"It's not making a dent." Izumi wiped the sweat from her brow. She lowered the charged firepoint she was holding to the door hinge. While the cell was now stifling, and the metal blisteringly hot, it wasn't even glowing yet.

"What did the Dai Li reinforce this with?" Ty Lee peered incredulously at the innocent-looking strip of metal, and the plates and rivets it supported. "It should have melted by now!"

"Dunno. I still think I should just blast through it-"

"That would alert the guards, who will alert everyone else." Ty Lee bit back her irritation and anxiety, trying to keep her voice down. Her aura was running dark, a deep maroon. "If we want to catch them by surprise, we have to get the door open as quickly as possible, so I have time to chi-block them before they can get away-"

"You already told me that." Izumi cut her off, impatiently. She pressed her palms lightly together, her eyes closed. "Almost..." A fireball flared over her fingertips, a brilliant white-hot shade.

"What are you trying to do?!" Ty Lee threw her arm up, shielding her eyes. The bursts of glare from Izumi's Firebending were giving her a headache, made worse by the bruises along her temple and eye.

"Balance my flame." The girl's brow furrowed in concentration as she opened her eyes again. "The Dragons told me... I have to find the balance." The fireball curved into a spherical shape. "Not the right-"

At that moment, the Fireball exploded outward, throwing cinders in every direction. Ty Lee threw up her hands to protect against the wave of heat, and Izumi fell backwards, her sleeves singed. "Damn it!" She snapped. "Ever since I started training with Azula... ever since I came to this place..." Her golden eyes, bright with unshed, angry tears, flicked to the Air Nomad symbol carved into the wall. "I can't balance it, anymore. I don't know where to find the balance, with everything awful that's going on. Ashura Spawn!"

Despite her exhaustion, pain and stress, Ty Lee felt a wry smile tug at her mouth. Don't let Iroh hear you say that, kid. Izumi had real grit, for someone who'd been raised in a palace. But she was still just a kid, and very like her father: impatient, with a massive chip on her shoulder over her Bending. Being shut away in a cell, certainly wasn't helping that impatience. She crouched next to Izumi. "Just try to forget about everything around you, that's been messing with your-" She caught herself before she said 'aura'; Izumi didn't believe in them anymore than Mai did. "You said the Dragons taught you, to balance your flame. Try thinking of them, maybe?"

Izumi frowned, took a deep breath and closed her eyes again, bringing her hands back together. "Well... them and the Sun Warriors' priest, Jayavar. He gave me advice on how to face them."

"Good." Ty Lee didn't know what the Hell she was doing; she'd never even known about the 'Sun Warriors' until now. But the kid needed a little encouragement, even if they were on a tight schedule. "Think about his words, and think of the Dragons." A new fireball, this one more of an amber shade, blossomed between the girl's fingers. "Good. So, once you've balanced your flame, and we get out of the cell. We know your Dad and Aang are nearby, so we'll find the quickest way out of the mountain. Where do we go next?"

Izumi frowned. She inhaled slowly through her nose, and her fireball began to expand. "Well, before that we need to go and get Princess Hou-Ting-"

"Wait, what?" Ty Lee gave her an incredulous look. "Izumi, we'll have minutes at best! Anyone else, especially a defenseless Nonbender, is going to slow us down-"

Izumi shot her a dark look. "That's what Azula said to me, the first time I escaped." Ty Lee winced. "Besides, she's the heir to the Earth Kingdom-"

"You're not thinking this through." Ty Lee grabbed her shoulder. "Her quarters are in the Dai Li complex. We go there, we have to deal with an army of Earthbenders, not just the Fire Nationals-"

"She's been taken, same as me!" Izumi yanked her arm free. "I don't know what they want with her, but-"

"They want the same thing with her that they do with you: to claw their way back into power." Ty Lee cut her off. "The difference is, they don't need to kill her father to do so." she winced again at the look on Izumi's face, then sighed. "Look, I promised I'd keep you safe-"

"Promised who?" Izumi narrowed her eyes. "My parents... or my aunt?"

"They both want you protected-"

"But which one are you working for? You swore an oath of loyalty to my parents, when you joined their court-"

Ty Lee felt her jaw tighten. "Yes, I did. And before that, I also swore an oath of loyalty to my sisters in the Kiyoshi Warriors, who accepted me even though I was born to their enemies." She felt a stab of guilt and pain as she remembered her mission with Jeonsa; she'd hardly upheld that one, either. "Before that, I swore an oath to Azula, during the hunt for the Avatar. And then I broke that oath, to save your mother from your aunt." She met Izumi's golden eyes, the same as Azula's, but far less damaged. "We've both been raised to believe that breaking one's word is the greatest dishonor you can commit. But what happens when that word makes you forsake, or even target, the people you love and trust? Or forces you to choose one loyalty over the other, as I did at the Boiling Rock? That's why Shingen and many of Takeo's other followers defected and joined him in the first place."

Izumi's eyes narrowed. "Oaths are only as strong, as the people who make them." Her tone didn't change, but her aura darkened to a steel-blue. Ty Lee felt another flare of heat, and in the corner of her eye, she saw the fireball briefly change color, turning... lavender?

She wanted to kick herself and laugh derisively at the same time. For all her naivete, Izumi still had a bit of her mother's cool resolve; Mai and Azula would be proud. "You're not entirely wrong. And that's what the Warrior clans hate about Zuko's reforms: that he's trying to balance their power with those beneath them, so the Fire Lords don't have to rely on allegiance alone. Oaths may be a measure of strength for some, but in the end, they're just words. It's our actions, our choices, that define us. Was it weak of me to stand up to Azula, instead of fulfilling my oath, stepping aside and letting her kill your mother?" The girl glanced away quickly, the purple shade fading from her flames. "I'm not debating whether it's necessary to kill, depending on the circumstances. But it doesn't take strength to end lives, only power. If you're choosing to spare them, or save them... that's what takes strength."

"So what are you choosing to do now? Whether Azula's your friend or not, whether she wants me as her heir or not, she's tried to kill my Dad before, and she'll try again! You know what will happen if she succeeds, so how does 'saving' her, bring back the balance?!"

You think I haven't been asking myself that? Ty Lee wanted to snap at her, but she bit her tongue. She'd been berating herself ever since she'd woken up, for exactly that reason. And still, she didn't know exactly how she'd react, if or when she saw Azula again. She took a deep breath. "When you escaped your cell the first time, Izumi... did you kill your guard?"

Izumi glanced away. "...No. But I should have-"

"Because Azula told you, that you should? Or even Iroh?" Ty Lee let out a shaky, sarcastic laugh. "They were both groomed to kill for the Fire Army, before they had any say in the matter. Iroh tells you not to hold back, because he's afraid for your safety. He still has a military mindset, even after losing his son. And don't give me that look. I know you love him, with good reason; he's one of the kindest men either of us have ever met. He also gave orders that sent thousands to their deaths, during the Siege of Ba Sing Se. And Azula... since she was a child, she had everyone telling her not to hold back, to go for the kill every time. That anyone who opposed her, in any way, was an obstacle to be wiped out. Now, she's completely incapable of mercy or restraint-"

Not quite true, she reminded herself. Her fingers raised unconsciously, tracing the bruise around her eyelid. "You may not have killed anyone, Izumi, but... most of your ancestors have, at one time or another. And your parents have prayed since before you were born, that you'll never have to."

Izumi paused, then looked away. "Before I was captured...Mom killed some of the Dai Li agents. I hid and watched her. She told me she was going to talk to them, but she fired first..." Her voice trailed off.

Ty Lee put a hand on her shoulder, a smile tugging the corner of her mouth. "I knew Mai wouldn't let you be taken, without a fight." Her smile faded as she closed her eyes. "Seeing a life end, is hard enough. Knowing you were the one that took it... Your parents both changed, during the war. It never affected my loyalty to them. But I saw how it weighed on them, darkened their auras, no matter how well they hid it." Or didn't hide it, in Azula's case. "Even before I joined the Kiyoshi Warriors, I vowed I'd never scar myself like that, or allow myself to get used to seeing death." Then again, I was lucky enough to have a choice...

"Azula didn't push you to, when you worked for her?"

"Oh, she tried, at first... but your mother always deflected her." Ty Lee smiled weakly. "Mai was just as afraid of her as anyone else, but she hid it better. And Azula never reprimanded her, because Mai didn't hesitate in battle. Me... I've honed my fighting skills for years, fought dozens of duels, but I've never acted with the intent to kill... until now. Twice in the last month, I've come within a hair's breath of breaking that vow. First a scout at Fort Omori, then with Azula, on our way to Zamyn Togsgol." Izumi's eyes flicked up in surprise. "It was only for a split second."

In all honesty, Ty Lee was just as surprised that she'd been able to restrain herself during the Agni Kai, as she was at striking to kill in the first place. Her adolescent feelings for the Princess didn't dispel what Mai had known (and told her) from the start: whatever Azula felt, she'd always treated them as assets. A handful of conversations didn't erase years of browbeating and emotional manipulation.

But the scar on Azula's back, her nightmares and hallucinations, weren't just words. And if anything, a bit of her guile had rubbed off on Ty Lee. Hadn't she tried three times since Omori, to attack Azula? The last one, after several passionate... entanglements, most of which Ty Lee had initiated. They'd both changed, and recognized that change in each other, but had it been enough?

"Are you... in love with her?"

Ty Lee glanced down sharply, then away, feeling heat rise to her cheeks that was not from the fireball. "What gave you that idea?!"

Izumi shrugged, her expression hard to read. "You look the same way I feel when Dad teases me about Bumi... and all he and I do, is write letters."

Touché, Ty Lee thought. "I don't know now, honestly. It's...complicated." She rolled her eyes at her own deflection.

"Yeah, I've heard that before. I mean, she's..."

"Terrifying? Dangerous? Cruel? Yeah, that's what pretty much everyone says." The Kiyoshi Warrior smiled, then let out a sigh. "They're not wrong. That didn't stop me from falling for her for two years, when we were at the Royal Academy. But... I kept it hidden. I was afraid of her rejection, more than her Firebending. So, I just tried to stay as positive as I could, make it impossible for her to dislike me."

She closed her eyes, remembering what Azula had said right before they left Omori. Zuko's words came back to her: She always lies. "Azula always kept me close, but... if she felt the same way, she hid it behind harsh words, manipulation. I was too much of a naïve doormat to understand why at the time, but I do now. She showed you what was on her back?" The girl nodded. "By the time I was ready to tell her how I felt, just after your grandmother disappeared... everything had changed, especially her. I still felt for her, but it wasn't the same." Ty Lee took a slow breath. "But whenever Azula or anyone else mocked me, it was always your mother who took my part, no matter how much we teased her and Zuko. If not for her, I probably never would've stood up to Azula in the first place. And I promised Mai, the day you were born, that I'd help keep your future free of war." She let out a cynical laugh. "Not that I've really succeeded with that, either. But whatever happens with Azula, my first priority is still bringing you home safely."

Izumi's expression was still skeptical, but her eyes moved to the triple spiral carved into the wall. "Iroh told me, no matter how much you desire peace, you should always be ready for conflict. The Air Nomads chose to take no action, when Sozin began his war... and they were all killed."

Ty Lee nodded. "Suki told me something similar, when I joined the Kiyoshi Warriors. No matter what anyone says, there's a difference between being aggressive and ready. And if you do take the throne now, there's every possibility you'll have to fight just to hold it. Your father had to, when he was first crowned." She met the girl's eyes. "Are you ready for that? Is that what you..."

Her voice trailed off as a metallic creaking sound came from the hinges they'd been working on, the hot metal suddenly hissing and bending outward. There was a sound of rushing liquid outside the cell, and the door buckled inward, metal frame flying off its' hinges. Ty Lee threw herself flat, pulling the girl down with her, hand over her head. Reflexively, Izumi released her charged fireball through the doorway; it struck a strange, rippling surface and exploded, causing steam to billow in all directions.

"Easy, there!" A woman with dark brown hair and complexion stepped through the doorway, waving the steam away from her face. She wore a midnight blue, fur-trimmed robe and leather wristbands, with a pair of bone-beaded waterskins hanging at each hip. "I admit, I overdid it a little-"

Ty Lee felt her aura brighten to a lychee shade. "Katara!" In two steps, she'd crashed into the Waterbender, squeezing her waist. Katara returned her embrace with full warmth, but muttered in her ear, "You owe me one, Circus Freak."

Ty Lee nodded ruefully, then winced as her head throbbed. She broke away from Katara, just as Mai brushed past them both, blades falling from her sleeves as she lifted Izumi off the ground, holding her to her chest. Her voice was barely a whisper. "You're alive. You're alive." She sucked in a breath, her knuckles white against her daughter's back. "Izumi... my baby girl."

Izumi froze for only a moment, then her arms wrapped around her mother's neck. Mai glanced over her shoulder, her grey eyes damp, and mouthed the words thank you to the two women; she shot a brief look of concern at Ty Lee's bruised face. The Kiyoshi Warrior was about to dismiss it when Katara elbowed her and gave her a pointed glance. They both stepped outside the cell.

"You want me to heal those?" Katara nodded at Ty Lee's injuries.

"No, I'll be fine." To her surprise, there was no sign of the New Ozai sentries. "How... did you find us? What happened to our guards?"

"This corridor was empty, when we got here. We had a guide, but we lost him when we ran into an old mutual acquaintance." Katara's expression turned grim. "Long Feng. Claimed he'd let us go, as long as we left Princess Hou-Ting alone. Sounds like he and Azula are playing the same old game as in Ba Sing Se?"

Ty Lee nodded, her aura fading back to steel-grey in an instant. "You can't trust Long Feng. He's probably the one who got rid of our guards, Azula specifically instructed them to protect us-"

Katara gave her an incredulous look, tinged with pity. "Why would I ever trust either of them? If Long Feng, Azula and this Takeo are busy fighting each other, so much the better. Aang's distracting the Dai Li outside the mountain, with the White Lotus. Zuko's probably at the arena by now, keeping Azula and Takeo busy. But we don't know how long they can keep our escape route open. We need to get Izumi out of here, now-"

"Where's Dad?" Izumi's voice came from behind them, urgently. She stepped through the doorway, Mai behind her. "We can't leave him behind-"

"We're not going to." Mai laid her hand on Izumi's shoulder. " I'm going after your Dad, right now." Her lips formed a thin line. "But you need to go with Katara and Ty Lee, we don't know how long-"

"I'm not going anywhere, until we find Dad." Izumi gave her a pointed look. "And Azula. Ty Lee has a few things to say to her."

Ty Lee felt her face go bright red as the other two women turned to her. Of all the times, and people... this kid had no filter! "Uh, I'd prefer you leave me out of this for now, Izumi-"

"Don't be ridiculous." Mai's voice hardened. "Azula's tried to kill us all, at one time or another-"

"You, not me. The first time I met her, she almost killed someone who'd hurt me. She's... taught me Firebending, she's given me some advice-"

Mai's eyes moved to the fading marks on Izumi's face, then closed tightly. "Advice? Spirits help me. Izumi, what have Zuko and I taught you, practically since you could walk?"

"Oh, that Azula always lies? That I can't trust a word I hear from her, if we ever meet? That's funny, because I've seen you use some of the things she's suggested, to get results. Besides, who are you to talk about trust, Mom? You didn't tell me that Dad never claimed the Mandate of Heaven, in the first place. Not without help." Her gaze went from Mai to Katara, whose expression had turned wooden, but she plowed on before they could interrupt. "And it wasn't Azula who told me that, it was Shingen."

Mai's jaw tightened, her hand pulling back. Ty Lee cleared her throat. "They... withheld that information from everyone, Izumi, not just you. To keep a handful of malcontents, from starting another war-"

"And how well did that work for you? Takeo still found out. And as long as Azula was loose, she could have told anyone!"

"Why do you think Tomoru and I spent the last decade, trying to hunt her down?!" Mai snapped suddenly. "Your father's remorse has made him strive relentlessly for peace; I'll always love him for that. But it's also made him blind to some of the threats to our family... to your future. Azula might be Zuko's blood, but Ty Lee and I knew her better than he ever did. She's Ozai's' daughter, in every way."

Ty Lee felt a stab of indignation, but Izumi spoke before she did. "Are you Ukano's?" Mai's gaze flicked away, hastily. "They're both my blood, too."

"You think that doesn't go through my head, every day?" The Fire Lady's eyes were hooded with pain, but her expression was still hard. "Only if you choose to let them define you-"

"How exactly are you letting me choose now, Mom?!" Steam rose from Izumi's fingers. "I get that you and Dad don't want me to choose war, I DON"T want to, either! But if you hide every threat from me, how am I ever going to be ready for them?! You just told me Uncle Iroh's barely alive." Her eyes filled with tears, but they didn't fall, and she plowed on relentlessly. "He can't teach me Firebending or advise me in strategy now. Meanwhile, Azula's offering to, on a silver platter, and you won't even consider it!"

Ty Lee could see both sides of their argument, but she also knew Mai would never believe Izumi until she saw it. Hesitantly, she put her hand on her old friend's shoulder. "She's telling the truth, Mai-"

Mai swatted her hand away, her gaze flashing with shock and anger. "Why are you defending her?!" She demanded. "After what she did to both of us, for years?" Her gaze flicked to Katara. "What she tried to take, from all three of us?! You and I finally stood up to her, twice, and still she won't let us go!" Her voice shook with uncharacteristic intensity. "And if you think anyone else had enough of a grudge to send that assassin into my quarters, eight years ago-"

"If Azula wanted you or Izumi dead then, she would've done it herself." Ty Lee's tone was calm but firm. "Azula didn't capture me at Omori, Mai. She saved me from Takeo's scouts. I've been traveling with her, since then." Mai's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "She's changed. I don't know how much, but... she's had me at her mercy, the entire journey. I tried to attack her, three times. And every time, she held herself back." The image of Azula, wild-eyed in the mountain stream, flashed through her mind, but she pushed it back. Even then, Azula had stopped herself, whatever she'd said about her visions of Ursa. "She gave me the choice to leave, without any threat or coercion. And... I found out what happened to her, before our second year at the Academy. Izumi knows, too."

Mai's brow furrowed, her hands disappearing into her sleeves as she glanced between Ty Lee and her daughter. Katara folded her arms across her chest, her expression skeptical. "Just because she might not be a threat to you or Izumi- and that's a big might- doesn't mean, she isn't to the rest of us."

"I know." Ty Lee closed her eyes briefly. "That's why I tried to chi- block her again, just before you arrived. But of course, she saw it coming." She met the Princess' gaze. "We know you can fight, Izumi. But if we get to the Arena unscathed, you focus on your Dad. Leave Azula to me, and Hou-Ting to Aang and the White Lotus."

Izumi's expression was conflicted, but after a moment, she nodded. Mai put her hand tentatively on her daughter's shoulder. She took a deep breath, and the tension slowly faded from her face, leaving it the emotionless mask she was so famous for. "...You know where Zuko and Azula are, Ty?"

Ty Lee nodded, bringing her focus back to the task at hand. She gestured down the corridor to their left, which branched into three tunnels. "We go down the one on the left, I'll direct you as we go." She glanced at Katara. "You can... keep us covered, until we reach them?"

The Waterbender still looked troubled, but her jaw was set. "We don't know who's waiting for us, or how many... but Team Avatar and I faced those odds all the time, when we were kids-"

She stopped suddenly, turning the opposite direction. From far down the corridor on their right, came the sounds of marching feet, and faint chanting:

"A strong Nation is a safe Nation. The Phoenix will rise again."

"A Strong Nation is a safe Nation. The Phoenix will rise again."

"I know those words." Mai's eyes narrowed, and two shuriken slid into her palm.

"No time for that." Ty Lee grabbed her arm, pulling her down the passage. Katara swept past and lifted them onto her water current, Izumi gripping her waist. "RUN!"

"Your show of bravado is impressive, General." Azula pretended to answer Takeo's burning gaze, but her focus was on Captain Maru and General Shinu, still in the arena's stands. As soon as the fireballs ignited, they had begun quietly issuing orders to the troops around them. In her peripheral vision, she could see Takeo's guards edging forward from the right. Keeping her kukri at Shingen's throat, she shifted her grip on his wrists and stepped carefully around him. With a hostage covering her right flank, and the arena wall to her rear, only her left side was open. "But unless you want your line to be extinguished-"

"You took the words right from my mouth." Takeo's tone had quieted again after his initial outburst, but Azula wasn't fooled. His hands, concealed behind his back in a façade of control, were making frantic gestures to the soldiers around him. His eyes moved urgently between her and Shingen, trying to convey some unknown signal. Even in chaos, Takeo thrived on the battlefield; whatever his foolish feelings for his son, a hostage was no guarantee to stop him. "That you'd throw away your last chance to take, what you've been fighting for your entire life... the chance to secure your fallen dynasty, become Fire Lord again, perhaps one day the next Phoenix King-"

"Phoenix King?" Azula scoffed. "I thought you told Zuzu not to imitate our father. One of the few things I ever agreed with you on." She glanced quickly at Zuko as she shifted her feet again, willing him to get the message. "No need to repeat what happened in Hira'a, eh brother?"

Takeo's eyes flicked between them, suspiciously. Zuko's narrowed in confusion for a moment, then cleared as he saw her stance. His hands dropped loosely to his sides, his shoulders and back tensing with what energy he had left. Slowly, he moved out of Azula's range of vision, into the blind spot he'd exploited just moments before.

The dragon flashed in front of her briefly, its' whiskers and eyes matching Takeo's. It had filled her vision completely when Zuko's attack struck her shoulder blade, coiling around her as it had in her dream, its' snarls drowning out her parents' reproaches. All she could think, in her paralyzing agony, was I took the wrong chance. She'd been struggling to muster enough energy for a final counterattack, to take her opponent and her weakness to the grave.

And then, her brother had said no. Proving, beyond all doubt, he hadn't known about her scar. Trust might be for fools, but she always knew lies from the truth.

She inhaled steadily and silently, pulling Shingen's muscular frame more tightly against her. Despite her attack, she could feel the heat building around his hands with each wheezing breath he took, his heart beating a rapid tattoo. Regardless of his shortsightedness, he was still one of the best Firebenders in the room. She could feel the same heat and heavy breathing from Zuko on her left, so near their knees almost touched. Every point of attack was covered, but in their depleted state, the slightest mistake could still be fatal.

Her eyes made a rapid sweep of the stand entrances and the gateway of the arena, where a handful of New Ozai members still stood at their positions. Unlike Takeo's veterans, they weren't wearing helmets, and though they hadn't ignited flames, the nearest ones' expressions were of disbelief. Tomoe hadn't told them, then. She suppressed a curse. They'd spoken beforehand, of course, but it hadn't been her spying on the old woman since, she'd left that to Ty Lee. She felt her heart clench at the Kiyoshi Warrior's name.

Ozai's voice hissed from her right side, but she pushed it back, letting her frustration fuel her Manipura and sharpen her focus. Alone it was, then. What they needed was a distraction, to seize the higher ground...

There was a harsh roukh, roukh as a winged shadow broke the beam of light over the arena, causing several Firebenders to glance up. Natsu circled low over their heads, one glaring eye turned toward Azula. A smile touched the Firebender's lips. Not quite alone, as always. She jerked her chin in Takeo's direction, clicking her tongue once. The raven-eagle swooped over the general's head, the wind of her wings ruffling his topknot, then vanished into the shadows again.

She only needed to stall for a moment. Words had served Azula's purpose before, in Ba Sing Se and at Black Sun. But they always had to be the right ones. "You're welcome to take your life, if it's honor that's stopping you from surrender, General. But unless you're challenging the Fire Lord to an Agni Kai, claiming the Mandate yourself..."

Takeo's eyes flickered uncertainly, weighing the risks, now that Zuko was winded and injured; even with the General's crippled leg, it could actually be a close contest. But Takeo didn't realize that both sides were running against the clock. She glanced hastily in Zuko's direction; there was nothing but suspicion in his golden eyes, now. "Of course, that's if your followers are honorable enough to abide by the result."

"Don't talk to us of honor, traitor!" Shinu's voice rang from the stands. He and Maru stood at a balcony about halfway up the stands, hands on the Dao swords at their belts. "Takeo's fought hundreds of Agni Kais, and has the scars to prove it! Where are yours?"

On my back, and in my mind, you withered sack of flesh. Azula rolled her eyes. She scraped the recurving tip of her knife along Shingen's jaw; he tensed backward, hyperventilating through his nose. "Make your choice, General, before I make it for you."

After a brief pause, a smile curved through the old Firebender's beard. "Well played, Azula- appealing to my vanity, my principals. As if the situation would change, should I manage to kill your whelp of a brother-"

"As if it's any different for you now, than it's been for Zuko when we took my niece." Azula scoffed. "Except, perhaps one thing: preserving one's bloodline, over maintaining an archaic ritual. In that, your worldview is sadly limited-"

"The Agni Kai is sacred!" Takeo's gravely voice rose to an angry bark again. "But your line has never understood that, look how both of you and your father have trivialized it for decades-"

Shingen suddenly took a massive gulp of air, twisted sideways and threw his head back, nearly butting Azula in the face. As he did so, his mouth gaped open, releasing a Breath of Fire towards her knife-hand as he wrenched himself from her grip. Instinctively, Azula drew her arm sharply backwards, but the bloom of heat threw off her aim. Instead of slitting her victim's throat, the razor-edged blade cut a deep gash along his collarbone. With a snarl of pain and rage, Shingen threw himself forward and sprang up, running toward the tightening ring of veterans. Immediately, flames ignited in every direction.

"KILL THEM BOTH!" Takeo roared.

Azula cursed herself to the depths of Hell. Dropping the knife, she grabbed Zuko's hand and conjured blue fire with her free one. "UP!" she bellowed.

Thank the Spirits, even he wasn't thick enough to misunderstand. Both she and Zuko thrust their fists down, launching themselves upward just as the inferno reached them. As they reached the top of their arc, Azula projected more flames from her feet and propelled them backward. Her boots struck the stone walkway of the amphitheater's top tier, in a cloud of dust.

"Roukh! Roukh!" Natsu screeched as she swooped out of the gloom. Zuko conjured a flame reflexively as he rose, but Azula knocked his wrist sideways and raised her forearm for the raven-eagle to land. Shooting her brother a reproachful glare, she gestured over her shoulder. Three New Ozai agents, their phoenix headbands illuminated by the flames in their palms, blocked the exit tunnel to their right. Two more were approaching through the stands, to their left.

"Stand down, or die." Azula extended her index and middle fingers and drew her left hand across her torso, holding her next breath. There was no question of charging her Bending again-she would need everything she had to maneuver- and while Lightning took less toll on the body, it required alignment of both breath and Manipura. But a bluff would serve the same purpose.

The trio stopped, all looking uncertain, but the other two kept advancing. Zuko stooped to snatch a discarded Dao from one of the seats. A flick of his fingers, and the broad, curved blade was wreathed in fire as he straightened. "The Agni Kai is over," He growled, pointing the blazing weapon at them. "Unless you want to lead me to-"

Azula elbowed him from behind, and he stopped short. Really? She seethed, silently. Of course Zuko didn't trust her, but had he already forgotten why it was Mai, and not him, that had gone after Izumi?

Seems he's not so different from you, after all, Ozai sneered. She shook her head, keeping her eyes on Tomoe's followers, ignoring the cacophony below them. "Takeo has never been worthy of the Mandate, whatever he may pretend. And he no longer holds anyone, from the Royal Line. Even if he wins this battle, he's already lost the war."

Before the New Ozais could respond, there was a rushing, crackling sound below. Refusing to be distracted, Azula spun toward the duo just as they launched charged fireballs. She deflected one, while Zuko's Dao intercepted and dispersed the other. Natsu sprang from Azula's wrist with a shriek and flew directly at the enemies to their right. Her talons lunged toward their faces; they fell back, firing wildly around her as she breezed over their heads.

Azula felt the breath leave her nose in a slow, soft hiss. Then, she brought her fingers together across her stomach, and aligned the Manipura Chakra. Her arm thrust towards the trio of New Ozais, sparks dancing on her pointed nails. There was a flash, a thunderclap, and the remaining Firebenders were thrown outwards- two into the wall, one high over the center of the arena. With a scream of terror, he plummeted.

Azula didn't bother to watch him fall; there were plenty more Warriors advancing through the top tier, and others were racing up the stone steps, some of their officers closing the distance with Firebending. She grabbed Zuko's arm, shoved him toward the doorway. "That one leads out, to the foothills of the mountain. Make a break for it. Mai and your Waterbending friend should have Izumi by now."

Zuko's eyes moved to the exit, then back to her, narrowing in suspicion. "...What about you?"

"I'll catch up with you. Once my reinforcements-"

"No. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Azula felt her irritation surge. "Ashura spawn! Zuzu, if this is about making an 'honorable' final stand, your timing couldn't be worse!" Whirling, she dealt a flaming kick to the first soldier, blasting her into the ones behind. "They'd never catch me-"

"This has nothing to do with your safety, or my honor. If I leave you behind, Takeo either captures you, to use as his puppet... or, you turn on me, after you've won the battle." Zuko glared at her, the burning sword illuminating the scarred side of his face. "You betraying Takeo means nothing, you betray everyone once they've served their purpose. " His jaw tightened. "That's not even bringing up Uncle... or Aang."

Azula ground her teeth. Admittedly, Zuko was finally learning the lesson she'd hammered against his thick skull, for years. And she had given him every reason, not to trust her- that was the whole point of her plan, that made it impossible to unravel beforehand. But now, everything was hanging by a thread. Once again, she cursed herself for taking such a chance. "Your funeral, then... unless both our comrades arrive in time." Conjuring a firepoint on each index finger, she moved toward Takeo's enclosed dais, torching the kirin banner. So much for heralding a new age, she mused, glancing over the rail.

Maru was only two levels below them and closing in, a crowd of armored Firebenders at his back. Shinu was leading others toward the nearest door on their left, blocking off any other escape routes. However, just as he reached the tunnel entrance, a stone slab slammed across it. Two of the Firebenders gave shouts of indignation and torched the barrier, but only left a fist-sized, smoking dent. The slab must have been several feet thick.

"About time." Azula muttered. "I was wondering when Long Feng would make his move." She glanced up at the ceiling, just as the circular portal over the arena closed. The daylight vanished, leaving only the faint glow of the cavern's luminous crystals- and, of course, the flames. Shouts of confusion and curses echoed from every corner of the massive chamber. To her surprise, however, there was no grinding of broken stone, and the crystals- the only things she could see clearly- stayed where they were. So the Dai Li were simply waiting for them to kill each other off?

She turned toward Zuko, who was blinking to adjust his eyes to the dim light- and saw one of Maru's soldiers looming behind him. She gave a shout of warning, a sapphire fireball blossoming over her hand.

Before she could launch it, a dark, silent shape materialized in the air behind the Firebender's shoulder. An arm extended as it flew over, fingers finding a gap between the helmet and the cuirasse. The man dropped to the ground instantly; Azula's fireball shot past him, expanding into a barrier and cutting off his followers.

The phantom made a rolling landing, rose into a crouch and turned toward them. "Didn't Iroh teach you not to leave your back open, Zuko?"

Zuko stared at her in disbelief, his blade illuminating the newcomer's face. "Ty Lee?" He caught sight of her bruises, and winced. "What happened to you?"

Azula felt her heart clench, with an unfamiliar emotion- the same as she'd felt when Ty Lee had laid her Kiyoshi comrade to rest. Guilt, that was it. She looked away involuntarily as Ty Lee's gaze fell on her, then hastily met the grey eyes. Their expression was a mixture of hurt, uncertainty, and accusation. "I told you to stay out of this." Her voice stayed calm despite her inner turmoil, but it was colder than she'd intended. "You don't know what's at stake here. If you're insisting on throwing your life away, along with Izumi's-"

"Do not start this horseshit again." Ty Lee cut her off, the words spilling from her mouth as fast as she could get them out. "You don't get to lecture me on the stakes, after all the lies you've told me." She jutted her chin out, letting the light of Zuko's blade play across her injuries. "And before you chew me out about Izumi, when you should be thanking me, she makes her own decisions, too- she's your blood, after all." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, back toward the arena. Azula followed it, her eyes narrowing in the gloom. Then she stiffened, moving to the edge of the balcony as more firelight illuminated the new arrivals.

Mai, Izumi and the Avatar's Waterbending wench- Katara, that was her name- stood at the center of the arena. Izumi had her palms pressed together, a sphere of flame hovering just above them. Katara's hands were spread wide, fingers splayed, encircling them with a rushing ring of water tentacles, lashing at any figure or flame who came too close. Mai stood back-to-back with her, blades and darts glinting between her knuckles. Ranked before them were Takeo, Shingen and more than half the General's Warriors. Opposite them, were dozens of purple-robed New Ozai members, more emerging from the arena's entrance gates. At their head, a flame illuminating her wizened, hooded face, was Tomoe.

Takeo had already brought his troops back under control; now, they were assembled in triple ranks, forming a semi-circle around the three women. But he seemed to be looking past them, toward his allies. After a moment, he bowed his head, briefly. "Lady Tomoe." His gruff voice carried through the massive chamber; nearly all other sounds died away. "Your timing couldn't be better. Take the Fire Lord and her mother into custody. Kill the others."

The first row of robed figures began to advance, cautiously, but Tomoe halted them with a gesture, her gaze sweeping the arena's destruction. "The Fire Lord and her... mother?" Her eyes fell on Izumi and Mai. "Fire Lord Azula... lost the Agni Kai, then?"

"She failed to uphold the honor of the duel." Takeo's tone became impatient again. "She lost the Mandate, then tried to steal it when Zuko's back was turned-"

"So, Zuko is Fire Lord, still?" The noblewoman scoffed. "Why do you still breathe, then?"

"Zuko failed to uphold the Agni Kai as well." Shingen snapped, a crimson plume of flame blooming around his fist. "He claimed to act with honor, but he wouldn't strike to kill, when Azula was at his mercy. Neither of them has claimed the Mandate, successfully-"

"From where I stand, it sounds as though the Agni Kai itself, has failed." Azula cut him off, climbing onto the balcony rail. Her voice rang louder than his, and all the faces below turned upwards immediately. She couldn't make out their expressions, but both Mai and Katara's figures had tensed. "Both Zuko and I were willing to prove our right to the Mandate through combat, but when has Takeo done so? This was not a military campaign or a slight on anyone's personal honor, it was a dispute to the Succession- and Takeo carries no Royal blood, nor has he made a claim himself." She gestured downward at the arena's center, her voice calm but firm. "In any case, my first and only act as Fire Lord is to relinquish the title to my brother- and my only command, is that my followers submit themselves to his authority. If you recognize me, or ever recognized me as your sovereign, you will NOT question this order." Stepping off the rail, she plunged two stories down, cushioning her landing with flames from her heels.

The New Ozai followers below stopped their advance, many looking shocked or confused; however, the armored veterans opposite them moved further, flanking the ring of water whips. Katara immediately turned her focus back to them, but Mai and Izumi were both still staring at Azula.

Takeo pointed accusingly at Tomoe. "Consider your next move carefully, Lady Tomoe. Remember who gave your followers sanctuary, after Ukano abandoned them and Zuko outlawed them. Remember who has pledged to restore the estates he took from you, sheltered your sister, in spite of the danger she posed-"

The flame over Tomoe's hand expanded, turning an angry shade of crimson. "Sheltered?" Her voice, usually so frail and deferential, was hard as iron. "When she was a teenager during Azulon's reign, my parents confined her in the asylum because she interfered with the family image- for something she was born with, something she could not help. None of the Fire Lords have ever bothered to investigate that foul, corrupt institution, or the ones lost inside it." She raised her other hand, pointing into the rising tiers of the amphitheater. "You might have consented to give my sister protection decades later, in exchange for my allegiance. But it wasn't you who set her free, in the first place." Looking past Takeo, she locked eyes with Azula for a moment, then turned in Zuko's direction and bowed her head. "You would not make the Fire Nation strong again, Takeo- you would tear it in half."

Shingen's face darkened further with rage, and the troops around him and his father conjured flames again. Azula felt a surge of triumph, but she kept her face an impassive mask, tensing her leg muscles to spring again. Takeo seemed frozen in place, his face was turned away from her. But after a moment, his shoulder started to sink with... resignation?

"...So be it." Takeo reached up behind him and put his hand on his son's shoulder, briefly meeting his gaze. Then he turned to the troops assembled behind him, his fierce amber eyes sweeping those beyond them in the stands. "Each of you chose to join me, of your own free will. Your merits proven, time and again, on the battlefield. I will not force any of you to stand and fight now... but I will pass through Hell a THOUSAND times, before I bend the knee to those who desecrate the Warrior's code." Flames spewed from his mouth as his voice rose to a roar. "FOR THE GOOD OF THE FIRE NATION!"

Immediately, Azula leaped from the next balcony and rocketed down toward the arena. She heard the whistle and impacts of missiles, shattering the stone rails and balconies just behind her. Below, Takeo's troops roared out his absurd mantra as they launched a simultaneous attack- their fists all aimed at Katara and her charges, rather than the New Ozais. Sensible; Mai and Izumi were expendable now, and a Waterbending Master in winter was much more dangerous than a cluster of uncertain, poorly-trained Fire Nationals.

Katara morphed half her water into a dome-like shield and swept her water whips back and forth below it, their tips fanning out into webbed, grasping tendrils. Several oncoming fireballs struck or were absorbed into the pocket-like projections, but the rest slammed into the shield, spattering it into mist on contact. Letting out her breath as she neared the arena, Azula aligned her Manipura and extended two fingers. Her Lightning struck the ground just in front of Katara's defense, blasting a crater in the floor and throwing dust and stone shards back at the Firebenders. As Azula landed, she caught sight of Katara sweeping behind the New Ozais, carrying Mai and Izumi on her water current. A smirk touched the Firebender's mouth. So, she was willing to use human shields, just not her friends.

She sucked in a breath and leaped sideways, dodging several blazing missiles and hurling one back as the third rank of Takeo's troops opened fire and dropped, the first rank rising to take their place. Their armor had deflected most of the debris from her Lightning, and only a handful had been knocked down. Despite the setbacks of the last few minutes, their discipline hadn't wavered in the slightest; Takeo and his officers had drilled them to perfection, she admitted grudgingly. To their credit, Tomoe's outnumbered followers showed no less courage, but they were unarmored, and had little of their opponents' training and experience. The mist was mingling with the smoke and dust of the battle, obscuring visibility, but most of the New Ozais' front line had already fallen under relentless attacks; the rest fell back toward the gate, rallying around Tomoe.

The initiative hung in the balance again... but no matter how disciplined the enemy, a Dragon would still die without its' head. Azula searched the battlefield for Takeo, then realized he'd barely moved. His guards, most of them several inches taller, had formed ranks on either side of him; between them and the swirling mist from Katara's shield, he was nearly hidden from view. She caught sight of Shingen staggering toward the stairs, his armor and tunic torn back from his injured collar. Apparently, he had cauterized the wound from her knife. Was he fleeing, now? Her gaze moved upward, to Takeo's balcony and the flashes and explosions erupting around it. No, he was moving to join Shinu and Maru, whose troops were engaging Zuko and Ty Lee-

Ty Lee. She wasn't standing at Zuko's back anymore. Azula leaped over the crater from her lightning strike and darted diagonally up the wall, projecting flames downward from her palms to keep her balance. Her eyes swept the debris-strewn, misty battlefield as she approached the flank of Takeo's squad, but there was no sign of the Kiyoshi Warrior. She forced herself not to think about a worst-case scenario. The fact that she couldn't see Ty Lee, wasn't necessarily a bad thing...

Focus, Azula. She couldn't deal with more distractions, not now. Thrusting her fist down to give herself a final boost, she crested the arena's wall, her free hand aimed at Takeo.

Just as she launched her attack, the fog around them began to recede, and Takeo caught sight of her. She felt a jab of irritation as his arm swept sideways, deflecting her strike. The mist sweeping past matted the old Warrior's silver hair to his head; the droplets were rushing together, condensing into a swirling sphere of water over the arena gate. Katara stood just below it, her eyes closed, one arm upraised; the other was at her hip, fingers contorted toward the ground. On either side of her, Mai and Tomoe launched shuriken and flames into the enemy's ranks, but most glanced off the veterans' armor or were redirected. Izumi flicked her left arm outward, her whip flashing through the darkness, but the rebel troops simply raised flaming barriers to deflect her strikes, then stepped through them and kept firing.

As Azula's boots touched the amphitheater's first tier, she felt a sudden, growing vibration in the ground. A chill ran down her spine, and she saw the Firebenders below her freeze as well. She'd assumed the Dai Li were waiting until their numbers were thinned, before finishing the stragglers. But perhaps Long Feng had simply been gathering all his forces...

With a sudden roar of splitting stone, great cracks rent the arena on all sides. But instead of rock projections or green-robed phantoms, jets of freezing water erupted from the fissures. At the slightest gesture of Katara's hand, the streams merged together into a vast tidal wave, sweeping into the flank of Takeo's guard and knocking them off their feet; most were driven straight into the arena wall. Her upraised hand flexed, and the sphere of water over her head split apart, morphing into ice projectiles. They whistled outward in all directions, immobilizing most of the enemy to the now-frozen ground.

Katara's eyes opened, and met Azula's. The Princess kept her face blank, but she felt another chill as the hard blue gaze washed over her. Forget her experiences with Ursa, Ozai, Zuko, Mai. This woman, this common-born ice scavenger from the south, had taught her more about survival than anyone else.

Her gaze moved briefly to Izumi, then back to Katara. The Waterbender gave an almost-imperceptible nod, and Azula turned away. One more chance she was taking, this one with the very last person she could trust.

Boosting herself with more bursts of flame, she began leaping from tier to tier, her eyes on Takeo's balcony. Zuko's single Dao blade whirled in a cyclone of steel and fire, keeping the black-armored Firebenders around him at bay. But she could hear his breath from here, and he was gripping the sword so tightly, his knuckles had gone white.

Suddenly, there were shouts of alarm from the edge of the circle, and several soldiers broke away, launching flames indiscriminately in every direction. In the flashes of their attacks, Azula spotted a dark figure darting around them, arms lunging for joints and limbs. Her heart surged with savage satisfaction as Ty Lee continued her dance, bringing the Firebenders down one by one. Maru rushed forward, a charged fireball flying from his left hand and a blazing Dao in his right, but the Kiyoshi Warrior dropped, slid under the attack and made a sweeping kick at his legs, bringing him to the ground. Before he could rise, her fingers found the chi point at his neck, and he collapsed. Rolling past him and snatching his dropped blade, Ty Lee sprang up-

And was forced to throw herself sideways, as another charged fireball screamed past her face. Azula's gaze snapped back to the staircase; Shingen had finally reached the top. "Deal with her!" He bellowed at General Shinu, gesturing at Ty Lee. "I'll take care of the imposter!"

Looking offended, Shinu began forcing his way across the balcony, relaying the order to his troops. Ty Lee fell back into the darkness, avoiding the luminous crystal to keep her silhouette hidden, but Shinu spread his fingers and launched a barrage of charged firepoints randomly into the gloom; they all exploded at once, illuminating the target perfectly. With shouts of triumph, his troops rushed her.

Zuko backed across the shattered dais toward the blocked exit, eyes and blade trained warily on his new opponent. So much for honor, Azula almost scoffed. Shingen's playing the odds like this, confirmed what she'd guessed from the start; it was about the only thing he had in common with her. Zuko's breath was coming in sharp gasps, and there were fresh scorch marks on his forearms and clothing. An hour ago, he would have thrashed Shingen in an Agni Kai; now, the outcome looked far from certain.

Yet another variable thrown to chance, thanks to your 'master plan', Ozai's voice hissed in her ear, but Azula didn't hear it, didn't see Shingen charge her brother. All she saw were the jets of flame streaming from the Firebenders' outstretched hands. At Shinu's gesture, they merged together, sweeping around Ty Lee like a dragon's coils. As she threw her head back, away from the searing barrier, Azula saw her hair come alight, as it had during their Agni Kai in the mountains.

The image of Ursa flickered in front of her, but Azula slashed through it with a swipe of her arm. Her fingers were at her mouth before she realized it, a piercing whistle coming from between her lips-

"ARRRRGHHH!" Shinu bellowed in agony as he threw himself backward, arms flailing for balance as Natsu dropped onto him; the spiraling flames around Ty Lee immediately died away. Shinu's troops gave shouts of alarm, abandoning their attack as the great raptor dug her talons into his face, her beak coming dangerously close to his eyes. Lifting off again, she buffeted the nearest soldier's face with her wing, raked another with her claws and soared around them, crying triumphantly, "Roukh! Roukh! Roukh!"

Clearing the last tier with a fire-fueled leap, Azula raised a blazing wall between herself and the enemy, then rushed toward Ty Lee, her hand extended. The flames lifted from her scorched hair as if sucked into a whirlwind, extinguishing themselves in Azula's closed fist. Crouching in front of her, she turned Ty Lee's head sideways, examining her injuries. Some blistering on her temple, brow and cheekbone, nothing lethal. Thank the Spirits...

Ty Lee's eyes met hers just as she thought those words, and the acrobat pulled away from her hand. Azula felt her heart clench again, but she bit back her emotions, forced herself to breathe; she hadn't realized she'd been holding it. This time, she didn't break the woman's gaze. "I didn't lie to you, Ty." She had withheld, it was true, but that had been to keep her safe, and she wouldn't apologize for that. Slowly, she raised her hand again, drawing away the steam still rising from Ty Lee's burns. She wished she could do the same, with the heat blooming in her cheeks now.

The Kiyoshi Warrior's mouth was still a hard line, but her shoulders relaxed slightly. "We... should help Zuko." Azula nodded hastily, grateful for the necessities of battle. As she pulled her upright, the corners of Ty Lee's lips curled. "You know, you wouldn't have had to send Natsu to my rescue, if you'd just left me my tessen and katana after you knocked me out."

Azula let out a derisive snort, before she could stop herself. "As if you would've used them-"

There was a snarl of flames, an impact merged with a piercing screech. Azula spun, just in time to see Natsu plummet down into the arena, a broken bundle of black and white plumage.

For a moment, she felt her veins freeze, couldn't sense Ty Lee's hand on her wrist. Her head turned slowly, following the trajectory of the raven-eagle to the smoke rising from Takeo's fist.

And then, Azula felt the dragon stir. Not pinning her down, ready to devour her, as in her nightmares. It was uncoiling from within her bones, filling her very blood with its' wrath: a wave of emotion that couldn't possibly be contained by any sentient being, blotting out everything else.

She had felt this before: the day her father had scarred her, and her mother hadn't come. For years, she'd denied ever experiencing such helpless rage. It was easy to pretend, when there were no witnesses besides Ozai. Of course, that had been his intended lesson all along: to force her emotions down, keep them focused and contained. As Crown Princess, she'd made it her mantra: giving in to rage was weakness, a distraction from her path to victory.

Her defeat at Sozin's Comet, only confirmed her father's words; she had succumbed to her own wrath, let it overwhelm every corner of her being. Yet... why had she bothered to try burying it deeper in exile, when she had nothing left to lose? No matter that she still heard her parents' murmured disapproval, every day. The only one who never judged her, was Natsu.

The image of the wounded bird, snapping her beak defiantly at the wolves, filled her mind. When had she ever been a distraction, a weakness?

Sapphire flames sprang to life in Azula's palms, flickering at her nostrils and the corners of her mouth. She shook off Ty Lee's hand, bent her knees and sprang, blue fire flaring from her heels as well, carrying her forward. The remaining veterans knelt together, spewing streams of flame from their raised palms, but a quick adjustment of her wrist and she cut directly through the inferno. A blazing whip lashed from her free hand, scorching or knocking aside four of the enemy blocking her way. Shinu leaped forward, hurling an arc of fire at her, but she spun and replied with a blazing axe-kick, smashing his body against the stone wall with a sickening crack. Reaching the edge of the stairs, Azula sprang to the next tier.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zuko gesturing towards her, yelling words she couldn't make out. Then, Shingen filled her vision, his outstretched fingers crackling with electricity. Azula didn't bother to extend her arm; her breath wouldn't align in time. Besides, a Lightning bolt wasn't worthy of her concern.

Her legs folded as her arms thrust backward, rocketing her over Shingen's head just as he released the bolt. As the thunderclap sounded, the Firebender whirled around- to find Azula's palm inches from his face. Blue glow flared from her hand, and he fell backward with a howl of agony, hands clutching his burning skin.

A savage sound burst from the Princess's throat; whether it was laughter, rage, pain or triumph, she neither knew nor cared. All she saw as she turned her gaze below, was Takeo's craggy face, his teeth bared, his amber eyes mirroring her hatred.

Ozai's lesson, like everything else, had been a lie. Because if this was a weakness, why was there nothing that could stand before her now? She was the Dragon, greater than Fire Lord or Phoenix. She was the hunter Natsu had taught her to be, for half her life.

Her prey would not escape.

Zuko knew there was no saving Shinu, even if he'd wanted to. But if Azula continued her rampage unhindered, with Mai, Katara and Izumi in her path... He forced himself to breathe, ignoring the aches of Shingen's attacks, the rawness of his throat, the heat and dust filling the cavern. Dropping the smoking Dao sword, he rushed to the balcony rail. Izumi was right beside her mother, thank the Spirits. "MAI! KATARA!" He bellowed, pointing at his sister. "STOP HER!"

Katara's eyes flicked rapidly from Takeo, climbing atop the arena wall with the last of his guard, to Azula, and she shot a look at Mai. Several of the ice spears embedded in the floor liquified and curled into tentacles, lunging for the old General's limbs, but his charged fire-daggers seared them away in an instant. Hopping from the walltop, he began to hurry down the first aisle. Mai thrust her arm outward, firing a hail of darts at Azula, but the Princess burned them to ash with a swipe of her arm, not even turning her head. She was barreling downward from one tier to the next, a terrible look in her golden eyes.

"Surrender, you old fool!" Tomoe's reedy voice carried above the dying sounds of battle. "She'll tear you apart as soon as she reaches you-"

"I told you, I'll take death rather than bow to traitors!" Takeo spat, but his limp was hindering him. His guards slowed to match his pace, but this left them easy targets for Katara's water whips.

Zuko sensed movement on his right. Glancing over, he caught sight of Shingen and the few unmarked rebels staggering toward the stairs.

"KILL THAT ASHURA!" The Warrior howled, hands still clamped over his face. "TAKE FROM HER, WHAT SHE TOOK FROM ME-"

A dark shape darted past him and vaulted over the rail of the aisle; Ty Lee. Without thinking, Zuko mustered all the breath he had and thrust his hands downward, feeding all his remaining energy into the blow. The charged fireball exploded beneath his feet, launching him over the edge after her, toward both Azula and Takeo. The old Firebender had finally halted when his guards were taken, and now he turned to face his pursuers. One hand was hidden behind his back, a blade of flame over the other fist, his breath wheezing in gasps.

Just as his sister reached the rogue general, a short figure in red and gold clothing leaped between them, something bright between its' hands. "Aunt Azula!"

Zuko's stomach twisted in horror. What was she thinking?! This was his nightmare scenario: his daughter literally between two rivals, with nothing to lose. He didn't bother to cushion his landing, hitting the stone of the aisle with a sharp crunch. Pain sliced up his leg, mirroring the agony of his broken ribs, searing lungs and blistered skin. But he forced himself forward, the very last of his fire blooming over his palms-

And then, he froze. Azula was still moving forward, her blue flames concentrating into a dagger. But her movements were uncertain, distracted, her expression wary rather than enraged. Her eyes had moved from Takeo, to Izumi, to the... purple ball of flame clasped between her niece's hands, occasionally flickering sapphire. When had Izumi learned to do that?

Izumi's knees were shaking, but her mouth was as hard a line as her mother's. As Azula started to step around her, the girl moved back into her path, her lips moving inaudably, her fire uplifted like an offering to the Spirits. Takeo was backing away slowly, his eyes flicking between them, but unwilling to seize Izumi so near to her aunt. Zuko watched with disbelief, not daring to interfere either. What... had happened between them, during Izumi's captivity?

A steel dart trailing a cable thudded into the wall next to his head; it tightened, and Mai sprang onto the walltop. Katara rose gracefully after her on a water current, carrying Tomoe. The Fire Lady flicked her arm sideways, and two shuriken whipped from her sleeve, pinning Takeo's boots to the ground. He thrust a blazing knife-hand toward her, but Katara's gesture intercepted the attack. Icy coils enveloped the old man's wrists, extinguishing his Bending.

The sight of Takeo immobilized seemed to shake Azula from her hesitation. She shoved Izumi roughly aside and moved forward, dagger raised. Something blurred past Zuko, and Ty Lee's hand closed around his sister's wrist, fingers grasping for the chi point. Azula struggled, her lit breath hissing between clenched teeth, but her hand obediently went limp, the fire between her fingers going out.

Izumi stepped forward, the lavender flames in her hands fading to amber, then dissipating. Her expression was wary, but she tentatively wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. Ty Lee did the same, around her shoulders. Slowly, slowly, the tension went out of Azula's frame, her knees folding. Zuko couldn't see her face, but her breathing was slowing, becoming more ragged- almost a sob.

The Fire Lord glanced at Mai and Katara, dumbfounded. The latter looked as astonished as he felt, but Mai's eyes were hard as the steel between her fingers. Zuko could hardly blame her. Pity or not, he'd been ready to strike Azula down himself, for a split second...

A crash of stone, and the ring of colliding blades, drew his attention back to Shingen and the remaining rebels. But as he looked upwards into the tiers of the amphitheater, he saw them falling back before three figures in blue and white robes, with a floral design. One was whirling a stick and chain, another wielded a long jian, and the third seemed to be an Earthbender. More were emerging from a newly-opened tunnel behind them.

Katara's expression brightened. "The White Lotus is here! Took a while, but Xai Bau and Aang made it!"

Aang. Zuko closed his eyes, the remorse for pushing back the Avatar's death overwhelming him. How could he tell Katara now, when it would condemn Azula to death immediately? He thought he'd known her since birth, but that mark on her back... even he hadn't seen exactly, how she'd been turned into something terrible, before she'd had any choice. His rage, guilt and pity grappled each other as he stared at his sister, her hunched frame shaking slightly in Ty Lee and Izumi's embrace.

Whatever they decided to do with Azula, he wouldn't let her return to the asylum; Tomoe's words had stung, but they were true. He would bear Katara's wrath if need be... as he'd promised himself he would, at the start of this mad journey.

"Seems... the Spirits favor you, after all, Zuko." Takeo's gravelly voice broke through his troubled thoughts. The silver-haired warlord was on his knees, ice fusing his hands together behind his back. "Everyone else does all the real fighting for you... and you come out on top, anyway. So... what happens next? Cart me and your sister home, for public display before you execute us?"

Zuko felt his jaw tighten, remembering his fit of rage when he'd captured Nishi. "I've told you since the start, Takeo: I'm not my father. You'll be given a trial, like any other Fire National-"

"Hardly a fair trial, if it's not a jury of my peers." Takeo sneered, the breath wheezing slowly into his nose. "Or if it's the Mudslingers, who are called as witnesses for the prosecution... as it was in your postwar 'tribunals'."

At the word 'Mudslinger', Izumi flinched and looked away. Mai stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, glaring at Takeo. "All Fire Nationals are equal before the law, regardless of class. And I imagine some of them will happily serve as witnesses, not just the countless Earth Citizens you terrorized-"

"What about Waterbenders?" Takeo interrupted her, a grim smile crossing his scarred face. His chin jerked in Katara's direction. "How many will you have to put her and Azula on trial for, Zuko... when she finds out what happened to the Avatar?"

Katara stared at Takeo, then turned toward Zuko, alarm and confusion in her eyes; so did Mai and Ty Lee, the latter looking over Azula's shoulder. Before he could respond, Tomoe stepped between them. "Now is not the time for this." Her voice was curt. "He's simply trying to divide us-"

Takeo suddenly exhaled sharply, flames bursting from under his silver mustache. Wrenching his boots free of Mai's shuriken with a snarl of pain, he swung his bound arms sideways. The ice encasing his hands- which were glowing red-hot- shattered against the ground. Scrambling to his feet, the old man made a mad dash forward, heedless of his crippled leg. His hand shot to his belt, then came forward with a long, recurved knife- the one Azula had dropped in the arena.

Reflexively, the Fire Lord brought up his fist. His last fireball, charged during his hesitation against Azula, flew forward and struck Takeo between the neck and shoulder. In the same instant, a lightning bolt arced past Zuko's face, connecting with the Warrior's arm.

Takeo's body spasmed and jerked erratically for a moment, then dropped to the ground, his armor smoking and the knife fused to his scorched palm. His amber eyes were already clouded over, but his mouth was twisted into a grimace of triumph.

Zuko stared at the charred corpse in grim disgust. Even in death, Takeo had managed to cheat justice, for the sake of his Warrior's code. He glanced over his shoulder. A wisp of smoke rose from Azula's fingertips- the ones Ty Lee hadn't chi-blocked. Of course, she would be able to conjure Lightning with one hand. Tears stained her face, but her eyes were no longer lit with uncontrolled wrath; she gazed down at the fallen general with the detached interest, of a predator having made a kill.

Then his eyes fell on Izumi, who he hadn't even embraced yet. The Fire Princess had let go of Azula's waist, but her eyes were on Zuko. There was an unfamiliar emotion in them. After a moment, he realized it was confusion, mixed with fear. Fear... of him.

Zuko felt his heart clench as his emotions finally overcame him. He'd been her confidant, the one she trusted unconditionally, since she was a toddler. He'd taught her to always favor diplomacy, to use force only as a last resort. And now... she'd seen him kill someone, right in front of her.

He fell to his knees, staring helplessly at his daughter, unable to form words. Rage swept dimly through the back of his mind, cursing himself, cursing Takeo to the depths of Hell, for taking Izumi's childhood with him to the grave.

"Grand Secretariat." Captain Yuesheng bowed. "The officers are assembled and awaiting orders."

"And the battle has run its' course?"

"More or less." The Dai Li agent hesitated, his face concealed behind the wide-brimmed, tasseled hat. "I must confess, it... did not go as we anticipated-"

"As you anticipated, Captain. Rest assured, adjustments have been made." A pause. "How near is General Fong?"

"He will be here within the hour."

"Excellent. I'll send Captain Genpei to rendezvous with him, as soon as his reeducation is complete. And the White Lotus?"

Yuesheng's mouth tightened. "I'm afraid... a handful of them slipped past us into the arena-"

"No matter. With the Avatar dead, we hold every advantage. Their encampment has been encircled?" Yuesheng nodded. "And... the Fire Lady and the Waterbender joined the others?"

"As you anticipated." The Earthbender bowed again. "All our troops are in position, sir. You have but to give the word."

"Good. Leave four officers with Joo Dee to guard Princess Hou-Ting, and relay the attack order. It's time."