Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.
"I take it captain Lan and her dawn squadron accomplished the little task I asked them to accomplish." Ozai said leaning on his desk with his hands interlocked in front of him, a smug grin forming on his face as he stared at Azula standing in front of his doorway fiery hooded cloak donned, and scythe in hand.
"So, where are they now?" Ozai asked.
Azula only scowled at the mention of them.
"Her entire squadron..." Ozai chuckled lightly with closed eyes and a shake of his head.
"This is quite the unexpected surprise. I only intended to have those two killed because they were holding you back from your true potential, but now I see I might have undervalued their worth. " Ozai's grin grew at Azula's form.
"You've transformed again and even to a higher state than before. I thought that the event was exclusive to only when people you cared about were hurt."
Azula's scowl under her hood intensified.
"Oh…that's rich…you think they actually considered you their friend." Ozai laughed.
Hand tightening around her scythe, Azula dashed forward toward Ozai.
Removing one of the moon rings on his finger, Ozai jumped back as Azula came at him with a diagonal slash that ripped apart his desk.
Swinging violently at him as he backed up smiling, Azula cornered Ozai against the wall as he had nowhere to go.
Coming at him with her scythe, Ozai caught the hilt of it in his hand.
Grinning at her, Ozai looked down in surprise to see a ball of fire in Azula's hand over his stomach.
Discharging the blast, Azula sent Ozai crashing through the wall on the other side.
Sliding to a stop on his feet, Ozai grimaced with a hand over his smoking stomach.
"That actually hurt…!" Ozai thought as Azula came dashing through the wall with her scythe again.
Raising his hand, Ozai unleashed a stream of flames at her that she dispersed in two with a swing of her scythe that sent a fiery slash at him.
Ozai scowled looking at the incoming slash.
Pulling off another one of his moon rings, Ozai steeled himself.
With a swat of his hands, Ozai broke the flaming slash passing by him as it cut the floor and wall behind him.
Appearing on his side suddenly, Azula took another swing at Ozai.
Catching her by the neck, Ozai held up Azula as she gripped his hand choking her.
Ozai scowled at Azula, before her cloak split into four pointed tendrils and came at him.
Releasing her, Ozai gripped two tendrils in each hand as they tried to pierce into him.
Landing on her feet, Azula conjured two fiery swords in each hand.
Thrusting forward her swords at him, Ozai stopped her by gripping the tendrils and lifting her up and smacking her down on the floor.
Batting her against the floor again, Ozai looked as the tendrils he was gripping wrapped themselves around his wrist.
Pulling herself in by the tendrils, Azula then pierced through Ozai's stomach with her flaming swords.
Coughing up a spit of blood, Ozai grimaced, before winding back his hand and backhanding Azula across the floor.
Reaching to pull off another moon ring, Ozai looked in shock as the flaming swords lodged in his stomach dissolved into fiery strings and entered his body.
Fingers clenching down uncontrollably on his ring and pinkie, Ozai was now unable to remove another ring.
Coming at him with a flaming fist, Azula cracked him across the face with it sending him sliding across the floor.
Conjuring blades between her fingers, Azula threw them into the air above the sliding Ozai.
Crossing her hands down, Azula clenched her hands into fists, willing the blades down as they turned into spears.
Looking up at the incoming hail of spears, Ozai ignited flames from his feet as he zoomed out of the way and up against the wall.
Smashing him through the adjoining wall with her arms, Azula had picked up one her fiery spears as she hurled it at Ozai.
Striking his shoulder, the spear pinned Ozai against the wall as Azula came at him with her fiery scythe.
In front of him with her scythe wound back ready to decapitate him, Azula was knocked back as Ozai unleashed a torrent of flames from his hand.
Turning his attention to the spear in his arm, Ozai tried to pull it out when he looked back in shock at Azula charging back at him.
"What the hell had gotten into this girl?!" Ozai thought looking at her looming over him with her scythe, and burns on her skin.
"She was fighting like a demon!"
Making a swipe for his head, Ozai narrowly moved his head out of the way of Azula's strike to avoid being decapitated.
Raising his hand to unleash another torrent of fire Ozai had his hand caught in Azula's as she dematerialized her scythe in her other hand and struck his chest with two fingers.
A ring of fire rippled out over Ozai's body as he felt everything below his neck go limp.
Opening his mouth as flames began to spill out; Azula covered it with her hand as Ozai's eyes widened.
Extending out her other hand to the side, Azula rematerialized her scythe in it as she stared at Ozai from behind her hood.
Swinging forward her scythe, Azula sensed something that caused shock to wash over her face as she looked to her side.
A bolt of lightning struck her dead on as she was sent flying back from Ozai.
"About time…" Ozai said looking at the person who fired the lightning.
Azula grimaced holding her chest as she rose to her feet using her scythe as a crutch.
"Uncle…" Azula thought in a grimace as she looked at Iroh standing in the distance.
Scowling at her, Iroh unleashed a stream of lighting at Azula with a swirl of his two fingers.
Azula cried out in pain, her fiery hooded cloak fading as her entire body seized up with electricity surrounding her.
"Iroh, don't kill her! Remember our deal! If she dies so does he!" Ozai shouted as Iroh seemed to ignore him.
Hands trembling, Azula clenched them into fists as she extended out two fingers.
Iroh's eyes widened.
Opening her eyes, Azula wound back her hands, before redirecting the lightning back.
Ozai's eyes widened as the lighting came shooting back toward him.
Appearing in front of Ozai, Iroh redirected the lightning back again as it zoomed toward Azula.
Trying to do the same, Azula failed as she was blown back across the floor as the lightning bolt struck her chest.
Iroh standing by Ozai's side shot him a resentful look.
"Glad to see you remembered. All three of our lives are linked. If one of us dies so do the others." Ozai said smirking sinisterly.
"Get out…" Iroh and Ozai's faces snapped to Azula's voice.
Azula's fiery hooded cloak returned as she slowly rose to her feet.
"Get out of my way!" Azula screamed blasting off toward Iroh.
Charging toward her, Iroh winded back a fiery fist as Azula conjured her fiery scythe in hand and wound it back as well.
Stopping in front of her, Iroh opened his fist and unleashed the flames in a stream of orange flames surprising Azula as she was sent flying back.
Sliding back on her feet from a cloud of smoke, Azula forced herself to a stop as she grimaced in pain.
Shooting out from the smoke in front of her, Azula was caught off guard by the speed of Iroh for a man his size as he slammed into her face with a head-butt.
Taking an advantage of her while she was still stunned, Iroh cracked Azula across her face with heavy flaming fists that sent her stumbling back.
Changing the scythe in her hand to a shield, Azula blocked Iroh's next punch and conjuring a dagger in her other hand, made a stab at his face.
Iroh stopping Azula's hand with the dagger in it by gripping it tightly stared at her stonily.
Unable to free her hand, Azula opened her hand and attempted to unleash a stream of fire on his face, but before she could Iroh snapped her wrist.
Grimacing in pain, Azula was lifted up off her feet by her broken wrist.
Glaring at her, Iroh wound back a fist and began pummeling her face with loaded back punches.
Azula's dangling feet jerked with every hit as her blood gushed down onto the floor.
Releasing her hand as she fell slowly to the ground, Iroh wound back one final fiery punch and swung it dead center into Azula's chest sending her flying back.
Smashing against the wall so hard it created a small indent in it, Azula coughed up more blood.
Glaring at her, Iroh opened his mouth with a roar and unleashed a torrent of flames out at Azula.
Flames colliding with her head on, Azula was sent crashing through the other side of the wall.
Her fiery cloak dissipating as she rolled on her shoulders violently, Azula came to a stop on her side, facing away from Iroh.
Walking up to her motionless body, Iroh nudged her body over with his foot.
Soon as he did, Azula threw a ball of fire in his face.
Iroh backed up temporarily blind on his knees as Azula rose to her feet with her fiery cloak donned and her scythe wound back with one hand.
Bringing down the scythe, an image of Zuko smiling with Iroh caused Azula to hesitate as she halted the scythe over his head.
A bolt of lightning striking Azula in the chest sent her flying back from Iroh as Ozai stepped through the hole in the wall.
"Get up you fool, and witness the beauty of my true daughter." Ozai said smirking walking up to Iroh.
Forcing open his eyes, Iroh looked at Azula's body still cloaked in fire rise off the floor almost like something foreign was controlling it.
Head slung back looking up with her limbs crooked; Azula had blood seeping down from her mouth as lightning began dancing around her.
"Look closely and never forget dear brother this, this is the reason why I'm keeping that failure you call a nephew around."
"This girl…She will be the instrument of my will, the harbinger, of death to all who oppose me, and my ascension as absolute ruler to this world."Ozai raved with a sinister smile.
Electricity continued to dance around Azula, before an explosion of red flames erupted from her surrounding the area in an inferno.
Iroh and Ozai shielded their eyes from the immense heat the flames in front of them were giving off.
Squinting through the searing heat, Ozai looked through the flames to see the black outline of Azula through the red flames.
Her body was completely consumed in red fire now as two blazing azure eyes stared back at him
"Oh, another transformation…" Ozai said smirking.
"Hmmm, still can't pull another ring off." Ozai said examining his fingers that were still bent down forcibly by Azula's fiery strings within his body.
"So I'm going to have to make do with just you." Ozai shot Iroh a look.
Glaring back at him Iroh turned his head and looked in front of him with Ozai at Azula.
Extending out her hands to her sides, two figures composed completely of red fire split off and separated themselves from either side of her and stood next to her.
Ozai recognized the outlines of the two figures as replicas of Mai and Ty lee.
"Incredible." Ozai remarked smirking as he and Iroh prepared to fight.
The two fiery figures dashing from Azula's sides rushed toward Ozai and Iroh.
Winding back their hands, Iroh and Ozai both shot a blast of fire at the two figures.
Disappearing behind an explosion followed by a cloud of smoke, Iroh and Ozai both watched closely for any movements.
Sprinting out of the smoke one of the fiery figures that resembled Ty lee jumped into the air and kicked Iroh in the face sending him flying back.
Chasing after him the fiery figure was the target of Ozai as he wound back a fiery fist.
A fiery dagger with a fiery rope attached to it suddenly shot out of the cloud of smoke as it wrapped around Ozai's wrist.
Looking surprised Ozai was yanked in the cloud of smoke.
Grimacing as he slid to a stop Iroh looked up to see the fiery figure of Ty lee in front of him in a handstand staring at him.
Standing up on his feet Iroh glared at the figure, before unleashing a breath of fire at it.
The flames passed right through the figure as it stared at Iroh unaffected.
Springing toward him the figure struck Iroh with a swift fist followed by a palm strike to his chest.
Inside the center of the cloud of smoke that was still dispersing Ozai rose to his feet off the floor and looked around.
The end of the fiery rope around his wrist stopped in front of him but the figure was nowhere to be seen.
Hearing the figure as it ran behind him Ozai turned around a blasted a ball of fire through the smoke but hit nothing.
Glaring, Ozai winced in pain as he turned around to reveal a barrage of fiery knives in his back as he threw another fireball at nothing.
Whirling his arms around him Ozai dispersed the smoke around him with waves of flames.
The figure was still nowhere to be seen.
Hearing flames above him Ozai looked up as the fiery figure resembling Mai descended upon him with a fiery sai in hand.
Winding back one of his hands Ozai thrusted it toward the fiery figure unleashing a bolt of lightning at it.
Lightning passing right through the figure Ozai grimaced before jumping back as the fiery figure of Mai came down with the sai.
Glaring at the figure a lock of hair fell down from Ozai's head as blood seeped down his face.
Roaring, Iroh tried punching the fiery figure as it stood and watched as his fists went right though its body, reforming as soon as his fists left.
"How the heck was he supposed to fight this thing?!" Iroh thought stepping back from the figure.
Dashing toward him the fiery figure of Ty lee delivered three quick strikes to his chest with its fingers before Iroh managed to back up.
Examining himself Iroh didn't feel any pain from where she had struck him but he could see fiery residue left over from the hits.
Iroh looked back at the fiery figure that resembled Ty lee as she titled her head to the side looking at him.
Suddenly an explosion of flames ignited from Iroh's chest as he was consumed in a ball of fire.
Dying down the ball of flame was replaced by smoke as the fiery figure stared as it faded away slowly.
Coming into view Iroh stood bare chested hands in front of him in an X with only shreds of his armor remaining.
Lowering his arms slowly he glowered at the fiery figure.
Not too far off Ozai dodged wildly as the fiery figure that resembled Mai chased him across the floor with a fiery chain sickle that she swung violently around her body.
Swinging one half of the weapon at him in a diagonal slash for his head the fiery Mai changed the other half to three knives between her fingers and threw them at Ozai.
Jumping back from the chain sickle, Ozai had to raise his arms in defense to block the incoming knives as they lodged themselves in his forearms.
Lowering his arms Ozai glared at the fiery Mai.
Reaching to pull out one of the fiery knives Ozai found it stuck as he looked down at it.
Fiery ropes began to appear at the ends of the three knives lodged in his arms.
Looking in shock Ozai saw the ends of the ropes were in the fiery Mai's hands.
Yanking them the fiery Mai pulled Ozai stumbling forward as she sent her chain sickle in her other hand flying straight at him.
Eyes widening as he saw the fiery sickle come straight toward his face Ozai barely caught his footing and bent his upper body back in time to dodge the sickle as he watched it go over his head.
Jerking on the ropes in both hands the fiery Mai forced Ozai back up and the sickle to return as it stabbed him in the back.
Grimacing in pain Ozai gripped the fiery ropes that burned his hands the second he touched them and swung them around his body pulling the fiery Mai along with them.
Standing in front of Iroh the fiery Ty lee looked to her side before the fiery Mai crashed into her.
"Ozai…thank you." Iroh said surprised as Ozai walked up to him.
"Shut up you fool." Ozai spat.
Picking themselves up the fiery Mai and Ty lee stood next to each other and stared at Ozai and Iroh.
"Fighting these two are pointless, we need to-" Iroh started.
"Don't patronize me; I already know what to do." Ozai said as Iroh and he winded back their hands.
Electricity danced in Ozai's and Iroh's fingertips as the fiery figures of Mai and Ty lee dashed toward them.
Thrusting forth their hands Ozai and Iroh shot their electricity at them.
Shooting through them the electricity zoomed toward Azula as it arced down and behind her just before it collided with her fiery body and exploded.
An explosion of smoke traveled out from her body as Mai and Ty lee were enveloped behind the smoke.
Ozai and Iroh watched as the outlines of their figures slowly faded into nothingness.
"I think we did it." Iroh said.
"Think again." Ozai smirked as Iroh looked to see Azula's burning azure eyes staring at them behind the smoke.
Just then two enormous fiery slanted azure eyes opened above Azula.
Iroh and Ozai stepped back with a shocked look on their face.
Two large fiery red appendages moved out from behind the smoke causing two large tremors as the large slanted azure eyes inched closer.
"What is that…?" Iroh uttered as Ozai grimaced nervously at what was before them.
RAAAGH! A giant dragon about 25 feet tall composed of red fire roared dispersing the smoke.
"How is this possible?" Iroh asked shocked. "How is she doing this?"
Looking toward Ozai, Iroh saw his shoulders bouncing faintly with his head bowed down.
"Ozai…?" Iroh called.
Ozai lifted up his head as he busted out into an evil laughter.
"Yes, I see now that everything that's lead up to this point is no happenstance. It's destiny that I rule this world." Ozai exclaimed as Iroh stared at him.
Screeching the fiery dragon brought down one of its hands down on Ozai and Iroh.
The floor where the fiery dragon brought down its hands flew up in broken pieces as Iroh and Ozai jumped back.
Opening its mouth the fiery dragon unleashed a stream of red fire down at the two.
Raising their hands, Ozai and Iroh unleashed streams of fire of their own.
Clashing, their flames barely held back the dragon's flames at bay.
"Ozai!" Iroh called him over the loud flames.
"This has gotten out of hand. She's devolved to a full blown monster; she needs to be put down!" Iroh shouted struggling.
"No, I will wield this awesome power." Ozai affirmed struggling with a smirk.
"You can't control a monster!" Iroh shouted at him.
"Yes I can." Ozai said cockily, looking at him.
"How?!" Iroh shouted.
"The same way I control you." Ozai enunciated wickedly.
Iroh looked at Ozai's smug face confused.
"Don't blame me you fool!" Ozai suddenly shouted from the top of his lungs.
His voice was angry but his face still had a cocky grin on it.
"She's the one who redirected the lightning through the wall behind her and killed your nephew!" Ozai shouted his grin growing.
What…?
Iroh's eyes widened in horror as he turned his head toward Azula whose fiery azure eyes reflected his own the moment they laid eyes on them.
But…there wasn't any hole in the wall behind her…
"Get ready you fool…" Ozai whispered as Azula turned around.
"Now!" Ozai shouted dropping his hands forcing Iroh to hold the flames back by himself.
Winding back lightning in both of his hands Ozai thrusted them forward combining the two arcs of lighting into one as they zoomed under the fiery dragon and toward the back of Azula.
Azula let out a gasp of air as the lightning struck the nape of her neck.
Ozai smirked as falling forward Azula's body returned to normal by the time it touched the ground.
The fiery dragon and the inferno around it faded away as Iroh dropped to his hands and knees panting in exhaustion.
"The oldest trick in the book and you two fell for it." Iroh looked up to see Ozai gloating with a smirk as he walked over to Azula's unconscious body.
"To think such enormous power could lie in such a small little girl." Ozai remarked stopping in front of and looking at Azula's body.
"Why she even gave the infamous dragon of the west a run for his money." Ozai mocked shooting Iroh a smirk.
Iroh glared at Ozai still breathing heavily.
"Although to be fair if you hadn't let yourself degenerate into an overweight slob, she wouldn't have been a problem for you in your prime, would she?" Ozai asked derisively before turning his head back to Azula.
"Come on." Ozai called Iroh turning away from him and Azula.
"It's finished we're wasting time here."
"No." Iroh said making Ozai stop in his tracks.
Frowning angrily he turned his head back to Iroh who picked himself off the floor and stood up straight.
"We're not finished here until she's dead…" Iroh glared at Ozai.
Ozai narrowed his eyes as the two faced off against one another.
