Disclaimer: Yadda yadda I own nothing. This is OOC!Azula. At least in the beginning. Or is it? Enjoy! This is not a one-shot. Next chapter to be posted soon.
Zuko.
His own name filled him with pride. Zuko, prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko, heir to the throne of the most powerful civilization of the world. Zuko, pure nobility.
"Zuko," he whispered to himself with a smile. He was sitting out in the lawn of the palace. Underneath the shade of a tree, he was quite comfortable. He caught sight of his younger sister, Azula.
Azula had always been his playmate in the palace. After all, there weren't many children allowed in the Fire Nation palace. That would be absurd!
He saw his sister approaching. "ZuZu!" she cried. Zuko flinched. He hated that nickname, especially since he was older than her. Wasn't the older sibling supposed to make up annoying nicknames?
He also didn't like it because it was only a cheap abbreviation of his real name. The name that filled him with such joy. 'Zuzu' was almost sucking away that power. 'Maybe that's what Azula wants,' he thought. 'She wants me to be on the same level as her.'
It made sense in Zuko's head. Poor Azula, second born AND a girl. No wonder she wanted to bring him down. 'Maybe I'll be nicer to her,' he thought. With that, he plastered a fake (trying to be real) smile on his face to welcome his baby sister.
"Zuzu! What are you doing lying around for? Come on! Kuwo's waiting for us!" Azula grabbed Zuko's hand and pulled him to the standing position. She started skipping across the lawn, still holding his hand. Zuko became infected with his sister's complete joy and started running along with her to Kuwo's room.
Both he and Azula took lessons from the same teacher, Kuwo. He wasn't a Master. The Masters needed to be fighting the war, not instructing children. He was simply hired help of the palace. He knew firebending, but believed he was meant to be a carpenter. Zuko didn't know how teaching him and his sister fit into Kuwo's carpenter plan, but Zuko sure wasn't going to ask.
Zuko liked Kuwo. The old man had such a kindly face and a soft voice. There was a room specifically for teaching in the palace, but Kuwo always liked to take the children outside. They usually had lessons on a hill. The hill was the highest point for miles, and the rolling fields were stretched out before them. It took about half an hour to get to, but was worth the walk every time.
All three of them made the daily walk to the hill and got in their normal positions. "Ah, children. This is a marvelous time! The sun is showering us with her energy and is begging us to use it," said Kuwo. Zuko just smiled and shook his head every time Kuwo spoke so…. philosophically. 'Just like Uncle Iroh,' Zuko thought.
Kuwo had Zuko and Azula go through the basic movements with him. It was like every other lesson. Breathe, move, breathe, move. "Today, we are going to handle fire in a gentle manner. I will create the flame, and we will simply pass it around. It is strikingly similar to a technique of the water benders. Why sometimes, they will all sit around the fire and move water in a circle. Apparently it can keep them occupied for hours!"
Kuwo chuckled and Zuko moved closer in avid attention. He loved the stories Kuwo told them. That man knew everything! "But then again, I suppose I would need something to focus on for hours if I lived in a subzero climate. Brrr! I can't imagine…" Zuko and Azula laughed.
Then, they began with the exercise. Kuwo made the flame. It wasn't very large; perhaps the size of a small dog. Kuwo then passed the flame to Zuko. Zuko saw the fire coming and prepared his body for the feeling of controlling fire. It was a beautiful feeling, controlling a seemingly wild thing. He felt like an animal trainer, bending the fire to his will.
'Here it comes,' thought Zuko in excitement. The flame left the grasp of Kuwo's hands and made its way to Zuko. However, the flame sizzled out immediately as it entered Zuko's range.
He was furious and disappointed at the same time. Him and Azula were not allowed to make fire yet, only handle it after Kuwo made it. That would've been his third time handling fire and he ruined it!
Zuko kept his head down to hide his humiliation. His hair covered his face and he remembered that he forgot to put it up that day. 'Good thing I forgot. Now they can't see my shame,' Zuko thought.
He was waiting for the laughter, or the reprimand. Both would have been better than the dead silence that was present. 'What kind of Fire Nation Prince can't even hold fire!' Tears were springing to his eyes and he held them back. 'Princes don't cry, especially in front of girls. What must Azula think of her loser of a brother?'
Directly after this thought a pair of arms circled themselves around Zuko's body. They clasped together at the front of his body, and a head was rested on Zuko's back. A voice whispered in Zuko's ear. "It's ok, Zuzu. This stuff takes years of practice." The voice was soothing and Zuko was able to calm himself down.
"Just go sit down and watch Kuwo and I do it. Maybe it was your form. And tomorrow you'll be amazing at it, trust me." Zuko felt such emotion from these words. What did he do to deserve such a loving sister? Why did he sometimes think such mean things about her?
Zuko did as he was told and Kuwo gave him an encouraging smile. Kuwo created another flame and guided it to Azula. She effortlessly took hold of it. Now Zuko was extremely jealous. It was his third time with fire, but it was Azula's first! How did everything come so easily to her!
Zuko could not handle looking at the satisfied look on Azula's face or the pride in Kuwo's. So, Zuko closed his eyes and put his head forward again, feeling his hair slide down his face like a shield.
However, they didn't stay closed for long. After a few seconds of feeling nothing but the warm grass and the sun, he heard a manly voice go, "Ah!"
Zuko immediately opened his eyes and was shocked at what he saw. Kuwo was now kneeling on the ground, face in his hands. His garments looked singed and around him the grass was black. Azula was unharmed and standing ten feet away from him, face scrunched as if about to cry. She looked unbelievingly at Kuwo.
Zuko decided Kuwo's problem was more serious than hers and ran towards him. Kuwo heard Zuko's approach and did not remove his face from his hands. He spoke to Zuko, words filled with tears: "Zuko, don't come closer. Please go and fetch the healer. You hear me?" Zuko did not want to leave his teacher alone on the hill with only his baby sister. Also, Zuko knew with some bitterness that Azula ran faster than him.
Zuko turned to face Azula. Now she actually was crying. She looked at him as if saying, "Please forgive me, I didn't mean to." Even though he wanted to comfort his sister, he knew Kuwo needed help. He also knew Azula would not be able to handle a seriously injured man.
"Azula, run as fast as you can to the healer. Tell him to make his way towards this hill. I will meet him somewhere along the way with Kuwo." She just stared at him with giant doe eyes. "Hurry!" Zuko said. That got her running towards the palace. Soon, Zuko could not see his sister anymore and focused his attention on Kuwo.
He approached the injured man slowly. As he came closer, Zuko could see burns all over the man's skin. Blood and other bodily fluids were leaking out of the wounds. It was a morbid sight, blackened grass stained with red blood. Zuko could hardly look, but put on a brave face. 'What kind of prince can't handle a little blood?' he thought with self disgust.
"Kuwo, are you okay?" Zuko asked. His voice was hoarse from all the emotional trauma. An equally hoarse voice responded from the huddled mass on the ground. "I'm so hot, Zuko. Can I have some water, please?" Zuko ran to Kuwo's bag and pulled out the water jug.
He brought it back over to Kuwo. In his haste, some water spewed out of it and onto the grass. The greedy grass soaked it in. But Zuko paid that no mind. His focus was still on the shaking figure. But suddenly, the figure stopped shaking. It ceased all movement. Zuko ran faster.
"Kuwo!" he yelled. It was more of a sob. He collapsed next to Kuwo. He brought the jug up to Kuwo's head.
"Kuwo, I have the water. You have to lift your head." Nothing. Zuko listened closely and was able to hear ragged breathing. Was that his own? No, it was coming from Kuwo. Zuko was trying to refrain from touching the man, for Zuko knew how painful the burns would be if he touched them. However, Kuwo was leaving him no choice.
Zuko reached out his hand and carefully shook Kuwo's shoulder. The result was immediate. Kuwo issued a scream that echoed for miles, it seemed. He then fell to his back and laid prostrate on the ground. Zuko gasped at the full sight of the injuries. Kuwo's entire chest was blistered and raw. It was then that Zuko found where the blood was coming from.
Kuwo had a slash on his right hip. It seemed that was the main target of the fire. It was bleeding profusely and Zuko had no clue what to do. Kuwo's chest fell up and down sporadically. Zuko's plan was to get Kuwo to stand so they could meet the healer halfway. However, Zuko now saw the extent of Kuwo's injuries and knew Kuwo wasn't going anywhere.
Zuko was so focused on the bleeding laceration that he hadn't even looked at the man's face. When he did, he was shocked. Kuwo's entire left eye seemed nonexistent and the right was unfocused as if it couldn't see. His nose was rammed into his face and his mouth was simply a hole surrounded by red skin.
Finally, Zuko did a complete sweep with his eyes of Kuwo. The only parts not burned were his legs and feet. Zuko could not contain his tears any longer and cried, no, wept. Sobbed. Screamed in grief. He dropped down to his knees with the force of his crying. He made sure to scoot away from Kuwo. He could only imagine how horrible his tears would feel if they dropped onto Kuwo's skin.
Zuko never told Kuwo, but he was more of a father to him than his own father. Zuko promised himself he would tell him if he was healed. Wait. When he was healed.
Zuko looked at Kuwo again. And his chest was rising slower. And slower.
It was then Zuko realized. It didn't matter how fast Azula could run. It wasn't fast enough.
It wasn't fast enough.