A/N: Ahh here it is, the epilogue. This isn't a traditional epilogue, as you'll see. I'll explain why at the end. :) It's a long one, with a new fic announcement and some fun facts about this series. Enjoy!
Epilogue
By Royal Decree of Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara:
The defeat on Harmonic Convergence mark's a New Dawn and era. From this day forth, the Black Games shall be abolished. Hereby, the Day of Black Sun shall mark a national holiday to honor the lives that have been lost, but never forgotten.
A public announcement has cleared up rumors that yes, former Fire Lord Ozai's wife has returned to the Capital. Lady Ursa has been missing since…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
After weeks of speculating, Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara have named their official royal council: General Iroh of Province 1. Master Jeong Jeong of Province 2. Captain Bowen of Province 6. Commander Ursa of Province 1. And Master Pakku of Province 9. Relations amongst the Provinces remain tense. Border security has tightened to decrease the threats of the Loyalists as…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Nation Prophet
Royal Announcement
Former Fire Lord Ozai's trial will begin in a fortnight. Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara will oversee the trial with the royal council. The trial will not be recorded live, and no reporters are to be present in the throne room.
Fire Lord Zuko meets with delegates from Provinces 3, 6, and 10. What does this mean? There have been rumors of…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Nation Prophet
Province 13, which many of us did not know existed, remains secret and closed off to the general public. What other secrets does the capital keep? It has…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Nation Prophet
Royal Announcement
Former Fire Lord Ozai has been sentenced to life in prison. He will be held at a non-disclosed prison, under extensive security. Active Loyalists will be captured and brought to trial at the Capital, where they will receive judgement and sentencing.
A surprising turn of events have led to citizens around the world to compete in underground fighting arenas. With the abolishment of the Black Games, it would seem the competitive bloodlust could not be wiped out entirely. The Fire Lord has…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Nation Prophet
Royal Announcement
All business will be closed tomorrow, on the Day of Black Sun.
By Royal Decree of Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara:
The 12 Provinces that have divided our nation will be united under the four nations of our ancestors: the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and the Air Temples. New borders shall be drawn to establish the territory lines. Each nation will be governed by a leader appointed by the Fire Lord and Lady. Province 13 shall hereby be under jurisdiction of the Earth Kingdom and renamed the United Republic of Nations. The URN be the bridge amongst the four nations, and act as neutral meeting grounds for the United Nations Council.
Official World Leader appointments:
Chief Hakoda, of the Northern Water Tribe
Chief Arnook, of the Southern Water Tribe
King Shai, of the Earth Kingdom
Monk Tenzin, of the Air Temples
The United Nations Council:
Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara, of the Fire Nation
Ambassador Asami and Ambassador Elias, of the United Republic of Nations
King Shai and Ambassador Toph, of the Earth Kingdom
Chief Hakoda and Chief Arnook, of the Water Tribes
Monk Tenzin, of the Air Temples
Ambassadors Asami and Elias of the United Republic of Nations are thrilled to announce their engagement. What is to be the wedding of the season, they will…
- Meng, Lady Gazette
The Dai Li have been transferred to the Earth Kingdom, where they will serve under King Shai and Ambassador Toph. There was an extensive investigation of current…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
New territory lines have been established by the United Republic of Nations. The Earth Kingdom remains the largest, like the Earth Provinces previously. The previous location of the Black Games is in the process of being converted to a memorial site that will honor fallen tributes. In a statement from the Fire Lord, the intention is not to hide the dark history, but to share it in the hopes of looking to a brighter future and honoring those that have fallen…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
After a long transition, Fire Lord Zuko has officially removed all Guards from around the world. The Fire Lord and General Iroh will continue aiding newly appointed leaders through the hiring and staffing process of their respected nations. A government and economy is not built overnight. There is still unrest in the Fire Nation as…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
Announcement
The restoration of the Air Temples, led by Monk Gyatso's surviving son and ambassador, Monk Tenzin, has officially begun.
Due to withdrawing Guards from around the world, the Fire Nation islands are overcrowded with citizens. Crime has increased among the lower rings. Fire Lady Katara will be meeting with the URN to discuss expansion. Meanwhile, there is a growing…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
Almost two years following the Harmonic Convergence that threatened our world, the Loyalists are still at large, led by a nameless masked figure. Though former Fire Lord Ozai's imprisoned location has remained nondisclosed, a heavily guarded secret not even I can dig up, his supporters persist. The Fire Lord and Lady have issued…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
The Beifong Metalbending Academy has been approved and is well under way. The Fire Nation will mirror this education by…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
Royal Announcement
Her Royal Highness Fire Lady Katara was safely delivered of a daughter.
The Fire Nation welcomes the Crown Princess Aurora, firstborn daughter of Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara, and heir to the Fire Nation throne.
An urgent meeting has been called by the URN. It is rumored this is due to strange activity on one of the Fire Nation islands. Some have said to hear…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
King Shai and Ambassador Toph of the Earth Kingdom elope on Ember Island. But hold on folks, this Metalbender refuses to take on the title of Queen. King Shai is certainly in for…
- Meng, Lady's Gazette
By Decree of the United Republic of Nations
In lieu of the illegal underground fighting arenas, the United Republic of Nations has created a new sport: pro-bending. The games will be hosted in Republic City, capital of the United Republic of Nations. Benders of all nations are invited to participate in a competition of skillful and competitive bending. There will be two leagues offered: one for teams of three and one for teams of four. Each team member must bend a different element and be over the age of fourteen.
Stay tuned for an update on the upcoming progress as rules and regulations are solidified. Construction on the arena will begin within a fortnight.
Announcement
Captain Bowen of the Fire Nation and his wife Jin, owner of the popular Lily Tea House in Caldera City, welcome their first child: a son by the name of Ren.
Republic City continues to gain popularity as more and more citizens flood into the city. A temporary relocation ban has been implemented so the city can accommodate the new influx of citizens. With the excitement of pro-bending, the city has…
Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
- Announcement
Ambassadors Asami and Elias of the United Republic of Nations welcome a son by the name of Kaiden. Despite slight complications, Ambassador Asami is doing well. The family thanks you for privacy in this time.
The opening ceremonies of the pro-bending season are set to begin tomorrow. As citizens flock to Republic City for a chance to watch the games, not all have embraced the sport. Monk Tenzin has made a statement showing his disapproval of the sport, calling it a mockery of ancient tradition. He has…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
The Northern Water Tribe (previously Province 9) has finally been restored to its former glory. With the aid from the Fire Nation, Chief Hakoda and his tribe are thriving in their new establishment. Chief Arnook hopes to continue this progress in the south with…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
Royal Announcement
Ambassador Toph was safely delivered of a daughter.
The Earth Kingdom welcomes the Crown Princess Lin, firstborn daughter of King Shai and Ambassador Toph, and heir to the Earth Kingdom throne.
Ambassador's Asami and Elias of the United Republic of Nations cut the ribbon for Future Industries, the new state-of-the-art technology and innovative facility located in Republic City. This could potentially rival…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
Despite the high level of security for Princess Aurora's 4th birthday celebration, there was an attack on Ember Island. Witnesses report there were no casualties and only minor injuries. The princess and royal family are safe and unharmed, though Fire Lord Zuko nearly blew up...
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
With the success of pro-bending in Republic City, citizens of the Fire Nation are demanding the return of Agni Kai Duels. The Fire Nation Royal Council are…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
As the population continues to increase, so does the crime. A breakout in gang activity in Republic City has warranted additional security. Ambassador Toph is said to be traveling this week to offer guidance on a potential new policing system that has been effective in the Earth Kingdom. No saying what…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
Royal Announcement
Her Royal Highness Fire Lady Katara was safely delivered of twins.
The Fire Nation welcomes Prince Koda, firstborn son, and Princess Zamira, secondborn daughter, of Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara.
General Iroh and Master Pakku of the Fire Nation Royal Council have been spotted with a small group of soldiers near the outer Fire Nation Islands. Could this mean…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
Announcement
Captain of the Fire Nation Royal Guard Bowen and his wife, Jin, welcome their second child: a daughter by the name of Jade.
The Southern Water Tribe has been restored and will welcome citizens from the Northern Water Tribe. It is rumored…
- Shiro Shinobi, The Fire Prophet
Royal Announcement
Ambassador Toph was safely delivered of a daughter late in the evening.
The Earth Kingdom welcomes Princess Su, secondborn daughter of King Shai and Ambassador Toph.
In a rapid turn of events, yours truly has been asked to broadcast this season's matches—that's right folks, I am putting down the quill and ink and relocating to Republic City. I will be joining Qin Lee as a live broadcaster. It has been an honor serving The Fire Prophet, serving the Fire Nation, but mostly, serving all of you. For without each of you, I am but a quill without ink. As I write my final words, I leave you with the wise words of General Iroh: Sometimes life is like a tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you keep moving, you will come to a better place.
Keeping moving, folks.
Shiro Shinobi
A/N: How does one write an epilogue over the span of years? After a war? It was tough! And I realized part of it was because I still had more story to tell and was cramming into into an epilogue where it didn't belong. So I wanted to give you glimpses of those years and set the stage for the spinoff, A New Dawn. This will be a series of one-shots and short stories set in this world. I'm not sure how often it will be updated, but I can promise you two pieces have already been started, which were both originally going to be in this epilogue: a much needed Ember Island vacation (poor Bowen really wants his vacation) and the crew attending the pro-bending matches. If you have ideas you'd be interested in hearing about, of course let me know!
As always, I cannot express to you how grateful I am to have you all for the ride.
Lastly, I'm always interested in "behind the scenes" of my favorite stories. So I have some random, fun facts that you may be interested in. Some of these things weren't actually written on page, because they didn't come up, but I wanted to share anyway. :)
- Bowen was inspired by Finnick, (who was my favorite character in THG) and was originally named Finn. I knew I wanted someone to essentially fill that void left from Sokka's death. But when I realized Bowen and Jin were very likely going to be endgame, Jin and Finn sounded silly to me. I think I just looked up a list of names and liked the sound of Bowen. Now I can't imagine him being called anything else.
- Bowen was actually supposed to have the nickname "Bo" and go by that. I used it a few times early on but it just didn't click for me, so I dropped that idea.
- When I first started outlining TPQ, I knew early on Lu Ten was going to betray them. Toph was first suspicious of him in the catacombs, when he snuck up on them. It made her uneasy that he could hide so well from her hearing.
- I once teased a love triangle back in TRoO. It was going to be Asami, Bowen, and Jin. It didn't really work out because Asami and Bowen didn't get too serious, and Bowen just naturally gravitated toward Jin. (And Asami clicked better with Elias.) Sorry love triangle, maybe next time. :P
- Speaking of Elias, he was originally supposed to play a very small role. It surprised me when I wrote him back into the story and he played a larger role in the series.
- Of all the deaths I wrote, I still think Ty Lee's was the hardest. And one of the saddest.
- I hated killing June. She was such a fun character, and such a good friend to Katara.
- Yue did sacrifice herself by restoring the moon in TRoO. Unfortunately there just wasn't a good time to bring that fact into the story without it feeling random since we're limited to Katara's story. (Katara eventually will figure this out.)
- A Dance of Two Dragons (ch 20 TPQ) is actually the dance of two lovers from canon.
- Katara actually has a dream flying with Zuko in Ch 6 of TPQ. Originally, she was going to ride on a phoenix and he a dragon at the end, but I had this vision of them being surrounded by phoenix's. Their sort of "flying off into the sunset" moment. Plus, there was no time to find and train a phoenix, lmao. Maybe there will be phoenix riding in the future...or more dragons? (Yes, more dragons. After what happened to Dany and Drogon there will be justice. FIRE AND BLOOD FOREVER. lol)
- I Always knew Zuko was going to die at the end of TBG. Always knew he'd come back, too. Didn't know Katara was going to die in TPQ until I wrote the chapter, interestingly enough.
- I got this question a lot...yes, Ozai does recognize Ursa's necklace that Katara is wearing in Ch 17 of TRoO. He wasn't happy about that.
- Zei is not Jin's biological father. She was abandoned as a child, and he found her. It's foreshadowed loosely in his diary: "I love you, my dear. For you are my greatest discovery."
- Ursa's fate was always up in the air. In the end, while some deaths have to happen off page when writing in single POV, hers would have needed to be on page. And it never felt natural, especially considering she fought away from Katara and Zuko.
Annnd I think that's all. Thank you again guys, I love you all. Hope to see you in A New Dawn or other works. :)