Burnt Out - Zuko x OC

Snuff You Out Pt. 2

Zuko shot a blast of fire toward Aang the same moment that Azula fired off another lightning bolt at Katara. Katara blocked the shot again, but just barely. Kai had to choose now between helping Katara survive and wrangling in Zuko once again.

Kai chose Katara without a second thought about it. Even when every ounce of her being was screaming at her to drag Zuko kicking and screaming back to his senses, she couldn't be the only thing making him choose good over evil. Kai sent a wave of earth hurdling Azula's way, knocking her off of her feet and across the room.

Azula scrambled up again and back into a fighting stance, if only briefly. Katara caught her wrist with a water whip, which was soon broken free by an even larger lasso of flames. Kai followed the flame back to it's master and her eyes fell on Zuko, who was paying her little attention. She realized then that still, even when they were fighting for different sides, the universe was playing it's part. Zuko wasn't choosing evil over good, he was choosing his biological ties. Zuko had chosen his sister. He'd chosen the Fire Nation. He'd chosen his throne. Just like how even though Kai had refused to kill for her father, she still chose to spare his life.

Azula smiled at her brother, a subtle thank you that she'd never offered him before. They switched opponents and Azula took off after Aang, who was crawling out from under a honeycomb of crystals. Aang was growing tired, Kai could tell.

Zuko sent another lasso of fire toward Katara, one that was easily avoidable. It was Katara's voice that snapped Kai out of her tunnel vision like thoughts.

"I thought you'd changed!" Katara yelled as she dodged the flames.

"I have changed!" He bellowed back, both arms now engulfed in heat.

Kai shook her head slowly as she drew her blades from over her shoulder. The slicing of metal that usually made her heart race with excitement now made her wince at the battle she was about to engage in. She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, anticipating the next few moves that Zuko was about to make. And when she felt the slight stumble in his step, courtesy of Katara's water bending, she took off.

Kai darted toward her former sparring partner and sent one of her blades barreling straight for him. He dodged it by a hair and in doing so, his slight stumble turned into a full blown fall. Zuko caught himself on the heels of his hands and sprung back to his feet.

She knew that he wouldn't use his fire bending on her. It was unspoken but the only thing that she was still sure about. Her blade came back to her all on its own, thanks to the stone handles, and she returned both of them to their homes. Zuko avoided her first leg sweep but felt the wind forced out of his lungs as her fist met his ribs. Her real life punches weren't as forgiving as the ones she'd thrown him in the comfort of his living room.

"What are you doing?!" Kai asked through gritted teeth.

He caught her by the wrist and she could feel his palm heating up against her skin. There was no questioning it. It wasn't cooling off. Her flesh was steadily beginning to cook beneath his grasp.

"I have a destiny, Kai." Zuko responded. His voice pleaded for her to please understand, "Surrender now and you can come with me.. Please."

It was the final blow that she needed and the most painful one that he dealt. An elbow to his forearm freed her singed wrist, allowing her to take hold of his own and twist it behind his back. They went hand for hand, step for step in an aggressive dance for the upper hand. Katara turned her attention toward Aang, who was steadily losing to Azula.

When Kai finally got a free moment to observe her surroundings, she didn't see Aang at all. Azula and Katara were tied in a battle against fire and water and at the far end of the cavern was a brand new addition. A teepee of crystals. It glowed blue and it's top separated, out of it levitated the avatar. Kai had never witnessed him in the avatar state, but she knew that this was it. All of their eyes focused on him, his arrow and tattoos beaming bright blue rays of light.