Disclaimer: Avatar The Last Airbender... not mine.

A/N: ok. This fic is kinda graphic, so if you don't like things like that... you probably shouldn't read towards the end. So... enjoy!

Azula Always Lies

"Finally," Zuko said darkly, as he stepped out of the shadows and into the fading sunlight. He stood in a large open area, which resided on the edge of a sheer cliff. As he stepped forward, he kept his eyes transfixed upon his adversary. She stood on the opposite side of the open field, showing little interest in what her brother was saying. "After all these years of humiliation and shame, I'll finally be able to prove my worth." He set himself up into a fighting stance: legs slightly spread for balance and hands held up in fists.

Azula ignored him. As he talked, she simply stood and admired her long, blood red finger nails.

When Zuko realized this, he was overwhelmed with anger. "Fight, you coward!"

Azula looked up slowly, her lips beginning to curl upward into a smug grin. "Do you really think you can defeat me?" she asked tauntingly. "Everyone knows that you're a failure. Father knows it. Iroh knows it. Even mother knew it."

"Shut up!" Zuko shouted furiously. He refused to have his mother's good name tainted by the words of a spoiled princess.

Azula shook her head in mock sadness. "Poor Zuzu. Do you honestly think that I would lie to you? I'm your loving sister!"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "You won't fool me, Azula. Not this time. I'll prove to you, father, and the world that I can beat you."

Azula laughed.

Zuko would not allow her to embarrass him. Not this time. "Admit it! The only reason you won't fight me is because you're afraid. You know I can beat you, and you're too scared to lose!"

Azula shook her head again. "Zuzu," she began, enjoying the moment when Zuko cringed at the second mention of her pet name for him. "I won't fight you because you are my brother." She began walking towards him. "If siblings all over the world began fighting each other for no reason, where would we all be right now?"

As she approached, Zuko began stepping back. Seeing this, Azula stopped.

"What? You don't trust me?" she sighed. "And I thought that you would be glad to know that Father wants you home."

Zuko faltered for a moment, but stood his ground. She had tried this ruse before, and he refused to believe her.

Azula always lies.

Azula saw her brother's reluctance to believe, and so changed tactics. "You know… " She paused for a moment. "Mother has returned."

This was a statement that Zuko had not anticipated at all. He recoiled in shock.

Azula realized this, and immediately knew that her plan was beginning to work. She made her face look as sincere as possible, and continued. "After you left, she came back looking for you. When she found out what happened to you, she couldn't believe it. She was overcome with guilt. Zuz—Zuko, Mother wants you home."

Zuko felt the tears well up in his eyes, and tried his hardest to keep them from falling. But it was no use. Tears streamed down his face as he thought of the last time he had seen his mother. It had been so long ago…

Azula smirked inwardly at the sign of her brother's weakness. On the outside, however, she retained the image of a caring and loving sister. "Please, Zuko," she said, coming nearer with outstretched arms. "We all want you home."

Zuko couldn't help it. Azula seemed sincere enough, and the idea of Mother coming home was so overwhelming that he immediately believed her. He allowed Azula to walk up and embrace him.

Mother… Zuko couldn't believe it. Suddenly, he was in a rush to get home.

"Come," Azula said, sensing his hurry. "We shouldn't keep Mother and Father waiting."

"Of course," Zuko answered. He turned and began walking toward the docks that he knew to be only one mile away. "Is your ship ready? Or—"

Suddenly, he felt a searing pain envelop his back. He crumpled to the ground, writhing in anguish. It was then that he knew he had been betrayed. By his own flesh and blood.

Azula walked over to her brother lying on the ground and smiled as she watched him suffer. "Zuzu," she said. "I thought that after all these years, you would have learned that—"

She was cut off as Zuko swung his legs and knocked her off her feet. She landed with a hard thud that completely threw her off guard. Before she knew it, Zuko was standing over her, prepared to scorch her face at the slightest movement.

"You liar!" he exclaimed. The hate he felt was almost unbearable. "I trusted you and you lied!" He wanted nothing more than to let loose the fire in his fist, and finally give Azula what she deserved. But he didn't.

He regretted his decision a moment later. Azula, in one swift and fluid moment, grabbed Zuko's wrist, twisted it, and threw her brother down. Zuko cried out in pain as he was flung to the ground.

Azula shook her hands free of dirt as she got up from the ground, brushing herself off. She was angry, now.

"Fine," she said. "You wanna fight? Get ready." She quickly conjured a ball of lightning and thrust it in Zuko's direction.

Zuko rolled and just barely escaped the blast. Ignoring the pain in his back, he got up and jumped to the side to avoid another ball of flame. As soon as he was firm on his feet once again, he shot a stream of fire at Azula.

She easily avoided the attack. Smiling, she used the electricity to form an arc, which she then sent towards Zuko. He grunted as he was sent backwards towards the edge of the cliff. He stopped himself before he went over, his heart thumping.

I won't let her win. Not this time.

With a yell, he conjured up his flame daggers and ran toward Azula. Stabbing at her with all his might, Zuko was disheartened to find that his sister effortlessly deflected his every attempt. Doubling his efforts, he finally made contact. He watched with satisfaction as Azula looked down at her bleeding shoulder. His happiness went away, however, as soon as he met his sister's eyes.

"I'll kill you for that!" she yelled, running towards Zuko with a face that screamed bloody murder. Zuko's eyes widened in temporary fear. Azula had conjured up her own daggers, but lightning. Zuko knew they were twice as deadly. He ducked as she swung one at his head.

He spent the next few minutes avoiding his sister's blows. However, he soon got tired of being on the defensive. As Azula swung her arm in an attempt to hurt him, Zuko grabbed it and threw his sister aside. He noticed that the angrier she grew, the worse her fighting became.

She crouched on the floor for a while, catching her breath. The light from the setting sun threw a mysterious shadow across the side of her face as she looked up. Multiple strands of hair covered her right eye, but her left eye shown with a ferocious quality. There was a frightening aura around her.

The only sounds audible were that of the brother and sister breathing heavily.

After a few moments, Azula stood up. She stared at her brother, trying to hide her disbelief.

"How dare you touch me," she said menacingly. Some of the blood seeping from her shoulder fell to the floor and glinted in the fading sunlight.

Zuko didn't answer. He watched his sister with a growing sense of triumph as Azula watched her brother with a growing sense of horror.

The end is near…

Azula attempted to jump up and continue her attack on Zuko, but was surprised that she could not lift her feet. Looking down, she noticed that they had somehow sunk beneath the ground. Twisting her body around, she saw caught a fleeting glance of a young girl with large grey eyes backing away…

---Heading back towards camp, Toph gave a small smile of satisfaction.---

With a yell of frustration, Azula turned around to face her brother. But it was too late.

The flames from Zuko's fists scorched her face and tore at her skin. She howled in pain, agony, and disbelief. I've lost…

The pain the princess felt was unimaginable. Her eyes caught the light from the sunset, and the ferocity reflected in them was just as inconceivable. Zuko, though horrified at what was happening, continued his attack. He thought of all the times Azula had hurt him; all the times she deceived him; all the times she lied. His old line of comfort immediately came to mind:

Azula always lies.

Suddenly, he renewed his attack on his sister with more vigor. He knew she deserved every burn – every inch of peeling and bleeding skin. Her screaming started anew, this time twice as loud. Eventually, the banished prince stopped. As Azula continued her cries of pain, he walked toward the edge of the cliff and looked out toward the horizon. The pain in his back had resided, although he could still feel a dull throbbing sensation.

Behind him, Azula's facial features transformed numerous times: worry, horror, disgust, and then overwhelming pain. The fire consumed the left side of her face, causing her skin to fold into itself, becoming blackened and blood-clotted. The burn was covered in blisters, half of which had already opened.

Zuko smelt the sickening stench of his sister's burning flesh, and turned around. He was horrified at what he saw. His once-glorious sister was writhing around on the ground, her body racked with pain. Her teeth clenched and unclenched in uncontrollable bouts of anguish. She tried to cover the left side of her face, in an attempt to hide the hideous scar that lay beneath it. But she hadn't been quick enough. Zuko had seen.

Tears of pain cascaded down Azula's face, and she was overcome with shame. She had shown unforgivable weakness.

Zuko rushed over to his sister's side, immediately feeling guilty for his actions. He grabbed one of her hands, noticing that they were clammy and strangely cold. "Azula, I'm so sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't –"

He was cut off as Azula tried to send of arc of flames at him. However, her vision had become impaired by her burn, and the stream of fire missed Zuko completely. As a result, the banished prince stepped back from his sister, watching now with emotionless eyes.

Suddenly, Azula let loose an earsplitting howl, and she began clawing at her face. The blood seeped from behind her fingers, matching the color of crimson nails. Immediately, Zuko knew that she was blind.

He watched with growing revulsion as his sister stopped squirming, and stood up. She faced in what she believed to be his direction, and charged. The princess conjured up a sphere of blue flame, and held it out in front of her as she released a fierce yell. Zuko quickly sidestepped, and watched as his sister ran straight for the edge of the cliff. He was about to call out to her, and save her from her impending doom. But he thought better of it, and instead witnessed his sister's dishonorable defeat.

Azula ran straight off of the steep precipice, never to be seen again.

Zuko simply stood there, the sun's fading rays causing strange shadows to appear across his scar. Sweat dripped from his body. He was still in shock, and his frozen gaze never left the spot where he had just seen his sister fall. His distilled, copper-gold eyes quivered, and the fierce maelstrom of emotion faded until they slipped shut.

Azula will lie no more.

A/N: After watching "The Chase," I've hated Azula with all my heart. So, I wrote a fic that kills her! Yay! Revenge! Anywayz, review please!