The doors bucked from another blow as the few Firebenders loyal to Azula were thrown to the ground from the force of the impact. As they tried to rise, the doors were blasted from their hinges and the Avatar and his party rushed in, along with her traitorous uncle and usurping brother.

The former Fire Nation princess remained seated in the middle of the glowing circle, confidant that they would not cross the inscriptions and talismans that she had placed, for fear of what might happen if they were to interrupt her.

Instead, her uncle called out to her, desperation clear as ice in his voice. "Don't do this, Azula. Fate does not take kindly to being meddled with, and to do so can have unforeseen consequences. The changes that are made will not be the ones you want."

"I. WILL. Win. Uncle. You can't stop me now. The fire nation, the WORLD will be MINE. All of this won't even Exist in history. Don't worry, you won't even notice the difference." She began to cackle as the characters around her began to burn and lift into the air on a torrent of wind.

"Azula, I'm begging you, do not do this. Once these events are set in motion, they CANNOT be reversed. This can only end badly for you." His voice was full of concern, for his niece, and for the damage that she was about to unleash.

Azula snarled as she mistook the concern as selfish in nature, and snapped back at him through the growing flames. "You mean it can only end badly for YOU!! I will FINALLY atain my VICTORY!!!!"

Azula raised her arms above her head, the fires lifting with them. Everyone backed away from the raging blaze at it climbed to the top of the underground library, punching through to the sands, and even further until it reached the surface.

The exiled princess could feel the heat. It scorched her robes and she could see it begin to consume her remaining soldiers. As the fire began to singe her own flesh, the sand poured down, into the fire, only to somehow fuel it more. The flames flashed once, then again. As the sand began to fall freely, Azula let out a cry of pain.

"AZULA!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Iroh called out as everything was consumed in white fire…

********

Azula's eyes shot open as she woke from the nightmare. She sat up slowly, panting and sweating. Slowly, she calmed herself, looking around to get her bearings. She was in a dark, metal room. The accommodations were incredibly Spartan, with just the bed, a desk, and a small shrine where some incense was just starting to burn out. She swung her feet out off of the bed and placed them on the cold floor. Where am I? she wondered for a moment.

The sounds of sailors cussing and a weakly thrumming steam engine brought the reality back to her. Right, I'm on the same worthless, insignificant ship I've been on for the past two years. There was a loud knocking on her door. As it opened, her Uncle Iroh poked his head in.

"Are you alright, Azula? I heard you scream." He asked innocently. Azula snorted at the foolish sentiment, but then sighed as the old man's concerned gaze persisted.

"It was just a nightmare, Uncle. Nothing to worry about. I'm sure it was just something I ate yesterday." Her stomach growled in betrayal to her. "Or rather a lack of something to eat."

The old man shook his head in disapproval. "I told you we needed more supplies before we set off this far south. Even if we keep rationing the way we have, we will have to turn back before the week is out if we hope to reach civilization before we all die of starvation, to say nothing of getting that far before our food runs out."

Azula stood, eye's filled with rage "I KNOW!" she shouted, the incense bursting into a million sparks with the emotional overflow. She sat back down and hung her head in futility. "I know." She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. She stood up again, reaching for her clothes and armor at the foot of her bead. "How far is it until we reach the waters of the Southern Water Tribe."

"We entered them a few minutes ago, I was on my way down to inform you when I heard your distress." Iroh responded. The old man started to leave to give his niece some privacy, but stopped at the door. "Was it about the fight with your brother?" he asked.

Azula stared blankly at her hand as she wrapped it in the protective linen cloth. She flexed the fingers, taking a small amount of pride in the strength that was slowly returning to them after two years of uselessness. "Yes."