Azula Flickering Hope

Bruised

Warning ABUSE BLOOD AND VIOLENCE IN THIS CHAPTER please read knowing that and please be aware of your mental health love you guys :)

Azula POV /

" Stay focussed if you get hit it's because you're not focusing "

I dodged the flying rocks that whipped past my ears like wasps attacking in swarms the earthbenders that surrounded the training room hurling them at me with great precision only give me half a second between throws. they were small rocks but they moved fast enough to crack a tooth if you didn't keep your mouth shut and body moving.

As I expected father had me awake early to start training. the gym here wasn't exactly military grade seeing that they needed earth benders on both sides of the wall for this to work. I'm not used to training with this many people watching me I wouldn't mind the attention if I wasn't sweating like a pig.

My father's booming voice yelling at me from across the room he didn't have to raise his voice like that he wasn't far away. But he was right to be angry with me I was moving much slower than I used to, It didn't help that the room was unbearably hot you would have thought we were under a volcano. A rock hit me in the face and I stumbled to the ground clutching my cheek and tapping at the fresh cut.

I jumped back up narrowly avoiding the stones from keeping me down father nodded and I couldn't help but smile he's alive I should have had more faith in him, of course, he would have made it out. My legs were getting tired and I couldn't distract myself from my rumbling stomach I was hoping that I would have been able to get something to eat or drink when I arrived but we got straight to work before the sun came up.

I threw the fire to my left ceasing the wave of rocks from hitting me but that didn't make me feel any better the sweat soaking my forehead and back, I felt heavy and my head felt like it had a hammer slamming on it every time I spun around to dodge. my legs quickly felt very shaky and nausea stopped me from moving any further.

A few rocks hit me and before anything else, I felt a deep chill like all my sweat was instantly ice water I looked at my arms and I saw my sweat sizzling over my skin. I dropped to the ground feeling no energy left to hold myself up.

I was pelted with a few more rocks until they stopped, realizing I wasn't getting up I tried to sit up and tell my father I was fine but my words felt slow and All I could get out was " I'm fine in seconds" A wave of exhaustion washed over me and I was out before I felt my head hit the floor.

When my eyes opened I was swimming in water ice water and I could feel my teeth chattering. I couldn't see where I was, it was so dark the water looked black and I couldn't see anything but the small glimpses of moonlight that hit the surface when I splashed at it.
My hair was long again and I was wearing my fire nation uniform the one with the golden collar and black metal armor I didn't like the feeling of the water slipping between my shoulder pads and the metal armor made it hard to keep my head afloat "where am I"

" what was I just doing, I don't remember swimming?"

I swam in circles looking up at the white moon, there was nothing else to look at it was the only source of light in this place.
where was I last, how did I get here I was scared of looking down, and then I could have sworn I felt something touch my leg from below. I hated this feeling of complete vulnerability out in open waters at any second something could snatch me down from below.

" Azula always lies, Azula always lies"

" ZUKO!"

I tried calling out to him relieved to hear a familiar voice but the only response I was given was from my echo bouncing off of nowhere. I turned around I couldn't tell where his voice was coming from and why it disappeared so quickly.