Genpei paused, tapped his foot on the passage, took a few more steps. It was hard for him to move quickly, with Katara's water tendril twisting his left arm behind his back. Mai brought up the rear, her hands folded inside her broad maroon sleeves.
As they moved downwards through the mountain, Katara noticed increasingly familiar carvings on the walls and statues. The triple vortex of the Air Nomads was everywhere. She wondered if Aang had known about this sanctuary; he'd never mentioned it on any of their family's visits to the Northern Air Temple. Then again, even he hadn't known all the Nomads' secrets; he'd run away when he was twelve, only to return and find himself the last of his people...
As they turned onto a fork in the passage, Genpei froze, his eyes narrowing. "Wait-"
There was a sudden grinding of stone, and a smooth wall erupted from the ground in front of them, cutting them off. Immediately, Mai shot forward, her arm moving for the big Dai Li agent's throat-
"Stop!" Katara's water coil released Genpei and caught her wrist, yanking the Fire Lady back. "It wasn't him." She nodded over Mai's shoulder. A hooded figure stood behind them, dressed in bronze-clasped black robes with a jade trim, its' arm raised.
"One of his friends, come to the rescue." Mai's voice was still cold as ice. She wrenched her arm free from Katara's Bending grip, a pair of shuriken between her fingers. "I don't need to see your eyes, to hit you between them-"
"That won't be necessary, Fire Lady Mai." The figure answered in an oily, drawling voice; it seemed oddly familiar to Katara. "Not that it would pose any danger to me here, of all places." He paused, then lowered his hood, revealing an emaciated face with a drooping mustache, his long grey hair pulled back into a single braid. Narrow, aquamarine eyes swept briefly over the two women, then fixed on their captive. "Captain Genpei. This is... rather disappointing."
The huge Earthbender stared back, his bearded jaw tightening. "That's a bit of an understatement, Grand Secretariat."
It was the words 'Grand Secretariat' that clicked it. Katara hefted her water coil higher, freezing the tip into an ice blade. "Long Feng. I should've known, but I didn't recognize your face. You haven't aged well."
The master of the Dai Li chuckled. "I've often wondered, if I should've sent you and the Beifong girl straight to Lake Laogai, when I caught you two sneaking into the palace all those years ago. But, as it turns out, patience is a virtue." He spread his hands wide, palms upright. "I have no intention of fighting you, only to make an exchange."
"I don't see anything worth exchanging in your empty hands, unless you're offering to let Aang remove your Bending." Katara was satisfied to see him flinch. "It'd be a small price to pay, for the years of terror you put Ba Sing Se through."
"Terror? Did the Council of Five ever refer to it as such, even after I was arrested?" The old man's lip curled. "They needed us, the peace we kept within the Walls! Kuei was a helpless child when he became King, and the enemy were at our gates. The Generals knew it was the only way they could gear everything they had towards the war effort, without chaos and panic engulfing the city-"
"By making a deal with the Fire Army, behind their backs?" Katara scoffed. "And, from what Zuko told us, it seems you're falling back on that strategy. How well did that work, the last time you joined forces with Azula and her friends?"
Mai glanced away. Long Feng's gaze snapped back to her. "As all four of us know, there are times when... convenience can be more necessary, than patience. Which is exactly why I'm here now. To offer something that benefits us both, rather than a cross-exchange that leaves the winner to chance." He bowed his head in Mai's direction. "Whatever happens next, no one in the Earth Kingdom- including myself- wishes to see Azula, leading the Fire Nation's new regime. The easiest way to weaken her, is to remove her most valuable bargaining chip: your daughter, Princess Izumi. I can tell you exactly where she is."
Mai's hand slowly lowered back to her side, but she didn't loosen her grip on the throwing knives. Katara wished to all the Spirits, she could have brought Toph along with them. Long Feng was at least as duplicitous as Azula, and she had no surefire way of detecting lies. "What about Princess Hou-Ting?"
A muscle in the Earthbender's mouth twitched, impatiently. "My intention is to resolve issues with the Fire Nation, Lady Katara. As you should have learned from your encounter in the Hu Xin province, the business of the Earth Kingdom is none of your concern... or, the Avatar's."
Katara felt a flare of anger at his condescending attitude. "We've already got a guide and directions, thanks."
"I'm afraid he's part of the exchange." Long Feng nodded in Genpei's direction. "He has a great many things, to answer for. Tasks to perform for the Dai Li, on behalf of the Earth Kingdom."
Genpei tensed, the stone on one of his gauntlets cracking. "I'd rather die."
Long Feng shrugged. "That's certainly a reasonable price, after you helped that Combustionbender go rogue, allowed two of the enemy to get the better of you, and helped them infiltrate our sanctuary." His eyes were like chips of pale green ice, as they caught the bloodstains on Genpei's sleeve. "But to destroy all your talents, in a single sweep, would be such a waste. And reeducation will make certain, you don't reveal anything else in the future."
Katara knew what "reeducation" meant, she'd seen it firsthand in Ba Sing Se. She bent more water from the skins on her belt, forming a rapidly-rotating ring of tentacles around her waist. "Who say's we're going to just hand him over to you?"
Mai glanced at her quickly, but didn't protest. Long Feng snapped his fingers, and a section of the ceiling split open, dropping four more Dai Li agents into the tunnel. "I said this was an exchange, not a negotiation. Hand him over, and you have my word: you'll be free to leave Zamyn Togsgol with Princess Izumi, unharmed. As long as you tell no one else, particularly King Kuei, about this sanctuary. If you did... well, my agents have already breached the Fire Nation's Capitol once." He chuckled coldly. "Or you can refuse, and see what happens next. We've already found the White Lotus encampment, to the north of the mountain."
Katara hesitated, glancing between Mai and Genpei. She'd seen Long Feng fight before, twenty years ago. He was skilled enough, but even then, he hadn't been in her league. She'd faced dozens of Dai Li agents in the Crystal Catacombs, and in the winter she could make short work of five, even on their home ground. But if Long Feng knew where they were, presumably the rest of the Dai Li did, too- and he could have Izumi and Hou-Ting far beyond their reach in no time, if he wanted. If he was actually going to let them pass without a fight...
Genpei seemed to be reading her mind, for he suddenly raised a hand. "He's telling the truth. I can feel his pulse."
Katara blinked, surprised. She hadn't known his seismic sense was as developed as Toph's. Still, the idea of turning him over to Long Feng was unsettling, to say the least. "You know what they'll do-"
"I'll buy you some time... In case he decides not to uphold his end, of the exchange." Genpei settled into a fighting stance and raised his fists. "You haven't got much time, the Agni Kai will be starting soon."
He glanced meaningfully at Mai; after a moment, she bowed her head briefly in his direction.
"Defiant to the end, eh?" Long Feng raised a grey eyebrow. "A true Earth Citizen, I'll give you that. Which is exactly what King Kuei and I require, in the end." He flicked his wrist, and the barrier behind Mai and Katara slid back into the ground. 'You're free to go, ladies." Then he nodded to the nearest agent, a tall man with prominent cheekbones. "Zicheng, take him."
Katara felt Mai's fingers close around her wrist in an iron grip. Clenching her jaw, she turned, conjured a current of water under their feet, and sped down the passage, the crack of stone on stone behind them. When Katara glanced backward briefly, Genpei was raising an earthen barrier, parrying a barrage of projectiles from his opponents. Then another barrier slammed across the tunnel, cutting them off from the battle.
After a reasonable start, they reached a fork in the road; to the left was the barracks Genpei had mentioned. Katara checked the walls and ceiling of the cavern for more concealed Earthbenders, willing herself not to think about what was happening behind them. "Once we've found Izumi, do you want me to double back, see if I can help Zuko?"
Mai raised an eyebrow. "You're not worried about running into Azula, at the arena?"
Katara' skin crawled at the thought of the Princess, but she shook her head firmly. "When I beat her during Sozin's Comet, it was summer. It's winter, now."
Mai paused. Her grey eyes were shadowed with stress, but still dry. "...I appreciate it. But once we have Izumi, I'll go back for Zuko."
The Waterbender gave her a skeptical look. She'd been willing to torture for her daughter's location less than an hour ago, yet she wasn't accompanying Izumi to safety?
Mai noticed her expression. "Zuko and I always knew there was a chance, one or both of us wouldn't come out of this alive. We made our peace with that, together. But as long as Izumi's alright..." Her eyes went glassy again. "Once we're out of the mountain, your Waterbending gives you total advantage over anyone following you. She's safest at your side." Katara nodded slowly. "But I can get her to the entrance alone, if you want to look for Princess Hou-Ting first. I have some things to tell her, if this turns out to be good-bye." Her mouth was set in a grim line. "I can understand, if you want to go looking for Aang, as well. If Takeo or the Dai Li know he's coming, and he isn't using the Avatar State..."
Katara felt an involuntary pang of worry, but she forced it away. "Aang can handle himself. He doesn't need me, to protect him." She glanced back in the direction they'd come from. "We'll keep going together, until we find the girls. Between Aang and the White Lotus, the Dai Li should have their hands full." She felt another stab of worry, and guilt. "If Genpei was telling us the truth..."
"Too late to worry about that, now. Besides, his attitude didn't seem forced." Mai glanced the same way, her expression wooden. "When Ty Lee and I infiltrated Ba Sing Se with Azula, years ago... we saw, what Long Feng had done to Joo Dee. I'm guessing, she wasn't the only victim?" Katara nodded. "...You were right. Some things... aren't worth-"
"We're all taking risks, Mai." Katara put her hand on her shoulder. The noblewoman tensed, but didn't push her away. "And... you were right, too. None of us know exactly what we're capable of, when we're desperate. For better, or for worse."
Mai squeezed her hand briefly, let it go. Then they turned right, and continued deeper into the mountain labyrinth.
Breath, not muscles. She always lies. They need Izumi alive...
Zuko whispered mantra after mantra to himself as he descended the stone steps. The jeering of his enemies was drowned out, as the soldiers flanking Takeo and Shingen's balcony began beating drums.
He'd never had trouble, finding the resolve for a fight when he was challenged. Three years of training in exile under Iroh, coupled with frequent blows during childhood, had left him quick to react when threatened. As he stepped into the arena, he felt his muscles tightening, but not with adrenaline. It was conflict... uncertainty. His hands closing into fists, but in frustration at himself, for hesitating now-
Focus. Breath, not muscles. He inhaled slowly through his nose, trying to banish some of the tensions from his body. Then he turned his eyes upward from the ground, toward his sister- just as she finished untying the mask's bindings, and tossed it at his feet. She'd always had a gift for theatrical entrances- one of the few things she'd inherited from their mother.
"It's been even longer since you've seen that thing, hasn't it, Zuzu?" Azula undid the chin-strap of her helmet and let it clatter to the ground as well. Her hair was raggedly cut, and hung unevenly down her back; her face was less rounded, made more angular and weathered by time. But her golden eyes were just the way he remembered during the Kemurikage crisis: calm and cold, with just a flicker of uncertainty. "I didn't know if you wanted it back. I mean, you did steal it from me, in the first place..."
Zuko blinked. He wasn't surprised by the mockery; she often toyed with her victims. But it wasn't like her, to reminisce over their childhood years. She'd always found it too 'depressing'.
Focus, he told himself. Shaking his head, he studied her posture. Her stance was ready, but there was tension in her calves and shoulders below the lacquered armor, same as him. And slight shadows, under her eyes. The last time they'd clashed, she'd narrowly beaten him. But as Takeo had said, if her battle with Aang had tired her...
Aang. In his distraction over the mask, he'd forgotten what Azula's presence must mean. He forced his face to stay impassive, even as fresh claws of dread gripped his heart. "I assumed Aang would have kept you busy longer. Are you... sure, you actually defeated him? It wouldn't be the first time, you've made that mistake."
Azula's eyes flared, like a glowing oven door opening. She reached to the back of her belt, bringing forward a long, recurving knife. "You want more proof than this, brother?" Her voice echoed through the cavern as she held the crimson-stained blade upward, angling it into the light. "BEHOLD! THE AVATAR IS DEAD, AT MY HAND!"
Zuko couldn't hear the traitors all around them, their triumphant roar drowning out the drumbeats. Pain and remorse washed over him, blotting out everything else. After Aang had forgiven him, come to his aid, treated him like a brother for years... If he'd really let him die, again...
"Get on with it then, imposter!" Shingen jeered from above. "Don't crumple like a coward, face your end with honor!"
Grief and frustration caught alight, turning to rage. Without another word, Zuko undid his cloak and threw it aside, then pressed his fist rigidly to his palm and bowed. Flames were already blooming between his clenched fingers, as the gong sounded.
His hand rose before his face did, intercepting the fireball already roaring toward him. Did Azula think he'd forgotten her obsession with preemptive strikes?
Thrusting his hands downwards, he rocketed himself into the air, rotating to bring his leg down in a blazing axe-kick. The attack shattered the floor of the arena, throwing burning debris and dust in all directions. There were scattered cheers from the rings above them, but he knew they weren't for him, merely for the spectacle. Azula had sprung sideways easily, and now she launched a flaming torrent from her left hand. The heat of her Manipura- enhanced Bending hit him before the attack itself, but he intercepted it with his elbow and fist, his counterattack splitting it in two. Just as he'd done during Sozin's comet.
But unlike then, Azula didn't falter when her attack was broken. She was already moving again, darting forwards on foot rather than rocketing, her expression faintly scornful as she maneuvered around his fireballs. "Pitiful. You had years to listen to Firebenders other than Iroh, and-"
"You DON'T get to say his name!" Zuko roared suddenly, lunging forward to meet her charge. If she'd taken both Aang and Uncle, from him... His fire-dagger flared with extra charge, blazing straight for her heart.
"Predictable." His sister rolled her eyes, grasping his wrist to flip herself over his head, landing behind him. Zuko barely turned fast enough to intercept her attack, raising a wall of fire. The blood was thundering in his ears, blotting out all other sounds...
Focus, Zuko. This was exactly the wrong time to rely on anger, to fuel his Firebending. It was how Azula had always defeated him in a heartbeat, before. He had to get his emotions under control-
The curtain of orange flames turned deadly blue, then rolled apart as his sister leaped through them. An azure whip lashed from her fingertips, expanding like a tidal wave as it swept toward Zuko's face.
The exact same whip technique he'd seen Izumi develop, make her own, for the last two years.
Without thinking, Zuko threw his fists outwards, rocketing himself backwards and out of reach, almost crashing into the arena's wall. Azula imitated the move with her right hand and foot, her left one still conjuring the whip. Her lip curled as she lashed it again. Zuko kept moving backward, launching powerful counterstrikes from his fists, but Azula easily maneuvered around two and deflected the third with her elbow.
"Enough nonsense!" Takeo's gruff voice rang through the amphitheater. "Don't resort to your father's crude techniques, Zuko. It's as embarrassing on you as it was with him! Show us what you're really capable of!"
Two azure fireballs roared past Zuko's ear, breaking his concentration and his stance. Turning his fall into a roll, he scrambled upright, his breath catching alight as he exhaled. He swept his arm wide, fingers molded into a knife, and a broad arc of flame blossomed outward. Enough to buy him a few seconds, perhaps, but not enough to get his turbulent emotions under control...
Azula's face was suddenly inches from his, the gleam of her gaze banishing any weariness from her face. But as his forearm redirected her next strike, Zuko realized her eyes weren't blazing with their usual battle-glee, or the wild rage of Sozin's Comet. It was... frustration.
"Pathetic." Azula's voice didn't ring across the arena this time; it was a hissing whisper, though he caught every word. "No focus, whatsoever. Twenty years, and you still can't focus on a single point, keep your eye on what really matters!" She thrust the heel of her hand against his torso, and Zuko felt a bloom of intense heat as he was thrown backwards. As he struck the arena wall, he felt a rib crack. His breath was starting to come in sharper gasps. She wasn't toying with him, that was his only consolation.
Scrambling up, he extinguished his burning clothes, ignoring the pain gripping his entire torso. Pain was nothing, next to the fear of what would happen, if he lost now. Half his family already gone, the other half held by his enemies, and the Four Nations about to erupt into a war. All because he'd been distracted, from protecting what really mattered. And he was still distracted-
What really mattered.
Suddenly, he was back in the Caldera Cavern, on the Day of Black Sun. The adrenaline of his father's Lightning coursing from one arm to the next, turning it back toward it's creator.
"Basics, Zuko. Find a single point of focus, and devote everything you have to that. Not just your emotions- your senses, your state of being. Abandon all else- shame, pride, fear, anger- and there is nothing that can match your will. That was the first thing, the Old Masters taught me."
At the time, Iroh had refused to name the "Old Masters" to Zuko. Now, it seemed the Dragons' first lesson to his Uncle, might be his last. If even Azula had already learned it...
Zuko snapped his gaze upward. His sister was no longer advancing; she had dropped into a crouch on the opposite side of the arena. Her golden eyes never left his face, but the anger in them was gone. Or appeared to be. She ALWAYS lies. Focus on the single point. He closed his eyes, letting his knees fold, breath whistling slowly from his lips as his fingers uncurled. Slowly but surely, the tensions began to fade from his body.
He couldn't banish his turbulent emotions, but he couldn't let them use him, either... Like the Eternal Flame, reaching the single point was all about balance. It had always been about balance. Izumi had understood that, much sooner than him. Zuko might have learned Iroh's lessons too late, but the next generation had them well in hand.
The jeers and shouts of disapproval above Zuko faded into the background, along with the pain of his injuries. All he heard was the sudden roar of Azula's Bending as he sprang upward, spinning to dodge several jets of blue fire. As his eyes opened, he saw her face had changed, to an expression he'd never seen before. If he didn't know better, he might almost have mistaken it for approval.
But he didn't stop to think about it. Twisting around in mid-air, he kicked an arc toward her, then raised plumes of flame as he landed, blocking Azula's charging counterstrike. His hands spread wide, and the plumes merged into an expanding column of fire. Azula was forced to rocket backwards, her hands raised to deflect the intensity of the attack. Before she could fully rise, Zuko was directly in front of her, his hands molded into knives, fingers blazing. She rolled out of the way just as his strikes shattered the ground, sprang up and zagged across the arena.
Zuko's eyes never left her, as he advanced. Except during Sozin's Comet, when she'd been in the throes of a nervous breakdown, he'd never seen Azula lose the initiative before. The fight with Aang must have tired her more than he'd thought. She wasn't injured, but the tension that had filled her muscles and face earlier, was back. Her eyes looked more wary, her hands curling defensively toward her chest instead of launching a counterattack-
Not defense, you fool, that IS the counterattack!
He stopped himself short with a fire burst just as Azula raised her left arm again, sparks crackling around her index and middle fingers. As the Lightning bolt rushed toward him, Zuko brought up his right arm and caught it. His breathing was still calm and even; the energy passed seamlessly through his stomach, then back up his spine. As he raised his left arm, he saw Azula imitating his stance perfectly. Did she really think he'd let her reflect it back again, after their last encounter?
Basics, Zuko. Break the enemy's root, and their own power takes them down.
Zuko angled his wrist just slightly, as he released the bolt. Instead of hitting Azula, the Lightning tore into the wall just behind her shoulder. The explosion shook dust from the cavern ceiling, and fragments of charred stone and crystal flew in all directions. Zuko torched the flying debris with an arc of fire, scattering it out of his path, then continued his slow advance. The blast had thrown Azula violently across the arena, and she was breathing harder than ever as she got up. But of course, there still was no fear in her eyes.
"Poor choice." Zuko's voice was firm but calm when he spoke. "If that's what you tried against Aang, no wonder you needed a knife to finish him off. Then again, both he and I have cheated Lightning before, more than once. Don't you think using it in the first place was a fairly serious mistake-"
He dove sideways as Azula rocketed past, flames on one extended hand, knife in the other, the oven-like blaze back in her eyes. He felt a stinging along his scalp, and a singed lock of hair dropped near his feet. He should have known better, than to provoke her. If she was still focused enough to use Lightning, anger would only fuel her power tenfold.
Firebending from his palms, Zuko vaulted over her next attack, launching a roundhouse kick as he spun in midair. Azula's flames swept the attack aside, but the momentum had already carried Zuko out of range of her knife. The last of the flames coming from his feet set the ground alight; thrusting his hands down, he fed the blaze, conjuring a current to propel himself across the arena. Opposite him, Azula had wheeled about and was doing the same, her hands encased in blue glow. He wasn't even sure it was Lightning or fire; either way, she wouldn't give him the chance to redirect it again.
As they neared collision, Azula prepared a roundhouse kick of her own. Rather than counterstrike, Zuko suddenly released his current, dropping to the ground as the blue blaze rushed overhead. Flaming darts zipped past him on all sides, but he simply ducked lower and plowed through them, not noticing as several scorched his crossed forearms and leggings.
Azula hurled the knife at his face, then spun and thrust out her leg in a flaming sidekick. Without angling himself away, Zuko exhaled a cloud of amber flames, blasting the knife aside, then dropped and rolled under the kick. Before she could turn fully, he'd come up on her left, both his fists drawn back. He thrust his arms forward, and a double, charged fireball struck her unprotected shoulder blade, at point-blank range.
To Zuko's astonishment, she wasn't just thrown by the attack: she buckled. Her legs folded beneath her as she hit the ground, her body convulsing and curling into a fetal position. Her breath came in rasping, shaking gasps, her blazing golden eyes suddenly unfocused and glass-like. Her feeble, rolling motions smothered the flames on her back, but she made no move to rise, or counterattack.
Zuko suddenly realized that the shouts of the spectators, which he'd been tuning out, had stopped. He risked a glance upward; nearly all of the Firebending veterans had risen from their seats. At the balcony decorated with a Kirin banner, Shingen was gripping the rail with both fists, his expression stunned. Takeo looked angry, but his jaw was set. His amber eyes met Zuko's, and the Fire Lord caught the unspoken, resigned message: Finish her, if you want to finish this.
But as Zuko turned back, panting, a fire-dagger raised over his fist, he didn't see the figure in the dust before him. He was back in the palace gardens, six years old, running down the path between the stone lanterns. Bobbing behind him came the voice of a dark-haired toddler, struggling to keep up.
"Zuzu! Zuzu, come back an' pway wiv me!"
Why were these memories coming now? He'd spent years pretending they didn't exist, especially when Izumi first learned to walk. But there was no denying them, anymore than denying the terrible things Azula had done since. That she'd done only hours earlier...
Even during their worst rivalries, Azula had been one of the few constants, of his childhood. Yet, she hadn't always been like this. For the hundredth time, he asked himself the question: what had happened? His eyes fell on the smoldering, tattered hole in her jacket, and the skin beneath it. There was something else there on her shoulder, besides the fresh burns from his attack. A twisted, rippling scar, its' folds tinted silvery by time. Its' shape almost reminded him of a human hand...
Zuko felt a fresh jolt of anger and pity sear through his heart. For the hundredth, and final time, the same answer came to him: Ozai. He opened his hand, the dagger dissipating. Immediately, there were yells of protest and derision, from every corner of the amphitheater.
"COWARD!" Takeo barked. "Finish the duel, unless you'd rather I kill that brat of yours myself!"
Zuko felt a fresh surge of hatred, but he remembered his point of focus, and held his temper. "No. You told me to fight this Agni Kai without outside interference, with honor-"
His body jerked forward as a charged fireball struck him dead-center of his back, knocking him down. Black spots danced in front of his vision as he tried to catch his breath. All the pains from his burns and impacts came back in a rush.
"You've... improved, since we last clashed, Zuzu." Azula's voice sounded as short of breath as he felt. Yet her tone was oddly light, amused, as her footsteps shuffled towards him. "I see you found your focus... after all. If you'd just hung onto it long enough...There was no way, I would have won."
Zuko shook his head, a wry smile touching the corners of his mouth in spite of everything. He started to roll over, grimacing in pain as he drew his left hand to his chest. "You've always had more power than that, Azula. Your reactions... were slowed by your fight with Aang. If I'd fought you earlier... I wouldn't have stood a chance. A stalemate, at most-"
"No." Azula kicked at his hand as he brought it upright, redirecting his fireball sideways. Her boot pressed down firmly against his wrist, pinning it to the ground. "You... don't know anything, about the element of surprise. Which is why... I can read your every move." She dropped into a crouch, her knee against his chest, the long knife in her hand. "Me... standing over you. Why does this... seem familiar?" Her golden eyes twinkled maliciously. "Because that's how it's always been. Because you were always too weak as Fire Lord, to see the threats right under your nose."
Zuko blinked. She'd said those words to him, under very similar circumstances, during her Kemurikage uprising. "You've had... twenty years to make a move for the throne... Why now? You don't need Takeo to do that for you-"
"Enough stupid questions." The blade pressed against his throat. "You've heard Takeo's demands. You keep fighting me until one of us falls, or you submit. Either way, you die... and both the Mandate of Heaven, and that brat Mai bore you, are mine. Make your choice."
Zuko glanced up at the ceiling of the cavern, letting his breath out as a slow sigh. If the show was drawing to a close, it was worth it... as long as it had bought Mai, Katara and Izumi enough time. But prolonging it by fighting his sister, would only fulfill the role Ozai had shaped her for since birth. Still, there might be another way to stall her...
"I yield. The Mandate is yours."
Azula blinked, then her lip curled scornfully. "That quick to throw everything away, eh? Once again, you disappoint me, Zuzu. Then again-" Her expression darkened. "Given how well Mother 'protected' us, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."
Zuko winced. "She... never knew how to talk to you, Azula. Whether we knew it at the time-"
"Don't try to justify her, to me." His sister hissed, the oven-like flare entering her eyes again. The tip of the blade flashed; he felt a sting on his cheek, then a trickle of blood in his beard. "We're not here, to talk about her."
"You brought her up, but fine." Zuko glanced sideways, at the gateway of the arena. Takeo and Shingen had descended the stone steps, flanked by several Firebenders. The renegade General's face was calm, but his eyes gleamed with triumph. He only had a few moments. "You've learned some of Izumi's moves... which means, she's been training with you since she was brought here. I wasn't the best teacher, to her... but she's already learned everything she could from Uncle, and from her mother. If you can teach her the rest..."
Azula's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're saying you trust me to make her my heir, when I have both your lives in my hands?"
"I've never trusted you. But, if it's the only thing that keeps her alive..." Zuko met her gaze. "'Parents do terrible things, for their children.' That was the last thing Mother taught me, before she fled the Capital. Mai and I knew she was right, from the moment Izumi was born. If you'd ever had a child, you might understand-"
"I understand perfectly, Zuzu." Azula's tone had gone deathly quiet, her grip tightening on the knife. "Why do you think I never had any? Children aren't just distractions- they're attachments, which makes them a weakness." Her leg muscles tensed as she raised the blade, the breath hissing in slowly through her nose. "Which makes them... so much more useful, alive than dead."
The knife flashed as she moved, faster than he could follow. There was a scuffle, two sharp gasps and a thump. Zuko's eyes widened with shock; the Firebenders froze.
The two nearest veterans lay twitching on the ground, patches of red already gathering around their necks. Azula was pinning Shingen chest-first against the arena wall, his right arm twisted behind him and her blade against his jugular. Her gaze, cold and commanding, was turned toward Takeo. "Soldiers under the command of General Takeo: in the name of the Fire Lord, stand down."
Takeo looked startled, but he managed to retain his composure. "What is this, Fire Lord?"
"SILENCE!" Azula's voice rang out across the arena. "Down on your knees, General. You are under arrest, for treachery against the Fire Nation."
"Treachery?! You're one to talk, you damned Ashura spawn!" Shingen tried to twist around, flames igniting in his palm. Azula kneed him in the groin, and he stopped struggling.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." Takeo bowed his head slightly, but stayed on his feet. "I have never diverted from my path, to restore you to the throne; nor do I have any reason to, if you and my son are betrothed. Now that you hold the Mandate of Heaven-"
"The Mandate isn't mine. I yield it back to my brother, Fire Lord Zuko." Azula dug her knifepoint into Shingen's skin. "Now, bow to him, before I give him your son's head, instead!"
Zuko was too stunned to speak. Slowly, he forced himself to his feet, pain still pulsing through his body. He kept his eyes on Azula, but she didn't meet his gaze. The point of focus he'd found during the battle had vanished, replaced by more confusion and conflict than ever before.
The black-armored Firebenders didn't kneel, or move to restrain Takeo. Instead, the two nearest to him conjured fireballs.
A burning undercurrent of contempt entered the old Firebender's voice. His façade of courtesy had vanished; he was angry, even angrier than when she'd fallen to Zuko's attack. "You think these soldiers will follow your commands, over mine? Turn on me, as those feeble Dai Li did against Long Feng? They've served with me, in a hundred battles; you've only led a single campaign, and that was only because you stooped to working with treacherous Mudslingers. You're as much a traitor to the old ways as your brother-"
"I'll take that as a compliment." Azula smirked. "New growth cannot exist, without first the destruction of the old."
Takeo's voice rose to a shout, smoke rising from his palms. "I gave you my son, pledged you my military strength, my support among the Warrior Clans! I would have given you everything!"
"Only to take it away in a heartbeat, once I bore your grandchild, or you found the right time to assassinate me." Azula snapped. Her eyes were blazing again, even brighter than Takeo's. "You always intended to make me your puppet, just as my father did during Sozin's Comet. I owe none of you anything." Her voice rose with righteous anger, blue fire hissing from the corners of her mouth. "Who and what I am, I owe no one but MYSELF!"