Rise from the Ashes: Chapter 7
Six years ago
"Again!" Her Father commanded.
Eight year old Azula dropped into her stance and performed her routines as her father commanded. Ozai did not always attend his daughter's training sessions, but when he did he always pushed her hard or taught her a new exciting technique.
Her form was effortless and the performance was perfect. She had drilled over and over and over again. Hundreds of times, maybe thousands. The routines had become a second nature. Every twist and turn, every burst of flame from her fists was in the correct location and at the correct intensity.
Fully trained adults would have great difficulty in matching the precision that this young child could execute at will.
She finished the routine with an elaborate flourish and looked up at her father triumphantly.
Prince Ozai's mouth twitched ever so slightly into a smile to Azula's immense satisfaction. No one ever pleased her father. In fact there were few who Ozai did not overtly dislike. He ignored his wife, despised those weaker than him, was jealous of his brother, and his son deeply disappointed him.
The only one who could ever hope to please Prince Ozai was his daughter. She was the only one who could make him smile.
His perfect daughter.
"Excellent." Ozai said with the smirk still on his face. "Truly exceptional, Azula."
It made the daily grind the young girl put herself through worth it. The hours at night she spent in her room practicing when she was supposed to be asleep. She had a gift and everyone who ever saw her bend knew she was a prodigy.
I am going to realize my full potential. I will be the greatest firebender who has ever lived!
Her bending was extraordinary, the raw power dwarfed the aptitude of any young bender throughout the world. She had mastered forms at the age of eight, a feat that many adults were not capable of.
Still it was not enough, she would not simply be a master. She would be 'The Master'. The young girl would not rest until there was no one who could keep pace with her. Because she could do it. She could be perfect.
Mother does not appreciate me, but father knows that I am special, and soon the whole world will know it as well.
"Your Grandfather will be most pleased when you present to him tomorrow." Ozai said, although Azula knew it was a lie. Very little pleased the ancient Fire Lord, even a prodigy in his family line was beneath his notice. Fire Lord Azulon never spoke to her and never spoke of her. He was always too focused on his favorite son Iroh to pay much attention to Ozai and Azula.
Well that would have to change because the Great General Iroh had failed in his conquest to capture the city of Ba Sing Se, and his son Lu Ten, Azula's cousin was killed in the assault.
Her brother Zuko was mentally weak enough that he actually mourned his cousin's death.
War is brutal and soldiers die. My cousin was weak, so he died.
Her father did not care about Lu Ten's death, so why should she? She would follow her father's example. Mourning was a weakness. From a young age Azula had been punished if her father had caught her crying. She was a quick learner, and had conditioned herself to portray the strength that was demanded of her.
"Are you nervous about your performance? I need you to be perfect." Her father asked.
Of course you do, and I will be.
"Of course not. Only those who could fail can be afraid. What do I have to be afraid of?"
The response pleased her father. "Good, be patient Azula and you will be Fire Lord one day, and the world will bow to you."
She was as giddy as a young girl could be. Azula had never left the capital, had never seen the earth kingdom, or the water tribes, or even their nation's own colonies yet, but one day she would rule it all. Her father told her so, and anything he ever told her always came true. Mother could chastise her now when father was not around to stop it, but one day her mother would have to bow down to Azula as well and the thought delighted her.
Zuko, who had the birthright to succeed their father in the line of succession would be passed over because he was weak and Azula was strong. It was as simple as that.
Zuko had every advantage, he was the first born, he did have some natural bending ability, he was born male which was a preference for some of the stubborn and less progressive vassals, but it would not matter because he did not have the guts and determination necessary to gain Ozai's approval.
The young girl had the idea drilled into her head over and over again that she would need to go to any lengths to accomplish her goals.
"You are calm and confident, unlike your brother. He is most distraught over Lu Ten's death." Ozai said matter-of-factly. His voice was devoid of emotion as he referenced the death of his own nephew.
Azula gave him the answer he wanted. "Zuko can cry all he likes, it will not bring our cousin back, so why bother? Uncle Iroh could actually do something and avenge his son, instead he proved himself a loser and a coward and is backing away from a fight like a timid turtle duck."
"And this offends you? What would you have done?" Ozai egged her on.
"The savages who killed the prince would be punished. They would know our power as their walls crumbled on top of them. We have power, we rule the world, so we should use that power. When Uncle retreated he showed the Earth Kingdom that we can be repelled, that we can be beaten, that we can quit. That gives the enemy hope. Uncle proved he cannot be Fire Lord."
Ozai smiled, knelt down, and cupped his daughter's cheek.
"That's a good girl."
Azula beamed with pride.
Present Day
Azula scowled with unrestrained rage.
"Again." She snapped harshly, her voice cutting through the frigid air.
The Fire Lord had found great satisfaction in his victory at the North Pole and did not seem motivated to leave as soon as Azula had hoped. Instead he remained as he feasted and boasted with his generals in the building of ice that had once been the seat of power for the Northern Water Tribe. One of the few buildings that had not been completely destroyed in the attack. It had been temporarily spared so that it could host the Fire Lord now and be destroyed later in a show of force to further crush the spirit of the Water Tribe. As if the separation of infants from their families had not already numbed the populace into despair.
Azula could not stand one more moment of vacuous conversation or one more morsel of rich food. While the Fire Lord and his generals indulged themselves, Azula trained vigorously.
The three unfortunate soldiers that were forced to train with her scrambled to their feet. She had exhausted the first group as well as a second. Now the third group was nearly spent as well.
Despite the thrashing they had received, the soldiers dutifully got to their feet, took their stances, and launched their attacks at the Princess.
She slapped the attacks aside, the potency of the incoming blasts were muted due to fatigue and the fear of accidently injuring the Princess. Their well-meaning restraint only served to further enrage her.
Azula pivoted with the grace of a dancer while simultaneously launching a devastating counterattack. Her technique was flawless as usual and the soldiers hit the ground again nearly as quickly as they had risen. Any observer would have been impressed with the Princess' performance.
Azula however could only seethe with rage because the flames she had summoned the past few hours had been orange, not blue.
It had been a source of pride, the unique blue flames had become a part of her identity and reputation. No firebender in centuries had been able to summon blue flames, it was an incredible feat and Azula had been able to do it at age ten.
Whenever she summoned blue flame, all those around her became frightened. Even the most hardened soldiers looked in awe when they saw the Princess in person. Because it was clear that Azula's power was far beyond what they could hope to achieve.
People revered Azula because they feared her. Even Generals feared speaking out against her.
If I lose that…there will be no coming back.
Azula was unaccustomed to frustration, everything had always come so easy to her. When she decided to do anything she was always able to accomplish it through hard work and determination.
Mastering another bending technique was child's play. She had done what her Uncle had failed to do by infiltrating and conquering Ba Sing Se with only her guile and wit. She had stood her ground against the all-powerful Avatar and struck him down.
But now she had lost an advantage that she had always had. It made her feel incomplete, inadequate, and imperfect. Azula felt weak, the one thing she had been conditioned to despise.
She was still extraordinarily powerful, but when would it end. Would her technique begin to regress? Would it be her reputation that would slip next? Her tactical mind? Her nation? Her future as Fire Lord?
No. Never.
It's that little waterbender's fault, she has unbalanced me. I should punish her. That will fix everything. That will clear my mind.
Even as she thought this she knew she was lying to herself. She would not hurt that young Waterbender girl that she had spared.
Waterbenders will be rare now. Having one secretly under my control could be useful.
Azula knew deep down that was a lie as well. The truth was that she had seen herself in the peasant girl and did not want her to die. If she had not disguised the waterbender as a normal girl and forced her into servitude, another soldier would have found and killed her during the assault.
She looked down at her three sparing partners that were sprawled on the ground.
"Again." The Princess commanded.