chapter seven: promise


Azula sits on the back porch of her house. The silence is eerie; when she first moved here the cricket-locusts simply would not shut up. When she lived in Ba Sing Se, the cars and people always filled the city streets with at the quietest a hum. Now, dead silence in the cold Kyoshi Island winter.

Mai steps outside and sits beside her, handing Azula a teacup. Azula accepts it but grimaces.

"I have no appetite," she says, staring down into the glistening blood. It could not be less appealing to her.

Mai shrugs and disclaims her involvement. "Your dad told me to give it to you."

"I wish he didn't let us go to these parties," Azula says to the countryside, not even glancing at her semi-sister. "I wish we could sneak out like normal children."

"Your angst is getting very boring," Mai says, taking a sip from her own cup. "I don't know why you want to be human."

They sit in silence as Azula processes that. She does not want to accept the fact that she has been lusting after normalcy not sex.

"Do you miss it?" Azula softly asks, finally looking at Mai instead of the trees, grass and sky.

Mai deflects, "Life before you wouldn't shut up about how hard it is to be a vampire?"

Azula scowls at her. "You know what I was asking."

"I do, and I don't want to answer it." Mai is the one who refuses to make eye contact now.

She does not want to talk about those years. They were very short compared to her new life, but she remembers them with surprising clarity. Despite the fact that she hates any reminders, she thinks she does miss it from time to time.

Not enough to complain and whine like the pretty, pretty princess beside her, but enough to not want to discuss it.

Azula asks, even though she already knows, "Does that mean yes?"

"I don't care," Mai flatly lies, not caring if Azula finds her credible or not. "I had a horrible life as a human, and didn't get a chance for many thrilling human experiences. I hated my life."

"You hate your life now."

"So what?" Mai considers just walking inside and leaving Azula to brood.

"Good point," Azula says and so Mai lingers for a few more moments.

"You had a boyfriend, didn't you? A serious enough one to run away with him," Azula states.

That is the one thing Mai wants to forget the most.

"Why are you even talking about him?" demands Mai, slipping into a state of emotion. "You don't know anything about him."

"No, I'm… I just want to ask… you had sex as a human with a human?" Azula inquires, which makes Mai sigh. This will be about her weird sexual issues that mostly revolve around the neighbor girl.

"This is going to be an awkward conversation, isn't it?" Mai inquires.

"I am asking because of my disturbing lack of willpower, and yes, it will be very awkward. I came so close to it with her—"

"You knocked her out, I know, which means you have feelings for her."

"No, I just panicked after knocking her out. It wasn't the same as it was my first time."

"Because you have feelings for her."

"No, I promise you that I don't. It was different because I was thinking during it. I was thinking about how I could not control myself and I need to control everything and everyone."

Mai might believe her. She at least believes that Azula believes herself.


On Saturday morning, Ty Lee opens the door and sees Suki and Jin standing on the porch.

"FINALLY!" she exclaims, her heart fluttering into the flurry of tachycardia. She does not know why she feels even more worried now that her friends are here. "Hurry upstairs. Come on!"

Suki and Jin exchange a glance before they race after Ty Lee up the stairs. Ty Lee kicks her studying sister out and slams the door shut.

"Is this about the party?" Suki asks. "We couldn't find you so we left. I'm really sorry but Jin said her mom would kill her and I'm not a big party person."

"I had to get a ride from Sokka because I passed out."

"You told us that. I'm really sorry." Jin hugs Ty Lee.

"No, I'm really not mad. I just wanted to tell you what happened before I passed out!"

"Mhm." Neither friend looks extremely enthused.

Ty Lee sets her hand over her heart and in a breathy voice says, "I almost had sex with Azula Kasai."


On Saturday morning, Ozai corners his daughter in the kitchen. "Mai told me about you and the neighbor girl."

"I hate her."

"The neighbor girl?"

"Mai. I hate her for telling anyone about that. I would much rather forget about it permanently. It isn't as if I care about Ty Lee, and I should never have tried to screw her," Azula says, thinking her lie seamless. She is very good at it.

But even her best woven dishonesties are transparent to Ozai.

"I can't take back how far you have let yourself go down this very dangerous path, but promise me you will not get involved with her any further. I can't have that."

Azula looks up at her father.

"I promise," she says.

She hopes she means it.


On Saturday morning, Katara confronts her brother.

"I haven't finished eating, Katara. We will take when I'm done eating this bacon… and steak… and most of the eggs…" He shovels all three of those into his mouth while Katara impatiently waits, tapping her foot on the linoleum floor.

"Done yet?" Katara asks after all the food is gone.

"Yes," replies Sokka.

"Good. Then you can answer my questions about last night. You took Ty Lee home because she passed out. Who was she last with?"

"I don't know why that matters, but she was last with that Kasai girl."

"Azula?"

"Whatever." Sokka knows her name, but he does not want to.

"Read this book," Katara says, setting the tome on vampires in front of her brother. He laughs.

"I don't read."

"At least just read the description about vampires, and promise to take me seriously."

"About vampires? Do you think Azula Kasai is a vampire, because that's kind of insane."

"No, it isn't. She fits the description, and so do her siblings."

Sokka flips open to the bookmarked page.

He cannot believe he is reading, and cannot believe he is reading about vampires as if they were real.


Suki asks, "Why would you want to have sex with Azula Kasai."

"Because she's amazing and perfect in every single way. I think I'm going to marry her one day," replies Ty Lee. Suki and Jin continuing staring at her as if she has grown a third eye. "So, maybe marriage is rushing it, but I really think it was so exciting that we almost did."

"But you passed out halfway through?" Suki asks, which kills Ty Lee's cheery vibe.

"Yeah, but she wanted to have sex so it counts as an amazing thing," Ty Lee reassures herself and her two best friends. "Such an amazing thing. I mean, her lips are really cold, but other than that, so perfect."

"Her hands are cold too," comments Suki, which makes Ty Lee's chest half-explode.

"How would you know?" Ty Lee jealously demands, her eyes flashing.

"Cheerleading," Suki replies with a trace of a smile. "I know you only look at her or the football players, but there's more to the team than just you."

"I know that," Ty Lee defensively snaps, crossing her arms and pouting. "I also know that we have a real chance. Everybody said she's just ignoring me or something, but she's not. She wants me."

Jin smiles and gives an affirmation, while Suki just sits down on Ty Lee's bed.

Suki says, "I don't know why you want her to want you, but congratulations, I guess."

Ty Lee beams.


At school on Monday, Azula leans against her locker and sees Ty Lee wave at her.

She knows she should not, but she waves back before making herself look busy. Ty Lee starts walking towards her, but Azula wishes she would come to her senses and not take another step. All that waits for her is a painful end to a sad excuse for a love affair.

Ty Lee does not develop sanity, because she stands in front of Azula, smiling.

Azula stares at her coldly.

Ty Lee's smile falters, but it does not fade.

"Do you want to walk to class with me?" Ty Lee asks, pressing her books to her chest, feeling like her heart is going to burst.

Azula glances over her shoulder at her siblings and shakes her head.

"No."

She walks away.

Why does she want to turn around and change her mind?

Mai is probably right.

But even if she is, Azula will keep her promise to her father.


The next day, Azula abandons Ty Lee in the hallway, Katara stands in the hallway with her brother. It is an unprecedented act of embarrassment, and so he wastes no time in rebutting what she has yet to say.

"No, since I believe in logic and reason and am not either five or insane, I don't think the new kids are vampires," states Sokka, rolling his cobalt eyes. "I know I'm concerned about Ty Lee being around them because I think there's something weird about that family, but I really doubt they're vampires. Serial killers, maybe. Not vampires."

Katara glowers. He does not care, but he sees Ty Lee crying and heading towards the deserted hallway lined with lockers.

"You should talk to her," says Katara. She knows he sucks at being sensitive, but she also is rooting for him tearing Ty Lee's attention from a vampiress and putting it on him instead. He nods sharply and turns to follow his friend.

Ty Lee sits down, her back against the metal lockers, and sniffles. Sokka sits down beside her and they remain in silence for a few long moments. It is his free period; she has a bathroom pass looped around her finger.

"Why are you so upset?" Sokka inquires. He is not very good at this kind of thing, to tell the whole and honest truth.

Ty Lee tries to control her quiet sobbing, and at last manages.

"I don't know with her. I don't know what to think of her. What am I supposed to think of her?" Ty Lee whispers, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I think she's cold and cruel and not interested in you," Sokka says, studying Ty Lee closely. It is somehow unclear to them both that he hates Azula because he has a crush on Ty Lee. "She seems vain and terrible, in my opinion, and you keep chasing her. I think she's playing with you."

Ty Lee does not want to agree with him. It hurts so much that she does wonder if he could be right. Azula does seem to be toying with her in many ways, but Ty Lee has seen this hunger in her eyes that makes Ty Lee think she desires her back.

"She probably is, but I've never felt this way about somebody before," Ty Lee ekes out. He sets his strong hand on her arm and she manages to reel in her hysterics. She rests her head on his shoulder and he feels an electric shock in his veins. "There's something about her that just makes me feel like it's more than a crush."

"She's probably a vampire or something," Sokka remarks and Ty Lee giggles. "Hey, you can go to Kyoshi Day down on the pier with me. It'll be great."

"That sounds fun," Ty Lee says, not noticing he is asking her out. He does not know how to tell her that he is, so he just settles for an evening with a friend.

They sit there for an eternity, and he savors each second.


"Of course I got the only A in his class in eight years. I am a genius, after all," purrs Azula as soon as she receives her First Semester marks from Mr. Jiggong.

"One day that head of yours will get so hot it will melt," Mai remarks, earning a glare from her sort-of-sister slash sort-of-daughter.

"Maybe," Azula replies in a mocking voice. Mai is unfazed by it. It is miraculous how used to someone you can get after a hundred years or so. "So, Kyoshi Day…"

"I have no clue why you think I care about a holiday," Mai says, picking up her backpack and starting off down the hallway. Azula follows her, then speeds up so that she can walk a single step in front. Mai rolls her eyes when Azula is not looking. "There's no reason I would ever care about Kyoshi Day and I'm not a huge fan of festival type things."

"It could be fun," says Azula. "An evening by the ocean, out on the colorful pier, decorating and dressing up."

"None of those things sound fun," Mai replies.

"Does anything sound fun to you?" Azula asks.

"Good point," admits Mai. "I'll see you after school, while I wait, bored, for you and Zuko to finish practice."

Azula smirks and walks away.