A Zutara Story
                                                    Prologue

Explosions thundered through the city, flames scattered in all directions, illuminating the dark streets of the fire nation's capital.
It had been coming down to this fight forever, it had to happen yet it seamed much more brutal and chaotic when it actually unfolded rather than when they imagined it all.
The air was humid, heated by the flames that danced up and down the city, everything was dark, hot, brutal, unwelcoming even fearful. Everyone stayed hidden, avoiding the merciless battle that went on just outside their homes.
An Agni Kai, the fire duel that decides a matter of honor, yet now it would decide the fate of the world.
Many times before Zuko and Azula had fought, as children and teenagers but now they had grown up. Each had complexly different mind, both had grown up, streaking towrds opposite sides but never really imagining that their ways would lead them against each other. but neither felt regret or remorse about fighting the other. Each were completely leaded by their ways that their minds completely computed with the sides they chosen.
Now a flaming line of hatred lie between them. Both intended to end this battle in their favor, but only one could succeed and only one could win the throne that their father had lost to the avatar.
For years they had built themselves against each other, their mold and their growth was shaped like that and finally the moment had come, the moment where the knives they held at each others necks could be sliced, the fastest would take the throne.
And now, after years of lies and betrayal and always being the one dumb folded and broken, Zuko looked into Azula's eyes, an evil smirk crossing his face.
Finally, after she had him in her fingertips so many times, just waiting to crush him in her palm, laughing at his painful cry, now he looked at Azula, having blocked her strongest moves, having thrown back all her attempts and having beaten her in her own game and laughed.
Azula panted, feeling the tire inside lean her forward and drain her of all the energy inside. She had used her most elite and complicated techniques, her most advanced fire bending but all in vain.
She was tired, weak and caught in her crosshairs. The failure gnawed at her stomach, it was like she had already lost and now she was dropping her head in the mud. The very essence and recognition of Azula's defeat wouldn't let her think, even though the fight was still raging.
Azula's head seamed to only think of the shame and remorse when she hadn't deserved it... yet. Now she understood what it felt like to lose, it felt bad, shameful, worthless, defenseless.
Ironically- everyone acknowledged her defeat, both Zuko and katara could read her like a book just like she once could, and the very fact that Azula saw defeat in herself gave Zuko confidence, it made him stronger and it made Azula weaker.
Azula could even see, at the edge of her eye, how Zuko stared at her, almost mockingly. Just the naive spark in his eye, laughing at her in a way Azula couldn't hear.
She looked at him gravely, feeling the weakness yet unopposed anger rush through her, streaking upward.
'I'll wipe that grin off your face'

Zuko could already see this battle coming to an end. Finally he would defeat Azula, he would give her all the karma she deserved. Ever since he was a child she had mocked him, she had been smarted, stronger and generally better. It was always Azula that kept him locked in her fingertips.
Now it was time for his revenge and revenge was, as usual, sweet.
Now and finally he would finish this fight and win back his honor, his throne.

Katara felt the worry throbbing inside her. The battle was breathtaking, beautifly deadly, it was the battle that would decide all, the course of the war, the course of her life and most importantly Zuko.
Somehow she felt a connection to him, something between them that was special... maybe it was just the battle, she didn't want him to die. But ever since that day they had ambushed the southern raiders, since she actually touched him without smashing water into his face, she felt it.
Something tingling inside her every time she got near him or talked to him. She tried to somehow ignore it but as the flames flashed in front of her, as Zuko fought something that could end him for good, the feeling skyrocketed and whenever an explosion would cover the two in a smokescreen, she would explode in horror ad fear.
These strange feelings told her something, if he were to die she would soon fall. If he died, she would loose her mind in emptiness and grief and though it never occurred to her that she loved Zuko (Which she did) Katara knew it would destroy her to see Zuko die at the hands of this... monster.

Azula shot her fist forward, releasing a deadly ball of blue fire.
The flame streaked through the air, releasing some of its beautiful rays and tongues of flame out of its main stream.
Zuko raised his arms, seeing that even though the attack was beautiful and elegant but weak and uncoordinated. When the ray crashed through his fingers, he could simply control the pure chi inside, easily stopping the force of the blow and flinging it down towrds the floor.
He turned back towrds his sister, expecting to see a tired and worn out little girl but a much more powerful attack caught his eye.
Instantly he forced his palms forward, releasing a deadly ray of fire that stopped Azula's attack in its tracks.
An explosion thundered between the two, fire pitted against fire. Blue fire trying to shove forward against red fire, trying to cut through the blue fire. Both Zuko and Azula reinforced their sides, trying to overpower the other side but when it came down to it- Zuko was stronger.
Zuko shoved his arms to the side, splitting the clash of flames in half and launching them in opposite directions.
Instantly Zuko's arms ran back into a fighting stance.
Azula almost exploded with frustration, her most powerful move was stopped yet again, her chi was in absolute disorder, rushing to her fatally lagging chakra points. Everything seamed to be crashing and burning and Azula hated it, she hated admitting her final and most disgraceful defeat.
And just as Zuko screamed out him mocks Azula began to realize the strategy that could save her. Yes, it was so obvious.
- "What’s wrong Azula? Why aren’t you using your lightning? Afraid I’ll redirect it!?"
Azula could see her plan unfolding.
'The water bender, yes that wrenched water bender. Just standing here like the worthless slut she is. She's my ticket out of here!'
The fire bender smirked. She knew the reason Katara was here. Azula could feel her mind beginning to break free of the almost shame and return to its strategically devious mind.
'Zuko brought her here so he could show off, the love is written all over them- Azula smirked -don’t worry zuzu she'll see you'
- "Lightning! i'll show you lightning!!!" screamed Azula Furiously.
Azula's arms alit in a blue glow, she cold feel the energy flowing through her as she split the yin and yang. the power, electrifying her body. The raw might that she possessed, Azula could feel it and it felt good.
She threw her fingers forward, releasing the force that she trapped inside herself.
Zuko watched as the electrifying blue ray split through the air, spreading its harmful rays through the humid air.
Suddenly everything froze, things seamed to be much slower than usual. Zuko looked around, he could see the air around the spreading lightning turning a blurry light blue.
Everything was the same just very slow. Zuko could even feel his hearts individual beats slowly passing, he counted them, noticing the strange situation.
But as he prepared to redirect the lightning he noticed that it wasn't angled towrds him as it closed in.
He ran his eyes up towrds Azula in frantic confusion. She must have made a mistake.. but wait... how? And why?
Azula wasn't even looking at him.
Something was terribly strange here.

Suddenly it struck Zuko like lightning- the blow wasn't aimed at him... it was aimed at katara.
As the lightning slowly closed in Zuko began to realize his true love and affection, the real feelings that have been locked up inside him and now, in the prelude of crisis they were released.
He knew what to do.

Zuko jumped to his right, feeling time flowing away, feeling emotion and life sucking out of him.
Suddenly the lightning gained speed, it tore through the air like a hawk splits the sky.
It was over, the lightning was passing by him and by the time his body hit the lightning it would have already killed Katara.
But then he remembered Iroh and his latest fire bending lesson, at this point in time he only wanted to thank the old man.

Zuko shoved his finger towrds the lightning but the thoughts raced through his mind to slowly.
Zuko's fingers caught the lightning, trapping its power but as he brought his body up to deflect it, Zuko could feel the power, the energy now under his control. The lightning enhanced his chi flow, electrifying Zuko and bringing the amazing feeling of pride and power inside him. The spearhead of the lightning was broken but then the force came crashing through, too powerful to tame. Zuko didn't focus enough energy on redirecting the energy as he did to jump in front of Katara (Which he needed to successfully redirect the lightning). The power simply broke through his chi flow that kept it trapped, and crashing into his chest.
Then the feeling of pride and power in his chest vanished and the pain and emptiness flowed in.

Zuko couldn't remember anything, he lost consciousness when the lightning struck him but as he lay on the floor, shuddering in electrified pain, all he thought of was the reason, the reason he was here on the floor instead of up on that throne. the shame flowed inside, he wanted to believe in Katara but he knew that the girl would die if he wasn't there to save her... and he wasn't.

Yet when he woke up and was met by the tearful aquatic eyes, sparkling with joy and relief. The soft, loving voice speaking to him like harmonic music to his ears and the tender lips kissing his own so gently and beautifly. All the pain, hatred and shame seamed to disappear.