Training Train-wreck (ATLA snippet)
WARNING: violence, reference to child abuse, and spoilers for when life gets you down (your burn it to the ground)
“Let us begin.”
“Ok, great! How are we going to do this? Is there a special move I should learn first, maybe–”
Azula thrusts out a fist, blue fire erupting from it. Tongues of flame only just miss Aang’s wide-eyed face, and he leaps back with a yelp.
“Wait a second, I don’t know any moves–”
A wave of fire appears with a sweep of her foot, smaller but still ice-hot bursts coming from her punches. Aang dodges and creates a ball of air to float on. “Azula, stop! I can’t learn like this!”
“Don’t let your fear cripple you, Avatar. Stop deflecting and bend fire!” Jets of fire form under her feet and palms, and she takes takes no pleasure in the incredulous shock on the boy’s face as she shoots towards him. He crashes to the ground, pinned under her.
“Do you think Ozai will show you mercy? There is no magic solution. No talking or negotiating. And if you believe that there will ever be an option better than killing him by any means necessary…” His eyes bug out as she sets her palm aflame, inching it closer to his face. “Allow me to open your eyes.”
For the first time, fear bleeds into Aang’s face. He squirms frantically, panting breaths coming quick, “Stop! Azula, wait, stop, time out!”
Zuko’s form shimmers in her peripheral, hands outstretched and desperately trying to pull her arm away, only to pass straight through. Lala, you’re scaring him! Stop it!
A water whip knocks her aside as Katara charges towards them, a storm brewing in her face. “What are you doing? You could’ve burned him!”
“You think I don’t know that? He must learn—”
“And how is roasting half his face off supposed to teach him anything?”
Azula stands, glares at her with cold eyes. “It taught my brother, didn’t it?”
Katara takes a protective step toward Aang, arm blocking her way to him, as if she thinks Azula might go insane like a rabid animal. It stings, but she shoves away the hurt and snarls, “My brother learned that Ozai has no qualms about murdering family. If the Fire Lord can do that much to his son, his own son, a burn to the face will be the least of Aang’s problems. I assure you, there will be nothing left of him to even mourn over, and if you think Ozai is capable of anything less, you are a fool.”
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