It was nearly two weeks before Azula spoke again.
Ty Lee was sitting in her usual place, just out of the reach of the captive, should she ever decide to take a swipe at her. "We've just hired a new royal chef," she was saying, having run out of things to say about what it was like to ride a flying bison. "You remember how Mai always loved fruit tarts? Well, she found this chef, and this guy's an absolute wizard with pastries. Sokka says he's like a cake bender, which is kind of silly, but funny all at the same time. He makes these really awesome double-fudge chocolate cakes, and they're so good! Of course, last time he made some, Sokka and Toph sneaked into the kitchen and ate one before dinner, so there was only one chocolate cake when he needed two, and he had to fix some fruit salad at the last minute so there'd be enough dessert."
Pausing to inhale, Ty Lee stole a glance at the cage. Azula was lying down, curled up into a fetal position, her head resting on her arm. Her face was in the shadows, so the acrobat couldn't make out her expression.
"Your Uncle Iroh's supposed to be coming to visit this week," she went on. "He wrote and told everyone that he's bringing some special teas with him. There's this one Earth Kingdom plant that looks all brown and gross and smells like scorched milk, but when you brew it, it tastes like flowers, he said. Sounds neat, huh? Although I hope it doesn't make the tea smell like scorched milk, because I really don't like that smell at all, and it would throw me off drinking it."
Azula sat up. Ty Lee fell silent, watching, as the former princess moved closer; grubby fingers pushed through the bars. There was a moment's pause before the captive spoke. "What do you want from me?"
The tone was harsh, demanding. Ty Lee eyed her uneasily, wondering if the prisoner could reach her if she tried. "Nothing, Azula," she said gently.
Eyes gleamed in torchlight as the prisoner's head moved back and forth a little, something like the head of a cobra. "You want something. You wouldn't come if you didn't." There was a flash of teeth. "Do you want me to be sorry? Do you want me to cry and get down on my knees and beg you for mercy?" She wasn't so much speaking as spitting out the words.
Ty Lee wisely did not point out that Azula was already on her knees. She eyed the young woman's aura. In its prime, Azula's aura had been spectacular – a clear, royal purple, with flares of bright oranges and yellows. During her months in prison it had shrunk down to a gray that rivaled Mai's for dinginess. Now, though, it was red – red, like spilled blood – and churning with black, like a stormy sky. Insanity had done Azula no favors. "I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do, 'Zula," she said, pitching her voice low. "I come to see you because I don't want you to be lonely."
"Lonely -!" Azula threw back her head and laughed. It wasn't normal laughter – it was high-pitched, brittle and false. Still laughing, the prisoner crawled back to her corner and threw herself down. The hysterical giggles turned to choking sobs.
The acrobat bit her lips as tears stung her own eyes. She wanted badly to throw her arms around the young woman's shoulders as she had done so often in the past. She wanted to hug Azula and let her cry on her shoulder! But she knew that wasn't possible. She'd seen the marks of Azula's teeth and claws on the flesh of a few guards who had gotten too close. She inhaled slowly, her breath shuddering. "It's okay," she said softly. "It's okay, 'Zula. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
Whether her voice was soothing to the prisoner or not, she didn't know, but Azula's ragged sobs faded after a while. She curled her body back into the fetal position it had been in when Ty Lee had first entered; her bare arms moved upward to shield her head. The chains on her limbs rattled.
"It…it wasn't su-supposed to be like…like this." The voice was small, now, almost like a child's, and broken by the aftershocks of her fit. "I was supposed to…I was s'posed to be Fire Lord! I worked so hard! I tried-I tried!" A small fit of sobs choked her. "And then…and then that Ag-Agni Kai, and…and Zuko lost. He lost, and then he was alive! So I should have been dead. Dead! That bastard! He couldn't even let me die with my honor!" As she spoke, her voice grew harder and louder, until at last she was shrieking. Ty Lee tensed, expecting the captive to begin thrashing and screaming, but it didn't happen. Azula's body went limp again, and shuddered as she wept.
Ty Lee didn't know what to say. She didn't think there was really anything that she could say! An idea came to her. Slowly – with her heart in her throat – she shuffled over until she was sitting right against the cage wall, not three feet from where the sobbing prisoner lay. She rested her head against the bars, closed her eyes, and began to sing softly. It was a lullabye – one that her mother had sung to her when she was a child.
She sang as Azula cried bitterly. She sang as the sobs slowly grew softer, and finally stopped altogether. She sang as the prisoner's ragged breathing gradually grew more peaceful and even. Finally, Ty Lee opened her eyes, and the last notes of the lullabye faded into silence.
The former princess was lying quietly, her head resting close to Ty Lee's knee. Her eyes were closed – she was asleep.
With trembling fingers, Ty Lee reached through the bars that separated them and brushed the matted strands of black hair away from the pale face. Azula didn't stir. "Sleep well, 'Zula," the little acrobat murmured. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Author's Note: To see an illustration of this chapter - nikipinz./art/Broken-Dragon-Ch2-Illustration-95714093
