A/N Just a heads up, some of what's in this chapter may be disturbing. It will have mention of animal torture and we'll be seeing a very dark flashback involving young Azula and her mother. I've also based some of the experiences that Azula will have on what I read online about insane asylums in the 1850's, which I figured might be about the right time period for this one. So, no, the doctor isn't a sadist or anything, but the "treatments" are somewhat medieval.

-

Father had said something about a trip on a ship to see one of the battles in the Earth Kingdom. He'd said that he'd take Zuko with him. Azula had asked if she could go.

"Not this time. Your brother will lead this Nation one day. He must start learning now, how to run an army, how to give a proper speech, how to command by his divine right and to mean what he said. How to deal with captured spies." Father places his hand on his daughter's shoulder in a placating sort of way, although his face remained a blank slate.

"What if I could lead? What if I want to learn too? Why can't you take both of us?!" Four year old Azula crossed her arms.

"Because it would look as though I didn't know which of my children would inherit the throne after me. And any sign of uncertainty could spark an uprising. People take advantage of disorder. They take advantage of confusion. They take advantage of fear. If they see my decisiveness waver, they may decide to take the throne for themselves," He bent down close to her. "and kill me. And your mother, and your brother. And you, Azula. They would kill you too. We don't want that, do we?" Azula gasped and shook her head. Why would anyone want to kill her and her family?

Father turned and looked over his shoulder at Zuko struggling to carry his pack, which held his uniform and a spare one of his father's .

"Would you please be careful, boy! That uniform was your great grandfather Sozin's! I won't have it tarnished or damaged in any way by your carelessness." He snarled.

"Yes, Father. I'm trying my best!" Zuko panted.
"Well, try harder! We don't have all day! Honestly, your mother's made you soft!"

Zuko tried to go faster, but didn't watch where his feet were going. He tripped over a stone and fell. The uniforms stayed in the pack, but the sharp edge of one of the pieces of armor inside cut through Zuko's sleeve and his arm started to bleed.

Father rolled his eyes at his son's whimpers. Azula started to go over to help him, but Father reached out and snatched her back.

"Let's see what he actually can do on his own." Father sneered at Zuko.

Zuko did his best to get up and bring the pack over his shoulder again. He succeeded, but it was clear that his wound went deep. His left arm was much weaker than it should have been.

"Maybe I did choose the wrong heir." Father muttered, rolling his eyes.

Zuko overheard this and his tears fell faster, although he'd learned how to cry quietly months ago. Azula could tell he was ashamed of himself. She felt ashamed of him too, but she didn't really know why. He just looked...

"Pathetic." Father supplied. "Zuko, can't you do any better to control yourself? It's no wonder you can't firebend. No drive, no ambition. No self control. You're a disgrace to this family. Get those uniforms on the ship, then go to your cabin. I am to see no more of you until we reach Chameleon Bay."

There was that mention of firebending again. Azula knew it was important for the Fire Lord to be a Firebender. Grandfather Azulon was. Father was. Zuko should have figured it out by now, if past precedent was to be believed. At the very latest, he should figure it out in another year or two... Azula smirked. She had an idea.

"Father?" She asked.

"Not now, Azula." His exasperated tone does nothing to faze her.

"If I can learn to firebend before Zuko, can I go with you on your next trip?" She asked.

"Of course not!" He exploded. But then, he paused. "Do you think you can?"

"Yes!"

"If you can show me that you have more talent than your brother, then I'll take you with me when I go to visit your Uncle Iroh next year before the Siege of Ba Sing Se." He replied. "But it's very unusual for anyone to bend fire at your age, Azula. You'd have to be one of the best Firebenders in the world to do that."

"Then I'll be the best Firebender in the world!" She shouts.

"We'll see." Her father says, exasperated. But he smiled a little. Father never smiled. Azula felt very proud of herself.

-

"Princess. It's time to wake up now." Chey's voice pulls her out of her memory dream.
Azula's eyes are heavy. The doctor had reduced her medicine, but it still left her feeling drowsy most of the time.

"What time is it?" She asks.

"You know that I'm not allowed to tell you." He hands her some black tea and some smuggled pastry.

"I don't understand the rules in this ridiculous place." She growls.

"Nor do I, but we must make the best of it! We'll be out of here soon enough."
Azula hates how Chey is always so chipper. Someone needs to rain on his parade one of these days. She imagines the look on his face if his daughter were to die. That gives her some degree of comfort.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" She asks.

"Oh, I believe another visit with Doc. He'll want to see how you're settling in, I suppose. Then, a family member of yours wishes to see you. I guess those two things will take up most of the day. Then, I believe you're going to be getting a bath and massage this evening."

"Which family member?"

"I'm not to say."

Azula begins thinking of all the things she'll say to her brother. Starting with the demand that he get her out of this horrible place! And maybe ending with a story on how she was the one to kill Mother.

"Why are you smiling like that, Princess?" Chey sounds a bit concerned. Azula quickly brings her expression back to "normal".

"Sorry, Chey. Just...excited. I didn't think anyone still cared." She says.

"Of course they do! Well, your brother and Uncle, anyway." Chey insists.

"Those two don't care anything about me! They just want me to suffer!" She shrieks. She stands up, knocking the last of her tea over. She throws the remainder of her pastry across the cell.

"Princess! Please! If anyone finds out I've upset you, they might not let me be your guard anymore. I could get in terrible trouble!" Chey rushes to grab her shoulders in effort of comfort.

Azula wanted to tell the man that she would love to see what sort of trouble he'd get into. She envisioned him tied up and his daughter being beaten inches away. But, she had to keep up her act.

"I'm sorry, Chey. It's just..." She sits down and makes her voice shaky. She just can't summon fake tears. This will have to do.

"Just what, Princess? Please, you can trust me. If it's something you don't want anyone to know, I'm actually obligated by the terms of the agreement that I signed to keep it between us. I wouldn't say anything anyway. I want to help you." He kneels in front of her and keeps his hands on her shoulders.

"They don't actually care, Iroh and Zuko. Zuko just wants to flaunt his victory over me. He cheated anyway. He had the help of the Water Peasant during an Agni Kai that was supposed to be strictly between us! And the old man has always loved Zuko more. He agreed with Mother. He thought I was a crazy monster!" She avoids his eyes and throws as much effort as possible into an "about to cry" face.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Chey's voice sounds so guilty. Azula has to bite back a smile to avoid giving herself away.

"And what about my father? I know he's alive! Why isn't he getting help? At the very least, I want to speak with him! He's the only one who ever cared about me."

"Until he didn't, Azula." Mother's voice interjects. She appears behind Chey. Azula refuses to look at her. "Remember when he was going to leave you in the Capital while he went and made himself the king of the world? He used you, Daughter. You know this. Please, don't lie to yourself anymore."

I'll deal with you later, Mother.

"Princess, I... I don't know what to say. Maybe I can find someone to help. I know a few of those guards in the Tower. I can pass messages to them for your Father. I've been hearing of a few groups who aren't exactly pleased with your brother's reign and may be sympathetic to the idea of your father getting the help he needs. Perhaps, in a few years, if all goes well, your brother can hand the throne back to your father and you can all forgive and forget."

"Some things can never be forgotten." She spits venomously.

"No, I suppose not everything." He quickly amends.

"So, you think you can arrange a conversation with Father?" She forces herself to sound hopeful.

"I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best." He salutes. "Now, I believe that your visitor is here. Shall we go to see him?"

"Hello, my niece. It has been a while." Iroh says, as she sits down.

"Iroh?!" Everything that Azula had been planning to say flies out of her head. "What are you doing here? Where's Zuko?"

"Looking for your mother."

"I told him that she's dead!" She shouts.

"Yes, very rude of you." He remarks.

"What do you want?"

"I am not here for you. I'm here for Zuko. I promised him that I would visit often, to see how you're doing, and to keep him updated on your progress. Each time that I come, you can have a civilized conversation with me, or you can be silent. I'm only here at Zuko's request. And I will not leave by yours." Azula can see the anger in the man's eyes, even though everything else about him exudes calm.

"Tell my brother that I want out of this place. If he doesn't get me out of here himself, I will make him very sorry when I get out on my own. I will take something very near and dear to him in a very painful way. And he will never recover from it's loss." She threatens.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"What good would it do if I told you?" She laughs.

Iroh tries to converse with her about various things, from the weather outside, to the renovations at the Palace, to possibly seeing about some better accommodations for her if she needs anything, but Azula refuses to speak with him further.

When Chey appears to take her back to her cell, she instructs him that he isn't to speak to either Iroh or Zuko. She won't have them brainwashing her most important pawn.

The bath and massage that she is treated to is almost as good as the ones she'd received at the Palace. The workers are gentle, the essential oils used are the purest, the water is just the right temperature, and the food she gets here is of the highest quality.

"This is how I expect to be treated on a regular basis." She yawns. "That cell lacks civility. I suppose you all know who I am?"

"Of course, we know who you are. But don't think this is special treatment, dear." The lady tells her as she massages the shampoo into Azula's scalp. "This is a once a week thing for all of the patients. To help with the buildup of tension they experience during the week. They say a moment of quiet is good for one's mental health. The treatments during the week are the healing, this is the recovery."

"I don't care what it is, so long as it happens frequently." Azula stretches and takes another bite from the apple in her hand.

"Once a week." The lady says.

"WHAT? I only get to bathe once a week?" Azula sits up suddenly her hair yanks her back, since the lady hadn't had time to let go. Azula splashes soapy water at her in retaliation.

"It's not like you're doing anything that would make it necessary for you to bathe more, and you do have a wash basin and cloth brought to you each morning. You won't die from a little dirt." Her tone is somewhat disdainful, but still controlled.

Azula sulks a bit, then decides to test her luck with another question about what's going on outside the walls of this place.

"So, I hear my brother is off looking for a dead woman. How's that going?"

"I'm not sure. I heard he left a few days after bringing you here. But I haven't heard anything since."

So, you did bring me here to get me out of your way, didn't you, Zuzu? Afraid I'll take things over while you're gone? Well, you're right!

"So he left my Uncle in charge. I suppose he didn't really have any other options, did he?" Azula smirks. "And how do the citizens feel about this change in power, so soon after my brother assumed the throne?"

"I'm not allowed to say. We've been given orders not to discuss anything other than your family and childhood with you." The lady's voice is silky smooth and almost soothing, her earlier disdain now well masked.

"I'll be getting out of here one day, you know. This isn't prison, although it feels like it. I'll reward you greatly if you cooperate with me. And I'll punish you severely if you don't. I never forget a face, you know, and you do have such a distinct voice. I bet you're a singer out there, or were at some point. Wouldn't it be a shame if you were to lose that beautiful voice?" Azula turns to see if her words have had any effect.

The lady refuses to answer her, and her hands continue to work. She must hear things like this all the time. Her eyes betray nothing.

Azula slips back into the tub, letting the water wash over her shoulders.

Very well, peasant. If you won't obey, you will suffer.

"How have you been feeling, Azula? Have you enjoyed your weekly bath?" The doctor asks her. She refuses to respond. She's already said her piece to this man, she'll have nothing more to do with him.

"Chey tells me that you weren't fond of the idea of your Uncle coming to visit. Would you like to discuss that?" She rolls her eyes.

"What about this search of your brother's? Would you like to see your mother again, Azula?"

She continues trying to stare him down. She wants very badly to see this man squirm. She wonders how cowardly he'd be if she turned his own medicine back on him.

She knows they must give her something in her noon meal to make her more honest before her sessions in here. She could feel her control slipping anytime she opened her mouth between noon and dinner. She'd love to overdose him on that, see what secrets he might have. She had a hundred ideas on how to ruin his precious career.

"I can see that we aren't getting anywhere. You clearly don't trust me enough yet. Azula, did your father ever lie to you? You only need to answer the question. Yes or no?" He leans forward.

"If he ever did, he did so because it was necessary. I hold no ill will towards him." She lies through her teeth, even as the medicine pushes her to say more, to admit that it was complicated, that she didn't know what was true, or what was a lie.

"I see. It looks like there are some more serious blocks in your mind than I thought. We'll have to try a new way. Chey!"

Chey appears.

"You may take Azula back to her room. We won't get any further today."

Chey walks beside her without a word.

"You aren't going to ask me how it went?" She asks, as they pass through the courtyard.

"No. I know that you don't like it. And I can understand why."

"The doctor says he'll try another method. Any idea what he means?"

"I suppose it means exactly that. Another method. Don't worry though. I won't let them do anything too horrible."

"Any word on my father or who might be willing to help?"

"None yet. But the day after tomorrow, I should have a day off, and I'll be able to do more asking around."

"Who will watch me while you're away?"

"I don't know, but I promise no harm will come to you. This place is meant to help people."

When Azula wakes up, she's in a dark room. She feels a board beneath her and realizes that she's tied to it. She realizes that she can't open her eyes. The lids feel swollen and heavy.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Doc?" She hears Chey ask. She tries to turn her head, but finds that it's held down too.

"I can understand your concern. I know that it doesn't look very humane. But I can assure you that she won't feel a thing." The doctor's voice.

What do you mean "Won't feel a thing"?! What are you going to do?

"But, this is what we used to torture captured enemy spies with! How is this going to help the Princess?"

Torture?!

"She was raised in an abusive household. It's possible that she's repressed certain memories that may help her recover,if she can work through them. If she has such memories, this should help to trigger them. And she won't feel this or remember it, since she's unconscious. This was a successful treatment for many of our younger patients. It doesn't work as well on the older ones, but she's within the usual range."

You devil! I'll never talk! I've already got one person in my head! I won't let you in!

"You'll stop if she seems to wake up? You won't hurt her, right?"

You'd better not! Father will have your head when I get him out of jail!

"I'll stop immediately, if she shows a sign of stirring." Doc promises.

Liar!

The board pitches and she's immersed in water. She tries to scream when she comes back up, but all that she can manage is a slight sputter and cough.

"Again."

The board throws her back in. She's almost out of air!

Back up.

"Please! Doc, I think her lips are turning blue!" Chey begs.

"Once more." You'll regret this!

The water feels hard as concrete in her throat. She does her best to summon the heat of fire to burn through the wet ropes, even though she knows it's futile.

Back up.

"Alright, that's enough. Take her back to her room. Give her some hot chamomile tea when she wakes up. It'll help with any shock."

She feels herself being untied and realizes there's no straightjacket on her. She could escape if she only had the energy. She feels a gurney wheeling her down the hall. Chey's hand brushes her wet hair from her face.

"I'll take care of you, Princess. No matter what they may do to you. I promise. I'll care for you like my own daughter! Please, get well soon." He whispers to her.

She feels consciousness slipping away, but she tries to say something anyway. All that comes out is a small breathe of a moan.

Azula had tried everything that she could think of to make fire. Father and Zuko had been gone for a week and would be home soon and she still couldn't Firebend!

Mother had gone off to visit some friends for the day. Azula was bored of staying inside, and was out exploring some of the secret passages by the turtle duck pond. She found that she could enter most rooms of the castle without being spotted and could leave them all just as easily. There were a few she could barely fit through, making her wonder if they had been put there for use by child assassins.

She pondered what her father had said, thinking maybe it might provide her with some clue as to how to summon more than a little flickering flame in her palm. At least she'd always had that advantage over Zuko. He couldn't summon the tiniest spark.

She just had to figure out how to make it do what she wanted.

"No drive. No ambition! No self control." He'd said to Zuko.

"I just have to find my ambition." She thought to herself. "What do I really want?"

She thought of how badly she wanted to go with Father next fall to see the great wall of Ba Sing Se. She realized that to do that, she'd have to Firebend. Father also mentioned that she'd be heir to the throne if she could Firebend and Zuko could not. At the rate that he was going, he'd never learn!

"All that I have to do to rule the Nation is be able to Firebend."

She remembered Father's tiny smile at her insistence that she could learn. She didn't want to disappoint him now! Father never smiled! She, Azula, had made Father smile. She wanted that pride back. Imagine what he'd think if she could Firebend at four years old!

She summoned all her energy, all her ambition, all her desperation, and threw her fist to the sky.

A stream of bright orange flame erupted and burned a passing bird.

A huge grin spread over her face as she realized that she'd done more than most her age ever could.

Then, she noticed the bird hadn't gotten up. It was lying there, breathing hard, it's feathers still smoldering. It stank of burned flesh.

"You look pathetic." She commented to the bird. It's eyes darted over to her as it struggled to move away.

Azula laughed a little at it's helplessness and reached to pick it up. She pet it's head with a finger as it trembled in her hand. She knew she should take it to Mother to fix, but something stopped her.

She thinks of Zuko and how pathetic he looked as he tried to lift his and Father's things aboard the ship. She remembers the look of disdain in Father's eyes. She remembers how ashamed she'd felt of her brother.

She looked at the bird and saw her brother within it's pleading eyes. How weak and useless and stupid it was. It wouldn't last much longer on it's own out in the wild anyway.

Focusing intently, she heated up her hands. The bird started to thrash around, begging for freedom, but she held it tightly. The cries from it's beak were shrill and frantic.

Azula grinned and dropped it. She bent down to watch it breathe it's last.

"You're pathetic." She said to it again.

"Young lady! What have you done!" Her mother shrieked from behind her.

"I can Firebend, Mother! Won't Father be proud!" She ran over to Mother, but Mother ran past her toward the dead bird.

"I can Firebend, Mother." Azula repeats again, confused. Her mother glared at her.

"Azula, why did you do this to an innocent little bird?" Mother asked. Tears filled her eyes as she cradled the little burned lump.

"It was pathetic." Azula shrugged. "It helped me learn Firebending. Father said Zuko is pathetic. Father said that I..."

"I don't care what your father said!" Mother raged. "You can't do this to anyone! Not even birds! Do you know what it means to kill something, Azula?"

Why was Mother angry?

"I can Firebend." Azula repeated again. "Father will be proud of me. He hates Zuko."

"Your father doesn't hate Zuko." Mother said. Her tears overflow at last.

"He does. I heard you ask him why once. Why are you crying?"

"Why do you think, Daughter?" She held up the charred bird.

Azula really didn't understand what was so important to Mother about that bird.

"You're pathetic." Is her response.

"Go to your room, young lady! I'll speaking to your father when he gets home!"

"He'll be on my side." Azula crosses her arms.

"We'll see about that. Do as you're told." Her tone was firm and her tears seemed to have stopped.

"Why? Can you Firebend, Mother?" Azula taunts.

"Are you threatening me, Azula? I said go to your room."

Azula heated up her hands again. The heat comforts her from the sting of her mother's words.

"Make me." She challenged.

Mother reached for her. Azula let Mother steer her a few steps toward the Palace then turned and brushed her hands over Mother's arms.
Mother screaming in surprised and pain. Mother had always seemed strong. Now, Azula knew Mother was weak. Like Zuko, like the bird. Father didn't like weak. Father couldn't like Mother. Father would be proud of Azula for this lesson she's taught Mother.

"What's going on here?!" Father's voice came from ahead of them. Azula turned around and ran, looking for the bird.

"Father!" She yelled as she ran back to him, bird in hand. "Father, look! I can Firebend!"

He took the bird from her hand. He examined and looked her up and down.

"You did this?" He asked, at last. Azula nodded enthusiastically.

"Well done, Daughter." He said approvingly. Not the smile she'd been hoping for, but his words assured Azula just the same. She felt that warm pride again.

"I burned Mother." She said, a bit sheepishly. She looked back at Mother, who was watching them with a sort of blank horror.

"I can see that. Was it an accident?"

"No." She figured that it wouldn't do to lie to Father.

"Why did you do it?"

"She tried to make me go to my room. I didn't want to. I think she was mad about the bird." Azula was tempted to look away. Now that it was in the open, it seemed wrong.

"Well done." Father said again. "Never let anyone force you into anything. Come, I'll tell you about my journey."

She followed along until she realized that Zuko was not coming along.

"What's wrong, Zuzu? You look sick." She said.

His face paled more as he looked at the bird and his mother.

"Zuzu, don't you want to tell me and Grandfather Azulon about the wall, and the soldiers, and the battle?" She asked.
Zuko's face went whiter than a ghost's and he ran to the other side of courtyard and started vomiting everything in his stomach.'

"Pathetic." Her father commented. "Shall we go?"

And together, they left Zuko, her mother, and the dead bird.

A/N Okay... I'm in need of something more lighthearted after that. So, next chapter we'll catch up with Aang and the group. Sorry this one got darker than intended, but I was really thinking about it, and it seemed like a plausible way for Azula to have discovered her ability to bend so early on. And it explains the beginning of her sadistic side. And why she smiled in "The Storm" while their father burned Zuko. Let me know what you think. (If you have flames on this one, I'll take 'em. I'm feeling like I got a bit more evil than I should have here.)