"Oh thank the Spirits."
An Avatar's job never ends.
That is what Aang found out the hard way in the wake of ending the Hundred Year War. Despite defeating Fire Lord Ozai Aang had found that simply defeating the leader of the nation who had begun the war would not bring full peace.
First there was the matter of the Earth Kingdom wanting all the land that had been annexed by the Fire Nation.
Should have been easy but the people in the Fire Nation colonies established a hundred years ago by Fire Lord Sozin had protested, claiming to have roots going back a century and it hadn't helped that Zuko had to choose between his people and trying to undo the damage his nation had done.
Then there was the matter of people who refused to accept Zuko's legitimacy to the throne, citing him as a traitor while still retaining their loyalty to Ozai.
And then there was Azula's disappearance after the journey to track down her and Zuko's mother.
And not to mention trying to establish a new world government since the Earth King had allowed the Fire Nation colonies to remain standing and they had all decided to expand on that by creating a place where people of all nations could live together.
It was an idea and one the Earth King seemed to accept.
While many of his people would protest this movement, the Earth Kingdom had the largest territory out of the Four Nations and the colonies were a minor irritant at best. Plans were being made to establish a city where all Nations could come together and form a world government of sorts to ensure what happened with Fire Nation starting the Hundred Year War would never happen again. It had started when Fire Lord Sozin believed that it was time for the Fire Nation to begin expanding, believing his nation to be the most advanced and because he didn't believe in the nations being kept separated from each other.
That was what sparked the conflict between him and Avatar Roku.
Ultimately, Sozin's desire in trying to expand his nation, believing it to be for the good of the world had become a war of conquest that had led to the extinction of the Air Nomads along with the near extinction of the waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe, the near destruction of the Northen Water Tribe and the near destruction of the Earth Kingdom. Things could not simply go back to the way they had been before the war had started.
There had to be a change to ensure history never repeated itself.
Right now though, Aang was taking a break in Iroh's tea ship in Ba Sing Se, relaxing with Katara, Toph and Sokka.
Just a nice relaxing-
Aang gasped as he fell to his knees, feeling a disturbance unlike any he had felt before.
"Aang?" Katara came over to his side. "Are you all right?"
"I don't know…" Aang answered, unsure what he was feeling.
All he knew was something had disrupted the balance but not like the Hundred Year War had.
Something different.
Something possibly…worse.
Xxx
"You sure you are okay?"
Mai had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, if only because it was too much of an effort and it might hurt Ty Lee's feelings.
Don't get her wrong, she loved Ty Lee in the 'Annoyingly so sweet that you can't help but love even if you look like you can't stand her' kind of way but Mai didn't want to put up with any charities for her sake.
She had enough pity parties in her life from Zuko breaking her heart twice over his stupide belief that keeping his secrets was somehow protecting her, her father trying to inspire an uprising against Zuko, and just recently her break up with Kei Lo.
Yeah, Mai could admit she's had things a little rough the past year or so.
It didn't help that Zuko had released Azula in a crazy bid to find and track down their mother and allowed Azula to escape which had made Ty Lee very nervous, not that Mai could blame her.
Azula was vindictive as she was nutty.
"Yeah, Ty, I'm fine." Mai said, idling sipping her tea.
"You don't look fine." Ty Lee pointed out.
"Maybe but have I ever looked that?" Mai asked rhetorically to which Ty Lee thankfully had no answer.
She always knew the fastest way to end a conversation she didn't feel like having.
"I mean,"
Or not.
"I know Zuko messed up big but can you really blame him? I mean, being Fire Lord while trying to deal with the damage his nation caused and dealing with his own family issues." Ty Lee went on. "Is it really that hard to handle?"
"He did keep a big secret from me." Mai retorted.
"But you kept as a secret from him about your dad, didn't you?" Ty Lee pointed out and flinched when Mai glared at her. "I mean-"
"Look, I get Zuko's got issues and yeah, I lied about my dad but he broke my heart twice and I'm supposed to move on from that?" Mai said, somehow managing to keep calm. "I need someone who can trust me openly and not shut me out."
"But Mai, you weren't exactly that way with Kei Lo." Ty Lee said, earning a glare. "Look, it's the truth and you know it. That guy really liked you and he tried his best, but how could he not have felt that way when you compare him to the Fire Lord of all people?"
"Easy, the Fire Lord doesn't love his little secrets and acting like he's the only person in the world who has problems." Mai looked away. "Can we stop talking about this?"
Ty Lee just looked sadly at her friend.
She really wanted to help her, she really did but Mai was just as difficult as Zuko when it comes to personal problems. Even though she wouldn't admit, Mai did know that she hadn't been fair to Kei Lo who liked her and she liked him, just as not as much as she did him.
Mai didn't want to admit she might have been stringing him along just to feel better about herself because that was Azula territory…
And Azula had the nerve to mock her relationships when they had last fought.
…But she could see Ty Lee's point.
She just didn't want to admit it out loud.
She'd rather forget it all and just go on with life somehow.
She didn't need a boyfriend anyway.
She had her mother.
She had her little brother Tom-Tom.
And she had her Aunt who was trying to help her.
Maybe just looking after her family was all Mai needed at the moment.
Maybe…
BOOM!
Both girls jumped to the sound of an explosion which they could see coming from the front gates.
"What is that?" Ty Lee asked the obvious question.
Xxx
"Soldiers, ready…"
The Fire Nation soldiers stood in perfectly still, lined up as they settled into the ready stances.
"Aim…" The captain raised a hand, waiting for the smoke to clear.
When it did, they saw the fiery beast that blasted through the gate and was slowly approaching them, leaving burning footprints that melted into the ground.
"FIRE!" The Captain shouted.
The Fire Nation soldiers thrust their fists forward and fire burst from the hand of each soldier, flying directly at the monster and hitting him head on…
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The front line halted their attack and waited as the smoke slowly cleared…
And the monster continued approaching without so much as a scratch on it.
"Ready secondary volley!" The captain shouted.
"Rather pointless since I am a creature of fire?" The monster spoke in a distorted but familiar voice that caused the captain and the soldiers to hesitate.
"Fire Lord…Ozai?" The Captain stuttered.
"That was my previous identity. Now…" The monster held up his hands with a grin on his flaming face. "I am so much more."
With that, he released a burst of fire bigger than any flames the soldiers or captain could have conjured. They all screamed as the flames devoured them.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
In the Fire Nation Palace, Fire Lord Zuko rushed out onto a balcony and watched in pure shock and horror to see explosions traveling down the capital city of the Fire Nation and coming right for the palace. The royal guards and soldiers rushed to meet the threat, only to be blasted without so much of a thought.
"Zuzu!"
Zuko turned around, spotting his mother and little half-sister running up towards him. "Kiyi, Mother."
"Zuko, what is happening?" Ursa asked, holding her daughter's hand.
"I don't know but I need you two to evacuate while I see what is going on." Zuko answered, urging them to leave.
"What?!" Kiyi exclaimed.
"Absolutely not!" Ursa shook her head, glaring at her son. "I left you once, I will never do that again."
"Mother-"
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Any further words Zuko had was cut off as more explosions rang out, reaching the palace gates. Zuko along with his mother and younger sister looked down, watching as a flaming rock creature entered the front of the palace and blasted away any remaining guards.
"Well, where is the Fire Lord?" The creature called out in a familiar but distorted voice, retaining its mocking tone.
Zuko and Ursa's eyes widened in shock and horror upon recognizing the voice. "…Ozai."
Ozai looked up and grinned before fire blasted from his hands, propelling him up towards them as they quickly moved away from the balcony. Zuko stood in front of his mother, staring with wide eyes at the monster he used to call father.
"Well, aren't you going say something?" Ozai asked with mocking grin on his face. "Are you not going to welcome me back?"
"H-Ho-How?" Zuko could only stutter.
Ozai laughed, "You once told me I was unworthy of being Fire Lord, and now I realize you were half right." His mad laughter sent chills down the spines of all those present, "Because now I realize I'm truly destined for so much more!"
In a tone of utter megalomania insanity he gestured grandly to his form as he continued, "I have been truly reborn in fire as something greater than a Fire Lord or Phoenix King, I AM A GOD!" With renewed insane laughter, "I see now that I'm not just Agni chosen, but Agni himself reborn! Reborn to cleanse the world in fire as I remake it in my image!
To make good his words, Ozai brought his hands together, gathering fire in between them and then thrust them out. Zuko's eyes widened in horror as he turned and ran towards his sister and mother.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
In a single great fiery blast that sent him flying into the air, Ozai watched as the Fire Nation palace itself exploded and collapsed into a pile of burning rubble.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" The former Fire Lord and Phoenix King, now proclaimed to be a God of Fire cackled as the palace he once ruled collapsed.
Now that he was a Fire God, he had no need for palaces.
The world itself was his palace.
Now, he had some redecorating to do.
Starting with removing the Avatar…
Once and for all.