The Warrior's Betrayal (Azula gxg fanfic)

8

Cyra did not bother counting the days she spent locked in her room. She had completely immersed herself into chi blocking, obsessing over the forms until she had each of them perfectly. She was lucky her new room provided her with more space to do so.

It must have been well over a week, but she tried not to think about it, because when she began to think of how long she'd been stuck in there, she began to ponder how Azula could do such a thing to her, and that is not something Cyra wanted to be thinking about.

Cyra had enough experience to know that even if you perfect the forms of a fighting style, you still have to practice relentlessly in order to commit them to muscle memory. It was not only the forms she needed to understand perfectly either, it was the opponent's body as well. Studying the human body was not unfamiliar to her, as she spent a lot of time learning from waterbending healers before her journey to the earth kingdom.

That was, perhaps, one of Cyra's favorite lessons. Her travels around the world ensured she became an all knowledgeable fighter, but in that moment, she had learned the opposite; to heal. While she could obviously not learn how to heal in the same ways a waterbender may, she did learn other methods she had never thought possible that firebenders may use to heal.

She learned from her sifu that fire and heat are energy, and energy courses through every single living being. By bending the energy in a person, it can be used to promote healing. Not to mention that heat can promote blood flow, alleviate pain, relax muscles, and more.

She was sitting on the floor facing the window meditating when her door opened. Cyra was confused, she opened her eyes to look at the window. The sun was still too high for them to be bringing her dinner. A figure stepped in front of the window, blocking her view.

"Miss me?"

"Azula," Cyra sighed, closing her eyes again.

"You don't sound very excited to see me, darling," Azula crouched down to get more level with the girl in front if her.

"You locked me in a room and left me alone for over a week, Azula," Cyra frowned, still refusing to look at the girl in front of her.

Azula hummed and then reached out and brushed a stray piece of Cyra's hair out of her face. Her fingers trailed down Cyra's cheek, and then under her chin, lifting it up.

"Can I tell you something," Azula asked, her voice barely above a whisper. There was something in her voice that caused Cyra's eyes fluttered open to look at Azula in front of her. Cyra gave a slight nod for Azula to continue.

"I was scared that you would run away as soon as I left," Azula said, her voice so quiet Cyra wasn't even sure if she heard her correctly. Cyra's feelings of hurt and betrayal melted away into a cruel understanding.

Azula used fear to keep people close to her, it was her greatest power, but Cyra was not afraid of her. They both knew that, and undoubtedly it made Azula feel powerless. Cyra grabbed Azula and pulled her forward into a hug, and Azula fell from her crouch onto her knees.

"Azula, if I wanted to leave, I could have, easily. Too easily actually, you should probably get better guards," Cyra chuckled and then became serious again, "but I'm not going to abandon you, because I care about you. Don't you see that?"

Something in Azula shattered hearing those words, and she let out a choked sob. Cyra's heart broke at the sound, and she pulled Azula in closer, so she was practically sitting in her lap, and held her tightly.

"I am here, Azula. I'm not going anywhere," Cyra cooed the lost, sad girl in her arms. They stayed like that for awhile while Azula silently cried. Cyra wondered how long she had been holding it all in, and guessed knowing Azula it was probably since her mother left her.

After awhile Azula became still, and then made a sound that made Cyra softly chuckle; Azula's snores were louder than a stampede of hog monkeys. Cyra stood with Azula still in her arms and carried her to the bed. Her plan was to set her down and let Azula sleep, but when Cyra tried to pull out of the embrace, Azula's fists tightened around Cyra's robes. Cyra thought for a moment that Azula must have woken up, but her snoring then continued.

Cyra smiled and shook her head at the sleeping girl, and then climbed into bed next to her. Azula subconsciously cuddled in to Cyra's side. The sound of Azula's snores soon lulled Cyra to sleep as well.

_____________

"I told you we'd find her in here," a monotone voice sighed, jarring Cyra's mind awake. She kept her eyes closed.

"Mai shush, you'll wake them up!" Another person tried to whisper but somehow it sounded more like yelling.

"That's the point, idiot, we have to leave soon," Mai responded. Cyra's heart sank, she thought they were done with their mission. Azula's voice beside her startled her.

"Girls, leave. I'll be out there soon."

Cyra did not miss the 'I' instead of 'we'. Cyra listened as the two girls left and shut the door, keeping her eyes closed.

"I know you're awake," Azula whispered into her ear.

"If you're going to leave me here again, at least don't make me stay in my room this time," Cyra muttered in response.

Azula chuckled, moving to sit up a little, leaning on her elbow and looking down at Cyra.

"Deal."

"So you are leaving me here again, wasn't this last time punishment enough?"

"This one isn't punishment, it is a stealth undercover mission, only the three of us are going," Azula explained.

"Why? Where are you going?" Cyra questioned.

"On our way back from our failure at Ba Sing Se, we encountered a group of Kyoshi warriors. We took them prisoner and brought them back here. We managed to get out from one of them that three of them were to be sent to protect the earth king, and so we are going disguised in their place," Azula explained. She looked at Cyra's face closely, waiting for her reaction.

"For how long?" Cyra pouted.

"As long as it takes to take them down from the inside. To be honest I am not sure," Azula responded, tucking a stray hair behind Cyra's ear.

"And what am I to do in your absence?" Cyra asked. Azula thought for another moment, before smiling cheekily.

"Think of me," Azula leaned down and nuzzled into Cyra's neck, planting small kisses near her throat.

Something changed in Azula, Cyra could sense the shift in energy. Before it was cold, stiff, suspicious, and now she felt... warm. Maybe all Azula ever really needed all along was someone to hold her as she cried. Maybe it was nearing time for Cyra to tell the truth.

Azula detached herself from Cyra and slid out of the bed, and Cyra stood too.

"Next time you see me, I will have conquered the earth kingdom in the name of my father," Azula swore to her, making Cyra's stomach twist with anxiety. The fire nation was spiraling out of control, and Cyra was watching idly. Her original plan became blurry when she started to fall for Azula, and she needed to sort herself out, soon.

"Be safe, I will be here waiting when you return," was all she could muster, leaning forward to capture Azula's lips with her own. The kiss was short and sweet, a reminder that Cyra wasn't going to vanish. It obviously wasn't enough for Azula, whose hand wrapped around the back of Cyra's neck to pull her back in, while her other hand cupped Cyra's face. A banging at the door broke them apart again.

"You should go."

"I will miss you," Azula responded, playing with the hair Cyra had covering the back of her neck. It was strange to hear such affections coming from Azula.

"Likewise," Cyra said, and then watched solemnly as Azula turned and let herself out, leaving Cyra alone once more.

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