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

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

That actually made Azula stop shivering with her pent up emotions. FINALLY someone understood what was wrong, sort of. "The darkness is an easy place to strike from, when my defenses are down. The water is a weapon, the earth hides them. Absolute vigilance is required, or I'm already dead."

[8wings.livejournal.com]

Azula may have stopped shivering, but Anwei shivered a little. How tired she must be, her vigilance screaming through her every nerve, visible in her shattered face and her choppy movements. How tired.

"I cannot promise a real world without any enemies - I don't think anyone can do that." And considering the battle on the Obs Deck when Azula had first arrived, she apparently already had some enemies waiting - or people she thought were enemies, at least. "I can only say that we will try to give you what you need to see only the real world. If you want it."

She hoped that was true - they weren't planning on just locking her up, were they? She'd be given treatment, therapy, neurochemical adjustments; she was one of the crew, they had to heal her. If she was this strong now, think what she could do healed!

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"No!" She jerked forward suddenly gripping at the floor with her nails and glaring over her shoulder, "You almost had me convinced...but I won't be played a fool. I won't take those so called "Medicines" to weaken me. I know what my brother ordered even if none of you will admit it!" She backed into the corner pressing hard into it, her wild eyes watching the walls for attack.

"Weaken the brain, don't make her a threat. It'll snow in the fire nation before I allow that!"

[8wings.livejournal.com]

Anwei carefully did not arch one eyebrow; instead she watched Azula's withdrawal and kept her face calm.

"Unless your brother's name is Leon Kennedy - and if so I must say I don't see any family likeness - he has no power to give orders here." For that matter he might not even be here, for all she knew. "Your brother could advise, or suggest - but not order."

"Personally? I'd think you would be much more of a threat when you could clearly tell phantom from reality. You'd be able to focus only on the real dangers to you."

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

"Of coarse I would be!" She snapped, "I was the greatest resource the Fire Nation ever had." She proclaimed, "I am the rightful Firelord not him. He never should have even survived to see the Avatars return!" She was ranting again glaring at Anwei as if this was somehow her fault.

"I won't let him weaken me, I won't let him win."

[8wings.livejournal.com]

"I don't want you to be weakened. I want you to be whole."

She hoped that the other woman wanted the same. But it sounded like she had had therapy before, and resisted. Could Stacy give her a bioactive implant that would let medicine be trickle-fed to her, or would she rip one out - or more horribly, burn it out? Could they give her one without her knowing about it, ethically?

[burnedbrighter.livejournal.com]

She wouldn't take it willingly she had made that much clear.

"If our fat Uncle could escape his cell then it's only a matter of time before I am free again." She muttered, "And when that happens, stay out of my way and you won't be destroyed or banished when I reclaim the throne."

[8wings.livejournal.com]

"It a long way to the throne from here." Years and light-years, galaxies and shattered dimensions; how to explain? She didn't think she could.

She wished there were AI therapists here; someone who could spend every day, every hour talking to and with and for this mad woman. Someone who could take as much time as they needed, in the sped-up reality of the virtual world, to say the perfect word. The right word.