Disclaimer : I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Zuko and Katara were alone in a cave surrounded by rocks and large green crystals. Katara placed a hand on Zuko's big scar on his face. She attempted to use spirit water from the Northern Water Tribe to heal him. They stare at each other for a moment, until they heard a crash.
Suddenly, Aang and Iroh had appeared out of nowhere and reunited with the two trapped benders.
Katara gasped in relief. "Aang!" She happily ran towards Aang and hugged him.
Aang was happy to see and was hugging Katara, he glared at Zuko behind Katara's head.
Zuko glared at Aang while Iroh was hugging him.
"Are you okay?" Katara asked.
"Yeah. I was going to ask you the same thing." Aang replied as he smiled in front of her.
"Uncle. What are you doing here?" Zuko asked Iroh.
"We came here to save you." Aang interrupted which made Zuko growl.
"Zuko. I need to talk to you, alone." Iroh said, then looked at Aang.
"Okay." Aang had proceeded to take the lead while Katara walked behind slowly and couldn't help but stop and look back at Zuko. Zuko made eye contact with Katara for a brief moment. As she leaves, she had a sad expression on her face as she entered another tunnel behind Aang.
"Why uncle?" Zuko asked.
"You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger, and wiser, and freer than you've ever been before." Iroh had clutched his fist confidentally. "And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose… the side of good." He said with a serious face.
Zuko closed his eyes for a brief moment to decide which is right and wrong for him. All of a sudden, he heard rumbling from the ground and opened his eyes only to see Iroh trapped in green crystals. Iroh isn't harmed. He is able to move his hands and head. Zuko took a firebending stance to prepare to face an enemy.
Azula and two Dai Li agents had just entered a tunnel where they discovered Iroh and Zuko. Iroh then glared at Azula. "I expected this kind of treachery from you, uncle." She then turned her attention to Zuko. "But you, Zuko. Prince… Zuko. You're a lot of things… but you're not a traitor, are you?" she asked.
"Release him, immediately!" Zuko demanded.
"It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself."
"Don't listen to her! The kind of the redemption she has is not for you!" Iroh warned Zuko.
Azula turned her head to Iroh. "Then why don't you let him decide, uncle?" she then turned back to Zuko. "I really need you Zuko. I plotted every step of the way to conquer Ba Sing Se. This day…" Azula gripped her fist. "This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we can win… is together." She then placed her hand on her heart. "At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have father' love. You will have everyone's love. You will have anything you want." She said.
"No, Zuko. Love is not some reward you earn, love is unconditional. Love is the people that care for you." Zuko looked at Iroh. "Please. I'm begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is you truly want." He said.
"You are free to choose. Be warned… I advise you to choose wisely." Azula gave the Dai Li agents the hand signal to leave. The two agents then earthbended themselves out of the crystal mine. Azula then followed the tunnel that Aang and Katara took to escape.
Zuko took his time and thought hard about what to do. 'What… do I want?' he thought to himself.
Meanwhile, Aang and Katara are running across the Crystal Catacombs not knowing where they are going. "We need to find Sokka and Toph!" Katara said.
"I know!" Aang replied, he had also heard a sound coming from a couple of yards away. He quickly stopped, turned around, and earthbended to create a rocky wall. A blue fireball was launched at them by Azula, and it was strong enough to destroy the rocky wall. Aang had barely kept his ground after being pushed back by winds from the explosion.
Katara then bended a large stream of nearby waters in the catacombs and started clashing with it Azula's strong blue flames. Katara then create a small tsunami to attack Azula with it, but to only have it evaporated by Azula's blue flames herself. As the vapor had begun to spread Aang and Katara stood close to each other. Seconds later, Azula jumped from the fog and started shooting blue flames from each punch she throws at them.
Aang and Katara quickly waterbend and created a water wall to block Azula's firebending. Azula quickly jumped onto a large rock. As soon as Aang saw her on it, he quickly earthbend sever the rock pillar. Azula gasped as she noticed what Aang was doing, so she quickly jumped off before Aang destroyed it. Azula landed and quickly stood up pointing two fingers of her hand each at Katara and Aang. She had no clue who was going to make a move first either her, Aang, or Katara.
Out of nowhere, a large fireball had crashed between the three benders. They all looked to see what it was who fired it. It turns out that Zuko had entered the battlefield. He was seen without his cloak, so that means he came to fight. He used a firebending pose as he walked closely towards the three benders.
Zuko looked at Azula who is glaring right back at him.
'The only way we can win… is together.' Azula's words.
His eyes than stared at her for a brief moment before he turned his attention to Katara. Katara looked at him in a quite sad expression. Zuko remembered what Katara said.
'You have no idea what this war has put me through. The Fire Nation took my mother away from me!' Katara's words.
Zuko then looked at Aang and he remembered what Aang once said.
'Maybe one day we could be friends?' Aang's words.
Zuko took a breather and finally made a decision.
Aang gasped as he assumed what Zuko was going to do.
"Hyaah!" He then launched a fist of flames at Azula who quickly knocked his flames to the side with her own flames. Azula wasn't that surprised as she suspected that Zuko had made his decision. Katara smiled at him, and Aang was left confused. He could've sworn that Zuko was gonna aim for him.
Azula seemed a bit shocked, of Zuko's decision. That look of shock then turned into a smile. "No matter. I should've expected this from you. You let them make the decision for you." Azula glanced at Aang and Katara, whom were wary and ready to fight.
"I chose this path all on my own." Zuko took another firebending stance.
Azula then closed her eyes. "Fine." She then opened them again. "I think I'll do away with you all right here and now." Azula said in a fast pace and snapped her fingers. Then suddenly, dozens of Dai Li agents dropped from the ceiling. "Take care of those two." Azula pointed at Aang and Katara. "The traitor is mine." She said as she lit blue flames from her hands. Zuko then prepared for a battle against his sister.
"You're on." Zuko said fearlessly.
Meanwhile, Toph, Sokka and the Earth King Kuei were trapped in a jail cell together. Sokka looked through the jail bars as he spotted no guards.
"The coast is clear." Sokka whispered.
"Move." Toph stepped forward in front of the door and metalbended. She knocked the metal door off the wall with her hands. Then she ran forward.
"Alright, let's go." Sokka grabbed King Kuei's hand and ran.
"I'm not leaving without Bosco!" King Kuei yelled as he was being yanked.
Meanwhile, minutes later, Aang and Katara are fighting the Dai Li. Katara and Aang had not been able to land a single attack on a single well-trained Dai Li agent. They were left on the defense. Everytime a Dai Li would launch an earthbending attack, Aang would have to encounter them with his own earthbending. "There's too many! I'll created an opening!" Aang said as he set up a large rock wall.
"Right." Katara suggested.
"Here goes nothing." Aang jumped in front of the rocky wall then sucked up all the air he could in his mouth. He huffed, and he puffed, and he blew most of the Dai Li agents before them away. Some of the Dai Li fell into the water. Some of them hit the ground really hard. Some also hit the wall. "Hurry!" Aang yelled.
As she was about to move, she stopped and looked at Zuko whom seemingly was losing the fight. "But, what about Zuko?" Katara asked.
Aang looked over and saw Zuko on the defensive against Azula. She used one hand shot a huge wave of blue flames at Zuko. Zuko quickly harnessed the flames in his hands, he stretched his arms out and caught the wave of blue flames in the nick of time.
"Come on, Zuzu. I know you could do better than that!" Azula grinned.
"Ngh!" Zuko groaned as he struggled to push back the flames. Even if his sister was stronger than him, he still refused to give up. 'No… I can't let it end like this…!' he thought to himself. He then started to take a slow step forward at a time.
"He's actually… pushing her back." Katara said.
"Yeah." Aang noticed something was off about Zuko. He looked closely and noticed Azula was adding more fuel into her attack. He gasped. "He can't keep it up! At this rate, Azula's gonna overpower him!" Aang then ran towards Zuko whom is now in trouble. Katara then followed Aang as he ran to aid Zuko.
'I can barely keep up! At this rate, she'll try to burn me into a crisp!' Zuko took a couple of steps forward towards her.
"What's the matter, Zuzu? Not enough fuel in the fire?" She mocked him. Azula then noticed that Zuko was getting closer, she figured out that if they make contact, her flames will explode, causing them both to be sent flying. She gritted her teeth in irritation. "No you don't!" she then used her other hand and added a lot more fuel into her attack.
Zuko noticed that Azula has added more fuel into her attack. 'She's really using both hands?' he asked himself. Zuko started to feel like he was being pushed back all of a sudden. His body was sliding backwards and he felt dirt rubbing onto his shoes as Azula's attack had gotten intense.
"Well, Zuzu? How do you like it now?" Azula grinned. She was then splashed with water by Katara and her flames had evaporated. "What?" Azula quickly turned to see Aang and Katara in shock.
Aang then jumped in the gap between Zuko and Azula.
Azula had barely noticed Aang in close range. Aang got close and air palmed Azula in the chest, sending her flying backwards from a gust of wind into a body of water. Zuko then fell on his knees and started panting heavily.
"Zuko!" Katara called as she then laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked.
Zuko looked up at her and smile. "Yeah… I'm just a little exhausted, that's all." He panted.
As they kept talking, Aang stood there watching them and was completely thrown off guard when she saw Katara laid a hand on Zuko. They two kept talking for a moment and Aang decided to break their conversation. "Hey… what's going on here? Katara, I thought you despised him!" Aang questioned her.
"At first I did, then I got to know him a little while we were trapped together."
Aang paused.
Katara saw the look in his eyes. "It's not what you think, Aang. Zuko really has changed. All he wanted was his father's approval, but then realized capturing you wasn't going to make his father love him." Katara explained.
As Katara had continued to explain to Aang about Zuko, Azula climbed out of the water furiously. Azula's makeup was ruined and her hair had loosened a bit. She placed a finger on her left cheek under her eye and saw that some of the makeup was coming off. Her golden eyes then burned with rage. Azula quickly stood up and glared at the three benders from afar. Azula was angry to the point where she started generating lightning through her hands. Azula stared at the three benders trying to decide whom should she strike down from afar. Aang, Katara or Zuko.
As Katara had continued explaining, Zuko couldn't help but look over at the waters and spotted Azula through the corner of his left eye.
"Oh, if that's the case..."
Zuko saw Azula generating lightning, he gasped. Azula had finally came to an ultimatum and shot a lightning bolt at them. Zuko quickly ran towards Katara and jumped towards her. "Get down!" he yelled as he grabbed Katara forcing himself and her out of the way.
Aang quickly ducked from Azula's lightning bolt and it hit the ceiling. Big rocks then started falling downwards onto Aang. Trapping him.
Katara got up to see a bunch of rocks had landed on top of Aang. "Aang!"
"Katara!" Zuko called her trying to warn about Azula charging another lightning bolt. Azula shot another lightning bolt at the two trying to separate them. Katara and Zuko both ducked their heads from the falling debris. After the debris stopped falling, they both stood and glared at Azula from across the catacombs. "Looks like we have to face her." He suggested.
"Right." Katara nodded.
They both ran towards Azula preparing to face her in combat. As they arrived, they were prepared to face Azula two on one. Azula glared at Zuko whom was already in a firebending stance and fired a strong wave of blue flames towards Katara.
Katara tried to use waterbending defense, but Azula's flames were too fast. The flames didn't burn Katara, but evaporated her water. "Agh!" Her attack sent Katara flying a few inches backwards to a green crystal temporarily knocking her unconscious, temporarily. Her hair had loosened itself when she made impact.
Zuko watched in shock how Azula had knocked her out. "Azula!" he roared.
Azula smirked before engaging Zuko in battle again. After a few seconds of shooting flames at each other. "Hm?" Azula stopped to see Aang.
Aang rose from the rocks and crashed onto the ground. His clothes were a little scratched and was a little dirty. Aang used earthbending to rush towards Azula. But to Aang's surprise, a Dai Li agent came out of nowhere and sent Aang flying into the air as the agent earthbend.
"Aah!" Aang screamed before crashing onto the ground. "Oof!" he made a thud. He slowly got up and rubbed his head. Seconds later, a number Dai Li agents reappeared assisting Azula. Zuko created long fiery whips from his hands and started using them to keep the Dai Li agents back from harming him. Katara quickly got up and summoned a portion of large portion of water and created giant octopus tentacles and used them as defense.
As Aang looked, he saw Azula and a number of Dai Li prepared face him. He then looked to see Zuko and Katara struggling against the Dai Li. "There's too many…" he stated.
'The only way is to let her go.' Aang had remembered Guru Pathik's words.
"I'm sorry, Katara." Aang said sadly, before trapping himself within green crystals around him by earthbending. He sat down and begun meditating. He closed his eyes and began looking into inside himself. Seconds later, Aangs eyes and tattoos started glowing white indicating that Aang has now entered the Avatar state. A light had flashed and wind had blown across pushing some of the Dai Li agents back a little. Aang then rose into midair. Zuko and Katara turned their heads to see Aang in the Avatar State. Zuko wasn't surprised because this isn't the first time he had seen it. Katara smiled as she watched.
'We'll fix that.' Azula smirked as she watched Aang. She then started generating lightning again and moving it to her fingertips.
Zuko heard spraks, as she recognize the sound of lightning. He turned and saw this act and tried to run over to Azula to stop her, but the Dai Li had intervened keeping him back. "Don't do it!" he yelled.
"Hm?" Katara heard Zuko's plea and turned to see Zuko trying to stop Azula. She then looked at Aang and realized what he was talking about. "No… Aang!" Katara's water defenses had dropped and she stretched her hands towards Aang. Zuko was restrained by the Dai Li with crystalbending, leaving only Zuko's head open. Azula had finished charging her lightning and had finally launched it towards Aang's backside.
"No!" Zuko yelled as he watched the lightning bolt struck Aang.
Katara and Zuko watched in horror as they had now witnessed Aang being struck by lightning. As Aang begun to fall from midair, Katara let out tears from her eyes in sadness. The next moment, she gathered whatever water she had left and what was surrounding her, she created a small tidal wave in the catcombs surging towards Aang's falling unconscious body. Zuko quickly disarmed himself from the Dai Li agents and rushed towards Aang's falling body.
"Ah!" Some of the Dai Li agents screamed as they were hit by Katara's tidal wave.
Katara successfully caught Aang before his body had hit the ground. "Aang. Aang! Please, wake up!" Katara begged as she embraced him. She tried to shake him, but that did not do anything. Katara wanted to believe that Aang was still alive, but she was only fooling herself. She openly cried as her tears his lifeless face knowing that he could be gone.
Zuko used enough force to break the crystal while using his firebending. After breaking free, he rushed to Aang and Katara. "Katara!" Zuko got on one knee to check on Aang's status. "Katara! How is he?" he asked with concern. Katara looked at him with tears in her eyes and shook her head no. Zuko's eyes widened in shock then turned to Azula who was smiling in confidence. He quickly stood up and created fiery daggers in his hands. "Katara. Get Aang out of here."
Katara looked up at Zuko in shock thinking that he's going to sacrifice himself. "But, what about you?"
"I'll be right behind you."
"But there's too many of them. How are you going to get out of here?" Katara worriedly asked.
"I don't kow how yet, but get Aang out of here as far as you can. Use that spirit water and treat his injuries. There's a chance that he could survive, but you have to leave now." Zuko muttered.
Katara remembered the spirit water she told Zuko. She then looked at Aang's lifeless face then nodded at Zuko. "Okay,"
"Neither of you we be getting out of here, alive." Azula smirked.
"You've gone too far this time, Azula. I won't forgive you." Zuko said.
"Oh don't worry, Zuzu. You'll soon be joining the avatar soon enough." Azula said with confidence.
"Tch!" Zuko cringed.
As Azula and the Dai Li agents walked closer and closer getting to end the lives of Zuko and Katara, a large fireball was fired and burst in front of Azula keeping her and the Dai Li back. It was revealed that Iroh had escaped the crystals and had entered the catacombs.
"Uncle!" Zuko cried as he saw Iroh standing in front of him.
"Go! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Iroh ordered.
"No, I won't leave you!" Zuko argued with him.
"There is no time for argue! You need to live!" Iroh pointed at Aang whom was in Katara's arms. he roared as he begun blasting at the Dai Li whom is launching rocks at him.
Zuko then closed his eyes. He had no choice but to leave his uncle Iroh. His teacher. His mentor. He then looked over to Katara and moved towards her. "I got him."
"Thank you." Katara openly smiled at Zuko as she passed Aang's body to him.
They walked over to a nearby waterfall as Iroh continued to stall them. "I promise to come back for you!" Zuko yelled to his uncle.
Katara used her waterbending to wrap a large swirl of water getting to launch the three of them upwards the waterfall sending them up in the air. Before they launched in the air, Zuko had watched the Dai Li trap Iroh into green crystals retraining him and had gotten one last glance at Iroh's backside whom was stalling the Dai Li. He had let a tear fall down his face as he had no choice but to leave Iroh behind. 'Thank you… Uncle.'
As Iroh remained restrained in the catacombs, he openly smiled in front of Azula, telling her that he had succeeded Zuko. "Hmph."
"What are you smiling about?" Azula asked.
"I am smiling because now, I have nothing to lose. I have succeeded in my mission."
Azula knew Iroh was talking about Zuko. "Don't worry, uncle. We'll catch your favorite traitorous Zuzu long before you know it."
"Be that as it may, but Zuko is stronger than you know. I really had loved you both equally. But then you started seeking power. And then I watched you use fear to control people."
"Sometimes fear is what you need to control others and rule. Just look at me. I'm the princess of the Fire Nation, I infiltrated and conquered Ba Sing Se within a weeks time, while it took you months just to breach the outer walls. But when cousin Lu Ten died, you gave up." Azula stated.
"What you say is true, but I have faith in Zuko as much as I have faith in you."
"Me? Wha are you talking about?" Azula asked in confusion.
"What I am talking about is that I hope you would one day see the light of your actions. It is never too late to turn back."
"Why would I want to turn back? I have everything I need."
"You may have what you want, but fear is not what you need. You are just a girl who has grown too fast in this war." Iroh said.
Azula then grew tired of hearing his words. "Take him away!" she ordered the Dai Li agents.
Meanwhile, Katara and Zuko are running down the stairs outside of the Earth Kingdom Palace. Zuko was carrying an unconscious Aang in his arms. Suddenly, Appa flew from the sky and landed onto the palace grounds. On top of Appa's back was Sokka, Toph, the Earth King Kuei and his pet bear Bosco. "Appa!" Katara called as she ran towards him.
"Hey! Katara!" Sokka waved his arm around trying to get her attention. "Huh?" He noticed something was wrong. He looked closer with his small telescope to see Zuko running behind her with Aang in his arms. "What the-Zuko!? Aang!?" he was shocked.
A few seconds pass and Katara and Zuko had finally made it to Appa. "Sokka! Toph!" Katara said while panting.
Sokka, Toph and the Earth King saw Aang's current condition and was horrified.
"Oh dear." Kuei said in shock.
"This isn't good..." Toph noted as she could feel Aang's life force slowly fading slowly.
Sokka looked at Zuko and quickly got mad and quickly pulled out his trusty sharp blue boomerang and pointed it at him. "What did you do to Aang? Answer me!" Sokka interrogated him.
"I didn't do anything. I'm tried to help him and your sister... I'm a good guy, now." Zuko tried to reason.
"Yeah, sure. How do I know you were not sent here to spy on us?" Sokka continued his interrogation.
Katara lowered Sokka's hands. "Stop it, Sokka! We don't have time for this!"
"Right. Azula and the Dai Li could be following us at this moment." Zuko said.
"Zuko's right. We have to get out of here, now." Katara said.
Sokka looked closely at the stairs to see a number of Dai Li agents running down the stairs towards them. He quickly put aside his anger and decide to focuse on the situation at hand. "Right we have to go now." Sokka turned to Appa. "Appa! Yip yip!" Appa quickly let out a cry and started floated off of the ground. As soon as the Dai Li agents made it in range, they tried to shoot Appa down, but the attempt ended in failure. Appa and the others had already flown off into the sky.
As Katara and the others were out of range, Zuko quickly passed Aang's lifeless body to Katara. She pulled out a small vial from her clothing. Katara hesitated for a second as she looked at Aang's lifeless face, then she looked at Zuko. Zuko had already knew what she wanted to do with it. "Do it."
Katara wanted to use the spirit oasis water to heal his scar, but the water was to be used for a greater purpose. Katara nodded at him. She pulled his backside forward and opened the the vial's cap. The spirit oasis water spiraled into a ring. Sokka and Zuko watched Katara do her work. She then placed the spirit water in his fatal wound. Katara silently cried as she hugged him. A flash of light appeared through Aang's tattoos. Aang moaned as he begun to regain consciousness.
"Katara..." Aang said before resting his head onto Appa's fur.
Katara gasped as she heard his voice. She layed him on his back to see him smiling at her. Sokka and Zuko couldn't believe their eyes. Aang had survived a fatal blow. Toph couldn't feel Aang due to being in the air, but she somewhat felt that Aang was going to live. She had smiled lightly.
Meanwhile, Azula had sat on the Earth Kingdom throne of Ba Sing Se, looking upset. She had been previously wet and her makeup was completely wiped off her face. Her hair had to be redone as it had gotten wet, previously. Mai and Ty Lee stood next to Azula. They both had worn Kyoshi Warrior disguises. The Dai Li agents had kneel to her with their heads lowered.
"My apologies, Princess Azula, but we had failed to capture your brothers and the Earth King has escaped." One of the Dai Li agents had informed her.
"No matter." Azula said calmly.
"Princess Azula?" The Dai Li agent in front looked up to her.
"He may have gotten away tonight, but he will have no place to hide by tomorrow. He will be known as a international criminal throughout both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation." Azula then told them to leave with a hand gesture. "Leave me." The Dai Li agents then stood up and left her presence.
"Azula, I never thought that your brother would join the Avatar and his friends." Ty Lee said.
Azula ignored Ty Lee and glanced at Mai, who stood in absolute silence and stared downwards at the floor. She noted Mai to be really quiet after Zuko had escaped.
As Team Avatar were leaving the outskirts of Ba Sing Se, Earth King Kuei couldn't help but look back at the city he ruled from the palace. "The Earth Kingdom... has fallen." he said in grief.
Zuko couldn't help but look back as well. He remembered the time he spent in Ba Sing Se until this very moment. Zuko remembered entering the city, started working in a tea shop with his uncle Iroh, fighting Jet, going on his first date with Jin, upgrading into his new apartment, freeing Appa, working in Iroh's new Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop, facing Azula once again, reuniting with Katara, fighting Azula once again. 'I regret nothing.' Zuko turned his head forward as they pass the outer wall of Ba Sing Se.