Disclaimer: Consult the previous chapter.
Timeline Note: This chapter takes place approximately six years after Ozai's death.
Special thanks to my previous beta Lavanya Six, and my current betas Devon and Aurelia Le!
The Right to Rule
An Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfic
Chapter 2
An Avatar's Daily Duties
In Azula's dreams she could still see. When she woke up, her world became shrouded in darkness once more.
She allowed a few moments of self-pity, then kicked the person sleeping next to her.
"Wakey-wakey, Toph."
Toph groaned and rolled over. Azula had trained her body to always wake up at 6am, but Toph had trouble sticking to a consistent schedule, in this and other areas.
"No hibernation this time, rich girl. Today's schedule is jam-packed."
It took a second kick, but Toph eventually crawled out of bed. If an earthbent patch of ground could be considered a "bed."
After the War, Aang had said that she should travel the world instead of living in one place. Thinking that was stupid, Azula spent months looking for a permanent residence, trying to find the right balance between comfort, location, and not pissing off important people. She soon realized, however, that after three years of either living in a frozen wasteland or camping out with zero amenities, her standards for comfort had hit rock-bottom; after acquiring Zenmetsu, it was easy to travel pretty much wherever she wanted; and at this point she wanted to piss off every important person she knew.
Occasionally, the bratty old dead Air Nomad did have a point.
"So what do we have to do again?" Toph yawned, as Azula made a couple of small basins from the earth and bent water into them from the nearby river.
"Ba Sing Se first," Azula said. She splashed water onto her face, then started washing the rest of her body. "It's time for my monthly inspection of Long Feng."
"This early in the morning?"
Azula blew her bag toward her with a gust of wind, catching it in mid-air. "Each of my Dai Li agents is available at different times, and if I just meet the same one each visit Long Feng will get suspicious." She took a set of clean clothes out of the bag and put on the undergarments. "Keeps him off-guard, too."
"Makes sense. What are this month's topics?"
"You know how the anti-colonial terrorists are ramping up their activities?" Azula started putting on the trousers. "It's suspicious. I need to find out if he's involved with them."
Toph flexed her feet, which meant she was mulling something over. "Just how long are you going to keep helping him stay in power?" she eventually said.
Azula sighed, holding up her undershirt and tunic. Her outfits were a lot less elaborate now than they were when she was the princess. Out of necessity, to be sure, but she still felt a small pang of disappointment every time she got dressed. She told Toph, "We've been over this. Kuei's a pushover; someone else is always going to rule with him on the throne. If not Long Feng, it'd be How, and he's been in the army all his life; war is all he knows. If neither, there'd be chaos."
"And you can control Long Feng, right?"
"Yes," Azula replied with an edge in her voice, "I can. That's how I ensure there won't be another war."
They spent the rest of their time getting dressed and presentable in silence. Azula knew Toph didn't particularly like, and wasn't particularly good at, being her conscience. But everyone had a role to play. Toph was hardly the only one who wasn't fond of hers.
"So I've been thinking," Toph said while they were riding Zenmetsu to Ba Sing Se.
"Did it hurt?"
"Try saying that where I can see you, Hot Lips."
"If only I had some boots to shake in."
"Anyway, I was thinking about some new earthbending moves."
"Yeah?"
"I've been experimenting lately using different parts of my body. I've gotten some interesting results using my head."
"Maybe because that's a new sensation for you?"
"Huh?"
"Using your head."
"Oh, you're on a roll today, Hot Lips."
Zenmetsu roared under them, causing Toph to gasp in surprise. Azula grinned and leaned back to pat her flying bison's head. "Thank you, Zenmetsu. I agree."
"As I was saying. It's a lot harder to bend earth with my head; it's kind of like trying to run through mud. But once I manage it, I get results much bigger and more…substantive, if that makes sense."
"Your explanations never make sense, Toph. We've talked about this."
"You seem to learn my techniques just fine, though I guess you do suck at them."
"Half our lessons involve me translating you into human speech, Dirt Foot."
"And yet you can never make a nickname that isn't embarrassingly lame."
Back when she had eyes, Azula was a master of gleaning people's true thoughts from their facial expressions and body language. Even after years of practice, though, she still couldn't do the same from their voices. Toph did it through examining people's heartbeat and breathing, but maybe that was a skill you could only pick up while you were young, since Azula never got a handle on it. This meant that while Toph wasn't very good at politics or strategy, she was invaluable in interpersonal communication, especially with someone untrustworthy.
And "untrustworthy" was just about the kindest word one could use to describe Long Feng.
"As always, I am honored to host the Avatar, who maintains this wonderful peace that brings prosperity to all nations."
Azula sensed a small vibration behind her. This was Toph's signal that he was lying. Bullshit formality was always a lie, of course, but Toph never tired of finding ways to annoy Azula without technically disobeying her.
"Now, what do you need from me?" Long Feng went on.
"Let's start with the state of the Earth Kingdom," Azula said.
The conversation progressed as these things tended to. Long Feng was smart enough not to lie about public information; his reports about rice production, taxes, revolt sentiment, and the like were always accurate. But when it came to things Azula couldn't confirm independently (or so he thought at least), especially the Dai Li itself, the lies proliferated like fungus.
The Dai Li's main focus was infiltrating groups plotting rebellion: lie. He had no further information about the anti-colonial terrorists: lie. He was perfectly satisfied with his current station and level of power: in a shocking plot twist, lie.
She wasn't going to accuse Long Feng to his face, but it provided a good guide as to what she should ask her Dai Li contacts about. Azula thanked him repeatedly and left after a half-hour conversation that seemed much longer.
It took another hour to find her available Dai Li contacts and speak with them. She confirmed that there were still far more Dai Li agents spying on foreign countries than monitoring the home-grown threat. She learned that the Dai Li was giving covert aid to the anti-colonial terrorists, not out of ideological agreement but as a way to help bloody the Fire Nation's nose, but they couldn't give her rock-solid proof. They didn't know what Long Feng's ultimate goals were, but that was okay; Azula had some pretty good guesses.
Despite what she said to Toph, she was often tempted to just storm in and kill him. But you can't always do what you want, even—or especially—if you're the Avatar.
Overall, the Ba Sing Se segment of her day went relatively well, and she was in high spirits as she and Toph walked back to Zenmetsu. But her good cheer quickly evaporated when they got to the stable and found out someone was waiting for them.
"Message to Avatar Azula from Firelord Zuko," the person said, evidently a herald.
Fantastic, Azula thought. "Yes?"
"Please come to the palace as soon as possible. We have an urgent matter to discuss."
Meaning he's getting overwhelmed by politics again. "Understood."
"Long flight then, huh?" Toph said as they ate a late breakfast/early lunch on Zenmetsu's back.
"In fairness, we were going to the Fire Nation anyway; Zuko'll just be a stopover." Azula lay on her back and sighed, enjoying the feel of Zenmetsu's soft fur under her. "We have something to do first, though. Some village has been having a series of bad harvests, and they think a spirit is to blame."
"Your favorite, huh?"
"It's the Avatar's curse."
"Some would call it a duty."
"Same difference."
"...so while it must be true that existence is an illusion, the question remains what is receiving the illusion. I'm still trying to work it out, and my current theories are..." Aang trailed off (thank Agni), stopped walking, and pointed at a gyrating dark mass made up of the limbs, torsos, and heads of hundreds, if not thousands, of animals. "Well, there's your problem."
Azula looked at one portion of the creature in grim fascination. A fire ferret's head was growing out of a goat-dog leg, and as it swung around it kept hitting what looked like the bottom halves of two rabaroos sewed together. "Ew."
Aang frowned at her. "Don't insult it. That's a very sad spirit. Look, you see all those?" He gestured at the tree stumps that lay all around them. "That village must've cut down this forest, but the forest was home to a lot of animals. Their grief and anger at losing their home coalesced, and formed that." He nodded at the writhing nightmare.
Looking back at the spirit, Azula saw a pitch-black spider-snake with insect wings biting ferociously at what appeared to be a hog-monkey's hindquarters. She couldn't comprehend why Aang would stick up for this creature. "Well, whatever the reason, those villagers' crops are dying and they'll soon starve. If you're saying this...thing...is the cause of that, we need to deal with it somehow. So how?"
"I dunno."
"How can you not know? Haven't you been here for over a century?"
Aang shrugged. "Every spirit is different, Azula. They don't all want the same thing. You'll have to ask it."
"Ohhh, ask it. Why didn't I think of that? I'm sure it's just dying to chat with me, too."
"It is! You're getting better at this, Azula."
She stared at him. He grinned back at her. After she triple-checked that he was serious, she said, "I was being sarcastic."
Aang went back to frowning. "Oh." He gave her an admonishing look. "It's in great pain, Azula. Of course it wants to talk to someone about it. Wouldn't you?"
Azula decided not to answer that question. Instead, she said, "So how am I supposed to talk to it? Are you saying it can speak?"
"Walk up and touch it." She stared at him again, mouth open in shock. "Seriously. It's not dangerous. Go on."
Can spirits go senile? Azula wondered. But she didn't have much choice. She walked up to the spirit...creature...thing...and with an overwhelming sense of trepidation, laid her hand on what appeared to be a patchwork face made up of at least five different animals.
Images flickered across her mind. An axe cutting down a tree, blood pouring out of the stump. A large skeletal forest, each branch topped with a skull. Two baby rabaroos trapped in a small cave biting chunks out of each other. A pack of goat-dogs shivering in the snow.
The sun shining as a new forest rises out of the ground.
Azula removed her hand.
"Well?" Aang asked.
"I think they just want a new home."
He smiled. "You see? Most spirits are honest, Azula. Just ask them what they want, and they'll tell you."
She looked up at the patchwork spirit, each of its many parts continuing to writhe in agony. Was she really starting to pity this thing? Azula was struck with a sudden terror that if she spent too much time in the Spirit World, she'd end up like Aang. "Alright, I know how to solve the problem, so time to go back." She turned around on her heel and started striding back in the direction of her body.
Out of the corner of her eye—for lack of a better word—she saw Aang wave. "Good luck, Azula! See you later!"
Much later, I hope.
"All they have to do is plant a new forest? You sure?" Toph asked as they began the long flight to the Fire Nation.
Azula scratched Zenmetsu's neck. Her bison had groaned in frustration when she told her their destination. It's not like Azula herself was particularly excited at the prospect of spending most of the day flying, but she knew Zenmetsu was the one doing the actual work. She'd have to think of some suitable reward later. She said to Toph, "Not a new forest, per se. They have to expand the old one until it's as big as it used to be, and not cut down a tree without also planting a new one. In the meantime, they do what's necessary to enable the remaining animals to live in the current area." Azula shrugged. "It'll be hard, but better than starving. For both the humans and the animals."
"I really don't get spirits, honestly."
"I suppose it does take a refined mind. You should probably stick to dirt."
Toph kicked her. Azula laughed.
"Sorry for calling you out here on such short notice. You can stay for dinner if you want," Zuko said.
"It's fine." Azula didn't bother to keep the annoyance out of her voice. "And no thanks, I'm going to have to leave immediately after we finish." Not that she would've stayed even if she did have the time, of course.
"Fair enough."
"What did you want to talk about?"
Zuko cleared his throat. "I got a report from Zhao two days ago. He says the Imperialists are becoming even more radicalized, and are likely to try something soon. He's doing his best to calm them down, but…"
"Yes?"
He sighed. "The sedition laws aren't exactly helping."
Of course. I should've guessed this was why he sent for me.
Not every Fire Nation citizen was happy with Zuko's focus on peace and reconciliation, unsurprisingly. At first the opposition was mostly limited to a few hawkish officers and a handful of power-hungry nobles. It gained momentum when Zuko agreed to contribute a large amount of funds for the other nations' reconstruction. The colonial compromise, which angered everyone, fueled it even more. But it was Zuko's perceived tepid response to the anti-colonial terrorists that gave the movement enough popular support to really get into high gear.
Luckily, Azula had had the foresight to assign Zhao the task of infiltrating the Imperialists from the beginning. His credibility was almost unquestionable since he led the Northern Water Tribe invasion during the War. Nevertheless, Zhao alone was not enough; other steps had to be taken to contain the Imperialists. Namely, the sedition laws.
During Ozai's reign, it had been against the law to even mention politics unless you were given special permission. After taking over, Zuko had abolished almost all restrictions on political speech. Two years later, Azula convinced Mai to have a talk, and for the first and last time they spoke as one to convince Zuko to nip the Imperialist problem in the bud before it killed him, started another war, or both.
Eventually they managed to convince him to execute a prominent Imperialist, which got the point across: criticizing the Firelord's domestic policy is okay; criticizing his foreign policy isn't; repeatedly advocating his overthrow would result in the aforementioned execution. (Zuko had felt guilty about it for years afterward, but you can't argue with success.)
Almost every time she met with him these days, though, Zuko complained about the sedition laws. He had a different excuse each time, but Azula knew the real reason: 'It's too much like what Father would do.'
"I do hope," Ozai went on, "you won't let the foreigners rape our lands and people."
Azula shook her head. The Imperialists taking over would only encourage that, she reminded herself.
"Something the matter, Azula?" Zuko asked.
She had spent too much time in reverie. Back to the topic at hand. "Are you suggesting," she said slowly, "that the Imperialists are stronger with the sedition laws than without them?"
"Not stronger, just more radical."
"Oh, so instead of just wanting to make you a figurehead, now they want to kill you?"
"I'm just saying—"
"I know what you're saying. The point of the sedition laws isn't to convince anyone you're right, it's to prevent your opposition from effectively coordinating."
"I know that!"
"And yet you apparently need to be constantly reminded."
A tense silence followed.
"Fine," Zuko said angrily. "How's your investigation of the anti-colonial terrorists going?"
Now it was Azula's turn to sigh, as much to give herself time to think as anything else. She had to be careful about what to tell Zuko; if he learned too much about what Long Feng was up to, she didn't trust him enough not to cause an international incident.
"It's very difficult to track guerrillas," she said eventually, "especially when some of them are earthbenders. It's similar to the difficulties the Fire Nation faced dealing with the Southern Water Tribes during the War. I've been working with the colonial governors on defensive tactics, which have been somewhat effective. However, until we get a definite lead, I won't be able to take the offensive."
"No luck in finding anyone willing to inform on them?"
"Oh, they're willing, believe me. But that Jet is a paranoid little rat—anyone we capture he gives up on. And since he keeps getting new recruits…" Azula realized she was scratching her eye socket and moved her hand down, embarrassed. She couldn't remember when she had first picked up that habit, and it was frustratingly difficult to break.
"Well, keep your eyes—er, senses—open. Jet will mess up one day."
"Indeed." Azula had her own plans for forcing Jet out into the open (a few of the seeds she'd planted in the Dai Li were due to sprout soon) but it was better for Zuko not to know about that plan.
They talked a bit about the Water Tribes and minor domestic issues, until Azula decided she was about to run late for her final appointment and got up to leave.
Then Zuko asked a question that brought her mind to a halt.
"How are you doing, Azula?"
Azula froze. She spent a full minute trying to decide whether to lie or not, or even if she knew what the truth was, before she decided screw it.
"The things I'm doing don't come naturally to me. But I've become convinced that's probably for the best…for the world and for me. So I'm hanging in there."
She left before Zuko got the chance to say another word.
After leaving Zuko, Azula didn't head straight back to Toph and Zenmetsu. Whenever she visited the Royal Palace, there was always one other person she stopped by to see. She went to their room and knocked on the door.
"Come in," they said. Azula opened the door and entered.
She heard an excited squeal. A girl ran up and hugged her tightly. "Aunt Azula!"
"Hello, Azaka." Azula patted her niece on the back awkwardly for a few seconds, then she grasped the girl's shoulders and gently moved her backward, breaking the hug.
"How long are you going to be here?" Azaka said excitedly.
"Not for long, I'm afraid. I'm just stopping by."
"Awww." Azaka sounded very dejected. A second later she cheered up and said, "I've been reading about your battle at the North Pole. You were so cool!"
Not quite the word I'd use. "Thanks for saying so. How are your lessons going?"
"Fine," Azaka said quickly. "But, but! I can't figure out how you see. Kalu should know but his book doesn't say," since I ordered him not to, Azula thought, "Zhao's book says it's because your hearing is so good, Yue says you can see people's spirits, Hahn says—"
Azula put her hand on the girl's head to shut her up, then ruffled her hair. "I'll tell you one day, when you're older."
"Why can't you tell me now!?" Azaka pouted.
"Everything in its due course. You'll understand eventually." Because there's still a good chance the Imperialists will kidnap you, and I don't want the information leaking. She removed her hand from Azaka's head and said, "That aside, other than reading every book ever written about me, what are you up to? Doing okay?"
Azaka turned around and went to sit on her bed. Azula closed the door and sat down next to her. The girl said, "I wish I could leave the palace without being surrounded by a hundred guards."
"We have to keep you safe, Azaka. When you're older—"
"Everyone always says when I'm older, but right now I can't go anywhere with my friends! It really sucks."
Azula hesitated for a few seconds, then said, "If you want, I can accompany you and your friends on a day trip. You'd have to get your father's permiss—"
"Really!?" Azaka hugged her again, even more tightly than the last time. "Thank you so much, Aunt Azula! That's so cool!"
Again, not quite the word I'd use. She returned the hug and they sat in silence for a minute. Then Azula stood up. "Well, I should get going—"
"Wait!"
Azula stopped and turned her head.
"Um. Could you...um..." Azaka rarely sounded nervous like this. It made Azula worried. "I meet with Kachi once a month. It's nice but, um, it's kind of weird because there's always servants there watching us. Do you think you could maybe talk to my parents about letting us be alone?"
This was a problem. Zuko and Mai had decided to tell Azaka the truth about her parentage from the beginning, and while the girl was usually good at hiding it, Azula knew she was desperately lonely. Azula was careful to provide the connection and support her niece/half-sister craved while in her presence. But she was also the one who had told Zuko that Kachi's visits with Azaka needed to be supervised, in case Kachi got any bright ideas about kidnapping her blood daughter. So she had no idea what to say. The silence had already lingered for too long, though, and she needed to say something. "If that's what your parents decided, I don't think it's my place to interfere."
"But—!"
"They're your parents, Azaka. I'm just the cool aunt." She smiled, but she could tell Azaka wasn't amused.
This was a big problem. Azula couldn't leave things like this. What would—
"You are the best daughter anyone could hope for. One day all of this will be yours, Azula."
She leaned down, judged Azaka's position from the air currents that motion kicked up, and cupped her niece's cheek with her hand. "You'll be Firelord one day, Azaka. You have to be strong. Okay?"
Tears dampened Azula's hand, then she felt Azaka nod. "Okay. I'll be strong."
"I know you will. I'm really proud of you." She stood back up. "I need to leave. I should have some free time soon, so make sure to talk to your father about me taking you on a trip."
Azaka nodded so vigorously that Azula didn't need the air currents to sense it.
"Bye, then. Be good!" Azula walked out of her niece's room, rubbing her hand on her pants to dry it.
"How's Zuko doing?" Toph asked as they rode Zenmetsu to their final destination (Azula decided she'd cook a nice big dinner for the bison tomorrow). She typically spoke with Zuko alone, at his request, and she didn't mind because he wasn't going to lie to her.
"Same as always. He's in way over his head, but Mai helps out a lot, and he's learning. Slowly, but still."
After a few seconds, Toph said, "I'm surprised to hear you praise her like that."
Azula tightened her grip on Zenmetsu's fur, causing her to make a small, annoyed groan. "Regardless of our personal relationship, Mai is extremely competent at what she does."
"Roundabout way to put it."
"Would you prefer me to say I hate her and she hates me, but she knows her court politics?"
"Um, yes. How long have we known each other again?"
Azula sighed and lay face-down.
"And Azaka?" Toph asked. "How is she?"
"She still basically worships me," Azula said into Zenmetsu's fur. "That's good, right?"
"Is it?"
Azula thought of Katara. "Probably not in the long term. But it's helpful for now."
"Helpful?"
"If things go badly, she could be a bigger threat to me and Zuko than the Imperialists. So if she worships me, that's helpful."
"I see." Toph didn't have to express her disapproval explicitly; her tone was enough.
My conscience, Azula thought bitterly. She spread her arms on top of Zenmetsu, the feeling of Azaka's tears still on her hand.
Azula's final stop of the day was somewhat special. It was something she didn't allow herself to do too often, both because she was so busy and for...other reasons she preferred not to think about.
A personal visit.
Ty Lee's circus was back in the Fire Nation after three years in the Earth Kingdom, and they were having a special all-day performance which Azula was specifically invited to. She didn't have the time or desire to spend the entire day there, but she decided she might as well attend the last bit. Because of the detour with Zuko and Azaka, this ended up being only the final thirty minutes or so.
As the Avatar she naturally got the best seat, front row and center. Not that she needed it, or even particularly wanted it, but what can you do.
At least Ty Lee seemed to be excited. Even after nine years of doing this circus thing, the happiness she radiated was so bright Azula almost felt like she could see it.
Toph was shifting uncomfortably in the seat next to her throughout the performance. Since Toph couldn't see through airbending, she was far more limited in some situations than Azula, and while she never said so Azula knew she hated being reminded of it.
"I'm surprised you're not complaining about how boring circuses are," Azula commented at one point. She had meant it as a light jab, so she was surprised at Toph's response.
"I know how important this is to you."
They watched the rest of the circus in silence.
After the performance, Ty Lee guided Azula and Toph to her private room before embracing Azula in a tight hug. "It's so great to see you again!" she said, as happy as Azula had ever heard her. "It's been forever!"
"Two months," Azula corrected, a little nervous.
Ty Lee broke the hug and said, "Great to see you again, too, Toph!"
"Wish I could say the same, but, well," Toph said lightly, gesturing at her eyes, and Ty Lee laughed. They got along well, somewhat surprisingly.
"Anyway, you have to fill me in on the gossip about all the important people you know. And remember," Ty Lee's tone suddenly turned serious, "no politics!"
"Yes, yes," Azula said, and she and Toph proceeded to tell her all about the various indiscretions of the people in charge of the world, from Kuei's long disappearances before being discovered drunk with his stupid bear ("And I swear, this time the bear was drunk, too!") to the newest development in the unending saga of Yue and Sokka's marriage ("If you judge it by amount of time spent with each one, you could definitively prove Sokka loves Zuko approximately ten times more than he loves Yue"). From there, the conversation ambled to anecdotes from the previous two months ("And then Zenmetsu threw up on us!"), and as always, a long rant from Ty Lee about the idiocy of her newest ex-boyfriend ("He called me 'Ty.' Ty! What was I thinking?").
This, too, didn't come naturally to Azula. But unlike the path of the Avatar, which she often cursed, she never regretted this one.
One of the side benefits of earthbending was it let you sleep relatively comfortably almost anywhere. Azula and Toph set up camp close to Ty Lee's circus. Toph made patches of softer ground for beds, while Azula washed their clothes and mentally organized tomorrow's schedule.
An hour later, Azula was still awake. She could tell Toph was, too.
"Hey, Toph," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Do you sometimes…"
"What?"
"Never mind."
"Oh, come on."
"It's stupid." Azula turned around to face the other way.
"Tian above, just say it."
"No."
"Say it or no metalbending instruction for a month."
"...Fine." Azula took a deep breath. "Do you sometimes wonder if…if what we're doing really matters?"
Toph didn't respond. It was an invitation to continue.
"When I gained control over the Avatar State, I saw the cosmos that exists beyond the world we live in. It was…immense. I just don't know if…"
"You're right. That is stupid."
"Screw you."
"Oh, space is big! I'm scared, Toph!"
Azula shot a fireball into the ground near Toph's face.
"Hey! That almost burned me!"
"Oh, fire is hot! I'm scared, Azula!"
They kicked and slapped each other for a long time into the night.
End of Chapter 2
Author's Notes: This is the second arc of the three. If the first arc covers the events of canon (up to the invasion) in my new timeline, this one will have a much longer timespan and cover Azula's activities after the war. I'll return to the before-the-war arc in Chapter 4.
Regarding Toph's "Tian above," Tian was basically the chief god of imperial China ("Tian" literally means "Heaven" or "Sky"), so I thought it worked as some Earth Kingdom swearing. As for "Zenmetsu," I'll leave you to figure that out on your own.
Thanks a lot for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!