Azula, Flames Of Change

Chapter 2: The water's of desire

The chamber was now silent, save for the soft crackle of the candles that illuminated Azula's face. The darkness that had threatened to consume her before now felt distant, as if she had stepped out of a storm and into the eye of calm. Her chest still carried the weight of fear, but she felt its hold loosening.

The root chakra had been opened, but it was only the beginning. There were six more to go, each tied to the emotions and energies she had spent a lifetime ignoring or weaponizing. The next was the sacral chakra-associated with pleasure, creativity, and the desires of the heart.

Azula stood from her seated position, her legs stiff from hours of meditation. She paced slowly around the room, her mind swirling with questions. Desires were something she had always distanced herself from. Her desire for power was straightforward, a means to control and ensure she remained unchallenged. But deeper desires? Things like love, affection, connection-she had abandoned those long ago.

"Desire," the spirit's voice echoed once more in her mind. "It drives all living things, Azula. You must confront your own desires, not just for power, but for the things you've denied yourself."

Azula scoffed at the thought. What could she possibly want beyond power? Beyond dominance? Yet, as she mulled over the spirit's words, memories began to stir-unwanted and long-buried. She had always been the cold, calculating one. But beneath that, there had been moments, fleeting glimpses of something more.

Her mind drifted back to her youth. She had watched Zuko and their mother from afar, always feeling an inexplicable pang in her chest. They shared a bond she had never been part of. Ursa had always favored Zuko, no matter how clumsy or weak he was. And Zuko, for all his faults, had sought their mother's approval with such desperation. Azula, meanwhile, had hardened herself, seeing affection as weakness, connection as vulnerability.

But the truth was, she had wanted it too. She had wanted to be cherished, to be seen not just as a weapon of the Fire Nation, but as something more.

The candles in the room flickered, and Azula's eyes closed once again, slipping back into meditation. The memories swirled faster now, pulling her deeper into the recesses of her mind. The scene shifted once again, and she found herself standing on the shores of a vast, still lake, the water reflecting a sky filled with swirling orange and pink hues.

She looked down and saw her own reflection-young, unscarred by battle or the weight of royal expectations. She wore a simple robe, her hair down, cascading over her shoulders. There was no crown, no armor, no symbol of the Fire Nation's royalty. Just... her.

Azula's reflection stared back at her, but this time, it wasn't cold or calculating. There was a softness in her eyes, a vulnerability she had long since buried. It was unnerving.

"What do you desire, Azula?" the spirit's voice asked, gentle yet probing. "What do you truly want?"

Azula's hands clenched at her sides. Desire was a trap-she had always believed that. To desire something meant to depend on it, and dependency led to weakness. Her father had taught her that. And she had embraced it fully, letting go of anything that might make her vulnerable. But now, as she stared into the still waters of the lake, she couldn't deny the gnawing emptiness inside her.

"I don't want anything," she muttered, more to herself than the spirit. "I don't need anything."

The water rippled, and suddenly, her reflection changed. It wasn't her anymore-it was her mother.

Ursa stood in the reflection, her face serene, her eyes filled with a mixture of love and sadness. Azula's breath caught in her throat. She had spent so long trying to erase her mother from her mind, from her heart, but now, here she was, as if summoned by the very waters she had tried to avoid.

"You do want something, Azula," the spirit urged. "But you've spent your life denying it."

Azula took a step back from the water, her fists tightening. "I don't need her approval. I don't need her love."

The spirit's voice was patient. "It's not about needing it. It's about acknowledging the part of you that has always longed for connection, for understanding."

Azula's heart raced. Her desire had never been about approval-at least, that's what she had told herself. But what if she was wrong? What if, deep down, she had always craved something more than just power? What if her ambition had been driven by a desire to be seen, to be loved?

"I've never needed anyone," Azula said aloud, her voice trembling slightly.

"Maybe not," the spirit replied. "But the fact that you wanted it-that you still want it-is what you need to confront."

Azula's eyes stung with unshed tears, and she turned away from the water, unable to face her reflection any longer. Her whole life, she had built walls around herself, convincing herself that she was above such petty emotions. But now, those walls were crumbling, leaving her exposed and raw.

"I can't... I can't change that now," she whispered.

"You don't have to change, Azula," the spirit said softly. "But you have to accept that your desires-your need for connection, for love-are part of who you are. Only then can you truly move forward."

Azula clenched her jaw, struggling against the tide of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. She had never let herself feel like this-never allowed herself to admit that she, too, had desires beyond power. But now, as she stood on the shores of the lake, facing the reflection of her mother, she couldn't deny it any longer.

"I... I wanted her to see me," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I wanted her to love me."

The words felt foreign on her tongue, but the moment they left her lips, something within her shifted. The tightness in her chest eased, just as it had with the root chakra. It was painful-admitting her desires, acknowledging the part of herself she had buried so deeply-but it was also freeing.

The waters of the lake began to glow, a soft, golden light spreading across the surface. Azula watched as the reflection of her mother faded, replaced once again by her own image. But this time, her reflection smiled-a small, knowing smile, free of the coldness that had always defined her.

"The sacral chakra is open," the spirit said. "You've faced your desires, Azula. Now, you can channel that energy into something greater."

Azula took a deep breath, her body still trembling from the emotional toll of the experience. She felt lighter, as if a burden had been lifted from her soul. But she also felt something else-something darker, more powerful. The energy that now coursed through her wasn't just calm or peaceful-it was potent, charged with the intensity of desire and ambition.

She stood up, her eyes blazing with renewed purpose. The path to opening her chakras was not just about enlightenment-it was about harnessing the full extent of her power, power that went beyond firebending or political domination.

"I will reshape the Fire Nation," she whispered to herself, her voice steady and strong. "Not as my father's daughter, but as me. Azula."

With the sacral chakra opened, she could feel her desires, her ambitions, more clearly than ever. She was no longer a slave to them, but they would fuel her ascent, guiding her toward her ultimate goal.

And nothing-nothing-would stand in her way.

.oOoOo. end of chapter 2 .oOoOo.