Loyal (Male!Azula X OC)

9: The Crossroads of Destiny

Azulaan and I slid down the earthen tunnel follows by two Dai Li agents. Azulaan advanced towards Zuko until the now rock crystal encased Iroh was directly between them. "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, Prince Zuko...you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?"

"Release him immediately!" Zuko shouted.

"It's not too late for you Zuko," Azulaan said, offering a hand. "You can still redeem yourself."

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you," Iroh said.

"Why don't you let him decide, himself?" I snapped at the old man.

"I need you Zuko," Azulaan said. "I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want."

"Zuko," Iroh pleaded. "I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."

Zuko looks back at Iroh, clearly unsure of whom to listen to. He shut his eyes and hung his head, trying to come to a decision.

"You are free to choose."Azulaan waved a hand to the Dai Li agents, signaling them to leave. Both earthbent a stone cube under their feet and slid back up the ramp. Azula and I departed through a tunnel in the wall.

At the end of the tunnel was a waterfall and on the other side of that was Katara and Avatar Aang.

A stream of blue fire rocketed toward Aang and Katara from behind. Aang quickly turned around and earthbent a wall of stone to protect them. The fire hits the wall with great force, knocking Aang back. Azulaan's finger tips were still smoking from the attack when Katara ran around the smoldering wall and bent the water in the channel.

She charged at Azulaan and brought the water crashing down on us. Azulaan and I deflected the attack with a short blast of fire that quickly evaporated the water. Katara kept her momentum and spun the water around her, smashing it into the floor and creating a large wave.

Azulaan stomped the ground and flung his hands out, making a wall of fire that evaporated the wave coming at us. The resulting steam hid us from thier view.

A moment later, Azulaan jumped out of the steam from one of the larger crystals high above in time with me on the other side. He sent a ball of flames toward Aang and I the same to Katara. Both were extinguished by the shield of water Katara had bent over them.

Azulaan and I landed on a piece of rock jutting out from one of the large columns, grabbing each other's wrists in sync to keep us both up right. Suddenly, the rock was destroyed beneath our feet. Azulaan gasped and we dropped down between Aang and Katara, both of us taking defensive positions. Azulaan glanced to me almost nervously as we stood waiting for their next move.

Suddenly, a blast of red fire landed between Aang and Azulaan. We shielded themselves from the blast and turned towards the new opponent. Zuko was wearing a simple brown shirt and brown pants, having shed his earth kingdom robes. Zuko drew closer to us, poised in his firebending stance. He looked to Azulaan, who gazed back at him harshly. Zuko then looked to Aang.

The airbender gasped just before Zuko punched forward, shooting a fire ball at him. Aang reacted just in time and protected himself by airbending a spiral of wind around his body. He jumped back to gain distance as the flame is dispersed.