So, the fabled time has come... the final chapter!

Thanks to all you lovely people why have Followed, Favorited, Reviewed and Read this story - making it really worthwhile. There is definitely going to be a sequel (mabye a prequel about Ryuu on the run, depending on popular demand really...). Thank you all so much!


~ Sozin's Comet ~

Avatar Aang

Ryuu POV

There were two ways this could've ended; niether were preferable and niether without injury. But to protect Zuko and Katara, something needed to be done. Katara leant over Zuko with her magic healing water on the go, healing as fast as she humanely could. Azula stood at the other end of the court - panting and looking as if she was preparing to kill someone, which, in all truth, she probably was.

"Oh Zuzu, you don't look to well," Azula laughed maniacally, "Let you sister take care of you."

Two fingers raised and a smirk riddling her face, Azula prepared to strike. But I got there first. Nailing her in the head with a pebble, at first, seemed like a good idea, but when she turned the lightning bolt onto me, I ran for my life. The strike exploded the ground precariously close to my feet as I ran into the forest of pilars that lined the Agni Kai Courtyard.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Azula blasted blue fire down each level of pillars. I yelped as my sleeve arm caught on fire - this is why I always bandage them up. Ripping it off, I yanked a torch off of a pilar and began waving it about.

"Aww, how cute, " The psychotic princess patronised, "She thinks she can Firebend. You want to play with fire? Well here it is!"

A turret of blue flame roared towards me, like a flood. I leapt behind a pilar and grabbed another torch. Holding both so tight my knuckles turned white, I stood and waited until Azula had stopped shooting at me. She screwed up her nose and pouted as I came out of my hiding place, "You're no fun."

I launched one torch at her, like a dart. She tried to swat it away but her hand got burnt in the process. Gasping, she clenched her fists and started screaming fire from her mouth. I ducked and comando crawled towards her - but she noticed this within seconds. A zap of lightning came too close for comfort as I rolled to miss it. The torchlight beat in my hand like a heart on the verge of death.

Leaping to my feet, I was caught off gaurd when Azula heel-kicked me right in the chest. I toppled backwards and slammed to the floor, groaning in pain. I was whinded and, because of that, felt sick. At least she hadn't kicked hard enough to shatter my ribcage...

"Come on, little dragon, give me a fight!" She raised her burnt hand, looking as if she was about to slap my soul from my body. That, I definitely didn't want to happen. So instead, I smacked my hands to the floor and spinning kicked Azula off of her feet. She screamed and retracted with two arcs of lightning charged fire. Most of it, I blocked with the torch, but I got hit by a rouge flame. I yelped and leapt backwards. Azula back flipped to her feet.

Two punches and a roundhouse propelled me into a colmn. I slid down it and moaned loudly - Azula padded towards me with her fingertips drawing patterns with lightning.

"I often wondered the effects of close-range lightning on a non-bender. Thank you for your cooperation. "

Her charged lightning was about to hit my heart - but something happened to stop it. Katara happened! She Waterbent water up from the drainage grate Azula was standing apon and up around the Princess. Katara had also iced herself in, but she could move. With a chain in hand, Katara set to work chaining the Princess up.

When she was done, Katara dropped the ice and let it run back into the drain. Azula spluttered and coughed out water she had swallowed when she was frozen mid-scream. Throwing the dead torch aside, I tried to slide up the column, but pain ricocheted around my body. Nope, I was wrong about not breaking anything. My chest felt wrong everytime inhaled - a broken rib...

Katara and Zuko stood and observed the last of Azula's mental breakdown with disturbed expressions. Zuko leant heavily apon Katara as his wound was still obviously extremely painful. Azula screamed through tears, which resulted in ever more ferocious blue fire.

Sitting, propped up against the pilar, I clutched at where the rib was most probably broken. The odd thing was, whenever I exhaled it was fine - painless. Inhaling... a whole different story...

'Some birthday I've got here, BUT I've had worse, ' A horrifying image of bounty hunter guy looming over me with his stick poised to find fault with everything I did filled my memories, making me tear up. I forced myself to think of the positives to get him out of my mind '... at least Azula's defeated and Aang has hopefully taken care of Fire Lord Nutcase.'

I attempted to laugh at the new nickname for Ozai, but it came out as a strangled cry because of the pain. Azula knelt, sobbing her heart out, as Katara lowered Zuko down beside me and squatted down to heal the wound. She looked exhausted, but insisted on healing the rob before sleep was even considered.

"Tha- thank you, Kat- Katara," I wheezed painfully. Water girl nodded and continued working on the rib until whe dropped the water with an exhausted sigh, "Can we do this in the Palace? She needs to be lain down if I am to do this properly. "

The statement was directed at Zuko, who nodded and moved his arm to tounch mine, "Ye- yes, yes, I guess it's my Palace now... We just need to find someone to help us..."

...

Dear lady Rangi nodded her head at the last of Katara's instructions - she probably hadn't listened to anything Katara had just said. Water girl had left the old lady in charge of my care while she went to find Aang and Sokka - I wasn't sure whether to be pleased it was Rangi or scared it was the prank pulling elderly lady.

"Don't worry dear," Rangi clasped her hands beside her head, " I'll make sure she drinks plenty of Ginger tea and at least gets one meditation session in before the coronation. Now, you go find your boyfriend, the Avatar! "

Before Katara could protest that Aang wasn't her boyfriend (yet), Rangi had hussled her from the healer's room with a quick shove to her back. Then, she took a sprig of ginger and dropped it into the teapot. With a sly grin, Rangi placed the pot to boil.

She threw me a loose red tunic to pull over my bindings, seen as my old clothes were ruined my burns and ripped off arms... I hissed and bit my lip as I carefully slipped into the tunic - it barely reached my knees and the neckline was stretched, which meant it hung off one shoulder. Rangi twpped the side of her nose as I scowled at her.

The healer's room was a cozy library type place with a sofa huddled behind a tiny round table and a small stove, to boil tea apon. Scroll apon scroll lined the walls from floor to ceiling - it was a dove coup-like construction with pillows and finely woven carpets littering the floor. In short - the best place in the entire Fire Nation Imperial Palace.

"Now, dear, you probably want to go see your boyfriend! " She giggled playfully. I nodded and just gave in to Rangi's mischievous ways. The elderly lady winked and grabbed my arms quite harshly before hauling me to my feet. The rib still hurt like anything, even if Katara had magic waterifyied it. Rangi obviously didn't give two thoughts about it, however, as she dragged me along by the arm.

We stopped quite suddenly outside of a balcony room, which looked out apon the burnt buildings and destroyed Agni Kai Courtyard. The day of the comet had passed and sunlight streamed into the room. Even though the ornate chandeliers were lit up, they were definitely not needed as the morning sun was more than enough. Zuko stood, overlooking the courtyard, struggling to pull his dressing robe on.

Rangi cackled with laughter as she 'accidentally' shoved me flying into the room. I tripped up and fell face-first into the carpet. Clutching my side, I blushed bright red as Zuko giggled at my manner of entrance. He held out a hand and helped me up. His robe was hanging off of one arm, so I rolled my eyes and helped to slide the robe on completely.

"So, how are you?" I pulled the robe onto his back. Zuko sighed and lifted his arm as horizontal as it would go, "I'm fine... it's you I'm worried about. How did you fight Azula without bending? "

Smirking, I slid the arm of his robe over Zuko's bicep and laced my fingers into his hair, "I have my ways..."

"I can't believe it's over - in just a day," Zuko thought aloud, "One hundred years in just one day..."

I nodded and retracted my hands, to clutch at my rib, "Unbelievable... what's also unbelievable is that you are going to be Fire Lord! "

With a grab of my hand, Zuko pulled me into a light hug, mindful of his new wound, "The coronation is three hours away... and we are alone..."

"You-" I poked his chest, he gave me a warey stare before I giggled and carried on "-Are even more impertinent than Rangi!"

He chuckled and lightly kissed the tip of my nose, "You love me though."

"Hmm... I'll have to think about that," I teased, kissing his cheek lightly. He grinned and pulled my face up and into a true kiss, before pulling back and leaning his forehead against mine, "I love you, My flame."

"And I love you, My Princess. "

...

Fire Sage Rishi lowered the Fire Lord's crown into Zuko's top-knot while the world held its breath. Toph, who stood beside me, lightly punched my forearm in jest. She smirked and hissed: "Guess ya now Fire Lady Stabby, but I ain't gonna grovel at your feet any time soon..."

"Hmm, Fine by me, Rock Queen. "

Toph grunted happily at her new nickname and crossed her arms as Rishi raised his arms in adoration, "All hail Fire Lord Zuko!"

The courtyard erupted into cheering chaos as Aang and Zuko peered out apon us. A new age had begun. A time of peace, joy and happiness. But, for the meantime, we were kids , so we did what kids do on any important day - a tea party...

...

They say Ba Sing Se evinings are the most divine thing on earth. They are right, of course. But they are even more divine when you're betting on Pai Sho with friends while drinking the best tea in the entire world - all while listening to a tsungi horn.

Iroh played a rakbling piece on the horn that sometimes took the form of 'Leaves from the Vine', other times 'Secret Tunnel '. Suki clacked her tile down, grinning and sweeping my piece away - along with another few golden pieces. Katara shook her head as Zuko came around with calming jasmine tea for us all. Sokka groaned loudly and cupped a hand around his mouth.

"Zuko, stop moving! I'm trying to capture the moment. I wanted to do a painting, so we always remember the good times together."

Katara glided over to him with a gentle smile, until she saw the painting that is, "Wait, why did you give me Momo's ears?"

Intruiged by this, the rest of us moved to observe the painting. Sokka's painting skills are severely lacking. Zuko pointed at what was supposed to be himself on the painting, "At least you don't look like a boar-q-pine! My hair is not that spiky!"

"Pfft!" I restrained a laugh, "Yeah right! Well, I look like a homicidal maniac! I am not a-"

Zuko squinted at me. I growled, "Alright fine. I may have homicidal maniac tendencies!"

The whole group burst out laughing at that - even Zuko. Suki jabbed her arm across the scroll at herself, "And why did you paint me firebending?"

Sokka shrugged innocently as Iroh placed his tsungi horn down and swept over, "I thought it looked more exciting that way. Oh, you think you can do a better job, Momo?"

Momo landed on the painting and chittered loudly. Iroh frowned at his figure in the portrait, "Hey, my belly's not that big anymore. I've really trimmed down."

"Well I think you all look perfect!" Toph waved her arms. Sokka went to thank her, before remembering she's blind. We all laughed in a rapturous way as Katara and Aang kissed eagerly on the balcony. Zuko slid his arm around my waist and placed a kiss ontop of my head. Suki giggled and pecked Sokka on the cheek. Momo leapt about and chittered noisily. The sunset outside cast all sorts of purples, oranges and pinks about.

Now this was the happy ending we needed...