Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender, nor the Search comics.

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With her heart pounding, her blood rushing through her veins and her vision sharp, Azula remembered clearly why she loved playing these games.

It made her feel powerful, alive and undefeated.

By the time the moon had risen up fully, Azula had reached the small village. It was silent, with no signs of life. The houses were all dark, the air filled with sleeping snores.

Azula quietly crept forward to the sky bison, where it was sleeping.

Not for long.

Azula prodded the beast awake with a long finger, and the sky bison's brown eyes flashed at the sight of her.

"Be quiet, beast." Azula held a ball of blue fire in her palm. "Or suffer the price."

The sky bison warily eyed the flame, probably remembering when the last time it had played with fire.

It wasn't pleasant.

Appa gave a reluctant sigh and Azula smirked as she jumped onto his back. She kept the ball of blue fire near the beast's body in case if it had any more stupid ideas of returning to his master.

"To the Fire Palace." Azula said in a crisp voice. "It's time to get what is rightfully mine."

The sun had fully risen when Azula had reached the palace. She jumped off the angered bison, who tried to escape as soon as her feet touched the ground.

But she was faster.

"Not so fast, you pathetic beast." Azula grabbed a fistful of fur, holding the fire near. "Go back to the Avatar and bring him back here. Let's have the real fun." With a disgusted look, Azula let go of the fur, and Appa hesitated no longer. He leaped into the air and flew back in the direction where they came from.

Azula looked at the golden and crimson palace, and smirked.

Only one more pawn to get through, and finally, finally, the throne would be hers.

Time for tea with Uncle.

Azula sauntered into the palace, through the empty corridors and silent bedrooms and came to her destination.

The kitchens.

"Good morning, Uncle." Azula drawled and crossed her arms. Iroh dropped his pot of tea and spun around to greet his visitor.

"Azula?" Iroh asked, his golden eyes wide. "What are you doing back here?"

"Oh, you know, I decided I had enough of being a guide. Besides, Zuko and the others reached their destination."

"You found Ursa?" The surprise couldn't have been covered.

"Of course, Uncle. Well, technically, I found her. But Zuko was pleased enough to let me go."

"Zuko let you leave?" Iroh narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Azula let a cold laugh. "Isn't it obvious? Zuko wanted Mother to all himself." She let the hurt taint her words. Iroh looked at her, now pity in his eyes.

"Nevertheless," Azula collected her voice. "Zuko said that you should join him in the forest. I, personally, think a good deal of rest will benefit me."

"How did you get here?" Iroh peered out the window as if he could have spotted Azula's transportation.

"You know, the old fashioned way - walking, of course." Azula smirked and turned to leave the kitchen. She paused.

"And Uncle, I believe a good pot of tea will do good to Zuko. He needs it." Azula left the kitchen, leaving Iroh staring at her.

Azula returned to room and leaped into action. She pulled the picture of Father out of her way on the bare wall and grabbed out a short knife and a poison vial.

Azula shook the glass vial, making the poison swirl around in a deadly current of dark green.

"Now, the power is mine." Azula let out a mad smile. "Goodbye, Zu-Zu."

She returned to the kitchen, after making sure that Iroh had left.

He had.

On the table was a steaming pot of jasmine tea. Azula lifted the lid and poured in the poison, where it mixed in nicely with the tea and gave no scent. She placed the lid on again and left the kitchen with a large smile on her face.

After waiting all morning, listening out of her bedroom door, Azula finally heard Iroh leave. She watched him lift a tea pot tenderly on the komodo rhino and climbed on the creature and then scattered out of the palace.

Azula let a cold smirk out.

Her plan was working.

She walked out of her room to the throne room, but two guards were standing there.

Those blasted Kyoshi warriors.

"Azula!" Ty Lee said. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Azula drawled, giving the girls a lazy look.

"Iroh warned us that you would try to take over the throne." Suki held up her green covered hands. "We'll beat you."

"You mean, you will try to beat me." Azula corrected.

"Let's see who's right!" Ty Lee jumped towards Azula, with her two fingers pointed out. Ty Lee tried to jab Azula in the ribs, but Azula kicked her hand away and blocked a blow from Suki. Azula bended a red flame of fire and thrust it towards Ty Lee, who shrieked as the flame caught onto her thick clothes.

"Suki! Suki! What do I do?" Ty Lee tried shaking her arm to get rid of the flames, but only made it crawl around her body faster.

"Azula!" Suki shouted. "Don't do this!"

Don't do this!

Don't do this!

How dare they! Don't they see that she's the only one worthy of the throne? Or are they too blind?

Azula gave a sick smile as she bended a large fireball at Suki, and she tried jumping out of the way, but Suki was too late. The fire was eating her clothes, making her frantic with panic.

"Azula! Stop this! Please!" Ty Lee begged as the flame began to devour her body, making her face red from the heat. Tears trailed down her face.

"I will. Just until you two-" Azula began and the Kyoshi's warriors eyes began to droop, and then they both dropped simultaneously onto the ground, passed out.

"Pass out." Azula finished.

After Azula had tied two unconscious girls up with every possible knot that she could think of, Azula grabbed a messenger hawk from the Royal Palace's many birds in the bird's tower. With a short note on green paper, Azula sent the fearsome bird off with a satisfied feeling that seemed to empower her whole being.

She was so, so close!

Almost there!

Only a few more moves to make.

Azula approached the guard quietly, like a bird-snake slithering towards its prey. She lifted her fingers, prepared to bend, but the guard began to turn around as if to sense something behind him. His grey eyes widened as he saw Azula and he tried to yell, but Azula shut his month with her hand.

"Listen, you useless piece of scum," Azula spat out. "You will tell the other guards that Fire Lord Zuko ordered you to look after Ozai. He's concerned about his father's well being and wants him to get some fresh air. Understood?"

With fear in the guard's eyes, he nodded.

"And if you don't do what I say exactly, I'll make sure that my friends will terminate you and your guards. Oh, and don't bother coming out of the prison when Father leaves. The doors will blocked by the time they arrive. Also, don't play any tricks with me, guard. You'll be destroyed. Now, go and find the other guards. All of them."

Azula released her hand and pushed the guard away. Thankfully, the guard forgot his bending because fear was too busy gripping his mind. He stumbled away, shouting something about the Fire Lord's orders.

Azula then faced around to face the sunset.

A smirk graced her lips as she saw a small figure flying towards her in the setting sun.

A message.

"Thank you for coming. I'm sure it must have caused some trouble with the Earth King." Azula drawled, her guard stone hard as she looked at the green clad warriors.

"We will always serve you, Fire Princess." One of the Dai Li guards said.

"Of course you will." Azula carelessly said. "Now, I'm sure you must figured out what I am planning to do here."

"Very clever, indeed, Princess. But won't your brother come in a couple of hours?" Another Dai Li guard asked.

"Yes, Zu-Zu will come. I'm expecting him to do so, with his friends. That's why we need to secure the prison and make sure there are a few Earthbenders around to fight against the blind earthbender and the Avatar, if possible." Azula crisply said.

"But what about the guards and your father?"

"They are dealt with. We will have no problems with them. As for my father, he understands his part." Azula calmly said, her body building up in anticipation.

Almost there!

So close!

Only the last move has to be played.

"What about the others, Princess?" A younger sounding Dai Li warrior said. "Do we need to worry about the Kyoshi warriors and the firebenders?"

"No. The Kyoshi warriors will have no idea of what is happening here. If my brother is stupid enough to contact them, well, the better for us. Zu-Zu and Uncle will try to come in the palace. They will try to defeat me. Perhaps, Zuko will be on his deathbed." Azula remembered the poison.

"What about the waterbender and her brother?" The first Dai Li warrior dared to face her. His bright green eyes seemed in contrast with his dark face. Azula glared at him.

"I'll make sure that the waterbender will fall in the end. And her brother will fall with her."

"And if the Avatar doesn't follow the earthbender? He is strong, Princess." A Dai Li warrior with a deep voice replied.

"The Avatar will do what ever it takes to save his friends." Azula simply said, her mind racing. Her blood was pounding in her veins and her vision seemed sharp.

This was going to be the best part of the game.

"Just secure the palace and prison. I will deal with the rest. Wait for my orders." Azula concluded. The twenty or more Dai Li warriors nodded and bowed their heads lower.

"You are dismissed." Azula snapped and turned around to finally see the sun descend lower beyond the volcanic edges, casting red and yellow rays on the Royal Palace.

This part would be the showdown between her and Zu-Zu.

Already, she could see a tiny dot against the red and golden sun.

The last move is always played the best.