Helpless.

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

In the back of her cell Azula slumped against the wall. Between the pale exhausted look on her face and the empty eyes gazing at the transparent wall of her cell she looked dead to the world.

She knew something was wrong with her. That much was painfully clear no matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise. But she wasn't crazy! No. Never. Not the Princess of the Fire Nation, not the rightful heir to the throne.

She was just...sick. Yes. She had caught something. Like when a fever got too strong or when one drank too much wine.

No, she had been infected! That had to be it. That's when things began to go downhill. Mai must have had some kind of poison on her knives, or maybe the servants back at the palace...

The palace was gone. That's what everyone kept telling her. The fire nation, the world was gone.

Her father was gone...

She hadn't seen her father since he left to complete his destiny and take over the world. Only through what Zuko and the Doctors had told her did she know his fate. A war criminal.

His powers stripped...just a man now.

She still could create fire for now. But what if the Avatar tried to take it from her like he had her father?

What else could they take?

Images flashing through her mind. Medications, procedures. Those unsettling tentacles that belonged to the voice in her head, the world around her. "Stacy" How dare she speak in such a kind an loving voice? Azula knew better. Azula knew what sort of damage love could bring.

What was the voice plotting to do to her while it spoke so sweetly? Her mind? Not if she had any say! And why shouldn't she!? She is Princess Azula! From Birth her destiny was perfection and greatness. The heavens above had sent to the planet the perfect girl, born to the man destined to rule the world.

...or so they'd thought.

But he was gone, they were gone the world was gone! Azula too...must be gone.

Yes, that made more sense didn't it? Azula had died...no was killed. MURDERED! Murdered by those so called "Doctors" that had promised they wouldn't hurt her. That they only wanted to help her! Zuko probably gave them the order! Kill her so he wouldn't have to worry anymore about the only loyal family their Father had left.

Father...

These thoughts and more swirled about in her fractured mind but her body never moved, barely blinked. You couldn't even really tell she was breathing.

This was all that was left, of the Proud Princess Azula.

Comments

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She had heard about the fight, and how hurt some of the crew members were, even friends. But she couldn't help but worry that maybe it was too big of a blow for someone who had just come out of the pods.

So she made her way down to the brig, if anything to see how the newest denizen of it's depths was doing, and maybe offer her some of the tea she had made.

"H-hey... Are you okay in there?" Yeah stupid question Ronnie, what do you think? she shook her head and just looked back to Azula shyly.

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

Azula's gaze remained blank and empty as she sat still as a stone. The voice drifting through her head was unfamiliar and nervous. Something she wasn't used to hearing.

it reminded her of something.

"Make sure to take all the pits out this time." She mumbled mistaking Ronnae for one of her servant girls.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She tilted her head curiously, "I... I assure you the tea has no pits miss..."

She knew that look all too well... she wore it a lot of times back then, and that made her feel worse for her.

"I h-have some if you want it... It's strawberry mint tea."

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"tea..." Just the word left a bad taste in her mouth. It made her think of Uncle.

"Too easy. You'll have to try harder to kill me then that." She mumbled letting her head fall forward and her gaze falling to the floor. "I'll die on my own terms servant girl."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"I promise, I have no intentions of killing you... And I'm not a s-servant either. I'm part of the crew." She put the drink back in her backpack and pulled out a water bottle instead. "Maybe you'd like some water?"

She kept her sweet concerned voice, not knowing she was quite literally playing with fire... very hot, crazy fire.

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

Azula didn't even raise her head, "I won't drink your poison servant. You have been banished. Go tell Zuzu if he wants to kill me he needs to do it himself." She brought her head back up and there was no hope in her eyes. No smug satisfaction at thwarting her imagined death. "Or send a better killer so I can finally sleep."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae sighed and sat down in front of the cell, studying Azula. "I already said, I wasn't a servant, nor an assassin." She paused to think for a moment.

"Are assassins in your world this obvious? Back home you didn't see it coming, and you were dead before you had a chance to take your last breath." She would know... her mother was one of the best the Horde had to offer.

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"Fool." She retorted sharply, "I had you figured out the moment you arrived. You can't play dumb and expect to get away with it. I've already banished you do you wish for the death penalty?"

Her voice held no conviction though. She knew she had no control anymore. It had been stolen away from her.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"You've lost your will haven't you..." She said simply, pulling her knees to her chest and relaxing her head on them, looking down at the area in front of Azula.

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"Don't speak to me like that." Azula spat directly at the barrier but as dry as her mouth was nothing came out. "With pity. I am destined to be the Firelord, the first female firelord. I won't have failed murderers and servants speak ill of me!" A pause and then she added, "And take off that hideous mask. It disgusts me." She was of coarse referring, to Ronnae's face.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

ronnae visibly flinched, however she didn't move. "I'm not pitying you...You seem a lot more driven than I ever was. And no sadly, I can't take off said mask... It's my face, I'm not from your world." She sighed, still looking at her from her resting position.

"If you're regarded so highly, don't you think they would have sent a real assassin? I'm not, I just came... came to see how you were holding up is all... The news aren't easy on anyone new... Losing your whole world is... well, you already know how it feels like."

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"You're a terrible doctor." She remarked almost casually. "And an even worse servant. You must be new. Probably some crone shipped in from the Earth kingdom. That's why you're green. You're diseased and trying to use what time you have left to cure others isn't that right? Well I won't play into your game. I won't give you the relief you hoped for."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"....."

"I'm. Not. From. Your. World. And I'm not diseased either..." That's not what they said... Shut it!...

"And I'm not a doctor... Like I said, jus' a crew member s'all. Are... are you sure you don't want the water at least? You... You look parched..."

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"You're insane!" She accused and brought her hands up sharply. Blue flames exploded from her and filled the room lighting up the entire hall with blinding blue light. The shadows flickered and danced like monsters lurking along the edges of view.

But the heat didn't even touch Ronnae. It was like watching a show.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae flinched, but didn't move back. Just huddled herself up more in her sitting position, hugging her knees. "I was once.... Old Gods tend to do that to you... But that doesn't matter."

She places the bottle of water through the barrier and leaves it there. "I'm not after you, or wanting to hurt you. Take it as you wish tho." She said before hugging her knees again.

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

The fires melted the bottle without a moments hesitation, the water turning to steam and vanishing in the blue.

when the fires died down Azula was panting, her eyes unfocused and wild, frightened and moving from each corner of her cell to things that only she could see. "Stay back!" She demanded trying to press herself into the corner tighter and tighter. "I won't take anymore of your herbs! I won't let you try to fix me! Just leave me alone!" She lashed out again fire glancing off the walls harmlessly as she tried to defend herself against something that wasn't there.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"There's nothing attacking you..." She said in a sad tone. "Really, nothing's gonna harm you here, I promise. Jus'... relax a bit, and get your bearings. Breath before you exhaust yourself..."

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"You're blind!" She protested softly, "Blind and insane. I'll kill you too if you get too close doctor." She laughed an unstable tormented laugh. "Did Zuzu tell you how dangerous I am? Tell you how he stole the throne from me? Your lord is a false idol!"

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"I'm none of those... And no, well yes, I've heard of how dangerous you are... Don't you think you should cool it down m-maybe a bit? They'll j-jus' keep you c-caged if you keep this up..." She sighed at her.

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"They'll keep me caged up till their done with me!" She argued her voice sharp and pained, "The False Firelord would never DARE let his people find out how he betrayed them all. How he ruined everything their husbands fathers and sons died for."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"No, they'll keep you caged up till you cool down and they're sure you won't try hurting the other crew members. We're in a bigger war than any of us have ever been in, and if we want to get our worlds back we need to work together."

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"The war is over." She snarled "Your false firelord saw to that. Thousands of lives lost, generations of his own families efforts cast aside like dust. All for nothing." She was shaking again.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"This is a different war, a far bigger and more dangerous one. And what's on the line isn't only our lives and those of other. It's our very existences!" She retorted.

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"There's no such thing as a different war. War is always the same. There are winners and there are losers." And she was having trouble coming to terms with losing.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"Maybe this is you chance to get back in the saddle and prove you can be an asset, if not the major turning point of the war... Unless you're tired of fighting... which I can understand." She stood, and looked at her more seriously.

"If that's the case, than maybe it's better to just stay here and let it all blow over."