A.N. So, I just decided to go ahead and publish the rest of the book before I have no time. 

Here's the first half of the finale episode. Thank you for reading this far and I hope you enjoy!

Sokka tugged Toph forward to avoid the fire blast from a Fire Nation soldier. With nowhere else to go, he jumped off the side of the ship. Pulling out his sword, he dug it into the side of the ship to try and slow their descent. But they still plunged to the platform below them. Sokka yelled out in pain as he landed awkwardly, but he still managed to reach out to grab Toph to prevent her from falling further.

"My leg! Hang on Toph!" he grunted through clenched teeth, his leg throbbing with pain.

"Aye, aye, Captain," Toph mumbled back, clearly terrified.

Two firebenders emerged on the platforms beside them, poised to strike. Thinking quickly, Sokka threw his boomerang at one of them, knocking him out. Kicking his sword up with his good leg, Sokka caught it with his hand, and threw it at the other soldier's platform. The sword cut through the metal platform and sent the soldier down on his line.

"Bye, space sword," Sokka sighed sadly as he watched his sword plummet below. As Sokka took another strained breath, more firebenders rushed out, ready to finish the two assailants off. Sokka grunted as he started to lose his grip on Toph's hand.

"I don't think boomerang's coming back, Toph. It looks like this is the end," Sokka spoke through gritted teeth. Tears dripped down Toph's cheek, the blind earthbender completely helpless to do anything. "Guess I won't be making that date," he murmured sadly to himself, staring at the firebenders with a defeated expression.

As the firebenders prepared to attack, they suddenly stepped back, before turning to run back inside. Sokka looked back in time to see another airship sail towards them, knocking into their own. Sokka dropped Toph onto the new airship before rolling over and falling himself. Sokka yelled out in pain as he landed on his leg, holding it in pain.

"How did that happen? Did boomerang come back?" Toph asked, sitting up on her hands and knees.

"No . . . Suki and Kesuk did," Sokka replied, spotting the duo by the sail, wide grins on both of their faces.

*|*|*|*|*

Jeong Jeong and Iroh worked together to blast Fire Nation tanks back. As they were about to release another attack, sudden powerful fire blasts came from the side streets. The fire blasts knocked the tanks into each other before Iroh or Jeong Jeong could even reach them. Surprised, the White Lotus members shared a confused look.

Piandao leapt up onto a roof of a home to get a better view and noticed approaching men in Earth Kingdom clothing. "Look, there!"

One man ran forward in front of the others, turning to address Iroh. "General Iroh," Jun called, bowing respectfully, "we were hoping that there were room for some more Fire Nation deserters in this battle. Ba Sing Se is our home, and we want to defend it."

"There is always room for traitors among the White Lotus," Iroh replied with a smile, sharing a look with Jeong Jeong and Piandao, before jumping back into battle.

*|*|*|*|*

Azara stood in a defensive stance with her hands held in front of her. This was it. The moment that she had been dreading, been preparing to handle for weeks. "Finally, a worthy opponent," Azula spat, a delusional smirk on her lips.

"Azula, you don't have to do this!"

"Oh, Azara. Always the peacemaker," Azula scoffed sarcastically, stumbling around. "Let me guess, you'll pick Zuko. Again."

Snarling, Azula jumped up and spun around, blasting some fire from her foot. Azara rolled to dodge it before putting up a fire wall to block Azula's second shot. She lowered her fire defenses as she spotted Azula breathing heavily, glaring at her sister.

"Let me help you, Azula," Azara pleaded, taking a step forward.

"I don't need your help! I don't need anyone's help!" Azula screamed, jumping forward.

She released a powerful beam of blue fire. Azara cut through the beam with one of her own, flashes of white and blue mixing around her. Once Azula's attack died down, Azara straightened up, staring with concern over at her sister. Azula breathed heavily as she barely caught herself from falling to the ground.

"Azula, please, just listen to me!"

"No! If you really wanted to help, you wouldn't have left me! Left me for Zuko!"

Azula screamed, releasing three haphazard blasts of flames from her fists at Azara. Frowning in concentration, Azara ran forward, and timed her jump. Using her rocket propulsion, she jumped over Azula's attack, and released a fire slice with a kick of her legs. Azula dove out of the way, barely dodging the attack.

Growling, Azula stood up and released a fire beam at Azara. Taking a deep breath, Azara exhaled as she placed her hand forward. Azula's blue flames exploded in a dome shape around Azara, who didn't even strain to block Azula's beam of fire. Narrowing her eyes, Azula sent another, more sustained beam of fire at Azara. The younger twin turned and countered with one of her own.

Blue met white, flames spurting all over the place. Bits of either color would jump out, causing fires to break out in the surrounding buildings as neither sister relented her attack. Azara planted her foot and pushed harder, the white starting to overwhelm the blue. Azula, realizing she was losing the showdown, propelled herself away.

Azara lowered her beam once she spotted Azula skating away from her attack. "Azula, let me help you!"

"Leave! Just like you did before!" Azula yelled back, sliding to a shaky stop. "That's all you're good for! Leaving your family behind!"

"No! I won't leave you, Azula . . . not this time," Azara vowed, lowering back into a defensive stance.

"Then you'll join Zuko soon enough," Azula growled out in warning.

Azula jumped in the air and brought down a column of fire towards Azara. She spun a ring of fire around her to defend herself from the attack. Once the flames had dissipated, Azara pushed herself forward with her rocket propulsion. Azula did the same, the two sisters on a collision course for the middle of the arena. At the last second, Azara shot a blast of fire in front of her.

The force of the flames pushed her higher, and over Azula, avoiding a collision. Somersaulting in the air, Azara pushed her legs down and shot a blast down at her sister. Azula bended a ring of flames around her to block the attack, but still fell back from the force of Azara's blast, landing hard on her back with a grunt.

Azara landed gracefully on the ground before turning to face her sister again. Holding her hands out to the sides, Azara released powerful streams of fire from her fists before swinging her arms around her. Azula struggled to her feet as Azara pulled the flames around the two of them, encasing the sisters in a ring of bright white fire.

"What are you doing!?" Azula demanded, nearly falling over as she glared at her sister.

"It's just you and me, Azula. Forget about everything outside of here. It's just you and me," Azara replied, swinging her arms around peacefully to maintain the ring of fire. Azula glared up the flames, noting the bursts of other colors—greens, reds, yellows, blues—within the white.

"You're pathetic," Azula scoffed, finally managing to get back to her feet. Azara merely stared back at her sister sadly.

"I'm sorry for leaving you behind! I shouldn't have done that! I should have grabbed you and Zuko and we should have fled and never looked back!" Azara started, causing Azula to pause for a moment, breathing heavily.

"Now you come groveling," she laughed maniacally, stumbling around.

"It was wrong of me to abandon you! And I'm sorry! I'll never be able to get those years back, Azula, and maybe you'll never fully forgive me, but please stop this fight! Stop fighting for Father!"

"Why? He recognized my potential! He was the one who stayed! He gave me this role!" Azula listed off, nearly falling over from the strain of her yelling.

"He's the reason I left!"

"You left because you're a coward!"

"I left because I was scared that if I stayed, Father would kill me!" Azara shouted as Azula paused in her movements, staring over at her sister. Azara continued to swing her arms around, the white flames still encircling the sisters. "And I know that you're scared of him too, Azula!"

"I'm not scared of him! I'm his heir! The prodigy! His advisor! His prized daughter!" Azula insisted, breathing heavily as she glared at her sister.

"And he just discarded you, Azula! He doesn't care about us! And you know that!" Azara yelled back as Azula began to breath more heavily. "I know you have those nightmares! The ones where he decides to burn you instead of Zuko! Because I have them too! I have all those nightmares! That's not a coincidence, Azula!"

"I'm not scared of him!" Azula snapped, nearly falling over as she delivered her sentence.

"You know, Azula! You know he doesn't care about us! He doesn't care about you!"

"And you do!?" Azula screeched, throwing lopsided fire blast at Azara. She easily blocked it with residual fire from the ring, before staring back at her sister.

"Yes, I do! I love you, Azula! You're my sister!"

"You're lying!"

"No, I'm not! Why do you think I agreed to marry Izen? Why do you think I got the shit beaten out of me? Why do you think I'm talking to you now, Azula? I did all of that because I love you and I care about you!" Azula paused at Azara's words. Seeing her sister's hesitance, Azara lowered the ring of fire around them. The two sisters stared at each other as Azara took a step forward. "Let me help you, Azula. Please, just let me help you."

Azula hesitated, before quickly swinging her arm around. Azara, anticipating it, dove out of the way of the fire slice. Getting back to her feet, Azara spun around to face Azula again. Azula lowered her arm and glared at Azula.

"I don't need your help. And I don't need you," Azula hissed before leaping into an attack.

Azula planted her feet before releasing a powerful fire beam at Azara. Getting into low stance, Azara jumped in the air and spun around. She gathered the flames from Azula's fire beam and added some of her own, creating a fire tornado around herself. Hovering several feet in the air, Azara stared down at Azula, who appeared shocked at her sister's move, before she resumed her glare.

Azula spun around the plaza with her rocket propulsion, throwing fire blasts and slices up at Azara, but the younger twin easily absorbed or blocked her shots. Throwing some of her own down at her sister to try and throw her off balance, Azara managed to get Azula with a well-aimed fire wall. But before Azara could pin her down, Azula was back to her feet, and zooming around.

Glancing around the yard for Zuko and Katara, Azara took a breath once she noticed them a safe distance away. Swinging her arms down, Azara brought the flame tornado back to the ground rapidly, causing the white flames to jump out in all directions. Azula spun a ball of flames to protect herself, but it was not nearly enough to keep her on her feet.

Azula was thrown back, tumbling around a few times, before coming to a stop with her back to Azara. Spotting her sister on the ground, Azara quickly got to her feet and ran over to her. Azula stumbled back to her feet, keeping her back to her sister as she caught her breath. Turning around, Azula quickly moved to gather electricity around her fingertips.

"Azula, don't," Azara warned, stopping a few paces away. She raised her hands in front of her, in a slight surrender motion, trying to talk her sister down.

"Why? Zuzu didn't teach you his little trick!?" Azula taunted, swinging her arms around haphazardly before planting her foot. Unlike the lightning bolt that Azula had sent towards Katara, this lightning bolt blew up right in Azula's face.

"Azula!" Azara screamed as Azula was thrown backwards from the explosion. Rushing over to her sister again, Azara paused as Azula threw a half-hearted fire slice at her. Cutting through it easily, Azara pressed forward.

"Get away from me!"

"No!"

Azula sent more fire blasts and slices at her sister, but Azara quickly blocked or cut through them before rushing forward. Azula, whose legs were starting to give up on her, started to crawl away on her knees from Azara. With another yell, Azula kicked a fire blast at her sister. Azara pulled her hands apart, dissipating the attack, before reaching for her sister.

Azula swung a fist around, ready to fire another blast, when her hand was caught mid-air by Azara's own. Clutching her sister's hand, Azara twisted her arm, causing Azula to roll over. Azula yelled out at the action, thrashing around. Azara reached down and locked her hands over Azula's own, preventing her sister from firebending up at her again.

Azara held Azula's arms against her chest, preventing her sister from throwing fire blasts up at her. "Let me go!" Azula demanded, trying to wiggle free. Azara simply wrapped herself tighter around her sister, her legs locked around her sister's own as well. With her tight grasp on her sister, Azara prevented Azula from flinging out any attacks.

"No, I'm not letting go!"

"Let me go, Azara!"

"No!"

They wrestled on the ground, much like they had as children. But this time, it was obvious that they wouldn't be jumping to their feet together afterwards before running inside to snag some mochi from the kitchen. No, it was not one of those fights between sisters that faded from memory as soon as it was concluded. It was deeper, all the more painful, and forever scarring.

"Please, Azula, stop," Azara begged, holding her sister tighter to prevent her from wiggling around so much. Azula fought like a rapid animal, screeching, kicking, and twisting around. But Azara kept a firm hold on her sister, refusing to let go.

"Never!"

"Please, Azula, stop this. It's over. It's over," Azara emphasized, causing Azula to heave. Azula let out a few breaths of flames, screaming as she struggled against Azara's grip. "I'm sorry, Azula. I'm so sorry," Azara whispered out, as Azula heaved one more breath of flames.

The flames spun the sister around, but they were still locked together on the ground. Azula screamed and cried, trying to wrestle out of Azara's hold, but Azara only held her tighter. "I'm so sorry, Azula," Azara sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks at the sound of Azula's broken cries. "I'm so sorry."

Unable to hear her sister suffer any longer, Azara concentrated on her inner flame. Reaching out to her sister, Azara tried to bring comfort and peace to her sister as well as she could. Azula's inner flame was all out of control, but Azara pressed forward, trying to bring some soothing heat to her sister.

Feeling her sister start to relax in her arms, a fresh wave of tears left Azara's eyes. "I'm so sorry, Azula," Azara repeated as Azula stopped struggling, just sobbing as she laid in Azara's arms. "I love you, Azula. I love you so much. And I'm so sorry."

After some more time passed, Azula finally collapsed, passing out against her sister. Azara released her death grip on Azula and sat up. Reaching out with a tentative hand, brushed her sister's chopped hair out of her face, before finally breaking down. Holding Azula in her arms, Azara let out a series of pitiful sobs as she cradled her sister to her chest.

"I'm so sorry, Azula. I'm so sorry. I never should have left you. I never should have left you behind," Azara cried, rambling incoherent apologies to her sister, even though Azula could not hear or register her words. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for breaking my promise. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Azara pressed a shaky kiss to her sister's forehead before resting her own on top of Azula's. "I'm so sorry. I love you. I love you so much. And I'm so sorry."

Looking away from her sister for a moment, Azara stared around at the destruction that the Agni Kai had caused. Azara gently lowered her sister to the ground, before standing up shakily. She took a few paces away before getting into a stance.

She raised her hands in the air, feeling out for all of the fire surrounding her, before slowly lowering her hands together. The flames started to gradually extinguish as she drew her hands down, light trails of smoke filling the air as she completed the technique. As Azara finished the move, she lowered her head somberly.

That was it. That was the end. It was over. It was all over.

Azara knelt back down beside her sister, pulling Azula back into her arms. As Azara stared down at Azula with silent tears dripping down her cheeks, the Fire Sages and guards returned to the plaza. Zuko and Katara trailed behind them as well. Though Azara, for a moment, didn't seem to acknowledge anyone else's presence as she stared down at her sister.

"Would you like us to take Princess Azula to prison?" one of the guards finally spoke up, causing Azara to instantly shoot him a deadly glare.

"No! She is to be sent to a proper mental health facility and evaluated for treatment!"

"Apologies, Princess Azara."

Turning back to her sister, Azara let another set of tears stream down her cheeks. Azara lowered her head for a moment, allowing the tears to flow as she recited a silent apology to her sister. Finding her peace again, Azara turned back to the guards.

"You may restrain her for everyone else's safety," she conceded, knowing that Azula was a threat to those around her in her current state. "But no straightjackets or muzzles or anything absolutely barbaric!"

"Yes, Princess Azara."

Azara finally relinquished her hold on Azula, watching the guards carry her away with a broken expression on her face. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Azara looked up to see Zuko staring down at her, a sorrowful look in his eye. Azara got to her feet and hugged Zuko gently as more tears streamed down her cheeks.

The two siblings simply held each other for a moment, having a silent conversation. Katara stood to the side, simply making sure that Zuko didn't tumble to the ground again. After thoroughly soaking her brother's shirt with her tears, Azara took a shaky breath, burying her face into his shoulder.

"I swear to Agni, if you throw yourself in front of lightning again, Zuko, I'm going to kill you."

"I won't if you don't," Zuko replied with a twitch of a smile as Azara pulled away. "After all, you started it."

"Touché, Zuzu, but mine wasn't lightning."

Zuko smiled before wincing, holding his injury in pain. Azara and Katara swooped in, holding him up as he tried to catch his breath. He muttered that he was fine, but Azara knew he was simply putting on a brave face.

"Now what?" Katara asked from Zuko's other side, glancing between the siblings.

"Now, Zuko's the Fire Lord," Azara stated firmly, keeping a protective arm wrapped around his waist. "Once we're sure that everything's settled with Ba Sing Se and the airships, then the Fire Sages will crown him Fire Lord."

"You will," Zuko corrected, causing Azara to look up at him in surprise. "You'll crown me Fire Lord."

"That's the job for the Head Fire Sage, Zuko."

"Well, you outrank them. I mean, you're the Dragon Princess. Can't get more spiritual than that," Zuko reasoned, a small smile gracing his lips.

"I've cried enough tears today, Zuko. No need to make me cry again," Azara huffed jokingly, though she was clearly emotional about the honor of crowning him Fire Lord. "Come on, let's get you to a bed. You did just get shot full of lightning."

Azara's next day was as close to Fire Lord as she ever wanted to get. Ever. She had insisted that Zuko rest up for his coronation. Katara was continuing with routine healing treatments, but he was still quite injured. Which left Azara to deal with just about everything else going on in the Fire Nation and with her family.

She had received word that Azula had been transferred to a facility and was currently undergoing an evaluation. And even though she was not allowed to visit her sister while she was being evaluated, Azara was glad that her sister was finally getting the help that she needed. But she didn't have much time to dwell on it before she was required elsewhere.

There was recalling all of the banished servants, guards, and staff from Azula's few hours as Fire Lord. Except for the Dai Li. Azara would have kicked them out of the nation herself had she not been so busy. There was preparing for Zuko's coronation. There was locating and releasing the prisoners of war from the invasion. And she still hadn't received word on the state of the Earth Kingdom, which filled her with complete dread and stress every time she thought about it.

In the middle of a conversation with some high ranked guards about new warrants for some of her father's top cronies, Azara paused when she spotted another guard running over. "Princess Azara, there's an approaching airship!"

Springing into action, Azara rushed out to see the airship for herself. She wanted to believe that it was definitely her friends returning from their battle, but she had to remain cautious. The Fire Nation was literally hanging on by a thread, her family was, and she could not afford to make mistakes in that moment.

"Do we have communication with the airship?" she asked one of the guards by the entrance, who shook his head.

"No, Princess."

"Well, prepare for—" Azara cut herself off as she saw a familiar looking bald boy jump out of the airship as it lowered down, floating to the ground like a falling leaf. "Never mind, it's a friendly. Stand down," Azara ordered before rushing over to where Aang had landed.

"Didn't want you guys to think we were the enemy," Aang explained sheepishly as he straightened up. Azara barely registered his words before she hurried to envelop him with a tight hug.

"You're alive! And you did it! You won!" she yelled excitedly, squeezing the airbender. "How'd you manage that?"

"I took his bending away. Forever," Aang explained as they pulled out of their hug.

"Really? How?" Azara asked, her eyes widening in shock.

"A giant lion turtle taught me."

Azara blinked a few times, before shrugging. "Sounds about right." The two shared a laugh before Aang straightened up again.

"Where's Katara and Zuko?"

"Katara's healing Zuko inside. He took a lightning bolt to the chest, but he should make a full recovery in time," Azara informed Aang, who looked startled at the information.

"So, Azula is . . ."

"Getting the help that she should have gotten a long time ago," Azara replied, causing Aang to nod solemnly. "How're the others—"

"—There's my girlfriend!" Sokka called, stumbling down the gangplank of the airship. He half-hobbled on a crutch but was quickly losing his balance.

"Sokka, be careful!" Azara warned, running up to catch him. Of course, in his haste, he tripped and fell forward, taking Azara out with him. Luckily Aang was quick on his feet and threw an airball under them, softening the fall. "You're such a goofball, Cactus Brain," Azara laughed as they laid on the ground together.

"But I'm your goofball."

"Yeah, I guess you are." They connected their lips quickly afterwards, sharing a hard, emotional embrace—a reminder that they were alive, that they had survived—before pulling back.

"I love you," Sokka stated, causing Azara to smile wider.

"I love you too," she replied as she helped him to sit up. "But what happened to your leg?"

"I broke it falling off the side of an airship," Sokka explained, causing Azara to shoot him a look.

"What happened to being careful?"

"I had to improvise." Sokka shrugged as Azara helped him back to his feet. Aang handed Sokka his crutch, before the Water Tribe boy was finally straightened out properly. After Azara had greeted and congratulated Suki and Kesuk, several guards jogged over.

"Princess Azara, what shall we do with former Fire Lord Ozai?"

Azara paused at the question before staring up at the airship, where her father was sitting locked in a room by himself. Her lips pursed into a firm line as she thought over the question. Turning back to her guards, Azara straightened up.

"I will call for you when I'm ready to transport him to his cell. But I would like to speak with him first. Alone."

The guards bowed and stood to the side as Aang and Sokka turned to Azara with concerned looks. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sokka asked gently, swaying a bit on his crutch.

"No," Azara admitted honestly, "but it's something I need to do."

"I'll go with you," Aang offered, sharing a look with Sokka. "Just in case."

"You should get your leg looked at and tell Katara you're alive," Azara told Sokka, who still looked like he thought her decision was a bad idea. "I'll be there shortly." She pressed a kiss to his cheek before turning to the airship.

Ozai looked up from the ground as Azara walked into the room, a cold expression on her face as she stopped in the doorframe. "I'll be right outside if you need me," Aang told her, causing Azara to nod, before stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Here to finish me off?" Ozai scoffed, sitting up more as Azara stared down at him, her eyes narrowed. "Well, go ahead. I'm powerless."

"No," Azara spoke clearly. "I don't deserve your pathetic blood on my hands."

"Oh, Azara . . . always the noble hearted one," Ozai drawled, staring up at his daughter. His lips suddenly twisted into a smirk as he thought back to the last time he had seen his daughter. "Remember, though, Azara . . . your only duty is to serve the Fire Lord."

Azara didn't move, didn't flinch, her pupils didn't dilate—nothing happened to Ozai's utter surprise and outrage. A smirk tugged at Azara's lips for a moment before she suppressed it, taking another step towards her father.

"Your power over me, over the rest of the world, is over. Now and forever," Azara vowed, folding her arms behind her back as she glared down at her father.

"So . . . what are you going to do to me then? Have me executed?"

"No," Azara replied simply, lifting her chin slightly. "You will be thrown into a tiny little cell in the very same prison you threw me and Uncle into. And you'll be left there . . . to rot." Ozai growled at her words, turning to face her properly.

"Coward! You're too weak to kill me!"

"On the contrary, killing you is the much easier option," Azara stated, taking a calming breath. "But a quick and relatively painless death is not what you deserve after everything you did to our family and to the world. And your death would only embolden your cronies to paint you as some kind of martyr for the Fire Nation. No . . . we won't kill you. I won't kill you."

Azara paused for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she glared down at her father. "I think that leaving you to rot in prison—with no title, no bending abilities, and not even a regular visitor to your sad little corner of the world—is a far more deserving end to a man like you."

"Why are you here then? To gloat?" Ozai scoffed, shooting his daughter a look.

"I'm here to say my piece and move on," Azara replied, straightening up. "And you will listen to every word that I have to say." Ozai scoffed again, looking away as Azara glared down at him. "You know when you first started to abuse me . . . I thought that maybe there was something wrong with me. After all, you hated me, Mom didn't seem to care for me." Azara paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "You left me with so many different scars, I couldn't even begin to make a list."

"And you were so proud of that, weren't you? You were proud that your children feared you. You were proud that you filled my nights with unbelievably horrible nightmares that I could barely sleep. You were proud that you shattered each and every one of your children in a different way, convincing them that their enemy was each other or their mother . . . when it was really just you all along."

Azara clenched her jaw shut as her hands tensed into fists. "What kind of father, what kind of man, what kind of human, relishing in the pain of a child? I was nine-years-old the first time you hit me! I was a child! A helpless, defenseless baby! And you call me the coward," Azara scoffed, shaking her head. "How weak, how pathetic, do you have to be to relish in harming children? Your own children."

"It was to make you strong!"

"It was to make yourself feel strong you pathetic loathsome little man!" Azara shouted back, her voice raising in volume before she calmed down. "But what else should I expect out of a man that never grew out of his childhood insecurities." Azara paused, her eyes narrowing. "Because your father didn't love you either . . . did he? You were just the spare and you spent the rest of your life trying to convince yourself and everyone else that you were worth giving a shit about."

Azara paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "You never cared about me, or Zuko, or Azula, or Mom, or Uncle, or any other living creature on this planet. You just cared about yourself. You and your precious power. Your precious role as rightful ruler to the world. Your legacy. And what do you have to show for it now? Nothing. You have nothing because you love nothing. You are nothing."

Ozai growled out at her words and Azara knew she had struck a nerve with him. "And this cycle of abuse from father to child, family member to family member, over the generations of our family . . . it's ending today. Right now. We're rebuilding our family without you."

"Where's Azula? Rotting in the cell next to me?" Ozai taunted, staring up at Azara with a glint in his eyes. "After all, she was my prodigy. She killed the Avatar. She conquered Ba Sing Se. She's my legacy." Ozai smirked, sitting up more. "Doesn't that make you hate her if you hate me so much, Azara?"

"No," Azara spoke confidently, her hands folded behind her. "Azula has made mistakes and committed several crimes that she will make up for when she's recovered. I will see to it personally that she makes amends with everyone she's hurt."

"But . . . she's my legacy! How can you not hate her after everything she did to you and your precious friends?"

"Because you miscalculated," Azara warned, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she leaned down slightly. "I love Azula more than I hate you."

Ozai glared at the ground, one of his tricks clearly having failed. "I'll leave you with this thought, Father. While you're rotting away in prison, Zuko and I will work together to dismantle the last hundred years of Fire Nation work. We'll tear down the statues, the texts, the praises, everything you Fire Lords loved, and we'll destroy them. And from those ashes, we'll cultivate and grow the Fire Nation into the society it should have always been. One that plays an active role as a supportive member of the global order. One that puts peace and love above power and hatred."

Ozai looked away for a moment before turning back to glare at Azara. "You'll need me! Zuko especially. You're both still pathetic children. You don't know anything about running a country."

"If we are old enough to end this war against you, then we're old enough to guide the world through the aftermath without you as well," Azara replied easily before crossing her arms over her chest. Ozai growled at her words. "I hope I gave you enough to think about while you're sitting in your cell. Alone. Cold. Desperate. Like I said before, you reap what you sow, Ozai. And now you must face the consequences of your actions."

Azara spun on her heel, heading for the door, when Ozai called out to her again. "Don't you want to know what happened to your mother?"

"No," Azara replied without a second thought, turning around to shoot him one last look. "I don't need your help with that. And if you're trying to offer me a map, I don't want it. If she wants to be in my life . . . she's welcome to find her way back. But I'm not going looking for people who walked out of my life."

Ozai looked defeated at her words, his last trick played, and failed. Azara turned back to the door, closing her eyes for a second to steady herself. "Goodbye, Father. Guards!"

Azara stood to the side with Aang as Ozai was cuffed by the guards before being led away in chains. "You'll need me, Azara! This isn't the last you'll ever see of me! I'll come back! The Phoenix King will rise again!" he called over his shoulder, fighting against the hold of the guards.

"Feel free to gag him if you please," Azara told the guards as they led him out of the airship.

Azara stood rigid until the sound of her father struggling stopped echoing through the airship. Then, she dropped to her knees, letting out a shaky breath. Aang kneeled beside her, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder as she let out a few soft cries. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she dug her nails into the floor.

"I'm really proud of you for doing that Azara," Aang consoled his friend, a reassuring smile on his face. "You made your peace with it. And you let go."

"Thanks, Aang. I'm proud of you too," Azara chuckled out, despite the tears streaming down her cheeks. The two friends shared a tight hug, the emotions of the week catching up with them for a moment. Azara pulled back, wiping the tears from her cheeks, before smiling softly. "Come on, we should get back inside before Katara rips the airship apart looking for you."

A.N. So, I decided to separate the episode here so that the next one is all happy times.

About the Final Agni Kai, I struggled for a while to come up with a way for Azara to defeat Azula. But I thought a hug (though a rather tight and rough one) being the way that Azula finally surrenders to her sister fits into the theme of tragedy around the Final Agni Kai. And ties into the whole 'Azara left Azula and wants to fix her mistake' theme.

Next chapter is the last of Book 3 and then it's the epilogue! Thanks for reading, voting, and commenting!