Chapter Text
As the sun set, on the first day of the eighth month in the year that marked the end of the Hundred Year War, there was just enough of Agni’s light to crown Azula, daughter of Ursa and niece of Iroh, the next Firelord.
Azula searched for Zuko.
She asked Toph to do the same, and then Maru, and then her other friends. But the Palace was empty of its Prince, and Azula had so much to do before dawn came. Zuko was gone. She couldn’t pretend it didn’t sting.
But Ozai was gone too. And the reality of it was that they might be working together. That Ozai might’ve gotten to him again before she could.
When the servants returned, called in by the Fire Sages, she saw a familiar face from childhood. She had forgotten the name, but Zuko had always remembered.
“Ming,” the woman said, when asked.
“I remember…you were always good to Zuko…and to me.”
Ming bowed her head, and in doing so hid whatever expression she wore. Clever woman.
“Do you know where Zuko could’ve gone?”
Ming's eyes were kind. Apologetic. What help was that?
“I'm sorry, Pr – Firelord Azula.”
Right. Well, it didn't matter. There was so much else going on.
As they worked, she looked up at every shock of dark hair and pale skin, at every lanky teenager, and every boy pretending to be a soldier in their forces. In Zuko’s room, Azula found little evidence of where he might’ve gone, except for a single Blue Spirit mask. She held on to it for him.
But he didn’t come back.
Sokka was moved to the infirmary, along with more injured than they could fit in there. The Palace medic was called in and, with only a look at Azula, went to work with great neutrality under the careful watch of the Kyoshi Warriors. Suki woke up soon enough, and Maru was dragged there despite her protestation.
Sokka dragged Katara with him and declared, “No one else can heal me, thanks.”
He pulled the curtain around them. “Just sleep, Katara. You’re getting grumpy.”
“I’ll show you grumpy!”
She slept soundly. One hand curled near her mother's necklace, another wrapped around Sokka's arm.
When Sokka woke up the next morning in the infirmary, his sister was still there.
Aang watched the sunrise, bloodshot sleepless eyes. Beside him, Toph lounged easily on the roof, made softer by earth tiles melted into mud. She drifted in and out of sleep. Aang had his staff in a death grip, twisting his hands anxiously. Below, servants of the palace had been called in early to clean the debris – and the bodies.
When the first beams of sunlight lightened the sky, he startled. He hadn't realised how long he'd been awake.
Should he go help? Check on Azula? Be the Avatar?
But then Toph shifted, arm flung across his lap, keeping him in place.
He thought of the Eastern Air Temple, so far east that it was the first to experience sunrise by design. Thought of the Northern one, up in the mountains, and the Western Temple, hanging upside down so that one's feet was touched by the sun first. And the Southern …
Aang watched the same sunrise Monk Gyatso had, a century ago, and thought of home.
Suki gathered her Kyoshi Warriors after allowing for exactly six hours of rest. Somehow, the Freedom Fighters, most of them young boys, had become honourary Warriors. Suki didn't mind.
“We’re tasked with guarding the Palace proper, in case any stray dissidents show up. Protecting the Avatar and Princess Azula is our priority.”
Then she went in search for her own wayward dissidents. Mai and Ty Lee were nowhere to be found.
She was worried, of course. Ty Lee had gone quiet after that explosion in the hallway, refusing to leave Mai’s side. Mai had been glaring more than usual.
Despite the movement everywhere — from servants and soldiers picking up bodies, to factions fracturing into sub-factions and holding whispered meetings, to the children who fought the war getting to finally be children and run around — the halls themselves were eerily quiet in the East Wing. As she understood it, a place once dedicated to religion and spirituality, abandoned in the time of Azulon. Suki supposed warmongerers had little real reverence for Spirits, unless it helped their efforts.
She heard giggling coming from some room that looked a little like a temple. She peered in.
“Seriously?”
Ty Lee startled, lips swollen. Mai gave her a smug, irritating smug smile. “Oh, hi,” she drawled, nuzzling against Ty Lee meaningfully.
Suki spluttered, “There's so much shit to do and you're making out?”
“A little more than that,” Mai said.
Ty Lee chirped over her, “We'd kiss you too if you asked!”
Suki gaped at her. Then she turned around and slammed the door firmly shut, face red and wondering if it was worth it to interrupt Sokka at the infirmary.
The Throne Room was dim. The fire curtain was gone, and the podium empty. No child would kneel on those floors again.
Azula rummaged through her father's office. Resisted the urge to burn anything that was his, including the meticulously left paper trail of his works — his crimes.
“Ah, I see my brother learned,” Uncle said when he found her, “He had always been terrible at keeping things in order. That was Ursa's work.”
“Do you think he kept record of what was done to her?” Azula wondered for the first time.
“Would you like us to look?” Uncle asked gently.
Azula thought about it. Perhaps a few months ago she would've wondered. Perhaps if Zuko were here, she'd have cared for his sake.
“No,” Azula replied, “There is more important work to be done.”
“As you wish, Firelord Azula.” Uncle smiled widely, “Firelord, niece. I am so very proud of you. Ming has returned, I should ask for hot cakes to celebrate …”
“Uncle!” Azula said, embarrassed. She sighed, looking down at the paper, “This is just the first step. Now I actually have to rule.”
“Indeed. In fact, General Ting has been so happy to tell her soldiers that the Fire Nation has lost.”
Sharply, Azula said, “We did not lose. The war has ended and there are no losers or winners.”
“Good, but if you say it so sharply your new allies may not be so receptive. Too gentle and your new councilmen will think you weak. Sit, Azula.”
Azula looked at his father's desk. The Firelord's desk. And took her place behind it.
“Shall we play a game of Pai Sho?” Uncle asked.
Azula smiled back, all teeth, “Yes, let's.”
Three days after the Eclipse, a body washed up on the shores of a northern island. Its villagers gathered on the beaches until soldiers yelled at them to move aside. They had been notified of the ceasefire, but there was tension in the air — war could break out again. Perhaps the Water Tribes were attacking.
But no war broke out. In fact, if there was anything that ended the war so decisively, it was the body of the former Firelord, bloated with sea water and beached.
Words traveled to the Caldera quickly.
A messenger burst in the war council, where Azula was suffering through a Minister’s pro-war speech.
“Firelord Azula,” he said, panting, “News from the northern outpost.”
Ozai was dead.
Any threats to Azula’s power were put quickly to rest. And with the Avatar at her side, and Iroh’s endorsement, and the might of her allies, there was little left in the way of rebellion. For now, anyway.
Here was what happened next:
Firelord Azula spoke to her Nation's people first — snubbing any Ministers and Councilmen that remained — and told them that they were calling a ceasefile. Among the people that escaped with the presumed missing Ozai was War Minister Qin. General Bujing gave up his arms in the South with little resistance, and any remaining Generals followed suit.
The Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom allies left before accusations of foreign intervention could truly be thrown around. The only people remaining were the Kyoshi Warriors, the Avatar, the Southern Water Tribe children, and Toph Beifong.
Lords of neighbouring islands and provinces flocked to the Capital in search of the new Firelord's good graces. Azula meticulously weeded out anyone that she deemed trustworthy, and her Fire Nation soldiers from the Base enacted her will. They took prisoners, who awaited trial. Political prisoners were released. Most returned home. Some from the Fire Nation stayed, friends of Iroh and Piandao.
Here's what happened next:
In the Earth Kingdom, with the help of the Fire Nation soldiers loyal now to Azula, General Ting reclaimed Ba Sing Se for King Kuei.
In Omashu, the Mad King very definitively reclaimed his throne. It wasn't even close. He commended rebels for their flight and with complete disregard for propriety, promoted Yung to Advisor.
In Gaoling, the Beifong lost their wager on the Fire Nation and faced disgrace, debt, and their daughter's mocking letter (dictated, written by an equally gleeful Mai).
Here's what happened next:
Word of the ceasefire spread across the colonies. The Fire Nation Mayor of Yu Dao patted a napkin across his forehead and asked his Earth Kingdom wife for counsel.
Word of King Kuei's return burrowed into the underground pockets of rebellion in Ba Sing Se. And when the walls stayed up, Jet refused to stand down.
Word of peace came to villages in the Earth Kingdom. June rolled her eyes and placed her bets on how long it would hold. Jee picked up knitting again. Zuko slept.
Two Months Later
The knife sliced through the air, a sharp thing heat that missed Toph by inches. But it was a mistake — the Toph knew immediately where her opponent was. With a curl of her palm, a slide of her feet, Mai was down.
When she called, Earth listened.
Behind Toph, the quick, light landing of feet, before the person took to somewhere Toph couldn’t feel. But it didn’t take much, as she stomped down to feel the vibrations in the earth and find her opponent — with a well-placed spike, Ty Lee was flying through the air. She landed in a handstand.
Lastly —
Suddenly, a fan was at her throat. Toph groaned.
“We win!” Suki said gleefully.
“Three versus one isn’t exactly fair, Kyoshi,” Toph snarked, “I keep getting focused on fighting Lightweight over there that I miss when you move.”
“You’ve been getting better though,” Suki pointed out.
“I’ve been at the beach,” Toph shrugged. She’d spent hours counting grains of sand without moving, just by decoding what the earth told her. It was frustrating, but one day she’d be the first Earthbender to bend metal and sand.
Still, she struggled when her multiple opponents moved so in rhythm, too hard to tell apart just using earth.
“And you’ve been getting better at synchronizing your steps,” Toph pointed out.
Proudly, Suki replied, “every good Kyoshi Warrior knows she’s part of a unit.”
“Can we take a break?" Mai complained.
They did. Sweet buns brought in by Ming evenly shared between them, with Toph attempting to snatch some from Mai.
“Man, can’t wait to get out of this castle soon, no matter how much I love messing with Azula’s council,” Toph said.
“Where are you going?” Mai asked.
“Earth Kingdom. I want to fight again — and the Earth Rumble’s probably missing me! After that, who knows. I’m bored and there’s no war or parents to stop me.”
“Fair enough,” Mai leaned back on her hands. Toph could tell she was smiling. “We’re probably leaving too.
“You know, the offer of being a Warrior is still up there, Toph” Suki said, “Once we’re done here, we’re moving back to the Earth Kingdom and airing in the reparation efforts.”
“All of you?” Toph asked pointedly.
Ty Lee sighed. There was a silence where they chewed, waiting for her to speak. Eventually, Toph broke the silence, “You’re going to have to do it.”
“I know.”
“If you don’t, I will.”
Ty Lee’s heart skipped a beat. She replied, “I’m going to do it!”
Toph put her hands up in surrender, mouth full of sweet buns, “Jus’ sayin’!”
“I don’t know if today is the best day,” Mai pointed out.
Suki looked up and replied, “Today might be the only day that it’s right to tell him.”
Above them, the sky was turning red.
There was a somberness in the air, too heavy for their reunion to be truly happy. Still, Sokka happily hugged Dad. The Water Tribe ships — fleets that carried both flags of the South and North — were beginning to dock.
“How are you, son?” Dad asked.
“Getting by. Been busy,” Sokka said, knowing that wasn’t what he was asking, “You have no idea how annoying Fire Nation ministers can be.”
Dad gave him a wry smile, “I can guess. Ah, there she is!”
“Dad!” Katara greeted, basically pushed Sokka aside to get to him, “I missed you so much! How are you? How’s Gran-Gran? You won’t believe —”
Sokka turned away from the conversation when, out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a shock of silver. He turned, eyes wide.
“Yue!”
Princess Yue beamed. Sokka whooted in joy, coming over to hug her. Her Northern Guards allowed it because, well, it was Sokka.
“It’s good to see you,” she said, laughing, “How are you?” She looked down at his leg, “What happened?”
Sokka grinned, sticking out his leg where his leg brace was on proud display. “Battle scars! Cool, right?”
“Very cool,” Yue said agreeably, in the tone most people seemed to these days.
“Oh, watch,” he tapped the area above his knee. A little compartment sprang out. “Knee snacks! You want one?”
“ … No, thank you,” Yue gave him a fond smile, “It is so nice to see you again, Sokka. How is Suki?”
“She’s good,” he said, a little too quickly.
“Mhm, you two are just good?”
Sokka felt his cheeks heat up a little, which was even more embarrassing because everyone knew he and Suki were dating. “Taking it slow.”
“I’m glad,” she cast a furtive glance where her guards had wandered off, out of earshot, “By the way, Sokka. I was wondering if I could ask you about something.”
“Of course.”
“Well, I’ve been having trouble at the council, and since you’ve been dealing with much the same here …”
The two of them walked, headed towards the Caldera, as dignitaries from all over the world began to arrive at the Fire Nation, and Fire Nation diplomats traveled all over the world in turn. As summer came to a close, people gathered for the day of Remembrance.
It was not often that an old man returned to his past. And yet, watching his dear niece lead the council reminded him of Lu Ten.
Well, many things reminded him of Lu Ten these days. It had always been impossible to forget — in every Jasmine brew he made, in every Boat-gambit opening, in every small thing that Lu Ten had once loved. But this Palace was a place of ghosts, and he saw his son everywhere, in everything.
But pain sat side-by-side with pride. He saw Lu Ten in Azula, too.
“ — but, Firelord Azula –”
“We will discuss this after the Remembrance,” Azula said with sharp finality.
The council began to clear out slowly. Azula kept her severe appearance up well, stone-faced and straight-backed, until they left. Then she deflated and immediately turned to glare at Iroh.
“Uncle!” she said, “I could use a little help!”
Iroh smiled from over his teacup. He had been sitting at his own private table at the corner, enjoying his personal teapot. Azula was not impressed.
“I apologise, Firelord, but you’re doing so well,” he replied, “But a river is never pushed from behind or pulled ahead, but must flow in its own time.”
“River is going to drown some people soon,” Azula muttered.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Iroh saw a shadow move underneath the door. Stop. Turn and start pacing circles right outside. He smiled.
“You’re doing very well, my niece. I will always be here to help. In fact, perhaps you should take a break soon, visit some nations to bring the good will of the Fire Nation with you. I will hold down the fort.”
Iroh began moving towards the door.
“Visit … does it seem like the time I should be leaving?”
“Only a suggestion.” Iroh swung the door open. “Ah, Master Katara!”
Young Katara froze where she was, mid-pace. She smiled awkwardly, “Hi, Uncle.”
“My tea needs replacing!” Iroh declared.
A servant immediately came over, “Of course, my —”
“And I will be walking to the kitchen, paying my respects to Ming,” Iroh continued pointedly.
Azula rolled her eyes.
Chuckling to himself, Iroh excused himself from the Council room, leaving the two girls to talk.
“He thinks he’s so clever.”
Katara glanced over at the papers Azula was clutching, “General Shini?”
“Uncle,” Azula said with a sigh, “No, general Shinu thinks he’s clever.”
“Isn’t he the leader of the Yuyuan Archers? I thought they were on our side.”
“They’re better than the rest,”Azula huffed, sitting down again. Behind her, the fire curtain remained unlit.
(Katara had never seen it lit. No one in the Gaang had. They didn’t know what it meant, for it to remain without flames.)
Katara took a seat beside her, looking at the map. It was that of the reparation projects Azula had been engaging in. Dad had been talking about it in his frequent letters to Katara and Sokka. Part of it, Katara thought, was because Dad knew that Azula would listen to them, if anything went awry.
Unbidden, Katara’s eyes drifted South of the map. The Southern Water tribe was a stretch of white, little marker for their little village. It didn’t capture anything at all — did not show Gran-Gran’s hut and the roads Katara had once walked, and the small fortress walls Sokka had built of ice.
She missed home.
Her hands drifted up to her necklace, the weight of comfort. She missed home.
“Do —”
Katara looked up at Azula’s sudden words. She had her hands splayed on the table, staring intently at the markers. The colonies, the prisons, the scorched land.
“Do you think … it’s enough?”
Could it ever be enough?
Katara reached over, her fingers tangling with Azula’s. She had never paused to marvel at their differences. Katara’s was that of a girl from a village. Despite Azula having spent a longer time as a soldier, she had the hands of a Princess.
“When I first met you, I thought you were the coolest person ever,” Katara confessed.
“Hottest,” Azula smirked.
Katara rolled her eyes, “And then I realised you were a bit of a dork.”
“I am not. I’m literally the leader of a nation.”
“You are,” Katara replied softly, “And for as long as you remember that, and use that power to do good, then I think it will be enough.”
“I will.”
“I’ll hold you to it.”
They were leaning closer now, heads almost touching. Katara’s eyes flickered down to her lips. For a moment, the world was still. For a moment, they were just as they were – two teenagers, with no idea what came next or what to do, stumbling along holding each other’s hand.
And then Katara blurted out, “I’m going home.”
Azula drew back quickly. Katara gripped her hands so she didn’t leave.
“Are you upset?”
“I’m not upset,” Azula said with a pout.
Katara snickered, “Oh Spirits.”
“If that’s all, I have work to do –”
“Azula,” Katara said. With her other hand, she tilted Azula’s head so that she was looking at Katara again. “I’ll be back. We’ll be back.”
Azula made a noise at the back of her throat.
“We aren’t going to abandon you, Azula. Not ever.”
Katara squeezed her hand. Azula closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. She nodded.
“I’ll hold you to it.”
And above, the sky continued to shift, soaking the world below in red. Sozin’s comet streaked through the sky. Aang watched it, unmoving. Beside him, Appa lay still and even Momo had curled up quietly on his shoulder.
He should … do something.
He thought so vaguely. An undefined mass of thoughts in his head, trying to latch onto something coherent. Perhaps practiced firebending. Perhaps go see what his friends were up to. Perhaps take a nap.
Perhaps leave. Perhaps never come back. Perhaps curl up next to Monk Gyatso’s grave and sleep a hundred years.
The war was over. The Avatar had done his job. Wasn’t that enough?
He sighed, running his hands through Appa’s fur. The bison rumbled in comfort and Aang knew what it meant, wherever you want to go, I’ll take you. Whether a century or a year, Appa had always been there.
There was the sounds of approaching footsteps. Aang looked up.
“Hi, Ty Lee,” he said glumly.
Ty Lee gave him a nervous smile, which was strange, “Hi, Aang. How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay,” he said.
“Mind if I sit.”
“Sure.”
Now Aang was definitely surprised. It wasn’t that they weren’t friends, but he didn’t remember if they’d ever hung out together, just the two of them. Usually the other Kyoshi Warriors were present.
They sat in silence for a while before Ty Lee said, “I have to confess something. And I … you’re allowed to be mad.”
“I won’t be mad,” Aang said automatically.
Ty Lee gave him a rueful smile. She took a deep breath and said, “Have you ever wondered where I learned my techniques from?”
“Um … no?”
“Toph … she’s the one who noticed. That I move … the same way you move.”
Aang’s heart skipped a beat.
“I’m not an airbender,” Ty Lee clarified quickly. Even so, Aang’s heart was racing. “I come from a very old family and … well. We were airbenders once.”
“What do you mean? You’re not anymore? Why not? Surely if it’s in your blood –”
“Aang,” Ty Lee said quietly, cutting him off, “The reason that my ancestors survived was because they betrayed the other airbenders.”
“Oh.”
“I’m so sorry,” Ty Lee said, her eyes a little red.
“So you’re not an airbender,” Aang realised, “Because your family betrayed Air.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know how to. My people they’re … they’re part of the reason that yours is dead. And I —”
Aang thought about it for only a moment. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”
“I was going to tell you and I just never … it never felt right. And then when it was all over, I didn’t know what to do. I don’t have anything else to give you, but I thought you should know.”
Except it wasn’t anything Aang didn’t know. With a hollowness in his chest, he realised that nothing had changed — the Fire Nation had killed his family. They were still dead.
“But my family might have archives. Information.”
“Information?”
“If we made it out, however we made it out, maybe others did too.”
That got Aang’s attention.
“Do you think so?”
“Maybe.”
Aang nodded. He sat back against Appa, who had begun to rumble again. The breeze passed a pleasant chill over them, making Momo curl up against his side. Above them, the sky was red, and would be for a few hours more. And then —
Aang hadn’t thought about the after.
“Azula told me she’d give me everything I need to find out what happened. If anyone survived, I’d like to know.”
If there's anything, we'll find it, she’d promised.
Maybe it was time to start looking.
When he opened his eyes, light filtered through the curtains, dust swirling in its beams. Like clockwork he awoke at sunrise these days, despite himself. The approaching autumn brought on a chill, and Nyla curled closer into Zuko on the too-small bed. Her wet nose pressed close to his chest, her paralyzing tongue dangerously close to skin.
There was the scent of breakfast in the air, and yarn on the floorboards.
It took him a moment to breathe. His hand curled over his chest, where his heart beat with the same rhythm he always had. A reminder he was alive. That every day he woke up was him being alive, in spite of himself.
He did not dream much anymore, even when he closed his eyes.
This is important, Azula thought grimly. More important than anything they could reckon with.
How did a Firelord ask forgiveness for the death of a People? How did a Nation amend the damage it has done to others? How did Azula face Aang?
The first was an impossible thing. The second would take several generations. But Azula faced Aang as she had done so many times before — as a friend. They are dressed more formally, because a part of this whole thing was to show their union, and to mourn together what had happened the last time Sozin’s comet came through.
“By the way,” Aang said, as they were waiting for people to gather, “I wanted to let you know, I was thinking of leaving. That’s not going to be a —” he gestured vaguely, “problem?”
Azula snorted, “I think I’ve sufficiently intimidated my council into submission. It’ll be fine.”
Aang looked relieved. “Great!” he said brightly, “Peace is harder than I thought.”
They managed to make their way through it. Azula gave a speech, a lot like the ones she had at the Base, while Aang sat around looking important. As soon as physically possible, the two of them ended up ducking back into the Palace. In the crowd, Katara and Sokka excused themselves from Hakoda’s side.
Toph was already in Azula’s room, feet thrown up on her desk.
“Took you long enough!” she said, picking at her ear.
“Toph, gross!” Katara complained.
Toph responded by flicking wax in her direction, which only made her yell again. Sokka snickered, heading straight for Azula’s bed to put his leg up more comfortably.
“So, what now?” Aang asked.
Now came the talking, the bickering, the crying. Now came curling up with one another, sharing the space they had curved out for themselves in this world. Now came the question:
“So, when are we meeting up next?”
They all looked at Azula. She considered the question with due process — by rolling over in bed and accidentally kicking Toph in the process.
“I’m going to be in the Earth Kingdom to meet Kuei next month.”
“Oh, I just got a letter from Teo, so I’ll be in the area,” Sokka said.
“I was thinking of heading to the Northern Air Temple soon. I can meet you there, Sokka,” Aang said.
“I’m going home and sleeping till next year,” Katara groaned, “But yes, fine. Earth Kingdom it is. Toph?”
“You think I have anywhere better to be?” Toph asked, “Do you think Kuei likes to rumble?”
“You cannot fight a king.”
“Who’s going to stop me, Sweetness.”
“I think you might be able to fight Basco,” Aang mused.
“Have you seen that thing?” Sokka exclaimed, propping himself up to dramatically gesture, “It’s a bear! Like, a bear!”
“Do you think it’s a spirit, Aang?” Katara asked.
At the same time, Toph told Sokka, “Yeah, and I could body him.”
Azula stared up at the canopy of her bed, listening to her friends bicker. Something warm and welcoming like a hearth settled in her chest. It sent something coursing through her veins, like her inner fire heating her up from the inside. She sunk into the covers and closed her eyes, letting their nonsensical conversation wash over her. And she smiled.