I tried to stay true to the scene...but I may stretch the limits of Firebending, just a bit ;)

Disclaimer - I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. Chapter now Edited for a few continuity errors and formatting issues.

Azula's face was unreadable, but Katara could see the frenzied calculations running through her yellow feline stare. There were no guards about, no soldiers, no regular citizens. If there had been Dai Li present, they would have shown themselves already in response to the intrusion. At the very least, Azula would not appear so…off balance.

For some reason, Azula was alone.

Katara clenched her fists, drawing on the water in her skins, preparing to launch into the fray. The sages stepped forward, arms raised menacingly, but Katara disregarded them. They were old and frail, no stronger than average Firebenders. Even enhanced by the Comet's angry glare, they meant little to her, a Master Waterbender.

Azula was the only real danger.

"Wait."

The command halted the Firebenders' movement. They all looked at Azula…but she had eyes – gleaming, fiery, calculating eyes – only for Zuko.

"You want to be Firelord, Zuzu? Fine."

She stood, lips curled in a feral smile.

"We've been fighting for a long time, haven't we? Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!"

Katara smirked, put a hand on her waterskin. The Fire Princess was fooling herself if she thought –

"You're on."

Katara blinked.

What did he just say?

Azula was smiling. Trying unsuccessfully to school her expression, Katara quickly turned to Zuko. "Are you insane? What are you doing?"

Zuko's gaze remained focused straight ahead. "She challenged me to an Agni Kai. Firebender against Firebender, without outside interference." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "I accept."

Katara stared at him. How could he not see the trap he was walking into? After all the times Azula had manipulated her opponents, fooled them, fooled him especially, how could he agree to this? This way, there would be a chance that Zuko might…that Azula could…he was being so stupid!

"She's playing you, can't you see that? She knows she can't take us both so she's trying to separate us."

Infuriatingly, Zuko nodded. "I know. But I can take her this time."

Swallowing, Katara cast a glance at Azula. The girl's smile was filled with more than confidence, her eyes reflecting more than the plaza's torches. There was madness in them, a scarcely restrained wildness in her bearing. Armored in black and gold metal, standing straight against the backdrop of the great palace and the scarlet clouds…she exuded power.

And the last time Katara had fought her, she had killed –

Dropping her voice to a whisper, she leaned closer to Zuko. "Even you admitted you would need help facing Azula. That's why I'm here."

Zuko looked at her, guilt momentarily shadowing his face. "I know…and I'm grateful that you came, Katara. The Azula I've known is too strong for me to take alone."

He turned back to Azula, his honest face revealing the strength of his resolve. "But there's something off about her now. I can't explain it…but somehow, she's slipping. And this way, no one else has to get hurt."

She wanted to argue with him. Every fiber in her being cried for her to tell him exactly what she thought of this insanity. How could he do this to her, bring her all this way just to tell her to stand aside and do nothing, be so selfish…

But it wasn't selfishness, she knew, not quite. It was honor, honor and sacrifice, and belief in himself.

And the way he stood tall, his lean body radiating alertness and determination, emanating an aura of something that was less confidence and more acceptance…

She believed him, too. If anyone could defeat Azula, Zuko could.

But as she backed away to the stands, leaving Zuko and Azula alone in the plaza, Katara couldn't shake off the dreadful feeling that something terrible was going to happen…and that all she could do was watch.

"No one else has to get hurt…"

They knelt at opposing ends of the plaza.

Finally, he had the chance to face her head on. No more running, no more hiding, no more listening to her horrible lies.

He stood.

Could he really take her? She had won every duel they'd ever fought. Touted before their grandfather as a prodigy, she had awed even him with her innate talent. She was the best, a master before her teens, a younger version of the Firelord but even wilder, more reckless –

He turned to face her.

And he was Zuko. He had learned wisdom from the Dragon of the West. He had discovered the true meaning of Firebending at the maws of the dragons. He had taught the Avatar and found people he would forever call his friends.

He had walked his own path, and it had led here.

Zuko settled into a defensive crouch, content to let Azula make the first move. He'd already fought her to a standstill twice – this time, with himself and his friend at stake, he would win.

And if it was his destiny to die trying, he would put on the greatest Firebending show the world had ever seen.

Her brother assumed a defensive stance, crouching in preparation for the battle to come.

Oh Zuzu. So noble. So predictably foolish. Your honor will mean nothing.

"So it all comes down to this," she sighed. "I'm sorry it had to end this way, brother."

Her brother didn't even twitch. "No you're not."

Azula grinned as she assumed her stance, ignoring the tightness in her shoulders. How well he knew her.

But she knew him even better, and she knew that he didn't stand a chance. She was born lucky, not him. Father had crowned her Firelord, not him. And she would break him like she always did.

When she was done, he would grovel before her.

That would show them. All of them. Father, Mother, treacherous Uncle, the naïve Avatar and his gaggle of companions – Mai, Ty Lee, WHY did you desert me? – and that filthy water peasant…

Maybe she'd kill her, too. In front of Zuko, of course. Make him regret coming after her throne, regret fighting her with his stupid honor, regret. And the girl who'd resurrected the Avatar would be dead. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

But Zuko first.

Now, Azula!

The Comet's fire burned in her lungs as she punched forward, a jet of her beautiful flames rocketing from her fists toward her brother, who brought his hands together in answer. Her attack collided with his in a massive burst of flame, the two forces forming an impassable wall that roared a hundred feet into the sky and stretched the width of the plaza.

Azula smiled, eyes widening, thrilled by the incredible size of the explosion between them. This would be an excellent display of Firebending, that much was clear. So much power!

When the fiery wall crumbled, Azula was already kicking forward, fire blazing with each strike, the blue flames lighting up her feverish grin.

And why shouldn't she smile?

She wasn't going to lose.

It was not a contest between good and evil. That titanic struggle took place a thousand miles away, on the other side of the world, between the strongest Firebender ever born and the Avatar of balance, between the foreign might of Sozin's Comet and the terrestrial rage of a divided world.

This clash was none of that.

The pale blue fire that erupted from the girl did not scream with a century of oppressive rule. The rich orange fire that rumbled forth in answer did not thunder with the cries of a million long-dead Airbenders.

This was not about grabbing power or maintaining balance. The question of who would be Firelord would be answered by the outcome, but it was only a footnote in this final chapter of the siblings' story. The Comet-enhanced strength of these particular Firebenders, their individual successes and failures, their absent companions…all of them were irrelevant.

This was a battle between a brother and a sister…and their betrayals of each other.

Personal.

Ozai's child against Ursa's. The battle that was always meant to be.

Azula leaped forward, stiff arms outstretched. Fire howled from between her white-knuckled fists – I gave you your life back, and you abandoned me! – and the brilliance of madness ignited the air in a massive column that raced toward her brother.

Zuko crouched, arms spread, one fist slowly pushing forward as if against a great force. A sudden rigidity as his hand flared open – You manipulated me into betraying the one person who loved me, with a smile and an empty promise! – and the dragon's strength roared to life.

The world shook with the impact.

And, as the arena's rocky floor turned black and the plaza shimmered in the terrible, mournful heat, the flames devoured every bond they had once shared.

Agni Kai.

Zuko inhaled, sucking in the deepest breath he had ever mustered – As you said, Uncle, the breath, not the muscles – and punched forward.

A surge of flame exploded from his clenched fist, a band of blazing death as tall as he. He growled in frustration as Azula deflected the powerful attack with a contemptuous blast, sending his fire careening into the colonnade.

On the other side of the arena, Azula laughed.

"I'll grant you this, Zuzu, you've certainly gotten stronger," she sang, flicking a fireball at him. He rolled forward, under the attack, fire springing from his hands to divert her second one into the sky. "But, brother, my darling older brother, you never learned the finer points of Firebending. You never learned finesse, if you will."

Taking a short running start, she leaped forward into a dive, shooting an arrow of fire from her hands. Zuko's eyes narrowed at its electric edge, recognizing his chance in the leaping sparks. Moving with the arrow, he grabbed the electricity and spun it around his body, throwing it back at Azula. She twirled around it, her leg trailing behind her as she prepared a new wave of flame. Desperate for time to recover, Zuko flung out his fists, sending a pair of fireballs toward Azula's planted foot.

Noticing the threat, Azula released her fire early, destroying an entire house beyond the arena, and backflipped smoothly into an easy crouch. A maniacal grin decorated her face.

"But even strength for strength, you will never match ME!"

Snapping her arm straight as she punched forward, she unleashed an inferno at him, twice as large as the one he had launched at her.

But she was wrong. He could match her.

I will not be cowed.

His arm rattled violently as their attacks collided head on. His entire body shivered despite the heat, the knowledge that he could be vaporized at any moment running through his mind. The roar filled his senses as he began to slide, the sheer power inexorably pushing him…

Stand firm. You can do this.

Calculating quickly, he pivoted, shifting his balance so as to give him the greatest stability. Grimacing, Zuko straightened, a fiery river raging from his fist. Out of the corner of his eye, Azula's pale blue fire blinded him, so close he could feel the sweat evaporating from his face and hair. Still he stood, unmoving, a proud statue against Azula's firestorm.

I will not back down.

Slowly, the streams faded into trickles as he and Azula ran out of breath.

Her expression was shocked, twisted in disbelief that he had lasted as long as she. The palace behind her had caught fire from his attack and blazed like a torch, and for a moment it drew Azula's attention away from him. When she turned back, her expression was furious.

Zuko smirked. I matched you strength for strength. Do you want to see finesse?

He whirled his arms and quickened his breathing, flinging five spinning rings of fire at her in as many seconds.

Snarling, Azula sprinted toward him. Blocking the first hoop with a quick slash of her arm, she leaped over the rest, blue fire growing at her feet.

Zuko turned, readying his stance, then spun to face the oncoming fire. It was already upon him, enveloping him. Pushing the flames from his core, he created a ball around him, a protective shield that exploded outward to crash against Azula's attack.

Azula no longer smiled or taunted him across the arena. Her pale skin red under the Comet's glare, her hair soaked with sweat, every movement stilted or slow. She was faltering, unable to defeat him as quickly as she had certainly hoped.

And yet neither could he break through her defenses.

He hurled a quick fireball, then leaped high into the air and kicked another –

Which exploded against one of Azula's fireballs mere feet from his airborne form. The shockwave pushed him back, forcing him to scramble to orient his legs so that he could defend himself upon landing.

Shockwave…I can use that. Turn defense into attack.

He punched toward the ground as he landed, igniting the air in an arc that radiated from his fist. The arc expanded rapidly as it traveled, but Zuko knew that Azula would easily evade the strike. Rolling to the side to avoid a shrieking fireball, he thrust out his arms, generating a pair of fiery tendrils.

As he had expected, Azula flipped over the wave effortlessly, but the snakelike tendrils followed her into the air. Shouting wordlessly, she rocketed herself back toward the palace, giving him time to regain his composure.

They stood in their original positions, panting heavily, as the fires burned around them.

"Well?" Zuko called. Azula looked up. "What are you waiting for? Come fight me!"

Cackling madly, she did.

Impasse.

They might have gone on like that forever. For all of Azula's prodigious skill, for all of her reckless strength, Zuko was immovable. For all of Zuko's inner calm, for all of his endless preparation, Azula was just too strong.

Never had an Agni Kai been fought between warriors so evenly matched, who knew each other even more intimately than they knew themselves, who moved to counter each other's attacks before the flames came into being.

But there came a point in the battle when something shifted.

Few observers, had they been there to witness, could have noticed it. The most talented Firebenders might never have been aware of it, subtle as it was. It might have been insignificant in any other contest.

For the scarred children of the Firelord, it made all the difference.

Azula was frustrated.

She threw everything she had into each attack, and yet every fireball she hurled at Zuko was blocked. Every column of flame was redirected, every Comet-enhanced wave of destruction absorbed. His clothes were singed and smoking, sure, but he should have been obliterated by now.

Of course, he hadn't really come close to harming her, either, but that was only to be expected. She was the Firelord, royally trained, a prodigy. He was just an outcast prince, a hated exile and traitor, the older brother who would never quite be good enough.

Which made it even more embarrassing that she hadn't finished him yet.

She wouldn't be able to do it from this distance. Time to get personal, to get close, where she could taunt him, manipulate him, break him. Make him fear her as he should.

Let's see how he feels about hearing voices.

A sudden explosion, frighteningly close. Propelled by a hasty jet of flame, she soared over Zuko's attack and kicked a fireball at him. It exploded in a spray of blue and orange sparks – stop blocking me, Zuzu! – as he stepped into the attack. He lashed at her with a fiery whip, but she swatted it aside.

A flurry of fireballs, each explosion louder and louder to her ringing ears as she closed the gap –

They paused.

Azula grinned.

"Not bad, Zuzu," she taunted. They were so close that she didn't need to even raise her voice. Where to hit him, where to hit him…"Tell me, did you learn all this from Uncle? Has he forgiven you for betraying him and joiningme?"

Zuko's good eye twitched, but otherwise he refused to move. His eyes were riveted on hers.

Azula lifted an eyebrow. "Or did you learn it from the Avatar? I wonder, how did it feel learning Firebending from a child? Did you feel noble? Was it heroic?"

Zuko smiled.

Azula scowled, trying to hide her rising nervousness. Why won't he respond? He is so easy to taunt – am I doing it wrong? No, I brought down Ba Sing Se with my words. Answer me, Zuzu!

She allowed her eyes to flick to the Water Tribe girl – careful, watch him, no need to give him an opening – before putting on a cruel smirk. "I'm curious. Does she care that you helped her friend die? After all, she got to watch me kill him because of you. And all the rest, the Avatar, the blind girl. How they must hate you."

The muscles in his throat bulged, but he swallowed it down. Azula grinned. Finally got a reaction! Push him, shove him off balance…drag him down…

"Oh?" She chuckled, keeping her eyes peeled for an opening. "And rightfully so. You're pathetic, Zuzu. Weak. You –"

"But stronger than you."

She cocked her head. Good. "You judge your strength based on theirs. And they can't honestly hope to match me. Those who fall prey to trusting you cannot hope to survive. They will all die under my rule. You chose poor friends, Zu—"

She had to duck to avoid the fire dagger as he dove at her.

"Don't you dare insult them." His voice was a threatening hiss, controlled rage audible beneath the whoosh of his fire.

She would have continued to push him, to taunt him, but suddenly the space before her was alight with continuous flame. It was all she could do to shield herself from his vicious assault.

Her advantage seemed to evaporate before her eyes as he launched attack after attack, battering her defenses to ruin as quickly as she could construct them. A quick slash, a trio of kicks, a series of short thrusts so fast she could only parry on instinct, hoping, praying they would not hit her, would not hurt her.

Summoning a pair of fire daggers of her own, she threw one at him, a frantic attempt to gain time.

He dodged it easily, but for a moment his assault was checked. It was all she needed to counter, generating another dagger as she flew at him. One of her daggers exploded against one of his as he parried. She ducked a vicious punch and kicked out, just missing him – leaping back, narrowly avoiding a vicious swipe of his daggers.

On even footing, they fought. Leaping, twirling, slashing and dodging, it was almost a dance, the kind they might have done years ago, back when they were real siblings, back when…when they loved each –

A near miss kissed her cheek, scattering her thoughts in a puff of smoke.

Enough!

She threw power into both daggers, the fires flaring as she slammed them forward. Zuko staggered under the weight of her blow, but he had caught her attack, and before she could capitalize he regained his balance and thrust her fire back at her.

A desperate shield saved her. The explosion stunned her, but only for a moment. Thinking quickly, Azula snatched at the remnants of the attack in order to throw them back at Zuko. Perhaps, if she could catch him off balance…

But as she took hold of the fire, she felt another influence touching the flames. Zuko's face mirrored the surprise she felt at the foreign Bending…foreign, yet so familiar. His Bending.

She took another breath and gripped the flames more tightly. No way would she let him have the victory here.

Azula frowned as she took another breath. She wasn't really maintaining the flames…not like this. It was too consistent. She felt the power shooting through her core, a constant tension that raised her hair on end, but it didn't pass through her lungs. It seemed almost…self-sustaining.

As if she and Zuko were holding the stream steady…and nothing more.

The flames cast shadows on Zuko's shocked expression. Azula realized he must have felt the same thing. "A…circuit?" he gasped.

Was he…no, he couldn't be. It wasn't possible. Father had mentioned such a phenomenon once, but Azula had brushed it off. A current like that could only exist in perfect balance…between Firebenders of equal strength. And now she had one with Zuko.

But they were not equal! They weren't!

"I'm so sorry, Azula."

She gasped, nearly losing her grip on the fiery current. Mother?

"I never wanted you two to fight, Azula. You should love your brother as he once loved you…as perhaps he still does."

"Shut up," Azula growled through gritted teeth, pushing forward, forcing more energy into the fire, increasing the pressure.

Her brother's eyes narrowed. "Only those who are afraid to hear would try to silence the speaker. Who do you hear, Azula? Father? Uncle?"

Eyes wide, she grinned, heart pounding against her ribcage. "Our mother, dear Zuzu, our mother. She's telling me to spare your life, Zuzu."

He smirked. "She's talking to the wrong sibling, Azula."

"No…" she shook her head vigorously, pushing with all her strength, she would hit him with the energy contained between their palms. "No, no, I was the better Firebender! Who won all our competitions? Who killed the Avatar? Who did Father always turn to? Who was born lucky? I was better than you!"

He nodded. With a mighty effort, he stepped forward. They were so close now that if he reached out, he would be able to grab her and –

Her heart smashed against her chest so hard and fast that it hurt. Her breath came quick, yet she couldn't get enough air. How can he be this calm against me? Why can't I beat him?

The fierce heat in his amber eyes pierced her to the soul.

"Yes, Azula. You were."

"But not anymore, Azula. Your brother is honorable. Surrender to him. Give him—"

"Shut up!" she screamed, throwing her other arm at the fiery vortex between them. Blue lightning crackled against red-orange electricity. Screeching, the new force blazed into an impossibly bright ball that snapped with iridescent sparks.

It illuminated the terrifying scar on his stony face.

And then the ball detonated.

The force ripped Azula from her feet. The world spun sickeningly as she hurtled through nothingness. Involuntarily, she cried out –

Slamming into the ground, the wind blasted out of her.

Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet. The explosion had thrown her a dozen yards toward the palace, but she was more or less unscathed. Clearing her dizziness, she looked about for Zuko. If she wanted to go in for the kill, the time was…it was…she…

A dozen yards away, Zuko was kneeling near the center of a massive blackened circle, his limbs shaking uncontrollably, his eyes down.

Azula blinked. What? He must have…shielded himself, somehow, while attacking her, or immediately after. To be standing so close to the blast…he didn't appear to have moved…how?

Then, even as she watched, he visibly pulled himself together and stood, his posture straight, relaxed. He faced her, his messy hair hooding his determined eyes.

Confident.

He stepped forward and punched toward the ground. From his fist roared a pair of serpentine columns, a more vivid red and orange than anything he had thrown at her yet.

She growled, swallowing her anxiety, readying herself to receive his attack.

The twin dragons – for they could be nothing else – twined around each other, merging as they rolled toward her in a mesmerizing vision of life and death. She flicked her wrist, throwing a fireball as she had so often during the fight –

The dragons absorbed her attack without so much as slowing.

Gasping, she rolled out of the way, her armor cracking in the heat of the flames as they plowed through where she had been standing. Behind her, the front of the palace exploded, sending shrapnel shrieking overhead to smash on the plaza. A piece of burnt stone twice her size landed hardly two yards away, bouncing off to shatter three of the columns that lined the arena.

She didn't give it, or the palace's destruction, a second thought.

Shaking, she dragged herself to her feet.

He is getting stronger.

The thought chilled her to her bones.

Then a fist of flame barreled toward her, and her frantic kick was only just in time to remove her from its path.

How is he winning?

Victory was so close he could almost taste it.

He hurled another massive column at Azula, who rolled out of the way, stumbling to her feet as she threw another fireball at him. Standing his ground, he batted it away, settling into an easy stance.

She can throw all the fireballs she wants. She won't touch me.

Leaping forward, his sister ignited the air behind her, propelling herself toward him with a continuous stream of flame. Shouting, she threw a series of blasts at him.

A single boosted jump, trailing fire, to avoid the first. At the apex of his leap, he spun, slicing through her second attack as it roared toward him. He cut through the last attack as he landed, thrusting his counter at her in an attempt to knock her down.

She swerved aside, narrowly avoiding the falling curtain of fire. Firing off a fireball that missed by yards, Zuko slapped aside her next blast.

There was no more finesse in her attacks, only raw power…but that raw power was supported by incredible speed, the likes of which he'd never seen before.

Azula continued to circle him, moving faster than his attacks could track. A firestorm followed her, larger than any she had generated so far. Yet she seemed content to circle, not moving in to confront him. Observing, waiting.

Planning her next move.

He scowled. If she were going to get tired, she would've already done so. And if she could make lightning as quickly as Father could…I need to end this now.

Raising his arm, he sprayed a jet of fire in a circle around him, growling in frustration as it merely clipped the tail of her streaming flames.

Hmm…she's moving fast. If she stops suddenly…

Dropping to the ground, Zuko whirled his legs about, generating long tongues of fire that spiraled rapidly outward.

Realizing that she was moving too quickly to dodge, Azula shielded herself, but his attack was strong enough to knock her off balance. Now without flames to power her flight, she fell hard, tumbling several times before coming to a rest in the center of the arena.

She only has one piece left to put down.

Stumbling to one knee, Azula glared at him, eyes shimmering with pure hate.

Zuko smiled. You're mine.

"No lightning today? I'm shocked, Azula. What's the matter? Afraid I might redirect it?" He punctuated his taunt by punching forward, pleased to see Azula recoil into a defensive posture at his sharp movement.

If she shot at him, he would redirect it toward the ground where she stood. The sight of so much of her own power coming back to smite her would frighten her, and in her shaken state that might be enough to guarantee her surrender.

She would know she had been defeated. Her already-cracking façade of cool confidence would shatter. She would see that he was the stronger.

He would win.

Lightning! Why hadn't she thought of it before? That would destroy him. Weary from her efforts, her failed efforts, and distressed by her brother's strength, Azula saw her chance for victory return.

But why did he have to be the one to suggest it? No matter. Weak fool, you've brought about your own death.

"Lightning? You want lightning?" she shouted, her voice coming out high and shrill. "Then why don't I show you some? Have it!"

The lightning came easily, encaging her in a frame of crisscrossing voltage.

Power. It was glorious, leaping and darting around her. Its crackling sounded like laughter to her ears.

She had shot the Avatar with the greatest blast she could muster at the time. This lightning dwarfed that, and still she drew upon more, feeling the Comet's influence, the foreign power strengthening her, boosting the fire until it filled her veins, until she felt that she might be consumed by it.

In the clarity granted by lightning's cold practicality, a sudden thought seized her.

His uncle knew how to redirect lightning – that much she'd seen before. Zuko had spent months, years training under the old traitor, and he had come here with a purpose. He might have learned the technique. After all, he'd thrown that arrow back at her earlier in the fight.

If she shot lightning at him, could he redirect it?

Her muscles tightened as the energy increased, straining to control the deadly electricity, even as she generated more, more.

Besides, people she shot with lightning didn't stay dead, the way they should. The Avatar had to have died, but he'd been back on his feet during the eclipse. This lightning was powered by the Comet, she could feel its alien presence lurking in the electricity around her, but that was no guarantee. If the Waterbender had healed one person, it was always possible that she could heal –

The Waterbender. The girl who had caught the falling Avatar and brought him back to life.

The peasant!

And there she was, standing some dozen yards behind Zuzu, poised to help if called upon, but standing out in the open. An easy target.

Peasant. Fool. YOU will be the one needing help when I'm through with you. No one will heal you, no one will save you. You're going to die, and Zuzu is going to watch.

Amid her lightning's stunning flash, Azula's eyes flicked away from him.

Zuko's smirk faded.

Not just from him, but to somewhere behind him.

No.

In this state, his sister wouldn't take her focus off of him…unless she saw an easier target. A less obvious target, one he wouldn't have expected. As she had done when she'd shot his uncle, all those months ago. Of all the people she could have attacked, who would have suspected it would be Uncle?

But here, there was only one other target.

NO.

His head was turning as Azula drove forward, electricity framing her rigid posture, her maddened snarl, her focused yellow eyes.

The lightning exploded from Azula's fingertips.

NO!

Crackling light danced in Katara's wide eyes. She stood frozen, helpless. Doom raced toward her.

He had accepted the Agni Kai. Firebender against Firebender, a battle until the victor became clear. No outside interference. No one elsewas supposed to be hurt.

Azula always lies…

"NO!"

Not this time. No one would be hurt because of him. He had promised. Katara was here because he had asked her to join him. Because they hadn't been sure if he was strong enough alone.

But he had beaten Azula, one on one. And now, Katara was in danger.

He had promised.

His legs were moving before his conscious mind could give the order. The lightning was fast, outpacing sound, but he was there, he could intercept it if he jumped…

Fully extended, he caught the lightning –

Frightening. Exhilarating. Somehow, it was even stronger than his father's had been, full of desperate hatred and anguish and terror, overflowing with tightly controlled…loss.

His heart raced with the thrill of the power he contained.

The ground was coming up to meet him, and for a moment, just a split second, his mind was diverted from the –

Pain!

Scorching, blazing agony –

Convulsing, eyes bulging, the lightning rippling through his muscles –

Slamming into the ground, the jolt hard enough to rattle his skull, insignificant compared to –

Snapping viciously, a powerful volt shot through his body, tearing him apart.

With one last gasp of effort, he raised his arm and discharged the lightning into the sky. Thunder boomed overhead as the world turned a pale blue.

His insides were on fire.

"Zuko!"

His world flashed. In focus. Out. A figure – Katara – in a blue dress – a jolt, agony lancing through his chest – running toward him, face a mask of worry – cool water, soothing, take away pain, burning, water – lightning crashed in front of her.

Katara leapt backward, water flying from her hands.

Searing fire in his limbs, his veins, his heart.

A sudden blast of flame, and Katara was running.

Azula's laughter followed her, surrounded him, mocked him for his failure.

Then the roar of fire.

Katara…I…unh…I'm so…sorry…

His fault.

Fire.

His failure.

More maniacal laughter. Another crackling blast, sustained. Thunder rumbling beneath him – the columns – and a disappointed chuckle amid the crashing stone.

I goaded her. I…

Another roar, this one louder than the rest, and a cry of terror. Wounded. Katara.

I'm so sorry.

On his back. A sky the color of blood.

The lightning seized his body once more. Limbs rigid, twisting, fire ripping through him. Breath ragged, every gasp a new torture.

Lids cracking, his face contorted. His eyes were closed. No world. No hope. No victory.

No fire. No laughter.

Only silence.

Footsteps.

Hands on his burned chest –

Sweet, cool relief, a bright light flowing through the darkness of his vision, cleansing his veins, washing away the fire within.

He coughed. The air about him was smoky and thick, but every breath was rapture. Slowly, he steadied his breathing, each intake of air a little cleaner, a little fresher. The stiffness slowly faded. Only his chest, where the extra energy had erupted from his flesh, continued to stab at him, but the tender pressure of his friend's hands blunted the pain.

He opened his eyes.

A beaming face greeted him, sapphire eyes smiling from a tanned face.

Zuko smiled. "You won."

Katara nodded, unable to contain her own joy. "She was overconfident. She had everything, and she had just shot…she thought she had me cornered. And I…well, I was lucky your people keep water close by for these fights."

She had won. With the Comet overhead and only a pittance of water, in enemy territory, in front of the Firelord's own palace, Katara had beaten Azula, had won an Agni Kai, a fire duel, against a Firebending prodigy…had done what he could not.

For some reason, he didn't feel an ounce of jealousy, of inferiority.

Only…inexplicably…pride.

"You saved me…I owe you my life," he said slowly, savoring the words, the gratitude blooming within his chest. "Thank you, Katara."

She shook her head vigorously, tears welling up despite her full smile. One of her hands, seemingly unconsciously, drifted up to her sky-blue necklace, as if his words reminded her of something. "She was aiming at me. I think Ishould be the one thanking you."

Zuko squeezed her hand, a tired smile pushing at his cheeks. She felt it too, then. The same gratitude, the same warmth, the same…bond.

"Azula…"

Katara's smile turned sad. "You should…see. Azula…I didn't expect this…didn't think she'd…" Her eyes seemed upset…almost guilty. With a jolt, Zuko realized that she felt bad for whatever she had done to Azula.

To his sister.

Of course. Putting a finger on her chin, Zuko tilted her gaze into his own. "You did the right thing. She wanted to kill you. She couldn't beat me in honorable combat, so she cheated. She's no sister of mine."

Katara looked away, but she seemed less tense. "Alright."

As she helped him to his feet, he winced at the stabbing pain. Even after the comfort of Katara's healing, the skin was raw, tender, and his heart throbbed. The pain would probably linger for years, even decades, and he couldn't be sure it would ever really heal. It could stay with him, a burden he might bear for the rest of his life.

He glanced at his friend's face – full of life and promise, because he had acted.

I will bear it gladly.

She was staring with sad eyes toward the edge of the arena. Following her gaze, Zuko saw the trench where water was kept. Smart move. She must have lured Azula over the water, then frozen her —

Azula.

Zuko almost didn't recognize her.

Chained to the gutter, black and gold armor glistening with the wet evidence of her defeat, Azula knelt on the blackened ground, casting about wildly. Her hair, completely undone from its usual style, whipped around, framing an expression of sheer terror. Wide, reddened eyes darted this way and that as they leaked tears onto quivering lips.

Azula was crying. Her entire body shuddered with the force of her sobs.

He knew instantly that he would never fear or hate her again. To see his proud sister – despite everything, she was still of his blood – broken like this…to know that in no small way, he was the cause…

Katara's hand found the small of his back, pressed against him briefly before falling away.

The contact jolted him, halting his thoughts before the guilt could rise up to consume him. It's not your fault, it said. She made her choices, and you made yours.

Nodding, Zuko brushed away the dampness gathering at his eyes. Once again, she understands.

His job was done. Now, the fate of the world rested in Aang's hands. Breathing deeply, Zuko turned away, walking with Katara to the palace steps.

I guess I needed her after all.

First battle scene I've published, and it was incredibly fun to write. Comments and critique are always appreciated :)