XXVI: Madness

AUTHOR'S WARNING: The following chapter may be too epic for some viewers to handle, please proceed with caution.

With the crown ready to be placed on Azula's head, the palace servants, the Dai Li, the Imperial Firebenders, and a unit of the Fire Nation army stood guard as palace servants were dressing her to get ready for her coronation. One combed her lovely hair, another was cleaning her feet, and there was even a woman on her knees with a bowl of cherries for her. Azula munched on the cherries contently while she was being pampered, until she bit onto a pit. Her eyes widened and she spat it out, as she glared at the woman holding the bowl for her mistake, or for rather trying to choke the princess, and she spoke: "What am I holding here?"

"A cherry pit, Princess." The woman replied.

"This is the day of my coronation as your new Fire Lord, the most important day of my life. So tell me why you've decided to leave a pit in my cherry?"

"It was a mistake!"

"A mistake! Do you realize what could've happened if I hadn't sensed the pit in time?"

"I suppose that you could've choked." The woman whimpered.

"Yes, so you understand the severity of your crime!" Azula replied, when the woman begged for mercy, she banished her and proceeded to tell her foot scrubber to make sure she got between the toes.

After she had been groomed, she proceeded to the throne room and as she sat among her blue flames, she ended up banishing the Dai Li for their tardiness. It took them five minutes to show up, and she considered that to be plenty of time for an assassin to do away with her.

She continued to prepare for her coronation, but the pain of Mai and Ty Lee's betrayals had caused her to snap. She didn't trust the rest of the guards, but she had a feeling that they would be of use. The dream she had, and the dragon's glowing eyes, she knew that Zuko was coming, she just did.

Azula busied herself by trying to fix her hair in her favorite style, but having not needed to fix her hair on her own before, she ended up with a loose and sloppy mess! She took up a pair of scissors and severed the strands that were to hang loose around her face.

"What a shame, you've always had such beautiful hair."

Azula looked into the mirror and saw that it was her mother, Ursa, speaking to her. She only existed in the mirror, but she spoke to Azula.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wouldn't miss out on my own daughter's coronation." Ursa replied.

"Don't pretend to act proud. I know what you really think of me. You think I'm a monster."

"I think you're confused. All your life you used fear to control people. Like your friends Mai and Ty Lee."

"But what choice do I have?! Trust is for fools. Fear is the only reliable way. Even you fear me."

"No. I love you, Azula. I do." Ursa spoke, her voice gentle and sincere. Azula, turned away from the mirror, snatched up a brush, and in a rage within her psychosis, she threw the brush and smashed the mirror! The image of her mother went away, but in her head, she heard her mother's voice: "I'll be right here with you Azula, because I love you."

Azula cried for a moment, but then she put on her mask of intimidation, and proceeded to dress herself for her coronation.

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"Do you have enough water in those skins of yours?" Zuko asked. He was in Appa's saddle while Katara held the reins.

"After what I saw when I've finally opened those chakras, I feel like I could bring in the ocean if I needed to." Katara replied.

The comet was coming, and she heard Zuko taking deep breaths through the gusts of wind rushing past her ears. Zuko felt the incredible surge of power go through him. He breathed again and told Katara: "I'm sure that I don't have to tell you to be on your guard, but you're about to see Firebending like you've never seen it before."

"I'll do my best to keep you two from burning down your city." Katara replied.

They flew over the palace as they heard a fire sage announce: "By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you, Fire Lord A…"

"What are you waiting for? DO IT!" Azula ordered, but Appa moaned and landed and Zuko announced: "Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today… I am!" He jumped from Appa's saddle and stood proudly before Azula.

"Ahahaha! You're hilarious, Zuzu." Azula laughed.

"And you're going down." Katara retorted.

"Alright, Zuzu, you want the throne, then I challenge you…" Azula started as she got to her feet, but before she could propose an Agni Kai, Zuko nodded to Katara and she pulled out a tendril of water and whipped it at Azula, striking her across her torso with enough force to knock her back a few steps.

"ARRGH! HOW DARE YOU, FILTHY PEASANT!" Azula roared. She assumed a stance, but Zuko took Katara in one arm, and with his feet and free hand, he used his Firebending to propel them up and onto the roof. He set Katara down on the roof, and he flew back down to the ground as she started to pull water from the air and the clouds and formed a massive ring of tentacles and assumed a battle stance!

"GET THEM! GET THEM!" Azula roared!

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"So, do you have a plan?" Katara asked right after Appa took off.

"With the amount of damage you've caused during the eclipse, father couldn't take the amount of airships he wanted for his attack during the comet, so Azula should have some extra guard. What I don't want is for her to challenge me to an Agni Kai, because she's not a very honorable fighter. Remember the day when I first joined your side? She surrendered to us and then took a cheap shot on our own uncle! So before she can challenge me, I want you to strike her first. It's sure to put her into a rage. Use whatever resources you have, to protect yourself and what you can of the city, but I don't want Azula to suffer, and I no desire to kill her, even though she'll probably try to kill me. Use that Bloodbending trick if you have to, if only to use it to slow down the guard… And Katara, I don't know what'll happen if I go into the Dragon State when the comet comes. The Dragon State alone gives me so much power, so if it becomes too much, even for me, then do what you must."

"So the plan is to go all out, use all resources, after I make the first strike?" Katara asked.

"You strike first and I'll move you to another position while I face Azula." Zuko replied.

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Zuko punched and released a great plume of yellow flames towards Azula and the guard before they struck at Katara. The power harnessed from the comet multiplied Zuko's ability in tenfold! The usual plume from that strike turned into a great torrent of fire, and he wasn't even at his full power yet! The guard and Azula scattered and managed to dodge Zuko's attack, while Katara lashed out a tentacle to slap away the flames before they spread, and even took the liberty to swat a few men off of their feet while she was at it.

Azula stepped forward to strike by chaining several kicks together and blasting blue fireballs towards Zuko, but he used his flame jets to glide out of their trajectory. He crouched low, and with a sweeping kick he made an arc of flames to send towards his sister. She dodged by rocketing up onto the roof of the palace and Katara took the opportunity to use a tentacle and take Azula to toss her out of the palace courtyard, and now she at least appeared to be unguarded by others.

Zuko flew over the palace walls and landed in the city on the same street as Azula, where they proceeded to exchange blasts, and Katara used her water to encase herself in a pod, and used it to crawl down the palace wall, across the street, and slide up the wall of a store, and onto another rooftop where she made a new perch.

Azula sent over a large torrent of fire down the street towards Zuko, but rather than blocking it or evading it, he captured the flames and then through a Waterbending technique, he returned the flames back to Azula, they transitioned from blue to violet and green.

The guard was moving in now, and in numbers that were greater than Katara had expected, they began flooding into the streets to protect Azula, and so Katara took her water and put up walls of ice in order to slow the Firebenders down. She pulled water from the air, clouds, and her skins to put up the walls, but with the comet now, the Firebenders' power allowed them to easily start melting her walls while Zuko was forced to start moving to a better spot. The melting of the walls allowed for steam to fill the streets, limiting visibility as the steam crept across the streets, so Azula ran after her brother and with a palm-heel-strike sent another stream of fire. Zuko spun around and kicked to create an arc of red fire and blocked Azula's strike. She sent another strike, and once again Zuko deflected it, but at a third strike in the chain, Zuko had to jump out of the projectile's way. He flew up and landed on a roof, provoking Azula to follow up after him, but by the time she got up to the roof, Zuko had moved over to another building, and he now had to focus on blocking strikes now coming from the guard, Fire Mages, and Imperial Firebenders. Zuko blocked the strikes with quick and energy-efficient moves.

Azula, look at how controlled he is with his actions, he bends with no malice. If only you could do the same, if only you didn't want to fight him. I love you, Azula, as much as I have Zuko. Please, you have the power to end this fight. Being the Fire Lord is not your destiny.

Shut up, Mother! Azula shouted in her mind.

I meant it when I said that I love you and that I'll be right here with you.

Katara tried to assist Zuko in building up more ice walls and trapping the guards by freezing their feet to the ground, but she also put in the effort to keep them from burning the city to the ground, with her attention divided, Zuko still had to put some distance between himself, Azula, and the guard.

He ended up in the center of town, with Azula right on his tail, she started bending her lightning and threw a strike towards Zuko, and he caught it and threw it right back at her. She dodged it just in time. As she kept throwing strikes at him, the guard proceeded to surround Zuko as he focused on his sister.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! BLAST THAT TRAITOR INTO OBLIVION!" Azula shouted. Zuko looked about and saw that he was cornered, but then he heard the voice of Lux speak within him: I am ready.

In one fell swoop, everyone in the circle sent torrents of fire towards Zuko, and within the moment, without anyone noticing, his eyes lit up as he went into the Dragon State!

"ZUKO, NO!" Katara cried out as she watched the torrents of flame engulf her friend.

Azula, dear child, when you hurt your brother, you'll hurt yourself too! Ursa's voice spoke, pleadingly, in Azula's mind.

"Shut up!" Azula hissed under her breath. She gave her head a violent shake, messing up her up until it all fell loose. She stood straight and watched with a satisfied, sinister, smirk on her face as she could sense her brother being reduced to ash with the power of the flames

Katara brought her hands to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes as she watched the torrents of flames that had encased her friend. She was sure to cry, but then the flames that were surrounding Zuko started to swirl and swell further upward into the sky! Katara's eyes lit up, for she knew now that Zuko was bending the flames! The torrents spiraled and then took on several beautiful colors as they turned into a flaming tornado!

The Firebenders stopped feeding into the tornado, but it only continued to swell in height, the Firebenders retreated into the side streets and alleyways, while Azula stood before the tornado just simply dumbfounded. Just what, she wondered, was going on in there? Finally, something boomed within the tornado and it rings of shockwaves through the twister as it climbed up and out into the sky! It was Zuko, his eyes glowing as golden as the comet, and spreading out from his shoulders were a pair of appendages that represented the bones of a dragon's wings, made up of fire, and they acted as if they were in sync with Zuko's mind, as they aided him to fly!

The tornado soon died away, and Zuko swooped down in an attack towards Azula. She then powered up her fire jets and glided across the square to dodge him and then send him a chain of blasts, only for Zuko to deflect of redirect her attacks, oftentimes she had to dodge them, leaving the fire to catch on the buildings surrounding them.

Katara set to work again as she rode a wave up, down, and around the buildings to wash away the flames, and she continued to pull in more water wherever she could collect it. As she made her way about the buildings, she'd find Firebenders attempting to strike at her, but she was able to either shield the blows with the water or bend a tentacle to power-slap them to send them flying to the other end of the street or into walls of buildings.

Azula glided out of the main square of the city, her jets at full speed; and for a moment, Zuko, still in the Dragon State and wearing flame wings, just stood up straight and watched her glide away. Then Azula shot herself into the air, and landed upon the roof of a shop, she turned to look back at Zuko, and shot off a great chain of fireballs by throwing punches and kicks. Zuko responded by taking flight! His wings of fire stroked as if they were connected to his mind, no physical Firebending was needed, it was simply as if the wings were a part of him.

Loyal Firerbenders that were still standing grouped closer to Azula, prepared to defend the princess. Katara was within the distance to start bending at them, and she had accumulated enough water to fill a descent-sized pond, the problem was that Zuko was ready to strike!

Zuko maneuvered into a spiraling dive and during his plummet he fired scattered shots of fireballs which exploded on impact, sending Azula's guard flying and running off in screams, though she herself managed to leap between rooftops to avoid Zuko's strikes.

As Zuko pulled out of his dive, Azula performed a series of kicks, sending arcs of flames Zuko's way, until one of them struck through his wings and severed his connection with them! Zuko tumbled towards the ground, and ended up smacking down onto a roof. When he hit the roof, his left arm was stuck out to the side and bent at the elbow, he landed right on his elbow, crushing the humorous in that arm and dislocated his shoulder!

Azula laughed and staggered in a manic fit before gliding over rooftops towards Zuko. Soon she used her flame jets into the air, a large fireball over her hand, and she was prepared to smash it down onto her brother! However, a Dragon State Zuko wasn't going to go down like that, no, he opened up his mouth and let out a giant plume of fire of many hues, just like the dragons! It took Azula's full effort to just block it in time and use her fire jets to escape. She looked to her brother with frightened eyes and began panting.

No, this can't be! I'VE always been the more powerful child! How can he hold such strength, when I've always been the superior Firebender? Azula thought to herself. She watched as Zuko got back up to his feet; and although his eyes were still glowing, she saw that he cradled his arm, he held his shoulder awkwardly, and his face was contorted with pain. She knew that he was injured, and that made everything just perfect for her as she rooted herself in her stance on the roof, and began to bend lightning!

Zuko stood calmly, hand assumed a stance as Azula sent the bolt of lightning his way! Zuko caught the bolt with his injured arm and cried out in agony as it coursed through his injuries; but it wasn't a human scream, it sounded more like a draconic shriek! He then redirected the bolt of lightning, not at Azula, but towards the guards and Firebenders that were going after Katara. At the present moment, the imperial Firebenders and members of the guard were surrounding her, there was even a fire mage, and she was altering between striking them with water tentacles and then putting up shields made up of water and ice, a lot of her water was starting to go up in steam by the time that bolt of lightning crackled and boomed their way, it landed on the ground, about two feet away behind Katara's assailants, but it was still plenty close enough to stun them so she had a way of escape.

Katara just about had enough of dealing with the Firebenders, and so decided that it was time to switch tactics, so she rode on a wave towards the sea.

Zuko looked back to Azula and started bending, but not fire, he was bending lightning! He stuck out his arm and fired a bolt at Azula, which she dodged with a back-flip and she ran off to gather her guards.

In pursuit after Azula, Zuko's wings of fire had returned and he took flight and watched as the guard started to gather closer to Azula. Lightning crackled between the fingers of his wings, and then with a cross-swing of his good arm, he rode the bolt of lightning to the ground, and landed with an explosion surrounding him! A few cobblestones shot into the air, a shockwave sent people flying back a few paces, and when the dust settled, there stood Zuko in a crater, cradling his wounded arm, but with a calm but almost sad face as he locked eyes with Azula.

Azula on the other hand was slipping, and with her hair and eyes looking wild and crazy she turned to her guard and shouted: "QUIT HOLDING BACK YOU INCOMPETENT FOOLS! FIRE AT HIM! HE'S A TRAITOR TO THE FIRE NATION!"

All guards within a 100-foot radius of Azula heard her orders and took their shots at Zuko, and suddenly his Dragon State went into overload! His eyes glowed even brighter and breathed out a magnificent golden plume of fire, but the flames didn't dissipate, rather they cocooned around Zuko, and shielded him from the great torrents of fire heading his way. When the torrents died they all saw that Zuko's golden flames were more than just flames, encasing Zuko was a spirit form of a dragon, and Zuko was suspended within it, right about where the dragon's heart would be.

Any fire mages that were present immediately surrendered and bowed in the face of the golden flame dragon, and those less than faithful to Azula had dropped to their knees. Only those that still feared Azula, and still had a few ounces of loyalty to Ozai were the ones that stayed to fight.

The dragon took flight and circled the town. Its face showed no sign of anger or malice, when shots were fired at it, the dragon merely dodged them and returned fire with it's multi-colored breath of flame.

By this time, Katara had returned, her eyes glowing blue as she brought in the sea, allowing it to creep into the streets.

The dragon landed and let out another great stream of fire, by now most of Azula's guard had fled, and so it was her versus her brother.

Azula, please, you don't have to fight him. Abandon this path for power and find your own, or you will be consumed! Ursa's voice pleaded. Azula screamed and released a bolt of lightning, striking the dragon, Zuko redirected most of it, but took a great shock thanks in part to his injuries, the dragon screeched and spewed flames as it convulsed out of control, it distracted Azula long enough for Katara to make a move. She bent tendrils of water to coil around Azula and she used them to tie the crazed princess to the ground and froze her in place! Azula, realizing her predicament began fighting the restraints, thrashing however much she could and screaming, spitting blue flames out of her mouth as a last-ditch effort to keep fighting, but now she had been captured, and there was no getting out of Katara's trap until she was released.

As for Zuko, the dragon faded, but he was still convulsing from Azula's last strike, and even with all threats out of the way now, he was still in the Dragon State, stuck in it. Katara approached him, and with a heavy heart, she found the strength to bend his blood without the presence of the full moon. Zuko's body seized up as Katara's grip took hold of him and she forced him down to his knees with her friend groaning in discomfort. He slumped forward, cradling his wounded arm, and he looked up, his eyes still glowing, but flickering, and then Katara bent him so that his pulse slowed down until she managed to force him to sleep, and he toppled over to one side and rolled over onto his back. The battle was over.

Katara turned and put out the remaining flames around the city from where she stood, until she heard a weak voice calling out to her: "Katara… Katara."

It was Zuko, now out of the Dragon State. Katara approached him as he spoke: "Thank you." He then looked over to the side and saw his sister wresting with her bonds while whimpering and sobbing, she had finally snapped completely.

"What are we going to do about her?" Katara asked.

"Keep her restrained, and have her sent to asylum to see if she can be treated… Also I want to free her friends, Mai and Ty Lee." Zuko replied, before anything else could be said, Zuko had passed out, leaving Katara to have him taken back to the palace and for Azula to be taken care of.

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