Side note: never add week old coffeemate to blood rose tea, nastiest tea ever made by my hands.

Children Of Agni

Chapter 5 The Children In Conflict

Zuko woke up early every morning to watch the sunrise over the city, after which he would train and experiment in firebending. He would later go to work in Uncle's new teashop, and set up everything before Uncle even got up. Zuko would make the first batch of tea, he wasn't nearly as good as Uncle but he had improved by leaps and bounds, other people could drink it without flinching horribly or throwing up.

Azula talked with Li and Lo as the entourage approached its destination. "Thank you for coming, we are about to undertake a great challenge"

"We would never miss the second great siege of Ba Sing Se" Said Li, " And we would never fail to disappoint you" continued Lo, "Let us Review your strategy, is it not based upon general Iroh's"

"Despite his weakness not even I can overlook his tactical brilliance." Said Azula as she unfolded her map.

Week after week dragged on and on in Ba Sing Se, Zuko hated this place, this prison. The new teashop and apartment were nice, but having the freedom to do what you want is irreplaceable. His firebending was his only way out; the only way to rebel productively. His uncle had taken to their new environment wonderfully, the teashop flourished and the new apartment was comfortable, Iroh hired Pao as a server so Zuko did not even have to work in the teashop so during the day Zuko would take long walks in the city, meditate in the lower chamber or learn how to make tea from his uncle, people were even drinking his tea now without noticing it was not made by Iroh. As much as Zuko hated to admit it, life was good here in this prison called Ba Sing Se.

Azula watched the sun's first light creep over the horizon. The army had reached Ba Sing Se, they had made it across the bay and had gotten off the ships, this would be a fight for the history books. Her forces were massive, all garrisons had emptied at her call to battle, and they numbered in the millions.

"General Pyre go ready the troops, it is time to bring down the wall." Azula stated with cold pride. Her new gold-laced armor glinting in the morning sun she was well protected, cords of the flexible gold ran throughout the armor, no earth bender could touch her today.

Zuko had snuck onto the outer wall to watch the sun rise; it was always a sign of hope for him. Hope that someday he would be free of this place, some day he could restore his honor, and that someday he could return home. But as the sun crept over the horizon Zuko's hope was suddenly replaced by fear; a massive host of fire nation troops were spilling onto the planes, and the Zuko saw it, the litter that was only used for one type of person: Crown Royalty. Azula was here, and she was going to finish what uncle had started.

"No more" Zuko said to the wind, "No more running, this time I stand, this time I fight."

This time he was going to take her head on, whether he won or not, this time it is to defend my city, my friends, my home. Just like that it hit Zuko, whether he liked it or not this was his new home, this was his last sanctuary, and he would die to defend it.

"Ready the trebuchets captain." Azula spoke in her calmest terms, she was so exited she could hardly maintain her cold demeanor.

Zuko watched as the forces assembled, the trebuchets were brought to the fore front of the forces, the trebuchets where then loaded and angled. Even from his distant perch Zuko heard the call go out "Ignite; Fire."

Azula watched with quiet interest as her forces bombarded the wall, she knew the rock would eventually crumble and fall, now it was only a matter of time before she could move her forces in.

Zuko watched hour after hour pass by as a hole slowly began to form in the wall. As the last of the trebuchets fired, and the fire nation troops began their advance towards the gap in the wall, so did Zuko.

Azula rode her basilisk at the head of the column, she wanted to be the first one to see the inner wall of Ba Sing Se, much to her surprise the way was not clear, a single man stood in her path to the inner city, a man whose long black hair covered his face. He had stripped to the waist so that his bare muscles rippled in the sun. She motioned and nine firebenders went ahead of the column to confront him.

Zuko saw the firebenders charging towards him, how many were there, 8 or 9, it did not matter he would hold them for as long as possible. Zuko breathed deep, and gently pushed his chi outward, forming his shield, he widened his stance and made his shield like stone in his mind, it was unmovable and unbreakable.

"Earth is strong!" Zuko whispered to the winds.

The firebenders fired fireballs in perfect unison, the fireballs splayed upon the shield like waves upon a perfectly round rock before dissipating. Azula watched humiliated as some of her best and brightest firebenders tried their fireball sequence over and over again and failed.

"Stream the fire at him you fools" Azula cried, and they obeyed.

This is exactly what Zuko had been waiting for, he let his shield fall and called the fire to him, he had once seen the avatar redirect fire, and if the Avatar could firebend that way; so could he. Zuko had lost all hope, all emotion, all care, and everything else except for the purpose burning in his heart.

"Water is change" Zuko whispered as he absorbed more fire into the ball. Zuko than began to pour his own power into the massive fireball, but instead of expanding as he expected it to the flames turned a searing white. Zuko turned the fireball into a wave of white fire.

Azula saw the wave of fire approaching she watched it burn nine of her best firebenders to a crisp through their defenses; at the last possible moment she forced her basilisk to leap over the wave, she looked back the wave had continued for another fifteen meters, decimating hundreds of troops. Azula only knew of one man capable of this level of firebending: this man must be the infamous Jeong Jeong the deserter. No matter, she would defeat him.

Zuko watched his sister, the newest threat to the last sanctuary. She turned back to face him, she jumped into the air, did a double spin kick releasing two fireballs. She flowed into a triple flip drop kick, releasing a massive fireball.

"Air is free" Zuko whispered ducking under the first fireball, and dodging to the left of the second. The third fireball was to large to go around and to low to duck underneath but to big for him to jump over. Air is free; freedom from limitations and worldly concerns, he could do anything. Zuko jumped and shot white fire at the ground propelling himself over Azula's fireball.

Azula watched in amazement as the guardian flew over her most powerful attack, landing lightly on his feet and rushing towards her, she began to bend lightning. The guardian's hair flew out of his face and his scar became visible, Azula realized that it was Zuko. She shot the lightning from her fingertips just as Zuko's hand closed around hers.

Zuko felt the lightning flow into his arm and down into his stomach, his sea of chi; he brought his other arm up to his sister's stomach and let the lightning flow out.

"Fire is power," Zuko whispered into his sister's ear, "Fire strikes back"

Azula shivered at her brother's words, they rang with a power that she never wanted to face again, ever. For the first time in her life, Azula felt real fear. Then she felt a slight tingle in her gut followed by searing pain. The lightning had flown into the gold, which superheated and became like a firebrand against her skin, then when the gold could hold no more the lightning finally entered her body; and she fell mercifully into darkness.

Zuko watched in horror as his sister collapsed in his arms. He looked and behind him an Earth kingdom battalion was filling in the gap in the wall. In front of him the Fire nation column stood in shock, Zuko raised his arms and a bubble of white fire surrounded him and his sister, Zuko flexed his arms and pushed them out; and the bubble exploded. When the black smoke finally cleared Zuko and Azula were gone.

Note: Remember the psuedo angst the next chapter is going to get angsty; very, very, ANGSTY. Will seem to be lemony or limey but really won't be.

And please I want reviews, lots of reviews I don't care if they are flames or fluff, just hit me with um.