Ty Lee does not know how her surrender will turn out. Zuko's plan makes some sense, even though it comes from a place of desperation. Right now, she sits, handcuffed, after turning herself in. She hears murmurs among the soldiers planning on bringing her through the superfluously guarded borders of Caldera, Dragon Queen Azula's Fortress City.
Even from the room with the small, barred window, she sees the smoke rising from the city where she was born. It never has stopped since Azula stormed Caldera with an army. An army of dragons that could not be stopped.
Aang entered the Spirit World that day, trying to stop the strong spirits supporting Princess Azula. He never returned. Now, Ty Lee knows she must play the part handed to her; she must bring down Azula from the inside.
She looks at the wanted poster on the table just outside of her cell. It is pretty flattering; she is happy to see. There is one plus side in this horrible experience.
A muscly guy walks in. "We sent a messenger-hawk to Dragon Queen Azula. She has requested your immediate presence in the palace."
Ty Lee feels her blood begin to rush, leaving her light-headed. She never thought she would have to face Azula again, have to admit their love, have to look her in the eyes and conquer her again.
She closes her eyes and tries to remember why she has to do this.
###
When she enters, surrounded by a thick guard and with her wrists and ankles shackled, she sees the city around her. It is the same but different. Mostly different. She cannot recognize it after the Dragon Queen rose to power and painted it with ash and a new kind of propaganda posters.
The people look trapped between happiness and misery, and Ty Lee does not know which side of the spectrum any peasant or noble or other citizens falls upon.
At the front of the palace, they search her for weapons. Now, she expected that, and so she does not have any on her person.
Mai walks into the room and says, "She doesn't need weapons, morons."
Ty Lee cannot help but smile. Maybe Mai did side with Azula in the end, but Ty Lee will always be her very best friend in this world. She is happy to see her, happy to see her intact and well-dressed and without her head on a stake.
"It's been forever!" Ty Lee calls out, smiling brightly despite her circumstances.
Mai does not respond; she seems at a loss for words. Ty Lee has a thousand things to say but she keeps them to herself for now.
###
"I want to see Azula," Ty Lee insists as they lock her in a room. It might be nicer than the average pit or prison, but she cannot bear the idea of sleeping here without laying eyes on her lost love. "I want to and you will let me see her."
The guard in charge laughs at the notion.
"She'll see you whenever she wants to. Right now she happens to be dealing with important matters of war and has little time for a tea party with you," the guard firmly says.
Ty Lee pouts and lets him finish locking her inside. If Azula wants to keep her here, Azula will keep her here. The Dragon Queen does always get what she wants. At least it is better than being fed to Ryzu, a fate that several prisoners of war have met, assuming the rumors are true.
This palace has not changed. Ty Lee supposes the throne room must burn blue instead of orange, and perhaps Azula has redecorated with some dragon memorabilia to fit her name. Other than that, it might as well be the same place Ty Lee grew up in.
They were so close for so many years. Ty Lee loved her and now she feels crushed by what Azula has become.
No, not what she has become. This is what Azula always was and Ty Lee must face that fact. She might have fallen in love with someone who does not exist.
Ty Lee sits down for an undetermined period of time—but before sunset—until the door unlocks. She perks up, expecting Azula, but it is Mai.
"Oh, uh, hi." Ty Lee waves and tries to smile.
"I know I'm not who you're looking for. I've never been," Mai says, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it. "You two were destined to be or something. Ugh. I feel gross just saying that." She shudders. "Why did you turn yourself in?"
"I want to talk to Azula," Ty Lee snaps. She then sighs and softly apologizes for her outburst.
"Azula wants me to see you first. She says she doesn't want to waste her time, which I take as her fearing rejection," Mai dryly replies. "Now why did you turn yourself in?"
Ty Lee stares at the floor as she thinks about her answer. "I couldn't run forever. I figured that I'd be safer turning myself in than getting caught."
"And Zuko…?" Mai asks, waving her hand for Ty Lee to continue.
"He was too stubborn to do it with me. I tried to convince him, but we both know Azula would've killed him in a snap of her fingers," Ty Lee says, wondering when she learned how to lie. She thinks she might be good at it, because Mai appears to believe her.
Mai shrugs. "I believe you, but Azula is the person who sees through lies."
"Can you tell me if there are any other prisoners? Anyone I…?" Ty Lee asks, not needing to say the last part: I might know.
"I probably shouldn't, but I will. The assault on Caldera last year mostly ended in rescues by the rebel forces. Not everyone got saved. They're friends of yours, although, friends of yours is pretty broad," Mai says, averting her eyes. She knows it will bother Ty Lee, and, while she renounced Ty Lee in Azula's favor, she still considers her to be a dear friend.
Ty Lee's breath catches. She knew the battle did not end in the favor of those fighting for justice, but she never put much thought into it except for occasionally waking in her campsite and staring up at the stars as she wonders if her friends are at all okay.
At least Mai is.
Mai uncrosses her arms for the first time and adjusts her silk robes. Ty Lee's eyes widen.
Before Ty Lee can dare ask, Mai answers a different question.
"If you're planning on seducing Azula and then assassinating her or something, you should know that she's engaged." Mai sees Ty Lee's crestfallen expression—one that Ty Lee did not need to fake—and wonders what to do about it. Mai goes with the lazy choice of 'nothing.'
"Engaged to who?" Ty Lee demands. The pressure of tears builds under her eyes.
"To me," Mai replies.
The young woman who might be pregnant and probably is marrying Azula leaves Ty Lee in her bedroom alone.
###
Ty Lee wakes from a fitful sleep when the door opens. She jumps up, clenching her fists, but releases them when she sees the Dragon Queen. It pains Ty Lee to admit it, but Azula has never looked more beautiful. Beautiful, though.
In the past, when Ty Lee was head over heels, she would only ever call her radiant.
She is just beautiful now. A far colder word.
"Congratulations," Ty Lee says. Azula cocks an eyebrow. "About your engagement and about finally conquering the world like you always wanted to and… stuff."
"How kind of you to say," Azula replies, her voice as slick and cold as black ice on the dirt roads of Kyoshi Island. She does not look very happy to see Ty Lee. "Do you feel anything like I did when I woke up and found out you married my brother."
"I married him because I didn't have you," Ty Lee says, hoping she is lying for the sake of her mission. Truly. She cannot imagine harboring any real feelings for a woman who burned down the world.
"I am not doing this out of desire to conquer like my father or his father or his father. The spirits gave me a mission and I fulfilled it. They were angry and I was their only vessel," Azula coolly explains. "Of course, I do enjoy ruling the world. It suits me."
"And Mai?" Ty Lee deliberately redirects attention to Mai this time. She knows if she proves that she is hung up on Azula, Azula will be more likely to eventually trust her.
"Mai occupied my time, and now I'm slightly devoted to her," Azula explains, beginning to pace as she speaks. "There's no point in ruling the world alone, Ty Lee. You were my first choice the last time I had this opportunity. She is my first choice this time around. And you blew it for yourself on both of those occasions."
Ty Lee forces her visceral reaction out of her mind and focuses her attention on the woman in front of her. Azula has gone from a hollow shell of herself cradling a baby—a baby dragon, at least—in her arms, to a true, formidable empress.
Maybe ruling the world does suit her.
"Is she pregnant?" Ty Lee asks, stopping Azula in her tracks. "I only ask…"
"Yes, but she didn't cheat on me," Azula says, picking up on the insinuation. "Of course, you will now remind me of the obvious that two women can't have a baby and no they can't, but when the spirits make demands I listen."
"You follow their orders," Ty Lee whispers, her eyes wide. She cannot believe it.
"I owe them my crown and my beautiful son. They have been kind to me, and in return I am kind to them. It has nothing to do with obedience," says Azula. Ty Lee wonders how many times the Dragon Queen has been through that speech in her head. "If the spirits ask anything of you, not that they would, you will obey. I heed their counsel; you follow their orders. And mine, of course."
Ty Lee feels the pressure of tears again. She holds them back; Azula cannot see her look so weak.
"You won't kill me, right?" Ty Lee whispers. Azula nods, seeming genuine about it.
Ty Lee knows deep down that Azula could never kill her. Maybe, she sometimes has contemplated, in a fit of rage. Never something calculated. Ty Lee knows that Azula loves her.
"I understand your motivations. They are selfish, and at is the only kind I trust," Azula replies. She hesitates and turns around. "Not that I trust you. I will never trust you, no matter how much you bow and scrape."
Ty Lee nods. She has decided that when Azula says 'jump' she will say 'how high' until further notice. If she must walk on eggshells, she must. If she must walk on hot coals, she must.
"How's Ryzu?" Ty Lee asks, absentmindedly stroking the scar she still has on her hand.
Azula notices it, but keeps the observation to herself.
"He is in the tower at the top of the palace. I did some… remodeling and gave the highest floors to him as a roost." Azula's expression changes, the brutal Dragon Queen becoming a mother. "He grew up so fast, but he still loves his mother. I'm proud of him."
"That's good," Ty Lee says, offering a toothy smile so forceful that it squeezes her eyes shut.
"My little Ryzu conquered the world and I could not be more proud." Azula hesitates. "I think I would be even if he didn't. I don't know how any parent could be truly dissatisfied with their child."
She speaks of Ozai, but Ty Lee, of course, does not point it out.
Ty Lee needs to remain in Azula's good graces.
"You can come see Ryzu tomorrow," says Azula.
Ty Lee takes one step too far, wondering if she can push it. She begins to kiss Azula on the lips, but the Dragon Queen pulls away.
"What part of engaged do you not understand?" snarls a woman who takes what she wants when she wants.
Which means…
Which means she doesn't want Ty Lee.
AN: I love love triangles. There will be one haha. I initially wanted a Ty Luko/Tyzula triangle, but that's becoming kind of overused, so I decided on a Maizula/Tyzula triangle.