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in: The Rise of Lirin chapters (fanon), A to Z (fanon)

Fanon:Faith in Blood

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Thunderstorm By The Snowbold Genre Rating Reviews Updates
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Air, Water, Earth, Fire. A new Avatar has been born to the Fire Nation as the cycle of the Avatar continues. And Lirin must face a new challenge as both Avatar and Prince of the Fire Nation.

Faith in Blood[]

A small gathering of those intimately close with Princess Ursa attended the final rites of the departed royal, the reading of the will. As a member of the royal family, most of her possessions were actually the property of the Fire Nation and not hers personally, however, the few things she treasured most were kept and respected as hers and she could give them out as she wished.

Lirin looked over those attending. His father Zorin along with the Fire Sage administered the will. Lirin attended, as did Ita and Mira along with some of the other royal attendants that cared for Ursa personally. Most of the others were Fire Nation Army officers that Ursa served with or commanded. As Grand General, she had to attend the military academy to achieve the rank of officer. She was second in her class, behind only Zorin's spymaster, Shi.

Shi, Colonel Ban, Dragon Commander Tso, and Dr. Mura were the most notable in attendance. In all, this personal affair was less than a hundred people, which was small by royal standards.

Most of the officers and attendants were given personal letters and a small monetary amount. Apparently Ursa saved most of her income as Grand General rather than spending it for personal use. And while the amount was small by Lirin's standards, it was in no way penny-pinching. To a regular royal attendant, this was a year's wages, and a similar thing could be said of the officers too.

As they left, some still remained. Ita was called forward, Zorin looked at her and smiled. "Ita, I owe you so much. When Asune died, you cared for Ursa as your own daughter. I can never repay you for that." Zorin bowed to Ita who frantically shook her head while trying to hold back tears.

"Never, your highness. I am the one who was grateful to love her like a daughter. I could not have another child after Mira, but she was fortunate enough to live with an older sister was the greatest joy I could have. I only wish I could have seen her become who she was meant to be."

"As do we all," Zorin gave a calm answer, trying to stay strong so that Ita's efforts to be calm weren't in vain. Zorin then pulled out a box. It was ornately designed from polished oak. The darkened wood had dragons carved into its exterior. Zorin opened it and pulled out package that he unwrapped. "Ursa left you with this amount of money, a letter and this blanket."

Ita nearly broke down at that moment. It was the blanket she had made for Ursa as a baby. It was made from rich reds and bright gold threads woven in intricate flame and dragon patterns. The blanket was worn yet pristine, showing the care Ursa gave to one of her most prized possessions.

An Imperial Firebender approached and escorted Ita out, knowing she would be too sad to concentrate. Mira was about to follow when Zorin called out to her, "Mira, Ursa left you with this."

Mira bowed before approaching. She opened the package and saw a letter over some money. Beneath it was a box that was sealed tightly. Her green eyes darted about looking to see if she could discern its content without opening.

"She left instructions for you to open it and read the letter alone."

Mira bowed and left. As she walked past Lirin, his cold face made her sadder. Lirin was a man who had an infectious smile, it was his nature and yet he couldn't feel joy now.

As most of the people who had personal connections left, the Fire Sage spoke. "Princess Ursa came to me years ago to prepare her will. Much of what was given was arranged then. However, for serious matters and to the most important of issues, she would regularly update and change the contents of the will to these recipients."

"Dr. Mura, as Grand General, Ursa wanted you to continue developing the prototypes weapons you used at Last Harbor. She has instructions here for what to do going forward and how funding was to be appropriated in her absence." Dr. Mura bowed as he received the letter and left.

"Commander Tso, the princess wanted you to give her armor, if it was salvageable to a worthy soldier in the Dragon Corp. She knew that women had to fight hard to earn the rank and wanted them to feel pride in that." Tso gave a bow and nodded. Two Imperial Firebenders carried a box with what was assumed to be Ursa's Dragon Armor.

"Colonel Ban," The colonel nervously stood up as Zorin called him forward, "General Ursa asked that you be promoted to General and lead her direct forces personally. A Grand General has yet to be officially nominated but you will be equal to those of the same station and a member of my war council."

The colonel- no, the general's eyes were wide with shock. Ursa had told Lirin about Ban before. He was a gifted soldier and officer but was timid in the face of authority. He often held back from giving excellent advice to other superiors for fear of their disapproval. Ursa had taken a liking to him as she said his true talents were worth the mental exercise of making him speak up.

"I am honored, your majesty." He also received a letter written by the princess and left.

"Minister Shi, Ursa left you with this letter and this package."

Shi opened it and chuckled, it was a Pai Sho game board. Zorin also gave a brief chuckle. For all of Shi's talents, he was apparently a terrible player of Pai Sho. "Thank you, your majesty."

As the remaining guests received their presents, all that remained were Lirin, Zorin and the Fire Sage who presided over the will with the Fire Lord. "Princess Ursa also asked that you two receive letters. She had just written these a few months ago. She asked me to ensure you both understood that under no circumstances did she want the family in conflict as the future of the Fire Nation rested in your hands."

Zorin took his letter and left soon after, deciding to read it privately, as most did. Lirin approached the sage who had a letter and a small package in hand for the young prince.

"Did she leave anything for you, great elder?"

He smiled, "Yes, she left me with socks and shoes." The old man chuckled as Lirin looked on in confusion. He explained, "I once complained to her how my feet would get cold. She told me to where socks and shoes instead of sandals to keep them warm." A warm look was on his weary face. The Fire Sage knew Ursa about as well as Zorin or Lirin and yet a moment of friendship was there. Ursa cared about the people around her, whether they were servants or equals. It was why she was beloved by the nation. The Fire Nation would be poorer with her loss.

Lirin always held some bitterness to the Fire Sages for announcing him as the Avatar. He knew it wasn't their fault, they didn't choose him. He was born the Avatar, but still, old emotions are hard to remove.

"Do you think it would have been better if I wasn't announced? Perhaps if I just secretly disappeared from royal life and the Avatar came about from nowhere?" Lirin's head pulsed with theories about how he could have avoided this life.

"Prince Lirin. Your face has been on television screens across the world within days of your birth. People watched the news just to see and hear about you. And everyone knew how much you liked women. There was never going to be a world where you could just disappear."

The elder sighed before continuing, "I know you didn't want this life. Many didn't. But as you said at Ursa's funeral, it is the strength and resolve you show that decide who you are. Do not let being the Avatar serve as your fate, but rather the foundation."

Mira went to her room in the imperial palace. It was nothing extravagant, but it was home to her. She had lived here all her life, first as the daughter of a servant and as one herself. She could have left to pursue a greater education or marriage, but she didn't. Mira was in love with Lirin, and that played a strong part in it. But some of it was fear of leaving. This simple room was the root of her entire world. Without it, she didn't know who she was and what she could do. She was too scared to tell her mother or Ursa that when they pressed her.

Ursa sat beside her bed and opened the letter she received from Ursa. These were the last words Ursa left her. That rested heavily on her heart. She opened the letter gently, careful not to rip it or the paper inside.

Mira,

Since these are my final words to you, I want you to know that you are my sister and always will be. Your mother took care of me since I was born even when she was with child for you. I love you as much as my family and nothing will change that.

As you can imagine, royals like Lirin and myself have different problems from most people. Lirin was afraid of expectations and lashed out by chasing women. I was piled with the hopes of a nation at birth. Neither of us could choose our life. But I can say from the bottom of my heart with truth that we are both richer for having you in our life.

I know Lirin is immature and frankly doesn't deserve you, but I also know you love him. Which is why I never actually arranged a marriage for you like Ita asked me to. I am certain that confession in my letter to her will not be accepted so well.

I know you are scared. Lirin was the Prince, then he was the Avatar, and now he is the Crown-Prince, heir to the Fire Lord. The fact is that you will not be his wife, and for that I am sorry. Perhaps if I had survived it wouldn't have mattered, but my father will arrange a bride for Lirin that will best serve the Fire Nation.

I won't bother telling you to give up because I know you won't. Instead, I am just going to warn you that it will hurt if you take this path. Avatars and Fire Lords in the past have had lovers and mistresses, but you will be judged, not Lirin. If you can accept this, then you will be fine.

My other piece of advice is to stand up for yourself. Ever since we were little, you were scared to speak up too loudly, or confront anyone. You need to be stronger. Not only for yourself, but for Lirin. He will be in a very dark place right now and won't know what to do. I know that he will let you in like no one else in the world.

Now, you may notice a package that came along with the money and letter for you. If you open it up, you will see a few things I prepared for you. The first present took a while to find because it was on movers ten years ago, but I know you wanted it when Lirin said it would look good on you and I finally found it. The other present really is for Lirin but you have to wear it.

If you have a daughter, I expect you to name her after me.

With love,

Ursa

Mira nearly broke into tears but focused herself to open the package that came with the letter. In it was a small box, when she opened the box, her eyes dazzled in shock.

She recalled that many years ago, the three of them saw a mover together and how one of the most beautiful actresses wore a stunning piece of jewelry. It was a gold necklace made of diamond-shaped links and inlet emeralds on each link. At the join, a line of links ran down the chest of wearer going down her cleavage.

Mira wanted it because Lirin commented that the necklace matched her eyes. Of course, she knew that Lirin also wanted her to wear something more revealing, but she was happy to think that something so beautiful would match her. Mira smiled at the effort Ursa put into finding it.

The next item was a thin bag. She opened it to find fabric inside. It was thin, soft, and sheer. Mira quickly realized what it was and turned beat red. Ursa did say she wanted a child named after her. Apparently, she wasn't joking.


The young Avatar laid down on his bed as he read his letter. He could already tell that Ursa had gone the route of plain honesty and lack of formality by its first lines.

Lirin,

If you are reading this, I have passed away earlier than I expected to and for some reason you have outlived me, a true travesty. I don't know what will happen or why but if this letter finds you, then I will assume that you are okay. As you might imagine, it is hard to prepare a letter for your own death, but after writing a few dozen, it gets easier.

This is probably the fifteenth letter I have prepared for you. Most had a repetition about your duties and responsibilities and what to do in my absence. However, I realized that you would learn all of that eventually, either from experience or from father.

So, I am going to give you some advice about the hard things.

Lirin, you are now the Crown-Prince. That means you will become a leader now. As Avatar, we were always going to cross paths professionally, but I will not be there to back you up. You will be alone, and the world will hate you for it. They will blame you for everything that goes wrong. They blamed Tala for treason, they blamed Korra for the Spirits, they blamed Aang for weakness and they blamed Roku for indecision. No matter what you do, there will be people who hate you. So rather than concern yourself with the fools, do what is right and necessary.

You have never been one to express yourself truly. And before you make a quip about your reputation, I mean truly express yourself. The world only knows you as the skirt chasing buffoon. I think you put up this front to avoid letting anyone down.

Lirin, you have never let me down. I have always had my faith in you and will in this life and the next. At your core, you are unbendable. Let the world see it too.

Now, onto some more personal items. I have left you with a gift befitting the heir. This relic is one of dignity, do not disrespect it. Finally, you better treat Mira right! Father may not let you marry the girl, but do not push her away. If you mistreat her, I will come back as a spirit and haunt you across lifetimes!

I also expect you to name a daughter after me.

With love,

Ursa

Lirin chuckled as he finished the letter. He then noticed another line.

P.S. I also got you another present and it should come along soon. Don't say I was a stick in the mud again!

Lirin opened the small box and saw that it was the headdress for the Crown Prince to wear over his topknot. Ursa wore it for formal occasions but just as often didn't because of her role in the military necessitating other formal wear. This object was the physical representation of his new status as the heir of the Fire Lord.

Before he could think long on it, Lirin heard a knock on the door of his quarters and saw Mira entering. Her face was beat red as she came over. Lirin soon saw why as she wore a beautiful necklace and revealing lingerie.

Renewed Peace[]

The Fire Nation approached the day after Ursa's funeral with renewed vigor. They may have pushed the enemy back in the first battle of the war, but they had lost the heir to their nation. No matter what logistical or political victories came from saving the airfields and capturing Prince Qon while obliterating his fleet, to them it was a loss.

As such, the news reports from Republic City sending Air Nomads to both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom to serve as arbitrators was met with hostility. The impression most saw was that the enemy's ally tried to pretend to be a friend after stabbing them in the back.

This view led to real consequences. While the Air Nation delegation was allowed through the Earth Kingdom blockade and Fire Nation airspace, it was hardly a welcome reception. To begin with, their landing was diverted away from the Capital City airport and they were arrested and imprisoned as enemy combatants.

Zorin and Lirin secretly traveled to meet with their new prisoners.

The Air Nomads suffered not only imprisonment, but humiliation. The were dressed as prisoners and chained down and masked to inhibit their bending. Every precaution was taken to treat them as criminals and not diplomatic guests.

As the Fire Nation royals stood before the cell holding the five monks, Lirin chuckled, "Well, well. I thought it would be some time before you hypocrites changed your tune, but you seem to have very little shame after all. You could have at least waited until after we broke the blockade before offering a truce. That way we had grounds to reject you."

The look in their eyes was a mix of hatred and shame. They were angry at the insults Lirin threw at them, but also ashamed that he was completely right in his assessment of their character.

Zorin spoke up, "Tell me why I shouldn't leave you in a hole to rot? If I recall, my son swore vengeance on the Air Nation when this is over. The first step, in my opinion, would be your execution."

One of the monks stood up, "Because we are your only hope for peace between nations."

Zorin laughed loudly. So much so that it unsettled the monks, "Peace is a lie, and you certainly don't believe in peace between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. You just don't want the Air Nation to become the battleground between us. So, answer me. Why should I reconsider my stance and not declare war on the Air Nation?"

"The world grieves with you because Princess Ursa is dead, that is true. However, that will fade. You have captured Crown-Prince Qon. Earth King Luei will not rest while his heir is a prisoner. Furthermore, the allegations the Earth Kingdom made have now become fact, Avatar Lirin will become the Fire Lord. As you can imagine, that is a concern of international importance that everyone should be concerned with."

"A fact that became reality when they murdered the Crown Princess." Lirin threw in a jab and the Air Nomads looked away. He had asked for their help to prevent this conflict and they turned him away in the hopes that he would die. Instead, Lirin would now become more powerful, powerful enough to exact revenge on the Air Nation.

It was the true reason the Air Nation panicked. The Fire Nation had a dark history and long had ambitions of imperial expansion. The Hundred Years War was the most expansive example of this, but not the most recent. Fire Lord Zorin himself began annexing islands across the west through marriages, such as to Ursa's mother, Governor Asune of Kyoshi Island.

The world always held a fear that under the right circumstances, the Fire Nation would carry out its plans for domination again. An Avatar Fire Lord was the nightmare scenario, in which the most powerful human in the world led one of the most powerful nations in the world to conquer all nations.

The Air Nation had allowed their fear to blind them. In the hopes that Lirin would die and reincarnate as an Air Nomad, they had overlooked the possibility that he would succeed and return with the wrath of his people supporting him.

The five monks sent had deluded themselves, perhaps expecting only to meet Zorin and somehow avoid Lirin. They had also been present when they rejected Lirin's plea for help. The boy who asked for help and the man ready to kill them was a stark change in mere weeks and it sent shivers down their spines.

Zorin stayed on the offensive. He looked at the most meek and weak-willed of the monks, "You, we will release you and send you back to the Air Nation with our message. We will entertain the proposal for negotiations with the Earth Kingdom."

The meek one stood up, "Then you will come to Republic City?"

"No," Zorin responded firmly, "I will not trust Luei and his men at the blockade not to murder me and my men while flying to Republic City. Instead, we will say to the public that the talks are at Air Temple Island, but they will actually be held at Kyoshi Island."

"Just as you don't trust Luei and his forces, why would the Earth King trust you not to harm him on your soil?" The Air Nomad inquired earnestly.

"Unlike you and the rat of the Earth Kingdom, I keep my word." Zorin's tone made it clear that he would not accept any other choice on the venue.

The Air Nomad nodded, affirming he would relay the message, "Then we will prepare to depart at once-"

"No," Zorin cut him off, "YOU will prepare to depart. The rest of you are staying as prisoners and as insurance that the Air Nation does not cross us."

The looks of brief hope faded from the monks realizing they were hostages. Zorin left without so much as a goodbye. Lirin smiled deviously, "I hope you are all hungry, we have some Komodo Chicken being prepared for you."

Their fearful looks turned to annoyance at the clear provocation from the young Avatar. Lirin looked to the prison guards, "Make sure the cooks know that every meal they receive is to be meat. If they refuse to eat, they can starve and that will be on them, not us."

"Yes, your majesty." The guard bowed as Lirin left the cells and rejoined his father.


"Father, are you sure it is wise to entertain any negotiations with the enemy?" Lirin asked the Fire Lord about the upcoming peace talks as they traveled back to Capital City. "I don't mean to sound callous, but our people are not interested in peace and we have the momentum."

"I know, but as leader you have to think about more than just one battle or mood in the populace." Zorin looked out the window as he contemplated the ramifications of the war. "We defeated one of the three fleets sent by the Earth Kingdom, however we are still blockaded and one of those fleets is heading to our capital, basically a knife to our throat."

"These talks, in the best case, can end that threat. But even if that fails, we buy ourselves time to harden our defenses and prepare for their invasion. Not to mention, I suspect that negotiations will fall apart rather violently."

Lirin's eyes narrowed at the dangerous words of his father, "What do you mean?"

"Luei is an impulsive man. Manipulative and cunning, yes, but impulsive. Think about it, he didn't wait a week to take you hostage once you arrived in Ba Sing Se. He could have earned your trust, delved further into your motives and even manipulated you for his benefit but when to taking you prisoner first. We have his son prisoner, and he knows we won't trade him for anything. Luei may just be dumb enough to try something at the negotiations. That is why I wanted them on our soil."

"Why would you want another attack on our land?" Lirin was calm, but inside he felt sick at the implications of his father's words.

"To cement how our people feel so their resolve doesn't die out midway through the war. If we accepted the option to speak with them for peace and they betray that to attack us again, the people will never trust the Earth Kingdom or the Air Nation. They will demand we win this war by all means necessary and we will have the support to carry out our goal to have vengeance."

Zorin had a dark look on his face, "I will make them suffer for killing my daughter, even if I have to wipe Republic City and Ba Sing Se off the face of the earth."

Lirin sighed tiredly, "As long as we are on the same page."

Assault on Two Fronts[]

A collective sigh of relief spread throughout the world when news broke that both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation agreed to peace talks in Republic City. After the death of Princess Ursa and the capture of Prince Qon, the view of many was that this new war could easily escalate to the level of the Hundred Years War.

But many hoped that peace talks would find a way to navigate away from this potential disaster. News from around the world presented this hopeful message, however, two distinctive groups disagreed with this assessment.

The people of the Fire Nation did not want peace. Their Crown-Princess was murdered by the enemy and they wanted blood. The other was a rising group of political outsiders from across the world that called this the exact fear the Red Lotus predicted.

While many in the international community considered the Red Lotus as destroyed, their philosophy had embedded itself into many terrorist and criminal organizations. The Spirits mercenary company was mainly composed of Equalist and Red Lotus sympathizers who fled Republic City in the wake of their respective defeats. After the Fifth Nation War, the Spirits became less of a mercenary company and more like a terrorist network.

Earth King Kiir cracked down on them and other Red Lotus-aligned groups, but the ideology still flourished. Now they were speaking out against the new status quo, an Avatar who will soon become a world leader in the most literal meaning.

These groups saw an uptick in activity and growth as the war broke out. Rallies were held in the Northern Water Tribe, Republic City and Omashu. The rally held in Ba Sing Se was so massive that the riots that followed went on for two days.

Despite the danger of these disruptive groups, many leaders dismissed the danger they posed to national order and cultural norms. They would rather focus on their personal agendas and hold onto power than accept the shaky foundation they were standing on.


Cameras and news crews across the city eagerly filmed across Republic City towards Air Temple Island, trying to get a glimpse of the royals heading there. The island itself was closed off from the media and the negotiation teams of both parties stayed at military bases and traveled in secret. Determining when they would get to the island and how long they would stay discussing terms was about the only speculation the news could talk about.

However, it was all a sham. The news had no idea they were helping to cover a fake lead while the real negotiators were heading to Kyoshi Island. Clan Jinora's headmaster, Ko, led as the arbitrator from the Air Nation while Fire Lord Zorin and Avatar Lirin came from the Fire Nation and Earth King Luei came from the Earth Kingdom. Each party brought a sizeable military force to ensure their own safety, even the Air Nomads brought along a warship escort with several hundred men.

The real negotiations were far more tense and less hopeful than what people saw on the news. Lirin mocked Master Jinora's most recent proposal, "You think surrendering our islands will resolve the situation between us? You could at least pretend to be an impartial negotiator."

Luei responded snidely, "It wouldn't hurt. It was Zorin who began annexing Earth Kingdom islands as part of his expansion over the west."

"Tell me Luei, are you angry that the people of Kyoshi Island would rather be Fire Nation citizens, or that Asune married me and not you?"

Luei had a dark look on his face. There was no romance between Luei and Kyoshi Governor Asune, however the Earth Kingdom had proposed a marriage as a way to tie themselves to Asune's grandmother, Avatar Tala. Instead, Asune ignored the proposal and sent an invitation to her wedding to Fire Lord Zorin as well as the announcement of a referendum on annexation of Kyoshi Island and the surrounding Isles to the Fire Nation. With Asune's support, the measures passed by a landslide.

Luei may not have been in love with Asune, but her rejection was personal to him, an insult on his prospects as a leader.

Ko Jinora tried again to intervene, "Your majesties, perhaps this will be more productive if we didn't resort to insults?" Ko Jinora was chairman of the council in the Air Nation. He had been involved in many negotiations for trade and treaties, but rarely was he so blatantly ignored by all parties like this.

Ko decided to approach it a little more tactfully, "Let us get away from issues of territory and get to the driving force of this conflict, the fact that Avatar Lirin is a Prince of the Fire Nation."

Both parties decided to hear out the airbending master to see what he had to say. "Unfortunately, with Princess Ursa's death, Avatar Lirin is the next in line to be Fire Lord. This is your point of contention, Earth King Luei, yes?"

The monarch nodded in affirmation. Ko turned to Zorin, "And you will not return Prince Qon to his nation until they recognize the legitimacy of your bloodline which passes through Lirin, correct?"

Zorin nodded. By refusing to accept the Avatar's right to the throne, they denied the royal family's right to rule as Lirin was now next in line.

"Fire Lord Zorin, you have no other children, legitimate or bastard?"

"None," Zorin didn't hesitate to answer. Although he had married after Lirin's mother died, his third wife was barren. Ursa and Lirin were his only children.

"And Avatar Lirin, you have no children, correct?"

"No," Lirin answered honestly but was curious where he was going.

Ko turned to Luei, "Your majesty, if the worst had passed and Qon had died in battle like Ursa, would your bloodline still be secure in ruling?"

"Yes, I have three grandsons."

"Then, can I ponder this? Zorin is not an old man. He still has many years ahead of him to rule as Fire Lord. In all likelihood, Avatar Lirin is to marry and have children at some point in the future. Why not then, declare this child as heir and abstain once a child is born to Avatar Lirin?"

The royals waited for Ko to finish before responding, "In this way, the Fire Lord's bloodline will not break and Avatar Lirin won't become the Fire Lord himself, but instead his child. Surely this is more preferable than a blood feud between two royal families?"

Zorin crossed his arms, "The only way for this to be considered is if my son had at least two children who became of age before I considered transferring the right of succession."

Lirin was a little miffed that the topic was about him siring children but decided to bear with it. As much as he wanted revenge, if peace was brought about by having kids, he could hardly complain. Ursa's final will pretty much told him to have a daughter at least. Ko seemed relieved that at least one party was considering his proposals.

Luei took a moment longer to answer, "I would have to think about this at length for a proper answer, but on its face, I am not opposed to this consideration." Ko Jinora sighed in relief, perhaps too soon, "However, I could only accept this condition is my heir was returned to the safety of the Earth Kingdom."

"I'm afraid that is not an option. Prince Qon led the attack that directly resulted in the death of a Fire Nation Princess. Furthermore, his release would remove all restraint from the Earth Kingdom attacking in an underhanded fashion again. Qon would have to remain a prisoner until suitable heirs are of age to succeed me in lieu of Lirin. This is not unreasonable as Luei confirmed that he has three grandsons who could inherit even if something happened to Qon in battle."

"Qon's imprisonment and my abdication would serve as a reasonable compromise, would it not, Master Jinora?" Lirin pressed the airbender before he could craft a way to side with the Earth Kingdom.

"I guess it would be reasonable since Qon is legally responsible for Ursa's death. Both bloodlines would remain secure and the need to go to war should lessen."

Luei had a look that clearly showed that he did not favor the outcome of the recent conversation. Before he could completely derail it, Lirin intervened, "Perhaps the Earth King would like some time to think it over? We can both send lawyers to speak with Master Jinora to draw up provisions on any potential treaty with this kind of language and see what would be acceptable."


As Zorin and Lirin walked through the garden of the Governor's estate, the father asked his son, "Lirin, why did you have the talks ended so abruptly?"

"I knew that Luei would never accept those terms, but it will be useful to buy time. Furthermore, I suggested lawyers to keep Jinora occupied so that he doesn't sneak off to conspire with Luei behind our backs. If he wants to pretend to be a negotiator, we should make him work for it."

"Hmm. Still, I find this prospective deal too good to be true. Our people might actually be satisfied with such a treaty. As much as you have the support of our people now, bypassing you for a grandchild will receive support back home and abroad."

"I know it will. And if it was accepted, then that wouldn't be bad. However, I know Luei will never accept it. He wanted me to be a prisoner so that he could first retake the islands and eventually invade further into the Fire Nation. My presence, Fire Lord or not, is a threat to that agenda."

Lirin continued, "He will sabotage this proposal. When we bear out the truth to our people, they will be outraged. How could the Earth Kingdom reject a deal that specifically addressed the reason they marched to war? Like you said, we need the people motivated to see this through, this failed deal will help us toward that goal."

Zorin hummed approvingly, "Very well. There are some concerns I still have, but you are correct that Luei will not accept a plan that leaves Qon in chains. We have to remain firm on that condition. If we do, Luei will be the one who breaks the peace talks and so will be at fault for reigniting the war after this."

After discussing their next plans in the peace talks, Lirin and Zorin accepted the offer of the governor of Kyoshi Island to have tea with her. As both sat across from her, she was slightly nervous.

Technically, Lirin and Governor Hana were distant cousins. Asune, the previous governor was Tala's granddaughter through her mother's side. Hana was related by Asune's father, a wealthy resident of Kyoshi. Her family had long been established on the island, first as fishermen, then as merchants and finally as bankers. Their influence in the area remained strong over maritime trade and fishing of the sea, including periodic hunts of the unagi, a rare delicacy.

Hana's position as governor was steady and she was a capable leader in her own right. However, she felt small compared to the giants that had come to her island. The idea that her humble governor's palace was the nexus of a meeting between Chairman Ko Jinora, Earth King Luei, Fire Lord Zorin and Avatar Lirin was beyond her wildest expectations.

"So, Hana, how has the island managed?"

"Umm..."

"Prince Lirin show some manners. She is Governor Hana."

"Not at all! Fire Lord Zorin, I was just surprised," Hana had met Lirin on several occasions before he was announced as the Avatar. Although she had already become governor and was his senior by at least ten years, she felt childish around her distant relative. The Lirin she knew had a knack for getting in trouble with the guards and wooing all the prettiest girls on the island. She recalled Ursa complaining about it, and how his lover in the palace should leave him over it. It brought back memories that the father and son before her bickered as the brother and sister did.

Hana was surprised at the more contemplative Lirin, "The people of Kyoshi are well. Grand Admiral Ayu and his fleet's nearby presence has served as a deterrent from a marine incursion and we are still able to carry out some fishing and trade on the western side of the island."

Zorin answered approvingly, "That is good. I have fond memories of this island, ever since I was a child."

"Ah, that's right, father. Kyoshi Island was one of Avatar Tala's residences, wasn't it?"

Hana answered, "Yes, we have been honored to call our humble island the home of the past two Earth Kingdom Avatars, Kyoshi and Tala." Hana repeated the information on instinct. As a site of tourism, the home of an Avatar was a popular locale, and Tala's home was no different. "Avatar Tala had two residences, the Whispering Canyon Estate donated by Fire Lord Rishu in the Fire Nation, and here on Kyoshi Island. She had her personal home built in the mountains where she raised her children after they were born."

Hana's nervous state relaxed as she recited knowledge that she was more familiar with. Zorin smiled, he knew Hana well enough to understand she had finally calmed down. "Hana, may I ask a personal question?"

"Of course, your majesty."

"What do you think of the annexation of Kyoshi Island to the Fire Nation?"

"..." Hana took a moment to think before answering, "I was young when it happened, so it is not like I have really known anything different. But I know that trade has been increasingly stronger with the Fire Nation than with the Earth Kingdom for decades and that the Kyoshi Warriors more often than not serve as royal bodyguards. If only they were here now."

Hana was plagued with hindsight at the moment. The Kyoshi Warriors were asked by the Southern Water Tribe to serve as guards in the wake of a less than peaceful transition of power between the outgoing and incoming chiefs. As a result, they were not able to return home when the Earth Kingdom blockaded the Fire Nation.

"There is nothing to feel remorseful over. The Kyoshi Warriors are trusted because they are so good and our friends in the Southern Water Tribe needed our help. You could not have predicted the need to recall them in time for them to be here." Zorin gave Hana a reassuring smile, indicating he trusted her governorship of the island.

"But still, I should have followed our policy of keeping half of them here at all times."

"You made a judgement call. With the information you had, you and the leader of the warriors determined you needed as much manpower as you could muster and organized the entire group. While it was bad for this war, it helped us in the Southern Water Tribe. We have improved trade and relations. I only wished they would have repaid the favor with aiding us in the conflict."

Hana had a morose smile at that. Lirin tried to cheer her up. "On the other hand, it is possible that the Kyoshi Warriors could change the chief's mind. After all, they have saved his life from how many attempts, three, four? He may be open to hearing from his protectors who ask for his help too."

The parties returned to debate the next day after Master Jinora spent the day with lawyers from both nations. They had worked on a significant amount of language about how Avatar Lirin would abdicate his right to inheritance to his children, bypassing himself as Fire Lord.

Most of the language was agreed to as is, with some minor alterations about age of children and number of children to serve as heirs. The sticking point became the imprisonment of Prince Qon in the Fire Nation.

Ko Jinora had a worried look on his haggard face. Because of the barrage of lawyers at his assigned office, he was unable to speak with Luei privately to devise a way around this issue. Worse yet, Jinora had agreed before that Qon was legally at fault for Ursa's death and should be imprisoned for this crime. Qon would at this rate be imprisoned for at least 16 years, plus how long it would take for Lirin to find a partner and have a child.

To overlook this, the Earth Kingdom would have to give the Fire Nation reparations on par with the assassination of a royal. Earth King Luei refused to give anything, material or political to those who held his son hostage.

It wouldn't matter as an attendant of Master Jinora came into the room, followed by Governor Hana, "My lords, this news just came from Republic City."

She pressed a remote and turned on a television screen that was off to the side and turned the channel to Republic City News. The image was Air Temple Island on fire.

Jinora was in shock as he dumbly asked what happened. His attendant answered, "Apparently, opponents of the negotiations claimed credit for planting bombs on the island for treating with a dictator, in which they refer to Avatar Lirin as an enemy of mankind."

Governor Hana spoke up, "They also called the Air Nation liars for not actually holding the talks on Air Temple Island."

Earth King Luei spoke up, "Wait a minute, how did they know we are not on Air Temple Island."

Zorin answered, "My guess? There is a leak in the Air Nation."

Lirin followed up with more questions, "Who are these people? And why would they attack if they knew we weren't there?"

"They call themselves the Faceless. They seem to be a derivative of the Red Lotus ideology, but we don't have much on them."

"Then why would they tip their hand and reveal that they have inside knowledge?"

Lirin's last question was never answered as a loud bang and a shockwave hit the room.

A New Enemy[]

Smoke covered the broken room as a flood of royal guards came to protect their respective leaders. A variety of soldiers came to protect Master Jinora, Royal Guards came to protect Earth King Luei, and Imperial Firebenders came to guard Fire Lord Zorin, Prince Lirin and Governor Hana.

What looked like a small negotiation group swelled as their military protection came to their aid in just the nick of time. A man in a mask rushed forward in a vest holding something. One of the Royal Guards punched forward, using metalbending to throw the man back, a wise choice, as a moment later he exploded. As the smoke from the first explosion was cleared by Lirin's airbending, they noticed several severe situations.

To begin with, the Air Nation delegation had already bolted, running off with Master Jinora. Worse, they seemed to run right past the attackers. And there was the danger, a group of men mask like the first bomber also were charging forward. Some wore large vest while others carried explosives in their hands.

Luei and his guards were just as perplexed as Zorin and his retinue. For the attack to have succeeded would have required an inside man. And only one delegation was allowed to escape the attack's aftermath.

Luei cursed under his breath, "That traitorous worm! I'll skin him alive."

Zorin chuckled but was unamused, "It seems like the Air Nation tried to take us both out as a way to keep us from marching on them. I think it's safe to say these peace talks are done. Whoever wins this war will get the honor of eradicating the Air Nation."

Luei didn't speak, but the look on his face showed agreement. He would never have agreed to the terms that had been presented so far. And by estimation of both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, the Air Nation conspired with these ‘Faceless' to assassinate all their royals in one strike.

Whether they wanted to or not. The two royal delegations worked together to fight their way out as a mob of suicide bombers rushed forward. Blasts of fire and lightning paired with boulders and metal daggers flew as the attackers. Lirin used airbending to create massive shockwaves to push the mob back. A few still managed to get through this bombardment.

Lirin's hand twisted and the woman screamed in agony as her body twisted and snapped on itself. A sickening crunch marked her end, but Lirin then gestured for her body to fly away, crashing into her compatriots. It seemed she either had a timer or dead man's switch because the corpse exploded when it crashed into the others. It caused a chain reaction, and the royal delegations used that to press forward.

The elements of earth and fire made barriers and death traps to keep the assailants at bay as they left the Governor's burning mansion and made their way to the docks. The docks had been split between three ports for each participating nation. The Air Nation's fleet had already sailed off.

As the guards and their charges continued, they soon reach point where working together would mean heading to one ship or another.

"I guess we part ways here," Luei spoke sharply, "This was isn't over. Once we are done, I will deal with these Air rats myself!"

Zorin laughed, "Not if we get to them first!"

The two delegations broke off from each other as they head to their respective ships.

Lirin followed his father and the Governor of Kyoshi Island as they headed towards their ship to evacuate. The mob of masked attackers pursued both delegations and still seemed to have the numbers to keep attacking.

As the Royal Procession reached the port, they finally had some manpower to protect each other. Lirin breathed a sigh of relief as naval officers approached informing them the ship was almost ready to depart.

Hana spoke up, "I can't leave, I am the Governor of Kyoshi Island. It would be cowardice on my part to retreat!"

Lirin grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, "Hana! The Kyoshi Warriors aren't here, and your mansion was the first target of the attack, where will you go?"

Hana was briefly in shock, but this was soon dwarfed by more pressing matters.

As the mob of attackers continued to siege the ports, one of the masked men stepped forward. He was better dressed and taller than the rest. He looked to some of the others and asked, "What is the status?"

"Sir, the Earth Kingdom delegation escaped before we could sabotage the ship. The timing between Republic City and here was off. We didn't have enough time to deal with their means of escape and it's the same for the Fire Nation. Most of the civilians have already evacuated to a safe location on the other side of the island and the Fire Nation Forces are all centered at this port."

Another masked comrade spoke, "Koram, if we don't break through their defense now, they are going to escape!"

The taller man sighed. He thought to himself, humans are so pathetic. He may technically be human himself, but he had long grown past their petty ways.

"I will cut off their escape, you break those lines and kill as many as you can."

"Yes, sir!"

Lirin had finished yelling at Hana when he saw the flash of light. He looked behind to see their ship split in half as lighting struck the ship from a horizontal angle. The streak of energy was massive.

Lirin traced the attack as thunder cracked above. It was from the mob of masked terrorists. Was there someone capable of generating such powerful lightning that no one knew about. Before he could weigh the implications, another strike of lightning pounded the port, igniting a warehouse full of munitions.

The terrorists were emboldened by their comrade's successful attack and rushed forward with greater fury. The bombers got closer and managed to overwhelm some position, using explosives to create breaches.

As the mob rushed into the openings, Lirin focused on something else. He turned to his father, "I need to take out that firebender! It doesn't matter if we hold off these madmen if he picks us off from a distance!"

Lirin knelt briefly and then leaped forward, using airbending to propel himself high into the sky. He had left before he could hear Zorin object. With only Zorin and Hana to protect, the Imperial Firebenders refocused and joined the defense to push back the tide of bombers.

Zorin looked at Hana, "Well, I guess you are getting your wish. We aren't leaving, we have to rid the island of these monsters if we can't escape!"

The Storm[]

Lirin easily brushed past the unsuspecting mob as he made his way to the origin point of the attack on their ship. As he landed nearby, he saw a group of ten masked individuals stand out from the rest. They were relaying orders by radio and phone and were signaling what sides to attack at the port.

However, one person stood out from the group. Lirin noticed the man was even taller than he was, maybe taller than Qon. He was lean and wore fine grey and red fabrics.

The ornate patterns on the mask seem to shimmer as the man faced the Avatar, "Should we skip the mundane threats and get to killing each other?"

Lirin didn't hesitate to throw a powerful bolt of lightning at his enemy. It was both deadly and fast, similar to his ancestor, Ozai's method of lightning generation.

Lirin expected one of a few things. For the man to dodge, die or redirect it. Dying would be the easiest and most welcome result for Lirin, but he expected the man to exert himself to survive. At which point, Lirin would strike while he was vulnerable.

However, the man did not flee, nor did he change his stance in order to handle the lightning passing through his chi. Instead, the man simply waved his hand as if batting the lightning away. The streak of deadly light forked away striking the ground harmlessly.

"You'll have to do better than that, Avatar." The man stomped heavily, and the earth shook violently. At first, it felt like a mild earthquake, but then chaos broke out around the masked man. The earth opened up violently, crushing the man's comrades as they were shocked by the quake themselves.

Lirin leapt up in the earth to avoid being crushed, but his mind was in shock. There were too many things for him to comprehend. That the man who had generated powerful lightning so easily was willing to kill his fellow terrorists without blinking. But worst, that he was now earthbending.

"Impossible, how can you firebend and earthbend?"

"Who said I was bending the elements little child?" The man waved his hand nonchalantly and gusts of wind bombarded the airborne Avatar, thrusting him back to the ground. Lirin was in a daze as the man kept walking forward calmly in the havoc of the storm he created.

"Avatar Lirin, I am Koram. I am the First and Last Stormbender and I have waited millennia to kill you again. Don't disappoint me."

All Lirin could do was evade the massive attacks that Koram threw at him. Whether it was an earthquake striking the ground, a powerful gale of wind or lightning striking out of nowhere, Lirin was powerless against this man.

"Is this all you can do?" Koram yelled with both laughter and anger in his voice. "I seem to recall your past lives killing all my brethren, how can you be so frail that you can't face me one-on-one?"

Lirin dodged the crashing earth and fired a blast of condensed flame at Koram. He calmly sidestepped the attack and countered.

"I remember the first time we fought, Avatar. You invaded my keep, alone and fought me and my eleven comrades to the death. History stated that you died killing the last stormbenders that day, but I have enjoyed coming back from time to time to kill you."

Lirin used earthbending to create a shield as a storm of fire ran through the trees nearby and rushed for him. Koram's voiced ringed clear through it all, "Even though I managed to kill you several times, you always reincarnated. It was something that perplexed me, I didn't understand how it worked, what made you a different kind of immortal from me."

Koram genuinely laughed, "But then, this Avatar Aang fellow goes out there and tells the world the secret of his power and its vulnerability. That if an Avatar dies in the Avatar State, then they die for good. Imagine my surprise that I spent millennia trying to figure out what I was doing wrong only for the Avatar himself to tell me."

Lirin responded, "If it was so easy for you to kill us, then why didn't you try when Aang and Korra were vulnerable?"

"Where is the fun in that?" The man lifted his hand up removed the ornate mask he wore, "Do you think that I, the last of my kind, would be so petty that I would kill a child when it has no sport?"

As Koram dropped the mask, he gestured his hand to attack, when a loud screech overhead distracted him. The tall man looked up to see a large red menace in the sky dive for him. It opened its maw and a torrent of flames rushed out.

Koram's calm demeanor briefly broke as he sprinted with serious exertion to evade the dragon's attack. Even though he succeeded, he saw the dragon loop in on itself and breath more fire on his position. Koram was confident he could evade the dragon's attacks but saw that its master had take advantage to strike.

Koram's body halted, he tried to lift his arms, but they felt incredibly heavy. He saw the young Avatar focusing and straining as his hands reached out in from of him, like they were holding Koram, even though they were far away from each other.

Koram thought to himself, this must be that bloodbending ability I have heard about. Koram calmly analyzed the situation. He could defeat the dragon; he could break the Avatar and his grip. But the danger of facing this ability he never encountered while being pressed by the constant barrages of a dragon? That was too great a risk.

Koram strained against the hold on his blood and stomped his foot, willing another attack as another quake unleashed on the area. It was so disruptive that the red dragon broke off its attack to head for its master, picking him up and flying away.

Koram took this opportunity to escape. He was not worried. He would have more chances to face the Avatar.

Lirin rested as he sat on the large neck of his red dragon, "Thanks, Faran. I was toast back there."

The dragon hummed contently. Faran was a prideful dragon. When Lirin decided not to take him along to Ba Sing Se, Faran ignored him in protest.

Lirin thought back to his decision, both happy and regretful. Had Faran come along, he might have been killed by the Earth Kingdom in an ambush. However, Lirin also held the view in the back of his mind that if he had Faran, he could have saved the people in the ambassadorial palace.

Regardless of his hindsight, he knew that in this moment, he was beaten. Faran was the only reason he survived. Faran continued flying as Lirin looked over the landscape of the battle. The simple rolling hills that he had leapt to with airbending were unrecognizable now. It was an ugly assortment of spires and overturned stone.

Lirin looked back to the port. There were fires and smoke everywhere, but it appeared that the Fire Nation troops had killed off the attackers. Lirin guided Faran over to the port, he needed to make sure his father and distant cousin, Hana were safe.

In the aftermath of this attack, Zorin's men reported casualty numbers. Zorin had fifty Imperial Firebenders, of which five died, and another two hundred soldiers at the port of which seventy died. He had lost three tenth of his men. On the other hand, nearly five hundred of these Faceless had died in their assault on Kyoshi Island. Despite their success at a surprise attack, they were specifically focused on attacking the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom delegations.

Zorin wanted to grill Hana on how five hundred terrorists could sneak on her island but stopped himself when he realized how. It was the same people who managed to get out of the first bombing without harm, the same ones who the attackers let pass, and the same ones who managed to get their ship out of port without being attacked.

The Air Nation was conspiring with the Faceless, using them as a weapon to attack both kingdoms. The fact that they were willing to let the Faceless bomb Air Temple Island as a feint showed the lengths, they would go to in order to kill Lirin.

As if on cue, Zorin heard the screech of Lirin's dragon as it descended towards the port. The Fire Lord noticed that his son atop the dragon was haggard, exhausted from battle. Zorin expected that after the destruction he caused on the hillside.

"How about next time, you don't tear apart the landscape of the homeland just to fight?" Zorin chided his son.

His son breathed deeply, "That wasn't me, that was them."

Zorin paused, "Were there earthbenders working with that firebender?"

"No, just the one guy."

Zorin was about to continue asking questions when his son shook his head, "Not here."

Return to War[]

Once again, the media was occupied by new bits of information. A bombing of Air Temple Island and the revelation that the negotiations weren't there, followed by the real talk site being attacked on Kyoshi Island meant that the news was out of the loop and grasping for answers. When Master Ko Jinora returned, he immediately hid away from the press.

The identity of the attackers became the primary question of the world. The media, the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom wanted to know who was responsible. Only the Air Nation deflected questions about their investigations into the attack.

The question would soon be answered when Republic City News' broadcast was hijacked. A chilling aura was felt by the world as a group of masked men and women stood before the camera and declared their responsibility for bombing both islands.

Their goals seemed to align with Red Lotus ideology as well as a general apprehension for the Avatar specifically, calling him a false god and a traitor to the spirits. Two men stood out to Lirin as he watched. One of them was Koram, while he was wearing a mask again, his height betrayed him. The other was the man speaking. Like the others he wore a mask, however, unlike the others, there were no opening for him to see through the mask like eyeholes. The mask appeared to be solid and the gold line patterns over the mask went over the spots his eyes should be.

Whether this was theatrical or not, it unsettled Lirin. He listened to the cold voice as he spoke. His monologue continued about the evils of the monarchies and how it was necessary to tear down the old to make room for the new.

Finally, the leader of this group adjusted his stance as he turned to the camera again, "I assure you Avatar Lirin, this will end between us."

The press spent a day analyzing the hijacked broadcast before more news appeared. In dueling press conferences, both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom accused the Air Nation of conspiring with these Faceless. They noted how there was a leak in the real negotiation site and how so many terrorists snuck onto Kyoshi Island, and how it was because they were on the Air Nation delegation's transport. Both promised retribution against the Air Nation.

Ko Jinora was at his wit's end. The council called him forward to explain his actions. He tried his best to explain the progress of the talks, but they were not interested in the negotiations, rather they wanted to know about the allegations both nations leveled against the Air Nomads.

More to the point, they wanted to know if Ko really was in league with the Faceless. While the members of the council survived the bombing, some of their family members did not. Master Ikki's husband died and so did the daughter of Master Rohan. Both women were in no mood to hear excuses and Ko became flabbergasted at how quickly his comrades turned on him. Master Ikki took over and recounted the reports that both nations sent as evidence of their conspiracy, including a timeline of the attack. Both sides noted how quickly the Air Nomad and his contingent escaped and their escaped was allowed to pass through while both the Earth King and Fire Lord had to fight their way through a wave of suicide bombers.

Earth King Luei threatened to end hostilities with the Fire Nation to siege the Air Nation first. Fire Lord Zorin, as the defender in this war did not threaten immediate retribution, but he did ensure that the Council was aware of the consequences of crossing his nation twice.

Ko Jinora stumbled over himself to explain, but no one believed him. The Council was made of four Airbenders, one from each clan and a member of the nation elected to the council like the United Republic President once was. A rotation of responsibility on who was head of the council meant that Ko Jinora was head. However, the Council could and in this case had already voted unanimously to strip him of leadership. With Master Ikki as the head, he was more like a defendant on trial rather than a leader.

"It was a coincidence! I had nothing to do with those terrorists."

"I find it hard to believe that when you and your ship were the only way so many attackers could have snuck onto a blockaded Fire Nation island. Especially when you were the only party in that attack who escaped with no harm."

"We were in the room when it was hit the first time with everyone else and got lucky that no one was hurt."

"And yet, your guards reacted faster than any others to protect you and escort you out. Fire Lord Zorin also released footage of the attack showing the attackers allowed your entourage to leave without hindrance. It also shows that no attacks were carried out on your ship or the port you were docked at, unlike the ports that held the Earth King and Fire Lord's transports."

"Someone framed me. I had no part in this!"

"Your guards confirmed that your attendant warned them to be ready for an evacuation if need be on that day."

Ko had a shocked look, "What did my attendant say?"

"He conveniently killed himself before he could be questioned."

"Then he must have been the one to have orchestrated this. He had the means to do it and hide it from me." Ko grasped at straws to explain. A week ago, he would never have believed his friend who served him well would betray him. But now, he would have led a lynching on the man to protect himself.

"Oh please, you wanted the Avatar dead just as much as anyone. You were the first of us to suggest that we reject his request for intermediaries. You were the first to recommend that we keep quiet when we saw the troop buildup. You were the one who approved of Earth Kingdom Navies to pass through our waters to avoid detection by the Fire Nation Navy."

A dark look to Ko Jinora's face, "I wasn't alone in those decisions. You were in consensus with me that the Avatar was too dangerous in his current position."

"We all supported those actions," a deep and strong voice took control of the room. A middle-aged man with greying hair and tan skin spoke up. "No one here objected to the decisions to allow the Earth Kingdom to attack the Fire Nation and use us to do it."

All the Air Nomads looked uncomfortable as the man spoke, "The fact of the matter is, we are now facing the consequences. Whether Master Jinora was party to the Faceless' plans or not, we opened ourselves up to that possibility when the Air Nation decided to betray the Avatar. Because of that, the Earth King knew we were duplicitous and so could believe we tried to kill him too."

"Rather than assigning blame to Ko here, it would be better if we prepared ourselves for the inevitable. The Air Nation is going to war. The Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, we don't know which or maybe both. Either way, no one will sympathize with us."

The Council was forlorn at the prospect. Fear had driven them to act so dangerously. Fear had guided them to try and turn the situation around when Princess Ursa died. Now, fear had driven them into a corner.

In Ba Sing Se, the Earth King was furious. He assumed the Air Nation was on his side and would quietly aid him. But they stabbed him in the back when he was vulnerable and nearly assassinated him.

He was so angry that he nearly ordered the Ba Sing Se Regulars to march on Republic City. His reasoning stopped him. He had already started a war with another nation and had blockaded them. If he attacked the Air Nation too, he would be stretched too thin. Not to mention, his son was still held prisoner in the Fire Nation.

He had to prioritize the Fire Nation and the Avatar first. He would deal with the Air Nation afterwards. He called to the general nearby. "We need to make preparations to accelerate our plans. A blockade and long term siege is no longer viable if the Air Nation is going to sabotage us from behind. We have to assume we can no longer rely on them."

"Yes, your majesty. Then should we continue with the Second Fleet's original orders?"

Luei nodded, "Send the Second Fleet to attack Capitol City. Their orders are to take the city, free Crown Prince Qon, capture Fire Lord Zorin and kill Avatar Lirin."

"By your will, your highness."

The people of the Fire Nation were further enraged. After accepting peace talks that they were suspicious of, that the Air Nation would try to assassinate the Fire Lord and Avatar was beyond the pale.

As Zorin predicted, he knew the people would be so enraged by the situation that they wanted to take Ba Sing Se itself this time. The people of the Fire Nation were like a dragon stabbed by a knife in slumber. The sharp pain only served to increase the wrath of the beast.

Royal Expectations[]

The young Avatar stood in the Royal Gallery and looked up at the history of his family painted on these tapestries. There were monsters and heroes illustrated here. From the conqueror Sozin and maniacal Ozai to the brave Zuko and cunning Rishu. The men and women who adorned this gallery were examples of what it was to be a leader, both good and bad. And yet, even under the worst of them, the Fire Nation lived on and survived.

Lirin then looked at the latest addition, that of his father, Fire Lord Zorin. Zorin looked like his ancestor Sozin, but where the past tapestry signified war with soldiers and the comet, Zorin's portrait stood atop an island and had lush greenery in the back, bathed in the sunlight. Zorin did expand the borders of the Fire Nation, but not by invading the mainland, instead he annexed islands that had over time became more aligned with their culture through trade and technology.

Kyoshi Island was the most notable of the annexations and it was through the marriage of the Governor Asune, granddaughter of Avatar Tala. Looking back, it should have been obvious that this incident was the spark that turned Luei against the Fire Nation. Lirin's designation as the Avatar was just the last bit of tinder to the flames.

Lirin wondered what kind of portrait he would leave behind. The typical stance and hands with a flame or two was to be expected, but what would his legacy in the art around the portrait be? At present, all he could think of was a parade of women and failed statesmanship.

Zorin, Rishu, Ma-Tin, Iroh, Izumi, Zuko, Ozai, Azulon, Sozin and so many more adorned this gallery. Lirin did not belong here. Ursa should be the one who would have her portrait join this gallery. He imagined what she would have, her blue dragon, Kaliya flying overhead. Perhaps a procession of Dragon Corp. troops. The rest would come with time as her reign continued.

Lirin sighed. Ursa would not have a portrait up here, no matter how much she deserved it. Instead, the lazy playboy of an Avatar would have to stand up and prove himself against a lineage of kings. Lirin recalled Ursa's letter to him.

"You have never been one to express yourself truly. And before you make a quip about your reputation, I mean truly express yourself. The world only knows you as the skirt chasing buffoon. I think you put up this front to avoid letting anyone down."

"Lirin, you have never let me down. I have always had my faith in you and will in this life and the next. At your core, you are unbendable. Let the world see it too."

Lirin inhaled deeply and stood up straight, he needed to be ready. His people counted on him, they needed him to guide them towards peace after this war.

Welcome Guests[]

The Capital City was quiet this night. Between the war footing, mourning for Princess Ursa and a general uneasiness about the future, no one was interested in nightlife. The most common people walking around were guards and soldiers.

And yet, men and women in green and black stalked the alleys, slowly making their way to the palace. It wasn't easy to get to the city as they were dressed, let along get so close to the palace. The small band crouched on a nearby roof, they had monitored the patrols of the Imperial Firebenders and other guards. While security was tight, it wasn't impenetrable.

They could get in if they wanted to. However, that is not how they wanted to make a first impression. The leader looked to her men and they nodded in confirmation.

Two Imperial Firebenders and a dozen guards monitored the main entrance to the palace at night. While this was light security, reinforcements would arrive quickly and in strong numbers.

The men noticed movement in the dark, a shuffling of feet and the movement or a group. The men tensed as they called out, "Who goes there?"

Soon, a column of men and women in green and black appeared. The column was two men wide and five men back with an additional person leading in the front. Their black robes had lines of green and gold on the trim and on the chest was an Earth Kingdom symbol. All of them was li hats that covered their faces as they calmly walked to the palace entrance with their hands entwined in their sleeves.

The defenders readied to fight as they yelled, "Halt!"

The small column walked a little further before they complied with the order. Soon a swarm of guards appeared around them. The palace had placed support not only within the palace but in surrounding buildings that could react if someone attempted to breach the palace gates and walls.

"Stay where you are!" The commands were barked as soldiers edged closer to arrest them.

The women at the head of the column looked up, "I am head of the Dai Li, I wish to speak with the Avatar."

Lirin grumbled as he answered the late night summons. At first, he thought it might have been a night raid by the enemy, but when the servants affirmed that was not the case, his alertness drifted away and was replaced by a grumpy demeanor. Peaceful sleep was hard to come by for the Avatar.

As he entered the throne room, an equally unamused Zorin sat on his throne. He may have been wide awake, but he was not pleased to be awakened so late. "Commander, please tell Prince Lirin what you told me."

"As you wish, your majesty," the Imperial Firebender turned to Lirin, "Your highness, about an hour ago, a group of men and women approached the main gate. There were eleven of them. They were told to halt and complied with the order. The leader of the group requested to speak with you."

"Ok, what makes them so special?"

"They claim to be Dai Li, sir."

Lirin was quiet as he processed this. The Dai Li were infamous in history. They were trained and created by Avatar Kyoshi to protect the cultural history of Ba Sing Se in the wake of a peasant uprising. However, the organization became corrupt and was the de facto ruler of the city until they betrayed the Earth King at the end of the Hundred Years War. Accepted back in, they became the personal guard of the Earth Queen Hou Ting. With her assassination, the Dai Li went on the run. Many were killed by the mobs that nearly burned down the city, but a few survived.

These survivors kept their traditions and training in secret. Avatar Tala was born to the leader of these survivors. After Tala's heritage was revealed to the public, her image changed drastically, as did her demeanor. Tala's brethren became her de facto bodyguards.

When Avatar Tala came into her own, she formed her own organization to quell any issues, the War Born. The backbone of the War Born were the Dai Li. However, when Avatar Tala died in her sleep, the Dai Li disappeared, as did the War Born, as if they never existed.

Lirin's memory on the group had been refreshened by a documentary mover he had watched just before this war broke out.

"Can we confirm?"

"They have the uniforms, but otherwise there is no way to tell for sure."

Lirin looked to his father. Zorin gestured to the guards, "Let them in."

A few moments later, the men that were detained were brought forward to speak to the Fire Lord and Avatar. While they were not bound, the significant number of guards that were present indicated that they did not dismiss the threat these people could pose.

As they reached the area before the throne, the group stopped in tandem and bowed, "Avatar Lirin, it is an honor to be before you."

Lirin nodded from his place beside the Fire Lord, the group lifted their heads. Zorin had a look of displeasure that they didn't address him, "You claim to be Dai Li, but how can we verify that?"

"There is no source of information that you can collect that can verify that on your end. As ironic as it may be, you will simply have to trust us."

Zorin chuckled, "Trust? You definitely have the gall of the Dai Li."

"Young Zorin, my granddaughter is a jewel. Blemish that jewel and you will regret it." The woman spoke cryptically and almost insultingly.

However, the look on Zorin's face was something more complicated, like the words of a ghost. "Where did you hear that from?"

"My father was one of the Dai Li guards who was present when Avatar Tala warned you not to mistreat her granddaughter, Asune."

Zorin paused, trying to recall the memory. He had a clear memory of the warning the Avatar had given him when he announced his engagement to Asune. Thinking back, he did recall two men had been in the room, they were Dai Li. Zorin wasn't certain what to think when the young woman spoke again.

"Another granddaughter, Zorin? I might be worried you would seek them all out if at least one wasn't already married."

Zorin sighed tiredly, "You clearly have access to knowledge about things you could not have without personal access to Avatar Tala."

The woman chuckled, "My name is Jin. And by the way, my father was the man who married Avatar Tala's other granddaughter."

"You mean-" Lirin was about to inquire.

"Yes, Lirin. We are both blood and progeny of Avatar Tala, so don't try and flirt with me too." A teasing smirk appeared on her face.

The secret of the Dai Li's arrival in Capital City was kept tight as the royal family spoke with their new guests. At the head of their group stood Jin, a young earthbender only a few years older than Lirin himself, in her early twenties.

At night and with her hat hanging low over her head, it was hard to tell, but Lirin understood why Jin had thrown a quip at him. In the day, he could clearly tell that she was beautiful. In fact, she looked very much like Avatar Tala. Her eyes were grey rather than green and her hair, while dark was closer to brown than black. But her facial features were very similar to their shared ancestor.

"Why haven't you reached out to us before now?" Once tea was served to his guest, Zorin got down to business.

Jin smiled seductively as she sat down in the office alone with Lirin and Zorin. Lirin wasn't sure whether she was taunting him or was just this way naturally. Without batting an eye, she drank the tea she was given and then spoke, "As you can imagine, the Dai Li and War Born are loyal to the Avatar, not any nation."

"Then has the war changed your assessment of that?"

"We did not want to hamper the Avatar's training and public reputation. As you are aware Fire Lord Zorin, the War Born are controversial. We kept order, but at a cost. In her final year, we discussed with Avatar Tala what she wished for us to do, and it was her advice that we remain hidden until the Avatar is fully realized to present ourselves to serve them."

"And what if the Avatar didn't want your services?" Zorin gave a biting return.

Jin chuckled, "We had faith that the next Avatar would not be so narrow-minded, so did my great-grandmother, the last one."

Lirin joined in, "Did you know her?"

"As well as a little child could. I was six when she passed away. I missed her. Ever since then, my father has been preparing me to serve. We knew the next Avatar would be born a firebender and so kept an eye out. But even with our resources, it's not like we could get the blood of a Fire Nation Prince and test it for genetic markers."

Zorin tilted his head in slight confusion, as did Lirin. Jin smiled, "I guess I do know something you don't. The study of genetics has advanced amazingly well in the last three decades. In particular, the War Born found a way to verify if people have the genetic marker for bending. This has been incredible for our scientists. For example, we have identified people who can't bend and yet hold the gene recessively, meaning children can develop it in the future and other people who hold two bending genes but only one active meaning children can inherit either element in the future. Our belief was that the Avatar would have all four bending genes present and active despite no ancestry to support the presence of four elements. But since the Fire Sages discovered you, it wasn't necessary to find out."

Lirin and Zorin absorbed the new information. The power of knowledge that people could be tested for bending through their blood was both amazing and terrifying. After Jin let that sink in, she continued.

"After the war broke out, a decision was made that we couldn't wait until you finished your training to present ourselves. And while this is not our entire force, we do offer our loyalty to you as both Avatar and kin. I am also an accomplished earthbender myself and can teach in absence of those who betrayed you in Ba Sing Se."

Lirin kept a calm face as he listened, but internally there was relief. The hectic nature of war breaking out had put a stop to him learning earthbending, and he hadn't considered when he would return to it. Jin's offer was like a gift from the Spirits. He looked to his father whose face was pensive.

Zorin spoke, "It wouldn't hurt for my son to learn earthbending from the Dai Li. And whatever your reputation on the mainland, it is not so bad here in the Fire Nation. If the public finds out, the fallout won't be so bad."

Jin nodded in affirmation. "I thank you for your graciousness on this matter, Fire Lord Zorin. We will do the best to serve the Avatar in the future."

"I have a few more questions," Lirin's voice was dark as he inquired them further, "You said only a fraction of you could come here? Does that mean you have larger manpower on the mainland?"

"Yes."

"What capabilities would they have to act?"

"That would depend on what you would want them to do."

"I want them to send a message to the Earth King."

Notes[]

  • Lirin and Zorin knew the talks would fail but thought so for different reasons.
  • Ko Jinora was not involved in the conspiracy with the Faceless, but his clear biases and duplicitous actions in the past have left his enemies untrusting and more than willing to kill him and discover the truth later.
  • The Air Nation may not have entered the war or started fighting, but they will a third side of the conflict whether they want to or not.
  • Avatar Tala had three granddaughters, two of them married Zorin and the other married a fellow Dai Li agent and had Jin.

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