chapter ten: a blind fish
The next day, Azula walks to Ty Lee's house. Spending so much time out in broad daylight makes her feel sick to her stomach but she holds herself together. She knocks on the door and, thankfully, Ty Lee is the one who answers.
"Hi," Ty Lee chirps, hugging Azula tightly. The vampiress pulls away as quickly as she can. "Do you want to meet my fish?"
"I…" Azula's eyelids flutter, but she quickly regains her composure. "Sure."
"He's blind, so he needs extra love," Ty Lee says, stepping into her house and guiding Azula up the stairs. "But even though he has trouble seeing, he's the best fish in the Universe. I dare you to find a better one."
"I have no plans of trying to prove you wrong about…?"
"Swimmy," Ty Lee interjects, batting her eyelashes. She seems enthusiastic about an animal with a lifespan that is a microsecond in Azula's mind.
But playing nice, Azula says smoothly, "I have no plans of trying to prove you wrong about Swimmy."
In response, Ty Lee grins from ear to ear. When Azula looks at her, she envies the innocence of mankind like she never has before in her life.
"You'll love him," Ty Lee says, snatching up Azula's ice cold hand.
She holds it in hers and feels the delightful chill that sends jolts of lightning up her arm. It only takes a few steps for her to start feeling faint and she clings to Azula tighter to keep standing. The floor starts to spin and Ty Lee's vision blurs. Azula releases her and Ty Lee sits down on her bedroom floor, catching her breath.
"You probably should not hold my hand."
"Why?" Ty Lee asks. "Is that what love feels like?"
"I do not love you. Vampires do not love humans."
"They do in the romance books."
"Those are fiction. Vampires cannot love humans because it drains their life force away. That, to me, is a perfect example of why our species were not designed to be compatible."
"So, if we hold hands or kiss… it could kill me?"
"Yes," Azula says, leaving out the part about some humans being strong enough to turn. Ty Lee, romantic and silly as she is, would probably think she was destined to become a vampire.
"I guess sex is out of the question."
"That too," Azula says. "We have an attraction but we are different races. Dogs and cats do not breed, Ty Lee."
"But you look human."
Azula walks closer to Ty Lee. "But I am not. Still, I see no reason why we should be reluctant to spend time together. I look forward to getting to know Swimmy on a deeper level."
Ty Lee smiles at Azula and cheerily accepts her fate.
Again, Azula marvels for the first time at human resilience.
She always saw them as so weak and pathetic.
"Did you sleep with her?" Mai asks when Azula gets home.
Azula sighs. "Of course not. I met her fish. He's blind. I didn't know fish could be blind."
"They can if you take their eyes out," Mai says.
Azula demands, "Why would you do that?"
Mai shrugs and answers, "If you want to make them blind."
Zuko, disgusted, declares, "That's horrible."
"Well, her fish is blind and she loves the fish a lot. I spent a lot of time bonding with her pet fish and explained absolutely nothing I went over there to explain," states Azula.
Zuko asks, missing the point entirely, "Was it really gross to look at the gaps where his eyes used to be?"
Azula groans. "He had eyes. They just don't work."
Ozai interrupts and his coven snaps to attention. "Is the love of that whore worth potentially losing everything?"
Azula looks up at him and challenges his authority like she never has in her life.
"If you had ever experienced love, you would not have to ask."
"I have a mate."
"Maybe Ty Lee is mine." Azula covers her mouth but it is too late. It is not that she wants to hide that nagging thought from her father; she wants to hide it from herself.
"A mate isn't love," Mai says, of all people. "Mates are a purely biological attraction only experienced by vampires. Love is a human emotion and I doubt Azula feels it. She just craves it from neighbor girl."
Azula scoffs and asks, "Why would I crave it?"
"Because you have an ego the size of Ba Sing Se. It feels good to have someone be willing to die just to kiss you," Mai says.
Ozai's eyes bore into Azula's. "It doesn't require love or mating to accidentally create a vampire. I expect you to use discretion so we do not repeat the Zuko incident."
"I am not going to unleash a newborn on a major city, father. I can remain chaste around her because I have self-control, unlike my brother," Azula purrs.
Ozai stares her down until he decides that he believes her.
At school, in the early morning, Ty Lee shivers beneath her pink parka as she sits on the bike rack with Jin and Suki. They keep asking her about Sokka; word travels fast.
"He's very handsome," Ty Lee chirps when they ask for an explanation.
"You say that about everyone," Jin says, laughing. "Give us better details."
"I don't need another reason. He's been my friend for my whole life and I guess I always wanted him," Ty Lee says, surprised at how easily the lies spill from her lips. "Oh! Here he comes! Bye!"
Ty Lee scampers off to catch Sokka before anyone else does. They must make this work.
"You were screwing somebody else, weren't you?" Sokka asks, leaning against his beat up blue truck. Ty Lee frowns and stares at her pink pumps. "It's fine, though. The rumor of me sleeping with the hottest girl at school doesn't hurt my reputation, and I'm always glad to help you."
"I was… doing something bad. I needed an alibi and you were the first thing I thought of," Ty Lee says, squeezing his rough, calloused hand. "We could pretend to be dating, or we could pretend it was a one night stand. Whatever you like."
Sokka stares at her. He keeps his face strong, but she can see the humanity inside of him when he hears her words.
"Well, I would like to kiss you in front of everyone," Sokka says. He leans in and takes it, which gives Ty Lee a buzz throughout her body. She closes her eyes and embraces him, prolonging it until she hears a female voice clear her throat.
"Are you two an item now?" asks Azula Kasai. Sokka glares at her, wolflike in expression. "How cute. I should snap some pictures for yearbook. You might be prom King and Queen."
"Stay away from her, Kasai," snarls Sokka, grabbing Ty Lee by the waist. "She's taken now."
Ty Lee blushes. "Uh, Azula is kinda part of why I need the alibi. She knows we weren't…"
Sokka breathes deeply to hide his embarrassment. Astute and attuned like the predator she is, Azula notices, but gives no indication that she does. He can get away with it, in her eyes.
"You two make a cute fake couple," Azula purrs mockingly, stepping back to 'admire' them both further. "I think you should flaunt it for a couple of days. My father does not let me date anyway. Sokka, my dear, you would be doing us such a favor."
Sokka's nostrils flare and Ty Lee notices how his canines peek out from his lips. This is pretty much the sexiest and most exciting thing that has ever happened to her. Two beautiful people might tear each other apart in a school parking lot because they crave her so desperately.
Mai saves the day by tonelessly calling from the sidewalk, "Azula, hurry up!"
"It's your lucky day, Kasai," growls Sokka.
"I could say the same to you," Azula purrs, uncurling her fingers in an eerie, inhuman fashion. She winks at them both before she skitters after her sort-of-sister.
Ty Lee leans against Sokka's muscles.
It is an amazing day so far.
Even things that go bump in the night need protection.
They need laws, a government, a watchful force of powerful vampires who make sure nothing goes wrong and none of their kind get hurt.
And so goes the story of why the Kasai Coven is stuck on the run. They broke the laws that vampires must abide by; they killed their own kind. Afterwards, they decided to evade being put to death for the act of treason by vanishing into thin air.
They have been almost caught more than once, but always slipped away.
And now, Azula endangers them the way Zuko did last time; she fell for a human.
At the moment, she sits in a diner with the human she cannot deny her attraction to. They study the flashcards Azula made for their English class. This year, they study Dracula as part of their monsters-in-literature unit. It amuses the vampiress and consistently makes the human giggle.
"How do you pass your classes?" Azula asks as Ty Lee fails yet again.
"I just do," Ty Lee whines. "With Ds. Those are good enough!"
"Not good enough for college," purrs Azula.
"I'm pretty; I don't have to go to college. I'll just get married." She bats her eyelashes. "Does that make you jealous?"
"A little," Azula says, smirking lightly. "Now focus on the flashcards. This place is disgusting and I would like to leave soon."
Azula hates diners, but this town only has three restaurants. None of them are flashy and Azula misses the city she last lived in. There were more vampires there and more options.
Unfortunately, Kyoshi Island is the worst place she has ever lived.
On the other side of town, "Hi, Zuko," Katara says, coming up to him after football practice.
His cold skin still is damp from the showers. He does not sweat, but he does not want to draw attention to himself either. Especially with the incest rumors flying. He supposes that is what this girl in blue is about to ask. Everyone seems to be talking about him and Mai.
"What do you want?" he growls angrily.
"I just wanted to offer going for a hike. You don't ever look too tired after practice," Katara says, smiling at him. She never has given him that expression and he cannot help but be suspicious. "It's a beautiful day and I know this cove that people sneak off to sometimes. It's supposed to be very dangerous, and you look like the type who likes danger."
Zuko chuckles and closely examines the strange girl who always wears blue. "You're more daring than I thought. I took you as the average goody-two-shoes."
"Let's go," Katara states, nodding towards the parking lot.
If she were not so hot, Zuko would turn her down, but he decides to give her a shot. He probably cannot sleep with her, but they could fool around without him killing her by mistake.
They head out towards the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Across town, Azula continues scowling about the tacky diner. Ty Lee senses it as Azula astutely watches her nervous breathing, the heave of her chest.
"I can take you somewhere fun," says Azula. "It's a long drive but worth it. It's a club for my kind, but I think I can get you in."
"To get eaten," whispers Ty Lee.
"No. I introduce you as my own claim, which is a lie, I promise. No one will steal my meal," Azula purrs. She pulls out her wallet and flashes a fake driver's license. "And don't worry about me driving you to the city; I have a century of practice."
Ty Lee grins from ear to ear. She knows she might be walking into a deadly trap, but it is worth it. It is so worth it.
Azula stands up, leaves cash on the table, and takes Ty Lee with her. They take the long bike ride back home and Azula takes her father's beloved car. Ty Lee buckles her seatbelt. She cannot stop smiling. Azula starts driving.
"We'll be there by nightfall. Until then, the radio?" Azula flips it on without an answer.
Ty Lee loves that about her. The control Azula has is so sexy.
Zuko steps out in to the brisk air by the cliffs and watches Katara start to hike through the woods. He follows her, startled by the lack of conversation.
"Most girls talk more than you," Zuko says, laughing.
"That's sexist and you should shut up if you want me to show you the cove," Katara snaps, leaping over a stray root. Zuko narrowly avoids tripping over it. Thank Agni for vampire reflexes. "It's just a walk away. Not too far away."
Zuko follows her, every step regretting agreeing to this. Even she is not hot enough to be worth this miserable afternoon.
Then, suddenly, the boredom ends when Katara slips and screams. She plummets into gap in the rocks that she did not notice. Zuko jumps down after her at preternatural speed, but narrowly misses her. She splashes down into the water and he follows.
"No!" shouts Katara. He did not know she could yell like that. "No! Don't come down here!"
Zuko thuds and splashes in the knee deep water. "A little too late. I was already falling."
Katara backs towards the rocky wall. Zuko does not follow her; he is slightly smarter than that. He does not want to mess with a human when they already are at such risk. Last time was a horrible, horrible mistake.
"I wanted to change my mind but we… I… we need to have a conversation. I know what you are," Katara whispers, as she conceals herself in the darkness. "I brought you here to tell you that."
Zuko blanches. If the vampire could be any paler, he is.
"Say it," orders Zuko, because he cannot. Despite being on the run, he does not need to break any more rules by revealing his secret.
"You're a vampire," Katara says.
"That's ridiculous. Do you really believe that kind of thing?"
"Yes. My father was a monster expert and so is my Gran-Gran. Our tribe tells stories about people like you, and about people who can turn into wolves… and about what I am. I'm not human either, Zuko. So your secret is safe with me."
"You're not…" Zuko laughs. "You're a loony. You're not a vampire; I know my own kind."
"No; I'm not a vampire." Katara slowly walks towards him, "but things on Kyoshi Island are never what they seem. Please follow me."
"I'm not following a crazy person into a damned cave."
"I want to show you more," Katara says, diving down deep.
Zuko watches her splash and her shadow delve deep into the water as she swims beneath the tunnel. He sighs and follows her, not needing to breathe and so finding swimming very easy. He surfaces and sees her in the next room.
She swims towards him and he backs away from her, kicking towards the wall. But Katara pulls at the water and it twists beneath him, pulling him forward. He almost screams but contains himself as she grabs onto his muscular, cold arms.
He gets a good look at her once the moon strikes the water.
"It's only when the moon is full," says Katara. "And I go in water."
"Midnight swims, huh? You…" Zuko trails off, forgetting what he was intending to say, because he sees the…
The tail. Her tail.
Katara is not a lunatic. She is not a human either.
And Zuko has no idea what to do.
Ty Lee is breathless as she looks at the abandoned building in a sketchy area of a nearby city. Azula gets out of the car and then opens Ty Lee's door for her.
"Let's go. I give you Bump in the Night; the vampire club," Azula says, starting her walk towards the door. Ty Lee follows, anxiety swelling in the pit of her stomach.
They reach the bouncer and Ty Lee sees the flash of his fangs in the lamplight. She freezes up, horrified by the terrible decision she made. The bouncer looks at Azula and gives a smile, but then he sniffs the air and turns to Ty Lee. Her heart starts to beat uncontrollably.
"What's she? A sacrifice for a snack inside?" He smirks and Ty Lee shivers.
"She is a pet. My pet and therefore no one's snack but mine," Azula purrs. "I find her very attractive and am saving her death for a while."
He laughs, but it is usual for vampires to play with their food before they eat it. "A weak one, though. Even your seduction seems to work impressively on her."
Ty Lee holds back an angry grimace. She cannot give away her cover, however, she is not under Azula's seduction; she is just a girl in love. Unless… maybe she is! Maybe Azula totally mind controlled her and she is not really in love with the vampire.
No, no. Ty Lee loved her from the moment she saw her; it has nothing to do with seduction.
"Let us go inside, my sweet little human," Azula says, extending a hand and guiding Ty Lee into the abandoned building.
Ty Lee's jaw drops when she walks inside and sees the party. The vampires dance, the humans stand in cages as decorations or maybe the main course. Ty Lee clings tightly to Azula and her marble skin while the house music overwhelms her.
"This place is amazing!" Ty Lee shouts excitedly, shaking Azula's arm.
"Oh, I know," says the vampiress, smirking at Ty Lee and walking deeper into the crowd.
"Will you dance with me?" begs Ty Lee, eyes wide and sparkling with hope.
Azula shakes her head. "I do not dance. I had lessons in formal dancing when I was a princess, but that was centuries ago."
"You were a princess?" asks Ty Lee, stunned.
"Yes. But that was another life, to tell the truth," Azula says, trying not to remember the glorious parties in the golden ballrooms back in Caldera. "And I never learned any dancing suitable for this kind of music."
Ty Lee sways to the vicious beat. Azula tries not to watch the motion of her hips but cannot control herself well enough to hold back. Ty Lee takes Azula by the wrist and slips closer to her. She breathes; Azula does not bother pretending now that is among her own kind.
"I could teach you," Ty Lee offers, smiling at Azula. "You're my princess! I would do anything for you, you know?"
"Of course I do. Everyone does. My powerful father, any human I want to charm," Azula says, grabbing Ty Lee by the waist and starting to spin. It does not match the music but she does not care much. "I always get what I want."
"Do you want me?" Ty Lee leans closer.
Azula pushes her away. "Yes, but I want to avoid killing you more than I want to have you. I do have some self-restraint."
"Only some?" Ty Lee asks. Then she looks afraid. "I didn't mean to tease you. I don't want to make you angry or anything."
"I will allow it, just this once," Azula purrs, avoiding holding Ty Lee. She does not want to deal with a passed out human. "We should go sit down or something."
They walk to the edge of the club and steal a booth no one currently uses. The two young women sit and stare at each other in silence—of course, any words would be drowned out by the loud, pulsing music—and Ty Lee sees the pure beauty that a vampiress hold. It is incredible.
Ty Lee sits in Bump in the Night, a rave of vampires, across from the most captivating person she has ever known. Tonight could not be more perfect.
"I'm gonna fail that test tomorrow!" Ty Lee exclaims, shaking her head with her lips slightly parted, open.
"Yes. You are," Azula replies, drumming her fingers on the table.
Ty Lee's eyes widen when the music drums out so loudly that it could break glass and blood begins to rain from the sky.
She is drenched in it as Azula takes her back to the dance floor and they spin around, Azula keeping her hands on Ty Lee's bloody clothes to avoid contact with her skin.
Ty Lee kisses her then quickly pulls away. She felt it drain her life force, but it was worth it.
Azula smirks.
They will spend the night here in this bubble, isolated from the real world.