2Chapter 1: The Agni Kai
Destiny is never what you expect. It can take you places you never thought possible. And sometimes places you never even wanted. The first few years of his banishment, Zuko thought his destiny was to capture the avatar. But somewhere deep inside him, he always felt it was wrong. But he also squashed those feelings of doubt, in favor of going home and impressing his father. But ever since joining the Avatar and his friends, he knew he finally found his destiny. And now he was taking his destiny to face Azula… something he wished he would never have to do.
It wasn't that Zuko was scared of Azula. He knew he could take her. He felt it in his bones. He was scared of the possibility of losing a part of himself. The part that secretly sought his sister's former affection for him—the part, no matter how irrational, that just wanted her approval.
He also knew that if he needed help, Katara would back him up in any way possible.
He just knew.
So many things had changed in the last few months. He left the Fire Nation to join the Avatar's forces to put a stop to his father's forces for good. He became best friends with Katara—his former enemy. Who knew they'd work so well together? After the war, he thought they could spar again for old times' sake. He missed the adrenaline rush he felt when fighting her. Perhaps it was a Katara thing, he inwardly chuckled, but when he fought her, it almost felt like fighting himself. They were so equally matched in every way that it always felt right to have her by his side.
But today was not a day to reminisce on happy memories—old or new. Right now he was facing his sister. His sister who was always sick, but today, seemed to have become officially broken. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. Her eyes held a vulnerability he never saw. He saw weakness. But he also saw uncertainty. And Azula is most dangerous when she was unpredictable. Zuko always knew what to expect with Azula. The unexpected. But not on this scale. This wasn't good, and unless he ended this quick, he didn't know if he would be able to live to see another day. He had to finish this.
If only he hadn't been so reckless. If only he hadn't let his guard down…
"No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"
A menacing scowl appeared on his sister's face. "Oh, I'll show you lightning!"
He should've known. He should've seen it coming from a mile away.
Azula was not one to miscalculate. Even in her deranged state, he could see her formulating a plan in the midst of their duel. He was so focused on preparing to redirect lightning. He didn't even realize Katara had entered the arena.
Oh, if only he knew.
But he didn't know and wasn't fast enough. He wasn't.
"Zuko, would you quit it? I'm trying to bend here!" Katara shouted, exasperated.
"Well, I'm sorry that I'm the only one worried about the comet tomorrow!"
Silence.
"Zuko...why do you think I'm bending right now? I'm trying to calm myself too. But you keep pacing around me and it's a bit unnerving!"
He bit his lip and looked down. "Sorry."
Katara sighed and pulled her arms in, releasing the water. "It's okay. It's alright to be scared, you know? We may not come out of it alive."
"Don't say that."
"But it's true and you know it. Your sister is crazy and I'm sure she wouldn't have a problem ending either of us." She shrugged.
Zuko sighed. "Point taken. But we're prepared. We can handle her."
She paused for a moment. "I wanna ask you something."
He didn't even blink. "What is it?"
"Just hear me out. I know you won't like where I'm going with this, but I want you to listen." Zuko tensed.
"If I die tomorrow," Zuko's hands clenched, "I want to you to promise me something. Promise me you'll assist the Water Tribes in any way possible. I won't...I won't be there to help, so I'd like it if you could provide some kind of assistance. At least for the first year after the war."
His heart clenched at the very thought of Katara no longer being in his life anymore. This girl changed him for the better. He'd be lying if he said she was't the reason he changed sides. His Uncle may have been the one to convince him over time. But Katara was the one who saw him at his worst and still decided to trust him. She was the first one, who wasn't blinded from familial rose colored glasses, to really believe he could change. To trust him. Even when he couldn't trust himself. The fact that she even had to ask-
"You don't even have to ask. You know I will."
She gave him a sad smile. "Also, I want my body to be cremated," She swallowed, "I want you to be the one to throw my ashes into the sea near the Southern Water Tribe. I want my people to know that I'll always be watching over them."
"I-" Why was she doing this? Doesn't she know he can't live without her? Doesn't she know that if anyone was going to die, it would be him? He would never let anything happen to her. But telling her would only put her in danger. He knew if he told her, she would be even more likely to put herself in danger for his sake. She was a lot like him in a lot of ways. It's one of the things he loved about her…She looked up into his eyes. Tears he didn't even know he was shedding were falling into her hands.
"I'm sorry. I know this is hard. But this is just worst case scenario stuff. I don't want to have any regrets."The only regret he'd have was not being able to tell her how he felt. But he couldn't tell her now. War was no time for love. So he said something else and hoped she got the message. "Katara, you have no idea how hard this is. You're the first real friend I've ever had. Almost everyone I've ever loved either turned on me or left me. I can't," He shook his head, "I can't lose you too. I just can't."
She threw her arms around him as his cries turned into sobs. In all his life he never cried so loudly. He learned to master the ability to cry in silence. Having Ozai as a father, where crying was known as weakness and weakness meant punishment, didn't give him much of a choice. But holding her in his arms—possibly for the last time...not even the toughest training of silence could stop him from crying the way he was now. The scent of firewood and fire lilies filled her nose as she cried with him. She wasn't sure if she'd ever get to hug him again, but she squeezed him tight regardless.
"I love you." Screw propriety. Screw timing. If he didn't tell her now. He might never get the chance.
She gasped as she broke away from him."What...what did you say?"
Might as well say it as many times as possible before the possible end."I said I love you. I need you to know… Whatever happens, I'll always love you."
She looked him in the eyes, smiling with crinkled eyes. "I love you too, Zuko." That settled it. There was no way he would let anything ever harm this girl.
Azula held her finger tips in, as the scorching blue lightning formed on them. A sinister smile appeared on her face as she released it.
Zuko didn't even hesitate to move. He couldn't.
The lightning was aiming straight towards him, but a flash of soft blue made its way in front of him before he could protest.
"NO!"
The light from the bolt seized Katara's body as she twitched from the excruciating pain. With a small cry, she fell into a small heap in the middle of the arena.
Zuko ran so fast that he didn't even remember breathing. He flipped Katara over and gasped.
Scorch marks covered most of her chest and face, while most of her sarashi was burned, shreds of the remaining cloth covered her burnt skin. The lightning most likely pierced right through her stomach. Tears welled up in his eyes, from despair or anger? Zuko didn't know. He began shaking her, hoping he would get a reaction from her still body.
"Katara. Katara, please...please say something! Anything!"
She slowly opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but only resorted to coughing up dark clumps of blood.
She weakly grasped at her necklace in an attempt to unclasp the pendant.
"Zuko, here...Take it. I want you to have it."
"W-What? No. No way! You can heal yourself, can't you? You'll make it, we just need—"
She gave him a sad smile. "Zuko, we both know I won't. I'm not going to make it. I...I won't."
Zuko clenched his jaw and closed his eyes as his hands trembled. Katara took his hands in hers and squeezed them as hard as she could.
"Damn it, Katara! I had her! Why'd you do that?!"
Katara just stared at him, a sad smile on her face. "You know why." she coughed. "Listen… we don't have much time—I don't have much time left…" The breath from her lungs started to falter. "Just know…I love you… And if anyone's going to bring peace to the world, it's you."
Zuko shook his head, clenching his jaw.
"Katara, I—"
His words stop as her hand reached for his scarred cheek. The tears in her eyes were reflective of his own.
"You'll keep your promises right?"
Zuko was shaking from the deep sobs that wracked his body. He couldn't lose her. It just wasn't possible.
"Y-Yes, of course I will."
"I love you." She repeated, desperately.
"I love you too, Katara. Always."
He kissed her lips and forehead as she smiled one last time.
She was gone.
Murder was a line Zuko didn't cross. However, unlike Aang, he wasn't as naïve to believe that it could never be justified. The world was full of monsters and his sister was one of them.
Sometimes the ends justified the means.
Azula looked gleeful. "Isn't this sweet? Zuzu, you fell for a peasant? How perfectly fitting. A banished prince falling for a savage from a frozen wasteland. I never thought you could shame yourself more. But you always had a knack for proving me wrong."
Zuko wasn't listening. He couldn't.
Noting his silence, she continued. "Awww Zuzu. I didn't mean to strike her, but really, did you honestly expect a future with that witch? She's filthy, just look at her."
Zuko said nothing. No amount of words could voice the anger and resentment he felt. He knew that this was it. He would have to end her.
Zuko threw a bright fist of flames at Azula, causing the princess to draw back a few paces. He stood, letting the electric currents run through his body. He released the lightning, piercing through Azula's shoulder.
The shock on his sisters face wasn't what stopped him. The look of fear was. In all his life, the one thing Azula never was, was afraid.
He couldn't do it. As much as his sister deserved to die, he just couldn't—because even after everything, at the end of the day, she was still his sister.
He briefly wondered if Katara would be disappointed in him.
Without looking at her face. he dragged a barely conscious Azula and used the chains near the palace columns to keep her contained.
As the sages declared Zuko the winner of the duel, he only had one thing on his mind—rage.