Seven Steps to Heaven
By Nikkel
(c) to Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko
Fire
I did not want to see him today.
He had done something. They had taken me out of my cell and put me in this. . . home, they called it. Four walls, painted red, like my room in the palace used to be. Along with the furniture. And four-poster bed. It was like I had moved into the hospital.
The only thing missing was the mirror.
"How do you like your new living arrangements?" Aang chirped, hands proudly behind his back. I kept mine to the window that overlooked the vast open sea. My nails clenched the windowsill.
"I don't."
He shrugged it off and walked up to me. He was so small. . . weak-looking. . . but size didn't matter. I knew not to underestimate him. He glanced at me, something mischievous flickering in those grey eyes.
"Big things come in small packages," he quipped. I frowned. It was like he had read my mind.
"What are you now, psychic?"
"Maybe," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows. "But actually, today is the power chakra."
Every bone in my body tingled with excitement. My pulse already began to race, and my muscles clenched, and suddenly I wanted to fight. All because of that word. . . power. . . what I once had.
"What's it blocked by?" I demanded. . . but it didn't come out as bold as it had in my head. It sounded more. . .
"Shame."
I froze. "Oh."
A silence passed between the Avatar and I. Something had caught in my throat, and I do not know why, but he did. I know he did. He tipped his head down respectfully, but his eyes remained glued to mine. He placed his hand on my wrist.
"What are you ashamed of?" he asked sincerely, and my hand clenched into a fist. Something within it other than fire burned, hot and scornful and it. . . it made me. . . it made me want to . . .
"I tried to kill him."
. . . I tried to kill him. The only person who still had the decency to care for me, despite all that I had done to him. I realized then that that day he had come to the palace. . . to steal my throne. . . to duel. . . That there was one reason why he probably didn't kill me.
He wanted to rescue me.
And I tried to kill him.
Zuko.
Author's Note: Bit of a twisted reality there, huh? Sure, maybe Zuko wasn't coming back to "rescue" her, but it's a comforting thought in Azula's head.