Author's Note: Here is the second to last chapter everyone. Enjoy!
Zuko walked over to where they stored the wood, frowning when he saw that the pile was nearly empty. He glanced behind him and singled out the first person he saw.
"Hey Longshot. Will you come with me to get more wood?" he asked. The archer paused in his path and nodded, changing direction for the prince. They walked side by side into the surrounding forest, picking up fallen sticks and bark. A tense silence fell between them as they worked and after a long moment, Zuko dropped his wood with a loud clatter.
"Are you good to her?" he asked, his golden eyes falling on Longshot. The other boy paused and stood up straight, a confused look in his eyes. Zuko sighed and looked down, biting his tongue. It was stupid to have even spoken out. "I mean, obviously she's moved on with you. I just want to make sure she's happy."
"You've got it all wrong," Longshot finally said, causing Zuko to look up at him. "She's still in love with you."
"But..."
Longshot took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "You were an idiot to let her go, but I can see that you've changed. Just fix things between both of you and everything will be fine."
He turned and carried his stack of wood back to camp, leaving Zuko to pick up his load and mull over the archer's words.
"Okay, we need a new plan to take down the Fire Nation," Sokka said.
"What are we going to do now?" Aang asked.
"The new plan is the old plan," Sokka explained. "Aang'll just master all four elements and then take on the Fire Lord before the comet."
"Um, Sokka, I don't think that's going to work," Kai commented.
"What are you talking about? It's foolproof!" the Water Tribe boy said enthusiastically.
"Do you have something better in mind?" Aang asked.
"Actually, I do."
Zuko fell roughly to his knees and a grunt from Aang told him he had also been pushed down. The banished prince lifted his head, his eyes falling on the man he hated, the man who had lied to him his whole life.
"What have we here?" Ozai asked, looking past his son bound on the floor.
"My redemption," Kai said from behind him.
The Fire Lord laughed, the hideous sound void of any humor. "You think you can bring me the Avatar and my son and expect it as compensation for treason? You are naïve, child."
"Actually, Ozai, I did the job your father assigned me," she said smoothly, stepping into Zuko's view. His father's eyes widened at her disrespect and he got to his feet.
"Guards, take care of this insolent abomination!" he snarled. The room remained completely still and the Fire Lord looked around incredulously. "I said arrest her!"
"They don't answer to you anymore, your highness," Kai said coldly. "I've fulfilled my duty. Now your family has to hold up its end of the deal."
"What are you talking about?" Ozai asked gruffly. Kai moved closer to him and withdrew a yellowed parchment, handing it to the older man. He snatched it from her and pulled it open, his eyes scanning the words written on the page. "…duty…reward…family honor…" he muttered as he read. He finished and looked up at her in disbelief. "This can't be true! My father would never have given the throne to an orphaned mutt."
"I believe that is the former Fire Lord's signature," Kai said with a sly smile. "I've had this mission since I began learning to firebend. Do you seriously think I was committing treason by joining the Avatar's group? I was merely getting close enough to strike. I want what I was promised. Your son was an extra present, just for you. You can keep the money." She nudged Zuko with her foot, making him wince. "If you don't agree, I could always ask the guards to arrest you. They've known about this since Fire Lord Azulon wrote that contract. Guards," she commanded. A few men stepped forward and Ozai put his hands up.
"All right, all right. I will make arrangements to accommodate your return," he relented.
"Oh no," Kai said as if she were speaking to a child. She moved to his throne and he could only watch as she stood in front of it. "My return begins now." She sank into the seat and the fire surrounding it flared, as if welcoming her. "Guards, take the prisoners to the penitentiary. Ozai, you have been demoted to the High Council. You and your daughter may remain in the palace. The Chosen One is feeling generous."
Zuko grit his teeth against the violent grip of the guards and his eyes lingered on Kai until he was withdrawn from the room. The plan was working. Now as long as Kai acted like a Fire Lord, she could stay without suspicion until they had fully infiltrated the palace.
"What is the meaning of this? Why are we being moved to the East Wing? That's where your councilmen live!" Azula ranted, storming into the throne room. Her eyes widened when she saw Kai occupying the throne. "You! How did you get here? Where's my father?"
"Hello Azula," Kai greeted evenly, getting to her feet.
"Answer me!" Azula demanded.
"I'm taking over now."
"What? That's absurd! My father wouldn't willingly give up the throne to a traitor. I'll put you where you rightfully belong. Dai Li, arrest her!"
There was no movement in the room besides the flickering of the flames. Azula's amber eyes darted around, searching for her personal guards. Kai laughed harshly, glancing around. "Well?" Azula didn't respond and she put her hands on her hips, a knowing smile on her lips. "You've been played, Azula. I'm in charge now, and the Dai Li are loyal to the most powerful. Dai Li, please escort Councilman Ozai's daughter to their new living quarters."
Two Dai Li agents slid from the stone pillars in the chamber and reached the former princess. One grabbed her arm and she yanked it away, scowling at him. "I can escort myself." She sent Kai one last simmering look before turning and storming out of the chambers, the Dai Li agents trailing behind her.
Moments later, a guard walked in and removed her helmet. "Your grace, may I speak with you privately?"
"Of course, Captain Ming. We can retire to my private quarters," Kai said, starting toward the door.
"The Fire Sages wanted me to deliver a message about your official coronation," the guard began. "They said-"
She was cut off by the sound of the door closing. Kai turned to her, her blue eyes weary. "Ok, what's really going on?"
"There're some rumors being spread through the lower ranks. Suspicion is starting about the validity of the contract. If you're going to pull this coup off, I think now is the time to do it before anything gets worse."
"Does Sokka know about this?"
Just then, the door opened and a guard stepped in, pushing it closed behind him. He removed his helmet to reveal it was the Water Tribe warrior.
"Speaking of," Ming said with a smile.
"What'd I miss?" Sokka asked.
"Just informing Kai of the rumors going around."
"Good," he said with a smile. "I just talked to Zuko and Aang. They're ready when we are."
"The prisoners from the Boiling Rock arrived yesterday. The Earth Kingdom rebels are waiting just off the coast. I can send a hawk tonight and they should be here by noon tomorrow. Our rebels have fully infiltrated the guard system. I think now would be the perfect time to attack," Ming suggested.
"Then we are ready," Kai confirmed. "The coronation is tomorrow at noon. While everyone is distracted with my crowning, you guys can begin the attack."
"Perfect. I'll pass on the message," Sokka said and left the room.
"Thank you for all of your help, Ming. If it weren't for you, we could never have pulled this off," Kai said, turning to the Fire Nation rebel.
"Of course. Those of us still loyal to General Iroh were waiting for someone to come along and overthrow Ozai."
"And please give your brother my thanks for forging that contract."
"I will. I think you should get some rest now. Big day tomorrow."
"Oh, one more thing. I'm going to speak with the head of the Dai Li in the morning. I think they may be willing to assist us."
"Be careful," Ming said before leaving the room.
Kai felt the tension building in her shoulders at the prospect of their rebellion tomorrow. She could only hope that everything would work out right or she had sent hundreds of people into a massacre that few would survive.
The overcast skies seemed to imply rain, but not a drop had fallen since the skies had clouded that morning. The ceremonial plaza was quiet except for the soft murmurs in the gathered crowd and the trickle of the fountain. Kai was kneeling before the Fire Sages, her head bowed as the leader held the Fire Lord diadem above her head. The crowd fell silent, and Kai exhaled softly in exasperation. Where were the rebels? The coronation was nearly over and there hadn't been a stirring in the tension charged air all morning. And why had so many civilians come to attend her coronation? She hadn't considered this in their plan. Innocent people could possibly get hurt. Her jaw clenched as the Fire Sage began to speak, causing her to focus on his words rather than the rebellion.
"By decree of Fire Lord Azulon, I-"
"The prisoners are escaping!" A soldier yelled, running up the steps.
"What is the meaning of this? You are disrupting a sacred ceremony!" the Fire Sage chastised in annoyance. "I'm sure the guards can take care of that."
"No, the war criminals have escaped!"
"What?" Kai said in what she hoped came off as anger and gasps came from the crowd as they realized what was happening. "How did this happen?"
"I don't know but they're on a rampage through the palace."
"Everyone needs to leave now," Kai commanded, looking out over the people. "Return to your homes and stay inside."
Chaos broke out immediately and civilians began rushing out of the plaza, worried chatter escaping them. Kai glanced back at the Fire Sages, dropping the cloak weighing on her shoulders. "Dai Li, restrain them." The sages looked at each other in confusion as the earth moved around them, binding their hands and feet.
"We'll have to do this another time," she said quickly to the sages before turning to the crowd again. She could see that the rebel soldiers had run into the chaos to take care of the councilmen and the generals who had attended the event. A lick of flame erupted from the chaos, aimed straight for her and she dove out of the way, scrambling to her feet quickly to find Azula ascending the stairs at a sinister pace.
"I think we have a little catching up to do, Kai," Azula said, her amber eyes narrowed in anger. Kai frowned and fell into a bending stance, feeling a sudden wave of power wash through her. Her blue eyes went to the sky and she could see it beginning to redden as Sozin's Comet began its path through the sky. She could only hope now that the comet's presence wouldn't hinder the rebellion too much. Taking two steps forward, she shot a ball of fire at Azula. The princess laughed and extinguished the flames, her smile deadly. "You think that's all it's going to take to stop me?"
"No, but this might!"
Azula whipped her head toward the small voice and an enraged snarl escaped her as a metal sheet flew at her, wrapping her tightly in a stiff binding. Kai smiled at Toph as the princess screamed in rage, cursing at them.
"Thanks, Toph. I take it the Earth kingdom rebels are here?" the blonde asked.
"Yeah. Last time I checked, the palace is almost under our control."
"Where are the others?" she questioned, starting toward the door leading into the palace.
"You can't just leave me here! Come back and fight!" Azula shouted.
"Katara and Sokka are taking care of the west wing. Aang went looking for Ozai and I'm not sure what happened to Zuko. Everyone else is trying to get a hold of things from the inside out," Toph explained, ignoring Azula's screams and threats.
"I guess things are going as planned," Kai said, walking quickly down a hall.
"Sure, but the Fire Nation's putting up a good resistance. I'm gonna go see who needs my help."
Kai nodded and they parted ways at a fork in the hallway. She ran toward the east wing, hoping to find any of the resistance there. A bout of flame stopped her in her tracks and she slid under it to avoid running into the heat. She barely had time to leap to her feet before a heavy form flew into her own, crushing her against the wall. Large hands wrapped around throat and the stench of sulfur greeted her nose as Ozai grinned maliciously before her.
"Well, well, little firebender. This is some trick you've pulled. But I'm afraid the game is over. You have dishonored my family and you will pay with your life," he said in a sickly sweet voice. Her fingers clawed desperately at his unforgiving hands and his grip constricted tighter, cutting off the air to her lungs. Black spots began to fill her vision and the world slowly began to fade, one last plea for the Spirits to help her soundlessly escaping her mouth.
Without warning, the grip was released and Ozai's roar filled her ears. She slumped to the floor, coughing and gasping for the sweet air as it began to replenish her starved lungs. A loud thud beside her made her eyes open wide in surprise and she was greeted by Ozai's blank stare, his face contorted in an expression of pure rage. A small line of blood trailed from the corner of his mouth and it took her a moment to realize he was dead. Warm hands cupped her face and her gaze was drawn to Zuko's face, his golden eyes concerned as they fell on her neck.
"Zuko," she whispered in concern, her voice raspy after being suffocated. Her blue eyes went to the motionless Fire Lord but he recaptured her attention by pressing his lips to hers. She was startled by the sudden gesture but her arms went around his neck without hesitation, pulling him closer to share a desperate kiss. She knew she should still be angry with him but she had been moments away from death and a realization had struck her. She couldn't die without him knowing she still loved him. He broke away after a moment and helped her to her feet, his fingers going to the bruises forming on her alabaster skin.
"We need to help Aang," he said after confirming for himself that she was okay.
"What happened?" she asked.
"My father left him barely alive. Come on." He took her hand and pulled her through the burning building, leading her to where the Avatar had fallen. Katara was already beside him, her hands covered in glowing water. The form she was healing was burned severely and Aang was almost unrecognizable.
"Ozai shot him with lightening," Katara explained, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Luckily, it didn't hit his heart this time."
Sokka came running up moments later, a grin on his face. "They surrendered!" he said with excitement but his enthusiasm quickly died when he saw the still form on the ground. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know yet," Katara said, her blue eyes brimming with tears. "I'm trying."
A/N: Yay Ozai died! What'd you guys think of the coup d'état? I thought the Gaang needed to be a little more slick when it came to overthrowing the Fire Lord. Also, on a side note, I've decided to write a sequel to this and I'm considering a third after that. As always, I love reviews. And now ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the final chapter.