PRODIGY

Synopsis: Prodigy. It was a word Prince Zuko would be hearing increasingly more often over the next few days. It was a word that most commonly brought on fame and recognition and… honor. And it did, but not for him. No, this time the fame was for none other than his four-year-old sister; Princess Azula.

A/N: So this is a request I had from GirlWaterShaman in her review to Brotherly Love. It kind of gives some background to what made Azula evil. I hope the kids sound like their age, and I hope it all sounds believable. I let my good friend Arcole read it and she really liked it, so that's always good. But, yeah, just read and review and don't be too harsh please! Oh, and thanks you GirlWaterShaman for the wonderful review and idea!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or any of the characters or places or ideas or anything. I mean, really. If I owned the show, it wouldn't be over now would it?

ON WITH THE STORY!

XXX

An exhausted Zuko ran as fast as his legs could carry him down the long corridors of the palace. How he was able to travel at a dead sprint after the rigorous training he'd had that day he wasn't sure. (From the moment his father noticed hints of firebending in him, he was put on a gruesome training schedule. "To make you the best you can be," they told him, but he always saw it to make him as tired as he could be.) But, after all, it was his sister's fourth birthday part, and he had the benefits of youth on his side.

So he ran.

And when he finally reached the giant double doors that led out into the courtyard, he peeked behind the heavy red curtain that hung in front. He needed to make sure he hadn't missed anything too important. He knew he was late (It wasn't my fault, he kept telling himself), but luckily he spotted the unopened presents sitting on a table out of the way; their metallic red wrapping paper and glittering bows shimmering in the summer sun.

The table, along with the rest of the courtyard was adorned with bright streamers and balloons. Pink table cloths covered the perfectly prepared tables; each place setting complete with matching dish set and a traditional party mask. It was definitely a party fit for a princess, because Azula wouldn't have it any other way.

Luckily, she seemed happy from what Zuko could tell from his place at the door, but he could tell something wasn't quite right. Her golden eyes spontaneously darted around the yard every so often.

She was looking for him.

Zuko smiled softly at this knowledge and gently pulled open the large doors. With all the noise from the squealing children and chatting parents, he could have easily snuck up on any of girls, but Azula was different. She had her way of sensing when Zuko was around. He'd never been able to sneak up on her… ever. Not even when Azula was just an infant. She always knew. But that didn't stop him from trying.

The prince quickly darted from bushes to trees trying to find cover whenever possible. At last, he managed to find himself behind a rather large tree right behind his sister. Tiptoeing as quietly as he could up to the young girl, he motioned to her friends not to tell her he was there. They giggled quietly and he continued his advance.

Just before he could make his move, Azula whipped around to face her brother, a childish smirk placed on her face.

"You caught me," Zuko sighed, getting down on eye level with his sister, which didn't happen to be too far, since he was only six-years-old himself.

Azula giggled and jumped into her brother's arms. "You're late, Zuzu. You almost missed present time."

"I know. I'm sorry. But it wasn't my fault." He looked down at his sister who seemed to be in her own world. She obviously wasn't paying attention anymore. It frustrated Zuko to no end at his sister's short attention span, but his mother always told him 'it was the nature of a four-year-old'.

This time Azula seemed to have turned her attention to the glimmering presents across the yard. Zuko laughed and set his sister back on the ground. She immediately headed for her mother and began tugging on the edge of her sleeves, pulling her toward the gift table. He watched his sister in amusement, her face darkening with determination with every stride, and he strained to hear his mother's sparkling laughter over the noise of the party.

Finally, Azula had struggled her way to the mountain of gleaming red and gold, and her eyes lit up with childish amazement as she reached up and took one. Ursa gently ruffled her daughter's hair as she called the guests over to watch "present time". Zuko found a nice seat in the back to watch his sister. As much as he loved his sister and liked making her happy (being there made her happy, and that was the only reason he was there at all), it was still a little embarrassing to be sitting with a bunch of little girls.

He was stifling a yawn from the exhaustion finally catching up with him when he felt a strong hand come down on his shoulder. Zuko followed the hand up all the way to his father's head staring down at him. "You look bored," Prince Ozai assumed sitting down next to his son.

"Yeah, bored," Zuko muttered, knowing better than to tell his father he was tired. He could feel Ozai's eyes on him for a few minutes more until he finally turned to watch his daughter. Zuko didn't realize he had been holding his breath the whole time.

XXX

The next morning, Zuko woke up early as usual and changed into his training shorts and put his hair up. Zuko opened his door to see his sister standing outside clutching her blanket.

"Where are you going?" she asked, staring up at him with big, honey-colored eyes.

"To practice." Zuko wasn't much for talking in the mornings.

"Oh. Practice for what?"

"Firebending." Zuko tried to walk down the hall past his sister, but she was persistent. She wound up following him all the way down the hall.

There was a pause, and then, "What's that?"

Zuko stopped abruptly in the middle of the hallway. He thought a minute. How was he supposed to explain firebending to a four-year-old? Zuko bent down on one knee as an idea struck him. If he couldn't tell her, he'd show her. He held out his hand and created a small flame in the palm of his hand.

Azula's eyes grew big as she watched the flame dance and grow in her brother's hand. "I wanna try," she said, clearly astonished.

Zuko laughed out loud at this. There was no way a child of her age could do that. Most firebenders didn't begin noticing signs of the ability until they were about six or seven. Azula surely couldn't, but nonetheless, he played along. "Okay, you just hold out your hand," he paused for Azula to follow his instruction, "close your eyes," another pause, "and concentrate really hard."

Zuko watched his sister's hand, half expecting something to happen. After a few minutes Azula cracked an eye open and asked, "Did I do it?"

"Nope. Try it one more time, but this time, concentrate really, really hard." Zuko waited a few more minutes, watching Azula's hand, and was about to get up to leave, when out of nowhere, a tiny little flame burst out of the skin on the princess's tiny hand. Zuko's eyes widened out of shock and amazement. She did it. She really did it. She, a four-year-old toddler just firebended.

Azula obviously noticed the heat in her hand because her eyes snapped open and a grin that spanned from one ear to the other graced her lips. "I did it Zuzu! I--" but she couldn't finish. Zuko's hand came down on her mouth.

"Shush!" Zuko looked around quickly to make sure no one saw what he had, and he grabbed his sister's hand and practically pulled her down the rest of the way to the breakfast room. A perfectly portioned breakfast of fruits and nuts was set out on a table, waiting for him.

Zuko sat down in front of his meal and looked Azula in the eyes. "Look, don't tell anyone you did that. Now, just go back to bed until Mama comes and gets you up, and remember: DON'T tell her what you did."

Elation quickly dissolved into fear in the toddler, and she asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

Zuko shook his head quickly. "No, it wasn't wrong. Just," he sighed, "just don't tell anyone."

Azula hung her head and turned around. Zuko watched her as far as he could as she plodded down the hall back to her room. He slid down in his chair and laid his head back. Staring up at the ceiling, he came to a revelation: This would be his secret. No one else ever had to know. No one else needed to know. Zuko was smart; he knew how hard he was being worked and pushed. And he knew that his father wasn't one to go easy on anyone. He knew without a doubt, they wouldn't just train Azula.

They'd kill her.

XXX

By dinner that night, Zuko's "secret" was beginning to get to him. He sat silently watching his food, expecting it to burst into flames any minute… much like Azula's palm had. He was getting nervous. He knew it was only a matter of time until Azula would spill her talent. She could only hold in secrets for a limited amount of time, and he was trying his best to prepare himself for the moment it all came out. He never knew it would be so soon though.

He knew it was coming, however, by the way Azula kept fidgeting. She was beginning to lose her cool, and he knew it. Zuko winced as she finally broke. Her tiny voice filled the silence in the room. "Daddy, look what I can do!"

Ozai's head snapped up sharply at the sudden disturbance of their meal, but his stern look shifted to curiosity as he watched his daughter hold out her hand and close her eyes. Zuko held his breath, part of him hoping it worked (he'd hate for her to embarrass herself) and part of him praying to the spirits it wouldn't (they'd kill her, repeating in his mind). But regardless whether he wanted it to happen or not, it did. Just like before a small orange flame popped into her hand.

He heard a small gasp from his mother, but the only sign anyone else was impressed was the look in their eyes. He could see pride in his father's, the same pride that had been in his eyes when Zuko began firebending. A sudden wave of jealousy washed over him, but disappeared instantaneously at the look in his grandfather's eyes. It was a look he had never seen before; one that seemed to imprint itself on his mind. It scared him more than any look he'd ever seen.

XXX

Just as Zuko feared, Azula was put to work immediately. It was almost like he sat back and watched as the whole palace was picked up in a whirlwind. He rarely ever got to see his sister anymore, and it saddened him to only get to see her when he passed her in the halls or at supper. On top of that, she seemed to change every time he saw her. She was growing up really fast suddenly, and he was missing it. It seemed to him that his little Azula was changing and turning into something different. Her movements were almost robotic; like she was having the same principles drilled into her head over and over and over again.

Zuko was almost positive they were. She was much younger than he was… or, enough younger that she could be told things over and over and they would stick. But this didn't only apply to the ideals they were drilling into her. He'd noticed Azula had become more arrogant. Every time someone even uttered the word "prodigy" or told her how well she was doing or how much better she was than everyone else, she stored it in her head. She recorded every compliment, every good remark. She was amazingly gifted and she knew it.

She was better than Zuko, or if she wasn't then she would be soon… and she knew that too.

XXX

Zuko sighed and closed his eyes as he rested back against the tree, or really, the only shady spot in the yard. He was finally through training for the day, and he decided to take advantage of the break. He was almost asleep, too, when out of nowhere, Azula and her teacher burst through the palace doors and into the courtyard, flames shooting everywhere.

He watched in astonishment at the ferocity of his sister as she attacked the master firebender. After a year of training, and at five years old, she was at intermediate level. Zuko hated to say it, but it was getting harder and harder to lie to himself. She was better than him. Maybe not by much now, but she was advancing at a rapid pace. Surges of envy wracked his mind. She had become the better firebender. She was now the talk of the palace, the whole Fire Nation even. She had taken his place in their father's eyes. It was then that Zuko came to another conclusion, she would not beat him. He would train all day every day if that was what it took. Whatever it took.

He looked up when he noticed the sparring session was over. He watched the two benders bow to each other, and the older one walk back inside. Azula, however, came to sit by her brother.

"Hello, Zuzu," she said hardly even out of breath. Zuko flinched at the nickname. It suddenly went from his sister's cute nickname for him to the most annoying thing he'd ever heard.

"Hi," he replied, not even bothering to look up.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, her tone something other than concerned.

"Yeah, everything's fine," he lied. "We just haven't had much time to talk lately."

"You're right. We haven't." Azula almost sounded… thoughtful as she said this. Almost. But she just sounded grown up to Zuko. She wasn't talking like a little kid anymore. It kind of scared him.

And he almost commented on his observations, but his father's voice from across the courtyard stopped him. "Azula, Fire Lord Azulon and I need to speak to you."

Azula stood up and dusted herself off. "Bye, Zuzu," she said with a wink as she followed her father into the palace.

Zuko could only think of one thing to say through his spontaneous anger, and he called it out to her even though she was too far inside to hear it. "Since when do you wink?!"

XXX

After sitting for a minute against his tree, Zuko began to wonder just what the three of them talked about in their little meetings. It was probably just more praise for Azula. But whatever they had to say, they must have felt to need to say it over and over again. The prince had seen the three of them go into those meetings and stay for hours. It was beginning to pique his curiosity. So, looking around for anyone that might be watching, he stood up and followed the path Azula and their father took. It led him to a room blocked off by nothing but a curtain.

This is too easy, he thought. Surely they would have picked a room a little more sound proof if it was anything important. But Zuko stood on one side of the door listening anyway.

"Azula, your progress is moving at a most pleasing rate," the Fire Lord's voice purred, reminding Zuko of a spider trying to entice its next meal.

Zuko heard a small thank you from Azula and then his father, "We are doing our best to make sure she gets the proper instruction from the best masters."

"Excellent. I think she will do great things and go quite far. Much farther than that brother of hers. He's… slacking, Ozai." Zuko was taken aback at his grandfather's words.

He waited for his father to defend him, but the only thing he heard was a small "I know" until his grandfather continued. "But that's not what I wanted to discuss with the two of you. I want to enroll her in the Royal Fire Academy for Girls as soon as she is old enough. Though, I'm sure she could get in before that with her talent."

"Of course. I was thinking the same thing myself. I'll have her enrolled as soon as possible." Zuko could hear the pride in his father's voice. He wished they were discussing his future in there and not his baby sister's. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

"That would be all, but Ozai," Azulon's voice dropped considerably as they reached the doorway. "Azula will be the greatest asset we have in this war. I want her in military condition; physically and mentally." Zuko jetted around the corner as the red velvet curtain was pulled back. He almost ran down the hall, but stopped himself when he heard the Fire Lord add one more thing. "Oh, and see what you can do about that boy of yours."

As he ran back down the hall, pieces fell together inside his mind to create yet another epiphany. They're not killing her, he thought. No, they wouldn't do that.

They're using her.

XXX

Weeks later, Zuko found himself outside again, but this time he wasn't sitting. Sweat dripped from his face and every muscle in his body burned from unyielding work. But he pressed on, knowing that each moment he kept going was making him stronger. It was getting him one step closer to his sister. No baby sister of his was going to show him up.

And as if right on cue, she appeared; right in his line of fire in fact. For a second, Zuko thought he was going to fry his sister, but she side stepped it moments before it would have reached her head. A burn like that would leave one nasty scar, he thought almost maniacally.

"I wanted to talk to you, if you're done training for the day," she said, her request sounding much like a demand, but so innocent at the same time.

"I guess I was. What did you need to talk about?" Zuko picked up a towel he had taken with him and used it to dry himself off. But with the sun at its highest place in the sky it would only be a matter of time before he was nothing but a puddle himself.

"Let's go to the pond. It's shadier there, and you look exhausted." Azula smiled a smile that didn't quite look genuine to Zuko. But nonetheless, he shrugged and followed her.

Once they reached the small pond, he sat down on the edge, slipping his feet into the cool water. He repeated his question. "What did you need to talk about?"

"Just that I'm going to be leaving soon. I'm going to miss you." Azula sat down beside her brother and rested a small hand on his shoulder.

Zuko arched an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Where are you going?"

"The Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Daddy says it's for the best of the best."

"I'm sure it is," Zuko muttered as he watched a group of turtle-ducks swim up. He was wishing he had something to feed them when out of the corner of his eye he watched Azula pick up a rock and throw it at one of the baby animals.

His eyes grew wide in shock. "What was that for?"

Azula shrugged. "They were listening to our conversation."

"They're turtle-ducks. What does it matter if they heard us?"

The princess looked her brother deep in the eyes. "Trust no one, Zuzu."

Zuko was shocked to say the least. This wasn't his little sister. His little sister would never deliberately hurt anything. She used to always love the little turtle-ducks. He couldn't seem to figure out why Azula was turning into such a monster. It just wasn't her. He loved his little sister, but he hated the … thing she was becoming. Zuko could tell, even at seven, that his family was quickly spiraling downward.

At last, he was able to find a way to speak. But he couldn't get his voice above a strained whisper no matter how he tried. "You could have just told them to go away or something. You didn't have to scare them like that. Now they'll never come back."

"Exactly."

"Scaring people isn't how you're supposed to get what you want."

"People listen to fear, Zuzu." Azula was right, but Zuko could tell from her tone that this was one of the lessons she was having drilled into her. A five-year-old couldn't come up with a sentence like that. Or at least he hoped they couldn't.

Zuko stood up and stared down at his sister for a long time before he shifted his gaze to the turtle-ducks quickly retreating to the other side of the pond. Finally, he just turned around, unable to look at either one of them. And walking back into the palace, he came to a final conclusion:

He'd work harder than ever. He'd have to. He was no longer concerned that Azula would show him up. He was more concerned that he'd have to spar with her. Unless he worked very hard, one thing was sure.

She'd kill him.