For You
6. What You Already Know
Zuko tries to process the fact that Azula is probably pregnant. She could be lying. It is exactly the kind of thing she would lie about, but Zuko thinks he knows that she is telling the truth this time.
He is absolutely not telling Mai that part. Zuko already feels enough pressure coming from Ty Lee. Not that Mai would ever want to set Azula free, but still.
"I'm sorry, what?" Zuko asks, looking up. He keeps thinking about Azula being pregnant, and so it is very difficult to listen to Mai's complaints about Ty Lee begging for Azula's release.
"Because Ty Lee is so sweet she gives me a toothache when she talks. How could she be with someone so awful?" Mai asks, puzzled by all of it.
Zuko does not know. He just knows that Ty Lee keeps insisting that he liberate Azula and give her a second chance, which sounds like a terrible idea to him.
"We've known about that love for a long time and I don't think it's ever made sense. It actually makes less sense as time goes by," says Zuko with a focused expression.
He has to think this through carefully.
Ty Lee made her pleading case because she loves Azula. Maybe he loves Azula too. But he knows his sister, and knows that Ty Lee is seeing a very distorted image of Azula.
"So, I'm guessing this whole honeymoon thing is postponed until Azula gets what she wants. I have to admit I knew this would happen. I don't know how, but I knew it. She never could let anyone else be happy for once," Mai says.
Zuko hangs his head.
"I feel terrible about this," he whispers, wishing there was another way.
"You could lock her in that jail cell until we got back, but if you were that kind of person, I never would have married you. We both know this," Mai says, "and so I don't feel like debating it. It's a really boring conversation. Goodnight."
She gets up and leaves Zuko to tug at his hair and try to make this difficult decision.
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7. Talking Slowly
Ty Lee visits Azula in her prison.
She sits down with her back against the bars. For a moment she has a vision of Azula grabbing her by the neck and bludgeoning her to death against the metal, but it does not happen. That is why Ty Lee loves her so deeply.
So madly.
So very madly.
Ty Lee might just be the crazy one in the relationship.
"Can I talk to you?" Ty Lee asks softly, closing her eyes. She feels like she is trying to make an animal trust her.
Yes, I can lie here right by you and close my eyes and if I feel safe, you can feel safe.
"If you talk faster. I may be behind bars, but my patience is dwindling," Azula sharply says, but that does not alleviate Ty Lee's concerns any further.
"I just am really happy to see you again," Ty Lee says, noticing that she still is talking too slow. She just can't help it at the moment. "Did you tell Zuko about being…?"
She does not want to say it.
Azula does not want to say it either.
Neither woman says a word.
.
8. Shine Your Light on Me
Ty Lee wakes up to a blue sunrise.
No, it is not a sunrise. She is in a cold, dark room and the luminescence emanates from behind the bars her back rests on.
She closes her eyes and pretends to be asleep.
Azula is pacing and pacing.
The light dances on the walls and Ty Lee watches.
Her lost love is more scared than she is letting on, which is not all that surprising.
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9. Looking Closely
Zuko carefully analyzes the possible outcomes.
They all are pretty terrible. He cannot even find a best case scenario.
But Ty Lee keeps sitting in front of him, staring at him and staring at him and staring at him. Her eyes are wide, innocent, hopeful and sparkle in the light. Zuko tries to look away as he studies the possibilities, but they keep drawing his attention back.
"I'll—she's your responsibility," he finally snaps.
Ty Lee jumps up and shrieks happily.
He does not know what to make of this.
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10. It's All for You
Azula knows Ty Lee feels guilty. It just consumes her and Azula finds that immensely satisfying. She should feel that way, and it makes Azula far more forgiving than she usually would be. That and the fact that Ty Lee is the best way for her to win over the masses.
By masses, she means the countless people who will question her brother's decision. Countless assholes, she would call them, but Azula is trying to keep as neutral as possible.
She was born to be noticed, of course, and is impossible to ignore, but she puts a distinct effort into remaining in the shadows for the time being. At least until she looks knocked up enough for people to feel awkward.
"I would have been a magnificent wedding date," Azula says, sitting down.
Ty Lee sits down too.
They are sharing a bed they have shared before, but they feel even further apart than they did then. Ty Lee might still love Azula, but things have happened between them that cannot be undone.
"I know." Ty Lee smiles. She hopes Azula cannot see how hard she is sweating, but, of course Azula can. "I just hope this works out."
"You make or break this," Azula says, setting her hand on Ty Lee's. It is highly effective.
"I don't do so well under that kind of pressure," Ty Lee whispers.
Azula kisses her.
As she pulls away, she says, "I know, but I am not giving you a choice. You owe me my life back, and I suppose we can pretend that I owe you a second chance."
It takes exactly this moment for Ty Lee to remember who Azula is.
She had forgotten. A beautiful, agonizing memory haunted her head for years and Ty Lee pined over it. That person in her head who made her stay up all night trying to solve the puzzle of how she could have saved them both is not real.
The Azula in front of Ty Lee is real.
Ty Lee wishes she loved the real Azula as much as the one in her nightmares.
But they have nothing but time.
Time enough to fall in love again.