Fire and Aether

Chapter 42: Sozin's Comet Part 3: Into the Inferno

    The comet roared across the sky, a harbinger of doom for those that opposed the Fire Nation.
    Zuko was worried as he prepared to fight his sister, not because of Azula, but because he worried about Rose, if she was ok, and if she'd be in time to stop his father, as well as his worries of what would come next for them when this was all over.
                        * * * * *
   Azula sat in a chair, being pampered by servants as they prepared her for her coronation. As she ate a cherry, she heard a crunching sound and spit out a seed. Holding it towards the servant girl who was serving her the cherries, she asked, "What am I holding?"
    "A cherry pit, Princess."
    "Correct. And what day is this?"
    "It is the day of your coronation."
    "Yes, it is. So please, tell me why, on the most important day of my life, you decided to leave a pit in my cherry?"
    "It wasn't a decision, it was just a small mistake."
    "Small? Do you realize what could have happened if I hadn't sensed the pit in time?"
    "I suppose you could've choked?"
    "Yes, then you understand the severity of your crime."
    The servant girl bowed low. "I understand, Princess. Please, forgive me."
    Azula sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, very well. Since it is a special day I will show mercy. You are banished. Leave this palace immediately."
   The servant girl did as asked. The rest looked at Azula in surprise and she reprimanded them.
    They wondered then what was wrong with her.   
                         * * * * *
   Azula sat on the throne as the Dai Li arrived. "You sent for us, Princess? Is everything alright?"
    "Actually, everything's not alright." Azula said. "Do you know how long it took you to get here?"
    "Uh...a few minutes I guess."
    "Five to be precise--in which time an assassin could have snuck in, done away with me, and been on his merry way."
    "My apologies, Princess."
    "Is this how you plan to treat your new Fire Lord--with tardiness and disloyalty?"
    "The Dai Li would never betray you."
    "And I'm sure that's just what you told Long Feng before you turned against him and joined me. You're all banished!"
    "But--"
    "Goodbye! Please send in the next group on your way out." Azula frowned.
                        * * * * *
    Sokka, Suki, and Toph snuck onto one of the airships. Toph attacked the crew with metal bending, defeating them easily. Afterwards, Suki took control of the ship. They flew the ship close to the water and dumped the rest of the crew into it. With that, they headed after the Fire Lord.
                         * * * * *
   Azula sat on the throne, a bored expression on her face. She had banished practically everyone from the palace, servants, soldiers, and the like. That's when the two old ladies that occasionally popped up when the mood struck them walked in.
    "Azula, why have you banished all your servants, all your Dai Li agents, and the Imperial Firebenders?"
    "None of them could be trusted. Sooner or later they all would have betrayed me--just like Mai and Ty Lee did."
    "Azula, we are concerned for you and your well-being."
    Azula raised an angry eyebrow, snarling. "My father asked you to come here and talk to me didn't he? He thinks I can't handle the responsibility of being Fire Lord. Or those bitchy witches perhaps? They think they can do whatever they want? Turn my father against me just as they have been doing to everyone else? But I will be the greatest leader in Fire Nation history."
    "I'm sure you will. But, considering everything that's happened today...perhaps it's best if you postpone your coronation."
    Azula turned around in a split second. "What? Which one of you just said that?" They pointed at each other. "What a shame! There's only one way to resolve this. You two must duel each other. I order you to fight an Agni Kai."
    "But...we're not firebenders."
    "Alright. Fine. You're banished."
    They wondered then if Azula had gone mad.
                           * * * * *
    The Order of the White Lotus stood at the ready. "Ba Sing Se, the Order of the White Lotus is here." Bumi said.
    "Here to set you free."
    Iroh stood at the front. "Only once every hundred years, can a firebender experience this kind of power."
    Iroh took a deep breath, creating a circle of fire with that small movement, then he moved forward, sending the fire to attack the Fire Nation. Bumi used earthbending to propel the Order forward. Pakku sent a wall of water towards the firebenders and he and Piandao went skating across it as it turned to ice, the latter knocking the firebenders down. Jeong Jeong sent firebenders Fire back to them in large amounts while Aurora sent energy blasts towards any who tried to move against the men while their backs were turned.
    The rest of the Order moved in...
                      * * * * *
    Azula stood at her vanity, trying to prepare herself for her coronation as all her servants were gone. She tied up her hair, angry when errant strands hung in her face. Grabbing a pair of scissors, she cut her bangs, making a mess of her hair.
    Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. "What a shame. You always had such beautiful hair."
    In the reflection of the mirror, she saw her mother who had long since disappeared. "What are you doing here?"
    "I didn't want to miss my own daughter's coronation."
    "Don't pretend to act proud. I know what you really think of me. You think I'm a monster."
    "I think you're confused. All your life you've used fear to control people. Like your friends, Mai and Ty Lee."
    "Well what choice do I have?" Azula burst out, turning away from the mirror. "Trust is for fools. Fear is the only reliable way. Even you fear me."
    "No, I love you, Azula. I do."
    Azula lost it then, throwing her hairbrush at the mirror so that it shattered. She collapsed to the floor, sobbing.
                         * * * * *
    Ozai began to torch the land as he arrived where Rose and Aang were waiting for him. "This is it." Rose said. "Time to go, Crystal. I'll let you know if I need you."
    The small dragon cooed sadly then disappeared into the sky. With that, Rose took a deep breath and began earthbending, sending rocks flying at the lead airship, causing damage, before she used firebending to cause more damage to his ship.
   Ozai looked to the teenage girl and immediately attacked. They stood on separate rocks, Ozai joined by Malvina and Ambrosia, Rose with Aang beside her.
   Ozai finally spoke. "After generations of Fire Lords failed to find you, now the universe delivers you to me as an act of providence."
    Rose was quiet, taking a deep breath before she spoke strongly, "Please listen to me. We don't have to fight." She gave him a sad look. "You have the power yourself to end it here and now and stop what you're doing."
    "You are right. I do have the power. I have all the power in the world!"
    He roared, fire spreading from his hands and mouth. Rose took a defensive stance. "Then you leave me no choice."
    Ozai nodded to the two witches. With that, the fight began.
                         * * * * *
    Sokka cheered as he saw Rose had returned. Yet, they had a bigger problem: stopping the airships which had already started to scorch the earth. Sokka came up with a plan in which he used the airship they'd stolen to plow through the rest of them. During the fight, he and Toph were separated from Suki. He then covered Toph as the airships began to explode.
                      * * * * *
    Azula knelt in the throne room as the Fire Sages gathered around her, the symbol of the Fire Lord (like their crown) in the head Fire Sage's hands. "By decree of the Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lord--"
    Here, he paused.
    Azula turned her steely gaze to him. "What are you waiting for? Do it!" She commanded.
   Appa landed with the big thud before them. Zuko stood. "Sorry, but you're not gonna become Fire Lord today." He jumped from the sky bison and stood tall and proud. "I am."
    Azula burst into maniacal giggles. "You're hilarious!"
    Katara took her place beside Zuko. "And you're going down."
    Azula waved off the Fire Sages. "Wait. You want to be Fire Lord? Fine, let's settle this. Just you and me, brother, the showdown that was always meant to be--Agni Kai!"
    "You're on." Zuko said.
    Katara gave him a worried look as Azula smirked. "What are you doing? She's playing you. She knows she can't take us both, so she's trying to separate us."
    "I know, but I can take her this time."
    "But even you admitted to your uncle that you would need help facing Azula. What will happen if you don't make it? How will Rose feel?"
    "I'll be OK. There's something off about Azula. I can't explain it, but she's slipping. And, this way, no one else has to get hurt."
     Zuko nodded to Azula and the pair of siblings headed out to the training field for their final showdown. They took their spots, Azula removing her fancy cloak with the least amount of grace she had since childhood.
    "I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother."
    "No, you're not."
    Their fight began then, red fire facing up against blue.
                     * * * * *
    Malvina and Ambrosia attacked Aang, their magic combining to be set directly towards him. He dodged and parried, his airbending acting as a protective barrier as he fought back.
    Rose and Ozai immediately attacked one another with fire. As Ozai sent his second blast her way, Rose erected a shield around herself. The fire bounced off her shield and headed back to Ozai who ducked.
    She used her terrain to her advantage, throwing rocks Ozai's way and using the water from the falls to attack him. Then she went on the defense and used Toph's method of using rock as armor.
    As Ozai lightningbended, Rose used her shield to deflect it and push it away from her. The lightning struck Ambrosia who fell onto one of the rock formations.
   Malvina growled in anger and checked on her sister. Finding her still alive, she commanded, "You're out of the fight."
    "But, sister, I can--"
    "Silence! I won't risk your life again."
    With a spell, she sent Ambrosia away. Anger clear on her face, she turned to Aang. "Very clever of your friend to use our own magic against us. Even so, you'll pay for that."
    She sent a spell Aang's way and he got knocked into a mountainside.
    "Aang!" Rose called.
    "I'm OK, sis." He assured her. "Watch out!"
    Ozai had sent another round of lightning at Rose. Rose caught it but couldn't bring herself to send it back to Ozai. Instead, she sent it back to the sky. This, however, weakened her and caused her to be thrown off a cliff into the water below. She caught herself with waterbending and watched helplessly as Ozai swiftly approached.
                       * * * * *
    Azula became more and more frustrated as her brother met her blow for blow, causing the palace to be engulfed in flames.
    "No lightning today?" Zuko teased. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"
    "Oh, I'll show you lightning!"
    Azula conjured up lightning, deciding at the last minute to send it at Katara. Zuko realized a split second after and ran, absorbing the blow and falling to the ground.
   Katara ran towards him, Azula shooting lightning at her. Raising his voice, Zuko shouted, "Tell Rose I'm sorry."
   Azula moved in for the kill.