Avatar Chapter 16
I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
It had been a very informative and productive trip, Azula had no hesitations giving her approval for the rest of the project to proceed. It would take a number of years but she had no doubt that soon the Imperial Railway would supplant the Imperial Highways as the prime method of travel in the Fire Nation.
As Transportation Minister she did not have the authority to approve such a large, and expensive, project but as Crown Princess she had more than enough pull. She had already sent a letter to the Fire Lord, more as a formality as he would most likely glace at it before giving it his stamp; as much potential as this project had matters in the colonies and with the military took up most of his focus.
And returning to the Palace meant she would have time to work on more personal issues, the most important being that she now had a girlfriend. The whole rail way idea had taken up the majority of her mind and she had tried to push the perky girl to the side. But now, looking at the acrobat happily looked through the eyeglass Gaz had gifted them, she thought of nothing but Ty Lee.
Being in very close proximity over past few weeks had been odd, and downright weird after Li and Lo gave their very blunt lesson in and corrected her…deficiencies in knowledge. "I don't care if that's the way it is done, human reproduction is disgusting!"
On a side note Azula learned that as awkward as sharing a bed with Ty lee was it was tempered by the fact that Ty Lee was a terrible sleeping partner, she hogged covers, talked in her sleep and Azula had on multiple occasions found herself kicked onto the floor, it was obvious that her worries of unintentionally doing something inappropriate were for naught.
Azula was made aware that she and Ty Lee could not have a child, a blessing somewhat, but that also meant that this relationship had a problem. This was one of the few times she wished that her brother was still here, as weak and small-minded as he was little Zuzu had the ability to produce an heir and if her hunch was right he would have a willing bride to give him one.
If he was still Crown Prince the pressure would fall on his shoulders and Azula doubted even he could screw it up. But she had the problem of being a girl, and the bigger problem of being attracted to another girl. Even though she had nothing to worry about for many years she tried to think of a solution to this problem.
"Ugh flame it all, this must be why so many of those romance novels end in tragedy, all this nonsense makes ME want to drink poison and stab someone… stabbing someone actually sounds nice but it still won't solve my problem."
Azula refocused, thankfully she had time to read through a number of scrolls on Fire Nation law and heredity on her trip. She knew that she wouldn't be the first female Fire Lord in history, but if Ty Lee remained at her side she would be the first to have this kind of relationship in public.
"Would the public stand for that?! Would father stand for it?! What is he expecting of me when it comes to this?" Azula realized that Fire Lord Ozai had never spoken to her about this matter, it was always about the war, her studies, her bending. Never had he brought up the issue of anything regarding arranged marriages or future heirs to the throne.
"Ooooo look Zula I can see a flock peacock-flamingoes on other side of the valley with this, they're so colorful and have really good balance Oh Oh I know, I should make them my spirit animal for the month"
Azula smiled at Ty Lee's upbeat attitude, she was unlike her in every way and yet she made Azula feel special and at ease. She had probably given no thought to the idea of what it meant being in a relationship with royalty. In a way that was refreshing, the girl had no ulterior motives or hidden agendas she simply wanted to be her girlfriend because she wanted to be.
Azula supposed that it was cruel irony that Ty Lee would be better at this than she was. Ty Lee loved her, she said at least once a day, and yet Azula was still trying figure out what that meant. She liked being around Ty Lee, her frequent hugs, kisses and kind words were always a highlight. But she did all of it so effortlessly, when Azula tried she always second guessed herself, never sure what would be the best thing to say.
And she was no closer to knowing what love should feel like, she had a feeling that it was more than what she felt now but then again she had nothing to go back on. "Come on Azula you can figure this out…" Azula tried to think, tried to think of things she loved.
"Do I love my father? No that does not sound right, I respect my father yes that sounds better… I certainly do not love my mother, not uncle Iroh either. Zuko? No he is amusing at best, Mai? Maybe, probably not, though I do like her more than most other people what about…fire"
Azula's eyes widened "Yes I do love fire, the feel of it, the heat, the light, the way I can move it but is that the same as loving someone, a person?" Azula looked at Ty Lee, she was defiantly not fire but she then imagined her as a Fire sprite from an old children books and had to force herself not to laugh.
"Mmmmm, well it's a start a least, I do believe I love Fire Bending so all I have to do it approach my interactions with Ty Lee the same way…HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!" Azula could feel her eye twitch.
"Zula are you okay." Azula nearly jumped as she found hergirlfriend next to her and looking at her worriedly. She sighed "Fine Ty just…thinking." Azula noticed that Ty Lee looked unconvinced and remembered that Ty Lee could see more with her eyes then even she could.
"Riiiight, well you seem stressed so I am going to unstress you"
"Unstress is not a word Ty"
"Yeah, well, it should be, I am going to do it so let's put the bed down so I can give you an Eightfold Chi Pathway Rehabilitation."
"A what?"
"I put a lot of words together to sound smart! Now get up before I say something stupid."
Azula smirked, she got up and allowed Ty Lee to fold down the plush seat cushion into a makeshift bed.
"Now lay down on your stomach and think of something peaceful."
Azula laid upon the think cushion and decided to give this 'Eightfold Chi Pathway Rehabilitation' a chance, anything was better than thinking about the love issue.
"Now Zulawhat are you thinking about." Ty Lee asked from above her.
"Crossbows"
"Crossbows?"
"Is that a problem?"
"I said something peaceful"
"Crossbows can be peaceful."
Ty Lee huffed "Alright fine, I guess… think of shooting something with a crossbow while I start."
Azula felt Ty Lee move her now bare feet to her back, she felt the girls toes move around her back in pattern and soon found that her back muscles were loosening up.
"How does that feel Zula"
"Mmmmmmm"
"Oh good that means its working, I think"
Azula felt Ty Lee flip onto her hands and it was an interesting feeling the girl's entire body weight begin directed through her hands. She did not know what she was doing but felt unbelievable good, she felt peace and calm spread through entire body as Ty Lee did…whatever it was she was doing.
She did not know how long it went on but Azula was certain she did not want it to ever stop, it was if her stress and hesitations were flowing out of her. "Azula? Hello are you there, oh darn it I must have done something wrong."
Azula heard a voice, it was a sweet voice. She turned over and though her vision was blurry she saw the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The big grey eyes, the long braid, the cute puffy lips… she wanted it. She got up, swaying slightly, and tackled the beautiful thing in front of her "Mmmmm, mine" the beautiful girl was soft and warm.
"A-Azula, are you, oh hot buns I hit the pathway to your brain the wrong way just give me a minute"
"Noooooo, all is well, just stay all warm and comfy beautiful girl, the Princess needs her rest and you…" Azula let out a yawn as sleep started to claim her.
"Oh flaming, burning wackadoodles what do I do? I know, I need to UGH." Ty Lee felt Azual grip her tightly in her delirious state, the Princess had very strong limbs and Ty Lee could not get the angle she needed to free herself.
Azula, in a dreamlike state, was now snuggling into Ty Lee's chest "Mmmmm, stop moving beautiful girl, your Princess commands it."
Ty Lee took a moment too admire that Azula just called her beautiful, before she remembered that Azula was mostly out of it.
"Azula, you need to let go, please?" Ty Lee tried to reason with her girlfriend.
"No" Azula sounded like a child
"Azula pretty please, beautiful girl needs to fix her bumbling"
"But I love beautiful girl."
Despite the situation Ty Lee's breath caught in her throat "Y-Y-You love me"
"Yeeeeeah, almost as much as I love Ty Lee" Azula perked up slightly and she looked right into Ty Lee's eyes "But that's a secret so you can't tell Ty Lee, I command it."
Ty Lee could feel her eyes tearing up "O-Ok, I promise not to tell"
Azula nodded and her head dropped back down "That's good, Ty Lee can't know I love her, not until I know what it is, is it illusive like a phantom… or a ghost… or the last cookie in the jar, stupid cookie."
Ty Lee could not decide what to do, Azula had said she loved her, she was not in the right state of mind at the moment but her father often said drunk words were sober thoughts. So she decided to press her luck "So, does Ty Lee love you"
"Of course, she has to, she's all mine, mine, mine mine"
"Oh, why is she yours?'
"Because I want her that's why, no one else can have her"
Ty Lee smiled, she had long ago accepted that she belonged to Azula but it was nice to know how simple a reason Azula had.
She thought about what Azula said earlier "Azula, do you know what love is"
Azula gave a huff "No, it's stupid, there should be a book about it, then I could learn it but there isn't so I can't"
Ty Lee smiled "I love you Azula"
"That's good, Ty Lee loves me to, but no one else does"
Ty Lee frowned "Other people love you Zula"
"No they don't, you can't love monsters"
"You're not a monster Zula, you're not!"
"Yes I am, monsters are scary, and everyone fears me, everyone, everyo…"
At That Azula finally drifted off into sleep, gracefully except for the light snoring. Ty Lee found she could maneuver out of Azula's grasp, and managed to do so without waking her up. She now stared at her sleeping Princess, she realized she rarely saw Azula sleep. Ty Lee lazily pushed one of her bangs aside and was startled to see tears at the corners of Azula's closed eyes.
"Oh Zula, you're not a monster, I wish I wasn't the only one to see that" This was not a new thing, ever since they were little Ty lee had heard Azula herself and many others refer to her as a monster. It never seemed to seriously bother Azula but she had never, ever, seen tears in Azula's eyes before.
Though the word was not always used the feeling was the same, people were afraid of Azula and obviously thought something was wrong with her. Not everyone thought so of course, Ty Lee certainly didn't and she knew Mai never felt that way, in fact Ty lee admitted that Mai and Azula were very similar in the way they thought.
Li and Lo were not afraid of Azula in the slightest and Fire Lord Ozai was if anything proud of his daughters ability to cause such distress in other people. But if Ty Lee had to take a stab in the dark she would put her gold on Princess Ursa being the holdout. When she disappeared after the death of Fire Lord Azulon Ty Lee noticed something off in Azula's aura when she came back to school.
It was a fuzzy memory but Ty lee had a feeling in her gut that Azula's mom leaving was partly the reason why her love had the issues she did. Ty Lee leaned down and placed a kiss on the sleeping Princess's head, she waiting to see if she would awaken but a sudden un-lady like snort suggested otherwise.
Ty Lee giggled and decided to make Azula comfortable, she reached up above and retrieved a quilt and pillow. She managed to maneuver the sleeping Princess into a more graceful position, Ty Lee knew she had messed up her massage but Azula was certainly relaxed now, she was out cold.
Ty Lee now looked down at her bundled up Princess, she looked so peaceful and nothing like a monster. She placed her hand on Azula's shoulder and placed her forehead against the Princess's, it was always nice being this close to her. She closed her eyes and suddenly she was not in the carriage anymore, instead she was standing in a courtyard, the sky was red and a great fireball was streaking across the sky.
She saw Azula, but it was not her Azula. This one wore black armor and her hair was wild and uneven. She had a crazed look in her eyes and was cackling like a mad woman, blue flame burst form her mouth and bolts of lightning wrapped around her like snakes.
Ty Lee gasped and she was back in the carriage, she was shaking all over, sweat covered her body and she felt tears in her eyes. She looked around frantically until she saw Azula, her Azula, exactly as she was a second ago.
She did not know what she saw or what in meant but knew sign when she saw one. She put a shaky hand on Azula and took a calming breath "It's ok, it's ok, she's right here, oh Agni please don't let that happen."
She kept her eyes pinned on Azula the until the Princess awakened, at which point Ty Lee placed her arms around her and refused to let go. "Ty, what it the meaning of this, why was I asleep and…why are you crying."
Ty Lee could not answer and she simply cried into Azula's shoulder, this was her Azula she was holding not the one sunder the red sky and Ty Lee would do anything to keep it that way. Azula for her part simply patted the sobbing girl on the back, even more confused than she was before.