ATLA: Azlua

Agni Kai

"Zuko, we were supposed to do this together! She killed both my father and brother! This is my fight too!" Katara shouts, her voice boiling with rage.

"Mai. Ty Lee. Handle the girl," Azula commands, discarding her ceremonial guard as she strides forward.

"Take care of those two first, then help me," Zuko says, taking a defensive stance.

Mai and Ty Lee sprint towards Katara. Mai launches stilettos at her, which Katara dodges by running to the side of the courtyard and using the water from her pouch to deflect the incoming knives.

Azula takes a deep breath, letting the energy of Sozin's Comet empower her. "I have always been stronger than you, Zuzu. Now with Sozin's Comet, your chances of winning are zero. For Mai's sake, surrender and I can place you under house arrest. I'll talk to father, but this is your last chance, Zuzu," Azula says.

Zuko pauses, taking a deep breath of his own. "It's too late for that. Accepting would betray everything I've changed about myself. This is the only way!" Zuko declares, launching a barrel of fire towards Azula.

Azula walks confidently towards it, presses her hands together, and parts the flames, then quickly sends three bursts of blue flames towards Zuko. He dodges one, flips, and sends a wave of flame to disrupt the others.

"I admit, you've gotten stronger, Zuzu. But that still didn't stop me from killing your friend, Sokka, was it?" Azula taunts, leaping up and sending a vertical flame kick downwards.

Zuko grits his teeth, knowing she is trying to provoke him, and splits the flame down the middle, scattering it.

"You watched him die, are you going to watch her die too? Uncle's pep talks won't work this time, especially with him dead in Ba Sing Se," Azula sneers, circling Zuko.

"How do you—!?" Zuko begins, shocked.

"You think I took all my Dai Li agents with me? All it took was a fire hawk to warn me about an army stationed outside the walls. I've already redirected our forces to Ba Sing Se. They won't kill him, but it will buy enough time for father to get there and burn it to the ground," Azula says, launching fireballs at him.

"That won't happen!" Zuko shouts, charging forward while sending wide arcs of flame towards Azula.

Mai throws four more blades towards Katara, who easily blocks them but is almost chi-blocked by Ty Lee, who moves in to strike. Mai and Ty Lee dodge water whips, with Mai attacking from a distance and Ty Lee pressuring Katara up close.

"How long do you think you can keep this up? I mean, I have great stamina; how about you?" Ty Lee taunts, her kick turning into ice as Katara counters.

Katara moves to strike, but then gives up the attack to block a dagger thrown by Mai. Mai quickly throws another dagger at the ice around Ty Lee's ankle, breaking it.

"How can you fight for her!? She's awful; do you really think this ends well for you two?" Katara challenges.

"That should be our question. Do honestly think Zuko can beat Azula? She's a firebending master. If you wanted to beat us, you should have brought Iroh or an army," Mai retorts, taking cover behind a pillar.

"Besides, Azula is super scary! We'd never risk facing her wrath," Ty Lee laughs as she tries to chi-block but is grabbed by a tendril of water and thrown across the courtyard.

Mai moves from pillar to pillar before noticing the water running under the grates below her. Her eyes widen, but she still manages to dodge an ice pillar. Katara uses the water to form a circle of water with tendrils around her.

Azula grips her fist and forms a fire dagger, using fire propulsion to race towards Zuko. Zuko takes a breath and uses the dragon dance technique to launch powerful bursts of flame at Azula. Azula uses short bursts of flame to change her direction and dodge. She flips out of her propulsion and launches a spiral of blue flames towards Zuko. Following his technique, Zuko does the same. Red and blue flames collide, fan out, and the red flames push past the blue, driving towards Azula.

Azula's eyes widen in shock, yet she swiftly regains her composure and conjures a firewall. The intense heat of Zuko's attack pushes her back, but she manages to roll and land gracefully on her feet.

Zuko, seizing the moment, glances back and sees Katara gaining the upper hand against Mai and Ty Lee.

"What's the matter, Azula? No lightning? Afraid I'll redirect it?" Zuko taunts, his voice echoing across the courtyard.

Azula grits her teeth in fury, noticing the singed ends of her hair. "He actually overpowered my firebending!" she thinks incredulously.

"Lightning? I'll show you the power of lightning!" Azula retorts, her voice seething with rage as she begins to summon the deadly energy.

Zuko readies himself, adopting the stance to redirect it. Azula, eyes narrowed, spots Katara's defensive posture and, in a split-second decision, shifts her aim to Mai.

Zuko's reaction is immediate; his eyes widen, and he leaps forward, redirecting the lightning through his heart and up towards the sky.

"No!" Katara's scream pierces the air as Zuko collapses.

In the chaos, Ty Lee seizes the opportunity to chi-block Katara. As Katara attempts to counter with a water whip, her movements are halted by an earthen hand, summoned by the Dai Li, pinning her to the wall.

"We had that, you know," Mai remarks coolly as she and Ty Lee face the Dai Li emerging from their cover.

"Apologies, Lady Mai, Ty Lee. Princess Azula has concluded her duel and requests your presence," one agent informs them formally.

They approach Azula, who stands over Zuko, now twitching on the ground with her foot pressed against his chest wound. "Chi-block him, Ty Lee," Azula commands coldly.

Ty Lee complies, and moments later, Katara is dragged over in earth-made handcuffs by the Dai Li.

"Undo the chi-block, Ty Lee. You, Katara—was it?—heal him," Azula orders, turning to address the Dai Li agents. "And let no one speak of this. Or else."

Tears mingle with defiance on Katara's face as she kneels to heal Zuko, her eyes locked on Azula, burning with the promise of vengeance. "Just wait...one day...I will have my revenge," she whispers fiercely.

Azula dismisses them with a wave. "Take her to the prison below the Fire Palace."

Zuko, slowly regaining consciousness, coughs and rasps, "Why am I alive?"

"You're not, not to the world. Everyone will believe you died today, along with your friend," Azula reveals, her voice devoid of warmth. "As a reward for Mai's loyalty, you're left in her care. Mai, Ty Lee, you will secretly relocate to Molten Island. Wait there with a few Dai Li agents until I summon you. Zuzu, do not make me regret this leniency," she warns.

Mai bows, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Thank you for your mercy, Azula."

"I must now join our father at Ba Sing Se. He will want to hear of your demise," Azula says, turning to leave but pausing as Zuko's weak voice catches her attention.

"Father is dead. I'm sure the Avatar has already defeated him," Zuko murmurs before losing consciousness.

Azula's smirk fades for a moment, replaced by a calculated smile as she propels herself into the air, her mind racing with the implications of Zuko's words.