Although Zuko and Goku went to the Royal Fire Academy for boys, Zuko could not make friends as he was trying to get the best grades to make his parents proud, and Goku, he did not even try to take notes or listen to his teachers, he would skip classes and have fights against older students who try to bully him without knowing who he is, Goku always won easily, and for him, that time was very boring. For Goku, the only time he had fun was when he is fighting against a strong opponent or when is with his sister, as he has realized that she was a great Fire-bender fighter.
On one of the weekends, Azula invited two of her friends from the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Ty Lee and Mai were very different from one another. Azula recognized them as friends as both excel in combat and were daughters of outstanding families. Azula notices that Mai has a crush on Zuko and tried to make a prank on them. When Ursa was walking alongside Zuko, Azula approached them and asked Zuko to play with them as they need to play in pairs.
- Why don't you ask Goku?
- Because he is training with some elite soldiers. Come on, please?
- I do think that it is good for you to play with your sister.
So, after Ursa told him to play with them, Azula could put the prank on Mai and Zuko, so both fell to the little water fountain. Then they heard Goku laugh. Goku arrived from his training, but he did not go to wash as he rushed to see his sister as fast as he could, so he was sweating. At that exact moment, Azula also realized that Ty Lee had a crush on Goku, but for some reason, she did not respond the same way she did with Mai, she could not understand herself, but for her, her twin brother was only hers. Goku extended his hand, to Mai and Zuko to help them get up, but none of them accepted. After a while, Ursa called for the three siblings.
It seems that their uncle Iroh has sent them some gifts for the kids. Zuko was the most excited, while Azula and Goku just followed the instructions of their mother. Zuko received a knife with an inscription that reads: "never give up without a fight", so he was very happy, it seems that this was the knife of some earth-kingdom general; Azula, on the other hand, received a doll which supposed to be the most popular in the earth kingdom, Azula hated; and Goku received some formal clothes from the earth kingdom, it was a green shirt with yellow sleeves and black pants, it also included a black hat with a little red dot in the top (like Chaoz clothes or Gohan clothes from the first chapter of DBZ). Azula and Zuko laugh at Goku, while Ursa told him that he looked adorable, Goku just hated it as he does not want to dress so formally. So, he started to take off the clothes right there.
In one of his typical "one on one" with Azula, Goku was having like always the advantage, but then Azula started to fire bend and Goku only could defend himself until he fell to the ground but Azula did not stop, as she knew that Goku could stand up to continue the fight. She continued until Goku was just lying on the floor. Ursa saw that happening and try to run to protect Goku. Ursa heard that Azula and Goku train together from time to time but never thought that Azula was that strong, and she was not trying to contain herself. But when Ursa was half the way, Goku got up by himself with a big smile.
- THAT WAS AWESOME!
- It is the same result, no matter how many times you try.
- But I do not know why I am not able to use fire.
- Well, only a few are blessed with this power. And you know what it means.
Azula said that with a smirk on her, as a way to show off that she will always be superior.
- Yes, that means that I have to train even more. I need to do it if I want to defeat you at least one time. Can you give me any advice?
- I don't know.
- Please?!
- Well, fire is born inside of us, and we use our body to get it out, like with our hands or feet. Some can even do it with their mouth.
- WOW. THANK YOU, SIS. So is something from inside of me.
Ursa was in shock, Goku looked without anger at how his sister beat him, and he was happy asking her ways to be even stronger. She knew that even when he is just 10 years old, he is already training with the best soldiers of the army. Ursa knows that the Army roots for twins putting Azula as the Fire Lord and Goku as the leader of the army.
One day, Azula and Zuko were inside a room "playing". Zuko was swinging the knife he received from his uncle, while Azula was watching him and mocking him as he was very lacking in his moves, which was expected as he was playing. Azula reminded Zuko that their uncle was coming back, and was bad talking about her uncle Iroh, calling him a "quitter" as he retreads from battle after his son died, but when Zuko was going to try to defend his uncle, Goku arrived running inside the room.
- Guys, you never believe this. Is. Just. Amazing!
Azula smirked and rolled her eyes. She just thought that his twin brother just learned a new technique, and now he wants to show off. Then their mother appears and asked them to follow her as they will have an audience with the Fire Lord Azulon. Then Azula said: "Fire Lord Azulon? Can't we just call him grandfather?" then Goku laughed a little and follow Zuko.
In the audience, the whole family was sitting in front of the Fire Lord Azulon, who had a big bar of Fire in front of him. Ozai wanted to show his children's progress, so he was asking them a few questions, but almost all of them were answered by Azula. Then Ozai asked Azula to demonstrate the new moves she trains with him, so the Fire Lord can see them. Azula stands up and performs a sequence that demonstrated agility and strength in them, which were very impressive, and more thinking that the move set was performed by a kid and not by a high-rank soldier. It seems that all the time that Azula spend training with her twin brother pay off, as she always tried to overpass her limits because he always was too close to beat her.
- She's a true prodigy! Just like her grandfather for whom she's named.
Ozai said those words with pride to the fire lord. And while Azula was sitting she said to her two brothers, and said: "None of you will catch up". Zuko was going to stand up, but before that Goku said: "We will see" with a big smile, then he raised his hand and said, "I have also something to demonstrate". Ozai was worried and the Fire Lord was intrigued as the kid was known as a failure like a fire bender, the only good thing about him was that he was a great warrior.
Goku stood up then he faced one of the sides of the hall. While he was standing, he raised his hand to the front with his eyes close for a moment and in silence for a couple of seconds, then he opened his eyes and shouts "haaaaaaa", and from his hand, a blue beam came up and passed the whole hall, and when it touched the wall, it broke it and pass through it. That was a powerful technique, a fire control that nobody has ever seen. The kid that was supposed to be a nonbender, has now overpass his two siblings at that very moment. All in the hall was watching Goku in disbelief at what just happen. Goku was smiling scratching his head, and saying "I am sorry, it seems that I still need to control it".
- That is raw power. Judging from your expressions, I believe that Prince Ozai did not know about it. So that means that you have something to say to me. Everyone leaves, and let me talk with Prince Ozai.
The Fire Lord said that with a smile on his face, so all left the hall leaving behind Ozai and Azulon alone. Goku heard that his sister calls for him, but then his stomach started to growl. Ursa then told him: "It seems that you are already hungry again. You may go to the kitchen and ask for something to eat", Goku smile at her and run as fast as he could to the kitchen.
That night Goku was going to bed but then Azula entered. Goku was a little confused about it.
- I was thinking that we could sleep together tonight.
- Why, Are you afraid of ghosts?
- What? No. I am doing this to save you.
- To save me? From what?
- Look, do not question me. All you have to know is that if you stay with me tonight you will be safe. So, no more questions.
Azula came with Goku as she could hear that Ozai asked for the crown because of Iroh's defeat at Ba Sing Se and because he no longer has an heir, and Azulon because of that suggestion decided to punish him and asked him to choose one of his sons and kill him as well. He needed to choose between Zuko and Goku because Azulon still tough that Goku was Ozai's son with a hidden Mistress. Azula thought that if his father needed to kill one of his sons, she can at least stay with Goku that way she could try to persuade her father or help Goku to escape. The good thing is that Goku showed his value in the last moment in front of his grandfather, so now he is sitting way in front of Zuko; as the only thing that could make them choose Goku over Zuko was his lack of Fire-bending, but that day he was able to show off a very powerful fire bending, but she still cannot be that sure, that is why she decided to sleep with him.
In the other room, Ozai was thinking. When prince Ozai was told that he needed to kill one of his sons, he first thought that Goku should be the one to sacrifice, that was one of the reasons to bring him from the beginning and he didn't want to kill his blood at first. But at the same time, he could not forget that raw power he demonstrated with his newly discovered fire bending. In his mind was "Well, my blood is still running in Azula, and unlike Zuko, I am sure that she is for sure my daughter". When he was walking, he was stopped by his wife. After that night Ursa disappeared from the palace without a trace.