Ty Lee was in tears, but she was trying to hold them back. She was trying her absolute best to be strong, and she knew she had the potential to be. Azula was behind bars, pacing, kicking things with a clash, tugging at handcuffs until her wrists turned a sickening shade of red.
"Please stop fighting. They'll let you out," Ty Lee said frantically, wrapping her fingers around the bars. Azula looked at her, but said nothing. "Zuko isn't going to do anything drastic. He's Zuko."
"I don't deserve this," Azula snarled finally and Ty Lee just shrugged, her lips parted slightly. She did not know what she was supposed to say in response to that.
"I know you don't." Ty Lee was lying, but Azula pretended she was telling the truth.
Zuko collapsed at the bar. Azula dove to his side, catching him right before his head collided with the counter. Guards sprung into action, surrounding patrons panicked. Ty Lee seized Azula's shoulders through the haze and looked into her eyes; she was as surprised as Zuko. Poison, poison. The Fire Lord was poisoned and before Ty Lee could figure out what was going on, Azula was in handcuffs and Zuko was being carried away as fast as possible.
Ty Lee followed the princess to the prison, snapping at the barbaric soldiers, not abandoning her. They promised they would not leave each other, and while Ty Lee was notorious for being flaky and flighty, she was a woman of her word in the end.
Azula supposed worse things could have happened to her than being imprisoned. The only bitter truth of it was that Azula was completely innocent for once. She had not done it, and everyone would assume she had. For once, being a liar no longer paid off.
"But..." Ty Lee said after clearing her throat, "did you do it? Please be honest."
"No. I didn't," Azula said fiercely and Ty Lee, for the first time since the event, believed her. "Why would I? I mean... I..." Azula just shook her head. "But who else would have done it? Right? Right?"
Ty Lee did not know what to do. Azula was the first to rush to Zuko when he collapsed, which could point either to innocence or guilt. She had no access to whatever poisoned him, and Ty Lee figured she had to confront the bartender who served Zuko his drink. But, for now, it seemed that Azula was the one most likely to blame.
"I will do everything in my power to prove your innocence." Ty Lee then hesitated as Azula looked far from hopeful. "But if you're lying to me, I don't know what I'm going to do. I just hope you know that if you go down, I'm going with you if I do this."
"I swear I didn't. Poison isn't my style anyway," Azula said, stepping towards Ty Lee. Ty Lee walked to her and intertwined their fingers through the bars.
Ty Lee's lips met Azula's, her cheek pressed against the rough metal. And it felt right for a moment, at least right until Ty Lee could figure out who really poisoned Fire Lord Zuko and save Azula for whatever nasty fate was in store for her.
"I'll be back. I'm not leaving you here alone, okay?" Ty Lee said sharply and Azula nodded. She had very little faith in Ty Lee's ability to stop the inevitable, but it was nice to have someone on her side. Azula never had someone loyal to her due to anything but fear. It felt good, in a way Azula would never confess.
"Don't leave me, okay?" Azula said quietly and Ty Lee nodded.
"I won't. Not again." Ty Lee dove forward and kissed her once more, clinging to her hands for a moment.
And then she set out to do some detective work.
She forced back her emotions, trying to keep control of herself. If it was the last thing she did, she would prove Azula's innocence. She could only hope that Azula was not lying. Because if she was, if Ty Lee had placed her love in the wrong person, she would sink with Azula.