Chronicles of Multiverse

Time passed slowly on the ship. I had no idea how many days had passed since my capture, but I could tell we were getting closer to the Fire Nation. The air had changed—warmer, heavier, almost suffocating. The ship's rocking was less pronounced, which meant we were nearing the mainland. The guards had been more on edge lately. Less talkative. More disciplined. Then, Azula showed up again, this time with no guards. Just her, standing in the doorway of my cell, arms crossed, her golden eyes analyzing me. "We've arrived," she said simply.

I stretched my arms as much as my shackles allowed and smirked. "Great. I was getting tired of the same four walls. Hope your palace has better accommodations."

"You're going to meet my father. I suggest you choose your words wisely." She said.

"I don't speak one way with the weak and another with the strong; I am equal to all," I said, stroking my nonexistent beard. 

Azula's eyes narrowed slightly. "You think this is a joke?"

"No," I said, my smirk fading. "I think your father is a joke." For a split second, I saw something in her expression—something unreadable. But it vanished just as quickly as it came.

"You'll change your tune soon enough," she said before turning on her heel and walking out. The guards arrived shortly after, unshackling me from the walls but keeping the cuffs on my wrists. They led me up onto the deck, where the full might of the Fire Nation was on display. Warships stretched out in the harbor, firebenders in armor patrolled the docks, and the towering palace loomed in the distance like an unshakable monument to power. 

I whistled. "You guys love your red and black aesthetic, huh?" The guards ignored me. Typical NPC behavior. They marched me down the gangplank, through the docks, and into the capital city. The streets were alive with people, but their gazes were wary. Some whispered among themselves, eyes darting to me, probably wondering who I was. Then, we reached the palace gates. Huge, imposing, covered in gold and flame motifs.

The throne room was exactly what I saw in the T.V. series—big, dramatic, and filled with fire. Massive pillars lined the hall, torches casting flickering shadows across the walls. At the far end, seated atop his throne, was the man himself—Fire Lord Ozai. He looked exactly like I remembered from the show. Tal and imposing, with long black hair tied into a topknot and eyes that burned like molten gold. I could expect him to take few blows from me, ohh…I forgot to mention that I trained in prison and leveled my authority up.

{Flashback}

"Anyhow, how do I level up my authority?" I asked the system while closing my eyes.

[ You simply comprehend fire, as for the ways to comprehend fire. There is meditation, usage, and absorption. Meditation is when one focuses solely on fire and its properties. meanwhil, usage is self-explanatory even for you, intelligence and absorption aree collecting similar or closely related authorities.]

{Flashback end}

Since I spent like a month on the ship with nothing else to do, I just meditated. Thus, it was a huge bonus to my lordship since I am pretty sure I can handle myself or, at the very least, escape the empire without dying. Azula stood to one side, her posture perfect, her expression unreadable. Zuko was there too, arms crossed, face tight with some mix of emotions I couldn't quite place. The guards tried to force me down to my knees. I sighed dramatically. "Really? The whole kneeling thing? You guys have no originality."

A deep, authoritative voice filled the chamber. "You speak boldly for a prisoner." Ozai's gaze bore into me like he was trying to set me on fire with his eyes alone. 

I smiled. "Bold? I don't know such words. Fire Lo–I think Ozai was your name, right? Anyways, what do you want?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Azula tells me you possess unusual abilities. That your fire is unlike any bending she has encountered." 

I shrugged. "That depends on your perspective." Ozai studied me for a long moment before standing. Huh? This quits the pressure for just a mere strongest fire bender, but I guess there are surprises to me. 

"Tell me," he said, stepping forward, "do you fear me?"

I tilted my head. "No." The room went silent. The temperature seemed to rise. Even the ever-smirking Azula looked intrigued.

Ozai stopped a few feet away, gazing down at me. "All fear me," he said. "The Avatar, the nations of the world, even my people. Yet you claim you do not?"

"Fear, what? You, why?" I said, a smile forming on my face. "I assure you that I don't fear anything, not even death. One of the reasons why I didn't escape is because I wanted to speak to you. Plus, A ruler saying that his people fear me is not a good ruler."

For the first time, Ozai smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "You are either very brave," he said, "or very foolish."

"I will go with courage," I said, and then added after thinking, "or both."

Ozai turned and walked back to his throne. "Tell me, what do you desire?"

I blinked. That was an interesting question. "Like father, like son, huh? Zuko asked me this already, and it is too much of a pain to repeat what I said, but since you insist. I desire nothing, nor do I want anything. It is what I give nor what I want that makes me, me."

Ozai's expression didn't change, but I could feel the weight of his scrutiny. "A strange philosophy for someone with power."

I shrugged. "Power is just a tool. It's the hands that wield it that determine its worth."

There was a long silence before Ozai sat back down. He rested his chin on his knuckles, eyes glinting. "You are an enigma," he finally said. "And enigmas can be dangerous."

I smiled. "Only to those who fear the unknown, need the obsessive control over everything, have endless desires and those who are destructive to the very world"