Chapter I: Brave New World

Azula stood on the bridge of the massive Fire Nation airship, contemplating the vast expanses of green fields which stretched for miles around the flotilla. The vegetation wasn't as exuberant as in her country, but the soil was clearly fertile, as indicated by the amount of crops they had seen below them as they flew. This area, however, was largely uncultivated. They had been going north.

She was standing still, not speaking, her arms crossed before her chest. Her two best friends, Mai and Ty Lee, stood slightly behind her, waiting. It was around noon.

As the flotilla coasted above the new land, her mind went back to the most recent developments. They had set out to search for the Avatar and his ragtag assortment of peasants (with her traitor brother now too) after they had defeated them on the Day of the Black Sun, and one night, the world had disappeared, and it was as if there was only sky, no sea, no land, no clouds.

After a couple of minutes, they had appeared... wherever this place was. It was evident they were in another world, that was clear. And after a couple of days to muse about it, Azula had decided to make her stay worthwhile.

If they had mysteriously appeared here, then they could just as suddenly return to their world. But there were people here, and they needed a monarch.

"Azula?" asked Ty Lee, tentatively.

Azula silenced her by raising her right hand.

She could feel newfound power inside her, ever since coming to this reality. It was a warmth, an electric excitement of sorts... difficult to put into words. She felt more alive than ever before, and something inside her told her that she would not be stopped here.

The prospect of creating a new empire for herself was blinding her with temptation. The Avatar and her brother weren't as important now. She was. Her future was. Her throne.

This is going to be my new playground. And I am going to carve it with fire into my image.

But first...

"Let's go eat" she told her friends, a malicious smile on her lips "we have much to do later."

A couple of hours later, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee disembarked from their airship and set foot on the new world for the first time. The princess had instructed Commander Jinpin to have the flotilla circle high above, hidden in the clouds, and to be back for her the next day. It was a risky gamble she had taken, but she needed to reconnoiter her surroundings, and she was confident the three of them would be able to handle whatever situation might present itself.

They would need a permanent base soon, before food and water ran out, and she was on it.

She was wearing her black and red Fire Nation uniform, with her long black hair tied up in a bun, two strands falling to the sides, a red flame ornament crowing her.

Mai wore her usual red, long sleeved robe, while Ty Lee was in that ridiculous circus costume she insisted on wearing.

"Wouldn't it have made more sense to land during the night?"asked Ty Lee "we are in broad daylight here Azula."

She didn't really sounded worried. She never did.

"That's the whole point silly" she replied in her cool, even voice "my firebending is strongest under the sun."

"It makes sense." Mai offered.

"Hurry, and keep quiet." ordered the princess.

They took a large dirt road which went through a thicket of trees. This particular area didn't seemed to have many, with grassy plains dominating the landscape. They had seen a village nearby from the air, and so Azula had chosen to explore there, as subtly as was possible.

They walked in the direction of the settlement for around 20 minutes before seeing a cloud of dust appear on the road.

Maybe I can get something out of them.

They were riding strange creatures. She had seen those animals before, somewhere.

"Horses..." whispered Mai.

A yes, the horse.

"I thought horses were a myth, the subject of fairy tales and old legends" said Ty Lee "They're gorgeous! I want one!"

"Silence" ordered Azula "Let me do the talking."

There were six men, all astride horses, wearing chainmail and iron helmets. They carried lances, decorated with banners depicting pink humans, swords at their hips, and round shields on their backs. They smiled horrible, rotten smiles upon seeing three, apparently defenseless young ladies.

"Greetings strangers." offered Azula, a crooked smile on her own face. "My name is Azula, daughter of Ozai, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation and it is m-"

She wasn't allowed to finish, for the riders burst into laughter.

"What?" asked one of them, seemingly the leader "What a pile o' shit did ya jus' blurt?"

"Princess?" another one added, finding it hilarious "An' those are what, yar ladies in waitin'?

At least these bastards can speak, even if they embarrass themselves.

"Quiet!" she commanded, steel in her voice, visibly irked "I didn't grant you permission to-"

"Oh this one's a mouthy bitch" said the leader "I'm gonna have to beat that outta ya"

Azula and her friends tensed, ready to fight.

"Listen riders" she continued "Submit to my will, and bring me your leader's tongue and teeth, and I will spare the rest of you."

All she got in response was the riders dismounting from their saddles. The leader, whatever his name was, pulled out a knife.

He took one step towards her before bursting into flames like a pile of tinder.

His horrifying screams pierced the air, as the blue fire from Azula's fingers engulfed and consumed him. She lowered her hand and the fire stopped flowing, but the man was on his face, dead or about to be.

"Oh sweet Seven graces!" someone cried out in horror, eyes wide. "She's a fucking demon!"

"Kill her!" someone else yelled as he and two others charged towards Azula. Mai felled one of them with a stiletto, stepping into her throw, putting it through one of his eyes. Ty Lee knocked the sword out of the other one's hand, following through with a quick strike to his throat with her fingers, blocking his chi and making him crumple over.

The third one, the one who had yelled, was about to plunge his blade into Azula's chest when she deftly sidestepped him, grabbing his sword-wielding wrist with her right hand and bringing her flaming left palm crashing into his helmeted face in a single movement.

His head rocked back in a shower of sparks and flames, and the princess put him on the ground with another blow. He was very much alive though, albeit in immobilizing pain.

Azula slowly approached the survivors, just two of them now, too shocked and terrified to move, both shaking uncontrollably. Both dropped to their knees before her, and one of them burst into tears. The pained rider was moaning pitifully.

"Please-p-please, Lady Demon, Your Grace."

"D-don't don't d-d-don't hurt us p-please."

"I don' want to die."

"I beg ya."

"Spare me p-please I'll be yar serf."

"Oh shut up!" she spat out, irked. "Behave like the men who a few seconds ago wanted to rape three pretty young ladies."

"I never wanted to rape anyone."

"I wasn't goin' to!"

"I said silence." she replied, igniting her fists.

When they were finally quiet, she smiled once more, and that smile chilled them to the bones.

"Names." she wanted.

"Damon."

"Alyn."

"And what were you doing here?"

"Looking for fun for our lord Ramsey Your Grace" answered Damon.

Oh I can imagine what sort of fun. Maybe I should kill them.

"Ramsey. Strange name. You all have strange names."

Ty Lee and Mai watched the exchange close behind her.

I think I'm going to kill them.

"I think I'm going to kill you" she told them, prompting another episode of shaking and begging.

"Unless..." she added, leading them to shut up "unless one of you proves his worth to me. Only one of you will serve me. You will fight to the death, with knives, and the survivor will have the honor of serving a Fire Nation Princess..."

Damon and Alyn stared at each other.