Inner Fire - ATLA fanfic

The Kemurikage

"Azula..." Zira muttered, staring at the masked figure in shock 

Zuko raised his fists, glaring "We know that's you, Azula! Tell your friends to let Kiyi go!" 

Azula didn't reply, sending bolts of lightning at her brother 

Zuko held his arm out to catch it, sending it away "You know I can redirect anything you--" 

Azula shot another bolt at her brother, hitting him. 

"Zuko!" Zira and Aang cried, Aang using his airbending to soften Zuko's landing as he crashed against a wall. 

"You hurt?" Shai asked, helping him up

"I'm okay...she's gotten strong again..." Zuko muttered, holding his side as the Kyoshi Warriors took off after Azula.

"Oh no, you don't!" Suki jumped to grab her 

Azula tried to send a bolt of lightning at her, but Suki ducked and swung her fan down. 

Azula jumped out of the way only to almost get chi blocked by Ty Lee. 

She dodged and slapped the bubbly girl, before using her fire to rocket herself into the air. 

She landed next to her friends on the roof before disappearing in a puff of smoke. 

 "No...No...NO!" Zira fell to her knees, punching the ground in anger 

Ursa and Noren then came rushing outside 

"They took her, didn't they? They took my baby?" Ursa's eyes filled with tears 

Zuko bowed his head at his mother "I'm sorry" 

Ursa began to cry and Noren embraced her. Over his shoulder, she saw Zira still knelt on the floor. Her fists clenched and her eyes shut tightly with tears. 

"Azira!" Ursa quickly ran to her, hugging her tightly "Oh thank goodness! Are you alright? Are you hurt? What were you thinking?! Trying to fight them like that?! You could've been--" 

"Enough!" Zira snapped, ripping away from her mother "Enough! Enough! Enough! Just give it a rest already!" 

"Azira, what are you--?" 

"This is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about! The constant worrying and treating me like I'm helpless! I'm sorry, but I just can't take it anymore! Kiyi just got kidnapped and your fretting over me?! Because I tried to help protect my sister?! And it's not just now, you've been freaking out and worry over the smallest things ever since you got your memories back! Riding the dolphin fish with Kiyi and Aang -- you freaked out! Helping fight against a group of thugs-- you freaked out! Going away with my friends-- you freaked out! You don't fret over Zuko like this, so why me?!" 

"Because, besides Kiyi, you're still my baby. My Little Azira" Ursa replied

"Well, I'm not anymore! I'm not a baby and I'm not little! You may not like it, mother, but while you were gone I grew up! I'm not that 7-year old child who clung to your side every day, or who you sang to sleep every night! I am a firebending master now! I helped the Avatar end the hundred-year war! I even helped take down an entire fleet of Fire Nation airships! I'm not a baby anymore, mother, so would you please stop treating me like one!"  

Zira turned and ran back inside, leaving her mother staring after her still knelt on the floor. 

*

The next morning, Zira stood in the throne room with Aang, Shai and Zuko, hearing a report of the events the previous night. 

"There were four more kidnappings last night, including Kiyi. That makes a total of thirteen" Shai explained "Our citizens are so frightened that many are planning to leave the city before sundown"