The courtyard was in ruin as the Agni Kai was fought. The onlookers were silent as the beautiful blue flames of the princess intermixed with the less intense yellows and oranges of her brother's. The sadistic look on the newly appointed Fire Lord's face was only matched by the look of despair on the face of the other combatant. The two take their stances at opposite ends of the courtyard; both intensifying their battle auras.
"So, brother," The word was spat, like a poison, "have you accepted your weakness? Father always said I was the lucky one, the better one! You're nothing but an insignificant little worm. You and your water tribe bitch!" she moves into the lightning kata, performing the intricate movements faster than Zuko can react. He can only watch as the blue shot of electricity strikes down its intended target.
She didn't even scream. She couldn't scream, it happened so fast; the arc of lightning striking her dead in the chest, with near pinpoint accuracy. She felt as the energy tore through her body, escaping through a hole in her back, continuing the strike down the marble pillar behind her. She couldn't hear Zuko's screams of despair and anger as she entered a state of shock, but she could see his rage manifested at his sister.
Azula could barely duck and weave her way between the arcs and pillars of flame being slung fiercely and awkwardly in her direction. She knew there was no pattern to his attacks, no rhythm; it was all random; fueled by rage. But that was also why she couldn't do anything, his intensity left no discernable openings; he wasn't fighting smart, he was fighting effectively. But he would soon tire himself out, he was expending so much energy in so little time it was ridiculous.
What Azula couldn't see, however, was that Zuko was slowly advancing on her; he kept up the pressure so she couldn't see him. It was only then had Azula realized what her brother was on to. She had no time to react as foot met face. There was no avoiding the stream of fire that shot forth from the attack; Azula was beaten.
As she lay on the ground, clutching the right side of her face, agonizing in pain, Zuko stood over her, eyes full of fury. Azula looks up at him with her one good eye, and spit at him. "Well, what are you waiting for, finish me off! Kill me, like I killed that peasant bitch! Or are you too weak, huh Zuzu? What's the matter, not man enough to finish me off?! She reaches up with her left arm, but Zuko stomps it to the ground by the wrist. "I see, you won't even let me fight back now? You're afraid of me, Zuko! Afraid of what I am!"
Zuko stares daggers at his sister, who was still clutching the right side of her face, the opposite side from where their father had marked him. "You're wrong Azula." He releases her and turns around. "I'm not afraid of you, I afraid for you. I'm afraid that you're running down the same path of self-destruction I walked. I'm not afraid of what you are, I'm afraid of what you're becoming. And it's not the fact that I'm not man enough to kill you. I'm man enough not to." He walks across the courtyard to where Katara had fallen. It was bad, but from what he could tell – which wasn't much, he wasn't a healer – the strike had missed vital organs. If he hurried, he could get her healed before she faded from this world.
Azula had taken this as her golden opportunity. She had risen from where she was, tearing off the sleeve of her battle robe and wrapping it around her face. She started forming the lightning, she could feel the energy as it flowed through her, and she saw her target. "Oh brother, dear!" She made sure she got his attention, she wanted him the see her kill him. "You should have finished me when you had the chance!" She released the stored up energy, both hands extended forward, multiple arcs of wild lighting striking out towards her brother. Zuko hadn't even hesitated. He extended his arm, allowed the lightning to touch him, and he drew it in, channeling it through his stomach, and out through the other arm in a precise arc, headed straight for Azula. She didn't even so much as flinch.
The strike hit her on her right shoulder, causing her to twirl wildly in a counter-clockwise direction, spiraling to meet the ground. She had tried to get up, but she used too much energy in the supposed finishing blow. The ground below her hazed in and out of focus, until all she could see was black. Azula knew no more.
Zuko held Katara in his arms as he looked over at his fallen sister. "If only things had turned out different, things wouldn't have had to be this way. I'm sorry Azula." He walks towards the palace entrance as those subjects who hadn't fled in fear of their lives bowed to the new Fire Lord.