Omashu

"Oi! Stop right there!"

Getting into Omashu undetected would have been easy. Getting in as his true self would have been even easier. But that wasn't the plan, and it didn't fit into Zuko's schemes all that well. He needed his travel to remain on the downlow. But at the same time, having heard just who had taken up residence in the Earth Nation City on his way to it, Zuko knew he needed to get access to the palace.

Thus, here he was, scruffy and dirty, getting caught stealing from a bag of potatoes. His own soldier closes his hand around Zuko's wrist, squeezing tightly as he drags the young man away from the cart he'd been pilfering from. Behind the Fire Nation Soldier are a few more, an entire squad surrounding him for his attempted thievery.

"Looks like we've got a thief, boys! Search him!"

It takes every ounce of Zuko's self-control not to break and defend himself right then and there. Especially with his own soldiers manhandling him in this way. But he doesn't resist, not as his pack is taken and opened up, the contents of it spilled onto the ground. He doesn't fight back as the mask and swords of the Blue Spirit are exposed and the Fire Nation Soldiers shout in alarm before all but tackling him to the ground.

In short order, his hands are bound behind his back, thick rope that he could incinerate in half a moment with his firebending restraining his wrists and binding them together. Zuko is summarily dragged up to his feet by two soldiers who each grab an arm, and he finds himself face to face with the Captain of the city's Fire Nation guard.

The man is holding his Blue Spirit mask, staring down at it, half in wonder, half in shock. Slowly, he lifts his head up and regards Zuko, lips pressed into a thin line.

"So then. This is the fabled Blue Spirit. This… BOY is the one who's been making a mockery of us for years now?"

Zuko took some offense to that, but he supposed his age would always be a sticking point, given how early he'd risen to his throne. In the end, he wasn't the Fire Lord right now, he was a scruffy, filthy thief and the Fire Nation Captain had every reason to look upon him with derision.

"What should we do with him, sir?"

That brings a grimace to the Captain's face, and Zuko finds his fingers slowly curling inwards as his hands clench into fists. He knows what the standing orders regarding the Blue Spirit are if anyone is able to capture the thief alive. He knows, because he instituted them. But then, Zuko also knows full well that people, even soldiers, can be insubordinate.

If the Guard Captain decides to do something besides what his standing orders command him to do, Zuko will have to act. The next few moments will tell him all he needs to know on that front though.

"… Take him to the Palace, lock him in the dungeons. The Fire Lord and his wife will want to see this boy face to face. Not every day that we capture a myth, after all."

Good. The Captain had made the right choice, and Zuko lets his hands uncurl as he's escorted into Omashu as a prisoner. Behind him, there's revelry and general good cheer as everyone gets back to work. Zuko can't help but smile a little at that. While he'd made it very easy for them to catch him, at least that little scene back there had shown that those soldiers were keeping an eye out for theft and the Captain knew how to follow orders.

Their actions would not be forgotten. Eventually, they would be rewarded if their service continued to prove exemplary. For now though, Zuko turns his attention away from the soldiers at Omashu's gates and back towards what's looming in front of him. The massive palace that dominates the center of the city rises up and Zuko finds himself staring at it for a moment, not bothering to disguise his wonder or his awe.

After all, it's not every day that he gets to enjoy a new, gorgeous marvel like this one without all of the expectations of a proud and stoic Fire Lord heaped on his shoulders. Speaking of which, what the Captain had said was not lost on Zuko. He would be escorted before the Fire Lord and his wife. It would be interesting to see how far Yue had come. And how well Kei Lo was managing with impersonating the Fire Lord.

Grinning slightly beneath his messy, uncut hair, Zuko keeps up with the soldiers dragging him along with ease, just as eager to get to his ultimate destination as they were.

-x-X-x-

"So then, this is the great Blue Spirit. This is the legend that has left so many in our great Nation shaking in their boots."

The statements are said with a truly derisive tone as Yue looks between the Blue Spirit mask now in her hand, and Zuko, knelt in the center of Omashu's throne room. Fire Nation Royal Guards line the walls, while the Fire Lord's retinue currently consists of Haru and his mother, Yuza and Ying-Ying, and Lady Michi. And then of course, there's the 'Fire Lord' himself, kneeling on a cushion, hidden behind a veiled curtain, only his silhouette visible.

Zuko imagines that makes sense. While Kei Lo can pull off a respectable impersonation of him, it would be near impossible to keep it up if anyone was allowed to study his face for too long. It also explains why Yue is doing the talking, seemingly being the voice of her 'dear husband', when in fact Zuko knows full well that she's in charge here, and Kei Lo is merely a figurehead until he returns.

Yue stares at the Blue Spirit mask for one long moment more before glancing back to Kei Lo. The fake Fire Lord shifts slightly, and Yue nods once, as if he's given her an order. Then she looks to the royal guard.

"Leave us."

There's not even a moment of hesitation. Zuko is rather proud to see that, because it speaks to how far Yue has come since they last saw each other. The guards lining the throne room immediately depart, leaving Zuko on his knees with his hands bound behind his back, alone with the 'Fire Lord', his wife, and his retinue. Yue in turn waits until the last guard has left, before smiling slightly. Before anyone else can say a word, she looks to Lady Michi pointedly.

"You may return to servicing your Fire Lord."

The wife of Lord Governor Ukano stiffens up, her eyes flickering to Zuko. But Yue is pointing towards Kei Lo, and ultimately, this is what tells the rest of the retinue how to act. Taking her time, Michi makes her way up to Kei Lo on his cushion, kneeling before him and leaning in to take his cock in her mouth. As her lewd, sucking noises fill the room, Yue turns to the others.

"Haru… you do have a job to do as well, don't you?"

The young earthbender blushes, as does his mother. But with Yuza and Ying-Ying helping them along, it's not very long at all before Haru's mother is bouncing up and down on his cock as the Archer Twins whisper sweet nothings into her ear, running their hands along both her body and the body of her son's. Zuko watches this with a raised brow, even as Yue lets out a satisfied sigh and then turns back to him, a wicked sort of smile on her face.

"Do you have a name, Spirit?"

Zuko's gaze shifts to his wife's face, but as they make eye contact, he says not a word. Yue's grin widens just a bit more and she takes a step towards his bound, kneeling form.

"It's alright. You don't need a name to be great. Titles will do just fine, won't they? As you can see, my husband and I are… not exactly exclusive. The Fire Lord's plans are vast and uncountable, and they have made great strides in recent times. His conquest of the world is furthered by the taking of this city and the peace that we are establishing here. At the same time though, he intends to make a peace that will cover this entire world… which will require cooperation on the part of all benders, all nations."

Yue bites her lower lip as she steps forward again, her fingers reaching out to lift Zuko's chin up gently but firmly. She glances back behind her, at Michi's full, plump ass as the Fire Nation Noble sucks Kei Lo's cock.

"If you joined us. If you joined my husband and I, you would never want for anything, ever again. You would not have to steal any longer. Do you see that woman up there? Her name is Michi. Lady Michi, if you want to be polite. She is married to Lord Governor Ukano, the man who masterminded the surrender of this city. He was appointed governor of Omashu for his role in that, but at the end of the day, he is weak of flesh. Michi has given birth to a child that is not his."

Slowly circling around Zuko, Yue leans down, placing her hands on his shoulders and slightly turning him towards Haru, his mother, and the Yuyan Archers next.

"Those two women up there. Twins. Yuza and Ying-Ying… our great Fire Lord took them and bred them both. They are both some of the most skilled firebending archers in the world, and their children will follow in their footsteps. The young man they're helping is a strong earthbender. Once he has impregnated his own mother, he may very well be offered the chance to enjoy the Fire Lord's mother, Lady Ursa. For now, Lady Ursa rules in the Fire Nation while her son is traveling abroad. But one day soon, she might be heavy with an earthbender's child."

Zuko knew most of this already. Though that last bit was information he hadn't had yet. Why Yue had come to Omashu rather than remaining in the Fire Nation where he'd placed her, Zuko could guess. She'd wanted to see him, and coming here, one of the stops on his route, was probably her best way of doing so without blowing his cover.

Still, Zuko was a little relieved to hear that it was Ursa who had been left in charge, rather than Azula. While he'd trusted that Yue and Azula could rule well together in his absence, he wasn't so sure that Azula by herself could handle the stresses of the job. His dear sister was always just a few steps away from cracking, after all. Their father had done a lot of damage to the poor girl, growing up, and it'd taken all this time since Ozai's death to even begin undoing the harm done to her.

On that note, Zuko speaks for the first time since he was brought into the throne room. His eyes are on the Archer Twins and Haru and his mother, but his words are soft, for Yue's ears alone.

"… And what of the Fire Lord's sister? Is she aware of her brother's plans?"

Yue pauses as she digests his words, finding the actual question underneath them before giving out a little light laughter.

"Hehe, of course she is. Azula has already given a beautiful daughter to our Fire Lord. She's well aware of his goals, and she supports them all the way. Even now, she hunts the Avatar with her companions, two more members of my husband's Royal Harem. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee are after the Avatar. Everyone expects them to catch up and capture the girl in no time at all. And of course, while Azula is chasing them, no one else would dare interfere with the Fire Princess' hunt…"

Now it's Zuko's turn to read between the lines. It makes sense, he supposes. Azula was never good at sitting still, and she would find ways to cleverly reinterpret his orders or his desires or his wants, so she could help him achieve them. Having Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee after the Avatar and Kya's children might have sounded bad, but given what Yue had said, it had its purpose. No bounty hunter would dare step on the fiery Fire Princess' toes. No one would be foolish enough to try to harm the Avatar while Azula herself was hunting her down, thus allowing Zuko to keep his promise to Kya.

Hm, he would have to remember to reward Azula, when next he saw her. It was the kind of forward thinking he was proud to see from her, even as Yue leans in and speaks the next bit into his ear, but loud enough that it echoes through the throne room.

"Soon, it will be time for the Fire Lord to breed me. It's the right time, after all. I'm prepared. I'm ready… he'll take me and as his wife, I will happily submit to his lusts. I-!"

Before she can continue further, Zuko finally makes his move. As he thought, it takes less than half a moment for him to incinerate the rope tying his wrists together. Then, he's sliding out from in front of Yue, moving with a languid grace that only he can manage. In an instant, its Zuko who is behind Yue, his knee crashing into her back and taking her down to the ground.

By the time anyone else in the room looks over at the yelp that exits Yue's lips, Zuko has the Blue Spirit mask back on, and a focused blue flame emitting from his fingertip, which is in turn pointed at the back of Yue's neck. No one in the throne room moves, everyone just stays where they are, staring. But then of course, what else are they going to do? Perhaps Yuza and Ying-Ying could have done something… if they were armed. But they aren't here in their capacity as Yuyan archers, they're here as women, as part of the Fire Lord's retinue.

Speaking of which… Kei Lo finally speaks, and Zuko really is impressed by his efforts at mimicking Zuko's voice.

"What… do you want?"

Smirking behind the mask covering his features, Zuko considers the words for a moment. Yue has done well so far to keep up the act, keeping the roleplay alive. While he could end it here and now… he wouldn't have put back on the mask if he was going to do that. No, there was really only one option left before him, wasn't there.

Shifting down Yue's body, Zuko lifts the Fire Lady's hips up, forcing her onto her knees. She grits her teeth and growls, but she also pushes her rump into his hands as he gropes her casually, before ultimately grabbing up her dress and forcing it over her body, revealing her dusky, caramel skin beneath it and the fact that she's not wearing anything underneath her clothing.

Putting a hand down between Yue's legs, Zuko finds her a mess, her pussy lips gushing wet, her clit hard as he rubs against the nub. A throaty moan exits Yue's mouth before she can stop herself, and Zuko cocks his head to the side, knowing that the rest of the room's occupants can't see him smiling all the wider behind the mask.

"From you, 'Fire Lord'? Nothing at all. I have everything I want, right… here."

Drawing his cock from its confines, Zuko rubs his tip up and down Yue's slit, causing her to whine in protest, shaking her head back and forth.

"N-No… don't you dare! I-I… that's only for the Fire Lord! N-Not for some scruffy, filthy r-ruffian like y-OOOOOO!!!"

Right in the middle of Yue's playacting, Zuko thrusts into his wife from behind. Though he supposes she's not his wife right now, is he? Mm, how would the real Blue Spirit act in this situation? How would the man he's been portraying take hold of this situation and take control? Grinning ferally, Zuko grips Yue by her wide hips and immediately begins to fuck her with powerful, deep, penetrating thrusts. He pounds into her again and again, 'raping' her right in front of her 'husband' and his retinue.

"Sounds like you like it well enough, you silly slut. So much for being a Lady, huh?"

Yue growls at that, but she has no words of denial. The rest of the room is silent as well, just watching as their Fire Lady is defiled right in front of them. Haru and his mother have stopped fucking altogether, while Michi has turned away from her task of giving the 'Fire Lord' head. Kei Lo, meanwhile, has barely noticed her ceased efforts, his own eyes fixated on the Blue Spirit plowing Yue right in the middle of the throne room.

Only Yuza and Ying-Ying have gotten the right idea. The Archer twins have pulled away from Haru and his mother and have spread their legs wide, biting their lower lips as they tease their folds with their fingers and grope their chests with their hands. They're playing with themselves to the sight of Yue being 'raped', fingering their cunts in their best approximation of Zuko's thrusting into the disgraced, face down Fire Lady.

Snorting derisively, Zuko looks to Kei Lo and Haru.

"Did I say to STOP?!"

He brings his finger flame back to Yue's neck, leaning over her and mounting her as he fucks her all the harder. The 'threat' gets them back into motion, and both Haru's mother and Lady Michi return to their respective tasks at the insistence of their male partners. The room is soon filled with the sounds of moaning and slurping and groaning as everyone engages in sordid sex acts while their Fire Lady is raped before their eyes by the infamous Blue Spirit.

Yue's resistance has completely crumbled by this point, as Zuko's fingers squeeze into her shapely buttocks, running along her wide hips, his cock burrowing deep inside of her cunt with every thrust. Not too deep, but deep enough to draw orgasm after orgasm from the white-haired beauty. The Water Princess turned Fire Lady is clawing at the floor of the throne room, moaning loudly and lewdly, not a care in the world. Zuko's having the time of his life too though, growling into her ear and fucking her as someone else, rather than himself.

"Going to… going to breed you, slut. Going to knock you up with MY child, right here, right now. Going to fill you with my seed. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Yue moans and shakes her head in denial, but it doesn't mean much when his words cause her insides to clench down even harder around her dick, her walls squeezing and milking his shaft rhythmically as she experiences yet another climax all along his length. That moment, with her trying to pretend like she doesn't want it, but so obviously wanting it anyways… the delicious audacity of the entire situation is what sends Zuko over the edge.

With a grunt, he cums inside of Yue, groaning as he fills the Fire Lady with a nice, thick load of his seed. At the same time, both Haru and Kei Lo seem to reach their respective climaxes as well. The entire room is filled with cries, or in Michi's case, gulps as everyone cums at once. Slowly, they all come DOWN from their pleasure highs as well, and that's when Zuko removes his mask again, tossing it aside and sliding out of Yue's freshly fucked cunt before helping her to her feet.

Correctly deducing that this is the end of their 'play' together, Yue smiles and gives Zuko a deep, tongue-filled kiss on the lips. Of course, this surprises or shocks no one. From the very beginning, every single person in the room knew who Zuko was. From Kei Lo to Haru, to the Archer Twins. Michi knew as well, though Haru's mother might have been in the dark still. It didn't really matter.

The whole thing had been one big roleplay, from start to finish. Zuko and Yue had orchestrated it through the smallest of actions. Yue, by identifying Kei Lo as Fire Lord even with Zuko in the room, even after she sent the guards away. Zuko, by putting on his mask after he'd freed himself and taken Yue prisoner, signaling a desire to play around for a little longer.

There were smiles all around as Yue and Zuko walk over to the rest of the royal retinue. Kei Lo moves to stand up, stepping off Zuko's throne, the cushion he's been knelt on. Slowly, Zuko takes his place, kneeling on the cushion in turn, with the rest of the room's occupants kneeling before him a step down, and Yue kneeling at his side on her own, less ornate cushion.

Looking down at his loyal servants, his wife's hand in his hand and squeezed affectionately, Zuko smiles.

"You've all done well. Your service will not be forgotten. Now, in a less roundabout way, let's discuss everything that has happened since I saw you all last. Let us speak… plainly."

"I suppose I should start, husband dear."

Zuko looks over at Yue with a lifted brow, only to find her holding her belly with her other hand, a wide smile and a blush on her face.

"I'm already pregnant with your child, as it so happens."

His mouth opens, but no words come at first. After a moment, Zuko just settles for laughing at the small deception, and pulling Yue into a deep kiss. Their tongues dance around for a moment more, before they pull apart again, a wide, satisfied grin stretched across Zuko's face. Sure, he had plenty of children by this point, sure he was a father a dozen times over. But Yue was his wife, and Zuko never got tired of hearing he would be a father again. This was excellent news, and a great way to start things off right.

Letting out a happy sigh, Zuko turns to the rest of his lovely pets and loyal servants.

"Wonderful. Simply… wonderful. Now that my wife has put me in a truly excellent mood, let us continue."

And as the others speak one by one, and Zuko listens, the smile never wavers from his face, no matter if the news is good or bad. He's too excited, too happy to have his mood ruined by anything.

-x-X-x-

His face cleaned, his hair done up in a ponytail, and his body adorned in the robes of his station, Zuko walks into the nursery with a smile on his face. He's almost immediately bombarded with children, as his eldest recognize him and run over.

"Papa! Papa, papa, papa!"

While Zuko has over ten children by this point, only four are truly old enough to speak somewhat coherently, as well as remember him. He does try to be as present as possible, but children will be children and he IS a very busy man. Regardless, Zuko laughs and falls to his knees as he opens his arms wide and catches his eldest in his embrace. Kiyi, Kanna, Hato, and Izumi.

Kiyi was his first daughter by Ursa, and also technically his littlest sister. But best to simply call her his daughter. Kanna was his daughter by Kya, making the two of them the oldest of his children at the age of six. Hato was his second child by Kya, but also his first son, while Izumi was his second child by Ursa, another daughter. They were both four years old at this point.

All four of his eldest children were rambunctious to say the least though, and sharp as a wit.

"Its good to see you all, so very good. Have you all been obedient for your mothers and your aunts?"

Pulling back, Zuko gives each of his children a knowing grin, even as they duck their heads in response. Well, all except Kiyi. Kiyi puffs her cheeks out and sticks up her nose, reminding Zuko quite a lot of Azula in that moment.

"Only when the orders they give are worth obeying, father!"

There's gasps from the other three children at Kiyi's statement, but then Kanna nods along with her.

"Y-Yeah, what Kiyi said!"

Neither Hato or Izumi are nearly confident enough to join in with their older sisters, but Zuko just laughs, tossing his head back in genuine mirth as he hugs the four close again. They squirm at the parental affection, but ultimately relax into his embrace. When he finally lets them go, its to put his hands on Kiyi and Kanna's shoulders, though he also makes sure that Hato and Izumi are listening and know that he's talking to them as well.

"Kiyi and Kanna… you aren't necessarily wrong. Sometimes there are orders that you have to disobey. Sometimes people make mistakes."

"Even you, Papa?"

Hato's eyes are wide as Zuko's firstborn son stares at him in shock. Zuko just smiles and reaches over to ruffle the boy's mop of black hair.

"Even me, Hato. Of course, I make them a lot less, thankfully. Still, I also surround myself with people who help and support me. Like you all will one day help and support me. Sounds like fun, right?"

All four children nod eagerly at that, and Zuko gives them a fond smile before continuing on.

"That said, something to remember… you're all very young. And that's no fault of your own. But you do have a lot more growing up to do, the four of you. Those older then you, like me or your moms or your aunts… well, we've already done all that growing up. So, we tend to know things you might not know yet."

"Why? I wanna know things too!"

Zuko chuckles at Kiyi's whining.

"You'll learn them eventually, Kiyi. That's what part of growing up is. And it's what part of being an adult is, making sure that my children get the best education they can. To that end, when you get an order from your mom or one of your aunts that you just don't like, I want you to stop and think really hard about it. Is it truly a bad order, or do you just not want to obey it because you don't like it?"

Zuko makes sure to look each of his children in the eye. Kiyi flushes and looks down for a moment before nodding along with the other three, all of them signaling their understanding of his lesson. Letting out a chuckle, Zuko rises from his knees, his hands still on his children's shoulders.

"Now, you four shouldn't be hogging up all my time, should you? Why don't you introduce me to your brothers and sisters, hm?"

That gets them all excited again, and Zuko grins as he lets himself get dragged along by the six- and four-year old children. What follows is a whirlwind tour around the room. Zuko smiles and nods along as his eldest tell him all about what's been happening with the others. He spends time playing with even the youngest of his children, and he meets Tom-Tom for the first time, getting a certain satisfaction from knowing the boy is of his blood, rather than the weak man he's installed as Omashu's governor.

Its as he's playing with the kids however, that Zuko gets something of a sinister idea in his mind. In regard to King Bumi, the former ruler of this city before his armies had conquered it and occupied it, Zuko had yet to speak with that man. But that didn't mean that the Fire Lord and his wife hadn't interrogated Bumi.

But as far as Yue and Kei Lo could tell, the ancient earthbender was quite literally insane. Zuko… Zuko didn't quite believe that. Omashu wouldn't have left a senile ruler continue to sit on the throne, and if they had allowed Bumi to stick around as some sort of figurehead, they wouldn't have followed his order to 'do nothing' as was famously reported, nor would they have surrendered to Zuko's armies so easily. Omashu had fallen because Bumi had wanted it to fall. That was enough for Zuko to want to know a hell of a lot more about the old King.

But then, he also knew full well that Bumi wouldn't speak to him, not alone anyways. One on one, there was simply no repertoire between them, no respect. Zuko had to find a way to catch the Mad King off guard… and he might have just figured it out with this little stop-over in the nursery.

-x-X-x-

"Oh-ho-ho! Fire Lord Zuko… the real one this time! How exciting for an old doddering fool such as myself! Hee-hee~"

Zuko just smiles as King Bumi rises from his chair in the rooms set aside for him. There had been talk about more properly restraining the Earth Kingdom King, but Zuko knew better. He knew just how strong Bumi was, just how capable the disposed King was. It was why he was basing two Fire Nation armies here at once, not that that was truly much of a hardship, thanks to his Good Will Tour slowly making it so that the need to cover every town in the former Earth Nation territory was no longer necessary.

Regardless, leaving Bumi in a box like had been suggested by Omashu's Lord Governor was not something Zuko was comfortable doing. Instead, the old King was treated as a man befitting his station, placed on house arrest in his own rooms. Bumi's quarters aren't necessarily that kingly anyways… some of the guest quarters elsewhere in the palace are more extravagant and lavish then what Zuko is standing in now.

"King Bumi. So good to finally meet you in the flesh."

"Oh? Is that so, Fire Lord Zuko? Ehehehe, I made a rhyme!"

Still smiling, Zuko shakes his head at Bumi's antics. How Yue and Kei Lo couldn't see it, Zuko knows not. Or maybe his time traveling has just given him a better perspective of the acts people put on to try and stop others from penetrating and seeing their true feelings.

"I understand that you were like this with my wife and my stand-in as well. That's alright. Unlike them, I don't have a variety of questions to bombard you with. As one ruler to another, I really only have one thing to ask you."

Bumi blinks at that, the first sign that Zuko has taken him off guard. But its gone in a moment, the wizened old King cocking his head to the side as he remains standing across the room from Zuko.

"Is that so? What question could the great and mighty Fire Lord Zuko have for old Bumi?"

Smirking slightly, Zuko shrugs his shoulders.

"Would you mind terribly if my eldest children came and met you? They've been asking after you, you see. You are rather famous, after all, even in the Fire Nation."

Now Bumi truly is surprised. Zuko can tell, especially given the man's reaction is a single word answer.

"What?"

Not really allowing Bumi to give him an actual yes or no, Zuko snaps his fingers and a moment later his eldest children enter the room. As Zuko expected, there's a light that enters Bumi's eyes the moment that they break into a run, bridging the gap between Fire Lord and Earth King in a moment just to crowd around the old earthbender and ask him all manner of questions.

"Whoa! Are you really King Bumi?!"

"But he's so old!"

"Yeah but remember what mom said? He's supposed to be old! He's over a HUNDRED!"

"Mister King Bumi, what test did you give the Avatar?"

"Ooh, are there any secret tunnels to explore?!"

"Is it true that a mail delivery system can be FUN? It sounds so… boring."

Its just as he thought. Children were Bumi's weakness. Even Zuko's children. Some might have been worried that the disposed King would be hateful enough and spiteful enough to try and do something when brought face to face with the children of the Fire Lord, but Zuko knew better. He didn't even have to meet the man to read his true self in the way his city worked. Bumi's rule was obvious in every line of Omashu, in every city street and every decision that had been made.

It might not have seemed clear to Bumi's subordinates at the time, hell, it probably never was, but Zuko could tell. Zuko knew exactly what sort of man Bumi was. Which was why he wasn't at all surprised when the old King leaned in close to young Hato, answering his question and his question alone about the mail delivery system.

"Would you like to see for yourself, young man?"

All eyes turn towards Zuko, but then, the young Fire Lord is already folding up his robe and setting it aside, revealing his usual tight-clothed garb as the Blue Spirit, sans the mask of course. Looking up, he finds his children and even King Bumi looking at him somewhat gobsmacked. Smirking easily, the Fire Lord runs a hand through his hair.

"What? I've been looking forward to trying out the infamous Omashu delivery system myself, since I first got here. Shall we?"

-x-X-x-

"Yippee!!!"

"Woohoo!!!"

"Incomiiiing!!!"

One massive crash later, there's laughter all around as their adventures in the mail delivery service comes to an explosive end. No one is hurt though of course, but Bumi would have to be a fool to think Zuko didn't notice the old earthbender work a bit of his magic to make sure that the ground they ended up ultimately landing on was soft enough for all of them. The children are left with nothing more than light bruising at most, and all of them are exuberant and eager to go again as they crowd around King Bumi.

"Again, again, again!"

While the sentiment is shared by all four kids, its young Kanna who pipes up, speaking truth to power in a way only a six-year old ever could.

"Mister King Bumi… if you're so strong and smart, why did you give up to daddy's armies in the first place? Couldn't you have stopped us from occu… occup… coming into your city?"

The other kids look to Kanna as Bumi does the same. It's a testament to just how much he's let down his guard that he gives her a straight answer.

"Well you see, Kanna. Sometimes to truly protect those under your care, you have to give up temporarily."

Kanna frowns at that, while Hato and Izumi furrow their brows. Its Zuko's son who asks the obvious.

"What's that last word mean?"

But of course, Kiyi is two years older than Hato. She knows what 'temporarily' means, and she spins on her heel, eyes wide as she runs up to Zuko.

"Papa! Papa, King Bumi is like a snake, lying in wait!"

Silence falls as the other children gasp and step away from the old King. Bumi himself straightens up a little, his mad façade completely broken by now. But Zuko just laughs and takes Kiyi's hands in his hands, looking down at his eldest.

"Trust me?"

"Always, Papa."

"Good girl. Take your brother and sisters back to the nursery now, alright?"

"O-Okay, Papa!"

And like that, the children are gone. Its just Zuko and Bumi now. The old earthbender could try to flee, if he truly wanted to. Zuko cocks his head to the side as if to ask him why he won't, but Bumi just cackles, hiding his gnarled hands in his sleeves.

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere boy. You won't get rid of me that easily. This is still my city, and these are still my people, no matter how many soldiers you bring in."

Zuko inclines his head in acknowledgment of Bumi's words. It makes sense that that would be why Bumi was truly holding back, why he'd surrendered in the first place. The old man cared. He truly, honestly cared for his subjects. While Omashu could have fought back, it could have withstood a Fire Nation siege for a time, perhaps even as long as Ba Sing Se, it would have suffered mightily, just as Ba Sing Se was suffering even now. People would have died, loved ones would have been lost. It would have all been on Bumi's watch and he wasn't willing to let that happen.

"You're a manipulator, Fire Lord Zuko. I see that in your every action. But to what end, I wonder?"

"Peace. Lasting, global peace. I'll make no secret of it. Those are my intentions."

Bumi snorts.

"Peace under the rule of a tyrant is not peace, boy."

Zuko just smiles at that.

"My father was a tyrant. His father was a tyrant too. Have I been particularly tyrannical, since I took up the position of the Fire Lord? I've bound myself by marriage to the Water Tribe, I've met peacefully with the Avatar and let her go on her way, just as you did."

"The War still rages."

Shrugging his shoulders, Zuko spreads his arms wide.

"How highly you must think of me, King Bumi. That I, a boy as you call me, could possibly end a war that's been raging for a hundred years. But yes. The war continues, and it will continue until we are all united under one banner, until we are finally at peace, the world over. I can promise you this, King Bumi. The Fire Nation will not rule over everyone else. When the time comes… when the last resistance crumbles, the Fire Nation will simply be another member state in the Phoenix Empire, an Empire that will span the entirety of this world. And we will finally have true peace, as all benders work together. Fire, Water, Earth… and Air."

Bumi cracks one of his wild, manic smiles.

"So that's your plan boy. That's what you want with the Avatar."

Zuko grins back, still holding his arms wide.

"Did I try to make a secret of that either? The Avatar is her own woman… but yes, there will always be a place for such a skilled, learned airbender in my court. I hope one day that she decides to join me willingly. As I hope you will come to see the benefits of an Empire finally bringing all of our disparate people together."

Turning then, Zuko prepares to leave, only to be stopped by Bumi's next words.

"Do you not wish to know what I'm waiting for, boy? After all, I'm like a snake, lying in the grass."

Zuko snorts at the reminder of his eldest's words. Not even bothering to turn around, Zuko simply shifts his gaze to the side, able to see Bumi out of his periphery.

"Surprise me."

And then he was gone. The two leaders weren't parting on the best of terms perhaps, but Zuko liked to think Bumi at least respected him a little more than he had before. Or maybe not. Zuko certainly had more respect for the old earthbender than before, as well as more respect for his abilities. King Bumi was neither senile, infirm, nor even slightly weakened by age. Today had shown Zuko that, and he would use that information to great effect in the coming tribulations and struggles.

He wouldn't let anyone stop him from doing what had to be done. Certainly not some old man, no matter how wise he was.

Regardless, there was one more thing that Zuko had to handle before he could leave Omashu. One more issue to be dealt with. Then, he would allow Kei Lo to take over again as Zuko himself departed and retook his persona as a wandering traveler and the Blue Spirit once more.

But first…

-x-X-x-

Seated atop his throne in full regalia, Zuko watches impassively as the Lord Governor Ukano is brought before him, forced to his knees, struggling but unable to do anything against the iron grips of the guards holding him in place.

"F-Fire Lord?! What is going on?! Have I not served you well? I-!"

"No."

Zuko's word cuts off whatever Ukano was going to say next. Leaning forward slightly, Zuko glares at the old man. Where Bumi simply hid his true self, Ukano truly was the old doddering fool that the earthbender portrayed himself as. But where Bumi knew his limitations and his true intellect, Ukano thought he was smarter than he really was. Which was probably why the fool had tried to fatten himself at the expense of Omashu's people.

"Did you think I would not find out? Did you think you could simply hide your transgressions from me while I was in this city, and then return to your crimes once I'd left?"

In truth, Ukano had succeeded in keeping his crimes from Yue and Kei Lo. Only because of the way Zuko had traveled, only because of who he'd talked to and what he'd heard on his way to Omashu did he know what Ukano had done. Not to say Yue and Kei Lo hadn't been furious when they found out as well, but without his perspective, they would not have known that Ukano was using his position as Governor of Omashu to bleed the surrounding provinces dry, demanding tribute as high as fifty percent of all crop yields from the farms that had been left untouched thanks to Bumi's surrender.

He would have gotten away with it, if not for Zuko's method of traveling. It was a good reminder of the lesson the young Fire Lord had learned on the road. When one is placed on a pedestal by others, one has to remember to step down off that pedestal every once in a while, to make sure they can still do so, to make sure that their subordinates have not lifted the pedestal so high that they can no longer see the ground.

"Tell me, Lord Governor. Exactly how much did I command you to tithe from the surrounding provinces?"

Ukano pales, knowing then and there that he's boned. But as silence fills the throne room and Zuko stares down at the sweating man, he answers all the same.

"T-Ten percent, Fire Lord Zuko. A-And I assure you, I have only ever taken as much as was needed! I-!"

"You have stolen from the people of these lands. People who now belong to me. People who are now as much under my rule, under my protection, and under my leadership as those back in the Fire Nation. These citizens are not second-class, Ukano. These farmers mean no less than a Fire Nation farmer does. They are people, and they deserve as much a chance to live and be happy as anyone else. And you sought to take that from them. You took and took without care for those you were taking from."

"F-Fire Lord, n-no… I swear I didn't-!"

"Lady Michi."

Trembling, Ukano's wife steps forward, biting her lower lip as she keeps her head down.

"Lady Michi, as your husband's wife, tell us the truth of these matters."

"I-It's true, Fire Lord. My husband has been taking up to fifty percent tribute from the surrounding provinces and keeping the extra for himself…"

"What?! Michi knows nothing of my dealings or my commands! I tell her nothing!"

Michi glances at her husband before continuing on.

"This is true. I… I found the information on his desk, in scrolls he'd forgot to put away."

"Impossible, I always stow those scrolls in a safe pla-!"

This time, its Ukano who cuts himself off, as he realizes what he's just done in admitting his guilt. Zuko, meanwhile, simply smiles and gestures at the guards.

"Leave us. All of you. I shall deal with the Governor's punishment myself."

Just like Zuko was when he first entered this throne room, Ukano's arms are restrained behind his back. Unlike with Zuko, Ukano's restraints are specifically meant to stop firebending, capable of withstanding most levels of heat. Zuko himself could probably still break through them, but Ukano is another matter entirely. Regardless, the old man still growls as he struggles to his feet.

"You foolish boy! You're no Fire Lord of mine! You're noth-GRRK!"

A foot to his back sends Ukano crashing to the ground as Yuza and Ying-Ying step out from around him, the former being the one who brought him down. Neither of the Yuyan Archers pay the disgraced Governor any further mind, instead sauntering up to Zuko on his throne, as Michi leaves her husband's side as well, knowing where her place is.

Within moments of Michi sitting beside Haru, the young earthbender is groping and kissing the gorgeous MILF. She puts up no resistance, not fighting even one bit. Ukano, meanwhile, lifts his head just in time to see Haru's hand disappear into Michi's robes to grope her breast directly.

"Y-You… what do you think you're doing boy?! Get away from my wife!"

Yue steps forward at that, even as Yuza and Ying-Ying take up position at Zuko's sides, the Archer twins happily running their hands over his body, slipping their fingers down into his lap to brush over his cock as it grows harder and harder.

"He's going to breed her, Ukano. He's going to impregnate Michi with his child. She'll have a beautiful baby boy or girl, and that child will be raised to be loyal to our great Fire Lord. He or she will go on to do great things indeed, I'm sure."

True to Yue's words, Haru soon has Michi bent over. Still, the noblewoman doesn't fight back. She even moans, the first time that the young, strong earthbender penetrates her. Ukano can only watch in horror as his wife is fucked before his eyes quite willingly by the strapping lad behind her, and Haru in turn groans loudly as he really starts to find his stride, fucking her with nice, deep thrusts.

"I think we'll have him do the same with Mai as well, once she gets back from her trip with Azula. Haru's genes are quite strong, and despite having you as a father, Mai has turned out quite exceptional. Best to complete the family set, isn't it?"

"N-No…"

Ukano's face is white, and his eyes are horrified as he reaches out to his moaning, groaning wife. Michi cums on Haru's cock right about them, climaxing around it nice and hard as she shakes and spasms along his member. At the same time, up on his throne, Zuko is sighing with satisfaction as Yuza takes his cock in her mouth and Ying-Ying suckles at his ball sack. Having twin sisters to pleasure him was always a fun treat.

Yue, meanwhile, is far from done.

"Do you see, Ukano? Do you see her enjoyment? She loves Haru's cock. A lot more than she ever loved you or yours. Heh, perhaps she even loves it as much as she loves being the Fire Lord's loyal little fuck toy."

This new bombshell revelation causes Ukano's gaze to finally pull away from his wife and Haru, as he looks to Yue in shock.

"W-What?"

Before Yue can elaborate, Zuko speaks up, even as he laces his fingers through Yuza and Ying-Ying's hair.

"Michi. Tell him."

Still moaning and bucking her hips back against Haru's rough fucking of her needy cunt, the MILF takes a moment to reply, as it takes a few seconds for Zuko's words to permeate through the haze over her mind. But once they do, she willingly turns her head towards her husband, even as she cucks him right before his eyes. Moaning, Michi reaches up and grabs one of her tits, which are now hanging out of her dress quite openly, bouncing and jiggling with every thrust from Haru.

"It… It's true, Ukano. Oooh, I've not been faithful to you for q-quite sometime now… mm, it just feels so good, it's always felt so good. And he IS the F-Fire Lord. What was I, ooh, supposed to do? Say no?"

Ukano's eyes are actually tearing up at this point, surprising Zuko. He didn't think the idiot actually cared for his wife all that much. But then, he probably doesn't. More likely, he only cared that his wife belonged to him, that she was his woman and his alone. Regardless, Michi continues on, hammering down the final nail in the coffin.

"Tom-Tom… mm, isn't yours, U-Ukano. Tom-Tom is the F-Fire Lord's, ooh, son… he fucked me, hah, he bred me, ah, and I gave birth to his c-child. And Mai… Mai's baby girl is his too. He's knocked us both up, and now its this, mm, big, ooh, strapping lad's turn!"

Michi cums again, and her eyes roll back in her head as her tongue lolls out of her mouth. Zuko smirks as Ukano falls backwards, having gotten up to his knees, but now simply slumping back onto his ass, his mind completely broken by the betrayal and the knowledge that his crimes had been found out, that his betrayal of the young Fire Lord had been discovered.

He was well and truly fucked, and not in the good way, not in the way his wife was currently getting dicked. And he knew it too. This was the end for him. Luxuriating in the feeling of a job well done, Zuko lays back and lets the Archer Twins enjoy his cock and body, even as Yue ultimately joins them, the three women working him over right on the spot.

He'd have to be back on the road soon, away from these lovely ladies and once again alone. But for now, Zuko was going to enjoy every last second before that time arrived.

-x-X-x-

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