The Southern Air Temple

Once, this place was alive, constantly filled with activity, monks laughing and working, bringing in vegetables from the garden, baking fruit pies, catching up on the latest gossip from visiting Air Nomads. Aang remembered learning the art of airbending for the first time, remembered taking care of the young sky bison, of returning home after long travels and sharing stories of the world with Brother Gyatso and the others.

It didn't seem like it was that long ago to him, but to everyone else, it was a historical memory. And now, the beautiful, lively place that he remembered was a mass grave. Aang had come here with the intention of moving the bones to the ossuary, but he found himself unable to do it. Let us stay, the bones seemed to beseech him, so that others may remember what happened here.

Even the bones of Gyatso seemed to gently reproach him for wanting to move them, as if Aang were ashamed somehow, that in his desperate moments, Gyatso had forsaken his oath of peace. I fought in the hope that I could live. And find you. I'm sorry that I could not. The last time that Aang had seen Gyatso's bones, it had pushed him over the edge, into the Avatar State. Now, he could just sit quietly and sadly with them and think about how things might have been different.

You might have died, Aang, and the hope of the world with it. The earth took you but it also protected you. And look what you've become, Aang.

"I know." Aang replied quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "But I'm also the last airbender. What happens now? What if … what if I don't have children? Or I do, but none of them are airbenders? Does the cycle end?" Am I also destined to be the last true Avatar?

Do you really think the world would permit it to be so, Aang?

Aang thought on that for a long moment. The balance of the world had been grievously upset by Sozin and the Hundred Year War- the Air Nomads had been wiped out and both the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom had been devastated. Aang suddenly remembered the utter serenity he had felt in the moment after the Fire Lord had been defeated and the healing rains had fallen on the charred remnants of the Wulong Forest.

But the Air Nomads were all dead. Devastated was there were, there were still hundreds of thousands of people- perhaps even a million- in the Water Tribes and tens of millions in the Earth Kingdom.

There must be balance in the world. It will find a way.

Fire Nation Palace:

"Copper for your thoughts, my Lord?" Mai glanced up idly at Zuko, from her comfortable resting spot on his chest.

"Just thinking. There's a lot on my mind right now." Zuko replied, his eyes drifting down towards her. "We've got a lot of work to do-"

"We?" Mai replied with a soft little smile. "You're the Fire Lord. I'm just the Fire Lord's girlfriend. Unless you're thinking to do something about that …" She roused herself just enough so she could look him properly in the eye.

"Well, uh …" Zuko stammered, eyes suddenly widening.

"Relax." Mai finally replied with another faint smile. It was scandalous, really, how much Zuko made her smile, and sometimes even grin. Or laugh. Or softly cry out his name in the night. Mai liked thinking about that. That would scandalize other people, even if few people had the decency to be shocked by it. "You don't have to make me an honest woman anytime soon, I promise." Idly, she reminded herself to order more of the moon tea from the royal herbalists.

"But what if I wanted to?" Zuko spoke softly, his voice nervous but held steady. It was obvious that he wasn't kidding- unlike his sister, Zuko had no particular ability to hide his true feelings. Which meant that he was seriously mooting the question. Or possibly even asking.

Maybe even proposing.

"I know we haven't been together for very long, Mai. But … this, us, feels good-"

"Sure, it feels okay." Mai replied with a faint smirk, unable not to needle him a little bit even though her heart was hammering like a forge in wartime. But she wouldn't tease him too much, because he was being heartbreakingly earnest right now. Her hand drifted over his chest and she could feel his own heart beating inside of it. Just like hers.

They'd been naked the entire time, but right now, in this moment, Mai felt naked. The astonishing thing was that she wasn't running out of the room. She had built such walls around herself, to protect her from a world that didn't care about her or for her. And here she was, with this lovably sincere doof, who seemed to effortlessly climb over those walls.

The craziest thing about it was that she was okay with that.

"I love you and I want you by my side-" Zuko pulled her down for a long, sweet kiss- "Now and always. As my Fire Lady-"

"Fine." Mai replied with her trademark deadpan tone, before reconsidering and answering him with the same courageous vulnerability he'd shown her. "Yes." She smiled and this time, the smile reached her eyes and she could feel a tear or two welling up at the corner of her eyes. "Yes, I will." And this time it was her that pulled him into the kiss.

Jinzhai Province, NE Earth Kingdom:

At night, one could see the fires of a thousand forges, pools of bright red light that illuminated the darkness. To the west of the city were amber fields of wheat and fat pasturelands filled with sheep and cowpigs. To the east, there was the sea, trafficked by an endless succession of thick, ugly barges and the odd glimmering warship. To the south, there was the road that led from Jinzhai to the other provinces of the Earth Kingdom, regularly infested with bandits.

It was to the north that the nightfires burned brightest, where rivers of molten slag poured out of vast coking ovens and thousands of labourers worked long and dangerous hours in deep tunnels and vast open pits. Enormous plumes of black smoke poured out of hundreds of smokestacks. Inside the city, less polluting but vastly noisy factories churned out colossal quantities of woolen and cotton cloth. A little further away and one would detect the fetid stench of tanneries, turning the skins of millions of cowpigs and sheep into leather.

Sometimes, when the wind blew the wrong way, a thin layer of soot and ash would cover everything in the city, and occasionally, a dark, foul mixture of smoke and fog would blanket everything. The inhabitants knew on the worst days to stay at home and pray to the spirits for a change in the wind, to bring back the fresher air from the sea.

Nobody could reasonably confuse Jinzhai for one of the lovelier parts of the world. And yet, Azula knew, it was may have potentially been the richest territory on the planet. During the war, so much of the Fire Nation's industry was located here. There were factories capable of turning out both war zeppelins and tundra tanks. Allegedly, the terms of peace forbade her to build any zeppelins and allowed her only a fairly small force of tanks- but she believed in being prepared. There were many warlords in the Earth Kingdom who looked jealously upon what she had been granted.

"Ew." Ty Lee said succinctly as she looked outside the carriage. "This place has a lot of negative energy." She somewhat dramatically held her nose. "And it stinks! Of something different in every part, but always something! First it's barnyard stink and then it's something way worse and then it's smoke and rotten eggs."

Azula smiled thinly. "I suppose it's not the loveliest of smells. But sometimes progress looks ugly when it's happening. Besides …" She turned towards her. "I don't look towards a country for beauty." Her eyes flitted over Ty Lee's curves. Besides, this might just be temporary. I promised Mother that I wouldn't threaten Zuzu's throne or plot against him and I do intend to honor that, but there's no reason I can't expand my power in other directions.

The whole Earth Kingdom cries out for a strong hand and perhaps I'm the one to give it to them. I'm something of a hero in Ba Sing Se after all, liberating their precious Earth King and saving the city from that dreadful Combustion Man. Perhaps then the world could move on from the unpleasantness of the past and towards a better future.

Imagine what they'd say about you, Mother. Your precious children, sharing the world.

But such a thing would have to be done carefully, lest the Avatar become alarmed.

Azula had heard about what had happened to Father- his bending ripped away from him, leaving him an empty shell of a man. She imagined that he would have begged Mother to kill him. She knew that she couldn't live without the bright heat of fire in her veins, without the power to focus her being into deadly lightning. I suppose Aang felt he was being merciful to Father. I don't think he could have been crueller.

"Aww, thank you." Ty Lee blushed in response and leaned in for a quick kiss before grinning and simply sitting right in Azula's lap. "You too- and we can take lots of trips to places too. Ty Lee's hand found Azula's. "And … after everything, we can be happy." She inclined her face towards Azula, big grey eyes meeting hers. "Azula?"

"Yes, Ty Lee?" Azula replied with a faint smile, her arms looping around Ty Lee's middle and her lips finding a particularly sensitive spot on her neck.

"... promise me that you aren't hatching some crazy plan?" Ty Lee let out a pleased little sound in response to Azula's lips but she quickly focused herself again. "I … sometimes I worry that you're still scheming to rule the world. We … we got so lucky, Azula. You got just about everything you could have wanted. And things that I knew you weren't even thinking about. And you've become so much better. You're not even mean to the servants anymore!"

"Yes, I have learned that it's best to be feared and loved." Azula replied. "Don't worry. You heard me promise Mother. Zuzu and I … I know he doesn't trust me yet, but I intend to show him that I'm no threat to him anymore. He can have his throne. He's proven himself worthy of it. I'm not going to do anything crazy." She punctuated the point with a few more soft kisses to her throat.

"Okay …" Ty Lee smiled and tilted her neck to allow Azula better access, before blushing deep. "We should … um. We're not actually alone here."

Azula chuckled softly. "What, you mean, Hakka? You don't mind, do you? You've faithfully stood guard over us before."

"Do what you want, Your Majesty." Hakka shrugged, looking out the window. There was something about his language that suggested, however, that he had something to say. The Earthbender was remarkably unattractive, with a long bony face, limp greasy hair, a handful of missing teeth and a semi-permanent scowl, but he was honest and reliable. I don't choose guards for their good looks. He's far from learned- I'm not even sure if he can read or write, but he's observant and more cunning than most suspect.

"... oh, out with it." Azula sighed. He may be a servant, but he's the most faithful and reliable one I have. She trusted him. "You want to say something, your Queen grants you permission to speak."

Hakka glanced over at her. "I'll follow you to the ends of the earth, your Majesty. And you know that I'd protect you both with my life. But if the Avatar came for you, Your Majesty- well. I'd fight for you, to the death, but I know my limits. I'd lose." He didn't say it, but the unspoken part to his statement was that Azula herself would lose, and as much as she truly hated admitting it, he was right. Father was the most powerful bender on the planet, possibly the strongest such for a generation or more. And he lost. And Aang is only going to get more powerful.

"Your honesty is appreciated." Azula replied coolly. It would reek of insubordination from anyone else, but I know Hakka. He can't help but speak the truth. Part of her found it frustrating that he wouldn't grovel or beg for anything, the same way that other servants did. She also knew, however, that his loyalty came from a real place.

Azula honestly believed that he would die for her.

"You don't need to worry, though. Either of you. I'm not planning anything crazy, I promise." It's not crazy, because the world needs me. It needs order. A strong hand to guide it into the future. But first, I need to demonstrate what I can do, and this place will do as well as any other.

Omashu:

"Toph! You should come and se-" Sokka stopped. "Toph! You won't believe what I saw! There's all these posters up for a huge Earth Rumble! Hosted by King Bumi himself! He's inviting all the greatest Earthbenders from the Earth Kingdom! Apparently it's very important! And there's big cash prizes and a grand prize that apparently, is like, too awesome to even say." Sokka took a deep breath and finally stopped talking for a second.

"So what? I mean, nice, Earth Rumble, but my Earth Rumble days are over, Sokka. I've moved on." Toph glanced in Sokka's general direction and smirked inwardly at what her seismic sense was telling her. Spirits, Snoozles. You're smart, but you wouldn't know wisdom from a hole in the ground. What would you do without someone like me to help you around? Or Greaseface, I guess. She's pretty reliable, knows two from two.

".. are you serious, Toph?" Sokka's eyes bugged out.

"Hell no." Toph laughed. "Of course I'm going to enter into that Earth Rumble and of course I'm going to win! Who's gonna be fighting against me? The Boulder? I mean, love the guy, but I kicked his ass ages ago and now I'm way stronger. Whatever this special secret prize is, it's gotta be good, because it's gonna be mine, Snoozles." She grinned. "So you're gonna walk me over to wherever they sign up and get my seal on that." Toph affectionately punched Sokka's arm. "C'mon, let's go."

It was only a short walk over to the registration station where any number of large, heavily muscled men were signing up for the competition. Toph noticed as she walked closer to what she presumed was the booth, that people were starting to give her a bit of a berth. Heartrates were going up across the board. Guess enough people know about me now that the little blind girl thing isn't really working any more. Oh well. I can deal with having an awesome reputation. It wasn't gonna last past this Earth Rumble anyway.

Technically, of course, Sokka was the one that ultimately pressed the Bei Fong family seal to the roll. One of the drawbacks of being blind was that she was illiterate by definition, though she'd run her fingers along enough old carvings to recognize the shapes of letters. People should've stuck to clay tablets. All this paper stuff is just annoying. How's a blind girl supposed to read anything, anyway?

"Half an hour out of my supervision and you two are already signing up for a bunch of fights. Unbelievable." Toph couldn't help but smile at the familiar voice, though a part of her was a little less thrilled by the inevitable makeout that Greaseface and Snoozles would spiritedly engage in. But they love each other, and I guess that's pretty cool. It's not like- Toph wasn't sure how exactly she did feel there. Or who she'd rather be kissing. Or if it was both of them.

She dashed the stupid thoughts out of her brain like unworthy competitors in an Earth Rumble. She was Toph Bei Fong and Toph Bei Fong didn't mope around wondering what kind of person she liked or who she liked. She kicked ass and took names. She was the greatest earthbender in the whole world and the greatest earthbender of all time didn't have time for romance, let alone for awkward confusion about it.

"Don't you think it's a little unfair, Toph?" Suki fanned herself and Toph could easily imagine the enigmatic little smile on her face that all but screamed I know what you're thinking about but I'm too classy to say anything about it. "Hopefully someone comes along that can at least give you a little bit of a workout." Yep, enigmatic smirk was written all over her tone. But her heartrate remained on an even keel. Unlike Snoozles, Greaseface wasn't easy to rattle.

"Pfft!" Sokka cut in, just at the right moment before the conversation became flirting- what the hell did THAT come from? "Toph's too good for that. She'll just beat them all as fast as she beat the Boulder! Bam! Pow! Out of the arena. And we're gonna be there with them-"

That's when Greaseface's heartrate changed a little.

"... Sokka. We've talked out this. I need to go back to Kyoshi Island. The Warriors need me, at least for little while." Enigmatic smirk had probably left her face, to be replaced by rueful smile. Toph found herself fighting off an acute feeling of disappointment. But we're like a threesome! Of friends. Who hang out. Yes. Just three pals.

"I know." Sokka replied a little sadly. "Duty calls." They pressed together again for a quick moment. "I mean …"

"I think you should stay here. Toph needs someone to help her count all the gold she's going to win. And I know how much you love Earth Rumble. But when you two are done here, you both should come up to Kyoshi Island. It's beautiful, with the snow falling on the mountains." It's sweet that you love home, Greaseface. Toph knew that Sokka missed home too. Her? She was just as happy to never see the place again. The last she'd heard from her parents, they'd sent bounty hunters to kidnap her.

The enigmatic grin returns again. "And maybe, just maybe, the two of you can keep each other out of trouble."

Fire Nation Capital

Zuko poured his uncle a cup of tea, passing it over. "I'm … getting better at making tea. Mom can drink it with a straight face now."

Iroh laughed softly and gave it a sip. "Your brewing skills are improving nephew. And you're looking well, besides. And … I hear you've got happy news. When were you going to tell your old uncle that you were going to be engaged?" Iroh's wrinkled face broke into the broadest of grins. "You both deserve every happiness."

"Thank you. It's going to be difficult, though." Zuko admitted. "I think most of the ordinary people are tired of war and are willing to give me a chance, but a lot of the nobles and the industrialists, they grew rich off the war. They don't want it to end." They don't care that we've buried over a million of our sons and daughters over the last century and how many millions of others? An entire culture, the Air Nomads, wiped off the face of the Earth. Another near-genocide against the Southern Water Tribe. Countless burned and destroyed cities, towns and villages in the Earth Kingdom.

Iroh nodded. "It will be difficult." He took a breath and another sip of the tea, which really wasn't bad at all. That's Zuko's way, he will keep trying, again and again, until he gets it right. Even if he has to try it every single wrong way first. But how could he be anything but proud of the man his nephew was becoming? He will make a wonderful Fire Lord, but I don't think he's ready. And he deserves a measure to time to be a young man and in love, to travel the world.

"I wish you weren't going away to Ba Sing Se." Zuko looked up from his tea cup at his uncle. "I could use your help here. But- you've done so much. I'll have to come visit sometime-"

"Zuko." Iroh's eyes met his. "I'm not leaving. Not yet. In a year or two, perhaps. But … perhaps, Zuko, you should go with Mai and travel. Maybe see the world with Aang and his friends. You've suffered so much and I think, I think it would do many people much good to see the Fire Lord and the Avatar travelling together. As friends. And you are friends. I can keep the business of the government operating for a time."

"... are you sure?" Zuko's eyes widened. "But I thought-"

"I will own that tea shop in Ba Sing Se, Zuko." Iroh smiled. "But I can wait a year or two. Let me deal with these nobles and industrialists. I can charm them, or remind them that there's a little bit of the old Dragon of the West in me after all." He chuckled softly and then his expression turned more reflective. "It will be good for you to see the world with new eyes, Zuko. The last time you were travelling you had … other objectives. It is amazing how things change. One day, you are hunting the Avatar and not even a year later, you are good friends with him."

Somewhere in the Far North of the Earth Kingdom:

The only light in the cave was the dim one thrown off by a tallow candle- a precious item, for all of their tribe's fuel came from the animals that they hunted. No trees grew anywhere near them and the few low shrubs that existed were totally unsuitable to keep a fire going. Detsen knew that their ancestors a century ago had been vegetarian but they'd been forced to go back on that vow, in the struggle for survival. Grandfather used to say that we had the choice of eating meat or dying.

And dying meant that the Fire Nation won.

As far as Detsen knew, the few dozen people in his tribe were the only remnant of the old Air Nomads on the face of the planet. He wondered if somewhere, perhaps as far a south as he was north, there was an angry young man wondering the same thing about his small tribe. Or in the east. Or west. But just as likely, he personally knew every Air Nomad- if they could even be called that, on the planet.

But can we even call ourselves that, when we eat flesh and none of us can airbend? Not for lack of trying.

The elders had preserved a few writings depicting the stances of an airbender and a variety of techniques. The young ones learned to read from the writings and they all practiced the stances in their group activities. Most of his tribespeople thought that the exercises were just a tiny remnant of their tradition. But Detsen felt something else in his bones. There is power in these pictures. In these words. But something is not allowing us to unleash it.

So he practiced. Again and again, until he fell exhausted, whenever he wasn't hunting for the tribe. Whenever he wasn't sneaking out to kill any Fire Nation soldiers that wandered too close to their encampment. There were not many of them. The mountains they lived in held little of value and the bitterly cold climate was difficult enough for Detsen and his people to survive in, let alone firebenders used to a tropical climate. But I have taken a few of them to be judged by the spirits. Were it only more of them.

He was distracted from his thoughts by familiar footsteps scampering into the cave and when he turned, it was with a faint smile on his face, rather than the serious scowl he was best known for.

"Malu. You know I prefer not to be interrupted during my exercises." Detsen finally spoke, but he couldn't bring himself to sound angry about his little sister's sudden entrance.

"You should put a shirt on. It's cold in here!" Malu rolled her eyes. "None of the girls are in here to impress, you know. And you've exercised your way through dinner. But I managed to save you some stew and butter tea. Which is good, because um, you might've hunted it. It'd be pretty awful if you didn't get any." Malu set down a bowl that, though probably steaming hot was no more than lukewarm now. He picked up the butter tea. Still decently warm. He wrapped his hands around the warm mug and took a sip.

"I don't feel the cold so much." Detsen was out in the elements often, hunting for his people, or making sure that nobody was poking around their mountains.

"You missed the news." Malu insisted. "The Fire Lord is defeated and the war is over. We could probably even come out of hiding! The Avatar defeated the Fire Lord! And he's an airbender-"

"What about the rest of the Fire Nation?" Detsen asked pointedly. Sozin's hand alone did not destroy our people.

"Well, they're leaving most of the Earth Kingdom. But I guess, a Fire Nation princess is ruling in Jinzhai in the Earth King's name. And the Fire Lord's son took over but now there's peace." Detsen tried not to glare, because of course Malu would be excited. She was young, significantly younger than even him. And growing so quickly. She'll be a beauty. I'll have to beat up half the boys in the tribe.

"Peace. How can there be peace if a large part of the Earth Kingdom is ruled by a girl of Sozin's blood? Or a boy of Sozin's blood in the Fire Nation itself?" Detsen shook his head. "No. A truce. A chance for two sides to draw breath and wait for the Avatar to turn his attention to something else. There can be no real peace if they still rule! If they even live!" Despite himself, his voice rose. "We can't trust that there will be peace." He waved his arm and suddenly there was a gust of wind and the little tallow candle blew out, leaving them in near-total darkness, save for the tiny glimmer of dying sunlight from outside.

How could there be such a sudden gust of wind? Unless. Could it be true? Spirits. Did I just … airbend?