Avatar: The Tale of Harry, Book 4: Family

by stringdog

For 33 years, since the end of the Fire Utopia, the world has known peace and balance. Even the events 10 years prior did not threaten this. However, events are about to be set in motion that will bring the world to its knees in the coming years. Once again the world will need the Avatar to save it. Harry must step up once more but this time the threat is much closer to home.

48. Chapter 48

Here is the forty-eighth and final full chapter in Book 4 released on time as planned. The short epilogue is also fully edited so Book 4 will be fully released on time as promised and with this chapter is now the longest in terms of chapters in this series. Book 5 is also fully drafted and the prologue edited so it will be released on the usual date as well and follow the same schedule. However, that is all I have to say for now, there will be more to cover at the end, so just sit back and enjoy the 48th and final full chapter in the fourth installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 4: Family.

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing related to these two great works of fiction.

Chapter 48

Harry stood at the window of the Southern Palace looking out over the throngs of people who had gathered in the square at the base of the steps and sighed. His breath misted in front of him, and he was cold despite the layers and furs he was wearing in his formal best. Such was to be expected however when one was at the poles, it took a while to get used to the cold.

The day had finally come. It had taken months of hard work, blood, pain, and tough recovery but at last they had been able to stabilize enough of the world to set the date and hold it. Dominique's formal coronation as Chief of the Southern Water Tribe had at last arrived.

Harry was at his window as the sun set in the suite that had been Ginny's growing up in the Southern Palace and was now their suite whenever one or both of them were in the Southern Water Tribe. Ginny was with Dominique getting her ready for the biggest day of her life, so he was alone.

Tradition dictated that the Chief was prepared by a warrior of equal status who was also both the same gender as the Chief and a member of the Royal Family. This was in accordance with the customs of the South and Ginny was the only one who met that requirement and who Dominique trusted to prepare her. As such Ginny had been with Dominique for hours.

Ron was with his brothers and their children, including Lily, getting everything ready as members of the Royal Family had to do when a coronation was taking place. They were the ones who were setting things up for the rest of the World Leaders. That wasn't hard as they were using a similar seating chart for the Leaders on the dais; they were on the right of the dais while the family was on the left as the crowd looked at it.

Luna had been formally appointed as the Head Abbess of the Western Air Temple by the now official Archabbot Remus. As with her prior position as Head Abbess of Air Temple Island, Luna was eligible to become Archabbot when Remus died and as such was formally part of his retinue for the event and would be sitting with the other Head Abbots and Abbesses in the special dignitary section for them. As such she had to prepare for that separately.

That left Harry to his own devices to the most part. As the Avatar, he had his own role to play in the events coming up after agreeing to Dominique's request after he woke up. The Tribal Council had explained to him what his role was, and he had rehearsed it enough to know it by heart. It was certainly a different ceremony to the ones used by the Firelord or the Earth King, both of which Harry already knew. However, he was ready for his role, all he had to do was get ready.

That had been a process, but Dominique had provided a small army of attendants to get Harry ready early so that he could take a few moments to collect his thoughts before he had to go down to the entrance hall and meet the others. It had been quick and unfortunately not painless, but Harry was now ready and was waiting to be summoned for the ceremony.

Harry was currently wearing the formal clothes of a member of the Earth Kingdom who had his status in his home nation. His clothes were cut in the latest fashion and dark green, though not the same shade as the Principate used, and edged in white fur both for warmth and as a tribute to the Southern Water Tribe.

Harry had his long hair cut, trimmed, and styled to fit his position, though he had not dyed it deciding to not hide his age. It was now almost all gray after the year he had been through. The same was for his beard that he had decided to keep but trimmed it to be short and stylish rather than the rugged mess it had been during the war.

As Harry looked out he began to think of what had happened during the 6 months since the Second Siege of the North as it was being called. As he did he clenched his left fist and tried to clench his right and failed at the thought of everything that had happened. With a grimace of pain and a little metalbending, Harry raised his right arm and looked at his right hand, encased in a thick glove, and concentrated on the metal around his fingers.

Slowly he formed a fist as the metal brace that had been specially made for him did the job of the bones and muscles in his hand. It was a reminder of the serious injuries he had suffered to defeat the Princeps and the pain that the long recovery from the Principate was going to be, both for him and the world.

Harry eased his fist as he thought back on the last half year since the Summer Solstice and the official end of the Principate War. A lot had happened and as the Winter Solstice and Dominique's coronation drew near, Harry felt himself walking down the path of memory, starting with how the rest of the world had handed James's death.

The chaos that Harry had expected from the defeat of the Princeps had not been as bad as he'd expected. Ron had had a plan in place for victory and they implemented as soon as they could Without it, they might still be at war with various warlords who'd declared themselves James's successor with no end in sight.

It started with the surrender orders and the movement of the CNFS forces into the Principate starting with the Northern Air Temple. The fact that the Princeps was dead and that only Rohit had survived from amongst his Uniques helped as they didn't know what to do without orders from their leader. The cult of personality around the Princeps had been all consuming and his status as the leader and figurehead was so high that without him those who had supported him were all chicken pigs with their heads cut off. They had no leader or direction, and many chose to surrender rather than fight.

It helped that Rohit had been captured and cooperated. His message to surrender was enough in most cases. In others it became clear early on that their leaders were either dead or in custody and the forces present also surrendered.

All who surrendered peacefully were treated like prisoners of war and for the most part not charged with crimes. Only the leaders and those who had abused their power, something that they had records on thanks to several high-ranking prisoners cooperating to avoid the death penalty or internal Principate records that hadn't been destroyed, were arrested, and charged for any crimes they committed.

Their experience 40 years prior with the ICTFU helped in the formation of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Principate and the independent commission assigned to investigate the criminal cases. Already most of the cases had been wrapped up and only a few cases were still pending for the current prisoners who had decided not to plead guilty.

That meant that the main issue was the number of high-level members of the Principate who had fled in the wake of the Second Siege and disappeared. Unlike with the Fire Nation after Hermione was arrested, which had been contained to one nation, the Principate had been almost global, and many had fled before they could be arrested. The fleeing had helped in both the surrender of the various Principate units and the nations that had been conquered by the Princeps.

It started with the Southern Water Tribe reestablishing itself within a month of the Siege. Molly had fled almost instantly with as much money as she could take and was nowhere to be seen. The reports had her fleeing first to Republic City via the Spirit World and then to Ba Sing Se when it became clear that Republic City would surrender but that was where the trail went cold. Thanks to her cowardice, the people of the South had reestablished the nation with the aid of a rebel group led by a general who'd survived the coup and was loyal to the Royal Family.

Dominique had traveled down to the South in the fastest airship as soon after Harry had woken up as possible. She had immediately gotten to work clearing up the shit that had been left. Fortunately, the fierce spirit of the South had never died despite the cruelty and tyranny Molly had shown as the Governor-General of the Water Provence. They already had a list of names of collaborators and profiteers and they had been rounded up and sent to the ICTP for investigation and trial if charged. The South had just been the start, however.

The Principate Forces in the Fire Nation had folded almost as soon as the surrender order was given and gave up the moment the CNFS reached the nation. Their general had been one of James's former Terra Team officers and as such as up to his neck in the shit and looking at a life without parole sentence at best. That was why he had fucked off as soon as the news came down that the Princeps was dead. He had also not been caught yet, but the soldiers had surrendered a few days later and helped return the nation to the Firelord.

After that came the Air Temples other than the Northern one which had been liberated first due to proximity. They were the easiest as there weren't many in the Temples as most airbenders had not joined the Principate and fled to the Northern Water Tribe while James hadn't really used them other than as staging locations for various campaigns.

Those who had stayed had been prisoners, sympathizers at best and collaborators at worst. The latter fled as they were on the ICTP's wanted list as soon as a charge against one was handed down. The sympathizers had surrendered and begged for mercy which they were given once an investigation cleared them of any crimes.

Remus had quickly gotten to work with the new Head Abbotts and Abbesses and restored the Temples to their former status pretty fast. The exception had been the Northern Temple that had been badly damaged by the battle that had occurred at it and was the main reason why it had been so easy to liberate. It was still being repaired with an expected end date in 3 years' time.

Only Republic City and the Earth Kingdom had held out past the first 2 months. They had been the farthest from the battle and had some of the more fanatical supporters remaining in them. Republic City had lasted another month before it was surrounded on all fronts and the writing finally appeared on the walls there.

Fleet, the Attorney General of the Principate and acting Secretariat of Principolis, James's new name for Republic City, had been in command while the Princeps and his Uniques were attacking the North. He had surrendered when he realized he was doomed. He had been taken into custody and was currently in a special wooden prison in Yue Bay as he awaited trial, but he was cooperating so as to avoid a death sentence under ISEK Military law for the crimes committed there.

After that it had just been a matter of clearing out the Earth Kingdom. Some areas like Xidi, Zaofu, Omashu and Gaoling had been liberated quickly as they had active resistance movements and Principate leaders on the wanted list who'd opted to flee rather than be arrested. Others had chosen to fight and there had been a few battles but in short order they too surrendered once they realized all was lost. With no true leader they couldn't stand against the combined forces of the world and opted to end their loyalty Principate.

Only one hold out was left, only one place was still technically part of the Principate and holding out against the restoration of the ISEK. Of course, it just had to be the one place that was impossible to take by combat or to successful lay siege to. Ba Sing Se was a bitch, and it was still under the control of the Principate.

The Governor-General of the Earth Province, former Imperial General Zeller, was still a tactical master and she had been one of the few voices of authority in the Principate in the wake of the Siege though part of that came from the fact that she was in Ba Sing Se so had the defenses to be powerful. She had instantly proclaimed Rohit a traitor and that he was not acting in accordance with the Princeps and as such he was no longer the effective leader.

With Rohit a traitor and all other Uniques confirmed dead by the CNFS, the order of succession had become murky. As such, Zeller had proclaimed herself the new Princeps and that Ba Sing Se would be the new capital. She took in all who still followed the Princeps, including many on the wanted lists, and bolstered her hold in Ba Sing Se. As the Coalition pushed forward, all those still loyal fell back to Ba Sing Se so that it was now impregnable.

They had the city surrounded as best they could given the outer wall and were trying to negotiate a surrender, but Zeller wasn't budging. Harry would love to be there and at the front lines as his presence would likely end the last holdout. However, he was still recovering do he couldn't be there.

Therefore, and against Harry's wishes, Lily was going to go to the Ba Sing Se front in a fortnight. As a lavabender she could take down the walls by herself, the only person other than the Avatar who could, and the hope was the threat of her there would force a surrender to end bloodshed. Harry was worried but it was needed so he had to send his only remaining child into harm's way once more.

As the last rays of sunshine dipped below the horizon, the coronation would be in the light of the moon as it was the original waterbender making nighttime the right time of day for it, Harry's thoughts turned inward. While the rest of the world had been recovering and the scourge that had been the Principate was being scoured, Harry had been doing his own recovery in the Northern Water Tribe.

Instead of being on the frontlines of the cleanup as he had been in the past, Harry had been forced to stay behind in the Northern Water Tribe and recover. It was not his style and not what Harry had wanted but he had no choice in the matter. He couldn't move so he had to stay.

His wounds had been extensive and severe to say the least. Of all the wounded in the Siege, Harry had suffered the worst and survived them apparently. After he had woken up again, Harry had begun his long rehab as he tried to return to normal.

It started with a few more surgeries and healings. They had been done to make sure that the earlier surgeries had worked and to ensure that everything was still healing correctly. They were but that was just the beginning.

Harry had suffered significant injuries to all his limbs, ribs, back, and head, that shit was not easy to come back from. Harry had spent a whole month in bed before he was even cleared to begin his rehab. From that point it was all about learning to do everything again.

It was slow going but with Ginny by his side Harry was making steady progress. It took 3 months, but he was able to walk again, though not without the aid of a cane or a limp thanks to his left knee. The limp would go apparently but he would always have soreness and the cane was likely permanent for day-to-day shit given both the injuries and as he got older.

Harry had also had to relearn his bending. He had started with metal and earth as it was his natural bending. Once he could do that he had begun working on the others. He still had issues with airbending but that was more due to his still limited mobility than anything else. In time that would come back to him as his strength returned to him.

Overall, Harry was making good progress, but Ginny expected at least 4 more years before Harry was as close to 100% as he could get. Harry was going to keep working and make sure he got there and pushed past all this but there was still one problem, his right arm.

The damage that Harry had done to his hand had been so extensive that not even Ginny felt she could give him fill mobility in it again. His bones had been so badly broken that it had taken 21 hours of surgery to just repair it. His wrist had not been much better. His forearm and shoulder were healed but the ligaments in his elbow were still under severe rehab and the muscles were weak.

It had all been the result of still holding his sword when he and James hit the ice. Not even in the Avatar State had Harry been able to prevent injury. It was a miracle he didn't lose his hand or more but that was a small miracle as it was hard to use it.

The solution had been a metal brace. It fitted over his right hand with his fingers in rubber stoppers and did the job his muscles should. With his injuries, the brace had been extended to cover his whole arm and upper right chest to provide full mobility. All Harry had to do was metalbend it to move his arm and hand. That had been a hard process to learn but it was good practice and now he was pretty good at doing it subconsciously. He also had a brace over his left knee so that he wouldn't limp today.

A full exoskeleton was in development in Zaofu to allow Harry to fight at full strength again, but it was to only be used in those circumstances. This was to prevent Harry from becoming fully reliant on it but there were expectations that the brace over his right hand and wrist, which would constantly be updated as technology advanced, would be permanent. It was tough but Harry was powering through it.

The good thing was that most of his wounds and scars could be hidden under his clothes or were internal so people wouldn't see them. The exception was the prominent new scar on his forehead, just above his left eye. Harry got it from a stray piece of metal the Princeps bent at him while they dueled on the bridge and had left a wound deep enough to scar.

It was now an angry red mark that would in time fade but would never not be noticeable. It also didn't help that it was in the shape of a lightning bolt for some reason but that was just how the cut had been. It was annoying but Harry could live with it, it wasn't the end of the world and Harry had more serious shit to deal with then a new, interesting, scar on his forehead.

It had taken 5 months for Harry to reach the point that he could travel but as soon as he could he set off for the South and the preparations for the coronation that were going on there. There was a lot to sort out so the sooner he got here the better.

However, they had stopped in the Fire Nation to formally cremate Neville and have a service for him after his body had been recovered from Republic City. That had been done in the Fire Sage Temple in the Caldera and Harry and Druzok had spoken at it, his first public appearance in months but it had to be done. It had been a solemn and somber event but a needed one to bring closure to his friend's brutal and public death.

After that they had continued to travel to the Southern Water Tribe. Once here Harry had thrown himself into his rehab and the preparations for the coming ceremony. It had been hectic to get everything ready by the Winter Solstice, but they had managed it, and now it was almost time.

Suddenly Harry's reverie was broken by a knock on the door as if someone knew Harry was coming to end of his thoughts. Harry looked over to see an attendant poking his head into the room.

"It's time Avatar." The man said. "You are needed downstairs in the entrance hall. Everyone else is there."

"Thank you, I will be down in a moment." Harry said with a nod and the man disappeared to relay his pending arrival.

Harry looked out over the growing darkness and the rising full moon, a good sign as it was coinciding with the Solstice and the Glacial Spirits Festival which was going to start after the ceremony and was a desperately needed distraction. With one last thought over the last few months, Harry turned and left the suite, metalbending the brace he was wearing over his left knee to walk without the aid of cane. He had a Chief to crown.

It didn't take Harry long to reach the large entrance hall of the Palace. Gathered there were the various World Leaders and members of Dominique's family. They were all there and waiting for him to get things started.

"It is time." Harry said as he approached the group. "Let's get this started."

They all turned to him and bowed to the Avatar. Ron and his family in their formal best were standing nearest and the first to notice Harry approaching them.

Just behind them was a still thin looking Druzok in the black and red of the Fire Nation with Ursa by his side, the scar on her cheek prominent. The Fire Nation had been freed and Druzok had gained even more popularity for his endurance of the siege, but Harry knew that it had taken a toll on him. If he had to guess, the Firelord would be abdicating in the years to come.

Then there was Teddy in a winter suit with the crest of the United Republic on it as he was the official President with Victoire on his arm. He was up for election to a full term in a little over a year's time and widely expected to win it. Right now, he was the best person so lead the United Republic.

Xiang had clearly been talking to Teddy when Harry had arrive. The Crown Prince of the ISEK was still reedy but he was starting to fill out a little. His own coronation was still to come as Ba Sing Se hadn't surrendered and he wasn't willing to hold it until his nation was united. However, he was still the leader of the Earth Kingdom and had been assisting with all the cleanup as best he could.

A little ways away from them were Remus and Sirius were the last two, both in their formal clothes. The two old friends had been near inseparable during the cleanup and Harry didn't blame them seeing as both were World Leaders now that Remus was the Archabbot of the Air Nation and the fact that they were the only ones of their team left now that Harry's father had died.

Even Chief Titus, the newly anointed Chief of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, was present for the ceremony which was almost unheard of as the Foggy Swamp Tribe rarely got involved in global events. However, for some reason that Titus wouldn't say, he'd decided to come to the coronation so they'd have all the World Leaders present for the first time that Harry could remember.

"Ginny, could you go and get Dominique." Harry said to his wife once he had everyone's attention and she nodded. "Then wait here for the Master of Ceremonies to bring you the item."

"Harry, I know my own nation's traditions." Ginny chided playfully. "I will make sure that everything is ready."

"Sorry, habit." Harry said sheepishly as Ginny left and Harry turned to the others. "Take your seats, this will let the crowd know that it is almost time. I will wait here for Dominique as only I am allowed to enter with her."

"Come on, let's get the ceremony over with." Ron said to the others as he began to usher them out. "I have a whole arctic hen and several beers waiting for me and I want to get to them right away. This is the best celebration of the year down here and a coronation makes it even more rowdy."

The others chuckled as they left. Harry just smiled as they filed out in order. It was a set order with World Leader and a member of the Royal Family walking side by side as they left before separating to take their seats. Sirius went first with Fred who was the Crown Prince now until Dominique had a child. After them it was Remus and George, Druzok and Ron, Xiang and Fred's waterbending son, Teddy and George's waterbending daughter, Titus and Rose. After that it was the heirs Altinak and Ursa who walked with Hugo and the non-eligible members of the Ron's large, extended family.

Once they were all out and seated, and the crowd had silenced in anticipation of what was to come, Harry turned and sent out a small wave of waterbending across the floor. That was the signal to Dominique that it was time to come out from where she was hiding.

Slowly the ice doors that led deeper into the Palace opened with waterbending. As soon as they were wide enough, Dominique lowered her arms and walked out standing tall and proud. Harry couldn't help but draw a breath at the sight of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

There had been a heated debate over what Dominique would wear in her first formal appearance. The traditionalists wanted her to wear a dress similar to the other great women of the South. Dominique hated it and wanted instead to wear the outfit of a Southern Warrior like her father had done for his own coronation. It had gotten so heated that she had ended up bending one of the Tribal Council through a multiple ice walls. Finally, a compromise was reached and that was what Dominique wore.

She wore the formal best uniform of a Southern Warrior just as her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had worn for their coronations. The clothes were of course cut for a woman, lined with pure white fur, and a deep blue. She wore pants but that was only because of the temperature in the south made dresses and skirts impractical without pants on regardless. As a compromise she did wear a blue skirt thing similar to Korra's brown one around her waist that fell to her knees and worked with the outfit. Then there was her cloak.

Dominique work a formal cloak that was attached to back of her shoulders and fell down to her ankles. It was made from the fur of a kill she had recently made during the preparation period. It was part of the Southern tradition that before the coronation, the soon to be crowned Chief would go out into the tundra alone, hunt and kill a beast.

After killing it, Dominique had to bring it back and by herself skin it, make the cloak and some bone items, and give the meat and any remaining raw materials to the Tribal Council for sacrifices and donation. It was a sign of her skills and to show the people that she could defend them.

However, for the ceremony Dominique was unarmed and had no face paint on, except for the Mark of the Wise painted on her forehead by Ron a few moments earlier to show that she'd earned the mark of a leader. Her red hair was in a tight braid and woven with a blue ribbon. It was tied off in a bow that was set with a flawless sapphire as it rested against her back. As always, she had the hair loops that was the preferred style of Southern women.

"Ready?" Harry asked Dominique.

"No." She said bluntly with a small smile. "Honestly, I hate all this pomp and ceremony, it's not the Southern way but something that we had to adapt to as a free and independent nation. Give me a life-or-death battle with an insane bloodbender any day and I'd be great, but this truly scares me."

"Yeah me too but this is what we don't choose what our birthrights are." Harry said. "Ok well your sister did in the end but she's a special case. Now, though, it is time for this formality. After you, Chief."

"Not yet, at least in the eyes of the people." Dominique said as she bowed her head to Harry. "But thank you Avatar, for everything that you have done during this war. This has been the hardest time the world has ever known and without you, I shudder to think what would have happened in the finally battle."

"The Principate caused a lot of pain to all of us." Harry said. "But it is over now, and we can all recover from this, together. This is but the first step in restoring the world to normalcy. The world needs this, they need to see the crowning of the true leader of the South, a true war hero just as it is meant to be. It is all part of the process."

"That is true." Dominique said holding her head high and looking to the entrance to the Palace. "Then let us do this Harry. We are but servants to the world after all, it is time to serve it."

"Wisely spoken." Harry said as he gestured to the open door. "After you. Your Tribe awaits their Chief."

Dominique nodded and walked out, Harry following her, and they walked out into the starry night. Lights had been provided to show the coronation, but they were muted enough to allow for the night to be noted as the nights in the poles were something to be seen.

As soon as they stepped out on the blue carpet, Dominique in front with Harry right behind her, the crowd went completely silent. It seemed like the entire Southern Water Tribe, along with many others who had made the trip for the ceremony, were gathered in the square at the foot of the Palace steps patently waiting for it to start. The World Leaders and other dignitaries were seated in their rightful places waiting for the ceremony.

There was not official start, no announcement, nothing, just Dominique's presence signified the beginning as it should be. At the top of the steps a small fur covered stool sat in a circle of blue carpet. Dominique walked tall and calm to the center of the carpet and stood right in front of the stool her cloak rustling in the light breeze. Even from behind Harry couldn't deny that she looked regal in a Southern way as she stood there. He remembered her father looking just the same when he'd been crowned.

Harry walked up to stand beside her. He then turned to her as she continued to gaze out over the crowd that was now completely focused on her. This was about her and not the crowd, though, they were just witnessing her accepting her destiny.

"Dominique, heir to the Chiefdom of the Southern Water Tribe, are you ready to claim your birthright?" Harry said to her loud enough for all to hear.

"I am." Dominique said just as loudly with full confidence in her voice.

"Then show your people your conviction and kneel to your tribe." Harry ordered and Dominique smoothly fell to her knees on the stool, maintaining her straight back and looking out over the Tribe.

"Dominique, the role of Chief of the Southern Water Tribe is not a role to be taken lightly." Harry began as he spoke the words taught him for the ceremony. "You are the leader of your people, but you are also their servant because their concerns are your concerns. They must always come first as you lead them with wisdom and fairness into the future. That is why you kneel before your tribe as you accept your birthright, so that they can see that you are their servant and not the other way around. Do you understand this?"

"I do." Dominique responded.

"And do you understand what is needed of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe." Harry said. "That you must be a warrior, proven in battle, or if it is a time of peace in the hunt, and a bearer of the Mark of the Wise. That before taking your birthright you must be approved by the Tribal Council to have met this standard."

"I do." Dominique repeated.

"And will you accept their judgement if they decided that you are not fit for the role." Harry said. "Will you relinquish your claim should you be deemed unworthy."

"I will." Dominique said. "If I am not considered worthy of this burden then I do not deserve the honor of being Chief."

"Good." Harry said as he pulled out a scroll. "I have here the formal decree of the Council on you. It says."

Harry cleared his throat before he continued. He knew that Dominique had been accepted but he didn't know what it actually said so he was reading for the first time as he was reading it out aloud.

"The Tribal Council, by unanimous vote, accepts the birthright of Dominique, heir to line of Septimius, as the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe." Harry read. "She earned the Mark of the Brave, has fought to defend the Tribe and against all odds helped restored the Southern Water Tribe to its glory in the wake of the Principate and her father's murder. For all of this, the Tribal Council confirms the birthright of Dominique as Chief of the Southern Water Tribe and, after debate, awards to her the honorific of She-Wolf of the Southern Waters in recognition of her accomplishments."

The last part got gasps from the crowd and even Dominique let a brief look of shock cross her face at the award. It was only the fourth time in history that the Tribal Council had bestowed its highest honor on a member of the tribe. Earning an honorific, which always was a wolf title, required several perquisites to be met and a unanimous vote by the Tribal Council, but they had done so. Dominique joined Hakoda, Sokka, and Ron in the elite club of Southern Wolves.

"Do you understand and accept what I have just read?" Harry asked as the crowd quieted down.

"I do." Dominique said without emotion as she kept her posture.

"Then speak the oath of the Chief to all so that they may hear you take it and thus hold you to it." Harry said. "Affirm your loyalty and duty to your tribe."

Dominique paused and Harry knew that she had closed her eyes to say a silent prayer to the Spirits of the Water Tribes and add to the effect of the situation. After a moment of silence that all shared in, she opened her eyes and spoke clearly and with complete certainty.

"I am Dominique, daughter of William of the line of Septimius and rightful heir to the Chiefdom of the Southern Water Tribe. Here and now, at my most vulnerable and in the eyes of the spirits of my people and of my ancestors I take up my birthright. With Tui and La and the Moon Yue and all of the Chiefs who have come before me, I accept my destiny and my role in guiding my people forward. I am Chief Dominique of the Southern Water Tribe, the 4th of my line, and I will lead my people through whatever trials we may face with fairness and justice and I will protect them until my dying breath, this I swear."

"So, it has been spoken and witnessed, so let it be." Harry said as he turned to face the Palace, augmenting his voice with airbending so that he could be heard. "The Head Healer of the Southern Water Tribe and the first formal appointment of the new Chief shall bring out the Chief's crown."

Everyone strained and looked to the VV monitors to watch as Ginny emerged from the Palace. There was a buzz over the new Healer of the South as no one had expected it to be Ginny. Even Ginny had been hesitant to take the appointment and all the responsibilities that came with it as she was now on the Tribal Council, but Dominique had convinced her as the best healer in the Tribe to accept for her.

Harry had helped as he thought it was a good idea because it meant that he could recover in the South while they helped advice Dominique in her early reign. Ginny had eventually agreed but only for a few years at most while Harry completed his recovery before she and Harry returned to Omashu.

Ginny was holding a small, blue velvet, cushion with the newly minted crown on it. Unlike other nations that had a generational crown, the Southern Water Tribe was not old enough for it and decided to go with a new one designed by the new Chief when the time came. It was done to symbolize the new Chief's reign and to show that nothing in the South was permanent due to the ever-changing seas and ice.

As for the old crown, it was housed in the Hall of Southern Heroes in the old Chief's tomb as a sign of their position, something that Mollie had surprisingly done for Bill. The crown was also only worn in ceremonial situations, so it was not often seen but each had been distinctive.

Bill had gone with a standard crown of platinum and velvet that was engraved with the history of the South on the metal parts. Artur's had been a simple circlet of interwoven waves and sapphires. Harry had seen Septimius's in his tomb and knew that it was a circular crown with jagged peaks to represent the terrain of the South. Dominique had continued the tradition and designed something different from her predecessors.

Dominique's crown was elegant, smooth, and perfect for a female ruler as it accented her better than something more ostentatious would have been. It was a single circle of platinum with a rolling wave pattern that seemed to flow in a never-ending circle instead of spikes or other adornments. They were all of different heights and depths just like the sea but gentle and smooth to show the peaceful side of the ocean and represent the peace that Dominique intended to protect after the war.

In the center of the crown was a single large sapphire that was carved with the Southern Water Tribe crest and would be placed in the center of her forehead to center it. Spaced around the crown, equidistant from each other as they encircled it, were 6 smaller sapphires to represent the 6 other nations and to symbolize the unity between them that Dominique intended to forge.

The inside of crown was lined with fur from the same kill as Dominique's cloak. It was both to protect her from it freezing to her head and a trapping of the South that all the Chiefs had had on their crowns.

Harry nodded to Ginny as he carefully took the crown in his hands and gently lifted it off the cushion. It took a lot of concentration and practice to get the grip in his right hand to work but he was able to do it with only a little difficulty. Turning, Harry raised the crown high over his head, the same way he had done with Druzok's royal flame over 40 years ago.

"By the power vested in me as the Avatar and conferred for such a moment by the Tribal Council." Harry began before he lowered the crown and placed it on Dominique's head for the first time, an act that they'd had to practice a lot with a replica crown to get right. "I hereby proclaim Dominique, daughter of Chief Willian, the new Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Now rise, Chief Dominique, She-Wolf of the Southern Waters, and 5th Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, so that you may address your people."

Harry stood back as Dominique gracefully rose to her feet to the cheers of her people at the official crowning of their Chief. As soon as Dominique was standing, her people as one fell to a knee and bowed their heads to her. It was not required in the South and an unexpected gesture as her father hadn't received it, but it showed just how much the people respected their new Chief.

"Please stand." Dominique said and her people stood. "Thank you for your support and acceptance of your Chief, it shows that we are all one Tribe. I will keep this as short as possible so as to not prevent the festivities that I know y'all are eagerly waiting for. It is a much-needed festival, and I shall not deprive you of it as I too want to enjoy it with you, but I do have a few words."

There was a chuckle at this though Harry knew that Dominique was serious about joining in with her people, it was expected of her and she wasn't going to be stopped regardless. This Glacial Spirits Festival had been set up with the aid of all the nations, so it was going to be the best in decades. Everyone knew it and it was something the world needed but they had to get through the ceremony first.

"This will not be like the speech I gave right before the Second Siege of the North." Dominique said once the chuckles had died down. "Somehow it was recorded and is now lore in the South. This will not be like that as the situations are different. Back then we were at war with only one territory left between us and consumption by the Princeps. We needed to defend what we stood for and we needed to win. Thanks to the Avatar and the bravery of men and women from all over the world, we ended the evil of the Principate and at the last moment prevented the world falling into darkness that day."

Dominique paused for a moment as the mood in the crowd shifted to a somber one at the memory of the Second Siege. It was to be expected given the topic, but Dominique had to address the war as it was so recent. Still, it was still a painful topic, as it should always be.

"The war has caused all of us great pain and loss." Dominique said after a respectful length of silence. "It all started 18 months ago on that fateful Summer Solstice when the global coups occurred and 4 nations fell in one fell swoop, as well as large portions of 2 other nations. It was something unprecedented and unexpected."

Harry looked at Dominique and knew where she was going with this. She'd just taken a breath to steady herself and for good reason.

"Here in the South, we weren't exempt from the horrors, far from it in fact." Dominique continued. "I watched as my father, Chief William, be slain in his own Throne Room before my eyes. I will always see that bolt strike him in the chest, I'll never forget it. Despite the ceremony today, that was the day I officially became Chief and when my reign will be recorded as having begun. However, to me and to many of you, all that day will remind us of is the pain that the Principate wrought upon us during their tyranny here. That is why I will now start a moment of silence for all those we lost in the Principate War."

Dominique then bowed her head and closed her eyes, a tear falling down her cheek that only Harry noticed before she bent it away. Many in the crowd copied their Chief as they paid their respects. Harry didn't but he did think back to the war and all that they had lost. His own sons, one killed by the other and one killed by Harry himself because he was the Princeps and had to be stopped. In addition, there was Neville, Regulus, Hannah, Bill, Percy, Charlie, Zhan, and so many more. It was a touching and needed moment to honor all those who died.

"Thank you." Dominique said after moment was over and she raised her head again. "We have all lost many in this war. However, we never gave up. Despite our losses, despite our disadvantages, despite all hope seeming to be lost, we fought back for what we knew to be right, and we held. We ended the Princeps and his Principate. While there is more to be done to fully heal the world, we are on the right path and together we can recover and learn so as to avoid this happening again."

Dominique paused again to take a breath of the cold air as the crowd listened. Harry noted that they were hanging on her every word. When Dominique was ready, she continued.

"It is thanks to the resilience of you and the fighting spirit of those who defended freedom that we were able to win in the end." Dominique said. "However, there is one person who truly deserves the credit for ending the Principate, without whom we would never have won and never restored freedom to the world. I am of course speaking of Avatar Harry. That is why I will end my speech now and ask the Avatar to now say a few words to wrap this up so that we can get this festival started."

The crowd cheered as Dominique stepped aside, turned to Harry and smiled at him. She gestured to where she had been, and Harry knew he would have to speak to the crowd. They had discussed this, but Harry had not wanted to speak. However, Dominique had put Harry on the spot, and now he had to say a few words. He was at least grateful that she hadn't mentioned James by name, that was going to be his job.

"Thank you Chief Dominique for giving me this moment to speak." Harry said with a bow of his head to Dominique as he took his position and turned to look out over the crowd. "It is truly an honor to speak now. I will try and keep this short so that the festivities can begin because we are all looking forward to the South's famous Glacial Spirits festival."

The crowd laughed at that and cheered him as he took his position. However, as Harry looked out, the crowd quieted down quickly and waited for him to speak.

"As you know this is a tough time for all of us." Harry began somberly. "The world was torn apart by a war the likes of which has not happened in centuries. This was all because of the radical and dangerous views of the Princeps and those who followed him. However, we won and can now rebuild the world to be better than ever before because we can learn from the mistakes that led to the rise of the Princeps."

Harry took a breath as he looked out over the crowd. He had to phrase this just right so that they understood where he was coming from and hopefully no one would misinterpret it like James had almost 20 years ago when he'd spoken on unity and accidentally created the Princeps.

"The way we do this is together." Harry said when he was ready. "Together we can move on and prevent the world from tearing itself apart again, we can do this as one family looking out for everyone around us. Family is and always will be important, be it those close to you, your community, nation, or the world, and it is through this togetherness that we can accomplish this rebuild and work to ensure that the world is not torn apart by a war on this scale again."

Harry paused for a moment as he collected himself for what was next. He knew what he had to say but it was still hard to talk about. However, it had to be done.

"I will now turn to the topic that many have spoken about but that I haven't addressed publicly, the Princeps himself." Harry said and the crowd went deathly silent as he spoke. "Many of you know the truth and I will not hide or lie about. The Princeps was James, my firstborn son and eldest child. Many of you also know that in order to end the war I was forced to kill him in single combat during the Second Siege of the North as that was the only way to stop him. This did not come without pain to me, both mentally and physically, and I will be recovering from both for a long time."

Harry paused as he took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he was about to say. Only Ginny knew what was coming as they'd discussed it in private, but it was something Harry had been thinking about for a long time, ever since James's massacre almost 9 years ago if he was being honest. Now, and partly because of his wounds and rehab, it was finally time to make it official.

"James was my son and his actions and heinous crimes are a reflection on me and my own failures, be it as a father, or to prevent him from taking the dark path he took or not stopping him until the last minute and only after he had caused so much suffering." Harry said as his heart felt heavy, and the world listened to his every word. "I take responsibility for those failures and will bear the scars of them for the rest of my life just I bear them for all my failures as Avatar. It is because of this and the injuries I received when I finally killed the Princeps that I make this announcement."

This was it; this was what he had been waiting for. If Dominique was going to put him on the spot now then now was as good a time as ever to publicly announce his intentions to the world. He just took a moment to draw it out before saying it.

"I am officially retiring from public life." Harry said to a shocked gasp from the crowd. "I will always be the Avatar and I will always do my duty to the world when it needs me to preserve peace and balance, but from this moment onwards I will only appear when I am needed to do my duty. It is time for me to retire and be with what is left of my family and recover from the wounds I suffered ending the Princeps. I will always be here for the world to maintain peace and balance, but it is the right time for me to remove myself from the day-to-day business of the world. Thank you and enjoy the festivities."

Harry didn't wait for any reaction, he just turned to the see the slack jawed shock on everyone's face on the dais except Ginny's. She just smiled as she took Harry's arm and they retired to the Palace to change and get ready for the festivities that they intended to enjoy. It was as they were leaving from Harry's last public speech that the realization of what he had said hit them and the crowd began to react.

Harry didn't care. He was the Avatar, and he would always do his duty when he was needed to do it, but it was time to retire and be with his family. They had all been through a lot, it was time to begin the healing process and it was best to do that away from prying eyes. It had cost them a lot, more than ever before, but once again, they had won.

There it is, the end of the story of Book 4 with just the epilogue to go to wrap everything up. A good ending I think as Harry helps the world move on with Dominique's coronation and then finally gets the chance to retire with a little surprise to the world in the process. That is all I really have to say, stay tuned for the epilogue and as always please follow and favorite both this and myself so that you can stay up to date with new releases (chapters and stories) and please keep the reviews coming as I do love to hear from y'all regarding my work, it means a lot to me. Until next time.

Stringdog