Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is the creation of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and is owned by Nickelodeon.
Author's note: Wow, I can't believe it! This is the last real chapter before the epilogue! We're winding down here, folks.
Once again, thank you SO much to my awesome reviewers: temariXshikamaruluva, hg-always, XxSparklesxxBrightlyxX, secretsofadarkangel, AnnaAza, Animus of Masada, meggie-moo s, Katey123, TigerStorm , a5h13y 101 , Thegoldenlock , and InItToWinIT . All of your reviews make me do a happy dance. Really.
Okay, enough blabbing. Here we go…
Chapter 10: Collision
"The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself."
-Sun Tzu (Chinese General and Author, b.500 BC)
Frantic last-minute preparations were made as the war drums continued their pounding. Catapults were readied. Warriors checked their weapons. Benders got into their battle stances. A messenger hawk landed on Zuko's armored forearm. The bird carried a hastily scrawled communication stating that Azula's fleet had just successfully run the blockade.
Even as he read the memo, the first explosive sounds of battle hit his ears. He sent the signal to commence the battle plan. The imposing Gates of Azulon stood empty, the gaping maws of the twin dragons inviting Azula's flagship into the harbor. The current inhabitants of the harbor quietly awaited the arrival of the enemy ship, ready to pounce as soon as the ship passed the gates.
Finally, an impressive Earth Kingdom warship proudly sailed through the gates. The bow of the great wooden vessel was decorated with the head of a fierce sea serpent, which almost seemed to mock the great stone dragons. As soon as the ship passed through, flame burst forth from the dragons' open mouths, and a great burning gate was raised. The warship immediately behind the flagship was unable to halt its forward momentum and hit the gate; the wooden planks forming the hull exploded into flame.
The uncertain silence was broken as chaos erupted in the harbor with the arrival of the flagship. The waterbenders commenced their attack on the large ship, dousing the vessel with huge waves. Several waterbenders skated over on bridges of ice and entered into battle with Azula's soldiers as fierce warrior cries emitted from their throats. The enemy soldiers were out of their element – literally – and were forced to rely on conventional weapons. Another wave of enemy soldiers ran up on deck, and to the defending forces' dismay, began firebending. Azula had managed to recruit some firebenders loyal to her.
A vicious maritime battle was raging outside the gates between the fire siblings' warships. The great Gates of Azulon were beginning to fail under the assault of catapult weapons, and the sheer number of enemy vessels was starting to overtake Zuko's navy. More of his ships were making haste across the ocean to reach the battle, but it remained to be seen if they would arrive in time to assist.
Zuko traveled to Azula's flagship on a bridge of ice constructed by Katara. Doubt was starting to edge into his mind. His sister should have made her appearance by now. Something wasn't right. Had she sent this ship in as a decoy? Was she inside the capital even now?
He landed on the wooden deck of the ship, and sent flame at a pair of rapidly advancing enemy soldiers with a spinning kick. Next to him, Katara whipped a tendril of water up from the sea and dragged another man overboard. Firebender and waterbender stood back to back as each expertly wielded their respective element against the advancing enemy. A ship this large held dozens of enemy soldiers, and Agni knew where Azula was.
He and Katara fought together as one, water and fire occasionally mixing as they picked off the enemy. They stood back to back as they flung their elements at the advancing enemy soldiers. A contingent of Water Tribe warriors fought on the deck of the ship as well, and Zuko was pleased that for once, the fierce warriors were fighting on his side. Each Water Tribe warrior was a formidable opponent.
He saw Katara wash a wave over the deck of the boat to knock a group of Azula's soldiers off balance. As they stood in a puddle of water, the Fire Lord moved his hands in a circular motion, sparks trailing from his fingers. He shot a bolt of lightning toward the puddle, and effectively took the group of soldiers out of the fight. Most lay unmoving on the wooden deck; the occasional groan emitted from the men's throats.
He felt Katara move next to him, and she threw a procession of ice daggers at some warriors who had gotten dangerously close to Zuko. They continued to work together to fight off the enemy. After what seemed to be an eternity, the steady flow of soldiers from the bowels of the ship seemed to slow.
Still no Azula.
Katara verbally echoed his sentiments.
"Where is she?" she asked worriedly as she slashed out a vicious water whip at a straggling soldier. The man crashed to the ground, his legs bent at odd angles.
"We need to search the ship," Zuko answered. "I think we've taken out most of the soldiers."
He quickly glanced up to see how the rest of the battle was progressing. He winced. Not very well. The gates had been breached, and enemy vessels leaked through the opening. His own fleet was still putting up a valiant effort, but he saw many of his metal ships sitting unnaturally low in the water. Some of them were nearly completely submerged.
The Water Tribe warriors had stayed true to their word, and were fiercely fighting back the enemy. Boomerangs, spears, and water whips were being thrown about. He was pleased with their ferocity. There was no way his own divided fleet could have held off the enemy for so long without the Water Tribe's assistance.
"Come on, let's search the ship," he said, motioning to Katara. She coated her arms in water, and they went below deck. They carefully explored the ship; there were still some enemy soldiers hiding in wait. The waterbender was nearly decapitated by a sword that flew at her from around a turn in the hallway. Her reflexes and a precise flash of flame from her companion saved her.
After searching the entire ship, they reluctantly concluded that Azula was not on board.
"She was never on this ship, Zuko. She must have gotten into the city another way," Katara observed as they ran up to the deck once more.
"I know," he said breathlessly as they ran full speed through the winding hallways. "We need to get to the palace…" he trailed off when they reached the open air once more.
Some of Azula's ships had breached the outer defense and were spewing soldiers onto shore. Luckily, Toph's soldiers were ready for them. Boulders and flame started flying as the battle for the city began. The Water Tribe warriors were still making a heroic effort at holding back additional enemy forces.
"Let's go," Katara said determinedly. "We should find Toph and have her join the hunt for Azula. If anyone can find her, Toph can. She'll relish the chance to get back at Princess Crazy," she said with a slightly desperate laugh.
"Can you get us to shore?" Zuko asked, and regretted his question as Katara shot him a withering glance.
"Master waterbender, remember?" she said, tapping the side of her head for emphasis.
She jumped off the side of the ship, and trusting her, the Fire Lord followed. A column of water shot up to catch their fall, and an ice platform solidified beneath their feet. Katara gracefully waved her arms, and the makeshift raft sped toward shore on a wave of the waterbender's creation.
Once on solid land, they made their way through the fighting, stopping occasionally to fight off enemy soldiers. They looked around to where the most violent earthbending was happening. They wordlessly agreed that was where they would find Toph.
Sure enough, they found the blind earthbender in the thick of it. The girl calmly made adjustments to her stance as she waited and listened for the positions of her opponents. The display was impressive. The girl barely moved as her adversaries ran furiously toward her. Their efforts were generally rewarded by meeting stone face to face. Great holes opened up and swallowed soldiers; groups of enemy earthbenders were launched into the sky on great pillars of rock as Toph beat them at their own game.
"Toph!" Katara yelled.
"Kinda busy here, Sweetness!" Toph responded as she shoved her hand forward to dispatch an earthbender before he could move.
"We need you!" she shouted. "Azula wasn't in the invading fleet. We think she snuck her way into the city to get into the palace!"
"Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" she responded as she stomped her foot and opened up another hole in the ground.
Toph's supporting soldiers took over the defense as the dark-haired girl ran over to them.
Zuko spoke, relaying their plan. "I need you to take some of your earthbenders and secure the perimeter of the palace. If she gets in…" he trailed off.
The earthbender's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, Sparky. We'll find Princess Crazy. We can still win this thing."
In that moment, the battle grew in intensity as a flurry of burning projectiles flew at the enemy warships. Zuko nearly fell over in relief. More of his navy had arrived. They would hold Azula's forces at bay.
Now they just had to find his sister.
It took the small group of benders hours to reach the palace itself. Zuko had positioned foot soldiers and archers around the perimeter of the city, but the walls were no match for Azula's earthbenders. The Fire Nation soldiers had battled for the city all afternoon, and they had been forced to fight their way through several skirmishes. Zuko's presence didn't exactly make it easy. As soon as the enemy soldiers realized the Fire Lord was in their midst, they doubled their efforts to kill.
By the time they reached the palace walls, each bender had a new assortment of battle wounds. Exhaustion was starting to set in, even through the adrenaline. Thunder rolled in the distance. The weather was about to turn.
It was nearly nightfall – a strange purple twilight had settled over the land. There was still no sign of Azula. The group split up – Katara and Zuko had set off for the courtyard of the palace to search for the princess there, and Toph and her team patrolled the walls surrounding the gardens. Zuko's forces combed the palace itself for the princess.
She risked a glance at Zuko. He looked uneasy.
"It's quiet," she whispered.
"Too quiet," he replied.
In that moment, a pillar of stone shot up from the ground, knocking Katara several feet into the air and effectively separating her from the Fire Lord. Her body landed with a soft thud, and the breath was knocked out of her. Even so, her warrior instincts kicked in, and she was quickly back on her feet. She had just reached to uncork her water skins when another pillar of stone shot up and encased her body.
She saw Zuko jumping back to his feet in the distance, and then noticed that several Dai Li agents stood to her left. One of them was still in a bending stance; he was the one responsible for her stone prison.
The Fire Lord's low voice filled the air, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"Let her go," he demanded as his fists filled with fire. The flames were so hot they were nearly white; Zuko's features were eerily lit by his flame. He let loose a massive wall of fire, and the earthbenders to her left were immediately turned to ash. Katara flinched even as the stone around her crumbled. The man controlling the element had been sent to the Spirit world with his comrades.
Katara watched in horror as Azula seemed to melt out of nowhere to attack Zuko from behind. She started to shout a warning, but was too late. The world seemed to slow as Azula wrapped her arm around Zuko from behind and held a deadly-looking dagger to his neck.
No…
Not now. She couldn't lose him now. She couldn't live without him.
Azula's maniacal laughter filled the air.
"So, Zuzu, it seems you have fallen for the water peasant! You never would have let your guard down so much in the past. This was almost pathetically easy," she mocked, holding her brother in a deadly embrace.
Another peal of thunder boomed overhead. The strong seabreeze was pushing the storm in off of the ocean. Lightning crackled through the sky. The air was thick with the promise of rain, but the clouds had yet to burst.
"Let him go, you witch!" Katara yelled helplessly.
Another sickening laugh accompanied a boom of thunder.
"And the water peasant has fallen for the Fire Lord! Is that why your people wouldn't take you back?" she questioned.
Katara felt fury rise in her at the princess' ridicule.
Don't take her bait. She wants you to lose your head.
"I will spare him, peasant, if you let me escape with him. I want you to call off your pitiable little Water Tribe friends. If Zuzu wants to live, and wants you to escape harm, he will call off his troops and surrender the city to me," she said casually.
Katara locked eyes with the Fire Lord. His eyes pleaded with her to escape.
She glared back at him.
I won't leave you here.
She watched as the Fire Princess held the knife closer to Zuko's skin.
A liquid rivulet of crimson blood trickled its way down the Fire Lord's pale neck.
Liquid.
A terrible, wild idea filled her mind in that moment. Blood contained water.
I should be able to bend blood. Is it possible to do it while it courses through the human body?
She glanced briefly up at the sky. The moon was struggling to make itself known through the violent storm clouds. The full moon. Katara was at her full strength as a bender. If she had any chance of performing this feat, now was the time.
Tui and La, if this doesn't work…if I make one mistake…he will die.
The master waterbender closed her eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Then – she felt the water around her. She felt the water in the small pond some distance behind her. She felt the small, invisible droplets that were responsible for the humidity in the air. She felt the raindrops in the clouds that were rolling in off of the sea. Lightning coursed through the tops of the clouds. Fire and water…mixing.
And there…she could feel the water in her own body. She could feel the water in the bodies around her. She isolated the feel of Azula's blood. She could feel the pulse of it through the firebender's veins. Before Azula could react, she took a bending stance and grabbed.
The peculiar sensation of controlling the blood of another living being filled her. It was uncomfortable. Azula's eyes widened in horror as she realized she had no control over her body. Zuko looked confused as his sister released her hold on him; the knife was thrown into the soft grass. He watched his sister's jerky movements as she was forced to her knees. It looked as if the girl was being controlled by some mad puppeteer.
"Restrain her. NOW! I can't hold much longer!"
Zuko dove for his sister, but she broke the waterbender's hold just as he reached her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katara fall to her knees, exhausted from the effort of doing…whatever it was she had just done. Turning his attention to her, he saw her collapse completely on the soft grass. The storm was beginning to unleash its full fury above them. Wind whipped around them, and leaves and dirt collided with Zuko's skin.
He watched in horror as he realized Azula was about to release a full-fledged attack on the motionless waterbender. She was already moving into her stance; he could sense the heat that was building up around her. He had to take her out, but he wouldn't reach her in time.
He felt electricity in the air; the atmosphere was building up a charge, and was about to release it right into the courtyard. Without thinking, he channeled the lightning through his body as it raced from the clouds to the earth, and he redirected the blinding flash toward his sister. The lightning enveloped the young woman, cutting her attack short. She fell to the ground, writhing as the electricity coursed through her body. Thunder filled the air, and Zuko's ears rang. The remaining tendrils of static faded, and Azula lay unmoving on the ground. Her boot had been blown off, and a telltale exit wound decorated the sole of her foot.
Cautiously, he approached her and put his finger to her neck. The pulse of life was absent. She was dead. Unexpected sorrow ran through him. His little sister was dead, and he was responsible.
He heard Katara groan, and he raced to her side. He knelt beside her and gathered her into his arms. The skies opened up at that moment, and rain began to pour down on them both.
Her eyes fluttered open.
"Zuko? What-" she started to ask in confusion. Rivulets of rainwater poured down her face.
"It's over. She's dead," he said flatly.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
He ignored her last statement. He couldn't bear to dwell on it at the moment.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, running his hands up and down her arms, as if to assure himself that she was still there. "What did…what happened?"
"I'm fine. I've just never experienced bending like that. Zuko I – I bent her blood. I couldn't let her…" she trailed off as she buried her head under his chin. "I never want to control another person like that again," she said with anguish.
He held her close. "You never have to," he whispered into her hair.
She must have felt the blood still oozing from the wound on his neck. She pulled away from him.
"You're bleeding!" she accused. She summoned some rainwater to her hand and pressed it to his neck. He was aware of a luminous blue glow, and he felt the peculiar sensation of the wound closing. He gave her a small smile.
"Thank you," he said. The rain had turned into a deluge, and his words were nearly lost in the roar of the falling water.
He looked at the waterbender. It seemed as if a lifetime had passed since he had first met her. They had been fierce enemies. He had tortured her…he had been within a hair's breadth of killing her. Now, he knew he couldn't live without her. She had irrevocably changed him in so many ways. A few months ago, he would have executed anyone who suggested that he would soon be in peace talks with the other nations.
Another bolt of lightning flashed above them, but the storm was decreasing in intensity. They both looked like drowned animals. Their hair and clothes were plastered against their skin, but the rain had washed away most of the dirt and blood of battle. It seemed to signify a new beginning.
"Katara?" he said hesitantly. She looked at him, inviting him to continue.
He plunged on. "Will you stay with me? Will you…" he hesitated a moment, "will you be my wife?"
She blinked at him in surprise, and didn't answer for a moment.
The Fire Lord felt the ground drop from beneath his feet at her hesitancy.
"I understand if you don't-" he stopped when she put a finger to his lips.
"Yes. I will. But…what about your people? Won't they object?" she asked worriedly.
"My people will abide by my wishes. They will not defy me," he said darkly. "Besides, a marital union between the Fire Nation and Water Tribe will go a long way in helping the peace negotiations," he said as a small smile curled his lips.
Katara smiled back. "As long as Master Pakku doesn't try to kill you first," she retorted.
"So you will marry me?" Zuko asked incredulously. "After all I've done to you? All I've done to your people?"
"I will," she answered with certainty. "You've come a long way from the man who took me prisoner that night. You've changed. I'm not quite sure how it happened," she whispered.
"You were the one who changed me, waterbender," he said. With that, he pulled her into a deep kiss. They explored one another's lips, each giving, each receiving. The cool rainwater mingled with their kiss, and Zuko lightly flicked his tongue across her cheek, taking in the trails of rain and tears that poured down her face. The light rain continued to pour down around them, but the moon slipped through the clouds, illuminating their features. They quietly held one another in the moonlight, and ignored the lingering sounds of battle outside the walls.
As it turned out, most of Zuko's navy had arrived back at the capital by late evening. Azula's warships were finally outnumbered, and the combined efforts of the Water Tribe and Fire Nation finally defeated the enemy fleet.
Toph and her soldiers had arrived in the courtyard to find Katara and Zuko kissing under the moonlight, with Azula lying dead a few yards away.
"Only you two could find a romantic moment with a dead body lying nearby," she said as the young couple jerked apart.
Zuko had glowered at the earthbender, and gave up when he remembered she couldn't see his expression. He was certain the girl could sense his displeasure.
Toph had explained that she had found a contingent of Azula's soldiers trying to take over the palace, and had fought them off. "Sorry about your throne room, Sparky. It didn't fare so well," she said apologetically.
Dawn had broken as the last of the battle finished. The last of Azula's soldiers finally surrendered to the Fire Nation, and they had been rounded up and taken prisoner. Any who had been in a position of leadership would be tried for war crimes, and the lesser soldiers would be distributed to various Fire Nation prisons.
The victorious side had emerged from the night bruised and exhausted, but a great cheer filled the air as they learned that Azula's forces had been subdued.
That afternoon, Zuko once more prepared himself to give a speech – but this speech would be given to not only Fire Nation citizens, but Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom ones as well.
He stood once more on the balcony as the gongs sounded their victory. Katara, Toph, and several other high-ranking members of all the nations stood next to him.
He took a deep breath as he looked at the crowd gathered below him. He saw the masses wearing the customary red of the Fire Nation, but it was strange to see groups of blue and green scattered about. His soil hadn't seen this many foreigners in over one hundred years. He looked over at Katara, who gave him a nod of encouragement. It was time for change. It was time to start anew.
"People of the Fire Nation! Citizens of the world! We have fought together. We have bled together. Today marks the beginning of a new era – an era of peace! Through adversity, we have seen that we can come together to fight for a common cause. We have seen that, in the end, we are not so different. As the leader of this great nation, I am truly humbled to see all those who have fought for peace – and to see all those who believe in my new vision for the future."
He stopped as he waited for the crowd's reaction. Worry fled from his mind as applause rose up. It was quiet at first, but quickly grew in volume. He smiled as whoops and cheers filled the air.
"Peace will not be easy. There are still those who will believe in war. They will continue to fight peace and wage battle against those who would keep the peace. There will be disagreements. The Fire Nation is about to enter into peace talks with the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom. I do not anticipate that they will go smoothly," he said honestly. "One hundred years of war has left deep wounds on all involved. I regret that the Fire Nation was the aggressor. We have many wrongs to make right. I am willing to work through the difficulty to achieve peace. I hope the rest of you are willing as well," he finished.
Shouts of affirmation rose up from the crowd, and Zuko was smiling as he left the balcony. He caught Katara's adoring gaze. It would be a new beginning indeed.
A few weeks later, Katara stood next to Zuko as they prepared to make their announcement. Katara looked out over the sea of faces in the room, and her gaze lingered on the figures in blue. Master Pakku gave her an encouraging smile.
She had talked at length with him in the weeks following the battle, and they had made their amends. He deeply regretted losing faith in her, and had been incredibly happy when she informed him of her forgiveness. Today, he was the only person in the room beside Zuko who knew what was about to take place. He had given his blessing to the union, but threatened to bend the Fire Lord to the bottom of the ocean if he ever again harmed a hair on Katara's head. Zuko had nervously promised that he would never hurt Katara again, and anyone who tried wouldn't live to regret it. Pakku had gruffly nodded in approval.
Katara's stomach did a flip as Zuko began to speak.
"As you are all aware, the peace talks are progressing, and peace is becoming more than a dream. I have a proposal for the Water Tribe – one that will solidify the peace agreement between our people."
The Water Tribe's Ruling Council, which now included Bato, looked at him, suspicion lining their faces.
"I wish to marry Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."
Bato was the first to speak.
"Katara, do you…wish to marry the Fire Lord?" he asked wearily. Things between them were still tense. Katara had hoped that he would be as understanding as Pakku. They had begun to smooth things out, but they had a long way to go.
"Yes, I do."
Murmurs filled the room as the various groups discussed the ramifications of the union. In the end, it was collectively voted that the three remaining nations would support the marital union of the Fire Lord and Katara of the Southern Water Tribe.
Zuko had already presented the idea to his own council. The group of military commanders, merchants, Fire Sages, and noblemen had vociferously objected at first, but some threats from the Fire Lord had quickly quieted them. Katara had told him she was glad they finally agreed, but informed him she didn't even want to know what he had threatened them with. She suspected that copious amounts of fire had been involved.
"I can't let them walk all over me now. I still need to maintain control. Besides, I wasn't actually going to carry out my threats…"
"Fine. But I like you better when you're not homicidal," she had replied with a shudder.
"They agreed to bless our union, didn't they?"
With that, Katara had thrown her arms in the air and admitted defeat.
When the vote from the other nations was announced, Zuko pulled his waterbender in his arms and kissed her in full view of the representatives from all three nations. It soon became evident to all that this was not merely a political union. Sparse applause erupted from the gathering, becoming more thunderous as the moments passed.
Several months later, Fire Lord Zuko and his betrothed sat in the midst of a great celebration. The peace talks had concluded, and although the world had a long road ahead, the foundation of peace was laid.
Katara sat ensconced in Zuko's arms as they watched fireworks fill the sky. Her blue eyes had filled with wonder as the sparkling display lit up the sky. She had never seen the phenomenon of fireworks, and she immediately decided the booming novelty was one of her favorite things about the Fire Nation. She had only just begun to discover the beauty of Zuko's homeland. Before, she had always seen it as the enemy land – nothing beautiful could possibly come from it.
Now, she found beauty in the place she would learn to call home. She loved the fierce summertime storms that would blow in off the sea in the afternoon. She loved the delicate cherry blossoms that adorned trees lining the city's walkways. She even began to appreciate the stark beauty of the shell of the once-active volcano the great city now resided in. Zuko had clearly enjoyed bringing her on a tour of some of the nearby provinces. There were rural towns that dotted great golden fields of grain. Her particular favorite was a fishing village that was built on a series of docks over a lake.
Soon, she and Zuko would undertake a brief tour of the world. There were plans being drawn up to repopulate the South Pole. One evening, as they sat together in front of a crackling fire, Zuko had quietly informed her that he wished to see her homeland. She had faltered at first; as much as she missed her home, she was hesitant about visiting the place of her greatest tragedy. Finally, she had smiled at him as he sat next to her, gently rubbing his callused thumb over her hand, and she had informed him that she would only take him if he would go penguin sledding with her. His lips had cracked into a smile, and he agreed to try "the barbaric sport".
For now, they enjoyed the moment. Celebrants from all the nations milled around them, and for now, the world seemed at peace. Everyone was aware that there were factions from both sides would continue war-mongering; threatening notes and isolated skirmishes had already surfaced, but the world's leaders were now committed to upholding the peace. As the firebender and waterbender shared a kiss under the moonlight and the sparkling fireworks, they knew that peace would prevail.
Author's note: Wow, this has been quite a ride! I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have! We only have the epilogue left! And yes folks, I've started working on another story...it'll be a little while, but keep your eyes open!
Also, I wanted to give a shout out to a loyal reader, temariXshikamaruluva, who is in the process of writing an awesome Zutara fic with a very creative storyline that I am loving – you all should go check it out! It can be found here:
.net/s/5553359/1/Fine_Print