History FanFic / TheFallOfTheFireEmpire

* UngratefulBastard: Even though [[spoiler:Prince Zuko]] captured the Avatar, Azula and Ozai had no problem having him killed in the invasion of Ba Sing Se.

* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: Averted with Azula, who has expanded her abilities in the decades since the show would have taken place. First off, she can control how much power she puts into her lighting from a TouchOfDeath to shocking someone unconscious. In the final confrontation, it turns out [[spoiler:she invented the ability to one's energy (essentially a fire equivalent to bloodbending)]], and is impossible to defeat, even when ganged up on, [[spoiler:unless taken by surprise]].

* ClosestThingWeGot: The reason why [[spoiler:High General Xia persuades Jiazin to accept the title of Fire Lord; Azula has no heirs, Qing Xi is not really ruler material, Xia is a tired OldSoldier, the Chosen would be loath to replace someone they have been conditioned to revere as a god, and the egotistical Yuan would have been a bad option in general even if he survived.]]

%%* UnskilledButStrong: Tong, in contrast to Shu Bei Fong.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Yue sacrifices herself to hold off High Admiral Yuan's forces and thereby ultimately liberate the Moon and Ocean Spirits]].

** Kanoda, although he's usually OvershadowedByAwesome, is still a skilled hunter who gets some good hits in [[spoiler: including, eventually, against his Archenemy Shiyan]].

* TheFaceless: Azula typically wears an ornate dragon-esque mask to disguise her appearance and not show her weakness through age, with her face only revealed [[spoiler:on [[DeathlyUnmasking her death]]. She even sleeps with a cloth covering her face and attacks people for even looking at her mask, as she does to Jiazin early on.

** Yuan is very much like his grandfather Zhao, if a bit more unstable. Justified, since Zhao is a legendary "hero" of the Empire is this AU, and all his family have lived in his shadow - Yuan is trying to almost literally out-Zhao Zhao! He even ''looks'' similar, as [[spoiler:Yue]] has a hard time differentiating the two when they meet face-to-face.

* RedRightHand: A heroic example with [[Jiazin's left arm being permanently damaged after being grabbed by Azula in the FinalBattle]].

%% * SpiritualSuccessor: In general, the fic was written as a thematic counterpoint to the main series, using the same setting in a different time period, and similar character archetypes with different twists. In particular, several characters parallel canon characters' arcs, personalitiles, or abilities:

* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: Averted; in the final confrontation with [[spoiler:Azula, it turns out she invented at least one new ability where she can bend one's energy similar to bloodbending]], and is impossible to defeat, even when ganged up on, [[spoiler:unless taken by surprise]].

** Yuan is very much like his grandfather Zhao, if a bit more unstable. Justified, since Zhao is a legendary "hero" of the Empire is this AU, and all his family have lived in his shadow - Yuan is trying to almost literally out-Zhao Zhao!

''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5071591/1/Avatar_The_Fall_of_the_Fire_Empire Avatar: The Fall of the Fire Empire]]'' is an ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' fanfic by contributor Tropers/MasterGhandalf who surprisingly also wrote the [[Fanfic/AzulaTrilogy Azula Trilogy]] and ''FanFic/DestiniesRewritten''. It's an AU story in which [[TheBadGuyWins Aang was quickly defeated at some point in season one]], and the Fire Nation took over the world and became the Fire Empire. Several decades later, an [[EvilOldFolks elderly]] [[BigBad Azula]] still rules the Empire with an iron fist as the [[TheEmpress Dragon Empress]], with the Earth Kingdom completely enslaved and the Water Tribes reduced to a few scattered villages. In this dark future, we follow three main viewpoint characters, one from each of the remaining nations:

** Gian is a nonbenber bounty hunter who specializes in killing renegade earthbenders.

* ClimaxBoss: There's one at the end of each major arc (or 'Book'). Noteworrthy locations, too:

%% * StandardEvilEmpireHierarchy:
%% ** TheEmperor: Dragon Empress Azula
%% ** The Right Hand: The Mistress of the Chosen
%% ** The General: High General Xia
%% ** The Guard: High Admiral Yuan
%% ** The Oddball: High Minister Qing Xi

%%* UnskilledButStrong: Tong.

* NeverMessWithGranny: The BigBad, Dragon Empress [[AdaptationalVillainy Azula]], is now over 100 years old. She is still extremely dangerous and an OmnicidalManiac who doesn’t intend on having the good guys and her other enemies outlive her..

* OhCrap: [[spoiler:High Minister Qing Xi has an understated one when he reads all the messages sent to the Fire Empire's Navy and discovers that Azula intends to start an EnemyCivilWar.

** In a similar case to Zhao and Yuan, the current Admiral Chan is a descendant of the Admiral Chan mentioned during ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', and possibly related to the Chan who appeared in "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbender The Beach]]".

* GenerationXerox: Yuan is very much like his grandfather Zhao, if a bit more unstable. Justified, since Zhao is a legendary "hero" of the Empire is this AU, and all his family have lived in his shadow - Yuan is trying to almost literally out-Zhao Zhao!

* ShoutOut: The author is a big fan of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' (as evidenced by his username), and it shows in chapter titles like "The Board is Set" and "The Deep Breath Before the Plunge." And there's possibly a thematic one in the climax, as [[spoiler:just like Sauron/the One Ring, Azula has become such an absolute evil that none of the heroes are able to defeat her, and she can only be stopped by a random twist of fate.]]

* SmugSnake: Admiral Yuan, the granson of Zhao who continues the family's tradition quite nicely. His ego, ambitions, and viciousness well exceed his actual ''competence''.

* NeverMessWithGranny: The BigBad, Dragon Empress AdaptationalVillainy/Azula, is now over 100 years old. She is still extremely dangerous and an OmnicidalManiac who doesn’t intend on having the good guys and her other enemies outlive her..

* NeverMessWithGranny: The BigBad, Dragon Empress [[AdaptationalVillainy: Azula]] is now over 100 years old. She is still extremely dangerous and an OmnicidalManiac who doesn’t intend on having the good guys and her other enemies outlive her..

* NeverMessWithGranny: The BigBad, Dragon Empress [[AdaptationVillainy: Azula]] is now over 100 years old. She is still extremely dangerous and an OmnicidalManiac who doesn’t intend on having the good guys and her other enemies outlive her..

* NotSoDifferent: Though Jiazin is a much better person (not that that's a very high bar to clear), she and the younger Azula bear a number of striking parallels in appearance, demeanor, background, and abilities - or at least Jiazin fears so [[spoiler:particularly after developing the ability to create blue fire]].

* ThoseTwoBadGuys: Shiyan and Cheng serve as the villainous duo pursuing Kanoda and eventually Yue over the first half of the fic.