The world is ending. That is unsurprising.

The Avatar has been called to save it. Still unsurprising.

Azula is fighting on their side. Surprising? Perhaps to idiots like Zuzu but not to Azula. She knew her former ex-friends would have roped her into helping. Ty Lee by crying (how she figured out Azula can't stand women crying is a mystery) and Mai by being one of the few people who shares Azula's morbid sense of humor. Mai would say something like, "either help us not die or kill us faster," and Azula would then graciously give in.

There is nothing gracious about the world ending.

Azula would rather rule the world than destroy it. Although, she never really wanted to rule the world in the first place. Too many idiots to manage. But no one ever asked Azula what she wanted, not even herself.

Right now, Azula would settle for not dying. If that meant technically fighting for the Avatar, then so be it. It's unsurprising that she would choose a reluctant alliance over death.

What's surprising is who Azula is currently fighting side by side with; her fuddy duddy Uncle.

"Azula! Can you reach that rooftop?"

It was easy to forgive her friends. It is harder to forgive those who believe they've done nothing wrong.

Azula doesn't look at the rooftop. She knows which one he's referring to, all the others have been destroyed, and she knows she can reach it easily with or without airbending. It is a much better use of a spare second to firebend and analyze her Uncle's words.

"The Dragon of the West's only strategy is to retreat. How disappointingly predictable."

"We cannot win this fight."

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Azula desperately wishes she has the time to look at her Uncle's face because it doesn't make sense.

She's-crazy-and-she-needs-to-go-down-She's-crazy-and-she-needs-to-go-down-She's-crazy-and-she-needs-to-go-down

Azula can make it to the rooftop. Uncle Iroh cannot.

"Maybe you cannot—"

She twists the knife in deeper. How dare he pretend to care about her now.

"— but I am not Lu Ten."

The oxygen around them is sucked out as the air heats up. Azula smirks.

Good. Perhaps he'll fight better angry.

Uncle Iroh twists and Azula spares a glimpse at his face. She regrets it, not because of the resulting glancing blow she takes to the shoulder, but because when angry, Uncle Iroh's eyes match her own far more than her father's ever did.

"I do have another strategy. One that I thought was too risky and cruel."

"Will it take them all out?"

"Do you share bending with the Avatar?"

Azula answers by adding a gust of air to her leg sweep. Distantly, the last rooftop crumbles.

"We found your mother," says Uncle Iroh, and his words begin to drown as Azula's head roars and her eyes glow.