Azula's POV
I woke up to a blizzard. It raged and whistled. I stayed in bed, hoping someone would come and check on me. I huddled under the blankets, desperate for any kind of warmth. Eventually, it got warm enough for me to fall asleep again. The dreams were back, and this time they were worse than before.
She has no soul. She cares for nothing. She only serves her father, and hates her mother. Her brother gives compassion and care, but she ignores him. Her only friend is chaos, and her mind is fractured into little pieces. They try to help her, but she refuses to yield. The Avatar should take her bending.
I woke up in a cold sweat, beads pouring down my face. If Aang took my bending, I would fight him tooth and nail. I could barely move, but that didn't matter. I groaned, not letting myself fall back asleep. I stared at the ceiling, and thought of my life before mother left. It was good, and I was safe from my father.
Morning had passed, still the wind was howling. Aang stepped into the hut, uncovering a platter of steaming noodles and a cup of tea. He was breathing heavily from his excursion. He set the platter down on the vanity and helped me sit up. I couldn't look him in the eye. He set the platter on my lap, and I muttered my thanks. He waterbended himself a stool and watched me eat.
"What?" I said, looking down uncomfortably. He said nothing, only stared at me with those big brown eyes.
"Please don't look at me," I muttered.
"Why?" He replied. A tear formed in my eye, but I bit it back. I simply continued to eat my noodles, and continued to look. I finished the noodles and gulped down the tea. I handed him back the platter and he set it on the vanity once more.
"I want to talk to you." He started.
"Well you're doing a fine job." I snarled.
"I don't want to take your bending. But if I have to, I will." He asserted.
"Zuko said you could?" I asked, my tone low.
"If it came to such measures, yes."
"Did my mother say you could?"
"I did not ask."
"Please… never touch me. Don't look at me. I am a disgrace to my brother."
"I understand."
He left with the platter out into the storm. I sighed. I had dodged a bullet there, and I prayed to Agni he would heed my words.
My legs were slowly beginning to move, and I crawled over to the vanity and sat on Aang's stool. Fever no longer plagued me, but Ty Lee's chi blocking had a longer lasting effect than I had originally thought. I brushed my hair, and that was an endeavor in itself. I had been on the run, not really caring about my appearance. That's when I caught a fever and passed out in the market. The nurse had brushed my hair while I was unconscious, and I thank her for that. But recently it had become unruly and disheveled. I gently brushed it. My bangs had grown out and were now the same length as my hair. I looked at myself in the mirror. I had grown, I realized. My face had matured, and maybe so had I. I pulled up half of my hair, leaving no bangs behind. It made me look bald. I pulled the two strands of hair down and wrapped it around the rest of my hair. Better, at least. Not like anyone would visit me.