An Alliance of Traitors

Disclaimer: "Avatar: the Last Airbender" is among the things I regretfully do NOT own.

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EPILOGUE

The road to the remote, high-security correctional facility was deserted.

Nevertheless, the lone traveler still felt the urge to look behind him, to make sure that no one was following him. The place was empty, of course, and there was no real need to be concerned. No one would be taking this road today of all days. He sighed with relief before turning back to his journey. A light breeze blew across the barren, rocky road. Accustomed to traveling with excessive care and stealth, he readjusted his hood, making it cover his face even more. Even on a deserted road, he felt eerily visible and vulnerable. Silence and disguise had become habits he simply could not shake off. He looked ahead and estimated how long it would take for him to reach his destination.

The prison was just beyond the next stony, grey hill. If nothing came in his way, he would arrive there in less than an hour. He trembled slightly, feeling his limbs weaken, a symptom of that ailment he had been suffering from since childhood. He covered his mouth as he coughed slightly. But he would not allow his physical limitations to deter him from his purpose. He trudged on with determination, breathing deeply as he resumed his journey.

There was nothing really to worry about. No one would stop him in his endeavor and no one even knew of his intentions, no one but he knew. And perhaps this was what made him so edgy and paranoid. After all, this was his personal mission, the fruition of all his efforts and pursuits. It was not a particularly pleasant prospect and it was quite far from the happy ending which so many were enjoying at present. Nevertheless, he knew that this had to be done. Her face flashed before him for an instance and he held on to the memory for as long as it could. He was doing this for him, and for her, as well. It was only by accomplishing this final, great feat that he would find the closure he had longed for all his life.

His golden eyes searched the horizon for any sign of the prison but nothing was there yet. He panted and struggled as he climbed up the rather steep incline. He grasped at the large, protruding stones to heave himself upward. He gritted his teeth as he endured the short climb. It was not that high and any other person would have been able to scale the distance with relative ease. But he was not in his best physical shape and even this simple task was proving to be a rather painful challenge for him. But he was determined, and this drive fueled his feeble muscles.

At last, he reached the crest of the hill and as he panted heavily, he looked ahead. Below, he could see the small but extremely secure prison. It was a bleak structure, surrounded by high walls and tiny slits for windows. The building was surrounded by miles and miles of barren wasteland, upon which no vegetation grew, no creatures could thrive, no life could exist. A lonely, desolate place, and the perfect prison for a cruel, terrible man.

The entire scene seemed so fitting that the traveler rested for a few moments to ponder the suitability of the venue, the utter isolation, and the certain misery that the lone captive surely felt within his empty, squalid cell. The painful memories that would plague the sole inhabitant, the regrets, the disappointments, and the failures which would replay themselves in his head and haunt his nightmares for the countless days to come. It was all very well. He deserved such a fate, and the whole world was better for it.

Many had been surprised when the young Avatar had chosen to spare the life of the Phoenix King. Although mercy and kindness were commendable virtues, these seemed rather unnecessary in his case. After all, the last airbender had just spared the life of a cruel, ruthless tyrant who would not have had second thoughts about killing the Avatar if he had been given the opportunity. Ozai, so many had believed, was beyond all redemption, beyond all mercy. He needed to be erased from the face of the earth. But the Avatar had declared that he had no right to take away anyone's life, even that of this horrible person. So instead of killing him, the young, gentle airbender had merely taken away his powers.

This, in itself, was no mean feat. After all, not only was Aang removing Ozai's ability to firebend but also the powers of intensified airbending, earthbending, and waterbending that Ozai had stolen from him by using the key that had truly belonged to the Avatar. The boy was not only denying his enemy of his greatest weapons, but he was also reclaiming all the powers which were rightfully his, his own inheritance from his previous lives. And when this had been done, when the former Phoenix King had been emptied of all his strength, humbled and brought down lower than he could have ever imagined, he was sent away, banished, as so many had been during his reign (even his own son who was now to replace him as Fire Lord) to this barren, forsaken place, where he would spend the rest of his days pondering on his disgrace and failure.

As he approached the entrance of the prison, the hooded man could not help but think that perhaps this punishment was even crueler than death itself. He did not attribute any cruelty or ill will to the Avatar, of course, since he knew well, as many did, that the gentle airbender was incapable of such hatred towards his fellowman. But still, such isolation and oblivion must have been torment to the man accustomed to power, acclaim, control, and recognition.

At last, the traveler stood at the threshold at the prison, guarded by a couple of disgruntled looking soldiers. They looked curtly at him as he showed them the seal of the Fire Nation royal palace that he had been given as a special privilege for his participation in the former rebel army. Looking at him and deciding that he was harmless, they let him enter the cell without any further questions. He thanked them and stepped into the narrow hall which led to the door that opened to the small space where visitors (who would not come, of course) could stand and glance at the wretched prisoner.

The guards did not concern themselves with his purpose for being there, they had no desire to do anything beyond the call of duty. He pitied them somewhat. Their position, after all was not enviable. After all, here they were, in a remote, barren prison, guarding a captive whom they hated more than anyone else while the rest of the world was celebrating its liberation from a hundred years of war and suffering. These were happier times.

Today was the eve of the coronation of the new Fire Lord, the formerly banished Prince Zuko. Once determined to capture the Avatar to restore his honor, the young firebender had chosen a different path and become a staunch and valuable ally to the airbender. Zuko was still nervous and apprehensive about what lay ahead of him but he was also strongly resolved to make amends for the damages caused by the Fire Lords who reigned before him.

The true heir to the throne was Ozai's older brother, the Dragon of the West, General Iroh, the older man had relinquished his claim to the crown and gladly bequeathed it to his beloved nephew, one whom he had loved and treated like his own son. Iroh had chosen to retire from the military and from politics and turn to a simpler life of peace, prosperity, and Pai Sho. He reopened his beloved tea shop, the Jasmine Dragon, in the walled Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se. He assured his nephew that he would visit the Fire Nation every now and then to give the young Fire Lord counsel and wisdom but he also said that he trusted that Zuko would be able to make wise and informed decisions of his own. The older firebender understood that to usher in the new era of peace and harmony, he had to leave the world largely in the hands of the younger generation. The future was theirs to mold and fortify.

Another significant event that would be held simultaneously with the coronation would be the long-awaited wedding of Fire Lord Zuko to the renowned waterbending master, Katara of the Water Tribe. Their union would prove to be a very convenient political alliance since Katara, though originally of the Southern Water Tribe, had trained under the great Master Pakku of the Northern Water Tribe, and therefore she represented both groups. The marriage would cement intercultural relations between the two formerly warring countries, and to establish newer and more peaceful activities between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes. And most importantly, the wedding would be the formal unification of two individuals whose love and devotion to one another had passed the test of many heavy trials. This would also mark one of the happiest royal weddings in Fire Nation history.

Other notables who would be present at the ceremony aside from the bride's immediate family (and selected members of the groom's family, for obvious reasons), were the Avatar himself, dearly considered a member of their combined and extended family, his earthbending master, Toph Bei Fong, and a number of other close friends. The Avatar's presence was also to show the restored friendship between him and the Fire Lord (like that of the previous generation, Roku and Sozin). Fire Lord Zuko also hoped to through this friendship, begin making amends for his great-grandfather's wiping out of the Air Nomads. For the moment, of course, there was only one airbender left, but there was talk that this circumstance might soon change. Nothing was absolutely certain at this juncture, but there was enough talk going around about the eligibility of the growing young airbender.

At first, people had thought that Aang was in love with Katara but seeing as she was soon going to marry Zuko, they knew that circumstances had clearly changed. Nevertheless, those who had observed the content expression that the boy wore over the past few days, as he recovered from his injuries, and prepared for the role he would play in the future, could sense that he was happy for the couple, not at all jealous, and that somehow his heart had an object. His air was cheerful and he enjoyed the company of all his closest friends. No one could be certain, but it really seemed that the Avatar was not going to be basking in loneliness any time soon. And this particular cheerfulness of disposition he had had nothing to do with his recent victory against the Phoenix King and the fulfillment of his destiny. It was a joy that had a specific source.

Some speculated that his happiness had something to do with a certain earthbender. Others disagreed and argued that a young Fire Nation girl named On Ji who had helped tend to his wounds had caught his eye. Others still argued that he was enamored with an Earth Kingdom girl named Meng with funny hair and an obvious affection for him. But no one could be entirely sure.

The only thing about the Avatar which was incontestable was that he was happy, and not the least bit lonely. How soon and with whom his happiness would be complete were still mysteries.

Speaking of the earthbender, Toph Bei Fong would definitely be present at the wedding, being one of the bride's closest female friends, as dear to her as a sister. Katara of course did not impose the feminine niceties and glamor which Toph had despised so much but nevertheless, out of affection for her friend, the blind earthbender decided to dress up for the occasion. She still refused to wear shoes, though.

Quite recently Toph had been joyfully reunited and reconciled with her own family and she was now enjoying both the freedom and the love and acceptance that she had always longed for. She had decided to travel around the Earth Kingdom and to teach earthbending to some talented children with disabilities, to inspire them to become more than what they are. She also kept very close and friendly relations with King Bumi of Omashu, who had become quite fond of her. They would spar with each other whenever they had the opportunity and then, exchange earthbending tips with one another afterwards. Toph's life and happiness were hers to explore freely, and she was very happy about it.

The earthbender was also proving to be an invaluable asset when it came to fostering international relations with the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. Zuko's plans were to re-solidify an alliance with the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom to avoid conflict and to foster better communication among all peoples. He wanted to help rebuild the Four Nations into a world of tolerance, respect, freedom, and justice. He was every bit as idealistic as Iroh had hoped he would be and there seemed so much promise for the future with the new alliances burgeoning from old conflicts.

Katara's relatives were more than happy to accept her future husband into their tight-knit family. When she had introduced her fiance to Gran-gran, and to Grampakku as well, both she and Zuko had been apprehensive at first, considering how the old lady had first encountered the firebender. Luckily, all such unpleasant meetings had been forgotten and Gran-gran had instantly pinched Zuko's cheeks with approval.

Her older brother Sokka, just recently married to Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi warriors, had developed a brotherly bond with the firebender although their approaches to life were very different. Sokka was still trying to teach Zuko to have a sense of humor and Zuko was still resisting Sokka's excruciating brand of hilarity. Nevertheless, they were both eager to become officially related to one another.

Sokka was also in training to succeed his father, Hakoda, as chief of the Southern Water Tribe. The older warrior was exceedingly proud of both his children and was equally thrilled to welcome Zuko into the family. Zuko had a profound respect for the chief and Hakoda too had developed a fondness for the firebender, as well as for a certain member of Zuko's family. The older Water Tribe Warrior had yet to act on these circumstances but many slyly suspected that he would soon be making his move. Fortunately, his children heartily approved, and even Zuko was drawn into a mischievous conspiracy.

After all, it was not for nothing that the future Fire Lord's aunt, Melisande, was appointed as an ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe. Initially, the former duchess had raised her eyebrows at this, but she made no objection to it whatsoever. Katara and Zuko had talked about the matter amongst themselves and they concluded that perhaps though Melisande had some suspicions about their true motives for that appointment, she was more pleased with it than she cared to admit. It was not a bad prospect at all. And the more the future royal couple discussed it, the more they looked forward to another possible alliance between their two countries, and more importantly, their two families.

Zuko's mother Ursa, of course, would be attending the ceremony as well and she too looked forward to adding Katara to the family. The gentle twin of Melisande was as happy and proud as any mother could be for her son and she had hinted, as subtly as she could, that she had a desire for grandchildren. She had always wanted a big and happy family, a circumstance which had been denied to her for quite some time.

Zuko's current family situation, after all, was still far from perfect and there were certain wounds that were still in the process of healing. His father was imprisoned in a remote facility, and there were absolutely no chances of reconciliation there. But his younger sister, Azula, was currently staying in their family's rest house on Ember Island, recovering from all that she had endured during the final battle.

The heaviest burden which Azula had had to bear so far was the loss of her powers. The great spirit had been right about this being a truly heavy punishment to her. For the first time in her life, Azula experienced what it was like to be helplessly dependent on other people. She hated not being in control, not being in charge, but her significantly weakened physical condition gave her no choice. This time, other people were deciding what to do with her and she had absolutely no say in her own life (at least for the time being). Having no alternative was all the more frustrating for her.

After the harsh judgment of the fire spirit, Zuko had decided that his sister needed time not only to heal but to re-evaluate her priorities. He was aware that in spite of the punishment already dealt to Azula by the Spirit, there were still many who wanted to see her locked up in a cell somewhere. But since he was a compassionate brother and Fire Lord, he had decided to keep Azula confined in house arrest on Ember Island, far away from potential threats and enemies. Ursa had also decided to stay with her daughter during her confinement, to care for Azula and nurse her wounds (physical and emotional), to give her the attention that Azula felts she was deprived of, and to show Azula that she truly loved her daughter very much.

In spite of Ursa's temporary absence, Azula would still not be left alone on Ember Island. With her were her two former companions Mai and Ty Lee who had opted to stay with the distraught princess though Azula still held a grudge against them for betraying her in Ba Sing Se. Nevertheless, she tolerated their presence and could do no harm more than the occasional acidic statement which they were more than used to and merely ignored. Another notable companion of the princess was the love sick earthbender Haru, who also volunteered to stay on the island. In spite of all that had happened, he continued to feel deeply for the former firebending prodigy and though Azula was resentful of and repulsed by his presence, other than firing the occasional insult about his race, she did no further damage to his feelings. She was loath to admit it but she was slightly intrigued by him now that she had nothing else to focus on. Besides, he looked so much more becoming without the facial hair.

It would take some time for the rift between Azula and her family to be closed but somehow, Zuko and Ursa were taking the initiative (that Azula would surely never do) to patch things up in the family. Zuko was not as optimistic as his mother when it came to believing that Azula would reform herself completely, but he did hope that she would no longer nourish too much hatred and anger towards everyone. He had learned so much from his experiences as a banished prince and he hoped that her stay on the island would teach her something valuable as well.

The coronation and wedding were to be jubilant celebrations indeed and everyone was looking forward to these events with great fervor and almost feverish anticipation. All this was why it seemed so peculiar that someone was not currently at the Fire Nation capital, but instead, traveled miles and miles away from the celebration and into this cold, bleak dungeon.

The hooded man sighed. He had actually wanted to be at the feast as well. In fact, he had been personally invited by several of the important people there. He had smiled and nodded politely to their requests but he had silently declined them. He was not averse to the occasion, of course.

Just then, he broke into a loud fit of coughs, the noise echoing across the narrow hall. He covered his mouth and clutched at his chest until the fit subsided. He took a deep breath before walking and standing in front of the metal door that lead to the inner chamber, where the lone prisoner was behind bars and a visitor could stand a few feet away from him.

He was running out of time, the stranger thought. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Zuko crowned Fire Lord and married to Katara. It was just that there was something more urgent, and more important for him to do. And it was of such gravity that it could not possibly be delayed. And only he knew about it.

Carefully and determinedly, Notho Zaides opened the door and stepped into the inner chamber. His eyes adjusted themselves to the darkness and he shivered slightly, not from the cold of the prison, but from the sight of the lone, pathetic captive huddled like a miserable heap in one dank corner.

Ozai did not even bother to raise his head to look at his visitor. The fallen Fire Lord could not care any less for the presence of another in that sorry dungeon. He was dressed in filthy, torn rags, and he lay against the cold stone wall limply. His long dark hair was extremely disheveled and stuck to his face as he bent his head lazily, his once blazing eyes now reduced to languishing embers. The Avatar had taken more than just his bending. Ozai was now no more than a shadow of what he had once been. And it looked like he had no intention of budging from his current position.

Notho Zaides pulled down his hood and took another good look at the broken man before him. Ozai faced him but no hint of recognition passed the older man's face. The prisoner maintained his silence. This reaction had been expected.

"You have no idea who I am, do you?" Notho Zaides said simply. Ozai did not even lift his head, showing his indifference. This did not bother the visitor in the least.

"I suppose not," Notho Zaides continued, as if speaking more to himself than to Ozai, "you never would have noticed me enough to remember this forgettable face. And yet, I proved to be a threat enough that you still sent that bounty hunter to capture me."

Ozai looked up suddenly, his interest sparked by this last statement. Notho smiled with dark satisfaction. It seemed that he had finally caught Ozai's attention. Slowly, the prisoner rose from his position, craning his neck slightly to get a better look at the speaker. Ozai narrowed his eyes, their expression that of utter hatred, as he stared at the man before him. Notho said nothing as he was being appraised thus.

"You finally remembered me after all, Phoenix King," Notho remarked with sarcasm. His face was a stony mask as he returned Ozai's wrathful gaze. The longer Ozai stared at him, the more his anger seemed to grow.

"We meet at last, filthy traitor," Ozai finally spoke in a voice slightly raspy from disuse but still dripping with complete and utter loathing. He glared at Notho through the bars of the prison. Ozai took a few steps towards the visitor, standing as straight as he could manage to. He was determined not to look weak and frail before this pathetic peasant. Somehow, the Avatar had not been able to take away all of the former Phoenix King's insufferable pride.

At his full height, Ozai towered over the other man and the fallen prisoner now had the slight satisfaction of looking down at his companion. This visit had been most unexpected and though he had no real interest in Notho Zaides, Ozai was still slightly curious at how this meeting would turn out. While it was true that Ozai no longer had his bending or former physical strength, he still wanted to make a lasting impression, especially on this weak, audacious upstart who dared to show his face to him. If he couldn't beat this man physically, Ozai at least wanted to verbally abuse him.

"You weak, pathetic coward," Ozai began, his venom ready, "you only dare show your face to me now that I am in no position to harm you. Only now do you have the gall to reveal yourself to me. But all those plots you were involved in, those so-called secret schemes to overthrow me, and to even have me killed, I uncovered them all! And I discovered your treachery! Even as you tried to hide in the shadows, I found traces of your existence!"

"And yet, here I am, alive and safe, contrary to all your expectations," Notho Zaides replied coolly and audaciously, taunting the prisoner. Ozai gritted his teeth in anger.

"How dare you?" he spat back, "you are only here because the bounty hunter proved to be disloyal and incompetent. If I took the time to get rid of lowly vermin like you, your corpse would be feasted on by maggots by now!"

"But you didn't pay that much attention to me," Notho replied tauntingly, "you miscalculated, and now you're paying the price."

Again, Ozai was further enraged by this, and unable to control himself any longer, he extended his hands out between the metal bars and grabbed Notho Zaides' neck, tightly squeezing and beginning to strangle him. The younger man was able to resist the force of Ozai's hands at least to delay the strangling but Notho Zaides was still struggling to breathe. And yet, he didn't seem at all surprised. Ozai found this composure peculiar and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Why are you really here?" the prisoner asked menacingly. The prisoner's grip on his victim's neck was not as strong as he imagined it to be. Ozai had overestimated his own strength and failed to notice that now his victim had gripped his frail hands even stronger.

Notho Zaides glared back at Ozai, the former with his golden stare piercing through Ozai's gaze. And for a brief moment, Ozai's eyes widened in incomprehensible recognition.

"To deal with some unfinished business," Notho Zaides replied simply, at the same time brandishing a weapon that he had hidden under his cloak, and plunging the blade deep into

Ozai's chest.

The prisoner immediately let go of the other one's neck, as he fell to the floor, clutching at his bleeding wound. Notho Zaides fell a few steps back as well, taking many deep breaths, and holding his neck carefully. And even as his blood flowed out of him, Ozai felt a burning, searing pain shoot through his body, a pain that not even the sharpest dagger could produce. He screamed in agony as he realized that the blade had been poisoned. Ozai glared with hatred at the panting figure of Notho Zaides who watched calmly as Ozai writhed in pain.

"The juice of the Python Lotus," Notho Zaides stated simply, as if answering Ozai's silent question, "the same poison you used to kill my mother."

Even in his throes of utter pain, Ozai was still able to look stunned at his killer's revelation. Through his bouts of agony, he was still able to speak, albeit with difficulty.

"That whore," was all he was able to mouth through gritted teeth, "that living disgrace."

At the mention of such an obscene name, Notho Zaides frowned angrily for the first time.

"That whore was my mother," Notho Zaides screamed at the bleeding man, "and you killed her! And for what? To hide the evidence of your own shame and disgrace, to conceal the result of your foolish mistakes!"

"You," Ozai said faintly as his wound continued to torture him, the poison spreading quickly through his system, "her bastard survived."

"I'm your bastard too," Notho Zaides replied coldly, "and I barely survived. But I know what you did and I have spent my whole life planning this day, the day I avenge my mother's death."

Notho Zaides watched bitterly as Ozai continued to thrash and shake, while blood continued to form a larger pool on the floor.

"I had once believed that the Avatar would do this service for me," Notho Zaides said softly as Ozai's life ebbed out of him, "but when he spared you I realized that I was being given the opportunity to finish the job myself. And I would not have had it any other way."

Then, with that, he was gone, nothing but a lifeless heap of flesh on a blood-soaked floor. Notho Zaides stared down at the corpse silently. There was no real satisfaction here or triumphant, only a sense that he had finally accomplished an important task.

It was then that he felt that familiar stab of pain. This time, it came stronger than it had before and in that instant, Notho Zaides knew that his time had come. He fell to the ground, clutching at his chest and gritting his teeth as he bore the pain.

He had barely survived when his mother was poisoned, and he had been born weak and frail, with a disease that had come as a side effect of the poison he had been exposed to while still in his mother's womb. He knew that this day would come soon and he had long ago accepted that he would not grow to a ripe old age. And yet, he felt grateful that he had lived just long enough to see this through.

He had his regrets and misgivings. Now that the world was being built anew, he would have wanted to be a part of it. But it was not to be. At least, he had still managed to witness the end of the war.

And as Notho Zaides was taking his last breaths, pondering on all that he had endured in his short life, someone burst through the door. And immediately, Notho Zaides felt himself cradled in the arms of Lady Melisande, who fretted and worried over him. But through his pain, he still managed to smile at her weakly.

She had been one of those who had personally invited him to the wedding and coronation. And when she noticed his absence, she suspected something, though she was not sure of what it was. There had always been something hauntingly but incomprehensibly familiar about Notho Zaides. After the final battle, she had done a thorough background check on him. It was only earlier that day that she had discovered his true identity, from old records and a journal of his mother. So she had followed him here and had reached him just in time.

"Hold on," she urged him tearfully, "hold on. If only I had known this sooner."

"There was nothing you could have done to prevent this," he replied calmly, "my time has come."

"But--," she protested, only to be interrupted by him. He motioned weakly to Ozai's bloody cadaver.

"It is done," he said simply, "the cycle is broken. My brother is untainted."

He would bear the final burden of the sins of his fathers, he would be the last of their line to go against his own flesh and blood. The curse of their family, if it could be called that, was broken at last. And Zuko now had the chance to begin with a clean slate, to atone for his family's transgressions, to cleanse their name.

Melisande blinked back tears but she knew that there was nothing she could do to save Notho Zaides now. So instead, she simply held him tight. He coughed loudly.

"I am glad," he said softly, "that I lived to see the Avatar bring peace to this world."

"The world is going to be a very different place now," Melisande told him gently. He nodded faintly at her.

"A better place," he whispered before taking his final breath, his chest heaving. Then, he was gone as well, and Melisande hugged his body tightly, grieving for this devastating loss. Carefully, Melisande closed his eyes and laid his body down on the cold stone floor.

Melisande knew that Zuko deserved to know the truth about what had just happened, about whom they had lost so unexpectedly, the brother he had never known. But for now, she would conceal the unhappy truth for as long as it was necessary. There would be a proper time to let them know. But not now, Notho Zaides would not have wanted to spoil the joyful occasion.

The world had changed.

These were happier times.

-FIN-

Thank you very, very much for everything.

I know that this was a very dark and slightly tragic ending but this was my original plan. I was apprehensive about it at first but I could not simply let go of it. This needed to happen. I don't know how you will like/dislike/hate this ending but I hope this epilogue doesn't make you hate the entire story completely. It's just a side event, significant, but not necessarily part of the main cast interaction.

I'm sorry if this disappointed any of you and I will appreciate whatever you have to say on the matter. Nevertheless, I am still so very grateful to all of you, dear readers, for sticking with me until the end. Thank you. If you have any questions or clarifications, please leave a review or send me a PM and I'd be happy to answer you.

Like I mentioned before, this has been my longest, hardest, and most ambitious writing project ever and I really spent so much time and effort to try and produce something worthwhile. I tried my best to keep the story exciting and the characters in character. I know that in many ways the story is far from perfect; I am not completely satisfied with it in some respects but I am also quite proud of it.

This has been a very different story from "Sojourn in Solitude" although it traces the events that followed that story. I hope that, as a sequel, it did not disappoint all those who requested for it.

I'm sorry if the updates have not been as regular as you would have wanted them and that there were sometimes really long delays between uploading chapters. Thank you for bearing with me. Your support and feedback have been what inspired me to keep writing even when I sometimes found myself stuck somewhere.

So thank you to everyone who left a review for this story: solarecilpse, pfnelly, lazyguy90,Fire-of-the-Sun, NorthernLights25, spinners0end, Luiz4200, musiclover9419, JC, Pepipanda, Illico, ElementUchihaMaster, TheLastNight57, ZutaraFan4, mT, Bonnie, Tea, Sakura Taichou, arizony, avatargirl92008, Manola3, Gaby, AnimeFanGirlWrites4ever, HarmoniousPie

And thank you to all those who added this story to their favorites: AnimeFanGirlWrites4ever, ArrayePL, Fayari, Fire-of-the-Sun, Khajmer, Kristoshi Warrior, Pepipanda, Sakura Taichou, TheLastNight57, arizony, kurokinshiro, musiclover9419, pfnelly

As for those who added this to their alerts, thank you, and you won't need to wait for updates any longer: 13AnimE13, Evelyn Rose, Fayari, Fire-of-the-Sun, Illico, Khajmer, Kristoshi Warrior, Lady Padfoot21, Luiz4200, Pepipanda, Sakura Taichou, SurvivalHorror, TheLastNight57, angstar54, arizony, gred18850, hellbutterfly421, ktsvillefan, mkabalt, musiclover9419, pfnelly, solarecilpse

And thank you to AnimeFanGirlWrites4ever for adding my story to your "Avatar Action" C2. I'm glad you liked it that much.

I'd also like to thank those who added me to their "Author Alert" or "Favorite Authors" list after reading this story. Your support is very much appreciated.

An especially bigger "THANK YOU" to those who have stuck with me since "Sojourn in Solitude"! Your support has been so beautiful!

To everyone who will leave a review to the story in the future, or add this to your favorites, thank you in advance and I really appreciate your support!

On the future:

I currently do not have any ideas whatsoever for a continuation of this story. As of now, as far as I'm concerned, this is the end. Well, I will admit that I have some lingering ideas for maybe a one-shot or two, or maybe short pieces focusing on Azula's exile and the rocky road to reconciliation for the Fire Nation family. But nothing is fully materialized yet. If you have any concerns about this (suggestions, recommendations), I'd be happy to hear from you and I'll try my best to accommodate any requests as soon as I find the time/energy. The prospect of a trilogy is both tempting and daunting.

I won't be writing any new fan fiction for quite some time. Whatever free time I have I will devote to finishing "Just Some Water Tribe Ingenuity" which is vastly different from this story, much lighter, and more frivolous.

Once I complete that project I might go on hiatus from writing Avatar fan fiction, to focus on my other unfinished stories.

Or I may take a break from fan fiction writing altogether since school work has become even more challenging than I anticipated and I really want to prioritize doing well in my studies. And the well of my so-called creativity is rather dry since my energies have been focused elsewhere.

But again, I will try to entertain all your requests and comments. Just send me a PM anytime.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." This feels very bittersweet indeed but it is necessary. The journey ends here, my friends, at least for now.