Disclaimer:
I own the plot/ idea… Avatar and the gang belongs to their respective creators… Kudos to them:-)

Summary:
Azula was able to reconcile with her mother the night before she left changing the course of path she was about to take. Now she will do anything to help her brother regain his honor and live her life with purpose.

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Avatar: Azula's Legacy
By: Zelga Lim Li

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Previously…

"You and your brother are the best things that happened to me… Don't ever forget that…" The princess holds her daughter closely.

"I love you so much…"

That night, Azula's world shattered into pieces.

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Chapter 1 - At First Hello

Present time…

Azula heaved a tired sigh for the 29th time. It's been an hour since their training started yet she already feels like an older woman in her eighties. Glancing at her brother, the princess had this urge to beat him senseless and throw him overboard.

Beside her, Uncle Iroh was happily sipping from his cup of tea. Feeling her gaze, the General smiled affectionately at her.

"Is there something wrong, my Princess?"

"Zuzu is starting to get on my nerves…" Azula commented. Her vein started to twitched.

Iroh chuckled amusingly. "To relieve your nerves, why don't you challenge your brother into a duel and save that poor soldiers life. Earlier this morning, he prepared a special tea for me. It would be a great waste if he dies by your brother's hands."

Azula glares at her uncle.

"Or maybe you could teach him a thing or two about the benefits of being calm and collected?" The General suggested another one.

The princess snorted, "It would probably be a waste of time. The way I see him now, looks like father also burned half of his brain…"

Iroh guffawed at his nieces' comment. "Perhaps you are right. But still, he needed your guidance more than anything. Between the three of us, your fire bending skills are far more advance than all of us combined."

"Don't be a hypocrite, Uncle," Azula stated. "We all know that you are far more stronger than the Fire Lord." Squinting her eyes, the girl studied the man before her.

Also known as the Dragon of the West, Iroh was a fearsome Fire Nation General during the Hundred year war. And if her cousin Lu Ten wasn't killed, they would have conquered Ba Sing Se. Azula knew she could never blame her uncle from abandoning his mission.

Thus, he earned her respect. More than her own father.

"Thank you for that compliment, Azula. But that is the thing of the past now." Iroh said. "I am the Fire Lord's brother, nothing else…"

Before Azula could retort back, a soldier interrupted their conversation.

"General Iroh, Princess Azula," The soldier bowed respectfully. "We are nearing the Southern Water Tribe…"

"Prepare a boat for me," Azula ordered. "I want to visit this tribe…"

Iroh looked alarmingly at the Princess.

"Don't worry yourself too much, Uncle." Azula answered while rolling her eyes. "I'm not going to kill those people."

"But, Azula..."

"I've seen the reports about this tribe. Earlier during the reign of Fire Lord Azulon, he ordered the capture of all the water benders from this region." Dusting herself from imaginary dirt, the princess stood and glances at her uncle. "I wonder if a new one has been born yet…"

"Even if there is, they would surely hide whomever he or she is…" Prince Zuko interjected as he approaches them. A scowl that seems to be permanently etched on his scarred face didn't escape the Princess' scrutinizing gaze, "…especially from us…"

"Perhaps…" Azula flips her bangs annoyingly. "Would you care to join me, Zuzu?"

Flustered, Zuko barks his irritation, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that!"

The Princess blew a raspberry at her brother, snickering amusingly. "One of the reasons why we came to this place is to help you relieve your temper… Looks like it didn't work… What a shame…"

Zuko's eyes burn with passion as he stares ahead ignoring his sister, eyeing the endless horizon of the southern region. "I came here to find the Avatar… Nothing else matters, do you understand…?" His fist clenches tightly.

"Uhm, Prince Zuko, your sister already left…" Iroh commented. From afar, he could hear the Princess giving orders to the crew to prepare her boat.

"What?! She didn't even let me finish… That brat…"

The General laughed, "Admit it, my dear nephew, without your sister, this journey would be a boring one…"

Zuko rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Whatever you say, Uncle…" But Zuko felt otherwise. For the first time since his banishment, the Prince smiled gently, hiding his expression from one of the people who cares for him aside from Azula, thankful for that little fortune. "Whatever you say…"

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Southern Water Tribe…

"Men, go to your stations… And no potty breaks…" Sokka shouted without preamble. Boys not older than ten flinches slightly upon hearing that, while some of them started to cry.

"Sokka, for goodness sakes, they are just children…" Katara scolded her brother.

"If it wasn't for you and that boy, we wouldn't be experiencing this… Now the Fire Nation would attack us once more…"

"It was an accident. How many times do I have to tell you…" Katara's plea were ignored as Sokka took his spear and left her behind.

Growling inwardly, Sokka ran ahead as he prepares for battle. Donning his armor, he tightly clutched boomerang and a wooden spear. He stood rigidly at the post that he created for events like this… Staring ahead, he notices a small boat that leaves the Fire Nation ship.

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Azula yawned slightly as her boat approaches the shore in a turtles pace. In front, she saw a boy standing in an ice made post. One delicate brow rose, analyzing the scene before her. Stepping on land, the Princess could feel the coldness of the ice seeping through the thick material of her coat.

Whispers and worried glances didn't escape her curious gaze. Aside from the boy who seems to be at the same age as her, there are no other men older than twenty in this tribe.

Without looking at the boy, she pointed at him and asks, "You, with the weird armor holding a metal thingy, were are your men?"

Sokka's vein twitched. "This metal thingy is a boomerang… and don't point at me like that, it's rude…"

Giving him a droll stare, Azula scowled.

"Our men left to look for food…" An old woman said as she walks towards her, ignoring the warning of another girl with a strange loop hairstyle framing her face.

"As you see, we are totally harmless…" The old woman added in a calm voice.

"Perhaps you are right…" Azula commented. "Me and my brother had been traveling around for a while and never had the chance to settle down on land." She bowed slightly to the older woman as a sign of respect but she draws back from her gesture. Inwardly, the Princess cringed. The Fire Nation really did a great job in terrorizing everyone.

"I mean no danger to your tribe." Azula said.

"How can we be sure?" The boy in the armor asked. He approaches her wearily but he didn't lose hold of his weapon.

"Sokka, will you stop that?" The girl in the loopy said.

"But, Katara…"

"Welcome to our village, the Southern Water tribe. My name is Katara…" The girl in the loopy introduces with a cheerful smile on her face. "This is my brother Sokka… and Gran-gran…"

Entering their house made of ice, Azula looks around. It feels warmer than the outside. The boy's gaze didn't leave her as if fearing she would do something crazy. Katara prepares something to drink while their grandmother excuses herself.

As if reading her, the boy, Sokka, answered her unspoken question, "Gran-gran left to calm the villagers because of your arrival…" Sharpening his weapon, he stares at her warningly. "What business do you have here?"

"Me and my brother are looking for someone…" The Princess started when a gust of wind enters the cabin and then she heard Sokka drop his weapon and saw Katara looks surprised and worried. "What's wrong?"

"Ooops! I never knew you had a visitor, Katara, Sokka."

Azula turned to see a boy with strange arrow-like markings on his head and hands that landed before her and with a cheerful smile, extended his arms as if to shake her hand in greeting.

"Hello, my name is Aang. What's your name?"

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Author's note:
Thanks for reading^^

Apologies if the characters seem to be a little off… Not really familiar with Zuko, but I will try to watch another rerun to familiarize myself with the Fire Prince… And some other characters, I guess;-)

Please like and review… Constructive criticisms and suggestions are welcome…

Still debating with Ziggy (my lazy muse in training) whether to change the title from 'Avatar: Azula's Legacy' to 'Memoirs of a Fire Princess'… Decisions… Decisions… *sigh*

Oh well, till next chapter:-)

Love and peace!

Ja ne~