Second Coat of Paint

Chapter 1

To an infamous English teacher who never let them bully me on his watch...

oooooooooo

Since I could never get enough of flashbacks from the Fire Nation royal family's history, here is something that picks up after Ursa left and goes on in a bit of a different direction from there.

I just always hated how Iroh kind of gave up on Azula and bringing her to the good side, so in here I gave her someone who could lead her down a good path...

oooooooooo

As a nine-year-old, Princess Azula absolutely despised her school. She didn't hate learning new things however, she often excelled at those immediately, or at least quicker than others, which meant she was showered with the praise she undoubtedly deserved. She just didn't understand why she had to come here for it. Her father already gave her private lessons on ruling, fighting and battle strategy. What else could she possibly have use for later in life...

She often voiced her thoughts on this, and every adult in her life gave her pretty much the same answer. Her mother's was the freshest in her memory. It's to teach you about community. To connect you to other people.

And if it indeed was about the people here, Azula was sorely underwhelmed. She hated everyone here to some degree, she realized as she finished her school lunch. Even the two girls sitting at her sides, Mai and Ty Lee. She hated them the least, but some days... She just wished she could shut them up for good.

"You're done, Azula?" Ty Lee asked from her right.

Oh, Spirits, Ty Lee, where do you get these ideas? What tipped you off? Was it my empty plate, the utensils I set down, me wiping my chin or maybe even me standing up?

"We're leaving," Azula ordered, turning her head to Mai who was still chewing.

The three girls were slowly leaving their table, the one Azula didn't let anyone else use, when she remembered something.

Azula had realized long ago that if she was to spend time here at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, then it was in her best interest to make it useful. Efficiency was important and the school did provide her with a unique opportunity. Her mother was right about one thing, it was about the people here... They provided a perfect sample to test out her knowledge of ruling strategies her father was teaching her. The first lesson that came to mind was about having to occasionally remind your subjects of who you are and what you can do. At least that was easy...

"Hey, you! Yama!" She yelled at a girl carefully walking past her friends.

"Hi, Azula... My name is... Um... Amaya." The girl managed, freezing in place with her food plate. She was not a bender and a lot shorter than the rest of her peers, so she feared Azula even more than the other girls did.

"No one cares..." Azula snapped. She never remembered their names... Why would she trouble herself with triviality? She remembered them by their impressions, their signifying features. Tremors, Blinker, Crooked... This girl, she was Mouse, as much for size as for temperament.

"Yeah, no one cares, Yama!" Ty Lee echoed the insult in almost the same tone.

"Do you want something?" Mouse asked, trying to maintain eye contact. Someone had probably advised the girl to do so. It wasn't a dumb idea, but Azula was not just an ordinary bully. She just kept staring and eventually, Mouse looked down, hating herself. Like she did every time.

Azula took way too much pleasure in it.

"I'll give you a hint, it's your hair," Mai spoke. "It's the same as Azula's."