"What is going on with you?" Ursa demanded. She stood in the hall outside Zuko's room, looking down at her daughter with narrowed eyes caught between concern and frustration.

"Nothing," Azula said, all wide-eyed innocence. "I was just telling Zuko what I heard dad and grandpa discussing."

The stern gaze and frown remained. "Why do you always try to frighten him? He's your brother – you should be nicer."

Rolling her eyes, she dropped the act long enough to say, "Please, mom. He makes it so easy – it's impossible not to tease him." Offering another sweet smile, she added, "Besides, that's what brother and sister do!"

"You know what you remind me of?"

Azula shrugged.

Kneeling so they were eye-to-eye, Ursa lowered her voice to a whisper. "Remember the story I used to tell you? About the demon that hides under children's beds and fills their minds with nightmares? That's what you've been acting like lately, always trying to scare people."

The facade of innocence had vanished, allowing hurt at her mother's words to show through.

"It worries me," Ursa said quietly after a moment, searching her daughter's face for further reaction. "I miss the sweet little girl I used to have."

They stood in silence, gazes locked. In the room behind them, Zuko tossed and turned, crying out.

Glancing in the direction of her son, Ursa whispered a quick goodnight, kissed Azula on the forehead, and rushed off to comfort the distressed boy.

Azula remained in the hallway, turning her mother's words over and over in her head.

'My own mother called me a monster.'


Author's Notes: I think this idea has been done to death, but I still like how it turned out.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'avatar' or any of its characters.