Avatar Katara

The Crossroads of Destiny

A/N WHOA! It feels like yesterday I was daydreaming about writing the Siege of the North. From here on out, I'm deviating a little from canon. Just a little :) This ends on a much happier note than the canon ending.

"What kind of trouble is Sokka in?" Rina asked as Sang flew overhead.

"I don't know. In my vision, I just knew he needed help."

"Huh. It would be a little nicer if your Avatar powers could be a little clearer." Then she started when they heard a rumbling noise. "What's that?"

Toph was racing by on a mound of earth.

Rina leaned down. "Need a ride?"

---

"The Earth King and the Council of Five do not trust the Dai Li," Azula said as she stood on a pedestal before the Dai Li. "They imprisoned your leader, Long Feng. Soon they will turn on all of you, and eliminate you. Seizing power is a matter of life and death."

She stepped closer to the agents. "The coup must be swift and decisive. The Earth King, and each of his five generals, must be taken out simultaneously. Long Feng has placed me in command while we overthrow the government. If I sense any disloyalty, any hesitation, any weakness, I will snuff it out. That is all."

The Dai Li nervously walked away.

"Nice speech, Azula," Ty Lee complimented. "It was pretty and poetic, but also scary in a good way."

Mai nodded. "Yeah, I thought that one guy was going to pee his pants."

Azula smiled. "There are still a few loose ends. The Avatar. My brother. My uncle."

---

"Many times I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace," Iroh sighed, holding his tea box. "But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror. Instead, we are here as the Earth King's personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing."

"It sure is, Uncle."

Iroh noticed the sad tone in his voice.

---

"So how did it go with the guru?" Toph asked. "Did you master the Avatar State?"

Katara laughed awkwardly. Yeah, she'd just lost the Avatar State as a fallback. "I'm great. It went great. Completely mastered the Avatar State."

---

"What's taking so long?" Zuko whispered as they sat patiently at the table.

"Maybe the Earth King overslept."

Or maybe...

Dai Li agents surrounded them, Azula in the lead. "It's tea time," she mocked.

Zuko wasn't even surprised. "Azula."

Azula sneered. "Have you met the Dai Li? They're earthbenders, but they've got this killer instinct that's just so firebender, I love it!"

Iroh narrowed his eyes. "Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname 'the Dragon of the West?'"

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

"It's actually more of a demonstration."

Zuko smirked and ducked just as Iroh unleashed a massive blast of fire from his mouth. The agents raised their rock gloves to protect themselves, and Zuko and Iroh raced down the hall.

Iroh broke through a wall with a bolt of lightning and jumped. "Come on!" he yelled.

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "No! I'm done running. It's time I face Azula."