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Crown Prince Zuko hated his sister. She was cruel and manipulative and just plain mean. Azula never failed to flaunt her strengths against Zuko’s weaknesses. Azula also seemed to make Zuko look like an idiot in front of their father. Only today, Azula pinned Zuko during sparring practice in record time. She then later broke his ornamental dagger that Iroh had brought back from an Earth Kingdom campaign.
Watching the lightening flash outside his bedroom window, Zuko avowed for the third time this week to never speak to his sister again. Thunder boomed, shaking the palace.
Suddenly, Zuko feel tired and drained from the day’s events. Letting out a heavy sigh, Zuko turned away from the window to clamber into bed. He drew back the sheets only to discover a small body huddled under the covers.
Zuko bit back a yelp as visions of gruesomely grinning demons flashed through his mind and quickly pulled back the covers further down his bed.
It took a few moments to realize his eyes were clenched shut, and then another whole second to convince himself to open his eyes. Slowly lifting his eyelids, Zuko cautiously peered down on his bed. Eyes widened, Zuko mused, slightly hysterically, that a demon in his bed was not far off from the truth.
Curled up in the center of his bed lay Azula. Lightening briefly illuminated her for an instant and Zuko could see her eyes emitting a fierce glare.
Zuko saw red, ready to order his sister out of the room. Then, thunder roared and Azula’s face went bone white. She dove under a pillow, burrowing her head.
All of Zuko’s anger quickly melted as soon as he heard a soft sob came from underneath the pillow.
Zuko let out a huff of frustration and climbed onto the edge of his bed. He gathered Azula awkwardly in his arms. “Tomorrow, I’m not going to speak to you,” he warned, “I still hate you.” Zuko gently tucked Azula into his side and fixed the pillows around them.
“Duh, loser,” Azula primly said from Zuko’s side, her hands still scrunched tightly on his shirt.
Time passed and Zuko felt drowsier and drowsier. The storm waned and the thunder claps grew softer. Zuko almost drifted off after one of the last rumbles of thunder when he heard Azula’s soft voice.
“I’m gonna beat it you know,” she murmured sleepily.
“Beat what?” Zuko yawned.
“The lightening, Zuzu. I’m gonna conquer it.”
Zuko looked down at Azula’s small body, and cuddled closer to her. “I don’t doubt it.”
Azula fell asleep shortly and Zuko not long after that.