Father was going to kill her.

Azula doesn't even remember Zuko pulling her from the throne room. She doesn't remember hiding in this storage closet either. Her mind was sluggish, her body completely numb- as if she had just fallen into freezing water.

"Zula, snap out of it!" Zuko was shaking her, his voice panicked. "We need to figure out what to do!"

That got her attention.

"What do you mean, 'we,' Zuko?" Azula snapped. "Father's going to kill me. Not you."

"Yeah, I know, that's why I'm trying to help you!"

"There's nothing you can do. The Firelord ordered it." Her voice didn't tremble like Zuko's did, but she felt the panic begin to set in. "There's nothing anyone can do. Father is going to kill me because he has to."

There was no question in her mind that Father was going to do it. He said he loved her, but Azula knew how ambitious he was. If there was a chance for him to prove himself to the Firelord, Father wasn't going to hesitate.

Even if it meant she had to die.

"Azula, you're not going to die! We just need to find Mother."

"Why are you even helping me?" She snarled. "You're disobeying the Firelord. That's treason."

"Because I don't want you to die!"

"Well, you should." Azula sniffed, feeling tears prick at her eyes. Which was ridiculous, because the Firelord ordered her death and she should just accept it, and Father taught her to never show her emotions so if she was this weak maybe it was better for her to die-

"Azula, you're not going to die. We're going to find Mother and then she can fix this!" Zuko insisted, gripping her clammy hands. "You need to stay here, I'm going to go get her."

"Wait!" Azula felt her panic rise as Zuko moved to leave the closet. "What if Father finds you?"

"I'll be careful, he won't see me." Zuko gave her a quick hug and then quietly closed the door behind him. Which left Azula to sit in the dark closet, alone, thinking of how Father could be creeping down the hallway at that very moment to kill her.

She tried very hard not to think too much about the fact that Zuko could be getting Father at this very moment. But Zuzu was different from her. He loved too much, even if it made him weaker. By helping her he was directly disobeying the Firelord's orders, and throwing away his chance to be Crown Prince. It would be smarter and safer for him to let her die. It's what she would do.

Probably.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps outside the door. Heart in her throat, Azula shrunk back instinctively. Maybe Zuko really did betray her and now she was going to die-

The door was flung open, and then she was being hugged by Mother. Azula couldn't help but close her eyes and breathe in her floral perfume.

"Azula, dear, are you hurt? Did anyone see you come here?" Mother asked frantically, pulling back and cupping her face.

"Mom," Azula choked out. It was all too much for her. Now that Mother was here, it seemed more real. Father really was going to kill her tonight.

"What are we going to do?" Zuko squeezed into the closet next to them. "Grandfather wants Father to kill her tonight! We have to stop them!"

Mother smoothed down Azula's hair, looking at them both. Azula has never seen her mother so serious.

"You two need to go to Zuko's room, quickly. Use the servants corridor. Grab a bag and pack some clothes. I will meet you there."

"Are we leaving? Where are we going?"

"We don't have a lot of time, darling. I'll explain later." Mother pulled them both into a very tight hug before herding them out of the closet and towards the servants corridor. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Be quick, I will be there shortly."

Time seemed to be jumping forward in short bursts. One moment she was hurrying down the corridor with Zuko, and the next moment she was checking the hall outside his room for guards. Zuko gives the all clear, and she follows him into his room in a daze.

"You can just use my clothes, Zula, we are about the same size anyways."

Azula can only watch as Zuko packs. That numb feeling began to creep into her again. Azula was a strategist. She knows how hard it will be to escape the palace without being caught. And with Mother and Zuko helping her, they were now party to treason.

Because of her, they were all going to die.

She didn't even realize that she was crying until Zuko was there.

"Zula, hey! Hey, it's okay, Mother said she's going to get you out of here," he soothed, pulling her into another hug.

"I'm fine!" Azula pushed him off and stomped over to the bag, which was overflowing with clothing. "And you folded these clothes all wrong!"

Her nerves calm as she refolds the clothes. She just has to keep her hands busy until Mother comes back, and then they will figure it out from there. Zuko and her are good at being sneaky. They should be able to sneak past the guards if they are careful, but what about Mother? And what if they are chased? Azula was already almost a master bender, but even she knew that she couldn't't fight off all of the guards and protect Zuzu and Mother.

She had just finished packing when the door opened.

But it was not Mother who entered.

Ozai stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "I should have known you would figure it out," he said, a small hint of pride in his voice. "You really are a prodigy, Azula."

Completely frozen, Azula watched as Father stalked closer to her. He really was going to do it. Some small part of her was convinced that he would refuse- but he didn't even try to find a way around it. She now knew that this man did not actually love her. Everything she did was to please him. And it wasn't enough, not to him.

Zuko stepped between them. Holding his dual dao crossed in front of him, he did not move even as Father loomed over them. Azula held back a sob. He was going to die. They were both going to die.

"I won't let you kill her!"

"Step aside, boy," Ozai snarled. "You should be grateful that the Firelord allows you to live in Azula's stead."

"She's your daughter!" Zuko shouted, visibly shaking with anger. "It's treason to harm a member of the royal family!"

Ozai seemed to swell with anger, his voice spitting with rage. "I will do as the Firelord orders, even if it means discarding the perfect heir instead of the pathetic failure of a son."

Zuko must have known what Father thought of him before, but Ozai had never said it so plainly.

"Your death, Azula, will be the start to my rise to power. You should be proud to give your life to my cause. And you, boy, would do well to step aside and obey your Father's orders."

But Zuko did not back down. Instead, he lashed out with his swords. Ozai jumped back to avoid being slashed across the stomach.

"You're not our father anymore. And I'm not going to let you kill my sister."

Azula couldn't help being impressed with how brave Zuko was to defend her, but he was only twelve, and Ozai was a firebender master with years of experience. He was disarmed and overpowered in seconds.

"You ungrateful brat," Father hissed, his face livid. He pushed Zuko to the ground. "You're going to learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."

And Azula could only watch as Ozai's hands burst into flame, pressing into Zuko's face. He was screaming- writhing as his face melted, thrashing as his flesh burned and sizzled and Azula could do nothing but watch because she was next-

There was a flash of steel, and then Ozai crumpled to the ground, slumping over Zuko's prone body.

Mother stood above him, a knife in her hand.