In the beginning, she had marveled in the feeling of war. The sounds of death and terror, the tears of victims, had always been something to celebrate. She had killed, yes; Killed as though it were nothing more than throwing away an old scroll. The intense feeling was one of absolute mental fulfillment, a feeling that can only come from the cries of an innocent victim.

Her acts of violence had seemed mediocre compared to this, this madness that she relished in with every flick of her wrist. Her subject, trapped and defenseless against her need for release, had been brave at first.

But alas, even the bravest have a breaking point. The bruised Kyoshi warrior's breathing was shallow and gasping. A month had passed since her capture, and now she had her back in her home in the Fire Nation. Thus far the warrior had said very few sentences consisting of more than a word or two. Brown eyes that had once been filled with young, naïve hope, that the Princess so looked down upon, had been washed away by brutality.

Of course, Azula was a princess with a lot to do, so she had not much time for petty things like torturing and interrogating the girl but now she had scheduled some bonding time for the pair of them, and she intended to make the most of it.

"I see you are very weak," She said in a pleasant tone, as if addressing the weather, "but I don't want you to get too comfortable… we haven't even begun yet."

"I can take whatever you throw at me," The Kyoshi warrior hissed through gritted teeth.

Azula laughed, "Trust me, we haven't even begun." She paused "Have you heard the news? The Avatar died back in Ba Sing Se."

The Kyoshi warrior's back became rather stiff as the message sunk in. "THAT'S A LIE!" she exclaimed.

"It's no lie, I assure you." Azula sneered from where she stood behind the girl. "Did they not go there to get the Earth Kings support for an invasion… during a solar eclipse?" Azula waited for a response but the girl remained silent. "Do you know about the invasion I am referring too?"

The girl said nothing, her jaw set. Azula's pulse leapt up at the disrespect from the girl. She would have to deal with the matter severely if she was trained to obey. Swift and silent, Azula dug a blade into her subject's should just enough t o pierce the skin and drew a red line across her back and to her other shoulder. The girl gasped. Azula saw a bead of sweat roll down the side of the girl's shinning face.

"You will answer me when I address you, or I will drive this knife deep into you! " Azula snarled. "Now answer me: Do you know what about the Invasion to whom I'm referring?"

Helpless, eyes closed, the girl breathes, "yes".

Azula chuckled "You know I was able to capture a water tribe girl, and what was interesting was she called me a name before I revealed to her who I really was. It sounded something like 'suki'" No response came. Clearly the girl had resigned to her fate, to her destiny. Azula knew she will eventually give up everything, soon she won't even remember who she was.

"You wouldn't happen to know anybody by that name, would you?"

The Kyoshi warrior replied accusingly. "My name… my name is Suki."

"It's very nice to meet you, Suki," Azula mocked in a professional tone. "Now, I am going to ask you some questions. Answers will be rewarded with mercy." The girl had to have known something about the Avatar's plans. The only matters at hand were what the girl knew.

"If the Avatar, by some miracle, alive, where would he go for help?"

The girl jerked her head to the side, tears welling up in her eyes. "I wouldn't tell you, even if I knew."

"Well," Azula said simply, "it looks like we're going to have to learn the hard way, aren't we?" Her first strike was intended to be agonizing. Azula grabbed Suki's tied up hands and her skin began to sizzle, and yet the girl remained conscious.

Suki tensed up again, holding back any sound of a scream, until she could not hold it any longer. Satisfied by the response Azula removed her hand.

"I'll come to call again tomorrow."

Azula turned to leave as she reached the cell door she heard the girl muffle something behind her.

"What was that?"

Suki lifted her head and met Azula's gaze with a glare.

"I said… Sokka… Sokka will come and save me!"

FIN