"We've got to find Sokka and Toph!" Katara shouted as they ran through the tunnels, until Azara paused, the familiar feeling of heat behind her. Spinning around, Azara blocked the approaching blue fire with a blast of her own, jumping back at the heat of the combined fire blasts. Glaring over at her sister, Azara straightened up into a defensive stance.

Katara rushed forwards, bending the water from the underground river. She spun a wave at Azula, who blocked it with her firebending. Katara spun again, sending a large wave of water at Azula, who bended a wall of fire to protect herself, steam settling around her. Using the steam as cover, Azula sprinted up a crystal and jumped off, sending two fire blasts at them. Moving in sync, Aang and Katara blocked the fire blasts with a water stream.

Azula landed on an earth pillar, crouched with a smirk on her face, until Aang stepped forward. Using his earthbending, Aang crumbled the pillar to the ground, forcing Azula to jump down. Azara stood in the middle of Katara and Aang as she locked eyes with her sister, who had her hands pointed at Aang and Katara. Before anyone could move, a blast of fire hit the ground between Azula and Aang, causing everyone to jump back.

Azara's eyes widened at her brother's appearance, as he approached, his fist clenched and ready to strike. Zuko's glare flittered between Azara and Azula for a moment. Azula glared over at her brother, her face screwed up into a frown. Zuko's eyes darted over to Azara, who stared with wide, pleading eyes back at him. "Come on, Zuko," she thought to herself, silently begging him to choose her side to prevent the Fire Nation from taking over Ba Sing Se.

Zuko's gaze continued to move around the room before it finally landed on Aang. The airbender gasped as he saw Zuko start to move. Zuko yelled out, sending a fire blast towards Aang, who jumped back with his airbending to avoid the flames. Looking away from Zuko, Azara's gaze hardened as Azula jumped forwards to attack her sister.

Flipping backwards, Azara landed on her hands before throwing her leg back, sending a fire slice Azula's way. As Azula blocked the fire slice, Katara ran forwards, releasing several water slices at Azula. The firebender slid around the first of Katara's water slices before narrowly being hit by the second, the water shaving off the end of her bangs.

At the sound of Zuko's yell, Azara turned to see Zuko swinging at Aang with long fire whips jutting out from his hands, the airbender forced to jump around the wall to avoid the flames. Sending one last fire blast at her sister, Azara ran towards Zuko. Clenching her fists, flames burst from Azara's hands as she spun around, sending a strong fire blast towards Zuko, who barely had time to block it.

With Azara's arrival, Aang jumped up towards the ceiling, scrambling away. Glaring at her older brother, Azara released her own fire whips from her hands, the long tendrils of flames swirling in the air. Swinging her arms down, Azara yelled out as Zuko blocked her attack. "I thought you changed!" Azara screamed at her brother, who straightened up to release another fire blast.

"I have changed," he replied before firing a strong blast of fire. Azara swung her arms, the flames dancing around her harmlessly as she dissipated Zuko's attack. Glancing up, Azara took a step back as Aang earthbended a stalactite off the ceiling of the Catacombs. Azara spun and ran back towards Azula and Katara as Aang jumped down, adding more speed and force to the falling rock. The force of the stalactite hitting the ground threw Zuko back into a wall and left Azula alone against Katara and Azara.

Azula glared at Azara as she spun around, sending a series of fire blasts and kicks towards her older sister, who dodged and blocked the attacks easily. As Azula straightened up, Azara rolled out of the way, allowing Katara, who had encased her body in water, to step forwards. Katara yelled out, thrusting a tentacle forward to capture Azula's arm.

Azula sent a fire blast at the water, but it quickly encased her whole arm before she could do any damage. Waving her hand, Katara took another step forward, throwing her other water tentacle at Azula. The firebender pivoted and tried to kick her leg out, but Katara easily grabbed her leg with the water again. Katara grunted, lifting Azula into the air, causing the firebender to yell out.

Before Katara could do anything else, Zuko hurried forwards, slicing through the tentacles with his bending. Azula nodded at her brother in thanks before setting her sights on Aang, who was struggling out of the hole he had created with the stalactite. Azara was about to cut her off when a fire blast careened towards her, forcing the firebender to pause.

Waving her arms, Azara blocked the fire blast before she spun to glare at her older brother, who raised his arms to release another blast. Azara's gaze hardened before she spun in place, releasing a fire slice towards her brother. Righting herself, Azara jumped up and released a fire blast. Zuko dodged the fire slice before punching the fire blast out as Katara stood side by side with Azara.

Zuko alternated between Azara and Katara with his fire blasts, but the two master benders easily avoided his attacks. Just as Katara and Azara were gaining a clear upper hand over Zuko, Azara could feel heat behind her. Spinning around, Azara's eyes widened as she spotted a wall of fire flying towards her and Katara, Azula smirking at the wave grew closer.

"Watch out!" Azara called to Katara, linking elbows with the waterbender and spinning her out of the way before throwing out her own fire blast to try and block the wall of flames. The collision of flames caused a small explosion, the torrent of the fire wall still rushing forwards. Azara could only brace as she was thrown back.

Crashing into a structure of crystals, Azara gasped out in pain, dropping to the ground, and holding her ribs. Her hair had fallen out of the braid she normally wore it in, her Earth Kingdom clothes now ripped and burned. Struggling to her feet, Azara gasped as she saw Katara get knocked back into crystals herself due to Zuko and Azula.

"Leave her alone!" Azara growled out, spinning around, and releasing a fire comet at her siblings. She managed to knock them away from Katara as Aang blasted himself off the wall and surfed on an earth mound towards Zuko and Azula, a fierce look in his eyes. However, before Aang could reach them, a Dai Li agent jumped down in front of him, earthbending the ground out from under the Avatar. Aang went flying through the air, yelling out before he landed roughly away from Azara.

"Aang!" Azara yelled out, turning towards him when a line of Dai Li agents jumped down in front of her. Pulling her arm off her ribs, Azara worked to control her breathing as she got into a defensive stance, her eyes narrowed at the Dai Li agents. The sound of footsteps behind her caused her to spin around, another line of Dai Li agents jumping down to trap her.

Azara raised her hands, glancing between the lines of Dai Li agents, as her siblings moved in towards Aang. She could see Katara waterbending an octopus around herself, her arms moving frantically to keep the Dai Li away. Glaring back at the Dai, Azara waited for one of them to make the first move.

Before the Dai Li could strike, a bright light started to fill the room. The Dai Li turned away from Azara, who herself turned to see the crystal tent Aang had bended around himself start to glow. A few moments passed before it exploded, a bright light filling the room as Azara shielded her eyes from the light. Aang rose through the air in the middle of a column of light, his Avatar State finally unlocked.

Azara smiled up at Aang as he stopped his ascent. However, her smile dropped and shattered on the ground as a bolt of lightning struck him in the back. "No," Azara gasped out, tears building in her eyes as she turned to the Dai Li agents in front of her. Waving her arms around herself, Azara bended a circle of fire around her before standing up and thrusting her arms out, the flames suddenly jumping up and knocking back the distracted Dai Li for a moment.

Azara watched as Katara created a large water wave below herself, rushing to catch Aang's body before he hit the ground. However, as Azara jumped over the river, she found herself face to face with her siblings again, who pulled themselves off the ground, dripping wet but unharmed. Azara glared at her siblings, glancing worriedly at Katara and Aang as the Dai Li approached.

However, before the Dai Li could reach them, a fire blast cut the earthbenders off from Katara and Aang. Looking up, Azara spotted Iroh jumping in front of Katara and Aang, his arms raised as he prepared to fight. "You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Iroh called before sending more fire blasts at Zuko, Azula, and the Dai Li.

With their adversaries momentarily distracted, Azara locked tear-filled eyes with Katara, who stood up with Aang's lifeless body. "Go!" Azara yelled to her friend, who stared up at her with tears streaming down her face. "Run! Katara! Go!" Azara screamed, causing Katara to nod and rush to the waterfall.

Two Dai Li agents rushed forwards, but Azara raised a wall of fire in front of them, the two agents yelling out as Azara thrust her arms forwards, knocking them backwards. "Get out of here!" Turning around, Azara shared one last sad glance with Katara, before the Southern Water Tribe girl waterbended herself and Aang out of the Catacombs. Turning back to her siblings and the hordes of Dai Li agents, Azara got into a defensive stance, her eyes narrowed.

Iroh sent various fire blasts at the Dai Li agents, keeping them back, as Azara spun around, releasing a strong fire slice at the other groups of agents. Her hands started to shake as images Aang's lifeless body flashed into her mind. As Iroh lowered his hands, surrendering to the Dai Li, Azara stood strong, glaring at her siblings as they regarded her tattered Earth Kingdom garments and undone hair with unimpressed expressions.

"You can still join us, Azara. The Avatar is dead. You have no one else to run to," Azula told her sister as she lowered into a stance.

Azara didn't respond and instead simply released a strong fire comet at her siblings. Dodging the flames, both Zuko and Azula released fire blasts of their own at their younger sister. Expecting the retaliation, Azara pulled a waterbender trick out of her pocket and raised her arms, dragging the fire blasts towards herself, absorbing the fire blasts, and forming a fire ring around herself.

Stepping forwards, Azara added her own flames to the ring, expanding it as her whole body started to shake. Azula and Zuko sent more flames towards Azara, but she easily redirected them, adding more intensity to her flames, her golden eyes reflecting the bright light.

Holding her hands up with her palms facing the ceiling, Azara clenched her fingers. The flame ring around her, which was beginning to singe the floor below her, spun faster in a circle. As Azara took another step forwards, the flames flickered their usual orange before starting to brighten and glowing a bright white. Azara growled out, her only focus on defeating the people in front of her.

Azula and Zuko shielded their eyes as Azara ran forwards, the white flames following her. Jumping forwards, Azara spun in the air and threw her arms out, sending the flames forwards, knocking out lines of stunned Dai Li agents. Azula and Zuko shared surprised looks as Azara stood up, the white flames decorating the floor seeming to grow and contract with her breathing. Zuko swore her eyes were glowing as she took another step forwards.

Screaming out, Azara unleashed another torrent of fire, bathing the Catacombs in white light. The Dai Li agents used the crystals to block the flames but jumped back as crystals shattered from the heat. They could only scramble away from the flames as Azara went on the war path, taking out anyone who dared to enter her eyeline.

Azula and Zuko shared horrified looks as Azara stood up, turning to glare at her siblings. "Azara," Zuko called but Azara screamed out again, shooting a strong fire comet her siblings, who both managed to dive out of the way. Hearing movement behind her, Azara spun around, glaring at the Dai Li agents, who continued to pour into the room. Swinging her arms around, Azara released some lighting at the ceiling, causing an explosion. Stalactites fell from the ceiling, blocking the entrances to the Catacombs as smoke left Azara's fingertips.

Dai Li agents jumped out as she straightened up, surrounding her, though from a decent distance away. Azara scoffed at them as if they were a mere inconvenience and jumped in the air before slamming her fist to the ground, sending a fire ring out to knock back the Dai Li. "Shoot your gloves!" Azula ordered, causing the remaining Dai Li agents to stand up and release their rock gloves at Azara.

Azara raised her hands in the air suddenly, bending a wave of heat around herself as the rock gloves neared. Her image was distorted from where Zuko and Azula stood, the heat strong enough that Zuko could almost not distinguish her from the background. The rock gloves passed through the barrier of heat before dropping, melting into the ground. The Dai Li looked at each other, confused as to what had just happened.

With another yell, Azara summoned white flames around her, forming a tornado of white fire around herself. "What's going on?" Zuko gasped out as Iroh's eyes widened in shock as he stared at his youngest niece. Flicking her arms, Azara charged forwards again, her tornado of flames propelling her forwards.

Katara eventually made it back to the surface through the well. Sliding her arm under Aang's, she hurried to drag Aang over to Appa. Sokka stood by Appa's head and spun around at the sound of footsteps. Spotting his sister struggling with Aang, Sokka sprinted over to Aang's other side, and helped his sister to support the airbender.

As they reached Appa, Katara held Aang to herself as Toph earthbended them up to Appa's head. Sokka turned around again, his eyes frantically searching for his girlfriend. "Where's Azara?" Sokka asked his sister as she righted Aang beside her. "Katara, where is she?" he demanded, emotion starting to fill his voice. Katara met his eyes after a moment, her own blue eyes filling with tears. Choking back a sob, she shook her head.

Sokka felt his breath leave his body as he stared at his sister, his eyes widening in shock as a tear slipped out of his eye. As Appa flew away from the palace, the Water Tribe boy turned around again, staring at the well that Katara and Aang had emerged from, searching for any sign of Azara. But as the well grew to a small pinpoint in the distance, she didn't appear.

Clenching his eyes shut, Sokka lowered his head, more tears slipping out from under his eyelids. Hearing Katara move behind him, Sokka raised his head to see Katara place Aang carefully against Appa's back. She silently pulled out her Spirit Oasis water and bended the spirit water into a swirling disk, which started to glow. Katara pulled Aang forward and bended the water against the lightning burn on his back.

The healing light glowed for a moment before fading, the water seeping into Aang's injury, causing Katara to cry out in pain, clutching Aang to herself. After a tense moment, Aang groaned, his tattoos glowing briefly. Katara gasped in shock, pulling Aang back, a wide smile on her face as they locked eyes.

Back in the Catacombs, Azara sent a wall of flames out at the Dai Li agents. Turning towards her siblings, her eyes unrecognizable with the bright glow that radiated from them, Azara narrowed her eyes and growled, charging forwards. Gathering flames around her again, Azara suddenly gasped out, stumbling to the floor as she felt like she was suddenly hit by a tank.

Struggling to right herself, Azara looked around the room, her eyes widening at the devastation in front of her as if she had no idea how the room had come to look the way it did. Before she could do anything else, the floor below her shifted, a rock jutting out and throwing her back. Azara yelled out before her back connected with the wall. Gasping out in pain, Azara crumpled to the ground, eyes closing as she was knocked out. The golden band on her wrist reflected the white fire around her, which slowly fizzled back to its original orange color.

Zuko and Azula walked over hesitantly as they waited for her to jump up and attack them again. Staring down at her with a mix of fear and concern, Zuko turned to his other sister. "What was that?" Zuko questioned Azula, who stared down at her sister with a worried expression.

"I don't know," she replied honestly as Dai Li agents walked forwards to cuff Azara and drag her away. Watching their sister be carried away, Azula turned back to Zuko. "This remains a secret between us, Zuko."

"How are you going to hide that?" Zuko huffed, throwing his arms up in the air. "Her eyes were glowing, Azula!"

"It was just a trick of the light," Azula dismissed as two Dai Li marched towards Iroh. Though secretly she wasn't sure herself what had just happened. One second Azara was the most powerful firebender on the planet and intent upon killing everyone in her path and the next, she was stumbling around like she had just woken up out of a dream. Turning back to Zuko, Azula narrowed her eyes. "A secret, Zuko. Understood?"

Sokka stared back at Ba Sing Se as they flew over the Outer Wall, a resigned expression on his face. "The Earth Kingdom . . . has fallen," Kuei remarked sadly as Sokka lowered his head, more tears dripping down his cheeks. Clenching his fists, Sokka wanted to scream. He wanted to punch something, slice his club through something. But all he could do at that moment was cry silently as they made their way back to Chameleon Bay.

Azara awoke in a metal cage, still dazed from the fight in the Catacombs. Feeling the cool metal below her cheek, Azara's eyes shot open. Jumping up, Azara moved towards the wall when she was pulled back by the chains attached to her wrists. Staring down at her hands, Azara's eyes widened in shock as she found her hands completely encased in thick metal.

Tugging the chains as far as she could go, Azara tried to get a glimpse of the outside, but the rock of the ocean instantly indicated where she was, and more importantly, where she was headed. Dropping to her knees, Azara screamed out in frustration, tears coming to her eyes as she thought back to the Catacombs. "I'm so sorry, Aang," she sobbed out, tears leaking freely as she had no hands to wipe them away. "I'm so sorry."

Staring up through the opening in her cage, Azara's eyes fell on the moon. Curling into herself on the floor, Azara clenched her eyes shut as she realized she might never see any of her friends again. She might never see Sokka again. Turning her head towards her shoulder, Azara released the flood of emotions building within her. "I'm so sorry, Sokka," she whimpered out, her eyes drifting back up to the moon as she sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry."

Alone on the shore of Chameleon Bay, Sokka stood rigid, a trail of tears dripping down his cheeks as he stared up at the moon. "You couldn't protect me," Azara's voice from his nightmares echoed through his mind. Lowering his head towards the ground, Sokka clenched his eyes before yelling out. He grabbed his boomerang and released it angrily, the weapon swishing through the air. Dropping to his knees, his fingers digging into the wet sand, Sokka sobbed, his body shaking from the force as his boomerang landed harmlessly beside him.

END OF BOOK 2

A.N. So, that's the end of Book 2! Debated waiting to publish it and reevaluate the plot, but I decided to just publish and churn out the last three chapters in one day. Oops. 

Not quite the happy ending from Book 1 and Azara and Sokka can't seem to catch a break, but I hope you guys are excited for Book 3!

Out of curiosity, which Book is everyone's favorite (mines Book 3!)? Is there anything that happens in Book 3 that you're looking forward to?

Thanks for reading, commenting, and voting on Books 1 and 2! I'm going to take a break to properly sit down and think out Book 3 (and catch up on real world shit) but the Book 3 chapters will be added to this same book! A lot more of Book 3 is going to go off the original script of ATLA, so it may take me longer, but I'm not abandoning this story, just taking a little break! Thanks again!