Lust – Luxuria.

Finally her time had come!

She had waited patiently in the shadows, forced into a role of submissiveness by her brother. They all thought that she, the fire Princess Azula, no longer harbored any designs to take back what was rightfully hers! How foolish of them, the mistake would cost them everything. She was the rightful ruler of the Fire Nation. She, not her pathetic brother Zuko, was meant to rule. And now was the time to overthrow Fire Lord Zuko and for her glorious reign to begin anew.

Azula walked through empty corridors that echoed with the sound of men fighting, screaming and dying from the palace around her. Dead servants and guards lay were they had fallen, her steps confident and a smirk of pleasure gracing her beautiful features. She walked alone like a spirit of death and vengeance. Nothing could stand against her wrath, her might.

Four guards loyal to Zuko came storming out from a passageway. They saw her and bravely attacked immediately, shouting war cries. Azula dispatched them into the afterlife with ease, this was her day after all.

As she strode down a corridor leading to the throne room her gaze swept over Fire Lady Mai's dead body. She lay broken and twisted, surrounded by nearly a dozen of Azula's soldiers.

You should have feared me more, dear Mai. That was Azula's only thought.

She passed several of her soldiers who guarded the entrance to the throne room. She entered as the very conqueror she was. The throne room was a sight to behold. Dead soldiers and guards lay everywhere. Several captured fire sages, nobles and palace officials were guarded at a corner of the immense room and they cringed when they saw her. She ignored them while she strode toward the dais at the end of the room.

Her eyes locked on the body of the former Fire Lord. As she approached she could see to her delight that Zuzu was still alive. His breathing was labored and irregular. He was near death. With ease Azula forced her brother to face her.

This was far better than anticipated. Azula thought with a cruel smirk.

"I have come to take back what is mine, Zuzu!" Azula all but purred maliciously to her brother. Zuko struggled to focus his gaze on her.

"You fool, did you honestly believe that I would be content to sit at your side? Well, now you pay the ultimate price for your mistake, dear Zuzu." Azula continued. She could no longer hold back a smile of triumph as she now knew with certainty that she had won. Everything was hers now. The power and the glory. Her soldiers were slowly gathering in the throne room. It seemed that the fighting had died down and the palace was hers.

Her attention was brought back to Zuko when he coughed blood and with an effort he took her arm and looked up at her sadly and wheezed;

"Your lust for power will cost you dearly, Azula. We…who..love…you…are all...gone…now" His eyes flickered to his left as he drew his last breath in this lifetime. Azula sneered at her dead brother when she rose from his crumpled body. She glanced to where Zuko had last looked. There was nothing there except more bodies. But as she turned away she spotted something blue in the corner of her eye...

Icy fingers clawed at her heart.

She walked slowly toward the heap of bodies. She felt her body start to shiver as she pulled a dead soldier away.

She forgot how to breathe.

Two mesmerizing blue eyes stared unseeingly up at her. He looked sad, as if he understood why he died.

Azula could feel something burn in her eyes.

She could not look away from him. He was not supposed to be here today. He should be on a mission for the Avatar. Why was he here? He should be alive. It was just some days ago that they had kissed passionately at a secluded spot in the palace garden...

Her whole body felt numb.

A broken sword lay at his side and he grasped something tightly to his chest. In a daze Azula gently pried it loose. It was a necklace, with a red choker and a beautiful blue stone depicting white lightning. What had she done? What had she done?

Tears ran down her pale face.

"All hail Fire Lord Azula!" The roar went up from the soldiers behind her.

The roars of victory resounded through the palace. She had won. The power and the glory was all hers and it tasted of ashes.

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Authors Note

Poor, poor Azula!

I'm rather pleased with the outcome but once again, poor Azula.