Notes Before The Story:

***Undecided on the Title, so it may be subject to change!***

Full Summary: When Aang fails to defeat Fire Lord Ozai, he and his allies are thrown into a Fire Nation prison. Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Zuko, and Aang all face a new challenge of learning who to trust. And with Azula running the show, Zuko finds that his sister has become more powerful than ever, and intends to use that power to break him. Will the gang escape the grip of the new Fire Lord, or rot in the Fire Nation prison forever?

Warnings for the Ratings: Language, Blood/Violence ("Gore" if you'd like to call it that), and Character Death. For the "older" and more mature viewers of the original show.

Pairings for the Story: Hints of Sokka/Suki and Mai/Zuko, but no prominent relationships.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any affiliated characters (etc). I only wish I did.

Special Thanks: To my amazing sister for editing and helping me turn this from a wild dream into a writable plot. And LOTS of editing. LOTS.

Prologue

The blade of four elements fell downward, and Ozai closed his eyes. He braced for the worst, knowing he'd been defeated. Suddenly, rocks fell to the ground around him and a wave of water splashed across his face. He sat up, bowed before his victor on all fours.

"No," the Avatar said softly. "I'm not going to end it like this." Amber eyes rose from the ground and fell on him – the mere child that defeated him.

"Even with all of the power in the world," Ozai began, "You are still weak!" He leaned forward on his left and readied a blast of fire. In one swift motion, he threw it forward, the flames spurting from his closed fist. A shard of earth pushed his hand, shooting the attack upward into the dangerous red sky. The rock encased his limb and the Avatar crossed before him. Futilely, Ozai threw another fist, but his other hand was encased. The rock prisons lowered, forcing Ozai to his knees before the Avatar. With a burst of wind pushing him backwards, the child's hands fell against Ozai's chest and forehead. Green eyes closed tightly and suddenly reopened in a burst of blue light.

Wide-eyed, Ozai felt himself weaken. An orange light burst before his eyes. He could faintly see the Avatar still standing there, now outlined with blue light, hands burning against his chest. Firelight blazed around him as the two auras met. Ozai hadn't a clue what ritual the Avatar performed upon him, but knew he could not let him win. He forced his energy, the blazing fire within him, watching as the blue slowly faded to orange.

Suddenly, the light doused before him and the Avatar fell to his knees. The pair sat in silence, both panting with exhaustion. Soft green eyes fell upon tattooed hands, and a tear leaked from those eyes.

"I've…I've failed."

Eyes opened weakly and a smile formed on chapped lips. "Thank you, Katara," he whispered, the words a slight strain. A tear fell from sapphire eyes and she smiled.

"I think I'm the one that should be thanking you," she replied. Gently, she placed a hand behind his back and helped him sit upright. He groaned slightly as the pain began to vanish. Behind them, the crazed princess began to scream, hyperventilating. Blue flames spewed from her mouth like dragon breath.

Zuko stared as he stood before his sister, defeated at her own game. She cried, tears streaming down her face for the first time Zuko could remember. Suddenly, her hands ignited, the sparks of lightening spraying the ground around her.

"This is bad," Zuko said to himself, knowing fully what the power of lightening was capable of. Merely months ago, he had seen a bolt released from those fingers slice clean through the Avatar. "We need to find something stronger to hold her," he said, looking around anxiously.

"You don't think she can get out of that, do you?" Katara asked skeptically.

"You would be surprised at what Azula is capable of," Zuko replied quickly. With no warning, a bright flash blinded him. Hand in front of his eyes, he turned away from the flare. Metal clanged against metal, and Zuko turned sharply as Azula rose from her prison. She shrieked with mad laughter, blue flames burning from her hands. "Get out of here!" Zuko yelled; Katara didn't back away.

Instead, she took in a breath and raised her hands above her head. The water beneath Azula stood on end with her, surrounding her once more. Releasing the breath, the water froze, Azula trapped beneath the surface.

"What should we do?" Katara yelled anxiously.

"We need to find something stronger – and fast," Zuko replied, eyes dashing madly around the arena. "That won't hold her for long." Without warning, the frozen prison erupted, shards of ice scattering around them. Azula smirked, wild eyed and crazed.

"What's the matter ZuZu?" she shrieked. "Are you and your girlfriend out of ideas?" Her laughter pierced the stagnant air. Katara tried once more to waterbend. A blast of blue flames shot her way, and she barely managed to dodge. Suddenly, she felt a hand grab her wrist, twisting it painfully until it cracked; she screamed with the unexpected pain.

"Katara!" Zuko yelled, charging the pair.

"Don't take another step, Zuko!" Azula screamed. She released the waterbender's broken wrist and grabbed a fistful of her disheveled hair, pulling her head backward to reveal her neck. Her free hand rose, an electric knife glistening from her extended fingers. "Not unless you want me to slice open your friend's pretty little neck." Hesitating slightly, Zuko backed down, raising his hands in surrender.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "You win, Azula." A tear flowed silently from Katara's eye. Without notice, she lifted a finger, and the tear was suddenly plucked from her cheek. The water droplet extended before her eyes, suddenly frozen into a needle. She didn't hesitate, with one sharp movement, Katara flung the ice shard backward. Azula screeched behind her, and released her suddenly. Katara ran, stopping beside Zuko and turning to see what she had managed. The crazed princess crumpled, both hands over her right eye. Blood droplets leaked beneath her fingers and fell like small rubies to the ground.

"Let's get out of here," Zuko said softly to the waterbender. She nodded and the pair raced for the exit. Azula stood, when she heard the hurried footsteps. Aiming carefully, she shot a blue blade of fire toward them. The heat easily sliced through the tender flesh of the waterbender's calf. She fell to the ground hard, and Zuko stopped. He tried to help her up, only backing away as another barely missed his head, landing with a blast between them.

"Keep fighting, and I'll kill you both!" she yelled, sending another blaze between them. Zuko backed away, to dodge the blast. Azula yanked the injured girl from the dirt and placing her extended fingers against her skin. The blade erupted once more, this time penetrating the skin. Blood leaked over her fingers and Katara gasped sharply.

"Alright, Azula!" Zuko said. Katara winced painfully as the blade cut further beneath the flesh. "That's enough! We'll surrender. Please." He fell before her on his hands and knees this time, his voice pained and tired. "You win."

"No more games," Azula said sharply to the waterbender. "Try anything else, and I won't think twice about slitting your throat." Katara didn't respond. With her other hand, Azula yanked the canteen of bending water from Katara's side and tossed it aside. "Guards!" she cried. After a few moments, a pair of guards appeared from the palace. "This battle is over."

Author's Note: I hope this sets up how the story will go. Suggestions and constructive criticism is welcome, however "Flames" will only be mocked. Please do not attempt to "guess what will happen," as fun and exciting as it can be. While I understand that it is, in fact, fun and exciting, it ruins the fun of writing a fanfiction when you happen to be right. I love reading and replying reviews, so please send me one! (Reviews also make updates faster, just fyi.) Hope you enjoyed the prologue!