Kozar

Late 89 ASC...

In the garden outside the fire nation royal palace. Three young children are playing. Well one is, the other two are fighting over a toy sword. Strangely the one who isn't fighting over it is the owner of the toy. Zuko's happy laugh was drowned out by an argument between his two siblings.

"Zuko said I could play with it." Whined the smaller of the two, a 3 year old boy with dark messy hair and bright blue eyes. He was shorter than his sister, stocky like his uncle had been at a similar age, stocky for someone so young anyway.

"I don't care what Zuzu said it's my turn fatty." Azula was taunting the younger boy with one of her favourite insults. She knew Kozar Kasanji wasn't really fat, but it still got the desired reaction.

"I'm not fat." Her little brother's eyes started to well up as he looked down at the floor in a bid to hide his tears.

"And you're a crybaby." Added Azula for good measure, then laughing as she wrenched the sword out of Kozar's grip. She taunted him with it, holding it too high for him to reach. Suddenly both of them turned to notice that the door into the garden was open and their father was striding outside to the scene.

"What's going on." He said in an unusually kind voice.

"I won this sword fair and square and now Kozar's crying about it." Azula said smugly

"Am not." Replied Kozar

"Am too."

"Am-"

"That's enough Kozar, if you can't stand up for yourself and you're then going to cry about it you should just get out of your sister's way.

"That's enough! Go to your room now!"

Kozar glared hatefully at Ozai and walked inside still able to hear one last taunt from Azula.

"I'm stronger, faster and smarter than you. You'll never catch up." She was only four years old but it was already one of her favourite sayings. Zuko turned round at the familiar taunt, but quickly looked away before Azula noticed. He knew she was right and it hurt him as much as it hurt Kozar.

The youngest prince lay on his bed looking up at the ceiling, he could still hear Azula's taunts in his head. They hurt, but the truth hurt more. Kozar was sensitive, and he knew she was right. He may only be 3 years old but he realised something. Ozai loved Azula the most and Ursa loved Zuko the most. Kozar was disregarded by Ozai and ignored by Ursa. But if he couldn't win a competition for his parents love he could win at other stuff. Kozar then walked to the window, pulled back the curtain and jumped out onto the tree branch outside his window. It was a thick branch but he still nearly lost his balance. After this and a couple of wobbles he began climbing down. He reached the ground, landing softly and looking around to check that no one had seen him. He then walked to the edge of the forest the royal family's land included. The trees looked dark and mysterious. His natural curiosity got the better of him and he wandered in anyway. He noticed nothing much for a few minutes before suddenly hearing a sound behind him. A quiet hiss, he jerked around but saw nothing. He then continued very slowly and ears listening for the sound. He heard nothing for a couple of minutes, then it happened again, louder this time. Menacing. He began running, and didn't stop until whatever it was was far behind him. He sighed with relief, then after a little while stumbling around he found his way back to the edge of the woods. There stood Azula, and worse his father. Kozar gulped, then glared at Azula realising it was her who had made the hissing noise.

"You did it didn't you? You scared me." Azula put on her innocent look

"I was just trying to teach you a lesson, not to go into the woods." Ozai then interrupted this brief exchange

"How dare you disobey me." He growled, low and scarier than anything Kozar had heard in the woods. "Get out of my sight before I do something you won't forget for the rest of your life!" Kozar may have been little but he still picked up the warning signs, he backed away, then turned and ran inside to the safety of his bedroom that a couple of hours ago he had been desperate to escape. Then it dawned on him that he had to go back to those woods, the thrill was too great. Kozar had found two things he enjoyed, running and exploring, that night he went deeper than before, and came upon a shocking secret. A secret that made the little prince's blood run cold...