No matter how hard she tried to find a comfortable position, it was impossible for her to sleep properly tonight. Azula rolled over on her bed non-stop, but there seemed to be no way for her to close her eyes and drift into unconsciousness… and despite not wanting to accept it, she was pretty sure she knew why she was going through this insomniac period…
After Sokka left the room, she had gotten into bed immediately, at first just thinking happily about him… Eventually she went back to their conversation, and a certain part of their dialogue replayed on her head
"I'm really impressed over how easy it is to solve problems when you get in a nice conversation…"
"You think that only by talking you can solve all the problems in the world?"
"No, not just by talking; by listening and accepting what others have to say as well"
After she'd recalled that very wise phrase of his, she had been unable to close her eyes and drift away calmly, because the one problem that could keep her awake at night might just get solved if she took his advice seriously… She wanted to approach Mai and talk to her, but it wouldn't work if she was the only one willing to listen. How could she know Mai would bother to hear her? How could she know if Mai would forgive her at all? It was absolutely improbable; actually, it neared the boundaries of impossible.
But she knew she'd regret it for the rest of her life if she didn't give it a try.
Almost unwillingly, Azula got off her bed and sighed as she walked to the door of her room. She wondered the Palace Halls slowly, stopping at times as the pessimist side of herself told her how much of a waste of time this was going to be. Actually, she feared that if she didn't regret never talking to Mai, she'd end up regretting talking to her… It seemed that, no matter what road she took, she'd be unable to prevail on this particular operation.
Still, there was one more reason that kept her hopeful, which made her believe she had to do her best at getting on Mai's good side once again: Ty Lee. It was more than obvious that the girl was suffering because of her two best friends, and if she had the chance to change that, she would take it. Ty Lee had always been by her side, no matter what the world saw her like. Ty Lee had wanted to forgive her, she had wanted to stay friends with her, and she probably owed her a great part of her sanity, since knowing that Ty Lee cared about her had been a good enough incentive for her to attempt to change, to become a person worthy of her friendship.
Encouraged by these thoughts, she managed to reach the room Mai used when she stayed in the palace. She had been sleeping over for a while now, even when her house was only a walk away, but this only made everything easier for Azula, who wouldn't be too comfortable leaving the palace at night. Not even everyone inside the castle liked her nowadays; the people outside surely believed her to be better off locked up either in jail or in a Mental Hospital, therefore it was a relief that Mai would stay over as often as she did.
Facing the door of the room, Azula lifted her hand towards the doorknob, but regretted doing so immediately. She was better off by knocking, right? Her hand curled on a small fist and she readied to hit the door… but she couldn't do it. She felt snakes twisting inside her stomach; nervousness was going to be the death of her. And who would have ever imagined her, the strong and ruthless Princess Azula, feeling like a schoolgirl who had been forced to apologize after being too naughty. With a sigh, she stepped away from the door and walked in circles for a while, trying to organize her ideas, but the more she thought about the matter, the more complicated it came to be. Maybe she should just take on the matter head first, like Zuko would… but then again, that was what set her apart from Zuko, and the one thing that made sure she wouldn't make as many mistakes as her brother was her ability to think through any scenarios, making her a master strategist. But her skills were being put to the test on this very moment, when she was about to face one of the biggest trials of her life: asking a valuable friend to forgive her.
But… how could she ask for her clemency? What would she say? What could she say that would assure her that she wouldn't come off as an idiot in front of her childhood friend? Desperation took control of her, the horrible feeling on her stomach grew wilder by the minute, and she started to wish she had never even gotten off her bed. She approached the wall and banged her head against it a couple of times, wondering if the hits would make her head work properly once more and leave behind all the many doubts there were within her…
"What are you doing?" asked Mai, staring at Azula with complete confusion.
Azula had just been about to bang her head one more time when she heard her. Mai hadn't been inside her room, she had spent a nice evening with Zuko and she was only reaching her dormitory now, but to find the Fire Nation Princess crashing her head against the wall wasn't something she has expected to see.
"Uh… I…" muttered Azula, walking away clumsily from the wall "I was merely checking the walls, making sure they're still on their best shape. This is an old palace; humidity might ruin it if we're too careless…"
Clearly, Mai didn't buy Azula's lame lie. Surely, the Princess' style of lying was still as smooth as ever, but her excuse had been so lame that it was impossible for her to buy such a ridiculous act. But, seeing as how inexplicable her presence was, she preferred to stop pushing the subject and she merely shrugged.
"Whatever" said Mai, staring at Azula, who didn't meet her eyes.
They stood on the hallway silently for what felt like hours, as they struggled to find the words they wished to convey at each other… but it was completely hopeless. Every thought was pushed away by fear of the other's reaction, every possibility seemed to hold in terrible consequences… but if they didn't speak now, they knew they never would.
"I just wanted to say that…" started Azula
"Ty Lee had told me that you…" muttered Mai at the same time as her friend, and they both halted upon realizing the other was talking as well.
"Uh… y-you can go first" said Azula, waving a hand a little impatiently
"N-no, you're the royal one here…" muttered Mai
"Right…" said Azula, folding her arms "Well, you see… You've known me forever, I think all the early memories of my life have you somewhere within them, and therefore you know what I'm like most of the time. It's easy to be a Princess when everything goes your way, when you can step on anyone who dares oppose you… but there was a very thin line drawn between what's right and wrong, and I've never been able to see it properly. People think I'm pure evil, they're certain of it because most of my decisions have been selfish and cruel, but nobody really wonders if there's some good in me at all…"
"What are you getting at?" asked Mai
"If I was completely rotten… I wouldn't feel sorry for what I've done, would I?" muttered Azula, with such emotion in her voice that Mai was shocked
"You feel sorry… for what, precisely?" asked Mai
"For every time I've hurt people I actually cared about" said Azula "For every time I used fear to control you… for all the horrible things you had to undergo while imprisoned because of what I ordered… I was a fool, Mai, and I regret everything I did, you don't have a clue of how badly I do"
"Ty Lee told me you had changed" said Mai, surprising Azula "I never actually believed her. But… seeing you now made me wonder if she was actually right. The only problem is… that I have known you for too long, Azula, and I know you're widely talented with faking anything. I'm sorry if you're actually being honest, but… I need more proof than this"
Azula nodded, and stared at her in the eye. Then, to Mai's utter bewilderment, she fell down to her knees and effected a reverence of the kinds she had only ever performed to honor her father, or her grandfather before him. Azula's head was completely tilted, letting Mai realize that for once, Azula cared not about being superior, but about being believed somehow.
"I apologize profusely, Mai… I never meant to let this end up the way it did. You were a most valuable friend despite I never treated you the way I should have. I'll understand if you never forgive me, it'd be the course of action I'd expect from a noble woman such as yourself, but I hope you can see that I'm not the same girl who you once were forced to follow. I've become a different person now, and I just wanted you to know it, so that you're aware now that I won't be forcing anything on you or anyone else ever again."
Mai had already been in shock when seeing Azula perform the most honorable bow at her, but her words really had some impact on her. Seeing the perfect princess discard her honor like this wasn't something that happened every day, actually, she had never seen Azula willing to lower herself for anyone before this. She had even been banging her head against the wall only seconds ago! Even when her words could be lies most of the time, she could see her true soul for once… and now she finally could believe Ty Lee's words: Azula had changed.
"Get off the floor already" muttered Mai, shaking her head "This is too inappropriate, it's making me sick"
Azula lifted her head a little, staring at her with concern
"W-well… y-you wanted proof, so I…"
"I know, and I'm sorry I made you believe you had to throw yourself on the ground like this" said Mai, smiling a little "It's not necessary, and it makes me feel like a complete moron. Get up already, this is embarrassing"
"Embarrassing to you?" asked Azula, while standing up again "I'd never bowed like this to anyone in over four years, I believe… and you're the one who's embarrassed?"
"That's exactly why I'm embarrassed" said Mai "I don't think the Fire Nation Princess should be bowing down to anyone, let alone me"
Azula smiled a little as well and looked at her tentatively
"Which means…?"
"It means I got the message" said Mai, smiling "It is all clear to me. I've known for a very long time now: you may lie with your words, but not with your acts. And seeing you bow down and bang your head against walls makes it pretty clear that you're really sorry"
"I-it does?!" asked Azula, amazed "Wait… you really did see me striking the walls with my head…?"
"Even Toph would have seen you" said Mai, smirking
"Oh, very funny" said Azula, slightly resentful "I'll let it slide, though… does this mean we're… friends, once again?"
"Despite whatever I might have said… I did miss those old times" admitted Mai "Things weren't perfect… but they were still fun. Now that you've changed, and now that I've taken you in, I bet Ty Lee will probably cry of happiness and beg for us to go around traveling the world again to celebrate the reestablishment of our group"
Azula chuckled and nodded
"I definitely can see that happening. She's so happy-go-lucky… and she really wanted me to talk to you"
"She told me lots of things about you" said Mai "We argued pretty badly when we were on the War Balloon. She was quite upset that I wouldn't forgive you properly"
"It seems like her dream finally came true, didn't it?" said Azula, smiling a little
"But there's a small thing that I'm still unable to understand…" said Mai
"What is it?" asked Azula, lifting an eyebrow
"Why are you dating Sokka?" asked Mai "I mean… Ty Lee liked him too, in case you didn't know"
"Oh, I knew" said Azula "But to your dismay, she was the one that encouraged me the most to give it a shot with him. She seemed to believe he was the perfect person to make me happy… and surprisingly enough, she was right. At times I wonder if Ty Lee isn't a genius in disguise…"
Mai laughed and nodded, agreeing completely with the words of the Princess
"At times it does seem like she is. Anyhow, I'm glad we finally talked this through"
"Me too" said Azula "There's a small favor I need from you, though…"
"What is it?"
"Don't let anyone know I bowed down to you" said Azula, flushing slightly "They might think I'm bending freely at anyone nowadays"
Mai laughed a little and nodded, patting her friend on the shoulder. To Azula's surprise, she found herself joining in the laughter, both of them enjoying the moment to its best, since they'd never been so free around the other before. Their friendship had finally been restored.
….
Haru had spent the night in the palace, to his relief. He had half expected to be sent off to an inn, but a servant of the palace had come to get him the day before and he was allowed to take a room for the night. Still, he was forced to get up really early to continue with his job, and with determination, he headed to the mountain he'd been told to bend. Up until now he had manufactured around 50 disks, but the mound of earth had barely even decreased. Haru began to work to the best of his ability, compacting earth powerfully and imitating the same design on each disk. The sun crept up higher and higher, and he felt locks of sweat dripping down his brow, but he continued working with enthusiasm. For some reason, this routine-like work was perfect for him, despite how repetitive it would seem for some.
Still, his enthusiasm suddenly turned into nervousness when he realized he was being watched. He didn't think the Fire Nation Princess really felt the need to have someone to keep an eye on him, did she distrust him so? The one who shouldn't trust anyone ought to be him… but somehow it didn't feel like he was actually being spied upon in a bad way… But the feeling was too troublesome, it made him lose control slightly and the disk he'd been bending and it dissolved clumsily as he turned around to look for whoever had been looking at him.
"Don't mind me!" said Ty Lee, walking towards him with her hands, to his total shock "I'm only watching, just keep bending!"
"W-why are you watching me?" asked Haru, surprised
"Because I really had nothing better to do" said Ty Lee "And you're handsome enough for me to want to spend lots of time near you!"
Haru blushed slightly and shrugged, trying to stop her words from getting to his head. Not every day he heard girls complimenting him like this… He attempted to continue bending his disk, but his feelings were in disarray, which caused his bending to weaken considerably
"Are you okay?" asked Ty Lee, after seeing the badly bent disk. It was slightly crooked, and the central square was considerably off its center.
"Y-yeah, I am… I'm just not used to having someone watching me as I bend…"
"You're not?" asked Ty Lee, sitting on the ground right next to him "Well, I'm used to watching people bending! It's the best way to study their techniques and to see the precise spots that I should hit to block their chi"
"Meaning you're only studying me?" asked Haru, feeling uncomfortable
"Oh, no! I don't need to study anymore!" said Ty Lee, smiling "I'm watching you because you're very cute!"
Haru felt the blood rushing on his head once more, but he shook it quickly, trying to hide his embarrassment somehow.
"Well… does that mean I'm just a crush?" asked Haru, smiling a little
Ty Lee was surprised to hear him asking something in such a bold manner, so she cast him a questioning look.
"W-why do you say something like that out of the blue…? I mean…" she started, but then the truth downed upon her "Oh… I get it…"
Haru chuckled and smiled at her
"Sorry, I guess that was out of bounds"
"N-no, it's okay. Actually, I'm the one who should apologize" said Ty Lee, scratching her head "We made you watch such a horrible argument… You shouldn't have witnessed something so awful"
"No need to apologize. I didn't mind, actually" said Haru "It was the only thing that made me see that I wasn't really getting kidnapped by two psychos from the Fire Nation… I mean, your friend did seem quite creepy, and I didn't like her non-forgiving attitude, but I saw how good-spirited you are. To be willing to forgive your friend despite whatever she might have done to you is quite moving, it let me realize you're really a good person"
"And you thought I wasn't?" asked Ty Lee, raising an eyebrow with disapproval
"It's pretty hard to have a good opinion about someone when she chi-blocked you and knocked you unconscious, don't you think?" said Haru
"Well played" said Ty Lee, smiling a little
"But the thing I'm wondering is… did you really not like Sokka that much, or did you give up on him because you cared more about your friend's happiness? If it's the second option, you're definitely one to admire"
"Well, you could actually say the first one applies to the situation" said Ty Lee, thoughtful "I mean… he's really cute, and his eyes are probably the dreamiest eyes I'd seen in my life! And the more I saw of him taking care of Suki, the more I grew to like him, the more I hoped I could find a man like him… but never him, truth to be told. He was pretty nice to me, but I really didn't stand a chance, especially against Azula and Suki…"
"May I ask how, exactly, did he end up with the crazy Princess rather than the awesome warrior?" asked Haru
"It's a pretty complicated story, if you want me to tell you the truth" said Ty Lee, smiling a little "I actually didn't even know who to root for! I mean, Azula's like the friend I've had for the longest, but Suki's nearly a sister to me now… I had no idea of who to support! Sokka is a great guy… I wish there had been two of him, so that neither of them had to suffer, but there's no chance of that happening, huh?"
"So…? He just chose Azula and that was it?" asked Haru, astonished
"It's not such a simple matter" said Ty Lee "But in a way, she needed him more. Actually, Azula wasn't going to force him to stick with her or anything, but he chose her by the end… I'm glad he did. He's been an amazing influence on her"
"Has he, now?" asked Haru "Last time I checked, she was still the same cocky and creepy girl that snuffed me and the rest of the gang out of the Western Air Temple…"
"Then I don't know when did you check" stated Ty Lee, folding her arms "I don't care what anyone else thinks, I've known Azula for a very long time, and I can tell she's different now. She's become a much better person"
"W-well, if you say so, I'll believe you. But you're still biased about her" said Haru, smiling a little
"Sure I am! Just as you'd be with anyone who's been your friend for your entire life!" said Ty Lee, staring at him with determination
"Oh, I can imagine that" said Haru "But you could say I'm not much of a friendly guy… I didn't make too many friends back home; barely anyone was my age, so I can't relate to what you're saying"
"W-wow… I didn't see that coming" said Ty Lee, surprised "Well… sorry, I guess…"
"Why would you apologize?" said Haru
"Because it seems I made you think of something that mustn't be nice… growing up without friends doesn't sound like much fun"
"True, it was pretty lonely" said Haru "But you can make amends for it by becoming my friend now, right?"
Ty Lee was surprised to see the handsome man smiling at her. A blush appeared on her face, something that wasn't very recurrent with her, and she replied with a smile of her own
"Of course I'll be your friend"
"I'm glad" said Haru, grinning "But can I be your friend? Or am I just a crush instead?"
"Who knows? Why can't you be both?" asked Ty Lee, without holding back at all
It was Haru's turn to blush as the girl laughed a little, relaxing with him. For some reason, talking to Haru seemed to be a great way to make her fears and doubts vanish, most of the weight she had on her shoulders seemed to loosen as she stared at his striking features. Maybe the moustache wasn't so bad after all…
"S-so…" said Haru, seeking to change the subject "I've been here bending all this time, but… have your friends reached a better place on their relationship, or are they still being cold at each other?"
"I have no idea" said Ty Lee "Honestly, I don't know if things will even get better. I wish they would, but it seems so unlikely…"
"If I were them, I'd talk this out" said Haru "You're clearly a valuable friend, and I'm sure neither of them would like to hurt you or lose you"
Ty Lee smiled and hugged her knees as she stared at him
"That's sweet. You're quite smooth for someone who didn't have many friends… unless you had a girlfriend you didn't mention and you learned how to treat her well, huh?"
"N-no, I didn't…" said Haru, blushing
"No?" said Ty Lee, eyeing him intently "Then… what about if…"
"Well, well, something pretty nice seems to be brewing up here. I was so sure you'd told me she was only infatuated because she found him handsome, but you didn't mention it was as serious as it looks, Mai" said a very familiar voice behind them
"It seems I miscalculated, huh?" said Mai, smiling
Ty Lee turned around in awe and absolute shock, and she saw her two best friends smiling down on her (or, in Azula's case, smirking).
"W-what…? W-what's going on here…?" she asked, completely impressed
"That's pretty much what I was wondering" said Azula "Are you going to marry the earthbender I hired? I haven't got any issues with that, but I do need him to focus on work once in a while. Come play with him at dusk, that's when he'll get a break, will you?"
Ty Lee flushed and stared at Azula with a little annoyance, but seeing her standing side by side with Mai was more than enough to make any negative emotion vanish. Haru, instead, blushed wildly at the mention on marriage. His father did believe he was already of marrying age, and this girl was actually a brilliant prospect… but it was too much to take all of sudden.
"Come on, Ty Lee" said Mai, stretching her hand towards her to pull her off the ground "Seems like something epic is about to be explained in the palace"
Ty Lee took her hand and stared at both girls with confusion
"F-first… why are you two so happy around each other now? And second… what are you talking about, Mai?"
"It seems like you were right" said Mai "We did need to talk things through"
"And we did" said Azula "Hopefully, your dream of having the three of us together again will come true now"
Ty Lee's eyes were overflowing with sentiments and tears now. She threw her arms around her two friends, who seemed a little surprised, but still they'd known how emotive Ty Lee could be whenever something moving happened.
"I'm so glad…! S-so glad…" she said, hugging them tightly
Haru smiled at the sight, happy to see that the girl's wish had come true. She deserved it, she would be an ideal friend to anyone, and she really had earned this much joy.
"It's okay, Ty Lee" said Azula, patting her on the shoulder "You can let go now…"
"Yeah, we'll be late for the big explanation" said Mai, pushing Ty Lee away
"Explanation of what?" asked the girl, puzzled
"It's finally time to let the world know what test the Avatar will undergo soon" said Azula, with a malicious smirk spreading on her face.
"You make it sound so exciting…" said Mai, with all the sarcasm she could demonstrate
Ty Lee smiled as she stared at both her friends. Some things had changed over time… but indeed, there were many things that would never change, and she was glad they wouldn't. The three of them were finally together once again.
Finally, I got this one done! Sorry for the length :P I didn't think I should split it this time… So I didn't… but it came out waaaay too long XD anyhow, if you're wondering what is the "complicated" Ty Lee was referring to when talking about how Sokka and Azula got together, relax! I will write another fic once I'm done with this one, the prologue to this, which will be veeery Sokkla-ish! ^^ stay tuned, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!