Chapter 32
A group calling itself the New Ozai Society contacted the palace to challenge the Fire Lord to an Agni Kai.
Azula agreed to meet with them personally to settle the terms of the fight. When she entered the conference room, she was surprised to see Mai's father, Ukano, seated at the table as the lead negotiator. She remembered afternoons eating fruit tarts in his home, and recalled the birth of his son, little Tom-Tom. That she had been on such intimate terms with a man who was now trying to take away her throne felt somewhat disconcerting.
She decided to address the awkwardness head on. "Sir Ukano, I'm surprised to see you here. Our families have always been close. May I ask why you oppose my rule?"
Immediately, he began spewing nationalist propaganda. "You spit on the sacrifices that generations of our people have made to conquer and maintain the greatest empire in history."
Her father, always hovering over her, perked up at these words. "He speaks truth! This man is here to turn you from your disastrous course! Listen to him, daughter!"
She turned away from the shade and corrected the disgruntled aristocrat. "Sozin's war spit on the harmony that existed between the nations before his conquests threw the world out of balance."
"Your peace will destroy the country's economy and put thousands out of work," Ukano went on, as if he were merely beginning a long list of grievances.
"I have a plan for mitigating the economic impact, and converting our industry to peacetime production," she answered calmly.
"You admitted to killing your father, who was a dear friend of mine," the older man accused.
"I did no such thing." Azula shook her head, denying only the admission, though perfectly aware her words could be interpreted as a denial of the murder.
Mai shook her head at the equivocation. "You quibble with words, but it doesn't make you any less of a liar."
Ignoring her friend, and her own doubts about her integrity, the Fire Lord went on, "And I'm sorry to tell you, but my father had no friends. His court was filled only with sycophants." She pushed away the thought that, apparently, she was like him in that way.
"There is no such thing as friendship. Only loyalty," Father asserted coldly. "And this man is more loyal than you, my murdering daughter."
"You lied to the people about what happened that night," Ukano pushed, his face reddening.
"I did initially, and then I came clean just before that assassin tried to kill me. You wouldn't happen to have any information about that incident, would you?" she asked sweetly. A part of her was stunned at how quickly this discussion had devolved to flinging homicide accusations. This was the man who used to send Mai care packages at school, with treats marked for her and Ty Lee.
"I don't know anything about that." The aristocrat turned away, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"He does," Mai put in.
"Just as you don't know anything about what happened the night my father died," Azula pointed out.
"I know that you are the one who has benefitted from Fire Lord Ozai's demise, the only one motivated to kill him," Ukano argued.
She laughed aloud. Her father had been far from universally beloved. "He had thousands of enemies, and the entire world has benefitted from his demise."
"Ungrateful wretch!" Father screamed.
"You believe that lie because you're a traitor to your country and an unnatural daughter," the rebel leader charged.
The Fire Lord sighed, getting impatient. "Can you prove any of these allegations, Sir Ukano?"
"This is the only way I can, trial by combat," he answered stoutly.
"Very well, then." She took her seat at the head of the table. "Shall we negotiate the terms?"
"Yes." He sat opposite, getting down to business. "You offered to handicap yourself."
"If you have more than one firebender who is willing to face me, I will take them all on." She offered, her pique making her bold.
"You're too cocky," Mai put in. "He'll give you more than you can handle."
Ukano grinned. "I have five."
Azula had not expected that many firebenders; it seemed she'd underestimated the size and resources of this organization. She had never trained to fight more than three opponents at once.
"Your pride will be your downfall," Ozai promised with a leering grin. "You're not as good as you think you are."
Defying her ghostly father's words, the Fire Lord kept her expression untroubled as she accepted.
The essence of an Agni Kai is single combat, one fighter facing one opponent. To keep true to that tradition, they agreed that Azula would have exactly one minute to dispatch the first fighter, before the second would join him, and so on. She would only be fighting one against five if she didn't eliminate each of them quickly.
She expected that taking on so many opponents would satisfy her pledge to make the fight fair, but Ukano pushed for her to further disable herself. He suggested chi-blocking her, keeping her awake for three straight nights, limiting her movement in the ring, and allowing each of his men a free first strike.
"I offered to put my life on the line to defend my right to serve as Fire Lord, not to allow myself to be executed," she objected.
"But my fighters are not as skilled as you are, and you promised to handicap yourself." An edge of whining came into the older man's voice. "If you don't, then they're the ones facing the firing squad."
"Then we will agree on non-lethal combat," she suggested easily. Of course not all Agni Kai duels ended in death; there was a protocol for proving skill without risking life. That was what Aang would prefer, anyway, she was sure. He wouldn't like it if she killed anyone, not even under these conditions.
"Very well. Non-lethal combat will be fine. You may sleep well with regicide on your conscience, but I certainly wouldn't." Ukano put on a grating air of moral superiority, even as he plotted a coup that he intended to lead to a renewal of international hostilities. "But you promised to give your challenger a fair chance."
After a few more badgering arguments from the belligerent aristocrat, she relented, and consented to enter the ring with her left hand tied behind her back with inflammable rope. A knife to cut it would also be in the ring, ready for her to use to free herself, if she could get past Ukano's first champion, who would be positioned guarding it.
Once they agreed on how the combat itself would be conducted, they moved on to the terms of victory. They agreed that if any of the five New Ozai firebenders prevailed, then Azula would abdicate. "I won't insist on your death, and you've already dishonored yourself" – Ukano indicated her hair – "so simply removing you from power would suffice."
"And if you do succeed, who will be the next Fire Lord?" Azula wondered.
"Your cousin Itoko, of course." He grinned, while she struggled to recall the name. "You chose him yourself, when you made your will upon your coronation."
"My legal heir is in your pocket?" The Fire Lord was surprised at the betrayal on principle, but supposed she had no real relationship with the man. Despite her ministers' advice, she'd never gotten around to inviting him to the palace. "I suppose he agreed to be your puppet in exchange for your taking me out and crowning him?
"Something like that." Ukano shrugged smugly. "You are aware, of course, that our agreement today cannot constrain Itoko's actions once he becomes Fire Lord. Once he is crowned, he will wield the same absolute authority you do now."
Azula knew what he meant. Nothing would stop her cousin from having her imprisoned or executed, once he was seated on her throne.
"You'll finally get what you deserve," Father snarled.
The thought chilled her, but she covered with bright bravado.
"Your firebenders will have to beat me first. And no one can beat me," she declared.
"A little blind earthbender girl can." Ukano had to get a dig in about her humiliating defeat.
"Toph Beifong is the greatest earthbender I've ever seen, perhaps the greatest of all time. And I wasn't myself that day." Azula lifted her chin and changed the subject. "We haven't yet talked about what will happen when I win. Your group disbands, its assets are forfeit to the crown, and all members are forbidden from holding government office or speaking out against my administration. Every one of you will take a public oath swearing loyalty to the Fire Nation and to me as Fire Lord. You will also sever your topknots." She had some conflicted feelings about making the same demand that General Fong had made of her, but cut hair had become a symbol of support for her, and she couldn't deny she wanted to humiliate Ukano and his entire organization.
Ukano scoffed. "A light sentence. Your father would have killed anyone who challenged him and failed. Or at least banished them."
She recognized his words as a reference to what had happened to Zuko. Apparently Ukano thought that her brother's banishment was justified. "I am not my father," she asserted, straightening her shoulders.
"And that is precisely the problem. Good day." He stood and prepared to leave.
As Ukano left the room, Azula let spill the question she'd been dying to ask since she first saw the man.
"Sir Ukano, have you heard from your daughter recently?" She had invited Mai back with her speech, but hadn't even gotten a letter in response. Her oldest friend had not even bothered to ask if she was well after surviving an assassination attempt. But as much as that hurt, she would still have been glad to hear any news of Mai.
"What daughter?"
She gaped at him.
"The girl I raised turned traitor. I have no daughter." His voice was hard and cold. Chilled, she watched him sweep out of the room.
Author's Note: This story is complete! If you want to see what happens next, all the way up to the ending, send me a review or PM! I'm looking for a beta reader. For everyone else, I'll be posting weekly.
Please check out the new story from my friend FeagenofLegends! It's called Avatar the Last Firebender.