This battle is being watched by a crowd, and with all I have written, a lot of things will need to happen. Warning this has a lot of different POVs, but for the MAIN part of the fight, it will be in one POV. I'm attempting to give the feeling that this is a large event and there is a lot going on, even things under the surface.

I hope it succeeds.

Today's note: I think I might have made some progress in my writer's block. Here is the next chapter….

Zuko stood in the stands overlooking the field of battle. Katara was standing proudly by his side, dressed to look like the Fire Lady she would soon become. She had her gold dragon jewelry wrapped around her, and a Fire Lily in her hair tucked behind her ear. He thought she looked stunning, and he deeply appreciated the forethought of the palace seamstresses to make her the dress that she was wearing.

All around him were people who would soon be wearing completely different clothes. Suki and Sokka would be wearing their own nations colors, Yamato and Kyo would be wearing the uniform of the Royal Guards, Nozumo would be dressed in the finer clothes befitting the first Secretary to the Fire Lord, and Kei would be dressed as the Lady she was about to become.

While he stood there stoic and unflinching, he felt comforted that Katara stood at his right hand as Iroh stood to his left. He felt the three of them would be the pillars of the Fire Nation, and he knew he would share the throne with his beloved.

He lamented that Tohru, his mother, step-father, half-sister, and Toph had to stay hidden for now. All for different reasons. Ozai had a kill-on-sight order for the "Earth Kingdom spy," and Tohru used to be his mistress, who he wanted dead. Both were in danger from him now, especially since he was looking more and more like a cornered animal, and those were always the most dangerous. His mother's new family stayed hidden to spare her from ever having to confront Ozai again. Zuko didn't want to ask that of her. Once Ozai was dead, they would all join him.

He tried not to worry about what his mother was thinking of him now. He was drawn out of his head by Katara squeezing his hand. She smiled up at him and said, "this is our path —together. Whatever has you concerned, we face it as one."

He gave a slight nod of appreciation, keeping his eyes locked on the coming fight. He worked hard to not show any emotion right now, but it didn't surprise him that Katara could read him like a book.

The Avatar took a deep breath and released it slowly. His lover and future wife was hidden away with Zuko's mother's new family and, most importantly to him, a Metalbender. There were others there, but his focus was on her safety, and Toph would ensure that. Along with the guards, Zuko left to protect their hiding spot.

He stepped out on the field of battle, unsurprised he was the first one there. Ozai would want to make an entrance and have everyone focus on him.

He stood and turned to face Zuko and bowed to him. He wanted to show his respect and the fact that this man, the soon-to-be Fire Lord, was someone he would work with. Had he not been the Avatar and one to be set apart from the nations, he would have gladly served Zuko.

Ozai strode out to the battlefield, flanked by his naked mistresses. He wanted to make an entrance, and he was sure this was how. He left them at the edge of the field and walked out to meet the Avatar. He then looked around at his people all ready to watch his epic battle.

Why the hell weren't they cheering for him?! He couldn't fathom what was happening.

Deciding they were waiting excitedly for a pronouncement from him he raised his hands and said, "Today you will witness my strength! I will bring victory and honor!" He slowly lowered his hands when no one cheered.

Szeto said, "your hold on the Fire Nation is gone. They eagerly await my victory so Zuko can take the throne."

Ozai glared at him, "I'd call treason for those words, but what's the point? You soon die at my hands. It will be a pleasure to kill you."

The Avatar just laughed and yelled out, "to victory and the new Fire Lord!"

The loud cheering of the crowd enraged Ozai so much that he saw red. "How dare you all! You all will die! I'll kill every one of you myself!" He glared at a now amused crowd.

It was Zuko who yelled out. "You've already lost, Ozai. You don't even know the full extent to which I have gone to stop you. These are my people now, it's my nation."

Then Zuko abruptly raised his hand and brought it down yelling, "begin!"

Katara stood at Zuko's side smiling down at Ozai. He was the same devil she had faced all those months ago, but now, she was completely changed. She was there at Zuko's side, completely unafraid of the man that had so terrified her.

She couldn't help crooking her lips in amusement. She was Fire Nation and about to be the lover of the Fire Lord after all –Zuko.

As Ozai and the Avatar pulled back to gauge their best advantages she looked to the sidelines. Ozai's mistresses were being covered up and led away. They would never be seen in the palace again. Both would live in a large home in a prosperous area that wasn't in the capital with a large monthly stipend to take care of them throughout their whole lives. They had protected the harem and Katara had felt she owed them something. Still, they would stay out of sight. She assumed the house would contain many boy toys now for the woman, but she knew she wouldn't give it another thought.

The handling of the mistresses was one of many things they already had in motion now that the battle had begun.

Nozumo could recognize her anywhere. Sixty feet away watching the battle, and blessedly heavily guarded, was his sister, Nami.

He knew Zuko would keep his promise of restoring his sister's dowry and bringing her to the palace. He also knew he wouldn't risk her around Ozai so he waited patiently. It pleased him that she was there to witness the crowing of Zuko. He wanted her to see the man he so respected become their Fire Lord.

He straightened his shoulder and looked back at the battle. Nozumo was extra pleased that he had thought to arrange for Zuko and Katara's marriage today. He had several dates picked out too as possible times to celebrate the marriage later as a nation.

Ozai and Szeto stood on the makeshift battlefield facing each other. All the ceremony and playing to the crowd was done. Now all that was left was their battle to the death.

They each stood high up on facing cliffs. The regular arena that was used for battle was deemed insufficient for two such strong benders. Stands had been quickly erected for those among Zuko's group, but many, even the nobles, stood on the bare ground to witness the fight.

The wind was at Sezto's back, and he was glad. That bit would aid him even more with his airbending. Ozai faced the wind and the sun shining down. It blew his hair back in billowing waves.

Ozai made the first move blasting out fire from the palm of his hand directly at the Avatar. Szeto closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes back up, he moved, drawing on the very mountain cliff he stood on, pulling huge boulders and launching them at Ozai. The fire from Ozai's hand heated the rock to an extreme temperature and turned them to magma, hurtling at him. Sezto used his airbending power to launch himself into the air before the fire from Ozai reached him. Ozai, not thinking to dodge fire since it was in his very blood, was shocked when the magma first reached him; he screamed in pain and launched himself to the side off the cliff. He didn't have time to process that it was the rock in the magma that hurt him. He was focused on using fire shooting from his firmly clenched fist to halt his fall and bring him back to the same cliff face where the magma hadn't touched it.

As they stared and faced each other over the gap again, Ozai removed his robe and shirt. He flexed and then said, "I have the power to beat you. I will rule the world!" He then shot fire out of his mouth in an attempted display of showing off.

Szeto was not impressed in the least. Ozai was showing himself to be every bit of the man he despised. He raised his hands, shifted in a bending move, and the rock beneath Ozai's feet collapsed.

"I can do this all day!" Ozai shouted as he again brought himself up with fire shooting from his fists. He now stood lower than the Avatar, the cliff height now substantially shorter.

The Fire Lord flipped forward using fire shooting from his foot like a scythe to attack the Avatar. Szeto used his airbending to blow the flames away from him.

Ozai shot six fireballs, one after another, at the man across from him. Szeto used air, water, and rock, each in quick succession, to stop the attacks. He smirked. Now he was showing off.

He noticed something important, the crazy look in Ozai's eyes, the one that Azula had when she fought Zuko. While it assured him that the man was slipping, it also made him nervous. The man was clearly coming unhinged.

Then with the use of fire to propel him, Ozai went after Szeto with lightning in a full attack mode. Blue streaks of lighting ripped across the sky. The Avatar's eyes widened and he too, used fire to propel himself away from the attack, but they kept coming. He thought quickly, landed on the ledge again, and he enclosed himself in a thick rock dome, keeping the lighting strike at bay.

Ozai didn't let up; he used a combination of lightning and fire attacks to slowly chip away at the rock dome. He laughed as the rock crumbled, and he blasted the Avatar with his blue lightning.

Szeto's whole world came to a halt. He watched as time stopped and every previous Avatar flashed before him. He noticed that the eyes of every one of them were glowing blue. The last three saddened him, one was a young air bender, one an infant, and the last was a toddler. All had been killed by the Fire Nation in an attempt to make an Avatar that would obey the Fire Lord. Once the final one passed through his vision, his eyes lit with a blue light, and he stood, suddenly filled with the power of every previous Avatar.

Not having noticed what happened or even being able to understand it if he had, Ozai struck out at the Avatar with his fire to take the killing shot. His eyes shot wide when Szeto reached up and was able to slow Ozai's moving hand by just holding out his hand. He then forced Ozai's hand to the side, and the fire shot out, hitting the surrounding mountain.

Now that Szeto was completely given over to the Avatar state, Ozai watched in horror as he pulled every element to him. The four elements came without him even having to gesture, and they lifted him up, orbiting him.

The Avatar took one last look at Ozai and struck out at him with all four elements at once. There was no way for Ozai to dodge or stop the combination. They stuck him hard, and he flew back thirty feet, hitting the mountainside.

Silence fell completely over the once noisy field of battle. Not one of the spectators said anything, and even the animals grew quiet. There was a huge cloud of smoke, dust, dirt, and debris wafting up, concealing what happened to Ozai.

Once everything settled and they could see, it was obvious —Ozai was dead.

There was a stretch of more silence, and then the shout went up, "long live Fire Lord, Zuko!"