Epilogue:

One Week Later

Pain seared through Rian's face as Lady Shura ran her claws across his cheek. Her face was purple with rage, her teeth bared. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

"My fault?! It was that traitor Tazeo!"

She slapped him, and his head reeled backward. He landed at her feet, blood in his mouth. His own rage flared and he reached for the dagger at his belt, but Li-Shang, Jr., Shura's youngest son, stepped on his fingers and ripped the dagger away from him.

"Should I kill him, Mommy?"

"No," Shura said, holding up her red-tipped fingers. "Let him up."

Li-Shang ground his heel into Rian's fingers and then stepped away from him, leaving Rian to sit up on his hands and knees before her. She paced back and forth in front of him, her heels clacking. She looked angry, too angry to breathe.

"You were supposed to kill Zuko and his whore, but I let you convince me to send Han-Jin instead, against my better judgment! I know your father was behind that decision. I know you're nothing but his puppet."

Rian lifted his chin. "Then why did you go along with it?" She hesitated and he laughed. "Because you know how powerful my father is, and if he opposed you, your little coup would fall apart at the seams, Shura."

"He's not as powerful as he thinks he is."

"Yes, he is. That's why you tried to recruit him. And why you didn't kill him when he refused you."

"He wasn't worth the trouble."

"You keep telling yourself that," Rian laughed. "I won't deny that my father ordered me not to kill Zuko, but I want that Usurper dead. So I convinced you to send Han-Jin instead. I won't go against my father, I'm not stupid, but I would never stop you from trying to kill Zuko yourself."

"I know you're not loyal to me, though. I've always known whom you report to, Rian. You think I don't know he's sitting back, watching me, waiting for me to fail? That Osamu doesn't report to him too, the slimy little bastard? That Nobu isn't my man, but his? Do you all take me for a fool? I know everything!"

"You didn't know that Azula and Tazeo were traitors, even though I tried to warn you."

She slapped him again, and his head reeled back with a snap just as the door opened and Kang walked in. Shura's eldest glared at Rian and then came over his mother, who was examining the state of her nails.

"We have reports of the airship heading southeast," Kang said by way of greeting. Shura nodded.

"And my pet Kyoshi Warrior?"

"The message has been sent. Osamu will pay for his failure to kill Tazeo."

"Good. Have her mother killed, will you? I don't think we'll be needing her any longer, not when I get through with that painted up bitch."

Kang nodded and left, leaving Shura to pace in front of Rian.

"Things are unraveling, Shura," Rian said, wiping the blood from his lips with aching, bruised fingers.

Shura's look was amused. "I have planned for every eventuality, Rian. This was always a possibility. I have plans you wouldn't believe. My coup hasn't failed at all. Your father thinks I'm weak...worthless... But I'll show you all. Even your father."

"He hates Zuko as much as you do, you know.

"I know he does, which is why I'm curious to know why he would protect him."

"Blame my sister for that one. She's got her sights set on Zuko, and my father wrapped around her finger," Rian said with a laugh in his voice and then braced himself for the slap that rang across his face. He teetered on his knees as his eyes watered. Shura paced in front of him again.

"Because of you, your father, that worthless shit of an assassin, Osamu, that bitch Mai, your precious pure princess, and her fucking lover my plans to have to change! AGAIN!"

Shura picked up a vase and smashed it on the floor. Shards explode and slid across the terrazzo, landing against his knees. She stared at the mess, in a rage for a moment. She shook her arms a little, waving cool air at her face before she smoothed her hair down, and then delicately wiped at the smudged lipstick on the corners of her lips with the tip of her pink finger.

She composed herself and looked Rian in the face, smiling. Her voice syrupy sweet as she said through her teeth, "My Irohkins just disappeared on an airship with that traitor of a princess of yours. Now, I can't marry him if he's not here, so I need you to go get him. Follow him. Kill Tazeo."

"You don't trust me, why not send one of your sons?"

"Because I don't care if you die, Rian, and I know you would do anything to get your Azula."

"If I do this, what happens to her?"

"I'm going to have her disinherited and banished by Zuko himself right before I FUCKING RIP HIS FUCKING HEART OUT, so as far as I'm concerned, she's yours, Rian. Can your father give you that? Can he give you a princess, Rian? Because I can. Just kill that fucking traitor who cost me Osamu. Can you do that?"

Rian smiled at her through bloody lips. "I can."

"Bring Iroh back and she's yours. And when this all over, when Iroh is mine. When the throne is mine...perhaps we'll give your father what he wants? His son...married to Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. His daughter married to one of my sons, perhaps? They will be Princes, will they not? Our two families will rule this fucking Nation. I'll see to it."

Rian nodded and climbed to his feet. "I'll see that its done, Lady Shura."

"Please. Call me Fire Lady Shura. By the time you return with my groom, the Fire Nation will be mine."

And Azula will be mine and Tazeo will be dead, Rian thought, and smiled.

END

NOTE:

So that's the end of Bonfire Heart! BUT not the end of the Smoke Demons series. Stay tuned for "The Space Between", which is the story of what happens to Sokka & Azula after the events of "Addicted to Love". It will be about eight chapters long, so don't miss it. I hope to have it out, in full, within the next couple of weeks.

I'm also working on an as-yet-untitled multi-chaptered story that will conclude the Smoke Demons series, and will be about Zuko and Suki's wedding...and it will be Sokka/Azula-centric is as well. And it'll answer who Rian's father is...cuz whaaaaat was up that, am I right? Haha I'll be writing that beast at some point in November...I hope. I promise not to let it sit for three freakin' years this time.

Which brings me to thanking you guys for sticking with this story for so long and prodding me every now and then for an update. I was trying to work on it, but it never seemed like the right time. [insert THE STARS ARE NOT IN POSITION FOR THIS haha]

However, I worked on this fic for so long in my head that when I actually sat down to write the bulk of it a month and a half ago, it was like opening a floodgate, so I'm kind of glad I let the story stew. Most of the chapters were written so fast it was like I was possessed. (Except chapter 24...that one was a pain in the ass! I did 4 versions, I swear to God.)

ANYWAY, thank you all for reading and reviewing. I suck at replying to reviews (I never know what to say other than THANK YOU!), but I read every single one and squeal. It makes my damned day and it makes me want to write faster!

THANK YOU FOR READING! You guys rock!