Zuko's hands were tied behind his back.

They didn't use rope, obviously. That would burn way too easily. No, they used handcuffs, a little bit too tight to make him even more uncomfortable.

The slight pain in his wrists wasn't the worst of his problems though.

He walked with two guards on each side, in a weird mirroring situation of the Fire Lord's official escort. He had already made peace with the fact that he would never become Fire Lord, but the similarity till left a sour taste in his mouth.

Again, not the worst of his problems.

Zuko held his head low, looking at his bare feet as they marched through the cold, damp rooms of the prison blocks towards the exit. As he looked at the bright light shining from the behind the doors, his stomach clenched. He didn't want to leave.

His father might disagree, but Zuko wasn't an idiot. He had already known what was going to happen when they briefed him about his trial. There was no way this was going to be fair and just. In front of the whole nation, he would be declared a traitor.

His heart pounded in his throat as he contemplated what his punishment would be – death, no doubt.

Probably by fire.

His eye started throbbing as the thought invaded his mind. He tried to focus on other things. He hadn't given up hope yet.

There were a few questions he had, but the most important one: where was his sister? Where was Mai? And the other, inevitable one he tried to ignore but kept popping up: would he be killed by fire?

He swallowed as they left the building, stepping into the bright morning. It was summer, which meant that the mornings and evenings were the most comfortable hours of the day. If his trial were to last long, it would become unbearably hot.

Fortunately, the people of the Fire Nation were used to the heat.

From the prison blocks it was a short walk to the square were the entire population of the city seemed to be waiting for him. He only managed a short glance before he looked down again. Ashamed.

How did his life turn out to this?

He swallowed. It wasn't fair. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve this. He balled his fists. If anybody deserved this, it was his father. Not him. Even if he was a traitor – which he supposed he technically was, as he had left the Fire Nation to join the number one enemy of the Fire Nation – it was only because his father had forced him to be.

He straightened his head, meeting the glances of the people on both sides of his path towards his death. If this truly was his last day – he would go with his head straight. He would die with honour.

With new resolve he walked, preparing to meet his father. He walked passed the thousands of people on the square, climbed the podium without falling and almost stomped towards his father on his high-and-mighty throne. When he raised his gaze to meet his, his mouth fell open.

'Good morning, prince Zuko,' his father said. 'I'm so glad you could join us today.' He undoubtedly wore one of his cruel expressions, but Zuko didn't look at him. He barely noticed him, really. His only had eyes for the figure on his father's right side, looking as perfectly put together as he was. Not a single hair out of place.

Azula.

It felt as if all the air was suddenly pushed out of his longs. He couldn't manage to pronounce a single word as he stared at his sister, who looked back at him intently. It all had been a game, hadn't it?

No, a voice in the back of his head whispered. But how could he otherwise explain this? How could she sit there, looking relaxed and perfect, if she was just as much a traitor as he was? He remembered their fight – Azula had defended him, but she hadn't killed their father. Looking at him, it seemed as if he hadn't been really hurt at all.

But even if it had been planned all along… what did they gain out of it? A legitimate reason to kill him? Or hadn't he been the target at all? Was there someone else the Fire Lord wanted, no, needed dead more than his own son?

Aang was looking at the podium in horror.

'There must be a logical explanation for this,' Sokka said. He looked at Ty Lee. 'Do you have a logical explanation for this?'

She shook her head.

'Perhaps we can't trust them either,' Hakoda said, so soft he thought the girl couldn't hear him. He was mistaken, but she didn't say anything. Instead she looked at the Crown Princess, beautiful in her armour as she sat next to her father.

'Azula hasn't lied to us,' she said. 'I'm sure of it. She's just playing along.'

'Why would she do that?' Toph asked.

Katara rolled her eyes. 'O, I don't know, perhaps because she doesn't want to be put on trail?' she said in a hushed voice. 'We've decided to trust her – we've got to follow the plan.'

Their discussion was put to an end when the Fire Lord rose. 'Welcome, citizens of the Fire Nation, on this dark and gruesome day,' he spoke, his voice powerful enough to reach an impressive amount of the audience. People repeated his words to the ones who hadn't heard them, so that they spread towards the people in back. Aware of this, the Fire Lord paused.

Aang had never seen the man before. Simply looking at him made his stomach hurt. This is the man he would have to fight one day. He was taller than he had expected.

Katara touched his hand. 'We'll be okay,' she told him.

'I'm here with Princess Azula to pass judgement on a traitor of the Fire Nation.'

Azula had risen when her name was being mentioned. Her father put his hand on her shoulder. 'My own son has betrayed us and is therefore no longer worthy of being part of the Royal Family. Whatever the outcome of this trail, he will no longer be Crown Prince. Therefore, it's my duty and my pleasure to announce you your new Crown Princess – Princess Azula!'

The crowd cheered and Azula bowed, even though her face stayed unreadable. They all looked at each other. 'What now?' Suki hissed.

'This was not part of her plan, I swear,' Ty Lee said.

'Perhaps this is what she had to do to redeem herself in her father eyes?' Hakoda asked.

'For trying to kill him?' Katara asked.

He shook his head. 'No. For being banished, for whatever reason that was.' She caught the subtext of his words. Perhaps this had been part of her plan all along.

The Fire Lord gestured towards a man who looked like a secretary. The man nodded and moved towards the centre of the stage. 'Let the trial begin!'

She would always remember this as the worst day of her life.

Azula forced herself to sit up straight, to keep perfect posture, to keep up appearances. If she didn't, either Mai or Zuko – or both, knowing her father – would be punished. It was smart of him, she thought, looking at her brother as he knelt down in front of them. If both of his children had to be on trial for treatory, people would start to think that he could be the problem. But if she stood by his side, everybody would believe what her father would want them to believe. That Zuko was nothing but a jealous, power-hungry and treachorous prince.

It was incrediby frustrating.

She could win from her father, perhaps, but they were surrounded by so many guards… she didn't stand a chance. And even if she and Zuko did manage to flee, what then? What would happen to Mai?

No, she needed help and the only people she could expect help from, were the Avatar and his friends. Were they in this crowd? It seemed improbable that they would risk invading in the Fire Nation to save three Fire Nation citizens.

So she was on her own, which completed the circle – how was she going the save her brother? She could beg her father to forgive him and just banish him in front of the nation – if he refused that, it would make him look cruel. But then again, even if he promised to do that, it was still possible he would use kill Zuko out of the public sight… together with Mai.

There had to be a way. This was nothing but a ridiciously hard puzzle to solve.

She tried to listen to the procedures. There was a lawyer to defend Zuko, but it was obvious he had been selected and bribed by the Fire Lord. He did a horrible case of defending Zuko, not even denying he was a traitor. All he did was asking for banishment instead of death.

The trial wouldn't take too long. No, the people would get bored and it was dangerous to have thousands of restless people in one square. After less than half an hour of monologues, it was time for the witnesses to be heard.

'Crown Princess Azula, would you allow us to ask you a few questions about your brother?'

It was the first time her new title had been used. She kept her appearance calm and nodded.

'Do you affirm that he tried to kill the Fire Lord, that he managed to surprise his father but wasn't capable enough to defeat him and then fled the Fire Nation with the help of accomplices?'

'I do,' she said, as she had been instructed.

'Do you affirm the Fire Lord sent you after him, with instructions to bring him home and that you managed to do so?'

'I do.'

The face of her interregator was full of pity as he turned to the public, making sure they all saw his carefully polished expression. 'You see, citizens, that must have been hard for the Crown Princess. We all know that she had just returned from a banishment – an unjust banihsment.'

She swallowed heavily. Zuko raised his head and she caught his gaze. There was no way to let him know it was all just a farce, a theater to save Mai.

'Full of duty towards her country and her family, she took the blame for her brother's actions,' he continued. 'Determined that the future Fire Lord should not be tainted, she left the country she loved so dearly.'

A dramatic pause followed, that was filled by encouraging cheers and applause from the public. She even heard people calling her name.

Crown Princess Azula.

A few months ago, this had been her dearest dream, she thought by herself. Right now, she couldn't care less.

She felt her father's gaze upon her and forced herself to keep looking at the public. She didn't wants see at him. To see the self-congratulatory look on his face.

'Princess Azula, where did you find your brother?'

'In the Earth Kingdom, with a cell of bandits,' she responded. 'Most of them died trying to flee us, but we did capture a few of them.'

'And why was your brother with a cell of bandits?'

'He was conspiring to take the crown by force.'

The public yelled again, angrily this time. She shifted in her chair, watching the guards that were supposed to keep Zuko safe.

Perhaps your father wants Zuko to be torn to shreds by the public.

No, she thought. Impossible. He would want to kill Zuko himself… or wouldn't he? She had never heard of a Fire Lord who executed his son himself.

'Citizens of the Fire Nation, Fire Sages, Fire Lord, prince Zuko has betrayed our nation multiple times. The Crown Princess has just affirmed that he tried to kill his father, a crime in itself worthy of death. If this wasn't enough, he cowardly fled the country and was conspiring to take the throne by force.'

She assumed it was up to Zuko to be interrogated right now, but instead two men were dragged onto the stage. Her eyes widened in surprise as they revealed themselves to be Zuko's accomplices. She had no idea what her father had promised them, but they delivered their lines convincingly.

It was nothing but a perfect choreographed puppet theater, she thought bitterly.

As the trial continued and the shadows grew smaller, she was getting convinced there was no hope left.

It was already clear that Zuko would be sentenced to death for his so-called crimes. There was not a single hair on her head doubting that.

She kept her back perfectly straight as she watched the proceedings, but her mind was racing. She had already thought of every possible way to escape, but it seemed her father's plan was foolproof.

Her only hope was the public trying to shred Zuko to pieces – perhaps she could help him to escape in this chaos.

Azula stared without seeing anything. She felt alone, more than she had ever felt during her banishment. And she felt utterly, utterly helpless.

She bowed her head and stared at her hands, not able to watch Zuko anymore. She swallowed, but couldn't stop the tears from pooling in her eyes. Again, she felt her father watching her.

If it weren't for Mai, she'd attack him, she'd kill him and end this mess…

Suddenly people were screaming.

Water attacked the guards on the stage, pushing them onto the ground and pinning them there as the water turned into ice. Two people jumped on top of the stage. Without realising it, Azula had stood up.

She recognized the people on the stage. Aang and Katara.

As the earth around the stage started to move, she realised Toph was there as well.

What did they think of her? Did they assume she had been playing them all along? She wouldn't blame them for that.

But this was it. This was her chance.

She had two choices. She could pick her fathers side, help him and the other guards to attack the Avatar and take him and his friends prisoners. If she did that, she would be the heroic Crown Princess who saved the Fire Nation. There would be peace - well, not in the Earth Kingdom, but the Fire Nation would be safe.

Or she could help the Avatar and his friends. They were good people. And, she realised, they didn't fight for a country. The fought for what was right.

As she looked at the remnants of the fake trial in front of her, she realised it was not a hard choice to make.

Azula glanced at her father. He had been frozen in his seat for a few seconds, but was now starting to stand up. Their eyes met.

'Father,' she said.

And then blue flames engulfed him.

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