"Appa! Momo -"
Aang was cut off as Momo leapt to his shoulder and rubbed the side of his fur coat fondly against his friend. Appa groaned and Sokka, standing a little too close to the beast, was soon drenched from the bison's greeting lick. Katara laughed as the lemur scuttled over and jumped into her arms.
"Yeah, we missed you too, guys," said Aang, patting Appa on his enormous fury head, the bison still half-submerged in river water and too lazy to crawl out. Sokka wiped the saliva off his Fire Nation uniform and took off his helmet.
"Alright, now that we know where they are, can we please go to the market and get food?" he whined. He pulled out the piece of paper Zuko had given them and pointed to a section with a giant, eye-watering grin. "It says we can eat from any market place in the Fire Nation and we won't be charged! All you can eat, here we come..."
"I am getting kind of hungry. What about you Katara?" said Aang, noticing the silent way the water bender stroked Appa's fur, ankle-deep in river water. Water that had lost its peaceful flow, ravaged by the war and hatred that flourished through the air and twisted the calm depths of something that originally held only peace. The flames seemed imperishable, and the war...
"Yeah, I'm a little hungry," said Katara, turning back to the air bender with a little smile. "But Sokka better put his helmet back on before we go. And don't get anyone angry, because none of us can do any fire bending."
Sokka grumbled and struggled to get his helmet back on, groaning about the armor being too hot and heavy. Katara watched for a moment and then let her eyes drift over the city.
There was a glitter on the horizon as a gong was struck; it was hit three times in quick succession, each note louder than the previous, booming out across the city, a messenger of peril. Men and women began to creep from their houses and soldiers left their guard duties to see the commotion; the great, booming sound was a sudden glimpse of the past, the herald of change that the Nation had not heard for a hundred years. As the soldier continued to strike the gong, Katara looked up at the curving, black towers on the horizon, bewildered.
She ran up the street and past all the riverside brush that concealed Appa from the city. The weight of the armor beat down the endurance of her body and she was forced to travel slower than usual, her feet clad in heavy shoes with a breastplate hanging from her shoulders. As she reached the street she nearly overturned an unguarded cabbage cart and stumbled onto the paved road, the gong still ringing in her ears. She could hear Aang and Sokka following her, confused to her sudden disappearance, but that great, horrid sound was something her ears had never had to suffer before. It rode upon the wind, laughing in devil's tongues, burning the ears of all who listened with a terrible secret it had yet to reveal.
Katara sped up to the owner of the cabbage cart who was staring, open mouthed and with the slightest hint of fear, at the giant building on the horizon. Katara tapped him on the shoulder and he leapt, cowering.
"Oh - good evening, sir, I -"
"Why - um - Why are they sounding the gong?" said Katara in a huffy, deep throated voice that she hoped passed as manly. The man seemed to buy it and he continued to cower, hands above his head.
"Well, I'm not sure, sir, but it always sounds when a change is happening - there was a - a rumor among the other vendors - just a rumor, of course, nothing to take seriously - but they spoke that someone - they don't know quite who - has challenged the Fire Lord to Agni Kai, but that's a ridiculous proposition -"
Katara tuned him out as he babbled on, and Sokka panted up beside his sister, clearly annoyed at having to constantly chase people around.
"I'm not...that hungry, Katara...you could've gone...a little slower...stupid uniform.."
"Katara, are you alright?" said Aang instantly, noticing her motionless state. The cabbage man sweat dropped at the appearance of three fire benders and crawled back to his cart before begin noticed. Katara's hands were trembling slightly.
"I knew he was going to do this, but..."
"But what?" said Sokka instantly. "It was your idea! Well, I mean, Zuko changed it, he decided to do it himself and all -"
"I know," said Katara slowly. "I just..."
"You have a bad feeling about it," said Aang slowly, stepping up beside her. Katara nodded her helmed head and Aang looked to the ground.
"So do I..."
Zuko's ears were mute to the terrible, echoing blasts above him. His arms were motionless in bender position, his feet spread in stance, the fire glowing around his fingertips. His father was still glaring at him with those haunting gold eyes - the only physical feature he had inherited from the fearsome tyrant.
"You dare challenge me in my own court?" he hissed, the fire burning up to his shoulders in orange streaks. Zuko did not flinch at the unbound fury that was seeping into the network of his father's face, the rage that simmered in his eyes and bled from his body in bright flame. He no longer feared the gruesome man, the pitiful coward, the person held up only by his title and his anger.
"Do you accept?" glared the Prince, his voice so steady that the Lord's hands began to burn in frustration. Glaring across the courtyard, he settled his dreadful gaze on Iroh.
"Brother, talk some sense into your lunatic nephew! Get back on your boat and leave, you are banished -"
"He has challenged you to a duel, brother," said Iroh slowly, seating himself beside a twitchy elder. The elder was overwhelmed, of course, his old age strained by the events that took place with such celerity. Eyes closed, iroh folded his hands into his lap. "Do you decline his offer?"
The Fire Lord burst into rage and thundered from his throne. Zuko was quiet, watching him carefully, his heart beginning to beat faster as he clearly saw his immediate rival - his father, Lord of a Nation that had captured the world in a ghastly, hundred-year war, greatest known dueler on the face of the earth.
Zuko secured his footing and kept his eyes on his father, concentrating on the delicate, constant flow of flame, the element that swam, fierce and deadly with repressed power, through the complicated working of his veins. Yet this time he was not overpowered with rage, lost in the hell fires that would momentarily consume his father. He was calm with the peace she had brought him, directing the shimmering fury of red fire with his own will, joining it to himself, taking each step in unison with the divine flame that seared in his soul.
His father struck a similar stance, but the fires of his rage had already engulfed his chest and his shirt burnt to ash, crumbling to the ground. Zuko was prepared, his eyes set, with no fear to be spoken of.
He elders were breathless. The Fire Lord stared down his son, fuming, letting the fire devour him. Zuko stood his ground, patient, the fire shining softly by around his wrists. Iroh glanced at them and lowered his head.
With a roar, the Fire Lord leapt, his entire arm flaming and directed straight at Zuko's chest.
He dodged it effortlessly, but his father's leg caught him at the last moment and Zuko spun, catching the man's foot before it could make contact. His father swung him around and his heel burst into flame as Zuko released, skidding back into the earth, knees bent, one flaming hand on the ground.
The Fire Lord released a furious slice of red flame and Zuko's arm flashed to meet his attack; the two blows canceled in midair and Zuko leapt through the flashes of smoke, his foot meeting the Lord's shoulder to force him to the ground. The man grabbed his leg and swung him in a full circle before releasing him, leaving his body to skid mercilessly across the broken ground, his legs burnt from fearsome flame.
There was no hesitation on the Lord's part. He charged, punching his arms towards where Zuko lay bleeding the earth; Zuko rolled from the fire blasts and leapt towards the man, ducking flames and igniting his soul, turning his upper body into a bonfire of brilliant light. The Lord turned when he saw him and met each of his attacks with angry flames. The Lord was roaring, and Zuko could see the fires beginning to burn his flesh from lack of control. Seeking a weak point he blocked a punch and slid down between his legs, leaping up behind him and tracing a burning scar up the Lord's back.
Zuko fell to one knee and placed his hand on the earth, feeling the fury of his father growing behind him. With the straight burn etched up his back the Lord's rage took over and he thundered blindly towards the silent, calculating form of his son. Zuko turned to meet a whirlwind of flames and he shielded himself, his arms burning from the intense heat of his father's anger, his scar throbbing and he tried to see from the watering eye.
But his father knew his weakness and, when noticing that each attack he threw was blocked, skid over to Zuko's left side and Zuko, the form of his father suddenly vanished, was caught unawares as the man barreled into his side, burning with hell fire, and plowed him against the wall of the courtyard.
Zuko flinched but held to the fires in his palms. The Fire Lord, seeing victory, backed away and lit his fist for the final blow.
The flame flew but Zuko knocked it away. His leap was perfect, precise; the Fire lord looked up to see his son in midair, falling with unstoppable speed towards him. The fire swirled around his body, passionate as Zuko's newfound heart and swirling into a blinding white, symbolic of his terrible retribution on the man.
And at the last moment, with the white fires dazzling the Lord's eyes, the flames around Zuko twisted into the roaring shape of a lion's head and rammed the heartless man into the dust.
Zuko stood over him, his hands still flaming, his body sweating from the effort. His father lay in the midst of the courtyard, panting heavily, the earth around him scorched black. The entire left side of his body was disfigured, his skin peeling from the depths of the burns.
Zuko let his hands fall as his father continued to wheeze, gasping for air with a half-scarred throat. Blood was beginning to seep from his wounds and Zuko turned away, disgusted.
"It's over, father. You are now banished."
He began to stalk away and a small smile lit up Iroh's face. Suddenly the sounds of wheezing stopped.
Zuko did not have time to turn. The Fire Lord ripped a dagger from his pocket and sent it flying, straight on, at his victorious son. The blade flickered across him and Zuko gave a gasp of surprise as blood seeped from the cut across his shoulder.
The elders stirred. This was not part of Agni Kai - weapons were forbidden, and the Fire lord had just broken his own sacred rule. The man, however, was standing now, still scarred horribly, as Zuko backed away from his dreadful form.
"No one will banish me, not even my son -"
He raised the dagger and Zuko prepared to shield himself; but as the blade fell a hand caught the Fire Lord's and twisted it so the elbow gave a loud snap.
"You will not harm another hair on this boy, brother," snarled Iroh, appalled at the cowardice and treachery of his own flesh and blood . "You have fallen. Of all the underhanded -"
Iroh let out a gasp as the half-burned Lord flung him back with flaming arms and the man fell, burnt and coughing. Zuko, stunned and feeling his heart tear, called to his uncle but his attention focused immediately on the dictator before him. His body burst into sudden flame as the fury began to overwhelm him. His voice shook in promise, not threat.
"I'll kill you..."
He roared and lost all control. The Fire Lord fell back into stance as he charged him, ruthless, unbound flame burning the skin along his body. The hell fires crept into his eyes as he pulled back his arm, aiming his mortal blow at the hated, revolting form of his father. The blue necklace on his arm glittered and the straps began to burn.