Strike

Pain is a melody. It is no singular note, it does not have just the one form. You have to know how to strike the right chords, and if lightning were an orchestra, Azula is its conductor. (Or, the thoughts of the prodigy right before that moment.)

Ozai is nothing compared to his daughter.

Mastered the art of manipulation at 4.

Perfected her fighting style at 6.

Produced blue fire just before her 7th birthday.

Lightning obeyed her a few weeks after she turned 10. (See also: the first time Azula killed a human being, albeit accidentally.)

No, Ozai doesn't hold a candle to his daughter.

(Azula has been manipulating her father ever since she could remember, and the fool was all too content with thinking his decisions were from his own power-drunk brain. It's for their (both of their) own good, Azula has always thought, because Ozai has the power and Azula has everything else, and they will rule and ascend to the highest of highs and who cares if her mother is feeding the turtleducks with Zuko again-)

She used to narrow her eyes at her uncle, because for some reason she could never sense fear in him for her, and that's just weird because everyone from Mai and Ty Lee to the guards to her own mother is afraid of me! Just because Iroh is the Fire Lord-to-be doesn't give him the right not to see her as a threat! Stupid dolls, with their latest fashion and their stupid faces.

She finds out later that not only can the Dragon of the West conjure lightning like she and her father can, he can also redirect it.

That's why, isn't it Uncle? You're not afraid of me because you don't think my lightning can kill you.

No matter, Azula used to smirk in the head inside her head. Lightning can be used for a lot of other purposes, too.

"…what's the matter, afraid I'll redirect it?"

You little prick. Ozai had told her what her dear brother did on the day of the invasion, and she wants to roll her eyes. Just because our worthless uncle taught you to redirect lightning you think you're on MY level?

"I'll show you lightning!"

She calls upon the energy of the sparks, commands it to follow its master, and as easily as she breathes she becomes electric. She gives him a show, wanting to make him jealous because haha, I can do the motions and forms with both hands and still the lightning follows me, you can't do this you good-for-nothing traitor, and in the moment right before she unleashes her superiority on her brother, she makes a decision.

Her self-mandated pointers flash in her mind.

-When you want to threaten, aim for the arm.

It's a warning shot, a show of power. It leaves the victim to a decision: you can run (your legs are fine), you still have one more arm, you can still fight (with what I just did to you, do you think fighting is wise?), you can surrender…

Yes, she wants to scare her brother, but the time for that has passed.

("All hail Crown Prince Zuko, pride of the Nation, heir to the dragon throne! May he continue that which is rightfully his, the glory of the Fire Nation!")

Besides, threatening is not enough.

-When you want to maim, aim for the leg.

Now this is interesting. She does want to maim Zuko. You never know, the coward might get over his foolish bravery (foolish, because who was he to challenge her to an Agni Kai?) and decide to flee. More than a few people would definitely take the chance to run away when faced with the unspeakable horror that is Azula (she takes great pride in that). A charred leg would prevent that, plus it would let Azula have her fun. There's also the added bonus of seeing Zuko kneel in front of her.

Yes, maiming's good.

("Azula! Get out of this room at once!"

"But… Zuko's here!"

"Zuko is my heir. The men in this room are honored to have their future king learn from them. You, on the other hand, are my princess who is too young to be wed. Go play with your dolls."

"Zuko is not better than me! Let me prove it to you, Father!"

"My patience is wearing thin, Azula. And you are delaying our meeting. You are of no use to me here. Go."

"But Father, I am—"

"You are nothing! I will not repeat myself again, insolent little girl. OUT!")

But not good enough.

-When you want to sneak, aim for the back.

Now this, she'll admit, isn't really applicable to the situation. This is no sneak attack, not a way for her to defeat a rival from behind. She had to do that with the Avatar because even she could admit that a fair head to head against the master of all four elements in his most powerful State could, possibly, lead to her losing. Right now, though, she's facing an opponent who is nowhere near as threatening. Besides, she wants to strike him while she staring straight at his ugly face.

("I love Zuko more than I fear you.")

Ohhh yes, she wants to see his ugly face.

-When you want to kill, aim for the head.

This is what she's planned to do from the start of the duel. Practical, yes, because killing Zuko would eliminate any and all claims to the throne she deserves, but also wish fulfillment, because she just really wants to kill him. Truth be told, since Zuko's face was burned off by their father in that fateful Agni Kai, she's always fantasized about being in her father's position and finishing the job. She'd take great pleasure in inhaling the scent of his barbecued flesh, standing over his corpse while bathing in the applause of her subjects. There are no multitudes tonight (though there is an audience of one). She doubts the peasant would applaud, though. That's fine. Zuko's dead body, still convulsing with the residual electricity of her fatal strike, will be applause enough.

("It's alright, Zuko, don't cry… It'll be alright…"

"No it won't! Father is always mad at me! He never smiles at me anymore. It's because Azula is better than me, isn't it?"

"Listen to me. Azula is not better than you. Your father is just… stressed. But he loves you, you know he does."

"No he doesn't. He only loves Azula. Everyone prefers her over me. Father, Grandfather, our teachers, everyone! No one wants me here…"

"Oh Zuko. What about me? Don't I count? I love you. I don't prefer Azula over you."

"…really?"

"Really."

"Why not? She's so much better than me at everything!"

"Why else? I'm your mother, aren't I?")

She will kill Zuko if it's the last thing she does.

("Father's going to kill you!")

Zuko will be dead.

But he won't be in pain anymore.

("Father, where did Mother go? I haven't seen her in two days.")

Not in pain anymore.

Not in pain.

("When is Mother coming back? She wasn't even here for your coronation!")

No. Zuko can't just die. He has to be in pain. He has to feel pain. He has to feel lost, and alone, and scared, and abandoned, and useless, and… and…

MORE, Azula screams behind her smirk. MORE, MORE, MORE!

She wants to scare him and hurt him and he will not expect it, he will not anticipate the pain she will inflict on him. That pain… that excruciating, mind-numbing, unbearable pain… that's what will kill him. Slowly, yet all at once.

("Princess Ursa poisoned your grandfather, Princess. That's why she's gone.")

That pain.

("…That's why she's never coming back.")

The pain of losing the one you love the most.

That pain will destroy Zuko. Just like it destroyed her.

-When you want to destroy—

Azula sees movement, and suddenly she realizes why that waterbender is here. Why Zuko brought her, of all people, along to support him in his biggest battle yet. Why Zuko then readily agreed to an Agni Kai between just the two siblings, instead of a street fight between all three of them. Why he needed her support in the first place, why he chose to keep her close to him tonight, and why he's protecting her now. Suddenly, Azula realizes just who the waterbender is.

-When you want to utterly and completely destroy…

And suddenly she knows what she wants to do.

…aim for the heart.

She strikes.

fin

Note: We all know what happened next. The lightning hit Zuko's chest... but at least it didn't get to his heart. ;)

Note 2: That was an attempt to explain why Azula decided to aim for Katara. For someone who was incredibly efficient, it didn't seem very fitting for Azula the mastermind not to just concentrate on beating Zuko. After all, once she kills Zuko, she's Queen! I know Zuko can redirect lightning by then, but Azula was still the better firebender, even on an off day. She can still beat him. What could she gain from expending energy in killing the waterbending peasant that she can't gain from killing Zuko himself? So if Azula (the strategic mastermind) wasn't behind the decision, it only meant it was Azula (the cruel sadist) who made the call. The act seemed less like a means to an end (winning the Agni Kai and the war), but more like a sadistic opportunity to inflict the worst on her brother. What's more is that Azula could have taunted Zuko about torturing and killing Mai after his death, for example, if she thought that was the absolute worst she could do to him. Or she could have had Mai tied up in the palace to make sure Zuko will obey her. We know Azula has foresight for almost everything, always 2 steps ahead of everyone, especially naive little Zuko. Surely she would have figured that Zuko would try to stop her from being Fire Lord, and thus she would've had maybe a battered and bruised Mai there, if she thought that was the way to defeat Zuko (in more ways than one) and get him to surrender himself. But for some reason, Azula, who is the master of cruel intentions, didn't think Mai was necessary in her stop-Zuko-from-ruining-her-coronation plan, and then in the heat of the moment thought it was better to kill Katara instead of taunting Zuko about killing Mai. I wonder why. ;)

Note 3: Please forgive the rant.