Disclaimer: I don't even know why I keep doing this… I don't own ATLA… There I did it

Author's Notes: Uhhh… I'm sorry? Alright, alright! I don't have any excuse! I was being lazy! Sheesh, still in the second chapter and I'm already acting like a sloth… But anyway, here you go!

"The Past Can't Hurt"

Iroh glance at Zuko after spending an hour in the cave and surprisingly he was calm. Very calm for his comfort

Just a few hours ago he was very frantic about being labeled as a traitor but now, he's acting as if nothing happened

Iroh furrowed his eyebrows 'I don't like it one bit' then when Zuko towards his general area he saw the scar again. The scar that covered half his face.

3 years ago when he returned after studying the other nations, rumors spread that the prince Zuko was fatally injured

When he arrived at the palace he asked the people in what happened to him. Sadly they weren't any help since it was their head if they told anyone

But he wanted to know so spirits be damned he was going to ask him

"Prince Zuko" Iroh started "Can you please tell me how you got that scar?"

Zuko, surprisingly, just nodded and sighed "Sure, it's not like it's going to be of any use where I'm going" he smiled an emotionless smile "Let me start from the beginning"

Author's Notes: No, this is not the end. While Zuko will tell Iroh about what happened, I would tell you everything that happened in that time span, from getting the scar to the part where Azulon died

-3 years ago-

Azula hated Zuko, scratch that, she despised him. Being in his presence made her want to strangle him and burn his insides. The feeling was mutual

Ever since Azula was old enough the practice bending the two of them developed an invisible wall between them. It was like saying "I don't care if we're siblings or not. I don't care if you save my life. Get in my way and I will personally kill you"

Their rivalry was so thick that anyone could see it

But amidst this, Azula feared Zuko, she knew not to get in the boy's nerves. Despite what other people say about him, he was a volcano waiting to erupt

He was good in hiding his motives to everyone even to their ever watchful father

When they sparred, Azula could feel that he was holding back, the question was, how much?

That's why she hated him so much. He always showed everyone the he and Azula were equal in skills.

Why?

What would he gain if he was portrayed as an equal to her younger sister?

She was confused and was enraged by it

That was why she was going to confront him about it

Azula entered the palace gardens looking for his brother. That's when she noticed him just standing there and staring at the turtle-ducks

He looked so peaceful and serene. Azula smiled 'The perfect time to ruin his day' and she approached him

"Hey Zuzu" she greeted

Zuko sighed because of the nickname "Hey Azula, what do you want?"

Azula blinked at his bluntness "So you want me to go straight the point?"

"Yes"

Azula sighed dramatically and closed her eyes "If you say so" she then opened them and glared at Zuko "I challenge you to an Agni Kai! This time you won't hold back on me!"

Zuko raised his eyebrow "And if I refused?"

"Then I'll keep pestering you about it until you do" she said matter-of-factly

Zuko pinched his nose "Fine"

"And promise me you won't hold back" Azula smirked "Because this time, there would be an audience"

Zuko furrowed his brows "Why are you doing this?"

Azula glared at him "You wanna know why? I'm sick of being seen as an equal to you! I hate it when people think that I'm not superior towards you!"

"So you think this Agni Kai will prove once and for all that you're better than me" it was a statement and not a question

"Precisely" Azula nodded "I'll meet you at 3 in the arena" and she walked away

Zuko just stared at the place Azula was just in and shrugged turning back to the turtle ducks

-3 hours later-

Azula never in her life wished that she would go back in her word but what was happening now made her thought otherwise

She dove to the left, just in time to avoid a flame wheel that went towards her

Zuko was giving her a hard time and the worst part was the he wasn't even winded yet

She thought that Zuko was just holding back by just a maring but from what she felt when he became serious, she regretted ever challenging him

"Well Azula?" Zuko addressed her as he sent another flame wheel at her "Do you still think you're superior to me?" he taunted

Azula grabbed the bait and rushed towards him ready to strike, a killing blow

To her surprise, Zuko just sidestepped and punched her on the gut making her cough and fall to her knees

"Is that it?" Zuko sounded bored "I thought you were going to prove to anyone that you were stronger than me?" Zuko looked down and smiled at her

She just growled at him

Zuko leaned down and whispered to her "At least you proved that we're not equals"

Azula snapped "How dare you say that you're better than me!" she spun in place and Zuko had to jump to evade the flames that came from the soles of her feet

"I've been busy working my ass in training just to stay in shape while all you did until this time is relaxing!" she sent fireball after fireball at him which he evaded easily "I never have time to relax because I'm busy getting better at my skills!" she sent another wave of attacks at him "I hate you! I hate it how everything comes easy for you! I hate the fact that you're so relaxed! And most of all I hate the fact that people see as a prince worthy of their praise!"

To her fury, Zuko just smiled at her and shrugged

Azula growled and lost her patience. She just rushed towards him intent on killing him

Zko's eyes were shadowed when he said "Foolish"

He moved so fast that Azula didn't haven't any time to react to evade his punch

He punched her on the cheek and she flown for about half a second and fell infront of him, unable to move from the impact

Zuko's eyes were still shadowed "I'm sick and tired of your jealousy towards me" he told her "I don't care if you hate me or not" he kicked her on the stomach so hard that she slid for about a meter

"You think I did nothing to get where I am now?" Azula finally saw his eyes. To her fear it was full of rage "That's where you're wrong!" he snapped at her "You know how many years I've spent training just to get father's approval?!" he bended some fire towards her but only just at her feet so that she could still evade it "Do you know how it feels to be seen as a failure by your own father?!" he stalked towards

Azula tried to crawl away but she was already at the edge of the wall

"Since you were born everything went for the worst for me" he gritted his teeth "Because of you mom died!"

"What?" Azula whispered

"Zuko!" Ozai called from the stands "Don't you dare!"

"Shut up!" Zuko snapped at him "You have nothing to do with this! This is our fight, not yours!"

Ozai would have continued but Zuko was right, this was their fight and not his

"Where was I?" Zuko mused "Oh right, do you want to know how she died?"

Azula just nodded dumbly since she was never told of her mother's cause of death

"Loss of blood" he said darkly which made Azula's blood ran cold "It happened during your childbirth" and nothing else was said since it was already obvious who killed their mother

"I-I didn't know" she said

"Of course you didn't" he said bluntly "I mean, why would our father risk telling you that you were the cause of his pain and just blamed it all on me" he pointed at himself "Me, a child who was not aware of what happened since I was only two fucking YEARS OLD! But still, he blamed me for what happened!"

Zuko glared at Ozai but he just returned the gesture with an impassive face

"That's why" he faced her again "Everything will end here"

Azula widened her eyes. Was Zuko actually going to kill her?

Zuko recoiled his hand and readied a full fire blast at pointblank range directly at Azula

"Goodbye, dear sister" and he thrust his hands

Author's Notes: Hey everyone! I know this chapter is short but don't worry, later chapters would be longer