Story [Avatar: Last Airbender] Fall of the Fire Empire, Part II (AU, Complete 1/31)

Chapter 49: The Bonds of Slavery

Shiyan sat in her cabin- which had been Yuan's, before she'd taken it over after his death- aboard the Eye of Agni as it sat in the harbor of a naval base on the northern shore of Fire Empire territory. She had allowed the crew to go ashore- she suspected she'd lose a few here, though most of them seemed to have accepted her leadership- and the captain had been instructed to find a messenger hawk and use it to deliver a message Shiyan had written describing the fate of Yuan's armada to the Capital. Rumors would, of course, begin spreading before it arrived, but the truth of what had happened at the North Pole would reach the Empress and her advisors before anyone.

For now, Shiyan sat and waited, legs crossed on the bed before her and her unsheathed sword resting on her lap. She breathed in and out deeply and rhythmically with her eyes half shut- Chosen may have been forbidden to practice firebending, but their meditative techniques drew strongly on its traditions. Now those techniques were proving most helpful in keeping Shiyan's calm and self-control- she'd not witnessed the worst of whatever had really happened at the North Pole, but her mind kept going back to the inescapable truth that a force existed that was powerful enough to tear through the Fire Navy like a hot knife through butter. It hadn't affected her so much at the time, but in hindsight it was deeply disturbing- and Shiyan couldn't afford to let the soldiers, her soldiers now, sense her weakness.

She was distracted from her meditations by the sound of a hand rapping against the steel door. "Chosen Shiyan," the captain's voice came from the other side, "I sent your message to the Capital as requested, and stopped briefly to talk with the base's commander. There is? news that I think you should hear."

Shiyan opened her eyes and focused them on the door. "I would hear this," she said. "You may enter." The door swung open and the captain did so, going down on his knees in the center of the floor- not necessary for an officer in the presence of a Chosen, but the crew had gone rather overboard with their professions of loyalty to her, perhaps out of fear she'd turn on them next.

"According to the commander," the captain said hesitantly, "what happened to our fleet is not the only calamity to have befallen the Fire Empire lately, or even the worst." He took a deep breath as though steeling himself for whatever news he was about to deliver. "Long Du Shi has fallen. The great city is now in rebel hands."

"What?" Shiyan asked, feeling her body go cold and still. Long Du Shi, fallen? it was unthinkable. No rebels could possibly challenge the Fire Empire so openly and succeed- surely the Empress in her wisdom would have foreseen it and taken measures! But then, the Empress hadn't foreseen- or if she had, had neglected to inform her Chosen or her High Admiral- of the peril that awaited them in the North either. Perhaps Azula really hadn't known? no, Shiyan pushed those thoughts away. She was Chosen, and there was no place in her life for doubts. "Are you certain?" she finally managed to say.

"Almost positive," the captain said. "The commander had reports from several different sources, and I checked with his officers as well. If it is some sort of hoax, the whole base is in on it."

Shiyan stood and began to prowl back and forth before the captain. Thoughts whirled in her mind, the loudest and most disquieting of which was that this was all her fault. She'd been the one to lead Yuan to Long Du Shi and used him to remove the Governor from power, and then left the city with a mere girl to watch over things. She was the foremost Chosen trainee of her generation, and now the fall of one of the Empire's most important cities was her fault? no, she pushed that doubt away as well. This situation called for action, and so finally she turned to face her officer again. "This changes things," she said, "but not as much as you might think. We're going back to the former Earth Kingdom; we'll land in the closest port t

 

Just finished Chapter 33 and am loving it! Yue's vision and the section about the Moon spirit were particularly awesome

Also, Azula's plan to have people take her place forever reminds me a bit of The Princess Bride and the Dread Pirate Roberts

 

Chapter 50: An Unexpected Offer

Jiazin glanced up from the water as she heard Kanoda come up to stand beside her. There was a strange expression in his eyes- it seemed at once haunted and confused, and yet at the same time it didn't quite seem dreading or afraid. If she didn't know better, she might almost have said it was hope. "You look almost like you've seen a ghost," she observed.

"Maybe I have," Kanoda told her, and it was clear from his tone that he wasn't joking. "Listen- something happened to me last night, and I'm not sure what to make of it, but? you need to know. It could change everything." He paused for a moment and then, hesitantly at first, as if he wasn't sure whether or not he believed it himself, he began to describe his encounter with the Avatar the previous night.

When he was through, Jiazin shook her head. "Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?" she asked. "I mean, the Avatar was captured and disappeared a hundred years ago. How could he still be alive?"

"I think that when we freed the spirits, we did something more important than we realized," Kanoda said thoughtfully. "Yue told me that while the spirits were trapped, the world was knocked out of balance. Now that their free, the Balance is starting to correct itself. Maybe that was enough to bring the Avatar back."

Jiazin turned away and looked back out over the waters. "I should be happy about this," she said quietly. "The Avatar is supposed to be the guardian of the balance, but my people have done? horrible things. I saw that at the North Pole- what Zhao did to the Water Tribe was just? evil. The Avatar's people suffered the same fate. What's to stop him from just wiping us all out, in revenge or to make sure it never happens again?"

Kanoda put his hand on her shoulder. "Trust me," he said, "he didn't seem the type. Besides, you're trying to make up for it. That's got to count for something, right?"

"Yeah," she murmured, and Kanoda couldn't shake the overwhelming sensation that there was something she wasn't telling. Before he could ask, however, the sound of running feet echoed across the deck and they both turned to see Feng hurrying towards them.

"Come quickly, both of you," he said. "Hu wants you up on the bridge right away- there's something you need to see." Without even pausing he turned and began to hurry back the way he came, Jiazin and Kanoda running to keep up- there was no possible way this could be something good, and Jiazin could feel dread building in the pit of her stomach. Quickly they followed the rebel up the ladder to the stolen ship's small bridge. Hu was waiting for them there, glass in hand.

"You need to see this," he said without preamble, handing the glass to Kanoda, who was slightly closer. The Water Tribe youth raised it to his eye and looked out the window, and then his skin went a slightly paler shade of brown.

"Didn't we just get away from this?" he muttered, and then handed the glass to Jiazin. Raising it to her own eye, she looked- and saw a line of Imperial warships coming from the west at top speed, with the columns of smoke behind them indicating that there were more following behind. No, she realized, not warships- troop transports. The massed might of the Imperial Army was on the move.

"They must be moving to crush the rebellion at Long Du Shi," Hu said as Jiazin lowered the glass. "And we're directly in their path."

"That's not good at all," was all that the firebender managed to say.

# # # # # # # # # # # #

High General Xia lowered his glass and turned to the captain of his personal transport. "You're right," he said, "it appears to be one of ours- a lightly armed scout, from the looks of it. Do you know of any that are currently in this area?"

"I do not, sir," the captain replied. "However, it appears to be of the same make as a ship that High Admiral Yuan reported before we lost contact with him- he didn't go into specifics, but maintained that the vessel was to be captured at all costs." He cleared his throat. "If I may offer a recommendation, sir, I th

 

Oooh, and the plot thickens!

 

Chapter 51: Against the End

Chaiy sighed as she shoved the report away from her along the table. Another riot had broken out in one of the city's market districts; the people had been complaining that the merchants were using the upheaval as an excuse to gouge them, and before long the situation had overflowed into violence. Soldiers- both some of Chaiy's rebels and a handful of guards who, like their governor, were more loyal to stability than the Empire- had broken it up shortly, but hostilities still lingered.

She glanced to her side where Yan Li was drumming his fingers idly on what had once been his own council table. He glanced up at Chaiy and shrugged. "Now do you see my point?" he asked. "This city- my city- stands on the brink of chaos, and your methods are clearly not working to contain it. Now, if you merely execute, say, one out of ten rioters, the rest will be forced to fall into line-"

"No!" Chaiy snapped, rather more harshly than she'd intended, though she found she didn't regret it. "This isn't your city any more, Governor, and your methods are why my people rebelled in the first place." She lowered her voice and glanced down at her hands. "My father wouldn't have wanted us to kill our own people just to ensure temporary order."

"You'll find I'm far more lenient than most of my peers," Yan Li observed. "Most of the noblemen of my acquaintance would simply execute all of them and have done with. That's not my way- it's sloppy, and it just breeds resentment- but if we don't crack down Long Du Shi is going to come apart at the seams and I will not allow that!"

Chaiy glared at him, and then glanced at the rebel guards that flanked him. "You're not in a position to allow anything, milord, and there's no "we"- the other rebels and I are making the decisions. You're just an advisor."

"Then listen to my advice," the former governor insisted. "Don't try and claim the moral high ground with me- we both know you would have killed me already without a second thought if you didn't need me. You want order? So do I, and I have more experience with maintaining it."

"You have experience being a tyrant!" Chaiy spat, rising to her feet in anger, fists clenching and the ground rumbling slightly beneath her feet.

"You don't know what true tyranny is!" Yan Li retorted, rising himself, eyes blazing. They stared at each other for a moment, then the former governor collapsed back into his chair. "What's the point?" he muttered. "You're not going to listen- I accomplish nothing here. We solve nothing by quarreling. I wish your father was still here- him I could have worked with."

"Don't talk about my father," Chaiy said, but her heart wasn't in it. She slid back into the chair and put her head in her hands. She might deplore Yan Li's ruthlessness, but he was right about one thing- they were solving nothing. By the Spirits, running a city like Long Du Shi made leading a force of rebel earthbenders look easy!

They both looked up at the sound of the council chamber's great doors bursting open. A group of rebels came hurrying inside- Tong was at their head, helping to support a scout who looked so exhausted he could barely stand, though there weren't any visible wounds. Chaiy frowned. Had this man run all the way from the walls, and if so, what had prompted it? "Tong," she asked, rising to her feet. "What's going on?"

"This man was on patrol near the docks," Tong told her. "He saw? well, you need to hear it for yourself.

# # # # # # # # # # # #

Roughly an hour later, Tong and the elite rebel warriors who formed Chaiy's unofficial guard disembarked from the train at the docks, followed closely by Chaiy herself and Governor- former Governor- Yan Li. Glancing around at the abandoned construction sites, Tong recalled the day he'd seen the governor and his family leave this very train from where he'd labored. How far they'd all come since then- the slave was now a free warrior, the proud nobleman, a captive. It was at once humbling and unsettling.

Tong turned his gaze out to the harbor itsel

 

Chapter 52: The Death of Trust

Qing Xi sat within his palanquin, hands folded in his lap, as he watched the slender, knifelike black ship come in to the Capital's dock. The High Minister had seen the vessel only a handful of times in his life, but he knew very well what it signified- there was only one ship like that in the entire Empire, and only one who had the authority to sail it. He shifted uneasily in his seat. She made him nervous in a way that few others did, and the fact that Azula had pulled her off her little island could well prove problematic to his plans. Still, protocol was protocol, and if he wasn't at the docks to greet the new arrival, there would be? problems.

The ship's ramp slowly lowered, and then five figures processed down it, their bearing at once martial and regal. Four of them were ordinary Chosen, almost indistinguishable from one another in their identical facepaint and black armor; from this distance only their heights gave proof that they weren't one person copied four times. The fifth, who marched slightly in front, was something else entirely- a long black cloak flowed from her shoulders and billowed out behind her as she walked, her armor was trimmed with rich golden designs, and her headpiece was more elaborate than any of the others', almost looking like a crown. Indeed, the woman held herself as if she was a queen in her own right, but in truth she was the Mistress of the Chosen, most enigmatic and personally deadly of the Dragon Empress's inner circle.

Qing Xi stepped out from his palanquin as she approached and gave a polite bow, as from one equal to another, and was pleased to see her twitch irritably at the gesture. "Greetings, Mistress," he said. "This is an unexpected pleasure. What brings you from your seclusion back to this part of the world?"

The Mistress regarded him coldly. "Unexpected?" she asked icily. "I had thought that the great High Minister would have known to expect me- you certainly pride yourself on knowing everything else. But I am directed in this, as I am in all things, by the will of our glorious Empress."

"As are we all," Qing Xi replied, hoping she didn't hear the slight note of sarcasm that slipped out. Fortunately, the Mistress gave no sign of it. "Shall I have another palanquin brought to carry you to the palace?"

The Mistress shook her head. "I shall walk," she said, and without further word she and her guards strode off down the street in the direction of the Palace, Qing Xi's startled bearers struggling to keep up. The leader of the Chosen spoke no word as she walked, and the High Minister took the opportunity to study her in silence. This one had always been the most difficult of the inner circle for him to read- Yuan had been driven by pride, and Xia by honor, but the Mistress's inner fire came from pure zeal, tempered by a predator's cunning and that made her easy to predict, but almost impossible to control. She was a living weapon, pure and simple, who waited patiently for the chance to be unleashed upon Azula's enemies. There was little humanity left in her, and that alone made Qing Xi uneasy.

After a long, uncomfortable march through the city, they finally arrived at the Palace. There the Mistress stopped and regarded Qing Xi imperiously. "I will take my leave of you now," she said. "I know the way from here, and the Empress and I have important matters to discuss. You may continue with your duties." Without a backward glance she turned in a swirl of her cape and marched into the palace, guards trailing behind her.

The High Minister did not return to his duties- he sat in his palanquin silently for some time, at first seething at the casual dismissal, though his nimble mind quickly moved on to more pressing matters. Whatever Azula and her minion were discussing in there, he would bet his title it had something to do with the plot he'd been tracking, and that was something he knew could not come to pass. Something had to be done, and he, Qing Xi, was the only one in a position to achieve this part of it. His conside

 

Chapter 53: Insecurity

Jiazin sat quietly at the council table, glancing towards the ends where the rebel leaders and the Imperial Army officers sat. The tension in the room was palpable- it was clear that Chaiy hadn't forgiven Xia whatsoever for his years of service to the Fire Empire, and had only reluctantly consented to allow him into the city with only his second-in-command and a small group of guards. Xia for his part seemed rather nervous to be sitting in a rebel-controlled palace, though he was doing his best not to show it. Still, both sides recognized that the danger that faced them now was greater by far than their enmity for each other.

"So," Chaiy finally asked, "do you have any idea what Azula's immediate plans are? I doubt she'll be happy when she finds out you've turned on her."

Xia spread his hands. "Unfortunately, Azula is very difficult to predict. I don't believe there's anyone alive, except perhaps for the Chosen's Mistress, who truly knows her mind. I can guess, however, that whatever she does, it will be soon. Between your rebellion and my? defection, I believe we will force her hand. It seems likely that she will strike here, where her most dangerous enemies are gathered- doing anything else would arouse suspicion. But there is no guarantee."

"If Azula makes her move elsewhere, then our forces will be kept ready to respond as quickly as possible, to contain it," Xia's second-in-command, Commander Zhang, added. "I would recommend you keep your forces in similar alert."

"I don't take orders from Imperial officers," Chaiy snapped, "but in this case, I think your advice is sound."

Jiazin's father cleared his throat from where he sat beside the rebel leader- Jiazin still didn't know the full story, but she'd gathered he'd allied with the rebels out of convenience and the need to avoid chaos, rather than conviction. This didn't surprise her, though it was rather disappointing. Whatever had happened to him, he still seemed the man who had been so heavily involved in the Empire's atrocities at heart. "What I don't understand," he said, "is how Azula managed to keep her plans secret from us for so long. Surely the inner circle at least would have realized something was wrong?"

Xia looked uncomfortable. "The inner circle was? misled, Yan Li," he said quietly. "If you wish to know more, ask your daughter."

"What?" Father turned to face Jiazin, expression at once cold and disbelieving. "I don't understand- Jiazin, what is the High General talking about? Explain yourself!" Despite all that had passed, he fell easily into the role of the stern, disappointed father again, and Jiazin felt like she had as a child caught in some small wrongdoing. But this was more than that on every level, and they both knew it.

Chaiy froze. "Yes," she said slowly. "I'd like an explanation as well." At her side, Tong looked at Jiazin questioningly, but didn't speak- the quiet earthbender seemed to be waiting for the explanation himself before he passed judgment.

"Jiazin?" Kanoda asked quietly from where he sat at her side. Somehow his question seemed the most accusing of all. Jiazin felt like an actress who had been shoved onto stage despite the fact she didn't know any of her lines; all eyes seemed to be on her, and she didn't know what to say. Finally she drew a deep breath and spoke.

"A little more than a month ago," she said, "High Minister Qing Xi came here and brought me to the Capital, only saying that he wanted me for some secret purpose. When we arrived, I was told that the Empress was old and would soon die, and she had failed to find true immortality, so she needed another way. She needed someone to assume her identity and rule as her after she died, so that the Dragon Empress would appear immortal." Jiazin's voice dropped to a whisper. "The person the High Minister had selected was me. He'd searched through all the noble-born girls of my age in the Empire, and had decided I was the best choice to walk in Azula's footsteps."

Dead silence fell around the table, until finally Jiaz

 

Finally caught up, and WOAH. Azula is crazy and cunning, but I love that she's still haunted. Yue's last stand was epic. And yay, Aang!! I thought you portrayed him well, and my heart broke when he said he couldn't believe it (being asleep for a hundred years) had happened again. Can't wait for more!!

 

Chapter 54: The Board is Set

Chaiy's eyes snapped open, and the rebel leader realized immediately that something was wrong. By the time her meeting with Xia had been concluded, and the High General had been escorted back to his ships, it had already been growing dark, and she'd decided to retire, hoping that a night's sleep might lead to more ideas. Now, however, she had awakened very suddenly, and every instinct was screaming that something was amiss. The she heard it- a sound from just outside her room, as if someone had been slammed quickly and efficiently against the wall and didn't move again. It had to be one of her guards- not Tong, who slept in the next room over, but one of the other rebel Earthbenders. Chaiy quickly slipped back down onto her bed, and left her eyes open just a crack facing the door- if someone wanted to attack her in her sleep, she'd give them a surprise.

Soon, her door opened slowly and a slender, silhouetted figure crept inside, a drawn sword in one hand. Chaiy willed herself to lie very still as the figure approached, waiting until it raised the weapon and prepared to stab down with it, and then sprang into action, lashing out with a kick that sent the assailant sprawling. The earthbender scrambled out of bed and faced her attacker- she was a girl who looked a few years younger than Chaiy herself, but her features were unfamiliar. Then, with a jolt, she recognized her- she had seen those features before, though last time they'd been largely hidden behind golden facepaint.

"You're the Chosen we fought when we raided the palace," Chaiy said. "You're Shiyan."

"That's right," the Chosen spat. "And you're the rebel leader- Chaiy, right? But in a few minutes, it won't matter. I've got you now, alone and unarmed. This will be easy."

"Easy?" Chaiy asked with a slight smirk. "I don't think so. And you're wrong about one thing- I'm not unarmed." Placing one foot in front of the other, she shoved forward with all her strength- and behind her, she could almost feel it as a block of stone wrenched itself out of the wall and hurtled straight for Shiyan.

The Chosen's eyes widened with shock, and she barely managed to duck aside as the stone block impacted the opposite wall. The whole palace seemed to shake with the impact, but Shiyan quickly rolled and was back on her feet before it stopped. "You missed," she said.

"Maybe," Chaiy replied, "but that wasn't really the point. See, I just made a lot of noise- somebody should be coming any minute now. "

Shiyan bared her teeth in a snarl. "Then I'll finish you quickly." She darted forward, sword raised, but Chaiy met her with another kick to the side, using her superior strength to knock the other warrior back. Then she held both hands out flat over the floor and threw all of her will into manipulating the stone, making it shake- Chaiy didn't want to rip any more out of the walls or floor, and risk the room collapsing on her, but she could at least put Shiyan off balance.

The Chosen stumbled, but managed to regain her footing with little apparent effort, charging back towards Chaiy and striking out with quick, repeated jabs with her blade. The earthbender did her best to dodge, but one strike caught her along the arm and drew a bright line of blood across it. "That hurt," Chaiy spat, wincing through the sharp pain.

"I bet it did. And I'll do worse." Shiyan raised her sword to strike again, but before it struck home a sharp piece of rock shot from the open door and struck the blade with incredible force. It was struck from the Chosen's hands and slammed against the wall; there was a loud snapping sound with the impact, and the sword fell to the ground in two pieces. Shiyan spun towards the door, and Chaiy's gaze followed her; both saw Tong standing there, holding another rock in one hand, expression dark.

"You broke my sword," Shiyan hissed venomously.

"You tried to hurt my friend," Tong replied evenly. "Now, I think you should surrender quietly- even you can't beat us both with no weapon."

"I have no intention of sur

 

I'm glad they got Shiyan!! And Azula is CRAZY but still fascinating

 

Chapter 55: The Deep Breath Before the Plunge*

Jiazin paced along the roof of the palace, looking out over the city as twilight fell. Though she had lived here most of her life, it no longer felt like home to her- too much had changed. Long Du Shi had rebelled, so far successfully, the palace was now the headquarters of the rebel government, and the city itself braced for onslaught from the Dragon Empress. Strangest of all, Jiazin herself was on the rebels' side. It was still hard to believe that sometimes.

It was a day since the attempt of Chaiy's life- so far, Cheng had not been apprehended, and Shiyan, apparently taking the Chosen's rule about not speaking to one's captors, hadn't said a word since waking up; the one time Jiazin had visited the dungeon, she'd been sitting quietly in her cell, apparently meditating, and had made no acknowledgement of the fact that she had a visitor.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see High General Xia approaching. He nodded but spoke no word at first; stepping forward he looked out over the city with her, apparently lost in thought. "You can feel it, can't you?" he asked quietly. "The calm before battle- the terrible stillness in the air, the sense of waiting. I have felt it before, many times. But my opponents were always rebels or bandit lords- I have never faced anything like the might that even now is coming for us, or a leader like Azula." He shook his head. "We may all die when she comes, but I for one will make an accounting for myself so that future generations will remember that we fought her madness, even when all seemed lost."

Jiazin turned slowly to face him. "I'm surprised you're here," she said. "I was under the impression that Chaiy didn't want you inside the city?"

Xia chuckled darkly. "She doesn't want my army, but she's willing to tolerate me if I have information." He turned to look back out over Long Du Shi, towards the distant coast. "I have scout ships out patrolling the sea, and they report that something is coming- they could not see, because the clouds are thick, but they heard strange sounds in the sky, moving quickly towards us." He looked at Jiazin. "I fear the Empress sends her airship armada against us, and at the rate they come, they'll be here some time tomorrow- two days from now at the latest."

"Airships," Jiazin breathed, shaking her head. "I thought they were just rumors and stories- I never knew they were ever gotten to work."

"They were," Xia told her. "Azula has kept them hidden, apparently feeling the need for a weapon more powerful than anyone else's which she could spring on the world without warning. Now that time has come."

Jiazin was silent for several moments before speaking again. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked. "You could have just told Chaiy, and she or Tong would have told me. Why are you really here?"

"I wanted to talk to you personally," the High General admitted. "There is something that has been on my mind for some time now, that I feel I must discuss with you." He paused for a moment before continuing. "You know what Azula's intention is- to shatter the Fire Empire forever, leaving a legacy of chaos and war behind her. We both agree that this must not happen. Personally, I am not averse to allowing the nations of the old Earth Kingdom to govern themselves, but the Fire Nation itself must hold, or Azula will have won. What I mean to say is- when she is gone, someone must quickly step in and take the throne."

It took Jiazin a moment to realize what he was saying, and then she simply gaped, surprise overpowering training and dignity. "You're joking," she said. "I may be a governor's daughter, but I'm a teenager, for Agni's sake- I've barely come of age! There have to be dozens of people better qualified- you yourself are one of them!"

"No, there aren't," Xia said, voice suddenly hard. "Think- would Azula want someone who could challenge her? No! She had no heirs- the royal line dies with her. Her Chosen are fanatical and brilliant warriors, but they aren't trained to lead,

 

Chapter 56: The Battle of Long Du Shi

High General Xia stood on the deck of his flagship, staring up into the cloud-covered sky with intent eyes. Today was the day- he could feel it in his bones. Today his scouts reported that the airship flotilla would arrive, and the battle would be joined to see if the world would endure, or whether it would fall before Azula's mad scheming. And so the world turns on a used-up old soldier, a largely untried girl, and an army of rebels who've never faced an enemy like this in direct battle, he thought grimly. Songs have been sung of less. In reality, it seems more likely that we will be crushed. But if we have any integrity at all, we have to take this stand!

"High General, sir!" an officer shouted, running up to him and saluting. "Sir, the spotters have reported and- they're here."

"So it begins," Xia muttered, looking in the direction the younger man was pointing. Sure enough, the clouds seemed to be parting- no, they were being knifed through by the sharp points of the airships as they descended towards the city. Each of the flying monstrosities was as large as an oceangoing warship, but far more maneuverable- they could quickly cross any terrain, and deliver troop complements or bombardments directly to the battlefield. At the head of the wedge was an airship even larger than the others, its prow set with gold. Xia knew in his heart that Azula was on that ship.

"Spirits help us all," he muttered.

"Orders, sir?" the officer asked him.

Xia turned to face him slowly, determination etched on his face. He spoke one word. "Fire."

The officer repeated the command at the top of his lungs, and across the flagship and then the rest of the fleet, soldiers scrambled to obey. The ammunition that had sat waiting in the catapults was set ablaze and then launched into the sky, filling it with a strange storm of burning pitch. But the Dragon Empress had been ready for such an assault; firebenders stationed aboard the airships deflected or extinguished many of the fireballs, and the few that struck did little real damage. Then the airships responded, their benders launching a torrent of flame towards the fleet. Now it was Xia's benders' turn to scramble to the defense, and most of the flame was sent harmlessly into the water. Some ships, however, either had fewer benders or less experienced ones, and on their decks the soldiers scrambled for cover to avoid being consumed.

"We can't keep this up forever," Xia said, "but neither can Azula. We'll see who breaks first. Give her another volley!" Even as they prepared to fire again, however, the High General focused his attention back on the airships, and his eyes widened. A handful of them had stopped at were preparing to engage his fleet, but the rest- they were moving on, directly towards the city.

"Of course!" Xia growled. "She doesn't need to worry about leaving us behind her, because she doesn't care about winning- she just wants to cause as much destruction as she can before going down, and that means targeting Long Du Shi!" He motioned the officer over. "Send the word to the other ships- leave enough strength behind to hold the rest of the airships here, and then start moving the rest to the coast to unload our troops. The battle's not going to be fought here after all- and that city's going to need all the help it can get!"

"Yes, sir!" The officer saluted and hurried off to convey Xia's orders to the captain. He only hoped that it wasn't already too late.

# # # # # # # # # # # #

"I hate waiting here," Jiazin said, pacing back and forth along the palace roof behind a mixed line of Earth Kingdom rebels and Xia's soldiers who stood on guard. "The battle is about to be joined- I feel like I need to do something!"

"I think we'll all get our chance," Kanoda told her. "Remember, Azula will probably try to come here as soon as she can, since it's where the rebel leadership is- if we want to fight her head on, this is the place."

"I know," Jiazin muttered. "It just feels wrong. What about the Avatar? Do you

 

Yes, I'm a shameless LOTR fanboy, if the username didn't tip you off .

I can totally see this You have so many one-liners that give me HUGE LOTR vibes

The battle has begun!! I like Xia's post-battle plan, and that Aang's back Shiyan . . . oh boy

 

Chapter 57: Fall of the Dragon

Jiazin rose shakily and backed up, instinctively trying to escape even though she knew that there was only one way out of this room, and to get to it she'd have to get past Azula. She struggled to master herself, but it was hard- the instinctive awe and fear of the Dragon Empress that had been instilled in her was too strong. To speak of fighting Azula when she was far away was one thing; to follow through on that when she was here before her, and Jiazin still remembered her power and madness from their last encounter, seemed almost impossible. Yue had possessed a kind of quiet power that had been beyond human, stemming from her connection to the Moon Spirit, but Azula had power of another kind, hot and strong, stemming only from her matchless will.

"You fear me, child," the Empress said. Her tone wasn't malicious, or happy, or concerned; she was merely stating a fact. "You know that I could lay you low with only a gesture and a thought."

"Yes," Jiazin said softly.

Azula tilted her head, regarding her prisoner curiously. "And yet you do not bow. Come, child; accept the inevitable. Bow before your Empress. It is only polite, after all."

Jiazin raised her eyes to meet the empty pits of Azula's mask. For a moment all was quiet and she could almost feel that awesome will straining against her. Then she hissed a single word. "No."

"No?" Azula's tone was disbelieving for a brief moment, but then she laughed, and her laughter was cruel and knife-edged; in it was the harsh confidence of nearly five decades of ruling and the focused, destructive power of the blue fire. "Of course- you're a rebel and a traitor now, aren't you? Fascinating. You are a noble of the Empire, raised from birth to serve and revere it, and you have stood in my presence before and felt my power. Why do you stand against me, child? Can't you see that it is hopeless?"

"Because what you do is wrong," Jiazin told her, voice rising in power and confidence. "I was loyal to the Fire Empire because of what it represented- peace, prosperity, order. But where are those things in villages destroyed, an entire people enslaved, spirits held captive? I didn't betray your Empire- it betrayed the principles it was supposed to be founded on. Any now you want to destroy it all for the sake of your own ego. I can't stand by and let that happen."

"Principles?" Azula asked. "Foolish girl. Principles, morals- these are lies that people use so that they can put a pretty face on their selfishness, their greed and cruelty and ambition. I have looked into many hearts, and I have never seen anything that might be called "human decency". Everyone is a traitor waiting for the right moment to strike. The world is a wretched pit of savages clawing over each other to reach the pinnacle of power- and even that is meaningless, for death will claim us all in the end." Her voice grew thoughtful. "In fact, today I'm doing the people of this city the greatest favor they can ever know. Their deaths will be the beginnings of an event that will echo across the centuries. I will give their small lives some measure of meaning."

"You are mad," Jiazin said, backing up slowly again. "But if you believe that everyone's a traitor, why are you surprised that I turned on you?" Sudden realization hit her. "But you weren't, were you? It wasn't an accident I found those documents back in the Capital. You planned this!"

"Clever," Azula said, folding her gloved hands in front of her. "You're right, of course. I let you find out the truth, and I let you run, to distract the world from my true purpose. I wasn't sure if you'd join the rebels, of course, but I'm honestly glad you did. The heiress of one of my most powerful noblemen, fighting alongside my enemies? The very idea breeds chaos- and right now, I have a need for chaos. I even have to thank you for your part in freeing the Moon and Ocean spirits, because now the world can change freely, and I can have my desires. So you see, even though you turned your back on me, you remain my servant

 

Chapter 58: The Coronation

Jiazin paced nervously back and forth in her quarters aboard the royal airship as it neared the Capital. She was dressed in ceremonial armor with a cloak draped from her shoulders, and her sword hung from her waist in its most ornate sheath. To complete the effect, she wore a small metal flame- not a crown, but something definitely noticeable- in her hair; only her burned hand, still wrapped in bandages, took away from her appearance.

Today, she intended to claim the throne of the Fire Nation, and both her father and Xia insisted that she make an impression.

The sound of footsteps echoed behind her; she turned to find her mother standing in the cabin's doorway. "You look wonderful, Jiazin," she said. "How's your hand feeling?"

Jiazin held it up. "It still hurts," she said quietly, "and I can't move it. The physician who looked at it said I'll likely never be able to use it completely again- the Empress's fire was too hot, and did too much damage. Still, I'm probably lucky. It could have been a lot worse."

She thought she could see tears in Mother's eyes. "Oh, my child," she said. "I'm so sorry that any of this had to happen to you. If I'd known, on the day when you left us to go to the Capital, what would happen to you?" she let her words trail off.

"It's all right," Jiazin said, stepping forward and putting her good hand on Mother's shoulder. "We've done something important- whatever happens, we've changed the world. The worst tyrant in history is gone, her true colors laid bare. I'm glad I had a part in it, even if it cost me." She lowered her head and closed her eyes.

She could feel Mother wrap her arms around her. "Oh, Jiazin," she said. "It's awful that these things had to happen to you, but I think you've learned enough from them to be a better Fire Lord than those who came before you." She pulled back and looked at her daughter square in the eye. "Your father won't admit it, but I think he's glad of Azula's fall as well. The things he did under her rule? stained his soul, or so he's confided in me. If nothing else, I hope that we can all find time to heal."

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As the airship descended towards the Capital, Jiazin stood on the bridge, watching the city below draw closer. Behind her, her father and High General Xia both waited, and Kanoda stood at her side. "Don't worry," he whispered into her ear. "You'll be fine. I've seen you take charge, and you've got the look down. And if you have trouble, Xia can give you advice. I never thought I'd say it about an Imperial officer, but he's a good man."

"It's not that I'm worried about," Jiazin told him. "Qing Xi's still down there, and I have no idea what he'll do. He's not crazy like Azula was, or fanatical like the Chosen, but he's slippery, and more ruthless than my father ever was." She paused for a moment, then shook her head. "What about the Chosen. Have you checked on them at all today?"

Kanoda grimaced. The Chosen they'd taken captive in the Battle of Long Du Shi were still locked in the airship's cells, to be transported to the Boiling Rock or other high-security prisons once they reached the Fire Nation's core islands. "They're about what you'd expect," he said. "They're not taking it well at all, and they're either ignoring me completely or glaring death at me- especially that one called Zhi. But with Azula dead, they really don't know what to do with themselves." He sighed. "And then there's Shiyan. She'll eat food if you bring it to her, and she'll go to sleep at night, but otherwise, there's just nothing going on there. She just sits and stares at floor, sometimes mumbling to herself. What she did to Azula- well, she basically killed her own god. That's got to do bad things to a person." He shook his head. "At least the others don't know what she did. Otherwise, I think they'd break out of their cells and kill her with their bare hands, if they could."

"I never thought I'd feel sorry for her," Jiazin said. "But then, I never thought she'd be the one to kill Azula, either.

 

Woohoo!! I love it Shiyan taking down Azula - and by mistake! - was a HUGE surprise, but am awesome twist And I love Jaizan as Fire Lord Can't wait to see what happens to everyone!!


Will there be a sequel to this?

 

Epilogue: Aftermath

It has been five years since the Fall, when Empress Azula in her pride and madness attempted to destroy us all, and was herself defeated and slain. Shortly afterwards, I took the throne of the Fire Lord myself and proclaimed that our nation would respect the independence of the former rebels of the old Earth Kingdom. The Fire Empire as it was known for a hundred years was ended.

The world has changed much since then. Upon the death of the Empress, many of the lesser nobles on the Earth Kingdom continent- ambitious men and women kept in check only by their fear of Azula's power and influence- declared themselves independent and almost immediately fell on one another. The conflict, however, proved to be less catastrophic than the one the Dragon Empress had envisioned, for at the same time many of the conquered peoples of that region entered revolt against their Fire Nation masters. Queen Chaiy and her Champion, Tong, of the city that is once more called Ba Sing Se, were quick to lend the rebels their support, while the petty kings each stood alone. Most of them were expelled within the year, their territories once more falling to Earth Kingdom control. Those who held on to power learned to be more cautious.

In the Capital itself there has been some unrest- I myself have been the target of assassins several times, unfortunately- but the people of the Fire Nation heartland are too used to following an absolute authority to make large scale trouble for me, even though I know many of them disagree with me. I am fortunate, however, that I was able to take the throne when I did- if I hadn't, I shudder to think at how quickly they would have been at each other's throats without a moderating influence.

The Empress's Chosen were a great concern for me at first, though fortunately my fears have proven largely unfounded. It seems that without Azula, most of them simply don't know what to do with their lives- their education, so extensive in the methods of combat, is apparently quite lacking on the subject of thinking for themselves. A handful, needing some sort of authority, have sworn themselves to me- I don't fully trust them, though I've never witnessed any of them doing anything more or less than what I ask them to. Many more have simply killed themselves, if reports are to be believed. A handful, however, are reported to have fled from their island and allied themselves with the remaining warlords on the Earth Kingdom continent. There are rumors of strange rituals performed there in honor of Azula, who they say has not died, but transcended flesh, becoming a mighty spirit herself. So far, I haven't been able to confirm or deny these stories, but I have to admit, they worry me.

Then there is Shiyan, the Assassin of the Empress. I pity her. Her mind was unable to come to terms with what she'd done, so it turned upon itself. She remains in the palace, not as a prisoner, but not quite a guest either- mostly, for her protection. She came out of the silence that gripped her for months after the Fall, but she has no memories of her life. In most respects she is now a child in an adult's body- how much of her history she's guessed, I can't say, but she does not know, but neither I nor anyone else has had the heart to tell her that it was her blade that felled Azula- partly out of pity, and partly from fear that her former identity might reassert itself. Being in her presence can feel like walking a tightrope over a volcano's crater.

I still see my friend Kanoda frequently, and am in correspondence with him. He travels the world in the company of the Avatar, working to restore the Balance of the world. Much that once was is lost, but they are determined and resourceful- slowly, the Avatar once more is becoming a symbol of peace and justice in the minds of the people. Above all, they search for any knowledge left behind by the last waterbenders, so that the ancient art won't perish from the earth.

My left hand still aches even as a write this; the pain has almost faded now, but is still pres

 

Awesome end!! Though I'm really sad it's over I'd love to see the sequel - or even a new story - soon!! (I need TWO MasterGhandalf ATLA stories to keep me occupied )

 

Catching up to find out it's over.

Fantastic job! I loved reading this and hope you continue writing more Avatar-verse stuff.