Chapter Text
"I repeat, you are not allowed to lay a hand on the visitor or all your monthly visit privileges will be lost," Akio said sternly.
"Yes, yes. Because It would be such a nightmare" Azula replied, half-heartedly rolling her eyes.
"Princess, I'm serious. We'll have put you back into the straitjacket again."
Azula bit her tongue and didn't say anything.
The first few months that she had spent in the asylum were hell, she fought against everyone and announced to the foolish guards that she was the true Fire Lord.
This resulted her in being tied and chained to the floor and her bunk.
If she had to eat, they would put her in a straitjacket and feed her (like a baby).
If she had to bathe, a Kyoshi Warrior would come and chi-block her, paralyzing her. Wzula would then be doused in cold water.
She still had hallucinations of Ursa and Zuko and Ozai, Iroh. But now, she had new characters in her nightmares, Mai, Ty Lee, and Kaito. Those whom she never thought would ever appear.
She remembers losing and being chained to the drain, crying as her blue flames betrayed her and exploded from her mouth.
She saw the way Kaito was about to rush towards her before he was trapped in a water cage by the pigtailed peasant brat.
He struggled and resisted, but then, the water around him froze into ice.
He lit his white flames, which melted a hole in the ice, he was about to escape, but then a guard that hadn't been banished ran towards the arena.
The guard carried Kento in his arms and severely injured him and Kento. They had gotten attacked by the Dai Li, the guard protected Kento with his life and they fled to the palace, he reported this before succumbing to his injuries and died.
Kaito stopped what he was doing. Kento's injuries were severe, Kaito begged the water peasant to save Kento, who was too far gone for any Fire healers.
Katara agreed if Kaito yielded.
He did.
Katara quickly chained his feet to the drain with Azula and healed Kento.
Azula and Kaito held their breath until they saw the rise and chest of the little boy.
It was all her fault.
Azula had agreed to the Agni Kai.
Azula had banished the Dai Li which caused them to retaliate.
It was her fault.
It was always her fault.
Kaito surrendered before turning to Azula and telling her he loved her, barely a whisper.
Zuko was crowned Fire Lord and took Kento in as his ward.
Azula was shipped off to the mental asylum for better or for worse.
Fitting really.
Kaito's hallucinations were the worst.
His words and false promises sounded so sincere, she knew they were.
But not from the mouth of that monster that wore his face.
He would talk to her and she would imagine Kaito was there, only to realize he wasn't.
She had gotten used to Ursa's "I love you" and Ozai's "I'm disappointed in you".
But never Kaito's.
She had loved him back after all.
After a whole year, they got worse, she imagined Kento talking, saying he blamed her.
Then six months later, give or take, Kaito's sweet honeyed words turned into cold unloving daggers, and he started to tell her he hated her.
She took it all.
Better cold hard truth than warm sweet lies.
She should know.
Being the big liar she was.
Finally, the hallucinations died down after 2 years and she was finally put on good behavior.
During those two years, no one had visited her.
Except for the hallucinations and the occasional therapist who quit after one session.
She couldn't blame them.
Azula would have too.
She was calm, she still had the often outbursts but much tamer and with less fire.
She couldn't bring herself to, when she knew she would be chi-blocked.
She could eat without being fed, and she could bathe but was watched by the Kyoshi Warriors.
Like a lab rat.
She wondered where Kaito and Kento were.
Probably happily living their lives, forgetting about the crazy princess in the caged mental asylum who ruined their lives.
She was finally let out of the straitjacket and Azula managed to talk with her new therapist without shouting at her and chasing her away.
Her name was Ms. Yukina.
She was from the Fire Nation. A non-bender.
She was patient and seemed to argue with Azula who shot her questions down with Azula's questions.
She used the same tactic against Azula.
She was impressed and began to enjoy their talks.
The only thing to look forward to in her dull cell.
Azula was now 16.
Akio was the one guard who was always outside her cell and the only one who was nice to her.
It seemed that even after everything, Azula remained a princess in name only.
She couldn't resist when Akio told her not to.
He was only looking out for her.
That took some getting used to.
Until now, she would have her first visitor in 2 years.
She expected it to be Zuko.
She was sitting in her cell, Suddenly, the door opened and Ty Lee stepped in.
Why...
Why her?
Why right now? When she was finally getting better.
Why did it have to be the woman she used to love?
Why did it have to be the one who betrayed her?
Who chose someone over her?
Unlike Kaito.
Kaito chose Kento but Azula would've also chosen Kento.
She valued the boy's life more than her own, despite everything.
So why did it have to be Ty Lee?
Azula's current mental state was a house of sticks.
Sure it was stable, after months of gruesome therapy but still, one huff and the stick house would come tumbling down.
The girl was covered head to toe in armor, all weapons stripped and her face covered in obnoxious white facepaint with black and red lines.
Like those stupid Kyoshi Warriors.
It was ironic how Ty Lee hated being with her matching sisters and ended up just another doll in a dollhouse.
Azula would have given her the world.
Keyword, would .
Not that she could do anything now , the world had forgotten her.
"I thought you'd be taller, " Azula said.
"A nd I remembered you meaner. " Ty Lee threw back.
Azula grits her teeth.
" I 'm worried about you, Azula, Truly ."
Millions of words threatened to burst forth from Azula's mouth, none of them nice.
If she cared so much, where was she then?
Probably off with her stupid new fan friends helping the avatar.
While leaving Azula to rot in this dungeon of a hellhole.
"O h, you don't need to worry about me... " Azula chuckled.
"A fter all, There’s a monster inside all of us. But, you wouldn't know that now would you , Circus Freak! " Azula shouted.
She spotted Ty Lee's eyes widen before shifting her arms as if readying for a fight.
Good, she should be scared.
Azula was meant to be feared.
But then, Ty Lee slapped Azula's cheek.
It was so hard, that Azula could feel the handprint practically sizzling on her face.
The atmosphere already gloomy had become tense like brittle twigs in a brutal Fall.
"H ow dare you!!! " Azula shrieked, trying to break the chains holding her from the ground which she knew would never work.
The guards outside were ordered not to disturb them and hence paid it no mind.
Another example of this shithole being utterly useless.
" I 'm not your toy. No. Not anymore, Azula. Even when you were mean, I never thought you would ever call me that. Never even entertained the idea. 3 years ago, I would have laughed even at the suggestion of it. Mai too. But not now. " Ty Lee said, her eyes wielding up with tears. But her stance is still strong. Like Azula had taught her so many years ago, how to be still . However , her determination was wavering.
Azula could see it in her eyes.
Eyes were the window to the soul after all.
Ty Lee had spent the whole week preparing to face Azula. She carefully applied her makeup, talked to the mirror to give herself a pep talk, and imagined how Azula would have responded.
Save to say, the encounter had gone exactly as she predicted.
And yet, her resolve still crumbled when she came face to face with the would-be dictator of the Fire Nation and the possible face of world domination . Her best friend, her crush.
Azula.
Even in chains and rags she seemed royal and demanded respect and attention.
Not even Mai had managed to exhibit that not to mention Zuko.
Azula really would have been a perfect Firelord had it not been for her craziness.
She was practically born for it, with her being a prodigy and the nation's pride and joy.
However If Azula was crazy, and she was.
Ty Lee must have been crazier for liking her.
Still, she had to face her fears.
And Azula was the biggest one of all To her.
Still, she had been kind when they were young . Braiding her hair and showing off her newly learned katas. Those were some of her happiest memories. Being chosen by the Princess of all people. Out of so many of her identical sisters, Ty Lee stood out to her.
Her very best friend. Her first.
And the same person who had just made fun of her.
Ty Lee remembered Azula slapping her when she found out that Ty Lee was afraid of being abandoned by her when they were younger.
Azula had said," If I didn't want you then, why would in Agni's name would I want you now ?"
And that had made Ty Lee's day and life.
She had been obsessed with Azula since she was young and the fact that Azula chose to care enough to talk to Ty Lee and help her, changed her life.
She grew more confident and honest enough to pursue her passions.
That slap had helped heal Ty Lee.
She should know. Without it, Ty Lee would have continued to be overshadowed by her sisters and neglected by her parents. Azula dragged her out of that depressing life. Azula gave her a helping hand when she needed it. Azula was her saving grace. Her salvation.
Azula was Fresh drinkable water in a dry barren desert.
But because of that, Ty Lee grew dependent on her so much so that, she failed to see the signs of Azula's deteriorating. She blamed herself for that. If only she saw past Azula's brave act and saw her as more than the strongest.
Maybe she would be the same.
Maybe she wouldn't.
But Ty Lee would never know.
and neither would the world.
But they didn't want to help Azula.
But Ty Lee wanted to and she would!
Perhaps hers could now help Azula.
Not that Azula needed any help though ...
She recalled ranting to Mai about the slap.
"Then she touched me - Well, she slapped me. But she chose to put her hand on me, Me. And god it makes me giddy to think she willingly put her hand on me. She chose to slap me."
She wanted Azula to snap out of this madness. To return to that nice young girl that she used to be.
Maybe she could.
Or maybe Azula burned that girl along with her youthful innocence if there was even any left, to begin with.
But if she did, then Ty Lee would salvage the ashes and burn the new Azula and herself to the ground.
So that their young gullible selves might one day, once again , play together under the burning sun of the Fire Nation as friends.
Because Ty Lee was not giving up on Azula. Not again. Not ever.
She had finally gathered up her courage and cleaned up her life to get to this point. To help Azula Be the best Azula she could be.
So she was here now. And she would stay here however long need be.
To see that young girl again.
To hold her.
To smile at her.
Once more.
And if not,
Never again.
For the both of them,
They would perish together in flames.
Blue ones of course.
Azula deserved to die an honorable death.
And Ty Lee always longed to feel Azula's warmth against her skin once more before she was gone forever once more .