A/N: So, ready for what's next? No filler eps here, following Azula mostly, probably a little of Zuko's PoV sometimes, but I won't be following the Gaang too much.
If you want to talk about this story or any of mine (Ashera Fanfics), send me an invite on Discord at: Graal DTC#0625 (since the link to my Discord channel is broken on the fanfiction website).
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Chapter 2
Three days had passed when a Dai Li agent came into the throne room with an urgent message from the Fire Lord. She read it immediately, not wanting to lose a second in case her father wanted to kill her rebelling attitude.
"Azula,
Your brother has told me that you preferred to stay in Ba Sing Se to make sure that it does not rebel against us during your absence. I understand the need for you to secure the newly conquered capital of the Earth Kingdoms with its loyalty issues.
I want you to use the agents of the Dai Li under your command to take down the walls and let the Fire Nation army in, which will solve the issue of keeping the order and avoiding a turn in these dirt benders. When this is done, you can safely come back to assume your new position in our army.
Do not worry about Ba Sing Se, I will put a governor loyal to me and rename it New Sozin in honor of the Fire Lord who started the conquest of the other countries and allowed our own nation to stand above all. We are going to destroy Ba Sing Se's culture and turn it into the biggest Earth kingdoms' colony ever made.
Do not make me wait.
Fire Lord Ozai"
She was as angry at his commanding tone and will to take her own victory for himself as she was happy that he didn't seem to suspect her treason. She called the captain of the Dai Li.
"What do you need, your Majesty?" he asked.
"My father is going to send troops to take over the city an put a military governor in my place. I want you to take down the walls of Ba Sing Se and let them enter…"
"Are you scheming to trick them, your Majesty?"
"Hide the population from the Fire army, rebuild the walls of the city once the enemy in inside and trap them. You will isolate them and overpower them with numbers and brainwash them to work for me. When the Fire troops are under control, the people can go back outside."
"This is a wonderful and intelligent plan, your Majesty. I support this fully."
"I don't need you to support my plan, I need you to execute it. Turning my father's army into my own while keeping my position here, I will weaken him to facilitate his downfall and my brother will succeed him. He will be much more convenient to negotiate with."
"I recognize your talent for coming up with great strategies to beat your opponents without a fight. You are the best strategist I have ever known, your Majesty. And I have known a few."
"Thank you. Now go and prepare your forces for the coming of our new free trained army. Father will have quite the surprise when he realizes he has just given me his own forces to betray him. We could say he is going to stab himself in the back."
"Very well, your Majesty. Let us show you our own talents to serve your royal strategy."
The captain left her alone in the throne room. She liked his compliments. At least this man was not complimenting her because she was his reflect in the mirror. Her father's compliments had always felt like he was congratulating himself.
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A big noise signaled the beginning of her plan. The second time, it resounded closer and she could see from the palace's entrance the inner wall of Ba Sing Se return into the ground to let the enemy in. when the first half of the army was in, the Dai Li rebuilt the inner wall as well as the outer wall, trapping both halves of the enemies apart from each other.
"What does that mean, Princess Azula?!" exclaimed the governor sent by her father.
"This means that my plan is working, governor! NOW!" she ordered her men.
Walls trapped small numbers of Fire soldiers apart from each other and the Dai Li captured them by small groups, tying their hands behind their backs as well as shutting their mouths with a rock hand and immobilizing their legs so they couldn't firebend at all.
She went to the Dai Li's new headquarters under the palace to witness her men's brainwashing first-hand. She wanted them to do it one by one in front of her so that she could witness all of them and not be betrayed by her own agents. It would take some time, but it was necessary.
She witnessed the five hundred soldiers', the twenty captains', the commander's and the governor's brainwashing until she was satisfied by the results. It took nearly nine days at ten hours per day, each brainwashing taking ten minutes. She was bored to death, but she wanted to ensure her subjects' loyalty in order to avoid a treason like the one she had been the cause of as well as the one who benefited from it.
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"Another message? Can't he get a hint after ten days since his troops arrived here?" she asked seeing a messenger entering the throne room with a letter.
She took the piece of paper from the agent's hands and read it after he left.
"Azula,
Since I still do not see you anywhere close to the Royal Palace, I guess I can take your silence as a treason. You seem to enjoy your new status more than what I am offering you. As such, you are now an enemy of the Fire Nation. I cannot tolerate you rebelling against me or ignoring my orders for weeks.
On the day of the comet, I will make sure to destroy your pitiful new kingdom and to burn it to such an extent that even the basement and catacombs will be nothing more than ash after my intervention.
Zuko will be Fire Lord and I will be the Phoenix Emperor who will conquer the world. Your rebellion is nothing to me. I do not need a rebel in my family. Before he killed the Avatar, I wanted to kill Zuko for his incompetence, but now I will kill you for your treason. You are not worthy of my blood. To think I wanted to make you Fire Lord in your brother's stead before he came back to reason…
Enjoy your last moments before I show you why everyone fears me.
Fire Lord Ozai."
She reflected about it:
"Well, I think my plan is working quite well. He's furious and wants to show off by destroying this place during the passing of the comet, which will only mean that his stupid revenge will never happen at all, since he will be overthrown before the comet even arrives. I'll make sure he dies while his powers are unusable. After that, Zuzu will deal with the opposition in the Fire Nation while I pacify any Earth Kingdom that doesn't want to cooperate with us.
"I should have been the Avatar, I'm doing his job better than him. Well, he was only twelve, but it doesn't matter. He failed at his mission and now I'm taking his role from him anyway. I'll just have to handle the situation through geopolitics. I may not have a thousand lives of power, but mine will be enough for the task. My intelligence has always been my best weapon, above my talent as a fighter and a firebender."
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She soon received another message, this one from Zuko.
"Dear sister,
I made sure this message would not be intercepted by father.
I am now sure the Avatar has survived. I know you are the queen of Vulkain and that you do not want to leave it without anyone to watch over it, but I think that he needs a great firebending master. I have currently lost my firebending and am thus unable to teach him. That's why I want you to be his teacher.
I think you are talented enough to be able to firebend as well as the one who failed to teach him, Jeong Jeong. But the Avatar doesn't fuel the same emotions as us and has sworn not to firebend ever again. You will have to find another source of power for him to draw from it.
Uncle Iroh has told me that if I wanted to get back my firebending ability and help the Avatar, I should go to the island of the Sun Warriors, the first firebenders. I think you might find what he needs to learn firebending, and you might also gain even better abilities.
Also, as Ozai was the main figure supporting you, gaining the Avatar's trust, even if it will be difficult after you nearly killed him, will be the key to the after. When father is gone, the Fire Nation will be weakened and I will have to deal with his followers, so you will be all by yourself. I do not want you to be his enemy when this happens, because it would mean that he would use the power of the alliance of the Northern Water Tribe and the independent Earth Kingdoms supporting him to defeat you and reconquer Ba Sing Se.
If you travel with him and gain his trust, maybe you can manage to hit two birds with one stone. Ensure father's defeat and keep your position in Vulkain.
The Avatar has already saved my life after I freed him from Admiral Zhao as the Blue Spirit and during the siege of the Northern Water Tribe although we were enemies. He might forgive even your attempt at killing him if you show him your good side.
I am sure you can do this and it will bring you more than waiting pointlessly in Vulkain for the day of the eclipse. Uncle has taught me how to redirect thunder. If you can learn it and teach it to the Avatar, maybe he will trust you.
Uncle Iroh learned this move by watching waterbenders. It consists of breathing slowly, extending one hand with two fingers pointing in the direction the lightning comes from while the other hand traces the path of the lightning from the point of the fingers to the stomach and back up towards the target. It must course through the stomach or the lightning will strike you. I have drawn it so that you can see the movements and copy them.
Tell the Avatar that it was uncle Iroh's wish that he learns this technique, the blind earthbender at his side trusts him and so does the airbender.
I'm preparing the rebellion from the inside with uncle Iroh, gathering the faction that does not support father's plan to destroy everything.
Your beloved brother, Zuko"
She thought to herself:
"He's grown some guts to plan a rebellion inside the Fire Nation under father's nose. Well at least now I have a goal and I won't waste my time waiting here doing nothing. Let's prepare my absence so that I don't get overthrown myself during this period."
She grabbed the cane she had gotten to hit the floor and call the Dai Li. A piece of the floor turned upside-down in front of the throne, revealing an agent. She announced what she was gonna do.
"Listen, I am going to leave Vulkain for some time. I do not give up on the crown. Put the governor in my place for the time being with the order to stay passive unless Vulkain is under attack. Just secure the city if it happens.
"I will go to help the alliance against my father and gain their trust so that we have our hands free after the war to play a major role in the reconstruction of international relations. I will make Vulkain the key to the next era, the center of geopolitics. When I come back, I will have gained the trust of the whole alliance against my father."
"As your Majesty wills."
"And do not try to stab me in the back. You would realize too late that those who try to double cross me are the ones who end face first in dirt. Understood?"
"Yes, your Majesty."
She dismissed him and went to prepare her travel.
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A/N: This is a great turn of events. I was wondering what Azula could do during the long wait for the eclipse that would prove useful. Now I have the material, I'll be following the canon story while adapting it to the changes I've made.
Ships will not be canon. I'm not sure yet about Azula's ship, but there will be Zutara. It just works so well it would be a waste not to use it. But of course in a first period Katara has no reason to fall in love for Zuko if he doesn't join them. Well, at least the Gaang will learn that Zuko is playing his part in the defeat of Ozai, which of course will make them a little less defiant towards him.
Also after Azula's attempt to kill Aang, she will have some trouble gaining the Gaang's trust. This will be interesting and it will fill the place of the useless beach episode.