The Warrior's Betrayal (Azula gxg fanfic)

13

"Take her to the prison," Azula said, slamming the door behind herself. She leaned against it and slid down to the floor. Azula could still hear Cyra's muffled sobbing as she was dragged away by the Dai Lee agents Azula brought back from Ba Sing Se. The fading sound intensified the horrible ache in her chest.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, Azula repeated in her head, but her body refuted her demands. Her breathing became quick and ragged, and her eyes watered heavily. She shut them tightly and buried her face into her hands as a sob escaped her.

She felt like a little girl again, lost and alone. She spent her whole life making sure she would never have to feel this way again after her mother disappeared, and within a few months Cyra had ruined that. Azula had allowed Cyra to ruin that.

Cyra had lied to her over and over, and Azula had ignored the signs. They were there, but for some stupid reason Azula ignored them. Anger grew in the pit of Azula's stomach as she thought of how Cyra had effortlessly betrayed her. It all made sense, Cyra wasn't afraid of Azula, she wasn't under Azula's control, and so she left, just like her mother.

Azula stood and opened her door, exiting her room and wiping away her tears in an attempt to pretend that they never happened. She found herself walking quickly, not knowing where she was headed until she stopped in front of Cyra's bedroom door.

It hit her that even though it was Cyra who made her feel so weak, all she wanted in that moment was to go to her and curl up against the stupid girl. Cyra had provided Azula so much comfort that she didn't even know she needed.

Azula hesitated before touching the door.

She was half hoping she would open it and find the other girl fast asleep, and that maybe this had all been a terrible dream. But when she pushed the door open, Cyra was not there. A horrible sound escaped Azula, a choked noise of dismay and sadness and anger. She made her way over to the empty bed.

A note rested in the place where Cyra should be, and Azula lit a cerulean lantern in her hand and picked it up. In perfect penmanship, Azula's name rested upon the outside, and Azula scoffed at how annoyingly talented Cyra was in everything she did. Azula had grown fond of it in the past few months, but of course now she had to learn to hate it again.

Azula closed her eyes as more unwilling tears escaped, debating if she even wanted to open the letter. Curiosity got the best of her and she unfolded it and let her glossy eyes scan across the page.

Forgive me, my love

That was it. Azula looked on the front and back of the paper, looking for more— there must have been more. Her eyes ran across the last two words a few more times, wondering what they meant. They had made her heart flutter in a way that eased the pain if only for a moment. But then she began to think about the audacity Cyra had to ask for Azula's forgiveness after lying to her and hurting her this way and rage filled her once more, making her skin burn with it. The letter ignited in her hand.

Azula let out a little gasp as the ashes of the letter began to fall to the floor. She watched the paper disappear from her grasp and existence just as Cyra had tried to do. Azula loathed feeling this way, it choked her and made her feel weak, and yet she couldn't bring herself to hate Cyra for making her feel this way; at least, not yet.

Azula climbed onto the bed and under the perfectly made covers, letting Cyra's lingering scent lull her to sleep.

~

Azula awoke before the sun rose the next morning with a newfound rage. She pushed down any traces of heartbreak and proceeded to make her day seem normal as possible. After her maids got her ready she went and had breakfast alone, and while she was at it she banished half the cooking staff in an attempt to make herself feel better.