Author's Disclaimer: I don't own a thing belonging to "Avatar: the Last airbender!" Nothing, nada, zip.
Author's notes: Now on with the plot! For the last scene of this chapter, imagine a classic thunder storm scene from a horror movie. Bam, crash, lightning! Thunder to rumble the growing emotions, lightning to highlight the tears.
Maraghoul, my friend, I hope this stands up. (rubs hands together)
Queen Tyzula: thank you for the kind words! Hope you enjoy.
"Stoking the Fire"
Chapter six "What was decided"
Zuko tried not to fidget as he moved down the corridors of the Fire Sage's Temple, two guards flanking him. It may have been his paranoia but some of the younger men seemed to leer or frown at him openly now. It was starting to make Zuko's skin crawl. He was glad anytime he saw a Kyoshi Warrior and had them with him often as not. He'd even taken to keeping two at his bedroom door now. He would have put them inside the room, but he didn't want to embarrass them or his wife. Mai would have put her foot down about THAT.
Mai had had a heat recently and after a wonderful two days away from the world wrapped up in her, he had to return to his Fire Lord duties. Mai had been re-examined by the Fire Sages afterward and he was summoned now to go over the results. Zuko was sorry that he had had to lie to Mai. He told her it was a casual examination, but the Head Fire Sage had other ideas. Especially after the Fire Lady's known heat. Zuko clasped his hands together, trying to hide his nervous fingers from the guards. He wished Suki had been available. He had a feeling if he had a private talk with her, she would be fine-tuned to his anxieties and would readily try to soothe them.
Zuko was brought to the same room with the ancient stone table and he sat, knees pressing together. He waved a hand, signaling the guards to leave him and once alone, he took a deep breath. A trickle of water sounded from somewhere in the temple and Zuko focused on that. Aang had taught him some meditative breathing exercises so he focused on inhaling and exhaling, listening to the water fall from somewhere nearby.
The door opposite opened with a sudden clang and Zuko almost jumped out of his skin. If Aang had any techniques for ignoring sudden outbursts of noise, he hadn't passed it on to him yet. The Head Fire Sage strode in, red robes flaring, and his tired eyes took in the anxious Fire Lord.
"Thank you for coming, Fire Lord," The Head Fire Sage said. He set his scrolls on the table and sat down carefully. Zuko noted he favored his right side over his left. The old man coughed into his bony hand.
"What news do you have?" Zuko cut to the chase. The old man raised a white eyebrow and flared open one scroll.
"When your lady mother was first examined by us after her union with your father, we noted a doubling of her chi almost immediately."
Zuko fidgeted. "That's well and good, but what about Mai?"
The Head Fire Sage pointed to a series of characters on the scroll between them. "A few weeks is all your father needed to sire an heir. You and the Fire Lady have had a few heats and still, no doubling. No spark."
Zuko's stomach was dropping to his boots. His mouth felt very, very dry. "Still nothing?" he asked, sounding like he'd been punched. The Head Fire Sage nodded.
"I have already mixed a fertility tea to give to Lady Mai. But there are the examinations to discuss."
"She's not pregnant. It doesn't mean she won't be," Zuko protested. The sudden panic of the conversation's topic made him feel dizzy.
"My Lord, if I may be blunt, we can examine your unions after the Fire Lady's heats, but I believe the result will be the same every time. There are gaps in Lady Mai's chi that do not reciprocate your own." The Head Fire Sage may have been ordering lunch, he sounded that unconcerned. Zuko frowned at him, and tapped one long finger on the stone table.
"What are you saying?" he asked lowly. The old man was not impressed and went through another scroll almost absent-mindedly.
"You and the Fire Lady are incompatible. All the examinations and tests point to this and she isn't pregnant after your third heat with her. My Lord, it's best if you think of other possibilities."
Zuko's chest hitched and he clasped his hands together tightly. He pressed his brow against his folded hands, fingers shaking. When he opened his eyes, they were wet. "Such as what?"
"My Lord may want to start thinking of selecting a suitable concubine. If your royal consort is barren, there are those avenues to pursue to sire a child."
Zuko felt sick. He didn't want to consider it was a viable solution and he never in his heart wanted to hurt Mai. No, he wouldn't do that to her! He couldn't! "I don't think so," he stammered with a hint of his iron resolve. The old man raised a white eyebrow at him.
"You are the Fire Lord. If you want to remain Fire Lord, I suggest you start considering it a possibility," the old man said dryly. Zuko clasped his fingers together and leaned his brow against them again. His shoulders shook with quiet spasms.
"I can't do that!" Zuko protested. "My father never needed a concubine. And I just can't!"
The old man looked through another scroll, this time a list of names. "Your father was able to sire two heirs. My Lord Zuko, it needn't be a terrible outcome. I have in mind a number of noblewomen who would be honored to bear your child…."
"I can't," Zuko said, waving a hand at the scroll. "I just can't right now."
The old man looked as if he wanted to speak further, but surprisingly, held his tongue. "Very well. Think on it, my lord. Summon me when you're ready to discuss a suitable girl."
Zuko watched him leave the room, with wild golden eyes that looked panicked and somewhat crazed. He pushed from the stone table and tried to collect himself. When he left the room, those two young guards were waiting and it took everything in Zuko not to fling them away from him. Paranoia was chewing at his soul but it wouldn't do to show a moment of weakness. Zuko allowed them to escort him back to the royal apartments, then Zuko dismissed them and went in search of Suki.
He found her drilling the Kyoshi Warriors in the courtyard. He paused to watch the women work at their kata, secretly impressed. He would never be so arrogant as to think a nonbender didn't wield any kind of power when he witnessed the women's form. They were excellent and skilled and he was so glad they were his friends.
Suki stopped in mid kick and waved. "My lord!" she called. Zuko gave a genuine smile and strode across the cobblestones, cloak streaming. The Kyoshi Warriors bowed to him and he waved a hand.
"Please, be at ease," he said. Suki took up place at his side and they walked a bit away to be out of earshot. "Suki, if you don't mind, could you have your warriors be with me more throughout the day?"
"Of course, Zuko. It would be our pleasure," Suki smiled. "Any reason why?"
"I feel like there's something wrong with the palace guards," he admitted, casting a look around. "You guys are the only ones I trust."
"We're there," Suki promised. Zuko placed his fist in his palm and bowed to her.
"I can't thank you enough," he said. "I'm just so on edge…."
"It's a lot to be Fire Lord, isn't it?" Suki wondered. Zuko nodded, golden eyes serious.
"There are so many people to please and if you can't…. well, that makes you an easy target," he admitted. Suki touched Zuko's sleeve fondly.
"The Kyoshi Warriors are there for you," she vowed. Zuko walked with her back to the other women, who called out happy greetings to him.
Ty Lee was balanced on one foot, the other extended toward her head in a stretching kick. She wobbled suddenly and would have fallen but Ying caught her arm at the last moment. Zuko jogged forward and helped steady her.
"Careful, Ty Lee! Are you okay?" he asked earnestly. Ty Lee smiled up at him, painted lips stretched.
"I'm okay, Zuko. Just tired all of a sudden," she confessed. Suki frowned.
"You're going to have to go rest, Ty Lee. Go on, you've earned it."
Ty Lee bowed with her fist in her palm and strode off slowly. Ying cast a look at Suki who nodded and she ran after her roommate.
"She's been fatigued lately," Suki explained to Zuko. "I'm sure it's nothing…."
On cue, Zuko looked around for Azula. No, she was chained in her room. He had made sure of it.
"Of course," he said. His mind went to his wife and he inwardly sighed. No, they couldn't be incompatible, could they? "If you'll excuse me."
"Of course," Suki said.
When Zuko found Mai, she was reading a scroll, her brother napping against her shoulder. Zuko was loathe to wake the boy but he couldn't leave. Mai had noticed him and it would be rude to sidle out.
"How did things go?" Mai asked, golden eyes softening. Zuko bit the inside of his cheek.
'You and the Fire Lady are incompatible….' The Fire Sage's words spiraled in his mind. Zuko made himself smile. He sat on her other side and placed a hand on her thigh.
"Nothing to be concerned about," Zuko said. The subterfuge killed him inside, but he had to think things through. He didn't want to upset Mai as it was. Mai, leaning against his shoulder, was none the wiser for his hidden thoughts.
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It could have just been a bug, but Ying was starting to get concerned. Ty Lee could barely move in the mornings, except to run to the chamber pot. She couldn't keep breakfast down and would flat out avoid trying to eat until lunch. Ty Lee was on her knees now, vomiting into their room's chamber pot with hearty gusto.
"You only have one bite of food in you. How you can keep expelling waste is beyond me," Ying tried to joke. Ty Lee cast exhausted eyes to her. The normally beautiful omega looked wasted beyond her young years. Black circles lined her brown eyes and she was as pale as a ghost.
"What's wrong with me? I thought it was just the flu," Ty Lee wondered. She pushed against the stone floor and Ying helped steady her to walk to her bed. Ty Lee collapsed on the red sheets and curled up on her side.
"Do you think it could be possible you're pregnant?" Ying asked. The thought had been in Ty Lee's mind as well, but she had pushed it far away, trying to make it a non-possibility. If she didn't concentrate on that path, maybe it would pass her by. But it hadn't passed her by. She was still getting sick and it wasn't stopping. It hadn't passed and had landed right in her lap with all its sticky mess.
Ty Lee played with the edge of her bed robe, a pretty frown on her face. "Can't be…. I was only with Azula for about a day."
"Did she knot you?" Ying sat on the edge of the mattress. Ty Lee flushed and buried her face in her pillow.
"Yes…."
"We have to consider it a possibility at this point," Ying said sensibly. Ty Lee clasped her hand, fine lines of worry between her eyes.
"Don't tell anyone," she begged. Ying nodded.
"Suki can find a midwife. She'll have to know," she said wisely. Ty Lee sighed.
"Only you two. No one else," Ty Lee made Ying promise. Ying hoped it was for the best and went in search of their leader.
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"She'll be here soon," Suki said. Ty Lee rubbed her hands together nervously. She, Suki and Ying waited in a far off bed chamber and had the outer door locked so none of the guards would enter.
"I'm sorry, Suki," Ty Lee said nervously. "I know Sokka is visiting."
Suki shrugged, rubbing Ty Lee's arm companionably. "Don't worry about me. I'm more worried about you."
"What are we going to do if I am?" Ty Lee may have been thinking about the day to day and what she was going to do about her duties as a Kyoshi Warrior, but far weightier problems a possible pregnancy could develop were heavy on Suki's mind.
For one thing, it's sire. Princess Azula had a bad mark against her from the crown, and was still on house arrest for attacking her brother. What kind of future would Ty Lee or the child have with her? Suki was worried about Ty Lee's heart. The bubbly omega was obviously in love with Azula, and she may have been keeping her distance currently, but she may have felt inclined to try and gentle Azula's rages with her child in hand.
Suki didn't believe Azula would ever be tamed. She was as unnatural a force as a tsunami and just as untamable.
A knock sounded and Ying darted to the door, unlatching the bolts and peering out. She nodded and allowed the bent woman on the other side in, re-latching the door behind them.
"Thank you for coming," Suki greeted her. The old woman smiled brightly and took in all three women.
"Who am I examining?" she asked. Ty Lee nervously stepped forward. From earlier instructions, she was clad in only a bed robe, ready to discard for examination.
"Me," she said. Ying watched her, concerned. Ty Lee was almost shaking. She needn't be this afraid of what an old woman would say.
The old woman in question nodded and unrolled a satchel. She had divination tools for reading chi, and she laid these out. She gestured. "Disrobe, child."
Ty Lee shrugged out of her robe and handed it to Suki. The old woman cast her eyes up and down and ran her hands from her shoulders, to her breasts, weighing them in her gnarled hands, clasping underneath. Ty Lee started, for they had been growing tender for weeks. The old woman's hands moved lower, over her flat tummy, over the flesh of her flared hips. She reached up and clasped the sides of Ty Lee's face gently.
"Open your mouth, child," she said. Ty Lee opened her mouth and the woman peered in, for Spirit's knew why. She made a sound and assessed her tools.
"Your chi is very bright. You take good care of your aura," she said out loud. Ty Lee reached back and Ying clasped her hand.
"Thanks?" Ty Lee didn't know whether to sound pleased or not. Ying clasped her fingers tightly in hers.
"I'm assuming you spent your last heat with an alpha," the old woman suggested. Ty Lee nodded.
"A day at least…." She could remember all too well paralyzing Azula on top of her before she could claim her with a mating bite. She looked at her feet in sorrow.
"Well, he or she should be told the results. Your chi has doubled; you are carrying their child," the old woman scattered a handful of tiles, studied them, and smiled up at the startled omega.
Suki clasped Ty Lee's arm, trying to cheer her. "Congratulations!"
Ying swept Ty Lee's robe over her shoulders and rubbed her back. "Good job, Ty Lee."
Ty Lee belted the robe and sat in the room's sole chair. She leaned forward and held her head in her hands. "What am I going to do?" she asked forlornly.
Suki watched the old woman gather her tools and let her out. Ying sat on the chair's arm and patted her friend.
"Ty Lee, it's okay. This is your child. No matter what you choose to do, it will be a part of you always," Ying suggested. Ty Lee's eyes were filled with tears.
"I don't even have stable footing with its sire. What now?" she sounded as petulant as a child herself.
Suki strode back across the stone floor, green robe flaring. "What you choose to do is up to you. No matter what, we're with you."
Ty Lee's eyes were wet with unshed tears and she shook her head in her hands. "Please…. Please don't tell the other sisters. No one else!"
"We won't," Ying vowed. Suki nodded. Ty Lee went over in her mind Azula's strengths and flaws. She was dismayed that her flaws, namely her irrational mental state as well as her status at the palace, far outweighed her strengths, which could be dark as it were.
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*
Azula had no way of knowing Ty Lee's condition. She and Zirin made nightly forays to the kitchens to talk to servants as well as a select number of palace guards. It was amazing how many of them were unsatisfied with Zuko's regime. They had either been directly involved with the War, or had relatives who had been soldiers or high-ranking military and they missed the military paycheck. Zuzu may not have agreed with her or their father continuing the War, but even he couldn't deny how monetarily satisfied their citizens had been.
Had been. Azula smiled to herself in her room, leaning back against the wall. Since she couldn't fuck Ty Lee, she was physically denied satisfaction. The least she could do would be to try and spoil Zuko's reign with her plans.
Zirin was all for getting Azula out of the palace and hole up at their headquarters. Their Kemurikage sisters were gaining more noble support, but their morale would be boosted with her escape. Azula knew this was going to have to be a possibility. She couldn't find Ty Lee to corner anymore and aside from the random fucking she was able to give, she hadn't had another opportunity to sow her wild oats into her once partner.
Besides, once she was free, she'd have her pick of any beta or omega noble, or hell maybe even the servants. Azula rubbed the manacles as they chafed the skin on her wrists. Despite the physical release she knew would be hers, the idea still didn't hold much appeal. Ty Lee's bright eyes and curves flashed through her mind. Azula sighed to herself.
Well, Ty Lee had made her choice. Azula fidgeted on the carpet, one leg crossed over the other, as she rubbed the fabric of her tunic against the stone wall. She remembered the pin point of pain down her side and back. Azula narrowed her gaze and growled mentally. No, she deserved nothing but her contempt.
One of the palace guards brought her lunch and Azula smiled predatorily to herself. She made small talk with the young man, who was apparently of the like mind that the Fire Nation did well when it was at war. She twined her words carefully, smiling at how easily the guard agreed with her. Another to the list.
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Ty Lee sat in front of the hearth of a sitting room, watching the blazing fire inside quietly. She had opted from sitting with her sister-at-arms in their common room and had selected this chamber for solace. She had only asked a firebending soldier for help with the hearth, then begged leave to be alone. Ty Lee clasped her elbows in her hands, watching the flickering flames of red and orange swirl and dance in the fireplace.
She knew she had a grave decision to make. She was definitely pregnant. Azula didn't know, and she didn't know if it would be a good time to try and forge a bond with her. Azula was still erratic and she hadn't learned to control her rages. It terrified her to think of telling her she was her child's sire. Ty Lee honestly didn't know what she would do.
There was also the possibility of using kajihana and ending the pregnancy. While it was a possibility, and kajihana was easy to obtain in the palace, the idea still bothered Ty Lee. In her heart of hearts, she wasn't sure she'd be able to do that.
The door to the sitting room opened and Ty Lee tensed. She relaxed when she noted Fire Lord Zuko, still dressed for the day in tunic, trousers and cloak. The firelight flashed off his top knot ornament. He looked far more impressive compared to her casual bed robe, but the smile Zuko gave her was unbiased.
"I didn't know anyone was in here. I'm sorry," Zuko offered. Ty Lee clutched the robe around her tightly but flashed him a bright smile.
"It's okay, Zuko. I could use the company. Want to sit with me awhile?" she gestured to a space in front of the hearth. Zuko sat cross-legged opposite her on the floor and leaned back on his hands.
"Thanks. What were you thinking about? It's not like you to be apart from the Kyoshi Warriors," Zuko noted. Ty Lee clutched her elbows and gazed at the fire. Outside the high windows of the sitting room, a thunder storm was brewing. Fat raindrops were already pattering against the glass panes, making small pings of noise. Zuko inclined his head, watching the rain stream down. The atmosphere with the storm outside and the fire inside could be construed as cozy, but Ty Lee looked troubled.
"I had some thinking to do. Something serious," Ty Lee said. She wondered if she should go on or keep it between her, Suki and Ying. She knew the two of them could be sworn to secrecy. Zuko regarded her with his intense golden eyes, eyes so similar to Azula's, and the comparison made her heart lurch. Azula….
"I hope you know you can confide in me. I want to protect those I call friends," Zuko declared. It was those words that unlocked the silence from Ty Lee's condition. She sighed and placed a hand on her flat stomach.
"I don't know what to do, Zuko. Ever since my heat, I've been tired. And I found out why," Ty Lee said. Zuko gazed at her until realization set in.
"You're…." Zuko looked amazed. Ty Lee nodded.
"I don't know what to do. Keep it? Or take kajihana….." Ty Lee looked upset at the latter. "I just don't know right now."
Thoughts whirled in Zuko's mind. He stared at Ty Lee, as if trying to peer past her robe into her belly. If what the Head Fire Sage was true….if he and Mai were truly incompatible…It was a horrible thing to ask but Zuko felt time was slipping through his fingers if he didn't broach the topic. He had to move fast before anyone else discovered Ty Lee's condition. Let alone Azula….. Zuko's fingers tightened into fists.
"I think you should keep it," Zuko said. Thunder begun roiling outside, punctuating his words. Ty Lee gave him a pretty frown. He was staring at her in a very strange way.
"That's nice of you to say, Zuko, but what is Azula going to do about it?"
Zuko's face went neutral. The sudden transition frightened Ty Lee. "Nothing. She's not going to do anything about it."
Ty Lee frowned at him. "That's a lot to say, Zuko. Maybe we could be together. I don't think anyone's given her a chance to…."
"To what? Attack more people in her way?" Zuko placed a hand on his chest. "Me, as well as you. Why did she attack you during your heat?"
Ty Lee blushed, hugging her elbows in her hands. "That was my fault, Zuko."
"Knowing Azula, I doubt it," Zuko bit off. Ty Lee raised a hand.
"It was! We were…..getting on just fine," Ty Lee turned bright red. Zuko watched her impassively. "But she tried to claim me. And I saw…. Her react to something that wasn't there. I didn't think it was right to be claimed by a mating bite."
Zuko nodded, but his thoughts were all awhirl. "The point is, she's unstable. She attacked me because she wants the throne, doesn't she? Think, Ty Lee. Would you want Azula on the Fire throne?"
Ty Lee frowned at her knee. "No…." But she remembered how cast off Azula was, stuck in her strait jacket and in the mental institution….. she hadn't helped her then, and look where she was now.
"If you keep it, I hope you'll accept my idea," Zuko was saying. Ty Lee focused back on him. Lightning struck outside, lighting up the room and reflecting off the wild light in Zuko's eyes.
"What are you talking about?" she asked slowly. Dread welled through her being. Zuko tried to smile and placed his hands on her knees.
"Please understand, Ty Lee, I would never ask this of you if the circumstances weren't so…. Strenuous."
"What do you mean?" Ty Lee had a feeling she wouldn't like it. Zuko pressed on.
"You know Mai isn't pregnant. We've had a few heats and still, nothing," Zuko began. Ty Lee wasn't liking where this was going.
"I know…." She said.
Zuko's hands tightened on her knees. "The Fire Sages have been examining her and her chi doesn't respond well to mine. I got the bad news today. The Head Fire Sage is certain we're incompatible and can't have children."
"Zuko…. I'm so sorry," Ty Lee placed her hands on top of his. "What are you going to do? And Mai?"
Zuko cringed, feeling incredibly guilty at the mention of his wife. But he had to press on…he was doing this for her!
"The Head Fire Sage thinks I should start seeking out a concubine that is more compatible. At least to secure a child for my rule," Zuko said. Ty Lee noted his eyes drift from her face down her to middle. She took her hands off his suddenly.
"What are you talking about? Me? My child?" Ty Lee frowned, pushing off the floor, knocking his hands off her knees. She stalked across the sitting room, robe flaring around her smooth calves. "How could you ASK that of me?!"
"We don't have to do anything!" Zuko was blushing bright red. "No! You're already pregnant….the child has royal blood. They could be presented as mine and finally I can get a full night's sleep again."
Ty Lee felt bad at his last words. Zuko had undying anxiety concerning his rule, and he made it sound she had all the solutions to making his life easier. But what about her life?
"No! It's Azula's. I do love her, Zuko. I can't do this to her!" Ty Lee insisted. Lightning struck close by, lighting the side of her angry face. Zuko strode toward her, hands reaching. Thunder rumbled, accentuating his statement.
"What kind of future can you have with her? She's a traitor! She'll never have a proper place at court. She's under house arrest, for Spirit's sake!" Zuko ground out. Ty Lee sobbed and flung a fist against him. It struck his chest and Zuko winced at the impact.
"We could be together! Don't say that!" she said, tears filling her eyes. Zuko watched her, sadness in his deep golden eyes. But his next words killed any kindness she may have felt for him at that moment.
"I'm still the Fire Lord. She could remain in her current position forever," he said softly. Ty Lee sobbed and struck him again. Zuko captured her fists in his large hands.
"Zuko!" she warned him. Zuko frowned slightly and stepped closer into her inner space. He inclined his head towards her and murmured his words.
"Would she really be happy if you presented this to her? She'd just run off and leave you again. I'm at least offering you a place, a highly exalted position. And your child would have the best future."
Tears streamed down Ty Lee's face. She lowered her head, quiet sobs making her shoulders spasm. "But Azula…."
Zuko let go one of her fists and gently rubbed a thumb across her cheek, wiping away a tear's trek. "I think we have to admit she's far gone. She may even like it that way."
Ty Lee cried, unsure of what to do. Azula's petulant frown flashed in her mind, then shifted to a look of glazed passion as she rutted into her…..
"But…"
"You can always have more children!" Zuko snapped. Ty Lee frowned at him and fought against him. Zuko let her hands go.
"What about Mai? Even if she can't have children, why me?"
Zuko's face fell. He looked very sad and unsure of himself, as he did as a teenager. Ty Lee's heart went out to him despite his proposal. "I honestly wonder if the problem could be me. Even if Mai can't have children with me, who's to say I'm not barren? What if it's me?"
"That's why you want it…. Even if you get a concubine, who's to say if she would get pregnant…" Ty Lee still didn't like this. She ran her hands over her flat stomach.
Zuko could tell she was on the edge of her decision. He knelt in front of her and clasped her hands in his gently. "Please…..please, Ty Lee…"
Ty Lee tilted her head up, looking at the rain washing down the windows. Lightning flashed again, highlighting the tear streaks on her face.
"Yes…"
Zuko gave the back of her hand a chivalrous kiss, feeling some weight lift from his mind. But the heartbroken expression on Ty Lee's face tinged his soul with even more guilt.
"What did Lord Zuko want?" Ying asked the next morning. Ty Lee lay on her bed, cheek pressed into her pillow. She had been dreaming of Azula, and watching her sleep naked beside her. Hearing this question upon waking was very disappointing.
"I guess you'll find out soon enough," Ty Lee murmured. Ying sat on the edge of her bed and stroked her arm.
"It'll be okay, Ty Lee. Do you want to try some breakfast?"
Ty Lee shuddered. Her stomach roiled and she shook her head, blinking back dizziness.
"No….maybe something later," she said. Ying squeezed her arm and stood.
"I'll bring some tea. That should help your stomach," she said. Ty Lee closed her eyes. Azula leaning on top of her, between her thighs, her face coming close for a kiss after their shared release…. She hugged her pillow and curled in on her middle.
"What have I done?" she asked out loud.
End for now
End notes: I hope it doesn't seem too quick to have decided, but Ty Lee has been troubled by Azula's mental state for a while now. That's why she didn't want to be claimed by her bite. But leave it to 'ol Zu to pound that nail of despair in with reminding her of Azula's criminal status. I think some of these characters can use a sensed opportunity to their advantage and exploit it for all its worth. What will Mai say? What will AZULA say? Find out! And smash that review button if you liked :P
Most sincerely,
pen 9/18/2016