There! You frackin glutton here's your chapter! You know who you are so I won't name names. Now quit pestering me so I can write dang it! You hear me K!? Just because you know where I live doesn't mean you get to read chapters before everyone else! Happy reading folks. :)

Chapter 19: Fire Fight

"Now, the day has come.

We are forsaken.

There's no time anymore.

Life will pass us by.

We are forsaken.

Only ruins stay behind."

From "Forsaken" by Within Temptation

"This is to easy." Zuko stated with a scowl.

"You had to question it didn't you?" Sokka growled back.

"Princey is right though. Where's all the guards?" Toph asked.

"Maybe they're off getting dinner." Aang said cheerfully.

Mari sighed and looked out a window. "It looks like there's fighting at the mouth of the pass. Iroh and the others must be causing some chaos."

"Let's hope that's keeping them all busy." Katara added.

"Wait." Toph said suddenly.

Everyone stopped, knowing by now that when Toph said wait no one should move or speak so she could listen.

The blind girl frowned. "There's Dai Li here. They're in the next room."

"Aw, didn't we see enough of those guys in Ba Sing Se!" Sokka grumbled.

"We don't have time to fight the Dai Li, the comet will be here soon." Katara said looking worried.

"I'll take care of it." Toph said with a superior grin.

"Toph..." Aang started.

"We don't have time to argue Twinkle Toes. You need to get to the Fire Lord as quickly as possible. Who knows what else will be in the way? I can take the Dai Li on a bad day with one hand tied behind my back. I'll be ok. I'll catch up with you guys." Toph gave a reassuring smile.

Sokka glared. "We're not leaving you behind Toph."

"Guys we need to get moving." Mari stated.

"Go!" Toph snapped earthbending them all into the room.

There was a flurry of stone hands shot at them. Earth, air, fire, water, and a boomerang flew out of the group striking the hands away or crumbling them as the group ran with Toph bringing up the rear.

When they reached the end of the corridor they stopped. "Come on!" Zuko yelled over his shoulder.

Mari grabbed Aang as he was about to say something and pulled him out of a stone hand's way. "We have bigger problems right now guys let's go!"

"Good luck Toph!" Katara yelled though fear threaten to choke her as she passed through the doorway.

Only Sokka was left. He swatted at stone hands and dodged larger boulders.

"Go Sokka!" Toph yelled at him in a tone that Zuko had once told her put a drill sergeant to shame.

"I'm not leaving." Sokka snapped back.

With a huff Toph pulled up a large stone wall. It wouldn't hold the Dai Li long but it would hold them just long enough.

Reaching out a hand she grabbed Sokka's jerkin and yanked him down planting a kiss right on his stunted mouth. "I didn't ask, I told. Go help the others and I'll see you later." Toph told him with a grin before earthbending him through the door and pulling a stone slab over it as the wall behind her broke.

"This way." Zuko said turning a corner. "We can cut through the garden."

They found the garden was occupied by a small squad of elite firebenders. Lead by a familiar face to some of them.

"So," An older general said. "Thinking of just hopping right up to the Fire Lord. Don't you know you have to go through the chain of command first?"

Zuko glared. "General Shu. Sending more new recruits to their death's lately?"

Shu sneered and ordered his men to open fire.

Everyone was surprised when Mari shoved Zuko down and threw up an spiraling barrier of air. Her face was twisted into what one could only call rage.

Shu blinked at the fires stopped going and the barrier was dropped. His own face full of anger.

Sokka looked from the general to Mari. "Is it me or do those two look alike?"

"Mari!" Zuko and Aang yelled at the same time.

Mari however didn't waste words like Toph had. She spun and with her fans drawn, caused the air to pick them up. Blowing them over the firebenders to the other side of the garden.

"After them!" Shu shouted. The some firebenders chased after the others most were blown off their feet by Mari.

"Come on Dad...don't you want to go a round? For old times sake?" She sneered at him.

Shu growled at her then looked at his benders. "You can't possible be strong enough to beat all of us."

"Maybe not before." Mari said as she stood straighter. "But that was then, this is now!" Spinning around she leaped into the squad.

If she did nothing else she was going to have her father's head.

"Stupid crazy airbending girl." Zuko was growling. It had taken all three of the others to pull him away from the fight in the garden. "She's going to get herself killed, you realize this?"

"She'll be ok Zuko." Katara soothed.

"I'm not so sure Katara." Aang said looking worried. "She's been learning airbending well but one of the keys to airbending is avoiding a fight. She charged into that one."

"Well it doesn't matter now." Sokka stated. "Our best way of helping Mari and Toph is to get to the Fire Lord and defeat him as quickly as possible."

Zuko grumbled but kept moving not really paying attention to where he was going. He'd grown up in this Palace so he knew where to go like the back of his hand.

Perhaps that was why it took Katara grabbing and hauling on his collar to keep him from getting a very nasty looking flying dagger to the head.

"Oh great. You two again?" Sokka said.

Ty Lee smiled and waved while Mai simply pulled out more throwing knives.

"Azula said your not allowed past this point." Ty Lee informed with a smile.

"Azula can go jump in the river." Katara stated. "How's her face by the way?"

Mai glared and threw her knives which Zuko knocked away with a sword.

"Zuko, you and Aang get going." Sokka said pulling out his machete. "Katara and I got a score to settle with these two."

"But..."

Katara smiled at her brother. They'd been itching for a real rematch with Mai and Ty Lee. Getting chased down with Appa and losing Ba Sing Se to them had added fuel to the fire.

Katara also had another bone to pick with Mai over almost killing Zuko.

"We'll be fine." She said giving Zuko a kiss which she could see Mai's eyes narrowing at. "We'll be right behind you."

Zuko and Aang looked at each other. Both could see a glint in Katara's eye that they knew meant big trouble for whoever she was gunning for.

"It's right through these doors." Zuko was saying as he and Aang ran down the final hall.

Azula watched them from the shadows. The fire in her demanded she burn them to a crisp but she knew it would a bit harder then that.

Halfway down the hall she drew the line, in bright blazing blue.

She stayed in her shadow glaring out but neither boy needed to know who was standing there.

When she stepped out she saw them both cringe at her scar. It almost set her off but she ruthlessly shoved the emotion down. She'd learned control from when she'd been a child, it was the biggest lesson in firebending. She would control herself now and incinerate these fools. Especially Zuko. He saved that stupid little peasant girl. The one who had ruined her face. Azula's fingers traced the jagged scar. She'd had to cauterize it herself but she could feel the pain of it everyday as if it was fresh. Everyday she was reminded of her failure.

It drove her mad.

"Hello Zuzu." She sneered.

Zuko ignored the nickname. "If you'll excuse us Azula we have an appointment to keep." He replied smoothly as he and Aang stepped through the flames and headed for the door.

"You have an appointment with me!" Azula snapped. "I challenge you to an Agni Kai Zuko!"

Zuko snorted a bit at the irony of the situation. "No thanks." He replied with a grin as he turned around and pulled Aang along.

Azula felt her blood boiling. How dare he!

Forcing her emotions down again Azula charged up her fist.

"Zuko look out!" Aang yelled as Azula shot.

Zuko however had been expecting it. He spun around and raised a flaming wall before them to protect them for a moment.

The two boys looked at each other. Even though they had been on descent enough terms they were still not what one would call friends. The two simply nodded to each other as Aang turned and walked through the doorway to the Fire Lord's throne room and Zuko charged Azula.

Aang wasn't sure what he'd been expecting when he faced the Fire Lord but he'd never imagined the room being so, dark. Aang had always thought of fire as being warm, friendly, and full of light before the war. The room however was dark, cold, and to Aang's mind, to in control.

He walked forward with his head high and his hand clenching his staff.

"So you have finally arrived Avatar." Ozai stated glaring down at the bald child before him from his seat on the dais "You really think you'll be able to defeat me?"

Aang glared back. "It's not a question of what I think. I will defeat you, this stupid war of yours will stop."

"War?" Ozai said. "As yes. The war. The one my grandfather started and everyone kept up for world domination." The Fire Lord grinned. "I have a much bigger aim then that though."

Aang frowned. "If you don't agree with the war why are you letting it go on?"

"Because it serves my needs well. With every city that fell that was one less place you could hide. My forefather's goals were to rule the world but mine were to find you."

"Me?" Aang said confused. "Why me?"

Ozai smiled in a sickening way and held up an old tattered book. "Do you know what this is?"

"Um...a book?"

"It's an ancient journal of a firebender who lived centuries ago. She spent many years looking into the connection between spirits and us. Her findings are rather interesting. Many of the pages are destroyed but I think I figured most of them out myself." Ozai informed with a smile. "The ability to become truly immortal is worth the war."

Aang suddenly had a very bad feeling in his gut. "How are you going to become immortal?"

Ozai grinned. "You haven't guessed? If I had truly cared about the war I would've demanded you been killed on sight. I wanted you alive however because you are the last piece I need. Your the last airbender. The one who's blood I needed. The blood of four different benders."

Aang's eyes widened. "You think that would grant immortality?"

"Of course not." Ozai sniffed. "Binding the Avatar Spirit to me will."

Mortals are not meant to hold the powers of Spirits.

"Ozai if you do that you'll be driven mad!" Aang told him in a last ditch attempt to convince the Fire Lord of his foley.

Ozai snorted in a way that reminded Aang of Zuko. "Just because some weak willed spirit seer failed at it centuries ago? Yes I've read all about this Sen character. Apparently the writer of this journal was originally trying to find a way to bring back some man from the dead that Sen killed."

"I'm not letting you do this." Aang stated setting his staff in front of himself with his determination written all over his face.

Ozai's eyes narrowed. "So be it!" He said as he jumped off his dais.

Toph spat a bit of blood out of her mouth. She was pretty sure she'd gotten a tooth knocked out somewhere along the line.

The once pristine hall was now in shambles from rock being thrown every and pulled from the floors, walls, and even a few from the ceiling. Suits of armor had once stood as silent sentries and now lay in pieces, dented and occasionally broken.

For her efforts Toph had taken out a good chunk of the Dai Li forces, there were however a good number left. She was wearing down from their constant pounding at her. Rock was stubborn but beat on it long enough, with enough force, and it would crumble.

Toph knew the minute she took a stone fist to the jaw that she was in trouble. She stumbled back and the Dai Li started a barrage doing their best to keep her reeling, until finally another stone fist to the gut brought her down.

Toph felt tears in her eyes. Not because she'd lost but out of frustration. She'd been pounding away at these guys but there had just been more of them with more force. Maybe if she'd done something aside from brute force, come at them from a different angle...

She almost laughed at the irony. She was sounding like Aang.

What she needed was reinforcements. Other targets for the Dai Li to worry about...

The idea sprang on her as she started to get up. She felt something cold and hard under her hand. A sword. The armor!

Standing up and glaring in the direction of the slowly advancing Dai Li Toph smirked. With a twist of her feet and pulling her arms to her she pulled the armor to her while embedding her feet into the ground. The Dai Li stared in shock as some of the armor warped and wrapped around the small girl completely, leaving only the smallest opening so she could breathe.

Toph simply grinned evilly and concentrated. All angles. I need to think of all the angles. She raised her arms slowly.

There was a rattling and rumbling. Toph felt stone hitting her armor but it didn't move her. She wasn't just earth now. Earth crumbled and wore away after awhile. She was metal, she wouldn't bend, she wouldn't break, and she was going to break the wall that was the Dai Li down piece by piece.

The armor and weapons that had been scattered about rose up like legends of dead heroes. Many Dai Li screamed in fright and ran for the exit only to have the doors slam in their faces.

The metal warriors closed in with their metal weapons, pushing the Dai Li against the remains of a stone wall. The men started pleading for their lives in fear.

Toph grinned and brought her hands crashing down.

Screams echoed in the hall as the metal warriors drove their weapons. Men looked at each other but found that to the man none were run through. Simply pinned in a manner that would take them hours to get out of.

Her armor fell apart as Toph whooped. "I am the greatest earthbender ever!" She cheered before she turned and started after her friends.

Mari ground her teeth against the pain. She had a number of minor burns but they all still stung horribly, but it was the one on her arm that she was worried about. She wanted to bet it was at least second degree. It had been a cheap shot her father had gotten in when she'd knocked out the last guard.

Shu was glaring hate at Mari. He had no idea how she'd manage to best most of the royal guard that had been left after the other four had ran but he wasn't about to let her taint his family name anymore!

The problem was that the blasted girl wouldn't stay still long enough for him to get a decent attack off. She'd always loved dancing and it seemed that now she was abusing the lessons her mother had given her. She whirled and was almost constantly behind him. He could've sworn he'd felt her plant her hand on the middle of his spine at least once.

"Cowardly brat!" He snarled as he finally shot a hand behind him and got a fist full of hair. Mari shrieked as he set fire to her and had to use a gust of wind to blow it out. Her once long hair was drastically shorter now.

She glared at Shu. "You call me a coward? You had to beat up a woman and child for years! All for what? What did we ever do to you?"

Shu snorted. "A man has a right to do whatever he wants with and to his family."

Mari sneered. "Family? You don't even know the meaning of that word."

Shu stepped forward intending to blast her but he suddenly was having a hard time breathing.

Mari let her rage fly. She could remember every bruise she'd gotten from him, every time her mother had told her just to tell people she'd fallen, every jeer from other children, every pitying glance from other adults...

It was his fault! She'd make him pay for it!

Shu clutched at his throat desperately. Just a little air is all he needed...

Mari could see him turning purple. She start smile at the thought of him turning blue.

"Mari?"

Blinking up Mari could see Toph standing in the doorway. There was a scared expression on her face.

Mari cringed. How many times had she had that same expression on her own face?

He deserved it though, he deserved to choke to death without the air he'd beaten her so much for commanding...

But...was she any better then him then.

Mari sighed and let go of the air. Shu gasped and started coughing.

He looked up at her still coughing as she stared back down at him.

"I may be your daughter." She stated. "But I am nothing like you. I never will be. I am letting you go this once because your my father. If you attack me or anyone else again I will kill you."

Shu could see the promise in her eyes and nodded as he hacked and stumbled away. Far be it from him to fight someone who could choke him at a thousand paces and effectively cut off his firebending in the processes.

Toph smiled at Mari. "Aang is gonna be proud of you. You handled that like a real airbender."

Mari grinned. "Come on we got people to catch up to."

Katara ducked another throwing knife. It stabbed into the wall behind her with a solid thunk.

Sokka was nearby trying to knock Ty Lee out with his club. So far neither had any wounds due to the constant dodging and both were getting tired.

As Mai pulled out let more sharp implements to throw Katara groaned. Didn't the girl ever run out?

To Katara's horror though Mai didn't throw them at her, but at Sokka.

The warrior let out a yell as he suddenly found himself pinned to the wall.

"Nice shot Mai." Ty Lee said cheerfully. "Now we can both handle the bender."

The slightest smirk ran across Mai's face as she pulled some familiar looking knifes from a sleeve. "I got my special barbed ones for the bender. It should make her happy to die by the same kind of knife I almost killed Zuko with."

Katara's eyes widened and she pulled her water to her. How she wished for more water so she could do the octopus form.

"Hang on Katara!" Sokka said pulling at the knifes that held him.

Whips lashed out as Katara was forced to duck and dodge Ty Lee's hands and Mai's knives. Ice shield formed and disappeared as they shattered

The time had come when Katara found herself out of water to bend. Sokka had one arm free and was pulling frantically at the dagger pinning his legs.

"All out of water." Mai said with a sneer in her voice.

Ty Lee smiled and started flipping towards her.

Panic was instant. Katara looked around frantically for anything to help her but saw nothing as Ty Lee closed in.

Desperate, Katara threw her hands forward to defend herself as she panted her feet, closed her eyes, and mentally pushed.

Nothing happened. Nothing touched her.

Curious Katara opened her eyes and saw Ty Lee standing in front of her. Her hand was inches from a pressure point but she couldn't seem to move. The circus girl's eyes were wide and frightened.

The body is made up of mostly water. That's why waterbenders are such adept healers.

Katara grinned a bit, she'd have to remember to thank Yagoda for the lesson some time.

Ty Lee suddenly spun around and advanced on Mai.

"What the..." Suddenly Mai was trying to dodge Ty Lee's fists.

"That waterbender did something to me Mai! Stop her!"

Mai moved quickly to the side but before she could throw a dart something cracked her in the back of the head.

Sokka smiled as Mai toppled over to the ground and looked at Ty Lee. "Hate to do this to a pair of ladies. Sorry." With that he repeated the process, knocking Ty Lee out with his club.

Katara straightened up. "You alright Sokka?"

Her brother nodded. "I'm good, now come on we gotta go save your harem."

"Sokka they're not..."

"Whatever." Sokka stated.

Despite none of them quite knowing where to go one only had to follow the sounds of fighting and fire blasts to find Azula and Zuko fighting.

The entire hall was on fire. If there had been anything of a roof left one might have feared it caving in on them but lightning and fire blasts had blown most of the ceiling away leaving the open night sky over their heads.

It was rather akin to watching some deadly dance. Fire in all it's colors blazing in controlled hands in free blazes, daggers, whips. Eventually one started seeing less due to both benders becoming tired.

"Just surrender Azula." Zuko said. "We're not here for you."

Azula simply glared as she panted. "You really think that little excuse for an Avatar can beat father? Your a fool Zuzu! Father will never bow before an enemy, Avatar or no. That child doesn't have what it takes to kill Father either!"

"This war is going to end one way or another." Zuko snapped.

"No!" She sneered back. "It will go on until we've accomplished victory over all the Nations!"

She attacked Zuko again. This time however Zuko dodged and countered and eventually knocked her to the ground where he held his fist in front of her face, causing Azula to freeze.

"You should be thankful this moment that I'm not like you or Father." Zuko stated as he straightened up from her. "I would recommend leaving and never coming back."

Azula glared death at him but Zuko ignored it as he heard footsteps. He grinned seeing Katara and Sokka coming down the hall and started walked to them.

"You should have never turned your back on me!"

Zuko's gaze moved to a mirror hanging on the wall in front of him. He could see Azula sparking lightning and her hands moving forward to fire.

The bolt shot out at Zuko's heart as he spun and reached out a hand. He could feel the power going up his arm and clamped his teeth.

Azula gave a smile as she watched her brother grabbed the lightning bolt. The fool thought he could do Iroh's dumb little trick.

Quite suddenly the lightning shot out Zuko's other hand. Azula's eyes went wide as her own bolt got shot back into her chest and her scream ripped through the Palace.

Zuko couldn't help but close his eyes tightly and turn away as Azula smoked and convulsed. He stayed that way even when he heard the heavy thump of a body hitting the ground.

It took Katara coming over and hugging him to snap him back to reality. He hugged her as if doing so would wash away what had happened.

"I didn't mean to..."

"Shh, we know." Katara told him and simply held him. She could feel regret and sadness pouring from him.

Sokka simply stood like a silent sentinel in the doorway when Mari and Toph came running up.

"Did we miss..." Mari froze seeing the smoking corpse and closed her eyes.

Zuko looked up at Mari. "No you haven't missed..." He frozen suddenly looking confused.

"What? What's going on?" Toph asked.

Zuko said nothing and simply looked up.

"Oh no." Sokka said following Zuko's gaze.

Katara looked up and there in the sky was Sozin's Comet.