Disclaimer of the day, for Michael and Bryan's intellectual property! Take it away, Phil!
Phil: Yeah, Jayden doesn't own anything from Avatar: Last Airbender. That all belongs to the above mentioned Bryan and Michael.
Thanks, Phil ... wait, who the hell is Phil?
Late August, 87 AG
"Woah, it looks pretty cool!" The first words that came out of Aizen's mouth as he saw the School for the first time. Beside him, Zuko sighs as some of the palace guards walk next to them.
Today was the first day of the new school year, and also the first year in which Royals would be attending the school. While some fuss was put on about the new security costs be because of the increased guards, Ozai personally paying the new ones instantly shut them up.
"Aizen, I know it looks good, but father gets mad when you embarrass the Royal Family." Zuko muttered, no real accusation in his voice. He was happy about it too, but Dad and Mom said to show them all the 'Royal Way'. He listened especially to this statement, because his mother actually agreed with it.
"Nah, he only gets annoyed for a little bit. It'll be fine!" Aizen told his big brother.
"A little annoyed if you do it, Aizen. If me and Azula do something wrong..." Granted, Azula barely screws anything up, the prodigy that she is, but when she does, Father gets just as mad at her as he does with him. They were equal in that atleast, Zuko thought. Aizen, however, could get away with more antics without father complaining.
"Ahh, it'll be just fine... If you need any help with the courses, be sure to ask me and mom for help, alright?" Aizen told Zuko.
"I know, Aizen..." He really didn't want to ask his little brother for help, though, considering it should be him who helps as the older sibling. So he'd go only to mom. She would also probably keep the extra help a secret.
The brothers finally reached the front of the school, passing by students as they entered. Most of the students did bow slightly now as they passed, showing their respect for the Royal Family. Zuko tried to stop the tiny blush of attention from other kids his age and older, but failed. Aizen, however, took it in stride.
"Sup. Hey. Hi. Howdy. Hello!"
He just greeted everyone of them equally. It was just something Aizen did, Zuko thought. He even greeted the teacher in same manner, something he did with his tutors, but the teacher just bowed completely to him. Aizen just smiled to his new classmates.
Zuko didn't see the rest of what his brother did the rest of that class period, being put with his own age group. It was awkward, seeing as the first thing they did was introductions, and nearly everyone knew who he was by his title of 'prince' alone. He made sure not to stammer through saying his name though, and made his way to the left side of the room. Listening to the lesson plan today was simple, and Zuko decided right then and there that he would pass with flying colors, studying hard when necessary. He'd make mom and dad proud.
Mid September, 87 AG
School was going well for both Zuko and Aizen. The lessons were easy enough so far, going over some rehash that their tutors taught, so they were off to a pretty good start. Nobody even thought to bully the princes, especially Aizen, who went out of his way to be entertaining for everyone. The other young children watched happily the one time Aizen quite literally just bought a cake to class one day so he could treat himself after the quiz they were worried about. He even said he'd give a slice to whoever did the best on it after himself.
A girl tied with him for the highest score, surprisingly. The only two to get a perfect on the first quiz. Aizen, a boy of his word, offered the cake with congratulations. It, however, was turned down by the girl. She was a minor noble's kid, from what he heard from asking around the older kids. And what he gathered from being in the same class as her, she was a loner. Not shy by any means. She just somehow looked annoyed when the other kids offered to play with her at recess, despite not changing r expression at all.
Boring, some of the kids said. Scary, said the others. She was truly a weird kid despite being 3 years old. So now that everyone of the (normal) kids found out, she was avoided by such kids.
Aizen, however, was also not normal by any stretch of the word.
"So,what do ya do for fun?" He asked the next day, a new cake in hand and sitting by the girl during what was the equivalent of snack and nap time.
"Nothing." The monotone girl replied.
"Aww, now that's just not true. You obviously do something in your spare time!" Aizen easily ignored the stand-offish she was giving. It was what some of the pricklyer Nobles did at the events he sees held at the palace.
"Nothing." She repeated.
Aizen pondered at this. "Are you doing this because I'm a prince, or cause I'm annoying you?"
"Yes." She didn't need to elaborate.
"Ah, alright. I'm an little famous a guess, and loud, and you seem like someone who prefers peace and quiet..."
"How did you guess?" She said tonelessly, turning to Aizen. Aizen let out a tiny chuckle, making the girl's eyebrow twitch. She hadn't mastered hiding her emotions completely yet. Cut her some slack, she was three.
"Ah, sarcasm too? You are interesting. Nobody's ever used sarcasm to me yet." he told her. The girl sighed. Clearly, the respectful and diminutive lessons from mother and father couldn't be used here.
"I'm surprised that you even know what sarcasm is. It doesn't seem like something someone like you would get."
"Ooh, the claws are bared." Aizen sounded excited at that. " I like being happy, but my dad calls me a prodigy. He also said that Nobles can be slimy in their methods, so he taught me some things." Aizen was either fearless or stupid. Most concensus points to the former for now.
"So you wear a mask, then? Nobody that claims to be a 'prodigy' should be that stupid. You see the signs I don't want to talk." The girl wasn't going to back down, prince or not. Her parents would be oh so very pleased about that.
"Well, clearly you do want to talk, or you wouldn't be responding so fiercely." He said cheekily. "That mask must be to put off the stupid people. You don't get to talk much, do you?"
The girls fingers twitches.
"Your parents probably don't give you much freedom, huh? Your smart, but they wanted a boy or something? Kinda sad. They should see you for who you are-"
The girl reaches nearby and grabs a piece of chalk and throws it right into Aizen's forehead.
"Don't speak of things you don't know." The girl's face finally showed the annoyance she felt. Aizen rubbed his head before smiling.
"Wow. Your fearless, attacking a prince." He commented.
"And you are annoying, but I think we both knew that." She quipped.
"But you can't deny it, huh?" He questioned.
"Deny what?" She challenged. He grinned.
"That your actually having fun arguing and talking with me."
"I made a new friend at school today!"
Aizen happily told his parents and siblings at dinner that evening. The five were having a private dinner together today. And by private, that meant only one servant to do everything for them instead of the usual four to six. It also coincidentally was the very same woman that told Aizen about school.
"Oh, Aizen, that's wonderful news." Ursa said. She was always glad too see her children prospering.
"What kind of person is he, Aizen?" Azula's curiosity on who her brother would actually befriend first was peaked.
Ozai and Zuko didn't comment. Ozai because he knew his son would get to the point and Zuko... Well, he was annoyed. Yesterday, he said he made two new friends and he gets ignored by everyone but mom, but Aizen stops all conversation when saying he got one. It just wasn't fair.
"Well, first, its not a guy, she's a girl." He started. "And she's really interesting! She's a Nobles kid, that minor one with the always sad face, you know Dad? I think his name's Ukano?"
"That's right son." Ozai simply said, letting Aizen continue.
"Thanks dad. Anyway, she's usually quiet and stuff, ignored by the rest of the class. And she acts like those old noble lady's, not batting an eye at anything."
Azula's nose scrunched up. "She sounds boring, Aizen."
"Well, too most people, yeah." He agreed. "But that's just the front, you know? She's super smart, acing the test just like me. She's very stubborn, still not admitting to being my friend even though we totally are cause she finally accepted the cake. She's also ferocious. She threw chalk in my face!"
Ursa and Azula gasped at this, while Ozai looked at his son questioningly.
"But the best thing? She was born the day after me! We're literally a day apart. Ain't that cool?"
"What's this girl's name?" Ozai asked. His second son clearly had a weird choice in friends. But then again, he had no true friends, so who was he to judge friendships?
Aizen nodded to his father. "Ah, right, her name! Her name's Mai."
And the timeline changes a little bit again! First change is who meets Mai first. We don't know if it was Azula or Zuko, but not here. It was Aizen. Second, she was born a year earlier then canon. Nothing Aizen did, just how this world is. And third, instead of her being in the "Royal Academy for Girls" like her parents were originally planning, she was sent to Sozin Academy because it was announced during the summer that the Royal family would be sending their children there, and what scheming noble wouldn't send their child to the same school in an attempt to befriend Royalty?
... And about Aizen and Mai being very intelligent three year olds in what is basically Pre-K? Prodigy stuff. And I can't write kids. And just assume the Fire Nation school system is different from anything we got and we'll be fine.
Oh, and this chapter is the first glimpse at Aizen not just being a cake-obsessed innocent kid, but a charismatic and insightful one that can be manipulative when he's bored. He shares that with Azula, he's just more nice about it.