I need a beta for this story. I am a perfectionist and have trouble with both words and punctuation. If someone is willing to help me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Main Pairing: Azula/Katara

Side Pairings: Zuko/Mai, Aang/Toph, Sokka/Suki

Setting: Since Aang/Katara is cannon, this is an AU. The story begins before the gang meets Azula.

Warning: I love Zuko, but since most of this is through Azula's eyes, there is Zuko-bashing(at least in the beginning).

A weak dovebat lay at her feet. Dirty down covered a few small patches on its tiny body; the rest was left to wrinkled pink skin. The dovebat wasn't very old, that was obvious by its pitiful chirps and its inability to do anything more than wiggle uselessly.

The child glanced above her and saw a mother dovebat feeding her young, all of which looked like the one at her feet.

The fall from that branch to the ground should have killed the baby. That it was still alive and able to cry for help was a miracle.

Looking back down at the ugly lump, she decided to help. She crushed the creature beneath her heel.

"Azula!" Her mother's form appeared next to her like smoke appears from flames.

Azula saw the horrified look on her mother's face as she shook her head and stepped away from Azula.

"But I helped it." Azula didn't understand, only the strong survive, the baby had been week. If she had left the thing live, it would have suffered. By killing it, she spared it unnecessary pain... She had been nice, like Ursa always wanted her to be. Why was her mother looking at her like that?

"Monster." The word snuck through her mother's lips as a breath. When the word vanished, so did Ursa.

"Mom?" Azula clenched her fists and spoke loudly. She was scared, never show fear, it will get you killed. Azula wouldn't show she was afraid; she was a good girl... Then why had her mother looked at her like that, why had she called her a monster?

An intense and familiar pain started in her shoulder and spread through her small frame like lightening across the sky.

Azula was proud she didn't scream.

Turning, she saw her father toying with a fire whip in his fingers.

He shook his head, "Why did you kill that dovebat, Azula?"

Azula felt her fists clench and her back straighten. She was scared again...he was mad. "It was weak, only the strong survive."

"Yes and you killed it out of mercy, didn't you, Azula?" His hard eyes stared into hers as his hold on his whip switched to a ready position.

"I-" Azula knew she couldn't do anything but accept her punishment and try to do better next time.

"Do not feel mercy, Azula, it makes you weak. The weak die. Say you captured an earthbender who held vital war secrets. Once you retieved those from him, would you release him?"

"No."

"Why?"

"He would come find me. If he were smart, he would bring friends to help him face me. If I were to lose to him..." Somehow, Azula thought of her mother and how she would dislike this lesson.

"Yes, Azula?"

"They would kill me."

"Very good. So what would you do once you got everything you needed?"

"If I tried to keep him prisoner, he could escape and kill me. I should kill him before he can kill me." She looked to her father hoping for approval.

"Good." His cold partial smile stretched his lips.

Azula felt pride fill her.

"What did you do wrong?" He gestured with the whip to the dovebat's disfigured body.

"I showed mercy. Mercy will make you weak and get you killed."

"Good." His tone signified her lesson was over.

Azula did what was expected of her; she turned her back to her father and pulled the back of her shirt over her head. Azula shut her eyes to ready herself. Ten lashes. She was glad it was so short. Ten cuts that shot lightening through her core and scorched her young skin. She was glad she had learned her lesson so well.

Azula held the doll her uncle Iroh had given her with disgust as Zuko played with his new dagger behind her. The dagger had been taken from an earthbender when he surrendered...Her...doll had been purchased and wore the latest earth kingdom fashions.

Azula loved having tea with uncle and hearing his laugh. Her father detested the man, but Iroh was nice, like her mother.

Azula stared at the lifeless eyes of the cloth creation. She hated dolls; she had told Iroh that she couldn't stand them. They were creepy little soulless puppets. The only difference between a doll and a corpse was the smell...and a lack of horrified shouts. She had told him all of this, yet he sent her one anyway. He sent her something he knew she hated.

Zuko made stabbing motions with his knife. He was pretending to be a fire nation soldier.

Azula watched her mother smiling lovingly at Zuko. Why couldn't she look at her too?

Azula bent down and picked up a rock. She brought her arm slowly back only to thrust it forward with a snap and let the rock fly. The rock hit her target.

Instantly her mother was cradling the injured turtleduck and reprimanding Azula.

She was looking at her, but not like she looked at Zuko.

Her brother stood in one side of the ring frozen in shock. Her father stood tall in the other.

Azula smiled. Ursa always shielded weak little Zuzu from Ozai's lessons. Not this time. This time, Zuko would be taught the way she had always been. Ursa wasn't here to pick favorites.

Zuko kneeled and begged Ozai to forgive him; he didn't want to fight his father.

Coward. Why couldn't he just take his lesson and learn from it? Why did he always have to be so weak? Why did he always beg for someone to shield him? Azula never did any of that. Why was he everyone's favorite? Azula was strong, she learned quickly, and she was a firebending prodigy. Everyone loved pathetic little pleading Zuko. Everyone feared her.

Fear is power. Fear was stronger than love. "One will betray the one they love before the one they fear." Azula had fear, she would not be betrayed.

Azula smiled once more when her father shot a ball of fire into Zuko's face. Her brother's screams filled the air as the fire scarred his skin. Weak.

Azula was falling. Her organs felt like they were trying to rearrange themselves within her as she dropped.

Zuko screamed. He was beside her and falling just as quickly.

Azula was afraid, but she had learned to hide it better than she did when she was a child. The only sign was now a widening of her eyes.

A dragon swooped down from the clouds above. Long talons opened and grabbed Zuko. On the back of the red giant sat Iroh, Mai, Ty Lee, and her mother... The dragon flew away leaving her to fall.

When Azula could no longer see its form, she let her fear show in the form of a whisper, "Help."

-break-

Katara shot up soaked in sweat.

She was in her tent, safe, on the ground, and in her own body. Katara took a deep breath and tried to calm her heart.

What a nightmare.

-long break-

Hate. Anger. Power! They filled her. Azula channeled the power, controlled it, and relished in the feeling. She smiled at the shot of flames that burst from her fist.

Blue flames: a constant reminder of her ability.

Never before had a firebender produced blue flames. Never before had a firebender tamed lightening quite so easily. Azula was a prodigy. The descendent of Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku (despite being an Avatar, he was a powerful firebender). She could send powerful men running with just a smile. She was Azula!

"Fire Princess Azula, Fire Lord Ozai requests your presence in the throne room immediately."

"Then I'd best not keep Father waiting." Azula spoke smoothly and confidently.

She stepped from her stance and left her personal training area without sparing the messenger another thought. As she passed, servants paused their daily chores to bow to her.

Azula possessed nearly unimaginable power. She was second only to her father. She smiled, making those near shy away. Someday, she would take her father's place. She would be Fire Lord and the most powerful one in history. She was Azula!