AN: A new OC graces the scene! I hope he's likable enough. I won't be adding many "main" OC's, as the story is very canon-reliant. But one or two seem important to spice things up.

(XIII)

ONEGOL VILLAGE - THE FIRE NATION

"Sokka, I don't know about this…" Aang's protest was cut off as the tribesman slung an over-eager arm around his shoulder

"That's Wang Fire to you!" Sokka nudged Aang lightly, "Besides, my boy! As your father it is absolutely highly imperative that we make sure the town is safe. Only the finest Flame School for my Kuzon!"

Ever since Sokka and Katara took on Aang's mock-role as parents to vouch for him at "Kuzon's" new school, the tribesman took on his role as "Wang Fire" with a little too much zeal.

Aang grimaced as their walk down the street earned more than few conceited stares. "So – uh, Wang Fire. I don't think… people talk like that."

Sokka opened his mouth to protest, before untangling himself from Aang's shoulders and folding his arms. "Bad Kuzon! Don't insult your father!"

"Sokka, nobody really beli—"

"HEAR YE, HEAR YE!" Aang and Sokka halted beneath the wooden podium decorating the town square's open expanse. A small crowd gathered beneath hushed whispers and eager gossip.

Sokka and Aang shared a united shrug and crept forward to listen in to the town crier.

"IMPORTS FROM THE EARTH KINGDOM TO BE INCREASED, NEW TAXES TO BE INVOKED BY THE FIRE LORD'S GRACE ON GOODS SHIPPED FROM BA SING SE."

Sokka held back a mock snore. "Boooring."

"RUMOURS OF A DRAGON NEAR IZU VILLAGE DISPROVEN AS NOTHING MORE THAN A GIANT BUNDLE OF CLOTH TIED TO A PILLAR. THE PEOPLE CAN BREATHE ONCE AGAIN WITH A DRAGONLESS EXISTENCE!"

Several audible sighs of relief emerged from the crowd. Some people wiped their foreheads and hugged their partners or family members.

Sokka and Aang frowned in bewilderment and exchanged glances.

"FORMER PRINCESS AZULA HAS BEEN INDICTED FOR TREASON AGAINST THE STATE. AFTER A FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON THE CROWN-PRINCE, THEN ON THE FIRE LORD, THE TRAITOR WAS DEFEATED A THIRD TIME BY MIGHTY FIRE LORD OZAI IN THE WAYS OF TRADITION: AGNI KAI! SHE HAS BEEN BANISHED FROM THE REALM FOR HER CRIMES!"

More murmurs from the crowd. But that did little to deter the expressive shock that gripped the duo's o-shaped faces.

"What?!" Aang's hands slapped towards the floor in disbelief.

Sokka, similarly shocked, winced his face in flowing expressions as if solving the most complex mathematical formula to ever grace the planet.

"Is that… good?" Aang raised a brow, "Or… bad?"

"It's weird is what it is!" Sokka huffed, "It could be a trick, make us think she's gone."

"That makes no sense if they think I'm dead. They don't know about the invasion." Aang retorted in a bare whisper.

Sokka frowned and cupped his chin. "Look, on the bright side, no Azula means no Azula! Maybe we can go for a leisurely ride without being hunted by an angsty fire demon. That sounds great!"

"Maybe for us, but that fire demon is going straight to the Earth Kingdom if she's banished. There's no telling what she might do."

Sokka considered for a moment, "Okay, but that doesn't change why we're here—"

"To find me a firebending teacher?" Aang cut-in with a shrug. It was the one element he had left to master... or, well, even learn.

"No way!" Sokka bristled, "Absolutely not!"

Aang raised a confused brow. "What?" He sniffed, and narrowed his eyes at the Water Tribe Warrior, "What did I do?"

"Are you insane!" Sokka accused, boring down with exasperation, "She'll kill you again!"

Sokka pulled Aang further from the crowd, the two forking a hushed debate through the small arid roads carving past the market stalls.

"I wasn't going to say we should go find Azula, Sokka." Aang rolled his eyes. Leave it to Sokka to jump to conclusions...

Sokka was unconvinced, however, and folded his arms in reprimand. "No, but you were thinking it! And that's worse! How could you think something like that!"

"Well we don't exactly have a lot of options and she's not friends with the Fire Nation anymore!"

"She's not friends with us! And I like my skin on the bone! Not melted into a nasty puddle!"

Aang opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the tirade, "Which she would do! To me especially!"

The original protest died to more Sokka-inspired confusion. "Wait, why to you especially?"

"Envy of my dashing good looks?" Sokka tried with a shrug, "Wishes she could throw a boomerang like I do?"

Aang offered a small smile as they passed by the chopping of a butcher's blade slicing meat. "I'm pretty sure she hates the Avatar more than you Sokka, sorry."

"Hey, I'm perfectly hateable!" The tribesman retaliated, pride wounded, "I make the meanest nemesis. I bet I could take Azula!"

Aang's smile widened further. "Oh yeah? I couldn't take Azula, what makes you think you could?"

"I'd lay a trap." Sokka nodded, confident in his own deviousness.

"Uh huh, you'd lay a trap. What kind of trap?"

Sokka's arms shook beneath his frame. The cogs in his mind working overtime to compensate. "A good trap!" He refused to meet Aang's goading smirk, "I don't know, a net-trap!"

"You're going to capture a firebender…. In a net-trap?" Aang couldn't suppress the chuckle and Sokka's reddening face only built on his amusement.

"Ugh, you sound just like Katara!" Sokka complained, The Avatar only shrugged innocently, beckoning Sokka to continue. "Okay, maybe not a trap! Maybe I'll challenge her to a non-bending fight!"

Aang let his brows dip once again. "Why would she agree to that?"

Sokka shrugged, "Pride? Vanity? Self-assurance she could totally kick my butt when she couldn't?"

"She could." Aang cut back swiftly.

The tribesman rounded on Aang with an indignant expression and threw his arms out in protest, "She could not!"

Aang shrugged and continued to grin as Sokka's voice crawled into a furious squeal. "Whatever you say, Sokka."

"What makes you so sure?!"

The Avatar's features softened diplomatically, "No offence... But Zuko did kinda kick your butt. Then Suki did. Then the chi-blocking girl—"

"They don't count!" The warrior interrupted then promptly turned his nose up at Aang, posturing with dramatic defiance.

"They don't?" Aang asked, confused.

"No way! I'm a different breed of warrior now, I've grown!" Sokka flexed his biceps. Aang was pretty sure terrifying fire witch had him beat there, too, but he refrained from trying to actively antagonize the non-bender's pride. But Sokka must've caught Aang's doubtful stare, it pierced his confidence, causing him to fly into a further defensive recounting of his own deeds and prowess in battle.

Aang smirked as they navigated the market. Though fear and surprise still took his heart. He wondered how the others would react to the unexpected, and honestly bizarre, news that their former nemesis and Aang's killer was now an enemy of the state. The Avatar couldn't help but ponder the implications - and the dangers - of such a twist. He could only hope the Earth Kingdom didn't suffer what would surely be Azula's vengeance.

"GENERAL, IMPERIAL SUMMON FROM THE PALACE!"

A young boy groaned into his pillow and buried his face deeper. He was sure if he clenched his eyes tight enough, the dream would disperse...

"WAKE UP, SIR!"

"FINE!" The young General huffed and threw his covers aside, "YOU'RE DEMOTED, CAPTAIN SAITO!"

Esteemed General, youngest in the Fire Nation's History, exhaled a rough sigh as several chuckles emerged beyond the door. His "youngest General" moniker wasn't exactly a thing of legend as most made it out to be, Fire Lord Ozai reformed the military more than any Fire Lord prior, introducing the enlistment of women in the Home Guard and making strides in technological innovation. Whatever could be said about the iron fisted Fire Lord, he was a man of hard values who stamped out corruption and ruled through meritocracy. No other Fire Lord would've made a 14 year old boy a General.

Then again, no other Fire Lord would've made a 12 year old girl fight regular Agni Kais against Master Firebenders.

Ren sighed (again) and slinked into his armour, a normally exhaustive exercise that was as simple as walking by now, all the while ignoring the cheery mutterings behind his small wooden door. He slept in the standard barracks, with little need or desire for pomp. He was close to his men here. Having immersed himself in metal he finally stood with a yawn, idly adjusting the straps of his golden dragon-pauldrons before he opened the door to the older faces of his gaggle of Captains. Men who commanded hundreds in their own right.

"So much for that hard work ethic, eh?" Captain Hiroshai jabbed a finger into the far smaller General's arm. Ren pouted a little defeatedly.

"We've been on the front fighting the Earth Kingdom for more than a year and our first day back in the Fire Nation I can't even get a full night's sleep!"

Saito smiled and gave a rough pat to Ren's shoulder. "Can't ignore an Imperial Summon, General."

Ren merely deflated. "It's not the summon I was trying to ignore." The veteran soldiers looked at him with confusion, but he waved their concerns off.

To the Palace, then. To face the Fire Lord's Wisdom.

Saito and Hiroshai accompanied Ren, it was strange to see two Captain's bodyguarding a General when they had their own commands but they volunteered their appearance with gusto.

All the Captains had. But Saito and Hiroshai were both giants and Ren was no stranger to the tiny political power plays the Fire Lord's Palace was steeped in. Everything from the style of his hair, the armour he wore, to the men who followed him and even the food he ate was a topic for scrutiny in this den of red vipers.

Ren walked the corridors to the Fire Lord's Throne Room and was startled to realize everything was smaller than he remembered, though, he supposed he was smaller the last time he was here. He stared, a little too fixated, on a grandiose golden frame surrounding the immutable image of their mighty Fire Lord within.

It was never a good idea to keep walking when one's eyes were elsewhere.

Ren jolted in surprise as he crashed into something that was woefully unprepared to crash into him.

"I'm sorry!" He barked out, a little bemused to find a smaller pink-clad girl frowning from the floor. "I didn't see you-"

"Clearly." Hiroshai sniggered,

"Quiet you!" Ren snapped back.

"What?" The girl asked, "Oh! No it's my fault, I wasn't paying attention! You even have guards! How could I not see guards!"

Ren blinked, "Right." Say, there was something familiar about whoever this was. "Do I know you?"

She seemed to squint at him intently. "Oh! Yes! You're that boy Azula used to bully! Ron!"

"I... It's Ren." Ren swallowed, "But, uh, yes. That's me. The Princess's Punching Bag!"

There was little humour to the joke. Neither Ren nor Ty Lee were ignorant to recent events, and Ty Lee's crestfallen gaze betrayed exactly what she was sorrowful about. She'd always been Azula's friend, Ren wondered where the other one was, the black haired one who glared at everything.

Then, Ren spied the curiously wide bag that seemed to pull the side of her shoulder down. Heavy. Why would someone with no further ties to the Palace be snooping around in said Palace with a bag ladened with items. "Are you going somewhere?"

She seemed to swallow as he eyed the bag. "...No."

Ren blew out a breath of air, "Whatever it is you're doing, I solemnly swear I won't tell anyone."

Ty Lee shifted as she slowly regained her footing with Ren's help. "I'm... stealing?"

Ren tried to hold his laugh, whilst Saito and Hiroshai exchanged concerned glances.

"You're stealing from the Palace?!" He spoke, hushed voice hiding behind his grin.

Ty Lee's eyes went wide and she shushed Ren harshly, "It's not like that! I'm taking things... from Azula's room."

"Ah." Ren's humour was quickly replaced with a dry feeling in his throat.

"It's not like anyone uses it anymore... and I don't want it all to be thrown away."

Ren highly suspected she was lying. Her reasoning was fine enough, but he had his own suspicions. She'd been honest with him, the least he could do was return the notion. "You're planning to find her, aren't you?"

Ty Lee's silence was interrupted only by the cackling of torches. It was as good as admitting the truth.

"You know, trying to flee the Fire Nation with bags of our most wanted's personal belongings isn't very smart."

The acrobat's cheeks reddened as she stared into the floor.

"They'd search you before you ever set foot on a ship. No doubt you're already suspected."

She swallowed nervously and struggled to find his gaze. Ren sighed, he'd been awake less than hour and his sigh-count was monumental today, "Look... Saito, can you..."

Saito tensed at Ren's implication, "General, that's-"

"-An order."

Dangerously close to treason is what it is. And what Saito meant to say.

Confronted with the metaphorical chain of command, the large Captain slumped his shoulders and nodded glumly. "I suppose... We can take the Lady to the Earth Kingdom with the next dispatch of troops."

Ren nodded with a smile, "Good."

Ty Lee, for her part, looked positively brimming. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou! You're really nice!" She returned his smile, but frowned a little as the silence stretched, "Why are you helping me, though? We never really spoke much... I mean, I knew you were nice. You never got angry or mean when Azula beat you up."

Ren rolled his eyes with exasperation, could they not talk about his string of defeats when sparring the Princess-Gone-Traitor?

"Can't it just be because I'm nice?" He tried with a shrug. Ty Lee looked as if she wanted to argue the matter, but Saito cleared his throat.

"The Fire Lord's Summon, General." He reminded.

The General in question swallowed. Right, he grimaced, the Fire Lord's summon. "I'm sorry, I really need to go."

She regarded him curiously as Ren took his leave, though her own scattered footfall suggested she'd resumed her own journey from the Palace walls. One of them ran from the Dragon's Maw as the other walked into inviting teeth. He wished he was the one fleeing.

Ren did the next best thing: He hid. Nearing the doors to the Fire Lord's Throne, he slipped the oni half-mask from his belt and donned it. It was a little quirk to hide his age from enemies and allies alike. The mask served his purpose well enough and, at least in the Earth Kingdom, had become a symbol to inspire fear.

Zuko sat dutifully beside the Throne. Court was bustling today. Processions and envoys from far off territories brought gifts of tribute and pleas for aid. The Fire Lord's mercy bade their wishes fulfilled, for none would make a request that stepped on the toes of the mightiest Emperor to grace the world today. The days were longer now, the initial pride of being included quickly became boredom, boredom led to thoughts of the past, thoughts of the past led to Uncle...

The Prince roamed a hand over the golden crown atop his head, 4-pronged in Ozai's image. The Crown-Prince of Roku remained buried in his chambers... Everyday he wanted to burn the thing into liquid gold... Everyday he failed. Thoughts of his failure to do something so menial cast further doubts on his actions from that moment.

Hiring an assassin to kill the Avatar, for one, and not just any Assassin: A combustionbender.

That kid is as good as dead, Zuko sighed internally, Shouldn't I feel relieved?

"My Lord." A squirrelly man with lemon-tinted glasses arched on a large nose, bowed low, "Young General Ren Jiang."

Zuko held his groan. With Azula gone, Father made good on his threat to bring in the next closest thing to a replacement. Zuko wasn't naïve enough to truly believe his status as Crown-Prince was at risk. But his honour was. He and this boy-General dubbed 'Ozai's Hound' were the same age and he was renowned as a rising star. In other words, he was a threat.

Politics was a web of thin-ropes that needed to be untangled before one choked on them. As soon as the name fled his father's mouth in training that morning, Zuko followed up leads and records with Mai. He was every bit the tactician Azula was. A lesser bender, a lesser warrior, not nearly the genius, but his military record despite being under a year old was already distinguished with feats of valour and bravery. If the classified records were any indicator, he even worked with her in seizing Ba Sing Se as some outside liaison beside Mai and Ty Lee, though the details were kept under a tight lock-and-key and whatever he did, he never entered the City so was nothing beyond an informant.

Of course, none of that really mattered. What mattered was his firebending was good. Zuko promised himself it would not be good enough.

"Send him in." Ozai replied steadily, robbing Zuko of his mental tirade.

The General walked in, Ren's face was concealed behind a red oni half-mask which left hazel eyes ablaze above. The sight served to curl Zuko's blood even more. He was the Blue Spirit! Yet now his new nemesis in court was, what, the Red Spirit?!

"Fire Lord Ozai." Ren bowed with the stature of a primed noble. Rigid shoulders and tight movements betrayed his profession as a military man. General for a year; but he'd been a soldier long before then. Children grew fast in the Fire Nation. Zuko knew that better than anyone.

"You have no doubt heard news of my daughter's treason." Ozai drawled, rising flames bathing his ire beneath a mask of flickering red.

"I—Yes, Fire Lord." Ren cleared his throat, his head pressed immovably upon the cold floor. "It's abhorrent." He continued, "Treason is treason and should be answered with swift justice."

Ozai nodded, a shadow beyond the light, looming over the Throne room like a blazing God of Fire.

"When she was yet a Princess of the Fire Nation, you trained with her, did you not?"

The General let his chin dip to signal confirmation.

Ozai hummed, it was a deep and gravelly boom, "You will continue such duties for my son. Your Crown-Prince."

Ren seemed to blink, as if confused by the order, but bowed lower (somehow) all the same.

"You were no match for Azula." Ozai waved a dismissive hand, "No one was."

Zuko ignored the budding resentment in his chest. Father was saying this on purpose!

"I expect the same from my son. You will give me complete reports of your every training session, and I will make sure you are watched." Ozai smirked as Zuko seethed. "My son knows the consequences of failure. But I know, in my heart, he will not fail."

The General nodded again, a creasing frown threatening to split his eyebrows.

Zuko carried the burden of expectation on his shoulders like the world carried mountains. None of it mattered. He would ride through the challenge all the same. Azula couldn't stand in his way. The Avatar wouldn't stand in his way. Now Ren wouldn't stand in his way. He would prove to Father just how strong he really was.

Zuko had to admit, when Father invited him for tea, this isn't exactly what he'd expected.

"I suppose it is to your liking?" Ozai asked as Zuko sipped from his cup,

"Yes, Father." He replied, dutifully, ignoring how Ozai's eyes seared into his soul.

They were terrifyingly enough not in the Throne Room. But a quaint little balcony in the Royal Cafeteria, perched on a platform that loomed above the entirety of Caldera. The sight was breathtaking, no doubt, but the oppressive company made it hard to appreciate. His father was never anything but the Fire Lord.

That didn't change just because he invited Zuko for a tea-break.

"You must be curious as to why I will no longer be training you. But General Jiang will, instead."

It wasn't a question, Zuko understood, so he allowed silence to be his answer.

"You have many duties as Crown-Prince, Zuko. And I have many more as Fire Lord. The war is not over until the world is ruled by us." Ozai took a testing drink from his own cup. How anyone could look so frightening when drinking tea was a mystery, his crown gleamed gold with the radiance of a dragon beneath the boiling sun above. "You're useless to your Nation here. Your new subjects must learn to fear and respect you."

Zuko avoided making his sigh known; but he wasn't surprised by the command. Mai had already predicted this could happen.

"You will go on tour through the newly annexed territories. I suggest you start with Omashu. It is a breeding ground for Earth Kingdom dissent." Ozai regarded Zuko coolly, "Fix it or do not return."

"Well, there are worse things than Omashu." Mai smiled and stroked Zuko's hair, but the Crown-Prince just sighed. "Besides, my family will be so - disgustingly - honoured by your presence. My Father no doubt needs your help."

He tightened his hold on Mai as they sat perched upon the soft silks of a red couch, lounging lazily in a moment of respite. "I know, but it's not just us. I have to take Ren! And he's only here to threaten me. My Father doesn't trust my ability so even when sending me away he's finding ways to push me..."

Mai sighed, "It isn't a bad thing to have someone skilled in Omashu, Zuko. Your life is in danger from both sides of the conflict. The Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom would love to see you gone."

He closed his eyes and blew a breath with resignation, "I know." He opened them, allowing himself to fall sideways on the couch. "I know! It's just... I want people I can trust. Not agents of my Father. I'm supposed to be Crown-Prince but it feels like I'm being controlled."

"Who do you trust but me?" Mai inquired, resting her head against Zuko's chest. A part of him fluttered at the sensation and Zuko smiled through the happy wave of warmth.

He didn't reply. He couldn't reply. Her question was pointed but true, trust. He needed to take control of this expedition somehow. He couldn't let Ren lead, or Ozai through proxy, this had to be his victory.

The beginnings of a plan began to form in Zuko's mind, it was hardly a good plan, there was little evidence or merit to its success. But it was better than nothing.

It was time Zuko started acting like a future Monarch.