WHALE BONE KNIFE ── sokka

oo. ────── prologue, ii

( trigger tarning: Physical abuse, using fire to cause harm, graphic descriptions, panic attacks, vomiting )

Azari sat by the pond, feeding the turtle-ducks stolen bread from the kitchen with her friend, Ty Lee. Breaking off a small piece of the roll and throwing it into the water, careful to not hit the ducklings or get bit on her finger by their little beaks.

Trying to push the bread in with a small wave, instead the water turned into ice, scaring the turtle-ducks enough to start making a scene; the mother came quaking and snapping her beak in Azari's direction.

"Ty Lee, what do you think you're doing with that filth?" Azula scolded as she walked over to the pair by the royal garden with her friend, Mai. "Isn't it time to train with my father, Azari?"

Azari gave a quick nod, realising that it was past her training time, as she made her way to her training arena. She wasn't particularly scared of Azula, but they weren't friends either. "You know, Kiria, I wanted to let you know that Zuzu won't be here for your little date you've got planned," she snickered, stopping in front of the girl before she could get any further.

"It's not a date?" Azari asked in a voice that didn't sound like her own. Like she was underwater and the currents were washing over her - she didn't even feel her face begin to heat up.

"Oh, come on-" Azula began to laugh at the girl's flushed face- "I'm just messing with you, filth." She just looks Azari in the eyes and continues to speak in a much more serious tone. "But I do mean it when I say that Zuko is in trouble."

"What- what happened to Zuko?" Her voice strained against her ears, something distant and far away from her own body. Kiria's vision blurred in fear - terrified for Zuko; the only person (besides Ursa, and maybe Ty Lee) that has been genuinely nice to her.

"Oh, you know my dear brother, Zuzu," she continued. "He spoke out in a meeting with father earlier, and was being quite rude to one of the generals. And, well, you know how father is; Zuzu's not going to get away easily."

Mai's voice sounded from behind Azula. "And now he is to duel in an Agni Kai with the general." Her voice shook Kiria out of whatever trance she was trapped in.

"Wha- I need to... help him." Azari's eyes widened in pure shock. She was going to be late for training. Her brain ran rampant, her heart jumped into her throat, threatening to spill out onto the grass. She gasped as the air inside her lungs had been pulled from her chest, leaving her with nothing but an empty cavity where her lungs should be.

Her mind filled with memories of the last time she was late to training. She could not miss this one, too.

"Oh, how do you suppose you do that?" Azula asked in a condescending tone as she looked behind Azari at the frozen lake. "You could hardly control the water in that pond. You are nothing to this nation. My father is only letting you stay here because he is using you for war."

That she knew. It was the only thing she knew.

Azula studied her face, watching Ty Lee watch the interaction. Mai stood back, like she always does, neither wanting to get involved nor wanting to leave.

"What are you going to do? Run to mummy? She left you, remember? You have no one to run to now."

That was it. That was Azari's boiling point. With every bit of fight inside of her body, she willed the water from the pond to rise. She stood her ground, ready to fight; water to fire. The body of water loomed over the four girls; Azula and Mai stood in front of her while Ty Lee remained at her side. This time, Kiria's control of the water was greater than it had ever been. The Fire Nation princess readied herself to fight; Mai stood still, emotional like a statue.

"Azari," the voice sounded from the other side of the gardens, a voice she knew all too well. Fire Lord Ozai. "You are late to training."

"I know, I know," she mumbled, not looking him in the eyes as the water returned back to the pond, allowing the turtle-ducks to the water. "I-I was on-on my way."

She walked over to Ozai, apologising for not being on time. In a swift motion, her left wrist was seized by his right hand. Azari tried to get away from him, but with every pull of her own, his hand heated up. From an uncomfortable heat to a scorching pain that made her vision turn while. The smell of burning flesh filled her lungs, forcing her to dry heave and gag.

Ty Lee stood still by the pond, with a look of feigned fright. The stale bread now left long forgotten for the turtle-duck to eat themselves. Azual and Mai stood side by side with a knowing smirk and blank stare, respectively.