Mai knew something was up. She and Ty Lee had only become friends a few months before, seeing as Ty Lee's family could just not afford to send the girl to the Royal Academy, but that didn't mean Mai wasn't tuned into Ty Lee's emotions.
The girl had been adopted by Azula. Mai hadn't understood why. She didn't want to admit it and would never even show it but she was a little hurt by the extension of their group. She and Azula had been best friends, or as close as you can get with Azula and Mai, for years now. The princess and the broody girl didn't like each other but they didn't dislike each other either. As far as Mai was concerned, that nearly made them family.
Mai was having a harder time accepting Ty Lee. Azula seemed fond of her. The princess had said it was like taking in a dog-hawk that had been abandoned. Mai just saw an overly emotional girl that had leeched herself to Azula and was refusing to let go.
It wasn't rare for someone to try to use Azula because of her title and, while Mai knew that Azula was used to it, it didn't mean that the dark girl was going to let it happen. In fact, she was pretty sure that was one of the reasons Azula kept her around.
But today, Ty Lee was being different. The sixteen year old was always changing colors. Her face would be ashen white one moment then a deep red another. She was fidgety and kept losing focus and retreating into her own little world. Mai would have just written it off as Ty Lee being her own odd self if not for her reaction to Azula this morning.
The golden eyed girl had strolled into class with all the confidence in the world like every morning and made her way right to the back where the three of them always sat. Like always, she complained about her staff and threw some insults around about the other students.
Then she had said, "Did you get a new blind servant, Ty Lee?" The girl had frowned and shook her head in confusion. "Then why does your hair look so absolutely hideous today?" The remark was very Azula-like. There was nothing different about Ty Lee's hair today than it had been yesterday. The insult was just a variation of one that was commonly used as well.
But today, Ty Lee flinched back like she had been struck. She teared up and ducked her head not to look up for the rest of the class. The other two girls had been at lost for what to do. Mai had seen Azula shooting glances all class to Ty Lee and Mai thought she even saw regret in the golden gaze.
As far as Mai knew, Ty Lee hadn't talked to Azula for the rest of the day.
Now they were sitting at lunch. Just the two of them. They were at a table outside the building. Azula was talking to a teacher about a mistake in the lecture. Ty Lee's head was still bowed and Mai watched as Ty Lee kept touching her hair. Mai's head suddenly cocked to the side. Did Ty Lee change her hair? She had.
"Azula didn't mean it." Mai droned. "I don't see why you had to go cry about it then change it."
Ty Lee looked up. "If she didn't mean it, why did she say it?"
"That's Azula." Mai scoffed. "Haven't you seen it before? Just yesterday she told you that you look like a giant pimple with all the pink you wear. She is like that to everyone."
"But not to me. Not normally." Ty Lee sniffled.
And it was true and it always baffled Mai. Azula seemed gentler with Ty Lee. Possibly, Mai thought, it was because the girl was sensitive enough to cry at the drop of a pin. Mai and Azula were down right awful to each other because they could take it. Mai was just as mean to Ty Lee and the girl seemed fine with it but when Azula said something…
What was the difference between her and Azula?
"You're just sad because the Fire Princess doesn't like you." Mai growled out.
"I'm sad because Azula doesn't like me." Ty Lee shot back. Mai blinked. A lot of people didn't realize there was a difference there. The grey eyed girl leaned down on the table in front of her. "I just…do you remember my first day here? Azula said she liked my hair like this, so…"
"Is that why you haven't changed the style at all?" Mai asked in disbelief. The self-conscious way Ty Lee tugged at her braid was all the answer Mai needed. "Anything to make the princess happy, huh?" Mai sneered. "What were you hoping for? That Azula would introduce you to Prince Zuko and you would going to get to be a princess?"
"No!" Ty Lee actually looked disgusted which made Mai pause. "Besides, you like Prince Zuko." The earnest look in Ty Lee's eyes struck something within Mai. "And….that's not the royal I'd want to marry."
Mai blinked. "You want to marry Azula?" Ty Lee ducked her head and nodded. "Why?" Mai loved her friend but marrying her? Even Mai didn't think she would be able to do that without having a plan to assassinate the girl first.
"Why wouldn't I?" Ty Lee asked, looking confused. "She's Azula. She's the most amazing person in the world." The teen was blushing with a dopey grin on her face. "Just being near her makes me so incredibly happy. I can't even imagine what being with her would be like. I'd probably never stop smiling."
So that's why, Mai realized. That's why Ty Lee attached herself to Azula. She didn't want Zuko, fame, or anything. She wanted Azula. She wanted the mean spirited, violent, sharp tongued, emotionally crippled, ego-maniac herself.
"When I found out that her father talked to mine about a possible pairing between the two of us, I thought that just maybe she had pushed for it." Ty Lee's eyes got glassy. "I honestly thought that she had asked her father if she could marry me but, now, I realize she probably doesn't even know he asked. She…she probably doesn't even like me."
Mai sat back. A pairing between the two of them? As far as she knew, that discussion had never happened before because Ozai thought it would look bad on Zuko if Azula got married first. Mai was counting on the day when she got paired with the boy but it hadn't happened yet. If Ozai was talked into it, something or someone had pushed for it.
Hearing a sniffle, she was pulled from her thoughts. Ty Lee was trying to wipe her tears away. Great, Mai thought, now she's crying. Before she could awkwardly attempt to comfort the girl, Azula strolled the around the corner.
The three girls stared at each other. Ty Lee dropped her head to the table and wrapped it up with her arms. Azula stared wide eyed at Mai who stared pointedly back. Mai then pointed to her hair and gestured to Ty Lee.
Realizing it was her comment earlier that had upset her, Azula grimaced.
Mai had never seen the princess more unsure that as she approached Ty Lee. Azula took a hand and hesitantly reached out to touch Ty Lee's shoulder. An inch away, the princess pulled her hand away and into her chest.
Azula opened her mouth before closing it again. So there is something the princess isn't good at, Mai thought with a chuckle.
Finally the princess straightened her shoulders and clenched her jaw. "Ty Lee, stop crying immediately."
Ty Lee sniffled but raised her head and began to wipe at the tears. "I'm sorry." She whimpered.
Azula swallowed. "You may not be aware of this but my father has entered into negotiations with your father about pairing us up."
Ty Lee gasped along with Mai. So Azula was aware of it.
"It would be shameful for my future wife to be crying outside on a lunch bench for the whole world to bear witness to." Azula scowled uncomfortably. "Along with being unsightly, I have come to the conclusion that I do not enjoy witnessing it, so I command you to never cry again."
Mai pressed her hand over her mouth to keep from smiling. It was surprisingly cute to see Azula struggling to comfort Ty Lee. If she was trying to make Ty Lee stop crying, she had done an awful job. Ty Lee was crying harder than ever before but, this time, she had a large smile on and was giggling as she cried.
Apparently, the combination of laughing and tears was too much for Azula to understand because the royal teen blinked once before turning and storming away. Right before she was out of sight, she whirled around. "And put your hair back the way it was! I did not hire two new blind servants for you to suddenly change how you do your hair!"
Mai realized something then and there. Ty Lee was everything Mai hated and she would probably never like her. However, Mai would love her because being with Azula made it so Ty Lee was so happy that she never stopped smiling.