Chapter 25
Our Last Agni Kai: Opening Shot

"Truly my Lady, in all my years, this is the most auspicious birth I've had the good fortune to witness. You and your child are truly blest," enthused the midwife as she placed the newborn infant in her Mother's arms. The baby did not cry, instead languorously observing the new world around her through half lidded eyes.

Azula, first blood-crown princess of the Fire Nation, was born at exactly midday on the Summer Solstice. She'd surprised everyone by arriving early, as if determined to have the most perfect birth date possible. The whole nation, already celebrating the Solstice, was roused to even greater jubilation by the good news, seeing in it promise of Agni's continued favor for His beloved country. Even Ozai, a not particularly religious man (though like all megalomaniacs, he believed in Destiny, or rather that destiny believed in Him), was pleased enough by the lucky birth that he did not berate his wife for failing to give him a son. He could already tell by his daughter's self assured calm that she was destined for greatness.

His wife however was a religious woman, ready to see supernatural significance in the play of light and shadows. She did not spoil the good cheer of all those around her by voicing her own inner thoughts as she held the disturbingly quiet, uncrying infant; there is only one place to go after the Solstice height: a downward descent into coldness and lengthening night.

"Before we-"

The Fire Princess was caught off guard by her Mother striking first, launching a lightning quick spear-hand strike as she turned, all the flames spiraling around her funneled into a narrow white lance of focused fire, instantly piercing the distance between them.

Azula began to twist one way, her arms twisting the other to deflect the opening shot just enough to the side. However, the instant her bending made contact it caught fire and was torn to shreds by the sharp hot edges of the flame lance, like dry parchment. And then it tore just as easily through the Fire Princess, punching a hole clean through her. Azula staggered back from the force of the impact, gasping as the white hot pain seared through her. Her knees buckled, folding outward as she collapsed in shock, hands grasping at the entry and exit wound.

The strike had been aimed for Azula's abdominal aorta. And even with her twisting, had still managed to graze a good portion of it. "I-I'm dead," thought the Fire Princess in panic as she felt blood began to slowly ooze between her fingers. "I'm going to bleed out!"

Dimly, against the deafening sound of her pulse pounding in her ear, like the dreadful pounding of Sun Warrior drums heralding another sacrifice to the elder dragon gods, she could hear Katara crying something out. Probably her name. This was just too pathetic, thought the Fire Princess as she stole a glance toward the water bender, too guilty and embarrassed to meet her eyes. She had suspected that her odds against her Mother were somewhere in the vicinity of zero, but to have been taken down in less than a second…

Damn it! She couldn't die just yet, like this! thought the Fire Princess as she took one last determined look at Katara. There were still important things she had to say! Azula tried to speak, but all she managed was a horrible choked gargling sound, followed by coughed up blood. It felt like there might also be a hole in her stomach as well. The image of her innards filling with blood made her sick, and it took a considerable effort to avoid vomiting up more of her crimson vitals.

Do you hate me so much that you're just going to leave me to slowly die like this?! Thought the Fire Princess as she glared at her Mother in irritation, wishing she would just put her out of her useless misery. She was surprised that her Mother didn't look pleased with her victory. In fact, there seemed to be an almost sad disappointment to her features. Well sorry I couldn't give you a real duel Mother, thought Azula sarcastically.

Letting her disappointment out with a quick sigh, the She-Bear began to draw in breath toward herself with her one good arm. It appeared she was ready to grant her daughter's wish. Azula correctly surmised that the lack of immediate follow up was only because condensing enough flame to burn through even bending had taken a lot out of Ursa, and her inner fire needed to recover. Which it was doing rapidly, as fire will always do in the presence of ready fuel.

"Mother, where does fire come from?"

The Mother turned from her finished kata and toward her inquisitive child. The little princess had a way of always looking confidently at ease; her arms propping her up as she casually leaned back on the courtyard bench, dangling legs betraying her restless energy as they kicked unthinkingly at the air. Her eyes though, they were not nearly so casually unthinking, and betrayed the even deeper energy of her relentlessly active mind. "You can't see it with those sharp calculating eyes daughter? Sometimes you look as if you believe you can see everything with them."

Azula frowned a little bit at that and scrunched up her brow as her Mother turned back from teasing to resume bending. Which resumed the teasing with a patronizing slowness. Azula knew it was a trap, yet she still found her eyes drawn into the web her Mother wove with flame and elegance. Her feet now still and her arms having moved forward to clutch the edge of the bench until her knuckles turned white, she watched with intent irritation, knowing that she was going to fail this test, yet her stubborn pride making her attempt it. The mother raised the corner of her mouth and one eyebrow as she met Azula's glare, as if to taunt: "See it yet, daughter?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I did," huffed Azula as she crossed her arms and looked away in annoyance.

"No, I suppose not," said the Mother as she stopped her bending, satisfied by the submission. "It's important though to realize that there are many things unseen, yet that are vital we learn to perceive." Her daughter seemed to have many such blind spots.

"Moottthhherr," whined the little girl as she leaned back and rolled her eyes. "That doesn't make any sense. If you don't know the answer then just say so."

"Do you wish to become a bender or not young lady?" reprimanded her Mother. "And sit up straight and look at who you're speaking to when being instructed. You'll be starting at the academy soon, and I don't want to hear from your Sisu that you have disrespectful posture."

"Of course I want to be a bender," snapped the little princess as she grudgingly straightened herself. "Besides… I already know the answer," sniffed the daughter, turning up her chin.

"Oh do you?" asked the Mother smugly as she placed one hand on her hip.

So intent was the daughter to show up her Mother, that she ignored the warnings that this was another trap, and that her Mother was already several moves ahead of her. "Yep. Fire comes from ambition," explained the daughter with pedantic gesture. "When your ambitions burns bright enough, your bending will ignite."

"So if your Father already told you that, why bother to ask me?" asked the Mother as she crossed her arms.

"I was just testing if you were as smart as Father," claimed Azula as she leaned forward again on her hands, a haughty smirk on her face. _She_ was the instructor now, so she'd sit however she blazing pleased.

"Are you sure you weren't testing to see if your Father was as smart as he thinks he is?" asked the Mother innocently.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Azula suspiciously.

"Well, you're plenty ambitious Azula. You're more ambitious than I am. So how come I can bend and you can't?" questioned Ursa with one outstretched hand.

"That's… that's because…" fumbled the daughter, realizing too late that she'd once again walked straight into one of Mother's traps. She needed to learn how to see more moves ahead so this would stop happening! (alas, many years later, she would discover the very hard way that her Mother could still play her)

"…You suspect there's more to it than what your Father told you?" suggested Ursa.

"…I suppose…" admitted the little princess evasively as she looked down, embarrassed at the corner she'd backed herself into. She'd lost face not just for herself, but for Father as well. Her Mother wasn't one to rub it in though, and she surprised her daughter by softly sitting down and pulling her close.

"Well, it was smart of you to come ask me then daughter. Men often have tunnel vision, only focusing on one aspect of a thing and thus being blind to the greater Whole," whispered her Mother conspiratorly in her daughter's ear. Azula giggled at this, her Mother joining in as the tension between them dissipated, joined together in the primal solidarity of disparaging the Other.

Lady Ursa held both her hands palm up in front of her. The Fire Princess grinned in anticipation; it looked like Mother was going to share the secret of fire after all.

* * *

Bleeding Azula-Chibi: Damnit Mother! Talking is supposed to be a free action!

A/N: Mother once told me I was born uncrying, instead languorously observing the new world around me through half lidded eyes.

Next:
Chapter 26
Our Own Gravity, Defying the World

A/N: Sometimes I think of writing certain author notes, but then don't, because it wouldn't be professional, would it? Which is fairly egoistically stupid xp Cuz this sure as hell isn't professional.

Anyway, Baptism is getting close to its end. I have two endings I've been going back and forth between using, and I'm going to have to make up my mind about which to deploy soon. So if you have any strong feelings on things you'd like to see happen, let me know in a review or PM and it might just influence which way I end up tipping.

Lord knows I've been heavily influenced by feedback before. The flashback to Ursa's exile came about because reader feedback made me decide the Fire Ladies motivations could use more fleshing out. Considering it was originally planned that Azula was going to easily kill Ursa in chapter 8, you could say this ended up changing things just a teensy tiny bit:)

One ending wraps the story up and it gives it a conclusive self contained end. The other ending would finish Baptism's story, but would leave a ton of story still hanging and in want of a sequel. The Pro side of this is that it's the way the story "should" go from an idealized "properly construed narrative integrity" point of view, unconstrained from any other considerations.

But reality does often have such considerations. Where the Con side comes in: I doubt I would actually get around to writing such a sequel. Which doesn't seem very fair to the readers. Of course, maybe the existence of loose ends would guilt/tempt me back to such an ambitious project, but I wouldn't count on it. It's important to know our limits. Your feedback, as always, is appreciated.