The Boiling Rock Tool Room

"Princess." Htun said.

"Yes, Warden." Azula responded as she continued looking for torture tools to put into her knapsack.

"I understand my niece and her friend not only betrayed our nation, but also you as well, but wouldn't it be better to keep them locked up forever than eliminating them for good?" Htun asked.

"And why is that?" Azula asked as she found some rusty, dull knives, quickly putting them in her knapsack.

"Because keeping them alive and making them spend the rest of their days in this prison would not only be a fitting punishment for traitors, but also send a better message to crooks and would-be traitors."

"For if I was a degenerate who wanted to commit crimes against the Fire Nation or betray it, I would think twice if I had to spend the rest of my life in a dump like this than if I was killed off, no matter how long my death took, or how painful it was."

"And before you say I am trying to stick my neck out for my niece, I am not since I am speaking from experience."

"For the Boiling Rock has the reputation it has today because criminals and would-be criminals know they will spend the rest of their days hungry as they take orders from me and my men, knowing that if they step out of line, they will get tortured, but never to the point that they get the sweet release of death." Htun responded.

After grabbing some industrial gloves so she wouldn't stain her hands with blood and making sure she had everything she needed, Azula turned and faced the warden before telling him, "Before the events of the past couple of weeks, I would agree that giving people a fate worse than death is better than killing them off."

"But after seeing how keeping my brother, uncle, the Avatar's waterbending snow peasant, the Kyoshi Warriors' leader, and Chief Hakoda alive backfired, I have come to realize that keeping traitors alive is bad policy."

"Something that the Fire Lord agrees with considering he recently promulgated that all traitors are to be killed, no exceptions."

"Also, it's odd that you consider the Boiling Rock's reputation and your experience as points in your favor considering what has transpired."

"For the Boiling Rock had a reputation of being inescapable, yet my brother along with his gang of misfits managed to escape."

"You have been the warden of this prison for years on end, yet, not only did you fail to sniff out my brother and his allies, but also managed to become their hostage as well."

"In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that I failed just as dearly as you did, you would be in a cell right now awaiting your punishment from me!"

"So no, I am not going to listen to any of your suggestions, and if you know what is good for you, you'll follow me." Azula responded before walking out the room, with Htun silently following her.

As they walked to the cell that was holding his niece and her friend, Htun wondered what he was going to do after this was all over, or more specifically, what was he going to tell Ukano and Michi?

For while Mai had chosen to aid Prince Zuko and his party's escape, and in the process ruin his reputation, as well as his career, before drawing her knives on the crown princess, she wouldn't have been here, let alone in a position to be swayed by the traitorous prince, if it wasn't for him.

For he thought he was being a good uncle when he gave his precious niece a heads up that the traitorous fool who had broken her heart was currently being held in the Boiling Rock, awaiting transfer to Caldera City Prison so the Fire Lord could decide his fate, but all he had done was condemn her and her friend.

For Mai might have been sharp and smart for her age, not to mention a great warrior, something that he made sure to nurture even though Michi and Ukano wanted her to be nothing more than a dainty noblewoman, but she was just a teenager.

Moreover, she just had her heart broken by the boy who she had loved ever since childhood, and thus was more likely than not in her right mind, especially since she hadn't had enough time to process the magnitude of the prince's actions.

Thus, he should have protected her by keeping the capture of Prince Zuko a secret, and in the process, not only save her life, but also her friend's as well.

For striking down royalty, especially to protect a traitor, deserved severe punishment, but as far as Htun was aware, Lady Ty Lee only struck down Princess Azula because she feared for his niece's life.

So, even if Mai and Lady Ty Lee had made their own choices, Htun couldn't help but feel responsible for what was going to happen next, along with some other, very dangerous thoughts.

However, before Htun could delve into those dangerous thoughts, he noticed they had reached Mai and Lady Ty Lee's cell, as evidenced by the line of guards standing in front of the cell, which was only necessary for the most dangerous of prisoners.

"Can the guards directly in front of the door please scoot over so that the warden may directly face it?" Azula politely asked, though everyone knew she wasn't asking, but instead demanding, and so the guards quickly moved out of the way, with Htun quickly filling the empty space.

"I have some business to take care of, so can you stand guard and make sure no one comes in?"

"For my father already lost one heir recently, and so I am pretty sure he wouldn't react well if his only remaining heir was lost due to his men's incompetence." Azula said, though everyone in the lineup knew she wanted them to stand guard not because she needed protection, but because she wanted them, especially Htun, to serve as witnesses for what was to come.

That and to clean up after she was done.

So, after the guards and Htun responded, "Yes, Princess!", Azula entered the room and closed it.

And so, the guards and Htun spent the next ten or so minutes standing guard as they listened to their princess punish the traitors, with the normally stoic guards, who knew better than to show weakness in front of their superior, fighting back tears as they heard the traitors' high-pitched screams devolve into whimpers as they smelled burning flesh and heard flesh being mangled.

Not that Htun would punish his guards' show of emotions.

For Htun had tortured scores of men and killed over a dozen would-be prison escapees over the years for his nation's sake, and so, seeing and/or hearing death no longer bothered him, or at least that's what he thought.

But as he heard and smelled his niece slowly but surely getting killed for her crimes, he felt the overwhelming urge to ignore what he knew to be right and barge into the cell and save her.

In fact, the urge was so strong that Htun was on the verge of betraying everything he knew and stood for until he remembered the dragon hawk incident of his youth.

This was because when he was five and traveling with his parents from their hometown back to Caldera City, he noticed a badly mangled dragon hawk on the road, causing him to pick it up and bring it to his parents so they could help him nurse it back to health.

But instead of helping him, his father instead shouted for him to put it back where he found it, with Htun disobeying him and asking him why.

For the Fire Nation was a beacon of hope and civilization, and so shouldn't he help the hawk since he was able to do so, just like the Fire Nation was helping the rest of the world?

Htun's father then, after realizing why he refused to put the dragon hawk where he found it, kneeled, and explained to him that progress required the weak to perish so that the strong could flourish.

So, even if it hurt, he needed to put the dragon hawk down and let it die so that he wouldn't pervert the natural order and lead to generations of defective dragon hawks being born, eventually causing the dragon hawk's downfall.

Thus, even if it hurt, Htun did the right thing and put the dragon hawk down before him and his parents resumed traveling.

So, remembering his father's lesson, Htun once again let the dragon hawk go, even if it hurt him, though unfortunately for him, his pain and suffering was just beginning.

For just as he managed to let go, the noises emanating from the cell stopped, with Azula then opening the door, no longer wearing her gloves, though her knapsack was still full.

Azula then said, "I'm finished, so you can clean up now." before walking away.

The guards and Htun knew what they had to do, but at the same time lacked the will to do it.

That is until Htun remembered that part of being a leader meant doing things you didn't want to, and so he silently made his way into the room, with his men quickly following suit.

However, once he saw the bloodied tools and gloves, the burn marks on the walls and chairs, and Mai and Ty Lee's bodies, or more specifically, what remained of their bodies, Htun quickly told his men, "I remember I have some paperwork I have to fill out, so I am going to go to my office now."

"And before you ask, you can take as long as you need to, and no, I am not going to be available for the rest of tonight." Htun added on before quickly walking out of the room.

As he walked to his office, Htun struggled to maintain his composure, with the only reason why he was able to maintain it being that the guards he passed by mercifully ignored him, but he managed to keep it until he reached his office.

Htun then, after closing his door and making sure no one, especially the princess, was listening, sat in his chair and started weeping, ruing that he was strong enough to do the right thing, but weak enough to think that he should have picked up the dragon hawk, regardless of what happened afterwards.

Western Air Temple, Sometime Later

As the Gaang, along with Chief Hakoda, The Duke, Smellerbee, Chit Sang, was sleeping, Fire Nation airships were quickly surrounding them.

However, instead of attacking the rebels with bombs like one would expect, the airships instead dropped ropes to just above the ground so that their soldiers, along with their princess, who was carrying a decent-sized knapsack, could get the drop on the rebels, or at least try to.

After a dozen or soldiers along with Azula touched the ground, Toph instantly woke up and shouted, "Guys, Azula is here!" instantly waking up the rest of the extended Gaang.

The extended Gaang barely had time to gather their bearings and weapons before they were surrounded by dozens of guards, with Azula making her to the front so that she was facing the extended Gaang before telling the Avatar, "Greetings, Avatar, beautiful morning, isn't it?"

"Leave before we hurt you." Aang growled as he pointed his staff at Azula, causing her to chuckle.

"Oh, we'll leave, but only after we get what we've been looking for."

"But before that happens, I need to tell Zuzu something." Azula calmly responded.

"We have no time for your games, Azula." Zuko spat as he got into a stance.

"Oh, I'm not here to play games, for I'm here to answer the question that has been nagging you ever since you escaped the Boiling Rock." Azula responded.

"There is nothing bothering me except you and Father!" Zuko shouted, hoping Azula and/or her men would start attacking so she would stop messing with him, especially since he feared the worst ever since he noticed neither Mai nor Ty Lee were by her side.

And while Azula did attack, it was not a physical attack, but instead a psychological one, for she then told Zuko, "Hmph, even if you won't acknowledge your burning question, I'll still give you an answer." before shaking her knapsack, causing Mai and Ty Lee's heads to roll in the extended Gaang's direction as they screamed in horror.

After screaming for several seconds, a disbelieving Zuko asked, "But why?"

"Because they were traitors." Azula calmly responded.

"But they were your friends?!" Zuko shouted.

"And you were my brother, so what gives?" Azula asked, causing Zuko to scowl as he felt anger, guilt, regret, and rage, so much rage, before then screaming as he charged at her, with Katara shouting, "No, Zuko!" in a desperate attempt to stop her grieving ally from playing into the fiend's hands, but to no avail.

For as Zuko charged at Azula, the rest of the soldiers started attacking the rest of the extended Gaang, preventing them from aiding him as he charged at the one person other than his father who was responsible for ruining his life.

Normally, after learning the true meaning of firebending, Zuko would bend using his zeal for life to fuel his inner flame, instead of using his anger and rage like he had been taught.

But Zuko was filed with so much rage that he reverted to using his anger to fuel his flames, which in combination with his self-loathing and guilt as to Mai and Ty Lee's fate blocking his fire chakra, weakened him to the point that it only took three hits before Azula was able to slash his throat with a fire dragger.

Not that her brother's weakness surprised Azula.

For after their confrontation on the gondola, as she recovered from Ty Lee's chi-blocking, Azula realized her brother had finally started unlocking the power she knew he always had, but was blocked by his devotion to their mother's, and later uncle's, ideals.

And while she was more than confident she could still defeat him in combat, Azula knew that with his new allies, any prolonged fight with him would end at best in a stalemate, and at worst with her defeat.

So, beyond what she told Mai's pitiful uncle, Azula knew Mai and Ty Lee had to die so she could break her brother and not only weaken him by breaking his spirit, but also cause him to fight her one on one instead of with his allies.

And speaking of his allies, after they noticed she had struck down Zuko, his gang of misfits save for Chief Hakoda paused and screamed, "Zuko!" probably horrified that not only had their ally been violently struck down by his own sister, but also that the Avatar's only viable firebending teacher had been killed before he had finished training him, causing Azula to smirk as the next part of her plan came to fruition.

For they paused just like she expected, causing her men to strike them down with their fire and weapons, though making sure to leave their faces intact like she had instructed, before then striking down the distraught and tearful Chief Hakoda after cornering him against a wall.

Azula and her men then spent several hours combing the temple to make sure none of the Avatar's allies had managed to elude them.

After they finished securing the temple, a soldier came up to Azula and told her, "We have secured the Air Nation Temple, Princess. So, what should we do now?"

"Take the rebels' dead bodies along with their possessions back to Caldera City so the Fire Lord can see the results of our hard work." a smiling Azula responded, causing the soldier to respond, "Yes, Princess!" before running off to fulfill his princess' command.

The Fire Lord's Throne Room, a Couple of Days Later

"Rise Princess Azula and explain what it is you want to show me." Ozai commanded as he sat behind his fiery curtain.

After she stopped prostrating herself, Azula quickly removed the wrapping covering the heads of her dead enemies, including the Avatar's bison, before telling her sovereign, "The heads of your enemies."

"For I admit that it was my fault that I not only allowed the traitorous fool Zuko to restore his honor, but also failed to capture him and his allies at the Boiling Rock before having my allies turn on me."

"Especially since I lied to you about the possibility of the Avatar surviving, as well as who struck him down during the battle for Ba Sing Se."

"So, realizing I needed to stop resting on my laurels unless I wanted everything you and our ancestors worked for to go down in flames, as well make up for my transgressions against my sovereign and father, I killed Ladies Mai and Ty Lee before then ambushing Zuko, the Avatar, and their allies at the Western Air Temple."

"But it was no regular ambush, for after my encounter with the Avatar's dirt girl during the eclipse made me realize she could sense vibrations, I made sure to avoid triggering her senses as we surrounded them."

"I then showed Zuko Mai and Ty Lee's heads, which caused him to attack me in a sloppy manner, allowing me to quickly off him, which in turn allowed my men to quickly finish off the rest of his allies as their distraught state dulled their fighting prowess."

"So, while I don't expect absolution for my failures, and I know having to search the Water Tribes for the Avatar's reincarnation will be a drain on the Fire Nation's coffers, I hope the heads of your enemies bring you some comfort, however little that may be." Azula finished.

"Oh, you have more than brought me some comfort, Azula, for you have redeemed yourself, and in the process, brought victory to the Fire Nation."

"So go to your room and rest my daughter, for while the work of civilization may never end, you deserve to rest after the monumental feats you have accomplished." Ozai earnestly responded since he was dead serious when he said Azula had redeemed herself.

For after she lied to him about what really went down in Ba Sing Se, allowed the bastard back into the Palace with his honor, and the Boiling Rock fiasco that culminated in her trusted allies turning on her, Ozai was ready to wash his hands of her.

And by washing his hands, he meant cutting her off from his trust and keeping her around to be the puppet ruler of the Fire Nation as he remade the world as the Phoenix King until he had time to bed a better woman than that whorish peasant and make new heirs before having one of his assassins off her in her sleep.

But after Azula had delivered victory to him on a silver platter for real this time, Ozai knew he already had the heir of his dreams, one that made dealing with that disloyal peasant for over a decade more than worth it.

However, before Ozai could further muse about his prodigy, Azula asked him, "Fire Lord, is there one favor you can grant?"

"Depends on what it is?" Ozai responded, curious as to what his daughter wanted.

"If you are not going to do anything with them, can I please keep the heads in front of you as trophies and display them in my room?" Azula asked.

"I'll have the servants modify your room so you can display your trophies first thing in the morning." Ozai responded, for letting Azula keep their enemies' heads in her room was a modest reward.

"Thank you, Fire Lord." Azula said before then bowing and exiting the throne room, content with her lot in life, though not as much one would expect.

For even though she was ecstatic she had eliminated her false friends, Zuko, the Avatar, and his allies, Azula knew her head collection was missing two heads, and that it would take arduous training and planning if she wanted to get them.

Not that she wasn't confident she would eventually get them considering she was already on their level as a teenager while they had already exited, or were about to exit, their primes.

Fire Nation Royal Palace Agni Kai Chamber at Sunset, a Couple of Years Later

After getting up and facing Azula, as he launched a furious firebending assault, Ozai shouted, "Why would you challenge me to an Agni Kai, Azula?! Your father and the one, true Phoenix King!"

As she nonchalantly dodged and blocked his attacks, Azula responded, "Because your weakness is a blight on our house."

"Weakness?!" Ozai shouted as he took to the air with his fire jets and continued his assault.

"Don't play dumb, Father, we both know you are weak."

"For you never left the Fire Nation until you had the comet backing you up, and even then, you failed to raze the Earth Kingdom as Iroh and his fellow terrorists destroyed your airships and forced you to flee."

"Meanwhile, not only have I conquered nations and killed the Avatar and his allies, but also took down Iroh and his gang of terrorists without the comet's power, as well as found and killed Kuei and his bear, ending the Earth Kingdom Royal bloodline for good."

"But even I can't keep overcoming your tactical blunders, for not only have we failed to pacify the Earth Kingdom, but also have failed to locate the Avatar's successor due to being unable to break the North's defenses, despite having years to do so."

"So, as someone with the divine right to rule, it is my responsibility to make sure the world does not continue to be ruled by a weak fool." Azula said as she quickly fire jetted up to her father's position.

"Weak?! I'll show you we-" Ozai tried saying, only to become quickly engulfed in smoke and fall to the ground as the smoke messed with his breathing.

As he recovered his breath, he watched as Azula slowly walked up to him, only to cross her arms instead of killing him.

Perplexed by Azula's non-action, after he recovered, Ozai shouted, "What was that?! And why didn't you strike me down?!"

"That was smokebending, which I developed as countermeasure to Iroh and his gang of terrorists' tactics and bending, not that the specifics matter to you since you'll be dead soon."

"For I want you to strike me with your fastest and strongest lightning or else I'll strike you down right now with my instant lightning, is that clear?" Azula responded.

It was one thing for Azula to develop a new firebending technique without telling him, or for her toy with him and not using her instant lightning at all during their Agni Kai.

But it was another thing for her to dare him to use his lighting like he was not the most powerful firebender alive.

So, Ozai quickly generated quick charge lightning and shot it at Azula, desperately hoping to rid himself of the demon he had created and nurtured.

Though unfortunately for the Phoenix King, his hopes were dashed as Azula caught his lighting and redirected it at him, doing what her brother wouldn't and killing him in an instant.

And as her father laid lifeless on the ground, Azula shook her head, for only a completely coddled fool would have failed to learn the technique that had almost killed him, or failed to anticipate that his heir, who had been growing more and more displeased with him over the years, would learn the technique in an effort to not only counter Iroh and the deserter Jeong Jeong, but also for when she eventually challenged him as well.

Azula then picked up her father's lifeless body and left the chamber as the assembled crowd of nobles, generals, and merchants were too shocked to react, let alone say anything.

Phoenix Queen Azula's Room, a Couple of Weeks Later

"Oh no, I'm a bodiless, miserable failure with no honor, what will I do with myself?" "Zuko" asked.

"Nephew, forget about your failures and come drink tea with me." "Iroh" told "Zuko."

"But Uncle, even if I did want to forget about my failures, which I don't, how can either of us drink tea without our bodies?" "Zuko" asked.

"Um, something, something, spirits." "Iroh" responded, causing "Zuko" to whine like the brat he was, though not for long.

For "Ozai" then interjected and said, "It appears you are attached as ever to your ways of tea and failure, Iroh, even as the rest of your body is no longer attached to you."

"It's odd you mock my devotion to the art of tea making, as well my "failures", when you are just as much of a failure as I am, if not more." "Iroh" responded, causing "Ozai" to scowl at his hated older brother before responding, "What is that supposed to mean?!"

"It means that, as much as you loathed our weakness, you ended up no better than us, Father." "Zuko" responded, causing "Ozai" to glare at him before bellowing, "Why, I ought to burn you a second time!"

"And how would you do that?" "Zuko" asked, with "Iroh" adding on, "Ah, even after ruling the world, you are as rash and imprudent as ever, younger brother." before breaking into laughter, causing "Ozai" to pout as Azula broke into laughter.

For if she knew how much fun it would be to play with actual heads, she would have moved on from giving dolls headcuts much sooner than she did.

But after looking at her clock, Azula realized she needed to stop indulging her childish habits and put away her trophies so she could meet with her war council.

For the second invasion of the North was coming up, and so they had to sort out logistics regarding slaughtering any child that was remotely close to the new Avatar's age to avoid repeating what happened with the Air Nation Avatar.

So Azula got up and put away her brother, uncle, and father's heads alongside her other heads before telling them, "Don't have too much fun while I'm gone, ok?" before exiting the room, eager to continue her life's work of making Sozin's dream a reality.