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As she watched from her spot in the shade behind the bars, Ty Lee draped herself over the chair and flung her head back. After a few moments of silence, Azula’s own head titled to the side, and she became confused. Ty Lee was supposed to be here to visit Azula. She was meant to ask about her well-being – which was completely fine; see how she was fairing in treatment – terribly because this was prison not some recovery center like they kept insisting especially in her Boiling Rock-eqsue tunic; and wish her a quick recovery – which Azula highly doubted she believed despite her insistence that she did.
No one really believed she would get better. She knew it. They thought the ledge she had been pushed off during her defeat by that waterbender was too steep. She was just pieces of a person stuck together by stubbornness, too dangerous to let out into public. They were right, she was dangerous. She would show them that, remind them of it, if she ever got the chance too. Sometimes she could still taste ash on her tongue, smell the burning on the wind.
But that was beside the point. Ty Lee was here to babble on and talk her ear off, not lounge herself in some chair to what, sunbathe?
It went like this for a while, Ty Lee completely unresponsive and Azula simply staring at her, waiting for their ritual to start. Unable to stand it Azula crept to the bars that separated them, a necessity for visits just like the chi blocking cuffs on her wrist. She had only been considered stable enough to accept visits four months ago. She was allowed to see them in the courtyard, get some sun and fresh air, but not without the precautionary measures. They didn’t want her close or able to access her bending.
She didn’t blame them. She thought it was pretty clever and smart, no doubt Zuko’s idea. She would have killed some of her visitors during those early months. Especially Zuko, who had the gall not only to lock her up in here but ask to see her wearing the robes and crown that were rightfully hers. She wanted to hurl lightning at him, breath blue fire in his face. The waterbender was smart enough to stay away.
Azula shook her head and brought her hands up to the bars, gripped them forcefully. It was awkward, kind of painful with the cuffs, but she ignored it angered by her own thoughts.
“What are you doing?” she demanded. It was only after Ty Lee opened one eye that Azula realised she had fallen for a trap. How stupid. Their visits so far had consisted of Ty Lee blabbing on and on while Azula sat in the shadows silent and unresponsive. Ty Lee wanted that to change now and ignoring her was a sure-fire way to get Azula to talk. Ty Lee knew she hated to be ignored. Azula scowled and gripped the bars tighter.
There was another bout of silence as Ty Lee reclosed her one eye and continued to lounge. Azula watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She refused to be the one to break it this time. She’d given Ty Lee enough by speaking first. She wouldn’t move another muscle or say another thing. She’d stay here gripping the bars until her knuckles turned white with strain.
“Sunbathing,” Ty Lee answered, neither opening her eyes nor moving to face Azula. She spoke to the sky, to the sun.
They fell into silence again. This was not the way it worked. Not with Ty Lee. Azula’s forearms were beginning to turn pink, burn under the same sun Ty Lee basked under.
“Why!”
With a sigh, Ty Lee opened her eyes and sat up.
“I’m inside so much these days. Planning meetings with the Royal Court. Advising Zuko on political matters. Do you know how bad he is with formalities?”
Of course she knew. Zuko had two left feet and an unfiltered mouth. It was why Father had that Agni Kai, because Zuko spoke without thinking. But why were they talking about Zuko? Ty Lee was here to visit her. Azula didn’t respond, bit the inside of her cheek and gripped the bars impossibly tighter. If she had her bending the metal would be burning bright red, melting in her palms.
Fortunately, Ty Lee continued.
“I barely see outside now unless it’s through a window. It’s odd, getting used again to palace life. I miss travelling with you.”
And that was not what Azula expected her to say. She frowned and loosened her hold on the bars. Ty Lee was lying. She had to be. Everyone was happier now that she was out of the way. People disliked her. Enjoyed seeing her behind these bars. That was the real reason they came to visit. With her off to the side Zuko could be Fire Lord, the Avatar would reign, and miscreants could run wild. Mai could finally be with Zuko who she loved without a war in the way and Ty Lee could return to a life of no responsibility with nothing to tether her to the palace. No one missed her. No one.
“Mai does too,” Ty Lee added. “The war we could do without, maybe even the travelling too. I guess you can say it’s the friendship we miss. If there was ever a friendship. I never know with you. You used fear and power to keep us obedient, but I don’t know, we like to think there were moments where we were genuinely your equals and you had fun with us.”
And just as suddenly as she started, Ty Lee was done. Her eyes were closed again, her head turned away. If Azula didn’t know better, she’d say the other girl was asleep. Which was good because Azula didn’t know what to say.
Had they been friends? Or were Mai and Ty Lee just like all her other subjects, pawns to be moved and used as she pleased? They had fun, she remembers fun. She let go of the bars and stared at her hands. Hands that had killed and hurt, hands that had held Ty Lee’s and danced because the smaller girl prompted. Hands that could shoot lightning and hold flowers to her nose.
She didn’t have an answer. Mai feared her, or at least she had, she admitted it that day at Boiling Rock. She picked Zuko and Ty Lee picked Mai. Neither chose her; was that what friends did? She didn’t know.
“How is Mai?” she asked finally, closing her hands into fists.
Ty Lee peaked an eye open again.
“She okay. Like I said, she misses you, but she and Zuko have been spending a lot of time together.”
Azula resisted the urge to grab the bars and shake them. Every conversation turns to Zuko. Brings up Zuko. Why can’t they stop talking about Zuko?
“Iroh says we might be hearing wedding bells soon.”
“Uncle?”
Azula hadn’t hear word of Iroh since her imprisonment. She hadn’t even thought to ask.
“Yeah, after he and the White Lotus retook Ba Sing Se he decided to stay there permanently. He’s opened a tea shop. It’s getting extremely popular. He offered me and job when I’m done with all this palace stuff. Between there and the circus I’ll have a place in the sun. Then I won’t have to sneak off here to sunbathe.”
Azula felt a stab in her heart. Shocked she reached a hand to grip her red tunic. She stumbled and this time when she grabbed the bars it was for her own support. Ty Lee was going to stop visiting her. She was going to move to Ba Sing Se and cartwheel around serving tea to nice people who would talk back. And the thought of it was making her chest tighten. She straightened, let go of the bars again, and flattened her palm against her chest rubbing slow circles. Was it possible all the suppression was messing with her body? Was she was going to die of heart failure from stupid malpractice?
Ty Lee watched her closely before continuing.
“But, Suki also offered me a spot with the Kyoshi Warriors, permanently. I’ve been on and off since being released from prison and I feel like I’ve been making a difference. They’re staying on as palace guards. I figured I’d be outside a lot so I could use our visits to do a lot more talking. Did I tell you how Iza stole my shirt the other day? She thinks it looks so much better on her but I think it’s because her boyfriend was looking at me in it and she’s jealous.”
And like a switch, Ty Lee talked and talked. Azula stayed in the sun, hands hanging loosely by her side as Ty Lee spoke miles a minute about her family and life with the Kyoshi Warriors. When the guards called finally called Azula back inside, she was tinged pink on the parts of her skin not covered by her clothing, including the tops of her feet. Ty Lee waved goodbye from where she was upside down on the chair and, almost automatically, Azula waved back.