chapter part 2

(A few minutes later) [Extraction Point Ozai]

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

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

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

The moon was back.

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

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

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

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

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

Uncle Iroh.

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

"How did you..."

Then, the world came crashing down.

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

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

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

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

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

"But-"

"Your father does not want her anymore."

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

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

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

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

"Yes, sir!"

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

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

Companion Lost!

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

R 

[Spirit Oasis, Agna Qel'a]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She paused, a quiet realisation apparently dawning on her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Yue} Reputation : 99 - 100

{Yue} Obedience : 99 - 100

R 

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

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

R 

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

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

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

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

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

"It does not matter."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Relic) [Cape of Magnificence]

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

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

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

R 

Effects:

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

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

Usable only by: {Khan}

R 

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

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

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

"Yes, Yue?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- A Most Magnificent Sunrise End -

Chapter 33 - Interlude of Water & Earth

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

AN:

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

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

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

…

The Three Nations, Part III

[A room in the Royal Palace]

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

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

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

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

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

The door creaked open.

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

"Eh."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"No."

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

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

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

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

Toph's blood boiled. Oh, it is ON.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

… Pfft. Yeah right, he was just bluffing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

... Her father was obsessed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grounding her—as if that ever worked!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"O' Crispy Chief Colossal!"

"O' Hot Honcho Humongous!"

"O' Sizzling Sovereign Super-sized!"

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

"Did you work on your alliteration, Suki?"

"Yes?"

"It's very nice, Suki."

"Thank you!" She beamed.

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

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

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

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

"And by that we mean her great personality."

"Her huge set of temperament."

"Her monumental pair of charisma."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Hey! I'm plenty smart!"

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

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

"Hey!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Jin} Reputation: 30 - 50

{Jin} Obedience: 60 - 70

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"We may need her yet."

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

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

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

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

(A week later)

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

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

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

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

Jin glanced behind to the world she did know.

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

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

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

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

And yet, she was the one to win.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes, I was getting tired of waiting."

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

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

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

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

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

She blinked. "What?"

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

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

A loud, undignified wheeze erupted behind her.

She turned.

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

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

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

"We're just shocked!"

"Scandalized!"

"Welcome to the real world, new girl!"

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes, Fire Lord Supreme..."

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

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

But the world? It just felt… off.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Great. I can't wait."

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

(An hour later) [Omashu]

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

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

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

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

Ty Lee practically bounced on her heels.

This was it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(A few weeks later)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Thanks!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I told you twelve times now!"

He blinked, "… Oh yeah. You did."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Khan.

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

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

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

"Honored Fire Lord Supreme Khan, my village—"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A brushstroke. A seal pressed into wax.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A brief pause.

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

A final stamp. A final decree.

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

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

And it was working.