A/N: Another challenge for the AtLAFC! Just a one-shot, but it kind of goes along with one of my other one-shots I did. Warning, this is dark. Implied rape, no details.
There was a constant drip of water that rang through the cell. I was chained down to a metal slab however instead of the normal soreness I received from having my body laying against a hard surface, the psychiatrist had ordered that I be given a pillow and some padding to create a comfortable space. I stared up into the darkness of the ceiling where I know mother was watching down at me with her slithering lying eyes.
Kazuki entered the cell and sat down in a chair next to the makeshift bed I was strapped down to.
"How are you feeling today Princess Azula," his monotone voice rang out through the stony room. There was a line in between my bed and his chair that ran across the room that held water that constantly flowed through. It was a clever trick they had invented; hiring a water bender to care for the Fire Princess. Tricks could always be outshone though by bigger and more clever ones.
"Oh, you know," I airily began to respond, "I'll manage." I eyed mother suspiciously, she seemed oddly calm for once. She just stayed in the corner of the ceiling and watched.
"Would you allow me to try a new method of therapy today," Kazuki asked keeping the same tone of voice he always has. It was amazing how well he built his wall up against showing emotion. I had countless times created scenarios that would have had the guards running from the building; I even used a few old methods that made the other sixteen therapists and doctors resign. He stayed and didn't even show the slightest bit of fear.
"If you insist," I shrugged and heard the chains that held me down jingle from my shift. I could hear a few drips of water as he bended some of the water out of the shallow, grated well. I watched as he began to spin the water from above my head to circle around me under the slab back to over my head. After a few cycles of this the water began to illuminate. I rolled my eyes. He planned on hypnotizing me.
"I'd like you to relax yourself," his voice echoed through the room.
"I'd be much more relaxed without these shackles." I smirked when I saw two guards walk over and hesitantly unlock the chains from my wrists and ankles. Idiots. As soon as the shackles were released, I swung my feet to the right sweeping fire along with it and was ready to flip myself up but instead was brought to complete stillness. I could only numbly stare with open eyes at Kazuki who had one thumb pressed to my forehead and the other pressed in the center of my chest.
"I want you to show me why your mother haunts you," his eyes stared right into mine and seemed to bleed into my head.
I sat at the breakfast table and eyed around. Something large had happened, however I couldn't tell what it was. The servants all whispered to each other and neither of my parents had presented themselves to the table yet to come eat. Zuzu sat beside me sniffling but wouldn't talk. His voice would only annoy me anyway. Obviously, father hadn't killed Zuko like he was told to.
A servant came out and placed a plate of fruit in front of me. She bowed and retreated to her station awaiting my command. I ate some of the fruit and watched Zuko ignore the food that was in front of him.
"Eat the fruit Zuzu, be thankful that you are alive to enjoy it," I smirked and watched him leave the table in a fit of anger. He began to march out of the morning breakfast dinning area until he ran into father who was standing tall with a smile at his lips.
"Return to your seat Zuko, I have news," father sneered at him. He sat down at the head of the table as usual, and Zuko resumed the spot he had just left. My father waited a moment then waved his hand for the servants and guards to leave the room.
"Your grandfather passed in his sleep last night. While it is an… unfortunate event, we have earned a great profit from his passing. Just last night before he went to sleep, he decided that if he were to die, that I would be crowned Firelord opposed to my brother."
"When will you and mother be crowned," I asked smirking.
"I will be crowned to the public next Saturday," he responded stressing the 'I.' I understood what he had implied and Zuko presumably did as well since he pushed his gaze away from father.
"Azula, your trainers have brought it to my attention that your skills have greatly increased. You will be given an additional few hours of training a day to embrace your talent." I bowed my head and smiled confidently feeling the glory that was being given to me. I glanced towards Zuko who was on the verge of tears at the table.
"I have business to attend to, I expect to see you both at dinner." Father stood from the table and left the room. The servants and guards returned to their posts in the room. I finished my meal and was guided to the training arena. I spent the majority of my day there and underwent the additional training. They pushed me to learn new techniques that were typically saved for a much older bender.
It was nearly sundown when I was told to bathe and prepare myself for dinner. Mothers seat remained unpopulated in fact the staff did not even prepare her seat. Zuko was still somber.
"Your uncle will be arriving here in a few days." Father spoke up from the table.
"Does that mean he will be declared Firelord since he is coming back," Zuko asked.
"No, don't you listen? I will be declared Firelord, it was written by Firelord Azulong," father snapped at Zuko slamming his hand down on the table. I smirked when Zuko jumped from the burst of anger directed at him from father. Zuko bowed his head and stayed silent. We finished our dinner talking about my new training and how well I excelled in the new material presented to me.
I was being prepared for bed when one of my fathers servants came into the room.
"Firelord Ozai requests the presence of Fireprincess Azula," the servant bowed. My servant and his stared at each other for a moment. I impatiently watched my servant.
"Well, are you going to fetch my robe or not," I asked agitated that she was not following her duties appropriately. She turned back to me with a very subdued look. I raised an eyebrow as she hesitated to follow my order. She did eventually grab my robe and placed it on my body. I tied the robe shut and followed my father's servant out of my room and through the halls.
When we reached the tall double doors to my father's room the servant knocked at the doors.
"Bring her in," the strong voice of my father ran through the thick mahogany doors. When I entered I noticed that most of my mothers items were cleared out of the room. My father's servant opened the door for me to enter then shut it behind me.
My father was standing in his night clothes by the window when I entered. I bowed to him when he turned around and looked in my direction.
"Come here Azula," my he ordered. I obeyed and walked over to the window. He placed his hand on my back and guided me closer to look out of it. "This entire nation is in my control, and someday I will pass on that responsibility to you," he let his hand lay on my shoulder and squeezed it.
"What about Zuko I asked," I couldn't help the smile that was coming to my face.
"Things can be arranged," he said with a cynical tone. I continued smiling and brought my gaze back to the nation.
"There is one condition I will ask in exchange for this generous gift I will bestow on you Azula," my father looked down at me after a moment.
"Anything father," I greedily looked out the window. He placed his other hand on my other shoulder and faced me to him. I looked up at him.
"There are duties that your mother was responsible for through our marriage. Those needs are no longer being met by her and I need them to be fulfilled by you Azula," I had never seen him give me a look as the one he gave me in that moment. I had the sudden sensation of fear which is one that I didn't normally feel. He picked me up into his arms and walked me over to his bed and placed me down in the middle. I could see his silhouette through the sheer curtains take his shirt off.
I watched him through the curtains confused. After he finished placing his shirt onto a chair near the bed, I could see his hand slide through the curtains and pull it to the sides. I had a horrible sensation in my stomach as if I would throw up. He pulled apart the curtains so that only his face was visible.
"Dad," my voice questions as I started to scoot back as he started to slide past the curtains onto the bed with me. He leaned forward and grabbed the ribbon of my robe.
I fought against the hypnotic state that I was pushed into so much that I finally broke free of the hold that Kazuki held on me. Mother was now standing right by the side of the table with a firm grasp on my arm.
I flew out flame from every direction and pushed Kazuki backwards until he flew against the wall. The guards ran behind the line and tried to fight me back as I lashed out.
"She told you to look for that," I screamed out and tried lashing at Kazuki.
"She's jealous that father would rather have had me than her, his own wife," I started to generate a lightning blast and was ready to aim it for Kazuki. This was the first time I had ever seen any sign of emotion from him.
I was anticipating the fear that was going to be in the fool's eyes. Instead of fear there was another emotion that I had not expected. He was starting to walk towards me in the empty room and reached out his hand. His eyes were filled with a comfort that I had never found before. I let the lightning miss him because I was so hypnotized by his sedated attitude.
Silence was the only sound I could hear in the room. The constant drip didn't even dare to continue. My mother was standing back in the corner of the room. Kazuki took a few more steps forward hesitantly. He didn't dare to reach his hand out to touch me but I could feel the comfort that he wanted to give me radiate from his body.
"Your mother is a figment of your imagination created by your subconscious, childhood self to comfort you," I pressed my hands over my ears.
"You're lying," I backed up slowly.
"Except she doesn't comfort; you wanted her to comfort you but you had never experienced her truly being a compassionate parent towards you do to the attention she was giving her brother. When your subconscious created her for your comfort it created a woman who only provided you with paranoia and distrust." I collapsed against the back of the cell wall next to mother. I looked up at her and found her judgmental and stern eyes.
"We've passed by the hardest obstacle, know that we know why you've created this woman, you can begin traveling down the path towards recovery." Kazuki slowly walked away from me. I lashed out. I wanted to see his ashes at my feet. I attacked him with all the strength I could muster. He brought the wall of water up but that wasn't enough to stop the constant waves of fire I was sending in his direction.
He tripped backwards from the force of my attack but brought some water up to keep his skin from being burnt off. I continued throwing blast after blast until I was close enough to grab him by his throat and hold him against the wall of the cell. I made a blade out of fire in my fist. I stared into his eyes, I wanted to see the rush of fear and maybe even some pleading tears before I ended his pitiful life. Neither were present though. Even as he lost oxygen he didn't seem to panic, he looked me in the eyes without judgment, fear, anger or even hatred. This made me hesitate my movement and gave a guard enough time to come in and jab me quickly three times. I felt my body go limp into the guards arms. The guard had blocked my chi, a technique that rendered my body useless.
I screamed out in frustration. My screaming sobs continued as the guard chained me to the wall again. Kazuki bowed his head and retreated from the room. Mother stood in the corner of the room her eyes glowing until the guard shut the door taking the small amount of light that filled the room away until I was left in silence and darkness with mother and my memories.
A/N: Not my best, I'll probably redo it later when I'm a little more inspired.