The Fire Nation had won. There was no doubt about it. Their banners now flew all over the Earth Kingdom and no one dared to dream of removing them, they truly owned the land now. The Avatar, the last hope of the world, the one meant to restore balance had fallen, never to raise again.
The Battle of Wulong Forest would be remembered for centuries to come, stories of legend will be told from generation to generation, it will be recorded by historians as the day the Avatar unleashed his might to its absolute limit. He had bent the four elements with a fury and grace that reshaped the Wulong Forest forever, the world was as if it cracked under his power. Yet it was not enough. At the end of the day, the Fire Nation's champion had prevailed.
Tai Lung. A beast in human skin.
During the battle, the world had seen what he truly was, a creature of raw, merciless power. They had watched him transform, watched him kill the Avatar with his own hands, before vanishing with Aang's body into the air like a spirit. Fire Lord Azula stood before the gathered nations soon after, her voice sharp as a blade and her golden eyes gleaming cruelly with their victory. She declared it to be the end, the Avatar was gone, and no new Avatar would ever be born. The age of the Avatar was over. The world had changed forever.
And Tai Lung? He was out there, somewhere, carrying out an unknown mission for the Fire Nation, a monster in human form.
Countless witnesses had seen the battle unfold. Soldiers, citizens, nobles, benders of every kind, all watched as the old world crumbled before their eyes. When they returned to their homelands, they carried the tale with them like a ghostly flame, spreading it from village to village, port to port. Within days, the entire world knew: the Avatar, the symbol of balance and hope, was gone forever.
It was the end of an era, the end of the Avatar Era.
The rulers of the Earth Kingdom and the chieftains of the Water Tribes soon bent their knees. There was no point in resisting. The Fire Nation's might was unmatched, and now they had Tai Lung, the beast who had defeated the Avatar. Against such power, rebellion was nothing but a whisper against the storm.
So, one by one, the leaders of the other nations sat before Fire Lord Azula. They listened as she spoke and they obeyed, for fear that their people might be next to face Tai Lung's wrath. A shadow of gloom and despair fell over every land, spreading like a sickness.
But none suffered more than those who had once stood beside the Avatar.
Katara wept. She sat in the corner of a tent, her head buried in her hands, tears streaming down her face in endless rivers. Beside her sat Sokka, silent, staring at the ground with hollow eyes. Even Toph, who rarely showed weakness, sat apart, her arms wrapped around her knees, her lips pressed in silence.
When Iroh and Pakku entered the tent, the air was thick with grief. Iroh's face was drawn with sorrow, his gentle eyes dimmed, while Pakku's stern expression softened as he looked upon the broken trio.
"I understand your pain," Pakku said quietly, kneeling beside Katara. "But for Aang's sake, you must rise from this state. You are only harming yourself."
Katara shook her head, her voice breaking between sobs. "I kept telling him he was the Avatar… that he could save the world… I pushed him to fight that monster. I told him it was his destiny to fight and win!"
Her tears fell faster. "I knew Tai Lung was dangerous and terrifying, but I still pushed Aang into fighting him!"
Iroh sighed deeply, his voice heavy with regret. "We all believed he would succeed," he said softly. "He was the Avatar, after all. And Aang fought harder than any Avatar before him. He showed power that none of us had ever seen or heard of even in stories and legends… but Tai Lung surpassed him. None of us could have imagined how strong he truly was."
Toph clenched her fists. "So what now?" she said bitterly. "We just sit here and let the Fire Nation reshape the world to their will? Aang's sacrifice was in vain."
Sokka's voice was low and heavy when he replied. "What else can we do? Without Aang, there's no one left to restore balance. Fighting the Fire Nation isn't an option… not with Tai Lung out there."
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Iroh broke the silence. "Azula has given new orders," he said carefully. "She has commanded all Fire Nation soldiers to return home. They are leaving the Earth Kingdom. The war… is over."
His words hung in the air like a spell.
Sokka blinked. "Leaving?" he repeated, disbelief etched across his face. "What do you mean, they're leaving?"
Iroh nodded gravely. "Azula says she wishes to restore peace and balance. She no longer intends to occupy the Earth Kingdom. Every Fire Nation base will be dismantled."
Katara looked up through her tears. "Why?" she asked, her voice raw and trembling. "They killed Aang to conquer the world and now you're telling me they want peace?"
Iroh exhaled slowly. "They planned this all along," he said. "I suspect the attack on Ba Sing Se was only to draw Aang out, to bring him into that final duel. They wanted the Avatar gone… but not in secret. They wanted the world to see his end, to end the Avatar's era before all eyes."
Sokka frowned. "But… why?"
It was Pakku who answered. "The Fire Nation will leave the Earth Kingdom," he said grimly. "But the western lands, they will no longer belong to the Earth Kingdom. Azula and Tai Lung intend to create something new there, a nation made of all peoples, from all corners of the world. They plan to call it The Nation of Peace."
At the shocking news, Sokka's mouth fell open. Katara froze. Even Toph turned her head toward him despite being blind.
Pakku's voice grew colder. "This new nation will stand apart, none of the nations will have any sway over this new nation. Its single job will oversee the balance of the world and ensure to maintain peace… it is a replacement for the Avatar."
His words were met with grief, disbelief and quite rage that none of them yet knew what to do with.
Sokka broke the silence first. His voice was almost trembling.
"This is ridiculous," he said. "No one can replace the Avatar! And even if they build this… nation, the other nations won't just go and live there! That simply won't work."
Iroh shook his head and sighed deeply.
"They already planned for that," he said softly. "The western lands of the Earth Kingdom have dozens of settlements where Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom people have lived side by side. Many of their children… well, they are of both nations. One child may bend fire, the other earth."
Toph frowned. "So what?"
"The plan," Iroh went on, "is to make these settlements the foundation of a new nation. And since many of these people have long suffered the prejudice of being halves, they will welcome a place where such things no longer matter. And the name being the Nation of Peace will only encourage them"
His words met with silence, so he continued to the other issue.
"They have already begun construction of a place they call the Jade Palace," said Iroh. "It will train masters from all nations, or rather, from none. Like the White Lotus, it will not care about the origin of the person or if he was a bender or not. The masters of the Jade Palace will ensure peace and balance without needing an Avatar. Tai Lung plans to teach there. Anyone who wishes to join must abandon their allegiance to any nation. And if they are found serving the interests of their homeland, they will be punished."
Pakku, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.
"With Tai Lung teaching there," he said, "many will follow. People admire power, even when they fear it. I am afraid this new nation's rise will be unstoppable."
Katara's fists clenched, tears of anger rising to her eyes. "They killed Aang… just so they could replace him?" she whispered, trembling. "Just for that?"
Iroh's eyes softened with something close to pity, but before he could respond, he reached into his robes and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "We also received a letter," he said carefully. "From Azula. She commands the three of you along with Appa and Momo to travel to the Jade Palace."
The words struck like thunder.
"Why?" Sokka demanded suspiciously. "What does she want with us?"
"We're not going anywhere!" Katara snapped.
Iroh looked at her with deep regret. "I do not know what they intend," he said. "But I do not believe they mean you harm. You pose no threat to them now. None of us do."
Pakku's voice was firm, though there was sorrow beneath it. "As much as I hate to say this, you should go," he said. "We are in no position to refuse them. Everyone has surrendered. Resistance will only bring you pain."
Katara stared into the fire, her lips trembling. "And forget what they did to Aang?" she said, her voice cracking.
Pakku looked down at her, his old eyes heavy with compassion. "Live today," he said quietly. "And have your revenge tomorrow. You must wait for your chance."
For a long moment, there was silence again. Katara buried her face in her hands and wept softly. Beside her, Sokka and Toph sat in silence, their fists clenched so tightly that their knuckles turned white.