The Phoenix

Change

"You guys are being dramatic, the Captain even said you can leave if your back before dark," Katara looked at them confused as Jet was moping the deck and five others were wiping down the railings or organizing everything while everyone else was cleaning the bottom of the ship where they slept to make sure there was no pests and to keep it that way.

"No lee doesn't actually mean that, why do you think he went alone? That means he will tie our ankles together and dangle us over the side of the ship again till we screamed how to clean properly for an hour," Jet pointed at her seriously as Mai was even wiping down the rails.

"It was just you and five guys Jet, you said it was stupid and a waste of time," Mai said flatly as Katara was handcuffed to the railing on the stairs.

"So he likes his ship clean? Why when your going to get rats no matter what," the water bender rolled her eyes.

"Have you seen rats?" Ty Lee hung upside down from the rope as she was on the crows nest.

Katara opened her mouth but closed it quickly when the captain walked on board, he knelt down and touched the wooden floors then looked at Jet darkly.

"I'm not done!" Jet shrieked.

"You have till sundown, your still on my shit list Jet," Zuko told him sternly then whistled for ty Lee.

"Ty, it's for you," he called and she swung down with a squeal.

"Thanks captain!" Ty Lee blushed a bright red with a big smile running past him and flipped over the railing to the ground as she ran through the woods.

Her heart beat faster and faster as she ran but gasped happily seeing the girl walking out of the shack, she sped up and jumped to hug azula around the shoulders.

"Azula I missed you!" She yelled happily as Azula cried out in surprise.

"Ty Lee," Azula breathed relieved turning around, their hands slid to join and their fingers laced together. Ty Lee smiled when Azula rested their foreheads together.

"Zuko said you can come home soon," she whispered with a small smile.

"He's not going to be sad to see me go?" Ty Lee closed her eyes as their hands tightened together.

"It was a good argument but I think I won," Azula breathed and looked at ty Lee gently.

"I'm so glad you came," ty Lee giggled looking into her golden eyes.

"I'm so tired of perverted men," she smirked tilting her head to the side. Azula blushed at the way ty Lee looked at her.

Azula slowly leaned forward hoping her friend wouldn't pull away. Instead ty Lee moved closer for their lips to touch, the girl in pink stroked the princess's hand gently as she kissed her softly and slowly to enjoy the little moments they had together.

"I wish I could bring you home sooner," Azula breathed against her lips.

"My captain needs me, it's better than the circus," ty Lee smiled kissing her again as the girls held each other tightly.

"Don't talk about my brother when I kiss you," Azula hummed holding her cheek gently pressing her lips to the girls again.

—

Zuko helped clean the trash off the ship as ty Lee came back on the boat smiling to herself, he smiled shaking his head at her.

"Thanks for letting me go captain," ty Lee giggled climbing up the side rope ladder to the crowsnest.

"Your naughty ty," Zuko teased back.

"Oh absolutely," she laughed getting to her spot.

He rolled his eyes at her and looked over the edge.

"Alright let's get this piece of wood moving! Anchors up!" Zuko called loudly to the crew to get them going, he waved gently over the side seeing Azula in the shadows of the woods waving back.

Mai walked over rubbing zukos back and waved over at Azula with a small smile, it was every so often all of them saw each other again, keeping it a secret for the best, Azula was the only one that knew in the fire nation, having a princess on your side from in the palace walls helped them more than they'd thought.

"You going to miss her?" Mai asked quietly.

"We made an agreement, everything's going according to plan," Zuko crossed his arms but he looked more relaxed.

"Good," Mai sighed resting her head on his shoulder, Zuko looked down at the floor feeling her body against his, there was no feeling for her touch, his heart felt numb, but she hated when he acted cold.

So he rested his head on top of hers despite the hollow feeling in his chest.

Ty Lee saw Katara was on the crows nest reading a book and looked at her surprised.

"Jet lost track of me," Katara smiled a little as ty Lee joined her.

"What got you all giddy?" She asked curiously seeing the blush on ty Lee's cheeks.

"Got to see my kind of girlfriend," the paler girl giggled.

"Really? Do you not see her often?" Katara smiled kindly at her with no questions.

"No, she's an alley but also a secret to everyone else, helped us with some important stuff and Lee needs her for some other things," ty Lee crossed her legs as she was able to see farther on the golden horizon. She loved being this high.

"So why kind of girlfriend?" Katara chuckled.

"I don't see her enough, but we both don't want to be with anyone else right now, so not really official but mutual," she explained softly but remembered not everyone is aware of the same genders being romantic with each other.

"Don't worry I'm not judging you, I may have been in a small village but water tribes are very aware of men liking men and women liking women," Katara noticed her panic.

"Really? That's relieving," ty Lee laughed it off.

"We're the element of change for a reason, water tribes are very open to new things," Katara nodded confidently.

"Thank you Katara," she smiled looking down at Zuko and Mai. She wondered if they'd be just as open about her romantic feelings for Azula...