Chapter 11- whispers
Notes: Azula and her voices, that's normal, right.
With everyone retired for the night Azula hurried for her room. Her arms held tightly across her chest giving her warmth. It's a cold night for the fire nation and among other things Azula loathes the cold.
The wind flows through her hair pushing small strands into her face. Hairs get into her mouth but she doesn't feel the need to move them away. One thing Azula use to be very fond of is her looks. For years of striving to be the perfect princess made her into something she didn't quite know. Azula's hair always use to sit perfectly on her head in a tight royal topknot. Her shiny crown always at tucked so nicely in-between her hair and her rubber band.
It wasn't until the day of Suzan's Comet, her biggest failure did she realize she has never done her hair for herself. Servants always use to do her hair for her, it was their honor to do the prized princess hair. Even on the road when traveling to find the Avatar and her uncle, Ty-Lee would always do her hair. This thought brings a frown to Azula's face.
'Ty-Lee'
She shivered grasping her arms even tighter.
She hates them all.
Ty Lee and Mai betrayed her.
Mother chose Zuko over her.
Even Zuko left her to rot and be tortured in an asylum for a year...it was all his fault.
Azula hears the whispers all the time, everyone does. People claim it's their conscience telling them what's right and wrong. People can follow their so called 'conscience' but not Azula. Azula is to smart for that. Growing up she thought her father was the smartest person to ever live, it wasn't until he left that she realized he was just as foolish.
Following his conscience, leaving her because he wanted her to stay safe. Azula scoffed. 'Father left to protect me,' Azula tucks her chin down to her neck in order to stay warm. Her room is a far walk from the dining hall a good four minutes. 'He thought I couldn't handle myself, he thought I was going to get hurt, he left because he loves me.'
Her footsteps get faster. 'He was weak, he didn't have to listen to the voice.' Her feet pound against the ground light steps turning heavy. 'He didn't have too, none of them had to.' Her breath caught in her throat, her chest rapidly moving up and down.
Her room door finally entered her sight. 'Why is everyone so naive?' Her heart pounds in her chest. 'Everyone hears the whisper so why am I the only one you is able to resist? ' Cold breathe escapes her lips. 'Why did I get punished for being strong? ' She reaches for the door handle the cold metal stinging her palm. The knob turns and she pushes the door open.
The room almost entirely pitch black like a deep dark void a shadow. A window the size of a chess board is the only source of light. The moon's glow radiates through the small square leaving a trail of light seeping through glowing the space right in-front of the darkest corner. Everyone is so weak, everyone just gives in. She can't blame them any of them they aren't perfect like her, they mess up. But now looking back she realizes.
'I shouldn't have let the voices get to me. This is my newfound sanity. Ignore them completely. Block the whispers out.'
'Out. Out. Out.'
The problem is whispers turn into voices, and voices into screams. They get harder and harder to block out to the point that she starts punching wall and sobbing uncontrollably. The door swings completely open revealing a dark shadow in the corner. It steps forward into the moonlight revealing the shape of a human. Azula's hands rush to her head, fingers digging into her hair clawing at her skull.
'Ignore. Ignore. IGNORE.'
The figure turns to her revealing its full form. Long dark hair fallen by its shoulders. A slender body covered in a red silk robe. A small gold crown at the top of its not so perfect bun. The face has a warm smile on it, its arms held out wide like its looking for a hug. The smile turns sorrowful and winkles form on the shadows face. Its eyes amber gold warm like honey but sharp like a knife. Its arms move forward as it steps closer to Azula.
"Come my darling, please don't ignore me."
Its hands flicker as an invite.
Whispers, Whispers. Whispers. We all hear them.
Others listen but Azula ignores them. She has to, or they will swallow her whole.
People think the whisper come from inside them. Their heads, no perhaps their hearts. Not Azula, she know the truth.
It's funny really, how someone who lies so much can find the truth of these voices. Funny in an almost cruel way. Everyone who listens betrays her and what will happen if she listens too. Will her own mind betray more than it already has?
Azula has listen to these whispers once before it put her through hell, it won't happen again.
'Bring it on liar, I know your truth. I see through you, I know who you are.'
Azula pushes herself into the room, the moon light now covering her face. In an instant the unlit candles find themselves ablaze azure flames licking the air. The flames create and eerie glow illuminating the mysterious shadow.
'People think the whispers and just that, VOICES, but I SEE them for what they really are. And WHO it really is.'
Mother
