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8''[[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 Creator/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:
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10Jiazin is the daughter of the governor of Long Du Shi (formerly Ba Sing Se), and almost as much of a teenage firebending prodigy as Azula. She is summoned to the Empress' palace for a mysterious mission, but soon finds herself a pawn for both Azula and her spymaster Qing Xi.
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12Tong is an earthbending slave who rebels and kills his master, then falls in with other rebels who hide out in the tunnels under Lake Laogai.
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14Kanoda has spent his life listening to the tragic heroic legends of Sokka and Katara, and decides to go off himself to become a hero. But he finds it's not as easy as it sounds when he's captured by the Chosen, Azula's elite order of female warriors.
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16These three storylines gradually draw closer together as the heroes learn of each other's presence, and work together to finally overthrow the Fire Empire. Naturally, appearances by canon characters are relatively rare, but the [=OCs=] here are all very good in their own right, and the story is complex and full of plot twists that will keep you engaged.
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18In the sequel, ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7121603/1/Legacy_of_the_Fire_Empire Legacy of the Fire Empire]]'', Kanoda must deal with a new threat five years after the Fall.
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20The author has now completed a "special edition" with revision and commentary. It can be found [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9845650/1/Fall-of-the-Fire-Empire-Special-Edition here]].
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22----
23!!''Avatar: The Fall of the Fire Empire'' contains examples of:
24
25* ActionGirl: Jiazin and Chaiy are the two most notable. Even [[spoiler:Yue is capable of handling herself in a fight, though she doesn't like it]].
26* AdaptationalVillainy: In this fanfic, Azula's redeeming and sympathetic qualities are all thrown out the window and replaced with sheer malice that rivals her father.
27* AffablyEvil: Qing Xi is a cultured, polite, soft-spoken man who also happens to be the ruthless head of the bureaucracy and intelligence service of a tyrannical superpower.
28* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler:Shiyan, who sinks into catatonia after accidentally killing the person she was raised to see as a living god]].
29* AmazonBrigade: The Chosen; they even have their base on the former Kyoshi Island. In fact, Azula was inspired to create them after her first encounter with the Kyoshi Warriors in this timeline.
30* AncestralWeapon: Jiazin's sword is mentioned as being passed down from her father and grandfather.
31* AntagonisticGovernor: Downplayed with Yan Li. He's a bureaucrat who enforces the Fire Empire's will in Long Du Shi, but is shown to be a reasonable man most of the time, eventually [[spoiler:doing a HeelFaceTurn.]]
32* AntiVillain:
33** Though he isn't prominent until the later stages of the story, High General Xia is quickly established as being a [[NobleDemon Noble]] PunchClockVillain who is both loyal to the Fire Empire and highly honourable - a sharp contrast to [[EvilChancellor Qing Xi]] and [[SmugSnake Yuan]].
34** Cheng, thanks to being less cruel than the other Chosen (and her frequent ButtMonkey tendencies), comes off as somewhat endearing rather than scary in her desire to follow the Chosen's purpose, and [[spoiler:yet she actually pulls off the "villain" part when she kills Shu Bei Fong as a result of said loyalty]]. It's really not hard to feel for her even from the start.
35* AnyoneCanDie: Numerous major characters, including [[spoiler: Gian, Shu Bei Fong, High Admiral Yuan, the Mistress of the Chosen, and Azula herself]] bite it by the end of ''Fall''.
36* AscendedExtra: Some characters, notably Jiazin's parents and Cheng, were originally conceived as bit parts who grew into larger roles as the story progressed.
37* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: [[spoiler:Jiazin becomes Fire Lord in the final chapter.]]
38* BadassNormal:
39** Gian is a nonbender bounty hunter who specializes in killing renegade earthbenders.
40** All the Chosen (who are forbidden from firebending even if they have the ability - Azula's smart enough that she doesn't run the risk of creating another her) but are still trained to a level where they're capable of going toe-to-toe with the most skilled benders.
41** Kanoda, although he's usually OvershadowedByAwesome, is still a skilled hunter who gets some good hits in [[spoiler: including, eventually, against his ArchEnemy Shiyan]].
42* BeingEvilSucks: Ironically, despite having all the power she could ever have dreamed of, having killed or driven off her only friends to get there Azula lives a tormented, paranoid existence in constant fear of assassination and haunted by [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane what she believes to be]] the ghosts of everyone she's killed along the way. It's clear that being the tyrannical overlord of the entire world hasn't actually made her any happier.
43* BigBad: Dragon Empress Azula, who [[DragonAscendant has become]] the tyrannical ruler of the [[TheEmpire Fire Empire]], serves as the fic's main antagonist after the death of her father Ozai, and has become [[AdaptationalVillainy every bit as bad as he was]].
44* BigBadWannabe: High Admiral Yuan, [[VillainousLineage like his grandfather before him]], is a prideful and ambitious officer who doesn't ''quite'' prove capable of living up to his dreams of glory when the chips are down. [[spoiler: Fittingly, the Moon and Ocean Spirits give him a taste of his own insignificance, which breaks him utterly]].
45* BlackWidow: Azula has had several husbands throughout her life, but all of them either died or disappeared before an heir could be born.
46* BookEnds: [[spoiler:The Prologue of this story is a Scribed message written by former Earth King Kuei during his final days, offering his encouragement to those who believe in hope and peace. The Epilogue is scribed by Fire Lord Jiazin 5 years after her coronation, reaffirming that hope has indeed returned to the world]].
47* BreakOutTheMuseumPiece: The airships from the end of the Hundred-Year War show up again in Book 3 when [[spoiler:Azula brings her army to Long Du Shi to crush the Earth Kingdom rebels.]]
48* BuriedAlive: How Tong accidentally kills his taskmaster, by instinctively causing the ground to open up and swallow the man.
49* ButtMonkey: The universe really doesn't like Cheng. Things start with her losing an important prisoner through sheer naivety and bad luck and get progressively worse from there.
50* TheCaligula: Old age has not been kind to Azula's sanity; she spends most of her time hallucinating conversations with people who've been dead for decades, [[BadBoss murdering her subjects in fits of paranoia]]... [[spoiler: oh, and planning what amounts to the destruction of the world, too]].
51* ClimaxBoss: There's one at the end of each major arc (or 'Book'). Noteworthy locations, too:
52** Book 1: [[spoiler:Gian]], fought at [[spoiler:the Rebel Base at Lake Laogai]].
53** Book 2: [[spoiler:Admiral Yuan]], fought at [[spoiler:the N.W.T. City Ruins]].
54** Book 3: Dragon Empress Azula, fought on [[spoiler:her warship, not far from Long Du Shi]].
55* 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 are unable to function without Azula (and would be loath to replace someone they have been conditioned to revere as a god), and the egotistical and trigger-happy Yuan would have been a bad option in general even if he survived.]]
56* CoDragons: Directly beneath Azula is her inner circle, who are all roughly equal; [[TheChessmaster High Minister Qing Xi]], [[SmugSnake High Admiral Yuan]], [[NobleDemon High General Xia]] and [[DarkActionGirl the Mistress of the Chosen]]. There is also Zhi, the Chosen who acts as Azula's personal bodyguard and attendant.
57* CompanionCube: Subverted. Like Sokka, Kanoda has a boomerang he greatly values, and helps him out of a tight spot. ''Unlike'' Sokka, he loses it early on and never finds it again.
58* CompositeCharacter: The author envisioned Kanoda as being one of Sokka and Katara: A non-bender who thinks his way out of problems like Sokka, and a determined idealist like Katara.
59* TheConsigliere: Qing Xi is nearly as smart as Azula, far less charismatic, and decidedly more rational, which puts him in the position of being the one whose cool logic backs up her grand schemes. [[spoiler: It's also why, when she goes completely off the deep end, she takes pains to hide her plans from him, since she knows he wouldn't stand for it]]. Technically this is part of the High Ministers job; most of them end up getting too pushy about it and get themselves fired... [[KillItWithFire literally]]. The fact that QX has lasted as long as he has speaks to his competence.
60* TheCoup: High Minister Qing Xi is planning to take over the Fire Empire's government with the help of High Admiral Yuan, promising him chances for glory to get him to comply. This is actually [[spoiler:false, there is no coup. Qing Xi created a ficticious one as a SecretTestOfCharacter for Jiazin.]]
61* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Gian's - which involves being stabbed through the chest by a sword ''wreathed in blue fire'', and being burned alive from within]].
62* CruelMercy:
63** The story opens with an ApocalypticLog by Earth King Kuei, who mentions that Fire Lord Ozai spared him because while a dead king might be a martyr, an imprisoned king would be a joke.
64** After [[spoiler: Yue/Tui]] destroys Yuan's fleet, [[spoiler: she]] lets him live to wallow in his failure and insignificance. [[spoiler: Unfortunately for him, Shiyan is much less merciful]].
65** And at the end of the story [[spoiler: Jiazin's first act as Fire Lord is to force Qing Xi into retirement as punishment for collaborating with the majority of Azula's crimes.]]
66* DarkActionGirl: The Chosen are an order of ruthless female warriors who live to serve Azula's will, with Shiyan as their main representative.
67* {{Deuteragonist}}: Jiazin is the protagonist, having the most focus and plot-centeredness of the three leads; Kanoda is a slight step below her in terms of focus and role, making him the deuteragonist, and Tong, who is another small step below him, ends up as the tritagonist.
68* DisappearedDad: Kanoda's father was slain in a Fire empire attack when he was five.
69* {{Doorstopper}}: This one story is about as long as the entire Azula Trilogy, though it is divided into three acts that each have their own climaxes.
70* {{Egopolis}}: After taking over Kyoshi Island, Azula renamed it Azula Island, the base and training center for the Chosen.
71* EnemyCivilWar: [[spoiler: Azula's master plan invokes this; she sends identical messages to every high-ranking officer in her army and navy, telling them that they, and they alone, are to rule as regent until her (nonexistent) heir can be revealed. She knows that this will lead to every one of those officers fighting each other for control, thus plunging the Empire into a war that will destroy the world.]]
72* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler:Governor Yan Li (Jiazin's father), General Xia and High Minister Qing Xi. Sure, they'll support the Fire Empire's oppression for the lack of a better alternative, but when it turns out Azula plans on burning the whole thing down? That's going too far]].
73* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Mistress of the Chosen doesn't use her own real name, having completely surrendered her entire identity to Azula.
74* EvilCounterpart: Meta-example. Shiyan was designed to be, essentially, an evil Suki with elements of Azula mixed in. Doesn't come up in-story, though, since Suki is dead, and likely has been for a while.
75* EvilOldFolks: Azula by this point is an elderly woman who rules the Fire Empire as the Dragon Empress. When she learns that her death via old age is unavoidable, she decides to ''devastate the world'' to take her enemies down with her and make herself look like a hero who tried to stop the war that ''she caused''.
76* EvilVersusOblivion: High Minister Qing Xi is not what anyone would call a good person [[spoiler: but that doesn't mean he wants Azula to destroy the Fire Empire with her death]].
77* 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.
78* FlamingSword: Jiazin can wreath her sword in fire [[spoiler:as Gian found out to his misfortune]].
79* GenerationXerox:
80** 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!
81** 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/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBeach The Beach]]".
82* HeelFaceTurn: Jiazin doesn't start out particularly ''villainous'' but she's still a loyal supporter of the Fire Empire before getting a nasty wake-up call regarding just how evil it really is. [[spoiler:High General Xia and Governor Yan Li, who were much more active participants in the empire's activities before switching sides, play it straighter]].
83* HeroicSacrifice:
84** An elderly earthbender takes the heat for Tong killing an overseer so the younger slave can escape.
85** [[spoiler:Yue sacrifices herself to hold off High Admiral Yuan's forces and thereby ultimately liberate the Moon and Ocean Spirits]].
86* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Azula is finally killed not by one of her actual enemies, but by one of her most loyal Chosen, Shiyan]].
87* HotBlooded: Chaiy is an aggressive, firebrand revolutionary who's usually spoiling for a fight, though when you consider what's been done to her people it's hard to blame her.
88* HumansAreBastards: At least Azula thinks so; she sees herself as the [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]] in a world where everyone else refuses to acknowledge that they are evil and would turn on each other in a heartbeat.
89* IdenticalGrandson: Literally; High Admiral Yuan greatly resembles his grandfather Admiral Zhao, and [[spoiler:Yue]] has a hard time differentiating the two when they meet face to face.
90* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Cheng, in contrast to the more experienced and ruthless Shiyan. [[spoiler:Then [[SubvertedTrope she kills Shu Bei Fong ...]]]]
91* InterserviceRivalry: A couple in the Fire Empire; High General Xia butts heads with High Admiral Yuan (Azula has explicitly forbidden either man from fighting each other), Yuan has been throwing his weight around with Governor Yan Li for years, and the Chosen clash with everyone. In the case of the Chosen, this stems from the fact that the military resents the fact that the Chosen can subvert the chain of command on a dime whenever they want because of their status.
92* InTheBlood: Averted. Toph's descendants are earthbenders, but aren't anywhere near as powerful as she was.
93* InTheHood: [[spoiler:Yue]] usually disguises herself with a hooded cloak to disguise her MysticalWhiteHair.
94* {{Irony}}: Lake Laogai, the headquarters of the [[SecretPolice Dai Li]], is used as a base by LaResistance.
95* KatanasAreJustBetter: The Chosen, like the Kyoshi Warriors, use katanas (though unlike the [=KWs=], they don't bother with fans). Subverted in that Jiazin, despite being a wealthy and high-ranking noble, uses a straight-edged sword instead.
96* KillItWithFire: [[spoiler:How Jiazin kills Gian, by stabbing him with her flaming sword and burning him from the inside out - the description of his death is quite scary, too]].
97* KingIncognito: As part of his gambits to determine a good successor for Azula, High Minister Qing Xi temporarily disguises himself as one of his own agents to watch Jiazin.
98* KnightTemplar: The Chosen are a particularly disturbing example; they're raised from birth to unquestioningly view Azula as an absolute god who can never be wrong, and fully see themselves as heroes for doing her will.
99* LaResistance: The Earth Kingdom rebels, led by Toph's grandson Shu Bei Fong and his daughter, Chaiy.
100* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler:Well, Last of ''Her'' Kind, rather - Yue is both the only known survivor of the Northern Water Tribe, and the only Waterbender in the world because of her close connection to the Moon Spirit]].
101* LegacyCharacter: Apparently Qing Xi and Azula's plan [[spoiler:is to create the fiction that Azula is immortal by having Jiazin "become" her by hiding behind her robes and mask. Turns out Azula has other plans, and the whole LegacyCharacter scheme was just a distraction for QX]].
102* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: [[spoiler:Shu Bei Fong's]] reaction to getting stabbed is "Well that's... really quite unfortunate."
103* MedievalStasis: Justified. While taking place in an era analogous to ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', technology has barely advanced from what was around in the original series. It's eventually revealed that the [[spoiler: imprisonment of the Moon and Ocean Spirits unintentionally]] trapped the natural world in social and technological stasis because of the disruption to the Balance of all things. The world can only get ''worse'' but not better [[spoiler: until the Spirits are freed]].
104%%* MentorOccupationalHazard: Happens twice in consecutive chapters with Shu Bei Fong and [[spoiler:Yue]].
105* MercyKill: Apparently, when an aged Ozai descended into senile madness, Azula smothered him with a pillow -- according to Qing Xi, it was the only merciful act of her life.
106* MysticalWhiteHair: [[spoiler: Yue]], which signifies that [[spoiler: like her canon counterpart, she's been touched by the Moon Spirit]].
107* 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.
108* NobleDemon: High General Xia tries to be as honorable a man as his position in the Fire Empire military allows. [[spoiler: Eventually he can't stomach it any longer and allies with the rebellion]].
109* NonActionGuy: Shu Bei Fong, as stated above, is more of a planner, negotiator and leader than a warrior.
110* NoNameGiven: Jiazin's father is not given a name (Yan Li) until about 2/3 of the way into the story. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that he usually appeared from Jiazin's Third Person Singular POV until that point.
111* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:Aang is still alive, albeit in a coma under the Imperial Palace. He's revived after Tui and La are restored.]]
112* NotWorthKilling: Kanoda thinks that this is the reason why the Fire Empire has left the Southern Water Tribe alone.
113* 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.]]
114* OhNoNotAgain: This is essentially [[spoiler:Aang's reaction when he realizes that he's been asleep for nearly a century ''again''.]]
115* OldMaster:
116** Azula. Even at over a hundred, she's still the single most dangerous individual on the planet.
117** Toph was revealed to have been one as well, being Shu and Chaiy's ancestor, and [[spoiler:almost succeeding in killing the Dragon Empress herself]].
118** And [[spoiler:Yue]] though she [[OlderThanTheyLook doesn't look it]].
119* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler:Azula may have accepted the reality of her own impending death - but that doesn't mean she's not planning to drag as much of civilization as she can down with her]].
120* OvershadowedByAwesome: Like Sokka before him, Kanoda is a skilled fighter, but he has a hard time measuring up against the benders, trained-from-birth fanatics, and [[spoiler:spirits]] he finds himself mixed up with.
121* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: The marriage of Jiazin's parents was arranged, a up-and-coming politician with a young firebending master. They've grown to care for each other over the years together.
122* PillarOfLight: When [[spoiler:the Moon and Ocean Spirits are freed, the effect lights up the sky for miles around]].
123* PragmaticVillainy: According to [[spoiler:Yue]], Fire Lord Ozai ordered Admiral Zhao to only capture the Moon and Ocean spirits for fear their deaths would destroy the world.
124* PunchClockVillain: The captain of Azula's ship. When he is informed that [[spoiler:Azula intends to burn down the world so to speak, he orders his crew to stand down and takes his ship out of the fight.]]
125* TheQuietOne: Tong is a quiet and thoughtful sort who rarely has much to say but is deeply in tune with his element.
126* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler: Yue doesn't look much more than a teenager, but she's over a century old thanks to the spirits' influence]].
127* RebelLeader: Shu Bei Fong is the ultimate head of the rebellion; since he's not much of a fighter, his ActionGirl daughter Chaiy actually leads the rebels in the field.
128* RedRightHand: A heroic example with [[spoiler:Jiazin's left arm being permanently damaged after being grabbed by Azula in the FinalBattle]].
129* RememberTheNewGuy: Kanoda's grandfather was apparently one of the toddlers in the village when Aang visited the Southern Water Tribe just after being freed from the iceberg, as he remembers the day Aang was there and when he left with Sokka and Katara.
130* RiteOfPassage: The one in the Fire Nation is called the Agni Li, a test of skill, be it examinations for scholars or facing multiple combatants for more martial pursuits. Azula created the ritual to ensure the nobility were good at something.
131* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: [[spoiler:Mai went on one after she discovered that Azula caused Zuko's death, killing everyone in her path before fighting Azula herself, which ended with Azula killing her.]]
132* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Shu Bei Fong gets killed off during the liberation of Ba Sing Se as a sign that victory doesn't come without cost.]]
133* SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining: The Chosen are trained from childhood to be the ultimate living weapons. Not incidentally, most of them have no grasp of ordinary human social skills or interaction, which is reflected in their overly-formal, somewhat stilted speech patterns. They also aren't particularly skilled at subtlety [[spoiler:which means poison is a pretty effective means of disposing of them]]. Of course, this is only to be expected when ''Azula'' designed the training program...
134* SealedGoodInACan: [[spoiler:Tui and La, held captive by the Fire Empire since the destruction of the Northern Water Tribe]].
135* SequelHook: Most of the main plot was wrapped up, but we still don't know [[spoiler:what happened to Cheng]], and the epilogue mentions [[spoiler:that strange cults have started to spring up in parts of the former Empire, worshipping a deified Azula, while Aang is WalkingTheEarth to help restore peace and balance, aided by Kanoda]]. It seems these ''will'' be picked up in the sequel; see below.
136* ShoutOut:
137** 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.]]
138** Yu Shan, the playwright who penned the play about Azula and her triumphs, is a reference to Shan Yu, the main villain of ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', but with the syllables switched.
139* SlashedThroat: [[spoiler:After High Admiral Yuan's defeat at the hands of Yue, Shiyan cuts his throat.]]
140* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Close to the middle, but tilted more in idealism's favour despite the darkness - while the fic was a Work-in-Progress, [[WordOfGod the author even admitted in his fanfiction.net profile to being "an optimist at heart"]] and that he expected a hopeful ending.
141* SmallRoleBigImpact: Mai and Ty Lee only appear in a single flashback, but their betrayal of Azula led to the creation of the Chosen as the cult dedicated to her alone.
142* SmugSnake: Admiral Yuan, the grandson of Zhao who continues the family's tradition quite nicely. His ego, ambitions, and viciousness well exceed his actual ''competence''.
143* TheSociopath: Gian is utterly and completely heartless, and Yuan isn't much better. Azula has some sociopathic traits, as per canon, but here that doesn't really even ''begin'' to cover how disturbed she is.
144* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:Shiyan, through a rather cruel yet fortunate twist of fate, ends up being the one to kill Azula and save the day.]]
145%% * 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, personalities, or abilities:
146%% ** Jiazin = Zuko + some Mai
147%% ** Kanoda = Sokka + Katara
148%% ** Tong = Toph
149%% ** [[spoiler:Aang]] = Aang
150%% ** [[spoiler:Yue]] = elements of [[spoiler:herself and]] Aang
151%% ** Qing Xi= Long Feng [[spoiler:made successful]]
152%% ** Yuan = Zhao
153%% ** Shiyan = Azula + Evil!Suki
154%% ** Cheng = Ty Lee + Evil!Suki
155%% ** Azula = Herself + Ozai
156%% ** Chaiy = Jet + Toph
157%% ** Gian = Combustion Man + Jun
158* StandardEvilEmpireHierarchy:
159** TheEmperor: Dragon Empress Azula, ruler of the Fire Empire.
160** The Right Hand: The Mistress of the Chosen, head of Azula's bodyguard.
161** The General: High General Xia, the commander of the Fire Empire's armies.
162** The Guard: High Admiral Yuan, leader of the Fire Empire's navy and warden of the prison where [[spoiler:the Moon and Ocean spirits are kept]].
163** The Security Officer: High Minister Qing Xi, head of the Hidden Flame, the Fire Empire's SecretPolice.
164* SupportingLeader: Chaiy, Tong, and [[spoiler:High General Xia]] during the FinalBattle, as they take on the Imperial army and Chosen while Jiazin, Kanoda, and [[spoiler:Avatar Aang]] go after Azula herself.
165* TeethClenchedTeamwork: [[spoiler:High Minister Qing Xi and High General Xia admit they don't like each other; Xia considers Qing Xi a treacherous and cowardly backstabber while Qing Xi thinks that Xia is self-righteous and has no sense of how things actually work. But they decide to work together to ensure the Fire Empire's survival.]]
166* ThanatosGambit: [[spoiler: After Azula accepts that she's going to die, [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum she figures she'll take as many people as possible with her]], but in a way that will result in her being remembered as a martyr who tried to stop those deaths while the real heroes will be seen as the ones responsible]].
167* ThemeNaming: Azula's inner circle, the Mistress of the Chosen excepted, are all named for historical or legendary Chinese dynasties.
168* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: [[spoiler:After Jiazin allies with the rebels, she and Chaiy are often contrasted, though since they're both Action Girls it's more like LadyOfWar and CuteBruiser]].
169* TouchedByVorlons: [[spoiler:Yue, made an immortal and extremly skilled waterbender by the Moon Spirit]].
170* TwoLinesNoWaiting: The story is split quite nicely between its three plot threads, which also becomes less and less of an issue as they get closer together. Even scenes without any of the three heroes are all about something that has a direct impact on at least one of them.
171* {{Tykebomb}}: The Chosen, as noted above - they're raised from infancy to be Azula's ultimate warrior-servants.
172* UndyingLoyalty: The Chosen, towards Azula, being indoctrinated to see her as something close to an infallible living god.
173* 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 and [[{{Unperson}} erased from history]].
174* {{Unperson}}: [[spoiler:Zuko - after his death, his very existence was struck from the official records and history, with him only appearing in some private documentations. Upon reading them, Jiazin is horrified]].
175%%* UnskilledButStrong: Tong, in contrast to the WeakButSkilled Shu Bei Fong.
176* UpperClassTwit: Pointedly defied; Azula devised the Agni Li to ensure that all members of the Fire Empire aristocracy were contributing to the Empire in some way or another.
177* UriahGambit: After [[spoiler:Azula orders General Xia to retake Long Du Shi]], she declares him a traitor before traveling there herself to burn the city to the ground; she intended on killing him anyway [[spoiler:just so she could take out her top military commander, another step in triggering her SuccessionCrisis]].
178* 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 merely shocking someone unconscious. In the final confrontation, it turns out [[spoiler:she invented the ability to bend one's chi to alter the course of firebending (essentially a fire equivalent to bloodbending)]], and is impossible to defeat, even when ganged up on, [[spoiler:unless taken by surprise]].
179* VillainousBreakdown:
180** We essentially meet Azula in the middle of one, as she is finally forced to face her own old age, the one enemy she can't possibly defeat.
181** And Yuan seriously cracks after [[spoiler: the Moon and Ocean spirits are stolen back by Yue]], which dissolves into a VillainousBSOD after [[spoiler: she destroys his fleet]].
182** [[spoiler:Shiyan is seriously put off her game when Cheng starts questioning her role as a Chosen, and goes into a full BSOD when she accidentally kills Azula.]]
183* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: We never found out what happened to [[spoiler:Cheng, after Shiyan released her]].
184* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: [[spoiler:Narrated by Jiazin in the historical records.]]
185* WhoWouldBeStupidEnough: This is how Jiazin figures out that something is wrong with her orders to investigate Minister Qing Xi; a plotter would keep their plans as secret and inaccessible as possible, they wouldn't be left on a table [[SchmuckBait for anyone to find]]. It turns out that SpottingTheThread was the point as Qing Xi wanted to test Jiazin's intuition.
186* WrongGenreSavvy: Kanoda at first; he's an avid student of Water Tribe histories and lore but is wrongly convinced that this story is ''his'' adventure and he's TheHero, when it's actually much bigger than that. He becomes more straightforwardly savvy with CharacterDevelopment.
187* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Azula left orders to the Mistress of the Chosen to arrest and execute High Minister Qing Xi. It fails since Qing Xi gets wind of it and poisons the Mistress first.]]
188* YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler:Cheng assasinates Shu Bei Fong, much to Chaiy's grief and rage, and Tong has to reason with her to prevent an execution. She is able to prioritise her duties, thankfully.]]
189
190----
191!! ''Legacy of the Fire Empire'' contains examples of:
192
193* AmnesiacDissonance: [[spoiler:Shiyan, when her memory starts to return, is initially horrified. Then her old personality fully reasserts itself, and she has no problem going back to killing.]]
194* BigBadDuumvirate: [[EvilOverlord Li Shang]] and [[HighPriest Aitan]], who rule the occupied Omashu as a team.
195* BigBadWannabe: Wei and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Sho, hold several children hostage so they can [[spoiler: force Fire Lord Jiazin to step down from her throne]], and bring back the Fire Empire. When Kanoda throws a spear at them, they make the mistake of sending out the soldiers leaving themselves unguarded. Kanoda then acts as a diversion, while [[spoiler: Avatar Aang]] ambushes the soldiers when they come back and promptly knocks out Wei and Sho.
196* ColdBloodedTorture: Aitan has apparently learned to use a version of Ty Lee's chi blocking in order to induce great pain.
197* DemotedToExtra: Jiazin, TheHero in the first story, will be reduced to [[SupportingLeader supporting character]] according to WordOfGod. Given that he wants the other major characters to shine this time, the decision is not necessarily a bad one.
198* LateArrivalSpoiler: Unsurprisingly, the sequel's summary spoils that [[spoiler:Aang is alive, WalkingTheEarth and the (apparent) central character; not to mention the cults.]] Right now, avoiding the author's profile is the best way to avoid spoiling oneself about this, but avoiding the summary whilst browsing helps as well.
199* TheMole: Zai, one of Aitan's acolytes, is actually a spy for the Chanjie[[note]]Formerly Omashu[[/note]] rebellion.
200* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Unsurprisingly, the sequel's summary spoils that [[spoiler:Aang is alive, WalkingTheEarth and the (apparent) central character; not to mention the cults.]] Right now, avoiding the author's profile is the best way to avoid spoiling oneself about this, but avoiding the summary whilst browsing helps as well.
201* TheParalyzer: Aitan is a trained chi-blocker, which lets her immobilize even powerful benders with ease.
202* ReligionOfEvil: Aitan's Azula worshipping cult, which regards a dead tyrant [[spoiler: who tried to blow up the world]] as a divinity.
203* ShipperOnDeck: [[spoiler:Aang]] seems to ship Jiazin/Kanoda.
204* TimeSkip: [[spoiler:Five years, pretty much picking up where the story left off in the epilogue.]]

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