Zuko is born on a rainy day. When the weeds are drowned, water flows in the roads, a fog overwhelms the capital, and the smell of fermented soil wafts in the air.
But Azula is born when it shines. When the air is hot-tempered and thick, and willing to fight anyone who dares breath it in.
It's a peculiar case of mismatched births. Because Azula is the storm in every way her brother is not, and Zuko is the sun that shines in every way his sister is not.
(X)
Zuko giggles happily as he runs through the pond. Ursa watches from afar as her daughter chases him, a gleam in her eyes. They run and run until Zuko trips, falling onto his knees.
"Ow!" He flinches, and looks at his legs. His pants are shattered and ripped. Blood drips from its side, almost camouflaging with the red clothes.
"Zuzu! I caught you!" Azula says with a snicker, hitting her brother on his chest.
The pain worsens. "Mother!" Zuko cries.
Mother runs from the courtyard with tired lines on her face.
"Running again, Zuko?" Mother sighs. She takes out a bottle from her waist, and lets it caress over his wound. It stings. He winces.
After a while, Mother does make the pain go away. She puts a bandage over his leg, and offers him a quick lecture on being careful.
Azula is next to him. Her arms are crossed, like she is mad. This is how she always acts when she's mad. Her body is turned away from him. She flicks locks of hair from her eyes.
"Hey, Azula." He says.
His sister turns around.
"Wanna play Pai Sho after?"
She blinks. She smirks. "I always win."
"No!" He says. "Uncle taught me a few tricks!"
"Okay. Shoot!"
(X)
"Zuzu, you're hot garbage," his sister says.
"Ok, I was lying," He says in frustration. "Uncle didn't actually teach me anything."
"Really?" she says with a smug smile.
He groans, but in the end, it's all fair game.
(X)
"Azula?" Zuko says, prying the door to her room open. He sighs as he spots her dark silhouette laying on her bed. "It's morning."
"Go away," her raspy voice orders.
Her brother only quirks up his brow. "Are you sick?"
"Maybe," she mutters. He puts his hand on her forehand and waits. It's hot, burning hot. He feels the sweat, and smells it too.
"Agh!" Zuko recoils, pinching his nose to avoid her sweat-filled scent. "And I thought I was the one that smelled bad. What did you do last night?"
"Training," Azula manages to say, stirring in her bed. She waits for Zuko to draw his own conclusions.
"With father?"
"No, the Avatar."
"Har har," Zuko says dryly. "Listen, I'll come back with some tea to keep you awake. But remember, don't sleep too much. We, well, have to rise with the sun don't we?" He turns away and carries his legs out of her room.
"Thank you," she mumbles, not knowing if her brother had heard it or not.
(X)
Eyes now shift onto the princess. The crowd watches as she steps out of her palanquin. Zuko also emerges from his palanquin, his back slouched like a peasant. She shoots a glare at him.
Straighten up! Her eyes flash.
Why? His eyes reply. The prince scratches the back of his head.
Father! That's why!
He turns back right as Ozai leaves his palanquin. His father moves into the middle of them, a scowl deepening on his face as he turns to his son.
"Yes, father?" Zuko asks meekly.
"Straighten your back," Ozai commands under his breath. "We will talk about your inappropriate behavior later."
After a moment's hesitation, the prince nods. He can not even begin to think of what his punishment will be.
(X)
"You will learn Prince Zuko!" Ozai says, the darkness obscuring his face. Zuko kneels on the ground, much to the dismay of his father.
"Please Father!"
Ozai roars, causing the prince to flinch. "You will stay here for the rest of today! No one will see you! You will live in darkness!"
"I beg you father!" Tears prick the edges of his eyes. He blinks them away.
"I hope you learn your lesson by tomorrow." A sneer forms on his face. He reveals the keys from his pocket, dangling it as if to mock his son. He walks to the door's exit and chuckles.
"The realization stuns his body. His father wasn't bluffing.
"No! Father!"
Ozai slaps his son away. "You'll learn your lesson!" He slams the door shut. Zuko goes pale as the key turns tightly onto the lock.
"Mother! Please! Azula!" He shouts as high as his lungs can go, gripping the door's handle to try and pry it open. It doesn't work. No one had heard him.
He buries his face into his hand, tears rolling out of his cheeks. Mother and Azula would definitely notice his disappearance, he thinks to himself. Yes, they would get him out of here.
(X)
Zuko waits, time becoming an illusion more than something to keep track of. The howling dark lies so fervently in the room, taunting him with fears of ghosts and spirits. Every so now and then he hears voices. They were definitely servants, probably gossiping about useless drama. He wishes he could yell to them, but as he had learned, the walls were thick enough to block any sound from coming out.
"Do you think you know where Zuko is?" A sweet voice says. The prince couldn't believe his sister was right there. He scrambles to the door, putting his head against its iron wall.
"Afraid not Princess." Replies a servant, merely shrugging. He walks away, loaded with dirty plates of food.
"Azula!" Zuko shouts. "I'm here!"
However, his sister seems unfazed. Instead, she puts a hand on her chin, presumably in deep thought. Godammit Azula, he thinks bitterly. Get better ears.
Oblivious to all of this, the princess strolls off. "Maybe he's somewhere out in the garden…"
"No! Come on!" He tries banging the door but the sound does nothing. He slouches on the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Hmmm," says the voice of Azula again. Why was she coming back? "I wonder if... someone's in this room."
"Yes! Yes! I am!'
"Hmmm, must be a ghost."
He yells frantically, banging the room loudly. "Azula! I'm not a ghost!"
For a second, there is silence. Then a mischievous snicker makes its way into his ear.
"I know you're in there Zuzu."
"Yes? Really?"
"Just kidding!"
"No!" Zuko shouts furiously. She giggles again.
"This is not funny! Free me!"
Azula leans her back on the door. "Wait here then dum-dum. I think there's a passageway that leads up here."
"Well, get there quickly!"
"Just wait a few minutes."
Zuko watches, or more accurately, hears as Azula's footsteps gradually become quieter. He sighs out of relief. Sitting down, a tang of uncertainty rises in the pits of his stomach. He could be getting Azula in trouble, or worse, put in here with him.
Maybe I should just wait it out, Zuko thinks, softly rubbing his chin. Then a groan hits his face.
I should've just told Azula to get Mother, he thinks, now practically face-palming at his stupidity.
Minutes pass by. The prince's anxiety follows it, building up with every second. He hugs his knees tightly as the darkness engulfs him.
It's cold.
Freezing cold.
He tries everything he knows. Jabs at the air, forms that he knew from watching Azula. There is nothing. No sparks emerge from his empty palm. He yells in an exasperated voice. How hard was it?
The silence is deafening. He swears he can hear his own heartbeat. Zuko remembers what his Uncle told him.
"Fire comes from the breath young Zuko," Iroh said with a chuckle.
Zuko took a sip of tea. "I'm probably a non-bender anyway." He expects his Uncle to agree, after all, that's what his father had knocked into his head many times before.
Iroh though shakes his head. "My nephew, many firebenders reach their first spark when they're seven. You still have time."
"Azula reached it when she was three!"
"She is a natural prodigy, but that does not mean she will be the best. Hard work comes a long way to success. Talent is only the base."
"How do you come up with all these proverbs?"
"Tea, Zuko."
He stops panting. He allows himself a moment to rest. The freezing air now sends chills down to his knees.
Zuko slows down his breath until it is calm. The mushrooms of air he blew out of his mouth are now becoming less frequent. Inhaling, he draws himself into a common kata. The prince stretches his right arm. Then his legs. Then…
Hiss! A crack of fire dances from his hand, instilling a much needed warmth for Zuko. The orange jet of flames colors the room, forcing a group of mice to frantically run away. He grins and mentally notes to thank his Uncle later.
"That was nice," a voice says. It's coming from the floor.
"Azula," Zuko frowns as he tries to look for her. "Where are you?"
"Dum-dum," she mutters from his left. A plate of the floor is seemingly held up, revealing Azula. He smiles at the sign of her face. "C'mon, let's get out of here."
Much to her dismay, Zuko shakes his head. "You'll get in trouble if he finds out."
"You're telling me that I came all the way to this Agni forbidden—.. is that a mouse?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, look, I came here to save you from this hell and I'm not leaving without you."
"Ask mother then," he says with a shrug, "but I don't want you to get in trouble."
She quirks up her brow. "So you want Mother to get in trouble?"
"Well..."
"You're an idiot."
He grins sheepishly and scratches the back of his head. "You saw my fire bending?"
"Of course I did. Congrats, your first spark in your entire seven years of worthlessness."
"Thanks." He smiles and she returns it.
"Just don't die in here."
"Noted."
She gives one last nod before lowering the plate. He watches as she disappears, leaving him back to his thoughts.
(X)
"So, I take it you learned your lesson?" A booming voice says from the door. The prince nods, before standing up with a bow.
"Father, I want to show you something."
He waves his hand carelessly, gesturing to his son to show whatever useless tool he has learned. The prince puts himself back into the kata and…
Crackle! A hot stream of flames engulfs the room again. Zuko turns to his father, who is now rubbing his goatee very curiously. Ozai curls his lips and lets the words slip out of his mouth.
"Finally," he says with a cold tone. "All it took was being trapped in a room. Prince Zuko, you're dismissed."
His son gulps down. Ozai turns away, his footsteps echoing across the hall.