Disclaimer: I do not own anything, if I did Zhao wouldn't be in book 1 it would just be Azula.

When Azula first began to learn to read and write it was hell. She would sit down and the letters would chase their way across the page. After two years, when she was six she could only just form the characters of her name and she had servants read to her. Rumours began flying around that she had the brain disease. Azula didn't understand. While Azula could barely read and write, Zuko at eight was already reading great works of literature, he loved the written word it made up for his lack of firebending talent. One night when she was six years old her father paid her a visit along with a physician. They demanded that she write perfectly, they demanded that she read, when she couldn't her father would take one of her picture scrolls and burn it. But still reading and writing came with great difficulty. Finally a new physician came to the palace. He took one look at the princess and made his diagnosis.

"Songdu kunnan."

The words no one wanted to hear. Those words circled around Azula's head for days, weeks, months, years afterwards. The physician was locked away and executed. Azula felt no remorse, any man who dared suggest that a member of the House of Sozin was afflicted deserved it. Azula sat on her bed night after night with complicated scrolls laid out before her. Ozai had destroyed all her picture books in an attempt to cure her. The characters still wriggled around on the page like tiny little bugs just waiting to be squished. Azula knew she was a disappointment to her Father. He had one child who could read and write flawlessly but his bending was shabby, he had a second child who was a firebending prodigy but who couldn't read or write. So Azula pushed herself, she forced herself to be able to remember facts from history class without reading anything, she made herself be able to negotiate flawlessly and she made herself into a firebending prodigy.


So when Azula sat down age eleven, a piece of parchment before her brush in hand it was the hardest thing she had ever done. The result was messy, shabby, childish but legible. Azula could have dictated to a palace scribe but there was a sense of accomplishment in getting it done.


When Zuko age thirteen received a letter from the palace, he refused to open it for many months. He thought it might be some taunting piece from father or a general or Azula.


When Zuko age fifteen finally opened the letter he was shocked. He ordered everyone to leave him alone while he read it.

DeAR ZokU,

i MIss Yu PleS coM hOMe sOne

AZuLA


Azula sat up each night eagarly waiting a reply from her big brother. None came.


Zuko hurridly wrote a reply to Azula, he cursed himself for being such a bad older brother.


When Azula age thirteen finally got a reply she read it once, twice then she burned it. She never replied, she would wait two years and see how he'd like it.


Barely a year passed until she took down Ba Sing Se with Zuko's help. On the daay they returned to the Fire Nation she found him by the turtleduck pond. She was just leaving when Zuko called out.

"Wait!"

"What is it ZuZu?"

Zuko fumbled through his robes before he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He opened it out an smoother it before handing it to Azula.

"I kept it."

Zuko stated plainly.

"Obviosly."

Azula still managed to say even though a lump was forming in her throat.

"Did you keep mine?"

He aske hopefully.

"I burned it."

Azula deadpanned letting the letter drop out of her hands as she walked away.