Far away she heard the bells tinkle and the sounds of the servants scurrying about getting ready for the new day. She stands in her bedchamber—nude—facing the opened windows. Under her keen eyes, she surveys her inheritance. When her father passes, she will rule whatever the Sun touches. Her body tingles as it reacts to the rising sun, soaking in its energy. A detached, mechanical smile reaches her plump lips.
Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, an echo beckons. The voice is all too familiar though she condemns it silent. It sounds too much like her mother’s pleas. Her lips purse as she tried to regain her footing in this daily battle she almost always wins. However, today, the voice wishes to speak.
A dull ache permeates through her chest and down her limbs to each digit. The warmth of the sun before her dissipates as this harrowing feeling envelopes her. She ties to regain possession of her body with her ever-calculating mind, but it is blocked. Her heart seems to have taken control. It was slightly funny…
Her whole body aches. It writhes. Her veins feel as though it were plunged into ice water—pricking every inch of her form. To her credit, she refuses to tremble. So she stands, feeling the onslaught of her conscience exploding.
Her mind gauges the pain. She must have surmounted her usual quota of dastardly deeds, for her inner being never unleashed this much retribution. She began recounting her activities: She had shot down the Avatar. Surely, she knew karma would come back to get her. She had placed her uncle in jail—though she didn’t care about him, it would have left a bad taste in anyone’s mouth. She was stationing her troops for the oncoming invasion; in kind, she would have a merciless defense against those who would come during the eclipse. She was beginning a long-term plan, just in case her daddy dearest decided to switch the tables on her before he died, leaving her out of her inheritance. She had sent a few of her Dai Li agents to find and contain her mother. Worst of all, the one that actually tugged at her heart—she was going to start poisoning her best friend, Mai, for her allegiance to Zuko.
Her inner child voice echoed in her mind asking, when will it stop?
Her mother’s edged voice asking her intern, will you be satisfied?
She inwardly smiled; her brother asked himself the same questions about clawing his way back to power—or so he thought—especially about his so-called inheritance to the throne. But everyone knew that the crown would not be passed to him unless he usurped it. She smirked at the thought.
Maybe she was like her brother after all; that she was as conflicted and angst filled as the stupid git. She knew their linage; the blood of Sozin—evil—and the blood of Roku—good. How pathetic of a choice. She always did have a problem with being good, though they blamed it on her father for influencing her negatively—they gave her too little credit.
Still, the questions remained; when will it stop, when will she be satisfied?
A growl escaped her lips as she finally took hold of her body.
When I am Agni incarnate!
She clawed at her breasts, as if she were digging for her heart. Blue flames started to ooze out of every pore. She tried to counter the prickling in her veins, but to no avail.
A knock on her door broke her stupor and went still, calming herself in front of her servant. To her credit, the maid deftly did her duty dressing her. As soon as the servant had entered, she had left, leaving her alone.
The silk garments did not burn as she was enveloped in blue flame once more. However, when she looked at the silk and blinked, it changed. It was blood.
Red silk. Blood. Red silk. Blood.
She kept blinking, willing the image to disappear, but it did not.
She looked out the window and she saw her inheritance bathed in blood; everything the light touched coated in crimson—blood of past generations—women screaming from their burns, men moaning from their wounds, children choking on their own blood.
It certainly was jarring.
Her own honeyed voice spoke louder than her conscience. This is the price you pay for everything the light touches; I don’t understand why you’re so conflicted. You have already sold yourself to me… just give in.
Her mind agreed, yet her body balked. Inside something hummed. Maybe it was her heart, beating so fast, or maybe it was something else…
The image of herself glowing in full regalia, sitting on the fire throne with her crown flickering from the firewall’s light made her heart sputter.
Agni incarnate.
Honeyed voice repeated; yes…Agni incarnate.
A true smile crept through her face and reached her golden eyes. Her body felt pain, yet exploded in ecstasy.
That day, her fate was sealed.
No longer was she a loving and doting daughter, a cheerful sister, respectful niece. No, that day Azula died and became a monster.
