The day was drawing to a close, but Prince Zuko was just as invigorated as if he had just gotten up, ready for a new day. He knew this evening that he would make the action that would set him down the path he had avoided all these years, but his anger and frustration with his father and the world had led him here; no longer would he be the banished prince, a title forced upon him, but a force to be reckoned with, one with no allegiance to the Fire Lord or his vision for the world. He could see the port on the horizon, where he would meet the man he had wanted to face for some time now; he had appropriated his crew a year earlier for his war effort against the Northern Water Tribe, leaving Zuko and his uncle stranded in the Western Earth Kingdom for months before his tired and battered crew returned, without any victory at the North Pole. 'Admiral' Zhao had been a thorn in his side for years now, and Zuko was probably the same in his own eyes, some kind of obstacle to overcome on his march to the Fire Lords inner circle. His uncle had confirmed from sources that the Admiral was at port here during the winter, as his campaign was of little use while the waterbenders had the upper hand; The Admiral had spent nearly 2 years fighting against the Northern Water Tribe, yet despite claiming his high title, had little results to show from it. The former General Iroh stood by the clearly aggravated and tense Prince's side, holding a firm hand on his shoulder.
"You should calm yourself Prince Zuko. If you truly want to show the Admiral who is the greater man, you should arrive calm and collected, facing him with your mind set on a goal, rather than fury against him." Iroh commented, making Zuko lessen his shoulders and turn to his uncle.
"Thank you Uncle, I mean to achieve a victory here today, to show the Fire Lord my determination before bringing myself before him." Zuko responded, his voice not revealing his inner anger and fury towards the Admiral and his father.
"If your will is strong, there is nothing that can stop you now; but my nephew, remember to maintain perspective, or you will end up just like the man you seek to defeat." Iroh guided, holding his hand firm.
Prince Zuko returned to his room and donned his armour, specifically deciding to remove any regalia that signified his title. He sought to face the Admiral as an equal, not as some mythic Prince who stood above him; Zuko was no longer bound by that, unable to see why he had ever held his position as needing unearned respect. He wanted to be seen for who he was as a man of his own making, not as his father's son. Prince Zuko donned a black cloak over his armour, as to even cover the armour set he had been given for his journey, disconnecting his mental identity from that of the banished prince he had been shaped into, but to be Zuko, a man who had seen the world. He had seen the world and watched those who didn't deserve power relish in it, now trying to show his determination against the leader of it all- his father. Returning to the deck, he saw that their vessel had arrived at the port, where the Admiral had been awaiting in sight, by his war-tent that sat on a hillock nearby; looking at his Uncle he confirmed his desire.
"Today we show ourselves, for who we truly are Uncle. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I have followed you to the ends of the earth nephew, this is simply another journey, with a much more definite end in sight."
The two men walked down the boarding plank, acknowledging the ports overseer, who had personally come to see the Prince and Former General arrive.
"Your royal highnesses, it is a pleasure to have you at our port today; may I ask why you have come to visit? Do you seek resupply or a break for your men?" Zuko calmly smiled at the man, covering his true emotions, holding his hand on the shoulder and pointing to the Admiral's tent.
"I have business to attend to with the gracious Admiral Zhao; if you would like to you could accompany me and my Uncle to his quarters." The man looked at the Prince in fear, realising that the Prince didn't have positive intentions for this encounter with the Admiral, despite his smile and seemingly upbeat composure - he knew all to well of the public conflict between the two men, as did most of the Fire Nation military.
"No your highness, I have other duties to attend to. Do you still need a restocking of your vessel?" he asked, trying to avoid the situation that was likely to unfold with Zhao.
"Yes that would be immensely helpful, thank you for your support on our quest." Zuko replied, his fake demeanour not cracking before the man, even if they both knew the Prince's face was lying.
The Prince and his companion walked down the dock, before climbing the hill, where the Admiral was quick to greet them, with a fake demeanour to match the Princes.
"Ah, Prince Zuko and General Iroh, it is a pleasure to be of your company; may I ask for why you have stopped by this port?"
The Prince smiled at the Admiral and prepared himself for a short and concise speech. He knew whatever he would say to the Admiral he would eventually relay to the Fire Lord, so he sought to make the words not too threatening or vicious.
"Admiral Zhao, I have spent 5 years at sea, looking for the Avatar, as my father Fire Lord Ozai requested of me, as for me to return home with my title and honour restored; I am here to tell you that my quest is over, and the man I seek to find now is my father, as to give him a message."
"What message would that be? I don't presume the Fire Lord seeks to speak with his banished son."
"That his time is up- your time is up. You all, the murderers and thieves you are, will face your reckoning."
"Did the Avatar return to stop the war? Is he going to fight us to the death?" Zhao jested at the Prince, trying to mock his determination and ability.
"Did you mishear me Admiral? This is your reckoning- an Agni Kai, at sunset. If you try to run away and warn my father or simply try to arrest me, I will not rest until your lifeless body lays before me; trust me, you will be far easier to find than any mythic Avatar." Zuko proclaimed, "So what is your choice? A battle with me or certain death?"
The Admiral laughed at Prince Zuko, "Are you serious? I will thrash you like your father did, and you will get no mercy the same."
"As will you. This is fair, no surprises; all is laid before you, so what do you say Admiral?" Zuko calmly replied, disguising his fury with calm words to give the Admiral a false sense of security.
"Fine, at sunset in the firebending sparring grounds." Zhao confirmed, smirking at the Prince, truly doubting the abilities that he possessed. Because he had been touted as being so much weaker and less intelligent than his prodigious sister, the Prince was almost always underestimated by people who knew them both; Zhao was no exception, and he would face the consequences of his bias.
A dark cool wind fell through the old mining village, sending shivers down the spines of its two sole inhabitants; Princess Azula, an immensely powerful firebender, could ward off the cold, but found the temperature somewhat uncomfortable for sleeping, so sat up by Sokka's campfire to enjoy the natural heat and save her energy from firebending. Checking her ankle, she could see the inflammation had clearly lessened over the time she had slept, but she doubted she'd be able to do much more than hobble around the next day. She doubted Sokka would want to leave such safety like this village to continue their journey on foot; perhaps he might hunt, but she doubted he'd want to leave the relative safety of the village. Knowing that she wouldn't have to walk brought her some relief, but she would never say to the warriors face that she wasn't willing to keep walking until their feet were in the East Lake, such a lie she planned to espouse to him if he showed any sign of laziness, even if to make sure that they eventually got themselves to some form of civilisation.
Glancing over at Sokka she noticed he was clearly shivering from the cool winds; he lacked the warm clothing that she expected he would wear in his homeland, and knew that a lack of any bedding as well as lying on the cold stone brick floor would not do him any good either. She could hear him grunting as he tossed from side to side, trying to find a comfortable position on the floor, making Azula chuckle under her breath at his idiotic seeming struggles. Eventually he calmed down, and Azula closed her eyes, at least safe knowing she probably wouldn't be woken by Sokka rolling into the fireplace in his sleep.
After a few minutes she heard distinctive grunts, unlike the ones before, they seemed to form words, lacking much coherence to them, so Azula shuffled a bit closer to try and hear what he was saying, purely out of the curiosity of potentially finding his most innermost thoughts.
"I-I ... did-dn ... f-forget you." he mumbled, his eyes squinting as if he was trying to hold back tears "P-plea-se" he yelped out, still not moving, but his face clearly showing the dread he must have been feeling.
Azula grabbed his shoulder, trying to calm him down, but his mouth and eyes continued to tremble in fear.
"Sokka?" she asked, but only got a stammered mumble.
"I-I did it f-for you... L-like him" Sokka cried, the tears falling down his face.
Azula had no idea what he was thinking about, who he was talking to, but she decided to intervene in the best way she could: by shaking him awake; grabbing him by the shoulder and arm she shook the left side of his body, slowly waking him into a daze.
"Eeek!" he yelped, realising that Azula was right in front of his face, "Why'd you do that?" he mumbled in frustration.
"You were having a nightmare... I think." she explained, trying not to sound to concerned about his welfare.
"U-uh... Okay, yeah that probably explains all the weird things can remember from a few moments ago." Sokka said quietly in his realisation, before rolling over away from Azula, "I'd like to go back to sleep... Please." he asked, hoping not to go back into some argument or overly frustrating discussion with the Princess.
"Understandable... Have a good sleep, peasant." she replied, adding the last minor insult just to make sure she wasn't speaking too kindly to Sokka, knowing he might abuse such kindness for ulterior means, of which she could guess a few.
After a few moments silence, Sokka replied back, still rolled away from her.
"I really don't know how I'm going to explain this to my dad." he commented, making Azula chuckle.
"Which part? How you survived a devastating ship-wreck caused by his own hand, or the fact you have aligned yourself with the Princess of the Fire Nation."
Sokka chuckled, "I wouldn't go so far to say I have 'aligned' with you- I'd call it 'a relationship of fulfilling common interests'."
"And what would those be?" she questioned, trying to rile him up again.
"Hopefully just to get out of this forest..." he replied, glancing back over at her smirking at him, "Not as a servant." he bluntly stated, before turning back over.
"You keep telling yourself that, savage; I'm sure it'll come true." she sighed sarcastically, hearing no slight response from Sokka disappointing her.
She fell from her crouching position near the fire, falling back onto her back, her face turned towards the flames and Sokka's back. She truly hoped that she could make some effect on the boy in the end; his will and determination were strong, but she could undermine it in a more simple manner. She thought it couldn't be that hard for someone to actually appreciate her presence, especially in the given circumstances.
General Iroh sat tensely, holding his tea cup as his nephew silently meditated beside him, unsure how to advise his nephew in the given situation; usually his nephew was brash and arrogant in the lead up to such a fight, but he was unexpectedly calm, or at least trying to keep up the image of being so- the flames of his nephew's meditative candles rose and fall with every breath. Soon enough, as Iroh had expected, Zuko spoke to him, with a surprising level of deference.
"Uncle... I seek your advice for this duel with Zhao."
"I understand that you usually do not have to fight other firebenders, let alone one with the degree of pure power that Zhao has; but I must advise you with this: he is arrogant, far more than even your own father, meaning he overestimates his own abilities- he believes himself to be a firebending prodigy and master of the art, but he lacks refinement in his bending. If you remain true to your basics, you can defeat him when given the opportunity to strike."
"Thank you Uncle, I didn't want to go in there without your words of wisdom."
"You have grown much, Prince Zuko; you are no longer a young boy with little knowledge of the world and his own abilities, I can trust in you to analyse and plan from what I have given you." Iroh applauded, "You are wise to know when to listen and when to make your own decisions; but I guess you've got that one down pat, seeing as why this duel is taking place to begin with."
"Yes that is true Uncle, but I can't refrain from saying I truly despise the man; he makes me want to burn his face off every time he speaks, I hope that's not just me."
"Oh I do agree, he does have what one would call a punch-able face, and the insincere compliments to go alongside."
"There is a greater goal in mind and I know we both agree, it's for the greater good of the Fire Nation, and in the end, the world as a whole; even if I found the Avatar now, I would rather join him to defeat my father than to capture him to regain whatever my father likes to call 'my honour'."
"I am proud of you nephew; you have taken a leap of faith, away from the securities of your title, to fight for what you believe in- you can claim that over me, all I have done is be the pawn of those who you seek to destroy."
"What do you mean Uncle? You did all you could to try and make the world a better place; you help people everywhere you go, and I've never seen you fall folly to dishonour."
"I failed my own son by letting him die a pointless death; that is a greater dishonour than I hope you will ever know Prince Zuko. You are able to build on my mistakes, the mistakes of our nation, and try and drive us toward a brighter future." Iroh declared, making his nephew smile, but then turned away, almost in shame.
"That's what I hope for Uncle, but I can't ignore my own feelings, I don't feel in any way altruistic, or honourable in what I'm about to do: I will betray my father and the Fire Nation, as so to make it a better place- yes that's what I want- but I desire revenge against him, against those who I see as the real traitors, and that's something I know you don't approve of."
"Prince Zuko, I think it is time I taught you the true meaning of fire." Iroh declared, confusing Zuko.
"What? What does that have to do with my desire for revenge?"
"Everything Prince Zuko; your power and drive, it was made by the anger you felt, and now you have redirected it, but it is anger all the same. I don't mean to say that you should give it up just yet, those feelings of angst, betrayal and hatred; they power you, but they are not what a firebender should truly use to drive their bending."
"What then Uncle... What could power my bending?"
"Fire is not just burning and ashes, it is life, and it is within us all, and therefore it is part of our very being, firebender or not. If you can love life and the things in it, see it as your drive to bend, to use your fire to protect."
"I understand what you are saying Uncle... But I don't think I'm ready; what if I do end up facing Azula or father? Their anger and pride powers them, and my desire for revenge is the only thing I can think to counter that. If I defeat them, then maybe I could use my bending for good... But I feel far too gone now- look at me, I feel like I'm about to maim a man because of the petty wrongs he's done against me."
"Don't be so harsh on yourself Prince Zuko. I just want you to gain perspective, so you can make up your own mind when it comes to how you drive yourself; choosing goodness and love over hatred and anger is the next step in becoming the beautiful Prince you were always meant to be."
Zuko stood up from his meditation, and looked at his Uncle with a smile, "Thank you Uncle, I want more than anything that I can become more like you."
"With age and understanding comes wisdom, Prince Zuko; you will need time, but you will become better every day, as long as you stay true to yourself."
"5 years at sea did a lot to me, didn't it; I feel like a different person from the child my father banished." Zuko pondered out-loud.
"And you will return home a man, and one that should be respected for his own merits- you will make your own honour today, Prince Zuko." Iroh commented, smiling at both his nephew and the upcoming travesty that was about to befall Admiral Zhao.
Iroh was not a cruel man, but he believed that the Admiral had deserved wholly what was coming for him; one does not abuse ones own powers for ones own benefit and act above all men without getting a solid beating from time to time. He couldn't help but think Zhao was getting off lightly, for if it had been Zuko's father that he had disrespected, he would be losing more than his pride today.
Chief Hakoda stood at the helm of his personal ship, nearly all of their men on deck, prepared potentially for another battle as they raced towards the site of their attack on the Princess' ship around a day prior. He feared the worse for his son and best friend, who were both amongst the missing; if they had both been lost to the sea, he couldn't even comprehend how he could go on living without a sense of complete shame and dishonour- to abandon the men who remained on the sinking vessel, as the Princess, he presumed, fired volley after volley of flames at their vessel; his own men had to cry out to demand he withdraw, fearing their opponents could set their boats alight once they had gotten onto their own lift raft. It was a reasonable fear, and Hakoda certainly preferred losing a few men to his entire crew, but the pain was just the same; if he could have risked his men to save his son, even just to save his friend, he might have actually done it, even if was going against the safety of his loyal tribesmen who would just as easily give up their lives to save their comrades instead. He felt like a stain on his people, who continued to follow him now into a danger zone, with little to no second thought.
"We have to save anyone left!" they had cried out, "They would do it for us!"
Their desires didn't make Hakoda's any less self-serving or desperate; he hoped Bato and Sokka remained safe and steadfast, but he couldn't not get the image of his head: their bodies laying at the floor of the Eastern Sea, alongside the damned Royal Barge, a grave amongst their comrades and their enemies.
The darkness of night didn't stop one of his men from distinctively calling out, "Chief! I see debris!"
Hakoda immediately latched onto hope rather than his nightmarish despairs, "Full sail, get the torches out! Look for bodies, living or dead." with his last word making him shudder in fear again.
He knew men could easily survive at sea for a day floating on miscellaneous objects, but he also knew his men had endured a tough fight against the best firebenders the Fire Nation had to offer; they were more than skilled at fighting their kind, but after many of them were incapacitated or worse, Hakoda feared few would be able to easily hold themselves afloat.
"We've found one!" one of the sailors called out, throwing a rope into the blackness as Hakoda could see it, racing down the deck to see which man they were pulling from the water.
"Kassuq!" one of the tribesman called out. He had heard of that name, one of the men from another village; Hakoda knew little about every single one of his men, but he knew their names and where they were from, in case the worst came to be for them while they fought in distant lands.
"Thank you my brothers!" Kassuq panted, raising his arms onto the side of the boat, which were grabbed by his fellow tribesmen.
"Are there any others?" Hakoda asked him, now hoping for the best.
"Yes my chief! There was at least fifteen of us in the water last time I checked." the man grinned in hope, knowing that he and his comrades were duly saved from the ocean's wrath.
One of his sailors called out in joy, "It is a blessing from the spirits that so many could have survived!"
Another commented, more disdainful of their situation, "Especially after the beating we got from those firebenders..."
"Get back to your stations men, and get the ropes ready. Signal the other ships!" Hakoda commanded, his men quickly getting Kassuq to sit on the deck while the rest of them scattered to the sides of the boat, looking out for the other survivors he mentioned.
One by one, they found each of the men Kassuq spoke of: fifteen tribesmen had survived a whole day floating in the waters, which Hakoda noticed had clearly calmed since the battle last night. That meant, if he had been counting correctly, only ten of the tribe were still missing. He knew by the time they pulled the last of the fifteen out of the water, that his son and best friend were still amongst the missing, bringing a sense of dread back to this face; but he knew there was still hope, they could have washed ashore, and Hakoda knew from his frequent expeditions through the Eastern Sea that they weren't too far from the Earth Kingdom coast as it was. He hoped Sokka used his powerful wit and tact to survive out on his own, as he might be; regret still filled his heart, and Hakoda knew though the deed had been done, he doubted whether his son could ever forgive him for leaving him helpless on the sinking Fire Nation ship.
After his men had cleaned up their brothers and given them new clothes to wear while their old ones were dried and cleaned, he spoke to each of them below deck, asking if they had heard or seen his son or Bato after they had withdrawn the ships; most of them didn't know much, too focused on trying to escape the threat of the firebenders picking them off in the water, and then finding something to float on; but one of them- named Aujaq- had some positive information.
"Yes! Yes! I remember your son being on the deck- I saw him after I was washed off- He was fighting the Fire Nation woman!" he explained.
"The Princess?" Hakoda asked.
"Wait... She was the Princess? By the spirits that explains a lot."
"Yes- uh, you were saying they were fighting."
"Yes my chief! Sokka was holding his ground against her blue fire, but they were forced to stop when the ship started tilt; the last I saw or heard of your son was him climbing into the bridge, that unusual pagoda-looking thing they had in the centre of the ship."
"Did you see or hear anything from the bridge after that?" Hakoda questioned, Aujaq thinking over what he had seen.
"U-uh I was pretty distracted by finding something to float on; I did of course after the bridge fell sideways into the water, and a lot of cargo fell out- that's how most of us were able to find something float on. I heard a lot of voices and shouting when that happened, I think your son was probably inside the bridge at the time."
"Well that means he could have found something to float on, like you and the others did?"
"Yeah I would say so; I remember a metal box being flung out into the water before the bridge went under, it nearly hit Noada over there, maybe he was using one to float."
Of one the tribesmen, who Hakoda presumed was Noada called out in frustration, "That gave me the biggest fright in my life! Not the bloody firebenders, a spirit-damned box."
Hakoda chuckled "Thanks for the stories men; I think you're giving me some hope."
"We're just as hopeful Chief, I really do hope your kid's okay." Aujaq affirmed, holding the chiefs arm in the traditional fashion of respect.
"My Chief!" a tribesman called out from the deck, "We can see Fire Nation ships approaching!"
"Damn it." Hakoda grumbled, frustrated by the quick turn of events, "Get the men ready, call out a retreat. We need to get out of here!" he called out, his subordinate nodding and calling the same back onto the deck.
"What about the search?" one of men he questioned asked.
"I hope the others are alive, but right now protecting you all is my duty. And I seek to continue that duty for as long as I can, not dead at the hands of a swarm of Fire Navy ships."
Hakoda knew he would have to leave these waters, and didn't know how long it would be until he could return. He only hoped Aujaq's optimism was well placed and that his son had really made his way out of the ship alive. Sokka was a smart kid, and he knew how to survive, hunt and fish, probably better than most his fellow tribesmen actually, having to be the primary hunter for their village for a whole three years while Hakoda was away with the other men in the Earth Kingdom; Hakoda trusted that his years of hunting and fishing with his sister had been spent well gaining skill, and that Sokka would easily be able to trek back to some place where he could somehow find his way to notify Hakoda of his survival and get back to him. He hoped and believed Bato could do the same- he actually had to do something quite similar a few years prior in their first round in the Earth Kingdom, crossing all the way from the west coast to the east. He trusted in them more than any other men he knew, and he hoped more than anything that they would return to their tribe alive and well.
The orange haze of sunset covered the sparring field, where two firebenders two were facing back to back, a few metres apart, kneeling in wait for the duel to begin; General Iroh stood on the side of the field, alongside a plethora of Admiral Zhao's subordinates, waiting anxiously to see who would win the duel. Iroh believed in his nephew's skill, determination and raw power, but he knew he would need to be tact to defeat such a blunt firebender as Zhao; The Admiral had trained under the former Admiral Jeong Jeong and was believed by many to be just as skilled. Nevertheless Iroh knew he lacked the refinement in his bending that his nephew clearly built up over the course of his training, which Iroh believed Zuko would use to his advantage. Iroh knew that firebending came from the breath, as he regularly reminded his nephew, and without losing breath from unnecessarily powerful attacks, Zuko could simply defend from his opponents furious blasts, until he was too weak to defend from Zuko's smaller more efficient attacks; although Iroh was unsure if that was how Zuko would tactically fight, he believed himself that to be the most effective way to win the duel. But he knew his nephew loved to plan ahead, and was sure he had already figured out his own way to defeat the Admiral, just as Iroh was sure he was imagining how to finally defeat his father in the same manner.
Zuko slowly stood to turn to his opponent, as was the tradition in an Agni Kai, before shedding his shoulder garment, staring Zhao down as he did the same; he waited for a few moments, thinking out his battle-plan again, before the gong sounded, which declared the duel had begun. Zuko started to pace forward toward Zhao, and as did Zhao at the same time, and couldn't help but smirk. Now it is you Zhao who will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher, Zuko thought to himself, his fathers words echoing his thoughts, making him shudder inside, unwilling to show such emotion in a duel.
Zhao took the first move, sending a strong blast of fire toward Zuko's head, which the Prince was easily able to sidestep, before making a smaller blast of fire at the Admiral's shoulder, as to throw him off balance; Zhao only barely dodged the move, countering with a kick of fire to try and get Zuko off his feet, but making little progress when Zuko guarded the move with a deflecting blast. Now frustrated at Zuko's defensive movements, Zhao sent a barrage of blast after blast at his torso and shoulders, making the same movements that Zuko had done to him before; in the succession of blasts, Zuko was able to duck and sideswipe Zhao with a low strike to to his waist, forcing him to stop throwing his hits at Zuko to dodge.
Zuko understood that the goal of the Agni Kai was to burn your opponent, and Zuko knew that Zhao wouldn't concede easily. Make the burn worth your struggles, he heard his Uncle's voice echo in his mind, knowing very well he was silently waiting to the side of field, unable to and unwilling to speak when his nephew was in such an intense duel. Standing his ground, he simply deflected Zhao's incoming blasts, which seemed to infuriate the Admiral even further; the Admiral's mouth opened and his teeth gritted as he increased his barrage of fire blasts, attempting to take Zuko off balance with a number of blasts toward his feet, which Zuko avoided simply by sidestepping or deflecting the fire with his own bending.
Seeing that the Prince was not burnt by his barrage send the Admiral into a further rage- where was the overconfident, arrogant brat he had known to be Prince Zuko; his calmness angered Zhao, unable to grasp how any firebender could be so at ease in a battle for their own honour.
He shouted at the boy, "Do you have no desire to fight?! You are a weakling!"
The Prince simply stated, "It is you who is weak. Unable to fight for anything greater than your own vanity." The words infuriated Zhao further, throwing a hefty wave of fire at Zuko, who had to fall backwards to dodge it.
Thinking the Prince had simply fallen from his attack, Zhao raced toward Zuko and jumped, hoping to blast him square in the chest with a ball of fire, only to realise Zuko had somersaulted backward and and sent a blast right at his chest, making Zhao curl to the side in hopes to avoid being burnt, his fist crashing into the gravelly surface of the sparring field, making his knuckles bleed white. Grumbling in pain, Zhao swept his foot toward Zuko, hoping to catch him unaware, but he simply avoided the fire by jumping, sending a kick of fire straight at the Admiral's head; unable to get onto his feet, Zhao resolved to barrel roll to his side before turning to a crouching position, now feeling more on the defensive.
Zuko smirked at his opponent, who had by this point half-exhausted and inflicted physical injuries upon himself, his moves far too strong for his own good. He sent blast after blast toward Zhao's feet, who was forced to stumble backward, rising back to his feet, making him a much easier target to strike down. Zhao countered with another wave of fire, and Zuko swung the fire away and redirected it around himself in a ring-like formation of fire, from which he blasted through and struck Zhao's shoulder with a short clean blast, flinging him to the side, and clearly angering the Admiral again, the fury against Zuko overwhelming his current pain. Zuko raced toward Zhao, who raised his left hand in defiance to fire a stream of flames at him, but was stopped in his tracks by Zuko's foot deflecting his hand and fire stream away to the side. Before Zhao could react, Zuko's foot struck his opponent in the jaw, which Zhao saw as an opportune moment to grab it, unable to keep a clear hold when Zuko simply struck his right hand away with a small fire dagger, before uppercutting the him in the jaw again. Zhao was knocked into the air for a short moment, before he crashed back to the ground in front of Zuko. Taking advantage of Zhao's confusion and fatigue, he decided to comment on their battle, purely to drill it down in the Admiral's mind.
"Ah... So the Great Admiral Zhao is defeated; I would prefer mercy upon anyone, but seeing how you relished in, perhaps enjoyed, my own burning at the hands of the Fire Lord, I wouldn't have this any other way..." Zuko declared, making Zhao's eyes fill with fear.
Zhao had truly underestimated the Prince and tried his best to mutter, "Please... Don't do it."
"Who's the coward now?" Zuko mocked, before sending a charged fire blast into the right side of Zhao's face, making him scream in the horrific pain, and the onlookers gasped, fearing the worst, facing away from Zuko's direct blast into the Admiral's face; Zuko himself turned away from Zhao for a moment, the smell of burning flesh disgusting him, just glad that it wasn't his own this time.
Zhao's screams took a while to fade out, but by the time it did, Zuko looked down upon him in pity, as he mumbled back to the Prince, "T-the F-fire Lord... he won't stand for this dishonour."
Zuko almost laughed at his defeated opponent, but knew it'd be too cruel of him to jest now, and decided to rather warn the Admiral with his now accompanying burn, "You are finished Admiral Zhao, it's best you leave before the Fire Lord has your head for this disgrace."
Iroh looked upon the outcome of the battle in shock; he realised Zuko hadn't been exaggerating his desire for revenge. Giving your upon the customary burning of an Agni Kai was expected in the most serious of duels, but after the trauma Zuko himself had experienced, he never would have expected him to burn another in such a horrific manner; but then again, the retired General couldn't blame him for acting in such a manner. His nephew had suffered far to much to just forget about that pain that he had endured, and Zuko knew his banishment and suffering was meaningless now, which only made the memories more painful. He hoped the best part of his nephew would overcome the parts that even Iroh himself feared; for once he could see it, the resemblance, and it scared him more than anything- more than death itself- that his Zuko, was actually anything similar to his cruel, dare he say: evil father.