♫
Look back in Anger - Oldboy OST
Azula, Mai and Ty Lee travelled through the sky on top one of the fastest hot air balloons in the Nation towards the Boiling Rock, an impenetrable prison known for its history of unsuccessful escape attempts.
The prison was located on a volcanic island, in the middle of a boiling lake, hence it's name.
Since last night, Ty Lee hadn't been able to stop feeling estranged and saddened with Azula's attitude and the way she was acting towards her, so both had kept awkwardly silent during the whole balloon ride.
After just a couple of hours, they arrived to the maximum security prison and took the cableway that went over the boiling water towards the facilities, where a guard waited to greet them.
''Princess Azula, welcome to the Boiling Rock.'' The guard said bowing down as they descended from the gondola.
''Where is the Warden?'' Azula asked him, getting straight to the point.
''He is interrogating one of the guards who plotted the escape of three inmates on the fourth level.'' The guard replied.
''And Prince Zuko?'' She asked again with a firm voice.
''He was put in one of the cells on the second level. I can take you to him.'' The guard replied.
''Azula, would you mind if I have a moment alone with your brother first?'' Mai asked Azula with an unexpressive look.
The Princess considered her petition with doubt for a moment.
''Fine, Go. I need to speak with your uncle anyways. If Zuzu got in without anyone noticing, there are some blind spots in this prison we need to cover.'' Azula replied.
Mai nodded and left with the guard towards Zuko's cell.
Once they were gone, Azula turned around to look at Ty Lee in the eye for the first time during the whole morning.
''Will you, come with me please?'' She asked the brunette in a polite tone of voice.
Ty Lee was struck for a moment.
Maybe Azula would try to make up for her behaviour last night.
The Brunette silently nodded and began following her.
As they walked side by side, the Princess finally broke their silence.
''I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did that last night.'' She said with a regretful tone but with her eyes still set forward. ''But, there's just things you... can't understand.''
Ty Lee turned to Azula with a pleading look as they continued walking.
''Then try to explain them to me Azula...'' The brunette replied in a low voice, desperately wanting to understand her.
Azula took a deep breath, but remained quietly unfazed, not giving in to to Ty Lee's request.
She just kept walking with her eyes still set forward until they arrived to the cell where the warden was.
♫
Odd Man Out - The Spy gone North OST
The Princess opened the door abruptly and saw the Warden with two other guards interrogating one of the inmates.
''Uh, Sir. There's someone here to see you.'' One of the guards told the Warden.
''Who told you to interrupt me?!'' The Warden asked with irritation turning around.
As soon as he recognized the Princess of the fire Nation, his eyes shot open in surprise.
''I did.'' Azula replied, as the warden and the other two guards bowed immediately.
''Princess Azula. Ah ... It is an honor to welcome you to the Fire Nation's most exemplary prison.'' The Warden said as Azula and Ty Lee walked inside the cell.
''I didn't realize you were coming.''
''Who is this?'' Azula asked, referring to the man handcuffed to a chair that was being interrogated.
''He's a guard who was involved in a recent and feeble escape attempt.'' The Warden explained.
''It wasn't me!'' The handcuffed guard shouted truthfully.
''Quiet, you!'' The Warden replied angrily.
Azula took a quick look at the man handcuffed to the chair before crossing her arms.
''You're wasting your time. That's not one of them.'' She said scornfully before turning on her heels towards the door.
The warden turned to her, looking surprised, and confused. ''How do you know?'' The warden asked with doubt.
Azula smiled sinisterly ''Because, I'm a people person.'' she replied in a low voice.
♫
Counterattack - The Spy gone North OST
Ty Lee and Azula headed out again to the corridor, and began walking towards the second level, where Zuko was being held.
''Riot! Riot! Riot!''
A voice in the distance suddenly yelled, and all of the sudden a whole commotion began taking place outside.
Azula frowned her gaze and Ty Lee looked back at her with confussion as they heard the loud fighting noises that started coming from out in the patio.
They both made their way towards the balcony to see all the inmates fighting and firing fire blasts at each other like madmen.
Azula rolled her eyes. ''Mai's uncle is about to loose his job.'' She told Ty Lee.
A running guard suddenly approached the Princess and the brunette panting.
''Princess!'' The guard said with agitation, doing a quick bowing inclination when he reached her.
''They've captured the warden! Prince Zuko and the other rebels have him! They're heading towards the cableway.''
Azula gave him an infuriated look.
''Let's go.'' She simply told Ty Lee and they both went running towards the gondola station on the first floor.
Both arrived just a minute after, unfortunately, the gondola had already left the station outbound and the lever to pull it back was already destroyed.
Azula met eyes with Zuko, who was already inside the gondola with the Warden and four other inmates.
She gave him a snide smile.
There was no way he would even think that would stop her.
She quickly snatched a pair of handcuffs from a guard's belt and began running forward.
As if they could communicate without words, Ty Lee jumped up and onto the cable, running along it towards the gondola.
After elevating herself to the line with an impressive amount of fire blasted like jets off her fists, Azula used the cuffs to attach herself to the cable and propel herself forward.
Ty Lee skilfully flipped into the air and landed on top of the gondola ad in front of who she recognized to be Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi warriors. She instantly assumed a battle-ready position, prepared for their re-match.
A second after, Azula also landed on top of the gondola, were Zuko and Sokka, the same guy she had provoked during the eclipse, were already waiting for her in a fighting stance.
Azula smiled, ready to kill two birds with one stone.
The princess instantly performed a slicing kick, sending blue fire at her opponents, but Zuko was able to block and dissipate her fire.
Ty Lee and Suki began expertly trading blows against each other, the latter blocking the former's attempts to use chi-blocking each time.
Ty Lee was forced to the edge of the roof, but her agility was far superior and she managed to jump inside the gondola and come out on the other side.
Zuko continued to block out Azula's fire blasts while Sokka drew her back to the edge with his sword, making her stand dangerously close to the edge.
Zuko tried to go in for a finish by firing at her, but Azula dodged his blast by going down on a plank and countering with another blast that went wide, almost striking Suki and Ty Lee, who barely managed to dodge it.
♫
Kidnapped - The Spy gone North OST
While the others fought above the gondola, the Warden attempted to free himself and was able to remove the cloth covering his mouth.
He approached the gondola's window desperately.
''Cut the line!!'' He yelled to the guards on the station.
The guards rapidly tried stopping the gondola by jamming the mechanism with metal bars.
The wheel screeched angrily until it finally grinded to a halt. The gondola began rocking back and forth from it's sudden stop, disrupting the combatants of Azula and Ty Lee.
The brunette jumped with agility up to the top of the wire to see what was happening on the station.
''They're about to cut the line!'' She yelled back to Azula with alarming preoccupation.
The Princess looked back down noticing the guards in the station, now working to cut the line with a huge saw. Then she noticed another gondola approaching on the inbound wire, and she smirked knowing what to do next.
''Then it's time to leave.'' She told Ty Lee.
She propelled herself up with fire until she landed on top of the other gondola. Ty Lee easily performed a backflip and landed right next to Azula.
''Goodbye, Zuko.'' Azula told his brother calmly.
Ty Lee looked back at Zuko and the others in the gondola with concern, knowing that it would hit the boiling water bellow in a matter of seconds.
Something inside her began feeling really, really bad.
Intuitively, she knew this was wrong.
It was one thing to capture Zuko, but letting him and other four people fall into boiling water to be burned alive, was another completely different one.
Azula, on the other hand, looked over to Ty Lee with pride.
It didn't matter if everyone else stepped out from her life, she was still standing in the gondola with Ty Lee next to her.
She was always going to be by her side, no matter what.
This felt comforting for a second, until the sound of fire being blasted made her look down to the station in confussion.
Mai was single-handedly fighting the guards that were previously cutting the line. She skilfully dodged all of their fire blasts and retaliated with her knives, pinning them all down by their wrist-guards.
Azula and Ty Lee looked over their friend in shock.
''What is she doing?!'' Azula asked bewildered.
Mai reared up in front of another female guard and deployed four knives that send the two guards behind her flying, dislodging one of the bars jamming the wheel mechanism.
Then she pulled out her three-pronged sai and pinned down the last guard on the station before releasing the block on the line, allowing the gondola where Zuko was to continue in motion.
Just seconds after, their gondola finally made it to the top of the crater, allowing Zuko and the other inmates to get out of the prison, taking the airship Azula, Mai and Ty Lee had arrived in.
♫
The Stranger - The Spy Gone North OST
More guards arrived to the station in aid of the others, so it wasn't long before Mai was finally detained by two of them.
Just before Azula and Ty Lee arrived back to the station on their gondola, the rest of the guards also broke free from their hold.
Both girls stepped out of the gondola and into the platform while the guards brought Mai in front of the Princess.
Mai's arms were tightly groped by them, and her eyesight remained avoidant of Azula's, who glared back at her intensely with irate unbelievement.
Ty Lee stood next to Azula, looking terrified and concerned at the two.
She knew, Azula was angry. And that she was ready to hurt Mai over her disobedience.
She also knew, that there would be no point in trying to reason with Azula at this point, as desperately as she wanted to.
''Leave us alone.'' Azula commanded the guards.
The guards immediately released Mai and saluted the Princess before exiting the station.
Mai raised her head a little, looking back at Azula with defiance.
''I never expected this from you.'' Azula said in a low, but threatening voice.
Fear suddenly invaded Ty Lee. Her heart felt like it was going to be consumed by an inescapable void and the rest of her body began shaking uncontrollably.
She kept on looking from one to the other, with subtle tears forming in her eyes.
''The thing I don't understand is why? Why would you do it? You know the consequences...'' Azula asked with intrigue, unable to understand how Mai's insolence.
''I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you.'' Mai declared.
Mai's comment triggered a deep pain in Azula's heart that made the Princess felt absolutely threatened. Her expression quickly transformed into one of absolute rage.
Her brain's only response, was fight.
''No, you miscalculated! You should have feared me more!'' Azula shouted back in defiance.
Azula swiftly angled her fingers, ready to create lightning.
Ty Lee knew, Azula would win this fight. There was no doubt.
She also knew, she was the only one that could prevent the harm about to be done.
Ty Lee's heartbeat thumped on her ears with nervousness.
Mai quickly readied one of her sharp stilettos to try and confront the Princess to the best of her abilities.
Ty Lee had no other choice.
Right when Azula thrusted her arms to shoot lightning, the brunette bravely propelled forward and quickly hit Azula's pressure points on her shoulder and lower waist, instantly blocking her chi and paralysing her body.
Azula heaved in hurt when she received Ty Lee's blows on her back. Then gasped in shock as she fell and hit the ground immobilised.
It was a gasp that revealed how every sense of trust she had remaining inside her, had suddenly shattered.
Mai's eyes shot open not believing what she had just witnessed before her.
A part of Ty Lee's brain still couldn't process what she had just done either. She just knew, they needed to run.
She turned on her heels and quickly approached Mai.
''Come on! Let's get out of here!'' Ty Lee shouted at her friend who was still in shock, looking at Azula tumbled on the ground.
Ty Lee tugged her hastily until Mai responded and began running towards the opposite direction with her.
But no luck would come today for the brave hearted.
As soon as they began heading in the exit, six guards surrounded them and grabbed them tightly by their arms.
Ty Lee couldn't help but look back down into Azula's eyes, who were staring directly at hers with the most untrusting and hurt look.
It was a type of look that Azula had never given her before.
''You're both fools!'' Azula said with her voice breaking, unable to hide a surfacing pain that wanted to come out desperately from within her.
Two guards immediately went to help the still paralysed Princess get up and propped her back on her feet.
Mai and Ty Lee looked back defiantly at the Princess.
''What shall we do with them Princess?'' One of the guards asked her.
Azula immediately covered her pain with rage and a complete abandon of empathy for both her friend, and her lover.
''Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces again, and let them rot!'' She said with all her venom spilling out, hoping her words would hurt Ty Lee as much as she, had just hurt her.
...
♫
What's with Her? - The Handmaiden OST
Ty Lee and Mai had been separated in two different cells after the guards escorted them inside the prison facilities.
They had removed their clothes and changed into the inmate's garments instead before spending their first twenty four hours without any meals and in solitary confinement.
It wasn't until the next day that they were allowed to shower and eat lunch in the common cafeteria with the rest of the inmates.
Mai tried looking for her friend as soon as she arrived in the canteen, but she was nowhere to be found.
It wasn't until leisure hour later that day that Mai was allowed to go into the prison's patio, where the inmates usually talked and played Pai Sho with each other.
She finally spotted the brunette there, sitting by herself in a corner of the patio with her back against the building's iron wall, hugging her knees and gloomily looking down to the floor.
Mai sighted, glad to at least have found her.
She walked towards Ty Lee, and simply sat down next to her in silence when she noticed her friend was lost in deep thought and preoccupation.
''Why did you do it?'' Mai asked her with intrigue after a minute.
''You're my friend, I had to do it... I'm just glad I did it before it was too late.'' Ty Lee said with almost no energy, still looking at the ground.
''Azula... she, just looked so... hurt.'' the brunette continued saying as subtle teardrops formed in her eyes.
''Well, I guess you... betrayed her. You were always so loyal to her... I never thought you would stand up for me.'' Mai said with sincerity.
''I'm surprised myself...'' Ty Lee said removing her subtle tears off her eyes with her hand. ''When she finally realizes she's making a mistake...I don't want her to become like her Father.''
Mai looked at her, baffled that Ty Lee still held some empathy for the Princess after all she had done to them.
''I know she's used me for her means all this time but, I do care about her. More than I should.'' The brunette confessed.
Mai looked down to the floor as well, trying to comprehend where her friend was coming from.
They both remained sitting in complete silence for a minute.
Ty Lee suddenly let a small giggle escape her lips, making Mai turn towards her in confusion as she swore she had just seen her crying a moment before.
The brunette however didn't lift her stare off the ground.
''Ironic isn't it? you fell for the prince and I...''
Ty Lee stopped herself, swallowing her remaining words.
Mai's heart almost drops when she guessed what her friend was trying to say.
''I just hope she's doing okay...'' Ty Lee finished saying, with her eyes still glued to the prison floor.
The betrayal scene always breaks my fucking heart.
I'm extremely happy with how this fic is growing and it's all thanks to you readers and the votes and comments you leave, so infinite thanks for the support 🤍 If you type 'Tyzula' on Wattpad's search bar, my story is the second one that pops up 🔥 I'm trying to get it to the first place 🥇
Until the next! Have a great weekend
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