AN: This is my entry for Tyzula Advent.

~Part VII~

For Better or For Worse

Wedding

1. Monsters

Azula used to have harrowing dreams about monsters every night.

She still does.

This morning, she wakes from one, wakes to her baby crying, a sound of salvation when it comes to the demons that live inside of her head.

When she rises to care for Izumi, she does not think much. She rubs her eyes and rubs the back of the sweet baby with tufts of raven hair. Then it hits her that today, when the sun hits its apex, she will be getting married.

Ty Lee better not leave her at the altar again.

If she does, Azula will not cry about it; she will simply kill her.

2. New

An hour after Azula woke with Izumi, Ty Lee spins wildly, madly, beautifully around in her new dress. New twice. She decided to choose a fresh new choice and abandon the old one she purchased for the last disastrous wedding. That was for the best because she does not want to remember her mistakes.

Today is focused on what she does right.

Okay, maybe this is wrong. Maybe marrying Azula is a mistake. Perhaps Ty Lee should have stayed away and found herself somewhere other than the arms of a lover.

Yet, Ty Lee does not care if she makes a mistake or not. She does not care if this may be the worst decision she ever makes.

It is what she longs for most.

3. Pity Party

Ty Lee's vivid high crashes shortly after properly pinning her new dress to her body. Mai comes to her rescue like the wonderful friend she is. Ty Lee holds back tears.

"Is this, like, the dumbest thing I've ever done?" Ty Lee whispers.

"You tried to adopt that hummingbird-hornet in school. That was probably dumber," dryly says Mai and Ty Lee giggles.

"I'm just worried."

"You're getting married. Of course you are. At least no one is showing up with their insane war criminal ex like at mine." Mai reminds Ty Lee of what she did and she laughs again. Then sobers again. Mai realizes this will be more difficult than she anticipated.

"I don't know. I'm just stupid and I'm crazy and this is crazy and stupid and maybe I shouldn't be allowed to make my own choices." Ty Lee sighs.

Mai loses her patience and coolly says, "Quit throwing yourself a pity party and focus on your wedding."

4. Trophy Wife

"You're going to endure heartbreak and ruin yourself just to get a trophy wife, aren't you?" says Zuko, barging into Azula's room without knocking.

She turns to face him, dress swishing as she does.

"Well," says Azula, "I think I'm the trophy wife, actually. I'm the princess."

Zuko cocks an eyebrow. "This is not the discussion I came here to have."

"Yes, but I object to the conversation you wanted to have. I am not making a mistake by doing this with Ty Lee. It is my wedding day and we will discuss what I choose to discuss." Azula smirks.

Zuko decides to surrender.

This one is not worth the fight.

5. Hurricane

Nothing could stop them.

Not a hurricane, not a tornado, not a tsunami, not anything.

Not their doubts, not their friends, not their wild hearts.

Their love is crazier than the princess is.

6. Cake

"I love this cake!" Ty Lee chirps, the first thing she says after the elaborate Fire Nation wedding ceremony. Everyone gathered to celebrate with the newlyweds. Azula exists in a daze. Ty Lee cares too much about cake.

"You picked out this cake," Azula states.

"I know and I love it and I love you and I'm just so happy." Ty Lee kisses Azula.

The princess tries not to be too happy when she tastes the sweet frosting.

7. Confused

Azula looks at Ty Lee.

Ty Lee looks at Azula.

Azula looks at Ty Lee.

Ty Lee looks at Azula.

Azula finally speaks. "Are you confused or what?"

"Confused about…?" Ty Lee pretends to have no idea.

"Why we chose to do this?" Azula whispers, trying not to be overheard by the multitude of wedding guests.

"Because we're crazy."

Azula shrugs. "Good enough for me."

Ty Lee smiles.

8. Teenagers

After they sneak away, Ty Lee sees Azula holding Izumi in her wedding dress. This is exactly what she always dreamt of as a teenager. A wedding to the most beautiful woman who ever lived and a baby with golden eyes.

Ty Lee runs to them, tripping slightly on the fabric of her dress, and presses her lips against Azula's, then kisses Izumi on the soft forehead.

They are a happy family, just like Ty Lee wished for as an adolescent.

Teenage Azula never envisioned this. She kind of wanted to go the tyrannical childless and loveless empress route, but this is okay too, she supposes.

9. Colors

Ty Lee gazes out at the rising sun.

It stains the sky miraculous colors. Birds fly across the blue, pink and orange, their dark wings marring the infinite canvas with pitch black.

"I'm really happy, Azula," Ty Lee says, and she means it wholeheartedly for the first time in years. The princess does not respond.

But, honestly, she does not need to.

They just gaze up at the colors wrapped in red sheets, side by side, wordlessly, waiting for a much-needed vacation together.

10. Forever

"It's forever. We're forever." Ty Lee jumps up and down on the rotting dock.

"That is, in fact, the definition of marriage," coldly says Azula, already tired of this. She examines her nails and Ty Lee crumples slightly. Then she amps herself up again.

"A wedding. We had a wedding! I can't believe it! And we're together and I'm a princess and when do I get a crown? This is amazing!" Ty Lee's eyes swim with excited tears.

Azula turns to the ferry operator.

"Please forgive my wife; she did not receive enough attention as a child."

Ty Lee just laughs.

Wife, she thinks to herself.

11. Paradise

The sand, the sun, the memories.

Ty Lee is in paradise.

Azula feels uneasy. Then again, she does most of the time.

She watches Ty Lee play in the sand and refrains from commenting.

12. Dancing

They do not sleep with each other on the first night of their honeymoon. They consummated things in the palace, but that is not on their mind.

Instead, they dance. They wandered the boardwalk in the evening, watching the fireworks Ember Island insists upon every single summer night.

Live musicians play and Ty Lee tugs on Azula over and over. The princess pretends to attempt resistance, then lets Ty Lee pull her towards the sweet serenade.

They spin slowly together as the shimmering stars watch from above.