Title: Steam and Tears

Author: holmesfreak1412

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Pairing: Azula & Ty Lee

Rating: M

Genre: Supernatural, Romance

Summary: (Demon!AU) And so, Fire Demon Princess Azula reins uncontested and unchallenged throughout the razed land. That is, until she finds a human baby on her doorstep who will teach her that fire is not only for world domination and that even the hot steam of The Monster can also dry tears. "And I will name her Ty Lee."

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the ATLA franchise.

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First Act

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ONE

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Frostbite

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The palanquin bearers halted. The foot servants gasped. And Fire Demon Princess Azula, of notorious and bloody reputation stuck her head out of the curtained window in impatience, red lips curled in displeasure. Snow fell down in gentle pace, the white sheet encompassing the whole land that could be seen for miles. The chill was present but not biting. And even the same set of servants she was glaring at now did not seem to be as affected by the weather as the Fire Demon obviously was. Crunch, crunch, crunch, was the rhythmic sound that had lulled her into reverie until it stopped.

The Gates of Ozai loomed before her, imposing and infallible.

She briefly thought that the castle itself looked picturesque for once, nowhere near the dark and dingy fortress that it was known to be, pyramids of white poking out of the blue skies. So the Winter this year was not that bad— terrible snowstorms were yet to come and the temperature was not too cold to inhibit their Firebending. But it was bad news nevertheless and that warranted her bad mood. This was the time of the year when the Water Tribe Pixies were in their strongest. Conquests were inevitable, despite its futility. They seemed to think that as long as the Fire Nation has not figured out how to control the weather yet, then there was still a sliver of chance.

And for one thing, Azula was never one to appreciate aesthetics.

They had been standing before the Gates for far too long and the gasps of astonishment from the men and her bodyguards were enough to drive her away from battle plans and how to teach those Water Peasants their lessons. This was the reason why Azula's head was halfway out of the palanquin, staring down the nearest manservant. Although the cause of why said man barely even noticed her radiating killer intent and chose to sport the wide-eyed look of surprise instead to something at the front that she cannot see is still an immediate mystery.

The unspoken question hung in the air, Azula clenching her fist on the sill. But it was soon answered when a shrill cry broke into the tranquillity and her battle instincts flared. It was not a battle cry, or at least not one that she recognized from encountering Water Pixies who do not even Water Bend and Earth Elves who can do nothing better but throw rocks. The shrieking oscillated into almost a melodic outburst that sounded vaguely familiar. But none of her bodyguards made a move. Even her Dai Li pets, who threw around bigger rocks like those boring elves but whose killer instinct was just so demonic, were rooted to the spot.

Azula would have barked orders and called them into positions except that she felt as confused to the sudden intrusion as they were.

Until—crunch, crunch, crunch—Mai finally ran back to where Azula can see her.

There was a haphazard bundle of pink—pink!—in her arms where it was apparent that the slowly dying noise was coming from, replaced by just a tired wheezing that distantly reminded her of a Bearded Cat's mating call and she still did not know how to make sense of that either. Her handpicked General was as impassive and stoic as ever, posture rigid when she held the pink mess of cloth closer for her inspection. But Azula knew her long enough to spy on the look of wonder in her amber eyes and despite her own demonic instincts, Azula's curiosity was piqued.

Against her judgement, she parted the curtain and lowered herself on the snow—crunch. As they were trained to do, the Dai Li immediately surround her. Predictably enough, the air was tensed. Mai held out her arms once more. The pink bundle moved slightly. And behold, before her eyes was the smallest…

"What is this?" the princess flared up in confusion, vaguely noting that the… creature would have resembled anyone in their world save for the darker pixies, except that her eyes seemed too round too gray and her ears too rounded. And it looked… fragile. Like a bearded kitten too. No elf, no pixie and certainly no demon would look this vulnerable. And there had not been an Air Nomad Sprite in the past thousand years. Its lips curved into what could resemble a smile when their eyes met and little stubby fingers that did not look like claws reach out.

It touched Azula's nose.

The princess flinched.

The creature emitted another sound again, sounding like how the cowardly Elf King once did when his pet Bosco rubbed its filthy head on his arms, the sort of pleasure that Azula never understood.

She preferred drinking blood, thank you very much.

No, she corrected herself. Water Pixie blood is bland. That of the Earth Elves; are just too pungent. Azula liked to drink human blood. And that reminded her of her upcoming trip to the surface where she had to hunt her sustenance for the rest of the year, dressed in dark cloaks and slight magic. Fire Nation Demons were the ones that look least conspicuous which was probably why their Royal Family were the only ones allowed to feast on the weaklings aboveground for generations. Zuzu was probably there somewhere too, she thought.

Hunting prey had also become easier and easier over time. A flash of human currency and she could lure an attractive woman to a secluded place and devour her. She had learned that this type of woman was called prostitute, an existence so pathetic that their fellow human did not even notice when they were gone. It helped that she also enjoyed the carnal pleasure that she permitted before the inevitable sinking of the fangs. Father once said that she enjoyed it too much he was already worried about her producing an heir. Azula had always preferred the company of females. Human females, to be exact.

The train of thoughts about delicious, enticing, beautiful humans could have spark a breakthrough but Azula was too distracted of what would wait for her aboveground quest in the next season to make the connection. Mai helpfully supplied the answers. "It is a human baby."

"A what?" Azula shrugged the pleasant thought off, the conclusion honestly unheard. She stared at the creature in her friend's arms. "What did you say?"

"It is a human baby." Mai repeated flatly but not patiently, face unmoving. "I would have thought that you would know that better than anyone. Seeing as you are the one going up there every year to feed, aren't you?"

"You join me sometimes."

"That is besides the point." Mai yawned, pushing the pink, smiling bundle towards the Princess.

Said pink bundle still contained the same grinning creature. A mop of brown covered its small head, gray eyes too big for its chubby face. Azula held it closer for another look and her nose was accosted once again.

Suddenly, her nose was seized by a familiar waft of scent that reminded her of steaming hot sugar cakes and well, those trips in the human world's whorehouses. "Can I drink her blood?" she inquired excitedly, her tongue involuntarily seeking her protruding fangs.

Mai raised her eyebrow, surprised that the princess was even asking. "Well, nobody can stop you." she shrugged.

Azula gazed at the human baby's tantalizing neck, inching for a bite. She could almost see the veins on its plain complexion, could almost see the blood pumping in each vessel. But she realized that this little wisp could probably only hold a few pints, barely enough to keep her in bay once the withdrawal kicked in. Ten pints has always been her dosage. This little thing could probably give her two. At most.

Suddenly, the baby cries a pained scream.

Trails of smoke rise from the fingers that a moment ago, had pinched Azula's nose. The fist was dangerously red, burnt. Alarmed, Azula almost dropped it, realizing that she had emitted too much heat in her bloodthirsty excitement. Tears started to stain the child's cheeks and the momentary scream of pain escalated to a song of a wounded bearded cat, much louder than the one earlier.

"Hey! Hey!" She was sure that nobody would have seen this coming but Princess Azula was panicking. "Hey! Stop!"

Mai stared on, unabashed by the Princess's absolute dubiousness. The baby continued to wail. "Maybe you could sing to it."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Just eat it."

"What?"

"God, she is so loud." Mai complained.

"She?"

The infant persisted.

This time, Azula did what she did best. Firebend.

But much to Mai's surprise, the pink bundle did not catch fire. Instead, Azula held it close to her face and with a loud sigh of controlled breath, blew steam on the baby's face. The tears evaporated almost immediately and the little human stopped bawling, reduced to staring dumbly at the warm-breathed Princess.

Gold orbs met gray.

The baby smiled. And reached back to her nose again.

There was no fear in her eyes.

It… giggled, sounding like Kuei once again. What pleased her, Azula had no idea. She certainly was not trying to act cuddly like that stupid bear did.

Pinch.

Giggle.

It was… nice.

And Azula realized that indeed, this little thing was too small to satisfy her.

Azula would not kill her.

Not yet.

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"So what would you name her?"

Azula looked up at Mai, confused and taken aback for the second time of the day. The nonbending assassin and best friend for the past one hundred years sighed.

"What would you name your human baby?"

Azula shrugged, straightening up. The baby was now sleeping peacefully at the cushioned makeshift crib, or what they would call those pile of red pillows the Princess stuffed on the bedroom couch. "I do not even intend to." She sat across from Mai, cross-legged. "Do you name livestock?"

Mai scoffed, the closest that she would come to a mocking guffaw. "Do you let pig-chickens sleep on your bed room?"

"I am just letting her grow up a bit." Azula explained, annoyed at the logic. Maybe she should have just thrown the thing on the one of the dungeons or something. But that meant that it would cry and she did not want… What? What? "And then when she is taller, I will eat her." She compromised.

Mai did not even cringe, well used to the princess' brash language. And, she also ate humans with Azula, thank you very much. At a regular basis too, she added to herself guiltlessly. "And that would probably be… quite a long way from today."

"Humans age faster."

"Uh-huh." The assassin replied, nonplussed. "And she would be as tall as you in say, fourteen years. Maybe then, you could fuck her."

Silence.

Azula forgot that humans age slower than pig-chickens as well.

And that this human would probably grow up like all those girls in the whorehouses. Beautiful, stunning, delicious…

Azula sighed, giving in. "So fine, I'll name her." She glanced at the snoozing mess of brown hair and chubby, little limbs. She did not remember being an imp. That was like, a century ago. "What do you have in mind."

"Wouldn't want to call her 'human' or 'baby' for the next fourteen years." Mai paused. "Something Earth Kingdom. Maybe she can pass as your slave."

Azula winced, not wanting to go through all the names of the Dai Li at the top of her head. She did know any. "I am sure that I can be more creative."

Another sigh. "Sure you can try."

The Princess risked another look at the dozing baby and was reminded of how the little thing fearlessly stared back, smiling as she once again held her nose despite being burnt the first time. The hand was bandaged now, taken care of by one of Water Pixie slaves. But she was struck by the epiphany that in her hundred years of existence, nobody ever looked at her like that, not even her mother, damn her soul. It reminded her of what she only saw in books but never once experienced, back when all four nations existed in pure harmony. Peace, a voice whispered. Peace, something that was said to be so beautiful. They would gain this peace once Fire Nation won. Peace and beauty. Something Azula will gain for the world once she herself ends the Millennium War.

She thought of the tedious calligraphy classes that she and Mai were forced to attend, of the old, old languages that they were forced to learn. Peace and beauty. "Ty Lee."

"What?" Mai looked up.

"For the next fourteen years, I will take care of the girl. Feed her well. Make sure she is comfortable." Fattening the sheep before the trip to butchery was common practice, of course. She saw that Mai understood, as she always did. "She will know who to serve and what she will be. She would know that I own her and her blood shall be mine."

"Just do not tell her straight out that you will eat her." Mai noted glumly. "Nobody would want to hear that."

Azula ignored her in favour of standing up dramatically. She must think this is a baptism ceremony, Mai thought with an imaginary headshake. "And I will name her Ty Lee."

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Ty Lee in her toddler years was an little mess of uncontrollable, excitable, loud energy that ran around the whole palace, agilely evading servants, screaming at the top of her lungs, grinning like a damn, idiot and always, always on the hunt for a hair or hide of her Azula.

And always, always or rather everyday, no matter where Azula and Mai coop themselves up in order to peruse through battle plans and military blueprints in relative peace, the little brown-haired human of two years always managed to find them.

Nobody knew where this little airhead came from. Two years of turning over stones did not unearth anything.

"I'll be damned."

Mai looked up, thinking that Azula had finally figured out how to solve the puzzle of how to control the seasons. Fire Nation's ambition is endless. Or maybe she finally got a hold of Ty Lee's ancestry somehow. Only to spy a flash of pink leaping onto the Princess, a crash of falling furniture and a painfully undignified: "Oof!"

"'Zula!" the joyous exclamation confirmed the obvious. Mai rolled her eyes. Briefly, she amused herself on the Princess's futile attempt to disentangle herself from the energetic two-year old, an everyday occurrence for the past year since the human learned how to walk.

And how to talk.

"Ty Lee!" Azula's stern reprimand is muffled by the excited body of the giggling human. "If you won't get off me, I will burn you!"

Empty, empty threats. Everyone knew that the most that Azula Firebent on Ty Lee was to blow steam on her tears, whenever the little girl decided that playing crybaby was the best way to get the Princess' attention. Which unfortunately for the supposedly scary Princess, worked more often than not. Most of the time though, the little human just have to jump on her bones and voila, Azula was already fixated on pleasing her just to get rid of her.

"Play!" Ty Lee exclaimed happily, but nevertheless untangling herself from the disgruntled Fire Demon. Seated on her lap, protuberant eyes stared up hopefully at the golden glare. "Let's play 'Zula!"

"I'm busy." Azula huffed, moving to shrug off the far too upbeat knucklehead but it only prompted the girl to latch on further. The Princess sighed loudly, exasperated. "Fine, what in the world do you want me to do?"

"You can play fire?" Hopeful.

"No." The princess declined. "Ask the servants."

"But their fire is not pretty."

"Pretty? All fire is pretty."

"Blue! I want blue fire!

In those two years, Ty Lee has surprisingly gotten well acquainted to the fact that virtually everyone in the palace has pointed ears, clawed hands and that most of them can incinerate things accidentally, something that delighted the girl to no end. The little pyromaniac had once asked why she was so different, why her ears are rounded, why her eyes are gray. Most importantly, why there is no one as small as her anywhere in the palace except the pig-chickens. Azula just muttered, patronizing that she was born to be special to especially serve her.

"Like the servants?"

"You would know in due time."

And Ty Lee would probably realize that as soon as she would notice that the rest is nowhere older while she is getting progressively taller.

"No." Azula said once more, breaking Mai off her thoughts. Slowly, she pushed the human off her. "I'm busy."

Three… two… one…

Fat tears started to ooze down from the rounded gray eyes and…

"Geez." Azula mumbled sulkily and blew controlled heat towards the human's face. The threatening waterworks immediately dried up, the gray eyes wide with excitement. The little trick never ceased to amaze the little girl and she once again wrapped herself around the FireBender.

"Oof." Another undignified reaction.

Mai watched as Azula lay on the floor in a messy heap, the toddler now dozing off on top of her after pronouncing her undying love to the frowning Fire Demon, breathing peacefully for a few moments as she twirled a finger on the young girl's braided hair. Twelve years from now, she would drink this girl's blood. Probably bring her to her bed too and fuck her like all the other human girls. But in the meantime there was peace and beauty as she held the view of the Princess just savouring the child's company. Maybe, she was just smelling her blood or something, Mai thought.

And I will name her Ty Lee.

Surely, the Monster who brought down Ba Sing Se, razed the Earth Kingdom to the ground and was trying to control the weather would not find peace in this ridiculous, noisy, exuberant bundle of pink airheadedness. The world has never been enough for Azula. Yes, Mai thought, finally finding something that made sense. Azula just liked the smell of the girl's blood.

There was silence as Azula quietly placed the sleeping girl on the couch. It persisted until she came back to the table, rubbing her forehead. There was pained frown on her countenance, as if confused, torn, not knowing what to do.

That happened quite a lot ever since Ty Lee came to their lives.

"Do you need to go up the surface again?" Mai ventured, raising an eyebrow. In the past hundred years, she has learned how to read Azula quite well. Thirst was one of her more transparent emotions. Lip-biting, uneven breathing, closed eyes. The baring of the fangs helped too.

Azula breathed in, breathed out and her fangs glinted on the candlelight. "This is getting harder each time."

"And yet you are not doing it." Mai said nonchalantly. She ran her hands on the world map, watching the frustrated Fire Demon, face crunch. "There is a betting pool around the servants you know. They are all wondering when you would finally snap and break Ty Lee's neck."

There was a flash of… something in Azula's golden eyes. Mai almost smirked. "What did you bet on?" Azula asked and the assassin discerned malice in the Princess' tone.

Not at all unnerved, Mai shrugged. "I said you would last until she was fourteen."

There was relief in Azula's eyes, disguised only by a sharp turn in the head and a quick pretext of amusement. "You think I can control myself?"

"I can always just suggest you go and buy yourself some girls aboveground anytime that there is danger. Like I am about to do now." Mai raised both eyebrows, allowing herself a condescending smile this time. "I am very confident that I would win, you see."

And Mai knew better than anyone that Azula has exercised a remarkable amount of control so far in the past two years. And not only because Ty Lee was an insufferable, little brat who openly adored the Princess. Or a difficult child who would only stop crying at the sight of her apple in the eye. In every day that the Princess blew steam on Ty Lee's tears, not once did the little human get burned.

If that is not control, Mai did not know what was.

Though nobody could deny it. Ty Lee smelled really, really good. Like warm fruit tarts straight off from the ovens. It probably was sugar cakes for Azula or more likely, the smell of burning corpses. She was evil like that. The world is never enough.

Azula also wanted to conquer the human world.

"When you go aboveground, buy two humans and bring one here." It has been so long.

Azula smirked.

"You desire a threesome?"

Another conspiratorial smirk crossed Mai's face, looking forward for tonight.

Meanwhile, little Ty Lee slept on.

(TBC)

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