Part IV: denial, ice water & blade runner
11. and she hated love them minute she found out how bad it hurts.
12. and she had the most beautiful girl in the world in love with her, but seemed to fuck that up every time.
13. and she would give anything for a happily ever after.
Azula is in the rain, sitting on the edge of a nigh overflowing fountain. She gazes out and feels the water drench her. She hates rain. She hates rain. It makes her want to do awful things. But she is trying to deny its existence; she is trying to deny the fact that she thinks she will do awful things.
She looks up and sees Ty Lee walking through her. Ty Lee holds up a piece of parchment over her head, in clear denial of the rain pouring down and destroying all in its path.
Much like Azula.
"I'm not badly hurt. Azula, I'm not badly hurt," Ty Lee repeats over and over again.
"That's absurd," Azula snaps. She can see the burn marks on Ty Lee's neck. She can see them. How Ty Lee could deny their existence baffles Azula.
"It's not," Ty Lee whispers as she sits down between Azula.
Azula is glad that the rain hides the tears that have pouring from her eyes for the whole night.
"You're going to be okay," Ty Lee says and Azula scoffs. "You are. Because I love you and we have a future of so many more happy moments than sad ones."
"It doesn't matter if we have these fabled happy times in the future, Ty Lee," Azula says coldly, but her voice is constricted with emotion. She is crying and Ty Lee can barely stomach it. Ty Lee just wants to end Azula's pain.
"It does. I love every moment I've ever spent with you. And every second you're alive makes me so happy you exist," Ty Lee breathes earnestly.
"Great. They hand out so many medals of valor for existing," Azula hisses, and she lies further back in her bed. Ty Lee adjusts her position sitting by Azula, feeling her warmth.
"I don't know what..." Ty Lee trails off and stares at her feet.
"I've done incredible things. I've done things no one would ever believe if I didn't have proof. I mastered lightning, I conquered Ba Sing Se. I remember watching the walls come down under my orders. I killed the Avatar and I fought spirits and the most powerful benders alive. I was meant to ascend to the throne. I am worth remembering."
"I know."
"You don't. I've had a life of endless pivotal moments. Not pivotal for me. Pivotal for the entire world. I conquered the Spirit World and saved my awful brother. I saw..." Azula swallows, unsure if the next part is something she wants to say. "I've seen your eyes and how they glitter, which is just absurd, I know."
"Aww." Ty Lee pokes Azula's ankle, before she remembers how serious this is.
"I flew in the sky, and I burnt Caldera in the light of the comet, I slept with you and..." Azula kisses Ty Lee fiercely on the lips. The water on them makes it slippery, but the warmth rushing through their veins could dry tears. "And I just did that. But you know what? You know what I've learned because of how fucked up my life has become?"
"What?" Ty Lee asks softly.
"All of those moments will be lost in time... like tears in the rain."
end