Violent Delights, ATLA

chapter ten, music night

10
MUSIC NIGHT

THE EMPTY PAPER STARED UP at San, begging for her to dot ink across its blank space. The girl in question was overthinking, scrunching her nose up. Every time she raised the quill she would put it back down until minutes earlier she ultimately decided to close the ink bottle and gaze listlessly at the ceiling.

She wanted to write a letter to Azula but what would she even say?

Guilt nagged her at the back of her head ever since she ran away to join Zuko's merry group to search for the technically extinct Avatar. She left without saying a word, without leaving a trace. How furious was the princess at her right now? Did she replace her already? Was she going to hire someone to force her back into the palace? San shook her head. Azula wouldn't care for her. She preferred Mai and Ty Lee, surely. Mai and Ty Lee would be there for her. They were proper friends fit for a princess and San was just San. So Azula wouldn't be alone.

She put the quill down with a thud and decided to breathe in fresh air from the foredeck. Zuko demanded they search the destinations in between the Air Temples this time since the Air Temples themselves were entirely vacant.

"Hyaa! Ha!"

The first thing she laid her eyes on was the prince in a red vest practicing his firebending rather aggressively. She was surprised he didn't bring in at least two of his soldiers for a spar today and only practiced venting out his fury into thin air, though she wasn't sure what he had against air itself.

"San. Perfect timing." He acknowledged without so much as sparing her a glance. She was more or less surprised he could detect her presence. "Uncle is still sleeping in so you'll teach me first."

"Alright." She gave in. She never taught anyone before- was just taught herself and then she sparred against the princess quite often. Either way, she'll do her best to satisfy the prince. "First, you're putting too much exaggeration into your bending. Focus on your breathing. It's the main energy in your body that fuels your ability to firebend, so it extends past your limbs and becomes fire."

"Breathing..." He repeated, shutting his eyes close for a second before opening them and repeating the same hotheaded sequence as earlier.

She approached him and grabbed his wrist. "No, you're not doing it right. You're too focused on your muscles instead. It's almost like this."

She gestured for him to keep his eyes on her as she got into a similar stance as his, carrying out the same sequence except her fire was stronger and more controlled. Despite her doing the exact same thing he did, he could already differentiate the power level between them.

"Okay, I get it."

He didn't get it.

"Ugh, why can't I get it?!"

"Patience, Zuko." San assured calmly, a stark contrast to his hotheadedness. "You just have to focus more and don't rush. Concentrate. Like, um, how Azula has precise concentration and can wield powerful flames just from the tips of two—"

"Don't compare me to my sister!" He snapped at her like a rabid dog. "I'll drill this a couple more times and then we'll spar."