Sorrow
When Azula opened her eyes again, she was standing on a balcony overlooking the Coronation Plaza where her execution had taken place. By the look of things, it appeared that they had arrived immediately after her death and Katara's outburst. Time was standing still, and she could still see her body burning, although she made a point to avoid it.
She looked over to the Old Man, who was now standing beside her. "Why are we here?" she demanded.
"What? Are you telling me that you don't want to see the fallout of everything that was said here?" the Old Man said with a wry smile on his face.
Azula was about to bite back a retort, but she stopped herself. She really wanted to know what was going to happen. So instead, she just nodded and looked back to the scene before her.
As soon as she turned back to her brother, time started to move again. However, the change was barely noticeable as the entire plaza was silent, save for the sounds of her burning body. She doesn't know how much time has passed, but a loud cry abruptly shattered the silence.
"You murderer!"
Azula looked over to the source of the cry, though she would recognize that voice anywhere. She watched as Ty Lee fought against her bonds as she glared at Zuko, a look of pure hatred and anger on her face. It was so intense that it managed to unnerve Azula. She never knew that Ty Lee was capable of making such a face. The rest of the people in the plaza were still frozen in shock, but Ty Lee soon broke them out of their stupor.
"Is everyone just going to stand there?" she shouted. "Your rightful Fire Lord was just murdered by a cheat who lied his way onto the throne!"
"I did what was necessary!" Zuko shouted. "Azula would have led this world to fire and ruin had she become Fire Lord that day."
“Is what Katara said true, Zuko?” Though his words were spoken quietly, they rang like cannon fire, and everyone turned to look at the Avatar. “Did Azula win the Agni Kai?”
"What happened is irrelevant," Zuko snarled. "I saved the world from a far worse fate!"
"That may be, Zuko," the Avatar said, "but the way in which we get there matters. When you came to me asking for forgiveness, I granted it. I even came to call you my brother. After all this time, I thought that I knew you. I guess I was wrong." With those words, The Avatar turned to his wife. "What happened that day, Katara?"
Katara looked very small now, and Azula loved every moment of it as the gravity of her confession finally began to wash over her, and she sat there in silence.
"Katara," the Avatar said again.
She finally snapped out of her haze and proceeded to describe what happened that day. How Azula knocked Zuko down. How she burned him. How she interfered and froze Azula to the grate. By the time she was finished with her tale, everyone in the plaza was brimming with barely concealed rage.
"It is time to leave Katara," the Avatar said after she had finished speaking.
"Wait just one moment, Avatar Aang." This time it was Head Sage Ichi who spoke. "She may be your wife, but Lady Katara interfered with a very sacred Fire Nation ritual. She needs to be held accountable for her actions. The punishment for a crime so severe is death."
The Avatar turned and glared at this. "Hasn't enough blood been shed today? I think it was obvious today that Katara had no knowledge of these customs, or she wouldn't have spoken today. Can you really blame someone who was unaware and thought they were protecting a friend?"
"I suppose not, Avatar. However, due to the severity of her crime, Lady Katara is no longer welcome within the borders of the Fire Nation."
"Excuse me, but you have no authority over matters like that," Zuko shouted.
Finally, Head Sage Ichi turned to look at Zuko. "You will shut your mouth," Ichi snapped. "By the power invested in me by Agni himself, after hearing the confessions spoken today, I hereby strip you of your crown and title. GUARDS! Arrest him."
Zuko was infuriated. "How dare y…." However, before he could finish speaking, he was grabbed from behind and forced onto his knees, his crown being yanked from his top knot.
"Your fate will be dealt with later," Ichi said. "For now, we will mourn. We will mourn for our Princess, our rightful Fire Lord, who fought and died for this Nation. May she live forever in our hearts, all hail Fire Lord Azula!"
The audience in the plaza quickly picked up the chant, "All hail Fire Lord Azula! All hail Fire Lord Azula! All hail Fire Lord Azula!"
Azula couldn't believe what she was seeing. Yes, she had intended to get the last laugh, but this was beyond her wildest dreams. But as she thought about everything, she couldn't help but feel anything but sorrow. It hurt to watch as Ty Lee finally broke free of her bonds and ran over to cradle Azula's charred corpse. It hurt to know that while she did have the final laugh, she still failed her Nation. She felt sorrow and regret for the things that were and the things that would never be. So by the time she turned back to the Old Man, tears were running down her face. Even as she watched her brother get dragged away in chains, she felt sad. She knew what was going to happen to him, and while he deserved it, she didn't enjoy it like she thought she would. He made his choices, and now he had to face the consequences.
"Are we finished yet?" Azula asked between sniffles. "Have you had your fun?"
"This was never about fun, my child. Besides, I thought you would be happy to see this. Are you not happy?
"NO!" Azulay shouted. "All I feel is sorrow. Is that what you wanted? Is this some sort of sick punishment?
"You may be finished with the world, but the world is not finished with you, Azula."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Azula was furious. She was beyond done and just wanted it to end.
"This will all make sense soon, my child," the Old Man stated calmly. "For now, what have you learned here."
"And why the hell do you keep calling me that?" Azula shouted. "Who am I to you? Why can't you just let me die in peace?"
"Soon, everything will make sense soon, my child."
And with that, Azula's world went dark once more.