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The market buzzed around them and Katara shifted closer to Zuko, glancing around at the passing people. A few returned her glance, but no one seemed to pay them any particular mind. Street vendors hawked their wares in sing-song voices and the guards along the Fire Palace walls watched the milling crowd with bored expressions.

Katara wondered how Uncle Iroh and her brother were doing. He hadn't exactly said where they were headed, though they turned in the opposite direction that Zuko led. Out of the corner of her eye she saw an older merchant lean down to speak to an anxious looking young boy. The boy met her gaze and then swiftly looked away, nodding tightly to the merchant and then scampered through the market crowd. Katara twisted to watch the boy vanish from view, a curious frown furrowing her brow. Zuko shifted next to her, releasing a slow breath and flexing his hands in a show of nerves.

"On my word," he said quietly.

Katara pulled her attention from the milling crowd to look at him, noticing the tightening of his jaw. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he tracked the guards' movements. Her stomach swooped nervously and she pressed her palms against her tunic, forcing herself to take controlled breaths. Zuko shifted on his feet next to her, brushing his arm against hers. This was it. The beginning of the end. She bit her lip. "Zuko?"

He grunted, not taking his eyes from the soldiers that stood at rigid attention. Katara wet her lips. "I just wanted — I love you."

Zuko blinked, turning to her in surprise. She gave a helpless smile and a small shrug. She didn't know what else to say in a situation like this. His lips parted, but a sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet and they instinctively ducked, spinning toward the sound of danger. Smoke billowed up into the sky in black clouds. She stared in open-mouthed astonishment, vaguely aware that the rest of the market had fallen into a disbelieving hush. The hush passed quickly and descended into chaos. Voices rose in panic and and several people burst into noisy tears.

"What—"

A second explosion rumbled the ground beneath their feet and interrupted her startled question. The worried crowd bolted like panicked sheep. Katara stumbled, catching Zuko's arm to keep from falling. The soldiers that had been standing in boredom had jerked to attention, their gaze directed toward the ensuing chaos.

Zuko pulled her close, elbowing his way to the edge of the crowd and ducking into a protected corner.

"What's going on?" she panted.

"I don't know," Zuko admitted, frowning in the direction of the clouds of smoke. "That looks like it was in the industrial district."

"But that wasn't part of the plan," Katara said, before adding hesitantly, "was it?"

A third explosion went off before Zuko could respond and a man ran by, screaming, "The docks! They're attacking the docks!"

"Who?" Katara wondered aloud and Zuko only shrugged in return.

A horn sounded inside the gates of the Fire Palace and Zuko gripped her arm. "Look. They've emptied the barracks."

Sure enough, Katara could see the metallic sheen of the Fire Nation soldiers' helmets as they marched out of the gates. The rigid formation of the soldiers divided, half heading toward the docks and the industrial district and the other half turning for the location of the first explosion.

"It can't be that easy," she exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's not," Zuko assured her. "There are still the guards inside."

She heard him take a steadying breath, his hands clenching as he prepared himself. Katara clutched at her waterskin, palms sweating and her heart in her throat.

"Now!" someone shouted and they leapt forward, descending on the remaining guards and soldiers with a ruthlessness that surprised even themselves. The first soldier Katara met fell quickly beneath her assault though the next one was more than ready to meet her advance. Blood rushed in her ears and her heart beat frantically in her chest. She fell into the chaotic rhythm of the melee, her only thought to stay alive.

The soldiers fell back several steps and then rallied themselves. The fight was swift and frantic. Katara hardly paid attention when her opponent fell, charging forward to meet the next. They advanced into the outer courtyard and had almost reached the steps to the palace when it seemed like the remaining guards and soldiers had recovered from their initial surprise. The blast of a horn was cut short and the horn blower hit the ground and didn't rise again. Zuko spun toward her, his dao swords unsheathed and slick with blood.

"Katara! The gate!"

She had already been turning to barricade the gate, but several of the market crowd had spilled in behind them as they cleared a path and the large gates were already swinging closed. Half of them were already scrambling up the walls with makeshift weapons. They fell shut with a resounding thud and merchants were quickly securing the gate. One large man saw Katara watching and lifted a hand, grinning broadly. "We got it from here."

Katara stared, trying to wrap her mind around the sight before her. Each of the merchants and peddlers carried a makeshift weapon. Some even had short bows. These scaled the walls and took up positions on either side of the gate. The remainder of the townsfolk took control of those soldiers and guards that had surrendered and had corralled their prisoners into one area.

"Let's go," Zuko called, already starting up the stairs to enter the palace.

She caught up with him quickly, catching him swiping at a slowly seeping wound on his shoulder with a grimace. Katara batted his hand away, forcing him to pause so she could seal the wound. Any further medical attention would have to wait.

"Who were they?" she asked, motioning back toward the courtyard.

Zuko's eyes flicked in the direction she motioned, rolling his shoulder when she released him. "Civilians, it looks like."

"That's surprising."

Zuko nodded his agreement, adjusting his swords and lifting a hand. "This way. They'll be ready for us."

She was glad he'd taken care of cleaning the swords while she'd been otherwise occupied. She could already feel her stomach roiling and a cold sweat spreading down her spine. Katara firmly pushed the feeling away, raising a shaking hand to push hair out of her eyes and focusing on her footsteps. They moved through the opulent corridors, Zuko subtly directing her. They passed several startled servants who, after staring at them with wide eyes, quickly made themselves scarce.

"We've lost our element of surprise," Katara noted as they passed a woman that screamed in terror and slammed the door she'd just opened.

His lips quirked and he shrugged, giving her a side-long look. "It can still be surprising."

"You there! Halt!"

They'd been spotted. Halting, they sized up their new opponent. Zuko hadn't said as much, but she knew he'd been hoping to not come across any more guards. Zuko grimaced. "Yours or mine?"

"After you."

He nodded, moving in front of her to intercept the attack. The guard didn't draw the sword at his side and Katara could already see the glow of fire around the guard's hands. Zuko stepped into the blast, pushing the attack to the ground and swung his leg out. He caught the surprised guard solidly in the chest and followed up with a swift punch. The guard hit the ground with a hard grunt, rolling to avoid another jab and scrambling to his feet.

"Traitor!" the guard gasped, eyes flashing betrayal and fear. Zuko flinched back and Katara stepped in front of Zuko, lifting her left hand and twisting her fingers sharply. The man dropped like a rock, his eyes rolling back as he fell. Zuko stared down at him and Katara put a hand on his arm, sliding down to grasp his hand, surprised to find him trembling.

"Zuko?" she asked in concern, gazing up at him.

He jerked, his expression closing and his spine straightening. "I'm fine. We're almost there."

They took off at a run, ignoring the startled shouts that started echoing through the corridors at their passing. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed that the civilians from earlier had followed and were now impeding the surprised guards. Zuko skid around a corner and charged for the closed doors at the end of the corridor. The two guards standing outside the doors had a moment of startled shock before Zuko charged past them and Katara knocked them out with a sharp twist of her fingers. Her head was starting to ache. The doors crashed open and Katara caught a glimpse of a group of men around a low table — Generals, her mind supplied — and then chaos erupted.

Zuko dove into the fray and Katara lost sight of him, concentrating more on taking out the Fire Nation's most powerful men. She ducked a blast of fire, kicking out a sweep of cutting water that tossed a general off his feet and into a nearby column. Startled shouts greeted that form of attack, she could hear them, but their words washed over her. Surviving was at the forefront of her mind. She took advantage of their surprise and brushed aside two more.

Fire burst to life far too close to her face and she instinctively jerked away. A hand followed the fire, closing around her neck and the weight of the general knocked her off her feet. Her back hit the ground and her breath rushed from her lungs, spots dancing in her eyes. She tasted blood in her mouth. She must have bitten her tongue when she hit the ground.

"A waterbender," the general growled, making it sound like an insult. "I've defeated many of your kind. Weak, all of you."

The hand tightened around her throat and she clawed at the hand, gasping to draw in a desperate breath. Cold eyes surveyed her, ignoring her struggles. She kicked uselessly, his weight too much for her and she was unable to gain any sort of leverage. Her vision was already tunneling.

"I think there's still a use for you," the general mused thoughtfully, his free hand pawing at her.

She managed to slap her left hand against his face, pushing his head back as hard as she could, though her strength was rapidly leaving her. The general grabbed her wrist, forcing her hand away from his face. She could feel the bones in her wrist grinding against each other. Her vision darkening, Katara closed her right hand over the hilt of her dagger and pulled it free, swinging it in a last desperate attempt. The dagger sank to its hilt in the general's unprotected side. He grunted, anger twisting his features. The choking hold on her throat loosened and she gasped a frantic breath. She clung to the dagger's hilt even as he tried to pull it away. The blood was pooling around the blade, she could feel it warming her fingers, and Katara struggled to focus on it.

"You should've stayed home with your mother, girl," he snarled.

"My mother's dead," she snapped angrily, seizing control of the pooling blood and flinging her fingers wide.

The wound around the embedded dagger exploded with icy, bloody spikes. The general had barely a moment of stunned surprise before the ice pierced his heart. The moment his grip relaxed around her neck, Katara pushed him away, rolling onto his stomach and coughing violently. She gasped desperate breaths, knowing she was taking too long to regain her feet. The fight wasn't over. There were others. She managed to climb unsteadily to her feet, wincing as she moved. Sound rushed back to her ears and she searched for Zuko. To her surprise, there wasn't a general that appeared as a further threat. Most were laying motionless, Katara didn't want to look too closely at their fallen bodies, or slouched against the columns, clearly injured.

Movement along the wall caught her attention. A young general met her eyes and she tensed, wondering where she'd draw energy for further fighting, when he quietly kneeled and lowered his gaze. Sensing no threat from the general, Katara turned her eyes toward the only remaining men standing: Zuko and the Fire Lord.

Fire Lord Ozai had risen at their entrance, but hadn't bothered to descend into the fray. The man was exactly like her nightmares imagined, but at the same time not. He was nothing like his brother in looks or stature. His face chiseled and had none of the laugh lines apparent in Iroh or the softness that hid in Zuko's eyes. Katara had seen more warmth from the icebergs that surrounded her home in the South Pole.

Zuko stood in the middle of the room, facing his father, his jaw tense and his eyes hard. Ozai looked over the room with cold eyes, before he settled his sights on his son, a sneer curling his thin lips.

"I thought you would challenge me, Zuko," the Fire Lord said in a tone normally reserved for the truly incompetent. "Azula told me of your betrayal and the little whore you chose over your honor and birthright."

Zuko's back straightened and his hands clenched.

"Fire Lord Ozai," Zuko's voice rang through the council room, "I challenge you for the throne to the Fire Nation by rite of Agni Kai."

The remaining generals stilled, eyes riveted on the two members of the royal family. Ozai didn't appear surprised by the challenge and Katara held her breath.

"You were always a disappointment. I told that woman so the moment she pushed you from her worthless body."

In a motion almost too quick to catch, the Fire Lord lunged. Lightning flew from his fingertips. Zuko's flinch saved him. Electricity crackled up his arms and his hair stood on end. Pressure was growing in his skull. Zuko pushed it down. And out. Lightning leapt from his fingers in a flash and a boom.

The explosion knocked him off his feet and sent him rolling. Smoke burned his eyes and throat. Fire blossomed out of the haze and Zuko rolled instinctively. He kicked out toward the fire and felt Ozai's knee give. Zuko scrambled to his feet, wiping furiously at watering eyes.

The smoke was clearing and Zuko could see that his father was favoring his right leg. The Fire Lord's heavy robes were singed and his hair was disheveled. Ozai's face was set in a fierce scowl and he punched a ball of fire at his son. Zuko reached for it, cutting it to the ground and letting it dissipate around his feet. Ozai's attacks were too rapid-fire for Zuko to do anything except block. The Fire Lord advanced and Zuko aimed a kick to the weakened knee. Ozai retreated a step and they faced each other, breathing hard.

"All I wanted was your love," Zuko gasped. "How could you possibly justify a duel with a child?"

Ozai sneered, shedding the heavy outer robe. "It was to teach you respect."

"It was cruel!" Zuko spat. "And it was wrong."

"Then you have learned nothing," Ozai declared.

Fire erupted along the floor and Zuko slid his feet forward, countering with a high fire kick. "No! I've learned everything and I've had to learn it on my own. The Fire Nation is a nation of lies. A nation of killers."

Ozai's expression darkened. "I grow tired of your uncle's babble."

Sparks leapt from Ozai's fingertips. The hair on the back of Zuko's neck lifted and the air smelled of sulphur. Zuko shifted, readying himself to again divert his father's lightning. Hard gold eyes narrowed on him then shifted to the side. The Fire Lord smirked. "Since we're nothing but killers."

Power crackled around his hands and Katara realized what was happening a second too late. Water refused to respond to her fumbling hands. Lightning leapt from Ozai's fingers, whiting out her vision and then suddenly a figure was in front of her. The bolt struck them and for a heartbeat she thought they were saved, then her world exploded. A body crashed into her and they slid across the floor, colliding with the wall with enough force to once again knock the breath from her lungs.

"Katara!" Zuko shouted, though his voice sounded distant and it felt like her ears had been stuffed with cotton.

"You're a fool," Ozai sneered, "to think I would honor the customs for a traitor."

A low, pained groan sounded loud in her ear and she quickly focused on the heavy body that pressed her to the ground. It was one of the remaining generals — the young one that had knelt in surrender — his features drawn and pale.

"Are you injured?"

The question threw her and she couldn't focus on the question, instead rolling him off of her and quickly searching for the wound she knew he had to have taken. "Why?"

He gasped a feeble breath, gold eyes focusing on her with great difficulty. "I…have a daughter…your age… Couldn't…" His eyes dropped closed and he seemed to gather his remaining strength. "Never liked war…too much…death…"

"No," she gasped. "You can't—"

Another flash and Zuko's cry of pain tore at her and she whirled around just in time to see Zuko hit the ground and roll for several feet before coming to a rest against one of the marble pillars. He twitched, but didn't rise. The air smelled heavily of ozone.

"Defiant even with your last breath," Ozai said with undisguised scorn. "None of your uncle's fancy tricks will save you. Your weakness is your downfall."

The Fire Lord watched dispassionately as his son convulsed. The smell of burned flesh made Katara's stomach turn. Tears burned at her eyes. With a sneer of dismissal, Ozai turned to her. She ripped her eyes away from the prone firebender, clenching her fists and setting her jaw as she met the Fire Lord's disdain with a look of loathing. The way his eyes moved over her made her skin crawl, but she refused to be cowed. He lifted an eyebrow mockingly. "Did the idiot boy ask you to take up the challenge he would so obviously fail? He was always a disappointment."

She lifted her chin, squaring her shoulders. "In place of Zuko, I will—"

"Wait." Zuko coughed up blood and her heart froze. Internal bleeding, her mind whispered in a panic. He swiped at his mouth and struggled to his feet. "This isn't over."

He's going to die! She wanted to protest, but knew better than to do so.

Ozai's eyes widened minutely. "You don't know when to die."

Zuko straightened with a wince, clasping a hand over the wound in his stomach. The floor seemed to tilt beneath his feet and he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep his balance long enough to do what he had to. This was it. Gathering his strength, he centered himself and nodded to Katara to step down. Ozai eyed his son. "You can't be serious about continuing. You're finished. You've lost."

Zuko took a breath. One shot. That's all he needed. He rushed his father, starting an offensive move and then aborting it halfway when Ozai started the counter. With his left hand, he seized Ozai's hand, the flames puffing out, and with his right he drew the dao sword at his back. Ozai had just enough time to register the flash of steel before it ran him through. For a second, no one moved and then Zuko jerked away from the Fire Lord, taking his sword with him. Ozai stumbled back with a choked gasp, clutching at the fatal wound in an attempt to stem the flow of blood. "You've dishonored the rite."

Zuko swayed and his sword clattered to the floor from nerveless fingers. "You dishonored it first."

"Traitor," Ozai hissed, falling to his knees. Dulling gold eyes sought Katara. "I knew a waterbender would be the downfall of our nation. The Sages said it was vague—"

The Fire Lord trailed off, slumping over and moving no more. A sobbing gasp jerked Katara's attention from Ozai's body. Zuko swayed and stumbled.

"No," Katara gasped, catching Zuko before he could slam his head into the floor. "No. Nononono. Stay with me, Zuko."

He blinked up at her slowly. "Hurts."

"I know," she soothed, carefully pulling singed fabric away from the wound. Sparks zapped at her fingers when she drew close to his flesh. "You can't die, Zuko," she gasped tearfully. "Not after all this. It's over."

A trembling hand took hers and she jerked at the electric discharge when their flesh met. The struggle for Zuko to focus his eyes was obvious and Katara felt her heart drop. She whimpered his name and he gasped a breath, each struggling gasp cutting her. "K'tara? I — tell you — rescued me."

Tears filled her eyes and she placed a hand over his heart. The muscle beat sluggishly beneath her palm, struggling to keep the firebender alive. "You rescued me first. Don't leave…"

His lips moved over the syllables of her name and, with a final gasp, he went limp in her arms. His heart stuttered and she gasped, "No!"