As the coronation inch closer with Azula preparing her best look to succeed the throne to the fire nation, she couldn't help but be upset that none of her friends were there to help. Holding out two different robes, she smiled and looked over to her left side.
"TyLee, which one looks better?" she questioned, her smile turned into a deep frown remembering her two friends were in jail. She looked between the two robes for over 10 minutes, not knowing which was the best choice as she grew angrier at herself.
"Zuko pick yourself up. Get it together, you mess this up. It's over." Katara hissed at the firebender. "Like over over."
Zuko sighed and looked up at the red sky, envisioning Yiyi smiling down at him proudly. Katara and Zuko rode on Appa in search of Azula as the rest of the team decided to take down the airship fleets.
"Zuko, seriously. Yiyi wanted to run away from all the terrorization of this world, once Firelord Ozai is taken down...she'll rest in peace. This is her last wish, you have to pick yourself together." Katara continued, placing a hand on the male's shoulder as he solemnly nodded his head.
"She's okay…"
Whispers could be heard within a dimly lit tunnel, a single flame stood proud as it engulfed the entire tunnel with warmth and life. A low growl emitted from an unknown beast as it snaked itself around an unconscious girl in the center.
"Let's leave them."
"Are you sure it's safe to?"
"It'll be fine."
Azula stood at the Coronation Temple along with the priests and her Dai Li agents. Mai and TyLee kneeled before her, saddened by how their friend had turned out after their betrayal.
"So, Mai. TyLee. How does it feel to bend the knee to me?" Azula questioned, smirking at her two ex best friends.
"Azula, we've always bent the knee to you. There's no difference now and then." Mai replied, glancing towards the DaiLi agents that stand guard.
"What?" The Fire Princess questioned, not understanding the meaning behind the words.
"You know what I mean Azula. Yes, we were friends. But did you honestly treat us as your friend? You controlled the both of us through fear, we became your friends because we feared you and what you would do to us, our family." Mai continued, standing up from her position. "You showed no remorse when you pushed Yiyi off that gondola. She was our friend, she may be a lowly maid at one point, but the times we spent as children. She was considered a friend to us, yet you gave no second thought on killing her."
Azula growled with anger as blue fire spewed out of her clenched fists, showing how upset she was by her friend who still talked back to her.
"She betrayed the fire nation by leaving and joining the Avatar. Zuko betrayed the fire nation by attacking his father and joining the Avatar. What is so wrong with taking down traitors?" Azula questioned, glaring down at TyLee. Mai looked at her best friend who was still kneeling, clenching her fists in fear of what Azula would do.
"Azula, rethink why they did what they did. Rethink why TyLee and I decided it was enough and stood against you. Rethink about all the things you've done." With that Mai took TyLee's hand and led her out of the coronation plaza. "Once you've thought it through, we'll be waiting for you in our prison cells."
"Lady Azula...it's time." the priest called out, shaking his head in disapproval of the falling out of the three friends. Azula bent one knee, kneeling in front of the empty coronation plaza as she awaited the Priest to crown her as the next Firelord.
"By the decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now pronounce Princess Azula of the Fire Nation as the next-."
"Next?" Azula questioned, narrowing her eyes as the Priest's voice drowned out before he finished his sentence. Averting her eyes to where the priest was staring at, she noticed a familiar flying bison swooping down in front of the plaza.
"Azula." Zuko whispered almost too softly for her to hear as he jumped off of Appa along with the watertribe female.
"Oh, didn't expect you to come so soon." Azula mocked, standing up from her position. "Do you still have the power to fight after losing your lovely Ruolan?"
Zuko narrowed his eyes in anger as images of Yiyi's last moments flash before his eyes, he looked at his sister who had evident tear troughs as a result from restless sleep and stress.
"Step down Azula, the throne doesn't belong to you." he announced, stepping forward and shielding Katara.
"Oh? You're suggesting it belongs to you then?" Azula questioned, unclasping her black and red outer robe, dropping it onto the ground. "Even though you can't even protect the girl you love?"
"What happened to you Zula...?" Zuko questioned sadly.
"Why does everyone ask me that? It's not what happened to me! It's what happened to all of you traitors!" Azula laughed maniacally, walking down the steps to meet Zuko halfway.
"Zuko, something's not right about her." Katara whispered, noticing the way Azula faltered within each step she took.
Within a split second, blue fire charged towards the waterbender, causing her to falter back as she blocked it with her waterbending. The priest ran away for cover as a water whip almost slapped him, the Dai Li took their place next to the Princess protectively.
"Stand down." Azula commanded as she smirked at her brother, throwing the Firelord's headpiece in the center. "I challenge you to an Agni Kai, the fight for the throne!"
Katara stood off to the side as the two siblings challenged each other, a duel she knew would eventually end in one death. Starting out small, a few fire balls shot out at each other as they both easily dodged the opponent's attack. Azula laughed at her brother's attack, knowing he couldn't bring himself to hurt her.
"Zuzu, I wonder how Ruolan would feel if you join her this soon!" she cackled wickedly, sending a wall of blue fire towards him and adding lightning sparks that boosted her attack.
"Don't you dare mention her name!" Zuko yelled back, dispersing the attack and redirecting the lightning up to the sky. The two opponents stare fiercely into each other's unblinking eyes for a brief moment, waiting for the other to strike. Azula begins the duel once again with a series of fire blasts from her hands and feet as she charges at her brother with killing intent. As the duel progresses, Azula seems more than a match for Zuko, effortlessly avoiding and nullifying all of his fire blasts. Out of breath, Zuko pants as he is pushed back by his younger sister who continues her barrage of blue fire.
"Your Highness, remember you Are powerful, but you would be more powerful if you controlled your bending with your heart."
"That's right! I am powerful!" Azula laughed as she talked to herself, conjuring lightning slower than she normally would.
"Princess, take a break. You're getting tired. Have some tea, it'll help recharge you."
"I don't need your stupid pity, I don't need you to pretend you care about me." she growled back. Zuko watched as his sister talked to herself, as sparks electrocuted the air around her, turning it blue.
"Zula? Azula? What are you talking about?"
"All of you think I'm weak, I'll show you weak!" Azula laughed psychotically as she pointed her fingers to the one woman standing off to the side. "I'LL SHOW YOU WEAK!" The bright blue lightning erupted out of her fingers, charging fiercely towards the waterbender who merely stood watching the siblings battle.
"No...NO!" Seeing this, Zuko crosses the lightning's path, shielding her from the bolt, not wanting Katara to be another person he couldn't protect. Although he was successful enough to prevent mortal danger, he is left critically wounded and incapable of fighting. Azula sent another blast of fire to the waterbender who wanted to run and help the young Prince.
"You're not going anywhere!" Azula snickered, charging at the other girl with full might, wanting to take her down as well.
Suddenly a blast of greenish blue fire shot down from the sky as a loud growl bellowed from above the burning buildings. A female in blue and red robes, adorned with beautiful jewels stood up on her dragon as they descended towards the ground. The two female's stopped as they both looked at who had caused the sudden blast of fire.
"Azuleus, keep Zuko safe." she whispered to her dragon before jumping down and standing in between the firebender and the waterbender. The blue dragon circled itself around Zuko drawing out the lightning's energy that still surrounded the boy's limp body.
"I...I thought...No it can't be." Azula shook her head furiously. "This is just one of those hallucinations."
"Azula...what happened to you…"
Azula laughed to herself, gripping onto her head as she looked at the female in front of her in denial. "You're dead! Dead! This is just an image. Ha..ha...Yiyi's dead...that's right, heh..I killed her.."
Opening her eyes, Yiyi noticed that her neck was uncomfortably stiff to the point where it hurt everytime she tried to turn her head. A low growling emitted from under her as the creature shifted in its sleep, tightening its grip around the female.
"Where am...I?" Yiyi questioned, as she tried to pry herself free from the creature's grip.
"I hear a voice….she's awake! She's awake!"
"Chief, she's awake!"
Bright light suddenly entered the entire cave, causing Yiyi to squint her eyes from the amount of light there was. The creature under her stirred as she loosened her grip, a pair of deep red eyes stared back as she looked to see what it was.
"Master Ruolan."
The sun warriors bowed in greeting to the young female who was still as confused as ever, staring at the dragon that didn't look like Ran or Shaw but rather a younger version of the blue dragon mixed with the red dragon.
"What am I doing here?" she questioned, standing up and looking at her subjects.
"Master Ran brought you back. We're not quite sure what happened, but Master Ran suddenly left and when he came back, he brought you back." The chief explained.
"That's not Ran." Yiyi exclaimed, pointing to the dragon who had one eye open, looking at her boredly as if saying duh.
"Oh, that's Azuleus, daughter of the two Masters. They also have a son, Druk." Ham Ghao explained, smiling at the Young Master.
"Azuleus?" Yiyi questioned as the blue dragon gave her a look as if saying "Hi."
"When Master Ran brought you back, you were badly injured with scorch marks and blood everywhere. What happened to you?" the Chief questioned, slapping Ham Ghao away.
"We fought against Azula…" Yiyi started, looking at the Chief. "What day is it?! How long have I been out?!"
The Chief smiled and opened his two palms, creating a massive fire with them, "Why of course, it's the day of Sozin's comet."
"Sozin's Comet?!" Yiyi yelled, shocking everyone in the tunnel. Turning to the young dragon that looked at her with a twisted look, as if saying "The hell you yelling for?"
"Azuleus right?" The dragon nodded it's head slowly. "How's your flying?" The dragon gave her a look as if she was being challenged, standing up she towered over the humans below her.
"I need you right now, lend me your flight!" Yiyi commanded, hoping on top of the young blue dragon's back. "Chief, thank you for taking care of me, I don't have time to explain. I'll take Azuleus back when everything is done, I promise."
Author's Note: Everything is coming to an end soon~! I hope you all enjoy the few remaining chapters of this fanfic!