This is it, the final chapter of Taming the Dragon. As mentioned, this chapter is an epilogue that wraps up everything that happened in the early years after the events of the previous chapter. It takes place ten years into the future, meaning that Izanami is 30 and Azula is 29. I only just realised that Izanami is now double the age she was when the series began, which wasn't my intention at all since the epilogue was always going to take place ten years in the future. Since my ending authors note is already pretty big, I'm gonna thank you guys now for reading this story and for the 40k+ views it has, I never would've expected this story to be as popular as it is and I'm thankful for every reader that it's had.

In the End

Having just turned thirty, Izanami knew that she still had a lot more life left in her despite having done more in her first thirty years than most people did in a lifetime. In recent years, things had certainly slowed down for Izanami and she had managed to find some stability in her life despite the struggles that she had to overcome. She had needed to sacrifice plenty of things in her life in order to get to this point, but Izanami was glad to be where she was in life.

After the insanity of what happened with Ozai ten years ago, Izanami had taken some time to do some solo soul searching for the first time in her life. She'd taken a year to herself to recover from everything that had happened and found out even more about herself than she thought she could've. One thing that Izanami had wanted to do was attempt to reconcile with her parents after spending five years away from them.

In the time that she was away, Izanami did try tracking her parents down in an attempt to make things right with them. Even though they had disowned her, they were still her parents and Izanami didn't want anything to be left unsaid. When she finally did track down her parents, they were less than pleased to see her after she 'disrupted' their newly found peaceful lives. Her parents had returned back to her original home of Fire Fountain City and were hardly as esteemed as they used to be. Following the war, her father had been stripped of his title by Zuko once he had decided that her father couldn't be useful anymore. That had not set well with him, and her father had blamed Izanami for that failure.

Right before her parents were undoubtedly going to disown them, Izanami got them back in her corner when she revealed that they had a grandchild. At first they had assumed it was her and immediately ridiculed Izanami before she clarified that it was Kazu's. When Izanami found out that her parents did not know of the circumstances surrounding his death, she decided not to tell them that since Kazu had always been their golden child and she did not want to ruin their perspective of him. Izanami had made it clear that unless they accepted her for who she was and Gen as the mother of his child, then they would not be able to see their grandson. That had been enough to turn her parents around and the immediately doted on Niko the first moment they met him.

As for Niko and Gen, they remained on Ember Island to this day, although Izanami did see them every so often since she wanted Niko to know his cousins. That's right, cousins. Following her return to the Fire Nation, the first person that Izanami reunited with was Raiden. He had waited for her, just like he'd said he would. In the year that she was gone, Izanami's feelings for him had grown stronger than they were when she left. Izanami had been hesitant about entering a relationship with him, given her track record with friendships and relationships, but after some encouragement from Azula, Izanami decided to pursue a relationship with him and nine years later, she did not regret that decision at all.

They had taken a bit of a slow approach to their relationship, since Izanami had struggled with allowing herself to grow attached to people since the people that she always became attached to went away. On the other hand, Raiden had struggled with commitment and feared ruining his friendship with Izanami. But they had managed to make things work and when Izanami was 24, they'd gotten married. The following year, Izanami had her first child and barely a year ago, Izanami had her second child. Despite having practically lost her family, Izanami had found one of her own and she was very happy with that.

"Momma, look at me! Look at me!" a childish voice entered Izanami's mind.

Turning around, Izanami saw her five-year-old daughter, Akemi bouncing up and down.

"Well, look at you, my little sun," Izanami cooed as she scooped her daughter up in her arms.

"I'm in my firebending clothes!" Akemi grinned.

Just a few months ago, Akemi had made her first blast of fire and had been bouncing off the walls and trying to do as much of it as she could. Of course, Izanami only let her daughter firebend once she was there to watch her and if she was in her protective gear so that she couldn't get burned.

"That you are. And don't you just look adorable," Izanami grinned.

"Momma, stop," Akemi giggled as she pushed Izanami's hands aside.

"But I don't know why you're wearing that since you're only allowed to firebend if me and daddy are around and both me and daddy are busy," Izanami said.

Akemi pouted, "But you're not now."

"I will be in a few moments. I'm going to see Auntie Azzie, Aunt Mai and Aunt Ty Lee today," Izanami replied.

"What about me?" Akemi frowned.

"Giving me those eyes isn't going to change my mind, Akemi. And you'll be staying at the Royal Palace with the other kiddies so daddy and I won't be there to watch you which means no firebending," Izanami stated.

"But can I do it with Auntie Azzie later?" Akemi asked excitedly.

"If she'll let you," Izanami replied.

That seemed to be enough to satisfy Akemi as she was still bouncing with energy like always and couldn't wait for the day to be over so that she could spend some time with her favourite aunt. From the moment Azula saw Akemi, the two had this immediate connection that hasn't been broken five years later. Akemi absolutely adored Azula and looked up to her more than anything, even more than Izanami. She was a happy and vibrant child, which Izanami loved and she hoped that her daughter wouldn't lose her spark anytime soon. As for her one-year-old son, Daiyu, he was off with Raiden for the day since they were having a girls day.

Every few months, Azula, Izanami, Mai and Ty Lee would meet up to catch up on each other's lives. After her return back to the Fire Nation, Azula had worked on reconciling with Mai and Ty Lee before she went to reconcile with her mother. Things with Ursa had been a bit of a bumpy ride and it had taken a lot of guidance for Azula to accept her mother, but what surprisingly made the process easier was Azula's connection to her half-sister, Kiyi. Nowadays Azula was somewhat close with her mother which almost made Izanami jealous since she longed for that connection she knew she would never have with her mother.

But after witnessing several bad parenting styles and seeing the damage it can cause firsthand, Izanami was determined not to make those same mistakes and raise her children to be happy so that they wouldn't grow up with an estranged relationship. If Akemi could look at Izanami the way that she always did, Izanami would be very happy with that.

~*•°•*~

Like they always did, the girls met up at an exclusive restaurant in Caldera City without the presence of any onlookers. Ty Lee was always there before anyone else with Azula and Izanami usually arriving shortly after the other and Mai always took the longest to show up. Izanami had a feeling that it was because Mai never really liked going to their little gatherings, but she still went anyways.

"Izana! It is so good to see you!" Ty Lee exclaimed as she hobbled over to Izanami. Ty Lee was now six months pregnant with her second child so she was looking rather round compared to how she normally does.

"You too, Ty Lee," Izanami smiled.

"So, how's motherhood treating you the second time around?" Ty Lee asked as they sat down.

"Ugh, it's exhausting," Izanami groaned. "I forgot how much sleep having a kid makes you lose."

"Then perhaps you'll think of that the next time you try going for another one," came Azula's voice from behind.

"Azula!" Ty Lee cheered as she pulled Azula down to hug her. Like she always did when hugged, Azula grimaced at the contact and was quick to pull away.

"Not even motherhood could make you a softie," Izanami remarked.

"That's exactly right, Izana," Azula nodded as she sat down. "Nothing will ever make me lose my hard touch. So no matter what you have heard, I have not gone soft."

"How is little Ryu?" Ty Lee asked eagerly, referring to Azula's one-year-old son.

As fate would have it, both Azula and Izanami had a child the same age. Granted, their age difference didn't really matter when it came to their friendship since it was only a year. But they both hoped that their boys would grow up to be friends the same way the they were. The fact that they were cousins certainly helped.

"He's gone off with Kei Lo for their little boys day out. But in general, he's a little nightmare. Remind me again why I decided that being a mother was a good idea? I certainly didn't have the best example growing up," Azula huffed.

"True, but you had good examples in us," Izanami pointed out.

Azula shrugged, "I guess you're right. I probably could've been a whole lot worse of a mother without your guys help."

"It's only been a year, Azula. You still have the rest of his life to ruin," a new voice interrupted them.

"Mai!" Ty Lee grinned.

Instead of glaring at Mai's jibe like she would've in the past, Azula just rolled her eyes knowing that Mai didn't mean it like she said it. It had taken a whole lot of work, but the girls could now joke about their past as if it was just one big joke. Although there were certain things that they didn't joke about, like the betrayal that lead to their imprisonment. That was something that they tried to not talk about.

"How's Ruon-Jian and Teja?" Izanami asked, referring to Mai's husband and daughter.

"They're fine. I never thought I'd say this, but I've been looking for an excuse to get away from them for weeks now," Mai muttered.

Izanami chuckled, "Teja still being a little terror?"

"Yes. And Ruon-Jian is still trying to convince me that we should try having another baby," Mai added.

"Well, don't. Trust me when I say I'm excited to be a momma again, I'm just not looking forward to what has to follow it," Ty Lee remarked.

"It's certainly not fun," Izanami nodded. "I'm looking forward to when my two can take care of themselves. It's exhausting having to wait on them all the time."

"But you would do anything for them," Azula commented.

"I would, and I know that you guys would do the same for your kids," Izanami smiled.

"Of course! I'd hate to think of anything bad happening to my little girl," Ty Lee said.

The conversation soon changed to catching up on their family lives. Azula mentioned how she had recently been to Ember Island with Ursa and Zuko. That was something the three did every summer like the used to when they were kids, and they now kept it going to bring them together. It was always a trip just for them, meaning no kids, no spouses and nobody else. Azula even mentioned how they'd come back, only for Zuko to get the shock of his life when his wife Suki announced that she was pregnant for the first time. Ty Lee had obviously been excited about this, since she was hoping that it meant her new little girl would have a playmate. When the others asked how Ty Lee knew she was having a girl, Ty Lee simply said she could 'feel' it.

Some things had never changed with them, Azula was still as calculating and manipulative as ever, but she no longer used those techniques on her friends and family. She only used it as part of her role as Zuko's advisor, which her brother had appointed her with a year after her return home. As for Mai, she was still as apathetic like she'd always been, only now it didn't take that much effort to get her to smile or life. It was always easy to do that when Mai's daughter was involved.

Of course, Ty Lee still believed in auras and used that to explain why she was so good at feeling things, like the fact that her first daughter had been a girl. Hardly anything had changed with Izanami, and she was glad that her life was still like she preferred it to be. Part of her had expected her life to always be full of chaos given who she was friends with, but it was never too much chaos nowadays. They could just be friends, while bringing up their new families into a new world that they'd helped create.

~*•°•*~

It was night when Izanami returned home. Raiden was there waiting for her like he always was, and greeted her with a hug and a kiss. Although the form of their relationship had changed, the foundation of it was still the same. They were still as good friends as they were ten years ago. In fact, their friendship had only gotten stronger with their romantic relationship.

"How was your girls day?" Raiden asked.

"It was fine. We just talked, you know, the usual," Izanami replied.

"I already put the kids to bed so they won't be a problem," Raiden said.

"Thanks for picking up Akemi," Izanami smiled.

"Anything to help you out. Hey, so I've been thinking…" Raiden trailed off.

"That's never a good sign," Izanami teased.

Raiden rolled his eyes, "You love my brain. Anyways, so I've been thinking and I think that we're long overdue for some time to ourselves. Maybe we should take a trip to Ember Island so we could see Gen and Niko."

"That'd be nice," Izanami agreed. "But where would we leave the kids?"

"Well, we could leave them with your parents," Raiden suggested.

Izanami grimaced, "Great. I'll love having that conversation."

"They'll come around eventually," Raiden tried reassuring her.

"You really think so? It's been nine years and they're still frosty around me. I put so much effort into them but they don't do the same for me. The only effort they put I is when my kids are involved," Izanami said.

"At least they like seeing the kids. If they really didn't want anything to do with you, then they would've easily cut them out of their life too. They didn't even seem too phased by the fact that their son had produced a half-breed grandchild," Raiden argued.

"That's because Kazu was and still is their golden child. They don't even think that he even loved Gen like I say he did. They just thought it was something that came out of convenience so they conveniently had a kid," Izanami stated.

"Let's not argue about this. Your parents aren't worth that," Raiden interjected.

Izanami nodded, "Let's just sit here and spend some time together. We've hardly had any time like this since having Daiyu."

That was enough for Raiden so the two just sat on the balcony of their home entangled in each other's embrace. This was something that they always did whenever the had the time, and Izanami savoured these moments. Those moments when it was like nothing else mattered and it was just the two of them. Of course, the moment didn't last forever as they were interrupted by two loud screams that they knew came from their children.

"Hi, momma!" Akemi screeched as she tootled towards them, carrying her brother behind her.

"What are you doing up, missy? You're supposed to be in bed," Izanami tutted as her daughter jumped in between them.

"Can't sleep," Akemi grinned.

"Did you have sizzle-crisps today?" Izanami crossed her arms.

"Maybe…" Akemi trailed off.

"Great, now she'll never sleep," Izanami whispered to Raiden. For some reason, sizzle-crisps always gave Akemi a burst of energy and made her almost uncontrollable. That was certainly her now.

"And why were you dragging your brother here?" Raiden asked.

"I was bored!" Akemi exclaimed.

"I'm sure he appreciated that," Izanami chuckled as she picked up her son.

Akemi seemed to take that as her invitation to snuggle up to her parents, prompting them to both look at each other with a roll of their eyes. One thing about their daughter was that she was a cuddler and loved being in her parents arms. Izanami had no problems giving her daughter that reciprocation of love in return, since she certainly didn't want Akemi growing up and resenting her like she resented her parents.

Looking back on her life, Izanami certainly had a few regrets, most notably how things had turned out with her parents and the collapse of her friendship with Azula. But Izanami had hoped that things with her parents wouldn't always be this way since she'd had those exact fears about Azula all those years ago and nowadays their friendship was stronger than it had ever been. They would always be apart of each other's lives, and Izanami was certain and grateful of that. They might've had a bumpy road to get to where they are now, but it had all been worth it. Because in the end, Izanami had done the seemingly impossible and tamed the dragon.

And that concludes this story. I'm surprised that this is my first story that I finished, but I am proud of that because whenever I had written stories before in the past I'd never been able to finish them. But Taming the Dragon doesn't have to end here. If you guys want more of this story or have your own headcannons, head to my one shot collection titled Everything in Between and leave me a request there. Thank you to everyone who has favourited/followed the story and a special thank you to those who have reviewed, your feedback has meant more to me than you'll understand. If you guys liked Taming the Dragon, then check out my other ongoing fics titled Blinding Horizon and Flying Embers. They might not be Azula centric, but they certainly feature our favourite Fire Nation princess in them.

I know that some people were hoping for an Azula/Izanami ending and it was something that I briefly toyed with before I decided what the outcome would be for them. I just felt like after everything that they'd been through it was better to have them close as sisters and to actually be sisters via their marriages to Raiden and Kei Lo, since that was how they had always seen each other. I'm not exactly sure what it makes them, but I am pretty sure that they're sister in-laws because of this, and I personally like that much better. They can also have their own families and allow those families to be together. On another note, when writing this chapter I'd always planned it so that Izanami would have just had her second child but it completely slipped my mind until I was writing their get together that Azula would've had one of her own the same age, which I love. But I'm not opposed to writing another universe in my one-shot collection where they do end up together. Now that brings an end to this story and thanks again to everyone who has supported it.