Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA or any of it's characters. The only thing I own is my OC.
The Six Rules:
Rule Number One: Alec won't warn the Gaang about things in advance or solve their problems for them, with a few rare exceptions.
Rule Number Two: Only Alec has the right to tell people his true origins, and he will mostly limit this to group members. He will tell new group members his secret as soon as they join the Gaang.
Rule Number Three: There are some changes Alec wants to make, and he will use his knowledge of the future to make those changes.
Rule Number Four: Sometimes, to make a change, Alec will act in a way that doesn't make sense. If that's necessary, he'll tell the Gaang "I need you to absolutely trust me." After he says that, the Gaang has to either do whatever he asks or leave him to do what he needs to do.
Rule Number Five: After a change happens, Alec will tell the Gaang what happened in the original story, in the interest of transparency.
Rule Number Six: If a major change happens that Alec doesn't expect, the Gaang will have a meeting ASAP. In this meeting, Alec will break Rule One and tell them all relevant information that will help them figure out how to respond to the change.
Chapter 38:
The Story and the Experiment
Alec POV
The following afternoon, we all made our way to the barracks for our first lesson. While we were on our way, something occurred to me. I made my way over to Toph. "Why are you joining us for etiquette lessons?" I whispered in her ear. "Don't you already know this stuff?"
Toph grinned. "I do, but I remember what happened when you guys met my parents."
I raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I would pay big money to see Dragon Girl whip some table manners into Snoozles," Toph replied. "I want to see who gives up first."
I thought about it, and a smile formed on my face. We went to our barracks and took our seats. Like yesterday, Azula sat on a chair while the rest of us sat in cushions. "So, for our first lesson, there's something I need to know," Azula said. She focused on Zuko. "I've heard you and Alec mention a list that you're working on. May I see it?"
Zuko looked at me and nodded. I pulled the list out of my bag hesitantly. "You're not going to burn it, are you?" I asked.
She shook her head. "No. I want to see if it's missing anything. Potential threats, things you need to do to retain loyalty, that sort of thing."
I handed it to her. She unraveled it and quickly read through it. "Hm, not bad for a first draft," she noted. "What is this item about books for the Spirit Library?"
"There's a library run by the Knowledge Spirit Wan Shi Tong in the middle of the Si Wong Desert," I said. "I made a deal with him. Zhao went to the library some time ago and burned most of the books from the Fire Nation. Wan Shi Tong gave me a list of books that were destroyed. He allowed us to borrow maps and other knowledge from the library, as long as I agreed to give him copies of every book on the list after the war."
"So, you're fulfilling a promise," Azula said. "Okay, one more question. There's an item on this list that just says, 'Colonies?'. What do you mean to do with the colonies?"
Zuko frowned. "I haven't decided," he admitted.
"We just put it there because it's an issue we know we'll have to solve," I added. I knew that the colonies eventually became the United Republic, but I wasn't sure exactly how that happened. Maybe one of the comics had the answer? Too bad I hadn't read most of them.
Azula nodded, and rolled up the scroll. "There are four groups of people in the Fire Nation that the Fire Lord needs to win the loyalty of: The military, the Fire Sages, the nobles, and the commoners," she said, counting on her fingers. "If you did everything in this list, you would have the undying loyalty of the Fire Sages and a majority of the military, but the other groups would either dislike you or hate you, and there are a few issues you failed to mention."
Damn. Only two out of four. "I'm surprised Zuko wouldn't be more popular with the commoners," I said. "Wouldn't ending the war and bringing their family members home win him some support?"
"Yes, but it would be a wash unless you deal with another problem," Azula replied. "There are two problems you didn't mention in this list. One is short term, and the other is long term. Dealing with the long term problem will help you with the commoners."
Zuko narrowed his eyes. "What problems?"
"The long term problem is the Childless Tax," Azula said.
Mai nodded. Ty Lee's eyes widened. Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and started to groan. I was completely lost. "Azula, pretend for a minute that the original story didn't say anything about Fire Nation tax policy, and I have no idea what you're talking about," I said.
She nodded. "There's a law in the Fire Nation that forces everyone between twenty and forty-five to pay a hefty tax every year if they don't have a child," she explained. "It's quite costly. It was designed so that even a poor couple who could barely make ends meet would be better off bearing the cost of raising a child than staying childless. You have to pay a tax if you don't have a child, and you get a better rate on your other annual taxes if you have multiple children. Only the royal family is exempt from the tax."
Ty Lee nodded. "My dad joked that because he had seven daughters, it was almost like the government was paying him."
"Why would they create a tax like that?" Suki wondered.
"It's one of a series of laws created to incentivize people to have more children," Azula said. "Soldiers don't just pop up out of nowhere."
"A series of laws?" I repeated. "There are more laws with that purpose in mind?"
"Just one other," Azula replied. "Sozin also made it illegal for two people of the same gender to get married. Combine that ban with the Childless Tax, and the number of married couples and children greatly increased during his reign."
"So some people got married when they weren't in love, and had children because they couldn't afford not to," I said with a scowl.
Zuko turned to me. "We need to put it on the list to change both those laws immediately, and to send out a public proclamation when we do." I nodded.
"Why is that so important?" Sokka asked.
"Those laws and the death toll in the war are keeping the population stable," Zuko said. "But if the war ends and those laws are still in effect…" He shook his head slowly.
"We'll have too many mouths to feed in a generation or two," I said. "There'll probably be an increase in births after the war ends, even if we change those laws. We have to make sure we don't end up with a famine."
Azula nodded. "Exactly."
"Why's the birth rate going to increase?" Aang asked.
Suki smirked. "Because when those soldiers come home, they'll have missed their spouses terribly, and not all of them will drink Moon Tea."
Aang blushed. Zuko turned to Azula. "What's the other problem?" he asked.
Azula took a breath. "The other problem is an enemy that will affect you three," she said, pointing at Aang, Zuko, and me, "and your girlfriends for a few years. A persistent enemy that you can't face in direct combat."
"What enemy?" Zuko asked.
Azula smirked. "Prospective brides, Zuzu," she said wickedly. "Lots and lots of prospective brides."
Say what?!
Ty Lee grabbed my hand possessively. Aang and Katara inched closer together. Mai glared fiercely at Azula. Zuko's jaw dropped. I was speechless. I heard Toph snicker in the background.
"Um," I said hesitantly, finding my voice again, "would you care to elaborate?" Was Azula joking? I had no idea.
Azula turned to me. "Certainly. The noble clans of the Fire Nation don't have nearly as much power as they used to. As a result, they crave any opportunity they have to get more power and status. A high-profile marriage is a quick way to get both."
Aang frowned. "But we're in relationships," he countered.
Azula rolled her eyes. "That won't stop them from trying," she said. "All three of you can expect at every party to have multiple noble families introduce themselves and their daughters to you. You'll have to grin and bear it."
Zuko swallowed. "How bad will it be?" he asked.
"It depends," Azula said. She ran her eyes over the group. "Here's a question that anyone can answer: Between Aang, Alec, and Zuko, which one do you think will have the most persistent admirers?"
I thought about it. I didn't know much about Fire Nation politics, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. I could see the others pondering the answer. Mai's eyes flashed. "Aang will," she answered.
Azula gave a small smile and nodded. "Correct."
Aang's jaw dropped. "Me?" he gasped. "But why?"
Mai turned to me. "Alec will have the easiest time," she said bluntly. "His position isn't hereditary. The next Fire Lord won't automatically choose him or his descendants to be the Grand Advisor. He'll get to live in the palace, he'll be wealthy from his pay, and his descendants will be nobles regardless of who he marries, but they'll have to take care of themselves after he's gone." Mai turned to Zuko. "Zuko will have it harder, because his descendants will be the future Fire Lords," she continued. "He'll be a much more tempting target. Anyone who marries him could influence the Fire Nation for generations."
Aang frowned. "But what about me?" he asked. "Is it because I'm the Avatar?"
Mai shook her head. "That's just a small part of it," she said. "It's also because you're the last airbender."
The pieces started coming together in my head. Of course! "Because you're the only living Air Nomad, you're the leader of the Air Nomads by default," Mai continued. "Nobles from the Fire Nation would love to have influence in multiple nations."
"Not just the Fire Nation," Toph added seriously. "The Earth Kingdom, too. I almost expected my parents to try and write up a marriage contract between us when we first met, Twinkle Toes." She shuddered. "Thank the spirits they didn't. You're not my type."
Something occurred to me. I looked at Azula questioningly. "Won't you have a bunch of guys trying to marry you?" I asked. "You're royalty, after all."
"All of Zuko's children and their descendants will be ahead of me in the line of succession," she pointed out. "Maybe a few will try to woo me at first, but I have no desire to ever get married," she continued, waving a hand dismissively. "After Zuko was banished, I thought I would have to continue the family line. Thankfully, I won't." She looked slightly embarrassed. "I don't really like boys, or girls for that matter."
"You what?" Sokka asked with his usual lack of tact.
Suki elbowed him. "It's her business," she muttered. Azula ignored Sokka's outburst.
I was a little confused. "So, if you don't express any interest in anyone at all, you think the nobles will eventually give up?" I asked. "You said yourself the nobles take any opportunity to get more power. Why would that stop them?"
Azula shrugged. "There is another reason," she said. "I have a bit of a reputation. For some reason, when I meet boys, they act as if I'm going to do something horrible to them."
Ty Lee giggled. "But the old you probably would do something horrible to them," she pointed out, "especially if they were suitors trying to manipulate you."
Azula shook her head with a smirk on her face. "Perhaps, but that doesn't matter right now. I need to teach you three boys how to appropriately reject unwanted advances, and you three ladies how to assert yourselves without having to resort to violence. But first, I'm going to teach all of you how to conduct yourselves at a party. That's where most of these attempts will occur."
She turned to Aang. "Let's start with you. Did you ever visit the Fire Nation before the war?"
Aang stood up and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I used to visit my friend Kuzon there all the time."
Azula gave him a curt nod. "Good," she said. "Now, as the Avatar, your rank equals that of the Fire Lord or any other world leader. The only people you have to bow to are other world leaders, and they're supposed to bow to you at the same time. Show me a Fire Nation bow, and greet me with a Fire Nation greeting, if you know one."
Aang bowed to Azula, but his hands weren't in the flame-like salute of the Fire Nation. Instead, his left hand covered his right fist in a standard bow. "Greetings, my good hotwoman!" he said with much enthusiasm.
You could have heard a pin drop. Mai and Zuko looked at Aang as if he were from a different planet. Ty Lee's hand flew over her mouth and her eyes widened, but her cheekbones told me she was trying not to laugh. Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Katara raised an eyebrow at his word choice. And Azula gave Aang a deadpan look and folded her arms across her chest. I didn't know what was funnier: Aang's colossal fuckup, or Azula's response.
"Hotwoman?" Azula repeated in a flat tone.
Aang looked up, still bowing. "Isn't that how Fire Nationals address each other?" he asked. "It's how they did it the last time I was there."
Azula pinched the bridge of her nose. "Apparently things have changed in the last hundred years," she noted. "You address people by their social or military rank. And you bow like this." She demonstrated a proper Fire Nation bow. She straightened back up and looked out over the rest of the group. "You have to keep track of social and military ranks, and make a note if anyone addresses you by a lesser rank than your actual rank. That's an insult that should be corrected immediately."
Aang sat back down. "What are our ranks?" Katara asked.
"Let's start with the obvious," Azula began. "Aang must always be addressed as Avatar. Zuko as Fire Lord, Alec as Grand Advisor, and me as Princess." She looked at the others in the room. "Mai and Ty Lee are to be addressed as Lady, for now at least. Katara and Toph as Master, Sokka as Lord, and Suki as General."
I was curious. "Do you mind explaining how you figured those titles out?" I asked.
"The first four were obvious," Azula said. "As for the others, Katara and Toph have mastered their respective element, and they have at least one famous student, which grants them a title higher than Lady. Sokka is Lord, because while he is the son of a world leader, that title isn't hereditary. Suki is the head of the entire military force of her home island, so General is the equivalent title. Mai and Ty Lee are nobles by birth, so Lady will be their title for now."
"For now?" I asked.
"If Mai marries Zuko, her title becomes Fire Lady," Azula explained, "And if Ty Lee marries you, her title becomes Advisor Consort."
The four of us blushed at the mention of marriage. Azula ignored us and looked at Katara. "There isn't an official title for the Avatar's spouse, so your title will be Master, but you'll have more political clout." Now it was Katara and Aang's turn to blush.
"How does the hierarchy of titles work?" Suki asked, bailing the six of us out of the awkwardness.
"Avatar, Fire Lord, and other world leaders are at the top. Fire Lady and the spouses of other world leaders are next. Katara will be treated as an equal to those people if she marries Aang. Right below that is Grand Advisor. Next are Advisor Consort, Prince, Princess, and the other non-spouse family members of world leaders. After that, you have the government ministers on the Fire Lord's council, like the War Minister, the Propaganda Minister, and the Head Fire Sage. Master and General are below that, and Lord and Lady are below that. There are other titles lower than Lord, such as military ranks lower than General or Admiral, but those are the more important ones."
I was surprised. "Wait, I would outrank you?" I asked her.
Azula nodded. "Yes, you would, but don't you dare let it go to your head," she growled. She shook her head. "I've gotten off-topic. We need to start the lessons on how to deal with prospective brides now."
"So, what do we do?" Aang asked.
"The easiest thing to do is never leave your significant other's side at a party," Azula said. "That will signal that the two of you are a strong, united front. Nobles might still introduce their daughters to you all, but they won't dare try anything overt in the presence of your girlfriends."
"What if they catch us alone?" I asked. "I'm assuming that they would try to separate us, somehow."
"That's when you need to be careful," Azula said. "You need to accept any compliments politely, but don't give the impression that you're being anything more than friendly. If you're impolite, they'll take it as an insult, but if you're too friendly, they'll act as if you're accepting the advances, whether you actually are or not."
This already sounded like a massive headache. "Is there a way we can avoid this?" I asked, rubbing my forehead. "I don't want to have to walk on a tightrope for years."
Azula smirked. "There is a way to stop it. As soon as both people in a couple turn sixteen, they can announce a formal engagement. Trying to interfere with an engagement is seen as extremely dishonorable."
I felt my cheeks redden. I glanced at Ty Lee. She was blushing, too. Zuko and Mai glanced at each other, as did Aang and Katara. Azula clapped her hands to get our attention. "That's not important right now. Let's get to work."
The next few hours were full of awkward interactions. Azula recruited Suki to flirt with Aang, Zuko, and me in a variety of ways. Suki would bat her eyes at us, get in our personal space, and try to make us uncomfortable. We had to make it seem like we were immune. The hard part was trying to avoid looking uncomfortable. Especially since our girlfriends were also in the room, giving us pointed looks during our respective turns. Sokka wasn't pleased either. He stood in the corner and just glared. The only two people enjoying this were Azula and Toph, the little sadists. After a few hours of this, Azula called for a break.
Suki flashed us a friendly smile, free of all her previous flirting. "I'm sorry about that," she apologized sincerely. "I'm just trying to help you all." She turned to our girlfriends. "You know I would never try to steal them from you." She ran over to Sokka and kissed him. "Sorry."
Sokka forgave her instantly. "It's okay," he assured her, wrapping his arms around her.
"How did we do?" Aang asked, thankful it was over.
Azula nodded. "You learn quickly," she said. "We'll do more of these lessons in the future, Tomorrow, I have an experiment I want to do."
That made me nervous. "What experiment?" I asked. I knew she was on our side now, but I was still wary of any 'experiment' Azula would think of.
Azula smirked, which did nothing to ease my nerves. "It should be close to dinner, we should join the others, but I want a word with Alec first."
"Can Ty Lee stay?" I asked. I'd made the poor girl uncomfortable enough for one day, I didn't want to have a private conversation with another girl and make it worse.
Azula nodded. "Yes, but only you two."
The others left the room, and Azula turned on me. "What's wrong?" I asked.
She frowned. "I'm really not sure," she admitted. "I know I want revenge against my father, but why I suddenly care about Zuko and the others is strange to me."
Ty Lee tilted her head. "Your aura's all twisted up," she said to Azula. "It's like you're at war with yourself."
"And I don't know why," Azula added, clearly frustrated. "Don't get me wrong, I am glad that I'm not completely evil, but I thought I would be. The old me would ally with you to get revenge, then I would work for years to grab power out from under Zuko and try to take over." She shook her head. "But the strange thing is, I don't want to do that at all."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're confused that you're not tempted to do something evil?"
Azula laughed bitterly. "It must sound strange to you. But think about it. My great-grandfather started the war. And all it took was my father betraying me for me to throw away everything I'd been working toward. I want to know why." She looked me in the eye. "I was hoping you would know something that would explain this."
I thought for a second, stroking Ved's head on my shoulder. "I might have an idea," I said. "But I need permission to tell the story. I might be able to tell you after dinner."
Azula nodded. "Fine."
Ty Lee and I left the barracks. I quickly caught up with the others. "Aang, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked.
Aang turned around, his ill-fitting Fire Navy uniform clunking. "Sure, what is it?"
I waited for the others to get out of earshot. "Can you talk to Avatar Roku? I want to ask him a question."
Aang nodded. "Sure, I can talk to all my past lives more easily now that I can control the Avatar State."
I smiled. "Perfect. Could you ask Roku if I can tell 'the story'? He'll know what I mean."
Aang raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. His tattoos flashed white for a second. He opened his eyes and stood back up. "Yes."
I nodded. "Okay. I'll tell you all tonight."
After a quick dinner, Team Avatar gathered in the barracks. The fire in the central pit cast dancing shadows on the walls. "Everyone, gather around." I said, sitting on one of the benches around the fire. "There's a story I want to tell you."
The others sat down on the benches. Zuko looked at me curiously. "What story?"
I looked at him and Azula, while petting Ved in my lap. "The story of your great-grandfather's death," I said plainly.
Zuko looked interested, but Azula raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I heard he died peacefully in his sleep. He was ancient."
I looked her in the eye. "Just let me tell the story, I promise it'll be worth it."
She shrugged. "Fine."
I took a deep breath. "Eighty-two years before the war began, Fire Lord Sozin was born. He spent much of his early years growing up alongside his best friend, who was also born on the same day. They played together, they sparred together, they even had joint birthday parties. On their sixteenth birthday, something strange happened."
"What happened?" Sokka asked.
"The Fire Sages showed up, which was odd," I said. "Sozin asked them if something had happened to his father, but the Sages assured him they weren't there for him. They were there to announce the identity of the next Avatar. They immediately bowed to Sozin's best friend, and declared him to be Avatar Roku."
Several gasps rang out. Aang's eyes widened. "Sozin was Roku's best friend?" he asked, completely astonished.
I nodded. "He was."
The Fire Nationals in the room were also shocked. "I never knew they were friends." Zuko whispered. "History classes didn't mention any of that."
I wasn't surprised, knowing how the story ended. "Roku's life turned upside-down," I continued. "He suddenly learned that he had to travel all across the world to master the other three elements. He was already a master firebender. Before he left, Sozin gave him the headpiece that he wore as Crown Prince. If you ever see any portrait of Roku, he's wearing that headpiece in it. Roku began his journey." I turned to Aang and smiled. "His first stop was the Southern Air Temple. There, he learned to master airbending alongside a monk that became a close friend of his: Gyatso."
Aang's eyes brightened. "Roku was friends with Monk Gyatso just like I was?"
I nodded. "Some friendships are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes. After Roku mastered airbending, he mastered waterbending at the Northern Water Tribe, then he moved on to the Earth Kingdom and mastered earthbending. After twelve years, he mastered all four elements and returned home. By that time, Sozin had become the new Fire Lord."
"What happened next?" Ty Lee asked, clearly enthralled by the story.
"When Roku entered the throne room, Sozin sat on his throne and said, 'Customarily, my subjects bow before greeting me.' before he walked down from his throne and embraced his friend, saying, 'But you're the exception.' After all those years, they were still best friends. A few months later, Sozin was Roku's best man." I shook my head. "That wedding is when things started to change."
"Change how?" Azula asked with narrowed eyes.
"Sozin took Roku aside during the reception and asked to speak to him," I said. "Sozin pointed out that because he was the Fire Lord and Roku was the Avatar, they could accomplish just about anything by working together. The Fire Nation was enjoying an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity. He said, 'We should share this prosperity with the rest of the world. In our hands is the most successful empire in history. It's time we expanded it.'"
"The justification for the war." Zuko realized.
"What did Roku say?" Katara asked.
"Roku shut Sozin down immediately." I replied. "He said the four nations must be separate, and that he didn't want to hear about that idea again."
Toph frowned. "If Roku told Sozin off, how did the war start?"
"I'm getting to that," I said. "A few years later, Roku heard about something going on in the Earth Kingdom. He flew on his dragon, Fang, to the area in question. He saw an Earth Kingdom city, with Fire Nation banners instead of Earth Kingdom banners. Sozin had begun setting up colonies despite Roku telling him not to. Roku immediately flew back to the palace and confronted Sozin. Sozin tried to challenge him."
"What happened?" Azula asked.
I gave Azula a look. "Roku was a fully-realized Avatar with years of experience. Sozin shot a massive fire blast at him, but Roku just tunneled under it, snuck up behind him, threw him against the wall with airbending, lifted him up by his robes with earthbending, and blew up the throne room and about a third of the palace for good measure."
Toph let out a low whistle. "I knew Avatars were strong, but damn."
I smirked. "Roku brought himself eye-to-eye with Sozin and spoke to him. 'I'm letting you go in the name of our past friendship,' he said. 'But I warn you, even a single step out of line will result in your permanent end.' Sozin didn't make any more colonies at that time, but he kept the colonies he'd already established and his friendship with Roku seemed to be over. Sozin and Roku didn't speak for another twenty-five years."
I looked down and took a breath. Here comes the bad part. "One night on Roku's home island where he lived with his wife, Ta Min, the volcano erupted suddenly, and violently. Fire and ash spewed into the air, and created landslides of ash, threatening to bury the town. Roku made Ta Min and the other inhabitants flee the island, while he and Fang stayed behind to try to minimize the damage." I shook my head. "Roku fought well, and was able to divert most of the lava away from the town and into the ocean, but there was another problem. Vents of poisonous gas opened up in the ground and threw toxic fumes into Roku's face. And just when it looked like Roku was winning, a second volcano erupted on the same island. It seemed hope was lost."
I looked around the group. They were all hooked on the story. "What happened?" Aang asked.
"Sozin showed up to help," I said. "He saw the volcano erupt and flew over a hundred miles on his dragon to get there. Sozin helped Roku by using firebending to bend the heat out of the lava to cool it down. It looked like they were winning, but then a vent of poisonous gas opened up directly under Roku. His vision went blurry, and he couldn't even stand up anymore. He looked at Sozin and begged him for help."
"What did Sozin do?" Suki asked.
I closed my eyes. "He looked at his dying friend and said, 'Without you, all my plans are suddenly possible. I have a vision for the future, Roku.'"
"No," Aang whispered.
I nodded sadly. "Sozin climbed on his dragon and left Roku to die. Fang flew down and wrapped himself around Roku, but a rockslide buried both Roku and Fang alive, killing them," I said. "Aang was born almost immediately after."
Almost everyone had horrified looks on their faces. Even Azula looked uncomfortable. "With Roku dead, Sozin spent the next twelve years preparing for the comet," I continued. "He knew the next Avatar would be an Air Nomad, so when the comet came, he used it to wipe out all the Air Nomads. The rest of the world didn't see it coming, and suddenly, they were at war. But Sozin knew that the Avatar had eluded him. He spent the rest of his life searching for him."
Most of the people looked saddened by the story. Azula and Zuko, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. "Wait a minute," Zuko said. "You said this was a story about our great-grandfather's death."
I nodded. "I did."
Azula looked at me. "He was still alive, in the end."
I shook my head. "No, he wasn't."
Azula narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Time for the big reveal. I looked at the two Fire Nation royals. "You have more than one great-grandfather," I said. "Sozin was Ozai's grandfather. Ursa's grandfather was Avatar Roku."
Azula POV
I was stunned. Avatar Roku was my great-grandfather? Alec's words hung in the air for what felt like a century. Nobody said anything, we just stared in shock. "Why are you telling us this now?" I finally said.
He turned to me. "Because understanding the struggle between your great-grandfathers can help you understand the struggle inside yourself," he replied. "Evil and good are always at war inside you both. It's in your nature."
I looked down. Would I always feel this confused about what was right and what was wrong? "But there's a bright side," Alec continued, compelling me to look up. "Because of your legacy, both of you can help fix what happened so long ago. In addition to all the strife, you two have the power to help restore balance to the world," he finished with a smile. That made me feel a little better.
"That's great for them," Sokka said with a shrug, ruining the moment, "but what was the point of the rest of us hearing that story?"
"I think I know," Aang said. "Roku was just as much Fire Nation as Sozin was, right? I think their story proves anyone's capable of great good and great evil. Everyone, including the Fire Nation, have to be treated like they're worth giving a chance."
I was about to dismiss that as Aang being naive, but Alec nodded, confirming his interpretation. Zuko was still reeling from the revelation. He put his head in his hands. "That explains so much," he said. "Why else would our father force Mom to marry him?"
"He was trying to breed powerful firebenders," I realized. "We were just experiments to him."
Alec nodded. "Yeah. Sorry."
"Should I call you guys family?" Aang asked.
I rolled my eyes. "No."
Alec POV
The next morning, a banging on the door of the barracks woke us up. I could tell it was before dawn, despite the lack of windows in the barracks. I didn't feel the energy of the sun, like I normally did when I woke up. Zuko groaned and rolled sleepily out of his bunk, trudging to the door. "Who is it?" he asked.
"It's Hakoda," Dad's voice replied from the other side of the door. "We've come across some kind of checkpoint where the Serpent's Pass should be. Come up to the helm and I'll show you."
"You've got to hand it to the Fire Nation," Sokka said appreciatively. "They might be tyrants, but they certainly are fine engineers."
As the rest of Team Avatar plus Hakoda and Bato stood at the helm of the ship, staring through the bridge window at the new addition to the Serpent's Pass, I found myself agreeing. The Fire Nation had somehow built a giant barricade across the part of the Serpent's Pass that ran beneath the water's surface. A big metal wall with a steam-powered winch on either side of the top. The outside of the wall was plain steel. Then, there was a brownish metal pillar on either side of a huge red door. The pillars each had a red pagoda-like roof with gold trimming. I assumed the pillars were gatehouses.
"This is new," I said with only a hint of sarcasm. "We were last here about two months ago."
"Impressive that they built this so fast," Suki added.
"What do we do now?" Bato asked.
Dad and Sokka shared a look and grinned. "Now we put our disguise to the test," Dad said. "We can tell them we're heading back to the Fire Nation to resume normal patrol patterns. We even have the orders to prove it."
"What do the rest of us do?" Aang asked, looking at the approaching barricade.
"I have an idea," Zuko offered. "When we do this prison break, I assume a lot of the prisons will be on islands. We might need to steal boats and ships to get the prisoners out. We can stay inside for now, and I'll give all of you a crash course on how to sail a Fire Navy vessel."
I shrugged. "Yeah, these disguises will work at a distance, but Aang's uniform is too ill-fitting," I noted. "It's probably safer for us to stay inside until we're far, far away from that gate."
Zuko cracked his knuckles. "Okay. Time to learn to sail."
Zuko spent the next several minutes explaining how to operate this massive hunk of steel. In theory, the ship was simple enough that even one this large only needed two people to run it if it didn't get into combat. It needed a helmsman to steer, and an engine operator to control the boilers. Zuko explained that firebenders were better suited for boiler duty, because they could change the heat and power with firebending faster than a nonbender could manually.
Zuko sent Azula, Ty Lee, and me down to the boiler to get some experience. I picked up Ved from the stables to spend some time with him there, too. The boiler room was hot, and the Fire Navy armor I wore only made it hotter. The boiler was a huge tangle of pipes, vessels, levers, and pressure gauges. The glowing fire of the boiler provided the brightest light in the room. The boiler room wasn't just hot. It was humid. All the valves to let of excess pressure spilled steam directly into this room. The only one of us not sweating was Ved. I assumed this was because he was technically a lizard, but he actually seemed comfortable in the sweltering room. Maybe it was because he was a creature of fire.
There was an upside to this room: Everyone was sweating. So I got the eye candy of Ty Lee glistening with sweat. I watched her wipe her forehead as sweat rolled down her flat stomach. I loved the beautiful contrast of her soft skin and the play of lithe muscle dancing just beneath it. She caught me looking at her and grinned. She then did several slow, deliberate stretches to tease me.
A pointed cough from Azula brought us back to reality. We turned to her sheepishly as she rolled her eyes. "Honestly, if you two were here alone, the ship could explode and you wouldn't notice," she said.
"All stop!" Zuko's voice called through the communication pipes. "We're coming up on the gate. Turn off all the boilers and let off all the steam."
We sprang into action. Ty Lee pulled the levers to open the valves, while Azula and I took stances and brought our hands down to turn off the flames. Now we just had to wait. It was a tense several minutes. The longer it went on, the more I kept thinking something bad was about to happen.
"Turn on the boilers," Zuko ordered. "We're good to go."
That was a relief. I made to shoot the coal to get it started again, but Azula held up her hand. "Allow me."
She thrust her fist out at the coal. Instead of a blue fireball, a small, yellow burp of fire emerged from her fist and didn't even reach the target. She looked down at her fist, frowned, and tried again, with the same result. Azula's eyes widened. "What's wrong with me?" I heard her whisper.
"Can we get those boilers started?" Sokka asked through the pipes in an annoyed fashion. I shot out my hand and started the fires, not taking my eyes off Azula.
Azula stared at her hands. "Am I sick?" she wondered out loud in a small voice. "What's going on?"
"You're having a problem with your inner fire," I realized. "Zuko and Aang had something similar happen to them about a month ago."
Azula looked at me sharply. "How did they fix it?" she demanded. "Tell me!"
I held up my hands. "Easy Azula," I said. "There's a place we can go in the Fire Nation to find the true meaning of firebending. It helped Zuko, Aang, and me. Maybe it can help you."
"Couldn't you just tell me this supposed 'true meaning of firebending'?" she asked, giving me a flat look.
I shook my head. "It's not something that can be understood through words alone," I said. I looked her in the eye. "There is a risk. We can take you to the masters who taught us. If they find you worthy, you'll get your firebending back better than ever." I swallowed. "But if they don't find you worthy, you'll be destroyed on the spot and we won't be able to stop it."
Azula took a breath and closed her eyes for a few minutes. "I'll do it," she said firmly. "I don't want to be without my bending in a fight. And I'm not about to die."
Ty Lee checked the boiler pressure. It managed to reach equilibrium. "Looks like we're done here," she reported.
Azula nodded. "If that's the case, I need both of you to help me get something for today's lesson in the cargo hold. It's too heavy for me to move."
Ty Lee and I exchanged a look, wondering what Azula had in mind.
Azula led us to the cargo hold, and she pointed at the object in question. Ty Lee got a naughty glint in her eye. I grinned at Azula. "I like the way you think," I said.
She returned the smirk.
Hauling that thing up to the barracks was difficult, but the payoff would be totally worth it.
After moving the object into the barracks, the three of us made our way back to the bridge. The rest of The Gaang was still there. Sokka was steering at the helm, under Zuko's instruction. "Do you think they suspect us?" I asked.
Aang shook his head and smiled brightly. "No, and we got some good news."
"What news?" Azula asked.
"We overheard Dad talking to the gate guard," Katara said. "After Dad told him we were going to resume normal patrol routes, the guard said he felt sorry we got a boring job, because all the forces in the Earth Kingdom are looking for Aang and the rest of us."
Suki smirked. "They have no idea where we're headed."
Mai nodded at Azula. "Looks like you were right."
Azula smiled. "Good, lessons are after lunch."
Ty Lee and I grinned wickedly.
"Azula, what are you sitting on?" Katara inquired as we gathered in the barracks for our lesson.
"A barrel," Azula replied breezily. She had replaced her usual chair with a large wooden barrel that Ty Lee and I helped her move here. The barrel sat sideways on top of a table with metal pieces almost like bookends to keep it from rolling off.
Katara rolled her eyes. "I mean what's in it?"
Azula's eyes glinted dangerously. "Wine."
I tried to gauge everyone's reaction. Mai raised an eyebrow. Sokka and Suki seemed excited. Toph wore a grin similar to Azula's. Aang and Zuko were confused. Katara looked worried. Azula jumped off the barrel and pulled out a tap and a small hammer from behind her back.
"Why?" Katara asked with a concerned tone.
"Simple," Azula said, "During the parties you will attend, you will be expected to drink. Drinking impairs your judgment. You need to be able to think clearly and navigate traps, and you also need to know when you've had too much."
"How will this help?" Aang asked.
"What all of you are going to do is get drunk," Azula said wickedly, pulling out an inkbrush and a piece of parchment. "I'll keep track of how many drinks you had, how long it took you to get drunk, and how it changed your behavior. If you know how it affects you, you can cut yourself off when the warning signs appear."
Katara narrowed her eyes. "Azula, does the Fire Nation not have a minimum drinking age?"
Azula nodded. "Normally, it's sixteen, but if you're guests of the Fire Lord at an official party, that rule doesn't apply." She chuckled. "A lot of young teenagers try to tag along with their parents to official parties to have an excuse to drink." She looked around the group. "We'll do this one at a time. Who wants to go first?"
"Gimme!" Toph said eagerly, holding out her hands. Azula rolled her eyes and grabbed a goblet, filling it with red wine.
The princess made to hand it to the earthbender, but paused. "Some things you should know," she said. "Don't chug it. Take small sips. The longer you take to drink it, the more time your body has to break it down. Also, proper society people in Hari Bulkan don't chug."
I raised an eyebrow. "Hari Bulkan?"
"The official name of Royal Caldera City." Ty Lee explained.
"Good to know," I said.
"Less talking, more drinking!" Toph said.
"Fine, fine," Azula said, handing Toph the goblet. Toph did take small sips, but took a sip every other second, so it wasn't long before she drained the goblet.
"How does it taste?" Suki asked.
"Weird," Toph said. "It tastes a little bit like grapes, but it's not sweet at all, and there's a little bit of a buttery flavor to it."
"So, it's a dry red wine, probably aged in an oak barrel," I realized.
Azula nodded. "You seem to know a bit about wine."
"I took a wine appreciation class in college," I said. Everyone stared at me. "What? I needed one more course to graduate, and I wanted something easy," I said defensively.
Toph just shrugged. She held out her goblet to Azula. "I feel okay, give me another."
Azula refilled her cup. Toph drank through it in about ten minutes. She shook her head. "Still feel fine…-hic-!" she slurred a little. Oh, she wasn't fine. If the slurring didn't give it away, the hiccup definitely did. Looks like Toph did have a weakness: she was a total lightweight.
Azula jotted something down on the parchment, but still refilled Toph's goblet instead of cutting her off. Toph didn't bother taking small sips this time, she just chugged it. When she moved to hand it back to Azula, I intercepted it. "Toph, I think you've had enough," I said as diplomatically as I could.
She pointed a finger at me. "Don't tell me what to do, Hand Slicer!" she roared. At least, I think that's what she said. Her words all blurred together and it came out as a single donttellmewhattodohandshlisher. Her cheeks had a bit of a flush, and her pointer finger wasn't aimed directly at me. "I'm shick of you -hic-, telling me what to do -hic-, all the fucking time!" she slurred.
She stood up and tried to take a stance. "Ty Lee!" I said urgently. If Toph started bending, she could wreck the whole ship! Ty Lee jumped up and jabbed Toph in the side of her neck. Toph crumpled on the floor in a heap, closed her eyes, and started snoring. I stood up and scooped Toph into my arms. Ty Lee and I carried her to her bunk and tucked her in, before returning to the group.
"Huh," Sokka said with a puzzled expression. "I thought it would take more than that to get to her. I mean, we know how tough she is."
I shook my head. "Alcohol doesn't care about bending skill," I said. "One of the biggest factors that affects alcohol tolerance is body mass. Toph's incredibly strong, but she's still a short, twelve-year-old girl."
Azula nodded. "She'll need to be careful at parties, especially because she's an angry drunk." She looked around the group. "Who's next?"
Ty Lee smiled. "I'll do it!"
Azula handed Ty Lee a fresh goblet. Ty Lee drank slower than Toph, and we talked between sips. Ty Lee finished her first glass in about twenty minutes or so. She made it through three glasses without showing any symptoms. About halfway through her fourth, I noticed a change. She started to get bolder. She gave me a flirtatious look while she nursed on her fourth. "You know what I hate about this ship?" she asked, gesturing around with the goblet, spilling a few drops.
"What?" I replied.
"The bunks are so small!" she whined. "I can't cuddle with you!" Her grin turned even saucier. "Or do other things." she added in a not-so-quiet whisper. She finished her fourth cup and started on her fifth.
I felt my cheeks heat up. "Maybe we should talk about something else." I suggested.
Ty Lee didn't take the hint. She downed her fifth. She was definitely wasted. "I miss that night we had together," she sighed. "We don't have any privacy on this ship, or when we're camping." She looked at me with a strange mixture of lust and puppy-dog eyes. "I miss your big…"
"Okay! You've had enough," I said loudly, my cheeks probably the same color as the ship's lighting. Sokka and Suki were covering their mouths to hold back laughter. Aang and Katara couldn't look at either one of us. Mai shook her head with a small smile.
"But I'm fine!" Ty Lee insisted.
"No you're not," I said, my voice kind but firm. "Would you be saying those things in front of other people if you were sober?"
"I guess not," she admitted with a pout. She yawned.
"You seem tired," I said. "Maybe you should get some sleep."
"I'm fine," she said, trying to stifle a yawn.
"You're tired, and tomorrow you're going to have a hangover," I said gently, stroking her cheek. "You need to get some rest. Please do it for me…Darling."
I had no idea what inspired me to say that last word, but it had an immediate effect. Ty Lee's eyes widened slightly. "What did you call me?" she whispered.
"Darling," I repeated. "Do you not want me to?" I asked.
She smiled. "Keep calling me that. I like it." She rested her head on my free right shoulder, as Ved was perched on my left, and she fell asleep, breathing softly. I gently picked her up and carried her to her bunk.
When I came back to the rest of the group, I noticed the amused looks on their faces. "What?" I asked.
"Darling?" Sokka snorted.
I shrugged. "It's better than Sweetie."
"Moving on," Azula said. "Next!"
Over the next few hours, we learned everyone's tolerance levels and what kind of drunk they were. Suki had about Ty Lee's tolerance, and she was a giggler. Sokka showed signs after four, and was completely smashed after six. Alcohol made his jokes even worse, which I didn't know was possible. After the rest of us dragged him to his bunk, Azula shook her head. "If he tells any of those jokes at a party, he'll cause an international incident," she warned.
"Why?" Katara asked. "It's not like they were dirty."
"No, but they were so stupid and painful to hear that you might be able to classify them as weapons," Azula retorted.
Next up was Aang. Other than Toph, he had the lowest tolerance in the group. He was tipsy after three, and wasted by four. He tried to do some airbending tricks to impress Katara, but she shook her head and convinced him to go to sleep. He was out before he even hit the pillow.
Katara was next. She had three and a half before she started hiccuping. She was more carefree when she was drunk, and vented to us about having to clean up after everyone back home, while petting Momo between sips. She passed out about a third of the way through her fifth.
I was curious to see what Mai would become, but she didn't do anything that over-the-top. In fact, Azula almost missed a change in her behavior after five cups. Mai tried to insist that increased blinking wasn't a symptom, but how argumentative she was being about it only confirmed Azula's suspicions. After her sixth, she passed out on the floor. Zuko's quick actions prevented her from landing on her face.
Zuko was next. After five and a half, he asked me and Azula to shoot lightning at him so he could practice redirecting it.
"Absolutely not," I said calmly.
Azula tapped her chin in thought. "I know he's a bit reckless, but is this a symptom?"
"This is definitely the booze talking," I said with a nod. "After he changed sides, he became more thoughtful."
"Come on, Alec!" Zuko complained, finishing his glass and filling it up for a sixth. "As your Fire Lord, I order you to shoot lightning at me!" He downed his glass.
I looked him in the eye. "As your Grand Advisor, I'm ignoring that order, because you're too drunk to think clearly."
Zuko scoffed and opened his mouth to retort, but he stumbled. "Why is the room spinning?" he asked.
Azula shook her head. "Go to sleep, Zuzu."
Zuko was quiet, then he nodded and stumbled over to his bunk. "Sleep sounds good." Druk flew off his shoulder so he wouldn't get pinned under his future rider. Zuko flopped down unceremoniously onto the mattress.
I locked eyes with Azula. "And then there were two," I mused.
She smirked. "I'm curious to see what happens to you."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're not drinking?"
Azula shook her head. "No point. I already know my limits and what happens." She handed me a fresh goblet.
"Oh, I think there is a point," I said, taking my first sip. "The hangovers tomorrow are going to be brutal. I'd rather have you hung over with us instead of being sober."
"And why is that?" Azula challenged.
"You might have changed sides, but you still have a twisted sense of humor," I said. "You might be tempted to make loud noises or something to make us feel worse tomorrow morning. But you won't be tempted if it hurts you, too."
Azula shrugged. "I admit, that did cross my mind."
"Come on," I said. "Have a drink." I took a sip and savored the flavor of the wine. "Besides, this is good stuff."
Azula sighed. "If I must." She filled a goblet for herself. She took her first sip and nodded. "Not as good as what we have in the palace, but not bad," she assessed.
"The Fire Nation must be pretty wealthy to give their sailors stuff this good," I noted.
Azula shook her head and took a sip. "This isn't the kind of wine that troops normally get. I suspect this was something the captain bought for himself."
"That makes more sense," I agreed. I gave her a curious look. "So, you say you know your limits. What are they?"
"Four and a half before I start laughing, and six before I pass out," Azula said. She frowned. "My father made me learn my limits a year ago, and made me go through firebending practice the next morning to 'teach me a lesson'," she said, spitting out the last part bitterly.
I shook my head. "I understand learning your limits, but that last part was just cruel," I said. "But it's Ozai, so I'm not surprised."
Azula closed her eyes. "Can we talk about something else?"
I nodded and took a sip. "Sure," I agreed. "Like what?"
"How about your world?" she suggested. "What's it like?"
I took a big sip to finish my first glass. "I'll tell you, but it's a long conversation," I warned.
Azula shrugged. "At least we have plenty of wine," she said.
I don't remember when I passed out.
AN: Before you ask: NO, Alec and Azula WILL NOT wake up in the same bunk, or in each other's arms, or anything else like that. I'm not a fan of love triangles, and I refuse to write one.
Moving on, I feel compelled to inform my readers that spring and summer is the busy season at my job, so the chapters might take longer to come out. I don't mean they'll take a month, but don't be surprised if a chapter takes a week and a half to two weeks to finish. Just a heads up.
