Azula had always known she was special, and she had been proud of her skills as a firebender from the moment she created her first flame, for it very clear that they were great for someone her age. Everyone said so. It always made sense to her that, maybe, someday, she'd develop even greater, rarer abilities. She had always hoped that she would one day be able to generate lightning, like her father, her uncle, and her grandpa.

But this wasn't something rare. This was unheard of in humans, even in any incarnation of the Avatar. Not even dragons, the only living creatures whose fire could have a different color, were not guaranteed to be able to create such powerful flames. It was something almost exclusive to the strongest ones, and even then, they were only able to make their flames be one specific color. Only the God of fire could make his flames be every single color at once. For thousands and thousands of years, that had been the natural order, the rules of their world.

And now here she was - a little girl, a mere child - the first exception. One of a kind.

Well, two of a kind. The princess wasn't just herself; in some ways, she was Zuko too, and it was obviously only a matter of time before he was able to create blue flames as well. After all, as her twin, he was quite literally her other half. They would truly be an unbeatable team once they were older and their dragons were fully grown. They would help their nation conquer the whole world, and then Lu Ten would recognize that they were more fit to rule than he was - there was no doubt about it in her mind, especially not now that the universe itself seemed to have given her not just a sign, but straight up proof that she was right.

But she couldn't bring up that fact just yet, at least not with anyone besides her father - not even Zuko, and especially not to their mother. Her brother would feel as if just discussing the issue would be conspiring to betray their cousin, even though it was just their destiny, and Ursa would see it as if she was being too arrogant and even selfish. Knowing her mother the way she did, Azula knew that, depending on how angry it made her, Ursa might even try to make Azula say she was sorry for what she said. But she would never do such a thing, just like she wouldn't apologize for loving her brother if their nation suddenly decided, like many other places had, that siblings shouldn't get married. She would never apologize for wanting what was rightfully hers.

"The Fire Lord's will is equivalent to that of a God" her father said as he had done a thousand times before, despite both of them knowing very well that the sages would disagree, and that even Azulon himself would say that even the most powerful Fire Lord was still human, and therefore not an equal to Agni or even to a minor deity "That's why preventing a weak man from taking the throne is almost mercy. It spares him to face the divine wrath for insulting the Gods"

She had always known very well that he didn't just mean that he believed she had the right to be above Lu Ten on the line of succession. He also wanted his father to choose him, not Iroh, as his heir. While Azula wouldn't necessarily call her uncle weak, despite not liking him all that much, it was clear that her father was better suited both for that glory and that responsibility.

"Once you're the Fire Lord, you'll have no one to answer to. You shouldn't worry about your mother, especially not when she has to answer to me"

Because you're a prince and she owes you respect, or because she is supposed to realize you'll be Fire Lord someday? Azula wanted to ask, despite already knowing the answer. Fire Lord or not, he was father, and she shouldn't talk back to him, or try to toy with him like she did with her brother.

"I won't let you down, father. Neither will Zuko" she promised, not understanding this wasn't quite what he wanted to hear.

Zuko had been very surprised when his sister told him she didn't want to train or spar with him that afternoon. Sure, he was certainly sick of performing every basic move and he didn't want to do any kind of hard work during what was supposed to be a vacation, but it was pretty rare for Azula to be tired of firebending. Though he supposed it was understandable - despite this being her passion, she had been spending most of her time practicing with their father, to the point that Zuko had barely seen her. From what she told him of it, it could be pretty exhaustive, but she made it clear she could handle it and Zuko didn't doubt it.

However, he had to admit that he wasn't all that happy about it. Not only was he used to training with his sister, but he also wished that their father would want to teach him as well. He rarely had the time to so much as watch them practice every now and again, so having him actually acting as a mentor would be amazing, and the young prince couldn't help but be a little upset that he had been excluded from that.

But it didn't matter. He'd get better, and their father would want to teach him alongside his sister. And once they were home, he and Azula would go back to doing everything together, as it should be. It wasn't that big a deal, after all she had managed to firebend before he did, but he still did it eventually, so it was only natural that her bending would turn blue before his did.

"Hey, dum-dum" she said, flicking his head then pinching his arm and creating a little spark. It didn't sting more than it would have when her firebending had not yet changed "Pay attention" the overtly seriously tone made him chuckle. Azula liked saying he was too dramatic, and honestly she wasn't wrong, but it was still amusing that she'd say that while also being just as intense about mundane things, like their 'performance'.

"This is supposed to be just for fun, Zula"

"Bossing you around is fun" she said, making it clear that this discussion was over before even properly beginning "Now stop zoning out and say your lines when you're supposed to"

"I will, okay? I promise!" he said, raising his hands and trying not to laugh. It would just irritate her, and he didn't want to do that. Yet.

Zuko didn't even have to think to remember his lines. He couldn't recall the first time he had seen the Ember Island players, or their incredibly cheesy and often unintentionally funny version of Love Amongst The Dragons, or when did he and his twin first start reenacting scenes from that specific play on the beach, just like he could not remember the first time they had kissed or said 'I love you' to each other. It was the type of thing that felt like it had always been part of his life, like being a prince. Something that was both mundane yet incredibly special.

Their dad not having gone with them this time didn't seem to make her enjoy herself any less. They spent the entire time holding hands, whispering pretty much every line to each other, and Azula had watched the play with those curious eyes and told him every interesting little thing she'd notice in the scenario, on the costumes, about the way the actors moved and talked... she had always had such an incredible attention to detail.

She practically dragged him to the beach after they came back from the theater with their mother, grabbing any clothes that looked anything like the costumes the actors had on. It was a little weird whenever he had to put on some of the more feminine clothes as played women, but it never took long for him to get used to it. After all, he and his sister were two different sides of the same person, and Azula was girl, so it was never too uncomfortable with it. Azula definitively never had any problem with acting as a boy.

And she was, of course, always the one in charge of 'directing' the scenes. Just like she did when they practiced firebending together, she wouldn't go to the next form/scene until they had both gotten everything just right, hence her little out-burst, that had been less intimidating than she had hoped, and actually kind of cute. Putting on a performance that pleased her was always absurdly easy for Zuko - for all of her 'complaints' about how dramatic he could be, he knew she absolutely loved it, especially when 'in character', be it during these performances or when he tried to act like a proper prince. And he loved that Azula was exactly the same. She was very intense and unbelievably committed to everything she did, which made it all the more fun.

But he loved it even more when she'd suddenly drop the act and say the lines as herself, not as the characters she was playing.

"Though I was trapped in the body of a mortal, you willingly gave me your heart. I cannot help but give you mine in return" she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and using the sweet little tone she used solely for him.

"Only with your glory hidden in false form could you finally recognize my devotion" Zuko said, cupping her face and leaning in to kiss her... only to have her avoid his kiss and bite his cheek and immediately run from him, laughing.

He chased her through the beach, dragging her to the water once he finally caught her. Azula always already mad at him for getting her clothes wet, but she was downright furious when he undid her top-know, and started ruffling her hair. She punched him in the gut and stormed off. She must have been in a good mood - usually that would have made her try to drown him. Always looking perfect was incredibly important to her.

"You started it!" he shouted, then laughing by himself.

Back at the house, she took him to the bath chambers and made him help her fix her hair. He did it without a single complaint; the only thing he loved more than getting on her nerves was pleasing her. And besides, her hair was beautiful and soft to touch, and his sister clearly enjoyed it when he helped her wash and comb it properly, so this wasn't inconvenient or a problem for him in the slightest. Azula stayed silent the whole time, and during dinner as well, then locked herself in 'her' bedroom. Zuko had been almost asleep when he felt their bed shifting under her weight. Still not saying a word she wrapped her arms around him, pressed a sweet kiss to his lips and rested her head on his chest, pratically using him as a pillow.

Zuko smiled and drifted off.

In normal circumstances, Ursa would have been annoyed at her husband for having them go back home a week earlier. But due to the situation their family was currently in, she was downright furious at him. She knew her daughter was destined towards great things, but Ozai often pushed her too much. It wasn't enough that she was a princess and a prodigy, she was now likely to grow into the most powerful firebender of all time. And while, sure, this could mean she would grow to be a legend, this also filled her with concern.

As their ship continued on it's course to the main island, Ursa spotted the island that was once the home of Avatar Roku - her grandfather. She remembered the stories she heard from her family her entire life. How the pressure of everyone else's expectations changed him, how his power and influence turned him into both a weapon Fire Lord Sozin, his own best friend, wanted to use to start the war that had lasted 92 years now, and then a target that needed to be eliminated.

She thought of her fears about her own future as she was growing up, always worried that some political enemy would either kill her and her family to prevent them from having strong heirs that could help them gain more power, or force her into marrying one of them and essentially being used as a breeding slave so they could have said strong heirs for themselves. Despite Ozai's family having been the ones leave them in such a vulnerable position, she had been very grateful when they chose her to be his bride. There were far worse men than him on their nation, and far more vile options for a match amongst the nobility.

And yet he was now refusing to allow their daughter, and by consequence their son, to just hold onto their childhood for just a little bit longer, before their lives changed forever, for better or for worse.

She couldn't decide what worried her the most: when Azula would go along with everything and anything that was expected of her despite being afraid or unsure, either because she believed it to be the right thing to do, or because she couldn't say 'no'. It frightened her when she would act as if none of it was important, as if none of it was enough, despite being too much for someone her age and almost absurd. As if nobody, not even the brother she loved so dearly, was worthy of even being in her presence. She was merely a child, but she was quite clearly Ozai's child.

Still, Ursa could see on her daughter enough of herself, and of her husband's kinder side, to dare to have hope that this wouldn't go to her head - or at the very least, that she would find a way to save herself if anything went wrong. Maybe Azula would escape falling victim to some terrible fate, just like Ursa had. She was in a much more favorable position being a princess. And besides, she knew Zuko would help keep her out of trouble.

Ursa was pulled away from her thoughts as she heard the sound of something breaking and saw Zuko, with a panicked expression on his face that practically screamed 'guilty', dragging his sister to the other side of the ship as she laughed.

She chuckled and shook her head negatively. Maybe 'out of trouble' wasn't the right way to put it.

"Such an extraordinary, impossible talent..."

"And she's merely a child..."

"Who is to say what she'll be able to do as an adult?"

Ozai heard the words of the fire sages with a proud smile on his face. The old men had been brought to the palace to see for themselves that the princess truly had been blessed by Agni in a way no other human ever had. They were watching his daughter in awe, some looking fascinated, others almost terrified, even though the flames were still not completely blue, especially the larger ones.

The one he had been truly paying attention to, however, was his father. For once, the old man seemed pleasantly surprised. But of course, as soon as he was done praising Azula, he ordered the girl to leave.

"Your daughter truly is something especial, prince Ozai. But what about your son?"

"He isn't important right now" he said, trying to keep his tone polite. Azulon always did that, find some reason, any reason, to be dissatisfied with him, something he had never done to Iroh.

"Zuko is as much part of this family as Azula, and he will be her husband once they're both of age. As one of the princes of the Fire Nation, the future of your off-spring should concern you, Ozai" his father said. As if Ozai had not been against that union from the moment it was clear Zuko wasn't a prodigy like his sister, which, of course, happened pretty early on.

"It's impossible to tell if he'll develop the same ability"

And you know that, Ozai desperately wanted to add, but bit his tongue. Someday, he would give his father a piece of his mind. But at that moment, it would just displease the Fire Lord.

"Even if the boy cannot bend blue flames, there is no one better suited for the princess" Li started to make her argument.

"She'll always need to have her brother by her side, just as he will always need her" Lo went on as if she had been the one to speak up, not her sister.

"The two of them should never be separated, for they are one" the two said at the exact same time. As usual, and against all logic, Azulon thought very carefully about the words said by those over-glorified concubines, as if their advice was worth more than any lie told by some common whore. Some common, treacherous whore. Their family, or what was still left of it by the time Azulon claimed them for himself, was once led by one of the many potential usurpers that they still had not been able to get completely rid of.

And not only did his father listen to them, not only did his mother used to like them for some incomprehensible reason, but Azula also seemed to genuinely like these freaks and enjoy their company, even though she had always been very selective about who she interacted with. There was no doubt in Ozai's mind that his children's more... peculiar behavior was a result of them spending far too much time with Li and Lo.

I should not have screamed at Ursa. She wouldn't be able to get them to no longer influence our children, not with my father still being so defensive of them.

It didn't matter. He gave her enough of a luxurious, almost happy life for him to be allowed to be a little unreasonable every now and again. And she'd have to understand that he was obviously frustrated, if his father knew of their strange behavior, he would not turn a blind eye to it like he did to his mistresses. But if Azula had been Iroh's daughter and Lu Ten's twin, he would have.

"You two will help them with their firebending" Azulon said to the twins, who immediately accepted the task. Even fire sages seemed as confused as Ozai. What exactly did his father expect two non-benders to do to help Azula and Zuko create flames that, up until that point, no human had been able to generate?

But he didn't argue. None of them did. Instead, Ozai left the throne room when he was told to, wondering for just a brief second if maybe, just maybe, Zuko would be able to bend blue flames as well. He was a slow learner for sure, but perhaps, someday, he'd on his sister's level and impressive enough to finally gain them Azulon's favor.

But even if he didn't, as long as Azula proved herself worthy, there was a chance his father would break off her engagement to Zuko, and Lu Ten's engagement to Allya, so they could get married. She was much better suited for the role of Fire Lady after all, having been born into actual royalty, being incredibly strong and cunning for her age, and not only being able to bend, but having quite clearly been blessed by Agni, the God of fire himself. If anything, she was worthy of being Fire Lord, just like Ozai himself was, and his brother should be begging him to give her over to Lu Ten. Azulon should be grateful that at least one of his sons had given the Fire Nation a proper heir, one had made history before even being crowned or ever setting foot in a battle-field. But most important of all, all of them should be grateful that he was still pushing back against the absurd idea of having one of their own marrying an enemy.

No matter how, someday, he would be above all of them, and they would all be bowing down to him, doing everything in their power to please him, desperate to gain his favor, terrified of angering him. And Azula was fundamental for him to get to that place.

Their training begun almost immediately after the meeting with Azulon, and Azula noticed how her brother was fidgeting, eyes wandering as if looking for an escape route while Li and Lo were preparing the place. To help him calm down a bit, she put up a little show for him, pretending to be insecure. She grabbed his hand and gave him an innocent look, just so he could 'support' her as he always did. He always seemed to ignore his own issues whenever he thought she needed him. Zuko seemed to choose to forget how well she was handling things on Ember Island so he could believe it, and squeezed her hand then pulled her in for a comforting hug.

"Don't worry, Lala. You're the best ever" he said, kissing her forehead.

"Thank you, Zuzu. And you're gonna do great" she assured him.

"Listen carefully, kids" the two old women said at the same time "To truly connect with Agni, to truly understand your abilities and reach your full potential, you two will need a greater connection to the spiritual side of firebending" the prince and princess nodded, Zuko still with one arm wrapped around his sister "But before you two can possess such great knowledge, first you'll need to master the basics"

Zuko, of course, groaned in annoyance. If there was one truly negative thing Azula could say about her twin, was that he was too impatient. While she was more than willing to put on the hard work for as long as needed, he always wanted immediate results in everything - firebending, their studies, the dragons...

Still, when their 'masters' told them to begin meditating, he went along with it. They sat down with their backs turned to each other, both with a few unlit candles in front of themselves. Li and Lo shut the curtains, leaving the room in total darkness. Azula closed her eyes and kept her breathing steady, trying to focus on nothing but lighting up the candles in front of her, being distracted for one brief moment as she recognized the smell of some incenses the sages would burn during sacred rituals, and the two women even started chanting for a little while. She knew this was meant to be a more spiritual type of training, but she had not been expecting this.

She couldn't tell how long it lasted, but eventually the two old women told them to open their eyes, but to keep firebending. Azula smiled as she saw that the flames she was controlling were completely blue. They were small and the blue eventually started to fade a bit, but it was still huge, since it was a first for her. It took all of her strength to prevent herself from looking behind her to see how her brother was doing... but the red glow on the ceiling, contrasting with the blue of her firebending, did give her a clue.

After a little while, they were told to get up and face each other. Li and Lo put a brasier next to them and tied Azula's arms to her brother's, wrapping two red ribbons on their wrists like the sages did to couples during marriage ceremonies. Zuko entwined his fingers with hers and they smiled sweetly at each other. Azula's smile faltered for an instant when they created a flame together and it, while big, had no trace of her blue fire. She disappointed when Li and Lo told them to stop before they could try to find a way to change it's color.

"You two have a strong bond, but neither of you is yet able of seeing inside the other's heart and mind" Li said, confusing them a bit. What was she talking about? How were they even supposed to do that?

"You'll need to practice more, both individually and together, and find a way to let go of everything else when you try to connect with each other" Lo finished the sentence, and the two old twins bowed respectfully to their prince and princess.

"We wish you the best of luck, kids"

That made Azula feel a bit more confident. Her dad had always told her she had been born lucky, and surely this extended to her brother too.

They'd figure things out.