Azula took Toph to a clearing near where the Defenders of Sozin hid out.
With her earthbending prowess, Toph made an arena with stands and a metal bar for the spectators to lean on. What wasn't evident, however, was that the bar in front was connected to poles that ran under the standing area. With one bolt of lightening the whole area would be electrified.
"How does it look Zappy?"
"Perfect." It was more than fitting for the historic battle, Ozai v. Azula, father v. daughter, Phoenix King vs. Princess of Fire.
"Try not to zap yourself!"
"I think I can handle it."
They went back to the palace, and Azula got ready to return to the base camp.
Before she could leave, however, there was a knock on her door.
It was Mai.
"What's going on?"
"Thought I'd say my farewell or whatever before you venture into the unknown."
"Aw, is this your way of saying you miss me?"
"I guess if you're going to get all sappy on me and shit!"
"Nah, you can save your sappy side for your girlfriend."
"It's mostly been laughter, drinking and sex."
"That sounds too much like fun for you anyway."
"Fuck you!"
"Nope. You tried out Zuzu, which means I'm off the table. I don't share, especially not with him."
Mai rolled her eyes. "Does that mean I can't try my luck with Sokka?"
"Pretty sure it does, plus Katara would kill you before I returned anyway."
"I'd tell her it was his fault."
"Cold."
"Like a dagger."
"So how did you decide you wanted Katara and a snow empire instead of being Fire Lady?"
"I don't know if those were the same decision. I got sick of Zuko's crap and then everything else just came together. Katara basically gave Aang away to Toph. We were drinking and talking shit about people, like we usually do and I kissed her."
"Out of all the times we drank and made fun of people, you never kissed me."
"Jealous?"
"Nah. You two deserve each other. You did your time raising your war hero boyfriends and now it's time to move on."
Mai flipped her off.
"Don't tell me you've never complained to her about your ex- boyfriend's mommy issues."
"Not telling you about it."
"Well, Toph won't mother Aang, so he'll have to man up."
"I'm pretty sure she punches him for foreplay."
"I've inflicted a few battle wounds during sex."
"You didn't burn him did you?"
"Not on purpose, but he might have made me breathe fire once or twice."
"Another reason not to date a firebender not that Zuko was ever so passionate."
"Who knows, maybe Katara will throw a waterbending fit and freeze you because the sex was too good."
"As funny as that would be, I would rather not be frozen."
Azula had the last of her stuff. "Time for me to rocket."
"Your man candy isn't going to see you off."
"He is, outside."
"Daring."
"Well, I can be risky."
Mai suddenly realized something. "Was that Sokka's underwear in that bush?"
"Maybe."
"You went out it outside, for the world to see."
"When passion overtakes you…"
Mai couldn't say she was much better. She ravished Katara in her ex boyfriend's lounge, on his couch.
"Take care of yourself."
"I will."
Sokka pulled Azula into her arms and kissed her before she took off. He wanted the last thought she had when she left to be of him, because she'd be on his mind every second that she was gone.
Ozai was waiting for Azula when she got closer to the camp. "Are you ready for a screaming match?"
"Yes, but let me show you something first."
She took him to the ring that Toph had built for them. "What do you think?"
Ozai chuckled. "It's better than I expected based of that drawing you did."
"Well, I didn't have a desk okay."
"Maybe you just can't draw."
"Ha ha."
Azula gave him some more fire, and then they went back to the camp.
"How was your trip?" Quyen questioned.
"Relaxing. I did enjoy my bed and I have some new plans. They decided to change the rotation a bit."
"Really, did he say why?"
"My guess is because he's fucking his bodyguard."
"What happened to his girlfriend, the warden's niece?"
"Apparently, Zuko has too many mommy issues, and she got sick of hearing him talk her, so she dumped him."
Qiu gasped. "Get out!"
"Nope. She wouldn't tell me about it, but well other people in the palace did."
The others wanted to hear all about the latest gossip in the palace, it wasn't until the evening when Ozai wanted to have a chat with his daughter.
They went away from the group, but everyone could hear them shouting.
"What DO YOU MEAN you want to be Fire Lord again?"
"I don't think you're ready!"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU STABBED ME IN THE BACK LIKE THIS. YOU WOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO BEND WITHOUT ME!"
"I am grateful, but …"
"Grateful my ass! I gave you your bending back. I can take it away!"
He "slapped her" hard across the face. "YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING YOU INSOLATE LITTLE BRAT!"
Azula threw lightening "at him," and it struck a tree. People gasped when they heard the cracking noise.
"I challenge you to an Agni Kai, for the right to face Zuko!"
"Accepted!"
Ozai mashed some cherry on her face, so she would look like she got hit.
Everyone was clamoring once the two came back.
Ozai made the announcement. "Since my daughter and I can't agree on who is more suitable for the throne, we will settle it the week before the invasion in an agni kai. Since they are traditionally public events, we will have an arena created in the forest."
"How?" Quyen questioned.
"Earthbending," Azula told him. "It will hardly be a professional arena, but I'm not going to just do this in an empty clearing."
Chan didn't expect Ozai and Azula to turn on each other like that. "Are you sure you're ready to fight him?"
She nodded. "My father is out of practice and I had to do a lot of research to learn how to give Ozai his bending back. I know a lot that he does not."
The next day, Qiu wanted a word with the Princess. "Are you sure a public fight is best?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"If you two are pitted against each other, it might make the bloodline look weaker."
"I know there are three people vying for the crown."
"What?"
"Me, my father and Quyen. Let me put it this way, he has failed to deceive me or my father."
"I see."
"And we would both rather see the other rule than him, so we will fight for supremacy and if Quyen tries to strike down the winner, he will find himself the loser, a dead loser."
"And why are you telling me this?"
"Because you have a choice. You can either side with the family that has controlled this nation for over 100 years despite at least a dozen attempts to dethrone us or you can follow the guy who has no feats to his name who won't even pay you enough to buy new shoes."
To keep up the pretense, Ozai and Azula trained separately. It would be bizarre to see them training together if they were at each other's throats. This gave the princess some alone time each morning where she could run. Trail running was more fun than on flat roads. The hills make you more tired, but once you get used to them, you seem to fly on by when you're on flat ground.
Ozai was having trouble with his flame. He usually used his anger to fuel his bending and he had plenty of it, but it wasn't working as well as it usually would. He was still good, but he wasn't nearly as good as he once had been and it was alarming to say the least. How would he help Azula take down these scoundrels if he couldn't fight as well as his pathetic son at this point?
There was really only one person for him to ask. He managed to find Azula coming back from a run.
"Can we chat?"
"What's going on Dad?"
"My flame, it's not as good as it should be."
She had just powered him up a couple of hours ago. It should be fine.
"Show me?"
He made a flame but when he did a move, it lacked the powerful impact that it once had.
"You're fighting your flame too much."
"What?"
"How do you fuel your bending?"
"Anger."
"That's your problem. I don't use my anger anymore, so when you try to use my flame, it doesn't work as well. You have to find something else."
"Like what?"
"Something that makes you happy or excited."
"Because I have had such an awesome last few years."
"You could take pleasure in Zuko's misfortune. He got dumped and his ex-girlfriend is dating his friend, so he'll have to see them together all the time."
Ozai snorted. "I never paid as much attention to who slept with whom."
"But that's like the most fun part about the palace. They're all a bunch of hoes. None of the couples that were there when I left were together when I came back two months later."
Ozai knew he'd have to find his own source. "I'll work on the source thing."
"It wasn't easy for me to change, but when I did, I found firebending to be more fun, not that destruction isn't fun, but sometimes, it feels good to feel like you're creating instead."
Azula found it comforting that Ozai couldn't control his fire as well with his anger. If he wanted to exercise the mastery he was used to having, then he would have to change.
Back at the palace, everyone except Sokka and Ty Lee was coupled up. When it came to dealing with the exes, Aang and Katara probably did the best. There were no hard feelings between them or between Toph and Katara. In fact, they got along better now since Toph no longer coveted Katara's man and Katara was having too much fun with Mai to try and mother Toph.
On the other side, however, there was still bad blood between Suki and Mai. Sokka and Zuko had called a truce, which very well may be broken when Zuko learns that Sokka is with his sister, but for now is good. Zuko realized it was foolish to think Sokka caused Mai to dump him, and it wasn't much different to kiss another girl than to dream about kissing another girl.
He had never kissed Suki while he was with Mai, but he wanted to, and although Zuko would always want to hurt anyone who caused Suki pain, he couldn't forget that Sokka is a good guy; he's just a bonehead.
Suki said she was over it, but she didn't seem to be. She seemed irate when anyone else was hanging out with Sokka. She really wanted to know who this no good slut was so she could smack her face. She resented that Sokka hid her under the guise of honor and for all she knows, Sokka's been fucking her behind Suki's back for months. He dumped her, said it was just a kiss, and is waiting a few months before he unveils her after everyone forgets about what he did to her.
Mai was never mad at him for leaving Suki. If it wasn't working, then he should have left. She knows now that she should have left Zuko earlier. She waited until she was too mad to continue instead of just leaving when she got the initial warning signs.
Katara could hardly stay mad at her brother, even if she did like the idea of him and Suki at one point. He was her lovable bonehead and when the warriors wanted to beat him up, there was no question that she would side with him. Only Katara beats him up or so she thinks.
Toph and Aang were too busy in their own world to pay much attention to the mess. Aang figured Suki would get over it in time and Toph decided she was bored of it all and stopped caring. They couple spent their time tumbling in the dirt and tumbling in the sheets.
He hadn't claimed Toph yet, but they were both having fun pleasing each other. Toph clearly liked his work more than Katara had. She screams so loud, he's amazed the guards don't come and when they go at it, he fears she'll break the bed.
Toph hasn't told Aang this, but she feels quite vulnerable when they fool around. She can't exactly see and sometimes, she has no idea what's about to happen. If people weren't always coming and going, she'd just do him outside like the gardener does it apparently.
Zuko hoped his sister was able to get out of this okay. He thought she was crazy for going into the dragon's den with Ozai, but she seemed convinced that she could handle him. Azula didn't seem to have the same healthy dose of fear that anyone else would have had when dealing with him.
Zuko didn't realize, however, that Azula had been motivated by fear most of her life. Fear that the resistance would kill her family. Fear that the Avatar would destroy her homeland like he did those ships during the siege. It was her fear that drove her to be vicious. She'd rather kill than be killed and her anger from her past gave her plenty to fuel her bending.
When Sokka first kissed her, Azula knew what it was like to be completely unafraid, like nothing bad could happen as long as he was there. After that night, he had been ashamed of stealing her innocence, but he had given her so much more in return. He had brought her dormant soul back to life. Their spirits intertwined and she was twice as strong with in in her heart. That was why she wasn't afraid of Ozai, not because he couldn't be dangerous or manipulative but because she had the inner strength to fight him.
Azula stared at the night sky, thinking of the stars that she had watched overhead as they became one in the grass. She was almost there. She was almost ready for her life to truly begin.
Sokka watched the same stars. Ty Lee came outside and sat next to him.
"When I look up in the sky," he said, "I imagine she's looking at the same stars, that we're watching for the other somehow."
"When did you become such a romantic?"
"I guess that night. It was like I became someone else."
"I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't jealous."
"Of me or of her?"
"I guess both. I want to fall as deep as you have and I also want someone to fall for me like that."
"I have no doubt that you will inspire someone to love you madly, Ty Lee."
On the morning of the agni kai, Azula woke up and got her armor on. Chan came to wish her luck.
"I suggest you stand in the back," she told Chan.
"Any reason for that?"
"Well, we both can throw lightening, so you would be wise to stay out of the line of fire."
He took her advice.
The small arena was full. Quyen was off to the side in some makeshift throne as if he were a king. He would stupidly make himself an easy target.
Ozai and Azula had loosely scripted the fight, but they were mostly free styling it.
When Quyen gave the signal, they started.
Ozai opened with a fire blast to the chest.
Azula quickly evaded. His bending still wasn't up to par. He didn't know how to find a new source.
"Struggling with your bending? Are you too old?"
Ozai knew she was acting, but it still made him mad. He threw a fire whip at her and she reacted by sending a blast at his feet. They danced around each other, cat and mouse and until suddenly, Ozai sent a bolt of lightening right at his daughter. She caught it, redirecting it across her body before throwing it at the beam that the crowd had been leaning on.
If people realized what was going to happen, they reacted too slowly to move and a zap of lightening dispersed through the metal, making most of the audience drop like flies.
Quyen watched in horror as his army was pretty much wiped out.
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
"Here's the thing, Quyen. I actually don't want to kill my brother for the throne. Even if I did, I wouldn't trust a no good lemur monkey who planned on killing me and taking it from me. I'm not stupid. I know you had your eyes on my family's crown from the start, but true power, the divine right to rule, is something you're born with, and you weren't born with jack!"
The few standing onlookers watched Azula charged Quyen. She set fire to his throne while he was on it and then kicked the crap out of him.
His employees ran scared and Azula and Ozai took out anyone who wouldn't back down. When Colonel Mongke woke up, he tried to strike Azula from behind but Ozai expelled a flame, so big it nearly engulfed the man.
He screamed as he fell to the ground. Azula wasn't sure if he would live. The avatar should be on his way.
"Dad let's go."
"Where are we going?"
"To have father daughter day until your bending goes away again." She would not return him like this.
Zuko and his friends had been waiting to see how Azula handled this. When they heard Mongke's screams, Zuko ran forward, desperate to make sure his sister was okay. "She's gone?"
Most of the army was still unconscious. Toph quickly metalbended them while Aang was on Appa, looking around for signs of any rogue militiamen. It was easy to spot Qiu and the lieutenants. Appa caught up with them and Aang trapped them in rock.
After a couple of hours, they took down everyone in the camp, but there was still no sign of Azula or Ozai.
"Where could they have gone?" Katara questioned.
"Did we try Azula's tent? Maybe she left a message," Aang suggested.
It was easy for Zuko to determine which one was hers. There had only been one girl in the group.
On her bag, was a letter that said To Zuko.
"Dear Zuko,
I'm sure you're wondering why I'm not at the camp. If my plan worked, then you caught your thugs and Ozai and I are missing.
I know we said we wouldn't keep (as many) secrets from each other, but I kept some from you to make sure that this could work. First, I didn't tell you that Ozai asked me to give him back his bending. I wasn't sure if it was even possible, so I did a lot of research and when I found out that it was possible, I still wasn't sure if I should.
If I didn't give him his bending back, he could easily get killed in this coup, but if I gave it back, he could try to seek revenge and kill good guys. I didn't know if I could trust him to ever change.
I found a lion turtle who taught me how to give firebending temporarily. It would only last a few hours at a time. He said as long as my heart was pure, then I could energybend as I willed. I tested it out and I could make it last only three hours.
I wasn't sure how long this battle would take, so I gave him bending for six hours. If I'm gone, then it means that the battle was shorter than I thought it might be, and I am keeping Ozai away from you until his bending is gone again.
I can keep him out of trouble, but I don't need a rematch of you and Ozai, Aang and Ozai, or anything else he might try to pull.
I never taught him how to energybend or even where I had learned it, so hopefully he doesn't figure it out. I couldn't find it in any book, and I think that's a good thing.
Anyway, I'll bring him back to the palace and you can arrange his transport back to jail. I'll see you this evening.
Azula
"She's fine," Zuko said as he finished the letter. "She took Ozai out for a last day of freedom or whatever." He didn't disclose what Azula had done with energybending. He decided this should be a royal secret.
"She would give him mercy," Suki snorted.
"Given how he raised her," Aang commented, "I think that's a good thing," that she was capable of giving mercy, and that she could forgive him for all he had done to her.
"She's supposed to bring him to the palace tonight. Let's wrap this up."
While they carted their crooks to the hospital or jail, Chan asked if he could ride home with them.
"Where did you come from?" Mai questioned.
"Well, Azula told me to watch out for lightening, so I didn't get struck when she struck all those rebels at once and when she started fighting Quyen and everyone else started fleeing, I just went back to the camp. I figured you were coming anyway, and I saw no reason to get beat up for nothing."
"So what was your endgame?" Suki questioned.
"Not to die. I have to admit that I didn't really care who got the throne. I just wanted to get away from my crazy father. Ozai said I probably wouldn't die if I listened to him and I didn't."
Zuko shook his head. "Come on Chan." What a buffoon!
Azula took Ozai to Capital City where they ate at his favorite restaurant.
"The owner is expecting us," Azula said as they took a side entrance and went to a private room. It was an all you can eat steakhouse, and Azula told them to keep the whiskey coming.
"I thought I'd never eat here again."
"I figured you'd want to come back if you could."
They brought rib eye, filet mignon, porterhouse, skirt steak, and other cuts as well as roasted vegetables and rice to add some balance to the meal.
"How did you get a new source?" she asked her father.
"I didn't have one when we started fighting, obviously, but when Mongke tried to hit you from behind, I couldn't let you get hurt again. I regret nothing more than not being there to save you when you got kidnapped." He blamed himself for his family falling apart. It all happened that day.
"I finally realized that my love for you was stronger than all of the rage I've been keeping for so long. It still feels weird, like I'm someone else in a way." Even Ozai could change, a little. "But it's probably a good thing that I'm full of food and drink right now because if I wasn't, I'd be looking to kick that bald weenie's ass!"
Azula rolled her eyes. Baby steps!
Back at the palace, Zuko swiftly detained anyone who was related to anyone in the Defenders of Sozin.
They all acted innocent, but when Zuko mentioned that Quyen and 40 militia members had been arrested, some of them gave very nervous signs.
It was easy to see who was innocent and who wasn't.
It was finally all over. It had been almost a year of trying to deal with these people and it was now done.
"You know what this means right," Mai said.
"That I can finally get a job," Sokka laughed.
"Any interest Azula had in the throne she gave up. No one would support a coup to put her in charge when she just leveled the last coup dedicated to her. I think it's the biggest endorsement you're ever going to get."
Zuko hadn't thought of it that way before. Yes, she was helping him, but he didn't realize what her actions were actually saying. "For a sister who tried to kill me, she's not that bad."
"What?" Suki questioned.
Ty Lee just laughed.
Azula didn't have the same tolerance as Ozai did. Her firebending helped some, but she was like half his weight.
He ended up giving her a piggyback ride into the palace.
He nonchalantly walked through the door and delivered Azula to Zuko's meeting room. "Azula, wake up."
"What?"
"I have to go back to jail now."
"Oh."
She got off his back and hugged him goodbye before he left.
"Can I at least bring my whiskey?" Ozai questioned.
"No," Zuko told him.
"Well fine." Ozai took out what was left of his bottle and chugged it all.
Sokka was impressed by how much he could drink. That was like five shots!
He burped. There was no fire.
"How charming father."
He ruffled the hair on the top of her head. "Take care of yourself." He went up to Sokka and punched his stomach.
"What was that for?"
"For taking liberties with my daughter. You better make an honest woman of her." He turned to Azula. "You talk a lot when you're trashed. Some of it, I wish I didn't know."
Everyone who didn't know Sokka was screwing Azula was stunned.
Suki finally realized. "YOU CHEATED ON ME WITH AZULA!" She turned to the princess. "You no good hussy, you're going to get it!" Azula was too drunk to really react.
She charged the half-awake firebender, only to have Ozai hoist her in the air and say, "no one calls my little girl out of her name. Whatever issue you have, it's with that boneheaded savage." He quickly put her down before Zuko had the guards kill him. Zuko was actually still in shock from the earlier revelation.
Ozai was cuffed and taken away.
Zuko was the most stunned. He started hyperventilating, pointing back and forth and finally screamed, "YOU'RE FUCKING MY SISTER!"
Sokka ran out the room, looking for somewhere to hide.
"YOU CHEATED ON ME WITH AZULA!" She gave chase too!
Katara was stunned. "WHAT?"
"Yeah, your brother is in love with Azula, and I thought he couldn't get any dumber before," Mai said dryly.
"Snoozles and Zappy? Well, she can stop him from sleeping all day. It kind of makes sense."
The only people missing from this scene were Chan and Ty Lee. He took a liking to her once again.
"You really are gorgeous," he told her as they shared dinner together.
She blushed. "I'm glad you're not in jail."
"Me too."
He didn't know how to fight, but he'd fight anyone who got in his way to keep Ty Lee. He had a fresh start, and he was determined to use it wisely.
His father, however, woke up in a hospital, cuffed to the bed.
"What happened?"
"You were struck by lightening and then arrested for treason."
Well shit! "Where's my son?"
"Not here."
Is he already in jail? I don't have a spare heir, not that I will be able to keep my estate. This really sucks.
Mongke didn't die from his injuries, but he would be hospitalized for the next month. He never knew pain like this. He should have realized Ozai wouldn't let anything happen to his little brat. He just didn't think the old fucker had it in him.
Sokka hid in Zuko's room, figuring Zuko wouldn't look for him there. His plan actually worked, until Suki came to bed and then she tried to hit him. He ran out with her chasing him, which alerted Zuko to where the scoundrel was.
Ty Lee and Chan laughed as Zuko and Suki chased Sokka outside.
