Chapter Text
The letter arrives suddenly.
Azula, Zuko writes, Ozai is free.
The letter is short. It is really just one sentence, without details, without other information, without even a mention of what he thinks about it, what he intends to do.
A report is attached to the letter.
Report No. 037/11/004/DY, Azula begins to read. Subject: Security breach at Capital Prison.
She scans the details. She reads about what happened, how her father was freed. Agni, this is why Azula has said so many times that Ozai should be killed.
She takes a deep breath, trying to control herself.
Azula, she reads Zuko's letter once again. Ozai is free.
This can end in two ways.
Ozai will be wanted, he will flee from arrest. It will take some time, but eventually he will either be caught or killed during his escape.
Or his escape will become the catalyst for a civil war.
Azula knows that her brother's position is still unstable. Many people oppose his policies - ending the war, transforming the colonies into an independent country, independent of both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.
In a way, by not killing their father Zuko asked for the rebellion himself.
Keeping political enemies around—especially someone who has tried to kill you before, and more than once—can't end well.
Azula burns the report she received.
It's time to return to the palace.
Rumors spread quickly.
“Fire Lord Ozai is free,” whispers a woman at the market.
“Apparently, an army is gathering in the North,” adds someone else.
“They're going to attack the capital,” says a third person.
“This world is going crazy,” worries another woman. “If we can fight each other...”
“Well, no wonder, Fire Lord Zuko stole the throne from his father...”
“But didn't Ozai do the same?”
Azula stands in the market, pulling her hood over her head, listening to the rumors.
Not good, she concludes. This smells like civil war.
On her way to the palace, she receives a letter.
Azula, Zuko writes. Am I really just a puppet ruler?
Azula snorts under her breath, hastily writing a reply. When Zuko's first letter reached her, she was quite far from the capital — and she feels she should probably hurry.
Zuko sends her a second letter, which again does not contain much useful information. Really, couldn't he tell her what the situation in the capital is like, whether Ozai is really gathering troops and whether they are really at war?
Azula snorts under her breath — again, how many more times will she have to do this? — and replies to this letter as well.
She regrets her response a day later when, at the market—barely two days' journey from the capital—she hears news of what is happening.
Apparently, an attack has been carried out on the capital, targeting her brother, Mai, and Izumi. And although Azula still doesn't entirely like her brother, she quite likes her niece. Izumi is a rather charming child.
In the North, meanwhile, open fighting continues. Apparently, Ozai is gathering his main forces there—which makes no sense, why is he trying to take over the North instead of killing Zuko right away, why aren't his armies heading straight for the capital?
—Ah.
Of course. Ozai knows that the areas closer to the capital are loyal to Zuko. He knows that Zuko has increased security at the palace. After the assassination attempt on his life failed, Ozai needs a safe place to retreat to. The northern lands are further away from the capital—as a last resort, he could hide there for years.
Azula has to do something.
She has to take action.
The capital or the North.
Dum-Dum, Azula writes, If you die, I swear I'll kill you. Tell me where to go.
Azula, Zuko replies, STAY WHERE YOU ARE. PLEASE.
Azula smiles to herself.
The North it is.
When she reaches the North, she quickly realizes that the situation is worse than she had imagined.
They are losing territory day by day. Jujinta Takeda, her distant cousin, is trying to control the situation, but he is so pathetic that he cannot cope. Zuko sends some Commander to her, but he turns out to be just as pathetic as the rest of his people.
They fight.
Azula is used to fighting, but she is not used to fighting against Firebenders, against her own people, against their own country, not to kill.
There is no doubt. The situation has gone too far to spare their lives.
The people she is now fighting have willingly chosen to side with Ozai.
So Azula will show no mercy.
The news reaches her with a slight delay.
Zuko closes the borders.
Ozai's army besieged the capital, but Caldera held out.
And then one of the generals dies.
Azula, Zuko writes. Stop torturing Jujinta. He is terrified of you. Please return to Caldera. There is something I would like to discuss with you privately.
Zuko looks incredibly tired. He’s dressed in red and black, but not in the Fire Lord’s formal robes. No, this is a variation of sorts, something like a soldier's uniform, clearly indicating that they are at war.
Neither Grandfather nor Father wore such attire during the Hundred Year War.
But never before—except for that one invasion they were prepared for—had war reached their lands.
“You look terrible,” Azula says.
“It's good to see you too,” Zuko tries to smile at her.
“Don't try to chat me up or exchange pleasantries that no one needs,” Azula says. “What do you want? You can't convince me that you called me here just because you missed me.”
The corners of his mouth turn up slightly.
“Get to the point, please,” Azula struggles with herself not to roll her eyes. “What do you want? Don't tell me you called me here just to look at me? I'm quite busy. I was having fun in the North—”
(which is a lie, she has never seen so many deaths before, and that smell, Agni, that smell)
“–and now I've been summoned here as if I were your servant.”
Something moves in the nearby mirror.
Azula deliberately avoids looking in that direction.
“I wanted to discuss something with you,” Zuko gestures for them to move aside where no one can overhear them.
After a moment, he glances at her. He takes a slightly deeper breath, as if gathering his courage.
“I want you to be my Heir until Izumi comes of age,” he says.
Azula blinks.
When she realizes that Zuko is not joking, she bursts out laughing.
“I'm not stupid, Azula,” Zuko says. “We are currently at war. If I die, Izumi will not be able to rule. Mai would have to take over as Fire Lady Regent, but I don't think the military would be willing to listen to her. But you, on the other hand... Azula, you are one of the smartest and most cunning people I know. If anyone can win this war, it's you.”
“How can you be sure I won't murder you or Izumi as soon as I get that position?”
“Well, I can't be sure,” Zuko shrugs. “I have no choice but to trust you.”
Azula looks at him incredulously.
“I tried to kill you,” she reminds him.
“I tried to kill you too, so we're even,” Zuko replies simply. “In order to facilitate your eventual takeover of the throne, I would like to appoint you Fire Nation Warmaster as well. This is a temporary position, until the end of the war. You would remain heir to the throne after the war, until Izumi comes of age. If I die, you will take the throne and make all the decisions, with full authority as Fire Lord. Um, I guess your position would then be Fire Lord Regent... anyway, you'd figure something out. You can handle it.”
“I might as well kill your daughter to take power,” Azula remarks.
Zuko just smiles at her a little sadly.
“I don't think you're capable of doing that,” he says.
“Our family has a history of killing opponents to the throne.”
“I know,” Zuko says, suddenly sounding incredibly tired. “But I want to trust you, Azula.”
It's probably a mistake. He shouldn't do that.
Azula doesn't point it out to him.
“Well, it doesn't matter right now,” she says. “Zuko, we have to kill Ozai. This war will only end with his death. And it doesn't matter what the Avatar says.”
Zuko catches her gaze.
“I know,” he says, and his eyes harden. “If necessary, I'll kill him myself.”
She stays in the capital area for a while.
She travels a bit, looking for traitors and killing anyone who is not under Zuko's control. There is tension in the capital – an army is approaching on the horizon, and everyone knows that another battle is coming soon.
They clash several times—sometimes in front of the capital, sometimes not. Zuko is sometimes by her side, even though all his Important People tell him repeatedly that the Fire Lord should not be on the battlefield, not now, not at this moment.
They fight. They kill.
And Ozai kills her mother.
Azula, Mai writes when Azula is on the outskirts of the capital, washing her uniform and trying to wipe the blood off it. The funeral will take place in a week. Let us know if we should wait for you.
Mai, Azula replies. I'm not going to play family with that woman. I have a war to win.
When she sees the reflection of her dead—this time definitely dead—mother in the water, she knows she must leave.
Ozai killed her mother.
And even though Azula doesn't need her mother—she's doing fine without her—this is not something she can forgive him for.
Azula gathers her things and heads north again.
Azula, Zuko writes. What are you doing in the North? You were supposed to be in the East.
Zuko, replies Azula, on a slightly burnt piece of paper, sitting in a field tent. Stop trying to interfere with me. I know what I'm doing.
Azula, Zuko writes. I'm not trying to interfere. I just want to remind you that this was NOT the plan. You weren't supposed to be in the North. You know very well that North is dangerous now.
Dum-Dum, replies Azula, thinking of all the corpses she has seen over the last day. Week. Month. Stop being a naive idiot. Do you think I don't know how serious the threat is? It's precisely because the North is dangerous that I'm there. The people need someone from the Royal Family in those lands.
Azula, Zuko writes. What don't you understand about you are my heir? Or you are my sister? I don't want anything to happen to you.
Zuko, replies Azula, trying to suppress the smile that appears on her face as she reads the last sentence over and over again. Don't try to pretend you care about me now. I know my worth, Dum-Dum.
They are not perfect siblings. They never were.
Zuko has no reason to care about her.
Azula has no reason to care about him.
Ozai has shown us that he will not hesitate to strike at our family, Zuko writes. Our mother is dead, Azula. If Ozai killed his own wife, nothing will stop him from attacking his own daughter.
Please be careful, Zuko almost begs. Come home.
Zuko, Azula replies. No.
The fighting continues.
Sometimes, in the evening, Mother comes to her, looking at her with the same sad gaze.
“You're dead,” says Azula, too tired to fight. “You're dead.”
Now she's sure of it. She knows it's true. Zuko and Mai confirmed it. Zuko and Mai wouldn't lie to her.
“Oh, my dear,” Mother looks as if she's about to cry. “I'm so sorry...”
“I don't want your apology,” Azula says. “Go away. I don't need you here.”
“Azula...” Mother reaches out to her.
Azula smashes the mirror.
She doesn't need distractions.
You are the Heir to the Throne, Acting Crown Princes, she reminds herself. You don't have to be perfect. Mai said you don't have to be perfect. Zuko said he needs you.
You are not alone, Azula.
She closes her eyes, entering into meditation, repeating all the exercises she did with the doctors.
When she bends down to pick up the broken glass, Mother is gone.
When she fights, her mind is clear and calm.
When she fights, there is no hesitation in her movements.
Azula is a Firebender, one of the most powerful Firebenders of this century.
She will show everyone what she is capable of.
So Azula raises her hand, allowing lightning to appear in it, and aims it at her enemies.
Zuko appears one day, suddenly, without warning.
“You weren't supposed to be here,” Azula says, confused. “You were supposed to be in the capital–”
“The situation there is relatively under control,” Zuko replies, moving toward her.
Azula takes a step back, remembering all their previous clashes, each of their arguments, the scar on his chest that she caused. She remembers that she now has a lot of control over the army, that some whispered that it might be better for her to be the Fire Lord, and that Zuko must have heard these rumors.
Her brother pulls her close, tightly.
“I'm glad you're safe,” he whispers. “I was worried when you disappeared so suddenly.”
Azula should break free from his embrace, she should protest, remind him that she is not a child and that she does not need such things...
Instead, her hands grab him from behind, wrapping around him.
Her brother is there for her.
That evening, Mother does not appear.
They fight, still.
When they fight, it's much easier to think. Reality is right in front of her, and Azula feels in complete control of her mind.
When Zuko is around, Mother does not appear.
She is probably afraid of Zuko, Azula thinks. Zuko has seen her body. Zuko knows that Mother is only an illusion.
And that's fine, Azula thinks. Let the illusions stay away from me.
So she fights, because that is all she can do.
Fighting is simple. Fighting is something she knows, something she was made for.
Fighting alongside Zuko is simple. It's as if it were some element she was missing, and now it has been filled.
Fighting alongside him is easy, right.
Azula never hesitates, always knowing what Zuko will do.
Zuko never hesitates, always knowing what Azula will do.
They fight side by side, surrounded by fire and lightning. Their enemies burn around them. They both bring death, but these deaths are necessary. Only in this way will they be able to end it all.
Some time later, Zuko makes a mistake. They are in the middle of a fight, and somehow Azula is close to him—which is not an everyday occurrence; in most cases, they try to avoid each other when they are on the battlefield. Perhaps they still don't trust each other or remember how many times they have fought each other before.
But. Anyway, somehow Azula happens to be close to her brother—just in time to see Zuko make a mistake, hesitate for a moment, freeze instead of dodging the blow, the fire coming at him.
And he doesn't react.
Her stupid, incredibly naive, and pathetic brother doesn't react. He doesn't try to protect himself. He just stares at the flames coming his way, as if he wants them to reach him.
Azula reaches out her hands and takes control of the fire—Agni, it was a stupid idea to take control of fire that doesn't belong to her, it's incredibly difficult, even for a prodigy like her—and forces it to move away from her brother.
The flames change trajectory, missing her brother by a hair's breadth.
And Zuko has the audacity to look at her with surprise, as if he didn't expect it. For a brief – incredibly brief – moment, Azula sees disappointment in his eyes, as if he had hoped the blow would reach his body.
Rage makes Azula see only red, and before she knows it, their enemy is already engulfed in flames, and she approaches her brother and punches him in the face with all her strength
“What are you–?” Zuko asks.
“What are you doing, you idiot?!” Azula pulls him toward her, grabbing the front of his robe. “Do you want to make their lives easier? Defend yourself, you fool!”
His guards are far away, far too far away.
If Azula wanted to, she could kill her brother right now and no one would stop her. Something tells her that Zuko would definitely not be that person.
“Don't make Ozai's life easier!” Azula growls. “I won't let you just kill yourself in front of me!”
The surprise in his eyes turns to anger.
“I wasn't going to kill myself!”
“But you were willing to let them kill you!” Azula feels disgust rising within her at the very thought. “Don't be stupid, Zuko!”
“I'm not going to let that happen!” Zuko protests.
Azula feels the urge to hit him again.
Instead, she lets go of him abruptly.
“Then start acting like it's true, Zuzu.”
That night, when Azula wakes up, she doesn't see her brother anywhere.
An irrational fear arises in her chest—the conviction that she won't find him, and even if she does, she'll only find his body, and it will be her fault because she allowed him to drift away from her, not to mention that for so many years they were each other's worst enemies.
No, Azula, she tells herself, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails dig into her skin. It wouldn't be your fault, it would be his.
Stupid Zuzu, always finding a way to worm himself into other people’s hearts.
He destroyed your family, Azula, she reminds herself. It was because of him that your mother left, it was because of him that your father banished him, it was because of him that your grandfather is dead, it was because of him that your uncle wasn't by your side for so many years, leaving you alone with Ozai. It was his betrayal that started your downfall, Azula. It was because of him that Mai and Ty Lee betrayed you.
He imprisoned you for almost a year.
She should hate him. She should want to get rid of him.
Instead, her words fail to convince even herself, as she remembers his empty gaze back then, on the battlefield, his unasked question, ‘Why didn't you let me die?’.
Something compels Azula to leave her bed and go find her foolish, incredibly foolish brother.
To her surprise, it doesn't take her long.
She finds him at the edge of the camp, staring into the fire. To her displeasure, the guards are too far away to protect him if anything were to happen—whether they were meant to protect him from an outside enemy or from himself.
Azula sits down next to him.
“I see you’re still determined to look as pathetic as possible,” she says.
Zuko glances at her with irritation.
“If you have nothing to say, then leave,” he says. “I don't need you here.”
These words are meant to hurt, and they do.
Despite this, Azula grins.
“Says Zuko to the only person who has kept the North from falling.”
The irritation in her brother's eyes grows even stronger.
“What do you want, Azula?” he asks after a moment, when he realizes that Azula has nothing more to say.
Azula shifts her position slightly to make herself more comfortable.
“You didn't defend yourself today,” she says. “And don't lie and say you did. I know what I saw.”
Zuko doesn't answer right away. He remains silent for a long, long time, staring into the flames.
“It wasn't intentional,” he says suddenly. Azula flinches slightly, surprised. She had almost forgotten that she wasn't sitting here alone. That her brother was with her too.
You shouldn't forget, she tells herself. It wouldn't end well.
“It looked intentional to me,” Azula replies, her voice calm, composed, cold, as if she had wanted to say exactly that from the very beginning.
“It wasn't,” Zuko insists.
“But?”
“Just... Azula, haven't you ever thought about it?” Zuko still doesn't look at her. “Is it worth it? All these deaths? These are our people, Azula, our people...”
His voice breaks, as if he is about to cry. Azula does not respond, simply allowing Zuko to bury his head in her shoulder.
This is not normal for him. It is definitely not normal, and under normal circumstances, neither of them would allow something like this to happen.
But now they are here, just the two of them. The guards are far away, far enough that they can pretend not to see them, that they are sharing a private moment.
They are here, by campfire, just the two of them. They killed people today, and they will kill them again tomorrow.
“Maybe it would be easier if I just died,” he whispers. “My position as Fire Lord isn't worth it. Nothing is worth it.”
“The war won't end with your death,” Azula reminds him. “If you die, Ozai will do everything he can to kill me, Mai, and Izumi. Even if we manage to escape, we'll always be hunted. Besides, as soon as Ozai regains control of the Fire Nation and rebuilds his army, he will start attacking the rest of the world again. Many people are still dissatisfied with the current world order and would prefer to continue the war.”
“Perhaps it would be better if you ruled,” says Zuko. “You would be a much better Fire Lord than I. If only I were gone–”
“That would break Mai's heart and take Izumi's father away from her,” says Azula sharply. “Don't suggest such a thing, Zuko. Ever.”
You would break my heart, she doesn't add.
Sometimes she sees him.
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, Azula finds her brother off to the side, sitting somewhere far away from people. Sometimes it's a cliff, sometimes it's the wall of a ruined building, sometimes it's a tree trunk. Sometimes he stares into the void, sometimes he hides his head in his knees, sometimes he struggles to catch his breath.
Sometimes Azula ignores him. Sometimes she comes to him and sits next to him without saying anything. Sometimes she snuggles up to her brother, reminding herself that he is not Mother, that he is real. Sometimes it is Zuko who is the first to take her in his arms.
Sometimes, around dawn or dusk, it is Zuko who finds her staring at the broken pieces of the mirror. He picks them up gently, making sure Azula doesn't hurt herself.
“Mother is gone,” he whispers softly one day. “Whatever you saw isn’t real.”
“I know,” Azula whispers just as softly. “She always disappears when you show up.”
Zuko steps closer and presses a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
“Then I'll always stay here,” he promises. “I am your older brother, after all, aren't I?”
Part of Azula wants to snuggle up to him, to let herself forget everything that has happened.
Instead, she steps back, looking at him with fury, pretending not to notice the hurt in his eyes.
“Shut up!” Azula growls.
“Azula–” Zuko reaches out his hand toward her.
Azula pushes it away furiously.
“Shut up!” she snarls. “Don't talk to me! Don't look at me like that!”
“I just wanted to help–”
“I don't need your pathetic help! Your pity!”
“Pity?” Zuko looks at her in disbelief. “It's not pity–”
“I know what you think of me!” Azula raises her voice, not caring that they are in the camp and that everyone can hear them. “You think I'm crazy! That I'm a monster!”
“I never said anything like that,” Zuko tries to protest.
“But you might as well have said it!” Azula points to the broken pieces of the mirror. “I know what you think of me! You think I'm hallucinating again! That my head is getting worse!”
“I don't think that.”
“Don't try to play the saint, Zuzu, you've never been good at it! I know what I saw! I recognize that look in your eyes! You know what I saw in the mirror!”
“I have no way of knowing, because you never told me,” Zuko says, surprisingly gently.
“What was I supposed to tell you? That I see Mother again, even though she finally stopped haunting me?! Do you think I wanted that to happen? I know she's not real, I know that! I don't want to see her! I don't want to think about her, but she won't go away!”
“Azula–” Zuko tries to reach out to her again.
“Don't touch me!” Azula pushes him away once more. “I don't want you to touch me! I don't want you to look at me! I'm not crazy! I don't want to be crazy!”
Her head pounds so fiercely she clutches it in her hands.
“I'm not crazy,” she repeats, because she has to repeat it, she has to believe it, she can't be locked up in that mental hospital again. “I don't want to be crazy, I want to be here, I know I can do it, I need to be here, I'm needed here.”
She can't see her brother, but she knows that Zuko has finally stopped trying to reach out to her.
“I just want to kill Ozai,” Azula says quietly. “I don't want to be crazy, I don't want to murder our people, I don't want this war to continue. I just want to be myself. I want to see the end of this war.”
She looks up at him, suddenly realizing how she must appear. That she must look like she really is crazy, like she is breaking down and losing herself.
She must look like she is crazy.
Like she is weak.
Azula is not weak. She refuses to be weak.
So she looks straight into her brother's golden eyes, so much like hers, and speaks to him, deliberately choosing cruel words to hurt him, to force him to stop looking at her with pity:
“But that doesn't matter to you, does it?” she asks. “Because you don't want to live to see the end of this war. You would kill yourself if you weren't such a coward.”
For a brief moment, she sees what she wanted to see in his eyes. Anger. Irritation. And also guilt, because Azula is right. Because it would be the easiest way to end this war, and Zuko wouldn't have to deal with the consequences. He wouldn't have to rule a failing country.
Zuko remains silent for a long time, until Azula begins to doubt whether he will say anything to her.
When he does, Azula flinches, surprised.
“I've had suicidal thoughts since I was thirteen and woke up on the ship with half my face burned by our father,” he says, his voice filled with such exhaustion, such weariness. “I hated myself so much that I started basing my firebending on self-hatred. After the war... it wasn't easy. I knew I wasn't ready to take the throne.”
“We're not here to talk about how unprepared you were to rule the Fire Nation. We're here to talk about how you wanted to make Ozai's life easier and let him kill you.”
“I'm not going to–”
“But you thought about it. Look me in the eyes, Zuko.” As soon as Azula utters these words, her brother's gaze shifts away.
She reaches out her hand and forces him to look at her.
“Look me in the eyes and tell me you want to live,” she says. “That you're not seeking death.”
Zuko doesn't answer.
Azula releases him, disgusted.
“It's not like that,” Zuko says after a moment. “That would be too simple. It would be too easy to let Ozai win.”
“Which doesn't change the fact that–”
“I won't kill myself, if that's what you're worried about!” Zuko raises his voice. “Do I want to die? Yes, sometimes! But believe me, I want to live just as much! I want to see Izumi, I want to see Mai! I refuse to let my daughter grow up an orphan! I'm not going to just give up, I'm not going to let Ozai win! I refuse!”
“Then why–”
“Because sometimes I have bad days,” Zuko interrupts her. “I have bad days, you have bad days, but that doesn't make us failures. And you're not a monster, and you're not crazy.”
Azula feels like bursting out laughing.
Instead, she stares at him in disbelief.
“I've killed dozens of people in this war,” she remarks.
“So have I.”
“I saw our dead mother in the mirror.”
“Do you see her now?”
Azula cautiously glances toward the mirror.
The mirror is empty.
“...No,” she finally replies. Truthfully.
Zuko almost smiles at her.
“You're not crazy, Azula,” he says. “You may need some help, but you'll be fine. I know it.”
Azula raises an eyebrow.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because you're one of the strongest people I know,” Zuko replies simply. “You're Azula.”
You're Azula.
Two words. So simple.
Such a pathetic explanation.
At that, Azula can't help but laugh.
When she finishes laughing, Zuko is still standing in front of her, looking at her expectantly.
“I see that no matter how old you are, you still tend to think like a simpleton.”
For a moment, resentment appears in his eyes, but it disappears just as quickly, replaced by amusement.
“Well, Uncle always said I never think things through.”
“I'm afraid that one thing hasn't changed,” Azula admits. She straightens up slightly, keeping her eyes on him. “I'm going to end this war. Kill Ozai.”
“Okay,” Zuko agrees softly. “Let’s do it together?”
It probably shouldn't be a question. It probably shouldn't sound like a request for permission.
Zuko reaches out to her again.
“Together,” Azula agrees, taking his hand.
His friends appear suddenly, looking at her suspiciously.
Mai, Azula writes. Why did you let those idiots come to Enkai? We didn't need them here. Zuko and I were doing fine on our own.
Azula, Mai replies. I didn't really have a say in the matter. Do you think anyone could have controlled them?
Please try to work with them. They're good people and they want to help you, Mai adds.
Be careful, Mai asks.
They find Ozai.
Around them, dozens, perhaps thousands of people are fighting each other, perhaps dying, while Azula dances with her father. It is a deadly dance – Ozai no longer has bending, he is unable to use it, but during his months of freedom he has learned to use bladed weapons – perhaps he trained earlier, while he was still in prison.
Now we know where Zuko got his talent for dao, Azula thinks.
She is not alone. Her brother is with her, his friends are nearby, Zuko's guards—guards he chose himself years ago—are with him. But Ozai is not alone either, and on his side are not only Firebenders, but also Waterbenders and Earthbenders.
I don't think they want to die for Ozai, Azula thinks. They're probably here because they wanted to see the Fire Nation burn.
They fight and fight—until her hand sinks into her father's chest.
Ozai falls to the ground.
He is still breathing, Azula sees his chest rising stubbornly as he tries to catch his breath.
Zuko's swords fall down, sinking into his chest, into his heart. They remain there until the life drains from his eyes.
Azula stands motionless for a moment, staring at their father's body.
They did it.
They killed their father.
Zuko's hand falls on her shoulder.
“If you want to blame someone, blame me,” he whispers softly, so that only she can hear him. “I delivered the final blow.”
Ozai would have died anyway. He wouldn't have survived Azula's attack.
Azula is aware of this, yet she nods.
Zuko squeezes her shoulder, then throws his hand up, creating a sudden stream of fire, capturing the attention of everyone gathered.
“People of the Fire Nation!” he shouts. “Ozai is dead! Lay down your weapons or die for a dead Lord!”
Her brother's friends —Water Tribe Peasant, and the Blind Earthbender — look like they don't know what to do with themselves. They look like they want to talk to him, like they want to say something, but they're not sure what exactly, as if one wrong word would destroy the temporary balance they have.
“Zuko...” Water Tribe Peasant puts his hand on her brother's shoulder.
Azula narrows her eyes, hoping that the Water Tribe will realize how inappropriate his behavior is. Zuko calls him a friend, but Zuko is no longer an exiled prince. He is the Fire Lord, and the Fire Lord should not be so familiar with others.
If the Water Tribe notices this, he doesn't show it.
“Not now, Sokka,” Zuko brushes his hand away. “We need to make sure the situation is under control. We need to end this once and for all. I don't want another rebellion in a few years.”
The Water Tribe tightens his lips. There is something like pain and shame in his eyes.
“Yeah,” he says after a moment. “Let's end this.”
Most of the soldiers surrender immediately.
Some try to continue fighting and quickly join Ozai.
People are dying on both sides. People are dying even now.
And Azula stands over her father's body, aware that she has killed him. That Ozai will never open his eyes again, that Azula will never hear his voice again.
Azula takes a deep breath, then stares at Ozai's body.
You are dead, she says to him in her mind. You are dead, and I refuse to let you haunt me, even in death.
With that, Azula turns and walks toward her brother, determined to be by his side for as long as it takes.
This war must end.
And they will end it.
Together.