Chapter Two: Not So Final Victory

Azula stared as Ty Lee stood up. The former circus performer looked at her with concern. Azula hated that look of pity on her face. "You look like you didn't sleep so well? Nerves?"

Azula composed herself. "No, no, we did this already."

"Did what?" asked Ty Lee.

"This day. Yesterday you said that." said Azula.

"Said what?" asked Ty Lee.

"The thing about sausages." said Azula.

"Oh. Okay." said Ty Lee. She looked weirded out.

"It's called deja vu." said Mai.

"What?" said Azula.

"Deja vu: The feeling that one has lived a moment before." said Mai.

"Nevermind, I don't care." said Azula. "Alright, obviously getting Zuko involved too quickly leads to his scar getting healed somehow."

"Zuko?" asked Mai. "He's here."

"No." said Azula. "Of course he isn't. Just focus on the coup; you'll figure it out soon enough."

Things went much as they had before that day. Only this time Azula made sure the water peasant and Zuko didn't get locked up together just yet. Things went very smoothly, though it was irritating having to corrupt the Dai Li for the third time around.

Finally, the water peasant rushed in. In one hand was a letter. "Excuse me, I need to speak with the Earth King! I was just in town, and I think I saw Prince Zuko!"

Azula sighed. "We'll be sure he gets the message."

Ty Lee knocked her out quickly, and she was bundled away. Then, inevitably, came the part where the Dai Li assembled before them. There was Long Feng in front of her. "Now comes the part where I double cross you. Dai Li, arrest the Fire Nation Princess."

And the Dai Li moved. It took Azula completely by surprise, and in moments she had been bound and pulled to her knees. Mai and Ty Lee followed soon. Long Feng moved up the stairs.

"What?" said Azula. "What is-"

Long Feng slapped her. "You're far too trusting.

"Now that the Earth King is out of power, I suppose I'll have to find a new puppet. In the meantime, Princess Azula should prove the perfect piece to keep the Fire Nation out of here for good."

Later in a prison cell, Azula hung from the wall. Mai looked fairly unphased. "Well, this didn't go as planned."

"Shut up!" roared Azula. "How did this happen? I did everything like the first time!"

"Well, maybe you could have been a bit more personable?" said Ty Lee brightly.

"Personable?" asked Azula.

"Well at the Circus we've always been taught that you have to get into your act." said Ty Lee. "If you make your speeches like you're reading off a script, people get bored."

Azula considered that. "...Right, of course, I must have failed to weaken the Dai Li's loyalty enough."

"It doesn't matter now." said Mai. "We're in jail."

Azula smiled. "Only until next time."

"Next time? What are you..." began Mai.

Azula awoke on cushions of the finest silk and felt the rays of the sun on her face. She turned over in her bed, then sat up. With all composure, she quickly dressed herself, did up her hair and then walked out.

Ty Lee looked up. "Azula, you're awake. You've got to try this breakfast. They have the best sausages."

"Yes, yes they do." said Azula, sitting down next to them.

Mai blinked. "Hmm, you don't usually sit down with us."

"I think we'd better be prepared for today." said Azula, quickly filling her plate. "We have a very narrow margin for error today. If we make a single mistake, everything could fall apart."

Now Azula understood why these loops had happened. The Fire Nation was destined for total victory. The first time she had won. But the Avatar had escaped.

But he would not this time. This time Azula would gain total victory.

She played her part like that of a puppet master. She moved the people like pieces on a board. And she played well.

Little by little, she set up her victory. And now she knew which pieces to use to make that victory complete. Long Feng fell, and she had him thrown in prison for later.

"Princess, we've located the Avatar. He is entering the underground city." said the Dai Li, like before.

Azula rose. "Excellent. Ty Lee, Mai, come with me."

Azula followed Zuzu into the catacombs. And there he was, still scarred as he should be. She said exactly what he wanted to hear to get rid of Uncle's influence and then they left.

Coming upon the Avatar, Azula halted. "Ty Lee, stay here and wait for an opening. When the water girl is isolated, get her."

Everything proceeded as it had meant to be. And this time when Azula was cornered, Zuko came to her aid. There was a moment of staring between him and the Avatar. Then he unleashed his flames. Together, Azula and Zuko dueled with the Avatar and the water peasant.

The water peasant was skilled, and her powers could quench Azula's flames. But Zuko's had greater endurance. Little by little, they overwhelmed both of them. It was a losing battle fo the Avatar.

And then the Dai Li arrived. The water peasant was surrounded and hemmed in. In desperation, the Avatar grew crystals around himself in an attempt to shield himself. Through the crystals, Azula saw a light emanating. A light brighter than even the sun. As the rest of the room watched in awe, Azula slipped around so he wouldn't be able to see her.

Out he came, sending out a brilliant light. It was even brighter now if that was possible. And yet the light emanating from it did not hurt the eyes.

Azula sent out a brilliant light of her own and shot him in the back. The Avatar fell and landed hard on the ground. The water peasant summoned all her water to charge in and like before Iroh covered her retreat. But this time Ty Lee got her from behind, and she fell to the ground, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Iroh fought hard, hurling his flames everywhere to fend off the Dai Li. Zuko wouldn't attack him. But little by little he was overwhelmed, as Azula walked over to the unconscious Avatar. There was only a little life left in him. And Azula knew why she'd been repeating this day.

The Avatar had been alive. And if the water peasant had healed Zuko of his scar, surely she could have healed the Avatar of his wound. But now that could be corrected.

The water peasant was watching. Tears were in her eyes. She struggled to get up. Struggled to fight.

Azula smiled and walked toward the Avatar with slowness. How she relished the look of fear and desperation on that dark-skinned savage's face. The gaze of horror as she slowly, sensually raised a single finger.

"Please..." gasped the water peasant. "Don't kill Aang..."

Aang? Was that his name?

It didn't matter. All the water peasant could do was beg now. Beg Azula to have mercy. And if this was happening ten years ago, she might have. But the world now belonged to the Fire Nation. By the time the Avatar reincarnated it would be too late. And once the next two Avatars were gone, he would have no one to reincarnate into.

But Azula lowered her hand anyway. She pretended to turn away. To lose interest. And then she turned around and fired a lightning bolt through the Avatar's head.

The water peasant screamed in grief, swore and screamed at her. It was music to Azula's ears as she turned to walk away. Iroh was finally being overwhelmed by the Dai Li. Now he was trapped and glaring at her.

"Take Iroh and the waterbender to the prison." said Azula. "We'll deal with them later. Zuko, why don't we head upstairs."

Later within the throne room, Zuko looked conflicted. Like he had before. Azula was in a perfect mood, however. "We've done it Zuko. It's taken us a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se."

"...I betrayed Uncle." said Zuko.

"No.," said Azula. "He betrayed you. Zuko, when you return home, Father will welcome you as a war hero.

"We will have killed the Avatar. We will have ended the war."

"But... I was assigned to capture the Avatar." said Zuko. "What if Father... what if he doesn't restore my honor?"

"He doesn't need to, Zuko." said Azula. "Today you restored your own honor."

Azula suddenly realized that she didn't mind reliving this moment. She'd felt like they had really connected here. After all, what better way to establish a bond between siblings than over the burned carcass of their mutual enemies.

She spent the rest of the night torturing Long Feng slowly to death. She'd lost to him yesterday, and it was a humiliation she wasn't going to repeat. Then she went to bed, looking forward to a bright future. Tomorrow she'd take her time showing an entirely different kind of dominance with that water peasant. Azula couldn't wait to feel her squirming in her grasp.

The sun would rise over a world that belonged to the Fire Nation.

Something to look forward to.

Azula awoke on cushions of the finest silk and felt the rays of the sun on her face. She turned over in her bed, then sat up. No, no this couldn't be.

She stood and walked out to find Ty Lee and Mai at the same breakfast table. Ty Lee looked up brightly like she had the last few times. "Azula, you're awake. You've got to try this breakfast. They have the best sausages."

"What... but... but I'd won." said Azula. "The Avatar was dead!"

"Azula?" said Ty Lee. "Are you alright?"

Azula looked out the window. "Ba Sing Se was ours. We'd won. We'd completely won. The day was completely perfect.

"So why am I back here?"

"Azula you don't look so good." said Mai.

"Oh, oh I don't do I? Well maybe that's because we've been here before!" cried Azula.

"Calm down Azula. If we fly off the handle we could end up dead." said Mai.

Azula looked out. It didn't matter if she'd won. She'd just end up back here. "No, no, I am not doing this again."

"What do you mean?" asked Ty Lee.

"We're leaving Ty Lee. Pack your things. We're getting out of Ba Sing Se." said Azula.

"But what about the coup?" asked Mai.

It wouldn't due to let Long Feng win. "Hmm, excellent point. Go tell the Earth King what Long Feng is plotting, then let's get out of here!"

"Are you... serious?" asked Mai.

Azula hurled a fireball that blew up the table. "Never more so! I've got to get out of this city!"

The gates were shut. The trains had all been left where they were. Azula rushed up to the guards, who barred her path.

"You!" she said. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"There is nothing going on, the gates are closed." said the guard. "We've got a huge sandstorm coming in from the desert."

Azula stood up tall. "Tell me, does the weather command this city?"

"Actually it commands pretty much everything." said the man. "Now back off."

"Get out of my way! I'm leaving Ba Sing Se!" said Azula.

The guard sighed. "Look, lady. You can go back to Ba Sing Se. Or you can get your skin flayed off by a massive sandstorm. Your choice."

Azula looked back to the city. Then to the way out. Walking into the middle of a sandstorm would almost certainly lead to a horrible death. On the other hand, going into Ba Sing Se would result in being in Ba Sing Se another day. "...Give me a moment to consult with my advisors."

She walked over to Mai and Ty Lee. Ty Lee was doing handstands, while Mai had her arms crossed. "What do we do now?"

"I... I..." Azula sighed. "I need a drink."

It was a seedy tavern. Azula sipped a beer while a bar fight broke out to the left. She'd never drunk this kind of low-quality beer before, and it was a far cry from the wine she was used to. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to care. Mai looked at her with raised eyebrows. "So, we've gone from plotting the downfall of a city to drinking while underage."

"No, I told you! It doesn't matter!" said Azula. "Every time I win I just end up back here! We've got to find a way to get out of this city before the day is over!"

"...Maybe we could dig our way out." said Ty Lee.

Azula blinked. "Yes, yes of course. We'll use the underground city to escape and then-"

And then swords were set to their throats. Dozens of guards filed in. "You're under arrest, Princess Azula."

"What are you..." Azula paused. "I didn't even do anything this time!"

Yet another night in prison.

Author's Note:

Azula seems to be doing the Groundhog Day a bit out of order. Traditionally the person is initially surprised; then they spend their time being a jerk and enjoying themselves. Then eventually they start trying to make the perfect day.

Unfortunately, Azula's idea of a perfect day is very different from that of everyone else. So it doesn't take.