Takes place during The Crossroads of Destiny

Azula dove for cover as the battle between the Dai Li and the Avatar's group raged. Suki and Laith joined her after a moment, ducking under a very large rock that smashed behind them.

"Well, this is exciting," Suki said drily as she peered out at the fight, "We can't last much longer like this."

"I have an idea, but it's risky," Azula said, "And it would probably end with me back in my father's court. Do you trust me?"

"Without hesitation," Laith said immediately.

"Do you even need to ask?" Suki asked playfully.

"Thank you," Azula breathed, then peered back over at the battle. Locating her brother was easy, he was the only one throwing fire around indiscriminately. "On my signal, get the avatar out of here. I'll contact you as soon as I can."

She burst from cover with a flash of flame that looked much more dangerous than it was, driving the avatar's group back. Just barely off target jets of flame that she forced Uncle Iroh to deflect forced them back further, then he was caught up to his neck in stone as the Dai Li went on the offensive.

Within moments, Azula was by her brother's side, and she caught his arm. "I have a plan that will get us both home," she said in a hurried whisper, "When I say, I want you to knock the avatar out of the sky. Make it big and flashy but try not to burn him too badly."

Zuko stared at her suspiciously and she groaned.

"Look, I know I've never given you much of a reason to trust me until now, but no matter what happens or what side you come down on, you'll be better placed to help in the palace. Do as I say, and I'll get you there." She stared into Zuko's eyes, hoping he could see her sincerity.

Zuko studied her face for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Good. Now come on!"

The avatar had sealed himself into some kind of rock dome, and as they watched, it ruptured open and he emerged from its depths, glowing with terrible power. That could only end badly.

"Now!" Azula shouted, and Zuko set off a veritable wave of flame. Under the cover of the light show, Azula loosed a thin tongue of lightning. On a larger person, it would only be enough to knock unconscious. The avatar was much smaller than the people she usually used this on, so the damage might be higher, but still, not enough to kill, and not enough to cause permanent damage. Sometimes with lightning that was all you could do.

The avatar fell, and Azula dashed over, making a great show of planting her foot on his back and she leaned over to check his pulse. Strong and steady. Good.

She breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to the room at large. "The avatar is dead!" She cried loudly, bringing one fist up above her head in triumph. The other she held carefully out of sight of the Dai Li and signalled to Laith and Suki, "My brother killed him!" she continued, "And now..."

Laith bodily knocked her off her feet as Suki gathered the avatar in her arms, both of them rushing to the exit.

Azula rolled with the blow and came up with a flare of fire that conveniently covered their retreat with the rest of the avatar's group. Excellent.

She turned back to the Dai Li in apparent outrage as she slipped the little bit of paper Laith had given her in the scuffle into her sleeve. As soon as they went to dress the avatar's wounds, they'd find the similar note she'd hidden in his collar. Everything was in place.

Uncle was probably going to end up in prison, but there was nothing she could do about that if she wanted to be welcomed back into the fire lord's court with her brother, the team that had defeated the avatar or not. Likewise there was no way to avoid Ba Sing Se being taken, and that was absolutely killing her. Not to mention taking her brother, physically older than her but still just an angry, lost teenager searching for a place to belong, back to their father's palace would probably be incredibly damaging if she couldn't manage to mitigate the effects. But this was the way things had to be. She needed a prize like Ba Sing Se to keep her father's attention off of Zuko, and she needed Zuko at court. He was the only suitable candidate for Fire Lord left, and he needed to know his people.

They'd all be free by summer's end, her, her brother, and the earth kingdom, Azula swore it. Either the avatar would do it, or Azula would just have to perform a little regicide, and that would be far more painless than he deserved.

But that was for later. For now, she was on her way back to her father's court, with her brother by her side. The day of black sun wasn't too far out, after all, and there was a lot of work to be done before then.