Chapter Ten: Azulon's Legacy

A heavy cloud of grief hung over the cargo bay, dampening even Ty Lee's spirits. Azula sat with her brother, Ty Lee, and Mai, the rest of the group on the other side of the cargo bay, clustered around Suki and Katara.

Katara stirred awake. Aang hugged her.

"Katara, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" Fresh tears appeared on his face.

Toph put a hand on his shoulder, speaking to Katara, "Battle's over. We're all still alive."

Katara stretched a bit, nodding acknowledgement at Toph. "I'm fine. It's not your fault," she said to Aang.

"It is. If I hadn't been so eager to get there, maybe we could have avoided this. Maybe Suki…"

Katara looked over at Suki, and raised her hand to her mouth. She lowered it, and mouthed "what happened" to Sokka, who was kneeling by Suki's side.

He shook his head. "We were careless. Just for a moment."

"They were outnumbered by more experienced fighters with bending," Azula said.

Katara glared at her. "I didn't ask you."

Ty Lee started to stand, but Azula put a hand on her shoulder, and she sat back down.

Suki spoke up through lips pursed with distaste. "Let it rest, Katara. She saved me."

Sokka clasped one of her hands in his. She looked up at him and gave a frail smile.

"Suki, I am so sorry. I don't think I can ever really make it up to…" Aang was interrupted by a weak wave of Suki's hand.

"I don't blame you."

"But I…"

Azula spoke. "Enough. Avatar, even I…" She managed not to hesitate. "…didn't see the trap. It would be unreasonable to blame you, or for you to blame yourself. We're dealing with something I believe is unprecedented. So, now, what did you observe when fighting this spirit?"

He met her eyes. He was still crying, but he at least stopped apologizing. He looked down.

"Well, first, it could bend all the elements. Second, it was really resilient. I crushed it against a mountainside, impaled it with an icicle, and burned it, but nothing seemed to stick." He paused, lips drawn in a frown and brow furrowed. "You aren't supposed to fight spirits, but I've never known one to attack without provocation."

"And that wasn't all. That describes the first attack, but this one was a deliberate trap." Zuko stroked his chin.

"I will add that, in addition to its considerable bending abilities, it is quite dangerous in a purely physical sense. It has sharp claws, and it's very fast and strong," Azula said, gesturing to the tears in her armor. "That said, it clearly isn't invulnerable."

"Because it ran," Sokka said, nodding.

"Twice," Zuko agreed.

There was a brief silence.

"The other thing to discuss is its mortal agents," Mai said. "I take it this is also extremely unusual?"

"That's right," Aang replied.

"Most of them seemed to simply be mercenaries, though we found no contract or any other information on them before we left. But three were different, including Marpa. Instead of leaving a body, they simply vanished into smoke. Further, before they died, they killed some of their immobilized allies. I can only assume they were trying to deny us any possible information," Mai said.

"The Dragonbone Archives may have information on it. The Fire Sages have kept the Archives for as long as their order has existed, and they predate even the oldest noble houses," Zuko said. "We can check when we arrive."

"Is the Mechanist still in the Fire Capital?" Sokka asked.

"Yes, I think so." Zuko replied.

"Suki, I think he might be able to make a mechanical leg for you." He spoke softly, voice treading around hope.

Suki buried her face in Sokka's chest, tightening her arms around him.

Sullen silence settled over the hold, save for the ship's engines.

They arrived at the capital two hours before sunset. The avatar's group and Ty Lee went off to find the Mechanist. Mai had gone to her chamber to write to her family.

The royal siblings walked together through the palace courtyard. A light bustle of nobles and servants all gave the two a wide berth. Around them, repair crews worked on scaffolds and their sound of hammers pervaded the cool evening. Progress was steady in rebuilding what they had destroyed during their duel.

"We should at least have a few days of quiet…" Azula said.

A muscular nobleman approached them in full armor, with four guards behind him and a scowl etched into his broad face. None of them bowed as they approached.

"USURPER!"

The courtyard fell silent.

"… or not." She let out a small sigh.

The nobleman and his guards closed the distance until he stood inches from Zuko.

"You took the throne by treachery. Ozai is the true Fire Lord. I challenge you to Agni Kai! Tonight!"

That seems like an awfully tidy summary. Prepared, then, by someone who isn't used to doing anything in public. And well put, enough so that most witnesses will accept it as true. But… what does he hope to gain? "Proving" weakness if Zuko declines or is defeated?

Zuko was silent a moment, eyes bright with anger. "I accept."

His challenger nodded curtly. "Sunset, royal dueling ground." He strode off.

After a quarter minute, the hammers resumed, and people kept walking.

How does that help him? If he kills Zuko, I become Fire Lord, and have excellent motivation to kill him slowly. Defeating and leaving him alive doesn't produce a gain for him, personally. This only makes sense as either stupidity or part of a conspiracy. It's probably stupidity, but if not…

Her attention was distracted by another man running toward them. He was scrawny, with a somewhat weasel-like face, and wore the thin black sash of a Fire Nation spy.

"Princess, an urgent message for you," he said, bowing. He extended one hand, holding a scroll.

Giving it to me, not the Fire Lord. I suppose I am the important constant between the two regimes.

Azula took it, unrolled it and read it quickly. She closed her eyes and sighed.

Conspiracy it is.

"What is it?" Zuko asked.

She handed him the scroll. "The governor of one of our first islands conquered is planning to rebel. This is their first move. They want us to show weakness. Thus…"

Zuko folded his arms. "Yes, Azula, I can follow. They get some unwitting pawn to challenge me, and while we're distracted, the first colony rebels. When we can't retake it quickly, or if I lose, they gain support. That's what you were going to say?"

"It was."

"So why this island in particular?"

"It's a plateau, sheer cliffs from the water. The only harbor has a freight elevator, and that's the only way up from the sea onto the island. All messages from the cities go through the governor's fort. Azulon designed the newer defenses and information flow to make it easy for the governor to rebel, and we put our noble most suspected of disloyalty in charge."

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "Let me guess: it's a trap."

Azula smiled. "Yes, it's all a trap. The defenses are incredible against armies. But they were designed specifically so that one lightning-bender could break them. Azulon intended it to be him, but…"

"You want to go alone? No military support?"

"Ty Lee will come with me, but, yes, no troops. They'd never get onto the island anyway, except by airship, and I don't need them."

"All right. How did we capture the island in the first place, with defenses like that?"

"It was the first day of the war. By surprise, with the comet in the sky. Its power enables elite troops and anyone above their level to fly like I do. I don't expect much difficulty crushing the rebellion. Worry about your duel. You're a better bender than he is: more powerful and faster. But not by much, so be careful."

Zuko unfolded his arms. "Thank you."

"What do you intend to do with him once you win?"

"Nothing. Our father liked to scar those who disrespected him. I'm not him."

"Very well."

Zuko raised an eyebrow.

Azula shrugged. "As long as they fear one of us, you can be merciful. It may even help." She paused. "I have to go prepare so that I can leave as soon as possible. Good luck."

"I've never needed luck."

"But it wouldn't hurt."

The siblings smiled at each other.

Azula's balloon took off twenty minutes later, with Ty Lee piloting. Once they reached cruising altitude and were on course, Ty Lee came around to Azula's side of the balloon.

"That smells good," she said, smiling and indicating the box Azula was unpacking.

Azula smiled. "Best food in the world. The best chefs are firebenders, of course."

They began to dig in.

Delicious. Especially after a week of military rations.

"How did you get your armor fixed so fast?" Ty Lee asked when they finished.

"It's a new suit. I keep a spare in the capital. This one has a couple small steel plates added in front and back of the heart. The smiths will make a new one."

Ty Lee's smile disappeared. "The Mechanist said Suki might walk again with a new leg, but will never fight as well. She was sad when I left her to come with you."

But you still obeyed without hesitation.

"You can't do her much good there. You can help me." Azula explained her plan

"Okay, but what do you want me to do? You didn't have anything planned for me except piloting this balloon."

"You're my reserve. If something goes wrong, like I get captured, or something that I haven't planned for, you're to send a message to Zuko. Then, act on your own judgment."

"I will. Anything else?"

"Keep this balloon on course, and don't disturb me until we're there. I need sleep."

Ty Lee nodded.

"Fetch her healer." Ozai commanded a guard.

The guard left. Ozai released Azula's wrist.

He looked down and spoke: "Despite this little hiccup, you've done well. But animals are easy to manipulate. They are utterly predictable. Humans are not."

Azula looked up, lip wobbling. "You… hurt me." Her voice was soft and sad.

Ozai glared down. "You defied me. I told you: compassion is weakness. I'm helping you not fall into that trap again. And I need to be able to trust you."

She swallowed. "Yes, Father."

He stopped glaring and helped her to her feet.

"At summer's end you'll enter the Academy. You will excel in all your classes. And by the end of the year, you will have two friends. One is an only child of an old house, very withdrawn. The other is one of seven, of a family recently raised to nobility, and very sociable. I'll speak to them then, and they will both fear and like you, or I will know you've failed."

She nodded.

Kona walked into the garden, with Ursa behind her.

Kona hurried to Azula's side, beginning to heal her wrist.

The Fire Lady spoke: "What. Happened? She didn't have combat training today." Azula saw fury etched into her mother's face and posture.

"She's the Princess of the Fire Nation. She must learn endurance and obedience."

"Don't test m…" Mother's voice held deadly threat.

"Mother, it's okay. It will make me strong."

Father looked down and smiled with pride. Mother's expression softened.

"Azula, wake up!"

Azula opened her eyes. The sky was dark, the air cool. She was on her balloon, with Ty Lee.

"We're not far from the island."

Azula yawned and stretched.

"Very well. You know where to take me."

A rebel company marched south at the governor's order. A hundred firebenders in a ten by ten square, with two heights of space between every man and his neighbor: standard loose formation. In front of the square strode their respected commander; at the front right corner was the pompous and arrogant second in command.

At the front left marched Teru, the young quartermaster. He recalled their objective: They were to reinforce the city garrison. At dawn, while the officers loyal to the weak Fire Lord were confused by the governor's flag, during the shift change, they would strike. Two other companies marched towards the other cities with similar orders.

Teru was confident that they could hold the island once they were in control, and even taking it wouldn't be much of a risk…

A sudden flash of white tore through the night, robbing him of sight.

When his vision recovered, he could see a figure standing in their path, a beautiful young woman. She looked almost ethereal, like a spirit of flame, as wisps of blue fire wound from her hands around her lithe form. But her frozen gold eyes dominated her appearance. A glance was enough to set his heart racing.

"I demand your surrender." Her voice was completely, aggressively confident.

The shock of her sudden appearance began to fade, and acid doubt ate away at his resolve. She'd revealed herself willingly, was holding back, giving the men time to be scared. He saw her crown, recognized the Princess. As a distant rumor, she'd been unsettling. Here, now, undeniable, she was simply terrifying. With every passing moment, morale wavered among the men.

Fortunately, their commander took notice, and gave a simple, galvanizing order, "Capture her!"

As they had been trained, the men followed the order instantly and without question, releasing compact balls of flame at their foe. Teru joined them, focusing his will on producing a ball of force. Their efforts combined should burn and knock her back, but wouldn't kill her.

The fireballs crashed upon her like a wave, but when it dissipated, in her place was a sphere of whirling blue. A tendril emerged, reaching for the commander. It took less than a second for him to be engulfed in a separate sphere. Then, like hands crushing a trapped insect, it began to close in.

A blood curdling scream escaped the commander, and then he fell silent.

A sadistically gleeful laugh pierced the silence. It sounded almost inhuman, and knowing that it was meant to scare him did absolutely nothing to lessen the effect on Teru.

The second in command hesitated, but managed to overcome it. "Kill her!" he ordered, voice wavering.

Every man present let loose a lethal bolt of flame. Their target exploded, the force of the blast prying enough dirt and dust from the ground to obscure their enemy completely. Their attacks disappeared into the dust cloud.

The Princess emerged unscathed, gliding on jets of flame. Coming right for him.

To his relief, she turned towards the right flank, heading into the formation at its front and center. But her wake seemed to take on a life of its own, extending from her path like a wave.

Teru focused all his will and breath into an attack that should break through the small part coming directly for him, and force her to respond. Two feet from his chest, his concentrated effort and a small part of her arc collided, and a fiery explosion rent the night. He flew back, and flames licked the front of his chest, burning the skin though his light armor. He had barely survived, much less affected her.

Fire hadn't hurt this much since the before his basic training. He was no stranger to pain, but he struggled to concentrate through it. After a few hazy seconds of agony, he regained focus.

She'd left a swathe of screaming or still bodies as she flew into the formation, curving around toward its upper right corner, where the second in command marched. For a moment, he faced her alone.

An arc of blue clove through a stream of red, continuing through his knees. The second in command screamed as he fell onto his back.

The men recovered from their collective surprise, and began attacking; bolts began to fly toward the Princess.

None found their mark. Most she simply evaded, a few she blocked with her right hand with an almost contemptuous, playful air. She sent attacks back at them, killing two and forcing most to dodge, but didn't seem to be concentrating on them. Her attention was on the acting commander. A thin whip of blue extended from her left hand towards his prone form.

Teru didn't see exactly what she did to him, but he screamed, an agonized, helpless wail. Then louder. And louder still, before he fell silent as well.

The Princess stopped moving, making a sweeping motion with both hands, and the various attacks flowed around her. She looked around.

Her gaze settled on Teru like a vast weight, crushing the last of his resolve.

There was only one thing he could do to live.

He raised trembling hands, and shouted desperately, "We surrender!"

Everyone froze. The Princess smiled. Then she spoke. "Very well. You will lead these men down to the port dungeons, and await sentencing. Fail to do so, and I will come for you. You, personally. And then I'll deal with the rest. Go on, collect your wounded and be on your way."

Teru swallowed. "Do it."

Governor Joichiro stood in the center of his courtyard with his men behind him. Above the wall stood the castle flagpole, its flag illuminated by torches below and the moon above. It was a cloudless, cool night.

Joichiro took a deep, calming breath, steeling his resolve. It was time to begin.

He aimed carefully. It wasn't a particularly difficult shot, but it would certainly be an inauspicious beginning to his rebellion were he to miss.

A small bolt of flame left his hand, rolling across the flag of the Fire Nation, setting it ablaze.

He smiled, and watched as his own flag ascended the pole. It reached the top, and began to unfurl in the light breeze.

The flagpole exploded in a blindingly sudden flash of white.

Joichiro's stomach seemed to jump around his body, and his pulse quickened. But he knew panic would not serve him. He thought quickly. It was a lightning-bender, it had to be. The true Fire Lord was imprisoned; the Dragon of the West retired in the Earth Capital. He was therefore forced to conclude that at least one aspect of the propaganda surrounding the Princess was true. And the leader of the last rebellion to face her... he shuddered.

Another flash blinded him temporarily. When he regained his vision, one of the four catapults on the walls was in flaming pieces.

She was destroying their long-range weapons before they got a bead on her location. And lightning blinded anyone looking to determine its source.

Another destroyed catapult. Then another. And then the solution came to him.

He bellowed, "Sentries, look outward! When the next flash comes, do not move your eyes, then tell me where the afterimage points! You!" He gestured to his friend at his side, "Gather the cavalry, and make ready to charge out of the gate."

A minute later, their catapults and ballistae on the walls were ash, but his men knew her location: the statue of Azulon. The rhinos and ostrich-horses snorted nervously in the courtyard, but they were ready to charge.

The lightning, one bolt every five seconds, began to focus on the stone around the gatehouse. In a few minutes, it would collapse, their mounts would be trapped, and they'd have no choice but to surrender or run to the statue instead of riding.

Joichiro mounted a rhino, and his men did likewise. He had about one hundred and fifty men on maybe half that number of mounts.

"Get ready! Wait for a strike, then ride out for the statue!"

Another flash.

"Now!"

They rode forward at full gallop. Joichiro passed the gate two seconds after the last strike. Hopefully, the entire unit would be able to spread out before another bolt landed. One second later, seven of his men died as they charged through the gate, all to one attack.

But then their formation was through, and the Princess was limited to killing one mount per strike.

Her pace accelerated to one bolt per three seconds. Another of his friends fell. Then another. And another. She was targeting the lead rider consistently, and hadn't missed yet.

They kept riding. Half-way to the statue, almost half were dead.

A quick calculation showed that they would arrive at the statue with less than ten men. Not enough to find the way up and fight a master. Joichiro swallowed and inhaled sharply.

"STOP!"

The formation turned and slowed at his command, stopping as fast as they could. He reached into a pouch, and drew out a handful of magnesium. He threw it into the air, and sent fire through it: the white flare of surrender.

The next bolt didn't appear.

About ten seconds later, a green flare extended from Azulon's great bronze hand. The Princess had accepted.

He rode away from the formation to meet her, as was standard procedure. He arrived at the base of the statue. It towered over him, so high he could barely make out a figure on its outstretched hand. It jumped, fire extending from its limbs and slowing its fall.

The Princess landed like a hawk, wing-like jets of blue fading to orange, then nothing as pitiless eyes focused on her prey.

The governor took a reflexive step back.

"Well?" she asked.

"I surrendered unconditionally. It is now up to you to act as you see fit." He was able, barely, to keep his voice calm and steady.

"Yes, you surrendered with honor. Therefore: your wife and son will be allowed to live in comfortable confinement on Ash Island. Most of your men will be spared." She paused, clearly enjoying the situation, the desperate hope the governor tried to hide. "And your death will be painless."

He inhaled sharply, and closed his eyes. He opened them a second later, mildly surprised he was able to.

She'd advanced to right in front of him, and reached calmly for his throat. He didn't try to fight. Surprisingly strong fingers settled themselves against his throat, and he could feel razor-sharp nails against fragile skin.

"Tell me who you were conspiring with. I can feel your pulse, and I assure you, if you lie, I will know. And it won't be pleasant for you."

He believed her.

"I was already planning to rebel on my own, from the moment Zuko ascended. It took a little while to prepare, of course. But I was contacted by someone. He or she put me in contact with others against the Fire Lord. Houses Kuteki, Yabo, and Taiyo. Mine was to be the first, illustrating the weakness of the current regime and building support for subsequent actions." He gulped. At "Yabo," she let out a pulse of heat, and her brow furrowed. Her anger didn't seem directed at him, though, for all the good it would do him.

"And why would these houses reveal themselves to you?"

"I demanded it as a condition of allying with them. I never physically met them, but we used agreed-upon secret words to confirm our respective identities."

She released her grip.

"Thank you. Now, you'll go to your men, and order them to ride to the port, where they will wait for reassignment. I'll scatter them throughout our armies. You and I will go to the castle. Oh, and choose how you want to die. I execute you at dawn."

She left out "or your family and men will suffer," but the threat was plain nevertheless. He swallowed, nodded, and rode off.

Assuming command of the castle after the surrender wasn't difficult. She spent the rest of the night with heavy eyelids, sending the relevant orders to scatter the surviving rebel troops through the Fire Nation armies and appoint a new governor. A quarter hour before dawn, she left the commander's tower and walked into the courtyard, where the execution would take place. Her personal banner, azure flame on a black field, flew below the flag of the Fire Nation.

As expected, Joichiro hadn't tried to run. But she hadn't expected his wife and son to be there.

"Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me," Joichiro said to his wife, before turning to his son.

"You may be frustratingly impulsive sometimes, but you've always made me proud." He took his hands from his son's shoulders and climbed the pyre.

He knelt, and met her eyes. "I will die as my men did: lightning."

Azula nodded curtly. She began to draw power from the air with careful motions until lightning crackled around her fingers.

Joichiro's son strained against his mother. "Stop! Please!"

She pointed to the governor's chest, and released her bolt. He fell instantly, and the oiled wood of the pyre caught fire from the strike as well.

The governor's son broke free, and charged her, tears framing a mouth open in a defiant scream. Fire framed his hands.

I could simply incapacitate him. But he will be my enemy forever, so if he wants to hand me an ironclad excuse, who am I to refuse him?

When he was ten feet away, he released a stream of flame at her. She sent a horizontal arc from her left hand. The stream parted around it, deflected to above her and the ground. Her arc struck him, instantly searing his heart and lungs. He fell.

His mother turned toward Azula, her lips drawn thin, eyes bright with tears and rage. "You monster!" she screamed, as she threw two bolts of fire.

Azula took a step, evading, and let loose a stream of blue. It hid her trembling hand.

An instant before it engulfed her enemy, her heart lurched, and a spike of nausea stabbed her stomach as she recognized Ursa. And watched her mother burn alive.

A weak point in her furnace gave way, spilling fire out into an icy fortress. Fire faded, ice melted, and the fortress weakened.

No. Not possible. Literally, which means that wasn't real.

She sighed. I need sleep. Don't speak, Father. I remember what you told me.

To her relief, she neither saw nor heard him.

Someone made a sudden motion behind her. She turned, tense and ready. An ordinary spectator was scratching his nose.

I'm vulnerable now. Even if none of them are really capable of taking advantage of it, at least not easily, it won't do to show it.

She continued her turn, managing to make it look natural, and strode up to a guard at the gate. "Get a mount, and ride to Azulon's statue. A mile north of there you'll find a war balloon. Tell the girl in it to fly here. Password: coconut."

"By your command." He inclined his head as he hurried off.

Azula retired from the courtyard and anyone's sight.

About half an hour later, someone knocked on the governor's chamber's door.

"Enter," Azula said.

Ty Lee opened the door. Azula relaxed, slumping onto the bed.

"I need to sleep. But not here. Take me home."

"The balloon is ready. We can leave immediately."

"We will." Mai needs to know her family was implicated.