huahh, Im happy how this chapter turned out, longer by a lot.

Anyway this is the continium, fourth chapter of the story not the last chapter, bet you were happy to hear that uh?

this focuses on different perspectives, pay close attention, It's Zuko's perspective in the end.

the story rebeals many anwers to questions you'd migth have had before, and trust me when I say the next one is going to reveal all if you get confused in this one

Now enjoy the story and please review!

Siege of the Fire Nation

Sparks blistered from the ceiling of the royal dark hallways within the palace, the place itself shook as a loud collapsing echoed throughout. It would seem this place wouldn't be left in one piece.

That's what Mai thought at least, as she stood alone in one of the corridors, with Azula's unconscious body behind her.

If she had any logic left, Mai would have left by now as it was obvious terrible consequences where about to occur in the palace.

However, she wasn't about to leave until she knew Zuko came out of that battle field at least alive. She knew he had to go, and face his father or it would eat him alive.

It was also bad for their relationship though, and what she could make out of it.

If Zuko kept his mind confused, undetermined, and internally lost, then that caused problems for her plans with him that would hopefully develop because of that kiss…

It was amazing, and perhaps even desperate of her thinking of such things at a critical time like this, but she was really bored right now, really.

"Ugh, when is this gonna end"

She couldn't help herself asking that question, Mai didn't care at all about the Fire Nation anymore, a trait that has been secretly developing in her during the last years, politics and war gave her a bad headache.

Except maybe for the part where she gets to use those knives and daggers covered under her robes in battle, which felt good.

To her, all that really mattered was her happiness, or at least her kind of happiness, Mai kind of joy, although she herself had trouble explaining it sometimes.

At least one thing she was sure of right know, being with Zuko for as long as she can.

This would take some of her boredom away, hell she could even describe herself as lucky.

Of all the apathetic, dark, pessimistic girls in the world, who other than herself have had the chance of bumping into someone like Zuko? A prince full of excitement, she had to treasure him or the same old boring life will stick with her.

She begun to think again, for the thousandth time, should she have gone with him?

Already over used, it was a boring thought but she told herself why she couldn't, to kill time 'because Zuko wants to fulfill this task by himself or he'll kill me for interrupting with his vendetta or whatever he has with his father and blah blah'

Mai was not really one to raise hell on someone's problems (except maybe in a duel to her advantage if needed) but it was so darn boring,

she has been standing there for the last twenty minutes, never, never in her life has she waited that long without something to distract her, usually Ty Lee recently.

Where was that girl anyway? She was supposed to have been with Azula when the attack started. But she didn't see here anywhere.

'And Azula is right down there, wasted, hmm…maybe I should look for her, she couldn't be far away'

----

Mai decided to look for Ty Lee, to make sure nothing happened to her, she might still be supporting the Fire Nation, but she was still her friend and an honest one, unlike some other friends she had. At this point, Mai was not in any nation's side. Zuko was her only concern now.

But when she turned around to walk out, Azula was no longer on the ground.

Mai quickly became alert, making herself aware of her surroundings.

'when did she woke up, why didn't I notice?'

How could it be that wounded to the point of death Azula would actually wake up?

She scanned the area, not moving yet as she knew Azula had a tendency to surprise an enemy in the most irregular and unsuspected ways.

'She is badly hurt, I don't know what Zuko did to her but it must have been bad if he Knocked her so easily, I doubt she can fight much, if at all'

But apparently she clearly understood the concept that Mai was no longer with her, or at least that's what it seemed

'If this is not a trap, then she's actually trying to escape' or was this another method of playing with her mind, confusing her first to weaken her concentration, give her time to think and evaluate the situation when there was actually nothing to think about, that she was the enemy, period.

Azula used to pull this kind of stuff to Zuko a lot when they were kids.

"Now I'm wondering, I thought you were supposed to be assisting our ground troops near the coast, what are you doing here Mai?" came that sinister and yet innocent like voice of Azula, perfectly stable.

Mai turned to her right, poison knives ready at her fingertips,

"I'm not playing this game with you Azula, you probably already got it all figure it out" Mai countered with a determined, yet still slightly bored voice.

"Got what figure out Mai?" Azula replied with that damn innocence of hers, well not really.

Mai did not reply to that, she got ready to attack.

Azula smile wickedly, so much that her face was half an evil mouth.

"Oh, you mean the fact that you turned on the Nation that has founded you, that you sided with a miserable traitor, that you've thrown your life away for a feeble cause?" she changed completely to a frown. She continued

"I guess it was expected of you Mai, the boring and isolated personality of yours always seemed like a ridiculous shortcut to get away from the reality that haunts you, though I had some little hope you would change"

"But I couldn't change you Mai, nor could I change Ty Lee, so evidently, defected trash has to be thrown away am I right" Azula couldn't help but feel a bit sad, or so she showed.

Mai raised a panic 'No she didn't-' "what did you do to Ty Lee" Mai tensed under her burned muscles under her robes.

Azula inspected her nails "Ty Lee is, no, was a retched traitor just like my brother, after she decided to join that boy when I most needed her"

"Don't star playing games with me, what did you do, where is she!"

"she committed treason against the oath she took to our beloved nation and she paid the ultimate price, although I myself doubt death is enough of a punishment"

Mai clenched her daggers so tightly her already barren fingers bleeded again. "How could you just murder her"

"I would have had her begging her for that death if the circumstance weren't against me when the avatar showed up"

Mai had been expecting some excitement, but she was overwhelmed with this new revelation, Ty Lee was nothing more than trustworthy and although bubbly and annoyingly happy all the time, she was still the good friend she asked for in her life.

And this bitch killed her.

"You're a monster Azula, I don't know what your father has ever said to you to make you the way you are, or what kind of disorder you were born with, but I'd had to agree with your mon and uncle, you are a monster"

"I always took that as a complement Mai, a monster is bigger and rules over the weaker ones, they could never compare to me" she had such a sadistic face in her, she craved for power.

"Zuko will probably hate me a bit for this, but know how much of an inconvenience you are"

"Are you actually threatening me Mai?"

"I'm not going to hold back, you sick monster, I'll find a way to kill you" Mai had decided that simply knocking her unconscious again was not gonna do any good, she had to end Azula or she will end her.

"Mai, Mai, you silly girl, I thought you would have had learned your lesson from our past childhood" she look at her disgusted "remember"

Azula seem very fine to Mai, not showing any sign of weakness at all, like she was fully healed.

"I'm done talking to you Azula, let the fighting decide who's actually gonna make it"

"I completely agree, but it's hardly a challenge fighting a traitor" she snarled at the end of her sentence. "Look at Zuzu, he's pathetic and you're no different"

Mai lost her temper and decided to strike her with some of the rest of the knifes she had left, pulling 3 darts out of her back from her belt; she decided to end it as quickly as possible. These particular darts held a bacterium that if injected to vital organs could literally kill a person in minutes.

She threw them as fast as her tired arm allowed.

Azula, of course, expected it and dodged as fast as she could too.

---

Princess Azula, literally the strongest and most cleaver princess the world held at the time dodged her attack.

Her mind and spirit were willing to keep fighting all the way; she knew exactly what to do as Mai threw those little toys at her, the perfect move.

As soon as Mai directed her three needle toys, aiming at what she thought was her exposed stomach, she would jump seven feet in the air and role backward in mind air. While those things approached below her she would end her spin by facing down but shift her upper body to face the attacker, this would all happen in less than a second, and as soon as she could see Mai and estimate her accuracy, Azula would use her fire bending to lock Mai in a dead end of fire.

Completely surprising the stupid traitor, and she would burn her, make her feel the pain. The fire wrinkling all over her already cold and colorless body, surrounding her with hot, inescapable fire, while in the inside Mai would feel herself melt, dissolve slowly and painfully, and she would regret. She would suffer, while Azula would look down upon her horrible burning face, and she would smile, perhaps even laugh as Mai would cry and beg for mercy, for it to stop.

But Azula would not let the fire stop, or let the look on her face and the dying eyes fade into comfort. She would watch her die, turn into ash, let it disappear along with everything else on this retched day.

Azula had it all planned out a long time ago, Mai was so slow.

But when the time came, her body had to be the one to give up on her, completely ruining her plans.

When she tried to jump, her chest felt like it was blowing with fire, Azula felt unbelievable pain. She had to keep from shouting even thought every part of her being told her to, and focused instead in dogging down, a desperate move.

'What in Agni's name is going on?'

Mai began to continue her attack, using some more of those little darts of hers.

While Azula desperately dodged, the persistent pain held tight to her chest. Mai thrust forward, trying to intimidate her apparently.

Azula was in a drawback now, playing it defensively even though she planned to be the oppressor. She was a complete disaster, and it was all because of the avatar and those damn traitors.

First Ty Lee decided to side with the avatar and his little girlfriend in the most critical of times, Azula had NOT expected that.

At that time, Azula thought she had the avatar in her graps.

She would ambush them, when he arrived at the palace. She theorized he would go strait for the fire lord, it was obvious. Azula tricked them into thinking she was leading the nation's armada, but she would really be waiting for them right there, in the front door, SHE would be the one to really end the avatar and end this revolution against the fire nation. She would use the avatar's plan to her own favor; kill him by surprise while he was weak from coming here.

Of course Azula had a back up, Ty Lee, in case he would bring someone to help him. Not that he had a change of beating her, but sometimes nuisance could really get in the way.

When they arrived, she had the advantage, the brat had become increasingly powerful since the last time she met him. He could even block her flames and use them against her, he was tire though, exhausted, but unbelievably holding her and Ty Lee almost by himself, using defensive tactics she assumed. The only one who actually attacked her was the water girl. It angered her he had such a power over her, but she would not let him win.

"You're not bad avatar, but you're still pitiful compared to me"

"Although I have to give you some credit, my stupid brother would be death by now" she grinned "I heard you had something to do with his release"

It was interestingly peculiar he was be saved before he was executed, by none other than the avatar himself.

Provably uncle's doing, that old fool, she hoped the old man would just drop death.

Zuko was charge for espionage and alliance against the fire nation, when the avatar announced himself alive.

Azula, was the only one who knew Zuko was not allied yet with the avatar. She, completely and utterly tricked Zuko, one of her best ideas. Knowing how naïve he was.

Plan put simple, Zuko would be given the glory of killing the avatar when they returned from Ba Sin Sei, they arrived home successful, her father would honor them, particularly Zuko for ending the avatar, Zuzu would be so happy, deluded and blind, and even if he doubted himself, he expected nothing on her plans. The avatar would show up, and instantly the blame would be held on Zuzu alone. He would be charged, imprisoned and killed in the most dishonorable way. And he would break down again, having gone twice with father's fury at him. O Azula knew of Zuko's little problem with her father. How he messed up, how dumb he was leaving himself open, for being a disgusting, mistake of this world. And she would be crowned queen when her father died, everyone would fear her, she would go down in history and become a legend.

Unfortunately, as perfect as her plan was, it also depended on other people's choices as well, and the world around her was not perfect like her.

She had told the avatar this, how she used his brother, her friends and even her father to her biting while they were alone fighting.

"It doesn't matter however many friends you gather, all of them will perish one way or the other" she said slowly, she hadn't notice Ty Lee had heard it all.

She averted her eyes to her left to look at her; Ty Lee had a disbelieving expression.

"Have you finished with that water girl"

"Did you really plan to kill Zuko all this time?" Azula knew how incredible of an air head could Ty Lee be, but she was a sensible one too.

"Huhh" Azula sighed "Its not really like that Ty Lee"

"Then why did you imprisoned him, if he wasn't even allied with him in the first place like you said" she said while pointing at the avatar

"Well Ty Lee, since when do you care what happens to Zuz-

"It's not just him, you used us all, and you planned against his own life" "I mean I know you can be oppressive and manipulating, but how could you!"

Azula had no other choice "Ty Lee, do you want us to win this war or not"

"I want it to end, all this negative pressure against each other causes more suffering for us and them"

"So, was this what you always held to all this time huh, looks like I wasn't the only one with a little secret, you don't care Ty Lee"

Things got a little complicated, and Ty Lee wanted nothing to do with her anymore, but Azula being the persistent one demanded her to stay.

They begun to fight each other, the avatar took the opportunity to injure her, Azula had no choice but to finish one for her own life.

At the end, both Azula and Ty Lee decided to attack in join, when Ty Lee front flipped forward and tried to push her against her will, Azula jumped and kicked her out onto one the large windows.

It burst into pieces while Ty Lee fell down once she was outside, and dropped to down thousands of feet below. She screamed and couldn't hold on to anything.

Azula noticed her looking up with terrified eyes, open mouth, with scratches and already bleeding skin.

Azula was a princess, and she had to take care of her nation and herself no mater what.

But now, she wasn't feeling too well, her stomach hurt a bit, her arms were tired from over usage, her legs wanted to give out from hours of fighting, and her head twisted and swirled around from the horrible burning pain across her chest.

Righ now, Mai was taking every advantage she had against her, she was not like Ty Lee, Mai was determined, Azula could see something else in her eyes.

She knew her brother had an influence in her.

Azula made a fire orb around her, and exploded it around her opponent as she closed by. Yes, Mai was loosing herself to tiredness.

Azula now had her where she wanted, if she could hold her, Mai would eventually exhaust herself, and her moves would become slow enough for her to make a fatal attack.

But there was a possibility she herself would worn out before Mai, she was in terrible pain now. And she had no idea how long she could hold on, her body was way over her limits.

At least though, she had Mai in an advantage.

------

Mai realized both she and Azula were not going to come out of this one uninjured, even if she managed to win, it would be over the expense of her life from lack of energy.

But she'd be dammed if she let her thru those doors, and leave Zuko to fend with both her and the fire lord, no, that would not happen, not while she still had some breath in her left.

Azula was playing it defensive, she noticed, she was also tired to the point of fainting, today's battles took toll on all.

Azula continue, with that sick face of hers, and Mai herself responded to her attacks, she thought this would never end.

Neither gave up, Mai knew this would probably be her last battle of the day, that is if she won.

----

Dead lock in battle, no longer a visible area around them, except the other one across the other. Azula used her lighting to finish Mai as quickly as possible, and Mai prepared to counter attack it, when she release it from her fingertips, Mai moved to her left and jumped on around Azula and landed behind her.

Azula turned as fast as she could, Mai did the same.

Mai could feel the last bit of strength leave her when she decided to put all her will on her one left hand that held her last knife, aiming at Azula's throat.

Azula looked at Mai make her move, as she turned around, her vision begun to avert from her eyes, she managed to used her right hand to block Mai's attack, her arm shot pain and she was losing focus, that last bolt of lighting took a lot from her. She saw the desperate look on Mai, tired and almost certainly defeated.

Mai lost control on her last attack, not fast enough, not enough stamina, and Azula managed to block her.

And so Azula managed to drive her own left hand to Mai left side of her face and hit her with all she had. Mai lost complete balance and felt down hard on her back.

She felt her head begun to bleed when she felt down, Mai let go finally, this day was not for her, and Azula was not the opponent she would defeat now, she only hoped she bought enough time for Zuko, caused some damaged to that witch. She closed her eyes and escaped reality.

Azula let her limp arm fall to her side before collapsing herself to the floor, kneeing down but still conscious. Breathing slowly, she stayed like that for a moment.

Finally she spoke, more to herself than anyone; since Mai was gone "Your friends can't stop me Zuko, no one will" she had defeated two of her friends, she considered both, but they had to betrayed her for her brother.

Suddenly, the ground shook hazardously, and the ceiling gave out, Azula slightly looked up and saw fire blazing from it, falling down in rain ash.

'looks like father has already begun…or ended' Azula thought while she struggle to remain awake, her field of view fading.

---

I would not let on to no one, especially now, now that my father had taken down the avatar, I saw him lose consciousness.

"HOLD ON" I shouted, even thought he might not have been able to hear me, I grabbed him out the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him off an upcoming boulder right above him.

Shifted my strength to my legs and jumped away to the strongest part of the chamber, the column next to the long doors. I pressed myself against the wall as much as I could, avoiding damage. The ground shook desperately, I thought we would fall along the crumbling building; we were at the top of the palace after all.

I closed my eyes and held the boy close, thinking of what to do now to survive if we were actually going to fall down along with the structure.

"Aang!" I suddenly heard a desperate voice, dim and far, the sound of the rocks falling was getting in the way, could I be imagining it?

"Aang, Aang where are you!" I knew that voice; it was the waterbender girl.

I opened my eyes and listened, I could hear her somewhere, nearby.

Then I saw her, at the other end of the building, pressed against the wall herself.

And so I shouted back to her, letting her know I was here with the avatar, she look this way, saw the avatar and instantly sprinted this way, avoiding the rumble of rocks.

When she arrived, her face was terrified and she had some tears in her eyes, she took 'Aang' from my arms and held him with her.

In that moment, I saw something,

it was my mother.

No, there was no room for mistakes or mercy, he had to go down.

The ceiling gave out and was completely gone, parts of the wall in front of me destroyed, there were unusual craters coming from the floor. Fire engulfed some areas of the chamber. The exposed sky showed above us, black sky with stars.

The night was deep, and there was a fog forming, where was father at?

There was no time to lose

"Listen, take the avatar away from here, I'll take care of him from now on" I told the girl when we were leaning down to look at the avatar's condition.

She glanced at me for a moment, then focused on the avatar and closed her eyes "I…I will" but then I got up and she said.

"Will you be Ok Zuko" I took a minute to remember something.

"This time, I'm no longer confused, and I won't change my mind,

I will not make the wrong choice I made in Ba Sin Sei, because I am myself now" finally releasing that smile for myself I'd been holding for a long time.

She looked concerned, but nodded and smiled at me, she too remembered "I know you won't" picked up the avatar and begun to run to the doors.

It was really late, and the sun would raise in an hour or so, but already I was feeling full of confidence, I was angry within, perhaps even frustrated still, but I knew one thing

There was no way I would change my mind about this.

"I thought I'd see you again, Zuko" my father's voice echoed thru my ears.

No there was no way.

keep in mind, Mai in not dead yet!

now for the bad news, next chapter will definately be the last

REVIEW OR ELSE!