Avatar Katara

Sozin's Comet: Into the Inferno

"Zuko, we can take out Azula," Rina said. She remembered the last bison trip she'd taken alone with Zuko. How much had changed.

"I'm not worried about Azula," Zuko said. "I'm worried about Katara. What if she can't defeat my father?"

"Hey, Katara's awesome and powerful. She can do it. Have faith in your not-girlfriend."

"You know Rina, thanks to you, I'm starting to learn what it's like to have a little sister that doesn't want to kill me."

---

Handmaidens scrubbed Azula's feet, brushed her hair, and one fed her cherries. Azula bit into a cherry and then her eyes widened as she spat something out. "What am I holding?"

The handmaiden holding the bowl of cherries swallowed with fright. "A cherry pit, Princess."

"Correct. And what day is it?"

"It is the day of your coronation."

"Yes. So please tell me why on the most important day of my life you have decided to leave a pit in my cherry?"

"I-it wasn't a decision. It was a small mistake."

"Small? Do you not realize what could have happened if I had not sensed that pit in time?" The other handmaidens looked at the one with the cherries in concern.

"I suppose you could have...choked?"

"Yes. Then I suppose you understand the severity of your crime."

The handmaiden bowed. "I understand, Princess. Please forgive me."

"Oh very well. Since this is a special day, I suppose I'll have mercy." It was a special day, after all? Normally Azula would have had the girl executed for attempted murder, but she'd just throw her in jail.

No...any ordinary guard could throw someone in jail. She thought of a punishment only the Fire Lord could order. "You are banished. Leave this palace immediately." The handmaidens gaped as the one with the cherries left, and Azula scowled. "What are you looking at? I have two feet that need scrubbing! And make sure you get between the toes. I won't have my first day as Fire Lord marred by poor foot hygiene."

---

"It's weird to say, but the comet actually looks beautiful," Suki remarked as she looked at the comet in the red sky.

Toph shrugged. "Too bad the Fire Lord's about to use it to destroy the world."

The eel-hounds climbed up the hill to Ozai's airship base and Sokka gasped. "We're too late! The fleet's already taken off!"

Toph narrowed her eyes. "Then we're taking off too. Where's the nearest airship?"

Suki scanned the airships. "It's right-"

Toph catapulted the trio into the air and they landed on an airship's catwalk. They climbed up into the main body of the airship, looking worriedly at the ship in the front, where Phoenix King Ozai was about to rain destruction down on the Earth Kingdom.

---

The Dai Li agents knelt. "You sent for us, Princess? Is everything alright?"

Azula scowled. "Everything is not alright! Do you know how long it took to get here?"

"A...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?"