From the very first moment Azula met Ty Lee she knew that the small girl in front of her was going to impact her life significantly. She didn't know what it was at the time but to this day she can still recall the way her heart beat increased and how shy she got around her. Now, almost eleven years later, she could narrow down the feelings as she looked at her girlfriend. Ty Lee had stolen her heart from the very first moment they met and she allowed it to happen.
Ty Lee had seen all the sides of Azula over the years as she dealt with being a princess of the Fire Nation. She had seen how she succumbed to her father's demands and how she did everything she possibly could to appease him and then she had seen Azula crash as Ozai berated her, talked down to her, and ridiculed her in front of a room of adults.
In the dark, late at night, when no one was around, Azula would let Ty Lee in through her bedroom window. She trusted Ty Lee, she knew that Ty Lee wouldn't go anywhere and during those long nights Azula let Ty Lee see the parts of her that she kept hidden away. She would let the tears flow freely and every time Ty Lee would hold her, whisper soothing nothings into her ear and with every touch and soft breath Ty Lee managed to fix most of her problems.
In the three years between the fall of her father and to where she was now, Azula knew that she had made quite a few mistakes, she had taken a wrong turn once or twice but at the end Azula stood tall and pushed through her flaws, digging her way out her problems, and if some involved blood and fire to make amends, she would be willing to go the distance to prove to those around her she really was trying her best.
To this day she still sometimes made bad decisions, but now she had Ty Lee by her side and Azula knew that with the one person in the world who she loved unconditionally by her side, they would get through it together, even when Ty Lee said something so silly that it has them laughing on the ground to the point of tears.
Looking back on her childhood Azula could now see how she was mistreated by both of her parents, she loved them, looked up to them, but they always made her feel as if she wasn't wanted. She felt misplaced in her home, like there was no were safe to be. Sometimes she would hide and watch the sun to see how long it took for a member of her family or one of the guards to come looking for her. Sometimes no one did and she fell asleep on hard surfaces, her back aching when she woke that morning. She was misunderstood, she couldn't voice how she really felt, she couldn't grow, and she wasn't allowed to have interests. The only thing she was allowed to do was act like the adults but at the same time she had to be seen and not heard. If a word left her mouth she knew that later that night she would be paying for her mistake.
With every movement and interaction she had with her parents, she would fear she would make a mistake, she held her hands firmly behind her back, feeling her fingernails gently digging into the soft flesh she could reach. She second guessed herself before responding, fearing that she would be mocked. In the end she felt underestimated as she just nodded and agreed with her father as she tried to be the perfect daughter, the perfect warrior.
Coming out of her thoughts, Azula let a small smile grace her face. She was still here, she was free, and everyone who hurt her, belittled her, or taught her had now been imprisoned for war crimes they happily committed. Azula knew that she wasn't perfect either but she was the only one who tried to better herself and here she was, living on one of the islands with the love of her life, her girlfriend Ty Lee.
Feeling Ty Lee wrap an arm around her waist, Azula gently covered Ty Lee's hands with her own. Whenever she was with Ty Lee she felt as if she was basking in the warmth of the sunshine, feeling the good vibes travelling through her skin and when Ty Lee gently whispered in ear, telling her everything is going to be alright, Azula believed her.
Azula knew that since embracing her true self, she was free from everything that held her back through her formative years. Even when she did slip up she knew she has a support system that loved her and cared about her and for them she is the most thankful she has ever been. Never in her life did she think that the world would keep spinning and she'd be happy, in love, and free.