1-cough- Yeah...sorry for the wait, guys. Writer's block.
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Chapter 8: The Grand Finale
Zuko and Toph returned to the group. Aang had already arrived back on Appa. Zuko hid behind a tree. "Pssst. Ursa! Get over here!"
Ursa turned to her dad and walked over, confused. "Yeah, Dad?"
"How's Mom?" Zuko asked.
"She's fine. Katara's almost done healing her."
Zuko sighed in relief. "That's good. Listen...Toph and I found Azula."
Ursa waited patiently. "And?"
"Azula's corrupting Akiko." Zuko explained. "We need to un-corrupt her. We really don't want or need another Azula running around."
"Good point..." Ursa nodded. She folded her arms. "So...how do you plan on de-corrupting Akiko?"
Zuko's face fell. "I...have no idea..."
Ursa sighed in frustration. "Dad!?"
"Hey, just because I'm Fire Lord doesn't mean I always come up with the plans!" Zuko threw his arms up.
"Okay, okay, sorry." Ursa leaned against the tree. "Well...how did you...de-corrupt yourself?"
"I had to see for myself that my father was evil." Zuko replied. He gasped. His eyes widened, and he slowly grinned as an idea came to him.
"What are you thinking?" Ursa asked, slightly nervous.
XXXX
Azula walked slowly back to where the gang was. She stopped and cleared her throat. Everyoe turned to face her.
"I'd like to make a deal with you all." Azula started.
"What kind of deal?" Zuko asked suspiciously.
"I'm glad you asked, Zuzu." Azula smirked. "I will leave the Fire Nation, nd the royal family and the Avatar's family alone. You will never hear of or from me again. In exchange, I want a full pardon from you." Azula looked at Zuko.
"And what makes you think you'll get it?" Zuko asked again.
"Because if you don't, then I will continue trying to take back what's mine." Azula said simply. "And if you don't, I will also do something unspeakably horrible to you and your friends and family. Your choice, Zuzu."
Zuko's eye twitched. "You suck."
"I know."
"Mommy!" Akiko cried out.
Azula whipped around to see Ursa running off with Akiko in her arms. "No!" She fired a fireball at Ursa and chased after her. "GET BACK HERE WITH MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
Zuko fired a fireball at Azula. "You should've seen this coming!"
Azula panted and turned back to Zuko. She screamed and sent a fireball at Zuko, who blocked the attack. "You son of a bitch! You planned this!"
"So what if I did?" Zuko asked. "You were corrupting your daughter. You lied to her."
"I did not!" Azula yelled back.
Toph felt a familiar vibration beneath her feet. She gasped. It couldn't be...
"Azula is lying!" Toph pointed to Azula.
Everyone turned to stare at Toph. "I thought you couldn't tell she's lying..." Sokka said.
"Well, you'd have to be extremely calm in order to lie well, and Azula ain't calm." Toph explained.
Azula's left eye began twitching. "Fine. I lied. I always lie! I just want a freaking heir for when I take over the throne! I don't really care for Akiko!"
Katara, Suki, Ursa, and Mai all gasped. Sokka, Aang, and Toph all glared.
"That's what I thought." Zuko said. He glanced at Ursa. "Ursa, put Akiko down."
"What?" Ursa asked, aghast.
"Just do it, please, Ursa."
Ursa sighed and put Akiko down and gently pushed her along. "Go on."
"Akiko, come to Mommy." Azula held out a hand. Akiko hesitated. Zula started to get frustrated. "Akiko, get over here now!"
Akiko whimpered slightly and ran to hide behind Ursa. Ursa glanced down at Akiko, then bacfk at Azula. "Well...I think she made her choice."
Azula starttyed breathing heavily. "Ursa...you little bitch."
"Look who's talking." Ursa smirked.
Azula screamed in rage and generated her lightning. Zuko caught it and redirected it back at her. Zula gasped and fell to the ground dead.
"Zuko?!" Aanhg exclaimed.
"...Yeah, I know. I'm bloody scum." Zuko sighed. "But she was going to kill Ursa."
"She was going to kill me during that Agni Kai during the Comet." Katara pointed out. "You could've killed her then."
"I was more focused on getting the lightning away from me than killing Azula." Zuko replied.
Ursa held a hand up for silence. "Okay...I wasn't there during the Comet, so...what do you guys want to do about Akiko? She saw her mother die right in front of her. She's gonna be emotionally scarred for life!"
"Not if she was afraid of Azula." Mai pointed out. "I'll take care of her. I'll raise her like she's my own."
"Good idea." Zuko nodded.
"O...kay, I guess that's settled, then." Toph piped up. She bended Azula into the ground and closed the earth.
"Shouldn't we say a few things on her behalf?" Aang asked.
Everyone looked at Aang, at each other, and started laughing. "Nah!"
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...Yeah, I know it was a little rushed, but I wanted to get this done!