"You can't be afraid of your own fire," she told Aang. "Firebending is ferocious. If you're afraid to leap out and attack, you'll never master it."
"You don't understand," Aang said. "The last time I tried to firebend, I hurt Katara. I just can't do this."
"Then you won't learn," Azula said. "You'll never fully realize your destiny. Is that what you want?"
"Of course not," Aang said. "But I just can't accept that this is all there is to firebending. There has to be more to it than attacking."
"Fire is alive," Zuko said, from behind them. "That's what Uncle says, anyway. He's been to see the ruins of some ancient firebender civilizations. He's big on philosophy. And he says that fire comes from your own chi. You're bending the energy inside of yourself."
Aang looked thoughtful, and Azula suddenly hated her brother. He wasn't supposed to know more than her. She'd surpassed him, years ago.
"Fire is life," Zuko said.
"Life, aggression," Azula said. "Does it matter where it comes from?"
"It does," Aang said.
Azula thought of the cold hollow spot in her chest when her father took her bending. It was warm again, unnoticeable because all was right once more. But she remembered how it had felt, before. She remembered what it was like to have no bending . "Firebending comes from a warm spot in your chest," she said. "Near the heart."
Aang gave her a strange look. So did Zuko.
"You don't notice it normally," she said. "It's only noticeable in its absence. But it's... comforting. And that's the source."
"Did it hurt?" Aang asked, a worried look on his face. "When Ozai took your bending, I mean?"
"Of course it hurt," Azula said. It hadn't occurred to her that such a thing wouldn't hurt. But then, she wasn't a hopeless optimist like the rest of them. She didn't expect life to be sunshine and roses. She only expected that she could win- at everything, at anything. And even that had proved to be false, because nothing had gone right for her since that day she left Uncle's house and joined her father.
Nothing had gone right since she started turning into a person that Ty Lee couldn't love.
"I'm sorry," Aang said. And Azula glared at him. She hated when people apologized for things that weren't their fault. It didn't make any sense. It was stupid.
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branchandroot
Aang learns some firebending (1/1)
Date: 2012-04-24 02:33 am (UTC)"You can't be afraid of your own fire," she told Aang. "Firebending is ferocious. If you're afraid to leap out and attack, you'll never master it."
"You don't understand," Aang said. "The last time I tried to firebend, I hurt Katara. I just can't do this."
"Then you won't learn," Azula said. "You'll never fully realize your destiny. Is that what you want?"
"Of course not," Aang said. "But I just can't accept that this is all there is to firebending. There has to be more to it than attacking."
"Fire is alive," Zuko said, from behind them. "That's what Uncle says, anyway. He's been to see the ruins of some ancient firebender civilizations. He's big on philosophy. And he says that fire comes from your own chi. You're bending the energy inside of yourself."
Aang looked thoughtful, and Azula suddenly hated her brother. He wasn't supposed to know more than her. She'd surpassed him, years ago.
"Fire is life," Zuko said.
"Life, aggression," Azula said. "Does it matter where it comes from?"
"It does," Aang said.
Azula thought of the cold hollow spot in her chest when her father took her bending. It was warm again, unnoticeable because all was right once more. But she remembered how it had felt, before. She remembered what it was like to have no bending
.
"Firebending comes from a warm spot in your chest," she said. "Near the heart."
Aang gave her a strange look. So did Zuko.
"You don't notice it normally," she said. "It's only noticeable in its absence. But it's... comforting. And that's the source."
"Did it hurt?" Aang asked, a worried look on his face. "When Ozai took your bending, I mean?"
"Of course it hurt," Azula said. It hadn't occurred to her that such a thing wouldn't hurt. But then, she wasn't a hopeless optimist like the rest of them. She didn't expect life to be sunshine and roses. She only expected that she could win- at everything, at anything. And even that had proved to be false, because nothing had gone right for her since that day she left Uncle's house and joined her father.
Nothing had gone right since she started turning into a person that Ty Lee couldn't love.
"I'm sorry," Aang said. And Azula glared at him. She hated when people apologized for things that weren't their fault. It didn't make any sense. It was stupid.
"Try firebending again," she told him.
He did better this time.
Clearly her teaching was working.