Butterflies and Hurricanes
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Zuko and Katara separated, eyes focusing on the stairs. Zuko grasped Katara's wrist and tugged her onwards gently. Katara watched him carefully as they ran. Just before they started up the stairs, Katara saw him look back at the gaping hole in the outer wall and shiver slightly. Katara loosened his grip on her wrist and held his hand instead, knowing that he was still seeing Azula's falling form in his mind's eye. Zuko squeezed her hand back in thanks and together they took the steps two at a time.
Katara looked around the room they now entered in slight wonder. It was an opulent sitting room, plush divans and finely polished tables were scattered around the room. It was laid out much like Zuko's chambers, but much larger and more opulent.
A corridor split off from the back of the room and Katara found herself being pulled over towards it. She gave another look around the room and saw that Iroh and Ozai were nowhere to be found. Zuko pulled her in to the corridor and Katara's eyes swivelled left and right, trying to take in everything. Priceless vases flanked numerous doorways, some of the portals covered by silk curtains, others sealed by heavy doors.
It was dim in this passageway, although it was wide and impressive. The meagre light of oil lamps cast distorted shapes across the wall, Katara and Zuko's shadows dancing sinisterly across the intricate murals painted there.
"My father's rooms." Zuko said quietly, never slowing his pace forward. "He has everything he needs here to never leave the Royal Tower... he rarely does."
As they moved down the corridor, Katara got glimpses in to some of the rooms. A ridiculously large bathroom, all black marble and gold fixtures; an expansive library, scrolls laying out, half read of the tables. Their destination however, was the door at the end of the corridor. Katara held her breath as Zuko grasped the handle and pulled, terrified at what would be waiting for them. She felt her worry fall flat however, when all that lay behind the door were yet more stairs.
Katara made forward but Zuko tugged her back. Looking at him in confusion, Katara saw that his face was deadly serious.
"Zuko, Iroh is-"
"I know." Zuko cut her off. "If they aren't on this floor then there is only one other place they could be." Zuko pointed his chin towards the stairs. "There's a rooftop terrace up there. No more stairs, nowhere else to run." Katara tilted her head in confusion and Zuko looked her straight in the eye. "When we go up there, we either win or we don't come back, because there will be nowhere else to go… I want you to go back, Katara."
"What?"
"Listen-"
"No! You listen to me, Prince Zuko. We've come this far together and I'm not turning tail now. You'd have been on the floor outside next to your sister if I hadn't been there. Now, are we going to and help you Uncle or are you going to waste more time with the dramatics?"
Zuko looked a little stunned for a moment, before his lips quirked upwards slightly. "Stubborn Waterbender."
Katara's reply was halted by a loud explosion from above.
Wasting no more time, the two teens launched themselves up the stairs emerging, slightly breathless on the roof. Katara looked around, once more marvelling at how Ozai could maintain a palace of such beauty when his heart was so black.
The roof was dominated by a large fountain, the water trickling gently down it. Exotic plants and lush greenery grew in abundance. Katara glanced upwards, and saw why she had never known that this place existed. When looking at the Royal Tower from the distance, it was capped with a traditional pagoda roof. The roof covered the garden, held from the waist-high walls by sturdy pillars.
From the inside of the roof hung more plants, trailing vines and bright flowers, and Katara wished that she could have seen this place in the light of day.
Zuko led Katara forward, around the fountain, where they found Iroh and Ozai facing one another with blank expressions. Ozai was no longer dressed in his resplendent robes, instead abandoning his top half all together. His bare chest bore a few red welts, evidence of Iroh's attacks, but was otherwise unharmed.
Iroh however, looked a little more worse for wear. He too had abandoned his heavy outer robe, leaving him in a lighter top absent of his customary trailing sleeves. His right arm was mottled with burns, and he was listing to the side slightly. Katara knew Iroh was a renowned fighter, and for Ozai to have been able to do this to him scared her.
"Stop." Zuko's voice was strong yet quiet.
The older men on the roof paused and turned to look at the newcomers. Iroh's face tightened slightly when he saw that his charges were unharmed.
Ozai sneered. "I see you managed to get passed Azula."
"She's dead." Zuko said plainly.
Ozai's form froze momentarily, before he schooled his face in to a blank mask once more. "You killed your own sister? I may have had you pinned wrong, Zuko. Perhaps you aren't as spineless as you seem."
"I didn't kill her. She was so eager to do your bidding, she got sloppy and it cost her her life."
"And yet laying down your life for your father is a noble thing to do." Ozai looked Zuko over disdainfully. ""At least one of my children wasn't a disappointment."
Zuko did not rise to the bait as he may have once done, instead sending his father a chilling glare and tightening his grasp on Katara's hand. Ozai's eyes drifted down to where their hands were joined and his lips twisted in some perverse show of amusement.
"I see that you are a complete lost cause. I think you must purposely try to besmirch my name, Zuko. Trying to introduce half-breeds in to the royal line?" Ozai smiled sardonically. "Not that you will have the chance to do so. None of you will be getting from this roof alive."
"You would kill you last living child?" Iroh stepped forward, drawing Ozai's attention away from the teenagers.
Ozai regarded his brother coolly. "I will have time to make more children, ones who do not fail and who will be born and raised in a world under total control of the Fire Nation."
"Give it up." Zuko's voice was level, if not a little beseeching. "You've already lost. The resistance has stopped your ships from leaving port, and your hawks have not sent the messages to the other kingdoms. The only one left is you, Ozai."
The Fire Lord laughed lowly. "I thought you would have realised by now, Zuko, that I am all there needs to be."
With that, Ozai sent a whip of fire towards his son and Katara. Zuko pushed Katara to the side, forcing her to take cover behind a large urn overflowing with flowers. Zuko met the blow with one of his own, but the strength behind Ozai's attack caused him to stumble.
"Zuko!" Iroh jumped forwards, arms wielding a mass of flames, and attacked his brother. The flames engulfed Ozai and Katara watched with wide eyes as the Fire Lord became a fireball.
Zuko appeared at her side, crouching next to her and holding an arm in front of her to protect her face from the heat. Katara was certain that that was it – no one could survive an attack like that.
Was it really over that quickly?
No.
The orb of fire separated down the middle, Fire Lord Ozai emerging from inside looking as unharmed as before. "You are getting weak brother."
He struck out at Iroh, a wall of fire hurtling towards him. Iroh dodged to the side – only to be struck across his injured arm with another fire whip. Iroh groaned in pain, his arm blistered and hanging useless at his side.
"Iroh..." Katara gasped, scrambling from her hiding place and towards the kneeling man.
Ozai's hawk-like gaze narrowed as he saw her and he sent a blast of fire towards her.
Katara didn't even look as she swung her arm up, bringing the water in the fountain up as a shield.
"Waterbender?" Ozai whispered to himself, knowing that this girl had once been a servant in the palace. His momentary confusion cost him and Ozai found himself knocked to the floor as his son hurtled into his side. Ozai rolled back on to his feet, a fierce glare pinning Zuko in place.
Zuko watched as Katara reached his Uncle, placing a glowing hand over his mangled arm. His gaze slipped back to Ozai and he watched as his father approached.
"Are you going to stand and fight this time Zuko? Or do you need another lesson in honour?"
Zuko's mind flashed back to the scared boy that had once kneeled before this man, tears in his eyes as a flame hurtled towards his face. He found that he had changed much since then, and definitely for the better. "I'm never going to kneel before you, Ozai."
The Fire Lord seemed genuinely amused. "Good. It will make it all the sweeter when I end your pitiful life."
Zuko's flames were not blue and he could not wield lightning like his sister, but he was fighting for people he cared about, and that gave him the courage to face Ozai without hesitation.
His father was strong, but Zuko was fast. He managed to dodge most of the blows band deflect the others, taking every opportunity he could find to send his own blasts back. Zuko tried to lead Ozai away from Iroh and Katara, knowing that if the Fire Lord turned around to attack them, Zuko would have a clean shot at his back.
Katara was trying to keep one eye on the battle as she healed Iroh. Her hands were shaking terribly, so scared that at any moment, Ozai would hurt Zuko.
"You must relax," Iroh murmured, his eyes focused on the healing skin of his arm. "Zuko fights for better reasons than Ozai." He flexed fingers and smiled. "That is much better. What do you say we go and help my nephew?"
Katara nodded and stood fluidly to her feet, helping Iroh up as she went.
Iroh wasted no time in approaching the fight, and Kara ran to the fountain. Letting the water slosh around her ankles, she called up a column of water and froze it. It was a move Pakku had helped her to perfect, and Katara vaguely wondered how her mentor was faring as she shaved of razor-sharp slithers of ice and sent them flying at Ozai.
The Fire Lord soon found himself on the defensive, trying to absorb the fiery blasts from his brother and son, all the while trying not to be decapitated by the Waterbender's attacks. Deeming the girl the most troublesome, Ozai took a chance and focused his attacks towards the fountain. The girl was quick, calling up a bank of water and skidding across it, dragging what water she could as she went. She Bent the water around Ozai, increasing its viscosity as she came to a stop.
Ozai saw the globe of water solidify as it closed around him and would have laughed – water was no match for fire.
Letting his body erupt in flames, Ozai realised his mistake as the water surrounding him combusted in to steam. The hot moisture bit at his exposed face and torso, and Ozai growled his skin erupted with angry, pink patches.
It had been a smart move on the girl's part, but she had used up most of the water in the fountain and now relied on the meagre amount in her pouch and what rain fell around them.
Ozai barely paid attention to the fire coming at him from both sides, meeting it with his own and Bending two jets of white-hot flames beneath his feet. He shot across the terrace at alarming speed and Katara's eyes widened as her brain froze in panic. Ozai was almost upon her when he adrenaline kicked in, she turned to the right but was halted by the deadly blast of fire from Ozai's hand.
She barely heard the outraged cries from Zuko and Iroh as Ozai grasped her about the throat and slammed her back against one of the stone roof supports. His hand was terrifyingly hot and Katara tried not to whimper as temperature of his skin seemed to rise.
"Don't" Ozai commanded, and Katara was confused until she realised he was addressing his family members. "I will kill her before you can take a single step."
Zuko glared at his father and Ozai laughed.
"This one is precious to you, Zuko?" Ozai looked Katara in the eye. "Attachments make you weak. Give you something to fear losing. Just look at your uncle." Iroh's gaze was carefully blank as he held Zuko's shoulder in a pacifying gesture. "If he hadn't have been so dedicated to his late wife and child, he could have had more heirs. Then he would be Fire Lord and, who knows, this may not have been happening at all."
"Don't try and twist this you-" Zuko's furious tirade was cut off by Katara's pained gasp as Ozai's hand grew even hotter. She was on her tiptoes now, trying to alleviate the pressure on her throat, and she cast her frantic mind around. Her water pouch was still full against her hip, and the rain was still pitter-pattering around them, but she knew as soon as she moved her hands to pull it towards her, Ozai would strike he drown. Think, Katara!
"Just consider it , Zuko," Ozai turned his head away from Katara. "If you didn't have such a disgusting interest in this Water Tribe vermin, you may have already taken the opportunity and killed me and ended this battle. But you won't will you?" Ozai looked at Katara once more. "Because I have her neck in my hand and I could end her life right now. I think I still might, it would-"
Katara knew it was a risk, that Ozai's instincts might have kicked in and she could be a cinder on the floor, but she could see no other way. As Ozai baited his son, eyes fixed on Katara's she had released a deep breath, freezing the moisture in its path. The saliva in his mouth and the moisture on his eyeballs froze over instantly.
Ozai gave strangled gasp on pain, as he lost control of some of his senses, his grip around Katara's neck falling lax. She slithered to the floor, crawling past the Fire Lord's legs as quickly as she could. Zuko met her halfway, pulling her to her feet and pressing her tightly to his side.
Ozai recovered quickly, his naturally high temperature melting the ice from his eyes and tongue with little lasting effect. The liquid may have returned to its normal form, but Ozai could feel the lingering effects from her attack, the unpleasant sensation of ice creeping over his tissues.
Ozai staggered to the side a little, his vision distorted by what seemed to be small scratches on his lenses. He tried to focus on the Water brat, but was having trouble distinguishing between the five in his vision.
"Enough of this," he growled. Ozai planted his feet firmly on the ground and blinked to settle his vision. "I do not care if your little friends have somehow managed to get their Bending back. Their attempts will not succeed, they are outnumbered and out skilled." He frowned as he tilted to the side a little. "I've had enough of your futile attempts at stopping me.
"I am going to kill you now."
The last sentence was said with such calmness that Katara shivered. Ozai looked at the three before him "Now, who to start with?" He nodded suddenly. "Zuko."
Zuko's spine straightened and he gently nudged Katara away from him slightly. If his father was about to attack him, he wanted Katara at a safe distance. Ozai's hands dragged through the air, his movements still slightly hampered by Katara's attack. His fingers sparked with electricity, and Katara bit her lip. Azula had been the only Firebender she had seen create lightning, and as strong as the Fire Lord was, she was pretty sure she did not want to witness this.
Ozai focused on his son. "Did you learn how to redirect lightning?"
Zuko settled in to the stance he had seen Iroh use when facing Azula. Truthfully, his Uncle had mentioned the ability to manipulate lightning to him years ago during his lessons on Firebending, but Zuko had never pursued any practical application. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"
Ozai drew his hand back. "I believe this will hurt you, son." Ozai let loose the bolt of electricity... but not towards his son.
Ozai's sinister last words made sense as Zuko saw his aim turn towards Katara. Knowing there would be no time to try and intercept the strike, Zuko shoved Katara to the side, sending her crashing in to Iroh.
Whereas the lightning would have hit Katara's heart, it hit Zuko in his middle, striking the side of him as he pushed Katara way.
"No!"
"Zuko!" Iroh made towards his nephew but another bolt of lightning forced him to halt. Iroh expertly drew the lightning in to his body and expelled it. It struck the roof above Ozai, cracking the stone and causing the plants nearby to catch alight.
"You are still not striking to kill, Iroh. "
Katara was not aware of the battle that began around her as she stared at Zuko's still body. The bolt had burned a hole straight through his tunic, and the skin was blackened and bleeding beneath. Katara took a step and then paused.
What if he was-? He was so still…
Katara's gaze was unfocused as she turned to where Iroh and Ozai were battling. The roof was ablaze, burning leaves and vines drifting down through the building smoke. Iroh's fear for Zuko was hindering his ability to fight and Ozai had him on the defensive.
Katara looked down at Zuko. She wanted to take him away, get him help... but she knew that Ozai would never let them go while they were still breathing.
Her mind, sluggish from the shock, fought to pull a memory to the surface. Ozai's vulnerability when Katara blinded him momentarily... the astounding speed and accuracy he possessed. If she could take that away from him…
The smoke was filling Katara's lungs and she felt dizzy...
Yes…
Pakku had taught her where to find liquid even when there appeared to be none. Most of his lessons had been gruesome and turn Katara's stomach – tales of Bloodbending, boiling away the liquid in someone's eyes... she never thought she could do something like that. Looking at Ozai now however, she thought she might be capable of anything.
She raised her hand and closed her eyes, a dangerous thing to do but she needed to concentrate.
The world was full of water – the rain around them, the moisture in the roots of the plants... the liquid inside Ozai's body.
Bloodbending was not an option. Pakku had mentioned it in passing but, from what she remembered, a full moon was needed. Katara, though she held so much hate for Ozai at the moment, did not think she could kill again. Zhao's bleeding body swam past her closed lids and she shook the thought away.
She narrowed her focus on Ozai's head... there.
Clenching her fist, Katara heard Ozai give a strange noise – somewhere between a gasp and a gurgle, and she gritted her teeth. Her hand tightened further and Ozai screamed. Katara opened her eyes and saw that the Fire Lord had fallen to one knee, clutching his head in his hand but no sign of injury on him.
"Katara?" Iroh looked at her in confusion and Katara lowered her hand.
"I've burst the fluid in his inner ears. He won't be able to balance." Her voice was low – not regretful and yet not proud.
Iroh looked at his brother who was swaying alarmingly and Katara continued.
"It will be like a constant sense of vertigo... he's useless."
Ozai's pain and panic manifested itself into something the Fire Lord was familiar with - violence. He lifted a fist and shot a ball of flame from it, but his inability to balance resulted in the attack careering off to the ceiling. The rock had previously been damaged by Ozai's lightning and the fire that had spread through the plants – Ozai's powerful blast was the tipping point.
The stone splintered with astounding speed and the large corner section slipped from the roof. Katara turned her face away, unable to stomach watching a man be crushed to death, and heard the sickening sound of bones crunching.
Ozai's cry split the night and she chanced a glance at him.
She felt her jaw drop.
Iroh had apparently tried to pull his brother away from the falling rock – but had only been halfway successful.
Ozai's legs were trapped beneath the fallen section of roof, as he struggled to twist himself free. Iroh looked down at his brother sadly and sighed. "Do you see what your hate has come to?"
Ozai's gaze was unfocused from his burst ears and the pain in his legs. Katara wasn't sure if he could hear Iroh, but he addressed his older brother regardless. "What are you waiting for? Kill me."
Iroh turned away. "That is where we are different, Ozai." He walked towards Katara. "Not everything has to end in death."
Ozai's curses grew quiet quickly as he lost consciousness, and Katara was unsure if he would survive much longer. Seeing him there, passed out and lifeless, caused Katara's mind to return to full speed.
"Zuko!" She gasped, whipping around and racing to her lover. Dropping to her knees, Katara cradled his head in one arm, her free hand pulling the water from her skein and pressing the healing liquid in to his wound. Iroh stood over them, watching sadly and Katara murmured sweet thongs to his nephew.
"Please, wake up... please." There was a tense few minutes as Katara tried to heal the damage to his side before Zuko groaned in her arms. Katara's face brightened momentarily before clouding over with worry once more as Zuko's pained gaze looked around.
"Katara? Uncle?" Katara lifted her hand from his side and grasped his own hand with it. Zuko tried to focus on her but he seemed to be fading fast.
"We did it, Zuko… Ozai's been stopped."
Zuko made a sad attempt at a smile and closed his eyes.
"No! You stay awake, you hear me? Someone needs to be Fire Lord." Katara choked.
Zuko's eyes opened a fraction and he shook his head. "I... don't want... that." He gasped. "I want to… leave this… place... Uncle," Iroh perked up. "Please let... me go..."
With no dramatic gasp or cry, Zuko's eyes slid shut and his body went limp. Katara hastily pressed her fingers to his throat and froze, apparently not believing what she felt. Her lip quivered and she broke down in to tears, burying her head in Zuko's chest.
Iroh knelt next to Katara and gently replaced her fingers with his own. He waited a beat, studying his nephew's face and sighed, feeling the events of the night come to rest fully upon his shoulders. He nodded in response to Zuko's last request, aware that his nephew could not see him and wrapped his arm around Katara.
There was much to do.
When the councillors, led by Jeong-Jeong, made it to the roof, they found a sad sight indeed. Iroh was stood looking over the city, the rain easing up and the battle in the harbour dying down. He looked pensive as he observed the after-effects of the battle, and also appeared older somehow.
A most surprising sight was laid out towards a corner of the roof. Fire Lord Ozai was trapped beneath a large bulk or stone, pale and unmoving. The Firebenders looked on uneasily, not sure if the man was alive.
Behind Iroh, the Water Tribe girl cradled a pale and bloodies Prince in her arms, whispering words that he could not hear.
Iroh looked towards them as they stepped forward, their gazes fixed on Zuko, and he steeled himself for the words he was about to say.
"Prince Zuko is dead. He gave his life for the Fall the Nations."
He looked back at the city, quiet in the aftermath of the battle. "We have a city to rebuild, as well as the reputation of the Fire Nation to restore." His voice was quiet. He glanced at the teenagers on the floor and squared his shoulders. "Let us give them some privacy. Come," he gestured to the stairs back in to the tower, knowing the people would now look to him. "There is a lot we must do."
Please don't hurt me!
This ending has been planned since the moment I began this story. There's one more chapter and I hope it will wrap up things in a way you will all like.
I'm not saying anything else, but promise to post the last chapter on Friday.
Until then, let me know what you thought of the chapter and if you are looking forward to the final chapter of the story.
Thank you for those who have been reviewing, old and new readers alike.
