94AG

Before Lu Ten left for Ba Sing Se, he honored his promise to take Azula to a gladiator fight. Before Ozai banned them as they ruined perfectly good forced labor, the Capital City enjoyed gruesome fights between two men who were working off either serious debt or prison sentences.

The fights were to the knockout, but given the desperation of the fighters, they often resulted in death. For this reason, Ursa had prohibited Azula from going. The Princess, of course, wanted to go even more after that.

Ozai was not the kind to enjoy wasting his time with things like entertainment. Azulon might have enjoyed such things as a young man, but now he was much too busy. Iroh preferred to keep his violence in the work place and Zuko would cringe. This left one Prince and one Princess to enjoy the royal box on their own.

"This is awesome!" Azula cheered.

"Remember what to tell your mother."

"We went to the history museum and toured the weapons collection."

"And what was your favorite weapon?"

"Chin the Conquerer's dao sword."

"Awesome!"

Azula was not a snitch. Lu Ten knew that she would not slip up.

They ate their kabobs as they watched men burn and slice each other.

They didn't take bets on who would win, that was for a different type of clientele, but they did enjoy their chats between fights. Lu Ten wanted to get Azula out of the house more. Princesses should know their city and their people. This is what their people like. This is why he brought her, so she could see how the other side lives. People came from all over the country to get to see these fights. This was a pretty diverse audience.

"Who was your favorite?" Lu Ten asked as they got ready to leave.

"The Blue Dragon, I mean his flame's not blue, but his blue armor was really cool."

"Maybe you'll have blue armor some day."

"I can dream."

When they got home, Lu Ten and Azula acted like they had been at the museum.

"The weapons were so cool. I wonder when I'll be allowed to train with them."

"Why would you bother? War is for men," Zuko told her.

"I can do anything you can do."

"Cannot!"

"Can too!"

"Boys are stronger than girls and faster and smarter."

"Then why are you so dumb?"

"I'm not dumb, and I could take you any day."

"Let's prove it!"

They got ready to fight. The first good hit wins.

Zuko took an early swing, but Azula evaded. He had a longer reach, but she was quicker.

"Ready to give up," Zuko questioned.

"Nope!"

They kept going but no one got a blow.

"Zuko, did you want to feed the turtle ducks with me?"

Ursa's call distracted him. Azula got him right in the jaw.

"OW!"

"I won."

Zuko thought she cheated. "You cheated."

"No I didn't. The fight was still on."

He knew how to fix her. "MOMMY! She punched me!"

Before Azula knew it, she was grounded. Ursa didn't believe her when she said it was a fair fight. Zuko's catgator tears were all Ursa needed to see.

Azula's punishment was no dinner. As she sat in her room hungry, she thought of ways to make him miserable.

Zuzu was going to get it.