Drabble: "Cave of Lies" [Zuko, PG-13]
for 7_chakras
Title: Cave of Lies
Author: sporkyadrasteia
Claim: Zuko
Challenge: Dim
Chakra: Light (Ajna)
Prompt: between dream and reality
It is the same old dream again.
He sits on the throne, once again scarless (once again pure?) as the soft hiss of the dragon reaches his ears.
You have chosen well, My Lord, the blue serpent assures him, for the world of sleep will welcome you to a beautiful day and you will have lost nothing except your failure.
Zuko peers around for the other dragon, the angry red one. He had had a valid point too…
"Where is the other one? The red dragon?"
The blue dragon pauses to wipe flecks of blood from its teeth with its tongue. Do not worry about what cannot hurt you anymore, my Lord. The danger has passed and now you can finally rest, finally sleep,
Zuko shudders involuntarily at the menacing undertones of the dragon's growl before closing his eyes again.
"Having spoken thus, Arjuna, conquerer of sleep, told Krishna, 'Govinda, I shall not fight,' and fell silent."
-Sanjaya (Bhagavad Gita, verse 2.9)
A/N: I've used a bit of artistic license with this drabble's corresponding Gita quote. Most editions refer to Arjuna as the chastiser or terror of foes but, in the verse, Sanjaya (the narrator of the Bhagavad Gita) refers to Arjuna as "Gudakesa", which is consistently translated as "conqueror of sleep", i.e. someone so self-disciplined that they themselves determine when, where, and how long he will sleep. This quotation particularly fit in this drabble so I've made the change in translation to enhance its significance to Zuko's situation. Oh, and also, Govinda is simply another name for Krishna. The title, however, is a reference to Plato's allegory of the cave.
[All Light (Ajna) entries for 7_chakras]
Title: Cave of Lies
Author: sporkyadrasteia
Claim: Zuko
Challenge: Dim
Chakra: Light (Ajna)
Prompt: between dream and reality
It is the same old dream again.
He sits on the throne, once again scarless (once again pure?) as the soft hiss of the dragon reaches his ears.
You have chosen well, My Lord, the blue serpent assures him, for the world of sleep will welcome you to a beautiful day and you will have lost nothing except your failure.
Zuko peers around for the other dragon, the angry red one. He had had a valid point too…
"Where is the other one? The red dragon?"
The blue dragon pauses to wipe flecks of blood from its teeth with its tongue. Do not worry about what cannot hurt you anymore, my Lord. The danger has passed and now you can finally rest, finally sleep,
Zuko shudders involuntarily at the menacing undertones of the dragon's growl before closing his eyes again.
"Having spoken thus, Arjuna, conquerer of sleep, told Krishna, 'Govinda, I shall not fight,' and fell silent."
-Sanjaya (Bhagavad Gita, verse 2.9)
A/N: I've used a bit of artistic license with this drabble's corresponding Gita quote. Most editions refer to Arjuna as the chastiser or terror of foes but, in the verse, Sanjaya (the narrator of the Bhagavad Gita) refers to Arjuna as "Gudakesa", which is consistently translated as "conqueror of sleep", i.e. someone so self-disciplined that they themselves determine when, where, and how long he will sleep. This quotation particularly fit in this drabble so I've made the change in translation to enhance its significance to Zuko's situation. Oh, and also, Govinda is simply another name for Krishna. The title, however, is a reference to Plato's allegory of the cave.
[All Light (Ajna) entries for 7_chakras]