[A/N] This is one of two comparison fics between Toph and Azula. This one deals with their mommy abandonment issues.
The companion fic, pressure and pain, is also up, so go check it out :)
Oh, and this is extremely metaphorical, so if you don't understand it, just enjoy the pretty language.
i love being an earthbender and i'm really, really good at it.
~toph beifong
trust is for fools. fear is the only reliable way.
~fire princess azula
,-o-,
today, i asked the ground her name
,~'~,
The mask is tight upon your skin. You claw at the stretched fabric until your face is sore and red and your nails are red and bloody, but it's no use. The mask continues to constrict you, suffocate you, until it becomes almost impossible to breathe.
Beneath the mask, your cherry red lipstick smudges until it resembles a burn around your mouth. Your kohl smears, too, leaving specks of black dirt across your face.
It's not easy, walking in the shadow of perfection and maintaining your own identity.
,-o-,
she smiled, ever so gently
,~'~,
The chryselephantine bust of you stands proudly in the corner of the room, its feet wrapped in clouds and sunshine and dreams.
It was built by your mother, you know. She carved you, shaped you from the white, built you up from scratch with nothing but love, and tenderness, and compassion.
Of course, this love was tempered with the hate that can only come from knowing that your child was destined to become nothing but a monster; an uncivilized beast.
Heed the golden robes, sweetheart. Their cold fire speaks wonders.
,-o-,
and then she caught fire
,~'~,
The ground creaks and groans under your heavy steps. Whispers and secrets follow your every move, taunting you from behind walls of silvery glass.
Glass shatters, you know. It falls apart at the slightest move, unable to take even the smallest amount of pressure and pain.
Everywhere you turn, she's there. Every time you look into the silver surface, all you can see reflected is her. You are nothing but her copy, her xeroxed shadow.
And you hate it.
(Only one person in the universe can hold the weight of the world on her shoulders. It's not you.)
,-o-,
{in the ashes, a single seed glowed}
,~'~,
