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The flight to the Fire Nation, specifically to the Caldera had begun to take its toll, and as Aang sat in the saddle with Toph, Samir, and Azula while Appa continued to dart through the sky silently, he felt weary. They had just entered the outskirts of the Fire Nation and after much travel, he was thankful that the trip was at its twilight; only another day's trip until they fully arrived.
Dusk was now beginning to set, and he could tell that everyone, himself included, was ready to make camp for the night. With Yue beginning to enter into his eyesight, he observed everyone. Toph was staring with unseeing eyes at the darkening sky around them, hair wildly billowing in all directions, Momo perched on her shoulder. Since they had departed from the Eastern Air Temple, he had been consumed with thoughts of Toph's apology; that, and his experience gazing upon the true beauty that Azula presented. Aang felt part of him yearn to forgive Toph, but he wasn't ready yet. He was wary of her and the others still, waiting for a betrayal once more; the Gaang might easily, inevitably leave again, abandoning him.
Azula was sitting next to him, and recently, she had begun to slouch against him. Aang did nothing to prohibit her actions, instead choosing to peak glances at her out of the corner of his eye often, mesmerized by the image that she presented wearing Air Nomad garbs. She was clearly tired but too stubborn to voice her weariness. Samir had fallen asleep and her head, shockingly, laid on Azula's leg without any protest.
"Are you ready to camp?" He asked quietly.
Azula nodded her head, pleasantly scratching Aang's shoulder. "Yes, I believe so," she hummed. "I'm surprised that Appa hasn't just landed. We've been flying nonstop since dawn with only a few small breaks for the body's needs."
"It has taken me by surprise," he admitted, staring at his animal companion, his best friend. "He's been great. I think that since I healed him, he's grown stronger."
"That makes sense, actually. He was touched by the Avatar and brought back from death itself. There were bound to be changes."
"Combine that with the Avatar State, and he's definitely been… enhanced. I remember healing all of his old injuries, making everything perfect in his body."
"That's quite amazing. Have you thought of healing your own body?"
He stared at her, "You mean my scars?"
"The ones I gave you, yes. Couldn't you heal those, heal yourself as you did Appa?"
"It's a lot easier to heal other people. Healing yourself, no matter how small the wound, taxes you of energy. I don't know why."
"Only Waterbenders can heal, correct?"
"Yes, but I noticed that when I entered the Avatar State in the Spirit World after facing Dark and your father, all of my wounds healed instantly. Mastering my chakras and fully connecting with Raava must have augmented my healing capabilities in the Avatar State."
"I wonder if mastering my chakras augmented my own healing capabilities, but it sounds as if it heals only current wounds, not previously sustained ones."
"That would be my guess since I still have my scars."
"And the only way we could determine if my healing capabilities were augmented is if I'm injured."
"Let's not discuss this any longer," he murmured. "The thought of you hurt isn't a pleasant one."
Azula looked pleased by his words. "Very well. A change of topic, then?"
"Please."
"My father has the remaining Dai Li at his command. He might even be proficient in earthbending by now."
"I'm aware."
"We need to warn the Northern Water Tribe of an impending attack and decipher the location of the Air Spirit."
"I'll send a letter to the North to warm Arnook once we reach the Caldera." Aang closed his eyes, amusement spreading through him. "I forgot to ask Pathik for any ideas about Indra because someone distracted me."
"Who, me?" Azula said innocently, golden eyes glinting at him.
"Yes, you," he suddenly felt bold and aggressive, the memory of her beauty invoking something inside him; he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I didn't mind how you distracted me."
She went very still for a moment, seeming shocked before suddenly looking up at him, staring into his eyes - gray vs golden! "I could distract you again. I'm sure that you wouldn't mind."
Aang swallowed thickly, imagining it. "You're right, I wouldn't be opposed to that," he tried to sound calm, but he knew based on the glow in her majestic eyes, that he wasn't successful.
"Good," her eyes roamed his face, a vulnerable expression crossing her features that only he could see. "You're the only person who I ever want to distract."
The words were soft, and they floated in the air. Aang's eyes widened and he stopped breathing. Was that an admission of affection? Perhaps, love? Feeling strengthened by her disclosure, he leaned his head against her own, closing his eyes. "You're the only person who I ever want to distract me."
"Ugh! What the fuck?" Toph suddenly and loudly yelled, her voice screeching against the flow of wind. "If I wasn't vomiting from being this high in the sky, I am now!" She turned towards them, pointing at them accusingly, "Just fuck already! You both clearly want to, and this tension that even I can feel needs to be – no, must be – released!" Toph finished her rant and huffed, glaring at them with milky, unseeing eyes.
He sprang back from Azula, putting space between them, feeling ashamed for some reason. Is that what he felt? Did he want her just because of her body, because of her beauty? No. No, he did love Azula; her body was a major plus, but before he had ever seen her nude, focused on her true beauty, he had felt that way. If anything, seeing her true beauty had enhanced his feelings to unsurpassed levels.
Azula seemed nonplussed by Toph's words and Aang's actions. "Thankfully, you chose to reprimand while Samir is sleeping, otherwise I might be offended and angered, but thank you for the suggestion, Toph. Perhaps, since you seem so keen to offer advice, I should offer my own. You yourself should get – oh, what did… Ty Lee always call it? That's right, laid. You yourself should get laid, Toph."
Toph blanched, face registering complete disgust. "You're insane. With Twinkletoes? No, thanks!" She laughed, somehow pointing at Aang even though she couldn't see at all – with her eyes or feet. "I'll leave all of that for you, Lightning Psycho. You seem to desire it."
Azula's eyes narrowed, "Whatever you seem to think that you're alluding to takes time."
"Just don't hand Twinkletoes off to me."
Aang frowned, feeling offended. "What's wrong with me?"
"I find Airbenders grating," her words were blunt, and the familiarity of it comforted Aang. "If I have to birth any, just kill me. Also, Earth and Air don't meet; there's a reason why the sky is separate from the ground."
"You're honest," he said with quiet amusement. "If it's any- "
Appa bellowed, the air screeching from his power and Aang whirled around.
"Stop it!" Samir's whiny voice reached his ears, but he didn't pay her any attention. Instead, he leaped onto Appa's head, eyes riveted on the balls of fire sailing towards them; they were far larger than the ones that he had dodged on his way through the Fire Nation's blockade when he was flying to Roku's Temple all of those years ago.
"Keep your head down," Azula said but he assumed that she spoke to Samir.
Aang gripped the reins, "Appa, are you ready?" In answer, Appa zoomed forward, roaring with strength.
Immediately, he knew that there were too many blazing toward them – it was Ba Sing Se all over again! He couldn't let that happen, he refused to! Last time, he had taken initiative too late, but not this time! He became one with the wind and jumped off of Appa's head, creating massive gusts of wind to deflect the incoming projectiles, blasting his own flames and lightning to obliterate the flaming boulders.
No matter how many he destroyed, just as many continued to appear in his vision, seeking to raze and destroy. Thinking quickly, he summoned tornadoes, sending them at the incoming projectiles.
"No!" Azula shouted and he spun around. She was shaking her head wildly, waving at him. "No! They will send them back at us!"
Aang understood and when he turned his head back, he panicked; she was right! The tornadoes had swallowed the fireballs but spit them back out to their source. He swung his arms around, forming a massive blade that swiped through all of the incoming, returned projectiles, and then lightning exploded from his fingertips, obliterating the remaining fireballs.
He narrowed his eyes, focusing through his airbending, but he didn't feel or see any other flaming boulders approaching. He quickly darted back onto Appa's head once assuring himself that it was safe. "It's all right, we're okay!" He called out, hopping into the saddle.
Toph was clenching the grips tightly; he was afraid that she would somehow rip it off, her grip was so tight. Her eyes were wide, and anxiety was slowly vacating her countenance, anger swiftly overwhelming her face.
Samir was as pale as the snow in the South Pole; she was clutched tightly to Azula's arm, eyes wide with fear. At the sight of her terrified expression, Aang felt immense guilt and remembrance; he could still remember when he had been met with the sight of what true war could beget, how cruel the winds of fate could be. Gyatso's skeleton had haunted him for a long time, and in some ways, he knew that he would never be able to purge that memory from his mind. Samir was much too young to be inflicted with the knowledge of the bloody conquest of war, of how death holds no favorites; it is uncaring for whom you care. She was too young to see him slaughter Kuei and company, but for whatever reason, she trusted him anyway, staring at him with wide, fear-filled eyes because she believed that he had all of the answers.
Aang wasn't sure if he deserved her trust.
Finally tearing his gaze from Samir, he looked at Azula, unsurprised to see that she was eerily calm, golden eyes assessing him and their surroundings, taking in everything.
Ozai.
"That must have been the Fire Sages," he said wearily, remembering the words from Zuko's letter, still feeling the vestiges of shock. "The Fire Sages are all Master Firebenders and only several Masters could accomplish a feat of that magnitude. Who else would try to harm us and be in a group with other Masters?"
"While that may be true, we can't eliminate any other possibilities." Azula pointed out; she didn't seem noticeably uncomfortable by how Samir's face had taken residence in her bosom, trying to hide from the world. "I will agree that it was probably them, or even more likely, my father. We both saw firsthand how powerful he has become in the Spirit World. And then there's Agni to worry about – it could have been him, too."
"Put us on the ground so I can smash 'em to bits!" Toph barked out, "They'll feel my wrath, trust me."
Aang ignored her for now. "I would reckon that it was Ozai and his followers, who include the Dai Li. Those were flaming boulders. Only an Earthbender could heave those up at us this high in the air, and even then, it would take a lot of them; the Dai Li fit the facts. Then there's Devi who, even easier, could have- " he stiffened as he felt the crackle of energy approach and saw Azula's eyes widen in front of him; her lips opened but Aang whirled around and dove off of Appa. He narrowly caught the bolt of lightning, enraged that someone – and from the strength of the lightning, how it nearly overwhelmed him, it was definitely Agni – tried to kill his best friend.
The lightning spasmed through his form and he raised his fingers, directing it into the heavens above but as he felt the lightning leave him, he was unable to do anything as a torrent of fire blazed towards Appa from the other side.
"Look out! APPA!" He cried out as the lightning finally fully left his body, trying to warn his friend, but he was too late as the wave of flames slammed into Appa's form, burning his friend and causing him to roar in pain, beginning to fall out of the sky – it was just like Ba Sing Se all over again! Feeling something twist inside him, Aang screamed in rage, dashing towards his best friend after making sure that no more attacks would appear.
"Fuck!" Toph cried out as she almost fell out of the saddle, Appa beginning to descend rapidly – too rapidly. "Twinkletoes, hurry!"
He tried to soothe him. "It's all right, bud, okay? I'll heal you. You're going to be fine," he was just mightily relieved that Appa hadn't been killed… just as last time.
"Is he all right? How bad is it?" Azula yelled out and Aang glanced upward for a moment, feeling his anger compress at the sight of Samir's wide and tear-welling gray eyes.
"It's not good, but thankfully, not as bad as Ba Sing Se," he yelled back in relief. Appa's side was scorched and burns littered the once-pristine white-colored fur; many cracks had appeared in Appa's side and blood was oozing out slowly.
"Twinkletoes, we need to land!" Toph exclaimed, gripping the saddle. "Then we can all rest while you heal Appa!"
"She's right, Aang!" Azula hollered, "Don't try anything while he's in the air. Just safely get us and Appa to the ground – not while falling out of the sky as we're currently doing!"
Aang didn't think that they had a choice. They were right: they did need to stop. He had to heal Appa before they could fly any further.
Appa blazed towards a thick forest and Aang quickly summoned small gusts of wind to ease the landing, using his airbending to slow Appa down; with a quick peek to look at his surroundings, Aang was grateful. His friend landed in a small clearing that was adjacent to a large lake with trees hiding them from any view. The area was almost like an enormous cave; the stone had been moved away and the rock created a perfect, inconspicuous, resting place.
Appa rumbled in pain and Aang immediately began healing him, drawing water from the lake, the blue glow highlighting his features with serious intent. He dimly noticed that Azula, Samir, and Toph hopped off Appa and begin to create a camp. For several minutes, he focused his water-coated hands on Appa's side and when he opened his eyes, all of the burns and cracks were healed. There were patches that had no fur and Aang knew that Appa would have to grow his fur back, but other than that, he had successfully saved his friend from serious infections and wounds.
"You're okay, bud," he brushed his fingers against Appa's forehead and then he turned around, witnessing the three girls around the fire. He stepped towards them and then froze; he could feel the wind currents around the trees in the forest change, shifting and swirling – it felt like animals hopping from tree-to-tree.
Aang looked into the forest, squinting his eyes, stretching his senses to see if it was an animal or something – someone – else.
"Shit!" Toph suddenly jumped up, staring down at the ground, whipping her head towards him. "It's the Dai Li; we're surrounded underneath!" Just as she finished, Aang saw the familiar forms of Dai Li agents jump off branches of trees and land before him, and even more agents popped out of the ground near the girls.
He clenched his fists, glaring at the dozens of agents that had somehow tracked them. "What do you want? Be warned: I will not hold back."
They didn't respond; as if an unspoken signal was given, all of the Dai Li attacked at once. Aang blocked and countered, arms blurring together as he smacked his attackers away; he felt and heard the flashes of fire behind him – the girls were holding them off.
"Unless you want the small girl to die painfully, you and Princess Azula must come with us peacefully." One of the Dai Li agents narrowly avoided Aang's boulder, "Be merciful, Avatar Aang."
"You speak of peace yet threaten a girl who I am fond of. What hypocrites you are!" He spun around, crouching low as his hands twirled together, and sprang forward. A colossal display of his power over airbending blasted into the Dai Li; they were all tossed into the forest, death more than likely claiming them.
Although he knew that he had mastered his chakras, accepting the truth that he had probably killed more than thousands of people and that killing was sometimes necessary, Aang was still surprised that he didn't feel the usual guilt that accompanied such an action.
Toph smashed a Dai Li agent into the lake and she stiffened. "It's the Loser Lord!"
Alarm spread through Aang at her words and then the echo of clapping hands reached his ears. At the sound, the Dai Li stopped attacking and everyone froze, turning towards the source.
Ozai stepped out of the shadows of the trees, hands falling to his sides, a triumphant gleam in his wicked golden eyes. "Bravo, Avatar," the self-declared Phoenix King stepped closer and all of the remaining Dai Li approached to stand by his side. Aang didn't try anything, wary of a potential ploy to force him and the others to drop their guards – and he was thankful that Azula, Toph, and Samir didn't do anything, too. "You are now truly a man instead of a child, a god above any in creation, but even gods must fall. And what falls is dead, which you soon will be. These Children of Earth belong to me and Vaatu, now – and so do many of your former disciples." Ozai's hand twitched and well over a dozen men stepped into the light; the Fire Sages stared back at Aang odiously. "Don't you see, Avatar? I am who is in charge here. I injured your Sky Bison and have thus tracked you here."
Aang clenched his fists, ignoring the Fire Sages and the air swarmed around him, reacting to his anger. "You are who burned Appa?"
"Of course. How else would I be able to track you? When I saw that Agni's lightning bolt distracted you, I unleashed my own fireblast into your precious Sky Bison."
"You will regret that," he promised, thinking furiously on how he could keep Azula, Samir, and Toph alive. He knew that Vaatu was somewhere close; he could feel him near, the sizzling against his own senses. Based on Ozai's own words, the corrupted Agni was close, as well, and that meant that the corrupted Devi was, too. Then there were the Dai Li and Fire Sages; this situation was poor, to say the least.
Ozai's eyes darted to Azula, "My daughter, you were given no choice, were you? Either spread your legs for the Avatar, or death. Did you forget the basic teachings? Death before dishonor!"
"I have forgotten nothing," she sounded calm, even bored but Aang saw that she was tense, moving Samir behind her. "I remember everything that you did to me, how you forced me to kill your enemies and almost my own brother. I have learned much since the Great War, more than you ever will. I have reached enlightenment."
Ozai bristled but then he held out his hand. "All can be forgiven, Azula, if you but kneel at my feet and join me. All of the power in the world will be yours; we will be together once again."
"No, father. You hold no power, only weakness and lunacy. I am free to make my own choices, now. I will never kneel before you again. My allegiance lies with the Avatar for he is the one with whom the power lies; he is beyond you!"
Ozai's face twisted into something dark, and his eyes burned like Sozin's Comet, each pulsing with power. "So be it; you were always a disappointment anyway, just as your brother was. I never loved you."
"I know."
Before Aang could even react, several things then happened all at once. The Dai Li and the Fire Sages all attacked him in a rush, and Vaatu appeared out of the forest and merged with Ozai, eyes blazing with the amount of power they had gained. Rock gloves hauled Aang's unprepared form to the ground, holding his arms back. The Fire Sages all shot fire at him but Aang used his mouth to blow out the flames, but he knew that he couldn't fend off the fire attacks for long.
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Azula held Samir behind her, feeling the girl tremble but she stared challengingly at her father, unimpressed with the shaking ground beneath his feet, how it cracked ominously. She spared a glance at Aang and while she was concerned that he would be overwhelmed, she knew that he would be okay. Toph stood next to her, crouched in preparation.
Her father stared at her, the glowing eyes of Vaatu hard to look at. "You will suffer for your transgressions with the pouring of your blood, whore. You will watch those for whom you care die by my hand!"
She glimpsed the fiery blast of fire explode from his fist towards them, but before she could bat it aside, a wall of earth rose, blocking the attack. Toph snarled next to her, "As Twinkletoes said, he's going to regret that." Azula watched with surprised eyes as Toph suddenly burst through the wall that she had erected. "You're going to have to do better than that, Loser Lord!"
"The blind girl," her father hissed and based on the callous expression on his face, Azula knew that sooner or later, she had to get Samir out of the area; she had heard stories of her father's… fondness for young girls.
"No, don't!" Azula cried out as Toph leaped toward her father; feet left the ground and her father grinned viciously. Somehow, her father knew that when Toph's feet were disconnected from the ground, she became vulnerable, weak.
A brilliant wave of fire was shot and Azula leaned to the side to immediately shoot her own blast to try to counteract her father's, but she knew that nothing good would happen.
"Toph!" Samir cried out and Azula felt the change in the air as a harsh, yet nothing-compared-to-Aang's-power breeze slammed into the two combined fire blasts, trimming off the potential for death, but it wasn't enough to snuff either out. The fire exploded into Toph and she went careening into the cave.
"Get in the cave! Go help her!" Azula hissed at Samir, pushing her along. "Make sure she's okay. If someone other than Aang or I come in there, scream your head off." Appa followed after Samir and Azula felt grateful.
"The tales of the blind one's grandeur were highly unfounded; that was simple," her father glared at her, deep disgust and hatred carved into his face. "You mustn't fret, whore. You are still special to me. That is why I will kill you last. Right before your death, you will watch as I slay the Avatar for whom you spread your legs. Then it will be mine; it will all be mine. No one will be anything but servants, slaves, and weapons who answer only to me."
Azula drew herself up, sapphire flames glowing in her palms. "I used to live in fear of you ever since I can remember, but now it is you who should fear me. This isn't the Spirit World where I am vulnerable; this is the Mortal Realm. I am fully-powered here."
"There is nothing to fear from you. I am always fully-powered, regardless!" Her father shot fire at her and Azula dashed forward, sidestepping the incoming blast, throwing her own fire towards him. "Now, whore, you will suffer for your betrayal."
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The Dai Li doubled their efforts to subdue him and Aang strained, trying to fight off their hold all while the Fire Sages continued to blast fireballs at him, stomping closer; he was beginning to feel the exhaustion – being limited to using his mouth to snuff out the flames was more than cumbersome. The good thing, though, was that the Dai Li were tiring, as well; he could see the sweat pouring down their foreheads. He didn't know how much longer he could keep up his defense.
"Momo," he called out, glimpsing his Winged-Lemur. "Help me!"
Momo squawked and then landed on one of the Dai Li agent's shoulders and sunk his teeth into the man's ear and then to Aang's shock, tore it off. The Dai Li stumbled back in a cry of pain and punched Momo off of his shoulder.
Aang's eyes grew wide with anger; he raised his head high and then smashed it into the ground, ignoring the ache it caused. The earth shook and a pillar of stone rose to his right, catching several Dai Li and Fire Sages by surprise.
He broke free and twirled his body around, gusts of wind lashing out and keeping any projectiles from connecting as he landed on his feet. Aang then shot fire at them all, spinning out of the way from more rock gloves and the Fire Sages returned fire. Aang drew water from the lake and it twisted around his body and he drew it into a whip, slashing at the Fire Sages who went flying back, landing in a heap of limbs.
Rising into the air, he roared, causing a large orb of air to explode from his body, sweeping away all of the rock gloves. Glaring down at the Dai Li, Aang dove back down into the ground and a massive shockwave of both air and fire leveled the Dai Li and the recovered Fire Sages, smashing them into one another, injuring several.
Several of the Dai Li shoved the Fire Sages away to get back to their feet, tossing them near the lake in a wave of earth; they all glared at him heatedly. In response, Aang swept his arms behind him and the air howled, following his movements; then he swung his arms together, clapping his hands. A mighty rupture of air exploded from the contact and slammed into the Dai Li, and they all released throaty whimpers, exhales of breath. Aang felt sorrow as he watched them all crumble to the ground, clawing at their chests; his attack had crushed their lungs.
Fire blazed behind him and he narrowly jumped out of the way as the Fire Sages convened, fire ghosting over their fingers.
His gray eyes connected with the dozen firebending Masters. "Why do you betray me? I don't understand! You choose to betray your ideals all for him?" Below the surface, Aang could feel anger beyond his own; all of the Fire Avatars felt just as furious as he did.
"We will become loyal to the new Avatar, the true Avatar!" The foremost Fire Sage shouted, "Once Phoenix King Ozai and the mighty Vaatu are fully, forever fused together, a new era will arise!"
"Have I failed you that much? An era of evil is what will arise!" Aang cried out in outrage and disbelief. "Vaatu has turned your hearts, you fools! I can do nothing to help you if you don't let me."
"Help us? Vaatu gifted us with truth, unlike you! The only way you will help us is to die, Avatar Aang. Your existence has become redundant since the mighty Vaatu's awakening. He will herald this world beyond anything that you or your past lives ever did!"
Aang recognized the truth in their words and the sad conclusion was cemented in his mind; they were too far gone. "You have forsaken your titles, everything that had made you my followers to follow the one who seeks my destruction. You may believe that history will remember you fondly, but I guarantee that all you will be remembered as are traitors."
"No, it is you who will be remembered as a traitor, Avatar Aang!"
The Fire Sages all leaped forward, fire blazing from their fists in an attempt to destroy him.
Aang defended himself with a shield of magnificent fire, gritting his teeth as he felt the Sages' flames slam into his shield. Within moments, he suddenly vanished into the ground and reappeared behind the Fire Sages. "That's enough," he called out. "You have left me no choice."
The Fire Sages all whirled towards him, breathing deeply, and then they unleashed everything that they could summon to destroy him.
He didn't do anything as the flames blazed at him, but when he glimpsed the victorious shine in their golden eyes, he caught the flames and rotated them around his body; he added his own flames until a massive globe of pure fire spun around his body, the heat all-encompassing. Aang looked at the Fire Sages and while he felt his resolve weaken when their golden eyes were terrified, he remembered the truth; he condensed the massive globe of fire until it fit into his hands and then he shoved his arms outward.
The fire that rivaled the flames that he had summoned under Sozin's Comet roared towards the Fire Sages, and he watched solemnly as they couldn't do anything; the flames turned their bodies to ash instantly, the ground surrounding them smoking.
"You will regret your treachery, whore!" The merged Vaatu and Ozai bellowed and the earth shook around Aang; he looked at them, going to help. "You will learn the true lessons that I bestow!"
Aang felt lightning crackle in his hands and just as he was about to unleash it into the unsuspecting Ozai, the ground disappeared from beneath his feet and he fell into a hole. The lightning erupted from his fingers and stone and dirt and soil exploded into his face, the sound ringing in his ears painfully. After gathering his bearings, he blasted out of the hole and landed next to it; a flash of fire suddenly landed in front of him and a boulder slammed into his back.
It was only his airbending reflexes that saved him from having his face scorched; he righted himself and spun around, unsurprised to see both corrupted forms of Agni and Devi staring at him disdainfully. Aang glanced quickly towards Azula and was relieved that she seemed to be admirably holding her own against her father, but it was noticeable that the merged Ozai and Vaatu was leading the fight.
"We meet again, Avatar, but this time, the outcome will be different." Agni's two heads stared at him, eyes glowing deep and dark purple. "Our father will become the new Avatar."
"And your mother?" Aang challenged, subtly twisting into a bending stance. "What about Raava?"
"She no longer matters," Devi responded while Agni dove forward. Aang immediately grabbed water from the lake and slashed Agni, but the water evaporated on contact with his flames. He gasped as his feet became trapped by the earth, Devi nowhere to be seen.
"Stop this!" He cried out, "Let me help you, both of you!"
"You will be the one who soon needs help, Avatar!" Agni roared and Aang's eyes almost slammed shut at the terrible brightness. Through dim eyes, he saw Agni rear back and then opened both of his mouths; sun-like fire spewed from lips and Aang used his own air and fire to narrowly keep himself from being scorched to the bone – the earth wasn't responding to him! The heat was unbearable and Aang grit his teeth, feeling his skin begin to blister – and it was too much!
He began to be overwhelmed and just when he could no longer hold on, Devi appeared out of the earth and grabbed his arms. "Father will reward me greatly for your death, Avatar! Feel the strength of my essence!" Aang staggered as both Agni and Devi tried to destroy him and after a moment, he felt the energy of the Avatar State begin to fill him. "Thank you for your cooperation in securing your permanent death, Avatar! With you dying in the Avatar State, father will never need to worry about you again!"
All of the power swiftly failed him at Devi's words and Aang understood: Vaatu had revealed the truth of the Avatar's immortality. "I'm not dying yet!" He screamed and the water in the lake exploded, rushing towards him in a roaring tsunami. The ample amount of water smashed into Agni, who stumbled back, his flames flickering and Aang blew through his mouth, sending the unsuspecting Fire Spirit back even further.
"No!" Devi screeched and Aang breathed fire into her earth-face until she let go of his arms. He then levitated into the air, recognizing that his advantage was from air and water; he couldn't use their elements at them. Aang shot water tendrils at Agni, but they weren't effective, and when he shot air at Devi, it didn't work either.
Agni darted up into the air, torrents of flames exploding out of his fire-limbs and Aang swiftly twirled away, tornadoes of air forming in his wake. He grunted when Devi threw a boulder at him and it almost caused him to fall, but he remained mobile.
How was he to defeat them?
"Come, Avatar, make our job easier." Agni dashed at him; his two heads were pinched with malignant intent. Aang rocketed towards the Fire Spirit, finally believing that he had a way to defeat them: divide and conquer.
He gathered as much as he could and then he directed all of it at Agni, and the hurricane-force gale smashed into the Fire Spirit, causing him to scream in pain as his flames thrashed ominously and some were almost snuffed out. Aang didn't let up; he screamed, and the air condensed into his palm, and then he unleashed a vortex into Agni. The Fire Spirit fell from the sky with a bellow of agony and crashed into the ground; he didn't get up.
Aang looked down at Devi and remembered how effective his lightning strike had been in the Spirit World; the lightning sparked across his fingers and he saw her purple orbs widen before he shot the attack at her. She vanished into the earth and the lightning exploded into the earth, but Devi was gone. Suddenly, he felt the energy surge behind him but was unable to defend himself against the beam of spirit energy.
The darkness of the energy was intense and utterly painful, and he fell from heavens, glimpsing Vaatu's floating form dashing back into Ozai before he hit the ground hard. Immediately, before he could stand, the earth swallowed him whole and no light existed. Devi was everywhere, her screeching cackle unholy to his ears and Aang struggled mightily, curling his fingers into the soil, but it wouldn't respond. Devi was the Earth Spirit and Aang, for all of his power without the Avatar State, couldn't win against the Earth itself.
He was trapped and while he could draw the water out of the soil, he knew that wouldn't do anything except perhaps make Devi angrier. There was hardly any air in the earth, and he couldn't create any because Devi wouldn't allow him to try earthbending; only firebending was left. Aang breathed harshly, drawing his inner flame and opened his lips as Agni had done earlier. The fire spewed in torrents and the soil and dirt blackened. Devi shrieked but Aang continued and then he channeled lightning through his curled hands, scorching lines of power sizzling through the earth like a careless butcher.
Devi roared in pain and the earth around him loosened; he wrenched his arms outward and exploded out of the prison, leaving a crater in the ground. Aang floated in the air, disconnecting himself from the earth and stared at Devi as she formed out of the remnants of his prison. Her purple-infected eyes were livid, and her green-colored lips were pulled back in a heavy snarl.
"It always ends in a fight," he murmured and saw no other option: he fired more lightning at her, destroying all of the boulders that she threw at him. He then saw the realization in her expression as she leaped at the still-fallen Agni; she opened a hole in the ground before Aang could stop her and they both disappeared.
He cursed silently and landed on the ground, the vibrations of the fight between Azula and Ozai – Azula!
Aang whirled around and saw Azula slammed in the stomach by a large rock, falling to the ground in a heap; she quickly, but unsteadily climbed back to her feet.
The merged form of Ozai and Vaatu's arms wound in a very familiar motion. "I lied earlier, whore; your death is upon you, now!"
Terribly panic swept through him and Aang dashed forward, using his airbending, flying faster than he had ever thought possible; the wind cut into his face painfully as he tried to desperately stop Ozai and save Azula, but he knew the truth.
He was going to be too late to stop it.
Before his sudden tear-filled eyes, a massive bolt of lightning struck Azula in the chest, spasming through her body. Her beautiful golden eyes were wracked with pain and expiry as she went flying into the cave with a large thud.
"NO!" Samir screamed from inside the cave and then all was silent.
Aang stared at the spot where Azula was without comprehending it, but when he finally did, he slowly turned to Ozai, and when he glimpsed the small smile across the man's lips, something inside him broke.
A swift and terrible rage flooded through his body, the likes of which he had only experienced two other times: when Appa had been taken from him. He noticed that he began to shake and felt the bitter tears spill down his face in globs of misery. Images flowed through his mind in a blur, memories of Azula, the one woman who he loved, the woman who he wanted to be his wife, his Mother of the Air Nomads. And now she was gone.
His fists clenched painfully, his nails drawing blood, but he didn't care. There was only one thing that he now cared about: avenging Azula. Aang dimly noticed that the ground through the entire forest began to shake, that the water in the lake began to lurch and sway, cowering before Aang's rage. He felt the power of the Avatar State sweep through him and he hated himself even more; he could have saved Azula if he had acted swiftly and mercilessly.
Ozai's smile faded and Aang's eyes glowed pure white with fathomless power. "OZAI!" The Avatar roared and blurred forward, smashing into his enemy with enough force to break bones. They flew into the forest and he held Ozai's shaking form down, trees breaking from their bodies, but it wasn't enough! No, the Avatar was enraged; he wanted to watch the subtle change in Ozai's eyes as life was extinguished, watch as Vaatu was put back into the Tree of Time or even thrown into the Void of Eternity. They would suffer; they would know true pain! The mercy that he had shown Ozai less than a decade ago was a terrible mistake, one above any other – it was a shame above all shames! The mistake would soon be rectified and Azula would be avenged!
"Avatar!" Ozai screamed and fire burst through his lips but the Avatar blew it out with airbending, snapping Ozai's head back from the force. He gripped Ozai's neck tightly, his glowing white arrows a beacon to his eyes as he smashed his other fist into Vaatu's vessel; blood splattered his face, but it wasn't enough! The Avatar released Ozai, watching as the monster tumbled to the ground, viciously colliding with the protruding boulders until he stopped, blood pooling out of several wounds.
Bursting with primordial power, the Avatar glared down at Ozai, tears streaming out of his white orbs. "You killed her; you will suffer, Ozai, son of Azulon, vessel of Vaatu. Both of you will suffer!" The Avatar slashed his arm downward and the air followed his movements, howling with vicious intent, slicing Ozai's arm off.
Ozai screamed in agony, a mixture of spittle and blood exploding from his lips and blood pooled beneath the Avatar as he stepped closer, prepared to teleport them all to the Spirit World.
"Yes, I did!" The man stumbled to his feet, blood dripping from his decapitated shoulder and he brought his flaming hand to it, cauterizing the wound. Ozai shook his head like a rabid beast, screams of pain echoing as he glared back at the Avatar. "She was a traitor! She was a whore - your whore! I would do it- " he was cut off as the Avatar clenched his fist. A sphere of air wrapped around Ozai's mouth and he fell to his knees, bloodied skin stretched thin as he desperately tried to breathe. Firebenders relied on their breath for producing their flame and now, Ozai couldn't even summon a spark to defend himself.
"AANG!" Toph screamed from behind him and the Avatar spun around, still keeping Ozai in the hold. "She's still alive – Azula's alive! Her heart is still beating! You can heal her!"
"Watch him!" The Avatar State left and Aang returned, releasing Ozai – who promptly gasped for much-needed air. "Make sure that Ozai and Vaatu don't escape. Use force and do whatever you must; I need them both! Thank you, Toph," he blurred away, blazing through the forest back to the cave in mere moments.
When he arrived, Azula was still breathing but it was slow and pitiful, on the verge of expiring; tears welled in Aang's gray eyes as he realized that she still lived – she was alive!
"No," Samir loomed over Azula's body, sobbing violently. "Wake up, mommy, please!" Despair was carved into her face as thick tears spilled down her face and Aang gently pulled her into his arms, placing her near Appa and Momo.
"It's going to be okay, all right? Azula will be fine, Samir. I'm going to heal her." His words had no effect on Samir's hysterical form, so he placed his thumb on her shaking and sweaty forehead, inducing slumber to befall her. "I'm sorry, but I can't be distracted. Keep watch, guys," he whispered frantically to Appa and Momo and returned to Azula.
Aang looked down at the wound; it was bad, very bad. It was a miracle that Azula was still even alive and he reckoned that mastering her chakras had augmented her healing capabilities as they had been discussing earlier. The lightning had nicked her heart and ravaged through her body; she would bleed out if he didn't immediately heal the gash and her wounds.
He focused and knelt beside her, drawing her into his lap, his hands covered with glowing water. He focused on the veins, capillaries, and then the heart chambers; he healed the burns of the lightning as best as he could, but she would have two deep scars as he himself did, entry and exit – maybe they would heal in time. Azula's face was pale, showing intense pain in slumber and he encouraged her blood to slow down and stay in her nicked heart as he slowly healed it.
After much effort, Azula finally became stabilized and Aang's head sunk, his hands softly stroking her hair, grief beginning to hit him at once. He had almost lost her, and he hadn't told her the truth about the depths of his love! Ozai almost took her from him!
"AANG!" Toph appeared in the cave and dread filled him when he glimpsed the burns on her face and the deeply-singed clothing. And what was worst, she was alone; she didn't have Ozai with her.
The knowledge of that news filled him with alarm, with panic. "Where is he? What happened?" His breathing became heavy and rapid; Ozai was still out there, still able to harm the ones for whom he cared, still harm Azula, even Samir!
"After you left, I had the Loser Lord detained in the earth but then he began to shake. It felt weird; then intense energy blanketed over me and I was blasted back by some beam of sorts, which I think belonged to you-know-who. That fuckin' thing hurt more than anything I've felt." Toph swallowed as she sat across from him, failure and shame on her face. "The next thing I know, Ozai disappeared, his arm included."
"Dark's beam burned you?"
"No, these are from when the Loser Lord hit me earlier. Thanks to Samir and… Azula, I wasn't killed."
"Sorry, I didn't notice earlier," he gestured for her to sit next to him. "Here, let me heal you." She slowly moved closer and Aang, while keeping Azula unconscious body safe in his lap, drew water back onto his hands; he began to heal the burns across her body. "I can't do anything for your clothes."
"That doesn't matter. …I'm sorry that I failed you, that I couldn't help. How could I have been so foolish?"
"Next time you'll know better."
"You think that there will be a next time?"
"Absolutely. We will all be ready for it. This was an ambush, plain and simple."
"What do you want to do? How's… Azula?"
"While I healed what I could, she's still in critical condition."
"Could she still die?"
"If she does, I won't let her."
Toph smiled sadly, "Having the Avatar love you has its perks, I see. Was it lightning? Was that what the Loser Lord struck her with? I woke up to Samir screaming and after regaining my bearings, I felt Azula's barely-alive body, raw energy spiking through. That's why she is still in critical conditions, isn't it? Because of the lightning?"
"Yes. Lightning injuries are immensely complicated."
"You know that better than most."
"Yes," he finally pulled his hands away. "You're all healed."
"Thank you, Aang."
He glanced at Samir's still-asleep form on Appa's tail. "You're welcome. I don't want to stay here but I'm afraid to move Azula, so I'll need to stay here with her. I need protection in case Ozai and Dark and any other comes to attack with us grounded, so Samir, Appa, Momo will stay with me here as I watch her."
"What about me? Where will I go?"
"To the Fire Nation, to the Caldera to inform Zuko and the others what has transpired."
"Wouldn't it be safer for Samir if she comes with me?"
"Who can defend her better, you or me? With whom is her best chance of surviving an attack?"
"Good point. Anything else?"
Aang felt the panic and anger inside him and it coalesced into his words. "I want them here, all of them. I don't care if Zuko can't leave the Palace of if the Noble Houses are paranoid; tell him to name a regent. I want all of them here, with me and Azula. Ozai knows our location and could bring reinforcements at any time."
"It's over a day's journey and Appa is staying here with you."
"Then you must act swiftly, Toph."
Toph stood up, face pulled in a tight grimace. "Okay," she sighed. "I'm sorry that I wasn't much of an ally during the fight, Aang. I acted like a rash fool."
"We all learn from our mistakes. I know that I've definitely learned from mine where it concerns Ozai."
She didn't respond but smiled sadly and then inhaled deeply, dashing out of the cave, creating giant feet of earth so that she could run faster. The sounds of her departure diminished in the darkness of night, and all was silent.
The weight of Azula in his lap was heavier than the heavens themselves; he had failed her, but never again. The image of the lightning striking her chest, the spasms of energy arching through her body flooded his mind and more tears welled in his eyes. How close he had been to losing her, but he now had a second chance, and no longer would he indulge in his Airbender tendencies; never again with her.
He picked Azula up gently and laid her next to Samir on Appa's tail. "I'll be back. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Aang began to create a fire inside the cave, wary of being out in the open in case of another attack. He needed to make sure that nobody found them, save Toph and the rest of the Gaang because right now, everyone was the enemy; he was willing to take no chances. "Watch them," he ordered and Appa grumbled in compliance and Momo chirped solemnly.
Aang stepped out of the cave and noticed with a growing anger that the bodies of all the Dai Li and Fire Sages were gone - Just like Ozai and Vaatu! Just like his people! Just like Azula almost had been! Night had fallen and Yue shined brightly down on him; he stared up at her and she was grim.
"Hello, Avatar Aang. I am sorry for the actions that you witnessed."
"You had nothing to do with it, Moon Spirit," he tried to smile but he knew that it was much more of a grimace. "Did you see what happened, where Ozai and Vaatu went?"
"No. Vaatu is much more powerful than I am; my strength is frail in comparison. Forgive me, but I cannot help you, Avatar Aang."
He nodded sadly, "There's nothing to forgive, Yue," he sighed and looked away, focusing back on his task; he used his earthbending to make a small trench that created a path for water to run into the cave. Then, Aang raised his arms and walls of strong stone rose from the ground, rising until it was all tall as the trees, sealing the cave shut. He lastly created a roof with small cracks, letting the smoke from the fire out into the open, not wanting him or the others to suffocate in the cave.
"AANG!" Samir's voice screamed, "Aang, help! It's mommy!"
A primal fear swept through him and Aang burst into the cave, smashing through the wall that he had just created, unconcerned for anything and anyone save for Azula and Samir.
Azula's body was shaking and he realized that she was having a seizure.
He swiftly pulled water out of the small trench and jumped in front of Samir, blocking her from the traumatic sight. "She's going to be okay Samir, okay? I'll make sure of it, I swear." When the girl tearfully nodded, Aang turned around and kneeled, placing his water-coated hands on to Azula's chest, where the lightning had struck her; it was a heart attack.
"Please help her," she whispered and fell back against Appa, crying softly.
Aang wanted to ease her emotional distress but he needed to focus on Azula; he began to relieve the heart's electrical currents until it became normal; he noticed that her breathing was abnormal, so he journeyed deep into Azula's lungs, healing the deep scarring inside that he had missed the first time. She stabilized once more and he then worked on the scar on her chest and back, where the lightning exited her body, cooling the inflamed areas.
After he finished healing, he leaned back against Appa in exhaustion, Samir next to him; the girl had been quiet the entire time, much too quiet – especially for such a hyper and curious child.
"Are you all right?" He asked, wincing as the words left his lips, regretting it; she was definitely not all right. After a moment, Samir shook her head, brown hair tumbling over her face, hiding her tears. Aang pulled her closer and rubbed his hand down her tense back. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, "that you had to witness all of this. I failed you both, didn't I?"
Samir sniffed into his chest but didn't say anything for several minutes. He continued to rub circles into her back and eventually, the girl spoke. "First, it wa- was Toph and then- then mo- …what if… she di- dies?"
Aang closed his eyes slowly, feeling his true age more than ever. "You were in the cave with Toph, weren't you? You don't need to worry, Samir. Toph is okay and Azula will be fine; she is strong, the strongest person who I know. She is not going to die, I promise."
"But what if she does? What if I can't… can't tell her?"
"Even if she does, which she's not, I would travel to the Gardens of the Dead and bring her back. I refuse to let her die," he squeezed her tighter, hoping to comfort her as much as he could. "What are you afraid that you won't be able to tell Azula? You can tell me, okay? What is it?" He asked gently, not wanting to push the girl too hard, but he needed to know the answer if he was going to help her.
Samir swallowed against his chest. "That she's my mommy," the words were barely audible, but he heard them and felt overwhelmed by the context behind them.
"I swear to you on the Four Nations that you will be able to tell her, Samir. You have a family now, and nobody will ever take that from you."
"Really?" Samir looked up at him, her swollen gray eyes filled with more tears from behind the strands of hair. "I have a real family, now?"
Aang gently brushed the hair out of her face. "Yes, you do. In fact, to be honest, I kind of see you as my own daughter. You remind me of myself when I was your age and you even look like me – and you even remind me somewhat of Azula."
Samir sniffed and looked completely awestruck and overwhelmed before she ducked her head back down to his chest. "Really? You won't… leave… me?"
A surge of protectiveness gripped him, and he squeezed her more firmly. "Not if I can help it, Samir. I'll be here for you whenever you need me."
He felt tears soak through his doublet. "Can I call you daddy?" Her voice was muffled but he heard her clearly thanks to his airbending.
Aang blinked and he could have sworn he saw Gyatso appear on the other side of the fire for a moment. "If you want to; it's your decision, Samir," he smiled and pulled her in tighter.
Samir pulled back after a moment and her gray eyes snared his own. "Okay… daddy!" She threw her tiny arms up around his neck and hugged him tightly, squeezing as tightly as she could. Aang laughed and hugged her back as she chanted 'daddy' over and over again, pressing sloppy kisses to his cheek; she then nestled her face into his neck, exhaustion poisoning her limbs. "Mommy said that you would like to be my daddy."
He quickly recovered from his shock. "Did she? When?"
"At the Temple, daddy. I asked her and she said that you would be happy."
"Samir, I am happy," he whispered, gently rubbing soothing circles into her back, and continued to hold her as her breathing evened out, sleep claiming her; Aang didn't need to force it this time. Appa growled and Aang looked at his best friend. "Yeah, I know… It does feel good to be part of a family again," he placed the sleeping Samir on Appa's tail and checked on Azula; she was still stabilized, and he laid himself between the two girls, vowing to protect them. Momo curled up on his head and Aang knew that he wasn't going to sleep until Toph returned with the others, but for the first time since his awakening, part of him felt content; Azula would be okay and he would tell her how much he loved her and Samir adored him.
While the situation was more than dire, he knew that it would end in balance being restored, as it was supposed to.
XxXxXxXxXxX
The Royal Gardens were peaceful and Zuko felt it in the air; they all enjoyed the distance from the Palace, however small it may be. Turtle Ducks squawked in the pond and he could hear brief glimpses of his mother and Katara's conversation as they dropped small chunks of bread into the wall, an occasional laugh escaping either's lips.
"You know, nephew," his uncle nudged his elbow against his own and winked at him from where they sat behind the women, leaning against the large tree in the shade. "Lady Katara would make an excellent Fire Lady, methinks."
Zuko failed to suppress a low groan. "For the last time, uncle, I am not ready for marriage. If I were, I would have been married by now. The Nobles have been throwing their daughters and sisters at me as if I were a ravenous Dragon. It's ridiculous and tiresome, so would you please refrain from speaking of the subject."
"I'm getting older," his uncle sighed dramatically. "You shouldn't condemn an old man for desiring grandnephews and grandnieces."
"Grandchildren," he corrected quietly. "If or when I have kids, you will be their grandfather."
His uncle blinked; pure shock was expressed in his golden eyes. "But what about your… father, Zuko? I am only- "
Zuko placed a hand on his uncle's shoulder, squeezing not unkindly. "Ozai lost that privilege and title when he gave me this," he gestured towards his scar. "It may have taken me a long time to see it, but it's true, nonetheless. Whilst he may have sired me, you have been my father; you were there for me when no one else was."
His uncle nodded his head silently and tears began to drip down his cheeks and before Zuko could react, he was yanked into a fierce hug; he gripped his uncle back, silently thanking him for everything.
"I may have lost Lu Ten, but I've always had another son," his uncle whispered. "You have always been close to my heart; your children will be, too."
Zuko felt tears drip onto his shoulder and begin to soak through; he was unashamed to admit that his one good eye slowly began to well with tears as the echo of his uncle's words spread through him, the realization that he had had a good life.
When he was younger, he had had a loving mother, uncle, cousin, sister before Ozai corrupted her, grandfather, and there was always food to satisfy his hunger. He was Prince of a royal and ancient family, an heir to Sozin's legacy and power; he was borne a male instead of female and had all of the perks that went with it. Most of that had been taken away during his banishment, and Zuko had bellowed towards the heavens many times, cursing the spirits because he was certain that they all hated him more than anyone alive.
But how wrong he was!
Now, as a learned adult and man, he was tremendously grateful that he was banished by his father, scar and all. Because of the journey, he had been forced to mature and realize many things about the world, about himself, and about his father; the Fire Nation wasn't spreading glory to the other nations but death itself with fire and weapons of war as its tools.
For over three years, he had had a loyal crew, a good crew who were loyal to him in spite of his hostility and vicious treatment towards them. During those times, his uncle, just as he had always been, was wise beyond Wan Shi Tong himself, showing a patience that he knew was obvious to the crew and everyone who they encountered. All of the things that he had experienced shaped him into the man who he would become, the boy who exiled himself from the Fire Nation by personal choice, prepared for death at the hands of the Avatar and company.
The peasant families through the entire Four Nations had it much worse than he ever had. Zuko was of the Fire Royal Bloodline, the line of Sozin and Kai with riches beyond imagination in his personal coffers as only a child; he had even eventually been the Crowned Prince to the Dragon's Throne.
He might have been abused by Ozai frequently, but he was pampered during his childhood, beloved by his mother, uncle, sister somewhat, cousin, and even grandfather; servants and guards stumbled to fulfill his every request.
It had taken him a long time to realize that and when Ozai had announced that he and Uncle Iroh were titled only as traitors, forever to be hunted by those who they called kin, Zuko had hated his life. How could the spirits inflict such misery on him? How could they continuously tear him down, taking so much from him?
Eventually, after much struggle and distress, he had adapted to the change in his lifestyle and began to thrive in his new social status in Ba Sing Se. Zuko had finally felt content there, where he and Uncle Iroh were together and forging a name for themselves across the rings in the city as the ultimate tea-makers.
Then Azula revealed herself and everything changed.
When faced with the choice, Zuko had chosen his sister, trusted her words about their father over his uncle, the man who had always been more of a father to him than Ozai had ever been. He had helped Azula tear down the walls of Ba Sing Se, killing all of the guards who tried to rebel against them, aiding intrinsically in the conquer of Ba Sing Se, the last holdout in the Earth Kingdom.
And what was the worst, Zuko had helped slay Aang, his now-greatest friend; he had been part of the potential death of an Avatar, a crime punishable by death across the Four Nations. And for his efforts, he was given everything that he had ever wanted; he was hailed a hero by his people, praised by his father, but he hadn't felt like a hero. For all of the glory he had received, Zuko had felt nothing but a villain, the monster who parents tell their children about at night.
Zuko struggled immensely with his guilt and regret, his paranoia that the Avatar was still alive and would smite him down if given the chance. He had to glimpse the true feelings in his heart and soul, finally choose what path he would walk: the road of Sozin, or the road of Roku. He had resisted the decision until finally, he had chosen his own path, accepting the fact that he could make his own destiny, that nobody could take his honor away except himself – and remaining in the Fire Nation would have been dishonorable.
He had followed the Avatar's group and while it took extremely hard work, Zuko eventually painstakingly earned the Gaang, and almost more importantly Katara's trust. They became the first friends who he had ever had in life, and for the first time since his mother was in his life, save for his short stay in Ba Sing Se with Uncle Iroh, he had been happy; they were all together on Ember Island and he had enjoyed it so much, but all good things inexorably come to again – it was something that he had learned too often.
Sozin's Comet had then arrived.
Against all of the odds, they had won, and his father had been vanquished by Aang, his very firebending snuffed out. The Agni Kai between Zuko and his sister had been particularly traumatic, but after her defeat, and after making sure that Ozai was imprisoned, he had personally mandated that Azula was to be treated by the best physicians who Zuko could find. He had ascended to the calling of Fire Lord and sat proudly on the Dragon's Throne, one of the youngest ever at 16-years-old.
He had mistakenly been opportunistic, idealistic after the Great War, foolishly believing that things would continue to get better in his life, but then the Gaang, save for Aang himself, left the Caldera with hardly a goodbye. For a year, he had had Aang and he had bonded with him greatly but then his friend had to leave because the Avatar belonged to no one, only the world. With his uncle gone in Ba Sing Se and Azula sometimes not even aware of his visits to her cell, he had been more alone than ever – and with the weight of the mantle of Fire Lord. That first day when Aang had departed, the first time in over a year when he wasn't able to talk to his best friend, Zuko had ordered concubines be brought to his quarters to ease his loneliness. He had sworn that he would never be his father, but the temptations to lose himself in the flesh of the women was much too great.
It became a vicious cycle.
For years, he bedded countless whores to relieve his pain, losing himself in the feel of a woman's soft body. On the crippling days when he felt sometimes like freeing Azula just so that she would act more lively, he had indulged multiple times, and because of that, Zuko knew that if it wasn't for the special blend of herbs that prevented the women from conceiving children – unless, of course, if their Master wished otherwise – he would have many bastard children, possibly creating a dynastic succession crisis if he never sired a legitimate son or daughter who were Firebenders.
It continued until he had found his mother; only then, had he begun to cut back on his urges. Zuko still bedded whores but it was nowhere near the usual three or more a day that he had been used to, and now, since Katara had re-entered his life, he had found himself unable to indulge in his former habit.
"My liege!" A servant suddenly called out, gliding into the Royal Garden, bowing before him. "My liege, the Lady Toph has arrived; she is in the medical wing of the Palace and she claims that she possesses urgent news that you must hear, news from Avatar Aang himself."
Katara whirled around, eyes wide. "She's hurt? What happened?"
"Not exactly, Lady Katara. I am no Doctor but if I had to venture a guess, I would say that she was exhausted. Her clothes were burned slightly, but other than that, nothing seemed wrong to me."
"Bring us to her," he ordered, standing to his feet, the rest following his lead. "Act swiftly."
"Of course, my liege," the servant bowed and led them to the medical wing.
When they all arrived, Zuko saw that Toph was lying in one of the beds, face dark red; her clothes, indeed, were singed and her hair was plastered to her sweaty face, exhaustion carved into her features. He couldn't remember a time when she had ever looked so tired; she didn't look good.
"Toph!" Katara cried out in horror and rushed to her side. "How did this happen?" She drew water from her pouch and placed water-coated hands on Toph's chest.
A weak chuckle escaped past Toph's lips. "I'm what happened, Sugar Queen."
Zuko finally stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on Toph's shoulder, mindful of Katara's movements. "Where are the others, my sister and Aang? What truly happened?"
"We heard what happened," both Sokka and Suki burst into the room, eyes wild and concerned. "Toph, are you okay?"
Toph waved weakly, ignoring Katara's command to keep still. "Hey, Snoozles," she closed her eyes and her features contorted into a mixture of pain and sadness. "To answer your questions, Sparky, your Loser Lord dad, the Elemental Spirits of Earth and Fire, the Fire Sages, and the Dai Li are all what truly happened."
Dread swept through him and Zuko tried to control his breathing, but he felt the blood drain from his face; he tried to speak but couldn't find the words.
His uncle did, "Are Avatar Aang and my niece… dead?"
"No, they're not," the words reached him, and they calmed him substantially. "Don't feel so happy because while she's still alive, she might still die."
"Azula?" His mother gasped out, tears welling in her eyes. "What happened? What is it?"
Toph looked uncomfortable, "The Loser Lord tried to kill her, unleashing a lightning bolt into her chest. She shouldn't be alive, but she is; she's beyond tough, I'll give her that."
Zuko closed his eyes, his fists clenching and the candles in the room blazed. "I'm going to kill him, that fucking waste of human flesh!"
"My son, not now, please," his mother whispered, placing a shaking hand on his shoulder. "This isn't the time."
He slowly calmed himself, but he knew that he could still burst into a furious rage at any moment. "What else happened, Toph? Is Aang okay?"
"Twinkletoes is fine, physically; he went on a rampage after he thought that your dad killed Azula. He pounded into him, and somehow sliced his arm off." Zuko's eyes widened and he saw that Katara froze from her position healing Toph.
"Aang did that?" Sokka leaned forward, incredulity written on his face. "Are we talking about the same Aang? Avatar Aang, Master of the Four Elements?"
"Yes, Snoozles!" Toph snapped, "He did exactly that!"
"He did kill Kuei, Sokka," he reminded quietly. "He's changed, you know? He's not the boy who you knew. Is my father dead, now? Did Aang kill him?"
Toph looked ashamed. "No. I think that he was going to, but I stopped him; the news that Azula was alive stilled his glowing hands."
"He was that angry?" Katara asked in disbelief. "He went into the Avatar State?"
"It's impossible not to feel when he enters the Avatar State, Sugar Queen. Twinkletoes was bursting with raw, untamed, divine power."
"The news that Azula was alive kept my father alive," he shook his head. "How ironic is that?"
"Yes, and when he went back to heal Azula, I was tasked with watching the Loser Lord, but he escaped, his arm included. I failed and Twinkletoes was noticeably angry; he sent me here to bring you all to him."
Zuko digested the news while Suki spoke. "What happened to the Dai Li and Fire Sages? Will they still be a problem?"
"From what I know, no. Twinkletoes pretty much killed all of them; none survived to my knowledge."
Katara jerked away from Toph, her movements swift and tense. "You are exhausted, Toph. Why did you come here by yourself? Why didn't you take Appa?"
Toph tried to roll her eyes but failed. "I can't see on Appa, Sugar Queen, and more importantly, Twinkletoes ordered me to get to the Caldera with haste and that Appa would be staying with him."
"Why would Aang do that?" Katara demanded, looking incredulous. "He's acting strange."
"Look, he has every right to act that way, Sugar Queen. He's a man now, and the Avatar at that; he can do what he wants."
"But Azula's all right, yes?" His mother asked desperately, tears in her eyes. "She's okay?"
"As far as I know, yeah. Twinkletoes was adamant that she would be fine; he even said that if she did somehow die, he wouldn't allow it to happen." Toph shivered, her eyes falling shut. "I can't imagine how strong the lightning strike actually was, I only felt the after-effects. I don't know how she even survived it; she should be dead."
Zuko's fists balled and the Dragons roared in his spirit. "As I said earlier, I'm going to kill that fucking waste of human flesh," he hissed out, the rage in his heart overwhelming.
Katara placed her hand on his clenched fist, "Ozai's reckoning will come."
"She's right, Sparky, you know?" Toph opened her eyes again and somehow, her milky orbs snared Zuko's golden ones. "I happen to know for a fact that if I hadn't let Twinkletoes know that Azula was still alive, if she had actually been killed by the attack, then your dad would have had an excruciating death; it would be immortal, tales of his gruesome death told for centuries."
"Why?" Sokka frowned, "I don't understand. Why would Aang care if Azula was dead?"
Zuko glared at him harshly, his mother doing the same. "Take care of how you speak; she is my sister!"
"And my daughter!"
"She, too, is my niece, Master Sokka."
Sokka flinched but didn't back down from any of them. "It's a good question! Azula tried to kill him multiple times in the past and nearly succeeded underneath Ba Sing Se. Why would Aang care if she was dead? Why would it cause him to become enraged and lose control of the Avatar State in what sounds like a similar situation as Appa's?"
"Damn, you guys are dense." Toph groaned, "It's because he's in love with her."
The room was silenced by her declaration.
Zuko's eyes bulged from their sockets because, surely, he had misheard her. "Did you… did you just say that- "
"Yes, Twinkletoes is in love with your sister, Sparky; he adores her."
Katara looked dumbstruck while Sokka spluttered, horror carved into his face and Zuko wanted to throw fire at him. "But she's Azula! What the fuck?"
"He was different when he was with her during dinner when he came to the Caldera," Suki recalled quietly, her words almost a whisper but audible to everyone. "His actions point to Azula being an influence on him. If he's in love with her, he would overlook certain things and adopt some of her traits; the evidence is there."
An overjoyed smile crossed his mother's face and Zuko quickly cut in. "Mother, please, do not make a big deal about this."
"She's right to, nephew," his uncle raised an eyebrow. "Did you honestly think that something like this would ever happen?"
"Well, no, I didn't, but Azula doesn't even… you know, love Aang, or does she?" Zuko directed the question at Toph. "Do you know?"
Toph barked out a laugh, "Oh, if she was anything with Twinkletoes, I'd say that it was in love; she always watches him and even acts differently around him."
"It seems that your sister has beaten you, Zuko," his mother looked happier than he had ever seen her. "I had always thought that out of my children, you would be the one who found someone first; it appears that I was wrong."
A small smile began to curl across his lips, surprising him. "She does always win," he said softly without envy or malice. "At least it's Aang who caught her eye. If anyone can tame her, it's the Avatar."
"It's part of the allure," his mother suddenly said. "Your sister has always loved power, one of the very few traits that she inherited from your father. The Avatar is powerful beyond measure; it makes sense that she would love him."
Katara opened her mouth and Zuko felt dread prickle his mind when indignation glowed in her blue eyes, but thankfully, his uncle noticed as well and changed the subject. "Where is Aang, now?"
Toph blinked, pausing for a moment. "He's about a day's journey on foot from here; it took me all day to get here. Twinkletoes ordered me to take you guys to his location; he said that he did not care if you were busy, Sparky. He wants all of you with him; he said to leave a regent."
Zuko pinched his nose, "And just who am I supposed to leave in charge?"
"Do not worry, nephew," his uncle held up his hand before any of them could protest. "I will stay behind as regent. I am of the Royal Bloodline and can handle the pretentious Noble Houses. I was raised to sit on the Dragon's Throne, so I will be the best option. Plus, Avatar Aang doesn't need me, he needs you all."
His mother nodded her head, "As much as you dislike it, he's right, Zuko. It would be prudent to follow the Avatar's command."
"Especially when he's in such a chaotic mood," he muttered honestly. "All right. Uncle Iroh, I name you my regent during my indefinite absence to aid Avatar Aang."
His uncle bowed his head in acceptance. "I will uphold the Children of Fire with my leadership, nephew."
"Are we settled, then?" Sokka asked, "We're all going to go Aang?"
"I believe that it would be wise to bring the Ladies Mai and Ty Lee with you," his uncle advised. "Something is very strange about their attack against Zuko and if they stay in the dungeons any longer, I fear that something depraved might happen to them. I remain steadfast in my belief that they were influenced into attacking my nephew by something powerful."
He nodded his head in agreement after a moment, still slightly bitter that Mai and Ty Lee had tried to assassinate him. "That's true, uncle, and I do happen to agree with you. I will bring them with me."
"Aang could probably even heal them if they have been influenced by something." Suki pointed out, "After all, we need everyone together to fight in this new war. We'll be working with Azula and if we can work with her, we can work with Mai and Ty Lee."
"That's true, especially if my father was able to convince the Fire Sages and Dai Li to ally with him. Who knows who else he can inveigle with his words?"
Toph sighed tiredly, "That's right, you don't know."
"Don't know what, Toph?" Katara finally spoke, "What is it?"
"Dark is who else is allied with the Loser Lord."
Zuko frowned, "Dark? Wasn't that Vaa- "
"Don't say his name!" Toph cried out, "I've been around Twinkletoes enough to take his words about it to heart."
"So, Dark was the one who freed my brother?" His uncle asked rhetorically. "Did Aang decipher the puzzle?"
"Fuck, you guys have all missed out on a lot since I last saw you." Toph groaned, laying her head back against the cushion. "I guess that it's up to me to catch you slackers up."
She inhaled slowly and began to explain everything; lies were exposed and truths revealed.
Eventually, Zuko collapsed down to the ground, unable to stand because of the pure shock; all of the others, his uncle included, did as well. It was too much! Everything that had happened, the entire Great War, had all been designed by Vaatu; his great-grandfather wasn't a monster who had murdered another of Zuko's great-grandfathers. Sozin had been a mortal pawn, a powerful one who Agni had used to do his bidding; then there was the fact that the Fire Spirit himself had been corrupted by Vaatu, who was the opposite of Aang and freed Ozai to create his own Avatar, a Dark Avatar who already had earthbending because the Earth Spirit, too, had been corrupted to join Vaatu.
Simply thinking about the sheer magnitude of the situation caused an ache to form between his temples.
"We must leave immediately," he said aloud after Toph finished, gathering his thoughts, trying to put them in words. "This… fuck, it's much worse than I had ever imagined. It's a… a nightmare that Vaa- Dark has created and mastered meticulously for eons."
Katara was sitting next to him and sighed tiredly, the energy leaving her body; she laid her head on his shoulder, to Zuko's pleasure. "Not yet, Toph can't leave right now; she's exhausted. I'd say that she needs to rest for a day and drink a lot of water, and then tomorrow, we can depart to wherever Aang and… Azula are." She still had trouble grasping the concept that Aang loved Azula and vice versa, and honestly, Zuko couldn't blame her because he was still shocked by it.
The others all nodded in agreement at her words, but no more words were spoken because no words could be used to describe the realization of whom they will battle; all that Zuko knew was that the coming war would make the Great War look tame, even pitiful in comparison.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Aang had never been as focused as he had been, and the passage of time lost all meaning; day or night didn't even register in him. He didn't even know how much time had passed since Toph left; the only thing that mattered was Azula and Samir's safety.
Azula's body had been stabilized but become feverish with a dreadful sweat. Aang had remained vigil and did everything that he could to alleviate her pain, but he knew that only time itself would heal her body best. Names had passed her lips and when his own did, it brought a tremendous relief to his soul; was her unconscious telling him the depths of her feelings for him? The name of her father was also murmured several times and that unholy rage that swelled within Aang upon hearing that monster's name was something that would have banished him from the Air Temples if the High Elders were still alive.
It was terrifying, that potent and vicious anger that dwelled inside him; he didn't necessarily shy away from it, though. When he had mastered his chakras, he had accepted it and while it was fear-inducing, the dark anger, it was part of him, and it would always be part of him until Ozai was dealt with.
Honestly, Aang didn't truly know what to do about Ozai and Vaatu because he had no idea how they planned to bond with each other as he was with Raava. The Harmonic Convergence, based on his instincts, wouldn't occur for many years, unless Vaatu somehow figured out how to align the stars prematurely. After all, Vaatu wouldn't want to wait that long, and if he couldn't align the stars before the Harmonic Converge, he would need to somehow bond he and Ozai together in a different way.
Aang supposed that he could kill Ozai, but if Vaatu was already bonded with the monster, then a new Avatar Cycle would be created: the Dark Avatar Cycle. Ultimately, no matter what happened, his best solution would be to imprison Vaatu in the Tree of Time again, but there was a very crucial problem: Vaatu must be in the center of the Spirit World and Aang knew that his counterpart would never go there again.
He shot small flames into the fire, adding more fuel and Aang truly hoped that Toph was close with the rest of the Gaang; he felt paranoid beyond belief.
"I'm hungry, daddy!" Samir declared, gray eyes peering at him; she was supposed to be meditating to feel the air around her. She was supposed to be meditating and feeling the air around her. Aang wasn't surprised she couldn't concentrate; he was the same way when he was her age.
Aang didn't feel surprised by her inability to concentrate; he had been the same way when he was her age. "There are some snacks in my sack on Appa. Do you want me to get them for you?"
Samir shook her head and jumped up to her feet. "I'll get them!" His… daughter – his daughter! – dashed towards Appa and tried to use airbending to leap into the saddle but failed; she settled for climbing up Appa's tail.
He focused his attention back on Azula, relieved that her breathing had evened out and no discomfort was visible on her face; she looked asleep. Aang stared down at her, memorizing her beautiful features, wishing that she would open her hypnotic golden eyes; he knew that he must tell her that he loved her, he had to!
Ozai had nearly stolen his future from him – never again!
Momo chattered quietly on his shoulder and Aang nodded slowly. "Yes, I know, she'll need new garments." The pants themselves were fine, but her upper garbs were ruined and as a result, incredibly revealing because of Ozai's attack; he had been able to see most of her left breast, including the nipple. Aang had decided not to fix it earlier because he needed the skin-to-skin contact at the site of the wound to heal her, but now, Azula would be fine; she needed to be changed and there was only one solution.
After glancing at Samir, who sat in Appa's saddle eating fruit pies, Aang quickly and soundlessly slipped out of his own outer garbs; he left on his pants. He then gently removed Azula's upper garments, the fabric singed greatly in multiple areas, feeling harsh against his fingers; he tried to ensure her privacy but failed not to look at her naked chest. He blinked heavily and shook his head, dressing Azula in his now-removed outer garbs, checking to make sure that he had dressed her correctly.
The garbs were clearly too big for her, but they more than suited his purpose; she was now protected, comfortable, and most importantly, no longer partly bare.
"Wow, daddy!" Samir shouted from the saddle and Aang stiffened, knowing immediately that she was alluding to his scar; it also felt nice to be called 'daddy' by her. "What happened? Where did you get that?"
He stood to his feet and dropped Azula's old garbs into the fire, the roar of pleasure from the flames reaching his ears. Then Aang turned around to see Samir's curious, confused, and slightly fearful expression; he then leaped onto Appa's saddle, landing silently next to Samir.
"Where did I get what, Samir?" Aang asked quietly, sitting down next to her, checking to make sure that, indeed, she had been talking about his scar; he didn't want to speak about it with her if he didn't have to.
She blinked her expressive, large gray eyes up at him. "That mark on your back, daddy. It almost looks like a star! What is it?"
"It's a scar. Do you know what that is?"
"No. What is it, daddy?"
Aang sighed softly, unsure how much to tell her, but he decided to be truthful. "A scar is a natural way that the body heals itself after it's injured. They appear when there is a wound that needs to be repaired in the skin or tissues of the body. Do you understand, now?"
"So, if I hurt my hand and it… bleeds, it will… scar?"
"Very good, Samir. Yes, there would be a scar; it would be minor, not even noticeable, but it would be a scar."
"How did you get that scar and the tree, then, daddy? You were hurt?"
Memories of Ba Sing Se flashed through his mind: the Dai Li agents staring up at him in thinly-veiled terror, the divine power bursting through his body, Zuko looking panicked, and then finally, the waves of agony that swept through his body right before he was about to unleash his power at them.
He stared at her for a moment. "I was… shot with lightning," his words were quiet, serious, honest.
Samir gasped, tears welling in her gray eyes, face becoming pale. "Like mommy?"
"Yes, like… mommy," he said slowly because it still felt strange to refer to Azula as 'mommy' to Samir, but it was a change that he would gladly comply with.
"When did it happen?" Samir stared at him with wide eyes, "Was it… earlier like mommy?"
Aang shook his head, wary of scaring her. "I was 12-years-old when it happened, all because of a mistake that I made."
Samir swallowed; her face was still pale. "Was it during the… Great War?"
"Yes, it was. It happened in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se."
"Did it… hurt?"
He chose to be honest; maybe she would then understand how dangerous lightning was. "It was the most physical pain that I've ever endured in my entire life."
Samir clenched her tiny fists, a curious mixture of fear, anger, and confusion on her face. "Who did it, daddy?"
Aang paused, taken aback by her question and answered with care. "It was someone who thought that they were doing the right thing." He hadn't actually lied; Azula had shot him with the lightning to please her father, to do what she thought was right because it was all that she knew. Aang didn't blame or condemn her for her actions; he never would. She had changed, her actions had proven it to him; she had refused to join her father when everything could have been forgiven. Aang was immensely proud of her; he was just furious that she had been shot with lightning by Ozai.
"Do you hate them?"
"No, I don't. I've forgiven her."
"It was a woman?" Samir looked shocked and Aang wanted to smack himself; she was a lot more perceptive than most young children who he had met, something that reminded him of Azula.
"Yes, it was a woman, but I forgave her, Samir. I don't hate her, not at all."
"Why?"
"It's the Air Nomad way, remember?"
Samir scrunched her eyebrows together, "I don't understand! That woman hurt you."
"I forgave her because… I understood her, at least I did when I was older." Aang remembered something that Gyatso had told him. "Ultimately, Samir, you only know the end of the story, but if you want to understand, you must start at the beginning, at the heart of the story. That is the only way."
"How do you do that?"
"You do it when you're older," he said gently. "It's hard to do when you're young."
"Can I… touch it, daddy?" Aang found her hesitance endearing and he nodded, leaning forward; she reached out with her hand, her small and delicate fingers tracing the edges.
"Will mommy have a star, too?"
"She already does, but you can't see it yet. It still needs to heal," he said firmly, refusing to allow Samir to see the wound; the sight of a fresh and gruesome wound would be traumatic. Samir had already seen far too much violence in her young life and Aang wanted to do his best to keep her from seeing more.
Samir pulled away and nodded but didn't say anything for several moments before she opened her mouth. "That- that… man, he shot mommy, didn't he?"
He closed his eyes, "Yes, he did, Samir."
"He said things to mommy. Is he… mommy's daddy?"
Aang's breathing stopped and he swallowed before speaking. "Yes, he is."
"But he hurt mommy!" Samir began to breathe heavily. "I don't understand! Daddy's don't hurt their children!"
"They never should, but some are monsters. Not everyone in the world is… good."
Samir shook slightly, pulling away even further, curling in herself. "Will you… hurt me, daddy?"
"No!" Aang felt anger from the question and cursed Ozai even more. "I will never hurt you, I swear," he inched closer to her, on the verge of pleading. "You are precious to me, Samir; you have filled a void. I love you," he said truthfully because honestly, who couldn't fall in love with the girl?
"Really?" Samir swallowed and finally scooted towards him. "You love me?"
"Yes, I do."
A bright grin swept over her features. "I love you, too, daddy!" Samir leaped at him and Aang caught her effortlessly before his own smile vanished.
He suddenly felt something outside of the cave.
"Samir, someone is outside the cave," he whispered. "I need you to be quiet, okay?"
She let go of him with wide, fearful eyes, nodding her head, putting her hands over her mouth.
He jumped off of Appa, motioning for his friend to stay still, stretching his senses and panic filled him. It was an attack; he could feel Vaatu's energy! Over a dozen figures were approaching the wall that he had erected! Ozai had returned with reinforcements! He dashed towards Azula's body and placed her on Appa's tail, knowing that it would be more protective for her there than by the fire. A furious calm descended over him and he stood still as the group neared the wall, and then he struck.
Aang tore through the stone wall in a blurred motion, one hand alight with sparks of lightning while the other held a swirling tornado. It was dark out, but he glimpsed all of the figures stumble back in shock, screams escaping past their lips. He didn't give them a chance to attack because he attacked first, firing lightning at them, specifically towards where he felt Vaatu's energy.
A large wall of earth rose, and his lightning smashed into it, showers of stone exploding in every direction. He punched his fists forward and plumes of flames blazed toward them and they all barely jumped out of the way. He threw gusts of wind and several crashed into each other with a big thump, and a projectile was thrown at him and Aang, who could barely see because it was so dark out, punched it; his lips parted in pain and a grunt escaped him as another projectile was thrown at him and because he felt so disoriented, he punched it with his other hand, the same reaction erupting through him. It was metal! Blood drizzled down his knuckles and all he could feel was the pain and anger inside him.
He smashed his foot into the ground, shaking the entire area and when the group stumbled, he summoned tornadoes that swept them all from their feet, tossing them like leaves in the wind; they were all thrown back in a heap and Aang swiftly imprisoned them in the ground, blood dripping to the soil from his knuckles.
One of them – an Earthbender! – desperately tried to destroy their prison and he clenched his fist, the pain all that he could think and feel as the figure began to be crushed by the earth, their body breaking under the strain, bones on the verge of splintering.
"TWINKLETOES!" The compressed figure screamed and Aang froze, the haze fading from his eyes as he actually looked at the figures, summoning flames to see in the darkness of night. Toph, Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Ursa, Mai, Ty Lee, four Imperial Firebenders, and four Yu Yan Archers all looked up at him with flushed faces, eyes wide.
Horror spread through him and he immediately released them. "I'm sorry! I thought that you were someone else; Ozai could return."
Toph was heaving in air greedily and glared at him, body shaking. "No shit, Twinkletoes," she coughed, hacking awfully. "What the fuck was that? You almost killed me, killed us all!"
"I felt… Dark's energy," he could still feel it and he locked eyes on Mai and Ty Lee, who were chained, surrounded by the Yu Yan Archers and Imperial Firebenders, and stared at him with purple-colored eyes – just as Agni and Devi's. "It's them; they've been corrupted."
Zuko stumbled over to him, rubbing his wrists. "That's why I brought them. My uncle and I both thought that you could heal them."
"They returned from their banishment, I see," he commented, trying to make sense of everything. "What happened?"
"They tried to kill me."
Aang blinked, "I'm glad to see that they didn't succeed."
His friend's lips twitched, "Me too, Aang."
The rest of the Gaang crowded around him and Katara looked at his hands. "Aang, your hands!"
"Sorry about that," Toph didn't sound apologetic. "I thought that metal would stop you. My mistake."
He glanced down, the pain returning, and he breathed deeply. "I've had much worse, but I need to deal with them. It's good to see you all again." Aang stepped towards the chained Mai and Ty Lee, bemused and disheartened when they began to thrash violently, snarls escaping their lips, the dark energy inside them screeching. "This is going to hurt," he said and without preamble, placed his thumbs on both of their foreheads. Their eyes bulged from their sockets and they stopped breathing; the dark energy shrieked in protest but Aang pulled it out of their bodies.
"Damn," Sokka muttered behind him, but he ignored everything but the dark energy.
Mai and Ty Lee gasped, falling bonelessly to the ground in a heap, eyes blinking rapidly. Aang glared at the dark energy swirling between his hands; it was Vaatu's, absolutely. He clapped his hands together and focused his own power into it, forcing it to disperse into nothingness.
"They won't attack us?" Zuko asked from behind him and Aang turned around after making sure that no dark energy had escaped his notice.
"No, they won't. They will be- "
Mai and Ty Lee groaned, both opening her eyes to stare directly at him. "Thank you, Avatar."
"You're welcome," he helped them to their feet. "You are both healed, now; the feel of poison clouding your mind won't be felt again."
Ty Lee's eyes were misty, "You didn't have to save us, Avatar Aang. Thank you."
He looked at the Imperial Firebenders and Yu Yan Archers. "They won't be a threat, don't worry."
Ursa stepped closer towards him, golden eyes watery and imploring. "Is Azula all right?"
He nodded his head, "I have stabilized her, but she remains unconscious."
"Where is she?" Katara questioned flatly, arms crossed over her chest. "In the cave?"
"She's resting on Appa's tail." Ursa whirled around and ran into the cave and Aang's eyes widened. "Samir! It's okay! Toph arrived with the others!"
"Samir?" Sokka echoed as they all followed Ursa into the cave. "Who is that?"
A head peaked over Appa's saddle and Aang nodded encouragingly. "It's okay, all right?"
Samir darted off of the saddle down to Appa's tail to be near Azula and Aang sighed, realizing that she would be shy and uncomfortable with people who she didn't know.
"Who is she, Aang?" Katara asked quietly, standing next to him. "You didn't answer Sokka's question."
Toph's head fell, "Damn. I knew that I forgot to mention something. Samir's our little hitchhiker who stowed away on Appa to the Eastern Air Temple."
Suki's eyebrows rose. "She stowed away on Appa? That's impressive."
Aang grimaced, "I was kind of in a difficult place at that point. I didn't notice."
"Why is she with you?" Zuko frowned, "Why did she stow away?"
"She had dreams of darkness- "
Sokka rolled his eyes, looking at Toph. "You told us about the dreams of darkness but didn't tell us about the girl?"
"It slipped my mind!"
"How much do you know?" Aang questioned, wondering if he could save time. "What did Toph tell you?"
"Everything except about Samir, apparently." Sokka snarked, grinning wildly.
"Why is she with you, Aang?" Katara glared at her brother, "Wouldn't she be better off with her parents, or are they… dead?"
"Samir is the first new generation of Airbenders." At his words, their eyes widened, and gasps of delight filled his ears, filling his heart with joy and small amounts of pride.
"You mean, she's an Airbender?" Katara exclaimed, "Aang, that's wonderful! Does she have any siblings? Are they Airbenders, too?"
"Don't forget parents," Sokka added, "or are they dead?"
"She's an orphan, who was born a non-bender. I used energybending and gifted airbending to her; she earned it. I'm proud of her."
Sokka blinked, astonishment clear on his face. "Wait, what? Are you- you can do that?"
"With any element, yes."
"Then why don't you give me waterbending, Aang? The North has been busting my balls because I'm not a Waterbender; it would help my position!"
Aang stared at him sadly, "Because to receive an element, you have to behave and think like the benders of the element. You don't think like a Waterbender, Sokka, you just don't. If I gifted it to you, it's likely that you will die from an overwhelmed chi because it isn't who you are at the core of your spirit."
Sokka looked downtrodden but Zuko spoke before he could. "Toph told us everything that happened. How is my sister?" His friend looked incredibly interested in his answer and Aang noticed that the rest of the Gaang had leaned forward to hear his answer.
He answered slowly, "I already told your mother, Zuko: I believe that the worst is over but now Azula is wracked by a fever."
"How is she still alive?" Katara questioned, looking intrigued despite herself. "She was shot full of lightning. How come she isn't dead? How did you manage to heal her? You didn't have Spirit Water from the Spirit Oasis, or did you?"
"I didn't. Azula is strong; she was holding on by her lonesome before I healed her. I mostly used bloodbending."
Katara's eyes widened, disbelief and horror etched into her face. "What? Aang, how could you do such a thing? Why would you perform such a horrid and- "
Zuko interrupted, placing his hands on Katara's shoulders. "Aang can explain later, okay? It's not important how Azula was healed, just that she was. None of us want to argue. I myself want to check on my sister. Guards! Archers!"
"Yes, my liege?" All of the Imperial Firebenders and Yu Yan archers asked at once.
"Station outside."
"At once, my liege." Their synchronized steps faded as they stepped outside.
Aang gestured for them to follow him, ignoring Katara's piercing and angry stare. "Be gentle with your words about Azula's injury, if you say anything. I don't want Samir to be scared, okay? I'm speaking mostly to you, Sokka."
"Why me?"
"Why not you?"
"Oh, good point."
Ursa and Samir were sitting next to Azula's unconscious form, speaking quietly, both faces flushed with emotion and Zuko crouched down beside them, placing a hand on his mother's shoulder. "Thank you, Aang. You saved her life. The Fire Royal Family owes you a debt."
"I would have saved her regardless of her heritage, Zuko."
"That's two of us, now, Zuko." Sokka chuckled, "First, Katara and now, Aang."
"What did Katara do to- " he cut himself off in understanding. "She is who saved you from Mai and Ty Lee's attack, isn't she?"
"Yes, I arrived just in time," Katara said softly. "Mai and Ty Lee were looming over him, about to kill him before I acted."
Sokka leaned forward, "What kind of debt are we talking, Zuko? Could this debt – hypothetically, of course – be given to someone else?"
Zuko glared at Sokka, "I'm not talking about this right now."
Suki placed a calm hand on her husband's arm. "Toph explained everything to us, Aang. What is the plan? What are we going to do?"
Ursa and Samir stopped talking quietly and he saw Samir's eyes widen when she fully looked at Zuko. "Is that a scar on your face?"
Aang stilled and he noticed that most everyone had stopped breathing as Zuko looked dumbstruck. "Ex- excuse me?"
Samir looked confused and pointed at his eye. "Is that a scar?"
Zuko blinked, his eyes darting towards Aang. "Yes…"
He gestured towards his back. "She saw my scar and asked about it, about what scars are. She didn't know."
"Does it still bother you?" Katara abruptly enquired softly, "I haven't asked you."
"Not really," he shrugged. "There are some moments when it flares, but it's relatively painless compared to what it once felt like."
She looked relieved, "That's good - I'm glad."
"So, what do you want to do, Aang?" Suki looked at him expectantly, "How do you want to handle this?"
"Well, right now, we need to send a message to the Northern Water Tribe to let Arnook know to expect an attack, to protect the Spirit Oasis at all costs. Ozai seeks to gain all of the elements and I fear the thought. And, of course, I need to figure out where the Air Spirit is. I have no idea where she is."
"And the only way for Ozai to get the elements is from the Lion Turtles or the Elemental Spirits, right?" Sokka placed his fingers over his lips, "That's why Agni and Devi are with him, now?"
Aang nodded, "Yes, although an Energybender could give him the elements, too. Thankfully, I am the only Energybender who wields the elements in existence." He glanced outside to where Mai and Ty Lee still were, "Zuko, could you call in the guards to bring Mai and Ty Lee."
His friend blinked, "Guards!"
One of the Imperial Firebenders entered the cave and kneeled stoically before Zuko. "Yes, my liege?"
"The Ladies Mai and Ty Lee aren't to be treated as a threat. Release them to come in here."
"Of course, my liege."
"And one more thing," his friend said and Aang raised his eyebrows. "The Avatar needs a message sent to the Northern Water Tribe. It is of the utmost importance, so act swiftly in returning with supplies."
The guard nodded his head and stepped out of the cave, grabbing supplies from one of the other men, and then bringing Mai and Ty Lee inside, freed from their chains. "As you have requested, my liege."
"Give them to Avatar Aang."
"At once, my liege."
"Here, sit down," he gestured towards Mai and Ty Lee, smiling as he accepted the supplies. "Wait a moment, my friend," he hastily scribbled down the message for Arnook and then handed it to the guard, who rushed out of the cave respectfully.
"Don't worry, Avatar Aang," Azula and Zuko's mother said. "Warhawks travel quickly."
"Yes," he nodded and then motioned towards Mai and Ty Lee. "Can you tell us anything about Ozai and what he and Dark's plans are?"
"Dark?" Mai furrowed her dark eyebrows, "Is that Vaa- "
"Yes, but don't ever say his name," he warned. "Names have power and when you speak them, especially a spirit's that is mighty beyond your understanding, you are giving him power over you. Because you've already been corrupted, you are more liable to fall under his influence again."
"That's reassuring," Mai replied flatly and Aang's eyes briefly closed: some things would never change.
"Can you tell us anything, either of you?" Zuko asked, "Can you remember anything?"
"Not really." Ty Lee looked at Mai hesitantly, "It was like waking from a… horrible nightmare."
"Yes, we only knew the basics: become an Avatar, gain the elements, corrupt powerful mortals, and then destroy Avatar Aang and Raava."
"I don't understand what Dark's problem is with you, Aang." Katara did, indeed, look bemused. "Why does he hate you? I can understand Ozai, but not him."
Aang sighed, "Dark hates the Avatar because I am Raava's vessel, just as Dark intends Ozai to be his. Raava is Light and Peace, whereas Dark is Darkness and Chaos. They were opposites and when Dark was almost secure in conquering both of the Realms eons ago, the first Avatar, a man named Wan, stopped him by bonding eternally with Raava, able to control all of the elements and command the spirits."
"Some people don't need a true reason to hate someone, Lady Katara." Ursa's golden eyes shined with knowledge and experience. "They just hate them, and it will never make sense. I fully believe that my husband is one of these individuals."
"Yes, but the Loser Lord is insane," Toph pointed out, picking her toes. "I could feel the madness with my feet; he's crazy."
Zuko smiled tightly, "You can never persuade a deranged man differently. Trust me, you'd be better off cutting their tongues from their mouth. Madmen don't need reasons, just a feeling."
"Okay, let's talk about something else, how about it?" Katara suggested, placing a gentle hand on Zuko's arm. "Let's discuss possible locations where the Air Spirit could be. Would she be at any of the Air Temples, Aang?"
"Nope!" Samir suddenly spoke, a bright grin on her face, her cheer almost infectious. "Daddy says that the spirits can only come on the Solstices!"
"Daddy?" Sokka echoed incredulously, "I thought that your parents were… gone. Who's your dad, kid?"
"Did something happen while I was gone?" Toph demanded, "What was- " she trailed off as Samir beamed and ran at Aang, and he reflexively caught her and let loose a laugh as she hugged him tightly, her small arms wrapping around his neck. "Although I was eventually expecting it, it's still a shock," she nodded her head. "Congratulations."
"I guess that answers your question, Sokka." Suki teased her shocked husband, who looked just as astonished as Katara did. "I concur with Toph, Aang: congratulations. The Air Nomads are returning to the world, as they should be."
Sokka's jaw was dropped and he blinked rapidly. "What? Are you- what the fuck? This is not something that you just- "
"I've often admired your bluntness, Master Sokka, but there is now a child present." Ursa said not unkindly, "Refrain from such language. Avatar Aang, can I assume that you fathered her years ago and only just now found her? The resemblance that she shares with you is second-to-none."
"I adopted her, actually, Dowager Fire Lady Ursa- "
"Just Ursa, Avatar Aang."
"When I gifted Samir airbending, her chi copied my essence and it changed her to look more like me." Aang glanced at Sokka, "Aren't you relieved now that I can't give you waterbending?"
Sokka paled, "Now that you mention it, yes."
"Daddy says that I remind him of mommy!" Samir exclaimed with a pout. "Remember, daddy?"
"Yes, I do," he took in everyone's wide eyes and motioned towards Azula. "Samir sees Azula and me as her parents. I have chosen to adopt her and when Azula awakens, she can choose to do the same."
Ursa looked delighted by his words. "That's wonderful, Avatar Aang," her eyes looked misty and he noticed that both Mai and Ty Lee's eyebrows had disappeared into their hair. Toph didn't look surprised while Sokka, Katara, and Suki all seemed aghast, baffled.
"So, you have a child with my sister, then?" Zuko's lips twitched and he didn't look displeased. "You work fast."
"I'm an Airbender."
"Anyway," Sokka interrupted, waving his hands wildly. "Air Spirit, hello? That's what we were trying to discuss!"
Suki rolled her eyes, "In spite of my loving husband's brash manner, he is correct. Where do you think that the Air Spirit could be, Aang?"
"Well, she could be in either of the Realms, honestly."
"How could she be here?" Katara frowned, "I thought that- "
"She could have sacrificed her immortality just as the Ocean and Moon Spirits did," he commented evenly. "If she did that, then she could be anywhere, shaped into whatever form that she chose."
Sokka's eyebrows rose, "That makes sense, but I have a question: if a spirit sacrifices their immortality just as the Ocean and… Moon did, do they die of old age?"
"No," he shook his head. "The immortality of a spirit refers to undying; they can't die at all. If they give that up, they won't age in a regular sense that you would understand, but as Zhao demonstrated, they can absolutely be killed if they sacrifice their immortality."
"Do you think that's what she did, then?" Zuko shot a small blast of flames into the fire, "She sacrificed her immortality?"
"It's possible, but she could just as easily still be someplace in the Spirit World," he sat Samir down and stood up to stroke Appa's head. "No matter what, she would need some place where she would be able to heal."
"Heal?" Katara inquired. "What do you mean?"
"The genocide of the Air Nomads had to have weakened her tremendously; she would need time to heal."
"This is just fantastic, then," Toph concluded sarcastically and irritably. "We don't have any leads."
"It does seem that way," Suki stated. "We have time, though. From what it sounds like, Ozai is missing an arm and most of his allies save for Dark have been dealt with; he needs time to regroup, too."
"I took your advice and left Uncle Iroh as my regent for an indefinite period of time." Zuko stared at him, "Whatever you need, I'll be here to help you – just as you helped me."
Katara's blue eyes were pleading but firm, holding him in place for a moment. "We will all be here, Aang; we will all help."
"Oh, yeah," Sokka grinned. "The whole Gaang is back together – with a few newcomers."
The anger was there, and he felt the familiar bitterness flood him, but now wasn't the time and place for a confrontation so Aang tried to smile but didn't know if he succeeded. "That's good," he checked on Azula, water-coated hands grazing her injury.
"Count us in as well, Avatar Aang." Ty Lee said, "Mai and I would love to help you stop Ozai." She shockingly sneered the name in disgust.
"Then you can join the Gaang, too." Sokka asserted, "You two will be newcomers just as Ursa and Samir!"
"Working in a group worked so well for us last time," Mai said dryly, leaning back. "Whatever, just as long as we stop Ozai and Vaa- Dark."
The mention of Ozai produced dread and Aang felt the sudden need to be close to Azula; he pulled his hands away from her wound and laid her back against his chest, uncaring of the audience – he needed it!
He considered Mai and Ty Lee, tilting his head. "When Azula wakes up, it is likely that she will attack you if she can."
"We know," Ty Lee whispered, looking sad.
A tense silence swept through the cave and Sokka stared at him, more specifically him holding Azula against his naked chest in disgusted fascination. "You- " he spluttered when Suki cut him off, jamming her elbow into his side harshly.
"My liege!" The Imperial Firebender entered the cave, "I did as was ordered."
Zuko waved his hand dismissively. "Good. Return to your post."
"Thank you, Avatar Aang," Ursa's eyes shined as she stared at him. "You've brought me relentless joy," at her words, he realized that she was thanking him for something other than healing her daughter.
"You're welcome," he nodded hesitantly, fearing the depths of her thanks. Did she know?
Zuko pulled a letter from his waist, holding it towards him. "Uncle Iroh wanted me to give this to you," he tossed the scroll and Aang plucked it from the air before it fell into the fire. "It details the Order of the White Lotus and the replenishing of its ranks."
Aang skimmed the words and closed his eyes in grief; so many members had been slaughtered off and he wasn't able to stop it. After controlling his emotions, he looked back at Zuko. "This is good. I support all of your uncle's thoughts and even endorse them; I believe that Mai and Ty Lee and everyone else would make excellent members, although I am hesitant to include the Boulder."
Mai blinked, "Wait, what now?"
"What?" Sokka cried out, "Why, Aang? The Boulder is awesome!"
"Oh, please, Snoozles," Toph huffed. "I could eat him for breakfast."
"Sokka," Katara rolled her eyes. "The Boulder is stupid; he may be strong physically, but mentally, he is anything but."
Before Sokka could retort, Zuko quickly began to explain what the Order of the White Lotus was to both Mai and Ty Lee. "The Order is the Avatar's personal organization, an army of the…"
Aang ignored them and sighed tiredly, feeling his exhaustion more potently than before; he squeezed Azula's unconscious body tighter, resting her head against his chest, pressing his chin against her hair to keep her head from sagging.
Samir tugged at his pants. "Daddy, I'm tired," she yawned, and her gray eyes were half-lidded.
"You'll sleep better on Appa's tail," he whispered and smiled slightly as she slowly walked towards Appa's tail, falling back against the fur; she didn't stir.
"I think that the kid has got the right idea because I'm beat; it's been a long and tiring day." Sokka stood up and stretched. "Suki and I will see you guys in the morning."
"Goodnight, everyone," Suki said graciously and then looked at Toph. "Would you create some… tents for us all?"
Toph punched her fist into the ground, earth tents sprouting from the ground on the other side of the cave. "Just remember, I can feel everything that goes on in here. I'm looking at you, Snoozles, so keep it down," she exclaimed as she entered one of the tents. "Goodnight."
Katara glanced around and then stood to her feet. "I believe that I will turn in for the night, too," she whispered something to Zuko and smiled at Aang. "Goodnight, Aang."
"Goodnight, Katara," he inclined his head. "I hope that you sleep well."
"I am in need of sleep, too," Ty Lee sluggishly stood up. "Dark's tendrils stole much of my energy."
"Mine too," Mai grunted and followed Ty Lee into one of the tents.
Aang watched everyone leave save for Ursa and Zuko; they were all who remained around the small fire.
"Please speak candidly, Avatar Aang. How has my daughter been?" Ursa stared at Azula's face, "I trust your words more than any others'."
"That's reassuring, mother," Zuko mumbled, looking amused.
"She's made great progress," he answered honestly. "Azula has accepted her actions from the past, finally healing from the numerous scars of growing up under… Ozai; she's an amazing person, Lady Ursa. It has been a great blessing to have her in my life, I won't lie. You should feel proud; she is stronger than she gives herself credit for, I believe."
Tears welled in Ursa's eyes and she wiped them away. "Oh, I am so proud of the woman that she has become, Avatar Aang, more than she knows. It fills me with great joy and gladness that she has healed, and I believe that it is because of you that she has, Avatar Aang; you were the catalyst for her transformation. Thank you for saving my daughter."
"We've both helped each other; she has helped me a lot," he admitted.
Ursa smiled at his words and stood up, walking over softly; she leaned down to gently kiss Azula's forehead and then she walked back to do the same to Zuko. "Goodnight, you two," she said and entered one of the earth tents.
"So, you really are in love my sister?" Zuko asked softly, almost hesitantly after several moments of silence. "Toph told us."
"So, they all know, then?" He asked tiredly, realizing why Sokka had been acting that way.
"Yes. It was a fierce subject of debate when we were traveling here."
"I really do love her, Zuko," he shook his head. "Believe me, I tried to fight and reject it, but I was unsuccessful; she effortlessly tore through all of my defenses. Ozai almost took her from me before I told her; she will know when she wakes up."
"Azula has always been good at tearing through defenses. …I'm sorry about my father."
"You aren't responsible for your father's actions, Zuko. He alone bears the blame; he will eventually face my true wrath and there will be no escape."
"That sounds perfect for that monster," his friend fidgeted. "Listen, just don't hurt her, okay? I know that I could never even hope to defeat you in a battle, but I'm going to say this anyway because in spite of everything, she's my sister and I love her: I will kill you if you hurt her."
"I would expect nothing less."
"You know, it makes sense, you two."
"How so?"
"Well, you both balance each other out. I haven't seen you guys together since that dinner a couple of months ago in the Caldera, but based on that, you make a good team."
"We do, actually, don't we? Who would have thought?"
"Nobody. I mean, I had always thought that you and Katara were…" his friend trailed off, looking away in shame.
"What, going to get married? Have kids? Be this great, renowned ideal for others to strive towards? I'll be honest: I used to think as you did, but I grew up, Zuko." His friend looked back at him and Aang spaced his words intentionally. "Katara and I would have never worked, anyway; she was a child's fantasy. What does a 12-year-old boy with lifetimes' worth of trauma know, Zuko? Simply, he knows nothing about life or what he wants, what or who would be best for his future. Frankly, I didn't need a mother anymore and she needed someone who wouldn't be away for months at a time. I could never be the Avatar that I need to be in if I were in a relationship with her; I'm done running from my destiny."
"I think that I might possibly be, you know, a little bit in love with her myself," his friend's eyes were vulnerable. "I think that I've been in love with her for years."
Aang smiled kindly, "That's not a surprise, Zuko."
"It's not?"
"No. You two have always shared such a strong connection, even when you were hunting us; she ranted about you often. I remember that I had felt threatened by you, actually."
"Really?"
"Of course. Unlike me when I was 12-years-old, you were old enough to actually know what and who you wanted; that's a big difference. I think that part of me recognized that."
"I just feel like-"
"You're stealing her from me?" When his friend nodded guilty, he felt a small chuckle escape past his lips. "No, not at all, Zuko. I was the one who ended it and she voiced no protest; we both knew it would go nowhere and that was over six years ago. Katara is the one who would choose with whom she wants to spend the rest of her life. If she chooses you, which I can envision, then I have advice for you."
Zuko looked nervous, "What is it?"
Aang grinned, "Just be ready for stewed sea prunes."
The anxiety faded away and Zuko laughed. "You mean, you're not mad?"
"No, I'm not. If it works out, then I will be happy for you, for both of you."
"Thank you, Aang," his friend said quietly. "You are a good friend, the best."
"You're welcome."
"Do you think that we will win? We barely know what Dark is capable of; we have no idea what he and my father will do next besides locating the other Elemental Spirits."
"Balance will be restored, as it should be; true balance will be victorious."
"How can you believe that? How can you be so certain?"
"Because I must be," he looked down at Azula's slumbering form. "If I'm not, I risk everything and everyone who matter to me."
XxXxXxXxXxX
Sound slowly filtered into her ears, and then the presence of a hand stroking her own registered in her mind. What had happened? Where was she? Who was speaking? Who was touching her? She felt her head lying on something soft, comforting, warm, and safe. She tried to open her eyes but couldn't; they had been closed for a long time.
Then it was there, the pain and its waves of agony scorched through her nerves, causing her to gasp. It was too much, but the pain was good. Pain meant that she was alive and not dead as so many wanted her to be. It was one of the only worthy lessons that Ozai had taught her anything useful and if she were thankful for that man for anything, then it was that lesson.
Her chest specifically ached unbearably, bearing down her mind with the affliction, but the pain was swiftly eased by another hand, bring utter relief. In spite of the reprieve from the pain that the hand had brought her, she grunted and fidgeted against the hand, trying to escape. Where was she? Was she in the presence of enemies, people who wished her dead?
"Azula, it's all right. You're safe," the words cut through the fear and immediately, she calmed, recognizing Aang's voice; she refocused her energy on solely opening her eyes, and within moments, light pierced through and once she adjusted, golden eyes met gray eyes. Aang grinned down at her gently and the sight calmed her more than any healing hands. "Hey, welcome back; it's good to see you with us, in the land of the living."
A gasp reached her ears and then a small body pressed up against her harshly, small arms wrapping around her. "Mommy, you're awake!"
Azula blinked, wondering if she had heard correctly. "Mommy?"
"Samir, do you want to tell her, now?" Aang coaxed softly, "It's okay."
A beaming face that belonged to Samir looked up at her. "You're my mommy."
A moment of astonishment passed her by and then Azula smirked slightly. "Well, I could get used to that, methinks." Indeed, she had always liked the girl and found joy in teaching her things; it also probably helped that Samir bore a great resemblance to Aang since she became an Airbender.
Her mother suddenly entered her vision, staring down at her with a joyful smile. "I was so worried; it's good to see you, Azula."
"Hello, mother," she said hesitantly, eyes roving to the side and she stilled when she observed who was near her: the peasants, Toph, Suki, her brother, her mother, and… Mai and Ty Lee. By Agni – it was them! The memories of that day swept through her, causing her golden eyes to burn; she flinched as she tried to jump to her feet but couldn't because of the pain that spasmed through her body, causing her to fall back into Aang's bare chest. "The moment when I feel better, you will taste my wrath, traitors!"
"Azula!" Her brother snapped, "Calm down!"
"You pitiful cowards," flames bloomed from her full lips and Aang's arms tightened around her, but he didn't say anything. "The foul sight of you inflicts pestilence upon me! You two are unfit for any place but the thorns of the Gardens of the Dead! By my hands, I will supplant your life with death!"
"Mommy," Samir whispered and Azula's mouth shut.
Aang's breath rustled her hair. "Everyone, leave us; she and I must talk. Take Samir with you, please."
Azula turned her head away, unable to even look at the two traitors; she heard the group leave and when she looked back, everyone was out of the cave. Aang let go of her and she stumbled to her feet, her aching muscles protesting and thanking at the same time; she saw him quickly twitch his fingers, creating a wall that gave them privacy, sealing the cave shut, the fire near them providing light. She saw the dried blood on his knuckles, the cracked and swollen fingers.
"What happened to your hands?"
"When Toph returned with everyone, it was dark outside and because I didn't know that it was them, I attacked. Toph tried to stop me by bending metal at me, but I foolishly punched it."
"Why haven't you healed your hands or asked… Katara to do so?"
"I had other things on my mind."
"Do they hurt?"
"Yes, but enough about that," his gray eyes held her in place. "I was so afraid," he whispered, and she rubbed her bosom, probing the area where the pain had been. "When Ozai unleashed that…"
She was suddenly assaulted with the memory of her father firing the bolt of lightning at her while grinning widely; she was eerily still and discovered that she felt relief. "I'm a failure in his eyes just as Zuzu," she laughed because, indeed, she did feel relief at the realization. No more, would she be haunted by the looming shadow of her monstrous father, never bearing the mind-numbing expectations that crushed her body under the insurmountable weight.
"No, he is the failure, Azula," Aang approached her, eyes serious, haunted by something. "Ozai is the failure above all failures; his life must be blotted out and I will see to it, I swear. It was beyond foolish of me to spare his life at the end of the Great War during Sozin's Comet."
Azula accepted his offered hand and marveled at how Aang's large hands caressed her own. "Thank you for healing me, for saving my life," she felt her chest ache from the words.
"You did it by yourself; you were still alive. I added to the healing process," his eyes shut, and the deep fear and rage caught her attention. "I had thought that you were dead. I unleashed my power on Ozai, fervently spilling his blood, the might of the Avatar State on full display. I sliced off his arm with airbending and I began to strangle him, ready to enter the Spirit World to vanquish Dark and your father. Then Toph appeared and informed me that, somehow, you were still alive. I rushed back and found you on the brink of death, but still breathing, heart still beating sluggishly."
"And my father? Did he escape?"
"I left him with Toph but Dark un-tethered himself from Ozai, catching Toph by surprise; yes, he's gone." When he finished, Azula suddenly laughed, feeling it sweep through her body. "What is so amusing?" Aang demanded, "I don't understand."
Her golden eyes locked onto his gray ones. "It's just that I know the full meaning of irony, now. I shot you with lightning and now, I was shot, too."
Aang's eyes darkened into storm clouds. "You could have died! Damn it, don't you understand that?" She was shocked by his words, unable to do anything as he paced back and forth in front of her, movements harsh and unstable, muscles angrily tensed, veins rupturing past skin. "I had thought that-" he cut himself off, whirling to stare at her, eyes blazing with emotions. "He almost forever took what was most important to me and without the truth known to you. I have been an Airbender for far too long; avoid and evade, airbending tactics and I am tired of evading. I am all of the elements and it is high time that I indulge in the Firebender in me; Firebenders know what and who they want, understand how to get what they desire. I, too, am a Firebender and that means that I am done running."
He stepped closer and Azula tried to stare at him calmly, but she wasn't successful. "What do you mean, Aang? What are you saying?"
"What I'm saying is that I want you, Azula, all of you. I don't care about your past; I care about you. You might not be perfect in the eyes of others, but to me, you are perfect. The very instant when we saw each other Ember Island, it would always lead to this, to this moment. You have made me better, opened my blind eyes to see the world as it truly is. You support me and challenge me; you are unafraid to disagree with me unlike most because I am the Avatar. I am my truest self with you, able to feel the depths of peace descend on my heart and soul when your eyes connect to my own. I love you, Azula; my love is beyond words and actions. You can doubt that time flows, doubt that Agni's light brings warmth, and doubt that water is refreshing, but never doubt that I love you."
She was overwhelmed; tears welled in her golden eyes and several slipped down her cheeks in spite of her best efforts. She had already known that Aang loved her, his own actions and Pathik's words had confirmed it, but experiencing the emotions that flooded her after he voiced the true depths of his love was unfamiliar and not unwelcome.
His face was so close, eyes shining with honesty and Azula did the only thing that she could: she kissed him, pulling his face down to her own, lips molding against his.
Aang froze but her eager lips allowed him to overcome his shock; his hands curled into her hair, pulling her even closer to his body, her breasts pressed against his hard, bare chest. She moaned at the contact, surprising herself, and pulled back barely. "That was a good speech, Avatar," her lips grazed his as she spoke. "Been practicing it, haven't you?"
"Yes," he whispered back and kissed her passionately again, their tongues interweaving, probing, tasting. Aang's hands brushed up her body and landed on her breasts, kneading them gently, fingers pressing into the swollen mounds; he pulled back and his heated, glowing eyes snared her own, their combined panting filling the air. "Your lips... they have power; you can sooner persuade me, the Avatar in ways that none of the most powerful men in the world could ever hope to."
Intense arousal swept through her at his words. "I love you, too," she whispered and the fear that she had always expected to accompany such a declaration was there. Instead, there was only contentment and peace, something that she wanted to always feel. Her father would beat her if he knew, but she no longer cared about him; he was a monster and had obviously never cared for her, he had said as much. Why should she care for someone who didn't care for her in return?
Aang smiled and pulled her into a hug, pressing his lips to her head gently. Azula nestled her face into his neck, kissing and nipping the revealed skin, smirking when she felt him groan; her ample breasts were pressed softly against his naked chest and she yearned for more, to feel more, so she closed her eyes and relaxed in his strong, protective embrace, letting herself feel. Aang held her closely and she basked in it; she rubbed her hands into the muscles in his back, stroking with her nails and suddenly, something poked into her stomach, causing her eyes to open.
His arms swiftly disappeared around her, leaving a renowned sense of loss, and he backed away, heat coloring his face. "Sorry," he murmured, body twitching, refusing to look at her. Azula stared at the very noticeable bulge in his pants and coming to a decision, she approached him and grabbed his clenched fists, feeling the swollen digits and cracked and bloodied skin; she pulled him down, bringing his lips to her own once again. Heat pooled inside her and she wanted more, so her fingers grasped at his trousers, but he reluctantly pulled back, eyes stormier than she had ever seen, heated with fire that surpassed Sozin's Comet. "Azula, we shouldn't," his voice was rough, and his eyes wandered to her full lips and she smirked in victory. "You are hurt and- "
"We should do this," she whispered, sliding her fingers to rub against the large bulge, relishing in his groan of pleasure. "We both clearly want this; we love each other. You will enjoy it and I need you," she sought out his lips but when he half-heartedly raised his head, she settled for his neck, pressing her lips against the flushed skin, her tongue darting out to cool the inflamed areas. "Love me, Aang, and take what is rightfully yours; you are mine."
Aang's hips suddenly bucked forward and he groaned loudly; his hands gripped her cheeks not unkindly and their eyes met again. Azula shivered pleasantly because of the look in his gray depths, of the way heat exploded through both of them; their lips met again but this time, there would be no delays or attempts to stop. She delighted in the way he kissed her and to reward him, she ran her hands through his hair, scratching his scalp with her nails. He sighed into her mouth and sucked her lower lip, caressing it gently, a moan escaping her that was swallowed by his mouth.
Azula pulled at his pants but Aang's hands grabbed her own, stopping her; he left her lips with a sucking sound and then leaned upward, almost making her cry out in frustration. "If we do this, we are going to do it the right way," his eyes were heated but serious and she heard the ground shift behind her. A large slab of smooth earth was made and Aang grabbed some of Appa's discarded fur and place it over the earth; she followed him eagerly and laid on the bed, ready to experience him fully.
His hands immediately pulled at her garments and she slipped out of the robes without delay; she finally saw the scar on her chest, given to her by her father. It was above her left breast, the skin angry and it looked very similar to the scar on Aang's back; she stared at it uncomprehendingly and Aang leaned down to kiss it gently, lovingly. "I'm sorry," he whispered, moving to her other breast. "I'm so sorry."
She sighed loudly at the feel of his lips against her breasts. "Don't be. If that is what led to this moment, then I'd experience it a thousand times over." Her nipples hardened as he massaged her breasts, fingers caressing and she closed her eyes, pants escaping past her lips. "Keep going, please."
Aang continued his ministrations and a cry of pleasure escaped her when his tongue ringed across her hard nipples, flicking gently, and her sounds of pleasure seemed to send Aang into a frenzy for his mouth was everywhere, hot and heavy, devouring every part of her.
He pulled back and slipped out of his trousers, leaving both of them completely bare. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that you were an Avatar of beauty, a goddess beyond any other."
Azula smirked, his words touching the deepest recesses of her soul. "You're not bad yourself, Avatar," she purred. "I need you and only you can give me what I want." He loomed over and his gray eyes were almost black with passion; he kissed her, slipping his tongue between her lips to prod her own and she moaned at the contact, and his answering rumble vibrated pleasantly against her breasts. Azula grasped at his hair even harder, pulling him closer until no space was left between their bodies; she felt herself becoming wet as her hips rubbed against his muscular body. "Aang, please," she moaned as she felt his manhood brush her entrance; his hands dug into her thighs and it sent shivers of expectation up her spine.
Aang pressed against her wet entrance and slowly, achingly entered her, causing her to gasp and him to groan; she felt him press against her barrier and when he looked at her for permission, she nodded her head impatiently, trusting him. He didn't hesitate as he pushed forward and Azula felt her barrier tear, causing pain to register and while she did wince slightly, it was quickly overwhelmed by the onslaught of pleasure; she bucked her hips to get him to continue, white-hot fire thrashing through both of them at the contact.
He rolled his hips several times and swallowed her moan with his lips, quickly leaving her mouth to focus on her breasts again. Azula flung her head back, lips parting in pleasure as his tongue left a sizzling trail; her blood ignited with searing heat, sweeping through her and their hips continued to meet in synchronization, their wet skin slapping audibly.
Something was building inside her body and her stomach clenched with burning fire as Aang continued to rock himself against her gently, Azula bucking her hips against his own in tandem; he quickened his rhythm, a wonderful flush on his cheeks as and began to buck wildly against her, pleasure consuming him. Azula scratched her nails against his chest and back, eyes scrunching shut at the intense, overwhelming heat inside her.
All of a sudden, Aang's tattoos and eyes glowed blinding light. "Azula," the Avatar groaned out in lifetimes of power and then he shuddered, his essence spilling out of him as his manhood pulsed inside her. The sight and feel of the Avatar losing himself inside her caused Azula to fall apart under him, her body arching into him with such force that his glowing hand had to hold her down; her climax was intense and beyond satisfying, lulling her into sweet bliss as the glow from the Avatar State faded.
They laid on top of each other, panting heavily, hot breath colliding with each other's faces. After several moments, Aang eventually rolled over and Azula followed his lead, nesting into his chest, kissing his torso lightly; his hand traced the side of her body and the other stroked her hair, twirling strands between his fingers.
"Thank you," she whispered, leaning up to press her lips against his own. "I told you that you would enjoy it."
Aang smiled at her. "You weren't wrong," he looked exhausted, gray eyes shadowed.
"How long was I out?"
"Five days."
"Did you rest at all while I was unconscious?"
"You were more important."
"You didn't attempt to heal your hands and fingers because of me?"
"I didn't want to waste any energy that wasn't necessary."
Azula felt touched by his words, kissing him again. "Well, sleep now, Aang. I'm okay and you need the rest more than I do."
"But- "
"You may be the Avatar, but you are still a man; you haven't slept in days and need to rest." Azula laid her head on his chest, her hair spilling over in a protective curtain. "Rest, Aang, it's okay. You don't have to keep fighting it, now."
His breathing evened out and he stilled after several moments; she felt her eyes become heavy because she was tired again. Their intense love-making had exhausted her more than she had thought possible. Azula would have to decide what she would do with the traitors, Mai and Ty Lee, but she would contemplate the problem later because now, she was more than content to lay in Aang's embrace; her golden eyes fluttered shut as the sound and feel of Aang's deep breathing lulled her into a peaceful slumber.
XxXxXxXxXxX
"I know that she is mad at us, but I wasn't expecting her furious reaction even though I should have been." Ty Lee hugged her knees and placed her head on her resting hands, features pulled into a sad frown.
Zuko sighed heavily, looking away from where the sun reflected off of the lake. "Well…" he trailed off, honestly unsure of what to say; he had been expecting that, if not more.
"I'm surprised that it wasn't worse. I kept waiting for lightning to fry us." Mai said dryly, twirling her shuriken, "I mean, that's what I thought would happen. I'm thankful that it didn't because frankly, I like being alive even though life can be so dull."
"I wouldn't call the experiences you've faced recently dull, Mai," he pointed out. "Maybe once you tell her that the reason why I banished you both for treason was that of her, she'll be more inclined to forgive you."
Mai raised a dark, dubious eyebrow. "And has Azula ever been someone who forgives?"
Zuko shrugged, "Well, not really, but she has changed. Tell her what happened: the reason why she got to stay at the Caldera in the Mental Health Ward, besides using her mental state as a defense against Kuei's probing, was because you two had agreed to turn yourselves over to the Earth Kingdom as reparations for the Great War because that's all that Kuei wanted. Then, of course, you obviously escaped before the transfer and were on the run for years before you were then captured by… Dark."
Ty Lee perked up, "Yeah, surely Azula will forgive us once we tell her what happened!"
Before Zuko could respond Katara approached from where she had been conversing with his mother; she then suddenly sat down next to him. "I wouldn't count on it; she did say that when she feels better, she'll kill you both."
Zuko rolled his eyes as Mai shrugged and Ty Lee groaned, choosing to look around the cove. His mother, Toph, and Samir – or was it his niece? He had no idea now because everything was so convoluted - were playing near the lake and he felt a small smile curl his lips. Samir and his mother clearly got along and Zuko had a feeling that it was because his mother and Azula were so similar – Samir would latch onto her because of the familiarity. The Imperial Firebenders and Yu Yan Archers stood vigilante, searching for any potential threats that could befall their Fire Lord and Zuko reminded himself that he would reward them later for their efforts.
Sokka and Suki had disappeared into the forest in search of food, but he knew that that was actually coded for having sex. He was honestly surprised they hadn't had a couple of kids yet; they had been together since the Great War ended, married only, from what he knew, a year after Sozin's Comet. Zuko, Katara, Mai, and Ty Lee were huddled together under a thick tree and from where he sat, with Mai and Ty Lee across from him and Katara leaning against him on his right, he could see dried blood stained into the bark of the tree, but he didn't think that the others noticed.
"Sorry, Zuko, for trying to- well, you know, trying to kill you." Ty Lee said sheepishly, barely meeting his eyes. "We didn't have a choice; the poison was… it was too strong – much too strong."
"Attempting to kill Agni's anointed ruler is a crime punishable with death," he raised his one eyebrow, watching as Ty Lee paled while Mai didn't look surprised by his words, merely resigned. "You don't need to worry. I don't hold either of you accountable for your actions."
"Thank you, Zuko," the acrobat gushed out, color swiftly returning to her cheeks.
Mai seemed to squirm slightly before she sighed. "Sorry for trying to kill you, as well, Zuko, and thank you for your mercy; it is undeserved."
"Thank you and you're welcome," he shrugged. "I can't say that I felt truly surprised by it, regardless of the poison in your minds."
"What do you mean?" Katara demanded, "What are you talking about?"
"It wasn't the first time when someone close to me had tried to kill me; they were the second-closest, though," he admitted and felt Katara grab his hand in her own, her soft and gentle fingers cooling his fiery skin.
"Well, let's see," Mai began to count off. "There was Azula multiple times, Ozai, and then us. Oh, wait, you told me about that guy, Jet in Ba Sing Se who tried to kill you."
"Wait, Jet?" Katara looked up at him anxiously, her hand tightening around his own. "Dual hook swords, shaggy hair, intense hatred for anyone borne of Fire, and always chewed a straw of wheat?"
Zuko frowned, remembering the play on Ember Island all of those years ago; he had forgotten that the others had known Jet, but they had never known about Zuko's history with him. "Yes, that's him; he introduced himself to Uncle Iroh and me when we were on the ferry to Ba Sing Se, seeking shelter from Azula's hunt. I know instinctively that there was something… off with him, and rejected his offer to join his Freedom Fighters, how you could even call three non-bending children 'fighters' I don't fucking know. Anyway, after I shunned the offer, he somehow found out that Uncle Iroh and I were Firebenders; he had no evidence, but he just knew."
"You don't know how?" Ty Lee questioned; her eyes were thoughtful. "Did either of you firebend?"
"No, of course not- " he abruptly remembered how his uncle had used his firebending to heat his cold tea during the last peaceful meeting with Jet. "Actually, Uncle Iroh used his firebending to heat his tea; Jet must have seen it."
"Then, what happened?" Katara asked softly, "Did he do something?"
"Oh, absolutely," he shook his head at the event from all of those years ago. "He was a fucking fool; he brazenly attacked me in front of dozens of witnesses, trying to kill me, demanding that I use my firebending. I beat him, of course, but before I could do anything to him, the Dai Li stepped out of the shadows and took him away." Katara's blue eyes were shadowed with something so Zuko squeezed her hand. "When we saw that horrid play by the Ember Island Players days before Sozin's Comet, I learned what they did to him, how they warped his mind, and how he was eventually killed. I'm sorry, Katara."
She shook her head, "No, don't be, Zuko. It was his own fault, honestly. He was a very tortured person and I had wished that I could have helped him, but I wasn't able to; his hatred burned brighter than any potential love." Zuko focused on that last word, fearing the depths behind it; his one hand that wasn't holding Katara's clenched into a tight fist and fire burned in his lungs, begging to be unleashed through his lips like the Dragons themselves.
Ty Lee raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "So, how did you know him, Katara? It sounds like that you knew him… intimately."
"I did not lay with him!" Katara exclaimed and immediately flushed, hiding her face with both of her hands; Zuko missed the feel of her hand in his own. "I was infatuated with him, too blinded by my feelings to see his true nature."
Ty Lee giggled at her words and when Mai chuckled slightly, Zuko refrained from speaking, knowing that if he did, he would make Katara feel worse – because that fucking bastard didn't deserve her!
Thankfully, both Sokka and Suki suddenly stumbled out of the forest, clothes rumpled, faces flushed, and eyes bright; they calmly walked into the cove and Zuko, Katara, Mai, and Ty Lee followed.
"Sorry, couldn't find any food, you guys." Sokka tried to lie smoothly; he was not successful.
Toph glared at him, "Whatever helps you sleep better, Snoozles. Next time, why don't you just- " she suddenly stood straight up and stared at the cave, blood drained from her face, eyes wide.
Zuko's own eyes widened in dread, fearing the worst. Had Azula fallen unconscious? "What is it? What's wrong? Are they okay? What happened?" He and the others rushed to Toph's side.
"Is Azula all right?" His mother demanded, "What about Avatar Aang?"
"They're both fine," Toph choked out and shuddered, eyes spasming shut. "It's just that they are," her head moved to where Samir was looking up at her with fearful eyes and Toph calmed down. "They are doing the hanky-panky," she finished, no longer shivering.
Zuko blinked and stared at the cave where, apparently, his little sister and best friend were engaged in sex. After overcoming his shock in several moments, he shrugged; he was, by no means, a virgin. He already knew that Aang loved his sister and since it seemed that Azula shared the sentiments, then he wasn't going to stop it. He looked at his mother and saw that she stared at the cave with wide eyes before a smile graced her face; she recovered from the revelation of what Azula was currently doing with the same speed that he had.
"Wait just a minute," Sokka spluttered, astonishment carved into his face and Zuko noticed that Katara looked just as shocked. "Aang and… and her are doing that? What the fu- " he shriveled at Zuko's mother glare, cutting himself off.
"Yes, that's what I just said, Snoozles," Toph snapped. "Yes, Twinkletoes and… Azula are doing the hanky-panky!"
"What's the hanky-panky?" Samir asked innocently, gray eyes peering up at them all, and Zuko inhaled sharply.
Silence; nobody answered for several seconds, panic tangible in the air.
"It's a game, sweetheart," his mother said gently. "That's all that it is."
"Can I play it?"
He was amazed when his mother shook her head patiently. "No, my dear. It's a game that only adults can play; children can't do it."
An adorable frown graced Samir's face. "Fine, but when I'm all grown-up, I'm going to play it!" Sokka laughed boisterously at her words and both Katara and Suki simultaneously elbowed him harshly in both of his sides.
"Come, my dear. Let's go back to the lake," his mother gently pulled Samir along and left the rest of them standing in awkward silence.
"Well, I can't say that I'm too shocked," Mai declared flatly. "Azula had always said when we were younger before her dreams were dashed when she was set to be married to Admiral Zhao that- "
"Wait, Azula was going to marry him?" Zuko asked in astonishment, in horror; he dimly noticed that Katara's own face reflected the horror that he felt. "You can't be serious!"
"She told us about it," Ty Lee admitted, looking solemn. "She said that it was the most horrifying news that she had ever been given. Your father didn't give her a choice- "
Flames flickered at Zuko's fingertips. "He never gave anyone a choice!"
"Azula was ecstatic when news reached the Caldera that Admiral Zhao had been killed at the Siege of the Northern Water Tribe."
Zuko flashed back to watching Zhao being pulled under by the glowing water and smiled slightly. "I was ultimately relieved, too, when he died."
"So, what was her dream before… Zhao?" Katara asked quietly, looking interested.
"Probably nothing except world domination," Sokka muttered and Zuko glared at him.
Mai smirked, "No, it wasn't, at least this time. She always declared that if she were ever to be married, it would be to a handsome, powerful man, one who could defeat her in a sparring match. Those were her conditions."
"Of course, it was," he chuckled and rolled his eyes. "That sounds exactly like her."
A smile twitched at Katara's lips. "Zhao was certainly none of those."
"Indeed," Ty Lee giggled. "And who is more powerful than the Avatar? No one is! Avatar Aang is quite handsome, too, and he holds all of the power in the Realms and because of it, Azula is literally the most powerful woman in the world!"
Zuko suddenly laughed, ignoring Katara's suddenly pale face. "That's right. Nobody could ever deny her because if they did, they would risk the Avatar's wrath befalling them. Her dream became a reality," he shook his head without malice because Azula always seemed to come out as the victor.
"Aren't you pissed off?" Sokka asked incredulously, looking at him in shock. "How can you not be?"
"No, I'm happy for them," he shrugged and saw Katara listening closely. "If you truly think about it, both Aang and Azula have had very hard and scar-inducing lives. Regardless of the past, they both deserve to be happy and if they find that happiness in each other, then I won't complain."
"That doesn't even take into account the political ramifications." Mai pointed out, "An Avatar himself marrying a- "
"How do we know this goes to marriage?" Katara asked quickly, "It might not."
Toph snorted, "You haven't been around either of them, Sugar Queen. Trust me, they will be married, I guarantee it. Twinkletoes wants her as his Mother of the Air Nomads and no other."
Katara swallowed and looked deprived of utterance and Suki spoke. "What political ramifications are you talking about?"
Mai raised an eyebrow, "It's always an Avatar's descendants who marry into Royal Bloodlines, but never the Avatar himself. This is unprecedented: the full power of an Avatar becoming intertwined with a Royal Bloodline."
"Oh, come on!" Sokka cried out, "Why is it always the Fire Nation? Why couldn't it have been us or the Earth Kingdom? Why did you and Aang break up, Katara, just why?"
"Calm down, Sokka," he ordered. "It's only the- "
"No! It's unfair, Zuko." Sokka waved his arms wildly, "Your line already has the blood of Avatar Roku and now you gain the blood of the most powerful Avatar to ever exist?"
Katara interjected, "Gran Gran has said that, from both sides of our family, we are descended from Avatar Kuruk, Sokka. We have the blood of an Avatar in our veins, too, in our line."
"That's different! From the stories, every Water Tribesmen's line has Kuruk's blood!"
"My father said that he was descended from Kyoshi," Suki suddenly said. "Remember, Sokka?"
Sokka frowned, "Yes, but you doubted the truth in that statement. You said that it was likely that he said that so that you would feel confident enough to join the Kyoshi Warriors. Zuko is already descended from the most powerful line in the world, the line of Sozin! Then, on top of that, he has Roku's blood, who we all know was very powerful, and then he will get Aang's, who could obliterate any other Avatar from history because he's so powerful!"
"It's not my line that gains Aang's blood!" Zuko inhaled slowly, "The main branch of the bloodline is mine because I am the eldest and the son. Azula's branch and line will only matter if something happens to mine where no heir is found to take the Dragon's Throne."
"But what if something happens to you, Zuko?" Sokka questioned, "What if during this new war you die and- " he avoided Katara's smack, "have no children? Then Azula will take the Dragon's Throne and the Fire Nation will become even more powerful because of Aang!"
Zuko blinked to ease his temper. "I'm not going anywhere, Sokka. I'm a survivor and even if something did happen, then Uncle Iroh could still take the Dragon's Throne if I demand it. You have nothing to worry about. I'm not happy about the match because of politics and raising the Fire Nation's power, raising the Fire Royal Bloodline's might."
"Then what are you happy about?" Sokka asked incredulously. "I don't understand."
"I love my sister and have always wished for her to become who she was meant to be, not the weapon of our father's. Aang is my best friend and I want him to be happy instead of remaining the loneliest person in the world. To me, it seems that Aang and Azula have found those two things and even more in each other. The fact that it is my sister and best friend doesn't change that. In fact, I believe that it makes it even better."
Sokka blinked and shook his head in apparent disbelief. "Damn, I hadn't thought of that."
"Obviously," Toph muttered.
"I gotta say, though, if it were Katara and my best friend, I would shove my space sword so far up his ass that- "
"I think that they understand, Sokka." Suki rubbed his arm and Zuko swallowed, eyes darting towards Katara and he felt himself yearn for something more. Sokka had found Suki, Aang had found Azula, and now Zuko wanted to find Katara.
Golden eyes met oceanic blue, fire versus water, and Zuko suddenly realized how foolish that he was acting. He cleared his throat, ignoring Ty Lee staring at him with wide eyes. "Guards!"
"Yes, my liege?"
"Anything suspicious? Any sign of trouble?"
"No, my liege. We have stayed ever-vigilant and no activity has raised suspicion."
"Return to post."
"Of course, my liege."
He saw Toph chuckling quietly over his distraction and knew that he couldn't make a mistake like that again.
His father had been too close to murdering Azula and Ozai could harm any of them. He couldn't afford to get distracted. The only thing that mattered was his father's death.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Phew! That was a tough one. I hope that you all enjoyed it. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. I'd really appreciate it!
**Aang, Azula, Toph, and Samir are ambushed by Ozai, Vaatu, Agni, Devi, the Dai Li, and the treacherous Fire Sages! Ozai merged with Vaatu and Toph overestimated her capabilities and was narrowly saved from death by both Samir and Azula; she was knocked out of the fray. Ozai overpowered Azula, nearly killing her. Aang is unable to do anything until it's too late because he had been dealing with all of the Dai Li, Fire Sages, and Agni and Devi. The reason why he didn't go into the Avatar State to smack them all around is that he was afraid of Agni and Devi. Vaatu had shared with them how to permanently slay the Avatar Spirit – killing Aang while he is in the Avatar State – and he wasn't going to risk it with such powerful opponents who know the 'weakness' of the Avatar. When he defeats them, he is just in time to see Azula get struck by the lightning bolt. Of course, Aang loses his shit and enters the Avatar State in a terrible rage. He pounds into Ozai but just before he can enter the Spirit World to whatever he was going to do, Toph alerts him that Azula is still alive. He rushes back and because of it, Ozai and Vaatu escape; quite short-sighted but he wasn't thinking straight. (Yes, Aang's use of airbending can slice off Ozai's arm because pressurized air is extremely powerful!)
Toph is sent to the Fire Nation because Aang is paranoid and wants the Gaang with him. After he heals Azula, Samir reveals that she thinks of Azula as her mommy. What other reaction would she have to such a traumatic event? Remember, Samir is 6-years-old and her whore mother abandoned her. Azula is the first woman to truly treat her kindly and teach her things, even playing with her. A child always wants a mother and Samir naturally began to think of Azula as such, and because of Aang's involvement, of how he gave her airbending and would be her Master, she began to think of him as her daddy for the same reasons. It makes sense from a child's perspective and Aang had already begun to make the same conclusions about how he would need to raise Samir since she is the only Airbender in the world besides himself. (Later on, when she awakens, Azula accepts the change because she has grown fond of the child.)
**Zuko thinks about how good his life has been. Let's be honest, he has had a shitty life, but it turned out pretty okay. He could have had it much worse. He was borne of generations of royalty, the blood of Avatar Roku and Fire Lords in his veins, he was borne a son and a Firebender, he had a loving mother, cousin, uncle, and a somewhat loving grandfather and sister. The only downside was his father who was a monster and I'm not discounting how horrible that is – it's terrible. Of course, things became much worse for him when his mom left, grandfather died, Azula being molded by Ozai, his uncle vanishing for years, and then he was banished. In a lot of ways, Zuko's saving grace was his banishment. If he hadn't been banished, I guarantee that he would have eventually become his father reborn. Zuko is old enough and mature enough now to realize these things and he recognizes that in spite of everything, he's had a pretty good life.
Toph arrives at the Caldera in exhaustion and reveals everything! Everyone's reactions are about what you would suspect, and I hope that they seemed realistic. Iroh is named regent of the Fire Nation for an indefinite period of time while Zuko joins Aang and the Gaang. (I wonder if Iroh will order that tea be the official drink of the Fire Nation.)
**Aang talks with Samir about scars and then the Gaang shows up out-of-the-blue! Aang attacks and chaos ensues for a little bit. After the dust settles, Aang realizes that Mai and Ty Lee were, indeed, under Vaatu's influence and frees them from the poison. Samir is revealed to be an Airbender and Aang explains why he can't give waterbending to Sokka, why he can't just give a bending element to any non-bender. Honestly, children are the primary targets for giving an element through energybending because children are young and malleable in their beliefs and actions. Adults and teenagers are very stubborn and unable to change on a fundamental level; if you reach a kid quick enough, you could bypass needing to change at a fundamental level by changing the level itself from what it was going to be.
**Aang finally stops running from his feelings and confesses to Azula when she wakes up and that leads to them having sex. I hope that it seemed realistic because that's how I envisioned it happening. (Yes, several of the quotes were based on quotes from Shakespeare's plays.)
**Zuko and all of the others learn of what Aang and Azula are doing and various reactions are given. If you think about it, any of the Kings and rulers of the Four Nations would want the Avatar to marry their daughters and sisters to strength the Royal Bloodlines because that's what people did. So, of course, Sokka is worried about the Fire Nation's power because they already have Avatar Roku's blood in the Fire Royal Bloodline – but that is through a descendant of Roku, not Roku himself who married into it – and then Aang is 'doing it' with Azula and they could beget children accidentally – and that is a true Avatar, not a descendant of Aang's.
Well, I think that is everything. I hope that you all enjoyed it and I would really appreciate it if you left a review to tell me what you thought about it.
Stay Safe
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