I peered over the dilapidated rooftop. Aang sat at the end of the old street, broken buildings on either side of him. Trapping him in. Not the best place for a showdown.

Aang told me to go with Katara, Sokka, and Appa, while he would distract Azula and her posse. But I had a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. So I followed him.

A rumbling noise pulled me from my thoughts. A giant lizard ran up, and the Fire Freak herself hopped off.

Aang glared at her. "Okay. You've got me all to yourself."

"You might want to rethink that." I jumped off the rooftop, flipping over so I would land facing Azula. "I got your back, kid."

He gawked at me. "Beth? What're you doing here? I thought I told--"

"Kid," I cut him off, "You may be the Avatar, but I'm four years older than you." He opened his mouth. "Biologically. I'm not going into that 'hundred-years-older' stuff. So, I don't have to listen to every order you give me."

The Fire Freak narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

I cracked my knuckles. "Queen. Annabeth Queen."

"Ah, I remember you now." Azula smirked. "The girl with that flimsy bow. Really, you'll never win a fight with that." Her smirk turned into a sneer. "However, you are not my target. He is." She pointed with one claw-like nail at the airbender.

I moved in front of Aang. "You want him ..." I made my fists flare up, the green flames licking at my knuckles and wrists.

"... you have to go through me."

Aang touched my shoulder. "Beth, you don't have to do this. You should go back, with the others."

"Yes, little girl, run away. You're no match for me," Fire Freak drawled. We'll see about that. "Now, do you two really want to fight me?"

"Yes," a somewhat raspy voice answered. A boy jumped out of an allyway. He looked about my age, with short, spiky black hair and a big burn scar on the left side of his face. "I do."

I feel like I know this guy ...

Aang gasped, "Zuko!"

I stared at the newcomer in surprise. "Wait, wait. That's Zuko? I thought you guys said he was 'an angry freak with a ponytail'." Zuko glared at me. "Well, at least the fight's fair now."

Azula laughed. I shuddered at the sound. "Fair? Oh, that's rich! Let me guess: you've only recently discovered bending, and you've had no real training." I blinked. "You think this will be fair? Ha! I'll beat you in two seconds flat."

I shifted into my defensive stance. "We'll see."

The four of us glanced at each other, battle ready and wary of one another.

Azula made the first move, sending a jet of blue fire at Zuko. He barely had enough time to block it before being thrown back into an old house. Aang tried to fly away on his glider, but she created a big line of flames that forced him to come down.

I blocked the fire with my own and sent a few fireballs at the princess. She swatted them away like pesky flies and jumped up onto the rooftops, running towards Aang.

"Oh, no you don't!" I started forward, but backpedaled when red flames flew past my face. I turned and punched at Zuko. He blocked my attack and swept an arc of fire at me. I redirected it, like I'd seen Katara do with water, and sent it back at him. Zuko flipped away.

I ran over to Aang and Azula, who were locked in combat. I growled and punched a stream of green flames at the Fire Freak. She blocked it and threw a fireball at me; I was forced to drop to the ground and roll off to the side.

When I sprang back up, a pair of strong arms grabbed me from behind. "Whoever you are, I can't let you get in my way," said a raspy voice. Zuko. He turned around so we were facing Azula and Aang. "Avatar! Surrender to me, or your friend here gets it!"

Aang whirled around. "Beth!" He tried to run our way, but once again, Azula attacked him.

"Let me go, Fire Freak!" I screeched, stomping on him foot. He didn't budge, so I bit down on his arm.

"Gah!" Zuko let go. I twisted around and pushed him away, forcing him back with fiery kicks and punches. I finally scored a good right-hook to the face. He fell to the ground with a groan.

Aang zoomed out of a building, Azula close behind him. He bounced up between two walls, like Mario in the video games. The princess sent blast after blast at him, while also avoiding my attacks. Aang landed on top of the building, and she sent an arc of blue flame that sliced his corner off. Aang scrambled for a grip.

I was close enough to see Azula smirk as she fired again. Aang fell screaming into a pile of wood and rubble.

"NO!" I lunged at Azula, punching and kicking and screaming. She dodged every attack. She even had the audacity to yawn. It seemed that Azula was tired of me, though, as she kicked me in the chest.

I flew backwards and hit the side of a stone building.

My vision going double, I watched helplessly as Azula cornered Aang. Is that just my imagination, or are those ... ? No, it was real; Katara and Sokka were here, forcing Azula away from our airbending friend. Sokka helped me up, and we surrounded her.

Suddenly, Azula fell to the ground. Toph, in all her blind glory, stood behind her. "Thought you could use a hand." I smiled.

The Fire Freak tried to run away, but an old man blocked her with his big belly. Now there were seven of us: me, Aang, Toph, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and the old man. We cornered Azula. Her gaze flickered from Aang, to me, to the others.

Slowly, she raised her arms above her head. "Okay. You win. I know when I've lost."

For a second, I believed her. But then I saw her eyes land on the old man. Before the princess even made a move, I was running.

A jet of blue fire hurtled towards the old man.

It was met with a wall of green flames.

Everyone stared at me in shock. "Aang, get the others out of here," I yelled, advancing on the dumbfounded princess.

"But, Beth --"

"Go!" Azula snapped out of her stupor and charged.

And we fought.

Something seemed to click in my mind, and suddenly, everything about firebending seemed so much easier. I knew just how to execute the perfect attack, how to dodge a fast flame.

Punch. Dodge. Twist. Kick. Block. Sweep. Parry. Thrust. Elbow. Dodge. Punch.

Then two voices barged into my perfect focus.

"Zuko! We must leave now!"

"But Uncle, that girl can help us capture the Avatar!"

"She just saved my life! And that's how you want to repay her?"

In that one moment of distraction, Azula got the better of me.

White-hot pain speared my ankle and spread up my leg. I screamed and fell to my knees, reaching back for my injured appendage.

"I told you I would beat you, little girl," her condescending voice whispered in my ear.

I could feel my consciousness slipping away into that black void.

"Young one. Let me help you."

My eyes snapped open. Everything was tinted green. Power surged through my veins, and I pushed myself up off the ground.

Azula stumbled back, eyes wide. "No! I defeated you!"

"This fight is not over," I growled. My voice was not mine; it was a deep rumble, like that of some ancient beast. "You have not bested me. Not with your cheating ways. No honor is found in attacking the defenseless, the compassionate." My hand raised up. "You are no princess of fire."

A huge blast of fire bloomed from my palm. When the smoke cleared, Azula was gone. "She is not dead. Azula has escaped, this time," the voice told me.

The green tint started to fade. Fatigue spread through my body. Pain lanced through me like a million tiny needled. I looked down and realized my right leg was bleeding heavily. My clothes were singed and torn a little. My hair had come out of its ponytail, falling in my face and covering my eyes.

Everything went blurry, out of focus. My breathing was shallow; I suddenly couldn't get enough oxygen. Black creeped into the edges of my vision. I collapsed.

I was very surprised to find myself caught in a pair of strong arms before I blacked out completely.

*****

I had become very familiar with this dark void. The inky blackness gave the impression that my surroundings stretched out forever. A sense of weightlessness was always present.

This time, however, there was an addition to the void.

I stared up at the massive dragon. Its scales glinted a deep green, like a thick forest's leaves in the summer.

"Hello, Annabeth. We have much to discuss."

~End of Book One~

~*~*~Annabeth will return in Book Two: Harmony~*~*~