Chapter 32 - A Most Magnificent Sunrise

~In which… Behold, the Power of Red Bull! Plots and plans of clash together. Things seem to go right, only for many other things to go catastrophically wrong. And altogether, North Pole Campaign ends on an explosive note that would surely be remembered for decades to come, and not at all misremembered. ~

[The Royal Palace Courtyard, Agna Qel'a]

"Perfect. Just… perfect."

Zhao's reverent tone of voice echoed across the ruined city's air, mingling with the acrid scent of smoke that still lingered.

He had come to the battlefield in full parade dress- Fire Nation red and black, the brass trim polished to a golden gleam, and a grand red cape fluttering behind him as he strode up the bloodied, scorched path to the courtyard. Behind him, the city lay broken under the moon and stars, scattered fires still raging in the wake of the siege they had barely survived. His eyes were shut and he was inhaling deeply- like a man savoring spring blossoms only he could smell and straining his ears to listen to a sublime piece of music only he could hear.

The 1st Squad and I let the Grand Admiral have his moment.

"How so, Zhao?" My voice rumbled low, gifting him the question he so clearly wanted to hear.

His smile stretched wide, the corners of his mouth nearly meeting his thick, voluminous sideburns, and he began telling his story. "It has all the elements of a thrilling epic, you see. A beleaguered division of brave Fire Nation soldiers… outnumbered and besieged by a horde of Water Tribe savages!"

His amber eyes swept over my battle-hardened 41st Division. Red plated armour scuffed and dented from our battle with the 10,000; but their armoured grip was still tight around their guandao glaives. Still strong despite fighting an entire nation by our lonesome.

And winning too, I might add.

"Then!" Zhao swept his grand red cape aside with a dramatic flourish. "The hero appears, leading an Armada greater than anything the Four Nations had ever laid eyes upon! The craven savages cower before such a grand display of naval might. And naturally, like the elephant-rats they are, they resort to assassination- aiming to end our brave hero's life in the eve before battle. And yet, even that is foiled, by their own bumbling incompetence no less!"

He threw his head back in a hearty guffaw. Behind me, Princess Yue simply kept her head bowed. The snowy-haired princess knew better than to protest, though I could sense her quiet grief for her home city that had refused to listen to her warnings.

Zhao just kept laughing triumphantly, too lost in his own triumph to pay mind to the princess' presence, much less her somber mood. He pressed on, his voice thick with theatrical zeal. "Fearlessly undeterred by the failed assassination attempt, the hero rallies his forces, leading them into battle in the name of the Fire Nation!" He swept a dramatic arm across the devastation surrounding us. "Battle, glorious battle, is waged as the valiant hero's troops unite! Their valor, discipline, and raw ferocity shine as they crush the savages once and for all! The ash settles, the smoke clears... and silence reigns. Then, a cry goes out! VICTORY!"

Zhao thrust his fist to the sky, and his amber eyes expectantly looked to us for a response. And we obliged, thrusting armoured fists up and echoing the call. The shout rippled through the streets, reverberating off the crumbling buildings, until it spread across the entire city, reaching every Fire Nation soldier, rallying them once more.

"VICTORY! VICTORY!"

Before he could continue, a small voice pierced the air.

"Papa!"

I turned just in time to see a blur of pink hair as Anya sprinted toward me, a flapping red cape trailing behind her as she raced to me on her tiny legs. I dropped to one knee and swept her up in my arms, her laughter bubbling as she wrapped herself tightly around my neck. "Anya missed you sooo much!" she said, squeezing the metal tight.

The admiral paused, his gaze softening as it fell upon my adoptive maniac-daughter, still clinging to my neck, her small arms wrapped around me tightly. His smile widened fondly, "Ah, and even a heartwarming reunion between father and daughter. The perfect emotional touch to round out the tale. I couldn't have scripted a better story for my greatest victory if I tried! Surely, The Epic of Zhao the Magnificent will be remembered for ages to come!"

Another figure followed.

Yor stepped into view, moving with the quiet grace of a shadow. The gleam of her brass-plated stiletto daggers caught the faint moonlight, stark against the sleek black of her form-fitting dress. Her red eyes, soft yet sharp, flicked between me and Anya before finally settling on mine. A small smile touched her lips.

"I'm glad you're safe, dear." she murmured.

"Yor," I greeted her, still cradling Anya in one arm. "Glad to see you and Anya made it here safely too. It looks like Anya enjoyed the trip, I trust that she behaved herself?"

As much as a smiling war criminal could, at least.

"Anya was a good girl!" The little girl cheered, "Ate all my meat and caught lots of traitors!"

Ah, yes. Of course, she would have a sizable body count just from the trip here.

"Yes, she was a very capable little inquisitor." Zhao chuckled before nodding to Yor. "And of course, Miss Yor was also instrumental in exterminating the Water Tribe elephant-rats that had snuck aboard."

"They tried to take Anya." came the quiet whisper from Yor, her mask of a loving mother momentarily slipping off to reveal the coldly murderous master assassin.

"It was scary!" Anya nodded emphatically. But just as quickly, her face brightened. "But Mama poked holes in them! And Anya made the rest into shooting stars! We definitely got them to the moon!"

The admiral nodded easily. "Quite, the Fire Lord will be most pleased to hear how well his… adoptive granddaughter performed during the siege. And you, Commander- you played your part as well." His mouth quirked into a joking smirk, "Barely held it together before I arrived, didn't you?"

"You gave us quite the task, Grand Admiral, but we managed." I let out a low chuckle. "For a while, I thought you and the entire Armada had decided to take the scenic route."

Zhao barked a laugh, jabbing my arm lightly. "Ah, but that's what makes it dramatic, Khan! You know history loves a little suspense. Especially on the eve of a great victory." He straightened, still riding the battle high, amber eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Then his gaze flickered past me, settling on the brown-toned figure of Princess Yue. No longer a prisoner- at least, not in chains, more of a reluctant ally now. Her bright blue eyes cautious yet resigned. His tone shifted, taking on something more measured.

"So, you're the Princess of the Water Tribe?" he asked.

Yue dipped her head low, the long, snow white curtain of her hair brushing against her purple parka. "Y-yes, Grand Admiral," she stammered as she bowed low, just as I had instructed her to do.

Zhao nodded approvingly. "By order of the Fire Lord, you and your father will be visiting the Royal Palace to clarify the roles of your people. Once we depart, you are to accompany us to the Fire Islands for a full debriefing before the War Council."

"I… it would be the greatest honour to have an audience with the Fire Lord." She replied with a touch of hesitation. A personal summons with the Fire Lord was unexpected. Not ideal, but manageable.

"Oh, don't be concerned," Zhao said, his voice dripping with faux empathy. "It is clear that the commander has made your role in this conflict clear- just as he had done with his Kyoshi Warriors, and all those Earth noble girls. You will not be mistreated. In fact, you'll find yourself hosted at Khan's estate- the first foreign dignitary in decades. Rather than concerned, you should be grateful!"

Her eyes flickered toward the smoldering remains of her city, lingering there for just a moment. "Th-thank you for your kindness, Grand Admiral Zhao."

"Think nothing of it," Zhao said smoothly.

I lowered Anya to her feet and gave her a nod. "Anya, Yor. Kindly escort the princess back to the flagship. Make her comfortable for the trip to the Fire Islands while we secure the battlefield."

Yue glanced up at me, her big blue eyes searching for reassurance. I met her gaze with a brief nod. A personal visit to Fire Lord Ozai was unexpected, but for now, she'd be far safer aboard the Zhao's over-armoured flagship- away from the active war zone and any last-ditch resistance. Leaving her in the two battle-hungry maniacs' care was, oddly enough, the safest option. Also the cleanest. I'd rather not have Anya running loose in the city, looking for 'fun.'

"Papa has a waterbender friend?" Anya asked, tilting her head with wide-eyed curiosity as she studied the princess who was glancing at me with uncertainty. Then, as if arriving at a big realisation, she beamed. "Ah, Anya understands now! You're like Suki and Joon and mama! Then you're gonna love Grandpa Ozzy! He's the nicest and bestest Fire Lord in the whole Fire Nation!"

The little pink-haired girl tugged at the princess' parka-dress.

"Come on, Princess Y'way! Lemme show you the rooms, they're super nice!"

"I'd be honoured to, Miss Anya." Yue smiled hesitantly but allowed herself to be gently pulled along by Anya, who was already brimming with excitement.

Anya and Yor gave me one last smile as they walked off with the Princess in tow, accompanied by a sizable contingent of Fire Nation soldiers. And as they did, They passed just as a figure approached- a man whose presence carried a weight far beyond the battlefield.

General Iroh.

His red cloak billowed around his rotund frame, but rather than seeming weak, it only seemed to grant an air of aged wisdom about him, like some wandering hermit sage. His golden eyes locked onto me as soon as he caught sight of me. This was the first time we had met in person, but it seemed that I was already of interest to him. For good or ill.

Zhao smiled hospitably. "Commander, you know General Iroh, the Dragon of the West." He gestured to our local military celebrity with an easy smile. "He's been acting as my military advisor these past few weeks."

"An honour to finally meet the Dragon of the West." My skull helm atop my armoured form tilted in a polite nod.

Iroh returned me a polite smile, but his eyes were sharp despite the casual nature of his greeting. "The honour is all mine. Of course, who hasn't heard of the infamous Giant of the Fire Nation?" He paused, his gaze settling on the eye slits of my skull helm, then added with a measured tone, "And also the creator of that 'Red Bull tea' that's become quite popular with the men."

I nodded. "Technically, it's not a true tea, but it does seem to have a remarkable effect on their fighting ability. Wouldn't you agree, General?"

Reputation check failed!

-55/75 Reputation Required with {Iroh}

R

Yes, that certainly did not sound like approval for my drink. Likely a mix of the wanton destruction, the potential spread of such power, and the fact that I had dared to lump Red Bull into the same category as his beloved brews. Moreover, Iroh was a 'Grand Lotus' of the White Lotus, the same ancient order that enshrined philosophy, beauty, and truth as their core tenets. Whereas I was an unwavering adherent for action, function, and warfare- or in other words, actually getting things done. So, we were always going to be at odds, if not on an ideological level, then over...

"Prince Zuko," I asked, aiming for a casual tone, "did he participate in the assault?"

It wasn't the most pressing matter, but I was curious.

Zhao, however, was quick to answer with a frown. "No, I've forbidden him from setting foot in Agna Qel'a. Despite his word not to interfere, Zuko is... too willful and impulsive."

"A shame," I said thoughtfully. "I would have liked to meet him."

"Is there something you wish to discuss with my nephew, Commander Khan?" Iroh politely asked, but with just the slightest hint of suspicion. It would seem that my violent reputation precedes me once again.

"Only to make sure there are no hard feelings over my engagement to his sister."

Iroh's brow briefly furrowed, but after a pause, he gave a small smile, mollified. "In that case, I'd be delighted to introduce you to Zuko over a cup of tea, Commander."

"I look forward to it, General…" I nodded.

For being amenable to talking things over with his nephew…

{Iroh} Reputation: -55 - -15

It would seem he greatly valued diplomacy- and coddling his nephew. That could only work in my favor. Zuko was sitting at around -70 Reputation at the moment, and there wasn't much incentive to swing that into the positives. The exiled prince had little in the way of connections, resources or any practical reason for me beyond mere politeness. Worse still, with his hot-headed disposition, earning his goodwill would take a disproportionate amount of effort. But Iroh? He was calm, open-minded, and well-connected. As expected of White Lotus leadership.

Still, the matter of Zuko, Iroh, and general diplomacy could wait. First, we had to formally wrap up this arctic campaign.

I nodded to Zhao. "Grand Admiral, the situation developed too rapidly to dispatch a messenger hawk for this last report. My unit intercepted and neutralized the 10,000-strong Water Tribe army in the tundra 36 hours ago. We now hold the surrounding area."

Zhao's head snapped toward me, amber eyes widening in genuine surprise, much to my confusion. "Wait, an army of 10,000?" he echoed. "I haven't received any reports about such a force. In fact, I haven't received any reports from your 41st Division since your successful sneak attack."

"But… I've been sending you regular reports. I even received direct orders to engage and destroy them." Handing him the curtly written letter, I added, "It bears your seal, Zhao."

"Give me that." He snatched the paper from my armored hand, muttering as his eyes scanned the words. "I don't recall issuing this order… or writing this letter." His brow furrowed, confusion tightening his features before it gave way to angered realization. The paper crumpled in his fist as his expression darkened, the weight of his words settling over us. Someone had been intercepting and forging orders.

"It would seem there is a traitor in the fleet," Iroh said at last, his voice calm but weighted. "Deceptions like these never stay hidden forever."

"We'll deal with that in due time." Zhao promised, his voice regaining its edge before forcing his focus back to the present. "But for now, in terms of the Water Tribe capital, everything is accounted for... except for one thing."

General Iroh nodded gravely. "The Avatar."

"Yes…." Zhao fixed his sharp eyes on me. "Commander, do you have any recent intel on the airbender?"

I cast a quick glance back at the Lieutenant and the 1st Squad before answering, my voice low and steady. "We have no confirmation of the Avatar himself since our initial infiltration and engagement with him." I told the now frowning admiral, "Last confirmed sighting of the Avatar's assets was earlier this afternoon. His sky bison and one of his Water Tribe companions were spotted two leagues north, extracting his... girl. My 1st Squad and I pursued them all the way and inflicted minor injuries on his mount, noticeably slowing its movements, but they ultimately evaded capture."

"His bison's slowed, good." He said, his grand red cape billowing as he turned around to scan the smoking cityscape of white and blue ice. "You didn't conduct recon of the city after your first assault, Commander?"

"We did. Six days ago," My skull helm nodded. "I sent a scout team to infiltrate the city with the objective of acquiring intel on the Avatar's whereabouts. However, they were unable to obtain a positive ID on the Avatar or any actionable intelligence before they were forced to exfiltrate from your Armada's bombardment. Both his presence and his fighting ability cannot be conclusively confirmed nor denied. At most, I can provide a report of where in the city he wasn't."

"So, the airbender has already escaped?" Zhao hummed in disappointment, turning sharply, his grand red cape billowing as his gaze swept across the smoking cityscape of white and blue ice.

"We have no confirmation of that," I clarified. "His bison has been injured again, and we have no visual confirmation of it flying from Agna Qel'a. The possibility that the resistance built him a boat and slipped out under cover of night, is present. But based on the timeline, I believe the Avatar is likely to still be here in the city. Hiding like a snow rat."

"Not good enough."

But before Zhao could spiral further into frustration, General Iroh spoke up. "Your lieutenant is already leading the search, Grand Admiral. The men are conducting a house-to-house sweep as we speak. If he's here, we'll find him."

Zhao's gaze darkened, his jaw tightening as he mulled over Iroh's words. He exhaled sharply. "That damned airbender has slipped through my grasp too many times for me to be content with a simple sweep of the city," he muttered, then turned abruptly to a nearby officer. "Alert every ship in the Armada. If they spot that flying bison, they are to shoot it down immediately- with extreme prejudice. And while you're there, have my entire communications staff detained. I want to know who has been intercepting my correspondence."

The officer snapped a salute and bolted. General Iroh's golden eyes tracked his retreat through the city with the faintest flicker of concern, no doubt worried that Zuko was going to get caught in the mess as he has a tendency of doing.

Reputation check succeeded!

100/80 Reputation Required with {Zhao}

R

Zhao sighed, but we both knew the Avatar wasn't the priority anymore. He had a much bigger prize in mind. "Khan," he murmured, almost as if speaking to himself, "of all the soldiers I've served with, you're the only one I could ever call a friend. There is one final act that must be done- something to elevate my story from a legend to the legend, and I want you to bear witness to it. Come with me."

Without another word, the Grand Admiral strode past me, his great red cape billowing behind him. And we followed.

Killing the Moon Spirit. That's what he meant.

My lips pressed into a tight line beneath my skull helm as I glanced up at the moon, nearly full, its cold light stretching over the battlefield. Then, down to the city- its white-blue streets now marked with streaks of Fire Nation red. Beyond it, the armada loomed over the horizon, an unshakable shadow of conquest. If Zhao succeeded, the world would begin its slow, moonless death. And it was up to me to stop him.

No one knew it yet, but every life- every soul across this world- now hung in the balance.

I stole a glance at Zhao. His jaw was clenched beneath his thick grey sideburns, fists tight at his sides. His amber eyes burned with the conviction of a man who believed, without question, that he was on the precipice of fulfilling his destiny. Fully prepared- no, determined- to see it through, no matter the cost.

In other words, a complete maniac.

A complete maniac who also happened to consider me to be his closest friend, possibly the only person in this damned city he'd listen to. But it was possible that the power of friendship may not be enough. Zhao's ambition was too great, too volatile. One wrong word, and it would all unravel- the moon, then the world, then everything. So, if words were to fail, then…

Through the slits of my skull helm, I met eyes with the Lieutenant. Her amethyst eyes held my gaze for a heartbeat before giving an imperceptible nod, her grip tightening around her glaive. Her ostrich-horse let out a quiet trill- subtle, but enough. A signal for the rest of the squad to prepare for combat.

They were ready, but the risk was still so very great.

Around the Royal Palace and through the Moon Door, we marched- following the Grand Admiral purposeful, almost impatient, strides. Behind us, a few more soldiers fell into step, turning our small group into a quiet procession of Fire Nation red.

Snowy ground gave way to soft green grass as we entered the Spirit Oasis.

1st Squad kept their eyes forward, having already passed through this place multiple times. But Zhao's two dozen soldiers- newcomers to this sacred ground- were less composed. Their helmets tilted this way and that as they took in the impossible sight before them: green grass rustling beneath their boots, wildflowers blooming defiantly, a towering waterfall crashing into the pond below and the sheer surprise of feeling warm air in the middle of the arctic. The canyon walls of ice and rock loomed high around us, enclosing the sanctuary in a world of its own. Above, the rising path led away into the Polar Wastes, where the rest of the 41st Division and the barbarian clans were currently processing the fleeing citizens.

The Grand Admiral barely glanced at any of those, instead he strode right to the heart of the oasis: to where a still pond lay.

In the water, two koi circled- one black, one white.

Zhao stopped right at the water's edge, his amber eyes locked onto the swimming forms as he gave his backstory just like he did in canon Avatar: How he was a Lieutenant serving under General Shu when he came across an 'unnamed underground library,' how he found the mortal identities of the Moon and Ocean Spirits, and how...

"…I knew it was my destiny to find and kill the Moon Spirit."

"Zhao, the spirits are not to be trifled with!" General Iroh immediately protested, gold eyes wide with shock that anyone would even consider what Zhao was planning.

Good. Iroh was playing his role perfectly- the voice of opposition. I would take a different approach. If Zhao thought I was on his side, maybe he'd listen to me.

Of course, Zhao didn't listen, already reaching into his cloak to pull out… The Sack. A simple grey burlap sack, rough and unassuming. In hindsight, it just showed how utterly mad Zhao was. He had been planning to steal one-half of the very essence of Balance from the world… and stuff the damn thing in a sack. What was even more maddening was that I knew it would work. With a maniacal gleam in his eyes, he poised it over the Spirit Oasis where the two black and white koi fish- the mortal forms of the Moon and Ocean- continued their eternal circling dance. And before anyone could react, Zhao's fingers closed around the Moon Spirit, and he yanked it from the holy waters, stuffing it violently into the burlap sack.

Immediately, the moon above turned from a radiant silver into an unsettling shade of bright red, bathing the sky and the whole world in its unnatural crimson light.

My heart hammered in my chest.

Timing. It was everything. Too early and I'm pronounced a traitor- destroying everything I've worked for… along with an enduring threat of this happening again. Too late and… well, I forced myself to focus on the now.

Zhao held the wiggling burlap sack aloft like a trophy.

"Let it go, Zhao!" General Iroh shouted, dropping into an offensive Firebending stance- arms raised, feet apart, and a fierce expression on his wrinkled, bearded face.

Zhao casually levelled his unimpressed expression at him. "General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?" His voice dripped with disappointment. "I suppose it was you who intercepted my correspondence with the commander?"

Behind him, his entourage of soldiers moved in unison, shifting into their [Firebending Style: Modern Azulon] stances, bodies poised like drawn war bows- ready to be loosed. But the Dragon of the West did not so much as glance at them, his glare remained locked onto Zhao. "The Fire Nation needs the moon too, Zhao!" His voice rose, " We all depend on balance!"

Zhao's eyes narrowed, but he held his ground. His fist hovered, still poised to lance a firebolt through that wiggling Sack.

Iroh took a step forward, face scrunched with anger. "Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you tenfold!" His teeth bared as his voice rose to a thunder, "LET. IT. GO!"

Zhao hesitated, rattled by the legendary general's threat, but kept his fist was still poised to burn the sack. A tightly wound length of silence followed, ready to snap. And in it, his eyes turned toward me, looking for something- approval, support, validation. And for the first time, I saw it. The part of him that doubted. The part that feared his only friend would stand with Iroh and condemn him. He was balancing on a blade's edge, caught between the growing mania of standing on the cusp of greatness and the desperate need for someone- anyone- to understand him.

So, I did neither.

"This is a trap, Zhao!" I blurted out, "A trick to make you throw away everything you've worked for. Don't let yourself get tricked into harming the spirit! Don't let them ruin you!"

His amber eyes widened with confusion, clearly not expecting that. I hadn't appealed to his patriotism, nor to his non-existent care for the world, nor had I threatened his life; instead, I gave him something far more terrifying- the fear of losing his legacy.

Reputation check succeeded!

100/75 Reputation Required with {Zhao}

R

"But how can it be a trap?!" His voice trembled with uncertainty, the first cracks in his confidence appearing. He raised that grey sack higher, "Look at me! I am a Legend! The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the Great Zhao who darkened the moon! They will call me Zhao the Conqueror! Zhao the Moonslayer! Zhao the Invincible!"

"And they will! They already are," I reassured him, "Here you stand, holding the Moon in your hand- in your mercy. You've won! You've already risen to a rank that few could only dream of, commanded the greatest fleet in history, and taken the Water Tribe capital so effortlessly that people would speak of you for centuries! You're not that lieutenant anymore, grasping at shadows. You're the Grand Admiral Zhao! A living legend whose story they'll tell for generations to come with awe and envy! You've reached the zenith, but now they're trying to goad you into taking one more step… right off your rightfully earned pedestal! Don't fall for it, Zhao!"

He stared at the Sack in his hand, visibly torn between his manic obsession and the fear of losing everything. "But… it's not enough! All my victories, all my battles- they won't matter unless I do this! The Moon Spirit… I have to kill it. I have to destroy the Water Tribe." He looked at me, despite his own words, afraid that I was right, and pleaded desperately, "Khan, this can't be a trick! I found this knowledge in the desert myself. This is my plan to seize my destiny! No one else's!"

I took tentative steps towards him, arms opened and palms up in a friendly gesture, as if I was to catch him should he fall. At this distance, I could definitely stop him if he tried, but I wasn't letting myself rest just yet.

"Yes, you already have seized your destiny. You have it in that sack right there, being tricked into destroying it yourself!"

I tied his legacy to the survival of the Moon Spirit, and now, he fell silent. His arm wavering, the Sack lowering and raising ever so slightly as he fought with himself. But still, he couldn't see how it was hubris.

"The tides, Zhao." I blurted out.

He blinked in confusion. "Tides?"

I clung to my argument, "Yes! The Moon controls the tides! You're the Grand Admiral, Zhao. What do you think will happen to the Fire Nation's fleets? To your legacy as the greatest admiral in Fire Nation history if you were to remove the tides?!"

Reputation check succeeded!

100/100 Reputation Required with {Zhao}

R

He froze, staring at me as the realisation struck him. The consequences of the road he had been about to take began to sink in. "The tides… the ships… my Armada…" His voice faltered, and his amber eyes widened. "The tides! Of course, I- What was I thinking? The Fire Nation… everything I've built…"

Hurriedly, with shaking hands, Zhao knelt down beside the Spirit Oasis, fumbling with the burlap sack. His breath came in shallow, panicked gasps, and for a moment I thought he might drop the sack entirely. With trembling fingers, he pulled the opening wide.

We all watched, breathless, as the Moon Spirit slipped free from the sack, swirling back into the pool with grace, its silvery form shimmering under the water. The red light in the sky faded, slowly, like a wound healing. The moon, pale and full once more, hung in the sky as if the horror had never happened.

Relief flooded through me, through Zhao- through all of us.. I steadied the man, subtly putting distance between him and the pond just in case.

[Quest - The Admiral's Moment of Triumph] Completed!

Main Objective: Ensure the Fire Nation wins the Siege of the Northern Water Tribe… without dooming the world.

Sub-Objective #1: Secure a formal declaration of surrender from the Northern Water Tribe

Sub-Objective #2: Stop Zhao from killing the Moon Spirit

Secondary Objective: Convince Zhao to willingly give up on his goal of killing the Moon Spirit.

Rewards:

Large bonus exp

[Moon Blessed] No, it's not a dummy-thicc Moon Goddess flashing you her ass. While under direct moonlight, gain increasing bonus stats, up to 20%. Bonus is reset if moonlight is obstructed

Secondary Rewards:

Large bonus exp

Large Reputation increase with the {Firelord Ozai}

Large Reputation increase with the {Fire Nation}

Legendary Item x 1

R

(Legendary) [The Horadric Sack]

A simple, worn grey burlap sack that still remembers when it held the Moon in its confines. The touch of the primordial still lingers in its threads. By placing various items or materials inside, the sack can break its contents down into its constituent essences, or meld their essences together into something new- sometimes even greater than the sum of its parts.

R

Sparing a glance at the sack now in my hand- the same one Zhao had used on the Moon Spirit- I securely stored it away in my [Inventory]. Depending on how versatile it was, this could either be the greatest item in my arsenal… or my most useless. There was going to be a lot of experimentation in the near future.

For now, I turned back to Zhao, resting a hand on his shoulder, and smiled under my helm. "You did it, Zhao."

He let out a slow breath, nodded. "That was… a close one, Khan." His voice was quiet, almost disbelieving. "I had forgotten about the tides."

"I'm glad you realized it in time," I told him honestly. "And by the way, in my opinion, 'Zhao the Magnificent' was your best one."

We shared a laugh- a moment's respite.

And then the canyon lit up in an unnatural, searing blue.

A high-pitched hiss cut through the air, followed by a streak of azure flames. Before I could react, they struck the white koi fish—the Moon Spirit. My heart dropped like a stone as a sickening hiss of steam rose from the pond. And from above, another manic voice echoed.

"The tides do not command me!"

I snapped my head up. Azula stood on a rocky ledge above us, a vicious triumphant grin stretched across her sharp features. Her golden eyes burned with frenzied satisfaction, her manicured fingertips still smoking from the attack.

"Azula...?!" The name caught in my throat. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be in the Imperial City. Imprisoned. Locked away. Not here. Not now.

"Niece, what have you done?!" Iroh's voice shook with disbelief, his golden eyes wide as her apparent betrayal hit him. But the shock quickly gave way to fury. He straightened, fists clenched, his entire body radiating righteous anger. He roared, his voice shaking the very air around us, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Azula's golden eyes gleamed with cold pride as she descended slowly from her perch."I've done what none of you had the strength to do," she said, her voice dripping with venom, more manic than Zhao could ever be. Her gaze flicked between us, full of scorn. "Too blind. Too cowardly to seize true power. Letting something as trivial as the tides command you- pathetic."

"My legacy!" Zhao shouted frantically, his eyes wide and desperate before he pointed to Azula. "Men, seize her! Clap her in irons and- ... Men?"

His voice faltered as his soldiers didn't move against the princess. Instead, they shifted, and in a heartbeat, they turned- fire igniting in their palms, their stances hard and poised to strike. At us.

"What are you doing?" Zhao's frantic gaze flickered between his soldiers and Azula. But these clearly weren't his men anymore. How long had they been in Azula's service? How long had they been waiting, biding their time, ready to betray him the moment she gave the command? But Zhao was still panicking- in denial even- as he shouted angrily at them. "I am your Grand Admiral! You serve me!"

"I don't believe they do, admiral." Azula's twisted smile widened.

"No, no, no!" I dropped to my knees, scooping up the mangled Moon Spirit in my armoured hands. Azure flames burned hotter than normal flame. The entire midsection of the koi fish was simply gone, its light fading. Ash blackening the pristine, holy waters where the Ocean Spirit darted around in panic. I could hear the faint sounds of the earth sighing beneath us, felt the tremor in the ground as if the world itself recoiled in horror at what had just been done. A suffocating silence followed- a silence that felt like the entire world loosed its last breath in terror.

... And above us, the moon simply winked out, like an eye closing forever.

"Hahaha! Forget the Avatar!" Azula's maddened, triumphant laughter rang out as the world plunged into an unnatural shadow, deep and colourless. "For in my father's name, I have conquered the Moon, the Water Tribe and Waterbending- for all eternity! The Avatar will NEVER master the four elements ever again!"

My throat tightened. The metaphorical tidal wave of what Azula had just done crashed over me.

The moon was gone. The world was dying.

But there was no time to grieve, no time to process the horror. I wasn't about to let it end here. Not like this. I shook myself from my stupor, adrenaline roaring through my veins, and through the oppressive darkness, my furious bellow cut the air.

"41st Division! WE HAVE TRAITORS!"

Against Azula's squads, my 1st Squad stood, dark greatcoats sweeping through the colourless gloom. Sharpened glaives gleamed in their hands. The ground trembled as mighty talons of ostrich-horses stomped. Massive beaked maws yawned open as they loosed roaring honks, full of rage and full of hunger.

And so, under this moonless sky, on this dying world, Fire Nation set upon Fire Nation.

In a darkened cellar somewhere within the city, Aang's eyes opened, glowing like twin moons reborn, ancient and furious. And amidst Sokka's protests, Aang stepped out of their hiding place.

The city trembled.

For the spirit of the world- the hundreds of lifetimes bound within the Avatar- will not let this trespass go unanswered.

{Zhao} has joined your party!

R

"Zhao! Run, dammit!" My deep voice bellowed as we tore through the wrecked city, leaving behind the echoing roar of the battle. "My 1st Squad can handle them and the Kyoshi Warriors should be on their way as well! We need to get Yue- she's the only one who can revive the Moon!"

My armoured, seven foot-tall frame clutched the pot in my arms, the remnants of the Moon Spirit sloshing inside with some [Spirit Oasis Water] as we leaped over fallen ice walls and dashed through the remnants of destroyed houses. Snow mixed with ash, along with some scent of peanuts, whipped past us. The coastal walls where the ships were grew closer, but not fast enough.

"The Water Tribe princess? Her?!" Zhao shot back with a look of disbelief, his great red cape billowing behind him.

"Yes! And we need to move quickly, or we may lose the entire Armada to the Ocean Spirit!"

"But that Moon Spirit- it was killed like any normal fish!" Zhao scowled. "What could the other spirit possibly do?"

"Merge with the Avatar." I whipped my skull helm toward him, my breath steaming in the freezing air. Confusion flashed across Zhao's face, so I spelled out the threat. "Forget the damage a moonless world would cause. Imagine, instead, the full power of the Avatar- at the command of an ancient, vengeful spirit. Tidal waves tall enough to eclipse your flagship. Entire rivers raging through the streets, sweeping our soldiers out to sea. And worse- being damned to an eternity of torment in the Spirit World."

Zhao's face paled, then muttered, "Flame help us all…" But he shook his head clear as he found his Fire again, "We should be fortifying that Spirit Oasis- make the Avatar come to us! We can capture him before he can reach that damnable spirit!"

"One step, Zhao!" I snapped, snow crunching under my boots. "It'd take only one step into that pond before the Avatar makes it the epicentre of the largest casualty count in Fire Nation military history! And mobility has always been his greatest strength! Are those the odds you want to gamble everything on?"

"The princess then." Zhao's hesitation vanished, his amber eyes narrowing at the dark shape of our cruisers.

The sound of our hurried footsteps filled the icy streets as we neared the coast, where the ruined coastal wall of Agna Qel'a met the frozen sea. Beyond the fractured wall, the dark shapes of the Fire Nation cruisers loomed, boarding ramps still deployed onto the frozen rubble.

"There!" Zhao shouted as we approached, eyes locked on Princess Yue, collapsed on her knees in the snow. Her purple parka stood out against the red armour of her Fire Nation guard, her hands clutching her head as if trying to hold herself together. Her snow white hair falling over her face was no doubt contorted in pain. Her connection to the Moon Spirit was clear for all to see.

Even Anya, for all her bloodthirsty ways, was rubbing the Princess' back. The little girl's green eyes widened as she spotted us approaching. "Papa!" She waved at me, "Princess Yoo is having a really bad headache!"

We reached them, and Zhao strode forward, his eyes scanning the soldiers as he barked more orders. "Princess Azula is now a traitor to the Throne and is to be captured on sight! You may have mixed feelings about attacking a member of the Royal family, but anyone who hesitates will answer not just to me, but to the Fire Lord himself!"

Without missing a beat, I turned to Anya, her pink hair stark against the white snow. "Anya, get to the ship with your mother," I ordered, my voice firm. "We may need the trebuchets ready!"

Her eyes widened at the abruptness of my tone, but she straightened. "Anya understands, Khanmander Papa!" she saluted with her tiny hands, before rushing off into the chaos.

I refocused, my attention now solely on Yue.

"Yue!" My voice was sharp, cutting through the cold air as I knelt next to her.

Her wide, panicked blue eyes met mine, searching for some kind of explanation, some kind of hope. "I… I don't understand," she whispered, her voice trembling. "The Moon… what happened to the moon?"

Without a word, I showed the pot to her, lifting the lid to show the lifeless form of the Moon Spirit- the koi fish now charred and motionless… and stewing in ice cold super elixir. A last ditch attempt on my part. And despite having never been told that this was the mortal form of the Moon Spirit, Yue understood immediately.

Her breath caught in her throat as realisation dawned. Tears welled in her eyes. "No… it's dead," she whispered, her hands trembling as she touched the cold, scorched scales. "There's no hope now… It's over."

"No, you can revive it," I said urgently. "You're the only one who can do it, Yue. Your life force is tied to the moon. You can save it."

Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head, clutching her chest tighter. "But I'm not… I'm not enough to restore it."

"You are," I insisted, gripping her shoulders, trying to get through her panic. "You have to be. The world needs you."

Her bright blue eyes looked at me, still unsure and still scared. But she didn't let that stop her, with a shaky nod, she pressed her palms over the lifeless koi, her lips moving in silent prayer. Zhao, myself and the rest of the soldiers all watched, silent and grim. The air itself seemed to still, waiting for the outcome. And for a brief moment, there was a flicker of hope as Yue's prayers rose.

Any moment now, it'll flop awake and the moon will be restored. Yes, any moment now….

An eternity of a minute passed by, then two. But there was no hum of power, no glow of life, no moon. Nothing.

"It's not working…" the snowy-haired princess of the Water Tribe gasped as she looked up at me with wide, desperate eyes. "I can't… No, I need the Spirit Oasis. I need to be there."

My skull helm glanced back to Yue, her hands trembling around the cold, lifeless koi. The weight of the world apparently rested in her fragile grip now. I tilted a nod at Zhao. "Let's get her there. It is our only chance."

Zhao didn't doubt it. "Troops!" Zhao barked, snapping the nearby squads of Fire Nation troops to attention. "Security detail around the Water Tribe Princess! We're escorting the Water Tribe Princess to the rear of the Royal Palace. She's the key to restoring the Moon, so protect her at all costs. If even a hair on her head is harmed, you'll answer to me!"

"Yes, Grand Admiral!"

They formed ranks around us, forming a wall of red and black armour as if to keep the chaos of the city from reaching us.

"Have divisions 14th through 22nd sweep-" Zhao's order died in his throat as a sudden burst of light caught our attention from a different part of the city. The glare was blinding, powerful. Zhao knew precisely what that was, and he paled. "The Avatar… That light is too close to the Spirit Oasis. We're running out of time!"

Before the panic could set in, my voice boomed. "We don't stop!" I growled, picking up Princess Yue. "The Kyoshi Warriors should be closing in on him. If they can stall him- injure him- then we still have a chance to reach the Spirit Oasis first!"

Zhao's face tightened. "Troops, double time it to the Spirit Oasis, now!"

Boots stomped at the ice as we rushed for our objective, and in my arms, Yue clutched the lifeless koi tighter, her pink lips stretched into a worried line as she looked in the direction of the burst of light. And although no one saw it, underneath my skull helm, mine was the same.

It was all up to my Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors now. Everything rested on them.

For six days before the Armada arrived, Suki and her sisters had scoured Agna Qel'a, hunting the Avatar who seemed to have vanished into the city's labyrinthine streets like a groundhog retreating into its tunnels. Six days of tracking every rumor, every lead. And every time, his shadow was just out of sight. Then, they had failed- run out of time.

And now, this was the cost of their failure: A shattered, smoldering city. Thousands dead.

The distant clash of battle still echoed through the icy streets, the sounds of metal against metal slicing through the cold wind. Suki's breath puffed in the frigid air as she motioned for the Kyoshi Warriors to keep pace. Their green-and-black armored kimonos blending into the shadows of the ruined city. Somewhere in the distance, the Lieutenant and the 1st Squad were locked in battle- large silhouettes of ostrich-horses barely visible through the smoke and fire.

'Fire Nation traitors had launched an assault force and killed the Moon Spirit! But I think Khan has a plan!' The lieutenant had hurriedly relayed to them. But Suki wasn't thinking about that now. No, her mind was on one thing: The end of this war. A hope marked by the unnatural burst of light they had spotted in the distance- and were now closing in on.

The Avatar was near.

Her deep blue eyes met those of her five sisters, and no words were needed—not between Kyoshi Warriors. Her gloved fingers curled tighter around the grip of her katana, a silent command passed between them like a shared breath.

'Prepare to strike.'

In response, her sisters' grips tightened around their weapons, a wordless reply.

'Striking to kill.'

Peeking around the corners of ruined buildings, they saw him.

Aang. The airbender they had hunted for nearly a week- the reason for this suffering and destruction- was strolling down the snowy, ashen road. His orange and yellow robes fluttered in the unnatural wind swirling around him, stirred by the raw power of the Avatar State coursing through his body. The glow of his arrow tattoos shone a bright blue light against the moonless sky, casting long shadows across the broken city. With every step, the wind blew harder, sending spirals of snow and ash skittering across the ice as he moved to the Spirit Oasis…. And remained oblivious to their presence.

There was no room for second-guessing.

Avatar State or not, Aang had to die.

Without a word, the Kyoshi Warriors fanned out in a perfect arc, their steps light despite the ice beneath them. Their movements were sharp, disciplined- ten years of training forged into silent, deadly efficiency. As one, they closed in, surrounding him like tiger-sharks circling their prey. Suki's katana gleamed in the non-light of the moonless sky, raised and ready to strike. They were close- so close now- just a few more steps, and she could end it.

Aang immediately turned, sudden and sharp. Glowing eyes locked onto her, having immediately become aware of their presence.

But Suki didn't flinch.

If anything, she sped up, her footsteps tapping rapidly against the snow and her hand on her Kyoshi katana as she abandoned subtlety for pure blinding speed. Her blade sliced through the air, the razor edge set to slip precisely between his fourth and fifth ribs.

Aang didn't step back, didn't even blink, as his hand flicked up in an open palm. A surge of air burst outward to deflect the blade… as well as her. Howling winds powerful enough to send every fleck of snow flying away as well as knocking her clean off her feet.

But she was already adapting.

Twisting mid-flight, she redirected the force of his airbending and flowed with it like water, tumbling as she turned her momentum into a harmless somersault. Her katana flashed in the moonless night as she came at him from a different angle, aiming for his neck. Another blast of air, and this time, she was blown further back… just enough to buy her sisters the opening they needed.

Two of her sisters continued where she left off, twin blurs in green kimonos dashing in from the sides, their brass war fans, sharpened to a razor's edge, snapping open in unison. One swept low with her fan, aiming for his ankle, while the other struck high, aiming to disable his arm. Aang barely managed to bend a gust of wind to launch himself upward, avoiding the coordinated assault by mere inches. But even as he hovered in the air, another was already above him, having leapt from a crumbled building wall. Her katana came down in a swift arc, aimed directly at his exposed back.

Again, Aang twisted at the last moment, raising a wall of water from the snow at his feet. With crack, it solidified into ice around his back like a turtle-duck's shell... just in time to intercept the Kyoshi Katana that would have severed his spine. The icy shell turned into a [Icicle Spray]. Sharp, arm-sized spikes of ice sent darting in every direction.

Easily dodged, of course. With narrowed, painted eyes, they sidestepped the icicle projectiles as easily as someone would sidestep from bumping into someone. They weren't about to give up.

But neither was Aang.

His eyes blazed brighter in that Avatar State glow, and with a sweep of his arm, he sent a firebolt after firebolt toward them. Dodgeable but a surprise since Suki was sure that he hadn't even learned firebending yet. But that's when she also noticed something. Her eyes flew wide open, whispering in realisation, "The cadence to his attacks is off… He's still injured." Her voice rose to a shout, "His arm is still injured! Overwhelm his left side! Focus together, Sisters! As One!"

"As One!" they shouted, voices unified. Six Kyoshi Warriors charged forward, each strike and movement honed from years of training, Strikes and feints from every direction perfectly interwoven across the six of them. Their bladework, sharpened by the hundreds they had slain, fuelled by the forge of unending war that was their journey with Khan. They were not the same warriors who had left Kyoshi Island. No, they had become something far deadlier.

The Avatar staggered, his footing slipping for the briefest moment, and for a fleeting moment, his guard creaked open just the tiniest fraction.

Kyoshi Katana flashed in a clean, precise arc, and the soft pitter-patter of crimson dropping on the cold icy stone came. They had struck onto his left forearm, deep, and although they narrowly missed the artery, a cut was still a cut.

They had made an Avatar bleed.

And for a single triumphant breath, they thought they could it- actually kill the Avatar.

But then Aang's eyes blazed brighter, and the power of the Avatar State surged through him like an unstoppable storm. A shockwave of wind exploded from him, hurling Suki and her warriors backward, their coordinated assault scattered by Aang's raw power.

They hit the ground hard, but none stayed down for long. Even winded and bruised, they were back on their feet in seconds with gritted teeth and tightened grips on their weapons. Suki grunted from her new bruises, her vision blurred as she caught sight of her sisters, silhouettes in green kimonos scattered and struggling to stand. "Stay on him! Don't let up!" she shouted, rushing forward again with her Kyoshi Katana again.

They didn't need to win, they just needed to slow him down.

An arm or a leg, maybe even just a finger. Any one of those, and the Great War ends just that quicker. They could prevent another Agna Qel'a. They could save lives.

And as luck would have it, she caught him. Right as he was about to step into that pond. His attention seemingly monopolised by it, and nowhere near ready to block her strike. Heart pounding, Suki gripped her katana, ready to arc the razor-sharp blade right across his unprotected throat ready to strike… but then something changed. A flash. Like a mirage on a hot day, the silhouette of another person was overlaid across the glowing form of Aang. Tall, much taller than Aang and muscled, like a giant. Green and yellow robes cinched at the waist to give a vaguely feminine shape… and a painted face.

Avatar Kyoshi.

Suki's heart stopped for the briefest moments. Kyoshi's eyes, the very eyes they had worshipped, glared back at her. Judging her. Suki's will faltered. They had followed the Fire Nation's orders willingly, rationalising every betrayal and every act. And they would have continued doing just about anything. But this… this was Kyoshi.

For the first time, Suki hesitated, but followed through with her strike.

But that fraction of a second was all it took.

Kyoshi vanished, but Aang remained, along with the tidal surge of water he bent from the frozen ground, twisting it into a massive wave that not even Waterbending masters could muster. This time, there was no avoiding it. Because no Kyoshi Warrior- no matter how skilled- could leap over a wave five-stories-high.

'Hesitation is death,' Suki thought bitterly, too late.

The water crashed down on them with the force of an avalanche, sweeping the Kyoshi Warriors off their feet and away and away. And for a moment, they were both airborne and underwater- pushed over the edge of the upper ring and down the five-story drop in the middle ring and deep into the ice cold water. But no matter how much they swam, the surface- and air- seemed so far away.

Suki held onto her sisters as one by one, they lost air. Until she was left, holding onto her five sisters.

So far from the surface. So far from air…

And then, a welcome blackness.

Our entire group was forced to slow down, trying to keep our footing as the ground shook. A massive tidal wave formed from deep within the city crashed through the buildings.

"Khan, what was that?" Yue murmured quietly in my arms, protectively cradling the Moon Spirit in brown-toned hands.

"The Avatar's doing, no doubt," I replied, "He's likely being engaged by the Kyoshi Warriors or the 1st Squad. Hopefully both at once. They may not have the raw power to take on the Avatar State, but they would at least be able to-"

Companion Lost!

{Suki & the Kyoshi Warriors} has been lost. All companion-linked abilities and perks have been deactivated.

R

"No…" The word slipped out before I could stop it.

It was supposed to say 'Companion has left your party!' Not this. Not lost.

This wasn't possible. A hyper-lethal honor guard like the Kyoshi Warriors didn't just go down. They were trained for war, trained for impossible fights. And yet… It happened. The system didn't lie. The thought of losing them, likely- no, possibly- dead sent a surge of rage coursing through me. My fists clenched until my knuckles went white.

"NO!" The roar tore from my throat, raw and unrestrained. "Not the Kyoshi Warriors! Not my Suki!"

"Khan, what are you-?" Zhao's voice cut through the roar, but before he could finish, the ground beneath us shuddered again. Violently. The ice groaned, deep and ominous.

And then, every soul in Agna Qel'a- Water Tribe and Fire Nation alike- saw it.

Rising from the Spirit Oasis, towering over the ruins, was the Ocean Spirit. Its head was that of a koi fish, its body vaguely humanoid, draped in resplendent robes of shimmering water. Radiant blue light shone through the colorless world. And where a mortal's heart should have been, a dark silhouette- Avatar Aang. The living conduit for the Ocean Spirit's power in the physical realm.

Yue fell to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground as she prayed to her god's incarnation. Meanwhile, the Fire Nation troops muttered, the Ocean Spirit's radiant blue light illuminating their expressions of awe and terror.

"Flame and ash…" Zhao's voice trembled.

As if it heard him, the Ocean Spirit kaiju's eyes, glowing like wells of light, swept over the icy ruins, seeking vengeance against the source of the world's moonless suffering… and settling right on us. It advanced, stepping over the towering pagoda of the Water Tribe Palace as if it was a child's toy. An entire lake's worth of water, coming to drown us personally.

"Khan… what do we do?" Zhao gripped my arm, "Khan!"

Do? His question barely registered. We were divided, overextended, and with no clear line of retreat. We had nothing in our current arsenal that could harm this monstrous water kaiju and no mount or vehicle that could outrun or outsail it. Great Chinggis Khan would curse this military disaster. The only thing we could do was scatter in every direction- sacrifice thousands of Fire Nation troops just to buy us precious moments. Maybe enough time for Yue and me to reach the Spirit Oasis, revive the Moon Spirit, and somehow placate this wrathful ocean god.

Seeing as I didn't respond, Zhao just sighed. "I suppose it's fitting…. What could kill a Legend, but another Legend? A creature of myth, the living incarnation of the ocean itself." He straightened his shoulders, and turned toward the mass of Fire Nation troops who had followed me this far, their eyes wide with uncertainty. Zhao belowed, "Prepare to fight. If we die, we die in glory!"

They had lost hope and accepted their fate. But not me. The 'Companion Lost!' notification was still in view. But I wasn't sad or heartbroken.

No, I was furious.

Through the eyeslits of my skull helm, my eyes locked on the one who was responsible for it: the Avatar who was inside that towering beast. And I wanted nothing more than to grow to its size and rip the Avatar from its watery core with my bare hands. But then, that rage crystallised into something clear and sharp. A rough plan with the Companion perks that I had and the ingredients that I've collected. Everything that I had in my disposal. It all clicked together, and the confirmation came soon after.

"No, it's not over." My deep voice rumbled. Without another word, I placed the pot, still half-filled with the elixir, onto the snow-covered ground with a heavy metallic thud. "Zhao, rally the troops. Buy me time."

For a moment, Zhao didn't respond. Amber eyes just looking down at me where I was hunched over the metal pot, sifting through ingredients in my [Inventory, discarding them and sifting through more. I was asking for his faith that this inscrutable alchemy would somehow give us a fighting chance.

His hand rested on my pauldron. "Time," Zhao repeated, nodding. "You'll have it, friend."

Apparently, that was enough for him. He straightened his shoulders and brushed aside his red cape and turned toward the mass of Fire Nation troops who had followed us this far. "Troops!" His voice bellowed. And immediately, they snapped to attention, fear in their eyes as if they had been waiting for that single command to anchor them. He pointed toward the approaching kaiju. "We are the Fire Nation! We've conquered continents, brought kings to their knees and laid waste to a thousand fortresses. This will be no different! Defensive formation around the commander! Give him the time he needs! For Fire Lord and Fire Nation!"

"For Fire Lord and Fire Nation!"

Valour was admirable. And we were desperately going to need it too.

"For the Water Tribe!"

War cries resounded across the city as the Water Tribe rallied. The tides of battle were turning, and the brave forty thousand Fire Nation was feeling the weight of an entire nation's numbers. Even if the Water Tribe was left without their Waterbending, they had gathered for one last, united counterattack. How could they refuse the call? Their very god had personally descended from the Heavens to lead them into battle. To fight. To kill.

Teeth gritted, Zhao whipped his head to the troops. "Water Tribe savages are back for more!" He bellowed, throwing his own firebending into the ruins, "Signal the Armada to fire everything they've got! Everything they've got on the Ocean Spirit! Someone have the 1st through 3rd Tundra Tank battalions secure our flanks! Relay to all divisions to take that second can of Red Bull! DO IT NOW!"

"YES SIR!"

They scattered, red armour darting in every direction of the icy ruins to pass the orders down to their respective division. And in the distance, I could hear the metallic clack of cans being opened, the clinking of trebuchets being wound up, and the echoing roar of firebending being thrown all across the city.

Zhao turned back toward the monstrosity that marched toward us, the ground quaking as it swept and killed Fire Nation troops along its unstoppable march through the city. Koizilla was closer now, its glowing eyes fixed on us with all the cold fury of an ancient spirit wronged. "Khan!" He grunted, throwing firebolts into the distance. "I hope to the Flame that your madness works!"

I didn't answer, my focus entirely on the boiling concoction in front of me. The mixture began to glow a deep, molten orange, radiating an ominous energy. It was almost ready. Almost.

A bright flare rose from the Armada.

Then, without another thought, the grand admiral raised his arm high, expelling a gout of signal flame, and swung it down in a brutal arc.

"FIRE!"

The Armada responded almost immediately. A deafening roar filled the air as the first trebuchets launched their payloads. Fireballs streaking through the sky, bright orange trails lighting up the dark, colourless sky like meteors before crashing down toward Koizilla. Explosions erupted around the monster's feet, sending sprays of water high into the air. Fire and stone met water, the impact causing plumes of steam to rise like clouds above the city. The ground beneath us trembled, shaking loose fragments of ice and stone from the collapsing city around us.

The Koizilla barely slowed, but it was distracted as Fire Nation troops took the time to pelt it fireballs.

"For the Ocean Spirit! For the Water Tribe Tribe!"

Meanwhile, the Water Tribe offensive grew closer, blue parkas streaming from the ruins like a swarm of rats. Water Tribe frothing from their mouth, wielding whatever weapon they could find, heedless to whatever casualties they suffered, and in doing so, drew ever closer to our lines.

"Water Tribe attack!" Zhao screamed, "Fight back to back, troops! Show them no mercy and fire at will! It's kill or be killed!"

But even when destiny itself seemed to have dictated for us to lose, the Fire Nation troops did not break, buying me every desperate second.

It was as if the North Pole itself was pressing on all sides of us. The incarnation of the Ocean itself, seeking its indiscriminate vengeance on us… The hundred thousand people rallying behind it, howling for our blood… and the moonless sky cloaking the world in colourless void save for the violence of our bending and the blood that was spilled. And in the centre of it all, my tall armoured frame knelt in front of this sad little pot, working feverishly. The ingredients churning, hissing, and bubbling.

And I just knew that if this brew failed… this was going to be Game Over.

[Extraction Point Ozai]

Explosions rocked the ice wall, sending chunks of ice tumbling into the dark abyss below.

Zuko almost followed them, slipping right off the ice steps, but a firm grip from Uncle Iroh pulled him back. With a relieved sigh, He gave a brief nod of thanks, then turned to watch the aftermath. The crumbling ice wall plunged into the inky waters, widening the crevasse-canyon and opening it out to the sea. Through the cloud of icy mist, a small, outdated Fire Nation cruiser appeared, gliding into the opening.

His small, outdated Fire Nation cruiser.

Azula apparently hadn't noticed that they had followed her here yet. Simply standing patiently on the icy docking point as she watched the boarding ramp slammed down with a metallic thud, its dark surface almost indistinguishable from the black waters below, hard to pick out in the colorless world of a moonless sky.

Lieutenant Jee jogged across it, his monkey-like face locking onto Azula. He gasped, "Princess Azula, the moon-!"

"-was all part of the plan," Azula waved off his concern, strolling past the Lieutenant and onto the ship. "Without it, the Water Tribe and waterbending as a whole have been permanently removed as threats. Try to keep up, Lieutenant."

Lieutenant Jee hesitated, clearly still trying to process the new information. "Then… what about Prince Zuko and General Iroh?"

"They've already decided to stay with Grand Admiral Zhao," Azula replied, not bothering to look back. "If they change their minds, I'm sure they'll send a messenger hawk. But if we're done with idle chatter, get this ship in reverse. I need to be in the Fire Islands yesterday."

"Yes, my princess!" Jee saluted sharply, but before he could turn to leave-

"I don't think we are," Zuko stepped up to them, his uncle following closely behind.

"Prince Zuko!" Jee gasped.

Azula paused mid-stride, and with an almost exaggerated slowness, she turned around to face the source of the voice. A sly smile curling on her lips.

"Zuzu," she said, her tone laced with mock surprise. "What a surprise to find you here. Though I shouldn't be shocked. You do have a habit of showing up where you don't belong. Here of all place, it's so fitting they named this place after our father. 'Extraction Point Ozai'… rolls right off the tongue, don't you think? At least my soon-to-be-former betrothed had a knack for names."

Zuko clenched his fists, flames flickering from gaps between his clenched fingers. "Enough playing coy, Azula!" His voice was tense, his anger barely held in check. "Was this your plan all along? Send me on a wild goose chase for the Avatar while you destroy the moon itself! Then steal my ship and sail back to father?!"

"Oh, I can't take all the credit," Azula said, inspecting her nails with disinterest. "I simply saw an opportunity and took it. My original plan was going to steal the Avatar and your ship right from under your nose. But Grand Admiral Zhao's plan was simply too irresistible to pass up. The Avatar can never master all four elements if there are only three left now, could he? But as brilliant and 'magnificent' as the grand admiral believes himself to be, he was never bold enough to see it through. But I was. I had such conviction."

She extended her arms wide as if gesturing to the colourless world around them. And her grin widened.

"I'm sure people will soon get used to colourless nights. I think it's even prettier this way. It has a stark… purity to it."

His fat uncle stepped forward. His voice, normally calm, now shouted with anger. "The Moon is gone, Princess Azula!" It was the angriest Zuko had ever seen him. Wrinkled face more pronounced in the shadows of the moonless world, "Do you have any idea what fate you have just put on the world?"

Azula rolled her golden eyes. "A fate of being free from Waterbenders, Uncle," she drawled. "The world doesn't need them. Never did."

Zuko stepped forward, his flames flaring brighter in his fists, but Iroh's arm shot out, holding him back. His uncle apparently wasn't finished shouting at her just yet. "Azula, you've doomed the world to imbalance. Do you really think your father will praise you for this?"

"You think Father would spare a thought for Balance?!" She scoffed incredulously, slender eyebrow raised. "You never did understand Father's vision, did you, uncle? With the Water Tribe gone, the Fire Nation will rule. That is his balance. Now if only we could find the spirit responsible for Earthbending."

"You won't get that far." Zuko's firebending stance tightened, his flames flaring, but Azula barely glanced at him, unimpressed.

"I don't even know why we're fighting, Zuko," his sister continued, her voice almost conversational, as if she were discussing the weather. She stepped forward, her footsteps clinking softly on the metal deck as she paced. "You helped me get this far. Don't you want to end your exile?"

"W-what are you talking about?" Zuko stammered, his brow furrowed, thrown off balance by her sudden shift in tone.

"The Avatar is no longer a threat to the Fire Nation," Azula explained, twirling a strand of her black hair around her finger. "We've taken away his waterbending. And while it's not quite as satisfying as capturing him, we've wiped out the rest of the Waterbenders in the process. So, don't you see?" She stopped pacing and turned to face him fully, "We've secured our place in Father's favour! His children, his rightful heirs. All we have to do is go back home and tell him what we've done. What do you say, brother?"

She extended a hand to him, open and upturned.

Zuko hesitated. For a moment, the temptation was there- the promise of his father's approval, the end of his exile. It was all he'd ever wanted, wasn't it? But then, as he looked up at the moonless sky, a deep sense of unease settled over him. The world felt wrong, broken in a way that not even a reinstated Prince of the Fire Nation could fix.

His uncle's words echoed in his mind- how the world itself was dying in the absence of the Moon Spirit. Even now, Zuko could feel Iroh's eyes on him, watching silently, waiting for him to make his choice. Take Azula's deal and revel in this world that 'they' had supposedly created for their father? It was tempting, but… Zuko knew- deep down- that no approval from his father could ever make this right. And although it didn't come easily, he came to an answer.

"No, Azula," he said firmly. "There isn't any honour in this. I know that this isn't my destiny."

But instead of being angry or upset, Azula's smile widened, bemused. "Pity. Then I suppose…" Fire bloomed to life in her slender hands, bright and blue. Azure flames- the very same flames that had stolen the moon from the sky. "… your crew will have to mourn their prince on our way back!"

Without hesitation, Zuko fell into his Modern Azulon Stance, his own orange flames roaring to life. And beside him, his uncle joined his face off with his sister.

His sister thrust her hand forward, and azure flames rippling through the air to meet that of his and his uncle's. Their fire collided in a flash of heat and light, the blue and orange flames annihilating each other in a powerful shockwave that almost brought all of them off their feet.

Zuko steadied himself, his breath ragged from the shockwave, but the rush clearing his mind now.

Yes, he could still take responsibility for the future- for his family's honour, for the balance they had shattered. He wouldn't let Azula destroy what was left. So, he resolved to fight, with every fibre of his being, against not just his sister… but also that small and stupid voice deep inside, whispering to him- taunting him- that no matter what he did next, the damage was already done.

The moon was gone, and nothing- no one- could bring it back.

[Agna Qel'a - Lower Ring]

"Khan, how much longer?!" Zhao's voice cut through the chaos, sharp with desperation.

War was the only light to pierce the colourless void of this moonless night. The unholy blue glow of Koizilla flickered against the ruins of the ice city as the massive water beast ebbed closer, its watery limbs sweeping away our soldiers like insects. Firebending flared in desperate bursts of orange. And the bodies of the Water Tribe stacked up in grotesque heaps around our fighting position, intermixed with the valiant dead of the Fire Nation. Amidst it all, Princess Yue's trembling voice whispered prayers of mercy and forgiveness, the lifeless Moon Spirit still cradled in her brown-toned hands.

Then… the elixir was ready. A molten amber liquid, glittering and swirling with a deep red hue that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat.

"I have it!" my deep voice reverberated in my skull helm as I hurriedly sealing it in a can.

"What do you have exactly, Commander?!" Zhao shouted, his eyes never leaving the battle as he hurled a fireball into the fray.

"It's called [Red Bull: Sun Red Edition]. For eight minutes, it grants the power of 800 firebending masters!" I yelled, my own shock settling in as I realized what I had just created. "But… it has side-effects."

Zhao did a double take, the man's jaw slack as he looked at the can in my hands. Even the Fire Nation soldiers who overhead the words couldn't help but stare at the elixir in my hands. "The firebending of eight hundred men?!" He murmured, taking a step towards me, "That- Khan, it'd be like drinking in the power of ten Sozin's Comet! Maybe even a hundred! That's enough to drown an Earth Kingdom fortress with fire! To overpower the Ocean Spirit itself! Whatever the side effects, Khan, they're immaterial to-"

A deafening roar drowned out the rest of his statement. The Fire Nation troops had apparently faltered in their distraction, and the Ocean Spirit took advantage of it, a blade of water the size of surging towards us like an unstoppable tidal wave.

"Move!" I screamed, scooping up Princess Yue as the wave tore through the road, creating a canyon that split the entire city in two, and separating me from Zhao.

Water exploded around us, freezing cold and blinding. I hit the ground hard, clutching Yue in my arms as we tumbled through the icy ruins, rubble crashing down against my back. "Yue, are you all right?" I gasped, shaking her gently. The snowy-haired princess nodded weakly, her grip still tight on the dead Moon Spirit. I glanced around. "Zhao!"

I found Zhao's grand red cape stuck in the ruins, but the Grand Admiral was nowhere to be found in the rubble. I glanced back, and through the devastation, I saw Zhao, still standing. The can in his hands- our last ditch effort- saved from the Ocean Spirit's attack. His fingers immediately went for the tab.

"Zhao! Don't!" I shouted, pushing the ice rubble off me. "The side effect of that Red Bull is that it'll kill you after those eight minutes!"

(Legendary) [Red Bull: Sun Red Edition]

A molten amber hue with swirls of red like embers.

From the dead flesh of the primordial spirit of the moon, the taste of vanilla rain from forgotten dreams. From the heart of a spirit beast glut from its feast of humans, the smokey aftertaste of the human soul. From the eight leaves of flora that could only grow in ancient places where mortals were never meant to tread, the cool mint of strange spirits. And from a beverage that was alien to this realm of existence, a sweetness out of time.

Upon consumption, the imbiber undergoes a soul-deep transformation. The human soul, made fuel for this final act of blazing magnificence, granting the drinker all the fire in the world. And more. The smallest spark becomes a raging wildfire, and every breath is a bellows feeding the flames of god-like destruction. And for a few glorious minutes, the drinkers' fire burns brighter than a thousand suns, as if the world itself had turned into dry tinder.

Only those who know this elixir's effects beforehand can truly appreciate what it does. The roar of a supervolcano. The fury of a dying star. The final glorious blaze of glory for one who would choose to burn out rather than fade away.

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Made by: Khan (Herbalism Level 27)

Ingredients: Red Bull, Burnt Moon Spirit Entrails, 41st Division Ostrich-horse Heart, Eight-Fold Clover

Effects:

(80,000%) Fortify Firebending for (8) minutes

(80,000%) Stamina Regeneration for (8) minutes

Guaranteed death after (8) minutes

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Zhao stopped, amber eyes meeting mine. Then he looked down to the can in his hand and laughed. Loud enough to ring across the divide.

"Yes! Of course it does!" He continued to laugh, "Don't you see, Khan? This is it! This is my destiny! Everything I've done, everything I've sacrificed- it's led to this moment. The Grand Admiral Zhao was never meant to conquer the moon." He said, glancing to the Princess Yue who continued to pray with the lifeless Moon Spirit in her hands. "No, I was meant to conquer the ocean. I was born to drink this Red Bull!"

I couldn't stop him; we had no more time. "Eight minutes, Zhao!" I roared instead. "Eight minutes, and then it's over!"

"And eight minutes is all I need!" Zhao turned, his face alight with blazing determination. Then he smiled at me. "Hold on to my cape for me, Khan!"

With a metallic clack, he cracked open the can and drank deeply. It clattered to the snowy ground. For a moment, there was nothing. Silence. The world seemed to hold its breath.

And then, fire.

"I"

Fire streamed from him.

From his hands, from his mouth, from his eyes, through his veins that glowed through his skin as if they were filled like molten lava. Then his body ignited fully, transforming mortal his form before our very eyes as Zhao glowed with the fury of a hundred suns. He threw his arms wide, flames swirling around him as he roared, a terrifying, triumphant sound that echoed across the battlefield, his entire form radiating with the power of 800 firebenders that surged through his body.

A massive building-sized ball of fire.

The Ocean Spirit reared back, sensing the sudden surge of power. Waves of heat radiated outward as that great ball of fire rose up into the air over the city.

"AM"

An ancient Fire Lord once posed a question to the wisest of the Fire sages. What burned brighter? A thousand lit candles, or a single candle burning with the flame of a thousand?

We now had our answer.

"ZHAO"

The colossal form of a flaming man emerged from the fireball, like a demigod of fire forming from a star.

Zhao came out swinging. [Titanic Firebolts], each as large an entire komodo-rhino, shot out from his gigantic flaming fists in a rapid staccato. The monstrous Koizilla reared back, its watery limbs lashing out like tidal waves, but Zhao met each strike with raw, searing power. His flaming fists effortlessly blocking the swipes that had wiped out entire squads of {Veteran Firebenders}. Entire cubic metres of water vaporised at the contact with each blow, Koizilla seemed to wince in pain, But kept coming, relentless, its fury as depthless as the Ocean itself.

So, I gave Zhao more power.

[Unofficial Delegation] Activation!

Companion: {Zhao}

Perk/Skill Activated: [Defensive Massacre]

Cooldown: 20 Days, 23 hours, 59 minutes

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[Unofficial Delegation] - Strategic flexibility often comes from entrusting the right tasks to the right personnel. Unofficial Delegation allows you to temporarily grant the effects of a Companion Skill, Stat Perk or Proficiency Skill to a chosen companion. The more powerful the shared skill is, the shorter the duration and the longer the cooldown period between sharing becomes- reaching days or even weeks. But in those brief few minutes, your companion becomes an extension of your will: A herald, an enforcer, a diplomat, a saboteur, an executioner. Whatever you need them to be. Unofficially, of course.

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[Defensive Massacre] - Whenever a nearby injured ally is threatened- be it a lone allied soldier against an enemy squad or a squad's heroic last stand against a boss enemy- you will always have a way to make them safe… by killing everything in the immediate vicinity around them. Against enemies threatening your ally, you gain bonus Strength, Dexterity and Spirit stats that scale with the threat. Multiple threatened allies do not stack their effects, but the highest available stat bonus is always applied.

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Against the Ocean Spirit itself… defending against the injured and the dying all across the city… Zhao's power increased geometrically. The power of 800 firebenders became a thousand, maybe even two. His Fire rose, blazing higher and wider. The snow began to steam and melt. And for the first time since its existence, the air of the North Pole became hot.

Zhao raised his flaming arm high and a [Titanic Flame Whip] extended through the night sky. Like a massive flying, fire snake of myth reaching up to eat the stars. Then it struck, lashing across the Ocean Spirit's head and splitting in half. Its watery mass swirled and reformed, only for the whip to snap again and again.

But the Ocean Spirit was ancient, vast, and unyielding. And soon began to fight back in earnest, swiping back with [Titanic Great Waves]. For a moment, it seemed as though Zhao could hold his own- his giant, flaming form unleashing a fury of firebending. And every soul in Agna Qel'a- All the Fire Nation, and all the Water Tribe- could only watch the two titans clash. Colossal blow for colossal blow. The shockwave of their clashes was enough to send snow and dust rushing through the ruined city streets. And entire buildings were melted or crushed under their immense mass.

But the tides began to turn.

Koizilla lashed out with a colossal wave, knocking Zhao off balance. His fiery form flickered, dimming as the ocean pressed in on him. Even with [Defensive Massacre] raging within him, Zhao was faltering. The sheer scale of the Ocean Spirit was too much. The power that Red Bull ignited in him- it wasn't enough. The strength of 800 Firebender souls was not enough to fight the ocean itself.

"Zhao's losing…" My heart raced as Zhao staggered back, the flames around his body shrinking, barely able to keep his massive form upright. Koizilla roared, towering over him, preparing to strike the final blow.

Then it hit me. His Firebending alone, magnified as it was beyond mortal limits, wasn't be enough- he need more fire. And I had none more to give him… But I wasn't the only source of fire.

I shot to my feet. "FIRE NATION!" My voice rang out, cutting through the chaos. "Raise your hands up, send him your fire now!"

Some of the soldiers turned to me, confused, hesitant. But there wasn't time for doubt.

"Everyone! Raise your hands!" I shouted, thrusting my hands forward, unleashing everything I had. My flames shot through the air, a bright, searing stream that raced toward Zhao's towering form. "Give your Fire to Zhao! As one! AS ONE!"

"Take our Fire, Admiral!"

"For the Fire Nation!"

"Take it all!"

One by one, the soldiers caught on. Flames erupted across the battlefield, streams of fire from every corner converging on Zhao's flickering form. The heat surged, intensified by every source- the Fire Nation troops on the ground, from the tundra tanks, and the komodo-rhino riders. Flames, once scattered and weak, now united into a searing force. The 41st Division appeared atop their ostrich-horses at the cliff edge surrounding the city, their fire streaming downward to Zhao, even the Armada's trebuchet hurling incendiary ordnance. The flaming projectiles hovered, caught in the air like fireflies drawn toward Zhao.

Still high from our own Red Bull, we poured everything into him. In our hundreds. In our thousands. Against the very Ocean itself, mankind roared back our challenge. We will not bow. Even if it takes the last drop of our blood, we will not surrender.

"TAKE OUR FIRE!" I screamed, my throat raw, pouring every last ounce of firebending I had into him.

"I AM…"

Around me, soldiers groaned in exhaustion, some collapsing to the ground, their flames sputtering out, but still, they gave more. Even the flaming trebuchet ordnance, launched in desperation, hung in midair as if the fire itself defied gravity, drawn to Zhao's growing form. They spun in a slow, impossible arc before being consumed by the blaze, fuelling the firestorm raging across his skin. The snow beneath our feet melting into pools. The freezing arctic air turned as parched and hot as the desert.

"ZHAO THE CONQUEROR!"

Even those furthest from Zhao shielded their eyes as waves of heat rolled over the battlefield.

Koizilla surged forward at unholy speeds, almost desperate, its watery limbs stretching out like tidal waves, intent on smothering the inferno before it could grow further.

"ZHAO THE INVINCIBLE!"

Zhao roared, meeting Koizilla's attack head-on, a fiery fist the size of a house hurtling like a meteor. And the impact was cataclysmic- shockwave rippled through the city, toppling buildings, shattering ice, rupturing eardrums and burying soldiers and civilians under the rubble.

The Koizilla's entire upper torso, from the arms up was gone. But unfortunately, its core was still intact- the Avatar still alive. Water immediately began reforming as it had before. But this time, it was Zhao who was readying the final blow. As the fire surged, Zhao's towering form stood defiant. His massive flaming hands raised up to the starry sky, and on it, a flaming ball swirled into being- a star blazing right over the city.

"ZHAO…"

Through the chaos, Zhao's eyes, glowing like the molten cores of volcanoes, found mine. For a fleeting moment, time seemed to freeze. His gaze held no words, just the silent, grateful acknowledgement that this victory could not have been achieved without me. A wordless farewell.

Then… he turned back to face the Ocean Spirit, and met his destiny.

"ZHAO THE MAGNIFICENT!"

With a final, earth-shaking roar, he thrust both hands down, that massive flaming ball made of the combined fiery might of every firebender in the city in one devastating [Titanic Fire Blast], straight at the Ocean Spirit's watery fish face. And the world stood still, but only for a heartbeat.

Everything turned white as though the sun itself had descended on Agna Qel'a.

(A few minutes later) [Extraction Point Ozai]

Zuko's breath came in ragged gasps, the cold air burning his lungs as he watched the world around him shift. For a moment, the chaos of battle seemed to freeze in place, the water around them eerily still, as if the entire North Pole had paused to mourn the loss of the moon.

But then, a light. Soft, white, and steady. And the colourless existence seemed to lift from the world, almost as if…

The pitched battle on his ship paused as everyone looked up to the sky.

The moon was back.

Azula, standing not far from him with her azure flame still in her palms, stared. Her golden eyes widening with disbelief.

"No… NO!" Azula's scream echoed in the crevasse. Her blue flames flaring as she hurled her abuse at the sky. "You were supposed to be gone! I ended you!"

Zuko took a step back. He had seen Azula angry before- mostly mocking, often cruel, and always condescending- but this? This was different. Unhinged, manic, insane. A raw, ugly emotion that twisted her features into something almost unrecognisable. She was losing control, or if the rumours were true, she had already lost it long ago..

"I'll fix it!" Azula laughed, her voice breaking as sparks of electricity began to crackle around her fingers. "I'll just have to go back to the Spirit Oasis and kill you again! But first!"

Her gold eyes settled on him as the scent of ozone filled the air. A sort of static that made the hairs on his arms stand on end. Zuko watched as balls of bright lightning sparked on her fingertips. And with a furious scream, she hurled the lightning toward him, right at his chest. But before the bolt could reach his chest, something moved.

Uncle Iroh.

In one swift, graceful motion, his uncle's bulk stepped forward, faster than it looked it could, and… redirected the lightning. His body crackled with the energy as he sent it veering off course. Zuko could feel the raw power pass through the air, buzzing past him as it struck a nearby ice cliff with a shuddering rumble.

"How did you..."

Then, the world came crashing down.

The ice above them shattered, tonnes of white snow forming an avalanche that tumbled down on them with the roar. Everyone dropped the combat to run for their lives- trying to outrun the falling avalanche off the deck and back onto the crevasse base. Zuko, his uncle and his crew managed to do so, but his heart pounded in his chest as he watched the snow settle over Azula- burying her from the waist down. knocking her out…. The battle was finally done.

Zuko hesitated, the words on the tip of his tongue. "We need to leave. Now."

But his eyes darted to Uncle Iroh, who knelt beside the snow-covered form of Azula, his hand brushing gently against her cheek. He stared at her face for a long moment, his expression a strange mix of sorrow and resolution. Then, in one smooth motion, he hoisted her unconscious form onto his back.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked, his voice barely concealing the disbelief. "We should leave her. She… she won't stop. You heard her! What she did and what she planned to do with us!"

Iroh looked at his nephew, his voice calm but firm. "She is still family, nephew."

"But-"

"Your father does not want her anymore."

And for the briefest of moments in his eyes, he saw Azula replaced... by a young version of himself, clutching his freshly burnt eye as his uncle carried him away. "... Dammit, Uncle, that's unfair," He finally said. His fists clenched at his sides, and the flames that had once flickered in his hands now gone. "Fine, throw her in the brig and chain her before she wakes up. We're getting out of here."

Iroh only nodded, carrying Azula as though she weighed nothing.

"W-where to, Prince Zuko?" Lieutenant Jee saluted, as if he hadn't been about to leave him and his uncle in the North Pole.

Zuko held down his frustration. For now. "Earth Kingdom. Doesn't matter which port, just get us out of here."

"Yes, sir!"

Zuko turned away, as the engines of the Fire Nation cruiser rumbled to life, and the ship began to pull away from the icy crevasse, gliding silently under the restored light of the moon. Away from this wretched place.

Staring at the moon, Zuko felt that it only proved him right. There was only one true way to regain his honour, and he was still out there somewhere. The Avatar.

Companion Lost!

{Zhao} has been lost. All companion-linked abilities and perks have been deactivated.

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[Spirit Oasis, Agna Qel'a]

It was quiet now. Peaceful. The hour after a battle always was.

Trodden earth, scorched grass and broken bodies were everywhere... even the Spirit Oasis had not been spared from the battle. But at least, now it can start to heal.

My seven-foot-tall, armoured frame knelt right by the sacred pool, my joints groaning under the strain of my heavy armour. Carefully, and respectfully, I placed the revived Moon Spirit back into the water. The koi fish slipped from my armored hands, its pristine white scales glimmering as if it had never been harmed. It flitted into the shimmering waters where it joined with the now-pacified Ocean Spirit which had diminished back into its black koi form. They swam in a circle together, resuming their eternal, circling dance of push and pull as if thousands of mortals had not died in the past few hours for their sake. Typical spirits.

Under the restored moon, I sat at the edge of the oasis and gave the damn fish one more tired glare.

In the distance, a flying bison- who was likely carrying the Avatar and his friends- flew off into the night like the goddamn cockroaches that they were, but I paid it no mind. This battle was over now, after what felt like an eternity. Only the faint, ethereal glow of the Moon filled the air and my silent companion.

"I didn't expect to live through that," came a soft voice from beside me.

Princess Yue sat down, the pale light of the Moon Spirit reflecting off her snow-white hair, her purple parka still stained with ash and soot, but all in all, she was still alive and well. It looked like marinating the Moon Spirit in my 'Special Secret Elixir of Life' actually helped it somehow.

"Many, many unexpected things happened tonight." I let out a tired chuckle, voice deep and rough from exertion. My gaze moved back to the water, where the spirits of the Moon and Ocean. "But you becoming the Moon Spirit was not one of them."

"I guess it wasn't," Yue murmured, her slender brown fingers gently dipping into the cool waters of the oasis. Her touch seemed to calm the koi, swimming more sedately. And in turn, Yue's expression seemed to calm, lines of worry on her pretty face smoothening as the moonlight lit her brown-toned face. "It's strange… I've always felt connected to the Moon Spirit, but now… it's more than that. There's a stillness inside me, like time has shifted somehow. I feel… bound to this place, like I'm part of it now. Like I'm no longer just of the world, but tied to something beyond it…"

She paused, a quiet realisation apparently dawning on her.

"It's forever, isn't it?" Yue whispered, almost to herself. "My life… tied to the Moon Spirit. I've become part of its cycle. Endless."

My hand rested her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "But you're still alive," I focused, voice low. "Alive to watch over your people- to guide them."

"Like the Moon guides the tides." Princess Yue whispered, a soft smile ghosted across her pink lips, but there was still a slight tensing of hesitation. "It should scare me, the thought of living forever, and yet, it doesn't."

"The Moon does not rise into the sky each night fearing that it'll fall." I told her, "But also… I think you're braver than you believe, Yue."

That soft smile widened imperceptibly. "Thank you..."

I nodded, looking at the black and white koi fish swimming in the pond before us. "We can't let something like this happen again. We'll need to protect the identities of the Moon and Ocean Spirit."

"I don't see how we can." Princess Yue murmured. "Everyone had seen what happened."

"Perhaps, but they don't know what they saw." I said, "They'll be grasping for explanations, and we'll think of something to give them."

"And what will happen to them?" Yue quietly asked, "To Agna Qel'a? To my people?"

"Chieftain Essin, his grandson and you will manage the rebuilding process." I said, "Some Fire Nation ministers will come to oversee and advise, and I'll do what I can to divert more resources to speed up the process."

And yet, this quiet princess of the moon turned away from me. "I'm sorry, Khan, but… I don't think I can thank you for that…" Her gaze settled on her ruined home city, its once-proud homes and waterways riven with ravaged canyons and scorched craters- mass graveyards for the people she was supposed to rule. "No, not after all that's happened. After all the people we lost to your nation."

"And you don't have to." My voice was steady, but quiet. "But this city will rise again. It won't be today. It won't be tomorrow. But one day, you'll stand here and see Agna Qel'a whole, beautiful… alive. I swear it."

For proving that you care about her and her people even after conquering them…

{Yue} Reputation : 99 - 100

{Yue} Obedience : 99 - 100

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Reputation with {Yue} at 100! New Companion skill unlocked!

[Moonborn's Serenade] – The moon sings a silent melody to those she favours. At night, as the moon waxes, your presence grows with its splendour, granting parabolically increasing bonuses to strength, constitution and spirit which maxes at 40% on the full moon. As the moon wanes, you fade into the periphery with it , gaining parabolically increasing bonuses to dexterity and intelligence which maxes at 40% on the new moon. This companion perk is only active at night, and you possess an unerring intuition of how much time there is before dusk or dawn approach.

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Yue didn't answer right away. Just looked out at the ruins, at the city that had once been the jewel of the north pole- now shattered beyond recognition. Then, finally, she whispered, "Burn it down, and on its ashes, build something greater, huh?"

"Yes. And I'll carry on with what I believe in, regardless of approval or acclaim."

"I wish I was as strong as you, Khan." It was phrased like a compliment, and yet her voice was tender, as if she pitied me. "Carrying the burden of being the villain in everyone's stories. Even if the truth was never that simple."

"We came here to conquer, Yue. We're not heroes."

"But even then…" She turned to me, her ice-blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight, her words slipping out- too weary to be angry, too heartbroken to be anything else. "You really don't care, do you? That the world will never know the truth? That you marched across the tundras, through the frozen wastes- just to stop it from coming to this? That if it had been your choice alone, so many more of my people would still be alive today?"

"It does not matter."

Yue didn't speak after that. Didn't move. Just sitting there, her gaze drifted back to the koi. Maybe she was searching for something in the sacred waters, maybe reflecting on the future that she hadn't asked for but always knew would come to pass: Becoming one-half of the mortal incarnation of the Moon Spirit.

But as the silence stretched between us, I felt compelled to make a peace offering. So, I handed her a can of Red Bull. An absurd offering, considering I'd probably hooked the Moon Spirit on the stuff after steeping its carcass in it.

Yue blinked at it, then at me. For a long moment, she simply stared, as if debating whether to be exasperated or amused.

"Of course... Of course, this is what you'd offer me," She said with a shake of her head and a sigh that was almost a laugh. But she took it anyway, her slender fingers brushed mine- barely there, but deliberate. Cracked the can open for a sip. "Thank you, I've been feeling parched."

With a relieved sigh, Yue drifted her gaze upward to the moon, its glow soft and unbroken once more. And that's where we sat, quietly sipping the elixir in silence beneath the moonlight. Like a Moon Viewing festival, but with Red Bull. It seemed to work on calming her- the tension in her expression easing, her shoulders relaxing as if the weight of the world had settled just a fraction lighter. And even that faint smile returned to her lips. A rare moment of peace in the aftermath of chaotic battle- just a tiny break before the inevitable demands of the future would call us back.

"That cape suits you," she said, her eyes resting on the bright red fabric draped across my shoulders. "Almost like it was meant to find its way to you."

My hand reached up to touch the edge of the cape, armoured fingers tracing its smooth fabric.

(Relic) [Cape of Magnificence]

"Hold on to my cape for me, Khan."

Woven in the most resplendent crimson red cloth, the Cape of Magnificence seems destined to be worn by those fated for greatness. Its golden thread trim catches the light just right, evoking awe and reverence in all who behold it.

Once worn by Zhao the Magnificent, Grand Admiral of the greatest armada in history, who transcended mortal limits to battle the Spirit of the Ocean itself. The cape is steeped in the spiritual energies of the epic clash between Fire and Ocean. The fabric seems to flare to life when the wearer is watched, with the very air trembling as the mantle flows behind them. This cape stands as an enduring symbol of Zhao's greatest triumph, but more than that... It is also his final gift for his closest friend.

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Effects:

Imperial Gravitas (Passive): Become walking proof that looking good is an effective battle strategy… The wearer radiates an aura of awe-inspiring majesty. The wearer's influence on morale is doubled for all creatures within 200 meters (218 yards) or in line of sight, and tripled for creatures that are in both. This affects morale-based effects like the Shaken debuff for enemies, which imposes stat penalties, and the Inspired buff for allies, which provides stat boosts.

Attuned Relic: All Experience gain increased by 1%, and this relic item may manifest additional effects.

Usable only by: {Khan}

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"I suppose it does seem like that," I said quietly.

Yue didn't reply. She simply leaned against me, the soft fabric of her purple parka-dress pressing lightly against the armored red bulk of my side. And for a while, neither of us spoke. The world had already said enough. But eventually, our time came to an end. The dark night sky gave way to the first red and orange hues at the horizon. The snowy-haired princess stifled a delicate yawn, her eyelids fluttering as the moon slowly faded with the approaching daylight. The night was retreating, and with it, so was she.

"I think... I think I need to rest now," she murmured, her voice soft and drowsy. She laid back on the warm grass, her white hair glowing faintly in the dim light, like moonlight itself. Then she spoke again, her voice was barely above a whisper. "And Khan?"

"Yes, Yue?"

"When you leave Agna Qel'a... You'll visit me, won't you?"

I turned to her, my sharp green eyes meeting hers, softening. "Whenever I can," I promised, standing slowly. "And I'll bring you books-maybe one about my travels. I think you'd enjoy that."

A faint smile touched her lips as her eyes drifted closed, her breathing steady and peaceful. "I'd like that a lot," she whispered, her voice now barely more than a sleepy breath. "Goodbye, Khan. Until next time."

"Until next time, Yue," I said, the words lingering in the cool air as I began to walk away, leaving behind the lonely Princess of the Moon.

The freezing sea breeze of the arctic blew through the city, and I instinctively tightened the [Cape of Magnificence] around my shoulders. But for just a brief moment that I did, the wind turned hot, and I thought I saw something shimmer across those embers.

A familiar smile, Zhao's ghostly smile flickering in the air.

But, just as quickly, the embers flew away, swept by the hot winds, up into the heavens. And as if in its wake, the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, warm and golden.

And over Agna Qel'a shone the most magnificent sunrise.

- A Most Magnificent Sunrise End -

Chapter 33 - Interlude of Water & Earth

~In which… All is now quiet in the North Pole front, but... ~

AN:

This chapter occurs during... (ATLA Book 1, Episode 20 - The Siege of the North II).

The entire Kyoshi Warrior squad was supposed… to die here to prevent character bloat for the next arc. Which was the meta reason for why they were 'getting away' with stuff in the previous chapters, and also why I wrote this long omake which is basically the "Suki Route" of the story. That Aang-Suki fight was a lot longer, more tragic. But I was bonked. Lol, alright, Suki lives. I'll think of something else.

I dislike being critical of beloved characters, but… Rewatching the trio of episodes for the 100th time, I just realised that Admiral Zhao monologued about his evil plan to destroy the moon right to Iroh's face, and Iroh did absolutely nothing to stop him. Why wait until Zhao sacked the Moon Spirit before saying anything? Khan waited because he's outright evil and knows that Yue's destiny is to eventually become the Moon Spirit anyway. But Iroh? He's supposed to be a good-aligned character and ignorant to Yue's role/existence. Even I'm not sure how to spin his inaction as the decision of a good character.

…

The Three Nations, Part III

[A room in the Royal Palace]

Toph Beifong was quickly reaching her 'This is absolute bull-pig!' limit, and it wasn't even noon yet!

Being forced to participate in this stupid concubine pageant was already humiliating as it was, but the endless etiquette lessons leading up to it? That was the real torture. Days and days of sitting through droning lectures about grace and poise— completely bored out of her skull. And for what? So she could stand around some more in an empty, over-perfumed room, waiting for some so-called "prospective beloved" to come and inspect her like a prize livestock?

If it weren't for the gajillion earthbenders patrolling the palace, she'd have already tunneled her way out of this joint, hopped on the first boat down the Anya River, and been out of Ba Sing Se before her parents even realized their 'delicate, fragile Toph' was actually the mysterious brawler punching her way through the Lower Ring.

But no. She was stuck here. Standing still. Looking pretty. In the dress that was itching her butt off.

Toph was grinding her teeth, fully prepared to either break something or scream, when she felt it—heavy vibrations through the floor. Someone was approaching. And spirits, he was big. Bigger than even the Hippo from the Royal Rumble Arena, denser and more muscular than the Boulder, which honestly shouldn't even be possible. She straightened, smoothing the ridiculously itchy green-and-yellow dress with its stupid dangling tassels, and quickly arranged her face into 'demure noble girl shyly looking at you from across the room, pose #4.'

The door creaked open.

Toph held her smile, sensing the exact moment they stood face to face. She couldn't speak without permission—stupid etiquette rules—but that was fine. She fully expected something along the lines of 'You're too short', or 'You're too young', or 'You're too blind, go home.' But instead, after what felt like a forever of silence, he simply said—

"Eh."

That single syllable immediately grated on Toph's nerves, but she forced herself to stay in character. "Excuse me, what do you mean 'eh'?" she asked, her voice soft and polite like every giggly noble girl in the world. "Is it because I'm blind, my liege?"

Blindness had never stopped her from kicking butt before, and if this guy thought otherwise, she was about to give him a very personal demonstration.

The Fire Lord Supreme didn't even shift. "No. It's because you're Toph Beifong."

Weeks of mind-numbing super etiquette classes. Butt still itching. Then she just got disrespected right to her face like that? Toph had enough. She wasn't about to let that slide—even by someone in a position of ridiculous, world-ruling power. She pointed a finger in his direction as her voice shot up. "Okay, that's the last straw! What's that supposed to mean, huh!?

"It means I know that you're an earthbender," he said flatly. "That I know you're the one sabotaging my Omashu-Gaoling rail line. And that you're going to stop."

Toph tilted her head. "Hold up… You don't want me to be your concubine?"

"No."

"Good! 'Cause I don't wanna be one either!" She crossed her arms, "But if I did, you'd be lucky to get a girl as concubine-y as me."

The Fire Lord Supreme audibly exhaled through his nose, unimpressed. "So, will you stop interfering with my rail infrastructure?"

"… No." Toph folded her arms tighter. "That railroad's threatening my family's business. A lot of people's, actually."

"You have the capital. Innovate." His tone was clipped, like he was already bored of the argument. "If your family is too stupid or stubborn to do so, then they don't deserve their fortunes. In fact, they must be as such, if they haven't by now. Gaoling will be better off without the Beifongs."

Toph's blood boiled. Oh, it is ON.

She had thick skin. She'd been called everything from 'fragile flower' to 'snot-nosed brat' to 'ugly bear-face midget,' but no one, no one, talked down about her family like that. Only she could do that! "I don't like your attitude, bub," she grunted. Her foot twitched. She could send a rock pillar into his smug face right now—but her gut told her not to. Something was off on how calm he was.

"Wait a minute..." She put the pieces together. "… You want me to attack you."

His voice rumbled, steady as stone. "Long Feng personally pleaded that I play nice with the 'daughters of Earth Kingdom.' But if someone were to attempt assassination, well… no one would be able to complain."

Toph narrowed her sightless eyes. That was actually a solid setup, she'll give him that. But too bad for him, she cared just enough about her stupid parents to not hurl a boulder at the supreme big cheese of the world.

"I'm not gonna stop," she said straight-up.

"And my trains will spread efficiency and infrastructure to every Earth Kingdom state. No obstacle will stand in the way. Least of all you."

"Puh-lease," Toph scoffed, tilting her head to where she knew his face was. "If you were gonna get rid of me, you would've done it the third time I made a sinkhole under your rolling machines."

A long, unreadable silence. Just the two of them staring at each other (as much as she could with eyes like hers, but it was the thought that counted and she made sure he knew that she hated his guts). It went long enough that she felt her eyes starting to dry before he spoke up again.

"Then I have no choice..." His voice rumbled threateningly, "... but to make sure you advance far into the selection process."

"... Wait, what?" Toph deadpanned. "What's that even supposed to do!?"

"You'll advance far," he continued, voice smooth—too smooth, like he'd already won, "Far enough for your parents to believe you have a solid chance of winning next year. They'll try even harder to get you ready for the next round. More etiquette classes. More posture training. Stricter meal plans of bitter vegetables and water. An entire year of prep for the next pageant. You won't even have time to sit down, much less sneak out."

Toph's heart skipped a beat. More etiquette classes? More bitter veggies? That was literally her worst nightmare. Her entire life as a noble had been one long, desperate escape attempt from exactly this kind of torture. But she wasn't about to fold. Toph Beifong doesn't fold.

"Well, I'm calling your bluff!" she shot back, crossing her arms. "You're just afraid I'll be too much concubine for you! You're not getting rid of me that easily!"

The Fire Lord didn't say anything. Then he did the last thing she expected: he laughed. "Then, it was a pleasure to have made your acquaintance, Miss Beifong. I'll be sure to notify the judges of my preference. I'll see you in the quarterfinals."

And as the door creaked shut, Toph felt—for the first time in a long while—a strange, unfamiliar sensation creep up her spine: Dread. She wasn't used to being messed with. Usually, she was the one doing the messing. And for once, she wasn't entirely sure if she'd just picked a fight she couldn't win.

… Pfft. Yeah right, he was just bluffing.

(Much Later) [Beifong Family's Estate - Upper Ring]

She didn't win. But it was close. Just as the Fire Lord promised.

"Quarterfinalist…" Lao Beifong's voice was watery soft with pride as he held up the pure gold broach of meritorious award under the sunlight of their tea room's window, turning it this way and that like some trophy he'd won himself.

Toph just politely stood in her white dress, hiding the way her hands curled into fists in her flowy yellow sleeves. Pretending that she didn't want to fling the stupid thing out the window.

"Well done, daughter. Well done!" his voice brimming with pride, as though this was the greatest thing she had achieved for the Beifong family name. "You made us proud today. Even if you did not win, I have it on good authority that the judges were very impressed by your performance. Just shy of perfect!"

Her mother breathed a happy sigh. "Our daughter… 'one of the 500 most beautiful and graceful girls in all the Earth Kingdom.'" She sat there—Toph could feel—as she was handed the broach. Her mother's hands daintily clasped the stupid thing. "If only grandmother was here to see this, royal proof of her great-granddaughter's grace and beauty, she would have been so proud. So proud."

"Yes, my dear, and did you know they wrought personally-tailored tiaras for the final 100? Imagine if our Toph actually did take those extra classes that I mentioned… why, she would be wearing one right now! No, better—she would have won outright! We would be packing for the royal palace as we speak!"

Toph's green painted fingernails dug into her palm. Who cared if she was the 'One of the most Beautiful Girl in the Earth Kingdom?' She might as well be the most primped up wooly-pig in the Earth Kingdom for all that mattered! And it stung even more because she knew that she reached that far, not because of her own merit, but because it was the Fire Lord Supreme pulling strings. And she didn't even know why it stung that much!

"I think I should wait a few more years." She managed to politely say, just the word 'pageant' was driving her up the wall now.

"Nonsense, Toph!" Her father laughed as if she had cracked a hilarious joke. "There'll be another pageant next year! And this time, we will make sure you win. We're Beifong! We do not settle for second place! We create our own prosperity, our own fortune! If you came so close without proper preparation, imagine what you'll achieve with our full support!"

"Full support?" Toph's stomach dropped. She hated how familiar this sounded.

"Yes, full support. And that is why, my daughter, this year—this year—we will spare no expense." His father started to pace, mind apparently racing. "Yes... Not a single detail will be overlooked. You will have the finest instructors, the most experienced tutors, the greatest designers in the entire Earth Kingdom. Etiquette and dance classes five days a week. No—six! Six! We'll even arrange for that personal posture specialist from the Xuan family. They still owe us favours from last winter. Then we'll commission a hundred dresses, tailored for every possible weather and occasion. Whether the day of the pageant brings rain, shine, or snow, you will have the perfect outfit, the perfect presentation. You will glide across that stage on the finest and smallest shoes! And next year, you will not just compete—you will win. You will ascend, rise to a level of nobility never before seen in the Four Nations! And from there, you will continue on to live a future that even other noble girls could only dream of! This can only be the birthright of the Beifong family!"

... Her father was obsessed.

"Aren't you excited?" Her mother chimed in then, her voice smooth and overly sweet, as if she were talking to a child half Toph's age.

They both were. So damn sure that this was what she wanted. That she dreamed of curtsies and balconies, of bowing her head in perfect posture, of drifting through life as a graceful little eel-swan. They were talking as if she had spent her whole childhood yearning to be another primped-up noble girl, perfectly useless except for looking pretty in the right dress. As if they had ever listened to her. As if they knew what she really wanted.

"Sonnuva!" The words exploded from Toph before she could stop herself. Her foot lashed out, sending a nearby pillow sailing across the room and hitting the far wall with a soft thud.

Her parents both gasped, and Toph could feel the sharp vibrations of her father standing up in outrage. "Toph! That is no way to speak! And where are you going, young lady?!"

"To my room! Before I kick something bigger than a pillow!" Toph barked back, spinning on her heel and stomping toward the door. She could feel her parents exchanging confused, but still disapproving glances.

"Good! Stay there, for you are grounded!" her father called after her. And she scoffed.

Grounding her—as if that ever worked!

Reaching her room, Toph kicked the door shut behind her with a little more force than usual, just to make sure the bang echoed down the hall. She threw herself onto her bed, grabbing a pillow and punching it hard enough to feel the satisfying force through her arms. "Stupid Fire Lord," she growled under her breath. "This is all his fault."

And now, here she was, the 'Quarterfinalist.' Her parents were already planning an entire year of more posture classes, more etiquette lessons, more forced 'improvement' just to prepare her for next year's ridiculous competition. She could see it already: her father, his face shining with excitement as he gushed over her 'training schedule' over dinner, night after night, for the whole damn year. Her mother, cooing over how beautiful she would look in new gowns, all five dozen of them. Each one she had to stand for hours on end to get fitted just right.

"There is no way I'm going through that again." She snorted. If she was going to get out of this nightmare, she was going to need to do something. Something big enough to shock her parents into giving up on this whole concubine nonsense, she muttered to herself. "Drastic measures… I need drastic measures."

Maybe she could sabotage the competition? No, security was too tight with everyone's precious little girls strutting around. Could she fake an injury? Also no, they'd probably just get some fancy healer. So, what if… she disappeared for a while? Now that had potential. She wasn't in Gao Ling after all; Ba Sing Se was very very big. A helpless blind girl could easily get lost in it, right?

That thought brought a sly grin to her face. Oh, now she was onto something!

Toph grinned as she strolled over to her dresser and started packing a bag, already picturing their faces when the best girl in the competition vanished without a trace.

(The next day) [The Royal Palace, Ba Sing Se]

Across the immaculate marble floors, a parade of beautiful ladies pranced and smiled and winked at me.

The matchmaking houses had done their job of narrowing the selection down with their strict qualification criteria. From the initial five thousand, we were down to four hundred. Each one of them was like a cover model with their clear and smooth skin. Slender swan-like necks rising out of their plunging necklines. The finest silks robes hugged the curve of their hourglass figures; the fabric was so thin that the swell of their chests were also sporting bumps as their nipples poked through, and tight enough that some robes looked as though they were practically stretched over the girls' wide child-bearing hips, rubbing their thicc thighs together as they cat walked across my view. Throwing bedroom eyes and 'come hither' looks in my direction.

The feminine bounty of Ba Sing Se laid out for my perusal and selection. It was like having every popular girl, town heartthrob, and aspiring model lined up and just waiting for the word to strip down and spread their long legs.

Any other man would have just commanded an orgy. Lined them up, hiked up their skirts and presented their virgin holes to be claimed one after the other. But fortunately, I had a level head that was further bolstered by the Kyoshi Warriors' insistence that I only inspect the girls during post-nut clarity. It was certainly one way to make certain that I made a rational decision, they claimed. Suki, then ass still in the air and dripping with my cum, calmly assured me that they had no ulterior motive and that they were just doing their duty as the judges.

… Regardless of their reasons, it was certainly effective as I effortlessly ignored the show of supple female flesh before me to instead do the devil's work: Human resources paperwork. Sifting through pages of each girl's interview, checking their CVs and balancing between loyalty, competency and potential. I needed loyal administrators, after all, not convenient cumdumps; I had Katara for that.

I didn't look up from my blueprints as the Kyoshi Warriors prostrated before my throne, their green kimonos brushing against the fine carpet. Their voices rang out, loud and in perfect synchrony.

"O' Crispy Chief Colossal!"

"O' Hot Honcho Humongous!"

"O' Sizzling Sovereign Super-sized!"

I inhaled slowly. Exhaled even slower. I was not going to correct the Kyoshi Warriors today.

"Did you work on your alliteration, Suki?"

"Yes?"

"It's very nice, Suki."

"Thank you!" She beamed.

I flipped up my helmet just to pinch the bridge of my nose. "What do you want?"

Suki cleared her throat. "We come before thee with news of great import!" she declared with overly-dramatic flair. "We have a last minute addition to the Royal Poontang Hunt. We found her waiting tables at this nice barbecue place in the Lower Ring."

"A barbecue place?" I finally looked up. "…You're joking."

"No, O' Grilled Governor Gargantuan. We saw her once and knew we had a diamond in the rough."

"And by that we mean her great personality."

"Her huge set of temperament."

"Her monumental pair of charisma."

"So, from the finest barbecue house in Ba Sing Se..."

"... The juiciest rack in Ba Sing Se!"

"Well, third place actually. Size-wise? She's giving Yue a run for her money! But no one can beat my perfectly-proportioned puppies!"

One of the other, less busty Kyoshi Warriors coughed into her gloved fist, sounding suspiciously like 'Eat shit, Suki.'

A blushing girl with dark brown pigtails and light green robes nervously walked in from the side door, and… They weren't lying- the girl was stacked. The too-small light green robes they gave her couldn't even close over those globes- exposing everything from her collarbone, her entire cleavage and almost to her navel. Even now the robe was slipping open. A hint of pink areola already peeking from the gold trim of her robes. The long slit that let her bare leg slip out was very tasteful too. Her nervous blush spreading across her cheeks only complemented her pretty face and… she seemed very familiar.

"Wait… Jin?" my deep voice muttered. Zuko's only other canon love interest. "Out of the hundreds of thousands of girls in Ba Sing Se, you managed to find and pick her?"

Suki blinked in surprise, then turned to her sisters. "Girls, he's already heard of her before." She said, then smiled widely, "We're absolutely killing it with this matchmaking business!"

"She fits all the criteria too! Now wasn't that surprising!"

"Usually you can't be smart with a chest that big like Suki's."

"Hey! I'm plenty smart!"

"Wait. All of the qualifications?" I echoed, doubtful but interested.

The lone, snowy-haired Kyoshi Warrior stepped forward to answer. "Yes, she passed every competency test I gave her, even the ones that took a step further. She's smarter than she looks... Unlike Suki."

"Hey!"

"Good job, new girl! You're getting the hang of this!"

"Bullying Suki is definitely a prerequisite to being an ideal Kyoshi Warrior."

Ignoring them, I aimed the question at the prospective concubine who was still tugging at the edges of her robes. "Then why were you overlooked?"

"Uh… I sneezed in front of the matchmaker lady, O' Fire Lord Supreme." Jin kept her head bowed in shame, and her sizeable chest hanging like ripe fruits. "She gasped, clutched her fancy pearls and called me 'a tragic disappointment to femininity' and sent me home on the spot."

"Do you still want to join?" I asked.

The question came off as enough of a shock that Jin lifted her green eyes to look at me. "Y-you're personally extending an invitation to join the pageant?! But uh, I heard that we're already in the semi-finals. Are you sure I can? I mean, your majesty, sir!"

"Yes, it's true that admitting you straight into the semi-finals round is a great consideration. However…" I paused to glance at the smiling redhead and her sisters, "… Suki and the others personally brought youher before me, and that counts for something."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" She bowed low again.

For giving her a chance to win the pageant and ensure her family's future…

{Jin} Reputation: 30 - 50

{Jin} Obedience: 60 - 70

Already more than half Reputation and Obedience on the first meeting. All those Reputation perks and bonuses were adding up. It was an amazing feeling- finally attaining that late game OP build after so much grind. Also, Suki and Yue joining forces in a good-cop-bad-cop routine was proving to be an unstoppable combination in getting me laid.

"I'll do my best, your majesty!" Jin bowed again, and all that bowing had apparently pushed her green robes past its limit and her hefty E-cups were bouncing freely. Pink nipples exposed to the open air. And on her slender frame, they looked even more massive. Even with my large hands, each of those soft, swaying globes of mammaries would probably be more than a handful.

The Kyoshi Warriors giggled amongst themselves as Suki wrapped an arm around the oblivious topless girl's shoulder. "Brave move flashing your tits to Khan on your first meeting with him."

"My what- Eh?!" Jin squeaked, finally noticing her wardrobe malfunction. Immediately, a ruby blush lit up her entire face as she covered her naked chest with her slender arms, only for those massive breasts to practically overflow, "Sorry! This wasn't on purpose! Honest! I... Thank you again!"

She ran off, her dress practically fluttering open like an undone bathrobe as she did. Her panicked shriek echoed through the halls.

"Uh huh." Suki just grinned smugly, "Sisters, I think we just found the dark horse of the competition."

The phrasing reminded me of something and I aimed a question towards the redhead. "Suki, speaking of unusual contestants… What happened to Toph Beifong?"

"The blind girl? She ran away, last we heard," Suki shrugged.

"Hopefully not to sabotage my rail system." I scoffed. I would have gutted the House of Beifong if she continued her guerrilla warfare. "But if Toph stays out of my way, I'll be happy to leave her to devices. But…"

The Kyoshi Warrior's red-painted lips drew into knowing smiles. ".. But you want us to retrieve something with her scent just in case she does."

"We may need her yet."

Suki clapped her hands together. "But we're going as planned with the pageant, then? We still have to help Jin get settled."

My gaze lingered on them for a long moment. But my paperwork was already piling up—and if Toph Beifong wasn't currently causing me problems, I didn't care.

"Yes, yes. We'll continue with this grand contest of beauty, grace, elegance, and whatnot." I waved a hand dismissively, already returning to my documents.

The warriors stood, bowed, and quickly shuffled out of the room with far too much enthusiasm.

(A week later)

"The Fire Lord Supreme awaits you in his study, Lady Jin."

The Royal Palace guard addressed her with a deference that felt unnatural, like he was addressing someone important. Which, apparently, she was now. Jin barely managed a nod, that the Royal Palace guards bowed—deeply—before drawing open the massive jade doors.

The doors groaned like they resented the effort, shifting the massive carved reliefs of badger-moles clutching the Earth Kingdom symbol. The indoor air rushed onto her, thick with lotus incense that apparently curled through the palace corridors. Past the open doors, the palace stretched before her, completely unreal in how luxurious everything was, like the inside of a fancy jewelry box. Polished marble floors made cleaner than Lower Ring plates, golden statues of long-tailed poodle-monkeys spiraled up columns, and a vaulted ceiling that arched high above her, carved with constellations glittered with jewels embedded in the stone, as if they had taken the night sky and inlaid it onto the ceiling.

It was as if there was a different world inside the Royal Palace- an entire world that still felt like she did not belong to.

Jin glanced behind to the world she did know.

Just beyond the palace gates, the city of Ba Sing Se danced in celebration under a sky of green lanterns, to the sounds of a festive orchestra. The guzheng's silver notes, the upbeat rhythm of celebration drums, and the laughter and the shouts that followed the barbeque and rice wine. The parade had continued after dropping her off: The runner-ups were being honored—dressed in the finest silks, wore gifts of the finest jewelleries, toasted by young Earth Nobles eager to court them, and showered in gifts by merchants hoping to secure future favors. All the while, they were smiling, laughing, drinking plum wine so sweet it stuck to your teeth.

But Jin remembered when they- the final seven- walked through the jade archway in one last elegant procession that was bathed in soft candlelight, and the wrinkled matriarchs of the matchmaker houses announced the Fire Lord Supreme's final decision.

She saw their faces when it was her name that was proclaimed as the winner.

They didn't lash out—not openly. Too well-trained to lose their temper and shout mean words at her in public. But Jin wasn't stupid. She saw the sharpness of their stares and the way their delicate fingers curled into their sleeves. They had spent their whole lives preparing for this. Born into fine houses, raised in gold-lined rooms, sleeping on feather-down beds, taught palace manners before they could walk and poetry before they could wipe their own asses.

And yet, she was the one to win.

'The Barbeque Girl' as they called her while sneering behind their folding fans. The girl whose family had no title, no heritage from Ba Sing Se, and not even two silvers to rub together.

Jin stepped into the golden corridors of the Royal Palace with their faces in mind. Maybe she did not feel like this was her world, but she had earned this. On silk slippers that had never touched dirt. In a green gown with gold-threaded peonies, the threads were so fine they had never graced a commoner's hands, let alone a commoner's skin. Her brown pigtails were bound by silk and lightly spritzed with fragrance, and gone was the scent of charcoal, soy sauce, and roasted meats. Now, she smelled of orange blossom, cinnamon, and orchid resin as she moved through the inner palace, over fine carpets that had taken generations to weave, up the grand steps where a thousand years' worth of Earth Monarchs had climbed.

And before she knew it, she had reached the last step of her journey: the door to the Fire Lord Supreme. Compared to the rest of the palace, it was adorned simpler—no dragons, no badger-moles, no celestial imagery. Just fire.

So, with her head high, shoulders straight and one steadying breath—Jin pushed through the door.

Immediately, his eyes locked with hers from across the room, and her confidence evaporated like a puddle under a hot sun.

It was him. The ruler of the empire that spanned the whole world, and still wearing the same red Fire Nation armour that he conquered the world with. Except, right now, he was without his helmet. He... he looked younger than she thought. Hair, raven-black with a roguish sweep, the sharp angles of his jaw and the way his green eyes were burning with that hunger that young men had. A powerful, towering man—already the sovereign of all the world—who hasn't even reached the full apex of his strength and power. Precisely the type of man who didn't need to be of noble station to take women for his own...

Yes, she was exactly like a puddle under his hot sun. Except he didn't make her any less wet.

"Excellent. You're finally here." He said in a voice that sent a thrilling shiver down her spine, like hot caramel sliding down her naked back and... other places. Just begging to get licked up.

This was the man she would be serving as his concubine. (Serving? No—cherishing. Adoring. Worshipping.) Among thousands, he had chosen her. Was this destiny? A twist of fate? Was she truly meant to be here, the one worthy of standing at his side? Would he step forward, brush a strand of hair from her face, and tell her she was different? That she wasn't like the others? That he had seen something in her, something special, something undeniable—

"I've been looking forward to putting you to work since the moment Suki told me about you."

"P-put me to 'work?'" Jin's stomach fluttered so hard that she forgot all those etiquette lessons.

"Yes, I was getting tired of waiting."

Oh… oh spirits. He's so direct. And neither does waste time, does he? Perhaps the courtship rituals of the Fire Nation were different. More straightforward. More intense. Or perhaps, and more likely, it was because this was the Fire Lord Supreme. A man of his stature had no need for drawn-out games of seduction. He was a man of wills, of action... of desires.

She quickly lowered her gaze, pretending she wasn't totally overwhelmed. Her fingers twitched at the edge of her robe and her heart hammered in her chest as she whispered, "I-I'm honored, my Lord. I am ready to… fulfill my duties."

And then, he moved. A march that clinked softly with his armour. His shadow engulfing her as approached. Green eyes locked on her. Intent on her. Jin barely had time to react before he swept her into his arms as if she was but a feather, but she did squeal in surprise and delight as he carried her to a grand desk.

He was going to- Right here?! On the desk!? Oh… Oh! This is moving fast—

And then, he unceremoniously dumped her into the chair behind the desk, and placed a brush in her hand.

She blinked. "What?"

His armoured hand rested a towering stack of paperwork. "I need you to be onboard with the documentation and operational workflow immediately. These are the daily performance reports from the Ba Sing Se department heads." He then gestured to another stack of paperwork. "And here are the cross-regional reports for the other states. These take priority. The treasury has been hemorrhaging funds due to excessive upkeep and repair costs caused by outdated levy structures, and we can't afford further delays in fiscal restructuring. I'll personally give you a full departmental briefing once you're up to speed and we move out of this over-decorated circus tent.

Jin's brain struggled to process. So much so that she defaulted to the etiquette training that she had endured for the past week, beaming a brilliant polite and porcelain smile up at her beloved, "I- I'm sorry, my Fire Lord, but I won that pageant to be your concubine, didn't I? I'm supposed to lay with you, yes?"

A loud, undignified wheeze erupted behind her.

She turned.

Suki was on the floor, howling and clutching her gut. The Kyoshi Warriors pounced.

"'I'm supposed to lay with you?' Ow, my sides! Spirits spare me!"

"Whuh?! The job is nothing like the interview process and job description?"

"We're just shocked!"

"Scandalized!"

"Welcome to the real world, new girl!"

"You'll get used to it, new girl. But hey, at least it's not a history quiz!"

Jin gawked at them, then turned back to the Fire Lord, who was already back to flipping through reports. Her lips flapped. "Why—why was there a whole, nation-wide pageant for this?!"

He didn't even look up. "Bring it up with HR or 'The Earth Sages' as you call them now. I asked for administrators and they sent me concubines. Consider this your welcome to government work—we make the most with what we have to work with. And besides, you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find competent secretaries these days."

Jin opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. "... Can you please just wreck me on this desk instead?"

"Ha ha. No. Now pay attention and take notes, I don't want to explain my bureaucratic streamlining plan twice."

"Yes, Fire Lord Supreme..."

(A few more weeks later) [The Yu Dao-Omashu Express]

"Can you believe how weird things have gotten?" Ty Lee's gaze wandered out the window of the rolling train, and over the backdrop of the passing Earth Kingdom landscape, her half-reflection ghosted over, staring back at her. Even after everything, she still looked like the same Ty Lee- same long, pretty braid, same wide grey eyes.

But the world? It just felt… off.

Across from her, Mai sat—also the same the pretty, dark-haired portrait of disinterest in her red dress—resting her eyes as she flatly replied, "I guess?"

Ty Lee beamed at her old friend, "It's gotta be destiny that we ended up on the same train again, don't you think? There's no other way we could've bumped into each other like this!"

Train lines criss-crossed all across the Three Nations. Some crossed entire provinces and could take you from the Fire Nation colonies like Yu Dao all the way to Ba Sing Se. Other trains just ferried people from one end of town to the next. Some were pushed along by Earthbending, others by coal and even oil. Others even had bedrooms for long trips. It was just so much better than riding in a rickety caravan that'd take days and days just to get anywhere. Short story was that the Fire Lord Supreme really loved his trains. But to be fair, everyone else did too.

"Don't remind me…" Mai opened one eye, giving her a sour look. "Of all the trains you could have taken, you had to ride in mine."

"Hehehe! Don't you know? Destiny works in mysterious ways, Mai~"

"Annoying ones, more like." She sighed, "So why are you here? Aside from making my life too colourful and cheery."

Ty Lee fidgeted with her braid. "I thought... I could join the Adventurer's Guild in Omashu. You know, maybe make a name for myself?"

"Oh?" Mai raised a thin eyebrow at her, "And here I thought you were trying not to get involved in the new Fire Lord's business."

"I honestly kind of gave up on that." Ty Lee sighed, "Hard not to get involved when he's got his thumb in every pie now. I can't even join the circus troupes without it being one those ones who are chasing after his cultural grant money with his guidelines and objectives. At least with the Adventurer's Guild, I could go anywhere, meet anyone and do whatever jobs catch my eye."

Mai leaned back, folding her arms under her robe's red sleeves. "You really think you're cut out for that kind of work?"

"I know so." She smiled. "Thanks for worrying about me, but you know I can handle myself. It can't be much worse from the Great War."

Bandits and raiders had always plagued the world, but with the Great War ended, there were a lot more of them now. Former Earth Kingdom soldiers who showed their true colours. Mostly away from the territories that the Fire Lord Supreme were focusing on. The Adventurer's Guild had a looot of jobs that revolved around them.

But on top of that… The spiritual balance of the Four Nations had unravelled. Everyone sensed it, felt it in the air even, unmistakable since the death of the last Airbender. It was so palpable that even Ty Lee, a novice when it came to spirit stuff, could feel it. The very aura of the world had shifted, bleeding into unsettling shades of red.

Everywhere, in every form. Spirits, once dormant in their uneasy peace, were stirring. Now they stalked across the world again. Some were animalistic spirit beasts that rampaged through the lands in a typhoon of violence. Other places had much scarier things that began happening: crops withering without reason, livestock found mutilated in the dead of night, and people vanishing without a trace. Skittering footsteps in their bedrooms, inhuman faces staring from the shadows, and figures with too long limbs creeping behind trees.

Inwardly, Ty Lee wasn't sure if this was any better than the Great War. But she'd take bandits and raiders over scary spirits any day.

It was said that the Fire Lord Supreme had his own plans to tackle the problem with the restless spirits, even personally taking to the field with his 41st Host to handle some of the bigger spirits. For the rest, the Adventurer's Guild was definitely one his 'fast and dirty' solutions. But they got the job done, and they got it done quick. That's what people loved about them.

"I'm not worried about you one bit." Mai looked away.

"Aww… thanks for having confidence in me, Mai!" Ty Lee chirped back.

"That's not what I- Oh forget it. I heard Adventurers are an interesting bunch of people." Mai began instead, "The 'Headmaster' of the Adventurer's Guild was a mercenary woman named June… who coincidentally is part of the Fire Lord Supreme's concubines."

Ty Lee chuckled, "Yeah, but don't you think it only makes sense?! A mercenary/bounty hunter who's been to every corner of the world being put in charge of gathering so many different people? Benders, non-benders, mercenaries, bounty hunters, huntsmen, acrobats, even farmers… Everyone from every walk of life could become an adventurer. All of them coming together under one roof. I think it's wonderful."

"Yeah, wonderful," Mai drawled. "Sounds like a real interesting group of people."

"But I love meeting interesting people!" Ty Lee beamed, bouncing in her seat. "I would know, because I like to think I'm one too!"

Mai's tawny orange eyes gave her a slow, deliberate once-over. "Well, you certainly are…" She tried to find the word, or to put it politely. "…interesting."

"Awww… thanks, Mai!" Ty Lee squealed as she reached out across the small space between them, arms extended for a hug.

Mai recoiled instantly, her arms snapping up defensively and pushing at her face. "Let go! No hugs!"

"Okay, okay!" Ty Lee giggled, falling back into her seat still beaming. A moment of silence passed between them as the rhythmic clattering of the train filled the space, the world outside speeding by in a blur of color. She looked back to Mai, her curiosity impossible to suppress. "So, what are you doing in Omashu, anyway?"

Mai shifted, crossing her legs under her red robes. "I'm… actually going to join the Adventurer's Guild too."

Ty Lee blinked in surprise. "Y-You are?" she stammered, grey eyes wide. Her voice dropped to an excited whisper, mind racing with possibilities of friendship. "Hey… since we're both headed there… would you be interested in, I don't know… forming a team with me?"

Mai stared at her, unblinking, her expression flat and unreadable as ever. The train rattled on, the wheels grinding against the tracks. Then, with her usual slow deliberation, Mai sighed and rolled her eyes. "... I guess someone has to look after you."

Ty Lee's face lit up. She practically vibrated in her seat. "I knew it! You do care!"

Mai's expression twisted, but there was a glint in her eye, almost imperceptible to anyone who didn't know her. "Don't push it."

"We're going to be the best Adventurer Team ever!"

"Great. I can't wait."

Ty Lee pretended that she didn't see the corners of Mai's mouth tug ever so slightly into a smile.

(An hour later) [Omashu]

Ty Lee had never felt more free in her entire life.

The Adventurer's Guild HQ at the heart of Omashu was huge. All solid stone and sturdy wood, like something straight out of an epic saga. Banners from the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and Fire Nation flapped proudly in the wind, but—of course—the Fire Nation's hung just a little higher. Typical.

The place itself hummed with energy—not just the noise, but the aura. The clang of weapons, the gruff laughter of battle-hardened warriors, the murmured deals being struck in dark corners and someone strumming a merry tune on a ruan on a stage. Burly, scarred fighters stood like platypus-bears near the entrance, huge axes and hammers strapped to their backs as they swapped war stories. Slick, pretty-boy types lounged against the pillars, hands resting lazily on the elaborate hilts of blades, bragging to the groups of wide-eyed newbies. Adventurer parties laughed and toasted drinks around tables, likely celebrating another successful job. And the smell? Steel, leather, sweat, and something deliciously savoury roasting over in the tavern section.

This place was alive—loud, wild, absolutely foaming from the rim with adventure and freedom!

Ty Lee practically bounced on her heels.

This was it.

These were her people, and this was where she belonged!

"Isn't this place great, Mai?!" Ty Lee glanced behind her to flash a smile at Mai who was followed behind in her usual bored walk.

"Eh." Her friend's eyes glided over the crowd with well-practised apathy. But suddenly, she swivelled on her toes- red robe fluttering as she sidestepped a smaller figure that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Her voice cut through the chatter. "Would you watch where you're going?"

The figure- short, stocky, and barefoot- turned around sharply, her face angled toward them. Her milky-white eyes, sightless yet unblinking, stared straight ahead, and a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Actually, no." Her voice was dry, "I can't."

"I'm so, so sorry about my friend!" Ty Lee gasped, rushing forward and bowing her head slightly, even if the other girl couldn't see. "She didn't mean to- uh, she's not great with people! Uh, anyway, I'm Ty Lee, and that's Mai."

"I can speak for myself, thanks," Mai, muttered, unbothered, her eyes flicking from Ty Lee to the girl.

"No harm, no foul. It's the interior designer's fault for covering only some of the floor with wood." The smaller girl's smirk widened, clearly amused. "Name's Toph. So, what's the deal with you two? You also signing up to be Adventurers?"

Ty Lee's eyes lit up. "Yeah! We just got here, and we're totally excited to join! It's gonna be so much fun, right Mai?"

"Fun, isn't exactly the word I'd use." Mai arched her brow.

Toph chuckled. "I can already tell- this is gonna be good. I can practically feel you two already bickering your way through missions."

Ty Lee giggled, brushing her braid back over her shoulder. "Oh, we get along great! We've been friends since our dance tutorials!"

Mai just gave her the side eye. "Define great."

"Hold up... Both of you are runaway noble girls too?" Toph asked, her blind eyes narrowing as if she could see right through them.

Mai's eyebrow shot up, her usual indifferent mask cracking just a bit. It was the most interested Ty Lee had ever seen her with someone they'd just met. "What makes you think that?"

Toph smirked and jerked her thumb toward Ty Lee. "Bubbles over there said, 'Dance tutorials.' That's a dead giveaway. And trust me, it's always the same story. Parents breathing down your neck. Controlling, suffocating, always telling you who to be. I'm the same deal- ran away from my stuffy, overbearing parents and never looked back. Now I do whatever I want, go wherever I want, talk however I want. You two sound like the same kind of trouble. Want to team up with me? I'm the best Earthbender you'll find around here. On this entire continent, I mean."

Ty Lee's face lit up, "Of course, we'd love to have-""

Mai's hand shot up to cover her mouth, shutting her up. She took a step forward, her gaze narrowing as she stared down at the shorter girl. "And what makes you think we're interested in joining up with a blind Earthbender we just met?"

Toph rolled her shoulders, cracking her knuckles with a sharp pop. "I need someone who can do the seeing, reading and writing. You two need someone who can do amazing Earthbending." She rolled her shoulders, cracking her knuckles with a sharp pop. "And, let's be real, anyone who ran away from their stuffy home and their stuffy parents to do random stuff out in the world is okay in my books. So, what do you say? Team Noble?"

Mai raised her eyebrow again, her lips pressing into a thin line, but there was something new in her expression—curiosity, maybe even amusement. "Team Noble?"

Mai's hand no longer on her mouth, Ty Lee saw her chance, "Yeah, why not Team Runaway!"

"Because it sounds like we'd run away from jobs and fights." Toph chuckled. "Besides, 'Team Noble' sounds way better than Team 'Blind, Bored and Perky.'"

Ty Lee giggled, bursting into a bright smile again. "I guess it does! Sure, Team Noble! It's got a nice ring to it." She clapped her hands together, practically bouncing on her feet with excitement. Leaning in toward Mai, she whispered (loud enough for Toph to hear, of course), "I think her aura's beautiful."

"Fine." Mai sighed, rolling her eyes before throwing her hands up in surrender. Her sharp gaze settled back on Toph. "But don't think this makes us friends."

Toph grinned wickedly. "Whatever you say, Gloomy."

"Nicknames already?! I'm glad you two are getting along so fast!" Ty Lee bounced on her heels, her excitement bubbling over. "We're going to be the best team ever! I just know it!"

Toph smirked. "Damn right we are. Team Noble. Let's get signed up and ready to shake up the world!"

(A few weeks later)

"Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountains! Secret, secret, secret tunnel~!"

The voice echoed off the steep cliffs, bouncing back in a chorus that made Mai's head snap up. Which also made Ty Lee and Toph snap up too. A group of people, dressed in brightly colored, patchwork clothing, soon swaggered into view. At the front of the group was a young man in red, his fingers plucking at the strings of a pipa lute as he kept singing. His black hair, messy and windswept, fell over a familiar face… one that was marred by a burn scar over his left eye.

"Z-Zuko?" Mai's voice wavered, a mix of surprise and disbelief creeping into her usually flat tone.

The guy in red looked up from his lute, blinking in confusion. "Mai?" His voice was uncertain, as if he couldn't quite believe it either.

Eyes wide, she walked forward, her feet carrying her over the uneven ground as if pulled by some invisible force. When they were face to face, close enough that she could see the awkward half-smile tugging at his lips, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Zuko scratched the back of his head, the lute hanging awkwardly at his side. "I've been, uh, trying to get these nomads to teach me all the songs they know."

"Yeah, we're nomads- happy to go wherever the wind takes us!" A shaggy-haired man in the group chimed in, his smile as bright and carefree as the sunshine. He gave a little wave. "I'm Chong, this is my wife Lily, and this fire dude is Zuko."

"Nice to meet you!" Ty Lee giggled, "I like your aura!"

"Thanks!"

Zuko made a face, his lips curling into a grimace. "What they didn't tell me," he muttered, "is that they're actually the last remaining members of a famous music troupe." He shot an exasperated glance at Chong, who seemed blissfully unaware of Zuko's frustration. "My mother sent me to learn from them, but… they won't teach me the songs."

Chong nodded sagely, strumming his own pipa as if punctuating the moment. "We are teaching you, young ember dude. You just have to feel the music in your heart. That's the only way to really learn the songs."

Zuko looked unimpressed, turning back to Mai with an expression that screamed, Help me.

Before Mai could say anything, Toph's voice rang out, cutting through the awkward reunion. "You two know this guy?"

Ty Lee grinned wide. "Oh yeah! He was Mai's lo-"

A dagger whistled through the air, landing with a sharp thunk just an inch away from Ty Lee's toes. She yelped, hopping back as Mai shot her a deadly glare.

"Not. Another. Word." Mai's tone left no room for argument.

"Ooo~ Touchy." Toph snorted, clearly enjoying the tension.

Zuko cleared his throat, trying to redirect the conversation before it derailed completely. "So, uh, what are you doing here?"

"We're Amber-ranked Adventurers now!" Ty Lee announced proudly, flashing her Adventurer Card inlaid with a brilliant Amber emblem to Zuko. "We took a job investigating reports of a giant nightcrawler possessed by a dark spirit… or maybe it's a dark spirit in the form of a giant nightcrawler. I can't remember which."

Mai rolled her eyes. "The job listing didn't say. That's why we're here. To investigate."

"Nightcra- Wait…" Zuko's expression darkened as he turned back to Chong and the nomads. "… didn't you say we were going to see a giant peaceful nightcrawler over at the other mountain?"

Chong beamed. "Far out, man. We should totally go warn it about that evil giant nightcrawler. It might be in danger!"

Zuko sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Something tells me this is the same nightcrawler. You guys stay here and make camp. I'll help them deal with the nightcrawler…" He glanced back at Mai, his expression softening a little, his voice quieter, almost hesitant. "If that's okay with you…"

Mai shifted, trying to keep her expression neutral, but a faint blush still crept up her pale neck. "Sure… whatever," she muttered, looking away.

Ty Lee, of course, wasn't about to let that go unnoticed. "Aww, look at her blush!" she teased, grinning wide as Toph joined in.

"I wish I could!" Toph guffawed, "I can almost feel how hot she's blushing right now."

"You…" Mai's hand twitched toward her daggers again, but before she could respond, Toph interjected again.

"Wait, time out. Is he-" The blind girl jabbed her thumb toward the sound of Zuko's voice. "-also a runaway noble? We got a good thing going on here."

Ty Lee grinned. "Oh, he's not just any runaway. He's the former prince of the Fire Nation!"

"You're the former Prince?!" Chong said, the shaggy nomad eyeing Zuko in disbelief as the rest of the Nomads covering their mouths in shock, "We've been travelling for weeks, but you never told us? Dude, I thought we were closer than that!"

"I told you twelve times now!"

He blinked, "… Oh yeah. You did."

"That's awesome!" Toph's guffawed, as though she'd just heard a fantastic joke. "Team Noble's 'Runaway Noble' schtick is still going strong!"

Ty Lee threw her hands up in excitement. "But more importantly, Team Noble's got a musician now! Aw yeah!"

Zuko blinked, and deadpanned, "I'm still a Firebender, Ty Lee."

"And a pipa player at that!" She beamed, bouncing on her heels with excitement. "You're going to make our team so much more fun! We'll have music for all our adventures!"

"I don't know about that…" Zuko sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Let's just… go take care of this nightcrawler."

"Finally! I was getting tired of standing around. Let's see if this overgrown worm can handle Team Noble."

(A few months later) [Khan's Mobile Command Vehicle - Near Gaoling]

Than never wanted to leave his village, to leave his wife Ying and his daughter Hope.

He would have taken his family with him on the journey if he could have. Just left behind their humble lightwood shack and started a new life in Ba Sing Se like they had planned before the War unceremoniously ended. But his wife was still weak from childbirth. And their daughter, curled in her mother's arms, was small—fragile, like hope that she was named after. He could not wait, and neither could the rest of the dark spirits would come again, as they had past weeks. And next time? Their hunger might not be sated by their dwindling livestock alone. Would they begin breaking down their doors in search of more meat?

Someone had to go and kowtow before their Earth King for aid. He volunteered, because no else would.

The village elders had scoffed at the idea. A mere farmer thinking that he could gain an audience with an Earth King? He may as well have tried slaying the dark spirits himself! And even if he could reach the foot of their throne, the old Earth Kings of their province had all been indifferent landlords at best, bandits-with-crowns at worst. It was better to suffer in silence than to kow-tow before one.

The rest of the village wasn't any better. They feared the long journey winding through lands where hungry dark spirits lurked. Only the desperate would make such a trek alone, they said. But Than was one such desperate man; the other families were only relieved that someone was making an effort—someone who wasn't them. And despite all odds, he made it.

Except, it wasn't the Earth King that he found.

Instead, he found himself there, inside an 'Airship' as the Fire Nation called them. A great mountain of black metal that was said to be able to sail the clouds. And in the middle of a great hall of black metal, on a tiny stool, he sat. The great library around him bustled with an army of robed clerks moving this way and that with their armfuls of records. The scent of parchment, ink and machine oil clung to the air. Crystals lighting up the dark interior, lighting up towering shelves crammed with scrolls and ledgers that loomed up like the ribcage of some ancient Mountain Spirit.

Than gulped. It was not the hall of a mere Earth King that he had found himself in, but the Fire Lord Supreme's own personal domain.

Khan.

A legend in the war. The Giant and his Horde- the Bloody 41st- who had rampaged across the Earth Kingdom leaving a trail of torched villages and broken fortresses. The man commanded fear even from those who had never seen his banners on the horizon, with a penchant for feeding people alive to his monstrously large ostrich-horses. Some whispered that he was never even mortal—just an angry spirit bound to a giant's armour to terrorize the mortal world. And now? He ruled the world.

The giant in the red armour was unmistakable behind his equally gigantic desk of dark metal. His skull-faced helm looking balefully at the forms and documents laid out before him by the clerks, like paltry offerings before a great monument... or oblations to a god. With a minute nod, the Fire Lord Supreme directed clerks gather the papers for the next set to be placed.

Than gulped and adjusted his grip on the wicker basket hanging from his arm. Inside, the chickens shifted, their quiet clucks muffled beneath the woven lid. A humble offering and tribute, he told the clerks at the entrance. A bare-faced bribe, in truth. And he could only hope that it was sufficient to turn what would be the Fire Lord Supreme's polite, empty words into some kind of action. It was always a paltry offering to an Earth King, but he feared that it might be taken as an insult for the ruler of all the world. Regardless, he placed the basket aside for now to kow-tow, pressing his knees, palms and forehead against the cold metal.

"Honored Fire Lord Supreme Khan, my village—"

"Green Willow, a grain province," Fire Lord Supreme's rumbling voice echoed, neither impatient nor indulgent. His brush had already moved.

"Yes!" Than looked up, "Every fortnight, dark spirits descended upon our village—feasting on our livestock, blighting our crops, and destroying our homes. We cannot endure much—"

"The issue has already been noted," Khan interjected, setting aside the paper in front of him. "The records confirm an increase in activity in Green Willow."

A trio of clerks stepped forward, each unrolling a scroll towards the Fire Lord Supreme with crisp precision. He barely glanced at the contents, barely exhaling in disgust.

"Dipping toll revenue, crashing agricultural yield deficits and also... bureaucratic delays exceed intervention thresholds for this province. Previous reports filed incorrectly by your village head—remedied upon recent census review. Standard emergency protocol applied."

"Y-you—you're really going to do something, my Lord?" he whispered.

"It is already done." Khan scoffed. "By the time you had reached this room, your case had already been reviewed, summarized, and made ready for resolution. A temporary grain subsidy has been approved to mitigate losses, and a reserve garrison company will arrive within the hour. You will accompany them to verify the infrastructure leading to your village. Once there, they will reinforce the village and secure the area while the Earth Sages specializing in Spiritual Affairs assess the threat and recommend a long-term solution. But with this confirmation from the fifth province assailed by dark spirits... An escalation of the response is warranted. I command it to be so."

A brushstroke. A seal pressed into wax.

The Fire Lord Supreme handed the scroll to a clerk who rang a small gong. The wavering sound echoed through the airship hull, and the entire interior seemed to move even faster. More clerks rushed in more directions, more sounds of brushstrokes against parchment, and more messengers rushed out to depart with orders in hand. Clerks lined up before the Fire Lord Supreme to unroll their scrolls for his skull-faced perusal. He seemed to read the contents at a glance, and with a nod from his helm, the next clerks in the queue stepped forward and did the same.

Than was unsure what to do next or even what to think. "Should... should this one excuse himself from your glorious presence, my Lord? It... it would seem your Excellency never had need of this one's humble self."

"No," The Fire Lord Supreme's armoured form turned back at him, "Your presence here was required only to measure the perceived sufficiency of this resolution."

"O-Of course, my Lord! It is more than sufficient! But the swiftness of it, the sheer—" Than faltered, grasping for words that could capture such unnatural governmental competence. But there were none, all he could do was tick the maximum rating boxes on the scroll and think of his family. His concern for them, he could not keep quiet. "Then... the Dark Spirits won't be a danger anymore, my Lord?"

"The heart of this disturbance will be found and cut out, all that is needed is a good, swift blade. In fact, weather reports are favourable right now." He turned towards a young, busty noblewoman in gold and jade fineries, "Jin, send a message to Headmaster June to prepare her best team."

"Yes, O' Fire Lord Supreme." She bowed deep, robes straining over her bosom before she turned on her heel and left.

Remembering his own place, Than steadied himself into a low bow, and pushed his quietly-clucking wicker basket forward. "I had brought these chickens as a humble tribute, my Lord, but it is—"

"—unnecessary." Khan set his brush down, the ink already drying. "Green Willow is under this administration's care. Its protection is a matter of governance, not a request to be debated or a service to be bought. Your... poultry will be noted as a voluntary donation to the disaster relief fund. However, your village head will still be summoned for retraining: Improper filing of reports wastes valuable response time. My valuable time. And I did not invest in my own Intelligence only to be constrained by those who have not."

A brief pause.

Then Khan briefly glanced back at him, "This audience is over."

A final stamp. A final decree.

Than shuffled out of the Hall of Administration in a daze, clutching his now empty chicken basket. The weight on his shoulders had not been lifted by the fickle benevolence of an Earth King, nor by his own desperate pleading, but because some arcane bureaucratic formula had apparently deemed him relevant. And now, churning behind him in force made of paperwork and ink stamps, the Fire Lord Supreme's ruthlessly efficient administration was rumbling across the horizon like an unheard thunder—bringing to bear political will so efficient and so powerful that Than had no doubt the Dark Spirits would learn to fear it.

Because the Fire Lord Supreme never stopped waging war. He had only found a better way to win: Bludgeoning his enemies with paperwork instead of metal weapons.

And it was working.

(A few months later) [Adventurer's Guild HQ]

Team Noble sat in an opulent waiting room.

Silk tapestries lined the walls, and the scent of incense lingered in the air. Being all former nobles, it was almost nostalgic for them- not that it helped with the aura in the room. It was still tense, Ty Lee even felt her own aura wound up in knots. Because this wasn't just any mission- this was the mission. Their first Mithril-ranked job. She wasn't even sure if there's ever been a Mithril-ranked job before. If there was, then not many adventurers ever got the chance to take on jobs like that, and fewer still advertised that fact. As far as everyone has heard, Mithril-ranked jobs were usually just rumours running around tables in the tavern below.

But this? This was the real deal. The Headmaster herself had summoned them for it.

Ty Lee couldn't sit still, bouncing slightly on the plush cushions, her nervous excitement jitters contained. Mai leaned back in her armchair, her face resting in its usual mask of indifference and boredom, her fingers absently twirling one of her daggers. Zuko was finely tuning his pipa lute, occasionally plucking strings and a chord that was a welcome filler to the quiet. And Toph, of course, lounged with her feet up on a low table and her pinky finger up her nostril, completely unbothered by their big break. Ty Lee wished she had her stoicism sometimes. Just sometimes.

"Team Noble's the best in the field, big guy," came Headmaster June's voice, muffled but distinct from behind the large double doors. "If they can't do it, no one in my Guild can."

The creak of the door echoed through the room, and everyone tensed. Slowly, it swung open, revealing a massive, imposing figure clad in spiked red armor- Khan. The seven-foot-tall ruler of the world stood in the doorway, his skull-faced helmet gleaming under the light streaming from the windows. For a moment, no one spoke. Then Khan stepped inside, his spiky armour clinking with each deliberate movement, and his skull helmet swept its gaze over them, glossing over Mai.

"…Toph." His voice was a low, rumbling growl as he nodded to the blind Earth bender.

"Khan," Toph replied with a short, stiff nod, her voice sharp and tense. Her hands rested on her chair, fingers drumming against the wood of the armrests in a restless rhythm.

Then, finally, Khan's gaze landed on Zuko. The firebender stiffened but met his former enemy's gaze head-on.

"Zuko," Khan said.

"Khan," Zuko replied, his tone steady, but carrying an edge of something different. An acknowledgement, and what Ty Lee hoped was just a bit of respect. Because unlike the others, he couldn't deny that, in some twisted way, Khan had ruined his life for the better.

Finally, Khan's gaze shifted to her. "Ty Lee."

Ty Lee straightened slightly, her aura firming up. "Khan," she echoed, trying not to let any weakness in her voice. She'd come a long way from the circus performer whose life had been upended and her friend driven insane… but so had he. While she had wandered around to find a new lease in life, he had apparently soared up to attain his as ruler of the entire world.

A silence followed that stiff exchange, and Zuko was the one to break it, "If you're the client for this job, then why couldn't you take your 'Bloody 41st' and just do this yourself?" he asked, his voice low and pointed. "Your division has always been good at wrecking anything you point them at."

Everyone stared at Zuko. Sure, they may have had reasons not to like Khan, but he was still Fire Lord Supreme.

"That is an option, yes," Khan replied, the annoyance barely masked in his voice. "But as much as I would relish grinding this annoying little train-disrupting pissant under my boot heel, I have bigger quests requiring my direct attention."

"Bigger things? Something bigger than the largest dark spirit outbreak that the Earth Kingdom has seen in the last thousand years?!"

"Indeed. Things like containing this incident's ongoing fallout so that it doesn't spread across the entire Earth Kingdom. I and the tens of thousands under my command are— at this very moment—staunching the bleeding, holding the line, protecting the civilians. Just standing here to brief you is already stretching it. But, Headmaster June assures me that you can pull this off. That you're one of—if not the—most effective adventurer group on the continent."

"Damn right we are!" Toph announced, puffing her chest out."You wanted the best, well here we are!"

"Sure, but this is still a very risky job, boys and girls," Headmaster June began with a drawl, the slender woman in dark leathers resting a hand on her hip, "Risky enough that even I'd be cagey with taking it. I want you all to know that you can decline the job and it won't affect your standing in the Guild or with the big guy here."

Ty Lee glanced at each of her team and met their eyes. They nodded back. They'd already talked about this before coming here- about their first Mithril-ranked job and what it could possibly entail. If they backed out now, it would be an insult to everything they've gone through as adventurers, so they wouldn't.

"We're ready." She said, letting go of her long braid and meeting Khan's eyes through the slits of his skull-faced helmet. "We'll take the job."

Khan grunted in acknowledgement and sat a map down onto the fine lacquered table in the midst of them.

"This quest should take you far southeast of Gao Ling," His deep voice rumbled, "Some genius thought that herding spirits and sacrificing people to them would somehow grant ultimate power. Unsurprisingly, this caused the endless tide of spiritual incidents you now see troubling the region: villages assailed, citizens dead and most insultingly, infrastructure was damaged. We're not even sure if the individual responsible is still alive- or sane, for that matter. But the Mithril Quest itself, Team Noble, is simple: Find whatever ritual or contraption is currently churning out dark spirits and stop it. Your bonus objective is to retrieve all information regarding the method used for the process, or capture the genius themselves if you can manage, so that we know what to look for if someone else gets the same brilliant idea."

The room fell silent again, the real weight of the mission settling over them now that the job's primary objective was revealed.

"That is a looot of angry spirits to deal with." Ty Lee broke the silence.

"This [Paiza: Steel Authorization]-" Khan tossed her a small steel tablet, the size of her palm, "-grants you temporary authority to direct the local forces up to a point. They will assist you in any way they can. I'm sure they'll be motivated to do so, since they've been drawn from the neighbouring Earth Kingdom states currently threatened by this incident. Try not to abuse it."

Ty Lee turned it over to read the inscription.

"By the power of the eternal Heavens, this is an order of the Fire Lord Supreme.

Whoever does not show respect to the bearer will be guilty of an offence."

"Huh, neat!" She grinned.

Meanwhile, Khan's expression- or what little could be seen beneath the skull-faced helmet- was unreadable. Even his aura was unreadable for Ty Lee. But she did get the sense that he was appraising them, one by one. "An Earth sorcerer, a Fire sorcerer-bard, a monk, and a thrown-weapon fighter," Khan mused aloud. Ty Lee didn't know what a 'sorcerer' was, but she was no monk either? Regardless, Khan continued, "Certainly a risky team composition without a tank, but you've been making it work, I hear. But for this quest, you'll need a healer to round out the team."

Toph perked up at that, leaning forward with interest. "Is she a runaway noble too? Cuz we've kinda got a pretty sweet theme going on here."

Khan's armoured shoulders shifted ever so slightly as he nodded. "Actually, she is." He turned toward the door, his voice booming as he called out over his shoulder, "Katara!"

A familiar figure entered the room, her flowing blue Water Tribe robes swirling around her. The former Southern Water Tribe princess, Katara, strode forward with purpose, her expression serious but respectful as she addressed the armoured figure. "Yes, my Khan?"

He gestured to Team Noble. "You're their team healer and Waterbender." Khan's voice didn't miss a beat, or allowed no argument, "I need this quest done and that corner of the Three Nations safe again."

Her gaze lingered on Zuko for a moment before Katara nodded firmly. "And it will be done, my Khan."

Khan turned back to the team. "Just keep her away from ostrich-horses, and definitely don't ask her to make [Ice Walls]. She still has some... PTSD from that."

Katara shivered involuntarily, her voice hollow and her blue eyes distant, as though reliving some terrible memory. "We can't leave anyone behind."

Zuko frowned, but before he could ask about it, Khan spoke again.

"Normally, rewards come after completion of the Quest. But for Mithril-class Quests, I definitely want you to succeed, so…" Khan's green eyes gleamed from beneath his helmet. "… who wants some good loot from the best weapons and armour smith in the world?"

Toph slapped her palm down on the table. "Payment upfront?!" she half-shouted, "Now we're talking!"

"Shoes! I need shoes!" Ty Lee clapped her hands excitedly.

Mai looked at the knife in her hands, "I could use a new set of throwing knives."

"Forward a list to my secretary, Yor, in the next few minutes." Khan grunted, "I can't make a lot in the short amount of time, but it should be enough."

"One wish list coming right up, Fire Lord Supreme!" Ty Lee beamed.

Khan turned to leave, his heavy boots clanking against the polished floor as he reached the door. "Oh, before I forget," he paused for a moment and tossed a metal cylinder at them, "It's a special [Signal Flare]. Shoot it at the sky if you're about to fail, so that I'll know to send the cavalry and Anya to deal with it… and the surrounding region, and everything and everyone inside it. Permanently."

With that ominous note, Khan and the headmaster left the room, leaving Team Noble plus Katara alone with the gravity of their mission.

Toph let out a low whistle. "Well, that was cheery."

"Khan, the Fire Lord Supreme, isn't taking chances. It means that the threat is really serious. If we fail..." Zuko said, his eyes resting on the Signal Flare in Ty Lee's hand, but Mai was there to rest a hand on his shoulder.

"We won't fail," she reassured him, nudging him to look into her eyes, "I know you. You wouldn't let these people down."

"Yup, and we'd better get started on that list then!" Ty Lee practically skipped toward the door, her smile returning in full force. "Let's go save the world, Team! And maybe get some awesome loot while we're at it!"

"Now that's the spirit." Toph grinned as she followed her. "Team Noble, let's get that wishlist filled up quick and move out. That dark spirit situation isn't gonna fix itself!"

Ty Lee grinned, because despite the danger, despite the stakes, this was what they did best.

(Two weeks later) [Southeast corner of the Earth Kingdom]

Atop the valley's rim, Team Noble sat around the campfire.

It was almost peaceful in Ty Lee's opinion. Just a group of friends huddled around a nice warm campfire. Zuko was plucking a sedate little melody on his pipa lute. Katara was in the process of laundering all the blood and gross fluids out of their main clothes. Toph had finished bending their rock tents. Mai had finished taking stock of their equipment. And she herself was just roasting a nice possum-chicken over the fire with the wild spices that she had managed to hold on.

It was like they were camping in the countryside! But… Ty Lee just wished it wasn't this side of the country.

The sky was an unholy vortex of swirling dark clouds, eerie blue lights and purple lightning. The screams of angry spirits rolled endlessly across the corrupted bogs and forests. Two weeks of endless travelling, problematic terrain, and never ending fights had led them here- on the brink of what Ty Lee was sure was their hardest fight yet. There, down at the centre of the valley, in the cavern where the vortex of blue light and dark clouds were converging, was the end of this journey. They still had a few more days before that ritual could be completed, but they had all agreed to end it as soon as they could.

For the next 8-hours though, they could finally have a much needed eight-hour long rest. She had a feeling that they were going to need it.

Ty Lee looked at it all, and shook her head. "Still can't believe I was just a circus performer a few months ago." She muttered, mostly to herself. "This Mithril-ranked job has been completely nuts so far."

"I can relate to that." Zuko grunted, his scarred golden eye staring at the vortex as he tuned his pipa lute for the final battle. "This is going to be a big story to tell the Ember Island Troupe. Especially how just getting here was the hard part."

"Hard part?" Toph scoffed, rolling her shoulders and cracking her knuckles. "We've survived cursed forests, cultist ambushes, and the creepiest shadow-spirit creatures this side of the cosmos, I'd say we're pretty much unstoppable at this point."

Mai inspected her knives' edges for wear and tear. "Don't jinx it, Toph. The minute you say something like that, they're going to prove you wrong. Trust me."

"Mai's right. Spirits love proving us wrong," Zuko's gaze flickered over to her.

"I was referring to the entire universe."

"Whatever," Toph said, shadowboxed, "If the universe is so tough, then it should throw hands with me. But I'll settle for this Jet guy instead. We're gonna kick his butt so hard that his ancestors are gonna feel it!"

"Jet…" Katara murmured, sitting down with them as she glanced at the swirling spirit vortex. "I still feel like I should be surprised, but I'm not."

From all the info they've gathered on the way here, this 'Jet' guy was an Earth Kingdom resistance fighter who couldn't handle the war ending. It was a pretty common story for a lot of Earth Kingdom people, but what made Jet different was that he stumbled onto something: An artefact. A whalebone relic dagger from Avatar Kuruk that made spirits around it go insane, and a whole lot of other things. They still weren't sure how the dagger worked exactly, so that was precluding them from the job's bonus objective; but what they were sure of was that the relic dagger was driving Jet crazy. With a capital C.

Well, 80% sure in Ty Lee's opinion. The other 20% was that Jet was already absolutely nuts by the time he picked it up.

"It's alright, Katara!" Ty Lee smiled and patted her back. "We all got exes that go really crazy after a break up! So don't worry about it!"

"I'm not worried. There's no winning against Khan." Their resident not-all-there waterbender smiled back. "It's just weird thinking that you can go against Khan like that. Actually pretty hilarious when you think about it! Ahahahaha!"

"… Right. Ha ha ha." Ty Lee scooted away from the grinning and twitching Water Tribe girl. She didn't like it when Katara's aura cracked like that. "But that's the spirit, I guess? As long as we go in as a team, we'll be alright."

"Definitely not going to fall for his cheap shots again." Mai said in what Ty Lee recognised as her 'annoyed' deadpan, and twirled her throwing knife faster. The last time they tried to take that frothing-from-the-mouth maniac down had been a tough battle already. And everyone knew that this next one though was going to be a doozy.

"Alright, Team Noble, let's get some rest." Zuko sighed.

Ty Lee nodded, already leaning back into her bed roll. Looking up at the starry sky. They'll get their rest, and then, it was going to be the end of it…

Her grip tightened around the [Signal Flare] that the Fire Lord Supreme had given them.

... One way or another.

(Eight hours later) [Elsewhere in the province]

The lead airship groaned like a great metal whale, drifting lazily through the sky and casting a heavy shadow over the idyllic valley below.

"Waku waku!"

Through a reinforced observation floor-window, little Lady Anya pressed her small hands and her face against the glass. Her green eyes sparkling with childish wonder as she pointed excitedly at the buildings and the scrambling figures that were a mountain's height beneath them. "Mama! Look at how small the dork spirits look!" she giggled. "They look like pieces of trash from up here!"

Lady Yor sat gracefully beside her daughter, stroking a gentle hand across her back as if Anya had just pointed out a lovely butterfly. "Yes, dear," she said gently. "But they're much bigger and scarier when you're on the ground. Remember what Papa said."

Anya saluted, hand to her forehead and the heels of her tiny shoes clocking together. "Umu! Anya will stay on the airship just like Papa said! We're gonna get the dork spirits from way up here! And then we're gonna come home and Papa will give everyone a big and shiny medal! But best of all! Best of all, mama! He's gonna get Anya a rabaroo plushie! It'll be huge and white and-"

A red flare burned its way into the sky and right in the bridge's field of vision, sputtering as it reached their altitude before hovering in front of them. Whispers and mutterings broke out from the bridge crew. Everyone knew what it meant: The village had fallen; the brave soldiers sent to reinforce the town garrison were swallowed by the onslaught. It didn't even matter if they weren't Fire Nation, because in this fight against the dark spirits, they were all mortals on the same side. Their valor and their names will be remembered, but with that flare...

Broken Arrow Protocols were now in effect.

"A flare?! It's time! It's time!" Lady Anya hopped excitedly, then beamed a wide smile in his direction, "Captain! Anya says: Purge the tanks!"

The captain hesitated. He had thought he had already resigned himself to the horrific whims of the demon child who grossly outranked him, but an entire village...? He cleared his throat, warily keeping an eye on the child's master assassin of a mother as he spoke. "But Lady Anya, the dark spirits are circling the town hall! There may still be people holding out in the village—"

Anya pouted. "Papa said all the people are already eba—evac... e-barbeque-ated! The dork spirits might try to trick us by looking like people!" She stomped her foot against the metal floor. "The flare's out! That means we have to do it! Anya says: Start purging!"

The command deck gasped as they heard her stomp foot. She had pouted! There was no room for hesitation now. Someone was going to die if she had to ask again. The Captain exhaled, but forced a crisp salute. "Right away, Lady Anya!" He turned to the brass speaking tube mounted beside the control panel. He swallowed hard before giving the order. "Bomb bay crew, purge tanks one through four. Immediately."

"Copy, command deck!" came the tinny reply of the weapons systems officer, "Purging tanks one through four!"

Outside, the billowing hiss of enormous purge valves echoed through the sky as cubic meters of napalm spewed from the underbelly of the ship. Thick, brown liquid like syrupy tree sap poured down in heavy streams, slathering itself across roads, homes, market stalls, and the dark spirits that circled what was no doubt the last survivors of the town. Their twisted animalistic forms shook like wet dogs, trying to shake off the thick napalm like but to no avail.

Lady Anya's green eyes stared down through the observation floor-window as if locking eyes with the dark spirits whose attention they had just gotten. "Anya says: Iggy Nation!"

"Bomb bay crew, ignition canister, delay fuse: five seconds."

A single bomb fell to the earth, exploding in fireworks that sent sparks to every corner of the village. And the world below became fire.

The dirt streets turned into rivers of liquid flames, and homes combusted as if built from tinder. Everywhere the thick, syrupy fire had clung to lit up as if a platoon of firebenders had focused fire on them. Wood, stone, and flesh alike... the fire seemed to consume everything. Acrid black smoke began to rise up and blocked their view, but with it, came a sickly, unnatural stench. Shadows twisting and convulsing within the inferno. Forms shifting between monstrous and almost human as they struggled to escape the all-consuming blaze.

Then came the screams.

A shrill chorus of inhuman voices rose from. But even those seemed to have been burned away by the Napalm. The flames spawned from the Fire Lord Supreme's concoction swallowed them whole, their cries turning into fuel for the crackling roar of the firestorm. But the napalm continued to burn regardless, uncaring of those screams and purging everything in its wake. All the while, their airship continued to float over the new burning lake they had formed.

The captain told himself that he did not hear any human screams mixed with the dark spirits'.

"Ohhhh, so pretty and warm!" Anya cooed, pressing her face against the glass as if watching fireworks. Then she clapped her hands and turned to him. "Ehehehe! It's your birthday, right?"

He stiffened. "Uh... Yes, Lady Anya?"

"Yay! You're so lucky! Cuz we got you a nice big candle!" She spun back toward the window, bouncing on her toes. Behind her, the bridge crew stared in horrified silence, but Anya remained blissfully unaware. She spun on her heel, throwing her arms wide. "Everyone, sing with Anya while the captain's candle is burning!"

"Happy birthday to you~!"

The captain was glad that he didn't have to sing as he watched his 'candle' burn. And quietly, he hoped that the adventurer team that was sent would handle the source of the dark spirits soon...

He glanced at the rest of the airship fleet with their still full tanks of Napalm.

... lest his birthday be forever stained with the burnt smell of the people he had damned.

(Meanwhile) [Ground Zero of the Spirit Incident]

"ARGH! Crabcakes!" Ty Lee cursed as she was slammed against the cavern's far wall, the air knocked out of her.

Jet stood in the centre. "You're too late!" He snarled, his voice echoing through the cavern, strange blue lightning arcing along his hook sword. "I'll have the spirits tear this whole world apart before I let the Fire Nation rule over it!"

The entire cavern quaked as the fight raged on. They were so close. So close to winning this.

But so was he.

The glowing relic of Avatar Kuruk clutched tightly in his hand, its corrupting energies pulsing through the guy's entire body, cracking open glowing blue veins along his brown skin. His eyes and mouth blazed with blue light as dark spirits swirled around him, feeding on the relic and his rage. He looked more spirit than human, standing at the point where the vortex was converging- boring a new hole into the Spirit World. Spirits' wailing seemed to come from the air itself, bearing down on them and growing louder by the second. They didn't know how much time they had left to stop him.

Ty Lee looked up. Toph was keeping up the pressure with her Earthbending, dodging or blocking every time Zuko's chords reached a crescendo. Letting them know of attacks before they come, as if to [Inspire Heroics] from them. Occasionally, he'd kick firebolts at Jet in time with the beat. And Katara had just reached her position, water at the ready.

"Th-thanks." Ty Lee grunted as the Katara's [Ocean's Waters] closed up the deep cut in her shoulder, washing away the blood and dirt until it was just tender skin. But then, Zuko's pipa lute reached a crescendo. "Katara, DODGE!"

Purple lightning flashed as they jumped apart. And right where they had been half a second ago, a new deep crevice into the earth yawned open, so deep and dark that Ty Lee couldn't see the bottom. The latest one to the dozen that decorated the cavern's interior. Just moving around was getting riskier and riskier, one wrong step and it was all over.

Jet let out a crazed laugh. "Soon, you'll see. Soon you'll ALL see!" He declared, his hands tightening on the artefact. "This is the endgame. I'll see this world free of the Fire Nation, once and for all!"

Toph, her breath heavy and blood dripping from her brow, slammed her fists into the ground to stabilize herself as another tremor rippled through the cavern. "Fire Nation this, Fire Nation that. I'm sick and tired of all your nutcase yammering! Here, CATCH!"

The crumble of rock followed as Toph's earthbending sent a carriage-sized boulder sailing through the air at him. But Jet just blasted right through it like it was made of tofu, smoking pebbles clattering on the rough cavern floor.

Ty Lee, pushing herself up to her feet, tried to reason with him. "Jet, please! I know you've suffered because of the Fire Nation, but this… this won't bring anyone back. It'll only bring more pain to innocent people!"

Jet's laugh echoed like the crack of thunder. "Pain? You think I care about pain, Fire Nation? I'll show you pain!" His glowing veined fingers gripped the artefact tighter as it began to crackle with unstable energies.

But then, out of the corner of their eyes, the glint of sharpened metal came. The signal.

Zuko smirked and took a step forward, a spark of mischief lighting his amber eyes. "You know, Jet," he began, his voice calm and casual, "for someone who claims to hate the Fire Nation so much, you're starting to sound a lot like one of us."

Jet's eyes narrowed, fury flashing across his face. "Don't you ever compare me to you, Fire Nation!"

Zuko dodged another rend into the earth, but he continued, his tone still mocking. "Oh, you know, all that anger, desperate need for control, making terrible decisions- honestly, you're one more tantrum away from taking up the Fire Lord title. Maybe you should start calling yourself 'Firelord Jet,' huh?"

Jet kept blasting purple lightning at him. "Shut your mouth! Just shut up!"

Zuko's grin widened. "Did I hit a nerve? Sorry, I didn't realize the truth hurt so much. Because the only difference between you and the Fire Nation is that at least they had plans that didn't involve destroying the entire world. Face it, Jet. You're just like your bad haircut, Jet- no matter how hard you try, you're just not cutting it! You're not a hero. You're just a bitter, angry boy who couldn't let go. With a bad hairdo!"

Jet screamed in rage, lifting the artefact to strike as the spirits around him shrieked louder.

"Now!"

Concentration broken by Zuko's [Vicious Mockery], Jet didn't see it as Mai's daggers flew through the air with pinpoint precision, striking the artefact at the hilt.

It cracked.

The glowing relic sparked wildly, cracks spreading across its surface as the power within it began to collapse. He stumbled, his grip on the artefact faltering just as the relic shattered into a burst of blinding blue light.

"No, I won't be stopped!"

Katara, prepared for this, froze Jet's feet solid and locked him in place. And Ty Lee dashed forward, hopping over the rifts to close in on Jet. Her fingers were a blur as she struck his pressure points. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, paralyzed, but his eyes remained wide, burning with hatred. The artifact crumbled to dust, the dark spirits howled in agony, their forms disintegrating into the ether, banished back to the Spirit World.

"Do you think this changes anything?" Jet's voice was hoarse, his face twisted in anger. "You think you've won, you bunch of traitors and Fire Nation!? You may have saved them today, but this world is already broken. By the time I come back, you'll wish I was here to finish the job."

As his final words echoed through the cavern, Jet's body was pulled into the vortex, his form vanishing into the swirling energies of the Spirit World. His laughter, unhinged and hollow, lingered in the air long after he was gone. The dark spirits, once howling and thrashing, faded away with a final wail. The air cleared, leaving only the faint sound of wind rustling through the now still and fractured cavern.

Then, the cavern fell silent.

"It's so… quiet now," Mai murmured, wiping the dirt and blood from her face, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We did it," Ty Lee whispered at first, then her face slowly broke into a wide smile, as she jumped into the air despite her injuries. "We actually did it! I knew we could do it!"

"Aw yeah!" Toph cheered, standing beside Zuko, as she punched Zuko in the arm. "Nice roast, Crispy. Didn't know you had it in you! Was his hairdo really that bad?"

Zuko gave a small, tired grin, shaking his head. "Yeah… it was pretty bad."

The spooky pillar of light, gone. The threat, dealt with. Their first Mithril-class job, complete. Ty Lee knew that the villagers from the surrounding towns would probably be celebrating at the sight, their homes were no longer under threat from the dark spirits that had plagued this entire region for weeks. And also the fact that Anya the Evil wouldn't be called in.

Toph stretched her arms, wincing as her sore muscles protested. "And that's a wrap! So…" she grumbled, but with a satisfied grin, "who's up for some well-earned rest and the biggest, greasiest Papa Khan's pizza in the Three Nations?!"

Ty Lee laughed out loud despite the lingering ache in her ribs. "As long as Zuko plays us a victory song on his pipa!"

"Sure thing, it'd be great just performing for an audience who wasn't shooting lightning at me." Zuko said, a tired smile spreading across his face.

They all laughed as they walked away, leaving the torn up battleground behind them. The air felt more peaceful now that their battle was over, and for now, they could finally relax- together. And as the group made their way down the slope, Katara glanced at the others, a nostalgic smile tugging at her lips. "You know, this almost reminds me of my old adventures with Aang- ow!"

Toph jabbed her in the side with a teasing smile. "Uh-uh, Sweetness! None of that old team stuff. You're riding with Team Noble now!"

Katara laughed, shaking her head. "I guess I am! Go, winning team!"

"Any plans on what we're doing after our celebrations?" Ty Lee asked, glancing at her friends as they made their way toward the waiting Earth Kingdom soldiers.

"I'm going back to Yu Dao," Zuko said, his voice thoughtful. "Mom mentioned they've been having trouble with some spirits there."

"Then it looks like we've already got our next destination set!" Ty Lee beamed, bouncing on her heels again.

"Sounds good," Toph said, rolling her shoulder with a relieved sigh. "But before we go spirit hunting again, Team Noble, let's get paid! First rounds are on me!"

Laughter echoed around them, mingling with the distant cheers of the villagers, as the group began their descent from the valley, bruised but victorious, yet still hungry for pizza and their next adventure. Knowing that whatever came next- be it spirits, bandits, or rebellions- the world was wide, and Team Noble wasn't done writing its story just yet. And in the decades to come, their deeds would pass into legend, chronicled by the Fire Lord Supreme himself, immortalising them and their adventures in books, plays, and songs that would be passed on for generations.

But for now, their journey continued.

And as long as they stood together, nothing could stop Team Noble.

(One year after The Fire Nation's Final Victory)

The humble family of three stared wide-eyed as my seven-foot-tall frame, clad in bright red Fire Nation armor bristling with spikes, pushed through the thick fur door and into the small, firelit room. The warmth of the hearth barely touched the cold steel plating that encased me. Shadows danced on the walls, but the room seemed to shrink under my presence.

"Fire Nation!" The father, a barrel-chested Water Tribe man, roared as he lunged for the whalebone spear mounted on the mantle. He charged, the weapon breaking harmlessly against the thick armour plating that covered my abdomen. The shattered spear clattered to the floor, but the man barely glanced at it. His eyes blazed with defiance. "Even if I have to fight you with my fists," he growled, "I will not let you take her from us!"

I tilted my skull-faced helm toward the small, brown-faced bundle cradled in the mother's arms. The baby stirred but didn't wake.

"No, I'm not," I replied with a dry chuckle. "I'm taking all of you."

"What?" The father's eyes narrowed, fists still clenched.

"I need someone to raise the child," I continued, my voice low and rumbling with profuse disinterest. "And I'm not about to do it myself. I could pay handsomely for someone to care for her, of course. But that would be risky, wouldn't it? You never know who might mistreat the Avatar. Or… I can give you two a stipend. You'll raise her yourselves. Assuming, of course, that you're… capable."

The father's breath came hard, his knuckles white from the force of his grip. The mother clutched the child tighter, blue eyes darting between her husband and me. She finally spoke up, her voice small but steady. "Korra," she said, her gaze locking onto mine. "Her name is Korra."

Korra. Despite everything- the war, the timeline I had shattered and remade- her name remained the same. A stubborn remnant of the old timeline that I had failed to bend to my will. Some force of destiny at play, no doubt, but it was of little consequence now.

My armoured shoulders shifted slightly as I stared down at the baby. "…Korra cannot leave my supervision, That is non-negotiable. But," my voice softened into something almost persuasive, "you will live in comfort. A manor, servants, the finest care for her and for any other children you might have. You'll brush shoulders with the elite of the new world order. Your lives, and hers, will be assured."

The father's chest heaved as he stepped closer, his voice rising with renewed anger. "You think you can just walk in here, throw money at us, and we'd sell our only child to you? What happens if we refuse? Or if we change our mind, huh? What then?"

I let the question linger in the air, just long enough for the silence to get uncomfortable. Long enough for them to realise that there was a seven-foot-tall armoured, skull-faced giant standing in their living room. The same giant who had conquered the entire world in a bloody rampage of brutality and atrocities... and he had just challenged him. The Fire Lord Supreme. The man's indignation wilted into nervousness. His fists unclenched, arms falling limp at his sides.

"Let me ask you this," I said, my voice calm. "What were you expecting? That I wouldn't find her? That you'd somehow be strong enough to fight off not just me, not just the entire world, but also destiny itself?"

The mother's eyes dropped to the floor. "We thought…" she whispered, her voice breaking, "we thought we'd have more of a choice."

I scoffed, a cold sound in the quiet room. "Parents of the Avatar never have that much of a choice," I said, "It wouldn't have mattered who won the Great War and ruled the world. The question for you would have been the same: Will you accept the responsibility of raising the Avatar- with all the benefits and hardships that come with it, or will you give her away for others to raise as it has been occasionally done over the last thousands of years?"

Her lip trembled, but she kept her eyes fixed on her child. The father stood rigid beside her, his hand brushing against her arm to reassure her. She looked back to me. "Will you give us some time?" she asked, her voice fragile. "To think about it?"

"There is no more time," I grunted. "You've had an entire year to think about this."

The mother's eyes welled up with unshed tears, her hands trembling as she and her husband clutched Korra closer for a moment longer. "We thought we could protect her. We're not strong enough, I think. Are we, dear?" she whispered to her husband, her voice fragile.

But the man didn't say anything, couldn't say it. And his silence was enough.

She exhaled. "We might not be, but we know you are. So, please…" Slowly, carefully, she placed the baby in my arms. Her hands lingered for a moment, brushing against the cold metal of my gauntlets. Her voice breaking, "… take care of her."

The mother gently brushed a tear from the baby's cheek, her fingers trembling. "Korra… sweet Korra," she whispered, voice breaking. "We love you, always."

The father's hand rested on his wife's shoulder, his jaw clenched tight. "Be strong," he said, his voice low, raw with barely contained emotion. "We'll be with you… always."

I stared at the tiny, vulnerable form of the child in my arms- Korra.

"… I'll be honest. I was certainly not expecting that answer, but very well. There is a chest of Water Tribe currency outside." I said, and raised my hand to preempt their protests, "This is not a transaction nor is it a reward. It was to be a small demonstration of my sincerity if you had chosen to come along, but now… consider it as a small gift of pity for parents who had to give up their child. Hand it away, toss it into the deepest hole you can find, I do not care. But I'm sure Korra will appreciate that the effort was made to ensure that her parents were taken care of at least."

"Yes…" The mother said, tears openly streaming down her brown cheeks, "I think she would be a kind person."

"W-would you do us a favour?" the father asked.

I inclined my head.

"With all the elements that she'll know to bend… " He struggled with speaking his mind, clearly not a man of many words, "Will she even know where she came from? That she's from the Water Tribe? Who she is?"

"Ladies, if you'd come inside for a minute." I called out to the door, and soon after, it creaked open again. Seven figures in purple parkas gracefully walked in, the lead one bearing snow-white hair.

"Is there something wrong, Khan?" she asked.

"P-Princess Yue?" The mother gasped at the sight of the Northern Water Tribe royalty.

"Yes, {Yue & the Moonflower Warriors}." I confirmed with a nod, "The best Waterbenders in the Three Nations, and cross-trained by the Kyoshi Warriors. I anticipated that they'd be more suited for this. Also, my regular honour guard of Kyoshi Warriors are on a brief vacation at their home island. But I digress. Yue? They're concerned about the balance between Korra's identities as the Avatar and as a daughter of the Water Tribe."

Yue smiled at the father. "Although the Avatar's duty is to the world, we swear on the Moon and Ocean Spirits that she always remembers that she's an Avatar of the Water Tribe." Yue spared a glance to the baby in my hands, before giving a small smile back at her parents, "Don't worry, Little Korra will be proud of the heritage you've granted her. And we'll make sure she does not resent you for your decision."

"I…" The man bowed his head, "Thank you, Princess Yue…"

Of course, there was no thanks for me. But that was to be expected.

Without another word, we turned around and left, Korra held firmly but gently in my grasp as we left behind her mother's soft sobbing, and the father's muffled whispering as they clung to each other in their small igloo. The child stirred against my armour, her tiny fingers brushing against the cold metal of my gauntlet. I wrapped her in extra cloth to keep her warm, one made from my 41st Division ostrich-horses. It was a striking look- seeing Fire Nation red swaddling the young Avatar.

For over a year, the world belonged to me. And now, so did the Avatar.

(Years Later)

Korra was chained to the great monolithic structure that was the Throne of the Great Immortal Khan. A look of utter adoration on her face as she ran her tongue up and down his large shaft.

A gentle hand by a deceptively youthful lady with a painted face and shoulder length red hair. Her five other mistresses giggle behind her.

"Who's a good Avatar cumslut?" Her Mistress Suki cooed to her.

"I am! I am!" Korra yipped in between frantic, affirming sucks to Khan's glans all the while she cradled the bump of her pregnant belly.

The chain attached to her collar tugged, "And what about you, our little Southern Water Tribe broodmare?"

"Yes, please. Put another baby in me!"

Her body had grown lush after bearing him eight daughters. The first two had already being personally trained by her mistress in the North Pole to be in service of Khan. And the others would start in a few years. The first two even stood guard at the door- the first Waterbenders to guard the Throne of the Great Immortal Khan. Katara was so, so proud of them.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

With each powerful thrust, she came. Spraying girl cum right on the face of her once dear friend's reincarnation. In 'revenge,' Korra would lean up to nip at her clit, and Katara came harder. And for the rest of her Red Bull-induced immortal lifespan, Katara would thank the spirits for having found Aang in that iceberg- she'd never have met Khan otherwise.

"How long do I have to stay like this, Suki?" My deep voice prompted.

Although a milfy Katara enthusiastically bouncing up and down my cock was a joy, it got old when it was done for almost two hours straight without any variation. Just up and down. Moans and whimpers. It certainly didn't help that I was supposed to stay completely still.

"Not long now, I'd bet!" Suki chirped. "Just keep glowering menacingly. Give us your best 'Warlord Ruler of all the Three Nations' face until Ms. Painter finishes!"

"Was it your idea to dress Korra here in slave silks and chain her to my throne?"

"No, it was mine!" Korra piped up. Her dark hair and brown-toned face still streaked with my semen from her previous blowjob.

"Of course, it was." I grunted, "Sitrep on that painting, Lieutenant."

The Lieutenant, with her supremely focused expression and paint-stained cheeks, didn't even look away from her canvas as she replied, "Can't rush art, sir."

Suki rolled her eyes, begging. "Ugh! Khan, it's cute that you two still have that military rank pet names thing going on, but please! It's been over a decade- she's never going to make the first move, so just push her down and breed her already! I've already borne you six daughters, Katara here eight, and Korra's expecting, but, the LT here? You haven't even popped her cherry! You know that she's not going to say no if you tell her to hop on your cock! No girl in the world would!"

"I've been ordering the Lieutenant around since we've known each other." I replied, "I'll at least let her dictate the pace of our relationship."

That earned a reaction from our painter. A slight smile on her lips, "Thank you, Khan."

"Ugh! Girls! I need some back up here!"

From a hidey-hole in the ceiling, six shadows slipped out and landed in perfect silence at the foot of my throne. Six redheads- practically Suki clones who only looked slightly younger than the original- all in red kimonos woven from 41st Division ostrich-horse, platinum-alloy [Kyoshi Katanas] of the finest make. As one, they looked up with serious expressions to Suki, dutifully awaiting her command.

"Tell your father that he's being unreasonable."

And then… they opened their mouths.

"Only if you can convince dad that incest is wincest!"

"Yeah! If he was going to tell anyone to hop on his cock, it might as well be to girls who'd say 'Aw yeah! It's daddy time!'"

"If we're going to watch him lay pipe all day, then we at least want a turn too! Me the most!"

"Ew."

"'Ew?' What do you mean 'Ew?!' You were flicking your bean to him this morning too!"

"I meant 'Ew' in the sense of why would he ever want to stick it in you when he can go for your five sexier sisters?"

"We're identical sextuplets, genius!"

"Glad that you didn't deny what I said!"

One Suki was enough. Then I, in my utter hubris, added six more to the world. But being witness and subject to the cringe-inducing antics of one's children was just part and parcel of being a parent, I suppose.

I turned towards Suki, and whispered, "Here's your monthly reminder that this is your fault for almost overdosing on fertility draughts when we were trying for a child. Singular."

As usual, Suki just smiled a shamelessly happy smile and gave a thumbs up, "And here's your monthly reminder to call me a bakery 'cause I got bred!"

"Ugh…"

We watched as our daughters continued to squabbled in the background. Armoured red kimonos, faces painted snow white and with graceful strokes of reds and oranges that looked beautiful even as they argued, pouted, pointed their fingers and rolled their eyes at each other. Armed and armoured with the best Legendary gear that I could craft myself. Trained by their mother and her sisters, they were the deadliest group of girls in the world, and also a very capable acapella group.

Suki leaned close, linking her slender arm with mine as she rested her head on my shoulder, soft red hair tickling my neck. She sighed happily, "We make such beautiful kids, Khan," she whispered, before kissing my cheek, "Looking at them argue… it reminds me of the good old days when the squad and I would bicker. Like those times when we all argued about which of our favourite dishes you should cook for dinner."

"You mean like yesterday."

"Yeah. And I was totally right: Your Elephant Koi Katsu only gets even tastier. Also…" She chuckled softly before leaning in to slip a hot needy whisper right by my ear, "… just tell me when you want to 'train up' more {Khanate Warriors}, okay? You don't have to tell the others either~"

"Suki…"

"Fine~ If that's what you want, you can line our asses up and impregnate us one by one. Again."

Our daughters stomped up the stone steps to my throne.

"Dad, we want you to officiate our Agni Kai!"

"Bring it! I'll light your pubes on fire!"

"Hah! I am already ten steps ahead of you, I shaved this morning!"

"You what?! You cheating little hog-monkey! We were all supposed to surprise him with it all at once!"

"Yup! Hey, dad, wanna feel how smoothly shaven I am?"

"That's nice, sweetie. But I'll take your word for it." I reached out and lightly patted her head instead.

Daddy fetish aside (which Suki and I were still confident was only just a phase), they were currently my most effective and most valuable troops. Effective like Kyoshi Warriors, but with even better stats and firebending. And valuable for not only how they had impressive stats, or how it took more than a decade and a half to train them, but for how they were my daughters. I literally raised these girls. Raised them to be killing, assassinating machines, but I still raised them all the same.

For that reason, I explicitly ignored the "Special Troop Tier Quest" notification that just popped up right now too. Especially since, special troop tier quests invariably involved impregnating said companion after all, just like how Suki's Special Troop Tier Quest ended up giving me the {Khanate Warriors} in the first place.

I don't think I was ready to go full Crusader King with the incest. Even if no one compares to close family members by pure stats alone, removed all obligations to in-laws compared to taking a princess and had special buffs and effects that I hadn't found anywhere else.

"Mmm~" The green-eyed redhead melting under my headpat moaned softly before pouting, "This is nice, but I meant that as an invitation for you to furiously finger my wet pu-"

The Lieutenant cleared her throat, "Girls, you're blocking the light over Korra."

"Sorry, Auntie LT!"

"But we didn't get our headpats!"

"Hey, Lieutenant!" Suki called out, "How many would you want?"

"As many as the commander will give me." The Lieutenant didn't even hesitate in her answer, then her violet eyes drifted towards my daughters, "But seeing you with your daughters… I wouldn't mind having enough for a whole squad of {Ostrich-Horse Cavalry Scouts}."

The Lieutenant's own "Special Troop Tier Quest" was still active, and I wouldn't lie: I was tempted to start it. If Suki's daughters were an improved version of {Kyoshi Warriors}, then I can only imagine what kind of improved cavalry troops the Lieutenant's would be as {Khanate Ostrich-Horse Cavalry Scouts}.

"I'll bear you more children to be your {Khanate First Waves} too, my Khan!" Katara volunteered with a rolling moan of pleasure. "As many as you want!"

"Speak when spoken too, Water Tribe Slut." I yanked her chain, and as usual, she came.

It would be four more hours and fifteen more cumshots before the Lieutenant finished her masterpiece.

We retired to my study, where the warm glow of the fireplace cast shadows across the vast shelves of books. It was quiet, private- usually just for myself. But this time, Suki followed me, her steps soft but deliberate.

"You lied, you know?" she said, her voice calm but firm. A faint, disbelieving smile on her lips.

"Did I?" I turned slightly, my skull-faced helm catching the firelight. "About what?"

Suki stepped closer, her gaze never leaving mine. "Do you remember how I entered your service all those years ago?" she asked, "You framed us with the poisoning of Omashu. It would have stained the reputation of the Kyoshi Warriors for all time. So, we couldn't say no when you blackmailed us into serving you. Your precious book would have been the only thing that could've saved our order. Your word. You."

The redhead fell silent, her gaze shifting to the manuscript on my desk. The fire crackled softly as her expression turned pensive, likely reliving in the memory of our first meeting all those years ago.

"Our agreement was that we, the Kyoshi Warriors, would serve you." she continued, "With unquestioning obedience and unflinching loyalty. And in return, you would include the part of our story that would prove we were framed. We refuse, and you'd leave a blank space for the world to fill with assumptions of our guilt. Out of curiosity, I dug through the old manuscripts of your first books. And I found the one for An Interview with a Kyoshi Warrior by Captain Khan."

Slowly, from within the folds of her kimono, she withdrew a worn stack of papers, yellowed from age. And rested it on the desk.

"It was everything I expected, Except…" She whispered. Her deep blue eyes looked at me, "… There was never a blank space. You planned to exonerate our name from the very beginning, whether or not we served you."

I quietly shifted the papers and read the passage aloud. "In truth, the Kyoshi Warriors were innocent. Captain Khan had framed them for planting the poison in the rice sacks that led to the downfall of Omashu. Valuing their skill, he coerced them into his service, offering to testify to their innocence only if they served him with unquestioning obedience and unflinching loyalty. Faced with the disgrace of not just their own squad but their entire order, these Kyoshi Warriors selflessly agreed, sacrificing their beliefs, their conscience- and possibly their lives- for their order's honour. Truly, the finest and bravest girls to ever rise within the Kyoshi Warriors."

By the time I finished, Suki's cheeks were wet with silent tears.

"Like I said," I murmured, glancing up, "I've always held respect for you and your order."

Her whisper came sharply, despite their quietness. "You turned us into killers. Made us do terrible things to people we called friends, and even more horrific things to people we didn't. And yet…" Her slender fingers brushed over the platinum ring on her ring finger. "… here we are. Two decades, four conquered nations, six beautiful children later. And I couldn't love you more."

"I'm no hero. Never was." I said, voice soft but unapologetic.

A smile played on Suki's lips, deep blue eyes glowing with the affection she could never fully hide. "And you didn't have to be," she replied, taking another step closer to me, her small hands gently resting on mine. "You did what you promised you'd do: You burned the world down, but from the ashes, you built something greater. Brighter."

My eyes glanced to the family picture on my desk. "More beautiful. More precious." I added.

Suki's cheeks flushed, a warm blush spreading across her face as she glanced away with a pout. "If you keep saying things like that to just me, the others will get jealous," she said, her tone shifting back to her usual playfulness for a moment. "But I have to ask… what comes next for you?"

"Suki?" I lifted a gloved hand to gently cup her chin, tilting her face up to meet my gaze. Her breath hitched, and she leaned into my touch.

"Yeah?"

"Would you do it all over again with me?"

"I would do it all over again." She replied, not even a moment's hesitation as her deep blue eyes looked at me, "All of it. Every moment, every fight, every cut. I would do it all again for you. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, however…" My gaze drifted to the window that only I could see.

R

Congratulations, {Khan}!

You have successfully completed all primary objectives within {Avatar: The Last Airbender}! Your sharp wit, unmatched power, and unbreakable resolve have shaped the fate of this world, uncovered ancient secrets, vanquished mighty foes, and brought Balance (subjective) to this realm. Your journey has been one of legend, leaving your mark upon the world for future heroes to aspire to.

Along the way, your actions have earned the loyalty of capable Companions, who now stand ready to continue their journey at your side.

R

Please select a destination World!

R

"… Sound the clarion call."

Deep blue eyes widened, and the Kyoshi Warrior veteran before me straightened. Without hesitation, she snapped her fist to her chest in a sharp salute.

"Let it resound over all the lands we had conquered and the skies we had claimed." I began, "From the burning coasts of the Fire Nation Shores to the Polar wastes of the Northern Water Tribe, across the green expanse of the Earth Kingdom's heartlands and to the parched dunes of Si Wong Desert. Tell the 41st Division- their sons, their daughters… their ostrich-horses and their airships- that the Great Immortal Khan rides for war beyond the Heavens. Cowards need not apply."

I may have burned the whole world down and built something greater from the ashes… but there was no reason we couldn't conquer the next one.

- Three Nations End -

AN:

Characters were left out intentionally... from the final flash forward. The fate of characters that you'll see in Book 2 like Toph, Ty Lee, Mai, etc. are still in flux. And because I consider this the Suki Route. So, sorry to all of you who were looking forward to seeing Toph get railed.

Toph was originally NOT... going to be """romanced""" like Suki or the others were. She had been planned to remain in her canon role as Aang's mentor. But I was moved by some people over in questionablequesting and the raw... passion at which they shouted things like "Cunny! Cunny! Cunny!" and "Toph Uoh!" at me. Very moving indeed. So, I guess we're steering the plot towards picking up the blind kusogaki now.

Jin's section was a direct... homage to The Selection series and all the princess novels. I often read a lot of those romance books. Of girls dreaming of being a princess or its equivalent. And I often dream of them getting exactly what they want: a government desk job. 'Congratulations on your new 9-to-5 job! You're now a cog in the governmental machine.'

Officially on Hiatus... This fic was supposed to be a procrastination fic from my other fics. I'm going back to them first before I start the next arc. Besides, I'm burnt out and no one wants to wait two months every chapter. (March-2025)