Why Azula didn't kill Zuko and Iroh in season 2

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, but belong to Mike and Bryan.

"I've been thinking," Azula began, before she was rudely interrupted by Ty Lee:

"You were? Oh, no! That's terrible!"

"Ty Lee," Mai said gently, seeing how Azula began to twitch before their eyes, "Azula's the Fire Nation's – our – princess, she must think, unlike you, it seems."

"Oh! That's okay, then. Azula, please go on," Ty Lee said magnanimously, adding the insult to the injury.

"Thank you, Ty Lee," Azula muttered with some venom in her voice. "As I was thinking, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was thinking – why do we need to capture my treasonous uncle and brother alive? I mean, really?" As she spoke, she looked at Mai, and not just because it was pointless to stare at Ty Lee.

"That sounds boring," Mai muttered dispassionately, "and I hate boring. I left you with to find excitement, Azula. If you kill your brother so that you can become the Fire Lady and forget all about us – it'll be really boring. Hey, Ty Lee, if Azula becomes Fire Lady 'cause everybody else in her family is dead, think your family can move into the palace to liven things up?"

"Oooh, that's a great idea!" Ty Lee said excitedly, all of the subtler implications flying over her head. "Let's see, my sister Ta Nee can be in charge of the fireworks, and my sister Ti La can be in charge of the ceremonies, and-"

Azula couldn't help but blanch. Ty Lee was, after all, only one daughter out of the brood of seven identical twins. Even on her own, when she got excited about anything, she had enough energy for seven people, and all of her sisters were just as bad. Put all of them together, and Azula was faced with the equivalent of forty-nine Ty Lees running in the Fire Palace driving everybody far crazier than just a single Ty Lee ever could.

"I've changed my mind – we're not going to be killing my brother and uncle," she said quickly, trying to erase the visions of Apocalypse from her mind. "Therefore, it won't be boring in the Fire Nation's capital and you, Ty Lee, won't have to invite all of your family to liven things up, sorry."

"Oh well, I guess we'll have to manage somehow," Mai said wryly, even as she gave Ty Lee a consoling hug. "Won't we, your highness?"

Azula glared murderously at Mai, realizing that she was outmanoeuvred for the time being, and Mai smiled back – just a tiny, little bit. But she still smiled – after all, living with the Fire Princess was going to be anything but boring, and that's what Mai was after, after all – excitement in her life.

And Zuko.

End.