Competing was second nature to him...
Zuko had always had to compete for one thing or another since he was a little boy. The only difference was now was that he was walking towards the toughest competition he'd ever have to face. Not because of what the competitor could do to him, but because of whoshe was.
How many times did he have to remind himself that this was necessary? How many times did he have to convince himself that he was doing the right thing? But a voice... an achingly familiar voice... pleaded with him not to go ahead with this...
"You can't do this, Zuko... She's your sister!" Ursa said in a choked voice. She looked as she had six years ago... Beautiful, loving, and caring... She tried to embrace her sixteen year old son, hoping that was enough to persuade him.
"I'm sorry, mother... I have to," Zuko thought solemnly as he opened his eyes.
He surveyed his surroundings as he found himself on Appa with Katara holding the reins. He smiled upon finding her there. She was a true friend... He'd come to realize that recently. Then he surveyed the skies. It was an eerie red.
"The comet is close," Zuko whispered.
Katara looked at him and asked, "What?"
"The comet is close, Katara. Look at the sky," Zuko said. Katara obeyed and looked. She noticed that Zuko was right. She sighed and looked at him with a worried expression on her face.
"I know, Katara... I hope everyone else is ok, too," Zuko said soothingly.
"Thanks, Zuko," she said as she placed her hand on his shoulder with a smile. Then she went back to the reins.
Zuko wasn't sure of what was going to happen himself. Aang's refusal to kill Ozai, or anyone for that matter, would be a crippling disadvantage in this battle. He gripped the saddle harder than he should have as he thought about the alternative outcome.
"Zuko, don't worry... We can take Azula," he heard Katara say.
"I'm not worried about her," Zuko lied. "I'm worried about Aang. What if he doesn't have the guts to take out my father? What if he loses?" Zuko finished. He watched as Katara's eyes widened.
"Aang won't lose. He's gonna come back. He has to," she said seriously as she looked ahead. Zuko sighed and watched as his own thoughts were interrupted by a distant memory.
He was standing with his sister as their father towered over them. Both of them had their heads bowed. Their father looked angry to say the least. And why shouldn't he? They'd accidentally set fire to one of the guards while playing. There wasn't much damage done, but Ozai had never been one to forgive easily.
"Do the two of you realize how this makes me look?" Ozai asked them. They remained silent. "While I'm glad you're practicing, let me remind you that this kind of behavior is unacceptable! Especially from you, Zuko! You're supposed to set a good example for your sister!" Ozai said as he looked at his son.
Azula didn't say anything, but gripped her brother's hand all the same... as if trying to comfort him. Zuko returned the pressure gratefully.
"I'm sorry father... I'll remember that," Zuko said remorsefully.
Ozai sighed and bent down to level with Zuko as he said, "Good." Then he made his way back as Zuko and Azula stood there, waiting for him to go out of sight. As soon as he was out of sight, though, the two siblings burst out laughing.
Azula said, "Did you see the look on his face?"
"I did... and it was fun!" Zuko said.
"What happened to you, Azula?" Zuko thought sadly. "What happened to my sister? You used to care for me! What happened to that?"
He didn't know what he could even do to prevent this now... Things had changed so drastically... It was so messed up that he would have to actually fight her to restore the honor of the Fire Nation. How could he possiblyfight his own sister? He'd tried to seem confident for Katara's sake, but truthfully, he didn't want to do this at all. His life had been one competition after another...
When he was little, he had to compete with Azula for his father's affection. He'd watched helplessly as his love for Azula turned into enmity and fear... He hated that feeling. He tried to tell himself that this wasn't her fault... But nothing could cure that twinge of jealousy every time he looked at his sister...
But fighting his father for his honor was something he hadn't expected at all... He didn't want to fight his father at all! And what did he get for it? A scar... A permanent mark to forever brand him as the disgraced Prince... The Prince who was burned and disowned by his father... stripped of his birthright and banished...
"Don't think about that now," he told himself as he lay on Appa's saddle. "It's not worth it."
"Zuko, will you take over the reins for a while, please?" Katara asked wearily.
Zuko smiled and obliged. As he stroked the bison's head affectionately, he realized how far he'd come. From being the Avatar's enemy to teaching him Firebending, he'd come a long way. He'd overcome many hurdles... Of course there had been pitfalls... He'd been beaten every time he'd tried to capture Aang in the past... Endured Zhao's wrath... Zhao...
That situation had been entirely different. Zhao had threatened his possibilities of ever returning home... He hadto be stopped. He'd defeated him twice in combat... Once in a formal Agni Kai, and the second time was in the North Pole for trying to have him killed. He'd won the first time, and was about to win the second duel, too, had the Ocean Spirit not taken him away...
As they neared the Fire Nation Capital City, Zuko registered the achingly familiar landscape. This was his home... his refuge... So why now did he feel so conflicted? Why did he feel so utterly lost? His lips curved into a hollow smile as he thought how ironic it was that he had to fight for something that was rightfully his. The fact that he had to fight his little sister for it only made it worse.
But something caught his eye as Appa flew over the Palace walls. The Fire Sages were gathered around Azula... and the Head Sage was carrying the Fire Lord's diadem.
"By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lord;" the High Sage began, but stopped as he spotted them on Appa.
"What are you waiting for? Do it!" Azula ordered. Just then, Appa let out a loud grunt, and Zuko jumped off the saddle.
"Sorry... But you're not gonna become Fire Lord today... I am!" he said feigning a calm he didn't feel.
Azula simply laughed as she said, "You're hilarious!"
"And you're going down!" he heard Katara say.
"Wait!" Azula said, stopping the High Sage. Then she looked at her brother and said, "You want to be Fire Lord? Fine... Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother! The showdown that was always meant to be! Agni Kai!"
Every word wrenched Zuko in the gut. In his mind, he could see their mother being torn apart... He knew this had to happen sometime... A fight to the death for the right to be the ruler of the Fire Nation... against his sister. His little sister... Azula... The little girl who'd brought Mai into his life... Mai...
His fists and jaw clenched as he thought of Mai... locked up in prison for helping him... For her loyalty...
Then he thought of his uncle... who'd gone through so much for him... and with him...
"You're on!" he said, his resolve finally coming crashing back... Assuring Katara that he'd be fine fighting Azula alone, he waited for Azula to take her stance. And as he turned around to face her, her words cut through his heart like a blunt blade.
"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother!" she said.
"No, you're not," he said bitterly, knowing that if that had been true, they wouldn't have been in this situation at all.
He watched as Azula charged at him.
"Alright, little sister! Let's see who wins this competition... The Last Agni Kai," he thought as he parried the oncoming blast with his own fire.