Chapter Ten
Azula gets the information too late to immediately pursue her lead; she must find the sellers tomorrow. So, she begins her very, very long commute home. She shifts abodes frequently—even if she is semi-legit now—but regardless of where they are, it takes a good deal of time to avoid being followed.
She walks down several streets, stopping at several businesses that have no connection to each other, then backtracks, then takes a few turns, and once she is certain she is not followed, and the sun has set, she walks into the apartment she currently calls home.
Azula vacated her last place after she had to give away its location to those removing the corpse of her former lover. The earlier inhabitants of this apartment are… recently deceased. She has no qualms about her decision to take it by force; her own life is much more important than theirs, and they ran afoul of the Triad.
Upon leaving the Fire Nation a year ago, Azula maintained the spirit of the locks she kept in her beautiful manor and has many of them set up, but her paranoia has grown and she spent a good deal of time learning snares used by hunters. She passes those in a memorized pattern, then finally enters the small lodgings. The windows are welded shut by her own hand, as are all of the vents but one. It is certainly not a palace, but she has learned to appreciate the ease of managing a tiny space.
There are far less places for her many enemies to hide.
She checks every corner of her home, and finally curls up to go to sleep.
Not well. Not well at all.
[X]
Ty Lee sits across from Kun Song at a table in a noodle house. He took her out on a date but she does not know why yet. Due to the illness devouring her body, he holds onto her and helps her into the seat like a child. No, not even like a child, like a weak child.
She knows she is not as strong as she used to be, but she keeps thinking about a conversation she had while hanging from the top of a trillion crates with a Fire Nation flag in one hand. The exact words never come to mind, but she does remember reminding Azula what it feels like to be looked at with pity, looked at like you are weak or crazy or a combination of both.
And, as much as Ty Lee does not want to go back to Azula, she does know that she is the only person who does not look at Ty Lee like she is fragile.
Then again, Azula broke her heart too many times to count, and Kun Song has not done that once. She looks at him and offers him a warm smile. He smiles back while taking a deep breath. She wonders why.
"You look pale today. Did you sleep last night?" he asks, and Ty Lee reminds herself that he is just being polite or compassionate.
Then he asks variations of that question multiple times. He asks her if she likes her food and if she wants to eat something else because he does not want her skipping meals.
She gets up from the table and he jumps out of his seat to grab onto her.
That is not chivalry; that is pity.
Ty Lee pushes on him. She is weaker than she used to be, but he steps back at the too-light touch against his barrel of a chest.
"This isn't working for me," Ty Lee says, incredulous at herself. She does not know what she is doing, she just knows it is what she wants.
"I don't… we don't have to leave yet?" Kun Song squints. "I don't really know what you mean."
"I mean that our engagement is over," Ty Lee says. She gazes at him for a few seconds before she leaves the restaurant.
Outside, she rests both of her palms on the stone wall. Walking that fast left her winded, and even though she does not want him to see her like this, she cannot just run out of places anymore. It surprises her how much it does not scare her anymore.
Once her legs stop wobbling and her head stops spinning, she releases the wall and slowly walks to pack her things.
[X]
That same day, Azula arrives at the offices of the illegal herbalist, which is possibly different from a drug dealer. The shop advertises tailoring services and has clothing on display, but the woman she bribed said to seek the rest of her shopping list here. She is not certain if this will work out, but it is worth a try.
Her hair dripping with rain, she walks inside and stands at the counter.
"We're closing in a moment," says the man, looking up from the box he is sliding onto a shelf. "I can't offer much unless you're here to pick something up."
"I am not looking for clothes," says Azula, drumming her fingernails on the table.
The sound makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"Well, this is a tailor's shop, ma'am," he says, standing to face her.
"Do you know who I am?" Azula inquires and he shakes his head. "I am the leader of the Agni Kai Triad and I want to do business with you."
He narrows his eyes. Lee sees her eyes and they match the descriptions he has heard, which are mostly, inhuman scary glowing gold ones.
"Fine. What do you need?" he asks.
"I am looking for a few disgraced healers who are looking into rare cures," explains Princess Azula, and his face registers that he knows what she is talking about.
"I've never heard of that," he firmly states, like a fool.
"I can tell you are lying. I also will inform you that the woman I love is dying and I will do anything to find these people. That anything might involve you losing an eye to one of these sewing needles you just keep lying around." Azula picks one up and shrugs.
"Well, of course, I think…"
"Don't make up an excuse. Just tell me where to find them."
[X]
The next day, Aigu is studying scrolls at the counter of his hunting shop. His father's, at least. It was a successful family business during the war, when weapons were much more practical. There still are significant risks of traveling alone and, of course, some people actually do use the weapons for their intended purpose. But he is grateful he wanted to be a healer instead of a weapons' dealer. The job security was excellent until they arrested him for trying to help people.
He hears the door open and sighs, setting down the notes he stole all the way from Ba Sing Se. Some drenched woman walks in and he looks up at her with a defeated expression.
"Can I help you?" They always come in five minutes before he wants to close up.
"Yes," says Azula, striding inside. "You are going to tell me everything you know about the cure you are working on or I am going to chain you to that counter and burn this place down with you inside of it."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he says, knowing what a convincing liar he has become over the past few years.
She lifts her fingers and ignites them. "I have had a long day and this is time sensitive. The Agni Kai Triad will help you with your research if you do this for me."
It is the kindest offer she has ever given.
He notices the off-putting shade of the fire on her fingers and suddenly knows who he is dealing with. People do describe it as unnatural terrifying blue fire.
"It's too complicated to explain."
"I learn quickly." Azula shuts the door and locks it before approaching the counter. He tries to hide his instinctive step back, but she sees it.
"We're doing blood transfusions," he says, which Azula does not understand. "I said it was complicated."
"Keep talking."
[X]
It is late at night when Azula walks home. She has made an arrangement with Aigu to bolster his business and research and he will cure her. Azula considers going to find Ty Lee, but she decides she is too tired to scale an apartment building. So, she takes the two-hour journey back to her current home.
She walks down multiple streets, strange ones tonight; she has not often visited the section of town where Aigu lives. Azula stops at different points, but the businesses are closed by now. She backtracks almost to Aigu's shop, and then turns, creating a maze of her footsteps, and knows she is not being followed. It is the most relieving feeling there is.
No, sitting there learning about blood transfusions is the most relieving feeling there is.
The moon is at its apex when she arrives at the apartment. She fumbles for her keys in her bag and unlocks each lock, her hands shaking. Princess Azula realizes she has not eaten all day, which might explain the trembling. But she has been too busy on the most thrilling hunt she has ever partook in.
She passes the snares in her memorized pattern, then finally enters her sealed off home. Azula almost falls over when she sees that someone is inside today. That does not make sense; she has taken every possible precaution.
Maybe the shocking thing is not that this woman has gotten through the traps, but who it is.
"Ty Lee? How did you get in here?" Azula breathlessly asks, looking the frail woman up and down. "There is no way you could…"
"I watched you yesterday. You think you're good at avoiding people following you, but, well, you're good at pretty much everything else so it doesn't matter," Ty Lee says. She sets her palm on the floor to stand up but cannot muster the energy.
Azula is at a loss for words. It is very difficult to do that to the princess.
"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be home with your cute fiancé?" Azula asks, not meaning to sound as bitter as she does. But the damage is done and she has no regrets.
"He's not my fiancé anymore. I broke up with him yesterday."
"But you're having his baby."
"So what? I can do it…" Ty Lee trails off. "I mean, I have plans of where she'll go after I die. I'm spontaneous and stuff but I'm not as stupid as people think."
"I am honored but—"
"Azula, I mean this with the most respect ever but I wouldn't trust you to raise one of my plants. I'm giving her to Mai and Zuko," Ty Lee says and Azula starts to laugh. Ty Lee does not get it, but it is infectious. Maybe they both have realized how insane they are. "But I do want to maybe try to date you."
Princess Azula has been waiting to hear that for a very long time. Ever since the moment Azula walked into that bar, she has been trying to prove that she is just as perfect for Ty Lee as Ty Lee believed since they were young. Her disappearing act should not have been enough to lose the love and obsession the acrobat offered.
But apparently, it was not enough.
It was not enough until this moment.
Azula takes Ty Lee by the hand and helps her to her feet. She does not immediately release Ty Lee, and instead pulls her into a very deep kiss.
The kiss is not sexual, like their past ones have been. Sleeping with each other every so often never meant much to them. They were all supposed to be one night stands, never meant to prompt romance. So this kiss is different. It is the kind Azula forgot about.
It is the kind Ty Lee forgot about too.
"You can stay with me," Azula says. She keeps it cold but Ty Lee knows it means a lot.
"This place isn't really the royal palace I imagined, but that's kind of why I showed up," Ty Lee says, snatching Azula's hand again. She does not want to let go of her.
"And I have very good news on top of that," says Azula, quite proud of herself. "I have spent the past weeks seeking the cure I gave up on finding, and I found it. Tonight I met with the man who designed it. You can be cured and have your happily ever after."
Ty Lee suddenly looks hurt, the way she does when Azula lashes out at her or gives her too cruel of an order. The princess has no clue why she looks that way. She should be so happy. This is the greatest gift Azula has ever given.
"I kind of thought…" Ty Lee pulls her hand away and avoids letting Azula seize her again. "I kind of thought that was different. I thought you gave up on it."
"No, I didn't," Azula says, still not sure why Ty Lee is not gushing thank yous.
"I don't want to be part of some experiment. I've really come to terms with this and I only came to you because you don't act like I'm… sick. But obviously you don't love me unless you can have me forever and I don't know why you always just assume I'm going to do whatever you say. I mean, I know I obey you a lot, but you can't force me to do this."
"You want to be with me. Why would you not want to be with me forever? Why not see your baby grow up?" Azula demands, her eyes burning. Ty Lee's just look dull despite glistening from the tears in them.
"I don't know what I think right now. It was a mistake for me to come here."
Ty Lee is gone before Azula can find the words or movements to stop her.