowd to do so.

Once the Upper Ring gates opened, what remained of the Royal Council's forces had surrendered almost immediately. Not long afterward, roughly a hundred Fire Nation soldiers had come from the direction of the palace with Lin and Azula at their head, bringing Long Feng and the Earth King with them.

They handed both men over to representatives of the Free People and announced that negotiations for peace could begin now that the old government had been removed from power, then withdrew from the square without ordering what punishment should follow or what the rebels should do with the prisoners.

Suki had expected some declaration of conquest, Fire Nation banners raised over the palace or soldiers filling the streets to impose their own government. Instead, Lin had withdrawn her people after reaching an agreement to begin negotiations, leaving Ba Sing Se to decide what happened to its former rulers, and the crowd had made that decision on its own.

By the time Suki and the others finally returned to the Lower Ring, Fire Nation soldiers outside the gates were already dismantling sections of their camp. Equipment was being packed onto trains, and all those that had spent weeks surrounding Ba Sing Se were preparing to leave now that the fighting had ended.

Suki found Lin among the departing officers and asked for them to be taken back to Kyoshi Island as soon as possible. She appreciated that she didn't have to explain why, Lin accepted the decision without questioning her while arranging enough space on the trains for the warriors, healers and volunteers who had traveled with them.

Now Suki stood beside one of those trains while supplies were loaded around her, watching her people prepare for the journey back, although her mind was still stuck reviewing those terrible moments before.

Suki also came to the conclusion that Kyoshi made the right decision after all. Being isolated from the rest of the world had never felt so right. True, the island was small, and a bit limiting. But it was familiar and removed from the violence that engulfed the world.

She watched the last Kyoshi Warrior climb aboard and followed her toward the train, already feeling relief at the thought of putting Ba Sing Se behind them and returning to their small bubble where everything seemed much safer in its distance from everyone else.

At least the war would soon end, and maybe in decades' time, things would look better. But for now, she didn't want anything to do with the world outside their island.
​

---

The return journey had been far easier than before. Crossing the continent had taken relatively little time, as the railway tracks had been improved by their engineers. After a week at sea their fleet finally passed through Azulon's Gate and approached the capital.

Azula stood near the front of the ship as the harbor came into view. Her father had prepared a proper welcome for them, and even from the water she could see the Royal Plaza filled with civilians, soldiers and banners waiting for their arrival.

The harbor became chaotic once the ships began docking. Workers rushed to secure ropes and unload equipment while officers directed returning soldiers toward their formations, with the rest of the fleet rotating through the docks so that thousands of men could return to land without blocking the harbor.

Azula had ordered Lin, Toph, several officers and members of her personal staff to remain aboard her ship for the final arrival. Once the gangway was secured, Royal Guards and Fire Sages approached carrying a decorated palanquin for her.

Azula climbed onto it as expected, while Lin and Toph walked alongside. The procession moved through the Royal Plaza with returning soldiers forming on both sides. Their armor had been cleaned, banners rose above every formation and the scale of the army was put fully on display for everyone gathered there.

Toph seemed mostly bored by the ceremony, chatting idly with Lin who remained composed walking beside her. When they reached the end of the plaza, Azula stepped down and the servants carried the palanquin away.

Her father stood ahead with members of the court and Royal Guards surrounding him, watching their approach. Azula bowed her head respectfully and Ozai answered with a nod. She could see the pride in his eyes as he watched her.

Lin bowed as well, while Toph simply stood there without realizing or caring much about who was in front of her. Her father eventually raised one hand, clearly a signal to begin whatever they had planned. Lo and Li stepped forward once the plaza became quiet.

"The heir to the throne, powerful and beautiful, commanded the armies who brought down Ba Sing Se's walls!" Li announced.

"As the enemy retreated, our glorious army surrounded them." Lo continued.

"Deciding to take matters into her own hands and bring the Earth Kingdom down herself, she took flight toward their palace and stormed it."

"She captured their leaders and promptly defeated the Earth Kingdom as a whole."

"The armies of the Fire Nation have now triumphed over the entire continent, our nation is a step closer toward peace, stability and prosperity for our time."

Li smiled toward Azula before raising her voice again. "Now your heroine has returned home!"

Both women spoke together.

"Your Crown Princess, Azula!"

The entire plaza erupted into cheers, their roar bringing a soft chill through her body. Azula loved it, but she wanted to give recognition to Lin as well. She walked forward and saluted the gathered soldiers and civilians, allowing the celebration to continue for several moments before motioning for them to quiet down.

"I return with victory in our hands, for you, for our people. But know this, I wouldn't have been able to do this on my own, our nation's biggest strength was with me! Our unity, our might, our drive to conquer even the skies, and the great leadership of the people around me."

She glanced briefly toward Lin and the officers standing behind her before turning back toward the crowd.

"For the Fire Nation!"

Soldiers and civilians roared the words back while banners moved throughout the plaza. Azula smiled as she looked over them.

'It feels so good to be adored.'​

 

[Lucernello]

AN: Hello, sorry about the delay. I got sick.

Art by Mochii

Enjoy,
Luce
​

---

99 A.G

Prince Zuko was relieved to finally be this far north. His uncle's contacts had continued proving their worth, passing information from town to town whenever anyone spotted the three Water Tribe teens.

The reports had changed slightly over the last few weeks, with people now mentioning two additional travelers accompanying them, but the enormous flying bison made identifying the group easy enough.

Zuko was confident they were still following the correct trail, and for once, he had managed to get ahead of them thanks to the upgrade to his cruiser. The ship had spent the last two years receiving repairs and improvements whenever they returned to Chin Harbor, and the time Zuko had been forced to spend recovering from the Agni Kai had at least allowed the latest retrofit to be completed without delaying them further afterward.

The engines now pushed the cruiser faster than before, allowing them to cross the Mo Ce Sea before entering a series of rivers that carried them north of the Great Divide. From there they continued north until reaching the Su Oku River, where Zuko finally ordered the ship to stop along the coast so they could prepare an ambush.

He was grateful the Avatar had been traveling so slowly. Every report suggested they were constantly stopping somewhere, occasionally remaining in the same region for several days before continuing north.

Zuko could not understand why someone supposedly trying to master the elements would waste so much time, although he was certainly not going to complain while that delay gave him the opportunity to prepare.

Once the Avatar reached the Northern Water Tribe, everything would become considerably more difficult. Zuko had never been there himself, but everyone knew how heavily protected the northern capital was.

Trying to sail a Fire Nation cruiser directly toward it would be dangerous, especially without an entire fleet supporting them, while infiltrating the city would be harder as well. He also did not want to think about what would happen if the Avatar actually became a master of his own element.

The young boy had already proven difficult enough with only using airbending, which he assumed had been thanks to whatever remnants of the airbenders that had managed to teach him. If he learned proper waterbending as well, Zuko's chances would only become worse.

Now he stood near the edge of the temporary camp overlooking the river, watching the water while a few of his crew prepared positions farther along the coast. Two scouts had already been sent ahead to watch for the flying bison, and if everything went according to plan, they would catch them unaware.

They just had to find a way to bring the beast down and he would be able to capture them. He had done everything he could to prepare, yet his confidence had taken a beating so far. His mind was wondering of all that could go wrong and fail.

"You know, Prince Zuko, this is a perfect time to relax."

Zuko turned and found his uncle sitting a short distance behind him with a Pai Sho board already prepared between them and a set of tea.

"Easy for you to say."

"Ha, true. A good cup of tea will do that to me." Iroh smiled. "You could try it as well, you know."

Zuko looked back toward the river. "I have to keep focus. We might not get another chance like this. If he reaches the North Pole, catching him might be impossible."

"That is true, but you have prepared enough, all we can do is wait now."

After a moment, he looked toward Zuko again. "Would you like to play?"

Normally Zuko would have refused without thinking about it. Playing board games was boring, and he never understood how his uncle could spend hours moving pieces around when there were more important things to do.

This time, though, he thought carefully about it. His thoughts kept going back to his current circumstance. After having to recover for a while, where he could do nothing but think, he had come to realize that he had lost one of the few people who would help him in the future.

Not only Lin had treated him fairly, but they had been able to encounter the Avatar thanks to her willingly giving him the tools he needed. He had pushed all of that away, even if he still thought he was right in demanding respect he should be given as a prince.

Either way, his uncle had stayed through all of it, even when he had gone against his advice. Iroh had followed him into exile, trained him, helped him search for the Avatar and continued supporting him even when Zuko made it difficult.

Now Zuko understood that at least until he was able to return to the Fire Nation and regain his honor back, he couldn't alienate his only ally. Which is why he considered his proposition for a while before deciding that a stupid game was worth keeping him close.

"Fine."

Iroh's smile widened immediately. "Wonderful. I was beginning to think I would have to play both sides again."

"You do that?"

"Sometimes. It is surprisingly difficult to defeat yourself."

Zuko gave him a confused look before sitting across from him. "That doesn't even make sense."

"It might, if you attempt to do so one day. Tea?"

"Fine."

Zuko rolled his eyes, although there was no real irritation behind it, and picked up one of the tiles and the cup of tea, and made his play. His uncle began explaining which pieces he had arranged while Zuko occasionally glanced toward the river, still unable to completely ignore the possibility that the scouts could return at any moment.

Even so, he stayed seated and continued playing.
​

---

The Festival of the Twin Suns had turned the capital into a frenzy of genuine cheerful ambience, the people in the city were celebrating and everywhere Lin looked, people had smiles on their faces.

For three days, banners covered the streets, public squares remained packed from morning until well after sunset, and nearly every ceremony repeated the same message about peace, unity and prosperity now that the Fire Nation and the territories that had once belonged to the Earth Kingdom were finally united under their might.

Officially, the war had not ended entirely while the Northern Water Tribe remained outside Fire Nation influence, but they had gone into isolation long ago, choosing to defend their territories rather than help their allies.

For most people living across the colonies the end of the confrontation with the Earth Kingdom meant true peace. The fighting that had consumed generations had finally moved away from their homes, Ba Sing Se had been liberated, and people were treating the moment as the beginning of an entirely different era.

Lin had spent most of the festival being dragged from one ceremony to another. Her armor now carried several new medals and decorations that she had not asked for, along with additions marking her final promotion and the campaigns she had participated in.

She had already lost track of which ribbon represented which battle, although apparently everyone else cared. Even the servants and attendants knew about them, and they kept correcting their position whenever she prepared for another public appearance.

Her family had been invited to remain in the Royal Palace throughout the celebrations, which at least gave Lin an excuse to spend some time away from crowds and speeches.

She was currently sitting with her parents inside the private quarters assigned to her, finally without officers, nobles or servants waiting nearby. Shyno had spent the first few minutes gushing about her appearance and how radiant she looked.

"You have become so beautiful and powerful. I would say even more than your father." her mother commented proudly.

Kaien faked looking offended. "That is hardly fair, she has your looks and mine combined, how can she not be?"

Lin chuckled and leaned back slightly. "Thank you."

"I'm truly proud of you." Shyno replied, reaching over and straightening one of the medals that had moved slightly. "Your father and I knew you would do well, but I don't think either of us imagined this when you first joined the army."

Kaien nodded. "You exceeded every expectation we had for you. Ba Sing Se alone would have secured our family's place for generations, but everything you accomplished before that already was more than enough."

"Our family is one of the most important in the nation now." Shyno added. "People who barely acknowledged us years ago suddenly have been all over us now."

"That sounds terrible." Lin said.

Her mother laughed. "It is."

Lin had never cared much about whether her parents were proud of her achievements. She had already lived an entire life before meeting them, and their approval had never been something she depended on, but seeing how genuinely happy they were still brought a small smile to her face.

She leaned forward and embraced them both, earning an immediate squeeze from her mother and a much more restrained response from her father until Shyno pulled him closer. After more pleasantries they sat knelt beside the low table to relax.

They spoke about different business and research the family was carrying on, and they kept asking about her input on them, knowing she had ideas that would help them out. For Lin, whatever advancements that they made was a step closer to enjoying the comforts she knew existed back in her own world, but that she had never been able to enjoy.

One thing she noticed however, was that her father had been tense through the entire conversation. He had been smiling as always, but there was something in the way he kept looking at her that suggested he wanted to talk about something more serious.

"Alright, what is it?" Lin asked.

Kaien blinked. "What?"

"You have that face you make when you are deciding how to tell me something which may be bad news for me."

Shyno covered a smile with one hand. "You are not subtle, dear."

Kaien sighed. "It is not bad news, but I do want to say something."

Her father adjusted his robes before looking at her more seriously. "I want you to know that you have my full support, Lin. Whatever happens, your mother and I are behind you completely."

Lin frowned slightly. "Thank you?"

Kaien continued, without noticing her confusion. "Just be careful. You have always been ambitious, but something this important cannot be rushed."

Lin looked between both of them. "What exactly would I be rushing?"

Her father gave her a knowing smile that only confused her more.

"I have already seen enough of your plan to understand what you are doing, and I think it is brilliant. You have positioned yourself better than I ever could have, but next time you should include me earlier. I could have helped you from the beginning instead of forcing you to manage everything yourself."

Lin stared at him while trying to understand what he could possibly be referring to.

'Do they mean my relationship with the princess?'

Shyno gave Kaien an amused glance. "She really intends to keep pretending."

"I suppose caution is a good habit." Kaien replied before turning back toward Lin. "I am not asking you to explain anything you do not want to explain. I only want you to understand that you do not have to hide it from us. I have also gone ahead and placed my people in the right places, we will be ready."

Lin considered asking, but whatever her parents believed was happening, they were clearly convinced that she already knew exactly what they meant.

Her mother reached over and placed a hand on Lin's arm. "And should things go badly, your father and I will make certain the family has alternatives prepared. You will not have to worry about us."

'Do I even want to be involved? But what if they are being misled by someone else that wants to blame it on me? I think I need to uncover this on my own.'

Lin slowly nodded. "I understand. I will do my duty."

Both of her parents smiled at that answer, apparently satisfied enough that Kaien finally relaxed. They stayed for a little longer before leaving for another event elsewhere in the palace, with Shyno hugging Lin once more before following her husband through the door.

Lin waited until their footsteps disappeared down the corridor before leaning back and staring at the ceiling. This was concerning, and she hoped it wouldn't come back to bite her now that things were finally calming down.

Lin stood and opened the door to call one of the guards stationed outside.

"Find Agent Wu and have him come here as soon as possible."

The guard bowed and immediately left to carry out the order. Lin returned to the room while going over the conversation again in her head. Her father made it sound as if there was something going on, something large enough that if it went awry it required contingency plans for the entire Renshi family.

It could be from an economic war against other families, or all the way to a coup, she needed to understand what was happening before she was involved by force. When Agent Wu arrived, Lin wasted no time explaining what she wanted from him.

"I need you to investigate my family discreetly. Find out what my father has been involved in lately, who he has been speaking with, and why both of my parents seem convinced that whatever is happening in the capital is part of some plan of mine."

Wu raised an eyebrow but nodded.

'What kind of games are they playing here?' Lin folded her arms, already irritated.
​

---

Most of the Fourth Army had been granted several weeks of leave after returning from Ba Sing Se, which Lin considered well deserved after everything they had gone through. Some soldiers immediately returned to their families, others remained around the capital to enjoy the celebrations.

A few seemed completely unable to decide what to do with their free time now that nobody was ordering them around, something Lin understood as well. Her own days had become strangely uneventful compared to the last several months.

Agent Wu was gathering information about whatever her family had involved themselves in, while other spies and contacts were quietly looking into the political movements around the palace. Lin had also begun making use of some of the Renshi family's own resources, although there was only so much information she could collect without making it obvious.

Which meant that for now she was left waiting for other people to bring her something useful. The Festival of the Twin Suns had at least kept her occupied through ceremonies honoring soldiers who returned from the war, and memorial services for those who had not.

She also had dinners with noble families and more formal gatherings than she really wanted. Every person seemed to want a few minutes with her, and Lin had quickly learned that she couldn't refuse every invitation, so she was left with enduring them.

Azula had been keeping her busy as well after deciding that, with the war paused for now, she needed to spend more time understanding the responsibilities she would eventually inherit as Fire Lord.

She had therefore begun attending meetings that previously would have been handled almost entirely by Ozai and his ministers, asking Lin to accompany her whenever possible. Arguing that she wanted another perspective and a guard.

Lin thought it was a good idea, especially since there was considerably more to ruling a country than knowing how to command armies, intimidate and torture people or even firebending.

Listening to ministers discuss taxation, colonial administration, trade routes and reconstruction was probably very valuable to her future, and Lin was glad to see her taking the responsibility seriously.

That morning they had spoken with two noble family heads, a senior minister and several generals about the integration of the former Earth Kingdom territories. And while the discussion had begun normally enough, mostly covering what resources would be needed to restore roads, maintain trade and keep food moving between the colonies and Ba Sing Se, eventually the subject had turned toward the Fire Lord himself.

One of the nobles carefully suggested that Ozai had relied too heavily on older families when appointing officials, arguing that several recent corruption scandals proved the administration needed people with fewer personal connections to the court.

Minister Khute was bold enough to comment that the war effort might have moved considerably faster if military commands had been given according to ability rather than political loyalty, and Lin expected the room to become uncomfortable after such comments were made so openly in front of the Crown Princess.

Instead, the others seemed comfortable agreeing with them. They were careful with their wording and always framed their comments as advice for Azula's future reign rather than direct criticism of Ozai, but the meaning was obvious enough.

Ministers spoke about inefficiencies that needed correcting, generals complained about supplies that had been redirected through political connections, and several people suggested that Azula should surround herself with younger officers and administrators once she inherited the throne.

Lin sat beside her throughout the discussion and said little unless Azula directly asked for her opinion, paying more attention to the people around the table as the meeting continued.

A few months earlier, she doubted half of them would have dared mention that Ozai had made a poor appointment, yet now they spoke openly to the princess, and she began wondering what had changed to make them feel so comfortable doing it.

She even briefly wondered if she might not see them alive again after those meetings. She doubted that Azula didn't notice, being as clever as she was.

But Azula made no moves to stop them, and when Minister Saar suggested that the Crown Princess should begin preparing her own circle of advisors before ascending to the throne, she glanced briefly toward Lin before asking what qualities he believed those advisors should have.

The man immediately began describing competence above all, which sounded reasonable, although Lin remembered how many of Ozai's strongest supporters had recently been removed from their positions, so she didn't think there were many options out there loyal enough.

There were now too many coincidences. She did not know whether the people they were meeting were connected to whatever her parents believed she had planned, but she was becoming increasingly certain that many of these advisors were part of it.

Once the meeting ended and the others bowed before leaving, Azula remained seated deeply in thought.

"There is certainly a lot to do, things that father should have done apparently." Azula commented.

"It seems so." Lin replied, leaning back slightly.

"What do you think is their game here?"

"I think many of them are in on something deeper going on, even if some of the advice given is useful."

Azula smiled slightly. "They do give useful advice."

"Do you want me to investigate them?"

"No, I've got it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, leave it to me." Azula said, confidently.

She nodded without saying anything else. She intended to support her, if she wanted to handle it she would let her. Still, Lin was going to pay much closer attention to everyone from now on, just in case.
​

---

Aang was feeling terrible as he watched Katara walk away through the beach with tears in her eyes. Sokka, on the other hand, walked deeper into the sea, then remained standing with his feet in the water as the waves slowly went through him.

"Just give them space, Aang. We will be here when they need us, but everyone needs their alone time to process things like that." Raizo said.

Aang nodded, hugging his knees while atop a small rock.

"I just feel useless right now." Aang said, sadly.

"Yeah, me too." Haru said. "We might stay a bit here though, so I'm going to build Appa a small shelter, just to do something."

Haru walked away, and Raizo moved closer to him, sitting down beside the rock.

"I'm sure we will find something to cheer them up. Right now, it might be difficult for them, but in the short time I've known them, they have a lot of will in them, they will pull through."

"I hope so… I also hope their father's fate was not the same." Aang sighed.

"Do you know his name? I might be able to ask around, maybe he has been… captured instead." Raizo said.

"I don't know his name, but maybe after they come back, we can ask them." Aang said.

"Sure, we can maybe make it a bit subtle, so that they can tell us their happy memories with him, maybe that will help." Raizo said, then he got up and gave him a gentle pat in the shoulders.

As Raizo walked away to their now small camp, Aang stared at the wreckage of the Water Tribe boats in the coast with sadness once more.
​

---

Lin had been making a conscious effort to be gentle for the last several minutes, a challenging feat having metal fingers. She was running her fingers slowly through the princess's hair while she rested with her head against Lin's thighs.

The entire situation had somehow become more intimate than Lin expected when they had started training that afternoon. She had suggested a few rounds of sparring because all three of them had been restless after days filled with ceremonies and meetings, and at first everything had gone normally enough.

Azula had been focused and competitive as always, while Toph had immediately stood up to the challenge, throwing both of them around whenever she got the chance. Lin had expected the princess to do well, like always, but Azula became tired much faster than usual and started losing exchanges she would win.

Toph had not been much better. She complained about the heat, started missing movements through her earthsense and eventually dropped onto the floor, saying it was too hot to even attempt lavabending.

Lin had called the training there and suggested that they rest instead. She had not expected that suggestion to end with Azula stretched across the cushions beside her, eventually lowering her head onto Lin's lap without a second thought.

Toph had somehow ended up on the floor nearby with her back against the carpet and both legs raised against the wall, occasionally flexing her toes while doing absolutely nothing.

"We can ask a servant to bring us water if you want some, Toph." Lin commented while continuing to brush her fingers through Azula's hair.

"I'm happy like this." Toph replied. "I could easily sleep like this."

"...Alright."

Azula made a quiet amused sound without opening her eyes. Lin shook her head and returned her attention to the princess. Azula looked content like that, and being close to her felt nice. Moments like this had become increasingly common since Ba Sing Se, which still surprised Lin.

A few months earlier she had spent hours wondering whether Azula even understood what she wanted from their relationship, while Lin herself had been equally uncertain about how to approach it.

Now Azula sought her out whenever they had free time, leaned against her during long conversations and seemed perfectly content receiving little signs of affection even if they felt a bit awkward.

Lin had planned to take everything slowly once they returned home, especially now that they had time to relax and be together more frequently. They had plenty of time to figure out what their relationship would eventually become, and she wanted Azula to understand what she was choosing.

The more time Lin spent with her, the more convinced she became that Azula had received very little affection growing up. The princess still reacted strangely to simple things and was confused about what some things meant.

The first time Lin kissed her forehead before leaving for a meeting, Azula had stared at her as though she had done something incomprehensible. When Lin brought her food because she had skipped a meal, Azula immediately asked why she didn't send a servant for it instead.

Even now, whenever Lin played with her hair or held her close without any particular reason, Azula sometimes seemed surprised before gradually relaxing.

She knew the royal family was a mess, Azula's mother was no longer there for her and the Fire Lord didn't seem to care much for affection. Moreover it seemed as if even when her mother was still there, she never cared for Azula as she should have.

Lin looked down at the princess resting against her and carefully moved a strand of hair away from her face.

Azula opened one eye.

"Hello"

"Hey." Lin replied, softly.

"It feels nice."

"I'm glad, princess."

Azula closed her eyes again. "You can continue."

Toph made a disgusted noise from the floor.

Lin turned toward her. "You don't want me to play with your hair as well?"

"Please, no."

"I'm sure you would like it."

Toph moved one foot lazily against the wall. "It is not the same as Princess Platypus here. But if you find a handsome guy that wants to love me, do let me know."

Azula snorted against Lin's legs. Lin smiled and continued stroking Azula's hair while the conversation died down again.

She still wondered how she had ended up here, sitting on the floor of the Royal Palace with the Crown Princess practically asleep on her lap and Toph lounging beside them like an exhausted cat. She never imagined that she would have these calm and cute moments in her life.

Azula moved slightly, turning her head until she was more comfortable against Lin's thighs.

"I can get used to this." she murmured.

"At what?"

"The hair thing."

Lin smiled. "Me caressing you?"

"Yes, that."

"You can just say you like it."

Azula remained silent for a second before replying more quietly. "I like it."

Lin felt warm inside her chest and continued without teasing her. She wanted Azula to become comfortable with moments like this, with affection given out of care and love. Lin was older, even before considering the life she remembered before this one, and she felt some responsibility to make sure they built whatever they had carefully.

Since there was no reason to hurry, they could learn from each other gradually, figure out what they liked and what they did not, argue when they inevitably disagreed and build something that felt natural.

Lin brushed her thumb gently along Azula's temple, then through her face, making the princess smile again. Toph made another exaggerated groan from across the room.

"You two are getting gross now."

Azula laughed softly, and Lin found herself laughing with her while the three of them remained where they were, enjoying the moment.​

 

[Rotceh]

Wow, that image is incredible—I wonder which of the two is crazier.

And yeah, Azula has some terrible abandonment issues.

 

[Lucernello]

AN: Hello, we are getting close to things finally ramping up. Are you excited?

Art commissioned done by Elar

Enjoy,
Luce

​

---

99 A.G

Lin had spent most of the morning going through what Agent Wu and the rest of her intelligence network had gathered, and by the time she reached the last piece of information, there was little room left to doubt what was happening inside the Fire Nation.

There was an organized attempt to remove Fire Lord Ozai from power. The pattern now was too obvious once everything was placed together, and she was not surprised her father had found out about it.

Several nobles had distanced themselves from him, officers and ministers connected to his administration had been exposed or removed, and people who had once been considered among his strongest supporters were suddenly losing influence one after another, if they didn't lose their lives altogether.

What surprised Lin more was what Wu's agents had learned about the plans for what came afterward, because several of the people involved seemed convinced that she would somehow end up on the throne.

That explained her parents' strange behavior during their last conversation, but it did very little to explain how anyone expected that outcome to happen. Lin had no blood claim, had never expressed interest in ruling and had spent most of her career publicly loyal to the Royal Family.

More importantly, she had not talked with any of the conspirators privately, making it even more strange. Another odd occurrence was that these conspirators did not seem interested in removing the Royal Family itself.

Their anger appeared focused almost entirely on Ozai. Crown Princess Azula's popularity was higher than ever after Ba Sing Se, and nobles, officers and ordinary citizens alike seemed eager for the day she would inherit the throne.

If Ozai disappeared, Azula would simply take his place, which made the idea of Lin somehow replacing her difficult to understand. Unless, of course, Azula was involved and she intended to change the rules as soon as she ascended.

Lin stared at the reports spread across the table while that possibility slowly stressed her out little by little. Azula had changed considerably during the months away from her father. She had become more independent, openly questioned several of his decisions and had already spoken about preparing for her eventual ascension.

The nobles they met lately were also strangely comfortable criticizing Ozai in front of her, something that no one in their right mind would do, unless Azula herself expected for them to say exactly that.

If she was behind the coup, then there would be no reason to purge the Royal Family at all. Ozai could be removed while his heir remained, keeping the transition legitimate in the eyes of the nation.

That still left Lin's supposed role unexplained, although even that began to make uncomfortable sense when she considered how close she and Azula had become. But even if they expected her to rule beside her, that didn't explain her father's words fully.

Their relationship was private, but probably not invisible to anyone paying close attention, especially when Azula constantly requested her presence during political meetings and rarely hid how much she trusted her.

Lin leaned back and rubbed her forehead, unsure where to go from here. Was it impossible to think that Azula might want to replace her father? Unlikely maybe, but not impossible. She had no proof yet, and accusing Azula based on assumptions would be foolish, but ignoring the possibility simply would be just as dangerous.

For now, Lin needed more information before deciding what she was going to do with it.

'And I thought things would calm down after coming back. Damn this world!'
​

---

Aang was feeling anxious and sad. Katara and Sokka had returned after their shock wore out, and they had still gone over the entire wreckage trying to find any clue that would rule out if their father was truly gone or not.

The pieces of ships had been scattered across the shoreline for some distance, broken wood and damaged sections of hull carried in by the current until they became trapped between rocks or buried beneath wet sand.

Sokka had recognized the markings to know that the ships had belonged to the Southern Water Tribe fleet, and although he didn't see anything that clearly belonged to their father's vessel, it didn't ease the siblings' concern.

They had searched what they could before learning about an Abbey farther inland, where people living near the coast might know more about what had happened. Katara and Sokka immediately wanted to investigate.

The group got atop Appa and they flew a short distance to the Abbey. As they flew above it, he saw that the Abbey looked newer than Aang expected, built from a kind of light grey stone and surrounded by smaller structures, a huge central courtyard and a main hall.

As they descended and landed inside, several elderly women slowly came forward, their expressions tired but curious. Aang gently used airbending to get down from Appa faster to greet them.

Recognition came quickly, along with excitement in their smiles.

"The Avatar! It cannot be… You grace us with your presence, young one. It seems the cycle has finally continued." The eldest said, overwhelmed.

"Oh, eh, hi. Yes, I'm the Avatar. Would you mind if my friends asked you a couple of questions?" Aang asked.

"Of course, let's talk inside."

While they moved inside, a few of the citizens stared at Raizo. Aang noticed the suspicion immediately and could hardly blame them when the man standing beside them was enormous, visibly Fire Nation and looking intimidating.

He glanced at him and it seemed that Raizo noticed as well.

"I'll stay outside, Aang." He said softly. "Appa could use a good brushing, he is not shedding it with the cold and it's getting tangled."

The older woman visibly relaxed once he began walking back toward the bison. Aang watched him go for a moment and smiled slightly. Raizo was truly quite gentle, and patient as well, for he didn't get offended.

Aang alongside Haru let the siblings go first. Katara did not waste much time once they were inside.

"We want to know what happened to the boats." She said.

"You must know something. Were there any survivors?" Sokka asked.

The women exchanged uneasy looks before inviting them a cup of tea.

"Well… the first wreckage appeared four months ago. At first, it was only loose pieces of wood and rope. By the following day, what looked like supplies and crates began to wash ashore. The next morning, it was bodies."

Katara and Sokka both gasped at that.

"We searched the shore for several days, and we checked every body we found. We even had a rotation going to reach anyone who might have survived farther out at sea, but I'm sorry to say, nobody living ever reached us."

"No…" Katara whispered.

"By your attire it is clear you have a relationship with whoever they were, I'm truly sorry. We eventually buried the bodies near the Abbey, beneath simple stone graves. Someone can take you there." The woman explained.

Aang felt his stomach tighten, it was the worst news they could have received.

"Was there anything you recorded? What about their uniforms and belongings, what did you do with that?" Sokka asked.

"Most bodies were too damaged by the sea to even identify them. We did store their personal belongings but that is all we have."

"We want to take a look then, our father was in that fleet." Sokka said, his voice breaking a bit.

Katara covered her mouth with one hand, tears already filling her eyes before Sokka moved closer and pulled her into him.

"I understand, I'm sorry to hear that, I will take you there myself." The woman said.

"Alright..."

Aang stood nearby without knowing what to do. He wanted to help them, but didn't know what he could do to help. There was a chance that their father was still alive somewhere but saying that felt wrong, and took him back to his own hope of any of the Air Nomads surviving.

It seemed that Haru was in the same spot as him, for he remained quiet, looking concerned and sad for them. They were then led to the storage room, and Sokka dived in to try and recognize the sailors belongings. Katara eventually joined him. They seemed to recognize some of the things they found and Aang feared the worst.

"Nothing here belongs to dad." Sokka said, finally. "But several things I recognize from others in the fleet. This was Bato's."

He passed a necklace to Katara who took it and closed her eyes. Eventually Aang moved closer and placed one hand lightly against Katara's shoulder. She did not say anything, but she leaned slightly toward him while still holding Sokka.

The women gave them as much time as they needed and even offered food and somewhere to rest, although neither sibling seemed interested in staying longer now.

"Avatar, while seeing you alive brings a great joy to my old bones, I'm truly sorry for the world you are left to face. You have a difficult journey ahead." The elder asked.

"I know." Aang said, tiredly.

"If there is anything I can do to help your journey, let me know."

"Thank you. We are heading to the North Pole, maybe a few coats just in case?"

"We can do that."

Once they had thanked the Abbey workers for their help and promised to return if they learned anything about the unidentified graves, the group slowly made its way back outside.

Aang saw Raizo near Appa. He had removed part of Appa's saddle and was using a large brush through the fur along the bison's side, apparently having taken his excuse for leaving them alone very seriously.

Appa seemed pleased with the feeling and leaned slightly toward him whenever Raizo stopped. Raizo turned when he heard them approaching and the expression on his face changed the moment he saw Katara and Sokka.

"I'm sorry." He said softly once they were close enough. "I take it the news wasn't good."

Katara shook her head while Sokka looked toward the ground.

"They found bodies from the fleet…" Aang explained. "But no survivors made it here."

Raizo stopped brushing Appa and rested one hand against the handle while listening.

"We don't know if our dad was one of them, there was nothing to identify him." Sokka added.

Raizo nodded slowly. "Then don't give up on him yet. I know that doesn't make this any easier, but until you know for certain, there is still a chance he made it out alive."

Sokka looked toward him. "You really think so?"

"I think hope should be one of the last things you let someone take from you." Raizo replied. "I already asked my family if there are Southern Water Tribe prisoners being held anywhere in the Fire Nation. I haven't received an answer yet, but if your father was captured instead of killed, there is a chance someone has a record of him. I instructed them to send me a list if they do have them."

Katara wiped her face. "You asked them for us?"

"Of course. I said I would help."

Sokka looked surprised for a moment before glancing away, apparently uncomfortable with how grateful he suddenly felt toward someone he still did not completely trust.

"What can we do if he is a prisoner?" he asked.

"Then we can maybe negotiate his release." Raizo said. "We should first find out if he is alive, we can then see what to do from there."

Aang saw some of the tension leave Katara's shoulders, even if the sadness remained. Before anyone could continue, a familiar cry came from above.

Raizo looked up as his raven eagle descended toward them, wings beating heavily before it landed along the edge of Appa's saddle. A small message container had been secured around one leg.

Sokka immediately straightened.

"Is that it?"

Raizo reached for the message. "Could be."

Everyone watched while he opened the container and unfolded the paper inside. Sokka stepped closer.

"Well?"

Raizo looked toward him. "It isn't about your father."

Sokka's shoulders dropped again, although Raizo continued reading for another moment before slowly lowering the paper. Aang noticed Katara watching as well, while Haru moved closer from where he had been waiting near Appa.

"What happened then?" Aang asked.

"Ba Sing Se has fallen. The Earth Kingdom is no more."
​

---

Azula was pleased with how everything had developed so far, especially because so far, her plan had worked very well. Her father had become increasingly paranoid over the last several months, and every new scandal or investigation only made the situation worse for him.

Officials he had trusted for years were exposed, servants were dismissed for the smallest mistakes, guards were questioned constantly and anyone who happened to contradict his memory risked being accused of disloyalty.

Azula had encouraged that paranoia whenever the opportunity appeared, and one of her favorite methods had started almost by accident after she intercepted a servant Ozai had exiled and ordered the man quietly returned to his position several days later.

When her father saw him again and became furious, the guards nearby, who she had bribed beforehand, insisted that no such order had ever been given and that the servant had been working normally the entire time, leaving Ozai confused enough that Azula immediately saw the potential in repeating the trick.

After that, servants dismissed from the palace would be intercepted before leaving the capital, offered enough money and protection to convince them to cooperate, and then returned through different sections of the palace once enough time had passed.

Some were terrified of being caught between the Fire Lord and his daughter, especially after Ozai burned several of them during his outbursts, but none dared expose Azula.

They knew that accusing the Crown Princess of manipulating him would sound like an obvious attempt to save themselves, while Ozai had become suspicious enough that he no longer trusted the people around him regardless.

The guards closest to him had been easier to manage than Azula expected. Money helped, but fear and ambition worked better, especially once they understood that supporting her now could secure their positions when she eventually inherited the throne.

Whenever Ozai demanded to know why an exiled attendant had returned, the guards would calmly tell him that he had never ordered the person removed, while conversations he remembered one way would suddenly be recalled differently by everyone else present.

Of course, he had guards exiled as well, but Azula just rotated them to different sections if that was the case, making sure Ozai didn't find them again. It was such an easy thing to do, that she wondered why she was so afraid of him in the first place.

Whenever he accused people of plotting against him, those around him became more careful, more distant and less willing to defend themselves openly, which only convinced him that his suspicions were justified.

Azula had watched her father slowly isolate himself while believing everyone else was responsible for it, and she could admit that the elegance of the plan pleased her greatly. The political side was working just as smoothly.

Nobles who disliked Ozai were becoming increasingly comfortable speaking with her, military officers had begun treating her future reign as something much closer than before, and several influential families were already discussing what positions they might hold once the transition happened.

It seemed now that removing her father had never been the most difficult part of the plan, because the one element Azula could not easily account for was Lin. She sat alone in her private quarters while looking over several reports spread across the table.

Every part of the plan had been prepared carefully enough that she could usually predict how someone would react, but Lin remained the one person she could not truly predict so far, especially now that Azula had accepted how deeply she wanted her by her side.

That realization made the decision of how to tell her far more frightening. If Lin accepted the plan, everything would become almost effortless. The army adored her, the Renshi family carried enormous influence, and most of the people already involved believed that Lin would stand beside Azula after Ozai was removed.

With both of them supporting the transition openly, very few people would risk resisting. If Lin rejected it, however, the situation could collapse almost immediately. Lin was loyal to the Fire Nation, and she still appeared as if duty and commitment should go over everything else.

If she decided that overthrowing the Fire Lord was treason regardless of who replaced him, she could easily turn against Azula and every noble involved. She obviously didn't want to fight Lin, this whole plan was so that they could be together and their nation prosper as fast as possible.

Maybe she could go against her and then trap her and hold her prisoner to her duties as Fire Lord consort, but if Lin decided to fight, she knew that most of the army would follow her if she openly declared the coup illegitimate.

Officers who currently supported Azula might hesitate once the general responsible for their greatest victory stood on the opposite side, and a civil war would erupt between the nobles who had forces in the capital and the army.

And while most of the army elements were away, it would be still difficult if rallied by Lin. Azula might still succeed but only after paying a price she had never intended to accept. What worried her even more was the possibility that Lin would simply walk away from her once she learned the truth.

Their relationship had developed slowly enough that Azula sometimes forgot how new it still was. They had only recently started becoming comfortable with openly showing affection, and Azula had only recently begun understanding what caring for someone meant.

Lin might decide that Azula had become exactly the kind of ruler she did not want to support. Losing the political advantage Lin represented would hurt her cause, but losing Lin herself would be far worse.

Azula leaned back and looked toward the ceiling while considering every possible way to begin the conversation. She could explain the political necessity first and show Lin how unstable Ozai had become, point out that most of the nation already wanted change and argue that removing one man peacefully would be better than waiting for his paranoia to destroy the government around him.

Another option was simply telling Lin the truth from the beginning and explaining everything before she had the opportunity to hear it from somebody else. That approach felt more dangerous because it placed the entire outcome in Lin's hands.

She smiled despite the unease growing in her chest, because there was something exhilarating about finally reaching the point where everything depended on what she decided to do from now on.

Azula had manipulated nobles, generals, servants and even her own father with relative ease, but none of those victories mattered as much as whether Lin would stand beside her once she finally revealed what she had done.

For perhaps the first time since beginning the plan, Azula could not predict what would happen next, and that uncertainty made her laugh quietly to herself while she continued thinking about how soon she would have to tell Lin the truth.
​

---

Admiral Zhao stood high above the deck of his flagship and watched the fleet move north beneath him, unable to keep the satisfaction from his face as ship after ship cut through the dark water in disciplined formation.

More than five hundred vessels had been assembled for the operation, stretching so far across the sea that even from the tower of his command ship he could not see the end of them. It was a marvelous sight to behold.

Transport ships carried soldiers and supplies, warships protected the formation from every side, and larger vessels held the equipment they would need once they reached the Northern Water Tribe.

It pleased him enormously to be in command of such a force. For years, Zhao had earned glory in smaller campaigns across the Mo Ce Sea, with the only notable event following his promotion being the sinking of the Earth Kingdom's and Southern Water Tribe fleets.

There was finally a bigger opportunity for him now that Lin Renshi had crushed Ba Sing Se and destroyed the Earth Kingdom as a serious threat, leaving only one enemy standing outside Fire Nation control.

The Northern Water Tribe had chosen isolation for generations, but Zhao did not consider that an excuse to leave them untouched. For this reason he had gone deep into the desert to find Wan Shi Tong's library, and actually found what he was looking for.

So far, they had remained powerful, independent and openly opposed to Fire Nation rule, which meant that as long as they existed, the war could never truly be called finished. That responsibility now belonged to him.

The thought filled him with pride as he looked over the fleet again. While General Lin had taken Ba Sing Se and would be remembered for ending the Earth Kingdom, Zhao would be remembered for something greater still if he succeeded.

He would be the man who brought down the final enemy of the Fire Nation and ended the war after one hundred years of struggle. Every family that had lost someone during the conflict would know his name, and every child born afterward would grow up hearing about the admiral who completed what generations before him had failed to achieve.

Zhao had no intention of settling for merely capturing the Northern capital either. The Water Tribe depended on the moon for the strength of their bending, and if the ancient records he found were correct, the spirit responsible for that power still existed in the physical world.

Destroying it would change everything. Without the moon, there would be no waterbenders capable of rising against the Fire Nation again, no future master strong enough to rebuild the Northern Tribe's military strength and no generation waiting for an opportunity to seek revenge.

Zhao would not simply defeat their army, but remove the source of their greatest advantage entirely. He imagined returning to the capital after the Northern Water Tribe fell, standing before the Fire Lord while the entire nation celebrated the final victory of the war.

Lin Renshi had her triumph over Ba Sing Se, Crown Princess Azula had returned home as the heroine of the Earth Kingdom campaign, and now Zhao would have an achievement that belonged entirely to him.

He would be the most remembered Admiral there ever was in history. If everything went according to plan, he would place his name beside the people who had shaped the Fire Nation itself.

A naval officer approached from the stairway below and bowed before handing him the latest navigation report. Zhao read through it quickly, satisfied that the fleet remained on schedule and that weather conditions ahead were still favorable for the final approach north.

"Continue at full speed, Captain." He ordered. "I want every ship prepared before we reach their waters. We will use our guns' advantages in range to bombard them before they know we are there in the first place."

"Give the order to each captain to review their formations, and tell them that I will summon them to my ship once we are close enough."

The officer bowed and returned below while Zhao remained at the railing, watching the hundreds of ships continue forward. The Earth Kingdom had already fallen, and once the Northern Water Tribe followed it, there would be nobody left capable of challenging Fire Nation supremacy.

Zhao intended to make sure that when the war finally ended, the last victory belonged to him.
​

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The story has a discord if you want to join and see the art posted there before I attach it to a chapter.