Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters. IF I DID, the Cabbage Merchant would be the Avatar, Zutara and Tokka would be canon, Yue would have lived, and Jet would be head of the Dai Li (and a bender).

Salty tears slid down smooth, pale cheeks and slipped onto thick, red lips. A thin hand reached up to wipe them away as the crooked smile was replaced with a frown. No, she can't allow herself to be happy. At least not yet, because then she would feel victorious. And the last time she felt victorious…

Flashes of blue swam through her mind, accompanied by shouts and screams. Fire and water clashed magnificently, but beauty wasn't on her mind. She was thinking of that stupid water peasant and how she cheated, using chains to defeat the Fire Nation princess. Azula growled at the memories. No. Not this time. She lost last time because she expected to win. If there was one thing she learned during her years at the institute, it was that expecting something to be in your favor never worked.

Don't expect. Don't hope. Just know.

How foolish she had been all those years ago. The institute had helped her more than it had harmed her. She smirked. It looks like one of Zuzu's plans failed again, Azula thought as the cackled, shooting bright blue flames at nearby trees and bushes. It felt exhilarating to firebend again. She snickered evilly, remembering her fight with the nurses and doctors during her escape. Those idiots obviously didn't see that coming. They couldn't even defend themselves against an immobilized firebender in a straight jacket!

She lit a small flame in her palm. The mission she sent herself on would take time and she would have to be patient, but it would all be worth it when that waterbender slowly burns to death. After all, there was no fun in going on a long journey just to kill her quickly and painlessly. This had to be done just right, slowly and painfully.

She had to show no remorse. No mercy. Just bitter smiles and heartless joy. Azula knew she was a sociopath, but she really didn't care. People die all the time, so why did she need to worry about their pathetic lives? They're all just filthy peasants anyway. They didn't even deserve their lives, so why does it matter if it's taken away from them?

"You're wrong, Azula," a calm voice said from behind the princess. "Everyone is given life for a reason."

The fire princess whipped around to see her mother standing next to a burning tree. Good. Maybe it will kill her. It's about time that annoying old bitch dies, Azula thought. She watched impatiently as her mother didn't ignite. What felt like a lifetime later, she nearly slapped her forehead when she realized that she was expecting to get the upper hand. Again. She hated expecting things. Every time she wanted something, someone would stand in her way. Those Kyoshi Warriors, Mai, that waterbending peasant, her father, Ty Lee, Zuko, her mother…

Zuko.

Azula grinned as she remembered the horrible sight that had unfolded before her so many years ago.

She had just executed a perfect bolt of lightning and aimed for the stupid waterbender's heart. That bitch had gotten in her way on too many occasions, and she needed to die. The flash of blue light pierced through the sky and the peasant was finally going to get what she deserved. But she didn't. Everything happened so fast, Azula couldn't keep track until it was over. A crumpled lump of Zuko laid motionless on the ground, smoke wafting off of his body.

The princess had no idea what had just happened, but that didn't matter. She had a peasant to deal with.

Wait… what? But the lightning should have hit the waterbender. She should be dead! Azula looked from Zuko to Katara and put both halves together. A sadistic smile spread across her features as she watched the peasant call out to the fallen prince and begin to run to him. So this was Zuzu's weakness, a filthy peasant from the Water Tribes. This should be fun. The mentally unstable princess cackled and ran toward the waterbender, ready to put her in her place.

Unfortunately, Katara avoided Azula's attacks and sent some of her own. After a surprisingly short fight that she honestly didn't remember most of, she found herself being chained to a large grate above the sewers.

The waterbender healed Zuko and they both watched as the princess unraveled. They almost looked like they didn't know why she was crying, even though she was obviously held back by chains and lost the battle. Who wouldn't she be upset? They seemed to take pity on her, but they shouldn't have. Azula screamed fire in their direction, hoping to at least singe one of them, but luck was not on her side that day. She was taken away and locked up, away from everyone and everything, sent away to a mental institute where they would "take care of her" and make sure she didn't harm anyone or herself.

She vowed to get revenge one day.

The princess sneered as she was reminded of her unfortunate chain of events. How were those idiots able to defeat her? Surely they must have been told by someone… but who would have known? Azula began pacing, wracking her brain for answers to her own questions. It didn't take long for the answer to occur. Her eyes narrowed as her lips curled downward. Of course… It's so obvious. How could I not see it before, she wondered, turning around once again to face her mother, only to find the burning tree.

She groaned. Of all the times for that old hag to disappear, why would she choose now? Azula looked up the hill to the institute that she had just escaped, wondering if her mother had gone there.

"She probably went back up there to be safe from you," a familiar voice said quietly. The princess turned around to see a tall woman with black hair, wearing a long black and red dress. The woman's face was devoid of any emotion or care.

"Ah, Mai. It's so nice of you to drop by, but I'm a little busy at the minute," Azula frowned at her friend. "How do you manage to show up at the worst moments anyway?"

Mai rolled her eyes. "You call 'escaping the institute and plotting revenge' one of your worst moments? I think it's a victory, right?"

"No, not yet. First I—..." The princess paused as she realized exactly what was going on. Her eyes widened as she looked up at her old friend again. She took a step back as Mai took a step forward.

"Is something wrong, Azula?" Mai's taunting voice echoed through Azula's mind, driving her insane. Deciding not to show fear, the princess urged herself to take a step forward, lifting her head in confidence.

"How are you here," she asked. "When did you arrive on this island? Surely you cannot have just gotten here!"

"I've been here the whole time. I saw what you did to the staff at the institute. You should be ashamed."

Azula snickered. "Why should I be ashamed? They should be ashamed for locking me up in the first place!"

"Whatever. Well, you're out now. So what are you going to do?"

The princess began pacing, thoughts flowing through her head. She hadn't thought of that. One thing she knew was that she would find a way off this island, figure out how to track down the waterbender, and then kill her. She escaped, so that was a start. "Well first I need transportation to get away from here. A boat." She turned back to the woman. "Where do I get one?"

Mai turned around and began walking down the beach, towards the ocean. "That," she said as her feet reached the water, "is something you will have to find out for yourself." She turned around again and fell back in the water, vanishing beneath the waves.

Azula arched an eyebrow at her friend's choice of words, taking no notice to her disappearance. She simply stared at the water that didn't seem to move when Mai fell in, allowing her eyes to travel further up to the horizon. A large ship was making its way to the island, as she could see somewhere in the distance. A wicked smile played at her features as a plan formed in her mind.

"Perfect…"

A/N: Hey guys! This is my very first fanfiction, so please tell me how I'm doing! I think it's way too rushed, so I'll make it slower and much MUCH longer in the next chapter! To those of you who got this far: thanks for reading it! Please R&R to tell me what you think! Thanks!

-:-T-:-