XIII: With Fire

A messenger arrived at the Jasmine Dragon just after they had opened for Iroh, he took one look at the scroll and announced cheerfully: "The Earth King has invited us to bring tea for him! What an honor!"

"All the while he's making plans for his involvement in the war now? Either your reputation as a tea maker is spreading like wildfire through the city, or there's something amiss." Zuko told him.

"Well I'm not about to pass up this opportunity if it's true." Iroh stated.

"I'll go with you, Uncle, just be on your guard."

"I'm always on guard." Iroh replied.

Ω £ Ω

They were supposed to meet with the King at a house separated from the palace, and on the way there, Iroh stated: "I've spent a long time imagining myself at the Earth Palace, but as a conqueror, now it's as an honored guest."

They sat down and awaited for their host, only to discover that they've fallen into a trap as Azula and the Dai Li entered the room.

"It's tea time." She said mockingly.

"Azula!" Zuko exclaimed, getting to his feet.

"Have you met the Dai Li? They're Earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that is so Firebender, I just love it!"

Iroh then got to his feet and asked his niece: "Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the "Dragon of the West"?

"I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle." Azula told him, bored and looking at her nails.

"It's more of a demonstration really."

Iroh took a sip of his tea and briefly met eyes with Zuko. Zuko ducked behind his uncle just before he made his stance, opened his mouth, and blew a powerful torrent of fire at the Dai Li like a dragon! The agents lowered their heads and lifted their gloved hands to shield themselves. During the fray, Zuko and Iroh bolted. The Dai Li chased after them, throwing little pebbles like bullets, but the Fire Prince and the Dragon of the West were too quick for them.

Azula took part in the chase thowing a bolt of lightning at them, and blowing a hole in the wall, and Iroh took it as his opportunity to make an escape and jumped through it. Zuko, in a slight panic, looked down to his uncle and found that he had landed safely on a hedge.

"Come on. You'll be fine!" Iroh called.

"No. I'm tired of running. It's time I faced Azula!"

Although Zuko was already cornered.

"You're so dramatic. What, are you going to do, challenge me to an Agni Kai?" Azula asked teasingly.

"Yes! I challenge you!"

"No thanks."

Zuko raised both of his hands, summoning a large ball of flame, leaned forward and pushed it at his sister. Azula watched calmly as two Dai Li agents stepped between her and the attack and raised a large, rectangular tile from the floor, and blocked the fire blast. Both agents flung their stone gloves at Zuko's feet, tying him to the floor. Zuko stumbles and places a hand on the floor, which is pinned down by another glove. Zuko struggles in vain to pull himself free. Azula turned her back and walked away. Two more Dai Li agents step forward and finally apprehended Zuko.

Ω £ Ω

The Dai Li opened a stone door to an underground chamber, and told someone inside: "You've got company." Then they tossed in Zuko.

"Katara!" He exclaimed.

"So I guess that you've recently had a little brother-sister reunion." She stated.

"Yeah, she invited Uncle Iroh to have tea with the Earth King and laid a trap for us. Iroh's alright, though, and he's the only one I really know that can really best Azula in a duel."

"How're my dad and brother?"

"Your dad was nice, and even though Sokka introduced me to him with my proper title, he grew to trust me. Before I left them, they were going out to the bay to spread some mines out to trap some Fire Nation ships."

"How did my dad look? Any wounds or missing parts?" Katara asked.

"He looked as if he didn't suffer so much as a scratch. He's well and strong. Y'know, you and Sokka failed to tell me that he's the chief of your tribe." Zuko stated.

"What difference does it make to you?"

"I can see you as more of an equal than as a humble peasant. Even though I understand that Southern Water Tribe politics is different than that of the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom." Zuko replied.

Katara sat down and sighed while fiddling with the pendant of her necklace. Finally she asked: "What do you think is going to happen to Ba Sing Se?"

"Azula is inside the city after the Fire Nation has spent years just trying to get through the walls. With the Dai Li under her power, I believe that the Earth Kingdom will fall."

Suddenly, Katara started to weep.

"Hey, please don't cry. A strong bender like you, with the greatest pride of the Water Tribe in you, you'll do well to help end this war in our favor. If the Fire Nation is to take Ba Sing Se, then we'll find a way to set things back in balance. You'll still have the power to fight too. Remember, the invasion is still on, and I'm sure that you'll find a way to make that happen."

"I'm not crying because of that, I'm crying because the Fire Nation took my mother, and then it looks like we're going to suffer more losses."

"Hey, you'll pull through, we all will." Zuko replied.

Ω £ Ω

As Iroh ran back to the house, he noticed a Dai Li agent chasing after him, whatever it was that really happened, Iroh managed to capture him, and he dragged him to the house. He was fortunate enough to find Toph, Aang, and Sokka, already there and he told them what had happened between Zuko and himself. Knowing that Katara was in danger too, everyone was convinced that Azula had captured Katara too.

Iroh showed them to the Dai Li agent, and he told them everything, from where Zuko and Katara were being held, the crystal catacombs of Ancient Ba Sing Se, and Azula's plot to overthrow the Earth King.

They moved out, leaving the Dai Li agent indoors, tied up, but he should be comfortable.

Toph felt where the Crystal Catacombs were located, and the group decided to split up. Sokka took Toph to warn the Earth King about the coup, while Aang and Iroh went underground to find Katara and Zuko. Aang bent the earth out of their way, while Iroh provided some light.

Ω £ Ω

Sokka, Toph, and Momo witnessed as the Dai Li captured General How, and realized that Azula's coup was taking place right now! They quickly ran into the throne room only to find the Earth King safe, but under Ty Lee and Mai's watch. Both Sokka and Toph managed to recognize them under the makeup and stolen uniforms.

"Thank goodness we're in time!" Sokka exclaimed.

"In time for what?" King Kuei asked.

"Yeah, what are you in time for what... cutie?" Ty Lee asked as she somersaulted over to Sokka.

"Uh, I'm kinda involved with Suki."

"Who?"

Toph earthbent a rock underneath Ty Lee. She gave a small shout as she was hurled into the air. Ty Lee flips backward and lands on top of the badger mole statue in the back of the room.

"They're not the real Kyoshi Warriors!" Toph called out.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Mai stated. She flung three double bladed daggers at Toph. Toph earthbent a slab of rock in front of her to block the projectiles. She then kicked the slab, sending it at Mai, but she jumped over it. A moment after she landed, Toph used her Earthbending to pop a stone up from underneath Mai, knocking her away. Toph grins victoriously.

As Sokka watched the fight, Ty Lee snuck up next to him, giggling and with a big, happy grin on her face. Sokka, startled, stepped back. Ty Lee proceeded to try to attack Sokka's pressure points in order to disable him, but the Water Tribe warrior is too quick. Every time Ty Lee tried to hit a joint or spot on his body, Sokka ducked, leaned, and shifted out of the way, often ending up in an awkward position.

"Ooo, it's like we're dancing together." Ty Lee said, almost teasingly.

(Cut to Azula standing behind the Earth King and holding him by the shoulder. The frightened king stares at the blue flame Azula holds close to his head.)

"This fight... is over." A cold, cruel voice told them. They turned to see that Azula had captured King Kuei, holding a ball of blue flames close to his head.

Without much of a choice, Sokka and Toph raised their hands in surrender. Ty Lee jumped between them and disabled them both with a series of strikes. Momo soars through the air and tries to escape, but a Dai Li agent that had entered the throne room with Azula, and he threw his stone gloves at Momo, capturing the lemur, and Ty Lee watched as Momo fell next to her. Azula roughly shoves the Earth King away.

"Get them all out of my sight." Azula ordered.

Mai and Ty Lee dragged Toph out of the room, while a Dai Li agent dragged Sokka out by the arm and another agent led the Earth King, who had Bosco on a leash. The bear moaned sadly as they were all dragged away to be thrown in a cell.

Azula smiled evilly before focusing on Long Feng whom just entered the throne room, followed by a troop of the Dai Li. They all stood before Azula.

"Now comes the part where I double-cross you. Dai Li, arrest the Fire Nation Princess!" Long Feng ordered, but the Dai Li were unresponsive: "I said, arrest her. What is wrong with you?!" Long Feng snapped, losing his patience.

"It's because they haven't made up their minds. They're waiting to see how this is going to end." Azula told him.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can see your whole history in your eyes. You were born with nothing. So you had to struggle and connive and claw your way to power. But true power...the divine right to rule...is something you're born with. The fact is, they don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that throne and which one is going to be bowing down. But I know. And you know."

Long Feng began to sweat, his face full of hesitation and uncertainty. Azula sits on the Earth King's throne and crosses her legs: "Well?"

Long Feng realized that he had lost and bowed before Azula.

"You've beaten me at my own game."

"Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player." Azula replied.

Ω £ Ω

A wall in their stone prison gave away to reveal Aang and Iroh.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed as she rushed over to meet him. She held him in a tight embrace. Iroh ran past to check in on Zuko, however the reunion was cut short. A violent quake shook the chamber and trail of crystals shots out of the ground until they reached Iroh, until they entrapped him. Zuko readied himself for an attack when Azula and two Dai Li agents slid down from the tunnel. Azula advanced towards them, but Zuko put himself between his uncle and his sister.

"Release him immediately!" Zuko ordered her.

"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, Prince Zuko...you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you? It's not too late for you Zuko. You can still redeem yourself!"

Iroh, tried to play up on her words to suggest that they really hadn't joined the Avatar and his friends and told Zuko: "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you."

"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? I need you Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want. "

"Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."

Zuko looked between Iroh, his friends, and his sister, appearing deep in thought, but then he looked to Aang and Katara, turning his face into a glare, and he slowly blinked twice as if trying to signal them, and so they took off in search for Toph and Sokka.

"You are free to choose." Azula told him. She waved a hand to the Dai Li agents, signaling them to leave. Both earthbent a stone cube under their feet and slid back up the ramp. Azula departs through the tunnel Aang and Katara had gone through.

A while later, Zuko would follow after them.

A stream of blue fire rocketed towards Aang and Katara from behind. Aang quickly turned around and made a wall of stone to protect them. The fire hit the wall with great force, knocking Aang back.

A look at Azula revealed that her fingertips were still smoking from the attack. Katara ran around the smoldering wall and bent the water in the channel flowing through this large chamber. She charged at Azula and brought the water crashing down on her. Azula deflected the attack with a short blast of fire. Katara kept her momentum and spun the water around her, smashing it into the floor and created a large wave. Azula stomps the ground and flings her hands out, making a wall of fire that evaporates the wave coming at her. The resulting steam hid Azula from view. Aang and Katara looked left and right, preparing for a sneak attack.

Azula jumped out of the steam and perched on one of the larger crystals above them. She attacked with two blue fireballs which Aang and Katara extinguished by bending the water from the channel into a shield. Azula landed on a piece of rock jutting out from one of the large columns. Aang shoots his fists forward and brings his palms down, sending a shockwave through the ground and into the column, destroying it. Azula gasped and dropped down between Aang and Katara, pointing her fingers at both of them. Azula looks back and forth between the two of them nervously, waiting for their next move.

Suddenly, a blast of red fire shot between Aang and Azula. They shielded themselves from it and turned towards the new arrival, Zuko. He wore a simple brown shirt and brown pants, having shed his outer robes. Zuko drew closer to them, poised in a Firebending stance. He looked to Azula, who glared back at him harshly. Zuko then looked to Aang.

They knew what was coming… Zuko outstretched his arms, shot two jets of fire, he then brought his hands together and struck them upon the ground, wherein his fire shot across the chamber and flared upwards with a burst!

Now was the time to get serious, Katara noticed that Azula was shocked by Zuko's powerful display, well he had gotten significantly more powerful since she'd last seen him, but Katara took advantage of this opportunity and bent water into a tentacle and struck Azula's face, knocking her to the ground, and it gave her a scratch on the left side of her face that ran the length of her cheek.

All the while, Zuko sent a barrage of fireballs at Aang, for him to dodge or block!

Ω £ Ω

Sokka peeked through the metal door of the cell, looking side to side.

"See any Dai Li?" Toph asked.

"No, we're clear." Sokka replied. Toph cracked her knuckles and bent the metal door to be pushed from its hinges!

"Let's go!" Sokka told them.

"I'm not leaving without Bosco!" King Kuei told them as they ran.

Ω £ Ω

Zuko hated this fight, it just wasn't fair for the Avatar and Katara to face against two powerful Firebenders and later on the Dai Li agents. It was just too much for them! Yet they continued to fight.

At one point Katara had captured one of Azula's arms and then one of her legs, and before he decided to blast the water to help Azula, Katara had thrown her into the ground, knocking the wind out of her for a few moments, and Katara used her water to freeze her in place.

However, if Zuko really wanted to sell that he was truly on her side, he would have to act like he had her back, and so he melted the ice for Azula, and returned his attention to Aang and dealt him a blazing attack to which Aang had dodged, and sent a gust of air Zuko's way, knocking him off of his feet.

However with the Dai Li's interference, it was now getting harder and harder to get a hit on Zuko and Azula. At some point Katara saw that a combination of moves done by Aang and one of the Firebenders ended up with Aang getting launched into the air, and strike a rock wall.

Ω £ Ω

Toph, Sokka, and King Kuei made it back to the throne room to find Ty Lee trying to get Bosco to walk on his hands from the look of things.

Before Ty Lee could discover that their prisoners had escaped, she found her hands entrapped in stone, and was unable to free herself. Everyone else stepped in to engage Mai, who was reclined in a seat, rather than getting to her feet to throw knives at them, she sighed and told them: "Just take the bear."

"Bosco!" King Kuei said cheerfully as he rushed over to embrace his bear.

Ω £ Ω

Eventually, after seeing Katara get overwhelmed with Dai Li agents, he cocooned himself in crystals so he could follow the last of the Guru's teachings to master the Avatar State. He emerged from the cocoon his eyes and tattoos glowing. Katara smiled at him, and Zuko had a pang of dread surge through him. If he had to face against Aang in this state, he would have little choice but to flee.

However, to everyone's shock, a bolt of lightning surged through Aang's body, and he fell.

Katara surfed over to Aang with her Waterbending and collected Aang's body. However, since Azula didn't let up on her attacks, Zuko felt that he had to continue as well, hating himself for every strike he threw. Katara did what she could to protect Aang's body and herself, when Iroh stepped into the fray and told her to get out while he held Zuko and Azula back.

Katara bent her way out of the chamber and made her escape with Aang in her arms. Once they were safe, Iroh surrendered and was promptly taken prisoner. He briefly looked into Zuko's eyes, but he was quick to turn his head away, saddened by Zuko's choice.

"After a hundred years of chipping away at its walls, the Fire Nation has finally taken the city of Ba Sing Se. So smile, Zuko, when we return home, you'll be welcomed back as a hero." Azula stated.

"I still don't have the Avatar, what if father doesn't restore my honor?" Zuko asked, rehashing on his past obsessions.

"He doesn't have to, today, you've restored your own honor." Azula stated.

Ω £ Ω

The Earth Kingdom had fallen, and soon the world would believe the Avatar to be dead. However, there was still a glimmer of hope, as they were fleeing the city with their friends, Katara pulled out the water she'd received from Master Paku, from the Spirit Oasis. Its special properties managed to restore life to Aang, but he would still need time to heal.

"Zuko had to turn on us, didn't he?" Sokka questioned. Katara nodded, not looking at him.

"Did you guys get a few hits in?" Sokka asked. Katara simply nodded and was silent for the rest of the night. Later on, they rendezvoused with Chief Hakoda, and set out to sea.

Ω £ Ω

Please review.