It is said that the greatest firebenders throughout history are born on the most scorching summer days. When the sun is at its peak and Agni's blessings are at their strongest the greatest flames are produced.

Prince Lu Ten was born on a blisteringly hot summer day with one of the brightest life flames of his generation. Crown Prince Iroh had proudly presented his son to a crowd of roaring cheers as the fire sages sang praises for the future prosperity of the Fire Nation.

Decades later all that would be left is a small memorial tucked in the corner of a tea shop in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. It is a small wooden altar; offerings of rice cakes and fruits have been set out in front of a portrait of a young man with strong side burns. His face is set in a traditionally neutral expression and the fading ink fails to capture the spark of mischief that once lit up Lu Ten's laughing eyes. The sight of his son's young face never fails to incite an ache in Iroh's chest as he lights incense every morning.

Far too often it is the brightest of flames that burn out the quickest.

Prince Zuko was born at dawn on a peaceful summer day. The morning air was balmy as Princess Ursa cradled her newborn son in her arms. She had a soft smile on her face watching him snuggle into her chest as the fire sages muttered that his birth was a sign of great peace for the future of the fire nation and vowed that she would never forget this moment.

One day Noriko would travel to the Fire Nation Capital with her family in order to watch the coronation of Fire Lord Zuko. The murmuring crowd is apprehensive as they gather in the Coronation Plaza at dawn. She has to strain her eyes to make out his figure, barely the size of an ant from where she stands behind a crowd of nobles and foreign delegates. A proud smile makes its way onto her face as the new Fire Lord vows to restore the honour of the Fire Nation and her heart swells with joy as he is crowned.

Somewhere deep in her soul she knows that Fire Lord Zuko will bring about a new era of love and peace.

Princess Azula was born in the middle of the most tempestuous summer lightning storm in Fire Nation history. Her first cries mimicked the screams of thunder raining down from the sky and the Fire Sages proclaimed that her birth was a sign of great change for the Fire Nation. Prince Ozai would eye the throne of his father hungrily as he held his newborn daughter in his arms, sparks flying from her tiny fingers.

Years later the self-proclaimed Phoenix King would be locked up in a steel cage in the Capital City Prison. It is a tiny cell, when he stands up to his full height his head barely brushes the bars that make up the roof of the cage and it takes only five steps for him to cross the room. The stone floor is cold, damp and musty and in the corner, there is a leak in the roof leading to a persistent dripping noise that seems to spurn him further into madness as he wastes away forgotten.

Every day he sits meditating trying to reach for the warm pool of chi that he knows should be deep in the core of his stomach. Closing his eyes he focuses on his breathing, on the exercises that his teachers had prattled on about so many decades ago. There are no candles to guide him in this exercise. The only flames are the torches in the hallway outside that he can only glimpse when the guards deliver his daily meals. The only source of sunlight is a tiny, open window above his cage positioned so that he gets no traces of direct sunlight. But no matter how many breathes he takes. No matter how many punches and kicks he throws he cannot ignite the air around him. Agni's blessings will not return to him.

Ozai doesn't know how long it has been since he has been cast into this cell to rot at the so-called mercy of Fire Lord Zuko. It could be weeks or months and the main source of entertainment is when his traitorous weakling of a son dares to beg for his advice. He is refused any visitors and the guards that are forced to bring his food and drink do not are to talk to him either.

It is a surprise when one day the door to his cell opens and the one standing in the doorway is not Zuko or the usual guard. At first he assumes it to be a new guard. Those are always the most amusing ones. The younger ones are still willing to give him the fearful respect that he is owed as a Fire Nation Royal, flinching whenever he makes a sudden movement.

But no. The one standing there is not a guard, it does not matter how long he has been languishing in this cell he still recognises her.

A young teenage girl stands before him and it is obvious that Zuko's reign has not been kind to her either. Her dark hair is loose around her shoulders, bangs chopped haphazardly around her face. She wears prison garb much like his own, a red scratchy tunic and loose pants. Purple bruises that tell tales of chains and handcuffs that are traditional for war prisoners wrap around her wrists. Most telling about her however is her eyes.

Golden eyes, the signature trait of the Fire Nation Royal family look at him with derision as she saunters towards his case with the grace of a tiger armadillo. She does not flinch as Ozai lets out a sudden roar of frustration and anger at the girl that had a hand in the destruction of all of his ambitions. His legs are shaky with disuse as he clutches at the bars of his cage and his belly is empty of the fire that he wishes to burn her with.

"Traitor" he rasps at her with a painfully dry throat.

At that Azula simply steps closer to his cage stopping just out of arms reach. Her mouth is stretched into a white smile that would look right at home in the fanged mouths of the dragons of old. Wide, and toothy. It is the same smile that she would always show to the cornered courtiers right before she ripped their lives to shreds on his orders.

"Change can mean many things Father."

Authors notes

Hi guys I'm finally getting around to posting this story which has been in the works for a while now. The first chapter is about halfway done and will hopefully be posted soon but no promises because I have summer classes starting soon.

If you guys have any questions, want spoilers and other headcanons for what is going to be happening in my fics or just want to chat in general you can find me on my tumblr under the same name and this fic will be cross-posted on ao3 as well. Heads up I am more likely to respond to reviews on ao3 but they are appreciated all the same.

- V