I had a feeling you'd like that one, Katie. XD Thanks! Had a lot of fun writing it, I can say that much. And thanks, hyperpotterprincess, WWEStarBaby, The CodeMeister, Kimjuni2, kaylee, Cronixslayer!

And as to whether or not I'm doing another chapter, kaylee, well… yup. XD We're not done yet.

Chapter 36. And thanks again, everybody.

Chapter Thirty-Six:
Loose Ends

After the battle, Azula picked herself up off the floor. "Well! That was quite refreshing."

Zuko glared at her. "Why?"

She stretched. "I would think it would be obvious, Zu-Zu. I haven't had much to do recently. It was nice to get a real workout."

Zuko just glared.

"Don't you think we should do something about the fire? If you don't, I will."

In the quiet after the fight, they could hear the crackle and roar of the burning columns. The fire cast yellow light in the hall.

Zuko shrugged. "Go ahead."

Azula turned and went into the hall. Pillar by pillar, wall by wall, she pulled the fire off and snuffed it out. The room smoked, but it was still standing.

Zuko still glared at her when she was done. "Why did you do it? Why did you save my life?"

"To be honest, I don't know."

"Honest." Zuko scoffed. "That's a good one."

"To be doubted in my moment of sincerity. You wound me, Zu-Zu." The mocking smile. "But there is unfinished business between us… not least of which is that you could have killed me when you had the chance. But you didn't. You even visited me. I still don't understand why."

Zuko made to answer that, but Azula spoke first. "If I let had him finish you—" She nodded at what had been Naroz. "—I'd never get the answer." The smile slid back onto her face. "Or the chance to finish you myself. So I acted. So I could gain more time, if nothing else."

"We're family, Azula; you said it yourself. That's what family does. Especially now." Zuko exhaled. "Father's dead."

"I know. So it really does fall to the two of us." She looked him in the eyes. "And I—want it."

"No way."

She laughed. "Would you really fight for it, right now? In the middle of this coup? An Agni Kai?"

He was ready to hurl his answer—but then he stopped. And thought about it. "No. Now isn't the time. We need to end this uprising first."

"What?" Azula was bemused. "The mighty Zuko, refusing to take a challenge?"

"Yes." He looked at her keenly. "This challenge is not just to me, it's to my throne. Our throne—our family's. And it's also a challenge to the peace. I will not let that fall."

"So the idealist is still there. Big surprise." She drew herself up. "Very well—I want half."

"Half of what?"

"Your throne."

"That's ridiculous!" He laughed. "How can I split my throne?"

"You take half of the Fire Nation, and I take half. It's very simple."

Zuko glared. "No."

Azula laughed. "All right. I agree the idea's ridiculous." She smiled at him teasingly. "But I did want to see your reaction."

He glared even harder.

"Very well. Here's my final offer." She came closer. "It's clear to see that your 'peace and love' campaign only goes so far." She nodded again at Naroz. "Thieves like him are tempted. They need to be put in their place. Your velvet glove needs to cover a mailed fist.

Azula smiled. "Let me be that fist. You can be the Fire Lord, and worry about all the big things, while I can keep the peasants in line. And enjoy it."

"Why?" Zuko was surprised. "Why give up being Fire Lord?"

She exhaled. "To be honest, Zu-Zu… it was too much of a bother. As Princess I doubted no one's loyalty. I didn't have to. As Fire Lord… it seemed like everyone was against me."

"There was a reason for that," Mai said angrily from the floor.

"Yes." Azula barely paused. "I could be the Fire Lord—and I still might be… but I'd rather not worry about it. As Princess…" She smiled cruelly. "It's my enemies who should worry."

"I agree with that," said Zuko.

"So—there it is. That's my offer. What's your answer?"

"I'll consider it."

Azula sighed. "Very well. By the way, there is another benefit you should consider. With me as your right hand, I can be the 'bad guy', and you can be all goody-goody. And should they kill you…" Again she smiled that cruel smile. "They know I follow you."

o o o

Wa Si arrived at the Fire Nation capital soon after the coup against Zuko had been put down. He delivered his report about Naroz on his knees, and he abjectly apologized for not being faster. Zuko forgave him on the spot, if anything needed to be forgiven. Azula was less forgiving, but she thanked Wa Si for the opportunity to "deliver justice personally" to Naroz. Wa Si warily took that in due course.

At the Fire Lord's command, Wa Si went to work on dissecting the coup and ferreting out any remaining ally of Naroz's. Not surprisingly, Naroz left very little clue as to who he had worked with, but there was enough to begin with, as before.

Azula for her part went to the Fire Nation Colonies, as they were now ready to boil thanks to Naroz. With a small unit of hand-picked troops, she restored order to the Colonies, sometimes brutally. It soon became clear that any thought of the Fire Nation giving up the Colonies was very mistaken.

The old wound had been touched, though, by Naroz's rumors: the Earth Kingdom lands surrendered on Zuko's word. A victorious war suddenly lost. The old resentments still steamed. The less discreet took it up with Azula. The more discreet… bided their time.

o o o

The Gaang had headed back to the Earth/Fire border after finding Miyong, returning once again to help keep the peace. Reactions to the newest Airbender ranged from no reaction at all to outright elation. In one case, the sight of the Avatar and Miyong caused an avid supporter to foam at the mouth and ultimately collapse in a heap; he was all right after some time to himself.

Aang divided his time between helping on the border and training Miyong in Airbending and the ways of the Air Nomads. Training Miyong had been a challenge all on its own; Aang had spent far more time thinking about ways to find possible Airbenders than on ways to train them once they were found.

He found himself mining his deepest memories, thinking about how he had been shown how to Airbend: what to feel for, how to use it, how to direct what he felt outward through his body into the now-familiar styles he knew. Eventually he found ways to convey these things to Miyong, and they had made progress.

But there was one area in which they had gone nowhere.

Miyong stood with his arms folded. "I am not going to shave my head."

"Come on, Miyong!" said Aang. "It's what we've always done!"

"I am not going around with a bald head!"

"Miyong, I've gone around with a bald head for years, and you don't see me complaining about it. It's what we do!"

"Yeah, but you've got a cool arrow on top of your head." Then Miyong's eyes lit in inspiration. " Hey—can I have an arrow made of hair maybe?"

That didn't help. "No, you can't have an arrow made of hair. You earn the arrow only when you've demonstrated that you're a master of Airbending—and we've only just started your training!"

Then a change in tactics. Miyong put his hands on his hips. "Hey, I'm the only Airbending student you've got. What if I don't want to?"

Now Aang folded his arms. "Yes. You're the only Airbending student I've got. But you're not going to be unless you do what I say!"

There was silence for a moment as master and student glared at each other.

"Aang, couldn't you compromise a little?" said Katara, figuring someone had better say something. "Learning Airbending is the important thing, right?"

Aang frowned. "I might… if Miyong promises that he'll shave his head eventually."

"That's a good compromise," Sokka chimed in. "I mean, it does take a while to get used to a shaved head—speaking from experience."

Aang looked to his student. "Miyong?"

Miyong thought about it for a moment. "All right…" Then he pointed. "Then I want that kind of haircut."

The Gaang followed Miyong's point—right to a momentarily-speechless Sokka. Toph, on realizing who Miyong was pointing at, shook her head slowly. "We are never going to hear the end of this."

Aang looked Sokka's haircut over, thought about it, then nodded. "All right. I think we can do that."

And they didn't hear the end of it. Miyong, with his hair shaved on the sides and intact on top, now proudly wore what he called an Airbender's wolftail, while Sokka expounded to anyone within hearing distance how he had influenced the look of Air Nomad apprentices. But the Airbending lessons had continued.

It also struck Aang later on: given his recent conversation with Katara regarding future Airbenders, it was indeed appropriate that the culture of the Water Tribe should influence that of the Air Nomads. He chuckled to himself.

Then an important looking scroll arrived by royal courier from Ba Sing Se.

Sokka opened it. "It's from the Earth Regent. She has good news!"

"Sokka…" Katara pointed to the scroll's label. "It's addressed to Aang?"

Sokka lowered the scroll. "Hey, I'm a part of Team Avatar. I can handle his correspondence."

Katara folded her arms. "Oh, really?"

"What is the news, Sokka?" Aang asked.

Sokka opened the scroll again. "It doesn't say. It just says that she has good news and that we're to come to Ba Sing Se. Immediately."

Toph tilted her head. "That's odd. Why not tell us what it is?"

Katara looked at Aang. "What do you think?"

Aang shrugged. "She is the Earth Regent. And things are quieter here, now. I guess we could go."

"Ba Sing Se!" exclaimed Miyong. "Really?"

"Yep!" Aang nodded. "I don't know if you'll like it, though. It has lots of buildings and lots of people. You can feel pretty closed in at times."

Sokka was of a different mind. "And it has a huge wall—with a big drill that we stopped. And it has this train that Earthbenders push around!"

Miyong's eyes lit up. "Cool! Uh, one question." He looked at Sokka. "What's a train?"

o o o

The Gaang took flight for Ba Sing Se. The land hadn't changed too much since they last saw it; the serpentine outer wall went by, long and ribbony, stretching to the horizon, and the farms and forests looked the same, maybe a little fuller. The mighty inner wall looked as imposing as ever. Soldiers and farmers waved as the Gaang flew by.

When they were over the city itself, Sokka gestured at some buildings in the distance. "Hey, Aang—fly over those on the way in, will ya?"

"Okay… I guess I can." Aang obligingly altered course. "What are we flying over, Sokka?"

"Only some of the finest restaurants in the Earth Kingdom! General Toso's chicken pig, hong sue cow pig, Pazing Ze goose duck…" Sokka breathed in deeply and sighed. "I've missed Ba Sing Se."

"Okay, Sokka," said Toph, grinning. "We'll plan in some time so you can reacquaint yourself with your first love later."

That earned her a frown.

They landed outside the Earth King's palace. Miyong and his mother and father looked around, in awe of what they saw. The chamberlain walked up to them, and Aang went to meet him. "Avatar Aang and party to see the Earth Regent, please."

"Ah, Avatar Aang. Excellent." The chamberlain motioned. "This way, please."

They were guided to a room in the Palace to wait for the Regent's summons; Miyong's mother told him several times not to touch anything. Not too long after, they were shown to the Throne Room, which was just as broad as long, and as cavernous as they remembered it. They could see the Earth Regent's chair, and guards lined the walls.

"That's odd," said Sokka, flicking his eyes to either wall.

Aang turned, still walking. "What is, Sokka?"

"There are just guards here. No nobles, no officials… no crowd."

Katara shrugged. "Maybe they just granted us a special audience."

They walked on. Miyong and his family gawked at all the finery, the cunning scenes worked in gold along the dark green walls, everything their eyes lighted on.

Eventually Aang could see who was sitting in the Regent's chair.

"Uh-oh."

He came to a dead stop.

"So, Avatar…" Long Feng purred.