A quick belated Happy New Year to you all. I hope your 2012 is as great as 2011 was, or better. :)

Chapter Thirteen

A Burden on the Back

Azula buried her face into her blankets, trying to relax her mind and smooth out everything, especially the impact Ty Lee's visit brought. It should not have taken so much out of her, but it did. She wanted to scream her pain away, but she knew it would only make things a lot worse. But how could they get worse when the images, the flashbacks, appeared, all Ty Lee's doing. Azula never thought she'd hate the girl more until now.

It took the night away, replacing it with faces, just faces, but they brought back all the memories, all the negative, the bad relationship of each person.

Ozai, his hardened, cold eyes and black hair that Azula had taken from him. Used her, manipulated her into his own creation, so he could have a child he could not have with weak, pathetic Zuko. Raised her high and proud, showing the ways of royalty and power, forming her into her own, evil kind of person. Rose her high, high, high, and had her fall, fall, fall down hard when she was high enough to reach the clouds. And she landed hard. Not the complete cause of her pain, but another puzzle piece of it.

Ursa, a kind face that resembled hers, only with a more generous aura coming from her. Thought her near invisible, taking in Zuko as her child more than Azula. If she hadn't, perhaps things could have gone another way. Thought she was a monster. Now, now, she was right.

Zuko, an ugly scar marking his face despite his newfound goodness. Rivaled her even though she knew she was better. But maybe he was actually better than her somehow…no, he couldn't be. Yet he could be free, and he was not confined to an asylum-

She struggled so much to force it from her mind, or even distract herself to send those images away. But what could she do…?

"Are you okay, Azula? You seem…out of it," muttered Lya the day after Ty Lee came. She came into Azula's room when Azula remained in her room throughout the whole day. Obviously not a good sign of her getting better from him. Azula ate her food as Lya spoke to her in a whispery octave that Lya could rarely rise more than.

"I'm just perfect," replied Azula, her voice muffled from the blankets encompassing her face and body. Whether she saying that to herself or Lya, though, she hadn't a clue. "Now leave me be."

"It was that girl who came to see you, wasn't it?" Lya pressed on with wide and worried eyes that Azula glanced at for a second before smashing her face back into her pillows. Lya's tone was too caring for someone she barely knew, someone who barely knew her. How could someone really care about someone like her so much?

"I told you, I don't want to talk about that," Azula answered, getting out from her bed. The blankets brushed the floor as she marched toward the window. Though her eyes were directed through them, she was not staring there. She tightened her lips and folded her arms.

"Seriously, Azula," Lya argued. She forced her voice to rise, but despite how Azula could manage the tone of her words, she didn't sound at all harsh, "if you really wanna let this go, you should stop…stop moping around 'bout it. It's not good for you! …So why does this really make you feel so bad?"

Azula twisted around to protest once more, but Lya cut her off by countering with raised arms of defense, "My doctor says something disturbing you is something you should talk about. And maybe you'd rather talk about it with me than your doctor; that's how I am, anyway, and even Takeo."

Azula shook her head. "I really doubt you'd understand. Just. Go. Now," Azula sneered as her hands curled into fists at her sides. It was somewhat of a strangled plea, but a bit of acid escaped her tone enough to intimidate the girl, who then disappeared from her room.

But there was no movement, Azula noted. She looked up, and for once, Lya was sitting straight and with her lips pursed, said, "No, Azula."

Azula grimaced, furious that Lya wouldn't do as she said. "I don't like to be ignored when I tell someone what to do, especially the pathetic likes of you. Now go," she said with no regret of the insult she slammed right at the girl's face.

She saw in Lya's eyes how she faltered by it, but Lya recovered after a sigh. "No. You need to do something about this that doesn't involve moping around."

"You do that," Azula countered.

"It could actually work different for you," Lya said.

Azula then finally noted how the door was not shut; she only noticed when Lya peered over her shoulder when someone passed the room. She shouted in the loudest Azula ever heard her, "Takeo!" And she ran right over to him.

At first, Azula expected this conversation to have been dropped when Lya went over to Takeo. But she watched anyway, in case it was differfent. Lya stretched onto her toes and whispered something into Takeo's ear. And then they both nodded after staring at each other for a quick moment, both with solemn looks. Lya disappeared into the left side of the hallway, leaving Takeo standing at the doorway.

He came in, and Azula's hope for some peace and quiet vanished.

"If you're trying to talk me into stop being in my bed like a stubborn child, you're wasting your time," Azula said immediately when Takeo was right at the edge of her bed. Her feet now dangled as she threw them at the side.

"Well, Lya's right-"

"I already had this conversation, and it's not going to go any better than Lya's attempt."

Azula hadn't expected anyone to speak to her about her worries-and now there was a second person standing above her in the hallway. And it was Takeo. And he wasn't a doctor who was paid to hear her woes. It actually made her furious, because for all she knew, the two could be working together now to get her to speak up, like they cared. No one cared for her…right?

Takeo shrugged. "I'm just sayin'…whatever's on your mind, it's not gonna hurt to tell someone. It does hurt to keep it in. Even if it's a doctor, it's better to let it out somehow," he said.

"Since when have you and Lya become so wise about this stuff? Suddenly, I feel like I'm with my uncle!" Azula exclaimed.

Takeo tilted his head. "So? I've been here a decent amount of time to know what some stuff is like-but I'm not old enough to know a lot. Neither is Lya, but I think whatever she's said might be true."

"You two said exactly the same thing; I wouldn't be surprised if you two were working together to…to make me feel better! Which makes no sense. You're wasting your time," Azula said again.

"Like I have anything else to do," Takeo said jokingly, flashing a smile to add to it.

But then there was a pause, and the silence made Azula curiously face him, and saw the smile had faded. He was…nervous? Or was he just growing shy…or something? "I'm not…here just to talk about your problems," Takeo stammered.

"Then what are you here for?" Azula asked through narrowed eyebrows.

"Okay, but…don't take it too crazily serious," he said, avoiding eye contact, which only made Azula more morbidly curious.

So Azula would have to take a dive to get to what he wanted. She felt the tension between them, most of it emanating from him. She almost chose to leave just to dig deep into his nerves. Something in her decided otherwise, however, and she stayed. She nodded the tiniest of nods with her brows cocked as she waited for his next response.

"L-I've seen that you have been really down. And I've been allowed today to head out to a city not far from here-with a guard to watch me, but only one. Better than not going at all, right? And didn't your doctor allow you out of town last week? You mentioned it-or…you more bothered me 'bout it," he said.

Azula shrugged, but her smirk gave her away. "Yes, but I haven't decided to go there yet. I have no reason to go there, anyway."

"I was going out tonight to get something to eat-why don't you come with me?"

Azula shot him a look, momentarily questioning if he were even talking to her and not an imaginary friend he just made then. She wasn't even quite sure if she heard him correctly, and that her mind was playing tricks. She raised her eyebrows. "What?" she asked, though she added some surprise just to make her tone seem sarcastic.

"I mean, I have a feeling food out in the city would be better than cafeteria food here. And I've thought that maybe you'd like to come with since you might need a night out of this whacko place," Takeo explained, though appearing rather perplexed with himself. She wasn't entirely sure, but was he blushing?

Azula tried not to expect what that meant and made her decision easily. She did get privileges last week, only never used them. Why not now? Why not test them out? Her shoulders flinched curtly. "Fine. A night out would do I suppose," she replied.

Takeo flashed her a smile and a nod. "Cool. Tomorrow night, then." And he left.

She suddenly had a question, only it couldn't be answered since he left before she demanded, "What did you mean by 'don't take it seriously'?" She found herself talking to air. She brushed her hair from her face and fell back onto the bed, not really understanding what it icould/i have meant. She was not that experienced in that field, after all.

Bet no one saw that coming. In the beginning of making this story, neither would I. I almost wouldn't have put this in-I don't really like this kind of…stuff (love my vocabulary, don't you? ;)) that much-but once the pieces to the story were put together, this had to be put in to make it all work. But don't get so crazy about it just yet, alright? There is so much more to this, I swear. :)