Seven Steps to Heaven
By Nikkel
(c) to Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko
Earth
I watched him, and he watched me.
Two animals in a staring contest – him, some pathetic, gentle creature, like a koala-sheep or something, and I. . . I, something along the lines of a monster.
"This isn't going to be easy for either of us."
I ducked my head. "That's an understatement, Avatar."
He shifted uncomfortably. He obviously did not feel safe despite the chains on my wrists and the iron bars between us. I smiled. Just like old times.
"But you know that in order for us to do this. . . You need to trust me."
Trust. . . What a funny little thing. It was not nearly useful as fear. I tensed, baring my teeth at him. "You know nothing about me, do you?"
"I know. . . But you don't need to tell me. This is all about you. What's inside."
"What's inside is a nasty little monster. . ." - That voice in my head. I inwardly shivered. A curtain of hair fell in front of my face to hide whatever look of fear I had, but he caught it.
"Tell me what you fear most, Azula."
I closed my eyes. The inside of my eyelids were a haze of memories and nightmares – terrible things I hadn't seen since I was a child. . .
Thunderstorms. My mother, with her hand around my wrist. The mirror in my room. Poison in my dinner. My father, at the foot of my bed. Silk sheets. Zuko, leaving me, Ty Lee, leaving me, Mai. . . Mai. . . That waterbender. That waterbender. That waterbender with the tight hands and the dirt face and. . .
"What you fear isn't real. . . It's all in your head."
. . . and the cold eyes and the freezing water. . .
It was gone.
"What. . . What did you do, Avatar?"
But he just smiled wisely, picked up his staff, and stood. "I didn't do anything. You took the first step."
Author's Note: So, this is the first chapter of seven, and the first chapter of a giftfic I so dearly owe to my good friend Passionworks. I should be updating throughout the week. I figure a new chapter for each day.