BUTTERFLIES! ━ prince zuko

𝖎𝖎𝖎. The Cruel Prince

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖗𝖚𝖊𝖑 𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊
the cruel prince
volume i, chapter iii

❄️🦋💦

RIDDLE PRINCESS AKIARA THIS — if she's so determined to be a healer, then why is she currently trying to not fall asleep in the middle of class? Like, seriously! It's not out of disrespect — because Akiara absolutely adores Master Yugoda — but the heavy perfumes that fill the air and the dim glow of the candlelights are all making her feel very sleepy and very stupid. It also doesn't help that Akiara's sleeping schedule is totally out of whack. That morning, Yue had come up to Akiara all smiles and said "Wow, you're up early!" and Akiara was all like, "I know!" But, actually, she didn't know. Because she never went to bed.

"Remember," says Yugoda and her voice is a soft, comforting whisper that just lulls Akiara to sleep. "By using water as a catalyst, we can redirect energy paths around the body... "

     Akiara tries to pull herself together.

     It doesn't work.

     "... Chi paths must be unclogged," Yugoda continues and her soft whisper of a voice wraps around Akiara, sort of like a fuzzy blanket. "A blocked chi path means... "

     But Akiara never does find out what a blocked chi path means because by that point, her eyelids are already drooping.

She's standing on the center bridge, overtop of the most heavily traveled canals, at the heart of the Agna Quel'a. The wind blows pleasantly across her face... there are people all around, talking and laughing, but they don't seem to notice her... Aang and Katara are flying high on Appa's back, Sokka and Yue are leaning closer and closer together... and her father looks at ease and he's smiling...

Snowflakes drift from the sky and Akiara feels happy. Everything's so peaceful. All is well. She looks to the crystal blue skies with a grin, stretching out her arms to catch the snowflakes that dance in the air only to frown because they've gone black. Dark, dirty, scorching her fingertips...

It's soot.

     "A water-bender shall answer the call. For to the nation of fire, the world cannot fall."

      Akiara blinks and then when she opens her eyes again, everything's different. Fires rage as flaming balls soar from the sky, tearing her homeland apart. Smoke hangs overhead, sealing over the skies like the doors of a casket as it smothers the earth. People are screaming. The stench of death is ripe in the air.

     "No... " Akiara whispers in horror. "No... no... !"

"While the North is saved by a final breath, foes must bear arms to battle death."

     Surrounded by the scorching hot flames and choking on the ash that rains down from the sky, Akiara feels trapped in an inferno. All around her, terrified screams echo, making her blood go cold.

     She can hear Yue screaming. Then her father.

"But in the end, the bender shall walk alone... "

Fire scorches her skin. Flames lick at her as she runs wildly, adrenaline fuelling her rush. Buildings of ice crumble around her, shards of it littering the earth and some of them drag against her skin, cutting deep into it. She doesn't care. The pain doesn't bother her, she doesn't even think about it, because all that's on her mind is finding her family.