Pointing her fingers at the older female, she smirked before quickly averting it to Zuko, creating a stream of lightning that charged angrily at her brother. Yiyi dashed over to where Zuko stood ready to redirect the lightning at any moment, placing herself in front of him and stopping the attack. Taking the blow to herself, allowing the sparks to consume her as she tried to redirect it back at Azula. She managed to redirect most of the lightning's energy, though some remained trapped in her body causing her to fall to her knees in pain. Azula dodged the attack by jumping onto an oncoming gondola headed for the prison.
"I thought you were far better than this, what happened to you?" Azula mocked, pointing her fingers at the female, ready to strike once again. Zuko knelt down and helped stabilize his beloved, feeling the sparks electrocute him with each touch.
"We'll do this together!" the male commanded as the two stood up together. Yiyi created a jet propulsion to propel them both onto the gondola in which Azula stood proud and tall.
"CUT THE LINE!"
Everyone's attention turned onto the warden who had called out to his guards to cut the line. Within mere seconds the entire gondola they were on swayed to a stop as the guards stopped the line with steel pillars. TyLee seeing this, jumped off of the gondola she was on to join her princess who was continuing her battle with Yiyi. The elder female still weak from the previous attack created an opportunity for the young Princess to force her to the edge. With one swift move, Azula charged up her blue fire and conjured fire daggers that flew towards the girl.
"Ruolan!" Zuko yelled as his beloved was one step away from falling over. Deep cuts slit across her side as she fails to dodge all of them, trying to protect the other gondola as well from stray attacks. Zuko tried to attack Azula but to no avail, TyLee blocked his every attempt and even blocked the chi on his right arm.
Yiyi knelt down holding her injured rib cage as Azula smirked proudly, kneeling down to look at her "master".
"Azula, you've gotten better…" Yiyi smiled through gritted teeth.
"You're both traitors. Dishonor on you, dishonor on your family, dishonor on your nation." Azula snarled, as TyLee watched with wary eyes.
"I may be a traitor, but at least I don't betray my conscience." Yiyi retorted, trying to stand up from her dangerous position.
"You could've been the most honorable firebender in the nation, yet you gave it all up. I pity you." The elder female swayed as she stood up, placing a hand on Azula's shoulder and smiling softly. Placing her fingers at the other's chest, she pushed Yiyi off of the gondola and into the boiling hot water.
"Goodbye."
Just as Sokka's gondola line was seconds away from cutting loose, it suddenly lurched forward.
"Mai!" TyLee yelled out in surprise as she watched her best friend attack the guards.
"RUOLAN!" Zuko yelled as he dived across the gondola for the female, holding onto her hand with all his might. "Don't let go!" he groaned in pain as Azula stepped on his back. His sister held out a blue fire on the palm of her hands, turning it towards Zuko who had his back to her. Yiyi created a fire shield with the small amount of power she had left, protecting Zuko from the oncoming blast. With all her might she pried her hands free from Zuko and gathered her energy to send Zuko flying back onto the gondola that was heading to the exit.
Azula looked over to Zuko who knelt down screaming downwards at the descending female who disappeared in the smoke of the hot water. Tears streamed down his face as he continued yelling out for his love with Sokka gripping onto his arm to pull him into the gondola.
"What is she doing!?" Azula gasped out as she watched her "friend" free the line, and the gondola used by the group started moving again. As the two arrived back onto the prison grounds, Mai stopped her attempts of fighting and allowed herself to be detained.
"Mai. Give me a good reason for this." Azula demanded as her friend smiled proudly for once in her life.
"I love Zuko more than I fear you." she replied. "Pity he never looked my way."
Azula flew into rage as sparks surrounded her entire body, "Why does everyone." she started charging up her attack, ready to strike her friend. "Take. His. Side!" blue lightning could be seen sparking out of her fingertips before it immediately dissipated. Suddenly, Azula's body fell limp and weak as she fell to the ground with a loud thud.
"First Yiyi. Now Mai….even you TyLee! Why! Why is it always him!" Azula yelled as the guards lifted her up carefully.
"Azula. You knew who she was from the beginning didn't you?" Mai questioned, holding TyLee's hand protectively. Azula ignored the female's question and looked away in mixed emotions of anger, sadness and betrayal.
At the same time, Zuko and the remaining group made it safely out of the prison. As Suki wonders how they are going to leave, Zuko stops running as he stands on top of the tall mountain. "We have to go back." he whispered, looking for any signs of life from inside the bubbling water. Sokka placed a hand on Zuko's back, looking down sadly as he knew the exact feeling of losing someone he loved so much.
"We can't go back." Sokka urged, pulling at the male's arm once again.
"That's my girlfriend there!" Zuko yelled, shoving Sokka aside as a tear slipped from his eyes. "I said I would protect her, but each and every time it is her who protects me! I'm her boyfriend, I'm her lover, I'm her protector…..yet not once. Not once have I done it!"
As days turned to weeks, Sozin's comet inched closer as Team Avatar practiced even harder to prepare for their final battle. Zuko lost all will to fight, drowned in sadness over the loss of his beloved Ruolan. Aang is practicing his firebending while Zuko watches and demands more ferocity from him. Everyone knew exactly how Zuko had felt and did everything they could to cheer him up.
"Fire is fueled by anger and hatred!" Zuko yelled at Aang who was making feeble attacks.
"Zuko...I know how you feel, but don't turn back to fueling your fire by hatred and anger." Aang replied softly, stopping his practice to sit next to Zuko.
"You don't understand how I feel." Zuko hissed back, stroking his mother's bracelet that Yiyi had kept safely locked away. "If I wasn't born a Prince to the Fire Nation, perhaps we would've been a happy farmer couple with no one hunting us down."
Katara walked up to the fire bender and knelt down to be at his eye level. "She wouldn't have wanted to see you this way Zuko. War takes people but it also gives people new lives."
At the Fire Nation Palace, Azula is being cared for and cleaned by her servants before her coronation as the new Fire Lord. A servant held out a mirror to the young princess, to show her if her makeup was up to standards as she sat down for her hair to be brushed. Upon looking at the mirror, Azula freaked out and threw the mirror off to the side, causing all the servants to kneel down in fear.
"Your Highness…" one of the maids whispered shakingly, keeping her head low.
"What are you trying to do?" Azula questioned angrily, standing up from her spot. "What are you trying to show?"
"We...we just wanted to see if your makeup was to your liking…" the maid responded to which Azula growled in displease.
"Out! Out! All of you, out!"
The group of maids rushed out in fear, scrambling to make sure the young princess wouldn't attack them as they tried to run out. Azula walked over to the shattered mirror pieces, seeing the reflection of herself sadly.
"No one is to be trusted…" she growled out in anger, suddenly the reflection of herself, morphed into that of her mother.
"Azula….what happened to you my beautiful daughter.." Ursa's voice spoke to the princess.
"Beautiful? You mean monster!" Azula yelled back at the shattered glass.
"You were always beautiful my child." Ursa smiled through the million pieces on the floor.
"Oh? You're talking about Ruolan, huh? Maybe that's why you rather play with her than me. Maybe that's why even father likes her more than me." Azula eyes watered, feeling her heart ripping to pieces as she is reminded of how no one played with her even as a child.
"Azula, we always wanted to play with you. Zuko, Yiyi and I always wanted to be with you."
The Princess turned away from the mirror shards and looked at the calm flowing of water that was used to comb her hair.
"Congratulations Azula. You're going to be Firelord!" a perky Yiyi smiled brightly at her through the ripple of water.
"Don't be fake Ruolan." Azula hissed back at the reflection angrily.
"What do you mean Azula? You're my best friend, of course I'm here to congratulate you!" Yiyi continued.
"You sided with Zuko, you never thought of me as a friend. You're just a stupid servant, a lowly maid. You may be the daughter of someone my father loved before, but don't forget he brought you back just as a maid!" Azula screamed as more tears fell from her face.
"Why are you like this Azula? I've always thought of you as a friend, the best of friends…" Yiyi replied, the image of her breaking apart as Azula slapped the water with her hands.
Four young girls circled around the sandy beach as they played kuai ball, kicking and hurling the ball at each other.
"Yiyi!" TyLee called out as she slammed the ball towards the young maid who was ready to set the ball for her young princess to ace the other team. Azula easily jumped up and kicked the ball down onto the opposing team.
"YEAH!" the four girls laughed as they created a star with their fingers placed together. Azula smiled happily along with her two friends and the young maid as Zuko and Princess Ursa watched from afar.
"You're not bad!" TyLee exclaimed to the young maid who rubbed at her nape sheepishly.
"Not as good as Princess Azula." Yiyi grinned as the young Princess smirked proudly.
"Yiyi, come here!" Princess Ursa called out, holding out a handkerchief to dab at the young servant's sweat. Azula watched as her mother lovingly looked at the female, feeling a pang at her chest as she wanted her mother to do the same to her.
"Azula, are you tired?" Ursa called out, smiling and holding out a water bottle to her.
"No." Azula remarked, turning away and walking back to her friends. Zuko gave his young maid a high five and a bright smile as he held out a drink to her.
Running around chasing the young Prince, Yiyi caught the eye of the Princess standing behind a tree, peeking at them in anger. Yiyi walked up to the female, taking her hand with a smile and guiding her towards where Zuko and Princess Ursa were standing.
"Play with us Princess Azula!" Yiyi smiled happily. "You never play with me."
Azula watched as her mother looked at her in shock but quickly replaced with a bright smile as she held her son close.
"Azula, want to play?" Zuko asked, running up to his sister.
"No one wants to play with you." Azula hissed, shaking her hand free from the young maid. "Peasant."
"Azula! That's not nice!" Ursa reprimanded, narrowing her eyes at her daughter. Azula hearing this, turned away and stormed off.
"Azula, why can't you be better."
Two females stood upon Firelord Azulon as they each showed off their firebending skills towards the elderly. Azula's smile faltered upon hearing her grandfather's comment, growling in anger at the maid who kneeled next to her.
"Well done Ruyi." Azulon nodded, glancing at his son who sat next to him. "Ozai. I advise you to put more effort in your daughter."
"I'll show you all." Azula panted as she knelt down beside the shattered glass. "You were all mistaken for choosing Zuko over me."