Burn Them All - Male Reader X Avatar The Last Airbender

Training: Montage!

It had already been a few weeks since Y/N had been officially enrolled into the academy.

Despite this, every single combat class he took part in, he always lost.

It didn't matter who he was up against, whether it were Mai, Chen, Ty Lee, Azula, or a new face. He always lost.

After classes, the four would always meet in Minerva's 'Second Classroom', where a majority of Y/N's time was spent taking Ty Lee's advice and training his body to be more flexible and acrobatic, which was working wonders.

Y/N and Ty Lee were doing handstands, with Y/N barely managing to stay upright due to several bruises on his arms and neck irritating him. Right as Y/N managed to stabilize himself, Azula walked over and poked his stomach, causing him to fall onto his back with a loud thump.

Ty Lee: "Azula! What was that for??"

Azula: "Why do you keep holding back? Is it pity? A superiority complex?"

Y/N sits up while whincing at every move, causing Ty Lee to pout at Azula.

Ty Lee: "You could have hurt him!"

Azula: "I'll worry about hurting him once he starts taking this seriously."

Mai, hearing the commotion, walks up behind Azula to hear what Y/N has to say.

Minerva: "...While I don't exactly approve of the Princess's methods, It is a good question. In a majority of those fights, you could have easily won if you used your fire bending from the beginning. But you always save it for the last moment, and even then, you only use attacks that stall or keep your opponent at bay. You never fully attack someone. Why is that?"

With all eyes in the room on Y/N, he sighs before deciding to get it over with. Quick and easy.

Y/N: "I'm scared. I remember the first time I actually used fire bending. Not just practicing or small fire balls here and there. I mean actual, angry, fire bending. I had an argument with my mom, so I stormed outside and just...let loose. Burned anything and everything I could."

Azula: "That's it? That's your big reveal? So what, you burned some things. Shouldn't be that big of a deal."

Minerva: "Princess."

Azula: "Okay, fine. I'm sorry you had to go through...whatever that was. You poor thing."

Y/N: "It wasn't really the burning that messed me up. It was the thought of me doing that to another person. To actually burn or hurt someone. It didn't sit right with me, so...I try not to use fire bending too much."

Minerva: "Take a look at yourself, Y/N. It's clear they didn't mind hurting you."

Y/N: "That's not the same..."

Mai: "That...sounds stupid."

Minerva kneels down in front of Y/N, using one hand to lift his face up, and the other to blast him him in the face with a small ball of fire.

Y/N: "Hey! What was that for??"

Minerva: "Do you see what I did there? That's called control. You can learn it, but you have to trust yourself. You can't cower because of your own strength. We are training to fight, Y/N. To kill, if needed. If you want to make your father respect you, you're going to have to get over your fears."

Y/N: "...But-"

Minerva: "No buts. I'm not going to accept that. Do you think your father would want you to fail because you were afraid to push yourself? Would that make him happy?"

Y/N: "....No..."

Minerva: "Exactly. Fire doesn't cower. Fire doesn't hide. It doesn't see friend or foe. You have to guide it. Only you are in control of how you use your own strength."