Flashback to right after the battle between Zuko and Azula. The point of view is not only Katara's but I will label each work that isn't in succession to the first and second chapter as a flashback.
All they could do was wait now. Aang would succeed. Right.
"We should find some help. We can't just leave her there."
Zuko pulled her from her worrying. They did need to do something about the sobbing girl who intermittently spit flames at them. As to what she didn't know. They also needed to get Zuko somewhere safe so he could rest, getting struck by lightning couldn't be pleasant.
"Uncle told me the name of a White Lotus member, named Gou Kahn, within the high council we should try to find him and ask for help before we do anything else," he looked at her earnestly trying to bring her to the present situation.
She sighed there was nothing she could do for the others right now, the best course of action was to deal with things here and make it safe for Aang and the others to find them here.
"How do we find him?"
"All of the Lords on the council live outside the palace in the vicinity. I know where some of them live, but not him. If I could sneak out and look around the estate houses inconspicuously it might be accomplishable, but we can't just leave her. I hate to ask but-"
"I'll stay you go," Katara assured him in the strongest voice she could muster. She didn't want to be left alone with Azula, but couldn't see a way around their situation.
"Are you sure?" he asked his face full of concern.
"Yes. It is the only thing we can do."
"I will be as quick as possible. If for an instant you think she might escape don't hesitate to act. You can take her in the state she is in now if you just keep alert."
"Got it," her voice quivered a bit.
He looked at her hard, but assuringly and took her hands firmly in his.
"Everything is going to be okay. We just have to get this done and secure the palace so the others have a place to meet us."
She felt the warmth of his hands and saw the force of his belief in his eyes. She decided to hold onto that. If Zuko was strong enough to carry on with all that had happened minutes before, she could pull herself together.
"Okay just hurry the fighting has stopped and people might start to get curious and I can't really hide Azula."
He glanced back at his weeping sister and a sadness passed over his face and then immediately disappeared as he looked back at Katara staring right into her eyes. He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze and disappeared into the smoke and haze.
He hated leaving Katara alone in what was still enemy territory, but necessity didn't allow him much time to think on it. After slipping in and out of the shadows for long enough to get close to the palace gates he heard voices. Most likely they were guards. He flexed his right arm and bite down on his lip. The pain was horrible. Normally he would be able to take on four combatants, but right now he doubted he would be able to get through two alive. He readied himself willing his strength to come back to him, when-
"Hey what's going on?"
"You-"
"Huh"
The sound of yelling and fighting reached his ears. He peaked around the corner and saw fire nation guards fighting men in white robes. The White Lotus.
He looked around the ensuing chaos other guards had appeared and were taking on the dozen White Lotus members that had come through the gates and were now surging forward. He watched for a few more seconds, mind in as much of a haze as the atmosphere. What should he do? He wouldn't be much help in the fight and either side might mistake him for an enemy. A guard flew into the wall adjacent to him and somehow broke into his consciousness. Suddenly he knew what to do.
"Stop!" He ran into the fray. No one took much notice of him except a man with a Pai Sho tile hanging on a thread around his neck, white lotus clearly displayed. The man disarmed his opponent and cleared a circle around him in a flash of flame.
He stood tall and shouted.
"Surrender to your Fire Lord all of you now!"
The fighting ceased almost instantly as everyone followed the man's gaze to Zuko.
"What has happened to Fire Lady Azula?" a guard questioned.
Zuko blinked realizing the situation was now in his hands. He looked to the man with the Pai Sho piece, who nodded at him.
Zuko stepped forward and spoke, "My sister has fallen in an Agni Kai. I am here to claim my right to the title Firelord."
Gasp and shock spread throughout the mass of guards. All of them looked toward the palace as if they could see Azula's body i the mass of buildings and smoke.
"What about Phoenix King Ozai?" another guard asked, and the guards around him placed their weapons firmly on their weapons.
"Avatar Aang is battling him and either ha succeeded or will succeed. Surrender now and no further action will be taken against you. If you choose to-"
"Aaaah!"
A guard had taken the opportunity to rush him and Zuko swerved by him missing being cut by a large margin. He rounded on the man and threw an arc of fire at his feet destabilizing him. The guard fell and a White Lotus member moved forward to secure him.
"As I was saying if you choose to fight back you will be defeated and imprisoned until I or the Avatar can attend you."
He barely got the words out of his mouth when all of a sudden fighting resumed. A small number of the original guard were standing around looking dumbfounded. The others had either come at him or had chosen a White Lotus member to focus on.
He veered as two flames rushed at his head he caught himself on his right arm hissing out in pain. The man that had yelled for surrender had come to his side though and made up for his blunder. He stood up and back to back they began to deal with the five guards that were currently facing them.
Through the fighting and pain he had the bright idea to ask, "Who are you?"
"Gou Kahn. We have been expecting you Lord Zuko."
The statement shocked him. Not the actual words but the reverence Gou seemed to feel when he spoke. It caught him unexpected and he felt the heat of an attack close to his flesh. Barely managing to avoid disaster he looked back up and threw flames at the oncoming guard.
The skirmish seemed to last for days but probably only took ten minutes. At the end most of the guards had surrendered and those who hadn't were being restrained. He felt drained, but good otherwise.
Gou spoke, "We will hold the resistors here on the premise until we can come to a better arrangement. I have sent word to the other council members about what has happened and advised those who stand with you to come immediately and those who don't to vacate the city."
"How seriously will they take it?"
"Oh, very. Your return has been whispered about and though not accepted by many it will be believed that you are here and have taken your rightful place."
Speaking of rightful place he remembered Azula. He beckoned two White Lotus members over and explained the situation as they hurried to the foot of the palace stairways. Hopefully all was well.
"Provisions will be made immediately. Azula may not be fit for ruling, but she is part of the royal family," Gou assured as they came into site of the wreckage and a blue clad waterbender.
Zuko ran to her and they embraced tightly finally giving way to the shock of it all. He could feel the tears running down her face into his scarcely clothed shoulder. He straightened to support her, but buried his face in her hair to hide the few tears that leaked from his eyes as well. The relief washed over them as they heard orders being given and chains rattling. They both looked over to where Azula was. She had ceased to loudly weep and was now silently crying. She lay on the ground immobile as the robed men worked around her. She looked as helpless as a doll.
Zuko made a movement toward her. Katara clutched his sleeve stopping him.
"No. What can you possibly want to do or say to her?"
Zuko sighed, "I'm glad we defeated her but look at her she is a wreck. And while most of me might be glad she is still my little sister I can't just leave her like that with nothing."
Katara let go of his arm and he walked forward unsure of what to do or say. She stayed entirely still even when he was inches from her face. He put a cautious hand to her hair brushing it from her face. When she made no move at him he bent down all the way looking at her avoiding stare.
"It's going to be okay Azula."
"Zu zu?"
"Yeah? I'm here Azula."
"Ha, hahahaha"
Azula began to laugh maniacally. Startled Zuko backed up and almost fell, Katara was there, though, and caught him. She put her hand on his shoulder trying to steady him, but he felt his head swimming.
Gou approached them from behind and guided them to the stairs that led up toward the palace
"The council has received the notice. Those who have stayed are coming to convene in half an hour."
"Good. I'll be there."
"It really isn't necessary."
"I still want to be there."
Katara and Gou both looked at him worriedly, though he couldn't think why at the moment. Gou took his leave and it was just him and Katara.
"Zuko you don't look well you need to rest."
"I'm fine we have to stay alert and wait for Aang. We'll wait together."
They sat together in silence for some time watching things go on around them. Katara tried to heal him at one point, but it caused an odd sort of residual electricity in him that was painful and distracting. She was kind she could have asked about Azula or what he meant to do, but allowed him the peace of mind to think about it by himself. As the half hour neared its end he started to worry about Aang and the others. Katara seemed to feel the same way.
"Where do you think they are?" she asked.
"I don't know. Somewhere off of Earthnation mainland."
"Do you think they're okay?"
He didn't really want to answer an hour ago he had felt sure of the outcome now with the time seeming to wear on it didn't look so optimistic. It was worse for her though. She had a brother in the fight and had known Toph and Suki longer than he had. Then there was Aang he had the feeling there was something between the two of them and for some reason that bothered him, but so far he had managed to not let it show. It was only a week or two ago that Katara finally stopped being so angry at him. He needed to reassure her though so he did in the only way he knew possible.
"I'm not going to lie, I don't know. We will be though no matter what I promise."
"How? If something happened to them how will we survive?"
"We'll have to. We won't have a choice. I certainly wouldn't. I couldn't die here knowing the world was going to fall to chaos and I didn't try everything possible to save it."
She looked at him a bit wide eyed, but said nothing. They passed some more time in silence. Zuko began to feel sleepy and so he he wrapped his good arm around his knees and layed his head on them. His side twitch a bit and ached in a varied sort of way. He listened to the goings on around him the palace was undergoing changes and people were bustling around. Several people came over to offer Katara a room or place to go but she just shooed them away saying they would wait. A few more minutes passed and Zuko was about to get up and go to the council meeting when Katara gasped. He looked up and saw to his amazement a warship badly metal bent landing in the courtyard in front of them. Katara yanked him up on his feet. His head rushed and side split.
"They're okay," she squealed in excitement.
She hugged him tightly and then let go suddenly to look back at the landing ship. The last thing he saw before the black was her face full of relief and joy.
