A/N: Here it is: the last one. I wish this could go on longer but this is all I planned, and I'm working on another Tyzula story that I want to update more frequently, and I have limited writing time.

'first steps'

"She wants to walk," Azula declares and no one fully understands. "She's crying all the time because she wants to be independent."

It startles everyone around her. Usually Azula is not incredibly observant when it comes to Inzai. She is clueless maternally, and no one blames her because she did not exactly have a mother, and she chased away all of her nannies.

Currently, Azula, Ty Lee, Mai, Zuko and little Izumi are in an ornate living room. Ty Lee is trying to deal with her fussy daughter, who is clinging to things and crying, tearing at them. Azula watches from afar, of course not getting involved with her daughter.

Zuko raises an eyebrow and examines Azula. "You think so?"

"I do. Let me try," Azula says, her heart beating into her throat. She can feel her quickened pulse reverberating through her body. Her daughter worries her constantly; she is always afraid of doing the wrong thing like her mother did.

If Inzai resented her, she does not know what she would do. And so Azula walks forward slowly and kneels beside her daughter. Inzai stops crying for a moment and sniffs in, looking at Azula closely with her big golden eyes. Saliva drips from her slightly parted rosy lips and Azula tries not to be disgusted.

"Do you want to walk?" Azula asks and Izumi nods. She is only a few months old, and Zuko and Mai highly doubt that Inzai is going to be able to walk this early. But she is bright, like Izumi was, and Izumi was always well ahead of her age.

"Mhmm," is the unintelligible sound Inzai makes. Azula is unsure if she fully understands her mother, but Azula takes her gently by the hand.

"All of you stop staring!" Azula snaps and Inzai looks frightened for a moment. Zuko and Ty Lee avert their eyes, but Mai keeps watching. Azula cannot tell her what to do anymore.

Azula feels genuinely afraid, but she does not show it. She tries to look as though this is not a big deal to her in the slightest as she takes Inzai's damp fingers and slowly stands, making sure not to strain her daughter. Ty Lee already has tears in her eyes just looking at Azula being involved with the little girl she gave birth to.

Those first steps mean the most and Zuko pretends not to be watching, for fear of sabotaging it. He engrosses himself in Izumi's puzzle that she is solving with a preternatural expertise. Mai, however, is sucked into the scene.

Ty Lee waits with bated breath as Azula murmurs something to Inzai and readjusts her grip, hoping she will not send her daughter toppling over. She could die that way and Azula would have killed her own child and now Azula is in a panic, but she sees the others and takes a deep breath. She refuses to look flustered in front of these people.

Inzai clings to Azula's waist when Azula starts moving. Nobody ever taught her how to teach her child to walk, nor did she ever care. It always seemed like something Ty Lee would wind up doing. Like everything in their daughter's life.

From the moments that Inzai moving inside of Azula sent her into panic attacks, Azula was well aware she would be a feeble parent, and so she never has taken chances like this.

But Inzai does it. Clinging to Azula of all people, she takes her first steps and is obscenely excited, bouncing from foot to foot before Azula has to catch her, as she is about to fall.

Ty Lee hugs Inzai in her arms and Mai taunts, "Aww. Family moment. How cute."

"You shut up!" Azula snaps and Mai shakes her head, smirking ever so slightly.

"Our daughter can walk," Ty Lee squeals, brimming with even more excitement than Inzai. And within Azula, there is that small excitement like a supernova building and bursting in her chest.

But she plays coy, kneels beside Inzai and says, "Next, firebending."

Ty Lee rolls her eyes as Inzai certainly understands that.

Ty Lee could not believe what was happening. It was almost impossible to fathom that she was minutes away from marrying Princess Azula, the only person she had ever truly loved. It had been years of losing and regaining Azula like the motions of the ocean beneath the moon.

She was made up like a beauty queen and she loved it. Looking into the mirror, she felt special, different, unique and destined for great things. Everyone always told her that she would be mediocre, that it would be best for her to fit into the crowd. And strangely, the girl who liked to smash people into their place, made her feel like she was important.

And then, after so many years of mediocrity, she was about to become a princess. She was also about to choose Azula to be her first, her last and her everything. Those steps down the aisle would be her first steps towards a new life and a new world. One that she had desperately craved since her childhood.

Mai came up behind her. She was already dressed for the wedding, and of course in the grimmest of colors in contrast to the summer reds and pinks, as well as the green and blue of the visiting guests.

"You look ready for a funeral," Ty Lee complained and Mai just shrugged. "I can't believe Azula snatched you up. She has enough control to run a coup in Ba Sing Se but not enough to get you a decent dress."

"I worked her," Mai replied with a small smile. It quickly faded, of course. "Well, your dear bridesmaids look like a little matched set. The ribbons are even identically tied. You amaze me at your meticulousness. I'm pretty sure Azula doesn't even know what day it is."

"Is she nearly ready?" Ty Lee exclaimed and Mai just shrugged. "Well, check on her. She's your job. I'm Suki's. And she is doing a way better job."

"Shush," Mai sighed with a roll of her eyes, and she was on her way to go locate Azula.

The princess was in even more disarray than Ty Lee, which was a stunning accomplishment. They both were an absolute mess, which Mai supposed was understandable. But Azula was eyeing the window as if she was about to climb out of it and start running.

"Cold feet?" Mai inquired with a small smile. Azula glared at her in response. "There's nothing to be afraid of. You're just signing your soul over for eternity to Ty Lee."

"You shut up!" Azula snapped and Mai shrugged. Mai realized she should probably be kinder about this wedding, but she found it altogether ridiculous to a large extent.

"Tell me why you're worried," Mai said, studying Azula closely.

Azula responded by taking two deep breaths and then teetering slightly on her feet. "Why am I doing this? Mai, why am I doing this?"

"Because you're crazy," Mai replied and Azula rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. I'm not being helpful. Clearly something snapped in your brain that made you want to marry her. Less helpful? Let me try again. You two have been gradually taking little steps towards this for a really long time. Since you were kids. I say, give in, because I think there's no stopping at this point. You've walked all the way up to the little ledge. Now grab her and jump."

"That was... strangely inspirational," Azula replied coldly and Mai shrugged.

"I am a woman of many surprises," Mai replied with a small wink.

Azula just shook her head. "You are not always a terrible friend."

"You aren't always a terrible friend either. But if you run and leave her at the altar I will be forced to hunt you down and peel your skin off like an orange," Mai said and Azula raised an eyebrow.

"I will keep that in mind." Azula stumbled on her shoes and Mai caught her. "I feel ridiculous."

"You look pretty ridiculous," Mai replied before shaking her head. "No, you look good. Now go out there and sell yourself to Ty Lee for eternity."

"If you insist, Fire Lady Mai." And Azula turned away.

Ty Lee took those first steps, as their relationship had moved step by step. Azula still looked grey and vaguely hypothermic, but she did not have the look of desperation for escape anymore. She gazed at Ty Lee, going through in her mind how she got to this point.

But she was not unhappy about getting here. Each step felt right.

And Ty Lee ran out of space to walk as she was nearly toe to toe with Azula.

The acrobat winked at the princess before the ceremony began.

Azula touched her wrist, and they took their first step into forever.

FIN