This story began a few years ago. Perhaps long (or maybe right) before even our friend was born.
An ancient prophecy was created by an old and wizened (but immortal) warlock, stating that the birth of a particular boy will bring peace and prosperity throughout the lands. The conditions of the birth are as such: the boy must be born under the full moon; he must have a twin sister, who looked almost like him and most importantly, he must be born under the Leo constellation.
And that was what had happened. A frail-looking woman with an indescribable type of blue eyes was lying on her bed, gasping for air. Her dark red hair falling in sweaty waves on the pillows propped up behind her. Clutching the hand of her panicky husband, she did as she was told by the nurses, and pushed. Howling in pain, tears gushing down her cheeks, she did it: her first ever newborn. It was not over, however. Pain lanced through her once again. Again, she pushed, pushed, and pushed. Perseverance finally paid off as the second cry punctured the tense room. The nurses cleaned everything quickly and brought her babies to her. The woman smiled at her two beautiful babies.
She placed a hand on each of their foreheads and murmured four words," Kyoya Tategami, Azula Tategami."
Then, she laid back and let out her last breath. Her husband, who knew this would happen, leaned forwards and placed his lips on his wife's forehead, before bursting into tears. He stood up and stumbled to the room where the nurses had put them in. Laying his hazel eyes on the two vulnerable babies, he took out a dagger from beneath his cloak, murmured something to it, and carefully carved on their faces. They slept on, unaware that their faces were being mutilated by their own father. The boy received two cross-shaped scars under both his eyes, while the girl got an L-shaped scar, running from her forehead, over her right eye and down her right cheek. His work done, the man; their father; Murai Tategami, left the small village house, heart burning with grief, rage and the most poisonous of all, vengeance.
He knew of the prophecy. He knew of the great power both his children possess. He knew his beloved wife will die giving birth. But killing those two will not satisfy anything. He would have to wait until they are old enough to take him on. He will show them. No one messed with Murai Tategami, the feared leader of Black Tiger Clan, and get away with it. Tomorrow, he will give the order to banish the babies, and whoever that dared to take care of them.
"What is the meaning of this? Where have those two rats gone?" Murai thundered.
"W-we don't know, Sire. We turned around to keep something and when we turn back, they have gone!" One of the nurses stammered.
'Someone knew of my plan, and decided to rescue them. Whoever it was, he will pay!' Murai thought savagely.
Meanwhile, deep within a mountain not far from where the Black Tiger Clan resided, the old warlock watched over the two sleeping forms and smiled.
"Kyoya will bring peace, which the lion seeks. Your bravery will be your ally; your fears will be your foe. Your leadership qualities will be your guide, yet your stubbornness will be your undoing. Never tread on the path of evil, young warrior. Azula will, in many ways, be both your destiny and your doom. Your actions will decide which path Azula will take. Follow your hearts, my children, and you may see the brightness of your mother's heart, and the darkness, of your father's. Fulfil your destiny, as what the prophecy had stated. Free this world, of evil."
And this is where, the story of the legend starts.