The Last Will and Testament of Firelord Sozin

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

A/N: I haven't written Avatar The Last Airbender for a long time now. But this was something that's been on my mind for a long time. It does tie in to my other ATLA fanfic that still remains unfinished but this one-shot can be read alone and hopefully actually nicely fits into canon.

"A Fire Lord will sacrifice everything for the good of his nation" - the unnamed First Fire Lord

If you are reading this letter, then I have passed on to the next life, and you, young firebender, are my true heir.

My unworthy son, Azulon understands nothing, he has grown up accustomed to a life of wealth and power and he only seeks to gain more wealth and more power. But you, who have found this letter, you understand what it really means to be Lord of the Fire Nation.

I have sacrificed everything for the nation and its people. I sacrificed my best friend for the nation. Believe it or not, Avatar Roku and I were best friends. It was he who taught me the finer arts of Firebending. We travelled the world together when I was only a prince. But as the years grew on, our two positions, Avatar and Fire Lord inevitably came into conflict.

At the heart of the conflict was this, the Fire Nation was getting too big for the land it held. We are merely a chain of volcanic islands sustaining a large population. The Home Minister and the Economic Minister both produced calculations that showed that within one generation, the Fire Nation would face severe shortage of food and other resources.

I begged him for the sake of our friendship, that he listen to me and use his position as Avatar to grant the Fire Nation more land, more resources to sustain our people. But he refused, claiming that it would disturb the 'balance'. It was then we had our sharpest disagreement that would inevitably break our lifelong friendship. I had to think of my people. As Fire Lord, I could never countenance the sacrifice of my people for a notion of 'balance'. I begged him again, but Roku would not move his position.

It was then I knew what had to be done. So I sacrificed my best friend.

I have sacrificed my morals for the nation. Exterminating the Airbenders was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. But I knew, even if Roku died, the next Avatar would rise in his place to stop what I was going to do and his spirit would be guiding the next Avatar. I knew that the next Avatar would try to stop me because of their notion of 'balance' so I had to put a stop to that. The Airbenders are a peaceful, loving people who I held nothing but the greatest respect for, but for my nation, I would do anything.

Thus, I had them all killed in a surprise invasion. Being a peaceful people, they would be wiped out quickly. I wish it did not require the Airbenders to be wiped out, but there is no alternative.

So I sacrificed my soul.

I have sacrificed my integrity for the nation. I have always been a fine Fire Lord who stood up for the rights of my people. I looked after my people and dealt with them in an honest and just way.

However, with the war effort comes martial law. Dissent must be crushed and all focus must be given to the war effort. For I wish that we win as quickly and as painlessly as possible, and those that stand in the way, they act to the detriment of the nation. And thus, they must be cut off like a gardener cuts off a rotting limb of a tree, by any means.

I know this will be unjust, that some dissenters will be executed for treason without due process and justice being served. I know that other dissenters will be taken in through my dishonesty and then 'disappear', never to be heard from again. But for the people, for a swift end to the war, this is what I must do, it is what I did. Even though they are my people, they act against my people and it saddens me that they must die. Yet, I had to focus on the war effort and not let the myself be emotionally burdened.

So I sacrificed my heart.

I have sacrificed my throne for the nation. I have been on the front lines with the soldiers, fighting alongside them while Azulon sat at home, regent in my absence. Personally, I have killed many enemy soldiers, their blood is on my hands. Yet, I do not regret it.

My presence on the battlefield drives many of my fellow soldiers to strive to be better, to strive to become a better soldier. My presence makes the engineers strive to build better war machines, the farmers and colonists to strive to grow more food, for the supply lines to run more efficiently. My strategists strive to plan better strategies for victory. My nation strives to be the best, so that they may overcome whatever obstacle is put in their way.

I could have sat back and supervised the war effort from my throne in the capital, but I am a firebender, one of the best in the nation. There is no difference here on the battlefield, I don the same masked armour as the troops, and I face the same dangers as they do. I face the same enemy earthbenders and waterbenders as any of my soldiers. It is physically taxing, fighting a war in the trenches and on the battlefield, but this is what I must do, for the nation. I am a soldier of my nation and I am a King.

So I sacrificed my body.

I, Sozin have given everything for the good of this nation. I have continued to do so until the day I have passed. Young firebender, you must carry on the task I have begun, and finish the war. Use all the resources you have available to you to carry out this task, there is surely a way.

I can provide three people who will be able to help. Three who know. Speak to the current serving Home Minister, Economic Minister and War Minister. Each Minister has passed this story on to his own successor so that only they know. Talk to them, give them whatever help you can to ensure our victory. Take whatever help that they can offer. Plan with them, assist them, do what needs to be done.

A good citizen of the Fire Nation will sacrifice his all for the good of the people.

My only wish that the war will be over soon, and that our people will prosper. I have already given everything for the good of the nation. Now you must finish this, for the people.

This is my last wish.

Fire Lord Sozin

Prince Ozai looked at the fading scroll in his hands. With the collapse of the siege at Ba Sing Se and his older brother's mental breakdown over Lu Ten's death, and with Fire Lord Azulon's failing health, Ozai knew what he must do.

Returning the scroll to its final resting place and sealing it once more with the art of firebending, he walked out of the dusty library. No longer could he be the coddled younger prince striving for his father's affection.

It was time he became a man; a man, a Fire Lord, who would sacrifice everything for his nation.