Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender does not belong to me.

UGLY

by Undercooked

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy; when skies are gray. You'll never know dear; how much I love you. You have been my sunshine today."

She was beautiful in the achy mornings and she was beautiful when the sunshine ended and she looked beautiful with her face contorted in lovely agony.

No-one needed to tell her that she was beautiful.

She knew that.

She knew that she was beautiful, didn't she?

And no-one, no mother or friend or lover, needed to tell her that.

She didn't. Need. Anyone.

To tell her things?

No, to encourage her.

She was INDEPENDENT.

She was HERSELF.

She was BEAUTIFUL and she was DESIRABLE and she was CHARISMATIC and CHARMING and...and...

And she was SADISTIC and she was CRUEL and she was INSENSITIVE and everyone knew that and so did she and...

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?"

Her garden is twisted and overgrown and confusing, a maze of everything that she grows and cultivates then cuts down when it gets too close to the sun.

She is contrary.

She was a contrary child.

Her head rebels.

Not a contrary, sadistic child, a sweet pretty little thing.

Oh yes.

Sweet pretty little thing.

Not even her mother thought she was a sweet pretty little thing.

She thought her mother was a wonderful judge of character.

She could see the ugly girl.

Yes, Azula was an ugly girl.

She was an ugly, ugly girl and she always been this ugly.

And she knew that, but the sickly sweet part of her said no.

You are beautiful, beautiful.

You are sweet pretty and everybody wants you, you, beautiful, pretty thing.

Thick sleeves laced up over the cuts and burns.

Ugly arms.

She had to make them ugly.

Because somewhere under that beautiful skin, Azula was an ugly girl.

"Hush-a-bye baby, on the treetop. When the wind blows, the cradle will rock."