Avatar: The Tale of Harry, Book 5: Duty

by stringdog

19 years have passed since the end of the Principate War and the world has lived in peace since then. However, peace is a lie and the emergence of the unthinkable brings a nation knowing nothing of war to the brink of it. Harry must do his duty as the Avatar to preserve peace and balance lest a nation be plunged into civil war. The world once again needs Avatar Harry one more time.

7. Chapter 6

Here is the sixth full chapter in Book 5, released on time as promised. This the first chapter in what I am calling the Mergence arc as the story progress to the point were the other arc that began Book 5 comes back and the main storyline begins to become clear though there is still one more important side arc and a waiting arc to come for various reasons as you will see when the time comes. However, that is all I have for now though and as there isn't anything to respond to that means that it time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 6th full installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 5: Duty.

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

Chapter 6

Harry just stared in surprise at the man now in front of him. If he was being honest he had always wondered if James had had any kids. Given how little he had truly known about his eldest son and the darkness that had ravaged his soul, it wouldn't be out of the question for James to have sired a child. Spirits know that Albus had done so, four times in fact, but this was somehow even more of a surprise to the Avatar.

Harry recovered quickly, however. He knew that it was about to get awkward, well more so than it already was, but he needed to know if everything he was hearing was true. He was already truth seeing Lily and she was telling the truth, but he had to hear it from the boy in front of him.

Harry also had to make sure that James's son was not like James had been at the end. That was always a worry given how much influence parents had over their kids, though as James and others Harry had met had showed that this was not always the case. Harry trusted his daughter's judgement but unlike him, she couldn't truth see so he had to be sure.

"I see the resemblance." Harry admitted finally as he recovered from his surprise. "It is striking, almost like looking in a mirror. The legacy of our family has always been such with the first-born son, who is also the oldest child for some reason. However, I must ask for confirmation from Sirius himself. Are you truly my grandson?"

"I am sir." Sirius said with a respectful bow. "And I apologize for the sudden and unexpected arrival, this was not my plan today when I first arrived in Omashu, I assure of that."

Harry closed his eyes as Sirius spoke and focused fully on his truth seeing. As far as he could tell, the boy was telling the truth. At the very least, Sirius believed what he was saying and there was no deception in his heartbeat. That coupled with the appearance confirmed Sirius's identity as close as can be determined these days short of actual birth records.

"I know that it is hard to believe but it is true." Sirius said quickly to fill in the silence. "I can even bend platinum the way dad could. That should help as dad is the only one ever recorded with that ability."

"Now that would certainly help but we can test that later." Harry said opening his eyes and meeting the piercing blue gaze of his grandson, an eye color he had to have inherited from his mother as was the odd trend in their family. "A talent like that is almost always inherited as seen by Hama's bloodbending line. However, before then, and before we can continue, I need to ask one more important thing. Do you share the ideas and believes of the Principate?"

"I did, once." Sirius admitted and Harry could tell that it was the truth but heard deep regret in Sirius's voice. "However, over the years since the end of the war and growing up being exposed to the wider world so as to hide in plain sight, I learned to truth of the Principate that I hadn't been informed of. I know the horrors, crimes, and evils committed by my father, my mother, the other Uniques and all those who served and followed the orders of the Princeps."

"While you speak the truth, you are avoiding the question." Harry interrupted seriously; this was far from his first rodeo, so he had to get to the point. "Do you hold the views my son did? It is that simple."

"No, I do not." Sirius responded seriously. "I officially renounced them after years of questioning them while at the Elemental Academy where I learned the truth of his actions. The full truth came to me when I walked the Path of Remembrance and Revelation in the Foggy Swamp. It was at the base of the Banyan Grove Tree, a location my father desecrated to harvest Spirit Vines for a weapon of mass destruction and in the presence of the Spirits there, that I renounced them and still do to this day. That was 8 years ago."

"Very well, what you have said is the truth." Harry said with a nod of his head and sigh of relief though he was trying to ascertain the boy's age and couldn't get it accurately, only somewhere in his late 20s if he had to guess. "I can detect no lies in what you are saying. Either you are as good as Azula and no one has ever reached that level that I know, not even Pyrites and that man lived to lie, or you are telling the truth."

"So, er, what now?" Lily asked nervously. "I may or may not have thought this one out further than just showing up here. It was all a bit sudden when I got the alert."

"Please Avatar, if it is possible, I would like to talk with you some more." Sirius said looking Harry in the eye. "I know that there are questions you will have of me, and I want to get to know all of you so I will answer them fully. You are the only family I have left and the first I've seen in years; I should make the most of this opportunity. I know what my dad was wrong, but I am not him. I want to do my best to make amends for that, to restore the family's name as best I can after my dad dragged it through the mud."

Harry looked at his grandson seriously for a moment. The boy was speaking the truth and if Harry was being honest, he was curious as to a lot of things and perhaps Sirius could explain a few of them that Harry had never gotten answers to even all these years later. The legacy of their family was always going to be mixed because of the Principate War but if Sirius was truthful then perhaps James could become an outlier.

"I see no harm in it." Harry said with a nod. "Come on in, hopefully after Albus's 4 kids showed up here over the years Ginny won't be surprised by one more, at least not until she learns who your father is. Dinner will be soon."

Harry then turned and walked back into the house, Lily and Sirius following him into it both relieved that the situation was going smoothly. It was certainly going to be an interesting dinner that was for sure.

"Albus had 4 kids?" Sirius asked as they walked. "I never knew."

"No one did, not even him." Harry said with a slight chuckle at the revelation of his first batch of grandkids. "It seems my boy was a bit of a player while a Water Mystic and not a fan of protection for some reason. He ended up siring 4 kids, all boys, in 4 nations over his travels. All 4 have a different bending element so all the elements are represented which adds to the oddity."

"Really?" Sirius asked sounding intrigued. "What are their names if I may ask."

"The first to show up was a boy named Severus from the Foggy Swamp Tribe." Harry said as they neared the kitchen where dinner would be served and where Ginny was. "A waterbender naturally. After him it was Wulfric, an earthbender from Skrit who was the youngest having been sired shortly before the Principate War broke out. Then it was Percival, the oldest and a firebender from a rural village in the northern part of the nation. Lastly it was Brian, an airbender from the Eastern Air Temple though that is by birth as Al never visited that Temple."

"He didn't?" Lily asked confused and Harry realized his mistake as they had visited that Temple in when they were children and Harry had had to go there on business.

"I should have specified that it was as a Water Mystic." Harry clarified. "Albus's journey took him to the Northern Air Temple where he met Brian's mother, she moved to the Eastern Air Temple after they met and lived through the war there without revealing who her son's father was. Regardless, all of those revelations were odd to say the least. All 4 have grown up to be fine benders in their own rights and doing their own things though, they just wanted to meet me once they were old enough to."

"I see." Sirius said as they reached the kitchen, the smell of Ginny's cooking wafting over to them making Harry hungry for it as always. "So at least this isn't much of a surprise."

"What's a surprise?" Ginny said coming as she came out of a side pantry with a stack of plates. "I am almost…"

That was when Ginny turned and saw them and dropped the plates with a crash before any of the 3 earthbenders could catch them. Harry watched his wife look over to the newcomers and saw Sirius. Clearly she knew exactly who he was at a glance.

"Honey, Lily found someone today, though she didn't say where." Harry said giving his daughter a reproachful look. "Which she should have."

"Oh yeah, I forgot, I found him in the family Tomb." Lily said helpfully which at least explained why Sirius was here though Harry wasn't thrilled that that was where he'd been. "Tried to apprehend him for being there without clearance when he wasn't cooperating with my request and got my ass handed to me for the first time in a while."

"Is, is that…" Ginny muttered while Harry just stared at his daughter at what she had said, she was speaking the truth and that was big as she was one of the best earthbenders around.

"Yes, he is." Lily said. "He's my nephew, your grandson and James's son."

"Honey, lets clean this up and sit down, there is clearly a lot to talk about." Harry said quickly as he went over and helped his wife out. "I am just as surprised as you are, but we should at least hear him out."

"Yeah, let's do that." Ginny agreed as she cleaned up the plates. "If he's this far then he must not be a threat or else you would have dealt with him dear."

Harry nodded as he grabbed more plates and they all went to the table that had been set with dinner, a simple noodle broth with a fair bit of meat in it, mixed vegetables, and rice and a jug of lychee juice. After they were all sat down and had been served, Lily and Sirius began explaining the day's events to Harry and Ginny. There were other things to talk about but first everyone needed to be up to speed.

Lily and Sirius explained what had happened in the Tomb, why Sirius was there in the first place which made some sense, and the fight that had happened. Harry had to admit, he was impressed in Sirius's skills and would like to see him fight Lily on a field where she could use her talents fully. Few could best Lily in one-on-one combat though against Sirius they'd need a large field as the pair would probably level a small area in battle with each other.

After that, Harry explained the earlier meeting to Ginny in the driveway. She was still surprised by it all but as with Harry but the last few times a grandkid had shown up out of the blue had helped somewhat. Ginny processed it well and slowly recovered from it all. The main thing was that it was James's son, that was what took a while to get used too.

"Alright, now that that is over, and we have finished dinner." Harry said as the last of the recap was done along with the meal at roughly the same time. "There are a few important questions that I have to ask of Sirius and hopefully some answers he can give us."

"I will do my best." Sirius said. "And I will answer as honestly as I can but even I will be limited in what I know, I was only a kid at the time and what I do know was told to me through an extremely biased lens. I assume that this has to do with my parents, right?"

"That is part of it." Harry said with a nod. "The other part is about James in particular. I am hoping that you can answer some questions that have never truly been answered regarding him and his actions. Despite the best efforts of the Investigation into the Principate, there are still unknowns about my son and how he ended up the way he did."

"It didn't help that only one Unique was caught alive either." Lily added and Harry could tell that his daughter, ever the investigator, knew where he wanted to go with his questions even without Harry clarifying them. "Rohit has been cooperative but even he hasn't been able to answer the key question of the investigation."

"Key question?" Sirius asked confused. "I have heard of the investigation; everyone has as it is public knowledge even 20 years after the coups. I didn't volunteer any information to protect my identity and of course will answer best I can now, but I want to be anonymous for it. However, I am not aware of the scope of the investigation."

"The key question, or questions really, surround the origins of the Principate." Harry said simply and he could at least honor the boy's anonymous request for now. "Why did James do the things he did? How did he become so filled with darkness that led him down the path he ended up on? What made him into such an extremist with views that distorted him to the point that he became a monster who justified his evil actions? Those kind of things."

"I can shed some light on it, but it doesn't come from dad as I only met him a few times and he never spoke of it." Sirius said after a pause. "They come from my mother. They are hazy as I was only 7 when they died but she always told me stories of him growing up. She worshipped the ground he walked on and glorified him so of course she justified and rationalized his actions. I asked about it and why dad was like it, and she explained it as best she could, in a good light naturally, so I know a little, but it is not going to be the most accurate."

"Your mother?" Ginny asked as Harry now had an age for Sirius and a rough idea of when he was conceived. "The one who gave you your eyes as is apparently the quirk of this family. Who was she? We never knew that James ever had a woman in his life though there were certainly many who were after him and we knew he'd had some casual flings in his youth."

"It was all a secret so as to protect them and me." Sirius admitted. "They couldn't be public about anything because of who they were, at least not until they won the war. It wasn't appropriate during the war and the years of planning before it as it may have been seen as a clouding their judgement and a sign of weakness or a way to exploit dad through her. They kept their love secret, they kept their marriage a secret and when I was born, they kept me secret."

"Wait, James was married!" Lily exclaimed clearly shocked at that revelation, as was Harry in fact. "That is something no one seems to have known. There is no evidence of a love interest, let alone his wife. Hence why we are all so surprised that you have suddenly shown up. I know my brother sowed his fair share of wild oats, but he would have used protection, that's who James is."

"Well dad was always good at keeping secrets." Sirius said and they all had to nod at that given the great secret James had had until he launched his coup. "They were a couple for a good few years before marriage and married in secret about a decade before the Second Siege, I believe dad even killed the officiant to further protect it, at least it wouldn't shock me if he did. As for who my mother is, well as soon as I say her name you will realize why everything was kept a secret."

"Why do I have a feeling of dread." Harry said as the shade of Sirius's eyes began to add up to him. "Very well, who was she."

"Sylvia." James said and Harry felt his jaw go slack and the others at the table had the same reaction as him.

"Sylvia? The Blood Unique?" Lily asked, the first of them to recover and speak as Harry was still processing it. "The insane psycho who was one of the Uniques that freed him from prison and led the naval assault during the Second Siege?"

"Yup." James said with a nod. "She's my mom and dad's wife."

"How?" Lily asked. "How in the name of all the Spirits did that happen? We know that Sylva was the second Unique, according to Rohit, after Tate and was the only other one recruited while they were at the Academy but the nature of that is scant. I was too young but other sources said that while they were the same year, James was the typical popular kid, star pupil and Head Boy at the top of his class while Sylva was a social outcast, rebel, known recreational drug user and very promiscuous. Apparently a lot changed by the time of the war."

"Oh, it did, and dad was the one who did it, or as mom would say saved her from her own destruction." Sirius said. "One of her favorite stories she told me was how dad came into her life, saved her like some knight in shining armor, realized her potential and cleaned her up entirely. Had he not come, she would have likely ended up going down a life of crime and madness from her ability as she'd been on the brink of surrendering to it and we all know how hard it would be to take her down at that point. Her skills made her an Avatar level threat."

"Bloodbending does do that, and the reports indicate that she'd succumb to it." Harry said with a sigh. "It is almost impossible to prevent the madness it causes, especially if abused by someone not mentally equipped to handle it. I didn't know she had the ability so long ago."

"She did and it was the day that she met dad when it truly manifested." Sirius said. "And if he hadn't have been there she would have ended up fully giving into it, but he arrived in time to prevent that."

"So how did they meet?" Ginny asked. "It is a shame that this is how it will be, but I always wanted to see my sons with their significant others and hear their meeting stories but alas this is the best I will get. I assume this is not a pleasant one though."

"No, it is not." Sirius confirmed. "I have learned more as the meanings of things have become clearer over the years, and this is what I know. Mom was on the wrong side of the tracks growing up as she was born in the slums of Harbor City. Add in a violent father in prison for her childhood, a junkie mother who overdosed when she was a toddler and a lot of sexual and physical abuse from an aunt it's no wonder she turned to drugs to cope, drugs she paid for with sexual favors."

"A tragic story and one all too common." Lily said sadly. "No matter what we do, it seems it's never enough."

"Mom knew she was messed up because of it but she never shied away from her past." Sirius said. "But it followed her to the Academy, so she never broke from it even after she broke free of the slums. It was as she was there that she agreed to perform a service to a rich firebender in exchange for some drugs he was selling. He wanted more, she didn't, and he tried to rape her. That was when she unleashed her true power and, er, ripped his manhood off."

"What?" Lily asked while Harry cringed at the pain that would cause even if the person likely deserved it if he was about to rape someone.

"Yup, she used bloodbending to remove the tool that was about to be used on her." Sirius said with a nod. "Apparently she had learned of bloodbending and tried it despite not being cleared for the class on it. She realized she was a natural at it but that led to her quickly becoming addicted to it and practicing it religiously. That was how she became the first person not of Hama's line to be able to do so without a full moon. She snapped at that moment."

"That is understandable, but it is still the only strict liability bending." Harry said. "Unless sanctioned, it is a life sentence without parole though extenuating circumstances can grant parole. Few situations justify it and if he died then the best she could have hoped for was life with parole after a certain amount of time."

"Oh, he did die, just not by her hand." Sirius said surprising them back to the story. "Mom panicked and tried to keep him alive with her bending while she was trying to figure out what to do because she was now a serious criminal. That was when, as she put it, her knight in shining armor appeared. He confronted them, knew the truth because of his abilities, and took mom's side."

"James." Lily said simply. "That's how they met then."

"Correct, dad was the one who showed up to save her." Sirius said. "He had her release the firebender and broke his neck in front of her in one movement to protect her. He then offered her the chance to better herself if pledged herself to him and what he was creating. Naturally she did and from that day on, mother served the Princeps as his most faithful servant. She, she was never truly right in the head because of everything but she did love my dad entirely."

"James did that?" Harry asked in shock that his son had been willing to go that far even back then, killing in battle was one thing but that was pure murder. "While still at the Academy?"

"Yup." Sirius confirmed. "It was while they were in their last year and he was Head Boy. He was already on his path and had identified first Tate and then mom as unique benders hence why he showed up that day as he had a suspicion she'd show her skills then. After he saved her, dad buried the body there, blood and all, with his earthbending. The body was missing for years until I confirmed it while at the Academy. That was when I left an anonymous tip to it so that the family could get closure as the kid had been missing for over 20 years at that point. They used dental records to confirm it, but the murder was never solved."

"So, James was willing to do anything to accomplish his goals even back then." Harry said darkly as he realized how far back his son had fallen from what Harry had taught him growing up. "He was truly lost early."

"Unfortunately, dad was already a year into his path that would culminate in the Principate War." Sirius said sadly. "I wish it weren't so, but it is. It was just the first of many deaths that dad caused to further his goals but those are now known."

"I presume that their relationship didn't start there though." Harry said. "I remember James back then; he was so set on his goal of the Imperial Army and making it into one of the Terra Teams that he wouldn't know a woman was into him if she repeatedly slapped him in face. He had a playboy attitude for a few years as most hormonal teens would have but once he set his mind to his military goal nothing could assuage him from it."

"Correct it was a few years, after dad was already an imperial officer, that they got together." Sirius said. "Mom fell for him the moment he saved and devoted everything to him though. Dad cleaned her up, got her the help she needed and assisted in nurturing her talents as best he could."

"James was always like that with others." Lily said. "It's what made him such a charismatic and respected leader. It no doubt helped him in his recruiting for the Principate."

"From what I've heard it was his personality that really sold it, especially with mom." Sirius said. "She quickly became his right and most powerful Unique though Tate had more destructive power. It wasn't until a few years later that he finally got the hint and realized he loved her as well thanks to all that they'd been through. After that they began their secret relationship. By that point, the conspiracy was in full swing, and they couldn't let their love harm it hence the secrecy. The marriage was in secret, and I was born just after dad's massacre. It allowed mom to be there for him as Fleet's paralegal while I was in the care of a trusted supporter."

"Given how well James hid the conspiracy until the moment it happened, this wouldn't have been hard." Ginny said with a sigh. "I can certainly see it. I am glad that there was some decency in James to help a girl out when she needed it the most but rather than doing the right thing and reporting her for her crime, he capitalized on it due to his ulterior motives at the time."

"That was dad, always thinking of what he could gain from a situation." Sirius said. "At least according to mom and she never faulted him for it as she was a beneficiary of it."

"Well now that that is settled, what about the main question?" Harry asked switching the conversation back to the topic they had begun with, he could ask some more about Sylvia if he wanted to later. "What light can you shine on James's motives for creating his Principate and trying to conquer the world?"

"I only met dad a few times as I had to be kept secret until I was old enough and the war kept him busy, but I can give you what my mom told me growing up." Sirius said. "It is the best I can do, and it is pretty biased."

"We will take it." Harry said. "This is as much about family closure as it is about knowing the origins. Sylvia is probably the best source for this, being James's wife, but, well, she's not here, you are. Even her likely favorable perception of it will help."

"It is ok to say she's dead, I made peace with both of their deaths years ago." Sirius said with a shrug. "I do not hold ill will to you or Chief Dominique for what you did during the Second Siege. I understand war and the price of it. You were defending the world against imbalance and did what you had to in order to win. I may have once wanted revenge but that is long gone, along with the Principate and my views in support of it."

"Thank you." Harry said not realizing until then that there had been a tension in him over how Sirius would see what happened during the Second Siege until that tension was suddenly lifted. "Please, go on. what made James the way he was? It is something that I have always wanted to know because the boy I raised, trained and loved, was not the man I faced in the Second Siege of the North or saw in the events prior to that."

"Whatever it was that was in my father that led him down the path he walked was buried deep, early, and almost certainly self-created." Sirius said. "But to understand it, it is probably best to start at the point where James crossed that line and set off on the path. His triggering so to speak."

"My speech at Ron's inauguration." Harry said remembering what his son had said to him when they had briefly met outside of Azkaban during the first few months of the war, their last chat before the fatal duel they'd engaged in. "That was the triggering, he told me as much himself once. That was where he took my words on global unity, twisted them into something they weren't meant to be, and then used them to fuel and justify his actions."

"Correct, that was the moment that dad found his purpose, the moment he found what he needed to make his mark on the world." Sirius said. "It had been what he had been searching for since he became fully aware of the gravity of being the Avatar's eldest child and at last he had found it."

"You are going to have to elaborate." Harry said confused though he was sure James had spoken about something like that when they spoke at Azkaban, but it was all a little hazy beyond Harry's shock at what had triggered James's descent into darkness. "I recall James being a little unsure on his future during his 6th year but after an internship with Ron and a few assists on police raids before that he found the Army as his calling thanks to Dominique's help as those two were close growing up. He wanted to help protect people."

"And in his own twisted way that is true." Sirius said with a sigh. "It was just that dad was looking to the future and not the present as he felt the ends justified the means and was willing to destroy his generation to make countless ones later better. He always justified his actions by the goals he had. He always saw the world for what it was, a gray place and he lived in that area. He had no compunction doing what was necessary to win and believed that if he had to sacrifice his soul and his name to do so it would be worth it. His common statement of becoming the monster the world needed was part of who he was."

"Yeah I remember." Lily said. "He often said that, even when we dueled. When I faced him, I saw his zealotry up close. He kept rambling about how to make the world better he first had to baptize it in blood and shit like that, it was what convinced me that he was too far gone. Still, what does this have to do with his path?"

"Everything I think." Sirius said. "From what I have understood, James like you and Albus always grew up in a shadow that was nearly inescapable, the shadow of the Avatar."

"It is something I never wanted for my kids, but it happened thanks to my birth." Harry said sadly. "I knew of Albus's struggles, that is well known because of the Unholy Triumvirate incident, but James and Lily never showed it to me the way he did."

"Oh, it was tough but being a lavabender who was better than you and one of the very few with the talent helped a lot." Lily said. "I think that is why I never really had to deal with it. Albus we all know had his own issues and being a waterbender and a healer didn't help as he didn't inherit your bending or martial skills. I never realized that James had insecurity problems as well, as with everything he appeared to hide it well."

"He did but he spoke of it with mom as she knew the true him, or so she claimed, and that is how I know of it." Sirius said. "Of course, she would talk of it in her loving way because of her devotion but thinking back on it, I think dad should have spoken of his turmoil and not held it in the way he did. Had he done so, it may not have corrupted him in his desire to find a path worthy of his birth, that was probably key to his fall. At least Albus acted out and that helped from what I understand."

"It allowed me to see the issue and mend our relationship early on." Harry said sadly. "And my support for his path meant a lot to him. I didn't know of James's struggles though. He always seemed to be ok with it, always training and getting stronger to show he could metalbend better than me while devoting his life to helping people. Once he committed to the military dream, I thought he was fully set. I was more wrong than I could have ever dreamed of being."

"That was part of his drive but from what I understand, dad always had to deal with your accomplishments and a comparison to you." Sirius said. "You are an accomplished Avatar and people knew it. You ended the longest war, if you combine them and include the 14-year hiatus, since the 100-year war when you ended the Second Purity War. You also did so a little over a year after you were named as the Avatar and were only 15, Korra failed to end it after 11 years, and it cost her her life in the end. That was big."

"Well, there were different circumstances there." Harry said. "Korra was a fully realized Avatar at the height of her power when Voldemort began the First Purity War. That was why Voldemort tried to assassinate her at the start to try and win it early. After he failed he began a shadow war that was not always fought on the battlefield given the machinations of Pyrites in United Republic politics to sway public favor to Voldemort's side. He was wearing her down little by little so that he could strike when he felt he could win. He half succeeded because he was able to mortally wound her, but he couldn't capitalize on it because of his own injuries."

"That was why when Harry became the Avatar, Voldemort shifted tactics." Ginny said recalling their first great challenge all those decades ago. "He went on the offensive and struck because he knew that Harry was not fully realized and felt that his own power was greater so he could kill Harry early on and thus take the world before finding the next Avatar. Had we not discovered Pyrites and he flipped to save his own ass when we did we likely would have lost. It was close in the end and Harry had to become a fully realized Avatar to defeat Voldemort. That was why Harry won so quickly."

"I understand that, but it is still impressive." Sirius said. "And dad knew it well thanks to all the stuff at the Academy due to the battle there at the end of the war. Then there was what you did to free the Fire Nation from Hermione. The way you went behind enemy lines and how it took only 6 people to whip a country under the yoke of the most brutal dictator in our lifetime, and yes dad wasn't as bad as Hermione, but he would have been if he'd won, into rebellion. Then, despite the loss in the Battle of the Caldera, you still won the war less than a fortnight after it started."

"Again, there are issues with how that has been portrayed that give me too much praise when I don't deserve it." Harry said with a sigh. "I still regret not being able to help for 5 years and the suffering I allowed to happen while I was unable to end Hermione. Almost 2 million people died because I didn't act sooner."

"People know that, but they also know that you came when you could and prevented a lot worse from happening." Ginny said soothingly but even after all these years Harry still had regret over that failure. "And those who were murdered by Hermione have been honored and received their justice. Remember, many more would have died, countless even if you hadn't acted when you did."

"I know." Harry said though the regret was still in his voice. "Still, it will always be with me, as is everything."

"As it should be." Sirius said with wisdom that seemed to surpass his youth. "We carry our failures as well as our successes. Dad only saw your successes though because people ignored the fact that you are also human, and he wanted to show that he was as good as the Avatar if not better."

"A problem many Avatars have dealt with because of our power." Harry said with a sigh. "It can cause us to become pretty arrogant. Korra went through that until her near death at Zaheer's hands. I've tried to be honest about my failures, both with the Fire Nation and how my actions led to what happened with the Unholy Triumvirate, but few listened."

"Such is the nature of your position." Sirius said. "And even though dad knew the failures, he was more focused on your success. He wanted to be worthy of being your son but had no idea how to accomplish that."

"I admit I made mistakes as a father, but I never thought he wasn't worthy." Harry said. "If only James had said something."

"Mom said that dad wasn't the most open person, he just used his feelings to fuel his drive." Sirius said. "According to her its why he sought to find his purpose from a young age apparently, though I think is friendship with then Princess Dominique may have played a role given what she was going through."

"James and Dominique were the same age, and both grew up together in Republic City." Ginny said. "They were close from a young age, and he was there with her through the Constitutional Crisis but couldn't do a thing."

"Her destiny was in flux for a long time and James was by her side most of the time." Harry said remembering the incident well. "But in the end it was decided for her when Victoire formally abdicated her claim and the succession passed to Dominique. I can see how that might affect James, they were both about 15 at the time, a key age."

"That sounds about right." Sirius said. "Dad seems to have been trying to find that purposed. That was likely why your message of unity that got through to him and he believed that he finally understood what he had to do to show that he was the Avatar's son and as good if not better than him. He was going to unite the world into one nation so that never again would there be conflict even if he had to do so by conflict."

"I can see what James wanted and he is similar to Hermione in a way in that he had a noble desire, but his desire was warped from them beginning as it was not possible to do so the way he wanted that pushed him to the extremes to achieve it." Harry said with a sigh. "This is good to know though. I understand more of how James ended the way he did. Still, there is one thing I don't get. How did this goal of unity turn into him becoming the Princeps?"

"Mom was a little vague on that, I don't think she understood it herself, but she did address it a little." Sirius said. "From what I understand, dad wasn't planning on a dictatorship to begin with but rather a democratic system that would be representative of the world once the world was united under one nation and constitution."

"That's just not feasible." Harry said. "The world is too large for a singular central government. The Earth Kingdom when it became the ISEK has shown how it can sorta be done but even then there are problems."

"I think deep down dad knew that as he did see it first hand in the ISEK." Sirius said. "That and the fact that when he joined the Army he learned discipline, structure and orders and realized that having one person atop it all who was advised but had final say was best as it avoided the squabbles of democracy or the ignorance of the masses pushing things too far. A benevolent dictator as he saw it who was a shepherd for his people and a guide with the ability to draw the right lines for people. That and the bureaucracy he saw in Ba Sing Se didn't help."

"Ba Sing Se is not great for that, they seem to get off on the red tape that exists there." Harry admitted. "I can see the benevolent dictator role being a desirable one, many Firelords have been ones like Zuko was but likewise many have been like Sozin, Azulon and Ozai and been utter tyrants. Hermione likewise had a similar view of herself and the world but with an enlightened leader who knew best."

"Yeah I know that dad studied them all so that he could figure out how to be best." Sirius said. "But all of that was for after the war and to educate me to be the second Princeps and the first one of the generations of peace dad had envisioned. I was to be that true benevolent dictator according to mom. Dad's job was to make the ultimate sacrifice of his humanity so that I could be that shepherd when he died."

"That does make sense." Lily said with a nod. "James always knew his actions would never be seen as good ones and was fine with it."

"Correct, dad felt that the only way to birth the Principate was by steel that was forged with blood." Sirius said. "Given what he wanted to accomplish he was right in that he could only achieve it through force of arms, but once it was accomplished it would be true peace. Mom claimed that the sacrifices were needed and that future generations who would benefit from them would praise them for what they did to win and thank them in time. That doesn't justify what they did however and as shown, their views were wrong."

"They were but we have since learned from them." Harry said. "For every situation can be learned from, even the bad ones, when we look back on them in hindsight as we can see what the problems were that led to it and can address them so as to avoid it in the future."

"If there's one thing Harry and I have learned from all our years is that all grievances, no matter how petty, incorrect, or blown out of proportion, should be ignored." Ginny said. "We should listen to people's concerns and not just dismiss them because they are clearly wrong, or twisted, or whatever. They are legitimate to those people and if they are shunned then they may react with violence as a last resort."

"It has happened many times before." Harry said somberly. "Part of why Voldemort's message was so seductive was because the nonbenders equality movement was seen by some as having gone too far in balancing the scales and now discriminated against benders. That was the case in some instances in fact and just because a historic oppressor is no longer that doesn't give the oppressed a right to oppress in retaliation. That was how Hermione saw it as justified but you can't solve discrimination with discrimination. There's bound to be a backlash."

"Of course, the Purists took it too far and wanted dominance again but when they weren't being heard and just dismissed as extremists and bigots that only hardened their resolve." Ginny said. "It's why all sides need to be heard and a comprise found if possible that satisfies neither. We saw both extremes rise towards the end of Korra's time because neither side came to the table, and Pyrites was pulling strings behind the scenes to make everything worse. It took two wars and over 2 million dead to reach that point."

"It was the remnants of those philosophies that came together in the Unholy Triumvirate incident that led to my message." Harry said. "That is why I wanted unity, but James ruined it. There was a silver lining though in the wake of the Principate War."

"There was?" Sirius asked confused. "I think I am too young and inexperienced to understand it."

"And that alone shows wisdom, part of some problems have been the younger generation, mine in particular, thinking they knew better than those who came from before and ignored them rather than learning from their mistakes to be better." Harry said. "As for the silver lining, well in the wake of the recent war, cooperation and unity between nations have never been higher than they are right now."

"Peace has lasted almost 20 years, the second longest of Harry and mine's lifetime, and there have been no real rumblings of a problem on the horizon." Ginny said. "We do owe the Principate War for that even if it is a bittersweet result given all the needless suffering and death our son caused. No one wants another war and as such we are doing everything we can to prevent another one."

"Yes, we've had a lasting peace that should last until I die." Harry said. "And thank you Sirius, this has been helpful. We understand more than before but there is still a lot we will have to discuss to really understand how our son became the monster he is now known as."

Sirius nodded and was about to respond when Harry felt a sudden thud of something landing outside his home. A quick scan showed him that it was an air bison, that he had expected given the landing, with 3 passengers it seemed. Instantly Harry was on his feet and heading to the door ignoring the startled reactions of Ginny, Lily and Sirius at the sudden change.

There were few airbenders who knew this location which meant that it was someone high up in the nation as only they, or in Luna's case her kids as well, knew where Harry was. Furthermore, they usually let him know of their arrival and didn't' surprise him after dinner on a random day. This had never happened before which meant that this was not a good sign.

Why did he have to open his fucking mouth and challenge the fates, they didn't like it when he did that. Harry knew that as soon as he said that peace had was going to last until he died, along with Ginny pointing out how long the peace had lasted, that fate would counterbalance that and ass fuck with him hard. He just hoped that it wasn't as bad as he feared. This was likely an Air Nation matter after all, how bad could it be?

Reaching the front door, Harry walked outside to the still lit area in front of his place to see 3 familiar faces getting off the bison. Luna and Remus were the airbenders, so the bison was likely Pandora, and Ron was naturally with them. They had all arrived unannounced which was not good, and all had serious expressions on their faces as they saw Harry and began to head towards him.

"What is it?" Harry asked knowing something was up. "What has happened?"

"Something that you must be informed of." Remus said as he approached slowly, his age showing more than ever as if the century of life he'd lived had finally caught up to him. "And something you may not believe."

"What?" Harry asked again. "What threat does the Air Nation face?"

"One we never thought we would see." Remus said before he said something that Harry never expected to hear. "Harry, we just learned that airbenders survived the genocide 300 years ago. Their direct descendants are alive, and I am pretty sure their leader just threatened me and the whole Air Nation."

"Harry." Luna added sounding just as serious as her Archabbot, something that Harry rarely heard from his usually chipper and happy friend. "I fear that unless you assist us, the Air Nation could be torn apart. Harry, the Air Nation is on the brink of a schism. If we don't get the Avatar's aid we could be faced with something that we never expected; an Air Nation civil war."

There was only one word that Harry could utter to this. Only one thing that summed up the news he had just been given and knowing fate, this was going to be as bad if not worse than anything that he could expect. Anything that needed his direct attention always did and this was beyond bad given what nation was having the issue as it was the last any would have predicted.

"Fuck." Harry swore before motioning to his friends to follow him. "Well come in and tell, I guess today is the day for multiple earth-shattering revelations."

The others just looked confused as they headed into the house. Harry was going to need a drink, or three, because he was certain that once again the world was about to be thrown out of balance in spectacular fashion.

One thing was for certain though, the world would once again it would need the Avatar. Once again, duty called, and Harry had to answer it. It was time for the return of the Avatar.

Well, there it is, the first chapter in Mergence arc and it begins with Sirius's explanation of his some of history and sheds light on his father's actions while revealing his mother's identity as well. There will be another chapter in a bit that will go into more depth on James from a different perspective and see more about what made him the villain of Book 4, while also dealing with more background on Sylvia and another character who has yet to appear in Book 5. Now though, get ready for the convergence after that nice little cliffhanger I left y'all as Harry learns of Ekrizdis and his recent interaction with the Air Nation as the story moves forward with the next stage as we build up to the big moment that will define Book 5. Lastly, while the characters won't be seen, the sons of Albus (one of whom will be mentioned again) are similar to Sirius in their naming as Severus was Albus Potter's middle name while Percival, Wulfric, and Brian were Albus Dumbledore's middle names so I opted for them. Anyway, that is all I have for y'all so I will leave it here. As always any questions in PMs or reviews will be answered before the start of the next chapter (as well as replied to if possible). Please follow, favorite and review, all are greatly appreciated. Until next week.

Stringdog