Zuko crouched on the edge of the fort's parade ground, acutely aware of the eyes of the soldiers present, and the Water Tribe teens held off to the side. Iroh stood in front of him. "Remember your firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons."
His uncle's unspoken words, Zuko's firebending basics, not his airbending ones were not unheard. He shivered. He looked up. "I refuse to let him win."
He stood up and turned around, letting the ceremonial shoulder wrap fall to the ground, watching as Zhao did the same. "This will be over quickly," Zhao told him.
The gong rang out, and Zuko fell into his stance, sweeping his hands down to gather fire. Zhao blocked with a grin as Zuko sent fireball after fireball his way, and Zuko kicked hard in fury, more frustrated than ever as Zhao dodged the blast.
Crouching low, Zhao sent a line of fire toward's Zuko's feet, and he darted out of the way clumsily. "Basics, Zuko," his uncle called to him. "Break his root!"
"Break his face!" Sokka shouted. The soldier holding him cuffed him in the back of the head, and Sokka retaliated, kicking his shin.
Zhao's lips quirked up. He stepped forward and punched fire straight at Zuko's face. He blocked, but the blast forced him back, and Zhao stepped forward and punched again, and again, and again, until Zuko fell flat on his back, staring up at the setting sun.
Zhao stalked forward, to deliver the final blow. Zuko saw the fire coe for his face, for his one good eye, and his mouth opened, ready to scream. Without thinking about it, he rolled over onto his hands, and kicked out in a circle.
Wind ripped through the parade ground, and Zhao's fireblast struck harmlessly against the dirt. Zuko swallowed with fear, but the other man didn't even seem to notice that when he went down, Zuko's foot hadn't been touching him. He leapt back to his feet, and Zuko slid his foot out, kicking up fire at Zhao's own feet. Zhao stumbled back, and Zuko slid forward again, and as Zhao reeled back, Zuko kicked out, flames leaping from his foot. Zhao fell back, tumbling in the dust.
Zuko drew close, fist raised.
"Do it!" Zhao roared, and Zuko punched out- only to leave the ground next to Zhao's head smoking instead of his sneering face. "That's it?" the commander raged. "Your father raised a coward."
Zuko's lip curled. "Next time you get in my way, I promise I won't hold back."
As he turned to leave, Zhao shot to his feet and kicked out with a shout. The flames died unborn when Iroh caught the foot in midair and shoved the commander back to the ground. Zuko bellowed with rage and turned back to charge the cheating dirty-
His uncle's arm came up to hold him back. "No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory." Iroh let him go and stepped over to Zhao. "So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat. Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you." He paused. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious."
Zuko tried not to smile. "Did you really mean that, Uncle?"
"Of course," Iroh said with a small grin. "I told you ginseng tea is my favorite."
They walked together to the edge of the parade ground where the guards had been keeping the Water Tribe teens captive. Sometime during the Agni Kai, Katara had pulled free of the guards' grasp and had grabbed onto the back of one of the guards holding her brother. As Sokka kicked and bit, Katara pounded the guard's back with her fists. Zuko stared.
"We will be taking the prisoners off your hands now," Iroh said, pursing his lips to keep from laughing.
The guards let go quickly. Katara swung down from the man's back and strode over to her brother. Before they turned to follow Zuko, they stuck their tongues out at Zuko's men.
As they walked together out of the fort, Katara remembered something Zuko had said on the ship. "So, if that's bad firebending, what does good firebending look like?"
Sokka's eyes bugged out. "Wait, that's bad firebending? The world is doomed."
"I will let you in on a little secret about my nephew," Iroh said. "He is better than he thinks."
Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 4/4
Zuko crouched on the edge of the fort's parade ground, acutely aware of the eyes of the soldiers present, and the Water Tribe teens held off to the side. Iroh stood in front of him. "Remember your firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons."
His uncle's unspoken words, Zuko's firebending basics, not his airbending ones were not unheard. He shivered. He looked up. "I refuse to let him win."
He stood up and turned around, letting the ceremonial shoulder wrap fall to the ground, watching as Zhao did the same. "This will be over quickly," Zhao told him.
The gong rang out, and Zuko fell into his stance, sweeping his hands down to gather fire. Zhao blocked with a grin as Zuko sent fireball after fireball his way, and Zuko kicked hard in fury, more frustrated than ever as Zhao dodged the blast.
Crouching low, Zhao sent a line of fire toward's Zuko's feet, and he darted out of the way clumsily. "Basics, Zuko," his uncle called to him. "Break his root!"
"Break his face!" Sokka shouted. The soldier holding him cuffed him in the back of the head, and Sokka retaliated, kicking his shin.
Zhao's lips quirked up. He stepped forward and punched fire straight at Zuko's face. He blocked, but the blast forced him back, and Zhao stepped forward and punched again, and again, and again, until Zuko fell flat on his back, staring up at the setting sun.
Zhao stalked forward, to deliver the final blow. Zuko saw the fire coe for his face, for his one good eye, and his mouth opened, ready to scream. Without thinking about it, he rolled over onto his hands, and kicked out in a circle.
Wind ripped through the parade ground, and Zhao's fireblast struck harmlessly against the dirt. Zuko swallowed with fear, but the other man didn't even seem to notice that when he went down, Zuko's foot hadn't been touching him. He leapt back to his feet, and Zuko slid his foot out, kicking up fire at Zhao's own feet. Zhao stumbled back, and Zuko slid forward again, and as Zhao reeled back, Zuko kicked out, flames leaping from his foot. Zhao fell back, tumbling in the dust.
Zuko drew close, fist raised.
"Do it!" Zhao roared, and Zuko punched out- only to leave the ground next to Zhao's head smoking instead of his sneering face. "That's it?" the commander raged. "Your father raised a coward."
Zuko's lip curled. "Next time you get in my way, I promise I won't hold back."
As he turned to leave, Zhao shot to his feet and kicked out with a shout. The flames died unborn when Iroh caught the foot in midair and shoved the commander back to the ground. Zuko bellowed with rage and turned back to charge the cheating dirty-
His uncle's arm came up to hold him back. "No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory." Iroh let him go and stepped over to Zhao. "So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat. Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you." He paused. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious."
Zuko tried not to smile. "Did you really mean that, Uncle?"
"Of course," Iroh said with a small grin. "I told you ginseng tea is my favorite."
They walked together to the edge of the parade ground where the guards had been keeping the Water Tribe teens captive. Sometime during the Agni Kai, Katara had pulled free of the guards' grasp and had grabbed onto the back of one of the guards holding her brother. As Sokka kicked and bit, Katara pounded the guard's back with her fists. Zuko stared.
"We will be taking the prisoners off your hands now," Iroh said, pursing his lips to keep from laughing.
The guards let go quickly. Katara swung down from the man's back and strode over to her brother. Before they turned to follow Zuko, they stuck their tongues out at Zuko's men.
As they walked together out of the fort, Katara remembered something Zuko had said on the ship. "So, if that's bad firebending, what does good firebending look like?"
Sokka's eyes bugged out. "Wait, that's bad firebending? The world is doomed."
"I will let you in on a little secret about my nephew," Iroh said. "He is better than he thinks."
Zuko tried not to smile under the praise.