(Theme Sixty-Four) Survive (or Azula Becomes a Pirate Queen Because Why the Hell Not)
(As Prompted By) Aya Rose
Ty Lee is captured by pirates.
It is probably not the worst day of her life, but definitely not the best either. Immediately, all she focused on is survival. She is a trained Fire Nation soldier, a trained Kyoshi Warrior and you would never be able to tell from her cute outfit and perfect eye-shadow. She thinks she has the advantage in this situation, and imagines she can escape somehow.
She is one of several civilian survivors who were abducted off of a passenger ship going near Chameleon Bay. But, she thinks she is the only one of them with her very particular set of skills, and all she does is start thinking of ways to get out, even if it means swimming.
One of the men holding her moves her too forcefully and she ducks down, pretending to stumble and fall, and cursing at him for tripping her. She tears a pin from her braid as she recovers, and the men yank her back up without even noticing.
They lead her onto the ship and she sees the other people bound, some of them she recognizes. But Ty Lee, as loving as she can be, has no plans to save any of them. Her only goal right now is her own survival.
After kneeling with the other captives and controlling her breathing, she takes the pin she took from her hair and puts her skills of contortion to good use. Ty Lee always was an impressive contortionist, just as much that as an acrobat or warrior.
Her handcuffs pop free and she hides her sigh of relief. Okay, wait, waiting, waiting...
The man who seems to be in charge passes her and she jumps up, screams of other captives echoing around the ship. Ty Lee throws three punches before he can even draw his blade and he falls back, terrified at his sudden paralysis. Two more pirates come at Ty Lee, the muscular man with a shining katana and the slender woman beside him with two bladed kai. Easy, incredibly easy.
Ty Lee knocks the sword out of the man's hand as she carefully dodges the points of the kai. The captives are slightly restless now, wondering if they will escape or bear witness to a gruesome murder. The woman pins Ty Lee momentarily to the wooden wall of the expensive ship, but Ty Lee knees her in a pressure point and she and her kai are down.
"Call the captain," rasps the first man Ty Lee paralyzed to the two pirates who seem too afraid to move.
Ty Lee stands as boldly as she can. They can call their captain, and Ty Lee will hold him hostage until he takes her home. Survival. This is all about survival.
"Go on. Bring him out," Ty Lee says bravely, with an affectation learned from the royals.
"Not a him," says a man near the door to the innards of the ship.
And when he opens it and calls down, there is a moment of silence. No one on the ship can breathe, the only motion the sea wind whipping through their hair and loose clothing.
When the captain surfaces, Ty Lee's jaw drops. And the captain is even more surprised.
"Azula?" Ty Lee shrieks and the pirates exchange confused glances. "What are you ─ how? ─ Release me at once!"
Azula says nothing as she examines her crew, all looking to her with expressions Ty Lee has seen on those who have fought under Azula's banner.
"Don't speak to me that way. On my ship you will address me with respect." Pause. Azula winks at Ty Lee and the Kyoshi Warrior is now incredibly confused. "You watch the prisoners and make sure none of them try anything cute. I'm going to bring her to my cabin. Do you understand?"
And Ty Lee's hand is grabbed by the pirate captain's, and Azula twists her arm. Wince; it looked realistic enough without inflicting actual pain.
They are at last in Azula's cabin, which is just as ornate as her bedroom in the palace.
"It's an improvement from the asylum, huh?" Azula remarks as she shuts the door.
"How did you...?"
"Become a Pirate Queen?"
"I thought you were the Captain."
"Well, I'm the Captain of this ship and I also command seven ─ no eight after that last raid ─ eight ships. Which would make me an Admiral in the Fire Nation, but people have called me the Pirate Queen and I like the sound of it," Azula purrs casually, as if this is an everyday occurrence.
"How did that happen?" Ty Lee asks, bewildered beyond bewildered. Azula gestures for her to sit on the surprisingly plush bed and she does.
"Well, I went on a variety of journeys, trying to, find myself. Pirates found me, and kidnapped me, thinking they had absolutely gotten the best. Well, I can be incredibly persuasive... I asked the Earth Kingdom for Ba Sing Se and they handed it to me. And when my normal methods of persuasion fail me, there are other ways of establishing authority," Azula says cavalierly, as if this story is not one of the most absurd things Ty Lee has ever heard. "I'm good at what I do."
Ty Lee picks at her lips and does not know what to say about this. A pirate queen. Azula the Pirate Queen. It is a step down from Fire Lord, but the position of power is still fairly sexy.
"Are you going to kill me?" Ty Lee asks, knowing that her last interaction with Azula did not end well. It did not end well at all.
Azula makes a hmming sound and walks slowly to Ty Lee. And then she straddles her with no warning, making the Kyoshi Warrior gasp.
"What's it worth to you?" Azula whispers, touching her lips to Ty Lee's neck.
And Azula's question is answered with a moan as she touches her tongue to Ty Lee's clavicle.
Azula pushes her down and there is no stopping it.
The collision is incredible, like two planets smashing against each other, shards exploding everywhere. Ty Lee surrenders herself to what once was, long ago.
Pirate Queen Azula is... quite a bit more interesting than Ty Lee's mundane life of late.
She wakes to the rocking of a ship, wrapped in Azula's arms, and as she hears the princess's heartbeat, there is contentment.
The Pirate Queen and her Bride then reigned over the seas for years to come, before eventually retiring by the beach in the Fire Nation, and they got their happily ever after.
