"What do you mean, she's gone?" Azula's voice carried through the throne room.

The unfortunate guards who had discovered the empty bedchamber cowered back from the princess. They were right to be afraid; the princess was clearly slipping further into madness. Gone was any semblance of sanity: her golden eyes were wide and bloodshot, and her dark hair was a sweaty, knotted mess that was desperately trying to escape its topknot, and succeeding. Her dark clothes were rumpled and stained with something that looked like blood.

The whispers in the guards' dormitory was that the princess had spent the last week holed up with the mysterious stranger that the black-masked assassins had dragged in, and the screams echoed in the halls. Beyond that, they had also heard about her talking to her dead brother. Some of them had even seen it, in the brief moments Azula would leave that torture chamber, and would stalk through the halls of the palace. She would talk to Fire Lord Zuko or argue with him in turn. Sometimes she would even throw flames at nothing.

"W-when we went to give her breakfast, the window was open, and Lady Kemeko wasn't there, y-your highness," one of the guards stammered out.

Azula's hands gripped the arms of the throne. The bandages were gone, and the fresh red scars, peeking out from beneath her shirtsleeves, shone prominently in the blue glow that was cast by her flames, mounting with her temper. Her lips curled into a vicious snarl and the guards took an involuntary step backwards.

"How did she slip out with no one hearing her?" Azula shrieked. She launched herself to her feet. "What kind of guards are you if you can't even guard!"

They didn't answer. If they did, they were afraid they might lose their lives.

"Get out of my sight!"

Azula lashed out with her hand. A wide arc of blue fire raced away from her and the guards ducked to avoid being burned. Then they turned and scurried from the room like viper-rats, terrified and skittish.

With her chest heaving, Azula watched them go. Her blood pounded in her ears and the edges of her vision were starting to darken. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose. When she opened them, Zuko stood before her in full Fire Lord regalia.

"Go away, brother," Azula said tiredly. She swayed unsteadily on her feet.

"The weight of the crown is not easy to bear," he told her, sounding like their uncle. The corner of his lips turned up in a cold smile. "Are you sure you don't want to give it back?"

"Leave me alone!" Azula yelled at him. "This crown is mine and you will never take it from me! It belongs to me! It's mine, it's mine, it's mine!"

She stormed off of the dais and brushed past her brother. She tried to bump into him with her shoulder, but he sidestepped her easily. Azula didn't turn back to him as she stalked out of the throne room. But she heard the clack of his boots on the floor trailing after her, echoing off the walls of her skull like he had somehow gotten inside of her head—

"Rargh!"

Blue flames flew from the ends of her fists as rage surged through her. Why couldn't he just leave her be? He was supposed to be dead. This was supposed to be a glorious moment. Azula was going to be Fire Lord. She had completed her work on the Conduit. Everything was falling into place, so why did she feel like everything was falling apart?

Her feet carried her through the halls she had walked since girlhood, but Azula didn't realize where she was going until she stood outside of the dungeons. The guards posted outside of the door shied away from her.

"Out of my way, peasants!" she snapped as she bulled through the heavy doors.

The dungeon was dark and dank. It was a pitiful excuse for a prison, and it was easy to see why her grandfather had commissioned the tower. This place was just one long, narrow room lined with cells made of iron bars. She could clearly see all of her prisoners: the water tribe peasant, who was the sibling of her brother's new whore, the Kyoshi warriors, her former friends Fire Nation. Her mother, and her mother's bastard child.

She didn't stop until she reached the cell where her mother and half-sister lay curled up on the thin straw mat. Ursa wrapped her arms protectively around the girl, as if somehow she could protect the young girl from Azula. It was almost humorous enough to make Azula laugh.

But she didn't.

Azula gripped the iron bars in her hands and peered in at her mother. Ursa watched her with a neutral expression, but Azula could see the fear in her eyes. The girl cowered deeper into Ursa's rumpled robe and turned her face away.

"Tell me something, Mother," Azula hissed. "Do you wish that I had never been born?"

Ursa's eyes softened. "I only wish that I had been able to help you, Azula."

Her grip tightened on the bars as the palms of her hands heated up. "Don't you dare be condescending to me, Mother!" Azula shrieked. "I am your future Fire Lord and you will bow down to me."

"Leave them alone!"

Azula's head whipped around. She found the water tribe peasant standing at the gate of his cell, his eyes narrowed at her. Azula gnashed her teeth together. How dare he try to command her! Who did he think he was?

"Silence, peasant," Azula sneered. "Do not speak in front of your betters." She turned back to her mother and the girl.

"Azula, you look exhausted," Ursa said softly. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"Yes, Azula, are you having trouble sleeping?"

Azula turned her head. Zuko leaned against the bars of an empty cell across from Ursa's. He was watching her with that same cruel smirk. Her lips curled back into a snarl.

"Leave me alone!" Blue fire jetted across the room and scorched the stone walls in the adjacent cell.

"Azula—"

She turned back toward her mother, eyes wide and frantic. Her vision was swimming and her heart was skipping in her chest, but Azula was filled with so much rage that she couldn't stop to think about that now. Her mother was still watching her with that sad, pitying look in her eyes while the girl buried her face. But Azula could see the way her shoulders shook with a sob.

"Don't you dare pretend to give a damn about me," Azula snarled. "You have never cared about me! You only loved Zuko. You never loved me. You thought I was sick, a monster!" Her face scrunched up. "Well, Mother, you were right! But you never did anything to try and change that, did you?" She jabbed an accusing finger at her mother. "Instead you ran away. You left me here. You knew I needed you and instead you chose to run away like the coward you are! You never did anything at all because you didn't care!"

Azula felt wetness on her cheeks and she swiped the heels of her hands over her face. She was surprised to find she was crying. Azula couldn't remember the last time she had cried. Had she ever cried before?

"Azula, I did care about you. I do." Ursa disentangled the girl from her robes and stood up, but she didn't dare to come any closer. "I only wish I had been able to help you more. But your father—"

Azula beat her fist against the bars. "Don't you speak of him to me! You knew what he was like, Mother, and you left us here with him! Me and Zuko! Look what he did to your son!"

She gestured to the space behind her, occupied by her brother. Ursa's eyes followed the sweep of her arm, but confusion shone on her face. Ursa swallowed hard and pressed on. She took one tentative step toward her eldest daughter.

"I didn't have a choice." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I couldn't take you with me. You can't truly believe I would willingly leave my own children behind?"

Azula clenched her jaw. "It doesn't matter now. You did. And all of this is your fault."

Ursa shook her head sadly. "Azula—"

"If you truly cared, you would have found a way," Azula snapped. "You even left your dear, precious Zuko behind. And instead of coming back for us, you started a new family. Were we not good enough for you, Mother? Were Zuko and I not good enough?" Her eyes focused on the girl cowering in the corner of the cell. "Do you love her more?"

"Of course not—"

"Of course you do!" Azula's eyes blazed at her mother. "You never abandoned her like you abandoned me! She is just perfect, isn't she? She's not a screw-up like Zuko. She's not a monster like me. She is your perfect little princess, isn't she? I'll show you perfect."

Azula lashed out. She saw in perfect clarity the way her mother's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. It was as if the world was moving in slow motion. Azula's eyes traced the line of blue fire that left her fingertips and cut through the air as precise as a throwing knife.

Ursa threw herself into the path of the flames. The jet of fire seared across the palm of her out-stretched hand. She cried out as she fell, clutching her burned hand to her chest. Behind her, Kiyi shrieked.

"Ursa!" The peasant was screaming, but Azula only vaguely heard him.

She smiled in satisfaction at the tears that rolled down her mother's face. Perhaps now she understood a little bit of what Azula had been through. But then the rage came back as she realized that Ursa had protected the little brat, in a way she had never protected Azula before.

"Stay out of my way," Azula snarled.

She stepped forward as she raised her hand again, but suddenly Zuko stood before her. His face was a murderous glower.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned.

"You're dead," Azula hissed.

The doors to the dungeon opened up. Azula turned toward the intruders, furious. How dare those insolent guards enter, unbidden, and interrupt her? But it wasn't the guards at all. It was the Kage Noshi leader.

"The Avatar has been sighted, princess," he said. "He's keeping a low profile, but he'll reach the capital by nightfall."

"Oh, what an interesting development." Azula turned away from the cell, her anger forgotten. A sinister smile curled her lips. "We're ready for him."

All she could feel was pain as she lay on the table. It was all-encompassing, like a wildfire, burning in her bones. She had never known such pain.

She thought she might have been screaming, but she can't remember now. But the rawness in her throat told her it was true. The sensation was a minor nuisance, a wasp-fly buzzing around her face, compared to the pain that was searing through her. It was inside of her, coursing through her veins like blood.

No, not her veins. Her chi-paths. Something had happened to her chi. She couldn't quite remember what. Only that it had hurt and it had brought on this pain, this never-ending pain that made her scream and wish for death—

A voice. It sounded muffled, like she was underwater and the person talking was somewhere above her. She couldn't make out the words. But the voice was growing louder, cutting through the pain.

"...it's time to put you to the test." That cold voice. It tugged at her memory. That voice meant something. "Come on, get up."

She felt a pressure on her arm and suddenly the world was swimming through the fog covering her eyes. She realized she was no longer restrained. Golden eyes flashed, and she remembered.

The mad princess, Azula. She had done this...chi-manipulation...to her. The mad princess had driven her mad, too.

"The Avatar is coming," the princess was saying. "It's time to ascend."

The words clicked in her brain and suddenly, everything became clear. The Avatar, her counterpart. She had to destroy him. He was coming to destroy her. Rage boiled within her, comforting and known, and with it, she could feel her power pooling in her belly. She was familiar with rage and power.

Forgetting all of her hatred and rage towards the princess, her mind zoned in on the Avatar. She followed Azula out of the room.

"I see the Gates of Azulon," Aang called back to Iroh and Toph.

The plan was simple. They were going to fly directly to the Royal Palace and land there. Then they would find Princess Ursa and figure out what was going on. Beyond that, Aang wasn't sure. Somehow he knew that this was the place where everything was supposed to go down, but he wasn't sure how the Conduit would know to come here. Maybe she just would.

They had flown hard for the last five days. Time was running out, and they didn't have any more to waste. Aang could feel it, like the sand of an hourglass. Appa was exhausted, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it. And Aang knew his animal friend understood the urgency.

"We should be prepared to find something we are not ready for," Iroh said solemnly. "Ursa's silence is troubling, and I fear the worst might have happened."

Aang shook his head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay? Let's just see what's going on."

"Perhaps we should land away from the palace," Iroh suggested.

"No. If something has happened, I'm not going to wait to deal with it." Aang set his jaw. "I'd rather deal with it head-on."

Iroh wasn't fond of that plan, but he trusted Aang. He would have the Avatar's back no matter what, and he knew Toph would too.

Night had fallen and clouds were rolling in. He was grateful for that. Night was camouflage; they could fly above the capital city without anyone seeing from below. He didn't want to believe that anything bad had happened, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The flying bison cut over the city, high enough that the streets below looked like scars cut into the geography. Aang didn't start to lower their altitude until they saw the walls of the royal palace.

What he saw as they flew over the walls made his blood run cold. Azula stood on the steps of the palace, but she wasn't alone. The woman from his dreams stood with her. They were both watching them.

"Oh, no," Aang gasped.

"What is it?" Iroh demanded to know.

Aang swallowed hard. "Azula is here. And it looks like the Conduit is with her."

Behind him, he heard Toph swear.

Iroh's next words sounded like a prayer. "Agni, guide us."

Katara was startled from sleep by Zuko's sudden movement. Her head had suddenly dropped onto the dusty sleep mat as he pulled away from her before she threw herself up on her elbow. Her eyes combed the room for any signs of danger that would have pulled him from sleep.

But it was just the two of them.

Zuko sat upright, heaving, his breathing harsh and loud in the quiet room. Katara sat up beside him and peered into his face. His eyes were wide and his skin was damp with sweat. His hair stuck to his temples and she was startled by his haggard appearance.

"A bad dream?" She frowned. Neither of them had been having any nightmares for weeks...not since they had started sleeping side by side.

Zuko scrubbed his hand down his face. "Yeah, you can say that."

"Was it like the ones we were having before?"

"No." He peers over at her before he drops his head. "Just...a regular nightmare."

Katara put her hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Zuko started to shake his head, but then he stopped. He looked up at her, his brow furrowed and his mouth set in an unhappy scowl.

Katara didn't like the look on his face. "What is it?"

He let out a shaky breath. "Katara...out there in the desert. We almost died." He huffed out an unamused laugh. "We would have died if the Conduit hadn't shown up."

"You don't know that," she told him gently.

"Yes, I do! You were there. We both knew what was about to happen. That's why we stopped to say I love you. We both knew it was more than that. It was a goodbye. Because we knew. We knew what was going to happen next."

Katara's brow knit. She wasn't sure what he was getting at, but it must have had something to do with his nightmare. Whatever he had dreamed of, it had rattled him. She rubbed his shoulder soothingly, wishing she could reassure him that everything had worked out for the better, but knowing he needed to get this off his chest.

"The Conduit saved us because she could." His voice was low and his eyes were on the ground. "Because she had the power, and the ability, to do so. But I...I didn't." His hands clenched into fists. "Despite all of my training, I wouldn't have been able to save you."

Zuko let his eyes fall closed. He remembered it all so clearly. Remembered how they were back-to-back, surrounded by those black-masked assassins, knowing that there were just too many of them. That he couldn't possibly take them all on. But most of all, he remembered the ache in his chest. It was the feeling of his heart breaking, knowing that the woman he loved was right there beside him, about to die, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Not this time.

He looked over at her then, and Katara could see the pain in his eyes. His mouth was set in a hard line. Katara reached out for him, but Zuko turned away from her again. Katara's hand fell limply into her lap.

"But Aang could have," Zuko said. "Aang could have saved you."

Katara's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Zuko—"

"It's true, Katara." He turned toward her. His eyes were burning with the heat of his words, and Katara swallowed hard, shocked by his intensity. "You can't sit there and tell me that it's not. The Conduit is the opposite of the Avatar, and if she was able to do it, then Aang would have been able to do it as well. But I couldn't." He pointed to himself. "I know that." He dropped his gaze to the floor as he let his hand fall back to his side. "I...I realize that now."

Zuko got to his feet then, the movement sudden, like a startled bird taking flight. He kept his back to her, but Katara could see the tense set of his shoulders, and the way his head was hung in defeat.

Katara stood up. She wanted to go to him, to offer him comfort, but his words were scaring her. It didn't sound like him at all. What was he getting at?

She swallowed against the lump rising in her throat. "Zuko...what are you saying?"

Finally, he looked at her. His eyes were burning, smoldering flames against his pale skin and dark scar.

"I'm saying...I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you, all because I was being selfish and wanted your love for myself."

Zuko crossed the room to her and cupped her face gently in his hands. Katara's eyes burned with unshed tears. She pressed her fingers to the backs of his hands, wanting to anchor him there. She was terrified of what he was going to say next, but somehow she knew before he said it.

"I'm saying that I would rather love you from afar, than have you die at my side," he whispered. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead to hers. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself, Katara. Not if something happened to you."

Katara grabbed his face in her hands. Zuko startled under her sudden touch, his eyes opening. Katara pressed her lips into a thin line to stop their trembling as she tried to control the maelstrom of emotions rushing through her.

"No," she finally managed to say. "You don't get to blame yourself for what happened out there, Zuko. And I'm fine. I'm alive."

Zuko jerked out of her grip, spinning on his heel until his back was to her once again. He raked his hand through his hair. "Because of Kahina!" His voice was practically a shout. "Because of the Conduit! Not because of me." He turned toward her again and gestured angrily to himself. "We were attacked because of me!"

"We were attacked because of your sister," Katara shot back. She stepped toward him. "Because she wants what's rightfully yours."

"And do you think that's going to be the last time?" He barked out a harsh laugh. "Even if we take her out, she's not going to be the only person out there calling for my blood. And if I'm with you, I know they'll try to hurt you to get to me." He shook his head. "I can't...I can't put you at risk like that, Katara. I won't."

Her heart pulled painfully in her chest. He wasn't seriously breaking up with her at a time like this, was he? How could he even think like that? Katara shook her head as her hands balled into fists at her side.

"Where is my choice, Zuko?" Katara demanded to know. She gestured wildly toward him. "You think I don't know the risk of being with the Fire Lord? Do you honestly think it's any different than being with the Avatar? You're both targets to the wrong kind of people. People will always be jealous of you, or want what you have. I know what I signed up for."

"But Aang can protect you!" Zuko shouted.

Katara wasn't used to Zuko shouting at her like that, and the sound caused the tears to spill over and ran down her cheeks.

"You can protect me," Katara whispered. "You have protected me. So many times, Zuko. You protected me from those thugs by June's tavern." She slowly cut across the room until she stood in front of him. She touched his chest, where the scar was hidden by the fabric of his shirt. "You saved me from Azula."

He couldn't look her in the eye. "It's not enough, Katara. I can't stop thinking about it. All night, when we were flying, I was just thinking about how you would have been safe if you hadn't come."

"Don't forget I'm a part of this too." She cupped his cheek. "I'm supposed to be here, remember? And you and me—we're supposed to be together."

He sighed at her words as he nuzzled against her hand, his eyes falling closed again. "You...used your bloodbending. To protect me. You shouldn't have had to do that. I should have—"

Katara pulled her hand away, and he opened his eyes. "I did that because I love you, Zuko. And I would do it again, no hesitation."

"Katara—"

"Do you know what I've always liked about you?" He watched her, brow furrowed as she wiped tears from her eyes. "You have always treated me like I'm your equal, Zuko. You've never acted like I can't take care of myself."

"It's different now," he muttered.

"It can't be," Katara said. "I'm still me. I'm a warrior above all else. It's who I am, the same as you." She swallowed hard. "Just because we're together now doesn't mean you can't still treat me like you always have. Like your partner."

He brushed his fingers over her cheek and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll always want to protect you."

"And you always will."

Katara wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. When they broke apart, she pressed her lips to the edge of his scar. She took his hand in both of hers. Zuko gazed into her eyes and Katara hoped he could see her sincerity, and her love for him.

"Remember what I said? About what-ifs and maybes?" She smiled softly. "The same thing applies here. Maybe we would have died in the desert if the Conduit hadn't shown up when she did. Maybe we wouldn't have. We can't know for sure. We just have to accept that it happened the way it did. We're both alive, and we're on our way to take back your crown. And when we do, you will be Fire Lord again." She looked up at him shyly. "And maybe...someday I'll be your Fire Lady. If you want me."

Zuko drew her in for a tight embrace that pressed the air from her lungs. He buried his face in her hair and held her close. Katara closed her eyes and gripped him close. I can't lose you, she thought. I won't.

"Of course I want you," Zuko murmured against her hair. He withdrew and sprinkled kisses across her cheek before reaching her lips, where he kissed her fiercely. He pulled back slowly and gazed into her eyes again. "I want you more than I've ever wanted anything else."

"Then don't you dare try and back out of this. We're in this together."

He smiled softly at her as he gently stroked her cheek. "How did I ever get so lucky?"

Katara returned the look. She took his hand and squeezed it. "We're both lucky. Now let's get back to the Fire Nation and reclaim your throne together. The same way we'll do everything from here on out."

Zuko smiled again. He could not believe how much he loved her. He didn't know that a love as deep as theirs was possible. At least not for him. He had always assumed he would end up in a political marriage. His heart swelled in his chest as he pulled her close and kissed her again. This time, he had no intentions of letting her go any time soon.

"Aang, what's happening down there?" Toph crawled across Appa's saddle toward Aang. She wished that she could have brought her sight with her back from the Spirit World. "What are they doing?"

"They're just...standing there." Aang looked over his shoulder at Toph and Iroh. They were both looking at him with anxiety written on their faces. He swallowed hard. "I think...they might be waiting for us."

"This is bad," Iroh said gravely. "If Azula is here, then she must have staged a coup against Zuko. I hate to think—" He cut off sharply.

Aang clenched his jaw. Iroh didn't need to finish that thought. If Azula was down there, then that explained the silence from Ursa. Aang only hoped that Ursa, Sokka, and the others had simply been locked up, and that a more nefarious fate hadn't befallen them.

"What should we do, Aang?" Toph asked.

Aang already knew, and he suspected that Iroh and Toph did too. "I think we need to go down there. The Conduit is here. That must mean the prophecy is happening, which means I have to fight her. I'm going to try and lead her away from the palace. I think we're supposed to fight in a volcanic crater, away from everyone and everything."

His eyes skimmed the land, and fell on a volcano that rose up behind the royal palace. It seemed to call to him, and as he studied the dark form, he realized it was the ominous mountain from his dream.

Aang pointed. "There. That has to be it. It's the crater I've been dreaming about. I'll lead the Conduit up there, and that's where we'll do the Spiritual Fusion."

"What about me and Iroh?"

"We have to contend with Azula, and figure out what's happened to Ursa and the others," Iroh answered. "It has been a long time coming, but I think it is time she gets knocked down a peg. The Fire Lord's crown rightfully belongs to my nephew, and if she has taken it from him, I intend to take it back."

"It's settled then." Aang took a deep breath. "I'm going to bring us down. They might try to take us out of the air, so I'll be prepared for that. I want you two to go in fast and hard—take them by surprise. Go after Azula, and I'll take on the Conduit."

"You've got it, boss," Toph muttered. "And just in case, can I just say that if we die tonight, I'm glad it's with the two of you?"

"Don't talk like that, Toph." Aang glanced back at her as he began to bring Appa down. "We can't lose."

Toph's face was set grimly. "I know."

Aang let go of Appa's reins and stood up. He could see Azula and the Conduit down below, waiting for them. They weren't alone—he recognized the uniforms of the Dai Li agents and the armor of the palace guards. But he didn't recognize the people dressed in black who wore masks. They were new.

There were dozens of them down there, and it would be just the three of them. Aang didn't like those odds, especially since he wasn't going to be in that fight. He knew Iroh and Toph were some of the best fighters in the world, but he didn't like the thought of them going up against that many enemies.

But they had no choice. It was like the end of the Hundred Years' War all over again.

Aang readied himself for a fight, but it never came. Instead, Azula and the others watched until Appa landed in the courtyard. Aang leaped from the saddle, softening his landing with his airbending, and faced Azula and the Conduit.

Azula watched him coolly, but she looked anything but. Her clothes were rumpled and dirty, and her hair was lank and greasy, falling from its topknot. There were deep shadows beneath her eyes. Aang had never seen her look like this. A feeling of unease settled deeper in the pit of his gut.

"Where is Princess Ursa?" Aang demanded to know.

Azula laughed. The sound was jarring and unsettling in the quiet courtyard. Her head rolled against her shoulders before she looked back at him. The look in her eyes had Aang taking an involuntary step backwards.

"You shouldn't worry about Mother," Azula cackled. She swept her arm out toward the Conduit. "You should worry about her."

Aang looked at his counterpart. She was just as beautiful and terrifying as she had been in his dreams. The difference now was he could feel the power she exuded. It permeated the air and settled deep in the pit of his gut. He wanted to run away, but he couldn't.

But something seemed...off. She was watching him with a blank look in her eyes, and she looked worse than Azula did. Her skin was pallid and sallow, and her dark clothes almost seemed too big for her thin frame. She swayed unsteadily on her feet. She looked emaciated, weak. But the power he could feel coming off of her was strong, and he wouldn't allow himself to be fooled by her appearance.

A cruel smile curved Azula's lips. "Now."

The Conduit moved. Her arm came up, and his seismic sense felt the way the ground vibrated beneath his feet as she manipulated the earth. Aang leaped backwards in time to avoid being hit with a column of rock. He swept his glider out, and a strong burst of wind cut across the courtyard. Everyone but the Conduit and Azula lost their footing as the Conduit drew up a wall of rock to protect them.

Aang didn't look back over his shoulder at Iroh and Toph. "I'm taking her away from here. Take Azula out!" He snapped his glider open and stared down the Conduit as she collapsed the rock wall. "Let's do this," he gritted out, never breaking eye contact with her.

The Avatar took flight. When he looked back down, he saw the Conduit following him. She rode a wave of rock as black flames swirled around her wrists. Aang turned his eyes back to the volcanic crater.

Something was wrong here. The Conduit was following Azula—obeying Azula. That didn't sound like the person Zuko had described at all. What had changed? What did Azula do to her?

He felt the heat of the blast just in time to twist out of its way. Aang glanced back down at the Conduit right as she sent another jet of black flame towards him. He twisted in mid-air and brought his glider to his front, snapping it closed and spinning it in the air to deteriorate the flames. Then he popped it open as he began to lose altitude, and took back to the air.

Aang cut through the air, zig-zagging to avoid any more projectiles the Conduit might throw his way. He was faster than she was, and he pulled ahead of her as he soared toward the crater. He looked back again and saw the Conduit propel herself over the back wall of the palace. She didn't have a glider with which to fly, but she manipulated the earth to carry her in a way he had seen Toph do on several occasions.

As he watched her bend the earth, a thought occurred to Aang. If the Conduit was his opposite, did that extend to their bending too? If he was born an airbender, did that mean she was born an earthbender? She seemed naturally skilled at it.

Aang decided that it didn't matter. He'd been trained by the greatest earthbender, and he was sure he could handle it.

Aang finally landed lightly on his feet in the volcanic crater. He closed his glider and stood facing back the way he had come. He could feel the rumble of the earth as the Conduit came towards him.

This was not the way he had imagined things to go. He had been hoping that the Conduit truly didn't want to destroy him, and that he would be able to convince her to do the Spiritual Fusion. He hadn't anticipated Azula's interference. That changed things. But Aang knew it didn't matter. He was still going to try. It was the only thing he could do.

He was ready.

Azula brought her hands together and sent a massive jet of blue fire blasting toward her uncle and the blind bender. The small girl anticipated the move and shielded her and Iroh with a wall of rock. Then the girl punched outwards, sending large chunks of boulder flying towards Azula and her men.

"Don't just stand there!" Azula shrieked. "Kill them!"

Her men rushed forward. Iroh leaped forward and swept an arc of fire across the courtyard. Most of the men were quick enough to avoid it, but those who weren't dropped to the ground as they caught fire.

Azula stepped toward the blind girl. She had fought her once or twice before, and she knew the girl was a formidable opponent. But the last time they had gone toe to toe, Azula couldn't firebend. She didn't have that dilemma now. Let's see how good you are when I burn your feet, Azula thought viciously.

She sent blast after blast of fire toward the girl. She stayed light on her feet, trying to stay ahead of the blind girl's strange sense of sight. The earthbender was fast and she deflected Azula's flames with rocks and boulders, but Azula seemed to have something up her sleeve as she kept her on defense.

Azula swept out with her arm and leg. Two trails of blue fire left her fist and foot and arced toward the blind girl. Azula watched in gleeful satisfaction as the girl brought her arms up to deflect the fire aiming for her face. At the same time, Azula whipped fire at the blind girl with her fist and she stumbled backwards, throwing up columns of rock to protect herself from the flames.

"Did you really think that the three of you could take on me and my entire army by yourselves?" Azula barked out a cruel laugh. "If I'd known it would just be the three of you, I wouldn't have amassed an army!"

"We'll see how much you'll be bragging when I kick your butt!" the blind girl called back as she sent boulders cutting through the air at the princess.

Azula danced around the boulders and punched out gouts of fire at the earthbender.

Meanwhile, her men swarmed her uncle. He might have been an old tea-loving fool, but he was still the Dragon of the West and a formidable fighter. He seemed to be everywhere all at once, his fire burning bright in the night. But he was too preoccupied to be able to assist the blind bender.

Azula kicked flame from her foot as the bender sent a boulder flying her direction. It fractured into pieces and fell to the stone ground and Azula brought her foot down, sending a wave of fire toward the blind girl. She sidestepped it and launched more rock at Azula. Azula deflected it with a flaming kick, and she felt the rumble beneath her feet. Azula jumped backwards just in time as the ground where she had just been standing opened up.

Azula gnashed her teeth as she stared at the blind girl. She needed to trick the girl somehow in order to get close. Azula knew that if she could burn the girl's feet, she'd gain the upper hand.

Azula relentlessly whipped fire at the girl as she pressed forward, her feet never leaving the ground. The bender was forced to duck and block to avoid the blows, backing up toward the sky bison. Azula smiled cruelly.

"Back off, Princess!" the blind bender gritted out as she deflected Azula's flames.

"Ha-hahahaha, never!" Azula cackled as she continued to let flames fly. "If you can't stand the heat, then you should have stayed out of the Fire Nation!"

"Man, who writes your dialogue? Whoever they are, you might wanna fire 'em," Toph shot back. "May I recommend Sokka? He would be way better at it."

"As if I'd use that peasant for anything other than target practice!" Azula barked back.

She brought her hands together and sliced through the air, low to the ground. Her blue flames crackled across the stone as she brought her hands up. She smiled viciously. Azula was steering the blind girl to exactly where she wanted her. As she punched out some more fists of fire that the earthbender continued to avoid, she carried on.

"You know, fire and lightning aren't the only tricks a firebender has up their sleeves," Azula drawled. "Has my brother ever told you what else a firebender can do?"

The blind girl slid sideways to avoid the rapid fire, and Azula launched herself at the girl at the exact same moment. She gripped the earthbender's shoulders and spun her around, shoving her back towards the hot stonework. Azula's smirk widened, She had been steadily heating up the ground through her feet for the last few minutes, and the earthbender wasn't expecting it.

As soon as her feet touched the surface, the girl screamed. It was a shrill, horrifying sound. She tried to push away, tried to jump away, to fight back as the pain and the panic overwhelmed her. But Azula relentlessly held her there, taking every punch and scratch the earthbender threw at her. She only let her go when the smell of burning flesh filled her senses.

The blind bender went down on her hands and knees on the cooler ground in front of her, her feet a blackened, blistered mess. Toph continued to rasp and cry against the pain. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air and Azula advanced on the blind girl, gearing up for the kill.

"Azula, no!"

She heard her uncle's cry, but Azula paid him no mind. The blind girl scooted sideways, dragging herself by her palms. Tears streamed from her sightless eyes. Azula advances like a predator to her prey, reading to pounce. Zuzu wasn't around to stop her like he had been with that little brat, and this pleased her greatly.

But movement out of the corner of her eye tore her focus away from the sniveling earthbender. Azula looked up, toward the wall, in time to see a section of the wall come shuddering down. Four men in blue robes and one woman in red, that damn noblewoman who had escaped, Azula realized, poured in through the gap. The guards nearest to the intruders attacked, but Azula watched the earthbender sweep them away with a flick of his wrist. His cackle cut through the air and grated against her nerves.

Who were these interlopers? Who dared to challenge her claim to the crown? Azula would take them out, right after she finished with the blind earthbender.

Azula didn't see the boulder that the girl threw her way until it hit her square in the chest. Azula flew backwards and hit the ground hard enough that it knocked the air from her lungs and stars burst in her vision. But Azula didn't falter as she rolled onto her feet and sent a blue fireball careening toward the earthbender. The girl threw herself flat against the ground and the fire passed inches over her body.

Her army had noticed the newcomers, and some had broken away from her uncle to contend with them. Azula was grateful that they were preoccupied. Iroh was still fighting off more of her men, so it was just Azula and the blind girl. Azula stalked toward the earthbender once again, each step making her head thunder and the corners of her vision darken.

She brought her hand up and electricity crackled at the tips of her fingers.

But then, bright orange light suddenly flooded the courtyard. Azula looked up, and her mouth dropped open in a mix of surprise and horror.

A massive birdlike creature with a flaming tail was descending upon the battle-strewn courtyard. The bird screeched as its flames burned brighter, the sound echoing around the palace grounds. As it lowered itself, Azula saw its riders, and she felt her blood run cold.

Her brother and the water tribe princess sat abreast of the fiery bird. Zuzu was alive.

Azula looked around and saw the Kage Noshi leader. He was watching the bird thing too. Azula gritted her teeth. Zuko was supposed to be dead.

The bird landed in the courtyard, its great wings beating against the air. Azula watched as her brother quickly jumped from the saddle, fire bursting from his fists as he sprinted directly towards her.

"Azula!" Zuko's shout made her heart stutter as it echoed through the courtyard, his eyes filled with flaming rage.

Azula had never seen him with such fury in his eyes. This was no longer annoying little Zuzu coming to spar and lose. This was a man out for blood. Her blood. Azula backed away from the blind earthbender.

For the first time in her life, Azula turned and ran.