Chapter 1: Luck
Present Day
Ty Lee doesn't know what she is supposed to do or say or be or what.
She just knows that no one has had any luck helping Azula. Maybe Ty Lee does not want to see her very much, but Ty Lee does owe her at least an attempt. Even after Azula did such awful things... such an awful thing. It makes Ty Lee feel nauseous, but she will live.
Maybe Azula will apologize; maybe Ty Lee does not need Azula to apologize. Maybe it is too late to apologize; maybe it is too early.
But Ty Lee would be lucky if Azula wants to see her at all. This is not the best situation they have ever been in. In fact, it is probably the worst, which is a very tough title to achieve.
It must be Ty Lee's lucky day, because there Azula is. Ty Lee twists her wedding ring around her finger over and over again before slowly removing it and beginning to chew on it absentmindedly. The metal tastes like blood in her mouth.
Azula does not look as bad as Ty Lee worried that she would.
Years Ago…
She is gone, and she is not coming back. She is gone because there was nothing Azula could do. She is gone because Azula could not deceive death, or control the situation.
Is this what it feels like to be helpless? It is, Azula believes, it is.
The numbing sensation that washes over her is familiar, an acquired taste that she has come to appreciate. It makes her seem so clinical and cold, just like she was intended to be.
Azula has had many points in her life when she thought it would be so much easier to just give up. To no longer bother with trying to live. But it has never felt as desirable to her as it does right now, in this moment. She is so very aware and alert, but, at the same time, the world around her is surreal and blurred.
Zuko dares to enter the sunny courtyard porch. Azula is drenched in sunlight, and it looks like a particularly eerie painting. He almost does not want to disturb it, but the way she is barely breathing; he knows he should at least bring her the glass of water he is holding.
"I brought you this." Silence. "It's just the heat wave and you've been out here for a while."
Azula opens her lips to speak before realizing that she has nothing to say. She could say that the heatwave will not affect her because she is such a powerful firebender, but that makes her think of soft words discussing just how powerful the wide-eyed girl would be one day.
Zuko lingers for a moment, although he doubts she wants to talk to him, or anyone. Even the guards assigned to watch over her are well out of range, like she will just combust like an explosion of cerulean fireworks. But Zuko does not think that will be Azula's reaction. Not violence, silence, detachment, reminding herself that she is not human and so it cannot hurt her.
Even when it does.
Chapter 2: Kittens
Present Day
Azula sits down across from Ty Lee, who offers what she must think is a kind or encouraging smile. But Azula just wants to spit in her face, because Ty Lee dares to even come here after getting Azula sent away.
Sent away to a place that is nicer than the last asylum she went to, but not a good one either. Azula truly does not want anything to do with Ty Lee, not at all.
"Zuko sent me, actually," Ty Lee admits, knowing Azula will get the truth out of her one way or another.
"Of course. Like all of the others. You are no different. He honestly should stop holding his breath about this. They, however, were actual professionals… you are probably pretty far from expertise in anything more complicated than eyeliner."
"I wanted to come."
"It's been quite some time. Four years?"
Ty Lee swallows. Four years since an act that was atrocious enough for Ty Lee to not want to face Azula again. But Ty Lee had to see, had to see her. Last time she didn't, and she regretted it.
"I think you know that I don't want to interact with you after that. I've forgiven you, but I don't know if I'm…"
"Why are you here if you don't want to interact with me?" Azula asks coldly.
Ty Lee's stomach does several flips. "I want to be with you, because I married you and promised to do things like that."
"You think I need healing?" Azula spits and Ty Lee slowly nods.
"Yes. I think that even Princess Azula isn't invincible," Ty Lee says quietly, her hand twitching to rest on Azula's handcuffed wrists, but she changes her mind halfway through.
"I'm not a helpless kitten for you to protect," Azula snarls.
"Azula," Ty Lee whispers, "you were a victim."
Azula gets angry at that. "No, no. Ty Lee, you're a moron. That's absurd. I am not a victim. I make victims."
Chapter 3: Divorce
Present Day
"Victims like our marriage," Ty Lee whispers coldly. "Victims like me..." Ty Lee refrains from saying the second one, because it would hurt her as much as it would hurt Azula, if not more so.
"Victims like me? I have no idea why me being a victim of anything would have a single thing to do with what happened. Azula grinds her teeth. "You were the one who asked for the divorce."
"You were the one who made it necessary," Ty Lee whispers, startled she has been able to refrain from crying for this long. But she can feel the tears behind her eyes now, and there is no changing that. "I'm sorry, okay?"
Ty Lee frowns and then softly sighs. Azula still is so cold and Ty Lee can just feel it radiating from her like she so often felt heat coming from before.
"I've been watching that cherry blossom tree start growing," Ty Lee whispers like an idiot. "It's not anywhere near back yet, but you were right about wildfires and seeds or whatever you meant."
"You burned everything?" Ty Lee chokes through tears. She is angry, but she just sounds weak and weary.
"Yes," Azula says honestly.
The ash from the beautiful cherry blossom tree is impossible to get out of Ty Lee's nostrils.
"I always thought it was a nice tree," Azula remarks calmly and Ty Lee clenches her jaw.
"Don't shut me out. Don't act so calm and shrug me off. You're not allowed to shut me out," Ty Lee hisses.
"You're not married to me anymore. Remember?" Azula smirks. "But it looks like you're the one wearing the crown now, huh?"
(TBC)