Author's Note: Some parts of this chapter are going to look really familiar to most of you, as I draw a lot on cannon, but this is only to set up what is to come.

Chapter 1: The Phoenix King

It was dusk when the two palanquins moved through the Fire Nation's Royal Plaza, which was filled with Fire Nation citizens bowing down to their Fire Lord and Fire Princess. The lead palanquin was much larger and more ornate than the second, and was decorated with a golden phoenix. Inside was Ozai sans crown. Azula rode in the smaller, more traditional royal palanquin.

The Fire Lord arrived at the port first. His servants pulled away the curtains, allowing him to exit. He strode past his Imperial Firebenders and up the steps, leaving the plaza behind.

Short moments later, Azula exited her palanquin and easily climbed the steps, kneeling behind her father and keeping her eyes low.

"Is everything ready for our departure, Father?" Azula asked, turning her head to the side to look at the waiting airship fleet.

"There has been a change of plans, Azula," the Fire Lord began, keeping his back to her.

She slowly turned her head back to look at her father, not showing the surprise she felt. "Oh?" she asked simply.

"I've decided to lead the fleet of airships to Ba Sing Se alone. You will remain here in the Fire Nation."

"I see," she said, clenching her jaw and trying not to lose control of her temper. "So what are your plans for me?"

The Fire Lord smiled slightly to himself before speaking.

"I need you here to watch over the homeland. It's a very important job that I can only entrust to you."

"So now he's patronizing me," Azula thought to herself, realizing that she was still being punished over what happened with Zuko. She remained silent.

"For your loyalty," he continued, now turning to face his daughter, "I've decided to declare you the new Fire Lord."

"Fire Lord Azula," she thought. "Maybe this isn't so bad. Wait, there has to be more to this." She looked up at him. "Thank you, Father. But what about you?"

"Fire Lord Ozai is no more. Just as the world will be reborn in fire, I shall be reborn as the supreme ruler of the world." As he spoke, a Fire Sage placed a phoenix helmet on his head. "From this moment on, I will be known as," he raised his arms proudly, "the Phoenix King!"

A large maroon phoenix motif banner was raised behind him then. A line of soldiers holding red Fire Lord banners stood tall as another line of soldiers standing in front of them brought up the new maroon Phoenix King banners.

Two firebenders poised beside a giant urn at the bottom of a pillar before firebending two openings at the side of the urn, causing the top of the pillar to light up with fire.

With a mixture of awe and confusion, the citizens bowed down before their newly transformed leader. Azula, who had remained kneeling in front of her father, kept her face a neutral mask.

The pillars on each side of the Phoenix King banner lit up then, coming to resemble a pair of phoenix wings. Ozai was now in his full phoenix armor grinning devilishly.

Ty Lee had been amongst the crowd that gathered to watch the Fire Nation military depart from the capital. She heard Fire Lord Ozai name Azula the new Fire Lord and watched as he declared himself the Phoenix King.

Many of the citizens, including Ty Lee, didn't know exactly what to think of this. Were they still Fire Nation or something else? They knew better than to voice those questions for the time being. Either way, their allegiance was still to Ozai and Azula, regardless of whatever titles they held.

Inwardly, Ty Lee found herself glad that Azula was staying home. She didn't want her to take part in the impending invasion that the Fire Lord was leading upon the Earth Kingdom. She was horrified at what they were planning on doing—harnessing the comet's power to burn the continent to the ground.

After the newly anointed Phoenix King and the fleet of airships departed, Azula turned to face her people, her eyes landing on Ty Lee for a moment before gazing straight ahead. The head of the Fire Sages glanced at her and she nodded. He stepped forward to address the crowd.

"Citizens of the Fire Nation! Tomorrow evening, an hour before the arrival of Sozin's Comet, Princess Azula will be crowned as your new Fire Lord."

The crowd broke into a cheer then, and the anger Azula felt over being left behind started to ebb. With a gracefulness befitting her royal status, she descended the steps to where her servants waited, holding back the veil of her palanquin. Stepping inside, she took a seat and closed her eyes as the servants carried her back to the palace.

"You summoned me, my lord," Ty Lee said with a smile and half bow as she entered Azula's chambers. "Or should I still call you princess?" she asked looking up before jumping into Azula's arms and kissing her soundly.

Azula smirked. "I like the sound of 'my lord,' but I suppose that will have to wait until tomorrow."

"I'm glad you're not going with your dad," Ty Lee admitted softly, still holding onto the firebender.

"I'm not. My father's still punishing me," Azula said, pulling away from the acrobat.

"Punishing you? But he named you Fire Lord."

"He's leaving me behind," she said, trying to ignore the sting of her father's rejection. "We were supposed to lead this invasion together. It was my idea to burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground."

"It was your idea?" Ty Lee asked, shocked and more than a little disturbed. "Do you realize how many people are going to die because of that? How could you even suggest something like that?"

"Because it's what my father expected of me!" Azula shouted, causing Ty Lee to flinch.

She was tired and her head was swimming. It felt like everyone she cared about had abandoned her. Everyone except Ty Lee.

Azula sighed heavily, taking a seat in front of her vanity. Ty Lee wordlessly walked behind her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, placing a soft kiss on her head.

"Ty Lee, please don't leave me," Azula murmured. Ty Lee smiled at her words.

"I'm not going anywhere, Azula," the acrobat replied, squeezing Azula a little tighter and causing Azula to stiffen. She hadn't meant to say those words out loud.

Sensing Azula's sudden discomfort, Ty Lee pulled out the golden hairpin that held the firebender's hair up in a topknot, letting the black strands fall loosely down her back. The acrobat then picked up a nearby hairbrush and began to run it through Azula's raven tresses in an attempt to relax her.

"So now that you'll be Fire Lord, will you still wear your hair up in a topknot, or will you start to wear it down?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," Azula said absently, thoroughly enjoying Ty Lee's attentions.

"I always liked your hair down. It makes you look older," the acrobat said, spending several more minutes combing through Azula's hair before placing the brush back down on the vanity. "Come on, princess. Time for you to get your beauty rest. Your coronation is tomorrow."

Knowing Ty Lee was right, Azula allowed herself to be led over to her bed.

"Do you want me to stay?" Ty Lee asked shyly. Things like sleepovers had taken on a whole new meaning in the last two weeks.

"What do you think?" Azula asked with that half smile that made Ty Lee's heart race.

"Uncle, you're the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord," Zuko said as the group gathered around to eat their breakfast.

"You mean the Fire Lord," Toph interrupted, pointing her chopsticks at him.

"That's what I just said," Zuko replied. Toph shrugged and resumed eating.

"Hmm…" Iroh said thoughtfully.

"We need you to come with us," Zuko finished.

"No, Zuko. It won't turn out well."

"You can beat him and we'll be there to help," Zuko insisted, gesturing to his friends.

"Even if I did defeat Ozai—and I don't know that I could—it will be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as just more senseless violence—a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord."

"And then… then would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?"

"No. Someone new must take the throne—an idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko," Iroh told his surprised nephew.

"Unquestionable honor? But I've made so many mistakes," he argued.

"Yes, you have. You struggled, you suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You restored your own honor. And only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation," he explained.

"I'll try, Uncle."

"Well, what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph asked.

"Sozin's Comet is arriving and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again."

"That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus," Suki realized.

"Yes," Iroh said with a nod. "Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there, waiting for you."

"I can handle Azula," he replied confidently.

"Not alone. You'll need help."

"You're right," he agreed before looking over at Katara. "Katara, how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?"

"It would be my pleasure," she said with smile.

"What about us?" Sokka asked. "What's our destiny today?"

"What do you think it is?" Iroh replied.

"I think that…" Sokka began, thoughtfully, "even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet."

"And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if he needs us," Toph finished.

The next morning, the gang gathered together for what could prove to be the last time if they were not successful in their respective missions.

"So if I'm going to be Fire Lord after the war is over, what are you going to do?" Zuko asked his uncle as he and Katara were preparing to depart.

"After I re-conquer Ba Sing Se, I'm going to re-conquer my tea shop, and I'm going to play Pai Sho everyday," Iroh replied, flipping a white lotus tile up in the air before catching it and tucking it away.

Zuko smiled at him before climbing up onto Appa's head.

"Goodbye, General Iroh," Katara called down from the sky bison's saddle.

"Goodbye, everyone," Iroh said before glancing up at his nephew once more. "Today, destiny is our friend. I know it."