Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived in harmony... then everything changed when the fanfic writers attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but even he bowed to their will as he was given the love of his life.
This is my very first A:TLA fic (so forgive me if I accidently put this on the Legend Of Korra page lol), so I don't know if anyone did this before, and it's supposed to be a one-shot... emphasis on "supposed to be." I'm probably gonna end up adding another chapter... or two... or three... or nine.
Chapter One
Never Even A Player
Long Feng moved briskly through the Great Hall of the Earth Kingdom palace, his Dai Li agents in place behind him, at least fifteen strong. As the corrupt force marched towards the throne, Long Feng cast his usual disaffected mask over his face as he looked upon the dark-haired princess on the throne, wearing the colors of her nation's enemy.
"Now comes the part where I double-cross you," Long Feng said without preamble. While he kept his face neutral, he smirked within himself. "Dai Li, arrest the Fire Nation princess," he ordered, expecting gloves of stone to be thrown across the room and gripping the girl by her limbs.
Nothing happened for a moment. Long Feng turned to face his agents, his calm expression broken by exasperation. "I said, 'arrest her!'" he repeated, looking at the faces of the Dai Li. His calm was broken again by his anger. "What is wrong with you?!" he nearly yelled. His agents didn't flinch.
"It's because they haven't made up their minds," Azula answered, almost bored. "They're waiting to see how this is going to end." Long Feng whirled to face Azula. "What are you talking about?" he asked, again attempting to maintain his composure. He watched Azula smirk at him, almost as if she were talking down an inferior.
"I can see your whole history in your eyes," she began. "You were born with nothing, so you had to struggle and connive and claw your way to power." Long Feng's face again broke its mask of calm. Azula's smirk widened a little. "But true power, the divine right to rule, is something you're born with. The fact is, they don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that throne, and which one of us is going to be bowing down."
A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Long Feng's face as Azula looked directly at him. "But I know, and you know," she finished as she turned away from him, then moved to the throne and sat down. Azula's smirk widened. "Well?" she asked.
Long Feng was sweating even more now, his nerves threatening to explode from the realization. After a moment of hesitation, he knelt down in front of the new Earth Queen. "You've beaten me at my own game," he said in defeat. Azula smirked once more. "Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player."
A dark rage boiled in Long Feng after Azula finished her insult. "How dare she?!" he thought to himself. "How dare she?! How dare she?!" Memories he had long suppressed came flooding back to the surface of his mind. Growing up in the Lower Ring, surrounded by poverty and filth, his only thought was to get out of there. The other children his age bullied him in his youth, for he was scrawnier and smaller than most of the others. When the neighborhood children played, he was always either picked last or never even picked at all. "You'll never be a player," the older boys said. When he had refined his earthbending skills, Long Feng left for the Middle Ring to make a name for himself, becoming well-versed in politics and leadership, and was eventually, after the former Dai Li head noticed him, recruited into the agency and trained even further. After the former head died, he took his place, and was eventually appointed Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se by the Earth King himself.
But even then, even now, the words of his childhood echoed in his head. "Never a player," those boys had said. Now they were locked in the dungeons. What was stopping him from doing this to the Fire Nation princess? After all, he had already toppled one monarch. Long Feng didn't plan on using this tactic when he had been imprisoned by the Earth King, not in front of the Avatar. But now, with just his agents and the Fire Nation princess… certainly.
"Dai Li," he said, pushing down the snarl. "The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." Almost immediately, all of the agents present fell into his thrall. "We are honored to accept his invitation," they droned, then followed the last order they had been given. Earth gloves leapt off of their hands and onto Azula's biceps and lower legs, pulling her into the air. Long Feng grinned madly as he heard Azula gasp and watched her rise into the air, then noticed Mai and Ty Lee getting into position. "If you wish to make sure your princess and friend stays alive, you will surrender yourselves now," he demanded.
Mai scoffed. "And what will you do?" she asked, bored. "My knives will take out your mindless minions and Ty Lee will finish the rest." Long Feng smirked. "Break her arms," he ordered. The sounds of earth moving, bones snapping, and Azula's tortured scream filled the room. Two more gloves flew up to her, one clamping over her mouth, one gripping her neck. "All I have to do is say the word, and she'll die," Long Feng continued, his smirk still present. "I would let you go, if only to face the Fire Lord's wrath. If I understand correctly, this is his favored child."
Mai and Ty Lee glanced up at Azula, seeing the fury and pain in her eyes. Ty Lee relaxed out of her combat stance, and Mai threw all her hidden weapons to the ground. Earth gloves grabbed their limbs and pulled them towards the agents, who were still blank-faced. Long Feng surveyed the two girls, then snapped his fingers as he reached his decision. "Take them to the new headquarters and rewrite them. They are on the younger side, but the city would benefit from some new Joo Dees," he ordered. Mai and Ty Lee's eyes widened in fear, and Long Feng knew they had seen at least one of the smiling guides when they posed as Kyoshi Warriors.
The Dai Li took them away, leaving Long Feng, three more agents, and an injured Azula in the throne room. One of the agents removed her gag, and Azula immediately tried to spit fire at Long Feng, only for the glove around her throat to tighten. She stopped, and the glove loosened enough for her to speak.
"How?!" she asked angrily. "I had broken you!" Long Feng took her chin between his fingers. "I've heard of what you do, Princess," he snarled. "You lie and manipulate and inspire fear to maintain loyalty." A dark smirk crossed his face. "But loyalty, the divine command over another person, is something you earn… or take, if you must. The fact is, I could see your so-called friends were afraid of you, and that they were eventually, eventually going to turn on you. Just like me, with the Earth King."
"That doddering fool? You were afraid of him?" Azula asked incredulously. Long Feng chuckled without humor. "Everyone is afraid of what the Earth King could do if the Dai Li were one hundred percent loyal to him," he replied. "My fear of him also relates to his former Majesty being… purer than I, I will admit." Azula growled at him, her teeth clenched in anger and pain. "Why tell me all of this?" she asked. "Why give your list of fears to me on a silver platter?"
"Because everything in this world has a price," Long Feng replied. "I told you about my fears, which are currently useless to you. In return, you tell me everything about the Fire Nation's military installations, supply routes, everything you know. There is no negotiating." Azula snarled at him, then gasped as the glove tightened around her neck again. "I… will… tell… you… nothing!" she choked out. Long Feng motioned for the agents to stop.
"Well, if you won't tell us anything willingly, we'll simply brainwash you into revealing everything," he replied. "That's actually the simplest form, so it will be perfect if you don't cooperate." He turned away, then stopped as Azula began to laugh. "I'm not your little agent, or your 'guide' conscripts, or even Mai and Ty Lee! My father has taught me ways to resist any form of interrogation, and your brainwashing tactics were included!" Azula's laugh faded as her face began to melt into horror as Long Feng broke into deranged laughter of his own. "That's your entire problem, my dear. You've already been brainwashed by your father! Oh, this makes things so much more simple!"
Azula went mad, screeching, crying and screaming curses at Long Feng, shooting fire from her mouth and feet, singing the edges of her Earth Kingdom clothes. The Dai Li didn't try to stop her, as Long Feng motioned for them to let Azula let out her anger. Eventually, her screeching subsided and her blue flames died as she started panting. "The entire force of the Fire Nation will come crashing down upon your city! The streets will run red with the blood of the people! And the Fire Lord will have your skull mounted on his wall!" she yelled.
Long Feng smirked. "You cannot intimidate me, Princess," he said simply. "I know everything you say will only come to pass if the Fire Lord learns of your capture. I already have a forged report from you being sent to him right now. Admit it. You have lost." He turned his back to her and walked up to the throne, and after a moment, sat down and crossed his legs. Azula's eyes widened, then she bowed her head. "You defeated me," she admitted. "Though this game is far from over."
"Game?" Long Feng asked, then smirked one final time. "Don't flatter yourself, little girl. You were never even a player," he taunted. Azula screamed and blasted more fire from her mouth as her captors dragged her away as the new Earth King began his reign.
All hail the Earth King, Long Feng. What happens next to Azula? Where's the Gaang? How will Zuko react to Mai's plight... and Azula's imprisonment, but that's not his main concern right now hahaha. As always, stay safe, healthy, and don't drink the cactus juice.