Ashes to Ashes part 2

Aang

The war was over. I watched as Azula was loaded into one of the airships that had come for us. She would be transported back to the fire nation where Zuko and Maddi would decide what to do with her. Katara, Sokka, the others and I would drop her off in the fire nation. I would then go and 'visit' Ozai. Ex-Fire Lord Ozai was too much of a threat currently, even in jail as he was. As a non-bender it would make any revolution in his cause falter and die. The generals had voted for Ozai to lose his bending when my newfound power had been discovered. Toph hadn't meant it but she had been upset that I had that ability. I didn't blame her. I was cautious of it myself.

I watched quietly as Su Sen's body along with the bodies of several other 'war heroes' were carried into the ship. Twenty souls who were of a high enough rank or had done some great act of bravery who would be given the honour of being buried in their homeland. It saddened him that it was not something that could be done for every family. However, the dead, although few, would not have all fit in the airships. There were only a few, mostly once again, for those of high enough station to deserve it.

I though would be riding on Appa.

Walking some distance away I pulled out the bison whistle and blew into it, using enough air that I knew the sound would be heard for miles.

I waited, smiling as a familiar form darkened the horizon.

"Going somewhere?" I turned slightly, Katara was watching me, a small smile on her face.

"Not without you." I promised, a smile curving my features. Katara grinned back.

"Hey! Lovebirds! You ain't going nowhere without me!" I sighed dramatically and turned to glance at Toph, who stood behind us, arms crossed. Sokka stood just behind her and nodded dramatically.

Appa landed with a heavy thud on the ground a little in front of us. Instantly he pinned me down, licking me excitedly.

"Appa! I missed you too buddy!" I groaned, trying in vain to push my bison off me. My friends laughed as I finally squirmed out from under the two-ton behemoth.

"Alright lets get going." I said, collecting myself. I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. Appa always could make me smile.


Dropping off Su Sen's body was the worst part of the trip. Seeing Su Sen's little brother, father, and mother cry as they realized that their son would never be coming back. Sokka cried with them, told them stories of how great a warrior Su Sen was, how he had given his life to save Sokka's... how if their family needed anything he would do all in his power to help them.

We left, disquieted, two hours later, the sound of shovels scraping dirt and rock echoing in our ears.


Flying to the fire nation was a lot quicker than traveling by boat. We made it there in just a few hours. On our journey back we laughed and talked about the times we had shared. Jokes, mess ups, harmless things to make us forget for a while the cost of this war.

Sokka, ever keen-eyed spotted the island first.

"We're almost there!" He called. I smiled I was looking forward to seeing Maddi and Zuko again. We forced Su Sen out of our minds, focusing instead on the excitement and happiness to finally see our two friends.

Appa landed in the palace courtyard with a thump and small explosion of dust. I jumped of the saddle, Toph right behind me. Sokka and Katara sliding down my bison's tail.

"Aang! Katara! Sokka! Toph!" Maddi's face was alight as she stood next to Zuko. She held up a hand but quickly put it down. Zuko smiled and strode forward, Maddi following beside him. They stopped before us.

"Its good to see you all again." Zuko stated formally. He looked good as Fire Lord, dressed in full fire nation regalia. Maddi gave a small smile, eyes flicking to the guards who stood on either side. She smiled.

"How about you four come on in?" She asked, gesturing to the building behind them. Zuko nodded.

"I heard that you won but I wasn't given intimate details, I'd like to hear it." He added, turning to guide us into the palace.

As soon as we were hidden inside, out of sight of the guards Maddi sighed, relaxing and rolling her shoulders.

"Spirits, this is going to kill me." She muttered, sitting on a sofa with a grunt. Toph laughed.

"Now you know how I felt." She threw herself onto another couch, taking up the whole thing and kicking her 'shoes' off. Maddi gave a wry smile.

"Do I ever." She replied as the rest of us took seats (carefully avoiding the couch that rested besides Toph's feet).

"Its not that bad." Zuko replied with a chuckle. Maddi raised an eyebrow.

"Says the man born to be king."

"Are you going to bicker like a married couple or are you going to listen to what happened?" Katara teased. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, married couple... one day that would be Katara and I. Maddi nodded, her topknot bobbing. She had truly taken to the firenation culture and quite well from what I could see.

"So how are the others? Iluq, Kanan-" Zuko began but Sokka cut him off.

"Iluq returned to the North pole, he's going to be the next chieftain; Kanan stayed in Ba Sing Se, Su Sen..." his voice trailed off. Nothing more needed to be said, we all knew that look. Zuko lowered his head quietly, in honour of the man who had traveled with us for so long. Maddi looked away, then up, eyes fixed on the ceiling to stop the tears from crawling down her face.

Zuko coughed, breaking the moment of silence.

"I... I have gifts for all of you." He stated. Maddi sent him an annoyed look and he quickly repaired the sentence.

"We have gifts for you." He stood and walked to one side of the room, opening up a closet. He pulled out two large, strangely shaped items, covered in cloth and a decently sized black box.

"Sokka, this is for you." He stated, handing one of the strangely shaped items to Sokka. Then he turned to me.

"And this is for you and Katara." He added, handing the other strange 'box' to me. The black box was given to Toph.

"Cool." Toph muttered as she pulled off the lid. She dug her hands in and her face glowed.

"Money!"

"We figured you need some financial aid to get that metalbending school you were always talking about." Maddi laughed, Toph's smile turned into a smirk at the words.

"Ah! I love him! I'm going to call him Hawkey!" I turned to look at Sokka who had pulled off the cloth, revealing that Zuko and Maddi had given him a messenger hawk. Zuko just shook his head at Sokka's antics.

"These birds were specially trained, they only fly to the palace and back to the person who sent them. This way we can stay in contract." He glanced at Toph.

"We would have gotten you one but..." Toph waved a hand in dismissal.

"Na, don't need one. This just means you lillylivers are going to have to come to my academy once in a while." I snickered and turned to our own messenger hawk.

"What do you think Katara? What should we name him?" Katara was staring at the bird in intense concentration. It blinked at her then clacked its beak.

"Are you trying to give us a zoo?" She asked mildly. Maddi laughed at the annoyed look on my fiancee's face.

"Far from it, besides, I think this little guy will get along well with Momo, he's quite friendly." Katara just shook her head, a small smile crossing her face.

A knock on the door caught all of our attentions. Instantly Maddi's face was guarded and she stood, regal as a queen.

"I'll get it." She stated. Striding across the room she opened the door.

"Yes?" She asked, looking at the man who stood before her.

"I am here for Avatar Aang." He stated.

"Let him in." I called. Maddi nodded and stepped to the side. It was strange, the difference in Maddi's actions in front of others. It was clear she was uncomfortable with it but didn't have an option. I didn't like it, the strange formality didn't match the Maddi that I knew.

The messenger bowed.

"I am afraid that the generals are getting anxious, Avatar. They wish to hurry up with your promise." I grimaced.

"Tell them I will stay true to my promise, but first I must ask Zuko. He is the one who gets the final choice." The messenger nodded and left.

As soon as the door was shut behind him Zuko turned to look at me.

"Final choice on what?" I sighed.

"The generals of the rebellion, that's everyone, from Sokka's dad to the White Lotus, discovered that I... I now have the ability to take away the bending of other people. They voted on whether I should take away Ozai's bending... It was almost unanimous." Zuko's face hardened. I could see him thinking it over. He stood, pacing back and forth.

"I hate to say this but that is what happened... before. By the end of it though, most people were wishing that he had been killed instead." Maddi stated.

"I will not kill him." I snapped. Maddi raised her hands in surrender.

"I know that Aang, there is nothing wrong with staying true to your morals. Besides, as I've said before, things have changed so much that I really have no idea what is going to happen." I turned to look at Zuko. His head was bent.

"Take his bending." He stated quietly. I nodded, and stood. It was time for me to do my duty.


Maddi

I watched as Aang and the others flew away, leaving Zuko and I alone in the courtyard. Zuko shook himself.

"I... I need to go." He stated, briskly turning on his heel and walking away. I sighed deeply, knowing that he was upset over what had happened to his father. I wasn't, but I did worry for Zuko. I cared for him, I loved him.

"So Ozai finally lost his powers. About time."

"What do you want this time Lung?" I asked, turning to look at the air deity standing behind me.

"Aang asked you about me."

"Yes he did. And I told him about you, everything about you that I know. Are you happy now?" Lung sniffed.

"No." I shook my head.

"How do I know he will tell others about me?" Lung asked. I felt a stab of pity for the spirit but Aang had told me his thoughts on the matter, even though I knew they would not go over well.

"Aang decided that he cannot interfere with the decisions of the spirits. He is just the bridge, he forms peace between humanity and spirits, he does not govern or choose what happens to spirits." I told Lung. The spirit of air stared at me then snarled.

"So he won't tell anyone."

"He won't. He can't. Just because he's the Avatar doesn't mean he's above the rules. If you want your punishment revoked, talk to the other spirits... admit that you were wrong for goodness sakes." I added in exasperation. Lung hissed at me.

"I have done everything that I can. But I will never say I was wrong!" With that he disappeared. I bent my head. For the first time I felt a stab of pity for the deity of air. Whatever had happened before that battlefield, where he was thrown back into the land of the spirits, it was something he did not regret. I couldn't guess at what it was but I found myself hoping, for the first time, that his punishment would be lifted. He had been forgotten long enough.

"I'll remember you. Its all that I can do." I whispered before returning into the palace. Wondering about the fate of the spirit of air.


It was later in the day when I was walking in the gardens, the same gardens that Zuko had spent much of his childhood that Zuko found me.

"I see you like them." He stated, moving out from where he had been. I gestured at the little pond and the turtle ducks swimming about. Druk, wrapped around Zuko's neck blew a cloud of smoke at my face.

"I just remember this place... it was special to you." I replied softly. He took the spot beside me and for a moment we were quiet.

"How soon would you be willing to marry me?" I turned, confusion furrowing my brow.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Zuko looked at me, straight in the eyes.

"I'm getting pressure from the generals... I know you're not comfortable and that you're still technically only my girlfriend but... Maddi will you marry me? After the comet comes?" I stared at Zuko in shock. The comet was arriving in a little more then a week. Marry him, so soon? I loved Zuko but I was scared.

"I-" I trailed off.

"Its needed, for the fire nation." He told me, "I... don't want to push you-" I held up my hand.

"Its not like you have much of a choice in the matter either. Besides we agreed at this time that the fire nation has to come before our own desires." I gave a small smile.

"Can we... can we make it two to three weeks though? Just to give me time?" Zuko nodded.

"Of course." He stated.

I paused and looked out over the pond, before a small smirk slipped into place.

"At least when we're married I get to go all the way with you." Zuko's shocked face quickly changed colour, as red as the rest of his outfit. I laughed, nearly falling over at Zuko's flustered expression.

"Maddi!" He chastised, and for a second he wasn't 'Fire Lord Zuko' anymore. It was just Zuko and me, like back when we were traveling around the world together. A slight cough caused me to jerk upright, laughter dead in my throat. I turned. A messenger stood behind us, face carefully turned away from us, as though he hadn't actually heard our conversion.

"Yes?" Zuko asked, standing.

"Fire Lord Zuko, you ordered that Fire Lord Ozai be moved to another prison after the Avatar had dealt with him, correct?" The messenger asked.

"Yes, I did, should I be asking why you questioned me?" The messenger quickly shook his head.

"No, there was a fear that it was a false message as... sire... Fire Lord Ozai was assassinated during that transport."

Zuko was up so fast I barely had time to process what had been said. Fire Lord Ozai? Dead?

"How." Zuko snarled. Druk, on his shoulders hissed, scales rattling.

"A man with the... strangest type of bending I have ever seen. We were unable to catch him, but he was seen. He was tall, had two metal limbs and... a third eye tattooed on his head." The messenger stated.

"Combustion man." I hissed. Zuko turned to look at me.

"He's a hired assassin." I explained, "One of the best in the business, he doesn't speak and once he is given a job he doesn't ever go back, even when offered more money. He uses a type of firebending focused through that third eye of his." I explained. Zuko turned.

"I want this man found and I don't care if he's alive when you bring him in. Tell that to the soldiers." The messenger nodded and ran off. I turned to Zuko, worried. As soon as the messenger was gone Zuko fell to the ground, staring out in to space. I knelt down beside him and hugged him tight. I didn't care that Ozai was dead, but it was Zuko who I was worried about. I felt his arms wrap around me as he quietly shook, head buried into my shoulder. Druk, twisting his long neck, trying to understand what had made his daddy so sad.


Unknown POV

Haley stood, somewhere near the middle of the crowd. A lot of people were crying but she wasn't. She barely knew Maddison Fletcher after all, she was two grades below the girl and other than occasionally seeing each other as they passed in the halls there had been no relationship between the two.

Maddison's little sister was crying, Rebecca, that was her name. She was in the same grade as Haley and the two took art class together. Rebecca was amazing at art, she had the potential to be a great artist. That was what the teacher had said.

Maddison's friends and boyfriend were crying, as well as some teachers, as the principal gave his speech about her, and the other victims of the earthquake. Only thirty-two people had died and Maddison was the only person from their school who had.

Everyone kept whispering that the worst part of it was the loss of her body. It would never be found.

"Those thirty-two souls were unforeseen victims of chance. We grieve for them, and we will remember them. For their friendship, their family, and what they have done for all of us." Haley sighed, annoyed at the teacher. Yes, it was shocking that all those people died and it was terrible; Haley herself had been shocked when Maddison died, not because she knew the girl but because it was a reminder of her own mortality.

Personally Haley was just glad that no one she knew well had died.

She stood there, in the sunny afternoon, listening to a speech that was too doleful for the weather outside. Unaware that a being, powerful and ancient, was watching her from another dimension.


AN: And there it is folks. The last chapter of Change the World. I want to once again thank you all for taking this journey with me. The sequel, Life Never Ends will be coming out in February along with a new story Shooting Star. For those of you who like Transformers check it out. I will continue updating one story, Ripples in the World as I have five more chapters planned for that one. One of them is about the Pirates, and the other four are about more recent events in this story. They will be about Lung's backstory, how Agni and La choose their chosen ones, and the last two will be two different versions of the Ember Island players. The two last ones might take a while as they are long, but I am planning on them. Anyway, I look forward from hearing from you all.

Signing off from Change the World for the last time

Also I have made a sequel to this story called Life Never Ends, check it out!

Princess Kassie Out.