Author's Note: Azula's song for this chapter is "At Last" by Etta James.
Chapter 70
For the ceremony, Azula donned a red gown with elaborate gold embroidery. Twin golden dragons swooped down from her shoulders, meeting over her breasts as they breathed into a single flame; their tails curled around her arms. With her hair slicked to sharp points at her chin, golden crown balanced on her head, and bright red lipstick, she embodied the very flames that burned inside her.
She and her friends gathered near the steps of the palace, ready to go onstage before the crowd at the sound of the gong. All were dressed in their finest: Aang in his yellow vestments and wooden beads, Zuko in kingly maroon robes, diadem on his head, Mai in a red kimono much like traditional wedding attire, carrying baby Izumi in a tiny matching outfit.
Azula couldn't keep her eyes off Raiden, who now wore a White Lotus badge on his dress uniform. He was whispering with a Fire Sage named Shyu, who had recently been promoted to a high post in the capital.
Aang noticed her furtive glances at the captain and approached her, eyes sparkling with mirth.
The Fire Lord blushed and looked down, explaining her amazement at her good fortune with sheepish chagrin. "I can't believe that two years ago I thought I was in love with you. And now…."
"Now you know what real love is," he finished her thought. "I can't believe that two years ago I was a prisoner here. The world is so different now." Katara came up behind him, smiling. He turned to her and placed his hand on her belly.
"And it needs to change even more." Azula wrung her hands, daunted at all the work she had left to do. "But I can't do it alone. Will you help me?"
"Of course," the Avatar answered, smiling brightly.
"We'll be supporting your continued reforms from the United Republic," Katara clarified, taking her husband's arm.
"And we'll be at your side." Zuko joined them, and next to him, Mai nodded her agreement.
The gong sounded, and the Fire Lord led her friends onto the stage, to enthusiastic applause.
"This is a wonderful day in the history of the Fire Nation." Azula declared, once the cheering died down. "Avatar Aang and his wife Master Katara are with us to celebrate." He raised his hand to the crowd, acknowledging their cheers with a smile. Katara held her husband's hand. The Fire Lord went on, "I thank them for their presence among us, despite the suffering they endured here in the past. We are all grateful for their service to the Fire Nation in the rescue effort following the disaster at the Boiling Rock." She bowed to them, as low as she would to foreign monarchs.
The guards from the Boiling Rock were all arrayed on stage in a row, waiting to be recognized (all except Karai, who was no longer a colonel). Azula went down the line, giving each a pin and a salute, as Fire Sages declared each name. Raiden, though, was last, and received the highest commendation of them all.
When she stood before her love, Azula turned to the crowd and made the announcement herself. "For his bravery at the Boiling Rock, Captain Raiden is hereby promoted to Colonel." The crowd clapped as she pinned a star to his chest. "He also receives the Medal of the Blazing Heart."
He ducked his head a little, to allow her to place the ribbon around his neck. She smoothed it over his chest. Then her right hand trailed down his left arm, bringing his hand up between them, and she kissed his knuckles in front of everyone. His eyes burned with ardor when she met them over their joined hands. As she lowered his hand, she pressed something small, hard, and pointy into his palm, and closed his fingers over it. Then, blushing, she took a step back and bowed to him, a red stone glinting in her ear as she turned away.
Gathering herself, she proceeded to the next part of the ceremony.
"We look forward to a bright future in the Fire Nation. My brother, Prince Zuko, has returned to take his rightful place at my side." She raised her arm to present her long-lost sibling to their people. The crowd cheered again as he waved in proud acknowledgement of their greeting. Azula went on, including her old friend in the ceremony. "With the support of his wife, Lady Mai, he will restore honor to our country. Together, we will work to reverse the damage that our forefathers inflicted upon the world."
"Prince Zuko's daughter, my niece, will lead the Fire Nation into the next generation." Azula placed the little crown on the baby's head, then smoothed a finger over the girl's chubby cheek. "She will never know this country as it was, warmongering and hateful, except in the truthful histories she will read. Izumi II will inherit a nation in balance with the world, peaceful, prosperous, and generous."
Head Fire Sage Shyu stepped forward. "All hail the royal family!"
"All hail the royal family!" the crowd chanted in response, then erupted into cacophonous cheers.
After the ceremony, the Fire Lord's family and friends gathered in the royal residence for tea and refreshments.
Azula ensured that everyone was served, beginning with Raiden's parents. Iroh played the tsungi horn, while Chibi harmonized with a sitar. Zuko played a game of pai sho with Piandao. Ty Lee chatted with Naoki and Takeo; she was considering joining the royal guard. By the snack buffet, Katara and Aang told Joshu and Peony about their plans to build an Air Temple in the newly-named Republic City. Ursa and Noren cooed over baby Izumi. Kiyi was dabbing paints on a canvas.
"What's this, Kiyi?" Ty Lee asked the little girl, leaning over to see.
"A picture of all of us. I'm trying to capture the moment."
"That's very thoughtful of you," Raiden praised her.
The group clustered around the little girl to check out the depiction. The crude figures were only distinguishable by various signature objects or articles of clothing.
"Wait, why is my hair on fire?" Azula asked, looking over her sister's shoulder.
"That's your crown!" Kiyi explained.
"At least you don't look like a boar-q-pine! My hair is not that spiky!" Zuko interjected.
"I look like a man," Mai put in, arms crossed.
"Why did you paint me firebending?" Raiden wondered.
"I thought it looked more exciting that way!" Kiyi answered, not a bit put off by the criticisms of her art.
"Hey, my belly's not that big anymore. I've really slimmed down!" Iroh objected.
Ursa leaned over her daughter's painting, holding her granddaughter. Baby Izumi reached for the canvas with a giggle. "Well, little Zumi thinks it looks perfect!" the doting grandmother laughed.
Azula surveyed the scene with pride. Everyone she loved in one room, and it wouldn't be the last time, either. This is what they mean when they talk about harmony, she realized. Aang and the citizens of the new United Republic were right: freedom was worth fighting for. Father would have said that by agreeing to re-form the assembly she was giving up her freedom, but he was wrong. The freedom to oppress others was no freedom at all. She looked forward to handing over her power to an elected body when the time was right. By liberating her people from absolute monarchy, she would unshackle herself. Now, she was more free than she had ever been: free of her father, of her loneliness, of the worst of her own selfishness, of the need to hold back with the man she loved. She had conquered her own inner demons and was at peace with her former enemies, her element, and herself.
Satisfied, the Fire Lord stepped out to the balcony, where the sunset filled the sky with brilliant pink and orange.
Soon Raiden joined her. He stood at her side, looking out at the colors reflecting on the waters of the harbor. Together they surveyed the capital of the nation they would lead into a new age. Then they looked at each other, blushing self consciously at the matching antique ruby earrings they both wore, and everything they signified.
Raiden turned toward her, opening his arms. They fell into an embrace that recalled their warm friendship, the gentle dependence that had grown between them over months. She rested her head on his shoulder, savoring the feeling of his strong arms holding her.
Then she looked up to see him smiling softly at her. Letting go of her need to control things had brought her more joy than she had ever imagined. Love was like fire: it burned through her, now that she was done trying to force it, and she had never felt so alive.
There was no need for scrupulous restraint anymore; her captain loved her as she was, the lunatic daredevil. To him, she wasn't unworthy, she was a work in progress. How could anyone ever deserve such grace?
Azula raised herself onto her toes and pressed her lips to his. His heart leapt to meet hers, and it was as if their kiss created a crescendo of emotion inside them both. Raiden kissed her back with delighted fervor, with his hand cupping her cheek. Her arms wrapped around his waist, as he tilted his head, inviting her to deepen their embrace.
When the kiss ended, it was with a sense of completion. Their lips had told each other everything they needed to say.
Well, not quite, it seemed.
"You know I love you," Raiden murmured, looking earnestly into her eyes.
She sighed with contentment, breathing in his words to fuel her glowing embers, until a strong flame kindled inside her. "I do know. Thank you." She smiled up at him. "You know it, too." Her thumb and forefinger gently pinched the ruby on his earlobe.
Her captain pressed another kiss to her brow, before his arm folded around her shoulders, tucking her chin into his chest. She clasped him around the middle, as his cheek rested on the crown of her head. She could feel warmth from his heart spreading into hers, as if he were a firebender as well.
"There you are!"
The couple turned their heads toward the door back to the party, without letting go of each other completely. Mai was there, Izumi balanced on her hip. "We've been looking for you two. Zuko wants to make a toast."
Azula looked back up at Raiden, who nodded and released her from his arms. The small loss she felt as he put distance between their bodies was easily tolerable because he was right. It was time to go back in, to be with friends who would depart soon, and others who would remain with them; there would be endless days and years to explore these new sensations later. Hand in hand with her love, she rejoined her family.
Author's Note:
I would like to thank some people for their support of this story:
- A. D. Curtis, creator of this AU.
-my beta readers Cloud (Miss Truth), Ilvanya, and FeaganofLegends (PepperidgeFarmRemembers).
- faithful readers and Discord friends RMS and Bay, readers on fan fiction dot net ErichZahn, Yoyon586, and Serlecxk, and AO3 readers Kmikse, Scamper333, and Saltkaffe.
- and YOU! Thanks for following Azula through her evolution, Raiden through his constant belief in her, and me through my writing journey. I am grateful and humbled that you chose to give so much of your time to read such a long story and only hope it has been worth it to you.
Soundtrack:
I paired a song with some of the chapters of this story, creating a soundtrack. I chose the songs for their thematic resonance, fire imagery, or mood, sometimes ironically and sometimes seriously. As promised, here is the complete list of all of the songs. If you listen to the songs in this order, they are like an album that tells a story. Behind each title and artist I've listed the number of the complementary chapter in parentheses.
"One Way or Another" by Blondie - (7)
"Unwell" by Matchbox 20 - (18)
"This Girl Is On Fire" by Alicia Keys - (20)
"The Reason" by Hoobastank - (21)
"She's So High" by Tal Bachman - (28)
"Fight Song" by Rachel Platten - (33)
"You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift - (39, 51)
"You Say" by Lauren Daigle - (45)
"I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen - (50)
"Frankenstein" by Rina Sawayama - (52)
"Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon - (54)
"The Longest Time" by Billy Joel - (57)
"Love Me Like You Do" by Ellie Goulding - (59)
"Burned" by Grace VanderWaal - (60)
"Try" by Pink - (62)
"Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash - (66)
"All I Need Is a Miracle" by Mike + the Machine - (67)
"Just Give Me a Reason" by Pink - (69)
"You Are the Reason" by Callum Scott - (68)
"At Last" by Etta James - (70)
That's it! Completing and posting a story of this length is no small feat; it took over a year and a half! Please let me know what you think of the story as a whole, and its ending. I hope it's satisfying and fitting. Even if you're coming to this story years after its completion (in February 2024), I hope you'll drop a quick line to let me know that people are still reading and enjoying it!