chapter part 2

The Three Nations, Part II

(A few weeks later) [Coast of the Eastern Sea]

"With the Avatar dead, the Great War took a turn for the worse. Worse for everyone who wasn't Fire Nation, at least." My deep voice echoed through this nameless meadow in the far side of the Earth Kingdom.

It was a deceptively tranquil morning. The grass was green, the flowers were blooming, and the scent of dew lingering in the fresh air. There was even a delightful view of the great blue of the Eastern Sea stretched out just past some trees, marred only by smoke rising from the latest battle ground- just a brief moment of violence and destruction adding a taste of victory to the otherwise banal morning.

Spring had arrived, and it has been leaving me in a contemplative mood as of late.

"The Avatar's death rippled consequences outwards- too many too list," I continued, "But suffice to say, once Aang was slain, there wasn't much hope for the rest of the world. They may have fought valiantly for almost a hundred years without him, but to give hope only for it to be torn away? Everywhere the news of his demise hit, the will to continue resisting seemed to crumble. But most pertinently, the Fire Nation Armada that arrived at the North Pole was intact; and the Fire Nation Navy continued on, reinvigorated by both the stellar victory in the North Pole and my own recruiting efforts during the Great War Commemorations. We had naval superiority over the entire world. Except for one spot... Here, in the Eastern Sea."

"Because of us, right?" came the faintly smug reply.

My skull helm leered down on the speaker, the shadow of my seven-foot-tall frame darkening his face.

Hakoda, Head Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe as well as Sokka's and Katara's father, knelt on the grass- still defiant and cocky. Like an older Sokka, but with more lines on his face and a longer, shaggier hair. He was a wild dog, free and unburdened by hygiene as he led his pack. Behind him, the rest of his unit also knelt in chains- these two hundred Southern Water Tribe men still in their Water Tribe blue tunics.

They always fell for it- the night attack. Our enemies seemed to always sleep so soundly that they couldn't hear the entire 41st Division sneak up on them. And with the stealth bonuses from [The Frostforged Thousand], they likely never will.

I nodded to the Lieutenant.

A Southern Water Tribe soldier was dragged to the front where a flock of ostrich-horse goslings were loosed on him. Yellow balls of downy fluff were growing boys and girls after all; they needed man-flesh if they were to grow up to be just like their parents.

"Henk! Henk! Henk!"

They fell upon the man, instinctively homing in on the softest parts, pecking with their beaks and tearing with their talons. Flesh, sinew and entrails gobbled up by razor sharp tongues; and bones were broken to get the juicy marrow inside- still pulsing with blood. A horrified murmur swept across the Southern Water Tribe POWs, broken intermittently by vomiting. Others looked away, others more stared in horror.

"Every time one of you speaks out of turn or misbehaves, they get a feast." My voice rumbles, before leering down at the chieftain, "Is that understood, Water Tribe Chief?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

He didn't reply- only glared. I looked away, and nodded to the Lieutenant again. Another man was promptly dragged to the front, and Hakoda's blue eyes widened. "Wait!" he shouted, "Yes, sir! I understand! YES, SIR!"

But the man was still fell upon by the ostrich-horse goslings, beaks still wet with blood from the first. This time, the man was able to scream a few times before the goslings aimed for the throat. The horror hit the Water Tribe warriors just as hard as the first, perhaps even more now that they knew we would follow through. The Water Tribe Chieftain glared at me with a serious expression now.

"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes," My voice rumbled with disdain. "You are our prisoners-of-war, and completely at our mercy, I did not think that you needed to be reminded of that fact, but it's a bad habit of mine- thinking that my enemies would be smarter."

I stressed the word, and my skull helm glared down at the chieftain- daring him to do something stupid like speak out of turn. He didn't.

"You should know, I've tried this a few times with several Earth Kingdom garrisons. Those times, I gave them a single warning before I began making good of my threat. But as you have just demonstrated, even with no warnings at all, it still isn't enough to dissuade resistance. I'll have to try harder with the next unit of POWs, and I'll let them know that they have Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe to thank for the decreased leniency. For now, each will all be interrogated and processed for your eventual transfer to a POW camp. Cooperate, and you will all see this war end. Resist, and… Lieutenant, make sure that each of them walk by the goslings as you take them to processing."

"Yes, Commander!"

All of those kneeling Water Tribe men sent a pained glance at the flock of ostrich-horse goslings that continued to pick at the bones of one of his men.

"And, Chieftain Hakoda? If you are cooperative and truly forthcoming with information, I'll even send you to the same prison camp as Sokka."

At the name, several expressions flashed across his weathered, brown face in quick succession: disbelief, rage, a flicker of hope, utter dread for his only son, then a single horrified realisation of something else. His blue eyes, wide with panic, looked up at me with such desperation. But in the end, he did manage to say nothing.

"Good. It seems like you can be taught. This calls for a small reward…" I hummed in consideration, "Ask your questions, and I might answer."

"Katara, my daughter." He wasted no time, his tone of voice bordering pleading, "I was informed that she had also been travelling with Sokka and the Avatar on their way to the North Pole. What… What happened to her?"

"Before that… Tell me something." I began, "What news has reached you of the Fall of the North Pole? Do you know who we are?"

His blue eyes glanced around us where my ostrich-horse cavalry lingered with their sharpened Guandao glaives, watching and waiting for them to make the wrong move, then his eyes went back to me, and he said, "You're the Fire Lord's personal elite unit. The drifters down in the local watering holes say a single Fire Nation Division battled a Northern Water Tribe army of 10,000 all by yourselves, and won. They say that the Northern Water Tribe even gave you a name: [The Frostforged Thousand]. An army of vengeful Fire Nation undead riding on flesh-eating ostrich-horses, led by some malevolent arch-spirit possessing the armour of a giant."

I nodded satisfied. I had made sure to spread the word- the tale of that impossible feat, and of the 'heroes' who surmounted them. And in doing so, I had done as Chinggis Khan once did.

He did not rely solely on the might of his armies. No, his true genius lay in something far more insidious. He understood that morale, once shaken, could be an enemy's greatest weakness. So, he allowed legends of his army's supernatural abilities to take root- of Mongol warriors who could vanish into the air like spirits, of pagan sorcerers who commanded the weather itself and of their so-called pacts with the Devil. And to accompany those, he also let stories of his army's supposed atrocities grow with every telling- pyramids of skulls, ponds of blood, festivals of cannibalism… He welcomed it all.

Chinggis Khan let the wild imaginations of his enemies erode their resolve long before they even glimpsed the dust of his approaching horde. And it worked. The rumours fed on themselves, growing ever more terrifying with each retelling. Fear, after all, was a weapon, and Chinggis wielded it with unparalleled skill…

"Yes, we are that Thousand, and I am its leader." My deep voice echoed through the quiet meadow.

… And now, so have I.

Hakoda just continued to glare, but even that was more subdued. His men were more affected- eyeing my troops more warily than before after hearing it from their own tribal leader's mouth. In a world where the supernatural was normal, where the people did command the elements and where spirits with unknowable intentions stalked the dark corners of the world, I still made the 41st Division something to be feared. Good.

"As for your daughter…" I began, and the chieftain leaned forward, ready to cling to every word. "Katara, alongside her brother and the Avatar, safely reached Agna Q'ela where she promptly joined the ranks of the 10,000 who met us in the Polar Wastes."

Denial and disbelief as he shook his head to mutter, "No… that couldn't have been my Katara. The Northern Water Tribe would never- it's against their traditions to include women in their ranks!"

"I'm aware, but between the direness of the situation my division had placed them in and your daughter's own merit, she found a way to persuade them to give her command of her own special all-female waterbender unit. They fought poorly, but out of all the units in that army, they were the ones who had the most survivors- mostly due to your daughter being a coward who fled the fight the earliest and put as many warm bodies between my forces and her. But even then, her own unit took the time to banish her from command. She was still there when the Avatar was slain and Agna Qel'a fell."

More emotions flashed across his face. Ambivalent pride that his own daughter had command of a unit, disappointment that she would fall to cowardice, and concern that she had failed so completely that she was banished.

"So, she's alive?" He asked weakly, hopefully, "W-what happened to her? To my kids?!"

"Your son had helped coordinate the defence of Agna Qel'a, and she was the 'Southern Water Tribe princess' whose words were the rallying cry for Agna Qel'a. What do you think happened to them? Some of the more vengeful voices demanded for your son's execution. But thanks to your daughter's… bargaining, It was decided to throw him in prison instead. And now, somewhere out in the Three Nations, your daughter is fulfilling her end of the bargain: Living her life as a mind broken concubine chained to some man's bed."

"No…" He muttered in horror.

Omitted from that statement was that the mind breaking was mostly coincidental, the "bargaining for sexual favours" was all in her head, and that it was my bed that she had rabidly refused to unchain herself from, much to Kyoshi Warrior's endless amusement.

Yes, the truth was far less dramatic.

Katara has been desperately sucking and fucking, believing her brother's survival depended on her performance as a concubine. That she had somehow entered a bargain with me. But that whole idea was Nessa's words that Katara took far too seriously. And even after telling her the truth, she was still convinced that it was all a test and that she had to keep doing it. Her mind practically broke and remolded herself to be a mewling Water Tribe cumslut.

Nessa and Suki nevertheless found it fitting… and utterly hilarious. They practically begged me to let them keep her. Even Princess Yue found it to be a just end to the charlatan who almost drove her entire city to their naval bombardment-delivered dooms. The casual spite and pettiness that girls levelled towards other girls truly was a sight to behold. Also, my collection of girls with daddy issues was growing nicely.

Sokka, on the other hand, was spared because he was no longer a threat- losing all his drive after Aang's death. He would never be the clever, young man that would be instrumental to restoring Balance to the world.

All in all, Katara semi-willingly became my sex pet for nothing.

But I wasn't interested in listening to Hakoda screech and howl his vengeance at me, so I'll let Sokka be the one to fill him in. And just in case he does escape… my gauntlet-encased fist reached down and yanked his [Hakoda's Tiger-shark Tooth Necklace] off his neck and right into my [Inventory]. With this, June and her Shirshu will be able to track him down anywhere in the world. He barely reacted, eyes wide and muttering to himself. Likely about finding his daughter.

"Take them away for processing." I barked out the order as I walked away, "I want them on the first secure convoy."

"Yes, commander!" The lieutenant saluted.

"And send a messenger hawk to the Grand Admiral: All the seas of the Three Nations are now his."

[Khan's Abode]

Katara slipped into view, completely naked save for a platinum collar. Her lithe brown-skinned body bare and a trail of nectar already dripping from her bare pink slit and down the smooth skin of her inner thigh. Her big, blue eyes looked up at me as she spoke softly, "Did… did you deign to spare my d- them, master?"

"Yes."

The brown-skinned girl's mouth immediately dove for my cock in gratitude.

[Shores of the West Lake, Ba Sing Se's Outer Walls]

A world without Aang, Sokka and Katara.

It was almost difficult to imagine. Without Aang, the world was already falling apart. Without Sokka, the secret of the eclipse would never leave the Wan Shi Tong's Library, much less reach the Earth King's ears. Their greatest advantage passed them by largely unnoticed, I would have done something sneaky with the information, but with Aang dead, there was just no need. And without Katara… actually, nothing really changed with her absence.

But nothing was as stark of a difference as Fire Nation banners hanging from the Outer Walls of Ba Sing Se.

With the Southern Water Tribe fleet burned into blackened driftwood, the Fire Nation now had total naval superiority across the Three Nations. From Pohuai Port to Serpent's Pass to Chameleon Bay, we were able to transport supplies and troops via ship across the breadth of the Earth Kingdom continent, as well execute naval bombardment operations on any target near the coastlines with impunity. Zhao was particularly thrilled about that one.

For inland operations, I had- using my newfound prestige and authority- personally placed the order to build railways from the colonies all the way to the Western edges of Ba Sing Se itself. The 1676 mm broad-gauge track, of course. A robust track gauge for a dangerous world.

With both naval and land logistics solved, the Fire Nation military was now blessed with the greatest advantage a military could ever wish for: Good, reliable logistics. Every Fire Nation offensive and defensive operation breathed easier now that logistics came almost effortlessly. Depots worth of food, medicine and other supplies delivered in hours rather than days, tanks fresh from the assembly lines transported to the frontlines, endless trainloads of high explosive munitions for the siege corps to use in flattening the remaining Earth Kingdom fortresses, and even the ability to rapidly redeploy troops across fronts and entire theatres. We had it all.

Naturally, that also meant that the Giant Drill was now better supplied more than ever, and construction finished ahead of schedule.

There I sat, in the bridge-pavilion of the {Fire Nation Great Drill}. Surrounded by command and control personnel, shouting orders into brass speaking tubes that relayed orders all throughout this superweapon.

I reviewed the description.

{Fire Nation Great Drill}

Legendary Vehicle

'Exactly what every Asiatic fantasy show about spiritual disciplines needs: A giant steampunk wunderwaffe.'

The Great Drill is a colossal, tunnel-boring siege engine designed and constructed for a singular purpose: breaching the Great Wall of Ba Sing Se.

It is the brainchild of the Mechanist who spent years designing and developing not only the drill itself, but also advancing the metallurgy, steam and combustion technologies which formed the engineering foundations required to make this gargantuan machine a reality. The construction of it, overseen by War Minister Qin, was an equally massive undertaking. It took two years, three dedicated logistics divisions across army and navy, a personal sponsorship by Fire Lord Ozai, and enough steel to form a fleet of Fire Nation cruisers to construct it.

Design Details:

With a kilometres long cylindrical profile that's wide enough to dig an eight-lane highway, the Great Drill is the largest machine ever made in the history of the Four Nations.

If traditional siege engines were the warhammer that crushed through enemy fortifications like armour, the Great Drill would be the arrow that pierced through it, if said arrow was as large as a town.

The Great Drill accomplishes its function as a siege engine in a manner more concentrated than most. Traditional breaching and boring actions through enemy fortifications is often a drawn-out affair that lasts weeks or even months. But with the Fire Nation Great Drill, that has been reduced to mere minutes. The rotating drill head made of cutting edge Fire Nation alloys operates on a dual-tiered cutting system: The outer spiral slicing through layers of earth and stone, while the inner core processes the resultant debris into a wet slurry that is funnelled out of an waste port in the aft of the drill. This tightly controlled mechanical choreography allows it to bore through the softest clay or the densest stone with a steady, implacable certainty.

Massive coal-fired furnaces the size of houses produce the steam required to turn equally massive cylinders that power the tracks that move the Great Drill forward. Under light loads, the Great Drill had a surprising speed of 7 km/hr (76.6 Ford pickups per McDonalds Drive Thru Order), equivalent to a comfortable jogging pace, which then slowed to walking speed when actively digging through dense fortifications.

Crew:

At the core of the Great Drill's operation is an entire division of elite engineers and technicians handpicked from Navy ships for their expertise in engineering. These capable men and women are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the intricate network of pipes, pistons, transmission systems to ensure that the drill's immense powertrain and hydraulic systems remain in constant motion… all under the punishing heat and pressure within the drill's belly. Commensurately, they are also paid much more than their positions in the Navy.

Overseeing the entire operation of the Great Drill is the command crew, senior officers and navy engineers led by War Minister Qin himself. All stationed within the heavily fortified command pavilion- the brains of the Great Drill, responsible for the coordination of all engineer battalions across all sections of the Great Drill. The officers must constantly monitor the drill's status, assessing damage reports, managing coal stores. A complex network of speaking tubes and signal systems, ensuring seamless communication between all parts of this massive war machine.

Armaments:

Upon its initial construction, the Great Drill had no armament to speak off apart from its main drill- relying instead on escorts and its metres-thick outer shell to turn away even the greatest Earthbending attacks and escorts to drive away any assailants.

Seeing this, Commander Khan ordered a bold refit: Access hatches high up along the Great Drill's massive flanks were converted into ball turrets to further augment the drill's already overwhelming defense.

Each turret is fitted with a napalm discharge system, the jellied fuel pumped directly from expansive, armoured tanks housed beneath the drill's outer shell. Would-be attackers looking to approach from the Great Drill's massive flanks would be met by crack weapons teams directing streams of superheated liquid fire at them. Or if they were even more unfortunate, by 41st Division Napalm Benders who would form [Napalm Whips], [Great Napalm Waves], and other appropriated Waterbending techniques from the same superheated liquid fire, drowning the entire surrounding are into a roiling sea of flames.

R 

I was at the helm of the most destructive war machine ever constructed on this misbegotten planet. Meanwhile, the Kyoshi Warriors were all busy giggling and whispering between themselves beside me.

"I can't believe I'm walking around with a Prince's cum inside me. I feel so fancy!"

"Yep… I still have a princely taste of prince cock in my mouth from last night."

"Hey, new girl, is Khan's princeness retroactive? I mean, can we brag about how a prince took our virginities?"

"In the Northern Water Tribe, the distinction is made if he wasn't in line for the throne, but if everyone recognises it… I suppose it counts?"

"If he looks like a prince, talks like a prince and hung like a prince then it's good enough for me!"

"Prince titles are overrated anyway. Hahn was one after all."

"Says the former princess!"

" 'Former?!' Chieftain Essin and I had an agreement!"

"Girls, behave." I admonished with a sigh. "But I suppose I should get used to people calling me that."

Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors just snorted, "If you think we're bad now, just wait until Miss 'I Secretly Wanna be a Pretty Princess to a Prince Charming' comes back!"

"Don't let June hear you call her that."

"Did someone say my name?" came the cool voice of the resident bounty hunter as she sashayed up the stairs in her usual tight, leather outfit. Coal-grey eyes in dark eyeshadow looking me up and down, and her darkly-painted lips quirked in a slight smile as she purred, "Hoping that it was you, my Prince."

"It's nothing, June." I waved off, "Welcome back, did you find him?"

"Yep, one General Sung, paralysed but still breathing." the goth girl drawled, "You're lucky that Nyla's fast enough to outrun an Earth Kingdom monorail. We found him on the last monorail, almost halfway back to the Inner Ring. I handed him to your boys down below for… talking."

"Excellent work, June! You earned that HVT bounty." I replied with an approving nod, "We don't have any names for you at the moment, so take a breather while we figure out what to do next."

The slender mercenary nodded, stretching her lithe body with a yawn. "Sure thing, Big Guy. Me and Nyla'll just take a nap. If something comes up, you know where to find me." She glanced over her bare, slender shoulder, with hooded eyes, "In your bedroom. Well, see you later, my Prince."

With rolling hips, she descended into the drill's interior…. Leaving me with Suki, the Kyoshi Warriors and their smug smirks.

Yes, it seemed that I wasn't about to live princehood down.

Ever since Azula was still a 'work-in-progress' and Zuko officially threw in the towel to be a full-time Tsungi Hornist in his mother's troupe, Fire Lord Ozai was left without an heir. And thus, he had deemed it fit to… expedite my ascension to princehood. The Fire Nation rejoiced at a [Fire Nation War Hero] becoming prince, and were also awed by such an act by the Fire Lord. To elevate someone not of his royal blood, but by merit alone? For the sake of the Fire Nation? Some were already calling the Fire Lord as 'Ozai the Wise.'

But I knew the real reason: Spite.

Once Fire Lord Ozai had been informed that Ursa had 'claimed' Zuko as her child and he was left with the failure that was Azula, Ozai desperately needed to one up her, and his pride wouldn't let himself simply execute her. In his head, I was already going to marry his daughter anyway. So, my princehood was the direct result of a pissing match between the Fire Lord and his ex-wife. One that he was now convinced he was winning handily from having me as his 'son.' Especially since the perk [Greater Weapon Familiarity] apparently extended to instruments, and meant that I could play the Tsungi Horn almost as well as Zuko could.

For composing a moving Tsungi Horn concerto…

{Ursa} Reputation: -15 - -20

For composing a moving Tsungi Horn concerto…

{Ursa} Reputation: -20 - -15

Yes, I can see where Azula got half her crazy from…

It was not the most impressive reason to become prince, but I wasn't complaining about being made into royalty.

No one dared to question the decree either- none of the Fire Sages and none of the Fire Nobles. They could have, but they did not. The Fire Sages thought I was some sort of Chosen One due to the weight of all my legendary deeds; and on the other side, the Fire Nobles were more than willing to brown-nose to anyone who they thought would supply them with the shiny things to one-up their rival noble houses. All in all, I was the de facto Prince of the Fire Nation, merely lacking the formal ceremonies that came with it. Even Fire Lord Ozai, with all his love for lavish ceremonies and adoring crowds, would prefer instead that I ensure the success of this operation. And I did.

The Earth Kingdom was now in full retreat. Like rats disturbed from their nest, they scurried away from their fighting positions in the Outer Walls of Ba Sing Se. And those that were still holed up in the walls found good old [Napalm] streaming into their defensive positions. It was hard to ambush anyone when there was no oxygen left to breathe in their little hidey-holes.

A thin old man in his flowing red robes bowed low before my command throne. "My Prince," War Minister Qin simpered, "May I say again that it was an honour to breach the Walls of Ba Sing Se with you."

"The honour is all mine, War Minister." I replied.

"My first real task as Prince of the Fire Nation… and it's to supervise breaching the Outer Walls of Ba Sing Se. But please, I'll tell you what I told Zhao during the North Pole Campaign: I have no desire to claim the glory, you can have it all. Simply grant me the authority and freedom to work as I please."

War Minister Qin seemed surprised by that. "Are you… certain?"

"When they write books about this day, it shall read how 'The Great Drill of the Fire Nation' was a creation of War Minister Qin's genius. My attendance will only be a side note. In fact… Write it down now, Yor." I turned to my official scribe, who scribbled it blazingly fast across her notebook. Being a knife-wielding master assassin apparently translated to a good writing speed.

"That… that is most generous of you, My Prince," Qin looked amazed, "you have my deepest gratitude!"

Everyone in Fire Nation High Command were rabid glory hounds.

"Papa! Papa!" A pink-haired girl came running up the stairs, "Anya found an earthbender spy!"

"You did?" I said, suddenly alarmed. My first command had been to triple the internal guard and screened everyone for possible saboteurs. How in the Fire did they manage that?!

"Anya… erm… saw him sneak into that 'access hatch' in the bottom of the Drill!" Anya helpfully supplied. "He snuck in while we were drilling through the outer wall!"

"I thought I had ordered that all access hatches be sealed for the operation!" My voice boomed.

"Someone left it open!"

"They had one spirit-damned job…" My eyes narrowed. "Twenty lashes for the guards responsible for that hatch."

"Papa? What'll happen if we put the dirty Earthbender in front of the drill?"

"No, Anya. I'm afraid we can't. The drill is too big- we'd need a really big crane just to execute him like that, and we don't have one. Also, we need to interrogate him. Speaking of which…" I nodded in the Lieutenant's direction, "Get that handled. I want every detail, especially how he knew there were access hatches on the underside of the Great Drill."

"Yes, sir!" She saluted, already jogging off with the engineers.

"Aww… phooey!" Anya huffed, crossing her tiny arms as she sank into her little command throne. Then her face lit up. "Oh! Anya has an idea!"

The entire room held its breath. Anya, the chief architect for the resurgence of public mass executions, having an idea was never a good sign.

"We should drive this Super Drill all the way to the Earth King's palace!"

War Minister Qin, realising the implications of what Anya wanted, paled considerably and spoke in a horrified whisper. "You… You want to drive the Great Drill across- no- through the city? Even before our offensive it was already the most densely populated area in the Four Nations. By now, we've driven most of the populace into the Middle Ring…" He turned to me, his face pale and his voice almost begging, "Commander, they'll be packed in there. The death toll! It would be catastrophic!"

My skull-helmeted head inclined slowly. "Yes. But it does sound like something the Fire Lord would approve of."

"I know, right?!" Anya bounced on her toes, clapping her hands with glee. "Grandpa Ozai did say that Earthbenders bleed mud! Anya didn't know that! He's so smart! Do you think the drill will turn them into stone soup like it did with the wall too? We can make a nice river from here all the way to the palace for Grandpa Ozzy!

Qin stared at her, the color draining from his face. The entire room felt like it was suffocating under the weight of her words. He swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper. "Yes, a river of… stone soup…"

"Papa, can we please?!"

"Anya," the War Minister preempted my response, his voice as calm as he could muster- that is to say very shakily, "do you understand what you're asking? Driving the Great Drill into the city... it's not just buildings that will be destroyed. Innocent people- thousands, maybe more- will be caught in its path. In its teeth!"

Qin, who was now face-to-face with real senseless cruelty, was apparently having a change of heart. Turning his life's greatest triumph- this grand siege engine that was meant only to bring down walls- Into an instrument of mass murder.

The world's largest meat grinder.

The little girl perched on her oversized throne blinked, as if the concept had barely registered. "But they're Earthbenders! And Grandpa Ozzy always says the Huns aren't real people! They're made of mud and rock! If we get enough of them, Anya bets the drill will make a really big river of mud! Then we can swim in it!" Anya giggled, before catching herself, and wrinkled her small nose "… maybe after we cleaned it up a bit. Hun and stone soup sounds icky."

War Minister Qin swallowed hard. His eyes flickered to me. "Commander…" the older man began with a rising tone of desperation, "there must be a better way. The army would breach the walls soon. Once we're inside, the city would be all but ours! we can fight them- corner the Earth King without causing such destruction to civilians. This is… we would be consigning thousands of souls to the most horrific fate imaginable!"

"I think we should go ahead with it, Khan." Came support from an unexpected source.

"Suki?" I prompted, turning my head towards the redhead with the stony expression on her painted face. Her gaze was aimed out the window, over the assembled ranks of the Fire Nation army and to the sun-bleached yellow stones of the Inner Wall. The only thing which kept Fire Nation forces from the general populace of Ba Sing Se.

Her voice, soft but serious, filled the quiet command centre. "If we don't do this, it'll be Agna Qel'a all over again. Only bigger, costlier. The Earth Kingdom will muster tens of thousands troops and we'll have to deal with them all. It might take months or maybe a year, but we all know that in the end, we will win. And in that time, tens of thousands more will die. They'll die from the siege, from starvation, and from each other as they fight to feed themselves. By Kyoshi, this is the merciful option. We use this drill and end this campaign. This war. Right here, right now."

"A fair argument." I remarked before looking over to her sisters-in-arms. "Are you all in consensus with Suki's assessment of the situation?"

Without hesitation, the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors nodded.

"Of course we are!"

"We're with Suki all the way."

"Was there any doubt?"

"Sisters forever. No matter what."

"And focused together, As One."

Through my skull helmet's slits, my green eyes met with the ice-blue of the Kyoshi Warrior who hadn't spoken up.

"She's right." The snowy-haired girl murmured, "What happened to my people in that brief campaign was already horrible. To imagine it happening to that many people... how can we consider anything else? If saving more lives needs us to be monstrous, then we must be monstrous. We can beg for forgiveness from the Moon and Ocean Spirits later…"

Suki reached out and gripped her shoulder with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Yue."

"As One, team leader, we will do it as one."

Forging bonds of friendship and sisterhood over horrendous war crimes. Very touching.

"You're the best, Suki!" Anya hugged the Kyoshi Warrior's leg. The only one who was actually ecstatic for what we were about to do. With a wide grin, Anya detached from Suki's kimono and clambered onto her command throne, Her hand stretched out, pointing at the flimsy-looking wall protecting the last bastion of Earth Kingdom citizens, "War Mister Qin! Full speed ahead!"

The command centre hesitated, engineers exchanging nervous glances, unsure if the order was real. Qin's silence hung like a death sentence. He opened his mouth to protest, but the words apparently stuck in his throat. Anya, after all, was effectively the Fire Lord's treasured granddaughter (adoptive), and even her innocent whims carried terrifying weight. He could reason with me. He could even defy the chain of command to an extent. But to challenge her, or to go against something she might relay to her 'Grandpa Ozzy'… that was another matter altogether.

War Minister Qin looked in my direction, his wrinkled eyes pleading silently.

The final decision was still for me to make.

I gave the slightest nod.

The order was given, and the command crew turned to every speaking tube, relaying the order to every deck and station in the Great Drill.

"All crew to your stations! I repeat! All crew to your stations!"

"All primary boilers to maximum capacity!"

"Full speed ahead!"

"Transmission crew, engage second rotational gear! Prepare for 'soft' material."

"Forward to Final Victory!"

A low rumble shook the floor beneath them, growing in strength as the massive boilers roared to life. A deafening thunder of metal resounded as distant gears turned, pistons pounded, and the monstrous machine was roused into motion once again. The air vibrated with the force of the awakening, and the ground itself seemed to tremble in fear as the metal drill head bit into it and began its relentless advance.

"Drill submerged halfway into the earth!" one officer reported, his voice strained over the rumble beneath. The drill's grinding teeth now had the maximum ground coverage to catch anything- and anyone- unfortunate enough to remain on the ground.

Anya grinned at me, leaning in her chair as if she could already hear the cries of panic from within the walls. "Grandpa Ozzy is definitely going to like the new river! We're going to make so much mud, Papa!"

"Brace for contact with the Inner Wall!" Another senior engineer called out.

When our vehicle was several thousand tonnes and the wall was the height of skyscrapers, the collision wasn't just a sound, it was a force- sending everyone in the pavilion who wasn't braced stumbling forward. Well, most of everyone. Yor kept her daughter steady through it all, while Suki and Kyoshi Warriors- always light on their feet- were barely affected, their eyes focused instead on the Inner Wall as it cracked and trembled as the Great Drill gnawed away at its stone face. Just like with the Outer Walls, the tremors rose as the drill bored through the Inner Wall and its foundations, a rumbling cacophony of grinding metal and crunching stone.

"Piercing through the Inner Wall in Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven…"

Beyond this increasingly thin stone wall, people must have been running, panicking, staring in confusion.

"… Six… Five… Four…"

Someone in the command crew muttered the words 'Death Toll' in his prayers and Anya took it as encouragement, excitedly cheering "Deaf Tall! Deaf Tall! Deaf Tall!" louder and louder.

... three... two... one."

Another lurch as the Inner Wall of Ba Sing Se gave way… and with a thunderous crumble, the Inner Wall of Ba Sing Se collapsed into ruin around the Great Drill. We couldn't hear them- not over the roar of the drill- but we could imagine the chaos unfolding in the city below. 'There is no War in Ba Sing Se.' They were told over and over again by the Dai Li. One could only imagine what it must be like, watching the Inner Wall that had protected them for centuries collapse.

The… obstruction cleared away, we saw them: Sixty kilometres of densely packed streets, homes, and lives, now caught in the path of grinding metal teeth of the {Fire Nation Great Drill}.

"Full speed ahead!" Anya cheered, cradling a large bowl of peanuts and ready to enjoy the show.

This was going to be a long ride.

[Earth Kingdom Royal Palace]

Earth King Kuei, the 52nd Earth King of all the Earth Kingdoms, could only gape in awe and dull terror, echoing the words of an ancient poem taught to all Earth Kingdom citizens, even to Earth Kings like himself.

"The Walls of Ba Sing Se, standing for millennia uncounted. Unbreachable, invincible like the earth itself."

And yet…

A colossal metal serpent of myth lay in plain view for everyone in the Royal Palace to behold. Its trail of destruction was unmistakable: a gaping hole in the Upper Ring's wall, and now it carved a deep, burning trench straight toward the palace. Streams of fire arced from its flanks, burning the pristine blue sky. The once-celebrated Upper Ring skyline, immortalized in a thousand Earth Kingdom paintings and arts, was now choking beneath the black smoke rising from all across the Middle Ring.

Taken in its entirety, the scene was as if a colossal flaming axe had carved a great wound across the world.

"What in all the Spirits of the earth and stone is THAT?! Someone give me answers!" He swept his gaze across his court of finely-dressed courtiers. The 108 Pillars of Ba Sing Se. Houses that had grown into prominence over the millennia that Ba Sing Se stood. Some houses were newer than others, having taken the place of extinct ones, but even the least of them occupied a rank in the social strata that few citizens would ever comprehend. They were the richest, oldest and most influential people in the Four Nations, and yet, right now, their powdered and painted faces adorned with all their glittering fineries looked as clueless and dumbfounded as the lowliest servants.

A tremor rattled the floor beneath them, dust drifting from the vaulted, painted ceiling. They looked on warily, the Walls of Ba Sing Se, once the pride of all Earth Kingdom's strength, had failed, but it was the tremor that gave them a new appreciation for reality.

The threat was already here, and it was coming for them.

"I may be able to shed some light on the situation, My Earth King," a smooth, measured voice cut through the panic.

"Long Feng," Kuei exhaled in relief, his heart calming for a moment. "At least someone has answers."

He turned to face the man he had relied on for so long. The sight of his Grand Secretariat in his dark green robes, face ever calm, was a reassuring sight for once.

"That is a Fire Nation's siege engine. A drill, ostensibly," Long Feng explained curtly. "And this whole disturbance is a surprise attack, so swift and sudden that it has caught even our esteemed Council of Five off guard. We are attempting to establish diplomatic communication with the Fire Lord as we speak."

A clamour of disbelief rose from the crowd of the 108 Houses present.

"Fire Nation?" Kuei's face twisted in disbelief. "We've been at peace for hundreds of years! And now they attack us- out of the blue?! Without so much as a declaration of war? What of our treaties? What will the Water Tribe and Air Nomads say when they hear of this? And surely the Avatar will have something to-"

"- I'm afraid that is no longer possible, My Earth King." Long Feng's expression barely shifted, but the words he said next dropped like stones on a gong. "The Avatar has perished. Some months ago."

The room felt colder, and Kuei's breath caught in his throat. "The Avatar is dead? And why… Why was I not informed?"

"It was deemed unnecessary at the time," Long Feng said, voice smooth as ever, though his fingers tightened subtly at his side. "Avatars pass on to their next lives regularly; and your attention was elsewhere, My Earth King. However… What we did not anticipate is this sudden and unwarranted aggression from the Fire Nation. Nevertheless, the Dai Li have the situation under control."

The floor shuddered beneath them again, the rumble louder now.

Kuei extended an arm toward the advancing machine, his yellow and green silk robes fluttering with the motion, "You call that under control?!"

"Indeed. As you can plainly see." Long Feng said, also gesturing to the drill with a graceful motion of his black robed arm.

Kuei gripped the window sill, staring at the massive drill in disbelief. "The drill... it stopped?"

Long Feng's expression remained serene. "Yes, my Earth King, as I have said, the Dai Li have the situation under control. A truce has already been called, and I have parlayed with the commander of the siege engine- the Prince of the Fire Nation himself, newly crowned."

"Parlayed? With the Fire Nation prince? What... what did you offer him?"

"Offer?" Long Feng chuckled softly, "No, My King. I didn't offer our surrender. I will be informing him of his."

"But... How can that be possible?" Kuei's brow furrowed.

Long Feng took a step closer, his green eyes looking at the massive Fire Nation drill that idled in the distance. "The Fire Nation may have breached our walls, but in doing so, have also overextended their forces. They do not realise it, but they are surrounded by our forces. Or perhaps they already do. Nevertheless, their surrender is inevitable."

"You're certain of this?"

"The Council of Five and their staff have already been… aided into position by my Dai Li. Once the teeth of the trap are revealed, I fully expect that unconditional surrender will follow shortly."

"I... I'm sorry for doubting you, Long Feng," Kuei finally said, his shoulders sagging with relief. The giant machine that had seemed an unstoppable force poised to conquer the Earth Kingdom moments ago now appeared... manageable. A failed offensive of a rival nation's hubris.

Long Feng's bow was deep, his smile reassuring and his voice the picture of loyalty. "I only live to serve, My Earth King."

"Then… I assume that my personal attendance in the parlay will be required?"

"Yes, I apologise for the suddenness, but war is invariably a messy business." Long Feng said, "The chamberlain has already been notified, I understand that the royal tailor has a special set of robes for just this occasion."

Kuei felt a sudden wave of doubt. But no longer was it for this sudden war with the Fire Nation, but rather it was the first time since his coronation that he was actually interacting with foreign royalty. He turned to his Grand Secretariat, "Do you have any recommendations, Long Feng?"

"If I may, my Earth King, I strongly advise presenting a unified front to the Fire Nation and take as many of the 108 Pillars with you, or at least…" Long Feng glanced at the courtiers assembled. "… those willing and ready for such an event. The royal painters and sculptors have already been notified and they will be immortalising this moment. It will, after all, be a great honour to witness the Fire Nation's surrender firsthand, by their prince nonetheless! Thus I urge you to take only those who your Majesty feels are ready for such an honour."

Almost immediately, the nobles from the 108 Pillars jostled for the position, finely embroidered robes swishing as they edged closer to the throne, but his Royal Guards gently reminded them that they required his permission to approach. And when it was clear they weren't going to get his ear in a private conversation, The murmurs exploded into a loud cacophony, each one of the finely-robed 108 Pillar Nobles shouting the virtue and esteem of their Houses like merchants peddle their wares in the square.

"Your Majesty, House Gao commands the finest fleet of merchant ships in the Four Nations. Our diplomatic reach is unparalleled. Who better to demonstrate our kingdom's influence to the new Fire Nation prince?"

"House Xie has mastered the art of fan dancing! Nothing solidifies a treaty quite like a traditional Earth Kingdom performance, My Earth King. Allow us to perform for the Fire Nation delegation!"

"Your Highness! House Ning was honoured by Earth King Lao for rescuing a royal carriage from the mudslides of the eastern hills two centuries ago! Our service has never faltered since! Surely, we are deserving of a place at your side!"

More shouts came like an avalanche. The voices overlapped as each Earth Noble practically tripped over each other trying to secure their place in the annals of history, to be immortalised in the paintings and tapestries that would surely follow this momentous occasion... to be part of the inevitable victory that Long Feng had promised.

Kuei could only sigh in exasperation. Politicking and status games- the comforting normalcy of his court. At least it was a familiar chaos rather than the violent one that a Fire Nation invasion force placed in their lives.

"Enough," Kuei finally muttered, his voice just loud enough to be heard above the squabble. The Royal Guards raised a hand, and the room gradually fell silent, the cacophony fading to a respectful murmur as the courtiers stepped back, faces eager and waiting. Kuei spoke with all the poise that he had been taught with, "This victory belongs to the entire Earth Kingdom. Those who wish to accompany me in this triumph- those who seek to witness the submission of the Fire Nation firsthand- may do so. Let it be known that the Earth Kingdom's strength is not merely in its walls, but in the unity of its people, from its noblest families to its humblest servants. The 108 Pillars, most of all!"

They cheered, politely applauded him. Smiles of relief all around as they realised that they will not be excluded from this momentous occasion.

Kuei turned towards his grand secretariat. "Long Feng, make the rest of the preparations for this parlay with the Fire Nation Prince. You have my full authority."

Long Feng merely smiled, "It will be my pleasure, My Earth King."

(Later) [Somewhere in the Upper Ring]

"You did not run." My deep voice boomed across the appointed courtyard. "How valiant of you. Ill-advised, but valiant."

In a beautiful, sunny afternoon, on a grand courtyard flanked by tranquil koi fish ponds and manicured topiaries of mongoose-bears, Fire Nation armoured boots and war ostrich-horses arrived. Our shadows looming far.

I watched as Earth King Kuei attempted to look brave as he sat on his gold-gilded palanquin: his chest puffed out, making his flowing silk robes of green and yellow billow like a sail on his skinny frame. His chin tilted upward, causing his tall, ornate green hat to wobble ever so slightly, and his narrow face scrunching into an expression vaguely resembling courage behind his tiny round glasses.

Our two groups stood at just two dozen paces away, practically just across a living room or a road, and well within charging distance.

The Fire Nation as represented by myself, and the Kyoshi Warriors… staring down the Earth Kingdom Delegation as represented by him, Long Feng, and four whole squads of [Royal Earthbender Guards]. The rest of our armies stood at the four edges. My 41st Division stood beyond the western edge of the courtyard while his massive entourage of Dai Li and Earth Nobles were beyond the eastern edge.

The Earth King's herald stepped forward, some excessively robed clown.

"That's one overdressed, frilled-up hog-monkey…" Suki whispered to me. And her Kyoshi Warrior sisters' whispers followed soon after.

"I think he might be wearing more pieces of clothing than all of us combined."

"And more makeup too."

"From the scrolls we had, they seemed to have added to the uniform since they last visited Agna Qel'a. Especially in terms of jewellery."

"Speaking of, if the sun hits him just right, we might all go blind."

"I bet even the panties he's wearing are fancier than ours."

Earth King Kuei must have heard it because his eyes narrowed indignantly. But otherwise, he did not choose to say anything. In stark contrast, the previously mentioned hog-monkey raised his jeweled staff, his voice high and clear as he began to speak with theatrical grandeur.

"Fire Nation, you stand before His Royal Majesty, Earth King Kuei! 52nd Earth King of the Great Earth Kingdom! Defender of the Realm, Sovereign of Ba Sing Se, Heir to the royal lineage, recognised by the ancient spirits of mountain and plain!" The herald's voice echoed across and beyond the courtyard. His voice swelled with even more pomp as he continued. "And assembled today, the illustrious 108 Pillars of Ba Sing Se! Stewards of this city's legacy, the most ancient and noble houses, whose wisdom, wealth, and influence have shaped these walls for millennia! House Jiju, whose wisdom once guided the 32nd Earth King through the centuries of peace! House Liujan, whose honoured founding ancestor was…"

Underneath my skull-faced helm, I rolled my eyes as the herald continued prattling hollow claims of glory from bygone eras.

Indeed, arrayed behind the Earth King like an army were the so-called '108 Pillars of Ba Sing Se.' Earth nobles with overinflated egos and more money than sense who squandered the inheritance of their actually respectable ancestors. The heads of their houses stood there, these corpulent men and chicken-necked old hags, wrapped in garish robes draped with peacock feathers, furs, and reptile leathers. Every ear, neck, and finger glittered with gemstones and precious metals, as if they had dumped out their jewellery boxes over themselves.

Their entire families seemed to have joined them too, attended by their servants who stood nearby. Parasols of embroidered silk held above each the noble's heads and others holding aloft the House's banners stitched with their great crests and sigils.

Suffice to say, I wasn't impressed, and neither was my 41st Division.

Behind me, they stood. Mounted atop our overgrown ostrich-horses, their armour gleamed red and black under the mid-afternoon sun, no adornments save for the feathered helmets that had become part of our signature uniform. Guandao glaives rested easily in their hands, their eyes looking away from the glittering crowd to scan the surroundings instead- noting approaches, exits and tapping the ground for hidden pitfalls. Our overgrown ostrich-horses, however, were the opposite; they stared unblinkingly at the crowd of Earth Nobles. Very interesting. The beasts' quiet hissing indicated that their appetites were being roused from looking at all that pampered, noble flesh beneath unarmoured robes. Because as much as they enjoyed peeling their treats out of Earth Kingdom splint mail like one would peel boiled eggs, they liked it just as much when it was an easy feast.

None of the Earth nobles seemed to have noticed that my troops have been slowly spreading out either.

The herald's voice rose, apparently finishing. "… so, heed, humble Fire Nation, who stands in the shadow of greatness- before the 108 Pillars upon which Ba Sing Se stands, unbroken and eternal to this day!" he finished with a grand flourish of his jewelled sceptre, an upturned chin and a look of superiority. "That is who you stand before, Fire Nation! Now, identify yourself!"

Suki sighed in relief, "He's finally done."

"Yes, let's get this farce sorted out." I grunted back.

"Farce?" Kuei spoke, eyes narrowing again, "You must realise the situation that you're in. You have not even introduced yourself!"

"I am Khan, Commander of the 41st Division, and newly crowned Prince of the Fire Nation." I said curtly, before turning my attention to a specific figure in the Earth Kingdom delegation and asked, "Long Feng, Is this all of them?"

"Yes, my Prince," he responded with a slight nod, "Each of the 108 Pillars has at least one representative currently in attendance here."

The Earth King furrowed confused brows and glanced at his Grand Secretariat. "Long Feng, what are you talking about-?"

"Excellent." I cast a glance over my armoured shoulder and barked, "41st Division! Secure the nobles!"

Kuei's eyes flew wide open as the horde of oversized ostrich-horses broke into a charge, and in the not-so-far distance, the Great Drill once again rumbled to life, its gargantuan rotating drill head tearing up the earth.

"The Fire Nation has dishonoured the truce of the parlay! Protect the King!" came the call from his bodyguards.

Armour shuffled as the [Royal Earthbender Guards] formed a solid wall of green and yellow, and poised in their Earthbending forms. The nobles may have been complacent, but their protectors were sharp, ready. I've read the accounts of their gruelling training under previous Earth Kings. All of them were some of the fittest and most capable Earthbenders in Ba Sing Se. They wouldn't go down easily… or at least, they wouldn't have, if they were up against anyone else.

"Kyoshi Warriors, time to show off." my voice rumbled out the command.

Suki grinned, her painted lips curling into a fierce smile. "Thought you'd never ask. Yue, take the left one. We'll handle the rest." Her hand found the hilt of her katana, and her sisters followed suit. And [As One!], they declared.

"Kyoshi Warrior Secret Art: [Bu Re Tai Mu]"

…

A soft metal click echoed out as seven Kyoshi Katanas were sheathed as one.

"You are already dead." Suki whispered.

The four squads of [Royal Earthbender Guards]blinked in confusion. Once, and then twice. They tried to turn their heads, but succeeded instead in… rolling said heads right off their shoulders. Their still-helmeted heads fell to the ground, their eyes swivelled wildly in fear as their own decapitated bodies crumpled like puppets with their strings cut.

I didn't even break my stride as I stepped over the lifeless heaps.

Bodyguards now dead, shrieks pierced the air as the glittering Earth Kingdom nobles scattered like frightened ducklings before the charging 41st Division cavalry. Even Earth King Kuei's bravado vanished in an instant. His eyes locked onto my seven-foot-tall frame's worth of spiked armour and muscle as I stepped toward him. He whipped his head around in a panic.

"D-Dai Li! Defend us! Defend your people! Your King!"

They did not.

The dark-robed figures of the Dai Li stood motionless, watching silently as the cavalry of the 41st Division passed them by and herded the nobles like blinged-up cattle at spearpoint. Even their leader was uninterested, Long Feng's calm voice cutting through the chaos. "Impressive," he casually remarked, eyes lingering on the precise bladework of the Kyoshi Warriors.

"Thank you!" Suki happily chirped back.

It was only then, as the Earth King took in the sight of his so-called protectors standing idle, that realization finally struck him. His face drained of color. "Long Feng! You betrayed me?! You betrayed the Earth Kingd- Ack!"

I yanked him roughly off his gilded palanquin, his green eyes bulging as the Kyoshi Warriors caught him, forcing him to his knees. A Kyoshi Katana hovered inches from his face, a razor-sharp reminder to stay still.

"Yes, I do suppose it's quite obvious now." Long Feng commented with a dry chuckle.

"You traitor! Once the Council of Five rallies the troops, I will have you walled in!"

"Oh Kuei…" Long Feng shook his head like a disappointed parent, "Are you really still clinging onto that little white lie I told you? The one about our troops conducting a grand encirclement of the Fire Nation forces that would turn this entire war around in a single stroke? The illustrious Council of Five have all either perished in battle or are currently being held prisoner. Thanks to the aid of my Dai Li."

"But… why?"

"This war has actually been raging for longer than you or I have been born." Long Feng began, "It will officially be a hundred years in a few months. By the orders of the 50th Earth King, the Dai Li had suppressed all news and information. And for almost a hundred years, there has been no war in Ba Sing Se; only peace."

"A hundred years..." Kuei muttered, but he shook his head clear, "But that peace was based on a lie!"

"But peace nonetheless… or at least until the Fire Nation attacked."

Soon, more of the 108 Pillar nobles were made to kneel on the sun-baked stone of the courtyard. Their indignant squawks of protest were swiftly met with armoured fists and backhands, replacing the sounds with grunts of pain and quiet sobbing. Sufficiently pacified, they no longer resisted when 41st Division soldiers looted the jewellery straight off their persons, and claimed their pretty daughters and nieces as concubines. The prize of a fallen kingdom.

All the while, the Dai Li looked on stoically. Kuei, on the other hand, tore his gaze away, howling his impotence at Long Feng, "So, instead of fighting, you not only gave up, but betrayed us?! You coward!"

Long Feng's entire body tensed for a moment, then he whipped around, eyes blazing. "Coward? You naive fool!" He seized the Earth King by the hair, jerking his head back as his other arm shot out, finger pointing sharply at me like a spear. "Do you know who that is?!"

Kuei's eyes flicked between us, wide with confusion, like a child scolded for the first time. Ever so slightly, he shook his head.

"Well, I do." Long Feng's voice trembled with fury. "With a thousand men, he had conquered the Northern Water Tribe and killed the Avatar! A paltry thousand! And now he's here- at the head of the entire Fire Nation military! A hundred thousand veterans of this century-long war, charging through our broken walls on a warfront that stretches across thousands of miles! And that machine, that giant metal monstrosity from the underworld! It has already carved a bloody path from the Outer Wall to the very heart of this city! I am no fool to think that is the worst that Fire Nation minds can conjure. Spirits as my witness, there's more to come. Each horror, greater than the last. The Fire Nation will have taken Ba Sing Se, as a city or as a pile of ashes!"

Long Feng released Kuei, breathing heavily as he turned away. His hands clasped behind his back, and he took a moment to regain his composure, eyes drifting to the Great Drill carving its path ever so slowly toward us.

"Sometimes, it is a curse to be in the know." He said quietly, "I found myself to be the only one in these walls who has the will to do what's necessary to save it."

Kuei lowered his head and whispered sadly, "So, you've lost hope. You would rather hasten our doom than fight for this city."

"Doom? No, my dear king." Long Feng exhaled, his tone now calm, almost pitying. "We will surrender, the Earth Kingdom officially no more. But that doesn't need to mean the end of our people, of our traditions or Ba Sing Se itself. In fact, it's quite the opposite. This is a new beginning. You see, the condition to our surrender is that I am to be secured with a new title, one that hasn't been heard in these lands for over a hundred years: Earth Sage. The first to hold power in more than a century."

"What do you mean?" Kuei's brow furrowed in confusion. Unsurprisingly, Earth King's limited knowledge of history had always been Long Feng's domain to manipulate.

"He's referring to the Grand Lectors, Keepers of the Royal Learning Halls." Suki was the one to answer, her soft voice ringing clear, drawing eyes to her, "Before that, they were known as the Earth Sages- wise leaders who upheld the peace gifted to them by Honoured Kyoshi after she stopped Chin the Conqueror's war and quelled the peasant uprisings of 46th Earth King's time. She tasked these scholar-politicians to ensure the Earth King's policies benefited the poorest of our society, and curbed the Earth King's excesses. For that, Earth King Jialun had them removed: put the Earth Sages to the sword, torched all the records of their existence from Ba Sing Se, renamed the Earth Sage Temples to Royal Learning Hall and allowed history to all but forget them. But the Kyoshi Warriors… we remember still."

"As expected of Avatar Kyoshi's other disciples." Long Feng nodded, sending a nod at Suki who nodded in return.

Kuei's voice was bitter. "You? A wise leader? You're nothing but a traitor- Ba Sing Se's undoing."

"No. I will be known as its saviour." He glanced my way, "Isn't that right, my Prince?"

I nodded, telling the Earth King, "In all the declarations to be made, and in all the history books to be written, he will be known as 'Long Feng the Wise.' "

"Just passing mentions if you please," Long Feng said with a slight smile, "It would be unseemly to bask too much in the spotlight."

"Naturally."

"As you can see." Long Feng looked back to the bound king, "The Fire Nation's goals and mine align quite nicely. They desire control of the city, and I supply said control. And rest assured, once we've eliminated the 'rot' at the top-" he gestured to the trembling nobles, bound in chains. "- All the city will rise in celebration for its Fire Nation 'liberators.' Ba Sing Se will experience a renewed golden age in the hands of one who understands its true value: Me."

Earth King Kuei had nothing more to say, only quietly glaring at his Grand Secretariat.

"Prince Khan, I'm done with them." Long Feng nodded to me.

My armoured fist took the Earth king's tall, ornate hat. "The Fire Lord likes to collect hats from defeated Earth Kingdom monarchs and also prefers they remain alive to serve as symbols of their city's subservience. Conversely…" I glanced at the bound and cowering nobles. "… the Fire Lord does not appreciate half-measures nor half-rivers. The drill will continue carving his new river to the Royal Palace. If you wish to survive, all you need to do is out-crawl it."

Long Feng's smile barely flickered as he turned to the 108 Pillars. "Agents," he called to the Dai Li, "wall off the drill's path. We wouldn't want anyone accidentally falling in... or out."

I gave a nod to the Dai Li, who moved to secure the area, ensuring no one strayed from the path. "We still need to discuss our plans moving forward."

"Indeed." Long Feng nodded, "The King's tea room should suffice. And if I may indulge, I've heard much about this 'Dew of the Mountain' tea. I would be most interested in trying it."

"Of course," My skull-faced helm nodded, before calling out, "Lieutenant, secure the king for transport."

"Yes, sir!" The lieutenant gagged and hoisted the Earth King onto her ostrich-horse just as the rest of the panicking nobles began their desperate crawl toward safety, scrambling to stay ahead of the enormous drill's gnashing cutting heads.

"Congratulations on passing your history quiz in front of the Earth King, Suki," one of the Kyoshi Warriors snickered, her tone light amongst the panicked shouts of the nobles. The other Kyoshi Warriors soon joined in too.

"All that's left is for Elder Oyaji to show up…"

"… and for Khan to take his armor off…"

"…and it'll be just like your dream!"

"Wait, I'm out of the loop, what is this about Suki's dream?!"

"No one dare tell her about it!" Suki groaned, her cheeks flushing red beneath her face paint. Unfortunately for her, two Kyoshi Warriors were already whispering. Giggling followed soon after.

"Ladies, as much as I enjoy hearing about Suki's lofty dreams of actually passing her quizzes-" I said, and also ignoring Suki's protest of 'Hey, I pass my quizzes!' as well as the snickers that followed, "- we have a city to finish conquering. The Fire Lord will be pleased to hear that his prize is mostly intact."

(A few months later)

Fire Lord Ozai died.

The war was long over by the time Sozin's Comet arrived to sear the skies red, but Fire Lord Ozai insisted in making it a grand event that would be remembered through the ages: The crowning glory of his reign. So, he had gathered the Fire Islands and the colonies to watch as he… chugged down a gallon of [Red Bull: Sozin's Comet Red] to 'ascend to a higher plain of existence' and transform into a being of pure flame and power.

And in a way, he did.

The man literally exploded into a massive fireball in full view of the entire nation. Injuries amongst the onlookers were extensive- mostly burns and some light shrapnel from the Fire Lord's spiky robes. But fatalities were minimal.

I told him that it was a bad idea. I was very vocal about it too. Even as the alchemist who made the stuff, I had no idea what a gallon of the special Red Bull would do while it was supercharged by Sozin's Comet. But Ozai, with an immortality-crazed gleam in his eyes, had brushed my concerns aside, and everyone- from the Fire Sages to High Command- applauded his manic genius.

Thank the Spirits that I was wearing my helmet when he went through it.

After the explosive 'Ascension' ceremony, the Fire Sages naturally worked fast to spin the story. They declared that Ozai's 'ascension' was a glorious and foretold event, the final act of a Fire Lord too powerful for the mortal realm. His transformation into pure energy and flame was hailed as the ultimate sacrifice for the greatness of the Fire Nation. Great statues were commissioned, songs were written and the day was marked as a national holiday: Ascension Day.

Little Anya was inconsolable though. Her 'kind, sweet and awesome grandpa' was gone, and she still visits the smoking crater where he used to be. Meanwhile, Zuko, Iroh and even Ursa came by to pay their respects. The Ember Island Player orchestra and the Singing Lotus Blossoms held a tasteful funeral dirge, with the former prince leading the procession. Ursa's troupe secured the rights to Ozai's play- not to honour him, but mostly to stop other troupes from doing it out of spite. That backfired of course when Anya heard about it. Now, the little girl was leading the charge for a… creative retelling of her grandpa's life.

Enter the Fire Nation's new favourite holiday image.

'Santa Ozzy.' Patron Saint of children toys, beach sports, Red Bull and fatherhood.

It was not uncommon to see sculptures of Ozai decked out in beach trunks, sunglasses, and a can of Red Bull in hand as he beamed at children cradling toys while they laughed and smiled around him. We didn't shy away from the other parts of his reign, especially his war achievements, but those three- children's toys, beach sports, and Red Bull- got a lot more focus than anything else. Posters, murals, and even holiday merchandise immortalised this historical revisionism, pushing a version where Ozai was remembered less as a tyrant and more as a beloved, beach-going family man.

Ursa was understandably furious at this whitewashed version of Ozai's rule, (especially the part where he was mentioned to be the ideal husband and father), and Zuko and Azula weren't exactly thrilled either.

But I put my foot down.

It's what Ozai would have wanted: One last, enduring jab at his ex-wife from beyond the grave, complete with a kuai ball and a can of Red Bull.

I was crowned his successor as Khan, the Fire Lord Supreme.

'Fire Lord Supreme.' I personally thought it sounded like a spicy chicken wing flavour. But everyone else thought it was incredibly impressive, so I kept the title.

The coronation ceremony itself wasn't as lavish as previous Fire Lords' ceremonies were, but it was impressive all the same. I was crowned three times: once for the Fire Islands, once in Agna Qel'a, and lastly in Ba Sing Se- each one representing Fire, Water, and Earth. For added symbolism, the entire coronation took place aboard a fleet of airships. It was powerful imagery: being crowned ruler of all the world while floating high in the heavens, shrouded in clouds. The common folk were especially impressed by such things. Very impressed.

By the time we landed, stories had already spread of my supposed divine appointment. The skies themselves had borne witness to my coronation- my rule was mandated by Heaven, or so they said. Rumours like that spread like wildfire. Superstition really worked in my favor. It made pacifying the peasants that much easier.

I especially liked the mobility that airships gave me. So much so that I made the airship fleet my mobile base of operations, both for my royal court and for my 41st Division. If anyone couldn't handle being at 2000m and above, then they were clearly not fit to serve in it either. As expected though, everyone currently on the roster passed that test. Anya was extra giggly from lack of oxygen for a while before she finally acclimated.

Once it became official that I 'held court in the clouds'. The tales began to take on a life of their own. Some claimed that my fleet of airships was "Cloud-Soaring Immortal Palace" with pavilions of solid gold floating above the clouds guarded by ancient spirits, a never-ending river of Red Bull where an infinite harem of jade-like beauties (who were no doubt someone's childhood friends) bathed in.

Yes.. and it wasn't long before the legends grew to absurd heights.

They started seeing omens in every passing cloud.

Better not revolt, or Anya the Evil will purge you and your entire town with heavenly fire (read: 400 cubic metres of napalm purged from our storage tanks, then ignited at low altitude). Better not do anything illegal, or the 41st Host of Heaven would glide down to judge your heart and- if found wanting- will feed said heart to their Spirit Beast ostrich-horses (We usually skip the judging part and go straight to the feeding part though). Better not vandalise His Majesty's rail infrastructure, or the Immortal Khan himself will descend from Heaven to personally damn your soul to an eternity of building trains tracks in the Underworld. (I would if I could, I had already personally executed saboteurs of my rail infrastructure and made sabotage a capital offence.)

The number 41 also became sacred. 'Four Nations, one ruler,' they said, though some claimed it stood for something darker- 'Four Nations minus the Air Nomads,' a quiet reminder for the ghost among the nations. But both only served to propel my legend to even loftier heights.

Of course, the trouble started whenever it was time to land.

[Middle Ring, Ba Sing Se]

The dropship barely touched down on the solid ground of Ba Sing Se before the first sign of things going wrong.

I stomped down the dropship's ramp, still in my usual spiked Fire Nation armour and skull helm that everyone in the Four Nations have become accustomed to, despite some parties' insistence that I stop dressing for war. The Kyoshi Warriors also followed behind me, much lighter on their feet, the Earth Kingdom green of their armoured kimonos always a welcome sight for people in Earth Kingdom territories.

The grand courtyard was lined with rows of neatly dressed officials, servants, and nobles alike. Applause followed, while others bowed so deeply that I wondered if they were hoping to impress me or simply hoping to avoid my gaze. The air was thick with the scent of incense and fresh flowers, but it only set my nerves on edge. It was clear they had been preparing for this day for some time, which was concerning since I did not announce my arrival ahead of time.

The gold-thread words emblazoned on the banners told me everything I needed to know. They weren't subtle.

"A surprise festival." I muttered in dismay, "A surprise 'concubine selection' festival."

"Yes, your Highness is very perceptive!" a woman's voice exclaimed as she emerged from the procession. She would have been unremarkable with her green and yellow robes to her black hair; except, her face also beamed with a big manic smile, wide grey eyes shimmering with that unsettling brightness that only Dai Li brainwashing victims could make. She bowed, "I am Joo-Dee! Welcome to Ba Sing Se, O' Fire Lord Supreme, I will be aiding you in any way that I am able during your stay in our glorious city."

"Long Feng must be busy if he sent you in his stead..." My eyes drifted over the grand courtyard, hoping for something- anything- that might pique my interest. "I was hoping for a breakthrough from Ba Sing Se University, or perhaps even some ancient artefact weapon for me to appraise. Certainly not this, I already have enough girls."

"Yeah, seven of them are in immediate reach of him too!" Suki winked a deep blue eye at me, while also not-so-subtly nudging my side with her elbow. "Why, he could just grab the sexiest one, carry her to the nearest bedroom and have his wicked way with her!"

"Sexiest one, huh? You should move aside then, Suki. He might pick you by mistake."

"Yeah, then he'd have to carry you and your extra ten pounds!"

"And have to deal with your kimono stink."

"You're all just jealous that he picked me first last time!"

Joo-Dee's smile didn't even waver. "Yes, the Honourable Kyoshi Warriors are certainly a league of beauty all on their own!" She began, "We simply wish for you to have more leagues of beauty from other places."

"Places such as Ba Sing Se, I presume."

"Most correct! Your highness is very perceptive!" Joo-Dee beamed, "Our fair citizens could not help but notice that you have not taken a proper concubine from our most glorious city, O' Fire Lord Supreme. We have so many beautiful girls here, we were afraid that you would miss out! And that is why we spared no expense in arranging this Concubine Selection Ceremony."

My eyes narrowed under my skull helmet.

It was clear what was going on: They were trying to turn my harem into a political battleground. Understandable, really. Any children that any of my girls will bear for me were definitely going to be in line to inherit the entire world, even if I did not plan on ever dying.

More than that, just being a concubine to me was already a position of wealth and power that eclipsed any Earth Kingdom governor. Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors already had carte blanche to do whatever the hell they wanted- even going as far as interrogating and even executing any high ranked official in the Three Nations. June was sitting on so much gold that she actually asked me for advice on what to do with it all. Yor was happy just funding whatever horrific space program/execution machine/superweapon Little Anya dreamed up. Princess Yue was the spiritual leader of the Water Tribes despite having started as a prisoner-of-war. Even Azula and Katara were- Wait, no, they were still mostly bedroom pets.

Regardless, they had something even more important than personal power: they had a direct line to the most powerful and influential man in the world. Me.

Even if I didn't always listen to every request made by my harem, the mere fact that I occasionally did meant that every girl from every origin and social strata had every reason to strive to be my eager sex slave. Any noble house with even a sliver of ambition was going to be prettying up his daughter, sister or niece to catch my eye. Peasant girls would also be equally interested: A ticket for elevating their entire family and bloodline from dirt poor to cream of the crop quite literally overnight. Immense fragments of power and influence that anyone could seize, and all it took was a bit of seduction.

Concubinage was a solid political strategy all things considered. So stupidly easy that even peasantry can partake in.

"I mean, it's nice," I shrugged, red armour clinking at the motion, "but I would rather be reading right now, or establishing a new train line, or anything else really. However, I suppose we do need more loyal administrators…"

Suki grinned, "Yup, and nothing inspires loyalty more than getting your pussy pounded into jelly followed by a nice, deep, ovary-flooding creampie!"

"Or two!"

"Or three!"

"Uh… Fourgasms has been my new favourite word!"

…

"… Okay, new girl. That was a good one, I'll give you that!" Suki guffawed.

Said new girl with the snow-white hair who was definitely 'not' Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe sheepishly returned the smile. "I can only hope Khan gives me 'that' too!"

"Exactly!"

Ignoring the expectant looks that the Kyoshi Warriors were aiming at my crotch, I turned my attention back to Joo-Dee. "And who has been judging and selecting the prospects?"

"Ba Sing Se's matchmaker houses, of course!" Joo-Dee replied, her smile growing- if that was even possible. "They are the finest in the world. Some have been selecting concubines for Earth Kingdom nobility for more than a thousand years! There are no greater specialists in concubine selection. Only the best for you, O' Fire Lord Supreme."

"Kyoshi Warriors, you're the final set of judges. Take note of any biases the other judges may have too." I commanded, and the Kyoshi Warriors bowed deeply with serious expressions on their painted faces.

"As you command, O' Temperature Daddy Extra-Large."

"We shall separate the wheat from the chaff for you, O' Fire Boss Ginormous."

"They will not push subpar tang onto the royal pecker, O' Hotness Manager Jumbo."

They all laughed, as they moved to follow Joo-Dee. And as they disappeared into the sea of green banners and Ba Sing Se's endless formalities, I let out another sigh. It was going to be a long day. But I had faith that Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors knew what I needed. They'll find a girl with the right skills and temperament.

[Elsewhere on the Upper Ring]

As soon as her foot met the ground of the Upper Ring, Toph Beifong already knew something. The smell of a thousand prettied up noble girls, the way her stupid shoes pinched at her ankles like little turtle duck pecks and at how her dainty 'exotic silks' dress was itching something fierce on her backside.

"This is going to suuuuck." She groaned.

"Toph! Don't use such vulgar language, especially out in public! We taught you better than that!"

"Yes, father…"