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The Fall of Ozai	By : CaptATKirk Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female Views: 5957 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
I would like to thank the people who have reviewed. It helps. =}
( All mistakes are mine. I still don’t have a beta.)
Chapter 7 : Azula
The next few days were spent keeping away from all the main towns. The Fire Nation had most of them under there control. They kept to out of the way areas were most people didn’t travel. Aang, Lan, and Zuko would Fire Bend by day. Afternoon was when the earth benders got to work out and Lan was grateful she didn’t need to learn that. She liked Toph a lot, but as a teacher she was a bitch. Lan, Katara, and Aang practiced water bending at night. For Lan most of what Katara was teaching her was refresher sets so she got to got to bed earlier than Aang. Most times she would sit with Iroh and play Pi Sho in the afternoon or evenings. She had fashioned them a collapsible board and kept her Fathers pieces. She had to buy Iroh a new set but told him it was an extra set she had lying at the bottom of her bag.
Lan was, so far, winning today at Pi Sho. Katara sat near by because she wanted to learn. Zuko was on her opposite side meditating so he said. Aang and Toph were throwing rocks at each other. Sokka was laughing his head off that Aang got whacked again by Toph.
“ Ha, Ha !! Rock beats Air bender !! “ He was rolling on the ground clutching his sides. Toph was about to use her foot and cause the earth to shift under him when she cocked her head to the side. She dropped to the ground and let her finger tips go into the earth
“ Who is it toph ?” Aang asked trying to do the same. Immediately Katara jumped to her feet.
“ Azula ! ” She straightened her back and went into a horse stance.
“ Who the heck is Azula ?” Lan stood and went to stand by Toph. She could see a smoke cloud on the ground growing larger and larger. She put her hand up to cover her eyes from the sun and could see something metal in the dust cloud.
“ My sister.” Lan turned her head and Zuko just appeared there at her side. It scared her because she didn’t even hear or feel him come beside her.
“ Oh.” She looked to the cloud again and could defiantly see a metal train coming toward them. She looked back to Zuko and watched his eyes turn to a deep dark red. Something had pissed him off royally. ” This could get ugly.”
Iroh came up behind her and touched her shoulder. She moved back. Three girls came out of the doors of the second compartment. The others were in front of Lan. She stood behind with Iroh. Zuko turned his head so that Lan could see his profile and that was when he ordered her.
“ Lan stay close to Uncle.” Before she could reply they all formed a crescent formation around Azula and her crew.
“ Well Ladies everything we want is right here in one neat little package.” She folded her hands demurely and smiled maniacally.
“ Who the hell is this ?!” Lan looked Azula up and down and screwed up her face as is he smelled something bad.
“ I’m sorry I have forgotten my manners. I am Princess Azula heir to the Fire Nation throne. These are my friends. Mai.” She motioned to the goth looking girl who folded her arms languidly.” And this is Ty Lee.” She motioned with her other hand to a bubbly girl in pink who looked like she was on a permanent high. “ You are the Chosen Child.”
“ A pleasure.” Lan still looked like she had smelled something bad. The only thing that kept her from joining her friends was Iroh’s restraining hand on her shoulder.
“ Not for very long.” Azula sneered.
“ Could we get this over with? I’m hungry and it’s Lan’s turn to cook.”
“ Thanks Sokka.” She would save wacking him in the head for later.
“ Well all of you could save yourselves and me the wasted time of fighting by just going in.” Azula shrugged..” It is prison food though but I think you would get used to it.”
“ Enough already !” Zuko used a spinning flat blast and then charged after his sister. Azula sidestepped the blast easy enough but her stampeding brother was trickier. She engaged him and it was brother and sister cat fight. Ty Li took her ques and began flipping and cartwheeling toward Sokka and Toph. Sokka ends up avoiding her jabs the best he can.
“ It’s like were dancing.” She giggles as she tries to land one on Sokka. Toph is getting frustrated with it all and using her feet and hands earth bends the ground to swallow Ty Li.
“ Dance your way out of that one floozy ! “ Toph bends a rock and hit Ty Li on the head.
“ Look at the pretty stars Azula.” She says dreamily before passing out.
Meanwhile Aang and Katara are busy with Mai. Katara lets her throw stilettos at her while Aang blasts them back. They exchange dodges and shots each trying to find an opening.
“ I expected more form the Avatar .” Mai drawled as she let the throwing stars come loose. Aang had finally had enough and blasted her back with air while Katara used the stream to slam Mai against the tree again and froze her to it.
“ Didn’t expect that did ya ?” Katara looks at a frozen Mai with a satisfied smile on her face.
Iroh threw all this had his hands full keeping Lan out of it. Zuko had purposely made the first move to keep her out of the fighting. He was struggling with his sister trying to keep her away from Lan. Finally Iroh had to pin her arms behind her to keep her from interfering.
“ Lan no! Your time will come.” It was like holding a tiger by the tail for Iroh.
“ Come now Zu Zu.” Azula wacked him across the face with her nails.” Just let me have the girl and it’s all over.”
He answered her by throwing another flattened fire disc at her. This one was at close range and she could only duck it. She did crouching low and using a roundhouse fire kick that blasted Zuko on his royal but. Lan was now pissed. She managed to knock Iroh back and charged Azula. Lan threw water at her and fire in equal measure. Azula was not prepared and had to fall back.
“ Get back you bitch !” Lan stood in front of Zuko while Iroh helped him to his feet. The others had come to and formed a semi circle around Azula. Azula looked and was able to see that her friends had been defeated yet again. She could possibly get Mai out but would the Chosen Child kill her in the process. Of all of them she was a wild card.
“ Well your not without some skill.” She looks at them all and notices something. Zuko stays near the girl.
“ Thank You I think.” Lan threw a fire ball at her with one hand and knocked her back with the other one that Azula didn’t see coming. “ The name is Lan.” She threw another at Azula’s head. “Remember it !”
“ Till we meet again Lan.” Azula made a wide electric arc around her forcing the others back. Zuko knew this was coming and pulled Lan down to the ground by her waist causing him to shield her with his body. In the process his but got singed. The others had dropped down to the ground remembering their last lesson when Azula was cornered. When the smoke finally cleared Ty Li and Mai were gone. The doors to the metal coach closed with a loud his and a bang.
“ We had better get out of here.”Iroh pulled Lan to her feet and looked to the horizon.” I know my niece. She didn’t come alone.” Another cloud of smoke was coming there way.
* * *
“ How the hell did that psycho bitch find us ?! Toph vocalized the question on every ones mind.
They had flown all night and decided to stay in the valley where there were only two ways in. Once camp was made and everyone calmed down then did a damage assessment. No one had really gotten hurt except for Zuko. He had changed before anyone could blink. Lan had picked up the burnt pants and sat down by a tree fixing them.
“ Maybe we were to close to a town. Or when we got the supplies the other day somebody may have fingered us ?” Lan was stitching up a patch on Zuko’s burned pants. He didn’t look at her or say anything to her after the fight with Azula. In fact he was making it a point to avoid her all together.
“ Why would they turn us in, it doesn’t make sense ?” Katara was trying to get Zuko to let her heal the burn on his but. He stared her down until she shrugged and walked away. Zuko tried not to look at Lan but he stole glances at her. He wanted to scream at her for not doing what he had asked, but also he wanted so bad to hold her. Azula had almost taken her away. That would have killed him. What he was doing now was driving him crazy but at least he could still see her and know she was safe.
“ People are scared Katara.” Lan threw the pants at Zuko before getting off the ground. “ Azula probably threatened a family and they had no choice.” He went behind a bush to switch pants out.
“ People will do almost anything when they are afraid to loose some one close to them.” Iroh looked at Zuko when he made the comment. Zuko looked at him a scowled.
“ Don’t put those on yet till we look at that burn.” Lan came over to Zuko and he froze. Thank goodness the bush covered the front of him. Fighting his sister and throwing Lan to the ground had done a little more to him then he wanted at the moment.
“ It’s fine.” He had tried to push her away but keeping his front covered at the same time was proving problematic. She pushed him against a tree face first. Everyone turned away from them. Lan got down on her knees and could see it would probably go away but it was an excuse to talk and touch. He hissed as her hand touched the burn.
“ Sorry.” She opened the cork at her hip to her water pouch and the water wrapped around her hand.
She lightly put it back on the burn that ran right across the middle of his but and let the water do the rest. She knew it wouldn’t take long to heal but she let her hand linger a little longer than necessary. She ran her hand lightly over the nice curves and felt him stiffen. The skin was so smooth and soft yet hard. She would have loved to let her hand slip to the front to see if the same could be said for other parts of his anatomy but new that would be really pushing it.
” Done.” She called the water back and stood up.
“ I told you to stay with Uncle.” He shoved one foot and then the other into the mended pants. It was all he could think to do. He was surprised she couldn’t feel him shaking with need when her hands were on him. Zuko wished she had let her hands go further.
He had dreams at night of her on her knees before him touching him just as she was going to do just then. Of course in his dreams she did more. He would always wake up just as she was about to take him into her mouth. He had to stop thinking about it. He had to keep his distance. It was the only way to save her. He had tied the string and turned to look at her. He wished he hadn’t.
“ I can take care of myself Prince Zu Zu !” She put her hands on her hips and stared him down. She was a very beautiful girl but she was damn ugly when she was angry.
“ Don’t call me that !”
“ Then stop treating me like someone who can’t take care of myself !” She had moved so that they were toe to toe and she was jabbing her finger at his chest.
“ Then stop acting like it !” He pushed the offending digit away. They began to get into a shouting match. The others turned back around to watch the fire works.
“ I bet you putting up the tents he kisses her.” Sokka nodded his head confidently.
“ I bet you getting the water she slaps him.” Katara put her hands on her hips and shook her head.
“ I’m with Sugar Queen on this one.”
“ This is going to end bad.” Uncle and Aang sang in unison.
“ Azula almost killed you ! ”
“ Almost doesn’t count ! ”
“ You are so reckless Lan you don’t think ! ” He flicked her forehead.
“ Oh I don’t think. Look who’s lecturing me on thinking.”
“ She could have killed you !” He wanted to say Do you know what that would have done to me but he bit it back. It was so difficult to control himself around her.
“ What do you care !? We’re just friends right !?” She screamed.
That did it. The tone alone pissed him off. “ You stuck up... insufferable... water bending-“
“ WHAT !? Oh no you did not !”
“ Oh shit ! He done did it now!” Toph’s face was split with a wild grin. “ Looks like we’re gonna win Sugar Queen !” Toph rubbed her hands together in glee.
“ You egotistical... chauvinistic... spoiled...uptight... brat!” She screamed in his face.” I swear I hope your sister turns you into a pile of ash next time! What in the name of Agni I ever saw in you I swa-“
She found it very hard to argue anymore with another tongue in her mouth. She was enjoying the taste of him so much she didn’t even feel the squeezing of his hands on her upper arms. She wasn’t about to give up the fight though. Lan pulled her head away and watched as a smirk came to his mouth before coking her arm back and WHAM! She slugged him in the jaw. Zuko staggered back a little. He shook his head to clear it. When his vision came back he could see her face. It was the squinched up look she did to keep from crying.
“ That’s the second time you’ve hit me woman !” He screamed at her. We are definitely going to kill each other before this is over. Lan Ignored him and made her way past the others taking the water jugs with her.
“ Okay so which one of us won here.” Sokka puzzled.
“ Looks like we all did.” Aang put in halfheartedly.
“ Well that ain’t no fucking fun !” Toph scrunched up her face in disappointment.
Lan fumed all the way to the bank. She was still doing it when she got there. She had never been so angry in her life and right now being angry was better than the alternative. She couldn’t figure him out anymore. He tells her one thing then does another. He says their friends only to kiss her senseless. He says they’re only friends but the moment Azula almost burned a new hole in Lan’s head he gets into a frenzy. It just wasn’t adding up. She had two and two but it sure wasn’t making four. More like three and a half. It seemed to her he was torturing himself or something. The more she tried to work it out in her head the more frustrated she got. She flopped down on the bank and slowly one tear fell and then another. She was so lost and confused now she didn’t know which way was up anymore.
“ He doesn’t mean to be cruel Lan....he’s just very confused right now.” She looked up to see Iroh looking down at her. She squinched up her face to stop the tears.
“ I guess that is one way to put it.” She patted the ground next to her and Iroh sat beside her watching the fire flies light the surface of the river.
“ I know it’s a lot to ask but don’t give up on him yet.”
“ I don’t think I am what he wants.” She brought her knees up and rested her chin on them. She was watching the fireflies dance around and wished she was one of them right now.
“ Are you crazy...you could have fooled me. With what just happened back there....?” Lan laughed at him and wiped away the remaining tears.” Ah that’s better. To see an orchid droop is a terrible thing.”
“ You and Zuko seem to be the only ones who know my name means orchid.”
“ There was a time when Zuko would not have cared, but he does Lan. He cares very much about you.”
“ He has a funny way of showing it.”
“ Possibly. He is very confused because the type of love he feels for you is new to him.”
“ What? He said that ?”
“ Not in words no but, make no mistake Lan he does. Also he is unsure about you.”
“ What do you mean ?”
“ Zuko has had to fight and struggle for everything he has ever wanted. He didn’t have to earn your love. He feels he is undeserving not to mention he is also afraid that Azula will use you against him. Once he sees that you are not afraid and can handle your own all will be well.” Iroh thought for a moment. He had to get them speaking again. Zuko was stubborn in what he believed. Though this latest one that he had this for her benefit was just wrong. Somehow he had to make his nephew see that Lan is anything but helpless. The he had an idea.” I have a job for you.”
“ I am going to be afraid to ask aren’t I ? “ Her voice was filled with humor.
“ Zuko is frustrated with learning to harness lightning and to use it.”
“ Okay.”
“ I have learned by watching the water benders how to redirect it.”
“I fit in where ?”
“ I will show you what I want you to teach my nephew. I believe that a water bender may have better
luck helping to feel the flow.” Iroh does the wave a few times which get Lan to giggling.
“ Oh you are to much.” She was clutching her side from laughing to hard.
Iroh laughed to.” Your Mother told me the same thing. What I want you to teach Zuko I actually learned by watching your Mother.”
* * *
Lan waited in the water not sure if this was the right thing to do. She had decked Zuko and didn’t think he would come. Iroh seemed more determined then before to keep them talking to one another. Lan listened to the crickets and let there song fill her with a sense of calm. If she was going to teach him to feel the flow she had to still her mind. She felt the water flowing past her knees and using the water push let it take all her feelings of anger away.
Being born with both abilities she always had to struggle to find calm. Both elements fought for dominance within her but when she stopped fighting one with the other they found balance within her. The air had become cool and still now. She was in balance again. Lan was so in balance that she felt the air starting to get warmer at her back. Keeping her eyes closed she turned toward the warmth and just knew Zuko was an arms reach in front of her.
“ Uncle said you had something to teach me.” He watched as her eyes opened slowly. She looked him in the eye and nodded once. He bit the inside of his mouth to keep from gasping. Her hair was unbound and flowing down in waves. The water and the reflection of the moon and stars making her skin that wasn’t covered by her bindings glow. She looked like a water nymph that tempted sailors to there doom in a book he had read.
“ You want to learn lighting? Ok but, first you have to learn to be still.” She put her hand on his bare chest above his heart.” I was taught that this is where my fire bending comes from. Most teachers will tell you it comes from the breath but, this is where our bending comes from. I am going to teach you how to make it calm. What I am going to teach you is how to control it.”
“ How is being in the water going to help ?” This was sounding like Avatar stuff. Not that he minded really but he was still ticked about being decked. Actually it was more that his pride was wounded more then him.
“ I am going to teach you basic a basic water bending principal.”
“ What ?! I don’t see-“
“ You need to stop and listen.” She took her hand off of him and put on her hip. “ Now I want you to close your eyes and listen to the sound of my voice and do what I tell you. He looked at her incredulously for a moment. “ Well ? “
“ I’m making sure I am not going to get hit again.” He watched as her cheeks filled with a nice little blush.
“ I am sorry for that. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean to...well....say what I did.” The color in her cheeks had grown to flaming. He did his best not to smirk. It was nice to know he could catch her off guard. She was avoiding his gaze and that he didn’t want. He always wanted her eyes on him.
“ I will only accept yours if you accept mine.” She looked up at him and smiled her assent. He couldn’t keep the warm smile from his face.
“ Now that we have that over with let’s start.” He nodded and closed his eyes. “ Water bending is about controlling and redirecting an opponents energy. Not to harming them.” She was speaking to him slowly and calmly like a song that relaxes you to the point of but not to falling asleep. Her voice became lower and sultry to him. “ What I want you to do is feel the water at your legs flowing. I want you to listen to it as well.”
She had stopped speaking but her could still feel her. She was moving to be first to his left and then behind him. He was doing what she asked feeling the flow of the water and just like she said it was ‘speaking’ to him giving her movement away.
“ Your behind me.”
“ Very good. Now I am going to help you with the technique your Uncle was trying to teach you.” He felt the shift in the water as she moved to his right and in front of him.” Open your eyes and tell me how you feel.”
“ Calm.”
“ Good now I am going to teach you to feel the flow. I am going to use my chi as if it were lighting and let you direct it out. Get into a horse stance.” He did as she asked.” Good now loosen these up.” She patted his shoulders. “ Good now I am going to turn around and I want your hands under mind and following what I do.”
She put her back to him and moved so that only a sheet of paper could fit between them. She held her hands out to the side and he put his under hers. Then she went out with one hand and he mirrored. Hand. Stomach. Out. He had to reach around with his other hand but did and soon he was doing what Iroh had taught him to do. They did this a few times until it flowed smoothly. She moved away and stood in front of him.
“ Now do it a few times on your own and then we’ll start.” He did as she asked focusing on his movements. “ Now I am going to ad my chi as if it were lightning.” She put her finger on his hand and it felt as if he were struck by lighting. He had almost forgotten what to do. Zuko redirect it now. Her voice was in his head. He felt her inside him. He then used his chi to make her flow out of him. As her chi flowed out he felt all his anger at being banished flow out. She did it again and this time he felt all his hurts emotionally flowing out of him.
“ Lan what are you dong ?” She did it again with her chi flowing into him. I’m healing you the best I can. This time she hit something she couldn’t erase from him. She sadness of loss and she hit a fear that he didn’t let her touch. She hit something else. She saw a nightmare. Azula was standing over Lan’s lifeless and bloodied body all the while laughing manically. Suddenly it was black and she felt as if she had slammed into a wall. She called her energy back into her and staggered back. She would have fallen if he didn’t catch her.
“ Your sister is bent on hurting you.” Her voice sounded like it was underwater to her. She felt as if she were underwater. She felt Zuko pick her up and carry her to the shore. He put her down and she was able to sit. The world was fuzzy to her still.
“ What happened? What did you do ?” He was sitting next to her with a worried look to his face. He wasn’t sure if he should go and get Katara or not.
“ A well trained healer can not only heal physical hurts but emotional ones. I was trained as a healer and was in the advanced class that only a select few water benders can be in. A excellent healer could have broken threw that wall you threw at me with no problem.”
“ You didn’t have to. I don’t need-“
“ Zuko you have more emotional scars then anyone I have ever healed. Your sister doesn’t help.”
“ You see to much.” He mumbled.
“ I guess I do. You’re sister is, from what I can gather, rather sick.”
“ My sister-“ He thought out before saying what came next. Lan was trying to help him. She didn’t want anything in return but to be of help. She had just used her mind and soul to try and help him. Given the chance she would probably use her body too. He would love nothing more than to test that theory. Thinking about it he couldn’t help but blurt out.” My sister needs to get laid.”
Lan snorted with laughter before answering.” Who would be that masochistic ?” They both laughed hard till tears started to well up. When they both could stop laughing Zuko helped her to stand. She was still unsteady but managed.
“ Lan. Thank You.” He held onto her letting her use him for support.
“ For what ?” Slowly they made their way back to camp to see everyone was sleeping.
“ For not giving up on me.” He brought her in close to him holding her to him. He slowly let his head descend to hers ready to claim her mouth when a loud snore from Sokka startled them both. He let her go abruptly . She sighed heavily before making her way to her sleeping bag. Silently she cursed and thanked Sokka in equal measure.
TBC
Note: This was so long that I had to break it down. Zutara fans will be happy with part II
- 6
- 7
- 8
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The Fall of Ozai