Talk to me

What Aria didn't seem to realize was that he wasn't angry with her. He was angry and disgusted with himself. And Joseph was sure, if he looked at Aria right now, all his willpower would fly out of the window and he would become a slave to his heart once again.

"Just . . look . . at . . me . . !!!" Aria huffed. She tried to use wind bending to turn Joseph's head, who at first began to use his own physical power and wind bending to resist it, but suddenly remembering Aria wasn't allowed to bend, and noticing how tired she sounded, he stopped resisting.

Finally getting him to look at herself, Aria smiled. "Now, tell me what's wrong." she asked.

Joseph sighed and began to get up. "You should sleep, Aria." he said, but he wasn't even halfway on his feet when Aria's voice thundered in the recovery ward. "Sit yourself back down." she said, her voice, though not very loud, leaving no room for negotiation.

Joseph plopped down on the chair without any resistance. "I am so done with you brats."Aria spoke, sounding angry. "Now shoot! What the hell is wrong? Why are you behaving this way?"

"What way?" Joseph asked, trying to evade the question. But the stare Aria fixed him with led to all his tactics melting away. "It's nothing you should be worried about?" he finally said.

"Nothing I should be worried about!?!?" Aria exploded. "Helen has taken to hiding in her room once again. She has started to take private lessons and even use that stick to walk around. She feels incredibly lonely at the academy, has no one to talk to, and is even considering dropping out of the academy. Jacob has taken to hiding in the library or his room and shunning social interaction for every waking minute of every day. He looks like a walking puppet, and that shine that used to exist in his eyes has completely vanished. And he, for some unfathomable reason has taken to completely ignoring Helen along with you. Some shit about all that happened that night being his fault. And you! . . . " Joseph jumped at this very dramatic pause, and Aria continued, "Do not even get me started on you! You! The one who should have cared for Helen and Jacob while I was unconscious. They have both gone through a very traumatizing experience, Helen most of all. And at a time when she needed you the most, what was your response? To shun everyone and start ignoring the people closest to you."

"Didn't you vow to always care for and protect Helen? Huh Joseph? Where did that vow go when she needed you the most? Where were you when she needed someone to walk her to class? What were you doing when she wanted a shoulder to cry on? And where were you hiding while she was having trouble sleeping? Struggling with those dreadful nightmares she still has about that night?!?!" Aria was panting by this time.

"I-I. . . . " Joseph opened his mouth, but Aria was apparently not done yet. She began once more, "You were hiding, that's where you were! Hiding from your own weakness. And do you know Joseph, what does your kingdom call such people? Cowards!!! That is the only word to describe the way you have behaved and your running . " But Aria suddenly stopped.