— | | @flheir continued from HERE .
— | | 𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐋𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 , 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊, jagged obsidian strands from behind the bars of her prison enclosure . Each strand of her bangs that framed her face mimicked the broken frame she had been 【 forged 】 within . Her birth - giver's amber eyes looked through rusted , steel bars at her sibling with the hollow - emptiness of a girl who had seen 【 horrors 】 while her brother wasn't looking , and experienced 【 nightmares 】 while he was sound asleep in the childhood home .
What have you done . . . ?
The figure behind her smiled something as he 【 sipped 】 on the teacup in his hands . His toothy grin 【 glowed 】 beneath the strands of sunlight that taunted her as it danced through the small window of her holding place . Meanwhile , Azula's heart sank with the heavy realization that the person who subjected her to this prison 【 claimed 】 to do so under the premise of love . . . But it would seem that Zuko would 【 never 】 know the meaning of those words .
❛ What a confession , Azula . ❜
Azula's ENTIRE frame went numb , eyes 【 faltering 】 from her older brother to look at the damp stones beneath her feet . Tears . . . They found their way to her eyes like they had the night before as she SCREAMED for mercy .
❝ Ha . . . HaHaha . . . . ! HA ! ❞ Laughter . A sickening , BROKEN sound that bounced off the walls like ghosts in a nightmare . ❝ You - . . . You think this is better than being with our Father ? ❞ The Princess asked as she slowly turned her attention to Zuko .
❝ This is WORSE ! ❞ She growled , as her laughter broke free again . ❝ HahHAhaHAH ! MUCH WORSE ! ❞
Once - polished fingernails 【 curled 】 around the bars of her door , something dark red staining beneath the surface as marks along her wrists from restraints far - too - tight to be safe made their debut into the light .
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ? !
❛ Be quiet , Azula . . . You don't want them to come back , do you ? ❜
The craze look in her eye suddenly DROPPED as fear struck through her mind , visibly 【 wincing 】 and recoiling as a response . ❝ N - No . . . No , I do not . ❞ She answered the voice in her head allowed . Mr . Lies was right . If they came back . . . She went away , again . If they came back , they would make the pain come back all over again . And , if they came back . . . The short time she actually got to spend with one of her 【 only 】 remaining family members would slip through her fingers .
She pulled back from the door , moving to offer herself the 【 only 】 comfort she knew how since Zuko had signed her freedom away on the dotted line . ❝ You did this to me . . . ? ❞ Azula's arms loosely wrapped around herself , like a 【 hug 】 — the rare signs of affection that her Father used to give her , and the very same Zuko had been denied most of their lives .
❝ You - . . . You did this to me , brother . ❞ She whispered , fingernails digging into the skin of her biceps . ❝ Father would 【 never 】 have sent me here . . . He would have allowed me to stay in his care . ❞ She closed her eyes as the small bit of sanity she showed her older brother started to slip . ❝ He ACTUALLY knew how to take care of me , instead of shoving me off to some 【 wretched 】 place where you NEVER have to think about your awful , evil sister . ❞ Swaying , haunting steps carried Azula back from the door towards the blood - stained bed her invisible companion was perched . The springs 【 creaked 】 beneath her weight as she lowered herself down , letting her hair SHIELD the hurt in her eyes .
❝ Congratulations , Zuzu . . . ❞ Azula said , her voice shattering in her throat from the tears that threatened to fall . She drew her knees to her chest , becoming smaller in the only place she felt safe . ❝ . . . You are now 【 worse 】 than our Father is . ❞