Chapter 55: In the Wake of Blue Fire

As Azula rode back to rejoin the convoy, she considered her actions in that abandoned village.

Ever since her father had given her the order to execute Zuko, she'd wondered how it would go down; what she'd do, how she'd do it, and so forth. She'd contemplated unleashing her lightning upon her brother; as the ultimate demonstration of Firebending, there was no defence against it and it would guarantee Zuko's demise. In the moment, though, she'd chosen a well-placed blast of blue fire.

Now she was questioning it. Was it enough? Her brother had proven remarkably resilient in the past; for all that he was a terrible Firebender, he could certainly withstand punishment. Hardly anything to brag about, as it spoke to a lack of defensive and offensive skill. Still, though.

Another, much more treacherous, part of her brain wondered whether she wanted Zuko to die.

She closed herself off to such thoughts. The Fire Lord had commanded her end Zuko's miserable existence and that's what she'd done. Besides, he posed a threat to her position as Heir Apparent, even as a traitor stripped of his title. She could think of several routes to the throne if she found herself in such a precarious position, not that it would ever occur. All Zuko would have to do was get the common folk on side, along with some of the more sympathetic nobles, and he'd be able to challenge for the throne.

She shook her head. Zuko was dead, or dying, by her hand and it was right and proper that she'd done so.

She nodded to herself.