What If? (Zutara)

Chapter 2: Confrontation

        Aang was worried, he had left Guru Pathik since he had had a vision in which Katara was in trouble and he had gotten Sokka along with him. They were close, he could see the walls of Ba Sing Se in the distance. "So what kind of trouble is Katara in?" Asked Sokka. "I don't know. In my vision, I just knew she needed help." He replied. 

"It would be nice if your Avatar powers could be just a little more specific from time to time." Sokka said accusingly. They heard rumbling in the distance. "What is that?" Sokka asked, pointing at a fast moving 'thing'. 

Aang pulled on Appa's reins to follow the 'thing'. As they got closer, they realised it was just Toph earthbending her way to Ba Sing Se. "Need a ride?" Sokka asked smirking as they levelled themselves next to her, matching her speed. 

Either she had tried to stop and failed, or she was surprised to hear Sokka's voice out of nowhere. Either way she yelped and ended up flying back pretty far, due to surprise and speed. 

"Ooh!" Said Sokka and Aang in unison, as they grimaced.

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        Meanwhile, Azula was concocting her master plan. She was giving a speech to the Dai Li at the very moment.

 "The Earth king and the Council of Five do not trust the Dai Li. They imprisoned your leader, Long Feng. Soon they will turn on all of you and eliminate you. Seizing power today is a matter of life and death. This coup must be swift and decisive. The Earth king and each of the five generals must be taken out simultaneously. Long Feng has placed you in my command while we overthrow the government. If I sense any disloyalty, any hesitation, any weakness at all," she paused looking at an agent, "I will snuff it out." 

The agent in front of her had a scar on the right side of his face, only it wasn't a burn like her dear brother's. Speaking of her brother, she needed to come up with a plan to capture him.   She walked back to the platform, turned around to look at all those assembled and said, "That is all."

Azula watched as the Dai Li agents dispersed, they were a powerful and loyal group of fighters, but she knew that there were still a few loose ends that had to be mended.

"Nice speech, Azula." Ty Lee complimented as she poured a cup of tea and handed it to Azula, "It was pretty and poetic, but also scary in a good way."

"Yeah, I thought you were gonna make that one guy pee his pants." Mai added.

"There are still a few loose ends. The Avatar....and my brother and uncle." Azula remarked.

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          -Meanwhile-

 "Many times I imagined myself here. At the threshold of the palace. But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror. Instead, we are the Earth king's personal guests. Here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing." Iroh told Zuko as he smiled.

"It sure is, uncle." Zuko said, as he returned the smile.

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        "So how did it go with the Guru?" asked Toph, as she clung to Sokka's arm, "Did you master the Avatar State?" 

The three were headed to Ba Sing Se, and after the little accident with Toph they had helped her get back on her feet and on Appa. Though she said she was capable of doing so herself Aang and Sokka, to her great annoyance, helped her onto Appa as she grumbled. Ever since then she had been holding Sokka's arm, like she was glued to it.

"Uhh..." Aang looked away in deep thought.

~Flashback~ 

"If you leave now, you won't be able to go into the Avatar State at all!"  

                                                                                                -Guru Pathik  

~End of Flashback~

"Aang, are you OK?" Sokka asked, he hadn't replied for over two minutes now. And yes, he was counting. 

"I am great, it went great with the Guru. I completely mastered the Avatar State."  Aang laughed nervously. "Yeah," he said looking away again in regret.

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     -Back at the palace-

Iroh poured some tea into a cup. 

"What is taking so long?" Zuko grumbled, his patience withering away slowly.

"Maybe the Earth King overslept." Iroh replied.

He knew that his nephew was impatient, so telling him to have patience would just infuriate Zuko. Even if he wanted to, he would have been unable to say that, because, as he had finished his sentence the Dai Li entered. 

"Something's not right." Zuko told Iroh, as the Dai Li surrounded them.

"It's tea-time." 

The very voice set off alarm bells in both their minds. It was that cold, manipulating voice. The person who the voice belonged too, walked in.

"Azula!" Zuko exclaimed in anger.

"Have you met the Dai Li?" Azula asked as she cocked her head to the side, "They're Earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that's so Firebender. I just love it."

"Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname "The Dragon of The West" ?" Iroh asked.

"I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, uncle."

"It's more of a demonstration, really." he replied, as he sipped his tea.

 Zuko smirked. They immediately locked hands, and Zuko stood behind his uncle, as Iroh opened his mouth wide and blew fire as he turned in a circle at the Dai Li surrounding them. Zuko blasted a hole in the wall using his bending and Iroh kept spewing fire till they made it out. They ran and the Dai Li followed them attacking. They barely missed the shots aimed at them. Iroh bent lightening at the wall and jumped, he landed on bush sculpted as a bear. 

He looked up at Zuko and said, "Come on, you'll be fine!" 

"No. I am tired of running. It's time I faced Azula." Zuko said and turned back.

Iroh brought his hand to his forehead and smacked himself. Leave it to his nephew to be the hero, all noble and honorable, at the worst of times. Sometimes, Zuko was too hotheaded and stubborn for his own good. He got up and made his way out, it wouldn't help if both of them got caught. And all this would have been for nothing.