Back in 2020, I created a canon-compliant long form redemption arc Azula fic, which covered immediately after the Smoke and Shadows comics until the end of her natural life. It was 72 chapters divided into 6 books and it took me 40 months to write all 480K words of it.
I decided to commission someone to draw cover arts for each of the 6 books.
This is Book 6 of 6.
Dragon Empress: The Legend of Azula
Book 6: Rise of the Dragon Empress
Explanation of the scene after the break for those that want it.
🎨 by @bearcat05
❌ Do not repost without permission.
🚫 This art may not be used to train AI.
Unlike all of the other commissions from this series, this is the only one where the POV is directly on Azula.
This art depicts a scene from Book 6, Chapter 7: Only One Way. It is 158 AG and the Red Lotus has come for Avatar Korra, just a small 5 year old girl. Both the Gaang, what's left of them anyway, and the Red Lotus made efforts to recruit Azula (now 72!) to the battle. She refused both sides, choosing to appear neutral while the two parties destroyed each other. When the fighting starts, despite numerous tactical advantages, the Red Lotus squashes Sokka, Zuko, Suki, Tenzin, Tonraq, and many other Kyoshi Warriors, Water Tribe soldiers and Imperial Firebenders. Death is at their doorstep when a shadow sweeps over the land. An ear piercing screech stops the fighting. From above, a dragon descends on the battlefield. The fic reads as follows:
"A woman slides out of the dragonrider's seat and lands on her feet. The snow crunches beneath her feet as she approaches. She strides up to them, total silence except for her footsteps. She wears her iconic black, gray, and gold outfit, her hair in a topknot, her headpiece with blood stains evident, her Space Sword in hand. Although she needs no introduction, she extends her hands out on either side of her and announces herself.
"I remember who I am! I am the Dragon Empress! And there's only one way this ends.""
Back in 2020, I created a canon-compliant long form redemption arc Azula fic, which covered immediately after the Smoke and Shadows comics until the end of her natural life. It was 72 chapters divided into 6 books and it took me 40 months to write all 480K words of it.
I decided to commission someone to draw cover arts for each of the 6 books.
This is Book 5 of 6.
Dragon Empress: The Legend of Azula
Book 5: Only Woman
Explanation of the scene after the break for those that want it.
🎨 by @bearcat05
❌ Do not repost without permission.
🚫 This art may not be used to train AI.
This art depicts a scene from Book 5, Chapter 9: My Legacy and My Name. It's 150 AG and Azula, in her late 60's now, has been adrift in life for over a decade. Things have gone horribly wrong and she finds herself in an impossible position. She turns back to (canon character) Xai Bau, the man responsible for founding The Red Lotus, an old frenemy, in search of his help. They have spent their lives trying to game one another, with him winning the majority of those. At this exact moment they are in the middle of a Pai Sho game, discussing a possible arrangement. Azula is winning, she will win, but Xai Bau refuses to finish the game. "You may have won if we kept playing, but once again you're out positioned and out of time."
Back in 2020, I created a canon-compliant long form redemption arc Azula fic, which covered immediately after the Smoke and Shadows comics until the end of her natural life. It was 72 chapters divided into 6 books and it took me 40 months to write all 480K words of it.
I decided to commission someone to draw cover arts for each of the 6 books.
This is Book 4 of 6.
Dragon Empress: The Legend of Azula
Book 4: The Guardian and the Ghost
Explanation of the scene after the break for those that want it.
🎨 by @bearcat05
❌ Do not repost without permission.
🚫 This art may not be used to train AI.
This scene depicts a scene from Book 4, Chapter 10: Agni and Yue. Set in 138 AG, Azula and Ty Lee are now into their early-50's and they have made their home in the Southern Water Tribe, in Lonlhai village on Linlhao Island. They've lived there for a decade and brought a wild frontier to heel. Once a wild land of outlaws and dictators, the two became the island's defenders, protectors, and avengers. In their decade they have formed a trio of successors and heir apparents: Tapisa (OC), an 23 year old spiritual guru ice archer, Meng Shou (OC), an 19 year old wanna-be reincarnation of Azula who wields white flames that have healing properties, and Senna (canon character - future mother of Avatar Korra), a 9 year old water bender who is the first healing water bender born in Lonlhai in generations.
But the burden of leadership weights heavily on their shoulders. In this scene, Tapisa, Meng Shou, and Senna watch on as Azula must put a man to death for deserting the village and leaving an innocent girl to die. On the walk back, Azula explains to the girls why she had to be the one to carry the sentence: "Choosing to take someone's life is a difficult choice. If I'm going to make the choice, I must also be the one to do it."
Back in 2020, I created a canon-compliant long form redemption arc Azula fic, which covered immediately after the Smoke and Shadows comics until the end of her natural life. It was 72 chapters divided into 6 books and it took me 40 months to write all 480K words of it.
I decided to commission someone to draw cover arts for each of the 6 books.
This is Book 3 of 6.
Dragon Empress: The Legend of Azula
Book 3: Shattered Porcelain
Explanation of the scene after the break for those that want it.
🎨 by @bearcat05
❌ Do not repost without permission.
🚫 This art may not be used to train AI.
This scene depicts a moment from Book 3, Chapter 12: To Whomever, but Probably Akola. Set in Winter/Spring 127 AG, Azula is in her early 40's. Her past, as it often does, caught up to her and flushed her out of Lanxi. Like brother and uncle before her, she arrived in Ba Sing Se looking to disappear into the masses. There she found solace in a different kind of empire: Mama's spidersweb of the Southside of the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. It was here that she met "Mama" the queenpin aka as Jin, and her wife, On Ji (rarepair!!). She made friends with (canon character) Aiwei, the truthseer, and her found family sibling (OC) Siq of Lonlhai Island. After the tragic passing of a friend, Azula prepares to go on the warpath. After suppressing her abilities and rage and Dragon Empress name for so long, she is furious with the world and vows to avenge the lost loved one. While talking with Jin and On Ji, however, she is reminded that she is not alone in her grief. Cowering before the powerful bender, tear soaked, Jin tells Azula, "You think you're the only one hurt? You think you're the only one who feels like they failed?"
Side note: Jin and On Ji are a perfect couple and I wrote a whole love story for them in the fic. They also have the easiest rarepair ship name: On Jin. Low hanging fruit.
Back in 2020, I created a canon-compliant long form redemption arc Azula fic, which covered immediately after the Smoke and Shadows comics until the end of her natural life. It was 72 chapters divided into 6 books and it took me 40 months to write all 480K words of it.
I decided to commission someone to draw cover arts for each of the 6 books.
This is Book 2 of 6.
Dragon Empress: The Legend of Azula
Book 2: The Little Dragon of Lanxi
Explanation of the scene after the break for those that want it.
🎨 by @bearcat05
❌ Do not repost without permission.
🚫 This art may not be used to train AI.
This scene depicts a moment from Book 2, Chapter 14: Bury Me First. Set in Summer 120 AG, Azula is now in her mid-30's. She quietly slipped away from the Empress life 7 years earlier and "retired" to a quiet Earth Kingdom village called Lanxi. Here she has made a home being the Chairperson for the Council of the Elders, effectively being the village's mayor, looking out for everyone and keeping a low profile.
While there, she witnessed the birth of Yasuko of Lanxi -- the woman who would one day become Yasuko Sato and give birth to Asami Sato. Yasuko's mother died in childbirth and Azula and Ty Lee became surrogate mothers to the young girl. In this exact moment, Azula is approaching a bridge when she witnesses Ty Lee and Yasuko sharing a moment. Yasuko wears the big bow in her hair that she got from Ty Lee - a bow she would someday pass on to her own daughter.
Although Ty Lee and Azula married in secret in Spring of 118, "wedding bands" would not become a common place item denoting marital status for a few more years, so Ty Lee does not wear such band in this art.
Azula fiercely loved and protected Yasuko, having effectively raised the girl herself. Affectionately she refers to the child as her "little dragon," which is where the books title gets its name.
Oh damn... I'm so sorry for the sin I just unleashed on all of you.
So a while ago I thought about a joke of Angels thinking all humans are a bunch of perverts because they're obsessed with washing their feet. One thing led to another and BAM! Nun Azula washing Angel Lee's feet.
in about 14 minutes, it will be new year for me :) I tried to churn out a final drawing for 2025, i got really burnt out at the final quarter of this year. i can only hope im more consistent next year. Happy 2026!
