Fuel To My Fire - Book Three (ATLA Zuko Fanfiction)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Sakari's POV

The Agni Kai started with Zuko and Azula at opposite ends of the courtyard, facing away from each other on their knees before standing to face each other.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother." Azula said, sloppily removing her cloak.

"No need to lie." Zuko retorted.

The first "punch" was thrown by Azula, sending blue flames at her brother, but Zuko blocked it and the two fires collided in the center. Twirling together until they disappeared, then Azula sent a few kicks at Zuko, but he blocked them, sending flames back at his sister. The two continued to send huge bursts of fire at each other until Azula was panting, but Zuko's breathing was completely under control. He shot a huge, flaming hot blast at Azula who dodged it just in time and began charging at Zuko, sending fire blasts at him. The fight was incredible to watch, and then I witnessed Zuko do something that threw Azula off completely. He used an Airbending move to shoot a stream of fire towards Azula, knocking her to the ground.

"No lightning today?" Zuko taunted. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"

"Oh, I'll show you lightning!" Azula yelled.

She began waving her arms around, generating her lightning, while Zuko got ready to redirect it. But at the last second, Azula changed its path and sent the lightning directly at me. I didn't have time to try and redirect it, or jump out of the way, and I stood there frozen. Waiting for the lightning to hit, but it never did. I watched in horror as Zuko jumped in front of me and tried to redirect the lightning, it shot out into the sky but Zuko was still groaning on the ground.

"Zuko!" I screamed, running towards him.

My path was blocked by another burst of lightning from Azula, who laughed evilly and came towards me looking extremely unbalanced. Azula immediately began shooting fire and lightning at me, so quicky that I couldn't regain my composure to attack her back, until she stopped on top of a roof.

"I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zu-zu, if you don't mind." Azula said, generating her lightning.

This was my chance. I stood in a Waterbending stance to make her think I was going to defend myself with water, but at the last second I changed my stance and took the lightning in my hand, feeding it through my body and out of my other hand. It landed where Azula had been standing, but she dodged before it hit her, I followed this up with a few huge fireballs, which she blocked with her own.

"What is this?!" She screamed at me.

I didn't answer, only smirked at her through the flames before bending sharp icicles at her and following that up with a huge burst of fire. One of the icicles managed to lodge itself in Azula's arm before it melted, but she was able to split the fire around her.

"Why don't you come down here and fight me properly?!" I shouted at her. "You're not scared of me, are you?"

Azula glared at me but jumped down from the roof, against her better judgement, anyway. Before her feet had even hit the ground, I started throwing fire, water, and ice at her, giving her no chance to attack me. That was until she began aiming for Zuko, she obviously knew I would have to stop attacking her to defend Zuko, and that's when she took her shot. She shot a very precise ball of fire towards me, that I managed to block enough that it didn't burn me, but not enough that it didn't throw me back into a pillar. I fell to the ground in pain and looked up to see Azula charging her lightning, I summoned every ounce of strength I could to lift myself off the ground and dodge her attack. I landed behind the pillar next to the one I had hit and noticed some water below a metal grate, I had an idea.

"There you are Water Tribe peasant!" Azula yelled from behind me.

I backed away from her until she was standing over the grate and quickly pulled a huge bubble of water up from beneath it, trapping Azula and lifting her into the air. With one hand I kept the bubble floating in the air, and with the other I generated a small amount of lightning and shot it at the bubble. It electrocuted Azula enough to weaken her, just as I had planned, then I let the bubble and Azula drop to the grate. Azula was weaker, but she still tried to get up and fight, so I quickly grabbed some chains and brought the water upwards again, freezing it around us both. I blew out from my nose and melted only the ice that was around me, then I floated around Azula, chaining her hands together and then to the grate before I let the ice melt again. I made sure Azula was secure before rushing over to Zuko and rolling him onto his back so that I could heal the wound on his stomach.

"Thank you, Sakari." Zuko said weakly through a small smile.

"You're the one that saved me." I stated, wiping a few tears from my eyes. "I think I should be thanking you."

I leaned down and gave Zuko a deep kiss before helping him to his feet and helping him walk over to his sister. Azula was shooting fire from her mouth while screaming and crying, then she started rolling around on the grate, still screaming, it was truly painful to watch. I felt slightly faint again as Sozin's Comet disappeared into the horizon but pushed through the feeling as I had Zuko leaning on me for balance. We had won. I wonder how the others were doing.

*****

Aang, Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Suki had met up with us at the palace late in the night to announce that Aang had defeated Ozai and taken away his Firebending. Zuko and I hadn't been able to sleep until we heard, so we had sat out the front of the palace waiting for them for what seemed like hours. But now, it was morning, and I was on my way to see Zuko before his coronation to find that he was struggling to get dressed because of his injury.

"Need some help with that?" I giggled, approaching him and helping him with his robes.

"Thanks, Ri." He said with a smile before pulling me into his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too, Zu." I replied, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into a deep, loving kiss. "Now, how about we get you coronated."

I placed my arm in Zuko's and led him out to where Aang was waiting for him, next to the curtain that led out to the courtyard.

"I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down." Zuko said to Aang.

"And now we're friends." Aang replied happily.

"Yeah. We are." Zuko agreed.

"I can't believe a year ago I was frozen in a block of ice." Aang stated, standing to face us. "The world's so different now."

"And it's gonna be even more different." Zuko told Aang. "We'll rebuild it together."

"You guys are adorable." I stated as they embraced in a hug.

We all stepped out to a courtyard full of people from every nation, Zuko stepped forward and the crowd starting cheering like crazy.

"Please." Zuko said, raising his arm to quieten them. "The real hero is the Avatar."

This was Aang's cue to step forward with Zuko, while I watched from behind them, the crowd went crazy again and I clapped from behind them.

"Today, this war is finally over!" Zuko announced. "I promised my uncle that I would restore the honour of the Fire Nation, and I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path, and begin a new era of love and peace."

Once Zuko had finished his speech he kneeled and one of the Fire Sages stepped forward with the Royal crown headpiece thing... Whatever the hell it was.

"All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" He announced as he placed it in Zuko's hair.

Zuko stood and walked closer to the crowd with Aang, waving at everyone like a true Fire Lord would. Then he turned his head back to me and held out his hand, indicating for me to step forward with him. I was shocked but took his hand in mine and stood proudly on Zuko's left side, earning more cheers from the crowd. From that moment I knew that I would love Zuko forever, I would be by his side for the rest of my life, he would forever be the fuel to my fire.