A/N: So, each quarter of the way there is a landmark in Azula and Ty Lee's relationship. 25 was their first time having sex, 50 was their wedding. I asked people for votes on 75, and it almost unanimously was the birth of their first child. Which explains the arc.
(Also, holy shitsnacks, there are only 25 chapters left!)
(except I meant for this to be done in December)


(Theme Seventy-Five) The Birth of Azusami

(As Prompted By) The Majority

Azula punches into the cabinet of glassware formed from volcanic ash and Zuko cringes.

He is not sure how to make her remain calm, now that she has been removed from the room in which her girlfriend is giving birth to a child. Zuko laughed when Ty Lee screamed that Azula was making everything worse and she had to leave, but it is not so funny now that he has to deal with her.

"It's going to be okay. Babies are born every day," Zuko says at last and Azula shoots him a venomous look that makes him take a slight step back.

He might be fine with dealing with Azula day to day, but right now she seems like she might go on a murderous rampage for some reason. Burning down Caldera like some kind of fire monster…

Zuko looks at both Azula and Mai, shrugs, and cringes when Ty Lee screams out. Azula moves to rip a tapestry from the wall and burn it, so sighing, Mai grabs her, pinning her hands behind her back as she screams in utter rage.

"Calm, calm down," Mai breathes, her monotonous voice much more soothing than Zuko's panic as he declared that Ty Lee was having her baby, and set the entire palace ablaze with a panic. In his defense, he could not have anticipated this response.

"Let me back in!" Azula shrieks and Zuko rubs his neck awkwardly.

"Ty Lee said you had to leave because you were adding unnecessary stress," Mai says calmly as Azula struggles against her grip. Mai can only thank her military training, at this point.

It was pretty funny, inside, with Azula desperately trying to see if Ty Lee needed anything, and screaming at midwives and constantly offering Ty Lee chapstick for no reason because she did not know what else to do. But Mai does agree that Azula was probably making the tension and stress tonight much worse.

"What if something goes wrong? I feel so helpless! I am not helpless! I must be there because why would I trust midwives to deliver my child! What if it dies or there's a birth defect or there's more than one!" Azula shrieks in terror, gasping in once as she almost breathes fire by mistake, and Mai attempts to make soothing noises. "What if the eclipse made it into a monster? What if it hates me already? What if she leaves me once the baby is born? What if the midwives steal it? It could be assassinated right now! I need to control this situation! I am much more qualified─!"

"I'm going to rub your nose," Mai says softly as Zuko examines the damage to the cabinet. He wants to point out that Azula is not at all qualified in delivering a baby, but he is wise enough to keep his mouth shut.

"Why ─ What? ─ Why are you doing that?" Azula demands, although she does not move to break free of Mai.

"Shhh," Mai says softly, brushing her finger down the bridge of Azula's nose. "Yeah, see, you like that. That's very calming."

Azula is still hyperventilating, but Mai considers this to be progress, since said hyperventilation is not producing any acrid smoke. "They can't just leave me like this! Have them all imprisoned for their treason of kicking me out," Azula gasps out, lacking all awareness of her reputation and not having the energy to try to look tough.

"You are okay, and the baby is going to be okay, and everything will be fine," Mai says flatly and softly, and, somehow, she does manage to calm Azula to the point of sitting down and waiting.

Mai, Azula and Zuko are all silent for what feels like an eternity, and Azula does not even dare to move for fear of something going wrong. And then their silence is interrupted by a horrifying wailing sound that feels like something out of Azula's worst nightmares.

"Is that the sound they make?" is all Azula can manage to ask.

"All night every night," Mai replies with a slightly sadistic glint in her amber eyes.

Azula is allowed in, now that the ordeal is over and she has calmed down enough. She looks around, swallowing, her mouth dry.

"It's not very cute," Azula says and Ty Lee rolls her eyes. "You're very cute, though."

"Thank you, Azula, I appreciate that backhanded compliment," Ty Lee says weakly and Mai and Zuko feel somewhat like they have intruded on an incredibly private moment, despite the healers surrounding them. "Come see the baby. I know you want to."

"I'm not…"

"Let me rephrase. I know Princess Azula the Conqueror is not afraid to come meet a baby," Ty Lee says, cocking an eyebrow.

Azula steps forward and looks at the small, squishy little thing. It is somewhat cuter up close, but Azula imagined them coming out more like… babies.

"Can I hold her?" Azula says softly and Ty Lee nods.

Very hesitantly, Azula reaches forward and touches it, making Ty Lee laugh and the little baby become much more alert. Azula almost recoils, realizing she has alarmed it and probably should not pick it up. She does like its little hand, until it lightly grabs her when she examines it. Azula tries to assure the baby that she is not a threat before picking it up, despite Zuko's snickering about how scared a baby's hand made his sister. But Azula must prove that she is qualified for parenting. But when her hand strokes across the babies cheek, it puts her finger in its mouth and she audibly gasps, deciding her composure is gone and will not be returning any time soon.

"I changed my mind. I'll hold her later," Azula says as she steps away slightly. Zuko laughs more loudly and Azula does not even have the energy to snap at him.

"Her name is Kasumi. Meet my daughter, Kasumi," Ty Lee says softly as she turns the baby with impressive ease to face Azula.

Hesitation. Azula cannot help but hesitate. "No, meet our daughter, Azusami. Azumi is also acceptable, but I decided on the first one after our argument. Kazumi is just not the right fit."

Zuko laughs, and then wheezes, but Mai has to admit it is kind of cute.

"Our daughter?" Ty Lee smiles.

"Our daughter. Azusami. No child of mine is being named after a dead cat." Azula reiterates the name with her eyes fixated on the midwife. So help her, she is marking the right name on the birth certificate.

"Any more demands?" Ty Lee looks at Azula in disapproval, but the princess seems utterly unaware. Ty Lee is taking this surprisingly well. Probably the painkilling concoctions they gave her, or possibly because she knew how helpless Azula felt, and giving her some control now is probably going to prevent a heart attack.

"Perhaps we can discuss this at a better time, when I am not coming down from a panic attack and suddenly realizing the glass embedded in my hand, and you haven't just given birth to our daughter Azusami."

Ty Lee rolls her eyes, looks at the baby sticking out its tongue, and then looks at Azula's bleeding and trembling hand.

It is a certain kind of happily ever after.