Book 4: Light and Darkness

by ButtonPusherExtraordinaire

Air's murder was a symptom. The Great War was over, but the Greater War endured. The Realms are imbalanced, and Air's loss is but a sign. Years after Sozin's Comet, The Avatar's most ancient enemy reminds The Avatar of his existence. Lies and truths are disordered as the roots are infected from the chaos, to which The Avatar was ignorant. Things must change. The cycle must end. AU!

12. Politics

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! I really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender

XxXxXxXxXxX

Zuko looked up from his desk when Katara entered his private study, alone; thankfully, the Imperial Firebenders said nothing and shut the doors. Katara entering his private study had become such an everyday occurrence, multiple times a day, lately that Zuko had ordered the Imperial Firebenders to stop announcing her entrance and simply let her enter without a word; the announcing got annoying quickly.

"Is there something on fire?" he asked in greeting, looking back at the report on his desk. Thankfully, nothing seemed to have happened in the Earth Kingdom, though the simmering tension since Ba Sing Se's destruction remained—it might remain forever.

He suspected that King Bumi's decision to start rebuilding Ba Sing Se had given the Children of Earth an objective to reach rather than the impossible notion of vengeance against The Avatar.

But he wasn't sure if it would last. He knew better than most how quickly someone's focus could change.

"Not a literal fire," Katara responded, smiling at him as she sat down across from him, the desk a barrier between them. "But there's a metaphorical one."

Zuko glanced back at her, single brow raised. "Sokka?"

"Me."

"Because of Sokka?"

She shook her head. "No. I realized that I need to be prepared for the meeting coming up," she said in determination. "How can I prepare? Are there subjects I need to know and practice? Are there talking points I need to memorize? Do I have to say things in a specific way?"

He leaned back in his chair, assessing her for several moments. Of course, she was completely serious and wanted to do well. "Watch and learn," he advised. "You're not going to have anything to offer until you have experience."

Katara frowned. "I have a lot to offer- "

"You don't know how this works, Katara; you're coming into this as a guest. You will be my guest, not a participant. You're going to have to sit in the meeting and absorb what you see and hear."

"But what if something occurs to me- "

Zuko sighed. "You're an outsider. You can't interfere in the meeting; you can't even speak unless I call upon you."

Her blue eyes lit up, and he admired how it transformed her face from beautiful to impossibly beautiful. "Then call upon me, and I can- "

"That would be considered a personal slight to my advisors and generals," he interrupted dryly. "I can afford to have enemies, but I don't want them to be my enemies, least of all for something so stupid as a meeting. This is highly formalized- "

She huffed, but there was amusement in her eyes. "Surprise, surprise. Another thing that's formal in the Fire Nation."

"It's tradition," Zuko clarified. "The fact I'm bringing in three outsiders, let alone three outsiders so influential politically, is not going to be something that everyone admires me for. Don't be surprised if someone brings it up."

Likely Lao, if he had to guess.

Katara seemed to realize what he was saying as she nodded. "Oh. Thank you for doing this, Zuko. What do I do if someone says something to me?"

"You do nothing unless I call upon you," he repeated. "The meeting only happens when I wish it to happen; it only begins when I wish it to begin; it only continues when I wish it to continue; it only ends when I wish it to end."

"So, you know what will be talked about?"

King Bumi rebuilding Ba Sing Se and, more than likely, becoming its new king, he imagined. "I have an idea, but it could be something else."

She rolled her eyes. "Will you tell me?"

Zuko shook his head. "No, I don't want you going into the meeting with preconceived notions; I want you to be a blank slate and absorb everything. I don't want you to be active; I want you to be reactive, as in paying attention and reacting by absorbing information that's important and necessary."

"I can do that," she vowed.

"I know you can."

Katara hesitated. "There was something else."

"Of course. What is it?"

"I wanted to get your thoughts about Sokka- "

"So, it is about Sokka."

"- being Chief."

Zuko's only brow rose in surprise. "Meaning what?"

She stared at him, desperate. "Is there a way he can really become Chief of both the North and South without Kuei?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Did he ask you to ask me that?"

"No," she denied, and he believed her more than he didn't. "I want him to become Chief of both as he was going to become before I broke the betrothal- "

Zuko waved his hand. "Kuei didn't know about the broken betrothal before he died. Even if he had, he wouldn't have had time to message Arnook. Too much is going on. Arnook wouldn't go back on his word because of the broken betrothal; it would be another reason."

Katara nodded. "Do you think it's likely that he'll go back on his word?"

"Yes," he answered instantly. "I'd be shocked if he didn't. From my limited understanding, it was obvious that Arnook wanted Hahn to be his heir, and I know Hahn was pushing very hard to become the North's heir. It was only Kuei's intervention that got Sokka the position as heir of the North. I don't know how he convinced Arnook to name Sokka his heir, but he did somehow—because it was clear to me that Arnook didn't want Sokka as his heir. Kuei must have offered him something too good to refuse."

He hated Kuei's guts and would forever, but he admired the political strategy and dexterity necessary to pull something like that off. However, Katara clearly didn't feel the same admiration because she sagged in defeat. "And now because he's gone, Arnook will go back to Hahn- "

"Not necessarily," Zuko interrupted. "I haven't spent much time thinking about it because there are a lot more important things right now, but Hahn isn't related to Arnook; he was betrothed to Princess Yue before she became the Moon."

She blinked in surprise. "You know about that?"

"Aang told me," he said vaguely, not wanting to get into the first year after the War when it was only he and Aang—and they had talked a lot. "Because Hahn isn't a blood relative, not even a distant cousin, it's cause for concern. Arnook accepts him, but the nobility does not. If Arnook chooses Hahn, it's inevitable that there will become a rival against Hahn who may have a claim through his blood, unlike Hahn, and some if not most of the nobility will support the rival rather than Hahn. And Arnook knows this. If he's not careful, and I mean really careful, he could have a civil war on his hands, which he doesn't want at all. He needs to secure the North's future, and I think the North's only future is in Sokka's hands. Because it's all about legitimacy," he stressed. "Sokka has the blood from your lineage, which is tied distantly to the North's royal line, but, more importantly since his blood claim is so weak, even though it certainly and powerfully exists, Sokka has the deeds to his name because of his exploits during the Great War; he was one of the heroes who helped The Avatar end the War. He has the strongest claim to the North, and Kuei capitalized on it- "

Katara looked curious. "Why does Sokka have the strongest claim? I thought you said his blood claim is really weak."

"He has the strongest claim because of his mixture of blood and deeds," he explained. "And his blood claim is very weak, but he still descends from the same Chiefs that Arnook does, but you must go back many, many, many generations. And he's already descended from all the Chiefs of the South, which helps a lot. But the crucial thing is that any rival claimant in the North also has a very weak blood claim. From what I know, the Water royal bloodline in the North has been decimated by disease since the Great War started, and many branches, which weren't strong numerically, died out."

Zuko personally always thought they were ravished due to their cowardice in not entering the Great War, and it was ironic because the South had lost two successive Chiefs in battle to the Great War, but the South's royal lineage was more secure than the North's. It was also ironic because, despite the grandeur that the North was so proud of, Zuko thought that the South had a lot more of a future than the North did; he saw the South as a rising power and the North as a diminishing one—if it ever was a power, which he doubted.

"Arnook is the last of the North's Chiefs," Zuko emphasized. "And he can either give the North to a man descended from the same distant Chiefs that he is—Sokka, who also has the deeds that prove he would make a great Chief—or he can give it to a man descended from imposters—Hahn, who doesn't have the deeds to prove he'd be a good Chief; personally, I think he would be a disaster- "

"I agree with that," Katara muttered, something dark on her face. She clearly didn't like Hahn.

Zuko liked her more because of it. "Or he can give it to a man descended from the same distant Chiefs that he is, some long-lost cousin, uncle, or nephew, but this lost-long relative doesn't have the deeds to prove he'd be a good Chief and has never had the education and experience necessary to be Chief, like Sokka and Hahn do. Sokka is the clear choice; he fits the criteria in all areas, even if it's not perfect."

She frowned. "But you said you think Arnook will still pick Hahn- "

He laughed slightly. "It's really complicated. But I did say that, yes, and I mean it. I think Arnook, once he learns of Kuei's death, which he already has, and what it means, will go back on his word and name Hahn his heir, if he hasn't already, and we haven't received word—because Hahn is who he wants. He wanted to make him Chief years ago by marrying him to his daughter. He still wants Hahn to be Chief. It's obvious."

The confusion on her face was on the verge of livid. "But why? You said Sokka's the best candidate. Arnook must be able to see that! He's not stupid." She blinked before shaking her head. "Well, he did betroth Yue to Hahn, so maybe he's a little stupid—or a lot."

"Besides wanting Hahn to be Chief himself, it was likely also due to political pressure from the nobility," Zuko dismissed. "Arnook wants someone from the North to be his heir. Princess Yue was the North's heir, but she was an unacceptable one; she was a weak one- "

Katara scoffed. "Because she was a woman- "

"Girl," he corrected. "And political power is based on persuasion and precedent. I don't recall Princess Yue ever being persuasive from what I've heard about her. After all, she failed to persuade her father not to marry her to Hahn, which reveals her inability to persuade. But more importantly, correct me if I'm wrong, but there has never been a sole Chiefess in the North or South's history, which means there was no precedent, which I think is more important than persuasion, ultimately. Maybe an exceptional princess could create a new precedent through persuasion, but Princess Yue wasn't exceptional in any area because she herself already failed utterly to create a new precedent and, from what Sokka told me, refused to fight for a new precedent, revealing a lack of strength and conviction. She was average, except for her redeeming sacrifice to save the Moon, which signified her as a girl of renowned spirit."

Her eyes were wide with fear. "You do know that she's the Moon Spirit now, right?"

"Aang told me."

Disbelief overtook the fear. "And you're not concerned that she could take offense- "

Zuko shook his head. "It's the truth. She respects the truth and will not take offense. It's how spirits work, and she's a spirit now. Ask Uncle if you're curious about that. But Princess Yue was of weak character until her final act in her life redeemed her. That's the truth. If Sokka weren't so emotional about her, I know he'd agree with me."

"You're harsh," she whispered, shaken.

"I'm the Fire Lord," he said simply. "And that's the truth."

Katara sighed. "Don't ever let Sokka hear you say that about Yue."

Zuko shook his head. "To be a good Chief, he's going to have to realize that truth. In fact, besides Arnook's failure to sire a son and the diseases that ravished Water's royal line since the Great War, Water's possible diminishment from a bloody civil war to determine the next Chief lies in Princess Yue's blatant inability to persuade a new precedent. From one angle, it's her fault."

She stared at him in disbelief. "I thought you said you haven't thought about it."

"But I'm thinking about it now," he replied. "And I'm making all the connections that I need to make. It's pretty basic stuff if you study history and philosophy. This type of thing has happened before. The fact it has to do with the North and South is unique, since it requires Water to reunite if Sokka's the new Chief, but it's not new in its nature; it's the same theme."

Katara rubbed her forehead, clearly trying to make sense of it all. "But why would some of the North not accept Hahn—they definitely shouldn't, of course—if he was betrothed to Yue, which everyone wanted? I couldn't walk through the North's city without overhearing something about it when we stayed there before the Siege!"

"Because Yue's blood, which is of the Water royal lineage, would offset Hahn's lack of blood claim—because the sons he produced by Yue would have the royal blood. But now that Yue's gone, the North is in a crisis—because there's no heir, except claimants who have significant naysayers."

"Who are Sokka's naysayers?"

"Arnook—and probably a minority of nobles."

Her eyes bulged. "What? But Arnook named him heir!"

"Only at Kuei's behest," he reminded. "Sokka was already the strongest candidate and the one who made the most sense; he's the most reasonable claimant by far, I think. Arnook knew it, but he still didn't want Sokka—for whatever reason. He had years to name Sokka his heir without any interference, and I know your father and Sokka were fighting him on it, trying to persuade him to name Sokka the North's heir, but it wasn't until Kuei got involved that an heir was named—Sokka. But because Kuei was able to capitalize as he did, it means that there was already noble interest in the North in Sokka being the heir. Otherwise, even with Kuei's strivings, Sokka could never be the North's heir. There had to be an already existing foundation of support. It reveals that Arnook is beholden to his nobility; he's enslaved to their will, ultimately. It makes sense because of the communal nature of the Water Tribes. The Chief must have the support of the nobility; he answers to them."

"Whereas you answer to no one," Katara whispered, brows furrowing.

"I answer only to Agni and the ancestors—and also The Avatar. Arnook has more limitations, which isn't always a good thing, like now. His weakness in all areas is why the North will likely erupt in a civil war—because he'll refuse to keep Sokka as his heir."

She looked betrayed—not by him but by Arnook. "Do you know why Arnook doesn't want Sokka as his heir?"

Zuko shook his head. "I don't know, but I suspect it has to do with the South overtaking the North internally if Sokka becomes Chief of the North. Arnook probably sees himself naming Hahn or that long-lost cousin as his heir as the assurance that the North won't be 'consumed' in the South's rising tide—because the South is on the rise while the North is on the fall. It's obvious."

"Maybe to you," she muttered. "I never knew any of this!"

He wondered at Chief Hakoda's seeming restraint from telling the details to Katara because it didn't make sense since she was the South's princess and had been part of a political match with Kuei, which had massive political implications and depths. But it also seemed likely that Sokka wasn't aware of the intricacies of the situation based on their conversations now that he thought about it. Maybe Chief Hakoda didn't realize, either, for he had only ever been a war Chief, not a political Chief.

Zuko honestly didn't know.

"It makes sense because it's about the nature of the tribe," he explained. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Water Tribes used to be unified in the North, correct? There was no South."

Katara nodded, confused. "Yes. No one remembers why we separated. I just know that it was a tragedy or attack or something. There may have even been a civil war."

"It's possible," he agreed. "But those who traveled to the South required immense strength, courage, and conviction to make such a long trip—and having to build an entire tribe on top of it, which requires structure, education, and culture. Those who immigrated were bold, brave, courageous, and determined; they were strong. Whereas those in the North stayed in the North and didn't do anything, only continued to live in what was already provided, revealing an innate cowardice. The South had to work to make the South work, which reveals a boldness, ferocity, and honor that the North lacks. The South fought to survive and create a home while the North languished in its already existing home. I think that's why the South was such a threat during the War before they were devastated while the North never did anything. The South was willing to leave their home and travel and fight to make something better, to do something, while the North simply stayed in the North and did nothing—in the separation and the War."

She hesitated. "I don't know if I agree with that."

He rolled his eyes as he stood to his feet and stretched his legs; he walked around his desk and to the window, feeling Katara follow him. "I don't expect you to agree with everything that I'm saying. I'm only an outsider with observations and judgments."

"So, Arnook doesn't want Sokka as his heir, but the nobility does?"

"That's the only thing that makes sense," Zuko agreed. "Someone in the North wants Sokka to be the heir. It explains why Sokka was accepted as the heir in the first place. If Arnook and the nobility didn't want Sokka as the heir, Sokka would have never been named heir in the first place, even with Kuei's best political maneuverings. But the nobility wants Sokka as the heir, and Arnook doesn't. There are multiple political factions here, each vying for control. Arnook is trying to maintain his control over his powerful nobles, but he's failing because he's a weak Chief. It will lead to civil war unless Sokka's the heir. I'm convinced of that."

Katara swallowed. "I am now, too."

"I'll think of something to ensure Sokka becomes Chief of Water," he assured, "but it will have to wait until my father and Dark are handled."

Silence.

"Why are you helping us?" she asked, voice a whisper; her blue eyes roamed his face, searching for something that he could only guess.

He was a terrible guesser.

Zuko sighed. "First, it would piss Kuei off, which is purpose enough—because I'd be commandeering his political agenda. But since Kuei's dead, it only makes him roll in his grave, which is a nice thought, but it's not enough. Second, it secures for me an alliance- "

Katara flinched. "So, you're doing it only because you want us to owe you a favor?"

He understood why she thought that, but it annoyed him that she thought so little of him. "It secures for Fire an alliance," he clarified. "Everything I do is for Fire. Because I help place Sokka on the North's throne, raising his eminence, Water will never, for several generations hopefully, consider waging war against Fire. If you need to think of it as a favor to understand, I don't want a favor from you, Katara, or from Sokka; I want a favor from Water in that Water won't attack Fire and would, hopefully, come to our aid if we ever need it."

She looked regretful that she had thought of him so poorly. "Sorry. You're a good Fire Lord, Fire Lord Zuko."

"Your judgment means everything, Princess Katara," Zuko drawled. "I'm also going to help Sokka because it's better for the North. I've met Hahn, who Arnook clearly wants, and he reeks worse than a dragon's shit. A man like that becoming Chief of the North concerns me deeply. He will make a terrible Chief, a terrible leader; he reminds me of Kuei but with none of the political ingenuity and shrewd vocabulary. But Sokka is an excellent choice, even if he's unconventional in some ways."

Normally, he wouldn't give a damn about Water, especially the North, but since there was a powerful possibility he could make a good influence, ensuring peace and stability, he would interfere. And Sokka would make a strong Chief while Hahn would be a disaster for, not only Water, but possibly Fire. He would wager much of his personal coffers that Hahn was a warmonger based on his few meetings with Hahn, and Sokka's private descriptions of Hahn did nothing to dissuade his impression of Hahn; rather, Sokka's descriptions reinforced his impression.

Sokka wouldn't war against him or cause problems while Hahn would, likely seeking to promote his personal glory and revoke Water's perennial humiliation in staying isolated through the entire Great War, except for two happenings.

And he liked the South a lot more than the North because the South possessed much honor due to their willingness to fight—and they had fought powerfully, necessitating Grandfather himself to end the threat the first time and Grandfather and Uncle the second time, a generation later—while the North possessed very little due to their cowardice. If he could make the North more like the South, provided by Sokka, who was born and raised in the South, it would produce great things.

Katara smiled slightly. "I agree more than you know about Hahn, but are you sure you're not doing it because we're your friends?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "The fact I like you has nothing to do with it," he denied.

Her smile transformed into a delighted, triumphant grin. "You like us?"

Damn it.

"You are likable minimally," Zuko clarified in what he hoped was a convincing manner. He suspected he failed miserably. How far he had fallen! When they first arrived, he could think about signing their execution warrants without feeling guilty, but now he couldn't even think of the idea without feeling sick! And Katara's persistence in softening his guard was impossible to deny; he was annoyed and impressed in equal measure.

"But we're still likable," she reminded, unfazed; she looked pleased.

Zuko gave up. "You're way too fucking likable," he grumbled. "It makes it hard to be angry; you make it hard to be angry."

Her blue eyes were soft and kind. "Thank you, Zuko, for sharing your observations about Sokka and his situation with me; thank you for answering my questions; thank you for being my friend. You may not think you're my friend, but I'll tell you right now that I think you're my friend."

The words produced no fury. Zuko felt no anger at her, not even when he looked for it, and rather than feel angry about that fact, he let go and stopped fighting; he felt peace about it.

"Maybe so," he admitted quietly. "I am helping you because you're my friends. I've just been really pissed at you."

"I'm going to hug you, Fire Lord," she warned, the brilliant smile on her face mesmerizing.

Zuko grunted and shook his head. "Then I take it back. We're not friends; we're enemies."

Katara laughed through the tears and surged at him, wrapping her arms tightly around him, squeezing and cherishing. Zuko's arms responded—the traitors!—and encircled Katara's back, feeling the soft quality of her gown, under which the heat of her flesh enticed him.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," Katara whispered against his chest. "You're a better friend than I am; you understand friendship."

"I'm sorry that I've treated you poorly since you arrived," he whispered back. "That wasn't very friend-like."

"I forgive you," she said instantly. "It was tame, actually."

Zuko assessed how she felt in his arms and how pleasant it felt, how her face settled on his chest, how her body molded against his, how her breasts pressed against his torso, how her weight seemed to stabilize him, how her breath puffed against him, even felt through the fabric of his shirt and robe. He tried, one last time, to summon the anger, but he found that he lacked conviction; he no longer wanted to, even if he was capable of it. He was ready to be done; he was ready to move on; he was ready to forgive; he was ready for the fire of his ire to dissipate like thick smoke.

In his case, his fire had flickered until it died—a gradual process. But it was still real and true; he was ready.

"I forgive you, too, Katara," he breathed, feeling his chest expand with the weight that left him at his words. "You're my friend."

She stilled for several moments before she began to tremble, which made him tremble due to the force of it; they were molded so tightly together. He felt the tears weigh into the fabric of his shirt, framed by the collar of his robe.

"Thank you, Zuko," Katara whispered, voice breaking; she gripped him fiercely, desperately, and Zuko held her tightly, absorbing her embrace—and he knew, somehow, that she was doing the same.

"Thank you for keeping at it," he whispered back. "Thank you for keeping at me."

Eventually, she sniffed and pulled back to gaze up at him; her blue eyes were more mesmerizing than ever before. "You honor me, Fire Lord."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Son of a bitch," he muttered, the weightless sensation emanating through him; it was invigorating, and he meant the forgiveness. "I do feel better."

Aang would love it; his friend was onto something with that forgiveness theory.

Katara laughed. "Me too."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Aang found Pathik in the kitchen, but he was instantly distracted by the smell of the dish he was in the process of making—it was a dish he had never tried before! And it was clearly a delicacy of his race based on the ingredients! Samir bounded to him and crawled up him until she sat on his shoulders, leaning down to pet Momo, who had curled himself on his head, twisting into his hair, when he entered.

"Is it good?" Samir whispered into his ear, hands pressing into his cheeks for balance. "What is it?"

Thankfully, Samir had never made a fit about the meals at the temple. He was happy to see that Samir was satisfied without meat, but if he were honest, he knew that her satisfaction with such a change wouldn't last; she was a child who already knew the taste of meat, and sooner or later, she would demand that meat be a part of her meals. Aang couldn't blame her, and he didn't; he understood some of the Air Nomad traditions would die with him, no matter how much he hated that fact and resented it with the force of his spirit.

"I don't know what it is, but it smells good," he whispered back.

"Of course, it does!" Toph said, sitting at one of the long stone tables. "I hate being blind right now. It smells too good!"

Azula smirked. "I could sear your nostrils shut- "

Toph pointed a rigid finger at Azula. "Don't even think about it."

Aang grinned and twisted his fingers, redirecting the air flow to ensure that none of the aroma of the food reached Toph.

Samir giggled into his hair, and her legs tightened around his neck in joy.

Toph sensed the change instantly as her milky eyes bulged in outrage. "Twinkletoes! Stop that airbending! You're making me smell normal air now! I need to smell that food air!"

"I need to concentrate," Pathik interrupted. "If this delicacy is to be made correctly, I must concentrate. These distractions might ruin the dish."

Aang complied immediately and sat down on the opposite side of Toph at the long table; Samir still sat on his shoulders while Azula sat next to him with moderate space between them. All was silent as they listened to Pathik make the dish, adding ingredients when necessary.

When Pathik became engaged with another part of the meal, Toph tapped her foot against the stone, causing a small rumble that catapulted a piece of food into her waiting hand.

Aang watched Toph do it once without reacting. However, when she went to do it again, as the small scrap of food darted through the air, he swiped his fingers and redirected the scrap's trajectory until it landed in his own hand. Toph didn't understand what happened as she blinked, fingers tapping the stone with urgent consistency as her face revealed her confusion. Aang tore the scrap in half and handed one half to Samir and tossed his half in his mouth.

Samir giggled as she chewed her piece.

Azula smirked at him without saying anything.

Toph grumbled under her breath; she had finally figured it out, likely from the sound of chewing. "I hate you, Twinkletoes."

He grinned. "I see why you're so hungry, Toph—losing a spar always takes a lot out of you."

She glared at him but crossed her arms sullenly. "Yeah, yeah. I'll beat you again one day."

Aang thought about the extensive bending lessons he forced on himself after the Great War, specifically when he began restoring all the Air Temples. Roku and Yangchen would advise him on his bending forms and offer him advice, all of which he incorporated into his training, strengthening himself in all areas.

He would never be that weak, pathetic boy again.

"Perhaps if we allied against him in a spar we would win," Azula offered, voice intrigued. "Two prodigies might triumph over his genius."

Toph seemed to consider it before she shook her head. "No, make it three prodigies. We'd need Sugar Queen to actually do anything against him."

Azula shook her head. "My offer does not extend to her, only you."

"Should I feel special?"

"Yes. It is not merely anyone who is worthy enough to ally with me against The Avatar."

Toph grinned. "But if it's three girls versus Twinkletoes, he's more likely to get embarrassed and lose his concentration. Two's not enough."

Aang rolled his eyes. "You underestimate me."

"So, if we were all naked and fought you, you're telling me you wouldn't be distracted?"

Against his will, an imagined image of Azula naked made him hesitate; the memory of her in the fountain when her clothes were soaked, revealing more than he had ever seen, emphasizing her figure, was prominent.

"Of course not," he said after too many moments had passed; he refused to look at Azula. "The monks taught me self-control and restraint. I would deal with you, even naked, like any other time."

Toph didn't believe him—he could tell based on the wicked grin on her face—but Azula hummed. "Do you think there is any alliance of benders in the world from the other elements who could challenge you? Myself, Toph, and… Katara are among the elite of benders but not the elite of the elite. My father, for example, is stronger than I ever will be- "

His brows rose. "Even with Roku's blood in your veins?"

"His determination exceeds mine and always has; it is the same with Zuko and his determination. I am more like Mother, who reached a level and stopped, seeing no use to demand the exhaustion of the physical when the mental had so much more promise and intrigue. I am not at the level of Father; I am not even at the level of Uncle, who himself is not at the level of Father. There is a disparity."

Toph nodded. "There's a clear difference; I'm in it. I've sparred against Bumi, and he destroyed me every time. He said Azulon was his toughest fight and that I'm no Azulon." She crossed her arms, frustration and bitterness—was that hatred?—on her face. "He said I'm a kid. But he's right because he kept beating me so easily—or it felt like he did it easily, at least."

Aang grinned at the knowledge that Bumi defeated Toph; it was more verification that the past time in which he lived—the true time and world—was better than the abomination he was trapped in now. "That's Bumi," he bragged, proud of his friend.

"And Sugar Queen isn't defeating that grandpa of hers anytime soon."

"Master Pakku," he recalled with mixed feelings. He had never liked Master Pakku, but he had respected him as a master. Yet, he had a fear for Master Pakku that he hadn't had for any of his other masters, whether temporary or permanent. Unlike Gyatso, Jeong Jeong, Katara, Toph, and Zuko, there had been a severity in Master Pakku that prickled against him; he had never felt comfortable with Master Pakku, unlike how he felt with all the others, even Jeong Jeong and Zuko.

Azula stared at him critically. "Could a triumvirate of Father, King Bumi, and Master Pakku defeat you?"

"No," he answered, confident. "The advantage of having all the elements can never be understated. No one in the world will ever comprehend it but me."

"What if Gyatso was added? Could all four defeat you?"

Aang cringed at the thought of fighting Gyatso—it was against his willing! "It would be harder, certainly," he muttered. "Gyatso was the best—forever. He could defeat Ozai, Bumi, and Pakku by himself."

Azula's rising brow revealed her disagreement with his assessment, but Aang believed it utterly; Gyatso was the greatest to walk the world; he was the Airbender most like Air, most enveloped by Air and embodied Air, and Air was the strongest, greatest, and purest out of all the Elements; there was no race greater than Air. Thus, Gyatso was stronger than Ozai, Bumi, and Pakku, meaning he would defeat them.

He tried not to think about the dozens of Imperial Firebenders surrounding Gyatso's skeleton—it was a haunting memory that splintered his spirit!—but it came anyway. Robbing the air flow to their lungs, Gyatso made short work of them, even with the unbelievable empowerment of Sozin's Comet.

And those were Imperial Firebenders, the most renowned Firebenders in the world after The Avatar, the Fire Sages, and the Fire royal family.

"He would," he clarified, voice stronger. "I know."

Samir's hands patted his cheeks in comfort as she leaned down. "I'm sorry about Gyatso," she whispered in his ear.

Aang reached up and gripped one of Samir's hands in thanks but said nothing.

Azula stared at him critically. "Would a triumvirate of Agni, Devi, and Father bonded briefly with Vaatu defeat you?"

Toph's eyes widened. "Woah. What's going on? What are we talking about? Devi?"

Apparently, Azula had not divulged their exploits in the Immortal Realm to Toph as he had expected; he himself had refused to speak of it.

"Our departure is imminent," Azula notified, looking displeased. Why could she not accept his judgment? He knew what he was talking about! "Aang has decided our strategy is to attack now."

Toph punched her fist into her cupped palm. "Yes! Finally! Let's get the Loser Lord's skull and crush it!"

Azula looked at him, golden eyes demanding that he explain the danger of the situation, and he sighed. "It's going to be a lot harder than that. Ozai has an army now- "

"Like you couldn't wipe out an army with your finger," Toph scoffed, clearly thinking about Ba Sing Se—like he was.

"I'm not going into The Avatar State," he said, firm and adamant. "That will never happen again. You and Azula are going to deal with the army, which likely includes some Dai Li agents, while I deal with Agni, Devi, Ozai, and Vaatu. Agni and Devi have allied themselves with Vaatu and Ozai."

Toph blinked, face losing color. "Devi is with Dark?"

"Yes."

"What the fu- I mean, what?" she blustered, the shock and panic in her milky eyes as real as the dread Aang felt in his mind at Vaatu attaining the alliance of the other Elementals. "No, why would she ally with him? It doesn't make sense! He can't have two of the Element Spirits on his side already and so soon!"

"Elementals," he corrected softly. "And he does. Devi allied with him because of what I did to Ba Sing Se."

Silence.

Toph swallowed. "Oh. And your plan is to take all of them on while you want me to deal with an entire army?"

Azula looked composed, but her golden eyes were dark with disagreement. "Apparently, I shall help you defeat these masses, for which we do not know the skill level of each individual nor the broad numbers that make up the army. Apparently, The Avatar possesses prophetic insight that he refuses to share- "

Aang glared at her. "We already talked about this. You're firebending is like it was under Sozin's Comet. You're going to be fine. You'll handle it. I trust you. We just talked about how elite you are; no one in this army will be anywhere near your level. You called them peasants, remember?"

Toph waved her hands. "Nice to know she'll be fine," she said sarcastically, "but what about me? I haven't mastered my chakras or whatever! I'll be a lonely platypus bear egg for this army! No matter how good we are, we can be overrun by enough numbers- "

"You won't be," Aang assured. "This will be quick. It will be swift and devastating; it will be over. We attack like Air—with the speed of the wind and consuming destruction of a tornado."

Azula looked less in disagreement and more thoughtful. "And Agni and Devi?"

"I'll deal with them- "

"Have you ever 'dealt' with them before?"

Aang hesitated, knowing, deep down, that he had never, in all his lifetimes, battled any of the Elementals; he had no instinct like he did for so many other things. There was only the knowledge that he knew he would defeat them because he was The Avatar.

"No, but it won't be a problem."

Toph snorted, looking unconvinced. "I don't feel comfortable at all fighting against the Earth Spirit."

"It's not about being comfortable," he snapped. "It's about doing what's right."

"Then why didn't you kill Ozai to end the Great War?"

He cringed before glaring at her. "Because I was still that stupid boy who was an idiot."

Toph looked down. "I think that 'stupid boy' was pretty great," she said softly.

Her words stirred something inside him, and he felt his face twist; his pulse roared to life, echoing in his ears as the words tore out of him: "My race thought I was pretty great, too, and it got them killed- "

"I already encountered Agni in the Immortal Realm," Azula interrupted, looking at Toph, and he was grateful for the interruption. "He tried to kill me. Devi will try to kill you, as well, Toph. But you will not face Devi; you will face the army with me while Aang 'deals' with Agni, Devi, Vaatu, and Father."

"I don't like it."

"Nor do I, but The Avatar is adamant."

Pathik interjected with a kind but worn smile; he carried the dish, and Aang had only thoughts of hunger, not on reprimanding Azula and Toph for their lack of faith. "The meal is ready. I hope you are all hungry."

Samir scrambled off his shoulders and ran up to Pathik to grab a piece off the plate while Toph held out her hand expectantly. However, Samir did not break her piece in half for Toph; instead, she gave one of her halves to him.

"Here you go, Aang," she said, chewing on her piece, gray eyes sparkling.

Toph scoffed. "I was waiting for you to give me a piece, Hitchhiker."

"I'm an Airbender," Samir said, sticking her tongue out; several pieces of food fell out of her mouth at the action, and Momo swooped in and stole the pieces before they hit the floor.

"She is loyal to Air now, not Earth," Azula observed with amusement.

Samir nodded, hair whipping slightly at the vigor of her action. "Uh-huh."

Aang tried to make himself be in love with her, but he failed; there was still too much disgust and frustration—and dismay and grief.

Thus began the meal.

However, he failed to prevent himself from looking at Azula often as she ate the Air Nomad dish. Of course, he loved the meal, but would Azula love it? It seemed that she did based on the ease and enjoyment with which she ate.

It was too perfect.

She could not continually like everything about Air! It was maddening! It was everything he yearned for, but it was too good to be true. There had to be something with or about Air that Azula didn't like or disagreed with fervently, but there seemed to be nothing. Was she that talented an actress, or was it the truth? Did she enjoy Air as much as it seemed she did?

But would she stay the same? What if he gave her the renown and prestige of the Mother of Air, but she dropped her performance and revealed that she was using him and actually despised Air, mocking and distorting it with clever wording and cunning action? What if she was trying to finish what Sozin started and, upon realizing that she could not destroy Air externally because she understood that he would destroy her if she tried it, endeavored to sabotage Air from within, marring it internally?

Then Air could never be revived—never!

It was a chilling thought, but when he looked at her, the chill was minimal. There was much more warmth when he looked at her; there was the enticing, unbelievable possibility that she was genuine.

But he wasn't sure because how could he be sure? How could he understand?

If he had any idea as to how she could convince him of her sincerity, he would ask it of her instantly, but there were no ideas! What could he possibly ask of her to convince him that she was genuine in making and pressing her claim? What demonstration could he ask her to make to free his mind from the unholy tension and bitter conflict that threatened to rip him into pieces?

There was nothing.

Would Azula be willing, truly? Did she understand what such a burden entailed? Did she understand what would need to happen—what had to happen and what must happen? Would she be Mother to an entire race?

The fact that Samir loved Azula so clearly made him feel better because Azula didn't seem bothered by it; she was, after all, like she claimed, obviously fond of Samir. In fact, when he had watched Samir and Azula, he recognized in Azula how Katara had treated him often after the Iceberg.

Would she bear the title of Mother to an entire nation? It seemed possible the more time passed. Samir already viewed her as a mother and Azula hadn't, from what he could tell, seemed too bothered by it. In fact, he had watched as she seemed to treat Samir like a mother would; at least how he thought that a mother would treat a child.

He didn't know much about mothers.

Since making Samir an Airbender, manifesting her ancestral connection to Air, Aang knew he would have to raise her, making her his own daughter. He refused to allow anyone else to raise her; no one was worthy of the honor, or dishonor, but himself—because they were both from and of Air. If anyone dared attempt to take Samir from him, he would react in wrath, despite her disastrous bending talent and understanding.

Then there was also the fact that Samir seemed to adore Azula, and Azula clearly adored Samir to a degree that Aang was astonished by.

After all, Azula had, of her own accord, offered to step aside from all the renown and prestige in the world to allow Samir to be the Mother of Air. But Azula's suggestion of raising Samir to be the Mother of Air made him cringe and rebel internally. It was wrong! It wasn't what he wanted!

Ultimately, he wanted Azula—but he didn't want to want her! He shouldn't! She was an heir of Sozin and could be deceiving him to sabotage Air from within!

It was exhausting.

Would Azula help him revive his extinct race and culture? Would she be willing to bear children who were Airbenders instead of Firebenders? He wanted her to be the mother of his children, whether Airbenders or not—but predominantly Airbenders, of course. She had expressed a strong interest in his race and culture, which no one else had ever done, certainly no one in the Gaang except for Zuko, who asked curious questions but never dared go deeper out of shame of what Sozin did. But Azula possessed no shame about it! She intrigued him and challenged him; she brought him wisdom and insight from Air that he had forgotten or looked past!

But he hated the irony that one of Sozin's heirs would be the Mother of Air, which Sozin murdered! It was despicable! It was abominable! It was impure! It was rape! It was evil!

He wished Gyatso were here. Would Gyatso even like Azula? Based on his memories, he highly suspected that Gyatso would love Azula. In fact, he'd be shocked if Gyatso didn't like Azula, but there would never be certainty in his assessment because Gyatso was gone. He could go into the Gardens of the Dead, but he couldn't bear it; he wasn't strong enough to do it. It was far more likely that he would destroy the Gardens and obliterate all of the spirits inside from existence than be calm and reasonable.

It was also possible that, if he went into the Gardens, he would try to conceive how Vaatu would have 'returned' to him Air and, thus, do it himself, which was a monstrous, evil act.

"Aang has a question to ask you, Pathik," Azula said after finishing her meal, looking at him expectantly. Thankfully, Samir had started playing with Momo—well, it was more like forcing Momo to play. But she was suitably distracted, which allowed a mature conversation.

Aang rolled his eyes. "I asked you to help- "

"I did," she defended innocently. "I raised the subject for you."

He sighed and looked at Pathik, who looked amused by the exchange. "Do you know where Indra would be? Do you have any idea?"

All amusement vanished from Pathik's face, replaced by a solemn frown. "I don't. I assume she has hidden herself as she is trapped in such a weakened state since Air's murder."

Aang saw Azula's brows pinch in consideration, but he hesitated. "I don't want to go looking for her right now. I'm afraid that if I get to her, I'll lead Vaatu right to her."

Pathik nodded. "A very real worry you should have. Undoubtedly, he seeks all of the Elementals for himself to offset the advantage you hold over him."

Azula nodded in agreement. "It is what I would do in his position. He knows it is not his strength that will defeat Aang but the strength of his alliances."

"Yes. Well said."

"As always," she quipped before straightening. "I must say well made to you. What was this meal? It was splendid."

"This was our last meal here together," Pathik answered. "You will leave early in the morning. I saw it in my dreams."

Aang hesitated, no longer yearning to know the name of the meal; he wanted to know more of Pathik's dreams. What was already described lined up with his decision to attack Ozai and Vaatu as soon as possible. "What else did you see?"

Pathik shook his head. "Nothing concrete. I knew our time was not forever; it has reached its end. You are not ready, but you must leave. Every day you spend here is another day that Vaatu and Ozai are free from your reach."

He nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We need to- "

"What about his mastered chakras?" Azula demanded.

Aang glared at her. "I'm not talking- "

She glared back. "I did not ask you; I asked Pathik. Pathik, what about his mastered chakras?"

Pathik looked somber, and Aang didn't like it. "Aang will master them when he is ready," he said vaguely with a sad smile. "He is The Avatar and understands what it means not to master them. He will work to be ready to master them, and then he will master them."

Aang's jaw clenched. "I don't need the mastered chakras. I'm already more powerful than anyone, which includes Vaatu. Vaatu knows he can't defeat me."

That was why, in the Immortal Realm, Vaatu tried to entice him to replace his nature with Vaatu, subsuming him, replacing all that he inherited from Raava's eternal sacrifice; it was the only way he could 'defeat' him.

"It is not that simple," Azula reminded. "Vaatu knows this. That is why he gathers his allies, making friendship and connection. He has obtained an alliance with Agni and Devi."

Toph was subdued. "He's been building bridges while you've been destroying them, Twinkletoes."

Aang felt something twist inside him. "Then I'll destroy his, too."

"Are you sure your approach is wise, Aang?" Pathik asked. "Attacking so soon after you barely survived in the Immortal Realm is dangerous."

He glanced at Azula, who stared back unashamed, annoyed that she had divulged what happened in the Immortal Realm to Pathik. "Yes. It's the only way. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"You once hated violence and endeavored to end the Great War without violence but now you see violence as the answer."

"It is the answer," Aang snapped. "I'm not that stupid boy anymore; he was pathetic. I'm trying to save people's lives from this new war. If that means I choose to wield violence against violence, that's okay. Gyatso would agree with me. I know he would."

Pathik frowned, looking irritated. "Would he?"

Aang's hand curled into a fist at the memory of all those dead Imperial Firebenders surrounding Gyatso's skeleton. "Yes. When necessary, Gyatso would choose violence and did choose violence. It's necessary now to choose violence, and I do choose violence." He closed his eyes tightly before opening them again. "We need to attack now," he repeated. "It's the only way to prevent this from becoming an extended war that, while it may not last as long as the Great War, will be more destructive—I guarantee it. I'm trying to stop that from happening."

"Your chakras- "

"I'm not talking about that," Aang warned, losing his patience. "The chakras will do nothing. I rebelled against Vaatu in the Immortal Realm; he didn't sway me."

But Vaatu had swayed him temporarily. He refrained from revealing how tempted he was by Vaatu's offer before he realized its depth. Thankfully, he had possessed enough strength not to tell Azula, which meant she could not betray him to Pathik.

"I don't like this plan, Twinkletoes," Toph said, huffing her bangs away from her eyes, though it didn't matter—it was a nervous tick.

"I don't like it, either!" he cried out. "But what else is there to do? This is the only option that gives us the possibility of ending this now. We need it gone as quick as possible, and this is the only possibility that ensures it!"

Azula's face was tight, and her golden eyes teemed with wary displeasure. "It is also the only possibility that ensures our deaths so swiftly, which, thus, ensures Vaatu's victory."

"It's high risk, high reward," Aang agreed. "But I thought you would agree with it. Sozin murdering Air was high risk, high reward, and that strategy worked out brilliantly for him."

He would make that strategy work as brilliantly—more brilliantly!—for himself.

Azula stared at him in disbelief. "You seek to consciously follow Sozin's philosophy?"

Aang hated himself for doing it, but he nodded—how his race hated him, too! "It worked. I need something to work, and this is the only thing that works—that has the promise of ending the war and stopping the threat. It's the only way. I'm not doing this because I want to justify an impulse to fight Vaatu or Ozai; I'm doing it because I want to save lives! This can't become another Great War. I won't let it."

"You are trying to force this," Pathik warned, and Aang resented it when Azula nodded in agreement. "You are rigid- "

"I'm doing the only thing I can—fight! What do you want me to do, Pathik?" he demanded, rejecting the impulse to stand to his feet. "Air was murdered because they couldn't fight—and it was too late to start fighting! I'm going to fight now so that Air's murder doesn't happen to the other races! Ozai would have no problem murdering Water and Earth! And Vaatu would have no problem murdering Fire! I won't let any of it happen."

Toph bit her lip, uncharacteristically hesitant. "I agree we should take the fight to him as quick as possible, but I think this is too quick- "

"We know where Ozai's at!" Aang cried out. "We have his location!"

"Which is why we must time it correctly," Azula interrupted. "We must leave immediately to reunite with Zuko and the others, reveal what we know, and prepare for war. Zuko will mobilize Fire's army- "

"That would take too long!" he hissed. "We'd have to transport an army from the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom to Hu Xin, and that will take over two months, especially with the probable size of the army Zuko would want! Appa can make the trip in less than a week, but a boator multiple boats? No, it would never work. That's too much time for Ozai and Vaatu to change locations or go somewhere else. This is the opportunity."

Toph winced but looked unhappy about it. "And that's not even taking into account that some of Fire's army would probably join Ozai's army, turning against us."

Azula wavered but nodded. "Yes, but we will prepare for that. We will kill anyone who betrays us to and for him."

"If we attack quickly, we could pull it off," Toph said, seeming to come around to Aang's thinking—oh, he would call her his friend now! "But it has to be fast, like Airbender-fast."

"Not a problem," Aang assured. "We'll strike a blow they can't recover from. We can't waste time. This is the moment, and we must seize it. I hate him more than you could possibly understand, but Sozin seized the moment, and it produced a victory unthinkable. We can do the same thing here."

Azula frowned. "Sozin was able to seize the moment due to his extensive planning years beforehand. He built momentum for himself to reach the moment, which he seized. We have no momentum; we have the opposite after Ba Sing Se. Wars are not won without momentum- "

"This isn't a war," he denied, shaking his head; he didn't want to think of Ba Sing Se. "We're doing this to prevent a war."

"I think you will end up evoking the first battle of the new war," Azula judged after several moments; she looked displeased. "The more I think about it, the more I dislike it- "

"I dislike it, too! But it's the only option. You said yourself that the other options are inadequate."

"But they lack the severe danger that this one possesses," she observed. "High risk, high reward, indeed. If anyone can ensure victory, it is you, but I am unsure you can produce such a massive victory after such a crushing defeat at Ba Sing Se."

Aang flinched, the roaring in his ears provided by his memories unspeakable and horrifying. "But I still won," he pointed out, though he was well aware his voice broke and lacked conviction. "No one could touch me."

Azula stared at him. "You know what I mean."

Unfortunately, he did.

Instead, he inhaled slowly and watched her. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she responded instantly, and he knew she meant it.

"Then trust me now," he pleaded. "This is the only way to stop this from becoming a war, and we have to try to stop it now. We have to try; we must try. No one tried to stop the Great War from happening, but we will try to stop another Great War. Will you help me?"

Azula stared at him, golden eyes roaming his face, and he wondered briefly what she saw when she looked at him—besides the Last of Air, of course. "I follow The Avatar," she vowed, the look on her face memorable and comforting to him. "I follow you, Aang."

"Don't think I'm not doing the same," Toph added, nodding her head. "But the attack has to be Airbender-fast."

Aang grinned. "That will never be a problem—never."

"What of Samir?" Pathik asked. "I expect you will not take her into a warzone."

"Of course not," he responded. "Samir will stay here with you while- "

Samir, having heard her name, popped up from playing with Momo and dashed at him, shaking her head; she looked scared. "No, no, Aang! I wanna go with you! Don't leave me!"

"It's not safe for you," Aang said gently, catching her in his arms. "You need to stay here with Guru Pathik. We won't be gone long."

Samir looked devastated; her gray eyes filled with tears. "No, Aang. Please. Please stay."

Aang found that Samir's childish argument against his plan was far more powerful than any argument from Azula, Toph, or Pathik, but he was The Avatar—nothing was more powerful than The Avatar. He wondered if he had looked similar to Samir when confronting Gyatso about his identity as The Avatar.

He tried not to flinch at the memory—he had grabbed Gyatso's robes and fisted his hands in the familiar fabric, disbelieving; he had tried to shake him and asked him if it was one of the games or pranks that they played together so often; he cried on his knees, begging him that it was a lie or a mistake; he lashed out with airbending and cracked the stone around him from the sheer pressure of the wind, and the sky seemed to darken in response to his emotions.

"I'm sorry, but you are The Avatar, Aang," Gyatso consoled softly, kneeling down next to him and looking as sad as Aang felt.

He always wanted to deny the accusation that he was The Avatar, but he knew, deep down, that it was true. The accusation ricocheted in his soul, delving down and down, bouncing and building speed until it reached the bottom of his boundless soul, which roared in confirmation, multiplied by all the voices with which he once spoke. The familiarity of the sensation had been the true confirmation for him, revealing the horror and evil of his essence—because that confirmation had happened before.

He told Gyatso that it should have been someone else, but Gyatso replied that someone must always be The Avatar; someone in the world must be The Avatar, and The Avatar was Aang.

Staring into Samir's raw eyes, which teemed with devastation and heartache, Aang finally understood how Gyatso had confirmed the truth rather than lied.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," he breathed, rubbing one of his thumbs across her puffy, red cheek, wiping the stream of tears. "You won't be alone. You'll have Pathik." He spied Momo in the corner and made an impulsive choice. "And you'll have Momo with you."

"But I want you," she whined. "Please, Aang?"

"I can't," Aang replied, trying to smile. "You'll understand when you're older. I understand so much more now than I ever did before. You will, too."

"It will be okay, Samir," Azula interjected, voice as calm as ever. "We will return swiftly after our journey. You can surprise Aang with how much you have mastered when we return."

Pathik approached and placed a kind hand on Samir's shoulder. "We'll be fine, Samir; we'll await Aang's return. It shouldn't be too long."

Samir looked morose but nodded, energy seeming drained from her. "Okay."

"We'll eat breakfast in the morning and then depart," Aang decided.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Morning came quickly, and breakfast was a quiet affair; there was a somber feeling in the air. Despite everything, the Eastern Air Temple had been a place of rest and refuge for all of them since Ba Sing Se. To leave from one extreme—refuge—to another—battle—was jarring, producing a discordant silence.

They sat around a circular platform that Aang had created, eating in an effort to awaken and rouse their spirits. Samir sat on Aang's right, hanging off him and refusing to let go; she would have latched herself onto his lap if he had not prevented it. However, she barely ate any of her meal, only picking at it. Even when Aang gave her a fruit pie, she touched it minimally. Her gray eyes were morose and devastated, emphasized by Agni's rising light.

Azula sat to his left, and based on her slumped posture, he was unsure if she had slept the previous night. She snacked on a fruit pie, and it was a relief to know that she approved of the treat since he had shown it to her; she consumed it with gusto each time. She met his inquiring gaze and smirked slightly, though there was a subtle exhaustion; yet, her exhaustion did not prevent her from reaching over toward his plate to steal small scraps, which she popped into her mouth.

Her golden eyes glowed under Agni, and it was very distracting. There was a seriousness in them that he wasn't sure he had ever seen, not even at Ba Sing Se; he found that he desperately missed the spark that he was familiar with and adored.

How he wished they could return to Ember Island.

Both Pathik and Toph sat across from him, neither saying a word, only chewing half-heartedly on their meals. Pathik sipped onion and banana juice, but he was the only one.

Aang stared down at his meal, forlorn; he no longer felt hungry.

"I'm done, too," Toph notified quietly.

He nodded distantly. "Do you have everything packed?"

"Yes."

"Then go get it, and we'll leave shortly."

Toph didn't say anything as she stepped away from the platform and walked into the darkened halls.

"You will have enough food for the trip," Pathik said, smiling sadly. "I packed as much as I could. I imagine you will need all the energy you can for the battle awaiting you."

Aang tried to imagine the fight ahead, but all he could imagine was a repeat of what happened in the Immortal Realm—but now he had his bending, which meant his victory.

"We appreciate it, Pathik," Azula said, inclining her head. "Your fruit pies might be the source of our triumph."

"Fruit pies are everything," Aang muttered in agreement. "Nothing's better than fruit pies." He looked down at Samir and elbowed her gently. "Right, Samir?"

Samir stared down at her feet, sullen, but shrugged lifelessly, saying nothing.

Azula eyed Samir with what looked like concern before she looked back at Pathik. "Thank you for your guidance as I mastered my chakras. You are invaluable. I anticipate the conversations we will share in the years to come."

Pathik's eyes twinkled. "Awfully presumptuous of you, Azula. Why would I want to share more conversations with you?"

"Because I am a splendid conversationalist," she answered with pride.

"You really are," Pathik agreed, looking at Azula fondly. Aang knew that Pathik had never looked at him that way. "I am certain you will utilize your many talents and skills to continue to help Aang in his journey."

Something seemed to pass between them as Azula nodded, and Aang wasn't sure if he wanted to know the source of their vague secrecy. "I will," Azula vowed. "Only Death will stop my devotion."

Aang didn't want to think about Azula's death and shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that," he assured. "We're going to end this, and it will be swift and victorious."

Toph returned with two bags. "I'm ready, Twinkletoes—if you are."

"I am." He looked back at Azula. "Do you have everything- "

"I packed my things on Appa last night," she notified.

Aang blinked before he nodded. "Good."

Azula approached him and kneeled in front of Samir, surprising him by brushing several strands of hair away from Samir's eyes, which revealed the thick tears in her eyes. "It will not be long," Azula assured with a calm kindness that surprised him. "Once the battle is over, we will return for you, and you will see the world."

Samir sniffed and nodded. "Okay."

Azula leaned forward with a blatantly secretive look on her face. "Do you know what you are going to do?"

"What?" Samir asked, curiosity overcoming her sorrow. "What is it?"

Azula's golden eyes were brilliant—along with the curl of her lips. "You will be the guardian of the temple, Samir; you are its defender and strength. You are an Airbender, and this is one of your homes. You must protect and maintain your home. The responsibility is yours—because you are you, an Air Nomad. You are most important. No one can do it but you."

Aang wished he had thought of that, but he nodded in agreement. "I know that you're going to do it right. You don't need me here to do it; you don't need a mentor to teach you. It's innate; it's within you. Do you feel it?"

Samir's face stretched with the force of her determined joy; there was a smear of juice on her cheek that he just noticed, but he didn't wipe it away. "Uh-huh! Yes."

He crouched in front of her and tapped her heart. "It's in there, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh."

"Never lose that, Samir," he said softly and kindly. "Always hold it in your keeping, always guard it, and you will always feel its love. Air will love you forever, and it will never leave you because Air is more loyal than any of the other Elements; it is more beautiful and precious. And that means you're those things, too—as long as you hold it in your keeping and choose to align with it."

Samir's tears were still there but awe lurked inside. "Okay, Aang."

Aang stood to his feet and approached Pathik while Azula resumed a conversation with Samir; he didn't focus on it, rather on Pathik.

"I wish this went better," he said quietly.

Pathik's eyes shadowed. "So do I, but I hold all faith in you that you will succeed, even if success is not how you envision it."

He was quiet for several moments until he forced the words out of him, leaving his voice raw and bleeding. "Is Gyatso proud of me? Do you think he is?"

"I know he is- "

"But how?" he croaked, feeling the tears at the edge of his control; it wouldn't take much to make them spill. "He must be so ashamed of me; he must be. Look at me; look at what I've become; look at what I am."

"Look at what you can become still," Pathik offered kindly. "Gyatso never doubted you. Not even Death could chill the fire of his faith in you; his faith in you holds true now, 109 years later; it will hold true for all of Time, as will his love for you."

Aang bowed his head, trying to control his breathing—otherwise, he would break. "I miss him so much; I miss him more than anything. If I weren't The Avatar, I wonder if I'd kill myself so I can see him in the Gardens—forever."

Pathik placed a light hand on his shoulder. "I miss him, too. I'm thankful I knew him and thankful that he knew me; he was a powerful friend whose wisdom was only second to his kindness."

"I don't have either of those things," he whispered, "not like he did. I'm not wise, and I'm not kind—not anymore. I've treated you terribly- "

"Which I understand," Pathik interrupted. "I am a poor proxy for your race and my friends. I wish I could be what you need, but I understand that I never will be."

Aang squeezed his eyes shut. "What I need is impossible."

Vaatu's proposition was as good as he could possibly get, but it would never be enough; it was horrible but possible. But he was prepared for Vaatu to offer him the possibility again before they battled, but he had steeled himself against it; he wouldn't be swayed a second time if Vaatu offered again.

"What you need is Time."

"I hate Time," he muttered. "I saw the Tree, and It experiences nothing; It wasn't impacted by Air's murder or by the Great War or by Vaatu's release. I'd destroy It if I had the power."

Pathik didn't look surprised, though there was a burning interest in his eyes—to ask about the Tree, no doubt, and what It looked like and felt like. "I believe you."

He swallowed. "You're a better friend than I am, Pathik; you have wisdom and kindness a lot closer to Gyatso than I do."

"It took me a long time," Pathik replied, smiling slightly; his eyes twinkled and were knowing. "What you need, truly, is Time, Aang. It is the only way. I only reached peace from Time's passage. It is the natural cycle."

Aang looked away and saw and heard Samir giggle based on something that Azula was saying. "I'm not ready to be part of that cycle," he confessed, watching the flush spread across Samir's cheeks from the exertion of her joyful giggles; he knew he was once like that, but he couldn't remember it. "I don't want to be. I want to be enraged; I want to be resentful, even though it is so exhausting."

When he returned his gaze to Pathik, Pathik's eyes held memories he never experienced. "But it is undeniably fulfilling in equal measure."

Maybe he had underestimated Pathik.

He nodded. "Yes. And because it's so exhausting, it feels like labor, like I'm doing something full of purpose and meaning; it feels like the right thing to do."

"It does for now, but it will not always. There will come a point where you don't want to fight anymore; you want to feel settled; you want to feel like you can breathe." Pathik placed both hands on his shoulders and squeezed with promise; their eyes locked—ancient eyes versus ancient eyes. "As Gyatso always said, you can take a breath, Aang; Air and all its forgiveness is waiting for you."

Aang shook his head. "I can't breathe; I can't take a breath—because I don't deserve Air's forgiveness. Indra's right to avoid me; I murdered her children, my race. I'm always going to know, deep down, it was me—it was always me."

"Yet, Sozin chose to act on what you provoked; it was his choice at the end of the day."

He was silent for several long moments. "I've looked at the Gardens of the Dead from afar in the Immortal Realm; I've done it more times than I'm comfortable admitting. But something always held me back from going inside and finding who I wanted to find. I used to think it was because I couldn't handle seeing Gyatso and my race there, but now I think it was because I knew, deep down, that I would find Sozin and obliterate him from existence—and then continue my spree by finding all his loyalists, including Azulon. I knew I could never stop at only Sozin—because the act, in and of itself, of obliterating his spirit would never satisfy, and I would do it again and again until it mounted into something that resembled the weight of Air. I knew I could never do it, though I wanted to, but I want that to change; I want to be able to do it." He stared into Pathik's eyes, hoping Pathik would understand and wouldn't judge him. "I want revenge, Pathik; I want to make the mountains run red with Sozin's blood—as the mountains ran red with Air's blood; I want to obliterate Sozin from the history of the world, leaving him no legacy but nothingness—like Air; I want to consume his spirit and feed his body to Appa; I want to take him to the tip of Heaven and throw him down to the earth, letting him fall and scream in terror until he crashes; I want to smother his firebending and laugh at his impotence; I want him broken and destroyed—like me."

If Vaatu had offered him that in the Immortal Realm in exchange for becoming his vessel, Aang would have accepted.

Pathik, thankfully, didn't seem to judge him; he sighed but nodded. "I understand. There were days early on when I would pray to Indra to smite Agni's Fire Lord, but she didn't answer me."

"But you don't want that anymore," Aang pointed out, frowning. "You've 'moved' past it."

"I have," Pathik confirmed. "Whether we like it or not, it is the nature of the world and the nature of us; it is mortality. Nothing stays the same, including our perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and understandings about things, even things as catastrophic and unholy as Air's murder."

Aang felt Toph approach Samir and begin saying goodbye, but he didn't care; he was focused on Pathik, unsure he would get another chance to have the courage to be honest with him. "I feel like the only way to remember them is to never move past it. I can't forget them; they're everything to me."

"Do you think I've forgotten them?"

"I think you don't think of them like you used to—and that terrifies me because I want to always be thinking about them."

Pathik glanced past at Samir, Azula, and Toph; there was a small knowing smile that spread across his bearded face. "How often do you think of them now? Every moment? Every minute?"

"Every time I'm reminded of them, which is always. I want to stay always reminded of them; they deserve to always be thought about. More than anyone in the history of the world, they deserve to be thought about."

"Do you think about them when you speak with Azula?"

Aang glanced away, voice soft, barely audible. "Yes. She'd be Mother of Air now if I didn't."

"I think they would be pleased with her as Mother of Air," Pathik offered. "They would accept her; they would embrace her. Why can't you?"

"Sozin."

"She isn't her great-grandfather- "

"I know, but Roku loved Sozin and died because of him; I don't want Air to love Azula and die, for a second time, because of her. Her evil blood is too evil."

Pathik squeezed his shoulders again, though Aang didn't feel it much. "Time, Aang," he repeated. "It's what you need. The form your struggle has taken is new, but its nature isn't. Men before have moved past- "

"But I don't want to move past it," he hissed. "I refuse to. I never will."

"I believe your conviction."

"But you don't think it will stay the same," Aang observed flatly.

Pathik's eyes were old and sad. "If anyone can do it, it's you. But remember that you don't have to be alone; you aren't alone anymore."

Aang frowned. "I'm always alone—because this isn't my world; it's not my time. This time is damned and evil; it's disgusting. Everything's wrong here."

"Only if you let it be," Pathik said and bowed to him. "Goodbye, Aang."

He nodded his head in respect to Pathik, though he still felt as dissatisfied as ever. "Thank you, Pathik. Goodbye."

Pathik stepped away with a small smile as Toph walked over and punched his arm. "Twinkletoes, I hope you're ready for this fight."

"I'm always ready to fight," Aang said, trying not to feel grief at that fact; he once hated fighting and wanted nothing to do with it.

"That's the right attitude to have," Toph agreed, nodding her head. "But when we were talking about Airbender-fast, that doesn't mean just bursting in and fighting immediately, right? It means that we'll look at what we're dealing with before striking Airbender-fast, right?"

"Right."

"Good. Now go say goodbye to Hitchhiker; she deserves a good one."

When Aang turned around, it was to see Samir surge at Azula in a hug, latching onto her with vigor, tiny arms wrapping around her and squeezing as best they could. Azula seemed stunned for several moments, golden eyes hazy, before they brightened, and she cautiously hugged Samir back, features and posture relaxing.

It was clear that she and Samir basked in each other's embrace.

"Your heartbeat's making my head hurt," Toph muttered next to him. "Their hearts aren't even beating as fast as yours. Do you mind?"

Aang walked to Samir, who saw him approach, and her face faltered; she looked small—so small—in the Air Nomad garments he had obtained for her. Azula stepped away towards Appa, and he saw Toph raise a stairwell and walked onto the saddle, plopping near the back by one of the grips in Appa's saddle. Azula ascended more gracefully, but it was clear that they both were giving him space and time to say goodbye to Samir privately.

That made it harder.

He crouched in front of Samir and touched her chin, raising it so their eyes could meet. "I'm sorry that I'm not the mentor I should be," he said softly. "But never think my faults are because of your faults, okay? I'm just trying to make sense of it all; I'm trying to accept this, and I'm sorry I haven't been better at it. We're going to figure this out somehow. We have to—I promise."

Otherwise, he would die.

Samir's gray eyes welled with tears. "Will you forget about me?"

Aang shook his head and pulled her into a hug; she didn't react for several moments until she did as she clutched at him. "No, our story isn't over yet, Samir. There's so much we're going to do. We're going to figure this out."

"Okay."

He smiled tightly. "I'm going to come back. I left an Air Temple and didn't return once. That's never going to happen again. I'll come back, okay? I'll come back for you."

She sniffed and nodded against his chest. "Okay."

Aang looked down and wiped off the smear of juice on her cheek with the back of his knuckles. "You're going to be okay, I swear. You're strong, Samir; you hold Air's strength in you—remember that. It's not all there, but it's there." He twisted his wrist and created a small cyclone in his hand, which ruffled his hair and Samir's hair; as expected, her gray eyes latched onto the cyclone in amazement and yearning. "Air is still here," he whispered, voice drifting. "Air faced the greatest enemy in the history of the world, but Air is still here; Air is still living and breathing—because we are still living and breathing. You keep breathing, Samir, and feel Air within you with every breath you take, and nothing will ever defeat you. With every breath you take, know that it's the same air that Air Nomads from long ago breathed, and it connects you with and to them—forever."

Samir reached for the cyclone, and a grin split her features when her fingers hovered inside the cyclone. "I love Air, Aang."

"I love it, too," he whispered. "We love it together. And we're going to keep doing it, even though we won't see each other for a little bit."

Something determined crossed Samir's face. "Uh-huh. Yes."

Aang felt relief before he reluctantly let go of Samir and stood to his feet, dwarfing her small form. "Remember freedom, Samir," he advised. "Air is all about freedom. Practice what I've showed you, and when I get back, I'll take you flying across the world on Appa."

"Fast," Samir requested. "I wanna go fast."

He grinned. "We'll go faster than anything in the world, and we can jump from Heaven to earth. Now go stand with Pathik."

Samir hesitated, looking like she wanted desperately to say something, but she sagged and ran to Pathik. Aang wondered what she was thinking, but he turned back to Appa and approached. Momo chirped at him from Appa's horn, and he waved him down.

"You're staying here with Samir, Momo," he said.

An indignant squawk erupted from Momo before he dutifully released Appa's horn and flew to Samir, snuggling into her chest, and Samir giggled and hugged Momo tightly.

Aang knew they would be okay as he looked at Pathik, who inclined his head. He took one last moment to memorize Samir, dressed in Air Nomad garments that he once wore in another time, and waved goodbye.

Samir waved back with shining eyes.

He leaped into the saddle, checking to make sure that everything was tied properly, checking that all of his things were there. He was satisfied and sat down and grabbed the reins, feeling through his airbending that everyone was where they needed to be.

It was time.

Aang stared at the horizon. "Appa, yip-yip!"

"Bye, Appa!" Samir yelled, waving her hand faster. "Do flips! Bye, Toph! Bye Azula! Bye, Aang!"

In response, Appa roared and floated, massive tail propelling them forward in a massive burst of air. Toph huddled against the side of the saddle, cradled by its curve, eyes closed; based on the expression on her face, she seemed to be trying to psych herself up for the coming battle. Surprisingly‚ or not so surprisingly, Azula's face was tight, golden eyes somber and almost mournful as they left.

It echoed Aang's own feelings, no matter how much he wanted to defeat Vaatu and Ozai now.

"Bye, Daddy," a sad, broken voice—Samir's voice!—whispered through the winds.

Aang forced Appa not to turn around, even though the words produced tears in his eyes and made his heart thrum with the force of the emotions inspired inside him, ranging from disgust and horror to amazement and longing. He had no idea Samir felt that way about him, but they could discuss it when he returned to the temple to gather her after defeating Ozai and Vaatu. They would discuss it—he swore!

But he was The Avatar and had a task to complete before he could cherish—and accept—Samir as he wanted to.

"Yip-yip, Appa," he ordered with more finality in his voice, and Appa flew faster.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Out of everything she expected, the meeting's nature was unexpected.

Katara, Sokka, and Suki, along with Iroh and Ursa, had joined Zuko's meeting with his advisors and generals as guests. But she knew it was not technically Zuko's meeting; it was the Fire Lord's meeting, and it was painfully obvious. She hated looking up at her friend—they were friends again!—through the powerful, roaring, imposing wall of flames. The Fire Lord cast a daunting bearing through the wall of flames; only his immovable shadow could be seen.

She knew Zuko liked it that way—his face couldn't be seen.

It was impressive how steady the wall of flames remained; it didn't lower or erupt, flicker or waver. It remained constant as a shield—a literal barrier—between the Fire Lord and his subjects and guests. It reinforced the notion that the Fire Lord, supreme and renowned, was untouchable to anyone but Agni or The Avatar; no one was worthy enough to see through the flames to gaze at his royal face, concealed by the shadows of the powerful wall of flames.

She had dedicated herself to pay attention and absorb everything that happened, every word said and every claim made, but it was increasingly difficult as one of the generals—she couldn't remember his name—rambled on and on about the Earth Kingdom's current state and someone called the 'Scourge of Fire,' who Ursa had whispered to her was actually King Bumi. Katara had never before considered King Bumi as an active player in the Great War previously, but upon rumination, she realized that he had played a big role and was an impressive enemy.

To be hailed as the Scourge of Fire by Fire's top generals, even years later, was evidence enough.

With King Bumi rebuilding Ba Sing Se and seizing control of its newly remade throne and resources, the rambling general was adamant that a new threat rose. Katara tried to pay attention, and she was proud of herself for her devotion, but it felt impossible to keep up with the general, who extended his claims with vague metaphors and incorporating subjects that seemingly had no connection to his argument. It was all messy and uncoordinated but wrapped in formal speech.

Katara felt exhausted listening to him, and she wasn't the only one; Sokka had begun to nod off—not for the first time. It had enraged all of Zuko's advisors and generals—and Katara had felt deeply embarrassed, and Suki looked the same, based on the annoyance on her face—who demanded that 'Prince Sokka' could sleep in the ocean's depths if he was so tired.

However, before Katara could try to appease them, Zuko intervened.

"Let him rest," Zuko had said, surprising not only her but everyone; the generals stared up at him in astonishment. "One of us should."

Katara took it as a judgment that Zuko himself was being put to sleep by the arguments and could experience rest vicariously through Sokka, but apparently, none of the generals had that interpretation; they left Sokka alone.

However, she understood Sokka's reason for falling asleep—because she was beginning to fall into the same exhaustive boredom! Not even Ursa's quiet explanations about the rambling general's reasoning and Fire's incorporated traditions could keep her awake.

Suddenly, it was like a gift to her mind as the rambling general stopped his rambling report, looking quite smug, and Katara looked around, rooting her eyes on Sokka, who was awake as he looked at Iroh's exasperated features; he shook his head with deep irritation on his usual serene face. No one spoke for a moment and Ursa leaned over to whisper in her ear: "No one is allowed to speak now until the Fire Lord speaks, though there will never be as much to say as what General Lao said—but with substance."

General Lao shot a disgruntled glare at Ursa, and Katara wondered at his sanity for daring to glare at the Fire Lord's mother, but before she could respond to Ursa in a whisper to also mock General Lao, the wall of flames flickered ominously.

"Your talent at saying nothing in a thousand words is extraordinary, General Lao. Not once did you explain why King Bumi is a threat to Fire." Zuko's unnerving shadow didn't move but the flames slowly crept higher and his deep voice echoed through the room. Katara felt intimidated somewhat by the sight and sound. "Explain why he is a threat. He was one of my allies during the twilight of the Great War; he is also a friend to Avatar Aang, who will always regard King Bumi as a good man, albeit unconventional; I agree with Avatar Aang's regard."

General Lao's face, which was worn with deep, sunken wrinkles, pinched in fearful concern. "He is the Scourge of Fire, my lord, and he is older than The Avatar himself- "

"King Bumi is older than Avatar Aang, not The Avatar," Zuko corrected. "His age makes him a powerful ally, for he possesses great wisdom."

"I fear he will use his 'great wisdom' to destroy Fire and attack you, my lord."

"How?"

"He is the strongest Earthbender in the world, second only to Avatar Aang himself, and with his great wisdom, which includes secrets that could threaten the Fire Nation's security, he could harness his powerful earthbending to lead an assault against us. He is a much deadlier adversary than King Kuei- "

The wall of flames intensified slightly. "What did I say about that?"

General Lao paled before he nodded. "Forgive me, my lord. I mean, the Scourge of Fire is a much deadlier adversary than Kuei."

Katara rolled her eyes at Zuko's obvious insult to Kuei, even dead, by refusing to honor his title as Ba Sing Se's king, referring to him forever, even in the highly formalized setting of the Fire Nation palace, as only 'Kuei' rather than 'King Kuei.' However, she understood why Zuko ordered the intentional snub to Kuei. If Kuei had sent dozens and dozens of assassins after her for years after claiming to be a friend who wanted nothing more than peace and balance and presented himself as a virtuous leader, nearly killing her several times, she would be furious and bitter, too. It was still difficult to believe that Kuei did such things, but she believed it.

"He is a much more possible deadly adversary than Kuei," Zuko corrected. "I understand your hesitancy in trusting King Bumi, who was Fire's scourge for many decades, striking fear in all of our hearts, second only to the dread evoked by The Avatar. King Bumi is an extraordinary enemy but an even more extraordinary ally; he is our ally."

"He is rebuilding Ba Sing Se, Earth's capital, and he will sit on its throne, giving him control of the two strongest Major Cities on the continent—Ba Sing Se and Omashu. He will own half of the Earth Kingdom, which teems with hatred and desire. They want vengeance against us and The Avatar, our ally!"

Katara was more than aware of the irony in The Avatar being Fire's ally rather than enemy while Earth hated The Avatar and chanted for his death. It didn't make it less saddening for her to hear.

"The Earth Kingdom needs such a rally," Zuko commented, and Katara nodded in agreement. "Their focus cannot be on impossible things like The Avatar's destruction."

"Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh interjected, and Katara wondered why Iroh didn't have to raise his hand to speak. Was it because Zuko was obviously so fond of him? Was it because he was a prince? "King Bumi, my personal friend, will fail to rally all of the Earth Kingdom—that is clear. He must expand his influence to Zaofu and Chyung to- "

"Forgive me, Prince Iroh," General Lao interrupted, face frustrated, and Katara was amazed by his boldness to interrupt the Fire Lord's beloved uncle. "The Scourge of Fire cannot expand his influence without it becoming a powerful threat against the Fire Nation. That is what we must prevent. Surely you remember the Scourge of Fire's public proclamations to eradicate Sozin's lineage from this world, Prince Iroh. The stories are well-known. It is said he issued a direct challenge to you by sending a message to the Caldera itself, demanding you face him in open battle! It is said he dumped all of the heads of our soldiers he decapitated into the ocean, flooding the road for our ships, terrorizing our remaining soldiers as the ships reached the continent, which led to more heads being dumped into the ocean! It was not until Fire Lord Azulon himself intervened and set foot on the continent that the fear was vanquished, and our men recovered their powerful courage, leading to renowned victories! But that is the Scourge of Fire, and that is his reputation! The man is insane!"

"He is a brilliant man we must have on our side for this new conflict," Iroh refuted calmly, and Katara actually wondered if King Bumi had sent such a message to the Caldera years ago, not to mention flooding the ocean between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom with the decapitated heads of all of Fire's soldiers. It was sobering to hear of King Bumi's exploits. The man she had encountered would have never committed such atrocities, but she didn't actually know him, did she? She knew him decades later after he had survived the entire Great War, which no one in the world but himself had accomplished. It was rather staggering to consider. "We cannot let Earth fall to this enemy. King Bumi will help us prevent this enemy's further rise."

General Lao scoffed. "Yes, this mysterious enemy referenced so often. If you and Fire Lord Zuko shared this enemy's identity and motivations, we could- "

"You do not need that information," Zuko dismissed. "The information you need to know is that King Bumi is our ally."

Katara understood that Zuko didn't want to give his father more allies by revealing his identity as the enemy to many of the men who would likely betray Fire for Ozai.

"This is the Scourge of Fire's attempt to unite the entire Earth Kingdom behind him," General Lao argued passionately. "I understand his capabilities and warn you of them. He wiped out my father and his army when I was a boy. We cannot let him do the same to more of Agni's children. Your grandfather feared him for a reason, my lord—many reasons."

The wall of flames brightened minimally—but it was enough. "You think I lack my grandfather's capabilities, General Lao?"

Katara watched as some of the other generals glance at General Lao in warning, but General Lao nodded. "I regret my ability to say otherwise, my lord. Your grandfather was an esteemed warrior who fought firsthand in the Great War for decades, leading Fire himself, following in his mighty father's footsteps. Your grandfather fought the Scourge of Fire and almost killed him- "

"The Scourge of Fire almost killed him, as well," Zuko interrupted, voice carrying with dry dismissal. "As you said, he is the strongest Earthbender in the world, and he was stronger during the Great War, in his prime. I am well aware of the Scourge of Fire's near assassination of my grandfather."

Katara noticed that Ursa's eyes closed briefly, no doubt remembering her own assassination attempt against Fire Lord Azulon—one that succeeded, unlike King Bumi's.

Suki raised a hand, to which Zuko called out: "Speak, Princess Suki."

"How did King Bumi almost assassinate your grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon, Fire Lord Zuko?"

"He dropped a mountain on the remains of an army he thought contained my grandfather, who was enraged and shaken by the close proximity of King Bumi's success and never set foot on the continent again. Instead, he focused once again on vanquishing the South."

Silence.

Katara marveled at such strength and tried so hard to imagine it. She knew instinctively that Toph could never replicate such an attack, and while she knew Aang could replicate the attack easily in The Avatar State, she wasn't actually sure he could replicate it without The Avatar State. Well, the Aang she remembered would never be able to; she wouldn't find it surprising, only saddening, if the Aang he had become was capable of it.

But it was still an unthinkable feat.

No wonder Fire Lord Azulon never set foot on the continent again. Katara would have done the same if such as assassination attempt nearly befell her.

"You have inherited much of your grandfather's brilliance, as his sons did, my lord," General Lao continued quickly. "However, you lack that military and battle experience. You are a brilliant warrior and lead yourself brilliantly, but you lack the collective knowledge and wisdom your grandfather possessed."

"Does my father possess it?"

Unlike Katara, Ursa, Iroh, Suki, and several of the advisors, who realized the question was a trap, General Lao did not as he nodded. "He does."

"My father is a traitor," Zuko reminded, voice quiet but dark in its intensity. "He seeks my death; he seeks his Fire Lord's murder and would commit the sin himself. My father possesses little but ambition that consumes his spirit."

Katara could tell that General Lao disagreed but wisely kept his mouth shut. "Of course, my lord," he deflected, and though she couldn't see him, she knew that Zuko wasn't fooled. "But I must warn you that King Bumi possesses that ambition you reference. His spirit holds little but the ambition to destroy Fire. His appetite for rape is legendary. Do you want that fate to befall our women?"

"Of course not," Zuko snapped, and Katara flinched at the grueling sound. "Never doubt my commitment and devotion to our race. King Bumi is an ally. He helped me end the Great War and publicly supported my ascension. Why would he betray us?"

General Lao's eyes gleamed with understanding. "It is a ploy. Upon realizing that he cannot defeat Fire in the open, revealed by his failures to eradicate Sozin's line, as he publicly proclaimed was his sole aim and devotion after serving the Children of Earth, he elected for more subtle, shameful tactics. You are a much less deadly enemy than your predecessors, Fire Lord Zuko; your youth attests to it. And the Scourge of Fire knows it. He supported you because you are an easier foe to face than your father. The Scourge of Fire has nurtured his time to strike at Fire and succeed in assassinating you- "

"Your imagination is too active, General Lao," Zuko dismissed. "This is the last you will raise whatever threat King Bumi represents. It is the last I want to hear of this nonsense."

General Lao sat down in his chair slowly and his grumpiness resembled the reactions of the kids at the Southern Water Tribe when their parents wouldn't let them go penguin sledding. Katara managed to keep a straight face over the disgruntled facial expression on General Lao's face, but Sokka chuckled quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Suki glare heatedly at her husband, but her brother simply shrugged in innocence.

However, when General Lao switched to another subject to the relieved nods of the other generals, she realized that he was Fire's top general. "There has been nothing found on any of the Fire Sages, my lord. However, since their disappearance coincides with these peasants in your company, I believe there is a connection."

"You believe wrongly," Zuko said with what sounded like a roll of his eyes as his deep judgment floated in the air, the echo ringing in Katara's ears. "These guests have nothing to do with the Fire Sages' disappearance. They knew nothing about it until I raised the point with them recently."

"They may have been attempting to deceive you, my lord."

The wall of flames flickered with warning. "Do you think I am a fool, General Lao?"

General Lao's jaw clenched as his nose tilted disdainfully at her, Sokka, and Suki; he remained sitting in his chair. "Of course not, Fire Lord Zuko. However, your nature is one of goodness while the natures of these peasants is untrustworthy. I fear your good nature was taken advantage of."

Katara felt indignation rise within her stomach, but she quelled the urge to bend her water at General Lao, and she felt thankful that Sokka looked as angry as she felt, face flushed.

"Princess Katara proved her good nature when she saved my life."

"We know the story of how she defeated Princess Azula- "

"I speak of an incident that happened recently, around the time of Ba Sing Se's demise."

Gasps ensued and the sudden pallor overtaking former proud flesh would have been amusing if it were about any other subject but Zuko's near-death encounter.

The wall of flames rose. "Yes, there was an assassination attempt, and Princess Katara stopped the assassins and saved my life in the process. She has my gratitude forever, unlike you, General Lao, if you keep insulting my friend."

Katara's heart accelerated at Zuko publicly declaring she was his friend—they were friends again!

One of the generals looked at her gratefully. "Thank you, Princess Katara. You saved Fire from destruction—again."

She blinked back her shock. "You're welcome. It was literally my pleasure. I would do it again a thousand times over."

Sokka nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. My sister is badass. Give her respect."

"Be that as it may," General Lao interrupted with gritted teeth. "The fact that she saved your life, Fire Lord Zuko, is cause to trust her, but I fear that you only use and entertain her out of a sense of duty to repay the debt that you owe her. Princess Katara offers nothing to this discussion—none of these peasants do."

The heat of the room suddenly became thicker, almost stifling. "Whether you agree with my decision or not, General Lao, is completely irrelevant. They are important in solving these problems. I am personally acquainted with them, and they all show great wisdom—most of the time. Their opinions are of value to me."

Katara felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the heat of the room from the wall of flames spread through her at Zuko's words. She felt a small smile creep across her lips, and when Lao, who looked thunderstruck, saw it, his eyes narrowed into slits. He leaned forward, but before he could say anything to her, someone else spoke.

"Let us move to the next subject," Iroh suggested with a calm, reasonable smile. "I believe Princess Katara, Princess Suki, and Prince Sokka have much to offer."

General Lao inhaled slowly before he nodded. "We discuss Earth because we have been at war with them since Kuei's madness. Since Ba Sing Se's destruction, there is word that the North would ally with Earth- "

"Nothing new, General Lao," Zuko interrupted, sounding annoyed. "We have known this for years. Fire's only ally is The Avatar."

Katara opened her mouth, prepared to offer the South as an ally, but Ursa noticed and grabbed her arm, shaking her head. Remembering the strict traditions, Katara hesitantly raised a hand, unsure of what else to do.

"Princess Katara," Zuko called out—or rather, the Fire Lord called out. "Speak."

"The South is your ally, Fire Lord Zuko," she responded. "Prince Sokka and I have great sway with our father, who respects you deeply."

Sokka nodded in agreement but said nothing, remembering the rules that he must be called on to speak; she was relieved he remembered the rules. That had been her biggest concern, in all honesty.

General Lao sniffed. "Fire Lord Azulon wiped out two successive chiefs in the South, mighty as they were. Fire does not need the South's aid- "

"That is not your decision to make," Zuko warned, voice like a whip as Sokka looked ready to murder, which Zuko noticed as he said: "Speak, Prince Sokka."

Sokka wasted no time and pointed a condemning finger at General Lao. "I don't have the formal speech that you do, but I know polardog shit—excuse me, dragon shit—when I hear it." Katara didn't imagine the small smile on Ursa's face at Sokka's blunt honesty; it even looked like Iroh raised his teacup in praise. "We were defeated once, but we came back again a generation later, stronger than before. And we didn't have the numbers of the Earth Kingdom, who have the most citizens out of anyone in the world." He blinked before he cringed in realization. "I mean, they did have the most citizens out of anyone in the world before what happened to Ba Sing Se. But we challenged Fire to such a degree that Fire Lord Azulon himself had to come down to our home and take things into his own hands; he had to personally end the conflict himself, personally end the threats of my grandfather and great-grandfather. Water rebounded once, but based on my observations, Fire failed after the War where we succeeded during the War; we came back stronger from our defeat while Fire hasn't."

Outrage erupted from the advisors and generals before the wall of flames roared, overtaking all of them. "Enough!" Zuko called out, annoyed. "Prince Sokka is correct. Fire is not at its strength it was in the Great War."

General Lao's face twisted. "Only because we have stepped away from that strength willingly. Only The Avatar himself could conquer us; we are indomitable otherwise."

Katara's brows rose, and she noticed that Ursa looked equally as unimpressed. It was clear to see based on General Lao's glare that he believed that decision to 'step away from that strength willingly' had been the wrong decision—but he would never say so aloud.

She wondered if he was aware of the dishonor in that.

"Fire is Power," Iroh interjected with a strange smile on his face. "Water is Change. When Fire's power is broken, it cannot be what it was, but when Water's power is broken, it can change to become something better and stronger."

"And it is now," Sokka added, nodding his head. "We've rebuilt and become a rising power. We're a worthy ally to have, General Lao, but it's not you I have to convince; you're nobody. I have to convince Fire Lord Zuko." Sokka turned away from General Lao's reddening, snarling face to Zuko, peering up at the walls of flames. "Have I convinced you, Fire Lord Zuko?"

"I am convinced, Prince Sokka," Zuko decreed, voice powerful and balanced. "If the North allies with Earth, will the South ally with Fire, or will they ally with their brethren and join Earth?"

Katara remembered what Zuko told her about the North and Arnook's ambitions, and based on Sokka's thoughtful expression, he had a semblance of the same idea. "We will ally with Fire, Fire Lord Zuko," Katara said firmly, briefly meeting Sokka's eyes; she was relieved that he didn't look angry, only thoughtful still. "Prince Sokka and I will convince our father."

"Yes, we will," Sokka confirmed with a swift nod.

General Lao glared at her and Sokka. "Your father is Chief Hakoda, whose reputation as a warrior who skins Fire's soldiers alive makes this promise worthless. You may hold fondness for Fire Lord Zuko, as you should, but your father does not."

"As a general, I would hope that you understand war's complexity, General Lao," Iroh interrupted, face cast in displeasure and irritation. "An enemy today may be an ally tomorrow and vice versa. Will you fall into that trap?"

Irritated at the insinuation that he was becoming an enemy, General Lao waved a hand. "I think of how I can best support the Fire Lord in his quest to preserve Agni's children. To ally with a man as dangerous as Chief Hakoda is not wise."

Katara had never thought of her father as dangerous, never thought it was possible, but she had never considered him as a warrior and what he might have possibly done in the Great War against Fire. If she had seen him then as he was, would she have seen crimes committed? Would she have seen horrors afflicted? Would she have seen the danger that General Lao emphasized?

What did Dad do to survive in the Great War and see his children again?

"I have spoken numerous times with Chief Hakoda, who possesses strong wisdom," Zuko said, voice dry and annoyed. "He does not desire war. In fact, he hates war because he knows war. He wants peace and order as I do; he is a man I much admire and consider an ally, even informally. But now we have the chance to make him a formal ally. I much anticipate its fruition, and I expect my generals to accept my decision."

"I cannot accept a foolish decision, Fire Lord Zuko," General Lao retorted, and Katara wondered at the size of his heart, which was the only possible explanation for having such courage. "Chief Hakoda is a known cunning liar. He may be attempting to deceive you- "

"Zuko helped liberate Dad from the Boiling Rock!" Sokka cried out, slamming his fist on the platform. "We busted him right out and made a huge mess of the most prestigious prison in the Fire Nation! He loves Zuko for that!"

Katara cringed when she realized that it was probably not the best approach to emphasize Zuko's previous treachery against the Dragon's Throne, along with Sokka's lapse in not calling Zuko 'Fire Lord Zuko'. "Our father holds Fire Lord Zuko in great esteem and respect," she cut in quickly. "He has publicly said that he credits Fire Lord Zuko with saving his life, and I know he disagreed with Kuei's disrespect to Fire Lord Zuko at the many Great Gatherings. Dad said he liked Fire Lord Zuko the best out of all the rulers, even more than Chief Arnook!"

General Lao's brow rose. "Yet, your father betrothed you to Kuei rather than offering your hand to Fire Lord Zuko, whom you claim he admired."

"It was a political match to ensure I became Chief of Water," Sokka cut in, waving a hand. "If Dad knew what a dick Kuei turned out to be, he would have never betrothed Katara to him."

"It is an insult to say that Fire Lord Zuko could not have ensured your position as Chief of Water," General Lao cut in, disgusted. "Kuei was nothing next to Fire Lord Zuko, who wields the power of Agni. He could have forced the North into your grasp."

"We are allies with the South, General Lao," Zuko interjected, voice disapproving and irritated. "I appreciate your honesty—you know I do—but it has been decided. We can discuss this matter privately at another time. We focus now on Earth but not King Bumi; we focus now on the continent and the former Colonies."

Katara's eyes widened. "What happened to the Colonies?" She realized her breach in formality when General Lao glared at her, and she stiffened before glancing up at Zuko, who sat behind the wall of flames. "My apologies, Fire Lord Zuko. I spoke without thinking."

"Your misconduct is forgiven, Princess Katara," Zuko drawled, sounding more amused than anything. "To answer your question, after Kuei declared war, I pulled my subjects out of the Colonies in fear that Kuei would target and kill them."

"It was an admirable show of strength and wisdom by Fire Lord Zuko," General Lao praised. "However, we need your strength and wisdom again when it has been lethargic since, Fire Lord Zuko. Our race has been reunited in Fire's territory, but now we have foreigners under your protection—the half-spawns, wives, and husbands in the Colonies who came into the Fire Nation with their families. I welcomed them at first because their presence in the Fire Nation changed nothing of the situation. However, the situation has changed because Kuei is dead—again, I thank The Avatar for his powerful judgment."

Katara rolled her eyes at the painful irony of that statement.

"How has the situation changed, General Lao?" Iroh asked, thick brows furrowing in confusion. "The formal declaration of war has ceased, leaving only the tension we are familiar with."

"It has changed due to the presence of these foreigners," General Lao explained, tilting his chin. "We harbor citizens of Earth in our territory, and they refuse to leave, to be separated from their family—it is admirable. However, those on the continent would perceive it differently. They would say we are torturing these foreigners and holding them here against their wills. That is the excuse and justification the Scourge of Fire—or any powerful man on the continent—will use to rally Earth and declare war again. And we all know the Scourge of Fire is exceptionally more competent than Kuei; he will not make such drastic mistakes. If war is declared, it will be an actual war rather than the worry of one—all because of these foreigners we welcomed into our territory."

Silence.

When Zuko didn't say anything, she realized that he couldn't think of any disproof to offer General Lao. It also didn't help that even Iroh looked concerned about the lack of a logical refutation to Lao's worry. Even Sokka and Suki's brows were pinched in an effort to try to repudiate the claim. Not even Ursa looked like she disagreed with General Lao, only pained that what had been presented was likely the truth.

Katara took it upon herself. "That may be a logical conclusion, General Lao," she began, spacing her words. "But King Bumi would not- "

"There are other powerful men on the continent besides the Scourge of Fire," General Lao snapped in interruption. "These powerful men hate Fire and will band together, looking for the justification to declare war and do a better job than Kuei, and we provide these men their justification right now. No matter how painful or cruel the process, and I know it is both, we must separate these foreigners and banish them back to the continent, returning them to their 'home.' We must think of the bigger picture, which is gruesome. To keep from manifesting that nastiness, we must make small but nasty steps. It is the only solution."

Outraged at the possibility of separating those families, Katara glared at General Lao and didn't back down when he glared back; the water in the cups around the platform swirled slightly. "That is horrible! We can't do that- "

"You do nothing, Princess Katara. This has nothing to do with you. You are a guest- "

Katara smiled tightly. "It has to do with me when I am an ally of Fire. Water adores Family. What you are proposing is monstrous. It's evil. We will never support this."

General Lao sneered in disgust. "Of course, it is evil. We are not blind. Do not be so simplistic, you child. It is a small evil to prevent a bigger evil. It is the only solution that prevents war- "

"There may not be war!"

"Do you mean to say that there are not men on the continent who scheme to rid the world of Fire?"

Katara's protests died in her throat before she swallowed. "I know there are men on the continent who scheme to rid the world of Fire, but there must be another way to prevent war." She looked around the platform at the various faces and felt discouraged when not even Sokka, who looked beaten and sullen, could provide her an answer. "Please. There must be. We didn't end the Great War for this to be the result! We have to do better!"

Iroh bowed his head, eyes closed; there was an expression of pain on his face. "Both sides must want to do better. Some men want war, Princess Katara, and all offers of peace, no matter how peaceful and wonderful, how perfect, will fall on deaf ears. Our enemy is powerful. There will be war. I hate General Lao's solution, but I fail to discern a solution otherwise that does not jeopardize the lives of many of Fire's subjects. This can buy us time to prepare more diligently for the coming conflict."

General Lao nodded, triumphant; he looked relieved that Iroh, the Dragon of the West, agreed with his solution. "Thank you, Prince Iroh. I find it detestable, but it is the cleanest solution. Our subjects who wed these foreigners and sired by them and bore for them children have the option of going to the continent with their loved ones. They do not need to be separated. We can leave that option to them to decide. It is up to Fire Lord Zuko on whether or not to proceed with the solution."

Katara followed everyone's gazes to Zuko behind the wall of flames. All she could hear were her heartbeat in her eyes and the soothing sound of the flames surrounding the Dragon's Throne.

"I understand the logic of your solution, General Lao," Zuko began after several long moments. "But I believe it may be a rash decision. King Bumi will not be a problem; he has much bigger things on his mind than the few citizens of Earth living in our territory, and he is our ally. These foreigners in our land have been kind, decent, and honorable. It has been my pleasure to protect them from Kuei's madness, and I admire their conviction to keep their families united. However, the threat remains because there are other powerful men in the Earth Kingdom who admired Kuei and supported him. Zaofu and Chyung are worrisome. They supported Kuei in all things, and it seems likely that they would replicate Kuei's declaration of war. However, they would employ competent generals and mercenaries, whereas Kuei tried to handle everything himself. Based on Kuei's actions, this is the ingress through which Earth can strike and look 'virtuous' by doing so, painting themselves as the saviors of their citizens against the 'evil' Fire Nation, and Zaofu and Chyung will realize it eventually if they haven't already. Everyone, including myself, is going to spend the next week ruminating on this problem. If another solution is not conceived and arrived at, we will move forward with General Lao's solution. That is my judgment—execute it. Once they are banished to the continent, we will strengthen our defenses and reinforce our position. We will be wise rather than aggressive."

She thought General Lao would be relieved at Zuko's declaration, but he shook his head. "I thank you for seeing the logic in my solution, no matter how painful it is. However, this restraint will doom Fire, my lord. When we banish these foreigners back to their home, we attack then. It will be an act of subtlety that will catch Earth off guard. We must strike at Earth first. We have mobilized our army and prepared since Kuei declared war. Your restraint was necessary then, but now it is criminal. We must wield our resources to ensure that Earth will never think its treachery again."

"My judgment remains, General Lao."

General Lao's face was dissatisfied while his eyes were disgusted. "Forgive my boldness, my lord, but this cowardice is unbecoming of your renown. The Avatar did our work for us. This is our chance to finish Earth and ensure they can never challenge us—as Kuei so desperately attempted to and might have succeeded with more time, luck, and intelligence."

Katara stared up at Zuko, wondering what he looked like at being called a coward; it was impossible to tell behind the walls of flames, which, to her surprise, never flickered; he was controlled. "Our goal is not to 'finish' Earth," Zuko responded, voice flat and unimpressed. "Our goal is to live in harmony; we want to live amongst the other races and not disrupt their traditions and beliefs. We want a balanced world. Finishing Earth does not evoke balance."

"I do not speak of eradicating Earth, Fire Lord Zuko; I speak of crushing them, depriving them of the ability to mobilize, to prevent their obstinance from harming us as it has already."

"That produces more sins of Fire in the eyes of the world- "

"Why does the world matter? Only Fire matters; only our race matters! We exist in the world, but the world does not dictate us; Water and Earth do not dictate us! We dictate ourselves as they dictate themselves! But they dictate themselves towards our destruction! We must respond with the violence of our hearts. We must follow the examples of your fathers."

"Avatar Aang would reject your thinking- "

General Lao's eyes flashed. "Do not rely on The Avatar, my lord! Your strength is yours; you do not need The Avatar's blessing; you do not need his regard. He is an outsider; he is not one of us. He will never do what is best for Fire- "

The wall of flames expanded slightly. "Avatar Aang spares Fire from his wrath; he has Fire's best interests in mind."

"Then you already have his approval by his conduct at Ba Sing Se!" General Lao pivoted with impressive ease, triumphant in his reasoning; he was assured of his rightness. "He cleared the way for our victory. A war with Earth was going to be long and difficult, though our victory was certain, but now our victory is easy!"

"War is an evil solution, General Lao."

"But a necessary one, my lord. We both know powerful men in the Earth Kingdom worship war and will lead countless soldiers to their deaths in pursuit of war. You cannot reason with madmen, and Kuei proved that all of Earth's kings are mad, and King Bumi is renowned for his madness! Even his subjects in Omashu called him the Mad King!"

Katara couldn't find a flaw in General Lao's logic, unfortunately; she felt discouraged and shaken. Based on the expressions on the faces of the others, they felt the same, even Iroh and Ursa.

"War is inevitable," Zuko called out, surprising her. "But we will not be the ones to provoke it; we will prepare studiously and devote ourselves to strengthening our defenses, focusing on the navy. This must be our focus, General Lao."

"But the North will join Earth, providing many master Waterbenders, who will help crush the navy! Earth will reach our shores, Fire Lord Zuko."

"We will not invade the continent," Zuko declared, adamant; he sounded frustrated and exasperated. "We failed to completely subjugate Earth because they had the advantage of the familiar territory. If Earth invades Fire, somehow getting past our navy, and reaches our land, we will have the advantage as we were bred on these lands; we were raised with that understanding and experience. Earth will be in for a rude awakening if they reach our shores. We will defend our home with the passion of our spirits and repel Earth back to the continent and, if necessary, march on the continent to enforce their impotence, stranding them on their home. This is my decree; this is my order. Do you accept it, General Lao, or must I find a more reasonable general to carry out my will?"

Silence.

"Perhaps the Fire Lord has other concerns than Agni's children," General Lao suggested bitterly, eyes glancing at her, Sokka, and Suki with poisonous distrust and loathing. "Entertaining these peasants, noble as they may be for their races, distracts you from your purpose, my lord. There are rumors that the Fire Lord, entrusted by Agni to act in his stead over his Children, would betray us; there are rumors you would sire a half-spawn as your heir by Princess Katara since you spend much time in her company—a return to the madness of the airbending Fire Lord Zyrn!"

While Katara gaped in shock that there was an airbending Fire Lord—it should be impossible!—Sokka jumped to his feet and looked ready to strangle General Lao. "You take that back about my sister, you rotten son of a bitch! I'll declare war on you—not on Fire but you alone—right now!"

General Lao jabbed a finger at Sokka. "It would be the greatest honor of your sister's life to carry and nurture Fire Lord Zuko's esteemed, worthy seed!"

"There is no marriage agreement between Fire Lord Zuko and me," Katara interjected, not daring to look at Zuko behind the wall of flames, though she felt her pulse accelerate; she kept her eyes on General Lao. "My father mentioned he was receptive to the idea several times to me, but nothing formally has been suggested. Fire Lord Zuko is an honorable man and will always have Fire in mind, General Lao. If he pursued any marriage match, it is because that match aligns with Fire's interests, which Fire Lord Zuko thinks about all the time. If he chooses not to attack Earth, it is because it is not in Fire's interests, which he understands with a clearer mind as the Fire Lord who sits on the Dragon's Throne. He will always make the best decision for Fire, as he is now by not invading Earth. Trust his judgment as I do."

She felt Zuko's eyes on her from behind the wall of flames before he spoke: "My concern is Agni's children. To suggest otherwise, General Lao, is treason, an act unforgivable to not only me but Agni himself. I will not send Fire's sons to die attacking Earth."

General Lao snapped, and she felt it happen; it seemed to erupt in the air like lightning as he dared jab a finger up at Zuko sitting on the Dragon's Throne. All sense was lost. "But you will condemn them to die defending their home! You are the traitor, Fire Lord Zuko!"

Katara wasn't the only one who gasped. Beside her, Ursa inhaled sharply, golden eyes turning into slits like Azula's always did during the Great War; the other generals lost whatever color was on their faces while the advisors furiously murmured to each other; Iroh glared heatedly; Sokka stared at General Lao, jaw agape; and Suki shook her head at General Lao's foolishness.

"General Lao is under extensive stress," Zuko decreed, voice warm, but there was a chill underneath that bespoke of warning and wrath. "He has always been loyal to Fire and speaks in rashness due to his exhaustion in diligently thinking about Fire's future. He has my regard for his diligence."

Katara realized that Zuko was trying to give General Lao an out, doing him a favor to prevent full-blown treachery; he was trying to help General Lao save face.

But it would only work if General Lao took it.

Of course, General Lao sneered, spitting on the offer. "I am under extensive stress due to your incompetence, Fire Lord Zuko! I have sat with patience for months, willing to guide you to the correct decision, but you have produced in me no gladness, only frustration! Your betrayal has maddened me, and it will madden Fire, who will be too inept to defend against Earth's inevitable attack!"

"When have I ever betrayed you?"

"By your timorous nature!" General Lao snapped, voice heated and eyes narrowed. "At first, I admired your restraint against Kuei, but now it is absurdity with a much deadlier foe in the Scourge of Fire threatening us! It is weakness, the opposite of Power, as you are meant to embody as Agni's chosen ruler! Your father was magnificent and would have never stood by while Earth and Water encircled us! This weakness of yours does not belong to your father, and though your resemblance to him is staggering, and you have resembled him in disposition and authority often, you refuse to do so now, pledging yourself to weakness; this weakness comes from your mother, whose timorous stature is concealed only by the beauty of her appearance!"

Katara's eyes bulged in shock that General Lao had the audacity to insult the Fire Lord's mother in the Fire Lord's presence—and in Ursa's presence, no less! Even Iroh looked at General Lao like he was impossible. The other generals looked horrified, realizing that they were watching a disintegration before their eyes, a once powerful man falling into madness in the span of minutes; they shook their heads, mouths opening, but no words would pass their lips as they were too stunned, unable to respond to the impossible scene before them as the stress and pressure of his work broke General Lao of his intelligence. Sokka looked up at Zuko expectantly while Suki glared at General Lao in disgust.

However, Ursa looked amused, lips stretching, and Katara saw powerfully the resemblance to Azula. "Have you no memory, Lao? You admire my husband, for he is of great renown, but I helped him meet his power."

"A mere legend propagated by your husband, who was enticed by your renowned beauty," General Lao sneered in dismissal. Was the man suicidal? What was happening?

"You think your prestige as a descendant of the oldest noble house will save you, Lao," Ursa chided, shaking her head; she looked calm, almost bored even, and Katara had never seen the resemblance between Azula and her mother so strong. "No, what saves you currently is that restraint you once admired in my son. You are far distant kin to my son, but you mistake that kinship for the ability to judge him. You are but a third son while my son is the firstborn of my husband, Fire Lord Ozai, powerful and resolute, grandson of Fire Lord Azulon, mighty and noble, the firstborn heir of the supreme Fire Lord Sozin, strong and severe. These are the men from whom my son descends, men who pursued the world itself and knew the taste and embrace of Agni's power. From whom do you descend beyond Fire Lord Henjul, who united us after the Splintering, an inheritance I myself claim—like the majority of the nobility as Henjul was most fruitful?"

General Lao had lost color in his face, but his eyes burned with ire. "I am a man who does not need his mother to defend him to one of his critics."

Ursa's eyes narrowed, and whatever congeniality in her face evaporated, revealing the anger. "What you are is a man who reached his position only because your daughter spread her legs for my husband, third son."

General Lao roared, and flame daggers sprouted from his fists, hostility wired through his suddenly not-looking-old-body. Katara eyes widened, and she snapped her gaze to Zuko, who, to her absolute shock, didn't react; the wall of flames didn't even flicker or rise. Apparently, to her amazed horror, he was going to see how this scene played out—his mother versus General Lao.

"A most poor and painful decision, General Lao," Iroh observed, sipping his tea as he raised a bushy eyebrow at General Lao. "Adhere to Honor; repent for your sins."

General Lao didn't snuff out his flames, continuing to glare at Ursa, who raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You know you can never defeat me." She raised her hand, and beautiful fire blossomed across her fingers, casting her face in a radiant yet deadly glow. "Apologize for your treachery and dishonor."

"I will apologize when you apologize for endowing in your son such weakness," General Lao sneered. His face was transformed; it pulsed with ferocity and devotion, contorted in disgust, skin stretching unpleasantly across his cheeks. Katara stared closer; he almost resembled what Mai and Ty Lee looked like when they tried to assassinate—and nearly did assassinate—Zuko. "But your apology only begins there! We all know what you did that night during the last moments of adored Fire Lord Azulon's life. You are devoid of honor!" Katara saw Iroh inhale roughly and close his eyes in grief; she didn't know what it meant, but she suspected that General Lao's fate, whatever it was to be, was sealed with those words since Fire demanded honor and valued honor to a degree she couldn't comprehend. She also suddenly, for the first time in a while, remembered that Ursa had murdered Zuko's grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon to keep her son safe, unknowing that she had been manipulated by Ozai. "Does your son know how feeble your capacity for honor is? What kind of subject besmirches Agni's glory by assassinating- "

The wall of flames exploded, enormous in height and wide in width; the fire scorched the roof of the massive throne room. The heat expanded forever, blanketing everyone, and Katara remembered how the inner caverns of Avatar Roku's temple, situated on and inside a volcano, felt the same in terms of temperature. General Lao suddenly paled and stammered, blood draining from his sunken features until he resembled a walking, living, breathing corpse, shaking and quivering in place.

"My lord, you must forgive me!" he cried out, voice cracking in horror and denial as he blinked rapidly in disbelief; he looked awakened from a stupor, horrified to realize how he acted in the stupor. "No! I did not mean- I do not know what came over me!"

"Where is your honor, General Lao?" Zuko roared, words snapping through the air like one of Azula's lightning strikes from the Great War. "Insulting your Dowager Fire Lady, who holds powerful blood and worthy deeds to her name, is dishonorable to the core! Instead, you show more respect for my father, who plots now with his ever-growing army to seize my throne and life for his own!" Katara's eyes widened when she realized that Zuko had revealed Ozai's escape from prison, and she noticed that Iroh looked as close to panic as she had ever seen him. But Zuko kept going: "You deride my authority, insult my mother, and challenge my will! Your sense is as far away as the North! What is your defense before I strip you of your titles and prestige?"

General Lao's face was a mass of terrified, disbelieving panic, and Katara felt bad for him as she tried to understand what was going on. He opened his mouth and closed it several times, gaping like Sokka used to when they were younger. Suddenly, he seemed to wither before her eyes, like the spirit inside him was extinguished; it was the realization of the obvious, of the truth.

"Agni Kai!" General Lao cried out, voice breaking slightly.

A stunned silence fell across the throne room, and Katara stared up at Zuko, who she knew somehow was taken aback by the challenge. For several long moments, nothing happened before Zuko apparently broke decorum and stalked through the wall of flames, robes sweeping behind him. His face looked angrier than Katara could ever remember; his scar made him look sinister, and she felt her heart race in fear as her friend prowled down the steps and onto the platform around which they all sat.

He towered over everyone; his face was fierce and blackened with rage. "What are you doing, Lao?" Zuko hissed, voice wavering with the force of his fury.

General Lao looked ashamed and resigned but stood tall. "What I must. Do you accept, Fire Lord?"

A flush of cruel bitterness washed across Zuko's face, and to her unease, it reminded her of the portraits she had unfortunately seen of Ozai. "I accept. You have lived your last day, General Lao."

"I know, Fire Lord Zuko," General Lao whispered, bowing his head. "It is Agni Kai."

Zuko's golden eyes flashed. "It is."

Katara saw Ursa raise an eyebrow in surprise and Iroh set his cup of tea down. She then remembered Zuko's duel against Azula to become Fire Lord during Sozin's Comet and she wasn't able to remember if that had been an Agni Kai. All that she could remember of that fight was Zuko's strength and power rivaling Azula's that day, of how insane Azula looked, and the lightning strike that had been meant for Katara herself that Zuko had jumped into to save her from.

She caught a glimpse of frustrated lament on Zuko's snarling face before he whirled to his advisors and other generals. "General Lao has challenged his Fire Lord to an Agni Kai, and Agni will smite him through me when the trial begins. Fire's oldest tradition has been called on once more to settle a dispute! Spread the word, all of you! The Fire Lord has been challenged! General Lao insulted Dowager Fire Lady Ursa and debased Agni's glory in me! Prepare the Arena! At sundown, Agni's glory shall be known!"

Several Imperial Firebenders nodded their heads from where they were stationed around the room and exited, gliding effortlessly through the shadows.

The other generals conversed quietly but furiously while General Lao walked out, head bowed and posture drooping; he looked broken and uncomprehending. When he glanced back before he reached the doors, his gaze was riveted on Zuko. "At sundown, Fire Lord Zuko," he whispered, voice almost a hysterical croak.

Zuko stared back, and Katara saw something pass between them, an unspoken communication and acknowledgment, but she had no idea what it meant. "Put your affairs in order, General Lao," Zuko ordered softly, and she didn't imagine the mournful quality of his voice. "Cherish your moments left. You have until sundown."

General Lao bowed his sloping head, shoulders hunched and beaten, before he vanished out the doors.

"Leave me," Zuko ordered, voice harsh as he waved his hand, and all the other generals and advisors abruptly stopped their whispering, focusing on their Fire Lord.

"All hail Fire Lord Zuko, Master of Agni's Eternal Flame and Keeper of the Dragon's Throne!" they revered at once, scurrying out of the room as respectfully as possible.

When they were alone, all was silent for several moments until Zuko ripped out his fire crown and hurled it at the steps of the Dragon Throne. "Fuck!" he yelled, voice echoing everywhere. "That stupid cunt!"

Iroh winced at the coarse language but shook his head. "Zuko, you must- "

Zuko whirled on Iroh, eyes as intense and glaring as the wall of flames behind him. "Must what? Don't you understand what he's done? He's evoked the second coming of the Splintering, and that's with all of this madness going on!"

"We do not know that- "

"That's our luck! We might as well add this to the list of everything that's gone wrong this past year! I would hate Lao as much as Kuei if I didn't like him! What the fuck was he thinking?"

Katara hesitantly eyed Ursa before looking at Zuko. "I don't think he was thinking; I think he was panicking."

Zuko sneered, stomping towards the chair that General Lao had occupied; he grasped it, picked it up, swung it, and slammed it against one of the massive pillars with a powerful motion of rhythm. The chair shattered in exploding fragments in all directions, sliding across the polished floor with intense speed.

Silence.

"Then Lao's an idiot," Zuko whispered, rage spent; he looked exhausted and sad. "I never thought he'd do this. He was always annoying, but he was always competent, too. Why did that change today? How did this happen?"

Ursa looked displeased. "It is my fault. I provoked him."

Zuko kneeled and picked up his fire crown, which didn't have a mark on it from his impressive throw. Instead of putting it back on his head, he twirled it in his hands idly. "But how did it get to that point? None of it makes sense. It was one thing after another. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was itching for this to happen, but I know him. He didn't want this—but he forced my hand anyway by challenging me so publicly. The moment he called for an Agni Kai, he must have known he was a dead man. But he did it anyway. Why?"

Iroh took a long sip of his tea. "Dead men are not always the most rational."

Sokka shook his head in amazement. "I just watched a man commit suicide; he wanted to die. That's the only explanation. He sabotaged himself. The pressure got to him, I guess."

Suki's brows rose. "Or he was waiting to make a scene for a long time and realized this was his opportunity to do so- "

"No," Zuko cut in, sitting in the empty chair next to Ursa; he reached over and grasped Iroh's teacup, and, to Katara's shock, brought it to his lips and took a long sip. "I know him. This wasn't him. I don't know what happened."

Iroh's face looked painful with its tight concentration. "I do not know what this is, either, but I suspect there is more to this. General Lao, for all his aggression, has always been dogmatically loyal to the Dragon's Throne. If the Fire Lord tells him to die, he asks 'violently or quickly?'. For him to lose himself like this is out of character completely. If I heard about it, I would not believe it in the slightest. But I was here and saw it, and I still cannot believe it happened."

"Was it because we were here?" Katara asked quietly, hating to think that, because of her presence, a man was going to be put in a duel against the Fire Lord. "Did we make him snap?"

Sokka scoffed. "Fuck him. If we made him snap, he deserved to snap. What kind of idiot calls the Prince and Princesses of Water peasants? You going to make him bleed, Zuko?"

Zuko's eyes drifted shut. "I'm going to kill him."

Silence.

Katara's eyes widened, and she noticed that Ursa and Iroh showed no surprise on their faces, like hers, Sokka, and Suki's did. "What? Why would you kill him?"

"It's an Agni Kai," he said softly. "He knew what he was doing, but I don't know why he did it. He challenged me to an Agni Kai, a duel to the death that has been celebrated since Kai himself created it, and Kai was the first true Fire Lord. The duel affects the honor of both combatants, and remember, Honor is Fire's foremost value because it echoes the priceless belief of Tradition. If your honor comes into question, like mine was, you are ridiculed forever until it is restored."

Sokka clapped his hands. "That's why you were so obsessed with honor when you were chasing us!"

"I looked to my father to restore my honor by capturing The Avatar because I was dishonorable, but I realized that my honor was always mine; it was never dishonor. My father could never take it away."

"What else happens in an Agni Kai?" Suki asked, leaning forward, interest carved into her features.

"Whatever titles, riches, women, and land that are under your names are for the taking. If Lao kills me, which he won't, he will become Fire Lord despite the fact that Azula is my heir—no one accepts Azula as heir after her mind broke, marring her honor forever in Fire's eyes. Everything that I have, and I mean absolutely everything, will become his if he kills me."

"But you gain everything that's his when you kill him," Sokka observed, thoughtful. "That's weird—you'll be Fire Lord and General- "

Zuko rolled his eyes. "I'll pass his titles to someone else, but his riches and land will remain in his family. I'm not going to make things worse. His family's already going to hate me after I kill him."

Katara shook her head. "But why must you kill him?"

"No Fire Lord in Fire's history has ever spared a challenger in an Agni Kai. To do so would be a pathetic signal of weakness; it is the opposite of Power."

"Maybe you can start the precedent," she offered hopefully but the look on Zuko's face obliterated her hope swiftly.

He shook his head with a rough jerk. "No. Whenever a winner spares his opponent, the loser commits suicide. It is a sign of ultimate shame to spare your opponent."

Sokka's brows furrowed. "Didn't you tell me you fought Zhao in an Agni Kai?"

Katara's lips parted in surprise when Zuko nodded. "I did, and I spared him. I shouldn't have."

Iroh smiled. "You walked your own path, of which I was proud. Even then, you rebelled. It was confirmation to me that you would learn the truth and rebel against your father. It pleased me, even though it was the wrong decision to make."

Zuko sighed. "Zhao hated me after that because I enforced on him shame and dishonor, but he lacked the honor to kill himself to restore his honor."

Suki closed her eyes. "That's complicated."

Katara stared at him. "And you didn't kill Azula after your Agni Kai, and I didn't, either- "

"It was no longer an Agni Kai when you intervened," Zuko interrupted. "Instantly, when she attacked you, I won the Agni Kai because Azula, by her attack against you, revealed her dishonor. But I didn't kill her—best decision I ever made after joining you guys during the War."

Sokka's face twisted. "But wouldn't that make you dishonorable by sparing her? No one questioned that you spared her- "

"Because no one wanted to face my wrath. If I was questioned about it, I would have challenged the questioner to an Agni Kai and killed the questioner."

Suki's eyes were fascinated. "Seriously?"

Zuko shrugged slightly. "She's my sister," he said simply. "I would put my honor in jeopardy forever to preserve her life."

Sokka glanced at her and sighed. "The affliction known by all brothers," he said dramatically, and Katara rolled her eyes. "But you're not going to spare Lao?"

"I can't. No matter what I do, I'm damned. If I spare Lao, Lao will resent me for it, which means all his family and powerful friends would resent me, and Lao would kill himself to restore his honor, sending him to Agni, who actively restores his honor—that is the essence of the reason for death in the Agni Kai. Only Agni can restore the honor. However, if I kill Lao, all his family and powerful friends want revenge. It would be dishonorable to spare him- "

Suki stared at him in disbelief, and Katara felt similar disbelief. "That doesn't make sense. In what way is it dishonorable- "

"We die as we live," Zuko cut in, voice serious. "It is Fire's way. If our conduct while living is dishonorable enough to warrant an Agni Kai, whether issued or received, and we lose the Agni Kai, the only way to regain honor, which is paramount with Fire, is to die for our crime of dishonor, which restores our honor because we were willing to pay the ultimate price and accepted it, which Agni recognizes when he restores our honor before taking our spirits to the Gardens to enjoy rest. There are two sayings—death before dishonor and death cleanses dishonor. An honorable man would rather die before becoming dishonorable, and a dishonorable man can cleanse himself of his dishonor by dying and becoming honorable."

Sokka nodded. "By accepting it with honor, which erases all of the dishonor that was had before that, Agni restores your honor."

"Yes. I know you don't understand it—I don't expect you to understand it—but this is our way. Maybe if it was another time, I would spare Lao, but we're not ready for that. I doubt we would ever be ready for that because it would only produce dishonor in the long run. The Agni Kai is the righteous trial by combat, putting both combatants on trial for ultimate judgment in Agni's eyes. It is the ultimate manifestation of honor for both sides, cleansing us of our dishonor, either in death or in life, in which we have a second chance to live honorably. That is the philosophy behind it."

"Has a Fire Lord ever lost?" Katara asked. Though she knew Zuko would defeat General Lao, she still felt worried.

Zuko shook his head. "No. A Fire Lord never has. Princes and princesses have, and I'm not talking about me and Azula, but never a Fire Lord."

Ursa smiled slightly, though there was an intensive seriousness in her golden eyes. "For a Fire Lord to lose is monstrous; it is the opposite of our reality. We worship Power, which the Fire Lord embodies by having Agni's regard, for Agni is the Provider of Power. If the Fire Lord lost, it would be an unbelievable catastrophe; it would herald madness in our race, for it means that everything we have believed and worshipped for countless generations, back to since before Kai evoked the Unification, would be wrong—a horrifying notion."

Iroh sipped his cup of tea, golden eyes serious. "Indeed. You should remember this day for the rest of your lives; you are to witness a less-than-once-in-a-century event. No Fire Lord has been challenged to an Agni Kai since Fire Lord Kazuki, who was my grandfather's grandfather."

"And Kazuki won," Sokka pointed out while Katara remembered the brief legends that Ursa told her about Fire Lord Kazuki, who was cruel enough to execute his own daughters.

Zuko snorted. "It's said that Kazuki annihilated his challenger and fed the corpse to his dragon."

Katara hesitated. "That doesn't seem very honorable."

"We hold a philosophy, Princess Katara, as all races and cultures do," Iroh explained. "However, we do not always live our philosophy as we should."

"This is what is going to happen," Zuko said. "I will kill Lao, revoking all of his titles and prestige, which will shame his family, one of the most renowned noble families. They will hate me for it."

Katara shook her head. "It still seems excessive."

Iroh's bushy eyebrows rose. "We know what Water does with those who are not considered part of the family—abandons them to the cold, even pushing them off the ice and into the ocean. Fire considers that excessive."

Sokka's face twisted in denial. "No, it's to maintain the strength, health, and cohesion of Family, which is the foundation of everything, which Water recognizes more than anyone us. If Family is threatened by someone who's an asshole, that asshole isn't part of Family, which means he's not part of the tribe and community, which means he's not welcome in our homes and society, which means he's left to fend for himself in the cold. Or if he's being a really big asshole, we push him into the ocean to die. We do that with the murderers and thieves."

Zuko smiled slightly. "Thank you for not pushing me into the ocean."

"You're not part of the family," Sokka dismissed. "You're a Jerkbender, sure, but without being part of the family, you're just going to get a club to the skull rather than the ocean's chill."

"Very kind," Zuko drawled with amusement. "But we of Fire don't understand that custom and philosophy just as you don't understand the Agni Kai. But there are reasons for our beliefs."

"Can we see your belief?" Sokka asked hopefully. "Can we watch your Agni Kai against Lao? I bet it will be like Earth Rumble VI!"

"It will be packed because I'm part of it," Zuko said. "It's a less-than-once-in-a-century event, remember? All of the nobility will be there, and there will be many others, I imagine—all of the most powerful people in the Caldera. People will drop everything and rush to see it. But yes, as you are my personal guests, you can watch the Agni Kai."

Sokka grinned from ear-to-ear. "Awesome. If you're anything like the Boulder, it will be a sight to see."

Katara rolled her eyes. "It will be better than that."

Although, Earth Rumble VI wasn't a duel to the death, and she would have to watch General Lao be killed publicly.

Zuko suddenly stood up and put his fire crown back on. "It's near sundown. Come on."

Katara and the others followed Zuko as he led them through one of the secret passages; light flickered through the darkness due to the flames held in Iroh, Ursa, and Zuko's hands.

Iroh conversed quietly with Zuko, and Katara picked out a few words: 'give,' 'make,' and 'death.'

"This is going to be awesome!" Sokka whispered loudly, rubbing his hands together in excited anticipation. "I haven't seen a good fight in years!"

"When was the last good fight that you saw?" Katara wondered. "At home?"

"Fuck no," her brother disagreed with a chortle. "When Aang and the Loser Lord duked it out. That was the fight of the… I guess it'd be century, I would say. Yeah, Fight of the Century."

"No, it wasn't," Suki said, shaking her head. "I was there, too, remember? That was the Fight of the Millennium, at least. Even then, it was definitely the fight beyond any other. The Fight of Creation, perhaps?"

"That was Wan and Dark," Katara recalled.

Sokka sobered. "There's going to be another Fight of Creation, isn't there?"

Katara swallowed, hating the fact that she suspected there would be. "But it will have the same result. Aang will win. He won before, and he'll win again."

"I don't really see how Dark could win," Sokka said slowly, haltingly. "After hearing about Ba Sing Se, who could possibly fight The Avatar and win? I bet the Face Stealer would shit himself at the thought of facing The Avatar directly."

Suki frowned. "The Face Stealer stole Avatar Kuruk's wife's face; you told me the story- "

"But that was through subtlety," Katara added. "Sokka's right—facing The Avatar directly in the open without trickery or stealth is… what? Impossible?"

"The word you're searching for is honorable," Zuko called out dryly in front of them. "But the Face Stealer doesn't care for honor as he is a Great Spirit; he is above such things."

"He might come here and steal your face if you're not careful," Sokka goaded with a smirk. "I bet he couldn't resist. You are the Fire Lord, after all."

Zuko's snort was loud and sudden. "My face isn't the prize you think it is. The Face Stealer wouldn't waste his time with burnt goods."

Katara shook her head. "It's a prize," she defended quickly—too quickly. She caught Suki staring at her with a knowing look and cleared her throat. "Plus, it doesn't matter because the Face Stealer's never going to steal your face. I bet Agni would defend you or something."

"Must be nice," Sokka muttered. "I have to live in fear of what I say or do, but Zuko gets to do whatever because he has Agni's favor. What a suck up."

"Your first girlfriend turned into the Moon Spirit," Zuko pointed out in amusement. "That's a suck up."

"Yue has nothing to do with this- "

"She's a Great Spirit- "

"Not at the level of Agni!"

Zuko laughed slightly. "Something tells me that the Moon looks out for you more than Agni does me."

"The burden of Power," Iroh murmured in agreement, barely heard. "Agni expects his Fire Lords to be of immense strength and power, capable of embodying his aspect. If a Fire Lord fails Agni's expectations, he shall experience Agni's disregard rather than his regard. There are many legends of Fire Lords meeting grim, violent deaths due to Agni's disregard. I suspect the Ocean and Moon have no such expectations for their Chiefs."

Sokka shrugged. "Just to be part of Family—and not to be a dick."

"It looks like you're failing, then," Zuko quipped.

Katara laughed when Sokka grumbled under his breath before raising his voice. "I'd say that the only requisite for being Fire Lord, besides being a Firebender and a guy, is to be a dick. You match perfectly."

"I know," Zuko commented easily as he stopped and placed his hand on place on the wall. "Are you ready?"

Suki nodded. "Of course. What was it you said? Agni's glory shall be known."

"It shall."

Before anyone else could respond, a passage opened, and streams of thick light burst through. They all stepped into the Arena, and Katara was amazed; it was an enormous platform with a moat of water surrounding it. She saw Zuko ascend the intimidating staircase and went to follow, but Iroh gripped her arm.

"No, Princess Katara," he warned. "That is where the Agni Kai will take place. We must be seated with the rest of the audience, albeit in a much more comfortable manner."

At his words, Katara looked up and she saw shadows of many people, probably all of the nobles in the Caldera, seated in a circular arch around the entire Arena; there were countless faces, most of whom watched Zuko ascend the long staircase, but there were some faces who looked at their group.

Iroh led them to what she guessed was a royal press box, and when they arrived, Katara was pleasantly surprised by the decorated lush seats that were everywhere. "In a much more comfortable manner," she echoed softly, quickly sitting in the seat next to Ursa.

She looked across at all of the nobles, observing their stiff faces and their facades of strength. One, in particular, stood out to her. He was a man who looked older than General Lao, who looked on his deathbed, but by the intense look in his eyes, which were red and bitter, framed by his bloodless cheeks, she suspected he was related to General Lao.

She turned to Zuko's mother. "The man who looks like death over there- " She pointed with her hand. "- is General Lao's brother, isn't he?"

Ursa nodded. "Yes, he is."

Katara swallowed at the large mass surrounding General Lao's brother—all of General Lao's family and friends, and there were a lot. "He doesn't look happy, and the rest of Lao's family and friends don't, either."

"Why would they be happy?" Ursa asked quietly. "They know the inevitable and resent it, understandably. This is a day of celebration because Agni's glory shall be known once more so potently, but it is a day of tremendous sorrow and bitterness for Lao's family."

She nodded, feeling a faint dread envelop her heart at the poisonous glares on their face—all fixated on Zuko, who stood on the platform speaking with one of the Imperial Firebenders. "They're going to hate him," she breathed. "Zuko's right. They're going to betray him, aren't they?"

Ursa looked calm, but her golden eyes were vigorous with consideration. "It would not surprise me. As far as Lao's family knows, these are their final moments as nobles. If Zuko wished it, upon his victory, he could absorb all of their land and riches, everything they own, for himself and dispense to whomever he pleases."

Katara blinked hard, trying to understand. "Just because Lao challenged Zuko to an Agni Kai? That means he ruins his entire family?"

"Lao's conduct in the meeting was distasteful," Ursa explained. "His offenses are many. Zuko was willing to overlook everything until he insulted me, which led to Lao declaring Agni Kai. Usually, an Agni Kai is between feuding nobles or merchants, not between the Fire Lord and his subject, which means the rules benefit the Fire Lord exceedingly because it is such a rare occurrence."

Katara began to feel sympathy for General Lao and his family. "The Fire Nation is a lot harsher than the Water Tribes."

"Each race, Katara, has traditions that appall the other races. I read records showing that Fire was repulsed by Water's tradition to hunt their own animals before we began hunting the dragons during the Great War."

She nodded. "That makes sense. Are you happy to see Lao go?"

Ursa's brow rose. "Meaning what?"

Katara hesitated before straightening. "Because Ozai slept with his daughter- "

"My husband fucked Lao's daughter, which advanced Lao's career," Ursa interrupted bluntly. She didn't feel surprised by the coarse language; she was certain that if she were in Ursa's position, she would act the same.

"I can't imagine how that feels," she consoled. "I'm sorry that Ozai was… Ozai."

Ursa softened. "Thank you, Katara. He fucked her after I fled, which I understand, though I resent it all the same. My husband is many things, but his belief in himself and his worth is astonishing; it is noteworthy and impressive. He knew always he was destined for greatness, even during his extensive bending struggles, and never stopped striving and reaching. Because of this, he believed in a better world because he believed in himself—but he mistakenly believed that he would manifest a better world. He still believes it—I know he does. He fucked Lao's daughter because he believed in himself—believed he was entitled to her allure as his greatness was so exceptional."

Katara shook her head. "He's great at nothing except being a monster- "

"No," Ursa corrected almost harshly; there was an adamance in her tone that caught Katara off-guard. "Ozai is great. Never doubt that; never ignore that; never forget that. There are few men to ever walk this world capable of his willpower and pursuit of vision. Do you think I am foolish? Do you think I am weak?"

Her eyes widened as a gasp escaped her. "Of course not! Why would you- "

"When you say he is great at only being a monster, it suggests you think that I was incapable of perceiving and understanding his monstrosity."

Katara hesitated. "I do wonder how you could have ever married him."

"I love him for many reasons," Ursa whispered, voice pained but fond. "So much went wrong. We were happy once—so powerfully happy."

She stiffened, eyes darting over towards Sokka, Suki, and Iroh, who were engrossed in conversation—it sounded like something about the intricacies of Earth Rumble VI versus the grandeur of Agni Kai. "You still love him?" she breathed, feeling nauseous at the thought; she began to look at Ursa in a fresh but painful light. "How could you- "

Ursa smiled slightly, though it possessed a haunting devastation. "I am not simple, Katara—and Ozai is not, either. We loved and love each other for many reasons. It is not a child's understanding of romance, but we worked diligently for our future; we trusted each other, and we were the only ones; we were all we had. There were many in the nobility—practically all of the nobility—who despised me, perceiving me as an outsider unworthy to marry one of the Fire Lord's sons, even the spare heir. They felt slighted that Azulon blessed our marriage rather than demand Ozai marry one of the wealthy noble heiresses born to a prominent family."

"But you're descended from Avatar Roku- "

"A secret," Ursa said simply. "That was not knowledge I proclaimed. I did not tell Ozai until we were married. He was delighted. However, in the eyes of the nobility, I was a prodigy spawned by half-spawns in the Colonies, unworthy to be wed to Ozai. There were threats against my life, and Ozai and I worked to preserve our marriage against the tide of aspiring nobles. We were an excellent team. I miss those days."

"I'm sorry those days are gone."

"We were happy," she recalled wistfully, and Katara was reminded of a different life lived and experienced—one she couldn't imagine and was unsure she wanted to imagine. "He made me laugh but, more importantly, he made me smile. He was charming and passionate, brimming with ideas and dedication, aspiration and belief. It was impossible not to love him. His ambition provoked my own, and we brought out the best in each other, manifested by Zuko and Azula's births, for a long time—until things changed."

Katara glanced at Zuko on the platform; he spoke with what looked like an official of some kind. Did an Agni Kai always take so long to start? She didn't remember Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai for the Dragon's Throne as a long process to start. "When did things change?"

Ursa's eyes closed, and the sudden mourning on her face was unlike anything Katara had ever seen. "When Azula manifested her firebending; she was three—a prodigy. However, Zuko manifested nothing. I was not worried at all; I was more stressed because Azula had a terrible habit of setting her curtains on fire accidentally and could not control her flames. However, Ozai was concerned about Zuko. It was true concern. There were nights he barely slept as he thought about it, and there were some nights he awakened me to ask for my advice on one of his ideas on the subject; we sharpened each other's thoughts. He became lax in his duties for his father, which produced tension as I did my best to fulfill those duties, but Ozai was focused on Zuko."

She remembered Iroh's observations from their long conversation in the royal garden. "He didn't want Zuko to turn out like himself."

"Yes. Nothing would have pleased me more to have a son so like him, but he disagreed; he was disappointed in Zuko and frightened for him—until that fear evolved into anger and disgust. It was not until Ozai's attempts to manifest Zuko's firebending failed that he gathered his attention on Azula. That is when the dynamics changed forever. When, before, he would always listen to my advice and consider me before all others, even more so than his father, he looked elsewhere; he looked in the mirror. He believed in himself and disregarded my perspective. He demanded perfection of himself and, when he believed he reached his perfection, looked to perfect our children. He wanted them to be better than him, to walk an easier path, but he ensured that they walked a harder one. I tried my best to temper him and worked with Zuko and Azula to reveal that they did not need perfection, but they wanted nothing to do with it; they wanted to be like their father, to make him proud—and Azula delivered while Zuko never did, until the roles changed. I know Ozai is proud of Zuko now, fiercely proud, for his son manifested the strength Ozai wanted him to, but I know he is disgusted by Azula's 'weakness' in falling into madness." Ursa looked down at her hands as her fingers glided across the fabric of her wear. "My daughter and I were close once, so close, so intimate, but as she aged, she was drawn to Ozai as I was, and I lost her."

Katara felt heavy as she looked back at Zuko. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I can't imagine."

"I failed Ozai, and he failed me," Ursa continued, "and we failed our children in equal measure. Our children needed us, but we were not there, not as we should have been. He was a presence without essence while I was an essence—a memory held onto—without presence. The night I murdered Azulon was the worst of my life, but I forgive my husband for it; I forgive him for many things I should not. He wanted us to rule so powerfully; he possessed such a striking belief that I should have anticipated his reach; I should have anticipated his scheme. I underestimated him like everyone did all his life, and for that I bear responsibility; I feel tremendous guilt. I overlooked him. However, I never faced him after my sin; I never confronted him; I never spoke with him; I never apologized to him for failing him, for not recognizing his feeling of salvation for himself and our family lied in a desperation so potent that he felt compelled to assassinate his nephew and father, seeing no other option. I failed as a wife, and I would apologize to him for that."

She felt appalled and aghast, staring at Ursa with wide eyes. "I know you love him, but you can't mean that."

Ursa caught her gaze, and Katara was struck by the willful shine in those golden eyes identical to Azula's. "I do mean it. I am going to love him the rest of my life, but that does not mean I am not furious with him. I forgive everything he did to me, everything that occurred between us, but I will never forgive what he did to our children, how we made them deteriorate under the weight of his disregard; I will never forgive his 'solution' of marring our son's beautiful face and breaking our daughter's clever mind; I will never forgive all the tears he forced them to shed; and I will never forgive the fact that he will never apologize to them."

Katara, besides the horror, felt a lot of her grudge against Azula lessen because she couldn't even imagine how she herself would have turned out if Ozai was her father; although, based on what she knew about herself, she would reckon that she would have become similar to Azula—if she was capable of survival under Ozai, which, the more she learned, she doubted. "I'm so sorry."

"I love him but hate what he has become. I forgive him for all he has done to me, but I shall not forget how he rejected his children, made them kill his enemies, and broke them physically and mentally—all due to his demand of perfection."

She hesitated. "Would you challenge him to an Agni Kai? He's dishonorable and needs to be judged for it."

Ursa glanced at her with moist eyes, the sorrow making the tears shine. "The only one besides Avatar Aang who could defeat him and live is me, but I lack the strength to do it. There would be so much destruction, most of all in my spirit."

"It sounds like Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai," Katara murmured in memory.

"You were a witness to their Agni Kai," Ursa said, something tight in her voice.

Katara bowed her head. "And your son saved the life of a girl who didn't deserve it."

Ursa waved her hand. "A mother's judgment. No girl will ever deserve a mother's son. If Zuko thought you deserved to be saved, you deserved to be saved. I trust his judgment, though I do not understand it—unless it was an act born of love."

She swallowed, remembering Ursa's persuasive suggestion that Zuko had saved her life because he loved her. Not to mention Zuko's vague admission that he had saved her because he didn't think Fire could have a future without her in it. What did that mean?

"Maybe," she whispered.

"What was their Agni Kai like? Zuko and Azula refused to talk about it."

Katara's eyes drifted shut as the images and memories of that day flashed through her mind, like so many times in her nightmares. "I've never seen such a fight in my life—nothing like that. There was so much heat; there was so much energy; there was so much power. I felt it in the air; it hurt to feel. I had burns from that day on my arms and face from just watching off to the side. By that point, Azula's mind broke." She ignored the sound of Ursa's throaty exhale, what even sounded like a whimper. "I didn't notice it at all until the end, but Zuko noticed it instantly when he saw her; he looked at her with so much anguish, so much pain and sorrow. It was like I was watching his heart shatter in real-time, and I couldn't do anything to help. There was nothing to do. But he knew what he had to do, even though he didn't want to do it. It was so tragic, but I didn't realize any of that when it was happening; I was only focused on fighting Azula." She swallowed, looking down at her fingers, which trembled on the soft fabric of her gown. "Looking back, I realize now that Zuko's fight was never against Azula, not really; his fight was against himself to fight Azula, to be willing to do what he had to do. And he managed to do it; he had that strength even when his heart was shattered." She thought of herself having to fight Sokka in an imagined scenario and shuddered. "I don't know how he did it."

Ursa looked lifeless, like her spirit had been extinguished—similar to how Zuko looked upon realizing what happened to Azula when they had arrived to stop Azula's coronation. "He likely saw it as fighting for Azula rather than against her; he fought to save her, perhaps from herself, not destroy her. It was not an Agni Kai of death but life. And he also thought of Fire; he was the only one who could lead us." Ursa smiled grimly and shook her head. "He had the strength to do what he had to and continue to stand tall even when his world disintegrated around him while thinking clearly. He did not inherit that from me."

Katara didn't want to think about Ozai's positive attributes. "Zuko was in control of the Agni Kai the whole time," she recalled. "He was winning, and it was obvious—so obvious. I felt so proud of and happy for him, and I let down my guard; I wasn't thinking. Zuko baited Azula to use lightning, probably trying to get her to quit out of exhaustion, and I was so stupid. I moved from where I was to get a better look, thinking it was the final moments of the duel. But Azula noticed."

"She always notices things," Ursa whispered, voice agonized, but there was a stern determination in her golden eyes. "She tried to kill you."

She felt the fear of that day, of what she had been sure would be her final living moments in the world burden her mind. "Not at first. Lightning crackled and sparked all around her body; it didn't look like other lightning I've seen. It was like the lightning was barely alive and fighting to stay alive by acting so erratically, giving itself energy or something. But then she looked at me, and that's when I knew she was insane. I saw it in her eyes—something was wrong and broken. I saw then what Zuko saw instantly. But it was too late. She fired it right at me, and I couldn't move; I knew I was dead; my heart was so heavy my legs couldn't move. I could only die." Katara exhaled roughly, feeling her voice crack and wane; the tears were powerful and familiar behind her eyelids as they began to fall. "Then Zuko came out of nowhere and dove in front of me, willing to die so that I could live, could have a chance; it hit him right in the chest over his heart, and he went down; he fell and landed so wrong. He went boneless—just dropped, body all twisted, cramped, and crumpled. But he wasn't moving. And the world stopped."

The tears were thick on Ursa's hands where they spilled, but she looked tight—like she might almost break, like she might shatter like Azula's mind had that day. "Go on, please."

Katara stared at Ursa, a mother who forced herself to hear of the horrors her children experienced—at the hands of each other. "Are you sure?"

"Please."

Katara blinked away the tears of horror as those terrible memories enveloped her, remembering how Azula was hunched over after it happened, one shoulder higher than the other, head hanging unnaturally at an angle as she stared at Zuko's unmoving body with incomprehension, her mad golden eyes wide, rabid, hysterical, disbelieving, and rebelling at the sight.

"Azula and me were both surprised," she whispered, voice wavering. "Nothing happened for a long time; we just stood there, staring at Zuko's body. It was like neither of us could understand what happened or that what we saw actually happened. We couldn't believe it—because, to believe it, was evil and so wrong. But then Zuko groaned, and his body jumped, and lightning sparked off his hand, and he was alive. Then Azula reacted and attacked me like an animal; there was no control, only wildness." She nodded, deciding to be honest. "Looking back now, I know that she was scared—like I was. She didn't want Zuko dead just as much as I didn't. But I guess she thought I would kill Zuko rather than heal him maybe—I don't know. But she kept attacking me, again and again, and I was getting so many burns." Emotions almost overcame her, and she swallowed. "I thought she had killed him; I thought he was dead because I couldn't get to him and whatever chance I had to help him was gone because she kept attacking me in what she thought meant defending Zuko from me. He was just lying there, motionless, with lightning sparking around him. I was so scared, so scared, so afraid that he died saving me, that he had just been killed. It was like Mom all over again. And I thought he was dead like she was. He was so still. But I was trying to stay alive so I could try to save him, to give him the chance that he gave me. But Azula was insane, fighting me, even when I told her I could help Zuko. She wouldn't let up. And I could barely think. There was so much fire and panic, and the smoke in the air made me cough and choke; it was so thick and tasted so horrible, making the back of my throat burn. But the Full Moon saved my life, strengthening my waterbending so that I was able to barely hold on. Then I used bloodbending to defeat Azula by freezing her above a water drain, and I wrapped her in chains, restraining her. Then I rushed back to Zuko, who was closer to where we were than where he first was, and he was barely breathing but alive; he had been trying to crawl to reach us as we were fighting, trying to get us to stop." She looked down. "I don't know if he was trying to stop Azula or stop me."

"Both," Ursa said, voice cracking; there was a misery on her face that Katara knew—or hoped—she would never experience and understand. "But you healed him; you saved his life."

She nodded. "Because of the Full Moon. I did everything I could and healed him. I could hardly believe it—could hardly believe everything that had happened. But Zuko was stubborn and didn't want me to heal him more at first. He kept asking about Azula, and I showed him where she was chained, helping him walk over. And then he looked at her, and… it was like both of them broke when they saw each other again. Azula shattered; she lost it, screaming and crying, rolling on the drain, tangling herself in the chains more. And Zuko, it was like he could never use firebending again—there was no life, no spirit, no passion, no fire in him anymore. But Zuko walked toward her, even though I tried to pull him back." She still felt disbelief that he was willing to fearlessly approach Azula after she had almost killed him. But it was the love of a brother for his sister. She liked to think that Sokka would do the same for her. "He pushed me away and went to Azula himself even though he could barely walk or talk. I told him he needed rest, but he said he's never going to rest again. He got on his knees before her and didn't care about the chains. And then he hugged her, pulling her into his arms, and Azula didn't fight him; it was like she stopped fighting the moment he hugged her—and they could both rest finally. They sat there for so long; they sat there, holding onto each other, until Sozin's Comet was gone, and they were both crying."

Katara had felt like an intruder on that moment, watching; she didn't do anything, though, simply watching and waiting for Azula to attack. But Azula did nothing, only sobbed in Zuko's arms, clinging to him, clutching him. And Zuko grasped Azula just as desperately, head bowed into her hair while Azula's face was buried in his neck. It was Zuko—and Azula, for that matter—revealing more emotion than she ever knew him capable of. Sure, she had seen his rage, determination, tenacity, and grim humor, but she had never seen his love until that moment. And it was a powerful love that made her feel like she was the enemy at that moment—because she shouldn't have been there to witness Brother and Sister as they sat there, holding each other for hours because Brother and Sister were all each other had, the remnants of a broken family.

She didn't know if she possessed a love like that.

Ursa made no effort to wipe away her extensive tears, which made her face look raw and devastated, matching her spirit, which conveyed a morose hysteria in her golden eyes. "I missed so much. I remember that day of Sozin's Comet, and I heard about the Agni Kai after it happened, but I never knew… But I should have known. I should have known it in my spirit when they were fighting each other—killing each other."

She shook her head. "How could you have known- "

"A mother always knows," Ursa interrupted instantly with a loathing conviction that stole her breath. "I am a dreadful mother. I had no idea my children nearly destroyed each other—that both were broken in different ways by the end of that day."

Katara bowed her head. "Zuko told me that, for him, the worst day of the Great War would never be the first day but the last day."

"My family was destroyed today forever," he had whispered to her through pained wheezes; his eyes looked dead and almost sunken in as she tried to make him rest in his quarters later that night. If she ever had doubts that he was capable of tears, those doubts were obliterated as his good eye looked almost as red and raw as the scarred flesh around his bad eye. "There's no worse day of the War than today. Aang can hate me for it, but this day will always be worse for me than Air's murder. I'll go to my death thinking and feeling it. The last day is more terrible than the first."

She wondered if he ever had the courage to admit that to Aang.

"That day was the worst day of my life, as well," Ursa disclosed, agonized and guilty. "I was not there, but hearing its account is worse than that night I murdered Azulon. It is far worse. My only relief is that they both survived."

Katara felt shame. "But Zuko has that scar. I couldn't get rid of it. If Zuko had let me heal him more immediately after it happened rather than sitting with Azula, I could have probably made it fade a lot more. I'm just relieved that she didn't attack him again. I was waiting for her to."

"I have seen that scar," Ursa whispered idly, face twisting, and Katara felt confused.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I find it strange."

"Find what strange?"

"You said that you chained Azula."

"Yes."

Ursa's eyes locked onto hers. "Firebenders can melt metal and, thus, break through it."

Katara felt the air leave her lungs in a rush. "What? How do you know? Are you sure?'

"I have done it, and I have witnessed Zuko do it. Only a master can accomplish it, and for someone of Sozin's lineage—or my own—it is relatively simple. It simply takes time to accomplish. However, with Sozin's Comet overwhelming my chi, I could have accomplished it with a mere breath—and it is the same for Azula."

She felt nauseous. "What are you saying?"

Ursa didn't look happy, only sad. "That Azula could have escaped from those chains and killed you any moment she desired, but she chose not to; she wanted to lose. She knew that victory meant defeat and agony for her while losing meant safety in her brother's arms. Deep down, she knew she needed help; she knew she was broken and mad."

Katara sat deprived of utterance at Ursa's words, but before she could attempt to respond or furiously contemplate the notion that Azula had wanted to lose the Agni Kai, particularly after 'killing' Zuko, Iroh stood in the press box from the other side where he sat with Sokka and Suki. The Arena fell silent, and it was a jarring change that took her several moments to adjust to.

"General Lao has challenged Fire Lord Zuko to an Agni Kai, our oldest and proudest tradition!" Iroh proclaimed, voice ringing in the air with strength and energy; it was easy to see him as the powerful Dragon of the West. "May both have honor by the end, one in life and one in death! Agni's glory shall be known!"

Suddenly all eyes were riveted to the Arena after a resounding gong rang. On one end, General Lao stood shirtless; his old body no longer looked old, energized by the flow of his powerful chi. He was pale, but determined resignation was seeped into his flesh, emanating like a sickness. Zuko stood on the other end, right in front of Katara, and she suddenly realized that he wasn't wearing his upper garments, bare skin and muscles visible for all to see. There were several scars on his back and chest that she had never seen before, and she realized that those new scars were a result of all the assassins who got close enough to harm him—but not kill, thankfully. But some of the scars overlapped and swirled together like a poorly constructed canvas, mixing healthy flesh with scarred flesh.

Like his face.

"May Agni bless his good Fire Lord for all the days of his life!" General Lao shouted as he shifted into what Katara recognized as a firebending stance.

She didn't know if General Lao was asking Agni to keep blessing Zuko or if it was a clever ploy to garner Agni's regard by becoming Fire Lord by killing Zuko and seizing his titles, which meant he would be blessed for 'all the days of his life.' But what was clear to her was that neither party wanted to fight the Agni Kai based on the fact that there was no aggression, only passivity; neither Zuko nor General Lao's hearts were in the fight. But the tradition demanded it.

General Lao made his bed and had to lie in it—and Zuko would make him lie in it.

When she looked at Zuko, to her surprise, he stood completely still, arms hanging down his sides, and he looked calm, even slightly bored—but the expectation was lined in his posture, waiting and watching.

"He's dropping his guard so Lao will attack," Sokka whispered, leaning against her; his hand gripped her arm, and his eyes gleamed with pleasure as he watched. She recognized that he was correct in his assessment.

Katara watched as it happened, could feel the tangible change as General Lao's face slackened before he nodded, seeming to recognize that his Fire Lord demanded one final act of service—he had to start the Agni Kai and strike first. General Lao's fists became charged with fire, blossoming across knuckles, and his gaunt flesh colored like blood as his exertion sprang forth. He dashed forward with a cry of effort, looking nowhere near his age; in fact, he rivaled all the impressive Fire Nation soldiers who she had fought—and barely survived against—in the Great War.

Several fireballs rushed towards Zuko, who avoided them by stepping to his right and batting them aside. Swiftly, in a smooth twirling motion of his arms, a whip of fire sprang from Zuko's hands, lashing out towards General Lao.

General Lao narrowly avoided the whip as he rolled to the side, blasting fire at Zuko, who jumped forward at the fire. Flames sprouted out of his feet, propelling him forward in a blurred motion; his hands were wrapped in fire as he ripped through the fire blasts, dashing directly at General Lao. Katara saw General Lao try to move to his left and barely avoided Zuko's outstretched right hand, but he was too slow to avoid the spinning, flaming leg that smashed into his torso.

The smell of burning flesh filled Katara with nausea.

General Lao cried out in pain and fell, his old body crashing to the Arena's floor, but Zuko didn't kill him like she feared he would; he stood there, waiting for his opponent to recover. It was within his right to end the Agni Kai then and there, but he chose not to—because it was also his right to extend the Agni Kai and give his opponent another chance.

General Lao unsteadily climbed to his feet, holding his seared torso gingerly for several moments, chest struggling to control his breathing—the source of a Firebender's power. His arms swept out, tossing more fire at Zuko, ignoring his injury to charge at him. Sokka's grip on her arm became bruising in his excitement, but Katara watched with wide eyes as Zuko directed the fire away by holding his hands in front of him, and Lao's flames parted before him. Shockingly, Zuko sprinted forward through the divide, catching General Lao off guard and ducked, crashing into General Lao's stomach. They both fell, and Zuko landed on top of General Lao's body.

All struggle ceased; General Lao stopped fighting, accepting his fate with a tilted chin and stiff nod. "My lord," he commended, voice shockingly strong.

"A Fire Lord upholds his vows," Zuko intoned, nodding back. "I uphold mine."

Something seemed to pass between General Lao and Zuko before Zuko's hand closed around General Lao's throat, becoming alight with brilliant fire. In a powerful display, General Lao did not utter a sound—no one did in the Arena, not even General Lao's family when Katara glanced fearfully at them; they stared with hate and fear at Zuko but said nothing—as he died.

The Agni Kai was over.

Zuko stood up, and everyone in the audience kneeled. "All hail Fire Lord Zuko, Master of Agni's Eternal Flame and Keeper of the Dragon's Throne!" they said reverently, their voices mixing to create an impressive baritone.

Katara tried to reconcile the Zuko she watched kill General Lao out of his duty to his position, upholding tradition, with the Zuko who had become her friend again and who she was attracted to. She saw the Fire Lord versus Zuko; she didn't like the Fire Lord.

Based on the look on Ursa's face, she didn't like the Fire Lord as much as Zuko, either. Ursa didn't look surprised or sad, merely poised. However, there was a blankness in her golden eyes that suddenly made Katara wonder if Zuko had just shown any similarities with Ozai.

"That was fucking amazing!" Sokka exclaimed and started applauding before Iroh shook his head with a harsh jerk and warning look. Sokka withered as his hands stopped their excitement before springing back with vigor as he turned to her, face animated with pleasure but disbelief. "I take back what I said, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but Zuko could beat the Boulder."

Katara rolled her eyes. "I'm sure that will make Zuko sleep better going forward."

"Well, I won't!" Sokka hissed. "The Boulder's supposed to be the best! And he looks so awesome! Why does Zuko have to be the best now and look like that?" He gestured wildly to where Zuko ordered the Imperial Firebenders to remove General Lao's corpse. "Look at him! I know we're not supposed to talk about it, but he looks all fucked up. He doesn't look awesome at all, not like the Boulder!"

While Katara was stolen of words for several moments, Suki raised a brow. "Scars can be taken as a symbol of a warrior's strength. A scar adds character."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Maybe. But the Boulder didn't have any scars and looked awesome. He didn't need a scar to look awesome like Zuko does."

Before she could comment, she looked back at Zuko, who stared at General Lao's family in the audience—and they glared back. However, there was no attack like she feared. General Lao's family did nothing—and Zuko did not antagonize or apologize. He had done his duty as Fire Lord, and General Lao's family was demanded to accept it.

Katara didn't think they would accept it.

Suddenly, a sphere of beautiful fire surrounded Zuko's body, the flames prohibiting everyone sight of him. After several moments, the orb of fire disappeared, and Zuko was nowhere to be seen, and Katara remembered Azula using that same trick when she, the Gaang, Zuko, and Iroh had cornered her in that abandoned town in the Earth Kingdom.

"A scar adds a legacy," she said finally when she looked back at Sokka. "Zuko has a good legacy—much better than the Boulder's. And yes, he looks better than the Boulder—so much better."

She felt Suki glancing at her while Sokka scoffed. "Like your opinion matters."

Katara rolled her eyes. "It does. Zuko looks 'awesome,' too."

"You have no taste, Katara," he lamented with a shake of his head. "My own baby sister- "

"I'm only two years younger than you."

"- can't see what's right in front of her." He grinned and set his shoulders back with an amused snort. "Like Zuko with his bad eye, get it?"

Her lips thinned. "I'm going to challenge you to an Agni Kai if you're not careful."

Sokka laughed in her face. "I'd beat you."

"Really?" she asked, pointing to the moat in the Arena. "With that there?"

He stopped laughing and actually seemed to consider it. "Having a water source right there is helpful for you, but I think Boomerang and I would beat you. And we'd totally beat Zuko, too."

"We'd beat Zuko, you and I," Katara corrected, shaking her head. "You and Boomerang have no chance- "

Sokka gasped and nodded eagerly. "Yes. Let's challenge him. We'll beat his ass like we always used to!"

Katara hesitated, remembering how Zuko didn't want to fight—least of all kill—General Lao. "I'm not sure now is the best time."

"He just got warmed up; he's ready to go!" Sokka protested passionately. "Of course, it's the right time!"

She wondered if it might alleviate some of Zuko's stress. "I'm in," she decided.

XxXxXxXxXxX

When Katara walked through the secret chamber into Zuko's private study, led by Iroh and Ursa, Zuko lounged on one of the numerous couches, a bottle of firewhiskey held in his hand; his golden eyes were shaded with thoughts of displeasure as he stared back at her. There was a somberness on his face that evoked her own dread—he seemed to know something that she didn't.

The rest shuffled in, and Sokka burst into chuckles, finally applauding. "That was different from Earth Rumble VI, but it was equally awesome! I'd love to see you fight the Boulder, Zuko."

Zuko rolled his eyes, which were a little livelier. "The Fire Lord doesn't have time for amateurs."

Sokka gasped, outraged. "Take that back!"

"No."

"The Boulder would give you a good fight!"

Zuko scoffed. "It would be like a virgin having sex—over before it started."

Sokka's eyes narrowed. "The Boulder's no virgin, Jerkbender. I bet he slept with all the girls in Gaoling!" He blinked before gagging. "Except for Toph, I mean."

Katara rolled her eyes. "This is a stupid conversation. It's like General Lao's words to Zuko—insane."

Iroh poured himself a cup of tea—Katara had lost count of how many cups he had drank—and nudged Zuko aside to ease himself into the cushions next to him. "Your demonstration was impressive, Nephew. General Lao is a loss, but there are other competent generals who can replace him."

Zuko looked unconvinced—and troubled. "It's more likely that those other 'competent generals' would look elsewhere after seeing what happened to Lao."

"There will not be another Splintering- "

"You don't know that," Zuko interrupted harshly, rubbing a hand across his flushed face; he looked vigorous—but born of dread rather than excitement. "This is the perfect opportunity. And you know that many of them have been waiting for it! Every move they have made was in anticipation for this moment. Lao had friends everywhere—friends who never liked me and tried to undermine me at every turn. But now they have the 'evidence' to bring before Agni that I was an unworthy Fire Lord—and they will spread the 'evidence' everywhere, wherever ears hear, eyes see, and tongues speak! Lao lost his mind, and Fire may lose their Fire Lord because of it. This was the justification those traitors needed! I was damned if I did and damned if I didn't—and I'm more damned than ever now."

Katara's eyes widened as she shook her head. "No. We'll keep that from happening- "

"It's already happened; it's happening now."

Sokka caught her eyes before clearing his throat. "What's happening now is a stress release. You need to hit something."

Thankfully, Zuko perked up and stood to his feet. "Thanks, Sokka." He stretched his arm back, fingers curling into a tight fist, leveled towards Sokka's face. "Which side of your face?"

Katara's eyes bulged while Sokka choked on his shock, frantically raising his hands to protect his face. "No! No, no! Not my face, Jerkbender! I meant, my sword! You need to hit my sword with your swords! We haven't done that for years. Your swords versus mine!"

Zuko sighed in what sounded like lament before a small smirk twitched across his lips as his fist dropped. "You think you'll beat me? You were never able to before."

"I've practiced a lot since then- "

"A snowman is different- "

"Not a snowman!" Sokka squawked in protest, shaking his head vehemently. "Why would I spar against a snowman? That's stupid."

"I thought you'd call it inventive."

Suki laughed slightly and glanced at Sokka. "There was that one time- "

Sokka shushed her, eyes urgent. "No. You said you would forget about that!"

"I forget saying that."

Sokka sagged into his couch. "I can't win."

"And not against me in a spar," Zuko added.

Katara grinned. "This time will be different," she said lightly, hoping her eagerness wasn't apparent. "It's been a long time since the two of us sparred, too," she hinted, alluding to their sparring sessions on Ember Island before Sozin's Comet. "Let's have some stress release again."

Zuko was quiet for several moments and just before she thought he would deny her, he nodded. "Alright. We'll go to the Arena again. There's plenty of water there."

Sokka nodded his head, bouncing it up and down. "And plenty of space to kick your royal ass!"

Ursa's brows rose. "Are you challenging the Fire Lord to an Agni Kai, Prince Sokka?"

Sokka snorted. "I don't have a death wish—literally. Of course not."

Zuko had a ghost of a smile on his face as he stood up. "You'll be a wise Chief." He walked towards the secret passage, and when he placed his palm on the wall, Katara, Sokka, and the rest of the group followed after him.

Almost immediately, after a source of light appeared from the flames held in all three Firebenders' hands, reminiscent of the first time when they had all walked through the secret passage earlier, Sokka began chatting rapidly with Suki about Boomerang, something about how it would be the key to defeating Zuko.

Katara didn't pay attention to his yammering, not interested at all. Instead, her eyes were riveted on Zuko's back as he easily glided through the passage; his strut was confident and lined with poise. He suddenly stopped and placed his flaming hand on the stone, and another passage opened; everyone followed him through.

"Is this the same passage from earlier?" she questioned, not distinguishing any familiar markings in the passage.

"Yes, you have walked through this passage twice now, Princess Katara," Iroh answered, sounding amused slightly.

Katara groaned inwardly. "How do you keep track of all of these tunnels? I don't recognize a single one."

"Predominantly practice, my dear," Ursa replied. "Those of the royal family—and those who are joined through marriage, like myself—undergo, from an early age for a prince or princess, training so that they can memorize the layout of all of the numerous secret passages. When I was integrated into the royal family after marrying Ozai, it took me a few weeks to become accustomed to navigating my way on my own."

"But only a Firebender would be able to navigate it," she said somewhat sadly, not truly understanding why she felt sad.

"Toph could easily do it," Sokka pointed out. "She would be a quick learner."

"My wife, Natsumi was a very quick learner," Iroh recalled with a fond chuckle. "Eventually, she knew the layout better than I myself did!"

"Azula and I were quick learners, as well," Zuko said suddenly, and Katara listened closely upon hearing the unmistakable wistful nature of his tone. "Lu Ten helped us at first, but soon, we were able to prank him and the servants without any suspicion ever falling on us. It was funny; we both thought it was the greatest thing."

"Do not be so arrogant, Zuko," Ursa chided gently. "The servants eventually caught on and pretended for both your sakes, and as for your cousin, Lu Ten knew immediately. I remember one time when he came to me in the garden, complaining about how his cousins failed to appreciate him fully as they should, instead choosing to abuse and harass him constantly. If I recall correctly, he was covered in ginseng tea."

Zuko laughed loudly, the sound pleasant to Katara's ears. "I remember that one, actually. That was one of the first ones. It was Azula's idea, and I was the one who implemented the prank; it was so easy to replace the cup with a fake one. She and I hid behind the curtains and watched Lu Ten spill the tea all over himself."

"That's great," Sokka whispered, nudging her. "We should try that sometime."

Iroh shuddered before she could answer—not that she really wanted to in the first place. "I cannot believe that you did something so cruel!"

"I'm sorry, Uncle," Zuko turned around. "It was only a- "

"How could you waste ginseng tea?" Iroh cried out dramatically, and Katara wasn't sure if he was being serious or not.

Zuko rolled his eyes, turning back around with a sniff. "It was funny," he defended with a small huff. He then placed his flaming hand once more on the wall which opened soundlessly, more light piercing through.

When they all walked out, Katara stared once more at the Arena, but this time, they were all alone, no nobles or guards in sight.

"Are you coming?" Zuko suddenly called out, and she realized that he was already ascending the staircase.

Sokka raced up the steps. "Yes! Come on, Katara, hurry up!"

She followed up the stairs after her brother, dimly noticing that the others had all went to the royal press box to observe the duel between her and Sokka versus Zuko. When she arrived at the top of the platform, she was amazed by how big it actually was; it had looked quite smaller from the royal press box. Zuko stood on the other end of the platform, shirt discarded, allowing her to glimpse his newer scars much closer, and his crown was placed on his robes. His hair fell over his face and Katara was reminded of how he had looked on Ember Island, but now, he was much taller and more muscular, more filled out physically.

Katara no longer had any doubts about having the spar.

Sokka removed his own shirt and flexed his arms at Suki in the royal press box, who rolled her eyes but blew him a kiss. Katara shook her head in exasperation at her brother's antics and began to take off her outer robe, feeling Zuko's eyes on her as more and more skin was revealed. When it was fully off, she realized how revealing it was, but when she looked up to see that Zuko watched her with his burning golden eyes, she didn't mind.

Zuko suddenly shook his head and pulled his swords out of seemingly nowhere. "Whenever you two are ready," he called out. "First to yield loses. What says you?"

"I say that we're going to kick your ass!" Sokka cried out, brandishing his own sword, becoming serious. "What do the victors, who are us, get?"

"A story to tell until death," she said confidently, feeling a smile grace her face as she stared pointedly at Zuko. "Not anyone can truthfully claim to have defeated the Fire Lord himself in a spar. After we beat you, we'll hold it over your head forever."

Sokka nodded vigorously. "Our victory will weigh as much as that crown on your head!"

Zuko smiled slightly. "So, it will be like a feather."

Sokka slackened in surprise, eyes intrigued. "What? Really? How did you make it so light- "

Zuko punched a wave of fire towards them, cutting Sokka off. Both Katara and Sokka dove to the side to avoid the wave, and Zuko didn't attack further; he gestured with his arms for their approach. Katara glanced at Sokka and nodded, giving the signal. Immediately, both of them rushed forward, and she summoned water from the moat below, feeling confidence line through her body.

To her surprise, but not really considering that he had done the same earlier, Zuko didn't move as they approached. Only when they were close enough to attack him did he open his mouth, but when Katara saw the deep orange and red color emitting from the back of his throat, she quickly shielded them with her water.

Magnificent fire burst from his lips and when it smashed against her shield, steam swept through the air, and Katara swiftly gathered more water from the moat, feeling all of her confidence that she had gained earlier vanish just as quickly.

Zuko had grown stronger since they last sparred—a lot stronger.

The steam didn't hinder them, though; Sokka ran through the residue to swing his sword at Zuko. Two twin blades were raised to block, a clanging sound echoing through the Arena. Her instincts from the Great War seemed to return to her, and Katara saw her chance. Knowing that Zuko was distracted and could be easily incapacitated if she reacted smartly and quickly enough, she threw a water whip, expecting it to smack him in the side, tripping him from his feet, allowing them to force him to yield.

She was shocked when Zuko moved one of his swords away from Sokka's and swung it at her. She flashbacked to the Agni Kai when a whip of fire sprang seemingly out of his sword, wrapping around her own water whip.

Steam clouded the platform again.

The fire vanished from the swords, and Zuko suddenly pushed his remaining blade against Sokka's, pushing him back, and then spun around, his other blade coming down on Sokka swiftly and viciously. Recognizing that she stood no chance at any close quarters combat with Zuko, she threw disks of water at him, hoping to overwhelm him.

Sokka seemed to have the same idea, for he suddenly lashed out with a barrage of strikes that Zuko, to her surprise, effortlessly blocked and parried, all the while narrowly avoiding her disks of water. Sokka attempted to jump up and knee Zuko, but her brother was wholly unprepared for a bruising elbow strike to his extended knee, sending him to the ground in a heap of limbs.

Katara's breath hitched when Zuko, without a moment's delay, sprang towards her with the grace that she thought only Airbenders—or Ty Lee—were capable of, fire flowing out of his feet to propel him faster. She darted to her side, avoiding his outstretched arms and threw more water whips at him, intentionally aiming for an area that wasn't his chest.

He was obviously caught by surprise when the water whip wrapped around his flaming foot and yanked him down, but he was back on his feet and on the attack swiftly. Katara was waiting; she threw more water at his chest immediately, and it discombobulated him, and he stumbled slightly. Then Sokka charged, sword raised but before he made it any further, a fireball was blasted at him. Her brother jumped to the side and in one smooth motion, pulled out Boomerang and flicked it at Zuko.

He leaned out of the way, and Boomerang sailed past his head, curving into the air and Katara smiled devilishly, understanding Sokka's plan. To keep Zuko distracted and from moving, she shifted the water into ice and threw shards at him, not intending to kill but to scrape and scratch.

Zuko's fists became alight with hot and deadly flames, and he began batting the shards away from his body, punching through some of them, and Boomerang began to curve back around in the air, returning once more.

Katara threw more ice knives and saw Sokka's face split into a grin as Zuko remained distracted. As Boomerang approached, Zuko's head twitched to the side, and Katara knew that he had somehow heard the weapon. Her friend suddenly created a wall of fire and shoved it at her, destroying all of the approaching shards of ice and hiding him from view for a moment.

When the fire vanished, Katara gasped when Zuko stood before them with Boomerang in his hand, a wild smirk on his face, and the sight brought a smile to Katara's own face. "That trick's only going to work once."

"Not a trick!" Sokka protested. "It's a strategy."

Zuko's smirk grew. "So is this." He threw Boomerang into the moat below with a quick flick of his wrist.

Sokka looked crestfallen. "You son of a bitch."

"Careful," he drawled, looking amused. "You could make me challenge you to an Agni Kai."

Sokka hoisted his sword, eyes blazing. "It'd be worth it to avenge Boomerang!"

Katara rolled her eyes and raised water from the moat and deposited Boomerang back in Sokka's hands. "There you go," she muttered.

Sokka cradled Boomerang and glared at Zuko in triumph. "Now what are you going to do?"

"Win," Zuko answered easily.

"How did you do that with the fire?" Katara demanded. "I've never seen that before, how you wrapped it around the blade."

"Practice—but not too much. The blades can't handle the heat for long."

Katara nodded, satisfied. She then tossed more ice knives towards him, but he had learned from earlier and created a shield of pure fire. The ice was instantly destroyed when it touched the shield, and once it all cleared, Zuko was nowhere to be seen.

Katara felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, and she instinctively turned around, water raised in defense. Sokka followed her lead, and they both stared at Zuko, and she cataloged the differences that she could see in him; he looked more relaxed than she had ever seen him, his golden eyes were vibrant with emotions, and Katara was glad that she was part of the reason why.

He smiled at them, a truly genuine smile. "You've both gotten better."

"You have, too," she countered, not wanting to tell him how much better he had become; she dared to admit that he was better than the both of them.

That was when she glimpsed it, the fundamental key to their victory. Behind Zuko, water had collected in a puddle, and her friend was none the wiser. The opportunity was upon them, and when she glanced at her brother, he winked back, confirming that he had noticed what she had.

Sokka charged with a roar and threw Boomerang, but Zuko neatly side-stepped it and brought his swords down on Sokka hard; both men strained, but it was clear from her vantage point that Zuko was stronger. Katara patiently waited for her opportunity, and it arrived just moments later. Just as her friend disarmed Sokka, she yanked her hands towards herself in a fierce motion, and to her glee, the puddle of water shot towards her friend's unsuspecting back.

Zuko had shoved Sokka to his knees, but his head perked up when he heard the sound of water rushing towards him from behind, but it was too late. Before he could react, the water slammed into his back, and he tripped over Sokka's intentionally sprawled leg, stumbling until he crashed to the Arena floor in his own heap of limbs.

Water soaked him, and Katara quickly clenched her fingers into tight fists, forcing the water to freeze, to become a prison of ice.

Sokka laid his head back, waving at her lazily. "I'm exhausted," he wheezed. "You gotta finish it." Sweat covered his body and looking down at herself, feeling how hard she breathed, Katara was little better; it had been a long time since she had fought so strenuously.

She nodded and slowly approached Zuko's suspiciously still-frozen form. Why hadn't he melted the ice? What was he up to? She stood away by several steps, holding her hands in front of her tensely, prepared for an attack, her blue eyes locking onto his golden ones. "Do you yield, Zuko?"

The ice suddenly evaporated into steam, and Zuko stood, towering over her. "That would be dishonorable."

Fire blazed towards Katara out of nowhere. Before panic swept through her, she swiftly coated her hands with water and jumped through the wall of fire, hands ripping through the flames, and steam arose to cloud the air from the contact.

Zuko looked surprised but continued his attack, throwing more fireballs at her. Katara avoided them and threw the water coating her hands at him, almost laughing at his gob-smacked expression when it splashed him in the face. He then blinked several times to clear his vision and jumped forward, flames blasting out of his feet.

Katara rolled out of the way and knew that she had to end this quickly. Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her; her muscles burned, and she was heaving in gulps of air, but when she looked at Zuko, she felt dismayed to see that he didn't even look tired.

With a sudden burst of energy, she used all of her strength to lift as much water from the moat below as she possibly could. Her arms wavered under the strain, but when Zuko looked at the tsunami approaching him warily and then coated his hands in flames, Katara grinned; she then gathered it all into a massive wave and threw it at him with a hoarse cry of effort.

He inhaled deeply and crouched, then shoving his fists forward and massive spurts of fire were unleashed; they were strongest flames that she had ever seen that were without the aid of Sozin's Comet. While he himself was distracted, Katara didn't let that realization distract her as she approached him silently, hoping to sneak up on him, but just when she reached him, Zuko suddenly spun around; his arm wrapped around her body and flipped her over his shoulder roughly, and within a moment, he kneeled over her with a fire dagger held to her neck.

"Do you yield?" he asked, golden eyes burning with fire.

Katara stared up at him and smiled, ignoring the aching of her body. "Do you yield?" She pressed the tip of the ice knife that she created into his stomach, watching with pride as his eyes widened, and he glanced down at the knife in surprise.

"I asked you first," Zuko observed with amusement as he looked back at her, eyes gazing at her fondly.

She swallowed before grinning. "I'm bad at following tradition."

Zuko stared at her for several long moments before he hummed and jumped back. "I yield to Katara!" he announced loudly, looking at their audience.

"Yes!" Sokka cried out, jumping to his feet. "We kicked the Fire Lord's ass! Suck on that, Fire! Water rules!"

Katara stood up as well, feeling her legs quiver from her extensive exertion; she was going to be sore for several days, at least. "No, Sokka—I kicked Zuko's ass, not you. He yielded to me, not the both of us."

Her brother ignored her and began clapping and hollering in happiness because the Water Tribes were better than the Fire Nation, and Iroh, Ursa, and Suki were smiling from the royal press box, amused expressions on their faces.

Instead of staring at her brother like everyone else seemed to, she stared at Zuko, who looked at the ground with a distant smile on his face; he looked far away, lost in his mind.

Unfortunately, it looked like she had failed to 'spar' his worry out of him.

XxXxXxXxXxX

When she entered Zuko's private study later that night, not even needing to request entrance by the Imperial Firebenders, who simply opened the doors without word, she found Zuko staring at a full bottle of firewhiskey. An empty bottle was held in one of his hands, dangling precariously from his loose fingers.

Katara hesitated as the doors shut behind her. "You might never wake up if you drink that second bottle."

Zuko didn't even look at her, nor seem surprised that she had come to visit him. "I'd like that."

"You don't mean that," she chided softly, coming to stand next to him; she dared grab the empty bottle and take a small sniff. She cringed at the strong, overwhelming smell. "How do you drink this?"

He went to grab the other bottle of firewhiskey. "I can show you- "

She shook her head and pulled him back. "No. Never mind. What are you doing?"

"Trying to have a good night's sleep."

Katara frowned, glancing between him and the firewhiskey. "By drinking yourself into a stupor?"

"It's not my preferred method," he muttered.

"What's your preferred method?"

Zuko looked painfully awkward, surprisingly like he did when he first tried to join the Gaang at the Western Air Temple all those years ago—'Hello, Zuko here,' her mind whispered in memory. "Something I decided not to do anymore."

Realizing he wasn't going to tell her—unless she gave him another bottle of firewhiskey to drink—she shrugged. "I'm sorry our spar didn't exhaust you. It exhausted me."

"I can tell," he observed with slight amusement.

Katara glared at him. "I suppose you won't apologize for being so good."

"That would be dishonorable," Zuko recited, lips stretching. "You were good, too."

"I'm not as good a fighter as I used to be," she confessed, watching him. "When I went back home, I focused on mastering healing rather than fighting."

Zuko blinked, looking confused. "Isn't that a good thing? Your healing is what saved my life and Aang's life; it wasn't your fighting. Your fighting didn't help save the world; it was your healing- "

"I know, but I wish I was elite at both. I don't think I'm an elite fighter anymore."

"You can be," he argued. "You will be. If you don't think this new war is going to make you become the best fighter you can be, you're an idiot."

Katara smiled. "I leave being the idiot to Sokka."

"We'll need your fighting and healing," Zuko continued. "Unlike before, we're going to be in the heart of this new war."

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you saying? We were already in the heart- "

Zuko shook his head. "Not from the start. When the Great War was at its greatest, at its most intense and brilliant, we were nowhere to be found; we weren't alive then. The Great War wasn't constant; it fluctuated, wavering and diminishing before exploding at key parts. All the battles we were in, besides during Sozin's Comet, weren't as intense as the fighting that happened decades before. Decades before, the greatest of men fought and bled, struggled and died, producing a more intense and powerful fight. Those in the heart of the Great War were Sozin, Azulon, King Bumi, and others, including your great-grandfather and possibly grandfather. The Great War was the conflict of a previous generation—generations, technically—but this new war will be the conflict of our generation where we are actually in our primes in the prime of this conflict. We will be this generation's Sozin, Azulon, King Bumi, and Chief Kuhna."

Katara nodded. "This one won't last a century. Aang won't let it."

"This isn't like Sozin," Zuko pointed out, face worn. "This is something more—something bigger and deeper simultaneously, which is terrifying. I don't know who and what Dark is, but the fact he's so ancient, so old that it took the first Avatar- "

"Avatar Wan," she supplied softly.

"- to defeat him makes me dread so much. Because it's been thousands of years, and he's only had time to plan and think about what he's going to do. Sozin had decades to plan and look at the result; Dark had eons to plan. I'm terrified there's not going to be a world left once it's over."

The thrill of shrill fear ravished her spirit, and Katara shook her head rapidly. "No. Aang won't let that- "

"I have no doubts that Aang will stop him," Zuko interrupted, adamant. "No doubts. But what will it take to defeat him? It will take everything we possibly have to give, and a lot more than that—I'm convinced of that. Aang will defeat him, but the consequences of this war, with everything that's going on and can only get worse, make me think the world won't be a world anymore. No matter what, the world will never be the same; the world we give to our children won't be the world we received from our parents. The Great War was nothing compared to this."

Katara frowned. "No, that's not- "

"The Great War was made of isolated incidents that were connected externally, but there were still people who weren't impacted by it. The North isolated itself for decades, impenetrable; Ba Sing Se was a haven for people for a hundred years until Azula and I conquered it; Omashu wasn't invaded until King Bumi surrendered it the final year of the War; the South was spared its influence besides those combined eight or so years of conquest; the Air Temples were unmarred after the Genocide, and people could go there to live in peace if they made the journey; and we both know there were other places to go. But it's not going to be that way this time—I feel it. There will be no isolation; there will be no havens. Everyone will feel this. This war will consume everything because of the internal depths, which Dark will ensure after eons of planning."

Her heart accelerated at the thought, at the conviction with which he spoke. "You don't know that- "

Zuko threw his arms out, looking frantic. "Yes, I do! There's going to be another Splintering on top of everything that's going on, and Dark will capitalize on it! My father will capitalize on it! Lao put everything in motion like an idiot!"

She frowned. "This is all about General Lao? That's why you're drinking?"

Suddenly, Zuko sagged, sadness consuming him. "I liked Lao; he was annoying, yes, but he always believed in Fire; he always looked out for our race, and for that, he has my regard forever. Too many of these generals are only believing in themselves, but Lao was in it for Fire. He had problems, but I'm going to miss him."

Katara averted her eyes. "I'm sorry Sokka and I didn't help matters."

"He should have controlled himself," Zuko said. "He knew better. I was more than willing to overlook it until he insulted Mother. I couldn't let that go; it would set a horrifying precedent. And Lao knew it; he realized it instantly. It was why he demanded an Agni Kai, knowing it was the only way to save face; he trapped himself. He knew he was a dead man at that moment; he knew he lived on borrowed time. He knew he was going to die and that I was going to bring it to him." His fingers gripped several strands of his hair, frustrated. "If he would have talked to me instead of reacting, I could have salvaged the situation; I could have prevented this!"

She remembered the stricken horror saturating General's Lao face. "I guess he was really scared."

"Not as scared as I am now of what this is going to evoke," he hissed, the words like a lash, but she knew it wasn't directed at her; he really did look anxious and worried. "I would have banished him from the Caldera for a few weeks, and it would have been forgotten. But he had to challenge me to an Agni Kai. He wasn't thinking; he was reacting. And now the nobility's not going to be thinking; they're going to be reacting, too! I hate what this reaction will be—another Splintering! I wish I could spit on Lao's corpse for doing this, but I can't; I really liked him. We had our differences, and he admired my father way too much for my liking, but he genuinely wanted me to succeed as Fire Lord; he wanted Fire restored to its health. But now I fear the retribution of his brother and his many friends—on top of what Dark and Father will do."

Katara swallowed. "I thought you said you weren't beholden to your nobles like Arnook is to his."

"I'm not, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. I'd rather have allies than enemies, and my nobles are powerful allies to have. But now I have more enemies, which means we have more enemies, which means Aang has more enemies. Lao was well-liked and respected; he was my top general for a reason. But he wanted to bask in Fire's nature and be aggressive, attacking Earth, and I don't blame him for wanting to bask in Fire's nature because I want to bask in Fire's nature, but I don't want war; I want to avoid it as long as possible. Anyone who desires war is insane, and Lao was insane a little bit for wanting war. That stupid bastard."

Katara tried to smile but it trembled. "He was very insane for insulting your mom."

A flash of anger appeared on Zuko's face. "He knew better. Why did he do it? Why did he make me do it? What was he thinking?" Incomprehension consumed the anger, leaving something hollow and disbelieving. "It didn't have to be this way. I didn't want it to be this way. But he forced my hand. Nothing about this had to happen; it could have been avoided so easily. But the fact that it did happen scares me—because it shouldn't have happened."

She stiffened. "Do you think Dark had a hand in it or something? Did he make Lao lose his sense?"

Zuko stared ahead before sighing. "I don't know. Lao was always passionate and aggressive, but he loved Fire; he loved our race. Why would he do something that threatens Fire? We can't afford another Splintering, not now! And I don't even have an heir! It makes it so much worse. The first Splintering happened because there were too many heirs, but now the reason would be that there's no heir—that would be the nobility's rationalized excuse!"

Katara's fingers brushed over Mom's necklace. "No matter what happens, we'll be here this time; I'll be here. Even if you order me away, I won't obey."

His face scrunched in anger. "They'd say that, because you're staying with me, I choose you as the mother of my heir—a half-spawn, in their eyes. It'd be used as further evidence to discredit me, and I know they would gain supporters because of it—likely the most influential citizens in the Fire Nation, too."

She swallowed. "It doesn't matter what they say because they're wrong. People will see that- "

"There's something so pathetic about the nobility," he continued, clearly not hearing her. "They act like a chorus, always saying the same things and acting the same way; they're a group. If that group decided that eating dragon shit was a sign of reverence in Agni's eyes, they would shovel it into their mouths with fervor." A grueling sneer crossed his face under his beard. "Most of the nobles are a fucking disgrace to Agni; I wish he would smite them all, and I would smile at their funerals. And I just killed, possibly, the only noble I could stand! I liked Lao because he was honest; he was real."

"He was being honest about King Bumi?" she asked, doubtful.

Zuko nodded. "Yes. You don't know how we feared the Scourge of Fire for decades. Lao's father was killed by King Bumi many years ago. Lao would never forgive him for it. He feared King Bumi would do it again but succeed because he knew I'm not my grandfather; I lack that battle experience and wisdom that saved his life from King Bumi's assassination attempt. No matter my experience with Kuei's assassins, if King Bumi was my assassin, I'd be dead."

Katara nodded, quiet for several moments. "You keep mentioning a Splintering. What is that? Or what was it? Why do you think it will happen again."

"Because it will." He put his face in his hands and groaned. "I didn't want this. That son of a bitch—why did he do it?"

"Maybe he lost control," she offered, hating seeing him so frustrated and upset. "I'm sorry. Maybe if Sokka and I weren't there, none of that would have happened."

Zuko said nothing in response to her hypothetical for several moments, and she suspected he agreed with that hypothetical. "Maybe. It probably would have spared him of his death, but he was still angry about my decisions; he disagreed deeply with the path I chose. It would have brought us into conflict eventually. It's possible that, because he admired my father so much, if he became more disillusioned with my decisions, which is likely, he would have betrayed me and joined my father, and that would have brought him his death. Why today? Few of the nobility will be happy about this. Lao's brother will already begin to organize a revolution against me or, if not that, betray me and flee the Fire Nation to join my father. The discussions have probably already started; it started the moment the word of Agni Kai reached the nobility's ears. They're all probably scheming to join my father now or assassinate me- "

"That's not going to happen," she assured, though her voice quivered because, from the way it sounded, it did sound feasible.

"There will be treachery," Zuko said, voice final but exhausted; his mind wouldn't change. "The question is—how much treachery? How much of the nobility will join Dark?"

"Is that the Splintering?" Katara asked.

Zuko sighed, looking at her for several long moments before shaking his head. "The Splintering was a civil war in the Fire Nation that lasted multiple generations during Avatar Kuruk's reign. There were too many heirs to the Dragon's Throne, too many men who couldn't accept that their specific lines within Kai's lineage weren't the viable ones to produce Fire Lords. They were not on the senior branch- "

"Like you," she pointed out, trying to understand.

"Uncle's branch was the senior branch," Zuko corrected. "But when Lu Ten died, Uncle had no more children, and Uncle revoked his claim, which meant that Father's line became the senior branch, and I'm his firstborn. But during the Splintering, there were dozens of first and second cousins, all within several decades of each other in age, and they resented their birth order—the destiny reserved for the senior branch of Kai's lineage. They rebelled and tried to seize control, which led to the Splintering—two sides in a long, brutal war with one side supporting the revolutions while the other side supported the senior branch of Kai's lineage, supporting the tradition of naturality. There were many Fire Lords during this time, replacing each other almost monthly at some points, and none of them were legitimate truly; it was chaos."

Katara swallowed. "And Avatar Kuruk didn't try to stop it- "

"He didn't care. Fire was left to fend for themselves as the many heirs to the Dragon's Throne killed each other off, reducing the claimants until it was over, and the true Fire Lord—Fire Lord Henjul—ascended the Dragon's Throne and returned Fire to the tradition of naturality—as is right. But a new Splintering will happen now—I'm convinced of it. They'll use the fact I have no heir against me."

Katara looked at her hands. "But there was always a simple solution—have an heir. Why didn't you marry and have an heir? It would have been easy."

Zuko grunted. "I didn't trust any wife offered to me. I feared assassination. And I guess I thought that I could do the same as Sozin, who waited over half a century to sire his heir. I thought I could wait; I wanted to wait. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it." He looked in wonder. "I don't know how Sozin did it. How did he do it? How did he keep control? He was clearly a brilliant man, and his nobles never threatened him or rebelled against him like mine against me. He was smarter and more competent than I'll ever be."

She didn't want to think about how brilliant, intelligent, or competent Sozin was. "You mean, after almost nine years, you've refused to have an heir because you didn't trust any of the women offered to be your wife?"

"Yes."

"But didn't you know it would anger the nobility?" she demanded in disbelief.

Zuko glanced at her pointedly. "I'm not beholden to the nobility; the nobility is beholden to me. They should respect my decision. I know what I'm doing, but they are going to claim that I'm sabotaging Fire from within by refusing to sire an heir."

Katara frowned in confusion. "But without an heir, you're not giving Fire stability. If you die, it will be chaos."

"I'm not going to die," he assured, irritated. "But it's already chaos, and it was always going to be chaos—I'm certain. Either my wife would have tried to assassinate me, or she would have been assassinated by the nobles hoping to provoke a conflict, hoping I would blame Kuei and enter another war in my rage. It's all a game to them. The nobles have never liked me, not since I ended the Great War and weakened Fire at the expense of the other races. They adored and feared my father, but they only fear me." Zuko looked at her. "This is what it means to be the Fire Lord; this is what it means to lead. The fact is—these nobles aren't my nobles; they are my father's nobles masquerading as my nobles, waiting for the chance to help my father reseize the Dragon's Throne. And I just gave them the chance by killing Lao. There's going to be another Splintering—me versus Father."

She sat down on one of the couches and felt tempted to drink the full bottle of firewhiskey that Zuko had been staring at earlier. "I understand why you want to drink. It's a lot."

Zuko sat down next to her. "It's inevitable."

"When will it happen?"

"Soon. What I don't know is how they will do it. Will it be a direct assault against me, or will they retreat and ally with Father, abandoning their posts?"

Katara's fingers gripped the edge of the cushion. "They better retreat if they don't want me to drown them."

Zuko nodded. "I suspect they'll retreat; I hope they retreat. Out of the options, it would be better for us and them if they retreated. Neither side is ready for direct conflict, but you can never underestimate the stupidity of educated nobles."

She thought of General Lao, who was a deeply intelligent man but lost his reason as he was consumed by fear, which led to him demanding an Agni Kai, which Zuko wouldn't refuse, which culminated in the dread of a second Splintering. "I guess you're right," she agreed softly.

"I told Lao that I would uphold my vow to him, but I don't know if I'll be able to."

Katara blinked and swiveled to look at Zuko, shocked. "What are you talking about?"

"Before the Agni Kai, I spoke briefly with Lao; he apologized for the situation, and I told him that I would make sure nothing happened to his family—I wouldn't take their titles or lands. It was all I could do for him. We both knew he was a dead man."

That must have occurred while she was speaking with Ursa, too distracted to notice. "But that's not on you; it's on Lao's family, who have the choice of whether to betray you or not. They know the consequences to betraying you, but they're going to do it anyway."

Zuko shook his head. "They think they will be spared their fates by betraying me for Father, who they think will triumph over me, but what they don't realize is that this is bigger than a second Splintering; this is bigger than Fire. This is so much more."

Katara nodded in understanding. "Which means it's The Avatar's business."

"Yes. This goes into Dark's plans; it goes into Father's plans. I don't know how—I guess to gain allies—but it's for them. The nobles are being played, but they're too educated to see it."

"Maybe they won't do anything," she offered hopefully.

"It's more likely my father would beg for forgiveness and mean it."

Katara felt it in her gut that he was right.

XxXxXxXxXxX

**Zuko and Katara discuss the politics of the North and how and why Sokka is the best heir. Basically, there are two factions in the North—Arnook versus his nobles. Unlike Zuko, Arnook is beholden to his nobles, matching the communal nature of Water. However, Arnook doesn't want Sokka as his heir while the majority of his nobles do. It's a complicated situation. More will be revealed about that in later chapters.

Zuko finally forgives Katara, letting go of his rage toward her for her conduct after the Great War ended. It happened against his will, but his rage diminished over time as he kept being in her presence and forced to interact with her—as usually happens in life. Upon realizing that Katara is as human as he is, he can't hate her—because they are, deep down, the same and capable of terrible mistakes that are haunting in nature. He is ready to let go and focus on other things, especially with her—even if he is still wary to do that, fighting against himself all the time.

**Aang, Azula, Toph, and Pathik discuss their strategy against Vaatu and Ozai, going back and forth until Aang has the final say and decided to attack immediately—which was his want from the beginning once he learned that Azula knew the location.

**Katara, Sokka, and Suki take part in Zuko's meeting, and shit hits the fan when General Lao loses his senses, insults Zuko, judges Ursa as dishonorable, and challenges Zuko to an Agni Kai. Zuko accepts and explains the extensive tradition behind the Agni Kai before he goes to the Agni Kai and kills General Lao—as the Agni Kai demands. It makes more sense if an Agni Kai is always a fight to the death, which would help explain some of Zhao's antagonism for Zuko in the show. Zuko spared Zhao in their Agni Kai, which brought great dishonor on Zhao, who blames Zuko for it. It's an interesting angle.

Katara and Ursa talk before the Agni Kai starts! I've always been fascinated with Ursa's character, and I hated what was done to her in the comics. I think that Katara and Ursa would easily be able to find common ground between one another because I think that they would be so similar, personality-wise. However, yes, Ursa still loves Ozai and always will. It's hard to imagine, but Ozai and Ursa have an entire history together that bonded them and made them trust each other; they have a story. There were many reasons they married and loved each other for so long; there were many reasons why they were once happy before everything went wrong. And Ozai isn't the only one to blame; Ursa shares the blame with her husband. Both of them failed, simply put; neither of them were competent enough to perceive the logical conclusions of their actions when taking into account the natures of others. Ursa's hands aren't clean, and I don't mean only with Azulon's assassination, to the misery that consumed her family. She made mistakes; she failed—like Ozai did.

I changed up some small things about Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai. The more I've thought about the depths of the fight rather than the surface the more I've become deeply dissatisfied by the whole Zuko vs. Azula angle that's emphasized during their Agni Kai, frankly. When Zuko faced Azula in the second half of Book III after he joined the Gaang, he was more than holding his own against her, and he knew it; it was obvious that the roles had changed by that point. So, going into that final Agni Kai against Azula, Zuko doesn't have to worry about himself fighting Azula because he knows that he's going to be fine; he's going to survive it—because he more than proved he could already hold his own multiple times against her—and that's before Azula's mind broke. The true essence of the struggle shifts when he recognizes instantly, when he sees her after interrupting the crowning ceremony, that something is wrong with his sister, who he knew better than anyone in his life except for, perhaps, Iroh—but I argue firmly that he knew Azula exceedingly better than he did Iroh because what teenager comprehends the totality of an adult, especially one as old and esteemed as the Dragon of the West?

The fight is no longer between Zuko and Azula once he realizes how far Azula has fallen, seeing how 'off' she is. The fight becomes Zuko versus Zuko, forcing himself to do what he has to do—defeat his sister, who will never stop, even when she's deteriorating so blatantly before his eyes. It's a fight for the fate of Fire and to save Azula's life, which Ozai ruined. I think it's more compelling because it emphasizes more that tragic theme of Family that's specifically oriented toward the Fire royal family throughout the show—because, if it's simply Zuko versus Azula, it's not a powerful moment due to Zuko and Azula having already fought each other multiple times throughout the show, so the final Agni Kai doesn't actually have much weight to it because it has happened before so many times. It becomes a repetition, something re-used and done before—something that doesn't actively have stakes because we've seen the results of it before. We always knew Zuko would defeat Azula because it's the sign of his journey, revealed by Book III's progression; it was inevitable. Once Zuko rebels against Ozai and joins the Gaang, he ascends while Azula descends; brother and sister aren't who they once were and never will be again. One rises (Zuko) while the other falls (Azula). Zuko kept getting better and making powerful strides while Azula diminished in allure and greatness, withering under Ozai's disregard, and fracturing when Mai and Ty Lee betrayed her, seen in the fact that Zuko was more than holding his own while fighting her after betraying his father.

So, the essence, the nature of the Agni Kai lies in Zuko battling himself to fight Azula and possibly kill her if she forces him to—as an Agni Kai would demand. To me, it's more interesting for the angle of the Agni Kai to change because it forces Zuko into a Fire Lord-like burden of having to do what he must do against an impossible enemy—his own sister whom he doesn't want to fight at all but knows will make him fight her while she's lost to madness—and somehow triumph at the end of the day, finding a solution of life when death is demanded. By refusing to kill Azula—by refusing to directly attack her in the Agni Kai as is tradition—he is acting like the Fire Lord, ironically enough. He creates his own precedent using his persuasive bending—the symbol of his power, which Fire worships and reveres, and which a Fire Lord must have in leaps and bounds—to keep Azula alive. Furthermore, he refuses to kill her after the Agni Kai is over and Azula casted herself in dishonor due to her conduct by trying to murder Katara, which creates a precedent for himself and forces him to be the Fire Lord even when he wasn't ready so young. Remember, he was planning for Iroh to become Fire Lord after the Great War was over; he had no idea he was going to become the Fire Lord. It's not until he faces Azula—and, thus, himself—in the Agni Kai that he truly accepts that role and embodies it as he should, acting and being the Fire Lord in all facets. And Azula's fight is not against Zuko; it's the fight to realize that she's not alone and that she can rely on someone—Zuko, her brother. Unlike Zuko, who always had someone, such as Iroh, Azula had no one after her mother fled. For years, Azula had no one, and she realized it after Mai and Ty Lee betrayed her; she had no one. Thus, her mind breaks, but she fights it, literally fighting against the one person who wants to help her and save her—Zuko—because she doesn't believe it's possible that she has someone on her side, simply for her. But Zuko fights her to save her—because she's his sister—and shows her that she's not alone.

And, of course, I think that Zuko would actually approach Azula while she was caged by the chains; I think his heart would be as devastated/broken as Azula's mind—and I don't mean from the lightning strike. Azula was already broken by that time, but Zuko becomes broken when he sees what his sister has become, reduced to ruin by their father's disregard and demand for perfection. Ozai broke both his children by the end of the Great War, and the only ones who truly, at the heart, understand that are Zuko and Azula, and they, thus, embrace, taking solace in their devastation. Azula's mind is gone, which means that the performance she put on for years for her father and everyone else is gone; the form she forced herself to take on in her quest for survival under Ozai's grueling demands evaporates to reveal the nature that was always there—the scared little girl desperate to please her father, of whom she lived in fear. Because of it, she embraces Zuko as powerfully as she can, catapulted back to the times in their childhood when they were close and intimate, when they were friends and trusted each other, when they once leaned on each other for support and comfort, when neither of them were alone. In Canon, it was shown that Azula did care about Zuko, not to the degree that a "normal" sister would, but from some of her actions, it's clear that she held affection for her brother. At that point, after the Agni Kai when she is broken in every way, Zuko is all she has, and she knows it, deep down; perhaps she always knew it, deep down, and all the barriers are obliterated. And Zuko holds onto her just as tightly, guilty and terrified, stricken by remorse, and haunted by his impotence in changing the result. He wasn't there when Azula's mind broke; she was alone when it happened, and it will haunt him forever—because he, at his essence with Azula, was an older brother who failed to protect his little sister, who was consumed by madness and lost to disarray under his watch.

Also, Katara uses bloodbending to defeat Azula rather than the lame "trap" that was done in the show. Personally, I've never been a fan of how Katara defeated Azula by trapping her in the water. It doesn't make sense. It was a forced solution rather than a natural solution. Azula had Sozin's Comet overwhelming her chi. Why didn't she erupt out of the ice like she effortlessly could have done? It was shown in Siege of the North that it was more than possible since Zuko, at night and without Sozin's Comet, destroyed the globe of water/ice Katara trapped him in. Azula was more than capable of getting out of that "trap" of water/ice. And then, of course, there's Azula being able to melt the chains Katara trapped her in. Either way, none of it makes sense upon analysis. However, if Katara used bloodbending to defeat her (because it's a Full Moon during Sozin's Comet, which is the only plausible solution to such a powerful advantage for a foe of Azula's caliber), it makes infinitely more sense, especially since she should have NEVER been able to defeat a Sozin's Comet-enhanced Azula without something like the Full Moon empowering her to barely survive against Azula's insane onslaught.

All right, about the whole Azula-breaking-free-from-her-chains thing: Firebenders can melt metal with enough time. Now, Sozin's Comet was flooding the sky during that Agni Kai between Zuko/Katara and Azula. Did you see the massive plumes of searing flames? After Katara chained Azula, she could have easily escaped. I know that the way she was chained is difficult to do a precise blast of flames, but with Sozin's Comet strengthening her chi, it wouldn't be a concern. Personally, the only reason why Azula didn't break free and slaughter Zuko and Katara was that her mind was truly splintered, broken almost beyond repair. Maybe she also, as Ursa said, wanted to subconsciously lose to Katara. Perhaps she wanted to lose because she, at least in her mind, killed her brother; she had no way of knowing if Zuko had survived her lightning strike, and based on what we've seen of Azula's lightning, she never misses.

**For those of you wondering about why Katara and Sokka weren't in the best of fighting shape during their spar with Zuko, it's because they've been at the South Pole for years. To be blunt, they've become sort of lazy, and Katara has focused predominantly on healing rather than fighting, and Sokka has been forced to act more in politics in recent years than in battle. There were no worthy opponents they could spar with besides themselves and as a result, their endurance vanished. If you train over and over again against the same opponent, one who isn't even a bender, your skills naturally degrade. Katara may have sparred or practiced with Pakku a few times, but they would be few and far between; it wouldn't be a consistent regime where she could become even stronger and keep up her endurance in a battle.

Well, that's all for this one. If you want, leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter. I'd really appreciate!

Stay Safe
ButtonPusher