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'They say an equal will understand you...yet she was losing hope. Azula, a prodigy of the Fire Nation. Was this princess losing hope?' 'Guess so.'

'She had a higher chance of growing wings than finding someone who could be her equal, an equal in combat, politics. Father, maybe, but he's above her. No, she wanted someone near her age and somebody who wouldn't run with their tail between their legs, crying to their mommy. She had Mai and Ty Lee, yet both had gone away: Mai to the Fire Nation colonies with her dad, and Ty Lee to some circus.'

'Yet, they were hardly her equal. Zuko? Nah, he was a disgrace and hardly above a tortoise crab, it was almost impossible to talk to anyone almost, everybody knew who she was. They either ran or bowed down in fear of her and her family, which wasn't indeed bad yet trying to find a boy to her liking; they either wet their pants or faint how manly and brave whatever.'

'Oh, this is gonna be so boring,' thought Azula to herself, celebrating her 13th birthday. It was a grand celebration, with two long tables, decorated with all sorts of Fire Nation cuisine, filled with guests and party-goers.

'Thank Agni she had convinced her father to skip the fluffy and exotic decoratives and entertainment she had to endure, all those years. Not anymore, this party was practical and militaristic: generals, admirals, and other high-ranking officials and their sons and daughters were here. It was still a celebration yet without the frilly, stuff some food gift-giving chatting some military officers fireworks and a duel at the end. How she loved to do the last activity, a lot of silent hints, as prods and demands it was a great break from the dullness of her other birthdays.'

'A full sparring match between two contestants, Azula had the joy to take part in the duel. But that also brought another problem. Almost everyone she had fought in training would be either roasted or moaning on, the ground even the Imperial Firebenders weren't a match for her. She was a prodigy after all, so it was understandable, but still.'

"Azula. Are you feeling alright?" Asked a man from behind her Azula, recognized that voice in a heartbeat...her father, Ozai.

"Yes, I'm alright, it just boring," she replied, "It's the same routine every year. I wish to be fourteen already so I could join you."

"Is your training getting dull?" asked Ozai, a bit curious.

"No, no, it's still the same: hard and demanding," Azula replied confidently.

"Then why the long face?"

"Nevermind," she replied, shaking her head.

"Very well then," he replied, signaling the guests that it was time to start the celebration.

Azula waited cross-legged, the giving of the first gift she had to endure, while the rest chatted below. The gifts happened to be the same as last year: clothes, jewelry, some exotic weapons or otherwise like that. She hadn't even to bother opening them, knowing full well what they were; a rather large pile was starting to accumulate next to her. 'Oh Agni, could this get any boring?'.

"Greetings, princess. Great prosperity and joy for you, for years to come," said a boy, arriving to give her a gift.

"Yeah, yeah," she waved off to a guard to accept the gift and put it with the rest, a short bow, and he was off. 'But he caught her attention, he was wearing crimson-black leather clothes, and a red cloak covering his head. He had golden hair and metal hands? No, no, that was wrong, great now she's getting delusional as well.'

Luckily the rest of the party passed, quickly the new activities were a breather. Mostly soldiers and other militarians, showing off their firebending skills and fighting forms, which were impressive, nothing she couldn't do.

Finally, it arrived at the time she was waiting.

"Lords and Ladies, thank you all for coming to this, a celebration of my daughter's birth," said Ozai to the gathered crowd. "Now, let the special activity, courtesy of my daughter. We will hold a live-open duel, right here in the courtyard, where anyone can challenge my daughter to a duel."

Ozai's speech left a bit of a shock on some of the faces gathered here, either from the chance of fighting their princess or able to hurt her, not that they could, 'Azula didn't care which was the reason, as long as she could roast someone.'

"Begin!" yelled the referee, signaling her first fight against a young sixteen-year-old, dark-haired boy. Not much of challenge, a few blasts, and kicks, and he was out before he could even react, let the next victim come forward. "Begin!" signaled the referee again. This time she was against an old gray-haired general, who had seen a share of combat experience. 'This one lasted a bit longer, yet she managed to win this match well.'

After a few more attempts, nobody had stepped forward anymore to duel their princess.

"C'mon now. Surely there are some worthy combatants left?" asked Azula, eyeing the crowd.

"I'll duel you, princess," said a voice, coming out of the crowd. It was the same boy, hood up and golden locks, he looked sixteen.

"Now, don't go easy on me since I'm a non-bender," said the boy calmly, reaching out from the crowd taking a position opposing her.

"You!?" asked Azula, barely holding back a laugh. "Do you think you've got any chance of beating me, a non-bender even?"

"Guess we'll find out," replied the boy, calmly. 'brave but stupid.' thought Azula.

Azula took up her stance the boy, himself threw his cloak back, revealing his sun-gold hair. A quick hand jerk, and he was wielding, blades? No, he was wearing metal gauntlets that had five blades attached to them to each finger like animal claws.

"Begin!" as soon she heard those words, she instantly sends out two fire blasts and a sweeping fire strike, yet he quickly dissipated one-blast with his claws. Swiftly evading another set of fire blast beneath his feet, countering by propelling himself forward. 'Striking faster than she anticipated.'

"Damn!" she said, dodging the flying attack, 'He was nimble and agile and no coward.'

"Alright then," she said to the boy, readying herself for a full-on fight.

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To say this boy was below her was a *REAL* understatement. She had been battling him for half an hour, and whenever she attacked he easily, dodged her attacks, and he'd counter-attack her in force, and those claws were sharp. A few cuts already adorned her skin, a few burns on his cloak and body were also evident. She could also see her father taking a great interest in this.

"C'mon now, he said don't hold back," yelled the boy to her cheerily.

"Oh, he would wish he hadn't said that," Azula smirked. "Fine then."

She took a neutral stance, clearing her head and mind of distractions, feeling the energies separate, creating lightning.

"Bye," she replied, sending the bolt towards him. Yet what he did next shocked even her instead of dodging the lightning, he jumped forward, throwing his red cloak at the lightning strike. Azula could see him smirking mid-air as her lightning strike was blasted into the linen cloak, him flying over unharmed.

"How," she managed to say before he landed in a single hand-strike and hit right at her. She follows with a quick blast, yet he was aiming for her legs, a fast back-leg sweep and Azula found herself in the air, time slowed, as she could the shock beginning to form on the guest's faces, then she landed on the floor with ten blades at her face.

She could also finally see her opponent, face-to-face he had deadly beautiful ash-gray eyes lose, shoulder-length sun-golden hair, and a charming yet dangerous emanating striking face.

"Excellent fight, princess," he said, giving a bow, his metal gauntlet hand resting upon a metal fist, to her.

"You weren't so lame yourself," replied Azula in-kind, dusting herself off.

"May I have your name...challenger?"

"You may call me Zhan, princess Azula."

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'Did my eyes deceive?! Had Firelord Ozai had finally gone crazy? Did his daughter Azula was beaten by someone, a non-bender? To be exact.'

"Did that just happen?" asked Ozai, in a whispering tone, to a nearby Imperial Firebender. After a moment, the guard silently nodded.

'How? How was that possible? She was trained by the best in the Fire Nation. Yet, she got defeated by this boy. He had to find out who this boy was, and soon. Luckily, her daughter signaled him that it was time to end the duel and celebration.'

"Well then, that concludes the celebration, a good day to you all," said Ozai, after he had gotten down. Soon the assembled crowd started to leave, and servants commenced to clean up. He also ordered the generals and admirals to gather in the war-room for a short brief about the war.

'Yet before that, he had to find the boy, who was to his luck chatting with Azula, showing off his interesting weaponry.'

"Azula," he said, gaining their attention. "Who's your new friend?"

"Zhan, son of General Zhu, M'Lord," replied the golden-haired boy, doing a fist-bow. 'Ah, of course. Son of the northern army commander in the Earth Kingdom.'

"Interesting device you have there," said Ozai, gesturing at his gauntlets.

"Thank you, M'Lord, I've made them myself."

'This young man made this kind of weaponry? Impossible.'

"Are there any more of these?"

"No, They're a long time-consuming process to make. However, I did make a gauntlet for the princess, for her birthday, M'Lord," replies Zhan, to which Azula eyes light up.

"I'll go retrieve it," said Azula, heading towards the gift pile.

Meanwhile, Ozai could examine the boy further: 'strong, confident, tinker to an extend, combat skills equal to Azula's, not afraid of him interesting,' Thought Ozai.

"You have some interesting skills," said Ozai.

"Thank you, M'Lord," replied Zhan, bowing, "being a Fire Nation citizen, I have to do everything in my power to succeed, and by being a non-bender, I have to try even harder."

'Mhhh. Maybe this boy is worth something, though Ozai,' deciding to take this leave.

"I found it," replied Azula, coming back with a red-black wrapped gift she felt it was a bit light, a metal armor piece that should weigh more, shouldn't it? "Where did Fire Lord Ozai go?"

"Your father left mumbled something about a war meeting."

"Alright then," replied Azula a bit, disappointed, yet also relieved.

Soon she unwrapped it, on a red pillow rested the gift. It was a crimson black color metal glove, different from Zhan dull gray's metal glove, two golden dragons looping around the gauntlet, with their heads meeting in the middle, with the Fire Nation Royal Emblem resting between them. A work of craftsmanship.

"My, my. This is fascinating," said Azula examining it.

"May I?" asked Zhan.

'Azula wanted to figure out how to use it herself, yet she couldn't find a trigger mechanism to unlock the blades.'

"Very well then," said Azula, politely but neutrally, keeping her emotionless charade up.

Zhan, after a few clicks, slipped out his hand from his metal glove.

Then took hold of Azula's hand with his non-covered one while picking up the gauntlet with his other hand.

'Oh...Agni, why did I let him touch me,' thought out Azula, feeling Zhan's hand roam around, hers she was barely able to hold back a blush. 'What are these feelings, and why...do I feel hot?'

Zhan worked quickly while for Azula, it took forever yet, quickly finished, and Azula could admire the weapon it was light also flexible, and beautiful yet felt, and deadly.

"Very nice indeed," said Azula, feeling the weight of the glove around. "How do I activate the blades?"

Using his bare hand again, he flexed a few of her fingers and a bit of her hand before five claret blades shot out.

"The mechanism operates on a simple, hand-finger pattern, easy to implement," he said, doing the same, again and the blades retracted. "Yet accidentally impossible to activate, try it." Azula did as instructed, a flex here, activating the mechanisms, releasing the razors blades. A grin started to form on her face. An ideal weapon, deadly, yet easy to use and light with a combination of the sharp enough to penetrate through armor and bone.

"Thank you for this gift Zhan," said Azula, retracting the blades. "Yet, I'm more curious about your fighting technique. Something I haven't seen before."

"I made it up myself, princess, I could teach it to you. If you would like?" smirked Zhan.

If Azula was feeling hot, she was practically burning right now. 'Agni, what's wrong with me?'

"Hey, um-...sure," stuttered Azula as she motioned him to follow her. 'SINCE WHEN DID SHE STUDDER WHILE TALKING?!'

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'After finishing his war-meeting with the high-ranking generals and admirals, Ozai left pondering about the young man: Zhan.' He had silently asked about him, through his father, who wasn't present at the moment. 'Yet all the generals knew was that he was supposed to join the northern front in about a few months, damn it, he needed some information. So he had the servants bring him Li and Lo. Two of the wisest and most experienced persons in the Fire Nation. Known for their knowledge and other skills.'

"Firelord Ozai."

"Do what do we owe."

"The pleasure."

"Of you requesting us?." they asked, in their between each-other sentence continuing way.

"There has been a great...disturbance, regarding my daughter defeat and been bested by a non-bender. Plus adding, his unusual weaponry and skill. I require you two to find out everything about general Zhu's son Zhan, and his family, yet especially about the boy."

"You can."

"Trust us."

"Firelord Ozai."

"We'll not."

"Let you down."

"Very well then, you have your orders, dismissed," he said, as the two women left. 'This boy was becoming quite the interest.'

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By no means do I lay claim for this novel. We can apply this to 'Avatar the Last Airbender.' I just found this novel on this novel on fanfiction.net, by Necronicus. I lay claim on any editing done or minor change some, needed since italic doesn't work on this site.