Ashes of Devotion [ATLA - Azula x OC]

AN: Happy thanks giving friends. I hope you enjoyed your holidays. I'm going traveling today, going to visit my long-distance pookie heh, but I already have next two chapters ready in advance so you will see them published either way. Might be delay by a day or two on chapter 13 but it's still a three weeks away. We shall see.

-Luce
​

97 A.G

The courtyard training sessions had become a predictable part of her morning, but she maintained them so rigorously for reasons that had little to do with the child's development and everything to do with time. Lin tried to limit the time she spent training the Royal so she could focus on her own tasks as well.

Every minute Azula was kept occupied and drained was a minute Lin could redirect toward something that actually mattered. The military did not pause for noble bloodlines or adolescent prodigies, and the mainland's warfront remained plagued by preventable setbacks, like delays in communication, failures in coordination, and outdated signaling methods.

She was home now, technically on assignment, but she still received constant updates from the warfront and her mind couldn't help but chase improvements. There was work to do, and her schedule revolved around carving out the hours to do it.

Azula, to her credit, was as sharp as the reports her family had received about her. Her flames had turned cold-blue, hotter than anything Lin had ever faced before, by the end of the second week. It spoke volumes about her dedication and raw power.

Her reaction time during drills placed her in Lin's top percentile, rivaling even her Lieutenants. The girl lacked real experience, but her instincts were usually on point, her resolve efficient, and her understanding of terrain and movement surprisingly advanced.

Lin offered praise during tasks she expected Azula to struggle with but she had to adjust her estimations very quickly. The princess was a weapon in the making, an undeniably potent one. With proper shaping, she could be one of the most powerful benders in Fire Nation history.

Still, one capable student did not make up for the inefficiencies across the broader war machine. The Fire Nation's chain of command remained rooted in methods that had not evolved in decades. Field captains signaled with flags, horns, and colored smoke, methods rendered useless under jungle canopies or storm-heavy skies. It took a day of heavy fog for orders to be delayed.

Messengers traveled on foot or mounted beasts: Komodo Rhinos, Dragon Moose, Mongoose Lizards, all too slow and too dependent on weather and terrain. There were times where Lin had lost men to those delays, soldiers she had trained personally.

She had written their names into reports with the painful realization that this could have gone differently with faster communication, and she swore not to let it happen again. She owed it to them.

A proper communications system was a necessity. She understood radios in theory, but she didn't yet understand the workings of electricity. She knew that with a steam engine she could generate electricity, but designing a steam-driven generator was beyond her expertise.

She did not fully understand the science, but the concept was sound. The mainland had nothing like them, but if her engineers could replicate the functionality using just her ideas and more or less how they should work, maybe within the year they could have electricity.

First she needed to come up with a way to nudge them towards creating a battery. From there, the concept would shift into generating electricity constantly using motion. It sounded difficult enough in her head, but she wouldn't really be the one breaking her mind on the problem. She knew what she was good at, and when it was time to let other people step in.

Today though, she got fantastic news. The family workshops, fed by her father's network of contracts and mineral suppliers, had managed to isolate the reactive component in blasting jelly, a substance used in demolition. The ignition agent had proven remarkably stable once separated.

Now, she could influence a few blacksmiths to make better weapons, non-bender artillery in the making! She could introduce cannons and guns, making the non-benders a powerful force against people who still lived as if it were the Middle Ages. If a soldier could carry firepower without needing to bend, then the Fire Nation's reach would multiply. They were already winning, with added firepower, they would surely finally crush their enemies.

None of this could happen if she spent every waking hour giving lessons to Azula. The solution was to accelerate the girl's training, and so far, it had worked. The princess was too proud to quit, too obsessed with perfection to request breaks. Lin kept the sessions just long enough to exhaust her chi, then left her to recover alone and come back to poke at her brilliant mind for a bit. It was resource management for dummies, really.

Her evenings were spent poring over sketches and calculations, exchanging coded letters with her family's lead metallurgist, visiting blacksmiths in Hari Bulkan to test alloy samples for pressure tolerance. Her father had presented some designs to the Fire Lord himself on her insistence. He was intrigued to say the least, enough to approve the research.

She didn't need the recognition so she wasn't really bothered by her father taking the credit for it. What she really cared about was her nation coming on top. In her first life, her nation found itself engulfed in war as well. She would have loved to see her nation win back then.

She really wanted the Fire Nation to become unstoppable. Teaching the princess to become the best leader she could to win the war was part of that, but technological advancement mattered just as much.

The sun was cresting above the palace walls when she finished today's training cycle. Azula was panting, fire on her breath, but still upright.

"Well done, Princess. See you in the evening." she said simply.

She turned and walked away, shifting her mind from training a Royal to strengthening the Fire Nation army. There were blueprints to craft, people to talk to, and a city full of workers who had yet to grasp how much war was about to change with what she was about to introduce.
​

There was a quiet discomfort in her muscles, one that Azula had come to enjoy. It spread across her shoulders and lower back as she exited the courtyard, a mild ache from pushing herself beyond yesterday's limits. That was what training with Captain Lin felt like, measured exhaustion. The kind of exhaustion that left her both satisfied and drained. Even as her lungs burned and her limbs strained, she felt that she was improving day by day.

She had always been better than her peers. That had never been in question. Her previous teacher used to call a prodigy with fire in her soul, but Lin had never said anything of the sort. Lin gave small compliments when things were done right but never enough that it felt fake.

She gave corrections when necessary, yet she was far quieter than any instructor Azula had trained under. Azula had assumed it was an act of disdain at first, maybe the girl didn't want to be here.

During the first early evening lessons Lin spoke at length about her company and the army but once the small details were covered she never brought them up again. Azula had thought she missed the front lines, but now she wasn't so certain. Lin didn't seem disappointed or amused.

Most of the time she seemed too focused on their training, a very intense, unwavering gaze that left Azula oddly pleased. She seemed to give her full attention during every second of their lessons.

Azula had tried to match her. At first, it was a matter of pride. No instructor would leave her breathless. But Lin's pace was impossible; she seemed to have unlimited chi. Her movements were tight and brutal, her fire unending, and the way she stepped through Azula's attacks without pausing or even staggering against the heat made her feel as though she were fighting a mountain.

No amount of force had broken through. Her flames were now purely blue, not only when she pushed her hardest, but with every flame she produced. They were streaking hotter and more powerful than ever before, but they meant nothing if they couldn't defeat her opponent.

Sometimes her flames would leave a mark but it made no difference; Lin's limbs could withstand it or even be replaced, fixed or cleaned by the next lesson. Her bending was strong and her mind quite sharp. And yet, even with her cleverest angles and fiercest blasts, she had never landed a decisive blow in a spar.

It had begun to bother her a little, but it also gave her a challenge to look forward to. Her father had acknowledged her progress and even praised her for how powerful she was becoming. But Lin hadn't even bothered to mention her flames.

Azula suspected that if she ever managed to best her, the woman would simply rise, brush off the dust, and tell her to do it again with less wasted motion or faster.

Strategy drills had become part of their routine, with Lin giving her case studies, battle maps, and problems that required logistical thinking. Azula excelled in those lessons. While Lin's comments remained minimal, she never hid her approval when Azula reached the correct conclusions. And so, she pressed forward, eager to complete each puzzle, eager to impress the one person who refused to be impressed.

It was less frustrating than the firebending training, at least there she sometimes earned the occasional 'Well done.' 'Nice job'. By comparison the firebending lessons always ended abruptly. Lin simply left. No conversation or instruction for next time. Azula was left standing with nothing but the sound of her breathing and the cool wind brushing against her face.

Today had been no different. They had sparred for thirty minutes without pause, then she had used firebending nonstop for the following two hours. Azula had completed the entire training without faltering. And then Lin had wrapped up the lesson, then turned away again, vanishing down one of the palace corridors.

Azula stood alone now in the empty training circle, hair clinging to her forehead and her inner robes damp with sweat. There were still hours left in the day. She had already read every text on military history available in her wing. She didn't know how Lin kept bringing new scenarios, new ideas and new battle plans, so there was little she could do to prepare for the evening lesson.

The idea of idle time frustrated her; rest felt wasteful when she knew that she could keep going even if she couldn't firebending. She needed another task to occupy her mind, another problem to crush.

Perhaps her father could assign her another tutor to practice forms while her chi recovered. She thought about it and it seemed like a good plan, at least until her gaze shifted toward the direction Lin had taken.

'What does Lin do once she leaves?' she wondered. She wasn't a palace servant. She didn't eat in the royal dining hall or sleep in the noble quarters. Azula had never seen her socialize or meet with officers. She simply vanished after each lesson.

The question burned and her mind tried to assemble possibilities, each more boring than the last but there was a mystery there. The Renshi family manor wasn't that far away, but it would be inconvenient to go there and return to the evening lessons so she was probably not going home.

Azula paused, adjusted her sash and walked slowly across the courtyard toward the exit. She wasn't one to loiter, and she wasn't foolish enough to be seen stalking. But nevertheless, Azula wanted to know where she went.

The decision came easily, curiosity winning out over caution in her young mind. She quickly followed after her. She would find out what her captain did in her free time. She hoped the effort was worth it.
​

Azula had no difficulty moving through the palace unnoticed. The corridors had once seemed massive, towering halls filled with guards and military officers, but she had grown used to their rhythm. She had learnt to identify different footsteps from a distance, to quiet hers down as well.

She could count the guard rotations in her head without needing to glance at the time. Sneaking was never really needed when you are a princess, but she liked to know little secrets here and there. Having something to blackmail people with sounded like a good backup to have, in case someone close ever stepped out of line.

Captain Lin was quick, but she, like clockwork, first changed her clothes before leaving, and the palace had few exits that everyone knew about. She passed through the barracks with minimal disruption, only seen by a couple of guards who just saluted her and carried on.

Azula moved from shadow to column, keeping her distance. Once Lin exited the palace grounds, Azula followed through a narrow servant's path and ducked beneath a wall-side, doing her best to remain out of sight.

Hari Bulkan's lower quarter was busy with the sound of clanging metal and shouting vendors, but Lin moved like she belonged there. She didn't slow or hesitate as she stepped through the crowd. She wore her uniform with the insignia of House Renshi clearly visible on the collar, and only a few peasants glanced at her, even with her unique appearance.

Azula kept her head low, tucked her hair into her outer robe, and stepped carefully across the wider street, never letting Lin out of view. The building she entered was simple in structure, reinforced stone walls with no decoration, just the mark of a black anvil above the doorway.

It was fitting, she guessed, that the cold older girl would visit an armory in her free time, and judging by the lack of banners, likely private. Azula pressed against the opposite wall and waited. The sun had risen further now, casting long shadows through the narrow street, but no one paid her any mind, which worked in her favor.

She crept closer, until the voices from inside became audible.

"…No, the alloy won't fracture under that pressure. But I have never heard of something that would ignite that kind of force, much less from a firebender. I can temper the steel as much as possible, but I wouldn't know until I get a look at the ignition."

"I'll handle the ignition separately. You just need to make the barrel." came Lin's voice, clipped and direct.

"And you want me to use this design… why do you need it like that?"

"It's a technique called rifling, it helps with accuracy, range and power as it spins the projectile when fired. The spinning gives stability mid-air."

"But it makes it harder to cast…"

"You will have to step up, friend."

Azula narrowed her eyes, piecing the fragments together. A weapon, clearly. Something with explosive force. Not for benders, since firebenders couldn't generate the power they were talking about. She knew Lin had an interest in tools and military advancement, but she had not expected this level of personal involvement.

"…Payment is already arranged. Have it ready by next week and I will pay extra. I'll return with the frame and ignition." Lin added.

The armorer grunted in agreement. Azula took a half-step back, intending to return to the courtyard path before Lin exited, but the door did not open. Minutes passed without any change, and she wondered if she should close up again. She waited longer, unsure now. Just as she turned to slip away, a tap landed lightly on her shoulder.

She spun, heat already sparking in her throat, her mouth forming the start of a warning, but her anger stopped cold when she saw the familiar black-and-red uniform, the glowing eyes of her mentor framed against the daylight.

Captain Lin stood silently, one eyebrow faintly raised. Azula opened her mouth, then closed it again. Her hands clenched by her sides, but she forced her posture straight.

"I was… curious."

Lin nodded once, then glanced back toward the forge.

"Curiosity is useful, but your steps are heavy, and your silhouette gave you away three corners ago."

Azula flushed despite herself.

"I wanted to know what you did after training."

"I work for the betterment of the army." Lin replied. "The same as I do before training. If you wanted to know you could have asked, but I don't mind you following me."

There was no accusation in her tone, or mockery for being found. She turned, motioned for Azula to follow, and began walking. Azula fell into step beside her, adjusting her pace. The street noise dulled as they took a side path toward the inner districts.

"What kind of weapon are you making?" Azula asked finally.

"A ranged siege weapon, capable of destroying walls, buildings, ships or even enemy infantry lines. They will also scare the enemy enough to crush their morale." Lin answered.

"What…?" the princess asked in disbelief.

"You will see soon. I intend to do a demonstration with the help of the minister of war." Lin said. "It will be a great boon for our army as non-benders will be able to use them."

Azula didn't reply. She watched Lin's profile, the way her expression remained unchanged even as she discussed such things. But she could feel her excitement when talking about it. It seemed the captain was passionate about weapons. Azula snorted in amusement, it was fitting.

They reached the shop district. Lin slowed.

"Next time, watch your angles. Sound matters more in tight corridors than in open space. And never let your line of sight rest on your target for more than three seconds. It makes you obvious. Also avoid letting your shadow point towards the one you are following, for someone alert, it will be evident."

Azula absorbed the advice in silence.

"You're walking me back?" she asked after a while.

"Yes. If something happened to you on your way, it would be my fault. I cannot have that."

Azula gave her a sidelong glance, but said nothing else. They passed beneath the inner gate and into the shaded courtyards beyond. Lin's pace remained steady, without a hint of annoyance. Azula wondered, as they walked, just how much more there was to learn from this strange girl. And why, despite everything, she wanted to know all of it.
​

Lin hadn't expected it to be Azula. She had sensed someone following her after leaving the palace, but she had assumed it was a courtier or an ambitious noble looking to curry favor. Someone from a rival house, perhaps, hoping to learn about her family's contracts. Children rarely had the patience or instinct to tail someone effectively, but then again Azula was no ordinary kid.

When she caught her standing beside the forge, eyes narrowed, spine rigid, Lin had tapped her shoulder without hesitation. There was no discipline to enforce. The girl had not broken any rule, and a Royal could do what they wanted anyway.

Back inside the walls of the estate, Lin turned toward the narrower garden path and walked ahead. Azula kept close with a calculating look on her face.

"You could wear softer shoes if you plan to follow anyone again." Lin said without looking back. "Your common Fire Nation heels strike the stone with too much force."

"Well, it was kind of unplanned. I didn't really intend to follow you until you had already left." Azula replied.

"I see, well it's good to be prepared." Lin said. "Just a thought for next time."

"It's almost as if you want me to follow you again."

"Maybe."

Azula fell silent again, and Lin wondered if she could turn this into an exercise. It could be more fun, and she was sure it would do the princess good; she didn't seem to go outside the palace much.

She continued toward the inner courtyard, where the guards at the northern post bowed their heads as they passed. Lin's mind had already returned to the forge. With the design of the barrel approved, now she had to turn her focus on the ignition component, something that her family engineers were working hard to obtain for her. She hoped they were being careful with it; paying retirement and injury fees to workers was not cheap.

"What exactly were you building?" Azula asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Lin glanced sideways.

"As I said, it's a weapon for our infantry. It allows a team of two soldiers to exert a powerful projectile across distance."

"Couldn't a trebuchet do the same thing?"

"No. This weapon will be way more powerful and faster than a trebuchet. It wouldn't even give earthbenders a chance to raise a wall in defense and its destructive capabilities are obviously better." Lin answered.

"And why can't firebenders use it? You said it was for non-benders."

"Everyone could use them, but it would be better to have them man these weapons, to use firebenders more efficiently. The range it's too great for a firebender to fire it and still be useful in the following combat, unless you are getting charged on or ambushed."

"And why cannot benders train enough to reach a similar power?" Azula asked.

Lin stopped, turned toward her. She could see she was interested in the weapon, but also it seemed the princess didn't like feeling less powerful than a tool.

"There are some things that cannot be compared." she said. "For example, you wouldn't compare a frigate or cruiser to simply using waterbending. Some tools and technologies are very good at what they do, more so than bending. But that doesn't mean bending isn't a weapon to use as well."

"I think whatever you make, I will be able to surpass it."

Lin did not argue and offered no response so they resumed walking. Lin understood the thought, she wasn't offended by Azula's bias. She grew under the constant praise of firebending and she was talented enough for anyone to consider her a prodigy, so Lin was sure that the princess thought everything could be solved if you were just strong enough.

She had heard it before, even from officers who should have known better. The Fire Nation had always leaned on its benders. But what they had in fire, they lacked in reach, destruction and efficiency. Not to mention, at least half of their forces were not benders.

The walk back to the palace was brief. Lin considered ending the conversation there, but Azula spoke again.

"Do you have more weapons being made?"

"No, so far only this one." Lin said. "I have designs for weapons I want to eventually make for myself, something way smaller and more portable, but firebending will still be enough for now."

Azula raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you the one making them? Isn't that a job for engineers and researchers?"

"Anyone can come up with innovation, Azula. I'm making them to win the war." Lin said with conviction.

She stopped at the entrance to the courtyard, where two Royal Guards adjusted their posture in her presence. Lin nodded, then turned back to Azula.

"I hope you enjoyed your walk, Princess." she said. "We can repeat this another day, I will see you in the evening, I haven't eaten lunch yet."

Azula tilted her head slightly.

"Thank you." she said.

"I can still see your chi has not recovered yet, get some rest."

Azula nodded once, without protest.

Lin glanced toward the inner corridor but remained where she was. There was no reason to rush. Azula watched her carefully now.

"What?" she asked.

"If you would like, we can eat something together."

The young princess considered it for a moment, her brow furrowing.

"That wouldn't be appropriate." she said finally. There was something in the girl's eyes that almost resembled disappointment.

"No, but who can deny the Princess?"

Azula smirked widely. "You are learning... Good, lead the way."

"As you command, my princess."​

97 A.G

"Fire!"

The explosion echoed through the courtyard like a thunderclap, a violent roar that cracked across the sky and rolled through the city in a trembling wave. A moment of stunned silence followed before the second blast struck, even more deafening than the first.

The attending officers flinched, and servants dropped their trays. Somewhere in the distance, birds took flight in a chaotic burst. But Minister Qin stood frozen with a wide grin, heart hammering with excitement. It was everything he had imagined.

The cannon still smoked at the base, its steel mouth glowing faintly from heat. It had been aimed precisely at a granite column positioned before a sloped wall of packed sand. What had once been a six-meter stone pillar was now a spray of dust and debris scattered across the firing range.

The projectile had buried itself deep into the slope behind it, a perfect arc of devastation that needed no explanation. Of course, no boulder could cause such devastating damage. This was a ball of metal that traveled faster than the eye could follow and struck with uncanny precision.

Qin could scarcely contain his glee. He glanced around at the other ministers, generals, and nobles present. Their expressions shifted from confusion to awe as the reality of what they had witnessed began to sink in.

He wanted to shout, to declare victory, to drag each of them forward and make them admit how far their thinking had fallen behind. Instead, he composed himself. He was a minister, after all, and small amounts of dignity mattered.

Captain Lin stepped forward from the platform beside the weapon, hands behind her back, face nearly unreadable but for the subtle tremor in her shoulders. Qin could tell that she was thrilled. If he didn't have years of experience, he would be just as thrilled. Her voice was steady as she began her explanation.

"The prototype cannon you have just witnessed uses stabilized blasting gel as propellant. Its barrel is a single-forge cast of refined steel alloy, like the ones we use in our ships, treated with copper lining for heat distribution. Effective range is estimated at eight hundred meters for flat trajectory targets, higher with adjusted angle. Ammunition is interchangeable but we are still developing different types for different uses. As you can see, way more effective than a trebuchet in range, power, and velocity."

Qin nodded along, eyes shimmering. She had said it exactly as they rehearsed. But even he hadn't expected the results to be so clean. The recoil had been manageable by the weapon's weight and the wooden structure built to move backwards with the shot, which had been very precise. The design, while bulky, was already being revised for mobility with added wheels to carry it around.

His initial investment in helping the girl live to curry the favor of the Renshi family for future projects had doubled considerably now, and he could count it as one of the best expenditures he had ever made.

Lin continued without pause. "Two soldiers are sufficient for operation, but efficiency improves with a third to assist in reloading. Standard reload time is under thirty seconds, around two shots per minute. The maintenance cycle is every twenty shots or post-battle inspection."

The Fire Nation generals began whispering. Qin didn't need to hear them to know what they were saying. Siege weapons had always been a sore weakness. The Earth Kingdom used their own bending to siege, the Water Tribes relied on mobility and walls upon walls of ice, but none of them had developed something like this.

This was Fire Nation war doctrine elevated, ingenuity turned into might, power made possible for everyone. He stepped forward once she finished, gesturing broadly with both arms.

"As you can see…" he began, "this is not a replacement for bending, but a reinforcement. A supplement. With proper deployment, these cannons can be used by infantry, mounted on naval ships or defensive walls. The metallurgy is standardized as we use it much for our ships already. The propellant is a by-product of blasting jelly which we have been stockpiling for a time already. Production can begin within weeks."

He swept his gaze across the crowd, searching for doubt and finding none, only astonishment. This was good, a stepping stone in his ever-growing career.

"I remind you that all of this was accomplished with less than five tons of steel." he added, tone thick with pride. "For comparison, our navy cruisers use nearly nine thousand. This is a small ask for a large return."

One of the officers raised a hand.

"Wouldn't it slow our forces down?"

Lin answered without delay.

"Mobility is currently limited. Field-deployment prototypes are underway. We can make smaller barrels so that they can be carried, as well as a design for front-line assembly so that the weight can be distributed and carried by animals like the Komodo Rhino. There are lots of improvements but they are being handled as we speak."

Another question came, this time about what they were good against, how to use it against fortifications and resistance. Another about training times of a crew. Captain Lin fielded each with as much clarity as she could and even came up with solutions he hadn't even thought of yet.

Qin felt a surge of admiration. She had absorbed so much from so little instruction, learned with terrifying speed and a talent brilliant for war. All he had done was grease the wheels, redirect funds, send the right messages to the right engineers. It was her mind that had driven it forward.

If only he were younger, he could see himself working side by side with her, reaching new heights, complimenting one another and making tools of war for the glorious Nation.

The applause came slowly, but once it started, it spread. Officers clapped and generals exchanged words with renewed excitement. Even the nobles looked impressed, some visibly shaken.

Qin turned to look at Lin again, about to congratulate her directly, but she was no longer standing upright. Her body had dipped slightly. She leaned over and whispered something to him, too quiet for the others to catch.

"Please give me a moment, health issue."

She then knelt slowly on the polished stone and sat on her knees. His brow furrowed. She seemed disoriented and her eyes were unfocused. He quickly turned toward the crowd with a flourish, raising his voice to cover the moment.

"The future of Fire Nation warfare begins here, ladies and gentlemen!" he declared. "Let us not waste it."

He launched into a planned summary of deployment strategies, buying her the seconds she needed. He could easily handle the politics now that the demonstration was over. She had already handled the miracle after all.
​

The cannon blast still echoed faintly in the distance as Ozai rested his chin against the back of his hand, fingers curled loosely in thought. Below, the courtyard had erupted into a scene of exhilaration, with officers crowding around the prototype like moths drawn to fire. But his gaze remained fixed on the girl.

Captain Lin stood at the center of it all, near motionless except for the fine tremor that passed through her shoulders. She had whispered something to Minister Qin before dropping to her knees. It was clear she needed a pause, probably a health issue.

But it did not really concern him. Many sages had told him that her will and chi reserves would keep her alive for many years to come. Her resolve was not in question and she would rise soon, and she would do so composed.

He had kept watch over her for months now. His spies had nothing of concern to report. She was loyal, almost pathologically so. Her daily routines were rigid and her service to his daughter complete. Her progress with weapons and logistics had been relentless. What had begun as a test of her capabilities had become a confirmation of her immense value for the war effort.

Lin Renshi ended up as so much more than just a weapon. The thought pleased him. In another ruler's court, someone with her physical power, early ascend through the military ranks, and inventive mind might have posed a threat.

But Ozai felt none of that. Lin did not crave power, almost even shying away from maneuvering politically. She obeyed and served the Fire Nation with such conviction and passion. One that Ozai wished everyone had. She had earned his respect for that.

Her invention would change how the nation waged war, he could already see it. The Fire Nation already dominated the seas of most of the continent, but prolonged campaigns drained time and resources, and every lost soldier chipped away at public resolve.

Firebenders were the might of the army but also ones he couldn't afford to lose in huge amounts. Finding a use for the non-benders to be more effective could easily win them the war in the long run.

For over a century, the war had ground forward through bending, attrition, and terrain advantage. But siege weapons like this, standardized for everyone to use, could finally shift that balance.

The Earth Kingdom's bastions would not hold. The only remaining Water Tribes ships would not be able to outrun them anymore, the range and speed of the projectiles giving the Fire nation the advantage. Ba Sing Se itself, arrogant in its supposed invulnerability, with enough firepower could be brought to its knees. Their impossibly high walls could only handle so much damage.

He had to adjust plans to prepare for the years ahead. He had calculated that they would be able to finish the war with the arrival of Sozin's comet, but if this worked as he envisioned it, he needed to accelerate those plans.

Reconstruction would be difficult. Shifting from a war economy to long-term occupation would require administrative strength and public unity. The colonies had produced capable governors so far, they could be used as well. With resources absorbed from the defeated nations, recovery was only a matter of time.

He glanced toward Azula then, standing beside one of the high balconies. Her eyes had not left the captain since the demonstration. She was trying to conceal it, but he could read her body language well enough.

Pride mixed with awe, the sting of admiration that was rare among her daughter's features. She had grown more focused since Lin began training her. Stronger, more disciplined and more dangerous.

He was pleased with her progress. Her flames turning completely blue made the palace gossip easily. She had already demonstrated those azure flames but to know now that every flame she produced was hotter than anything any other firebender could produce made him a very proud father.

He turned his attention back to the field. The Minister of War, Qin, had begun a speech. The crowd clapped in approval, while generals took notes. Several had already begun speaking with assistants, no doubt drafting proposals for supply routes, for transport, or who to offer for training on these weapons.

With people like the captain appearing in the new generation, he could see the end of the war was no longer a distant goal but an approaching certainty. The next few years would be difficult, but winnable. And when the world finally bowed to the might of the Fire Lord, he would cement his rule and name through history for centuries to come.

He stood, adjusting his robes and casting a final look over the demonstration site. The Fire Nation would shape the future, with himself as its phoenix king.
​

The courtyard still smelled of scorched metal and blasting jelly. The air held a faint static hum, like the world itself had been forced to stop and listen. Azula stood near the rear columns of the viewing platform, flanked by her guards, eyes fixed on the machine that had shattered a stone pillar with nothing but a burst of force. A powerful weapon her own instructor had developed in just a few months.

It looked simple enough. A long metal barrel, reinforced and mounted to a thick wooden base, with a few straps and clamps. The demonstration was astonishing. Her words had run true as the sound it made while firing was truly terrifying and with devastating results.

The sheer violence of it had rekindled her excitement after months of hard work and boring lessons. It was delightful and her mind already pictured how many uses she could get out of it. Threatening someone with being shot at close range by one of those would bring delightful expressions from people who displeased her.

But, at the same time, she didn't like how impressed she was. Azula had expected something useful; as useful as Lin had been so far. Perhaps giving them a small edge here and there, but not this. Not something that made even her father lean forward with genuine attention and admiration of what she was capable of.

It was such a set of conflicting emotions. Excited to have such a terrifying weapon in the Fire Nation arsenal to use to torment her enemies; proud for her teacher that seemed to have created a masterpiece of intimidation and power; but angry when watching her father descend the steps to greet Lin personally, watching him nod once and speak in that quiet tone he reserved for praising her. It made something knot tight in her chest.

He had only looked at her that way only a handful of times. Azula folded her arms, jaw tense. She had trained harder than ever these past weeks. Her flames were as powerful as ever, her stance no longer faltered, her mind could solve all of Lin's puzzles and find the best strategy on her stupid scenarios.

She had memorized maps, details regarding logistics of war, and even began reading the older strategy texts in her spare hours which were dreadfully boring, all to achieve more through her lessons. Yet here he was, praising Lin for one loud weapon.

It was fair, she told herself for a moment as she tried to calm down. Lin deserved praise; the weapon was brilliant, after all. But the fairness of it didn't make it sit any easier. She turned her gaze back toward the center of the courtyard, intending to watch the crowd of officers swarming her instructor.

But Lin was no longer standing. Azula's eyes narrowed. The older girl had dropped to one knee and whispered something to Minister Qin, who quickly launched into an overlong speech about potential deployment and battlefield adaptation along with detailed estimates on costs.

The princess' gaze didn't leave Lin though, who hadn't risen back up. She sat back on her knees while her shoulders trembled. Azula took a step forward before catching herself.

No one else seemed to notice. Everyone was too distracted by Qin's dramatics and the potential of the weapon. But Azula was watching how Lin's eyes had lost focus, how her breath seemed agitated. She didn't seem to be overwhelmed by praise; something had gone wrong.

She felt something unfamiliar stir inside her. Lin had always been a bit distant and aloof at times but focused on probably developing things like the cannon. Now though, it looked like she saw a spirit. She was concerned, all right; she didn't want to lose her one capable instructor. She was clearly above the usual teachers she previously had.

Then, as quickly as she had dropped to the floor, she seemed to recover. Lin rose slowly, calmly, the trembling gone. Her face returned to its usual state of cold calmness. When the generals approached her with questions, she answered them in her clear, level tone.

When one of the naval officers asked how they intended for the cannon to be modified for shipboard use, she explained without issues how it could be balanced and used effectively. She stood tall, collected, and unconcerned, as if nothing had happened.

She remained where she was, silent, arms crossed again. Her father watched from his high seat, now speaking with two advisors. Qin was still gesturing grandly, and the officers were drinking in every word Lin gave them like students before a master.

Azula didn't believe it for a second.

'Was that finally a weakness she could exploit? Could it have been the loud sound that dropped her for a few seconds?' She briefly wondered.

Azula's eyes stayed on her mentor. Whatever had happened, whatever had shaken her hadn't stopped her for long, but it would be enough. She would have to experiment this sometime soon.

Maybe she could ask her father for a cannon, just to test her theories.

"How exciting." She mumbled, a wide grin adorning her face.
​

The moment the cannon fired, something in her memory cracked open. The thunder of it reached deeper than her ears. It echoed across the inside of her skull, a sound too close to the battlefield she was used to more than a decade ago.

That same battlefield, so different, where explosions happened constantly, almost all day and night. A battlefield where shells rained like water and missiles fell like candy from a piñata.

Memories of torn bodies and dismembered comrades surfaced. Those same explosions created holes a meter deep that later served as the only available cover, often filled with the dead brothers and sisters who had fought alongside her.

She had spent what felt like eternities inside of them, with little food or rest and sometimes soaked and caked in mud. Her mind was a mess of trying to search for threats and failing to comprehend what it saw as this was another world entirely.

She continued with the rehearsed presentation while her body shook with anticipation and adrenaline coursed through her veins. Having practiced the speech it was easy to repeat it without stopping, but she wouldn't be able to answer questions like this.

When she finished, her knees bent before she registered the command, and her back hitched with the reflex to dive. Only the sharp texture of polished stone against her palms reminded her she was not in the trenches of another life.

She whispered to Minister Qin that she needed a moment, then steadied herself on both her knees. No one else would think much of it if she took a moment to calm herself. She had a body that looked like a fantasy cyborg after all; a few health issues here and there could give her an excuse.

She controlled the trembling in her hands by grounding her chi along her spine. The prosthetics absorbed most of it. She counted heartbeats, then her slow intakes of air as the words from the Minister of War grounded her bit by bit.

It wasn't fear or shock, she had no fear left after that brutal war. But something buried in the back of her mind, echoed when triggered. In the past, she had been trained to welcome them, to let instinct override thought as it would help her react faster.

It was a shock of adrenaline, as if she were in battle unexpectedly, not in the calm environment she was currently in. She was trained to have that reaction but she thought that after spending sixteen years in this nonsense world, she wouldn't remember how to.

It seemed that the mind indeed remembered and she would have to be careful or prepare in advance. This body, this version of her, required her to calm her chi almost constantly and it didn't welcome that instinct yet, but she could train it. The blast had surprised her, that was all. A loud surprise, which she could handle.

It had been louder than she expected, that was all. Next time, she would be better prepared for it. Maybe exposure to it more often would suffice. This was not something she had accounted for but it was not as bad.

She had seen what PTSD did to her own troops, this wasn't nearly as bad, but she would have to condition her mind carefully to avoid a repeat of what happened. Deep down she knew that her mental health was an issue, but being transported to a whole new world, plus her own past experience, guaranteed that she wouldn't be one-hundred percent healthy.

She was fine with that as long as she could remain active and handle it carefully. On the bright side, the Fire Nation was so backwards compared to her own world that she was sure she wouldn't be discharged from the Army citing a mental problem. They didn't even invest in psychology to begin with.

She finally managed to stand again and calm her nerves. She gave Qin a small nod and he gently guided their audience to ask Lin for clarifications to their doubts.

The officers swarmed soon after. Questions about deployment, production, troop integration. She answered with minimal effort. Her voice showing neither faltering or doubts. Her spine held straight and her body no longer shook.

After confidently addressing everyone's questions, she looked up to see Princess Azula looking down with a wide grin on her face. Having made both Royals happy would elate her father for sure.
​

"SHE DID WHAT?!" Kaien yelled.

"My lord… it is as I said: she presented a siege weapon to the Fire Lord and his generals this morning." the informant said.

"Her ideas were always difficult for me to grasp when she was young, I can only imagine what she has come up with now that she is experienced… Well…? How did it go?" Kaien asked, fearing the worst.

"The Fire Lord was ecstatic, my lord. He praised your daughter, and witnesses report that he was seen smiling almost like a mad spirit after exiting the courtyard."

"What…?"

"Even the small princess was seen smiling widely. If the reports are true, your daughter just gave the Fire Nation one of its strongest weapons as of yet. It was a weapon that supposedly could be heard through the entire palace and even beyond it as it echoed through the walls of the city." the informant continued.

"She also apparently had sent through a fire hawk the specifics to our own manor a few days ago, but with the amount of correspondence we have been dealing with lately, we didn't think a letter from her would be this important. A mistake I need to be punished for and one I sincerely apologize for."

Kaien raised his hand to stop the hard working man. He was both dependable and an excellent information broker. His family had served the Renshi household for a few generations already; he didn't blame him for not knowing her daughter could come up with ground breaking innovations with her current posting.

One would think that she would focus solely on teaching the princess and using this opportunity to integrate herself into the inner circle of the nation. She clearly had other ideas to win everyone over, of course.

"You are forgiven, just don't let it happen again, there will be no punishment, my friend. I assume you have the specifics already."

"Yes, here my lord." He said while handing him two sheets of papers.

After carefully going over her report, he couldn't believe what he read. A range of almost a kilometer paired with the velocity and destructive capabilities of a demolition ball used to bring down decommissioned ships?

This was unprecedented, and as he continued reading he was even more baffled by what his daughter had come up with. The costs were low and training was relatively short compared to training crews operating trebuchets. This was a significant upgrade.

It could be operated by only a crew of two that didn't require to be a bender! He could see why the Fire Lord was impressed, this would give the army even more advantage over the other nations still in the fight.

"We must make our moves fast to take advantage of this. My daughter just gave us a golden opportunity. Remind me to gift her something; she is marvelous."

"Yes, my lord. If I may… knowing her, more engineers would be a great gift."

"You are quite right, my friend. Get to it."

"At once!"​