Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: Their technological advancement and their gender equality.

Zigzagdoublezee: No, he shouldn't. But paranoia based on years of assumptions that every opportunity you get is just nepotism is a hell of a thing.

As Always, Please Review!

Yue blinked as she stepped back out into the sunlight, her eyes struggling to become accustomed to the light again. The courtyard of the southern air temple was still as hectic as it had been when she had left it.

It was like emerging from the world of the dead, the cold, dark, sterile hall full of still grey depictions of Avatars long gone, back to the land of the living, with its bright sunshine and the hubbub of people.

She closed her eyes and felt the sun on her face for a moment. It felt good.

"Yue! Rinzen!" She heard voices calling excitedly, and a moment later Sokka and Katara were dashing towards them.

"What happened?" Katara asked.

"Did you speak to him?" Sokka added.

"What did he say?"

"What was so important?"

"I did speak to him," Yue raised her voice slightly to be heard over the relentless questions. "Do you know what the Great Comet is?"

Sokka and Katara exchanged looks.

"Is that good, or...?"

"For the Fire Nation," Yue frowned. "It'll give them a huge power boost to their Firebending unless we can stop them before it comes."

"Please tell me it's not due for years," Sokka said. But Yue could only shake her head.

"It's due in a few months."

"Great," Sokka threw his hands up. "No pressure then. Why does everything have to be so difficult?"

He sighed.

"I suppose that means we'd better get going. Time is of the essence."

"Yes we should," Rinzen spoke for the first time. "There's something I should probably tell you once we're in the air."

"Ooh, a secret," Katara grinned. "Can't wait."

They had begun winding their way through the crowd towards Gembul, who raised his head as they approached.

"Looking forward to getting home again?" Yue asked.

Both of them nodded.

"There was a point back in the North Pole when I wondered if I ever would. Mother and Gran-gran must be worried sick," Katara said. "It'll be good to see them and put their minds at ease."

"I'm not looking forward to the massive battle though," Sokka added.

"Who is?" Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Fair."

"We can't put it off any further though," Rinzen said. "The Fire Nation will be coming whether we like it or not. We have to be ready."

Yue hoped that they were. She was not confident.

Firelord Ozai glowered down from his throne towards the man kneeling below him. The man's hands and feet were chained, and his once rich uniform had been stripped of its markers of rank. Every time he moved, Ozai could see him wince with pain- apparently the man had taken an arrow to the back in the line of duty in the Earth Kingdom. But that wasn't why he was here. The Firelord leaned forwards and fixed him with a piercing stare.

"General Kaito," he said. "You stand here accused of dereliction of duty. Would you mind explaining to me precisely what you were thinking turning your army around like that?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Kaito pleaded. "It was the Avatar! She tricked me!"

"Did she now?" Ozai asked, raising an eyebrow.

On one side of the room, his daughter Azula stood cloaked in shadow, watching the display impassively. Her face gave away so little that Ozai wasn't sure if she was even blinking. On the other side, facing her with Kaito in between them, stood Prince Iroh, and his son Lu Ten. They glanced between them, looking unsure.

"And just how, exactly, did she do that?"

"She broke a surrender agreement! I was on my way to deliver her to you and she had her allies shoot me in the back and spirit her away!"

Ozai had heard all about this, of course. What kind of ruler would he be if he didn't embed spies in all his armies to send him updates about what his generals were doing? A careless one, certainly.

"And what did you promise her in exchange for her surrender?"

Kaito swallowed.

"Safe passage for refugees."

"And...?"

Another swallow.

"And for our army to stop attacking an Earth Kingdom fort, sparing the men inside."

The flames suddenly leapt up around him, nearly turning blue from the intensity of his rage.

"THE FORT THAT WAS ON THE ROAD TO BA SING SE!"

Kaito fell backwards, cowed and terrified, as Ozai confined his rant.

"She took you for a fool!" He said. "She lied to you, told you what you wanted to hear, said what she needed to say to give our enemies an advantage in this war. She did that because that's what we did in the North Pole! And you believed her! Why? I can only assume because you wanted to! You were seduced by the promise of what I might give you if you returned to me with the Avatar."

He leaned forwards.

"Know this, General. There will be no pensions for you. No medals of gallantry, no peerages, no country estates and no dukedoms. You jeopardised our war effort for selfish, personal gain, and you will pay the price."

Kaito struggled back up again, his face contorted with pain from the arrow wound, and with terror.

"Please," he begged. "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry isn't good enough," Ozai sneered.

"Wait!"

Suddenly Lu Ten was rushing in front of him, bowing deeply and urgently.

"I beg mercy," he said quickly.

"You presume to tell me what to do?"

"I do not presume anything," Lu Ten continued, bowing even deeper. "I merely ask you to consider an alternative course of action."

Ozai sat back.

"Alright," he said. "Make your case."

"If we are to rule," Lu Ten said, "We cannot do it through fear alone. We must be seen to be just. Otherwise our enemies will simply grow to resent us, and pounce the moment we show weakness."

"And what does this have to do with him?"

"He has not done anything to deserve a drastic punishment," Lu Ten said. "His mistake was caused by incompetence; not treason."

Behind him, Kaito scowled.

"Besides, he's a member of the nobility," Lu Ten pointed out. "He owns a dragon. If we do anything unwise, we could make enemies within our own country."

"And if we do, we shall simply crush them," a new voice entered the conversation. Azula stalked forwards.

"If we show mercy," she said, "we will come across as weak. Friend and foe alike must know that we will punish any opposition firmly and ruthlessly."

"A self-defeating idea," Lu Ten said firmly.

"On the contrary, it is the only way to secure success," Azula replied. "This man prioritised his own career over the war effort. Had he not done so, our armies may have been closer to Ba Sing Se by now. He has extended the war, and condemned who knows how many extra people to suffer and die as a consequence."

She turned back to address Ozai.

"Decisive action is needed. Kaito failed to provide it, but we can. We must. To send a message if nothing else."

"What kind of message?" Lu Ten demanded.

"A message that nothing less than total aggression from our generals will do," Azula sneered at him. "He must be made an example of."

She turned to face Kaito, giving him a cold stare. Ozai saw terror flicker across the man's face, and felt utter contempt for him.

"To encourage the others."

Ozai was impressed.

"You make a compelling argument, my daughter," he said. "You are wise, and will make a fine stateswoman."

The corner of Azula's lip flickered upwards, which was her equivalent of beaming with pride, and then she bowed deeply.

"I shall heed your advice," he said. Then he turned back to address Kaito.

"You have brought shame to the Fire Nation," he said. "And for that, you must die."

Kaito went pale. "No!" He shouted. "Please! I only wish to serve you!"

"You only wish to serve yourself," Ozai said coldly. "Take him away. I will deal with him later."

"Aren't we going to do it now?" Azula asked, disappointment clear in her voice.

Ozai shot her a look.

"Of course not," he said. "The cleaners have enough to deal with already without trying to get ashes out of that carpet. My grandfather paid a lot of money for it."

Guards came forwards, and picked Kaito up under the arms. As they dragged him away, Lu Ten retreated back to where he had been standing before, a peculiar look on his face. He had been defeated. Azula had emerged on top. Ozai was not blind, he knew the two of them were fighting over who should be his new heir, and Azula had taken a step towards the prize today.

Still, there was a long way to go. And Ozai was sure that he could exploit their competition in a big way somehow. Their desire for his approval would make them the perfect attack dogs. All he would need to do was find a suitable target for them.

He smiled grimly, his mind already getting to work, and then the wall of flames rose around him again, veiling his face in shadow.